A/N: This was written for syranzra, for the January Monthly One Shot. I hope you enjoy it!
Any other prompts used for challenges/comps are listed at the bottom so as to not give anything away.
icarus
Rose stared at the text on her phone and heaved a sigh. It was bad enough that now thanks to runic magic, phones were allowed at Hogwarts, but now that most of the teenagers had them, it practically felt like harassment with people constantly messaging. There was yet another party, and it seemed that the text inviting people had been sent to half the Hogwarts body. If she didn't go, people would notice. She really didn't want to go. Parties were fun, but there had been one every weekend since exams had ended, Houses alternating which Common Room should be used. Now not only had she used out of potions to ease a hangover last week, but if everyone was going to be there, then so was Lewis.
They had broken up three weeks ago, after two years of being together and Rose had been told by several girls that he was already sleeping around. In fact, she was sure that he'd been sleeping around for a long time before they broke up. None of that had ever had ever really interested her, it felt weird and she didn't quite get it. Both her parents had sat her down years ago to talk about the birds and the bees but Rose had tuned it all out. Kissing was fine but anything else felt intimidating.
Lewis had said that was one of the reason he'd broken up with her, because she was so inexperienced and 'just had no clue about sex', apparently. Those words felt like they'd been burnt into her memory.
Another text lit up her phone screen, this time from Alannah Bulstrode, one of her friends, asking what she was going to wear and if she could borrow some shoes.
Sure. But I don't think I'm going to go. I don't feel great.
Two hours later with Alannah trying to put on a pair of strappy heels, and Rose was putting on some lipstick. It was a deep purple which matched her nails and that, she'd decided, was the extent of effort she was going to put into it. She wore a dress that she'd worn two parties before and after two drinks was going to sneak away — presuming that Alannah didn't try and get her to dance on top of a table again.
"C'mon Rosie! It'll be fun, parties always are! We both look amazing, let's go! Take my hand!"
With her friend's hand clasping hers, leading her to a party that she couldn't even feign optimism for, Rose could never have guessed that this would be the night that everything for her was about to change.
The third drink she got given tasted sweet. The cocktails were unknown, part of the 'mystery', but they were strong and they had certainly done a good job of getting the party in full swing. Rose made her way through groups of people, the common room turned into a dance floor with some people dancing in a way that made her cheeks warm.
She spotted Lewis when she'd just gone to get her fourth cocktail.
"Are you okay?"
The words registered dimly, but Rose couldn't take his eyes off him. He was laughing, his arms around two girls as they sat on one of the sofas. As she watched, one of the girls -
— a Gryffindor in the year below, Rose was sure — threw her leg over Lewis' lap and whispered in his ear.
He was over her. It suddenly hit home for Rose and she realised, in some desperation, that he was going to look up and see her pining. She didn't want them to laugh at her. She didn't want his pity. What she wanted to do was curse him but that would be somewhat of a buzzkill for the party. Turning her head, she saw the girl who'd spoken.
Zoe Smith, the Hufflepuff Quidditch Captain and reportedly the sweetest person in their year. Zoe volunteered during the summers at a Crups and Kneazles Rescue Centre — Rose remembered her talking about it in Ancient Runes last year.
"Can I ask you, to do something for me?" Rose said, talking fast, not letting herself overthink it because then she'd back out. "My ex is over there."
Zoe peered past her and rolled her eyes with a sneer.
"The slimy one who's looking at us?"
Rose didn't dare look back.
"Sure, if he's got black hair, that's him. Can you put your hand on my arm or something? I just don't want him to think…"
"Oh, I can do better than that honey." Zoe grinned and then leant closer to Rose. "Just say stop if you want me too."
Rose didn't. She didn't protest as they kissed, nor later when Zoe took her with a laugh onto the dance floor, her hands on Rose's hips. All Rose found herself doing was losing herself in the other girl's warm smile and soft touch. When couples started to peel off together, drunken stumbling now happening more frequently than dancing, they left the Ravenclaw Common Room. Zoe convinced Rose to follow her down to the kitchens to have leftover chocolate cake for desert.
They kissed again, chocolate sauce on Rose's cheek and the hint of a smile on Zoe's lips.
Her Mother had once told her the story of Icarus, how he had been trapped in the very Labyrinth he and his father had developed and then tried to escape. Flying too close to the sun, he had crashed to his death. They had talked about what the moral of the story was, about the Ancient Greek ethos of hubris.
She had thought she'd understood the lesson — of pride coming before a fall, of staying within realistic boundaries. Rose certainly wasn't a flyer, she had made a joke about gravity always being more powerful than anything else, in the end.
Now she was realising that wasn't true. How she felt about Zoe was certainly more powerful than mere gravity. Now Rose understood why Icarus had flown higher, closer to the beautiful thing he craved, knowing all the way that it might kill him.
"We need to talk about last night," Rose said, the words tumbling out as she found Zoe outside reading by the Black Lake. Zoe looked up in surprise, her smile dying at Rose's words, worry casting a shadow across her face.
"Do we? Okay." She closed her book and sat straighter to give Rose her full attention. "I hope you're okay."
"Okay? I mean, yes, I'm fine but at the same time no, I'm not! I'm not okay Zoe and what we did, isn't okay." Rose had meant to be firm but at Zoe's raised eyebrows she found herself unable to stop talking. "We can't do this!"
"I wasn't aware there was a 'this', Rose," Zoe said with a shake of her head. "We kissed at a party; your ex nearly turned purple; we ate cake. It was worth it, and if you want, I'll stay away from you."
"No… That's exactly the problem. It makes no logical sense but I don't want you to stay away and I do want there to be a 'this' and I want—" She stopped herself before she kept talking and fell silent, lifting the book that Zoe had tossed down onto the picnic blanket and sitting down.
"Rose, you look sad when you think he's not looking at you," Zoe said softly. "I know you're not over him, what we did last night, maybe it was too much but…"
Rose abruptly leaned over to her, hesitated for a split second and then kissed Zoe. It felt just as good as the night before, this time without alcohol clouding her mind. The way Zoe sighed softly made Rose desperately hope that the beautiful Hufflepuff could feel the same way.
"I don't care about Lewis. I don't know… I mean, I've never... " Rose swallowed, knowing that she was lying to herself. "I've always thought I'd get over liking girls, but Zoe, last night was amazing and I'm sorry for shouting at you. I just thought I'd get over it."
"I don't want you to get over me. I've fancied you for easily a year, but I didn't think you knew I existed, or even liked anything other than boys."
"I think… I might be bi," Rose whispered and Zoe simply kissed her again.
"We'll work it out together. But whatever this is," she gestured "I want to explore it. Shall we?"
Rose nodded, feeling something akin to hope making her heart race.
"Maybe we can go on a proper date?" she said hesitantly.
"That would be lovely! For now, if you want to just stay with me, I could read aloud to you or something… Actually, maybe that's a bad idea. The protagonist just said 'I have a history of losing my shirt', with a lewd wink so maybe that's not the sort of book for you." Zoe gave her a cheeky grin. "Were you at breakfast this morning? Did you see when Professor Islington had his hair charmed blue?"
Under the warm summer sun, with the sound of lake lapping against the shore and with Zoe's hand on top of hers, Rose let herself start to fall in love as her heart soared ever higher. Perhaps, she was like Icarus, and this relationship was going to crash and burn like the ones she'd had before. Maybe the danger would be how the world faced them, indignation burning as two girls kissed.
She didn't care. It was worth it just to experience such beauty.
A/N: All prompts and challenges are listed here. Thanks for reading.
For the HPFC:
Title Exchange: icarus
The Bingo Card Competition: Number 24 - Write about a Hufflepuff
For Hogwarts:
Assignment 1: Sex Ed, Task 3
The Insane House Challenge - No. 273
Book Club - Dekka Talent (Write about a character coming out, (action) lifting something, (word) gravity)
Showtime - Optimism
Days of the Month - Z Day
Restriction of the Month - No characters older than 20
A Year in Entertainment - (dialogue) "I have a history of losing my shirt."
Television Show of the Month - Molly Hooper: (object) Lipstick, (word) Sweet, (dialogue) "You look sad when you think he can't see you."
Count Your Buttons - "Take my hand."
Fanfic Resolutions: 16. Write a fic set in the Next - Gen era.
The 365 Prompts Challenge - number 105
Stickers - Emerald (Slytherin Collection)
Weekly Tea Challenge - Honey Honey
Bath Bomb Appreciation Challenge - Heart 2 Heart
Dragon Appreciation Month [wc 1602]