d i z z y {open}

[charlotte lily potter]

Sweat prickled at Charlotte's brow, her breath unfurled from her mouth in a steady stream of pure white as her lungs rapidly expanded and collapsed, expediting precious oxygen to her aching legs. Since winter had started, she hadn't been able to get as much running in, during the other three quarters of the year she would get that exercise in rain or shine, but it was harder in the winter, particularly as the snow had gotten deep enough to reach the lower parts of her calves, given her short stature. Though Charlotte was going to push herself, she'd fallen behind, gained a trivial amount of weight which, while not visibly noticeable, was weighing heavily on her mind. That wasn't good, she needed to be thinner.

And running in the snow did present a unique challenge, made her work harder to get through the heavy, wet precipitation that had settled on the ground, and would likely remain there until the end of March or beginning of April. It made her lift her legs higher, gave her a better workout, and she could feel a keen burning in her thighs. Though for now, Charlotte had paused, she'd done her loop of the grounds, likely a few miles, and she was beginning to have a hard time catching her breath. Her head was pounding and her heart was racing- her chest heaved outward and inward, in hopes of collecting enough oxygen, and her mouth had gone quite dry.

She brought a hand to her temple, hoping it might soothe the savage headache that had been there ever since she got up that morning. Charlotte had cut back drastically on calories, soon it would be time to go home for the holidays, and it would be much harder to hide her habits when her family was constantly around. All the heavy holiday foods that would be pushed on her... So Charlotte was preparing, if she was five to ten pounds under her target, then maybe she could afford a little gain over Christmas. But only a little, it was a vicious cycle, Charlotte knew the moment she dipped under her target that it would become the new ideal. She could always become thinner. Always.

Charlotte's steps faltered as she placed her free hand on her side, clutching at a stitch because of her shortness of breath. What had she eaten that morning? Cup of black coffee, a few bites off an apple... She'd easily burned that and then some... She paused, doubling over and placing both hands on her knees, attempting to fight off the sudden moment of vertigo. Charlotte liked losing weight, but she wasn't keen on the dizziness. She focused on her breathing, ignoring the numbness she felt in her hands, feet, and nose from the cold, just a couple more yards and then she could be safely inside. A few more after that then she could be back in the Great Hall, have a glass of water. Charlotte was confident that was what it was, dehydration, she had convinced herself she didn't need much in the way of food.

Once she felt she had collected herself, Charlotte straightened, only to find the spinning sensation intensify as the blood rushed from her head, she stumbled, but caught herself on the courtyard's cold stone wall, still breathing rather heavily. She only needed a moment, this would pass, she would be fine...

Outfit

[tobias orion malfoy]

Tobias found himself frustrated. Frustrated with school, his friends, the lack of action he was getting with the prudes in school and most of all, he was frustrated with his family. For some strange reason his Father was hell bent on Tobias agreeing to entering into an arranged marriage. "You do not have a choice in this son, she is pureblooded and their family is almost as old as ours. Marrying into that family would work miracles for the family name..." That's all he'd heard over the holidays, in fact it had driven him so crazy he hadn't been able to wait to get back to school which was a first. Usually he couldn't wait to get out of this joke of a place.

Suffice to say the happiness he'd felt getting off that train hadn't lasted long. He was bored. Sure he wasn't short of female attention...maybe that was the problem, most of them were too easy. There was no fire, no challenge anymore, all he had to do was flash them a smile, write them a note and that was it. A quick fumble with a simpering chick in the broom closet or an empty classroom didn't do it for him anymore. He wanted more...he wasn't looking for a girl-friend but he wanted fire, he wanted the challenge, the spark...

Stretching his arms over his head, Tobias began to make his way up from the Quidditch pitch. He'd needed the work out on the field but there was still some he needed to work out, he figured he'd find a girl back in the common room before hitting bed. It was around dinner time but the last thing he wanted was to be parked in that hall with all those idiots. It felt like all he did lately was complain, maybe that was true but the pressure he was getting from his Father was pushing him to boiling point...

Trudging through the snow he looked around the grounds, enjoying the quiet. Though when he looked up again he spotted someone at the courtyard leaning against the wall, a female someone. With that hair he didn't need to think twice on who it was and smirked to himself as he drew in closer to her. She was breathing rather heavily, he figured she'd been doing et another work out...seemed to be all that girl did, not that he watched her or anything. Charlotte was always good for a wind up though, maybe he could burn away a few minutes poking the beast.

"Hey red..." he said, moving in close to her but maintaining a little distance. She definitely had the Weasley temper despite being a Potter so he wasn't going to risk getting too close. Narrowing his eyes he looked a little closer at her, tilting his head to the side, "You're not lookin' too healthy..." he commented, reluctantly holding out his water bottle, a look in his eyes that dared her to argue with him...she obviously needed it.

[charlotte lily potter]

Charlotte's knees trembled, threatening to buckle beneath her steadily shrinking weight. She always hated this part, the dizzy spells, it usually didn't fail that she'd have two or three in a day, though she figured as long as she didn't actually pass out that she would be fine. It had to be a normal reaction since she was pushing herself so hard, and losing so much so quickly. Charlotte was no stranger to amplifying her routine- either adding more time to her training or subtracting the suitable amount of calories that she was allowed to have- though this time even she thoughts she might have been a little too ambitious. Not that this gave her permission to let up, of course.

If she did that then she would only start gaining again, and that was the last thing she needed. Charlotte had to have the continual downward trend, or at the very least maintain once she hit a number she was happy with, though the acceptable number never stayed the same for long, smaller was always better, side-effects be damned. Her hair was beginning to thin, thankfully it was always full, so she simply shed more than usual, but with her hair always tied it wasn't anything one could notice.

Charlotte was even getting to the point where her cycles had nearly stopped, she couldn't remember with clarity the last time she'd had that certain time of the month. October? November? Though the worst side-effect she felt was the near inability to concentrate, it made schoolwork much more difficult, but she only had to apply herself more to her studies, just as she did to maintaining her physique. Nobody seemed to notice that she was continually shrinking, but the second her marks started slipping... That was what got people talking. Which, to Charlotte, seemed understandable, she was notorious for being something of a perfectionist.

Not so much when it came to others, though she did expect more than most might (particularly from her Quidditch team- Slytherin was in the best shape it had been in for years, and she was keen on keeping it that way, even improving it), but it was never okay for her to make even minor mistakes. Hence why the dizziness was bothering her, Charlotte figured she likely needed help, if only someone to lean on for a bit to help her hobble inside, and she hated being at someone else's mercy, particularly from the voice she had just heard...

Even when fighting her vertigo Charlotte would recognize that jeering tone anywhere, Tobias Malfoy, incredibly handsome, yet a swaggering arse and the sworn bane of her existence.Though they had had something of a moment a few months prior on the Quidditch pitch... Though surprisingly he didn't move to tease her like he normally might, instead commented on how she didn't look well. So that meant it was obvious. "I'm fine," Charlotte said gruffly, though still accepted the water he offered- miraculously grasping the bottle the first time despite the fact that she saw about four of them. She guzzled a few sips, she could feel the water sloshing unpleasantly in the pit of her stomach, what she really needed was food, though that wasn't going to happen...

[tobias orion malfoy]

Tobias smirked slightly, tilting his head to the side as she took the water he was offering her. Though as she took a sip he narrowed his eyes, watching her, he wasn't an idiot, he had an inkling of what was wrong. The girl probably pushed herself harder than anyone else on the team, even when she wasn't practicing she was working out and she was a slight thing, tiny even...so much so he figured a little rough and tumble would break her in two. Probably a good thing he was the last man on Earth little Miss High and Mighty would go for then...even if they had shared a bit of a heated moment some months back.

"You look like hell...probably not the best idea workin' out on an empty stomach..." he said, not because he truly cared, he was a Slytherin and a Malfoy he had been raised to care about no one but himself but she was on his team and he was a gentleman...or at least not a pig so he wasn't just going to let her pass out on him...where would be the fun in that after all. Reaching into his pocket he pulled out a bar of chocolate, unwrapping it, breaking off a piece and holding it out to her.

"I much prefer the girls I'm with alert, their free to pass out afterwards..." he teased her, hoping to get a little bit of a reaction out of her. Charlotte could always be counted on for a bit of banter, some back and forth and he had to admit he enjoyed it. She gave as good as he gave. Taking a bite of the chocolate he looked around and leaned back against the wall, lifting his leg so his foot was resting against the wall too, his gaze drifting to the sky briefly before he focused on the red head beside him again.

He wasn't blind, he knew Charlotte's kind not that he had pegged her as one of those girls but she'd obviously surprised him. Charlotte barely ate at dinner, not that he ever watched her of course...but yes, when he had noticed her she didn't eat as much as most yet worked out even harder. She even rifled him, even he had to admit she probably did more than him. A couple hours of working out a day and he was done, he didn't feel the need for more. "So where's all your friends?" he asked, making a show of looking around. "Or you out here looking for me...finally caved have you red?" he said suggestively, teasing her as he winked her way.

[charlotte lily potter]

Charlotte took a few more long sips of water, doing the best that she could to ignore the sensation of extra liquid in an empty stomach. It had been over a year since she had started down this path, she had hoped she might be used to it by now. Of course, the dizziness wasn't helping, and exercise did have a certain way of unsettling her stomach. Though Charlotte was determined to keep her composure, particularly since it had been Tobias of all people to stumble across her in a moment of vulnerability. She internally cursed her luck, of course it had to be him of all people, the one person who got on her nerves more than anyone else...

But her ever-logical mind did find at least one benefit in the fact that he wasn't one of her cousins or siblings- they would be too concerned about her, prod and ask questions. Charlotte figured Tobias' interests were only making sure that she wasn't about to keel over in the snow, and then bothering her like he always did. "Right, much better to leave puddles of sick everywhere instead," Charlotte said sarcastically. Even when she felt weak like this her mind and tongue were still sharp, she never missed a beat. Her stomach flopped a bit when he offered her a bit of chocolate, and she felt her chest tighten.

Charlotte hated these positions, she knew he was going to stand around and watch her eat it, though at the same time when she had eaten only a couple bites of an apple that morning chocolate was definitely forbidden. She quickly weighed her options, turn him down and have him pester her about it, or suffer the consequences of eating something so heavy in calories and sugar. The former seemed more appealing. "Last I heard they pass out during," Charlotte said sharply, "and I am fine, probably not enough water."

If Tobias continued pestering her she might grudgingly accept a few squares, but then she would have to punish herself for it later.She took a few deep breaths in hopes to calm her stomach, though thankfully resting for a few minutes and drinking a good amount of water were beginning to set to work on the vertigo- her vision going down from quadruple to double, and the spinning sensation was beginning to slow. The lightheadedness would undoubtedly linger, but she had that feeling half the time these days, it wasn't anything new. It was that combined with the dizziness that was difficult to manage. Charlotte rolled her eyes at Tobias' next words, and she figured her suspicions about his motives were correct.

"I believe we've already established that if you were the last man on earth I'd start sleeping with women," said Charlotte.

[tobias orion malfoy]

Tobias couldn't fight the smirk on his face at Charlotte's witty retort, even in her current condition, whatever that was, she was still quick to answer him back. One thing he could always count on with Charlotte was a decent sparring session, the girl definitely had a lot of bite. Being in Slytherin suited her, shame about her family, he figured they'd have gotten along otherwise. Not that he hated her, they'd just never got along, maybe they were too alike in personalities...she was after all fun to wind up.

When she didn't take a piece of the chocolate he offered her, he felt his eyes narrow slightly before he shrugged his shoulders and took a bite. "Suit yourself red. Don't blame me if you pass out..." he said, wrapping the rest up and sticking it in his pocket. He wasn't stupid, the way this girl worked herself was insane. He made it his mission to know everyone on the team, what they got up to, after all winning the cup counted on everyone being at their best...Charlotte pushed herself harder than most on the team and he highly doubted she compensated whatever she was working off by eating right...

"I believe we've already established that if you were the last man on earth I'd start sleeping with women,"

"You know I should be offended but trust me it's you missing out red..." he commented, winking at her playfully, pushing up from the cold wall and looking at her, his head tilting to the side slightly. Part of him wondered if she had her wand, his was tucked into the back of his jeans, just where he'd need it should any of this turn violent...with her temper he wouldn't be surprised, she was a Weasley at heart after all. "All that energy you're so eager to burn off...no harm in doing it and having a little fun on the side...plus you hate me, makes it hotter." he teased her, she was fun to tease after all and he was bored...though he hoped he didn't end up needing to make a trip the hospital wing...again.

[charlotte lily potter]

Charlotte rolled her eyes at the foul smirk coming to Tobias' lips. She knew that he only messed with her because he got a kick out of her and her spitfire responses (she assumed he was bored of the routine that all the other girls did, tossing their hair back and laughing at comments he made that weren't even funny), though why she continued to appease him was beyond her. Honestly, she had no idea. There was a part of her, however small, that didn't hate him like the rest of her insisted that she did- the part that populated her more adult fantasies, involving her and a tall, well-built young man with blond hair...

Charlotte shoved those thoughts away, it was bad enough that she entertained them during other times. Tobias didn't need a foothold in anything beyond her fantasies. Not only would she argue that he was possibly one of the most vile creatures she had had the displeasure of meeting, she was convinced that he was trouble. All the girls he undoubtedly had had over the years, she didn't need that, even if the tiniest part of her was insisting that she wanted it... Charlotte observed him carefully as she refused- all she got was a quick narrow glance, and that was it. She was almost relieved.

"Oh, I'll blame you anyway, probably slipped something in this water- I wouldn't put it past you," said Charlotte, the spark was beginning to come back to her gaze, perhaps she had just needed to catch her breath. She again found herself rolling her eyes as Tobias suggested they sleep together on the basis that her hating him made it hotter. "Is that really so?" Charlotte said, crossing her arms, though her stance was decidedly playful over defensive. She was hardly aware in this shift- as much as she loved to declare that she loathed the Malfoy boy, there was the tiniest bit of fun in their verbal sparring matches.

She looked him up and down slowly, as if pretending to see him in a new light, but then allowed her expression to once again fall flat. "No, still not worth it, probably not enough alcohol in Hogsmeade," said Charlotte. This, of course, was a flat-out lie, as her weight shrank, so too did her tolerance for booze.