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witticaster"Christ." Archie clambered up onto one of the desks in the empty classroom, tipping his head back and stretching his neck as he made himself comfortable. There weren't many places to meet friends in other houses once it was too cold to sit out at night--imagine if he showed up in the Hufflepuff common room with his scarlet trim!--but 'sitting on top of a desk' could certainly be worse. "You wouldn't believe how many girls have been dropping hints about the Yule Ball, William. They don't actually ask me, just tell me what colour robes they're wearing. I think they expect me to ask them."
"Oh, poor you," said William, perched at the edge of the desk across the aisle. He swung his feet back and forth idly. "You'll need half a dozen corsages."
Archie rolled his eyes. "I don't see why they think I'd like to go with them--I don't even know some of them."
"Well--" and William frowned, his brow coming down heavy over his eyes. William's face always looked a bit sad around the edges, and that expression only intensified it. "Probably they, uh, they think you're handsome. You are quite popular--there're girls in my year who'd probably go with you."
"Maybe." Archie liked to think it had more to do with his character--the witty, friendly, knowledgeable-about-Shakespeare parts--than his looks, but he supposed he couldn't argue with being called handsome. "So who's asked you?"
"No one," William answered, glancing at the floor, and suddenly, Archie understood the downcast look on his face. Here Archie was, bragging about girls throwing themselves at his feet, and William hadn't any prospects at all.
"Bet someone will." He tried to put as much cheer into his voice as he could without sounding phony. "All you have to do is smile at a girl, and she's bound to say yes."
William snorted. "Doesn't work that way when you're a Hufflepuff, Kennedy."
"Not even with other Hufflepuffs, Bush?" A grin spread over Archie's face. "Here, I've got an idea--why don't you come with me?"
That brought William's gaze back up to Archie's in a snap, his pale blue eyes wide--with what, Archie wasn't sure. "With--with you?"
"Yeah. I mean, then you don't have to worry about anyone asking you, and I don't have to worry about asking anyone else. We'll go stag."
"Yeah," William echoed him. His expression had softened from that odd surprise, and now he was even smiling a bit. You're a genius, Archie, he told himself. "Sounds good to me."
"Brilliant. I'd make Horatio come, too--" for Archie was already intent on planning the rest of it out--"but he's going with that French girl, Mariette."
"The blonde, right?"
"Yeah, the one he tried to write a sonnet for. But I can see if anyone else wants to do the stag thing, too." William looked less enthused at that, so Archie scrapped that idea. William probably wouldn't know Archie's housemates all that well, anyway, and it wasn't fair to make him socialize with a bunch of blokes he'd barely met. "But it'd be fun just going with you."
"Long as you promise not to laugh at my dress robes." William sighed. "Ellen's are decent, but I just look like I'm parading around in someone's dress."
"Wouldn't dare," Archie promised, holding a hand up as proof of his commitment to the oath, just like the Wizard Guides did. "Even if they're--I dunno, puce with lacy cuffs."
"They're not that bad!"
Archie laughed, giving William a scrunch-nosed smile. "Good. I'd hate to be ashamed to be seen in public with you."
"Yours better not be moldy old family heirlooms," William replied, grinning back, "or I'll be the one who ought to be ashamed."
"Oh, poor you," said William, perched at the edge of the desk across the aisle. He swung his feet back and forth idly. "You'll need half a dozen corsages."
Archie rolled his eyes. "I don't see why they think I'd like to go with them--I don't even know some of them."
"Well--" and William frowned, his brow coming down heavy over his eyes. William's face always looked a bit sad around the edges, and that expression only intensified it. "Probably they, uh, they think you're handsome. You are quite popular--there're girls in my year who'd probably go with you."
"Maybe." Archie liked to think it had more to do with his character--the witty, friendly, knowledgeable-about-Shakespeare parts--than his looks, but he supposed he couldn't argue with being called handsome. "So who's asked you?"
"No one," William answered, glancing at the floor, and suddenly, Archie understood the downcast look on his face. Here Archie was, bragging about girls throwing themselves at his feet, and William hadn't any prospects at all.
"Bet someone will." He tried to put as much cheer into his voice as he could without sounding phony. "All you have to do is smile at a girl, and she's bound to say yes."
William snorted. "Doesn't work that way when you're a Hufflepuff, Kennedy."
"Not even with other Hufflepuffs, Bush?" A grin spread over Archie's face. "Here, I've got an idea--why don't you come with me?"
That brought William's gaze back up to Archie's in a snap, his pale blue eyes wide--with what, Archie wasn't sure. "With--with you?"
"Yeah. I mean, then you don't have to worry about anyone asking you, and I don't have to worry about asking anyone else. We'll go stag."
"Yeah," William echoed him. His expression had softened from that odd surprise, and now he was even smiling a bit. You're a genius, Archie, he told himself. "Sounds good to me."
"Brilliant. I'd make Horatio come, too--" for Archie was already intent on planning the rest of it out--"but he's going with that French girl, Mariette."
"The blonde, right?"
"Yeah, the one he tried to write a sonnet for. But I can see if anyone else wants to do the stag thing, too." William looked less enthused at that, so Archie scrapped that idea. William probably wouldn't know Archie's housemates all that well, anyway, and it wasn't fair to make him socialize with a bunch of blokes he'd barely met. "But it'd be fun just going with you."
"Long as you promise not to laugh at my dress robes." William sighed. "Ellen's are decent, but I just look like I'm parading around in someone's dress."
"Wouldn't dare," Archie promised, holding a hand up as proof of his commitment to the oath, just like the Wizard Guides did. "Even if they're--I dunno, puce with lacy cuffs."
"They're not that bad!"
Archie laughed, giving William a scrunch-nosed smile. "Good. I'd hate to be ashamed to be seen in public with you."
"Yours better not be moldy old family heirlooms," William replied, grinning back, "or I'll be the one who ought to be ashamed."
FAVOURITE PERSON EVER
on 2011-09-21 02:59 am (UTC)Re: FAVOURITE PERSON EVER
on 2011-09-22 12:13 am (UTC)Ahahaha, Bush is such a Hufflepuff. I think he basically strides the Hufflepuff/Gryffindor line, but he's so dogged and hardworking, and it's just so much more entertaining to make him a Hufflepuff. ♥
no subject
on 2011-09-21 11:10 pm (UTC)no subject
on 2011-09-22 12:11 am (UTC)