Ehpoca this one is for you and the other two chapters for your very kind, very much appreciated review. I hope you like it :)
To the rest I hope you enjoy. Feel free to leave a review.
Ta-Ta
Disclaimer: I do not own anything Orphan Black or Harry Potter related. They belong to BBC America and J.K. Rowling
Cosima barely slept last night what resulted in her being late for yet another lesson. In her defense the thoughts that kept her awake through most of the dark hours were as severe as they could get for a sixteen-year-old witch. After last night's dinner she was seriously troubled by the conversation with her four sisters, leave it to Rachel to destroy her good mood with one sentence. They parted silently and while Cosima climbed the many steps to the Ravenclaw common room her head reeled with thoughts about the war and Delphine, all jumbled together in a dizzy mess that gave her a headache.
The Daily-Prophet reminded the five of them all too well of what went on beyond Hogwarts' borders and although Rachel and Sarah did everything not to show it, Cosima knows her sisters long enough now to see right through them and Allison tried very hard to keep it together and Helena's head was in an entirely different place than reality, they were all scared in one way or another.
They are scared for their foster mother Ms. S. a pub owner who lives in Tinworth, who took them all in when they turned 11 and they are scared for little Felix who lives a stone's throw away from them and for the muggle families they left behind. Allison is scared of shattered dreams full of children and a house with a picket fence, Rachel is scared because the war is a thing even she cannot be pristine about, Helena because it means blood and violence and she already has a very disturbed relationship to both and Sarah because she hates it all and cannot change it.
Cosima is scared for her own hopes and dreams for the future and for the horrible course their lives could very possibly take, pushing them head first in a world full of terror and dread and pain they gladly never had to experience before. Her personal, utterly selfish fear, though, is how in all this chaos erupting around them one certain girl made its way half across Europe into the library.
Last night, staring at the ceiling of her four-poster bed where the constellations softly glimmered she hexed there in her second year, she had to admit that Rachel was right about Delphine.
It was a very odd time for exchange students indeed her head told her but her heart wasn't sure it wanted the French to be anything else than just that. Tossing and turning she was unable to decide whether she should ask Delphine what brought her to Scotland or if she should damn it all and keep the little bubble the other girl created for her floating a little longer. When she eventually, finally fell into a restless sleep Delphine's smile was the first thing that greeted her.
Now she rubs her tired eyes, shifting from one foot to the other in front of the Great Hall that is almost empty. During lunch Allison told them that it was likely to be the last nice day before spring at which Sarah cursed loudly since she had Defence Against the Dark Arts with Snape in the next hour and was very tempted not to go.
The tips of the trees shielding them from the outside-world are already turning a deep ruby red, the air barely warm enough to sit on the, constantly getting colder, ground, the sun fighting a never ending battle against the fog that rolled in from the lakeside. It was a perfect day to suck up the remaining warmth, being nothing but lazy, stretched out on the soft grass.
Deep in thought due to the new assignment she got in Arithmancy this morningCosima doesn't see Delphine until she's right in front of her. The geeky Ravenclaw almost stumbles backwards by surprise, mentally shaking herself for her clumsiness:
"Hey, Delphine!" she greets the other girl all thoughts on homework quickly forgotten.
"Hey…Bonjour, Cosima." She greets back smiling so wide it shows her teeth.
She is still in her school uniform, blouse all button upped as white as snow, plaid black skirt and knee-high boots, though Cosima instantly recognizes that the tie around her neck bears no colours just like her gown. There is nothing on her that clearly identifies her as a member of one the four houses, making the Ravenclaw raise her eyebrows in wonder.
It is then that she finally decides to ask Delphine, if she only could calm down her flattering nerves. It is tougher than she wants it to be but she is Cosima effing Niehaus she can talk to anyone.
"So do you want to go to the library again?" Delphine asks waving a hand in the opposite direction of where the library is located.
They both cast glances at each other and through the open door, revealing dozens of students already occupying the lawn. Cosima doesn't know how long they are allowed to do this anymore, being outside during daytime, so she shakes her head, emitting a soft tinkle from the various beads she put in her hair:
"No…not today…it's far too nice outside. We could just hang-out or chill…or you help me with my homework it totally sucks….or just…whatever you want." She sputters, giving her best at not to sound as nervous as she feels.
Delphine laughs and shakes her head at her:
"I can barely understand all the words for my own homework…and you want me to help you, c'est vrai?"
"No clue what the last thing means…but I bet when I tell you all the words you totally know what to write." Cosima shrugs.
"Maybe…although I would like it more to," then her face crunches up in this adorable way while she tries to come up with the correct word:
"I would like to chill with you." She finishes proudly.
"No prob!"
On an impulse Cosima links her arm with Delphine's as she practically drags her out into the sun, heart jumping in her throat when Delphine bumps their shoulders together, clinging onto her.
On their way to a spot a little more secluded they pass Sarah and Cal Morrison, a following Gryffindor lounging near the lake, shirts hanging loosely around their shoulders, using their bags as pillows. In the distance Cosima spots Rachel and Paul Dierden looking the complete opposite of the other couple both sporting green and silver ties around their necks and when they finally pass Allison and Elizabeth Childs, pretending to be cloud-gazing, when Allison actually tries to free Beth from the yellow-black ribbon around her neck, Cosima eventually is satisfied and drops her beg under a small tree whose small crown allows enough sunlight to pass through and warm the ground beneath.
They sit there, right on a patch of soft light, close, like yesterday but not as close as Cosima wants it to be and fall directly into the same type of conversation as before. As much as the Ravenclaw wants to go on and on about potions with Delphine the lack of red or blue or green or yellow on the French's clothes keep distracting her, reminding her that she is on a mission today.
"Delphine?" she mumbles softly into the comfortable silence, eyes fixed on Delphine's nails, painted the same burgundy red as the leaves.
"Quoi?" the blonde wonders, lifting her head from A Guide to Advanced Transfiguration.
Cosima gulps, rolls her shoulders and says:
"In which house are you?"
At first it looks like the blonde has absolutely no idea what Cosima is talking about, eyes wide and questioning, lips slightly apart but slowly, very slowly realization dawns on her. Her eyes fall to Cosima's neck, to her admittedly very loosely knotted tie in dark-blue and faint silver and to the Ravenclaw crest on the left side of her chest.
"I…I have no house, yet."
Delphine finally admits and her voice conveys the sadness she tries to hide from Cosima by looking away with a kind of longing in her eyes that is entirely foreign to the Ravenclaw because she always had a house. It means shelter, belonging and home and she cannot imagine what it must be like, being in Hogwarts without a house.
She should not ask because it feels like prying but she has always been too inquisitively for her own good and she wants so desperately to know more about the other girl she takes whatever information she get as long as Delphine willingly gives it to her:
"Why?" Cosima asks, her eyes dancing all over Delphine's face, trying to burn the image of her hair glowing in the setting sun deep into her mind as the image of something else glowing golden flashes before her eyes. But it is just a flutter, a sliver of a memory she cannot grasp and it is quickly forgotten.
Eventually Delphine turns back to her with an earnest face, no twinkle in her eyes only the sincerity of the moment:
"They do not know for how long I can stay here…Professor McGonagall…she says times are dangerous and she does not know if she has time now for the…difficulties I come with."
The answer sends a jolt of fear through Cosima and she sits up straighter, shuffles closer to Delphine afraid that she might vanish the next second:
"What do you mean? Where would you go? What difficulties?" Cosima asks, on her knees, hands in front of her, almost touching Delphine's outstretched leg, the shock in her words louder than the words themselves. Delphine sighs and buries her face in one hand, casting a sideway glance at her and a wary smile:
"You have so many questions, Cosima."
Cosima has nothing to say in response to that and keeps staring at the uncomfortable girl in front of her:
"They are not going to kick me out…at least not yet." The blonde finally answers dropping her hand in her lap.
It is not a satisfying answer but is seems the Ravenclaw is not given more today.
"So…where'd you sleep?" she asks one final question, her back resting against the tree's bark right next to Delphine's.
"With the Huffelpuffs."
"And…you like it?" Cosima questions and promptly earns a chuckle.
"Am I being interrogated?" the French retorts playfully kicking Cosima's shoe with hers.
"No…course not." The geeky teen smiles back quickly turning more serious:
"I just like….I wanna get to know you." She mumbles speaking truthfully.
She jumps a bit when Delphine pokes her in the side:
"That is very nice of you…and yeah I like it. It is…comment c'est dit…cozy." She finishes.
"It is close to the ground…close to the earth." Delphine whispers quietly, slender fingers skimming over the grass they are sitting on.
Cosima doesn't quite complete her self-imposed mission today, having more questions than before even more as Delphine hurriedly bits her good-bye again just before the sunset turns into dusk but she got to spend time with the blonde and that is worth about everything.
Right before Delphine leaves Cosima asks:
"You got a last name, too?"
Delphine looks at her like saying really and grins:
"Cormier. And you?"
"Niehaus."
"Adieu, Cosima Niehaus." Delphine says with a little wave.
"Bye, Delphine Cormier."
At least she got her full name today.
Very sorry for the mistakes.
tbc.