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pandoraimperatrix · 4 years

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I’ll Take Care Of You, If You Ask Me To

@pcgasuss asked me for jealous Dick. I’m not very good writing about jealousy, but I tried.

Summary: Dick should have known that Kory and Bruce talking was not the best news to him.

1,7K | DickKory | Fluff | Read on AO3

The echo of Kory’s laugh grabbed Dick’s attention in midsentence. She was all the way across the room, actually not in the room at all, but you could see her, and Bruce, talking through the glass.

“Dick?”

“Hm?” He turned attention back to the boys slowly. Conner had his whole face frowned in confusion. It was hard to make Gar smile these days, but he had an amused glint in his eyes.

“Forget it, Con. He’s gone outer space now.”

Conner looked even more confused. Dick sighed and pretended he didn’t hear it.

“Anything else?” Dick asked dryly.

“Yeah, like you could even remember we were talking about.” Mocked Gar.

“Of course I remember.”

“What was it, then?”

“It was…” Kory laughed again, this time a little bit louder, Dick had to bite the insides of his cheeks to control the urge to just nap his head in her direction again.

“Exactly.” Said Gar very pleased with himself. “Come on Con, let’s play some videogames.”

“Only an hour, then bed. I want you both well rested tomorrow morning.”

“Sure, boss.”

“Goodnight, Dick.” Dick gave the boy a tight smile and nodded, Conner turned back to Gar. “Should we invite Hank and Rose?”

Gar answered something, but Dick didn’t listen as they walked away. He took a sip of his orange soda, wishing it was something stronger than sugar and watched them with the corner of his eyes. He couldn’t ignore the fact that both his surrogate father and his… Well, Kory wasn’t his to begin with, but they were both naturally flirty people. Kory was just too charming to her own good, no, scratch that, she was too charming for everyone’s around her own good. The charisma that Bruce so meticulously learned to perform, the same that he tried so hard to make Dick copy and never quite succeeded, Kory had it effortlessly. And Dick knew Bruce very well, there was no way he wouldn’t make any moves, even though the probabilities of him following through with them were quasi none. After all if Batman had something was work ethics. And yet… What was he saying that was so funny? A voice inside his head that sounded terrible like Donna was calling him a paranoid freak and explaining to him in painstaking detail how he had no claim for the feelings brewing in his chest. But it shut up in silent panic when he saw Kory touch Bruce’s arm. When Dick noticed he was already getting hit on the face by the cold wind as he reached the veranda.

“Hey.” Greeted Kory, the easy smile on her face not quite reaching her eyes.

“Nice of you to joying us, chum.”

“Chum?” Asked Kory in obvious delight. A little too much. She was not drinking orange soda.

Dick winced.

“Can you not call me that?”

“Why not?” Was that a little bit of genuine hurt that he was seeing on Bruce’s eyes?

“Because I’m not twelve anymore.”

“See what I was telling you, Miss Anders?”

Kory fell in a fit of giggles, and Bruce smiled fondly at her. Dick felt panic bubble inside him. He hated how Bruce would make him feel like a teenager ager just by being around.

“What? What is happening? What were you telling her?”

“About how adorable you were as a child.” Managed Kory holding on to Dick to keep straight. Her hand on his shoulder was cold. Dick frowned. It wasn’t like he spent hours and hours of what should have been sleep reliving every time she touched him but she never felt cold before, actually, she used to be almost feverish. “Nothing to feel ashamed of.”

“I can’t help but doubt it.”

“Don’t you trust me, Dick?” Asked Bruce prying Dick’s eyes from Kory’s.

“With my dignity? Not at all.”

“You hurt me, son.”

“What did you tell her, Bruce?”

“Oh, this and that.”

“Kory?”

“Oh, cool off. It was nice to hear about baby Dick Grayson. Even though by the stories you didn’t change very much.”

“What do you mean?”

“Bruce here was telling me about how seriously you took yourself, and that, what was her name? Selena?”

“Selina.” Corrected both men together.

“Yes, Selina, she was the best at making you lose it and act like a kid.”

“That’s because she was infuriating.” But when he looked at Bruce his face was softer and when he asked had a note of hopefulness. “Heard from her lately?”

Bruce straightened himself slightly, an act that would pass unnoticed to anyone, but that brought a tiny smile to Dick’s lips. So that explained the whole easy mood of lately.

“Yes, actually.” He cleaned his throat. “She has been around. But we were talking about you…”

“Around? How much around? Is she okay?”

“She is, yes.”

“And you both…?”

“What?”

“Come on, Bruce!”

Bruce just took a sip of his drink and pretended to look at something else far away. Kory just watched their back and forth like it was a very entertaining game.

“Did Jason meet her?”

Bruce sighed.

“Yes, they’ve met.”

“What? They didn’t get along?” Dick’s eyebrows raised in surprise. “They are so alike…”

“Maybe too much you could say.”

“Sorry to hear that, B.”

“It’s alright.”

Deciding to give Bruce a break, he turned back to the woman by his side.

“What else did he tell you, Kory?”

He tried to pretend he didn’t notice that her hand haven’t left his person, slipping from his shoulder to his arm, and that now she was making doodles with the tip of her fingers giving his tingles. Bruce also noticed, but besides making sure to let Dick know he did with an inquisitive look, he didn’t say anything about it.

“Well… He showed me picture too… of your first suit.”

“No…” His eyes widened in terror.

“The little short was so cute, Dick! And the booties. Adorable! I sent a picture to Rachel already.”

“You did not!”

“I did! My batteries died so I don’t know her reaction yet…” She pouted.

Horror spread over Dick’s face and he turned to his mentor.

“Why? Why do you have that with you?”

“To look at it, of course, since I so rarely get to actually see you these days. I carry it in my wallet.” Said Bruce proudly.

“You!” He pointed to Bruce. “And you Koriand’r, I thought you were my friend.”

“Such a drama queen.”

“I know.” Agreed Bruce, “and you believe he never even took acting lessons?”

“No. You two talking was a horrible idea.”

“Well, I thought it was loads of fun. But you, Dick Grayson. You have no such concept.” And to Dick’s complete shock she gave him a sloppy kiss on the cheek. “Goodnight, Bruce. It was lovely to finally meet you.”

“Likewise, Miss Anders.”

“If I have to call you by your first name, you can just call me Kory too.”

“Very well. Goodnight, Kory.”

She just smiled before leaving, her hand lingering on Dick’s arm before she was completely gone.

“So…” Said Bruce when Kory was far-gone. “There is no chance you are coming back, then.”

“I can’t leave the Titans.”

“The Titans?” Bruce scoffed. “Sure.”

“Why are you insinuating?”

“Me? Nothing. But well, I always thought that eventually you and Barbara would settle down, I can see now it will hardly happen.”

“Bruce… Me and Babs haven’t been a thing since high school.”

“I know… I know. But Kory is really a formidable woman. Take good care of her.”

“I’m not seeing Kory either, Bruce.”

“Whatever you say, chum. I’m also going to bed. Long trip back home tomorrow. Goodnight, son.”

“Bruce, I’m not-“

But the man completely ignored Dick, leaving him alone with his feelings and the cold air.

Later, when Dick arrived at his room, he learnt that there was already someone occupying his bed.

“Kory? What are you doing here?”

She purred softly, he had to ask her about that one day. And opened one shiny green eye.

“Dick? Shit. I think I got rooms wrong.”

“Kory, are you okay?”

She sighed, trying to lift her body starting from her head, but no such luck.

“No… Not really. Can I… I mean. Just for sleep?”

He should say no. He really should say no and help her to her room.

“Yes. Sure.”

“Thanks.”

And she didn’t say anything else for so long he was sure she was asleep.

He washed himself and joined her in bed. As soon as he got under the covers, her static form gained movement and she turned to him, pushing her face against his chest. He felt a sense of familiarity and relief so strong, he wondered if it was like that when Hank took heroin.

“I’ve missed you.” He heard she whisper sleepy.

He leaned into her hair, letting himself inhale her scent.

“I miss you too.”

“I’m sorry.”

“For what?”

“So many things…”

Dick kissed the crown of her head, his fingers getting used to the new texture of her hair. It was so silky now, he missed the fluffiness from before.

“Me too.” He sighed. “Rest, Kory.”

He was sure she was sleeping when he heard she giggle softly.

“What is it?”

“Your dad is hot.”

“Oh my god, Kory.”

She giggled again and looked up to him.

“You are hotter.”

And then she kissed him. He held her impossibly close, and her hand felt warmer when she cupped his face, not hot as it used to be. But her lips didn’t taste the same either, the taste was somehow stronger, more intoxicating, and as he bite them softly they were even more thicker than he remember or fantasied about, her tongue even more talented. But he forced himself to breathe before the kiss consumed them both. Kory was acting so weird. He couldn’t. Not like that.

He pulled away avoiding her seeking lips and kissed her forehead.

“Go to sleep Kory, we’ll talk tomorrow.”

She sighed and got more comfortable against him.

“Goodnight.”

--------------

Another fluffy piece. It’s my headcanon that the reason why Titans Bruce is like that is because he eloped with Selina and is living his best life lmao. Kory in this story is a bit OOC, I think she is so out of it because all her recent losses that she is trying so hard to feel anything else that’s why she is acting so weird. It was nice to write this one. I hope you enjoyed to read it too, and if you did, let me know.

Likes are awesome but if you want to support me please reblog <3

#dickkory #robstar #dick grayson #starfire #koriand'r #kory anders #dcu titans #titans live action #batcat #my fic

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myndopeus · 7 years

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you give me something to think about (chapter 6)

Read on ao3

Summary: Trini’s never been good at making friends, which only makes being stuck in the same school for seven years even more miserable. But when she finally does meet someone nice, she ends up with a whole lot more than she bargained for.

It’s gonna be one hell of a year.

The Slowburn Hogwarts AU that no one asked for.

Quidditch practice had ended up being a bit of a disaster, to put it mildly. Trini wanted to blame it on the fact that it was a morning session, but everyone had seemed to be doing decently except her. She’d missed the bludger several times that day, and had almost knocked out the player she was supposed to be covering. It was downright embarrassing. At the end of practice, she left so quickly that she might as well have disapparated.

She sighs, knocking her head against the tiles of the shower wall. Dimly, she realizes that she’s been zoned out for a while. As she’s getting dressed, her stomach grumbles loudly; the morning quidditch practice had made her much hungrier than usual. She’s almost out the door when she realizes that she doesn’t have a tie.

“What the fuck,” she grumbles as she rummages through her things. “I wear the same damn tie every day, how the fuck can I lose it…”

A voice calls from the doorway. “You good?” Trini turns to see Jen watching her.

She shrugs. “Yeah, just can’t find a damn tie.”

Jen nods, before walking over to her bed. She opens a drawer and tosses a tie to Trini. “Here. You can borrow one of mine. Now come on, you’d better not miss breakfast, or as Quidditch Captain I will officially kick your ass.” She strides out, leaving Trini to follow while messily doing up her tie.

Ernie is waiting for them in the common room, their hair still wet and tumbling down his shoulders. Trini does a double take when she sees them, temporarily dazzled by their shining locks.

“Finally,” they laugh. “If there’s no more scrambled eggs when we get there, I’m blaming you.”

Jen rolls her eyes. “This is Hogwarts, you dolt. They never run out of food.” She flicks them on the back of the head.

They head to the Great Hall, Jen and Ernie conversing while Trini walks a bit off to the side. She’s lost in her thoughts when suddenly she realizes that the others have moved to flank her, one on each side. They’re both quite a bit taller than her, and she thinks that from an outside view, it looks as though they’re about to steal her lunch money.

“You’ve been awfully quiet, Tiny.” Trini sighs at the nickname that Jen insists on calling her.

Ernie smiles at her warmly. “Yeah, we’re a team! No third wheeling allowed.”

“Well, maybe I’d be more talkative if someone hadn’t decided to hold a morning practice,” she replies, raising an eyebrow at Jen.

“See, I told you it wasn’t just me!”

“Oh shove off, E. Weaklings, the both of you.” Jen walks ahead, and Trini and Ernie share a conspiratory giggle.

The Hufflepuff table is decently populated, but most of the other quidditch players have left, so the three of them sit together. There’s a mildly awkward silence as they eat, with Ernie consuming more protein than Trini thought a human being was capable of.

Swallowing down a mouthful of cereal, Trini opens her mouth to say something, but decides against it. Unfortunately, Ernie, perceptive as always, noticed.

“What’s up?” they ask.

“It’s nothing,” Trini says, but Jen simply raises an eyebrow at her. She sighs. “I was just… I was wondering, why’d you pick me to be a beater? I mean, I’m not exactly the greatest at it, and—”

“Stop.” Jen sets down her cutlery and looks at her, a serious expression on her face. “One of my big rules is that there will be no self-depreciation on my team. If you’re not good at something then you don’t just talk about it, you work to get better. Secondly,” she adds, raising a finger when Trini tries to speak. “I picked you as a beater because I think you’re a valuable addition to the team. Do you think you’re in a position to be questioning your captain’s decisions?”

Trini shakes her head. “No, but—what I mean is, if you wanted me on the team, why put me as a beater? Why not seeker, or something?”

Jen doesn’t respond at first, simply reaching for her coffee and taking a leisurely sip. The mood is broken when Ernie mutters “drama queen” just loud enough for Trini to hear. Jen glares at him, but Trini is secretly grateful, as it makes her feel much less nervous.

“Why didn’t I make you seeker? I’m going to be honest: it would have been a waste. Not because you’re a bad fit for the position. It’s actually the other way around.”

“What do you mean?”

“At the tryouts, you certainly displayed agility, control, and a good awareness of the field and other players. But you also showed creativity, initiative, and drive. The seeker position is wrong for you because the seeker doesn’t come into play until late in the game. You’re someone that I’d rather have actively participating and helping control the flow of the match, not standing on the sidelines.” She sips her coffee again. “That a good enough explanation for you?”

Trini is stunned. From the sound of it, Jen had just complimented her, and she wasn’t entirely sure that this whole thing wasn’t a dream. “Uh… yeah. Yeah, that makes sense. Um, thank you?”

“Basically, if I’d put you as seeker, you probably would’ve gotten bored and quit, and that would be a waste. So I expect you to stick around now, you hear?” she goes back to eating her pancakes, not waiting for Trini to respond.

Ernie shakes their head. “Wow, that was incredibly eloquent and well thought-out, cap’. You sure you didn’t get someone to write it for you beforehand?”

“Ernest DiMarco, I swear to God…”

The two continue to bicker, and Trini just laughs at their antics. As strange of a pair as they may be, Trini has become quite fond of Ernie and Jen. Jen tries to lunge at Ernie, and Trini practically dives across the table to stop her from knocking over a pitcher of pumpkin juice. After finishing breakfast, they all clear up and head their separate ways.

* * *

The day’s classes are a train wreck; Trini is so tired from morning practice that she can barely keep her eyes open, let alone pay attention to anything during History of Magic. She slogs her way through the day and finds herself heading to the library on autopilot.

“…-ini. Trini! OI, CRAZY GIRL!”

She finally registers the voice calling her name, as well as the bewildered stares from the other students in the hallway. She turns around, and is confused to see Zack jogging up to her, with Jason, Billy, and Kimberly in the background.

“Hey, you going deaf or something?” Zack jokes, before coming closer and seeing the bleary look in her eyes. “Oh damn, you ok?”

She rubs at her eyes with one hand. “Yeah, sorry, just tired from morning practice.”

Zack makes a sympathetic noise. “We’ve all been there.”

“Why are you guys heading in the opposite direction of the library?”

“Oh, the others wanted to go outside.” She looks past him to see Billy and Jason waving at her.

“It’s nice and sunny out!” Billy calls.

“You don’t have to come with,” Zack adds, to her surprise. “Not that we don’t want you there, but like, you look like a zombie.”

She shrugs. “Eh, I’ll go. I can always take a nap out there.”

They walk back to join the rest of the group. Trini must be very visibly tired, because no one really tries to force her to talk. She’s content to just follow their rhythm and listen to Billy explain the day’s Potions class to Zack.

The sun is shining, but not blindingly so, and there are enough clouds that it’s still quite cool out. They find a nice, shady patch of grass, and Trini promptly drops her bag and flops down, curling on her side.

“Zack, if you draw anything on me, I’ll murder you,” she mumbles sleepily, and she hears a chuckle from the group.

“I’ll make sure he doesn’t do anything crazy,” she hears Jason say, and she mumbles something in response, too tired to form any more words. She hears Billy and Kimberly’s voices start to say something, but she’s already drifting off.

She wakes up some time later, the sun shining on her face. Grumbling, she rolls over, shading her eyes. There’s something soft under her head, and she opens her eyes the tiniest bit to see that someone had placed their robe under her head as a pillow.

“Good afternoon, Trini! Well, late-afternoon, really.” Billy is facing her, the sleeves of his white shirt rolled up. Trini sits up, stretching out her neck.

“Heya,” she says, reaching behind her for the robe. “I’m assuming this is yours?” Billy nods, and she hands it over. “Thanks.”

“How long was I out?” she yawns, stretching her arms out.

“Two years.” She rolls her eyes and flips the finger in the direction of Zack’s voice

“No, it was only approximately 26 minutes, which, coincidentally, is the optimal length of a power nap,” Billy explains.

The sun is obscured by the clouds by now, and Trini takes a proper look around her surroundings. They’ve arranged themselves in a sort of circle on the grass. Jason is sitting next to Billy, and Kim’s head is in his lap (Trini has to stop herself from rolling her eyes at the display). Zack, true to his nature, seems to be taking up as much space as possible while still fitting into the circle. There’s a pile of shredded grass sitting next to him

“About time too,” he quips, plucking some more grass from the ground. “We were just about to talk about Hogsmeade this weekend.”

Billy frowns. “Um, Zack? Could you please stop that? It’s just, you’re gonna damage the grass and create an uneven patch on the grounds.”

“I got you, my bad, B.” Zack sits up, dusting dirt and blades of grass off of his hands. “Anyhow, we’re all going out, right? Right?” He looks around expectantly.

Jason shrugs. “Yeah, I’m game.” Billy nods, brushing his hands over the grass experimentally, before shuddering slightly and placing them back in his lap.

Trini is hesitant. “I mean, I guess…”

“Oh, don’t be like that, T.” Zack reaches over and grabs at her ankle. “It’ll be fun! Besides, you don’t want to miss the first quidditch get-together.”

“Get off.” She shakes loose of his grip, and he sticks his tongue out at her. “And what do you mean ‘quidditch get-together’?”

“It’s an informal thing,” Jason explains. “The quidditch teams all like to hang out at the Three Broomsticks on Hogsmeade nights. It’s just a fun thing we do, it’s sort of like neutral territory. Did no one on the Hufflepuff team mention it?”

Trini shrugs, looking away awkwardly. “I don’t know. Maybe. I was probably too tired to listen.”

“Anyhow,” Zack continues, “It’s awesome, and totally worth it, and it’ll be your first time! C’mon, I’ll buy your first round.” He gives her the most exaggerated puppy-dog eyes, and she sighs.

“Fine. But only for one round.”

“That’s what you say now, but three rounds later…” Zack wiggles his eyebrows, and everyone in the circle groans.

“Keep it in your pants, Taylor,” Kimberly says, and Trini feels a weird sense of discomfort wash over her.

“So, what time will we meet?” Billy chimes in. “10?” There’s a chorus of agreement that’s broken by Zack’s dramatic gasp.

“10?! In the AM?! If you think I’m getting out of bed that early, on a Saturday, you must be out of your mind.”

Billy blinks. “10 AM is… early for you?”

“I want to sleep in,” Zack complains. “Can’t we meet later?”

“Hm…” Kimberly looks up in mock thought before smirking at him. “Nah. Either meet at 10, or you’re on your own.”

“But I don’t want to go alone,” Zack whines, flopping onto his back petulantly. Trini sighs in exasperation at his childish antics, before relenting.

“I’ll go with him.” The eyes of the circle turn to her curiously, and she gives them a confused look. “What? I wanna sleep in too.”

“See? Crazy Girl gets me.” Zack grins at her upside-down, and she gives him a half-smile in return.

Trini stands, brushing off the grass clinging to her robes. “Well, if we’re gonna be out all Saturday, I should probably get a head start on my work.”

“Booooring,” Zack teases. Jason just shakes his head.

“See you later,” Kimberly says, and Trini is a little surprised at the unexpected farewell. She waves goodbye to the group before heading back to the Hufflepuff common room to start her work. After taking another well-deserved nap, of course.

* * *

Trini wakes up Saturday morning feeling much more refreshed, thanks to the extra sleep. She’s stretching her arms out when a thud startles her. She jolts upright, hand flailing slightly for her wand.

“Oh look, Sleeping Tiny is awake.” Across the room, Jen gives her a skeptical stare. She’s wearing a shirt, but no trousers, and Trini stares blankly before the rest of her brain catches up.

“Oh! Jen.” She quickly looks away on the pretense of finding her wand. “What are you doing here? Thought everyone would have left by now.”

“Eh. Got a morning detention. Just my luck, on Hogsmeade day, too.” Jen steps into a skirt while Trini gets out of bed. “You heading out?”

“Yeah, I’m meeting some people.”

“Well, you should come to the Three Broomsticks later tonight. The team likes to hang out there, it’s good bonding. Give it some thought.” Jen flips her hair over her shoulder. “See you later, T,” she says as she walks out the door.

Trini takes a quick shower before getting dressed, throwing on some jeans, a t-shirt, and a jacket. She’s looking for her beanie before she remembers that it was lost in the lake during that fateful detention. With a dejected sigh, she grabs her things and heads down the stairs.

Ernie is seated on the couch, a book on their lap, and their hair drawn into a messy bun. “Good morning, Trini!” they greet her.

“Morning, Ernie. Not in the mood for Hogsmeade?”

They laugh sheepishly. “Ah, I’m a bit behind on my readings. Plus, I’ve got some other business, if you know what I mean.” They tap the side of their nose and wink.

“Uh… not really, but I don’t think I want to know.”

“Fair enough. I’ll probably be at Sticks tonight though, if you’re going.”

“Yeah, I plan on being there.”

“Great! Try not to have too much fun before I get there. Be safe!”

They wave her off and Trini heads to the gates, still a little bemused by their conversation.

As she expected, Zack isn’t there when she reaches the gates. Hagrid is standing there as she approaches.

“’Ello, Miss Gomez!” He rumbles in a big, friendly voice, and she smiles. “You headin’ off to Hogsmeade, eh?”

“I will be, once my friend gets here.” She leans against the gates, the cold metal pressing through her jacket. A breeze flows by, ruffling her hair, and she shivers.

“Still haven’t gotten yer hat back, I see,” Hagrid notes, and she runs a hand through her hair self-consciously.

“Yeah, it’s alright though. I can get another one.”

“You’ll be needin’ it, with this cold weather comin’ up.”

They wait in comfortable silence for a while before Trini spots a dark figure racing down the path. Zack sprints down, practically slipping on the cold ground, before coming to a halt.

“Overslept,” he pants, and Trini laughs a little at him. He’s sporting a very fashionable bedhead, and he’s clad in a white shirt and black jeans, with a leather jacket to boot.

“You’re lucky I didn’t leave without you.” They say goodbye to Hagrid before heading down to Hogsmeade, Zack still trying to catch his breath.

The square is bustling with students of all ages when they get there. There are snowballs flying left and right, and one of them hits a window, causing a wizened old man to shove it open and begin yelling indecipherable words while shaking his fist. Bright displays shine through the shop windows, and light noises echo down the high street. It’s a welcome change from the mildly stuff insides of the castle, and it feels more domestic than any town that Trini’s family has lived in. It’s certainly a bit loud and raucous, but there’s a homely air to the whole village that makes up for it.

“So, where to first?” Trini asks, right as Zack’s stomach grumbles. They both laugh.

“Well, I forgot to eat breakfast, so food first.”

They head down the high street, and Trini has to practically drag Zack away from Honeydukes (“You are not having candy for breakfast, we’ll come back later.”). They stop at Madam Puddifoot’s for tea, and Zack compromises by ordering a slice of chocolate and almond cake.

“So, do you not normally come out during Hogsmeade days?” Zack asks her through a mouthful of cake.

“Sometimes. I’m not exactly the biggest fan of crowds. Besides, I’m almost 18, so technically I’m allowed to come here whenever I want. I don’t see why I should wait until the whole school is out.”

“Um, because it’s more exciting?” Zack gestures to all the people sitting in the shop, and she kicks him in the shin to stop drawing attention to them. “Ow. C’mon though, you can’t deny that it’s more interesting with more people.”

“I guess,” she admits. “But when you’re spending the day alone either way, it doesn’t make much of a difference.” She notices Zack stops chewing at that, and she quickly busies herself with taking a bite of her scone.

To her relief, Zack doesn’t address her remark. After finishing their tea, Zack adamantly insists that they visit Honeydukes and Zonko’s, in that order. He convinces her to sample several of the newer sweets to see her reaction (she punches him after trying the Shock-o-Choco). They also bond over watching the other students trying the allegedly “spicy” Pepper Imps.

“Oh man,” Zack laughs as they watch one kid run around with fire spewing from his mouth. “I can’t believe people actually think those things are hot.”

“I know, right? But to be fair, I’m Mexican, so it’s like, kiddy levels of spice to me.” Trini pops one in her mouth, smoothly blowing out the flames.

“Nice,” Zack nods, opening a chocolate frog. “And this is nothing compared to Szechuan food. Now that stuff is spicy.”

“Truth.”

They’re heading down to Zonko’s when Zack stops them.

“Oh, hang on a second, I just gotta get something real quick. I’ll be out in like, two seconds.” He dashes into the local potions shop, and she watches him curiously. She feels awkward standing in the middle of the street, so she decides to open a cauldron cake. She’s removing the wrapper when she spots Kimberly Hart coming down the sidewalk towards her.

Oddly enough, Kimberly has a somewhat morose expression on her face. She doesn’t seem to be paying much attention to her surroundings. Trini is tempted to just let her be, but she notices another student bump into her roughly. They say something over their shoulder as they leave, and Trini can’t make out what it was, but she does notice the way Kimberly’s shoulders tense when she hears it.

“Hey,” she says, but the other girl doesn’t seem to hear her. She fidgets slightly before trying again. “Kimberly.”

This time, she definitely hears her, and Kimberly looks around in confusion before her eyes find Trini. She seems genuinely surprised, but she walks over.

“Hey.”

There’s an awkward silence, during which Trini is silently kicking the shit out of herself in her head. She remembers the pastry in her hands, and she holds it out between them.

“Want to split it with me?” she asks abruptly.

Kimberly eyes her warily. “Um. Sure,” she says. Trini hands her half of the cake, not meeting her eyes.

“I thought you’d be with the boys,” Trini says.

“We split up, said we’d meet later at the Three Broomsticks. What about you? I thought you’d be with Zack.”

“Yeah, he’s in there.” She gestures to the shop. “We just got out of Honeydukes. Had a lot of fun watching all the white people trying Pepper Imps.”

Kimberly laughs a little through a mouthful of cake, lifting her hand to block a spray of crumbs. “Sorry. But yeah, that is pretty funny. I mean, I love Hogwarts, but it makes me miss the spices from home.”

“Tell me about it. Just don’t let the house elves hear you say that. I accidentally let it slip once, and there was so much crying.”

“Yikes. I get where they’re coming from, though. I mean, if someone came into my house and insulted my cooking, I’d probably feel a little offended too.”

“Hey, I’ve already processed the guilt, don’t make me relive it again.”

Kimberly just smirks at her, taking another bite of the pastry. The silence falls again, and just like that, the mood is broken and they’re back to awkwardness. Trini is wondering what just happened when Zack saunters out of the potions shop.

“You miss me, Crazy Girl?” He sees Kim, and his grin somehow gets wider. “Heeeey Kimmy!”

She rolls her eyes. “Hello to you too, Zack.” She dusts the crumbs off of her hands. “Well, I’ll leave you two to it. See you at the Three Broomsticks?”

“Yeah, we’ll see you there.” Trini watches Kimberly walk away. She had originally assumed that Kimberly was going to be like any other popular girl, but evidently there is something else there. It’s just hard to figure out, especially since Kimberly is so cryptic and unpredictable.

“What’re you lookin' at, hm?” Zack nudges her, and she throws a light elbow to his stomach in response.

“Just wondering what she’s doing out here all alone. Like, why isn’t she with the boys? Or other people?”

“Sometimes people just need some time to themselves. You get it, right?”

Trini hums in response. “Well, are we going to Zonko’s, or what?”

“Oh, we are most definitely going to Zonko’s. Gotta pick up some ammo for tonight.”

Trini’s eyes widen. “Tonight? Ok, you really have to give me the rundown on what’s gonna happen, because if this turns out to be some elaborate hazing ritual or some shit, I’m breaking into Gryffindor Tower and smothering you and Jason in your sleep.”

Zack spins to face her, walking backwards down the street. “Relax, T. We’re not pulling your leg, it really is a pretty chill thing. It’s just that sometimes we like to spice it up. Nothing too serious, of course, otherwise Madam Rosmerta would kick the living shit out of all of us.” Trini is still skeptical.

Their choice of purchases is highly limited by the rules of the Three Broomsticks establishment, but they manage to select a good variety of prank sweets to slip to their teammates. Trini even decides to splurge on a Boxing Telescope, with the express intent of one day using it on Zack.

As it grows dark outside, they decide to head over to the Three Broomsticks. Despite Zack’s many reassurances, Trini is still quite nervous. Her anxiety only increases as they draw near, the noise from the Inn reaching them from quite a ways down the street.

“Trust me, it’ll be fine,” Zack says as he opens the door for her. Taking a deep breath, Trini steps inside.

She’s immediately hit with a wave of heat and sound. The inside is considerably spacious, but all of the Hogwarts quidditch players are quickly filling the establishment. Some of them have clearly gotten a head start on the celebrations, their cheeks rosy and their laughter echoing. The atmosphere is just shy of chaotic, and Trini feels intimidated.

“Over there,” Zack half yells into her ear, and she looks to where he’s pointing to see Jason and Billy sitting at a table with a group of other students, mostly Gryffindors. The boys wave them over, and they make their way through the growing crowd.

“You made it,” Jason laughs, pulling Zack in for a one-armed hug, his other hand holding a pint of butterbeer. Billy quickly scoots over to make room for them.

“I’ll be right back,” Zack says, before disappearing into the throng. Trini stuffs her hands into her jacket pockets, intensely aware of the eyes on her.

“How’re you doing, Billy?” she says, turning to her friend. He gives her a weak smile, his fingers drawing circles on the rim of his glass.

“I’m good. These things are usually fun, but they can be a bit… much.” He stops his fidgeting to take a sip of his drink before continuing. “It’s nice, though.”

She nods. “Believe me, I get it. Let me know if you want to step outside, yeah?” He nods gratefully at her.

Someone approaches the table, stumbling slightly through the crowd. Trini recognizes that it’s Jen, and she looks more relaxed than Trini even thought possible. She leans against the table in front of Jason.

“What, you too cool for the rest of us, Scott? Are you gonna come join the party, or are you just gonna brood in the corner forever?” The cheeky smile on her face is completely at odds with her words, and Trini knows Jen enough to realize that she’s not actually being mean.

Jason laughs, moving to stand. “I was waiting for some friends, but now that they’re here, the party can really get started.” A few cheers come from the people who overheard, and the table raises their drinks in a toast. Jen’s eyes land on Trini, and they light up.

“Gomez! Hey, c’mon, get over here.” Trini glances around warily, but the rest of the table is encouraging her, and Jason is waving her over. Tentatively, she moves to stand next to them, and nearly falls over when Jen unexpectedly throws her arm over Trini’s shoulder.

“LISTEN UP!” Jen hollers, and the crowd quickly quiets down. Trini can feel her heartbeat start to race, and she’s sure her face is turning red, but Jen has a firm grip on her, and she can’t run away. She looks to Jason, a little panicked, but he just winks in response.

“I would like to introduce to you all… the newest addition to the Hufflepuff quidditch team: Tiny Gomez!” There’s a resounding roar that Trini hopes is congratulatory. She’s so preoccupied that she barely registers that Jen didn’t use her actual name.

She’s about to correct her when someone from the crowd yells “Eyy, you know what that means!” There’s another rumble through the crowd, and Trini’s stomach tightens.

Suddenly, Zack shoulders his way through the crowd. “Way ahead of you,” he calls out, holding up a tray with several shot glasses on it. The crowd cheers.

Jen shakes her a little, startling her out of her nervousness. “It’s a tradition,” she explains. “Newbies and captains take shots together.”

Zack sets the tray down on the table in front of them, and the smell of firewhisky wafts up, making her wrinkle her nose. He positions three shots in front of each of them.

Jason raises his hand. “Alright. You guys ready?” He looks to her for confirmation, and she takes a deep breath before nodding. Jen is looking at her with a challenging smirk.

“Ready… Set… Go!”

One of the Gryffindors chuckles. “This is gonna be goo—Oh holy shit!” The crowd is in an uproar as Trini confidently grabs a shot and downs it in one go. She’s grateful that Zack didn’t get doubles, as she downs the next one. She doesn’t make a face until after the third shot, finishing a split second before Jen does.

The crowd goes absolutely wild. Several hands are pounding her on the back, and Trini groans, afraid that they’ll bring the firewhisky back up. Eventually, Zack, Jason, and Jen manage to push the crowd back to give her some space.

“Holy fuck,” Jason says in amazement. Billy quickly offers her some of his butterbeer, which she immediately accepts. “Where the hell did you learn to do that?”

“I’m Mexican,” she rasps in between sips, and Zack practically falls over cackling.

Jen gives her a very enthusiastic pat on the shoulder. “Knew I made the right choice picking you, Gomez. I owe you a drink now.”

“And you owe me some sickles.”

“Fuck you, Scott.”

* * *

Trini’s not sure if it’s the environment, or just the firewhisky, but she’s feeling less and less nervous as time passes. The rest of the Hufflepuff team had made their way over earlier, and they’d gotten properly acquainted. Jen had a habit of never using anyone’s actual name, so it was interesting to find out exactly who was on the team.

Another added bonus was that people had been so impressed with her earlier display that people had been offering to buy her drinks all night. Eventually she started turning down the offers, otherwise she wouldn’t be sober enough to make it back to the castle.

“You want another drink, Billy?” she asks him, not wanting her friend to feel left out. He smiles, shaking his head.

“No, I’m good.” He fidgets nervously for a second before standing, a bit abruptly. “Actually, I’m gonna step outside for a second.” He doesn’t wait for a response before weaving through the crowd.

Trini lets him go, but makes a mental note to check on him in a few minutes. She heads over to the bar to get a drink of water.

She’s looking for an open space when she sees a familiar bob of hair. She manages to squeeze past several people, accidentally stepping on a few toes, before reaching the girl sitting at the bar.

“Drinking alone?” she asks, and Kimberly turns, blinking with surprise.

“Hello to you too,” she says with a smile, taking another sip of her drink. Trini isn’t sure what it is, but she’s fairly certain that it’s stronger than butterbeer. “Good show earlier, by the way. I bet you had all the boys swooning in their seats.”

Trini rolls her eyes. “If they were swooning, I have a feeling that’s due more to the firewhisky than me.” Kimberly chuckles at that.

“You know,” Trini says cautiously, “being antisocial is kind of my thing? So maybe you should get back to your team or whatever, because I’m starting to feel like your creeping on my territory now.”

Kimberly’s smile falters at that, and she sighs. “Don’t really feel like hanging out with them at the moment.”

“And why is that?”

“Reasons.”

“Like?”

Kim looks at her, raising an eyebrow. “Like nunya,” she responds cheekily.

Trini shakes her head. “I deserve that.” After a moment, she speaks again. “I’m sorry, by the way. For being kind of a bitch that time. I was just having a weird day.”

Kimberly shrugs. “It’s in the past, so it’s whatever.” That sentence seems to bother her, because she takes another long sip of her drink, only to make a disappointed noise when she realizes her glass is empty. She flags down the bartender.

“What can I get ye?” he asks, and Kimberly is about to speak when Trini interrupts.

“Two butterbeers, please. Oh, and a glass of water.” The bartender nods and walks off to get their drinks. Kimberly glances at her.

“Wow. Rude, much?”

“Hey, I don’t know what’s in that drink, but it’s definitely not something to be consumed unsupervised. Besides, the boys are probably wondering where you are.” The bartender comes back, setting down three pint glasses in front of them. Trini pays before grabs her butterbeer and water. She shoots the other girl a look. “Are you really gonna turn down a free drink?”

Kim’s lips twist for a moment. Then, with a sigh, she grabs the glass and follows Trini back to the table.

She can see that they’re drawing some curious looks, some of them confused and some of them suspicious. Luckily, Jason and Zack are there to give them a warm welcome, asking Kimberly where she was. Billy joins them after a while, and Trini notices that Kimberly is slowly loosening up, until she’s doubled over with laughter like the rest of them.

She notices Jason looking at her. He mouths “thank you”, and gives her a thumbs up. She’s not really sure why he’s thanking her, but she gives him a thumbs up in return, before going back to sipping her drink, the warmth of the laughter and the room lulling her into a sense of comfort.

* * *

Trini wakes up the next morning with a raging headache. She groans, rolling over and pulling a pillow over her head to block out the light. A large clunk sound radiates through her head, and she winces.

“Good morning, sunshine.” She peeks one eye out to glare at Ernie. She notices that they’ve brought a glass of water, and she sluggishly drags herself into a semi-upright position. They hand her the water, and she mumbles her thanks before draining over half of it in one go.

“What’re you doing here?” she rasps, wiping her mouth on the back of her sleeve. She realizes that she’s still in her clothes from last night. “You’re not a girl.”

“Special privileges, I guess.” They reach over and lightly tug on something that Trini vaguely feels is wrapped around her head. It turns out be a Gryffindor tie. Ernie raises an eyebrow.

“Probably Zack,” she grumbles. They nod, placing it on the bed.

“Well, I’ll leave you to get yourself sorted out then,” they say, a mischievous twinkle in their eye. “Hate to break it to you, but tradition mandates no magical cures for the post-initiation hangover. However,” they add when Trini practically sobs, “there will be some coffee waiting for you downstairs. See you soon, or in an hour, judging by your current state.”

“This was the worst idea ever,” Trini moans, drinking the rest of the water. Ernie chuckles.

“Just be grateful Jen didn’t schedule practice today.” Trini flops back down defeated, while Ernie’s laugh trails behind them.

#trimberly #trimberly fic #trimberly fanfic #kimberly hart #trini kwan #power rangers 2017 #hp!au #my fic #i accidentally posted this to my main at first lol #i told y'all the updates would be quicker from now on

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