【 ι мεαи тнιѕ ι'м oкαч 】

“ — oh! well. isn’t that LOVELY. that’s wonderful, congratulations, ” alice replied with a tight smile and an aggressively cheery tone. of course greta could do nonverbal magic, the one thing alice, always the talkative sort, had never been able to master. “ — ilvermorny is a pretty BIG school, isn’t it? i think they’d have trouble hiding it in near so many muggles. ”

James just nodded seeing nothing wrong her statement. “Nah. She loves me. I am awesome after all. Eh, take your time. Or I can help. I am handsome. Charming. Good at sports. Funny. Charming. See there are some right off the top of my head. I am awesome. I’ll let you have some time to come up with your own.” 

Sirius shrugged, whispering back “The man doesn’t have a wandering eye for the transfer students, can’t fault him for sticking with the best”. 

Two hours in, everyone had left the classroom, save for Sirius and a handful. Sirius hadn’t stuck behind by choice though, more so on the urging of the Professor. “Mr. Black, are you sure you don’t have time on Tuesday and Thursday evenings for a little tea and discussion? Perhaps I could ask Mr. Potter to come if that’d persuade you.”

 Sirius gave him a blank stare at the mention of Mr. Potter “With all due respect sir, I think Marlene and the others vastly overestimate my abilities. I’m just a regular seventh-year who..” Slughorn cut him short “Nonsense, my dear boy. I expect you to join us”. Sirius saw he couldn’t steer his mind away at that moment; he’d just have to talk his way out of it next time. 

Sirius crashed in the Gryffindor lounge, and there was no sign of either James or Remus. James he figured was probably still after that redhead. As he laid back idly in the corner, he looked at the far-off dancing embers, as if waiting for something to happen. Near the end of Potions class, he had slipped a small blank piece of parchment inside Marlene’s bag that would only reveal his words when she tried to discard it. It read “P.S. After you’ve fixed your hair, let’s go to the Three Broomsticks”.

       Marlene merely rolled her eyes, setting her chin on her hand as she looked at him at last. “May I remind you he keeps calling Martha? He may not be unkind, but he’s very much a Slytherin at the end of the day and I’m a hundred percent sure he wouldn’t even notice you if you weren’t a Black.”

Come the end of the class, Marlene ran out of the classroom, not really bothering to wait for Sirius since she had better things to do, but she didn’t leave without eavesdropping a little on his conversation with Professor Slughorn. Part of her felt bad for the poor man, for Sirius and perhaps even for those poor souls who wanted into the Slug club but just weren’t “good enough”. Marlene was more than alright having none of that.

With his lips upon her finally, peace and quiet, though he would be lying if he was to say he didn’t enjoy it. Maybe marriage wouldn’t be so bad. Then his mind shot back to his parents, their unapproving faces with every little thing he did, even though they were not around often enough to know there were things he could do that would make them prouder than they would ever realize. He created potions like one did with spells. He could cast spells non-verbally, most of the time. And he was an advanced Transfigurations student who had successfully able to be an unregistered animagi. Even if he enjoyed this, there was no way she could love him if he was all those things, and his parents couldn’t.

He suddenly pulled back mid-kiss. “See. Nothing. We could never be a match.” Even though he spoke those words, it was all but a lie. He enjoyed it. Greatly. It was very present in his trousers recent change in attention. But she was too much of a lady to bring up such body part. He admired her silvery glow that beamed brightly between them. He felt slightly hurt by the fact of his lie for he did enjoy it, but alas it could never be. 

Daniel looked at Hogwarts with an expression of amusement. Sure, Beauxbaton was beautiful, but Hogwart was just to full of possibilities. “Isn’t it lovely?” He asked a random person that was walking around, as if suddenly starting conversations with strangers was the most normal thing in the world. He spoke with a heavy accent, looking over to the moving stairs and not even glancing at the person next to him.

Alex vocally groaned with annoyance as she followed along behind him like a dog going after a bone. Alex clenched his fist irked by the scene she was causing. The students around then glanced back as she whined for him to explain himself. He owed her nothing. He owed his parents nothing. Why did it matter if the two of them married? What, so their parents could be annoying rumplestilskins and steal their first born child? The moment he felt her warm little hand wrapped around his wrist. He did not want to put on a show for everyone and their house elf to gossip about. In frustration, he yanked his hand out of hers, grabbed her wrist in turn and pulled the both of them into the classroom. At this point, he doubted he would have any feelings fore her. She was pretty yet whiney. 

 She was sweet yet tried too hard. It was annoying. But, she had something right. They needed to have affection. Some sort of chemistry. Right? Well, what better time to find out then in the now. In the deserted classroom that he had pulled them into, Alex pulled her wrist towards him, her body now in his hands with his lean arms wrapped around her body as he pushed her into the wall and placed a sudden kiss upon her lips. The moment her lips hit his Alex suddenly felt calmer. His shoulders dropped. His furrowed brow relaxed. And, his mind eased. Alex groaned into the kiss, his hand in her hair as he leaned down what felt like to the ground given their height differences. She probably didn’t want to kiss him, but he needed to know. Needed to see how it felt. He had never had romantic feelings for someone. Never had he kissed someone. But based on his groin’s reaction, he was enjoying it. 

           Elizabeth was truly trying to be discrete but... How could she really accomplish it when it was him running away from her as though she had done something to offend him? She wasn’t even talking that loud, so the looks they got could all come from several factors; her being half-veela, them both being students no one had seen before this year, a lovers spat going on... who knew? As she’d told him before, this went beyond the two of them, and the sooner they accepted it, the better. Still, if he kept this up... then she would stop trying. For all she cared they could just see each other again when they married. Elizabeth was more than ready to give up when his own hand grabbed her wrist and tugged her along with him inside a room; a classroom to be more exact. 

“Oh, some people have been a bit… pessimistic about it,” Cora replied, scanning over Lily’s parchments. “But they’re probably just nervous! People fear what they don’t know, it’s a pretty natural response. In time, I’m sure we’ll all be best mates,” she quipped confidently. “If you ask me, the best idea for you right now is to relax. It’s only the first week of classes, I’m sure there’s no need to stress yourself out. I was actually thinking I’d play some chess and exploding snap in the common room later, you should join! Games are a great stress reliever. Even when said game involves the constant risk of an explosion.”

          “Amen, sister.” Gideon tilted his head, letting his hand fall from his chin as he flashed her a smile, fiddling with his sleeve. “I think you and I both know the only reason that I’m in trouble is you. I'e become a rebel since you took me under your ‘loving wing.’”

          “I’m sure that they thought this through, Emme. Dumbledore knows what he’s doing. So do the other headmasters. As for that last thing, I’m sure that most of them are already homesick. It can’t be easy coming to a completely different country, entering into a completely different school system and leaving behind probably the only country they’ve ever lived in. Kinda want to give them props, to be honest. Anyway, I’m convinced that they’ve worked something out for the years situation.” 

“Lily doesn’t humiliate me, she plays hard to get. We have fun.” James shrugged her comment off. “Pfft, I am awesome. You just haven’t realized it yet.” And yet again, he completely ignores her words without even meaning too. It was a skill that even he didn’t realize he possessed. 

          “That’s a good point. I don’t think he had a choice, though. It is international, after all, and the Minister certainly outranks the headmaster. How’s your day been, despite all the worry induced by the Minister being here instead of doing his job?”

          “You only think? Well, whoever it is, he’s a lucky guy.” Finn crossed his arms over his chest, flashing a raised eyebrow with a grin. “In fact, I think I’m seeing someone, too. She’s pretty beautiful, too.” He watched her smile, allowing his own to flourish. They hadn’t really been together for that long, but seeing her, it’s always felt right. He rubbed at his inner wrist, consciously stopping himself from reaching out to touch her - to push that hair behind her ear or lazily entwine their fingers.

Alex stood back against the wall of the door of the Great Hall. Surprised by her apology his face still remained motionless. “Apology accepted.” He stated his shoulders shaking with a smug grin. At the rest of her words, he nodded, leaning his head back against the wall. “I see. So, you don’t want to marry me and you don’t have a sense of humor? That’s fair.” He wouldn’t want to marry him either. No one probably did. “But, why do this? Why go through with something you obviously don’t want to. Don’t you have your parents eating out of your hand? The way you look, carry yourself, like a good little Veela girl.” He shook his head with the roll of his eyes. She was never going to just go away.” Just don’t do it.” With a groaning sigh, “Nevermind. I don’t care.” He ushered her away with his hand as he turned to leave. Why did he care? It made his stomach ache and his palms sweat. This girl got to him in ways he had never experienced, but she would never see it from him. Never see the way in which he felt. She wouldn’t truly care. She was lying to him. As they all did. She could never love him. He was nothing. 

Sirius leaned into her, and whispered with a small grin “Why should I waste time going to some Hogwart’s finest club when that time could be better spent at Hogsmeade…err I mean with the Beauxbatons” 

“Something you and Ms. McKinnon would like to share with the class, Mr. Black?” 

“Nothing professor, just showing Marlene a better way to grind the Occamy eggshell” Sirius replied in his most sincere tone, drawing a clap from the Professor “always the astute presence in the classroom, Mr. Black”

As the professor turned his back to demonstrate the sequence of spells, Sirius leaned against Marlene again, whispering “Now you know how I’m THAT lucky”. 

        “I swear if you mention them once more I’m gonna rip yo-” Hearing the Professor’s voice, she looked up at him, interrupting her threat to Sirius in favor of getting out of trouble early on. “Sirius is just so considerate, Professor, on top of being such a dedicated student, wouldn’t you think?” Matter of fact was, despite Marlene doing great in his classes, Professor Slughorn looked at her as though he didn’t really understood what she was doing there: something she didn’t really mind, but there was no way in Hell she wasn’t going to use her speaking time in his class to promote Sirius even more; Anything that would send Sirius more into the spotlight to be a tremendously desired member of Slughorn’s little “excellence” club meant hours of amusement for her. 

“Those have been in my bag for like a year. I think it is more charity to the inkwells. But if you don’t want them, leave them. Someone else will pick them up.” At her snappy comments, James threw his hands up feeling overwhelmed and curious to why she was so angry. One second she was apologizing while the next she was basically yelling at him again. “Do you need me to get one of the ladies…for lady things?” He asked completely unaware of how he sounded, as he pointed towards the group of girls by the door.

        “I am telling you, Mary. This makes absolutely no sense. Some schools have more years, like Beauxbatons. How are they wrapping up their education? Are they going to go back? What even is the purpose if their family is settled here?“