Sollux:
I left AA in the Gryffindor common room, rolling my eyes before heading back to the great hall. I wasn't going to miss out on the celebrations. When I returned, I found half the Great Hall covered in confetti and Jade yelling furiously at Dave. It seemed like things were truly back to normal, as I walked over to the Gryffindor table to hear the conversation. I stood next to FF, who was laughing hysterically in a way I hadn't seen in months. She looked at me with a smile.
"So now you are back to insulting my friends, Strider? Well every one of them is worth ten of you!"
"What happened?" I asked, and Feferi smiled.
"Something to do with a really bad simile comparing Aradia to a frog that Jade just happened to overhear. I don't even think Dave meant it as an in-seal-t."
"A frog?" I asked, bewildered. Feferi shrugged helplessly. She glanced over at the Slytherin table, and her gaze darkened. "Look at Eridan," she told me under her breath. The boy was glowering at the table. "Everyone else is celebrating, whale he just sits there. Even Vriska and Gamzee are happy, and they are from really old pureblood families."
"You think he's involved?"
"I don't know," Feferi said sadly, before cheering up again. She bounced over to Jade, pulling the girl away from Dave and going into a burst of conversation. I glanced at Eridan one last time, and then back at Feferi. She looked legitimately happy, but I didn't know if it was all just an act. I was worried for her, and for AA, and I couldn't help but hate myself for not being able to help either of them.
But that was enough unhappiness. I laughed and talked and celebrated with my friends long into the night, and went to bed content.
There were no more raids through all of April and May, and classes went back to normal. We went home for a week for Easter break- a lot of people stayed at Hogwarts but I needed to be sure my Mum was okay. When break was over, the teachers seemed to have decided that this was the perfect time to assign as much homework as possible, and I barely had a minute of free-time, between completing all of it, going out on brooms with Kanaya, Terezi, and Jade, and studying for the exams. Though these tests were more than a month away, Rose had decided we needed to start studying near the middle of May.
I spent as much time as possible with Feferi, as I wanted to reassure myself that she was okay. She always seemed happy, and I never saw her break down like she had that one day in the worst time of the year. I was afraid though, afraid of what would happen when the raids started up again.
One May day, I just couldn't study anymore, and I went outside to find Feferi sitting with Nepeta, Eridan and Equius. They weren't studying, so I invited myself over to join them.
"Hey FF," I called as I walked over. She turned to look up at me, smiling.
"Sollux! It's fin-tastic to sea you!" I sat down against the tree, right next to her. "I thought you would still be inside, studying."
"He purr-obably needed a break," Nepeta offered knowingly. I'd forgotten before I came over here that I was sitting with three people who seemed to do nothing but think up ways to make the best sea, cat, and horse puns.
"It's driving me insane! All anyone ever does is study, nowadays." I complained.
"We don't!" Nepeta said. "Well, we do, but not all the time."
"In fact, we should probably go study right now," Eridan said abruptly, standing up. Feferi shot me an apologetic glance, but followed him. She was then followed by Equius and Nepeta. I watched them thoughtfully. I didn't know much about Eridan Ampora, but that he was an elitist pureblood who was cruel to anyone he deemed lower than himself. I didn't know how Feferi could stand him. I shrugged to myself, and headed back inside. I should study too, no matter how much I hated it.
May meandered on, and everything was wonderful again, but there were still storm clouds in my brain. One of them was Feferi, but I had no idea if she was okay again, and wouldn't unless she confided in me. The other was Aradia. She had become entirely quiet and apathetic, never wanting to do anything. She faked smiles and pretended to be interested, but I hadn't heard her give a definite opinion since her parents died. Rose, Kanaya and Terezi had noticed too, but everyone else seemed to think she was fine. Were they blind?
Obviously not, because Terezi was, and she'd noticed it pretty quickly. I'd tried talking to her once or twice, but she was harsh, sarcastic, and had entirely mastered the art of evasion. It was driving me insane. She also didn't seem to be sleeping. She was doing fine in all her classes, but said things at weird times that didn't make sense, or looked for a long time towards absolutely nothing.
Despite the improvements, school wasn't what it had been back in February, and I didn't know if it would ever be the same. In Defense Against the Dark Arts, we had many more practical lessons, and everything we were taught that wouldn't be on the exams was focused on protecting ourselves and others. On the bright side, the entire school seemed to be united-there was much less rivalry between the houses, and the only occasional fights were sprung by some of the more elitist purebloods.
I stumbled upon one such fight in the hallway one day in late May. I was alone, hurrying to Transfiguration, nearly late. The hallways were mostly empty, because everyone was in classes, but I heard raised voices down the hallway. I turned, curiously, to find fifth year Slytherin Caliborn Umbra with two other older Slytherins cornering Jade and Aradia. "Shit," i whispered under my breath.
"...don't belong in this school," I heard Umbra sneer as I jogged closer. They hadn't seen me yet, not that I had any idea what we were going to do. Perhaps the smart thing would be to get a teacher, but the Slytherins might turn to hexes, and I couldn't have that. "Your blood is sullying the name of Hogwarts, and it's time you were taught a lesson." Jade looked petrified, and Aradia...Aradia looked disinterested.
"Hey, asshole," I called as I approached. Umbra spun around, and his sneer deepened.
"Oh look, it'th another little mudblood. Goeth to show, thcum thtickth together." He mocked my lisp as he spoke. I forgot all magic as I approached him, pulled my fist back, and punched him in the face. Jade stared at me in shock.
"Run!" I said, and we were dashing down the hallway, away from the Slytherins. We made it maybe ten feet.
"Locomotor Mortis," someone cast behind me, and Jade stumbled and fell, her legs locked together, unable to move. I stopped, not willing to leave her alone, but I told Aradia to keep going, to get a teacher, to do something.
I was left with Jade, facing three older students, racking my brain for a spell. "Flipendo," I cried, and the three of them were thrown backwards. It was a moment's respite, and I used it to free Jade's legs. "Finite Incantum," I said. My hands were shaking, but Jade could stand again, and she pulled out her wand. We got off a few good spells, but these were fifth years, and eventually Jade was unconscious and my nose was bleeding heavily.
"50 points from Slytherin," an angry voice cried from behind me. The barrage of spells stopped, but I couldn't bring myself to look behind. "Such a display of wand work is irresponsible and uncalled for. I expect to see all three of you in detention until the end of the year. Now go!" I recognized the voice as Professor Redglare.
"Terezi, Kanaya, and Equius, please escort your classmates to the nurse. Everyone else, back to class immediately!" Kanaya's worried face bending over me was the last thing I saw before I blacked out.
I woke up in the hospital wing, disoriented and dizzy. Madame Mendicant bustled over as I sat up. "Disgraceful," she muttered. "Those fifth year boys, ganging up on you." I pushed her away, not wanting the attention and just hoping that Jade and Aradia were fine.
"I'm fine," I said irritably, relaxing as I noticed both Jade and Aradia sitting up. Jade was talking away with Terezi and Karkat, as Aradia looked on silently. Jade flashed me a grin.
"Sollux!" she said happily. "Thank you so much for helping me! I bet it would be so much worse if you hadn't been there." I looked down a bit self-conscious.
"Madame Mendicant sent Rose, Kanaya and Tavros away because she said the five of us together were being too loud" Terezi told me.
"And she let KK stay?" I asked, not paying full attention as I pulled myself into a new position, wincing a little at the bruises. Terezi cackled, and Karkat began to protest, proving my point. Aradia was looking at me a little strangely.
"Are you alright?" she asked, and I stiffened, sure that was the first sentence she'd said to me willingly in weeks.
"Why would you care?" The sentence came out harsher than I meant it, and Aradia looked down.
"I-" She was cut off as the hospital doors flew open, and Dave Strider practically ran in, followed by a panting John.
"Strider, what the fuck-" Karkat began, but Dave interrupted him, looking only at Jade.
"Are you okay?" he asked, and I exchanged a look with Karkat.
"I'm fine," Jade said, voice already irritated. "Or at least I was until you walked in." Terezi laughed. Dave sighed.
"Look, Harley, I-" He was cut short my Madame Mendicant striding out of her office.
"How dare you burst in here like this?" Her voice was a fearsome screech, and I understood how people could be afraid of this tiny woman. "My patients were resting, and their well-being is sacred, as is the trust between the nurse and the recipients of her care. I have made a solemn pledge to deliver these students from this wing as soon as possible so that they can get back to class, without any form of interference. Their well-being is sacred. Their well-being is life. Their well-being is the one thing that keeps many of these students from dying before they leave the Headmaster's care for the last time, and as a nurse, I am a follower of Doc Scratch in this righteous crusade. Nurses are the defenders of the light of life, free health-care, and safe mental stability. They are the bold carers for the weak and injured, the angels before death that whisper a message as they work, a message to their patients that says, "there is hope yet."
Safety. Happiness. Justice. Civility. Education.
LIFE."
We all stared at the nurse in shock, and then Dave Strider, who was never at a loss for words, slowly backed out of the hospital wing. Karkat and Terezi stayed for a little while longer, and then left. After what I had witnessed, I didn't dare try to convince the nurse I didn't need to stay the night. I just took my pills there, ignoring the looks I got from Jade and Aradia and then rolled over under the thin blanket, ignored my bruises and tried to sleep.
The next morning, I woke up to find Caliborn Umbra in the hospital wing, looking for all the world like a victim of some sort of prank. Jade didn't even have the energy to be dismayed, and she was laughing as we exited the Hospital Wing.
Kanaya, Rose, and Terezi met me at the Ravenclaw table for breakfast that morning.
"Vriska was the one who did that to Caliborn," Kanaya informed me, clearly surprised. I saw Rose look down at the mention of her name. Terezi looked more shocked than the rest of us at the news. I couldn't blame her. From what I knew of Vriska Serket, I was shocked too.
"Why?" Terezi asked. Kanaya shrugged.
"Well good for her," I said decisively. "Somebody needed to get that asshole back." My three friends nodded in agreement, but as I watched the various expressions on their faces, I couldn't help but wonder what Vriska had done to all of them.
Kanaya, her best friend, who couldn't see anything bad with Vriska no matter what anyone else said. Rose, whose face closed off whenever Vriska's name was mentioned, but didn't seem to know the spider girl all that well. And Terezi, whose mysterious past with the girl, and with Tavros, and...Aradia...made me more and more curious every day. I had a feeling that none of it was ever going to end well.
Dave:
The moment I heard Jade was hurt, I raced to the hospital wing to see her. Of course, she wasn't to happy to see me, but I was glad to know she was okay. I was not.
The way she looked at me was beginning to hurt. Rose coached me on how to be less of an asshole, but she frequently commented about the amount of work she had cut out for her, and after the shit with SBURB, we just stopped. We all got closer when that happened. Aradia's mom died. I couldn't have felt worse.
But the semester was back in swing, and so was my pursuance of Jade. I never quit. I just wanted to be her friend, or I thought that for a long time. But when she got hurt, and I was forced to leave, I knew I was lying to myself.
I consulted Rose on the topic. She didn't even look up from her book.
"David, it was so obvious that you were pursuing Jade in a romantic way from the very moment you first said hello. If you're realizing this just now, I must question your intelligence, or for that matter, your sanity."
"Well what about you, with Kanaya, huh? What's your deal?" I asked, worked up and a little offended. She didn't even look at me.
"What." she asked, her voice quavering but deadly calm.
"Well..." I tried to save myself. "Nothing, nevermind."
"Right answer." she replied. Her voice shook and I couldn't see her face.
The conversation was significantly more charged after that.
I didn't even think about asking John for advice. He already had this weird thing with Vriska. I didn't need his fucked up shitty advice.
June hit, and I was suddenly panicked to do work. I hadn't studied nearly enough during the year, and now I was swamped. I often hid away in the library away from Jade to do my work. I couldn't risk asking Rose for help, because she was with Jade. Consulting anyone else? Forget it.
I felt lonely. Everyone hated me but John, Rose, and Aradia, and I could feel her apathy like the eyes of Lil Cal on my back.
Days were long, and night were long. Books were my constant companion, and my shades could barely cover up my dark circles anymore.
The exams were long and boring. We spent hours sitting in the great hall in rows of desks, hunched over bits of parchment. I hoped I did well, because I did a lot of fucking work towards the end.
My favorite exam was for Defense Against the Dark Arts. It was a sort of obstacle course, with different hexes to put on dummies and little crawlspaces with animals. i had a great time, although I got a Pixie bite, so I had to go the hospital wing. Apparently, I am allergic to that bullshit. My arm was swelling up like a puppet ass, all jutting out and stuff.
After I left the hospital wing, I met up with Rose. She was reading once again in the library. I wondered what she could be doing in there, with exams over. I pondered, and then approached her.
"Hey, what are you doing in here? Exams are over." I said gently. She seemed to be at the end of her line of late.
"Just a little light reading." she replied, hefting the enormous volume.
"Grimoire for Summoning the Zoologically Dubious." I read aloud. She nodded.
"It's very good." she said, putting the book down. "What are you doing."
"Getting my Pixie Bite disinfected." I said, showing her the bright green bite on my hand. "It'll look that way for a while."
"Well, that's unfortunate." she said, amused.
"Everyone else is outside. I was just going out myself." I said. She looked down.
"David, I fear the worse. I have an irrational hatred." she said, her face burning.
"Vriska?" I asked. She nodded tightly.
"I don't know why, I mean, she did prank Caliborn, and she's Kanaya's friend, but-"
"Have you ever thought about that?" I asked. She looked at me.
"What?" she said.
"Maybe... maybe that's the problem. Maybe its because of Kanaya." I said nervously. She looked down again.
"Maybe. Anyways, I think I'll stay in here for a little. See you at dinner."
"See you." I said awkwardly. I went out onto the lawn and talked with John and Terezi. She was cool, when she wasn't telling on me 'in the name of justice'.
We went to dinner. It was just three days before the end of the year feast, and I was excited to see who won the house cup.
That night, I lay in bed, staring at the ceiling. How could the year be almost over? It felt like not too long ago that I was getting on the train and watching my bro disappear into the fog.
Then again, the year was way too long.
I heard John snoring next to me. The little asshole was always keeping me up.
The day before we left was the day of the feast. I filed into the cafeteria nervously, waiting for the announcement to come. Even Jade wasn't flipping her shit at me. Doc Scratch stood at the front with his arms behind his back and looked at the crowd with an annoyingly superior look on his face.
"Welcome to the feast!" said Doc Scratch. Everyone fell quiet. "I won't ramble, we have food waiting for us. I just thought I'd announce the winner of the house cup. The winner is... RAVENCLAW!" The blue table exploded. Everyone danced and threw their hats into the air. I clapped loudly for my friends there. Rose was smiling, and she and Kanaya were hugging. Terezi was jumping up and down, screaming, "IT TASTES LIKE VICTORY." Even Sollux was laughing and clapping with his friends.
Once they were quieted down, Doc Scratch stood at the front again.
"Let the feast begin!" John, Jade and I laughed and talked. I was being as civil as possible, and Jade wasn't angry at me for once, so all was well. I smiled warmly at her as we filed into the common room. She flashed me a grin, and that was the last time for a long time that we weren't yelling at each other.
The train ride home was boring. I couldn't wait to see my bro, but at the same time, Hogwarts would be missed. I sat with John, Rose and Jade again. She seemed distant, and Rose looked like she'd rather be sitting somewhere else.
I greeted Bro at platform 9 3/4. He looked at me smugly.
"How was your term, Dave?" he asked at we walked toward the car.
"It was... the best year of my life." I responded, and we got into the car and left the station in the dust.