(Untitled)

[tatiana_w]

Week Name/Date/Time: 'The Calm Before the Storm' / Wednesday, May 24th 2006 / 10:15 PM
Location: Gryffindor girls' dorm
Open To: Avis!
Currently Involving: Tatiana!

Tatiana sat on the floor beside her bed, staring at the cracks in the ceiling. She thought she saw a bunny. But then it looked like a shoe. Odd. She shook her head to clear it, rubbed her

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[avis_abernathy]

Avis had felt oddly satisfied and unmardy for the past day, as if a weight had been lifted from her shoulders. As if things weren't as confusing and awkward and odd, even in a general sense.

That and she had gotten a bloody good snog.

Of course, she didn't tell anyone. Though she was quite proud of herself, really, and felt very bold and happy and that it had worked wonders on a rather confusing friendship.

This was all going through her mind as she sat in bed, eyes absently scanning a muggle Cosmopolitan magazine, pretending to read the odd tips about "63 Ways To. . ." whatever odd analogy they'd used this month. Really though, she was simply happy and feeling. . .proud.

Odd, really. Very odd.

She glanced over at Tatiana, wondering if she had noticed from the previous night, and turned back to her magazine, a smirk falling across her face.

[tatiana_w]

It was almost as if they'd switched brains, Tati would think, in her usual uninformed manner. Usually she was the one who declared herself a maverick with boys (though you'd think a failure with one Adrien Bennett would've taught her otherwise), and Avis was the one who subbornly insisted on her own...mardybum-ness.

And now Avis was the one reading a magazine! Eerie. Veeeery eerie.

So eerie, in fact, that Tatiana was beginning to think she was hallucinating. She should really get to sleep, but when she tried to, she simply couldn't. Maybe it had something to do with the fact that she was sitting on the floor?

Awkwardly she got to her feet and sat on her bed, now staring up at the canopy.

"Bunny," she said, almost deliriously, and then responded to herself with a "Say WHAT?" Snapping out of it, she glanced at Avis, slightly embarassed. "Ah. Is something funny?" she asked, noting the smirk on Avis's face.

[avis_abernathy]

Avis always read muggle magazines! Usually the ones with the fashion and clothes she'd never buy or even dare to wear, or ones just like this with things she'd never think she'd ever use. She'd hide them in her textbooks, particularly potions, so she could look at the odd photographs instead of listening to Snape.

So maybe it was understandable that Tatiana hadn't noticed them before.

Avis looked over to Tatiana and tried hard not to burst out laughing at her talking to herself, only grinning and giving her a very inquisitive look. "Oh, no, just these muggle mags, they're so. . .odd. It's the same thing over and over again, these snogging tips or whatever they are. You'd think they'd come up with new ideas, don't you?"

[tatiana_w]

Ahhh, so Tati's memory was just faulty! Yes, the more she thought, the more she thought she could distantly recall herself, Jackie, and Avis filling out pointless surveys from muggle magazines. Good times, good times.

Sigh. Times like these, Tatiana felt rather alone, and no amount of pretty shoes seemed to be able to aid that. All the more reason for her to embark on an endeavor to find her inner DEEP ARTSY PHILOSOPHICAL PERSON. Yes. Maybe Avis could help. Hmm.

Tatiana rolled onto her stomach and propped her head up with a hand, looking pouty and dissatisfied with something. "Snogging sells," she said simply. "I suppose there'll always be insecure people looking for a way to...to get some?" It was probably the smartest thing she'd said in a week. And sadly, it wasn't even that smart. Argh.

"Something's different about you, Avis," she said wonderingly, trying to place just what it was.

[avis_abernathy]

It was probably understandable why Tatiana hadn't remembered right off the bat. Avis wouldn't want anyone to think she, curly-haired pudgy freckly monstrosity Avis, would be reading "73 Ways To Wow Your Man." Avis didn't have a man! She had. . .a poster of Jarvis Cocker on her wall! And up until the previous night, which she supposed didn't count given that her one-time snog-ee was her best friend Ben, she didn't HAVE to know how to kiss a bloke!

No, they'd start to think she was. . .a girl.

Which heaven forbid.

Something about the statement hit Avis in the gut, as if Tatiana was trying to tell her I KNOW WHAT YOU DID, being that Avis was an insecure person. . .who. . .er. . .well, she wasn't LOOKING for a way to "get some." She. . .um. . .just happened to get a bit of snoggage from

[tatiana_w]

Actually, Tatiana hadn't remembered the magazine thing because, well, her memory was about as bad as...as...brussel sprouts. Or perhaps even worse. The only things she seemed to have a memory for were various designer collections. Oh yes, she could describe the looks of Versace for five seasons back. Too bad such things wouldn't save her life any time soon. No, she'd depend on Hargy for that. After all, he'd proved his life-saving skills once before, in a very, very desperate situation. Hurm.

Of COURSE Tati wasn't seeing through Avis's act. By 'different' she'd only meant 'less talkative and loud than usual'...and only that. But now that she thought of it? The way Avis stumbled a bit with her answer was a definite pointer that something was...off-kilter. Amiss. Yes, Tatiana felt smart with those synonyms.

"Is something the matter? You seem to be quite uncomfortable reading about snogging. Should I burn that magazine for you?" she asked in friendly concern and blissful unawareness of what had gone on between Avis and Ben. Luckily for

[avis_abernathy]

This was true, probably. Avis had retreated into some contemplative, daydreamy mode, one usually only used during classes. Now she was seen at the dinner table scratching at her neck and staring off into space in a complete daze when she would have been hollering at the first years to pass her the bread and butter. She was smiling and grinning at odd times, which she'd only realize at the worst moments and catch herself.

It wasn't normal.

Avis blinked and shook her head, "Oh, er. . .no, maybe. . .er. . ." She changed the subject and flipped open to a page, pointing at it absently. "Nah, blokes are just so weird, heaven knows why they'd like a bird to bite their necks, it's just. . .odd! Or maybe it's just me. Maybe I'm a terrible, snog-deprived prude

[tatiana_w]

Yes, thought Tatiana, peering curiously at Avis, something was definitely wrong. Or if not wrong, something was definitely 'up', as her more casually-speaking classmates might say. But Tati was not about to ask what was 'up', oh no--she had a far better way to get that question across...which was by tossing the nearest pillow at her friend.

"Aviiiis," she whined, "What's wroooong? You're never like this...you...you...you haven't hit your head, have you? Did someone throw a spell at you? Did...did...you fall from the tower?" Tati's mind jumped from scenario to scenario as she honestly worked her simple mind into a knot. "How many fingers am I holding up?" she asked frantically, holding up the ever-famous double-finger peace sign. Did the thumb count as a finger, she wondered? Ah, but now was not the time. Now, Tatiana had a FRIEND TO SAVE

[avis_abernathy]

Avis snorted with laughter and tried to deflect the pillow, which ended up hitting her right in the nose, and gave Tatiana a look of amused disbelief. "Nothing's wrong!" she laughed awkwardly, shaking her head. "Really! What could POSSIBLY be wrong?! I'm fine! Really, do I look like something's terribly the matter?!" She laughed and gave her a silly look, "Frankly, your concern is embarrassing, Winters," she said sarcastically.

Was it written on her face? Were there hickeys on her neck? Avis absently scratched at her neck again, worrying that there was, or if someone had heard or seen them, and shook her head at Tatiana's concern, trying not to laugh at the peace-sign. "I'm fine, I am, I just. . .maybe OWLs stress? Probably just that, man, cool it. . ."

Avis saw Tatiana head for the door and blushed a bit, stopping her by hollering, "TATIANA! I DON'T NEED THE NURSE!" Trying to stop her, Avis frantically exclaimed, "Wait, hold up, wait! Um. . .well, maybe. . .I'm just. . .confused. Er. . .yeah, I. . .uh, it's complicated."

[tatiana_w]

Tatiana was feeling quite heroic standing at the door and was about to throw it open dramatically to rush down the halls with a grand purpose, but Avis's yelling shut her up instantly.

"Ah." She fumbled with the doorknob and finally let go of it, pushing her hair back and looking around at the clock, just to find some sort of distracting gesture that would make her look less stupid. "Ah," she said again, more than a little embarrassed. "Well, that's good then, Abernathy. Nice to know you're all fine and dandy

[avis_abernathy]

Avis absently ran her fingers along the pages of the magazine like a flip-book, instantly starting to regret stopping Tatiana. The cat was halfway out of the bag, really.

Everything?! Avis paled slightly at the thought of talk of her and Ben snogging being spread all throughout the school, but. . .she'd trust Tatiana, right?

Well. She'd have to.

Besides, Tatiana knew about being a girl. Right?

Avis chomped on her lower lip and looked at Tatiana carefully, saying in a very low tone, "Er. . .I snogged someone. Last night. Um, I guess it was more of a snog session, actually."

[tatiana_w]

"Aaaaah," Tatiana said, tapping the arm of her chair in what she thought was a very wise, knowing manner. She was a little surprised by this admission, though she tried to hide that fact. Looking surprised only made her eyes look bigger and therefore more 'unfortunate', as the sixth and seventh year boys like to call them. Hmpph!

"I'm not surprised, Avis Abernathy," she teased, shaking a finger at her friend, "you've GOT to stop throwing yourself at boys, you...you...FAKE MARDY BUM. What happened to all that business?" Cue some sort of stupid half-giggle, half-sigh. Er. Something. "Who was it? Troy Frogley? Or Ben Connelly?" she said it with a dismissive wave and a little laugh, as if to say, psssh--like that'd happen. Because honestly? Avis would NEVER snog either of those boys. Right?

Huh. Come to think of it, Tatiana had never thought Avis would snog someone at all, given her self-declared spinster status. Well. This chat had been full of surprises thus far. Understandably, it had room to get weirder yet.

[avis_abernathy]

Avis scratched absently at her knee, laughing at the mere thought of herself throwing herself at boys. Why, that was for. . .that trollop Striver! And. . .well, not Avis, right?

It was only her best friend, right?

Well, perhaps that was only pathetic.

"Oh, I am, this time it was just. . .a fluke. I mean, it couldn't have meant anything, just. . .well, he snuck into my room, he got a fight, he climbed up the banister, and he was hurt, and. . ." she babbled, turning red instantly as Tatiana mentioned Ben.

"UmitwasBen," she mumbled, hoping she wouldn't hear her, going back to her magazine, feeling incredibly guilty and exposed now.

[tatiana_w]

Well, obviously Tatiana was only being sarcastic about that 'throwing so-and-so at boys' bit. She'd lived with Adriana long enough to know what throwing oneself at boys really meant. Oh yes. It was not a pretty sight. It was incredibly awkward, actually, if anything. Usually Tati averted her eyes and found something else to look at. OR, if the situation was particularly weird, she just started staring and laughing. The latter seemed to annoy Adriana more...which was why Tati preferred it.

Tati didn't know what a 'fluke' was (last time she checked, it was a kind of whale flipper, but in this case, that didn't seem to make sense), but she nodded anyway, trying to look wise. If she had a beard, she'd stroke it. Old beard-stroking blokes always managed to look wise, yes yes.

OOH. A silly grin presented itself on Tatiana's face and she leaned forward, cupping a hand around her ear, pretending she hadn't heard. "Pardon? What was that? I don't believe I know someone named Umitwasben," she said, fully knowing what Avis had meant to say. As

[avis_abernathy]

"Oh good God," Avis grumbled at herself as Tatiana grinned and leaned in. Avis grabbed her pillow and buried her face in it, still slightly smelling like chocolate cigarettes and shampoo. . .

GEEZUS. SHE WAS LOSING IT.

She dropped the pillow and looked at Tatiana with an expression of confused desperation, sighing deeply and nodding. A blush falling over her freckled cheeks, Avis said in a quieter tone, in case any of their other roomies were afoot and eavesdropping, "Shhh! You know what I meant. Ben. Connelly. I. . .we snogged."

She bit her lower lip as if waiting for a terrible reaction, one of 'YOU TRAMP!' or something similar.

[tatiana_w]

The first response that came to Tati's mind was 'simply smashing' or something equally ancient-sounding (and Hargy-sounding, come to think of it), but she blurted out "Did you tell him he should model boxers??" instead, and made herself sound like a complete fool. Again.

So she slapped herself and tried to look dignified afterwards. "I mean to say...I knew you would!", she squeaked (quietly, so as not to wake more roomates than she probably already had) and clapped her hands childishly. "You are PERFECT for each other." She paused a moment, thinking. "Though...considering that you are best friends. Well. That could be awkward." With a cheery shrug, she added, "No matter! It's about time, honestly!"

And then, with sudden and rather disturbing fierceness, she added in a low hiss, "I volunteer to pick your wedding gown."