black lace && pink moscato

w/ @gemmagamp​ when: after the quidditch match where: the party celebrating ravenclaw’s win

cress placed the near-full cup of firewhiskey back on the table. 

had it been his choice, he would have stayed away entirely from the drink. he had no taste for it. however, earlier on in the evening, a fellow ravenclaw intent on making the most of the festivities and spreading their insobriety, had insisted on pouring him a cup, shoving it in his hands and watching him down a few perfunctory throat-burning gulps before wandering back off into the crowd. 

he had put the cup down, because his stomach was churning. but, even he knew that, as much as it was unwise to drink on an empty stomach, those swallows of firewhiskey were not what was making him uneasy.

the victory on the quidditch field today had felt- oddly hollow. these past few weeks, he had caught himself wondering errantly if he was growing out of quidditch and, today, had only really been another page in the case for it. after all, he had spent the entire time in the air wishing he was somewhere else. and now, surrounded by people who were all to happy to congratulate him on what he had done that day, he could not help but think only of what he had not been doing. 

right on cue, a familiar silhouette manifested beside him. wordlessly, he spelled one of the bottles of firewhiskey to lift itself and fill another one of the empty cups on the table. a twitch of his fingers, the cup floated gently towards the girl. 

“drink?” he offered, thin-lipped. as much as gemma didn’t care for him, he still had to try. the onus was always on him to be civil. “slytherin may have lost tonight, but there are still things to celebrate.”

he wanted nothing more than to ask her the pressing questions on his mind. but this crowded room was hardly the place. “at least malfoy lost, right?” there was a smirk on his face,  “i hope skipping the match was worth it. if i’m quite honest, sometimes, i wish i could do the same. i could get so many things done.”

Gemma wasn’t sure what exactly it was---maybe the triumph running through her veins at getting one over on the MA, or the fact that at this very moment Zeke and Eden were undoubtedly making Lily Potter wish she’d never been born---or maybe it was the almost subservient cast to Cress’ begrudging civility; he may technically be a leader, but they both knew Cress never was, and never would be, her equal.

So she was gracious----outwardly, anyway. “Thanks.” Taking a sip, she gave him a sideways glance, the look on her face all but confirming just how swimmingly the night had gone. “Silver lining, right? Though maybe Ravenclaw had an unfair advantage----Scorpius’ eyesight clearly isn’t what it used to be, if his choice in rebound is anything to go by.”

Silence spread between them for a few moments, before Gemma spoke again. “I have had quite a productive evening. It’s my mother’s birthday soon, so I ordered her a bouquet. Orange lilies are her favorite, and so hard to come by this time of year. But I managed.”

sorry, i’ll be mindful to stand and bow to you next time. his tongue itches to say it, but he doesn’t. he’s used to people like her: people who demand respect rather than commanding it. unlike his father, though, gemma won’t force it out of him. she’s all threat, unless he’s stupid enough to defect. even then, he’s pretty sure he’s skilled enough to get away from her, at least. he shrugs, and the corners of his mouth twist into a smirk. “it’s early. haven’t had my morning coffee yet. and i don’t appreciate being pulled out of an interesting book. neferi created by a weird and confusing kind of magic takes a lot of brainpower to untangle it. but in answer to your question - takes a lot to really make me happy. good news tends to mean you gotta keep doing a lot of hard work to stop it turning bad. i’m trying not to get complacent.”

“complacency and satisfaction aren’t mutually exclusive, diggory. you make ridding our school of blood traitors sound like a chore.” she leans back in the chair she’s taken, propping her legs up, crossed, on the table they’re sitting at. “and considering you didn’t contribute to our current success, i assume all your talk of hard work is in regards to wanting to take part in future endeavors?” 

It was easy to smile at Gemma Gamp, really. As long as you kept imagining all the ways in which the older Slytherin could suffer, it came naturally. Or at least, that was how it worked for Alice. 

Letting out a small laugh, Alice shook her head and rolled her eyes. “Don’t even mention them. I know no one chooses their family, but I must have done something truly terrible in another life to be stuck with those people. Like, seriously. I’m so lucky I was sorted into Slytherin. Imagine how much worse my social skills would be without all of you surrounding me.”

In her head, there was a little cartoon of herself mimicking throwing up. It pained Alice to even say those words. To put herself down for someone like Gemma. Sure, she didn’t like insulting her family either, but that was something she had learned to do as soon as she decided to become a double agent. However, she hadn’t expected she’d have to act so meek, and it disgusted her. 

“Oh, they’re a mess. As usual. They’re running around like headless chickens. If you can believe it, it’s almost like Lily Potter held them together. It’s pathetic. I swear, I even saw one of them trip and fall down on his face whilst he was running. Quite entertaining, though, let’s be real. They’re ridiculously unorganized; it’s a farce.”

“I’m glad you feel that way about them, Alice. I think the time for proving your loyalty with words is over, wouldn’t you say?” They were alone now, in the hallway, and Gemma stopped, halting Alice as well. “Words are meaningless, really; even with all you’ve said, you could change your mind tomorrow and your pathetic parents and siblings would probably welcome you back with open arms, and where would that leave us? You’re not---particularly important, but it’s the principle of the thing.” Gemma reached out, brushing a bit of hair out of Alice’s face and tucking it behind her ear. It would have been a sweet gesture, except for the content of their conversation. “Actions are what truly binds us, and you have more to prove than most; so, what do you think the best way to prove your loyalty to us over your family might be?”

Who: Jade & Gemma ( @gemmagamp ) Where: Outside the Great Hall When: March 1, evening

Jade had a letter for their mum in her pocket and plans to head straight to the owlery before trying to study but when they spotted Gemma, their plans changed. The owls would still be there when they were done chatting and Gemma was … well, Gemma. Jade developed crushes left and right and Gemma was one of the more long lasting crushes because of how pretty and competent she was. So they made their way over to her, beaming. After all, their was a lot to be happy about at the moment. “Hi, Gemma. How are you?”

Gemma had been leaning against the wall, talking to another Slytherin when Jade approached, smile on their face. And Gemma was not really in the mood to entertain---she’d been about to find Wren and make him give up some of his top shelf firewhiskey for her and Genie to enjoy that evening---but being a leader required certain... sacrifices, and humoring Jade Talkalot’s silly little crush on her was a small price to pay if it meant ensconcing Jade, and by extension their siblings, further into their group and cause. “Jade,” She pushed off the wall, smile wide as she grabbed their hands, “Just who I was looking for. Come on,” She pulled them away from the group, “What are you doing tonight? I’m going to make Volant gift me some firewhiskey---or threaten to have words with Odilia about him---are you in?”

Natalia Bardon? Maddison’s brows rose—in interest, in fascination of her senior peer, in surprise. It was a good one, surely, but there was still the smallest part of her that seemed pained at being complicit in the other girl’s torments. “Oh, that’s brilliant.” And it was, truly. Maddison caught herself laughing slightly. “I know—but how did you stomach having to write such things for someone like her? Whether fake or not, it’s still a feat.” She pondered for a moment, running her hands through her hair as she did so. “Hm. If she’s desperate, maybe an hour or so. For my own amusement, I hope she stays enough to see the sun set. But I’ll settle for however long it would take her to cry. That seems good enough.” There was still a bitter taste in her mouth as she said it. 

“Victory stands on the back of sacrifice, Maddison, you know that,” Gemma gave the other girl a sly smile, “And to write such convincing trash, I had to sacrifice my appetite during lunch a few days ago. I mean, to actually mean that?---even you have better taste than that. Most of the time. Speaking of which, who have you got your eye on lately?”

When: Feb 27th Where: Just outside the greenhouse, Hogwarts grounds. Who: Ruben x anyone nearby. Really open here.

The heat of the flame illuminated his lips as he took another drag, pulling from the nearly finished cigarette idly as he gazed out at the forest. The smoke settled in his chest, a light burn warming the back of his throat. Another nasty habit that he picked up from Durmstrang. Young Dutch men were rarely ever seen without a sig between their lips. This was his third in the last hour- almost like an obsessive tick. But he liked the solitude that smoking brought him. An excuse to keep people away so he could be alone for a moment, relax around the solitary that he created.

That was until the air shifted and he wasn’t alone anymore. Ruben’s jaw tightened as he heard someone’s oncoming steps, his eyes finally turning away from the setting sun. He tilted his head as he gazed through the open door and smirked. “Out so close to curfew?” His thick accent purred the words and he moved to lean against the doorway, arms folding across his chest. “What could bring you here so late?”

“I think I’ll ask the questions here, Ruben.” Gemma’s smile was dangerous; the girls would recognize it as one she got when she was bored and decided to entertain herself. She’d just come from a meeting with Zeke; being able to see her older brother a perk of the leadership she’d been entrusted with. “I was hoping to find something to entertain me, maybe a Weasley out after hours that could’ve ended up in the hospital wing next to Vivienne Chang---instead I find you.” Her tone didn’t quite indicate whether that was a disappointment, or not. “And what are you doing out at this hour, hm?” She made a small noise of discontent, “You and Wren with your cigarettes, I swear---it’s a filthy habit, you know.”

Audrey was, for perhaps the first time in her life, sticking to the shadows. She was laying low, she was keeping quiet — she was making sure the spotlight was on anyone but her. The disappearance of one Lily Potter had been anything but a surprise for Audrey — after all, it was her very own sister who had been one of the heads to the operation — but the tension in the castle in the days following was something new, something different. Something no one could’ve expected. And she knew — oh, she knew — one wrong move and suddenly all eyes were on her. In a war of this magnitude, not choosing sides was seen as choosing a side in itself. And in the eyes of her friends and family, the side she had ‘ chosen ’ was wrong.

She should’ve known that the Slytherin common room would be anything but a safe space. So when Gemma spoke up and caught nearly everyone’s attention, Audrey could blame only herself. If she said nothing, if she stayed quiet, that might as well have been her deciding to wear a ‘ Lily Potter Defence Squad ’ t-shirt. Withholding a sigh and putting on a sympathetic frown, Audrey turned to her housemate.  ❛ I’m sure we can rest assured she will soon be safe, ❜  She replied, keeping her words to a safe minimum. What could she possible say to not illicit a response from either those who knew or those who didn’t? It was a terrifying line to try and balance.

Audrey Selwyn was someone constantly on the periphery of their little group; toeing the line between in and out, but never truly one of them; her name and blood, and her older sister’s commitment to the cause, had thus far afforded her the luxury of indecision; and Gemma herself had been perhaps a bit more lenient, a bit more occasionally welcoming than she might have been otherwise because seeing Audrey and Maddison fight for social dominance (as if either of them really held any weight, really) was entertainment she was loathe to give up.

But the time had come where not choosing a side was choosing a side, and Gemma wondered when Audrey would get the memo. But still, she smiled, calculating eyes and gleaming teeth, “Yes, we can only hope she finds herself in good hands soon.” Gemma knew exactly whose hands Lily Potter was in, and it was exactly where the little bint deserved to be. “Then again, who knows? The way she guzzles firewhiskey, all this panic could be for nothing and Lily Potter could be passed out in one of the unused classrooms, sleeping off her latest binge.” The laughter around her barely registered, her eyes kept on Audrey, gauging her reaction.

where: library; restricted section when: monday, february 26th, morning who: open

there’s a girl gone. z heard the plan, of course, and tasted bloody, metallic bitterness in his throat at the idea that they might need him. might ask him to take her. to hurt her. make her squeak. but she was already gone, and he hides that relief in a smile. they’re safe, for now. he doesn’t need to do evil. the worst part is that he’s sort of… not sad about it, no. but he  feels empty. and that’s terrifying. sickening. and there’s nothing that he can fill himself with. so he settles on books: on the library, on poring over information that dances on the edge of darkness, holed up in the restricted section and hoping for some peace of mind - not that it’s at all likely. his wand twirls between two fingers of his left hand: between the fingers of his right, the cross necklace he tries not to let become obvious. he’s so engrossed that he doesn’t hear footsteps between the shelves until his dim firelight becomes even dimmer. “i know bloody well you don’t want this book. and i know there’s plenty of other seats. so why’re you blocking my light?”

“Careful, Diggory, mind your manners.” Gemma slides into the seat across from him, inspecting her fingernails for a moment before her eyes meet his, “You seem tense, Z. And after I gave everyone such good news, yesterday? Does anything make you happy, or...?” Or do I have reason to be suspicious of you? The lingering question went unasked.

Alice loathed these people. Loathed them with her whole entire being. It was one thing to be ambitious; it was another thing to wish for the destruction of others based on their blood. She didn’t know what they had done. She couldn’t even be sure what was going on with Lily right now, and it terrified Alice. And not only because of how Ever would react, but because of Lily herself. Alice felt so useless, and she wished she could just let loose. Just, go ahead and do and say everything she wanted to do and say. But she couldn’t, and so she sat down beside Gemma, her body angled towards the other girl.

Smiling smugly, as though she was proud of being beckoned by Gemma, she walked over to the couch and sat down beside the other girl. Laughing lightly, she shrugged at the other’s question. 

“Lily Potter’s a mess. Simple as that. Something went loose in that girl’s head when her father died. Something that was already not that solid, really. I swear, she’s one step away from hugging a tree thinking it’s him. She’s so… Ugh. I swear, she’s one of the most annoying people I’ve ever met. So righteous, yet so… Weird. Like, there’s something wrong with that girl, and I’m sure you’re right. She must have broken down. Ran away like the coward she is. Know what I heard, once? Apparently she thinks she’s as good as her dad. Which, first of all, gross. There’s nothing to admire about that man. Second of all, it’s like the brighter the hair, the smaller the brain when it comes to her, you know? She’s just… She’s just so weak. She thinks she’s something good, but no one’s going to miss her if she doesn’t come back. She’s a burden on everyone around her, though they all pretend otherwise because they’re scared of what she’ll do.”

Alice hated herself so damn much. She felt nauseous just thinking about those lies before drawling them out. The smirk on her face remained, but she wasn’t thinking about the other Death Eaters suffering anymore; she was thinking just how horrible it all was. Lily was her friend. Sure, they weren’t that close, but she knew Lily would never let her go through what she was making her go through. It felt like acid in her head; the words she was saying. Still, she smirked and leaned back into the couch, tilting her head to the side as she looked at Gemma.

“I also heard she stuffs her bra, but then again, who’s surprised?”

Gemma’s eyes cut across the group, and a small nod sent her way let her know that by the end of the day, Alice’s words would be ringing through the halls of the school---with special mention of who’d said them, of course. “Hm, that’s unsurprising. Anyone who has to drown out their reality with that much firewhiskey can’t be particularly strong, can they? I don’t know how you dealt with it, Alice----between Lily Potter and your sisters, no wonder you have such terrible social skills. I’d choose living life as a recluse over palling around with them, too, don’t worry. We don’t blame you for it.”

Gemma roused herself from her chair, standing, and with that, the spectacle was over. “I forgot, I need to get a book from the library for our Charms essay---Alice, walk with me.” She linked arms with the other girl, leading her out of the common room and through the hallways. “So,” She murmured once she was sure they were alone, “Tell me what they’re saying in the camp of blood traitors and mudbloods about all of this. How is the MA faring with the disappearance of one of their leaders?”

Alice Longbottom was many things. However, no one would ever dare call her was naïve. She knew exactly the situation she was in at the moment. People on both sides didn’t trust her, but whereas one of them would cost her the love and trust her family and the people she loved, the other side could possibly cost her her dignity. The Death Eaters knew how to hit where it hurt, and Alice was well aware of the fact that they’d hurt more than her dignity if they ever found proof of what she was doing, but it was easier to pretend things weren’t that serious. Or at least, it had been up until Lily went missing. 

Alice was no fool either. Though she wasn’t as close to Lily as Ever was, she knew her well enough to know she wouldn’t simply run away. Plus, Alice had perfect sight, and the way the higher up student Death Eaters were acting was as subtle as an elephant in a porcelain shop. Unfortunately, this was nothing but theories, as Alice simply didn’t know, which terrified the hell out of her. She felts so useless right now, so horrible. Wasn’t she supposed to be there for exactly that? To prevent things like this from happening? It was clear; Alice had failed, and she wasn’t sure how she’d ever be able to make up for it. Even if, by some miracle, the Death Eaters were involved, something had happened to Lily. And Alice would never forgive herself if that thing turned out a lot worse than she hoped. Honestly, she wished she could believe Gemma at that moment. Believe that Lily had just run away. Maybe become a hermit in a mountain far, far away. She doubted it more than she had ever doubted anything, but a girl could dream. There was little else that she could do at the moment. 

She knew she had to keep on pretending. She wouldn’t only put herself in danger if she revealed what she was doing now, but also her entire family. And since they were the ones she was doing this for in the first place, to keep them safe, she restrained herself from lunging from her chair to attack Gemma, muggle style. Sure, she was a good duelist, but right now, she felt like using hexes alone wouldn’t be satisfying enough. Alice did manage to stay calm, though, or at least she pretended so. A small smirk present on her face, she flipped through the pages of her astronomy book, listening but not interacting. 

She was pretending to be smiling at what the others were saying, of course, but truly, she was imagining what they’d all look like after a few years in Azkaban. Her mother had once told her it was bad to wish bad things unto others, but Alice felt like even Hannah would agree with her at that moment. These people did not deserve anything good happening to them, and though Alice had initially been proud of being a Slytherin, she was starting to wish she could have been sorted with her sister. Things would have been a lot more simpler if things had unfolded that way.

Gemma’s gaze fell on the younger Slytherin, and her lips curled into a smile. If Alice Longbottom were loyal to their cause, it would be a coup, and while she had technically been welcomed to the fold, the bar someone like Alice had to meet to actually be trusted was high; in Gemma’s opinion, if Alilce wanted to prove herself, she had to go above and beyond. And had she? Gemma didn’t think so, but that didn’t mean there wasn’t still time. And Gemma was more than willing to force her hand, but for now, she’d have her own fun.

“Alice.” Gemma called, waiting for the other girl to lift her head in acknowledgement. With a quick flick of her head, the seat next to her was freed and Gemma reached out to pat it a few times, summoning the other girl to her side. It was not a request.

“Your---sister, is like, besties with Potter, right? So give us the inside scoop---other than the obvious surface-level damage she has. What do you think happened? We’re all friends here, you can be honest.” Her eyes were alight with amusement---whatever Alice said here would be making the rounds through the entire school by dinnertime, Gemma would make sure of that.

Gemma found herself that afternoon in the Slytherin common room, lounging in one of her favorite armchairs and holding court as though she were the newly crowned queen of her house. If the high---the absolute exhilaration she felt was what pure, unopposed victory always felt like, she finally understood Odilia’s love of Quidditch. As much as everything within their organization was technically a group effort, this victory was hers, as far as she was concerned. And she was ready to do whatever it took to ensure their side remained firmly ahead.

“It’s just so sad, don’t you think?” She mused, legs crossed and dangling over the arm of her chair,  “I mean----my bet is that Lily Potter finally cracked under all of the grief and pressure and ran away. I don’t blame her----I think I’d be tempted to make a run for it too if I had to suffer the indignity of being a member of that family----and we all know she’s never been the most.... stable. I can only hope that wherever she is, someone is giving her exactly the help she deserves.” Her words were sweet, coated with honey and a false sincerity, but a sly smile at those surrounding her belied, for those who knew, the true nature of her words. Lily Potter was getting exactly what she deserved.

Gemma’s eyes scanned the room around her, monitoring the reaction of those in the common room carefully. The other piece of information she’d gotten from Natalia----that another leader fot he MA was in Slytherin----was never far from her mind, and with one piece taken off the chessboard, Gemma was ready to focus her efforts on bringing their house to order; that meant finding the leader of the MA who dared to taint their house’s legacy, and seeing who on their own side might not be quite as enthusiastic about recent events as they should be. The time was far past for choosing sides.

Who says I can’t already?

Hm, Professor Chang. Just to see the look on Vivienne’s face when she joins her beau in the sad orphans club. @nerdjocktyrant

I’d let the entire world burn if it meant keeping Zeke or my girls safe. And I’d burn it down myself if anything happened to them.

maddison had to give it to her mother—without her, she couldn’t possibly withstand all the hurtful things that gemma could possibly say to her face. granted, more than half of her belittlement wasn’t aimed at maddison—but she still thought of sending her a birthday letter in thanks. “you think so very highly of me, gemma, it’s humbling.” she said sarcastically, an amused smile appearing over her features nonetheless. “alright, fine,” a sigh of feigned defeat, before pulling her brows taut in curiosity. “i can imagine a handful of more exciting things than a singing valentine, though—oh, does it involve blackmail? or far worse?” it didn’t need to be said that she enjoyed such things, but maddison’s smile only turned more wicked at the thought. 

“Blackmail----I can blackmail Natalia Bardon any day of the week, can’t I? No, we’re going to do something special for Valentine’s Day---or, I already have, really. In----oh, maybe an hour or so? Our dear friend Nat will be waiting down by the lake for her secret admirer, someone who was brave enough to confess their love for her behind an anonymous owl----you know how poetic I can be when I have a mind to. And she was stupid enough to believe it. Do you want to make any bets on how long she’ll wait down there before she realizes nobody’s coming?”

“Insecurity and doubts are for ugly people lacking in power and talent. So no, I have no doubts about where I’ve chosen to be.”

“When our relationship was exciting, I did. But then it wasn’t, so I didn’t. Not that he cared much about me either, if how quickly he moved on with that miniature half-breed is any indication. Clearly I made the right decision.”