Closed RP (Laura and Gin)

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Gin hadn't heard anything back from Lilly, and decided it was too soon to go bothering Byakuya again. The cure for his boredom was simple; wait around Hufflepuff a little longer than usual, and catch Laura on her way in or out. It would be better to go for a walk without interruptions, and she was in his house after all.

So, Gin stood just outside the Hufflepuff common room, casually leaning with his back up against the stone wall, waiting patiently for Laura to show up.

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After leaving the Sorting Room to those who hadn't voted, Laura sent off her mynah to Dr. Grant and spent some time in the library reading up on lycanthropy. On her way back to Hufflepuff Tower, she couldn't help but notice the view through a window - the moon was very nearly full. She thought of the stories Grant had told her about the West Tower, and felt a headache start to pound.

She was rubbing her temples as she approached the portrait hole, and didn't notice Gin standing there until she'd nearly collided with him.

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Gin straightened, smiling his usual smile down at Laura. The dimmed light in the hallways at night wasn't kind to his expression at all, making the lines of his smile eerie and unpleasant.

"Why, hello, Miss Palmer. What a happy coincidence that I happened to run into you here! And on such a nice refreshing night, don't you think?"

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Laura startled. "Mr. Ichimaru!"

She cleared her throat. "The night's nice enough. But I'm not really feeling very refreshed. I was just on my way to turn in for the evening in hopes that might do the trick."

She tried to step around him to address the portrait.

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"So early~?" Gin smiled, taking a smooth step to the side to block her passage. "I'm sure you need to sleep like a good student, of course. But since our chat was so rudely interrupted by your friend before... surely it couldn't hurt to come for a little walk with me again?"

"I won't keep you long," he added, smile unchanging.

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Laura sighed.

"Yes to the chat, no to the walk, if you don't mind. Would the common room be all right, a corner warded for privacy perhaps?

I'm usually a very light sleeper, but occasionally too many nights of insomnia catches up with me and I *have* to sleep. This is one of those nights, and I'd rather not go far from Hufflepuff, if that's all right with you."

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"Oh, well, if you fall asleep, I'll be sure to get you back to Hufflepuff," Gin smiled. It didn't seem too reassuring.

"Unless..." His smile became more of a smirk. "...why, you're not scared of me, are you, Miss Palmer?"

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"You've asked me that before, haven't you, Mr. Ichimaru? Is there some reason you think I should be scared of you?

And no, I'm just very weary and headachy. Would you settle for a walk through the halls if a walk it must be?"

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"Oh, the halls should be fine," Gin beamed, leaving Laura's first comment with nothing but his usual smile.

After all, Gin had been waiting some time, and it would be, he thought, good to stretch his legs. He began their walk at a nice leisurely pace, heading vaguely in the direction of the Great Hall by some meandering route. "What brought you to Hogwarts, may I ask, Miss Palmer? I don't think I was at your sorting."

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"No. No, you weren't. I'd've remembered. If you'd been there you wouldn't have to ask - I wasn't actually in the Sorting Room for my sorting.

I was trapped in a limbo between dimensions called the Black Lodge when a stray owl brought an application to me. I filled it out and sent it back the way it came, however that was, and did the interview via a speaker system in the Black Lodge that somehow connected with the Sorting Room.

At the time, a chance to get out of there to anywhere seemed worth taking. Now that I'm here, I have an idea I might learn something that would help my friends and family back home with a - problem I left behind."

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"Oh, really?" Gin seemed interested, pulled away from his usual line of polite, if vaguely menacing, conversation. "A 'limbo between dimensions'... how curious. What was this Black Lodge like? Was there anyone aside from yourself there?"

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That got his attention, Laura thought.

"It was a lot like Hogwarts, in some ways," she said airily, and yawned. "Only a bit darker. Do you know Agent Cooper, in Ravenclaw? He was there for awhile."

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Gin thought for a moment.

"Perhaps in passing... but I don't recall the name." With a smile, he added, "He must not be half as interesting as you are, Laura."

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She giggled. "That's not what I hear. You might know him as Wesley. He was staying with Mr. Butlertron in Hufflepuff and wreaking havoc all over the school before I got here, I gather."

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"If he was really wreaking havoc, I'm sure I would have heard," Gin said vaguely, giving Laura a thorough once-over from behind slitted eyes.

"You know," he continued conversationally, "I might wonder how a normal human like yourself ended up between dimensions, as you put it."

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Laura yawned again. "I've wondered that myself. One minute I was here, next minute I was there. Spent a lot of time in the library trying to figure it out, but so far no luck."

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"Perhaps I could help," Gin smiled.

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"Oh, I'd hate to burden you with my problems, Ichimaru-san." Laura smiled.

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"It wouldn't be a bother at all," Gin said cheerfully.

"After all, unusual powers tend to manifest under extreme conditions. Threats to one's life. Beloved ones in danger. That sort of thing."

"I'm sure we could work something out."

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"Thanks. I'll keep it in mind. But I really don't think I'm anything out of the ordinary way. I think I was probably just in the wrong place at the wrong time."

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"Oh, nonsense," Gin continued blithely, smiling his eerie smile. "You know, given your remarks about Hufflepuff, I feel practically obligated to help out in such a manner."

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"Ah. I thought we'd get back to that." Laura blushed. "I get ...sensitive... about people with very violent tendencies. I was being - attacked - by one when I was transported to the Black Lodge. Let's just say I'm still traumatized, and several of my housemates remind me vividly of that experience."

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"Really? Well, that's a shame."

"Do you think," Gin asked with idle curiosity, "That you would be sent back if you were attacked again?"

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"I'm in no hurry to find out, Ichimaru-san!" Laura laughed.

"No, I think it was something specific to that incident that did it. My memories of that night are hazy. But there was a mound of dirt, and he took my necklace, and a couple of lines of verse - I haven't found anything like it in the library, but I've come to think he did some sort of spell to send me there."

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Gin chuckled alongside Laura's laughter. "Oh, of course not. I was merely speculating~!"

"The library here doesn't seem to be so useful for some things, does it? Mostly trivial little magics, and reams of boring history," he remarked casually. "I can't imagine their idea of a 'Restricted Section' is much better."

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"Of course, Ichimaru-san. Never doubted it for a second." Laura smiled without any particular warmth.

"I haven't really been here long enough to judge the library, except that it's huge. I've been getting eyestrain from just the few weeks I've been exploring the stacks, and I haven't even scratched the surface yet.

There's a restricted section? What's that about?"

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"Nothing interesting, I'm sure," Gin said dismissively, somewhat condescendingly, even though he smiled as he always did. "At least to me. I haven't thought it worth the trouble of really investigating."

"But perhaps you might find something for whatever mysterious problems you might have, there."

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"Worth a look, anyway. It's a shame Mr. Black the librarian turned into a piece of popcorn - I liked him. Don't know the new guy much at all."

Laura glanced over at Gin. "What do you make of all that? The popcorn thing, I mean. It seems pretty random to me, but a friend tells me it started with like 10, 15 people popcorning in the same week."

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"That many? Oh my. Well, it hasn't happened to anyone I know yet, so I'm sure I have nothing to worry about," Gin smiled lightly.

"It is strange though, isn't it? Well, I assure you, if you're turned into popcorn in the middle of Hufflepuff, I'll make sure that nobody eats you," he added, reaching out to put a friendly hand on Laura's shoulder.

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"Why, thank you, Ichimaru-san. Likewise, I'm sure." She patted his hand in a friendly manner, then squirmed away from it.

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Gin acted like nothing had happened, dropping his hand at Laura's first movement away. But there was a little bit of a curl to the corner of his mouth if one looked closely, the hint of a smirk.

"Oh, why, how kind of you." He paused briefly, then his smile broadened again, glancing over at Laura. "Well," he said, "It is getting late, isn't it? I suppose I should let you go and get some sleep. But it has been a nice little walk, hasn't it? Surely we don't have any problems between us, you and I?"

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"Certainly not. I'm so glad you understand about my - little issues." She smiled. "Sleep would be good, definitely. But I'm glad we cleared the air, Ichimaru-san. Shall we?"

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"Oh, I think I have a few things to do before morning," Gin said offhandedly. "You don't mind me leaving you to head back to Hufflepuff alone?" He paused for a moment again, looking thoughtful.

"Unless," he stepped a little closer, smile broadening further than anyone's should rightfully go, "you'd rather we spent a little more time together tonight? Perhaps we should get to know each other more closely, Laura."

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Laura smiled wanly and leaned back. "Once again I plead exhaustion, Ichimaru-san. And I'd hate to think I was keeping you from your own errands. It's been a lovely walk, though. Perhaps we'll do it again sometime."

She turned and headed back the way they came, sketching a wave over her shoulder. "Good night, Ichimaru-san!"

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"Oh, I think we will."

"Goodnight, Laura. Pleasant dreams," Gin smiled, and gave her a little wave in return, watching until she was out of sight.