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Title: Charmed Gets Attention

Contributors: wings_of_charm, kestralsfan, pb_prince

Posted: 2006-02-02 to 02-06

Edited by: Carla Lute

Game Date: September 14th

Disclaimer: No one at Levicorpus owns Harry Potter, the world or its characters. We just like to play in J.K. Rowling’s world.

* * * * * * *

Promise padded down the hallway quietly, holding a package wrapped in brown paper. She hadn't a clue where to find Blaise, in all actuality, but she had just finished her homework for the day and had made up her mind to get his mother's clothes back to him before she put it off again. It had been almost a month since they'd had their little excursion, and she STILL hadn't returned the stuff. It just always slipped her mind.

She continued to wander until Charm chirped at her. Promise turned and spotted Crabbe and Goyle. She hadn't talked to the two of them much in the past, but she had said her polite hellos, for they DID hang about Blaise an awful lot. Despite not knowing them well she scurried toward them, looking relieved.

"Hey, have you guys seen Blaise around? I have something to return to him and I haven't seemed to be able to track him down."

Goyle stepped to one side, and Blaise stepped out from between them. He was not a small boy, but Goyle was a fair bit taller and Crabbe a fair bit thicker than he was. He acknowledged Promise and raised a curious eyebrow at her.

Promise and even Charm both looked startled, then Promise looked a little embarrassed, "Well now I feel a bit silly."

She held out the paper wrapped package toward him and said, "Here. I've been meaning to return these to you since we first got back to Hogwarts."

She'd wrapped it in paper to avoid any questions from people that may be around him. Most male students didn't have female students giving them women's clothing on a regular basis.

Blaise frowned at the package. "What is it?" he asked. Crabbe and Goyle drifted back a few feet, keeping an eye on Blaise but otherwise falling into their own quiet conversation.

"The clothes, the ones you lent me the night I came over," Promise laughed, "I figured you had enough drama surrounding you right now you didn't need rumors of cross dressing too. That's why they're wrapped." Promise was teasing him but her smile was kind. Charm looked happy to see him also.

"Those are witches robes?" Blaise said with the same small frown. "What on earth am I going to do with witches robes?"

Promise made a face of slight confusion, "Well I don't know but they're not mine, I can't keep them. And Charm certainly couldn't fit into them. Since you lent them to me, you seemed like the logical choice to return them to."

"I don't have a use for them," Blaise insisted, giving the package a look like it was thrown out garbage that she was trying to return. "If I gave them to you, keep them."

She took them back and looked down at them with an unreadable expression. "But...they're you're MOTHER'S. I'd feel so weird wearing them again."

She fingered the paper wrapping awkwardly.

Blaise shrugged. "Sell them then, I don't care. If my mother wanted them, she would have taken them with her."

Promise sighed and looked vaguely like a scolded child. "Alright, I'll keep them," she said quietly. "I don't think I'd have the heart to sell them, don't ask me why."

Blaise shrugged and reached up to tap Charm's chin and allow her to nuzzle his hand if she was so inclined.

Charm looked delighted and rubbed his hand gleefully, purring loudly. Promise looked as if she felt awkward to be standing there while Charm molested Blaise's hand from her shoulder, but the cat didn't look inclined to jump off any time soon so she just stood with an unusual expression.

Blaise moved his hand up to scratch behind Charm's ears. Not making any sign of being bothered by Promise's discomfort.

Promise shifted uncomfortably, her gaze drifting over to Crabbe and Goyle for possible help since Blaise didn't seem to be perceiving her discomfort. The two, however, seemed caught up in their own conversation and not noticing she and Blaise, which though polite, was vexing to Promise at this particular moment
So she was forced to stand with Blaise's hand centimeters from her face while Charm enjoyed herself. She couldn't really make an excuse to leave, she had nothing else to do. And if she made one up Charm would be a hellion for the rest of the day so she was force to stand where she was, looking desperately uncomfortable and hoping Blaise would notice or Charm would have mercy.

"We're headed to the courtyard if you want to come," Blaise said, dropping his hand. Crabbe and Goyle perked up.

Promise looked down at the package in her hand, "well I have to bring this back to..."

"MII!" Charm interrupted her then snatched the package and shot off in the direction of the Gryffindor dormitories.

Promise looked slightly startled by the sudden motion of the previously immobile creature. She laughed lightly, "Well I guess there's your answer. Sure, I'll come along."

Blaise gave a brief smile at Charm's reaction, and the four of them set out for the courtyard. It was a bit crowded as everyone was outside today, so they went a bit further to sit under a couple of small trees by the greenhouses.

* * * * * * *

After a quick breakfast, after sleeping in too late, Seamus left the Great Hall for a walk on the grounds. Ever since the shouting match in the Great Hall he had been rather quiet. He didn't like how people seemed to be taking sides with or against Luca. Seamus thought of Luca as a friend, but he didn't want to ruin his relationships with his other friends. Hermione was angry with him, and he wasn't sure what Promise was thinking. He liked her, and didn't wan't their friendship to halt over this issue either.

He strode across the wide lawn near the greenhouses, his hands in his pockets as he gazed at the mountains in the distance. At the moment he wasn't sure what he was thinking about, or maybe he just wasn't thinking about anything at all.

He spotted a familiar figure sitting under a small tree, and walked over toward them.

Promise was a little bit quiet as she walked with Blaise, Crabbe, and Goyle through the courtyard. She was slowly beginning to realize that she hung out with far more guys than girls. It seemed kind of weird at first, but she decided that a lot of girls, especially the ones a bit younger than her, were very annoying and she liked it better this way.

She was continuing to feel a little awkward from her initial encounter with the friends she was walking with, and her face lit up considerably when she saw Seamus. Good! Someone who she knew how to hold a regular conversation with.

"Seamus, hi," she said cheerfully as he walked toward them

Blaise had settled himself against the tree trunk and closed his eyes. He opened them when he heard Promise say Seamus's name but made no further sign of recognition. Crabbe and Goyle stayed similiarly in position, and it reassured him to know they would leap up if he indicated distress.

"Oy, Promise!" Seamus said as he approached. Blaise was sitting against the tree, with Crabbe and Goyle nearby. He looked over at them tentatively. He didn't care for Crabbe and Goyle, and lately wasn't sure what to think of Blaise.

"How’re you?" he asked, sitting down in the shade near Blaise. "Hello," he said.

Promise smiled brightly, happy to see Seamus. They hadn't had much time to encounter one another since school started. "I'm doing pretty well, how about you?" she asked as he sat down near and greeted the forever antisocial Blaise. He seemed to only give Crabbe and Goyle strange looks rather than a greeting. Promise looked slightly confused, she had never had any problems with Crabbe and Goyle but no one really seemed to like it. She found it odd.

Blaise gave Seamus a nod in response. Since he and Promise seemed to be talking, Blaise closed his eyes again. Listening, not just to them talk, but the general sounds of things.

Seeing that she was the only one of the three of them that were there socially left standing, Promise sunk to the grass about a foot away from where Blaise sat and curled her legs to the side. It was a very nice day and the sun felt nice on Promise's bare arms though it was starting to get a bit late in the fall to go out without a light jacket or sweater of some kind.

Charm had finished bringing the robes back to Promise's room and flittered cheerfully up. She landed and lay in the grass directly between Blaise and Promise so she could get the benefit of pets from both of them.

Promise smiled and scratched her gently under the chin.

"I'm doing alright," Seamus said. "It's been kind of quiet since Friday. I think some people are still annoyed with me. I dunno. I'd rather forget about the whole thing."

He smiled as Charm returned and sat by Promise. "Such a perfect day," he said. "If only I could do this every day, just sit out here and do nothing."

Promise nodded, "Well, personally, I was never annoyed with you. I don't know if anyone else is either. I think people are still just tense."

She leaned back and scratched Charm under the wings, "You're right, it is beautiful out. I have a feeling it's one of the few beautiful days left. It feels like late fall/winter is going to hit pretty hard and quickly." It was warm, and the sun was gentle on the skin, but there was a certain bite to the air that seemed to indicate such things to Promise. She could have been wrong, but it was how it felt back home when that sort of thing was going to happen.

Seamus looked over at Blaise, who was leaning up against the tree, his eyes closed. "He okay?"

Promise shrugged, "Sometimes if you take a stick and jab him with it he'll move." She laughed light-heartedly, "I think he just didn't want to interrupt our discussion, though I could be wrong. Am I wrong, Blaise?"

Promise seemed to have cheered up considerably now that she had a slightly less awkward conversation to focus on.

"Sometimes of you take a stick and jab him with it he'll move..."

Seamus rocked back a bit, laughing. "Should we try?" he asked jokingly. "No, we'll leave him be."

He took a deep breath, and felt the hint of autumn in the air. "Yeah, it's gonna start getting colder," he said. "I don't like the cold. Snow is fine, but no cold. We still have a few nice weeks left, though. Perfect quidditch season this year."

Blaise sniffed, "Quidditch, it's a bit like watching bird flying around in a cage."

He opened his eyes. "I suppose I'm not used to being referred to in third person while I'm present," he said and looked at Seamus. "I was a little busy on Friday. Why were they annoyed at you?" Not waiting for answer he added. "I believe Crabbe and Goyle are beaters again. Do you plan on trying to take Bell's place or just enjoy spectating?"

"I'm trying out this year." Seamus looked over at Crabbe and Goyle. "They would be beaters," he thought.
"I've been watching the matches for 6 years; this is my last chance to actually play.

"Friday. You heard about the little shouting match in the Great Hall, I'm sure. I stood up for Luca, and I got into a bit of a row with Hermione."

"I didn't actually," Blaise said. "Why were you standing up for him?"

Promise decided to ignore Blaise's comment about being referred to in the third person when he was present. She also decided not to take part in the discussion about quiddich. She'd never minded watching it and had been known to get into a game or two but she was never too keen on actually playing. She smiled at Crabbe and Goyle when she heard they were beaters and returned her attention back to Blaise and Seamus just in time to hear Blaise ask why Seamus was standing up for Luca. Promise cringed. This could be a very uncomfortable subject. She immediately pretended she wasn't paying much attention and began to shower Charm with affection. Charm didn't mind this at all.

"Great," Seamus thought. "I have to explain this subject with the person who's kind of at the heart of it."

"It was about his article. The one . . . about you and Cho." He quickly added, "Don't get me wrong, I'm sorry that it's affected you two, and I'm not happy that that the whole subject has turned this ugly, but I'm tired of everybody blaming him for everything. I honestly don't believe that he's meant any harm, or that any of his actions were of malicious intent."

He sat back, visibly uncomfortable about the subject at hand. "I like the kid."

"Malcolm Baddock's scared of him," Crabbe said. Blaise had noticed that, but it had not concerned him. Crabbe seemed to realize he had butted in on the conversation and fell silent again as Blaise looked at him.

"He handled the matter improperly," Blaise said in an indifferent tone. "Both as student and as a journalist. I don't know what he was after, but it wasn't the truth."

"I don't know," Seamus said. "I just hate the subject, it turns quickly into politics. Yeah, he could've handled it differently, I'm not sure why it happened that way."

He sighed. "I don't know, I guess if he is up to something we'll find out at some point."

Blaise chuckled. "Newspapers are always about politics," he said. "That's why I don't bother with them normally."

"That works," Seamus said. He looked around, not sure what to say next. He kinda wanted to get off of the subject of the article. Instead, he reached over to pet Charm, letting a few minutes pass while she smiled at the attention.

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