repentance

“ and why would that be of interest to me ? am i invited to said bed —– ? ”

One eyebrow shot up towards his hairline and a slow smirk formed on Percival’s face. Two could play this game. “Why, would you like to be?”

     “Oh no, I’m not quite delusional yet. I was just making sure it was me you were talking with that tone. You know how fond I am of it.” It  was a constant routine with them both and he knew if it didn’t happen then he’d just feel like something was missing in his day. “I was going to meet with someone but they cancelled and then I got caught people watching.”

“If it’s only that.” The snark had become part of their relationship at some point, a way for them to communicate even. If it was there, all was well. If it wasn’t, if one of them answered the biting comments only with silence, then they knew it was bad. There was a sense of security in that knowledge. “Their loss then. Anyone interesting come by?”

   “Yeah.. I’ll say.” She rolled her eyes as he passed by her. Roxanne didn’t want to add fuel to the fire in the moment only because she was tired already and she just wanted to get to the Slytherin dorms. She crossed her arms, “I know. I’m trying to make my way there– it’s just taking me a moment.” 

“And you need to make the hike all the way down to your own dormitory before you fix your foor why exactly?” There was no logic to that idea in Percival’s eyes unless she actually liked pain. "Why not do now and walk down on two functioning legs. It’ll take you ten minutes instead of fifty.”

“You’re still talking? Oh wait, done now? Good. All that time wasted when you could’ve gone around me. Guess you’re not that sleepy.”

“With you blocking two thirds of the doorway? No I actually couldn’t have, genius.” International relations be damned, all these extra people were decidedly not making his job easier. Percival was trying hard and failing not to feel responsible for their foreign guests. He sighed. “What are you doing here, anyway? Did you get lost?”

“I had to make sure they saw me,” he explained. He frowned, “I doubt it. No one stands me up.”

“I would,” Percival muttered under his breath, barely loud enough for the other to hear. Lifting his voice again he said “And they can’t see you if you’re standing one metre further to the left, no?”

“Hmm, yes, I’ve considered the offer and have made the executive decision to say this–” Alice cleared her throat rather dramatically. “Hell no.” 

“I hate you.” Yet there was no real heat behind his words. They were in the same boat after all and who better than Alice understood the bone-deep exhaustion that came with overseeing an entire castle full of teenagers. “Fine, have it your way. But if you’re falling asleep and the First-Years find you drooling tomorrow, I’m not responsible.”

“You didn’t have to be so RUDE about it. A simple please would have sufficed.” Nikolina pointed out with the roll of her eyes, stepping aside before tauntingly bowing, “As you wish, YOUR majesty. Makes sense as to why you’re going to your bed alone.”

“Please move whatever important business you have at 1:30am away from the entrance to the common room and preferrably into your dormitory, thank you very much.” There was a strain to his voice now, like he was barely keeping it together. “Why are you out here so late anyway?” A brief pause; Percival cocked his head. “Who says I am?”

“Fuck off, Goldstien,” he said. “I’m not interested in you. I’m waiting for someone.”

“And that someone asked you to block the entryway to the Ravenclaw common room? Curious.” One eyebrow arched up. Keeping his composure was a challenge at this point, Percival could feel the exhaustion catching up with him and it gave more of an edge to his words than he’d have liked. “Judging by the hour I’d say you’ve been stood up.”

“I’m not THAT big, mate. Pretty sure you could step around me just fine.” His words slurring together ever so slightly as he gave a raise of his brows at the other.

“That would be so much more effort though. And you’d still be laying here in the morning.” There was something almost close to amusement in his voice but his face gave nothing away. “Had a little rendezvous with auntie vodka?”

His eyes were red from all of the rubbing, slowly meeting the other’s gaze as he murmured a pathetic, “Sorry.” Hugo swallowed thickly, clumsily standing up but almost tripping over his own two feet, hands quickly darting out to press against the wall to catch himself for falling, “I didn’t mean to be in the way.”

“If you didn’t mean to, why do it then?” Despite the late hour his curiosity was getting the better of him. “You haven’t been confounded have you? ‘Cause last time I checked the Hufflepuff common rooms were literally on the other end of the castle. Wouldn’t want you to get vertigo this high up.”

Roxanne had sprained her ankle from her usual evening run and it wasn’t until a few minutes ago that she actually felt how swollen it was. She looked up upon hearing the voice and narrowed her eyes, “A simple excuse me would’ve sufficed.” She looked to the side, “There’s plenty of room for you to pass, mate.” She made her way to stand up slowly and put her hands up after she flinched from putting weight on her ankle, “But by all means..” She stepped aside, “Your majesty.” 

“Why, thank you!” His voice was practically dripping with sarcasm. “It’s so hard to find some manners in people these days. You should probably fix that, by the way.” Percival didn’t even look at her as he pushed past her, just gestured vaguely in the direction of her foot. “It’ll only get worse th longer you hold off on it.”

   Mason had agreed to meet with someone here but he had gotten lost in his thoughts. His gaze was focused on the floor in front of him but he snapped back to reality at the other male’s voice. Mason looked around and then looked back up at him, “Oh, sorry– I had to make sure you were talking to the right person.”

“Unless you seeing things now - which would honestly not surprise me at this point - you and I are the only two people here. So, yes, Mason, I was talking to you.” There was a fondness underneath the exasperation in his voice few people ever got to hear. “What are you doing out here this late? Can’t solve the riddle?”

✧ DANIEL SHARMAN? No that’s actually PERCIVAL GOLDSTEIN. The EIGHTEEN year old RAVENCLAW is currently in his SEVENTH YEAR. I’ve heard that the HALFBLOOD can be CONTEMPTUOUS and CYNICAL, but also CHARISMATIC and FOCUSED. If they had a theme song it’d be THIS IS GOSPEL - Panic! At The Disco.  (--> tbh i changed my mind the moment i hit send... while this works well on a whole different level, I think his true theme song would me What I’ve Done by Linkin Park)