Delirium

Chapter 18 - Sherlock

Tuesday evening, whilst scoping the final dungeon corridors during her rounds, Jolie ignored the rustling she heard through the portrait of pears—the secret tunnel that led into the kitchens.

She knew who was in there.

Lee, Fred, and George—her boyfriend.

And she'd be joining them right after she finished up here.

Thinking of George as hers hadn't quite settled in yet. Every time Jolie thought about it, thought about him, her heartbeat quickened, her lips always stretching into a smile.

Daphne and Madeline hadn't been helping.

Only two days of lessons had passed since Jolie and George had become official, and every time he made eye contact with her in the corridors, every time he kissed her cheek as they crossed paths, Jolie's friends would coo, and squeal, and fuss—constantly taunting her.

But it made Jolie smile all the same.

They were happy for her, she knew. From the way Daphne had screamed bloody murder upon finding out the news on Saturday, and the way Madeline had screeched and demanded every single detail, Jolie knew that her friends meant well.

Just—a little too well, at times.

Smiling to herself, she strode down the corridor, turning the final corner and working her way back to the Slytherin common room's entrance.

There, standing just outside the stone passageway, was her partner, Eric Murley.

He gave a nod as she approached.

"Anything to report?" he asked.

"Nope," she lied, shuffling her feet to appear as bored as possible. "You?"

He shook his head. "No, thank Salazar. Coast is clear."

Jolie smiled at him. "Great. I'm off to bed, then."

He nodded, apparently agreeing.

She muttered the password and the stones shifted, revealing the passage into the common room. Eric followed behind her as they entered.

It was wonderfully empty.

She turned for the girls' dorms, calling a 'goodnight' over her shoulder to which Eric returned.

Beyond the archway, she waited.

Listening hard, her neck uselessly craning to hear, she graciously heard the soft click of Eric's door. She was completely and absolutely alone.

Perfect.

Jolie quickly inspected her robes in the dark corridor, making sure there were no creases or rumples that had formed in the fabric. She needed to look like a prefect at work should they get caught.

Tonight, just as Jolie had promised, she, Daphne, and (hopefully) Madeline would be joining Theo, Lee, Fred, and George in the boys' weekly tradition of smoking in the greenhouses.

She had already informed Daphne of the plan. Her friend would be waiting quietly in her dorm until Jolie came to fetch her.

Theo promised he'd meet the girls in the common room at eleven to escort them to the kitchens.

Now, all Jolie had to do was find a way to convince her roommate to tag along.

Throughout her rounds, she had tried to think of what to say. Tried to think up a script. Or a list of reasons that Madeline should attend.

But everything seemed to fall flat.

If Madeline didn't want to go, there wasn't really anything Jolie could do about it. She had no idea why her roommate was so opposed to Gryffindors. She'd only witnessed the divide between Houses for two months. Jolie couldn't figure why she seemed so against getting to know the others.