Nightcall by Kavinsky
Chapter Six: Nightcall by Kavinsky
Aemilia sat at her vanity, staring hard at the reflection before her. The images of the night before still plagued her mind. She glanced at her phone, stomach turning slightly. Only 30 minutes or so until she was to meet with Percy. She had tried to not to look in his direction all day. She wanted nothing less at the moment than to see him, to talk to him. She thought about just curling back up in her bed, but she knew she shouldn’t. This was inevitable.
Man up
She steadied herself, taking a deep breath, it was nothing, he was nothing, nothing happened.
"Percy"
The moan replayed in her head. A vision of two people breathing hard together in that desolate corner of the dungeons, her an unwelcome interloper.
She squeezed her eyes shut, willing the visions away.
She looked at herself again in the mirror.
Today, for lack of non ripped tights, she would wear her tall socks scrunched up under her tea-length plaid school skirt. High waisted, the skirt fit nicely over her lithe frame. She tucked in her white button up, tied her tie, and slipped on her grey wool sweater vest with the Slytherin green trim. She took another look in the mirror while slipping on her black ballet flats and Slytherin robe.
She was sure Drusilla would call her a librarian or something, but whatever, at least she’d be warm. She straightened her hair, pulling on a black wide band headband, smoothing some of her long hair back. She pulled out some loose strands to frame her face, picking and fretting over how it layed. she sighed, she was overthinking it, she looked fine. She analyzed herself in the mirror, smoothing out her skirt.
She looked away finally, gathering her things to leave. She put her headphones on and taking a deep breath, left the dorm.
Cheated Hearts by the Yeah Yeah Yeahs
Drusilla lounged near the exit of the common room, chatting with some quidditch players. She was splayed across an upholstered chair. playing with what looked like her toy snitch.
Aemilia tried to avoid her eye, she knew Drusilla would question where she was going, she hadn't told her about being partners with Percy, and she certainly didn't want to tell her now.
The space was closing between the door and Aemilia, only a few yards now. She looked straight ahead, focusing on the door, willing herself hopefully invisible.
“Aemilia!”
She stopped in her tracks, cursing her luck.
She turned around and walked over as casually as she could muster, Drusilla laid across the chair toying absentmindedly with her snitch.
the other quidditch players loitered nearby; on chairs and couches. she recognized a few; Adrian, Montegue, Marcus Flint, and a few others.
“What are you up to, you don’t have class for an hour or more?”
There was nothing overtly accusatory in her tone, just a mischievous pique.
“I’m headed to the library-to study before class.” Aemilia said flatly
“You usually study in your room, you hate the library.”
Drusilla was being farcical, she didn’t hate the library, but she had a perfectly quiet dorm and the prefects’study room she could use.
“I needed some books on electricity for muggle studies.” Aemilia said simply, fighting the urge to shift her weight. trying not to look at the boys who were leering and talking amongst themselves a mere foot away.
Drusilla raised her eyebrow, saying nothing.
She knew Aemilia was not even technically close to pure blooded. Her mother, a child of a muggle and a wizard. Her father, from a line of wizards and witches but not exactly pure. A half-blood by mosts definition, but besides a few inbred freaks who wasn't nowadays? Blood status was a taboo topic in Slytherin and she’d rather not talk about it, least not with a few blood purity fanatics in the group nearby. Her mother even held a muggle job. Aemilia was obviously familiar with muggle objects and used them herself, evident from her phone. Her lie about needing books on electricity obviously didn't fool Drusilla.
“Okay…have fun, see you at dinner then.” Drusilla said slyly, smirking and letting the snitch fly just out of reach before trapping it again, golden wings glinting.
Aemilia knew she would have to answer to that later but she just had to to get through the next hour.
Aemilia’s steps rapt crisply on the stone floor.
The lighter stone of the first floor corridor shined in the afternoon sun. Warm carmel beams slanted through the ancient arched lead glass windows that lined the first floor corridor. Dust swirled in lazy patterns, dancing suspended in the illuminated shafts. It was much nicer up here she thought, warm, alive.
She was close now to the library entrance. She suppressed a shiver that ran down her spine. Every fiber of her being told her to turn around. She wanted slink back underground. back to her dark corridors, away from the dying slants of sun. Up here she couldn’t hide, no dark corners left to slink.
Soon she recognized the library entrance up ahead. Through the throngs of students returning from and hurrying to class, her eye caught a glint of fire in the slanting sun, her heart dropped. Percy stood waiting by the library door, staring dead ahead. He seemed lost in thought, jaw clenched. She thought apart from the glowing red hair he looked like her could have been a part of the sculptures lining the door. She took a deep breath.
“Hello.”
This was as much as Aemilia could manage to say as she stood before Percy, willing her voice to be calm and impartial. She thought she had at least managed a steady voice, no waver.
“You’re later than I expected.” he said simply.
He took a while to look at her, when he did he managed only a fleeting glance before looking past.
“Shall we.” He said, sliding past her towards the door.
She said nothing, gripping her bag strap tighter, she followed.
The library glittered, as always fairly busy with students, coming, going, and studying. It smelled of books, dust, and warmth.
Tall bookshelves towered over almost every side and square inch of the enormous vaulted room, creating two stories and rows and rows of books. Light poured in from the cathedral windows on the far side, helping illuminate the large shadowy room.
bookcase corridors were mostly dim, lined with desks and chairs, sometimes a fireplace, and the evenly spaced chandeliers overhead. The middle rectangular portion of the room opened up, empty except two dozen or more tables for studying. They lay centered around the shiny marbled checkerboard floor, Most covered with the odd lamp, candles, piles of books and stressed students. The lights reflected off the mirror finish of the marble. Their footfalls clicked and echoed deliciously off the floor as they hurried across.
Percy was leading the way, he headed toward the far side, bridging the restricted section, locked and dusty. Students were few and far between here.
He finally turned down a desolate corridor, evidently vacant.
In it there were a few lamps and the usual desks lining it. On the far end the corridor widened slightly and the row of desks ended. there was a dusty argyle lead paned window, letting in enough light to illuminate a small wooden table, some upholstered chairs surrounded an old fireplace. An equally dusty round rug covered the stone below them. She wondered if he usually studied here, it looked seldom used.
He sat his bag down on the table and turned toward the grate.
“Incendio”
A string of fire leaped from his wand, bursting it into flames, crackling and popping merrily in the fireplace.
Aemilia only stood watching for a second, looking somewhat dumbly at him. She tried not to shift around, afraid to look nervous. Acutely aware of his own lack of emotion.
He was unreadable. like an automaton, going through the motions of being alive.
“I have already transcribed the steps of the potion; uses and history is easily pieced together through notes from potions-” he said this simply, breaking her from her thoughts. He said it with an air of superficial and lackluster interest, removing his robe and bending down over the table, flipping through his notes and parchment.
He wore the simple mens uniform, nothing fancy, a little threadbare if anything. long grey trousers, his grey sweater vest lined in Gryffindor red, with his matching red and yellow tie, tied and tucked perfectly between his sweater and white button up shirt. As always crisp and perfectly rigid. He must press and fold his clothes every night, every line and contour just so. She thought maybe it was to hide the fact they, upon closer inspection, appeared old; maybe second hand or hand me downs.
His hair fell into his face as he looked at the parchment. He raked his long deft fingers through it, and pushed up his glasses that slid down the bridge of his rigid roman nose.
Aemilia awoke from her awkward trance, and moved to sit down. The only other seat was on the same side as him, back to the window.
She slid into her seat. The table was fairly small, she was bristled, uncomfortable with how close they were. She swallowed hard, adjusting in her chair slightly. She pulled out her notes, parchment, and her advanced potions textbook from her bottomless bag, She cleared her throat, tentatively breaking the silence.
“I already highlighted and transcribed all the relevant passages I could find in the book.”
She maintained a steady, relaxed even tone, but it took her utmost willpower.
She pushed her notes to him to read. He leaned over his head craned mere inches from her.
Her heart fluttered, His red hair glowed in the sun like embers in the grate. Softly a few strands of it fell again onto his forehead, he fixed his glasses, scanning the sheet wordlessly. She leered, curious, unable to look away. It felt like centuries were turning while he read over the notes. His soft sweater gleamed in the sun, every little hair and fiber illuminated, glowing. him, so close to her. Finally after what felt like ages the statue moved.
"I suggest we start with a brief history that segways into its common usage." He said sitting down
“An oxymoron, since its usage isn’t exactly common, it's a controlled substance by the ministry.”
Aemilia said this offhandedly looking through her bag. That wasn’t extensively mentioned in the textbook, but she knew it to be true from Snape's monologuing. Veritaserum's incredible difficulty to brew and rare ingredients helped make it harder to obtain, but still anyone using veritaserum without proper documentation from the ministry could face a hefty fine and even jail time for its inappropriate use. Snape must have to get permission for them to brew and test its effects, or he just didn't care.
Percy looked over, she didn’t meet his eye but kept rummaging. She found her inkwell but she couldn’t find her quill.
He stared a while as she dug, increasingly agitated.
“What are you looking for?”
“My quill, I must have left it in my room.”
Aemilia was now almost shoulder deep in her bottomless school bag, she must have left on her desk. She really needed to keep better care of her things. The laundry list of items to pick up from hogsmeade next weekend seemed to grow.
Percy sighed, reaching down into his own bag for a spare quill.
He pulled out a slightly ruffled and bent pheasant quill, It looked quite similar to her own, a popular choice.
He froze slightly, staring at it, like he didn’t want to quite hand it over, his hesitation perplexed her, did he not want her to use it?
“I’ll give it back when we’re done.” she said slowly, awakening him from his trance. He simply sat it down on her notes, smoothing out his own parchment.
The next 30 minutes or so passed uneventfully, they didn’t talk, except for every now and then when one would speak up to collude on a passage. They bent over each others notes and once or twice they’d lean in at the same time almost butting heads.
They both always jerked away quickly, but this last time Aemilia hesitated for a moment. He smelled warm, like her cat when he laid in the sunshine. A slight musk, maybe an aftershave or cologne, not too strong, light and sweet.
he pulled away, clearing his throat and turning to jot more things down.
She palmed her thigh through her skirt, wiping her slightly damp palms. It felt warm. Her robe had been removed and she was now regretting this skirt.
She glanced at him from the corner of her eye. She swore this time she’d caught his eye observing her as well, but as quickly as she’d perceived it, it seemed to be looking at the parchment again. She noticed his fingers twirling his white quill, no words written, just an anxious fiddling. She was feeling bolder now, audacious from his own avoidance of her.
“I’m sorry about the other day in the prefect's bathroom.”
Aemilia said it suddenly, trying to focus on writing some words down slowly. She took her time, pressing hard, glancing over to discern how he took this.
He tensed, his quill frozen now in his grasp, she thought she detected a clench of his angular jaw.
“I shouldn’t have been doing it, and I shouldn't have said-” She was continuing on, trying to inflect a subtle sweetness and maybe something of contrition.
he looked up.
She was momentarily arrested by his sharp gaze. He didn’t flinch, and she couldn’t read his features, they looked sharper, harder in the slanted light.
“Are you?” Was all he replied, voice steady, unreadable.
"Am I what?"
Her breath caught for a moment, he didn’t look away, his hand rested lightly on the table, his body turned towards her, long legs nearly touching her own thighs. she didn't slink away though, she recovered, meeting his gaze steadily, cooly.
"Are you really sorry, for what you did, or what you said.?" His voice still steady, cool, and unreadable.
“I regret what was said, and rue the obvious cord of discontent between us.” She met his gaze steadily, she meant it mostly. What was true was that she didn't enjoy trying to ignore this elephant in the room, especially if they had to work together for a month at least in potions.
He laughed a small derisive laugh, mocking.
She bristled at his arrogance, face hardening slightly.
“You don’t think I’m an incompetent, pretentious, arrogant miserly ass then?” He countered, His tone was almost, playful but still, monotonous and satirical, a slight edge to it.
Aemilia was taken aback by his question. Regaining herself quickly she spoke,
“No, You certainly can be, I was simply hoping to put it aside so we could work together, this awkward dance annoys me.”
“Then just say that.” he said again, not missing a beat.
Aemilia was becoming increasingly agitated by his unwavering steely expression, she didn’t want to glance away, to admit defeat. she thought she would have the advantage but she was starting to think she never did. Her heart beat was somewhat quick, she feared he could hear it somehow.
he was close, to close.
She quickly searched his Adamantium demeanor; cool, unmoving. Freckles splayed across his handsome face, had she thought him handsome before? Or just annoying?
His glasses perched on his perfect nose, framing his cold hard eyes; empty almost, but she swore she had detected something flash within, a cold glint of fire, subdued, but burning just below the surface. she looked over his messy slicked hair; a loose strand caressing the frames gingerly. She fiddled the quill in her own hand looking on, fortifying herself.
“I just did, will you continue to disregard me?” Aemilia remarked
The corner of his mouth twitched upwards in a feigned ghost of smile. It was fleeting, barely discernible. He turned, breaking the intense gaze. Her heart steadied, she relaxed slightly.
"No" he said finally
he did a light stretch, his shirt rising slightly from his torso. She averted her gaze, biting her thumb nail and cursing the slight blush painting her face. Last night came rushing back and her body burned at the thought. She felt he was messing with her, toying with her. He really was such a self righteous, arrogant prat.
“Don’t be out after curfew again though.”
He said it simply, matter-of-factly, as he slipped his robe on. like a verdict, his voice was steely and grave, his expression suddenly deathly serious. It shocked Aemilia out of her angry rumination, freezing her in place. He simply started to gather his things, unreadable expression on once again.
she de-thawed after a moment and chanced a glance at her phone, it was nearly time for muggle studies.
She hurriedly put away her things.
“So Saturday then?”
Aemilia was surprised she asked it, she regretted the words as they tumbled from her mouth.
She tried to sound relaxed but the question came out in a gratifying uptick. An almost hunger hiding in the question. She looked up at him from her seat, eyes wide, head tilted, knees pushed firmly together. She disgusted herself. She felt the want on her like a starving dog.
He paused looking at her, this time he quickly broke the stare.
“You can just meet me here, 8am.” the last of his things put away, he moved to leave.
She balked, 8am on a Saturday? she never got up that early on the weekends.
She got up and started to leave, She noticed he seemed to hang back slightly. She stayed back unsure if he meant to walk with her. When they entered the main area, he allowed her to keep pace next to him. She gripped her bag nervously. The library had thinned out a bit, They continued toward the exit, no words said.
“Percy.”
They both stopped.
A blonde girl Aemilia vaguely recognized had stopped in front of them both, her face and voice oddly familiar, but she couldn't quite place it. she wore a smile, but Aemilia thought she detected a slight jadedness in her expression.
“Hello Penelope.” Percy answered
Penelope, she did recognize her, the Ravenclaw Head Girl.
“I was hoping to talk with you about some things-some topics to go over in the meeting this Sunday.”
She sounded sweet, her accent preppy and clear. She didn’t once look at Aemilia. She stared solely at Percy like she wasn't even there.
“I’m going to go to muggle studies.” Aemilia said, sensing her unwelcome intrusion on this conversation, and a partial coldness from Penelope.
“I’m sorry Penelope but I must go as well, we'll be late. we can talk after.” with that he pushed past her.
Aemilia glanced at Penelope, her face had fallen, anger flashed across it momentarily before Penelope turned away quickly, long blonde hair flashing.
Aemilia looked over to Percy, curious as to their relationship to one another.