[Sept. 22] Too late for summer, too early for fall [Beatrix Dark- PM to join]

[Erin Harper]

It was a sunny sort of day, but a strong, chilly wind was blowing, whistling through the courtyard and howling around the towers. Erin lay on a stone bench, hands in his pocket, his cheek pressed against the edge, watching the other students wander through the courtyard or stop and talk, laugh, things like that. People-watching. The wind was on his side today, too, providing entertainment in the form of whipping papers out of other people's hands and blowing girl's skirts up. It was quite amusing to watch them grab for them; they usually dropped their books in the process, sometimes squealed. It made him smile.

He wasn't thinking about much. He wasn't thinking about anything, really. When people caught his eye he stared at them until he looked away, but there was no method to any of his actions, nor any real purpose. He had a free period, and nothing to do. Homework was, as always, out of the question.

[Beatrix Dark]

[Outfit]

Free periods to Beatrix, of course, meant either nap time or a study-break. Though Beatrix was craving a nap, she decided to study up on History before the Professor noticed that she was gosh-awful at it. It was chilly out, as always during this time, but Beatrix left her coat inside and manned the wind. It was a nice kind of chill, she didn't need to hide away from it.

Of course, Beatrix didn't realize that wind meant that her small body was going to be whipped around and her papers will fly away... And yes, her skirt would fly up. This all happened very fast, and shocked Beatrix so badly that she let out a squeal that one would expect from a little girl. She flattened her skirt down, quickly, and scrambled for her papers. The Ravenclaw finally caught her last paper, and tripped multiple times in her heels. Perhaps it wasn't a lovely day after all.

She turned towards the benches, huffing uneasily and hoping no one saw her buttocks. Beatrix had already shown her hump to Professor Gunnar by mistake, she didn't need anyone else seeing it. She was only concerned about that, and not really the whole embarrassing scene that she just went through. Bea wanted her boyfriend to be the first to see her... But then again, that was long in the past and Gunnar was probably now scarred for life. The young girl mumbled underneath her breath before stopping in front of the benches. There was a boy... Laying on one of them. She recognized him, of course, and furrowed her brow.

"Mr. Harper... May I ask what you're doing?" It wasn't any of her business what the Slytherin did in his spare time. Perhaps he was just trying to enjoy a nap. Or perhaps he had witnessed Bea's whole show. She twitched slightly before tilting her head.

[Erin Harper]

Erin laughed silently to himself, watching yet another victim of the wind without really registering who it was. Why did girls insist on wearing those stupid heels? And those skirts, Erin was so glad he didn't have to wear a skirt. Although it was kinda nice, at times like this....

Then the girl spoke to him, and Erin's gaze snapped guiltily up. Oh, Beatrix Dark. What other girl at school had pink hair? He shoulda known. Erin's expression smoothed out into the blank and guileless expression that was his near-constant standby, common enough that the closer of his housemates might have recognized and known not to trust it. Erin was seldom guileless, although, to be fair, for those who weren't his housemates that was sometimes hard to tell. The wide blue eyes, young face, and all.

"It's a nice day, you know?" he said, by way of an answer.

[Beatrix Dark]

"It's a nice day, you know?"

It most certainly was not! Beatrix's eye twitched at the lack of a proper answer to her question and sat down on the bench next to Erin's. "Okay, let me try again. What are you doing?" Her head shook, slightly, at the boy. Beatrix understood weird people, but she didn't understand the depressed/suicidal. The people who took naps in cold, windy weather. That stared at Beatrix's butt.

Maybe he had a disorder that made him mistake pain for a tickling sensation. It looked like he had been laughing, after all. Perhaps it was Beatrix's little show. She fiddled her skirt before sticking her hand up it and pulling out a mysterious velvet bag. One of the many pluses of being a girl: Hiding things in your skirt with NO problem! She opened the bag and looked inside. "Okay. I'll pay you two galleons and a knut to keep that image out of your mind- That is... If you saw what just happened."

Really, the last thing Beatrix wanted was a boy to go tell everyone in their year that he got a look up her skirt. Not only was that embarrassing, but what would Vincent say? Two days, and she was already prostituting her way around the court yard. Devlin Matthews would have a riot with this story.

[Erin Harper]

She sat down nearby, and Erin hauled himself up into a sitting position, angled towards her, head tilted slightly as he listened. "I was just sitting here," he said, giving Beatrix a look as if to say, duh. Then the look turned into a bit of a smirk as he continued, lightly, "You know. People-watching." That he'd been watching her was fairly obvious by the way his smirk widened, almost passing out the other side from devious to pure grin.

Not actively watching, of course. It was only luck he'd been looking her way when the wind caught her skirt. Still, he'd no real interest in pursuing the matter- or Beatrix. He would've been happy just to give her a hard time for a few minutes, a few significant looks, another smirk, maybe some snickering in the hallways if he remembered- no, ha, take that back, he'd definitely remember! But he hadn't been expecting her to offer him money. Erin's eyebrows shot up. Either this was something serious to her or Dark just had money to throw around.

 "You're going to pay me not to...? That's crazy." But his eyes lingered on the bag in her hand, then flicked back up to her face. Money was money, and that was good money for forgetting. Or pretending to have forgotten. Erin smiled at her, and mimed bowing in obedience.

[Beatrix Dark]

Beatrix watched that silly grin form on Erin's face. The nerve of him! He was people watching, and what he means by that was that he was a pervert... And lazy. And too smug for his own good. After a short moment of glaring at him, Beatrix finally spoke up, "I should smack you..." The girl would probably go into frenzy if Erin acted any worst, but she was trying to control herself and her overwhelming need to beat. And that need to beat usually gets taken out by mean, nasty boys. But, Erin wasn't so bad. Not yet, at least.

"You're going to pay me not to...? That's crazy."

"No, it's called bribing someone. You're a Slytherin, you should really be used to this." Beatrix let the coins fall into her hand and she hid the bag away to where it was before. "I'm sure you do it all the time, anyways..." Beatrix turned herself more towards Erin and grinned, sweetly and maniacally. "Here. Take the coins, and don't utter a word." Bea stuck the money-filled hand towards the boy, "And if you do, I'll find you. And I'll hurt you. And I'll take all of your money." Her grin turned into a charming smile, "Like a criminal! Do you want to be beaten and mugged by a skinny, little girl?" She let out a cutesy laugh before jingling the coins in her hand.

"Well, Mr. Harper? I'm sure you'll make the right choice. After all, you don't want people to their you're a nancy boy, do you?" Beatrix teased him in a bitter sweet tone. Though he really had the advantage here, since he was the one who saw the whole charade. He could go around the Slytherin common room telling people what Bea's buttocks is like and everyone would laugh and have a jolly good time teasing the girl. Not only that, but Vincent Pennyapple would likely hear that story and hate Beatrix forever. Oh the shame! Beatrix wanted to crawl into a hole in die. But, instead, she continued to bribe Erin.

[Erin Harper]

Erin snorted. "Don't blame me for the wind's indiscretions." Despite whatever Beatrix thought, Erin had never been bribed before in his life. He'd never been in much of a position to be, no more so than any other student. So what was this, then? Rampant stereotyping of Slytherin house, it was- for shame! Erin would be more offended if he wasn't so used to it. And if he didn't encourage the stereotypes himself. He didn't correct her.

Interesting how she managed to hide that bag away again without revealing anything, though. Not that it really mattered. Erin'd already had the full show, after all.

She threatened him, and he gave her a sneer to show her what he thought of that particular idea. Honestly, did she think that her cutesy little giggle was going to unnerve him? Sure, Erin knew her reputation for a quick temper and an even quicker wand, and he also knew it wasn't a good idea to bait her (although that certainly wouldn't stop him from doing so). But while he may have never been bribed before, or, for that matter, bribed anyone else, he'd certainly been threatened, and with a lot more than being beaten up for his money. Being threatened was old hat to Erin.

Besides, he'd happily engage in fights with anyone who'd have him, and if she came after him he certainly wouldn't go easy on a "skinny little girl" like Beatrix. She might be older than him, and more knowledgeable, but Erin fought like a madman, and he also fought dirty.

Still, despite his disdain, Erin was a little impressed. He liked a prefect who'd beat up kids for their bribe money. He held out his hand, an eyebrow raised expectantly, but Beatrix's last line made him pause. "How would that make me a nancy?" he asked, brow crumpled. Then, more defiantly, "And what makes you suppose I'd care what other people thought?"

[Beatrix Dark]

"Don't blame me for the wind's indiscretions."

"I'm blaming you for watching people's dismay in the 'wind's indiscretions'." Beatrix shook her head. It was quite obvious that's was what he was doing. No sane person would sit out there, people watching, otherwise. It was fun to watch people rush for papers and trip all over themselves. But since Bea was acting like one of those pompous good girls (sort of) she wasn't about to admit she would have been doing the same. "If you weren't such a freak, I wouldn't have to be bribing you right now." Beatrix snapped, as if she was one to talk. Plus, such a remark was quite uncalled for. And it was sort of her fault for wearing heels and a skirt.

"How would that make me a nancy? And what makes you suppose I'd care what other people thought?"

"... Having the living daylights beaten out of you by Beatrix Dark?" She raised a brow, "How would that not make you a Nancy?" She sighed and put the coins down on the bench. "And you'd care because you're a teenager and you don't want to be judged." That wasn't exactly how Bea thought, she just really didn't want Vincent Pennyapple to find out that Erin Harper had gotten a glimpse at her before he did. It was already awful that Callum was there to loom over him, she didn't want Erin telling him something that he could definitely twist around. And then Vincent would never go on a date with her and she would be alone forever because some idiot Slytherin blabbed his mouth.

"Fine, you don't care what people think about you? That just makes it easier for me to beat the crap out of you." Beatrix scowled, "Now take the bloody coins and never speak to anyone about this." She gathered her stuff together, getting ready to leave, before she paused and set her stuff aside. "You really don't care, do you?" She asked, curiously. Most Slytherins she knew were either the 'cool' people who didn't want to be seen around 'losers' or stuck-up and didn't want to look bad. Even if Beatrix DID beat Erin up (Which was highly doubtful, she would probably convince Razzy or Zoey to do it for her) he probably would still not care. And that really intrigued Beatrix. For once, she didn't feel like she was the only careless person around. Well, Vincent was kind of careless, too, but Beatrix didn't really know him that well enough to notice.

Right now, she was just trying to get the back-talking Slytherin to accept her money so she could be off and finish her homework.

[Erin Harper]

"Pardon me for having eyes," Erin say dryly. "And for using them, oh deary me, whatever could I be thinking. Sight is so over-rated." What else was he supposed to do with a free period? Be responsible- do his homework? Not bloody likely. Then Dark called him a freak, and Erin's eyebrows rose. After a moment where he was unsure whether to be offended or amused, he let out a huff of disbelief that sounded very much like a laugh. "Bribery isn't the first thing most people's minds leap to after suffering an accident like that either, so maybe you should keep from the name-calling. And as I don't plan on ever getting more than I can give from you or anyone else, I still don't see much chance of my being called a nancy." Maybe a lunatic, but prooooobably not a nancy boy. Least not until he started fluttering his lashes at Sasha Schlagenweit, and that was only because the prefect was hilarious when he panicked.

Nearly bored now, he flopped his head to one side as Beatrix kept talking- and kept dangling that money just out of reach. "You think so, do you?" he said, supremely uninterested in her further stereotyping of teenagers- or was it Slytherins still? He'd lost track. If he cared what people thought, he'd have some bloody friends, wouldn't he? But Dark had some sort of stick up her arse now, and as she scowled at him Erin scowled back. "Fine, then give them to me!" he snapped. "I've only had my hand out for the past five minutes!" He leaned back against the wall of the castle, crossing his arms over his chest and still scowling as Beatrix paused in gathering her things and promptly had herself a mood change.

"You really don't care, do you?"

....Girls. Erin never understood them. From yelling at him to soft-voiced curiosity in ten seconds flat.

He raised an eyebrow at her, a little sulkily. "Assume I'm not lying."

[Beatrix Dark]

"Pardon me for having eyes, and for using them, oh deary me, whatever could I be thinking. Sight is so over-rated."

Beatrix rolled her eyes, "You're such a piece of work, you know that?" She really didn't have anything to say to him. It was true, it wasn't his fault that he witnessed her skirt fly up. But Beatrix wasn't going down just yet. Insulting him just made her seem a lot less pathetic, so she would just keep up that act until she finally caved in and begged him not to tell anyone... Or stormed off, not caring if he told anyone at all.

"Bribery isn't the first thing most people's minds leap to after suffering an accident like that either, so maybe you should keep from the name-calling. And as I don't plan on ever getting more than I can give from you or anyone else, I still don't see much chance of my being called a nancy."

"Oh, right. What would you do, dare I ask, if someone were to see your buttocks without your consent, hm?" Then again, he WAS a guy and most guys were probably quite used to it. But Beatrix was thinking more so of the guys that played sports, rather than the guys who sat around watching for girls' skirts to be blown around by the wind. "And no one ever plans to get the daylights beaten out of them, silly. That'd be completely idiotic." Beatrix could almost imagine Erin waltzing up to someone big and buff and saying 'Hey, I want you to beat me up since I don't believe I'm a nancy boy'.

"I've only had my hand out for the past five minutes!"

Beatrix sent the boy a dark glare before picking up the coins again and flinging them at his feet as if he were a begger. "You don't have to be so rude, ya' know!" She gathered her stuff once more, she really didn't want to sit around while a moody teenage boy sassed her around.

"Assume I'm not lying."

Sure, Beatrix had been quite cruel to the boy before, but now it was just getting ridiculous. The sour looks and sarcastic tones... Beatrix couldn't stand it. "I was just asking... Maybe I think it's respectful for someone to think that way... I wasn't trying to insult you this time." Beatrix turned her legs away from him and looked the other way. Maybe if she acted like he wasn't there, he would fly away with his nasty personality and stop treating her like a low-class prostitute. Even if it was her own fault.

[Erin Harper]

Well, if Beatrix was allowed sudden mood changes, Erin was too. He grinned at her in lieu of replying, amusing by this endless stream of defensive insults. In fact, when she asked about his reaction if he'd been the one seen with his pants down, he even started laughing. Erin couldn't help it. The mental image was too good, although he tried to steer clear, even mentally, of the idea of himself in a skirt. "What do you think happens after Quidditch practice, Dark? I daresay I'm used to dropping my pants in front of other people."

"And no one ever plans to get the daylights beaten out of them, silly. That'd be completely idiotic." Erin raised an eyebrow at her and didn't answer. Of course, she hadn't grown up in i]his[/i] family- Erin had done all sorts of stuff over the years that he'd known Landis was going to thrash him for. Everything from shredding his school books to smoking up his room, and when Erin'd come to Hogwarts, that habit had come right along with him. Erin was rarely surprised when he got the shite beaten out of him. However, there was a flip side to that- Erin often knew he'd get beaten, but he also knew he'd beat back. 'Course, Landis had always had a bit of an advantage on him, what with the 9 year difference and all. Thankfully in Hogwarts the age ratios were a bit more even.

Beatrix flung the coins at his feet, and Erin's eyes narrowed to show the dip in his good humor. He wouldn't take that from her- he was no beggar to scrabble at coins from the ground, how dare she. They were both purebloods, and that was quite an insult. Erin's lip curled, but she didn't see; she was already turning away from him, her nose in the air.

When he spoke, it was very calmly. Any anger he felt was- barely- controlled. After all, he wasn't trying to scare her off and he didn't want to fight her, but maybe she'd catch the dark tone in his voice and be ashamed of herself. Erin was capable of quite a good deal of hypocrisy himself, even if he usually recognized it, and there was definitely a bit of hypocrisy in his getting disgusted at this. But then again, in this case, the shared traits weren't exactly positive. "Yeah, I'm a jerk. Yeah, I saw your little "accident." But for Merlin's sake, have some dignity, won't you? Flinging coins, having snits, like you're some little kid. Well, your temper tantrum worked- I don't want your money now."

The idea of her asking him something respectfully was really hilarious, really top focking notch. Erin studied her stiff, turned-away posture, still a little cold himself. "Mmm, you were, weren't you? ....You know, you're a bit touchy." He said it as mildly as he could, not exactly meaning offense himself, even if he was angry with the way she was acting. It'd be a bit rich to accuse her of childishness and then keep insulting her like a kid himself. "No, I really don't care."

[Beatrix Dark]

"What do you think happens after Quidditch practice, Dark? I daresay I'm used to dropping my pants in front of other people."

Beatrix rolled her eyes once more, "I don't doubt you're used to dropping your pants in front of people. The problem is that no one wants to see it." Of course, not many people would want to see Beatrix with her skirt down, either. But she wasn't going to lose to that mocking Slytherin! Erin would have to face it, Beatrix wasn't going to back down.

All she really wanted to do was get away from Erin. He sure wasn't welcoming, definitely not from the start. But Beatrix didn't mind the sassy comments and clever insults, she was quite used to those. But it was like the boy DESPISED Bea. She couldn't get it through her head that she was the one who started the whole mess, but she still couldn't stand that he would even THINK of treating Beatrix that badly. He was worst than Devlin. Well, sort of.

"Yeah, I'm a jerk. Yeah, I saw your little "accident." But for Merlin's sake, have some dignity, won't you? Flinging coins, having snits, like you're some little kid. Well, your temper tantrum worked- I don't want your money now."

Beatrix turned further away from Erin, her jaw dropped. What did he just say!? All Beatrix wanted to do now was punch the guy until he cried for his mother. How dare he! How dare he even act that way! No respectable person would treat a human being so horribly. And Beatrix wasn't that respectable, she already knew that. Beatrix got up and turned to Erin, looking about ready to slap him. "Fine! Don't take my money! I don't care! And HEY! Why don't you go tell EVERYONE about what you saw today, hm? I don't give a flying monkey's ASS!" She yelled, her hair turning a flaming red with her recklessness.

And right when she seemed that she was about to give Erin a hard punch to the face, she collapsed back down to where she was sitting before and began to sob her eyes out. It wasn't often that Beatrix would cry without trying to get something out of it. Beatrix probably hadn't cried for multiple years... And Erin had basically broken the rebellious red-haired wonder.

"Mmm, you were, weren't you? ....You know, you're a bit touchy."

"Whatever..." Beatrix muttered before covering her face with her hands. She hated the way she was acting. This simply just made her look even more like a child, just as Erin said. But there was little she could do. The sooner she was away from the rude boy, the better it would be and the less pathetic Beatrix would be. If someone asked her why she was crying, she'd say "Oh... A spell backfired on me" or "I was viciously attacked by a fork and it stabbed my eye". Something along those lines.

[Erin Harper]

"Oh, yeah, I know," he agreed, with the fake enthusiasm of the vicious. "Skinny little arse that I have. If anyone's a nancy on the Slytherin Quidditch team, I haven't spotted it yet."

Oh, but now she was going to make a scene, jumping up and yelling like that, as if it wasn't a scene she'd been trying to avoid. Her hair turned bright red, which Erin certainly didn't miss- what did that mean, anger? Violent rage? What was this girl's problem, he was thinking, just about the time that Beatrix Dark suddenly burst into tears.

...Well, that was unexpected. Erin was shocked. A dull  flush of shame rose to his cheeks as he angled his body towards her on the bench, shoulders hunched under his robe, mouth slack and disbelieving. He didn't- Beatrix was- for Merlin's sake, he hadn't meant to make her cry.

"Don't cry," he said urgently, his blue eyes round and panicked. Erin was not comfortable with girls crying. The only girl he'd ever seen cry much was his sister, and making her cry was worse than anything. Making any other girl weep was, therefore, nearly as bad. Or maybe worse, because Beatrix wasn't family, he didn't understand her, he'd thought she was- "I didn't mean it. I'm not going to tell anyone! C'mon, Beatrix, don't cry, I'll even pick up your money for you." His hands went to his robe pockets for a handkerchief, but of course, Erin didn't carry handkerchiefs. Hastily, he transfigured one out of a nearby leaf.

[Beatrix Dark]

Of course, the rude boy was trying to make Beatrix feel better. If it had been any other cocky Slytherin, they would have been long gone. Who sits around while a fifteen year old girl cries her eyes out? Soon enough, she'll be complaining about normal teenage problems and reciting awful poetry like Trent Travis does in his alone time. It definitely wasn't a good idea for Erin to be around Beatrix while she was crying.

"I didn't mean it. I'm not going to tell anyone! C'mon, Beatrix, don't cry, I'll even pick up your money for you."

"Oh, stop it!" Beatrix yelled at him, "You very well meant it, and you just said you didn't care about what people thought of you... Well I think you're a downright--" She refrained from cursing at the boy and scooted away from him on the bench. Beatrix felt like such a fool... But of course, this really wouldn't stop her in future predicaments. Beatrix was Beatrix, and she was quite the child by nature.

"I don't care about the money! And I don't care if you tell anyone!" She yelled at him after he transfigured the leaf, "You win, okay? I don't care!" Bea shrugged overdramatically and rubbed her eyes. By now, her red hair had fallen into the bright blue that always appeared when she was depressed. Usually she'd control herself better than that. She didn't like letting people know she was a metamorph. But in times like this, Beatrix couldn't help it.

"Keep the money... I don't want it anymore." She sniffed and wiped her eyes, which were now dark and streaming down with her eyeliner. Beatrix picked up her books once more before setting them back down, she didn't really want to get up and let anyone else see her bawling her eyes out. Erin would have to leave, that was Beatrix's decision. But a new array of tears and sobs burst through before she could even look at the guy. Perhaps it was just all the pressure she had been getting in school lately... She'd definitely have to visit her old friend Dazmond soon to fix that.

[Erin Harper]

Erin pressed the transfigured leaf into her hand before scrambling down onto his knees to pick up the money Beatrix had thrown. Even if she didn't want it, her eye make-up was running- and girls hated that, didn't they? Erin wasn't really sure. He refrained from mentioning it, just in case it'd bring on a fresh volley of tears. Instead, he concentrated very hard on picking up every single coin, his gaze darting guiltily up at Beatrix now and again.

At least she was still insulting him, or attempting to. That was a good sign, right? Oh, Merlin, Erin felt all squirmy. He didn't really understand what his not caring what other people thought had to do with anything, but he remained silent until she finished yelling at him.

"I won't, though," he informed the ground. "Tell anyone, that is, I won't. I wasn't trying- " ...to win. "I'm sorry for being such an arse. Just, er." He straightened, still on his knees, and ran a hand through his hair distractedly so that it stood straight up. Biting his lip, he gave her a lopsided, hopeful, and only a tiny bit anxious smile. "Please stop crying?"