8 Feb 2012
Wednesday, 4:15 pm
6th Year Charms

"Hey."

Zeta Pepper leaned forward on her desk, peeking around her notebook. Kelvin Watkins was on the tier below her, so she was able to get pretty close to his ear.

"Watkins. Hey," she whispered and then blew on his ear.

One of their fellow classmates was up at the front lisping earnestly through her book report presentation. They were all supposed to be taking notes, some sort of peer-to-peer co-education where they were supposed to be collaborating, but Zeta suspected their professor just wanted a few weeks off teaching. It was well boring, so it seemed as good a time as any to harass her best chum Kelvin.

"You're ignoring me."

Kelvin was dutifully taking notes despite the fact that his classmate's presentation was hard to follow and not all that interesting.  He much preferred the professor's lectures.  But he was paying attention.  Unlike Zeta.  How had he ended up in front of her. If she asked him to go to another art class he was going to curse her.  He supposed it had been fun up until they'd been kicked out. The latter part almost eclipsed his mortification over drawing a nude model.

"You're ignoring me."

"What ever gave you that idea?"  Kelvin finally whispered, turning slightly.  Enough so that his voice would carry to Zeta but not so much to make it obvious to the professor.

Zeta smiled at the side of Kelvin's head, pleased he'd relented and paid him a little attention. He was a good guy, Kelvin. If he wasn't careful, he'd have fun one of these days. People thought Kelvin was boring, but Zeta knew better. You just had to make an effort.

Keeping one eye on the professor at the front, Zeta leaned forward further.

"You don't have a boyfriend or anything, do you?" she asked quietly. "You're single, right?"

Seriously, Kelvin thought, that's what Zeta wanted to ask in the middle of class.  He was never going to understand Hufflepuffs.

He turned more so that he could glare properly, professor be damned.  "Yes. I'm single."  He turned back toward his notes muttering about not needing a reminder.

Zeta hunkered down lower on her desk and cringed. She hadn't meant to awake old wounds for anyone. This was about fun. This was about unsanctioned, unsupervised fun. They all needed a bit of that lately, didn't they? Kelvin's endurance of a wee bit of harassment would be worth it.

From between the page of her notebook, she withdrew a folded bit of peachy parchment.[1] It was one of the invitations Osha made for what was sure to be a cracking night. Zeta tapped the paper on Kelvin's shoulder with the devoted and unceasing tempo that all younger siblings learned.

"Weep not, for come week's end there--"

Zeta cut herself short and straightened up for a moment. They were all politely applauding the conclusion of one presentation and the next poor student was beginning the next one. Soon as the coast was clear again, Zeta finished.

"There's a party. Come with me."

1.	6 Feb 2012 - You Are Informally Invited

Kelvin sighed as she started tapping his shoulder with a note.  Because really the only thing worse than getting caught talking during class was getting caught passing notes during class.  The latter usually involved a dramatic reading of the note by the professor and everlasting humiliation that scaled with the contents of the note. With Zeta...

He grabbed the parchment quickly in the silence that followed the end of one presentation and the start of the next.  He glanced at the invitation as Zeta finally got to the point and asked him to the party. "Yes. I'll go with you," he whispered.  "Now pay attention before we end up in detention."

He said yes! Zeta sat back feeling well pleased with herself and fully prepared to honor Kelvin's request that she keep them both from punishment. She'd come prepared to convince him with arguments and incentives all planned out about how they, two sorry sour and single sixth years, could have a lovely time taking the piss at the holiday and stuffing their faces. But he'd just ... said yes.

Zeta narrowed her eyes and stared at the back of Kelvin's head. She was missing something.

Quickly, she scribbled onto the corner of a blank page, ripped it off and passed it around to Kelvin, practically dropping it over his shoulder.

why?

Why was this his life, Kelvin thought to himself as a torn off corner of parchment floated down onto his notes.  He turned it over so that he could read it.  Why? He'd given her the answer she wanted, why did she need more?  Why wasn't yes enough?  Why couldn't she wait till after class?  The urge to slam his head into the table was nearly overwhelming.  That would draw the attention he was trying to avoid though, so instead he pulled a piece of his own notes off.

I don't want to go alone.
And there's no one to ask.

Kelvin quietly flicked his wand and the note floated under his arm and then up behind him before skittering across the surface to Zeta.

Any hopes that Zeta Pepper had any intention to even pretend to pay attention to Charms class were dashed. She expertly nipped up Kelvin's note and read it behind her hand. It was short and lacked stunning revelations. It was, in fact, perfectly reasonable and mirrored her motivation for asking him. She'd just expected to have to do more convincing but no, it turned out he was as desperate from some glimmer of joy in this cold castle that he hadn't the strength to fight her on it.

same
same

She wrote a response but then had to add more.

same
same

is the answer still yes if there's a nude model?

Kelvin ignored the note as it returned, finishing the thought he was writing down.  He was not going to be distracted from what they were supposed to be doing.  Even if he was going to respond.  He pulled the note in front of him and rolled his eyes at the question.  Maybe he needed to double check the invitation; he didn't think it was that kind of party.  If only there was a response that wouldn't get a reaction from Zeta.

Will he be hot?

Sure, why not.  Been there done that.

He thought about crumpling it up rather than sending it back behind him, but it was Zeta.  The next question would just be worse.

Just checking you weren't angry with me about Hogsmeade

Zeta much preferred messing about with Kelvin than paying attention to Kari Strong giggle through her report on vanishing spells. She never helped in group projects so Zeta didn't feel bad ignoring what was surely last night's last minute slap-dash efforts. Which would be about the same application Zeta would employ the night before she was due to present.

Zeta passed the note to Kevlin but stayed leaned over her desk to speak into his ear.

"There's not anyone you would ask?"

Kelvin opened the note.  He wouldn't admit it to Zeta, but Kari wasn't exactly imparting new information about vanishing spells.  A small voice in the back of his mind also said it was unlikely she'd add anything that they hadn't already learned in class.  Not that that excused the voice in his ear asking him who he would ask.

Of course there were guys Kelvin would love to ask.  But as far as he was aware they weren't gay.  And he didn't want to make it awkward.  Or go with them as a friend.

I'm not angry at you.

And there's not anyone to ask.

He passed the note back, choosing to stay silent.

    "Pepper, eyes front."

The professors voice drew Zeta to sit up straight like a marionette complete with a wooden smile. But in her hand was Kelvin's latest. The Professor let her be, Kari continued, and Zeta unfolded the note in her lap. Then pouted. Poor Kelvin. He was right. Hogwarts could be a lonely place even when you were constantly surrounded by people.

1.5 yrs to go
what are you doing after?

"Pepper, eyes front."

Even though it wasn't directed at him, Kelvin nearly jumped out of his skin.  Why were his friends always trying to get him into trouble?  And of course getting called out didn't stop Zeta from passing the note back a few moments later.  He sat it aside until he was sure the professor wasn't watching before finally looking at it.

He quickly scribbled his response and sent it back.

Continuing this conversation.

Zeta tapped her quill on her unused notebook and waited. It was possible Kelvin had reached his fill of rules flouting and that was why he wasn't writing back. She found herself nearly paying attention. But then a note appeared and Zeta snapped it up, pleased for the reprieve.

Punctuation! Rude!

Zeta leaned forward and flicked the back of his head hard with her metallic gold fingernail.

"I meant after graduation," she whispered, not really angry. This was the kind of wit and delight one could rely on Kelvin Watkins for.