Nic's Outfit

Nicola could not believe she had actually thought this was a good idea but after the trouble she had with studying the other day she thought it was a must. If she was going to finish with the grades she wanted then she needed the help. This was why she was standing outside a door on the fourth floor. She was leaning against the door tapping her fingers against the wood. It was Thursday night and she knew that she could be spending her time more wisely like studying but instead she was waiting here for Devlin Matthews.

If she was going to get the grade in potions she was going to need his help, as sad as it was. Nicola was not going to let her dreams be dashed just because of some silly professor and her own block with the class. She was studying hard and she was going to get where she wanted to be if it was the last thing she did. Plus what she was getting was just a jump start a little help to get her to the point she wanted to be at.

Playing with the edge of her t-shirt she waited looking down the hallway, where the hell was he? She didn’t want to just stand here forever. She stood up straighter as she started to pace the corridor a little bit, before stopping and returning to the position she had previously been in. Racking her fingers through her hair with a frustrated groan she closed her eyes, she just wanted to get this over with. Nicola didn’t really know Devlin so she wasn’t sure what this whole meeting was going to be like.

Dev's Clothes

Devlin strolled down to the fourth floor nonchalantly, his leather satchel swinging lazily from his shoulder as though there wasn't a potion essay and sample waiting to be sold illegally inside. Normally he had one of his friends do this part for him, but Gavin swore that Nicola was trustworthy and Devlin felt that such a high compliment earned a personal visit from Jack Spade himself. Sliding the toothpick in his mouth from one side to the other, he grinned and waved at a couple of 4th year girls that passed him. Giggles... or were those snickers?... sounded behind him, probably followed by jokes and nasty comments. He didn't really care, he only waved so as to appear relaxed and unfettered. It was the same reason he was strolling instead of sprinting.

As he arrived at the meeting spot, his green eyes fell lazily on the pretty brunette standing nervously by the door, tapping her fingers and glancing around like a rat in a snake cage, waiting to be eaten. Devlin frowned, this just wouldn't do. Walking up to her, a grin on his lips, Devlin stopped only inches from her and slid a hand into her hair. Pretending to kiss her cheek, Devlin murmured in her ear "Relax and calm down.... Just pretend we are flirting... Giggle or something."

Almost having given up hope, due to her impatient side at the moment, she sighed a heavy sigh of relief as she saw him coming down the hall. It might have been the giggles that had caught her attention or the noise but something made her look in the direction he came. Finally he had arrived and they could get this exchange done. Unfortunately he had stopped a bit too close for comfort.

Nicola looked at him not entirely nervous because of the proximity but it was more the hand in her hair that did it. At his request to calm she rolled her eyes, “I am calm just impatient.” She said quietly. What was with her luck these past few days that had landed her in the close proximity of to lads? “I don’t giggle,” she said which a weak laugh, “so don’t expect me too.”

Just to help matters though she did move a little closer to him and let a hand touch his chest. Nicola was a little nervous and it was all because he was close, and she was doing her best to hide it. Nicola was just not used to this. Nicola didn’t know if it was her nerves that was doing it or if she actually heard a staff member down the end of the hall.

“I don’t giggle, so don’t expect me too.”

He should have known she would be pig headed and difficult. Gavin always seemed to pick those kind of girls. Probably because they were like his sister... or was she his mother... Devlin never could figure that out. Ah well, he could deal with it. At least she was attractive, that made the acting a little easier. "Well then... at least pretend to be enjoying yourself... You picked a bad time to be doing this..." Sliding his hand down to her hip, he pulled her a little closer, smirking at her obvious discomfort. Keeping his lips close to her ear, he pulled the carefully folded essay out of his bag and slipped it into her hand "... Alright, I got a 3 foot essay here guaranteed to get you at least an E. You will need to rewrite it of course..."

He was about to reach for the practical sample when a 3rd year Slytherin came flying down the hall, a stricken look on his face. "Higgins is coming..." He managed to gasp as he passed the couple. Dev grimaced. Nora Higgins was the one prefect in the school that he couldn't bribe.... and she seemed to have it out for him. She was a stickler for the rules and he knew their 'teenage love' act would only make her angrier. Glancing at the door behind Nicola, Devlin grabbed her hand and yanked her out of the way. "In here..." He said quickly, pulling her into the closet, his fear of Higgins making him momentarily forget his fear of small closed in places.

Pretend to enjoy herself, she wasn’t even sure how to do that. “Well I kind of need it tonight,” she tried to be polite because annoying the person off who was going to give her something was not the best idea. She was of course paying him but still he could just decide not to give it to her. If anyone were to pass them it would appear like Devlin had found another girl to work his charm on. Taking the essay in hand she slipped into inside of her sweater for now, she would put it into her bag once she picked it from the floor.

Nicola nodded her head rather than speaking her mind as she knew it wouldn’t get her anywhere right now. She wasn’t an idiot of her course she would rewrite the essay.  Waiting to receive the sample so that she could leave made her rather disappointed that the third year showed up to interrupt them. Nicola felt herself being yanked out of the way grabbing her bag off the ground before she was ushered into the closet. “Umm,” well apparently she had no say in this decision.

With the light from the hall she shoved the essay into her bag and dropped it too the ground. As the door closed she felt like everything was starting to get to small and the fact it was dark was causing the hyperventilating to start. “Why did we have to hide in her?” She sounded rather annoyed as she was hoping to make her anger out way her fear but it really wasn’t working. She made to shove him out of the way so she could get out of here before the feeling got any worse.

Why a closet? Why did they have to meet by a frikkin closet? Devlin's mind reeled at the idea the moment the door clicked shut and the darkness sucked them in. It wasn't the fact that neither could see in the room, but that when Dev tried to move around, he found almost all positions blocked off. Normally having a girl so close to him in a tight place was enjoyable, but Devlin found his heart starting to race and his breath starting to heave. He had to get the hell out of here... now!

“Why did we have to hide in here?”

"You chose the spot... You tell me..." He snapped, his normally pleasant expression morphing into anger and fear. She started to shove him to the side, apparently to leave, but he grabbed her in a vicelike grip. "Don't. She hasn't passed yet... just.... just think about something else for a couple more minutes..." His advice, he realized, was not going to be so easy to follow himself. It had only been a minute in there and he was already feeling like the air had been sucked from the room and he could feel the walls moving in on them, despite not being able to see. His grip on her arm tightened a little more, probably to the point of bruising, as he attempted to think about anything but the fact that he was stuck in his worst nightmare. "Just a couple more minutes... just a couple more minutes..." he murmured this like a mantra, more to calm his own nerves then hers. It wasn't working.

((All yours to hear them pass and to find it locked ))

“I didn’t know it was a closet, I didn’t expect to be shoved into it.” Nicola yelled back at him. Why did he make it out to be her fault? It was not her fault and she was going to stand by that. Her goal was to get out of this closet as soon as was humanly possible. His hand caught her arm in a grip that was not letting her get anyway. “Let go of me,” she didn’t care if there was caught, well actually she did mind if she was caught. His grip on her arm was getting tighter and it was really starting to hurt. She was tempted to throw a punch his way, but she was afraid to miss his face and hit the wall. Nicola was more distracted by her arm hurting than the closing  space that was the closet so there was at least an upside.

Nicola was pretty sure that they had walked by after some time had passed, and her focus had turned back to the small dark space. The panicking side of her came back into full force. “Let me go,” she said gruffly as she elbow him hard in hopes to grab her arm away from him. He better not have bruised her. “I am getting out of here.” Nicola pushed him aside, “I think she would have passed by now.” Nicola moved to the door to open it her hands pushing on the door. Nicola started to panic and started to kick at the door. “It is locked!” She sounded scared and frantic as she banged against the door. “You idiot!” Her gruff voice yelled at him.

While she freaked out and started yelling, pounding on the door like a maniac, Devlin stood there, frozen on the spot. Pale as a ghost, he was trembling as he attempted to gather his thoughts enough to figure out a solution to their problem. This was exceedingly difficult considering the air was so thick he felt like his lungs were imploding. When she turned and screamed at him, he could help but snarl back.

"Oh I'm the idiot? I'M THE IDIOT?" He cried, incredulous that she would dare accuse him of being at fault. She was the whole reason they were there "... If YOU were smart enough to do your own homework, then WE wouldn't be--" It was then he remembered the potion. It was a Disintegrating Potion that could, if memory served him correctly, eat through metal. Searching his pockets, his tone took a different sound "Keep beating on the door...I have an idea--"

The bottle hissed as he opened it and Devlin slowly carried it towards the door. All it would take was a couple of drops on the lock and --

Suddenly, much to his horror, Nicola bumped into him in her attempts to beat down the door. The bottle flew out of his hands and he cursed as he heard it tinkle against the flagstone floor. But his curses became horror when he felt a rather warm liquid spreading across his chest. It was on him. Cursing wildly, Devlin immediately started tearing at his shirts, trying to get them off before it disintegrated his skin. Succeeding in removing them, he heard his pants start sizzling. This made him grow ten times more frantic, considering the location, and he struggled with his belt while screaming desperately, almost in tune with Nicolas fists rapping against the door "Oh god oh god oh god... Nicola... Get it off... Get it off... NICOLA GET IT OFF"


All god modding approved.

She was the idiot? Yeah right she was not the idiot who pushed her into this stupid closet. As he insulted her intelligence more she turned back to look at him. “Are you kidding me! I am more than capable of completing my own homework; I just need a bit of help. I am sorry if I have some actual aspiration for my life.” She had NEWTs this year and she had to get an E in all but three classes where she required an O. She was stewing over this as she looked at him; at least her anger to him was calming her down a bit.

“Okay?” She looked at him weird but she had no issue banging on this door as this place was freaking her out. She beat her fist against the door and pushed back and hit her body against it. She started making a bit of a groaning noise as she hit up against the door. Merlin that was starting to hurt but she continued to bang herself against the door.

Not knowing she hit Devlin she continued to hit her fists against the door until she heard something behind her, it was Devlin freaking out. “What the?” She realized something had spilled on him, was it the sample he was supposed to give her. What ever it was he was freaking out. “Oh god,” she moved towards him to help him get his belt off. “I’m try bloody hell move your hands," she said as her hands were working on his belt, she just wished he would stop yelling.

Kyle was in a slightly better mood than he had been in in the last several days. Though his awkward conversation with Nicola had been only two days ago, things seemed to be looking up. Again, they hadn't talked too much since then but NEWTS were coming up and Nicola was studying hard, while Kyle just intended on passing them in some fashion. Though he did study Defense Against the Dark Arts and Charms a little more than most of his other classes, everyone knew the only magic he really took genuine interest in was dueling.

As Kyle walked through the fourth floor corridor, he adjusted his shoulder bag. It was heavier than usual as he had brought several dueling and defense books with him to study during and after dinner, and he wasn't used to the weight. As he was minding his own business, his mind wandering on things other than Nicola for once when he heard yelling. He instantly thought that someone was in danger, or hurt, but he found that the sound was coming from a closet off on the side. Kyle drew his wand for precaution, and approached it as the yelling grew louder. It must have been locked from the outside.

Deciding to just get to the problem, Kyle reached to unlock and open the door to what  he saw as one of the most horrific sights he had seen in his life. There they were, Devlin Matthews standing half naked with... Nicola? Kyle's jaw dropped a little as he saw the scene unfold in front of his eyes. First Gavin, now Devlin? He was going to be sick to his stomach. He didn't even know what they were doing before he opened the door. "Uh... hi guys." He greeted the two as he tightened the grip on his wand a little. "Why do I always walk in at the worst times..." He muttered to himself, trying to maintain his anger remembering the conversation from the other day. "You er... need some time alone?" He said, his slight anger visible but noticeably controlled. By this time, a small crowd had gathered around the bizarre scene of all different years. Whispers and giggles spread round. What the hell was happening with his life these days?

In the middle of Nicola stripping off his slacks, the door burst open and flooded the small room with light. Blinded, Devlin blinked against the intrusion. As his vision cleared he realized that the person speaking was the worst possible person to find them there. Kyle Gibson and Devlin did not have a very good relationship. In fact, you could say they were the worst of enemies. It made things even worse considering it wasn't a very well kept secret, except from Nicola apparently, that Kyle was madly in love with her. Devlin blanched a little when he realized he was standing there nearly naked with her.

"You er... need some time alone?"

Kyle was, for some reason, being calm and collected. Despite this, it was Devlin's first inclination to hightail it the hell out of there. But before he could, he saw to his horror that there were already a few grinning faces staring into the closet, and more were coming. Flushing, he grabbed the door and yanked it from Kyle, yelling loudly "YES!"

Slamming the door shut, Devlin turned to Nicola "Crap crap crap... what are we going to do?" He hissed, his hands instinctfully resting on her hips to keep her from stumbling back into his toes. As his hand touched her left hip, he yanked back in pain when something burned him. It was then that he realized that some of the potion had spilled on Nicola. Risking his already burned hands, Devlin grabbed at her sweater again. A good portion was already gone and there was a hole forming on the shirt underneath.

"OH GOD Nicola!... It's all over you..." He yelled out, grabbing her shirt and pulling it away from her skin, lest the potion start burning her "Take off your shirt... take off your shirt before you get it everywhere!"

Of all the times for someone to open the door it had to be now with her hands in an attempt to get off Devlin’s slacks. Nicola turned her head squinting at the light that was now blinding them. Her eyes fell on Kyle and her jaw dropped this could not be happening to her. She was completely at a loss for words right now. Here she was with Devlin and he was half naked. How was Kyle remaining calm even Nicola was panicking, apparently he had taken their conversation to heart.

The crowd was growing outside and there was heat appearing in her cheeks. No she did not want to deal with the rumours and the gossip that would spread like wild fire. Everyone would know about this by breakfast the next morning. The next thing she new the door was closing and the light was gone, she was back in the extremely small closet with Devlin while people were outside thinking Salazar knows what about her.

“How about get out of the extremely small closet?” She felt his hands on her hips and she realized her hands were on his chest. She felt her sweater pulling off of her arms and she started hyperventilate. “You got to be kidding me?” She started to scramble with the buttons she had to get this off of her. Nicola was fumbling with the buttons. “Screw it I will rip it,” she just pulled it open pretty sure she lost buttons and she pulled the shirt off her. Dropping her shirt aside, “Is it anywhere else?” She said pulling at the small tank top she had under her shirt. “Please don’t tell me it is on this.” She said as she pulled at the little tank top that clung to her and barely covered her stomach.

"OH GOD Nicola!... It's all over you..."

The door now having been shut again, Kyle did not move a muscle. He was in shock. Nicola and Devlin? It didn't seem possible. It was like some horrible nightmare to which one could not escape, and as this fact sunk in Kyle got pissed off more and more. He'd try to manage his anger, but there was only so much you could when you see your best friend with a half naked arch enemy. This was madness. The continued shouts from the closet were not encouraging whatsoever in this matter.

The whispers and giggling got a little louder as the crowd forming around the closet was getting bigger. This was not helping the situation. The rumors around school the following day would be absolutely ridiculous. Kyle couldn't wait to get out of Hogwarts. It was going to be a glorious day celebrated with barrels of firewhisky and fireworks.

“Screw it I will rip it,”

Kyle heard this faintly through the door, and despite his best efforts he just could not take anymore. With a groan he reached for the door and opened it a with his eye closed but enough so he could get his voice in. "I think you two should cease whatever the hell you're doing because there are twenty or thirty people outside giggling like faeries about you two." He hissed with some anger showing. Though the light was dim, he could see Devlin still in the half naked state he was seconds ago, but now Nicola was in her tank top. "Oh come on Devlin you stupid bloke, stop the bloody antics... wait is that blood? Merlin's pants, are you doing you sick bastard?" Kyle asked gruffly, turning back to see the crowd was even larger. Deciding quickly he should figure out what was going on, he stepped into the closet, closing the door and illuminating his wand to see that the clothing on the floor had what looked like burn marks, as well as Devlin's hand. "You know I never liked you Devlin but to be honest this is just sick." Kyle said, then looking at Nicola mouthing 'Are you okay?'

Normally Devlin enjoyed the sight of a girl removing her top, especially if she was ripping it off, but now was not the time nor place to be thinking about anything but survival. They had quite the situation. They were at various levels of undress in a closet, both being claustrophobic, with a crowd of giggling onlookers and probably soon to be teachers gathered outside. If they remained in the closet, they would most like go insane and start flipping out, which would prove dangerous for both of them. If they left the closet, everyone in the school would see them wearing next to nothing. The rumors would be vicious. Inika would hear about it and probably break it off with him, which wasn't a bad thing in itself but he had wanted to be the one to do the deed, not being the dumpee. He just hoped that rumors about he and Nicola were the worst of his worries. If the true reason for them being there was found out, well... that would be a bigger mess.

Just then, as Nicola finally got the last of the burn articles off and both were safe from chemical burns (Minus Devlin's hands), a third party made an entrance. It was bad enough that it was Kyle in full self righteous bastard mode, but now the tiny space was cut down even further. When Kyle lit his wand tip, the walls loomed and Devlin felt them beginning to close in again. Before the gasping for air and racing heartbeat started, Devlin had a moment to ponder if Kyle realized the implication of him joining the duo in the closet. He realized that Kyle had sustained quite a few blows to the head, but he hadn't realized how much it had addled his brains. Unfortunately, Devlin was quickly approaching panic mode at this point and had little spare brain processes available to ponder this fact. They were all running around, screaming, like a group of headless chickens.

"You know I never liked you Devlin but to be honest this is just sick."

"Dude... Get out...You're taking up all the air..." Devlin panted slightly, his face pale and gleaming with sweat as he tried not to start screaming. He knew it was a bad idea to mess with Kyle, he wasn't stupid, but then at the moment, his brain was going haywire. all he cared about at this point was getting the hell out of there. When Kyle turned to look at Nicola as opposed to leaving like Dev asked, Dev's temper snapped. "I SAID GET THE HELL OUT!!" He roared, rearing back his fist (and knocking a few boxes off the shelf behind him) and smashing it as hard as he could into Kyle's face.

Devlin wasn't a weight lifter or a martial artist freak like Gibson was. He knew that if he really had to fight the guy, it would probably end badly for him. Maybe in a duel he could hold his own, but not a fist fight. However, he was not a weak guy. He had spent years fighting and wrestling with his brothers, honing a decent right hook in the process. Combined with the fact that the massive amount of adrenaline pumping through his body only added to his strength, Dev's punch packed a hard enough blow to illicit a cracking sound from the vicinity of Kyle's nose and sent the taller boy tumbling backwards and out the door. As the cool air rushed into the room and relieved enough of his fear to jumpstart his brain, Devlin realized what he just did. Paling slightly, he grabbed his bag and shirt in one hand and Nicola's hand in the other "... Lets get the hell out of here..."

_{Godmoding of the punch was approved by Kyle Gibson.}

Nicola just wanted to here that everything was off, and once she felt safe from the potion there was the onset of the fact that she was in a closet. Nicola started to panic she knew that they couldn’t go back out the door right this second with the growing number of people but she also couldn’t stay in here. This was a closet there was no air and she was sure the walls were getting smaller. At least people assumed something other than Nicola buying something from Devlin to be the reason that they were in the closet. The way they had looked outside the closet before also helped to keep the idea that they were doing something in the closet.

It was not long for her to notice the smallness of the closet when the door opened. She took a deep breath of air, “No!” She yelled at Kyle as the door closed, it was more for the fact she didn’t want him to close the door. He lit up his wand and her hand went up to cover her eyes. “Get out of here I’m fine,” she said looking to Kyle just wanting him to get away and not see her in this position. “Why did you close the door,” she said in a panicked tone as she tired to make some space for herself in this tiny room.

It all happened so fast, Devlin’s hand was connecting to Kyle’s face. “No!” She yelled loudly and looked at Devlin. Okay she could see he had a reason to do it as the addition of Kyle to this room was really testing her limits and since they both felt the same way she understood. Kyle was making the fact they were in a closet a lot worse. Nicola was just standing there afraid not from the punch but from her surroundings.

Had she heard Kyle’s nose break? It was a thought that ran through her head as she bent down and grabbed what was left of her clothing and her bag. She had to get out of this closet and now. About to say something to Kyle she felt Devlin’s hand move around hers and she left herself be moved with him. “I’m sorry,” she mouthed to Kyle.

Moving closer to Devlin she looked at him, “Is your hand okay?” Thankfully he had felt the potion before she felt it on her own skin but she felt terrible that he was no burnt. Nicola was no idiot she knew it was her fault, but if he blamed her she was not going to react so nicely about it.