Outfit

Edmund hurriedly guided Waker down two flights of stairs, an arm placed over her shoulders in an attempt shield his friend from the barrage of dirty looks, sneers and giggles of gossip-starved Hogwartians. He didn't care if this was another reason for people to suspect he was more than a friend to the Head Girl - people could think whatever they liked. After their fall-out earlier in the year, Edmund was determined to keep his friendship with Waker intact; she was a good person and deserved people who would support her in hours of crisis. And this was undoubtedly one of those hours.

Leading his fellow Ravenclaw down a nearby corridor, the Prefect's Bathroom was an obvious choice. A passing member of faculty could go take a running jump if they had anything to say about Edmund's trespassing - no way should Waker be alone to tackle this head-on. Besides, it was off-limits to the horde of jeering students that would happily bask in the girl's misfortune. She'd messed up royally, but everybody made devastating mistakes - Edmund included. The only difference was that this had become public knowledge, and nobody wanted their dirty laundry on display for all to see.

The password was uttered and the two hurriedly scampered inside the rather austere surroundings of the Prefect's Bathroom. Under normal circumstances, Edmund would be hugely impressed by the facilities on offer to Hogwarts' scholastic elite, yet this was no time to admire interiors. The roar of laughs, shouts and gasps immediately vanished when the door slammed shut behind them, and he leaned against the wash basins as Waker examined herself in the mirror. The moment of silence between them was unbreakable; what could he really say to make it better? There was no resolution, only respite from the brewing storm outside.

"Who would... do that?" Edmund finally said, unable to fathom some peoples' capacity for absolute destruction. A wad of the incriminating photos were still kept under his arm, which were promptly tossed into a nearby bin when the Ravenclaw realised their presence. They'd be the last thing poor Waker would want to see.