oh deer

                                  she spoke with an affirming confidence, the                                   joust keeping her features illuminated. narcissa                                   had been taught from the greats on the magical act                                   of denial. if one pretends something didn’t happen,                                   it didn’t. the ideal was beautifully constructed,                                   in her opinion. 

                                                      their lips never met; they never lingered.

humor drenched lips did dissipate though, however momentarily at his question. gut reactions contradicted the venom that once congested the air between them. of course he was fine to sit there; yet his reservation was understood. 

he looked elsewhere, a humorous spark visible in his brightened hues. his gaze was glued to the scenery before him, a playful smirk tugging at the corners of his lips given his response. they hadn’t spoken much, ignoring their venomous verbal dances, but he somehow found words much easier that time around. he worried less of her reaction and more of his own amusement. it was all about comfort. 

                        “ it really  I S  becoming a new day and age. ”

              it was then that he turned his attention to the blonde, his smile               appearing more genuine than before. he was referencing a personal               goal, not one she’d understand — yet the idea was still prevalent and               he found her courage to step forward a great example.

The girl who possessed muddy thoughts one time, when Sirius was first exiled. Her favorite cousin, a chunk of her heart gnawed away. She thought she possessed the knife that cut him out, but it was only when her mother smiled with a mouthful of blood did she realize. 

The girl who has never once made an independent choice. Words of superiority have always been wrapped around her, feeling like velvet until they began to tighten around her throat. The ribbon that choked her was tied into a bow. Her lie would always be beautiful. 

The girl who never dares to speak up or pull away at the constriction. She’s been pampered and posed in just the right manner; moving out of place would only disrupt the entire picture. The brunette who was positioned beside her for so long dared to untie the knot. A look around shows more than one abandoned ribbon on the floor. 

The girl who clings to hers even tighter now, only adjusts the noose to make it more presentable. Now more than ever, she’s expected to keep the stiff pose. Her mother’s stern voice can be heard bellowing all around; reminding her to always smile. 

The girl who moves the velvet up over her eyes, fighting the sight of what lies beyond the constriction. She will see no evil, for what lies beyond the comforting truth must be nothing more than slander. Muddied blood will only taint the perfection that has been orchestrated now; far too much work has been put in at this point. 

The girl who lifts the blindfold to take a peek. It’s beautiful; it terrifies her. She quickly pulls the velvet over her eyes once more. Her fingers find the string of pearls; they’re a reminder to be polite, obey and you’ll belong. She believes it to be a simple rule to live by, but it is awfully dark when her eyes are shielded so. 

The boy who lifts the blindfold she’s clinging to. Her nails dig in, she protests as he removes it. He promises that there’s more beyond the surface, she just has to take the plunge. She’s not ready, she struggles with every advance he makes. He never forces her into the water, nothing more than a quick splash here and there to introduce her. He swears he only did it because she wouldn’t stop looking. 

The boy who holds her hand when she dips her first toe in. She’s frightened, searching desperately for a life vest she doesn’t need yet. The water feels great, he promises her. You’ll love it more than you were ever told you would. Waves aren’t something to be afraid of; the monsters on the shore where she stood were far more frightening.  

The boy who watches her take off the string of pearls and throw them aside; he witnesses her first breath of fresh air. He sees her face light up as she moves deeper into the water, the shadowed figures on shore becoming smaller. They can’t reach her anymore. 

The girl who finally says screw being polite; she never liked Black velvet anyways.

                                            as she closed                                       the book she was                         engrossed in, the spine still             as fresh as the day she’d purchased           it, narcissa placed the novel between           the sitting pair. 

             james let his head fall to the side, brows arched in humor              as he spoke comically; truth of the matter was that they had              left things in a very awkward place and, given how many people              he had pissed off lately, a kind letter was the last thing he expected.

                              “ i figured everyone was illiterate                                                        — guess that’s just me. ”

                                                                                     bending his knees, he placed                                                                                      the palms of his hands on the                                                                                      grass, leaning back as he stole                                                                                      a glance of the girl.

                      “ you okay with my sitting here? ”

he had read her letter, yes, but sometimes                certain things were easier said than done.

                                tracings of a smirk itched to pull up, only half of dung’s face allowed him the pleasure. lips curled up for a tick of a second, cautious eyes lingering over the head boy. this was what he had wanted initially: someone who had ideas, a person that could lead the trail that dung wanted blazed. apprehension was still apparent though, if only for a second. only O N E of them lied for a living. 

                        besides, he’d seen potter play poker. the guy wasn’t bluffing this time. 

he offered james a nod, more to acknowledge his own curiosities than to satiate what the other boy had offered. with hands still tucked into his pockets, the puff turned to walk away. 

❝ if you don’t mind, peaches, i got a crime scene to flee from. ❞  

                               for a man on the run, his steps sure were sluggish. shoes scuffed against the marbled corridors, a curious gaze occasionally flicking to the lion in anticipation of whatever ideas potter had to offer. dung wanted change, but only one of them had ideas that went beyond a loaded fist.

his voice was quick and matter-of-fact; however, his lips curved upward to show off a smug grin as he felt relaxed given the response. seems he hadn’t been as stubborn as james anticipated. his lingering eye contact inhibited words as he watched him leave, the lion eventually following suit as the two grew farther and farther from where the fight took place.

the cold reality was they were late to the cause. while they could still make a difference, the ticking clock was certainly a challenge. every idea he came up with would take effort; nothing came easily and mundungus needed to be aware of that.

                   “ these ... people ... are slowly teaching us — out           of fear — to adhere to their ideals and practices.                             as if their unlawful minds are correct because they               seem to have more followers than we do. people      are too afraid to stand up for themselves because                   no one is behind ‘em, backin’ ‘em up. we’re grossly                                   o u t n u m b e r e d. ”

        The majority of letters have an end before they ever begin, a destination to work towards in an attempt to get their thoughts across. This is not one of those letters. Rhyme and reason have not been easy for me lately, especially when it comes to you. All I know is that your absence over these past few weeks has been noticed; take that as you will. 

        I have spent nights trying to find a solution that keeps the people around us happy. What transpired between you and Lily has left me with an incurable guilt. If I were more courageous, I would afford you the apology in person. You deserve that much. Quite frankly, you deserve more than the poor hand you’ve been dealt on my account, including the way I’ve treated you. 

        I hope my actions, before and during the bonfire, have not caused you a great deal of distress. 

        I did find a conclusion, though. One that satisfies my own agenda, at least. Our friendship is rather poisonous to the reputation I’ve cared to build among my family and friends. Your presence has inflicted a great amount of judgement from people that I do, in fact, hold dear to my heart. That all seemed rather unimportant, however, once I realized that I no longer care what they think. 

        In spite of you never being a pleasure. 

Sincerely,

ℐ ames and ₦arcissa;; When Black meets light.

   “It’s no wonder I didn’t          see you earlier. You’re      not worth noticing.”

          crimson had not hideously tainted his knuckles, the boy’s nose only bleeding after the collision. before the severity could escalate, a rough hand was shoving itself against the pair of chests that were squared in opposition, breaking up the cheap flare of rage. 

it had ignited rather quickly after he heard the snake call a second year huff a mudblood. 

           it was a pathetic attempt at an insult, one that shouldn’t hold any power to begin with. someone like him could shrug it off; dung feared for the people who couldn’t. these innocent kids shouldn’t be put through the same shit doris was. all he’d wanted was for it all to stop. 

               it’s why he went to james the first time.                        mundungus wasn’t a guy people believed in.

with clenched fits shoved into his pockets, a hardened glare met james. 

                            his neck rolled back, head resting momentarily as he let out a resounding sigh. a f e w was downplaying it — the boy had been thinking about it nonstop. quite irritating, really. the reaction was expected and he responded in kind, allowing himself to be fully pulled in by the idea this badger happened to throw his way. james didn’t want to pretend anymore.

                                            the bugger fuckin’ cared, damn it.

“ if you’re willin’ to forget the whole … head up the arse situation. i’d like to help. ”

             a sharp brow was raised, amber hues looking upon the blond with genuine curiosity. he knew the boy to be stubborn in his convictions (much like himself, in a way), so there was a large chance that he would brush it off. act disinterested in bitter irony.

Amos replied, smiling at the other boy. He knew James, hell everyone knew James, but he didn’t know him, know him. They only really talked when quidditch was the focus. However, like most of the school, he thought the other was a funny guy, and certainly wasn’t going to turn him away.

“How are you, Potter?”

                           with bright eyes, he shuffled forward another step, seemingly without having realized. hands in his pockets and shirt lazily untucked, james appeared same as always — a carefully calculated mess. a playfully hypocritical image.

                                                            “ juuuuuuuuuuuuust dandy. ”

       “ — grippin’ life by the balls, amos. ”

                                 (( ... ))