Adelaide "Adel" Selwyn (deceived_sweet) wrote in the_recruitment, @ 2012-03-05 12:56:00 |
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Entry tags: | ! 03/1977, ! complete, ! log, char: adelaide selwyn, char: dominic avery |
Who: Dominic & Adelaide
What: Flirtatious teasings and an understanding
When: Sunday night
Where: Astronomy Tower
Rating: PG
Status: Log/Complete
The four poster was uncomfortable and Dominic was finding he had to restrain himself from tearing the curtains free from it or from chucking his pillows across the room. It was ridiculous how things had been going as to the past week!
It was not that he felt bad or anything for setting Evans up, more that he was worried. He was worried about Severus, what he might do if he figured out he had helped...all those things and more. It frustrated him, that for the first time in a long while he was completely helpless to his surroundings.
Laying still, he realized he could not bear his thoughts anymore. Pushing upright, he swung his legs over the edge of the four poster, slipping his wand in his pocket, Dominic left the whole of the dormitory.
He walked aimlessly, down secluded corridors in an attempt to clear his mind, a fruitless effort he found, because the more he moved, the more he thought about Severus, Evans and Narcissa’s worries.
He brought one hand to his hair, messing it as his fingers ran through it.
Continuing up the stairs, he moved until he was to the door that led to the one of the highest towers of Hogwarts. Dominic could have cared less for Astronomy, however he felt that perhaps seclusion would help him to clear his mind, or at least do something.
It turned out the room was not empty. A young woman stood a few feet from her, back to him and her dark hair loose. For a moment, he stood in the door way, wondering whether he should turn back and leave, find somewhere else...
Someone would be interesting to torment, to mock.
He pushed the classroom door open fully, moving into the center of the room, only then did he realize who the girl was. That strange little bird-- “Adelaide,” He said, raising his hand to give her a mocking wave, smirk sliding into place. “Fancy meeting you here.”
It had certainly been an interesting weekend or at least Adelaide had heard. She had opted out of going to Hogsmeade, instead she enjoyed the quietness of the castle. It was always full of people yelling and joking around with each other, she liked to think she was the only person there.
The evening had been a restless night for Adel and she found herself getting out of bed and covering herself with a shift before making her way silently out of the dormitory. The common room wouldn’t do; it was too confined. She wanted something a little more freeing for the evening.
She quietly made her way out of the common room, happy to know she would be safe from any kind of curfew; so were the merits of being a prefect. Her feet took her not outside straight away, but up. The Ravenclaw tower wasn’t far from the astronomy, yet she still questioned if she wanted to come here for the night. There were many students that liked to use it as their personal make-out point and she definitely did not want to be disturbed by students like that. But she was happy to see that the tower was abandoned for tonight and she stepped towards the wall, looking out at Hogwarts’ grounds and the Forbidden Forest. There were so many delicious treats that could be hidden within the forest, yet students were not allowed out there. Still, it would make for an interesting adventure if she snuck out there...
Her thoughts were rudely interrupted and she sighed, turning around to meet her intruder. It only brought another sigh to her lips when she saw who it was.
“Dominic. Shouldn’t you be in bed?” There was something about this boy that both infuriated her and piqued her interest. If he hadn’t been such a bloody ignorant prat, she just might like him.
The sighs were a welcome treat for Dominic’s ears. To know he was already upsetting the little Prefect was a delight. Among the many other pranks and malicious stunts he had pulled in the years, a number had been directed at Adelaide. (One of which had resulted in a fire somehow being on the tail of her broom)
“Oh, you know me. Ever the romantic, I must take it upon myself to stroll all the way to this tower to simply gaze at the stars, and wonder what they have in store for me.” He said, voice silky, and alluring, before he completely dropped the act and snorted.
“Shouldn’t you be in bed? Setting an awfully bad example, aren’t we?”
Without waiting for any sort of answer, he shut the tower door and moved closer, so that he could lean against the rail, where a slight chill entered the room, and he had a good view of the grounds below.
He did not look to them long, and instead shifted his eyes to the Witch, smirk hitching only higher.
“Well?”
“I don’t have to answer to you,” she said, watching as he walked towards her and moving out of the way so he could take in the same view she had just been enjoying. “Besides, I could be doing my prefect rounds and just came up here for a breath of fresh air. I’m allowed to do so.” She crossed her arms in front of her chest and continued to look at him.
“Well?” she asked, mocking his own. “I answered yours. As a Prefect, it’s my duty to make sure the students of this school are being safe and abiding the rules set forth for them.” She smirked, challenging him to argue. She knew he would, it was just in his nature. Still, she had always tried to get the last word in with him; sometimes she was successful, sometimes not.
Her eyes went towards the door he had just shut and the boy standing in front of her. She could just leave, let him do whatever business he needed by himself. But she found she didn’t mind this company. What? Are you crazy? You would rather spend the evening with this dolt than enjoy a moment alone?
I’m just making sure he’s alright and doing my duties as a prefect. It was easy to convince herself that and only hoped it came across to him. She loathed to think what he would tease her about if he knew her real reasonings. But being alone had it’s downsides. She longed for companionship every now and then; no one should truly be alone.
The way Dominic looked at her said clearly enough that he did not believe a single word that she had said, and silently, he reached out and gave her attire a slight tug. “Doing your rounds in this? You should put on your uniform if you want people to take your authority seriously, my dear little Prefect.”
At her own question -- he knew she was mocking him, but at the moment he did not raise to the bait, it would satisfied her too much to know he had angered him -- and instead gave a slow role of his shoulders. Turning his back to the few, he leaned against the railing, looking to the ceiling.
“Perhaps I came to jump off the tower?”
It was working. He was not concentrating fully upon the matter with Evans, it was slipping from his mind and he found that he was becoming increasingly pleased to have found the young woman in the tower.
Which made no sense whatsoever. Adel was an uptight, half-baked Quidditch player. Not someone worthy of his undivided attention!
“Really though, I just couldn’t sleep. Does that satisfy you, Miss Prefect?”
Adel pulled her shift around her a little more tightly, wanting to kick him for tugging at it. Not only was it very expensive but she didn’t like the thought of him touching her. At least that’s what she told herself. “I never said I was actually doing rounds,” she said, a slight glare in her eyes. “I said I could have been. You really should clean our your ears Avery. How else will you hear when someone yells at you that a bludger is heading straight towards your head?” She grinned, knowing she would be the one to make it so.
“Well that would be very melodramatic of you,” she said, moving towards the edge to look out on the scenery once more. “Although I wouldn’t put it past you. You’d want to go out in a way that would make others remember you. Such a drama queen.” How was it that he could get under her skin so well? Others she would try and not let it get to her, but Avery was a situation all his own.
She didn’t answer him right away, instead trying to let herself relax back into the state she was in before he came barreling down the door. “I suppose it does,” she said, looking over at him. “It still doesn’t help the matter that I came up here to be alone and you have to sidle through that door. You of all people.” She rolled her eyes. She may have been able to stand someone else, but Dominic? The conflicting feelings caused her to frown and she wished he wasn’t there even more. Out of sight, out of mind.
“Perhaps you need to learn to make yourself clear. Give the honest truth, all that. Rather then dance around like a pretty little fairy. “ Which, even with her small frame, she was far from. Or so he told himself, her looks were one of the things that he mocked the most, her talent on the field always coming in second.
Neither were terrible, or even bad really. Although it pained him to admit such a thing, even if it was a silent admission. “I would like to see anyone get a Bludger in on me. I’m much too quick, Adel.”
His pride as a Quidditch player was something of great importance to him, and he coveted that with everything in him. Good old Adel certainly knew how to get under his skin, the stupid bird...
Ignoring the jab, he instead moved completely over it and to her other word, teeth showing through his smirk. “You should know by now that I don’t put myself around you purposely. I was looking for somewhere nice to stay, until I wore myself down a bit...”
Folding his ankles, he tilted his head back.
“You could leave. Be alone somewhere else perhaps?”
“Aw, you think I’m pretty?” She batted her eyelashes at him before laughing. That was far from the truth. If it was one thing he always reminded her of, it was she was a funny looking girl. She knew she had a different look to her, given she was half Chinese and half Caucasian. Still, it was a comment that always stung and she usually tried to get him back twice as bad.
“The truth can be sticky,” she said. “I gave a possibility of it and you automatically assumed it was. Perhaps you should stop assuming.” She rolled her eyes as the conversation turned back to Quidditch. He thought he was this great chaser (well, he was pretty good), but to never get hit by a bludger? She had to laugh out loud. “I guess we’ll see with our upcoming game,” she said. She made a mental note to target Avery during the game. Maybe that would actually shut his mouth for good.
She made a face as he commented on not following her. “Right, then how come you’re always there whenever I look back? You’re like some creepy stalker that has way too much time on their hands. And I was here first so you should be the one to leave!” Really, she just wanted to hit him. She had done so before and it always made her feel a little better.
“Not at all.” He hurried to correct himself, mentally chastising himself for his error. This damned woman. It was like they were playing a game, thrust and parry, come around again and get in another blow.
Neither one ever one and he wondered how they would find an end to it.
Not that he was tired from all the teasing, far from it. Adelaide kept him on his toes, always watchful, and ready to give his own blow right back. At her laughter, Dominic gave her a slight frown, tapping his fingers against the railing. “I guarantee you wont be able to hit me. You’re too fascinated by this gorgeous mug of mine, m’dear.”
He paused, taking a long look at the expression she gave him. Almost as if she were both disgusted and amused by his words. Her certainty of herself and her position was astounding. As a Pureblood she was favored, over others, but this...
“Why would I ever waste my time on you?” He asked, voice teasing, smile full blown now, as he once again reached out and gave her arm a quick pat. “Maybe you simply have a guilty conscious and are pushing it off on me? Hm?”
Looking at his nails, as if he were suffering from great boredom, Dominic gave a short laugh. “It wouldn’t be the first time a desperate lass followed me ‘round.”
“Whichever lass that is I’m sure it’s just in your head. Aw Dominic, do you have a pretend girlfriend?” She glanced over at him with a smile on her face, but her all wasn’t into it. It was a constant battle that they had against each other and no one would truly win. She knew he would always come up with some kind of remark back at her and for now, she just wanted to try and relax so she could go back to sleep.
“Yeah, why would you waste time on me? I’m just a lowly Ravenclaw, too busy with her nose in her books to really pay attention to everything going on around her.” It kind of slipped out, this sort of confession. She knew that was how he saw her, how all Slytherin’s saw her. They were only interested in people of their own house and while Ravenclaw was still a house to be honoured, it just wasn’t the same.
“The only thing I’m guilty for is giving you the time of day and wasting my breath,” she said, turning on his once more, hoping it would cover up the weakness she had just shown. “I’ll just have to make it up by making sure my bludger finds your head.”
He would have snapped back, given his usual sneering retort, however something had him keeping the silent, eyes on her back as he stood straight, hands being stuffed in the pockets of his robe.
Should he pick back up? Mock her for her house, as she thought they all did...?
Something told him he shouldn’t, although that was unusual for Dominic to just back down. He did not want anymore stress right now, not when he was battling to keep the largly personal matters with Evans from mind.
Pulling his hand free, he gave a strand of her long and pretty hair a tug. “Come now, Adelaide. No need to be feeling sorry for yourself. A Ravenclaw is supposed to have their nose in books. As such, you’re much less pathetic then a Slytherin that’s doing that.”
What the hell was wrong with him? Was he honestly trying to cheer her up?
If he felt ridiculous, she felt even more so. She hated that a blush was rising to her face and she kept her head turned away so he couldn’t see. It would just be more ammunition for him to come back at her full force. But it was still a sweet thing for him to do and she couldn’t bring herself to make a jest at him. Instead she gave a small laugh, shaking her head.
“I suppose you’re right,” she said. “Still, I would give anything to be in Slytherin. You’re lucky you were placed in that house. Didn’t have to upset or disappoint your parents by being placed in the second place house.” She shook her head. She really hadn’t disappointed her parents, but she had put so much pressure on herself that it felt like she had.
“So are you all evil the way everyone thinks?” she asked, feeling her face cool down from the breeze and turning to look at him. If they weren’t going to poke fun at each other, they could still talk yeah? “Or is that just a facade you like to put on?”
“There are worse ways to disappoint the ‘rents, and I bet they’re pleased they have such an upstanding daughter.” Rather then a child like him. Dominic’s parents wanted perfection, him to do things their way and no other. Rarely did he stop to think about it, however it was now worming its way to the surface of his mind...
Clearing his throat, he gave a laugh, mirroring hers’.
“Oh you know. We have sacrifices every other night, nightly torturing for those that misbehave.” He waved his hand as if to dismiss the notion, the very idea. “There’s bad in everyone, we’re just more open about it.”
That was, if one considered the hatred of Mudblood’s, the need for purity evil. Dominic did not, although he could not guess how this young lady felt about such things; her blood was pure, but her mind...?
He wanted to hit himself, for being interested, but he could not help wondering all the same.
“We’re the same, aren’t we?”
“The same in what ways?” she asked, sliding down to sit on the floor. It was a beautiful night out. The breeze was soft, but didn’t make the night chilly. “Egotistical, arrogant, and annoying? No, I don’t think we are.” She smiled, pulling her wand out and waving it about. There were a few leaves on the floor of the tower and they swirled up to meet her in a small whirlwind. “But do we believe in the purity of our race? That those beneath us need to be dealt with in a timely manner and that we must continue to believe in a pure society?” Another swish of her wand and the leaves flew out from every which direction. “Yes, I believe that we are.” She glanced at him, a different kind of smile playing on her lips. It was the same one that many of her victims had seen before their life was extinguished.
He promptly joined her, legs crossing, hands going to rest atop them, and the fabric of his robes. Adelaide was a truly strange Witch, ever surprising and never leaving a dull moment. Even now, Dominic would not admit that he enjoyed their arguments and teasing.
“Come now, I have my good qualities.” He clicked his tongue against his teeth, a slight, impatient sound. Watching the leaves as they flipped up through the air. At her smile, he gave her a calmer one of his own, taking his own out and causing one of the leaves to face back to them.
“You believe all that?” He paused, and then gave a short, quiet chuckle. “Maybe you aren’t so bad after all, Adel.”
She glanced at him, giving him an exasperated look. “Well you certainly haven’t shared those qualities with me!” she said, but it was more light hearted than their usual banter. They had gotten along fairly well, but it was always through jokes and teasing. It never surprised her if their conversation ended in a hex or two thrown at each other, but that was just how their relationship worked. She wasn’t sure if it even qualified for a friendship, but she secretly liked to think so.
“How can I not believe that?” she asked, leaning her head back and looking up at the stars. “I am from a good pureblood family and I will not dishonour or upset them. Just because I was placed into Ravenclaw does not make me any less pureblooded than you.” She rolled her head over to look at him. “I should have been placed in Slytherin. That stupid hat got it all wrong.”
There was something about the young Witch next time him that had always been a point of interest for Dominic. He had never gave her much serious consideration, thinking nothing could ever come of their constant teasing and mocking...
Now though, he felt that it was possible. After all, it was not as if she were a Gryffindor or a Hufflepuff. Even Narcissa Black had admitted that the Ravenclaw House was not as terrible as the rest.
If their views were the same as well, why couldn’t they be friendly to each other?
“The Hat does not seem all the reliable.” It had placed a Black in the house for the lions and those brave at heart. Everyone knew that Black’s belonged in Slytherin, and if his recent behavior did not prove that, what did not?
“Course, Ravenclaw isn’t all that bad. You could always come down and spend time in the dungeons with us.” He said, raising his hand and gave her a slight push, an unusually playful gesture for him to show her. “No doubt your parents aren’t all that hard on you, for the Hat’s selection.”
No doubt, he said, but Dominic knew it could be a lie. After all she was a Pureblood, she came from the same stock that he did and Dominic knew how his parents would have felt if he had been placed with the ‘Claws.
Was he...was he being sympathetic towards her? She looked at him, almost with a gaze of disgust. That was a fast turn around, but one she didn’t necessarily mind. It was just strange to hear him speak to her in this manner. For as long as she could remember, they had always had just a teasing kind of friendship, nothing more.
“I’m afraid I do not have many friends,” she said, hesitantly. She didn’t want to completely pour her heart out in case he was just fibbing with his good words. “I wouldn’t want to be a bother to anyone else down there. I’m sure there are some who would not be as welcoming as yourself.” She gave him a small smile. “But still...thank you.” Was he inviting her himself? To hang out with him? She wasn’t completely sure what to take from that.
She shrugged, pulling her knees up and resting her chin on them. “I suppose Ravenclaw was the second best choice to be placed in,” she said. “Although I never like to settle for second best.” Her parents had been rather supportive of her house, although she knew she had disappointed them as well. Slytherin was the only house that mattered, but she was lucky her father was more forgiving than others. It motivated her to be even better at her work, to prove that she could still make a name for herself even in the wrong house.
“Understandably. “ He would have mocked her any other time, teased her for not having friends and blamed it all on her attitude. Now, Dominic simply did not; he wanted a distraction, a purpose that Adel served well enough. He also happened to simply be too preoccupied with other concerns to taunt her as much as usual.
It was nice too, to just relax. She was not nearly as bad as he had thought...
“Ravenclaws can be hard to deal with, and when you’re supportive of another Houses’ ideals...well,” He shrugged, shifting in place, and directed his smirk towards her. Dominic’s eyes were eyes were perhaps more guarded then was normal for him, however he tone, and body language both, were playfully teasing. Oddly good-natured for the man that played malicious pranks on fellow students, and tormented Adel at any given chance. “Slytherins’...they can just be hard to deal with in general.”
At her thanks, he raised his hands, giving them a careless wave, as if to dismiss her words. “No problem at all, Adel. “
After a moment, he stayed silent, which lingered, drawing out as the cool night air cooled the room, the sound of the Forbidden Forest creaking in the distance. Resting his head against the railing that kept them from simply tipping back and falling down into the grounds, he looked towards the stars, bright but incredibly distant.
“You know, “ As he broke the silence, Dominic tilted his head to one side, so as to have a better view of the young woman sitting upside him. Adelaide was not a truly bad person, Witch, Pureblood or Hogwarts student...
It was likely his trouble with Severus, worries over the incident with Evans, that had him behaving so strangely, but...
“We should fly together some time. For fun?”
Adel opened her mouth to give him a nasty retort for his comments on her house. While she took no pride in being a Ravenclaw, she would still defend it because, unfortunately, that was who she was. But he made the comment about Slytherin’s as well and she shut it, knowing perhaps that he was right. “Each house is difficult in their own way,” she said. “Because we all believe our house is the best. Well at least most of us. I still can’t believe that a Hufflepuff would think themselves high at all.” She gave a little snort at that, quickly covering her mouth as she did so. It was so unbecoming, yet she found herself doing it more then she would have liked.
She enjoyed the silence that kept between the two of them and she closed her eyes, listening to the sounds of the night. She would have thought any kind of silence between her and Dominic would be awkward, but it was actually soothing. It was nice to just sit with someone and enjoy a moment like this; strange that it was Avery, but she tried not to dwell on that thought too long.
When he finally broke the silence, she opened her eyes and turned to look at him, a little surprised. Was he inviting her to hang out? Like, a normal hang out? Friend hang out? Not just a passing tease in the hallway?
“Yeah...yeah, that would be nice,” she said, a small smile forming on her lips. Maybe she had been wrong about him. Maybe there was something there she hadn’t noticed before. Suddenly Dominic became a little more interesting, but for a whole different reason then their usual teasings.
“Hufflepuff should just be removed.” It was one of the bigger embarrassments to the school name, and only the worse were placed inside of its ranks. Whenever he stopped to consider the House, Dominic only ended up annoyed. The simpletons...
Looking more fully upon the other, he finally gave a smile, expression softer then before.
Placing his hands to the cold stone, Dominic pushed himself to his feet, holding his hand out as a polite offering to Adel. Anyone could say whatever they pleased about him, however he had manners when he wished to.
“I’ll look forward to it, m’dear.”