Second Floor Common Room [Tuesday Afternoon]

[death-and-pies.livejournal.com]

The facts were these: Young Ned had found his way into the common room again after getting bored of his room. He'd come with the intention of baking and, yes, there was something cooking in the oven (but he wasn't going to just reveal his pie choice today).

There was something different about today. Today, Ned had the hiccups. Now, as a boy at Longburrow, he'd been made to just wait them out.

Now, without that supervision, he could try to get rid of them. So, he'd looked up some hiccup cures and was currently attempting to stand on his hand and recite the alphabet in the middle of the common room.

It wasn't working.

Yet.

[Open, of course!]

Comments

[goodgirlmeg.livejournal.com]

Meg had been on the way to the kitchen to grab a soda out of the fridge. She kind of forgot what she was supposed to be doing when she saw Ned.

"Uh..."

[death-and-pies.livejournal.com]

"I have the hiccups," he explained, feeling his face turn red both from standing on it and embarrassment.

[goodgirlmeg.livejournal.com]

"I see," Meg said, nodding slowly. "You try eating some sugar? That's what I do."

[death-and-pies.livejournal.com]

"Does that work?" Ned asked, still trying to balance on his head. It was hard being as tall as he was. "I mean. I read somewhere that said this would work and it's not."

[goodgirlmeg.livejournal.com]

"I think if you keep trying to stand on your head you're going to have hiccups and a headache," she said.

[death-and-pies.livejournal.com]

"Too late for that," Ned said and just flopped down onto his knees before sliding onto his stomach. "Okay. Bad move on my part. Sugar? Like...just sugar?"

[goodgirlmeg.livejournal.com]

"Just sugar," Meg repeated, nodding. "I eat a spoonful or two and my hiccups go away. I don't know why it works, it just does. And it tastes good too."

[death-and-pies.livejournal.com]

"I have a pie in the oven but that's more than just sugar," Ned said, trying to make the blood leave his head and return to other areas of his body where it belonged. "I tried holding my breath and nearly passed out."

[goodgirlmeg.livejournal.com]

"Well, see, there should be plenty of sugar around since you were baking a pie," she said. "What kind of pie are you making?"

[death-and-pies.livejournal.com]

"It's a secret," he said, pushing himself to his knees and shaking his hair out. "Well, it's not a secret what the pie is but it's a secret what the flavor is. I mean, no secret that there's a pie, I mean."

He stopped and tried to untangle that in his head. "It's a secret."

[goodgirlmeg.livejournal.com]

Meg giggled. "Okay, okay, I won't pry."

[death-and-pies.livejournal.com]

"But, you can have some," he offered quickly. "I mean, there's no way I could eat that entire pie by myself. Well, I could but it'd take me a few days and I think I'd make myself sick. All that sugar."

[goodgirlmeg.livejournal.com]

"I'd love some pie," she said. Then, figuring that she should at least introduce herself properly if she was going to eat some of this guy's pie, added, "I'm Meg, by the way."

[weefeetbigboots.livejournal.com]

Kaylee had meant to do this yesterday, but kinda forgot. So, Tuesday afternoon found her scampering around on the second floor looking for Ned.

She paused when she found him, grinning. "...what're you doin'?"

[death-and-pies.livejournal.com]

Her appearance surprised him enough to send him off balance and tumbling down onto his back with an 'oof.'

[weefeetbigboots.livejournal.com]

Kaylee giggled, hurrying over to crouch near him. "Hiya."

[death-and-pies.livejournal.com]

"Hello," he said, blinking a few times. "How are you?"

[weefeetbigboots.livejournal.com]

"I'm okay," she said, reaching a hand out to help him up. "Why were you standin' on your head?"

[death-and-pies.livejournal.com]

"I have the hiccups," he said, getting distracted by a particularly aggressive fit of said hiccups and not realizing she had her hand nearby. "Trying to get rid of them."

[weefeetbigboots.livejournal.com]

"Do y'need someone to scare you?" she offered. "That's how I always shake 'em!"

[death-and-pies.livejournal.com]

"Does that work?" he asked, perfectly comfortable sprawled on the floor.

[weefeetbigboots.livejournal.com]

"Sometimes," she said thoughtfully. "But see now you're expectin' it."

[death-and-pies.livejournal.com]

"I don't know if you could really scare me," he admitted. "Speaking of scary, are you all right and everything? I got your message."

[weefeetbigboots.livejournal.com]

"I'm fine. Went on a field trip," she replied cheerfully. "Played matchmaker, climbed a mountain, did some puzzles. It was fun! Are you okay? You didn't do nothin' stupid and go out where it was dangerous, right?"

[death-and-pies.livejournal.com]

"I was in the library," he said, leaving the giant sphinx out for now. "You climbed a mountain?"