Anything that can go wrong will go wrong. 

Murphy’s Law, an adage from the muggles. They may be non-magical folk but they sure got this law right. Taeyeon bit her lip as footsteps approached the top of the tower where she was currently squatting and shivering from the cold swirling winds. An unwelcomed schoolmate was about to make the unpleasant task of cleaning the owlery even more unpleasant.

“Hey, Loserpuff.”

Taeyeon clenched her jaw. Don’t take the bait. Don’t fall into the trap. Keep brushing, Taeyeon. Keep brushing. She chanted the mantra in her mind as she renewed her efforts in cleaning the stone floor of dried owl droppings.

“Good girl. Brush harder.”

Taeyeon looked up from the poop and stared into Tiffany’s eyes. “What did you say?” Tiffany’s smirk was just as infuriating as before. “I dare you to say it again to me.”

“Good girl. Brush harder.”

Without any second thoughts, Taeyeon raised the brush in her hand and gave Tiffany’s forehead a good scrub. Tiffany shrieked and backpedalled. Taeyeon pushed forward. Tiffany stepped back again to avoid the offending brush but this time, she slipped and fell with a scream.

Horror struck Taeyeon when she realized Tiffany was about to fall out the pane-less window and off the tower. As Tiffany stumbled and made a grab for the wall, Taeyeon lunged for her hands. She managed to get hold of Tiffany’s wrist with her right hand but the floor was too icy and she slipped too. In sheer desperation, she reached out with her left and just at the very last moment, was able to wrap it around the iron wrought owl perch.

For a death-defying moment, they hung on by the tips of their fingers. Taeyeon scrounged up her face with the effort it took to hold on but the iron stand was cold and icy and her grip was loosening.

“Carpe Retractum!”

Taeyeon found herself flying through the air yet again, this time with Tiffany in tandem. That was until she was unceremoniously dropped onto the droppings of the icy floor below.

“Will the two of you grow up and behave yourselves? What happened to our quiet, obedient Frog Choir star singer? Why are you behaving like a wayward teen witch? And you, Tiffany. A prefect. It is unbecoming of you to be involved with Taeyeon in this manner.”

Taeyeon raised her hand, head low. “Professor Spout, it was my fault. I was the one who stuck the poop brush at her. I’m sorry.”

“Whatever spores have you been sniffing to have lost your senses? I’m afraid I can’t let this one go, Taeyeon. Points have to be taken.”

“Professor Spout,” Tiffany stood abruptly, “if you’re going to take Hufflepuff points, you should take Slytherin points too.”

Taeyeon stared in shock at Tiffany who continued to stand on her side.

“I provoked Taeyeon into attacking me with the poop brush. I’m responsible too.”

A jolt flashed through Taeyeon when Tiffany’s eyes met hers on the way down. What was going on?

“Very well then. I am glad you want to be responsible for your actions. Because you were both brave to admit your mistakes and appear to be remorseful, I will decide on the number of points to be taken after you are done cleaning this owlery. Spick and span. Do both of you understand?”

“Yes, Professor Spout,” Taeyeon replied, hearing Tiffany’s reply chorusing with hers. It was the strangest feeling. She stood still as an owl perch till Professor Spout disappeared from the owlery. Then she turned to Tiffany. “Why did you do that?”

“Do what?”

“Do that.”

“Do what?”

Taeyeon glared at Tiffany. “Do you really need me to recount the entire sequence of things that just happened?”

“Didn’t you hear what Professor Spout said?”

“Yes, I did.”

“So get to work. Start brushing, Puff.”

Taeyeon stared as Tiffany got onto her knees and brushed hard. Had a spell been cast on Tiffany? Did she hit her head when she fell or something? Or was this a different timeline?

“Get moving, Puff.”

“I’m moving. I’m moving.”

“If you tell anyone what happened here in this owlery, I’ll set my meanest Slytherins on you. Do you understand?”

The sun moved out from the clouds, sending rays of light bouncing off Tiffany’s golden hair as Taeyeon stared at her, mystified and bemused.

“Do you understand?”

“Yes.”  

x

“Tiffany did what?!”

“Shh! Not so loud!”

“Tiffany did what?”

Taeyeon palmed her face. “I shouldn’t have told you. Now, Tiffany is going to find out and she’ll kill me. She’ll really kill me this time.”

“I don’t understand this thing that’s going on between the two of you.”

“I knew it. I told you for nothing. Now I’m going to die for nothing.”

“She won’t kill you. Didn’t she just save you?”

“She can’t save a guilty person.”

“Well, she tried to defend you,” Yuri frowned and scratched her non-existent beard, “again.” Arms folded, she met Taeyeon’s eyes. “Don’t you think something’s up?”

Taeyeon could only groan. “Of course I think something’s up. What I want to know is what and why. That’s why I risked my life to ask you.”

“The only person who can tell you the answer is Tiffany.”

“If I ask her, that might be the last question I ever ask.”

“She’s not that bad.”

“She said she’ll set her meanest Slytherins on me. I don’t think she was kidding.”

“Oh no.”

“Exactly.”

“Just lay low, buddy. Just lay low.”

x

Taeyeon barely had time to register the hand in front of her before she was pulled into the dark corner of a stairwell.

“Who did you tell?”

“Huh?”

“I told you not to tell anyone.”

“But I—”

“Now they all know.”

“Who?”

“Slytherins. They’re not going to leave you alone.”

“W-What? How? Why?”

“Who did you tell?”

Taeyeon blinked in confusion. “Yuri.”

“Damn it. Who else did she tell?”

“No one. I told her just before bedtime and she was still sleeping when I left the common room.”

Tiffany frowned. “Are you sure?”

“Of course, I’m sure.”

“Then how did they know?”

“Do they know everything?”

Tiffany shook her head. “They’re guessing something’s up. I overheard some of them talking about points—” She closed her eyes and shook her head.

“Points? House points?”

“I can’t believe I didn’t think to check the House points first.” Tiffany glared at Taeyeon. “You. It’s all your fault.”

“My fault? How is this my fault now?”

“Because it all started with you saving me,” Tiffany growled and left in a hurry, leaving Taeyeon blinking in the dark.

“Hey, wait for me.” Taeyeon hurried after Tiffany to the House point hourglasses. When she got there, Tiffany was already slouching in defeat—a stranger sight, she had never seen. Then she saw it. Both Hufflepuff and Slytherin had lost five points. Her heart was lightened. Professor Spout had been lenient on them. “Why are you sad? Professor Spout only took five points from us.”

“I’m tired of this.”

“What are you tired of?”

“Acting.” Tiffany turned to her, eyes clear with resolution, colours dancing off her golden hair forming a glow around her.

“Acting?”

“What do you think of me?”

x