Rebel Without A Cause

Gabe let out a groan of annoyance and rolled onto his stomach so that he could look up at Eliana clearly. “And what exactly are you going to tell Madame Pince?” he chuckled, “that I deserve a warning and detention for studying?” He shook his head lightly, “Good one...”

Gabe smiled, pulling the paper higher in order to read it clearly, not failing to notice the specks of gummies that were flaking across his head. He would shower before dinner anyway, preferring to get into the showers before the before-bed rush. He wasn’t lying, having his head petted like a Labrador did help him concentrate. The fact that Gabe’s own patronus was a Labrador puppy was just a coincidence to this. “Why are you hanging about in here anyway?” he murmured absently.

Gabe’s mouth flickered into a small smile at Mercer’s protest, before shrugging softly and beginning to push the ‘organised pile’ to the left. He didn’t see anything wrong with being conscientious about your studies, but Gabe’s own efforts came in desperate waves, with a week of hard work and studying before he would undoubtedly slack off. “Just about ready to kill myself,” he admitted with a small chuckle, “though then I suppose I’d become a ghost and have to stay here forever, can’t think of anything worse!”

Gabe grinned as James flopped down beside him, and he reached for a couple of larger books, using one to prop up his head as a pillow before passing the other casually to the other male. “My genius rarely gets noticed,” he admitted with a short chuckle, “but I’m glad to see you’re observant. The trick is to look so astronomically busy, people think they’d better leave you alone to work- they don’t even notice you aren’t doing anything!”

If there was one thing Gabriel needed at that moment, it was a bag of candy, and he took the gummy watermelon off her with a grateful groan of delight. “You are an angel,” he praised, taking the candy between his lips and relishing the sour taste. Despite still being sprawled across the floor and in everyone’s way at least now he had Park’s company and he decided to see how much he could get away with since she appeared to be in a generous mood. Manoeuvring himself so that his head was on her lap, he started to read from one of the many sheets of paper surrounding him. “Would you mind stroking my head?” he grinned cheekily, “it helps me concentrate.”

Gabriel grinned cheekily up at the sight of Eliana, before stretching his arms out above his head, making to grab her ankles. “Obviously I’m making a nest here on the floor,” he smirked, “it’s actually quite comfortable, want to join me?”

Gabriel chuckled again at the sight of Mercer, always a friendly face around the castle. He shrugged, sitting up and glancing at the mess around him, reaching out to move some into an ‘organised pile’ as the other male pushed his book back onto the shelf. “I could have guessed it was you,” Gabe teased, “you’re the only one in here more than me!”

A dramatic groan fell from his lips, as though she were far heavier than she was and he reached out to wrap his large hand around her finger, stopping her from poking him again. “That was the aim,” he admitted, reaching up with his spare hand to tug playfully on a lock of her hair, “but it’s hardly happening now with you here to distract me!”

Gabriel grinned cheekily back up at the redhead, “It’s true, I much prefer looking up at you and not that ancient old bat’s skirt right now...” He propped himself up on his elbows, looking around him, “Just exam prep,” he sighed before glancing up at Louis, “am I in your way? I can move?”

Sprawled across the library floor, papers and books surrounding him, Gabriel Greengrass let out a yawn and placed the open text-book on his chest. The approaching footsteps could have been anyone, but he particularly didn’t want it to be the Librarian- the mess he had made would send her into a shit-fit. “Oh thank god,” Gabe chuckled as he looked up to identify the stranger, happy that it wasn’t the old crone who patrolled the library aisles.