A/N: Written for the 'Oscar Wilde' Challenge at the HPFC forum. The quote I used is in the blurb. – Zacharias/Hannah.
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Zacharias Smith was bored, and when he was bored he tended to muse. About himself mainly, as he thought that there was nothing so important as to think about the flaws in ones self. Quidditch training had been cancelled and outside, lightning and thunder lit up the grey mass of clouds and a sheet of rain poured down from the sky. He hated school. There was no real point to it. In fact, the only real reason why he even bothered in the lessons was one of two things.
The first and most important reason obviously, was that he could floor anyone in his class with his charm work. …And no, he didn't mean his stunning good looks or smile, although that obviously helped too. Even the Ravenclaws, in his opinion, were no match. Ernie said that he was being arrogant and was still sore from the fact that 'Loony' Lovegood had floored him one time in a classroom duel. He'd retorted by saying that Ernie was just jealous because he'd snogged someone before him. That come back quickly shut the pompous git up.
The second reason, although he would never admit to this publicly, was Hannah Abbott. She was his little secret even if she didn't know it herself. In fact, she had been the secret object of his affection for quite some time now. Not a living soul knew. ...Well, unless you counted the Fat Friar who had floated by when Zacharias was arguing with himself about Hannah, at one point. Maybe, no living person knew. Yes, that was about right… and he fully intended to keep it that way.
Zacharias Smith was somebody whom you could call conceited although obviously he didn't think so. Stuck-up or arrogant were but a few other names that had been used at least one point in time, too. People would say 'That Smith guy is too far up his own arse to see anything, let alone walk straight' or 'I'm surprised that you don't have a mirror stuck to your face, what with you looking at it all the time! Are you sure you aren't gay?' He let the rumours circulate. After all, the more people talked about him the better. He wanted to be known at Hogwarts, yet he didn't really care about being necessarily liked as such. …Apart from Hannah. She was the exception. He wanted her to like him.
Besides it couldn't be that difficult! He was only a Hufflepuff for crying out loud! One of the common lot, or 'the rest' as the Sorting Hat had so crudely described one year. He knew that he was only in this house because of his ancient Hufflepuff ancestry. Loyalty and hard-work being just a couple of them. He was lazy and selfish. Arrogant too, if he were to be completely honest with himself. But he didn't really 'do' honesty. Lies were more his speciality, especially the white kind.
Nevertheless, maybe he would use his classroom ability to charm Hannah. Maybe – but only when he felt up to it. No amount of beating people and fancy wand work would attract her. He had to do it the old fashioned way. Talk to her. However daunting that task appeared, he felt up to the challenge. …Even if he was just a Hufflepuff, he was no ordinary one. He, as Zacharias Smith – charmer extraordinaire and sometime in the near future, he was going to prove it.
He'd prove himself to Hannah and not to those showy bastards, who called themselves his friends. Besides, he'd have the Quidditch pitch to straighten out any disagreements with them.
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