Sacred Silence | A Tom Riddle Story

35: Hungover, but in Paris.

'Don't worry about her, we'll have so much fun together. Won't we, Juno?' Florance said as she lifted the Siamese cat up from Shivs bed and held him in her arms like a baby. She planted a few kisses on top of Juno's head.

'I'll be back soon enough,' Shiv sighed , and she scratched Juno behind her ears. She really didn't enjoy leaving her behind, but it was too much of a hassle to take her all the way to Paris.
Besides that, Flo had always adored Juno and would probably take great care of her. But even with complete trust in her friend, she caught herself rambling instructions. 'Don't give her too many treats, overfeeding is a big issue in domestic cats. Make sure her water bowl is always filled. She basically feeds herself with mice. Just be sure to check your bed before you go to sleep. She likes to leave.. presents sometimes.'

'She will be fine, and so will you. How are you feeling?' Flo asked as she sat down on her bed and continued to stroke Juno's short gray hairs.

To be very honest, Shiv wasn't really feeling anything. She was unbelievably tired, and her head felt like it was about to explode. No matter how much water she drank, it didn't make a dent in her hangover. The lack of sleep, combined with her busy schedule and the two bottles of wine yesterday, made her feel terrible.

When she felt sure she had instructed Flo enough, she levitated her trunk behind her and made her way down Ravenclaw tower.
Florance had decided to walk her all the way to Slughorns office. She was still carrying the cat, and shiv wondered where Juno's loyalties would lie when she came back. She couldn't afford to lose her emotional support pet, not now.

'Shiv,' Flo started once they walked across the entrance hall. 'I know you'll probably laugh, but I want you to take these.'
They stopped in front of the stairs that went down to the dungeons. Flo rummaged through her pockets and eventually had to put Juno on the ground. Finally, she pulled out two small black plastic squares and handed them over to Shiv, who looked at the small envelope like things in her hand. 'What's this?'

Flo's eyebrows shot up in surprise. She folded Shivs fingers around them, blocking the gift from view. 'Shiv, they're condoms.'

'Ow,' Shiv said, staring at her balled up hand. She looked up at her friend again and tried to act like she had seen these plenty of times before. 'For..?'

'For? Sex, Shiv. I know you don't have any intentions of doing something with Tom, but you've said that before. I just want you to be prepared for anything,' Flo explained. She didn't seem to register her confusion, which she was glad for.

Shiv nodded slowly. She vaguely remembered what a condom was; she just hadn't ever seen or held one. It had something to do with preventing pregnancy, she guessed. Her mother had never bothered to explain anything surrounding sex or pregnancy to her daughter. Of course, her brothers and father hadn't either, and she had only recently started opening up to Flo about these things.
It left her uneducated. This was one of the few things that Hogwarts didn't have any books about.

'Thanks,' she said with a forced smile, and she tucked them deep inside the bag on her shoulder.
Maybe there was a library in Paris with an informative book about shit like this. She felt embarrassed and inexperienced, like a toddler.

Shiv picked Juno up and scratched her behind her ears, giving her so many kisses that the cat eventually leaped out of her arms and strode off.
'I love you..' Shiv murmured as she watched Juno disappear back up the stairs to Ravenclaw tower.

Florance pulled her into a tight embrace. Her mouth was hidden in Shivs curls as she whispered, 'Don't do anything stupid. You're too smart for that.'

-

The car they were in (the one that brought them from the field where the portkey had taken them, towards the hotel) was magically enhanced to fit the 6 visitors and driver.
Since she was the only person to speak French, Shiv was crowned as their designated translator. Therefore, she sat in the front seat next to the driver, translating whatever Slughorn yelled to the front of the car.