"A look, a laugh, a smile, a second passes by and I regret it." - The Tension and The Terror by Straylight Run
Present...
Lex woke up earlier than her cousin, no surprise there. She rolled her eyes when she looked at Carmilla who was sprawled on her bed, her blanket barely covering her. Lex immediately got up and began to change into her Quidditch uniform but without her Keeper gear. She'll just be flying around and at most, passing and catching a quaffle with her cousin. She looked at her cousin again.
(So much for getting up on time.)
Lex shook her head and put her hair up in its usual French braid. She looked under her bed. The package was there, as instructed. She retrieved it before grabbing Carmilla's Quidditch sweater from the latter's trunk. Lex approached her cousin and poked her with one end of the package. Carmilla didn't budge. Lex poked her a few more times and when she still didn't show any signs of waking up, the older girl pulled out her wand. She couldn't exactly throw the curtains open the way she usually did at their mansion (they valued their privacy; that and because the Slytherin dorms are located under the lake) so a spell will have to do.
"Lumos Solem." A bright light burst from the tip of her wand and hit Carmilla's face.
Carmilla's eyes snapped open and she fell off her bed. She groaned and covered her face. Lex quelled the urge to smile.
"What do you want?" Carmilla grumbled.
Lex couldn't help but chuckle at that. "We need to warm-up, cus. You're my vice-captain this year. Can't afford to look weak in front of the fresh meat." She threw Carmilla her Quidditch sweater. "Get dressed. Your pants are still in your trunk."
Lex patiently waited for Carmilla to finish changing before tossing the package to her. Carmilla caught it with ease and looked at her cousin curiously.
"The fuck is this?" She asked.
Lex rolled her eyes. "It's a chair," she deadpanned. Her cousin glared at her sarcastic comment. "I'm pretty sure the shape makes it obvious."
Carmilla said nothing and ripped it open. Her jaw dropped. "A Firebolt? Lex, how much did you spend on this?"
"Relax, Carm. We're loaded, in case you forgot." Lex's tone was dismissive but she knew what Carmilla was really trying to say. She didn't have to get her a new broom but after Mother forced her to make a really shitty decision which forced Carmilla to make an even shittier one, she felt like she had to make up for her broken heart… Somehow.
Lex could see her cousin struggling to speak. "Don't bother. Just help me defend our title."
Carmilla nodded and got up, following her cousin out of the dorm.
==xx==
The Voice of Hogwarts
Quidditch Season Starts Again
By Andrew Thomas
Quidditch is arguably the most anticipated event in Hogwarts. The houses practice through different weather conditions. Alumni of the School of Witchcraft and Wizardry would visit just to watch the games. The Hogwarts Quidditch Bazaar, which was started and funded by Hogwarts Alumnae Ginevra Weasley-Potter, is starting to bring out its merchandise.
Fans of the sport are looking forward to seeing Ravenclaw and Slytherin captains, Adam Martin (Chaser) and Alessandra Ivers (Keeper) respectively, duking it out by the goals. Their exchanges, albeit very short, are always action-packed and sometimes lead to high tension between Slytherin and Ravenclaw for weeks. Rumor has it that their rivalry escalated because of to the incident involving Clara Fitzroy, a Ravenclaw chaser. An anonymous source told The Voice that Ivers sent Fitzroy a new broom following the latter's injury at the hands of the Keeper's cousin, William Eisen. Martin, however, was still unwilling to forgive Ivers and led a group of Gryffindor and Ravenclaw students to throw eggs at Ivers during the Slytherin vs Gryffindor match a month later. Ivers refused to comment about the event.
Another mini-spectacle was William Eisen, and Theodore Straka trying to "out-beat" each other. Eisen and Straka currently hold the beater record: tied with an average of 97 successful hits per season. However, after the incident with Fitzroy, Ivers suspended Eisen from playing in Slytherin's matches against Gryffindor and Ravenclaw. Despite that, Eisen remains one of the school's favorite players and Ivers received a lot of heat for her decision. Wilson Kirsch, a Gryffindor beater with an average of 95 hits, mentioned in a recent interview that he hopes to bump up his average while Eisen is not playing to which Eisen responded with "I wish him the best of luck." Straka simply said that "[t]hinking about those two is just a waste of my time." Eisen and Kirsch are friendly rivals on and off the ring and are members of the Zeta Omega Mu fraternity which is headed by Straka.
Everyone's making bets on how fast Carmilla Karnstein can catch the snitch this year. During the finals last school year, Slytherin's seeker was seemingly distracted, prompting Ivers to throw a quaffle at her head. Another anonymous source told us that her distraction was most likely due to her recent break-up with Gryffindor's star chaser, Laura Hollis. Karnstein says that she "had a lapse in judgment. It won't happen again" and that she has moved on from the breakup. The cause of the break-up is unknown but it means that the charming seeker is back on the playing field. Hollis has yet to comment on it.
Tryouts start next week. Schedules can be found on the very last page. The positions each house is looking for are as follows:
Gryffindor: 1 Chaser, 1 Keeper (sub), 1 Seeker (sub), 1 Chaser (sub)
Ravenclaw: 1 Seeker, 1 Seeker (sub), 1 Chaser (sub)
Hufflepuff: 2 Chasers, 1 Beater, 2 Chasers (sub), 1 Beater (sub)
Slytherin: 1 Beater (sub), 1 Keeper (sub)
Slytherin vs Hufflepuff will be on the second week of October.
==xx==
Laura felt her face heating up after she read the article.
(I'm going to get Andrew for this. I mean, seriously?! It's only the second day of school!)
Her attention was diverted by Kirsch sitting heavily onto the seat next to her. He was holding another copy of The Voice of Hogwarts which was open to Andrew's article. Unlike Laura, Kirsch had a huge grin on his face.
"I don't know how you guys do it, nerd-hottie. I only gave that statement last night!" He said. He noticed Laura's red face. "Oh, right. It mentioned your- your thing with, uh, Carm-sexy." He shook his head. "Don't worry about it! If anybody harasses you for breaking up with your hot ex, just say the word and the brothers of Zeta Omega Mu will be on you!" He brought a fist up to his chest as a sign of his "Bro Word" or something like that.
Before Laura could comment on how awfully worded his statement was, Danny slid right between them and slapped the back of Kirsch's head, who yelped and glared at the tall girl.
"That sounded so wrong. Please don't say it again or else I'll have to deny our friendship more than I already do," she said. Danny turned her attention to Laura. "But he's right about one thing. Don't worry about it. You know reporters. They love gossip especially if it involves one of their own or a well-known student… Um… No offense."
Laura sighed and waved her hand dismissively. "None taken." She spotted Andrew at the other end of the Gryffindor table. "Excuse me, I need to have a word with our Sports Editor." Before she could get up, hands pushed her back down. "What the-" She looked up and saw LaFontaine looking sternly down at her.
"Hollis, you're a little intense ball of rage right now so you probably shouldn't confront Thomas at this state. You know how dramatic that boy can get," they said.
Laura huffed. "I'm not intense." Danny, Kirsch, and LaF all stared at her. "Okay maybe a little," she conceded. LaF grinned and sat right next to Laura.
"Dude, shouldn't you be at the Hufflepuff table?" Kirsch asked them.
LaF waved him off. "Nobody really cares during breakfast and lunch. Even Head Girl lets it slide," they said.
Danny snorted. "Yeah but Perry doesn't." She waggled her eyebrows at LaF. Laura and Kirsch laughed at the sight of LaF's reddening face.
"You're so screwed," Kirsch said. LaF threw a piece of bread at him.
"No, I'm not! Besides, she's having a word with Ivers. Something about asking why she put two certain people together."
"Who?" Danny asked.
LaF shrugged. "I don't even know how she found out. The schedule Martin handed her only showed her sched and no one else's."
Laura frowned then she looked at her watch. "Oh my God! I'm gonna be late for Potions!" She jumped up and stuffed a few cookies into her mouth and waved goodbye to her friends.
==xx==
Professor Blackwood wasn't around when Laura arrived so technically, she's not late. She scanned the room for an empty seat. Unfortunately for her, the only one happens to be right next to a Ravenclaw boy, and right in front of Carmilla.
(Of course. The universe hates me. I'm sure of it.)
Laura took a deep breath before walking towards the seat.
(Relax Laura. You're just walking towards a seat. You're going to sit down and you're going to avoid Carmilla. Hopefully, you'll be paired with the Ravenclaw boy. He's nicer, I think. I mean, I haven't really talked to him but he's in the same frat as Kirsch so- Oh look! I'm here.)
Laura pulled out the chair and sat on it. She glanced up and momentarily locked eyes with Carmilla before looking away quickly. She could feel Will smirking at her. She felt her face heating up. So yes, she didn't hate Carmilla but she sure as hell hated her annoying jerkface cousin.
Before Laura could do anything about her feelings of hatred (like, let's say, tell him off or yell at him), The Ravenclaw boy next to her, Theo Straka, cleared his throat.
"You're Laura, right?" he said.
Laura jumped up in her seat and turned to face Theo. "Yep! That's me! Laura Hollis. 'Sup?"
She winced internally. (That was so bad.)
"You're as jumpy as Wilson says you are," Theo said. "Too bad that boy can't hit a bludger properly for the life of him. Wonder why The Voice of Hogwarts thinks he's up to par with my skills."
"Oh and you're such a great beater, Straka," Will piped up. Carmilla rolled her eyes and brought out a book.
"Please, Eisen. You got suspended from your team." Theo smirked as Will's face reddened.
"I'm sure Lex is going to lift the suspension." Will glared at Theo who just threw his head back as he laughed.
"Is that what helps you sleep at night?"
Laura noticed Will clench his jaw. He started reaching for his wand and Theo did the same. Laura's eyes widened in panic. She looked at Carmilla hoping that the other girl would do something about it. Unfortunately, her head remained buried in her book.
Before the two boys could start dueling in the middle of the classroom, the door slammed open and Professor Blackwood marched in.
Professor Vlad Blackwood is a tall lanky man with dark hair and large rectangular glasses. He's the current Gryffindor Head of House. Laura was actually quite fond of him because he didn't play favorites. He somehow made Potions (a subject she does terribly in) very interesting.
"Okay class!" He slammed his books onto the table causing everyone to jump up in their seats. Theo and Will immediately stowed their wands away. "Normally, I don't make the whole class brew a potion on the first day but seeing as to how you're all in 6th year now, eh. Why not?"
He lifted the book at the very top of his pile. "I assume you all have updated editions of Advanced Potion Making." People mumbled their consent. "Excellent. Please turn to page 78."
Laura flipped her book to the said page and gulped when she saw the potion name.
"Huh. Draught of Living Death," Theo mumbled.
"Yes! Draught of Living Death! I know, I know," Professor Blackwood said as soon as he heard students groaning. "It's one of the most difficult potions to concoct which is why I'm giving you the entire period to do it."
Laura felt her dread sinking in. She really doubted that she could finish the potion in two hours.
"Oh, I almost forgot. You'll be doing this by pair. I won't be doing much teaching this year since I presume you all have your fundamentals down." His eyes scanned the room. Maybe Laura imagined it but he seemed to linger on her for a bit. "Your partners will only last for this semester. After this, all work will be individual!"
"Professor," a Hufflepuff girl asked. "Will we get to choose our partners?"
Professor Blackwood thought for a moment. "Hmm... How about you partner up with the person right in front of you?"
(Oh hell no!)
Laura looked at Carmilla's direction. The dark-haired girl surprisingly had her textbook open to the potion's page and was studying the text.
"Okay, as soon as you're ready, you may begin!"
==xx==
Five years ago...
"Step forward as I call your name," Professor Blackwood announced. He looked down at the paper in his hands.
"Hollis." Laura stepped forward. Professor Blackwood was pairing Gryffindor and Slytherin students with each other because he wasn't fond of the house rivalry and he was trying to change it. Laura looked around and noticed Carmilla standing right next to a dark-haired boy who Danny pointed out as William Eisen, one of Carmilla's cousins. Carmilla smirked at Laura when they made eye contact and the latter gulped and looked away.
"and Eisen." William immediately started whining. Laura stared at him because, really? He doesn't even know who she is!
"Mr. Eisen, what seems to be the matter?" Professor Blackwood asked.
"She's a mudblood!" William said, throwing his arms up in the air. Blackwood frowned and opened his mouth to (probably) berate him when Carmilla spoke up.
"Will, please. Didn't mother say that such words are unbecoming of a Karnstein? Well, in your case, Eisen but whatever." Will glared at her but kept his mouth shut. "Professor Blackwood, if I may. Just so Will can stop complaining, is it possible for you to pair Hollis up with me instead?"
Blackwood looked down at the paper and scribbled a few things. "I don't see why not. Miss Karnstein, please stand and move to the table over there with Miss Hollis."
The two of them moved to the table Blackwood pointed to. Laura thought that maybe Carmilla wasn't so bad after all...
==xx==
"Carmilla, this is a pair work!" Laura said indignantly to the said girl who was just sitting with her legs propped up on the table.
"Look, cutie, just finish the first part." Laura huffed. If Carmilla wasn't going to help, fine. She'll just tell the professor when she's done and take the full credit.
Several minutes later, Laura was helplessly holding a bunch of mistletoe berries in one hand a Valerian Sprigs in the other. The Forgetfulness potion was supposed to turn green but for some reason it was still blue.
"Last ten minutes!" Professor Blackwood announced. Laura glared at her "partner" whose tie had come loose after she fiddled with it one too many times.
"Carmilla, if you're going to do anything, I suggest you do it now."
Carmilla looked over at the potion and scoffed. "That's easily fixable."
Laura watched in amazement as Carmilla started cutting up a few ingredients and sticking them in their cauldron. Carmilla waved her wand and slowly, the color started to turn green.
"Time's up! Hands in the air!" Everyone dutifully put their hands up. Professor Blackwood approached the cauldron's one by one. When he got to Will and his partner's, the potion blew up. Laura glanced at Carmilla who was holding back a smile. Eventually, Blackwood reached their cauldron. After inspecting it, he looked up and gave the two girls a wide grin.
"Okay! Everyone come closer. This is a perfect potion..." He rattled on about techniques and tips but Laura was no longer paying attention. Carmilla had a smug smile plastered on her face and she began fixing her tie. She caught Laura staring at turned to look at her.
"What's wrong, cutie?" She asked, still smirking.
Laura's eyes widened and she looked away, her face heating up. Carmilla let out an amused chuckle and Laura frowned.
"Ten points to Gryffindor and Slytherin! Excellent job, you two. Class dismissed!" Blackwood said, waving his hands dismissively.
Everyone scrambled to grab their things and started walking out the classroom.
"See you around, Hollis," Carmilla said before catching up to Will who was waiting by the door.
Laura sighed and shook her head before walking out the room herself.
==xx==
Present...
Laura did all the manual labor by herself. Surprise, surprise. Or maybe it should be considering how helpful Carmilla was the previous year. She'd sometimes do the whole potion by herself, pausing once in a while to explain to Laura why she changed some of the instructions which the latter dutifully scribbled into her book.
Then again, given how things ended between them...
Laura sighed. At least Carmilla wasn't as bad as she was back in their first year. This time, she at least had the decency to tell her what to do, albeit while inserting a few insults here and there.
In the table next to them, Will and Theo kept arguing about what to do to their potion. Both of them wanted to add a few modifications but neither of them trusted what the other had in mind. After trying to force so many different ingredients over each other's shoulder, the potion started to bubble violently.
"Aw, shit!" Will said.
"For fuck's sake, Eisen. Do something!" Theo shoved Will's shoulder.
"Me?!" Will shoved him back. "You started this!"
Theo glared at him but before he could answer back, the cauldron started turning red-hot. Then it promptly exploded. Shards flew around the room and one started hurtling straight towards Laura. She froze in terror, eyes widening as it drew nearer.
"Aresto momentum!" Carmilla shouted. Her wand was out and pointing at the shard. It slowed down and stopped a few inches in front of Laura's face before dropping to the floor.
Professor Blackwood rubbed his forehead. "Five points from Ravenclaw and Slytherin for that, Mr. Eisen and Mr. Straka. But ten points to Slytherin for Miss Karnstein's quick actions. Now everyone, back to work! You have ten minutes left!"
Carmilla kept her wand in her skirt pocket. Laura tucked a few stray strands of hair behind her ear.
"Um... Thanks, Carmilla."
"Don't mention it, cutie." Carmilla said.
(So we're back to the nicknames.)
Laura couldn't help but feel a pang in her chest at that thought. It took years for Carmilla to finally call her by her first name and then suddenly, she stops. Laura probably shouldn't have expected so much.
After Professor Blackwood checked their potions (once again, their potion was the best and both their houses received five points each), he said, "Read up on Golpalott's Third Law. We'll discuss it next meeting and you'll apply it in the one after that. If you have any questions or clarifications, you may approach me after school hours. Just ask me for an excuse slip. Class dismissed!"
Carmilla immediately stood up and dragged Will out the door before he could jinx Theo or vice-versa. Laura couldn't help but stare after her.
==xx==
"So how's class?" Lex asked. They were gathered under a tree by the Black Lake. Lex was sitting against the tree, her history textbook open on her lap. Will was skipping rocks and Carmilla was lying on the ground a few feet away from Lex, eating a sandwich. Their robes were hanging on the tree's lowest branch.
Carmilla snorted. "Willy-boy, blew up a cauldron with Straka."
Will rolled his eyes and threw another rock. "Whatever. That was his fault."
Carmilla yawned before inspecting her nails. "Sure it was. Hopefully you had more fun in your elective, whatever it is."
"Alchemy, thank you very much." Will scoffed. "You know, I still don't understand why you opted to go for Muggle Studies instead of Advanced Arithmancy."
Lex raised an eyebrow at that but said nothing. Carmilla shrugged, "Mother dislikes muggles. I want to learn more about them. Maybe her disdain for them has sufficient reasoning."
"Speaking of Mother," Will turned to look at his cousins. "Why aren't the two of you accepting her offer?"
Lex sighed and closed her book. "I just don't trust her."
Will frowned. "What's not to trust? Lex, she took the both of us in after our parents died! She saved us!" The older girl grimaced but said nothing. "And Kitty, she's actually your mother!"
"Don't get too jealous, Mama's Boy," Carmilla drawled. She stuffed the last of her sandwich into her mouth.
Will growled and started to move forward when Lex jumped up and stood in front of him.
"Don't," she said.
Will glared at her before throwing his hands up in the air. He shouldered Lex aside before grabbing his robe from the branch, slinging it over his left shoulder and walking away.
Lex raked her hands through her hair. She slumped back onto the tree and leaned her head back.
Carmilla frowned and leaned back further into the grass, her hands coming to rest atop her stomach. They weren't always like this. Carmilla's just not entirely sure when everything started to change.
==xx==
Five Years Ago...
"Wingardium Leviosa," Carmilla said. The rock she was pointing at rose about a foot above the ground. She flicked her wand and the rock skipped over the lake's dark waters.
"Someone had fun in charms."
Carmilla turned around and grinned. Lex was walking towards her, cradling three books on her right arm.
"It was pretty great until some Ravenclaw kid made his feather explode," Carmilla said.
Lex laughed and stood right next to her cousin before sitting down. "Where's William?" she asked.
"Talking to the Ravenclaw boy." Carmilla levitated another rock and flicked it towards the lake again. "They got into an argument about which Quidditch team was better: the Montrose Magpies or the Ballycastle Bats."
Lex chuckled. "Well we both know who William's rooting for." She rest her hands behind her back. "Uncle Christopher was part of the Montrose Magpies, right?"
Carmilla nodded and sat down beside her cousin, keeping her wand. "Yeah. Shame we never got to see any of his games live."
Silence fell over them. Neither of them wanted to say it but they both wished that they got to know their uncle and the parents that they lost more. They didn't know much about them aside from the stories Adelaide would occasionally tell them.
Someone suddenly hooked his arms around their necks.
"Hope the two of you didn't have that much fun without me!" Will said, laughing as he let go of his cousins' necks and sat down cross-legged in between them.
"We were great until you arrived, Willy-boy," Carmilla mumbled, shoving his leg. Lex smiled and shook her head.
Will grinned. "Sure. You were. Anyway, I definitely owned Straka in that argument." He puffed his chest up, looking very proud of himself.
"I'm sure you did," Carmilla dead-panned.
Will was about to answer back when Lex interrupted him. "Speaking of Quidditch." Lex scooted around to face her cousins. "You had flying class already, right? That was your first period, if I'm not mistaken."
Carmilla nodded. "Yeah. It was great. I was one of the first to get my broom up."
Will scoffed. "I was too!"
"That's why I said one of, you lackwit." Carmilla rolled her eyes.
Lex laughed. "You two should join the Quidditch team next year! I just had my try-outs last night. It's either me or this fifth year girl but bragging aside, I'm pretty sure I had better catches than her."
"Whoa. Since when did you say stuff like that?" Will asked her.
"I've always said those kinds of things, William. You just never pay attention," Lex replied, sticking her tongue out at her cousin.
"That is so not true!" Will said. "Take that back!"
Lex had a smug smile on her face. "Make me."
Will tackled her and Carmilla laughed at them as they went rolling away. Lex was obviously going to win. Will may have the height and weight advantage but Lex definitely knew how to use those against him. She'd never say this out loud but she loved her cousins. She never wanted anything change.
Author's Notes:
Special thanks to my friend, Robin for editing this for me!
I don't have much to say. I know that some students have other newspaper companies, like The Quibbler and The Daily Prophet, deliver their newspapers to the students but I thought that it would be nice for Hogwarts to have a school newspaper and it's a good way for the newspaper kids to have a cameo of some sort.
Oh and about the Hogwarts Quidditch Bazaar, IRDK where that came from haha! I kinda got the idea from the fact that the Universities in my country love selling merch. And look! Cameo from canon HP!verse characters~
Oh, btw. I don't think I can update regularly since school just started. I'll try to update once a week or once every two weeks but no promises. Anyway, thanks for reading!
If you have any other questions, you can contact me via my tumblr, selenade.
