Impossibility - 4/13 (Hannah Abbott/Vincent Crabbe)
Title: Impossibility
Character Pairing: Hannah Abbott/Vincent Crabbe
Prompt: T is for Troll
Rating: G
Word Count: 840
Summary: February 1994: Perhaps we've just been playing at this game for far too long.
Author's Notes: Forth prompt for rarepair_shorts.
Link to Prompt Table: http://pyrobear.livejournal.com/158153.html
February 1994
"Vincent T. Crabbe, I need to speak to you." It had taken Hannah nearly a week to confront him, what with all the stupid rules of where and when they could and could not meet. So who cared if they were friends. A Hufflepuff and a Slytherin seen talking outside of class was not the end of the world. She was beginning to tire of it all.
The hallway, sometime after dinner, was usually when they could exchange a few words. Grabbing the sleeve of his jumper, the girl pulled the larger boy into an alcove, out of the flow of traffic and sight -- just as he liked it.
He repressed a sigh. She was using his full name; nothing good could ever come from that, even if it was the Hufflepuff blonde. "What do you want. Hannah?"
"An explanation to start with." She folded her arms and glared up at him. "What in Merlin's name inspired you to dress up as a Demetor? They aren't funny!" She gave a slight shudder, remembering how the cloaked figures had invaded the quidditch pitch last November.
Draco?. Vincent knew that answer wouldn't satisfy her, because that would be too easy. So he evaded. "Look, I don't know why you're complaining. You won the first game against Gryffindor and lost to Ravenclaw. You're still in the running for the Quidditch Cup."
"Winning isn't everything," she pointed out with a huff.
"Isn't it?" he returned. Winning meant you survived and survival was key. Win first, worry about morals after. Thank Merlin she wasn't in Slytherin. She would have been eaten alive.
Hannah pulled a face, tossing her hair over her shoulder. "Now I know what T stands for. Troll. When did you turn into one? I'm tired of all these stupid rules. Why can't we just be friends?"
Actually, it was Tiberius, named for his brother, but Vincent did not address the issue. She knew his name perfectly well. "Because life isn't that simple." Dressing up like Dementors might have been a stupid idea, but it had been fun at the time and Draco had wanted to do it.
"You." She poked him in the shoulder. "Are. Impossible."
He caught her hand as she tried to poke him again. If it had had been anyone else, he would have squeezed until there was a cry of pain. But not Hannah. "And you're being impossible."
"Your rules are impossible." She tugged her hand out of his slack grasp. "What's so bad about wanting to spend part of a Hogsmeade trip together? I'm not asking to spend every waking moment with you, I know you have other friends, but stealing away for a few moment to catch up isn't right. It's not how friendship works!" By the time Hannah had finished her cheeks were rosy with exertion and her breathing slightly belabored. That had been building for far too long.
She could not understand why he hid some parts of himself away. He was not the brainless, thoughtless oaf Justin and Ernie accused him of being. Or even the troll she just named him as. They never listened to her when she tried to correct their misconceptions, so eventually she just quit. It was easier that way.
Sensing that she was done, Vincent stepped away, his face becoming blank blank, a look he adopted most of the time. "Well then maybe we aren't friends."
Hannah blinked, confused and surprised. "What?" That was not how it was supposed work. She scowled as she noticed a blankness come over him and for the first time in her life the overwhelming urge to slap the facade off hit her. Vince was not an idiot, even though he pretended to be. He did not have to pretend with her.
"Maybe we aren't friends," he repeated. The softness of the words betrayed their sting. "Perhaps we've just been playing at this game for far too long."
"Vince," Hannah reached out to grab his arm, but he moved away with a grace that defied his gawky stature. "No. I didn't mean that."
Vincent gave her a genuine smile, perhaps the last that he would ever give. "But maybe I did. Good bye, Hannah." Knowing she would be in a state of shock for a moment or two, he darted out into the hall, heading for the dungeons as fast as his feet could carry him. Not the bravest act in the world, but what did he look like, a Gryffindor?
Hannah stood in the little alcove, still trying to process what was had just occurred. She could feel the sting of tears starting to form and wiped them away quickly before they could fall. The last thing she needed was Ernie and Justin to ask why she had been crying. Hannah might be upset with Vince, but she was not going to give away his secrets. Because even if he wanted to stop being her friend, she was not ready to stop being his. Until then, his secrets were hers to keep.
Character Pairing: Hannah Abbott/Vincent Crabbe
Prompt: T is for Troll
Rating: G
Word Count: 840
Summary: February 1994: Perhaps we've just been playing at this game for far too long.
Author's Notes: Forth prompt for rarepair_shorts.
Link to Prompt Table: http://pyrobear.livejournal.com/158153.html
February 1994
"Vincent T. Crabbe, I need to speak to you." It had taken Hannah nearly a week to confront him, what with all the stupid rules of where and when they could and could not meet. So who cared if they were friends. A Hufflepuff and a Slytherin seen talking outside of class was not the end of the world. She was beginning to tire of it all.
The hallway, sometime after dinner, was usually when they could exchange a few words. Grabbing the sleeve of his jumper, the girl pulled the larger boy into an alcove, out of the flow of traffic and sight -- just as he liked it.
He repressed a sigh. She was using his full name; nothing good could ever come from that, even if it was the Hufflepuff blonde. "What do you want. Hannah?"
"An explanation to start with." She folded her arms and glared up at him. "What in Merlin's name inspired you to dress up as a Demetor? They aren't funny!" She gave a slight shudder, remembering how the cloaked figures had invaded the quidditch pitch last November.
Draco?. Vincent knew that answer wouldn't satisfy her, because that would be too easy. So he evaded. "Look, I don't know why you're complaining. You won the first game against Gryffindor and lost to Ravenclaw. You're still in the running for the Quidditch Cup."
"Winning isn't everything," she pointed out with a huff.
"Isn't it?" he returned. Winning meant you survived and survival was key. Win first, worry about morals after. Thank Merlin she wasn't in Slytherin. She would have been eaten alive.
Hannah pulled a face, tossing her hair over her shoulder. "Now I know what T stands for. Troll. When did you turn into one? I'm tired of all these stupid rules. Why can't we just be friends?"
Actually, it was Tiberius, named for his brother, but Vincent did not address the issue. She knew his name perfectly well. "Because life isn't that simple." Dressing up like Dementors might have been a stupid idea, but it had been fun at the time and Draco had wanted to do it.
"You." She poked him in the shoulder. "Are. Impossible."
He caught her hand as she tried to poke him again. If it had had been anyone else, he would have squeezed until there was a cry of pain. But not Hannah. "And you're being impossible."
"Your rules are impossible." She tugged her hand out of his slack grasp. "What's so bad about wanting to spend part of a Hogsmeade trip together? I'm not asking to spend every waking moment with you, I know you have other friends, but stealing away for a few moment to catch up isn't right. It's not how friendship works!" By the time Hannah had finished her cheeks were rosy with exertion and her breathing slightly belabored. That had been building for far too long.
She could not understand why he hid some parts of himself away. He was not the brainless, thoughtless oaf Justin and Ernie accused him of being. Or even the troll she just named him as. They never listened to her when she tried to correct their misconceptions, so eventually she just quit. It was easier that way.
Sensing that she was done, Vincent stepped away, his face becoming blank blank, a look he adopted most of the time. "Well then maybe we aren't friends."
Hannah blinked, confused and surprised. "What?" That was not how it was supposed work. She scowled as she noticed a blankness come over him and for the first time in her life the overwhelming urge to slap the facade off hit her. Vince was not an idiot, even though he pretended to be. He did not have to pretend with her.
"Maybe we aren't friends," he repeated. The softness of the words betrayed their sting. "Perhaps we've just been playing at this game for far too long."
"Vince," Hannah reached out to grab his arm, but he moved away with a grace that defied his gawky stature. "No. I didn't mean that."
Vincent gave her a genuine smile, perhaps the last that he would ever give. "But maybe I did. Good bye, Hannah." Knowing she would be in a state of shock for a moment or two, he darted out into the hall, heading for the dungeons as fast as his feet could carry him. Not the bravest act in the world, but what did he look like, a Gryffindor?
Hannah stood in the little alcove, still trying to process what was had just occurred. She could feel the sting of tears starting to form and wiped them away quickly before they could fall. The last thing she needed was Ernie and Justin to ask why she had been crying. Hannah might be upset with Vince, but she was not going to give away his secrets. Because even if he wanted to stop being her friend, she was not ready to stop being his. Until then, his secrets were hers to keep.