September 16
5:33am

Ethan slumped into a rather cozy recliner, not bothering to check to see if anyone was sitting there, and released a long, dramatically drawn out, sigh. Barely pressing past the two week mark, the Slytherin boy had a dreadful feeling that this year was going to linger longer than he'd like. Oh, it wasn't the classes that bothered him, nor was it the lads who seemed to constantly disagree with him... No, it was the dammed school itself. How he loathed these castle walls, the changing stair cases, even the bleeding portraits. This school wasn't a place of 'Magic and Wonder' it was a bloody prison. The smells, the merriment of the other students, even his own house mates annoyed him. He, generally, wasn't a people person... The fact that this school kept them all locked in the dungeons for more than a good chunk of their young lives was futher proof this place offered nothing less than torture.

It was quite early, so Ethan wasn't too terribly surprised to find that he was the only one in the Common Area. The rest of his - oh, how to put this nicely? - sickening brothers and sisters were probably sleeping the morning away, not wanting to wake before it was an absolute dire need. Such as, let's say...Breakfast. Ethan felt his gag reflex at the thought, and quickly regained his composure, adjusting the tie to his Slytherin robes.  Yes, he was already dressed, Ethan was a morning and night wizard, there was really no time of day that was safe from his presence. Rather delightful, isn't it?

He pressed his black slacks, checking for any sign of dust, lint or mark. How he hated to leave the wrong impression on the students and staff of this, this school. Ethan wasn't a filthy person, he was just an arse. Don't ever confuse the two, darlings. There's a multitude of differences between the two. Ethan took high pride in his physical appearance. His hair was always straightened, his clothes clean and lacked any visible sign of wear and tear. His teeth, brushed after every meal, and his body in good working condition. He did exercise, but only on the weekends or after a difficult lesson. Neither of which would happen today.

The Slytherin found himself digging his thumbnail into his forefinger nail, the nails crashing against each other in a highly audible fashion in this dark and emptied common room. He lifted his brows, bemused by his apparent lack of boredom and looked lazily to the entrance to the dorm rooms. Like clockwork, at 5:30AM, since the sun was barely peeking over the hills, the fireplace burst into life. Ethan's attention was brought towards the now kindling flame and he found himself wondering if there were safety percautions attached the spell of the timed fire. Would it still rekindle if something alive were sitting inside? He grinned, that would surely be an 'exit' that would be spoken of years after he was gone - if such a tragedy were to ever happen, of course.

Twistedly, however, he began to plan a way to test the theory. Perhaps he would catch a snake, or bird today before dinner and bring it back up here. Once the other students departed to their dorms, Ethan would bring back the captured animal and charm it to stay in the fireplace. In a sick way, the idea sounded fun and the 7th year boy found his heart pumping with anticipated adrenaline. Of course, if there were no fire precautions, the screams of the burning animal were sure to wake his house mates. His anxious expression completely dropped then, and he was left emotionless as he finally ripped his gaze from the fire.

The clock in the dorm read that three minutes had passed since the fire erupted. He cocked a brow as he looked, again, towards the entrance to the dorm rooms. Maybe the fates would be nice today, wake up a tasty treat for him to sample...Or at least toy with.

Vienna was plagued by another restless night. After what seemed like an agonizing eternity of toss and turns, she bolted upright in her bed and sighed. Casting aside the cover, Vienna swung her legs over the bed and stood up. It took a moment for her eyes to adjust in the darkness but even then, she didn’t need to see to know that most of her peers were still sound asleep in their beds. Smiling wistfully to herself, Vienna made her way to the dressing room and began her tedious daily routine of preparing for the day to come.

Even though she was safe within the confine of Slytherin territory, Vienna refused to look anything less than her best. She pulled on an olive-green silk dress and topped it off with a pair of black heels. Her hair she tied back into an elaborate bun, re-doing it several times until every strand was firmly in place. Vienna stared solemnly into her reflection in the mirror. Her gaze lingered on those dramatic green eyes, high arched brows, and perfectly rouged lips. Was she fit to be seen now? Vanity was a curious thing. Vienna would like to think that with or without her good looks, she would still be the same person, arrogant and unapologetic, but she knew better, to be a Slytherin meant waking up to a masquerade every morning, strip them of their vanity and purism and they would all fall like dominoes.

Vienna sighed and smoothed out the imaginary wrinkles in her dress. With one last glance at the pale brunette in the mirror, Vienna tore her gaze away and left the dressing room.  On her way out, she grabbed a book on the Dark Arts from her bedside table before making her way to the green and silver Slytherin Common Room below. It was still early in the morning and not a soul was in sight apart from the lonely presence of a Slytherin in her year by the name of Ethan Krosse. Vienna knew very little about him save for what she could deduce form his appearance and mannerism. He was well-dressed and had a commanding air about him, which Vienna took as the signs of a privileged and respectable upbringing. She would’ve been happy to leave it at that if not for the scandal revolving his family, which had, and continued to dominate the societal pages of the Daily Prophet. Vienna couldn’t help but feel a little bit sorry for him.

Her heels clicked loudly against the marble floor as she made her way across the room. She sat down by the fire and acknowledged his presence with a polite smile. Her lacquered red nails flipped open the book to where she had left off the night before. Vienna began to read but found his presence very distracting. An uneasy silence settled between them. After what seemed like an eternity, Vienna slammed the book shut and looked up at him. Was there a way to get rid of him without being rude? She fingered the book in her hands and flashed him a cool smile.

“Sleepless night?” She simpered at him, “You seem...tired. It’s not too late to catch some sleep, you know, you still have a good two hours. Salazar forbids you should go to class tomorrow with those bags under your eyes.”

The soft clicking of shoes alerted the Slytherin boy that he was about to find amusement and quickly. Oh, who could it be? A tasty treat? A bold lad? Someone quick with their wit, offering a good sense of word play? The anticipation was almost unbearable and the stranger seemed to take their sweet time descending the stairs. He narrowed his eyes at the stranger that was about to accompany him until he saw... Vienna Pascal... With a half eye roll, he slumped back into the chair he was sitting in.  Vienna, as dammed eye catching as she was, the girl was like the poison dart frog... Beautiful to behold, poisonous to the touch. Even he knew better than to trifle with the likes of something as lethal as she.

He caught her smile, but didn't return it. Instead, he gave a slight head bow in response to her acknowledgment. Wasn't this simply pleasant? If any bird could put this snake in his place, it was obviously her. He hated how his confidence was knocked a few notches whenever he was around her, it had been this way since their first year at Hogwarts. It was disgusting, disagreeable, and unfitting for a man of Ethan Krosse's stature.  Still, he could never help himself, whenever the rose and her prickly thorns came his way.... He'd...

Nothing. He'd do nothing. Just sit there,  watch her, learn from her. It was lot's like hers that fueled Ethan's disdain towards the female sex. Not that Vienna had ever completely thrown him off center, but the fact remained. Someone with her curves could completely demolish unsuspecting prey. A rather amusing thought, honestly, and Ethan found himself smirking slightly.

Ethan found himself completely engrossed in her entire presence, eyes burning deep into the book she was holding and trying to read. He scanned from the books covers to those perfectly manicured nails, up those ivory arms past the neckline and concentrated for a moment on her facial feature. Indeed, a true beauty. even if she seemed distracted (or was that annoyance?) by his presence. His smirk slowly turned into a playful grin, as he lifted his brows, entertained by this sudden upper hand of his.

She slammed her book shut, the thud echoing through the common room like a bell. The sound startled him slightly, but he knew better than to show this to him. His grin simply grew as she finally looked at him. He shot her a sly wink.

“Sleepless night?” She simpered at him, “You seem...tired. It’s not too late to catch some sleep, you know, you still have a good two hours. Salazar forbids you should go to class tomorrow with those bags under your eyes.”

What a bleeding banshee. Ethan liked it. Still, that grin he was wearing quickly vanished as a look of complete delight crossed his features. "Perhaps," he said, somewhat agreeing with her, but making no move to prove it. "I've seemed to be a bit restless as of late."

He made no movement after speaking, and that silence fell for a brief moment before he inhaled and glanced at his fingers, "I have a stick of ginger gum," he said, digging through is pocket, before shooting a glance at her mouth. "Merlin knows how long it must be to acquire such a natural look of beauty, Miss Pascal, but good oral hygiene keeps the heart healthy."

There was a predatory hunger in his stare that chilled Vienna to the bones.  Oh, what she wouldn’t give to wipe that unholy grin off his face right now! She returned his attention with haughty disdain and crossed her legs. Her long fingers tapped impatiently against the armrest. Her cold green eyes surveyed him with the same scrutiny he had subjected her.

Ethan was an enigma, always had been and perhaps, always would be. Of all her peers in Slytherin, Vienna had everyone figured out but him. Most of her housemates could be sorted into three categories: the social butterflies, the purist hardliners, and the wannabe womanizers. People like Ava, Evie and Neely belonged to the first category, the Whitman skank belonged to the second, while lotion-boy Trent Travis and the Snarks belonged to the third. Naturally, there were a few exceptions to the mighty House of Slytherin that didn’t quite fit anywhere, like Jasper, Atticus, herself, and of course, Ethan. In the case of the latter, nobody knew him but he seemed to know everybody. This omniscience made Vienna wary.

She nodded absentmindedly at his reply. The lack of disagreement in his tone was dreadfully suspicious. Vienna arched an eyebrow at him. Was that it? They stared at each other for a long moment and neither spoke up. The silence between them made Vienna uneasy. Only good manners held her back from saying what was really on her mind.

Get out of this room because I want to be in it.

Finally, after what seemed like forever, he shifted in his seat and fished out a stick of gum, “Merlin knows how long it must be to acquire such a natural look of beauty, Miss Pascal, but good oral hygiene keeps the heart healthy.”

Vienna swore she could have killed him right there.

However, if she was offended by his little jab, she made no attempt to show it. Her expression remained perfectly blank saved for the smirk that tugged at her lips. For a moment, he reminded her of Sebastian—stupid, annoying Sebastian who always carried a pack of mints with him just in case some desperate harlot showed up looking for a quick snog. Everything she knew about textbook flirting and sleaziness 101 she learnt from him. Sometimes, it was hard to believe that they were twins. Vienna sighed inwardly to herself and looked away. This was the reason why she had picked Jasper. He was so refreshingly different from everyone else at Hogwarts.

But the thought soon turned into a bitter one. He never had time for her now, not with his Head Boy duties and family drama and the miscellaneous bits and pieces that he cared for more than he cared for her. For all she knew, he could be snogging some Hufflepuff filth in the Dungeons right now. The notion disgusted her. She pushed away these thoughts and refocused her attention on Ethan.

 “Charming as usual, “Vienna flashed him an acidic smile, “But I assure you, my oral hygiene is up to par.” She smirked and leaned forward teasingly, “And Jasper won’t like it if we made out.”

“Besides,” She clasped her fingers together and simpered daringly, “Shouldn’t you be doing whatever it is that you Slytherin boys do these days, you know, boasting about your obvious wealth and purity to those poor misguided Muggleborns, beating up Hufflepuffs who look at you the wrong way, chasing after Ravenclaw harlots, those sorts of things?”

Cold as stone, as usual. He had hoped he would have snagged some sort of reaction of of his remark, something to help last through this bleeding Sunday that has, already, become so wonderful. But alas, she would offer nothing to warm the chilled morning. What a shame. And what a crock of griffin spit. Her monochrome demeanor, as it usually was, simply stood in place.  How bothersome.

The silence between them hung in the air, threateningly, like an approaching thunderstorm. Ah, to see such a sight is, indeed, quite lovely. As lovely as the two who sat in this practically empty Common Room, but once it hovered above, it was unpredictable. Chaotic. Unstoppable.  He could sense the storm drawing nearer…It was almost exciting. There was a strange air of tension that surrounded them as well, and though most others would suffocate under such pressure, Ethan would not. Though, as mentioned before, Ms. Vienna Pascal held a rather remarkable aura about her; Ethan would be dammed if he allowed his seventh and final year to fall into such a place again.

”Chrming as usual, but I assure you my oral hygiene is up to par.” Vienna spoke, somewhat alerting Ethan out of his thought. To be frank, he hadn’t really even heard that first bit, just the slicing tone of her cacophonous voice, jumbling through the empty room like a screeching, out of tune, violin. Giving himself a mental shake, he begged himself to not lose his mind to thought. Much more trying matters were, obviously, at hand. She leaned slightly closer to him, Ethan eyed her suspiciously. Well, even with Vienna’s poisonous wit, that was a view Ethan would never argue against. Now, if she could only bend a few inches lower… “And Jasper won’t like it if we made out.”

Well didn’t that jut make the mandrake-root choke? Ethan almost did. For her to even imply such things was vile. He’d have to use a good strand of mental floss to wash that disturbing image from his brain. Masking the fact of his--illness--he found a way to muster up manners. “I don’t imagine he would,” the Slytherin said, flashing her his own smile. “I do, however, beg you to take this stick of gum.” He tossed it on the table, watching as it slightly slid her direction. “Let us give the room a sweeter smell.”

“Shouldn’t you be doing whatever it is that you Slytherin boys do these days, you know, boasting about your obvious wealth and purity to those poor misguided Muggleborns, beating up Hufflepuffs who look at you the wrong way, chasing after Ravenclaw harlots, those sorts of things?”

Ethan chuckled, audible but low, and shook his head, teasingly, her direction. “Yes, well, we can’t all be like Mr. Quinn, now, can we? Though, I assure you, I do strive to such ends. Classy bloke, Ms. Pascal. You should be proud.”

Ethan’s reaction was not Vienna had hoped. The fact that he seemed utterly and completely unfazed by her suggestion irked her. And then, there was that smile, that devastatingly charming smile Vienna would just love to blast into smithereens. She watched as the stick of gum skidded across the table to her end and arched an eyebrow at him. If he insisted on a verbal spar, who was she to refuse? In fact, she would do him one better.

Vienna placed her hand over her heart and smiled apologetically at him, the ridicule in her eyes made a mockery of her performance. She gave a sad little sigh and peered at him prettily beneath her long lashes.

“You do enjoy making this very difficult for me,” Vienna pouted, “I’m afraid I cannot accept this gift because I have nothing to give in return. It would be so horrid and rude of me to take this stick of gum and not offer you a spray of cologne or a lesson in civility in return.” She leaned down and slid the gum back towards him, “I hope you understand. I meant no offense.” The sickeningly sweet smile she flashed him stood in cold contrast with her hard gaze.

His provocation elicited no response from her. Motionless and pale, like a marble sculpture, Vienna stared back at him with an unfathomable smile. It was all a game to see who could last the longest, who could break the other first, a game which Vienna was not unfamiliar with. There was a reason why she had lasted so long in the Slytherin House despite the much publicized anti-Voldemort sentiments of her parents. Vienna was diplomatic when she needed to be, but ruthless when challenged. Ethan’s admirable but misguided attempt to provoke her was a pathetic display of male bravado. For seven years, he had avoided direct confrontation with her, so why now? Vienna scanned the Common Room. The Whitman skank isn’t even here, Vienna wanted to laugh at him, and you are certainly not impressing me.

She listened with infinite patience at his cutting remarks about Jasper. Vienna was tempted to roll her eyes but reminded herself that by doing so, she would be stooping to a maturity level unbefitting of the Pascal name. As much as his teasing chuckle incensed her, Vienna willed herself to remain indifferent. Though, beneath her calm surface, she was dying to whip out her wand and blast a hole through his pretty face.

Vienna did not know whether it had been intentional or not, but Ethan had definitely hit a sore spot. If she had a weakness, it was her paranoia about Jasper. But on the bright side, she knew what would hurt him just as much, if not even more so. In the end, he was not as infallible and enigmatic as she had originally thought.

Vienna smirked at him, “You’re quite right. We can’t all be like Jasper. I imagine it must be especially difficult for you, of all people, given the unfortunate circumstances of your upbringing,” A cruel smile tugged at her lips, “The feeling of abandonment you must harbour at all times. The humiliation of seeing those dreadful articles in the papers. I can’t even imagine what it feels like to be so unwanted and resented, and by both of your parents too...Absolutely tragic...”

Against his better judgment, Ethan cringed at Vienna's words. The airy flow in which she allowed the insult to travel from lips to ears was aggrivating to say the least, the ill disconcern stabbed through him in a manner which he wasn't quite accustomed to. Ethan was quite used to being insulted, it had been through his entire upbringing to say the least. When the papers rolled about the incidents with his family, he was too young to completely comprehend their meaning, despite his Grandparent's efforts to sheild him from the pain. Upon comprehension he had willed it to remain in the past, allowing the gossip to lose itself in time. Apparently, though, Ms. Pascal would have nothing of it. Wizards talked, pure blood talked more. All he knew of the Pascals was the fact that they were of a few Pure Wizarding families that disagree'd with the ideas of He-who-shall-not-be-named. A fact that he could not fault the girl for, for his own family had been the same. Of course they had, after all, his father had been wed to a--

He willed the thought from his head. If she were to have any mention of it, she would have used the ammunition against him already. Unless, perhaps she was saving such a thing for the cherry atop the sundae. The idea sickened him, but that was exactly what one would expect in the confinements of the Slytherin walls. They weren't exactly bum-chums in this house, but one would sooner die than be assosciated with something that marked the house unfitting. Ethan was deffinately unfitting, by birth and blood.

For a long moment, the silence hung between them, the fire cracking in the background was the only audible noise. The silence was almost suffocating him, and he realized he had caught his breath. Exhailing slowly, he shifted weight in his chair and watched her. He was at a complete loss for words, for insulting her further would be giving in to the exact trap she had laid out for him. Ignoring her snide remarks would label him a coward, for it was not he who she insulted, but his family name. "Clever." He had neither amusement nor discontent in his voice. It was purely neutral. The sound broke through the silence and for a moment he didn't even register that it had actually come from him.

"I must say that your knowledge upon my family and their actions is quite outstanding," Ethan continued, watching her for any type of threatening movement. One could never be too careful. "But I must pity you for having to dig through my past in order to gain an upper hand in this conversation. Your lack of current events is disappointing. to say the least. Perhaps I thought wrongly of you, Ms. Pascal, for I had assumed you'd prove a worthy opponant in times of my boredom. You've done nothing, thus far, to impress me." He grinned, "Be that your intention or not."

Vienna had to bite down on her lips from smirking further. Her green eyes sparkled with cruelty and mirth as he squirmed under her words. The insult lingered in the air and it smelt like the aftermath of a bloodbath. What now, Krosse? She challenged him with an insidious smile. That should teach him not to engage in a verbal spar with her again. The sweet taste of victory sent a delightful shudder down her spine. There was nothing like a stab at the family name to drive the stake home.

Though with all due fairness, Vienna thought smugly, he did prove himself to be a formidable opponent...For about five minutes. She savoured in the cringe on his face with haughty laughter. Here was an expression that she would never forget. Her silvery chuckle echoed in the room. He watched her, wordlessly, and she stared back with playful insolence. For what seemed like an eternity, neither of them spoke. Vienna arched an eyebrow at him. Had he really nothing to say? She stared long and hard at him, trying to figure out what he was thinking. He was giving her the last word, just like that? It seemed all too easy.

“Clever.”

Vienna frowned, expecting and hoping for more. His indifference was disappointing, to say the least. Nevertheless, she accepted his remark with a graceful incline of her head and smirked, “Thank you. I do try.” A mocking smile tugged at the corner of her lips, “To be quite honest, I was actually hoping you would concede defeat. After all, one should know when one is beaten.”

Vienna fingered the wand in her pocket as he continued, sighing a little at his refusal to make this easier for her. Impress him? Delusional jerk. If anything, it should be the other way around. “I think it’s important to get to know all of my housemates on a more personal level,” She replied with an innocent little shrug, “Don’t be so bitter, Mr. Krosse, I was only trying my hand at polite conversation. You’re very hard to please, I find.” Vienna smiled mockingly at him before continuing, “So enlighten me, Mr. Krosse, what are the current events you speak of? Has there been a joyful family reunion that I am not aware of? Or is this simply the fanciful delusion of a sad, abandoned soul?”