Pee Over There
Who: Saffron and Bet Where: Hogwatrs. Huffle and then the rest in Raven dorms. When: Backdated!: Friday, March 7th What: Family.
Saffron was a light sleeper. Not in the way that she kept her ear to the door waiting for something or anything to interrupt her slumber. No, that wasn't the case. When she slept, she slept well. She slept and slept on her specially made silk white sheets. There were moments that she dreamt too. Mostly of Quidditch but there were moments she dreamt about other things. Such as falling, and water, and forewarnings of possible death, illness, and a reptiles. Salamanders really. She dreamt of happy things too. Like her father actually learning to play Quidditch and her being the Queen of the World. The latter not for selfish purposes ... well, not really for selfish purposes. But if she was queen of the world she could better protect the people she cared about. And eliminate the thing that was called Qoudpot.
Moreover, because she barely had the time for it Saffron took to sleep with gusto when ever she could. However, she was still a light sleeper. It was in her make up to be one. Light sleepers were always ready for action, always ready for some sudden change, always ready to be up and about. Not that Saffron awoke at any little sound. Her body was wired to certain sounds. Just as it was wired to wake up at five o'clock in the morning mattering not what day. Her body seemed to know what to keep an ear out for. She knew the difference between shuffling feet going to the bathroom or shuffling feet sneaking to steal the cookies. A cough that was a clearing of the throat or a cough that was for a cold. Perhaps it was being the oldest of four. Or the fact that she had trained herself to stay awake those years her parents arguments would escalate and sound through the house, so that she could give comfort to any little one who happened to sneak into her bed. Or perhaps it was the fact that Saffron was just an anal over-obsessive worry wart and liked to be prepared for any slight imagined happening; that was why she was such a light sleeper. But whatever it was, her mind was wired for cues. That's how she knew the difference between roommates whispering or a younger cousin coming through the two-way mirror. .
"Saff. Saff, are you awake?"
Scrunching her eyes shut and rubbing at the side of them with a knuckle as she sat up, Saffron responded, "Yeah. What is it? Do you need something?" She asked, sounding as if she had been up reading instead of dreaming of Benedict from Shakespeare's As You Wish. Even though the truth was that she was trying to regain her bearings. Her mind was currently fuzzy and she just almost missed the quaver in her cousin's tone.
"Yeeahhhh." Bet dragged out the word. "Um, could ... could you come over?"
"Hmm." She bit back a yawn. "Mmhm. What's the matter? Is everything okay? Is it another nightmare?"
"Ye-I ... could you just come over?"
"Yes. Of course. Give me a min, yeah? I'll be right there."
"Okay. Signing off."
Saffron gave a small grin, "Kay-o." She said as she slid off of her bed and slid on her slippers. Making her way to her trunk she changed out of her sleeping clothes and pulled on a jumper and some sweats. There was no way in bloody hell would she walk around Hogwarts in her dressing gown. Not for anyone. Not even for her family. Well maybe for her family. But for no one else. How improper would that be?
Taking hold of the mirror, some chocolate and peanut butter, and The Platinum Snitch by the Quafflepockers, Saffron was now properly prepared to sneak from the Hufflepuff dormitories to the Ravenclaw ones. Despite what other people thought she was rather good with sneaking about. She was just horrid at being sneaky.
Keeping to the shadows Saffron easily made it to the west side of the castle only stopping once to give Mrs. Norris a piece of chocolate. Taking the long winding stairway up to the fifth floor Saffron was soon met by the Ravenclaw eagle. Sadly, she couldn't give him a piece of chocolate for entrance.
"Well then, what's the riddle?" Saffron sighed. She hated to admit it but for all her intelligence she didn't understand most jokes and some riddles. Her father said it had to do with her different way of thinking, Saffron just knew that it made feel stupid.
"A woman was horrified to find a fly in her tea. The waiter took her cup and went into the kitchen and returned with a fresh cup of tea. She shouted, "You brought me the same tea!" How did she know? "
Pausing, her brows furrowed softly and she bit down on her tongue in thought.
It wasn't as if the waiter brought her the same cup, Saffron thought. She recalled a time she'd asked Malachi to change her drink but being the lazy one that he was he hadn't washed her cup. Although it had looked clean she'd known he hadn't watched it because .... But how? How would the woman know?
"The answer?" The knocker pressed when Saffron still hadn't answered five full minutes later.
"Because she put something in it. That led her to taste it was the same tea." She answered slowly. What could she have put there that would have led her to know by taste and not ... "She added sugar to her tea before and when she tasted it it was sweet!"
"Correct." The knocker said before letting her in.
Grinning, Saffron stepped into the Ravenclaw common room and headed straight to Bet's bed. Casting a quick Silencio Saffron slid into Bet's bed.
"What took you so long? Did you get caught?" Her cousin asked as she nervously licked her bottom lip.
"Patience, little bit. Do you think if I had gotten caught I would have been here? Because I could have honestly said, 'But professor I'm just sneaking into another students bed' and they would have just let me go." Saffron reasoned with a rare moment of sarcasm, though she grinned when her cousin giggled.
"You made it sound so naughty."
"Well, forgive me for encroaching on your and Belinda territory."
Bet rolled her eyes as she sat up and firmly attached herself to her cousin's side the way a moss did to a rock. Saffron didn't mind. She simply adjusted her position without a word and wrapped her arm around her cousin's shoulders, "You know trying to climb onto my lap won't work as well with me as it would with Liam, seeing as we're practically the same size."
"I guess you'll just have to fatten up then."
"Oh, right. Because as if I haven't tried that already. I have a hollow leg." Saffron replied with a smug grin.
"No. You just can't keep your arse down."
Though Saffron rarely did bodily movements such as shrugging and rolling her eyes it was quite easy to hear it all in her tone, "Same difference." She replied. "I'm simply saying that sitting on my lap would hurt unlike when you sit on Liam's lap."
Bet let out a gasp of outrage, "Are you calling me fat!?"
"Did I mention the word fat?" A dark brow quirked up ever so slightly.
"No." Bet huffed. "But you were thinking it. You were implying it."
"Why would I imply it when I can easily say that you're fat. That you weigh more that I do. That your arse is gianormous!"
"Merlin, you're so mean!"
"Yes, but I serve purposes."
"Being a jerk?"
"No, though I can be rather good at that. I was speaking of getting your mind off things." Saffron gently reminded.
Elizabeth further burrowed herself into her cousin as she murmured, "Yeah, I suppose you are good at that."
"Just suppose? Remind me never to come running when you call."
"You didn't come running. If you had you would have been here quicker."
The two girls fell silent as Saffron threaded her fingers through Bet's hair. "Was it that bad?" She finally asked.
"I, I didn't mean to make it sound ... I didn't mean to say that you-"
"Was it that bad?" Saffron asked again.
"C-can I just have some chocolate first?"
The Hufflepuff hesitated before nodding once. Bet could feel the movement against her head, Saffron's chin brushing against her head. The movement was unintentionally soothing.
"All right but don't think you can avoid telling me what this one was about."
"I'm not going to avoid, I did say chocolate first."
"Which means nothing. Knowing you, you'd avoid the subject matter until it gives you more nightmares and sleepless nights."
"And knowing you, you'd never let that happen and be after me until I was telling you memories from the womb."
"Don't be ridiculous. No one's memory is as good as mine." Tone teasing.
"For one with such brilliant memory you're not remembering I want the chocolate."
"We were talking."
"Mult-task! That is what you are good at aren't you?"
"I'm good at nearly everything. But I do need you to get off of my arm and let go of my hand so that I can actually reach for the chocolate and unwrap it." Saffron pointed out seriously.
"Unwrap it with your teeth."
"I'd eat it. Get off. Only for a quick minute. That's a good girl."
"I'm not a dog you know."
"Sometimes I wonder." Saffron muttered very lowly to herself with small smirk. Reaching over to Bet's dresser, when Bet allowed her to move, she grabbed the chocolate and the peanut butter.
"Chunky?"
"The only way to eat it. Here. I know you like bittersweet when you're in a foul mood." Saffron handed her cousin a bar of chocolate. "Dig in!" Taking a piece of Hershey she scooped up a large dollop of chunky peanut butter. "This is so many calories." She said as she moaned in happiness, chewing the piece.
"Calories, schmalories. This is the only way to go."
"Hmm." Saffron said in agreement as she licked a bit of peanut butter off her lip. "Can't argue with that. The only way this would be better if this was a hot sundae."
"Merlin, don't even talk. I suddenly want one right now."
"Later." She promised. "We'll wake up Vee and Belinda and we'll go to the kitchens. They always have ice cream already prepared there. "
"Very true." Bet agreed. "What else did you bring? Did you bring any music?" She asked curiously, even though she knew that Saffron always brought music. Her cousin had quite a love of music, being infected at a young age by her uncle David. It wasn't anywhere as strong as her love for her family, and definitely not as strong as her love for Quidditch, but it was in the top five.
"Yes, I brought music. The Quafflepockers. They solve everything."
"I can't wait to get the Burn the Witch album."
"I know!" Saffron exclaimed with a slight grin. "I'm counting down the seconds on a parchment."
"You're strange."
"No. I'm devoted."
"A bit mad with the devoted?" Bet asked with a teasing grin.
Saffron chewed quietly as she actually considered the question. "I suppose. Should that be my title? A Bit Mad with the Devotion?"
"You sound like a bad Warbeck song." Bet made a rather comical face as she shook her head. "Stick with Batman and Queen of Keen Perception."
"That's enough."
Bet rolled her eyes and let out a dramatic sigh, "You del Mars. Things are never enough for you."
Saffron chose to ignore that comment. She never liked to be reminded of how much she was like her mother's family. She liked it even less when she was compared to her Grandmother's family. It made her sick to her stomach and also arose her rare temper. She was not a del Mar and she was not a Yaxley, she was neither cold hearted nor a backstabbing cheat. She was a Capper. Honest, fair, and wonderfully fashionable.
"I suppose I could do with another title." Saffron said slowly. "It should be in my quest for everyone to realize how wonderful I am!" She grinned as she quirked a brow and popped another piece of chocolate into her mouth.
Bet stared at her cousin for a moment before grinning back. "I hope you're kidding."
"I kid not. I never kid about my greatness. It diminishes in others' eyes." She said seriously enough for Bet to wonder. Her cousin was an egocentric anal-retentive. Luckily, she had chocolate and was rather easy to love. Bet voiced her thoughts.
"I would hope I was. It'd make controlling my minions ever so much easier."
"I'm rethinking calling you a Warbeck song."
"A bad Warbeck song."
"All of her songs are bad."
"All of her songs are not bad. All of her songs are just horribly out ... horribly ... they're not all bad." Saffron finished lamely. She rather liked Celestia Warbeck. Rather. Sometimes.
"Sure. Whatever. Just know I'll tell Uncle David."
"Uncle David can't say much since he dated her and dumped her."
"Who hasn't Uncle David dated."
"An Abott, a Davis, and anyone under nineteen when he hit twenty-five."
Bet's brows shot up and her grin widened as a small giggle escaped. Saffron successfully did not show any external reaction to the sound but internally she glowed, giving herself a mental pat on the back for getting one so quickly.
"Seriously?" Bet asked.
Inane conversation solved many-a problems. Bet could talk about any topic under the sun if she set her mind to it and Saffron always listened, occassionaly commenting with a random comment or logical insight. It was a good way to pass time for one cousin who wanted to avoid the questions of an over-protective older one and the other cousin calmly waited to give comfort.
"Most seriously. I remember. And he talks."
"He brags." The honeyed blonde corrected.
Saffron shook her head, "It's not bragging ... well, yes it is. However, you know how Uncle David is. It's more excited, childish, chatter than smug cockiness. Though he does have his moment with those." She said fondly.
"Oh yes. We hear it whenever he signs someone."
"You act as if you're the one who doesn't ask after his clients. I can barely get the two of you to shut up." Saffron rolled her eyes before shrugging. "At least we get free music."
Bet who was too surprised by what her cousin had done exclaimed, "You rolled your eyes AND shrugged. At the same time."
"Oh, Helga." Saffron muttered. She was always hearing comments muttered by Belinda and her cousin how she was carved out of stone because she rarely gave way to facial expressions. She pretended not to act as if it bothered her, though it did. They made it seem like she was made out of ice and that she acted that way all the time. She liked to think she had a heart and that she showed it to people. Yes, perhaps, she'd been a bit distant since the war. Though who hadn't? It had nothing to do with her being a muggle robot or like a del Mar, like her uncle Tonio. Then again with her tio Tonio one knew how he was right off. That was more than she could say for a certain deceased member of his family. "You're not funny." Saffron said.
"I wasn't trying to be funny. I was truly surprised."
"And yes, that does make it better." That right there was sarcasm. Quiet and light but sarcasm nonetheless.
"You have to admit you can be a bit reserved when you want to be."
"Key words."
"A bit reserved?"
"You're still not funny."
"Yes, that was. You cracked a smile for that one."
"No, that was a grimace. From restraint from keeping myself from reaching out and shutting you up."
"Shutting me up? Shutting me up? Ha! I never shut up."
"Unfortunately." Saffron said with an over-exaggerated sigh. Even though they both knew it wasn't true. Ever since Azkaban Bet had become a shadow of herself. So much more quiet. It was close to unnatural.
"If you're going to be insulting you can leave your things and go." Bet sniffed daintily, jokingly.
"You're the one who invited me, remember?" Saffron said seriously. It had been a good opening and so she had taken it.
"I don't want to."
"That's mature." She said as she screwed the peanut butter jar's cap back on. Then she carefully rewrapped the chocolate she hadn't finished and placed them both on Bet's dressing. Saffron thought best when she was cleaning. She thought best when she was doing something. She always had to be doing something because she was always thinking on how to make something right. "You wake me up from sleep about something you don't want to remember."
"You said you were up. Anyway, can't I want to spend time with my cousin?"
"I saw you this morning. Tell me."
"There is nothing to tell. If you don't want to stay here just go. Go."
"Tell me."
"Go!" Bet said angrily, her mood quickly changing. She hated that Saffron pressed. Why did the other girl always have to be tenacious, wanting to be helpful, disgustingly optomistic, stubborn Hufflepuff? It wasn't as if she didn't know that she had changed. It wasn't as if she didn't know it hurt her family to see the change. She couldn't help it and she didn't want to be reminded always of the fact that she couldn't. Yes, she had been the one who called her but that was because she had needed comfort. As annoying Saffron could be, as naggy or as obsessive, her older cousin was comfort. Saffron was calm, understanding, thinking to bring the goodies comfort. People needed that. Bet needed that. She just didn't want to analyze it or listen to a lecture about why sharing emotions were good. As if Saffron never sulked and brooded. Puh-lease.
"Tell me." Saffron said patiently.
"Now you're taking tactics from your brother?"
"They're effective."
"I'm not telling you."
"Nor are you a step away from physically shoving me off the bed." Saffron said, pointing out Bet's second sudden change of mood.
"If I had you would have left with the chocolate." Bet muttered petulantly.
"True." Sliding back up next to her cousin and pulling the reluctant, not truly reluctant, body up against hers Saffron continued to think.
She thought of a lot of things. Saffron liked to think. She wasn't a deep philosophical thinker. She rarely had time for that wishy-washiness, though it could be amusing. Saffron liked to think because Saffron liked to do. She liked to do strategy, she liked to always have a plan. Right now she didn't. And she didn't like that. She didn't like that she didn't know how to fix things. Bet needed to talk about it. It was healthy. Even if it wasn't Bet needed to talk. She had to. That was what made her Bet. When she didn't talk a bit more of her seem to slip away. Into her mind, into her memories and Saffron didn't know how to fix that. She had to fix it. It was her job as the oldest. Her job as Bet's cousin. Her responsibility since it had been her own mother who had given Bet away. She supposed she could become a Legimens. Instead of Quidditch. She hated the Ministry but it would be interesting.
The Ministry. Interesting as learning about being a Legimens would be Saffron didn't trust herself around a Ministry Official. Broken noses and flying objects might occur. She supposed that logically that it wasn't this Ministry's fault. There were many new workers and many good intentions. Nevertheless, she blamed them. Blamed them for Azkaban. Blamed them for how Vee, Bet, and countless others were. And hated them for not making it better. For not figuring out how. Shouldn't they had a system for it? If they ever placed an innocent person in Azkaban. It happened all the time in the muggle world. And they had proper people to help try make it better. Though nothing truly made it better. Still, they tried. What the bloody hell did the Wizarding World have? Broken families and good intentions piled higher than the shit they couldn't get themselves out of.
She really hated the Ministry. She really hated Death Eaters. She really hated her mother. And there were times she really hated herself. Because in those moments practically flew the way of the Snitch and all she could think was that she should have done something. Anything. And she should do something now.
"Do you remember ... when Barmy was born?"
The silence seemed to protest the question that had cut through it. It was harsh and near deafening after Saffron spoke. She held her breath and waited. One could never tell what mood Bet would be in and where they would lead her. It was a certainty. As much as Saffron enjoyed constants this was one she wished wasn't.
"Yes." Her cousin responded quietly, barely over a whisper. It contained the slightest bit of anger but Saffron knew that the anger wasn't directed at her. How she wished it was.
"Remember how Leeny was near frantic over it?"
Leeny was one of the Capper family house-elves. Leeny was a frantic house-elf on principle, however, when her son had been born she had been more anxious than usual. Despite herself, Bet smiled when she remembered why.
"It was because she had agreed to let Malachai name him." Saffron answered her question letting Bet sit in the comforting tone of her voice. Letting Bet know there was no pressure. Not now, not while she was around.
However, Bet felt the need to say something, "I don't know what she was thinking agreeing to that." She said with a shake of her head.
"You know no one can resist either of my siblings anything. Especially not Malachai. You remember him when he was six. So wide-eyed, so mischievous, yet so well intentioned. He was over the moon when he found out that she was pregnant. You would have thought he was the father."
A huff of amusement shot through the night. One step away from a giggle. Bet's smile widened as she remembered her little cousin, "Yes, while your younger siblings are irresistible but they are ... them. Explosive Boy and Mud Girl."
"They need better superhero names."
"What?" Bet asked as she let out a shocked laugh. She didn't know why she was surprised. She should have been used by Saffron's random moments of strange humor. At least by now.
"Batman can't have siblings named Explosive Boy and Mud Girl."
"You do know you're not Batman. Right."
"Of course I am. Vee said I was. Why would she lie?"
"I hope this isn't another Stubby Boardman is Sirius Black episodes."
"I love how you can never remember where you put your socks but you can never forget that." Saffron pointed drily.
"Because socks aren't as funny as that moment. Or as funny as your grandfather's face when Mal kept giving potential names."
"Sometimes I think grandfather wishes he had more focused and serious grandchildren."
"No one is more focused than you three. You're ... simply unique on how you focus." Bet said loyally.
Saffron's smiled. "Thanks. I think. No matter for that now. Or Stubby."
"But you love Stubby."
"No. I don't. I like Stubby. Uncle David loves Stubby and I just nod in the right places. I love his music. But I don't love Stubby."
"Blasphemy."
"Can I continue my story. Though you know that was one of Mal's suggestions for Barmy."
"Blasphemy? Why didn't he? In fact I'm surprised that he hadn't named it Bloody Hell or Shitless. Leeny would have gone round the bend over those. I still can't believe she promised him that he could name the baby anything."
"It was his birthday. And as I said, irresistible."
"True." Bet admitted. Malachi Capper was many things. A troublemaker, more annoyingly perceptive than his sister, simply plain annoying, a drama queen, and a whinger. However, one could never deny that he was a charming and sweet boy. "Why hadn't he?" Bet asked.
"Papa. Papa gave him a talk. Some ridiculously long spiel about fairness, Barmy growing up and being made fun of the other little house-elves, how my brother was a just man and he knew that he would choose a proper name, and other things that had nothing to do with the topic. I think he mostly went on because he enjoyed how good the speech was and because of the fact the he actually had gotten Mal to sit down for more than five minutes."
At that Bet giggled. "Proper name? Barmy is a proper name?"
"Leeny, Dinky, Dobsey, Newsie, Foozy," Saffron quickly listed the names of her house-elves.
"Quaffle." Bet pointed out with another giggle.
"Hey." Saffron mumbled with a slight blush. "Foozy asked me to pick a name. Quaffle is as good as any other name and what's more it doesn't have that irritating 'eeee' sound."
"Uh-huh."
"Oh, what would have you named a house-elf?"
"I don't know. Certainly not Quaffle. Why didn't you name it snitch again?"
"Because I wanted to be a chaser before I liked the seeker position."
"Right now I remember. You mean before someone accidently hit a quaffle at your head and you took it out on the ball?" Bet laughed.
"Merlin." Saffron huffed. "I did not take it out on the ball. It was a logical change of position. I'm small enough!"
"You took it out on the ball. You screeched at it and the person and then you threw the ball at a large tree. I don't think I ever knew you could throw a temper tantrum but that one was glorious." Bet continued to laugh. "I don't think I've ever known someone to hold a grudge against an inanimate object."
Saffron pouted. She was stuck between sulking at being laughed at or grinning over Bet laughing.
"It was cute. But be sure you know I'll sell it to Rita Skeeter when you become famous."
"Not Belinda?"
"Oh no." Bet seriously shook her head. "She'd never let you live that down. At least Rita might save you some respectability."
"I don't need to be saved respectability. I am not holding a grudge against the damn ball!"
"Uh huh."
"You know you're avoiding talking about the nightmare."
"I know." Bet hesitated before smiling again. "Thank you for understanding."
"You do know what that means though."
Bet's eyes widened. "All right. Okay, the nightmare." She rushed. "You see I woke up in cold sweat because-"
"Na-ah." Saffron grinned with an unholy glee that was too comfortable on her small face. "You can tell me later. But now it's punishment time. You know the penalty of being evasive."
"Why can't you just whip me!"
"Uh, no." Saffron said after a moment.
"I'd rather."
"No you wouldn't."
"If you were a bloke I would."
"You're disturbing and stop drying to postpone it by annoying me."
"Fine. Fine. But it's only fair if you do it to me I do it to you."
"All right. Who does who first?"
"You do me. Just be careful this time because last time you gave me a crick."
"That's because I was trying to keep you from breaking the silencing charms."
"I am not that loud."
"Are too."
"Am not."
"Are too."
"Am-AHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!" Bet let out a loud piercing screech of laughter as her cousin pounced on her and proceeded to tickle her. "Oh, Merlin I'm going to pee!"
"Pee over there."
This was how it usually went. Food. Music. Sulking. A few angry words. Music. And the kinky punishment of tickles. Sometimes Saffron realized that she couldn't fix everything. Sometimes Bet let her older cousin try. But it always ended with the tickle-attack. Threats of releasing bodily secretions always made things better.