Disclaimer: Don't own Harry Potter, Leda and Nikki are mine, yada, yada, yada…
Chapter 3
Go out with me?
Since the summer before my fourth year I'd been spending the second half of my vacation at Lily's house. After that it had become a tradition for me to eat dinner with my parents in their quarters the first day of classes in order to catch up on what happened over the summer. Usually I looked forward to this, but this time...
"... It's completely unacceptable! I don't know what was running through your head when you bought those clothes, but no daughter of mine is going to tramp around showing off enough skin to pass as a stripper!" Professor T. Riddle, a.k.a. Dad, was red in the face as he paced the living room area while I sat on the couch, my arms crossed and a glower etched on my face.
"Like you've been saying to every single 7th year since this morning, I'm a legal adult. You have no say in what I do anymore." I bit back.
"As long as you live in this house...!"
"This isn't a house! This is a school! And as soon as the school year ends I'm going to be moving out on my own!"
Dad instantly stopped pacing and whirled around to look at me.
"What? When did you decide this?" Mum asked, walking to stand in the archway that connected the kitchen to the sitting room.
I tightened my arms around myself, trying my best to look sure of myself as I lifted my chin confidently, "Over the summer."
I watched as my parents considered this, then I saw some sort of flash in my father's eyes, like some kind of realization.
"Who is he?" he growled.
My stubborn glare fell in a moment and I looked at him in confusion, "What?"
"The guy that's making you think so irrationally. You can't just set out and get with a guy when you're this young, Leda! I know what's on his mind and I'm telling you its no good, and I wont have it!" he was beside himself with anger, and as I realized what he was rambling on about I felt my own anger bubbling up.
"This isn't about a guy, Dad! It's about me! About me and what I want!" I yelled at him, standing up quickly and clenching my fists at my sides.
"You're seventeen! You don't know what you want! You're too young to know what you want, and I'm not about to let you go off and make a stupid mistake you'll regret later!" he pointed at me, his face hard and, to anyone else, terrifying. But I'd always been a troublemaker, always getting into something to start the yelling. And I would yell back.
"Stop trying to act like you know everything!" I shouted.
He raised his eyebrows challengingly, still looking pissed and about ready to break something. "Tell me what you want then! If you know, tell me!" he bellowed. When I didn't answer right away he laughed humorlessly at me, "That's what I thought. You don't know. And you never will until you get your head out of the clouds and stop daydreaming about Prince Charmings and living happily ever after doing absolutely nothing!"
His words hit me deep, and I didn't even notice I was crying until a tear rolled down and dropped off of my chin. Dad was never so cruel. He had a nasty temper, sure. But he never acted like this.
"You know what I want? I want you to stop trying to live my life for me and just start watching for a change. Because whether you like it or not, this is my life, and I'm going to live it however I bloody damn want to." My voice was low and chilling, even to me, and I didn't give him enough time to register what I was saying before I walked from my parents' quarters and slammed their door behind me. I'd already missed the school dinner, and I wasn't going back to eat with Mum and Dad. Not that it mattered. I didn't have much of an appetite anymore.
.o0o.o0o.o0o.
"What happened last night?" Lily hissed at me in Charms the next day. Somehow I'd managed to avoid her or Nikki's questions for most of the day, but now she was quizzing me. And if I could hold out for another half hour I'd be able to escape without much difficulty, not having to answer a thing. I'd have my free period and she'd head off to her Muggle Studies class. I'd come in after my fight with Dad in a sour mood, my tears still evident on my face. Anyone who dared talk to me or even give me a glance were rewarded with a sharp, quick glare, and I'd ended up going to bed right after returning. I could still remember the look on Black's face when he saw me, though I couldn't place what it had been. Curiosity? Sympathy? Pity? I wasn't sure.
"Leda!" Lily brought me out of my thoughts with a soft undertone. Sending her a small glance I gave a nonchalant shrug.
"Nothing, I don't know what you're making a big deal of." I murmured, keeping my eyes on the paper we were supposed to be working on.
"Lee, you came back crying, why wouldn't I make a big deal?"
"Because it was nothing. I'm on my period, my hormones are going crazy. That was all." I fibbed easily. My period had ended a week earlier.
Glancing over at my friend I could see she wasn't buying my story, "So you just burst out into random tears over nothing?"
"Hey, you've done it before." I reminded.
"Those weren't random." She said defensively. "I was stressed out and sleep deprived due to worry for the O.W.L.'s and I'd just gotten in a fight with Sev."
"You were arguing over the proper uses of dragon's blood." I reminded, still finding it baffling that the two could be so argumentative over simple things like studying.
"I was right and he wouldn't listen to reason."
I cracked a smile, "Is that a grudge I sense?"
She looked startled and shook her head, "No, of course not! I don't hold grudges."
"Hmm, you might want to tell that to Potter then, he thinks you hold it against him that he's a conceited airhead with very messy hair."
Lily scowled, "Shut up."
"Miss Evans, Miss Riddle, kindly talk about Mr. Potter on your own free time and concentrate on your work."
I looked up—or more, down—at Professor Flitwick and gave a smile and nod, "No problem professor," I then had a wicked idea and added to Lily in a loud enough voice for the four boys at the two tables across the aisle to hear, "Honestly, Lily, you can go on about how hott he is later. You don't have to talk about him every second."
The redhead's eyes bugged out and her mouth dropped open, and sneaking a glance at the boys I saw that Potter was in a much similar state, though instead of disbelief and disgust, he had disbelief and amazement. Ducking my head I let my hair fall around my face to hide the smirk that was quickly taking shape.
"You're evil." Lily finally managed to hiss at me.
I pushed some hair out of my face and smiled, "Aww, really? Thanks so much!" I chirped softly before finally turning to my work. Now that Potter thought Lily was interested, I would bet twenty gallons that he'd start asking her out twice as often. Meaning Lily would more than likely accept sooner than she would if he were only asking a few times a week. And so my plot to get the two together was progressing…
.o0o.o0o.o0o.
"OY! Evans!"
"Just ignore him. He'll give up after a couple flights of stairs."
"EVANS! Wait up!"
"You sure about that?"
"Slow down!"
"... Yes."
"Oh c'mon, Evans!"
"For some reason I don't think he will."
"EVANS!!!!"
"What!?" Lily finally snapped, turning on her heels to glare at the dark-haired boy who had been chasing us since we'd left Charms.
If Potter was anyone else and didn't have such great reflexes he would have ran right into her. As it was, he just almost ran into her.
"Evans..." he gasped, having lost his breath. Lily had been walking so fast and in the most crowded hallway I was surprised he hadn't given up after fighting the swarm of students. But then, he'd been after her since third year. He wasn't about to give up that easily. "Evans, will you..."
"Don't..." she warned.
"... go out with me?"
"Potter..." she growled, her fists clenched tight at her sides.
"Please, Evans? It'll be great, I promise. And we can do whatever you want. I'd even be willing to go to Madame Puddifoot's if you want." Never in my life had I ever heard something so crazy come out of Potter's mouth. It was a well-known fact that for every single one of his dates, he had never, ever brought a girl to Madame Puddifoot's. Meaning he was pretty desperate.
"What do I always say?" the girl prompted, and I watched as his face fell.
"No."
"Then there's your answer."
Though I'd never been very fond of Potter, the look on his face was too heartbreaking to ignore. "Merlin, Lily! You're awful, look at him! How can your conscience not be throwing insults at you for being so cruel?"
I saw a flash of regret go through her eyes, and she seemed to hesitate, but then turned and made her way through the halls, her steps unusually quick. She was feeling guilt. That was good. Turning to Potter I gave a comforting smile.
"Don't worry, Potter. She'll come around, just don't give up yet. A few more weeks at the most and she'll be all yours." I paused, and then added as an afterthought, "Though might I suggest that you not bully Severus? It'll take longer if you keep that up."
He looked uncertain, "Are you sure?"
I gave a firm nod, feeling the mischievous smile that tugged at my lips, "Trust me on this."
A wide grin spread across his face as his eyes brightened considerably, "Riddle, I could kiss you."
"I thought you were going for Evans, James." Black, Remus, and Pettigrew had appeared behind him, and as I looked at Black as he spoke I saw something flash through his eyes, like protectiveness. I also noted that his tone wasn't quite as carefree as normal, a bit harder, though disguised to be teasing.
The messy haired Head Boy glanced over his shoulder at his friends, "Riddle is helping me get Evans!" the joy in his voice was almost heartbreaking.
"Might I also suggest that you stop calling her Evans, and start calling her Lily?" Honestly, how was he supposed to even become friends with her if he was addressing her like a total stranger or acquaintance?
"Will she let me?" he sounded surprised at the notion that he was even allowed to do such a thing.
"It's possible she'll object at first, but trust me, it'll help."
"You're helping James? Why?" Black asked, sounding considerably suspicious. Not that I blamed him. I had always disliked Potter and Black, though not nearly as much as Lily did. Still, I had made my feelings known.
Shrugging I tucked a piece of hair behind my ear, "I want Lily to be happy, and as crazy as it sounds I think Potter can make her so."
"Hear that, Sirius? I told you we were meant to be." Potter crowed, looking quite happy with the whole idea.
Black didn't seem swayed, "Hmm, I'll believe it when I see it."
"Haven't you ever heard of fate, Black? These two were meant for one another, and I'm going to prove it, to you, Lily, and everyone else." I scowled, crossing my arms as I looked at the disbeliever.
"I'm sorry, I thought you never took Divinations." He teased, causing me to scowl deeper.
"Oh grow up, Black." I spat, turning on my heels and making my leave. To say I was surprised when the school playboy followed would be an understatement.
"Leda, wait up." he said, stopping beside me as I felt myself freeze.
Turning slowly I looked at him in disbelief, my eyes flashing as I registered what he'd said, "What did you just call me?"
He cocked an attractive brow and smirked, "Leda. That's your name, isn't it?"
"Yes." I gritted out, my teeth clenched.
His eyes twinkled with amusement, "Then what's the problem?"
"You don't call me that. We aren't friends, giving you absolutely no right to address me as such."
He laughed and crossed his arms, "Well aren't we a snobby bird?"
"Excuse me?"
"You heard me, love."
"Merlin, why don't you go bug some girl who actually cares you ended up on the face of the earth?"
"But none of them react quite the same way. You're very entertaining when you're pissed."
"And you were entertaining yesterday in DADA when your mouth was hanging open like a dead fish over the shock that someone doesn't think you're the most attractive person in the world, which again, I would like to point out, you aren't."
"Ouch." His hand flew up to his chest in an overly fake dramatic effort, "You wound me, Leda."
"I wish." I muttered, turning to start walking again.
"What was that?" Black asked, easily keeping stride with me. He was a good seven inches taller than me, so while I was struggling to out walk him, he was hardly going any faster than he normally would.
"Will you just leave me alone?!" I snap, throwing him a dirty look as I shifted my shoulder bag to my other arm, pushing my raven black hair out of my face in frustration.
"Did you know you're extremely hott when you're pissed?"
"Sod off!"
"I can't, Leda. We're meant for each other, and if I leave now you'll never stop hating me, therefore we'll never be together."
I clenched my fists and stopped, planting myself in his path, "You're a real arse, you know that?"
"Yes, but I'm your arse." His cocky smirk was driving me up a wall, and I knew he was enjoying it. You could see it on his arrogant, aristocratic face.
"Do you use that line on all the girls?"
"No, you're special."
"No, I just have enough brains to spot a foul git when I see one."
His hand flew to his chest for the second time, "Got me again, Leda."
"That was the aim."
"Did your dad teach you how to chase off boys, or is this your own quirky charm?"
"I only chase off the boys I don't like."
"Well you aren't trying too hard, so that must mean you like me, huh?"
"Dear Merlin, do you ever shut up?" I groaned, turning away as I yet again tried to make an escape.
By now we were almost at the common room, just one hallway left and I'd be free to escape into the girls' dormitory. I sped up my pace, trying to pretend that I wasn't being followed by the most annoying guy on the planet.
"Are you asking if I do, or if I'm capable of it?"
"Shut up!"
"Oh c'mon, you know you love listening to me talk. All the girls do."
I could see the Fat Lady up ahead and felt my feet begin to take longer, quicker strides. I was almost there.
"I find that very hard to believe."
"I find it hard to believe that someone could turn so incredibly hott in only a few months, but you proved me wrong too."
I now stood in front of the portrait and with a quick word it had opened to reveal the entrance to the common room. Finally!
Crossing the common room I paused at the stairs to the girls dorm when someone grabbed my arm. Turning I looked at Black, who was staring at me with some sort of emotion that I couldn't place. Fascination maybe?
"Go out with me, Leda?" his voice was soft and hypnotic, and I found myself falling under his spell. But then I managed to internally shake myself and pulled out of his grasp, stepping up the stairs and looking down at him.
"Not a chance, Black."
I thought I saw disappointment, or sadness on his face, but it was gone so quick I had to wonder if I'd imagined it. In its place was his carefree, nonchalant smile. Stuffing his hands into his pockets he shrugged and backed away, "You'll go out with me eventually, Leda. It's only a matter of time."
I thought back to my deal with Lily, and with a small smirk I backed up a few more steps, "Perhaps," was my only answer before I disappeared up the stairs, leaving Black behind me.