[ Well, that's it. She's in the mood to fight but she doesn't even know if she should bother continuing. What happened to never speaking to each other again anyway?
She looks down, only then realizing that she's halfway back down the stairs again. ]
Good luck getting your goodnight kiss then. Noticed she wasn't that into you anyway.
[ He stops again, turning back with a frown. Back to her, is it? ]
She doesn't like dances. She wasn't even going to come if I hadn't asked her to. Why do you care so much about her?
[ And it's not like he was trying to get a goodnight kiss, anyway. He wouldn't have argued if he had, but she's not the kind of girl who does that after one date, and he knew it going in. ]
[ She shrugs a shoulder, unsure why she's even bothering at this point. Maybe she should just open her mouth next time when she actually knows what she wants. Well, besides that constant urge to knock him flat. ]
Go on, then, go back to your friends and don't let me ruin your night.
[ Natalie leans over the stair railing, holding a fistful of soft blue fabric to keep herself from slipping. They've attracted some attention, of course, but this seems to be nothing new for people who are familiar with their outbursts. ]
[ Because it really isn't. And he'll prove it by pulling his wand out and aiming an unspoken spell at the next step to make it extra slippery, just for her. He's careful about it so no one sees, and slips it back into his pocket as soon as the spell leaves its tip.
And continues walking as if he hadn't stopped at all. ]
Oh, please, [ Natalie scoffs just as she stumbles, tightening her grip on the marble. It's not graceful but she has never had any grace when she's on both feet.
In retaliation, she hops down the next few steps and, wand pulled from a pocket in her skirt, laces his shoes together.
It's really a matter of time before they're thrown in a dungeon or something. ]
[ He's expecting her to have a comeback, but clearly his feet aren't ready for it. With a yelp of surprise, he topples over, fists clenching when he pushes himself back up. When he gets his shoes unlaced and stands again, there's a familiar glare on his face that has the crowd backing away, just a little.
Everyone in Hogwarts knows about the duels Goodman and Valdez get up to. They tend to end unfortunately, with hexes and property damage and sometimes accidental victims.
But tonight, Leo goes for the simpler spells - the ones most likely to make her appear completely ridiculous, to offset how nice she looks now.
[ She feels it in her toes first and snorts, covering her mouth to keep it from bubbling up. But of course she is vulnerable to that attack and Natalie burst into hysterical laughter, wriggling to get away from invisible hands. She clutches the column at the end of the stair case, tears streaming down her face. Bollocks. She ]
Ha. M - m - mimble wimble! [ How about a Tongue Tying spell? Try directing any spells towards her specifically now. Of course, she has to get through the counter curse for herself but looking like a prat is worth it. ]
[ It's a good thing he's taken to practicing nonverbal spells. Otherwise that would have screwed him over, but he still manages a nonverbal Tarantallegra to distract her while he tries to figure out the counter-curse. Feels so weird, having your tongue literally tied. ]
[ Natalie finally screams out her counter spells, just when she starts to attempt a pirouette. Oh, she's seething and she has the perfect curse to ruin his evening for good --
but a professor's grabbed her by the arm, another going to retrieve Leo. "You couldn't help yourselves, could you?" they sigh, charming their hands to effectively stay at their sides. ]
[ Leo looks absolutely offended at this turn of events, gaping up at the professor who grabbed him. He would've been fine if she hadn't started with him, and he almost says so, but the look on the professor's face stops him short.
He has to settle with glaring daggers over at Natalie. Great. just great. Why does this always happen with her? He can't even have one night at some stupid dance... ]
[ Natalie doesn't even look at him, keeping her eyes forward, narrowed, not focusing on anything, really. Whatever they have to say goes right over her head, something about students with potential and doing what is right and tainting the evening and house animosities.
The punishment is simple since there was limited destruction: they cannot return to the dance.
Well, fine, that's fine, she was supposed to be leaving until she let her emotions get the better of her again. ]
[ Once they're released with their punishment, arms unglued from their sides, Leo lets out a wordless noise of frustration and goes to leave. So much for having fun tonight. It's barely even past two hours, and he's banned? What a load of bollocks!
He won't look at her as he stomps up the stairs. He's too incensed, and knowing her, she'd take it as some sort of ridiculous challenge again and their punishment would end up worse.
None of this would have happened if his date hadn't left the dance so early. He should've convinced her to stay for one more dance. Maybe Natalie's right, and she's not interested in him as anything more than a friend...
No, he tells himself, shaking his head and stopping to taking a breath to steady himself, calm the anger. The Slytherin girl is just insane. ]
[ She does feel guilty once all is said and done. It's not like he would accept an apology from her this late in the game, however, so her expression does not betray those feelings.
Leave it to Natalie to let her emotions get the better of her time and time again. She doesn't even want to to back to her tower this time - maybe there's somewhere she can go. Not the Astronomy tower, gross. A place for quiet so she can get a hold of herself and just not see him.
She picks up the speed, heels clicking ahead of him, her hand running along the wall until she turns the corner. ]
[ Standing there, he heaves a sigh and lets his head fall back, eyes closed.
He really doesn't want to go back to the tower. The common room is still going to have at least a handful of people around, and he doesn't want to be around much of anyone. Maybe he should sneak out through one of the passages and go to Hogsmeade instead.
...But the formal clothes rules that out. So, where?
The Muggle Studies classroom, he thinks suddenly. There's a bunch of tech in there that's broken, and hardly anyone here except the Muggle-borns even realize it, but it's been bothering him since he started taking classes. Might as well go fix that, he decides, starting forward again. ]
[ He still doesn't look at her, and doesn't slow down. He intends to leave, thank you very much, not stay and get into another fight that'll land him in detention again. ]
[ Natalie shakes her head at her own idiocy because -- well, snogging a boy aggressively in between cursing him isn't exactly healthy for anyone. Best she walks away. ]
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She looks down, only then realizing that she's halfway back down the stairs again. ]
Good luck getting your goodnight kiss then. Noticed she wasn't that into you anyway.
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She doesn't like dances. She wasn't even going to come if I hadn't asked her to. Why do you care so much about her?
[ And it's not like he was trying to get a goodnight kiss, anyway. He wouldn't have argued if he had, but she's not the kind of girl who does that after one date, and he knew it going in. ]
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[ She shrugs a shoulder, unsure why she's even bothering at this point. Maybe she should just open her mouth next time when she actually knows what she wants. Well, besides that constant urge to knock him flat. ]
Go on, then, go back to your friends and don't let me ruin your night.
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[ Whatever. It's not like he needs Natalie's approval. He shakes his head in frustration. ]
Have fun dancing up and down those stairs.
[ The word "dancing" is mocking, but he doesn't care. She can do what she wants. ]
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Watch your back in an empty corridor.
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Is that supposed to be intimidating?
[ Because it really isn't. And he'll prove it by pulling his wand out and aiming an unspoken spell at the next step to make it extra slippery, just for her. He's careful about it so no one sees, and slips it back into his pocket as soon as the spell leaves its tip.
And continues walking as if he hadn't stopped at all. ]
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In retaliation, she hops down the next few steps and, wand pulled from a pocket in her skirt, laces his shoes together.
It's really a matter of time before they're thrown in a dungeon or something. ]
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Everyone in Hogwarts knows about the duels Goodman and Valdez get up to. They tend to end unfortunately, with hexes and property damage and sometimes accidental victims.
But tonight, Leo goes for the simpler spells - the ones most likely to make her appear completely ridiculous, to offset how nice she looks now.
...Like rictusempra. ]
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Ha. M - m - mimble wimble! [ How about a Tongue Tying spell? Try directing any spells towards her specifically now. Of course, she has to get through the counter curse for herself but looking like a prat is worth it. ]
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but a professor's grabbed her by the arm, another going to retrieve Leo. "You couldn't help yourselves, could you?" they sigh, charming their hands to effectively stay at their sides. ]
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He has to settle with glaring daggers over at Natalie. Great. just great. Why does this always happen with her? He can't even have one night at some stupid dance... ]
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The punishment is simple since there was limited destruction: they cannot return to the dance.
Well, fine, that's fine, she was supposed to be leaving until she let her emotions get the better of her again. ]
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He won't look at her as he stomps up the stairs. He's too incensed, and knowing her, she'd take it as some sort of ridiculous challenge again and their punishment would end up worse.
None of this would have happened if his date hadn't left the dance so early. He should've convinced her to stay for one more dance. Maybe Natalie's right, and she's not interested in him as anything more than a friend...
No, he tells himself, shaking his head and stopping to taking a breath to steady himself, calm the anger. The Slytherin girl is just insane. ]
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Leave it to Natalie to let her emotions get the better of her time and time again. She doesn't even want to to back to her tower this time - maybe there's somewhere she can go. Not the Astronomy tower, gross. A place for quiet so she can get a hold of herself and just not see him.
She picks up the speed, heels clicking ahead of him, her hand running along the wall until she turns the corner. ]
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He really doesn't want to go back to the tower. The common room is still going to have at least a handful of people around, and he doesn't want to be around much of anyone. Maybe he should sneak out through one of the passages and go to Hogsmeade instead.
...But the formal clothes rules that out. So, where?
The Muggle Studies classroom, he thinks suddenly. There's a bunch of tech in there that's broken, and hardly anyone here except the Muggle-borns even realize it, but it's been bothering him since he started taking classes. Might as well go fix that, he decides, starting forward again. ]
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Wh - Never mind.
[ Great. Those two words will probably set him off or something. Maybe she can find the Come and Go Room and play piano by herself. ]
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[ He still doesn't look at her, and doesn't slow down. He intends to leave, thank you very much, not stay and get into another fight that'll land him in detention again. ]
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[ Natalie shakes her head at her own idiocy because -- well, snogging a boy aggressively in between cursing him isn't exactly healthy for anyone. Best she walks away. ]
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Okay, whatever.
[ He's muttering something about crazy Slytherin girls as he keeps going. ]
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[ It's hasty and a little too quiet so Natalie takes off, up the stairs until she's out of sight. ]