Little Devil on my Shoulder ((Flo))

[cleo]

The hexes being exchanged quickly and effectively stopped at the same moment as both Cleo and Kris drew their wands upright at the smae moment without exchanging a word. Cleo observed the damage done curiously. While Kris was covered from head to toe in green glitter – Cleo was almost sorry seeing the green messing up his black hair – and had a pair of snakes . One snake moving on both cheek as well as his skin having a most definate blue hue. Not that Cleo herslef looked any better. She was sprouting a pair of horns and a forked tail as well as haivng all her hair – as long as it was – standing straight over her hair.
„A pleasure meeting you as always,“ cleo said a bit mockingly as Kris slipped his wand out of view and sauntered down the hallway towards her.
„As always, firesprite, as always,“ Kris drawled out her reply stopping next to Cleo and raising a hand let his fingers glide over the two horns sprouting form Cleo’s forehead with a lazy smirk curving his lips, „The horns suit your personality you know.“

Hearing a mocking comment from somewhere in the small crowd that had gathered – Cleo’s and Kris’s ’run-ins’ were rather amusing to watch according to Dana both reacted instantly. Two wands flicked and the Slytherin 3rd year who had yet to learn to keep his mouth shut was laying on the floor covered with boils and unconcsious a moment later.
„A little possessive?“ Cleo asked while eyeing the boy onyl to see that Kris was alreayd moving furhter donw the hallway Morringa as always carefulyl perched on his shoulder.
„Only about what is mine, pharaoh. And you are mine to hex and laugh at,“ came the lazy drawl and Cleo smirked turning around and entering the Student Lounge. Deep down inside her Cleo had to admit that she rather enjoyed meeting iwth the Slytherin. Sure, they always ended up arguing or hexing each other, but in some way Cleo felt more relaxed and comfortable... even safe... around Kris than she did around a lot of other people.

Ignoring different kinds of curious glances Cleo draped herslef calmly onto a couch throwing her legs in their red high-heeled boots on the small table in front of the couch coolly. Pulling out the few bottles of nail-polish from the small black backpack she had along Cleo started to cover her nails with bright red nail-polish that ironically matched the colour of her newly-found horns and tail. Cleo ignored the other inhabitants of the student longe and simply concentrated on her nails while singing a rather quick-paced tune for herself.

[Flo Murvac H4]

"Please Flo?"
"No"
"Please?"
"No!!!"
"Why Not?!?!?!" Flo turned around and looked at her little brother Tim. "Because I said so!!" She turned back and started to walk again. Tim had been following Flo around, all day in the Hufflepuff common room, asking if she could look after his rat, Scoobers. All day it was a back and fourth conversation, all with two words, please and no. Tim stomped his foot, and turned Flo around. "Because is not an answer!!" He shouted. Two first year Hufflepuffs looked at them, whispering to each other. "That only works if mum says it." Flo told him. Then under her breath, Flo said, "Only sometimes."


Flo quickly walked towards the portrait door and went through. "Please?" Tim begged her again. Flo just ignored him. "Please?" He asked again, his voice growing louder Again, Flo ignored it, and walked into the student lounge. "Flo!!" Tim yelled at her. Flo turned around. "What?!" She yelled back. "Please?" He said, making what seemed to be a puppy dog face. "No, no, No!!!!" Flo yelled at him. "Why?!?" Tim whined at her. Flo sighed and rolled her eyes. She turned back again, and walked over to an empty chair. she brought her legs up, and put her chin on one of her knees.

"Fine!!!" Tim yelled at her, still standing near the door. "But I'm telling mum!!" Tim stomped off, kicking the door as he went. "You do that," Flo whispered. She started to bite her nails, she hated when she did it, but it was only occasionally, so she wasn't one of the people who had no nails at all. She ignored everyone and everything around her. But when she heard somebody singing, she looked up. She saw a tail. And horns. Thats unusual, Flo thought to herself. Well everything is always unusual She thought again. "Excuse me," Flo said, taking her legs off the chair. "Um, can I ask why you have horns and a tail?" Flo asked Cleo, not putting on a confused look. Just a happy, smiley face.

[cleo]

Cleo had just finished painting the nails on her right hand when someone approached her. Raising her eyes Cleo arched her eye-brows already snapping back the answer: „Because old pops will be coming over tomorrow. I’m hoping to impress the Devil this way if he is coming along as well.“ Cleo didn’t bother to curse people who might laugh at the tail and horns. The few who had tried in the beginning were already somewher e- most probably in the library – trying to get Cleo’s curses off. Which really woulnd’t be that easy – Kris was a good source for learning new effective jinxes. Only now looking at the girl who asked the question. A Hufflepuff. With lousy nails. Did she chew her nails? And most certainly younger than Cleo.

Then agian she just looked cheery not really teasing. Hesitating for a moment Cleo shrugged one shoulder in a some-what apologozy for her rather snappish words.
„Had a run-in with a Slytherin. He walked off with glitter and green skin. I got horns and tail. I suppose I will find something to get them off later on from the library,“ Cleo amended for the truth. The meeting really hadn’t been hostile. Kris and Cleo ’met’ and cursed each other about twice a week. It was fun – at least for Cleo. And as she had seen Kris smile during tsuch meetings and arguements – Kris obviously enjoyed them as well.

Smirking with amusement Cleo turned her attention to her right-hand nails starting to cover them with bright-red paint. „Supposedly they fit my personality,“ Cleo commented coolly as she shifter herself lightly on the couch.

[Flo Murvac H4]

The first comment was a bit rude, But Flo figured that it was just because she was mad at the person who did it. Flo was about to go sit down again, until the older girl spoke again. "Oh. So your not bothered at all?" Flo asked. Flo would certainly be bothered if someone did that to her. Flo wasn't one of those people who liked it when they looked evil or something like that.

Flo looked at Cleo's nails. They were really nice. Flo wished her nails looked if she didn't chew them so often. "You've got really nice nails," Flo told her. She looked at the arm of the couch, and sat on it. She looked at her nails. "I hate mine" She said.

[cleo]

Cleo glanced at the Hufflepuff girl as she appearantly decided to stick around. „Well, it’s not exactly my dream to walk around with horns and tail. The tail makes sitting down rahter uncomfortable actually but he wouldn’t really hurt me. The ’acesories’ don’t cause any permanent damage. And I amuse people... laughter is supposed to be good for one’s health, so why not give me part for saving the world. Not going to do much more. I find heros annoying,“ Cleo commented coolly shaking her head lightly and crossing her angkles on the table her feet were resting on.

„And thank you,“ Cleo glanced at her anils and raised htem to her lips to see how dry they were. Finding the state of the polish acceptable Cleo dug out a thin pencil and white nail-polish, getting ready to draw patterns on each nail. Glancing at Flo’s nails Cleo shrugged lightly: „Why hate htem? They’re a part of you. You wash your face in the morning don’t you? Nails are a part of you list like your face? So only yuo can care for them and make sure they look good. Perhpas I’m a bit obsessive about my hair and nails, but those are parts of me I adore. I am proud of those things in me, so I want other people to admire them as well. Ergo – I take care of them.“

Cleo offered Flo a small smile with a half-round gesture of her hand: „Feel free to sit down if you wish. I’m Cleo. You’ll excuse me for not shaking your hand right now. Or did you want to ask me something... or tell me something?“

[Flo Murvac H4]

"Wow, I never thought of it like that." Flo looked at her nails again, after Cleo explained how nails are apart of you. "I'm Flo." She introduced herself to Cleo, just as Tim came back. "Well I sent mum an owl." he commented rudly. Flo looked at him. "Tell her I said hi." Flo replied. Tim pulled Flo's hair and walked away. "Brothers," Flo muttered.

[cleo]

Cleo arched a bit ironical eye-brow at the younger Hufflepuff. „Oh really? I thought you chewed your nails because you liked the taste. How wrong I must have been. But isn’t the whole point of talking to others about getting new points of view? To be told of something you yourself didn’t think of before? What else would there be needed? I sincerely don’t think just everyone I meet is worth being called a friend. Or that I would even like to get to know everyone I meet closely. Not thinking of you just yet,“ Cleo clicked her tongue and brushed of a droplet of white nail-polish before finishing the pattern on one of her nails and moving onto the hthe last nail on her left hand, „You are yet to make an impression on me that would make me decide one way or an other.“

Cleo looked at Flo wondering if she had came across a bit rudely. It hadn’t been her point, but Cleo didn’t btoher to watch her every word either. If the girl wouldn’t be able to handle her, then it was her problem. She owuldn’t handle odler Lsytherins at all if that was the case.
Watching the exchange between Flo and the person she called her friend Cleo frowned slightly. She wished so desperately for a sister. Or a brother. Someone who would love her no matter what, someone she could always turn to.
„I would kill to have a brother,“ Cleo muttered as she stared after the boy who ahd came to talk to Flo, „Or a sister. Having such a close sibling to yourself would be a real blessing.“

[Flo Murvac H4]

Flo frowned, a little confused about what Cleo had said. Then she realized what she meant. Flo watched as Cleo added more paint to her nails. " I mostly chew my nails when I'm either bored, or nervous. But like you said, thats whats apart of me, and i guess only i can change it." Flo bit her top lip, but then stopped, thinking she would stop bitting her nails, and start biting her lip instead. Ew!! Rotten lips? That I couldn't handle! Cleo was talking about people who made impressions on her, and those who didn't. As Flo hadn't made an impression on her yet, She decided to stick around, to see if whether she was a good impression or not.

Cleo had mentioned that she wished she had some siblings. Flo smiled slightly. "Well you could have my brother as one of your own brothers, but even though he annoys me, and i annoy him back, I'd miss him too much." Flo had to admit, she would miss her brother if anything happened to him. If big bullies are picking on him, she would be there, yelling back at them. And she knew that her little brother, who steals Flo's wand and puts rats on her bed, he still would kill for her any day. "So you don't have any siblings at all?" Flo asked Cleo. Not that it wasn't uncommon, but Flo hadn't really met anyone who had annoying brothers or sisters.

[cleo]

Cleo arched a sarcastic eye-brow. Did the Hufflepuff really liked the taste of her nails that much to chew on them while she was BORED? Didn’t she have anything better to do? Like read or draw or sing or just do whatever! Cleo decided to drop the subject however. You could only talk about nails that far. However much Cleo liked to paint her own nails and cover them with patterns and different colours, she wasn’t air-heady enough to spend all her time thinking about her nails.

„Having your brother woulnd’t be the same. I want... need... someone completely mine, someone who would care for me no matter what and someone I would fele myself safe with,“ Cleo replied iwth a sharp glance at Flo before she added that she would actualyl never exchange her brother for anything. Cleo missed so often and so dearly for someone she could trust completely who she knew would be there to catch her if she would fall, who would know her better than she knew herself! And as much as Cleo despised her father who had walked out of her mother and her before she was even born, as much Cleo missed her mother. She had read her mothers diaries, but they had given no clue as to who her father is so Cleo could go and curse him for all eternity.
„I have my grandparents,“ Cleo snorted at the thought, despising the old couple who supposedly ’cared and loved’ for her, „But no siblings. Not even cousins. Last of the line form an almost extinct line of purebloods. Too much too close breeding I suppose.“

[Flo Murvac H4]

Flo listened to Cleo, as she talked how she has her grandparents. Flo looked down. She had never met her grandparents, because supposedly, they died near when Flo was born. Cleo mentioned that she was a pure-blood. Flo didn't mind if a person was pure-blood or muggle born or half-blood, just as long as they were kind. But not everyone Flo had met had been so nice to her.

Flo looked at the horns on Cleo's head again. She wondered if Cleo really didn't mind the tail and the horns, and people snickering as they went past her. But Cleo looked and acted like someone who didn't care what other people thought about her. Flo liked that. If only she was like that, not caring if someone was laughing because you had a tail. "Um, so. Are you going to try to get rid of the tail and horns?" Flo asked Cleo, thinking to herself that she was probably going to get a rude comment or something.

[cleo]

And the conversation turned back to Cleo’s horns and tail.Giving a knowing smile Cleo let one of her index fingers glide over the surface of one of her horns. Smooth, a bit cold. Sure, Cleo ignored everyone snickering. But everybody did know better than to laugh out loud or comment about them in Cleo’s face. No comment ever reached Kris either. And Cleo had seen herself how Dana hexed someone who didn’t know better than to keep his mouth closed in her presence.
„Why? Don’t you like them? I think they bring out the colour of my eyes,“ Cleo smirked at Flo letting her hands drop gagain as she put away her nail-polish bottles.

Picking up the tail Cleo tiwrled it lazily between her fingers. „I will get rid of them. But later on when either Dana is here to help or when I know exactly what twist is in this spell. If I just try to use some random spells, then speaking of experience – things will only get worse. I know Kris didn’t cast anything permanent or wounding, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t some twist in the charm he used.“ Cleo smirked. She trusted Kris. As funny as it was, she trusted him to not hurt her. And Cleo had to grudgingly admit that she respected him. It must be tough to loose eye-sight like that.
„I suppose I’ll be free of them in about 2 to 3 hours. During that time I can enjoy scaring ickle firsties,“ Cleo smirked lazily shifting her legs on the coffee table in front of the couch.

[Flo Murvac H4]

Just as Flo thought, Cleo had given a comment either rude or very sarcastic. It didn't bother Flo that much. After all, Cleo did have a tail and horns and you would seem pretty mad if someone had done that to you. But she didn't seem to be bothered by it, so maybe it was just how she was. "Well, If he had done that near Halloween, then you could have kept it for a costume." Flo told Cleo, making the "he" louder, just to make sure that Cleo knew she had been listening or something like that.

Flo laughed a bit when Cloe said that she would just scare little first years before she got rid of the tail and horns. She could just imagine little kids walking past, minding their own business, they turn the corner, and theres Cleo, with the tail and horns, and the kids run for their life. It would have been quite funny to see that.

[cleo]

Cleo threw her head back and laughed as she recalled the Halloween ball. IT had certainly been... something. „Nah, I had a costume for the ball. Went as a fire-spirit. At least that was my costume before I was so rudely yanked over the whole room by a quick magic spell. As it turned out he had slipped a charm at the pendant Dana offered me. We spent a very productive night arguing about donkeys and then went for a swim with the Giant Squid,“ Cleo recalled with a smile on her face. However much she tried to tell herself that she didn’t like Kris, she felt drawn to him. She actualyl expected the run-ins with him and her day seemed empty if she couldn’t exchange at least one insult with him in the hallways. Crazy – true. But Cleo had never been known for rational thinking. Impulsive, bright, volatile, arrogant – yes. But never overly brave or rational.

Bending one of her knees Cleo brushed off a biece of dust form the toe of her red boot before dropping her leg on the table again admiring the bit pointy toes of her favorite pair of stiletto heeled boots. Red as well. 99% of Cleo’s wardrobe was red, white or black. She liked tramatic effects. Didn’t mind people looking at her either. She wasn’t bad-looking at all, so why not make others jealous? OR at least be admired. Vanity was a very certain part of Cleo.
„What about yourself? Went to the Ball or not?“ Cleo asked curiously sending a sly smirk at Flo.

[Flo Murvac H4]

By then, Flo had realized that obviously, Cleo didn't seem to mind that she could just turn a corner and this "Kris" guy could just put a curse on her or something. From what Cleo was telling Flo, it certainly sounded like that. And Flo had also realized that Cleo's favorite color, must be red. Her nails were red, her boots were red. Probably everything she owned was red. But mostly everyone has a favorite color. Flo did. Pink! But her whole wardrobe wasn't all pink. everything was mostly covered in butterflies. Mostly everyone Flo knew, they knew that Flo loved butterflies. If you were to look in her sketch pad, you would see million butterfly drawings.

"I did go to the ball actually. I went as the Sugar Plum fairy. I think mostly because i had my old ballet slippers, that still fit." Flo replied. Cleo had said that she had gone to the ball as a fire-spirit. It was certainly a creative costume. Flo couldn't have thought of something like that. Flo was going to the ball as a butterfly. She had this beautiful rainbow skirt, that would flow about as Flo walked. but she didn't have anything to match, so she went with the sugar Plum Fairy.

[cleo]

Sugar Plum fairy. Cleo let her mind travel trhough all the fairy-tales and mythology she knew. And came up with nothing. Absolutely nothing. Completely blank. Cleo blinked at Flo thoughtfully. She had never realyl cared much for fairy-tales. Heh, if a Slytherin knew more about muglge fairy-tales then she did, then that was already an indicator. „How does Sugar Plum fairy look? Some muggle story? And what do Sugar Plum fairies do? Sugar plums? Make jam or stewed fruit?“ Cleo blinked rather blankly at Flo honestly not having any clue what the younger girl was speaking about.

„What do you know you did get something that matches your character,“ came and amused voice and Cleo scowled up at Dana who was walking over with a knowing smirk on her face and her wand already withdrawn.
„Really, I understand young love, but why do I always have to deal with the outcomes of your run-ins and take down hexes from both of you because you are both too stubborn to give the counter-curse for the other party?“
Dana clicked her tongue with mocked humour before nodding in greeting to the young girl sitting with Cleo.
„He got the worst part of the deal!“ Cleo indignantly argued back with a scowl making Dana grin.
„Grene glitter? Didn’t really do him any good. Bu tI did learn one more hex he used on some Gryffindor. Now come on, he told me the counter-charm for getting rid of the glitter,“ Dana said raising her wand and Cleo nodded and a moment later Dana was already casting the charm. Cleo’s tail and horns glowed for a few moments before slowly disappearing and Dana sheahed her wand once again.

„Thanks, I owe you fun for this,“ Cleo told appreciatingly, shfting herslef to sit comfortably once again while Dana laughed over her shoulder, „Oh, you owe me much more than just for this. I’ll see you later on.“
Cleo scowled at Dana’s back before looking at Flo and giving a bit amusing smile: „You know what the scariest part is? That I actually owe her for about the 20 or so times she took of the hex her cousin put on me. I need her help much more often than his cousin does unfortunately. But you were telling me about the Ball and how you liked it.“


((Yes, I know it's god-moding, but I wnat to see who would tell me I can't god-mode my own characters. ))

[Flo Murvac H4]

Flo had forgotten that muggles would know the story of Nutcracker, but not many magic people would. Flo was about to answer Cleo, when someone who Flo didn't catch the name of, walked up and started to talk to Cleo. Flo just watched as the conversation between the two, was about Cleo and Kris. Flo guessed that it was Dana. Cleo had mentioned her, and how she would help Cleo get rid of the tail and horns. And as quick as the conversation had started, the quicker Cleo was rid of the horns and tail, and Dana was walking off. As Cleo turned back to Flo and said that she owed her for all the times Dana had helped her, Flo smiled.

But then the conversation was back to the Ball. Flo thought, tapping her toe in the inside of her shoe. "The Sugar Plum Fairy is from a muggle ballet. It's called The Nutcracker. It's a quite good story really. Its about this girl named Marie, who has a dream about one of her Christmas presents, The Sugar Plum Fairy, turning real. and the nutcracker becomes real also. Then this mouse king tries to eat the fairy and they run away and it has a happy ending as always. It's know world wide. well, muggle world wide anyway." Flo had done the ballet once when she was in Australia. She was just a ballet dancer, she wasn't a main role. Flo didn't want the main role. She was too shy.

((Ugh i hope that made sense. My mind is all over the place!! yay!! ;D ))

[cleo]

“Ah. Not sure if I have seen it in ballet form. I have read the story, but I don’t think I’ve ever been to the theatre to watch it. But was the Sugar Plum Fairy really that big of a character in it? I only remember that I liked the girl, Nutcracker was a fool for tolerating him and that I adored the Mouse-king. At least he knew what he wanted and how to get it. I respect a strong character for that,” Cleo mused out loudly while looking calmly at Flo before grimacing slightly.

„Not that I have something OVERLY much agianst ballet. But I sincerely dislike the guys outfits in it. Guys should NOT be allowed to wear tights. At least most of them shouldn’t. Or pink. Why do so many ballet-dancers dress in pink? I mean can’t you choose the colour of your outfits? And aren’t those little fluffy skirts uncomfortable? They seem so... stiff and unbending. Not to mention the shoes. However much I adore heels I don’t think I would survive while wearing ballet-shoes. Or rather – I woudl survive but anyone who ever saw me in such an outfit wouldn’t.“
Cleo shruged while offering just a bit cocky grin: „I know, I’m picky, but at the very least I know what I want as well.“

[Flo Murvac H4]

Flo wriggled her toes. That was the only let down in Ballet. Blisters and red, sore feet. Flo remembered how much her feet hurt, during Nutcracker. She didn't know how she pulled it off. But the tutus she didnt mind. She liked Pink. And they weren't always pink. They could be any colour. "Yes, I never did like the Nutcracker.
I thought he was a show-off. So i guess your not the only one." Flo shrugged. "I had never heard it before, untill the ballet school i was in, decided to do it. It was fun though."

Blowing a piece of hair out of the way of her face, Flo looked at her feet. She wasn't sure if she would ever do ballet again. She loved it, but it wouldn't be the same.

((sorry it's short, and sorry i took so long to reply!))

[cleo]

One blink of her eyes and a shilded glance from under lowered eye-lashes was all the reaction Cleo showed at Flo’s comment. She had been in a ballet school and danced in Nut-cracker? Perhaps Cleo’s comment hadn’t been the best suiting after all then. Btu the girl dind’t seem very offenced and besides... would it even have mattered if she had been insulted? Cleo let out a muffled oath from between her lips noticing that hse had still managed to ruin the polish on the 4th finger-nail on her right hand. Sighing Cleo unscrewed the nail-polish bottles after removing the nail-polish from that nail and patiently started to paint the specific nail once again.

„Ballet school? Isn’t that hurtful for the toes? And did you get to choose your own outfits and the colours for them or not? Then only ballet show and character form a ballet was Undini I think. Some water-fairy?“ Cleo glanced calmly at Flo hoping to find assurance or correction to her none-existing knowledge. Being done with the red under-polish Cleo waved her hand in the air calmly waiting for the nail-polish to dry, „Why ballet? Most people seem to prefer moden dancing or ballroom. Especially ballroom for purebloods here in the castle. Have to give the Slytherins that. They all know how to dance and dance well. Learned ballroom myself but it was a duty rather than pleasure. So did your parents drag you to your first class so you could see what it was about or did you want to go yourself?“

[Flo Murvac H4]

Flo watched as Cleo again applied red nail polish to her nails. She sure did like to look after her nails. Cleo asked if ballet was hurtful for your toes, but before Flo could answer Cleo had gone on about the skirts. As Cleo waved her hand to dry her nails, Flo explained how much toes can kill while doing ballet. "Yeah, It did hurt my toes alot." She told her. " 'Nothing Hot or cold water can't do', my mum always said. Yeah, that and a whole lot of bandages. At the school, we had a dress policy. Black leotard, and white leggings. I think it's the same with most schools. Well the dress code bit. I'm not sure if they had the same colours."

Flo wriggled her nose. She did that most of the time. She liked it ever since she saw a muggle show, that was about a witch. Well, as much as a witch as they could get. Ballroom dancing, Flo hadn't tried. It did look fancy and all, but Flo had never gotten around to that. Jazz, Tap, yes she had done that, but ballroom dancing, Flo felt she would try that when she was older or something. "No, I wanted to do ballet. It looked very cool when i saw a show my parents took me to see." Flo could remember the dances, and the story, but the name, Flo had forgotten. Flo had wanted to do ballet ever since she went. She had met her muggle friend, Amy there. They had all their lessons together. Until Flo got into Hogwarts.