Very Late Evening, After Curfew

The only thing Kelvin didn't enjoy about the prefect patrols were the time they took away from studying.  Time that he was discovering he really did need.  But other than that, the patrols were usually quiet, unless someone was reckless enough to get caught.  He also didn't like how cold it got at night and how drafty the castle was. 

Some of the best minds in the history of wizard-kind had lived and taught at the school; he couldn't understand why none of them had figured out how to keep the heat in during winter.  Or for that matter why they hadn't figured out how to make it drafty during summer.  He had his hands tucked into gloves, which rested comfortably toasty in pockets in his robes.  Though he had yet to figure out a way to keep his nose from being cold and occasionally runny.

"It was definitely one of the most disturbing things I've seen. Well that one time the potion exploded and starting eating through my clothes was terrifying,"  He said to Lua, his prefect patrol partner for the week.  He always enjoyed patrols with Lua, even if they were cold and he could have been studying.  "I mean his eyes were bleeding.  What does that?  It was just wrong." 

He shuddered thinking back to earlier that evening when Alvis's eyes had started bleeding during their study period[1].  "Poor Alvis.  I wonder if its contagious. I hope Moira's eyes don't start bleeding too."  That's just what they all needed an outbreak of eye bleeding before the holidays.

1.	Red Eyes at Night

Lua, being very against the torture of students via homework, couldn’t keep the horror form her face. What a terrible way to encourage her classmates to study! While potions wasn’t one of her better or most liked subjects, she’d always thought it should be a bit more like cooking— fun and experimental, not a burden that could end in injuries. (The many kitchen horror stories of friends, family, and reality television shows aside.)

“It couldn’t be, could it?” She asked, tilting her head to the side to eye Kelvin— her mind anywhere but the task ahead of them. Lua was of the belief that corridors more or less patrolled themselves, with the oh-so-helpful and chipper existence of the portraits. They also managed to be a great alibi, because Lua often spent way too long ages answering their questions and sharing stories. She couldn’t blame anyone for forgetting to look at a clock. Who wanted to live life like that?! “It’s more like a food poisoning sort of thing, except not food, isn’t it? Or like… when you’re chopping onions and you start crying, even though you’re thrilled to be making a delicious dinner— only onions are supposed to do that. But if they weren’t, it sounds like it would be like that.” Only not really. Lua’s lips pursed and she shook her head.

“This is why it’s so important to have ethically sourced, fair trade, organic ingredients without additives.” Her tone was not lecturing, but wistful, as if she were talking to Kelvin about their favorite green smoothie recipes. An edge of excitement, a hum of optimism beneath the sigh. Surely the Headmistress could hear their plea!

“Anyway,” she brightened. “The holidays are about other sources of red! Cranberries and bobbles and red deer noses.” Her own scrunched in excitement as her smile bubbled over into something huge and giggly. “If we catch anyone, maybe we should let them off if they sing carols.”

Lua wasn’t entirely bothered about being overhead, but she thought to look around at least, hair flying a bit as she her head flew this way and that, and again as she turned back to Kelvin with a grin.

"I hope so," Kelvin answered.  "But you never know with magic."  He shuddered.  He really didn't know what fair trade and organic had to do with poison.  But the whole thing had been quite unsettling.  And despite his bringing up the topic, he was fine for the change in topic.

"Don't forget pomegranates."  He added with a laugh.  He was looking forward to the holiday.  He'd been working on figuring out gifts for all his friends for a few weeks, and he'd gotten his brother to agree to help finish them.

"I don't know,"  Kelvin said in response to Lua's alternative punishment for breaking curfew.  "Are you sure we want to subjected to some of classmates' singing?"  Somehow it seemed like they'd likely just end up punishing themselves.  And that's assuming a professor didn't round a corner at the same time and actually punish them.

"If we want to be nice and in the holiday spirit and all, maybe we just want to pretend we don't see them."  He suggested, also glancing around to make sure the head girl wasn't walking up behind them.  There was too much homework to be done without adding detention on top of it all.

It was true, that one never knew with magic. That was half the fun of it, and part of why Lua had taken so well to the magical world. It did cause mayhem once in a while, and there were many times when not spending her entire holiday break relaying stories of charms and hippogriffs in detail to her non-magical family was easier said than done for the Gryffindor. But it wasn't as if they didn’t know that Lua was a witch! Her muggle family was full of free spirits, believers of many different forces— natural and supernatural. It wasn’t too much of a leap from curious-teens-dabbling-in-spirituality-and-positive-energy to the-kid-sister-has-a-magic-wand.

“Who could forget pomegranates?!” She asked, and it seemed as if she weren’t only asking Kelbin. "Fortescue’s has them as a topping. They’re actually really good with the red velvet flavor, though it looks a bit vampirish when you mix it all together. Not that vampires shouldn’t have desserts. I’m very in support of more options for them." It’s just that Lua was a vegetarian. But that hadn’t exactly stopped her from eating animal-shaped biscuits. “Maybe we should try something wintry if we go over break, though. How do you feel about ice-cream in December?”

It couldn’t have been any more harmful than Lua Taylor being distracted during her prefect rounds.

She shook her head, in an overly enthusiastic way that was really meant as a nod. A vote of confidence for her vociferous peers. “We just have to find the right song… everyone can sing Jingle Bells.” Or if you were Peeves or Connor, perhaps bells became something else.

They rounded a corner, prime real estate for students out past dark.

“We’ll pretend we don’t see them after the karaoke,” she promised, with a laugh. And then, a bit more earnestly, “Having to sing might make some of them think twice about breaking curfew.”

Not that Lua was being devious.

"I'll take ice cream anytime."  Kelvin responded with a laugh.  Maybe he wouldn't sit outside and eat it, but he'd happily eat it sitting in a nice warm room next to the wireless.  What he wasn't so sure about was vampire deserts.  The thought just conjured up the image of a vampire alternating between bites of cake and biting a neck.  Of course eating a pomegranate did sometimes leave some his friends looking like they were vampires.  But there also wasn't any reason to get his friend started about vampire diets.

He groaned at the thought of encouraging people to sing jingle bells.  "Don't we hear that enough without asking people to sing it?"  Okay so maybe Christmas wasn't on his list of favorite holidays anymore.  Well holidays in general weren't at the top of his list anymore.  The consequence of his mother disowning him.  But he still had his brother and father and he enjoyed the time with them, it was just awkward.

"I think the only thing they'd think twice about would be what song to sing next time."  Hell, some of their friends would get caught again just for the opportunity to serenade them, probably on the same night.

“Only from Sir Nick and Peeves!” And everyone who hummed it because they couldn’t get it out of their heads. And Lua was sure she’d heard at least six portraits singing it. “’Tis the season, Kelvin. We could pick a different song. But I’d feel bad for anyone who gets stuck with a long one if they really have to have a pee.” There were reasons to leave a dormitory at night. Even if they technically had lavatories they could use without breaking rules.

“Maybe we should help with the decorations while we’re on our rounds. The poor elves must have their hands full with all the food. Come on, it would be fun to hang a bit of mistletoe, right?” She asked, giving her peers yet another reason to skip around after dark. “Is there anyone you’d like to bump into in a door frame?” She giggled.

As she did, a portrait popped one eye open, giving the pair a look of disapproval. “All you slobbery kids, that’s why they need so much Pepper Up around the holidays! Germs everywhere.”

“Kissing is a healthy display of affection!” Lua argued back, nicely.  "Or sometimes just fun!" Though she hadn't done enough of it, it was true.

Kelvin just shook his head at the thought of a longer song.  He'd never left the tower just cause he needed to pee.  When he'd left it was cause his friends had something planned.  Like hanging mistletoe in doorways throughout the castle.

He couldn't help but laugh at the portraits protest about germs.  "If it was cause of kissing, there'd be more pepper up potion used all year." Kelvin said matter-of-factly, not that he had tons of experience kissing anyone, even if he wished he did.

There were a couple students in their year that he wouldn't mind getting stuck under mistletoe with, all of them were hopeless crushes.  At least none of them were Connor anymore.

"I wouldn't mind getting caught under it with...ah... Peyton." or Ambrose.  But he wasn't about to admit that to Lua.  "I mean who wouldn't want to bump into a quidditch player."  He couldn't keep himself from grinning or blushing.  "What about you?"

“And everyone would be minty fresh! Or at least peppery…” Spicy. Lua thought it sounded romantic (in that passionate, fiery way), an onslaught of spicy (if cold medicine induced) kisses. Didn’t they use other things to give them courage, even if they weren’t all queuing up for spoonfuls of Pepper-Up at the hospital wing? But the dreamily ahead-of-herself lioness did come to the conclusion, seconds later… “It’s more fun if they all if their natural taste.” Even if some of them were bound to be more dubious than mint.

They would just have to be brave, and find other ways to kiss their classmates.

Her smile pointed at Kelvin, messy hair falling in a sideways swing, she bouncily awaited his answer. Which was far more fun than getting any be-splippered classmate in trouble.

Lua drew in a huge breath, which was followed by an encouraging chirp of words and even bigger smile. “Ooooh! Brilliant choice!” Her cheeks seemed to meet her eyes as she thought about the older Ravenclaw. And already, maybe, ways she might accidentally help him find her friend in a doorway. She couldn’t imagine that it wouldn’t end well. Kelvin was sweet, boyishly adorable, and very sharp, too. The perfect balance to a likewise talented wizard with an athletic streak. “Project Keyton,” she whispered a little too loudly, biting her lip. Luckily, no ghosts were about to spread the gossip. Even if the portraits had been watching them. “Have you been able to talk to him much?” She poked, attempt to get beyond her friend’s blush.

When the question was thrown back her way, Lua didn’t turn pink so much as she looked genuinely surprised at having been asked. Their close patch of friends had all flirted and messed about with each other, exchanged, at intervals, confessions of those they thought cute or lush. Fleeting crushes on professors— currently Rick, and Lua wasn’t sure the grumpy, stubbled face would ever be a fleeting thing in her mind— were the norm. But the answer that came to mind was a rare worry for Lua Taylor.

It was because Kelvin himself— and Juni (Esther? And for that matter, probably Bastian)— had all been there before her. Or, er, thought about being there. And while there was always plenty of Connor to share, she didn’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings. But they were just thoughts, weren't they? And Lua had grown up in a house that espoused exploration and free love for those wanted it. "I think," she began, studying Kelvin's visage for reaction. "Connor has a nice face, hasn't he? He's sort of like a weird Irish Veela," she said, in the most complimentary way. She supposed was because he had some sort of natural Amortentia pull about him. And a certain bendyness. 

Natural tase?  "Really? Natural taste. That just sounds wrong."  Kelvin said.  He kinda understood what Lua was saying but the idea just seemed obscene.  And is some people tasted like they smelled it would be disgusting too.  But it wasn't something he was all that experienced with.  Other than the time he'd kissed Connor, and the only taste he remembered from that was the spiked punch he'd had too much of, he hadn't kissed anyone to compare them to pepper up potion.

He should have expected the reaction from Lua.  Which onlyserved to deepen the blush across his face.  "No, there is no project Keyton.  That's a terrible idea."  He crossed his arms, trying to look stubborn, "I've barely spoken two words around him. Let alone to him."  Mostly cause he got tongue tied around the older boy.  And other than the Ravenclaw common room, they didn't share much in common.  That of course didn't stop him from thinking about the quidditch player.  And if he'd been more interested in Ravenclaw quidditch matches since the crush appeared that could just be attributed to house pride.  Throwing himself into a new crush, maybe not the best of ideas, but it had helped him feel less awkward around his best friend.

"Connor has a nice face, hasn't he? He's sort of like a weird Irish Veela,"

Kelvin failed to hide the shock at Lua's interest.  "Yes. Yes, he does."  Maybe he had something like Veela charm.  Especially since it seemed most of their group had been pulled in by Connor at one time or another.  "You should go for it."  He said a little to enthusiastically.  "I don't think you'd even need mistletoe."

Lua shrugged, her disposition was merry as it had been before. She was unfazed by Kelvin’s reaction: if each person had their own unique smell, surely they each tasted like something. Not that she had kissed more than a couple of them, and those had been more friendly pecks or giggly dares, teenage games.

As her friend’s color began to match the holiday decor, she managed to walk lighter, dance-ier, their task well forgotten. “It isn’t! If you’ve barely spoken, that means you have all the opportunity in the world! You could tell him everything that’s ever been in your head, and you’d still have new things to say,” she reasoned in a very Lua manner. “And now’s the perfect time. You could catch him on the train or after everyone has cleared out waiting for it… talk to him about his holiday plans, or ask if he’s excited about the spring season for Quidditch! Or—” She went on, hardly thinking of breaths of watching where she was going, “You could invite him to do something wintry. Do I need to start singing about sleigh bells again?” She laughed.

Which she couldn’t very well do when she saw the look of surprise at the answer she gave. Lua was a glass-half-full girl, but she was also sensitive to others; if she could step on toes with her cheerfulness, she knew when to be gentle, cautious where it truly counted. She let out a quiet breath of laugh at his thoughts. She didn’t know if that was the truth, but she appreciated it. “You know, staying friends with all of you is the most important thing to me. You don’t have to encourage it just to be a good friend,” she insisted. “You’re a good friend anyway.” Her grin spread wide, earnest. “I just wanted to be honest.”

And then her face softened, and bumped into his arm. “Besides, I think he might like them a little older than both of us…” A lot older. “He loves detention for a reason, doesn’t he?”

"Please," he implored, "no more singing."  Before long they'd have every portrait in the corridor awake and spreading whatever they decided was gossip worth spreading.  And there was no telling what they would find compelling enough to spread, or how it would shift before it even made it to another floor. 

"Maybe its that easy for you,"  Kelvin said, "but I just end up sticking my foot in my mouth.  Which would be a better outcome than just talking and embarrassing myself."  Granted, he'd done that before by getting sloshed and kissing Connor at a damn ball.  Not the best way to tell your friend you're interested.  Though it certainly got the point across.

He gently returned the bump, "That's not why I said it."  He turned and looked at her.  "We're just friends.  Why should that stop you?  I mean we were never anything but friends.  I've had crushes on like half of our friends," or at least the male half, though that might have been a bit too honest, "so that shouldn't stop you."

He grinned at her, "You mean it's not cause he wants extra lessons?  It's not a bad plan to spend more time with a professor.  Maybe I should get detention in charms?"

Lua agreed to the request with a grin, deciding that there was plenty of time to plague Kelvin with carols. She could easily (if unconsciously) chirp her syllables non-song-like. Her natural cadence had a musical quality, drawn out enthusiasm matched with an ability to chatter without pause on any topic, flitting from one to another long a little bird.

Mostly, it was “that easy” because Lua had always been open with her emotions, unabashed in telling others she cared for them. Crushes, however, were somewhat novel, things that had more or less coincided with her time at Hogwarts. She understood what Kelvin meant, even if they didn’t have same hurtles.

“Everyone does that sometimes,” she pointed out. “You just have to make your foot— er, your mouth— look lovely when you do it.” She smiled encouragingly, thinking of all the times Connor himself had unabashedly said something ridiculous and had looked charming doing it. Surely Kelvin could pull off a similar victory, with a little practice.

It was much easier than never saying anything silly.

“You just carry on talking, or…” She took on a pensive look. “Use the moment to try out the kissing?” She suggested. Games and pecks and innocent enough flirting were more or less the extent of her experience, but she felt at ease offering suggestions. How they’d play out was left to question.

Smiling more softly at his insistence, she studied him like a puppy quirking its head. “Sometimes friends lie to be good friends,” she explained. “But you don’t have to do that. And sometimes people don’t know something will hurt, until…” Here, it was harder to put it into words. Lua gestured.

It soon turned into a laugh as they mused over Connor’s tastes. “Even if he was interested in someone who still had a trace, I’m not sure if I’m his type,” she admitted, not sadly, but truthfully.

Then again, Connor the eternal flirt did not seem to have just one type.

“Rick— Mr. Donovan— does have a nice disappointed face, doesn’t he? I’d say go for it. If your prefects aren’t too scary.” Lua’s eyes widened thoughtfully. “The other prefects, I mean."