The Romantic Art of Bitchcraft

Getting to Know Each Other

  
Geez, it feels like forever since I last updated. Thank you to those of y'all who are sticking with me; I hope y'all are doing fantabulously. Anyways, here's part two (and probably the conclusion) of my Hogwarts AU. If you haven't read part one yet, check out Party Favors, it's chapter 20 of this oneshot book. Also, let me know what y'all think of everyones' patronuses (patroni?)-- do y'all agree with them or should someone's have been something else? Whichever the case, I hope y'all enjoy this update!

   Zoe paced back and forth in the tapestry, enough that the door to the Room of Requirement appeared for her. Curious, she peeked inside.
   "No!" she yelped, slamming the door after catching a glimpse of dim red lighting, rose petals, wine, and candles. "Not quite what I... Not yet!"
   She returned to pacing.
   It was now forty minutes past curfew, and there was still no sign of the blonde.
   Maybe Zoe should have been there when the girl woke up. Maybe she didn't remember who Zoe was, and didn't care enough to come find out.
   But Zoe couldn't have stayed; not today.
   No, she'd arranged a meeting in Hogsmeade between Mallory and Coco, and all of Mallory's friends (with Queenie's help), so that Mallory could still have her special coming out moment. It had been in the Shrieking Shack (yes, inside which was totally against the rules, but also totally worth it when Coco had spotted Mallory and Queenie), and Zoe had snuck lots and lots of butterbeer.
   There were a lot of tears and hugging and clapping, and maybe too many tipsy fifth years by the end of it, but it had been worth it. Mallory and Coco were out and happy, and more importantly they were accepted. Well, they had actually always been accepted, but now they both knew it.
   And Zoe wouldn't have missed that for the world, even if it meant she'd never further explore things with Madison.
   Except she really wanted to.
   Even though things hadn't exactly gone smoothly after meeting the blonde, at least they'd been exciting. And Madison, as wasted as she'd been, had managed to show off a sweet side, even if it had only been for a minute and lodged between attempts to get in Zoe's pants. Not that Zoe was complaining. After all, couldn't her note be seen as an effort to get into Madison's pants? But maybe Madison had just been drunk. Maybe now that she was sober, she'd realize she didn't want Zoe.
   Oh, shit.
   What if Madison wasn't even into girls?
   Zoe had seen plenty of straight girls throw themselves at their lesbian friends once they got hammered. Is that what had happened with Madison?
   It hadn't seemed like it, but Zoe couldn't deny it as a possibility.
   She stopped pacing as the door formed yet again. She inwardly groaned, wondering what the Room would bring her this time.
   She peeked inside, and a wide smile split across her face.
   "It's perfect."
   Maybe she could wait a few more minutes.

*   *   *   *   *

   "Oh, shit!" Madison yelped.
   She had fallen asleep, and now she had negative ten minutes to haul ass from the dungeons all the way up to the seventh floor. Gods, sometimes she really hated being a Slytherin; when a cute girl was waiting for her on the seventh floor and her House Common Room was on the floor below the basement was definitely one of those times.
   She stumbled out of bed, crashing to the floor and earning several shushes from exhausted sixth years. But Madison didn't care. She had to get to Zoe, before the girl thought she was blowing her off.
   "Oh shit, oh shit, oh shit, oh shit," the blonde murmured as she ran, chanting it like a prayer. She hoped to the gods she wasn't too late. Something told her that Zoe was special, and while she had been wrong before-- multiple times, actually-- she still wanted to explore this. She had a feeling it might lead the two girls someplace amazing.
   Madison finally reached the seventh floor, and she felt like collapsing. She hadn't run so fast and for so long since...ever.
   As she headed towards the tapestry of Barnabus the Barmy, she caught sight of the retreating back of a brunette.
   "No!" she yelled, her aching muscles screaming as she broke into a sprint for the second time that night. "Zoe, wait!"
   The witch stopped abruptly, resulting in Madison slamming into her right as the brunette had started to turn towards her.
   Madison, at least, had a soft fall-- albeit embarassing-- her head landing right between Zoe's breasts, who groaned slightly and rubbed at her head.
   "S-sorry," Madison apologized, reluctantly lifting her head so as to better inspect the taller witch. "Are you okay?"
   "Better now... I think" Zoe teased, allowing a small smile. "I almost didn't think you were going to show."
   "Yeah, well," Madison smirked. "One thing you'll learn about me is that I always make a grand entrance."
   "Noted," Zoe laughed, then stiffened suddenly as she apparently just realized that she was still laying underneath the blonde. Her cheeks flushed slightly as she awkwardly tried to scoot away and sit up.
   "Here," Madison offered, helping the girl to her feet.
   "Thanks," Zoe panted, stretching out her limbs. "Geez, I feel like I just got bulldozed by a bus."
   Madison put her hands on her hips.
   "Excuse you," she huffed. "I am at most a ferrari."
   Zoe put her hands up in surrender.
   "Either way," she shrugged, "you pack a surprising amount of punch."
   "That's me," Madison winked. "Full of surprises."
   Zoe scoffed, but she still had her smile, which Madison found mesmerizing. It was like her whole face shifted to accomodate the simple feature, making her appear to be a different person from the neutral-expressioned girl visible just moments before. Her face lit up, switching the mood in the room, beckoning straight girls into experimentation, toppling economies probably.
   This girl was trouble, for sure.
   Madison fucking loved it.