Minuto Sopravvivere

Cora Antonelli Fifth Year Slytherin In order to stand up, you have to know what falling down is like

[aineohannigan-deactivated201608]

Aine had none intention of even doing so, but shrugged and nodded anyways. “Certainly. I hear mud’s good for your skin anyways. You might bruise, but at least it’ll look good.”

[coraantonelli]

“Grazie!” Cora laughed. “I doubt that the Scottish country hillside has the nutrients that are good for your skin, but I suppose I can always hope!”

[kellan-mcnamara-blog]

“In a school so large, you’d think there would be more to do around here…”

[coraantonelli]

“Would you like to come with me? I was going to Hogsmede and go to The Magic Neep.” Cora offered shyly.

[coraantonelli]

MADAM’S ACADEMY FOR ROYAL YOUNG WOMEN (PART TWO)

Feat. Sawyer, Quinn, Serena, Randall Victorian, Assassins, & Royalty

A companion piece to this

Carefully keeping the frown off of her face, Cora watched Serena go. The agitation in her wasn't directed at the other girl, and even if it were she wouldn't be fool enough to show it. Serena might have fondness in her heart for her, but she still wasn't the type to stomach aggressions directed at her. Still, as they were being watched, and she were not willing to misdirect it at a friend, the anger in her burned bright. Good. It would aide her all the better.

The Madam doubted her then? Doubted her resolve? Who, of all of the Princesses and lesser nobility employed by her, could boast a stronger motive for murder? She had participated in lesser intrigues and betrayals simply to prove she had the strength and control to do this properly. Yet they doubted her. She gritted her teeth behind a benevolent smile, and smoothed her skirts- black of course, as was appropriate. Her family had just died, after all.

'Died'. That was the official story, but there wasn't a person in the country, from high born lord to lowly milkmaid who didn't know the entire Antonelli clan had been posioned, and by whom. The person who now styled himself a ruler, and sat on the throne intended for her brother Gabriel. The person who was her target tonight- Randall Chen.

The only reason she had avoided her family's fate was pure dumb luck. Her stomach had troubled her, and so she had contained only mouthfuls of the meal that killed her entire family. Even that much had nearly killed her. Cora had spent almost six months at Serena's family estate, bedridden and distraught, until her dear friend had whispered one word that had kept her strong and forced her to recover- Revenge.

Coming back to court had taken some doing. Feigning ignorance grated her nerves, and she could barely stand to be in the same room as Chen- let alone voice her approval at his usurpation of her family's throne. She had done it though- she knew that Randall would prefer her dead. But if he thought she wasn't a threat, if he had a reason to keep her alive... If she could get close enough... It would be worth it.

He had been interested, of course. What would prompt her to make such a statement? The absolute dribble she had fed him made her sick, but she had practiced her lies until she almost believed them. With tears in her eyes Cora had told him how sorry she was that people at court spread such ugly rumors about him- I know you and Gabriel were good friends, how it must hurt you for them to think that you... To his credit, he had lied convincingly, expressing just as heartfelt agreement and regret for her family's untimely death.

So she had convinced him of her loyalty, but it had taken months to convince him of her friendship, even more to convince him, with looks through the lashes and shy touches of her hand, that she might be interested in more. It would be a good move for him politically, and they both knew it. If he married into the family he was rumored to have killed, if his heir was an Antonelli, if Cora continued to vocally support him- the rebellious mutterings would stop.

She realized she had been drifting from her set purpose, and scolded herself as she looked around the ballroom with something that could be called idle interest. She caught sight of him, saw him looking back at her, and smiled with a blush summoned from the depth of her anger- though it looked no more than a maiden's joy at acknowledging a pleasing gentleman's gaze. It had been carefully practiced. Everything, from the gloves she wore to the dances she participated in, had been carefully planned.

Chen took the floor and Cora did the same, as planned. Everything, from the dark gloves she had worn tonight, the dances she dances, and the lipstick she had applied, had been carefully planned. The dance was a fast paced one that quickly changed partners and required a measure of attention paid to the steps, but still she kept a careful eye out for her target as he danced with this lady and that. She was a skilled dancer, but trod on one or more of her partner's feet as she tried to calculate how many more switches would happen before she would be dancing with- his majesty. It was close, down to two or three more gentlemen, when she switched once more and found the hand gripping her hand and her waist tighter than was necessary, and Quinn Garcia scowling down at her.

"You!" She hissed in a whisper, trying to keep the scowl off her face and stepping on his toe deliberately. He didn't even flinch, much to her annoyance. "Does Serena know you're here?"

"Serena's here?"

Dammit. "None of your business."

"Oh I have a feeling you're going to make it my business, the both of you." Quinn was a courtier, of course he would be affected by the death of the King.

"Well then perhaps you shouldn't scowl at me so, get a head start on winning my favor." Cora suggested in a poisonously sweet voice.

"I think not." Quinn's tone was dry, and at odds from the intense way he was looking at her. "You're going to do it then? Upsurp the throne back by killing him?"

"No one else will do it for me." She snapped quietly, eyes flashing. She had expected the nobles to rise in revolt after her family was killed, but no one had. Chen was backed by the Petrov's, the ruling family of the Ukraine. Rumor had it they were attempting to spread their power players across every ruling family in Europe, and everyone feared their influence. "If I must avenge my own family, and restore myself to my rightful throne, I will do it."

There was a moment of silence, and Quinn spoke again. "It won't make them come back. You're sixteen- you ready to have that resting on your shoulders? No one's denying Chen deserves to die, but are you sure you can deal with being the one who brought it about?"

She almost bit her lip, before she remembered why that was a bad idea, and instead leveled him with a stare. She tried to look regal and cold, like a Queen- she didn't think she succeeded. He gave her hand a final squeeze, and a quiet mutter of "Jesus fuckin' Christ."

The nameless lord she was dancing with prattled on, she replied with a neutral, vague answer, but her mind was on Quinn's words. Was he right? She hadn't ever thought about after Chen had died, had only ever thought about orchestrating his death. Would she feel guilty? She had gotten to know him- it was unavoidable when attempting to earn his trust. He had said plenty of things that had her boiling behind her innocent facade, but plenty had been simple, human things. He had spoken occasionally of his family, of growing up.

The music changed once more, and Cora was face to face with Randall Chen. She was beginning to feel vaguely dizzy, her heart pounding at a fast, uneven tempo that had the sound of blood rushing in her ears and her vision blurring slightly. He smiled his smug smile as he put a hand at her waist, the other closing around her black velvet glove. No backing out now.

When pressed, Cora couldn't recall all what they said. He complimented her dress, she called him handsome. Her hands were sweaty in her gloves, and he noted with amusement she looked nervous. Finally the music ended, and Randall began to pull away. Making an inelegant noise of protest, she grabbed his hand, and looking around to find their fellow nobles applauding the musicians, leaned up on tiptoes to press a quick but firm kiss to his lips. Her first, his last.

She smiled at him coyly and stepped away, turned just in time to see Serena leaving the hall with the Duke. She followed them out, caught Serena's eye and nodded before heading the opposite way, quickly pulling the handkerchief out of her sleeve and wiping the carefully selected lipstick off her mouth- the minty taste of poisonous Oil of Wintergreen stuck to her tongue- she didn't think she would ever be rid of it.

Pulling a small packet out of her corset with shaking hands, she tipped the contents onto her tongue. Already she could feel her heart slowing down, her hands steadying slowly. The poison she had lovingly selected was rare, but the antidote was rarer. When Randall's heart began to fail- hours from now, surely, there would be nothing to save him.

Making her way back towards the entrance of the ballroom, she made sure she was seen for the rest of the night, talking with various nobility and courtiers. She spoke almost lovingly of their king, shot him fond glances, confided with certain ladies that she was sure a marriage proposal was not far off. She could afford to be kind, now.

Cora had already practiced her sobs, for when he was pronounced dead.

[erosanderson-blog]

“You know, whenever I see first years locked out of Ravenclaw Tower because they won’t figure out the riddle, I feel bad at first. But then, I remember that I got locked out for maybe two days before I figured it out my first year. And if I had to go through that, so do they.”

[coraantonelli]

“Are you the reason I passed a crying first year Ravenclaw on my way up here, then?” Cora demanded, planting her hands on her hips.

[coraantonelli]

Reasoning || Cora & Sophie (Detective AU)

[sophie-bouchard-archive]

I was mid-way through my trial testing, determining the size and angles of the slice marks left by various blades, when Antonelli spoke up again. I gave her a moment’s glance, before correcting her. Apparently she’d left and returned, though I had assumed she’d simply fallen asleep and stopped talking. “A shamshir, to be precise.” Raising the blade above my head, I brought it down on the large cured ham, hacking a chunk off and examining the cut before popping the piece in my mouth. 

After I swallowed, I addressed Cora’s other concerns. “I’ve had bits here and there, but most of it’s gone towards the tests.” I looked around me. When I’d asked Lennon to bring the meat for me, I seemed to recall she’d included a plate with an assortment of vegetables, too, but that had mysteriously disappeared. “As for sleep, I’ll do that later, when I’m bored. Get wind of any mysteries, while you were… doin’ whatever it was you were doin’?” 

Cora had proved to be a good companion, and she had her uses, but she’d disappear sometimes like this and that could be irritating in a minor way. What she did out on her own to entertain herself, I could never guess. Shop? Go see movies? Something mundane like that, probably.

[coraantonelli]

I didn’t even flinch as the blade hacked into the hunk of meat, sending small pieces flying. Dealing with Sophie had certainly made me less surprisable. At the very least, I hid it better. Still I made a face when she put the piece into her mouth- the table the ham was sitting on was covered in various clutter as well, and it was far from sanitary. Though when you considered what Sophie kept in her fridge, well.

“Hunks of meat are not a meal Sophie.” I sighed, sitting on a pillow thrown haphazardly on the couch, only to stand up almost immediately. Pulling the pillow back, I made a face at the dried out vegetable platter, seizing it and tossing it in the nearest trashcan. I see Lennon had tried, at least. 

“As for cases, I have folders for many in my bag, but it seems you’ve already beaten me to the punch- or hack as it were.” I stood off to the side, peering over her notes with reluctant admiration. There was a reason people in London came to Sophie when they needed answers, and it wasn’t because she was fun to be around- although in a chaotic, exciting way she really was. “What did you find? And what are you testing?”

[sawyerbishop-deactivated2017090]

He shrugged. “Everyone has to start somewhere. I, for example, grew up speaking more Portuguese than English. It was a struggle to get past the grammar and sentence structure but if I can do it, and come to learn many more, you can learn it as well. You are doing fine. No need to fuss.” He looked down at her, his eyebrows furrowing. Who in the world would color ice pink let alone add a flavor to it? That sounded utterly ridiculous. “I don’t know how I feel, I’ve never had it,” he stated. “Any of it. Any sweet. Never had it. People tend to like chocolate, yes? Maybe I should try that first.”

[coraantonelli]

“How many would you say you know?” she asked with interest. Learning just one was hard enough for her- he must either have a talent for such things or be very smart. Most likely both. 

“Never? Why ever not?” She asked curiously as they entered Hogsmede, her brow furrowing to match his. Perhaps his parents were very health conscious and didn’t want him to have excess fat and sugar? “Well then we will have to start simple, and get you something of a, ah- sampler?” Her mind was already doing through the options- the Honeydukes classics as it were, and several personal favorites of hers besides. 

[quinn-garcia-wwcblog]

A flash of smile was sent her way in exchange. “Fair enough,” was his only response. Quinn wasn’t bothered by her courtesy, and definitely did not think less of her for it. It was an observation on his part, though admittedly, he would’ve far been more amused if she left them soaking. He wasn’t left dry for very long as Cora beat her own drum on the other side of the table. Awfully obnoxious too, he wanted to point out but contented with staring at her oddly.

There was a suggestion of self-satisfaction on his face. It overlapped over his original crumminess, and he watched coolly as she picked up the shot glass. Then she answered, keeping her chin up as high as she could without getting dizzy, and he wasn’t surprised. He was playing the odds and thought more than likely that if she either did or didn’t—the blush of embarrassment would flush out either way. She dipped back an unwarranted shot and he laughed. It welled up from the diaphragm rather than his ego, and he could swear he could feel the reaction cooling through the alcohol pumping through his heart.

Shaking his head he confronted her next question. His answer was a quick toss back of a shot, grimacing for a moment while it was stuck in his throat, before he slid the glass into the middle of the table. “Why not? Is it something you don’t want to do?” he leant forward and crossed his arms on the table.

[coraantonelli]

Cora's neutral expression deepened into unhappiness as she ran her finger along the rim of the recently emptied shot glass with her finger. It wasn't that the question itself that prompted her reaction, it was a pretty common question of those she happened to have told that fact to. It was that the question was so tied up with an issue she didn't like thinking about. Her faith told her that her virginity was something she should be saving for her husband, and while she didn't care much for that specific aspect of Catholicism and didn't expect she would follow it, it was a constant reminder that Cora would never have a husband.

Unconsciously, she laid a hand on her flat stomach and remembered the pitying look on her mother's face as she had explained to Cora during the summer of her third year why she hadn't had her period yet. It was a slap in the face, that she couldn't have babies in addition to everything else her illness had taken from her. Her mother hadn't had to explain that this meant marriage was out of the question for her. What pureblood Italian wizard didn't care about having children?

Realizing she had been silent a beat too long, she refilled the shot glass and took it wordlessly, not looking at Quinn. It wasn't exactly an easy thing to talk about with her peers, and she wasn't about to try to start now. There were exactly five people in the entire world who knew that- no matter how drunk she was, she wasn't about to tell Quinn Garcia. She looked around the party idly, trying to regain her enthusiasm for the game. "Tell me, if you could go on a date with anyone, who would it be?" She questioned, a small smirk tugging at her lips.

[coraantonelli]

Reasoning || Cora & Sophie (Detective AU)

I knocked carefully on the door to the London apartment building, waiting patiently until the door was open by the downstairs housekeeper Lennon. I smiled brightly at her, and she returned it wearily. I could only imagine what sort of stress Sophie had been putting her through during my absence, and she had my sympathy.

“Sophie?” I called as I knocked on the door to her apartment, pushing it open after a moment, I had learned that if I waited for Sophie to open the door I would be waiting hours. The sight that greeted me was the standard- chaos that made sense only to Sophie, however to my detective trained eye it seemed even worse than usual. I sighed, but a prickle of excitement shot up my spine. Another case then.

“It’s Cora. Have you eaten, slept, or bathed since I left?” I doubted it. Coming into the living room, I finally saw Sophie herself, where the brunt of the mess seemed to be focused. “Is that a sword?” 

[coraantonelli]

Fault Lines || Southern Gothic & Opposite Self AU

Feat. (kinda) Gabriel, Cat, Calla, Wallace, the Petrovs, Victor Prince, Rose 

 The sweltering summer heat seemed like a sentient thing that summer, a vicious but sluggish creature set to dig oozing fingers into you should you stray outside longer than a moment. Cora didn't mind the heat, so long as it meant she was out of the eye of her hovering family. 

 Waving a delicately made lace fan in an attempt to stir the stagnate air into some semblance of a fresh breeze, she surveyed the sprawling swampland from the rickety porch. There was a sweating pitcher of sweet iced tea sitting at her elbow but she did not touch it yet. She was deep in concentration, staring at a scrap of white fabric caught in a nearby tree branch. 

 The fabric hung limply, the branch it was caught on eerily claw like. By now it was dingy and faded, almost indistinguishable from the faded colors of the landscape beyond it, but she knew it had once been crisp and bright- the way all of her father's shirts were under her mother's careful washing. She had seen a torn shirt in the rag pile that afternoon and hadn't thought much of it, but seeing the small scrap of fabric, now her interest was piqued. It was the last piece to a puzzle she'd been considering for some time. 

 It had almost escaped her notice, but Cora had sharp eyes, for all that people treated her like a sweet little piece of fluff. That was fine, it suited her purposes more often than not. Who would suspect the frail, sickly little thing who smiled so sweetly of spreading the nastiest rumors, of pulling the cruelest jokes? She made sure to be be heard condemning the action later, laying a consoling hand on the victim's arm, tssking over the unchristian way some people behaved. She hid a calculating mind behind a simpering, simple facade, and it worked brilliantly. 

 When in a bind all it took was a slight widening of her eyes, a minuscule tear, white gloves hands clasped together beseechingly, pleading in a wobbling voice her innocence or regret. Who punish such a delicate ingénue? When Del Gardo threatened to hit her for a underhanded comment, all she had had to do was summon a delicate tear and a sniff and she was surrounded by would be rescuers ready to do her fighting for her. She had every person in this godforsaken town wrapped around her smallest finger, and the sad part was none of them even suspected. 

 But playing the sweet dutiful daughter grew miserably boring. She was sick of the fussing and the condescending, and more than anything she was tired of the lack of respect. She deserved recognition for her genius- was tired of having no one to share her victory with when an enemy or rival was defaced and humiliated. It was time for a change, she decided, snapping her fan shut and uncrossing her ankles. This small piece of fabric offered both an answer an an opportunity, and she couldn't help a self satisfied smile as she gazed at it. 

 Her father, her uncles, even her cousin Gabriel. They had been going out at night, no more than a few nights a month, never on the same nights, but always deep into the witching hour. She had kept careful track of when these nights had occurred, had listened to their voices, little more than quiet whispers outside her bedroom door. Confirming times, quiet chiding that they were keeping the others waiting, prompts to remember the lantern or a piece of important paperwork. They always returned well before dawn, subdued and silent. 

 She was sure they thought they were subtle. Certain topics came up in the paper, and every male at the breakfast table would exchange significant looks over their toast. Gabriel would tell her to stay away from certain people in town but refuse to say why- Mayor Goode's eldest daughter, Wallace Quimbly, the Petrov siblings, that strange Prince boy. It didn't take much to put together what they and several other grown town members had in common. The last question had been where they had their meetings, a question which had just been answered. 

 She took a slow drink of tea before flipping her fan open again, letting a small smile curl over her lips. Tonight she would follow them out, over the silent swamp, and see what there was to see. A secret society. She thought with a smirk, how absolutely marvelous. Perhaps she would reveal herself, and see what her family thought of their fragile little Cora now, when she was able to guess what they had all been fighting towards for the past year and a half. 

 She would start with Rose Orlov's murder.

[quinn-garcia-wwcblog]

The image of Sophie sampling out her brew out to people at the party rose out a scoff of amusement. He made a mental note to bother her and get a play-by-play when this whole thing was over. Cora’s ‘romantic’ comment soon after was ignored—whatever he wanted to say about romance would be met with a fierce defence or a smug comment, and this wasn’t the time or place to get into that with someone so stubborn.

She immediately caught the hint, and sauntered over towards the couple with a decided sway. He planted his hands on the table, leaning forward and watched the theatrics flared, drinks spilt, and accusations thrown. The two guys laid in each other’s arms, dazed as they were fronted by what could’ve been described as a firework. Then Cora dried their clothes and it fizzled out. He raised a brow when she returned. “Awfully polite of you.”

Downing a shot, Cora offered him her next question and he hardened his stare. The last time he cried was when he was just a muggle kid at primary school, but he could remember the last time his heart pumped that fast and his eyes prickled uncomfortably. It was bitterness and frustration that blurred head as the bones in his body ached to lash out. He didn’t know he could get so angry. Quinn glared at Cora and simply picked up a shot, throwing it back.

“How’d you lose your virginity?” He asked abruptly, hitting the shot glass with a thud. A moment passed and internally he cringed hard at the question, but that was the whole point.

[coraantonelli]

“I am an awfully polite person.” She retorted, the reply sounded snappy to her own inebriated brain. Still, she offered Quinn a smile. “I am always ready for adventure, but I will at all times try not to be rude about it. I do not want to ruin their night, I would not be able to enjoy my own.” She slapped her hands on the table as he drank, making a noise of triumph. Cora found she was glad she was right, she didn’t think she could hear about Quinn crying without wanting to hug him, which she did not think he would appreciate. “Next thing you will cry about will be my winning!” 

However the next question has the smile dropping from her face, and she was sure she was turning a deep cherry color. She grabbed a shot initially, raising it halfway to her lips before pausing. She didn’t want to give him the satisfaction. Glaring at Quinn, she opened her mouth, deliberating, before she said with as much dignity as she could muster. “I cannot, because I have not.” She took the shot in her hand anyway, to think about something else besides her answer.

Coughing slightly at her hasty and sloppily taken shot, she wiped her mouth. “What is the last serious lie you told someone?” She named after a moment of thought.

[sawyerbishop-deactivated2017090]

“I’m not accusing, I’m asking,” he corrected her. Accusations were words wrapped in barbed wire thrown around land mines. No matter which way one was to step there would be a casualty down the line. He learned how to skip all of that from a young age, dancing around eggshells if he needed to. “Yes, well, I can’t imagine that anyone wouldn’t want to enjoy some fresh air at this point. It has become a bit dreary,” he added, tilting his head back to peer up at the hazy sky. “What do you suggest for a first taste?”

[coraantonelli]

“Oh, si?” Cora asked, a touch of regret coloring her tone as a touch of pink colored her face. She slowed somewhat “I am sorry Sawyer, my English is acceptable at best. Maybe I chose the wrong word? I did not think you meant it rudely.” She followed his gaze, murmuring her agreement. Things were dreary, in more ways than one. The tension in the castle had lessened certainly, but still lingered over them all. She smiled in gentle defiance of it, looking over at him. “That would depend on your tastes. How do you feel about chocolate? Fruit? Mint? Do you like sour candy? If you like risk we could try Bertie Bot’s Beans. My personal favorite is pink coconut ice.”

[cammiejacksonxo-deactivated2016]

“Oh, Cora. Of course I was talking about you, it’s not like I have a twin or anything.” She blew a kiss to her roommate.

“How are classes going, m’lady?”

[coraantonelli]

“You have a twin?” She pretended to gasp, putting both hands to her face in a pantomime of shock. “This is the absolute first I am hearing of this, I am sure.” Dropping her sarcasm with a smile, she returned the air kiss cheerfully. “Classes are classes, difficult and taxing. But I am doing okay. I fear to think of O.W.Ls. And you, Bellissima?”

[samuel-wise-archive]

Samuel Wise & Cora Antonelli, end of fourth year.

[cammiejacksonxo-deactivated2016]

“Life gets so boring without your other half.” Camille whined, sitting on one of the sofa’s in the Slytherin common room.

[coraantonelli]

“Si I know you have missed me.” Cora cooed with a teasing smile, plopping herself down next to Camille and smacking a loud kiss on her forehead. 

[quinn-garcia-wwcblog]

Listening to Cora’s little spiel, he followed a lot more carefully, and a lot more patiently than he thought he’d allow for her. For a second, it mellowed him out and he understood her last words with a sober clarity. “Yeah, I get that.” He offered a nod and shrug. “And you’re here, so he can’t be too bad.” He had nothing against it either way, and asked more out of curiosity than anything.

At her question, he ran his hand through his hair. It was difficult trying to shift through all his memories, and it took him a moment to retrace his steps back. “Her name was, Regina. I think she was visiting her family in Hogsmeade, and I showed her ‘round the castle.” Then, that whole spiked Amortentia shitshow happened, and he spent the entire time walking her back to the village spewing about Zina, of all people. The fabricated feelings made his stomach spin and his head roll, and it took every ounce of strength to keep himself in isolation until it wore off. He concluded with a vague nod.

“If I dared you to, would you throw a drink in that guy’s face and call him a ‘cheater’?” Quinn directed his line of sight towards the same guy making out with his boyfriend on the nearby couches.

[coraantonelli]

“Yes.” Cora agreed with a relieved sigh. “He gave me something to drink earlier too, it was nice but then I went back to this.” She said, tapping a fingernail against the lip of the bottle Sophie had given her. 

Quinn’s story had Cora giggling. Luckily she hadn’t been too affected by the love potion thing. The only thing she had done was gone to find Gabriel to try to persuade him to come back to Ravenclaw and rest. She hadn’t managed to find him but she’d also somehow managed to avoid anyone infatuated with her, and drinking the love potion herself. “What a romantic you are, Quinn Garcia.”

Glancing over her shoulder to look at the kissing couple, Cora’s immediate response was ‘no’. However... She looked back at Quinn thoughtfully. Squaring her shoulders, she grabbed a nearby abandoned drink and made her way towards the couple. Tossing her hair, she threw the colorless drink right on the couple, dramatically accusing the one of cheating before she pulled out her wand and suctioned the liquid off of both of their clothing, offering them a smile in lieu of an explanation as she walked back.

“Si, I would.” she stated primly, locking eyes with Quinn defiantly. In a move that was more of a power play than anything, she grabbed a shot and tossed it back easily. “When was the last time you cried?” Cora asked, sure that this time he wouldn’t be able to answer.

[quinn-garcia-wwcblog]

Quinn gave a definite nod. He lined up a couple of shot glasses in front of him and began pouring the tequila into them as he listened to her question. He mused to himself thoughtfully, while he moved from glass to glass. Mainly because all the details were fuzzy and he’d already had more than a few drinks. He glanced up at Cora. “I don’t remember word for word but, I remember telling it that I thought I’d be a Gryffindor. It said, I didn’t play well with rules and marched to the beat of my own drum—that’d become reckless in Gryffindor, Slytherin’ll turn that into greatness.” Out of reflex and a discomfort that came with talking about himself like that, he picked up a glass and knocked it back. “Right, ‘Tonelli. Has Gabey always been on your arse? I get that he’s lookin’ out for you, but if it were me I’d go insane.”

[coraantonelli]

She looked at him quizzically. Why had he taken a drink? Had he lied to her? If so, he was an excellent liar. It seemed the words had come to him so easily. Cora huffed, running her finger over a small splash of spilled alcohol as she peered at him. She supposed it honestly didn’t matter- if he had lied, he had fessed up and drank, so that was that. His question for her made her tsk in irritation, rolling her eyes. “He is not that bad!” She protested. “He is much better than my mamma and papà... Maybe I complain too much.” She said with a frown, wrapping her arms around herself unhappily. Gabriel did his best for her and she repaid him by unintentionally leading half the castle to believe he was some sort of tyrant. No wonder he did not talk to her as much anymore. 

“To answer your question- Gabriele and I are both only children. This is not normal in our family, so they have always put us together and expected Gabriele to look out for me." She sighed. “Then I got sick, and my parents became so overly protective they almost keep me home from Hogwarts. The only reason I get to be here is because Gabriele is here to take care of me. He tries to give me as much freedom as possible, but he also worries, same as the rest of my family. It is annoying, but you cannot pick the way someone loves you, you can only choose whether to accept it or not. I love them too, so for now I accept it, until I can convince them they don’t need to worry.” 

Pursing her lips, she looked over at Quinn. What was a good awkward question for such a grumpy, stoic sort of person? “Tell me who the last person you kissed was.” Cora said triumphantly, crossing her arms.

[quinn-garcia-wwcblog]

“It’s from a—” From a movie, he resigned in thought. There was no point in trying to educate a inebriated Italian Pureblood on pop culture references. Or Swayze, for that matter. “A’right. Let’s make this straightforward,” he announced, his hands already unscrewing the bottle cap of liquor. ”Truth or Drink. I ask a question, and you can either answer with the truth or you drink. You lie, you also drink. If both of us end up choosin’ truth, we both drink. Next round starts, and we switch who goes first. Winner’s last one standing.”

[coraantonelli]

“Yes.” Cora agreed after listening carefully to the rules. She eyed Quinn suspiciously. She wasn’t a good liar, and she had no intention of lying in any event- however she didn’t know if the same could be said for Quinn. She supposed she would have to trust him. “Very well, and the last one left standing has the right to brag until the next party.” she declared boldly. “Now please, pour the shots and I will ask you a question.” She was already thinking up questions someone would not want answering, but she figured she would start slow. “What did the Sorting Hat say to you when you were put into Slytherin?”