Author's Note: Sorry for the wait, but I was visiting my grandparents for
the week and I had no computer or internet access, therefore no fanfic
updates. Hopefully my last few entries have given you a lot to think about,
and thanks to those who are still with me! While I remember, this entry
gets a BIG FAT "R" RATING! So if you're under fifteen, go home :-).
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Entry Thirteen: Penelope wants a Conversation too
Natalia finds her already-limited Dear Abby skills sorely taxed.
4:32 AM, October 7th
Woo hoo! Am still in very, very good mood from last weekend. Sleep, I hear you ask? I don't need sleep. Besides, beds are better used for other things. Or closets. Or bushes...
Besides, have to get up in hour anyway for six o'clock Quidditch practice (hasn't Roger read revolutionary new data on how teenagers' body clocks are switched so that ideally they sleep and get up late? Apparently not). When getting dressed will be sure to slam drawers very loudly so as to wake Clearhead. Cow kept me up for past three nights with incessant blubbering, well, didn't exactly but would have had I, uh, been in, but it's the thought that counts anyway.
Roger has been in royal bloody snitch these past few days and must show up early to stay on good side (no, not his rather lush backside - ooh, where did that come from?), since am falling behind in Transfiguration and he is top student.
5:41 AM
Ambled downstairs in uniform. Common room deserted, except for Luc, who is very much, um, there, and wearing white Quidditch pants that tantalisingly *grip* *his* *thighs*...
So it appears that despite best intentions, will be late to practice once again.
6:18 AM
Roger harpooned us with sharp look as we both jogged onto the field, panting and breathless. "Well, this is interesting," he drawled. "Adani and Delacourt, late yet again. Together. Quelle coincidence? Je ne pense pas." Luc shrugged and blushed, grinning sheepishly. "Very well," Roger continued. "After practice you two can round up the Bludgers. The Snitch too, if Cho hasn't caught it yet. And take care not to be late to your first classes." With that he strode off.
Was hoping Cho would take forever with Snitch so would have longer to spend with Luc, but she caught it after only half an hour. Okay, so "now" she catches it. Where's a crap Seeker when we need one?
Will have to be quickie then...
8:25 AM
Midday through breakfast Adrian and Warrington rose from Slytherin table and with co-ordinating smirks walked over to where I was sitting, then plopped down opposite me and propped their chins on their heads, also in synch. Should really do synchronised swimming together, Adrian would really take to pink flowered cap. "Spill," he ordered.
Uh-oh.
"You mean this jug of milk all over your smug mug?" I joked, deliberately playing dumb since Luc only a few seats down.
"Oh, come off, Adani," Warrington said, rolling brown eyes heavenwards. If you believe in that sort of thing, that is. Which I didn't until Saturday night. "Don't tell me I was out in that blistering bloody Northerly for two hours and had the rather traumatic sight of Hagrid standing there in boxers when I knocked on his door to ask if you were there, for nothing?"
"Why would I be in Hagrid's hut?" I asked.
"Well, you did once say that you liked blokes with a bit of hair on them," Adrian shrugged. Warrington chuckled.
"That doesn't extend to the woolly mammoth, you moron," I hissed. "Now could you two please stuff off, I'm trying to eat my breakfast."
"Not until we get one thing straight," Adrian said, eyes glinting dangerously.
"You see," Warrington took the floor, "in Slytherin we call, well, what you've been doing all weekend, a "drag-on." And we have a saying that if it's three drag-ons, it's a relationship. So, what we want to know is, in Slytherin terms, is it a relationship for you and Lucy yet?"
I glanced down the table. Luc was engrossed in conversation with Malcolm Brocklehurst about Bludger avoidance strategies. "If I answer, will you two leave me alone?" I muttered.
Both nodded eagerly.
"Alright then," I scowled. "It is."
The pair of them whooped and high-fived each other. "I knew it!" Warrington cried. "But you still owe me five sickles, she didn't get any within the first month she was at Hogwarts."
"You made a bet on whether or not I would-" I spluttered.
"Who would have thought those odds would screw me over?" Adrian mused, reaching into his cloak pocket.
Now Luc was looking down the table at us. Could feel my face burning red. "Look," I hissed. "I answered your question. Now clear off and let me finish my eggs."
"Seems like Delacourts been doing enough of that," Warrington whispered, smirking, then scooted off bench and jogged back to Slytherin table before my foot had chance to respond.
"That one knows far too much for a fourteen year old," Adrian said, shaking his head solemnly. "Er, Adani, next time, well, you know-"
"Yes?" I prompted, my jaw clenched lethally.
"Can I watch?"
Slytherin pure-blood and impure-minded resident gay spunk then found himself being pursued out of Great hall while yelling, "But I wouldn't look at you! You know that, Nat!"
He probably wouldn't have been looking at his Salazar Slytherin for rest of days if had caught him, but fortunately for Adrian and his Hufflepuff, he is very fast runner.
9:53 AM
Jeez, with all this fun and games, haven't had chance to study for Potion exam. Hope Snape is in good mood.
Good mood? Snape?
10:05 AM
Mix unicorn emulsifiers with what to get what? Has he been getting into Doublebore's whoopy-weed again? Doesn't Brycleam-haired bastard realise that we have to sleep sometime? Not that is favourite between-the-sheets activity, but as vision swims and head jerks down towards desktop, have come to realisation that is sadly necessary.
10:26 AM
Must I have those kinds of dreams about Snape? Will ensure that never fall asleep in Potions again.
10:58 AM
Was preparing to storm out of Potions when felt tug on edge of my sleeve. "Natalia," Penelope said from behind me, "a word, please."
Oh great, what have I done now? Perhaps is illegal to have any fun at all in Hogwarts, or (could be inverse of several US states) some luvin' if not gay.
Penelope, meanwhile, was leading me down to nether regions of castle. "Won't we be late for Herbology?" I asked.
"It will be fine," Penelope said. "Professor Sprout won't question us since I'm a Prefect."
"Abusing our position a little, aren't we?" I asked. Expected snappy rejoinder on the importance of prefects to the school, but instead gave me small, sad smile. Since have clearly not done anything wrong as she would have launched into an Iliad-length lecture by now, am at complete loss of what the Hufflepuff she would want to talk to me about.
Had reached neglected hallway when Penelope said, "In here," and pulled me into seldom-used bathroom with half the stall doors falling off hinges. A faint blubbering could be heard from end cubicle.
"It's only Moaning Myrtle," Penelope said, guiding me to stone bench opposite cluster of sinks. "Sit."
Perched apprehensively as far from her as could get, hoping like hell she hasn't picked up on Adrian's habits and wants to screw me. Glance nervously towards her long nails. Penelope a lot skinnier than me, but much better with hexes.
"Natalia," Penelope began, turning towards me with sea-coloured eyes, "you know a lot about sex, don't you?"
Oh shit, oh shit, she's turned! She "is" hitting on me! That's what screwing a Weasley must do to you. Must think of tactful way to get out of this before she hits me with Rictusemprium curse and rips my panties off while I'm indisposed with laughter. And tact not one of my strong points. "Yes, but only with guys," I blurted out nervously.
"Natalia, whatever are you talking about?" Penelope gave me a look, sounding more like old, bossy self. "What else would you have sex with, a Boggart?"
"Nothing. I was just making a joke," I said, very relieved.
"Maybe you were a bad choice to have this conversation with," Penelope said.
"No, no, I'll be serious," I promised her. "What's on your mind?"
"Well," Penelope shifted uncomfortably on the bench, "Percy and I, we've, you know-"
I waited for her to continue.
"During the Quidditch match between us and Slytherin," Penelope confirmed. "We knew with everyone going to watch, the common areas would be practically deserted, so, in the fifth year girls' dorm-"
"Not on my bed, I hope," I cut in.
"No, of course not, on mine!" Penelope snapped, then fell silent. I waited a moment for her to resume. She didn't. "Well?" I encouraged eventually. "How was it?"
"Awful." For a moment Penelope looked like she was about to cry. "Well, "he" certainly seemed to think everything was fine. He's been wheedling to do it again ever since. Except I just felt really sore afterwards, and I wasn't expecting it to hurt so much. So last weekend, we sort of broke things off over it."
"Which is why you were so upset at the Three Broomsticks," I concluded.
Penelope nodded absently. "After that I thought I would feel really good. I mean, I have a lot more free time now, and I should be able to focus on studying for OWLs, but I'm finding it hard to concentrate. I don't want to, you know, do that again, but I really miss him and I just feel rotten, really-" She buried her face in her hands and started to cry.
Oh hell.
"Oh come on, Penny," I begged. "Please, I'm hopeless with tears. You know me." Penelope's sobbing only increased. I shrugged and tore a leaf out of Binns' textbook (Penelope must have torn leaf out of mine, since is shagging guys), and transfigured it into a Kleenex. She sniffed, "Thank you," and blew her nose loudly.
An eardrum-shattering wail broke out, but for once was not coming from Penelope. "Oh, whatever can "she" have to cry about?" A bawling apparition "ghosted" out of the end cubicle. "At least she can have sex. She's still alive. No one can have sex with me BECAUSE I'M DEAD!"
"Oh, put a sock in it, Myrtle, and do something with your hair while you're at it," I said irritably. "But whether you're dead or alive, it makes no difference to your chances of ever scoring. If you ask nicely though, Peeves may be willing."
"Ooh, you're beastly!" Myrtle howled, then disappeared back into her cubicle. There was a loud splash, and her blubbering, now muffled by the pipes, resumed.
"Now then," I began, "let me get this straight. You still want to be with Percy but you don't want to "beee" with him?"
Wet-faced, Penelope nodded.
"So you've got to tell him all this," I said to her. "It's no good talking to me about it if you're not going to have the same conversation with him. When your relationship gets more, uh, intimate, it's more important than ever to be honest with each other."
Penelope sat silently. "It's not that I want us to cool things off, emotionally, at least" she said eventually, "or that I may not ever want to do it again. I just didn't feel ready, and I want to feel ready the next time we do it."
"Well, tell him that, then," I said. "Also, make sure that next time, you're not just ready emotionally, but ready physically, if you know what I mean, and it will hurt a lot less. And remember, if you respect the person and they respect you, it's nothing to be ashamed of. And it doesn't concern anyone except the person you're sleeping with. This is between you and Weasley."
"All nine of them?" Penelope blinked.
"No, just Percy, you daft cow. Although there may be something going on between you and the twins for all I know. You should be careful, though. I hear threesomes aren't all they're cracked up to be."
"You're sick, Adani," Penelope said, but she was smiling. "So I guess that's it, then. I have to talk to him now." Her smile faded.
"If he likes you, he'll wait," I said.
"But he might not," Penelope stalled.
"Well, then you'll know, won't you?"
Penelope sat quietly for a moment, then, a decision apparently reached, rose to her feet. "I'm going to talk to him," she said, "He may not like it, but I have to know. Things can't go on like this. We can't stay in limbo." Her eyes flickered hopefully over to me. "Besides, we were going out for almost five months before we finally did it. That should mean something. I mean, he should understand, shouldn't he?"
"Usually that's a good sign," I said, "but I have no idea what kind of relationship you and Percy have."
"Thanks for listening," Penelope said, catching me up in a hug. I willed myself not to pull away. "I'm so glad we had this talk. So, are we okay now?"
"I guess," I shrugged. "Now get off me before I have to kill you."
Penelope gave me an once-over, then starting laughing. "You have the whole school sold on your tough woman persona, but you're a softy deep down," she giggled. Moaning Myrtle's bawling rose to a fever pitch. "Very deep down," she amended herself.
"We'd better get going if we're going to convince Sprout we have a valid reason for being late," I suggested, gathering up my books. "See you 'round, Myrtle."
"Ooh, she's making fun of my weight again!" Myrtle shrieked, bursting into a fresh bray of tears.
"Again, thank you for this," Penelope said. "I owe you one." Halfway through the door she paused and glanced back at me. "Oh, best wishes to you and Luc Delacourt. When he arrived, with him being so gorgeous, everyone was wondering who he'd end up with, but I'm glad you got him. It's about time those Gryffindor girls stop stealing our men."
So that's why she's resorted to a Weasley, I thought. Outwardly, I said nothing.
"I heard that he kissed you right after you threw up," Penelope was babbling on excitedly. "He must really like you." How does she know that? Oh, Adrian. Little bastard. Really must learn to stop sharing secrets with Slytherins. "So, are we friends now?"
"Don't push it," I muttered, following her out the door.
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Entry Thirteen: Penelope wants a Conversation too
Natalia finds her already-limited Dear Abby skills sorely taxed.
4:32 AM, October 7th
Woo hoo! Am still in very, very good mood from last weekend. Sleep, I hear you ask? I don't need sleep. Besides, beds are better used for other things. Or closets. Or bushes...
Besides, have to get up in hour anyway for six o'clock Quidditch practice (hasn't Roger read revolutionary new data on how teenagers' body clocks are switched so that ideally they sleep and get up late? Apparently not). When getting dressed will be sure to slam drawers very loudly so as to wake Clearhead. Cow kept me up for past three nights with incessant blubbering, well, didn't exactly but would have had I, uh, been in, but it's the thought that counts anyway.
Roger has been in royal bloody snitch these past few days and must show up early to stay on good side (no, not his rather lush backside - ooh, where did that come from?), since am falling behind in Transfiguration and he is top student.
5:41 AM
Ambled downstairs in uniform. Common room deserted, except for Luc, who is very much, um, there, and wearing white Quidditch pants that tantalisingly *grip* *his* *thighs*...
So it appears that despite best intentions, will be late to practice once again.
6:18 AM
Roger harpooned us with sharp look as we both jogged onto the field, panting and breathless. "Well, this is interesting," he drawled. "Adani and Delacourt, late yet again. Together. Quelle coincidence? Je ne pense pas." Luc shrugged and blushed, grinning sheepishly. "Very well," Roger continued. "After practice you two can round up the Bludgers. The Snitch too, if Cho hasn't caught it yet. And take care not to be late to your first classes." With that he strode off.
Was hoping Cho would take forever with Snitch so would have longer to spend with Luc, but she caught it after only half an hour. Okay, so "now" she catches it. Where's a crap Seeker when we need one?
Will have to be quickie then...
8:25 AM
Midday through breakfast Adrian and Warrington rose from Slytherin table and with co-ordinating smirks walked over to where I was sitting, then plopped down opposite me and propped their chins on their heads, also in synch. Should really do synchronised swimming together, Adrian would really take to pink flowered cap. "Spill," he ordered.
Uh-oh.
"You mean this jug of milk all over your smug mug?" I joked, deliberately playing dumb since Luc only a few seats down.
"Oh, come off, Adani," Warrington said, rolling brown eyes heavenwards. If you believe in that sort of thing, that is. Which I didn't until Saturday night. "Don't tell me I was out in that blistering bloody Northerly for two hours and had the rather traumatic sight of Hagrid standing there in boxers when I knocked on his door to ask if you were there, for nothing?"
"Why would I be in Hagrid's hut?" I asked.
"Well, you did once say that you liked blokes with a bit of hair on them," Adrian shrugged. Warrington chuckled.
"That doesn't extend to the woolly mammoth, you moron," I hissed. "Now could you two please stuff off, I'm trying to eat my breakfast."
"Not until we get one thing straight," Adrian said, eyes glinting dangerously.
"You see," Warrington took the floor, "in Slytherin we call, well, what you've been doing all weekend, a "drag-on." And we have a saying that if it's three drag-ons, it's a relationship. So, what we want to know is, in Slytherin terms, is it a relationship for you and Lucy yet?"
I glanced down the table. Luc was engrossed in conversation with Malcolm Brocklehurst about Bludger avoidance strategies. "If I answer, will you two leave me alone?" I muttered.
Both nodded eagerly.
"Alright then," I scowled. "It is."
The pair of them whooped and high-fived each other. "I knew it!" Warrington cried. "But you still owe me five sickles, she didn't get any within the first month she was at Hogwarts."
"You made a bet on whether or not I would-" I spluttered.
"Who would have thought those odds would screw me over?" Adrian mused, reaching into his cloak pocket.
Now Luc was looking down the table at us. Could feel my face burning red. "Look," I hissed. "I answered your question. Now clear off and let me finish my eggs."
"Seems like Delacourts been doing enough of that," Warrington whispered, smirking, then scooted off bench and jogged back to Slytherin table before my foot had chance to respond.
"That one knows far too much for a fourteen year old," Adrian said, shaking his head solemnly. "Er, Adani, next time, well, you know-"
"Yes?" I prompted, my jaw clenched lethally.
"Can I watch?"
Slytherin pure-blood and impure-minded resident gay spunk then found himself being pursued out of Great hall while yelling, "But I wouldn't look at you! You know that, Nat!"
He probably wouldn't have been looking at his Salazar Slytherin for rest of days if had caught him, but fortunately for Adrian and his Hufflepuff, he is very fast runner.
9:53 AM
Jeez, with all this fun and games, haven't had chance to study for Potion exam. Hope Snape is in good mood.
Good mood? Snape?
10:05 AM
Mix unicorn emulsifiers with what to get what? Has he been getting into Doublebore's whoopy-weed again? Doesn't Brycleam-haired bastard realise that we have to sleep sometime? Not that is favourite between-the-sheets activity, but as vision swims and head jerks down towards desktop, have come to realisation that is sadly necessary.
10:26 AM
Must I have those kinds of dreams about Snape? Will ensure that never fall asleep in Potions again.
10:58 AM
Was preparing to storm out of Potions when felt tug on edge of my sleeve. "Natalia," Penelope said from behind me, "a word, please."
Oh great, what have I done now? Perhaps is illegal to have any fun at all in Hogwarts, or (could be inverse of several US states) some luvin' if not gay.
Penelope, meanwhile, was leading me down to nether regions of castle. "Won't we be late for Herbology?" I asked.
"It will be fine," Penelope said. "Professor Sprout won't question us since I'm a Prefect."
"Abusing our position a little, aren't we?" I asked. Expected snappy rejoinder on the importance of prefects to the school, but instead gave me small, sad smile. Since have clearly not done anything wrong as she would have launched into an Iliad-length lecture by now, am at complete loss of what the Hufflepuff she would want to talk to me about.
Had reached neglected hallway when Penelope said, "In here," and pulled me into seldom-used bathroom with half the stall doors falling off hinges. A faint blubbering could be heard from end cubicle.
"It's only Moaning Myrtle," Penelope said, guiding me to stone bench opposite cluster of sinks. "Sit."
Perched apprehensively as far from her as could get, hoping like hell she hasn't picked up on Adrian's habits and wants to screw me. Glance nervously towards her long nails. Penelope a lot skinnier than me, but much better with hexes.
"Natalia," Penelope began, turning towards me with sea-coloured eyes, "you know a lot about sex, don't you?"
Oh shit, oh shit, she's turned! She "is" hitting on me! That's what screwing a Weasley must do to you. Must think of tactful way to get out of this before she hits me with Rictusemprium curse and rips my panties off while I'm indisposed with laughter. And tact not one of my strong points. "Yes, but only with guys," I blurted out nervously.
"Natalia, whatever are you talking about?" Penelope gave me a look, sounding more like old, bossy self. "What else would you have sex with, a Boggart?"
"Nothing. I was just making a joke," I said, very relieved.
"Maybe you were a bad choice to have this conversation with," Penelope said.
"No, no, I'll be serious," I promised her. "What's on your mind?"
"Well," Penelope shifted uncomfortably on the bench, "Percy and I, we've, you know-"
I waited for her to continue.
"During the Quidditch match between us and Slytherin," Penelope confirmed. "We knew with everyone going to watch, the common areas would be practically deserted, so, in the fifth year girls' dorm-"
"Not on my bed, I hope," I cut in.
"No, of course not, on mine!" Penelope snapped, then fell silent. I waited a moment for her to resume. She didn't. "Well?" I encouraged eventually. "How was it?"
"Awful." For a moment Penelope looked like she was about to cry. "Well, "he" certainly seemed to think everything was fine. He's been wheedling to do it again ever since. Except I just felt really sore afterwards, and I wasn't expecting it to hurt so much. So last weekend, we sort of broke things off over it."
"Which is why you were so upset at the Three Broomsticks," I concluded.
Penelope nodded absently. "After that I thought I would feel really good. I mean, I have a lot more free time now, and I should be able to focus on studying for OWLs, but I'm finding it hard to concentrate. I don't want to, you know, do that again, but I really miss him and I just feel rotten, really-" She buried her face in her hands and started to cry.
Oh hell.
"Oh come on, Penny," I begged. "Please, I'm hopeless with tears. You know me." Penelope's sobbing only increased. I shrugged and tore a leaf out of Binns' textbook (Penelope must have torn leaf out of mine, since is shagging guys), and transfigured it into a Kleenex. She sniffed, "Thank you," and blew her nose loudly.
An eardrum-shattering wail broke out, but for once was not coming from Penelope. "Oh, whatever can "she" have to cry about?" A bawling apparition "ghosted" out of the end cubicle. "At least she can have sex. She's still alive. No one can have sex with me BECAUSE I'M DEAD!"
"Oh, put a sock in it, Myrtle, and do something with your hair while you're at it," I said irritably. "But whether you're dead or alive, it makes no difference to your chances of ever scoring. If you ask nicely though, Peeves may be willing."
"Ooh, you're beastly!" Myrtle howled, then disappeared back into her cubicle. There was a loud splash, and her blubbering, now muffled by the pipes, resumed.
"Now then," I began, "let me get this straight. You still want to be with Percy but you don't want to "beee" with him?"
Wet-faced, Penelope nodded.
"So you've got to tell him all this," I said to her. "It's no good talking to me about it if you're not going to have the same conversation with him. When your relationship gets more, uh, intimate, it's more important than ever to be honest with each other."
Penelope sat silently. "It's not that I want us to cool things off, emotionally, at least" she said eventually, "or that I may not ever want to do it again. I just didn't feel ready, and I want to feel ready the next time we do it."
"Well, tell him that, then," I said. "Also, make sure that next time, you're not just ready emotionally, but ready physically, if you know what I mean, and it will hurt a lot less. And remember, if you respect the person and they respect you, it's nothing to be ashamed of. And it doesn't concern anyone except the person you're sleeping with. This is between you and Weasley."
"All nine of them?" Penelope blinked.
"No, just Percy, you daft cow. Although there may be something going on between you and the twins for all I know. You should be careful, though. I hear threesomes aren't all they're cracked up to be."
"You're sick, Adani," Penelope said, but she was smiling. "So I guess that's it, then. I have to talk to him now." Her smile faded.
"If he likes you, he'll wait," I said.
"But he might not," Penelope stalled.
"Well, then you'll know, won't you?"
Penelope sat quietly for a moment, then, a decision apparently reached, rose to her feet. "I'm going to talk to him," she said, "He may not like it, but I have to know. Things can't go on like this. We can't stay in limbo." Her eyes flickered hopefully over to me. "Besides, we were going out for almost five months before we finally did it. That should mean something. I mean, he should understand, shouldn't he?"
"Usually that's a good sign," I said, "but I have no idea what kind of relationship you and Percy have."
"Thanks for listening," Penelope said, catching me up in a hug. I willed myself not to pull away. "I'm so glad we had this talk. So, are we okay now?"
"I guess," I shrugged. "Now get off me before I have to kill you."
Penelope gave me an once-over, then starting laughing. "You have the whole school sold on your tough woman persona, but you're a softy deep down," she giggled. Moaning Myrtle's bawling rose to a fever pitch. "Very deep down," she amended herself.
"We'd better get going if we're going to convince Sprout we have a valid reason for being late," I suggested, gathering up my books. "See you 'round, Myrtle."
"Ooh, she's making fun of my weight again!" Myrtle shrieked, bursting into a fresh bray of tears.
"Again, thank you for this," Penelope said. "I owe you one." Halfway through the door she paused and glanced back at me. "Oh, best wishes to you and Luc Delacourt. When he arrived, with him being so gorgeous, everyone was wondering who he'd end up with, but I'm glad you got him. It's about time those Gryffindor girls stop stealing our men."
So that's why she's resorted to a Weasley, I thought. Outwardly, I said nothing.
"I heard that he kissed you right after you threw up," Penelope was babbling on excitedly. "He must really like you." How does she know that? Oh, Adrian. Little bastard. Really must learn to stop sharing secrets with Slytherins. "So, are we friends now?"
"Don't push it," I muttered, following her out the door.