✧A RATHER POOR EXCUSE FOR A DATE✧

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Aria had breathed a sigh of relief in getting away from the git, she couldn't understand how her body felt one thing but her heart felt completely hate for him.

Instead she rejoiced at the warmth that the Gryffindor common room had given her the mere seconds she had come in. And she was greeted by Marlene, who talked about topic after topic but Aria had kindly hinted that she was meeting Fabian, and after a teasing commenting and a wiggling brow she hurried up the boys dorm room steps and went to go knock on the last door.

"Wells? Lost are ya?" She scoffed to see James and Sirius here, but she shook her head and pointed to the dorm room in question.

"Have fun!"
"Be safe!"
"Use protection!"
"Don't do anything that needs protection!"

Her face had turned beat red as she found her safe haven in Fabian's dorm room, and luckily she was only met with him. Unlucky for her however, is that he heard each of the Marauders taunts.

"Your neighbors are idiots." She breathed, but that didn't stop the lad as he advanced further and brought her to what he had prepared for a surprise.

Sure it wasn't entirely naughty, it was a simple snogging session that she couldn't get nearly enough of it. Part of her missed Aidan, and the other part of her was starting to develop feelings for this Gryffindor.

There wasn't much concern that she would lose anything here today, but she also held herself accountable to make sure she was absolutely sure when it came to something so sacred.

Perhaps it was the slight upbringing—Or not upbringing, but the families she lived and conversed with all looked upon the gods and goddesses in a very spiritual sense.

While Fabian was eager to see her ink she warned him about, she was not at all excited for the explanation that would— "She's with Prewett after having to patrol with Lestrange?... Merlin." Aria gasped as she heard Lily and Marlene's voice just through the door, and after a sharp knock, either of them scrambled at the idea of being caught by Prefect Lily.

The two had grabbed the closest books that were in reach and sat collective on the bed.
"What's up?!" Fabian shouted, as it is his dorm room. Apparently that was enough for Lily to barge in, and Marlene's smile had turned rather devious as they were sitting on a bed with books in their laps.

A technique that she's used dozens of times herself.

"I heard about patrol, I'm so sorry I didn't think he was going to—"
"It's alright Lils, I promise." Fabian had been caught in confusion, he almost forgot that she had spent the time after dinner with Lestrange.

Which caused worriment to cross over his face.

"Lily, I think we're interrupting something," Marlene whispered rather loudly to get the point across, and Lily...Who could be the smartest witch to the most naive, was partially confused why a seventh year would ask a fifth year for help on an assignment.

As she knew it wasn't the other way around.

"Yes, this one didn't warn me about his potion's exam tomorrow." That was all that needed to be said for Lily, as she assumed that this was purely an academic stay for in his dorm room.
But the wink from Marlene suggests otherwise.

"Well bloody hell, Evan's would've surly rung me upside the tower." He joked after the sigh of relief, but she readily moved the book aside and risen higher on her knees to gain a bit high, lapping her arms around his neck and repeating the gesture that started a further exploration.

But they didn't take it as far as Rabastan had thought that next morning.

He was sure she had a sex glow, but in reality Aria felt self-conscious of what was on her back. In compensation she had shown Fabian the tattoos as he begged so kindly for it—Then rewarded her with something similar to what Aidan had done.

So perhaps it was a different glow Rabastan saw, a calmness that rarely graced Aria's mind. Which evidently grew further as Aidan had sent her a parcel.

"Bas? Did you hear what I said?" Lestrange sat up straighter as he turned to Regulus and asked him to repeat what he said...As he was too engrossed at the happy smile that was now featured on her beautiful—

"After lunch, and it best be ten minutes like you claim. I hate to bother her more than I am." Rabastan rolled his eyes at the polite young lad sitting beside him, but maybe if he acted like him more. Aria would give the kind of smile she gave to Clemintine.

Time couldn't pass any quicker, and what was worse he had to endure a class with the Gryffindors in double potions, followed by charms with the Hufflepuffs.

Usually Wednesdays were the worst for him. But here he was counting down the minutes until lunch ended, he planned it perfectly. He would give Reg the first ten minutes so he wouldn't be completely lost for the coming exam that he needed to receive high marks on.

Instead he attempted his best on the assignment given to him that morning, but if he came to her with a question about potions then surely it would pass by alright?

"Roswell, could I have a moment?" He asked, and it had been rightly a given month since the last encounter of Lestrange coming to her tutoring table with Reg. So she perked her lips and looked up.

"What do you want Lestrange?"

"Just a question I'm having trouble with." She couldn't just deny anyone help, so she gestured to the seat that was empty in front of her, which he so quickly took and offered the paper.

"I think I've mistaken an ingredient for another, something doesn't seem right." Aria could sense bullshite like this a mile away, and she pitched the brink of her nose before she look up and to stare at him with a dull expression.

"What do you really want Lestrange?" A coy smile ripped far too easily as he rose a brow, which caused Aria to secure Regulus' innocence.

"Reg, could you get your friend a potions encyclopedia? Preferably the second?" The lad had realized it would end up something like this and so he ducked out from this area and went in search of said book.

And with the library the size as it was, would surely cause him to take a few minutes.

"I wanted to apologize for bombarding you on the patrol and being a bastard. Clearly we started off on the wrong foot."

"Clearly." She said, withholding an eye-roll. But he gave her props for trying to keep her attention on his assignment.

"And I wanted to thank you properly for you saving my bones from breaking the previous game...Let me take you to get a butterbeer."

"Yes, let me go and get drunk with common enemy number one in my book. That comes over here with a phony question on homework to ask me out...Are you thick in the head?" Usually gals would like the wizard to offer a plan for their date, but then again he supposed this looked like a setup—Especially how this was all set up.

"Ah, this about Prewett?...I'm sure—"

"This is not about Fabian, this is me saying no to you. And I realize in your culture that a no is a big word for you to comprehend. So let me make it clear, I am not going with you to Hogesmead."

"You're rather adorable when you're angry, you know that?" Her eyes flared even further, and it was an impossible notion that she still had her normal hair color at the moment.

 She had been sure that it would've turned grey at a moment like this.

"The answer is no Lestrange."
"And whyever not? We'll go this weekend. Have a butterbeer, perhaps slip a kiss here and there." She hadn't been surprised at the hint of snogging, but here it was. Gods she couldn't wait to tell Lily about what the hell happened, but for now she was still caught up in the moment.

"Ah, so now you think I'm a whore. Fantastic."

"I don't think you are...For sure not. I wouldn't have believed you and Prewett had I not seen it for myself." She hummed at the idea, writing a small note at the end of his parchment before handing it back.

"If you wanted me to suck your cock, Lestrange, you could've just asked." Now it was Rabastan's turn to be taken off guard, had he been standing his knees would have given way.

His breathing had stuttered and he made a noise that surely wasn't human.

But it was the heart attack concerning poor Regulus who had heard such a vial thing coming out of her mouth that he turned around in search of the third edition as he surely couldn't return now.

Rabastan managed to collect himself by clearing his throat, and brushing off his ego, he had to admit that she looked breathtaking when she thought of something clever and devious.

"I rather take the butterbeer."
"Hm, you're right. Can't get this half hands anywhere near you again. My apologies." He narrowed his brows, remembering kindly that he had called her a mudblood—Only to be correct on her blood status.

"I see I've offended you even more with wrongly suggesting your blood." She hummed again, continuing to do her homework and doing splendidly on following along with either.

"Aria, would you listen? I'm trying to make amends."

"This isn't it. I don't want amends. You could've shown amends when you've tripped me, ruined my books and assignments...You're a bully Lestrange, so sorry if I don't see you turning the cuff all of a bloody sudden." This was indeed the most he's heard her speak in all their four years, just these last two week along gave him a sense of familiarity to her voice.

Her beautiful voice..."Raba!"

He shook away his imagination and turned back towards her, he realized his slip up with saying her name. He had done it with his mates on the off chance they were talking about her, and it has turned into an easy taunt to fire in his direction.

"It's alright, I'm only staying for OWLS and then you don't have to see me ever again." She twinkled her hands and this caused him to lean in further.

"What do you mean?"

"I'm transferring to Ilvermorny." She stated rather calmly, and he scoffed at the idea. "I'm taking my dirty blood away, I thought you'd be pleased."

"Not at all." A spark of a theory graced him as he leaned in further.

"This isn't because of what I've done...? I swear I won't lay another hand on you or—"

"You really are a pompous idiot. Everything isn't always about you Lestrange. I've wanted to move since my first year, I don't belong here." If he wasn't speaking on the account on feeling that warmth he seemed utterly addicted to then he would've picked up his losses and throw a racist curse in her direction.

But he didn't, instead he itched the back of his neck and questioned it.

"Why?"

"Racists and prejudice aside, I rather like America. Not that it's any of your business."

"And your parents? They're just going to accept this decision?" A sad expression flashed across her face as she nodded, her thoughts leading Mr.Crawford and him swearing that if she had a change of heart after OWLS, she could switch.

And here she is, still with the same decision.

"That's why I'm still here until these exams at the end of the semester. Don't say you'll miss me Lestrange."

"Then let me take you to the Three broomsticks, one butterbeer. And if I say one thing, one thing you do not like whistle there—I won't ask ever again." Now that was an odd offer, especially since she was still with Fabian in a loose sense.

But still, why was he so desperate for a date?

"I can't."

"Surely you could make time in between tutoring." She shook her head again and simply said that she wasn't allowed, and now sirens were echoing in the back of his head. His eyes beating at the hair she continued to twirl. A tick she only did when she was uncomfortable.

Yet he needed to know.

"Why aren't you allowed?"

"I don't have permission to go." She mumbled, and it dawned on him that all it took was a simple slip from the third year from a parent. And from then on it transferred for the next coming years.

The gal in front of him never went to Hogsmead.

"Has a lad never asked you out on a proper date? Not to worry love...I've got it from here, owl your mother or father and we could go this weekend." Aria had hid her glossy eyes, and cursed her heart for warming at the first sign of him being adorable.

Love.

Why didn't her body react that way when Fabian joked. Instead she looked back down at her parchment to avoid his surveying snake eyes that would surely see her becoming emotional.

"It's not that simple..." She whispered, and it surely wasn't. The adoption papers were still transferring, even though Mrs.Blanchard had given Mr.Crawford full reign as her academic advisor and sponsor.

But he was not her father yet, and by the looks of it...he never will be.

She was almost sixteen, one more year until she was of legal age here.

"A signature...Isn't simple?" It wasn't that Lestrange was at all dumb, he was fairly smart from Slughorn's comments. It was simply situations like this that he couldn't put two and two together.

And if she asked her previous mistress for anything, she was surely going to get threatened...Or worse.

Rabastan had studied her expressions as she was battling herself back and forth, and a horrible memory resurfaced as she had accidentally allowed her hair to swift into a different shade—Thus ending in a cold night in the cellar.

For being a demon.
Just like Mrs.Blanchard expected.

"I don't want to bother...Them." She replied, and he realized that he and Aria were somewhat the same. Diligent at what they asked from their family, though he would simply go to his mother if there wasn't an issue.

And perhaps he should owl her If he wished to peruse Aria as more than just a fling.

"Even your mother?... I have my fair share of issues at home but I go to my mother as I wouldn't dare to dream of bothering father." She repeated herself once again: it's not that simple.

A part of her didn't even want to associate with Lestrange, as it meant that it would open her to that world she was physically thrown from. And she surely wouldn't admit to it, especially since someone had gone through all the trouble to erase her memories.

It only meant that she was a disgrace, a bastard's child perhaps.

But then that would still fit the category of being pure or half, so she went with the ladder.

"Please don't pretend to know me Lestrange, you don't know a thing about me and I wish to keep it that way now please...Go away." He's upset her, for the second time...And all he could do was rise to his feet, the sense of rejection falling suit as he took his assignment and wish her a good day.

Regulus popped out of the shelves, his expression livid. "Regulus I tried—"

"I know exactly what you did. She's a nice person, and she doesn't deserve anything you've done to her." He shoved the book into the arse's chest before returning back to Aria.

Regulus mumbled apology after apology, trying to get her to stop crying. But of course Rabastan wouldn't see this side of his actions. Black knew the very minimal of Aria's life before Hogwarts, but it surely wasn't what anyone thought.

And he didn't even know the truth.

Clem knew the most. Then it was Lupin and Lily who knew just wee bit.

And a sprinkle of others knew a summary as she hadn't talked with Fabian about such dark details, she was beyond worried that he would look at her different.

But what disgusted her and caused her to reign in her anger, is that Lestrange would adore her to be a pureblood.
He had already started acting differently from hearing she was anything than a mudblood.

And that was as disgusting as it got.

*

"Ah Ms.Roswell, curious as to what you're doing here?"

"Curious? Is it Mr.Avery? Because I could hear your loud conversation down the hall with Mr.McNair here, and you asked my roommates where I'd be." She smirked in triumph, perhaps this was the exact type of gal their mate needed to set him straight.

They saw an emotion on him that they weren't familiar with. Guilt.

"Have you talked to Bas lately?" She blinked up to the two lads before her and she rolled her eyes. "And why would I talk to him?"

"So he's not been bewitched, surely we have underestimated you." She hides behind her books, but Avery was serious in his efforts to know this witch, especially if his best mate was trying to win her affections.

"Surely, now please leave."

"So polite. Wouldn't you say McNair?" With a plop of her book had she stared at the likes of these two lads, she wasn't afraid of them as much as she was of Rabastan. He was already starting to pick up erratic beats of her heart and she couldn't understand why.

"I can be polite, and I've been told I can be a nightmare...And I'll say this in terms that you both can understand: Please fucking leave." Avery found himself liking this version of Aria and decided to sink further against the wall with his chin propped onto his knees while McNair found himself comfortable just leaning against the wall behind his friend.

"Could we go back to when you lot were calling me names? That was easier." The silence reigned over the two.

"We didn't...oh." She rose her brow at Avery's unsureness and she shrugged before packing her bag.

"I want nothing to do with you lot, pass that message to Lestrange."
"Bird has a backbone."
"And birds love to eat snakes, remember that gents. Have a good day." She saluted off and the two found themselves watching as she started a conversation with a Hufflepuff in their year.

"He's in over his head ain't he? Bird's as thick as—"
"Can you blame her? He almost cracked her bloody skull before the game." Avery once again forgot a major tick as to why Aria was as defensive as she was, and he groaned into the damned air and cursed.

"Out of all the gals, it had to be this one huh?"

"Better than Barns," McNair stated, and it earned him a firm nod from his mate. "Better than Barns."

Aria had been mindlessly taking notes that followed her History professor, but it was rightly boring hearing everything on repeat from Salem. It was as if the three Slytherins were finally seeing what everyone else saw in Roswell before.

She was kind, and a keen reminder from McNair was that she's fit. But whenever Rabastan had something about her, he described her as warm.

Her warmth is what was drawing him to her, which was probably why he was smitten and why they thought he was under a love potion.
Which, coming from Aria's record, wasn't as nearly as impossible.

But he knew it wasn't a love potion, he was awake the entire fall.

"Hera, could you help?" Rabastan narrowed his brows as he figured something out about Aria, something more. His mates had heard Clemintine as well, what sort of nickname was that?

Rabastan found it the perfect opportunity now that she had ceased taking notes, and he charmed it to fly over towards her while the ghost continued his long monolog about the troll wars.

Aria had taken one look at it, and smiled as the bird fluttered into her hands before unraveling. But the second that the realization hit that it came from Lestrange she crumbled it without reading and threw it back towards him.

Her throw impervious, and he smiled at her feisty attitude towards the situation.

But Aria had simply enough and so she hurried to scribble a note and Rabastan had been generally surprised that she responded. He was greeted with her beautifully neat script, and although it was filled with insults—

Rabastan took this as a sign of communication.

Sod off snake.

Three words. Those three words allowed him to relish at the idea that he weaved his way into her mind, slithered in more like it. But he had caught her scowling before turning back to her friend and continuing her conversation.

Passing notes in class Ms Roswell? As a prefect I can deduct points.

For whatever reason Aria loathed the idea of a normal conversation with him now that she knew his intentions. To butter her up and discard her first chance he gets, and she wouldn't allow herself to be strung up like a doll for him.

As if anyone would believe it.

She winked, but her expression was still sour as she continued to scratch her quill against the parchment. Perhaps he could ask for notes? Give an excuse to talk to her, better yet if he went to Slughorn and requested her as a tutor.

These ideas continued to funnel through, but the time he exited the class he caught that blasted Gryffindor with his arm over her and leading her away—To where?

Rabastan hoped anywhere than that bloke's bedroom, but in truth Aria thought it best to get away from the public eye and showed him a secret that she's managed.

There were dozens of empty hallways and unused classrooms, but this one had been a small closet-like room that was lofted and leveled due to a staircase it formed that lead to the outside from either side of the walls around them.

This was where Aria hid when she didn't want to be found, it was crafted after returning from all that happened with her roommates the first year. There were some days that she would sleep here, and so it's been a collection of pillows, a hammock, a brewing stand, and a kettle.

Fabian had thought it especially adorable seeing how at how the girl acted in this small little room. But it was more than she ever had, privacy from the rest of the world, a beautiful window to the outside...A kettle that has her name on it and a box filled with tea that she asked the elves for.

The only other person that knows of this little cubby is Clem, and so either enjoyed their time inside the cramp likeness of Aria's hideaway, only to reemerge when he dragged her to eat.

The Marauders adored when she joined them for meals, even if it was with her little boyfriend. Remus was hopeful that they weren't dating just yet, but the lad simply wanted to keep hope at the idea that there was something.

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Date Posted: 02-01-2020

Time: 12:52

Words: 3953