I Don't Care If You're Contagious. (Waverly)

There was an inky black spider crawling along the trunk of the tree Waverly was reclining against. It was just a tiny blot against the brown wood of the tree, and the dark-haired girl watched it carefully. She marveled at how it could travel so gracefully in spite of the rough surface. It moved without much trepidation, it's skinny legs confident with each step. For a moment it dipped around a bend and the girl lost sight of it, but then it appeared again, crawling up the side, disppearing, disappearing, smaller and smaller, before Waverly could no longer see the tiny creature. She frowned, filled with a sense of concern for it. Waverly had always felt sorry for little things like that; they were so often feared and disliked by everyone else, and for no good reason, either. It was peculiar how such a little thing could strike fear and loathing into people without doing anything. Unfair, that's what it was.

Sighing, she returned to her work at hand. Resting on her knee was a compact mirror that she had to wipe clean periodically because of the slighty humidity. On the ground she had a myriad of beauty products: tubes of lipstick of varying shades, eyeshadow palettes mostly in shades of grey, black, and brown, some blushes, foundation, Q-tips, mascara, make-up remover, black eyeliner, and make-up brushes. It was an elaborate spread, to say the least.

Picking up the black eyeliner, she turned her head to the side, peering into the mirror intently. Slowly, she dragged the pencil across the lid of her eyes, extending beneath her browbone. It appeared for a moment that she was doing a simple cat-eye, but then she dragged the pencil further, twirling it in cirular, almost floral shapes, till it resembled something like a tattoo. Satisfied, she added eyeshadow to both lids - a deep charcoal, grey with shades of sparkling silver in the corners of her eyes - and then swiped a nude lipsticks across her mouth. She applied no blush, added some dark mascara, and felt pleased by the final result. The smallest of smiles appeared at the edge of her lips, feeling as if she belonged in a freak circus.

Waverly usually wasn't so elaborate with her make-up. Normally, she would wake up, shower, gel her hair into various spikes, and keep her make-up to a minimum: no foundation, blush, or lipstick, just chapstick, eyeshadow, mascara, eyeliner, and that was all. The dark shades combined her with outlandish sense of style always made a statement, regardless. An aspiring make-up artist, however, Waverly was taking this peaceful Saturday afternoon to ignore her studies and sharpen her make-up skills. The eyeliner design was inspired by something she had seen in a Muggle magazine, and she'd wanted to put her own spin on it the second she'd seen it. Make-up was funny to her. It was like a mask you hid behind everyday.

Remembering the spider she'd seen just a few moments ago, Waverly glanced around the grounds, momentarily wishing she wasn't so shy. How would she pursue this career of hers - which involved talking to people on a daily basis - if she couldn't get out of her comfort zone? She was just about to put all her things in her bag and head inside when she saw another Hufflepuff girl stamp through the grass and place herself on the nearby bench. Caitlin was her name, though Waverly had never spoken to her directly. The other girl was just a few paces away, yet Waverly still couldn't bring herself to make the first move. Exhaling slowly, Waverly thumbed idly through a magazine she had tucked away in her bag.

Waverly had always loved making a mess of make-up, but in a strange way, make-up was probably the only thing she had in common with her sister. Possibly, it was Waverly's way of staying connected to her, despite Siobhan's insufferable personality. Unlike Waverly, Siobhan was a girly-girl to the max who took extra care in her appearance, dressed to impress, and possessed a meticulous beauty routine. To the point of insanity, actually. Cosmetics, however, were a form of expression for Waverly. It was an art she never got tired of. Her favorite part were the eye shadow palettes, being able to toy with different shades, crazy pops of color, and so forth. All at once, she wanted to keep it to herself but also share it with her sister. To be the way they used to be.

She sighed, continuing to flip through her magazine. When she saw a few pictures she liked, she tore them out, folding them up, and stuffing them in the pocket of her leather jacket. Even though it was chilly out, it was this kind of time to herself that Waverly liked most. Every now and then, she found herself needing to get away from the chaos of the castle. She liked the fresh air, the open spaces. Overhead, she saw a blackbird fly toward the direction of the Black Lake. She followed it over her shoulder, watching it till it faded into the distance. There were too many people around for her to change into a bird herself. It wasn't that she would be doing anything wrong, though. She was registered with the Ministry and everything. It was simply too personal for her to just openly share. Waverly was that way with most things.

Speaking of animals, Waverly snapped her head back when she heard the padding of little paws. There at her knees was her black cat, Neptune. She scowled, wondering how she had gotten out of the dormitory. Her roommate no doubt accidentally let her out. Setting down her magazine, Waverly scooped the cat up, rubbing her ears gently. A small smile appeared on her face as she listened to her cat's soft purring.

Something caught Waverly's attention of of the corner of her eye. It was then that she noticed her fellow Hufflepuff, Caitlin, waving at her. She was surprised by the friendly gesture. Waverly glanced around the area, just to make sure it really was Waverly Caitlin was greeting. A little unsure, Waverly waved back, an awkward smile on her face. Clearly, social engagements weren't her forte.

Her eyes widened at Caitlin's enthusiasm. Waverly was quite the opposite, unenthusiastic. Not to Caitlin in particular, just in general. She was taken aback by how someone could be so friendly. Neither girls knew each other very well, or at all, but here was Caitlin, acting as if they had been best friends still that first ride on the Hogwarts Express. It was a strange kind of kindness, but something Waverly found herself oddly welcoming. She shifted uneasily when Caitlin walked over to where she was sitting, wondering what would be the best way to respond.

Quietly, Waverly replied, "You can pet her if you want. Her name's Neptune." Waverly outstretched the black cat to the other Hufflepuff girl so she could more easily stroke it's silky fur. Waverly had always had a fondness for animals, cats being her esteemed favorite. They were such easy-going, gentle creatures. Waverly could admire their self-sufficiency, their cleverness, and independence. Neptune was Waverly's first and only cat. She had purchased her as a kitten in Diagon Alley. She had never been able to have a cat before because her mother had an allergy to cats. It went without saying that Neptune and Waverly were very close. Neptune followed her owner about everywhere and the cat curled itself onto her bed at night. Neptune had a penchant to accidentally claw Waverly in the middle of the night, but otherwise, the pair were an inseparable duo.

Waverly nodded. She glanced uncertainly at Caitlin's outstretched hand but did not reach to shake it. "Waverly. Cassel." she replied stiffly. Merlin, why wasn't she better at this sort of thing? She guessed that any minute now, Caitlin would be side-stepping her way out of here. As most people did when they had to speak to Waverly for more than two minutes.

She eased slightly at Caitlin's own social graces - or lack, thereof. The pressure lessened, and Waverly felt she didn't have to make a top-notch impression or anything. Admittedly, the little clumsiness had surprised Waverly. Though she didn't know the other Hufflepuff girl personally, she was always seeing her about the school, always with friends, always laughing, always having a good time. Waverly remembered envying her for it. Sometimes she wondered if her vocal chords even wrked. In any case, she was surprised that Caitlin wasn't a bit more adept at this meet-and-greet thing.

A soft sigh escaped her pale lips. "Siobhan? She's a seventh year," Prefect. Golden Girl. Teacher's pet. Blah blah blah. "Are you friends with her?" Though she'd asked, she could immediately guess that the answer would be a no. Siobhan was particular about the people she deigned with her presence. Waverly willed herself not to roll herself. Inwardly though, her stomach was twisting into knots. The last thing she wanted to talk about was her mornic sister.

Waverly watched with a bit of surprise as Neptune cuddled up closely to Caitlin, the cat's pleasure made obvous by her purring. Normally Waverly was a bit uncertain when entrusting Neptune into the care of another. It wasn't that Neptune bit or had a poor disposition. Waverly was just protective of her little companion, and the black cat was just shy. Usually Neptune avoided other people except for her master. A small smile appeared on her lips to watch Caitlin stroke her fur over and over. Clearly the Hufflepuff girl was good with animals, and Waverly decided she'd hadn't been wrong about Caitlin's friendly nature.

Rather suddenly, a Waverly laughed - albeit, a bitter one. She had to resist the urge to roll her eyes at that one. Realizing this might seem a bit strange to Caitlin, Waverly quieted, shrugging her shoulders. "Most people don't even know I'm related to her. I mean, the resemblance isn't obvious. And..." she paused, knitting her brows together in thought. "Siobhan doesn't bring exactly bring up my name among her friends. Not willingly, anyway."

It was clear from Caitlin's reaction that she didn't think much of her older sister, either. She didn't say so, but she hardly needed to. For the first time in their conversation, she was hesitating, struggling for the right thing to say. That had given her true feelings away. Waverly couldn't exactly blame her though. Even she had difficulty loving her sister. Sometimes she had extreme difficulty remaining... diplomatic on the subject. Releasing a soft sigh, she eyed Caitlin carefully. "Yes... I suppose she does have nice hair. It's... shiny." But then she decided she should at least be honest rather than make Caitlin feel awkward. "It's alright if you don't like her." Afterward, a part of her wished she had said nothing at all, had just kept her mouth shut. Why did it seem as if everything in her life always came back to Siobhan?

Her thoughts were soon stopped though when Caitlin commented on her face. Waverly really wasn't sure how to respond to that, so instead, opted for furrowing her brow and waiting for the outgoing Hufflepuff to clarify. Oh... Immediately, her hand flew to her temple, realizing she hadn't removed the design. Her face turned a pale shade of pink and she dove for her a facial wipe to clear it all off. How embarrassing. "Uh, thanks. It was just... you know. Something to do." Looking for something relatively normal to say that didn't make her sound like some crazy freak, she added uncertainly, "I could show you sometime. How to do it. If you wanted." She wasn't sure what Caitlin would think of that, but hoped it wasn't a strange offer.

There was something different about Caitlin, something Waverly didn't find in other people on a regular basis. She wasn't sure what it was exactly about the other Hufflepuff girl, but Waverly felt much more relaxed in her presence, or at least as relaxed as Waverly could be, anyway. Normally, Waverly would already be itching to leave, social engagements having never really been her forte. She was quick to write people off, to make a certain judgment about them, and then be on her way. It hadn't taken her long to discover that most people were usually the same: petty, dishonest, hypocritical. If there was anything Siobhan had taught her, it was that. People couldn't be counted on. It was better to just avoid them entirely rather than get sucked into their disease. Smiling slightly at Caitlin, Waverly was relieved to feel otherwise about her. There was something about Caitlin that took the pressure off. Something was funny, and kind, and most importantly, sincere. Waverly couldn't remember the last time she'd met a person that fit that description.

Waverly couldn't find an explanation as to why she was the way she was. Back to that whole, nature versus nurture debate, and she always went back and forth on her conclusion. Was she born a raging, anti-social freak or did society just make her that way? There could have been something in her genetic code, she supposed. Her dad, a Muggle ghost-hunter, was a bit on the, er... quirky side. However, he was also outgoing and adventurous. Her mother, a sculptor, and half-blood witch, was much more sophisticated and refined. She could tell you the history behind a Rembrandt painting or describe, in-depth, the sociological implications of insert-pretentiously-smart-thing-here. Her mother was however, also shy and withdrawn. On the hand, Waverly liked to take these opportunities of self-reflection as an excuse to blame her sister. A part of her felt that if Siobhan hadn't and wasn't still, such a self-centered, absent bitch, then Waverly might feel differently about friends, and relationships, and love. Siobhan wanted men to fall to their knees, to kiss her feet in unyielding adoration. Waverly just wanted someone to get her through the night.

Alas, alack. Waverly looked up at Caitlin, surprised by Caitlin's reaction. Given the girl's very au natural appearance, Waverly wouldn't have thought she would want to learn something that was so stereo-typically girly and feminine. Waverly's own make-up routine was pretty straight-forward and hardly in-depth. She really wasn't sure how to explain her fascination with cosmetics. All she knew, was she liked the way she could use a person's face to create art.

She raised her eyebrows, listening to Caitlin talk about her brothers. She wondered if she would've been better off with a brother rather than the harpy she called a sister. In fact, Siobhan brother would've been better off as an only child. It bothered Waverly to know that her sister probably fantasized about that all the time. A frown appeared on her face, beginning to zone out as Caitlin spoke. She had such a terrible habit of doing that. It was always so hard for her to follow the thread of a conversation. Usually she wasn't even thinking about anything especially important, but for some reason, she just tended to get lost in her own head. After a while, she shook herself, realizing she had drifted off to some far off place. Meeting Caitlin's gaze, Waverly blinked, hoping she hadn't been daydreaming for too long.

At Caitlin's next words, Waverly reached for the black eyeliner pencil sitting at her knee. “Close your eyes.” she stated bluntly. When she did, Waverly took the pencil to Caitlin's eyelids and drew a dark line – though not too thick because she knew Caitlin wasn't super keen on make-up – across the top lid. She made a simple cat-eye design and then pulled back, inspecting her work. Simple, but effective. With a decisive nod, she replied, “It's tricky at first, I guess. I've never stabbed myself in the eye, but it can be hard to get a clean, straight line. Just takes practice.”