(no subject)
More fic. Set in sixth year. It's what I do.
It was late when he got back from his …adventure… with Dari and, and still the common room wasn’t as empty as he’d hoped. He was made aware of this the moment he stepped in - though he had the unfair advantage. Whoever it was was sobbing. They hadn’t heard his entry. He took a step forward thinking that the crying was coming from a firstie - homesick, like he had been throughout his first year, but the figure illuminated by the fire was much bigger than that. Whoever it was, they also had blonde hair.
It was Moira. Rupert stopped, letting his eyes stray from her to the staircase. It if had been Nic, Suzie, Dani… even Rosy, he’d be over there without a second thought. But Moira…it was complicated. As young, fresh-faced firsties they’d fought and that had set the benchmark for all their other interactions since. It was like him and Vince - only a hundred times worse. They could barely share a house, let alone a dorm.
When it came down to it, though, he didn’t even know why that hadn’t moved past it. In any other circumstances she’d be exactly the kind of girl he’d be interested in. Fun, independent, full of life - nothing like the girls his parents kept foisting on him during the summers. They were difficult, high maintenance and put off by his awkwardness. Rupert could still remember how the other three had fallen about laughing when he’d discovered the nickname that those girls had given him - Rupert the Retard.
But instead of being her friend - or even asking her to Hogsmead one weekend, he stayed silent. He’d tried to talk to her once or twice, tried to suggest that they move past the awkwardness and the silence but he’d always end up stumbling over his words and all he was able to think about was ‘Queen of Stupid’ and the way she looked at him led him to believe that she hadn’t forgotten either.
So he considered himself to be perfectly within his rights to go upstairs into his dorm and not think about it again. But he didn’t. No matter what he told himself, his feet weren’t agreeing. And his stomach, full of some sort of anxious feeling was clearly agreeing with his feet. Obviously, no matter what had gone on in the past, he wasn’t prepared to be a bastard. Though it was still a surprise - to him and to Moira, when all of a sudden he was beside her and offering his hanky.
It was an even greater surprise when she took it. She took it, wiped her eyes and burst into tears again. And then she fell into him, leaning against his chest, sobbing. So he wrapped his arms around her. It seemed the only logical thing to do. It was the most surreal moment of his life and to make matters more confusing, that anxious feeling was slowly but surely disappearing.
He didn’t know when the near hysterical sobbing had abated in favour of the calm, slow breaths of sleep because he fell asleep himself. But when he woke up the next morning, he was alone and his scrunched up hanky was pushed into his hand. It was the only indication he hadn’t dreamed the whole thing.
He made his way down to the Great Hall for breakfast and when Dari sidled up to him, grin on her face, asking if he had plans for the evening, he ran his hand through his hair and searched the hall for someone else.
There she was.
“I…um…I think I’d like to stop for a bit.” It wasn’t rudeness that prevented him from looking at Dari as he said it, nor awkwardness. He was just incredibly distracted.
“Oh.” Dari looked surprised. They’d both agreed to keep things casual, but this was sudden… Although, the way he was acting… she followed his gaze. How interesting. “Good luck…” She said good-naturedly, kissing him on the cheek.
But Rupert wasn’t listening, not really, and as soon as Dari disappeared he stepped across to the Hufflepuff table.
“Pass the tea?” He asked, sitting down next to Moira. Despite what the embarrassed look on her face was asking of him, last night was not something he’d soon forget, even if he didn’t mention it out loud.
She passed him the teapot, mouth open to say something, but he wasn’t going to let her. He didn’t want an apology or excuses; he just wanted this to be the olive branch that he’d never been able to offer before.
“It’s so nice outside. It’s days like these that make me wish I were a quidditch player so I could just go out there and be in the sun. I’m too pale… I always say that Bry and Vince don’t need a light on in the dorm because my white glow does the same job.” It was a change at least, from not being able to say anything at all, even if he was fairly sure Moira was about to tell him to piss off.
“We could take breakfast outside, then?” It seemed they were both surprising each other. Rupert grinned.
“Sure.”
It was late when he got back from his …adventure… with Dari and, and still the common room wasn’t as empty as he’d hoped. He was made aware of this the moment he stepped in - though he had the unfair advantage. Whoever it was was sobbing. They hadn’t heard his entry. He took a step forward thinking that the crying was coming from a firstie - homesick, like he had been throughout his first year, but the figure illuminated by the fire was much bigger than that. Whoever it was, they also had blonde hair.
It was Moira. Rupert stopped, letting his eyes stray from her to the staircase. It if had been Nic, Suzie, Dani… even Rosy, he’d be over there without a second thought. But Moira…it was complicated. As young, fresh-faced firsties they’d fought and that had set the benchmark for all their other interactions since. It was like him and Vince - only a hundred times worse. They could barely share a house, let alone a dorm.
When it came down to it, though, he didn’t even know why that hadn’t moved past it. In any other circumstances she’d be exactly the kind of girl he’d be interested in. Fun, independent, full of life - nothing like the girls his parents kept foisting on him during the summers. They were difficult, high maintenance and put off by his awkwardness. Rupert could still remember how the other three had fallen about laughing when he’d discovered the nickname that those girls had given him - Rupert the Retard.
But instead of being her friend - or even asking her to Hogsmead one weekend, he stayed silent. He’d tried to talk to her once or twice, tried to suggest that they move past the awkwardness and the silence but he’d always end up stumbling over his words and all he was able to think about was ‘Queen of Stupid’ and the way she looked at him led him to believe that she hadn’t forgotten either.
So he considered himself to be perfectly within his rights to go upstairs into his dorm and not think about it again. But he didn’t. No matter what he told himself, his feet weren’t agreeing. And his stomach, full of some sort of anxious feeling was clearly agreeing with his feet. Obviously, no matter what had gone on in the past, he wasn’t prepared to be a bastard. Though it was still a surprise - to him and to Moira, when all of a sudden he was beside her and offering his hanky.
It was an even greater surprise when she took it. She took it, wiped her eyes and burst into tears again. And then she fell into him, leaning against his chest, sobbing. So he wrapped his arms around her. It seemed the only logical thing to do. It was the most surreal moment of his life and to make matters more confusing, that anxious feeling was slowly but surely disappearing.
He didn’t know when the near hysterical sobbing had abated in favour of the calm, slow breaths of sleep because he fell asleep himself. But when he woke up the next morning, he was alone and his scrunched up hanky was pushed into his hand. It was the only indication he hadn’t dreamed the whole thing.
He made his way down to the Great Hall for breakfast and when Dari sidled up to him, grin on her face, asking if he had plans for the evening, he ran his hand through his hair and searched the hall for someone else.
There she was.
“I…um…I think I’d like to stop for a bit.” It wasn’t rudeness that prevented him from looking at Dari as he said it, nor awkwardness. He was just incredibly distracted.
“Oh.” Dari looked surprised. They’d both agreed to keep things casual, but this was sudden… Although, the way he was acting… she followed his gaze. How interesting. “Good luck…” She said good-naturedly, kissing him on the cheek.
But Rupert wasn’t listening, not really, and as soon as Dari disappeared he stepped across to the Hufflepuff table.
“Pass the tea?” He asked, sitting down next to Moira. Despite what the embarrassed look on her face was asking of him, last night was not something he’d soon forget, even if he didn’t mention it out loud.
She passed him the teapot, mouth open to say something, but he wasn’t going to let her. He didn’t want an apology or excuses; he just wanted this to be the olive branch that he’d never been able to offer before.
“It’s so nice outside. It’s days like these that make me wish I were a quidditch player so I could just go out there and be in the sun. I’m too pale… I always say that Bry and Vince don’t need a light on in the dorm because my white glow does the same job.” It was a change at least, from not being able to say anything at all, even if he was fairly sure Moira was about to tell him to piss off.
“We could take breakfast outside, then?” It seemed they were both surprising each other. Rupert grinned.
“Sure.”