Diclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter.

Alright, guys, so as much as I love Rose and Scorpius together, this story isn't actually about them. I'll have them from time to time, but not every chapter. My story The End of Us is about them though, and I'll update that some time soon.

"Olivia, what's wrong?" Arianna asked her best friend anxiously as they walked towards the Great Hall. Olivia's eyes were rimmed with red, something that Arianna had only seen a handful of times in the six years they had known each other.

"Nothing's wrong," Olivia snapped in response. "Just didn't sleep very well last night," she lied rather badly, feeling guilty for having to be deceptive. She didn't want to admit what had happened between she and Hugo when she had been hiding it from everyone for weeks.

"Is it your parents?" Arianna asked cautiously. She flinched slightly at the look Olivia sent her, but bridled instantly. She and Olivia were close, but when they got into fights it was nothing short of awful.

"No, now just leave it the hell alone," Olivia suggested. "It's none of your business, ever since your thing with Micheal we've hardly talked anymore. You're always off at nights, probably sleeping with him, if I had to guess."

"I am not!" Arianna exclaimed quietly, trying to divert some of the attention that had fallen on them. "Will you stop shouting about him? I'm not the one crying right now," she pointed out.

"I'm not crying," Olivia hissed, arms crossed as she stopped walking to face Arianna.

"Listen," Arianna snapped, "I'm sorry that your home life sucks, but don't take it out on me," she suggested frostily. She regretted that jab immediately, but she didn't want to apologize first. "And you haven't exactly been around much lately, either."

"Maybe I was sick of your whining," Olivia suggested. "Maybe I was sick of you crying over every little thing that happens to you."

"Well, you know what? I'm sorry I'm such an inconvenience to you, but apparently Albus doesn't mind," Arianna said in a voice barely above a whisper.

"Who?" Olivia asked, stopping. "Albus Potter?" she asked.

"Yes," Arianna admitted, blushing bright red.

"He's using you," Olivia said automatically, urgently. That must have been who Hugo had made the bet with. Why else would a Potter be interested in Arianna?

"I'm not dealing with this again," Arianna said, stalking off immediately. She didn't want to hear this again, and she knew it wasn't true this time. It couldn't be. Olivia was just jealous, obviously.

"What the hell is your problem?" Olivia shouted, following her insistently. "I'm trying to help you, because you're too damn desperate for your own good. You're so desperate to live down your family that you'd let someone walk all over you," she snapped.

"The only one acting even remotely bad towards me is you!" Arianna pointed out. "I'm sorry I cared that my best friend was crying. Maybe you should try living down your family occasionally," she suggested. "Just because your mum's not happy, doesn't mean you can't be," she said quietly before proceeding to the Great Hall.

She sat down at the Slytherin table with a huff, trying not to glare at Scorpius and Rose. They weren't doing anything wrong, just looking completely content with life and each other as they held hands under the table.

"Morning," Scorpius greeted.

"I take it you two worked things out then," Arianna muttered, looking at her plate, trying to fight the urge to look over at either the Ravenclaw or Gryffindor table.

"Yes, we did," Rose confirmed, shooting Scorpius a quick glare.

"Well, I'm glad," Arianna told her, though it didn't sound completely sincere. Arianna was too wrapped up in her own problems right now. She was wondering why Olivia was always so critical of any relationship Arianna ever had. Well, that wasn't particularly true. It had only been Micheal that Olivia had hated so much. And now Albus. Olivia had been right about Micheal, so maybe...

No, Arianna wouldn't believe that. Albus was not only a Gryffindor, but a Potter. How could anyone like him have less than honorable intentions? Sure things had gotten...steamy to say the least, but it wasn't like he was pressuring her. She always wanted him. Still, all of these secrets were driving her crazy. Why wasn't there a guy that wanted her enough to be with her publicly? What had she done that was so wrong?

"What's wrong, Ari?" Scorpius asked, noting her dejected expression and the way she was idling stabbing at her food.

"Just boy troubles," Arianna answered, mustering a nonchalant shrug for effect.

"With who?" Rose asked curiously, flushing slightly when she realized that she and Arianna were no where near good enough friends to ask questions like that. "Well, it doesn't matter. I could introduce you to one of my brother's friends, if you'd like," she offered, smiling.

"That's quite alright, I assure you, I can take care of myself," Arianna told her, tucking her hair behind her ear as she stood up, walking away briskly.

"She's as bloody proud as you are," Rose muttered to Scorpius.

"Yeah, and even more temperamental," Scorpius confirmed with a shake of his head, watching as she left the Great Hall.

Albus had been watching surreptitiously from his seat at the Gryffindor table, keeping an eye on both his cousin and Arianna. He couldn't help chuckling a bit at the look on Rose's face as Arianna stalked off angrily with a flip of her white-blonde hair. After another minute, Albus excused himself, also leaving.

"What's wrong?" he asked suddenly as he saw her leaning against a wall. She looked upset for whatever reason.

"Nothing," Arianna assured him, opening her eyes and smiling. "Scorpius was just irritating me," she lied, shrugging.

"Anything I can do to make it better?" Albus asked, arching his eyebrows as he wrapped an arm around her waist.

"I can think of something," Arianna smirked, connecting their lips as she pulled him into a broom closet. She thread her fingers through his raven hair as she was pushed against a wall. She used the leverage to wrap her legs around his waist as they snogged. She grinned at his sudden gasp and a very prominent arousal.

"You're a tease, Ari," he laughed, moving his hips against hers slowly, smirking at the expression on her face, the way her face flushed immediately, and she moaned quietly.

"You know you like it," she muttered, gasping for breath as he pressed his lips to her neck and slowly down towards the v-neck of her shirt. Abruptly, he let go of her legs, stepping back and letting her stand on her own again.

"I absolutely love being teased by you," Albus confirmed, smoothing out her hair gently. "And I hate to stop now, but I'm horribly behind on studying, and my NEWTS are coming up pretty soon," he pointed out. "Study with me?" he asked. "I'll show you the Room of Requirement."

"That sounds good," Arianna agreed, sighing as she hugged him, resting her head on his shoulder. "Albus, can I ask you a question?"

"Of course you can," Albus told her, pulling back to look at her face, a bit confused by the sad expression on it.

"Are you only after me to shag me?" she asked without pretense, grimacing slightly. Albus shook his head, pulling her into a crushing hug, pulling her head to his chest, as if protecting her from something.

"Arianna, I could never hurt you like that," he whispered. "You're a beautiful and smart girl, and I care about you more than I'd like to admit sometimes. Now go grab your bag and meet me on the third floor," he told her, smiling and kissing her one last time before she left the closet. He stood there alone for a few minutes, thinking about what he had just said.

It had felt completely true. He would still shag her, of course, but maybe he would stay with her for longer. He wouldn't want to hurt such a strong person. But there were still two hundred galleons at stake Merlin, he didn't even know what he was feeling for her anymore. Lust or something else entirely?

Read and Review

Cunning and Ambition

Sorry it's short and it took so long for me to get out, I had a lot more written, but my computer lost it.