S e l e n a

Selena Newf XLIX. Slytherin. Puddlemere. Boredom is for the boring.

[selenaxnewf]

edisonbeaumont‌:

“I imagine so,“ Edison said, eyebrows lifting as Selena mentioned Wood & oncoming taste for orange blood. He couldn’t exactly blame him, but there wasn’t a whole lot fear struck into Edison’s heart at the idea. Perhaps it’d have been different if Wood was still keeping. Instead, Edison watched with peculiar interest as Selena jumped at the sound of a door opening. Nothing, however, followed it up. No one in management or in uniform followed the noise & Selena slid nonchalantly back. “About time,” Her bold grin garnered one from him as well. The shame was that it was happening now when Edison had evidently lost any moral fiber of his own instead of when they were kids & Selena could’ve used a bit of a fear of authority or burden of responsibility. “Someone’s gotta be…” Edison grinned despite his tone. Pushing his back against the wall, Edison straightened slightly, didn’t bother to look left or lean forward to check his blind spot & instead reached for Selena’s cloak to pull her half a step forward so he could plant his lips on hers. 

He lingered only as long as he dared before pulling away against the wall, surveying Selena & watching the hall out of the corner of his eye. “You know,” He sighed, “I’m not feeling all that hungry after all.”

Oliver Wood would be Selena’s last hope. His rage could carry the team through practices, but there was a very big chance that even he would be unable to overcome the lead that Chudley managed to pull out of their ass. Puddlemere would be towing a very narrow line, but Selena wholeheartedly believed that Wood could come back and manage their team the way he had in previous years. Losing another cup to Chudley was entirely unacceptable, even as she flirted with the team’s owner in the dim light of Edinburgh’s stadium. 

“Someone’s gotta be? You’re nervous enough for the both of us, so I’m not sure how I factor into this.” He’d always been the more rational one, and -- - more often than not - -- Selena had benefited from his ability to see consequences beyond the immediate future. At some point, that must’ve left a mark on her. If she’d been in a better mood, or if she’d had a bit too much fire whiskey, perhaps she would’ve told him as much. As it stood, she found it difficult to sing his praises when he was pulling her into him and pressing his mouth against hers. In the few seconds it took for Selena to realize what had happened, she managed to slide her hand up the plane of his chest and onto the side of his neck before he had pulled away. It was too much, she supposed, to expect him to take a bigger risk than necessary. Still, she chased his lips until he asserted that he was no longer hungry.

“I think you should go.” She grinned, all dimples and narrowed eyes as she recanted on her former position. “No, I insist that you go.” Even so, she kissed him again -- - quickly this time, just brief enough for her drag her hand down the collar of his cloak and wrap her fingers around the fabric. “I’m sure your parents want to congratulate you.” Another kiss -- - equally brief, albeit with significantly less force - -- came and went before she stepped away from him, affording a squeeze to his cloak. Her hand fell to her side and, provided that she hadn’t been chased, Selena took yet another step. “Besides, you know where I am.” And another step toward the door, turning now to face the long hallway leading to the exit. “I’ll be waiting.”

[selenaxnewf]

Hogwarts — Selena + Edison

[selenaxnewf]

edisonbeaumont‌:

Selena may not have looked back, but Edison cast a worried look over his shoulder just before walking out of the library. Pince, however, didn’t bother grabbing Selena’s parchment to enquire.

Slinging his bag over one shoulder, Edison fished for a chocolate frog & handed it over. He dug a bit further for a box of peppermint toads & walked up the steps towards Professor Rakepick’s classroom. “It’s fine,” Edison assured her, tearing into the packaging but he was glancing at Selena’s hands eagerly to see who she’d gotten on her famous witch or wizard card. “If it’s anybody good, it’s mine.” Edison said matter-of-factly as they finally reached the classroom door.

When asked what they were studying, Edison gave a noise of acknowledgment, mouth already full of peppermint chocolates. He chewed mindfully, nerves beginning to rise the smallest amount. “Don’t be a chicken. If you skip, everyone’s going to know why.” He said evenly.

Inside the classroom, there was a definitive current of nervous excitement. Rakepick was nowhere to be seen, but Edison regarded the heavy-looking chest at the front of the class with some trepidation before sliding behind a desk. “Too late to make a run for it I suppose…” Edison said listlessly, reaching into his bag for parchment & quill. He lined his wand up evenly beside them on the desk & shoveled one last scoop of chocolate into his mouth before tossing the box bag into his bag. “S’pose yours winds up being something stupid - I’ll pretend to frightened.” Edison grinned. What in Merlin’s name was going to jump out of that trunk for him was unnerving him if only because he couldn’t decide on what he was scared of then & there. Death maybe? He surely didn’t want to see either of his parents pop out but that didn’t quite fit either. Edison didn’t have much longer to rack his brain when Rakepick strode into the room as she always did, robes billowing behind her, flaming red hair hanging past either of her shoulders. “Hello class,” She greeted them, standing over the trunk at the front of the room. “Hello Professor,” The class chimed back unevenly. As she launched into an explanation of boggarts, Edison’s quill scratched across his parchment, taking notes on what had appeared on the board to her left.

Pince had been entirely disregarded in favor of the foil card in her hand. While Selena chewed, she allowed the reflection to catch the light and, upon realizing just who was staring back at her, breathed a disappointed sigh. “Morgan le Fay. All yours.” Not that it mattered in the slightest -- - Selena would’ve chucked the card straight into the bin, no matter how valuable it might’ve been to an incoming group of first-years. “How many of those cards have you got now? It’s gotta be dozens. Hundreds, maybe.” 

The only thing that could snap her away from the mental image of Edison organizing his rare chocolate frog cards was the idea that she was a coward. “Oh, please. I’m not afraid of anything. Whole class is gonna be a waste of time, really.” Still yet, her pace had slowed considerably by the time they crossed the threshold into Rakepick’s classroom. As was promised, an antique dresser sat in the center of the room, groaning and creaking under the weight of whatever was inside. Rakepick’s absence was noteworthy, but only in the sense that Selena could slide into the seat next to Edison without so much as a skeptical glance being cast in her direction. 

"I’ve used my last piece of parchment in detention.” A colossal waste, considering she’d spent most of the time drawing Irma Pince pining after Professor Fletcher, though Selena would’ve defended her decision as time well spent. “Give me one of yours. The last thing I need is another week’s worth of detention because I’ve forgotten my things.” 

Rakepick’s appearance prevented a diatribe on Edison’s fears, though it didn’t stop Selena from subtly demanding parchment by tapping her fingers on her empty desk. Edison could take notes all he wanted, but she would fill her time with the distraction of writing every person’s boggart down in an itemized list that would inevitably come in handy at one point or another. Rakepick droned while Selena surveyed the group of students, idly wondering just what would strike fear into her cohorts. By the end of the instruction, she had decided that Cordelia’s fear would be a resurgence of the unsightly acne she sported throughout her fourth year, Brigid would suffer at the hands of her ultra-successful sister, Penelope would have to face something laughably benign (a dog, or perhaps some stranger in a trenchcoat), and Edison... Well, that was the real mystery, wasn’t it? Selena could so easily see his parents stepping out of the cupboard in tandem, or perhaps it would be a Lethifold that ran to greet him (something Orion would latch onto, to be sure). Whatever the case, she prepared a spot for him on her list. 

It became apparent that students would be called in alphabetical order, which was a cause for glee. “Beaumont comes before Sinclair,” she hissed in his ear while the class erupted into gasps after a gnarled clown was turned into a music box. “Any last words? I can put ‘em right here beside what killed you. Hope Orion doesn’t-- -” She could’ve continued if she wasn’t called down by Rakepick. “Ms. Sinclair, is there something you want to share with the class?” Without any sense of remorse, Selena shook her head, “Just wishing Edison luck, that’s all!” It was bullshit, and both of them knew it, but Rakepick had evidently decided to save the battle for another day. She pulled another student to the front of the class and walked them through the proper spell once again. Given an inch, Selena turned her full attention back to Edison, “Just two more. Nervous?”

[selenaxnewf]

edisonbeaumont‌:

“You’re quickly making a habit of it,“ Edison said, too quick to stop himself. His lower lip scraped between his teeth to keep from grinning too wickedly as he looked innocently at the wall opposite. “You don’t need a reminder do you?“ Edison asked, fixing Selena with an amused gaze. “I thought it was impossible to let you forget it.“ Had that been how she’d worded it at some point in the past? Maybe not the precise wording, but it was in the same tune so he pressed on. “I cannot believe how thin your moral fiber is.“ Edison leaned his head gently into hers. “Perhaps I do,“ He answered wistfully when asked if he didn’t already have enough galleons. “Are there other motivators in this world?“ He asked, devious smile working its way back across his face. If there were, Orion would need to be notified ASAP. “Sorry,” He muttered in response to her warning, not giving the hall another glance. “Just looking.” He assured her.

“A favor?“ Edison chuckled. “Between friends.“ Edison repeated, looking incredulously down at her. “& yet - for some odd reason - I can’t imagine you doing the same for me.“ Edison raised a brow. “Ah, now the real reasoning sets in. I suppose I should take that as a compliment, but I have a feeling you’ll change your mind by tomorrow.“ Edison said, sounding unconvinced. “Once the press blows over, it’ll by right back to you tearing through the league with that confidence I so envy.” It was a much better way of saying: you’ll be straight back to finding a way to rake my ass over the coals come Monday.

I cannot believe how thin your moral fiber is. 

That was big talk coming from a single man playing grab-ass with a married woman in a hallway, but Selena wouldn’t risk pointing out the obvious when Edison had so casually leaned his temple against her crown. She was placated -- - entirely content in the fleeting moments of silence between his barbs - -- and she could’ve stayed that way if he hadn’t alluded to other forms of bribery. “I’m sure I could think of something more creative, but you’ve got to run off to have dinner with your parents. What a great son you are.” It occurred to her all at once that there might’ve been an alternative to having Edison whisked away when the clock struck twelve. “Can’t Orion go in your place? I know I smelled his pomade lingering in the hallway. If not him, then maybe Archer?” 

“A favor,” Selena reiterated. “Between friends.” He wasn’t wrong in saying that she wouldn’t do the same for him, but she also wasn’t in the kind of position where she would need to be asked to take a loss. Unwilling to admit that she had fallen so far beneath him, Selena let the point slide. Better to be the woman with no moral fiber than the woman who had to beg for any victory she could get her hands on. Backtracking, she decided, was the best way to go. “It doesn’t matter, anyway. Wood’s going to be out for blood. We’ll make up for this when the next match rolls around.” If Wood didn’t drink himself to death before then, at any rate. 

For all the talk of his nervousness, Selena was the first to put distance between them upon hearing a door slam down the dimly-lit hallway. Her heart leaped to her throat at the same speed as her body pulling away from the wall, creating an amount of space that was still very much unprofessional. If push came to shove, she supposed she could claim she had been making a meager attempt to intimidate Edison, though circumstances seemed to be entirely benign. There were no footsteps following the sound; no players or reporters appeared to take the space for themselves. Selena was still left with Edison, although she took the initiative of stepping forward into a grin that toed the line between wicked and amused. “You’re rubbing off on me,” she lamented.  “Seems like you’ve somehow managed to steal some of that confidence and now I’m left to worry about who’s around the next corner. I told you that you’d end up making me nervous.”

[selenaxnewf]

edisonbeaumont‌:

Feeling considerably more like room service than he’d expected, Edison’s mouth went thin as he considered the double prospects. No, he reminded himself, he’d come up with an excuse already. It was just a matter of letting them know he wouldn’t be attending. “I’ll keep that in mind,” Edison said, loftily. “Of course it’s hypothetical.” Edison smiled weakly. “I’m just saying, as a friend, I’d wait until I’m pitched against a better team. Wouldn’t look good, especially for you, to have beat you then turn around & lose to a team at the bottom of the league.” Edison inclined his head. Of course it wouldn’t, he reminded himself as Selena edged closer. “Not that I’d ever consider it.” He pointed out. 

“Not really of course. Besides,” Edison nodded his head towards the wall he was leaning against, beckoning Selena to his side so he could slip his arms between the wall & the small of her back. “How would I ever know you’re actually good for the money.” Edison grinned annoyingly, pulling Selena’s side closer to his & let his hand stay on her hip. “Is this what you’re resorting to?” He asked, looking down the hallway to his left. If anyone were to walk by they’d see only Edison leaning there & perhaps, if they were looking closely enough, Selena leaning just as lazily beside him & nothing more. “Paying to see me lose?”

“It doesn’t look good to lose to the Cannons, anyway.” Though he wasn’t entirely wrong. Better that Chudley came up short against a more deserving rival, although watching him face the backlash might’ve been worth the trouble that Selena would inevitably face as well. She was reminded again that the situation was entirely hypothetical, “It almost sounds like you’re trying to remind me that you’re a paragon of virtue and I’m the cheater who would actually go about trying to fix matches.” Though she had to admit the conversation would’ve taken an entirely different direction if Edison seemed game to throw himself and his team headlong into disrepute once again. 

“Don’t you have enough money as is?” She could’ve circled back to the salary Orion surely tossed his way, but Selena found it much easier to occupy the space beside him when she was beckoned. The press and players were far too busy participating in or avoiding the brawl that had broken out in the stadium, which left both Newf and Beaumont a moment alone. Though he’d managed to pluck up the courage to wrap his arm arounc her waist, Selena couldn’t help but notice the way he cast a glance down the hallway as soon as the opportunity presented itself. “Stop that. You’re going to make me nervous as well,” she warned. “I’m not paying to see you lose, per se. You could just consider it a favor between friends.” 

Her temple fell lazily against his shoulder, though her hands remained folded neatly in front of her. “But I wouldn’t ask you to do that. If I were going to pay you off, I’d want you to lose to Puddlemere, at the very least. But I suppose that goes without saying.”

[selenaxnewf]

edisonbeaumont‌:

He certainly couldn’t be late. Not without an airtight excuse & even then he’d be treading on thin ice. He knew better, but somehow he relented. Throwing Orion under the metaphorical bus could be easy enough, but then his mother & father would be two sons short & more livid than before. It was difficult to reconcile, as a grown man, why he had to put so much effort into pleasing his parents, but the feeling was persistent. “I’ll find them & hedge out of it. They’ll kill me if I send a note.” Edison said, evidently making a decision. With that half-settled he was free to put more effort into the sarcastic wagers of illegalities. “Let me get this straight, you despise my team so much, you’d pay me to lose? To a team that’s not even yours? I could be wrong, & not to walk myself out of two hundred & fifty thousand galleons, but wouldn’t that weaken Puddlemere’s record?” Edison asked, cocking his head with a slight smile on his face that was always indulgent of just how clever he thought he was.

“Should I forge some kind of excuse?” Selena’s humor considerably brightened at the idea, “Or perhaps you’d like to hedge your bets on when you’ll be at dinner?” Arriving late was impossible, so she decided on a single drink with the team before she raided her hotel’s minibar. “I’d prefer you were in the hotel before and after, but I suppose I’d settle for one or the other,” she grinned as if the joke was original. There wasn’t much to be said about Edison’s situation, really. He’d be done with dinner when his parental figures allowed him to be. How could Selena argue? 

“I would pay for you to lose,” she shrugged. That was normal, wasn’t it? To pay for the competition to throw the next match? Selena discarded her opinions of the sport in favor of the morality of the man at her side, “But that’s just a hypothetical.” Of course, it was. As much as he wanted to talk about Puddlemere’s record, she could throw Chudley’s record back in his face. Instead, Selena made herself comfortable in shrugging and tucking herself just a little closer to him, “Seems like something we could discuss.” 

[selenaxnewf]

edisonbeaumont‌:

“I don’t even want to go so I know that you don’t want to,“ Edison left out the fact that he hadn’t asked for the familial meeting. Somehow, however, Orion had still managed to worm his way into conversation. “Me neither, but it’d be an unholy amount.” Edison wagered. “He does, doesn’t he?” Edison implored, annoyed more than before given Selena’s persistence. Fucking Orion. Perhaps he could get out of it. Something work related having come up. Edison looked around as his brain tried to produce a miracle. Settling on sighing instead, Edison blinked rapidly. “Depends,” He said, not completely sure if he was joking anymore or not.  “Throw out a number & I’ll tell you if your anywhere near where it needs to be.”

“I’m sure you could be late.” The suggestion was half-hearted. Selena had known the Beaumont family long enough to know that being late wouldn’t be tolerated, but that didn’t keep her from tearing her mind away from rushing to her room as quickly as possible. “Something about meeting a congratulatory press box,” she suggested. “You shouldn’t need more than ten minutes, anyway. I’m practically just a stop on the tour, since I’m only asking for a little time.”

The subject was put away as soon as it was mentioned. When Edison suggested putting out a number, Selena forgot all utterance of Orion and focused instead on her favorite of the Beaumont siblings. “I suppose,” she cooed, “It depends on who you’re playing next. Two hundred and fifty thousand galleons seems fair, though.” 

[selenaxnewf]

edisonbeaumont‌:

Edison shook his head, eyes wide as if he were trying to shake the memory from his head. It certainly hadn’t been a good impression. “They’re the same.” Edison said simply. Self-righteous as ever. Donating time & galleons to whatever cause felt the most pertinent. Preening over one another in the manor day in & day out he imagined. “A long time.” Edison tacked on to her drawl despite he waving off the number. It only served to make him wonder when the last time He’d seen Selena’s parents was. Might’ve been Salem’s funeral. Choosing to avoid the memory, he was happily diverted as Selena brought Orion into the mix. “It could never be enough could it?” Edison asked matter-of-factly. “& he doesn’t deal with the finances, that’d be my job.” He added. “& I’m more than fair.” He grinned crookedly. He stared at her for a moment, lifting his chin slightly as if he were sizing her up. “The fact that you phrased it that way means you won’t offer me nearly enough. Shame really. Guess there’s no hope. Well, I did offer.”

“A long time,” she agreed halfheartedly. “Maybe I should show up to dinner and see how things are with them.” Even as a joke, the sentiment wasn’t convincing. All Selena remembered of Edison’s parents was what she learned from him during their school years. Whatever neuroses he suffered had been brought on by their expectations, so she refused to hold them in high regard. She supposed they felt the same way about her parents, who had quietly sided with the Death Eaters when the Second Wizarding War came to pass. Salem would’ve been the final nail in the coffin, though Selena would’ve eagerly jumped to her brother’s defense at the slightest provocation. Dinner, it seemed, wasn’t on the table for the Beaumont and Sinclair family. 

“Probably best that you take care of the finances. Can’t imagine what he’d skim off the top.” Mention of Orion did raise a few questions, but Selena settled for the most pressing, “Can’t he take care of dinner with your parents? Doesn’t he owe you that?” She was on the verge of whining -- - begging, maybe, which would’ve been even worse - -- so she pulled away and turned to the topic of fixing matches. “How much would it take? Really. Now you’ve got me curious. Should I bring out my pocketbook now or pay you later?”

[selenaxnewf]

Hogwarts — Selena + Edison

[selenaxnewf]

edisonbeaumont‌:

“Was beginning to wonder if I was the only poor bloke lending you my notes.“ He didn’t, however, feel any more confidence by way of the name she offered. He’d rather just do it himself. He’d end up pouring over it anyway, may as well start it organically rather than go marching through someone else’s mistakes, mending them. “I can handle it,” He assured her, sliding one book on top of another open book so that Professor Binn’s homework was revealed just enough that he could keep working on it rather than repeating the same line over & over for Pince.

“I’m not against that,“ Edison tried to keep his face neutral, but the corner of his mouth was already curling. Selena, if nothing else, had certainly broadened Edison’s sense of humor. He quite hoped, in that moment, that the rumor spread if only to entertain the pair of them. “I don’t really care about the patronus thing.“ Edison shrugged, glancing up again. “Would be a bit too lucky wouldn’t it?“ Edison asked, dabbing his quill into his depleting ink bottle. The exact opposite, a tiny bird was the truth. Then again, he was quite proud of the bluejay that’d been emitted from his wand somewhere at the first quarter of their fifth year. He simply enjoyed the fact that anybody would’ve thought to align him with a dragon; noble, dangerous – Edison was waxing on in his own head, barely realizing he needed to work on at least one piece of parchment in front of him. “If you do it, I’ll do it.“ Edison assured Selena, pulling his thoughts back to the matter at hand. “What a fantastic choice you’d have made.“ Edison’s voice sapped with sarcasm. “They should’ve seen your supreme cleverness a mile away & harnessed it for good.“ Instead of the alternative, letting it run rampant in the rule-breaking department. That was another issue with their escapade to the Shrieking Shack, the initial backlash both of them had received from their housemates upon losing points. The Ravenclaws had let it go pretty quickly, Edison having regained another ten in potions for being the only student in class to brew a proper pepperup potion.

As soon as he’d begun to write again, his stomach gave an almighty grumble. Pince looked up & Edison murmured an apology. There was no point in pointing out that they’d been forced to skip lunch for this particular leg of detention. Obviously, the lack of food disagreed with Edison who was now staring at his watch. Down in the Great Hall, their fellow students would surely be finishing up & Edison’s stomach grumbled again. “Fine!” Pence whispered harshly. “If you’re going to be that obnoxious - leave. But leave your scrolls. We’ll resume tomorrow.” She said, staring at them over the top of her square glasses. 

Dismissed, Edison hastily packed up his things never having been more grateful for his stomach in his entire life. ”I’ve got those chocolates in my bag.” Edison said, holding the door open for Selena. “Probably not enough time to get to the Great Hall & back up to class in enough time.” The last thing they needed was another mark against them at present. It was double Defense Against the Dark Arts with the Slytherins & then a march up to Divination for the last class of the day.

“I’d care about the patronus thing!” Selena’s retort was swift and unwavering, “That’s important! That’s who you are.” Which was easy for someone to say when their patronus was a peacock that did little more than prance about at the first sign of danger. She could’ve harped on the subject for the rest of detention, but Edison gave an inch and admitted that he would feed into rumors if she did. “Good! Then that’s what we’ll be doing. If you don’t, I’ll make up all kinds of things about you. I’ll tell people that you were scared and I had to protect you. I’ll even tell Orion so I can make sure that it gets passed around.” Unlikely, seeing as that would require actually speaking to Orion beyond the occasional semi-pleasantry at a party. Still, Selena grinned and strummed her fingertips against her parchment as if to demand Edison’s attention. 

He could sarcastically comment on her cleverness all he wanted, but Selena Sinclair was confident in her ability to cleverly escape nearly any situation. Unlike remarks toward her intelligence, she didn’t feel the need to counter with defensiveness. Instead, she swayed into the shit-eating grin that captured her features, “That’s what I’ve been telling ‘em. I’d make a great authority figure.” She’d managed to subdue Edison and force him into her schemes. That alone was a good enough resume, as far as she was concerned. 

As tempting as it was to make fun of him for the ruminations of his stomach, Selena had been starving long before they arrived at detention. All at once, she regretted sending him so much candy as an apology. It would’ve been easier to scrawl notes if she could’ve sucked on a pepper imp, but Irma Pince was voicing her distaste for the noise long before Selena could beg for Edison to spare a morsel. Long before they were dismissed, she began scooping up her books and standing with a cheeky grin, “I drew a picture for you, Pince!” Though Selena couldn’t see it, she could feel the daggers being glared into her skull, “It had better be something from the book, Ms. Sinclair.” But they both knew it wasn’t, and they both knew Irma Pince had better things to do than look at parchment. 

Selena was halfway out the door by the time that she filed her quill away in her bag. “I’d kill for a chocolate frog, if you don’t mind.” Evidently, she didn’t care much about whether Edison minded at all. Her hand was out, fingers splayed in anticipation while she waited for him to split the spoils of his trip to Hogsmeade with her. “I’ll send you some for your birthday to make up for it, but I’m starving right now.” 

As they ascended a moving staircase, Selena ground her teeth and reached back in her memory for the last time she had actually attended her Defense Against the Dark Arts class. “Do you know what we’re working on today? I think... Is it.... It’s boggarts, right?” Her disposition soured as they blended into a group of Ravenclaws, “We could just skip it. I’m not in the mood for all that business today. Facing my fears? I just did that with Pince.”

[selenaxnewf]

edisonbeaumont‌:

“… was that meant to be me?“ Edison asked, looking half offended & half incredulous. “Was that supposed to be an Irish accent? How long h’ve we been friends & that’s the best you’ve got?” Edison grimaced without restraint. “No time for celebration, I’m afraid.” Edison sighed. “It would appear I’m meeting my parents for dinner.” Edison blinked, exasperated. Fucking Orion. “But I’ve never been too keen on celebrating - so after that, if you’re not fishing Wood out of his pint…” Edison tilted his head, shoulder half lifting to meet it. “I don’t foresee my parents & I carrying on conversation past appetizers so that should be over quickly.” Edison added.

“That’ll boost confidence all around,“ Edison tried, despite the ring of finality in Selena’s tone. If ever there was a witch or wizard that was hard to steer into another direction, it was Selena Newf. “Throw it?“ Edison asked with a small laugh. “Depends,“ He started ruefully. “How much are you willing to pay?“

“I thought it was a decent accent!” She was on the verge of cracking a smile, but seemed suddenly aware of their location. With a bit of work, Selena coaxed a frown to bow her lips in the opposite direction while Edison explained his post-game plans. By the time he’d finished his sentence, the grimace on her face was genuine. “How are the Beaumonts, anyway? I haven’t seen them since...” Merlin, was she getting that old? “Never mind.” 

A lack of celebration was expected from a man who probably went to bed by nine, but Selena feigned surprise in an effort to spare his ego. A joke about his incredibly exciting life had nearly bubbled to the surface before he inquired as to her evening. “Wood can handle himself,” she ventured, unable -- - or perhaps unwilling - -- to keep a grin from pressing dimples into her cheeks. “I imagine I’ll be headed back to the hotel pretty quickly. I can suggest that my husband head home a night early. He’s not keen on Edinburgh, anyway.” 

Throwing a match was out of the question, theoretically, but an offer of payment gave Selena pause. “Does Orion not pay you enough, then? I thought being the COO of Beaumont Cloaks would be lucrative.” Not to mention the Cannons, but Selena was trying to keep them as far from her mind as possible. “I’m sure we could work something out. But if you lose, I’d rather it be to me.”

[selenaxnewf]

Hogwarts — Selena + Edison

[selenaxnewf]

edisonbeaumont‌:

Edison breathed a sigh as she repeated their sentence back to him. It was hardly something to look forward to, but somehow it chipped away at his glum disposition. – It was kind of funny. Kind of. Not to mention the entire school was now acting as if they were some sort of heroes. The tale of their short-lived adventure had swept through the halls, the facts of which had all been blown wildly out of proportion. He’d overheard a gang of second years retelling the story in which he’d been faced with a boggart in an upstairs desk. Again, at breakfast one morning was another retelling wherein Selena had to fight off a blood-thirsty ghoul but had managed to sustain a great scar she couldn’t show anyone. Funnily enough, probably because she hadn’t gotten one. There’d been no ghoul, no boggart. In fact, there’d been nothing at all, but this didn’t stop the rumor mill from churning.

Snorting softly at Selena’s proposition, Edison raised a brow at his friend. “I’d rather not fail,” He grinned. It was the first time in two days that he’d felt inclined to smile, but even then he’d started out trying to be rude. Let a little more of his angst known, but the sentiment turned into something far more friendly & familiar. His wall evidently hadn’t been built strong enough to withstand one nudge & the opportunity for a well placed barb.

Edison grabbed a book off of the top of the stack between them. He flipped though it idly as Selena reminded him of free will. He smirk broadened. “I know,” He smiled at the page in front of him. “I heard Penelope Warden telling half the Hufflepuff Quidditch team that we took on a vampire up there.” He wouldn’t have been surprised at all if the Hufflepuff’s didn’t start hanging garlic in their cozy common room just in case Selena or himself managed to sustain a bite. “I’ve also heard about my patronus being a dragon. Full corporeal - mind you.” Edison glanced up to see what Pince was doing but she was paying them no mind.

He was smiling; that was good -- - that was progress. She could live with that. 

“You’re not gonna fail! I could get someone else to do my half. You’re not my only source of homework. I can get that one kid to do my potions -- - Newt? Rafferty? Something like that.” It was easy enough to pretend to prickle at the thought that she would somehow send Edison’s grades straight down the toilet, but there was some genuine offense to be taken at the notion. There was no way she would ever come close to touching Edison Beaumont’s grades -- - Selena had accepted that long before their sixth year - -- but there was a small, obsolete part of her that was more than capable of being smart enough. Smart enough for what, she wasn’t sure, but she was socially intelligent and capable of dragging her own ass across the finish line during exams. Didn’t that count for something? 

Rather than address her thoughts, she decided they didn’t matter as long as she and Edison were doomed to copy texts in the library. Pince must’ve liked him pretty well -- - that was, as far as Selena could tell, the only reason she wouldn’t be peering down her beak-like nose at the work they were doing - -- but a certain level of subterfuge was still required to keep chatting as if they weren’t being punished. “I’m gonna convince Penelope Warden that you are a vampire,” Selena decided from behind a tome about magical creatures. That would keep Penelope from asking Edison to the Yule Ball, at any rate. “I will tell her your patronus is a dragon, though. Just to be nice.” 

The scribbles on her paper had turned into something of a drawing -- - a collection of connected lines that was beginning to take the shape of ghost, at any rate - -- so Selena bypassed her book in favor of adding detail to a paper that certainly wouldn’t meet Irma Pince’s standards. “We should start confirming everything anyone asks us. Then we can watch everyone trying to compare notes. I’m tempted to tell the first years that we saw a dead body.” The thought was enough to evoke a grin from Selena as she imagined the faces of children while they processed her lies, “They ought to make me a prefect for this. That’ll keep anyone from going to the Shrieking Shack.”

[selenaxnewf]

beautyxandxpoise‌:

“Thank you so much,” Dawn replied politely, immediately sitting down. She looked around her for a split second at the room around them before addressing the other woman once more. “And in case you haven’t noticed, the dozens of other chairs are all taken.“ As though on cue the people around them resumed their loud chatter. She shifted her leg slightly.

Fighting with someone who looked to be fresh out of Hogwarts was far beneath Selena, but that didn’t stop her from sucking a breath in through her teeth and casting a stern glance around the room. “Let’s see...” It took all of thirty seconds to point out an empty chair, “There’s a spot.” And another, “And there.” Anything more would’ve been overkill, but her point had been made and she felt safe in staring down at Dawn Fawley. “I’m beginning to think you just want to be near me. Not that I could blame you, but I’d typically charge a fee for sitting so close.”

[selenaxnewf]

edisonbeaumont‌:

“Evidently I came to witness you jinx a reporter,“ Edison said in a voice that was somewhere between amused & matter-of-fact. 

“It’s not like your lads got completely squashed; it was a good game.“ Edison rolled his shoulders back. The outcome had certainly lightened his mood, bringing him to beam rather than cordially sulk around a bit. “Gloat? Well now I’m offended as well.” Edison smirked. “Isn’t there solace in knowing you’ll win the next match?”Edison asked, an eyebrow raising. “Who’ve you got next week? Hollyhead? Bats?”

“it was a good game. Can you do me a favor and stop pretending to be so humble? It’s making me nauseous.” Though her impression of Edison was off by a kilometer and a half, Selena’s point had been made. A scowl that was meant both for the reporter and Edison himself was cast in the direction of the adjacent wall while Selena collected her thoughts. “Suppose you’ll be celebrating tonight, then? I imagine I’ll be losing Wood when he drowns himself at the pub.”

Edison could attempt to brighten the mood all he wanted, but a dour cloud continued to hang over Selena’s head. “The Bats. Beating them isn’t even a challenge, so I’m not sure how that’s supposed to make me feel. I think the only thing that might come close to cheering me up is if you throw your next match.”

[selenaxnewf]

Hogwarts — Selena + Edison

[selenaxnewf]

edisonbeaumont‌:

What had he said? – He’d said they’d get into trouble. They could’ve had Butterbeer with everyone else in their year. Instead, they’d broken into the most shockingly boring structure in all of the United Kingdom. & gotten a heaping of detention for it as a reward. Edison was beyond miffed. He’d received a Howler the very next morning & as bad as he would’ve liked to shove it into the bottom of his schoolbag, he knew better. The bloody thing would explode if not opened immediately & so he’d gotten reamed in front of the entire school. Not to mention the fact that he was missing one of the biggest Quidditch matches of the year, locked up in the castle instead.

Selena’s remorse came by way of sweets, but he ignored them much like he was ignoring her now.

Detention’s really not so bad.

Being banned from Hogsmade for the rest of the year was.

It’s too cold for quidditch. 

Knowing his parents he’d be grounded through half the summer now.

Everyone’s probably going to end up in the infirmary with colds or some other nastiness.

Ravenclaw versus Gryffindor! Of course she didn’t care, Slytherin wasn’t even playing.

I’m having a great time, anyway.

Edison’s eyes rolled as his ink bled through the parchment, given he’d been holding his quill in one place for too long with far too much pressure. Edison ducked his head lower so he was hidden by a particularly thick volume of Potions for Panic. “Only it’s two weeks of this.” He hissed. “You, me, Pince & the library. How’re we supposed to get our homework done if we’re going straight from class to two hours of this. I could -” Kill, jinx, curse, all of it appeared to fit in the blank but Edison said none of it & instead just shook his head. “This is your fault,” He reminded her, starting on the next line of his copying.

Selena decided very quickly that she preferred Edison’s silence to his anger. When he’d finally torn down the iron curtain between them, she was left wishing she’d kept her mouth shut and had continued scrawling nonsense onto her parchment while he dutifully completed the task at hand. “Two weeks isn’t so bad,” was the only kind of counter-measure she had to offer. It wasn’t much, really, considering that she’d once been given a month of detention for trying to coerce a first year into stealing from the infirmary for no good reason. 

When the subject of homework was brought to the table, Selena recognized a path to redemption. “We could split it up,” she proffered the bare minimum instinctively. “Or I could do it? Call it even that way?” Considering how much homework Edison did for both of them, the solution might’ve been more disastrous than the original issue. Still, Selena continued drawing nonsensical squiggles while she vied for Edison’s attention, going as far as to knock her foot against his shin -- - a little nudge that would hopefully push him closer to a conversation that didn’t involve complaints. 

It was reactionary to hunker down and further hide herself among the stacks they’d compiled,  “It’s not all my fault. You came, too -- - you could’ve said no.” For all her apologies, there was still part of her that refused to accept blame unless it was on her own terms. Selena’s eyes narrowed as if she could bore holes into Edison’s profile, “You’ve gotta admit it was fun for a little bit. Everyone’s been asking me what kind of ghosts we saw, and I’ve gotten a real kick out of it.”

[selenaxnewf]

beautyxandxpoise‌:

“No, I was going to ask if I could sit down because you’re currently standing in front of an empty chair, which you aren’t sitting in,” Dawn replied, snorting. “But I will make a note of buying a copy when it comes out.”

“There are dozens of chairs here. Has anyone ever warned you about the pitfalls of attention-seeking behavior?” A sizeable backward step managed to free enough space for Dawn to take the seat that she so clearly coveted. “Here you are. Go ahead, since it’s so important to you.”

[selenaxnewf]

edisonbeaumont‌:

Watching the would-be reporter curl into the fetal position there on the floor might’ve preserved more dignity than what transpired as soon as Selena began to talk. Instead, Edison watched, without adding any kind words, as the witch turned tail looking quite pale indeed. “That was rough to watch.” Edison said, still looking after the girl for a moment before she turned a corner to presumably cry or piece together her dignity. 

That was rough to watch.

“Not nearly as rough as today’s match.”  Selena couldn’t imagine a situation in which Edison would let her off the hook for running off at the mouth and subsequently falling flat on her ass, but she supposed stranger things had happened. He’d been nothing but a gentleman at press time -- - which, in all honesty, was far worse than watching him primp and preen for reporters - -- but she was very much aware that his tune would likely change as soon as they were behind closed doors. 

After a moment of careful consideration, she decided it best to give him the opportunity to throw her words back in her face before they were given even the smallest shred of privacy. Better get it over and done with than wait for him to emerge from her fireplace, half-drunk and covered in soot.  “Well then, what is it? Come to gloat? Go ahead, get it out of your system.”

[selenaxnewf]

“If you’re here to talk to me about Puddlemere’s losses, I suggest you wait until the next edition of Seeker Weekly comes out. I’ve already said everything I care to on the subject.”

[selenaxnewf]

Hogwarts — Selena + Edison

The idea of breaking into the Shrieking Shack was nearly as absurd as the notion that they could do so without being caught. It had taken all of fifteen minutes before they were yanked from the building and practically pulled straight back to Hogwarts by their ears. Though Selena had laughed at the initial punishment of detention, her mirth was significantly diluted upon learning that both she and Edison would be barred from weekend trips for the remainder of the year. Spirited protests earned a longer sentence in the library, copying passages from Edison’s textbooks while their peers enjoyed a quidditch match between Gryffindor and Ravenclaw. 

Selena’s initial apology -- - or whatever passed as an apology from a girl who’d never said ‘I’m sorry’ in her life - -- had come in the form of chocolate frogs and pepper imps left with Edison’s youngest brother, but she sought to smooth the tensions even as they were stuck under the watchful eye of Irma Pince. “Detention’s really not so bad,” she whispered, head pointed toward her book while her quill worked slowly across the page. “It’s too cold for quidditch. Everyone’s probably going to end up in the infirmary with colds or some other nastiness.” Not them, though. They’d be stuck safely between stacks of textbooks, cleverly angled to hide any trace of camaraderie between them. “I’m having a great time, anyway.” 

@edisonbeaumont