September 26th, 1890 — Empty Classroom, Hogwarts

"Okay, you have to tell me why you thought I'd want to practice Potions after finishing another horrible Potions class nearly two hours ago," he rambled as he rounded the corner into the empty non-Potions classroom that Sloane had told him to meet him there specifically that purpose. He'd taken it literally, probably because he was still mad about the way his potion earlier that afternoon had turned the wrong color even after he'd followed the instructions to a T. Hers hadn't fared much better, so practice made sense. If it had been anyone else, he would have scoffed and rolled his eyes; but Sloane was not just anyone else, though, so he'd thought he'd oblige her, if only for a few minutes. (He had to wonder why suddenly she of all people wanted to study, though!)

Apparently, he'd been mistaken, because upon entering he was greeted by Sloane alone—no cauldrons, no ingredients, no nothing. He paused in his tracks, mouth agape, only then realizing he might have been a little thick.

"You didn't tell me to meet you here for Potions, did you?" he said, shaking his head at his own stupidity.

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Sloane Bixby

  

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The whole suckerpunch to the gut yesterday had Sloane feeling all kinds of guilty. It was all Wally's fault for conditioning her like that, but the fact that she couldn't really make it up to Cam, or acknowledge it at all between their growing amount of secrets, she had to think creatively about how to corner him alone for a few minutes.

This whole sneaking around thing was bringing out her inner deviant and it was probably not a good thing. Still, she had a hard time over the last week or so trying to pretend like nothing had changed, so naturally she just wanted a few minutes to enjoy that it wasn't. Cameron, bless him, was either acting really well, or had zero idea as to why she'd actually want to practice potions in an empty classroom when it was her absolute worst class ever. She wasn't sure which until he finally made his way into the room and then she watched the realization wash over him.

"You know I hate potions." She laughed, hair brightening at the ends, as she remembered she probably shouldn't be so loud and covered her mouth to hide the following smirk.

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Cam opened his mouth to retort, but closed it quickly. So he was thick, then. He was glad she already knew that about him and still liked him anyways. He smiled and stepped forward, his arms coming to a rest across his chest in a challenging manner, though his smile only spread as he watched her cover her mouth with a smile.

"Are you going to make me guess why you lured me in there then?" He thought about making a joke about being beat up again, but he still remembered the look on remorse on her face and thought twice. He lowered his voice even more and took a step closer. "But if you plan on telling me you actually wanted to practice Charms, I'm going to be disappointed in a minute," he admitted, pressing his lips together tightly to avoid laughing.

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Though she desperately wanted to tease him for as long as she could, their banter could go on forever if left unchecked, she also didn't want to waste time. They could only get away with this for so long and without an actual potions set ups to make their use of the classroom even look legitimate, she wasn't about to tempt fate.

She stayed resolutely put as he stepped closer. She'd purposefully positioned herself on the bottom row of the classroom with leveled seats going upward toward the back. It left her almost eye to eye with him, almost. Better than the near foot of difference they usually had. At least for the activity she had in mind. "I know academics aren't our strong suit, but you're not stupid." She stuck her tongue out at him playfully anyway. They were reckless certainly, but not stupid.

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He moved forward so they stood face-to-face—or nearly face-to-face, anyhow. Unable to hold back his smile, he reached out and placed his hands on her waist, delighted to find that the top of her head reached his nose instead of his shoulder. He looked her up and down as if examining her newfound stature, playfully narrowing his eyes and making mock hmm sounds. He and Sloane had never found it difficult to find trouble, yet he still found himself pleasantly surprised by her mischievousness. Despite being a little too confident in other areas of his life, their preestablished friendship plus their proclivity for fighting made it difficult to believe she truly fancied him at times. It was nice to know that she would go out of her way for alone time.

"Glad to know you don't think so," he joked, and it was. He sometimes thought he was, and he was sure somewhere in her letters from this summer she'd voiced that sentiment. He supposed they'd moved past that now, at least for the time being. He lifted a hand from her waist to tug on her braid, something he'd gotten used to doing over the past... week. Had it really only been a week?

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Sloane's smile mirrored his as he stepped closer. Her arms naturally wound around his neck, finding the fact that she could reach easily quite pleasant. "I felt bad about punching you yesterday," She grimaced a little, biting her lip, because she really did feel bad. The tug on her braid had her chuckling; she was incredibly fond of that little nuance between them. Plus he'd been doing it for a long while, so it didn't look out of place.

"Feeling alright?" She leaned in closer as she spoke, lowering her voice. Sloane angled her head up toward him, thankful it wasn't as far as it had been last time.

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If he could only go back in time to tell his fourth year self what his friendship with Sloane would look like by the beginning or fifth year; he would have never believed it.

He smiled smugly as her arms wound around his neck. She was still so tiny, even despite the extra few inches the classroom steps afforded her. For what seemed like the hundredth time that year alone, he wondered if she’d ever get taller (but even if she did, he likely would, too. Maybe he should get her a step stool for Christmas.)

“So aggressive,” he tutted, clicking his tongue in mock disapproval. In truth, he was still sore in the abdomen, but he’d been too embarrassed to let anyone else know. He knew, and that was bad enough.

She angled her face up at him, and he had to resist the urge to kiss her like he had at the pitch. She obviously intended to make him feel that way, considering she’d invited him here as a means to get him alone, but he didn’t want to make it too easy for him. She’d never made it too easy for him.

“Mmm, I don’t know. It was a brutal hit, like being struck by bludger. I feel betrayed.” Betrayed by his own hormones, that was more likely. He was unable to keep his eyes on hers as his gaze dropped to her lips.

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   Alice Dawson

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Sloane pouted ever so slightly; she really hadn't meant to hurt him! The fact that she punched as well as a bludger was amusing though, that she was proud of. Next time she'd use it on someone who actually deserved it; like Wally, or Selwyn.

Those thoughts were for another time however, as time now was in short supply. They couldn't linger for too long, it would only invite trouble and frankly Sloane was as impatient as they came. "Well, maybe I could make it up to you...?" She raised her eyebrows slightly as she pushed up to her tiptoes to press her lips to his.

She had to marvel at how comfortable she was with this, with him, but it said a lot for being friends first. Still they were new to all of this and didn't quite have the hang of it yet. Didn't make kissing him any less enjoyable though. She got that same little rush as last time, could feel the flush on her cheeks as she instinctively pushed in closer to him.

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Make it up to him, pfft—he could have teased her, and he might have, too, if she hadn't leaned up to kiss him.  His hands ventured from her waist to her lower back, the feeling of her body against his sending a jolt through his chest. The ominous feeling that they were being watched (which he tried to convince himself was more than likely just a fear of being caught) still lingered, though it was impossible to think of anything with Sloane wrapped around him. He hummed happily against her lips, and, a little boldly, tilted his head to deepen the kiss.

He wasn't sure how much time had passed before he pulled back. Maybe twenty seconds, maybe a whole minute or two. His eyelids fluttered open and he suddenly felt unusually heavy and very, very dizzy.

"It definitely helps the pain," he murmured breathlessly, his chest heaving as he tried to regain control of his emotions and body. "Maybe just a little bit longer," he added, and began to lean in again.

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It was a little too easy to get caught up, she realized belatedly. Her grip on him tightened as he changed the tone of the kiss and all she could do was hold on.  Unlike Cam, she felt light and fuzzy, as if she were floating. The situation they found themselves in still struck her as surreal and she was struggling to figure out how to deal with it.

It was going to be a long school year if they could only steal a moment or two at a time like this all year.

When he leaned back she let out a breathless laugh, the smile on her lips threatened to split her face in two. Well that plan had worked. She was all too eager to allow for a little bit longer. Meeting him halfway as her fingers curled into the fabric of his robes. A long year indeed.

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Retrospectively Sisse would never have opened that door, she wouldn't even have gone down the hall when Ned mentioned Sloane and Cam were practicing potions. But that's the thing about retrospective, you know then what you didn't then.

"Sloane?" Sisse piped cheerfully as she opened the classroom door, eager to help her friends study, or really just to spend time with them.

She rounded the door and stopped at the sight that greeted her. Definitely not a sight she was meant to see and one that stung as if she had just been slapped. Sloane, who had always claimed to have noticed nothing of boys, who had said time and again she didn't like Cam was kissing him - and not in the way Sisse had seen girls sneak kisses.

As Sisse stood there shocked into stillness her blue eyes wide and her mouth opened into an 'o', she couldn't help the anger .... and sadness. She had thought she was over Cam but this tore at her, though and through. Not to mention Sloane had never even bothered to mention it! Did they even consider Sisse their friend if they hadn't told her? Her feelings a tempest she didn't even realize that she was standing there gawking still.

The following 7 users Like Sisse Thompsett's post:7 users Like Sisse Thompsett's post
   Alice Dawson, Atticus Lilywick, Billie Farrow, Cameron Gillenwater, Greta Gillenwater, Hermia Bonaccord, Sloane Bixby

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Thank you Bee <3 Your magic has made Sisse bloom

It was a good blissful moment—the kind that filled him with an unfamiliar warmth, the kind that seemed to go on longer than it really was. It was the kind of blissful moment that he was afraid to pull away from, because life seem terribly mundane in comparison. He did pull away, though. Not because he wanted to, or even because the moment reached its natural conclusion.

No. It was because of Sisse.

He pulled back and looked over his shoulder, eyes wide with shock (and admittedly a hint of fear) at the sight of their equally wide-eyed friend. His face was flushed and turning redder with each passing second from the embarrassment. He wasn't sure what to do, or if there was anything he could do, so he stiffly extracted himself from Sloane and stood beside her. At least it wasn't Ned, though he wasn't sure how Sisse would respond.

"I... We..." he said, stumbling through his words and eventually coming to a sudden halt. He turned to Sloane for guidance. She was Sisse's closest friend, after all.

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   Alice Dawson

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It was almost too good to be true- and then it was.

Sloane saw Sisse a fraction of a second before Cam, only because she was facing the door and she'd heard it open. The fear struck her instantly as she waited to see who it was and how much trouble they were in. Sisse was the most benign of the options, but the look on her face clearly didn't bode well.

Cam disentangled himself from her and she had no idea what to do with herself. All she could do was stop and stare back, waiting for somebody to say something, anything. Even as Cam started to though, she knew there wasn't much they could say that would explain what she'd just walked in on.

"I'd tell you it's not what it looks like, but it's exactly what it looks like." She wasn't about to try and bullshit one of her best friends at this particular moment, no matter that fact that she and Cam hadn't planned to tell anybody for that exact reason there. That look on Sisse's face was enough to realize they'd screwed up royally.

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   Alice Dawson, Billie Farrow, Greta Gillenwater, Hermia Bonaccord

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Clearly neither of them have expected the company - or rather intrusion - as they turned beat red. Sisse was sure she was just as red. She didn't really hear what Sloane said, just that she had said something.

"I-I'll just go." She choked out in a rush, turning and taking off for the door. Angry tears were rushing to her eyes and she was determined she would not make this any more mortifying than it already was, she wasn't going to cry - at least not in front of them.

In a flurry of skirts and the swing of her braid Sisse dashed from the room and started down the hall wishing she had never gone after them in the first place. She wouldn't make that mistake again.

  

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Thank you Bee <3 Your magic has made Sisse bloom

Why did all the Gryffindor girls instinctively run when faced with, well, anything? The panic he'd felt a week before when Sloane had ditched him during his Divination assignment was mirrored in that moment, and he instinctively stepped forward to follow her. He felt Sloane's arm reach out, though, causing him to pause, and he turned to look at her with a mixture of confusion and concern.

"She can't tell anyone," he said, getting more visibly upset with each passing second. "If a prefect or professor finds out, we'll be in trouble." Trouble was putting it lightly; he could be stripped of his captaincy, she could be removed from the quidditch team altogether, and in the worst case scenario they could both be expelled. It was not the first time the thought had passed his mind, but before now—before faced with the immediate prospect of being ratted on—he hadn't worried too much. That was about to change.

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   Hermia Bonaccord

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And that right there was why the were friends, hopefully still friends after this. Same reaction when something went wrong. Cam's reaction was the same too, bless him, but Sloane reached out to stop him before he could go anywhere

"I know, I know. I think I should talk to her alone. I think this is a girl matter you don't want to be involved in." Hell it was a girl matter she wasn't thrilled about being involved in either, but it was too late for that. She was trying to keep calm while everyone else panicked. "It'll be alright, trust me."

She gave his hand one last squeeze and took off after Sisse into the hallways. Thankfully, though she had short legs, she we far more athletic than Sisse and so hopefully could catch up quick.

"Sisse wait!" Sloane pleaded as she saw her friend retreating quicky down the hall to her right, causing Sloane to pick up the pace.

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   Cameron Gillenwater

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