I'll chew you up and I'll spit you out
'Cause that's what young love is all about.
So pull me closer, and kiss me hard
I'm gonna pop your bubblegum heart.
Alexandria Ginevra Lupin did not get stood up. She did the standing up. Imagine her surprise when she arrived fashionably late to her date in Puddifoot's and her date had yet to arrive. She asked the woman if he'd been in yet and, after a short description of the young man she was told he had not. Alex assumed he was late just as she was, so she got a table and waited. After five minutes she was tapping her foot. After ten she was chewing on a perfectly painted nail. After fifteen her hair changed to a bright red. After twenty she stormed out of the place to return to the castle. She muttered to herself as she walked down the winding path.
"Who does he think he is standing me up!? Me! I don't go out with just anyone, and he thinks he can just stand me up. I could have my pick of boys at this school, hell I could have my pick of girls! He is going to regret this so help me Merlin, I'll make his life a living he-, oof!" She was walking at such a quick pace down the path she rammed herself straight into another student and was ripped away from her revenge plot.
"You alright, sunshine?" The boy in front of her asked grabbing her shoulders.
"I'm fine." She hissed shoving his hands off.
"Alright, sorry I asked. Sheesh." They said raising their hands in defeat. "Hey... Your hair isn't red. Why's your hair red?" They asked suddenly.
"What?" Alex asked. "My hairs not-, oh. It is. Crap." She said examining her hair. It was true that her hair wasn't usually red. It was more often a bright pink, but it turned red when her emotions got the better of her. She quickly changed it back and heard a gasp.
"How'd you do that?" He asked examining her now pink hair.
"I'm a metamorphmagus. I can change my appearance at will. It got all red like that because I was pissed. I still am pissed actually. If you'll excuse me I have an ass to kick." She said starting down the path.
"Whoa whoa whoa!" The boy said grabbing her wrist. "While I'm sure you have an excellent reason for kicking someone's arse, as head boy I'm kinda obligated to stop you." Alex rolled her blue eyes and jerked her hand out of his grip.
"Listen." She said sternly. "I was just stood up. I waited in that stupid tea shop for twenty bloody minutes and if you do not let me go kick this fellow's ass, I will kick your ass and then go kick his ass." She said pointing her finger up at him in warning.
"Okay while I could totally get you in trouble for threatening me, I've got a better idea little miss. I'm going to get this guy in trouble for you." He offered. Alex looked at him skeptically.
"I'm listening..." She said slowly crossing her arms.
"We wait until dinner-, hear me out." He said when she looked ready to interrupt. "We wait until dinner, and once he's surrounded by his housemates I'll dock points for some form of rule breaking, and his house gets mad." Alex sighed.
"Alright fine. But only because it keeps me from getting my hands dirty." She said stubbornly. "I'm Alex."
"I know-, I mean, well uh, I just mean, uh." He broke into a sudden coughing fit and was red in the cheeks. "You dated a friend of mine... Derrick." Alex nodded remembering last year when her and Derrick were dating. Despite the fact they were really just song buddies. They ended it when Alex decided she wanted to focus on O.W.L's.
"Sorry, I don't really remember your name..." She admitted sheepishly.
"That's fine! I'm forgettable, really I am!" He said to reassure her. "I'm Nicholas Nott. But mostly people call me Nick." Alex nodded.
"Alright Knott. I guess I'll leave you to whatever you were off to do then." Alex said starting to walk away.
"Hey wait!" Nick said following her. "How about I walk you to the castle. I didn't really have anything planned for today." He said falling into step with her.
"Alright..." Alex said shoving her hands into her pockets.
"So who's the idiot that stood you up?" He asked looking around the path.
"McLaggen. Edmund McLaggen. Gryffindor sixth year." Alex spat bitterly. Nick nodded.
"Yeah I know him. Beater, gave me this scar." Nick said tilting his head and pointing at a white line that ran along his chin.
"Yikes. Impressive." Alex muttered examining it. Nick shrugged and turned his head back to the path.
"So you're not a Gryffindor then?" Nick asked casually.
"No... I'm a Hufflepuff. Why?" She asked suspiciously. Nick looked away nervously.
"I just assumed you were a Gryffindor when we first met. You were so... Head strong. I dunno, that's just me stereotyping." He stuttered.
"Ah well, at least I'm not a rotten Slytherin right?" Alex joked.
"I'm a Slytherin." Nick said bluntly.
"Oh my god I'm so sorry! I was only joking I swear I have nothing against Slytherins. My uncle Al was a Slytherin!" She said as her cheeks turned a bright pink.
"It's fine it's fine. Some of the people in there are pretty rotten. I asked to be in there so I wouldn't get disowned." He explained. Alex gasped sharply.
"Beg pardon? Do families still do that?" She asked. Nick nodded.
"Mine does at least. Had an aunt who married a muggle born. Bam, disowned faster than she could say 'I do'." Alex winced at how openly he spoke of it.
"I'm sorry. That sounds like..." She trailed off.
"Hell?" Nick supplied. Alex nodded. "S'not so bad. Just gotta tip toe around my whole family that's all." Alex really felt for him. She couldn't imagine not having the accepting, tight knit family she had now. Heck her grandfather was a muggleborn werewolf, if her family wasn't accepting then they were hypocrites.
"So that morphing thing... Is that like a talent, or a family thing, or a disease...?" Nick asked listing the things slowly. Alex laughed.
"It's a family thing. My dad was one, and his mum was one. And you know so on and so forth I guess." She explained with a shrug.
"So that's why you're so pretty, right?" He asked bluntly. Alex scoffed and rolled her eyes.
"No. I'm like one-twelfth veela, on my mums side." She said with a sigh. Alex wasn't going to deny that she was pretty, or put herself down. It was true, her mom had been pretty, her grandmother, her great grandmother. She never used her metamorphism to change her facial structure or anything else to make herself pretty, it just came naturally.
"Anything else? Are you part vampire too?" Nick said laughing.
"I'm actually a quarter werewolf." She said with a smirk.
"Merlin, really? What's that like?" He asked wide eyed.
"I take my steak rare and get the occasional flea." She said flatly. Nick burst out laughing and Alex sighed.
"Glad you find that amusing, they're a bitch to get rid of." She said as they came out to the grounds of Hogwarts. "Okay you've had your turn to ask a million and one questions, my turn." Alex said. Nick shrugged.
"Alright. I have nothing to hide." He said as they crossed the grounds.
"Ever had a girlfriend?" She asked.
"Nope."
"Ever had a proper lay?"
"Nuh-unh."
"Snog?"
"Nope."
"Just a little kiss?" She asked almost desperately.
"No."
"Held hands!?" She asked exasperated.
"My mothers."
"Man... Your in your seventh year though! That's just... Sad." She said. Nick nodded.
"I agree. But I just figure I'm going to be forced to marry some broad I've never met, so I shouldn't bother." Alex shook her head as they climbed the steps to the entrance.
"All the more reason my friend!" She said walking up to the door. Nick grabbed the door and held it open for her before walking in after her.
"Friend, eh?" Nick said grinning. "We're friends then?" Alex rolled her eyes.
"I suppose since you're doing me this favor, we're acquaintances at best." She teased.
"I'll take it!" Nick laughed.
"So... About what you said. You're going to be in an arranged marriage?" She asked heading for the staircase down to the dungeons.
"Yep. Right after I graduate probably." He sighed.
"That's rough, head boy. I'm sorry it has to be like that." Alex said sincerely.
"Thanks sunshine." He said stopping in front of the entrance to the Slytherin common room. "See you at dinner?" He asked. Alex nodded and the two waved goodbye.
"Thanks for walking me." She said as he stepped into the common room.
"Not a problem." He laughed before the door swung shut. Alex was beyond ready for dinner tonight.
