alt_justin | Order Only: Private Message to Ron and Sally-Anne

Hullo,

Sorry to disturb, but Hydra and I were wondering if perhaps you two might like to, er, double-date, what. Sometime.

I say, the thing is that we're meant to see each other with chaperones, if you follow me. But we thought perhaps you two wouldn't mind, seeing as--well. Seeing as you'd want to be alone just as much as we do.

Unless I'm much mistaken, in which case, we'll think of an alternative. It's no trouble.

-F-F

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

From:

alt_sally_anne

So are you thinking we'd all cram ourselves into your stairwell to snog? Or an empty classroom? Or did you have some other place in mind or were you actually thinking four-way exploding snap in the Great Hall or what?

Also did anyone define 'chaperone?' I mean would we qualify, because if Professor Lestrange is the one meant to be deciding he wasn't born yesterday (though obviously he's never minded you seeing Hydra, but now Hydra's father knows it's a bit different, right?)

From:

alt_justin

Sally-Anne,

Our restrictions are dashed maddeningly unspecific. Hydra said her father expects us to 'behave with decorum' or some such. No one's said one way or another what we're allowed or not allowed to do.

But Hydra's been concerned that if we're really truly 'alone' we might be caught.

Her stairwell's not big enough for two couples--I say, it's barely big enough for the two of us, what!--but we might be able to find a snug spot where you and Ron could be a little ways away for privacy and so could we do. But then if anyone should ask, we were revising together.

-F-F

From:

alt_sally_anne

A snug spot with a little privacy wouldn't be too bad. You don't think Hydra's got any more jewelry that spies on her and will tell her father if she's alone with you?

Here's the thing I'm wondering about the stairwell, aren't there also stairs? I mean the base of the stairwell would be really small but if there's stairs going up isn't there also a spot at the top, or you could just sit on the stairs, right, and if there's a whole flight of stairs there'd be enough space for two couples, even if they're really narrow. It would be awkward if they're revolving stairs rather than a straight staircase but not impossible.

From:

alt_justin

I think the stairs used to lead somewhere but no longer do. Some sort of repair or renovation, what.

The entrance isn't private enough for a tryst, at any rate. Hydra doesn't generally care to sit on the stairs but if you don't, that might provide enough separation.

I say, there's a corridor near the kitchens that I think used to have an extra cistern in, a long time ago. That might do as well.

-J

From:

alt_justin

And no, Hydra has no other cursed jewellery. Well, not that sort, at any rate.

I think Mr Lestrange finds it much more satisfying to make us worry what he'll do rather than actually do anything. (Or he ought to have simply forced us to separate, what.) After all, the 'damage' is done, and it's not as if we'll get into family trouble while we're at school.

-J

From:

alt_sally_anne

I don't know if you should count on the castle keeping that from happening, actually. They don't exactly understand what's involved in the protections but since you're betrothed the Castle might think you WANT to

oh wait. You DID mean pregnancy when you said 'family trouble,' didn't you? It just occurred to me you might mean Mr Lestrange turning up.

Anyway you should use the charms, they're really not that difficult. Or have Hydra ask Madam P for the potion.

From:

alt_justin

Er. Yes, thank you. We already use protection, anyway. It's not a habit one wishes to break, what.

At any rate, we can hardly be the first couple ever to become engaged while at school. My point was that Mr Lestrange can presume we'll not create any complications because the school won't let us, what.

-J

From:

alt_sally_anne

Right, I suppose.

Anyway. We can all 'meet up for a bit of revision' tomorrow if you can think of a spot.

From:

alt_justin

Oh, jolly good! We'll find something, I'm sure.

-J

From:

alt_sally_anne

If you're thinking of Madam Puddlifoot's on the next Hogsmeade weekend, I'm not sure anything short of the Imperius curse would get Ron in there. But that's public anyway, so would you need a chaperone?

From:

alt_justin

Hogsmeade's weeks and weeks away. No, I wasn't thinking of that.

-J

From:

alt_ron

Oh, ha ha.

I wish there were some place in Hogsmeade we could go that not many people do. But, y'know. Once we're in Hogsmeade, we could Apparate and go anywhere, yeah? Who would know? No one! As long as we got back in time.

From:

alt_sally_anne

You'd have to side-along me both ways. And Justin would have to side-along Hydra. But! It's true, we could do that. If we were caught we would be in HUGE trouble, though, not only for apparating under age but for leaving Hogsmeade, I'm sure that's not allowed.

From:

alt_sally_anne

Oh and there's always the Hog's Head. I know people who've gone in but they say it smells funny and the dishes are sort of grimy and it's just not very pleasant. We probably wouldn't run into any other students there. (We might, however, run into Mr Lestrange.)

From:

alt_ron

Yeah, that doesn't sound like a good idea.

There's the place Percy went sometimes with Clearwater. The Protector's Circle. Only I think that'd be a daft waste of galleons.

From:

alt_justin

Ron,

The problem there, again, is that Hogsmeade weekends are few and far between.

Besides, last year Bundy (Eric, that is) made certain all the lads in Hufflepuff knew that everyone assumes when one goes to the Protector's Circle, it's for one thing.

In fact, in our experience it's far better to stay behind on a Hogsmeade day than to go to the village, what.

-J

From:

alt_sally_anne

That place costs SO much money. I've heard some of the older students talking about it. And Justin's right, if you go there, people talk. So it's out of the question for Justin and Hydra.

From:

alt_ron

Heh.

We are the older students now, you know. But, yeah. Everyone does totally know what you're doing if they see you go there. That's what I told Percy back when he did.

From:

alt_sally_anne

I know, I started to say 'the NEWT students' and then I realised we ARE the NEWT students now.

I'm thinking of conversations I overheard, oh, third year? or maybe fourth? back when the NEWT students were old.

From:

alt_sally_anne

What do you think? I can see why he's suggesting it. I don't really want to snog in front of other people but if we were, oh, around a corner or something, maybe it wouldn't be too bad?

Honestly my biggest worry is Mr Lestrange somehow finding out and showing up and being cross with us (you and me, I mean -- Justin, it just goes without saying but those are his risks to worry about).

From:

alt_ron

Uh.

Yeah. I guess that's right. I mean, it's one thing if they get caught, but it could be a whole other thing if we got Mr Lestrange hacked off at you. It wouldn't be so great for my family, either, mind you, but he could do-

Look. We won't do it if you don't want to.

Or we could tell them that we'll only try it if we can test it first in a way that wouldn't get any of us in trouble if there was some surveillance charm on Hydra that's going to tell her father they're on a date. Only, I don't have any idea really what that would mean exactly to test it but not be doing anything that would actually get any of us in trouble if her father came crashing in.

...

From:

alt_sally_anne

Well to be honest I think Hydra knows a lot more hiding places around the school than I do so if they can find a good spot where we'd also have some privacy that would be rather nice.

I think it would be good to test it but I'm not sure how.