About A Girl -
Cameron Gillenwater - November 15, 2018
Cameron was not at all inclined to get involved in the personal lives of his friends (especially his
female ones), but it was hard not to when one of his closest friends was a metamorphmagus. Cameron entered the dim Gryffindor Common Room and nearly panicked at the sight of a red-haired—and he meant
flaming red—Sloane Bixby.
"
... Are you purposefully trying to blend into the wallpaper?" he asked, his brows creased in concern. It was obvious that she was angry, but was sure of the "why".
RE: About A Girl -
Sloane Bixby - November 16, 2018
Normally Sloane liked being a metamorphmagus. It was unique, it was different. Today and every day since the arrival of the news about Fussy's elopement, it sucked. She hated it. The sheer fact that she was in a bad mood was broadcasted across the common room like a beacon- her impossibly bright red hair giving away her anger from a mile away.
Normally Cammie's voice wafting in her direction would have caused a wide grin to break out on her features at the likely quidditch talk, but alas, that was not on today's docket. To save herself, what she should have done was just gone upstairs and curled up in bed and simmered, but she was trying to distract herself with schoolwork for once. It was working somewhat, as she wasn't very good at Transfiguration and she needed to concentrate hard on it.
"Shove off Cam, I'm not in the mood."
Clearly.
RE: About A Girl -
Cameron Gillenwater - November 16, 2018
Cammie flinched. He scanned through his memories, quickly coming to the realization that he'd never heard her speak in such a manner. He was always "Cameron" (or alternatively, "Mr. Gillenwater") to her, but now it was just "Cam". It was, perhaps, more indicative of her feelings than her bright red hair; she obviously just didn't care.
"Well," he said, unsure of how to approach a girl who looked like she was literally preparing to boil over. "I suppose I knew that much," he finally said, unhelpfully. He took a seat a few feet from her on the floor, his eyes on her. "I'm not suggesting you attack me, but it's always good to get it out. Your emotions."
RE: About A Girl -
Sloane Bixby - November 16, 2018
Sloane grimaced and sunk lower in her chair. She wasn't even really sure why she was so mad. There were a variety of reasons floating around in her head, but none of them really seemed to warrant the red. Maybe it was just a combination of all of them together that had her all annoyed to the point of sheer frustration.
"It's stupid, I'm fine." She mumbled, pointedly looking at her parchment, avoiding the obvious because she knew she was being a stubborn pain in the neck.
RE: About A Girl -
Cameron Gillenwater - November 16, 2018
Cameron didn't speak, at least not for a while. He hoped more explanation would come with the silence, but it didn't, and eventually he was forced to answer. "I don't think I've seen you this mad over something 'stupid'," he said, speaking slow and cautiously. "And you're clearly not fine."
The red began to dim, but it was still a far cry from her natural brown hair and pale skin. "But if you need someone to talk to"—and he clearly thought she did—"I'm always here."
RE: About A Girl -
Sloane Bixby - November 17, 2018
Sloane didn't look to see if Cammie stuck around after her non-answer as she'd crossed her arms over her books on the table and put her head down. She wasn't going to cry about it. She. Was. Not.
Then he was talking again and clearly he was still there. "There's nothing I can do about but pout until I get over it." Sloane didn't even bother to lift her head to mumble her excuses.
"Thanks though." This time she at least looked up a little to smile halfheartedly at him before putting her head back down on her forearms.
RE: About A Girl -
Cameron Gillenwater - November 21, 2018
He stood up, convinced that she would open up to him the moment he made it clear he was leaving. Some people liked that—to have someone who wanted to listen, or even someone who was just willing to sit there. He hoped Miss Bixby would be the same, but was disappointed to find that she was unbothered by the prospect of him walking away. He paused mid-step and turned back to her, a pout now on his face.
"You're my friend, Sloane," he said, using her given name—a first, even though she'd used his before. "You don't have to simmer in your sorrows. I'd feel bad if I left without knowing what was wrong."
Bad, dying with curiosity—it was all the same.
RE: About A Girl -
Sloane Bixby - November 22, 2018
Sitting up properly at the use of her first name, Sloane wasn't sure she'd ever noticed if Cameron had used it to address her before. She was usually the one forgoing propriety, especially in the common room or when it was just the two of them. Her hair slowly faded to a dark brown, the ends still a rich burgundy. "I know, I'm sorry. I'm not sad- it would be blue if I was sad." She looked upward as if she could see her hair, frowning slightly.
"It really is stupid, and petty and I don't want to talk about it." It made her feel like an idiot for being so mad about it, so she was embarrassed too. Basically she was a storm of prepubescent hormones and annoyance and she wanted to sit and simmer until the sting wasn't so strong. "I appreciate the concern though. Really." This time she passed him a legitimate smile, albeit still a little bitter.
RE: About A Girl -
Cameron Gillenwater - December 4, 2018
One corner of Cammie's lips tilted upward as he tried to hold back a smile (to be sensitive, you know). "I'll try to remember that. I've been making a list, you know. Pink's excited, blue's—apparently—sad, and red's angry," he joked, unable to keep the smile off his face any longer. "But anyways," he said, his shoulders lifting as he took a deep breath. "if you need me, send Barnabas after me and listen for the scream."
(He was teasing, of course. Rats didn't scare him—definitely not.)
RE: About A Girl -
Sloane Bixby - December 6, 2018
"You have not!" Sloane squeaked, balling up a spare bit of parchment to throw at him. She almost appreciated a distraction as much as she appreciated his effort to look out for her. The thought of him keeping a list of her hair colors and their coordinating moods was mildly terrifying, but she laughed at the thought of it anyway- and the thought of sending Barnabas on a mission to summon him, as if he were an owl. Certainly Cammie wasn't afraid of rats, was he?
RE: About A Girl -
Cameron Gillenwater - December 6, 2018
"Have to!" he laughed, dodging the well-aimed parchment. "More of a mental list, really, but a list nonetheless!" It was a game, really; sometimes he'd see a new color and try to figure out what she was thinking. "I wonder what color will be next! What's green mean? Yellow? I've never seen you with grey hair," he teased, hoping it would continue to distract her.
RE: About A Girl -
Sloane Bixby - December 6, 2018
Sloane balled up another piece of parchment and hurled it his way after he dodged the first. "I will not tell you what green means," The stereotypical green with envy is what it meant but she wasn't about to give him the satisfaction. "-and I'm feeling particularly sunny if it's yellow!" She stuck out her tongue at him.
Grey wasn't a color she thought she'd ever seen herself, but Sloane bit her lip and squinted her eyes in concentration, willing the change to happen naturally. Slowly, from the roots to the ends it turned more of a shimmery silver than old-person grey, but she'd take it! It wasn't often she could make the change happen on her own. "There! Happy!?" She laughed again- pretty pleased herself. Maybe it was the determination not to be an angry sap anymore that spurred the cooperation of her abilities, but she wasn't complaining.
RE: About A Girl -
Cameron Gillenwater - December 6, 2018
Cameron was far too happy with himself. It was likely he'd go back to his dorm, wide-grinned and silently boasting about how good his sense of humor was. "I suppose I'll try my best to approach you when your hair's yellow from now on," he teased again, dodging the second crumpled up piece of parchment that few his way. He stood by his claim from earlier that year; even if she hadn't made seeker, she would have made a good chaser.
His grin widened more when she willingly turned her hair a shimmery grey, which made her skin seem strangely pale and slightly glittery around the roots. "Well at least when you're truly old and grey you won't have to worry about wrinkles. You can just de-wrinkle yourself with—that," he added with a hand-wave motion over her entire body.
RE: About A Girl -
Sloane Bixby - December 24, 2018
Narrowing her eyes at him, her concentration lost, her hair faded to it's normal, mousy brown for the first time that afternoon. Her hair was not often yellow, even if she was in a good mood. It was the really emotional ones that got her for the most part. Even when excited, it was only the ends of her hair that changed, not the whole thing. Still, she hated advertising her moods thanks to her hair.
"It takes a lot of effort, I'm not sure it'd be worth it at that point." She laughed, thinking about how there would probably be lots of women who would like that ability and it was lost on Sloane, who didn't truly care.
Still, she felt a bit better now, no longer in the mood to sulk and pout at least. Cammie had won that round, she supposed. "How are you at Transfiguration? This is gibberish to me." She motioned to the homework before her. Maybe he'd humor her for a little longer and she'd be rid of the sour mood altogether. Or at least focused on something else.
RE: About A Girl -
Cameron Gillenwater - December 30, 2018
"Lots of effort, sure, but when you're old you won't be doing much anyways." Even if Sloane went into quidditch, she'd be out by her thirties. And then, she'd either get married or go off doing something else, and would presumably be retired by the time she was old and grey. "But you probably won't need it," Because you have a pretty face, anyways, he almost added, before realizing how that might come across, however true it might be.
Transfiguration was a far less potentially-awkward subject, he thought, and moved to take a look at the pages. "I'm no animagus material," he said with a shrug, "but I think I handle a bit of intro-level Transfiguration."
RE: About A Girl -
Sloane Bixby - December 30, 2018
Sloane stuck her tongue out him, just a little, feeling more like herself than she had in the past day it so. She was grateful for his insistence in cheering her up, even if he'd had to annoy her in order to do it.
Smiling at him as he came to look at her homework, Sloane pushed the pages tossed him so they were easier to read. "Thanks, Cam." She added for good measure, meaning both the cheering up and for the help. She really meant it, too. Best not to get too sappy though. "I'm meant to be writing a short response to the differences between transfiguration and certain charms, but I can't find it it." She shrugged and wondered if he remembered from last year. In any matter, he'd already been helpful, so even if Transfiguration was a bust, she was at least in a better mood.