[fic] grey magic [4/?]
Title: Grey Magic
Rating: T/PG
Summary: As a Slytherin Arizona Robbins knows that her crush on a Gryffindor has every chance of causing problems. But with the Triwizard Tournament again at Hogwarts and mysterious things seeming to seek out Alex Karev, her best friend, the Romeo and Juliet thing she has going with Callie Torres is the least of her issues.
{Grey's Hogwarts AU} The gang's all here, somewhere, but the focus is going to be Callie/Arizona.
Callie could see where was Arizona was coming from, she really could. It did nothing to assuage the growing annoyance in her chest when she spotted the blonde head moving across the Great Hall the next morning at breakfast. She couldn't take her eyes off her, even as she let her hurt feelings simmer. Arizona might have glanced her way but it didn't last long enough to be sure. “What happened with you two?” Meredith's question was asked quietly, without accusation.
“I kissed her,” Callie answered, still watching Arizona. A smile crossed her face without her conscious permission. Until she remembered Arizona's angry cancellation of their date and she turned around to take her seat next to her friend. “She caught me coming in, after the party the first week of school.” Meredith just sat there quietly, letting Callie tell her story without comment or judgment. “We talked. She's not what everyone thinks she is. She's a good person.” She breathed deep. “I kissed her after the banquet. I just - we were talking and I just... kissed her.” Meredith blinked but didn't say anything. A smile teased the corners of her lips though. “We had a, well, we were going to eat dinner tonight on the pitch, but -”
Meredith's face pulled then. “She broke if off? Good riddance then if she can't get her head out of her ass,” she declared loyally.
Callie found herself defending Arizona without meaning to. “She heard what Mark said, and then I followed her out, but she was mad, she said it was a mistake, asking me out.”
Her friend looked so dejected that Meredith had to sigh. “You really like her, don't you?” Callie nodded almost sheepishly. “Well, then find her tonight and show her she was wrong.”
Dark hair and a shy smile caught Meredith's attention and Callie rolled her eyes. “So you're going to talk to Shepherd, then?” she teased, grateful for a chance to change the subject.
“Hey, now, my crush is nothing like yours!” Meredith denied with a laugh.
“Because Arizona's in Slytherin?” Callie was immediately defensive, forgetting for a moment that she was frustrated at the blonde prefect.
“You really trust her?” asked Meredith, genuinely curious.
Nodding slowly, Callie thought about it. It didn't matter what the school thought they saw in Arizona. She could still remember the girl on the train who'd stood up for a boy being bullied because of his name. She knew a girl who had nearly infinite patience with the younger students in the library, helping them with spells or homework, and on the pitch, teaching rolls and grabs to Quidditch hopefuls.
“I do. I trust her.”
Meredith smiled, almost to herself. “Okay then.” Callie's eyes drifted toward the back of a fair head and her mouth pulled. “You have a big heart, Callie. You give people chances they maybe don't deserve,” said Meredith quietly. “If she doesn't deserve it I'll kick her ass myself.”
Callie's lips quirked into a helpless smile. “Thanks.”
Meredith's support did nothing to keep her frustration from stewing throughout classes though. Arizona and Alex deliberately took the back corner desk in class, segregating themselves from all of their classmates, even their own housemates whose furtive glances varied between suspicion and curious admiration. Callie wasn't the only one confused about how to think of Arizona Robbins. It seemed like no one knew quite what to make of the pair. That made her feel no less annoyed when Arizona managed to avoid her in the halls between every single one of their classes. If she didn't know better she'd be sure the Slytherin was apparating away as soon as they were dismissed.
Callie kept an eye toward the table at the far wall during lunch but the back of Arizona's head was inscrutable and never turned in her direction. Their afternoon classes were in entirely different parts of the castle but Callie found that distance only made her frustration grow into genuine anger. History of Magic was spent imagining telling Arizona exactly what she thought of the other girl's dismissal.
Practice should have let her burn the extra emotions out on the pitch but Callie found herself pacing the halls instead of going in for dinner. The prefects were all absent from their respective house tables and it didn't take a genius to figure out that they were still trying to figure out the fallout from the incident with Heather Brooks. Turning a corner with her head down, the sound of quiet voices brought her eyes up to spot Arizona in close conversation with Erica Hahn, Ravenclaw's sixth year prefect. Erica smirked at something Arizona said, her own blonde hair falling across her eyes.
Callie was moving toward them before she'd realized she intended to, stomping across the stone floor until she was almost too close to the pair. Erica Hahn was blonde, though her hair was longer and straighter than Arizona's, and tall, nearly the same height as Callie herself, and her dark blue eyes blinked open wide when Callie physically intruded on her conversation with the younger prefect. “You're the one making a mistake, Arizona,” Callie declared, riding the surge of annoyance to the point of bravado she needed to interrupt. “You're so ready to get pushed that you're pushing first, but you're wrong about me. I know you're not who people think you are. I'm not who you obviously think I am either though. You not even giving me a chance to show you is the mistake, Arizona.”
Only realizing exactly how much she'd shared in front of a girl she wasn't sure she'd ever said more than three words to directly after she was breathing fast and avoiding Erica Hahn's pointed gaze, Callie closed her mouth with a click of teeth. Erica's dark blue eyes traveled between her and Arizona slowly as the Ravenclaw silently decided for herself what she was witnessing.
“Callie...” Arizona had started to speak but Callie was already moving, turning on her heel and fleeing as suddenly as she'd charged over. Biting her lip, Arizona could only give Erica a shrug when the older girl narrowed her questioning gaze at her. “Um - I'm sorry about that.”
“No trouble,” said Erica calmly, watching Callie's quick retreat.
Arizona followed her gaze and could see the stiffness in the Gryffindor's shoulders from where she stood. It wouldn't surprise her at all to learn that Callie was muttering to herself as she stormed off. The thought brought a smile to her mouth in spite of herself and she sighed. “Erica, I've got to go.”
Erica Hahn probably didn't care that she was leaving in the middle of a conversation but she didn't look back for confirmation either. There was only one person whose face she wanted to see and Callie was still walking away from her. “Callie, wait!” Callie turned the corner without slowing down. “Just a second, okay? Wait!” Arizona tried again, picking up her own pace.
Callie didn't stop until Arizona physically jumped in front of her and shifted from side to side to stay in her way. “I think you made yourself clear last night!” Callie barked, her patience at its end. “If you don't mind I think I've embarrassed myself enough for one night.”
“You're not hearing me, Calliope. Sometimes I panic in the moment and call it wrong. I misjudge a situation. I was the one who made a mistake.” Callie was avoiding her eyes except in brief glances and Arizona stepped closer, catching her arms with both hands. “I'm not used to people giving me another chance. Or any chances, really,” she sighed, knowing that it didn't excuse her, but not sure how to apologize. Callie had come after her more than once, had chased her down even after she'd been a jerk to her. “Will you please let me see you tonight?” she asked and swallowed a lump in her throat.
Callie wanted to say yes immediately but took a breath, turning her arms over to grasp Arizona's. “I can't blame you for not trusting anyone, but if I say yes you have to at least be willing to give me some benefit of the doubt, okay?” She licked her lips before speaking again. “If you can't do that then maybe we'd be better off being friends.” Her mouth pulled. “Or not,” she offered quickly, not sure what Arizona would say. She knew exactly what she wanted her to say but had to give her the out. “It's a big castle with lots of floors, lots of places to hide.”
Arizona's smile was small, considering. Her dimples were shallow but deepened as her smile grew. “Calliope,” she whispered to cut off the rambling words. “Will you please go on a date with me tonight?”
Callie's right eyebrow rose slowly, the corners of her mouth turning up in her own happy smile. “I'd love to.” Arizona's hand slipped down from near her elbow to her hand, fingers lacing together gently. She blushed as she realized exactly what she'd done to get Arizona’s attention. “Sorry I crashed your meeting. I - uh-”
“It wasn't anything, with Erica,” clarified Arizona quickly. “We were just talking Quidditch. She isn't my type.”
Wanting to tease, Callie took a glance over Arizona’s shoulder. “She's pretty,” she decided. “I guess I've got a thing for blondes,” she added when Arizona's mouth pulled. The smile that spread across her lips made Callie's stomach flip.
Satisfied, Arizona thought better of confessing that she'd bet on her rival team and had just been getting information about Ravenclaw's chances. Callie's thumb rubbing circles on the back of her hand had driven the words clear out of her head. It was causing a very pleasant sensation to slide down her back as well. “Well, could I walk you to the kitchen?”
It was the place they were both going anyway but the chivalry thing was kind of cute. Callie nodded happily, licking her lips and trying to bite back the wide smile that wanted to take over her face. Arizona didn't take her hand away until she was reaching up to pull the kitchen door open for Callie to enter. Arizona had clearly gotten food straight from the kitchens before, the house elves who worked there (all freed and sporting clothes proudly) friendly and familiar with her. Callie could only smile and wave while she watched her date kneel and talk to several gathered elves. A glance over Arizona's shoulder and several pointed fingers in her direction made her fairly sure she was the topic of conversation.
A basket loaded with food proved that Arizona's charms weren't limited only to her and Callie grinned as Arizona took her hand again as they left the kitchens. “Thank you,” said Callie as she pulled the door closed behind them. “So, is this something you do often, pick up food for dinner dates?”
Arizona bumped her lightly with an elbow. “Nope,” she answered cheerfully. Her blue eyes sparkled as she winked sideways at Callie. “You're special.” It wasn't like she had girls lining up for her, after all.
The night air was warm and becoming damp as they stepped out through the smaller side door Arizona was more than passingly familiar with, avoiding the notice of their classmates and setting them on the shortest path to the pitch and the lake. Arizona let Callie coax her toward the lake by the hand willingly. “So, what did you get us?”
The food was still steaming as Arizona set it out on a blanket they put close to the shore where they could still see the sun setting below the treeline. It was nice, the quiet peaceful and not uncomfortable like it could have been. Talk of homework became Quidditch practice misadventures as the sky grew dark, childhood stories as the moon rose. Food had been eaten and they were stretched out at angles on the blanket and staring up into the sky as they talked when clouds started rolling in. Neither were in a rush to end the evening, even when the turning weather grew imminent.
“Tim was always getting us in trouble,” Arizona was saying, stretched out on her side with one hand braced on a bent arm. She could barely see Callie's face in the dark but warm fingers found her hand on the blanket, tracing the lines of her palm. Callie laughed softly when she twitched, her breath hitching and then blowing out slowly.
“Yeah? He doesn't seem like the troublemaker type,” Callie noted, amused.
“Don't let the Head Boy thing fool you. He's always starting stuff at home but he's still the golden boy.” Realizing exactly what she'd said, she huffed out a sigh of dismay. Callie didn't want to hear about the mess that was her family dynamics.
“I'm sure you do your own share of making trouble,” said Callie quietly, still touching her hand almost idly.
Grateful, Arizona laughed, the sound under her breath. “You mean like joining Slytherin?” That wasn't something she talked about, ever. It came out simply though. She didn't even tense up waiting for how Callie reacted. They both just laughed.
“Yes. You're really compliant.” Her sarcasm made them each laugh harder. “Your whole family was Gryffindor before, right?”
Arizona nodded, taking a deep breath. “I'm the family's secret shame.” Callie's hand slipped up to squeeze her wrist in a gesture of comfort. “But, honestly, you're the only one of them I want to hang out with. I like where I am even if half the school hates me on principle.”
“People know you're not -”
“Don't lie, Callie,” Arizona cut her off, knowing what she was going to say.
Callie pulled on her hand until blue eyes dropped to meet her gaze in the dim twilight. “I know you,” she insisted without raising her voice above a whisper.
Blinking, Arizona licked her lips. “Calliope, you don't know me.”
“I know enough. I know you're not who you let everyone else think you are. And I want to know more.” Callie pulled her bottom lip into her mouth to worry it between her teeth. “Like how do you know my name is Calliope?”
“I'm a prefect,” Arizona reminded her with a smile.
An eyebrow rose in question. “So you looked me up?” asked Callie curiously. Arizona's blush didn't have to be seen to be felt and Callie had mercy, resuming tracing patterns on her palm. “Okay, I won't -”
“What do you want me to say, that I've had a thing for you for an embarrassingly long time?” Arizona asked, forcing her tone to stay light.
Callie smiled, turning her head into the blanket to hide her giddiness. “You don't have to say that.” She leaned up on her elbow. “You could have said it last year, though.” Blue eyes blinked, a grin growing with dimples deepening on either side as her head moved closer.
Arizona's gaze flicked to Callie's mouth helplessly, then back to her eyes. Her tongue darted out to wet her lips. “It would have taken me all year to work up the nerve to kiss you though,” she confessed in a whisper.
Shifting closer, Callie could feel the warmth of Arizona stretched out beside her. Cold raindrops on her head made a sharp contrast but she leaned forward anyway to take a slow, soft kiss.
The rain began almost in earnest, chilled drops coming faster and more heavily before Arizona could do more than just start to reciprocate. An audible rush of wind and water made her pull back, growling her frustration even as she moved. Cracking lightning on the far side of the lake lit up Callie's face and she licked her lips and blinked when brown eyes caught her gaze. A droplet of rain ran down her cheek and her tongue got it as it rolled past the corner of her mouth.
“We should probably get back inside,” Callie whispered, pulling her lower lip into her mouth. “But I don't want to move,” she confessed, smiling when Arizona's fingers found hers. Arizona shifted on her side and squirmed closer. “Are you cold?” she asked considerately. The wind was picking up as the rain grew closer but going in meant separating from Arizona, not seeing her again until breakfast, maybe in the hall if she was lucky.
Arizona chuckled warmly. “No, I'm fine.” She sighed. “We should probably go back though. It's going to pour.” The rain fell more rapidly as if her statement had been the signal it was waiting for. Arizona sat up with a huff of breath and offered both hands to help Callie up. “I'll walk you back and come back for -”
“Don't be ridiculous. I'll help,” Callie denied with a laugh. “We won't melt,” she teased, darting her head in to kiss Arizona swiftly before she started scooping their things back into the roomy basket.
For her part Arizona was nearly stuck after the surprising kiss, left blinking in the dark until a rumble of thunder set her into motion. Scrambling to catch up, Arizona caught Callie's free hand as the raindrops grew heavier around them.
Neither was in a rush to end the evening in spite of the weather and their pace back toward the castle was less fleeing and more casual strolling. They didn't speak, couldn't without shouting over the showering storm, but Arizona caught brown eyes more than once before they reached the door.
The side entrance was near neither of their common rooms but they lingered just inside to shake off the worst of the dripping, exchanging shy smiles as they each tousled out their hair. “So, that was -”
“Very nice,” finished Callie before Arizona could say something deprecating.
Blue eyes rolled even as a relieved smile tugged at her mouth. “Very nice is just what every girl wants to hear.”
“I loved it,” Callie promised earnestly. “I don't know what I'm going to do to top it.”
The expectation of another date made Arizona feel giddy, her sodden sneakers and dripping clothes completely forgotten. “I'm sure you'll come up with something.”
Noise up the corridor managed to get their attention but neither one could spot anything coming. “Should we take the basket back to the kitchen?” asked Callie when the distant sounds seemed to fade and vanish.
“Yeah, and I'll walk you back to -” A crack of sudden thunder startled them both, the sound loud and too close. Arizona only had time to glance up before Peeves the Poltergeist was dousing them in another pouring of rain. Grabbing Callie's hand, Arizona bolted up the hallway. “I'll get you for this, Peeves!” she shouted over her shoulder as the raincloud followed them, giggling wickedly to itself.
Arizona took a moment to return the basket to the elves, sodden and shifting under the downpour, and then they were running again. Peeves was distracted from them by the easier fresh meat of a group of Beauxbatons students on the stairs and Callie seized the opportunity to win them a bit of a lead near Gryffindor Tower. They were both soaking and breathless by the time they reached the Fat Lady. Callie was sure the painting would have had quite a lot to say about the state of them, but she wasn't in her frame.
“Thanks for walking me back.” They each laughed, looking over the other sympathetically. “You don't have to wait,” Callie said with a sigh, shoes squelching as she shifted her weight from foot to foot.
Arizona just shrugged and sat down against the wall. “I'd like to make sure you get inside alright.” Smiling, Callie joined her in the growing puddle they were causing. Either one of them could have dried them off in a moment but neither one reached for her wand. “So, um, do you think -?”
“Oh, I've got to do the research for Avery's paper,” Callie, rubbing both hands up the top of her thighs nervously. Arizona's face fell before she could realize her mistake. “Oh, shit, no, that's not - I didn't mean I don't want to go out with you again, because I do! I'm just busy. Like, really busy, not making an excuse to not see you again,” she fumbled, trying to explain herself. “I really want to see you again, actually.”
The earnest admission made Arizona's smile return and grow, though she ducked her head to hide it behind her knees. “So, maybe I could join you in the library, or something?” They'd be missed, skipping dinner in the Great Hall two nights in a row but she hated the thought of only seeing Callie in class for the rest of the week.
“Yes!” Callie's answer came quickly, before there could be more misunderstandings. “But it's not our second date,” she clarified. Arizona wasn't sure she needed a second date, strictly speaking. She was pretty convinced after one date that she might only need another, oh, fifteen minutes before she's completely taken with Callie Torres. “So, tomorrow?”
“Perfect.” Alex would have a lot to say about how lame studying in the stacks was, but she couldn't care. Tonight had gone too wonderfully, even with the rain, for her to care what her best friend would say. Anything else she wanted to say now was preempted by the Gryffindor portrait hole swinging open, pushed from the inside to allow some of Callie's classmates to leave their common room.
The first two girls who climbed out sent them both confused glances and frowns but they were followed out as Arizona and Callie each got to their feet. “Well, what do we have here?” Arizona went stiff, her shoulders rising around her ears at the smug tone in her brother's voice.
“Timothy...”
“It seems to be my baby sister,” Arizona growled, glaring at him, and Callie had to stifle her laughter, “and Callie Torres, sitting in the hallway soaking wet.” His eyebrows bobbed playfully and Callie blushed. Arizona stepped forward suddenly, both hands pushing him back.
“Shut up, Tim,” she enunciated firmly, speaking from between her teeth. “This is - we are none of your business. Got it?”
The Head Boy just grinned widely, rocking back on his heels and forward again on his toes with his hands in the pockets of his robes. “It's a nice night out, I see,” he said, leaning around to speak directly to Callie. He winked, his eyes brown where his sister's were blue. “I hope you both had a nice time.”
Arizona glared at the back of his head as her brother went on his way, eyes narrowing at him as he held a pair of fingers over his shoulder where he was sure she could see the teasing salute. Fingers sliding between her own made the tension in her shoulders just melt away. She dropped her gaze to Callie holding her hand, her throat working as she swallowed. “I had an amazing time,” Callie whispered, her breath warm against blonde hair.
“Yeah,” Arizona agreed, licking her lips as her gaze wandered back up to meet Callie's. That was her intention, anyway, except her eyes kind of got caught on Callie's mouth. “Me too.” She flicked her eyes up swiftly, looking for something and finding it in Callie's before she took a half step closer. Her robes were dripping on their feet but she couldn't bring herself to care.
Callie's tongue peeked out to wet her lips unconsciously and Arizona was nearly close enough to feel it on her own mouth. In the space between heartbeats she was. Callie couldn't be the only one making the first move. Arizona was relieved when the Gryffindor kissed her back, one hand gripping damp robes at her side while the fingers of the other hand skated across her jaw.
Arizona caught her hand as the slow kiss ended, smiles on both faces. Their eyes were close, Arizona pulling Callie's hand to her mouth to kiss her palm. “I wasn't ready for the night to be over just yet,” she explained in a whisper, Callie just shaking her head slowly and squeezing her hand.
“I'll see you tomorrow?” she checked. It had been a good night but they couldn't just stand in this hallway. They had homework, classes tomorrow, friends who would inevitably be waiting to question them.
Nodding, Arizona smiled happily. Her dimples were adorable and Callie fought the urge to lean forward and kiss her again. “Tomorrow,” confirmed Arizona. “Good night, Calliope.”
“Good night,” Callie sighed in answer, taking a step back toward the still open portrait hole. A shy smile was the last bit of Arizona's expression she saw before she was in her house common room and facing her best friend's smirking grin. “Hey, Mer.” She wiped her mouth unconsciously with one hand. “How's it going?”
Meredith took the attempt at normalcy as confirmation of whatever she thought Callie had been doing, leaning back in her chair and crossing one leg over the other. “You look a little...” She surveyed the dripping clothing pointedly.
“Oh, don't even think it!” Callie interjected, eyes narrowing as her friend smirked wickedly.
Giving up her teasing (for the moment, Callie was sure), Meredith leaned forward quickly, her wand already in her hand. A quick motion and a mutter and Callie was dry from head to toe, her hair curling wildly around her face. “So, how was it? Did you kiss her again? How'd you get all wet? Did she try anything?”
Trying to push her hair down with one hand, Callie shot her friend an exaggerated eye roll. “Wow, you're nosy!”
“Spill it!”
Robbed of the excuse to duck to their room for a change of clothes, she sat down on the couch opposite her friend. “It was great, okay?” she conceded with a shy smile, chewing on the inside of her bottom lip. “Dinner outside by the lake...”
“Did she push you in?” Meredith guessed, though her tone was more playful than accusing. Callie's whole expression made it clear that she was beyond smitten with her date, more than pleased with how the night had gone.
Dark eyes rolled in her direction. “It rained. And then Peeves doused us again when we got back inside the castle.”
“So, it's... something.” The answer was all over Callie's face. “When are you going to see her again? What are you going to do?”
Grateful for the unquestioning support, Callie grinned and leaned back, stretching out. “Well, we're meeting up in the library tomorrow, but I was thinking about the next Hogsmeade weekend...”