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No matter what Sev thought, Iphi did enjoy being out sitting in the Quidditch stands. The brisk breeze made her cheeks rosy, and the rest of her was kept warm by her layers of clothes and the heat emitted by the crowd of fellow Slytherins. Even though Sev was right with her initial reason for being at the match, Iphi couldn't help but feel the anticipation of the crowd and join in with their cheers and shouts. But as a familiar voice resonated, disembodied, Iphi immediately clamped her yap.
"Afternoon, Ladies and Gentlemen, Witches and Wizards, Slyths and Ravens!" A wild roar burst out as each house was recognized.
Iphi knew the match started already, but she didn't care. She closed her eyes and tried to drone out the vicious calls of her housemates at "bad calls" against their team. She desperately tried to focus on the sound of Lee Jordan's voice. It didn't matter what he was saying. He could have been commentating a Quidditch match, giving a sermon, or quoting Plato for all she cared.
For once, she was truly glad that her friend had no love of sports. If Sev was there, all Iphi would hear would be snide and sarcastic comments about where Iphi's mind was. "Bugger all and blast her," she thought, "at least I can appreciate blokes my own age and that are actually alive."
Before she knew it though, the game was over. "Ravenclaw wins!" Lee announced animatedly. While the other Slytherins hissed and booed, Iphi just jammed her fuzzy earmuffs back on (seeing that hearing was no longer that important) and pushed her way out of the stands.
It was dark by the time everyone made it back to the castle and Iphi entered the Slytherin commons. Disappointed by the game's turn out, everyone pretty much just sauntered off to bed to bitch and mope with their roommates about how unfair Hooch is. Iphi decided to hold a far more pleasant with her roommate, even if Sev couldn't care two licks about how wonderful Lee Jordan was. Upon entering her room, Iphi quickly changed her mind. Severa's conditioned looked as if any pleasant conversation would be very unwise. Sev was sitting on her bed, pretty much as Iphi had left her; 'The Hobbit' was even open in her lap yet. But Iphi doubted that any words on those pages were actually being read. Sev was crying. Her hair was mussed as if frantic fingers combed it through. Her face red and blotchy, nose a bit runny, and wet, red eyes completed the heinous look.
Iphi flung off her scarf, muffs, and coat, and immediately went to her friend's side. "My God, Sev. What is it?" The blonde just sniffed and shook her head. "We're going to talk about this."
"No we're not," Sev demanded, "You're just going to go all 'I told you so' on me."
"Oh, come on, please. I can't have you like this." She put her arms around Sev's shoulders. "Come on, I'll make hot chocolate, get you some more tissue, and we can have a well needed girl-talk."
Before Sev could protest, Iphi hopped up off the bed and went rooting through her trunk. She pulled her head out of it with an "Aha!" and displayed the two packs of chocolate powder and a kettle. Sev watched her from her bed, still sniffing, but being slightly amused by Iphi's efforts. Iphi went into the bathroom, then back out with the kettle filled with water, She set it down on Sev's nightstand, careful not to disturb the Alan Rickman shrine, tapped it with her wand and the kettle began heating up. Iphi then took out two mugs, a white one with the words 'Odi et Amo' written on it in black with black and red hearts printed on it, the other was plastic and shaped to resemble the head of C-3PO. The android one was Sev's.
Everything finally prepared; Iphi handed Sev her steaming mug. "Okay, woman, spill it".
Sev took a sip and sighed. "I don't know if I..."
"Of course you should! Sev, hello, best friend sitting here! You cry, I make Co-Co, we talk. It's the law of the world."
"You're just going to get all 'I-told-so-y' on me."
"Damn it, Sev, tell me or I'll take Mr. Flibble away from you."
"Okay, okay. Well, it has to do with Quirrell."
Iphigenia groaned. "Oh, God, what did you do?"
Sev bit her lip in embarrassment. "Well, I sort of wrote him a love letter..."
"SEV!!"
"I never intended for him to read it! It was just a flight of fancy thing, you know? Well, after you left for the Qudditch match, how'd that go anyway?"
"That's off topic."
"Sorry. Anyway, I realised I no longer had it, and further realised that I must have dropped it during Astronomy. So I crept up to the tower. I didn't think anyone would be up there, let alone *him*."
"Oh, Sevvie." Iphi put her arms around her friend as she began to choke on tears. "I'm guessing it didn't go over very well, did it?"
"No," Sev sobbed. "He'd read it. He was very polite and sweet about everything, very gentlemanly. Oh, I'm not mad at him, I'm mad at myself for being so stupid."
"You're not stupid, Sev, just romantic. Okay, maybe a romantic fool, but you're not stupid."
After a couple seconds of further sniffling on Sev's part, she suddenly broke out into laughter. Startled, but not wholly unused to Sev's abrupt mood changes, Iphi asked, "What is it?"
"Well, at least it wasn't *all* for nothing!" The combined tears and laughter were starting to make her hiccup as she spoke. "Let's just say your suspicions were correct: He is rather cold."
Iphi's eyes were reading to pop out of her skull. "What's that suppose to mean?"
"Let's just say I didn't let him get away without at least a couple snogs!"
"I don't believe you!"
"Well, I would say go ask him, but he would deny it." The tears were drying and Sev's love of teasing Iphi could outweigh her heartbreak.
"You are total, total...a word has yet been invited to describe whatever you are, but you are one, and a total, total one at that. Bloody hell, was that letter the thing you've been scribbling in that precious notebook of yours?"
"What? Oh, no, that's not it."
"What is it then?"
"I told you, it's a surprise. Now shush, and tell me how the game went."
"One, I can't do both. Two, since when were you so interested in the Quidditch matches?"
"Since when were you?" Sev asked with a raised eyebrow.
"I can tell you that if you can tell me *when* you became so interested in Quirrell in the first place."
"Ha! I can tell you that, exactly! Remember the 'recent events' I brought up in Snape's office?"
"Yeah..." Iphi had been wondering what that was all about ever since she mentioned it.
"Well, a few nights ago, I was attacked by a group of boys."
"You what! And you didn't tell me?!" She jumped on her friend's bed and grabbed her by the shoulders. Iphi's concern won out over logic in her next speal. "What happened? Are you okay? Well, of course you're okay. Who did it? Did you know them? Why didn't you tell me? Are you okay?"
"Yes, I'm fine. If you'd be so kind as to release me from your vice grip, I will answer all your questions. No, I don't know who they were. Other Slytherins I'm guessing. Well, they had me cornered in a classroom. It was Quirrell who must have heard my cries. He came and dispersed those monsters. He took me to see Snape. I told them what happened. Then Snape took five points away from me for being up around the castle after hours. Well, I must say it had to have been that night I fell for Quirrell. I mean, wouldn't you feel something for the man who rescues you in your darkest hour? It's a story of chivalry I thought I would never experience!"
"Given your sentiments, I suppose I understand finally that strange attraction to the ghost. Still, you didn't answer the most important question: Why didn't you tell me?!"
"I thought you would overreact!"
"Ah, touché."
"Now," Sev said, sitting up on her knees, "you're turn to tell. Why the sudden interest in Quidditch? As if I couldn't already guess."
Iphi fought hard not to blush. "I can assure you that it has nothing to do with Lee Jordan!"
"Who won?"
"Ravenclaw."
"What is the name of the Ravenclaw seeker who caught the snitch?"
Iphi flummoxed. Did Sev really trap her? "Oh hell, how am I suppose to remember the name of the weasel of the seeker of the other team?" Smooth
"Because I'm sure his or her...is it a boy or a girl? I dunno..." Sev's smile went wicked again. "You should have been able to tell that much if you paid an ounce of attention!"
"Well, I just don't care about that stupid team. So there. I'm tired, I'm going to bed!" She hopped off the bed and began to change out of her clothes and into her night gear. To tell the truth, it wasn't much in the way of clothing. She slept only in her T-shirt that said "Carpe Noctem", and her knickers.
As Iphi bent over to fix her bed up, her yellow panties with a smiley face on the back showed. Sev laughed and began to sing "I see London, I see France, I see-"
"Yes. very mature!"
"You never answered my question, you know."
"I know." She laid down and pull the covers over herself. She blew out the candles and ignored Sev's soft singing of "Lee and Iphi sitting in a tree..." |
