it's not safe in here [rl with emily]

[ambiguities]

[ A quick glance at the clock reveals the time to be half past four. It's been well over an hour since Cook left her sitting there alone in the Three Broomsticks. He'd been slightly hesitant to go at first, but she'd encouraged him -- wanting her best mate to enjoy himself in spite of her own piss-poor mood.

She swallows the last dregs of her now-lukewarm butterbeer and considers her options. Inevitably, her thoughts stray to Emily. The little redhead is coming along well in her studies thanks to Naomi's patient tutelage. They meet together in the library after classes several times a week, carefully poring over their notes until the dinner hour. Aside from that however, Naomi is careful to maintain her distance. Although house relations have apparently come a long way since the last wizarding war, it's still not exactly well-accepted to see a Slytherin and a Gryffindor intermingling so often.

Unless you're family, of course. Naomi winces as she thinks of the nasty look Katie had shot her over her twin's shoulder earlier that same day, when she'd apparently lost her mind or been under the influence of the confundus charm or something, because she had somehow convinced herself over breakfast that it was in any way okay to just approach Emily Fitch in the Great Hall where anybody including her obnoxious cow of a sister could see.

So her plans to invite the other girl out to lunch with her as a reward for all her hard work had been hexed dead upon arrival. Feeling a bit uncharacteristically sullen about the missed opportunity, Naomi had almost called off the trip entirely before Cook had caught wind of her so-called "funsponging" and dragged her down to Hogsmeade himself. They'd sat around talking and drinking for some time but a lingering sense of annoyance (and that's all it is, she harshly barks to herself) at that bloody bitch Katie had prevented her from truly relaxing.

And now, deciding she's had quite enough of the glaring coming from some other would-be patrons waiting for a spot to free up in the crowded tavern hall, Naomi rolls her eyes and finally vacates her table. Her arse has barely cleared the seat before she's being jostled out of the way. On any other day she might have turned around and given them a real piece of her mind but at this very moment all she wants is to get away from all the happy chatter around her.

Outside, blinking against the glare of the setting sun, she picks a random direction and starts walking. Of course, she knows just about every inch of this tiny town by now, so before long she's conducting her steps with a purpose, navigating easily through sparsely inhabited streets towards the one place that never fails to make her smile: Honeydukes. ]

Comments

[neverhadaboyfriend]

[She sighs, trying to think. She's not particularly keen on the Hog's Head on reputation alone, and Madam Puddifoot's is out of the question.

[But nor does she want this opportunity to slip from her grasp so quickly. Before she can think too hard about it, she blurts out:] We can still hang out somewhere else. If you want, I mean.

[ambiguities]

[ Naomi raises a brow, somewhat surprised by the other's vehemence. But she smiles slightly and nods. ]

Well, we can head back in that direction at least. Maybe something else will catch our eye along the way?

[neverhadaboyfriend]

Yeah. [She settles, a little embarrassed by her own outburst.] Worst comes to worst, we could get takeaways somewhere; good thing it's not too cold yet.

[ambiguities]

[ The idea is far more appealing than perhaps it should be... Nipping in and out of some quaint little eatery, finding a nice place to settle down off of the beaten path... Real alone time with Emily.

She's smiling brightly without realizing it. ]

Right. That's not a bad plan, actually.

[neverhadaboyfriend]

[Emily mirrors that smile, encouraged by the smile as much as by her words, and starts heading off.]

So... What've you been up to today? [Considering most of what she knows of Naomi is studying or Quidditch, she's kind of curious about what else she does with her free time, who she hangs out with.]

[ambiguities]

[ Naomi trails behind Emily by a few paces at first before tentatively falling into stride alongside her. ]

Not much of anything, to be honest. [ Her smile turns a bit wry at this next admission. ] I was going to skive off the whole trip but Cookie wouldn't stand for that. So I ended up spending most of the day at the pub with him. What about you?

[neverhadaboyfriend]

At least you got out of Hogwarts. [She smiles, trying to find the positives in Naomi's day.]

Ah, I just ran some errands and did some shopping with Katie, before she went off on a date. [Thinking of her sister's parting words as she left, Emily tries not to make a face, but she doesn't quite succeed.]

[ambiguities]

I'd need a good drink too, if I had to spend the whole day with Katiekins.

[ It slips out before she can quite help herself; she has the good grace to actually look embarrassed about airing her grudge so freely. ]

[neverhadaboyfriend]

[Emily closes her eyes for a second, caught between a rock and a hard place of simultaneously wanting to agree with Naomi and to defend Katie.

[She settles on neither, on the truth about this horrible tension between her sister and the girl she        ]

I'm sorry she's so horrible to you.

[ambiguities]

[ Naomi can no longer meet her companion's gaze but her words sound soft even to her own ears. ]

No, look-- She's your sister. You don't have to... I mean, you're not responsible for her any more than she is for you, alright? So don't apologize. Whatever Katie's problem is with me, that's all--

[ She shrugs a bit helplessly. ]

[neverhadaboyfriend]

[Emily sighs in exasperation at herself and her stupid sister. She knows Naomi's right about them not being responsible for each other, but at the same time...]

I just wish she wouldn't... at least not to you.

[That last part was never meant to come out, though it's at least a good deal quieter. She bites her lip before she can go on.]

[ambiguities]

It's just as well that you're so sweet, then. That way the two of you cancel each other out.

[ Naomi can feel her cheeks turn a distinctly rosy color, much to her own dismay. ]

[neverhadaboyfriend]

[Her breath hitches. She dares a fleeting sideways glance at Naomi, but looks away again at that blush, because that means it means something, and she doesn't know what to do with that yet.]

Thanks. [It's soft, but sincere.]

[ambiguities]

[ Naomi opens her mouth and closes it again, repeating this process several times over before settling on the most neutral word she can think of. ]

Sure.

[ They walk the rest of the short distance in silence, with Naomi pulling slightly ahead so that she may open the door for Emily. ]

In you go.

[ She ushers the redhead with a smile, seeming to relax now that they're surrounded by a whole tavern of others. ]

[neverhadaboyfriend]

[She can't help a smile at that chivalry as she goes inside. There are enough people here that they definitely won't get a table, but that also makes it warm enough for Emily to shrug off her cloak even though they'll only be here for at most ten minutes.

[Emily takes a breath, summons up whatever courage got her into Gryffindor, and takes Naomi's sleeve to pull her through the crowd to the counter and the menu. Contrary to her sister's expectations of crowds parting for her, she's always been good at slipping through crowds unnoticed, and she wants to share that with Naomi.]

shall we start a new thread?

[ambiguities]

[ It's a rare occasion to see anyone besides her housemates outside of full Hogwarts regalia. Naomi smiles wryly as she catches herself checking out Emily's arms of all things. But her period of admiration is short-lived as her friend -- is that what they are? -- begins to tug her off towards the bar.

Although it's hellishly crowded, Emily seems to have no problem figuring out the path of least resistance. It's almost like -- well, magic -- the way she scoots her way around all of the warm, mingling bodies barely receiving so much as a glance as she goes. Naomi herself is a little more stumbling and careless as she follows, but ultimately with Emily's guidance the two of them make it with such relative ease that they might well have just apparated there. ]

You're entirely too good at that.

[ She remarks with a bit of a smirk as she pulls out a mokeskin pouch from her pocket and begins carefully sorting out four silver sickles from a handful of tiny bronze knuts -- exactly enough to pay for two mugs of butterbeer. She doesn't put the bag away though, in case Emily mentions wanting something to eat along with their drinks. ]