𝑻𝑾𝑶: Brutal

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         Creating lists was Evelina Valentine's favourite task. That is, in fact, what prevents her society from devolving into complete chaos. She keeps a notebook in which she jot down anything that comes to mind, including goals and tasks as well as personal delights. She uses it as a little, secure area to organise her ideas.

She would mentally go over her list every morning because, if she didn't, it would be social suicide outside that would make her want to curl up and die. Evelina is not the best around other people; she laughs in an improper manner, looks up conversation starters in books because she can never decide what to say, and she feels uncomfortable and tense around other people. It is as if a cat got her tongue, causing her to stammer over everything she says.

And it's not like she hasn't tried to fit in. She has, but it always feels like she's on the outside looking in.

She follows the news, but that does not make things any simpler. It seems like everyone is out to get her sometimes, and the world can be a pretty nasty place. And she is fed up with feeling like she is failing despite her best efforts.

"Enjoy your youth."

If someone told her that sentence one more time, she's gonna cry.

Evelina always assumed it was her parents who were the reason for her relentless drive. They pushed her to excel, urging her to study hard and work diligently, all in the pursuit of becoming the best version of herself. Yet, deep down, she knew their motives weren't solely about her; they were molding her into their best version of themselves. Always wanted her to study as their aspirations for Evelina revolved around academic success and future career prospects, envisioning her in the highest realms of her field post-Hogwarts. While she understood their intentions and wanted to make them proud, but Evelina wouldn't lie, there were moments when she considered quitting, but they'd be disappointed and who was she if not the embodiment of their ambitions, their trophy to display proudly to the world?

Who is she if she's not exploited?

So much for a  fucking teenage dream.

Eveline shook off those thoughts and walked into the library, grinning softly as she looked around the bookshelves. moving in the direction of the front desk. "Good morning," she called out to the librarian, Madam Pince.

As a student helper, Eveline eagerly prepared to assist in any way she could, her enthusiasm evident in her every movement.

"Good morning, dear," greeted the librarian as she placed a stack of books in front of Evelina. "These are for the literature section," Madam Pince informed, as the blonde girl nodded in comprehension.

As Evelina grabbed the books, making her way to the section, she meticulously arranged them on the shelfs, her concentration was solely focused on the task at hand. Each book found its place with practiced precision, creating a satisfying rhythm in the otherwise quiet library. Unbeknownst to her, someone lingered behind the rows of books, their eyes  fixed on Evelina's graceful movements.

Her fingertips grazed the spines of the last row of books. She reached the end row of the bookshelf but suddenly was startled by the presence of Remus Lupin, casually standing in front of her, and Evelina was immediately hit by one of his snarky questions.

"Excuse me, have you seen the Mansfield Park? I've lost my copy." Said Remus, despite trying to make himself look serious, his tone was dripping with sarcasm and he couldn't help by flash her a mischievous grin.

Evelina stood there unfazed. "What are you doing here?" She asked coldly.

He shrugged; "Heard there was a poetry read."

She looked at him with annoyance and began shaking her head as she pushed past him, restocking the books from behind the shelf she was previously at; "You're so-"

"-Charming...brilliant!"

Evelina stopped mid-way through and gave him a look; "Unwelcome." She flashed him a quick sarcastic smile before restocking the books back to the shelfs.  Remus followed closely behind; "You're not as mean as you think you are, y'know that?" He taunted.

Without hesitation, Evelina responded right away; "And you're not as badass as you think you are!" She raised her brows at him as it seemed to catch him off guard; "Oh, someone still got their wand in a knot." he clapped back at her.

"Don't for one second think you for whatsoever have any effect on my wand." She shot him a glare before returning to the book shelfs.

"Then what did I have an effect on?"

Evelina sighed; "Other than my upchuck reflex, nothing." Evelina grinned as she saw the book Remus had mentioned earlier. She virtually threw it at Remus, who seemed bewildered until he saw the title.

"Mansfield Part."

"Now would you leave?" She scolded at him.

"Valentine, trust me, I don't exactly relish chatting with you either, but you can't get rid of me that easily!" Remus grumbled, his annoyance evident in his tone as he leaned against the wall, his arms crossed defiantly.

Evelina sighed, clearly exasperated by his presence, turning back to him; "What do you want then? Why are you even here?" She asked him in a tight tone.

"Well as Co-Presidents, Professor Sikander would like us to find other students to enter the club, together." Remus elaborated sharply.

For an instant, Evelina remained motionless as her thoughts went over Remus's remarks. Although she dreaded the thought of them having to work together, they had to find members for the club. This was not all that awful as Evelina could locate kids who were far more intelligent than Remus and would not have to put up with his sarcastic remarks on her own. Besides, it was necessary for the group's success.

Evelina suddenly had an idea, and a small smile spread across her lips.

"It's a pity you need to rely on me to find candidates for the club."

Her swift retort slightly took aback Remus. However, he didn't miss a beat in responding; "Who said I needed help."

Evelina arched an eyebrow, folding her arms; "Well you certainly implied it." She remarked casually with a shrug.

"You think you're so clever, don't you?" He snapped back.

"Oh, don't be ridiculous Lupin, I know I'm clever." She taunted with a matter-of-factly tone. "But what's truly impressive is how long it took you to figure that out."

Remus rolled his eyes then took a look at his watch before back up at Evelina, his eyes sparked with a mischievous idea; "How about a little wager?"

Evelina smiled; "Enlightened me."

Remus leaned in, his voice low and conspiratorial. "I bet I can recruit more students for the debate club than you can."

She raised an eyebrow, her competitive spirit igniting; "What are the stakes? And don't say money because I don't want your pity."

"I'll bet on whatever 'cause there's no way I'm losing." Replied Remus confidently.

"Fine." Evelina said back through gritted teeth, "Loser has to carry the winner's books for a week."

Remus grinned, offering his hand for her to shake; "Deal."

              Evelina trudged through the hallways, her heart sinking with each rejection. Even her own friends had turned her down, citing various excuses. But she refused to let her determination waver, with making a bet with Remus Lupin, failure was not an option.

It seemed like Remus had the same mentality as both of them were currently in front of Lily Evans, both of them pleading her to join one of them.

It practically was a brutal reminder of the rift between her and Remus, and the challenge ahead seemed more daunting than ever. Yet, Evelina squared her shoulders, ready to face the competition head-on.

"Lily, You seem busy so imma make this quick, I would really like for you to join the muggle studies debate club, with me, it would mean a lot."  Evelina forced a smile trying to hide the desperation in her voice.

Lily hesitated, eyeing Evelina and Remus who stood side by side, their rivalry practically crackling in the air. "I appreciate the offer, but I think I'll pass."

The blonde girl's eyes widened; "Pass?!"

The red-haired girl nodded; "I'm sorry Eve, the club sounds great don't get me wrong! ...but with you two as co-presidents and the constantly at each other throats, I'm not sure it's the best environment for me." She shrugged.

Evelina froze, is that how others perceive her? With all these rejections she was getting Evelina couldn't help but not feel insecure, it seemed like no one wanted her despite having like three real friends she was still so caught up on the news of who likes her and who hates her.

So much for the golden years.

Remus scoffed and didn't resist a jab; "Don't let Valentine's stubbornness scare you off. We both know she's just afraid of losing to me."

Evelina shot him a glare. "Afraid of losing to you?" She scoffed; "Please, Lupin. I'm just trying to salvage this club from incompetence."

Lily raised her hands in surrender. "This is exactly what I was talking about! I'm sorry, but I'm not getting involved in your feud. Maybe when you two learn to play nice, I'll reconsider."

As Lily walked away, Evelina turned to Remus, seething. "This is all your fault! If you weren't such an insufferable know-it-all, maybe we wouldn't be in this mess."

Remus smirked. "Likewise, Valentine. Maybe if you actually put in some effort instead of relying on your charm, we wouldn't be begging for members."

"You-uh!" Seeing right through Remus's taunting, Evelina had enough and walked off, rolling her eyes the whole way. With a sly smile stretching across his face, Remus watched her go.

"See you later, Valentine!" He shouted after her, enjoying the last word as she disappeared around the corner.

As their banter into the distance, it is clear that their rivalry is far from over, and the battle for supremacy in the debate club is only just beginning.

      Evelina was a nervous wreck! She trudged into muggle studies, shoulders slumped with defeat, her hopes of recruiting anyone for her debate club, but no one seemed to be interested. She secretly wished that Remus would share in her disappointment. However, her hopes were dashed when he strode in confidently, flanked by two companions.

Sirius Black, carried himself with an air of rebelliousness, with his dark hair and piercing eyes, carried himself with an air of mischief that seemed to attract attention wherever he went. His easy grin and infectious laughter hinted at a rebellious spirit, exchanging a knowing smirk to the other component.

James Potter radiated a magnetic charm, and exuded an aura of effortless confidence that went with his easy grin. His messy black hair and mischievous hazel eyes twinkled with a sense of mischief, while his easygoing demeanor suggested a natural leader among his peers.

She felt a surge of anger rises within her.

How could Remus bloody Lupin, have encouraged the most two bone-headed people in all of Hogwarts to join a debate club?! fueled by the unfairness of Remus in recruiting his friends who unlike her, she actually tried her best.

Is this the kind of thanks she gets!?

Remus couldn't help but grin at her as he noticed her clear frustration across the room. "You alright there Valentina, you look a little peaky." His voice was bitter.

She shot Remus a glare, not in the mode to deal with his winning pride and snarky comments. "Congratulations on your little victory, Lupin," she muttered under her breath, her tone dripping with sarcasm.

Remus raised an eyebrow, a smug smile playing at the corners of his lips. "Thank you, Valentine. It seems I've managed to gather some enthusiastic supporters for our debate club after all."

Evelina's patience snapped. "Don't act so confident, Lupin. You must have used some underhanded tactics to convince them to join. I highly doubt Black and Potter, have any genuine interest in Muggle studies or debate clubs."

Remus chuckled softly, his expression unapologetic. "Perhaps they're more open-minded than you give them credit for, Valentine. Or maybe they just appreciate a good challenge."

The girl scoffed, crossing her arms defiantly. "More like they appreciate whatever favors you've promised them in return."

Remus's smile faltered slightly, before he could say anything else, Sirius had jumped on his friends, wrapping his arm around Remus's neck,  smiling broadly at Evelina.

"Valentine!" Cried Sirius, "What a pleasant surprise to see you here." He added, trying to hide the teasing in his voice but it was clear as day.

Evelina didn't reply, her eyes narrowed at all three of the Gryffindor boys, noticing something was off she spoke up, in an unfazed tone; "Isn't there supposed to be four of you?"

Sirius, always one for dramatic flair, threw a hand over his heart, feigning shock. "Alas, fair maiden," he exclaimed dramatically, "Peter hath betrayed us! He hath forsaken the noble cause of Muggle studies debate and hath left us to fend for ourselves in this cruel, cruel world!"

His theatrics elicited a round of laughter from James and a small smile from Remus, but Evelina remained unamused, her frustration simmering beneath the surface.

As soon as James saw how frustrated she was, he became serious and punched Sirius in the stomach with his elbow, causing him to almost fall to the ground and grip his stomach while glaring at James.

"Pete has herbology club," James told the truth with a small shrug, putting his hands in his pockets "He would never betray us, bloody hell he won't even hurt a fly." A small grin formed once more on his face as he looked at Sirius still quite in pain; "Aren't I right Pads?"

"After that punch...I bloody would," He muttered sarcastically before standing back up.

Evelina gave them a startled glance, crossing her arms and giving a small nod of her head; "And you two are interested in debate club?" She asked firmly.

"Yes ma'am!" Sirius replied joyfully as James nodded.

"And what has Lupin agreed to give you in return?"

"A date with Evans-"

"-New dungbombs from zonko's."

With a winning smirk, Evelina saw Remus's facepalm in disappointment at his two gullible buddies, who were still in stunned silence at what they just blurted out.

"Looks like you've been caught red-handed, Lupin," she teased, relishing the moment of victory. "You bribed them to join the club."

Remus let out a resigned sigh, shaking his head slightly. "I admit, they may have been swayed by certain incentives," he conceded. "But I believe our deal was to recruit others to join...we never specified how so technically I still won."

Evelina's grin faltered slightly as she begrudgingly acknowledged the loophole in their agreement. Despite her best efforts to outsmart Remus, he always seemed to have an answer for everything.

"Why do you have to challenge me at every turn?" The girl declared, pissed off.

The scarred boy shrugged; "Because, my dear adversary, it's the only way to keep you on your toes. Otherwise, you might just get complacent." He replied, giving her a wolfish grin.

Evelina froze, her eyes shot wide-eyed, and as she grew more frustrated. And suddenly the two began engaging in a heated exchange their rivalry casting a palpable tension that hung thick in the air. Their arguments were fueled by a mixture of intellect and emotion, each determined to prove their superiority over the other. Sirius and James, usually the life of the party, stood awkwardly in the corner, uncertain of how to intervene in the escalating conflict between their friends. They exchanged uneasy glances, silently debating whether to step in or stay out of the fray. Just as the argument threatened to escalate further, Professor Sikander had entered.

"Stop!" His voice cut through the tension like a knife. "Not my tempo." Professor Sikander replied firmly. "Look I paired you two together because you're both brilliant students, and this team needed some new faces and apparently a new attitude." He crossed his arms, "And second of all, if we're gonna get anywhere this year, you two have gotta agree on something, anything, or I swear I'm gonna make Black and Potter co-presidents."

James and Sirius's eyes widened in shock looking at their Professor.

Evelina just wished she could just disappear, she already hated the fact she had to deal with being co-presidents with Remus Lupin but adding Sirius Black and James Potter wasn't on her list, and that was absolutely awfully brutal.

"Now will you two get behind your podiums and let's try this without arguments this time?" Professor Sikander asked firmly.

The two sighed and Remus and Evelina stood behind their respective podiums, the air charged with tension as they prepared to engage in yet another debate. Evelina exuded confidence, her posture erect and her eyes sharp, ready to dismantle any argument that came her way. Remus, on the other hand, seemed more relaxed, a smirk playing on his lips as he glanced over at Evelina.

"Ready to lose on this too, Valentine?" Remus whispered, his tone taunting, though Evelina didn't deign to respond. She was already seething with anger and relentlessly upset with Remus Lupin.

Ignoring Remus's comment, Evelina took a deep breath, steeling herself for the battle ahead. She knew she had to stay focused and not let his provocations get to her.

God, it's brutal out here.