More and more readers, still no reviewers.
Ah well, it's still a type of closure.
Zeus is a rather playful sort, you'll see. at points unrealistically so, but character development is a must, ja?
"Ah! What great glory is this! Another dorm-mate so soon?" 'Link' seemed enthused. "I am Lord Volknor and I will be your-"
"Can it, sporky."
"Malfoy! That's rude!"
"So is your presence, Granger."
They had only just finished their routine classes for the day, History of Magic, Charms, and Herbology, and upon entering the room, the duo began to fight, and Zeus instantly stood between them.
"I understand that you have differences, but fighting over something so immature is… rather immature."
"They're not fighting, they're bickering. Notice how they don't really have anything to fight about. It's just that they feel the urge to insult or reprimand each other."
All three turned, startled, to Link, who was still facing the doorway.
"Erm, thanks… I guess." Zeus smiled lamely and dropped his hands, which he was using to hold the two apart moments before, to his side.
Link turned to the trio and beamed. "It is my pleasure! I'm not just an instruction manual, I'm also a very perceptive dictionary and encyclopedia! I am even programmed in the art of 'mapquesting'!"
Only Hermione laughed.
The two looked at her expectantly and she blushed and decided to speak upon what was necessary. She turned to Zeus. "Umm, the rule about decorating this place is to think about what you want… if you want a big pink bean bag chair in the common room-"
"Which you better not."
"Then just… think about where you want it and how big and… yea…" Hermione finished lamely, with a blush.
"Ok… well first off, this common room is dreadful. Who picked this out?"
Hermione beamed and Draco scoffed. Zeus closed his eyes for a moment and, in said moment; it was a large room with high glass ceilings which let the sunshine stream in. The walls were painted a calm, pale yellow, and there were light hard wood floors. Chaise lounges were placed here and there, along with random desks and chairs for studying, all brought together by a large light green rug. On the other side of the room were a few rows of books, behind which were doors to every common room and to the Head Dorms, which naturally had remained.
At last, in a darker corner of the common room, he added a fireplace and several loveseats and couches, with a dark green rug in front of the hearth.
Hermione breathed in deeply. "Wow…"
Draco smirked slightly. "Not too shabby. But… wait, are you an interior designer?" after a moment Draco gasped slightly and sneered menacingly, "You're gay aren't you?!"
Zeus scoffed. "I am nothing of the sort, how very close minded of you. I just happen to be bisexual."
Draco looked slightly taken aback. "Just don't come on to me."
Hermione was about to scold him for his rudeness when Zeus laughed in disbelief. "I have no intentions of the sort. It is rather conceited of you to suspect that, because although you are somewhat handsome, as obviously and tactlessly noticed by the female population, your hair is greasy, your eyes cold, and you have an awful aura. I would never besmirch myself by dating you… and if you must know, there is a certain lady that has my eye." He smiled and winked at Hermione.
Hermione's eyes widened… what the…?
Draco gasped awfully. "You don't mean you're harboring a crush for Granger?!"
Zeus looked innocently surprised. "Not at all. Hermione, you are a lovely young woman, but I can see that there are things that are troubling you in your love life that I could never comprehend, nor associate myself to living up to them. No, I'm speaking about her young lady friend, the red-headed lass."
Both Draco and Hermione were taken aback a moment. "Ginny?" Hermione asked quietly.
"Weaselette?" Draco asked incredulously.
Zeus seemed to puff up at the statement in defense, but Hermione came to the rescue, rather hotheadedly. "Malfoy, keep your fat mouth shut before we even bother to ask you about your love interests… Parkinson… honestly, can you do any worse? Ginny is my best friend, and the next time you speak of her in such a terrible manner, I'll have waxed your pubes and taped them to your forehead. I mean it; I won't stand for it anymore."
Hermione looked very serious as she said this, and that was probably the best part.
Draco was left taken back a moment, so Hermione smiled suddenly, linked her arm into Zeus's, and walked him to a blank part of the wall, where, as Draco watched, a door appeared and opened for him, and they walked into it, to decorate, all the while Hermione was chatting animatedly.
Where the heck did that come from? Draco sneered at the closed door, already predicting the course of the following year, now fully witnessing the truth that Granger would make buddies with anyone she felt desperate friendship for, who happened to now be their new roommate.
He didn't care for Zeus, he was too charming, too tactful and pleasant to be real. He knew that blunt honesty was a quality he found only in himself, and it bored him to listen to the loquacity of another, one who could concisely get to the point but, for reasons Malfoy could not comprehend, felt the need to soften the blow of their words.
As if what they had to say could have enough meaning to be a blow, as if anyone could ever say anything with enough insulting audacity that it could be considered a punch to his stoic face.
-
"So what's it like in Scotland? I've never really been there."
Hermione sat on Zeus' bed, analyzing him as he stacked his clothes (which he had a lot of) into his armoire. Zeus had given himself a room that was set up like a greenhouse, it was all windows, except for the wall with the door leading back to the common room. But, he had enchanted each 'window' to view another corner of the globe; one window showed a view of a roaring ocean at sunset, another window showed a country village at midmorning, and another gave an amazing view in a jungle, as if it was right next to them! Hermione had gazed at that window for near ten minutes, transfixed by all the different things going on at once. She even spotted a jaguar!
The ceiling was glass, and it showed midnight, even though it was around noon in actuality. It was more interesting that Hermione had ever seen, it was full of meteors and comets and things she'd never hoped to have seen during astronomy.
Inside was quite nice, Zeus gave himself marble floors. A little cold and smooth, but he also devoted an entire corner to a large raised bed, to which you reached by descending steps of goldish marble, making it look like the larger-than-king-sized-bed was set into the ground. All the furniture was solid gold, well, he designed it to look it.
It wasn't really a place to hang out, Zeus had admitted himself. He would spend most of his time in the common room. And the room for 'sleeping and other such activities.'
This kid really did think he was a god.
Zeus half-smiled and looked teasingly at Hermione for her question (What is Scotland like?). "Hermione, how would you feel if I asked you what England was like?"
Hermione looked a little taken back, and surprised at the oddity of his questioning. "I would have to ask what part you're talking about… Oh." Hermione blushed, realizing her ignorance. "What's in like in Scotland where you lived?"
Zeus smiled. "That's better… Well the Heimland Academy was full year, so we were there, even for the summer. They plopped it down in the middle of nowhere, which is good, considering it was one of the only wizarding schools around… It was started by anti-Nazi's during Hitler's reign, which explains the name. It was originally a sanctuary for those seeking it, and eventually it became an academy for wizards seeking sanctuary as well. Like Hogwarts, we started our first year when we turned eleven, so this year would still be my seventh and final year. It used to be a boys private wizarding school, so there weren't many students to begin with, as it was mostly kept in secret, and there was no school for the girls in the community, so, two years ago, we started letting girls in. But before that, we only had about 5 boys in each class."
"Wow…" Hermione pondered the thought… then she smirked devilishly. "Soo, it was all boys huh? I wonder what happened in the middle of the night there, hmm?" Hermione licked her lips suggestively… before wishing she could've ripped them off.
How the hell did she forget that he is bisexual?!?
Before she even knew what she was doing, she peeped and jumped off the bed, heading for the door at a run, embarrassed like never before.
Suddenly she was tackled by Zeus from behind…
He turned her around…
And she realized that he was laughing himself to a point that was rather unhealthy, she was sure.
Hermione blushed, wondering what was going on as he gripped her face and caught his breath.
"Oh Hermione, you're a riot! You… you-" He broke into another fit of giggles and laughter… giggles? Honestly…"You should've seen the look on your face!"
With that, Zeus collapsed on top of her into another fit of laughter at Hermione's blushing face.
Rather uncomfortable with their positions, Hermione tried to push him off her.
Suddenly he stopped laughing.
He looked her straight in the eyes, an action which Hermione usually faced when she was adamant for a fight and ergo had her own glare. Instead she only felt vulnerable.
His eyes… all of a sudden they were dead serious. They seemed to peer into her soul.
"Hermione…" Zeus spoke in a dead whisper.
Hermione's eyes widened.
He propped himself up on his elbows.
He bent down to her ear, breathing a bit harder than she would have liked.
He placed his opposite hand against the other side of her neck and squeezed gently…
Her took his other hand and placed it on her hip…
"LIGHTEN UP!"
With such an unexpected eruption, Zeus tickled Hermione, who felt herself gradually emulating his comfortability.
-
Draco couldn't sleep, the rest required to compensate for the ruinous day out of reach. How the hell did he manage to get their rooms so close together. He could've sworn that he put his door on the opposite side of the room as either of theirs.
He could hear them talking and it drove him crazy. Grabbing his wand, he was about to cast a very very strong silencing spell, rather permanent, just a little green flash not legal within Hogwarts castle… or really anywhere else- when he heard a distant knock at the common room door.
He sighed. Neither of them would be able to hear it, he knew.
Dragging himself away from his Egyptian cotton sheets, he grumbled towards the door.
I'm coming, I'm coming…
They kept knocking.
Malfoy, aggravated, was not very pleased to open the door and see Weaselette looking impatient.
Seeing him, she stopped.
Malfoy didn't care to remember he wasn't wearing a shirt, which he realized from the horrifically clichéd look upon the fiery girl's face..
-
Oh. My. God.
Please tell me I'm not checking out Draco Malfoy.
Please tell me that that is not Draco Malfoy.
I felt bad for Hermione because she had to live with him… but he sure is something to look at…just not something to buy and bring home to the 'rents.
Six foot…three? Geez…
Of course, the blonde hair. greasy but still flopped around his face and ultimately adorable.
Naturally, the trademark eyes…
But why am I bothering to mention everything above his neck?
It's the topless bod I'm checking out…
Hmm… too bad he's such an asshole.
Unlike Hermione, I can appreciate a hot guy… I just know that that doesn't necessarily mean I have interests.
Oh look, he's talking.
I wonder why I'm still talking to myself.
Huh…
Interesting.
-
When he answered the door, she rolled her eyes. "Figures…" she mumbled.
Malfoy scowled but didn't move. "Yes, Weasel-junior. Me. This is my common room."
Ginny drifted for a while, then avoided his eyes as she tried to shove past him.
"Ah ah ah. I don't think so." He pushed the petite sixth year back outside, only to find that she tried everything to get past him.
When she kept pushing away at his chest, he picked her up by her sides and carried her, horizontal and off to the side of him to avoid contact, back into the hallway, where she latched herself onto his shoulders.
"Let me in you sodding git!"
"What the hell is your problem! You'd think I'd let you into my common room? Think again, if you even thought in the first place!"
She had latched her arms around his neck and was kicking at his shins, missing terribly. He tried to push her off by her arms, her hips, her stomach, anything to get the flaming red head off him.
"Malfoy you idiot I'm not here for you!"
"No shit, you insolent child, but I'm- OW!"
Ginny had shoved her face upwards and harshly bit his shoulder. Malfoy fell backward, and Ginny found herself on the floor- but she was inside!
She scrambled forward, into the common room, but Malfoy was a bit… pissed, at the sharpness of her teeth.
"You little snot! You're not going anywhere!" that being said, Malfoy reached behind him and grabbed a hold of Ginny's ankle, which she had finally managed to stand upon, and was about to run when he pulled her off balance.
Having a fight with gravity, Ginny fell to the floor hard.
She thrashed away from his grip, but he was too damn strong to let her go. "YOU bitch, Malfoy! That fucking hurt!"
Malfoy laughed harshly and pointed to his shoulder. "As if that didn't?!"
"You deserved it!"
"How?!"
"For being an idiot!"
"What did I do?!" Malfoy roared at her, standing up and grabbing Ginny's waist, so that she was suspended several feet off the ground.
"Sod off! You're just an asshole!"
"And you're a prude, something I should tell to your loverboy in there!"
"At least this way I can't be a whore! Prancing around like you're too good for anyone, too bored for anyone real! Fucking grow up, no one cares!"
When Malfoy did not reply, Ginny opened her eyes. When his silence continued, she looked upwards, cautiously. She knew Malfoy would hit her if he had to.
But she was unable to gauge his reaction to her words, for the moment she looked to him she could see his face contort in a sneer that fit over his true expressions.
As he walked to a room on the far side of the room, Ginny hesitatingly followed, remembering George Orwell.
He wears a mask, and his face grows to fit it.
Meanwhile, Zeus and Hermione were engaged in fights of giggles and tickles as they romped around the bed, trying their best to push the other off.
"Yea well your mother doesn't know the difference between a condom and a minidress!"
"That didn't even make sense!"
"Since when has anything we said today made sense?!"
With that, Zeus successfully pinned Hermione down and attacked her stomach, receiving a very flexible knee in the ass from Hermione.
Back on top, Hermione resumed their conversation- if you could call it that.
"Yeah well your mother was a hamster and your father smelt of-"
"Very original, Granger."
Hermione and Zeus both froze and looked up to see a sneering Malfoy standing in the doorway.
"I've got a present for you, Muddy. I'm sure she'll just love your positions-umph"
Malfoy was suddenly shoved mercilessly out of the way, very oddly in fact, as if something had hit him in the direct, vulnerable middle of his back. He fell flat to his face, and Ginny jumped over him.
The moment she saw them, however, she froze.
It's just not everyday you see your best friend straddling your crush. Not necessarily mad… just… confused…
Zeus got his act together.
Shoving Hermione off him very roughly, he stood up immediately.
"Ginny!" He stepped one step closer to her on the bed, bowed slightly, then nearly fell as the mattress tipped against his favor.
"I… did not anticipate your appearance here."
Ginny blinked twice and, in the background, a grumbling Malfoy stood up and brushed himself off, grabbed his shoulder, and walked out the door, slamming it behind him.
"I can honestly say I didn't either… I came to see Hermione, McGonagoll showed me the way here… I didn't mean to interrupt."
The blood suddenly returned to her face, and fast.
"Um, should I wait outside?"
Zeus seemed honestly perplexed. "Why? Do you…" suddenly his face brightened. "Oh! Oh, my dear Ginny, I apologize greatly for the position in which your friend and I were in when you came into the room… it was… meaningless…"
Hermione, rubbing the back of her head, suddenly jumped up and hugged Ginny.
"Oy! Hi! Um… can I talk to you in the common room?"
Zeus raised his eyebrows and gained back his sense of humor. "Well I can tell when I'm not wanted…"
Hermione laughed good naturedly. "Got that one right. Go back to packing your clothes, pretty-boy!"
As the girls left the room, Zeus made sure to watch to see if they shut the door. When they did, he lost his composure, falling onto the bed.
Holding the bridge of his nose between his thumb and index finger, he breathed out a mantra of sorts. "It's just one date, just one girl."