Thank you to everyone who read, reviewed, favourited, and alerted.
I was blown away by all your reviews: anon, shewritesforher, Iammastide, Super Tash, pan, Zulu, Heyya, StayWithMeForTheKids, DS, noneatm, Heironymous Bosch (squared), bec2277, PrescottandLovelessInc, mUfF MuNcHeR, The Flock's Bud, and Amy. You're all ace, you really are.
(Zulu, yes Harry is indeed Jenna's father, hard to believe, I know…but Aunt Petunia and Harry are also related…I like to think that makes it seem slightly less far-fetched? I hope anyway haha)
(Heironymous Bosch, SO many good questions…all in good time ;) )
Emily's perspective. As always, please let me know what you think!
I do not own Skins or Harry Potter, or anything else quite so magical.
Chapter VIII:
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"Ladies." A voice called from behind them freezing both of their movements. "What are we doing? It's well past curfew."
Oh. Emily thought as she turned around. Standing before them was a slim man, his brown hair pulled back into the same tiny ponytail as it was everyday. It was Professor Nodweller. He taught Transfigurations and was quite the prick in Emily's opinion. Ironically he was head of Hufflepuff, the "nice" house. Why did Naomi want to avoid him? She had the highest marks in his class.
"On Patrol, Professor." Naomi smiled at him, rubbing a spot that did not exist off of her shining prefect badge. It was smug and Emily thought mildly mutinous.
"All the way this south?" He continued his polite interrogation his hands folded neatly behind his back.
"Yes. Professor." Naomi answered, as polite. "On our way to the next check point."
"And where might that be?"
"The entrance hall." Naomi informed him.
"And this is the most direct way?" he asked already knowing the answer.
Emily stood silent watching the exchange.
"No Professor, but we just came from the astronomy tower and thought we would swing wide, be thorough."
"Ah, I see." The man clucked. "How about you just keep check point to check point hmm?" It wasn't a question.
"Right…"Naomi stated, "C'mon." she added to Emily turning toward the direction away from Professor Nodweller.
The man cleared his throat. "Ms. Campbell, Ms. Fitch, other way if you please." He instructed, "Down the hall, fourth right and to the stairs should do it."
"Right, sorry Professor." Emily stated turning toward the way he had directed.
"Excuse me Professor," Naomi said putting her arm out to block Emily. For the second time that night Naomi's hand made contact with her midriff. She was acutely aware of the contact. "But we're going this way. Second left down the spiral staircase, two lefts and straight on, should do it." She added mimicking his demeanor.
His smile stiffened.
"About equi-distance if not a bit shorter, wouldn't you say? Professor?" Naomi continued.
"Does that sound correct to you Ms. Fitch?" he asked.
Emily gave Naomi a look, she had no idea, "Umm, Yes Professor." She added meeting Naomi's eyes.
"Lead the way then, Ms. Campbell."
Emily saw Naomi roll her eyes as she turned away from him. Just as Naomi had stated earlier a small spiral staircase emerged on the left a bit down the corridor. The two girls were walking side by side with the Professor a step or two behind.
"So how is it that you know the castle so well Ms. Campbell? They say there aren't nearly enough hours in the day to learn all its ways." Professor Nodweller asked.
Emily eyes darted to Naomi's face, which was confident and collected as usual. She almost felt as if he was insinuating Naomi was one of those students that roamed the halls at night, with him stressing day. Top of the class Naomi, Naomi who always went on about rules and regulations, breaking rules? Emily pictured Naomi sneaking out at night, a small smile edging her lips. Well…Cook was her best mate after all, and she was a Slytherin…not that all Slytherins were bad…but they certainly had a reputation. Suddenly the thought of Naomi being any kind of delinquent didn't seem so far fetched. Emily felt that small smile on her face spread.
"Well, Professor, I don't think anyone could even hope to know all the castle's twists and turns" Naomi addressed him as she led the way down a new corridor a few floors lower than the one they were previously on. Emily couldn't help but feel she was missing something. "But, like in my studies if I am to do something, I give one hundred percent to learning my task. As a prefect I am to do rounds, so," she talked as if she were explaining that two came after one and so forth, "I brushed up on the castle during study hall."
"Study hall is for coursework, as commendable as extracurricular research is." Professor Nodweller stated.
Yeah, Emily was definitely missing something. How had she never noticed in Transfiguration class before she didn't know. Fourth year Gryffindors and Slytherins had had it together last year.
"You are correct Professor," Naomi acquiesced, "but when all coursework is completed, extracurricular studies are encouraged, if I'm not mistaken. And I was indeed beyond caught up." There it was again, that little smile, it was like her politeness, artificially constructed.
"Oh," Emily said surprised after taking in their current surroundings, Naomi had led them down to the entrance hall. "We're here."
Naomi looked at her for the first time since they began their three-person trudge.
"Right, well…" Professor Nodweller said clearly coming up with nothing else, "better stick directly to the checkpoints from here on out shall we?"
"Of course, Professor." Naomi said and Emily was certain if anyone was capable of verbally rolling there eyes it would be Naomi Campbell. "We wouldn't want to keep you any longer. I'm sure you've got other more important things to tend to."
He departed with a "Too right." Finally leaving the two girls to themselves.
"God he is such a fucking prick." Naomi huffed as they walked along the corridor toward the courtyard.
"Was that even one of the checkpoints?" Emily asked. "I didn't know that was one of the checkpoints?"
"Nope." Naomi shrugged with a smirk. "But if he did really know the closest one he'd of probably tried to give us detention for 'wondering the halls at night'—while we're on patrol—for patrolling 'to far away' or some shite like that. Fucking tosser."
"Huh." Emily thought out loud. "I never realized you didn't like him. I always assumed you liked Transfigurations."
"It's one of my favourites." Naomi said surely, "He on the other hand, is a bloody wanker."
Emily snickered. She found it ironic the best in their class hated a professor. In arguably her best subject.
"I know he's a prick…but can he tell that you don't like him or something? He just seemed to be fishing for something." Emily prodded.
"Oh he doesn't like me alright."
"But why? You're top of the class."
"He thinks I'm a know-it-all, a show off." Naomi rolled her eyes for the umpteenth time. "He think's I should be more humble, I mean, I don't shove it in peoples faces that I'm top of the class, but at the same time I'm not going to dumb myself down so I come across more agreeable, you know? I work hard, and I'm not going to apologize"
Naomi blushed a bit at her rant and Emily felt her heart do a little patter. "Yeah." She agreed as the two began walking again.
"Why'd you apologize to him?" Naomi asked after a moment, her brow furrowed a bit. "You'd done nothing wrong."
Emily was quiet a moment. She hadn't expected the question. "I duno, really. Just a habit I guess."
"Having to say you're sorry or apologizing when you've done nothing wrong?"
Emily huffed out a laugh. "Both."
"You shouldn't do that, shouldn't have to do that." Naomi said seriously. "Not when you've done nothing wrong."
"Simplifies things sometimes." Emily shrugged. "Honestly just wanted him to bugger off. Thought maybe if I agreed he'd let us go sooner."
Naomi shook her head again. "It's not your job to simplify things for everyone. If you've done nothing wrong then it's their problem, not yours."
Emily was slightly uncomfortable with the current attention from Naomi focused on herself. She wasn't used to Naomi asking her questions. She felt as if she were being studied. Her flaws to be exposed and cataloged. It made her palms slightly sweaty.
"Yeah well, left to you we'd still be up there with you two in the politest stand off I've ever seen." She tried to jest.
"If it were left to me," Naomi countered, "We'd of never run into him. And had been out of view by the time he'd have come out of that classroom."
"You didn't tell me it was a Professor. I didn't realize you were trying to hide." Emily said.
"Oh, I'm sorry were my attempts to drag you down the hall too subtle for you?"
Emily rolled her eyes though a betraying smile on her lips. And there she was. That bitchy standoffish Naomi she'd come to adore. What could she say? Apparently she was a masochist.
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Emily's head hit the pillow, a soft welcoming relief. She knew she was going to feel all those stairs she climbed in the morning. Suddenly thankful for her dad's enthusiasm for fitness she made a mental note give her dad a Fitch hug next time she saw him.
"Where've you been?"
Emily nearly fell out the bed she jumped so badly. She placed her hand over her rapidly beating heart.
"On patrol, like normal, every other Monday night." Emily whispered back. As her eyes adjusted to the darkness she saw Katie rolled onto her side staring at her from her own bed.
"This late?"
"Same as usual."
"Oh." Katie responded.
Emily closed her eyes hoping that was the end of their conversation, she really was tired. Her mind buzzing after her patrol with Naomi.
"So you get to like, spend all this time walking around the castle alone, with Leland? It's not fair." Katie whined.
"No—" Emily began.
"Talk me up a bit yeah?" Katie cut her off, "Not that I need it, but can't hurt."
"I'm not on rounds with Leland." Emily breathed.
"You're not?" Katie sighed, "Well there goes that idea, shame. So who you paired up with then? Do not tell me it's Tony Stonem, I mean I know he's a Slytherin and all, but he's well lush."
"Not Tony either," Emily rolled her eyes, "Sorry Katie, I'm not really paired up with your type." Emily balked the second she finished the sentence, Naomi's words about her apologizing flooding her mind. She hadn't realized how often she did actually say it.
"Ew, don't tell me its that weird Ravenclaw boy, the one that always talks to you."
"JJ?" Emily questioned. JJ was a fifth year Ravenclaw that Emily had Ancient Runes with. He was a nice boy, slight awkward, but nice nonetheless. "It's not JJ, he's not a Prefect."
"Really? But he's like…really smart?"
"It's not based off I.Q. you know."
"Obviously," Katie took the dig, "But whatever, so who is it?"
Emily let out a breath, "Naomi Campbell."
Katie sat up. "That Slytherin lezza bitch?"
Emily rolled her eyes, it wasn't worth the argument. "The very one."
"Need me to like, mess her up a bit for you?" Katie asked seriously, "Cos I will, you know, if she tries anything on you."
"No, Katie." Emily said tiredly. "And she's not trying anything on me," She'd rather like that, she thought to herself. "So just leave it will you? And I'm going to bed so will you stop fucking talking?"
"Whatever bitch, we should get some sleep anyway, we've got Quidditch tryouts to run tomorrow after classes."
"You already held Quidditch tryouts this weekend…we we're the first house to hold them" Emily said exasperated.
"Those were the preliminaries, tomorrows the call backs." Katie replied.
"First years haven't even had their flying lessons yet. Don't you think it's a bit soon to finalize the team?"
Katie scoffed. "I'm not starting a first year. So why would that matter anyway?"
"We started as first years." Emily reminded her twin.
"We were different." Katie clarified.
"Goodnight, Katie."
"Goodnight, Loser."