idiot (affectionate)

Gil thumbed through the drawer of scarves and hats, trying to pick the very best of them. If Dahey got to go looking that glorious than he ought to at least try and keep up. Seemed a shame he’d left his best clothes all the way in Ravenclaw Tower. More of a shame that he and Dahey weren’t closer in size. There wasn’t any way he could casually steal a shirt without stretching it out. What a terrible, terrible shame.

“The hair would be quite the combo with that outfit.” He said approvingly, just admiring the sight of Dahey all dolled up. “Though I do like this new length on you. It suits your face quite well.”

He couldn’t even steal gloves. What a tragedy. So he took one scarf for warmth and the other for a bit of a sash around his hips. Also a hat. He probably looked absurd. “It’s off the Great Hall, closer to the loo than the actual Hall itself. Takes us out near the Lake actually, right along one of the further edges.”

–

Unbeknownst to them, the boys were running through a similar thought process on sharing clothes. Dahey thought about what he had available, what he thought would fit, how much of a size difference there was between them, all of it running like a word problem that needed solved. He knew the choices he could offer might be more offensive than helpful but maybe he could buy a few more things with some give in the fabric. In case this moment cropped up again. Being small just really never had an advantage. Maybe, just maybe a growth spurt would hit before they graduated but based on his genetics, it seemed unlikely. This was as good as it was going to get. 

“Mmm, thank you,” Dahey preened, soaking up the compliment. “Can’t say I regret the choice but occasionally I miss it. As it is with any change, really.” 

Following up his appreciation for what little they could share in clothes, Dahey grinned and added “Shame you didn’t go for one of the green ones though.” Making a crack about house colors. Though, truly, that might be a step too far. More than Dahey could handle. 

“The lake?! That’s the last place I want to go. I love that you know any secret passage, really, but no. Sorry. We’re not dressed for nature, babe. Okay, we’re barely dressed to be seen but...but I don’t have a retort. Come on, I’ll show you something new and get you a little further than just outside.” Taking Gilderoy’s hand he opened his door and paused. The last chance to bail because once they walked out, Dahey wasn’t stopping. 

Sybill saw his trepidation when he spotted her. Maybe she should’ve just kept her nose in her book and kept walking but she didn’t want things to be awkward forever between them, even if they never got to be best of friends or anything. She blinked, a little surprised by his harsh response. Dahey wasn’t the violent type- or at least, he had never seemed that way to her. Fights tended to make people tense though. “Ah, that is true. People love a hero. I could always pretend to have been a witness to your triumph and tell everyone how wonderful you were, that might garner you some attention.” She shrugged, “or I could give you a potion for the headache and leave the bruise as it is.” 

-

“Yeah, a hero,” Dahey tried to believe that but he’d found himself here from running his mouth and not backing down. And maybe, just slightly, releasing some of that pent of anger that just lived in him whilst within the walls of the school (especially in his own dorm). While he didn’t think he was completely at fault here, he had a hand in it. He held back the comment about how he didn’t believe she’d lie for him, if only to spare himself the speech that would, no doubt, follow. 

“Suppose it’d be foolish of me to turn the offer down, thank you.” There was something about living with the pain, the consequence that must be too muggle. Or, more likely for Dahey, he was just too stubborn to take care of it with magic. Right now he was wallowing anyway, not looking to fix it but fully suffer in this moment. Looking up, he assessed the situation a little more. “Why are you helping me?” 

Alice knew her opinions of being a prefect probably weren’t widely shared. But she didn’t care too much. She also knew that she had made some enemies from enforcing the school rules. That was okay though. Alice knew that she would go through life making enemies, so it didn’t bother her too much. Life wasn’t going to be all happy and being friends. She was ready for it. Although, she could probably do with being a little more laid back though. She did want to enjoy life too after all.

“Mmm….” The sixth year smirked a little. To be honest, she hadn’t really been challenging him. But it sounded pretty interesting, and she was actually curious about seeing if anyone could break into the prefects bathroom. “It seems I am.” Indeed it did. “Good luck.”

-

“Luck,” Dahey scoffed with an eye roll so dramatic it couldn’t be taken seriously. His mind already working through who he knew that might have information. Despite the gloom and rain they were standing in, Dahey had brightened drastically. 

“I say you keep splashing in your puddles, I’ll get what I need from the greenhouse and then beat you in there.” there was a quite laugh that fell into a smug smile. Dahey was lying, there was no way that would happen and he wasn’t going to resort to running through the grounds to do it either but it’d just been so long since he’d had a proper challenge, he was too excited. 

Wanna take me out? Yes, Gilderoy did. Very much so. He would’ve agreed to anything from Dahey right now, and taking him out wouldn’t have been a head-scratcher on any other day. 

Gilderoy liked the look on Dahey’s face. That sort of trouble always led to the very best sort of fun. If they got caught they’d be in detention probably for the rest of the year but he didn’t mind. He didn’t mind in the slightest. Hopping off the bed he grabbed his jacket from near the door. 

“Of course. To both questions. Not sure exactly how to get to Hogsmeade without a carriage but I’m definitely in the mood to try. It’s a bit chilly out there. Do you have a scarf I could borrow? I’ll even give it back to you.”

–

At first, Dahey looked at Gilderoy like he was an idiot. Not knowing any way to Hogsmeade beyond a carriage? Who didn’t know about the secret passageway? But it was gone in an instant, replaced by the joy of not just new information but potentially better trouble. “Which secret escape do you know?” he asked excitedly, plopping down in his desk chair. 

“Help yourself, bottom drawer.” he leaned over and slipped on the well worn Keds grasshoppers in beige. Dahey had these shoes for years, the first he’d bought himself that deviated from the uniform. Though they didn’t at all go with the dress, they were the best choice for both sneaking out and the current outfit because he didn’t own much in the way of traditional “women’s shoes”, Dahey wasn’t a fan. Not like he was the dresses and blouses. 

There was really only one jacket choice and while it didn’t strictly match, it was the best Dahey could do within the confines of his dorm. Knee length, brown, fur collar, and fit like a glove. Dahey loved it so much it nearly had a name. And just to be a little extra, he went to the chest at the foot of his bed and pulled up the matching muff to keep warm on the adventure. Looking himself over in the mirror again, Dahey was pleased with himself. “I almost wish I hadn’t cut my hair,” he said, looking himself up and down one more time before turning the same attention toward Gilderoy. “I like you in my clothes.” 

Watching Dahey hold one of her decks and contemplate what she had told him so far. She knew this wasn’t his thing the way it was hers but she’d always do anything she could to help him. That’s what friends did after all. They stuck around for each other, they made sure each other stayed as okay as they could manage.

PJ gave all Dahey all the space he needed. It looked like he had quite a bit on his mind and she didn’t want to intrude. Readings could bring up lots of emotions, she knew this. And Dahey had certainly had a whirlwind of a past few months.

When he spoke and she put the words together, PJ brightened up. “Oh! I think it is! They’re definitely speaking to me more than they were. It’s like I can finally hear them again.”

–

Hearing this was a help perked Dahey up. However this impacted his night was worth it if he was actually helping PJ. She’d been more than amazing to him lately, in the sorts of ways he could never truly payback but he’d certainly try. Though he’d do anything for PJ with or without a self imposed debt. 

Looking back to the cards, Dahey sighed hard enough to flutter them on the table. His mind wandered to the weather and if it’d be a good night to sneak out to the astronomy tower before coming back to the conversation. “Do you want to try to pull the next two cards? Does it have to stay me? Should we try and start over for you? How, I mean, what’s best?” 

The rate that gossip spread around Hogwarts was exceptional. And so, Alecto had actually heard about the scuffle between two of her house mates, before she’d actually spotted either of them in person. Not that the seventh year cared too much. She had much bigger things on her mind than two Slytherins that couldn’t keep them selves out of trouble. They had much bigger fish to try, and it was just frustrating that some people got them self distracted by little school related drama.

But, of course, Alecto did want to actually see the two. It would be quite amusing after all. She raised an eyebrow at Dahey as she watched him carefully. “I thought he actually fared better than yourself. Or well. That is what I heard”

-

If Dahey had wanted to continue to deal with his housemates, he’d be pouting and nursing his wounds in the common room. Yet somehow he still found himself stuck in a conversation with a fellow Slytherin. Was it too late to sneak into Ravenclaw tower?

There was no way this was going to go well. Especially since Dahey didn’t land any punches, he was knocked to the ground in a single hit. Not that he wanted to admit that. “Can’t believe everything you hear,” he lied. This was a conversation that had played out millions ways, with so many housemates before, for years but Dahey refused to learn how to be better at it. Surely Alecto knew the truth but Dahey needed to keep his pride for as long as he could. 

Alice liked being a prefect. She mostly liked it because it gave her reason to be out at night, which Alice kind of liked. She liked being able to wonder around and be alone sometimes. She was a pretty social person, but she did at times like to be alone. Being a prefect, and having those patrolling duties, kind of allowed her to be alone at times. It worked well.

“I mean…. who knows?” Alice mused a laugh on her lips as she shrugged. “I’ve not offered it to anyone before.” Of course, she let Edith in all the time. But that was an unspoken twin thing. She didn’t let anyone else in. Alice liked sticking to the rules at times. Apart from when she was not sticking to curfew, but nobody needed to know about that. “Mmm. I wouldn’t know. I know the password.” Alice teased, with a little grin. “But…. do let me know how you get on. I’m curious.”

-

Dahey was too much trouble to be a prefect. He had a track record and loved that fact, he did very little to hide it. And he definitely didn’t want the responsibility if only because it was enforcing rules he didn’t care about. 

Pretending to be touched he was the first to be offered, not that he felt honored. Just pointed out why she was the right choice for a prefect and not Dahey, he’d be welcoming friends in like it was a revolving door. In fact, that would be the only reason to be a prefect. 

For the first time, Dahey found himself engaged in the conversation. A challenge? That was speaking his language. He grinned and looked at her. “Are you daring me? To break into your weird private bathroom club? Because I could accept that challenge.” 

Sybill and Dahey were not friends. Which was not a bad thing in and of itself, there were plenty of people Sybill was not friends with. But who was Dahey’s friend? Pandora. Now that may complicate things just a little, because the last thing Sybill wanted was some outside influence telling her that Sybill was too strange and sulky to be a good girlfriend. Her last encounter with Dahey had been a little icy, to say the least. The two didn’t exactly click, which frankly made it even more weird that someone like Pandora was good friends with him. 

Regardless of how well they did or did not get along though she wouldn’t have denied him- or really anyone- help if she saw them alone in a hallway with an ice patch clutched to their face. Sybill shifted the book she was reading under her arm, brows pulling down in concern. “Just tell me he deserved it. I know a healing charm that might work better than a bag of ice, if you want.” 

-

Great. Just what the situation needed. If it didn’t hurt, Dahey would have rolled his eyes. Though he was likely supposed to pretend to be nice, make friends, or whatever. For PJ, at least, but couldn’t he fake kindness at dinner? Or in class? Did it have to be sitting here nursing wounds and his ego? 

“And if he didn’t?” Dahey countered easily but his shoulders slumped in apology. He didn’t mean it, he was just on edge still. Pulling the ice down, he looked up at Sybill with a soft stare and as much kindness as he could muster in the moment. “I don’t know, I can’t get much sympathy without evidence,” he said with a dry laugh, followed by a wince. “And surely feeling like my nose was pushed through to the back of my head is worth the attention I’ll get.” 

“Would your prefer commandeered?” Regulus asked, raising a brow. Still, most of the contempt they held moments before had been exhausted. If anything, Dahey seemed amused by their accusations. It didn’t give them much of a reason to keep pressing. “-And there aren’t any less irritating ways to validate yourself?” They scoffed, “Try journaling. You’ll probably get kinder feedback that way.” It was a strange thing to be so enamored with the watchful eyes of others. They were under enough scrutiny as it were. They couldn’t imagine intentionally drawing more onto themself. 

“I don’t. Clothes aren’t complicated. They either look good on you or they don’t. If you’re torn ask for a second opinion.” Though, that might not have been entirely fair to Dahey. Regulus was no stranger to agonizing over clothes - they had to fit right, look right, cling here but not there - but it tended to only happen at shops. Once the initial fretting was over, they were able to pull out clothes’ that suited them with relative ease. It probably helped that approximately ninety-five percent of their clothes were black. “-Because the green cast is so flattering?” 

“Less irritating ways for you perhaps but that brings us right back to the fact that you are sitting in a communal space, annoyed there are people.” This little back and forth was helping ease the pain of his entire wardrobe betraying him. Dahey had always liked a fight though. 

It wasn’t the first time. It wouldn’t even be the last (hardly Dahey’s favorite realization in this moment) but the consequences of his actions had landed a right hook and now his head felt like a marching band was running through it. Some Slytherin pretentiously named after a city he’d likely never been too thought he could tell Dahey what to do. And Dahey wasn’t in the mood to listen. Quite the opposite, actually, and he ran his mouth until the other Slytherin shut it. 

Now Dahey was left to sulk, tail between his leg, and ice on his eye. He’d be wearing this badge for a few days, his ego would recovery quicker though. Lifting the bag of half ice, half water to reveal a bright pink cheek, Dahey looked up at the approaching footsteps. “You should see the other guy?” 

There was a promise behind Dahey’s words of something more, and Sirius found it terribly exhilarating. There was challenge to the other boy, something about him that Sirius found oddly captivating, and he was letting his guard down more than he likely should. But hadn’t that been Dahey’s effect on him? Sirius swallowed hard, but he offered Dahey a small smile. “Yeah, I guess so.”

Sirius hadn’t really thought about all the not doors in the castle, as he’d been so wholly focused on only the doors so far. “Ah. Hadn’t thought about that,” he said, and he scratched the back of his head. “Got ‘em Christmas morning. Not sure who sent them, they only came with a note. And a map.” He shrugged as he looked down at the keys in his hands. “So how do we figure out what not doors to try this one on?” Dahey seemed to have good ideas.

-

Dahey puffed up with too much undeserved pride when Sirius admitted he hadn’t thought of that. After telling him he was the best looking in any given room, being the smartest was Dahey’s favorite compliment. 

“How...” looking around the general area as if someone would answer his question before he formed it. “You’re just being gifted mysteries and puzzles? All I got was dinner with my brother!” Dahey made a big show of finding said dinner something lame and not at all the best part of his break. Heaven forbid people know about his brother, never mind that Dahey missed him. 

“I’m starting to think your strategy was the right one.” Running his fingers over the key in question as he further inspected it, Dahey was running the statistics on this as fast as his brain could compute. Then he froze, head snapping up to Sirius. “Wait, did you say a map? Do you have that with you? Why aren’t you using it?” 

“The Hanged Man isn’t bad.” She said, leaning over the space between them to pet his hair in reassurance. Everything had seemed very ominous when she had first started all those years ago. PJ knew many of the cards had preconceived natures and meanings but there really wasn’t such thing as a bad tarot card. Cards were just messengers. How they affected your life changed on how their messages got carried.  

“It holds the general meaning of trial and meditation.” She said, running a finger over the drawing. “Upside down like this it means it’s time to take a step back and reassess things. There may be a useless sacrifice you’re making somewhere, a decision that’s not suiting you as well as it could. Give yourself time to think of your next steps and how you’d like to move forward.”

PJ gave her friend a considering look, weighing the information they’d already gathered verse the emotions warring on her friend’s face. “We can do two more if you’d like. It’s your reading, so you get to set the pace.”

–

Dahey let out the breath he wasn’t aware he was holding as she comforted him. It also curbed the mocking comeback he wanted to give towards being told all these cards aren’t actually bad. He didn’t know what he was doing and there was likely very few ways to say ‘the hanged man’ positively. Of course, there was so much happening here beyond what PJ knew and with the cards mirroring that, Dahey was panicking. 

Something that seemed to only be pushed further as she explained the card. There wasn’t any way he could claim this was fake, not as it was doing it’s job way too well. Not that he’d thought it was before this moment but sitting here, pulling the cards from the deck himself, it changed it. PJ was also interpreting them to line up completely with something she knew nothing of. 

All he could do was sit there, reflecting in silence, and running his thumb across the remaining cards in his hand. He definitely needed some time to think. 

“It wasn’t really supposed to be my reading,” he said quietly to the cards on the table. “I thought we were supposed to be helping you with decks. They were giving you trouble, right? I mean, not me.” When his words hit the air, Dahey realized the true meaning and jerked his head towards PJ. “Is this helping?” 

Gilderoy felt electric. The air around them crackled with it, the sort of magic he’d always imagined from storybooks as a child. He could feel his heart tripping a bit with the way Dahey spoke to him, and the afternoon in Paris held between them. Dahey knew what Gil looked like in a dress. The one person in the world with that knowledge.

He had his full attention on Dahey, undivided and complete. Right now Dahey could ask him for almost anything and receive it. Was this what it felt like to be on the opposite end of his own charm? It hardly ever felt this heady, this entrancing. If it did, not like this.

“We could always sneak out. I don’t know all the ways out but some of the Seventh Years showed a few. Who’s to say we can’t stop by the kitchen on the way out? Can’t imagine where we’d find a club though. We could toss glitter around and play disco before leaving that seems almost as good as we’ll get.”

–

Standing in front of his bed, the weight of a limbo he’d created becoming more than he wanted to bear, Dahey moved around the bed. The energy too much to stand still, certainly too much to lay back down (and in this dress? please). Getting caught up in his own appearance as he moved about, thinking about how much better the dorms felt with Gilderoy around before that led to more than he wanted to face. 

Thankfully he was stopped dead in his tracks by Gilderoy suggesting they sneak out. He turned around to face his friend with hope that quickly turned into excitement. For all the time they spent fighting each other, in a rivalry Dahey would likely have to search the rest of his life to properly replace, he couldn’t help but feel like they wasted valuable time. Never more so than when surprises like this came. 

“You’d sneak out?” he asked, trouble already written all over his face. Dahey didn’t wait for an answer either but waltzed over to find shoes. And think about which jacket complimented this look. “I’m not sure which ways you know to get out but a pub in Hogsmeade is likely as near to a club as we’re going to get. Wanna take me out?” 

To be honest now that she had stood still, Alice was figuring out that it was a little cold. She hadn’t quite thought about that before. Maybe she needed to go and have that bath sooner rather than later. She need to keep track of time after all. She had patrolling duty tonight, and she was pretty sure that Frank wouldn’t take get being sick from jumping in puddles as an excuse for bailing. Maybe after she was done talking to Dahey she’d go jump in the Bath.

“Uggh. I love lying in the bath” The brunette murmured, a happy smile on her face. She loved lounging around in the bath. It was one of her favourite things to do. It was just so relaxing. She loved it. “I mean. I quite like being prefect. But I guess it’s not for everyone” Which was good seeing as not everyone was a prefect. “I could always let you into the prefects bathroom though…. one time only kinda thing”

-

Dahey shook his head, his eyes saying so much more than his mouth as she pointed out being a prefect wasn’t for everyone. Then again, there was so much about this school that felt like it wasn’t for Dahey. It was almost tiring to be pushing against it all. Would that be any different at another school? 

The offer was kind. More kindness than he deserved and he knew it. Still, a grin took over his face and he paused to shake the rain from his umbrella. “One time? Who’d take that deal? I feel like once one knows...it doesn’t lessen the want but rather increases it.” Taking a breath to switch from the serious answer to the truthful one, Dahey continued. “And I would find so much more joy in making my own way in. It can’t be that hard, can it?” 

If she had been insecure about herself as a person at all Alice probably would have really struggled with this. But she wasn’t. Not that she felt like Dahey was intentionally being mean. He wasn’t. But she knew if she had been insecure at all, this wouldn’t have gone down well for her confidence. But luckily, she really didn’t give too much of a care about what people thought of her. People might think she was barmy, but that was okay.

“I never lie….” She mused with a little laugh. Of course, that was actually a bit of a lie. But this was something she wasn’t lying about. although she did understand that it wasn’t something that everyone would be up for doing. That was okay. If they were all the same, then the world would be a boring place. “Oh. That’s why I go have a long hot bath after wards. Perks of the prefects bathroom.”

-

Dahey scoffed but didn’t comment when she said she never lied. Everyone lied and they’d be better off admitting they did but he didn’t have the mental energy to get into that discussion here. Instead, he remained quiet and let her have it. She could go on happily believing that and he’d go on happily lying to everyone. 

He did, however, soften for a moment when she spoke about the prefect bathroom and a hot bath. Unable to stop the dreamy sigh as Dahey dropped his shoulders a little. “I lie all the time but this is the truth. The first thing I did when I got to my hotel for break was lay in the tub and I laid there until the water went cold and the bubbles were all gone. That...sounds heavenly right now. Though not worth the cost of being a prefect.” 

“Maybe it’s just some sort of school-related change.” She suggested. Her friend had already gone through so very much change. Any more seemed far too much for her liking. Maybe it would be something nice though. Maybe his brother would start writing him more, that would be a really nice change. And Davin hadn’t been horrid. Maybe a little less… comfortable with himself than Dahey but still very nice. 

“Oh, Justice. Upside down Justice. Hmm. That’s… accusations, and bias and unfairness. Some sort of wrong has happened that needs to be righted. I’m not sure what that could mean. It might not have been done directly to you, maybe you’ve seen it? This is helping though. Pull one more. Readings are usually done in threes or fives, it will be better that way.”

–

Some sort of school related change? Dahey dared to look over at PJ and he knew he was too hopeful in his stare. Too many late nights had been filled with going back to Ireland, leaving the wizarding world and praying credits transferred in any sort of way. Was this deck telling him it was time to do that? 

No, PJ said it wasn’t working right. Surely it wasn’t saying that. Though he might have to unpack how excited he got at the idea. Later. 

He didn’t like the way it felt like he was trying to neatly package what this card meant. Dahey found himself feeling less and less confident in this all. It was so much better when PJ just brought him the information. But he pulled another card from a deck that was clearly sensing his unease. “Why’s it called the Hanged Man? That cannot mean anything good.” 

The panic didn’t match the situation nor was it for the card directly. Dahey was struggling with his own feelings and needed something positive, something obviously good to tell him he was going to be okay. Not something that PJ needed to interpret and convince him otherwise. He placed the upside down card next to the others. “Should I try for two more?” 

“The Hobbit is good, I do like that one. The others are bit too long for me, is that bad? They weren’t unenjoyable, I liked what I got through.” He said, aware that many of the fans found them found a bit of a religious experience. While he hadn’t found a book that was quite that special to him he did understand the foundation of it all.

Gilderoy knew that Dahey didn’t really mean it. They’d been great at boundaries since before break and Dahey hadn’t tried a single thing that would’ve scared him off like others had. He trusted Dahey. Maybe not as implicitly as he trusted Doris but the foundation was there.

As Dahey turned around, Gil clapped and whistled. It really did look absolutely fabulous on him, that dress. His heart tripped a little at the sight and he ignored it. “Well, I don’t look quite as good in a dress as you do, do I? Not that I don’t look good, obviously, but I will admit you look better and no I will not currently give that to you in writing.”

–

As much as Dahey wanted to mock Gilderoy for finding any book too long, he gave as soft and reassuring of a look as he could. It wasn’t bad, just not how Dahey felt. It was all insight into Gilderoy’s mind and Dahey liked that far more than being able to sit around and talk about the finer points of a mythical journey. “I have so many more questions about all of that but...another time.” 

Leaning forward in the appropriately hushed tone, Dahey said “No one does but I know for a fact you look damn good.” Making sure to maintain eye contact, Dahey licked his lips and stood back up. He’d been so ready to curl up and make demands that his hair be played with but now that he was standing here, dressed like this, Dahey wanted to go out. Go anywhere other than these depressing dorms and be seen. He hadn’t a clue where to suggest Gilderoy take him but it was hard to know what to do with himself now. Standing there overdressed and in good company. 

“Do you ever wish you weren’t here at this school?” Dahey asked. Taking a moment before carrying on. “We’re stuck here and if I were back home then we could go out, find a club and make stupid decisions, eat something we’d definitely regret in the morning, lay in a field and complain about the clouds blocking the stars. What can we do here? Shall I invite you to the common room? We can hope for a glimpse of the squid?”