Lindsay Corner is painting pictures in the sky. (cornerstone) wrote in thesocieties, @ 2010-03-22 14:24:00 |
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Somewhere in the dungeons, a clock was ticking. Lindsay could hear its steady rhythm from her spot just outside an empty classroom, and she was half-tempted to go find it and hex it into a million bits. But she also didn't dare move. James had been very specific in his instructions. He had said to be here--now. And to wait. Not that she normally listened to him outside of practise, necessarily, but she figured she better this time. And, anyway, she hadn't brought her wand. The only things she brought with her were a book and a small vial of potion. Her wand fit awkwardly in the pocket of her dress robes, and she didn't want anything to look amiss. She didn't even try to sit or crouch for fear of creasing her recently pressed dress robes. So, she stood, waiting, her back pressed against the cold dungeon wall, while the clock ticked in the distance. Despite his flippant attitude towards the Veritaserum interview, James really disliked it. True he was not normally a secretive person, but there were things that he would prefer his baby brother's best friend to never know. On the off chance that it would reach the ears of said baby brother. Thankfully the questions were rather neutral. But still, he was nervous, and it manifested in the way his fingers continued drum the outside of his arm as they lay folded over his chest while he walked - stopping in front of Lindsay and forcing a tight smile. "Ready there, Little?" Lindsay pressed her hand to her pocket. She could feel the antidote she and Prentiss had prepared, and, even if she wasn't going to use it, that calmed her. "Yes," she said, smoothing out her dress robes. "Let's get this over with, please." Then, she followed him down the hall and into classroom she hadn't even known existed (had it always been there? She wondered.). She made a mental note to come back later with Al, just to see if it was still there. She took a seat in a chair that she presumed was for her and eyed the two cups of tea suspiciously. "I suppose they'll teach you how to resist Veritaserum," she said to James, not taking her eyes off the tea, "once you're an auror." She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. It felt so strange to have her hair in curls. "You don't already know how to, do you?" Perhaps it was the nerves, but James' laughter sounded a little too loud to his own ears, echoing in the room as he tried to sit casually in his seat. "Yeah, I wish I could. Unfortunately, judging from last year at any rate, I seem to have inherited my dad's ability in not being able to close my mind off. Or something. Let's just say I talk more with this in my system then I do without it," he confessed, shrugging as he glanced over at her and back to the tea before pouring them each a modest amount and removing a small vial from his robes and holding it out for her to take and examine. "Veritaserum. Colourless, scentless, made correctly. I'm going to pour half in your glass and half in mine. If you do not wish to continue forward you can still back out now. Do you wish to proceed?" he asked, his words suddenly serious as he recited verbatim what his own Big had said to him only a year ago. "Yes, of course I do," she said confidently, squeezing in one last lie before she couldn't anymore. "I can't wait to hear all of your secrets." "I'm sure," he retorted with a roll of his eyes, uncorking the vial and carefully pouring exactly half into each cup of tea, watching as the liquid retained the smooth brown colour even with the addition of the potion. Wiggling the empty vial to prove it was empty, James stuck it back into his robes. "Lindsay Corner. Do you swear that all things said in this room will remain only within The Society of the Wand and Quill and that no part of this interview or anything past this will reach the knowledge of an outsider? Do you swear to answer any questions put towards you with honesty and without struggling for loopholes or any of that shite," he asked, trying to be solemn but slowly growing impatient with the pomp and circumstance and just wanting to get this over with. "And, most importantly, do you give me your word that you will never - ever - find a way for Albus to find out anything I may or may not tell you? If you swear say so and drink up." Oh, hell no. "Yes." Her voice was even when she spoke, but she didn't meet his gaze. "Do you make everyone swear not to tell Al, or is that special for me?" James had already lifted his glass, and when she asked her question he held up one finger as he drank the tea in three quick gulps before setting the china down. It didn't take long for that dreamy, sleepy quality to overtake him. It was almost like being drunk, and words just flowed from his lips before he could throw up the mental roadblocks to stop them. "Oh that's just for you. You can be bloody dangerous with this information, knowing him the way you do. And if you're worried about me telling him anything - don't be. I'm not even going to ask about him. No personal questions or anything. It's pretty basic shite. I wanted to wait till I drank that tea to promise you that there was no personal questions so you'd believe me. I get the feeling you don't trust me very much. Though really can't blame you since I can be a bit of a prat to you. Understatement. Anyways, sorry 'bout that." Bloody hell did he wish he could shut up. "Okay let's just move on. You drink your tea and we'll start. I'll ask you a question, you ask me a question. Keep them all pretty superficial and basic. About the Society or my term at Hogwarts, etcetera ad nauseum. It'll be over before you know it." Horrified by all the words coming out of James's mouth, Lindsay just stared at him for a moment, dumbfounded. "Yeah, of course," she said, any witty response she had dying on her lips. Then, very quickly, she drank her cup tea. "Godric, that was fucking hot," she said just as the dreamy feeling started to wash over her. "I meant the tea, not what you said." Blushing, she willed her mouth to shut, but she kept right on talking, as if possessed by James. "Not that you're not hot because I don't mean that." She closed her eyes. What was she saying? Of course she meant that. "I shouldn't have drank it so fast." James couldn't help it. He was vain. He sat up straighter and his slightly out of focus eyes lit up. "Really? You think I'm hot? That's - No! No I am not asking that do not answer that question oh my God do not answer that question moving on moving on," he exclaimed, tripping over his words as they poured out, trying really hard to follow the rules because that was exactly the sort of questions they were supposed to avoid in this interview. James placed his hands over his ears and closed his eyes in order to avoid hearing her if her answer came. He really was trying. "Okay let's see! Appropriate questions," he continued, talking a smidge too loud due to his covered ears, "what are you goals for after Hogwarts?" He waited, counting five seconds in his head, and then tentatively uncovered his ears and opened his eyes a smidge, prepared to recover and close in the event that she was waxing poetic about his looks. He could really hardly blame her if she was. As she listened to and watched James, Lindsay embarrassment faded from her face, and her eyes lit up with laughter. "I've never seen you try so hard to follow the rules before. What exactly is it that you don't want me to tell Al? Wait, okay, your question-- Well, you know what my post-Hogwarts goals are. I'd like to play Quidditch. If that doesn't work out, then I'm not sure what. I'm not good at anything else." Her thoughts turned to Al then, and as quick as quick as she thought it and before she could tell herself to think of something else, the words were out of her mouth. "And Al. I don't know how yet, but he's always in my plans." James wasn't quite sure what to address first. His thoughts were pulling in so many different directions and it hurt his head as they all bubbled together and stuck in his throat. He closed his eyes again, not squeezing them but just to steady himself and attempt to sort his thoughts into some sort of order. He decided to focus on her actual answer, he could ignore his brother easier that way. Thinking of Al would put him on dangerous ground. "You're good at a lot more than you think, Corner. You just don't know it yet. That's the thing about Quidditch. Those who are good at it - and I mean really good at it - are good at it for a reason besides being athletic. There's something else there. And you're really good. Honest," he swore, pointing to the cup. "And on that note: what do you think your greatest non-Quidditch related achievement at Hogwarts has been?" "I suppose getting tapped by a secret society doesn't count, so I guess the O I got in Charms. I got one in Potions too, but it was more of an accomplishment to do it in Charms." She felt stupid admitting that out loud. Eager to change the subject, she said, "It's my turn to ask a question, isn't it? Is Bethwyn in Wand and Quill?" James grinned. "No, she's not. And it was a bitch keeping it from her last year when I was going through this whole tapping process. I tell her I have Quidditch strategy meetings when we have our Society meetings, since she has about as much interest in Quidditch as I do in half the things she reads," James confessed with a shrug. "She wants to be in some Society for Creative Anachronisms or something. I don't think she really cares if us and the Circle exist. That helps. You'll have to think up something to tell Al though," he warned. "Kid is wicked smart. Luckily for me he just assumes whatever I'm doing has to be against the rules so he ignores me most of the time. You? Not so much." "Al doesn't pay that much attention to me. I mean, he doesn't care what I do. He's not nosey at all, ever. I don't think he'll ask me about it. But I did lie to you when I promised not to tell him. I don't know if I can keep that. Can't you just tap him, too?" "We can't," James said stoically, shaking his head at her. "The Knights of the Pool Table isn't for Al. He wouldn't be comfortable with us. And I wouldn't selfishly put him through this process just because it would make keeping our secret easier." Falling silent, James glanced down at his hands, fuzzy around the edges as if he was looking through his dad's glasses. "You can't tell him either, Lindsay. It's part of the sacrifice. Balance, you know? You can't have what you want without giving something up in return. In this case? It's keeping our secret. Your secret. Ultimate cosmic powers; itty bitty living space." James squeezed his eyes shut as the quote from that cartoon about geanies and magic lamps spilled out. "Sorry. I'm quoting movies again. It just sort of happens. Let's move on, shall we? What qualities do you look for in a friend?" It was one of the standard questions. James had been asked it himself. But he was curious about the answer in this case, as the friendship between Lindsay and his brother had always been something of a conundrum to him. Gryffindors and Slytherins. Rarely did they mix well - if at all. Lindsay tugged on one of her curls. "Someone who understands me, mostly. I get along with the people I do because we have things in common. We like the same things, even if those things are sometimes dull or boring. I like to stargaze. I like being antisocial. I like to be by myself sometimes, too, and my friends understand that. Mostly, though, I look for someone I can trust. Someone who doesn't keep secrets from me. You've really never told anyone about this?" Well that made sense. Sort of. James shrugged. "Fred is a Knight. And Lucy and Rose are both being tapped. I have someone to share it with. And your friend - Ace Boot, you're friends with him and his sister, yeah? - well he's one of us. So that's someone. I've never discussed Wand and Quill with anyone who wasn't in Wand and Quill until I approached you. I was convinced I was going to be smoted - " James paused, his brow furrowing " - Smited? Smote? - it doesn't matter. What matters is you start to feel protective. So many people are against the Societies. Bloxam is trying to start a bloody war on us. You kind of get a bit paranoid. What if you say something and the wrong person finds out? What if I single handedly bring ruin to us? That's what stops me at least." Al wouldn't, but... "Okay, fine." She glared, but she meant it. She wouldn't tell Al or Prentiss or anyone she was in Wand & Quill. If that was the rule, then fine. "You win. I won't tell anyone. But what's so great about this society that it's worth protecting?" "I don't know," he said, surprising himself with the words. "I mean, there's everything it's good for. Influence, getting the career you want, being part of this vast network that extends way beyond what you can imagine. And there's the perks, like the pool and the pool table and the Unisquid, may he rest in peace," he added, glancing up and pointing at the ceiling in a brief moment of respect. "And there's the people, your fellow Knights. From every house. And they're there if you need help with an essay - Chloe is fucking brilliant at essays - or just want to play some pool - in which case, find Louis or Ace or me and you're bound to get a run for your money. This whole group of people you'd never even think to speak to otherwise. Paige, Ace and I have our Quidditch rivalries out on the pitch but in the Pool House I can congratulate them on a win and actually fucking mean it. So... I don't know, I guess. They sound like pretty shallow reasons when you just say them. It's kind of more than that, all of that. It's important. It's worth surviving and protecting." Growing silent, James bit at his lip, trying to stop the next part that came out but knowing he couldn't, and he closed his eyes as if he could block out his words if he didn't see her face. "I'd do anything to protect it. Even give up Quidditch if I had to." As much as she didn't want to admit it, what James said sounded pretty amazing and like something she very much did want to be a part of. "I don't know if I can do this without Al." Godric, she needed to stop saying his name. The harder she tried, the more her thoughts kept returning to him. "What will happen if I back out now? I won't, but... I'm scared. Okay. What is the best memory you have from being in this...society?" James grinned. He couldn't help it, really. "Not too long ago, when Bloxam gave us that huge essay, a bunch of us met down in the Pool House. There was take out, and blackball and swimming and Chloe helped get my essay to it's length. Paige, Louis, Ace, Melody, a whole bunch of us were all down there. And we got our essays finished too. I think it's just moments like that. When you have all these people who would never hang out normally, but with WAQ they do. Who needs big events when you have things like that?" She nodded, considering. "That sounds nice, I guess. And overwhelming. I'm not social. Who else did you invite?" "It's pretty casual. No one is forced to do anything. Kind of... come if you like. You can just swim if you don't want to play pool, even," he explained. And then her question came and he opened his mouth again, the names about to pour out. But something about Polyjuice he'd learned flitted through his head: wording. Use the wording to find loopholes. "Personally, you're my only tap," James responded, quite honestly. "But the names of who the others tapped is still confidential. You'll find out later," he promised, feeling a little queasy at how close he'd come to giving that one away. Best to end this soon. "I don't think you'll have any problems being initiated. That is, you're still interested, right?" "I don't know. How am I supposed to know if I don't know who will be in it with me? What happens if I back out?" Thankfully the Veritaserum was wearing off, the fact that James had been able to rethink his previous answer was proof enough, but his ability to shrug at Lindsay and smirk mysteriously completely gave it away. "You know a few in it now. Louis Summerby and Ace Boot, for one. Lots of Quidditch players for another. We wouldn't have tapped you if we didn't think you were right for us. And if you back out... well, do you want to back out? I don't think you do." James rolled his shoulders back. "And, being as the potion has worn off, I think this interview is closed. Nicely done, Corner." "That didn't last very long," she said, eyes narrowed at him, and she told herself to shut up and not argue. She was certain the potion hadn't worn off for her. "But that's probably for the best. I don't want you to know all of my secrets." "It was only a little bit," James pointed out, collecting their tea cups and glancing up at her with a grin. "Unless you just wanted to stay and chat, I'd be happy to drag up more." "No, I'm happy to leave," she said quickly, standing up. "But you better not breathe a word of anything I've told you." "And you better not breathe a word of anything told to you," James warned, standing up and bringing the tea cups over the side. "The term Secret Society sort of hinges on the 'Secret' part, if you couldn't tell." "Right. I won't tell Albus you think he's smart." She rolled her eyes. "You should tell him that on your own." "Kid wouldn't believe me if I did." Gesturing to the door, James turned back to the teacups. "Go on. Before I drug you again. And Corner - this doesn't get you off easy in practise," he added before she could exit. "I knew it was a drug," she said before dashing out the door. "See you, Brother." |