Lisa is not to be trusted. (humdrum) wrote in perdition_rpg, @ 2009-04-20 22:13:00 |
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Lisa spent the entire day frustrated. Terry and Michael were missing and possibly even dead. In addition to that, the end of the school year was approaching, and still, there was awkwardness between her and her roommates. She couldn't stop thinking about Padma and even Mandy, and didn't want to leave their friendships in complete disarray when there was the risk of losing them. Guilt was a wicked thing, as Lisa often declared. She dragged her feet as she gathered a bunch of her belongings and descended the staircase to the common room. Thinking she was alone, she started sniffling, and quickly brought her hand up to her face to wipe a lone tear away. The day hadn't been any better for Stephen. He was fond of Anthony, despite the other boy's lack of emotion and apparent apathy towards many things, and the fact that he seemed to be going along more with the Carrows' regime. It wasn't the same, however, with just the two of them in the dormitory. Being without Kevin was hard enough, but Stephen had gotten used to it. Now that Terry and Michael were Merlin knows where, Stephen was even more lonely. And confused. He had no idea where Terry and Michael could be, and he didn't like not knowing. He glanced up when he heard the footsteps coming down the stairs. He wasn't immediately visible, curled up in one of the armchairs, but he rose when he saw that it was Lisa. At least he still had the girls, Morag and Lisa and Mandy (less so Mandy, but she still counted), he thought, if the boys were missing. "Lisa?" He frowned, noting the way she was wiping her face. "Everything all right?" Startled, Lisa jumped, her belongings falling to the floor. When her eyes connected with Stephen's, she felt relieved that it at least wasn't Padma who would be seeing her in such a vulnerable state. For a moment, she didn't say a word; instead of speaking, she bent to the floor to pick up what was dropped. It also gave her time to collect herself. "Trying to hide from the Carrows? You could have picked a better spot," she commented with a smile. "Sorry," Stephen muttered as he watched Lisa's belongings fall to the floor. He walked quickly over to where Lisa was, to offer his assistance. Even though he knew she was perfectly capable of gathering up her own belongings, Stephen hadn't been raised to just ignore women. He shook his head, bending down as well. "Just... thinking. I wish I could hide from them, but I'm not exactly sure where the best hiding spots around here are." Terry might know, he thought, since he had disappeared. Pity he couldn't ask Terry. "You didn't answer my question," he reminded her. He didn't want to seem nosy, but he did care about her. "I'm fine, my love," Lisa lied, shaking her head dismissively and focusing her attention on something other than Stephen's face. She didn't want to talk about it, and was trying hard to keep it together. Miraculously, she hadn't cried all year. Her tears had been wasted on her mother long ago, and she didn't plan on starting now, especially if she couldn't be alone. "Let's not go back until we have to," she added, taking a seat on the chair Stephen had just occupied. Though not entirely convinced that Lisa was fine, Stephen let it go for the meantime. "Deal," he responded. He didn't want to have to go anywhere near the Carrows if he could help it. Maybe, he thought, if they just stayed there, no one would even notice. He was being too hopeful and he knew it, but if he didn't try to hang onto the slivers of hope he had left, Stephen didn't know what he'd do. He pulled up a chair close and lowered himself onto it, leaning forward to rest his forearms onto his knees. "It's odd... this Michael and Terry business. No one seems to know where Michael is, and he should be back by now, so..." So he was worried. Really worried. "And I don't know about Terry. I guess he could have sneaked out after curfew and got caught? But still. It's really quiet up there now." "I hope they're all right," Lisa said solemnly. She leaned back in her chair, twirling a loose strand of hair around her finger. "But I don't know if I want to fool myself into thinking they're safe, or be pragmatic and accept that they're not. The Carrows aren't known for their mercy." Stephen hoped so as well, but the more time that passed with no news, without the two boys returning, the worse it looked. "Sadly, no," he agreed, a deep frown creasing his forehead. "And this isn't one of those situations where no news is good news, either." All he wanted was an answer, any answer, and that included one about Kevin as well. Even hearing that their friends were dead would be better - just barely - than constantly wondering about their whereabouts and well-being. He sighed. "Let's talk about something else," he suggested. He would have said 'something happy', but considering the circumstances, it wasn't easy to think of something happy. "Ancient Runes? History of Magic? Binns went up a few notches on my favourite professor list when the Carrows arrived." He gave her a sad half-smile. Things had changed so much in the last seven months. Lisa chuckled, nodding to him in agreement. "I can't believe I used to complain about him," she replied thoughtfully. How she wished life would go back to the way it was. Feeling exceptionally grateful for the subject change, she still wouldn't have minded discussing their friends if it would make him feel better. "I know! All because he was boring." Last year, all they really had to complain about were boring professors or exams. Even fifth year seemed blissful in comparison. It wasn't often, Stephen thought, that he got a chance to just talk to Lisa, one-on-one. He'd missed it, and her. "Did I tell you that I told my father about everything going on here?" The Easter holidays had been quite eventful in the Cornfoot home, despite his mother not being there. "He wanted to pull us from school and send us away." Her lips tugged into yet another bright smile, much brighter than last. Hearing about his father made her want her own to pay a little more attention to current events. "You met my dad. I tried explaining everything to him -- I don't think he fully understood the graveness of the situation. I wish I could be as ignorant." Stephen nodded. "Mine was like that too, over the Christmas holiday," he explained, his smile fading a little at the memory. "I tried to explain, but... honestly, I think it took something happening to Adeline for him to care. That sounds bad, but... he finally understood after that." Unfortunately, there was little that the elder Cornfoot could do about it. "Sometimes I wish we'd all gone with Mum when she left. But then, I don't know, sometimes I'm glad we're all in this together." "Yes," Lisa said, almost sarcastically. "And what would I do without you? I can't imagine being more lonely than I am. I don't think that type of loneliness is possible." She playfully kicked his knee with her foot, and despite her sarcasm, her words had a lot of truth to them. She couldn't really talk to Padma anymore, and it never quite struck her how close they were until their friendship came to a screeching halt. Stephen was a nice, neutral person to turn to; she felt more comfortable than she thought she would. "And I'd hate for you to be even more lonely." He couldn't quite tell how serious she was, but either way, he still hated the fact that she was lonely. He quirked a smile at her and nudged her foot back. "It'll get better," Stephen said emphatically, "After all this is over." It was growing more and more difficult to believe, but Stephen was still sure that there was a light at the end of the tunnel, somewhere. "If not, we'll run away somewhere." "Will it? I'm holding you to that." She leaned forward a little. "And I don't think I want to go to France." "No?" Stephen put on a shocked expression and leaned closer as well. "I thought everyone wanted to go there! Where do you want to go, then? We'll go there. And if I'm wrong, and it doesn't get better... I don't know. I'll do whatever you want for a day, or something." Lisa raised an eyebrow. "Anywhere but France. It's overrated, and I've never been particularly fond of the French," was her impish response. Never mind that Stephen's mother was French. He kept saying it would get better. She wondered if he could say it enough that she'd actually start to believe it. Even more shocked (though certainly not angry), Stephen gaped at her. "You're not fond of me?" he asked, peering at her. The overrated bit, he could give her that much. Much of the country seemed to be overrun with tourists, and that was never pleasant. The quieter towns were better, in his opinion. "Where will we go instead?" This, he decided, was far more fun than being stuck in the Great Hall with no sleeping bags or pillows. Even if they might get in trouble. "Of course I'm fond of you, my dearest. And because I'm fond of you, I'd take you to the finest pub in filthy Muggle London," reaching out, she pinched his left cheek. Not the smoothest move a girl could make on someone she was 'interested' in, but oddly in character; certainly something Lisa would do to whomever she was trying to charm. Stephen felt his cheeks flush lightly, and he was sure she'd be able to feel it too; she was touching his cheek, after all. "Filthy Muggle London, hmm? I think I could handle that. The more of it, the better, after this year. Just to spite the Carrows and everything they stand for." London would be big enough to disappear in, right? he wondered. Not quite as far enough away as he'd like, but it would do. "I'm fond of you too, of course," he added, though he wasn't quite sure why, since he thought it was obvious. They were friends, after all. Lisa laughed in response. She didn't pick up on the fact that his cheeks had reddened -- her mind was still elsewhere. She looked over to the exit, releasing a heavy sigh. "We probably shouldn't linger much longer," she said. Unfortunately, she was probably right. With everything going on at the moment, it didn't seem to be wise to incur the wrath of the Carrows. Or make anyone think they'd disappeared too. Stephen heaved a deep sigh and pushed himself up from the chair. He'd rather stay in their cozy Common Room, but no, the Carrows just had to make them sleep on the floor in the Great Hall. He held a hand out for Lisa, to help her up from the chair. "C'mon, let's go see if anyone wants to play a game until the Carrows tell us to shut it and make you girls sleep on the other side of the room from me." Allowing him to pull her to her feet, she led the way out of the common room, headed back to the heart of Hades. Stephen had succeeded in, at least, relaxing her a bit. She no longer felt the urge to tear up, although she wasn't sure how long the good feelings would last. "I'll sneak you over to my side, Stephen Cornfoot." |