Great Expectations ((August))

[Dakota Fox S6]

August Reid. Who was he again? Evidently an unmemorable boy, because Dakota had no idea who he was. His name rang familiar - he was probably a relation of Sixth Year Jack Reid, whom Dakota definitely knew of (dating that immature and arrogant cow, Riley Coxen? What was he thinking? He certainly had awful taste in women). But August Reid? No. Rang no more bells than that. Dakota frowned. He couldn't be a Slytherin. She knew the names of most people - the more people she knew the faster her conquest of the world. The more people she could manipulate, the more renowned was the name of Dakota Fox, the more more more. Dakota never stopped scheming, thinking, planning. Life was her oyster. Men were her pawns. The world at her feet.

Oh dear God. Please don't let her partner be some wimpy Hufflepuff or a Slytherin-hating Gryffindor, she thought. The teachers had to know better than that - and for Dakota too! She deserved the best and nothing but the best. They had better have chosen wisely, otherwise it would be a waste of the evening, and the only thing keeping Dakota at tonight's Blind Date Valentine's Ball would be flirting with the other taken boys and collecting gossip from the girls. Dakota would do her best to flaunt herself, whether or not her partner would be up for it. She didn't mind Hufflepuffs or Gryffindors - if they were game too, so was she. Blood and house and stuff - didn't matter. As long as they were male and manipulatable, all was good.

Dakota rolled her eyes exaggeratively in her position by the drinks table and knocked back her first glass of punch. Her partner was, though, at the current moment, non-existent. Useless. Men were so useless. Dakota huffed silently to herself. This was exactly why women like her - strong and independent - didn't need pathetic creatures like men. They were dispensible, to be used. Things like emotions, love, attachments - those made you weak, it allowed men to use you instead and think - foolishly, that is - that they were better than you. Uh uh. Dakota would remind them why she was the Princess of the Foxs. She certainly hoped her partner - August Reid - would know who she was. Most people knew her name; she was much too infamous to be unknown.

As Dakota was toying with her expensive shimmering silver-green robes, a boy finally materialised before her very eyes and she took a good look at him. It took all of ten seconds of intense staring for her to groan loudly. "Oh. You." August Reid - yeah, she knew him. It - no, he - was a boy was in her year, in Ravenclaw. They had never spoken, but Dakota knew his face, certainly. Her exclamation was one of recognition and of dread. Great. Her expectations of a wonderful, entertaining partner completely fell through the roof. This was not what she had expected. Dakota knew next to nothing about August, but she knew he was nothing like his brother, Jack, and he was boring enough. Therefore, August couldn't be good news. Boring. He screamed boring. Dakota turned around without another acknowledgement and poured herself a second, rather large glass of punch. She was going to need it to get through tonight.

"I'm Dakota Fox," she declared once she had drained half of her glass. She deigned August a brief, cursory look before her eyes strayed again to the other couples around them. "And if you don't show me a good time tonight, you won't have a partner by the end of it. I expect only the best from a man." A thought entered Dakota's head and she looked up at the ceiling in thought, saying loudly to herself, "I should've been born royalty, really. What a shame the monarchy of the wizard world was abolished. Or maybe it never existed. Who knows?" After a minute of complete silence, Dakota's head snapped back to glance at August dismissively. "So. Entertain me, August Reid," she demanded blithely. "Show me a good time."

[August Reid R7]

A sigh escaped August's lips as he looked once again at the name on the piece of parchment. Dakota Fox he read for the hundredth time. In the back of his mind he hoped that the parchment would suddenly change names and he would end up with someone he wanted. A voice in his mind hoped that he would look down at the piece of parchment and it would say the one name he wanted it to say, Dylan. But that would be weird. All the other couples would stare at them. Two boys? August vaguely wondered if Theo was attending the evening's festivities. Would he be partnered with a boy or would he be put with a girl? Maybe he was doing his prefect duties and would not be able to enjoy the party at all. August closed his eyes and breathed deeply. Opening one he looked down at the parchment. Nope, still Dakota.

One last glance in the mirror was all he needed. He looked himself up and down and decided this was the best that he was going to get. A tuft of brown hair stood up at the back of his head and all the coaxing in the world would not bring it down. August had given up on it and hoped that no one would notice. Or if they did, that they wouldn't think anything of it. He knew that Dakota would. She seemed to always be preoccupied with looks and superficial things like that. In their five years at Hogwarts she had never given him the time of day. She had always been interested in the pretty boys. Sliding his wand into his pocket August left the room and hurried down the tower stairs toward the Great Hall. He was a little late but nothing to get distressed about.

Making his way into the Great Hall he saw many couples and still many lingering singles before spotting her. He was hoping that he arrived at the Hall first but it was to be expected as he was late. Walking up to her he could her groan. This is going to a interesting evening, he thought to himself. "Good to see y--" he began but stopped as she turned her back to him. "...you." He waited in patience as she filled her glass and finally turned back to him. D took a drink from her glass before introducing herself. He had to hold himself back from laughing. They had been in the same year for five years and seen each other in the corridors and classes countless number of times. She never seemed to remember him. August tried to hide the smirk from coming to his face but he wasn't entirely successful. "We've met... multiple times." He moved to the punch table and made himself a drink. He turned to her as she demanded that he entertain him. Who did he think she was? Some Gryffindor to be ordered around? Yes, August was meek especially around strangers but although he was a stranger to her she was no stranger to him. "Actually, I think the definition of a date is mutual pleasure. The whole purpose is not for me to be a slave to your every whim but to enjoy each other's company."

[Dakota Fox S6]

"Have we now?" Dakota raised a disbelieving eyebrow at August. "Odd. I don't seem to remember ever meeting you at all." Her airy tone of voice continued as her eyes scoured the ballroom. Her attention was evidently - and rudely - divided, but Dakota didn't care if August was offended. The more offended he was the better; then he would run along like a good little Ravenclaw nerd and she could hook up with someone more attractive and exciting than August Reid. Truly, he was such a bore. However, at his next words, Dakota's eyes came to a halt. They soon fell onto his steady expression. What bold words, coming from a kid like him (though of course, it seemed to have completely abandoned Dakota's logic that they were the same age, and had been since the moment they had been born). Dakota felt her temper flare at his audacity.

"And I'll have you know that a date, in Dakota Padme Fox's dictionary, holds the definition of 'providing said royal highness with as much pleasure and satisfaction as possible'," she said coolly with a hiss. "If you think a date with me involves 'mutual pleasure', I think you are sorely mistaken. If you think I am going to enjoy your company, you are sorely mistaken. And if you think you are not my personal slave, you may as well leave right now." Dakota's hand made a small gesture to the side. "Go on. Now. Scurry along, darling. I don't care. Couldn't care less, if I'm honest." She gave a brutal, plastic laugh.

"However," she drawled after a brief silence whereupon she turned away and re-filled her drink again. "If you're willing to work out your issues, I'm more than happy to accompany you for... some of the night." She gave August a straining smirk. "Being in your company, breathing the same air as you, is most difficult for someone like me, you must understand. I can't stay still for long." Dakota's stare was pointed and unwavering. She wondered if August would break. She hoped he'd disappear from her sight, really, though that didn't mean she couldn't have some fun with him first. He could be an entertaining toy in his own annoying way. "Either serve me or disappear," she concluded in an airy mutter, rolling her eyes and beginning to stalk away in another direction, waiting for August to either follow her or make his own route.

[August Reid R7]

Eyes rolled in his head as he heard D blow her own horn. Once again. August should have expected as much. In fact, he did expect as much. This was why August dreaded going to the Blind Date Party with her. He knew that it would be all about Dakota this and Dakota that. Punch filled his palate and wet his lips and he held the cup to his mouth. If she expected him to be offended by her behavior she was wrong. True, the first ten times that he had met her her disinterest did make him feel like a serf. After that, August found it quite funny. That someone could be so self-centered was just amusing. One often had to wonder if Dakota Fox had any true friends. D could be seen walking the corridors with Kailyn Valak and Jo Bowman sometimes. They were just a vain as D though. The three of them probably hated each other secretly.

His arm brought the cup down so that it was once again near his side. August glanced around the Great Hall to look at the other couples. Most of them were enjoying each other's company. A few, were having trouble like August and D. He turned to face her and she found a smile on his face. "There was a time that I was frightened of you. I think the first time we met. But you know what? Now I just pity you. I hope that one day your mind won't be so focused on you that you can remember more than your lip gloss flavour that day." He gave her a second to absorb what he had just said. She probably wasn't listening. He could say anything right now and she would not remember it five minutes from now. August imagined that she blocked out things that displeased her. He had wanted to get some things off his chest for a while now and it was now or never.

"Padme, eh? Interesting. You won't mind if I call you that from now on do you? Of course you won't. You won't even remember my name or face five minutes from now. I could say whatever I wanted and you would never know. What does it feel like to be on that pedestal that you put yourself on? Lonely? Hah! you wouldn't even know what companionship is if it was staring you in the face. Merlin! I was just trying to be nice to you but that is an impossible task." He slammed his drink on table behind them. Turning back to his 'date' he just shook his head. "Goodnight, Padme. I hope you enjoy the rest of your night." August turned on the spot without waiting to hear what she had to say. He then lost himself in the crowd and looked for Belle. You couldn't chose your blind date but that didn't mean you had to stay with them.