𝔯𝔲𝔫/αωαу !

maisie could see the confusion her reference caused, reminding herself to introduce the movies to him at a later date. lord of the rings was a life changing franchise, and she would die on that hill. besides, something told her ant would be especially fond of a particular pair of hobbits, and not the two in charge of the titular ring. "why would i slap you?" slipping her bag off of her shoulder, she took a seat on the half-wall beside him. "how about you start us off and i follow your lead? feels a bit easier."

"oh, i must've just missed you at honeydukes. that's where i started this mornin'. my sister just loves when i bring her home wizardin' candies. she's even started her own collection of chocolate frog cards." something maisie had gotten her hooked on via her own sizable collection. she took a first sip of her cocoa, painfully humming slightly at the too hot temperature and making a face. "delicious, but i'm definitely gonna give it a minute. do you wanna see what i picked up for my brother? i had to get it special ordered by spintwitches since it's for an american team."

madam puddifoots tea shop was a must stop for melinda whenever she was in hogsmeade, her love for tea demanded it most times. the festivals hot chocolate was easily a second best situation for her, in comparison, but when you add the festival spirit and memories that come along with the beverage, it still was a must have as well. The ravenclaw took a sizable gulp of her hot chocolate just as her friend walked in, her hand shot up into the air. "maisie, over here!" melinda exclaimed, waving her over.

the chill in the air had left maisie with a craving for comfort in the form of a hot beverage. thus leading her to madam puddifoot's for some cocoa. hearing her name upon entry, she gave melinda a wave before holding up a single digit and heading to the counter to order. once the candy cane cocoa had been acquired, she happily slid into the empty seat across from her housemate. "hey! how're you enjoyin' the festival so far? i just snagged a major deal on some gifts for my siblings!"

"thou shall not pass!" ant called out, echoing a cultural muggle phrase as he sat upon the stone, his one arm stretched out. his fingers had all been extended but soon shifted into a lackadaisical point, "ey, least 'ya shouldn'n. not if 'ye want to do right by me house. sees, cause from what i hears, hengist liked a good puff." how much of this story was invented or hearsay, ant would not comment on. he was simply operating off vibes this weekend, high and high-spirited vibes in particular. "'bout to christen a new spliff . hate 'ta do it by me-self. tell me you'll spare me 'da shame."

lord of the rings had always been a favorite of maisie's, making the famous phrase the perfect one to halt her in her tracks. approaching the hufflepuff, she offered an eye roll and a grin. "well, my mellon," she said, speaking the elvish word for friend (at least in tolkien lore), "how am i to say no to honorin' the great man for whom this festival is named? been a minute more than a minute for me, though." she'd always been more of a drinker than a smoker, usually only partaking in the latter at this very festival or parties in the hufflepuff dorms.

it was hard not to notice the switch from near panic into sudden relief as gia turned towards her. her mind immediately drifted to the reputation of the other's house, then to the snakes she'd become familiar with during her time at hogwarts. it made her grateful to be in ravenclaw. "as my gump likes to say, 'childish is just another word for fun.' a reliable source, as he's one of the most fun people i've ever met." also one of the few members of her extended family who was aware of her magical status. a story for another time. "yeah, i was thinkin' of gettin' an occamy done up the side. how 'bout you?"

"throwin' a temper tantrum is hot?" because isn't that really what she'd just done? rolling her eyes, she began leading the way to the great hall. never would maisie have thought she'd willingly invite pansy parkinson to lunch, and yet here they were. quite the odd pairing indeed. "honestly, if you thought that was a lot, you should see what happens when you get a veela truly seethin'. takes more for a partial like me, but we basically take on the appearance of a harpy." at least that's what her latest bit of research had revealed. noting what she'd just admitted, she gave pansy a pointed look. "that's not an invitation to try it."

maisie opened her mouth to argue with the witch, only for it to snap shut in the very next second. although it pained her to admit, and she would never do so aloud, pansy was right. she'd been throwing herself an internalized pity party since the night of the masquerade, sine the night of the gossip post if she was being truly honest. taking a deep breath, she straightened herself and offered the younger witch a slow smile. "not my preferred witness, but i'll thank you all the same." the best pansy would get out of her. she had helped her, after all, whether it was her intention or not. yet again reclaiming the book she'd come searching for, she hesitated a moment before turning to leave. "how does lunch sound? i'm suddenly feelin' famished."

"pause right there!" romilda commanded, those warm eyes of hers cast sharply upon one of her fellow students. "i need your opinion. like, time is dire." her lower lip had already started to push out, a pout setting into place, yearning to captivate the audience before her. and while that attention was held, romilda seized the opportunity to snag the two books at her side and hold them up for display: both romances, one a vampiric tale, the other a werewolf. "which one?"

maisie froze at the voice of the other, though grinned upon spotting her fellow romantic reader. "y'know, i was always team edward growin' up," she mused, grabbing for the vampire novel and giving the back a quick read. "adulthood taught me how fuckin' toxic that thinkin' was." she handed the book back before tapping her finger against the werewolf option. "go for the wolf. if nothin' else, we all know taylor lautner is the best ex. that feels a valid enough reason to choose man's best friend every time."

the 'i do' that left her blood red lips carved a hollow into his stomach. "no you don't." denial was his first and easiest solution. as it had been the last few weeks. with a clenched jaw, the boy's head bobbled from side to side, denying and denying. blood pumped in his ears, causing her words to sound like they was underwater. like they were beneath the lake. it was a feeling that already left him struggling; the tie in of a memory... "i need you to..." graham struggled through grit teeth after his feet carried him forward, his hand raised, stopped just as it hovered a mere inch from her arm. he could almost feel the warmth of her against his palm. "i need you to stop." graham swallowed harshly. "stop talking."

like that he was fully in her orbit again. intense brown eyes looked sharply forward, fighting as they always did. she didn't know what she was talking about. "this isn't anything." his chest rose and fell before her. his fingers flexed in the air, a mistake that caused his fingertips to brush against her skin. something flashed in graham's eyes before he squeezed them shut. that hope that he'd held early was sinking by the minute into this thing that he had no idea what to do with. with a deep intake of breath, the slytherin opened his eyes and exhaled an, "it's not." and yet, there his gaze was, fallen onto her lips. he wet his own as his mind was infiltrated by maisie's own words: 'stop lookin' at me.' as if he wasn't trying. and he was supposed to be strong?

his hand, that hand, moved shortly up and down before clenching into a fist. "fuck, i hate you." his knuckles burned white as his heartbeat thundered strong in his chest, rivaling the music spilling from the great hall. but as one hand was clenched, his other hand reached out, grasped the nape of maisie's neck and drew her forward until his lips could connect with blood red.

"you're not tryin' not to either!" it felt like something her mother would've said, and the realization only seemed to fuel her frustration. it was one thing to stand there and have graham deny his own feelings, but to then proceed to denying her feelings? that was something maisie would not allow. she knew how she felt, had known for a good while now. whether he chose to accept it or not was his decision, but he did not get to imply that she didn't know her own heart just because he didn't know his. only his sudden closure of the space between them kept her silent, suddenly on edge as goosebumps pricked every inch of her skin. "graham?" was that fear in her voice? concern? uncertainty? it shook regardless. her eyes watched him as they had many a creature, seeking out any sign of what his next move would be.

a kiss hadn't been any of the outcomes she'd imagined. but there they stood, his lips on hers and something he'd spoken drowned out by the blood rushing in her ears. she felt herself melting into him, body pressing closer as she gave herself over to the moment. it would've perfect if not for his delayed audio finally screaming in her head. 'fuck, i hate you.' just like that reality came crashing in, and she found herself shoving him back before taking several steps in the opposite direction. "no." it didn't matter how much she wanted to kiss the man before her, maisie knew her limits and her worth. if he wanted to hate her, he did not get to kiss her like that. "you do not get to say that to me and then do that! i am not some game to be played. someone to use to get out your pent up frustration. if you're goin' to hate me, commit. don't kiss me." she took another step back, her anger quickly dissipating into hurt. "you can't do that."

"hey, i already conceded victory to you on mandrakes," maisie defended with a laugh, glad for the easy conversations that existed between the two of them. with everything going on lately, it was nice to have a lighter conversation. "'course not, why would you be? we both know i'm more likely to reach for dreadful denizens of the deep than magical mediterranean water plants and their properties." she hummed thoughtfully at his reasoning before nodding her own agreement. "very comparable to a mundane stick bug."