I PRETEND TO HURT YOU AND THEN I DO
Being nervous and a perfectionist made for a bothersome combination in one person and when that person was Vera it was just a million times worse.
She stood in front of her wardrobe in her pajamas still not sure as to what to wear.
Vera contemplated meeting Albus in her gym shorts and t-shirt itself and not going to the extra effort of wearing shoes or combing through her hair.
After all she couldn't expect much from the date, she could tell they'd be fighting five minutes into it.
When she heard the bell ring a chill set off up her spine, if it wasn't the mailman or milkman or something she was going to have a cardiac arrest because she was in no state to greet Albus Potter whatsoever.
She rushed to the door and peered through the keyhole, when she saw a quite out of proportion broad chest magnified before the hole she almost groaned.
She turned away from the door aware that she was behaving rather idiotically.
Taking a big gulp of air she turned and twisted the knob running her hand through her tangled hair out of nervousness.
When the door opened Vera's fears were augmented by the presence of Albus Potter.
She saw that he was dressed in a pair of jeans and a t-shirt nothing extravagant.
He looked at her all business and no smiles "Good morning"
She found a voice hidden somewhere deep within her chest "Good morning, I was just going to change….come in"
He stepped inside without a word and she shut the door.
She walked to the open kitchen as he took in her house "So you're here rather early"
He said examining her bookshelf which she was quite proud of "We didn't discuss a time so I decided earlier the better"
She poured herself her second cup of coffee and asked "Coffee?"
He squatted to read the spines of books at the bottom of the shelf "Yes"
She pulled out a mug watching his back.
She couldn't believe he'd found his place in her house so fast.
Vera sipped at her coffee and carried his cup over to him she stood above him as he opened her copy of O Henry's plays. She leant against the shelf watching him slowly turn the pages.
He turned and blinked in surprise to see her watching him from above.
He noticed her crossed legs and the coffee mug, he shut the book and put it back in its place then stood up "Thanks"
He took the mug out of her hands and she cocked her head in a careless gesture.
He asked "So aren't you going to change?"
She sighed "I will"
She began walking in the direction of her bedroom and Albus watched feeling rather uncomfortably aware of the fact that he was giving up everything he believed in to use a girl like her.
Vera changed into a pair of black jeans and a simple tank top throwing on her hoodie just for the heck of it.
She brushed her hair out and pulled it into a high ponytail bailing on the make-up except for a layer of lip gloss.
She emerged from her room collecting her keys and a sling bag "Okay I'm ready to leave"
Albus stood up from where he was sitting on her couch nodding.
She went to the kitchen to wash her mug and asked "Mind giving me your mug, so I can wash it?"
He stepped into the kitchen and ran the tip of his finger across the spotless counter behind her back "Already washed it and placed it on the shelf"
Vera looked at the shelf and true to Albus' word it was there. She hardly knew how to feel about the fact that Al took his dishes as seriously as she did.
He held his finger up and was not surprised to find no dust on it "I value cleanliness"
Vera swallowed rinsing her cup for a third time and didn't ratify his proclamation with a response of her own.
She dried her hands on the cloth and turned to face him "The library first right?"
He shook his head "I thought we'd change things, let's go for breakfast then the mall if you want to, isn't that what they do on a date?"
She shrugged "I wouldn't know I've never been on one"
He smirked "Come on"
She rolled her eyes behind his back and followed him out of her apartment.
Silence didn't exactly account for a romantic experience according to Vera. Al didn't even look at her when they apparated a little distance away from the breakfast place.
Somehow Vera took it upon herself to get the ball of conversation rolling. "Nice morning" she started, he nodded but didn't contribute any more.
She let out a sigh she'd been holding in for a while "Why would you want to be with a person you don't think is worth a few words?"
He looked at her poker faced "Because I value meaningful silence more than idle talk"
She shook her head "So this is how it's going to be dating you? Full of thought and no expression"
He blinked "What do you want me to say?"
Vera smirked "Oh Albus I know you regret asking me out, why don't we save ourselves the trouble and apparate back home?"
She really hoped he would let her, he shook his head and murmured "Then all of it would be for nothing" she tried to decipher the underlying meaning of the sentence, was he referring to last night?
Her eyes narrowed as they took their seats inside the little restaurant "I feel a sense of foreboding"
He winked cockily "It's excitement"
A single eyebrow rose in an arch on her forehead and Albus marveled that look, she looked so much like his boss that he was thrown from his aim. She leaned forward and said "I'm not a child"
He said lazily back "Of course you're not"
She blinked confused "What is that supposed to mean exactly?"
He looked at her over his menu as she stared at him expectantly "No child looks like that, it would be criminal wouldn't it?"
She leaned back in her seat in shock with a light blush covering her cheeks.
Vera was getting increasingly troubled by this whole arrangement, maybe she should have cried help while she could.
They ate their breakfasts with little talk. And finally Albus decided to be a little more open "I'm looking forward to this"
Vera resisted the urge to stab her omelet "Right"
He said "I mean of course I'm not used to this but this seems right doesn't it?"
She looked up at him "Sometimes you think things are right and they're actually wrong this could be one of those times. I don't know if this is right but to me it feels wrong"
Al was taken aback by her honesty "That's brutal"
She shook her head "I don't know where you came up with this plan but I'm going to tell you that it's going to fail, because we both can be nothing not friends not enemies and definitely not lovers, nothing exists here between us"
She threw her napkin down and stood up, then pulled out some money and kept it on the table "Here's my share, thank you for the meal"
She left without a glance. Albus couldn't believe how quickly things had gone wrong.
He paid the bill quickly and left after her.
He caught her in the street and said "Wait, you promised me one chance"
She replied curtly "I promised you nothing"
He asked "What is your problem?"
She grinned "That's more like it, my problem is that you and I are not meant to be dating and how awkward we are in these situation"
Al was frustrated "I know I haven't been the nicest person on this planet but I'm trying"
She said smiling "That's good but you're trying to be nice to the wrong person, I'm just not the right person Albus"
He stepped in front of her "No you're the only person I can try for"
She looked into his eyes and saw something very honest in them, she stepped aside to walk around him "Albus you're mad"
He followed her "So what? What's wrong with being who I am?"
She turned around "I've explained to you why this is going to be a disaster"
He said determinedly "And it's not a good enough reason"
Her shoulders slumped, how was she going to get rid of him?
Vera looked and saw a picture-perfect couple walking hand in hand in the street smiling and talking like there was nobody but them there, Vera pointed to them and asked Albus "You see them? Can we ever be them? Is that where this is going to go?"
Albus watched the couple getting a little sick of the sweetness between them "I hope not"
Vera crossed her arms over her chest and the wind brushed back strands of her hair from her face "I thought so, you don't like the sight of that right? Neither do I, but that's what a relationship is what are you going to do about it? Are we going to pretend until we can't anymore?"
Al agreed with her, he didn't know how to convince her otherwise.
A cough interrupted both of them.
Al looked at the bench beside and saw that they weren't alone, there was an old man sitting with his cane propped against the bench, he looked up with wrinkles around his eyes at Albus "She's wrong"
Vera blinked in an indignant glare "I'm wrong sir?"
He nodded wisely and looked back at Al with watery grey eyes "A relationship isn't about how much you smile together and hold each other's hands it's about how much you cry together and for how long you can hold on even when there's nothing left to hold on to"
Vera rolled her eyes "Why would we hold on when there's nothing there?"
He smiled at her "Because if you hold on then it means there's still something"
Vera gaped "That makes no sense, forgive me Sir with all due respect I don't think that fits"
The man laughed his shoulders rising and falling "Love is permanent if it's there, it will always be there, sometimes though it gets lost and you have to find it again. It's quite childish that way"
Vera said immediately "Nothing's permanent!"
The man smiled "Says the cranky girl who's never given love a try"
Vera kept quiet, that's what Larry had told her that she'd never know if she never tried.
The man turned to Albus "Don't let her logic run you down son, you go by what your heart says, go by what you need"
Albus' eyes widened and the man nodded "Yes, wisdom is quite shocking isn't it?"
Vera looked at Al just as he met her eyes, she pursed her lips and rolled her eyes "What?"
He stepped towards her "So how about that one chance?"
She let out a huff of angry air and Al's lips tilted up in a smile "This is still a disaster"
He grinned "But it's still going to be worth it"
She rolled her eyes and Al turned to the old man watching them "Thank you Sir, you did me a huge favor today"
The man tipped his hat at Al "My pleasure son and change this one for the better"
Vera shook her head skeptically. Al nodded "Of course, very well good day"
The man nodded and they walked away waving.
Al seemed in much better spirits and Vera told him "If you can't stop grinning I'm going to hit you"
Albus laughed loudly and she looked up at the sky in frustration. The Gods were testing her obviously.
But when she saw his face contorted in so much happiness she couldn't help but smile. He looked quite handsome when he was happy she noticed, of course he looked dashing when he was brooding but a smile suited him better in Vera's opinion.
Al looked at her "So to the mall as per the plan, Rose told me you enjoy shopping"
Vera warned "I will pay for what I buy"
Al asked confused "Then what am I going to be there for?"
Vera grinned wickedly "Carrying the bags of course"
She winked over her shoulder as she started walking faster and with abandon he asked concerned "How much exactly are you going to buy?!"
She smiled innocently at him "I can't be sure, I usually go according to my fancy is that a problem?"
He shook his head slowly looking worried and she patted his cheek in mock affection "We are going to have so much fun aren't we?"
Al blinked with a frown "Um…yeah….ok"
She smiled a wide smile "Let's not waste any time then"
Three hours later, Albus could have burst into tears and Vera on the other hand could have burst into peals of laughter. It was all about perspective, from Albus' perspective you'd think he was carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders and from Vera's perspective you'd see that she was only paying him back in kind for all the nonsense that she had to put up with when with him.
Albus asked her dumping all the shopping unceremoniously onto and below the chair where they sat for a little break "I'm sure you're not going to use more than half these items that you have bought"
She looked up slurping her drink and said offended "I'll have you know that I always use everything I buy"
Albus nodded skeptically "Oh of course"
She was content watching Albus struggle and get increasingly bored of shops. It was safe to say that he would much rather be alone at home without her for company or as a girlfriend.
When he had asked her out he hadn't expected for her to make it so hard to be nice to her, now his guilt regarding how he was going to use her for his own means decreased profoundly.
Vera asked "Would you like to buy something too?"
Albus looked at her with narrowed eyes, he wasn't amused "Thanks for asking but no, I am not interested"
She blinked and then leaned down rummaging in a bag before pulling out a watch case she sat up and held it out to him hesitantly.
He drank his drink and saw the case held out to him "Ooh pretty, now do I have to compliment every item?"
She didn't look impressed she rolled her eyes "It's for you"
He almost spat his drink out, he spluttered in a lunatic fashion "M-Me? But….."
She now felt like a grin might split her face at any moment "Didn't you even bother wondering why I was perusing men's watches in a watch store? You were right there the entire time"
He could have felt embarrassed but he felt more shocked, he was afraid to touch the object less it explode in his face he was sure she'd rigged it "Should I say thank you?"
She answered "It would be appropriate but since this is you we're talking about, I'll let it pass"
He suspiciously took the case from her and on seeing the bored smile on her face he felt guiltier than he had at first.
He opened the case in anticipation, he hoped it wasn't too brilliant because then he'd really be close to wetting his pants in shame.
He opened it and was surprised to find it empty, he looked up and showed her the case in confusion "But it's empty?"
His eyes moved to her wrist that she was slowly raising up and playing with the catch of a nice, elegant watch, he would have thrown the box in her face, he really would have and she laughed like she was the most accomplished witch of her age "Priceless"
He set the box down "You are so funny, I might die of laughing"
She sobered up as they walked out of the café and just walked the corridors of the mall "But honestly…"
She reached into her back pocket and pulled something out, he wasn't too keen on another prank so he ignored her. When he caught something glinting in the corner of his eye he turned and she held up a beautiful silver men's watch with sharp needles and a classy look to it that Merlin knew was expensive.
She smiled dangling it in front of him "I'm not that cheap you know?"
She held up her wrist "I have had this one for ages, luckily for me you've never noticed"
He was too proud to take it, it would be like accepting that he was probably the worst man to ever exist and possibly the least sensitive.
In total surrender he took it and immediately said "I don't deserve it"
She sighed "Deserve it or not you can't return it, if I tell you the price you'll have to be my slave for the rest of my life so it's basically insurance"
He stared at her aghast at how low she could strike him "Are you trying to buy my loyalty?"
She smirked "I'm just watching my own back Albus, so…."
She winked and he stared at the expensive watch like it was suddenly a disease he was looking at "Wait! How much was it?" She was walking away and he struggled to keep up with her with all the bags "I'll pay you back!"
She laughed good-naturedly "I was joking, besides it's bad luck to return or pay back gifts"
He felt trapped somehow "Who told you that?"
She shrugged "I don't know I just heard it somewhere"
He groaned "You're going to kill me"
Vera shook her head "Should have thought about it when you chose me for your girlfriend"
Albus sighed "Yeah well you agreed"
"Excuse me you never gave me a choice!"
"Come on when has not having a choice stopped you?"
"You're sick Potter"
"I'm not, you are, you're bribing me to be good to you"
"You'd have done the same"
"So you actually won't mind if I'd do it? Interesting"
"Don't you dare"
"I just might"
"I'll never accept your gift"
"Oh but you will have to, I won't give you a choice"
Vera glared at him "Right, this is exactly the kind of relationship that ends in 'happily ever after ' right?"
Albus sighed and when they were out of the mall and sitting on a bench because his arms were tired he told her "Don't tell me you don't enjoy arguing with me"
She huffed like a petulant child "I hate it"
He smiled "No you don't"
Vera looked away then asked "Is this done, you had your date, can I go home now?"
Albus laughed "Is this how it's going to be, you being with me against your will?"
She smiled sweetly "I'm trying my best to be the best girlfriend in the world but you suck that much so it gets hard"
He stood up "Try harder…..and if you're leaving you can carry all your shopping yourself"
She gaped "That is not right or polite"
He asked "And you've been so nice to me too isn't it?"
The sweet expression on his face irked Vera. She sighed "What do you expect?"
He looked away "I don't expect anything more than interesting conversation"
She began picking up her bags "Well I'm going to go now"
As she reached for the next bag he picked it up, his hand brushing past hers "I'm not as bad a person as I am in your mind"
Green eyes landed on her blue eyes with significance. He slung the few bags left over his shoulder and she saw the watch glinting on his wrist, she hadn't noticed when he had put it on "I might be moody, silent and very bland with my humor but I always get what I want and I always give it everything I have, I love what I do and I do what I love"
She asked somewhere between shock and fear "Are you saying you love me?"
They began walking and he looked at her as if she was mad "You wish, I'm still on like but saying that sounded much more grand than saying 'I like what I do and do what I like'"
She rolled her eyes and hit him on the shoulder "You're a git"
He couldn't believe she hadn't used a spiteful tone with him and used a much more playful tone that seemed to convey her acceptance of him, she looked up at him with that innocent look that cut through all his defenses "We can be as honest as we like in this can't we?"
He scoffed "I think we've been pretty vocal with our honesty up till now"
She smiled and hitched a bag higher on her shoulder "I really don't think I can ever trust you completely, I'm eccentric when it comes to my suspicions and that's mostly because of the kind of person you are"
He looked at her "Thank you for that, it inspires a lot of confidence in me"
She laughed "Yeah that's what I was going for"
Albus shook his head "Take your time, no pressure, I'm not going to try changing your mind right now with stupid words. When you think I've earned it you will trust me"
He knew when he thought the words these would blow her away and saying them out loud only proved him right because the effect they had were instantaneous.
She looked so grateful he could have thought he'd won the award for the 'Most trustworthy man of the year'. Only he'd be rolling in guilt in his bed that night on saying this, he could swear that his heart was slowly dying with every lie he said to her.
He didn't even feel this guilty lying to Scorpius. But the best part was he was such a good liar he almost convinced himself for a moment that he was saying the truth.
When they got back to her house they both fell into her couch in quiet silence. He asked after a minute or two "You live in this sort of silence the entire time"
It wasn't a question that needed an answer, she sighed into the air "I've always been alone for as long as I can remember"
Albus couldn't stop himself when he said "Not anymore"
She turned slowly to the side and looked at him "If you're trying to win my trust you're doing a brilliant job"
He raised an eyebrow "Is it working?"
She smiled slowly "No but it's nice to hear those things"
She turned back to face front, he stood up "I'm up for a sandwich, would you like one?"
She asked blinking in doubt "You cook?"
He shrugged "Every once in a while for myself, but don't tell Rose then she'll make me do it all the time"
Vera laughed in amazement "I can't believe you're so sneaky that you lie to your cousin to make her cook for you"
He said innocently "It's not that I don't tell her it's just that I keep forgetting to"
She nodded "Ah I see, it makes perfect sense"
Albus grinned "Doesn't it? Anyways, are you going to point out where things are to me?"
Vera groaned "I don't want to move, you can figure it out can't you?"
He rolled his eyes "Being your boyfriend gets easier and easier as we go ahead"
She blew him a mock kiss and he gritted his teeth "Yeah thanks"
She snorted and lay down on the couch on her back "Go crazy, treat it like your own kitchen"
He threw her a dirty look over his shoulder and she closed her eyes.
Albus was a slave and he knew it but when he saw that she had fallen asleep from where he stood in her open kitchen he never felt more contented to be somewhere. He wouldn't mind moving in with her, seeing how well she kept the place and the brilliant assortment of literature she owned. He knew from the look of it that she chose every copy she bought with care knowing whether they we reprinted or first editions, hardbacks and paperbacks. She was a conscious book buyer and that was a very impressive quality in Al's eyes. Moreover everything she bought had quality to it, she took time to pick things out and she always had a never ending stream of questions about the product. She picked the subtle, rare and simple pieces that would miss any other eye. She picked things that emulated her personality.
He knew her favorite color was white from watching her buy countless white items.
He carefully placed the sandwiches on the plate and watched her sleeping, looking like some princess stuck in the wrong time with long lashes, her shining brown hair and skin that looked real rather than bound by makeup and its very many qualities, it had texture to it and emotion to it as well. She was beautiful and to him that hardly mattered.
Albus could lie to himself as much as he liked, but if he ever said that she wasn't worth every bit of effort and slavery he had endured he would be reserving himself a spot in hell.
He was in quicksand, sinking rapidly and nobody could save him.
AN: Well here we are, this story is the kind I like.
Anyway, if you have any opinions let me know.
Thanks for reading!
Sahitya Poonacha:)