A Fire at the Heart of Hogwarts (Qedesha and Stormgale)

[Qedesha]

It was a new year. The surge of students in the aftermath of the battle was positively startling. It was like parents across the magical community were trying to prove that they supported the school and its efforts all along, and were showing their support by sending kids that were previously home-schooled, or sent to one of the smaller schools.

Tamelin stood in the throng of chattering kids, smiling at familiar faces and unfamiliar but friendly ones alike. The first-years had set off on the boats, the second years in their mysteriously unhorsed carriages, and the rest were waiting to see what this year's system would be.

There was talk of visits from the others schools again... perhaps a return to the cup, or some kind of exchange program, or even just another show of support from schools mired in international suspicion. Deatheaters were still imagined behind every bush and under every bed, but in the aftermath of the death of 'He who must not be named', the fears were met with a brave front, rather than fear.

 

[Stormgale]

Rilaen stepped of the train, the cacophony of voices filling his ears quickly with half heard snippets of conversation tugging on his compulsive nature to know more. He quashed his subconscious however as he slipped through the crowd, deep blue eyes casually looking around and noting down the occasional fact about a new student, or a new fact about a returning one.

He found a quiet corner, pulling out a small book and reading it, losing himself a little in the fantasy work as he waited for their mode of transport, would probably be more of the Carriages... considering that is how it has been for years, though he might be wrong.

 

[Qedesha]

Tamelin sighed as she watched the carriages return, tucking one lock of glossy black hair behind her ear. The pale girl, roughly normal in build but with hips that turned her appearance rather curvy, hung back rather than join in the initial crush. She didn't like the pressure of too many people around her... rather stereotypically introverted, considering her preferred 'gothic' appearance.

She was lost in her thoughts anyway, trying not to meet too many eyes lest her feelings betray her. She hadn't been all that interested in boys up till the last year, when she'd suddenly been noticing them. The dance hadn't happened, not entirely unsurprising considering the repair work that was still going on around the school, so that social avenue had been closed off... leaving the shy girl with no better option than to daydream from a distance.

Finally the chaos had settled, carriages looking emptier as they trundled off. She found one of the last ones, climbing into the corner and almost huddling into herself as she perched against the far door.

 

[Stormgale]

He avoided the chaotic rush for the carriages, slipping into the last one quietly as his eyes adjust, noticing the pale girl curled up in the corner. "I don't bite you know" he stated with a dry smirk, his form lanky/lithe... not athletic enough to be strong but with a little work he could be a gymnast or runner. He slid his book into a pocket sewn into his robe, deep blue eyes looking at the girl.

"So Looking forward to the new year?" he asked, his brown hair falling into his eyes, a hand brushing the errant strands out of his face, trying (badly) to make small talk with his fellow passenger.

 

[Qedesha]

She jumped at the sudden voice, having been lost in her daydreams enough to have not noticed the quiet arrival. The carriage rocked as it rolled in a circle and then started up the long, bumpy path to the main building.

As attractive as the pale skin might have been, it did have one unfortunate symptom... blushes tended to show up rather well across her cheeks, and she herself tended to blush easily. The slight pink tinge suffused her face now, the girl automatically tugging the robe a little tighter around herself.

"Um. Yes, I guess so," she answered after a moment, her tone cautious. "I mean... well, the school is a lot better now, most of the repairs are done. Well, in the outer walls. It should be a good year, with all the new students and all..."
She realised that she was starting to babble, caught like a deer in headlights in the sudden attention of an actual boy, and she firmly closed her mouth.

 

[Stormgale]

He smiled warmly at her.. though her blushing cheeks caused his own overactive mind to turn, causing his own cheeks to tint just a little. "What year you in?" he asked with a pause, his brain trying to untangle itself from the knot of Embarrassment and hormones that had suddenly tied it up.

He chuckled a little at her babbling, it was cute, in a strange way "And what is your name?" he asked as well, his voice unsure even as he sat there... his panic response was to try and get more information, though that meant reading her embarrassed expression which only seemed to worsen his condition.

 

[Qedesha]

"Tamelin," she said quickly. "Tamelin Tyles. I'm fifth year this year. OWL's this year. I'm hoping to take advanced Charms next year, and if I'm lucky Transfiguration as well. And you?"
She was surprised that she didn't know the boy, although his face looked rather familiar. She edged forwards, trying to get a look at the badge on his robe that would identify his house. Not that the houses meant that much any more... with the chaos the school had had over the last couple of years, it was mainly just where you slept... the teachers swapped back and forth, the various events had been curtailed, and even the hall decorations had been destroyed in the combat.

 

[Stormgale]

"Rilaen Rorian" he said with a smile, offering her his hand "Sixth year" he said with a smile "The OWL's are... dreary" he added with a dry smirk.
"I'm Ravenclaw if you are wondering" he said as he turned the badge to let her see "A bookworm through and through sadly, what about you?" he asked, trying to be a little more direct than stealing glances.

 

[Qedesha]

She nodded.
"I thought I'd recognised you. Must be from the main hall, at meals. Ravenclaw too."
She pulled the robe across to show the badge, then blushed and quickly let go when she realised that she'd pulled it tight across one full breast. She was one of those girls that had developed her chest rather early during the natural bodily changes, and combined that with a physiology that led to a rather full chest... she was still not comfortable with the results, especially since the few times she'd not been hidden behind a loose shirt and covering robe, she'd received attention from the boys and ire from the girls that had been distinctly unsettling.
"I also like books," she finished, rather lamely, lifting the obviously full bookbag that was slung under the robe.

 

[Stormgale]

"A fellow Knight of knowledge" he said, chuckling at the terrible imagery he tried to weave "So what kind of Boo..ks" he paused as she displayed her assets, the lad... a little flustered with the view it gave. "So what books do you like?" he asked, composing himself again as he sat back, trying to hide his blushing cheeks under his dark brown hair.
He was one of the guys who tended to notice things, and looking at her... well he noticed alot, his eyes quickly drinking in things he probably shouldn't, so he looked away, hoping he didn't offend her

 

[Qedesha]

She had a pretty face, especially in the details; big eyes, full lips that despite her pallor was a healthy, deep red... without lipstick... a cute little nose, surrounded by an attractive facial shape and full, glossy dark hair that spilled pleasingly over her shoulders. If it wasn't for the retiring hunch and loose clothes, and the book she was perpetually hidden behind, she would have been a figure that drew a lot of eyes.

She noted the pause, and had a good guess at the cause. Her cheeks were flaming red as she stared determinedly at her bookbag, not wanting to meet his eyes.
"Uh... at the moment, Charms books mostly. Mortimer's 'Charms and Transfigurations', Merlin's 'Simple Charms', and the books for the year of course."
She opened the bag, displaying the books described. At the bottom of the bag was something in a dark red cover, however, not matching any of the listed books.

 

[Stormgale]

He was looking out at the scenery... anything not to look at her form, if he did he might lose himself, which would be quite the embarassment. "Don't you ready anything for fun, I mean surely you must read something just to read it, as opposed to a schoolbook?" he asked with a quirked brow, stealing a glance at her.


His cheeks turned a darker shade and looked in the bag "What about that unmarked one at the bottom, what book is that?" he asked with a raised brow, reaching a hand forwards silently asking for permission to take a look at it.

 

[Qedesha]

"What book?" she asked, peering in as his hand reached in.
"Oh... no, wait, that's nothing... don't... um..." she said, suddenly remembering which book it was, but too late to stop him as he withdrew it. It was the type of book one bought in a train station shop or convenience store, found on a rack alongside road maps and books of crossword puzzles.

It was obviously made by and for the wizarding community... the moving picture on the cover and the wands the main characters were brandishing made that obvious. Otherwise, it was exactly the same as all the other pulp novels ever written... the posing couple on the front, the dramatic background of a house against a moody ocean, the cheap paper and plastic gloss finish. One could almost see the emotional rambling, the heavy contrived plot, the lurid sex scenes interspersed with pages of description for a single kiss. A million novels, all the same except for changed details of a fill-in-the-space nature.

Her cheeks were bright red, and she was staring at the book in horror as he looked at it.

 

[Stormgale]

He chuckled softly "It's not like I found your porn stash" he said matter of fatly "Your not the only girl who enjoys trashy romance Pulp" he said with a smile, handing her the book back "Though I might suggest something a little better written, even in the Dubious wold of That sort of novel H Remington is a terrible writer" he added "I find J Rowling to be a much better writer, she infuses passion into the scenes".

Due to this being about books... well he could keep his cool, though it didn't stop a deep red blush from tinting his cheeks, his eyes meeting her's "So then you enjoy romance eh?" he asked, voice softening slightly, his eyes not wanting to move now.

 

[Qedesha]

She took the book quickly, jamming it into the bottom of the bag. She bit her lip when he mentioned a porn stash, unable to blush more because her cheeks were already at maximum suffusion.
"Yeah. Well, you know... sometimes. They get a bit silly... well, most of the time. Fun to read though. I don't know those authors, but I'll look, thanks."

The carriage rattled up the final few feet to the doors of the building, and she hesitated before opening the door on her side and jumping out. She was tempted to bolt and vanish into the crowd around the doors but found herself hesitating, waiting for him, tongue-tied as she tried to think of something else to say.

 

[Stormgale]

He chuckled at her, enjoying himself despite his own red tinted cheeks "It's not exactly something youd show" he added as he grinned "The romance novels are much more palpable to polite Company" he stepped out of the door "You should have let me go out first, I could have been a gentleman and helped you down" he said, looking away as he waited for the crowd to dissipate a little.

"so then apart from read what do you do in your spare time"

 

[Qedesha]

"There's not much about some of those stories that are polite in that sense," she said without thinking, and then cursed herself internally at the slip. It certainly wasn't a thread of conversation she wanted to follow... at least, not consciously. She'd just flashed a smile at his second comment, then hurried on to the third before he could respond to her first.

"Spare time? Not much. Practice charms, read... that's about it, really. I don't have... friends who go out or anything. Kinda boring I guess."
She flashed a quick, embarrassed smile at him and then looked away, assuming she was coming off a complete doof. She waited for the polite withdrawal.

 

[Stormgale]

He grinned mischieviously at her comment "So then you spend your spare time fantasizing about being swept up in a wizard's Robe?" he asked with a raised brow, finding her... charming in his own way (then again he was a Doof himself). He started to walk, the crowd lessening "And reading isn't boring it takes you to magical places... which is kinda redundant considering were at a school for wizadry, never thought of that" he said, seemingly rambling, lost in his train of thought.

 

[Qedesha]

She laughed, glad to be easing away from her inadvertent comment.
"I suppose it's magical when it's from somewhere else. Maybe in a few years I'll be reading romances about scientists and muggle households, marveling at their toasters and cellphones."
She sighed, moving along with him, surprised at how comfortable it was.
"How about you, what do you do for fun? I suppose you have a girlfriend waiting for you to sweep away in your robe."
She was still waiting for the withdrawal... maybe he just hadn't figured out how to do it politely.

 

[Stormgale]

"Yes because a bookworm with the ability to lose the conversation in his own train of thought has to beat away the girls with a broom" he said, his tone oozing sarcasm. Moving through the crowd into the hall, he found them a quiet spot in the corner so they might continue their conversation.
"Please don't turn into one of those wizards, or I will go curl up and die" he said with a pout "I would lose some fine company to a bad stereotype"

 

[Qedesha]

And suddenly she was there, sitting with him. She couldn't actually figure out, for a moment, how she ended up sitting and chatting with an actual, real boy in the hall, where people could like, see. With eyes. And she'd only made an idiot of herself... about three times maybe, in the conversation. Practically a record. Oh well, here was number four.
"Yeah, sure. You're in Ravenclaw, you're literate, confident, and fit, and good looking. Why you're not under a pile of girls at this very moment I don't understand. I keep expecting some girl to wander up and slap me at any moment."

She grinned, looking around with a show of defensiveness, then tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. It was a subconcious action, and endearing in itself.
"And don't worry about that stereotype. Muggle born and raised. The letter was a shock to my parents, tell you what. Seriously though? No girlfriend?"

Was... was she flirting? It suddenly felt like she was, even though she wasn't intending to. She felt almost dizzy.

 

[Stormgale]

Her barage of compliments caused him to blush a dark red "You flatter me... I'm no..." he paused "Thank you" he said with a genuine smile "Though I am surprised such a beautiful, endearing, cute girl dosen't have a flock of boys after her" he retorted, looking into her eyes now, trying to read her intentions, his attentions focussed on her and her alone... fuck everyone else, no that would be stupid.

"No girlfriend, No boyfriend?" he asked her with a raised brow, blushing darker at her flirting "I mean Everyone can't be dumb enough to ignore you?" he asked

 

[Qedesha]

"Don't you try and turn this on me," she mock-threatened, waving a finger at him.
"I'm no catch. Bookworm guys are hot. Bookworm girls are dull and plain. Rule of the wizarding world, don't you know."
She smiled, glancing around. The milling crowd was settling, the teachers finding their places at the head of the room. It would be time for the usual speech by the interim headmaster and then the slow trudge to their rooms.

 

[Stormgale]

"Then your the exception to the rule, Because you... are... hot" he added, whispering in her ear before listening to the dull speech, trying to calm down his rose tinted cheeks.
When it was all over, having to spend an age with his own imagination he couldn't help but smile at her "So then to the common room?" he asked

 

[Qedesha]

Her heart was pounding through the entire speech. She didn't hear a word of it... which really didn't matter, since it was practically word-for-word the speech from last year. No forbidden forest visits, no messing in the construction areas, no magic in the corridors with the unstable spells, no entering classrooms alone, and no entering the dorm rooms assigned to the other gender. Getting the spells up and running to prevent the dorm invasions was proving to be tricky.

She spent the entire time analysing his words. Was he teasing her? Did he mean it? Should she say something similar back? Did she want to? Yes, she definitely wanted to. What should she say? How should she say it.

She was terrified when the blather came to an end and they were rising to head to the common room... dinner was going to be a while still, the house elves still having to deal with a rather damaged kitchen. His breaking of the silence was a huge, welcome relief, and she simply nodded, head down as they joined the throng.