The Character Gymnasium

[LilyLunaPotter]

Name: Lily Luna Potter
House: Hufflepuff
OC: Mimi Stewart

Drabble One follows my first drabble of Confrontations:
Words: 678

Mimi Stewart stormed out of the portrait hole. She stormed down seven flights of stairs from Gryffindor Tower to the Great Hall. She stormed to an empty bench at the end of the Gryffindor table and slammed her book bag on the floor. She plopped onto a seat and let out a deep breath. Deflated, Mimi put her head in her hands.

“How could you be so thoughtless?”

“Don’t give me that, Lily!...

“Peter’s stupid, all right?”

Mimi sighed heavily. She’d done it again. Her stomach, oblivious to her mind’s emotional turmoil, grumbled impatiently. Mimi obediently helped herself to a bowl of porridge and heaped brown sugar on it absent-mindedly. She took a bite and swallowed miserably.

Mimi didn’t know how long she sat there with her hardly-touched porridge, berating herself for her lack of self-control and forethought. A movement to her left stirred her from her thoughts. “’Morning, Mimi.”

Mimi glanced up at Peter Pettigrew, who gave her a friendly smile as he spread marmalade on a piece of toast. “Hi, Peter,” she said glumly, playing with her porridge some more. He ate in silence as if nothing had happened, torturing Mimi to no end (intentionally, she suspected.) Mimi took hold of her Gryffindor courage (after firmly squashing her Gryffindor pride) and spoke.

“I’m sorry, Peter! When I said that you were stupid, I didn’t mean that—well, that you were stupid, just—”

“—that I’m not very smart?” Peter finished, smiling wryly. Mimi flushed and stared at her hands in her lap. “That’s okay. My many other talents more than make up for it.”

Mimi grinned in relief. “You’ve got that right!” One down, one to go.

Peter seemed to read her mind. “So, what happened this morning to get you and Lily so worked up?”

“Oh…nothing,” Mimi said vaguely. “I got less than five hours of sleep, so you know…”

Peter nodded and left it at that.

~~~~~

Mimi didn’t get a chance to talk to Lily during breakfast. All through morning classes Mimi found it hard to concentrate (harder than usual, that is to say) and when she saw Lily sitting by herself at the lunch table, Mimi quickly snagged a spot next to her.

“Hi, Lily,” she said as cheerfully as possible, employing her first strategy. Lily gave her a look and took a large bite of her sandwich without answering.

Mimi wilted a bit but pressed on. “I got McGonagall to give me an extension on the essay,” she began. Lily made a small disparaging noise but declined to comment. “I’m sorry, Lily,” Mimi burst out. “I really didn’t mean to copy, it just sort of happened…I’m sorry,” she repeated, giving Lily her best “sad puppy-dog” eyes.

Lily, however, was familiar with this tactic and refused to look at her friend. “How does word-for-word copying of nearly an entire essay ‘just happen?’”

“You’re right,” said Mimi immediately. “I’m really sorry.”

“Is that all you can say?” asked Lily.

“What else do you want me to say?” Mimi huffed, but then caught herself. Puppy eyes being ineffective for the moment, she decided to try her next tactic. “I mean I really am really really sorry, and I promise it won’t happen again! I won’t even ask for a bit of help on the essay anymore; I’ll do it all on my own, and if it’s just covered in spelling mistakes (because you know I can’t spell) then it’ll be my own fault for betraying your trust and losing the privilege of Lily, the All-Powerful Spell-Checker’s help, but then again maybe I could ask Remus, but even though he’s pretty good too he’s got nothing on you, and—”

Lily stopped eating. “Okay, okay! Take a breath before you implode!” She looked at Mimi in alarm. This proved to be a mistake, as Mimi seized the opportunity and turned on the puppy eyes again. Lily smiled despite herself. “All right,” she said reluctantly. “You’re forgiven. But don’t let it happen again,” she added sternly.

Mimi squealed and hugged her. “You’re the best, Lily!”

Drabble Two is new:
Words: 648
PoV: Mimi Stewart

I sat with Mary, Alice and Lily at our usual table in the Gryffindor common room, trying to focus on the Charms essay I was working on. It didn’t help matters that the three of them, who should have been working on their own homework—yes, I know I’m a hopper…whatsit…hyper…no…hippocricket? I’d like to see one of those…oh, well, you know what I mean…I hope…anyway, they were too busy watching the Marauders, as they liked to call themselves, who were sitting in a bunch of armchairs closer to the fire.

“What’s he doing now?” Alice asked eagerly, craning her neck.

“He’s still just sitting there, but he keeps glancing over here…quick, duck! Don’t let him see us looking!” Mary whispered, bending over her essay.

“If you don’t want him to see you, then stop looking and start working!” I grumbled irritably.

“Oh, don’t be such a hypocrite, Mimi,” said Lily. Hypocrite, that’s the word. I knew it was a hippo-something. I sighed and tried once again to concentrate. I’d have been a lot less concerned about this if I weren’t still on the introductory paragraph of an essay that was due in exactly...twelve hours and thirty-seven minutes. Plus that fact that I would have rather liked to catch up on some much-needed sleep that night, as well.

“Yeah, he’s definitely looking over here…he looks almost guilty!” Mary exclaimed.

“No way!” Lily gasped in mock horror. “Sirius Black looks guilty? There’s a once-in-a-lifetime experience for you.”

Mary smacked her lightly. “Are you sure you don’t want to go and talk to him, Mimi?”

“I repeat,” I said firmly. “I have done nothing wrong. He’s the one who got all worked up over me beating him out in the Quidditch tryouts for once in my life. He called me a sneaky little leprechaun who stole his spot, remember? A leprechaun. It would be highly amusing if it weren’t obviously meant to insult me. No; if he has something to say about it, he’ll come to me.”

Mary shrugged and looked over again. Suddenly she grinned mischievously. “Actually, he does look like he wants to come over here. Maybe we had better give him the chance.” Immediately, all three of my supposedly loyal roommates gathered their things and moved as one to an empty table at the other end of the common room. I noticed that they still had a clear view of my table, however. I sighed and rolled my eyes.

I snuck a peek at the Marauders just in time to see Sirius seem to steel himself for something before vaulting over the arm of his chair and heading straight for me. I turned back quickly and pretended to be intensely focused on my work. (As if anyone who knew me would believe it.)

Sirius approached my table and cleared his throat. I looked up at him with what I hoped was a surprised and innocent expression. “Hey, Stewart,” he said casually.

I narrowed my eyes; I used that “oh, nothing’s wrong” tactic too often myself to fall for it. “Black,” I said, nodding.

“Beautiful day out, isn’t it?” he joked, gesturing to the drizzling sky outside the window.

“Almost as beautiful as Friday,” I replied smoothly. He nodded, fidgeting slightly at my not-so-subtle reference to the day of the Quidditch tryouts that had started this whole thing.

“Right, speaking of that…congratulations. You flew well; you deserve the spot.”

I considered this for a moment, decided this was his way of apologizing and the best I could hope for, and smiled. “Thanks. Honestly, though, it was probably pretty arbitrary. We both flew well.”

He shook his head. “Nah, I don’t think it was arbitrary. But hey, did I tell you they’ve put me on as an alternate Beater?”

I grinned wider. “That’s great, Sirius! So I’ll see you at practice, then?”

He grinned back. “Yeah. See you there, Mimi.”

[Mistletoe]

Name: Mistletoe
House: teh Slyths
OC: Lucy Bliss, once again
Word Count: 697
Warnings: None
A/N: I hope this is enough of a resolution >.< It's more of a conflict that ends in resolution. Hope that's all right . . .

The day had started quietly. The shine from the morning sun had woken me up earlier than usual, and I had eaten breakfast alone—Lucius had already left to attend to some problem with an acquaintance. The house-elf whom I had yet to be introduced to had laid out my meal for me. Solitude was something I was definitely used to, but in a house so large with hardly any movement, it irked me. When breakfast was finished, I had made to open the door that would lead me to my quarters of the house, only to have it pulled open from the other side.

Across from me stood Draco. I had not seen nor spoken to him since the night so many weeks ago when I had run from him.

I froze, even with my head screaming for me to walk past him as if he were not there, I could not move my feet. He cleared his throat, his lips forming the familiar sneer, and I could feel that he knew I was his for the moment. Dropping his hand to his side, he let the door bang shut.

“Walk with me.”

I felt my head rise in fall in a nod. Following him as he turned, we walked together, master and his follower, down the narrow hall. I don’t know what had gotten into me, this was not who I was. No man or boy had ever pulled such a submissive reaction from me.

“Will you excuse me? I need to run up to my room,” I stated, my voice coated with nonchalant sugar at my sudden attempt at escape. It seemed like my head had done the talking, not my mouth.

Draco turned to me, his smirk still in place, but his eyes were shadowed with worry: something I had never seen there before. He had always been so confident in this scandalous affair, but now it seemed as if maybe he had begun to doubt the solidity of it as much as I had.

“You can wait,” he said firmly; there were no other options. “There’s something I must say.”

I stayed quiet, patiently waiting whatever it was he was about to announce. What could he possibly say that I didn’t already know? What we had done was stupid? He never wanted to see me again? It was all over?

“Lucy, stay with me. Run away with me. We can leave my father behind.” His eyes were now pleading instead of worried. I couldn’t believe my ears—this was the last thing I had expected to hear. “We can go somewhere he would never find us.”

“Oh, come off it, Draco. You know Lucius would find us, and either way—” I straightened my shoulders “—I want to stay here with him.”

I felt my voice waiver on the last word, but I held my ground. Feeling the pain in his eyes, I simply looked away, focusing on something just above his right eyebrow. Before I could even begin to understand what the little brown spot there was, he straightened up, his pained demeanor dropped for a strong one.

“If that’s how it is,” he sneered, his words slicing through my already raw chest, “then this never happened. You are nothing to me.”

I nodded once, my lips pressed firmly together—I was doing anything I could to keep my lip from trembling. This was ridiculous. I had never loved anyone, so I didn’t even know what it felt like. There is no way that love could hurt this way. It felt as if I were detaching a part of my soul that was very unwilling to go.

“Good, we can just forget everything then.” I felt my façade breaking down rapidly. “I’m sorry that I even gave you a second glance.”

With that, I pushed myself past him, sure to keep my head as high as I could as my vision began to blur with tears. Never once in my life had I cried for a boy. Never once would I again. It was over; the most passion I had ever felt had just screeched to a halt and would never begin again. Done.

<33Kat

[mudbloodproud]

Name: mudbloodproud aka Terri
House: Hufflepuff
OC: Skylar
Word Count: 617
Warnings: None
A/N: I had to create a flashback for this drabble. I started with the conflict that led to the resolution.

Eleven year old Skylar looked at his mother. He could not believe what she had just told him about his father. How could she have kept this from him? She always maintained his father was a brilliant wizard, a wonderful man and everything else that made him the perfect person in Skylar’s eyes.

Now Skylar understood the reason why he had never met his father. His mother lied to him all these years.

As rage poured through Skylar, he shouted, “You lied to me. All these years. Were you ever going to tell me the truth?”

“Skylar, please, understand, I didn’t say your father did these things. I said that is what they say about him.” His mother tried to reason with him.

“You don’t really think he didn’t do this, do you? If you didn’t really believe the stories, then why didn’t you go back to England? Why did you stay here instead of trying to help him?” Skylar felt like breaking something.

“I can’t believe you lied to me. I thought you always told the truth. I guess he is more important than I am to you.” With this Skylar stormed out of the kitchen. Racing up to his room, he slammed the door behind him and threw himself onto the bed.

Now that he was alone, he gave into the tears that were threatening. He couldn’t believe his mother had lied to him. The shattering of the illusion of his father’s greatness was nothing compared to that fact.

He heard his mother knock on his door and call his name softly. “Go away!’ he shouted, “I don’t want to talk to you.”

Several hours later, Skylar had calmed down. He was still upset his mother lied to him, but he was beginning to see why she did it. As a result, he was now feeling very guilty over the way he yelled at her.

Slowly he walked down to the kitchen. She wasn’t there. He slipped outside and went to the garden. Carefully he picked a few of the roses growing there. He went back into the kitchen and putting the flowers in a glass of water, he made his mother a cup of tea.

Placing the flowers, tea and a few cookies on a tray, he carried it carefully up to her room. Knocking on the door with his elbow, he waited for her to open it. When she didn’t, Skylar became worried.

He set the tray down and carefully opened the door, then bent a picked up the tray. Walking into the room, he saw his mother lying on the bed. He could tell from her face, she had been crying before she fell asleep.

Setting the tray down on the nightstand, he climbed into bed with her and curled up next to her. Her arms came around him immediately and pulled him close.

“I’m sorry, Mommy,” he said simply. “I am still kinda mad at you, but I guess you had a reason for not telling me sooner and for staying here.”

“Skylar, I wanted nothing more than to rush back to England. But, I made a promise to your father when I left. I promised him I would stay here until he came for me or he sent someone for me.” Abby glanced at her son.

“I knew he didn’t do what they said he did. But, I feared what would happen if I returned. There is more to the story and if you are willing to listen, I will tell you.”

“I want to know everything,” Skylar told her. He snuggled closer to his mother and waited to hear about things he was sure were important about his father.

[luinrina]

Name: luinrina aka Bine
House: Hufflepuff
OC: Savaric Orwell
Word Count: 573 (without the *-note at the end)
Warnings: None
A/N: This continues right from where last week left off. Again, Shining Through Blackness spoiler.

‘You’re apologising this instant.’

Gulping, I backed away from him until I hit my wardrobe with my back. The old wooden furniture was cool against my heated skin; heated because anger crawled up inside me as well. ‘I don’t have to apologise to you. I can choose for my own. It’s my life –’

‘– laden with responsibilities,’ Savaric interrupted. I gulped again; he had used the exact words I once had spoken to Bob. It seemed like centuries ago already, the night I had noticed I felt for a youth who had caught my soul with words wiser than his age had been.

‘I won’t let you marry him,’ Savaric growled, and thus brought my thoughts back to him. He dangerously towered in the middle of my bedroom. And the way he still held his wand told me that he wouldn’t give in and acknowledge that he was mistaken.

He was an Orwell after all. Orwells didn’t give in. They considered it being weak. And Orwells just weren’t weak.

‘If you part with me, Isla, you’re going to die,’ he said in a tone that held some pleading – as if he worried for me. ‘The betrothal oath will kill you.’

‘They can be broken,’ I assured, me more than him. ‘You can neutralise them.’

‘What?’ he asked, astounded. ‘How do you –?’

‘– know that the oaths can be neutralised? I’ve looked into lots of books and found that there is a counter oath. You can free me from my promise.’

His look said earlier than his words what he was intending to do about it. ‘You cannot really expect me to free you.’ Although it was intended as a question, he phrased it as a statement. Savaric might worry about me, but he would never admit it openly. He therefore acted superior again.

I sighed inwardly before saying, ‘Yes, I can. In fact, that’s what I do. All you need to do is say a few simple words, and I’ll be free.’ I knew I was pleading with him, but I hoped he would consent.

The glittering in his dark brown eyes combined with the slow raise of his wand arm let me flinch. Maybe I had been hoping too early.

‘You. Are. Mine. How often do I have to repeat it?’ he growled.

But I wasn’t going to back away now. ‘And how often do I have to tell you that I’m not your possession?’ I held up my hand to stop him from replying anything. ‘I had feelings for you, feelings that I defined as love. But they have changed. I no longer see you as my betrothed but a friend.’

‘A friend…’ he repeated.

‘Yes. And we can stay friends.’

He laughed artificially. The sound sent cold shivers down my spine, but it contained something else also, something of the complete opposite: something warm.

Something that was still indefinable, not really graspable. Slowly, I got excited.

‘When you’re gone and married to a Mudblood?’ he asked.

‘Don’t use this word –’
‘But that’s what he is,’ he hissed, interrupting me. His eyes sparkled dangerously again, but this time they held something else, too. If I read it correctly, it was a mixture of sorrow and grief. The excitement soared. Would he…?

Suddenly, his face became unreadable; he closed his eyes and remained silent for several moments. When he finally spoke, his voice shook.

He whispered, ‘Ic pē fríoge.’ *

---

* Old English for “I free you”

Once again many thanks to my amazing beta Terri (mudbloodproud).

~Bine

[Mudblood_and_Proud_of_it]

Name: Mudblood_and_Proud_of_it
House:Proud Hufflepuff!
OC: Rose
Word Count: 580
Warnings: Mention of a character death...

I am angry. Angry beyond belief at my father. It’s not a month after my mother’s death and he’s got a girlfriend. And not just any girlfriend: a Muggle girlfriend. He hates me now, and I know it. He hates that I look so much like my mother; long black hair and winter blue eyes. He hates that I am a daily reminder that he is a coward and that he did not step in to save my mother when he could. He hates me, and I hate him.

And yet our anger at each other gnaws at me. I know our argument is partly my fault because I refuse to see things from his perspective. But I will never, ever forgive him for just standing by while my mother was killed. He told the Death Eaters where I was, just to save his own sorry life. I am stubborn and I know it, but his ‘mistake’ was inexcusable. And yet our anger still gnaws at me.

I know that I should explain how I feel, just lay it down on the table so he will know what I intend to do; what I intend to be. So I lay on my bed, counting the cracks on my ceiling, fingering my black shirt. I can hear my mother’s voice, singing softly to me, encouraging me. I know what to do.

I pull myself off my bed and stagger over to my desk where I grab a piece of parchment and a quill. Sitting back on my bed, I begin to write.

Dad,
I know you hate me. I hate you too. But we should be united in the face of Mum’s death, rather than being angry at each other like this. But that takes a two person effort, and that is not why I write this note.

I know you are turning your back on the magical world, Mum, and therefore me. But I want you to know that I am not giving up the magical world or my chance at belonging there. I will not run. I will not hide. And I will honor Mum’s memory by becoming what she wanted me to be. If you desert me and if you still hate me, that is fine, but as long as you know that from this moment on we take different paths, I am content.

If you chose to give up your girlfriend and face the magical world, then I will welcome you back with open arms, but if you do not, then this is goodbye. I had hoped that you would find the courage to face this; instead you run and hide. But it isn’t too late to turn back.

Do what you will with your life, but I am not going to waste mine.

Rose

I walk into my father’s room and put my note on his dressing table. I feel a sort of closure; I am at peace. My father now knows what I intend to do. There are no more secrets. He is no longer my father; he is no longer my family. I have no one except myself.
Me. Rose Bria Raklynne with eyes the blue of winter shadows and hair the black of a raven’s wing. I can almost see my mother smiling and nodding at me, telling me I did right. I blow her a kiss and turn my back.

For now, I can let go of the dead and begin living.

[Hufflepuff at Heart]

A huge thanks to mudbloodproud/Terri for stepping in to do some last-minute beta work!

Name: Hufflepuff at heart
House: Gryffindor
OC: Beth Williams
Word Count: 500
Warnings: None

"Would you mind telling me what you're playing at?" Lily's teeth gnashed as she slammed the dormitory door behind her.

Beth looked on innocently, fighting to ignore the warm anger that was slowly spreading through her whole body.

"What do you mean?" she asked casually. Bored, even.

"You know very well what I mean. Do not pretend you don't."

Beth could have sworn she saw tears welling up at the edges of Lily's green eyes. But she blinked and they were gone. Now Lily adopted a high-pitched voice, in what Beth imagined was meant to be an imitation of her own.

"'Oh, Lily, why don't you go out with him? Lily, don't you like him, really? Just kiss him, Lily!' Why, Beth?" she continued, her voice only a whisper. There was no anger in her voice now. She was simply begging for mercy. "Why are you always on my back about him?"

Beth swallowed. Isn't it obvious he loves you? And how much you love him back? Don't you realise how jealous I am?

She gave a derisive laugh "Well, obviously, it's because you both love each other so much. I guess I'm just really jealous."

She stared at the broken girl in front of her, wondering if she would ever know how much she hated her. What could she say to the girl who had everything Beth ever wanted, and yet did nothing about it?

What was she supposed to say? I do it because you have all that you could ever want at your fingertips, yet never do anything about it? Because I know I will never have what you have the nerve to scorn? Because Sirius will never look at me the same way James looks at you?

"Well, what am I supposed to say?" Beth knew that a flat refusal wouldn't get her out of this. She would have to feign indifference. Keep down the flames of anger that threatened to engulf her.

"I want you to stop. Please. Just stop. I - I hate him. I don't like him."

Beth sighed smugly. "Well, if it's really that big a deal to you I'll stop. I mean, I'm only joking, you know. You don't have to get so upset about it."

"Oh." Lily was clearly surprised to have come to an agreement so quickly. "Well ... well, okay then. Th - thanks. I mean, I knew you were only joking; it's just ... well, thanks."

It was over. As if it was somehow okay.

Lily left the room; this time the door was allowed to swing back into place naturally.

Beth could have allowed the anger to take hold of her in the deserted room. She could have wondered why she felt the way she did. She could have considered truly forgiving Lily for what she had done.

But she heard laughter downstairs. She didn't like being alone. So she smiled loudly, because she knew she was so popular, and went down to join her friends.

[starkllr]

Name: starkllr/James
House: Slytherin
OC: Jane Barnaby
Word Count: 490
Warnings: None

I open my eyes. Everything is so bright, I can barely stand it. The last things I remember are pain and darkness.

And silence.

I try to sit up. It’s hard; every part of my body hurts. It feels like I have bruises everywhere, and every muscle is sore. And there’s still silence.

I look around; I’m in a bed, with curtains drawn all around me. It has to be the Hospital Wing. I can hear voices just outside the curtain. It’sjust inside my head that there is nothing.

“She’s awake,” I hear a man say. He must be Doctor – no, that’s wrong, he’s called a Healer, not a Doctor - Healer Pye. The Headmaster introduced him our first night here. “You can see her now,” Healer Pye says.

And in walks George. I still can’t hear him.

“I was so worried about you!” I hear his voice, but only with my ears. “You have no idea!”

“You’re right, I don’t.” That was cruel. I shouldn’t have said that. But it was his fault. He made me push him out of my head, he made me break…

“No, I didn’t!”

He can hear me. But I still don’t hear him. Why can’t I hear him?

Because I was the one who pushed him out, I was the one who closed the door (“Slammed it shut and bolted it tight, Jane,” he says, out loud), and I have to be the one to let him back in. Except I don’t know how…

“Yes, you do. You just did,” George says, but this time I hear him properly, this time he’s back in my head.

And it hits me. “I’m not much of a Gryffindor, am I?”

Healer Pye pokes his head in. “You walked into the Forbidden Forest. Alone. At midnight. That’s brave to the point of madness, Miss Barnaby. I believe that fits Gryffindor quite well. You know, you lot end up in here more than the other three Houses put together.” He doesn’t get it, but George understands right away.

I wasn’t brave enough to face his fears, to feel his terror at the idea of losing me. I pushed him away and ran, as far and as fast as I could, because I couldn’t stand knowing that I was hurting him.

He tells me it’s alright, it’s over now, he understands.

“I’m sorry. I just…I’m sorry.” He knows. I don’t have to say anything more because he feels it. We’re connected again, together again.

He forgives me. “But don’t you ever do that again,” he says, and Healer Pye nods his head in agreement.

“Please listen to your brother, Miss Barnaby. You were very lucky last night. You ought not tempt fate again.”

George smiles at me. He knows I can’t promise that. But I can promise him that I won’t push him away again, I won’t shut the door on him again. We’re a team.

“Always?”

Always.

[XhayleeXblackX]

Name: XhayleeXblackX - Haylee
House: Slytherin
Original Character: Maverick Crawford (with Luke Vector)
Word Count: 568
Warnings: Mild Violence

I stalked through the castle, heading for the Gryffindor common room. I had been sitting in an empty classroom on the fourth floor, seething. I’d tried to calm myself, but it was a task that seemed nearly impossible. I’ve got every reason to be angry, though. Luke shouldn’t have done that.

I mean, before, I wouldn’t have cared. Now, though, it’s different, Lily’s different, and he knows that. Besides, girls are always throwing themselves at his feet, so he has his pick, but she’s taken. She’s mine. He shouldn’t have done that.

As I reached the portrait of the Fat Lady, I shouted the password and tore through the opening into the common room. I looked around searching for the familiar head of blond hair, but I found nothing but fiery red in front of me.

“Maverick, I know what you’re thinking, and it’s not worth it,” Lily said, trying to block my view and usher me back toward the portrait hole.

“No, Lily, it is worth it,” I replied, not budging. Lily stopped trying to move me with a huff of impatience.

“Look, we already talked about it and I told you that it doesn’t matter,” she insisted, but all I could do was laugh.

“Doesn’t matter? It doesn’t matter that my supposed best mate thought he could take a pass at my girlfriend?” I asked, staring down at her with blazing eyes. “Come off it, Lily.”

“Please, let it go,” Lily pleaded.

The desperation in her voice was tempting, but I ignored her plea and walked past her. I went straight over to the boy sitting on the arm of a chair by the fire, and punched him as hard as I possibly could in the face. He doubled over, blindsided, and began shouting.

“Oi! What the devil was that for?” Luke shouted, nursing the lump forming on his head.

“That, was for coming on to Lily. This-” I hit him again “-is for betraying my trust, and that-” I punched him one more time “-was because I felt like it.”

For a few seconds, all Luke did was stare at me, and I began to feel guilty. His eye was slowly turning purple, there was a small cut on his cheek, and he was still holding onto the back of his head. I’d acted irrationally. I’d attacked him in a nonsensical fashion, but I had always had a short fuse, he knew that. Add in the igniting fuel of Lily Potter, and I was bound to erupt in flames.

“Luke, I’m-” I began, but he cut me off quickly.

“Don’t worry about it, Crawford,” he said.

Flabbergasted, I asked stupidly, “What?”

“I made a pass at Potter. I didn’t realise that you were that serious about her. I’ll back off, but I want you to know that I was only joking,” Luke answered, laughing slightly.

Lily walked up beside us and grabbed my hand. “You are both idiots. Complete, total idiots, you know that? I told you he was joking, Maverick. Maybe next time, you’ll believe me.”

“Sorry, both of you.”

“I forgive you, Crawford, but mind you won’t be getting anything for Christmas, now,” said Luke, grinning broadly. “That’s one good right hook you’ve got, though.”

I laughed again. “Thanks.”

“Come on, Luke, I’ll get you some murtlap essence to put on that cut,” Lily said, and we followed her over to a table.

-Haylee

[Evester]

Name: Evester
House: Hufflepuff
OC: Dandin Walcott
Word Count: 698
Warnings: None

After being evicted from the library that night, Dandin wandered through the dark corridors, having no intention of going back to the Hufflepuff common room so quickly. He was not at all sure of his emotions, and as much as getting into fights was a part of his personality, he was unsure this time about his previous actions. He stopped and stared at a suit of armor, cobwebs stretched from its helmet and arms to the walls of the alcove in which it stood. Flickering light glinted on the tarnished metal, and reflected back in Dandin’s eyes as he tried to think of what he could possibly do.

“I really messed things up this time, didn’t I?” he mutttered, not even bothering to look around him to see if anyone was witnessing his conversation with a suit of armor. He knew no one was there, and suddenly, Dandin felt incredibly sad. “I just don’t know what to do anymore,” he said loudly, kicking at the plinth on which the suit stood, before turning around to sit upon it, his head in his hands. He was confused, so very confused because he was so used to being right, and his best mate had made it quite plain that Dandin was in the wrong.

“Dann?”

Dandin hesitated for a second before raising his head to regard the owner of the familiar voice which had cut across his miserable thoughts. Cedric was standing a few feet from him, his arms hanging loosely at his sides and a curious look on his face.

“Dann, I thought we should talk...” Cedric started, but Dandin looked away.

“Don’t start, Ced, really don’t. I know I was out of line, I don’t need you to bloody tell me again,” he said, reaching into his pocket and pulling out the little badge to examine it.

“Well, if that’s all you have to say, let’s go back to the common room before Filch or someone puts us in –”

“It’s just that I feel like I don’t even know you anymore,” Dandin interrupted suddenly, rising to his feet, and vaguely pleased to see the shocked look on Cedric’s face. “We used to be best mates, you and I, and Brandy, but it’s this... this Tournament, it’s changing you, or it’s changing me, or it’s changing all of us. I’ve always stood up for you, and for Gage and for Brandy, and you all never had a problem with it. And this afternoon, I, I bloody despise that Potter, and I’ve always sported this badge, and I don’t know why it’s suddenly taboo to stand up for your best mate?”

“Dann –”

“And I thought I knew you, I thought I could always count on you, and on Brandy and Gage, just like I’ve always demonstrated that you could count on me to be there...” Dandin paused, pursing his lips before rushing on. “And Merlin, but it makes me feel like I don’t know myself when I feel like I don’t know my best mate.”

“Dandin! You do know me, and I know you too, better than you know yourself. I know how much it means to you to be there for us, and how much you think that Potter is the enemy, but I need to tell you that he doesn’t deserve it. He helped me out on the First Task – he was the one who told me it was dragons. And I helped him with the Second Task. He’s a good guy, and I just felt sorry for him, that everyone was jibing him.” Cedric watched Dandin’s face closely.

“He was the one who told you it was dragons?” Dandin said in a low voice.

“Yeah.”

“I’m sorry, mate,” Cedric and Dandin said at the same time.

“I should have been more open with you guys, and not just snapped at you to leave Potter alone,” finished Cedric, but Dandin chucked the badge still in his fist on the floor.

“I’m the one who should be sorry, mate. I should have listened to you when you told us to leave him alone. Bloody Potter.”

“The nerve of him, straining our friendship.” Cedric smiled.

Dandin just laughed.

[Azhure]

Name: Azhure
House: Ravenclaw
OC: Cassandra Deakin, with mentions of Rachel and Rosanna Solmey. They are all part of one of the many chaptered stoires I am writing - I'm not putting it up for validation as yet.
Word Count: 699 not including the '***' things. I just realised that they, too, count as words...
Warnings: Character Death.

“Avada Kedavra!” The words left my lips before I could even think. And I watched, shocked, as the green light shot straight out of my wand and into her chest. No! I thought in desperation. How could I have done this? My heart stopped. What had I done? We had been fighting, and she had just made me so angry… I just didn’t think… I didn’t know I had enough power to even cast that spell… What had I done?

Her body fell backwards and landed on the dirt with a sickening thump. What had I done?

“Rosanna!” came a shriek from behind me, and I came face-to-face with her sister Rachel, at least, I think that’s what her name was. Rachel ran past me and fell to her knees next to her sister’s body. Yet I remained standing, my wand burning red hot in my hand.

“How could you?” asked Rachel in a strangled voice. I looked down at her in an unreal state. How could I? That’s a good question.

Suddenly, I was knocked to the ground. I looked up with surprise at Rachel.

“Say you’re sorry, or I will kill you.” Rachel’s blue eyes were blood-shot, her brown hair a mess, but I knew she meant business. She didn’t care that her sister, Rosanna, had attacked me first. She didn’t care that I had had to survive seven years of hearing Rosanna’s taunts about my blood status. She only cared about who had lived and who had died.

It didn’t even occur to me that Rachel’s request was rather unusual ‘say you’re sorry or I’ll kill you’? It would normally be pretty obvious on what I had to do. But I didn’t. For starters, I didn’t even think an apology was an option. Secondly, how could I apologise? Slytherins didn’t apologise, even ones that had two filthy Muggles as parents. And, finally, I didn’t want to apologise. Why should I apologise when Rosanna had made my life a complete hell?

This thought filled my mind and I stuck out my chin at Rachel. Shock washed over her face; she had been sure that I would apologise, and now she was scared. Rachel wasn’t like me, she couldn’t kill a human. She took a step back and I jumped up. With one last glance at her, I turned and ran.

***

I walked slowly between the graves, searching for that single one that had changed my life. It was ten years after I had killed Rosanna, and I had finally come back. After I had run from Rachel, I had lived as an outcast. I knew that if I came close to civilisation, I would be taken straight to Azkaban. But I had to come this night. When I say it was ten years after I had killed her, I mean exactly ten years after. I just needed some closure. Rosanna’s death tore at me like nothing else could. It haunted my steps, whispered in my ears… I just couldn’t escape that guilt!

That was when I saw it, her grave. It was pretty much identical to all the others, but it was so different… for I was the one that had put her there. Me.

Sitting down in front of the gravestone, I touched the cold marble with my fingertips.

“I’m sorry,” I had whispered. “So sorry.” But, of course, there was no reply. I don’t know what I had expected. Maybe some sense of relief, freedom from my greatest burden. But there was nothing. Still the same emptiness that had filled my since that day.

So, with a sigh, I stood up and turned away from the grave. That was all I could do. But just as I was about to walk away, I heard a crunch of gravel. Whipping around, my heart pumped in excitement. Maybe, somehow, Rosanna had come back to life!

I came face-to-face with the tip of a wand.

“Cassandra Deakins, you are under arrest.”

***

I don’t think I need to tell you the rest. I was convicted and sent to Azkaban where I still remain. My life ended when I was twenty seven years old. There’s just nothing else to say…

This is actually sort of like a prologue for the third story of my series (the one I haven't validated as yet) and an epilogue for my second story... Yay!

~~Azhure~~