some kind of momentary bliss.

when kitty was first given the news about jacob, she knew she shouldn’t bother to leave the dorm room, so constant was her crying. she chugged water periodically, took shuffling trips to the kitchens to allow the elves to coddle her, and tried not to sob that much harder at any offered condolences. tried not to push people away too far.  

breakfast was her first venture out after a near forty-eight hours of this routine. and her hair was washed! that in and of itself was perhaps why she was even able to go out and feel alright about it --- a good last shower cry before stepping out into the world was very fortifying. she was a crier, and she figured people knew that; but she still didn’t want to show up after two days of semi-isolation and cry into her oatmeal. she couldn’t bring herself to make eye contact or say anything to the people sitting down around her ... until her owl landed in front of her bearing her copy of the prophet.  “ um, “ she started. cleared her throat once, before flicking her gaze briefly upwards.  “ sorry. but I can’t --- I can’t read that. if you maybe wanna read it instead. you can, uh. you can take it. “

He blushed lightly as he moved a little closer so he could actually speak to her, what with all the noise. “I wanted to give these to you. They match your eyes and I thought of you when I saw them.”

“ my eyes are green, jakob, “ kitty said with a small laugh. “ that means all flowers match them, if they’ve got their stems attached ... but, um, thank you. “ she accepted them and gave him a small grin, voice raised a little over the noise. “ how did these even escape being trampled around here? “

Walking up to the other, he smiled, flowers in his hand and bound with some ribbon. “I found these and they match your eyes so I thought of you,” He said, goofy grin still on his face as he offered the flowers to them.  

kitty's eyes widened, glancing from jakob’s smile to the flowers, trying to parce out what the boy was going for --- she couldn’t hear worth a damn in this area, right between the dance floor and a heated game of flip cup. “ sorry, what do you need me to do? “ she asked, cocking her head. 

she hummed, “you alright, love? you look like a deer caught in headlights.” toni took another drag, “want some? it’ll probably help.”

“ shit, “ kitty murmured. she was sure toni was right --- that deer in the headlights thing felt accurate, anyway. so she only waited a moment before agreeing, “ actually, yeah ... thank you. “

“nah, everyone’s good at them and– you know, being bad at them could be considered a good thing.” frank chuckled as he scrunched up his face and pulled at his ears. “just twist your face into what you think would look the funniest– like this!”

“ see --- but what if I’m the one person, like, the only one you’ve ever met and ever will meet, who’s bad at them? “ kitty wrinkled her nose, trying her best to scrunch up her face ... surely that counted, a little? “ I mean, really, if anyone would be the worst at this it’d be me. “

Toni stood by the entrance of the waterfall, soaking in the moonlight and fresh air. She took a short drag before noticing someone approaching, “Hello,” she said with smoke streaming out of her mouth and nose, “Not one for being on time, are we?”

the look kitty threw toni’s way was almost startled; something between that and genuine wistfulness at the party that lay beyond the entrance. " fashionably late. isn’t that what they call it? “ her tone was distracted. no need to mention she was late because she’d almost skipped out.

“Listen, Hestia did a hell of a job on this photo-booth so I’m not taking no for an answer.” Frank plopped down in the seat and held the curtain open for the other person. “C’mon. Strike a pose. Smile? Whatever just come take a few with me.–Though I call funny faces for the first picture!”

kitty stood, fidgeting with a half unsure smile, on the threshold of the photo-booth. she leaned against the wall, against the curtain. she agreed, mostly, that the photo-booth was very well done --- and one of her best alternatives to getting shit-faced right off the bat. “ um ... well, what kind of funny faces? “ she smiled at frank. “ I feel like I’m not too good at them. “

        “ what part of my disposition makes you think i want to be here? ” crossing his arms over his chest, remus pushed back on the legs of his chair, an eyebrow raised in the direction of the other detention-goer. “ or maybe was it something i said? because trust me, i want to be out of here just as much as you. ” 

       “ I don’t want to be here either, “ kitty said on instinct. belatedly, of course, she registered the rest of his statement and realized that he knew that as well as she did. she squirmed in her seat, feeling uncomfortable even as she met his eyes. “ it wasn’t anything you said. but, it’s just. ah, well. I’m serving this for something from last year. s’different. “

“If this is your essay I’m sorry to say you shouldn’t have wasted your time writing it. Do you know nothing about the Goblin wars? I thought that was covered first year. This is truly sad. Surely this isn’t yours.”

“ that’s --- well, that’s hardly fair, isn’t it? there were, like ... the Goblin wars lasted for two centuries. that’s a lot of things to cover, and I do know things. I’m --- um, I’d like to see you give me a complete timeline of events right now, even. “

With a heavy sigh, Severus realized that finishing the assignment was not going to be done sooner rather than later and that he would have to allow himself to be distracted by conversation, something that he really didn’t have time for. If anything else were to pop up and distract him from his studies after this interaction, he was going to have a migraine. Why couldn’t he simply be left alone in the library to his own devices, and couldn’t everything just wait until he was done? 

Why couldn’t she have gone to a professor about her questions? Why him? But she was already here, and it didn’t seem like she would leave until he answered whatever she had to ask. With an unamused expression, he looked up at her, hoping to nonverbally tell her to go away. As if that were as easy as doing a nonverbal spell, Severus only hoped. “Go on,” he finally spoke, “what question might I have the answer to?”

If this was going to be an inquiry that could be found in a textbook, there was no telling what his reaction would be. 

kitty felt her lips folding inwards, something tight in the pull of the skin. she felt like an imposition; not that it mattered, really, as she was here now. nothing would have been worse, she felt, than making a stir with her presence and leaving with no purpose to back it all. better to stew in the jitteriness of the moment, let it take over the air in a mixture with severus’ sigh and the silent beat her fingers were tapping out on her leg beneath the table. he probably didn’t feel jittery; no, that restlessness was hers, as the person asking the question the other didn’t want. 

the good thing was that it was about as impersonal as it got --- nothing to do with her, or him, or other people, no politics or gossip. she cleared her throat, the sound small around her tucked in lips. she released them in a slight smile, already wavery and halfway towards an apology. 

“ ah ... well. it’s for potions club, so, you know, not really something covered in curriculum. couldn’t find any other members here, but I saw you, and figured --- well, you know. better safe than sorry? “ kitty leaned back in her seat, her drumming fingers coming up to flair out in a movement that wasn’t quite a shrug, given how small it was. “ but last year there was the incident with the swamp, you know, eating things. um. so I need to make sure my mixtures check out. trying to cut back ... cut out some trial and error. “

A SMILE stretched across his features, kingsley shrugged. ❝ glad my food choices are kitty approved. ❞ he chuckled as he extended out a plate of sweets toward her. ❝ what some? or an entire plate? i won’t judge. cross my heart.❞

@kttyabbtt

sybill moved with a lightness that felt as though she was floating. earth, wind & fire’s september filling her mind as she made her way to her next class on the song’s beat and sneaking in a snap of her fingers every now and then. she would’ve loved to have a little boogie right then, as she felt a surplus of energy that had to be spent dancing, and she promised herself one when classes ended and she could return to the common rooms and– a familiar head of blonde sat near sybill’s usual seat, causing her mind to pause. she slowed her pace, the song now evaporated to the back of her mind while her gaze studied the back of the girl carefully and bringing up memories of her fingers travelling along kitty’s skin as they lay in bed. how sad it made her feel to find a girl who’d changed so much she couldn’t recognize her. “hey,” she smiled softly, “I hadn’t realized you were in this class.” she truly hadn’t, although she hadn’t been paying much attention the past few classes. she let her backpack fall to the ground as she lowered herself into her seat. they still had a few minutes before class was to start and she wondered if that time would be spent talking or contemplating what had changed.

kitty startled and turned to face sybill, a slight, deer-in-the-headlights smile on her face to cover the immediate flood of guilt at having startled at sybill at all. the other girl was hardly anyone kitty needed to worry about; history, personal, intimate history, told her that the blonde was about as go with the flow as it came. her startling was unnecessary, but would likely go without comment. and still the guilt was there, an alien feeling that felt gross in how it lingered. so kitty shoved her grin wider if not more honest, and turned it towards her desk. it was better to busy herself with aligning her books and notes and parchment than to face sybill again, at least until she’d decided what sort of expression was the best to settle on. that was a new worry for kitty, too, along with the guilt, and sybill --- until a month ago, she couldn’t remember one spare thought towards the look on her face. after that moment composition, kitty slid a slighter smile sideways towards sybill. a peace offering, even if she’d never call it that out loud. “ that, uh. that makes sense. I barely looked at my schedule until absolutely necessary. couldn’t even tell you where I’m going after this ... “ kitty trailed off and shrugged her shoulders up close to her ears. she looked at sybill full on, trying for another smile, and succeeded even if she could feel how tight it was around the edges. “ it’s been a while. “

WALKING DOWN the long corridor from the kitchens, kingslley balanced a plate full of sweets on each hand. As he passed the large still life that formed the entrance to the kitchen, he heard a chuckle behind him. ❝ what? getting any food you can ask for is the only reason i come back every year. ❞ he grinned at the other.

Severus Snape was one to spend hours in either the library studying intensely or the potions classroom brewing new concoctions. Time slipped by him as his mind was completely consumed in the making of unique spells or adjusting potions in his Advanced Potions-Making textbook, all the while telling not a soul about what he was up to. There had been times where he missed dinner in order to finish one of his personal projects, not distracted one bit by his rumbling stomach demanding to be fed, and there were also moments where he was forced out of the library when all he needed was more hour for research. There were rare occasions where the few friends that he had allowed into his life were able to knock some sense into him and take care of himself, but he figured they knew by now what a waste of time it would be to try. 

So when he felt a presence stopping in front of the table at which he was studying, he almost outwardly groaned. He was in no mood for any sort of chit-chat as he was trying to complete his Charms essay on non-verbal spells before beginning on another assignment, both of which were not due for another couple of days. Being a procrastinator was not a characteristic of his, and he was know amongst his professors to turn his work early.

“I could have sworn,” he spoke, not entirely caring if he was being rude or not and it showed in his voice and demeanor by not looking up at the person, “that there was an entirely open table along the way. Why don’t you try occupying that one.” It was a question, he wanted to be left alone to his studies. Knowing his luck, it was someone he regarded as a friend, but he couldn’t be bothered to tear his eyes away from his parchment to look. 

kitty flicked her gaze to Severus with eyes that weren’t nervous so much as they were wary. his demeanor wasn’t so much an issue; kitty was self aware enough to know that as much as she worried about other people’s impressions of her, she rarely remembered they were something you had to look for yourself. any rudeness of his didn’t register half so heavily in her gut as the knowledge that she was going to make a request that would, in all likelihood, be turned down. 

still, she knotted her fingers together in front of her, twisting and pulling at them before she took the plunge and said anything. Severus already knew she was here  ---  already knew she’d yet to leave his table in a rush of deference, or anything of the sort. there was no reason for kitty not to take care with her words in the manner she’d only recently adopted. he’d always struck her, after all, as someone who appreciated someone speaking in carefully chosen sentences. she was new with those, but she could try, right? especially for a favor. “ I might try, occupying it ... but, later. right now I sort of had a question for you, specifically, hence my --- well. hence my being here, I suppose? “ it took her another few long seconds of thinking before she slid into the other seat at the table, bag slung down to rest at her feet. ready for a hasty exit, in theory, though in practice it was probably more ready for her to kick it over without meaning too. 

she had her curious faith that Severus wouldn’t react violently to her inviting herself to the table before being sent away without a question posed. he might be more annoyed with her, but that was fine, she’d never cared much about things like that. she cleared her throat, and clarified, “ a potions question, that is. “

Hestia crossed her ankles over one another, leaning against the cold, rough bricks of the outer wall. She dug into her bag, reaching for her book and quietly opening it as people passed her by. When she glanced up five minutes later, there was someone walking by with their shoe untied. She cleared her throat, tilting her head before offering a half-apathetic smile. “Sorry to bother you. Your shoe’s untied.”

kitty glanced down at her feet, her stop sudden and abrupt. her socks were on their way well down her calves, but that sort of messiness was normal; having shoes untied would lead kitty to an ungraceful spill, and she knew it. there was past evidence to prove it. she looked back up at hestia, a small smile flitting across the bottom of her face through a few wayward strands of hair. “ oh --- hi, hestia. um, thanks ... that would have been a problem. “