Absolutely Nothing Suspicious Whatsoever
created by brookline quinn!
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spacing for the space of spacing apparently |
It was late, likely past midnight, and Pyce had managed to stay undetected in the library. With luck, sneaking back into the Gryffindor commons wouldn't be too hard. It's not like they had ever had to do it before. Usually they were done with whatever they were reading far before curfew came up. Of course, they hadn't intended to stay out so late, but Pyce had partially lost track of time, and partially just didn't want to go back. Perhaps this lax approach to the situation came from a sort of almost bored familiarity to the school and its rules. Not that Pyce would call themself a rulebreaker by any means! But, perhaps Hecate and the whole house of Gryffindor were bad influences.
Pyce tucked a bookmark between the pages of their latest find and slipped it back on the shelf. The later it got, the harder it would be to get back. Probably. Pyce hadn't exactly done this before.
They managed to exit the library without being spotted and began the trek back to Gryffindor tower. It was eerily quiet, the usually crowded, noisy halls empty and devoid of all usual life. Incredibly unsettling. Pyce decided there and then that they would not be doing this again. Because it really was just them. Them and a long, long empty hall.
Until they felt a hand on their shoulder and whipped around with a scream.
"Pff. You're loud for this hour." Hecate. Just Hecate.
"You. Are the worst." Pyce snapped back, nudging 'Cate's hand off their shoulder.
"Why are you even out this late?" The Slytherin menace asked.
"Was reading." Pyce pouted. "You?"
"Nerd. I'm just wandering. Wanna join?" Hecate had that look about him. The kind that promised a scolding from their mum, or Aunt June, whoever was closest. (Pyce pointedly ignored the fact that Aunt June was, in fact, also within the castle at this very moment.) They didn't trust that look one bit.
"You're going outside."
"I'm going outside." Pyce sighed and considered. Perhaps, had it been a different day, one where Pyce had left the library earlier, one where common sense was still present and at play, they might have acted differently, wiser. As it was, they did not.
"You know what? Sure." Hecate quietly cheered- Before grabbing Pyce's arm and dragging them through the halls.
In no time at all, the twins were standing outside of Hogwarts castle. The cool evening breeze was filled with an air of excitement. Perhaps this was completely, utterly, and unnecessarily stupid, but there was something fun about it. A deliberate disobeying of the rules.
It was freezing outside, probably the only thing Pyce truly disliked about this, but the stars were bright and the world itself was bathed in moonlight. Despite it being, more or less, the same view from Pyce's window in Gryffindor tower, it was beautiful, so they could forgive the cold. Somewhat. Pyce wasn't even prepared for this kind of weather.
"Did you have a reason to come out here?" Pyce asked, voice soft, looking up at the stars.
"I was gonna cut off my ponytail. Seemed fun."
"So you brought me out here so you could... Cut your hair." Hecate winced slightly. Good, he could tell how stupid that sounded.
"Wh- It- I don't know!" 'Cate stammered. Pyce was related to a complete and utter idiot.
"You have poor impulse control."
"And you suck!" Pyce rolled their eyes and idly combed their fingers through their own ponytail. It had been much shorter at the beginning of the year, round and puffy. But as months passed, it had grown out into something a bit longer, making them closer resemble Hecate. The two had been getting confused for each other more as time passed. Which was a bit weird, at least in Pyce's opinion, considering Hecate had the remains of white hair dye despite the ginger roots showing through once again.
"You know, your hair is getting long too." Hecate commented. Pyce shot him a look.
"Do you want to hack something with scissors that badly?" The shrug was all the answer they needed.
"Well- It is also just- nice- out here. I make it a habit to come out at least once a week." He's being serious, but- Gosh, the wording was just too perfect. And, hey, no one said Hecate was the only menace twin.
Pyce set a mock comforting hand on Hecate's shoulder. "No matter who you love, you're still my brother." It took a second for the words to register. 'Cate choked out a laugh before playfully shoving Pyce off.
"Nooo! You suck!!" The two of them dissolved into giggles.
Pyce wiped away a tear from their eye. "That does explain why you're always in detention though." They commented once they got their breathing back under control. 'Cate stuck his tongue out.
"You could cut my hair." Pyce offered after a moment of silence.
"Seriously?"
"As long as it's not too short." Pyce rather liked their little ponytail.
"Have I told you you're my favorite twin?"
"Once in a blue moon."
It took about five minutes of snipping sounds and fiery ginger hair floating to the ground before Pyce started to question their choice. Truly, they should have questioned it sooner. Hecate was untrustworthy with suck tasks on the best of days...
"You don't have a mirror, do you." Of course he didn't! But who knows what Hecate does or doesn't have. He clearly had scissors!
Hecate shook his head. "You can see it when you get back to your dorm?" Oh. Oh gosh. Pyce was going to have short hair.
937
@Jrue Peterson
ReducioAt long last, the detention post! Pyce does try to stick to the new hair style, they really do, but like- it doesn't even last a full year before they grow it back out.
"The only thing stopping me from having a dragon living in my backyard is the law. Absolutely nothing else."
Absolutely Nothing Suspicious Whatsoever
There’s nothing better about being a prefect than the wonderful duty of being up until the wee hours of the morning.
Said absolutely nobody ever.
Not that Jrue didn’t like being a prefect, she was just a go to sleep at 9, 10 at the latest, and wake up at 6 kinda girl. If it weren’t for her and Zephyr trading off on the 1 am shift, she could be tucked away snugly in her plush down comforter, her roommate Maisie Fenwick snoring softly in the bed beside her.
But here she was, in her yellow striped hufflepuff jumper, with her lightest school cloak over her shoulders, and her purple prefect badge, glistening the soft reflections of moonlight. She had tried humming to herself to try and stay awake, but much to her satisfaction she started in the wrong key, and the song sounded rather awful. The thought to bring Skippyjon Jones had occurred to her, but she didn’t know if bringing your pet cat was against the Prefect handbook.
Now she stood with achey knees, kicking at the pebbles of the school’s walkway, checking around each corner for any lurking students. It wasn’t often she found any Hufflepuffs about. Ravenclaws were rumored to have an early bedtime too. Now Gryffindors, they were the rowdy bunch. She’d heard of a pranking club, magical misfits? Something or other. Jrue had assumed it was a Gryffindor thing. No refined Ravenclaws or Hufflepuffs would take part in such a rowdy club- one that broke rules nonetheless.
She twirled a bit of hair around her finger, rounding the corner of the courtyard and walking out onto the grounds of the castle. It was very lovely out, she did have to admit. Since joining the prefect team, the few times she had been outside to patrol, she had to deal with not one, but two bouts of rain. Her hair had gotten all stringy and flat, and she’d gone back to her fellow Hufflepuffs, fuming whilst they were all glad they hadn’t been up for the late night shift. Now Jrue was just glad she wasn’t sopping wet.
She squinted her eyes at the distant horizon, the mountains of her homeland gorgeous as ever. It wasn’t like she didn’t see Scotland only everyday, but there was something magical about it at night. Shitfting her gaze, she continued striding across the cool, dewy grass, eyes once again transfixed on the castle.
“Shit-!”
The girls dusty pink and white wand flew out of her hand as she tripped over a rock, her legs barely stabilizing herself as she grabbed at the wand, the stick bouncing about in her grasp before landing into her right hand. Her salt and pepper eyes were wide, focused on the foreground immediately in front of her. She slowly lifted herself upwards, bringing her wand in close and blinking at nothing. “It is far too dark. Lumos-” The girls wand lit up at the casting of her spell, now illuminating the rock that had nearly caused her demise. “Dreaded geology. Dreaded shrubbery-“ Her foot stomped at the rock, before she stood up and collected herself coolly.
She stood in the open grass for another moment, tucking loose strands of hair behind her ears. “I’m a prefect. silly rocks don’t bother me. Only the looming sense of leadership on my shoulders shall-“ The tone of the girls voice changed as she amped up her british accent, making herself sound snooty and intimidating before she laughed at her own joke. Her wand now showed her where she had wandered off to. Jrue wasn’t far from the courtyard. She figured she’d loop around at the large double doors near the entrance of the great hall, nodding to herself as she continued on in the silence.
629/200
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Absolutely Nothing Suspicious Whatsoever
created by brookline quinn!
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spacing for the space of spacing apparently |
Pyce leveled their idiot brother with a glare. Hecate, for his part, had the good sense to at least look sheepish. Pyce's hair, which usually went down just past their shoulder, was so short that it couldn't even reach their neck!
"It looks good!" The traitor spouted falsehoods. Gosh! Pyce knew trusting a scissor-happy idiot was a bad idea!
"IT'S SHORT!" Pyce wasn't really freaking out- but they kind of were. "People are gonna think I'm a boy!" More so than they already did. It wasn't so common at home, but at Hogwarts... Pyce tugged a bit on their newly shortened hair. It wasn't that bad. They've had short hair before. Pyce took a gulp of air. "No- no, they won't. It's not- Ugh!" Pyce flopped onto their back.
"Sorry?" Hecate offered.
"It's fine." Pyce combed their fingers through their hair, unused to how short it was.
"I can write "Nonbinary" on your forehead in permanent marker if you think that will help." Pyce choked out a laugh. Gosh, Hecate may be a menace but- Pyce played with their fingers for a moment. Hecate was a good brother. One who had cut their hair too short, but good nonetheless
"It's really fine, Hecate. Just- Lets find a mirror, yeah? I'd like to see the damage, rather than just feel it." 'Cate nodded and popped up from where he was sitting.
"One mirror coming up!" Hecate skipped off into the distance towards the castle, leaving Pyce alone on the ground.
For a far shorter time than Pyce expected. "Actually." Hecate said upon his return. "The ground's nice. Inside can wait. Inside's still gonna be there in the next couple minutes, hours, even." He laid down next to Pyce.
"Almost got caught, did you?"
"I never get caught."
"That's nice. Did you recognize them at all?"
"Who? There wasn't anyone."
"Okay. Tell me when we're good to go back." Hecate made a strangled sort of hum that Pyce laughed at. Maybe they should have been paying more attention to their surroundings. Actually- they absolutely should have. But Hecate was well seasoned in sneaking out. (Hecate was also well seasoned in detention, but Pyce was ignoring that for now.) Everything was going to be fine.
372
@Jrue Peterson
ReducioHecate says hi! These two are so unstealthy it's hilarious. And, for the record, Mr. "I have never been caught" is based on a D&D character who has started two out of three campaigns in prison and ended that last one in the same place.
In Hecate's defense, they've never broken out of prison. Pyce's D&D self has
"The only thing stopping me from having a dragon living in my backyard is the law. Absolutely nothing else."