3:30 PM

Vienna slammed shut her Potions textbook and glared meaningfully at the two giggling Ravenclaw girls sitting at the next table. Perfectly engrossed in trivial chatter, they did not heed her warning, not even one bit. The blonde with the red bowtie in her hair pointed at a Gryffindor boy across the room and whispered perkily to her friend, who then burst into a glass-shattering giggle. There was a small pause and more hushed whispers followed by another flood of high-pitched laughter. Vienna felt her blood boil. This had been going on for the past twenty minutes and Vienna was at her wit’s end. She had a fifteen-inch essay due by tomorrow morning and as of this moment, there were exactly four words and a comma on the paper. Of all the places in the world, Vienna sighed in resignation, must they gossip in a library? It was a lost cause trying to find some peace and quiet in this Merlin-forsaken place. She stuffed her work and stationery into her bag and left in a huff, not forgetting to send the two chatter boxes one last dirty glare as she exited the library.

She wandered around the fourth floor for a short while before coming across an open room down the hall. Vienna peered inside and found it unoccupied. It was clean, well-lit, and above all else, quiet. A rare smile lit up her face as she congratulated herself on her good fortune. Vienna entered the room, closed the door behind her, set up a workspace, and immersed herself into the essay. The words came naturally once she was free of distraction. Her graceful handwriting soon filled up the parchment and before the afternoon was done, she had completed her work.

The Slytherin brunette got up from her desk and smoothed away the imaginary wrinkles in her dress. Nothing was more gratifying than the thought that she had the rest of the afternoon and evening to do as she wished. There was a party in the Slytherin Common Room tonight, perhaps she could…

Absentmindedly, Vienna picked up her bag and walked out of the room. She shut the door behind her and heard a small click echo down the hall as the lock shifted into place. She barely took two steps before a sudden cringe overtook her usually placid expression. Vienna bit down on her lips. The essay was still in the room. She immediately dashed back to the door and pulled at the brass latch. It did not budge.  Oh lovely. It was unthinkable that she could have done something so stupid. Vienna leaned her weight against the door and pulled at the latch again. Nothing happened. She took out her wand and pointed it at the lock. 

“Alohomora,” she murmured. Red sparks shot out of the tip before fizzling into thin air.

She yanked at the latch again to no avail.

Frustration washed over her and she could feel her face reddening in heat. In perhaps her first childish tantrum in seven years, she let out a small yelp and kicked at the door hopelessly.

(( I am gonna pretend this thread happens after this one: LINK))

With a tone deaf whistle and a jaunt in his skip (or was it a skip in his jaunt?)Devlin made his way towards his dorm room, fingering that days hard earned profit in his pockets. His thick lips were curled into a broad and very self satisfied smile,rightfully so because, after all, he had managed to get nearly double the profit off some test answers and started a friendly repartee with the girl he planned to seduce. Things were fan-frikkin-tastic. The only thing that could make it better was a good laugh at an uptight slytherette locked away from her hard earned homework.

“Alohomora,” Yank. Yelp. Kick.

Well speak of the devil. Devlin peered around the corner towards an abandoned classroom to see none other then the Slytherin Ice Queen herself, Miss Pascal, kicking the door in a very unbecoming hissy fit. A broad smirk spread across his face and Devlin had to duck behind the wall before she saw him trying not to laugh at her predicament. Stifling the snicker that was rising in his throat, Devlin managed to tone down his smirk to a dull roar and strolled out towards her nonchalantly.

'Spying' her, he cocked a brow slowly and quipped "Now now Miss Pascal, no need to beat the door... You simply need to be smarter then it..." Walking over, he tried the knob as though it would magically open for him before looking up at her in surprise when it did not, his tone denoting that he assumed she hadn't already tried it "... Ah looks like it is locked. Good luck!" With a grin, he started to walk away slowly, just waiting for her to beg for help.

Frustration turned into regret and regret turned into mortification as the voice of one Devlin Matthews floated down the hall. Vienna backed away from the door and paled considerably as the Ravenclaw Sixth-Year walked towards her. Judging from that look on his face, she knew he saw everything. It was terribly humiliating to be caught in a childish tantrum, especially by someone the likes of him. He would never let her live this down. Vienna straightened herself and haughtily tilted her head to the side in what she knew to be a rather pathetic attempt at salvaging the little dignity she had left. The tell-tale flush in her cheeks made a mockery of the charade.

“Now now Miss Pascal, no need to beat the door…”

God. What she wouldn’t give to wipe that unholy smirk off his face.

“You simply need to be smarter than it.”

Vienna’s lips twitched in indignation. The little jab at her intelligence hit home closer than she would have liked to admit. If she didn’t know any better, she could’ve sworn he was getting quite the kick out of this little encounter. Vienna felt rather cross at having become the source of his amusement. Shouldn’t he be busy snogging that silly Hufflepuff, Fauna Blake, in the library? She saw them there a while ago and they seemed cozy enough. Why didn’t he just stay there?

Vienna placed her hands on her hips and smiled very thinly, “Charming as always, Mr. Matthews.” Her eyes flashed coldly and her voice was devoid of humour, “You sure know how to flatter a girl…”

He walked over and turned the knob as if she hadn’t already done so. It stayed put for him as it did for her. “Ah,” he looked up in mock surprise and she wanted to sock him in the face right there and then, "Looks like it is locked. Good luck!"

With that, he began to walk away. A biting remark was on the tip of her tongue and just as she was about to lash out at him, it occurred to her that it would be hypocritical of him to mock her unless he knew something that she did not. Case in point: how to open that door. Very well, if he was so clever, let him do it. She hated asking for favours and the only way she could bring herself to do it was to phrase the request in such a way so that it no longer resembled a request but an appeal to reputation and pride. Artful persuasion was a Slytherin trait and she played with the gifts that she was given.

“Wait,” Vienna feigned a defeated sigh and called out after him “surely you would not leave a girl in the middle of a hallway, alone, helpless, and in disappointment. That would be...impolite.”

She flashed him a demure smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes.

“Tell me, what does a girl have to do around here to get a door open.”

“Wait, surely you would not leave a girl in the middle of a hallway, alone, helpless, and in disappointment. That would be...impolite.”

He paused when she said this, his back still to her while he waited for her to continue. A self satisfied smile spread across his face as he glanced over his shoulder and saw her demure expression. Was the Ice Queen flirting? Devlin was honored.

“Tell me, what does a girl have to do around here to get a door open.”

He had started to walk again when she said this, and her words made him quickly lift the leg he was currently stepping with and spin around on the other foot so that he was stepping towards her rather then away. Strolling towards her slowly, he shrugged and said with a coy smile "Oh I dunno... Lot's of things..."

"She could always ask prettily... say please... and tell me how much she needs me...That always seems to work" He said with a wink as he stopped in front of her. Leaning against the door, he loosened his tie with a playful grin "... Or she could always make it worth my trouble... Something I would enjoy maybe?..." He made no attempt to hide the fact that he looked her over as he said this.

Leaning forward, he made as though to close the space between them for a kiss, but before he got close enough to latch his lips onto her own ruby red ones, Devlin paused and held out his hand, palm up, with a smile. "Four galleons. Two for the effort... and two after if I get it open..."

---

According to the Harry Potter Currency calculator, 4 galleons is roughly 20 bucks.

[[-Bursts in- Here I am! To destroy the joy! (Hey, that's a cool little rhyme I JUST made up! So proud!)]]

It was rather quiet in the hallway when Beatrix Dark left the Library. She was used to the buzzing of silence since she had been away for about four hours. It was just her daily routine, anyway. Rotting away her days until her bestie came along and told her to "stop studying, you're acting like a nerd". But that wasn't today, sadly. The silence was momentarily broken after hearing a familiar voice echo down the corridor.

“Wait, surely you would not leave a girl in the middle of a hallway, alone, helpless, and in disappointment. That would be...impolite.”

It wasn't hard to guess that that cold voice was from none other than Vienna Pascal. Beatrix knew that right away, since no one ever spoke as pretty and cool as Vienna. She might of told someone that, but they probably thought she was a nutter and needed to check her sexuality. BUT! She took no mind to such judgmental people. Beatrix simply walked on, not really caring. Though that sounds mean, Beatrix knew Vienna was probably talking to someone else~ Not her. She didn't really think anything of it until after Vienna's voice echoed down the hall again and she heard the reply. Beatrix grimaced immediately.

"Oh I dunno... Lot's of things..."

Her stomach churned and she began to stomp towards the voices. She recognized that voice, too, alright. Beatrix loathed Devlin Matthews and wanted him gone. The last thing that Vienna needed was to waste a bunch of coins to open a dumb door. Beatrix would be able to do it for free, and Devlin knew that. He mocked her sometimes, which really ticked her off, calling her "Killjoy" and such with all of his dumb, stupid, ignorant, little friends. She finally had spotted them and snarled.

"Oh no. Ms. Pascal, don't you dare waste a single knut on this... Trash." Beatrix immediately said, politely enough to not be offensive. She marched right next to the two and shook her head, "Couldn't you just do something for free? At least once in your life?" she barked at Devlin with a full blown scowl on her face.

OOC: I got a little carried away. 

---

Like Vienna had expected, her words made him stop in his tracks. He looked at her over his shoulders and Vienna knew she had his attention. All she had to do now was to play her cards right. Granted, flirting was neither her forté nor her favourite method of getting her way, but, given what she knew about Devlin Matthews and his notorious reputation when it comes to the fairer sex, Vienna supposed she could handle it, somehow. After all, two could play this game.

And how wrong she was… 

He spun around and walked back towards her. The coy smile plastered on his face made her quite wary of his intentions. She flirted as a last resort. Surely, he wouldn’t take her up on her offer.

"Oh I dunno... Lots of things... She could always ask prettily... say please... and tell me how much she needs me...That always seems to work…Or she could always make it worth my trouble... Something I would enjoy maybe?..."

Vienna grew flustered and it took all the discipline she could muster to keep herself from stepping back a few steps as he approached her. It was a bad, bad choice to goad him on like that. 

Very bad.

Oh dear. He did not just give her the once over. She almost bit down on her lips as a very nasty shudder ran down her spine. All this for a stupid door, she swore inwardly at herself. He had a wonderful talent for making her feel very…cheap. Vienna almost froze as he leaned dangerously close to her. A million possibilities ran through her mind and none of them was particularly pleasant. She willed herself to stand her ground and raised a challenging eyebrow. He wouldn’t dare…

“I’m flattered, Devlin,” she smirked uneasily, “but I don’t think your girlfriend will appreciate this very—“

Before she could finish her sentence, he held out his hand and smiled smugly, “Four galleons. Two for the effort... and two after if I get it open..."

The jerk.

Money was not a problem for Vienna but still, there was something utterly and completely unjust about the amount that he was asking her for to open a stupid door. She had spent a respectable fortune over the past year buying off every single answer sheet he could procure. One would think, for such a loyal customer, he would do something nice without asking for too much in return. Good gracious, the way people conducted business these days was just shameful.

Vienna shook her head mockingly, “Really now, is that necessary? Surely you can make an exception for your best client…”

The only thing that prevented this encounter from turning into a haggling session was the appearance of a certain Beatrix Dark. The Ravenclaw 4th Year wore a ferocious expression as she stormed down the hall towards them.

"Oh no. Ms. Pascal, don't you dare waste a single knut on this... Trash.”

Vienna was about to protest that she could handle this by herself when Beatrix went on to scowl at Devlin.

“Couldn't you just do something for free? At least once in your life?"

Vienna pursed her lips and looked at the two in fascination. Perhaps the less she talked in this situation the better. Her essay forgotten, an amused smile appeared momentarily on her lips before she forced it away. There was no need to pick sides… yet.

((OOC: Er... Devlin is channeling a bit of Ana here... sorry about how mean he is.. That is just how he is when he is attacked...))

---

“Really now, is that necessary? Surely you can make an exception for your best client…”

Oh ho, she was right. He had to admit that Miss Pascal had probably been his first and most loyal customer. It was this fact that made him pause and consider his options. Knowing what she knew, Vienna could put him in between a rock and a hard place, or more likely, Greyfriars wand and expulsion. He heaved a great sigh "Oh I supp--" Before he could finish, however, an obnoxious flash of blond bolted down the hall and stopped between them, cutting him short.

"Oh no. Ms. Pascal, don't you dare waste a single knut on this... Trash.”

Trash? Really? Two-faced jerk maybe... Worthless Git... Self serving prat... All of them he had been called before, but Trash was not one of the monikers of which he regularly went by. It was doubly insulting coming from Beatrix "Killjoy" Dark. He had no clue how someone with the apparent intelligence of a hyperactive chihuahua (And fashion sense) made it into the Ravenclaw house. He was almost certain that she was placed there by Greyfriar himself in some preemptive strike against him, since all the girl ever did was bungle up his plans with her incessant chatter. Incessant chatter, he might add, that she was still yapping.

“Couldn't you just do something for free? At least once in your life?"

“You would know a lot about doing things for free wouldn't you, Dark?” He gave her a playful smile tinted with malicious intent. She was crazy, thinking that he would ever do anything for free. Nothing in life was free, except for air, but he supposed that was all an airhead really needed. Sneering, he leaned towards her and added nastily “... But unlike yours, people will actually pay for my services...”

Turning to Vienna he decided to throw her a bone "Alright, you win, 2 galleons... one up front at the very least. Unless you wish to have Miss Dark here to assist you..." He chuckled cruelly, adding "Although I would assume her lock picking abilities about equal her fashion sense..."

[[At first I was all "JERK!", but by the end I was laughing. xD]]

Beatrix's eyes widened a bit at what Devlin had just said; “You would know a lot about doing things for free wouldn't you, Dark?” The nerve of him! What a complete and utter... "Calm DOWN, Beatrix. You know better than to get upset over something so little. He's just being Devlin." She thought to herself, quickly. But anger began to rise in Beatrix's skinny, little body, and would burst if she wasn't careful.

“... But unlike yours, people will actually pay for my services...”

"You really give them no choice, though, do you?" Beatrix retaliated, smoothly enough. You could see how destructive she was willing to be with Devlin simply by looking at her. "It's like telling someone to pay ten sickles simply for being alive." she glowered. Even though she was trying to act like what he had said didn't mean anything, it secretly hurt her a bit inside. She was a good person once you get past all of the nastiness.

But Devlin had no mind to feel bad for Killjoy, and she pushed it out of her thoughts to even dream of him apologizing. She grinded her teeth, slightly, as Devlin continued his transaction. She really would do it for free, and Vienna would get... Whatever she wanted on the other side of that door. She looked back at Vienna, pleading a bit with her eyes. Why pay two galleons for a door? Then, like a final blow, Beatrix nearly gasped at what Devlin had said. To think she'd be ust to him by now...

In a quick flash, Beatrix had turned back around and slapped Devlin across the face. "How dare you! You immature, low-life, self-centered JERK!" And again, Beatrix slapped him across the face. "Hello! I wear my school uniform EVERY DAY! You might as well be insulting Vienna's fashion, TOO!" Slap. "If you're so great, why do you cost so much money? IT'S NOT LIKE YOU'RE EVEN WORTH IT!" Slap. "I'm surprised you even HAVE friends, considering you're the most HATED PERSON IN THE SCHOOL!" With that, Beatrix used all of her might and, yes, slapped Devlin. If Devlin wasn't such a... Man... Beatrix would be pounding the senses out of him. But there was no sense in attempting to beat up a fully-grown sixth year.

OOC: I am going to pretend Beatrix is in the process of slapping Devlin but hasn't yet. It's slightly god-moddish if you do not give him the chance to react/defend himself.

---

The bickering session between Beatrix and Devlin was becoming heated and Vienna took a few steps back. If the spells break out, she would hate to be caught in the middle. Naturally, Devlin did not take well to Beatrix calling him “trash”, which was a reasonable reaction for any hot-blooded male when confronted by an angry and accusing female. Surprisingly, he remained calm and simply smiled, but it really wasn’t one of those smiles that one put on when exchanging pleasantries. Beatrix was in for it now, whether she liked it or not.

“You would know a lot about doing things for free wouldn't you, Dark?... But unlike yours, people will actually pay for my services...”

Vienna winced at the insinuation. It was unnecessary, if not downright insulting, even for her taste. Both of them had such acidic tempers and they really shouldn’t be goading each other on like this.

"You really give them no choice, though, do you? It's like telling someone to pay ten sickles simply for being alive.”

The glare Beatrix gave him said it all. And so begins Round One, Vienna sighed inwardly to herself. “Civility is a virtue, guys,” she muttered but was sure no one heard her. It was no longer amusing to watch as the two tore at each other’s throat. She just wanted someone to open that blasted door before Beatrix dug out Devlin’s eyes or vice versa.

Thankfully, it was then that Devlin offered her the final price, “Alright, you win, 2 galleons... one up front at the very least.” If only he stopped there but oh no no, he couldn’t resist shoving another snide remark in Beatrix’s face. “Unless you wish to have Miss Dark here to assist you... Although I would assume her lock picking abilities about equal her fashion sense..."

“Fine,” Vienna held up her hands in concession, “I get it. Devlin Matthews doesn’t do free.” She didn’t wholly disagree with the principle, it was simply annoying to be on the paying end of the deal. She opened her purse and fished around for the two galleons. Apparently, Beatrix had other ideas.

The girl went ballistic.

“How dare you! You immature, low-life, self-centered JERK! Hello! I wear my school uniform EVERY DAY! You might as well be insulting Vienna's fashion, TOO! If you're so great, why do you cost so much money? IT'S NOT LIKE YOU'RE EVEN WORTH IT! I'm surprised you even HAVE friends, considering you're the most HATED PERSON IN THE SCHOOL!"

Vienna froze and watched in amazement as Beatrix proceeded to slap Devlin across the face. It was both very impressive and foolish at the same time. Vienna arched an eyebrow in surprise and was speechless. Hmm, go figure.

((It's ok, I told her about that rule and said it was fine this time ))

---

“Fine, I get it. Devlin Matthews doesn’t do free.”

"That's right..." Devlin started, pleased to see Vienna reaching for her wallet. As hard as it was to ignore the fuming and sputtering Beatrix, he could easily pretend she didn't exist when money was involved. Hell, he could pretend anything when money was involved. Pretend he didn't see you sneaking out with your girlfriend? 2 galleons and he had no idea who you are. Pretend he didn't see you stealing that pair of quidditch gloves? 5 galleons and he would rat on the guy next to you. It was all very simple really. At least, until people exploded and started slapping him. That was hard to ignore.

“How dare you! You immature, low-life, self-centered JERK! Hello! I wear my school uniform EVERY DAY! You might as well be insulting Vienna's fashion, TOO! If you're so great, why do you cost so much money? IT'S NOT LIKE YOU'RE EVEN WORTH IT! I'm surprised you even HAVE friends, considering you're the most HATED PERSON IN THE SCHOOL!"

The first slap left Devlin too surprised to speak. It wasn't that it hurt so much, since he had been slapped before. A lot. But that she would slap him over something so little. THe girl obviously had the temper of a chihuahua as well, a rabid one. She slapped him again and Devlin felt his cheeks color in irritation. "Sto--" Her third slap cut him short. "I'm warn--" Slap. "That's it..." As her fifth slap descended on her cheek, Devlin caught her hand in a none too gentle grip and in a second had his wand pointed at her throat.

Gone was his usual playful smile, replaced by something darker and surprisingly sinister. Not a look seen on his face often, and for good reason. Inwardly he was fuming, and had it not been for Vienna standing next to him in bemused silence and the fact his reputation was on the line, Devlin would have done some damage to Miss Dark's pretty little face. Irreparable damage. You didn't slap Devlin Matthews five times for no reason and get away with it. Giving her a very very icy smile, Devlin tried to regain some of his usual joking tone as he said coldly "One slap is free babe, but two or more and you had better be ready to face the consequences." Pulling her a bit closer, he hissed "... So don't ever do that again."

Using all his willpower, Devlin managed to keep his temper in check. Releasing her wrist first, he let his wand linger on her throat a bit longer to make his point before slowly putting it away. Turning to Vienna, he said coldly, the previous flirtatious mirth in his tone gone. "Forget about it. I don't have time for this crap. Let Dark help you..." With that, he turned and stalked away, his face dark with rage. If Beatrix thought she was getting away with this, she was sadly, sadly wrong.

[[Sorry, again. I'm a little new at this.]]

Beatrix's breathing stopped once Devlin had grabbed her wrist. She expected it, yes, she knew it would hurt, yes, but the way he glared down at her made her insides crumble. She knew never to lose her temper, especially over such little idiotic things. But she was a fourteen year old girl. They don't use their brains all too much. To only make matters worse, Devlin was pointing his wand at her. And that she somehow didn't anticipate him doing such a thing. Maybe she wasn't as smart as she always liked to seem...

She didn't really know what to do next. Beatrix's raging thoughts were all over the place, trying to think of what exactly Devlin could do to her. Reminding her of how her father used to act when she would get herself into trouble. Telling her to remember to drop by the Charms room to get that extra homework assignment. Devlin would damage her plenty enough, she concluded. She just stared right back at Devlin, not moving or breathing, as if he’d snap at any second. What could she do? Even though she wanted to say 'What are you going to do now, genius?' (Which would just make it much, much worse) she murmured "Sorry, Devlin... I didn't mean--"

"One slap is free babe, but two or more and you had better be ready to face the consequences."

Beatrix wanted to laugh at Devlin for calling her ’Babe’, but she held her tongue. It wouldn’t be such a smart move to do that. Even though she thought it was strange to call someone that, but it was a pretty smooth way to threaten someone. "... So don't ever do that again." Bea nodded, quickly, at Devlin. “Whatever you say…” She added, quietly. Beatrix nearly forgotten Vienna was right there until Devlin put down his wand.

"Forget about it. I don't have time for this crap. Let Dark help you..."

“Right then…” Bea said, dryly. She took her bag off her back and retrieved a small metal instrument from one of the pockets. All while watching Devlin, as if he’d just turn around and avada kedava her right away. She didn’t like what was happening, but that’s what she gets for losing her temper so quickly. Still rather shaken, she turned to Vienna. “A- Anyways…” She cleared her throat.

“Right then…A-Anyways…”

As Devlin stalked away, Vienna shook her head in disbelief at Beatrix, “You’re quite the piece of work, you know that?” Absolutely unbelievable. The girl had slapped Devlin Matthews three times and had got away with it too. Granted, he took the high road and walked away, and there was no guarantee that he wouldn’t exact his revenge later. But for now, Beatrix was safe. The girl had spunk; Vienna would give her that.

She cast the Ravenclaw a wistful sideway glance. If the girl knew how to take a good story and run with it, breakfast in the Great Hall tomorrow would be abuzz with all sorts of absurd gossip and hogwash, all in Beatrix’s favour if she spins the tale just right.

Vienna eyed the small metal instrument in the Ravenclaw’s hand and gestured towards the door, “Can you get it open?”

She sincerely hoped Devlin was wrong about the girl’s lock picking abilities.

“You’re quite the piece of work, you know that?”

Beatrix sighed, softly, and eyed Vienna. “I hope that’s a compliment, Ms. Pascal.” She grinned faintly before squatting down to her knees and fiddling with the door. It was a bit embarrassing for Vienna to watch her be threatened by Devlin, but Beatrix shook it away and thought nothing of it. If Devlin Matthews were to actually sink so low to seek revenge on Beatrix, then so be it. She could take whatever he would do and she would most certainly fight back. She may be a tiny little fourteen year old, but she had guts.

“Can you get it open?”

If Vienna wasn’t a respectable woman, Beatrix would ask why she didn’t trust her hand. She wasn’t bad at what she did, but she wasn’t a criminal like Devlin. Mainly Bea used her skill to get into things like cupboards with candy or if a mean Professor stuffed away a belonging. Sometimes it didn’t work because they put some charm on it that would seal it from prying hands. But this was a simple classroom door and it clicked open within a few seconds.

“No need to fret.” Her lips curled into a satisfied grin and she stood up. Beatrix opened the door and stepped aside for Vienna. “Don’t let Mr. Matthews get into your head, Ms. Pascal,” She paused and looked down the hallway before turning back to Vienna, “We’ve never been on good terms, and I steal away his customers whenever I see him.” She let herself transform her innocent smile into something cruel. “Why spend three galleons for an essay, when I can give it to you free and quite frankly… Better.” Beatrix waved her hand in the air and apologized, “I don’t mean to sound pompous, but that’s what I think.”

The lock clicked open and Beatrix stepped aside. Vienna expressed her gratitude with an almost sincere smile. Her feelings towards Beatrix were as ambiguous as ever. Although the tête-à-tête with Devlin had been impressive, the girl was still, at times, too erratic and bizarre for Vienna’s taste. Nothing bothered her more than someone who she could not decipher. Beatrix just happened to be one of those people.

“No need to fret,” the girl grinned. “Don’t let Mr. Matthews get into your head, Ms. Pascal. We’ve never been on good terms, and I steal away his customers whenever I see him. Why spend three galleons for an essay, when I can give it to you free and quite frankly… Better…”

Vienna raised an intrigued eyebrow at the girl’s proposition. Gone was the carefree innocence from Beatrix’s expression and in its place was something far more dangerous. Vienna didn’t know what to make of it. On one hand, the laws of competition dictated that if someone offered her a better deal for less, she would be wise to take it. On the other, who in her right mind would do such a thing for free?  

“Thank you,” she murmured distractedly.

The thought lingered in Vienna’s mind as she pushed open the door and went in to get her homework. This time, she made sure the parchment was firmly stuffed inside her bag before leaving the room to rejoin Beatrix. Once outside, she leaned against the wall and crossed her arms. She was tempted by the offer, but her suspicions prevented her from undertaking the impulsive buy…for now.

“Beatrix,” Vienna watched Beatrix cautiously from beneath her long lashes, “Surely you must want something in return? You’re not asking for money, or favours, or anything else for the matter and I find it very hard to believe that you’re doing this purely out of generosity and kindness.”

She pondered this for a moment and smiled thinly, “Tell you what, there is a Potions exam coming up and if you could procure me the answer keys, I would be very grateful. And if they are as reliable as you say they are, well, I guess we can talk business then.”

Vienna was sure she had nothing to lose. She didn’t think Beatrix would be able to pull it off, after all, the fourth year was still young, and lacked the connections Devlin had. But of course, keeping an open mind was harmless. Just in case though, she reminded herself to study for that test anyways and buy a copy off Devlin the next time she sees him. If anything, Vienna was never without a contingency plan.

Beatrix stuffed the instrument back into her backpack’s pocket. She wasn’t that interested in what Vienna needed to get. Bea smiled as Vienna thanked her and went off into the room. What she possibly needed to get was no concern of her. She could be stealing another students belongings and she wouldn’t care… Long as Ms. Pascal was away from Devlin Matthews, it’s fine. No one needs to blow two-four galleons on a door. Devlin was one con man if he’d even charge a lady as pretty as Vienna Pascal… Well, she was a bit cold... That shouldn’t stop a seventeen year old boy, though. The Ravenclaw was about to walk off before she heard Ms. Pascal’s voice again. Beatrix turned back to Vienna, the door clicking shut next to the two.

 “Beatrix, Surely you must want something in return? You’re not asking for money, or favors, or anything else for the matter and I find it very hard to believe that you’re doing this purely out of generosity and kindness.”

That’s exactly why she did it… Beatrix wouldn’t charge someone for a door to an empty classroom. Her face crinkled up, slightly, and she shook her head. “I could never charge you, Ms. Pascal.” Her smile was a bit lopsided now. What made Vienna think she wanted anything from her? She wasn’t a prostitute like Devlin Matthews. Beatrix shrugged and pulled her arms through her bag’s straps, “I would feel too bad…” She added.

“Tell you what, there is a Potions test coming up next week and if you could procure me the answer keys, I would be very grateful. And if they are as reliable as you say they are, well, I guess we can talk business then.”

The Potions test? Was it really that hard to study? Ms. Pascal surely had her reasons, so Beatrix thought about it for a couple of seconds. She eyed the hallway before taking a step closer to the Slytherin, “Alright…” She agreed, her innocent grin falling into place. “I’ll get you the answers to the test.” Beatrix nodded, cheerfully, her voice was low so no one heard. She had done this plenty of times before, only for History and one time Transfiguration for Zoey.

“How about this, I’ll get you the answers; you don’t pay me a thing. All you need to do is be your icy self.” Beatrix’s eyes narrowed, slightly, before she continued, “And… If I fail to get the answers, because I might; I get caught doing everything… I’ll give you the galleons to pay Mr. Matthews to get them.” She really didn’t want to say this, but she was telling the truth. She wouldn’t want Vienna to fail her test. It would partially be her fault, too, if she didn’t give Ms. Pascal the coins. Beatrix bit her lip and furrowed her brow, “Also… If you tell anyone about what happened with Devlin… Say I didn’t do anything and that he was just being a git… When I get the answers, that is.”