Deuces
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Smile. Deuce. Flash.
The black-haired girl snatched the photo that spit out of the bottom of the camera. After a few seconds, it developed to show a girl on the right with dark, bouncy curls and a ruby-red smile, while the girl on the left had black wavy locks and was flashing a deuce – the peace sign, involving only the index and middle fingers – in between the two.
The girl beside her sighed, nose scrunching up in disgust. “Lexi, that picture is hideous.” She pointed to the red-lipped girl, herself, and scowled. “Do you see that smile? Unacceptable.”
The other girl gave a loud sigh, pulling the picture and camera away from her perfectionist friend and dropping it in her shiny silver purse. “Chrissy, you look gorgeous as always, so shaddup. I’m keeping it.” She stuck out her tongue and turned her blue eyes to the other occupants of the train car.
“Could you guys quiet down, please?” The tallest of the quintet squeaked quietly, her jean-clad legs were crossed with her folded hands resting on her knees.
The petite brunette next to her tilted her over-sized sunglasses down, eyebrow raised. “Char, why?” Her voice was louder, louder than the other two’s. Charlotte flinched from the noise.
“You’re just too loud…” Charlotte hid her face from view, opting to look to the floor, eyes closed. Her brown hair curtained around her face, giving her more of a shield from the others.
“Char, we know more than that is bothering you.” Alexis put her hands on her hips, standing up right in front of the girl. With her tie-dye Led Zeppelin (a muggle band) shirt that, while form-fitting, stopped at about mid-thigh, all the authoritative air that she usually had around her faded slightly.
Nevertheless, Charlotte flinched, as no matter what someone wore or what they looked like, she always thought them scary. “Nothing,”
Christine sighed at her roommate, walking over to her and squeezing on the bench in between Charlotte and Elizabeth. “Charrr, we know something’s up.” She cooed, trying to calm Charlotte down. The poor girl’s eyes were wide from being the center of attention, and her mouth went dry.
The only blonde in the compartment flipped her artificial curls over her shoulder before clearing her throat, commanding everyone’s attention. “I think this is the perfect time to tell you guys about my summer.” Alexis and Liz glanced at each other before sighing, deciding that Vikki was just trying to make Charlotte more comfortable. And so Vikki began to delve into her summer while Charlotte stared at her feet.
Christine put an arm around her. “What’s bothering you, dear?” She asked softly, before a person angrily slid the door open of course.
Draco Malfoy glared into the compartment, icy blue eyes scanning its inhabitants. Charlotte tensed up, and not just at the fact that Malfoy seemed to be pissier than usual; he made eye contact with her and made her freeze. But Malfoy didn’t notice, nor did he care.
“Where’s Devereaux?” He snapped. Vikki narrowed her eyes at him, and before she could come up with a snappy reply, Liz spoke up.
“Hey, Draco, why’re ya wearing a suit?” She titled her head to the side a little bit, staring at him for a second. “There’s not gonna be a party when we get there…is there?”
Draco snorted. “And I thought Lovegood was the airhead.” His eyes widened when he felt a wand jam itself into his spine.
“I thought I smelled something rotten.” Selene hissed, pressing her wand harder into his back. A jolt of pain shot through his body, but he tried to keep his face as still as possible.
“I’m glad to have finally found you, Devereaux.” Selene rolled her eyes.
“Please. Now, what do you want little ferret?”
“Why would I need a reason to come visit my dear friend?” He was smirking now, testing Selene’s patience. And she didn’t like it. She scoffed. She grabbed his shoulder and turned him around, and she grabbed his collar and shoved him against the glass door. “Did I get your knickers in a bunch?” When she pushed him rougher, his head banging against the glass without shattering it, he whimpered.
“Am I making you scared?” She asked softly, as if speaking to a child. Draco growled, trying to pry her hands off him. “Why don’t you like having a girl this close to you? Do you fancy your own kind?” Inside the compartment, the others howled with laughter at that, clutching at each other so they didn’t fall. By now, a few students were watching the scene with amusement, remembering the hilarity that was a Selene and Draco fight.
“You two fight like a married couple,” Alexis grinned. Selene shot her a death glare, in which Alexis promptly ignored since she was immune. Draco quickly snatched something that hung out of Selene’s jean pocket, wriggled out of her grasp, and ran off. Selene frowned, patting her pockets to see what was missing.
Christine furrowed her brows in thought, trying to recall what it looked like Draco ran off with, but before she could Selene gasped. “My Silentium!” In a flash, she was after him. Christine rolled her eyes.
“Oh if only he knew what it was for,” She sighed. Vikki blinked.
“What is it?” All of the occupants turned their heads towards the blonde, who glowered at them. “Well, what?!”
“Christine gave each of us one for Christmas third year, remember?” Alexis deadpanned, holding hers up. It was a pocket-sized dark-grey hour glass with glittery sand resting at the top. At Vikki’s blank face, Christine explained.
“It analyzes the quality of one’s essay or assignment. When the sand runs slow, it needs to improve and requires more time to make it a quality essay. When the sand runs fast, the essay is remarkable and will be finished quickly.” It took a few moments for Vikki to understand, and when she did she looked at the floor.
“Oh…that’s what it was for…” She mumbled, scowling in embarrassment. “I thought it was a simple keychain…” Everyone chuckled, but most were quieted by the fierce glare she sent them.
The train began to slow down and Alexis rose to her feet, slightly leaning on the glass window for support. “Ladies,” The four turned to look at her. “We’re home,” She smiled as the train stopped. Doors began sliding open in almost all of the compartments. Vikki was the first to stand impatiently.
“Well…? Let’s get the hell back home.” She half-smiled, before disappearing in the crowd. Alexis quickly left after her, so she would remember to wait up for the rest of their group. Liz practically skipped out, her sunglasses on the edge of her nose. Christine looked over to Charlotte, who nervously looked at the throng of people.
“Something is still bothering you.” She stated simply, waiting for Charlotte to speak on her own. The shy girl bit her lip, looking in every direction possible, before sighing.
“I have a really bad feeling…” She said quietly, which was nearly drowned out from the noise in the train’s hall. “It-” Her voice was becoming hollow, and Christine shook her arm. Charlotte blinked.
“Please stop, you’re sounding and looking like Trelawney.” Christine stood and waited at the doorway, and after regaining her composure Charlotte followed her lead and they both exited the train, finding the rest of them – including Selene, who looked triumphant – waiting beside a carriage.
“C’mon! I don’t wanna walk there!” Selene called out to them as she climbed onto the carriage as close as she could get to the thestral, gently stroking it.
Charlotte was last to climb on, still shaking a little bit. She sat next to Liz, who intertwined their fingers. “Whatever’s bothering you will be okay,” She smiled sunnily.
A ghost of a smile made its way to Charlotte’s lips, and she looked fondly at the thestral now pulling the carriage. “Yeah…” Liz’s mega-watt grin brightened before engaging in the conversation the others were having, still holding Charlotte’s hand gently in an almost sister-like gesture.
The black-haired girl snatched the photo that spit out of the bottom of the camera. After a few seconds, it developed to show a girl on the right with dark, bouncy curls and a ruby-red smile, while the girl on the left had black wavy locks and was flashing a deuce – the peace sign, involving only the index and middle fingers – in between the two.
The girl beside her sighed, nose scrunching up in disgust. “Lexi, that picture is hideous.” She pointed to the red-lipped girl, herself, and scowled. “Do you see that smile? Unacceptable.”
The other girl gave a loud sigh, pulling the picture and camera away from her perfectionist friend and dropping it in her shiny silver purse. “Chrissy, you look gorgeous as always, so shaddup. I’m keeping it.” She stuck out her tongue and turned her blue eyes to the other occupants of the train car.
“Could you guys quiet down, please?” The tallest of the quintet squeaked quietly, her jean-clad legs were crossed with her folded hands resting on her knees.
The petite brunette next to her tilted her over-sized sunglasses down, eyebrow raised. “Char, why?” Her voice was louder, louder than the other two’s. Charlotte flinched from the noise.
“You’re just too loud…” Charlotte hid her face from view, opting to look to the floor, eyes closed. Her brown hair curtained around her face, giving her more of a shield from the others.
“Char, we know more than that is bothering you.” Alexis put her hands on her hips, standing up right in front of the girl. With her tie-dye Led Zeppelin (a muggle band) shirt that, while form-fitting, stopped at about mid-thigh, all the authoritative air that she usually had around her faded slightly.
Nevertheless, Charlotte flinched, as no matter what someone wore or what they looked like, she always thought them scary. “Nothing,”
Christine sighed at her roommate, walking over to her and squeezing on the bench in between Charlotte and Elizabeth. “Charrr, we know something’s up.” She cooed, trying to calm Charlotte down. The poor girl’s eyes were wide from being the center of attention, and her mouth went dry.
The only blonde in the compartment flipped her artificial curls over her shoulder before clearing her throat, commanding everyone’s attention. “I think this is the perfect time to tell you guys about my summer.” Alexis and Liz glanced at each other before sighing, deciding that Vikki was just trying to make Charlotte more comfortable. And so Vikki began to delve into her summer while Charlotte stared at her feet.
Christine put an arm around her. “What’s bothering you, dear?” She asked softly, before a person angrily slid the door open of course.
Draco Malfoy glared into the compartment, icy blue eyes scanning its inhabitants. Charlotte tensed up, and not just at the fact that Malfoy seemed to be pissier than usual; he made eye contact with her and made her freeze. But Malfoy didn’t notice, nor did he care.
“Where’s Devereaux?” He snapped. Vikki narrowed her eyes at him, and before she could come up with a snappy reply, Liz spoke up.
“Hey, Draco, why’re ya wearing a suit?” She titled her head to the side a little bit, staring at him for a second. “There’s not gonna be a party when we get there…is there?”
Draco snorted. “And I thought Lovegood was the airhead.” His eyes widened when he felt a wand jam itself into his spine.
“I thought I smelled something rotten.” Selene hissed, pressing her wand harder into his back. A jolt of pain shot through his body, but he tried to keep his face as still as possible.
“I’m glad to have finally found you, Devereaux.” Selene rolled her eyes.
“Please. Now, what do you want little ferret?”
“Why would I need a reason to come visit my dear friend?” He was smirking now, testing Selene’s patience. And she didn’t like it. She scoffed. She grabbed his shoulder and turned him around, and she grabbed his collar and shoved him against the glass door. “Did I get your knickers in a bunch?” When she pushed him rougher, his head banging against the glass without shattering it, he whimpered.
“Am I making you scared?” She asked softly, as if speaking to a child. Draco growled, trying to pry her hands off him. “Why don’t you like having a girl this close to you? Do you fancy your own kind?” Inside the compartment, the others howled with laughter at that, clutching at each other so they didn’t fall. By now, a few students were watching the scene with amusement, remembering the hilarity that was a Selene and Draco fight.
“You two fight like a married couple,” Alexis grinned. Selene shot her a death glare, in which Alexis promptly ignored since she was immune. Draco quickly snatched something that hung out of Selene’s jean pocket, wriggled out of her grasp, and ran off. Selene frowned, patting her pockets to see what was missing.
Christine furrowed her brows in thought, trying to recall what it looked like Draco ran off with, but before she could Selene gasped. “My Silentium!” In a flash, she was after him. Christine rolled her eyes.
“Oh if only he knew what it was for,” She sighed. Vikki blinked.
“What is it?” All of the occupants turned their heads towards the blonde, who glowered at them. “Well, what?!”
“Christine gave each of us one for Christmas third year, remember?” Alexis deadpanned, holding hers up. It was a pocket-sized dark-grey hour glass with glittery sand resting at the top. At Vikki’s blank face, Christine explained.
“It analyzes the quality of one’s essay or assignment. When the sand runs slow, it needs to improve and requires more time to make it a quality essay. When the sand runs fast, the essay is remarkable and will be finished quickly.” It took a few moments for Vikki to understand, and when she did she looked at the floor.
“Oh…that’s what it was for…” She mumbled, scowling in embarrassment. “I thought it was a simple keychain…” Everyone chuckled, but most were quieted by the fierce glare she sent them.
The train began to slow down and Alexis rose to her feet, slightly leaning on the glass window for support. “Ladies,” The four turned to look at her. “We’re home,” She smiled as the train stopped. Doors began sliding open in almost all of the compartments. Vikki was the first to stand impatiently.
“Well…? Let’s get the hell back home.” She half-smiled, before disappearing in the crowd. Alexis quickly left after her, so she would remember to wait up for the rest of their group. Liz practically skipped out, her sunglasses on the edge of her nose. Christine looked over to Charlotte, who nervously looked at the throng of people.
“Something is still bothering you.” She stated simply, waiting for Charlotte to speak on her own. The shy girl bit her lip, looking in every direction possible, before sighing.
“I have a really bad feeling…” She said quietly, which was nearly drowned out from the noise in the train’s hall. “It-” Her voice was becoming hollow, and Christine shook her arm. Charlotte blinked.
“Please stop, you’re sounding and looking like Trelawney.” Christine stood and waited at the doorway, and after regaining her composure Charlotte followed her lead and they both exited the train, finding the rest of them – including Selene, who looked triumphant – waiting beside a carriage.
“C’mon! I don’t wanna walk there!” Selene called out to them as she climbed onto the carriage as close as she could get to the thestral, gently stroking it.
Charlotte was last to climb on, still shaking a little bit. She sat next to Liz, who intertwined their fingers. “Whatever’s bothering you will be okay,” She smiled sunnily.
A ghost of a smile made its way to Charlotte’s lips, and she looked fondly at the thestral now pulling the carriage. “Yeah…” Liz’s mega-watt grin brightened before engaging in the conversation the others were having, still holding Charlotte’s hand gently in an almost sister-like gesture.