A/N: So I got a good response on Tumblr, and the muses agree with me, so I guess I will continue with it. Enjoy everyone!
A Twisted Apartment Assignment of Fate - Chapter 2
"That's right, Miss Elphaba Thropp," the blond responded, not lowering her wand even a hairsbreadth. "Now would you please explain what you doing in my apartment?"
.
.
.
Elphaba blinked at the question as the pieces clicked together and she understood intrinsically. The Senior Undersecretary had mentioned a roommate, briefly, in the long-winded sphiel about Ministry of Magic ethical codes and Apparition Rules and Regulations. But Galinda Upland? Her roommate? The young green witch could barely believe it. Galinda, working for the Ministry of Magic? The girl could barely string a logical and complete sentence together!
"Your apartment?" Elphaba asked in a cold sneer, her wand still trained directly on Galinda's perfect face. "Are you sure you did not get lost on the way to Diagon Alley, little Miss Perfect? Did you Apparate wrong? Or did one of your little friends perform a Confundus Charm on you? Not that it would have much effect, you're already brainle—"
Elphaba broke off, narrowly avoiding a jinx that Galinda hurled her way. The jinx pounded into the wall behind her and cracked it something fierce.
"I HAVE A KEY!" the young blond witch thundered, shaking from head to pink-heeled toe. Elphaba wondered briefly how she walked in Muggle heels and Wizarding robes. It seemed like a dangerous combination. Her thoughts were interrupted by Galinda's continued angry yelling. "—WORKING FOR THE MINISTER OF MAGIC, I WILL NOT TOLERATE—"
"You, working for the Minister?" Elphaba asked, cutting across her tirade. "What will you be doing, sweeping the floor with that useless mop of curls?"
"No!" Galinda shrieked. "I happen to have an internship in the Office of the Undersecretary!"
Elphaba's blood ran cold.
No. It couldn't be.
"What a coincidence," she sneered, "so do I."
After tempers cooled enough for marginally civil discussion (i.e. Galinda stormed out to go back to the Ministry to try and kick the green witch out of 'her apartment'), Elphaba elected to move her marginal supply of possessions into her room. Well, it was not her room by assignment- it was simply the only room left. Galinda had taken the larger one, leaving Elphaba with a virtual shoebox. Elphaba hated to think of what the room had been before the Undetectable Extension Charm was added to it. Probably a broom cupboard, or something as equally tiny.
Still, there was enough room for a bed, a bedside table, and a tiny closet, which suited Elphaba just fine, because she only had three sets of robes and a couple pieces of Muggle clothing. A tiny window looked over the street below, and there was just enough window ledge to form a seat to curl up in and watch the people walk by underneath, if Elphaba was so inclined. Which she was not, generally, but it was the idea that counted.
She looked around the room, unsure or not if she would be able to fit her bookcases from home if she made them Appear. It was worth a shot, she decided. If they did not fit, she could simply send them back. She fetched her wand from the bed and stood in the middle of the room, eyes closed, drawing the magic up from her center and feeling it rush through her body and through her fingertips to her wand as she spoke the enchantment.
"Mirgro Bookshelv—"
"I see you've just moved on in."
The interrupted spell broke. Elphaba spun around to face the voice, her wand raised. It was only Galinda. She was standing in the doorway of her room, her arms over her chest, frowning. Elphaba, a bit reluctantly, lowered her wand.
"What?"
Galinda sniffed. "I couldn't convince the Undersecretary."
"Obviously, or I assume a member of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement would be here to escort me off the premises," responded Elphaba cuttingly. "How does it feel, not getting your way? Does it hurt to be mortal just like the rest of us?"
"Shut up, you mean green thing!" Elphaba had made Galinda shake again, and it was obvious she was trying to contain herself. Elphaba cackled. "We obviously need to set up some ground rules here!"
"Set up away," Elphaba said airily, having no intention of following any rules set down by Galinda if they inconvenienced her in any way.
"Rule One, don't talk to me!"
"Why would I want to?"
"Rule Two, stay in your room and I'll stay in mine!"
Elphaba looked at her sharply. "We will be sharing the common areas, yes?" Galinda blanched, obviously not expecting any opposition. She got her way far too much, the green witch decided. She would have to fix that at every opportunity.
"…If we must," Galinda finally allowed, then continued on as if Elphaba had not flustered her. "Rule Three! Don't talk to my friends when they are over!"
"Again, why would I want to?"
"Rule FOUR!" the blonde said over her, reacting to Elphaba's needling just as planned. "We're each responsible for our own food!" Elphaba nodded. That sounded reasonable. She would not trust Galinda not to poison any food she made for her, anyway. "Rule Five. After ten is quiet time! No loud music, all friends should leave, if the wireless is on, make it quiet!"
The green witch gave the blond a withering look. Was she really that stupid? "You do realize there are charms for that sort of thi—?"
"I need my beauty sleep!" Galinda interrupted her. "Quiet time after ten!"
Elphaba sighed. It was not like she made a lot of noise anyway. "Very well. Anything else?"
"Not that I can think of at this moment."
"But I'm sure you'll think of something," Elphaba said sarcastically, "if you even can think."
Galinda huffed and left for her room. The green witch sighed. Living with her for a year was not going to be fun. She was not yet certain if she would prefer this or the ministerial ranting of her father and sister. She knew how to deal with her father and sister. Galinda was, for the most part, an enigma. Elphaba's only experience with the blond had been at Hogwarts, when they had shared several of the same N.E.W.T. level classes in their last two years. Be that as it may, they had rarely shared conversation; Galinda preferred to talk in subversive rumors and snide commentary about the other's verdigris, while Elphaba chose to ignore everyone except the professors. (How Galinda Upland had been sorted into Hufflepuff, Elphaba did not know. From what she understood of the blonde, she though she would be much more at home in Slytherin, where being nasty seemed to be, for the most part, in everyone's genetic code.)
The green witch had though she would be done with the blonde after Hogwarts. Apparently, though, this was not the case.
If Elphaba believed, she would say that God was having fun with her. But because she did not, she simply shook her head and returned her attention to making her bookshelves Appear.
Galinda was, for now, not her problem.