Halloween Queen

He stared at the Head Girl before him, gulping slightly as he listened to her speak in an unusually calm manner. By now, any other Slytherin would have gotten at him for simply being in their presence even. She was acting differently though, scaring him in the slightest. “Well yaknow,” He shrugged, an awkward smile on his face as his eyes drifted downward. “I need a little fuel for studying, could never get potions quite right.” He shrugged again, looking back up at her with eyes wide. 

Avery was smarter than most people gave her credit for, she knew how Hufflepuff’s worked and she knew how most Slytherin’s would have scared him, so she knew how to use both of those to her advantage. Staying calm meant that she had room for scaring him, making him dance like a puppet on a string if she wanted to. She couldn’t help but scoff a little. “Potions? Really? Is there anything you are good at?”

S E C R E T. ( don’t speak a word of this. detention with sprout was never fun for this cheshire. ) Ricky tip toed through the halls, obvious of his rule breaking. Hufflepuff house being by the kitchen meant constant night raids when studying. (( his father had done the same, but was caught more than enough times)) He turned a corner, looking over his shoulder. ( nosy ghosts always following him around. nearly-headless nick asking about his party attendance multiple times, even when he had already said he’d attend )

Being Head Girl meant that she was allowed to wander the castle after hours, mostly chatting to the ghosts and scaring away the first year students with a grin, but it also meant she never really expected to have someone walk straight into her. Avery opened her mouth to hex him or at least shout but cringed inwardly once she realised what house he was in - she’d seen enough Slytherin’s shout at Hufflepuffs when there was really no need to, they had a bad enough rep as it was, she didn’t intend to make it worse.

“You do realize that isn’t going to happen…right?”

“Well boo hoo. Whatcha gonna do then?”

I guess so. I couldn’t pull one if I tried, my body has its own will. It’s fond of a healthy sleeping schedule. Does chocolate improve your mood, then? I’ve, actually, been introduced to chocolate as a whole rather recently and that’s why I’ve bought two. It’s… way too good.

I’ve never had a healthy sleep schedule - even as a baby I never slept when I should. Actually, chocolate has all the science-y shit going on that actually does improve people mood, so there’s that. Wait, seriously? How’d you go so long without chocolate?

One you’re quite fortunate to encounter. I’m afraid I do not know your name. I’m Zhen. And at that, please, excuse my boldness, but you do look tired. Is that a result of pulling an all nighter?

Still a nutjob though. I’m Avery, I wouldn’t say it was nice to meet you but you did give me hot chocolate, you’re alright I guess. An all nighter? I fucking wish. That sounds productive, I wonder if all nighters ever work, never actually pulled one - when I’m awake when I shouldn’t be I’m usually watching horror films.

“Wait, are you serious?” He stood there, taken aback by her blatant disregard.

“Do I look like I’m joking? I want to see you drop all your shit so I can laugh at you, then I wont be so serious, so hurry up.”

“ Then I come bearing only apologies as I so foolishly forgot a decent thermus full back in my dorm. I can imagine you’d be exhausted – sheesh, what’s been keeping you up if I may ask? ”

“Not exhausted, more annoyed, but that’s nothing new. Keeping me up? That would be myself and the night terrors that come with the burden of being me. It takes a lot to scare me so I wouldn’t recommend asking what they are.”

“ t-two days? why so prolonged? ” Ricky questioned, tilting his head to the side as he disregarded the first part of what she said. ( he’s gone longer before but boy, was he messier than before ) “ i can get you c-chocolate, aves. m-maybe you should.. sleep? ”

Avery smiled slightly, shaking her head, “S’not prolonged, it’s pretty normal actually, you don’t need to worry.” She rubbed her eyes quickly, “Chocolate sounds good, kiddo, and if I could sleep I wouldn’t be here so. Yeah. Anyway, how you been?”

“A challenge implies there’d be a fair chance of both parties winning and that’s cute you think like that but I don’t partake in the illusion. As for stabbing me, burning me and the such, you could try and given the day and my disposition to experience pain, succeed, but that still couldn’t hurt me.”

Avery sighed a little and lit a cigarette, she felt completely drained and couldn’t be bothered to deal with weird Wonderlanders “’Kay. You can go now - you’re neither interesting or useful to me.” She frowned and rubbed her forehead, cursing under her breath, “That is, unless you have some way to stop nightmares, but I doubt you do so m’gonna shut up now.”

“Define hurt, let’s start there. Or don’t, it’s my fault to imply I’m looking for an answer. You, your friends, the people you know, you’re all so boringly the same, year after year. There’s no excitement, no sense in getting into petty debates with someone from your level. Wish I had something to do other than occasionally leaving my room and finding the same old, same old specimen around. I don’t. This place is driving me nuts. Then, to make it simple, yes, I do think you could hurt someone, but you couldn’t hurt me.”

“Sure, and Wonderlanders are boringly predictable, everything is boring. This place doesn’t exactly make people sane and that’s proven by the fact we’re still talking to each other. That almost sounds like a challenge but right now I don’t think I can be bothered to fight something like you - I’d stab you maybe, burn you, but I don’t think you’re even worth the effort.”