Ella was in a bit of a rush. She was meant to be down in the kitchens getting ingredients together for cupcakes but she made a stop at the bathrooms because she didn't want to have to leave the party once it started. She pushed open the door and stopped short at what she saw. Laura?...LAURA! BEAM. She was out of detention!

But wait...she looked REALLY upset. And messy, too. Frown. "Laura?" She said quietly, approaching her friend. "Are you alright? What are you doing in here?"

Laura was sat against the wall crying, she didn't want to see anyone and she didn't realise the door had been open until someone spoke to her, she was glad it was Ella though that had seen her if it had been someone else they might have made fun of her appearence and that was why she was in the girls bathroom hiding from everyone.

Laura quickly hid her hands up her sleeves, she didn't want Ella to see that they were really red from where her right hand had been chained to her waist and she just hoped that Ella didn't see her feet were red too from being chained together, and then her hair was totally ruined, there was slime everwhere in it, but she wasn't going to admit anything was wrong. "I'm fi...fin...fine." Laura gave her a weak smile before she started crying. "Aren't you suppost to be at Sophie's Party, will you tell her I'm sorry but I want to be on my own at the minute." Laura didn't feel like a Party after being tortured.

O_____O

She was crying! Laura was crying. Ella didn't like this at all. She also didn't buy that her friend was fine. Not for a minute. "Laura, you're not fine." So she could stop trying to convince her friend now, yeah? "What happened? What's wrong?" Cause now Ella was quite concerned about her friend, and about her friend's beautiful hair. Merlin's beard! WHAT was in it anyway?

"Yeah, I was on my way to the kitchens but had to make a stop." Ella said with a nod towards the toilets. Frown. Wait, so Laura wasn't going to come? That just wasn't acceptable. Doing a little dance cause Ella really needed to goooo, the second year approached her friend and shook her head. "Laura, it's Sophie's birthday. I want you to tell me what happened, take a little bit to clean up, and come to the party."

Laura looked at Ella and just sat still for a couple of minutes, she really didn't want to tell anyone what had happened, because she had deserved what she got because she called Healer Tillstorm, Professor Tillstorm and so Professor Hadley did have a right to be angry.

Laura slowly started to speak after making sure she had stopped crying. "The chained my feet together and then my right hand to my waist so all I could use was my left hand and a baby toothbrush to clean an entire wall of slime, which at first they made me sit under, so it went in my hair." and then Ella wanted her to go to Sophie's party. "I don't want to go, just tell her I'm really sorry but well something happened, like say I had an important letter or something." It wasn't entirely false, something had happened, her hair was RUINED beyond repair.

Ella was happy when Laura stopped crying and started talking. It was weird seeing her so quiet, definitely not like her friend. Whatever happened in detention had to have been...really bad. O____O "They...chained you? I...Laura that's horrible." It sounded like an extremely uncomfortable way to spend a detention, not that detention was meant to be comfortable but still..."Slime? So that's what...that is?" And the second year stepped even closer, needed a better look at her friends now very sticky looking head of hair. "It isn't that bad, honest." It was bad....like REALLY bad...but it hadn't been burnt off or anything so yeah, it wasn't that horrible.

Wait. She still wasn't going to come? Frown. "Laura...I'm not going to lie to Sophie. She's one of our best friends." Ella wouldn't dreaming of lying to either of the girls. "Laura, I'll help you with your hair. We'll...." The small blonde wasn't a hair dresser or anything but she knew there had to be some kind of solution. "Oh! We can wash it in the sink and then...well we can use the scouring charm!" BEAM. "That can be used on humans!" So there would be NO skipping the party.

Laura looked at her friend and sighed. "It was, I couldn't even move much when I was trying to read a book." Laura looked at her legs where the marks from the chains were still visable, she wasn't ever going to forgive Professor Hadley or Healer Tillstorm, she was scared of them both now, if she made a mistake in Arithmancy maybe Professor Hadley would chain her to her desk for getting the answer wrong.

Laura looked at her friend and sighed. "Your not telling me the truth are you." Laura said looking into her friends eyes. "I can take it, my hair is ruined and there is no way to save it." Laura was sure that would be the case, seriously the detention she had just recieved was worse that what happen to spies, she was sure of that.

Laura looked at her friend. "Okay I'll go to Sophie's party, if we can get my hair sorted out, I don't want to go looking like this." No she didn't Sophie and everyone would make fun of her hair. "Will you help me Ella?" Laura went over to the sink and turned the tap on. "I can't do the back of my hair, can you do it?" Laura hoped Ella would say yes.

Ella frowned as she watched her friend. "I'm sorry, Laura. I wish you hadn't had to go through that." She said sincerely, knowing she couldn't have stopped what happened but still feeling quite bad. "It's over now, though. Try not to think about it." Even though that was probably pretty impossible.

The second year shook her head. "No, I'm not lying. It could be worse, Laura...and it's definitely not ruined. We just need to rinse it." So her friend needed to stop worrying, yeah? Ells would never make her walk around with a slimy head.

"Yeah, course I'll help you sort out your hair." Ella assure Laura, happy she had decided to attend the party after all. "Sure." And the second year followed her friend to the sink, rolling up her sleeves. "Alright, bend so your head is under the faucet and I'll help rinse your hair, okay?"
Yup, just call Ells 'the hair dresser' from now on.

Laura smiled at her bestie, this was why she had picked Sophie and Ella as her two bestie they were great with her and she knew she could be annoying sometimes but well they didn't tell her to leave them alone or stop being friends with them, though sometimes she was sure they wanted to say that, she looked at Ella. "I'm really sorry I've ruined your day Ella." Laura said truthfully. "And I'm really sorry I've dragged you into some sticky situations." Laura really was sorry.

Laura did what Ella told her too, she put her head under the faucet and whilst doing that she hadn't realised a note had fallen out of her pocket.

Ella looked at her friend and pulled her into a hug, squeezing tightly. "You didn't ruin my day, silly! You're my friend, I'm always around to help you." DUH! That was like the best friend code! As for the sticky situations..."Laura, everything with you is an adventure! As much as I get scared about getting in trouble sometimes, I think you're quite fun!" NOT that Ella condoned getting detention and losing house points, cause she didn't. "No need to apologize." Though she really appreciated it. REALLY.

Ella began rinsing Laura's hair, using her hands to get all the slime out and allowing the water to rinse away the parts that were really covered in the stuff. "Laura...this really isn't that bad after all. I don't think it'll take too long to-" And just then the second year noticed the piece of...letter, was it? Lying on the floor. "Hey, I think you dropped a piece of paper or something."

Laura looked at Ella and sighed as Ella pulled her into a hug. "I do too, you could be at the party now having fun but instead your having to help me out." Laura looked into the mirror, she really was annoying wasn't she, she was always ruining everyone day. "I love having adventures but I'll make sure next years adventures don't involve getting detentions or losing house points." Laura said honestly.

Laura smiled as she stood as still as she could whilst Ella rinsed her hair out, but then Ella said something about a letter or something. "Oh it's nothing you can read it if you want." Laura hadn't realised it was her letter from her grandad or she wouldn't have let Ella read it, she thought it was just some work or something she had stuffed in her pocket.

Ella frowned, rolling her eyes. "Laura, I want to help. You're my friend!" Seriously, the girl needed to stop being so hard on herself. She grinned at her friend's next comment. "Yeah! I mean there is tons we can do that doesn't involve getting into trouble. We'll have a truly great third year!" At least Ells hoped they would.

Huh. It was nothing? "Alright, if you insist. Just keep your head under the faucet, yeah? Let the water rinse the rest of the slime from your hair." While Laura was doing this, Ella wiped her hands on her pants and reached down, picking up the letter.

Woah! Whoever this Atkinson person was, he was REALLY mean. And PSH! What was with the Hufflepuff hating, anyway? Ella was really quite annoyed by that, and by the fact that the man had been so RUDE to her bestie in the letter. "Laura, who the heck is Mr. Atkinson?!"

Laura looked at Ella. "Okay then." Laura smiled seriously she had the two best friends in the world in Sophie and Ella. "Okay then, it's a deal next term we'll have fun that doesn't involve blowing up a Professor door, seriously I can't believe that I didn't get killed for doing that." Laura said truthfully. "I have been a pain this past couple of years haven't I?" Laura sighed.

Laura looked at Ella and did what she was told and was trying to stay still but she could feel the slime moving around and it was starting to tickle her a bit but then Ella spoke.

O_________________________________________O

She hadn't ever told her bestie of her family life had she, but well she could hardly lie now, why hadn't she checked to see what had fallen out of her pocket, but when had she put it in there, well she can't remember, oh yeah after finding out about it when it came at the hufflepuff house table. "Oh he's no one just my Grandfather." Laura said truthfully. "He like his whole family including my dad and my sister have been sorted into Ravenclaw." Laura waited to see what Ella would say.

Ella giggled at the memory. "Yeah, I can honestly say I thought Professor Romanos was gonna hex you or something. Actually, it's pretty awesome that she didn't. I quite like her." BEAM. "Yeah, next term fun without the explosives!" As for Laura having been a pain for the past two terms, Ella shrugged. "No..." And she a small smile appeared on her face. "Okay. So maybe just a little." And she giggled before pushing her friend playfully. "Laura, everyone can be a pain sometimes! Don't worry about it."

Ella turned off the faucet as she waited for Laura to answer her question, squeezing the excess water out of her friend's hair. Actually, it looked A LOT better. There was no slime left that she could see. She frowned slightly when her friend finally did speak. "He's your GRANDFATHER?" Blink.Blink. "Oh, you're all set in the sink. You can stand up, now." And she backed up, not wanting to get splashed with water. "Laura...what he wrote was...really mean. Does he always talk to you that way?" Frown.

Laura looked at Ella and smiled, she had been thinking the same but Professor Romanos was a good Professor and Laura was going to try and behave more in her classes and she was going to try and stop doing the Professor's accent.

"I am annoying." Laura sighed as she gave Ella a little shove back. "I've ruined yours and Sophie's first two years at Hogwarts, i'm actually shocked you are still my bestie, but i'm not complaining you both are the two best bestie's in the world, and I promise I'll try and be a better bestie from now on." Laura said truthfully.

Laura smiled as she looked in the mirror her hair was great. "Thanks Ella this is awesome." Laura quickly dried her hair using the drying spell then she gave her bestie a hug.

Laura looked into the mirror and then decided she had better tell Ella the story. "Well it started when I was sorted into Hufflepuff, I sort of let the family down everyone else had been in ravenclaw even my mother who is a muggle but came here was in Ravenclaw, my dad's family have been in Ravenclaw for well since forever." Laura sighed. "So you see when they found out I was in Hufflepuff he was annoyed called me thick." Laura then looked at Ella. "And when I told him I have made friends with you and Sophie and you two were my bestie, he told me I was disowned as I obviously belonged in St. Mungo." Laura sighed as she looked into the mirror. "Maybe he is right."

Ella FROWNED at Laura, shaking her head. "Not true, Laura." Seriously, where was all this coming from? "Stop being so hard on yourself. It isn't right." And the second year wouldn't stand for it. "You didn't ruin our first two terms at all...if you did we wouldn't be friends with you. We are because you're awesome. End of story, okay?" And she pulled Laura into a hug, squeezing her as hard as she could. Yup. Cause Ells was so strong. "Your a great bestie just as you are."

"No, problem. It was mostly the water anyway." Ella said with a smile, accepting the hug.

O____O MEANGRANDPASAYWHATABOUTHUFFLEPUFFHOUSE? FROW.FROWN.FROWN. "Laura, can I speak truthfully?" And without waiting for an answer, the second year spilled everything she was thinking at the moment. "Your Grandfather sounds AWFUL. SO WHAT if the rest of your family are Ravenclaws? It doesn't mean you're not smart cause you're not in that house...It just means...means you value other things more!" Like being loyal and hard working! "It's really MEAN of him to make you feel like you're dumb for being a Hufflepuff! Hufflepuffs are great...and smart...and well, just plain AWESOME." And they had one all three cups last term, remember?! AND GRRRR. About her Grandfather speaking badly about her and Soph. "As for you being mental cause you're our friends, I think that's mean too!" Hmph. "If anyone belongs in St. Mungos, it's him!"

Laura looked at her Bestie Ella and hugged her back. "Sorry I'm like this, it's just with the detention and this note I got well made me realise maybe my Grandpa is right and I am a rubbish person and a rubbish friend, who deserve nothing more than being throw off the top of the biggest tower." Laura let go of her friend as she asked if she could speak.

Laura looked at Ella. "He's my Grandpa, He has the right to disown me for being stupid." Laura sighed. "He's right isn't he Ella and so are the Professor, I belong chained up to the wall or in St. Mungo because I'm stupid and don't deserve friends like you or Sophie." Laura looked at herself in the mirror and before anyone could stop her she started slaping herself in the face, she really was a rubbish friend and if Ella wanted to leave now she could, Laura sank to the floor and started crying.

Ella frowned. WHAT was going on with her friend right now? Laura was being so down on herself and Ella hated it. Her mouth gaping, Ella shook her head at Laura's words. "You're Grandfather is wrong, Laura. None of that is true." She said quietly, thinking her friend was starting to scare her.

O___O

"Laura!" Ella said, running forward when her friend started slapping herself. Like WHATTT? When she got to her best friend, the girl was collapsed on the floor in tears. Ella frowned and slid down next to her, grabbing her hand to comfort her. "Laura Hope Hyde. You Listen to me, okay?" ... "You're listening, right? You are NOT rubbish. And you most certainly are NOT stupid. You're Laura. You're funny and silly and brilliant, not to mention that a certain Hufflepuff boy really likes you." A lot of people loved her, actually. "I'll always be your friend, even if your horrible Grandfather doesn't want me to be. And...and if you ever doubt yourself then...come talk to me, okay? Cause I see the brilliant Laura and I'll show her...to you to." The second year hoped all that made sense. Truthfully she wasn't even sure what she was saying because she was so worried about her friend. She just didn't want her to be so upset.

Laura continued to cry even when Ella slid down next to her she didn't look up but them well what had Ella said.

*Blink* *Blink* *Blink*

Ella had used her full name, now that was new no one had ever used her full name to her before except when she was in trouble. "I'm not rubbish or stupid?" Laura sighed she ignored the bit about a certain boy liking her. "But then why do all the Professor hate me and why does my own family hate me answer that?" Laura cried, she was sure that Ella couldn't answer that. "I'm so stupid the sorting hat knew I belong in Hufflepuff, my grandpa say it's the house were all the nutters go and I must be a nutter to be in it." Laura cried then Ella said something that made a small smile come through the tears. "You mean that? Your not just saying it?" Laura couldn't believe she had a bestie like Ella.

Laura didn't seem to be registering what Ella was saying so the second year scooted around so that she was sitting directly in front of the girl. "No. Of course you're not rubbish or stupid!" Honestly, Ella wouldn't ever associate with rubbish people! "And the professors don't hate you! I bet they wish you'd not get into trouble so much, but really that just means they care about you..." Honestly, the professors at Hogwarts were lovely. ...Well most of them, anyway! "As for your family..." Shrug. "But if they don't see how great you are then...then THEY are the stupid ones, yeah?" Not that Ella felt comfortable saying Laura's family was stupid, cause she wasn't. They were acting pretty stupid, though. "Hey!" Ella said more forcefully this time, her frown more pronounced. "Don't do that. Don't put down Hufflepuffs. Saying what you said means that we're all stupid for being in that house...and none of us are stupid. Not one." So she really needed to stop that now, yeah? "And so what if we're all a bit nuts? Life would be so boring if everybody was so worried about being normal and perfect all the time...Plus it would be like-SO exhausting!" True. "Of course I mean it, Laura." And up went the pinky. Cause to Ella, a pinky promise was forever.

Laura looked at Ella and wasn't really paying attention. "It's like this Ella I'm stupid, I'm thick and I don't deserve Hair like this." Laura grabbed a handful of her hair and before Ella could do anything she cut a handful of her hair, holding it up she looked at Ella. "There now I am a nutter like everyone says I am." She ignored Ella pinky and just stared at the wall, seriously everyone was calling her a nutty behind her back she knew it and she didn't care what her bestie said now she was sure her grandfather was right and that she was a rubbish person who didn't deserve any friends.

O______________O

REALLY?...LIKE REALLY?!

"LAURA! YOUR HAIR!" FLAILLLL. Okay, no more Ms. Nice Girl. "Fine. Alright! If you want to go around cutting your hair because you're mad, it's FINE. But stop making it seem like everyone hates you because actually, no one I know HATES you. So you have friends, Laura...maybe you should think about how we feel when you say the stuff you're saying and act the way you're acting." Frown.Frown.Frown.

Laura just stared as her Bestie started shouting at her, she hadn't expected her Bestie to shout at her, she sat down and started to cry as she realised what she had done. "Ella...What have I done?" Laura looked at Ella, she then perform a spell to make her hair look better. "How does my hair look now?" Laura hoped it was okay after all there was a party she had to go too.

"I'm really sorry Ella." Laura sighed. "If you don't want to be friends with me anymore I understand." Laura looked at Ella and then got up and wiped her eyes. "But even if you don't I'll always be your friend." Laura just hoped her Bestie wasn't very angry at her, she sounded very angry and Laura just stood there waiting for her Bestie to say something.

Okay...so maybe Ella wasn't really acting like Ella right now. Actually, she was being more like her ogre fairy godfather, which was like...REALLY frightening. She didn't think on it too much, though. Concern for Laura outweighing her concerns about becoming a mini-ogre. And then Laura was crying again. Yup. See? One shouldn't just act on impulse like that! Now how was Laura supposed to flip her hair!? >.< "Dude. You just CUT OFF YOUR HAIR." Ella said in response to her question, eyes still wide in shock. The second year even pinched herself, just to make sure this wasn't a dream. "Ouch." Nope. This was REAL life. "It looks...better." But definitely not the same.

The blonde sighed before looking at her friend. She felt really tired and annoyed all the sudden. "Laura. You know I'll always be your friend. Just...just stop being so hard on yourself." Cause it's flipping scary.

Laura looked at Ella and smiled weakly and she flipped her hair to the front to see what damage she had done, luckerly it wasn't that bad though of course it would take a while to get back to how she had it, but it still looked okay to Laura. "I can see that." Laura said back. "Though why I have no idea." Laura did something she hadn't for awhile she started giggling. "I wonder what the Professor would say if I took this bit of hair to her." Laura said hoping Ella wouldn't be mad at her for thinking about doing it, but at least her hair could grow back, and thankfully she hadn't grabbed to much of her hair.

Laura smiled at Ella. "I'm glad, and I promise to stop being so hard on myself." Laura said truthfully. "My grandad is wrong I'm good looking and....." OH Laura suddenly blushed. "I hope Oakey doesn't realise I cut my hair, he might think it was a stupid thing to do." Laura ran upto Ella and gave her a hug. "I feel much better now bestie." Laura held out her pinky for Ella. "I pinky promise to never do anything like this again and drag you into it."

Ella frowned as she watched her friend check out the damage she had done. "I have no idea either." She said truthfully, still feeling quite confused about the whole scene. And then Laura was giggling, which was puzzling considering what had just happened. To say Ella was worried was a bit of an understatement at this point. "Laura...that's just not even-" And she stopped, shrugging her shoulders. Sigh. "I don't think they would appreciate it."

Good looking? So now Laura was feeling...super confident? Well it was better than the nonsense she had been talking before, that was for sure. As for the Oakey talk, this actually made Ella soften up a bit and she giggled. "It was a stupid thing to do...but he'll probably still LOOOOOVE you anyway." Cue some serious eyebrow wiggling action. And then the second year was being hugged and she smiled faintly. "Good." Job well done then, yeah? Pinky out, Ella wrapped hers around Laura's and shook them. "It's a deal."