#honestly what happened to me in the summer when i kept up hard exam prep work quite consistently over like 3 weeks | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

calligraphist-artemisia · 6 years

Text

Best Kept Secret

Summary: Hogwarts AU. Between their duties as Head Boy and Girl and keeping up with their grades, it's hard for Pidge and Keith to find time to be together. Still, they manage to steal moments whenever they can.

Pairing: Keith/Pidge

Tagging @luce-ciel who showed interest in this when I mentioned it the other day.

Also posted on AO3 and fanfiction.net

Story notes at the end!

Best Kept Secret

Katie “Pidge” Holt carefully finished buttoning her collared shirt and then attempted to smooth out the wrinkles with her hands before deeming herself presentable. She smiled as hands reached out, pulling her back against a warm body, but didn't put up a fuss even as her clothing was rumpled once again.

“Don't forget your tie,” a low, husky voice murmured in her ear.

She shivered as he draped the silk tie around her neck, moving her hair out of the way to do so. She tilted her head back. “Keith...”

Keith chuckled as he bowed his head, kissing her deeply.

“You gave me the wrong tie,” Pidge breathlessly accused as they parted. Even without looking, she knew the colors of the tie around her neck were yellow and black, rather than the green and silver of her own House.

“Is it?” Keith asked in a tone that was just on the side of sounding too innocent.

Pidge giggled and kissed him again, unable to help herself. “Just one more week,” she reminded him, her voice full of promise. She turned in his arms, taken by the need to hug him. She felt his arms shift around her, readjusting to make her more comfortable.

“I can't wait to get out of here,” Keith admitted. “One more week and we won't have to deal with House prejudices anymore. No one will bat an eye over our relationship.”

Pidge pressed her face against his shoulder and, for a moment, she said nothing. Then, in a quiet voice, made a confession of her own. “I keep envisioning the End of Term feast. Us walking in together. You sweeping me up in your arms and... and kissing me, right there in front of everyone.”

She could feel Keith's sharp intake of breath.

“Is that really what you want?” he asked.

“Yes,” she whispered back.

It terrified her, how much she wanted it. She was tired of all of the sneaking around, of the lies she told to avoid suspicion. For so long, she'd wanted to reveal the truth, but it wasn't possible thanks to the state her House was in. One day she hoped things would be different, but at the moment it wasn't possible to tell everyone without risking her safety or Keith's.

But graduation was upon them. In a week's time, they would board the Hogwarts Express one final time. They would spend a few weeks at home awaiting their NEWT scores before setting out on new paths. Keith, she knew, already had a place as a trainee for the Department of Magical Law Enforcement thanks to Shiro. And Pidge was all set with an apprenticeship in Spellcrafting with a Master who took only the brightest and most passionate as her pupils.

“Would you wear my tie then too?” Keith asked.

Pidge blinked, pulled out of her thoughts and back to their conversation. She drew away so she could smile up at him. “I'd like that. A lot. We should at least follow one great Hogwarts tradition before we leave.”

Keith returned her own tie, draping it around her neck in the same fashion as before, and then reclaimed his own. “Not that anyone will be paying attention to it while we're snogging in front of them.”

“It's the meaning that counts,” Pidge said, reluctantly backing away to finish neatening up before they headed down to the Great Hall for breakfast – separately, of course. She was aware of Keith's eyes on her as she walked around to gather up her few scattered belongings. The room they'd commandeered for their “sleepovers” was a fascinating one, but they weren't sure what would happen to their stuff if they left anything behind.

“You know, we could sneak down to the kitchens for food. Spend the rest of the day together... No one would notice we were gone,” he tried to convince her.

Pidge raised an eyebrow, despite being secretly pleased by the attempt. “Keith, everyone would notice if the Head Boy and Girl disappeared for most of the day. At the very least, Lance would convince the other Prefects that we've been kidnapped, or something equally as ridiculous.”

Keith recognized that he'd been beat. His shoulders slumped as he began to gather his own things. “I'll see you tonight then? For the Prefect dinner?”

“I'd forgotten that was tonight,” Pidge murmured, more to herself. “Yeah, I'll see you there.” She shouldered her bag, double checking to make sure she had everything. The only exam she had left was Ancient Runes and she wanted to squeeze in a little extra time to review her notes before then.

Her mind was already miles away, cataloging everything she needed to get done for the day. After breakfast was review, and then another unnecessary meeting with the Slytherin seventh year Prefect, Lotor, who seemed to think his opinion of who would make a good Head Boy or Girl for the next year was Very Important. After that no-doubt exhausting ordeal was lunch and then it was off to the last of her final exams. Her only plan after that was to relax with a long, warm bubble bath before she had to prep for the End-of-Term dinner where she and Keith would announce their picks for next year's Head Boy and Girl.

All-in-all, Pidge had a busy day ahead of her.

Keith smiled fondly as he watched her, knowing the exact moment her attention turned to something else. It was actually nice, knowing she trusted him enough to let her guard down. He couldn't wait for the day they could get their own place together – nothing too big, but not so cramped they couldn't have their individual space. Pidge would definitely need an office of her own for all of her projects...

He shook his head.

They weren't ready for that step yet, he knew, but it was nice to think about.

“Hey,” he called to get her attention. He waited until he was sure she was paying attention to him before telling her he was heading down to the Great Hall.

“Oh, okay. I'll see you tonight,” Pidge said distantly.

Keith wanted to linger for a while, but he knew he needed to get down to breakfast soon, so when Pidge followed a few minutes later she'd have enough time to eat. “Don't study too hard. And if you need me to hex Lotor for you, just say the word.”

Pidge grinned, fully snapping out of her daze at the old joke. “As always, your offer is tempting. Careful, or I may actually take you up on that.”

After that playful exchange, Keith left the room in high spirits and carefully made his way to breakfast through use of several secret passages to disguise the fact that he was traveling down from the seventh floor rather than up from the dungeons. It was unlikely that anyone would question the Head Boy about why he was patrolling the halls so early in the morning. He'd always had a penchant for roaming with no real goal in mind except to learn his way around, and as it was the last week of his final year, he felt he could easily convince even the nosiest of people that it was a walk driven by nostalgia. (Which wasn't completely a lie. Hogwarts was a second home to him and he would miss it.)

Keith encountered no one else on his travel and was soon sitting at the Hufflepuff table next to Shay, who leaned over to discuss that night's dinner as he began helping himself to food.

“Hunk wishes to know if you're sure two dozen of his homemade biscuits are enough for dessert,” she said.

Keith raised his eyes to glance over at the Ravenclaw table, where the seventh year Prefect of that House sat talking to a rather nervous-looking pair of first years. “Two dozen is fine. Honestly, he doesn't need to make anything; the house elves have it covered.”

“Ah,” Shay said, fiddling with her fork. “I know. He's just nervous, that's all. It's the last time we'll have a meeting together, you know? I think... I think he just wants to leave a good impression. So no one forgets him.”

“That's not going to happen,” Keith said firmly. “Even if Lance didn't throw a huge party for his birthday and invite the whole school every year, we'd still find some reason to meet up. All of us. Except for Lotor.”

Shay giggled.

Keith would have to make a note to have Hunk over sometime during the summer. He was sure Shiro and Adam wouldn't mind the company.

Things were bound to change once they graduated, but that didn't mean everything had to change. The relationships they'd formed at school were important and while there was every chance they could drift apart over the years, he wanted to hope that they were ones that would last.

He glanced up at the double doors leading into the Great Hall just in time to see Pidge arrive and slip quietly over to the Slytherin table. Next to him, Shay sighed in disappointment and he knew he'd started smiling at the sight of his girlfriend.

Keith schooled his face into what he hoped was a neutral expression. “What?”

“There's only a week left, you know. That's not much time to tell her how you feel,” Shay told him.

Keith could feel his face heating up. She'd been on his case for three months about working up the courage to confess his feelings to Pidge, having apparently decided that he'd been harboring a secret crush on her since the start of term. He wanted to tell Shay the truth, but knew she'd accidentally tell Hunk, who would then tell Lance, who would tell the entire school.

'One more week,' he reminded himself.

Shay sighed again and he felt a stab of guilt.

Maybe... maybe it wouldn't hurt to tell a few people? Their friends, at least, who wouldn't make such a big deal about it. And then they'd have support when they did reveal their relationship.

Keith would have to talk to Pidge about it later.

With that plan loosely in mind, he began to eat. He'd need his strength to get through the rest of the day.

NOTES

I have a ton of thoughts for this AU, but I'm not sure if I'll ever get around to writing more fics for this. (Unless everyone wants more. I'm pretty easily persuaded.) Still, I'll probably post some stuff about it here, at least so I can get my thoughts out. But some notes for this:

- I'm sure it's the teachers who pick Prefects and the Head Boy and Girl, but in this AU it's up to the returning students. So basically, Head Boy picks the next Head Boy and Head Girl picks the next Head Girl. The new HB and HG work with the teachers to pick the 6th year Prefects. The last week of school is used to acclimate the new HB and HG to their positions.

For Pidge and Keith's year, the roster goes something like: Slytherin: Pidge (Head Girl) and Lotor | Two unnamed 6th year prefects (one is probably Kinkade.) Hufflepuff: Keith (Head Boy) and Shay | Two unnamed 6th year prefects (Leifsdottir is one?) Ravenclaw: Hunk and an unnamed girl | Two unnamed 6th year prefects (Probably Rizavi) Gryffindor: Lance and Allura | Two unnamed 6th year prefects (you can see the pattern here. It's Griffin.)

- Keith lives with Shiro and Adam. It's not an official adoption, but Shiro has guardianship over Keith and took him in the year after he graduated. Shiro refused to watch a friend grow up in a muggle orphanage while trying to keep up with his magical studies like he had to.

- Things in Slytherin House are... not the best. Distrust still runs high, though Pidge has done what she can to start shifting the way things are. As much as she dislikes Lotor, he HAS helped her with that.

- Keith wants to be an Auror, like Shiro.

- Pidge plans on earning her Mastery in Spellcrafting so she can invent useful new things for the wizarding world, possibly mimicries of muggle technology, or even adapting them to work in magical environments.

#voltron #hogwarts au #kidge #kidgemas #fanfiction #slytherin pidge #hufflepuff keith #i have reasons okay #it makes sense

102 notes · View notes

charleyannnix · 7 years

Text

I cannot believe it. I am Charley Ann Nix, and I am Miss University 2018.

I am living a dream. I am living what I watched multitudes of women live while I sat and dreamed of it happening to me one day. To be completely honest with you, I never really thought it would happen to me. I never thought that I would be able to accomplish becoming Miss University and representing Ole Miss at Miss Mississippi. I grew up watching the ladies compete on stage at the Ford Center in Oxford and at the Convention Center in Vicksburg, I always thought they were so perfect.

When I was 11 years old, my mom took me to watch the Miss University pageant in Oxford. I sat mesmerized and watched Mary Brandon Norman win and become Miss University in 2008. She was the first Miss University that I had ever seen crowned, and being the true Ole Miss fan that I am, I knew I wanted that in the future. I watched as the Miss Universities travel to Vicksburg every year and compete to become Miss Mississippi. I cheered for them even if I didn’t know who they were simply because they were representing Ole Miss. I always wanted to make sure I got a picture and autograph from whoever Miss University was that year.

I didn’t get to return to the Ford Center to watch the local pageant again until 2012 when Kayla Snow (who ended up being my judge this year) was named Miss University. I sat in the audience still awe struck even though I was 15 years old. Fast forward to college, my freshman year I skipped a swap to watch France Beard win. Sophomore year, I took a study break the night before an exam to see Carol Coker become Miss University 2016. Then a few months later, I decided to compete in a different local and ended up at Miss Mississippi with her. I will write an entirely different post about my journey to and within the Miss Mississippi Organization though. In the Fall of 2016, I signed up to compete in my first Miss University pageant. I pretty much coasted on from competing in Vicksburg the summer prior and didn’t really attempt to enhance myself for the local preliminary season. I was 2nd Alternate to Leah Gibson, Miss University 2017, and I was so excited. I honestly felt like I was second runner up to Miss Mississippi. I went on to compete in Miss DeSoto County and won a crown and a chance to go back to Vicksburg.

After making the Top Ten in Miss Mississippi during June 2017, I immediately began preparing myself to become Miss University. I remember someone telling me how hard Leah had worked the year before to win, so I knew I needed to match her level of dedication. I was in the gym and at the piano every single day of the week from August until the day of Miss University. I began prepping for my interview two months in advance. I was READY in my mind. But, I knew coming off of an excellent competition in Vicksburg that there would be lots of talented, intelligent, beautiful girls signing up too. This was almost my downfall. I almost let myself accept defeat and almost did not sign up to compete. After a long conversation with my mom, she convinced me that win or lose, the experience would be priceless. I continued to work hard knowing that if I didn’t win, I would probably move on to another local pageant so I would want to be prepared there, too.

I had to do some serious soul searching and began telling anyone who asked me who else was competing (including my mom and friends) that I did not know and did not care, because I was only competing against myself. Of course I wanted to win, but I also wanted to beat the previous version of myself that I had presented onstage. I wanted to grow as a competitor.

Between school and being involved as a Gamma Chi during recruitment and working as a Community Assistant, I seemed to have lost track of time. I woke up one Sunday and realized that Miss University was only a week away. I spent the afternoon trying on clothes and packing my things to move into the Ford Center that Thursday. We finalized my wardrobe, and I had an extreme peace over me. I was completely packed and prepared to compete a whole week in advance. Of course my sweet family and friends would say “We just know you’re going to win,” then I would explain how competitive it was going to be. They would then just say “Ohhhhhhh,” in an understanding voice. Still, they purchased tickets and planned to come watch. I honestly think if I would have finished in last place, they would still have been so proud of me.

When you compete in Miss University, you have the best student crew to help make the experience wonderful. Besides the extremely invested directors, each contestant is assigned someone to help you get changed between competitions. Thankfully, Kasey Pearson was my “girl.” We had competed together for the past two years, so we were both really excited. We had two nights of rehearsals, one of which we had to do a full-dress rehearsal. So pale, spray tan-less Charley Ann pranced around in a swimsuit, and boy was that embarrassing. After Kasey kindly videoed me on-stage, I sent it to my mother and there was a huge issue. My swimsuit did not fit as snug as it did just a few months before, but we were convinced with some butt glue (which is spray adhesive that pageant girls use to make sure their swimsuit bottoms don’t move) that it would be fine. Rehearsals wrapped up on Thursday night and that began Homecoming weekend at Ole Miss.

Kasey and I!

Friday was the parade day with the Homecoming game following on Saturday. I did not attend the game; however, my mom did. When she got home around 9 o’clock on Saturday night, we decided to change my swimsuit. HAHAHA! The top needed taking up on both sides, but we were exhausted. We went to bed and woke up around 6:30AM on Sunday (the day of Miss University) morning to sew my swimsuit top. I fixed my hair and makeup, and FaceTimed Lillian who couldn’t make it to the pageant.

Altering swimsuit the morning of the pageant.

Lillian and her dog, Ellie, live streaming the pageant.

I was ready an hour early to leave home and drive to Oxford for my interview that was set to begin at 1:36PM. So at 12:45, I left home and drove down Highway 6 to Oxford. I was so excited. Interview is my favorite portion of competition, and I was ready to knock it out of the park. I had thought through exactly what I wanted to say for certain questions and was so giddy to get in there and meet the judges. Finally, I walked in the room and began answering the array of questions. None of my “home run answers” had been given when the head judge looked at me and said “well, I think our time is up.” I could’ve passed out. I could not believe that ten minutes had already went by, and I couldn’t remember one thing I had said. I thanked them for their time, smiled, and walked out.

Right before I left home for interview (not pictured is my interview dress.)

When emerging from the room, I looked to one of my friends who was competing and said “I’m not sure how I feel about that.” I grabbed my bag and ran to the bathroom at the Inn at Ole Miss. I changed out of my interview dress while I fought back tears because I just knew that I blew it. I texted my mom and explained that I was really disappointed with myself. I went to my car and hysterically cried. I called my mom and tried to relay some of the questions and my answers to her. She assured me that I did not do as bad as I thought, and I had to be ready for my onstage competition. After all, there was still 75% of my overall score left.

I went to my room and applied my tan extender while I waited on Maddie to come over and curl my hair for me. She arrived with coffee that was MUCH NEEDED, and we watch the closing statements of the Jessica Chambers case while pinning up my hair. I looked at my phone and realized I had 15 minutes to get to the Ford Center. So we packed my things, and she dropped me off in the misting rain. I ran inside, finished my makeup, and then started brushing out my hair. Luckily, Blair and I had a dressing room to ourselves so we had lots of space to lay our things out everywhere. As I was clipping in my extensions, all of the contestants gathered to pray right as 5:30PM was rolling around. At this time, Bradley, director of the pageant, announced that they had decided to do a livestream on Facebook. We all ran back to the dressing rooms to grab our cell phones and text those who couldn’t be there to let them know. Shortly after, it began.

We went through all phases of competition, and I was just glad that I had completed every phase. Blair and I would say throughout the whole night, “Well at least we are done with swimsuit,” then “Thank God we are done with talent.” Before we knew it, we were lined up for our last segment. The onstage questions part. It was the last 20% that we had to gain. They asked me about being a Community Assistant and some of the issues I had faced. I answered and walked back to the dressing room hoping that I had done enough to at least place as an alternate. I will be honest; I did not think I was going to win. I put my gown back on and went back to the stage for crowing.

Blair and I after the pageant.

We knew they were going to give preliminary awards in the interview, swimsuit, and talent competitions. The first announced the fan favorite award for collecting the most Band-Aids for Blair Batson’s Children’s Hospital. I really wanted to win this because I collected 115 boxes thanks to my Kappa Kappa Gamma sisters donations. I didn’t win it. I later found out I was in second place! Then they announced that it was time for the interview award to be given. Anne Elizabeth called my name as the winner of the overall interview award. HAHAHAHA this was after my major meltdown. I was so happy. I kept telling myself that if that was the only award I received, I would be perfectly fine with it because I thought I didn’t do well.

They continued to call out the preliminary winners in swimwear and talent and two very deserving girls won those. All of a sudden, it was time to call out the second alternate. I couldn’t do anything but look at the ground. Sometimes the emcee will look back at the girl’s name that she’s about to call or the judges will look at who they think is about to be announced. I did not want to see them look at me or anyone for that matter. 2nd alternate was announced as Emma Gaddy, the phenomenal overall talent winner. They said the “if the winner cannot complete her duties” spill and Blair Wortsmith, my dressing room buddy was 1st alternate. I subconsciously thought about the girls who were still standing on stage with me and was pretty sure that the pretty award I had received for overall interview was going to be the only thing I was taking home.

2nd alternate, Emma Gaddy, myself, and 1st alternate, Blair Wortsmith

Then, it happened. They called my name and all I could hear was my family and friends screaming. I was in shock. Chancellor Vitter handed me a beautiful bouquet of flowers and placed the Miss University sash on me. Leah hugged me and then pinned the crown to my head. I continually kept thanking the judges because I was in disbelief. I know I looked out to my family but I could not tell you what any of them were doing. I waved and turned around and walked back as the curtain closed.

Reaction.

The girls that competed with me hugged me and congratulated me. I wish every single one of them would have won an award because I could honestly have given them each a specific one. They are talented beyond belief. I have never seen the level of talent at a pageant that was presented on stage that night. They are intelligent and eloquently answered their respective questions. And they are so beautiful. Their dresses and hair were specific to their personalities and radiance erupted from them. This is why I did not think I was going to win and why I am so humbled and shocked that I did.

With our highly distinguished judges panel!

I took pictures with the judges and some of the students that made the production all that it was, then was taken to the photography room to take official pictures. I turned around to see my Mamaw Pat standing in the corner watching, and that was enough to make anyone emotional. Thankfully, someone went and got the rest of my family including Mama, Daddy, my sister, Olivia, my nieces, Emma Ray and Macey, Aunt Barbara, and cousins Belinda, Sarah Bonner, and Georgia, plus Maddie. The photographer patiently took photographs of us in rotations. I am so thankful for him capturing those moments.

Some of my always supportive fan club and family.

To finish what I am saying, it’s kind of like dream come true for me to be Miss University after watching the women that came before me excel in this position. I am following 68 women, five Miss Mississippi’s, and two Miss Americas who have held this title. Wow.

I could thank every single person that played a small part in my journey to becoming Miss University 2018, but that would require an entirely separate article. However, just know that if you listened to me play, asked me an interview question, watched me practice, or even made a sweet comment to me about competing, you are so valuable to me. I promise even the smallest of remarks don’t go unnoticed. God has blessed me beyond anything I could’ve imagined. I am so grateful for this opportunity, and it is because of Him that I have it.

Challenging Charley into Miss University 2018 I cannot believe it. I am Charley Ann Nix, and I am Miss University 2018. I am living a dream.

0 notes