Cold Encounter ((Ruby))

[Lori Leigh R6]

Lori pulled a stray strand of wavy blonde hair away from her face as she walked the halls. Theo was right by her side of course. Lori was sure that nothing would ever change that. Not even all that had happened over the months. A few incidents could have broken the best-friends up. There was the day on the train last year when Theo confided in Lori that he way gay. Yep, that could have done the trick, but it hadn’t. Lori was determined to stand by her friend even if she was in love with him. Lori was trying to fall out of love with the boy, but it was difficult. Yes, difficult, but was it impossible? Lori had tried to tell herself that she didn’t love him anymore, but she was lying to herself and she knew it. She couldn’t fall out of love with someone so soon. True, it had been around five months or so since Theo’s secret was revealed, but that wasn’t very long in Lori’s mind. In fact, that was rather short. At least there was no one standing at her shoulder telling her to get over him. That would only make it worse for Lori. Thankfully, no one else knew. Lori had friends of course. She knew a lot of girls that she could tell this to, but she didn’t. She couldn’t. Lori told Theo everything. Everything but this. She wouldn’t feel right in telling someone who wasn’t her best-friend the only secret she had ever kept from the boy who was. It wasn’t going to happen. Lori had to just hold her feelings in and get over them.

Lori pulled her books closer to her as they neared the common room. However, after a moment, she realized something. “Oh, hey. I left my potions book in the dungeons.” She said planting her feet down. “I’ll meet you in the common room, okay?” Theo agreed and then Lori flashed him her usually, bright smile and then headed to the Dungeons. Really, she didn’t like the place much. Freezing cold was about the only thought she had when she was done there, but she dealt with it. Her thought process about it was, ‘The Slytherins deal with it. Why can’t I?’ Lori thought about a lot of things like that. She didn’t like to judge people. She didn’t making many references ousting people. She wasn’t like that. After all, some people did think of her as a ‘bimbo’. They thought that just because Lori had blonde hair and sparkling blue eyes that she was stupid. Why stereotype other people when you are one of the most stereotyped girls in the school. Lori found no need to that. She sighed and made her way to the Dungeons.

Lori smiled at the people that said hello to her in the halls. She still received quite a few glances as she passed by. A lot of students liked to gossip about the ‘Golden Pair’. ‘Is it true that Theo’s gay?’, ‘But, I thought that they were a couple’, ‘They are so annoying and blonde’. These were a few things that Lori heard often, but she had gotten somewhat used to it. She and Theo were quite the popular pair without trying too hard. It sort of came naturally to them even though they didn’t always want the attention. But, sometimes Lori couldn’t deny that she liked it. She was a Leigh after all. She had the blonde hair, blue eyes, and friendly personality. So, Lori didn’t mind some attention. But, sometimes it was annoying. Would the whole Theo being gay thing would have been easier if people would not have gossiped about it? Probably. But, Lori couldn’t dwell on the past. The future was what concerned her.

Lori entered the Dungeons. She continued to smile as she passed the Slytherins that lingered all over the place, chatting. Lori wouldn’t consider staying to talk in the cold portion on the school, but she assumed that the Slytherin Students were used to it. It wasn’t exactly a myth that Slytherin Common Room was located in the Dungeons some where. It wasn’t that hard to figure out where any of the common rooms were located, but finding out didn’t interest Lori much. Lori reached the Potions room after a minute of walking. She picked up her potions book and left as quickly as possible. Professor Snape wasn’t exactly her favorite teacher. Lori cling the book to her stomach with her other books as she left the damp room. However, Lori was walking so briskly that she dropped her book shortly before turning a corner. Lori sighed and bent down to pick it up. Why was this place scaring her more than normal? She wasn’t sure but she didn’t want to find out why. Lori held the book and was about to stand up when she heard voices. She stayed still, wondering if it was Snape. She didn’t feel like having a conversation with him at the present moment. Lori realized after a moment that the voices didn’t belong to Snape and she was about to stand up, when a shadow fell over her. Lori looked up cautiously as she was not sure of who it was as a shadow covered the person’s face. The cold air made her shiver as she still sat on the floor.

[Ruby Lehane]

Coming from the crowded transfiguration class overwhelmed Ruby in ways that it shouldn't have. She had been thinking more and more often about 'things'. More like someone...The night in the courtyard had been like something out of a dream...a dream she had never thought she was going to have, especially in real life. However, she had lots of other things she had to worry about. She had to finish her studies, graduate at the top of her class, show up everyone. She wanted to make something of herself, even if that something was despicable in everyone else's eyes, but not in hers. No she was doing something righteous for her people...something perfect, it was a dirty job, but it needed done and if that meant going to the lengths that some of the greatest wizards and witches of all time did, then that's what she was going to do, no matter the cost. And of course Wynd would be right there with her. Her twin brother was almost as despicable as she was...in fact he probably was. They were more alike than they were different, being paternal twins was one of the only things that made them different. Their goals in life were the same and one day they'd carry out those plans, whether as the very leaders they admired or supporters of a great leader. It didn't matter to her, just as long as the objective was the same.

Ruby's feet slapped the ground gently and softly beside her brother's feet. They were walking a short distance together. It was here at the entrance into the dungeons that they were to part ways. Wynd had a class that Ruby did not. It was a rare occurrence for them not to have a class together, but she knew that if things were eventually win out for them to come into power they would be separate far more often. It was that twin connection that kept them going, the finishing of each other's lines before they were even out of their mouths. The mirrored thoughts, the almost...what should she call it...psychic connection that bound them together. The connection that had happened in the womb and continued on into their teenage lives. Ruby didn't mind it sometimes, but other times she wanted her emotions to only be shared by her, not by her twin that was there beside her. She loved him so much, but still sometimes she needed space, while other times she couldn't stand being away from him for more than ten minutes. It was her way. A strange concoction of emotions that led her astray or right to the path she needed to tread. It was nice having someone that close...someone that she could truly bond with, even if meant shattering just a little of the privacy she had always wished for. Then again she had never known it, save for those 23 minutes when he was still within their mother's womb during child birth. It was almost like she could remember that loneliness she had felt in those first few minutes of real life. Those minutes without her brother had probably been torturous or maybe she had only dreamed they had been. She hoped that one day she would never have to find out what it was like to not have her brother around.

There chit chat subsided briefly at the fork in their road. Ruby's hand came up and digits slowly wiggled back and forth as she waved him goodbye, starting down the steps with determination. She was determined to get her Potions essay written the day it had been assigned instead of waiting till the last minute. She hated procrastinating and hated being interrupted when she was in the middle of something important. So when her feet glided down the steps and into the depths of the dungeons revealing in the chill that cooled the sun's rays that had peaked through the windows of the corridors she felt relieved. There was a reason she was a pale white. She hated the sun and the heat it brought to her limbs. She had always preferred the cold. Preferred the Autumn and Winter months to the re-birthing months of Spring and Summer. Her thoughts strayed back to her Potions essay and the library book that she held in her arms. She was on a mission right then and no one was going to stop her.

...No one except the girl that had suddenly appeared on the ground in front of her as she turned the corner. Ruby's blue orbs lowered to the girls knelled position before her and she couldn't help the small smile that swam across the face. Maybe someday, more than just this witch before her would be kneeling in her presence. But the moment passed quickly as she narrowed her eyes. She had been interrupted...stopped from getting to her essay. Eyelids continued to narrow to almost unusual slits as she stared at the girl, anger growing by the second. "Are you just going to continue kneeling there or are you going to get out of my way?" Ruby growled, her voice laced with venom not unlike that of their houses mascot. The snake within her seemed to strike out already at the girl, whom she had just no realized she recognized and another small smile glinted across her lips and eyes. Maybe she had a little time to match wits with a Ravenclaw.

[Lori Leigh R6]

Lori looked up the girl that was standing before her. Her attitude was a bit cold, but Lori refused to take any offense by it. After all, everyone had their bad days. Lori decided to believe that this girl was merely having a bad day and that she wasn’t normally like. Lori had always been one to believe the best in people, not the worst. And she wasn’t about to that that theory go to waste. Lori didn’t know anything about this girl so she wouldn’t assume anything by her behavior. That was just the way Lori was. Lori eyed the damp floor around her but she didn’t move yet. What was the rush? She wouldn’t probably just fall back down again if she got up to quickly. Lori had a clumsy streak sometimes but oddly enough, that only happened when she was in sneakers. She was rather graceful in heals actually which was quite weird. Lori could that from Dana of course. Lori brushed off her robes a tad before looking at the girl again. She seemed to be in hurry or something as were most students at Hogwarts.

Lori sighed. “Don’t fret. I’m standing up.” She said in her normal, friendly tone of voice. Lori never saw a reason to make a situation negative. She was a pretty positive person most of the time. Negativity just wasn’t necessary in Lori’s mind. It was more fun to have a positive outlook anyways. Some people saw Lori as stupid or ditzy for thinking this way. She wasn’t at all. Lori was actually very intelligent, some people simply refused to think that. They insisted on clinging on to the fact that Lori liked pink and that she was usually cheerful and they related it with ditziness. Lori didn’t like being called a ‘ditz’, but she couldn’t help it really. She and Theo were the ‘Golden Pair’ and they would probably remain that way. Lori liked the attention, but she didn’t like the stereotyping that went along with it. Oh well. She was used to it after all.

Lori stood up shortly after saying anything and looked to the girl. She was in Slytherin as could easily be seen by her robes, but Lori didn’t mind. Not all Slytherin students were cold, she had found out. The question was, was this girl that way? Lori wondered if she could find out. “I space out sometimes it just kind of happens.” She tried to explain why she had kneeled for so long even though the statement wasn’t really necessary. Lori sighed. “Oh, I’m Lori.” She said not caring if the girl revealed her name or not. Lori hated awkward silences and she often sought to put an end to them. Lori was sometimes shy but not always. And in this situation, she wasn’t even a bit shy. Lori looked to the girl, waiting for her to say something.

[Ruby Lehane]

Ruby stared at the girl and it wasn’t a necessarily nice stare. Her eyes fell on the blue emblem on the uniform. Ravenclaw, where dwell the gods awful, bigheaded, know-it-alls. Ruby’s eyes narrowed a little at the thought. She hated Ravenclaws who thought they were better than everyone…smarter. Ruby would like to see them get the marks she got in her classes. She could give any Ravenclaw a run for their money and certain subjects and the ones she couldn’t, well her brother was there to win those rounds. Ruby, however, didn’t go around showing everyone her marks and boasting about them like some Ravenclaws did. She had no idea if this Ravenclaw before her was one of those hell she didn’t really care. What she cared about was the fact that she was on her way to do her essay when this little run in occurred and she didn’t care what she had to do to get going, just as long as it didn’t get her into trouble. Stay out of trouble and get the marks. That was her motto…if she had a motto, or if she would ever decide to get one, but then again why would she want a motto to live by, that would make everything so damn certain. She’d have to follow it always and when she didn’t she’d be a hypocrite and there wasn’t anything Ruby hated more than a hypocrite, except muggles, mud-bloods, oh and half-breeds.

Ruby frowned…no glared at the girl when she started talking in such a friendly voice. It was something she was definitely not used to from other houses, especially from little blonde girls who thought they were better than everyone…but perhaps this girl didn’t. But that wasn’t for Ruby to decide as the friendly tone sent her into another one of her moods. And the word fret, what kind of word was that? Who did she think she was? Ruby didn’t realize her fists had begun to flinch at her sides and when she did notice it she quickly exhaled, hoping to let her temper slide through her lips. She was not in the mood to fight her…well not completely; she was in the mood for certain aspects of it, but not this friendly demeanor. Ruby didn’t talk with anyone like this…except for a handful of people if that and still it was in the Slytherin way. But this girl…she didn’t seem to know whom she was talking to. Ruby realized that if she had known who she was then she wouldn’t be talking in this friendly voice. Then again maybe the girl wasn’t very smart. Ruby looked her over again and smirked. She definitely didn’t seem to be very smart, not with her intense desire to talk with her. She just simply stared at the girl until she got to her feet.

Ruby tried to stop the grin that fell across her face at the girls admission to spacing out. She really was a blonde, a very ditzy blonde. Ruby was a blonde as well, but she wasn’t stupid, not like this girl seemed to be. She just simply felt like laughing as the girl introduced herself. It was a confirmation as to who she was, which was nice, but Ruby didn’t really care. She wasn’t concerned with trivial matters like that. She never had been and she never would be. She didn’t care about giving her name and so she didn’t. The girl would know it sooner or later, but she’d have to wait for that knowledge, she wasn’t privileged to know it right now. Instead she waited for a few seconds, or what seemed like hours. She didn’t mind the silence, didn’t mind the awkwardness that usually annoyed or got to others. She dwelled in it, reveled in it’s mystery and then she spoke. “You’re still in my way…Lori. By the way where’s that guy of yours? I hardly ever see you without the other,” Ruby said in a rather unkind voice, full of annoyance and venom, like the rest of her house. She couldn’t help herself though. It was just her way. She cared nye for the emotions of others.