how rare & beautiful.

          ❛      I  suppose  that’s  one  way  to  rectify  the  situation    .     I’m  afraid  my  parents  prefer  a  far  more  permanent  means  of  correction    .    But  cooking     ,     huh     ?     And  how  is  that  working  out  for   you     ?    ❜

“ --- well, my parents like kibsy. and realistically, i don’t think we can afford another elf, but i’d like to think that isn’t the only reason they don’t, ah, use that means of correction. ” she shrugged, a small smile appearing on her face. “ --- i like it, actually. it’s a really calming way to pass the time. ”

send “%” for a CURIOUS text.

[  sent 7:33 pm  ]  what channel is your show on again?

send “✉” for a text that WASN’T SENT.

          ❛      It  was  lovely    ,     by  the  way     .     My  break     .      But  I’m  happy  to  be  back     .     Between  you  and  me      ?      The  food  is  much  better  here     .     ❜

“ --- oh, definitely. we just have the one elf at home, and i love kibsy, but she’s so old that half the time she forgets she was cooking and burns dinner to a CRISP. i’ve started just making my own food. ”

                  ❛     Hmm    .     I’ll  allow  it    .  .  .    but  you’re  walking  on  thin  ice     ,     Daisy     .     In  fact     ,     some  of  the  less  understanding  folk  might  even  consider  you  nosy     .        ❜

“ --- well. thank merlin you’re so understanding, then. ”

                ❛     I’m  not  interested  in  an  interrogation    .                                                                 But  a  conversation       ?        That  I  can  do     .       ❜

“ --- does it count as an interrogation if i ask you how you enjoyed your break ? ” 

“Was it something I said?”

“ --- no ! no, not at all. it’s just ... well, you’ve got something stuck between your teeth. ”

“Now that’s a right nasty bruise.” Hannah eyed the individual up and down. “Quidditch accident, drunk mishap? Or did you get violently hit with a stick? Been there, done that. Gives you a tough look, I’d just say it was a quidditch accident. Sounds a mighty lot better than getting hit with a stick.”

“ --- WOW, i wish it was because of something that exciting. sorry to disappoint -- i just walked into my bedframe the other night. it was late, and i didn’t want to turn on a light and wake anyone up, and, well … ”

“NO –” he blurted rather loud, as if the volume would make her BELIEVE him, “it wasn’t like that – we were drunk and fuck, i sound like a prick, but it didn’t mean anything and that’s MUTUAL –” greta didn’t care for him, her reaction to their morning after was all the reassurance that he needed. 

“ --- okay, ” daisy said slowly, wanting more than anything to escape this conversation, to not talk to gideon about his one night stands. she licked her lips, trying to organize her thoughts. “ --- well, that’s ... ” good? bad? she didn’t even know. “ --- could -- could you talk to fabian about it ? ” she asked hesitantly, her suggestion weak and unsure. she immediately felt selfish, searching for an escape from talking to her best friend about something that was obviously bothering him. she knew she should be there for him. “ --- i mean, if NOT, i’m here for you, ” she added, her heart tearing a little in her chest.

                 ❛   what are you trying to do to my poor brain, dais ? the picture’s your sticking in there   ❜    his expression disapproving as he shook his head with teasing dramatics.  he shifted in his chair, turning to face her at the sharp lurch in his chest.    ❛   i make a point to do one selfish thing a day. it’s done wonders keeping me sane… . you really want to hear something ?   ❜

“ --- i’m sorry, sturg, i need you to suffer with me. misery loves company, ” daisy replied unapologetically, before tilting her head at him with a sudden, small grin. “ --- THERE, there’s my selfish deed of the day. it’s your turn now. ” at his question, she nodded, lifting her shoulders slightly. “ --- yeah, of course. always. ”

“i’d hate ME if i were him–” he admitted quietly, he felt sick – merlin, it was wretched and despite the time that lapsed since the incident, he couldn’t shake that AWFUL feeling, “i spent the night with catchlove–” he muttered, he couldn’t meet her GAZE. he was a COWARD and he knew it and yet he couldn’t see the disappointment of what he had done on her face. he could barely imagine his brother and yet seeing it on HER and her knowing how selfish he truly was, his gaze stayed glued to his hands. 

she hated seeing him like this. daisy wasn’t used to being the positive one in their relationship -- she was used to being the quietly cynical one following in gideon’s buoyant, idealistic footsteps. she hardly knew how to be optimistic, but she resolved to try, whatever the problem was, for his sake -- and then he told her. he’d slept with greta catchlove. it didn’t come as an unpleasant shock so much as a dull confirmation of what she’d already known -- that she wasn’t special. her feelings were unrequited, and always had been. he wouldn’t like someone like her. of course he wouldn’t. part of her wished she could be like gideon, able to have meaningless one night stands and be a regular teenager without over-analyzing the consequences of every possible action. but then again, looking at the defeated boy in front of her, she wasn’t sure which of them had it worse off. “ --- oh, ” daisy said, again, trying her best to keep her voice free of disappointment. “ --- well ... do you -- do you like her ? ”

“ --- uh ... yeah. i mean, i’m not exactly don juan. ”

“ --- um ... RAISINS in cookies when you were expecting chocolate chip. ”

“i might as well be –”  he was a MESS, he couldn’t get fabian to talk to him or well his letters keep coming back to him, he could take a HINT and his behaviour was enough to tell him that he knew. he didn’t think it could get more awful until he saw HER – hookum, his friend and in his heart, a bit more had him wrecked with guilt. which was so STUPID because she was one of the few people who shouldn’t elicit that reaction out of him and yet here he was wanting to bury himself ten feet under.

“i think fabian HATES me or well, i KNOW that he does –”

“ --- oh, ” daisy said, because she didn’t know what else to say, out of sheer surprise. but she recovered quickly. “ --- i’m sure he doesn’t hate you. i mean, maybe it feels like he does now, but he’s your brother. you guys will work it out. ” not that daisy was an expert on brothers, she reflected wryly. the last time she’d had a brother was when she was three. “ --- but wait, sorry, i think i missed something. since when does fabian hate you ? and WHY ? ”

“i guess i must need to catch up on sleep or something.  i collided with a suit of armor when i was running late to charms this morning and i apologized to it.  twice.  to make things worse, flitwick saw it.  and he laughed at me.  it’s all over.”

“ --- maybe it’s a good thing you apologized. it could help you if all the suits of armour turn out to be SENTIENT, which, you know, with this castle ... ”

            ❛   of course you were.  ❜    sturgis noted, studying her features with an unreadable expression. he suddenly beamed, leaning his elbow against the table with palm cradling his chin    ❛   still good acoustics in the bathroom, i’m sure you couldn’t avoid jamming out the whole night.    ❜

“ --- i did like the FEW songs i heard over the ... well, the vomiting, ” daisy agreed, the corner of her mouth quirking in amusement. “ --- maybe next time i’ll be selfish and watch your show properly. let the fifth years get sick on their own time. ”