ernie macmillan, head boy. (puff enough for two.) (emacmillan) wrote in caged, @ 2013-09-15 19:49:00 |
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Entry tags: | ! 97-09, [ log ], ernie macmillan, pansy parkinson |
WHO: Ernie Macmillan and Pansy Parkinson.
WHEN: September 15.
WHERE: Outside of the Great Hall, to outdoors.
SUMMARY: The Head Boy and Head Girl (and cousins have a chat).
RATING: PG.
STATUS: Complete.
Pansy strode up from the dungeons, making sure her Head Girl badge was plainly visible on the edge of her robes. Talking with Ernie hadn't done much to settle her constant state of discomfort. She'd thought that having Snape as Headmaster would be wonderful. No more favoritism, no more Potter getting away with everything, but instead things were oddly tense and strained. The Carrows had been kind to her, at least, but Pansy had always prided herself in knowing how to get in good with people who mattered. Clearly they mattered. But it was more the accusations of Draco that worried her. All she could do was deny it. So when she got to the Great Hall, she had managed to erase the concern from her face and look herself again, imperiously glancing at a few fifth years snogging by the entrance and deciding they weren't worth yelling at. In retrospect, Ernie knew that he should not have asked Pansy the question about Draco. What did he expect her to say? That yes, Draco was, indeed, a Death Eater? It was stupid, and he knew that, but it didn't stop him from asking anyway… he felt slightly guilty because of it, as he walked to the designated meeting spot, his Head Boy badge perfectly pinned on his robes. He didn't have rounds until later that evening, but he wanted to be precautionary and wear it now, anyway. As he rounded the corner, he noticed the younger years who were busy with their lips locked, and he frowned at them, but not before he noticed his cousin nearby. He faked a smile -- a smile that he was getting more accustomed to, in the past few days -- as he neared. "Good evening," he greeted her, promptly giving her half a hug. Pansy squeezed Ernie in response, out of habit more than anything. She liked hugs, so sue her. She gave him a tight smile in response and inclined her head at the doors. She wasn't sure how to start a conversation with Ernie, some of the times. They were family, so she made a point to stay on his good side. Sometimes. And she liked the idea of having people in confide in, really. Not that she trusted him, not like she might Millicent or Blaise or Theodore. And even with them trust was limited. It was a curse of being Slytherin, she supposed. "Evening," she replied. "Where would you like to walk? I'm hoping it's not getting terribly cold in the evenings already." Autumn was fast approaching, but Pansy had always preferred what warm weather England got, though Scotland was a complete wash for that kind of thing. Ugh, couldn't a magical school be somewhere with better weather? In years prior, Ernie had always assumed that if he was ever the Head Boy, the Head Girl would be Hermione, naturally. It wasn't that he disliked Pansy or her penchant for looking the other way when it came to her friends breaking the rules, he just figured that Hermione would have suited the role better. He wasn't entirely about to tell Pansy that, no, seeing as he wanted to remain on her good side, if things ever got sour between them. With their respective politics, Ernie had already deduced that it could go as he suspected. "Probably the grounds," he remarked, if their journal conversation was any indication to how their talk now would go. "More privacy that way." Ernie looked at Pansy, as though waiting for her response, before looking towards the main entrance. The younger years were still going at it. "Great!" she said, sticking her hands in her pocket and looking from the younger students to the door. Finally, she cleared her throat as loudly as she could and the pair sprang apart, glancing at their badges, turning bright red and speeding off to a better location. "Every year, it's like they have less and less shame," she said conversationally before starting off towards the doors and out into the cooling evening. Pansy resisted the urge to ask about Hannah (it's not like she cared if Hannah decided to be an idiot this year, just like every year), instead settling for a short, tuneless whistle. "Do you think blood quills will be the worst thing people get?" she asked. "I mean, they're pretty disgusting on their own but Filch has been muttering about the 'old ways' for seven years. Maybe they'll give him his way." Ernie couldn't help but chuckle slightly, when the fifth years darted off, and nodded at Pansy. "First relationship, possibly. They cannot yet keep their hands to themselves," he replied back, just as conversationally, though he would rather they not speak about hormonal teenagers, mostly because his sister was the same age, and he hated to think of what she could have possibly been up to. Disgusting. He kept quiet for a moment, considering Pansy's question. Ernie was, if nothing else, absolutely certain that things would certainly get worse, especially if rumours about the Carrows being Death Eaters were true, but he didn't want to share that information with Pansy just yet. He settled for a quick but honest reply, instead: "No, I do not think it will be the worst." "Draco and I were like that once," Pansy agreed, clearing her throat a little awkwardly. That wasn't how they were now, really they barely got a chance to spend any time together at all. But that wasn't information for Ernie of course. He was her cousin. Gross. But she had to sigh a little at his frank reply, crossing her arms over her chest as though that would do anything to stem the misfortune. "I figured as much." She didn't care to figure if the Carrows were truly Death Eaters or not. If they were, that made it all the more important to keep on their good side. If they weren't, it would still behoove them to act like sensible people. "Well, as Head Boy and Girl we're meant to keep students in line. So we should just…" she stopped. What? Look at other way? Sounded about right. "Do our jobs." Ernie pretended as though he didn't hear it. He didn't want to hear it. He didn't want to think about it. And he certainly didn't want to be scarred for life. Instead, he settled for clearing his throat, as well, and continuing to walk, as though he was unphased by the comment. He decided not to comment on it and kept his eyes straight ahead, hoping that their other topic would be more interesting. He shot Pansy a look at what she said, and quirked a brow. "That is a great way of putting it, but it is a little difficult to administer our jobs when we are a little taken back about school policies. It is natural for our peers to feel the way they do." She tried not to look sheepish when he looked at her. Something about being around family made her feel childish. So she adjusted her posture and stared out across the grounds. It was a peaceful time of day and she was glad she didn't see anyone creeping away. "Natural, yes, that doesn't mean they need to act like fools and get themselves in trouble just because they can," she said with a sharp inhale. "We just need to do as the professors and headmaster say, Ernie. If we get into trouble, what good are we doing anyone?" She gestured vaguely. "If it makes you feel any better, think of us like a buffer between the students and the Carrows. We might be able to keep people out of trouble if we're smart." People who didn't deserve trouble, she added mentally. She wasn't throwing herself under the bus for Weasel or Largebottom. Ernie couldn't believe the words that were coming out of his cousin's mouth, if only because that was the same sort of wavelength he was on, regarding the entire situation. It was precisely why he was so angry with Hannah for suddenly being so outspoken. He wanted Hannah on his side, but with that one statement from Pansy, Ernie was suddenly left wondering if perhaps Pansy was the one that was really on his side. "Well, we are the Heads for a reason, yes?" he offered, somewhat lamely and with a small smile. Yes, he knew that they were responsible for keeping people out of trouble, especially under the current administration, but just how much were he and Pansy really thinking alike? "I just hope we do not have to be viewed as the enemies in the future, though I do not know if that is such a reasonable thing to wish for." Pansy smiled back at him, happy they could understand each other for once. For once. She knew Ernie would always be a little more forgiving with other students, so them working together as Heads wouldn't hurt. Until it stopped working in their favor, it was what was best. "I'm sure there will be plenty who are terribly angry at us for it, but we're only going to be doing our jobs." She paused to look around again. No one in sight, at least not within earshot. "But if they want to be idiots who blame us for the rules that the Carrows want to enforce, that's on them as far as I'm concerned. I'll do what I can but some of them are just beyond helping." Ernie nodded in response, and he couldn't help but smile again. "I know, but a lot of them have really strong opinions. I cannot exactly blame people whose families are directly affected to be so open to the Carrows' policies," he shrugged. He would have brought up examples, in the form of Neville, Ginny, and Susan, but somehow, he knew that as soon as those names were said, Pansy would have just brushed it off. "And you have to admit that Muggle Studies really does seem like a propaganda class," Ernie said, with a brow raised. "I am not certain whether what we are learning is factual or just things that Professor Carrow pulled out of the hat, and frankly, I would not be surprised if it was the latter." Pansy shifted her shoulders a little. She didn't want to talk about peoples families or their stupid opinions. If they didn't know how to shut up and be safe, that wasn't her problem. But she did feel bad, sometimes, like with what happened to Hannah's mum… "It does," she conceded carefully. "It's stupid but they clearly just want to hear magic is better, and that much is at least true." She didn't care about stupid Muggle Studies, no more than she cared about stupid Muggles. If she'd wanted to learn about them she'd have signed up for the class third year, now it was just irritating and dull. "Even if it's all made up, it's pretty obvious what they want from us." "It puts things in perspective, Pansy," Ernie replied, calmly. "I know what is expected of me -- that I am supposed to go along with them, and agree that Muggles and Muggle-borns are rotten, but I do not agree with it, at all. Sure, I may say things to them to save myself from things, but it does not mean that I must believe it. Justin is my best friend, and if I believed even some of the lies about Muggles that are fed to us, then I feel as though I am dishonouring him." He didn't know why he had just told that to her. He hadn't intended on bringing up Justin at all, not to Pansy, anyway, and he felt a little strange after admitting what he had. Cautiously, he glanced at the blonde, and quirked a brow, wondering what she thought of the situation. Surely, she would have known that he felt this way. Pansy just closed her eyes and tried to bite back a sigh. Hufflepuff had softened Ernie, she knew it, and now wasn't the time for politics. She needed him as an ally. They needed each other. It was that simple, which was also what made it so complicated. "You don't have to believe it, Ernie. But you aren't doing your friends or anyone favors by refusing to lie," she said heavily. Ernie had to hold back a laugh. If only she knew. Instead, he just nodded at her, and looked away, keeping his eyes on the view ahead. Perhaps politics wasn't the best topic to be discussing now, anyway, despite what their initial conversation was about. "I am not going to ask whether you believe it, and, as a matter of fact, I will drop the entire thing." Instead, he decided that things should be kept mundane, and discuss things such as their childhood. "Do you remember during my seventh birthday party, when my sister pitched a fit because the cake was not pink?" he fondly reminisced, preferring this topic to whatever else they were discussing. This would result in less arguments, and thus, result in a pleasant evening. Silently she thanked him for dropping it, she hated fighting with people she halfway liked. Everyone else could go right to hell. Instead, she smiled along. "Your sister has always had excellent taste. Though she put a bit of fear in me, my cake was pink that year, too. It tasted wonderful. We should probably head back to the castle before curfew. We'd be irresponsible Heads if we were caught on grounds after hours." |