arrays | [ closed ] take just a little bit of time just to make you feel right

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[ closed ] take just a little bit of time just to make you feel right

The thing Leo has come to love most about being a half-blood and going to wizard school isn't the magic - it's the parties. Any normal teenagers can throw a decent party if given half a chance, but throw magic into the mix, and all bets are off. And, of course, he knows exactly the right way through the secret tunnels to get to Hogsmeade, and there is this one bar that'll give something a little stronger than regular old butterbeer to a bunch of underage kids, and then there's the entrance to the kitchens where Piper can talk the house elves into just about anything... Add all that together, and it's simple math, when you get right down to it.

The only thing to make your standard teenage wizarding party better here at Hogwarts is to bring in all the Houses in the Room of Requirement. The best part? Not having to sneak in anything from Hogsmeade, because the Room takes care of everything for them, and the supply is neverending.

It doesn't take much for these affairs to start getting out of hand, and Leo of course isn't one to let a good party pass him by. The Room is making sure he has a steady supply of his favorite drinks throughout the night, and the stereo he rigged up for a friend in third year is still going strong, playing some of the better tunes that both the Muggleborns and Pure-bloods can get behind. It's all to hang out before Christmas break, and to celebrate a great game of Quidditch - and there are even a good number of Hufflepuffs around, those that are too good-natured to hold a grudge against the Ravenclaw team for doing their jobs. All in all, it's a great shindig, and it's not until long after curfew that Leo even considers going back to the common room.

By the time he actually does go, the task turns out to be more difficult as he'd imagined it would be. The portraits are about ten times as entertaining as usual, especially that one knight, and even the ones that chastise him as he stumbles down the hall, trying not to laugh at how ridiculous some of them sound, ordering him to get back to his common room before one of the prefects or professors catch him.

"The prefects are still down the hall," he slurs, and Sir Cadar- Sir Cardigan? Whatever the name is, Leo doesn't care, but it's still funny that the guy thinks he needs an escort back to the tower. Like he's that bad. He's walking in a perfectly straight line, except for where the wall curves. And he's totally almost there, anyway. At least, he thinks he is.

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Well, well, well, look who the cat dragged in.

Actually, no. Natalie had just been convinced to actually attend the party. She had carefully, subconsciously, avoided Leo the entire time to avoid making a great mess of things. It was still so.... queer, everything between them. Tensions softened, particularly when they got intimate with each other in darkened hallways. It was her own stubbornness and idiocy that kept it from progressing past fooling around. There would be none of that tonight.

The party's been alright. She doesn't care for the crowds, but at least she can say that she went and she didn't have the worst night of her life.

She had stepped out before Leo to get some air, fully intending on returning instead of ducking out like an old man. She's just humming under her breath when she hears a clamor around the corner. Her curly head peeks first and her nose wrinkles. Ugh. Really?

"What the hell's wrong with you?" Natalie snaps from behind him before she can shut her stupid mouth.

In his current state, he's hardly even registered the fact that he hasn't seen her all night, or that she clearly doesn't want anything to do with him. But hey, if that was so, why would Goodman have talked to him at all? Bit counterproductive, isn't it?

Leo is slow to turn around, first glancing at her over his shoulder, and gradually swiveling the rest of his body as well. The whole while, the older portraits are grumbling in response to her question, something about teenaged debauchery or kids these days or whatever. What does a portrait know? It's a freaking portrait. They've got to just be jealous; it's not like a painting can get up to any sort of fun stuff. It just sits there and hangs. Out. It hangs out all day. But not a very fun kind of hanging out. The lame kind. Only the cool kids get up to teenage debauchery.

"Goodman!" he exclaims loudly when he's fully facing her, obviously not paying volume or the way his voice carries any mind at all. Why should he? He's being a good student! Going to bed after having a bit too much. "Didn't see you 'round the party - thought you'd be back in your dungeon with some ruddy old book or something. Didn't know you had it in you. You look wobbly. Too much to drink?"

"Leo, shut up!" Natalie hisses, looking around before casting an apologetic glance at the surrounding portraits. They've probably seen the two of them up to no good before.

She frowns deeply, glancing down at herself. There was even an effort made to dress up a little bit for the party. Whatever. It's not like he's that perceptive. Especially now. She doesn't even know why she bothered to wear anything nice, considering how uncomfortable she is. Idly, her fingers pluck at the hair tie around her wrist before she decides against pulling her hair back.

"I'm perfectly steady. You're the one who looks like a complete prat," she tells him plainly, folding her arms over her dress.

"You're knackered."

He scoffs.

"I'm fine. Do I look unsteady to you? You're the one who looks... bastante," he says, pointing both fingers at her and immediately continuing on as if he hadn't just switched languages on her. "Debiaras vistes así más a menudo. But I am being a good student and going back to the dorms. Maybe you should drink some water, try not to be hungover before classes or whatever."

Forget that tomorrow is Saturday.

If he wasn't so obnoxious, she might take pity on him.

Slowly, she approaches him with a discerning look on her face. It's quite easy to smell the booze on Leo and she kind of hates the stench but - well, she isn't that cruel. Scooping his arm up through hers, Natalie hoists him up and starts towards the Ravenclaw tower."Cm'on, idiot," she mumbles. "To bed with you."

It feels like the walk will take forever.

He starts to back away, suspicious of her as always, but isn't fast enough. It takes a moment for him to process what's happening. She's... helping him?

...Weird.

"Only if you join me," he's saying with an odd look, apparently not entirely put out with her after their last encounter. It's been a while, though, and the liquor definitely helps.

"Shut up, pervert," Natalie sighs but not without a tiny, embarrassed smile.

She drags him up again, needing to keep him upright for both their sakes. "I'd never hear the end of it if I had to sneak out of your bloody tower."

Everyone would have something else to tease her about and she'd have another mark on her record. Not that she was... actually considering sleeping in his bed or anything.

Leo gives an undignified snort.

"You said it," he retorts, giving her a petulant look. "And I didn't m... no, quise decir totalmente de esa manera. Maybe if you didn't like kissing me so much they'd leave you alone. Why do you even do that, anyway? What's your deal?"

He'd leave her alone, too, but he still doesn't get it. She hates him, she's furious with him, she kisses him? Is that just a thing in Scotland or what?

"Stop kissing me back, if you're so offended."

She snorts. As if that's easy. She keeps coming back to him for quick and intense rounds of intimacy and she doesn't know why she keeps pursuing him. They would never work out in the long run.

"Stop talking - in English or Spanish. It'll be easier for us both," Nat mumbles, dragging him down a narrow corridor. The stairs coming up will shift so they have to wait a bit.

"Cállate," he shoots back instantly, dyeing her with curiosity and a tiny bit of wariness. "And no, I won't. I like it. I just don't get it. I mean, yeah, I'm irresistible, but you always hated me." He pitches forward as they come to a stop to wait for the stairs, losing his already precarious balance. Walking is way harder when you don't have a wall to lean on.

"Merlin," Natalie swears, grabbing his arm and looping it around her waist to keep him from tumbling down the stairs once she takes the first step.

"I don't hate you now, I just hate listening to you embarrass yourself like this," she corrects him. "Come on, up we go."

"What do I have to be embarrassed about?" Leo scoffs, suddenly very interested in where she's put his arm. He doesn't hesitate to wind the other around her waist as well, because that's how this goes, right? Whatever this is.

Instantly, Natalie looks around to see if anyone's seen this ludicrous display. Just some sniggering genre paintings, which is still annoying but fine by her. She stumbles back, however, when he puts his other arm around her, and she scoffs, "The hell d'you think this is? I'm better off levitating your sorry arse all the way to your room."

"See, that? That is what I mean. Me odias!" He gives her a pouty look, but takes extra care to extract himself from her arms without falling over.

"Do you have to be such a prat?" he complains, continuing on without her. "I can get there on my own just fine if I annoy you so much."

"Believe it or not, I'm trying to be nice and not ruin your life."

Her voice is dry as she follows him up, watching keenly to make sure he doesn't stumble and fall. "You're not supposed to take help like that and turn it into, eh.. romantic advances," she mutters. "Otherwise I hadn't minded."

He stops suddenly, turning to look down on her from his step, expression as perplexed as ever. For a moment, he only stares at her, intoxicated mind clearly trying to work out what she's said, until Leo finally comes down a step or two to better look her in the eye, holding up his index finger to emphasize the point he intends to make.

"You... are really confusing," he announces.

"Well said!" Natalie laughs.

Rolling her eyes, she moves around him and cuts ahead on the staircase, glancing back to make sure he is still behind her.

"Come along, Valdez."

"No!" he protests, following her anyway. "First you yell at me, then you kiss me, then you hex me, and suddenly it's okay for me to make a move, just not now? Decídete ya!"

An unattractive snort follows.

"What kind of move did you want to make anyway? Groping me on the stairs? How romantic," she drawls those last few words, rolling her eyes. "I assure you that 'm not toying with your emotions tonight."

"Sí, claro," he says, rolling his eyes as he grips the railing. "I can do so much better when I'm not being led on."

So what if he took her putting his arm her as an invitation? Natalie has given weirder signals than that, and besides, he didn't even try anything questionable.

"I'm not going to try to kiss you tonight."

Natalie doesn't look at him when she speaks, twisting her lips from side to side as she does. "I just wanna see you back in your room."

"So the one time you dress up all pretty, you just want me out of the way?"

Well, fine. Upon reaching the end of the staircase, he makes a point to walk past her, leaving her at least a few steps behind as he goes, asking, "How's a Slytherin s'posed to know where the common room is, anyway?"

"What, you want me to take advantage of you in your current state?" Natalie chuckles from behind him. She figured he'd lead her in the right direction; she just has to make sure he doesn't fall asleep in a random spot.

"I don't know how I feel about that," she yawns. "I didn't dress up for you anyway."

"No hay ninguna situación; I told you, I'm fine."

Leo spins on his heel so he can see her, unashamedly looking her up and down. "Didn't have to," he drawls, the usual grin slowly creeping back in place. "But hey, you're the one saying you want to see me in my room."

"So tell me," she asks, sidling up to him, for once not shrinking away, "what you'd even say to people who knew you slept with your worst enemy?"

Which is... an exaggeration, of course, but it has a nice impact. Her hands rest on her hips.

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