Mementos

Night time

Damian slouched on the sofa in the common room, staring at that stupid necklace again. He watched it glint in the light of the fireplace. The letter and the envelope in which it had be sent back to him had long since been burned.

Now, all that remained was the necklace.

He didn't want the dumb thing. What was he supposed to do with it? Iv - Popov should have just tossed it in the bin if she didn't want it, anymore. Why send it to him? Scowling unhappily, Damian abruptly rolled to his feet and went over to the fire, holding the necklace so it dangled over the flames.

And still he held onto the damn thing.

J. J. tied her hair back into a ponytail as she walked into the commonroom, looking around tiredly. The hair bounced as she jumped off the last step, and she entered the common room.

She didn't notice Damian at first, but when he moved across to the fire, her interest was peaked. Frowning slightly she went over to investigate, her frown deepening as she saw him hanging a necklace over the fire.

"Not quite as horrific as attempting to throw you're wand in," she mused softly, an old memory tugging at her, "But you know, it would be a shame to melt something so pretty."

Damian dragged his gaze from the necklace, managing a wry smile. "Still can't believe you almost did that," he said. "I almost had a heart-attack." He pulled the necklace away from the fire, holding it up to dangle between them.

"It's just a silly necklace," the boy declared, a twinge of hurt and betrayal and anger in his heart. "If you like it, you can have it."

J. J. mirrored his slight smile, "I can't really either; I was having a rough night - apparently I thought taking it out on my wand was a good idea."

She looked at the jeweled flower dangling between them. It sparkled in the light. It really was pretty. Slowly the girl reached out and took it.

"If its fate is either the fire or me, I think its my duty to save it," she gave a little laugh as she wrapped the chain around her hand. "Even though I doubt its probably just a silly necklace."

"Yeah, well, don't do something like that again," Damian said seriously. "You're too smart to do stupid things like that."

The boy's gaze remained on the necklace as J.J. took it, his mind going back to when he had first given it to Iva. She had been so pleased to receive it; how could she so easily... Damian gave his head a furious shake, gritting his teeth as he tore his eyes away from the memento.

"The person I gave it to didn't want it anymore," Damian replied. "Sent it back to me." He moved back to the sofa and flopped down onto it, feet propped up on the coffee table. Leaning his head against the couch back, he shut his eyes, drawing a slow breath through his nose to calm the anger threatening to rise up in him again.

"It's just a silly necklace," he murmured again. "It'll look nice on you, though. At least somebody wants it."

J. J. gave a small smile and a nod, "I don't have any plans on making a repeat of that performance. I think once was enough to get it out of my system."

She bit her lip as she watched the boy. He seemed so....

His words made something in her brain click, think of some rumours that she had heard. She looked down at the necklace. Something in her head told her this had formally belonged to Iva. Slowly she wandered over to the sofa and perched herself on the arm rest.

"So," she said slowly, searching for a change of topic. "How about those Chuddly Cannons? Huh?"

She flashed him an impish grin, at her lame choice of topic change.

Damian looked at her a long moment, a faint smile tugging at the corner of her mouth in appreciation of the subject change. Then, he gave an indignant snort.

"The Cannons?" he scoffed in disbelief. "You can't seriously be a fan of the Cannons! They weren't even good fifty years ago. It's all about Holyhead. Now, they know how to play. The Harpies are the best."

J. J. held up her hands defensively, a grin spreading on her face none-the-less.

"Hey now, I just picked a random team," she defended, "What makes these other teams so much better anyways? Hm? And maybe I just appriciate their spirit."

Damian laughed. "You really don't know much about Quidditch teams do you?" he asked, shaking his head. "And you're supposed to be our Keeper.

"It's not two teams. Holyhead Harpies - one team. They're the second oldest team in the league, and they've always been an all-women. That's not what's important, though. What's important is that they're the best. Their chasers are just unbelievable. It's like they're reading each other's minds when they play."

"The Cannons are disorganized, and sloppy." The boy shrugged a shoulder. "They just don't play very well."

J. J. blushed slightly and stuck out her tongue at him before joining into the laughter, "Hey, as long as I keep the Quaffle out of the goal posts, I don't think we have a problem here."

She pulled her knees up to her chest, and leaned back a bit, as she thought.

"Well I suppose that can make them better. A team really should mesh... like a family," J. J. smiled slightly.

Damian laughed, then pulled on a serious expression. "You'd better!" he said warningly. His sternness soon vanished, however, and he stretched.

"They should," he agreed. "Teams that don't know how to work together are never very good."

J. J. gave the boy a mock salute, "Ay Ay Captain. You have full permission to... throw me into the lake, and let the squid have me if I let EVER let the Quaffle in."

Her eyes danced as he serious expression fell apart into a laugh.

"Anything that doesn't know how to work together are never very good."

Damian chuckled at the girl's antics. He felt almost... calm for the first time in weeks - since the beginning of the school year, if he were honest with himself.

"You're really something," the boy remarked, not thinking of how such a comment might be taken. The boy settled further into the sofa, shutting his eyes and allowing himself to relax for once. J.J.'s really was a calming presence - Damian had always rather liked the girl.

J. J. smiled slightly as he laughed, glad to see he was relaxing more than he had been when she had first showed up. Dame had been one of the first people she had met at Hogwarts - aside from Karma - she didn't like seeing him so....

She let out a self-conscious laugh and a slight blush covered her face.

"Am I?"

"Mm," Damian gave a nod. "'Course you are. You're brave, and smart, funny, cute. Not to mention -" He paused to yawn. "- you're everything a Hufflepuff should be: hardworking, loyal, dedicated... all that." The boy gestured vaguely with one hand.

From the direction of the boys dormitory came a silent, four-legged figured, who hopped up onto the sofa to lay with half of her body atop her master. Damian cracked at eye open to look at the wolf, a smile tugging at his lip.

"Hey, girl," he murmured, a hand gently stroking Lynne's brown fur. "You're somethin', too," the boy mumbled, voice trailing off as his breathing fell into a steady pattern, hand stilling on the daemon's back.

J. J. blushed and shook her head a little, "I'm not any of that stuff I'm just... me; I guess maybe that comes with it but... "

She just shook her head.

"Anyway, you aren't so bad yourself, Gray," she tease, grinning down at the boy who looked already asleep.

The corners of Damian's mouth twitched upward, the movement too sleepy to really be considered a smile. His eyes remained shut.

"'Course not." The words were a whisper as slumber dragged fully into the realm of unconsciousness. "Imma be... best wizard... ever..." And then, he was well and truly asleep."

The girl smiled fondly as she heard him mutter and then truely fall asleep. Looking around she saw a throw blanket on the back of one of the chairs, walking over she grabbed it and threw it gently over the boy.

"Good Night, Dame."

With that whispered parting, she took the once doomed necklace in her hand, and turned to go back to her dormitory.