solidarity || killian

Magnolia would have done well going straight back to her room after her meeting with Isaac instead of wandering around the castle with her fingers thumbing the buttons in her pocket trying to sort out her feelings about the conversation they had had. She could not understand why, no matter how invested her efforts had been (very minimal, really), the whole thing she had developed for the Slytherin boy had fallen through so quickly. If the months she had given her crush on Roderick to develop before confessing had not been the right equation to this thing, then had it not made sense for it to be the weeks she had given the thing with Isaac?

To make matters worse, it was not as if they had only just interacted, it had been weeks (months even) of keeping a secret that had no bearing on her own reputation and constant attention (though mostly negative) that had convinced her he was the one for now. And yet, he had not even flinched when he had told her that she was the last girl he would date in the world, anyone would date, in fact. The last bit had taken shape in her own head but it had been implied, surely, even someone as dim as Magnolia could just as well read between the lines.

By the time she had finally looped around the castle through some of her favorite trails and returned to the Gryffindor Common Rooms, it was well past curfew and hopefully well around Killian’s patrolling hour. If she could just manage to sneak through to her room then everything would be forgotten. She’d get a good night’s sleep and become a more put-together, less desperate sixteen year old. Her mind wandered off to that conversation once again, the way he had said desperate putting her in a sour mood again. Magnolia couldn’t understand how boys could be so mean but attractive at the same time. WTF! But it was while her mind wandered again that she failed to notice the boy as soon as she entered 9noisily) into the Common Room. It was Killian, oops!

"Uh...hey," she smiled, the nervous sort that made it obvious she was well aware it was well past curfew and that Killian was within every right to punish her for it. Though she hoped he didn't give her detention because she knew Isaac would be there and the last person she wanted to see was the boy who had just told her what an undateable moron she was. That was the last Slytherin she was ever going to crush on for the rest of her life. Well no, maybe for a while until it was all forgotten. “So before you start you start let me say I regret my actions, I’ll never do it again, and if you can find some way to give your favorite, most bestest, birthday girl a pass I’d be forever in your debt,” she tried, “I can…” she wondered what she might give him in return, “make you a hot chocolate? Some tea? I’ll let you tell me about that book, the Quest of the Flashy Jewelry or whatever that muggle book was?”

@Killian Buckley

It was past midnight. Killian had finished his patrols ages ago and couldn't manage to sleep, so he had come down to the Common Room (in red and black flannel pajamas - what? it was cold!) and tucked himself into a corner of the sofa with a candle, his wand, a box of chocolates Mum had sent, and a muggle book. There hadn't been much time for leisure reading lately, between OWL prep and prefect duties and trying not to get murdered by Billie's boyfriend. If he was going to be up - he was going to use the time wisely.

Killian looked up from his book when the portrait opened, frowning. Who was coming back at this hour? The patter of feet on cobbles eventually resolved into Magnolia. Killian raised one eyebrow. "Hey yourself." She did not look -- good. Killian's brows furrowed deeper. Was that - her eyes were puffy? Maybe? And her voice sounded slightly snotty - not snooty, snotty, like she had been having a cry. Killian blinked as she started to make excuses. "I'm off duty, Nola," he said, tapping his chest with one hand. No badge there.

She kept going on - "You'll let me tell you about -" Killian cut himself off before he could get too agitated (Quest of the Flashy Jewelry??? Were they even friends???) and instead let out a deeply put upon sigh. The hardcover book in his hands (Life of Pi by Yann Martel, shiny Pulitzer sticker still fastened to the cover) quickly was bookmarked and snapped shut, Killian tucking it between himself and the arm of the couch. One hand came up and waved Nola over as his expression softened. "Tell me what happened, and I'll cover for you." A beat, and he pushed the box of chocolates in her direction.