Author's Note:
Hey, all! Thanks for reading!
Here is the story summary: I admit that I'm the competitive type. So years ago, when my dad pointed out a certain platinum blonde boy on the train platform, I accepted the challenge to beat him at everything; and succeeded, mind you. We have been in competition ever since. This rivalry has worked for five years – so why did it stop being fun?
Thank you all for your support!
In this chapter, we hear Elle and Clara's reactions to Rose's most recent detention. Scorpius reacts peculiarly when he discovers that Rose did not read his apology note. Please Read and Respond!
Thanks,
xoxo
Ravenclaw_Illusions
...
"Esse Veritas," I murmured the password and the portrait swung open.
Climbing inside the portal and stepping out into the common room, I stretched my arms as far as they could reach, and tilted my head to one side. Relieving my back and neck from the tension of grading papers …with Malfoy… I quietly walked up the girl's dormitory stairs and stopped at my dorm room. I tuned my ears into the sounds coming from our dorm and could hear that Clara and Elle were still up. I smiled, and opened the door.
"You waited up for me," I whispered; shutting the door behind me.
"I said we would," Elle shrugged.
Clara smiled wearily.
They were both in their pajamas sitting on Elle's bed.
"So what did you have to do this time?" Elle asked.
I popped open my trunk at the foot of my bed and three the scrolled up piece of parchment into it before grabbing a pair of sweats and a t-shirt.
"We had to grade practice owl exams for that remedial class McGonagall is forcing us to tutor."
"That's not bad," Clara replied.
"How many star pupils are you getting?" Elle smirked.
I groaned. "None - I might as well quit my attempts at earning the Head Girl title now."
Clara tisked at me. "Don't give in so easily."
"Is it really that terrible?" Elle's brows scrunched together.
"First years could do better!" I sat down on my bed and kicked off my shoes. "Even the ever so arrogant prat, Malfoy, thinks we're screwed."
"And how is the beautiful blonde elephant in the room?" Elle smiled cheekily.
"Ugh," I rolled my eyes. "He is not beautiful."
"Yes he is," The two of them replied in unison.
"Wow," I nodded my head. "I see how it is… Betrayed by my own friends." I pretended to stifle a sob.
"I never said anything about his personality," Elle put her hands up in defense.
Clara shook her head from side to side.
"He was a bit off, by the way," I mentioned. "Now that you asked; He was oddly helpful, and he was actually speaking to me." I combed my hands through my hair.
They leaned in closer.
"Helpful?" Clara questioned.
"Yes, he was so fast at grading his half of the tests that he did some of my half when he was finished." I tugged at a knot in my hair. "It was unexpected."
Clara chewed at her bottom lip as she flopped onto my bed.
"A bit suspicious, come to think of it," I added.
"That's an understatement," said Elle. "So what did he say to you?" She prodded.
"Little phrases here and there; like how it's crazy for us to be expected to take on such an impossible task of teaching the OWL prep class; Or, he mentioned that I was slow at grading papers; and then, when we were finished, I took out my journal to pass the time and he was making comments about how my journal must have thousands of nasty comments written about him, and that it's alright because he has bad things written about me in his journal."
"That's odd," Clara raised her eyebrows.
"Merlin's Pink Panties," Elle spoke slowly. "He was trying to flirt with you," Her voice grew louder.
"Mmmm…. Shut up, Longbottom," One of our dorm-mates, Laurel, muttered groggily.
"Oh, sorry, Laurel," She winced. "Go back to sleep."
Laurel grunted in response.
I whispered to her, "You're out of your mind. He's not flirting with me - he doesn't even like me."
"Yes, he does," She immediately retorted.
"No he doesn't," I refused to indulge in her madness.
"Oh yeah, then what about all of that insightful, legilmense stuff that Clara said earlier?"
Clara's head perked up at the sound of her name. She proceeded to point to her face and mouth the words, "Who me?" thoughtfully.
Elle kept going. "Uh-huh, 'maybe he doesn't need magic to read your mind' - ring any bells for yah?"
Clara then threw her head back and mouthed, "Ohhhh…" and then nodded her head in agreement while smiling at me.
"That is absolutely ridiculous," I laughed. "If he were flirting he'd be all…" I cleared my throat and did my best Malfoy drawl. "Look how great I am, let me insult you and complement you at the same time - I think it makes me seem all aloof and charming, when it really makes me seem like a contradicting, overly confident, arse."
Elle bursted with giggles, kicking her feet off the edge of her bed while holding her middle.
Clara stared at me - eyes huge, mouth agape. "How did you do that?"
"Practice," I shrugged. "My dad mimics Mr. Malfoy and I mimic Malfoy - we're quite the team."
...
"Did you get moonstone for number twelve on the homework?" Elle asked as we walked down towards the dungeons.
"No," I answered. "It was quartz powder."
"Damn," She cringed. "I have to fix that."
"Are you going to speak to your brewing partner today?" Clara questioned while holding her potions text book to her chest, her lips curled into a smile.
"I don't know," I tossed my hair over my shoulder.
"Oooh," Elle teased. "Maybe Rose will flirt back, today."
I whipped my head around so fast that my neck ached. "Maybe Rose will, what?"
"You heard me," She smirked. "And we," She pulled Clara close to her side. "Have front row seats."
I pushed my curls away from my face and groaned. "That's because," I growled through my teeth. "You sit at the front of the classroom."
Clara detached herself from Elle's side and stepped closer to me. "Alright Rose," She spoke softly. "We get it; we went too far with the teasing."
I took a deep breath and felt instantly better. "It's okay, Clara." I nodded at her, "Besides, you didn't do anything - it was Elle that did enough teasing for the both of you." I continued to walk towards the classroom.
"Excuse me?" Elle replied. "Did you really-"
"Yes, I did." I smiled and opened the door to the classroom.
Elle mocked offense - eyes wide, mouth open - she stood like a statue in the middle of the corridor.
"Oh come off it," Clara scoffed as she passed Elle and stepped into the room.
Elle and I erupted with laughter as we followed Clara inside the potion's dungeon.
Clara and Elle kept up their charades by exchanging kissy faces at each other from across the first and third rows of brewing stations.
I continued to laugh as I took my seat, placing my books on the table.
A drawling voice interrupted my giggles. "You're in a good mood, Weasley."
There was a grin playing at the corners of his mouth. "Did you read my apology letter?" His grey eyes darted around the classroom.
"Nope," I started copying the notes that were written on the board.
His voice turned harsh. "And why, may I ask, did you not read it?"
I glanced up at the change in his voice, only to be met by his usual scowl.
I shrugged in response to his question. "I mean, why would I? We were forced to write apologies - I figured why waste time reading what I could only assume to be a stale, generic, and insincere apology note. It's not like you read mine … did you?"
He nodded his head. "Yes, as a matter of fact I did. I found it to be rather uninspired - surely you could have done better."
I paused for a moment, not quite sure at what he didn't get about dry, mandated, apology letters. "Like I said, required meaningless action."
That was the last I heard from Malfoy all day.
…
Author's Note:
Review Please!
