LEGEND OF THE SEEKER FIC: Cara/Kahlan
Title: Unresolved Tensions and Peace Treaties Time Forgot [Bagshot, B.]
Cast: Cara/Kahlan, some others (ahem)
Summary: First edition textbook tale of mystery, intrigue, boring classes, and eye rolling. Publisher's note: further printings on the way.
Notes: This is a Harry Potter crossover. I say "crossover" instead of AU because it feels as if it allows more room for Harry Potter characters to appear in the future. (I totally did say "future.") So essentially it's a high school AU with more ties, broom jokes, and scarves.
Thanks to vicki595 for the quick beta and the-girl-20 for cheerleading and putting up with my flailing. I gesticulate lots.
Just shy of 4,000 words. AO3 link. [First part of Anthology.]
History of Magic isn't just dull and pointless, devoid of any practical application. It is also the one class in all of Hogwarts when time itself appears to stop.
Her first few years, Cara was certain Binns must have been using some sort of incredibly advanced time displacement spell that caused the minutes to pass at a different rate than they did outside his classroom. All the better to fit in another stretch of statistics about yet another goblin war.
Now in her seventh year, she's certain that she would be able to sense the amount of magic in the air that would be required for a spell of that magnitude. However he's doing it, Binn's flair for being impossibly boring is apparently all natural.
The realization doesn't make the experience any more tolerable, however, and Cara has almost resorted to actually pinching herself to keep awake when something small but pointed begins bumping itself against her knee. She looks down just in time to spot a folded piece of paper shuffling up along her leg before gently coming to rest on top of her desk.
For Cara Mason's Eyes Only, it declares in tidy script along the front.
For a brief moment, Cara wonders what sort of spells might have been placed on this note in order to keep others away. It could be just a simple jinx or something a little more fun like the furnunculus hex, which would make anyone nosey enough break out into a series of pimples and warts. Humiliating and amusing, but nothing that wouldn't wear off. Still, it could be fun to toss the note onto another desk, just to see what would happen.
The thought is a fleeting but exciting one, and it jolts Cara with just the slightest tinge of electric curiosity. In Professor Binns' classroom that added burst of energy just might be the only thing keeping you awake, so she's grateful for the mystery if nothing else.
What could be worth the trouble of keeping it secret?
Finally her curiosity gets the best of her and Cara carefully unfolds the note while keeping an eye toward the front of the classroom -- just in case Binns is watching.
Cara,
Meet me on the Quidditch pitch,
tonight after dinner in the Great Hall.
Don't be late. I don't like waiting.
- Kahlan
Cara's surprise is so great that she nearly drops the parchment. Thankfully though, she needn't concern herself with that for very long since it abruptly wriggles loose from her grip, dissolving in a puff of smoke that coils itself into the snake of Slytherin house before drifting away into nothingness.
It's a nice touch, if a bit showy, but then of course it is. Kahlan Amnell always was a bit of a show off.
You can become popular and well-liked at Hogwarts without being a good student or particularly well-behaved and you can captain your house's Quidditch team based entirely on skill, but no one is made Head Girl without being a shining example of what a Hogwarts student ought to be.
The Head Boy and Head Girl enforce the rules, just as the prefects do, but they're also something more. Like older siblings whose behavior your parents prefer -- which Cara understands well from experience -- they are a standard set simply so that it can never be lived up to by the rest. Whatever those illusive qualities of Hogwarts Head Girl perfection might be quantified as, Kahlan has all of them and, just as with most Head Boys and Girls who came before her, she's made a habit of demonstrating as much to the student body at large whenever possible.
It's precisely the sort of thing that should make Cara want to roll her eyes, and until this year -- maybe even until this very moment -- that's exactly what it did. These charms and spells are still incredibly basic and adding a bit of flash and smoke doesn't change that -- it just wastes time.
But this time is different, somehow. This isn't some quick and flashy display tossed out for the approval of the whole school or even their class.
This is for Cara's eyes only.
But why? It's strange to think what Kahlan could possibly want to say to her at any time, let alone sunset on the pitch. They don't have very much in common as far as she knows -- outside of classes and Quidditch. To be honest, she doesn't know very much about Kahlan Amnell. She's clever, and of course she's attractive -- Cara has eyes after all -- but she can be cold and withdrawn in ways that go beyond that usual Slytherin snobbery.
Of course, there are those who would probably say the same of Cara herself, which is just fine with her. It's much easier to get on with people if they have no set expectations for you from the start. One of the benefits to Hufflepuff being the most ignored and overlooked of all the Hogwarts houses is how easy it is to exceed expectations. Cara likes to take people by surprise -- a trait that she and the Head Girl appear to share -- and yet she really doesn't particularly enjoy not knowing what to expect for herself.
That must be why just the thought of this mysterious meeting on the pitch has her stomach coiled up in tight, slithering knots. No other reason.
"Miss Mason, would you care to answer?"
Oh Merlin. Just her luck, isn't it, that Binns actually decides for class participation on the one day she can't be bothered to even feign her interest. "Well, I--" Out of the corner of her eye, Cara can see a dark-haired girl turning around to watch as she stammers.
Well, of course. It'd be just like Kahlan Amnell to sit herself at the very front of the class -- even in History of Magic, which has no practical use whatsoever! -- and despite those good graces and manners Slytherin purebloods are all supposed to have, she clearly sees no problem in outright staring as Cara struggles through a dilemma that could really be said to be all her fault when it comes right down to it. At least, Cara supposes she must be staring. She couldn't say for certain because she refuses to give Kahlan the satisfaction of even glancing her way.
"The… goblin rebellions?" When in doubt, answer with goblins. They've been studying the same twenty years of history for what feels like her entire Hogwarts career. It's nearly always goblins.
"Yes, precisely. Very good."
And just like that, Binns is back to droning on about proclamations of peace, declarations of war, and the occasional mention of centaurs.
There's a chance that Cara sees someone smiling at her from the corner of her eye, but of course she can't be bothered to turn her head to confirm for certain.
*
"Cara." Dahlia comes right up to Cara after class has ended, walking so close that they're nearly breathing the same air.
It's unnerving, if she's being honest, especially with Kahlan watching them.
That is, if Kahlan is watching at all. Cara really wouldn't know, since she refuses to glance back -- why on earth should she care -- and in fact her resolve to continue not caring is so strong that she doubles her pace, causing Dahlia to jog just to catch back up.
"Hey, Cara."
"Yes?"
"What are you doing?"
Cara can't help but snort, flicking her hair back with a casual toss of her head. "You know precisely what I'm doing." If Dahlia's only chasing after her because she wants to ask silly questions, then there's really nothing to be worried about after all. "I'm on my way to Potions. Just like you are."
"No," Dahlia says sharply, snatching hold of Cara's elbow and holding on firmly enough that she actually jerks to a standstill. "What are you doing with Kahlan Amnell?"
Cara frowns, looking first at Dahlia's hand on her arm and then up to her face. "What? Nothing. Don't be stupid."
"She gave you a look."
"She did?" Cara asks much more quickly than she would like, and obviously Dahlia notices that as well from the way her eyebrow raises higher.
"Yes. She did."
This time the reaction is more practiced, a carefully timed shrug and glance away. "Well, I wouldn't know. I don't make it a habit to watch every little thing Kahlan Amnell does while we're in class. Perhaps you should ask her." She tries very hard to make the name sound as if it's dripping with scorn, but really the words just come out sounding a little breathless and awed. She'll have to work on that.
"Oh, maybe I will."
She won't, of course. Cara can already see Dahlia's resolve weakening, just like the grip on her arm. Now when Cara takes a single step back, her hand falls away completely. "Now come on, we'll be late for Potions."
*
Kahlan Amnell was looking at her in class.
Not that Cara actually cares, of course, but it's still interesting. It's an intriguing detail, a useful piece of knowledge, and what is Hogwarts here for if not learning?
So really she's glad that Dahlia mentioned, even if she would have preferred that it was someone other than Dahlia doing the noticing. Your closest (perhaps some would say only) friend since childhood whom you've snogged once or twice in the Quidditch locker rooms -- and sometimes more on late nights in the Hufflepuff dorms -- isn't the one you want worrying about your potentially questionable behavior.
They spent the rest of the walk to the basement classroom with Dahlia repeatedly and pointedly tugging and adjusting her own Hufflepuff tie and making a soft clucking noise with her tongue. Just a quick and direct visual reminder to Cara of her place and responsibilities and where exactly they ought to lie.
It struck her as wildly hypocritical. Weren't the other Hufflepuffs always criticizing her for spending too much time alone, forsaking group activities in favor of solitude? Apparently wanting to be your own person and carve your own path is not considered the "Hufflepuff way," whatever that is meant to be.
So now here she is, agreeing to be more social, and it's got Dahlia's feathers ruffled like one of those terrible owls that the firsties use when their mum and dad don't love them enough to send a real pet.
What would be so bad about getting to know Kahlan Amnell just a little bit better anyway?
Not that getting to know one another is necessarily the reason for their meeting.
Not that there would be anything inherently wrong with wanting to know the stupid Slytherin Head Girl with her ridiculously shiny hair, although everyone knows that Kahlan is already incredibly occupied with the Gryffindor Seeker, and has been for at least a year. In addition to being the best player on his Quidditch team (and its captain), Richard Cypher is also famously known for being profoundly thick. Whatever qualities Kahlan sees in him that have made her look past their house differences, his brains aren't likely to be among them.
Obviously he's good looking enough in that Gryffindor way, where he's always looking vaguely pained on behalf of kittens caught in trees and staring off into the middle-distance, presumably imagining himself off fighting dragons. Still, Cara can't say that she fully understands the appeal. She suspects that, like most Gryffindors, he's probably incredibly earnest and well-meaning to the point of boredom. There are plenty of other blokes with a passable enough face that wouldn't require even half as much effort.
Whatever qualities Kahlan sees in him, Cara is fairly certain that she doesn't share any of them.
*
With Dahlia watching her closely all dinner long, Cara has to wait until her friend finished eating and departed to bed before slipping out herself. On her way to the door, she casts a quick glance down the length of the Slytherin table. No Kahlan in sight; she must have already left.
That's just fine with Cara. I don't like waiting might work on boneheaded Gryffindor Seekers, but Hufflepuffs aren't all the timid pushovers that everyone else at Hogwarts seems to think. In fact, just to make a point, Cara makes certain to take the longest route possible down to the pitch -- if a journey down a hill can really be said to have a longer route -- and has a carefully bored expression already in place when she joins Kahlan at the edge of the stands.
With no one flying about or banners on the railings, the pitch feels oddly empty. Even when Cara has come out here alone to practice in midday, there have always been the sounds of other students on the grass just outside, shouting and breaking school rules by casting jinxes at one another outside of class. Now, with just the two of them, she can hear every creak of the wooden steps as she jogs up to where Kahlan's sitting. "A bit of a strange hour for practice, Amnell." She quickly glances her up and down. "And not dressed, I see."
If Cara didn't know better, she'd say Kahlan looked a little uneasy, almost nervous. "What took you so long?"
"We're not friends." Cara shrugs simply, ignoring the strange look of surprise that registers on Kahlan's face. It's not as if it's untrue exactly.
Of course she knows who Kahlan is, everybody does, but although they've been in shared classes since first year, they've seldom ever spoken to one other except for things like "pass me some newt, Amnell" or "what sort of polish do you use on your broom?" She would hardly consider her a dear friend worthy of special attention.
"I only hurry through mealtime for my friends," Cara elaborates, as if it might soften the blow somewhat. And in fact Kahlan does start to smile at her at that, which if anything that only makes Cara feel uneasy, almost nervous. "What do you want?"
"To talk."
"We couldn't do that in the hallway?"
"Sorry," Kahlan amends, her smile growing even bigger. "To talk about Quidditch."
Cara feels close to rolling her eyes but restrains herself for now. She wants to see where this is heading. "Not sure that I'll be much help to a Chaser, Amnell," she says, speaking slowly. "And I'm not going to throw the match next week, so..."
But Kahlan just laughs, a soft and breathless sort of sound. "No, I'm-- Let me start over." Cara shifts and crosses her arms, feeling oddly exposed, but she nods in spite of that insufferable smile of Kahlan's that's still firmly in place. "Richard's birthday is coming up and I wanted to get him something nice. I thought maybe a broom, but that… might send the wrong message. I don't want him to take things too seriously." Oh and here's Cara's impulse to roll her eyes coming right back, until, "so I thought I might ask you what you gave Dahlia."
It's really not often that Cara stammers. If she doesn't know what to say, she doesn't see the point in starting to speak, but now Kahlan is watching her expectantly and the only thing that can come out is, "I'm-- What I-- What?" And even that doesn't begin to capture the full extent of her confusion.
"Oh," Kahlan says, clapping a hand over her mouth in an absurdly dramatic fashion and then placing the other one on the railing disturbingly close to where Cara is leaning. "Oh, I'm sorry. I'd heard-- Well, I thought--"
"What?" Cara asks again, shifting away from the railing.
Kahlan is looking at Cara like she's not only grown a second head, but one that is a basilisk. "I didn't think you'd be this--"
"Confused?"
But Kahlan's the one who really looks confused, shrugging somewhat helplessly. "Upset."
"You didn't think I'd be upset when you implied-- What are you implying?" Cara says, eyes much wider than she'd like them to be, and backing away slightly.
But where she moves, Kahlan follows after, forcing that damned smile back on her face. "Well, you know what they say about Hufflepuffs," says Kahlan Amnell, so close that the wool of her green-and-silver scarf is almost scratching at Cara's elbow.
It's a distracting sensation, made even worse by the way Kahlan's eyes still seem so bright even under only moonlight. You could almost say that they sparkle, if you were inclined to use that sort of silly language. And that's distracting too, but not so much so that Cara is forced to stammer again. No, this time it's a very clear and carefully enunciated, "Excuse me?" that comes out.
Kahlan blinks. Obviously she still wasn't expecting that sort of reaction -- not for Cara to become upset, certainly. Perhaps she expected her to be the jolly sort of Hufflepuff who takes slights against her house with a grin and a wink. The sort of Hufflepuff who you can drag out to the pitch in the middle of the night to do errands like creating a shopping list for your boyfriend's birthday in exchange for nothing more than a pleased grin and a thank you. The kind of Hufflepuff that the other houses imagine all of them are, but that certainly isn't Cara.
So if she's upset maybe it is a surprise, but only to overly confident Slytherin seventh years who think the entire school is really as afraid of their reputation as the first years are. Cara would have thought that someone like Kahlan Amnell would be smarter than that, but apparently not because nothing about Cara is projecting anxiety now. No, now she's just angry, even snorting once when Kahlan tries to deflect with a weak, "It was a joke, Cara."
"Right." Cara steps back, yellow-and-black scarf snapping sharply in the chill night air, beating underneath her words in punctuation. "And here's another: you thought that I'd just sit here and listen to you because-- why? Because you're the Head Girl? Bloody hilarious."
As she turns to go, there's Kahlan's hand at her elbow -- at nearly the same spot Dahlia had grabbed earlier, in fact -- and for one incredibly absurd moment Cara finds herself thinking how remarkably long Kahlan's fingers are, how strong, just before she jerks to shake them off. "Fuck off, Amnell."
But she doesn't fuck off. In fact, if such a thing can be said to have an opposite, then that is precisely what Kahlan does. Instead of drawing back, she surges forward and even as she lets go of Cara's arm, she takes hold of her mouth with her own.
If anything can be said to be the opposite of fucking off, it's probably this and if Cara were in her right mind she might shove the other girl off and demand some sort of explanation. As it is, she's just too stunned to move at first and it's only after instinct kicks in fully that she closes her eyes and begins kissing back, the very tips of her fingers pressed to the knot of Kahlan's tie, as if to hold both of them steady.
*
After what feels like an eternity but in reality is probably no more than a few seconds, Cara finds the kiss has ended and she's sitting down at Kahlan's side, both facing forward.
In the distance, up the hillside, she can see Hogwarts. Most of the lights have started turning out, which means it's much later than Cara realized. Time is passing strangely out here, and she takes a moment to fully compose herself, breathing in and out. "You don't really care about a broom, do you?" She knows that they shouldn't still be here. Soon it'll be curfew and they'll have to sneak past Filch to get back into the school. So much trouble to go through for a stupid kiss with a shockingly irresponsible Head Girl. Still, she finds herself eyeing Kahlan carefully, asking, "Was that your plan all along?"
"Well," Kahlan starts, shivering once in the cold so that, without thinking, Cara shifts in even closer and adjusts Kahlan's scarf in tighter at her neck. Kahlan flushes a deep enough red that Cara can see it even in the dimming light and mumbles, "Thank you."
They're both quiet for a moment, huddled close enough that when Kahlan speaks again it vibrates through Cara's shoulders; "I wouldn't call it a plan really. That implies that I had any idea what I was going to do next."
Cara laughs despite herself, a short huff of breath, and settles her hand on the knee of Kahlan's trousers, thinking briefly that if it were closer to spring then Kahlan might be wearing a skirt.
That's also a minor distraction, but then Cara starts to grin, her voice dropping several registers lower into a growl. "Well, what do you think is next?" She leans in, licking her lips to prepare for another kiss, but instead of drawing together Kahlan shifts away and now there's a chill and empty Kahlan-shaped space at Cara's side.
Cara blinks, certain a look of utter confusion is stamped clearly on her face. She tries to right it into something more noncommittal, vague and neutral, but the lines across her forehead only dig in deeper. "Um. Kahlan?"
"… sorry."
Keeping up with where this conversation is going is proving to be a challenge for Cara. She's not sure if it's the time of day or the cold that's making this so hard to comprehend, but she's starting to suspect that it just might be Kahlan. "About… the kiss?"
"Yes," says Kahlan, and Cara can't be sure if that unsettling feeling creeping over the back of her neck is just the cold wind or maybe something more. "Or-- no. I don't know," Kahlan says, speaking half into her wrist as her fingers trail through her own hair, pushing it back. "I suppose I was… curious."
"Curious."
"Or unsure, I suppose. Whichever. And still am."
Curious. Cara is fairly certain that she ought to be offended or at the very least put out, but really she feels a bit flattered. Whatever is happening tonight, it certainly appears to be a first time for Kahlan Amnell and that she should be curious about Cara, whatever that could really mean, is difficult to fully comprehend. What could Kahlan even know about her to take an interest in? It doesn't really make any sense at all.
"Alright," Cara says slowly, not really sure what Kahlan wants to hear. She can't work any of this out, so the best she can do is react and try to play along. "Why me?"
"I…" The look on Kahlan's face is still quite unreadable. To say that it confuses Cara would be an understatement. "Well, and you…" Kahlan shakes her head, clearly at a loss for anything she can say aside from; "You're unique, Cara."
Cara laughs, moving quickly from confused to suspicious. "You mean because I'm muggle-born or because you were sure I'd kiss you back?"
The bluntness appears to catch Kahlan off-guard and now she's the one who laughs. "Both, I suppose."
"I'm not the only muggle-born at Hogwarts."
"But you are one of the only-- Well." Kahlan hesitates. It's obvious she doesn't know how to say this delicately. "Your… proclivities."
"Yes, of course." That delicate throat-clearing that Kahlan is doing probably isn't loud enough for her not to notice Cara's snigger, and she'll certainly be able to see the smirk. Cara decides not to bother clarifying that she kisses men as well. It seems like a fairly extraneous detail, given the circumstances. "But how did you know?"
"Oh, Cara," Kahlan says lightly, nudging her. "Everyone knows about you and Dahlia."
"What, everyone?"
"Well, or very nearly. You haven't exactly been subtle." Kahlan pauses a moment, lips pursed. "It doesn't bother you, does it?"
"No, certainly not," Cara says in the tone of someone who sounds very much bothered; "I'm just surprised that anyone would care about matters that clearly don't concern them." She sniffs lightly and feigns a general disinterest in the entire conversation at hand, which is a little unconvincing perhaps with her hand having found its way back to resting lightly on Kahlan's thigh.
She'll have to work on that.
Cast: Cara/Kahlan, some others (ahem)
Summary: First edition textbook tale of mystery, intrigue, boring classes, and eye rolling. Publisher's note: further printings on the way.
Notes: This is a Harry Potter crossover. I say "crossover" instead of AU because it feels as if it allows more room for Harry Potter characters to appear in the future. (I totally did say "future.") So essentially it's a high school AU with more ties, broom jokes, and scarves.
Thanks to vicki595 for the quick beta and the-girl-20 for cheerleading and putting up with my flailing. I gesticulate lots.
Just shy of 4,000 words. AO3 link. [First part of Anthology.]
History of Magic isn't just dull and pointless, devoid of any practical application. It is also the one class in all of Hogwarts when time itself appears to stop.
Her first few years, Cara was certain Binns must have been using some sort of incredibly advanced time displacement spell that caused the minutes to pass at a different rate than they did outside his classroom. All the better to fit in another stretch of statistics about yet another goblin war.
Now in her seventh year, she's certain that she would be able to sense the amount of magic in the air that would be required for a spell of that magnitude. However he's doing it, Binn's flair for being impossibly boring is apparently all natural.
The realization doesn't make the experience any more tolerable, however, and Cara has almost resorted to actually pinching herself to keep awake when something small but pointed begins bumping itself against her knee. She looks down just in time to spot a folded piece of paper shuffling up along her leg before gently coming to rest on top of her desk.
For Cara Mason's Eyes Only, it declares in tidy script along the front.
For a brief moment, Cara wonders what sort of spells might have been placed on this note in order to keep others away. It could be just a simple jinx or something a little more fun like the furnunculus hex, which would make anyone nosey enough break out into a series of pimples and warts. Humiliating and amusing, but nothing that wouldn't wear off. Still, it could be fun to toss the note onto another desk, just to see what would happen.
The thought is a fleeting but exciting one, and it jolts Cara with just the slightest tinge of electric curiosity. In Professor Binns' classroom that added burst of energy just might be the only thing keeping you awake, so she's grateful for the mystery if nothing else.
What could be worth the trouble of keeping it secret?
Finally her curiosity gets the best of her and Cara carefully unfolds the note while keeping an eye toward the front of the classroom -- just in case Binns is watching.
Cara,
Meet me on the Quidditch pitch,
tonight after dinner in the Great Hall.
Don't be late. I don't like waiting.
- Kahlan
Cara's surprise is so great that she nearly drops the parchment. Thankfully though, she needn't concern herself with that for very long since it abruptly wriggles loose from her grip, dissolving in a puff of smoke that coils itself into the snake of Slytherin house before drifting away into nothingness.
It's a nice touch, if a bit showy, but then of course it is. Kahlan Amnell always was a bit of a show off.
You can become popular and well-liked at Hogwarts without being a good student or particularly well-behaved and you can captain your house's Quidditch team based entirely on skill, but no one is made Head Girl without being a shining example of what a Hogwarts student ought to be.
The Head Boy and Head Girl enforce the rules, just as the prefects do, but they're also something more. Like older siblings whose behavior your parents prefer -- which Cara understands well from experience -- they are a standard set simply so that it can never be lived up to by the rest. Whatever those illusive qualities of Hogwarts Head Girl perfection might be quantified as, Kahlan has all of them and, just as with most Head Boys and Girls who came before her, she's made a habit of demonstrating as much to the student body at large whenever possible.
It's precisely the sort of thing that should make Cara want to roll her eyes, and until this year -- maybe even until this very moment -- that's exactly what it did. These charms and spells are still incredibly basic and adding a bit of flash and smoke doesn't change that -- it just wastes time.
But this time is different, somehow. This isn't some quick and flashy display tossed out for the approval of the whole school or even their class.
This is for Cara's eyes only.
But why? It's strange to think what Kahlan could possibly want to say to her at any time, let alone sunset on the pitch. They don't have very much in common as far as she knows -- outside of classes and Quidditch. To be honest, she doesn't know very much about Kahlan Amnell. She's clever, and of course she's attractive -- Cara has eyes after all -- but she can be cold and withdrawn in ways that go beyond that usual Slytherin snobbery.
Of course, there are those who would probably say the same of Cara herself, which is just fine with her. It's much easier to get on with people if they have no set expectations for you from the start. One of the benefits to Hufflepuff being the most ignored and overlooked of all the Hogwarts houses is how easy it is to exceed expectations. Cara likes to take people by surprise -- a trait that she and the Head Girl appear to share -- and yet she really doesn't particularly enjoy not knowing what to expect for herself.
That must be why just the thought of this mysterious meeting on the pitch has her stomach coiled up in tight, slithering knots. No other reason.
"Miss Mason, would you care to answer?"
Oh Merlin. Just her luck, isn't it, that Binns actually decides for class participation on the one day she can't be bothered to even feign her interest. "Well, I--" Out of the corner of her eye, Cara can see a dark-haired girl turning around to watch as she stammers.
Well, of course. It'd be just like Kahlan Amnell to sit herself at the very front of the class -- even in History of Magic, which has no practical use whatsoever! -- and despite those good graces and manners Slytherin purebloods are all supposed to have, she clearly sees no problem in outright staring as Cara struggles through a dilemma that could really be said to be all her fault when it comes right down to it. At least, Cara supposes she must be staring. She couldn't say for certain because she refuses to give Kahlan the satisfaction of even glancing her way.
"The… goblin rebellions?" When in doubt, answer with goblins. They've been studying the same twenty years of history for what feels like her entire Hogwarts career. It's nearly always goblins.
"Yes, precisely. Very good."
And just like that, Binns is back to droning on about proclamations of peace, declarations of war, and the occasional mention of centaurs.
There's a chance that Cara sees someone smiling at her from the corner of her eye, but of course she can't be bothered to turn her head to confirm for certain.
*
"Cara." Dahlia comes right up to Cara after class has ended, walking so close that they're nearly breathing the same air.
It's unnerving, if she's being honest, especially with Kahlan watching them.
That is, if Kahlan is watching at all. Cara really wouldn't know, since she refuses to glance back -- why on earth should she care -- and in fact her resolve to continue not caring is so strong that she doubles her pace, causing Dahlia to jog just to catch back up.
"Hey, Cara."
"Yes?"
"What are you doing?"
Cara can't help but snort, flicking her hair back with a casual toss of her head. "You know precisely what I'm doing." If Dahlia's only chasing after her because she wants to ask silly questions, then there's really nothing to be worried about after all. "I'm on my way to Potions. Just like you are."
"No," Dahlia says sharply, snatching hold of Cara's elbow and holding on firmly enough that she actually jerks to a standstill. "What are you doing with Kahlan Amnell?"
Cara frowns, looking first at Dahlia's hand on her arm and then up to her face. "What? Nothing. Don't be stupid."
"She gave you a look."
"She did?" Cara asks much more quickly than she would like, and obviously Dahlia notices that as well from the way her eyebrow raises higher.
"Yes. She did."
This time the reaction is more practiced, a carefully timed shrug and glance away. "Well, I wouldn't know. I don't make it a habit to watch every little thing Kahlan Amnell does while we're in class. Perhaps you should ask her." She tries very hard to make the name sound as if it's dripping with scorn, but really the words just come out sounding a little breathless and awed. She'll have to work on that.
"Oh, maybe I will."
She won't, of course. Cara can already see Dahlia's resolve weakening, just like the grip on her arm. Now when Cara takes a single step back, her hand falls away completely. "Now come on, we'll be late for Potions."
*
Kahlan Amnell was looking at her in class.
Not that Cara actually cares, of course, but it's still interesting. It's an intriguing detail, a useful piece of knowledge, and what is Hogwarts here for if not learning?
So really she's glad that Dahlia mentioned, even if she would have preferred that it was someone other than Dahlia doing the noticing. Your closest (perhaps some would say only) friend since childhood whom you've snogged once or twice in the Quidditch locker rooms -- and sometimes more on late nights in the Hufflepuff dorms -- isn't the one you want worrying about your potentially questionable behavior.
They spent the rest of the walk to the basement classroom with Dahlia repeatedly and pointedly tugging and adjusting her own Hufflepuff tie and making a soft clucking noise with her tongue. Just a quick and direct visual reminder to Cara of her place and responsibilities and where exactly they ought to lie.
It struck her as wildly hypocritical. Weren't the other Hufflepuffs always criticizing her for spending too much time alone, forsaking group activities in favor of solitude? Apparently wanting to be your own person and carve your own path is not considered the "Hufflepuff way," whatever that is meant to be.
So now here she is, agreeing to be more social, and it's got Dahlia's feathers ruffled like one of those terrible owls that the firsties use when their mum and dad don't love them enough to send a real pet.
What would be so bad about getting to know Kahlan Amnell just a little bit better anyway?
Not that getting to know one another is necessarily the reason for their meeting.
Not that there would be anything inherently wrong with wanting to know the stupid Slytherin Head Girl with her ridiculously shiny hair, although everyone knows that Kahlan is already incredibly occupied with the Gryffindor Seeker, and has been for at least a year. In addition to being the best player on his Quidditch team (and its captain), Richard Cypher is also famously known for being profoundly thick. Whatever qualities Kahlan sees in him that have made her look past their house differences, his brains aren't likely to be among them.
Obviously he's good looking enough in that Gryffindor way, where he's always looking vaguely pained on behalf of kittens caught in trees and staring off into the middle-distance, presumably imagining himself off fighting dragons. Still, Cara can't say that she fully understands the appeal. She suspects that, like most Gryffindors, he's probably incredibly earnest and well-meaning to the point of boredom. There are plenty of other blokes with a passable enough face that wouldn't require even half as much effort.
Whatever qualities Kahlan sees in him, Cara is fairly certain that she doesn't share any of them.
*
With Dahlia watching her closely all dinner long, Cara has to wait until her friend finished eating and departed to bed before slipping out herself. On her way to the door, she casts a quick glance down the length of the Slytherin table. No Kahlan in sight; she must have already left.
That's just fine with Cara. I don't like waiting might work on boneheaded Gryffindor Seekers, but Hufflepuffs aren't all the timid pushovers that everyone else at Hogwarts seems to think. In fact, just to make a point, Cara makes certain to take the longest route possible down to the pitch -- if a journey down a hill can really be said to have a longer route -- and has a carefully bored expression already in place when she joins Kahlan at the edge of the stands.
With no one flying about or banners on the railings, the pitch feels oddly empty. Even when Cara has come out here alone to practice in midday, there have always been the sounds of other students on the grass just outside, shouting and breaking school rules by casting jinxes at one another outside of class. Now, with just the two of them, she can hear every creak of the wooden steps as she jogs up to where Kahlan's sitting. "A bit of a strange hour for practice, Amnell." She quickly glances her up and down. "And not dressed, I see."
If Cara didn't know better, she'd say Kahlan looked a little uneasy, almost nervous. "What took you so long?"
"We're not friends." Cara shrugs simply, ignoring the strange look of surprise that registers on Kahlan's face. It's not as if it's untrue exactly.
Of course she knows who Kahlan is, everybody does, but although they've been in shared classes since first year, they've seldom ever spoken to one other except for things like "pass me some newt, Amnell" or "what sort of polish do you use on your broom?" She would hardly consider her a dear friend worthy of special attention.
"I only hurry through mealtime for my friends," Cara elaborates, as if it might soften the blow somewhat. And in fact Kahlan does start to smile at her at that, which if anything that only makes Cara feel uneasy, almost nervous. "What do you want?"
"To talk."
"We couldn't do that in the hallway?"
"Sorry," Kahlan amends, her smile growing even bigger. "To talk about Quidditch."
Cara feels close to rolling her eyes but restrains herself for now. She wants to see where this is heading. "Not sure that I'll be much help to a Chaser, Amnell," she says, speaking slowly. "And I'm not going to throw the match next week, so..."
But Kahlan just laughs, a soft and breathless sort of sound. "No, I'm-- Let me start over." Cara shifts and crosses her arms, feeling oddly exposed, but she nods in spite of that insufferable smile of Kahlan's that's still firmly in place. "Richard's birthday is coming up and I wanted to get him something nice. I thought maybe a broom, but that… might send the wrong message. I don't want him to take things too seriously." Oh and here's Cara's impulse to roll her eyes coming right back, until, "so I thought I might ask you what you gave Dahlia."
It's really not often that Cara stammers. If she doesn't know what to say, she doesn't see the point in starting to speak, but now Kahlan is watching her expectantly and the only thing that can come out is, "I'm-- What I-- What?" And even that doesn't begin to capture the full extent of her confusion.
"Oh," Kahlan says, clapping a hand over her mouth in an absurdly dramatic fashion and then placing the other one on the railing disturbingly close to where Cara is leaning. "Oh, I'm sorry. I'd heard-- Well, I thought--"
"What?" Cara asks again, shifting away from the railing.
Kahlan is looking at Cara like she's not only grown a second head, but one that is a basilisk. "I didn't think you'd be this--"
"Confused?"
But Kahlan's the one who really looks confused, shrugging somewhat helplessly. "Upset."
"You didn't think I'd be upset when you implied-- What are you implying?" Cara says, eyes much wider than she'd like them to be, and backing away slightly.
But where she moves, Kahlan follows after, forcing that damned smile back on her face. "Well, you know what they say about Hufflepuffs," says Kahlan Amnell, so close that the wool of her green-and-silver scarf is almost scratching at Cara's elbow.
It's a distracting sensation, made even worse by the way Kahlan's eyes still seem so bright even under only moonlight. You could almost say that they sparkle, if you were inclined to use that sort of silly language. And that's distracting too, but not so much so that Cara is forced to stammer again. No, this time it's a very clear and carefully enunciated, "Excuse me?" that comes out.
Kahlan blinks. Obviously she still wasn't expecting that sort of reaction -- not for Cara to become upset, certainly. Perhaps she expected her to be the jolly sort of Hufflepuff who takes slights against her house with a grin and a wink. The sort of Hufflepuff who you can drag out to the pitch in the middle of the night to do errands like creating a shopping list for your boyfriend's birthday in exchange for nothing more than a pleased grin and a thank you. The kind of Hufflepuff that the other houses imagine all of them are, but that certainly isn't Cara.
So if she's upset maybe it is a surprise, but only to overly confident Slytherin seventh years who think the entire school is really as afraid of their reputation as the first years are. Cara would have thought that someone like Kahlan Amnell would be smarter than that, but apparently not because nothing about Cara is projecting anxiety now. No, now she's just angry, even snorting once when Kahlan tries to deflect with a weak, "It was a joke, Cara."
"Right." Cara steps back, yellow-and-black scarf snapping sharply in the chill night air, beating underneath her words in punctuation. "And here's another: you thought that I'd just sit here and listen to you because-- why? Because you're the Head Girl? Bloody hilarious."
As she turns to go, there's Kahlan's hand at her elbow -- at nearly the same spot Dahlia had grabbed earlier, in fact -- and for one incredibly absurd moment Cara finds herself thinking how remarkably long Kahlan's fingers are, how strong, just before she jerks to shake them off. "Fuck off, Amnell."
But she doesn't fuck off. In fact, if such a thing can be said to have an opposite, then that is precisely what Kahlan does. Instead of drawing back, she surges forward and even as she lets go of Cara's arm, she takes hold of her mouth with her own.
If anything can be said to be the opposite of fucking off, it's probably this and if Cara were in her right mind she might shove the other girl off and demand some sort of explanation. As it is, she's just too stunned to move at first and it's only after instinct kicks in fully that she closes her eyes and begins kissing back, the very tips of her fingers pressed to the knot of Kahlan's tie, as if to hold both of them steady.
*
After what feels like an eternity but in reality is probably no more than a few seconds, Cara finds the kiss has ended and she's sitting down at Kahlan's side, both facing forward.
In the distance, up the hillside, she can see Hogwarts. Most of the lights have started turning out, which means it's much later than Cara realized. Time is passing strangely out here, and she takes a moment to fully compose herself, breathing in and out. "You don't really care about a broom, do you?" She knows that they shouldn't still be here. Soon it'll be curfew and they'll have to sneak past Filch to get back into the school. So much trouble to go through for a stupid kiss with a shockingly irresponsible Head Girl. Still, she finds herself eyeing Kahlan carefully, asking, "Was that your plan all along?"
"Well," Kahlan starts, shivering once in the cold so that, without thinking, Cara shifts in even closer and adjusts Kahlan's scarf in tighter at her neck. Kahlan flushes a deep enough red that Cara can see it even in the dimming light and mumbles, "Thank you."
They're both quiet for a moment, huddled close enough that when Kahlan speaks again it vibrates through Cara's shoulders; "I wouldn't call it a plan really. That implies that I had any idea what I was going to do next."
Cara laughs despite herself, a short huff of breath, and settles her hand on the knee of Kahlan's trousers, thinking briefly that if it were closer to spring then Kahlan might be wearing a skirt.
That's also a minor distraction, but then Cara starts to grin, her voice dropping several registers lower into a growl. "Well, what do you think is next?" She leans in, licking her lips to prepare for another kiss, but instead of drawing together Kahlan shifts away and now there's a chill and empty Kahlan-shaped space at Cara's side.
Cara blinks, certain a look of utter confusion is stamped clearly on her face. She tries to right it into something more noncommittal, vague and neutral, but the lines across her forehead only dig in deeper. "Um. Kahlan?"
"… sorry."
Keeping up with where this conversation is going is proving to be a challenge for Cara. She's not sure if it's the time of day or the cold that's making this so hard to comprehend, but she's starting to suspect that it just might be Kahlan. "About… the kiss?"
"Yes," says Kahlan, and Cara can't be sure if that unsettling feeling creeping over the back of her neck is just the cold wind or maybe something more. "Or-- no. I don't know," Kahlan says, speaking half into her wrist as her fingers trail through her own hair, pushing it back. "I suppose I was… curious."
"Curious."
"Or unsure, I suppose. Whichever. And still am."
Curious. Cara is fairly certain that she ought to be offended or at the very least put out, but really she feels a bit flattered. Whatever is happening tonight, it certainly appears to be a first time for Kahlan Amnell and that she should be curious about Cara, whatever that could really mean, is difficult to fully comprehend. What could Kahlan even know about her to take an interest in? It doesn't really make any sense at all.
"Alright," Cara says slowly, not really sure what Kahlan wants to hear. She can't work any of this out, so the best she can do is react and try to play along. "Why me?"
"I…" The look on Kahlan's face is still quite unreadable. To say that it confuses Cara would be an understatement. "Well, and you…" Kahlan shakes her head, clearly at a loss for anything she can say aside from; "You're unique, Cara."
Cara laughs, moving quickly from confused to suspicious. "You mean because I'm muggle-born or because you were sure I'd kiss you back?"
The bluntness appears to catch Kahlan off-guard and now she's the one who laughs. "Both, I suppose."
"I'm not the only muggle-born at Hogwarts."
"But you are one of the only-- Well." Kahlan hesitates. It's obvious she doesn't know how to say this delicately. "Your… proclivities."
"Yes, of course." That delicate throat-clearing that Kahlan is doing probably isn't loud enough for her not to notice Cara's snigger, and she'll certainly be able to see the smirk. Cara decides not to bother clarifying that she kisses men as well. It seems like a fairly extraneous detail, given the circumstances. "But how did you know?"
"Oh, Cara," Kahlan says lightly, nudging her. "Everyone knows about you and Dahlia."
"What, everyone?"
"Well, or very nearly. You haven't exactly been subtle." Kahlan pauses a moment, lips pursed. "It doesn't bother you, does it?"
"No, certainly not," Cara says in the tone of someone who sounds very much bothered; "I'm just surprised that anyone would care about matters that clearly don't concern them." She sniffs lightly and feigns a general disinterest in the entire conversation at hand, which is a little unconvincing perhaps with her hand having found its way back to resting lightly on Kahlan's thigh.
She'll have to work on that.