DISTANT GAME ━ charlie weasley

xi. a speck of flour

     "You mean you forced me to run with you," Dominique corrects. "I have no obligation to eat like you, so don't even try to force me to drink your stupid seaweed smoothies."

     Rowan lets out an offended scoff, "For one—it's a kale smoothie— and two— you can't possibly expect to keep your body in good nutrition like that!"

     Dominique shrugs. "But it tastes good."

     "Your teeth are going to fall out one day."

     "Like my parents haven't told me that one a million times already."

     "You're gonna get diabetes."

"Just look at the carameeeel...!"

"I don't want to look at the caramel—!"

"Because you're afraid you're gonna fall in loooove with the caramel," Dominique grins through a mouthful of waffle after having dangled one in front of Rowan's face, aiming to tempt the girl.

     She slides the plate towards Avery, who'd been conversing with another house elf regarding food arrangements for the Ball. Avery wasn't looking up even then, too engrossed, so Dominique picked up scrapped tinfoil, scrunched it in a ball and chucked it at Avery's head.

    "Earth to Avery, report any sign of life if possible," Dominique drones out. Avery's head shoots up, furrowing her eyebrows in a scowl at Dominique.

"Hey," Avery frowns, yet still without a clue of what her friend said as she rubs her forehead. "What's your issue?"

"That my best friend has become a fully-fledged zombie," says Dominique, rolling her eyes. "I'm offering you a stroopwaffel. Unless you'd like to be a clean freak like Rowan and have shitty grass smoothies, then be my guest."

Avery pretends to ponder. Then her hand reaches out for a waffle on the plate. "I'm not nearly deluded enough to think seaweed smoothies are better than stroopwaffels. The caramel."

"Kale smoothie," Rowan seethes through gritted teeth. She stares them down with dead eyes. "You two are gonna die a rotting, painful death."

"Because of waffles?" Avery raises an eyebrow. "I'd love to try my luck."

"Besides," says Dominique, "You didn't seem to have that much of a problem with our eating habits the morning after the Ravenclaw quidditch party. I counted at least six croissants and three coffees you claimed would fix your hangover."

     "Jokes on me, because I still felt like absolute shit afterwards."

     "You just insulted yourself," deadpans Dominique.

     "Like you insult your body everyday."

     "I happen to love my body, thank you very much—and food, too—!"

     "Guys," Avery cuts in. She wave the round waffle between them as if it were an interference separator. "I have something to tell you."

     "What is it," asks Rowan, looking wistfully at the waffles on the marble counter.

     "The party," says Avery, "that day. I messed up."

     "You damn right did!" Dominique huffs. "Completely going against our agreement and getting drunk, what a waste..."

     Avery raises an eyebrow. "You're forgetting the part where you blackmailed me in the first place because of how desperate you were?"