"A classroom. Sneaky... because then it's super exclusive. No one throws classroom parties. Merlin... if we weren't super sleuths and also completely awesome, we could be in charge of planning and throwing the coolest parties at Hogwarts." Not that she was remotely interested in parties or being cool. Vivi was focused and stuff.

There weren't many people that Vivi knew, and that she was sure she could trust at this point. Most people needed to be suspects by default. Rule them out when they didn't try to get into the party, or when they brought a non-Mortimer bat. "Vickers," she finally decided. "He has an air or respectability because he's friends with the Head Girl, but he'll do what I... what we want."

And because she was a lone wolf (pack? Could a pack be lonely?), Vivi HOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOWLED.

A party planner? If Selina was not so focused on being a Quidditch player and stuff like that, she totally would have looked into that party bit. Her and Genevieve could throw parties and then get money for them. What was better than that? Besides food and stuff. Of course, Quidditch was sort of what Selina wanted to do. But if she didn't make it into professional Quidditch, hey, party planning here she comes. And in party planning she could have a monocle... because that was cool. Like bowties.

"Thanks. And hey, we could have a side job. I mean, party planning could be an extracurricular or something. Although, being as awesome as we are... well... that takes a lot of time, Viv. Are we that committed to being that awesome all the time?" Not that it was hard for them. But still. Something to consider.

And it seemed that Genevieve had someone in mind to help them as well. Vickers? Hmm. He had nice hair, but could they trust him? However, by the sound of what Genevieve was saying, Vickers was more of a errand boy. Hey, every good sleuth team needed an errand boy. He was perfect! "As long as he listens, I'm okay with that. Maybe we could get him a special hat or something... no wait... that's too much too soon." Hats needed to be earned. Genevieve and Selina were awesome. They just came by them naturally.

She HOWLED?!??!?!?

...that was awesome. So Selina gave a baby howl. Like a bark.

After a few days (ok, just one full day) of not speaking to either Gwen or Jory, Ariadne started to feel really restless, and couldn't wait to see what her Ravenclaw friend had discovered. Having owled Gwen, she found out that the girl had indeed spoken to the Hufflepuff, and they decided to meet on the seventh floor, next to the statue of Lachlan the Lanky, to share the news.

The Gryffindor had been there almost an hour earlier than the time they'd agreed on, being too nervous to study or try and pass the time in her Common Room. Big news to come! She simply couldn't contain her tension any longer, so she began to pace along the corridor, jumping slightly every time she heard footsteps, only to realize that it was someone else.

Eventually, she got tired of walking around, and returned next to the statue, checking her watch. Ten more minutes to go...

With the bag hanging over her shoulder, the Ravenclaw made her way out of the library, making sure that she hadn’t forgotten the Arithmancy book, or the notes she had made for Muggle Studies. She was still feeling a little dizzy, so she nearly wanted to head back to the Common Room, before she realized that she agreed to meet her bestie at Lachlan the Lanky. Right. That will be fun.

NOT.

As she was walking along the corridor, the fifth year could already see a pareson waiting there, moving impatiently around. Surely, that was Ari. Gwen eyed the Gryffindor for a moment, hoping that Ari wouldn’t be assaulting her with questions from the moment she’d spot her. But come on… what were the chances of exactly that to be happening? Errr. Gwendolyn looked at her bestie for a moment. Should she go away or stay? Stay. So, looking slightly green, the fifth year approached the place where Ariadne was standing.

So…here she was.

Merlin's polka dot socks! Here she was! And right on time too. Ariadne tried to figure out her expression from afar. Was she bringing good news or bad news? Gwen looked rather...upset? Was it because she was gonna tell Ari something bad? Or was it just because she had dreaded that talk with the Hufflepuff boy? Was Ari overthinking things?!

'Tell me, tell me, tell me!' the Gryffindor said as soon as her bestie was close enough. 'What did he say?' she asked, pupils dilated and hair flying everywhere. 'About me I mean.' Just in case Gwen wanted to start talking about Jory's Arithmancy skills. As much as she fancied the guy, she just didn't care if he was good with numbers or not.

Hopefully Gwen would get straight to the point. It would make things easier on both of them, putting Ari out of her misery, but also helping the Ravenclaw move past 'sentimental stuff', as she'd say, once and for all.

"The suck part of party planning is that you don't get to enjoy the fabulous parties you enjoy. It's all stress about making sure everything is perfect and awesome for everyone, about making sure things are where they should be and the punchbowl is full... and you sort of float around outside the fun-having." Vivi rolled out and stretched, although the behind the statue thing was getting cramped.

"Let's get our ducks in a row, Watson. We need to recruit our help, get the team in one place, and assign jobs. And we need to do it before Quidditch starts, so you can get your bat back."

And howling Selina? Pretty adorable. Pathetic, but adorable. Vivi barked back.

Re-filling the punch bowl? Selina had never thought of all the small, intimate parts of party planning that she would have to take care of if she adopted that career. In the span of thirty seconds, Selina had gone from adoring the idea of party planning to loathing it. Going to a party was about having fun- why would she throw a party to not reap the rewards of planning it? It just made no sense, "Ugh. That stinks. Nevermind. I'd rather just enjoy a party then throw one." And that was the truth.

There was a brief moment when Watson was going to ask Sherlock why they had to involve ducks in this small shindig, but she discovered quickly enough that Viv was not talking about actual ducks. Metaphor, right. "Okay, so let's get this show on the road then, Sherlock. I'll recruit all of my minions, I mean little lions and the two prefects. And you talk to Vickers. We can regroup once we have a classroom set aside for the trap."

The redhead jumped a little when Genevieve barked. Selina thought they were howling? Apparently she was wrong. But when Selina tried to howl again, it just came out as another puney bark.

"And we'll need a super fancy-pants invitation that will make people LOOOOOONG to come to the party. Exclusive and snooty and... Quidditch-y. So think about how we'll do that too," Vivi pushed herself to her feet and brushed herself off before retrieving her jumper.

"Well, Watson... this has been a very good meeting. I think we have an excellent plan of action, a list of suspects, and some trusty allies we can get to help us along the way. I think we can adjourn this meeting."

Gwen was leisurely walking towards the place where her best friend was waiting for her. She was still a bit dizzy, but since her job was nearly done, how bad could this conversation be? The Ravenclaw was all calm, until…

O_____________o

...she noticed the Gryffindor getting hyperactive. Instinctively, the fifth year took a step back, since Ari’s reaction took her by surprise. ‘And hello to you too, Ari’, she said, getting all dizzy once again. ‘Easy there’, she tried to calm her down. Meeeeh. That had no effect. Ari still had the pupils dilated and all.

So now. What was the best way to tell her? ‘He likes you too’, Gwendolyn said curtly. There. Straight to the point.

In her state of mind, Ariadne failed to notice when her friend took a step back, or the fact that she looked a bit green. Not only that, but she didn't even take in what the girl was saying before she heard the answer she had been waiting for.

He does?! 'Really?! That's amazing!' she replied, giddily. 'What were his exact words?' This was bound to get at least a facepalm from Gwen.
'THANK YOU, THANK YOUUUUU!' the Gryffindor sang, gripping her bestie in a very tight hug. It had been so nice of her to just tell her straight away.

'I must find him.' Ari decided on the spot, already running towards the stairs. But then she remembered something, and yelled over her shoulder. 'I'll come meet you in the library in an hour, to sort out the whole diary thing, ok?' Waiting for an answer, she made a few more steps before stopping suddenly.

'Gwen? You are amazing. Thank you.' she said, completely calm this time, but still red from the surge of happiness that had enveloped her. There weren't many people like Gwen, to have done such a thing for her.

Invitations? Why didn't SHE think of this? Merlin, it was lucky for Selina that Genevieve was there. Her Sherlock really was on her A-game. Usually, Selina was pretty handy at plotting and sleuthing, but with Mortimer missing Selina found it hard to concentrate. It was such a blessing that Genvieve had picked up the mantel of head plotter. She nodded, "I can handle the invitations. I have a guy who does that." Technically it was a girl, but it sounded cooler her way.

Getting up herself, Selina brushed herself off, "Agreed. Meeting adjourned, Sherlock?" They had covered everything, right?

Blink. Blink. Staaaaare.

Gwendolyn was actually beginning to wonder how long it would take Ari to get back to her normal self. So far, a couple of minutes had passed, and the Gryffindor was still hyperventilating. Gwen just raised an eyebrow at her bestie, as she heard her say something about it being amazing. Yes, lovely indeed, the fifth year thought, trying hard not to roll her eyes. She had been meaning to say something, but eventually didn’t, since Ari asked her something else first.

*FACEPALM*

She really had to quote Jory J. Stonewall? ‘Those where his exact words.I'm in love with her’ Well, skipping the ‘I think’ part, which would have only made things more complicated. After all, the Hufflepuff corrected himself after that, saying that he knew so. ‘That’s it’, Gwendolyn gave a small nod, still looking a bit puzzled at her best friend. And then she received a hug from Ari.

Before she could say anything else, the Ravenclaw saw her friend already running to the stairs. ‘Umm… You might want to breath first…’ Yes, the Gryffindor was looking burgundy. Just a tad.

In the next moment, Ariadne told her she was going to be at the library in an hour. ‘Good’, the fifth year nodded, deciding to head back to the Common Room and get the diary. She was eagerly waiting to tell Ari what she found out. Her thoughts were interrupted by something her bestie said. Amazing. Gwen just started grinning.

Maybe it was an odd spot to expect privacy, but Vivi wanted to meet Selina right back at their old hidey-hole behind Lachlan. Would people be able to overhear them here? Maybe... but only if they knew to come looking for them. There was a reasonable expectation of privacy... the only place better would be a locked room with a muffling charm.

Oh, muffling charm! She could still do that.

Vivi set up camp behind the statue, laying a thick blanket on the floor to keep her bum from going numb and cold and propping up her feet. She had a thermos of cocoa too, but that was to mask the taste of potion and could stay tucked in her bag for now. All she needed was a partner-in-crime.

Selina wasn't sure if she was supposed to bring her bowler hat or not. Technically it was NOT official Mortimer business, which they still had not resolved, but it felt weird meeting in the hideout without her bowler hat. When she put it on she felt stronger. Like she could do anything and by anything she meant that she could sit on a cold ground WITHOUT getting her bum all numb. That in itself was an accomplishment.

So she decided to bring her bowler hat in short.

With it sitting on her head, she approached the usual spot and tucked herself around to where Vivi said she would be. She hoped that this all went well. She had never had a truth serum used on her before. Selina was pretty much an open book, so she had never needed to be conned into using one. BUT who knew what was in the recesses of her mind? Maybe she was deeper than she even realized...

...or maybe she wasn't. Yeah probably the second one. Ah well, there was only one way to find out. So she sat down across from Vivi and tipped her hat politely in her direction, "Hey there, Sherlock. Ready?" Because Selina was... or was she? No she was. Right? Right. RIGHT?!

"Oy. Watson." Vivi lifted her hand in greeting before snuggling down further and propping her feet up even higher. Just a genius detective of leisure here. No big deal. Definitely not nervous about the possibility of spilling all her deep dark secrets or whatever. Feeling GOOD.

Or not.

"I've been debating if this spot is safe, and I've decided that a Muffliato wouldn't be remiss. And a pinky promise that whatever is said is safe information that won't be shared." She didn't have many secrets, but she didn't really know what Selina would ask.

Vivi cast the Muffliato before pulling the thermos from her bag. "Cocoa. For the potion. Who goes first?" And was this REALLY a good idea?

As Selina settled into her cramped corner, her eyes nearly bug out of her head when Vivi said that they would have to pinky promise about information shared. It was THAT serious? Now the redhead felt seriously sick. There was no mention when Vivi offered of pinky swears. She was not sure if she was ready to commit that hardcore. But she did not want to look weak, so she swallowed her pride and peeped out, "Um... yeah... psh... pinky promise. That's fine..." Her voice got really small, "Just fine."

...She could do this. She was sixteen years old for Merlin's sake...

... SHE COULD NOT DO THIS! OVERLOAD! TOO MUCH TO COMPUTE!

Breathe, Selina. Breathe. Shaking it off a little, she smiled at the mention of cocoa, "I guess I'll go first.. since, you know, I'm not in Potions. I failed the OWL." Like failed it really badly. Awkward.

Vivi gave a reassuring smile at that. "This is just fair play, then. I have to administer the potion and see what the effects are and all that, but because it isn't fair to expect you to do something I wouldn't... I'll take it as well." See? It was just a trade, although Selina's answers were the ones going into her homework.

So only sort of a fair trade.

"Ground rules, then." Vivi poured the cocoa into the cap of the bottle and offered it to Selina. "I will only ask one question, but I get unlimited follow up questions if they're related. You get the same. Agreed?" Somehow it was less embarrassing if she just made it very professional.

Fair play? What did that mean? Were they going to play a game. Merlin! Selina knew she should have left the bowler hat in the room. What if it got ruined? Then she would have been very much at a loss for a bowler hat and if her grade in Transfiguration was any indication she only had ONE bowler hat.

Oh. Right. Vivi was going to take the potion as well. Honestly, that made Selina feel a lot better. The idea of being alone in taking the truth serum made her want to use the ladies room. It was not that Selina had a lot of secrets, which she did, it was more that she just wasn't so into being on display like this. But if Vivi was going to do it as well... that was better.

And her rules sounded fair as well, "Agreed. Just... you know... this stays between us and the homework... okay?" There were things that the redhead did not want people to know.

"You wound me deeply," Vivi grinned and took a sip of the cocoa to prove it was innocent enough. She took anoooother sip, actually, because it was warm and cocoa and really quite yum. Okay, fine. She finished the cup.

"I won't put everything you say in the homework even. Just... trust me. I know we're not solid best friends for life or anything, but you have to know you can trust me by now." Especially since Vivi considered Selina to be the first friend she made at Hogwarts. She'd go out of her way not to embarrass Watson.

"Look. I took the potion. You can ask me first." Was this a mistake? Would she be in the right frame of mind to ask Selina anything when it was her turn?

She wounded her?! Merlin, Selina KNEW she should not have worn the bowler hat to this homework help. They had not discussed prior to the meeting what the fashion choices would be and the most awkward thing was that Vivi did NOT wear her deerstalker. Now she felt wounded because of Selina's silly assumption... stupid, stupid, stupid. Maybe she should just take the hat off, make her feel more comfortable because you kno-

Oh she meant the HOMEWORK... not the hat. Well, that didn't make much sense now did it? But she was not going to say that to Vivi. She didn't want to hurt the girl's feelings by reminding her of her lack of hat. So instead Selina just took a glass of cocoa and drank what she needed to help Vivi out. "I trust you," Selina said poking her nose over the top of the cup. It really was delicious. While she continued to sip on the potion, Vivi finished up and requested that she go first. Okay, Selina could do that.

Holding the cup very close to her lips as she drank, the redhead said, "Okay... I will, then." Think of something good! OH SHE HAD ONE, "Do you like anyone...?" In the gushy romantic way...

Good, then. That was settled... Selina trusted Vivi not to ask awful questions or to spread around embarrassing stories or to... she blinked, startled at the first question from Selina's mouth. Did she really just ask...?

Eep. It wasn't like she couldn't answer, either... she wasn't a coward, she wanted to prove to Selina that she trusted her... and she was sort of under the influence of a potion. The answer was literally pressing against her lips, begging to be let out.

Double eep. Vivi plucked the bowler from Selina's head and pulled it way down over her eyes. Better. She couldn't see herself being judged or laughed at.

"Yes."

YUUUUUUUMMMMMMYYYYY!

This potion/cocoa thing was really quite delicious. All she kept thinking of was how the chocolate was whipped just right and had a hint of vanilla in it. It tasted like the work of Kurumi, so the house elves probably made it. After all Kurumi was a house elf, right? At least that was what she had heard a few terms ago. She was just too much of a chicken to ask Kurumi herself if that were true enough. Not that she needed to- Selina knew the truth and Kurumi was a house elf.

But she was distracted from thoughts of house elves when Vivi stole her hat. "HEY!!" If she wanted a hat, she should have brought her deerstalker. The bowler hat was Selina's and she was rather fond of it because SHE was Watson. IT was HER hat. Meh.

She crossed her arms like a five year old and pouted because she had finished all of her cocoa and was feeling rather honest, "You should have brought your own hat. Give me MINE right now or I'll tell on yo-"

Oh... she DID like someone....

...Selina smirked and poked Vivi in the tummy, "Who is it?" Because Vivi had to tell.

"You won't tell on me," Vivi held on to the brim of the hat and kept it snuggled over her eyes. Was Selina laughing at her or did she really want to fight about the hat right now? HMMM?

Oh, hat! She didn't need to keep Selina's if she could just get her own.

Vivi fought the impulse to answer the second question, rather valiantly considering it wanted so much to be told, as she jerked the hat off her head and offered it gallantly back to Selina. She could just summon her own hat. And hope it got here before the words forced themselves past her...

"Vickers." Nope. There it was. Vivi made miserable faces at Selina before pulling her head inside her sweater and hiding there. She'd made the rules, after all, and that was a legit follow-up, even if it made her want to die.

She would SO tell on her. It was her hat and she wanted it back. Maybe she was acting like a three year old, but she did not care. It was her hat and she did not want anyone else wearing it because SHE was Watson. If she were Sherlock THEN she would have brought a deerstalker, but she was not- so it was the bowler hat for her. The bowler hat currently sitting on Vivi's head.

When Vivi threw it back in Selina's direction, the redhead squealed with glee. Then she proceeded to snuggle it back to her chest. Her hat was back in her arms and she had missed Cloitis- her bowler hat. Yes, Selina had a horrible habit for naming things. Problem? Yeah, she didn't think so.

She was so caught up in snuggling her hat that she almost missed Vivi's quiet confession.

O_________________________________________________ ________o

VICKERS?!?!

As in Ravenclaw Vickers? The very Vickers who was dating the Head Girl? THAT VICKERS?!?!

...cool.

No, seriously, cool. People liked who they liked and Vivi was hot cool enough to get whoever she wanted. Yeah, there was the whole girlfriend problem. But just because there was a goalie did not mean that she couldn't score, just saying. So Selina was all for going for it.

"Okay," Selina smiled, "You should tell him... look at you. You should TOTALLY tell him." Yeah... maybe this truth potion WAS working.

It didn't have far to travel, and so Vivi's deerstalker came zipping around the statue and tried to attack her in the face. Or it would, if her face was exposed. As it was, the hat flopped against her a moment before falling to the ground. Pathetic death frisbee.

"Tell him?" Her voice was all muffled from the inside of her sweater. "On the list of terrible ideas, that tops them all. On the one hand, he likes someone else. On the other, he'll stop being my friend, and I couldn't stand that. On the other other hand... I don't think he even sees me. At all. On the other other other... I have four hands. How did I get four hands?"

Her eyes peeked from the collar of her sweater, all welling with tears. "I'm a coward."