- 2 Week Drabble Wars/Prompt 7: "I'm sorry, but I'm not going to get hung up on some high school rumour." - The Ring

Pairings/Characters: Barty/Severus

Word Count: 225


Secrets and Rumours

Severus scowled as Barty, a Slytherin in the year below him, placed his books on the table he was sitting at. He had found a secluded area of the library to study in, but Barty had found him once again. "What did I tell you? Leave me alone!"

"I thought we were friends," Barty replied with a scowl of his own. He slumped down in the chair opposite Severus nonetheless, and started flipping through his Potions textbook. Severus was looking through the same one.

"Why are you reading that?" he demanded to know. "You're not supposed to be studying that until your sixth year."

Barty shrugged. "I thought you didn't care?"

Severus rolled his eyes and leaned back in his chair. "I'm sorry, okay?" he muttered, not sounding even the slightest bit sorry. "But us hanging out together...it just isn't going to work. Haven't you heard what Potter and his gang of miscreants have been saying about us?"

"Oh, that you're my boyfriend," Barty mimed air quotes around his head at the word 'boyfriend,' and scoffed loudly. "I'm sorry, but I'm not going to get hung up on some high school rumour. If you ignore them, they'll start to leave you alone," Barty paused. "Believe me, I'm an expert on bullies."

Severus seemed to deflate a little. "Yeah, I guess you're right."