♫ fluorescent adolescent 

- arctic monkeys

✧

The next morning, Priscilla and Vader had an extra spring in their step as they made their way down to the dungeons. The previous night was loads of fun, but it was Sunday now and Priscilla had some work to get done. No surprise that as soon as she was bumped up to N.E.W.T level in all of her classes, the course load nearly doubled.

When they walked into the Slytherin common room, Cassius and Adrian were sitting by the fireplace, cozied up next to each other, not giving a damn about the rest of the house's sidelong glances their way. They were pouring over a book in the firelight, seemingly in their own little world.

"Morning, lovebirds!" Priscilla laughed as she sat down next to them, giving them a side hug and breaking them out of their trance. Vader leapt up onto Adrian's lap, nuzzling into his chest with a purr, making the boy smile. Vader had his favourites of Cilla's friends, and Adrian was definitely top of the list, second to maybe Cedric, even though George is making his way up the list as well.

"Someone seems cheery," Cassius said, wiggling his eyebrows at Cilla. "Have a nice evening?"

"Took the words right out of my mouth, Warrington."

The three whipped their heads around the couch to see Pansy, Blaise, Crabbe and Goyle looking at them wearing devilish smirks. "Where were you last night, Roberts?"

Cilla shrugged with a smirk. "Somewhere," she replied mischievously. 

"We know you went to the Gryffindor's," Crabbe said proudly. "Your blood-traitor boyfriend can't help you now! Draco is on his way to get Professor Snape and turn you in."

"That's funny because Priscilla was at our place last night, wasn't she Cass?" Adrian said with a quirked eyebrow.

"Right she was, Adrian," Cass shrugged.

Blaise sputtered for a response. "B-but your bed was empty all night! Pansy checked!"

"Pansy, do you know how much you have to study for a N.E.W.T-level exam? Cass, Adrian and I were up all night. Besides, you don't see anyone else running to grab Snape when your bed is empty all night. Isn't that right, Blaise?"

The four Slytherins watched in horror. Pansy looked like her head was going to blow up, and Blaise's eyes were fixed on the ground. They lost this round of the game and they knew it.

When Draco eventually came back with Snape without an alibi, Snape needed something to punish. He dragged a steaming Draco back out of the common room by the ears, and he got saddled with detention for one evening for wasting the professor's time. Cilla was elated and couldn't wait to tell the twins all about her vindication.

"By the way, Cilla, we've been meaning to tell you," Adrian added as they studied that evening, "we came out to our families over the holidays!"

"No way! How did it go?" Priscilla asked excitedly.

"My parents said they always had a feeling, and that they'll support us no matter what," Adrian replied proudly.

Cassius sighed and took a sip of his tea before replying, a muscle in his bulky arms twitching subtly. "Mine will come around eventually," he replied simply. Clearly his parents didn't take the news as well as Adrian's parents.

Priscilla gave him a supportive hug and a smile. "Of course they will, Cass. And until then you have us to support you."

"Thanks, Cilla."

Vader meowed at him, making everyone laugh. "You also get unlimited kitty cuddles!" Adrian added cheerfully, holding up the tiny little kitten in his hands and giving him a kiss on the head.

✧

The next morning at breakfast, Cilla told Nitara and Cedric what had happened in the Slytherin common room excitedly over a sandwich. She had to slow down to chew, she was so happy.

"They're really out to get you, aren't they?" Nitara asked, crossing her arms and sitting back in her chair in disbelief.

Cilla nodded painfully. "Someone put exploding rocks in my bed the other night, and they keep trying to kidnap Vader. Who knows what else they'll do."

Cedric patted her shoulder supportively. "At least it was worth it though, right? It's been a month since we've been back and they haven't tried anything on our friends."

"You're right Ced," Cilla responded in between bites of her third sandwich. "By the way, the mermaids have been acting really weird recently. I can see them in the common room."

"How so?" Nini asked curiously.

Cilla shrugged. "They're just acting strange. They've been gathering closer to the castle, looks like they're building something. I dunno."

"There's a stained glass of a mermaid in the prefect bathroom, isn't there?" Nitara asked Cedric. "Honestly, Cilla, we should break in there sometime. Their bath is the size of a public pool," she added, not caring prefect Cedric who could very well get her in trouble for saying that was sitting right across from her.

Cedric's eyes grew wide with realization. "I gotta go," he said quickly, gathering his things and running out of the Great Hall, waving at Cho as he power-walked past her.

Nitara tensed up considerably when Cho sat down next to her. Priscilla put her sandwich down and watched the two look at each other. It was the first time they had been in the same vicinity of each other outside of class in weeks.

"Hi, Nini," Cho said quietly.

"Cho," she replied sternly.

"Have you-"

"Have you told Cedric?" Nitara asked bluntly.

"No..."

"Then my answer is the same. C'mon Cilla," Nitara snapped. She got up and walked out of the Great Hall, living Cho in her dust. Priscilla, not wanting to interfere, followed quickly, shooting Cho a sad smile before leaving.

Cho sat alone surrounded by half-empty dinner plates, fighting back tears with her head down.

✧

Fred and Priscilla were sitting under their special tree on the grounds bundled up in their warmest winter clothes after classes one day later that week.

"You haven't been pulling many pranks, recently, love. Everything okay?"

Cilla gave him a quick peck on the cheek, grateful for his care. "Laying low because of Draco, but it'll be alright."

"George and I can fuck him up into next week, if that helps," Fred offered, completely serious.

Priscilla laughed. "I'm sure you can, and you would look hot doing it, but you'll just make things worse, babe."

Fred kissed her then, smiling against her lips. "I like when you call me sexy," he said, wiggling his eyebrows and pulling her closer to him.

She pulled his hat over his eyes, making them both laugh. "Seriously though, Cilla," Fred said, moving his hat back up. "If you can't stay at your dorm, just come over-"

"I can't, they were onto me last time," Cilla sighed. "I'll just have to deal with it."

"Or maybe... you won't have to," Fred said, a hint of mischief in his eyes.

"Oh no."

"Oh yes. I have a plan. By the way, I love you," he added with a smile, kissing her jaw playfully.

"So I've heard," Cilla laughed, tickled by his lips. "Hey, Freddie, let's have a date this weekend."

"Really? A real, proper date?"

She shrugged. "Why not? It would be romantic, we can meet up after the Second Task," she said, fiddling with his scarf.

He smiled down and her, the tip of his nose glowing a faint red from the frost. "Yeah, alright. Sounds lovely."

"Good, now kiss me," she responded, grabbing his scarf and pulling him to her lips.

✧

"I figured out the next task," Cedric whispered to Cilla in Charms class a few weeks later.

"Really?!" 

Flitwick shushed her outburst and rolled his eyes before returning back to his lesson on a spell that allowed blue sparks to shoot out of your wand at will.

Cedric chuckled and wrote something down on the top corner of his parchment.

Mermaids, he wrote in his chicken-scratch hand.

Cilla's mouth opened wide. "Really?" she mouthed. Cedric nodded in return.

Thanks for the tip :3 Krum and I had a nice bath, he added on his parchment, making them both break out into a fit of giggles, resulting in another glare from Flitwick.