lazarus

a multimuse blog dependent on winkingwitch. home of blaise zabini, anthony goldstein, cormac mclaggen, and lisa turpin. penned by adair. please do not interact if you are not a part of winkingwitch!

— ⛧ BLAISE ZABINI  ▪  20 years old, sixth year, slytherin house, pureblood.  ⌑  intro ╱ navigation.

— ⎔ ANTHONY GOLDSTEIN  ▪ 20 years old, sixth year, ravenclaw house, half blood. ⌑  intro ╱ navigation.

— ࿏ CORMAC MCLAGGEN   ▪ 20 years old, sixth year, gryffindor house, pureblood. ⌑  intro ╱ navigation.

     𝐬𝐚𝐯𝐚𝐧𝐧𝐚𝐡  takes  a  deep  breath  as  she  enters  the  library.  the  smell  of  books  has  always  been  almost  therapeutic  in  a  way,  and  after  the  'incident’  earlier  today  it  was  just  what  she  needed.  her  family  library  was  impressive,  as  she  came  from  a  long  line  of  ravenclaws  who  enjoyed  burying  the  nose  in  a  good  book…  but  nothing  really  beat  the  hogwarts  library.  after  finding  the  book  she’s  looking  for,  she  makes  her  way  to  her  favorite  little  corner  of  the  library.  she’s  looking  down  at  the  book  in  her  hands  as  she  arrives,  her  wand  in  her  other  hand  to  cast  a  small  warming  spell  (  why  must  the  library  be  so  frigid?  )  before  she  looks  up,  startled  that  someone  else  is  already  there.

     "𝐨𝐡,  hello  blaise.“  she  smiles  at  the  slytherin  in  front  of  her.  "i  guess  we  had  the  same  idea.”  she  speaks  referring  to  empty  library.  "don’t  worry,  i’m  not  here  to  talk  your  ear  off  about  what  happened  earlier  today.  i’m  just  here  to  do  a  little  reading.“  she  responds  after  he  (  unsurprisingly  )  snaps  at  her.  "but  i  can  totally  find  somewhere  else  to  do  it.”  she  hastily  adds, turning  to  leave  as  quickly  as  she  came.

blaise is reluctant to lift his gaze away from the book in front of him, but he does so out of instinct; a byproduct of the years of etiquette classes his mother forced him to take as a child to hone his skills before he was thrust into high society gatherings. he gives her a nod in greeting, relieved that it's just savannah and not some eager little underclassman wanting to chip away at what limited patience he has left. he's familiar enough with savannah due to her previous relationship with draco, though blaise has always admired her thirst for knowledge even before that, the two of them having had an amiable, yet distant acquaintanceship. in fact, he would go so far as to say that she's one of the few on his very short list of people in the castle that he can actually tolerate being around for any extended period of time.

“you think i’ve come to engage in a conversation,” his voice does it’s best to mimic blaise, though he’s not sure he could ever sound that posh or tense, “about all the shit professor snape gets up to in his free time?” it’s hardly shocking that he’s being bribed by parents - especially because greg’s dad used to do the very same. though, over the years, he’s decided that it’s not worth the investment. it’s amounted to failed o.w.l.s and annoyed mates, like the very one that sits beside him now, trying to help with his assignments. an annoyance for all of them, really. greg sighs, sliding down further in the chair as he covers his face with his hands. he’s exhausted - yet relieved to get to sleep in the slytherin dorms tonight, as he’s always had his best sleep there.  “though i sure as hell didn’t come to study, either,” greg notes, peeking out between the spaces in their fingers, and towards whatever textbook he’s got laying out on the table. in truth they tried to seek out a quiet and dark place to help with an annoying headache, but had actually forgotten students would already be using it. they’ve got a few hours before the bonfire later tonight, so maybe a nap in the library would do. “what could you possibly be working on already?”

his gaze lifts up towards the source of the voice next to him, a slight tilt of his brow the only hint of emotion in his otherwise impassive expression. "yes, well, that part wasn't exactly surprising, now, was it?" he responds, not bothering to elaborate further given the fact that they both know exactly what he's referring to. it's not meant as a criticism, moreso a statement of fact, given that they're both well aware that greg is now going it alone without any help from their greasy old potions master, due to the long hours both he and draco have put into attempting to tutor their housemate after his father stopped paying for his grades.

     𝐟𝐞𝐲  had  to  be  on  her  third  or  fourth  drink,  and  it  was  quickly  becoming  evident  as  she  teetered  around  on  the  three  inch  heeled  boots  she  had  insisted  on  wearing.  her  unruly  curls  were  tied  up  into  a  ponytail  that  fell  around  her  shoulders  as  she  threw  back  her  head  and  downed  the  rest  of  the  firewhiskey  in  her  cup.  setting  her  empty  cup  down  on  the  drink  table  she  made  her  way  towards  the  bonfire,  the  alcohol  warming  her  stomach  and  putting  a  blush  on  her  cheeks.  she  sticks  her  glove  covered  hands  near  the  fire  to  warm  them  before  she  feels  a  presence  next  to  her.  she  turns  to  the  voice  taking  in  the  sight  of  lisa.

    “𝐲𝐨𝐮  didn’t  poison  it  did  you?”  she  questions,  a  slur  evident  in  her  voice.  "it  looks  decent.“  she  ponders  aloud,  taking  the  small  vial  from  the  girl  next  to  her.  their  friendship  was…  complicated.  not  friends,  not  enemies.  something  in  between.  frenemies,  as  they  called  them  in  those  cheesy  teen  muggle  drama’s  (  that  she  would  never  admit  she  watches  ).  "i’ll  try  it.”  she  pops  the  lid  off  the  top,  taking  a  small  sip  of  the  liquid  inside.  "what  did  you  put  in  this,  it’s  so  good…“  she  smiles  at  the  other  girl, a small giggle escaping her lips.  "yep.  definitely  poisoned.”

fey's comment has lisa rolling her eyes playfully, though she'd honestly expect nothing less from the other girl. they'd always had this backhanded sort of banter, and though she does like fey well enough, she wouldn't say they're close by any means. "oh no, you caught me," she quips, sarcasm dripping from her tone. "can never get anything past you, can i?"

despite her words, she still hands over the vial easily, watching as fey tries it, a smug smile spreading across her lips at the compliment. "it's a top secret recipe," she informs her with a wink, before she's letting out a giggle of her own, revealing her own inebriated state. she summons an empty cup and takes the vial back from her, filling the cup to the brim and handing it to her, before taking the time to top up her own glass.

“mm, i do, mclaggen. it’s quite the vulgar mouth indeed.” she remarked, biting into her lip slightly when his tongue made its appearance. she had to shake her head to get those thoughts out of her mind, they weren’t here for that…not out in the open at least. she watched closely as the cup pressed against his lips, moving to catch his gaze at her over the rim. “bloody hell, bell. get yourself together.” she mumbled to herself. cormac and katie had a special bond. if you call hooking up after almost every quidditch match a bond. she was a woman with needs…and he was always willing to help.

“i’d have to argue you on that one.” the female replied, smirking. “i think you’ve been under me most of the time.” katie took another sip of her own drink, the feeling of the alcohol coursing through her veins starting to hit her. “love makes people do crazy things, cormac. we’ll never truly understand it.”

the response cormac elicits from katie has his smirk widening as he looks at her, a swell of pride surging through him at the way she's watching him, the look in her eyes the same one he usually receives from her after quidditch matches. he can't help but to hold her gaze, only breaking it to throw his head back as he chuckles, before leveling his gaze back at her, an amused grin present on his lips. "you've got me there. but i can't help it when you're so good at it, darling," he teases coquettishly, looking like the cat who got the cream.

lee’s   perched   on   the   nearest   chair   in   front   of   the   fire,   decompressing   after   previous   company   left   to   replenish   whatever   drink   they   were   nursing.   he   would’ve   followed   but   tonight   he’s   limited   himself   to   two   or   three   drinks,   a   fact   that’s   becoming   increasingly   clear   as   he   stares   down   the   remnants   of   the   liquid   in   his   cup.   this   was   unlike   him,   sure,   but   he’d   be   lying   if   he   said   he   wasn’t   a   little   paranoid   after   today’s   events.      better   safe   than   sorry,   he   mused,   though   sorry   began   to   look   a   lot   more   inviting   when   he   discerned   the   horribly   familiar   voice   of   one   cormac   mclaggen.   nevermind   any   sensitive   information   he   might   divulge   in   a   drunken   stupor,   at   least   he   wouldn’t   remember   the   awkward   conversation   he   was   sure   would   ensue   (   as   it   has   time   and   time   again   ).   

his   question   elicits   a   laugh   but   lee’s   quick   with   a   response.   “   oh,   the   other   way   around,   no   question,   ”   he   blurts   with   the   conviction   of   someone   who’s   thought   about   it.   “   no   one   who   tops   would   wear   those   godawful   robes   dumbledunce   loves,   ” this   is   true   —   lee   wouldn’t   be   caught   dead   in   that   get   up.   “   you   gotta   give   it   to   the   man   though.   i   can   only   hope   excalibur   will   one   day   inspire   that   kind   of   senseless   behavior.   ”   and   who’s   excalibur,   you   might   ask?   well,   only   cormac   and   a   slew   of   lee’s   other   amortentia   matches   could   answer   that.   

the sound of lee's laugh has cormac feeling far too smug, both in the fact that he's managed to make lee laugh, and that he's responding with any sort of sincerity. he can't help but snicker into his cup as he listens to the other's response, taking a long swig of his drink before he's turning his full attention to his housemate next to him, raising a brow. "you do have a good point there, i will admit," he allows with no shortage of amusement coloring his tone, though lee's next words have him stifling a laugh, his gaze traveling along the boy's form, stopping with a very pointed look before he's flicking his gaze back up to meet lee's.

 ¹.    you  can  hear  parvati  audibly  gag  from  her  seat.          if there’s one thing she could count on cormac mclaggen for     (&  she  truly  does  only  mean  one),     it’s to be the biggest dog on this side of the uk.          if she didn’t,     unfortunately,     know from personal experience,     she’d even swear there was a wagging tail hiding under those robes.

        “fucking  hell,   cor,   keep  your  wank  fantasies  to  yourself.          don’t  damn  the  rest  of  us  to  knowing  what  goes  on  in  that  thing.”          she takes a shot to chase the image away,     &   then another for good measure.          “now,     do  you  promise  to  behave  or  do  i  have  to  bat - bogey  you  out  my  space?”

cormac can't help the smirk that immediately spreads across his lips when he looks over at parvati's expression, his night having just gotten infinitely more interesting in her presence. "aw, but you've had a front row seat to exactly what goes on inside of my brain, and my wank fantasies," he teases, before taking a sip of his drink, feeling far too smug for his own good.

 ¹.    “oh!”          is the first thing out of her mouth,     followed by,     “oh.”     when she looks up for long enough to realize just who she’s standing in front of.          shit.          the stain disappears,     but her embarrassment lingers,     heating her face.          she should just say sorry,     run off,     &   find her sister.          but she does none of that.          in fact,     she does nothing but stand there,     like a stupefied gnome.          all she can seem to do is look.

        before she can break the silence herself,     or finally will herself to run off into safety like the coward she’s never been,     there’s another body bumping into hers,     sending her forward into his arms.           “oh!”          she wants to slap herself     (is  oh  the  only  word  she  knows?),     but her hands are currently occupied by anthony’s chest     -     something she’s trying very,     very     hard not to think about.          but at least that breaks through her distraction   &   uncorks her voice box from its hiding place in her throat,     a huff of laughter that doesn’t sound anything like her own paving the way.          “i  guess  it’s  my  turn  to  apologize.”

anthony can't help but stare back at astoria with wide eyes, his embarrassment at spilling a drink on her mixing with his astonishment at seeing her there and his bewilderment at the fact that she’s even more beautiful than he remembers; a flurry of emotions surging through him all at once. the silence is pressing in on them both as they stare at one another, neither one breaking it before they're pushed together, a gasp escaping his lips as his hands instinctively move to wrap around her waist to steady her.

his heart is threatening to beat out of his chest at their proximity, but he can't seem to pull himself away from her, instead opting to just stare at her in awe, drinking in the features that he's missed so much, that he worried he'd never see again. "oh, no, no need to apologize," he assures her after a moment, giving a stilted laugh of his own as he forces himself to pull away from her, but just barely.

 ¹.    “you  are  never  beating  the  “books  are  my  friends”  allegations,   zabini.”         while she,     unlike some,     is not a huge buzzkill,     she’s still a slytherin,     &   that means she knows when to pick her battles.          sure,     she’ll take this opportunity to let her throat rest from harping on about hurricane dumbledore,     but that doesn’t mean she’s doing it in the library.          “don’t  be  so  boring,     blaise.          c’mon,     picnic  by  the  lake?          bring  your  precious  books  if  you  want,     i  just  need  some  sun       …       haven’t  you  noticed  these  halls  feel  more  like  caskets  each  time  we  come  back?”

       she tugs on his perfectly done tie,     making sure he faces her for the incoming pout coming his way.          it hasn’t failed her in six years.          “i’ll  even  sneak  some  butterbeer  from  the  kitchens.          or  something  stronger!     -     if  you  don’t  grumble  all  the  way  down.”

the sound of tracey's voice has blaise raising his eyes to level her with a blank stare, despite the fact that she's is one of the most preferable options for him in terms of company here at the castle. she's also one of the few people he'd actually kept in regular contact with over the break, though mostly due to tracey's insistence and the fact that he's not one to deny the girl much of anything, much to his dismay. including now. "and you're never beating the 'pain in my arse' allegations either, at this rate," he quips back, waiting until she's tugging at his tie to finally break out of his usual indifferent expression.

luna was never one for parties, seeing as she’d much rather spend her time reading or petting all the magical creatures all over the campus. trying to be more social this year, the blonde found her way to the bonfire, eyes searching for anyone that she knew where she could feel secure. she saw people playing games, drinking heavily, and even snogging off in the corners and all she wanted to do was go back inside. but, right as she was about to turn on her heels and go, someone ran straight into her, knocking her hot cocoa all over her new dress. “bloody hell,” she said under breath as she looked down, sighing at the giant stain that covered her front.

it wasn’t until she looked up to say something when she noticed who had run into her: anthony. an old friend in her house that was always nice to her. “i-it’s quite alright..” she mumbled, eyes watching as the stain disappeared with a flick of his wrist. “don’t worry about it. accident happen.” the blonde said with a soft smile, tucking hair behind her ear.

the sound of luna's voice has anthony's eyes lifting to lock with hers, his cheeks slightly flushed both from the alcohol he's consumed and from his embarrassment at the whole ordeal, his hand coming up to rub at the side of his neck as he gives her a sheepish smile. "thanks, luna. i promise it wasn't on purpose," he swears, and he takes a moment to breathe a sign of relief at the fact that she doesn't seem to be upset by it.

katie bell loved hogwarts more than anything. it was where she could be herself, playing her favorite game. it felt so nice to be able to back in her old stomping grounds again. her jock status hitting her as soon as he walked on campus. the bonfire was fun, but the female just found herself wandering around the space, ghosting a few conversations with younger students who were fans or some old friends she hadn’t seen in months. drinks had been handed to her and she downed them, not really caring about the amount. she wandered around with another cup, stopping in her tracks when she saw cormac sitting on a log near the fire.

smirking to herself as she heard the words leave his lips, she plopped down next to him. “jesus, c. vulgar mouth much?” she said with a laugh before taking another sip. “i bet he bottomed. he was the punier of the two. you and dumble have that in common.” the female said, nudging his arm.

cormac glances over at katie at the sound of her voice, a smirk slowly spreading across his lips at the sight of his teammate. "c'mon, bell, is it that surprising? you know just how vulgar my mouth can be, after all," he teases with a raise of his brow, flicking his tongue lewdly at her just to see her reaction. he can't help but chuckle after, bringing his drink up to his lips for a long sip, eyeing her over the cup as he does so.

millicent loved hogwarts. why? the boys. she had to behave herself in the muggler world, acting like a good little girl who listened to her parents. but at hogwarts, she could be her true self: a hoe. they hadn’t even been back to school a week and there was already drama. the gossip flew around campus like a snitch at a quidditch game. it was everywhere. of course, millicent loved gossip, she thrived on it. but hearing the same news over and over was starting to get on her nerves. millicent decided to be  a ‘good student’ and find her way to the library to study for her charms assessment. 

wandering to her favorite corner in the back of the library, the female plopped herself in one of the big comfy chairs, reaching over to grab her books from her bag. not paying attention to who was around her, the female heard a familiar voice coming from the chair next to her. zabini. one of the few people she had been excited to see this year. “oh, i thought you were always on for drama, zabini.”

millicent's words have blaise casting a glance over towards her, his head tilting as he appraises her, the corner of his lips are tipping up in a whisper of mirth. "if it's worth my time, sure," he agrees with a nonchalant shrug, tone a mix between bored and amused. "hearing the same sodding thing two hundred times in the span of a few hours takes the fun out of it, though. ruins the excitement." he shifts his gaze back towards his book and parchment, placing his quill back into the inkpot before he's glancing back over to her.

       she was giggling at a ravenclaw who was casting illusions into the fire when the intrusion on her personal space occurred, splashing her drink (  she had gratefully switched from hot cocoa to daisyroot draught an hour before  ) all over her robes. as quick as it happened, anthony’s wand was raised to her torso, cleaning the mess. “golly, goldstein. i knew you were a smooth operator, but this is a brilliant way to get a girl to notice you.” lavender giggled again, her tipsyness saving anthony from any negative reaction. 

“i haven’t seen you since king’s cross last term.” she stated, taking another sip of her drink. “how’ve you been? especially with all this happening?” the girl smiled, looking for a reaction on her face. she and anthony shared the same secret, though it didn’t exactly seem serious enough for the winking witch’s taste, it was still a secret she wanted to keep, and she wondered if he did as well.

upon the realization that it's lavender who he'd run into, anthony's embarrassment slowly began to fade, the ravenclaw mostly just grateful that it turned out to be someone that he's actually comfortable with, who he would hope wouldn't take offense to the misunderstanding. his eyes lift from her now-clean attire up to meet her gaze, a slow grin forming on his lips at her reaction, all of the tension slowly bleeding out of him. "well, it's been months, darling, and you know i do like to make a splash," he quips with a smirk, referring to a brief midnight tryst the two had in the prefects' bathroom towards the end of last term.

at the sight of her taking a sip of her drink, he takes a sip of his own, trying not to let his eyes linger too long on her lips. "a crying shame, if you ask me. far too long," he notes with a put upon sigh, moving closer so he can nudge her playfully. "i've been alright, though. spent majority of the summer at zach's, as always, which was fun," he evades any mention of the winking witch for as long as he can, before giving a shrug. "i suppose it could be worse. at least whoever this is isn't tearing into students just yet. let's just hope we're never one of them," he continues, his voice lower now to make sure no one could hear him.

 the  way  it  seemed  as  though  draco  could  find  no  sense  of  peace  and  quiet  in  this  abysmally  large  castle  was  truly  a  catastrophe.  while  draco  was  the  first  to  appreciate  a  job  well  done  of  putting  someone  in  their  place,  the  recent  gossip  spreading  like  wildfire  throughout  each  grade  proved  to  be  more  mentally  exhausting  than  he  anticipated.  interesting  and  positively  delightful  at  first,  it  continued  to  be  on  the  tip  of  every  student’s  tongue  in  a  mile  radius  and  draco  bored  easily.  he  soon  found  himself  more  intrigued  by  the  entity  behind  the  expose  —  clearly  they  wished  to  be  feared,  desiring  some  sort  of  hold  over  the  student  body.  while  draco  could  see  the  appeal,  he  had  to  admit  that  if  you  were  to  publicly  expose  someone  for  being  a  pillock  then  it  was  best  done  with  your  name  attached  rather  than  hiding  behind  a  sense  of  cowardly  anonymity.

 with  a  school  half  full  of  dimwitted  neanderthals  adverse  to  picking  up  a  book  and  being  able  to  distinguish  their  arse  from  their  elbow,  the  library  was  a  natural  place  to  go  seeking  refuge.  surely  it  would  be  filled  with  likeminded  individuals  who  grew  tired  of  every  conversation  of  theirs  being  turned  into  half-baked  speculation  over  the  person  behind  the  gossip.  ❝  excuse  me,  zabini.  do  i  look  like  a  gryffindor  to  warrant  such  vitriol  on  your  end  ??  mind  your  tone,  ❞  draco  huffs  out  in  playful  indignance  before  placing  his  schoolbag  down  beside  the  table  and  settling  down  in  the  seat  across  from  blaise.  ❝  besides,  i  think  you  give  those  dunderheads  too  much  credit.  do  you  think  they  would  step  foot  into  the  library  on  their  own  free  will  if  that  gossip  rag  is  what  holds  their  interest  ??  ❞

though blaise hadn't given much thought to who might have been the new occupant of the chair beside him, it's not entirely surprising when he hears the familiar voice of none other than draco malfoy coming from the form. he lifts his gaze with a raise of his brow, his lips quirking up at his housemate's indignant tone. he makes a show of looking him up and down, tilting his head as though he's actually considering it. "well, you are looking rather brave, mate," he jokes, deadpan. he gives a shrug after a quick moment, continuing, "hm, just a bit more foolhardy twattishness and i'd be convinced. but ultimately, no. a slytherin through and through, luckily for you."

he relaxes into the back of his chair with an air of elegance learned from years and years of practice, the lived experience of being born and bred into high society, and casts a cursory glance around them as he twirls his quill gracefully between slender fingers, before resting his gaze back upon the wizard next to him. "you certainly have a point there, malfoy. the bulk of the student population practically needs to be lured over to this section of the castle," he acquiesces, his expression bordering somewhere between boredom and reluctant interest -— his natural state when he's around his friends, rather than the boredom and slight annoyance he displays with everyone else.

“please,” pansy huffed, “if i truly wanted to waste my breath on that, i’d go to lav––not you.” as she spoke, wand in hand, a book was summoned from one of the shelves above them and came to land quietly on the table in front of her. blaise’s company was a welcome addition to her plans, but she hadn’t been seeking his company by choosing the library as her place of reprieve. if she had to hear one more lousy piece of gossip about the cowardly winking witch, she was going to change the entire trajectory of the year by offing herself in front of the entire student body in what was sure to be a most traumatic and gory scene ( in true pansy fashion ).

“and don’t ever mistake me for some simpleton ever again, zabini. i’m here in light of an invite that found its way to me.” between manicured fingers, held up was an invitation spelled to be blank for anyone’s eyes but her own, and she could hardly hold back the amusement in her voice as she began reciting it back to him. “messrs blaise zabini and draco malfoy cordially invite you..”

mostly, she was intrigued. “who all will i be forced to interact with for this little group of yours in the name of valuing erudition?”

the sound of pansy's voice has blaise's gaze lifting from the tabletop in front of him to connect with hers, his brow lifting the only sign of interest on his otherwise impassive face. "lav?" he asks, tone deadpan. "well, now i'm just hurt. and here i thought i was your closest friend and confidant." the corner of his mouth quirks up at that, the only indicator of his teasing, though he knows that she knows him well enough to tell the difference at this point, regardless.

"wouldn't dream of it, pans," he retorts with an eye roll, before his eyes are drawn to the invitation held out in front of him, immediately spotting it due to the familiar wax seal and ribbon he'd put there himself. he glances from the invitation back up to pansy's face, a ghost of a smirk forming on his lips as he regards her with interest.