Egos and misunderstandings

Tori’s P.O.V.

I got out into the hall and walked a wee bit away towards the little hall where students could hang out. I hoped everyone was in the great hall and I would therefore be alone to air-skate off my anger. I only got to go down the hall a few times, doing a few tricks before Ana walked towards me and pointed stood in my way arms crossed. I sighed and stopped my floating skateboard slowly picking it up before standing up and looking her way again. I looked down a little. 

“Look, I’m sorry, I really didn’t mean to team up with Weasel against you. He just pisses me off so easily. I really want to try and keep this truce, I wanna catch that stupid prankster. Make you happy! But every time I look at his smug face he just makes me so angry!” I confessed knowing that is where she would be going with this. She glared at me but smiled a little.

“Not what I was going to say. Somehow better. Never team up against me again. It was weird. Like the universe was off its axis.” She said pointing at me I grinned putting my arm around her laughing a little.

“Never!” 

“I will not forgive you completely though. Not until you promise to be nice to George. No more fighting with him.” She said glaring at me. I groaned knowing the girl could hold a grudge that could match Ginny Weasley. I looked at her pleading for a moment but she just glared at me and I sighed heavily.

“Fine. But know that I am not happy about this. And we will most likely make a deal that allows us to fight when you aren’t around.” I said and she just chuckled and finally put her arm around me as we started walking towards Herbology. 

“I would walk you to Pomfreys if you weren’t. I think you might explode if you don’t get to yell at him every once in a while.” She said making me laugh in return.

Just as expected I met George in a hallway later that day and as Ana walked up front entertaining Fred I fell backwards with my least favourite of my least favourite people. It was a wee bit awkward and we both seemed to walk with our hands in our pockets looking at some very interesting ground.

“Soooo… Ana clearly wants this truce to live. But if I have to be actively nice to you I might die of bullemia, from all the vomit you know?” I said and George nodded as we both looked up.

“So. Let’s try to keep it together and not fight. Or better yet, not talk, when they are around. And then any other time I can verbally bludger you I your ugly face?” I proposed a wee bit sarcastically, but he knew I meant it and he laughed a wee and nodded.

“Fine. I hope you can control yourself around me. I mean, women usually have a hard time doing that around me.” He said and I rolled my eyes.

“Said vomit just showed up. F*ckward.” I said smirking and he laughed a wee bit.

Just as expected I met George in a hallway later that day and as Ana walked up front entertaining Fred I fell backwards with my least favourite of my least favourite people. It was a wee bit awkward and we both seemed to walk with our hands in our pockets looking at some very interesting ground.

“Soooo… Ana clearly wants this truce to live. But if I have to be actively nice to you I might die of bulimia, from all the vomit you know?” I said and George nodded as we both looked up. 

“So. Let’s try to keep it together and not fight. Or better yet, not talk, when they are around. And then any other time I can verbally bludger you in your ugly face?” I proposed a wee bit sarcastically, but he knew I meant it and he laughed a wee bit and nodded.

“Fine. I hope you can control yourself around me. I mean, women usually have a hard time doing that around me.” He said and I rolled my eyes.

“Said vomit just showed up. F*ckward.” I said smirking a little and he laughed.

_______________

I sat down at the library a wee bit later looking at the same ginger boys. I just could not escape those boys. They looked up and smirked, we were in the back of the library where there was a secret entrance. The Weasley twins were too cool for the library. Just that thought made me want to vomit once again. God these boys were horrible. But as I keep reminding myself, the enemy of enemy is my friend. And I hated being pranked.

“Imbeciles.” I said greeting them. Fred gave me a smile and George just looked impressed.

“Impressive. I didn’t know trolls like you could develop such sophisticated language.” He said sarcastically and I rolled my eyes.

“Said the Dugbog.” I said annoyed he just chuckled lightly knowing he had won their little spar. 

“And the troll language is back. Good. I was getting nervous.” He said and I glared at him with his stupid grin on his face.

“Wanna trade insult all day nitwit? Or you actually wanna get to work? Scared it will give you an allergic reaction?” I said and he glared at me, but he seemed to settle down when his brother put his hand on his shoulder. I smirked knowing I had won, I could however feel Fred glare at me a wee bit too. 

“What have you got?” Fred finally said and I smirked pulling out my notebook opening it to the page I had been working on and throwing it in front of them.

“So. I found something interesting. I imagine you guys got pranked in the Gryffindor dorm. And I got in the Ravenclaw common-room, but I knew it was specifically for me, because there was a note with my name on it in the slime, and it had somehow been magicked to react to me, because Ana walked under the bucket and nothing. Meaning, it is someone very bright in not just charms but potions as well. Which rules out anyone in the years below us. We can also ruled out you know, anyone daft or whom we don’t know. Since the prank targeted us specifically we know it’s personal. Which would make sense to point number two, it’s someone we know well. Because to specify magic that much they would need our DNA.” I finished and the boys looked at me impressed.

“Great. What is this then?” George said pointing at the book. I smirked a little feeling like I was outsmarting them.

“That is a comprehensive list of names of anyone who could have done this. Now all we need to do is hunt them down and catch them planning their next prank. Followed by for me at least, a session tied to a goalpost with me a bludger and bludger bat.” I said looking off in the distance for a moment imagining my sweet revenge.

“Not bad for a nitwit. Where do you want to start?” George said and I smirked leaning forward going over the names.

A week ago I would have bludgered you for even imagining this, but there I was, standing with George bloody Weasley, in a hallway, watching Frederick Bletcher talking to another student. I rolled my eyes as he finally walked off we hurried after.

“He has so far been nothing but clean. Why did you even think it would be him? I don’t think he has anything against us.” George said annoyed. I rolled my eyes at the idiot.

“Of course you wouldn’t think that. You’re so thick and full of yourself you think everyone is in love with you. Well newsflash Weasley, not everyone likes you.” I said rolling my eyes once again. He scoffed looking a bit smug.

“You’re just jealous because Fred and I are popular. You could be too you know. You would just have to change everything thats unlikable about yourself. Like your hair, your accent, the way you eat, the way you dress and the way you act.” He said with a sarcastic smile. I just shook my head at him.

“Whatever Weasel, let’s just keep going so we can cross him off the list and move on! Because the more seconds I spend with you. The closer I am to jumping off a cliff.” I said annoyed and he just shrugged, and made a face as if to say: If you insist. I rolled my eyes once again and hit his arm annoyed.

“Watch it Weasel. Or else I will just stick to pushing you off it.” I said he giggled lightly at me but I broke the eyecontact with a huff and crossed my arms. I hated this, but seeing as he did not trust me and I did not trust him, we agreed to catch the culprit together. 

“

“I’m telling you Chang, Bletcher is clean. Let’s just move on!” He said and I rolled my eyes, but then I hit his arm lightly making him look where I was.

“No. Nothing suspicious at all about looking around before getting up from the great hall. He is up to something. Let’s go.” I said nodding my head and I got up to follow him. I heard a groan behind me but he did seem to follow me.

We walked outside and towards Hagrids hut and the forbidden forrest. Me and George staying a bit behind Frederick to ensure that he did not see us. Even going off the normal path to watch him. George the dumbass was still not convinced about him, but something in my gut and the way he acted made me sure that Frederick was up to something at least.

As we got to the hut and hid behind the pumpkins as Frederick looked around. George turned to me.

“I still think this is stupid and we should go watch someone else. Or do something to draw our prankster out. Like a challenge. Something that isn’t as pointless as watch f*cking Bletcher. Even his name is stupid!” He whispered but I put my hand over his mouth before turning his head with a wide grin all over my face.

“Oh yeah? Why is a completely innocent and objectively stupid named kid walking into the forbidden forrest?” I said and I could feel George gape underneath my hand before turning to me. 

“Fine. That is suspicious.” He admitted only after licking my hand to let his mouth go. I groaned and released him, and he chuckled.

“Gross. Fucker. Let’s just follow him.” I said walking towards Hagrids hut seeing that he was getting a bit distant again.

We followed him at a distance, the darkness giving us great cover. I had chosen him knowing the Weasleys had pranked him a few weeks ago and even though the Slytherin had laughed I had heard him afterwards cursing them every which way. And I knew he also disliked me since I said no to being his girlfriend in front of everyone a wee bit over a year ago. It came out of the blue, I had barely talked to him outside our one class together, but that was enough for him to catch feelings. He seemed to have planned his revenge since then. He was also wicked smart and with friends in both Gryffindor and Ravenclaw, meaning the boy could have easily gained access to our common rooms and set up the pranks.

If I had learned anything about deductions from reading Sherlock Holmes at a young age, it was that this boy had the means and the motive, we just had to find the evidence. 

I pulled George back at one point as Frederick seemed to look back, and we hid behind a tree for a little while hoping that he would look away now. The good thing about spying with George like this was that we had to be quiet, and with us, it was a form of silver lining.

However when George looked out from the tree his eyes widened. I furrowed my brows.

“What?” I said and he looked around before sighing.

“Fuck. I can’t see him anymore.” George said and I got out from the tree looking at where he had been, seeing that he was in fact, seemingly gone. 

“Fuck. What the fuck do we do now?” I said annoyed and George shrugged.

“I don’t know. It was your idea to follow him. You didn’t think of this? You’re supposed to be the smart one!” He said sarcastically, and I got a wee bit angry and stalked over to him pointing my finger at him.

“We both know damn well you’re the smart one here Weasel! So why don’t you figure out what we do? I have come up with everything else! I can’t be both halves of your half brain!” I whisper yelled. He made a small groan, before looking at me annoyed.

“Let’s just go back to the castle, it can’t be too far. And then we will find a new, and better plan tomorrow. This is why I don’t listen to you, because you make bad decisions!” He whisper yelled in a mocking manner, I just glared at him annoyed crossing my arms.

“That’s right Weasel I do make bad decisions. Like trusting you for even a second!” I said stomping on the ground stalking off in a different direction from him.

“Because I just love working with you. Good. Run off why don’t ya. You’re deadweight anyway!” He whisper yelled after me sarcastically. I just huffed and rolled my eyes at the annoying boy, I kept walking my anger making me not care what direction I was going. 

I kept walking away positively steaming. After a little while I did calm down. That is when I noticed that my short fuse once again had gotten me in trouble. I looked around and saw that I could not see George or Frederick anywhere. I wrapped my arms around myself a wee bit, both in the cold and also because it was pretty dark and I knew there was a reason students were not allowed in the forbidden forrest. I pulled out my wand and felt safe enough to create a light. I heard a noise behind me and I gasped a little feeling my heart beat in my chest as I looked around trying to locate it, as it seemed to move closer to me. As the beast appeared in front of me, I could not help but let out a scream in shock. I fell backwards and dropped my wand as I landed on the ground, I could feel myself shaking in fear as I fumbled for it. I finally pointed it at the beast and I noticed the centaur in front of me, he frowned but seemed to still clearly noticing that I was from the castle and did not mean to harm him.

“Would you stop pointing that in my face?” He said seemingly annoyed. I instantly lowered my wand, seemingly embarrassed and I got up and dusted off my uniform.

“Sorry. I didn’t think about it. You’re not going to hurt me or anything right?” I said a wee bit panicky still, he seemed to smile a little at that.

“Wouldn’t be a very good attacker if I told I would I?” He said and that made my small calm falter a lot and I felt like swallowing a lump in my throat.

George’s P.O.V.

I walked around the clearing for a little while hoping to see Tori come growling back to me or run into Frederick and see what his business was about. I did feel a little lump forming in my stomach as I realized I could no longer see Tori. I didn’t like the girl, but I would like to not feel responsible for her death? Who would I gode on to yell at me in classes? Tease on the Quidditch field? Or in the great hall? While she was rude and loud, and I usually did not particularly like the getting yelled at part, of any other prank – there was similarly a rush that I got from pissing her off. Seeing her blood boil just made my day, like seeing a prank going right. I had no idea what it was, but I wanted to keep teasing her, even if it meant I would get my ear sworn off, cursed out and even hit countless times in the chest or arm.

The thought of the girl I liked not liking being lost and scared in these woods, all because of something stupid, and the fact we were both too stubborn to truly work together – that scared me a little. 

But I decided to stay put hoping, and praying that she would find her way back to me before anything happened. I was pacing a little as it seemed to get darker, as did my thoughts about where she was and what was happening to her.

I seemingly lost it as I heard it. A scream.

A female scream.

Tori’s scream.

As I seemed to have finally processed that I started to panic but also instantly my body moved towards the sound and the direction she had went, I pulled out my wand and made a light as I ran searching for her. 

I have to find her. 

Was the only thought in my mind.

It felt like I had run forever, but probably because of a combination of quidditch practice and adrenaline I did not feel tired. I rushed around trying to find her. 

I felt a sigh of relief wash over me as I saw her. She was lying on the ground a Centaur standing over her. I ran over there instantly getting to her side.

“You okay? You hurt?” I said trying to look from the centaur to her.

“I’m fine.” She said but I could feel she was probably as scared as I was, or maybe just nervous about the whole situation because she stayed close to me, our arms touching on one side. Which seemed to calm me and probably her, knowing that the other person was there. I turned my attention to the centaur threateningly. 

“You two should not be out here. Especially not at this hour. You’re lucky I don’t mean you any harm, yet.” The centaur started ending a little threateningly, which instinctively made Tori grab my wrist. Which was confusing, but my thoughts were elsewhere.

“Get back to the castle quickly. This is no place for children like you. Now go. There are creatures here far less kind than I.” He said and we both nodded and Tori pulled me slightly as we walked away.

“Thank you, Sir.” She said before walking away, it just seemingly nodded. 

We walked for a bit in silence, as we seemed to be out of immediate danger she finally let go of me. It felt weird, like a warmth had left me somehow. We walked side by side for a good while, a small awkward silence and tension that had not been there before. Soon after Tori stopped me and I turned to her with furrowed brows.

“We have been here before? Are we actually lost?” She asked and looked up at me annoyed I looked at her confused.

“What? No? I don’t know. I figured you knew the way back?” I said and her eyes widened.

“No! I don’t know the way back. I was following you, since I was a wee startled by the centaur earlier. I figured you knew the way.” She said and I groaned at her in frustration and she looked around seemingly anxious and combined with annoyance.

“This can’t be happening. I am not dying with YOU of all people, in the woods.” She said frustrated gesturing to the woods around her, and I rolled my eyes.

“Yeah, because I wanna spend my final moments in your lovely presences.” I said sarcastically and sighed.

“Look, I don’t know where we are. But, if we can somehow just see where the castle is we can go in the right direction. Even see if we need to find a cave or something for the night. It is getting cold and very dark. We might need to consider it.” I said trying to stay calm the best I could she sighed and nodded before looking around and pulling out a hair tie, putting up her hair like I had noticed she did when she needed to solve a problem. I looked around as well trying to remember any spell that could be helpful. Suddenly she turned to me and smirked, I grinned a little, knowing her: I have an idea face.

“We can’t exactly climb these trees they’re much too high. And I thought, I wish we had our brooms we could just fly. But then I remembered. We don’t need brooms to fly. Just Wingardium Leviosa me up over the treeline. I will spot the castle, and bobs your uncle.” She said with a smirk. She may not be the smartest academically, but how quickly she had solved that problem was absolutely brilliant. Not that I would ever tell her that.

I nodded showing I understood and carefully cast the charm lifting her up high gradually. It required a lot of my concentration and I did not care for the fact that I was at the moment very exposed to get attacked with whatever this forrest had to offer: Be it less kind Centaurs, which weren’t exactly the friendliest to begin with, or worse like undergrounders or rumpelves. 

She let out a small laugh and looked down nodding showing that she had gotten the information we needed. As I lowered her down her smile seemed to falter a little as something dawned on her.  I was a little startled from her change in demeanour and lost concentration, causing my to drop her for a moment, I reacted almost instinctively and caught her in my arms. Her hands went around my neck for a moment also seemingly in instinct. She pulled away from me quickly and pushed me off.

“Oi. You trying to kill me or what Weasel?” She said a little crass as she created some distance between us quickly. I rolled my eyes slightly. I take back everything nice I thought about her, if that is her reaction to having her life saved, I thought. Though a little part of me was glad that she pushed me away so quickly, because before she did I accidentally looked at her, and in the moonlight I forgot all about how she was annoying and only fun to goad on and nothing else. I felt a little weird holding a girl like that, even if she was barely a girl half of the time. She had tried to push him off as soon as their eyes had met, not liking the way he looked at her, and how she suddenly felt warm as he had caught her. So she without thinking pushed him off trying to get as much distance and hopefully not look at him for a long period. 

“Normal people say thank you, when they stop you from getting hurt. But I guess I can’t blame the troll for not being well mannered.” I said with a small smirk and she rolled her eyes.

“I would thank you. Had you not been the one also putting me in harms way, dugbog.” She said with a small huff. 

“Well, the good news is that I now know what direction the castle is. The bad news is we have been walking in the completely wrong direction and it will probably take us half the night to get back.” She said annoyed crossing her arms. I sighed a little annoyed.

“That’s shit news! Well it’s not exactly safe out here. So how about we walk towards the castle and if we see a small cave or something that looks safe we can sleep there. We’ll wake up early out here anyway and easily walk back before anyone notices we’re gone.” I said and she rolled her eyes.

“Whatever, let’s just go Weasley.” She said and began walking the other way. I sighed and started following her.

We got pretty far, probably walking for a few hours before we finally stumbled upon a decent enough cave. We stopped there, gathering some moss for an at least somewhat comfortable layer between us and the stone. She said it was something she had read in an old kids book. 

“I guess we’re staying the night then. Never thought in a million years I would be here with you.” Tori said as she laid down, I lied down beside her and shrugged.

“Nah, I saw it coming, I knew we would eventually get into trouble out here.” I said and she smacked my arm lightly.

“Then why didn’t you prepare better? Dickhead.” She said annoyed and I chuckled.

“I didn’t exactly know how we would get in trouble. Trust me I have been well-prepared to save my ass from many messes for years!” I said sarcastically.

“Just go to sleep wanker. That way we can find our way back and finally part ways in a few hours.” She said and I smiled a little and nodded before turning away from her.

I could feel myself shaking a little in the cold but didn’t know what to do about it. Though it was a nice night and the moss did provide a little warmth compared to the cold stone, it was not nearly enough, and I had not exactly dressed for sleeping out doors. We couldn’t light a fire, that would attract wild dwarfs or worse, a teacher. I should just sleep it would be fine. 

I shivered on and close my eyes defiantly to try and sleep. Suddenly I felt Tori’s arms wrap around me as she scooted closer. It felt weird though she did bring some warmth.

“What are you-“ I didn’t get to finish my question, feeling a warmth spread throughout me, not just from her limbs that was not pressed against mine, but she just shushed me.

“I can’t exactly let you die of phnemonia, can I? Your dying isn’t sending me to Azkaban. Now take off you jacket, and don’t make this weird you Nyaff.” She said as she lifted her arms and I could with my slight night vision see her take off her jacket, I looked at her confused, but proceeded to do the same. She grabbed my jacket and placed it on our lower bodies, and then put her jacket over us before lying down and scooting in closer to me.

I looked at her weirdly.

“If you wanted a cuddle with me, all you had to do was ask. Scratch that I would have laughed in your face, but still.” I said trying be a little sarcastic, to avoid how awkward this was, mostly just to say anything to break the deafening silence. I could not see in the dark, but I imagined that she would be rolling her eyes at me.

“I have never wanted a wee coorie less than with you. Just put your arms around me Weasel. And if you try something funny you’ll lose a finger.” She said I could feel her probably pointing at me, but I just sighed and did what I was told, as she also wrapped her arms around me, our legs naturally scooting closer as well. 

“Don’t make it weird Weasel. We’re just two people who happen to need warmth, and we are the only ones around who can provide it. Nothing more than desperate times calling for desperate measures.” She said seemingly nonchalant. Which for some reason calmed me down, I still felt awkward being in this position, it felt too intimate for someone like Tori and me.

“Please. If I know anything it is that your gender seems to put far more feelings into these things than we do.” I said, trying to push down my awkwardness and seem like my normal cool-self she just sighed in a response, knowing I could not see her rolling her eyes. 

“Just sleep you donkey. And try not to fall in love with me, because I’m using you for warmth. You are literally nothing but a warm body to me.” She said and I chuckled slightly.

“I promise I will not fall in love with you.” I said mockingly, because that was a thing we sometimes joked about, however the thought of spending more time than necessary, hell even imagining her in a dating way felt weird and awful. Like when Angelina suggested I fancied her, I got this stupid feeling in my stomach.

No way we were ever falling in love. I would never fall for anyone like her. 

Though I was willing to admit, tired teenager as I was, she did smell nice even in the mossy wooden cave we were in. I could not describe what that scent was, just that it was nice, and she was warm. And even if I despised her as a person, that did not detract from those two things. Even if I would never confess to either of those things. 

Tori’s P.O.V.

I was surprisingly warm and comfortable as I was pulled out from my sleep by someone gently poking me. I waved it off hating when Cho tried to wake me up gently. She should know by now, force and quidditch were the only things getting me out of bed. Then I inhaled and I noticed a familiar smell, like fireworks and something I couldn’t place, just something nice, and comforting, like sunshine. And I noticed someones arms were around me. I finally opened my eyes and noticed I was in the woods still. And worse, I was lying there limbs all tangled up with George Weasley. I hit him both to wake him and to get some of my shock and disgust out of my system.

As he shot up, he glared at me, before looking behind me, eyes widening. I had in my moment of annoyance at George completely forgotten that someone had woken us. I turned and my eyes widened as well, as my eyes travelled up to meet the kind eyes of the person who woke us.

“Not to interrupt. George. Tori. Never thought you two would be a couple, but I guess it’s only a matter of time before fighting turns to passion.” Hagrid said seemingly stream of consciousness before shrugging slightly and looking back at us, bit kindly but also a bit sternly, he was a teacher now after all. This was terrible I thought. I quite liked Hagrid and here he found me and George lying together in the woods. It was easy to see how this could be interpreted, and worse, be spun out of control by the Hogwarts gossiping mill.

“I think you two better get back to the castle and to your classes.” He said nodding towards the castle and I just nodded agreeing, there was nothing I wanted more than to get away from this morning and forget it ever existed. 

“I will keep this quiet because, well you’re some of my best students in your year. But, don’t let me catch ye here again yeah? Not a safe place for children.” He said smiling kindly at us, before leaving with a nod.

I finally turned to George horrified at this situation. I pushed him away with all my might, needing to get away from there.

“Get off me you wanker!” I said annoyed and he seemed to just roll his eyes, but accept my push trying to untangle himself from me as well.

“You were hugging me!” He protested, I got up from the moss grabbing my jacket off of him before glaring at him. He started to do the same as I talked.

“I don’t give a shit. This never happened. I don’t like looking at ye or talking to ye, you really think I want to be touching ye.” I yelled annoyed and he just faced me with a grin, but I started walking away, stalking quickly away from him, away from the situation away from everything.

“Ha, why not? Scared you’ll catch feelings for me?” He said mockingly. I was not in the mood for his mockery today we were already halfway towards the castle, clearly having stopped just outside of the woods. Stupid. I was not in the mood for his cheeky comment and I turned around angry.

“I wouldn’t catch you if you fell off the astronomy tower!” I yelled before stalking off not looking back for even a second. 

That arrogant asshole. Who the hell did he think he was? I mean, beside the small backache I did sleep surprisingly well last night. And he was pretty warm. But he was also a nuisance who constantly insisted on getting on every last one of my nerves. I hated him with every fiber of my being and my brain. Hate hate hate.