"He knocked me over, I'm fine," Salem replied cooly, popping the collar of her leather jacket up as she and Dottie turned the corner.
"You never told me what happened last night," Dottie smoothly changed the subject, "With the Chess Ninja."
"I showed you 'Heroes of the East' one time," Salem mumbled in regret as Dottie brought her hand down swiftly in a karate chop. "I caught the person and played them back."
"So," Dottie hopped into her next step, "Who was it?"
"James Potter."
"What?!"
Salem hushed the girl harshly, shoving Dottie out of a large doorway, towards their Care for Magical Creatures class. Dottie seemed unbothered by the action, eyes still wide with confusion.
"Yeah," Salem grumbled once they'd escape prying ears of nosey third year Ravenclaws, "He just fussed with it, and I played him back."
"You started a game of chess with Potter?" Dottie question in a sharp whisper, "Seriously?"
"Dot, I was half-asleep and pissed off," Salem said, "He probably won't play back, end of conversation."
The two walked down the large hill in silence, Salem assisting Dottie past the one loose stone stair that had been promised repair for years. The year was at a time of turning, so the temperature was a strange place where mornings were frigid and afternoons melted coats off of kids. The afternoon sun was high, beating down on the girls who shamelessly shed their scarves, leaving larger portions of silky skin exposed for warming.
"I might fail my Transfiguration NEWT," Dottie said abruptly, "It's my worst class."
"I've told you a million times I'd help you study," Salem frowned, "Plus, I need the help in History of Magic."
"I still can't believe you want to be a bloody Hit Witch."
"Who wouldn't want to be a Hit Witch?"
"Any person with a working brain."
"That sounded like an insult."
"Maybe because it was one."
⥊
Salem was the heaviest sleeper in Hogwarts. She could fall asleep nearly anywhere, at any time, and would continue sleeping through a cataclysmic sized event.
But Dottie was bugging her.
"Just check," Dottie whispered, worming her way into Salem's bed much to the redhead's chagrin. "Come on, Sal, you started this."
"I wasn't thinking straight," Salem mumbled, pulling her pillow over her head, "Let me sleep."
"Once you check if he's played you back," Dottie said strongly, heavily resting her head on Salem's abdomen. "Sal—"
"You're the most annoying witch on the planet," Salem said, angrily ripping the pillow from her face.
Dottie just grinned, sitting up straight. Her raven tresses were pulled back in a slick, high ponytail, which showcased the circular shape of her face that was accentuated when smiling.
Salem gave a sarcastic smile, trudging out of their dorm. Every other student was long asleep, as it was quite literally the middle of the night, but Salem was slinking down the stairs into the common room.
Lo and behold, a small piece of parchment was tucked beneath a corner of the chessboard, and another pawn had been moved.
The read head sighed, walking towards it and pulling the parchment out. James Potter, for a 17-going-on-18-year-old boy, had horrible handwriting. It was attempting straight and neat lines, but the movements were shaky and unsure.
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She rolled her eyes, shaking her head whilst clicking her pen up. It hesitated over the parchment long enough for the crackling of the fire to become a tune to Salem, but once she decided what to write she was off.
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Salem folded it so James' words were on show but hers were hidden, pushing a pawn before retreating to her dorm. Dottie had retreated to her own bed, Salem assumed she'd fallen asleep due to how long she'd thought over her words and handwriting, so the redhead silently climbed under her own covers in hopes of not waking up any of her roommates.
"You played him back, didn't you?"
"Shut up, Dot."
( AUTHOR'S NOTE. ) *plot intensifies* idk but I love this fic, I've been neglecting it so here I am, Sal is a BIG mood and I love her?? Also, can we PLEASE appreciate aaron taylor-johnson I know he's the most used faceclaim for James so it's nothing revolutionary but oh my god I love him so he'll always be James to me!
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