By The Lake

Lauren Potter was feeling rather exhausted after a long day helping in the Hospital Wing. She had seen a few cases come in today, but the Ravenclaw girl still weighed heavily on her mind. What 11 year old would put themselves through that? Lauren asked herself, as she found a dry, sunny spot by the lake.

Lauren's mind was reeling with what she could do to help this poor girl, so she closed her eyes and tried to relax, taking deep even breaths; letting her body melt into the grass.

Theresa skipped out of the castle and over to the lake, it was no surprice when she saw Lauren. She grinned as she walked silently to her and stopped when she was standing next to her. "Hi Lauren!" she sais loudly as she jumped onto the grass next to her friend.

Lauren gasped with fright, as Resa came and sat next to her very loudly. She did not expect her to be there. "Resa," Lauren said, with her hand on her chest. "You scared me!"

Lauren calmed her racing heart and looked over at the girl, who seemed very happy. "Why are you so cheerful?" Lauren asked, feeling like she needed a good long rest to recuperate from the grueling work in the Hospital Wing today.

Theresa grinned "that was the idea" she joked before she leaned back in the grass. "You looked too happy so I thought I would ruin it for you" she said, laughing at her friend's reaction.
She thought for a moment "not sure, I feel very happy today, it's sickening" she said, pretending to be sick before she sighed and looked up at the sky.

Lauren nodded, "Yes it is rather sickening. Do you feel any better after the Pepper Up potion?" Lauren asked, "Oh, by the way. Madame Rosey was very impressed by my stirring skills! She said that my Pepper Up potion was one of the best she had seen." Lauren was beaming. She loved getting compliments and one from the healer of the hospital wing was like a dream come true!

"Too bad Professor Green couldn't give me points for a perfect Pepper Up potion, instead of taking them away for being outside the forest!" Lauren said with a sigh.

Theresa nodded "I do feel better, I think that might be one of the reasons I am so cheerful today" she said. She grinned at what Lauren had said "well congradulations, you are going to be head healer of st mungo's before we know it" she said. She just knew that Lauren would become the head healer, it was only a matter of time. She was too smart and too goood at the whole healer thing not to be.

Lauren blushed at Resa's comment. "Thanks. I sure hope so!" she said, leaning back once more, her heart beating at a normal rate after Resa's surprise entry.

Lauren throughly enjoyed spending time with Theresa. She was a breath of fresh air, and for Lauren, that was what she needed. Sometimes, her fellow Gryffindors were so closed minded, and, she hated to say it, boring, that she needed her friends from the other houses just to keep her sane.

Theresa thought about what they were planning on doing and sighed. She wondered what next year would be like. Would the next first years be like them or would they be worse. Would they be more well behaved, it was possible. She looked at the sky oddly "that cloud looks like a mutant centaur" she said suddenly.

Lauren opened her eyes to look at what Resa was refering to. She nodded in agreement. "Yeah, it kinda does!" Lauren said. "And that one looks like a pygmy puff!" Lauren laughed, and then looking at Resa, laughed again. She had forgotten that was what Will Black called her. "I'm a cute little puff puff puff..." Lauren sang under her breathe, and dodged Resa as she tried to strangle her. "Too fast for you, my puffy friend!" Lauren gasped, in between snorts of laughter.

"Shut up you wench, I hate that bloody Black called me that and now you are doing it all" Theresa said, huffing before she tried to hit her friend. "You dare mention that cursed song again and you shall die" she threatened, going slightly red as she remembered her song at the Gryffindor table and remembered what she was called in the library.

Raven came to the lake and seeing the two girls walked over to them. They looked like they were having fun, so maybe he shouldn't interrupt them? It probably would be best to ask first. Nodding at them, he canted his head and greeted, "Hey, is it okay if I join you two?"

Lauren continued to giggle despite Resa's threat. "It wasn't as bad as what I had to do, remember! I had death stares from the other Gryffindors for a week afterwards and now that I've lost points, I'll have to do dishes!!" Lauren sighed, not wanting to do the punishment that Jasmeet was in charge of.

"Does Hufflepuff have a punishment set up, like Ravenclaw, Slytherin and Gryffindor?" Lauren asked Resa.

Lauren turned as Raven appeared, "Hey!" She said to the boy, "No worries. You can be a witness, if Resa murders me!" Lauren laughed.

Theresa looked up from where she was trying to kill her soon to be ex- friend and smiled. "Hey, sure" she said before she glared at Lauren. "You mention that song one more time and I will kill you with a witness" she said. "Yes, you know there is a punishment for Hufflepuffs Lauren and I am not saying it you wench" she said.

Lauren had not been called a wench before, and Resa had called her it twice now. "I wish I could bear witness to your punishment." Lauren said, laughing as she remembered what the Hufflepuff punishment was. "That's hilarious." Lauren turned to Raven, "I heard your punishment involved a pit of some description. But that might just be a rumour."

Raven watched the girls and couldn't help but laugh as he sat down. He shook his head grinning. The mention of the song though had piqued his interest. He wondered if it was the song she had sang in the Great Hall that day. Shrugging at Lauren's comment he shook his head. "Nope. I do have a pit. Can't tell you though, sorry."

Lauren pouted, and tried to give Raven her best puppy dog eyes, so that he would tell her. Lauren really wanted to know! When her expression didn't work, she sighed. "Oh, you're no fun!" Lauren said. She loved knowing the ins and outs of Hogwarts, and what happened in Slytherin was a mystery to her.

Theresa grinned "ha, finally, something the great Lauren doesn't know" she said, glad that there was finally something to deflate her masive ego. "The pit? that sounds like the worst of the house punishments" she said. Still, she couldn't help but wonder what the pit was. It was probably the opposite to their pit. "How come other houses cant know, we know everything that happens in the other houses" she said.

Raven raised his brow at them, his mouth twitching. At least there were some secrets. And thankfully no one had penetrated Slytherin yet. "Well, would you want other Houses to know what your punishment was? It's a Slytherin House secret. It wouldn't be a secret anymore if I told you, nor as useful."

Lauren contemplated this notion. "Hmm.. I suppose you're right. It is exciting to wonder what other houses get up to in their dormitories though. Gryffindor, for one, is so dull and boring!" Lauren sighed, "I would kill to Polyjuice potion it for one day to see what happens in the Slytherin commonroom." Lauren laughed as she said this, wondering who's identity she would steal to go into Slytherin undetected.

"Yes put everyone knows what the Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw and Gryffindor punishments are" Theresa said. She sighed "And that is why I will forever hate secrets" she said.
She turned to Lauren "that would be briliant, we so have to do that, even for the Ravenclaws and we can go in and visit Shelby and Hilary" she said, laughing.

Raven shrugged. "Well then, that just means your Houses suck at keeping secrets."
He silently laughed and couldn't wait to see what would happen if people actually did polyjuice themselves to get into the other common rooms. Of course, they would have to find them first. And for Ravenclaw you had to answer a riddle. He wondered if the girls knew that.

Lauren nodded, "Yeah.. Gryffindor's really cannot keep a secret. I love gossip too much to keep something bottled up!" Lauren said, knowing that Resa would agree. Gossip is just too much fun, but perhaps it was a girl thing. Raven just wouldn't understand! "I think I would prefer the actual challenge of making the Polyjuice Potion perfectly, as opposed to actually using it. I heard it's really difficult. I vow to make it one day!" Lauren said, getting excited, as Potions was her favourite class!

Theresa grinned "no, it means that our houses don't feel the need to keep secrets" she said. "That is an understatement Lauren, you are the biggest gossiping hen I have ever met" she teased before thinking about what she said about the potion. "No way I am ever going to drink it" she said. She could imagine drinking Lauren's potion and going purple or something.

Lauren laughed at her statement about being a gossip hen. "I suppose you're right. What can I say, I love to know what happens!" Lauren's smile then dropped from her face, "Why wouldn't you try my potion? Did you see my perfect Pepper Up potion today?" Lauren asked Resa, "I would make an excellent potion, I'll have you know!" Lauren told the girl, poking out her tongue at her. "I'll show you one day and you can be my test subject!" Lauren said proudly.

Raven canted his head as he thought. He knew they liked gossip, well girls liked gossip. He laughed at the two's antics. What piece of gossip could he give them that he knew? Eyes lighting up, he asked, "Do you guys remember a Slytherin named Pete? I met him on the train and only spoke to him a couple times before the Purge and haven't seen him since."