Eat
When Hippolyta and Sev came out of the water it was after one o'clock.
"Ugh... I don't know if we're going to have time to dry off," he said.
"How far exactly is it to the castle?"
"About twenty minutes to the edge of the Forest, hurrying up."
"Yeah... I was stupid, I should have taken off my shirt," she said.
"It's okay, you did the right thing by leaving it. We'll do one thing. I'll dry your shirt while you dry your hair. Dry it a little first with mine," holding it out to her.
"But then you're going to wear it wet too."
"It doesn't matter, it's hot today," Sev reassured her. "Let's sit on the floor like before."
They sat down and Hippolyta dried her hair with Sev's shirt. Later they began to dry with their wands, she the strands of her hair, he the front side of her shirt.
"And you're not going to dry your hair, Prince?"
"I'm telling you it doesn't matter, it's hot today."
"But they will see you arrive for lunch with wet hair.
"Well... what a problem, you already know that no one controls me," he said.
"But stop by the house to change your shirt before going up to the Great Hall. If you go with it wet for so long you're going to catch a cold."
"Yes, I'll do that."
"Ugh... I don't want you to go to the castle with a wet shirt and have lunch without having dried your hair," she said, worried. "You're going to catch a cold. Do you know how to cut your hair?"
"Yes, of course, I always cut it myself."
Hippolyta stopped drying her locks to dry the top of her head. "Then cut mine, boy-style, as short as you can.
Wow… like she wears it in the Mirror of Erised. "No, Hippolyta, it would still take a while, and besides, I don't know how to cut it boy-style, I only know how to cut it the way I wear it."
"Well, cut it the way you wear it."
"Then they could realize that we have been together."
"Let them think what they want!" she exclaimed, exasperated. "What explanations do we have to give to anyone?" And now calm down, "Besides, they don't have to do it, I'll say that I cut it myself and that's it. Could you make it a little shorter than like you wear it?"
"Yes I think so."
"Well, that's it, like that, come on," authoritarian.
"And what will happen when your parents see you in the summer?" Sev asked.
"Ugh, Prince... look how you turn around things," annoying and contemptuous. "You see what a problem, let them get upset. I'm already tired of being their cute little doll, in the summer I plan to ask them to take me to get it cut boy-style, and if they don't let me, I'll learn and get it cut as soon as we return in September. I'm tired of long hair, it's a nuisance, I never plan on wearing it long again in my life."
"Okay, Hippolyta, I'll cut it for you," with absolute conviction.
"That's how I like it," she said very satisfied. "Meanwhile I'm going to take off my shirt and continue drying it myself."
Ugh… no… But I have to pretend that I don't care, he thought. "Okay, Hippolyta, come on."
Sev sat behind her, Hippolyta took off her shirt, wrung it out and began to dry it with her wand, he was cutting her hair behind her. If I finish before her, I'll start drying it or drying my shirt.Ugh… how thin she is.All her ribs are very marked.In Erised she was also.
"Did you have a good time?" she asked him.
"A blast. I don't remember having had such a good time in my life. I think maybe my Patronus has changed again with the bath."
"Not mine. On the way back to the castle we'll try yours."
Oh… I think mine doesn't either, he thought. "Okay. Ugh… I'm really sorry to cut your long, pretty hair."
"Do you like my hair?"
"Of course, I love it. It has a very special color, ash blonde, almost no one has it like that."
"Then keep a lock of hair as a remembrance, because I don't plan on wearing it long again," she suggested.
"I'm not going to keep a lock, I'm going to keep everything."
Hippolyta burst into laughter. "How you hallucine, Prince!"
"Hey…! Don't move, I'll cut you badly."
"Okay, okay. Then don't tell me those things, I'll burst out laughing."
"I'm also going to be very sad not to see your tail fly when you fly on the broom, I loved it," Sev said.
"Ugh, Prince... how are you, huh? Everything makes you sad."
"You know not, not everything makes me sad, I also know how to have a good time."
"Yes, it's true, you also know how to have a good time."
"It happens to me that I live everything very intensely," he confessed.
"Yes, that's true, it shows in your eyes. What I told you when we came, that I wanted you to look at me, I didn't tell you the whole truth. I also wanted you to do it because I really like the way you look at me, you look at me very well."
"Because I adore you, Hippolyta."
"I already know. That's why I also told you that I already knew that you liked me and that I knew you better than you thought. You've been looking at me like that since I confronted you in the Great Hall on May 15th."
"Oh… really?" surprised.
"Yes, Prince."
"I didn't even realize it myself…"
"Of course, because you don't see yourself. That's why I didn't want to leave and I wanted to train with you, and I told you the other night that at least that day you could have let us train. I was very sorry to have to see you from afar."
"Ugh, Hippolyta... now I am too, I should have left you," sorry.
"Hey, I'm not telling you this to make you sad again, huh? Now it doesn't matter, we have already fought together and we will continue to do so. You wouldn't have been able to fight me that day, you were too busy organizing and talking to everyone."
She was paying attention to me the whole time. I think I would have taken some time to fight with her. What a pity, I would have discovered her much sooner and wouldn't have gotten confused as I have since. Let's see now how I get out of the mess I'm in.
"What, Prince? Are you stuck?"
"No, I'm focused on cutting," he lied.
"Don't worry too much, huh? Let it remain as it remains. If it looks bad, even better, it makes it more credible that I did it myself and my parents will immediately take me to the hairdresser to have it cut shorter."
Sev laughed and continued cutting without so many considerations. How smart and cunning she is, she's Sly to the core. "Hippolyta's maneuvers," admired.
She laughed too. "That is."
"Do you have an exam this afternoon?"
"I don't. And you?"
"Neither," he replied.
"We can escape again."
"Don't you have to study?"
"No, Prince, I already told you that I'm over the top," the girl answered. "Do you have to study?"
"I'm also over the top."
"Well, we'll run away and do one of the many things you've suggested."
"And your friends?" he asked.
"Let them go and get some fresh wind! They are useless! With you I have a thousand times better times."
They laughed.
Okay, we'll meet.I'll take her to the Room of Requirement to make music and maybe to Erised, but not all afternoon, I need to think about many things beforehand. "Okay, but I want to relax for a while after lunch. I'm a little tired."
"Well... bathing is tiring, huh?" Hippolyta said. "And it also makes you very hungry, especially since we are used to having lunch at half past twelve. What time are we meeting?"
"What do you think about five?"
"Great, we will have more than two hours ahead of us. Where?"
"On the third floor of the castle." He explained how to get to the passage.
"Wooow… you know them all."
"Will you know how to get there?"
"Of course, I have already told you that I have great orientation," she said. "I'll be there at five o'clock, I won't make you wait like this morning."
"I'll go a little earlier."
"Sure. And what are we going to do?"
"Ah… surprise," Sev played mysterious.
"Come on, tell me."
"No, no, you'll see. I'm done cutting you from behind. Are you done with the t-shirt?"
"I'm not far from it, it's still a little wet," Hippolyta replied.
"Okay, then continue, I'll dry you off."
"Look, I'm stupid for not taking off my shirt, what a waste of time. The next time we'll bathe naked."
"No, Hippolyta!"
They laughed.
"You are even more stupid. Have you never seen a naked girl?" she asked.
"Yes, yes I have seen."
"Just so you know that I haven't taken off my clothes so you wouldn't feel uncomfortable. It didn't give me any trouble."
"Well. To me, yes," he objected.
"Yeah, I've already realized that you don't want to look at me in front of me, those things are stupid."
"You're right."
"Just know that I wouldn't be scared to see you either, although I've never seen a boy, but I think it's about time," she said.
Sev smiled. She'sso cute. "Don't be in a hurry for those things, Hippolyta."
"Not rush. Just watch."
"You won't see me for the moment."
"Okay, I understand you," said the girl. "I'll hold back, because I don't want to see anyone else."
Ugh… I'm already starting to get back like before.I don't know if I want to meet her this afternoon, too much intensity, but if I back out now I will disappoint her.
"My shirt is dry, you can breathe easy now," she said.
They laughed.
How does she know how to get me out of the confusion that she herself causes, Sev thought. She handles me the way she wants, and I'm starting to think that she's not aware of it, it just comes out.
Hippolyta put on her shirt. "Come on, cut me in front and I'll finish drying myself while you dry yourself. Aren't you cold?"
"I'm not." He switched to the front and started cutting.
"Now I'm leaving you alone so you don't lose focus, because I want to look pretty in the front, otherwise you'll stop liking me."
"I will never stop liking you, Hippolyta, I don't like you because of your looks."
"Oh... then... why?" surprised.
"And you still need me to tell you?"
"Yes…" she replied, shy.
She is much more insecure about herself than she appears, deep down she doesn't realize how much she is worth. "It's going to take me a long time to tell you everything I like about you, we won't have time between here and the castle."
"Well, tell me just a few things, start at the beginning, if it's true that you remember everything that happened to you with me."
"Alright," Sev agreed. "I loved how we met. That you came running to join the Army after having expelled the malefics from the Sly table and trying to convince Shelley and Ariel to do so too."
"That was great! I hit them with my breakfast right in their faces, you know I have a very good aim."
They laughed.
"Of course," admired. "Also having met you at that precise moment," he continued. "That day was like being born again for me."
"May fifteenth at nine fifteen. You have two lucky numbers."
"I had already thought about it too."
"I am from March twenty-first, twenty-first of the third," Hippolyta said. "My two numbers and your two numbers are multiples of three, and also the year you were born, sixty, and mine complete, 1962, is multiple of three and nine."
"True..." excited, "You really like numbers, right?"
"Yes. I like them a lot."
"Me too," Sev said.
"How good, something else in common."
"Do you like Astronomy? Are you good at it?"
"I love it, but I don't pay much attention to it because they don't ask for it for Defense," she answered.
Another of her characteristics, practical, in this case unfavorable. "Ugh, Hippolyta... don't be silly. If you like it, enjoy it, not everything has to be learned because it serves a purpose."
"Yes, I have already thought about it since you told me about the electives and the music."
"Of course, you also have to enjoy what you like, and you only have two years of Astronomy left," he advised. "I was very sad to have the last class last Thursday."
"Oh... so, you like it too?"
"I love it."
"How good, something else in common," the girl said.
"Your favorite phrase."
"Yes…" shy.
"So, if you like numbers, you will also love Arithmancy and you will be great at it," Sev encouraged her. "Did you go to Muggle school when you were little?"
"I didn't. There are no schools in my town."
"Don't worry, I will teach you all third year this summer."
"And how are we going to do it?" she asked.
"I already told you, we'll meet at Shelley's or Deborah's house."
"And I can't go to your house?"
"You can't, Hippolyta. Knowing my home address is dangerous," he warned.
"Sure. I would invite you to mine so we could be alone, but I don't know if my parents will let me."
"Don't worry, we will be on our own even if we are with more people. At Deborah's house they will surely leave us alone. We can fly together there too."
"Brilliant!" she exclaimed. "Well, do you know what I'm thinking? Take two NEWTs too, like you. Defense and Astronomy."
"Great."
"So later I will teach you Astronomy."
"It would be fantastic," Sev agreed.
"Of course, I have to give you back something of everything you are going to teach me."
"Don't do it for that reason, Hippolyta. You teach me a lot too, simply by being who you are."
"I wouldn't do it for that, man, I would do it because I like it, but by the way, something else in common."
They laughed.
"I've finished cutting you," he said. "Let me look at you."
He pulled away from her to look at her. She is beautiful, much better than with long hair.It suits her much more with her personality, and it will suit her even more when she wears it boy-style.
"How about?" she asked him.
"Lovely. I would spend hours looking at you."
"Yes, I have already seen it in your eyes. Let's dry off, come on."
They began to dry their hair with their wands.
"If you like it like that, I'll leave it like that, I won't cut it short," Hippolyta added.
Ugh… how problematic, without having seen herself yet, she has already changed her mind because I like it.I don't like the way this looks at all. "If you like it, Hippolyta, when you see yourself in the mirror. I don't care at all how you wear your hair, that's nonsense, I care about what you are as a person."
"You are a very strange boy."
"Yes, I know, but that's how I have to be," Sev said. "It matters what people are like on the inside, not on the outside."
"Yes... but you also look at what's outside. You told me before that you really liked my hair and now you just told me that you would spend hours looking at me."
"Because I also like your appearance, you are very pretty, but I would like you anyway even if you weren't. In fact, I'm going to be completely honest, as you are, there is something about your appearance that I don't like at all."
"What?" she asked.
"That you are very thin."
"Oh…" surprised.
She thinks that because she is thin she will be liked more. "Do you eat well?" She doesn't respond, I caught her at fault. "Have you gone to breakfast today?"
"Yes, Prince. If not, I wouldn't have arrived so late."
Okay, I believe her.Otherwise I would read her, emergency situation. "How much do you usually eat? Do you have dessert?"
"I don't."
"Do you finish both dishes?" he asked. She doesn't respond.She doesn't finish them. "Do you finish first?"
"I don't like the way you're looking at me."
"Don't go off on a tangent, Hippolyta. I look at you like that because what you do is not right. You're growing, you have to eat, and from what I'm seeing, you don't even finish the first plate."
"When I like it, I do."
"And when you don't like it, you don't."
"I don't," she replied.
"Hippolyta, I don't like school food either, but we have to eat it even if we don't like it, at least both dishes, we are growing."
"Yeah…"
"And I suspect that you don't eat it because you don't like it, but because you don't want to gain weight," Sev deduced. She doesn't answer me, I caught her up.We have to watch her, I'm going to talk to Deborah about her, she needs a family at home.And now, to encourage her to eat.
He looked at her in a good way again. "If you fly, fight and walk through the Forest, you do a lot of physical exercise, you will not gain weight even if you eat both dishes."
"Yeah…"
"But you have to gain a little more weight than you are, otherwise you won't be able to withstand the pace we are going to take next year," Sev continued. "The training, the walks, fighting here and studying more electives to prepare the two OWLs."
"Sure…"
"And you're not prettier because you're thinner. As you are now, you're not pretty, you're skinny."
"Oh…"
"You see that I'm thin too, right?" he asked.
"Yeah."
"But my ribs don't show."
"No."
"This is how you have to be to be healthy, thin but strong, and you are not strong," Sev went on. "You were already tired after we had been on our feet for less than an hour learning curses and I doubt you would have lasted fighting much longer."
"Yeah…"
"If you don't get strong, you won't be able to train with the Army or fight in war. With the Army we train for two and a half hours, all morning, and probably next year we will extend the training for longer, delaying lunchtime on the weekend."
"Sure…"
"Are you going to eat better?" he asked.
"Yeah."
"Do you like sweets?"
"Yeah."
"Then eat both dishes and also dessert, at least for a good while, until you regain the weight you need," Sev advised.
"Okay."
Either she changes to eating at the table with us or I plan to read her every day, me or Deborah, emergency situation.And I won't teach her Occlumency until we solve the problem. "I'm going to control you even if you don't like being controlled. It's the condition I put on you to continue being your friend."
"Ugh... you're going to be like my parents…" Hippolyta complained.
This comes from a long time ago, what a fight they must have with her on holidays. "Well yes, because at school you don't have a family and you spend here nine months a year. When you get strong and get used to eating well, I will stop controlling you. I'm going to do it because I love you, like your parents, you know?"
"What a way to tell me that you love me…" disappointed.
"I'm very sorry, you asked for it," he said. "I wish I had had someone to take care of me in that regard, at home and at school, I haven't had that until this year. You also worried about me a while ago, so that I wouldn't catch a cold, right?"
"Sure…"
"Think this afternoon, before meeting, if you want to change to the Great Hall table with us, and if you want, tell me when we see each other."
"Okay," she agreed.
"So we can chat every day."
"Sure…"
Now, to encourage her to make friends with the family, Sev thought. "That's it, let's change the topic."
"I've finished drying my hair, I'll dry your shirt."
"Thank you very much, Hippolyta. Do you know who also loves Astronomy and music?"
"Yes I know. Valerie."
"You can also sing with her, she sings very well, not as well as you, but she sings very well."
"Yes, I have heard her before, on the way to or from the Quidditch pitch," said the girl.
"Let her teach you songs and then you sing them to me. This way you have another older friend to have fun with."
"Sure."
"And I want you to become friends with Deborah too, so you can go to her house this summer and meet with me there," he suggested.
"Okay."
"If your parents don't let you, we will go to your house to talk to them."
"Yes, they will let me, they always let me go wherever I want," Hippolyta said.
"Then they don't control you so much, they only do it for the things that worry them, that you eat well and that nothing happens to you walking alone in the forest."
"Sure…"
"Then listen to them at least when it comes to eating," Sev advised. "If you are not stronger in September, I will not let you train with the Army."
"No, not that..." fearful.
"Well, you know, Hippolyta. To eat."