She Who Laughs Last ((Elias))

[Carlin Lennox S7]

Carlin stared at Damien silently for a lingering moment, her expression carefully blank as options hurtled through her mind. He had gotten the date. Her cousin had gotten Hunter to agree to a date. Settling on her tactic after considering a few in more detail, she laughed with heartfelt emotion, head bowed and shoulders shaking slightly. Damien appeared bemused by her reaction, which was precisely what she had wanted to happen. “I didn’t think that you would be able to do it,” she explained, seemingly accepting that she had lost to Damien with grace. Part of her, the part that was solely Damien’s cousin, the part that protected him with an almost sisterly fervour, was proud that Damien could always get what he wanted. It would serve him well in life. “Now go on, go get ready for your date. You said that he wanted you to shave, right? And I have to say that I agree with him; no cousin of mine should look so much like a vagabond as you do. You look like you can’t afford a razor.” Carlin sniffed haughtily, hiding a grimace. She truly did despise facial hair, preferring her boys clean-cut, well-dressed and malleable. Moustaches and beards and whatever atrocity Damien was currently sporting on his face just didn’t improve anyone’s appearance. Damien sprung at her for one of those enthusiastic embraces he bestowed on her whenever he was grateful for her responding in a certain way and Carlin patted his shoulder awkwardly, pushing him away gently before leaving the Slytherin common room with the excuse of having an appointment of her own to get to.

Carlin didn’t feel guilty for what she was about to do. She was well within her rights to do it. Damien couldn’t blame her for it. She was just playing the game, just as he did. He had even expected her to do it; his reaction to her cool laughter at hearing his news had reassured her of that. Damien wouldn’t have looked so perplexed if he hadn’t expected her to announce that she was going to try her hardest to interfere in some way. She couldn’t just sit by idly and wait for Damien to call her into his dorm so that he could proudly mark off three more conquests for only sleeping with one boy. That wasn’t in Carlin’s nature. Besides, it wasn’t like Damien actually felt affection for Hunter, beyond the connection that he always forged with every single one of his conquests. Her cousin gave too much of himself to too many people. He would get hurt because of it one day and Hunter was a prime candidate for causing that hurt. Damien had shared the entire conversation with her just a few minutes ago; Elias Hunter was essentially an innocent. Carlin knew her cousin so she knew that Damien wouldn’t be able to stop himself from getting attached to Hunter. He would forget that it had started out as a bet but the truth would be revealed one day and Damien would be hurt because no one with any self-respect would stay with someone who had only been interested because of a bet. She was just saving her cousin from that. And preserving her two conquest lead in their game. Carlin wasn’t a saint; she never did anything for anyone unless it involved her getting something in return.

Her hazel eyes scanned the corridors impatiently, seeking the light hair that she had mentally marked as Hunter’s. It took a while, wasting nearly half an hour of her time before he crossed her path but her hand instantly shot out to grasp his arm, manicured nails pressing into his skin lightly as she tugged him closer. “Hello Elias,” Carlin purred predatorily, flashing the smile that she knew was so very much like Damien’s. He was gay, according to Damien, so she was wasting her time but Carlin knew her plan. She had planned it all out while listening to her cousin tell her about how easily he had won Elias over. Their smirks had mirrored each other perfectly but Carlin had been inwardly seething with mixed pride and irritation. Damien, on the other hand, had probably been bubbling over with excitement and anticipation. “Do you mind coming somewhere a little bit quieter?” Carlin rolled her eyes expressively at the noisy crowd clogging up the corridors, her sharp smile firmly in place as she tugged at Elias’ arm to pull him in the right direction. She just needed a quieter place to talk. It wouldn’t do to have everyone seeing her and a Gryffindor speaking. People would talk and the gossip would eventually get back to Damien, who wouldn’t have any trouble in figuring out which Gryffindor she had been talking to and why. “Damien needed me to tell you something about tonight. He would have done it himself but, well, he takes forever to get ready, to be honest. He’s worse than a girl.”

[Elias Hunter G7]

"Saturday, at six." Damien's parting words still resonated clearly in Elias' ear. Was he foolish to be excited for their date? Probably. But that didn't make him wish any less that the hour hand might move a little faster. It was almost as though it were teasing him, on the verge of moving backwards. Eli knew was he was in for, or at least he knew the potential of what he had dove into, but that didn't scare him. The Lennoxes weren't murderers. They were simply marionettes in love's world of puppetry. Knowing this was half the battle, and Elias wasn't about to get himself into anything he didn't feel confident he could handle. Plus, Damien's appeal was hardly arguable, and Elias had never really been on a date before. He was excited.

On his way back from grabbing something quick to eat in the Great Hall, Eli was startled to feel a handful of piercing stings on his arm, which followed by a firm tug and a feline-like greeting. His surprised stare caught the alluring eyes of Carlin Lennox, Damien's notorious cousin. "Um, hello, and, I suppose?" He could only imagine what Carlin would want with his time. Was Damien cancelling on him? Did Elias not fit the bill of 'worthiness' according to the Lennox code. He still wore a confused sort of stare as he and Carlin found a place away from the afternoon crowd of students.

Eli couldn't help but laugh at Carlin's starting remark, clearly a sense of something in her voice when she spoke of her cousin. He couldn't quite pick out what it was. Annoyance? Envy? Something along those lines, but there was also an unmistakable tone of protection. Not really knowing either Damien or Carlin all that well, Elias could only assume from the little that he did know that the two of them shared one of those unique family bonds- the type where, despite the natural tendency to argue, fight, or even have a little familial rivalry, they would stand by one another at all costs, sticking true to the notion that blood is thicker than water. And, juding by Carlin's lock-tight grip, Eli hardly wanted her digging those nails into his skin again. Mentalnote: stay on Damien's good side.

"Well, if he's getting ready, then I hope it's safe to say that the date isn't cancelled?" Eli wasn't sure why he hadn't thought about this at first, but it made sense. Maybe Damien just wanted to change the time or something.

[Carlin Lennox S7]

Damien had good taste in boys. Carlin could admit that without feeling threatened. Her cousin could pick and choose from the population of Hogwarts without needing to lower his standards, though he did choose some questionable conquests at times. Elias Hunter, despite Carlin’s private thoughts about the Gryffindor, was in no way questionable from first glance. He was clean shaven (or hadn’t yet matured that far, as Carlin had mocked upon hearing Damien’s description of his newest Saturday night date) and he even had the slightly lost look of a boy who would willingly be tugged around like a toy at the end of a string. There was no type of boy that Carlin liked better. It was just a shame that he was gay. No boy who had found himself, or nearly found himself, in Damien’s bed would ever be welcome in hers. She didn’t eat the crumbs off her cousin’s plate, after all, and this was much the same thing to the two of them.

Satisfied that they wouldn’t be disturbed by anyone who would report the meeting to Damien, Carlin perched on the edge of a windowsill. Her already short skirt had hitched up even further with the motion but she made no movement to tug it back down to a more decent length. She had worked damn hard for such fabulous looking legs; there was no shame in letting them be shown off every once in a while. Besides which, she had long since learnt that if a pretty view distracted boys while she was talking to them, her words would sink into their subconscious to stir doubts within them with slow steadiness. Either way, Damien and Elias weren’t going to last long. Through the entrée, perhaps, but certainly not to dessert and what would inevitably happen afterwards.

“Of course the date isn’t cancelled!” Carlin laughed huskily, surveying Elias through almost pitying eyes. The poor boy didn’t stand a chance, just as long as Damien acted like himself during their date. Carlin would emerge victorious once again. Damien would rage bitterly and snap for a short while but he would soon be back to his usual self, slinking back to wryly congratulate her on a well-played game. “Damien would never cancel a date, not even when he’s arranged two for the same day.” A soft, rueful smile danced its way across Carlin’s mouth, softening her cold features until, for just a moment, she looked like nothing more than an ordinary girl exasperated with her beloved cousin. “I can’t recall precisely how many times I’ve had to stall one of his dates while Damien gets showered and changed after a quick rendezvous in his dorm. He really needs to learn to stop sharing one day with two dates. Still, it always makes him very happy. Damien’s always in the best mood after a successful date.”

Carlin shook her head slightly, appearing to call herself back from her affectionate ramblings about her cousin. “Anyway, that’s not what I’m here for. Damien just wanted to make sure that you weren’t going to back out on him. He seemed to think that you weren’t entirely certain about going on a date with him since you know about his reputation.” The smirk accompanying her words silently completed the sentence: and I’m not surprised; it takes a fool to trust someone like Damien.

“Have fun tonight,” Carlin suggested mildly, shooting Elias a sideways glance full of innuendo simply because she knew it was expected of her. It wouldn’t do to slip up in her act and accidentally inform the boy that she had every intention of making sure that he wouldn’t sleep with Damien tonight or any other night. “After all, I’m sure Damien will.”

[Elias Hunter G7]

He hardly had time to let out a sigh of relief when Carlin assured him that Damien would never cancel. And then, all this talk of multiple dates on the same day made Elias scrunch his brow in wonderment. Sure, it all sounded very reasonable when one considered the subject being Damien Lennox. Then again, these were all the things Elias had chosen to look past: Damien's natural ability to charm, his history with both the guys and the girls at Hogwarts, and the general Lennox ways to top it all off. Despite knowing a lot of these things, Eli had agreed to the date, knowing that, if he wanted, it would be nothing more than a date, and he didn't plan on letting Damien dictate everything. But now, to actually accept the fact that Damien had already been on one date that day made Eli more than a little nervous. Perhaps nervous wasn't even the best word to describe what he felt. Betrayed? Hardly. That would mean that Damien actually owed him something along the lines of trustworthiness or commitment, neither of which were even discussed during the whole date planning in the first pace. And, Elias knew full well that he'd be a fool to expect such things on mere assumption. But still, that tinge of betrayal burned hot on his skin when he finally processed all that Carlin was saying.

"Oh." It was about all he could manage at first, a stare of confusion still plastered on his face. "Well, um... no, I wasn't planning to cancel. Not entirely certain? Really? He said that?" Damien cocked his head sideways, avoiding the topic of the second date for now. If that was true, he'd bring it up later with Damien if he decided to bring it up at all. The last thing he wanted to do was sound jealous. Or, worse yet, desperate. Elias prided himself in being a strong and independent person, and neither Damien, nor Carlin for that matter, was going to take that away from him.

"Yeah, I will have fun," he said, mustering a little more certainty in his words. Eli wasn't quite sure what Carlin was getting at, but once again, he wasn't oblivious to the Lennox ways. If Carlin knew he was gay, which, she surely would by now, then she had little motive along the lines of seduction when it came to Elias. That meant, either she had ulterior motives, or she really was just checking in on him by Damien's orders. But Carlin had her own reputation, one that was equally as known as Damien's, which lead Eli to believe that there might be another reason for her telling him all of this. He'd take it with a grain of salt, and perhaps his date with Damien would shed more light on the situation. "Tell Damien I'll see him at six. He can't get rid of me that easy," he joked. "Oh, and, please remind him to shave. If he tries kissing me (and, knowing the little of Damien that he did, that was probably a fair assumption), I don't want it to feel like I'm snogging a cactus." Perhaps that was a bold assumption to make, but Elias felt the need to flaunt some of his own confidence. Even if Carlin might find it pathetic, he had to try.

Turning to head back to his common room, Eli couldn't help but wonder again what he was getting himself into. What happened once you entered the Lennox lair? Perhaps escaping it wasn't as easy as he was imagining it would be. Then again, part of him was curious to see if escaping it was even the preferred option. There was no denying that Damien's charm, no matter how obvious or notorious, had captured Eli in more than one way. This was all very new to Elias, and it was quite thrilling for now.

[Carlin Lennox S7]

“You weren’t?” Carlin widened her eyes slightly, head tilting to the side as if she was confused. This was not her favourite part of her act; it called on her to act like a Gryffindor idiot, full of confusion and uncertainty when she had never been less than sure in her life. What Carlin wanted, Carlin received. That had always been the reoccurring theme in her life, whether she achieved what she wanted herself or someone else got it for her. “Yes. Damien clearly said that he thought you might not show up. I don’t know what his reasoning was though.” Carlin shrugged gracefully, feeling the completely reasonable urge to yawn or check her nails idly. Hunter was boring her. What was it that Damien saw in the Gryffindor, beyond his clear good looks? Stupid question. When had Damien ever looked at anything but physical factors when first choosing a conquest? It was only later that he started to give a little of his heart to them.

“He’ll shave. I won’t even have to remind him,” Carlin assured Elias with an enigmatic smirk. Everything about her posture and expression suggested that she was certain of something that Elias wouldn’t yet know: that Damien would do almost anything, including part with his vagabond looks and facial hair, to ensure he would be able to mark down a conquest, or the start of a hunt, the next morning. He wasn’t as cut-throat and ruthless as herself of course. Damien poured too much of himself into the chase, trying to charm people into loving him. It was cruel of him perhaps, but Carlin wholeheartedly approved. They were slightly shattered mirrors of each other, her and Damien. She could look at him and see nearly everything of herself shining back at her. He would always be her greatest triumph and the reminder of her worst failure, just as she would be for him. Nothing would ever change that for them.

Oh, the poor boy. After Elias left, Carlin chuckled lowly, the full-fledged smirk that had been threatening to spread across her face throughout the entire conversation finally breaking free of her restraint. A pale hand fluffed up the dark curls tumbling over her shoulders as brown eyes shone with triumph. For a moment, she had almost believed herself so it really was no wonder that she had glimpsed precisely what she had wanted to see in Hunter’s expression. Maybe the boy did actually like her cousin; it was entirely possible. Damien had an admittedly lovely charm that endeared him to everyone. That charm, however, had never once stopped people from lashing out at him when they realised that they weren’t the only ones in his heart, or in his bed for that matter. Carlin had always been Damien’s protector; it allowed her to exercise her vengeful, sadistic side without letting it get out of control. She wasn’t even doing this to protect Damien, but Hunter’s reactions had still sent a delightful shiver down her back. She had accomplished two things with one conversation then: achieving that thrill without even meaning to and ensuring that Hunter would not be sleeping with Damien after this date or any other. There would always be that doubt in the back of his mind.

“Mission accomplished.” Still smirking, Carlin prowled back into the more populated areas of Hogwarts. She wasn’t Hunter’s owl, so why should she carry his messages back to Damien? There were so much more fun things to do with her time. Catching sight of a potential conquest, Carlin’s lips curved into a smoother, less vicious smirk. Time to play.