A/N: And now we are dealing with the wonderful aftermaths of the Yule Ball. Enjoy!
...
"And did you see Baxter and Summers snogging? It was absolutely disgusting."
"But did it top Rooney getting slapped again?"
"The only surprise there was that it was from Bulstrode of all people."
"Granted, she is an aggressive kind of girl."
"No, I don't mean it's surprising that she slapped him. I'm just surprised he decided to hit on her of all witches."
It was breakfast time at Hogwarts, also known as the prime to get all the good gossip.
And just because the Yule Ball had been over for a few days did not stop Beauxbaton, Hogwarts, and even Durmstrang students from indulging in rumors about the dance.
It was school bonding after all.
...
"So a little birdie told me you were sitting on the sidelines with a certain someone. Care to explain, Elizabeth?"
"Hmm?" Yes, today was a day full of distractions for Elizabeth. She looked down at her breakfast, oblivious to the fact that she was now being observed by a quite a few Gryffindors.
"You and that Norwegian, Kostya." Bethany began elaborate. "Were quite close to dancing apparently?" Elizabeth snorted at this opinion.
"Something funny, Elizabeth?" Abigail, the best friend of Bethany, asked defensively.
"First off," Elizabeth said, giving some of her attention to the two sixth years. "He's not Norwegian. Secondly, how does sitting next to someone mean we were dancing? Does that mean giving someone a hug constitutes as sex?" Clementine Groves, a dorm mate of Elizabeth's, snickered at this retort as both Abigail and Bethany looked horrified at the rhetorical question.
"I-I just don't want a mentor like you to go down the wrong path. You can't trust those Durmstrang boys!"
"Beth, weren't you trying to get into the pants of one of 'those Durmstrang boys'?" Matthew Hughes piped up from a few seats away. A few of the younger years leaned forward with interest, because they never got to hear about these kinds of things, and Clementine transitioned from snickering to downright cackling.
"That's quite enough, Clementine." Mary Curtis said sharply to Clementine but the laughing girl merely shook her head in response. This only prompted both Bethany and Abigail to glare at the older girl.
"You know that it's just not fair." Abigail began hotly and Clementine cocked an eyebrow at this.
"Oh really? And what exactly is not fair?"
"You know, while this has indeed been fun, I think I'm good for breakfast." Elizabeth interrupted the beginnings of a hissy fit as she stood up. Her friends frowned at the action but Elizabeth was not in the mood to see such trivial fights so early in the morning.
And as Elizabeth left the hall she almost collided into a rather familiar figure. Another sigh was released when she realized that he wasn't going to just awkwardly pivot on the spot and walk away to sit away at his table like he would in years past. She looked into darker brown eyes and ignored how she suddenly felt a little lightheaded.
Eyes really don't change that much, do that? They complement the package but they don't really change. If anything there was change only in the emotions they reflect.
"Moore," She eventually greeted, ready to slip around him.
"Walk with me, Abrams." He tersely interrupted any escape she had planned by grabbing her wrist and subtly dragging her out of the hall.
Having not been pulled like that in years, Elizabeth allowed herself to be taken down multiple hallways and corridors, until she recognized the path they were on. It was a path she always avoided if only because of the memories it brought back to the front of her mind.
It was the way they'd go to get out of the atmosphere of the school. Years ago, when Elizabeth was on an adventure with her best friend at the time, they'd discovered a secret room. Not a classroom, not a broom closet, just a small, empty space. Elizabeth had suspected there had to be others just like it but her best friend, a young Charles Moore, was rather drawn to this particular one.
So, they took advantage of their little secret and every time either of them needed a break from the world they'd find themselves walking down a familiar route to a familiar, simple room.
The last time Elizabeth had been here was the day she confessed to Charles that she had some sort of an equivalent of a crush on him.
This time, there was no beating around the bush.
"We need to talk about the dance." She avoided his stare, choosing to study the room once more.
"I'm not sure there's truly anything to talk about."
"Don't give me that bullcrap." The first time he had used that particular phrase on her she had giggled at the odd combination. Now, she didn't even blink at the accusing tone or smile at the use of her favorite curse word of his.
"You do realize that nothing truly happened? Daisy tried to get us to go back to pre-fourth year and it didn't work."
"Did you ever tell her how you felt?"
"That I felt betrayed and abandoned by two of my closest friends because they suddenly decided to become attached and take no more interest in some 'boring little Gryffindor'? Or are you wondering if I ever told her that I had a crush on her current boyfriend? The answer to both of those questions is no, by the way." She could feel his stare shift into a glare without even needing to look up.
"Abrams, you're being incredibly stupid."
"Oh, am I, Moore? I supposed I'm always in the wrong with you, aren't I? Always making some sort of error in your opinion, even when we were closer."
"That's not fair." She stood up at this and smiled icily at the Slytherin in front of her.
"Oh, but I think it is actually quite fair, Charles. I do remember, after all, how you reacted to me telling you about my crush: not a single cordial word for weeks and disgusted glances for months. I remember how you were always teasing me for the stupidest of things and mocking me for my other crushes."
"And what about you, Abrams? You never gave me a break when it came to your flirting. And your obstinacy certainly can drive one up a wall."
"When did I ever flirt with you, Charles?" She scoffed at the idea, stepping forward defiantly and crossing her arms. "And speaking of obstinacy, I do believe you're even more stubborn than I am!" He scowled and stepped even closer at her tone and they soon were almost nose to nose, anger radiating off of both of them like an overworked heater. The air crackled with years of unresolved tension and aggravation as the Slytherin and Gryffindor glared unflinchingly into each others eyes before almost leaning in for something entirely different.
"You really hurt me, Charles."
"The same to you, Elizabeth."
Lips were less than five centimeters apart. Eyes began to close in anticipation and for a brief moment the past of anger and frustration could be forgotten.
And then something broke.
"This is wrong." Those magical words, spoken in unison, worked faster than any spell and immediately the two old friends backed off one another. No longer did irritation grip the air but instead fear and confusion began to build in the room.
"I need to go." Elizabeth said, now more confused than she had been at the dance. He merely looked at her, searching for an answer to resolve the situation.
She was really beginning to despise today.
...
Ryo Nakamori was never truly scared, at least not outwardly. The bubbly Asian usually held on to smiles, while occasionally clutching the typical stressline, but she certainly did not allow her fears to control her.
However, there's always one exception to a rule.
So, as she sat down in the library the Hufflepuff couldn't help but wonder if she really made a fool of herself this time around.
Was what happened at the Yule Ball just one huge mistake?
Adalie's presence today, or lack thereof, was making Ryo consider that perhaps she had scared the French girl away considering they always met up on a Monday for lessons in the library. Yet, with a textbook on French philosophies in one hand and trembling quill in the other, doubt was beginning to swirl and slosh inside Ryo's mind.
Ryo had never been kissed like that before. Well, she'd actually never been kissed before in general but that's another thing altogether. Ryo had never been kissed like before and, days later, she still liked to close her eyes to reimagine the whole thing. She liked to think that the stars were still shining brightly for the couple and she liked to remember that Adalie's lips tasted sweeter than chocolate.
A backpack was quietly placed on top of the table. Ryo opened her eyes, brought herself out of the fantasy, and lifted her face up to snip at whoever foolishly thought they could take Adalie's spot. But Ryo's irritated glare jolted into surprise as she found herself looking up at Adalie herself.
The French girl was holding a finger to her lips to indicate the need for silence. Adalie then decided to bring the backpack closer to Ryo to show another surprise.
And that's when Ryo realized that Adalie had actually snuck delicious pieces of chocolate into the library. The Beauxbaton girl leaned quietly over the table to whisper coyly into the Hufflepuff's ear.
"I think today's lesson will have to be taught outside the library today."
"Agreed."
...
"Alright, you've been acting weird since the Yule Ball." A quiet voice whispered next to Ethan. "You've actually been weirder than normal for a lot longer but it's become especially apparent since the Yule Ball." He turned to Christina and tried not to grin like an idiot. She rolled her eyes at his pathetic attempt before turning back to her lunch.
"Must've been some snog."
Oh, Christina, my dear, Ethan thought with a smirk.
It had been far more than just a snog.
...
A/N: Also, let me note something that I don't think I really touched on in previous author notes: This is a fun way for me to purge the last few years I've experienced. I don't want to mess with canon, I don't want to create some radical story that flips people's world upside down (though I do appreciate reviews/favorites!). I just want to release many things I had to deal with in these last few years and I think it's quite fun to do so through fanfiction.
Till next time!