Lucy prowled the common room, looking for another first year to befriend. The last attempt Lucy made to make friends with was Lexi. And that didn't go exactly amazingly. But, it was, for the most part, what she expected. She walked around that evening scanning. It's just making friends Lucy. Just making friends. People do this all the time! You can do this. She thought to herself.

It was then that she noticed Dilly. Well, not that she knew what Dilly's name was. She knew it started with a D. She approached Dilly, still trying to recall her name. "Debra!" She shouted out instinctively. She approached somewhat intimidatingly.

Dilly was studying the notes she had collected for her History of Magic project. She wanted to write about the Fat Lady; but so far she was unable to learn anything useful about the portrait who guarded the entrance to Gryffindor Tower. Not even a name. She had asked directly, but the Fat Lady just gave her an enfuriating smile and said, "That's for me to know and you to find out." The only hint she would provide was that it had once been a password. "And you never know," she added with a wink. "I just might want to use it again..."

"I bet it's a perfectly dreadful name," thought Dilly, "though it can't be much worse than Delia." She cringed every time one of her professors called her by her given name. At least Storm was sensible enough to call his students by their last names.

And speaking of names...somebody was calling rather loudly for a Debra. Glancing up from her notes, Dilly scanned the room, looking to see who might answer to the name. However...though the Common Room was seldom truly empty until bedtime...tonight there were only two girls there. Herself and...she had to think for a moment, but then she remembered. Matthews. The troublemaker...

From the way Matthews was approaching her, it looked as if she might be up to her usual tricks.

Dilly was not one to start a fight, but neither was she the sort to back away from one.

Looking around the room again, she said, "If it's me you're talking to, it's Dilly. Or Morris if you'd rather."

She carefully did not mention the name Delia, and hoped against hope that Matthews had not noticed the times teachers called her by that name.

Lucy's face lit up, when Dilly looked back at her. "Alright Dilly then." She had said, walking towards her. Lucy plopped into a chair next to  her, her head resting on her arms resting on her legs. "What are you doing?" She said, with a small smile on her face. The smile was strange. It seemed evil a little, like a plan was slowly hatching inside her brain.

She batted her eyelashes, the same keen smile on her face. I can't wait to see her reaction. Especially when I begin the test. She thought.

Matthews came right over, plopping down in the chair next to Dillys', resting her head on her arms and her elbows on her knees. "What are you doing,?" she asked, with rather an evil smile. And then she batted her eyelashes.

It was obvious that Matthews was up to something, thought Dilly. And since she was bored, she decided she might as well find out what.

Resting her chin on her hands, she met Lucy's gaze with one of her own, and batted her eyelashes right back.

'"I don't know," she said half truthfully, since her  studying was going nowhere fast.

"What are you doing?"

Dilly was playing back. And that was just fine with Lucy. She stared back. "Oh, nothing much." She replied, the smile sitting on her face. "Just visiting you." She continued. Lucy glanced over at Dilly's paper to see exactly what Dilly was doing. "Oh, I see. That stupid class of History of Magic. How dull, am I right?" She answered.

She looked around the room, and stared at the ceiling. "What a waste of a class." She had said somewhat quietly, when looking up. She looked back at Dilly, the same smile. "But that Hunter! How annoying is she? I mean, we all work so hard in that class, and she just pulls stupid answers right out of her stupid, little mind. It's like she's trying to show off, if you ask me." Lucy stopped leaning on her arms, and sat up straight.

"But who am I to criticize?" She said throwing her hands up. "I'm just going to use her project anyway. Odds are it would be a whole lot better than any work I'd be able to do! Am I right?" She said a smile on her face, almost as though she was laughing.

Lucy glanced over at Dilly's paper. "Oh, I see. That stupid class of History of Magic. How dull, am I right?"

"I wouldn't say it's dull exactly. Not like what it used to be when that ghost taught the class. You know, the one who used to fall asleep during his own lectures. Nah...I'm just not getting anywhere because I think I chose the wrong portrait. I mean...if somebody won't even tell you her name, how reliable is anything else she's likely to tell you?" Dilly looked thoughtful, considering how the Fat Lady might react if Dilly was to say that where she could hear it. From what she'd heard, getting the Fat Lady riled had always been a good way to trick her out of the password...

Lucy glanced around the room, then up at the ceiling. "What a waste of a class." she said somewhat quietly. "But that Hunter! How annoying is she? I mean, we all work so hard in that class, and she just pulls stupid answers right out of her stupid, little mind. It's like she's trying to show off, if you ask me."

Dilly shrugged, not sure what to say. She didn't think Hunter was showing off,  she was just one of those kids who got excited about school, and knowing all the answers. Like maybe it was just her way to excel, since she wasn't interested in fancy clothes and wasn't good at sports.

"But who am I to criticize?" said Lucy, throwing her hands up. "I'm just going to use her project anyway. Odds are it would be a whole lot better than any work I'd be able to do! Am I right?"

"Well," said Dilly. "I think it might be hard to put one like that over on Professor Jowd. He may seem sort of mixed up at times, but I don't think he's as dumb as he looks." Of course it was wrong to copy another's student's paper too, but Dilly had a feeling if she said so, that would not change Lucy's mind. In fact it might just push her the wrong way.

"Besides..." she said, giving Lucy a cool assessing look, "how do you know you couldn't do better than Hunter , if you really tried?"

I think it might be hard to put one like that over on Professor Jowd. He may seem sort of mixed up at times, but I don't think he's as dumb as he looks."

Lucy threw her head back, throwing out a laugh. "He's an idiot! One of the worst teachers we have! He's got nothing. No good lessons, really. Like, nothing!" She rolled her eyes, a smile on her face. "So, you are actually going to do the assignment? Like, for real?" She asked.

"Though you probably are right, I just don't see the point in doing it, you know? I mean, if I wanted to talk to a portrait I would. But I mean, come on! It's an assignment? So not going to do it."

"how do you know you couldn't do better than Hunter , if you really tried?"

"Have you seen her in the other classes? The girl's a genius. Brilliant. No way could I ever compare! So why waste the energy?"

The mission, Lucy. Don't forget the mission! So, she decided to continue. "So, you know that idiot, Lexi? You know, the werewolf? I mean, I'm not picking, but she's an idiot. And annoying too. You know? She's all like, 'Oh god, I'm a werewolf' and 'I need help' and 'Pity me!' So annoying."