a queen.

Sunday Afternoons around Hogwarts were particularly boring, the great hall was typically filled with students nursing hangovers from the previous Saturday Night and there were other students, frantic to catch up with their weeks worth of homework for their classes the next morning. Lorelai was neither of these two, typically she would have a few essays to do to give her something to fill her day but this week, the blonde had been on top of her projects and was left with almost nothing to do apart from lie on top of her bed and flick through Witch Weekly Magazine.

Raising her head as their dorm room door clicked open. Lorelai sat almost on instinct upon noticing it was Leighton, her best friend. “I’ve been bored out of my mind without you,” She expressed dramatically, “where have you been?” The curiosity evident in the voice as Lorelai quirked an eyebrow, her face forming into a smile. “And why didn’t you bring me lunch?” @queenlcigh​ 

Leighton smiled at the sight of her best friend as she entered the dorm, dropping down beside Lorelai on her bed and rolling her head so she could look at her. “Oh relax, drama queen. I was with your brother and then I was doing some charms homework - which wasn’t exactly my ideal morning. Where have YOU been? Hiding up here all day,” she laughed. “Well, if I had known there was going to be a quiz when I got back, I would have certainly brought lunch - or at least dessert as a bribe.”

@melchiorparkinson​

With a chuckle, Melchior shrugged his shoulders at her comment. “I’d expect that anyone who’s an heir to a family name to feel slightly like Atlas. It just comes with the job, you know?” A boyish grin on his face. “A queen? Well, I must say, that’s a very fitting title for you, Leighton.” His eyes moving from the pearl headband to meet her gaze.  @queenlcigh·

“Ah, what a trying life you lead, eh, Atlas? Makes one wonder how you’ll shoulder the weight of the world all on your own.” She hummed gently in agreement, eyes bright as his met them. “I quite agree. Feels right somehow.”

Taking a sip of his own drink, Melchior smiled as Leighton approached him. “Well, Miss Avery…I do try.” He pointed out with a smirk as she touched his cape. “Atlas, the Greek God with the weight of the world on his shoulders. But other than being breathtakingly gorgeous, who might you be? ” Melchior inquired, reaching out to trace the pearls on her hairband. 

@queenlcigh​

“Ah, Atlas. And do you feel like the weight of the world is on your shoulders as well?” Leighton smiled at the compliment, eyes flicking up as his fingers ghosted over her headband. “Anne Boleyn. Queen of England - wife of Henry VIII.” She touched the B hanging from her neck with gentle fingers.

@melchiorparkinson​

she couldn’t spot the liquor just yet - it seemed like it was too early in the night for the punch to be spiked, really the fifth years had one job, she was just about to call one over when her eyes set on a particular costume - and the girl who donned it, “OH ANNE BOLEYN – what a pick, leighton” the girl remarked, impressed to say the least as she took a step closer, “what inspired this choice?” 

@queenlcigh​

A radiant smile took over Leighton’s face at Viviana’s approval, and she gently smoothed her skirt. “Thank you. Well - you know. She’s a queen and her power was overlooked because everyone was focused on a man. Plus - she had great style. You look incredible as well.”

WHO: @queenlcigh​ WHERE: Slytherin Common Room

“LEIGHTON–––” Adam intoned, stopping in his tracks just in front of her, completely halting their process out of the common room and toward the party. “…who…” He took a step toward her, and then another. “….the FUCK…” A hand reaches down to tug at the pendant on her necklace, a necklace that was most certainly not part of the vast jewelry collection he’d gifted her piece by piece over the months. “…is ‘B’?”

“B,” she started swatting at his hand and laying protective fingers over the pendant. “Is for Boleyn - as in Anne. As in me for the night. It’s like her statement piece, Adam. You can’t be Anne Boleyn without the B pendant.”

Leighton Avery as Anne Boleyn

Having spent the majority of the afternoon with a pep in his step,  Melchior Parkinson recognised that he was having a good day.  His latest potions mark had came back and it was his first outstanding mark of the year. With his competitive nature, Melchior was already compiling his letter to his grandmother in his head. Determined to prove himself to the appointed critic of the family. Upon entering the Great Hall, his pace slowed as he witnessed a group of rambunctious first years causing a scene at the Gryffindor table. Melchior shook his head, he was having a good day, why should he let a bunch of preteens give him a migraine? 

It was then that he witnessed Leighton Avery, a girl in the year below that he had become quite accustomed to chatting with, looking just as unimpressed with the younger students as he was. Reaching over to grab two saucers, he placed a cupcake onto each before approaching Leighton. Considering the fact, Leighton was his best friend’s girlfriend, what harm would it cause them being on friendly terms? It was harmless.  Melchior slid into the seat beside her with a charming smile. “Is it only me or do the first years get more insufferable as the years go on?”  He inquired, offering the cupcake to her as he began to speak. @queenlcigh​

Leighton enjoyed having her meals in peace. It was why she always showed up to the Great Hall early - less people, less noise. Usually, the strategy worked, but there was a group of the world’s most obnoxious third years ruining her meal. She was just about to get up and give them a peace of her mind - or perhaps just a nice little hex - when Melchior slid onto the bench next to her. 

There weren’t many people that Leighton enjoyed the company of, but Melchior was one of them. They mostly knew each other through Adam, but had been having more and more conversations as the year went on. She took in his smile, smirking slightly as she turned her attention to the cupcake he’d placed in front of her. “Each year is worse. I swear, I’m going to find a way to have them set meal times so I never have to see them,” she said with an eyeroll as she carefully peeled the wrapper off of the treat

viviana watched the girl who seemed to have a certain hop in her step - leighton was very much one of the diamonds in the ruff - she saw much of herself in the girl who tended to hold herself with a deadly grace, “really?” she questioned, often so easily hiding behind a veil of indifference, she was curious to the rumours she had heard, “so the caplan girl isn’t an issue?” all she had heard was the fifth year girl had stopped a fight and wilkes looked like a boy torn – 

she sat up and leaned forward, perching her chin on her knuckles, “he’s a bit temperamental, isn’t he? can you keep him in line?” that’s what mattered, wasn’t it? respect and the mutual understanding that your name was not going to get dragged - the wilkes family was definitely up there –

Leighton wrinkled her nose at the mention of Amalia and immediately she wanted to jump into an aggressive defense, but instead she took a deep breath and widened her smile. “No. Amalia Caplan is certainly not a problem.” Anymore. She hoped. “Adam was confused. I made sure he wasn’t anymore.”

Elliott basically lived in the Slytherin common room, now he was taking residency at the green table in the Great Hall. He was early– after being kicked out of a bed before dawn– so while the hall was starting to fill up, but there was still no sign of his usual crowd, so he took the first open seat he saw… next to Leighton Avery. “Is it just me or is it crazy loud in here?” he asked, reaching past her to stack his plate full of… a little bit of everything. Of course this would be the morning he ran out of his trusty ol’ hangover remedy.

@queenlcigh​

Leighton’s head turned as he approached, eyeing first his plate and then him. Her plate consisted of the same croissant and berries that it did every morning, tea sitting next to her. She picked up the cup, taking a sip as he added more food - somehow - to the plate. “There’s like 50 people in here - it’s hardly loud. Late night?”

Something in the way she said it made him pause, let him dare to hope. Something told him he’d regret it one day but his traitor heart drowned that out and begged him to reach out to her. So he did, pad of his thumb raising to touch that space between her brows, smoothing it out. Seeing Leighton frown made him weak, but in that moment he forgot to hate himself for it. I want you too, he wanted to say, but instead, it came out more like “..the next time you’re that close to another guy, it should be because you’re about to sucker-punch him.” he punctuated his whisper by grasping her wrist and gently tugging her forward by it, shaping her fingers into a fist and loosely knocking it into his jaw before slinging that same arm around his neck. “I’ll teach you,” Adam teased as he leaned in for a soft kiss, though he was half-serious. “You’ll be a princess among prizefighters.”

Leighton couldn’t help but smile as he formed her hand into a fist. “Oh? Are you going to make me DANGEROUS?” The relief that washed over her when he kissed her was overwhelming and made her smile against his lips. Her lip jutted out in a little pout as he pulled away and she pulled him closer for another quick kiss. “Mmm. I could be into that. Maybe then I can protect you too.”

lock of her raven hair caught between her fingertips as she gave it a twirl -  eyes occupying her most recent potions assignment, she peeped up as she heard footsteps, careful smile stretching her lips, “leighton –” the girl beckoned, waving her over, “i’ve been meaning to see you – little birdies are saying that you were seen with edgecombe. isn’t he too soft for you? i thought wilkes was more up your alley –” 

@queenlcigh​

Leighton froze slightly at the sound of Viviana calling her name, turning toward her with a smile that was almost TOO bright to seem genuine. She took the seat across from her, perching delicately - she hoped- on the edge of the chair. “Oh - I - no. That was just a silly party game. Edgecombe is not my type. Adam and I are... very much together.”

Without a single thought, he set the herbs to the side and with a flick of his wand, shifted the cauldron he’d been working over off to the side, a safer distance from where she’d chosen to sit. Adam let out a breath then, and anchored his palms onto the bench, on either side of her thighs–– as if that would stop him from eventually reaching out to pull her closer. As if he had that much self-control.

For now, though, he pressed them down against the smooth wood, taking in a breath and steeling himself before he looked up and met her gaze. “Leighton,” He began, throat dry and voice rasped. Adam cleared his throat and tried again. “I don’t want you to just say what you think I want to hear.” He stopped again, eyes flickering down to where she touched her necklace –– his name –– for a bare moment, before he leaned closer and looked up again.  “If something’s not right, or if there’s someone else, or if I’m living in some kind of fuckin’ fairytale all on my own, just–– DON’T.. feed me stories to keep me happy. Even if I ask for it,” His tongue darted out to wet his lips, voice strained now. “…please. I want us to be..” A pause, the last word rolling off his tongue a though it were foreign, “..honest.”

“I’m not just saying what you want to hear.” Leighton leaned toward him, hand reaching out to brush his cheek. “I would NEVER lie to you,” her brow furrowed as she contemplated the honesty of that statement itself. “I don’t want to lie to you ever.” She pulled her hand back elbows digging into her thighs so that she could lean in and still balance on the table. “It was nothing, I SWEAR. A stupid dare. I was- maybe part of me thought it could be like revenge. But it was stupid. It meant nothing to me. I don’t give a shit about him. I don’t want him. I want you - only you. I never wanted anyone else."