Folie à Deux

Chapter 7: Where Did The Party Go?

Chapter 7: Where Did the Party Go? or, Things Happened In Half-Time

Rating: M mainly for language, and I can't discount any funny business later on

Disclaimer: I work with only what the infallible J.K. Rowling has given me.

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"Upwards—no, downwards swirl," Will muttered quietly to himself as he rested his forearm on the table. "Downwards." He repeated the motion again, his face screwing up in concentration as he consulted his textbook.

Rose smiled, even as her wand arm grew tired from being held upright. She leaned over and folded the book shut. "You know the theory, Will," she said, consolingly. "You just need the confidence to apply it."

He sighed, shaking his hand as if that might somehow help. "Expelliarmus!" he whispered, his eyes fixed on Rose's unmoving wand.

He bit his lip, his eyes moving quickly back to his now closed textbook.

His tutor demonstrated the move, noting with bemusement Will's obvious infuriation at having seen the charm executed so easily. Will glared at his own wand now lying a scant foot away as if it had caused him some great personal injustice.

Rose hesitated, then folded her arms on the table and leant forward. "I think we might need to consider a change in tactic," she said, thoughtfully. "Or maybe just a change in scene. What do you say to finding an empty classroom?"

Will gave her a small smile before his eyebrows furrowed, perplexed. "Um...I think that guy over there is trying to get your attention."

"Huh?" Rose looked up, brushing her hair away from eyes and following Will's gaze.

Her face brightened as Christian came into view, smiling sheepishly as he peeked at her from behind the bookcases.

For all that she could feel her facial muscles pulling up in response to seeing her boyfriend, she couldn't help but notice something else; that feeling of anticipation in her stomach, the slight giddiness that still accompanied the feeling of newness was suddenly offensively absent.

"Congratulations," came the quiet voice from beside her.

Rose blinked and broke the eye contact, shifting uncomfortably in her chair as she looked down at her tutee. "What? Oh, thanks."

Will nodded a few times. "He's really nice. We uh...we do choir together."

Rose pressed her lips together to keep herself from smiling. She wasn't the type to judge others so quickly, but still she couldn't help but be completely unsurprised that Will had managed to find himself a member of the Toad Choir. "Do you?"

"He talks about you sometimes," Will continued, the tips of his ears reddening. "You know, just little things." He paused, tapping his wand lightly against the table. "He thinks the world of you."

Rose bit her lip. "I know."

Will looked up at her, and she quickly regretted her less-than-encouraging tone.

She swept some hair out of her face and cleared her throat. "Are you ready to go?"

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Scorpius was very rarely honest with himself. Rather, he pushed any honest inclinations he had so far down that he no longer appeared to have immediate access to them.