Louder than Sirens [Cissa!]

[iainmurray]

I run to the river and dive straight in
I pray that the water will drown out the din
But as the water fills my mouth
It couldn't wash the echoes out


It was one of those nights when Iain's head wouldn't stop thinking. Sleep was absolutely out of the question and Cailean had, at long last, kicked him out of the Ravenclaw dorm when the other boys started to complain that they had early classes in the morning. Fine then, he could keep himself busy. No way he was going to stay inside, though.
Perhaps that's why he had been so hyper and keeping his brother from sleeping, inside was just too cramped. (Not to mention that his dorm mates wouldn't be too pleased if he kept them from sleeping, either.) He didn't bother asking anyone along, even though he usually thrived with others moreso than when he was alone - he was pretty sure he'd get no one to come with him anyway. Iain wasn't even sure where he was going, but decided to just wait and see.

It was just past curfew, but he didn't particularly care. The night air was cool on his skin and he shivered and rubbed his arms, then moved to light a cigarette. That made him feel sort of better. He walked across the lawns, not even pretending to be sneaking even if he was out past curfew, and briefly contemplated going to the Quidditch pitch, but then what was there to keep him busy? Exactly: nothing.
So he changed his direction, towards the forest, but then he got a better idea as he passed the lake. Sure, it was chilly.. but then Iain was the king of impulsiveness. He hadn't skinny dipped in the lake for ages (not since last year, obviously) and who was going to stop him now? Nothing like a swim before bed to make you tired, right?
Iain pulled off his shirt (burning it a little because he'd forgotten he had a cig between his lips), toed off his shoes, kicked off his trousers, and stepped out of his underwear. "Ack," he muttered, covered in goosebumps. Damn, it was colder than he'd thought. Maybe this was a bit of a bad idea?

Nah.

Running a hand through his unruly hair, he glanced over his shoulder at the sunset in the distance before diving in. Even though he had expected it, the chill of the water still took his breath away. Gasping for air, he surfaced, floating on his back. Iain looked up at the darkening sky, counting the few stars that had decided to show up, then laughed softly at his own idiocy.
Well, he could try and swim himself warm, right? Or at least he'd have to get tired at some point. Turning back over on his stomach, he started swimming further into the darkness of the water.

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[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=style, background-image:url(http://i54.tinypic.com/2vafwqd.jpg), border: solid #ffffff 5px; width: 400px; height: 500px;] NARCISSA WAS ON A ROLL THAT NIGHT. SHE HAD MANAGED TO CATCH A GRYFFINDOR MALE ATTEMPTING TO SNEAK INTO THE FORBIDDEN FOREST - INSTANT DETENTION. IT WAS ONLY JUST AFTER CURFEW, YET CISSY WAS ALREADY RECEIVING PRAISE FOR HER 'DILLIGENT' WORK. PFT. ON HER WAY BACK OUT OF THE CASTLE TO CONTINUE HER ROUNDS, SHE NOTICED A FAMILIAR SLYTHERIN ROBE VENTURING JUST PAST THE FORBIDDEN TREES. UNWILLING TO GO IN AFTER THE FELLOW SNAKE, CISSY SIMPLY DISREGARDED IT AND INSTEAD HEADED DOWN TOWARD THE BLACK LAKE, AS ALWAYS. IT WAS HER OWN PERSONAL DUTY TO SEARCH THE LAKE'S SURROUNDING. GENERALLY PREFECTS WANDERED IN PAIRS OUTSIDE, BUT CISSA WASN'T AFRAID OF THE DARK. AS SHE APPROACHED THE LAKE, CISSY COULDN'T HELP BUT SMILE. THE MOON SHINED BRIGHTLY UPON THE RIPPLING SURFACE, CREATING A MAGNIFICENT VIEW. THIS WAS ONE OF THE REASONS SHE'D ASSIGNED HERSELF THE BENEFIT OF DOING ROUNDS OUTSIDE. THERE WAS NOTHING BETTER THAN THIS. BUT AS SHE GREW CLOSER, AN EVEN BIGGER SMIRK PLAYED AT THE CORNERS OF HER LIPS. THERE, JUST UNDER THE MOONLIGHT, A BOY'S FORM SLIPPED INTO VIEW. HA. NOW THERE REALLY WAS NOTHING BETTER. FUCKING BRILLIANT. SHE PUT HER HANDS ON HER WAIST AS SHE NEARED THE SHORE, FEELING HER BODY SWAY. CISSY CHUCKLED. "HAVING FUN, ARE WE?" SHE ASKED SLYLY, POINTING HER FINGER AT HER PREFECT BADGE. AT THAT POINT SHE COULDN'T SEE HIS FEATURES, BUT SHE'D SOON TAKE CARE OF THAT. WITH ALREADY HAVING HER WAND IN HER GRASP, IT TOOK A SIMPLE FLICK OF THE WRIST. "LUMOS!" SHE SHOUTED, THEN WATCHED AS A GLOW PROTRUDED FROM THE END OF HER WAND. SHE SQUATTED AND STARED OUT TO THE FACE OF THE FAMILIAR BOY - IAIN MURRAY. EW. "ARE YOU...ARE YOU FULLY NAKED?" SHE ASKED, SQUISHING UP HER NOSE. "EW. REALLY? BLOODY HELL, MURRAY, IT'S CALLED A SWIM SUIT. GET ONE," CISSA SPOUTED, THEN STOOD UP AND HELD HER WAND UP TO GET A BETTER LIGHT. SHE SQUIRMED AND TURNED HER HEAD AWAY. "YOU'RE SICK. GET OUT, NOW," SHE SAID SHARPLY, KEEPING HER HEAD TURNED AWAY SO SHE DIDN'T HAVE TO LOOK AT HIM. JUST UNDER THE DARK WATER, FROM THE LIGHT OF HER WAND, SHE COULD MAKE OUT...THINGS THAT SHE SHOULD NEVER SEE ON SUCH A DISGUSTING BEING AS IAIN MURRAY. BLECH.

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[iainmurray]

Iain was just about a minute away from the bank when he heard a voice echo over the water. "You bet I am having fun," he bellowed back, turning around and starting to swim back to see who was there because he couldn't see who it was and didn't recognise the voice over the sound of water. "Care to join me then?" It was just a teasing request, not at all serious - but definitely not serious when he found out who was calling out to him! Damn it, Narcissa Black. "Eurgh, pretend you didn't hear that - I'm not sharing this lake with you." The words erupted from his mouth before he'd had a chance to think about them.

She shone her lumos into his eyes and he squinted. "Oy, I know I'm sexy, but lower the light, damnit," he muttered as he leaned on the muddy edge of the bank. "As much as I loathe the sight of you, you don't need to blind me, thank you very much." No, his mood was definitely not improving. "And no, Narcissa, I'm obviously fully clothed." His voice was dripping with sarcasm and he rolled his eyes. "What does it look like - of course I'm naked. Swimming is far more fun naked."

He shrugged, pretending to be desinterested. Iain wasn't easily embarrassed and he certainly wasn't embarrassed about being naked, but Narcissa had a way of getting under his skin. "Not as sick as your sister," he quipped without missing a beat. Exchanging insults with Narcissa was something that came to him so naturally. "And as I already have detention, do you mind if I finish my laps? Or do you want to get a good look at me so bad?" he teased, raising an eyebrow at the Prefect, chuckling softly at the way she was turning away in disgust. Some people..

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[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=style, background-image:url(http://i54.tinypic.com/2vafwqd.jpg), border: solid #ffffff 5px; width: 400px; height: 500px;] "I MOST CERTAINLY DO NOT," SHE RETORTED AT HIS QUESTION OF JOINING HIM. FUCKING SERIOUSLY? WHAT A CREEP. AND AS HE TOOK IT BACK, REALIZING JUST WHO IT WAS STANDING AT THE SHORE. "TRUST ME, IAIN, I WOULDN'T SHARE THIS LAKE WITH YOU IF IT WERE A MATTER OF LIFE AND DEATH," SHE REASSURED, LOOKING AT THE LIGHT FROM HER WAND. IT WAS RATHER BRIGHT, SHE ADMITTED. UNCONSCIOUSLY, SHE MIGHT HAVE BEEN A TAD BIT WORRIED OF WHO WAS LURKING THE LAKE, SO INSTINCTIVELY HER LIGHT WAS BRIGHTER. BUT, NEVERTHELESS, IF IT BLINDED MURRAY THEN AT LEAST IT WOULD HAVE DONE SOMETHING GOOD. DECIDING THAT SHE NO LONGER NEEDED THE LIGHT, SHE WHISPERED, "NOX," AND FLICKED HER WAND ONCE. THE LIGHT QUICKLY DISAPPEARED. CISSY SPAT AT THE GROUND, SNARLING. "DON'T YOU DARE TALK ABOUT MY SISTER," SHE GROWLED, THREATENING HIM BY AIMING HIS WAND AT HIS MOVING FIGURE. NARCISSA DIDN'T HAVE A PROBLEM TAKING AN UNCONSCIOUS HUFFLEPUFF TO THE HEADMASTER, THAT WAS CERTAIN. SURE, SHE MAY HAVE BEEN QUESTIONED ABOUT IT, BUT MANIPULATION WAS HER SPECIALITY, SO NOTHING THE PRAT SAID COULD DEFEAT HER. THEN, HIS NEXT COMMENT MADE HER LAUGH - ACTUALLY LAUGH. WHO THE HELL DID THIS KID THINK HE WAS? "REALLY? YOU'RE GOING TO INSULT ME AND MY FAMILY AND THEN HAVE THE GULL TO ASK ME IF I CAN LET YOU FINISH YOUR LAPS?" SHE QUESTIONED, SHAKING HER HEAD. WHAT A JOKE. "YOU KNOW WHAT," SHE STARTED, THEN SAT DOWN ON THE SHORE. "GO AHEAD. TAKE YOUR PRECIOUS TIME, IAIN, CAUSE WHEN YOU'RE OUT OF THE WATER I'LL TAKE YOU STRAIGHT TO THE HEADMASTER - AND I COULD WAIT ALL THE TIME IN THE WORLD TO HAVE THE PLEASURE OF DOING SO," NARCISSA SNEERED, CRADLING HER WAND IN HER LAP JUST IN CASE HE TRIED SOMETHING FUNNY. CISSA LOOKED UP TO THE SKY AND IGNORED HIM FOR A MOMENT, STILL LISTENING TO HIS PATHETIC SPLASHING ABOUT LIKE A CHILD. THE MOON SPARKLED IN HER EYES AS SHE STARED AT IT, TYRING HARD NOT TO DREAM AWAY TOO HEAVILY, IN CASE THE HUFFLEPUKE TRIED TO GET OUT OF HIS DESERVING PUNISHMENT.

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[iainmurray]

Iain pulled a face and drew a line in the mud, not really bothered by getting dirty. He was in water, seriously, if he needed to get clean, he'd just dive under. He didn't want to think about Narcissa naked, eurgh. Now he wasn't picky, but he was pretty sure she was covered in scales beneath her clothes.
"Good," he sneered. "At least we agree on something. Hurrah. Before you know it, we'll be best friends." Iain wasn't sure if there was a limit to the amount of sarcasm a person could use in one day, but if there was, he was probably going to cross that line.

He sighed in relief when she extinguished the light. "Thank you." Not that he actually sounded grateful, just annoyed. Meanwhile, he ignored her spitting and threatening. Sure, Narcissa could be intimidating, but she wasn't as much when he didn't pay attention to her - so he didn't.
"I think you missed the part where that wasn't a question, actually." Iain smirked slightly. "Also, the lake is far too big to do laps. No." He shook his head and sighed, trying to sound especially exasperated. "If you had used your brain like a reasonable person, you might have noticed that I was not being serious and I really just want you to sod off."

Narcissa sat down and Iain scooted backwards a little as though she was contagious. "Oh, really? Well, I might just swim all night and you'll have to sit in the muddy grass and wait, won't you?" he challenged. He certainly felt energetic enough to swim all night. He waited briefly if she had anything to reply, then realised he didn't actually care and pushed away from the edge again, swimming back a little.

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[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=style, background-image:url(http://i54.tinypic.com/2vafwqd.jpg), border: solid #ffffff 5px; width: 400px; height: 500px;] NARCISSA COULDN'T HELP BUT SCOFF AND ROLL HER EYES AT HIS COMMENT. THEM? BEST FRIENDS? YEAH FUCKING RIGHT. NOT IN HIS WILDEST NIGHTMARES - BECAUSE YES, SHE ACKNOWLEDGED THAT IAIN HATED HER. THE FEELING WAS MUTUAL. IF AT ANY POINT SHE OR HE HAD ANY CONFRONTATION WITH THE OTHER WHILE ASLEEP...WELL, IT WAS CERTAINLY GOING TO END UP A NIGHTMARE. NOT A QUESTION? PFT. "HA, YEA. BECAUSE A PATHETIC EXCUSE FOR A MAN LIKE YOURSELF IS REALLY GOING TO STOP ME FROM DOING MY JOB," SHE SNEERED, LOOKING AT HIM NOW AS HE LINGERED AT THE SHORE. HIS REMARKS WERE PUSHING, AND IF SHE HAD HALF A BRAIN SHE'D CURSE HIM THEN AND THERE. BUT, SHE HAD A FULL BRAIN - UNLIKE HE INSISTED - SO SHE WOULD BE FAIR. UNFORTUNATELY, WHILE ON PREFECT DUTY, SHE HAD TO. "FIRSTLY," SHE BEGAN, THEN POINTED FROM ONE PART OF THE LAKE TO THE OTHER. "A LAP ISN'T CONSTITUTED BY TOUCHING ONE END TO THE OTHER, IDIOT. YOU COULD HAVE JUST AS PLAUSIBLY BE SWIMMING FROM THE SHORE TO A CERTAIN POINT IN THE WATER - WHICH IS A LAP, AND ALSO POSSIBLE OF DOING," SHE SAID MATTER-OF-FACTLY, BEFORE SMIRKING. "I DON'T GIVE A UNICORN'S TAIL IF YOU WANT ME TO SOD OFF, PRAT. THAT'S NOT YOUR DECISION." WHAT AN IDIOT. SHE WATCHED HIM PUSH OFF THE EDGE AFTER HIS COMMENT AND SHOOK HER HEAD, AS IF WHAT HE WAS SAYING WAS PURELY STUPID - BECAUSE IT WAS. "UM, ACTUALLY," SHE SAID, THEN PATTED THE GROUND BESIDE HER. "THE GROUND HERE IS QUITE DRY, THANK YOU VERY MUCH." NARCISSA RAN A HAND THROUGH HER HAIR AND THEN SET IT BACK DOWN ON HER WAND, GRASPING THE WOOD BETWEEN HER FINGERTIPS. SHE FIDDLED IT BETWEEN THEM, FEELING THE SMALL SCRATCHES EMBEDDED IN ITS FINE SKIN, AS IF IT, TOO, REMEMBERED EACH SPELL SHE'D EVER CAST WITH IT. AWAKENING FROM HER THOUGHTS, SHE TURNED HER HEAD BACK TO IAIN AND SIGHED. COULD HE JUST HURRY THE FUCK UP? "I'M NOT WAITING ALL NIGHT. YOU HAVE TEN MINUTES. AND IF YOU'RE NOT DONE BY THEN, I HAVE MY OWN WAYS TO GET YOU OUT - WILLING OR NOT. THAT'S MY DAMN JOB, SO RESPECT IT. MAKE IT EASY ON YOURSELF BEFORE YOU END UP IN THE HOSPITAL WING - TRUST ME, I'M NOT AFRAID TO PUT YOUR SORRY ARSE THERE."

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[iainmurray]

Narcissa didn't seem to understand the jesting tone he was using in everything he was saying. She couldn't honestly believe he was serious about anything? He was hardly ever serious, really, let alone now.
"Your job?" Iain snorted and laughed. "You do realise being a Prefect isn't actually a job, don't you?" He smirked. "It's just a way of getting students to do a teacher's duty. Cheap labour." It wasn't really what he believed, but he just wanted to annoy her. Actually, he just wanted to hurt her, but that would probably get him into a lot of trouble, so maybe he shouldn't.

Firstly? Oh goodness, there was going to be a list, wasn't there? Cailean had given him a couple of lectures like that in his life, and at least Iain was prone to listening to his brother, but he couldn't really care less about what Narcissa Fucking Black had to say.
Iain took a deep breath and sighed, running a hand through his hair and making very sure his body language showed how thoroughly and completely he didn't care. Because really, he didn't. "Well, thank you for defining one of the meanings of the noun 'lap' for me, but I honestly don't give a rat's arse."

The water was cold and now that he wasn't swimming and moving as much anymore, Iain could feel the chill biting into his muscles. Not that he was going to give in, of course. He was fine. He could go on all night.
"Oh, pity - muddy brown is quite your colour," he said with a shrug, turning away from her. In the past, he probably would have responded with a 'oh, I must have seen the future then' before making sure both the soil and Narcissa got thoroughly soaked, but somehow over the years he had managed to get a scrap of common sense into him. Or maybe he just wasn't as childish anymore. (Probably thanks to Cailean.)

The more she was going to push, the harder he was going to push back. "Since you ask so nicely? No." Iain swam out a little further, just trying to kick his legs harder because he couldn't feel his toes now. "But feel free to leave alone and send me a message about my detention in the morning, I can get myself back to the Castle when I'm done."
Part of his reluctance was just to annoy Cissa, another reason was just because he really didn't want to get out of the water, naked, near her. Not that he was embarrassed, not really, but she'd certainly give it her best shot, he was sure. "And don't threaten me, Narcissa. It's not very professional of you - a little pathetic, actually."

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[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=style, background-image:url(http://i54.tinypic.com/2vafwqd.jpg), border: solid #ffffff 5px; width: 400px; height: 500px;] SHE SIGHED. AFTER HE STARTED ON HIS ARGUMENT, CISSA DROWNED HIM OUT. WISH I COULD JUST DROWN HIM ALTOGETHER, SHE THOUGHT, BUT THAT WOULD JUST END HER UP IN AZKABAN - A PLACE SHE'D NEVER GO TO SUFFER CONSEQUENCES OF DOING SOMETHING GOOD. YES, SHE FULLED BELIEVED THAT RIDDING THE WORLD OF THE INSUFFERABLE IAIN MURRAY WOULD BE A GOOD THING. AT LEAST, THAT'S WHAT SHE THOUGHT CURRENTLY AS HE BABBLED ABOUT. HE COULD PRETEND HE DIDN'T CARE ALL HE WANTED, BUT THE FACT WAS THAT SHE KNEW SHE GOT UNDER HIS SKIN. AND THAT WAS EXACTLY WHY SHE LINGERED - BECAUSE HE DIDN'T WANT HER TO. SORT OF A BITCHY IDEALISTIC, BUT REALLY THAT WAS CISSA BLACK FOR YA. SHE THRIVED ON ANNOYING THE SHIT OUT OF PEOPLE - TO MAKE THEM FEEL STUPID, IGNORANT, PATHETIC, AND UNDESERVING. BECAUSE WHETHER OR NOT THEY REALIZE IT, THEY WERE ALL OF THOSE THINGS. CISSY KEPT ON IGNORING HIM, SITTING THERE PROPERLY AS SHE GAZED BACK UP AT THE MOON. SOMETIMES, SHE WISHED SHE COULD GO THERE. NARCISSA COULD FIND NOTHING MORE PEACEFUL THAN BEING ON A PLANET ALL BY HERSELF. SHE COULD OUTRUN ALL THE DRAMA AND THE IGNORANCE SHE WAS SURROUNDED WITH. SURE, SHE HAD A FEW FRIENDS SHE'D MISS, BUT THE OVERALL ACHIEVEMENT OF NO LONGER BEING ANNOYED BY THE DUMB PEOPLE AROUND WOULD MAKE UP FOR THE LONELINESS. SHE FINALLY ACKNOWLEDGED THAT IAIN WAS SPEAKING. CISSA ROLLED HER EYES. "IT'S NOT A THREAT, MURRAY, IT'S A WARNING," SHE SNAPPED, THEN STOOD UP AND VENTURED OVER TO A NEARBY TREE. SHE LEANED AGAINST IT, HER ARMS CROSSED OVER HER CHEST. SHE STARED UP INTO THE DARK, AUTUMN LEAVES AND RESISTED THE URGE TO CLIMB. SHE ALWAYS DID LIKE ROAMING THE TREETOPS AT HOGWARTS WHEN SHE WAS YOUNGER, FINDING IT A SORT OF 'ESCAPE' FROM THE REAL WORLD. OF COURSE, THAT WAS JUST A SUBCONSCIOUS THOUGHT. SHE'D NEVER REALLY THOUGHT BEYOND THE FACT THAT TREE-CLIMBING WAS FUN AND SOMETHING TO DO WHEN BORED. CISSY LOOKED OUT TO THE LAKE AGAIN AND FOUND HIM, KEEPING AN EYE ON HIM AS HE SWAM. "DON'T WORRY. I'LL BE SURE TO LET THE PROFESSORS KNOW HOW COOPERATIVE YOU WERE," SHE SAID SARCASTICALLY, SMIRKING. IT WAS HILARIOUS, TO HER, THAT HE THOUGHT BY DEFYING HER, HE WOULD JUST BUY HIMSELF SOME MORE TIME INTO THE REGULAR PUNISHMENT. BUT, A DELIBERATE DISOBEDIENCE AGAINST A PREFECT WAS PRETTY STEEP, AND CISSY KNEW THAT ONCE SHE CONVEYED THAT INFORMATION - WELL, HE'D BE WISHING HE JUST CAME QUIETLY IN THE FIRST PLACE.

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[iainmurray]

He wasn't surprised she wasn't listening, but he did feel a little satisfied that he was apparently annoying her. She had a way of drawing out the blood from under his nails. Cissa was insufferable and she never seemed to tire of trying to make him lose his patience. (And Iain didn't have much patience to begin with.)
Iain swallowed and kicked his legs a little harder to stay above the surface and keep his blood flowing. His lips were slowly getting a blueish tinge to them, but he stubbornly persisted, pretending not to be affected.

Two people couldn't be more different than Narcissa and Iain. Whereas Cissa longed to be on the moon to have some quiet without people annoying her and getting on her nerves, Iain was the type who needed contact with others around him to function and was rubbish on his own.
"I'm not going to fight over terminology with you again," Iain insisted with a shrug. They had enough things to argue about, after all. He smirked slightly at her snappy tone, though. Good. He wanted her to be annoyed. She was annoying him too, not to mention ruining his evening, so it was the least she deserved.
He swam back a bit further as she walked back, putting as much distance between them as possible. Iain was shivering slightly now, but was hell bent on not letting it show. He was not going to give in first.

"I don't care," he simply said. "It hardly matters how cooperative I am, because I don't doubt you'll make quite a pretty story of it no matter what I do."
Iain swam a little closer to the shore. "But you know - if you ask nicely, I'll come along and we can forget about our unfortunate run in and you can go and waste other people's time."

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[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=style, background-image:url(http://i54.tinypic.com/2vafwqd.jpg), border: solid #ffffff 5px; width: 400px; height: 500px;] CISSA WALKED AROUND THE TREE, LISTENING TO HIS 'I DON'T CARE' SPEIL. SHE PEEKED AT HIM FROM AROUND THE TREE AND PONDERED HIS COMMENT. HM. ACTUALLY, SHE DIDNT THINK SHE'D MAKE UP A STORY AT ALL. SHE WAS SORT OF DIFFERENT WHEN IT CAME TO PREFECT-ING. NARCISSA NEVER SPOKE ANYTHING TOO FAR FROM THE TRUTH, AND INSTEAD TRIED TO MAKE SURE EVERYTHING WAS FAIR. THE ONLY TIME SHE'D EVER LIED ABOUT ANYTHING WAS WHEN SHE CAUGHT THAT HORRIBLE JAMES POTTER OUT AND ABOUT THE GROUNDS IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT. HE'D BEEN INVOLVED IN THINGS THAT SHE REALLY DID NOT WANT TO KNOW THE DETAILS OF. IN ANY CASE, SHE IMMEDIATELY ESCORTED HIM - WITH DIFFICULT - TO THE HEADMASTER'S OFFICE. ALONG THE WAY, HE'D TRASH-TALKED HER ENTIRE FAMILY, AND WENT ON TO SAY HOW UGLY SHE WAS. WELL, CISSA WOULDN'T TAKE IT. SO, SHE MADE UP A FEW LIES...THEY WEREN'T COMPLETELY FAR-FETCHED, OBVIOUSLY, BECAUSE THE POTTER PRAT GOT IN TROUBLE FOR IT. GOOD. SHE TURNED ABOUT THE TREE AND FACED IAIN AGAIN, RAISING AN EYEBROW. "YOU MUST BE JOKING," NARCISSA SPEWED, HER FACE EXPRESSING DISBELIEF. HE REALLY THOUGHT SHE WAS GOING TO ASK NICELY? AS IF. "ME? ASK YOU - NICELY? NOT GOING TO HAPPEN," SHE ANSWERED, CROSSING HER ARMS OVER HER CHEST AND STICKING HER NOSE IN THE AIR, EYES CLOSED. CISSA DIDN'T BELIEVE HE COULD BE ANY MORE IDIOTIC THAN HE PRESENTED, AND THEN HE OFFERED HIS WILD IDEA. NOW...SHE JUST THOUGHT HE SIMPLY ILL-MINDED. THERE WAS NO WAY IN HELL SHE WOULD EVER DO ANYTHING NICELY FOR OR TO IAIN MURRAY. HE DIDN'T DESERVE IT. SHE TILTED HER HEAD DOWN AND OPENED HER EYES, GLARING AT HIM FROM A DISTANCE.

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[iainmurray]

As far as Iain was concerned, Cissa was a lying, two-faced bitch, so he didn't expect her to tell the truth, really. Not that he expected her to lie, either. Sadly, she wasn't stupid, which meant she was all too talented when it came to mixing halftruths and emphasising certain angles of a story to make it seem worse or better than it was.
He huffed and sighed when she, of course, refused to ask him. "No, I didn't think you would. You're not a nice girl, after all," he sneered. It would have been nice if she had, though. Deep down, Iain had a hunch that if she could just be civil, he wouldn't mind so much pretending to be civil as well. Neither of them managed to do that, though. "Well, I can keep this up all night," he lied, "so it's your call." He meant that if she decided to behave like a normal, sociable person, he would come along, completely forgetting that she'd 'warned' (still threatened!) him that she'd get him out in another way if she had to.

But damn, he was cold and if this took just a little bit longer she was going to notice how he was shivering. The sun had set completely now and his skin looked pale under the moonlight, covered in goosebumps, and his lips were purplish.
He kept swimming and moving his arms and legs, but could no longer feel his fingertips and his chest was starting to feel tight, pins and needles in his lower legs as well.

He was fine, though. Absolutely fine.

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[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=style, background-image:url(http://i54.tinypic.com/2vafwqd.jpg), border: solid #ffffff 5px; width: 400px; height: 500px;] NARCISSA WAS TIRED OF THIS BACK AND FORTH SHIT. SERIOUSLY, COULDN'T HE JUST GET OUT OF THE DAMN LAKE? AS SHE LOOKED AT HIM, SHE REALIZED THAT HIS LIPS LOOKED A LITTLE BLUE. HM. HE MUST HAVE BEEN FEELING PRETTY COLD RIGHT ABOUT THEN. GREAT. BUT, IF CISSA TOOK HIM TO THE CASTLE WITH PNEUMONA AND HE ACCUSED HER OF LEAVING HIM IN THE LAKE - WELL, SHE'D GET IN EVEN MORE TROUBLE THAN HE WOULD, MOST LIKELY. SHE SIGHED. "FINE," SHE SAID SHARPLY, THEN NEARED THE LAKE AND TOOK OUT HER WAND. "WILL YOU...PLEASE GET OUT," SHE ASKED IN THE BEST TONE SHE COULD WITHOUT SOUNDING SARCASTIC. NARCISSA DIDN'T WAIT FOR HIS ANSWER, AND INSTEAD POINTED HER WAND UP IN THE AIR. "ACCIO TOWEL!' SHE SHOUTED, THEN LOWERED HER WAND AND WAITED FOR A FLUFFY TOWEL TO SHOOT INTO HER HAND. SHE DROPPED IT AT THE SHORELINE AND SHOT HIM A 'HURRY IT UP' LOOK. "THERE. DRY OFF AND GET YOUR CLOTHES ON...PLEASE," SHE SAID AGAIN, FEELING THE WORD PRESS AGAINST HER LIPS IN UNFAMILIARITY. SHE TURNED AROUND AND STOOD BEHIND THE TREE, LEANING AGAINST IT AND LOOKING BACK TO THE CASTLE. SHE KEPT AN EYE ON THE HORIZON BEFORE HER, JUST IN CASE IAIN TRIED TO MAKE OFF. SHE DIDN'T THINK HE WOULD THOUGH - NOT NOW THAT HE GOT WHAT HE WANTED. SHE JUST HOPED HE DIDN'T THINK THE NICEITIES WOULD LAST - BECAUSE THEY WOULDN'T.

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[iainmurray]

He was pretty sick of it himself, but he wasn't going to let her win. Iain barked a laugh as Cissa gave in, smirking and enjoying his little moment of victory (albeit dubious) to the fullest. "Since you ask so nicely," he replied, with a tone just a little too mocking, "yes, I will." Iain doubted she was listening to him, but it felt so good to say it. Not to mention that he couldn't wait to get out of the freezing water.
To be honest, he was a little surprised that she'd actually accio him a towel. Iain had forgotten to bring one, but then again had just expected to swim for a bit and then jog back to the Castle before he got too cold.

The moment she had turned away, he stumbled out of the water, cursing quietly under his breath as the night air hit his wet skin. He was in such a hurry to get out that he even forgot to laugh about the 'bonus please' Narcissa had granted him. He dried himself with numb, icy fingers and shuddered as he pulled on his clothes. It wasn't really helping, because the cold seemed to have seeped into his bones and now it sat there. He coughed quietly as he finished drying the last bits of his hair and ran his fingers through it in an attempt to tame it at least a little. Then, he folded the towel and took a few experimental steps on his still unfeeling feet. No stumbling, good enough.
Iain folded the towel and tucked it under his arm before starting to walk towards the castle, not as fast as he would like, but not so slow that Narcissa would notice how affected by the cold he really was. Hopefully. He didn't expect her to be nice for much longer. In fact, he didn't expect her to be nice at all. He didn't care, he just wanted to get inside and change into warm pyjamas and curl up in front of a fire.

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[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=style, background-image:url(http://i54.tinypic.com/2vafwqd.jpg), border: solid #ffffff 5px; width: 400px; height: 500px;] THE QUIET THAT FELL BETWEEN THEM WAS UNSETTLING. CISSA FELT LIKE HE WAS GOING TO TRY AND RUN AWAY, HENCE HIS SUDDEN SILENCE. BUT INSTEAD, SHE LISTENED AS HIS WET FOOTSTEPS NEARED AND HE POPPED INTO VIEW, HIS WALK SLOW BUT STEADY. NARCISSA WAS SURE HE WAS FINE. AND IF NOT, WELL, IT WAS HIS OWN FAULT FOR STAYING IN THE LAKE LONGER JUST TO SPITE HER. SHE WALKED FORWARD AND MET UP WITH HIM, WALKING BESIDE HIM. IT WASN'T UNTIL SHE LOOKED OVER AGAIN THAT SHE NOTICED THE STIFFNESS IN HIS LEGS. SHE SMIRKED. "IF YOU'D GOT OUT WHEN I SAID TO, YOU WOULDN'T BE SO COLD," NARCISSA SAID QUIETLY, BEFORE SHRUGGING. "NOT THAT YOU NEED LOW-TEMPERATURED WATER TO MAKE YOU COLD." FROM THE TREATMENT SHE'D DESERVED FROM IAIN, SHE WOULD NEVER SEE HIM AS A WARM OR KIND PERSON. SAD THING WAS THAT ALTHOUGH SHE WASN'T PARTICULARLY NICE, SHE COULD BE AROUND THE RIGHT SORT OF PEOPLE. BUT PEOPLE LIKE IAIN WEREN'T IT. SO SHE GUESSED SHE COULD SEE WHY HE, IN TURN, FELT THAT SHE WAS SO CRUEL...BUT REALLY, HE ACTED THE SAME, SO WAS HE EVEN BETTER? NOPE. NOT IN HER MIND, ANYWAY. THEY APPROACHED THE CASTLE FAIRLY QUICKLY, AND NARCISSA TOOK THE LEAD. WITH HER WAND IN HAND, SHE OPENED THE DOOR WITH HER OTHER, SWINGING IT OPEN WIDE FOR HIM TO ENTER, YET NOT HOLDING IT OPEN SHOULD HE LINGER BEHIND. CISSY GRINNED AS THE PROFESSOR-IN-CHARGE STOOD IN THE CORRIDOR IN FRONT OF THE GREAT HALL, THEN TURNED TOWARD THEM AS HE HEARD THE DOOR CLOSE. NARCISSA APPROACHED HIM PROUDLY. "SWIMMING IN THE LAKE," SHE EXPLAINED, THEN STEPPED ASIDE SO HE COULD GET A GOOD LOOK.

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[iainmurray]

Iain's mind wasn't on the lack of conversation, he just wanted to get back, hear what the verdict was, and go to bed. He wasn't feeling talkative at all anymore, and in fact he felt plain terrible. It was probably due to a combination of him being cold, his disappointment at not being able to swim like he had planned, but mostly because of quarrelling with Narcissa. Sure, they had never gotten along and over the years the insults had just gotten sharper and more inventive, but Iain didn't actually like fighting and arguing with others. It made him feel rude and childish and just plain worthless. He would never apologise to Cissa - because he was too proud to do so but also because she would never believe him - but every time they clashed, he had the urge to, anyway.
"I'm not cold," he grumbled stubbornly and crossed his arms, hunching a little. His entire posture showed the he was obviously freezing, but if Iain was good at anything, it was denial. "I'm fine." It wasn't like she cared any way. And why would anyone care? He was just an idiot.
Narcissa was right to say that Iain wasn't a particularly nice person to her. He was generally pleasant, but with the history between the both of them, Iain couldn't see Cissa's good sides, either. He wasn't better than she was - and he didn't think she was better than him either. They were both at fault, probably.

He followed her inside, catching his shoulder on the door as it started to swing shut but didn't care. He didn't quite feel it, as he was still cold. His shoulder tingled, though. It was probably fine.
The professor-in-charge, professor Valerius, sighed and raised an eyebrow at the student Narcissa led in behind her. One of the Murray boys - and definitely Iain. It was always Iain. "Swimming?" he shook his head and looked at Iain, who remained stoically silent. The teacher turned back to Narcissa. "Good job getting him out of there, the water must have been freezing." Iain's face darkened and he sighed, rolling his eyes. "I am fine."


[OOC: I took the teacher, hope you don't mind (: Let me know if you had something different in mind!]