Open Real Horrors

[Charlie Madison]

Charlie almost never studied outside of class. To Mum's dismay, Charlie had come to the conclusion a long time ago that she was never really going to be any good at school, so there was no real point putting effort in. The holidays had been boring though, and Charlie had found herself digging through Mum's books for something to do while she was busy not bothering Odette. Books were never super interesting to Charlie, but it had been way too cold to go out, and Charlie had found a subject that actually fascinated her. She hadn't known much about the wizarding wars before, but they were actually super interesting to read about. People fighting against incredible odds to try and save the world, real ordinary people doing awesome things and fighting against darkness. It was... kind of inspiring.

So when it came to choosing a Halloween costume, rather than go for imaginary, Charlie had drawn on one of the scariest things she could think of from history. Dolores Umbridge was one of the absolute worst people she could think of, and though Charlie wouldn't ever in her life wear anything even remotely approaching this nasty pink ensemble by choice, the revulsion she felt at her clothes only added to the revulsion she felt for the person she was dressed as. Charlie couldn't help but feel a bit proud of herself as she loitered with a drink a small way away from the snack tables, looking around at what everyone else was dressed as. Other people were scary, sure, but she didn't see anything else as real as her costume.

 

[Phoebe Holland]

Phoebe's costume wasn't something she would have picked out on her own, but she had to admit she was quite enjoying the skirt and the way it moved when she twirled around. It was pretty different from her usual style of clothing. Alice had picked it out, and Phoebe always had trouble saying no to her sister. But that didn't mean she had to spend the whole evening by Alice's side. Phoebe was pretty eager to see her girlfriend at this event, and grinned when she spotted Charlie. She headed over and stopped in front of her, doing a little twirl and ending in a curtsy. "Do I look like a princess?" She asked, looking up with a grin. "Wait, what are you? An old lady?" She laughed slightly. "How are you good looking even while wearing that? Not fair, you know." She glanced over at the drink. "What are you drinking, is it any good?"

 

[Charlie Madison]

Charlie hadn't made specific plans with her girlfriend for the Halloween event, but she was delighted to see Phoebe approaching, relieved to spend time with the only person who made school worthwhile right now. "A super cute princess." Charlie smirked, looking over Phoebe's costume, and reached out to take Phoebe's hand with her free one. "Did Alice pick this out?" She asked. Charlie wasn't familiar with all of Phoebe's sisters, but after Alice and Emily's meddling to set them up, she wouldn't be forgetting Alice any time soon. Charlie laughed when Phoebe asked who she was, shaking her head. "I'm Umbridge, you know? From the second wizarding war? Terrifying, but also real." She grinned, adjusting her uncomfortable scarf. "Don't I look awful? These clothes are the worst. I feel like crap." Charlie couldn't quite help the smile on her face. Feeling absolutely terrible really only added to the effect of her costume, in her opinion. She laughed shyly at Phoebe's compliment, face flushing. "Hey, you're not allowed to say I look good! I'm evil, you should say I look gross." She laughed, though she felt a little thrill at the compliment. Usually Charlie didn't like to be noticed by people, but there was something special about the way Phoebe looking at her made her feel. "It's just juice, it's pretty good. I got it over there." She gestured to the drink table, where an older boy seemed to be struggling to pick up a cup in an unwieldy costume.

 

[Phoebe Holland]

Phoebe thought it was pretty nice, having a girlfriend. Especially one as cool and chill as Charlie. So far, she hadn't balked at anything Phoebe suggested for them to do, even if it was weird. Charlie tended to go along with it, and usually had a few bright ideas of her own to add to Phoebe's plans. She grinned when Charlie told her she was a super cute princess, and took her hand as she reached for her. "Yeah." She said in response to Charlie's question, then she sighed. "When did that girl start running my life for me? She also got me to sign up for Heta Omega. It's those blue eyes of her, I swear. I just can't say no." Phoebe pretended to be grumpy about it for a second, though really, she quite liked that Alice was always planning and plotting things. It reminded her of herself, though her own ideas were often less social and more experimental. As Charlie explained her costume, Phoebe nodded. "I see... I think I remember my mum mentioning her." She had never paid too close attention to politics, but apparently Charlie knew a bit about it. "You shouldn't feel like crap." She decided, frowning a little, then started listing reasons. "One, you're dressed up as something scary. Two, you look unlike yourself which is the whole point of Halloween. Three, i'm Snow White who is probably the least interesting princess ever since she choked on a piece of fruit and then a guy had to kiss her for it to come out, yet I don't feel bad about it, and..." She paused. "What number was I at? Oh, four, you still look adorable even in pink grandma clothes." She grinned and leaned in to give Charlie a peck on the lips. Then she followed her gaze to the drink table, but decided she didn't want to let go of her hand just yet. "Can I try yours?" She asked, already leaning in to steal a sip.