Speak? ((Alexandra))

[harrison]

So there they were. Laid out in front of him. The choices in which he had to choose. The decisions that he had to decide. Harrison detested decisions. Of course, even if the decision were as small as the one he had to make now - he still hated it. Why couldn't someone else make the decisions for him? He would follow willingly. He didn't want to make the wrong decision, so most of the time he didn't make any decisions at all. He never did anything spontaneous, therefore there was never a need to make an uncommon decision which he hadn't already made before. So why was he being sponataneous now? What was with the change of attitude? Well, really, there was none. He was just hungry.

Aside from the growing pain in his stomach, the decision wasn't very hard to make. There were, of course, many pros and cons. But the hunger outweighed all of the cons. Besides, he didn't want to stay in the common room or in the dorm. Having reached this decision, Harrison grabbed his leather jacket and slipped it on before making his way up to the Great Hall. He was already out of his uniform, not wanting to stay in that blasted thing any longer, so he was now wearing a pair of jeans with a simple white t-shirt and a pair of black boots. He didn't care much for style, as long as he was comfortable he didn't care what he wore. With the exception of girls under garments. He wouldn't go there in a million years.

It wasn't past curfew so there were students still milling around, chatting merrily, making Harrison sick. That was possibly the one thing Harrison hated the most in this school. The laughter. It wasn't necessarily that it was covered with filth, but the fact that they were all so...happy...he supposed the word was. How could anyone be truly happy in this world? No matter, he wasn't happy and he didn't have to socialize with any of the happy people - so he was semi-content. Harrison continued to make his way to the Great Hall, and when he got there he was relieved about seeing the Slytherin table nearly empty. He sat down at a far corner, away from those who were there - and began to bite into a roll. When someone spoke to him, Harrison looked up - roll in mid chew, sure he had this bulging cheek, and stared at the person blankly. Quickly remembering his manners - he swallowed the roll and continued to stare.

[alexandra]

Alexandra laughed, yes... she actually laughed. Feathers fell about her, black and soft. The feathers tickled her ears as they fell into her hair. A small giggle escaped her red-painted lips. Vampire flew in wild circles in the light blue sky above her. Alexandra smiled at her owl, her only friend for many years. The fourth year girl shook out her short brown, almost black hair. It had grown. It was no longer short, cropped-off and chin length. Now it was wavy, straight, drifting high above her shoulders. Alexandra waved her wand, her hair flying up into a ponytail.

The afternoon had left. The sun was low in the blue March sky. The air was warm, the sun was dimming. Alexandra sighed. It was just after sundown on a nice Sunday. Her arms reached high above her head in a gratifying stretch. She yawned once more, arching her back as she stretched. Finally content, Alexandra stood from the grassy patch beside her favorite tree. The lake glistened in the sunlight and a small smile graced the girl's lips.

Alexandra was changing. Her whole personality was slowly morphing. Before, she was cold, and outcast. Now? She was still an outcast, yes, but she smiled, she laughed, she talked with people. Maybe not a lot, but at least more than a few words. She was happy. Actually happy. It was all because of Pyro. He changed everything. Yes, Alexandra was still quiet and said as little as possible, but whenever she was around him... she opened up! It had been quite a while since she had trusted someone so completely.

A growl resounded from deep within her stomach. Food... Alexandra thought... She whistled to Vampire, who drifted down on silent wings toward her owner. The owl landed softly on Alexandra's shoulder. Alexandra smiled, rewarding her pet for obeying with a pat, and re-entered the castle. Dinner must have just ended. Students walked from the great hall, walking up the grand staircase back to their common rooms. Alexandra continued inside, absentmindedly petting Vampire, who continued to perch on her shoulder.

She had been eating maybe 5, 10 minutes when suddenly, someone entered. He was older, much older. A Slytherin, non the less. Alexandra eyed him as he walked inside and sat down at the Slytherin table. She was the only one sitting away from the rest, which wasn't many, but this boy came and sat down in the other corner. She raised an eyebrow. She was the Slytherin outcast... how dare someone sit farther away... She pondered it for a moment and then finally decided to say something.

"Excuse me?" she said out loud. The boy looked up suddenly, still chewing on a roll. He stared at her blankly and Alexandra stared back. She was the queen of blank staring... and there was no way this older boy was going to beat her.

[harrison]

Harrison's mouth moved to speak, but he quickly shut it. She wasn't worth being talked to anyway. He went back to his meal, clearly ignoring her. He had seen her around, a fourth year. An outcast. There were too many of those in Slytherin. Being a true Slytherin meant you didn't hide away from those who were worthy, that was just disrespectful. Harrison might have been a hypocrite, if it wasn't for the fact that he didn't consider himself an outcast, but one who didn't want to waste his precious time on people who thought they could rule the world when he knew he could. They were just cocky, and Harrison hated cocky people almost as much as he hated hypocrites.

When he sensed the girl didn't leave, Harrison turned to look at her again, his eyebrows narrowed. He smirked; "Why would you need to be excused, you didn't do anything. Unless you were telling me to be excused, but I didn't do anything either - except possibly sit down, and I always sit here. Maybe you were just too blind to notice, but I do. Ever since I started Hogwarts six years ago." Harrison spoke slowly with a voice that sounded as if he were in a day dream, but he meant every word he said and he wasn't day dreaming. Harrison just had that dreamy look and feel to him, even though deep down inside he was a cruel man.

He sighed and leaned forward on the table and kept his gaze on hers, those blank eyes of his showing no emotion. No life. Just like inside of him. He was blank and his eyes reflected that. After all, weren't the eyes the window to your soul? "So," Harrison continued in that same dreamy voice, "you can sit there staring blankly at me and watch me finish my supper, you can get up to leave and leave me be, or you can sit there, stop staring at me, eat, and I might possibly tell you my name and any other light information you might be interested in. Which is it going to be sweetheart?" Sweetheart. He always used that word sarcastically, never had he meant it.

[alexandra]

Alexandra faught the urge to glare. Who did this kid think he was!? She took a deep breath and smiled slightly, something she never did. His dreamy voice seemed to just get on her nerves quite a bit! His comments about sitting there all six years, bull. She always sat there and Alexandra was one of those people who observe, not talk. She remained silent, her anger building. Seventh years, she thought with distaste.

That was when he leaned forward, staring with dark, life-less eyes. Alexandra felt as if she were looking into a dead person's face. No emotion, no signs of breathing, just... emptiness. His words seemed to be drowned out by his deathlike stare. She remained composed, however. Never faltering. She understood what he said, but never looked away. Inside she smirked at his comments. Why would she want to know his name? And other light information, rubbish. She sighed, finally turning back to her food, which was cold by then.

She looked back at him and then back at her food. She didn't want to talk with him! She hated speaking. So then, why wasn't she getting up from the table and leaving? She sat frozen in place, staring down at her food. Alexandra was giving in? She was going to listen to some smug seventh year!? No!

Yes... she was. She remained there, not knowing what she was doing. Her mind was puzzled, confused, and she had no idea why she wasn't standing and leaving. She picked at her food yet again. With a defeated sigh she turned back to the boy and, grinding her teeth, asked:

"What's your name?"

[harrison]

Harrison smirked, those lifeless eyes sparking enough to show some amusement. She had given in. He knew her type, the type who thought they were stronger than everyone else because they had no one to influence them to being someone else. But Harrison also knew they were alone and afraid, because they didn't have the luxury of leaning on someone like others did. Yes. He knew her type all too well. She had asked for his name, and instead of responding - he bit into an apple with a loud crunch. The juice flowed from the fruit and he had no doubt in his mind that if it were forbidden it would be ten times greater. When a moments silence had passed, he looked at the girl with dull eyes and replied; "If you don't know my name, I'm afraid you are behind in your social awareness. My mother would die if she knew there was someone in the world who didn't know the Brooks name." He smirked again and bit into the apple. His eyes never left the girls face, he studied her looks her every shape. The colour of her eyes, the way her lips pursed together when she was aggravated, which seemed to be often around him. He didn't know if she was aware of that little tid-bit. "I'm Harrison Brooks." He finally replied.

He finished off the apple and threw it onto the plate and within seconds it disappeared out of sight. He leaned his elbows on the table and leaned further toward her, scrutinizing her even more. If she minded, he didn't care. Harrison studied people, this was how he understood them. Small talk and chit chat never got him interested in who the person was. It was how they acted around certain people that caught his wandering eye. If they were fakes, false people, Harrison decided they weren't worth his time - but if they were genuine, real, original he would talk to them. And then he would decide if he should persue the 'friendly' relationship. His eyes lit up once more and he leaned back into his normal posture, which happened to be perfect; "Did you know, that it is rude to ask someone's name and then not introduce yourself? But there is no need. I know who you are, just like I know who he is," Harrison tilted his head to the left, indicating the young second year sitting a couple of feet away from them, "or her" then his head tilted at an angle at a fifth year Slytherin pouring over Witch Weekly. "So, tell me Alexandra, why so outcasted? Shy, perhaps? Or maybe you're like me, and don't feel it's necessary to waste your time with people who aren't worth it, hum?"

[alexandra]

Alexandra was getting more and more annoyed as she sat there, staring at that apple. The boy stared at her, studying everything about her. Alexandra gulped. She was quit uncomfortable by this point. The boy made a comment about his mother, which Alexandra rose an eyebrow to. What did she care what his mother thought? He kept smirking... She'd never seen someone smirk as much as this boy does. It was very bothersome. Alexandra continued to stare, wondering if that was how he would respond, but then he said his name. Harrison, huh... Interesting, Alexandra thought.

He suddenly threw the apple core on his plate, which made Alexandra very disgusted. She was always taught to have perfect table manners. That's when he leaned over and stared at her, very intently. Alexandra, surprised, jolted back wards so that at least there was some sort of distance between them. What on Earth was he doing!? They remained like that for a bit, him staring at her every feature and Alexandra leaning back wards, feeling very uncomfortable.

Finally, he leaned back and Alexandra relaxed a bit. She sighed, feeling exposed for some reason. She drew her cloak about her a bit tighter, not understanding why. That's when Harrison spoke. Something about being rude and not introducing herself. Annoyed even further, Alexandra glared and began to say her name, but Harrison interrupted her with some pish posh about knowing everyone's name. She rolled her eyes. No one cared about her, so why would this Seventh Year care?

But wait... did he just say her name? Alexandra's head snapped up and looked at Harrison as he asked her why she was so out casted. Her eyes were wide as she stared at him. He did know her name! Her whole body shivered. This was all too weird. She looked down at her food, wondering if she should answer or get up and leave. She bit her lip and looked at Harrison, who, of course, was staring at her.

"I..." she began, but could not continue. How would she respond? She didn't even know why she was so "out casted."

"Well... I supposed it's because of how my family tre-" Don't talk about your family, Alex! You don't even know this kid!

"Because I like it this way." There, she liked that answer. It was rather true, but also general and impersonal. Harrison didn't need to know about her family or friends. Nothing. He didn't need to know anything about Alexandra. It wasn't his business!

[harrison]

The power of being a Seventh Year Slytherin always intrigued Harrison, how he could make even the strongest of the younger students quiver in their seats. As Alexandra seemed startled, Harrison hid a smile. She started to explain something about her family, but then caught herself and said that she liked it instead. Harrison nodded and grabbed his goblet of pumpkin juice. It was a reasonable answer, even if it wasn't the full truth. He shifted his eyes away from her for a moment and glanced around the Great Hall. Then his eyes were back on Alexandra's, "Is that all?" He asked after he had drunk from his goblet. Of course, he should be looking like he could care less - but Harrison really was rather curious. He was outcasted simply because people weren't worth it, and those who were could come to him. Alexandra had spoken to him first, which meant she had at least some courage - and courage was never frowned down upon by Harrison. Even Wunderkind Potter got a little bit of Harrison's respect.

Harrison sighed and set his goblet down before continuing, "You know, people talk about you." He watched her quickly for any reactions, "They say you are an orphan, or somewhere close to it. They say you're homeless now because your one friend, Aubree Montague, isn't here anymore. I might not know the whole story, but I'm sure you don't want to hear what stories everyone else is saying, eh?" Harrison didn't contribute to gossip, but it was hard to avoid it. Especially at Hogwarts where there were so many things to gossip about. It was just the way things went in Hogwarts, no one could do something without everyone else knowing.

[alexandra]

Alexandra suddenly started to worry if her almost answer about her parents would make Harrison curious and not give up. Most Slytherins left it be, but then again, some didn't. Harrison only nodded, taking a drink, and then putting those large eyes on her once again. She tried to stare back, but something about his eyes made her want to look away. But she was strong and kept staring back at him. Then he spoke and it startled her a bit, she didn't jump or even flinch. His question made her a bit annoyed. Her dark eyes narrowed.

"Yes, that's all," She felt a bit offended by that question. She had obviously been done talking, so why ask? Despite her anger, Alexandra couldn't help but notice a flicker of curiosity in his eyes. With dismay she knew her almost answer had done exactly what she was trying to avoid... explainations. She sighed and tore her eyes from his, looking down at her food. She suddenly wished that she had never even gone to the Great Hall that day to eat... That she never had even met this Harrison...

Then he said something. Something about people talking about her. Alexandra's head snapped up. Her eyes widened at his words and she felt her heart quicken. They what!? She stared in complete and utter horror as Harrison continued. People gossiped about her. Her! She was just Alexandra Ricci. Why would they care about her life? Then her eyes narrowed once more. How could she trust him? She had just met him, after all. What if he was lieing, lieing to get a rise out of her. She sat up straight, trying to "play it cool" as those Americans say.

"That's all?" She said in an off-handed sort of voice, "isn't there any other rumours? I mean, I'm such a good target, no?"

[harrison]

"Aren't there," Harrison corrected, "Aren't there any other rumours. Isn't is meant for a singular question, aren't is plural. Since rumours is a plural word, it would be aren't; not isn't." If he was making her mad, let him. He really didn't care at the moment. He was having fun teasing her; even if she didn't realize he was doing just that. He pressed his finger tips together and then brought them to his lips, with his elbows leaning on the table. Sort of like a therapist might when they were thinking. He was like that for a moment, and then he shook his head and sat forward, his eyes looking around - with that look that was hard to not shrink away from.

"No, that's not all. You are a very interesting target Ms. Ricci. You're an orphan, dating Pyro Blackfire, and now you have no place to stay. There are many more floating around about you. After all, why would your parents disown you? There are things going around such as you were a bad influence on someone in the family, or you got into too much trouble. Some have even gone as far to say you were..." Harrison leaned further this time and whispered, "pregnant." Then he put his hand to his mouth and smirked with his eyes before pulling away and holding both of his hands up, "Of course I don't spread them. No, I just hear. I was raised better than to spread rumours. But you might want to watch out Ms. Ricci. Slytherins are as slippery as snakes." And he nodded as if that ended the discussion.

[alexandra]

Did he just? No... that's impossible... He did NOT just correct me. Oh but he did... and that little fact was creating havoc on little Alexandra's temper. Her eyes narrowed to little slits as she tried not to scream. This boy was infuriating! She suddenly imagined herself jumping across the table and strangling him. That made her feel a little better. A soft smile crossed her lips as she regarded the fantasy. No... better not. He could pound me into a pulp. She discarded that idea quickly. Too dangerous, she decided, much too dangerous.

She didn't say anything to the correction. She was too afraid that she wouldn't be able to control her words... She took a deep breath and glared at him. The way he put his fingers to his lips as he thought made her scowl inside. I hate Seventh Years, she thought bitterly. It took him forever to think it through, it felt like. Then he shook his head and leaned forward, again. Alexandra, almost unconsciously at this point, leaned away from him. She didn't want him closer than he had to be...

Then he spoke... With each new rumor he unveiled, Alexandra's shock went up another notch. Her eyes widened a little bit each time and then by the last fatal word, which Harrison even leaned more forward to reveal, made her gasp and want to cry. Her anger mounted instantly. PREGNANT? Her anger was boiling. It was the point of no return.

She couldn't hold it in, her face paled and she felt her right eye twitch.

"WHAT!?" She screamed.

[harrison]

When the girl screamed, Harrison widened his eyes and put his finger to his lips; "Now now, you don't want everyone in the Great Hall to hear you. They might think you're insane and send you into St. Mungos. I know you aren't insane," he added with a smirk before reaching for his goblet again and taking a sip, "but they don't." He tilted his head in the direction of the group of Gryffindors who were whispering and looking at them now. He smirked again and placed his goblet down, deciding this was officially his favourite thing to do. Annoy and bemuse younger Slytherins. Harrison locked eyes with her before even thinking about continuing with the story.

It was a good thing he was a quick thinker, and an even quicker liar. He hadn't heard anything about Alexandra being pregnant, it was just something to get a rise out of her. Which, worked wonders, like Harrison had expected it to. Of course, she didn't know that he was lying to her about it and he had no intentions on telling her he was lying about the rumour. He sighed a moment and then started to butter a roll, after all he was hungry; "Yes, they say you're pregnant. But they don't know who the father is. Any boy you talk to is under suspicion, I suppose I will be now - since I'm having a conversation with you. Especially, since I don't talk to much of anyone. You should consider yourself lucky." He raised his eyebrows expectantly and then bit into his buttered roll.