Sorting Treasures
Professor Porta was telling Lilith how disappointed she was but with a cheerful glint on her eyes as though she didn’t mean what she’s saying. “We don’t tolerate violence as a mean of getting justice, Lilith. You’ll learn that soon enough here in Hogwarts.” Moon gaped at her face, as if he too was confused as to what she was actually feeling.
“But Riverson’s barely hurt.” Cole opted to stop Lilith from saying anything else, but he was tired from his sprint. Moon only grimaced at her.
“Barely? You busted my lip!” Riverson revolted.
“I’d do it again, you foul slag.” She made a move towards her.
“Lilith, come on.” Moon said, taking her Velox X1 from her hand and moving to enter changing tents of Gryffindor but Professor Quigley had grabbed Lilith’s arm. George was suddenly defensive and wrenched his hand free. Cole was ready to fight.
“Apologies. I only meant to stop you so you’d hear or verdict, Miss Malfoy. It will not happen again; I will see to that.” He tried to intimidate Moon but the young man bore his eyes on him with malevolence so intense, the Professor could have caught on fire.
Professor Maximus cleared his throat and everyone payed attention. “We—Professor Porta, me and Professor Quigley, came into the decision to punish you with detention.”
“What’s Quigley’s gotta do with me punching Riverson?” She almost yelled if not for George’s grip on her.
Maximus looked at Porta, who nodded reassuringly. “That’s Professor Quigley for you, and as the head of Slytherin and you’re getting detention with his house student, Mr. Lovegood here.”
“What the f-“ She started but Cole held her back with a stern look. “That’s utterly unfair! Moon has nothing to do with this.”
“He could have pushed you into punching her.” Quigley argued lamely. His prominent chin bucking.
“Professor.” She said with rage. “Moon would do no such thing. Have you seen him punch somebody? He’s boring as a spoon!”
“Yes, I have in fact, seen him do it.” Lilith looked at Moon, aghast. He, in turn, looked at her with a small smile.
They all settled in the corner of Gryffindor’s changing tent. Everyone milled about their businesses, mostly talking about the qualifications of Houses in Triwizard Tournament. Not one of them seemed to mind them all here, they were always seen together. Carlo had been appointed to keep all the Quidditch balls inside the wooden chest where it belongs, he struggled with the Bludger and Lilith itched to help but Cole muttered, “It’s fine, let him learn how to do that.” Because he knew she’s about to stand up and do it herself.
“Sorry.” Lilith said, cutting off any argument George and Moon was into. “Now you’ll miss Quidditch practices and you’re stuck with me.”
“See? She’s sorry.” George pointed at Moon. “I believe she did it for you. Stop bitching about it.”
“I’m not!” Moon shouted quietly. “I’m angry because what she did was impulsive and irrational, if Midge was any other student who was stronger than her, she could have gotten hurt.”
“Be honest, no one would dare cross Lucia Malfoy-“ George wanted to say.
“Exactly my thoughts.” Cole agreed with Moon a little bit too late.
Lilith punched Cole’s arm. “You were there too. You kicked the guy she was kissing.”
“COLE!” Moon yelled.
“Alright. Fine. I was angry too.” He raised his hands in defeat. “I knew it would hurt you if you knew. Besides, I was not as badass as she is. She told Midge that she’d break her pretty nose.”
Moon gasped dramatically, and hit him again “And you’ve studied martial arts, you idiot! For all I know, you broke his foot when you jumped on him!”
(True enough, a few days ago, Professor Porta had a patient with a broken foot. He was a seventh year student from Ravenclaw. He said he fell on the moving staircase but she knew with a wicked smile, what Lilith and Cole did. She was on the top of the staircase when it happened. She wouldn’t have gotten her detention but that anti-student Professor Maximus and Professor Quigley who she hated for no reason were both adamant to give out punishments.)
“Just—have—to—be—careful.” Moon sighed as they reached the last step. Lilith heaved with laughter and he with fatigue. “Horcruxes are dangerous.”
“There wasn’t any other evil wizards and witches after Dumbledore. Don’t be delusional.”
“There is you, idiot. Death Eaters still live now.”
“Not in Hogwarts, hopefully.” She fell on the floor.
“’Course not. Trelawney’s here. They wouldn’t pass through her visions. Or her power.” Moon said, sounding like he needed to say it to reassure himself.
“Or Andaires.”
He made a sound between disgust and fear.
She laughed, to his delight, “What? Too sexist?”
“Can’t stand her misandry.”
“Nor can I. But at least, she’s blatantly cruel. Dumbledore was worse.”
Thankfully, Trelawney is the new and improved Dumbledore of today’s era of magic. Not manipulative, greedy or self-righteous. Just good old shy and full of humor witch. Though inevitably reminded everyone of Dolores Umbridge because of her magenta colored walls.
They passed the corridor where Minerva McGonagall’s cat form was placed three times and entered the Room of Requirement quietly. While cleaning out the pile of Weasley’s Wizard Wheezes’ fireworks, Lilith had apologized for getting him detention.
“That doesn’t bother me. I’m a Seeker.” He turned to look at her with a matter-of-fact tone. “Seekers aren’t part of team play. But Beaters are.”
“You’d still get less sleep from now on to the next games.”
“Nevermind that. I always sneak out cloak anyway.” He said with malice as he wiped an inch-worth of dust from a cabinet of porcelain vases. “You’re brilliant at Quidditch, if I was someone else in that playing field, I would have been scared to death.” She glowed at the obvious compliment. “But seriously, what happened to ‘not being too competitive’?”
She smirked instead of replying. And as the night grew deeper and they discovered how far and wide the Room of Requirement stretched, Moon—naturally—had to make sure she learned a thing or two and started firing questions all regarding Transfiguration. His obvious favorite despite having a very boring teacher—Duncan Maximus. To his surprise, she was well-versed in Transfiguration more than he assumed, Moon knew she rarely listened to boring classes and learning tonight that she actually listened was a pleasant surprise.
At the end of their chore, they threw themselves on the couch around the fire. They were alone in the common room. The excitement of Gryffindor’s win still hung in the air as well as the bitterness of Slytherin’s defeat. There was obvious stuffing of scarlet cheer banners in the nooks of the room—under potted plants, burnt in the fire, swept under the rugs and in stuffed into the cushions. Moon obviously took no offense of the loss, even though he shouted at his teammates the match earlier in the day, he cannot stand to look at George’s shit-eating grin though.
Lilith held up a red glinting stone. “What is it?” He read the excitement from her face.
“I found these in the two corners of the Room of Requirement.” She breathed on it and wiped it on her robes, finally gave it a closer look and smiled triumphantly when it glinted before the fire.
“What is it?”
“A pair of ruby earrings.”
“It could be dangerous. Could be cursed.” He said worriedly.
“Are you that obsessed with Horcruxes? My gosh.”
“It might kill you!” He threatened.
“Not if we share it.” She smiled slyly. “Oh come on, I’ll pierce your ears, it would not hurt! I pierced mine, look.” She showed her asymmetric piercings. “I even pierced George’s ears.”
“IS THAT WHY HER EARS ARE BLUDGING AND BLOODY?”
“Stop shouting!” She hissed at him with her evil eyes, he backed away immediately. “It doesn’t happen all the time. Just sometimes or more often than that.”
They spent an hour in the common room, debating about it. Moon was scared of the needle on her fingers and Lilith was laughing her butt off. In the end, Moon took the ruby earring as he howled in pain ‘til two in the morning—his head rested on her lap (the opposite of where the earring was placed of course) as she read her book. She would get too excited sometimes and recite good lines there and he would pretend to not listen. Before Lilith left, Moon said: “I have questions.”
“Fire away.” She backed down the staircase like the first time they met.
“Why did you not duck and swatted the bludger instead? That was dangerous. Second, why is it that you risk your neck too much for others, punching someone was beyond reason. Third, how did you know all about Transfiguration? Fourth, I was curious about this, did you exchange robes with George?”
“I had to protect Cole, and I knew it was dangerous but I had to get up in the spur of the moment or I’ll never catch the bludger and it would give Cole injuries. Also, I cannot help but help. I can’t stand and watch your ex-girlfriend crush your heart.” She made a heart shape with her hands and pretended to tear it apart with a very nasty smirk. “You wear it in your sleeves, it’s too unprotected.” She said and continued. “I happen to be actually listening to my classes. I’m just an asshole to some teachers sometimes.” Moon rolled his eyes at that.
Moon was satisfied with her answers. “Vulnerability is strength.”
“To you.” She added defensively. He did not dare to argue for he knew, Lilith have her reasons for being secretive. “And yes. I did exchange robes with George. It’s so inconvenient, I couldn’t run from Fernsby the Fern when I set a Dung Pop on his office. My turn,” she told him, he didn’t believe her completely. “Why did Maximus tell me he saw you punched someone. And does anybody call you Rubeus? Where did Rubeus came from?”
Moon laughed heartily. “I caused loads of trouble before. Professor Maximus hated me, I was always in brawls with Gryffindors and Ravenclaws until Cole and I became friends. We were in second year. Once, I couldn’t control my broom and I thought I was going to die because I was no good in swimming. Lucky for me, Cole was there because I am very scared of drowning. I really just cannot swim. Secondly, no one really calls me Rubeus—“
“No one? Even your parents? How awful!” She exclaimed interrupting him. “Rubeus is such a beautiful name.”
“Will you let me go on please?” He rolled his eyes comically and she chortled. “Thank you, kindly. Rubeus is from Hagrid. Mum had named me after him.”
“And does she talk about him? Surely she talks about him, what was he like?”
“She never did.”
He paused and tried to think of it. But her voice cut his thoughts off. As it usually does.
“I’ll call you Rubeus from now on.”
“What for?” Sometimes, he thought, she really made her life difficult for herself.
“Same reason why you call people by their nicknames. I call them by their names and we’re attached.”
He smiled, looked at her sparkling eyes. “You’re really eager to call me that huh.”
“Not just you. I’ll address Cole as Nicholas and I’ll call George…”
“What?” He looked at her face.