Office by Alex Penny
The name's Frank. Frank Longbottom. I'm a Gryffindor sixth year in Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Don't worry though, I'm harmless. Most of the time anyway.
Frank sat alone in the common room huddled in front of the fireplace with a blanket wrapped around his shoulders and a cup of hot cocoa at hand. He stared at the fire place blankly as he remembered the letter he’d received from his parents. His uncle had been killed in the war along with the many others. He wondered how people could live off of it. The war. It was such a cruel thing. It made him feel like he’d simply been placed into this world to die.
He took a sip of the hot coca and continued staring into the flames as if though it held all the answers to his questions. As if though it would make things better. But it didn’t. Receiving that letter from his parents only made the war seem more real. His uncle had died. It was someone he’d talked to, spent time with, someone he knew. He’d also seen the name on today’s newspaper. How long until it was his friends that he saw dead? Their names flashed in big capital letters as a casualty of war. He hugged the blanket closer to himself and took another sip of the cocoa. It was senseless thinking of these things now. Death was an inevitable thing in war. That’s why he hated war. It did nothing but create more misery and conflict.
As much as he wanted to fight in the war and help protect innocent lives, he couldn’t help but wonder if it was worth it. He’d seen what the war had done to some people. The people who’d been there during Grindelwald’s time. Their eyes had become blank and desolate and they always seemed far away, as if though they were still reliving the war. He didn’t want that to happen to him or to anyone else. They were teenagers. Their biggest problem was supposed to be exams and relationships and yet, at such a young age they were already forced to consider a future where they might not even be included in. He sighed deeply and leaned against one of the chair’s nearby, drifting off with more thoughts about the war.
Another unladylike-like snort, and she rolled her eyes. That hurt? “So, you can take a Bludger to the head, but not mean Alice?” She arched her eyebrows, reaching over as if she was going to poke him again, and instead placed a soft kiss on his chin, a red flush on her cheeks. “Poor Frank.”
“Longbottom, don’t you dare” she warned him, instinctively backing away from him, brows knit together to form a frown. If he was going to tickle her again, she would have to retaliate by.. by what? Alice wasn’t big or fast or strong enough to tickle him or even beat him up. By depriving him of baked goods, maybe. Mhm. She wasn’t sure what her revenge would be, but she would come up with something, eventually.
Frank suddenly stopped when she kissed his chin and blushed brightly. “Bludger’s don’t poke me in the stomach Al, but you do.” He said, miraculously not stuttering. Oh Merlin, how were they supposed to start dating if they kept blushing at little things like those? He wondered to himself.
He started moving towards her again, a devious smile on his face. The plan was simple. Pretend you’re going to tickle Alice then simply reach for something behind her. “Don’t I dare do what?” He asked trying to play innocent. He suddenly reached behind her and grabbed another grape and popped it into his mouth. He chuckled at her reaction. “See Al. Nothing to be worried about. I wasn’t going to do anything.” He said eating another grape.
Stuff.
Like what kind of stuff?
Don’t do that! It tickles my ear!
And only James is allowed to do that.And nothing happened. Just normal, ordinary stuff between two Gryffindors who somehow managed to end up in the quidditch pitch.
Right. And you didn’t do anything interesting? Nothing at all? What were you even doing in the quidditch pitch?
Anonymous: Your penis is starring in a gritty crime drama? Which part would it play?Straight laced detective. Hooded criminal. Crooked cop
Do you have nothing better to do besides bother me?
Anonymous: Do you sleep with sheets tucked in or out? Why?
Uhm… Tucked out I guess? I dunno, I think it’s because I’m too lazy to tuck it in.
“Brownies make people fat?” Alice wasn’t able to come up with an excuse for that one, because it was true, so she reluctantly agreed. “Mhm. I suppose you’re right..” The look of mischief on her face should have warned him of what she was about to do; which was poke him in the belly. Poke, poke, poke! “No more brownies for you, Longbottom.”
When Frank said he’d come over to her house for the Easter holidays, she smiled, looking very pleased. Their parents were good friends, and they had basically grown up together. So it wasn’t suprising that her mother, Sandra, had been asking when the Longbottom’s would come over again. “Really? Lovely. Your mum should come over too. “
Frank was just about ready to gloat about the fact that he had won that argument when she suddenly poked him in his stomach. “Ow.” He complained. “That hurt Al.” He said pretending it hurt though it didn’t really.
“Of course. She’s been asking me when I plan to go to your house so she can talk to your mum. I don’t really understand why they don’t just do that through the floo but I suppose it’s a girl thing.” He said laughing. Suddenly an idea struck him, he started grinning madly and came a bit closer to Alice trying to look as if he was gonna tickle her again.
You look different. New haircut?
Yeah. Why, is it bad?
No, no. You look different is all. It’s a good kind of different.
Oh. Thanks. So… How are things going with James?
Funny you should ask…
Why? What happened?
You look different. New haircut?
Yeah. Why, is it bad?
No, no. You look different is all. It’s a good kind of different.
Oh. Thanks. So… How are things going with James?
