Nox (Part I)
Sansa Stark heard the most ludicrous statement of her life as she slowly drifted past the stands of the Quidditch pitch, searching, always searching for that elusive golden snitch.
"Jaime Lannister looks like sex in his Quidditch uniform."
Swinging around on her broomstick, the Ravenclaw Seeker caught sight of a cluster of second years leaning precariously over the stands, giggling and staring admiringly at the seventh year Slytherin Beater hovering in the distance.
It appeared the Jaime Lannister Appreciation Society knew no house allegiances, as every single colour was included in the gaggle.
Academically, Sansa supposed she could see the appeal. He was ridiculously handsome, and his parents both came from extremely wealthy bloodlines. Logically, she could kind of understand why the girls were mad for him. In her not-so-humble opinion however..
"Jaime Lannister looks like a great big prat." she hissed loudly to the surprised girls, before turning back to the game. She hadn't missed a snitch yet this season, and she didn’t plan on starting now. The game was a tiebreaker for the house, and Sansa was going to find that snitch if it killed her. Far more importantly however, she was going to do it while looking absolutely fabulous.
Unconsciously, the Seeker reached up and fidgeted at her hair, which had been carefully charmed before the game to hang in perfect curls down her back.
This year was the year Sansa was getting herself a boyfriend. It was a promise she had made to herself before term started, and it was one she intended to keep. But she didn’t want just any boyfriend...oh no. The Ravenclaw Seeker had her sights set on one very particular boy indeed…
“Mrs. Sansa Black. You two would even have the same initials.” her roommate Jeyne Poole had sighed rapturously only the night before as they breezed through their homework assignments. “By the way, do you think Remus Lupin is seeing anybody? He’s got that…animal charm about him.”
Pursing her lips, Sansa tried to think of a way to explain to Jeyne that Remus, unlike Sirius, was completely uninterested in girls. Period.
"Yes, I think so." she told a crestfallen Jeyne. "Ooh but um, Xenophilius Lovegood is rather cute. And he’s very quirky.”
The look her roommate gave her could have curdled milk, and it wasn’t long before both girls turned in for the night in awkward silence.
The game was beginning to wear longer than it usually did, Sansa thought, and still, she saw no sign of the bloody snitch. Zipping about in growing impatience, she was just about to try soaring a little higher for a better view of the field when she saw it - saw the Bludger racing at top speed towards an oblivious...
Sansa groaned.
Why him? Why couldn't it be anyone else? And why the hell was he just sitting there doing nothing? Wasn't it his job to notice when Bludgers were coming at him?
Racing towards the Bludger’s target as fast as her broom would carry her, Sansa screamed at the top of her lungs,
"JAIME LANNISTER YOU BLOODY MORON LOOK OUT!"
That got his attention. Turning at last, Jaime’s green eyes widened at the unwelcome sight that greeted him. The Beater raised his bat to ward off the incoming Bludger, but by Sansa's calculations, it was going to be far too late no matter what he did. The damned thing was going to smash right through his oh-so-perfectly sculpted cheekbones.
Sansa sped forwards and proceeded to do a very Gryffindor thing. That is, she did something incredibly brave, but also extremely stupid.
She leapt off her broom and propelled her body forwards, shoving the Beater out of harm's way. Unfortunately, her act of heroism also meant that she had shoved him off his fancy new Nimbus, leaving the both of them free falling onto the field far, far below.
The whole stadium screamed.
The ground was coming up fast, and all Sansa could think was, Sirius better be bloody looking.
Jaime's right arm had wrapped itself around her waist, holding onto her as if she were his lifeline. Reaching into her Quidditch robes, Sansa pulled out her wand and pointed it at the Slytherin Beater’s chest.
"Wingardium Leviosa!” she shouted against the rushing wind, which proceeded to rip her wand from her casting hand.
Thankfully, the spell took, abruptly halting their descent in mid-air. The two of them dangled twenty feet above the ground, staring at each other in stunned silence as they took a moment to collect themselves. At least, Sansa dangled while Jaime…Jaime floated, looking shell-shocked.
Already, teammates from both Slytherin and Ravenclaw were gathering on the ground below the two, staring and pointing upwards. Professors were running every which way, trying to restore a semblance of order.
"What the bloody hell were you thinking?" she demanded angrily. "Its your job to watch for those things."
"I haven't been sleeping well." he blinked at her.
She could see the truth in his words by the dark shadows under his eyes, but it didn’t stop her ire from spilling out. ”You shouldn't have been playing.”
“You know, I could drop you." the Beater’s eyes narrowed, though his hold on her remained firm.
Sansa huffed in annoyance, realizing the predicament she was in. Thankfully, one of the Professors had the presence of mind to begin the process of lowering both Quidditch players slowly and carefully to the ground.
“But I guess I do owe you a thanks. That was excellent flying. And quick thinking." Jaime said after a beat. The words sounded sincere, albeit, begrudging.
"Oh I didn't do it for you." Sansa tossed her hair back haughtily. "I'm pretty sure I looked cool as hell doing it, and that’s what matters.”
He quirked a brow. “How very…Slytherin of you.”
She was probably going to be sick all over herself. It was just going to happen. With any luck, and if there were any justice in the world, she’d get some sick on him too.
”Consider this a favour: you do know Black and Lupin are an item, don't you? I assume Black is who you're trying to 'look cool' for?"
Sputtering indignantly, Sansa gaped at Jaime in disbelief.
"The whole school knows about your crush, love..." his said almost gently, though there was laughter behind his emerald eyes. "You're clever, but not what most would call subtle.”
Sansa wondered if falling another ten feet would hurt very much. Nothing could be as painful as the conversation she was currently being forced to endure. Then, as if her day could not get any worse, she felt something poking against her thigh.
“Lannister, please tell me that’s your wand in your pocket.”
“Why my lady, it is indeed.” Jaime smirked in a way which made Sansa want, badly, to punch him in the face.
“You could have leviosa-ed me the way I did for you, saving us both this…this…” she tried to find an adequate word to convey her sentiments.
“Riveting discussion?” he finished smoothly. “I’m afraid my casting hand is quite occupied, what with keeping you from plunging to your death. With my left hand, I’d probably send you flying into the middle of the Forbidden Forest. Though I suppose, if you’re looking for a boyfriend, that mightn’t be so bad - I hear many centaurs enjoy hunting for female companionship in those woods.”
Their feet finally touched the ground. Before Sansa could tell Jaime exactly where he could shove his wand, she found herself being knocked ungracefully to the side as Cersei Lannister practically mowed everyone over in an effort to reach her twin. With rather more drama that the Seeker thought was strictly necessary, the older girl flung herself into Jaime’s arms.
"Hush," Sansa could her him whispering. "All is well."
"You could have died!" Cersei breathed, before shifting her angry gaze to Sansa. "What did you think you were doing you stupid girl?"
Before she could rise to her feet and defend herself against the older girl's accusatory stare, it was Jaime who responded, "Cersei, if not for Sansa, we'd be having this conversation at St. Mungo’s. The girl saved me.”
If that factoid was supposed to placate his sister, Sansa supposed Jaime was probably feeling quite disappointed. Cersei continued to glare at her suspiciously.
Regardless, the rest of her team was engulfing her now, pumping her hands and slapping her back. To her eternal gratitude, someone pressed her lost wand into her hand.
Robb and Jon were loudly proclaiming to anyone who would listen, “That’s my sister. She’s a fucking hero!”
Best of all, Sirius Black was making his way through the crowd to speak with her.
Take that Lannister, Sansa thought smugly even as she wore her sweetest, most welcoming smile in anticipation of her great romantic journey, which was so obviously about to commence.
***
When she found out two days later at breakfast that the Lannister siblings had all been sent home because their mother had died...well. She didn't quite feel as smug then.
It didn’t help that she had only just witnessed Sirius and Remus sharing a surreptitious snog session in a shadowy hallway, on her way down to the dining hall.
Sansa brightened slightly however, as she considered another possibility.
There was always James Potter. He was available, and he liked girls - right?
***
Dating Harrold shouldn’t have been that terrible. Just because his family had a distinct lack of historical figures in their bloodline the way her family did, it didn’t make him less of a catch.
And really, she wasn’t a snob.
But there were things that bothered her, such as the frequency in which she found herself towing her drunk boyfriend up the snowy path leading to the main gates of Hogwarts.
Robb and Jon were never any help. They preferred to snicker at her as they passed the couple, making jokes about how boys who couldn’t hold their liquor, should maybe stick to butterbeer.
Even if she agreed with them, she would never have said it out loud to Harrold as she was a Good Girlfriend.
There was a very slight chance her brothers would find the whole situation a lot less amusing, if they knew Harrold smuggled firewhisky in a hidden flask on his person at all times. In fact, if they even figured out what Harrold was like after a couple of firewhiskys, Sansa was rather sure her relationship would be over, regardless of what she had to say on the matter.
More than once now, she had fended off Harrold’s advances while he was still sober, and she didn’t mean mere kisses. While it was true that they indulged in the occasional snog fests in either the Hufflepuff or Ravenclaw common room, Harrold was fast becoming impatient with the pace at which they were travelling.
He had said rather sullenly, “I don’t know why I put up with this. All the other blokes’ girlfriends are quite happy with a bit of action. Lots of girls would love to go out with me.”
“We’ll get there,” she soothed, although she couldn’t help but wonder if she even wanted to get there with him. Harrold was cute, it couldn’t be denied, but his consistent attempts in pushing her boundaries…it was beginning to wear on her.
All that while he was still sober.
It was always just that much worse when he’d had a couple of drinks in him, a fact which Sansa was rudely reminded of on Valentine’s Day weekend.
All the other couples had already left to avoid the impending snowstorm, and it was only Harrold and herself still seated in the dark establishment. Sansa had never noticed it before, but the Three Broomsticks was only bright and cheerful when it was filled with other students. Without the presence of her school mates, the Ravenclaw Seeker could not deny that the bar was a dank, gloomy space, and its patrons all seemed grizzled, old and bitter as they stared at the bottom of their pints.
The roses someone had thought to place on each table - they were charmed to look red and fresh for days, but against the backdrop of the pub, the poor flowers all looked as if they were being forced to bloom.
For some strange, unfathomable reason, Sansa reached out and snapped a scarlet blossom off its fragile stem, and watched as the petals crumbled away into nothing but dried, brown flakes in her palm.
“Come on, let’s go. This place is gettin’ boring.” Harrold swayed to his feet.
What that really meant was this: his flask was empty, and Madam Rosmerta had already told her boyfriend in very crude terms what he could do with the thing if he wanted it filled up so bad.
There was a very good chance that perhaps, she ought to have broken up with the boy weeks ago, but Sansa really, really didn’t want to be alone on Valentines Day. It was stupid, and desperate, and not for the first time that night, the girl regretted her decision not to have dumped Harrold sooner.
“Let’s go out the back. I’ve got something to give you. Valentine’s day gift.” he slurred, grinning widely at her.
Something about the way he said it made her feel queasy, made her feel for her wand inside her robe. She considered saying ‘no’, but Harrold took the choice out of her hands by slinging an arm around her shoulder and steering her firmly towards the back door. Before she knew it, she was out in the dark alley, ankle deep in a freezing puddle.
“Harrold, what…” she started crossly, turning to face him. He never let her finish. Instead, he affixed his mouth to her lips as he fumbled at the sash of her midnight blue robes.
“Stop,” she gasped, trying to push him away.
“Fuck that.” he spat, and pushed her hard against the wall. There was a loud smack as her skull hit the hard surface, and for a moment, all Sansa could see were stars. As she tried to regroup, the boy had wasted no time and had already began to push her robe back, revealing the tight sweater underneath.
“It’ll be good, I promise,” he said against her neck. Greedy hands squeezed at her breasts.
“Please stop it,” she begged, feeling the fear begin to rise in her. “Harrold please.”
“You are such a tease. It’s not even like it’s a big deal.” he growled, pushing a knee between her legs. “This wasn’t what I had in mind, believe me. I’ve gotten better promises though, and since you’ve been so difficult, this solves everything for everyone.”
“What are you talking about?” Sansa tried to make sense of his words. “Please Harrold, I don’t want to do this.”
So wrapped up in what he was doing, Harrold didn’t even notice that the two of them were no longer alone in the alley.
“Hardyng, I think the girl asked you to stop.” a familiar voice said very quietly.
Sansa blinked hard, trying to focus her vision.
“Sod off Lannister, mind your own bloody business.”
“I’m a prefect. Stopping fifth years from raping younger students is my fucking business.” Jaime stepped into view. “Get away from her. Now.”
Why was Jaime hesitating, Sansa wondered. Just stupefy the bastard and be done with it…
Then she looked down at her wrist, the wrist Harrold was gripping tightly, and understood. The little shit was going to try using her as a shield.
“Jaime everything’s fine. We’re just on our way back to the castle.” she tried her best to sound calm. A trickle of blood was dripping down her neck from where her skull had been struck.
Clearly, her acting was not up to snuff - the Lannister prefect was not buying it for a second.
Without any warning, Harrold pulled his wand out and screamed, “Stupefy!”
Gathering one last spurt of energy, Sansa yanked her wrist away. Spinning on one heel, she yelled, “Protego.”
At such close range, the effects were rather spectacular; the stupefy charm rebounded against her shield, and struck Harrold so hard, he flew backwards, slumping into a pile of rubbish bins.
“And here I thought I would get to play the hero this time. Stop showing me up, will you Stark?” Jaime started, then paused. “Sweet Merlin! Sansa, you’re bleeding…”
No one was meant to see that.
“It’s nothing.” she assured, turning to look at him with a large smile.
“Christ, Stark but you’re shit at lying. And you have horrible taste in men.” he said bluntly, hurrying towards her even as her knees began to buckle.
As darkness began to engulf her, Sansa whispered, “Please don’t tell anyone. This is far too embarrassing. Please.”
“Fucking hell Sansa.” he cursed. The last thing she saw was his look of intense annoyance.
**
The Ravenclaw girls were all beside themselves, wanting to know what it was like to be rescued by Jaime Lannister. Was he extremely heroic, and
“Did he at any point remove his shirt as he faced down those muggers?”
That last one was all Jeyne.
Jeyne was so pretty, and she aced every single test, but she could be so very thick.
For a split second, Sansa considered telling her schoolmates the truth of what happened: that Harrold Hardying was a slimy sex predator who deserved to rot in Azkaban for the rest of his sorry life.
Before she could spill her own secret however, rumours began to filter in.
Harold had been sent home with a severe case of having every bone in his body broken.
“That kind of thing happens when a person falls from the Astronomy Tower, after having one too many drinks.” Robb told her cheerfully, perched on the edge of her bed. “Personally, I think he’s a little shit and I don’t know what you ever saw in him.”
A few days later, more news arrived: the boy had been transferred to Durmstrang.
“I hope he gets the shit kicked out of him. You know he was cheating on you right?” Jon asked, munching on a sandwich as he lounged in the hospital wing.
Sansa couldn’t help but laugh.
It was when Cersei visited late in the night however, the night before she was due to be released, that Sansa finally came to the uncomfortable conclusion that she had gotten herself mixed up in something just a little worse than she had guessed.
The older girl had slunk into the infirmary in a manner which reminded the Seeker uncomfortably of a lioness stalking its prey.
“Stay away from my brother,” were the first words out of Cersei’s mouth, spoken in a low snarl.
“Pardon?” Sansa silently wondered if she could reach her wand in time to defend herself if necessary.
“Stay. Away. From. Jaime.” Cersei reiterated, moving closer. “Or I swear, I will do everything in my power to finish what that little shit Hardying failed at. All that time I spent working on him, the things I promised…all my efforts wasted now.”
“What?” Sansa’s eyes widened.
“You really are a simpleton. How were you sorted to Ravenclaw?” the blonde girl shook her head in exasperation. She reached down and grabbed a fistful of auburn hair, tugging hard enough, Sansa’s eyes watered. The seeker knew she was going to start bleeding again. The healing charms Madam Pomfrey had used to fix her wounds were strong, but she had been warned not to aggravate the bruises, at the risk of further injury.
“Jaime doesn’t want you. He’ll never want you, you stupid little…”
“That’s enough.”
The brother in question was standing at the entrance of the Hospital Wing, dismay warring with disgust in his steady gaze.
“I came looking for you, but you weren’t there.” He slowly made his way into the darkened infirmary. “Why did I just know I would find you here, of all places?”
“I…” Cersei’s face was turning an unattractive shade of puce. “Jaime, I just wanted to see…”
“You set up this ugly business with Hardying didn’t you?” he demanded.
“How could you…” she started, moving closer to her brother.
“Didn’t you?” he pressed unrelentingly.
In her little bed, Sansa wished she could apparate away from the infirmary. She didn’t want to be here, didn’t want to listen to this strange fight.
However, she could not deny the weird feeling of deja vu she was currently experiencing as she parsed through the older girl’s choice of words. What Cersei had said about Harrold, and what the boy himself had said about ‘promises’ and solving ‘everything for everyone’…the implications were more than a little disturbing.
“I heard what you just said, in this very room. Sweet sister, you’ve been obsessed with her, ever since the day she saved me during the Quidditch match.” Jaime reached out to touch his twin’s face, only to stop himself halfway. He let his fingers curl inwards as his hand dropped heavily to his side. “I think you should go. You and I, we’re finished.”
The way he said those last few words made Sansa’s hair stand on end. This was not how she ended fights with her siblings. This was not how she ended fights with anyone, in fact. The way the twins were staring at each other, it was as if their very hearts were being ripped out of their bodies.
Sansa’s skin began to crawl as she began to put the pieces of the puzzle together in her head.
Cersei shot Sansa one last venomous glance before she strode for the doorway, shoving Jaime aside in her haste to leave.
“Sorry you had to see that. You have siblings, you understand.” Jaime said when he was sure Cersei had left. He looked so much older than his eighteen years, Sansa thought.
“I don’t understand.” she said bluntly. “I’m afraid my brothers and I relate to each other rather differently.”
“I rather assumed you did, truth be told.” Jaime shook his head ruefully. “I should go. Nothing personal, just…”
“Please stay.” Sansa was exhausted and unaccountably frightened. The encounter with Cersei had more than unsettled her.
“I don’t know Sansa…” he frowned.
“Cersei.” Sansa stated softly, giving voice to the conclusions she had already drawn in her mind. No matter what Cersei insinuated of her intelligence Sansa was after all, a Ravenclaw, capable of working things out for herself. “You’re afraid she’ll try to hurt me because of you, because she’s jealous. I’ve inadvertently put myself in the middle of a lover’s quarrel haven’t I?”
The prefect remained silent.
“The way I see it, I’ve kind of saved you twice now, so you owe me.” Sansa was pushing it, she knew she was. “While I can certainly handle myself, if your sister sends another brute rapist or two, I don’t know if I can hold them off on my own.”
Jaime blinked at her in surprise and strange admiration.
“Technically, the ‘second’ time doesn’t quite count. After all, I did interrupt Hardying, and I was the one who dragged your sorry arse back from Hogsmeade.” he strolled over and settled himself in a nearby chair. “I usually find Starks dreadfully dull. You on the other hand…have been making my life far more interesting than you could possibly realize.”
“I’m beginning to have an idea.” Sansa shut her eyes wearily.