Black as Sin

[Gwyneth Cadwallader]

Gwyneth felt sick. She felt positively sick. Only nine days until the end of term, until she graduated, and this had happened. What if somebody saw? Well, she was determined that they wouldn’t and the prefect hurried through the corridors, hand clasped over the cuff that was glowing a suspicious shade of black. Black. Everybody knew what that meant!

Of course getting back to the common room unspotted was easier said than done and Gwyneth found herself colliding with a solid body, steadied by strong hands, and when she looked up to identify her rescuer she found herself staring up at the very last person she had wanted to see her like his.

Merlin, what would he think of her?!

“Mr. Trask!” she greeted breathlessly, valiantly blinking back tears. “Forgive me—I wasn’t looking where I was going.” She pushed surreptitiously at her sleeve, pushing it further down her arm. “You mustn’t let my clumsiness keep you from your destination.”

@'Oliver Trask'
@'Hannah Echelon'

  

[Oliver Trask]

After their study session had been well and truly derailed by Zelda's black stone, Oliver had decided that the library would be a better bet for productivity than the common room or the rest of his usual haunts. As he walked, he couldn't help but wonder if anyone else's cuff had gone haywire -- or if Zelda was really telling the truth. As unlikely as it seemed for her to lose her head like that, he supposed that stranger things had happened --

He was shaken out of his ruminations when he quite literally ran into Miss Cadwallader. Oliver reached out automatically to steady her, and his hands might have lingered on her shoulders a moment longer than was really necessary before he shoved them into the pockets of his robes.

"Oh, no, it's my fault," he insisted. "All these exams have me losing my head --" he paused as he looked down at her, really looked at her face, and thought she looked... well, rather unlike herself. "Are you alright? Have your exams gone well?"

  

[Gwyneth Cadwallader]

"My exams?" Gwyneth echoed, flustered and doing a miserable job of pretending that nothing was wrong. She could think of nothing but her cuff and the Hufflepuff clutched tightly at her sleeve, meeting Oliver's eyes with all of the courage she could muster. "Oh, fine! Absolutely fine. I feel rather foolish for having worried quite so much!" She laughed, but if it sounded awkward to her own ears then it almost certainly did to Oliver.

  

[Oliver Trask]

It didn't take a genius to deduce that Gwyneth was most certainly not fine. Oliver's mouth turned downwards ever so slightly into a frown. He had rarely seen his fellow prefect be anything less than the picture of composure and grace, and the Hufflepuff was certain that whatever had her so flustered must have been serious indeed. They had kissed, for Merlin's sake, regardless of the circumstances -- surely there had to be some level of trust there, on top of the seven years of friendship?

His eyes lit briefly on her hand, clutching desperately at her sleeve, and a thought occurred to him. Oh, Merlin. Jealousy stabbed at his insides at the thought of Gwyneth doing that with someone else... But that was just as unlikely as Zelda had been, Oliver knew -- moreso, even. Gwyneth was a lady. She would never dream of it. Which meant the cuffs had to be dodgy, if hers had gone black, too.

Well, he certainly wasn't going to bring it up first. What if he was wrong and she thought he was just calling her a whore? No, he would never live that down.

"You're certain?" Lowering his voice just a little, to at least try to prevent any eavesdropping, he added, "You can tell me, if there is something wrong. I want to help." The words felt awkward even leaving his mouth, but what else could he say?

  

[Gwyneth Cadwallader]

She wanted to trust him. She did trust him, but what if he thought that she had... The prospect of being labelled a hussy was one thing — a horrible, terrible thing that she would never, ever live down — but losing Oliver's respect would damage far more than her reputation.

But he knew her better than that, didn't he? After seven years of friendship Gwyneth certainly hoped that he would think her above... well, cavorting, but the black cuff was damning and Oliver was certainly too good to overlook it. He wouldn't overlook it for any other student — why would she be special?

"You can't," she replied, voice traitorously cracking and dropping to a plaintive whisper. "Please. You'd despise me and I— I couldn't bear that."

@'Oliver Trask'
@'Hannah Echelon'