Again, it has been forever, and again I am sorry for it. Working, interviewing, moving, and being sick is time consuming. BUT this story is always in the back of my mind, even when it probably shouldn't.
Blown away. I was absolutely blown away with all of your reviews. You are all lovely, really. This is my first story to hit 100 reviews so I'm a little chuffed to be honest.
Reviewers, you make my world go round. Amy, subhurt, anon, sexpistols, naomi-slytherin, The Flock's Bud, winsome wonder, StayWithMeForTheKids, PrescottandLovelessInc, shewritesforher, Andreathewriter, stphnyvillegas, Lucie, LoveGossipGirl, mUfF MuNcHeR, Super Tash, Zulu, FrenchJuliett - Thank you, a hundred times over.
(naomi-slytherin, don't worry, the action will come. All in due time ;) )
Emily's perspective. As always, please do let me know what you think! And thank you for reading.
I do not own Skins or Harry Potter, or anything else quite so magical.
Chapter X:
..
..
Emily sat in her bed. Awake. She was buzzing, in a silent way.
Sitting still she surveyed the room concluding it was safe and reached underneath her bed. Pulling out the desired object when fingertips brushed wood she gently placed her secret box down on the comforter in front of her as if it were fragile. She opened it, looked round once more for good measure, before delicately removing that sacred bit of old parchment from her robes. Hesitating, she retracted the map from where she had just placed it in the box instead spreading it open. It was blank, as she always dutifully wiped it with a hushed "mischief managed." She was being careless and she knew it, she threw one last careful look around the room before tapping the parchment with her wand, "I solemnly swear that I am up to no good."
Those familiar lines danced to life and webbed across the page. Dots of people sprouting like the stars in the sky. In the silence she expertly flipped through its many folds and pages until she found what she was looking for. She generally didn't allow herself to do this, as it was somewhat creepy if she thought about it, but after a night like tonight she indulged herself. The tiny black dot labeled Naomi Campbell was stationary in the Slytherin dormitory. She smiled to herself.
..
..
"What's with you?" Katie asked as she inspected her twin.
"What?" Emily asked returning the skeptical look.
"You're cheery," Katie pointed out.
"So?"
"You're practically glowing, what the fuck?"
"Am not."
"Ems, if your hair was any brighter it'd be on fucking fire."
Emily grabbed the end of her hair and flipped it up, inspecting it. It was unusually bright. A metamorphmagus' ability is directly affected by their emotions. Emily's hair tended to brighten and dim with hers, the more intense her feelings; the more it affects her hair. She shrugged.
"Can't I just be excited for the day?"
"It's Tuesday."
"What's with all the concern?" she deflected, "If I were all moped out you wouldn't bat an eye."
"Because that's normal."
"Is not."
"You know, come to think of it," Katie thought aloud, "you've been acting weird the past couple days."
"Have not."
"Have too," Katie countered. "You've been practically skipping, skipping Emily."
Shit, not that Emily could control it really, she just felt so fucking fantastic. She had hoped Katie wouldn't have notice as she spent the majority of the weekend finishing her Transfigurations essay, last minute as usual.
"It's almost as if you pulled or something," Katie laughed, stopping when Emily balked.
"Oh. My. God. Did you?" Katie asked astounded, "You did, didn't you?"
"Don't be ridiculous," Emily retorted, "Of course not."
She wasn't lying, per say, it's not like her and Naomi had slept together or anything. They'd just snogged: glorious, giddy, drunk, snogging. She needed to stop thinking about it or that betraying smirk would slide across her face and tattle on her to Katie.
Katie relented slightly though her eyes remained narrowed, "Did you?"
"With who Katie," Emily asked putting as much exasperation into her voice as possible, "If you're so convinced, who could that possibly have been with?"
Katie paused for a moment, "You're right," she laughed again, "Silly of me."
Emily rolled her eyes.
"So what is with you then?" Katie asked, typical Katie, not one to give up.
"We've got our first real practice since finalizing the team, isn't that something to be excited for?" she chanced. They were walking toward the green houses.
"Too fucking right it is," Katie agreed, "got a later start than I'd wanted as well."
Emily smiled to herself, having successfully dodged any further questioning from Katie.
"Oh and Ems," Katie added, "Mum's been bitching to me about you never writing her, so send her a fucking owl would you? She says you're even worse that James."
Emily rolled her eyes, "Yeah fine, I will."
..
When they arrived in the greenhouse Naomi was already seated. Emily left Katie to go join Naomi across the greenhouse. She sat down smiling.
"Hi," she beamed looking over at the blonde.
Naomi didn't look up from her book, "Hi."
The crest of a wave Emily had been riding the past few days receded a bit. This is the first time she had seen Naomi since the Prefect do.
"How are you?" Emily asked, undeterred.
"Fine," Naomi answered after a moment, still not looking up from her page.
Emily frowned. She knew her imaginative envisions of this encounter were implausible. Naomi wasn't going to profess her love, or ask her out, and they most certainly were not going to snog on the table. She did however; expect a greeting, a shy smile, acknowledgement – something – anything.
All class. That's how it went the entire class. Naomi being cold and distant, speaking only when spoken to, and only giving one word answers unless it pertained to the lesson, and even then her responses were kept brief. It was such a one-eighty from their night running around the castle. It was disheartening: all that progress and seemingly no show for it. It was almost like the past two years all over again when Naomi actively hated her.
Emily's eyes narrowed. She felt it, that tidal wave she'd been riding began to crash. What did she expect? This was Naomi Campbell: the rude, arrogant, beautiful, Slytherin girl she'd been pining after for years. Was one night supposed to suddenly change that? Yes, she thought. Obviously not, said that little voice inside her head.
She sighed.
As class ended Cook sauntered over to collect his best mate as usual.
"Hey Emilio?" Cook cooed as he approached, "I like it," he winked twirling his virtually nonexistent locks, indicating her hair. He was complimenting her, in his character almost crude way.
Naomi looked up for the first time. Examining Emily for the first time. She could have sworn she saw something in those blue eyes.
"Looking fit, Princess Potter," Cook winked again leaning against their table.
Naomi's head snapped up in his direction, "Cook," she authoritated, "Leave her be."
"Aw, I was only payin' her a compliment," Cook smiled holding his hands up in innocence.
"Yeah well," Naomi defended, "she doesn't need you waggling your tongue at her."
"There was no wagglin'," Cook said innocently with anything but an innocent smile, "Though, I wouldn't be opposed to a willy waggle. What'cha say Red?"
"Cook!" Naomi interjected again, "I'm sure she doesn't want any part of your willy waggling anywhere near her. So keep your wand in your trousers, yeah?"
"Let the lady answer for herself," Cook played back, amused at the rise he was getting out of Naomi.
"Charmed," Emily smiled, "But I'm going to have to decline."
"Well if you ever change your mind," he was still giving her that boyish grinning. Slytherin determination at its finest.
"Sorry Cook, takes a bit more effort than that," Emily added throwing Naomi a pointed look before smiled at Cook again.
Naomi stood, grabbing her bag, "You coming?" she asked Cook, perturbed.
"Don't know why I fly amongst the birds, always so tetchy," Cook said to no one in particular as he walked with Naomi out the greenhouse.
Emily couldn't decide if she was annoyed or elated. Looking past her annoyance at Naomi basically ignoring her all class, she couldn't help the patter in her heart from realizing Naomi had gotten jealous over Cook's proposition.
While jealously reaffirmed her suspicion, her hope, that the feelings were mutual, it also miffed her. Naomi wouldn't talk to her, but no one else could either? If that wasn't backwards she didn't know what was. But she pushed that down, all the annoyance and let down, and chose to be elated instead. Naomi liked her too and so she smiled to herself.
..
..
So the team was finalized. Katie, while being an overzealous dictator, had actually made some really excellent choices. The Gryffindor Quidditch team stood a good chance at taking the cup this year. The team itself was quite mature with only two new players, both chasers. Cora Parry was a fourth year with a really keen vision of the pitch and Nick Levan, a third year, was an energetic flyer with a lot of force.
Emily had arrived at the pitch early with Katie to help set things up. For not being a captain, she sure felt a bit like an assistant. No one was late, which both Katie and Emily were excited about, albeit for different reasons. Katie thought it showed dedication. Emily was just happy a Katie rant was avoided.
While they had a mature team, it wasn't the oldest. Raquel Jordan was the only seventh year; she was the seeker. Liam Ridder, the only returning chaser, was a sixth year. Emily was pretty sure he and Katie had had a thing, though Katie never said a word about it. Emily suspected it was because Katie didn't want it to jeopardize her chances at captain seeing as how they were both on the team. Leland Tolliver, the other fifth year Gryffindor Prefect, was the keeper. Which left Emily and Katie, and the two rookies to round out the team.
Toward the end of practice they were doing a classic scrimmage style drill when Emily let her mind wander to where it never wanted to leave.
..
That noise. It was a sound Emily hoped she never forgot. Such a pure, unaltered, carefree giggle that anyone who didn't know better would swear could never come from a girl like Naomi Campbell. But she did know better, and she had bared witness.
Naomi stood up. At first Emily was scared she was going to run. Instead she found herself on the receiving end of a look that is now forever etched permanently in her brain. Its what she sees when she closes her eyes. It was a look that said, something has changed; it was a look that said, I know what you are; it was a look that dared, chase me.
"Where are you going?"
"One way to find out," Naomi smirked with a mischievous quirk of an eyebrow before disappearing through the wall.
Emily scrambled to her feet and followed Naomi's trail.
She turned her head left then right to catch a glimpse of the blonde vanishing around the bend. Emily's grin grew as she followed the sound of Naomi's drunken giggles. She was nearly jogging trying to catch up with Naomi and her quick pace. She rounded the next bend and stopped abruptly. She nearly ran straight into the girl. She had a concentrated look about her as she squinted at the marauders map.
"This was your grand destination?" Emily mused looking around the random corridor.
Naomi shot her a look before returning to the map. She didn't even need words to shoot her sarcasm across a room.
"You said there were others?" Naomi asked returning her focus to the redhead.
"Other…?" Emily prompted.
"Rooms, like the one hidden behind the wall?" Naomi elaborated squinting down at the map again.
"Yeah, heaps more," Emily said.
"Can you see them on the map?" Naomi asked.
"Most of them I reckon," Emily said brushing her side up against Naomi's, taking a look at the map herself. "See, that little box? That's where we were."
"Our spot," Naomi clarified.
"Right," Emily met those blue eyes with her own and smiled at the girl, "Our spot."
There was the noise further along the bend.
"Shit!" Naomi whispered. She looked around the corridor searchingly.
"Naomi!" Emily whispered back, "We've got to go. And it sounds like Peeves, he'd be worse that a professor the racket he'd make."
Naomi was muttering to herself, inspecting the map as she walked toward the wall a few paces down from where they currently stood. "Here!" she said triumphantly stepping toward the wall. She hit solid wall with a "Humph." Shaking her head slightly she took another step to her right before leaning back through the wall, pulling the hand Emily was attempting to lead her away with, with her.
Naomi fell back through the wall and collided with the wall inside the hidden room. This room was a different shape than the last, very narrow almost like a small passageway. Naomi's momentum took Emily with her; the petite redhead stumbled flush against the blonde. The two burst into a fit of laughter that only stopped when the closeness of their proximity sunk in. Naomi's arms had circled around Emily's waist in an attempt to catch her while Emily's hands had found the wall on either side of Naomi to steady herself.
"Narrow bastard isn't it?" Naomi tried her eyes finding Emily's focused gaze. Emily nodded in agreement; it was the most advanced form of communication she was currently capable of whilst she had Naomi up against a wall.
"I like ours better," Naomi added, her tone lower. Emily nodded again her eyes locked with Naomi's. She leant forward only closing her eyes once their lips met and everything went from blue to pink. It was less innocent than before as lips met and parted and bodies melded and hummed. She heard Naomi silently whimper as Emily's tongue entered her mouth. She felt Naomi's hands snake up her sides and grip her back. She ran her hands from the wall down to Naomi's shoulders then up her neck to cup her face. She leaned in impossibly closer as their tongues fought for dominance.
Pulling back slightly Emily placed a soft kiss on Naomi's lips, tugging her bottom lip slight with her teeth before burning a trail of kisses down the Slytherin's neck.
"Fuck…" Naomi breathed, running her hands through Emily's fiery hair. She moved her head back to give Emily more access. Her head collided with the stone wall, "Fuck!"
"Are you alright?" Emily asked through laughter. She couldn't help it, it was funny, and there was a questionable amount of fire whiskey running through her veins.
"Oh I'm fine," Naomi huffed, "Just laugh at the wounded," she added rubbing her head with her hand in emphasis.
The two looked at each other for another moment before bursting out in joint laughter.
Emily again cupped Naomi's face and going to the tips of her toes, placed a gentle kiss on Naomi's forehead.
"Better?" she asked after retreating slightly, though they were still touching. Emily moved her hands down to the back of Naomi's neck, playing with the fine hair she found there.
"That's not where I hit it," Naomi said cheekily.
A sly smile crept across Emily's face, she tilted Naomi's head to the side and on tiptoes kissed the back of Naomi's head before trailing back down to her neck.
..
"Watch out!"
Emily looked up just in time to see a bludger hurtling straight for her face. She dove to her left, flipping round on her broom. For not the first time that semester she made a mental note to thank her father for his belief in the "naughty bar" and her consequent upper body strength. With the momentum of flying lower she swung back around on her broom, sitting upright again.
"Emily!" Katie yelled from a distance on her own broom, "What the hell are you playing at? Pay attention!"
"I was!" Emily lied as she wound up and hit the offending bludger with her club as it boomeranged back around. She hit it at Katie.
"Nice acrobatics there, babes!" The boy rookie yelled. Emily had forgotten his name. If she hadn't already hit the bludger at Katie, she'd have sent it in his direction.
"Hey babes," Katie interjected, "How bout you worry bout scoring. You could have, in the time you just spend gawking at my sister."
"Hey!" Leland said from his position by the hoops, "Not bloody likely."
"Could have, will do," the boy grinned. In that moment he reminded her of Cook, just in his boyish broad grin.
"Well one of you better prove yourself right," Katie egged on the competition as they all reset to start again. She sent Emily a look that said "get it together" before tossing the quaffle back to Liam, starting the drill.
..
..
The week had passed with a monotonous combination of class, coursework, Quidditch practice, little sleep, and the occasional unsatisfying interaction with Naomi. She still hadn't had a chance to talk to her alone since the party. Late Sunday afternoon presented itself to be the first time Emily genuinely didn't have anything she was required to do. Somehow Emily found herself drawn to the Quidditch pitch. With a much different intention than practice, she slipped out of the Gryffindor common room and down toward the pitch, broom slung over her shoulder. On her broom in the air is where she did her best thinking and no thinking. Right now she was aiming for no thinking, enjoying the feeling, the rush, of flying and nothing else.
As she approached the pitch she realized someone else had had the same grand idea. She watched the dot of a person whimsically fly around. She felt that tightness in her chest form, excitement and nerves battling for dominancy, as she realized whom it was flying now above her. She stood there and watched her for a bit as she freely flew around in the air, making arcs and dives as she went.
Eventually the blonde noticed her and flew down.
"What are you doing here?" Naomi asked as she landed near the redhead, "I checked the schedule, there was no one signed up to practice." She added as she looked around behind Emily to see if anyone else was arriving.
"Not here to practice," Emily answered.
"Oh," Naomi said as she took a step back, inspecting her broom handle intently, "Then what you doing here?"
"Came for a fly," Emily shrugged, "same as you."
"Right," the blonde paused for a moment as if debating something before getting back onto her broom.
"You're not leaving?" Emily asked surprised.
"Am I supposed to just clear off the pitch every time you want it?" Naomi retorted.
"No, no," Emily said hastily.
Naomi laughed as she flew by the redhead, "Such an entitled Gryffindor, always assuming everything revolves around you."
Emily rolled her eyes, though smiled that Naomi was joking with her up in the air as opposed to telling her to leave her the fuck alone and flying away. She joined the blonde in the air. This was the Naomi she had been searching for all week, the one that just let herself be, the one when no one was watching.
"What's that?" Emily asked. Naomi had something small and bright in her hand. It was about the size of a snitch.
Naomi considered Emily for a moment before flying over. Her hand wrapped around the object covering it completely.
"If I show you, promise not to go run off to your captain with a new drill idea?"
"Katie is the captain."
Naomi eyed her warily.
"I won't show her, promise," Emily rolled her eyes.
Naomi eyed her a moment more before holding out her palm flat. It was a small neon orange ball about the size of a snitch.
"What in merlin's beard is that?" Emily asked. She'd never seen one before. And she had been to the Quidditch store in Diagon Alley enough times with Katie to know it wasn't part of a Quidditch training kit or a practice ball.
"It's a Ping-Pong ball."
"A what?"
"A Ping-Pong ball," Naomi explained, "It's a muggle game, hitting a ball across a table or some rubbish like that. And I think drinking is involved? Not sure. But my mum used to always say when she first saw Quidditch, that's what the snitch reminded her of."
Naomi held out the ball for Emily. She held it delicately. "It's really light," she said surprised.
"I know," Naomi said excitedly, "Makes them a bugger to catch. Bounce of the tips of your fingers if you're not careful," she said tapping the tips of her fingers together as she said so. "I come here some nights and practice catching with them."
Emily tossed the bright ball up and bobbled it slightly as she caught it.
Naomi smiled. "Want to play?"
"Um, sure," Emily said holding it back out for Naomi, their fingertips brushing slightly during the exchange. "What do I do?"
Naomi smirked, "Catch," she said slyly as she launched the ball through the air with the flick of her wand.
Emily zoomed off after it once Naomi's instructions registered a half second later. Emily reached her hand out for the ball, it suddenly changing directions as she did so. Surprised, she sped on after it.
Eventually Emily came back up level with Naomi who was chuckling from her spectator's spot in the air.
"That was not a normal throw," Emily huffed slightly breathless.
"Witch," Naomi said holding up her wand as if it were obvious. She had clearly jinxed the ball.
Emily returned the smirk, "Pay back," she said as she launched the ball into the air with her wand.
Naomi was off after it like a shot.
..
"You wouldn't make a half bad seeker," Naomi considered as the two lay on the pitch grass.
"Is that a compliment?" Emily smiled raising an eyebrow, "Naomi Campbell, are you complimenting me?"
"I mean, I'd still kick your arse," Naomi added.
Emily laughed, "Ah, and there's that Campbell charm. I got worried for a moment there."
"Are you calling me charming?" Naomi bantered.
"I'm calling you a smartarse," Emily corrected with a smile.
The two fell into giggles.
Truth was Emily had considered seeker, it was in her blood after all, but Katie and her were a package deal and there was only one seeker.
Emily sighed. Her and Katie would always be a package deal. It's not that she didn't love Katie; she did, and being a twin definitely had its comforts, but she also wanted to make her own decisions, not have everything be a democracy. She shouldn't have to check in or put it to a vote, it was her life – her choices to make. She wanted to just be – not strive to fit what others thought she should. It was exhausting. And she was tired of placating everyone.
She stared up at the sky watching stars be born as the sky turned.
"What are you thinking about?"
"Tell me about the stars?"
They spoke at the same time.
"You first."
"You first."
Again.
"Tell me about the stars?" Emily chanced again. She knew it was bold; that there was a very great chance that Naomi was going to stand up any moment now and walk away. But her thoughts had been almost as stifling as the reality felt. When she wasn't over thinking about Naomi she was dealing with her sister or her mum. The combination of the latter two were nearly too much. To revisit one of her most cherished memories would be a reprieve. To be lying here, reliving it in a way, on the pitch with Naomi in the evening under the stars now? With no foreseen interruption this time, was a dream. A remedy: if only a temporary one. How could she not try for it?
Naomi had yet to move, "After you tell me what you're thinking."
Emily resigned a sigh, "Just Katie, and my mum, and having to deal with them." She didn't need to know of the thoughts that pertained to her.
"Your mum?" Naomi asked, "But you're at school."
"She's got a surprisingly far reach," Emily huffed, rolling her eyes when she thought of the many letters her mum would send, as well as the occasional family visits. The visits in particular were one of the pitfalls of being a descendant of famous witches and wizards.
"So step just outside of it."
"What?" Emily asked turning her head to face at Naomi's. Naomi was staring up at the sky.
"Step outside of her reach."
"I heard you," Emily said giving Naomi an incredulous look, "Just step out of it…of course how silly of me. I just been standing still, next time I'll be sure to step aside."
"Sorted then?" Naomi glanced over throwing her a smirk.
"And it's that easy for you is it? Keeping to the rules and regulations of your mum?" Emily asked.
"Only the one, so not really much to break," Naomi shrugged.
"What? Only one?" Emily asked astounded. She couldn't fathom growing up with just one rule.
"Mum's a bit of a hippy, runs a pub and inn, I grew up around most of what you're not allowed to do when you're little, she doesn't exactly have the higher ground to tell me not to." Naomi pointed out.
"So what'd she do when you'd break it? The one rule, I mean," Emily asked.
"Well she hasn't let me yet, but I'll let you know if she ever does," Naomi shrugged.
"So you've got one rule, and you've never broken it?" Emily mused, "How responsible of you."
Naomi rolled her eyes, "I've broken it, just never at home."
"Right," Emily said before adding a moment later, "So what about these stars? You owe me a story."
"You remembered that bit, did you?" Naomi asked squinting over at Emily.
Emily nodded her head expectantly.
Naomi sighed; "You see those three stars in a row there, like a belt?" she began, pointing to the sky and recounting the story of the great hunter Orion as the darkness settled in. Subconsciously they draw closer together.
"That's awful," Emily said at the end.
"Were you looking for a happy ending?" Naomi asked.
"Yes," Emily answered.
Naomi smiled, "Well sorry to disappoint, but usually it's not a happy ending that earns yourself a spot in the sky."
"Someone should change that."
"Dually noted."
Naomi turned onto her side, Emily mirroring her movements, blue on brown. Naomi's eyes moved down to her lips. Emily didn't breathe, like seeing some rare animal; terrified if she were to move she would scare it away. The only thing she was aware of besides the finite space between herself and Naomi was the movement, beating, pounding of her own heart. That and the continuous path of vision blue eyes, pale lips. And repeat.
"I liked it, you know," Naomi said softly.
"What?" Emily asked, not knowing what she was referring to. Naomi rolled onto her back and Emily did the same, not trusting herself to be left leaning over Naomi. Their lips hadn't even touched yet she was tingling. Every atom in her body felt charged.
"Your hair, earlier in the week," Naomi explained, "It was nice."
Emily had to think, she hadn't changed it. Oh. Naomi was referring to when it was unusually bright do to her unusually bright mood.
"Did you change it?" Naomi asked.
"No," Emily smiled, "It just does that some times." She wanted to tell Naomi she was the reason it was that lovely shade, because of their lovely night, but she wasn't about to reveal her tell tale.
"Oh," Naomi mused, "Well it was a lovely shade…it was nice."
Emily smiled, "Thanks."