After their conversation with Patrick, the two girls walked to History of Magic. Marietta was particularly quiet on the way there, and seemed completely disconnected until she tossed a note onto Eloise's desk.
Hey... this is so boring... I feel like falling asleep.
You don't think being so tired would have anything to do with staying up half the night with homework, would it?
It's not my fault I have homework... Go complain to McGonagall!
I might if I wanted detention... Anyway, that's not the point. I was trying to be subtle- YOU NEED TO STOP PROCRASTINATING!!!!!!!!
Um, that's why I have you for a friend.
Ha, ha. You know, you can't copy my exams. And then you are going to be in trouble.
We have this conversation every year... And you know what? I have never failed an exam, no matter how hard I try.
Very funny. Well, they're your marks.
Yup. So... I never got to finish teasing you about James... Ahem.
Shut it. Might I remind you that you spent all last night with a certain someone? Ahem yourself.
Yeah, but he's my boyfriend...
So?
Uh, that's what couples do.
Yeah, but the whole night?
Let's change the subject! Have you tried the new Fizzing Whizbees?
Ooh... touchy. So what exactly did happen last night?
Nothing whatsoever.
Liar. Come on, spill.
Nope.
You know I won't tell.
Well... later. I'll tell you after I talk to Patrick. I wonder what he wanted... He seemed a bit nervous.
A bit?
A bit more than a bit. Really though, I hope he's not going to break up with me. We haven't even had our first date.
Yeah, that would be horrible. I seriously doubt he is. I mean, he really likes you. I can tell.
You think?
I know.
Thanks. Want to play hangman?
Sure.
They passed the rest of the period playing hangman, with Eloise beating Marietta every time except once. Finally, they were dismissed. The two girls were so glad to get out of the class that they didn't notice that Alice, Lucy, and Renny were snickering and glancing at Marietta.
Susan Bones walked up to Marietta as she entered the Great Hall. "Hey Marietta, I have a question for you."
"What?" Marietta turned and smiled. Susan didn't smile back.
"I just wanted to know if you cheat on all of your boyfriends, or just the ones that are in other houses? Because if you think you can get away with it that way, think again." Susan turned around and walked off, leaving Marietta with an open mouth.
"What did I do?" Marietta wondered, turning to Eloise, who shrugged.
A girl with dark hair and green eyes stalked up to Marietta, her eyes flashing in anger. "I'm Patrick's ex-girlfriend, and I just wanted to say that you are the biggest slag I have ever seen. I can't believe you would do that to him. Patrick is way too good for a slut like you." She paused briefly, glaring at Marietta. "You better just steer clear of him, because if you want to hurt him again, you'll have to go through me and the rest of the Ravenclaw girls. And believe me, we're not in Ravenclaw for no reason."
"Um... what's this all about?" Eloise asked, puzzled.
Marietta shook her head. "I have no idea," she said softly. "Let's find Patrick." She half-ran over to the Ravenclaw table with Eloise following her. She found Patrick and pulled him out of his seat.
"What is this all about? I come into the Great Hall and everybody starts attacking me!" Marietta looked at Patrick, bewildered.
"Um, Marietta, this is what I wanted to talk to you about. That's why I didn't want it to wait." Patrick looked very uncomfortable and aware of the fact that everyone around him was trying to listen in.
"Well can we talk now?" Marietta was close to tears.
"Yeah, outside." Patrick and Marietta turned and walked out of the Great Hall, leaving Eloise to wander over to her seat at the Hufflepuff table. She ate half-heartedly, then went up to her dormitory to wait for Marietta.
Meanwhile, Marietta and Patrick began talking out by the lake. "Patrick, what happened? What did I do that was so bad?"
Patrick shoved his hands in his pockets. "Um, see, what happened was, somebody heard that you were, um..."
"What?!" Marietta cried exasperatedly.
"I heard you slept with some guy from Slytherin," Patrick said this as fast as possible, forcing the words out. "I don't know what to think..."
"What the-?! I would never... Patrick, you don't believe it, do you? Please, Patrick..." Tears started to run down Marietta's cheeks.
"I don't really want to believe it, but..."
"Who did you hear it from? Tell me!" Marietta shrieked.
"Alice." Patrick stared at the ground. "I don't think you would do something like that, but Alice said that..."
"I don't care what Alice said! You think just because that cow said it, that it's true! Patrick, you're my boyfriend and I would never even touch someone besides you, much less sleep with them! Don't you believe me?" Marietta sobbed.
"I'm so sorry."
"You believe Alice?!" Marietta screamed, incredulous. "She is the biggest gossip in the whole school! She lives on ruining other people's lives and reputations! She loves to make her enemies' lives hell! You believe her?!"
"I don't know what to do, Marietta..." Patrick sighed.
Marietta just stared at him, dumbstruck. "You don't know what to do? I would have thought it was obvious --stand by your girlfriend!"
"I was shocked, Marietta. She just came up to me and said, 'I know for a fact that Marietta slept with some Slytherin bloke last night.' I told her you were with me, and she just said, 'Oh, I'm so sorry, Patrick, she must've convinced her stupid friend Eloise to take Polyjuice Potion and go in her place.' I didn't want to believe her, but..." Patrick stared across the lake.
At this point, Marietta actually laughed. "She told you Eloise took the Polyjuice Potion? Alice doesn't know what she's talking about. Eloise would never do something like that, you know her. She wouldn't help anyone cheat on their boyfriend, not even if it was her best friend. And anyway, don't you know how long Polyjuice Potion lasts? An hour." Marietta ran her hand through her hair, and Patrick began to look extremely ashamed of himself. "One hour. Patrick, I was with you for more than an hour last night, and at any point in time, did you happen to see me take a drink of anything?" Marietta glared at Patrick.
Patrick shifted, embarrassed. "Um, no. Marietta, I am so sorry. She, um. This may sound very immature to you, but Alice is very pretty and very convincing. I'm sorry."
Marietta raised an eyebrow. "Excuse me --did you just say Alice was very pretty?"
Patrick smiled. "Yeah...what I neglected to mention was that she looks like a pig's backside compared to you. Seriously, though, I'm so sorry. I don't know what to do to make it up to you."
Marietta grinned. "I'm sure I can think of something..."
Patrick wrapped his arms around Marietta's waist and kissed her softly on the lips. Marietta breathed in slowly, putting her arms around Patrick's neck. "I'm so sorry for making a scene earlier. I just didn't know what was going on. I was so scared. I thought you would hate me for whatever it was I was supposed to have done."
"Never...I would never hate you, Marietta. Don't worry about it." Patrick leaned his forehead against Marietta's, and they stayed there for a few minutes, not moving. Finally, Marietta looked up.
"I only have one more question. Actually, two."
Patrick looked mildly puzzled. "What's that?"
"The first one is, would you like to meet me at the top of the Astronomy Tower tonight at eleven?"
Patrick grinned. "Certainly. Wouldn't miss it for the world. And second?"
Marietta narrowed her eyes. "What in the world can I do to do to Alice that is horrible enough?"
"That, I don't know. Come on, I'll walk you to your dormitory. You need to tell Eloise what happened."
Marietta took Patrick's hand. "Yeah, I do need to tell her."
"Marietta- I just thought of something we could do to Alice." Patrick smiled mischievously.
"What? Tape her mouth shut with gaffer tape that will give her painful boils all over her body?"
"No, that's too good for her... I was thinking more along the lines of boiling her in something that will make all her hair fall out and never come back." Patrick and Marietta walked up to the castle hand in hand, happily thinking up rational and, well, not so rational ways to get revenge.
When they reached the Hufflepuff Tower, Marietta went into the common room, where Eloise was sitting on an armchair waiting for her. Eloise glanced up and appeared surprised at the happy look on Marietta's face. "Um, so what happened?"
Marietta chuckled at the mildly astounded look on her friend's face. "Well, it's a long story, but in short, Alice told Patrick and a bunch of other people that I slept with some random Slytherin last night and that I made you take Polyjuice Potion and go in my place to meet Patrick. We've made it up though. Now I'm just trying to figure out what to do to get Alice back."
Eloise nodded slowly. "But why did Alice start the rumor at all? I know you aren't friends, but I didn't think you were exactly enemies either."
Marietta shrugged. "I didn't think so either... but we are now. So what should I do? The rumor's already spread quite a bit, but I don't know exactly who thinks they know what happened."
Eloise thought for a minute, then said, "I don't think you should do anything specific to get her back. Just drop a comment here and there about how you're so happy your relationship with Patrick has deepened and the like... Show her she doesn't get to you."
"But she does get to me!" Marietta cried, exasperated.
"That's the point," Eloise explained. "She's supposed to think she didn't get to you. You see, the reason she did this was to make you miserable, and if you show her that you're anything but miserable, she'll be really mad. Also, make sure lots of people see you with Patrick. That way, maybe the rumor will stop spreading."
"Yeah... that's a good idea. You're the best, Eloise."
"And Marietta?"
"Yeah?"
"You never did tell me what happened with you and Patrick last night..." Eloise grinned.
Marietta turned crimson. "We snogged. That's all there is to tell, I swear."
Eloise shrugged. "You keep your secret. But come on, you wouldn't want to be late for Care of Magical Creatures. After all, we do have it with the Ravenclaws..."
Marietta rolled her eyes, smiling. "Shut it."
A/N: Please review.....! Thanks. You faithful reviewers are the reason I write fanfiction. :)
Eloise Midgen and the Acute Acne by eowyngirl
Chapter Notes: A/N: Happy April Fool's Day, everyone! It's the best day of the year! :)