ipsa scentia potesta est

No, in fact I’m not a red roses type of girl, roses are a bit dull and way too overused in my opinion. If you want to go with flowers, go for sunflowers, tulips, lilies, daffodils - they’re so much more interesting then simple red roses. And the chocolate is actually a good one, you can’t go wrong with that, but in this specific situation I meant a more creative way of words the a simple “Would you?”. It is you we’re talking about, after all, if anything, you’re known for being extremely good with words.

Oh, be fair to me, Alice. Don't you know that words play dead when it counts the most to use them? Besides, I am not all too sure you've passed a mirror recently - books, that I'm good at. And books don't smile at me the way you do, which let me say, it's quite the brain killer. Put my uncreative heart out of misery and go to that bloody ball with me, or I'll simply have to duel your date into an early pair of crutches.

"Who would ever disagree with that? As if anyone could ever think that you could be related to any other word but kind. Justice? Is that what Benjamin Avery is searching for now? Justice? How intriguing.”

"You humble me, Rookwood. I'm only intriguing for those who want it to be, it's a rather dependable feature, really. And yes, where is the justice, sought or not, if you're a towel all too dressed and I'm in winter wear?"

Benjamin Avery asking a girl to a ball - never thought I’d see the day. I would have expected you to be more creative when it happens then this, however. Come on, you can do better.

I've always thought that creativity is required by people with not all that much ration going on. You didn't strike me as the red roses type, which admittedly comes as a bit of a disappointment, but I suppose the effort matches the outcome. Do they have to be red and does chocolate come along with it? What can one do, I'm not precisely acquainted with these... creative ways.

"It remains only intentional for those who wish it to be Avery. And yes, it is in a manner of speaking the way one must respond in a situation such as this. And how kind of you to notice." 

"Why, kindness is the defining trait. Though I am rather short of a compliment here, shouldn't justice also follow as a virtue?"

Sauntering out of the prefects bathroom with only a towel wrapped around his waist, Augustus grinned sheepishly as he almost opened the door on the person on the other side and said, “Sorry about that, I didn’t see you there.” 

"There's evidently nothing about this that screams intentional. Is a 'nice abs' in order for the common exchanges of politeness?"

A ball, huh? Let’s hope it’s going to be more interesting then the last one.

Slim chances. Still, we should go, merely for the sake of being proved right if nothing more. Would you? It's one of the few things that'll make Christmas worth it.

Regulus glared profoundly, at first reluctant in looking at the other Slytherin at all. After a moment of furrowed eyebrows and a dagger throwing stare, the younger Black embraced a clumsier attitude, gesturing nervously in order to excuse himself. “There is a difference between Common Room and dormitory, and I must say I’m surprised you can’t tell the two of them apart.” he attempted to channel every sharp bone in his body into insulting the other boy. “I suggest we go.” his even look returning back to normal, coldly raising from the chair and walking rigidly towards the Dungeon. 

When he strode a few steps ahead of Regulus, Benjamin let his hands cling by the pocket's hem, and he measured Hogwarts's air with the note of a prized discovery. It was a fancy trick from the hat, displayed only in the sheer hope that if he looks around like the world is new, perhaps something new will find its way at once. "You know, I would say you ought to get that stick out of your arse, but it's fairly clear to anyone that nothing's ever been there."

Benjamin’s doubt was slightly influencing himself, making Regulus question the unquestionable: was his potion working? Shaking his head as a response to his own thoughts, he reminded himself that not only what he poured in the tiny bottle, but every potion ever brewed by him was impeccably performed and didn’t need doubting. “Of course, of course, but I would rather not try it here, due to all these people eyeing us. Do you mind if we go on a trip to the Common Room first?” 

"Heading for the bedroom already? Not even dinner first?" He sneered, the petty joke mostly given over to the kid's discomfort, rather than to any form of amusement. Benjamin smoothed down the wrinkles from his shirt, buttoned the jacket up, and nodded courtly as he left their bench. "Come now, you abominable salesman. If that wasn't an energy potion we were discussing, I would have drifted to sleep by this point."

"So apparently, this is going to make the nausea go away?" Amelia mumbled as she eyed the small glass hesitantly. Slowly lifting the glass to her lips, she drained it all in one go. The medicine made her feel better indeed, but about a second and a half later, Amelia doubled over and wretched what seemed like every meal she had for the past week up.

He raised his shoulders in response, the grimace being far from apologetic. "It was a test, and obvious enough, it didn't go through. I've been looking for a guinea pig to try this on, except it had to be bigger than said guinea pig. To my distress, I'd add."

"Oh yeah," she asked with a slight tilt of her head. "And what that matter would be exactly?"

"Well, I don't want to expose any mysteries, but it has to do with wands, not communication skills. How long do you plan to stale in the middle of the hallway, matter of factly?"

"I’m sorry, was I supposed to shudder as the result of your babble?" Regulus asked, trying to mirror the other boy’s ignorance and self confidence, but doubtlessly failing, the worry produced by Benjamin’s threats exposed on his face as clearly as crystal. Unofficially, he was a master when it came to faking and lying, but the other Slytherin boy’s astute piercing stare was intimidating him greatly. However, he didn’t even outlined a half-smile at his joked, keeping the solemn look on with rigor. "Would you be kind enough to take it as it is and cut the act already?" he snapped at him, his words still polite, although his tone of voice sharp and slightly angry. "You can take the potion anytime, really." he replied, ignoring his last words deliberately. 

"I think we'll toast this one, kid." Gently, like the glass could break any minute and even give him hell for it, Benjamin pushed the vial on the common table. It settled oddly there, through breadcrumbs and droplets of tea. "Drink up, Black."

"Looks like it wasn’t enough for everyone, if you ask me," she muttered more to herself then to Avery. With a roll of her eyes, however, she stepped out of the way of the little guy anyway, "Just because you asked nice," she said turning towards Benjamin, letting the kid run off immediately.

"All the asking I have to make is done in that way." Benjamin smiled, trading his skepticism for an indulgent look, almost complicit here and there - it all was true, somehow, within their own order of logic. "It's not asking, what we do after niceness falls. That is an entirely different matter."

Alice was down the corridor when she bumped into a second year - or was it a third? “—I recommend getting out of my way immediately before I do something about it,” she snapped with an annoyed tone in her voice.

False advertising: Alecto didn't have it. Might as well preserve that for future use, the Slytherin considered. "Alright, how about we don't pull out the wands so soon, hm? After all, they've had enough good wizards threatening them yesterday, I think they've scarce need of another one."

My darling Benji, 

My lovely Alecto, still at the nickname antics,