The Sleepless Night: Part 12. (Closed)

[Riley Coxen G7]

Riley tossed and turned in her bed. The thought of sleep teased at her numb brain as she switched her position for yet another time, still not any closer to sleep. There were only two other girls that were actually sleeping at this hour. Riley didn’t really know the two best friends, but they liked to keep mostly to themselves anyway so Riley wasn’t bothered too much by them. She knew one of them was some Spanish girl named Ezzie. She had a lot of issues, or so she’d heard from the others. The other four who were in her dormitory at the moment seemed that though it was two-thirty in the morning, they weren’t in any mood for sleep. They were laughing and having a merry old time keeping everyone else up in the middle of the night. She could tell that there were about three or four strangers who must have been a bit older than Riley that were visiting their dorm. Riley did kind of know them, but not all that well. They had invited her to hang out with them a few times before, but they seemed very girly and boy-crazed for Riley’s taste. They had all taken interest in her because they knew she was always hanging out with Oz and Oliver. Riley had never seen Oz and his friend in the sort of way that they saw them (the first reason being that one of them was her own brother) so it was just a bit odd on her ears to hear them talk endlessly about how they would kill to date one of the infamous Gryffindor duo.

Finally giving up hope, Riley sat up in her bed and looked around the room. One corner was dark and the other was dimly lit by candles and lanterns. The four girls were laying on blankets and pillows on the stone floor and giggling rather loudly each passing around a bottle of some sort. One of them, the one who Riley presumed to be the leader of the pack of girls looked over and smiled at Riley. They didn’t seem quite right in the mind. They seemed giddy, but in a weird, overly giddy way. Like they had used something forbidden to enhance their emotions. Riley rubbed her eyes and yawned. The girls laughed. “Good morning, sleeping beauty.” Said the one closest to the window. Riley turned around and smiled slightly. Riley really didn’t hang out with too many girls at all. Her friends were mainly in the male population. But, Riley really didn’t mind hanging out with someone of her own kind for a change. Sometimes she just couldn’t relate to guys with some of her issues. It was pretty aggravating.

“Aw, aren’t you funny.” Riley said sarcastically, getting out of bed and taking her pillow to the floor with the other girls. If she wasn’t go to sleep, she might as well have fun for the remainder of the night. What was the point in tossing and turning in bed for the next six hours when she could actually be doing something with her time? “So what are you guys doing up this late at night anyway?” Riley asked with a slight yawn. She felt so out of place with these girls. They were all wearing short shorts and sports bras wearing eyeliner and makeup at two in the morning. Meanwhile, Riley’s wavy hair was tied into a messy bun and all she was wearing was a huge t-shirt and a long pair of baggy pajama pants. She never wore makeup unless her mother begged her to, much less decide to glob it on at two in the morning. “Oh, young, naïve Riley. We’re playing truth or dare of course. And I’ve decided that it’s your turn. Truth or dare?” The girl spoke with a wicked smile. Riley sighed and thought for awhile. She wasn’t in the mood to do something stupid like jump into the Black Lake or sneak into the kitchens, but she really didn’t want to reveal any personal information to the girls that she barely knew. “Ok fine. Truth.” Riley said quietly after thinking for a bit. A thin, pretty dark skinned girl near Riley’s bed smirked and spoke up. “Would you ever date your brother’s best friend? You know, Oliver Jackson?”

[Riley Coxen G7]

((Written by the wonderful Lynne Collins R7. ))

``Veronica O'Hara..
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Heh. Veronica threw her head back, laughing loudly and with little care for the other girls in the dorm that might be trying to sleep, as her friend finished her dare and sat down again. How could anyone sleep anyway? Automatically, Veronica gulped down the alcohol in the bottle before passing it along, her eyes glittering madly. She wasn’t drunk yet; how long had it been since she had actually been drunk anyway? Tipsy and buzzed, yes. But drunk? She had built up a resistance to it after so many nights of partying that never seemed to last long enough. After their night out, Veronica had dropped by her parent’s house, just like always. Her brother had evidently already rifled through the house because there were only three bottles left for her to pick up. One of those had already been drained and they were working on the second one. There had been plenty of cigarettes though, which probably meant that her brother’s girlfriend had succeeded in convincing him to attempt to give up at least one of his vices. Whatever. All the more for her and the girls. Besides, she knew her brother. He was completely addicted. Drugs, alcohol, cigarettes. Every single one of them had a strong hold on her brother, and her parents. But not her. Veronica wasn’t addicted. Really, she wasn’t. She could stop whenever she wanted. But, Veronica thought as she put a cigarette to her mouth and lit it, she just didn’t want to stop. Why should she deprive herself of something that she enjoyed?

They were Godric’s Daughters, the elite of the Gryffindor house. Veronica’s proud brown eyes scanned her friends through a haze of alcohol. Erica was their leader but not exactly the most popular of them, not with the boys anyway. That would be Mia. Veronica’s giggle sounded again, half because of the antics of her friends but partially because of her thoughts mixed with her intoxication. Mia was extremely popular with the male population. Their dear seductress. Christy was the most addicted to their lifestyle and always had to be escorted home by one of them to make sure that she got back safely, but Veronica didn’t mind. Erica’s head turned towards the beds and Veronica followed her friend’s gaze, smiling oddly when she spotted Riley. The girl had been invited to join them a few times before but had never taken them up on that offer. Perhaps that was changing. Maybe Oz and Oliver, the brother and best friend, weren’t enough for Riley anymore. “Good morning, sleeping beauty,” she greeted almost tauntingly, beckoning for Christy to pass the bottle back so that she could take another drink from it. The bottle was nearly empty, Veronica noted mournfully. That meant that they were down to the last bottle already. Her parents really needed to restock the cellar before she dropped by to replenish the alcohol supply in the dorm.

“I’m absolutely hilarious,” Veronica assured Riley sardonically, passing the bottle of alcohol on and opening her packet of cigarettes with a flick of her hand. Lighting the cigarette with her wand, she raised it to her mouth and then lowered it again to smirk wickedly at Riley. Silly girl. Wasn’t it obvious? And they had been sharing a dorm for how many years? “Oh, young, naive Riley. We’re playing truth or dare, of course,” Veronica paused to nudge the cigarette packet into the middle of the circle as she belatedly realised that she hadn’t offered to share like she normally did. Oh well. It was pretty much taken for granted that she would supply the...more fun recreational substances. There was always lots of drink, cigarettes and drugs lying around the house in Hogsmeade; why should she save them all for her parents and brother? “And I’ve decided that it’s your turn,” she continued after the momentary pause. “Truth or dare?” Leaning back against the wall, Veronica regarded Riley expectantly when Mia provided the question for her to answer. It was a good question; the line between friends and friendlier was a thin one. Personally, Veronica knew that she would have either Oliver or Oz. Both were attractive and entertaining. Perhaps a little straitlaced but that could be rectified with little effort. It looked like Riley herself might be a little more open to their offers of companionship than she had been previously.

[Riley Coxen G7]

((Written by the ever so talented Ariane Chan G7. ))

``Erica Maple..
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Erica tiptoed steathily into the sixth years' dorm. "Christy, come on!" she hissed, her hands gesturing for her best friend to follow her - and to make it quick. They didn't want to be caught, not by any of the Gryffindor prefects: Casey Allen, Scott Ryder, Noalan Bounds and Ariane Chan. Erica almost made a face at the thought of the latter. She'd shared a dorm with Ariane for the last six years and she would be glad to be rid of her when summer rolled round and they graduated. The girl was the least prefecty person in their dorm, so when she had been made prefect everyone had been surprised. Why hadn't it been someone like that too happy, too innocent girl, Mikayla Moon? She fitted the role of prefect to a tee, most definitely. The professors were trying to curb Ariane's odd ways, Erica had decided after a while. And all the better for her, since at least that meant Ariane would leave her alone and let her get up to her usual antics... But no. It turns out, Ariane is actually quite the strict prefect. In fact, the Gryffindor prefects and anything to do with organising the house-related activites, they were all led by Ariane. Erica remembered handing in her vote for the best costume at the Halloween party to the Chinese girl, even though she hadn't actually dressed up and attended the occasion. Ariane had caught Erica doing some rule-breaking now and again, but thankfully her classmate hadn't seen anything serious... otherwise she may have been expelled already. However, Erica had a suspicion that Ariane already knew what she and her friends were up to... that girl exuded a sort of confidence... worldly knowledge... As though she could see right through you.

Well, Ariane had been sound asleep in her bed when Erica had left her dorm. And now she was in Christy's, signalling for her best friend to follow her. The two of them crept along the corridor and entered the fifth years' room, where Veronica and Mia were already waiting for them. "Hey," Erica grinned at the sight of Veronica's stake-out on the floor in the corner of the room. She crossed the dorm and sat down onto the floor, taking a bottle without asking or hesitation. "So, girls, what's new?" Erica asked bossily in a whisper, immediately taking on her role as the leader. She was aware that if they were too loud they'd awake Casey Allen, and that would not be a good idea. However, they usually camped out in the fifth years' dorm because both Mia and Veronica lived here. Plus, they didn't want Veronica running around with her stash - that was the most important thing: not to have any professors or prefects, or anyone else, for that matter, discover the stuff they sneaked into the Common Room. Otherwise, expulsion from Hogwarts was definitely on the cards. The four girls giggled, chatted, gossiped and played 'Truth Or Dare' for about thirty minutes, when a movement in the corner of her eye caused Erica to look up away from Veronica returning from completing her dare. What she saw made her smirk. "Good morning, sleeping beauty," she couldn't resist drawling, curling away a blonde of fair hair behind her ear. The blonde-haired figure lying in her bed stared at her, finally providing a retort that made Erica smirk even more. Riley Coxen... a girl with spunk. She was a troublemaker, but the different sort of troublemaker to Godric's Daughters - Erica's friends. Riley liked to cause trouble for other people; Godric's Daughters only caused trouble for themselves.

Erica had founded Godric's Daughters over a year ago; she had been in fifth year for a few months, and Christy had been in fourth year. Veronica and Mia were only in third year, but they didn't act their age at all; quite the contrary, the only third years they socialised with usually was each other. Some people even thought they were sisters, what with their similar dark skin and hair. However, once you got to know their personalities it was obvious they were not related. Veronica was sweet and charming. Mia was flirtatious and sly. They were exact opposites. Christy was the dizty one of the four and Erica's best friend; she was also the most dependent on their almost daily nights filled with booze and god knows what else. And finally, there was Erica herself, the unspoken leader of Godric's Daughters (well of course she was the leader, she'd founded the group!). She'd chosen Christy... well, they were best friends, end of. And Veronica and Mia had been selected for their outgoing, wild personalities that blended well with her and Christy. Erica liked to think that Mia was a younger version of herself, and Veronica of Christy. Erica and Mia were popular with the boys, more interested in flirting and gossip. Veronica and Christy were sweeter but more dangerous, existing on drugs and drink and anything that was addictive and 'problem-solving'. And so, Veronica and Mia had been initiated into their social group, and thus Godric's Daughters had been born (no, Erica didn't want anyone who wasn't younger than her, otherwise she'd feel threatened, as though she couldn't control them any more), named after the founder of the house of Gryffindor, which all the girls were secretly proud to be a part of. And even though there were some similarities between the four that kept them glued together, leaning invisibly on one another, they were four proud individuals at the end of the day, and that was what was so special about Godric's Daughters: they were different. Better. No rules could stop them.

And as Erica watched Riley interact with Veronica, she very quickly came to a realisation: that in Riley Coxen, she saw a younger spirit of herself. People had often compared them in terms of appearance, but never for personality. Erica was flirtatious, manipulative, sexy. Riley was mischievous, daring, exciting. But in between their differences, Erica realised with a start that, actually, they shared many similarities - the same Gryffindor pride, the confidence, the chill. And Erica suddenly had a strong urge to nurture Riley like a daughter... turn her into a carbon copy of herself. She saw Riley as a rough-cut diamond... It needed a bit of polish, but it'd soon shine like she did, beautiful and radiant. The other three Godric's Daughters were fundamentally different to her; Christy was too soft to manipulate others, Veronica was too sweet and sugary, and Mia too much soul and seductress mixed in one - not a good combo, and Erica was sure one day it'd be her downfall. However, Riley held bounds of potential; she could be great! She was cunning, clever and beautiful (once she'd scrubbed up a bit). She had the family background, the wealth... All she had to do was kick out that troublemaker side of her... well, kick it into place, anyway. It wasn't worth wasting your time on other people - Riley had to learn that. She had to enjoy life, that's what. And if anyone knew how to enjoy life, it was Godric's Daughters. Smiling secretly to herself as Mia asked Riley the question about the two of the closest boys in her life, Erica began to plot what she could do with Riley by her side... how to integrate her into the Daughters. She didn't care much for the conversation the younger girls were embroiled in; she had never fancied younger men, even if Oliver Jackson was quite the ladies' man.

When Riley finally answered the question, Erica snapped out of her thoughts. She cast her empty bottle aside and stood up only with the slightest wobble, then made her way over to Riley. Approaching the bed, she sat down and stared intently at the younger girl, before smiling reassuringly. "Riley... look. Whatever you say about Oliver and that brother of yours, you need to see the bigger picture: you're better than them. You have better prospects without them, don't you see? Boys just drag you down... well, if they're not your boyfriend, anyway. Brothers, friends... they aren't worth it, darling. They're boys! They do what they do - ignore emotions. And don't try to tell me you don't feel totally p***ed off about the fact that they are always off on one and you're left behind to be the, well, 'housewife', the woman. Being a woman's not fun... and we, Godric's Daughters," she gestured at her fellow girls, "can show you what fun really means. Not your pranks and games... things like... this." She jerked her wand out and even after downing a few shots of wine, composed the spell to enchant a bottle of vodka her way. "Here." She shoved it into Riley's hands before she could protest. "Try it. If you dare, Riley Coxen, try it. And if you can take it, which I'm very sure you can..." Erica's eyes glittered expectantly, "then I shall make you an official Godric's Daughter. Whaddya say, girls?" she cast her eye back at her friends and smirked. Then, she grabbed Riley's hand, dragged her out of bed, and made her stand by their circle. She sat herself down in her previous seat, still warm, and stared up at her future protegee with expectation. "Come now, Riley," she whispered softly. "Show me the real you. Be yourself and set yourself free!"

[Riley Coxen G7]

Riley had never really liked these girls. She had always been a troublemaker, one who didn’t mind breaking a rule or two. But Riley had purposefully tried to avoid these girls because she knew than they were more trouble that she could ever bargain for. They’d always try to lure the prefects away or cast spells to make sure they wouldn’t be caught while they snuck around the school with illegal substances that many students knew they possessed but were too terrified of the girls to say a word. Riley was never really one for alcohol or any kind of drugs. Bruce used to have both liquor and cigarettes in his private stash in his office, and there had been times when Riley and Oz had broken in just to try it. After trying the goods in their father's secret cabinet, the twins had decided that they hated cigarettes and alcohol was something they'd be able to put up with in the future, when they were ready. But Riley was still at the "booze is for the grown-ups" stage...or, at least she thought she was.

However, Riley had never had more than a stolen sip of Bruce’s forbidden whiskey though, so she found it quite uncomfortable watching the girl’s polish off that bottle of what was obviously alcohol. They all seemed to be having so much fun though. There was no worry in their eyes, seemingly no pain. Riley wasn’t stupid. She knew they had problems. Everyone each had their own fair share of problems. But with their stolen treasures, all those problems seemed to have just disappeared. Like all their worries seemed to disappear just a little bit more with each sip. She averted her gaze and turned to watch another girl lighting a cigarette. She managed not to crinkle her nose at the smell that was starting to emit from the corner of the room. She simply stood there in front of the crowd of girls, all of whom were looking at her critically, practically judging her every move. She stuttered for a moment as she took a seat in the circle, feeling even more out of place than before. “Well umm…” Riley wasn’t exactly sure how to phrase the sentence without looking like a complete idiot. Suddenly, the girl who Riley assumed to be the leader of the group spoke up.

Her words were surprisingly factual. She spoke with the enticing voice of reason, one that sounded like that little voice in her head who was constantly telling her just this same thing. She was always cast aside by her brother and everyone else in her family, and lately it was worse than ever before. With the death of Riley’s father, things took a turn for the worse. Everyone was a mess. Riley had remained relatively calm at his funeral, a serious, almost angry expression plastered on her face as everyone else sobbed and mourned over the loss of such a great man. The second she got home however, she broke down. She cried for hours. Her father had never really loved her. Riley had never gotten a real chance to prove to her sometimes cruel father that she could be successful, that she wasn’t such a screw up daughter like he thought she was. Even though Riley never seemed to want or need Bruce’s acceptance, she had always secretly wanted him to congratulate her for a change. Riley sighed as she contemplated Erica’s offer. She was lost, confused, and just a total wreck inside after her father died. Things at home were terrible and Riley was glad she didn’t have to deal with it every day anymore. Maybe Riley could feel at home with these girls. After all, they seemed to understand what she was going through. But it was still a stretch...

Riley nibbled on her lower lip nervously, wondering what she was going to do. Alcohol could get her into some serious trouble at school, it would most likely get her expelled. But this seventh year girl, this beautiful seventh year girl that Riley had secretly envied for years was offering her a spot in the most well known and most popular groups of Gryffindor girls of their generation. There was a time when Riley belonged to a group. She and her brother were the dynamic duo. Always playing pranks, getting into trouble, and having a blast. But that was over now. Now that Bruce was dead, Oz had drifted even further away from Riley, leaving her alone and vulnerable. She sighed. “Um..alright?” Riley said quietly as the girls watched her critically. She held the bottle awkwardly in her hands and raised it to her lips. She already didn’t like the smell of it, but she took a swig of it anyway. She swallowed it, shuddering a little as it burned at her throat. It didn’t taste that bad. It was stronger than she was used to, but it wasn’t nearly as horrid as she’d expected it to be. “Not bad..” Riley said a bit louder, with a slight smile on her lips. Her fingers drummed the surface of the bottle quietly, waiting for a reaction from one of the girls.

[Riley Coxen G7]

((Written by me, Riley Coxen G5. ))

``Mia Diez..
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Mia was loving life right now. During their last Hogsmeade visit, while Veronica had been replenishing their stash of “goodies”, Mia had spent the entire day with a seventh year Slytherin boy. He was rough around the edges, but Mia had managed to teach him well. The Slytherin was an accomplishment in itself. He was older than she was, but she was used to nabbing older men. The true cause for celebration was the fact that he was a Slytherin. Slytherins were the sworn enemy of all Gryffindors, so it was a true wonder that she had even managed to nab his attention. Even more so, Mia had even managed to spend the entire day with the boy before they had to go back to Hogwarts. She really hated boarding schools for this very reason. She was restricted with the things she could do. She was lucky to get a day with a guy outside of school. Inside Hogwarts, Mia and her friends were closely monitored. It wasn’t easy to have the kind of lifestyle Mia had, but that didn’t mean she couldn’t try. Mia used every single option she had, which weren’t many. She’d use abandoned classrooms, the room of requirement, and even Moaning Myrtle’s bathroom. That was one she’d never do again. Myrtle refused to leave Mia and her guy-friend alone.

Now though, Mia had just finished writing her song, and her guitar was sitting in the corner of the room as she sat in a circle with her closest friends, the Godric’s daughters. The Daughters were a group of four, though Mia really saw it as two groups of two. Erica was their “leader”, which was obvious seeing as she was the oldest and the most powerful. Mia had the most respect for Erica. She knew how to take care of herself and she knew how to be a leader. It was odd though because out of all the daughters, her closest friend was Christy. Mia had never really appreciated Christy all too much. She was Mia’s idea of a ‘dumb blonde’. The Daughters were always having to look out for her during parties or whatnot because she didn’t know how to handle herself or when to draw the line. So, she was almost always drunk or hungover and guess who had to take care of Christy’s ass? Mia and the rest of her friends. It was rather pathetic.

Mia was closest to Veronica though, as they were closest in age, personality, and even looks. They looked out for each other and had been inducted into the group together because of their existing friendship and their attitude. Plus Veronica had what Christy and Erica wanted: access. Veronica could get you anything you wanted. She never charged any money for the girls, but she was sure that she probably sold the goods to others. Together, Erica, Christy, Mia, and Veronica made up the elite of Gryffindor house. They were the celebrity’s of Hogwarts. Everyone knew about their actions, their relationships. They were the popular girls every girl hated (but secretly wanted to be a part of) and every boy dreamed of being with. Though, if they matched up to Mia’s standards, that wish could easily be granted. Tonight, Mia was sitting in a circle playing truth or dare with her friends. It was going to be Mia’s turn, and she wasn’t up for another crazy dare. So, she was glad when Veronica looked up and noticed their dorm mate, Riley Coxen. They spoke and Riley was soon involved in their game.

Erica had spoken of Riley before. She had always said that she would be perfect material for the Daughters. She had the looks (even though it seemed like to Mia, she rarely ever tried and could be so much more beautiful) to be a Daughter, and the attitude was there to a certain extent. Mia wasn’t much for gossip, but she’d heard loads about Riley’s issues at home and with her family. She heard that over the summer, her father passed. Mia was sure that now that she had been broken down a bit, she’d be begging to join the daughters. It seemed that Mia had been right, for after Mia’s question about Oliver and Erica’s speech, Erica had managed to successfully get Riley to try some of their vodka. She seemed nervous about the whole thing, but everyone was a bit nervous at first. Eventually, Riley took a rather generous swig of their vodka and shuddered at the taste. Mia smiled. Mia knew Erica. This was only the beginning. Riley had yet to make the complete transformation. Mia had always welcomed new arrivals, so this whole spectacle was rather amusing to Mia. Mia sat back and got herself a cigarette from the center of the table, lighting it with her wand. She sat back quietly and inhaled. She let the smoke out in circles, waiting to see if there was anything else. “So Riley, I guess that’s welcome to the Daughters then.” Mia said, casting a glance toward Erica to see if she had any other tricks up her sleeve.