Books Over Books [open]

[LAVIGNA LESTRANGE]

lavigna . eliora . lestrange

;;get what i want 'cause i ask for it
not because i'm really that deserving of it;;

Lavigna entered the small isle between the book shelves already palancing a considerable pile of books. The work load of her final year had been and was apparently going to continue being ridiculous and she didn't quite know how she would get through all the reading she had to do and all the essays she was expected to write; the spells she had to practice. Not for the first time she was glad she had never chosen to participate in any extra curricular activities or student organisations.

Finally, Lavigna found the last book she needed and, balancing all the others on one arm, she pulled it off the shelf and placed it atop the other books where it lay precariously. Then, just as Lavigna turned around and was about to rearrange everything into a more manageable position she bumped into someone who had appeared next to her while she'd been searching and all her books landed on the floor with loud thuds.

Lavigna swore quietly and shot a short glare at the person she'd bumped into before bending down to pick the books up.

[/blockquote]

;;;

word count;; 184
credit;; Primadonna Girl by Marina And The Diamonds
notes;; first post of the new thread
thoughts;; Tut, tut, Lavigna. The way this is starting I should add the rest of those song lyrics.

[DANTE QUICKPAW]

DANTE.owen.QUICKPAW

The secret side of me, I'll never let you see.
I keep it caged but I can't control it.

~~~

Dante glanced around the room. It was a relatively busy day in the library; everyone seemed to have some kind of project or paper that needed to get finished. But he was distracting himself from his own homework. Of course it was History of Magic; what else would he have to go to the library for? And what else did he loathe doing above all else? He stared at the book on the table in front of him for a few minutes, letting the words swim in front of him. He glanced up at the people around him again. They all seemed to be concentrating well. He should be able to. He was strong, and he was smart, and he could do this. Maybe. He hoped. Otherwise it'd be just another bad grade among many others. He was determined to have at least one good grade in this class, if it was the death of him.

Maybe if he got up for a few minutes. He'd been sitting in the boring library at the same table for a few hours, it was about time he got up and got something to drink, or eat, or go find someone to talk to. Just do something that didn't involve staring at a book.

He stood and stretched quickly before moving back into the rows of books. This was a happy place for some people, he knew; the smell of old books, the quiet whisper of old pages, the worn colors of old leather covers... not for him. He didn't think he would ever be able to like this place, because it meant he was attempting to succeed in something that he didn't think he'd ever do well in.

His hands buried deep in his pocket, he stared at the shelves of books, at the people, at the floor. He stopped to glance at a book with a very worn blue leather cover and wondered how many people had torn through the pages in a desperate attempt to finish school work. Too many, he was sure. He reached for it, but he stumbled backwards as someone bumped into him, forcing a pile of books to find new homes on the floor.

"I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to-" he began, immediately bending down to help her pick up the books. He glanced up at her, taking in the intense blue eyes and white blonde hair before glancing down again and blushing. Why was he so pathetic when it came to women? He made an effort to only look at the books, hoping she wouldn't notice the red that spread across his face.

~~~

I feel like a monster.

[/b]

.::Word Count::.439
.::Credited::.Monster by Skillet
.::Notes::.First post.
.::Thoughts::.Dante makes me giggle...

[LAVIGNA LESTRANGE]

lavigna . eliora . lestrange

;;get what i want 'cause i ask for it
not because i'm really that deserving of it;;

Lavigna’s hand stilled, hovering over the cover of a book for a second as the boy who’d bumped into her bagan to help picking up her books. She raised her eyes and glanced at him, took in his brown eyes and modern-cut blond hair. Next, his Gryffindor uniform and what she thought was a blush that was going to grow Gryffindor red if he wasn’t careful. Some books now back in her hands, the others in her companion’s Lavigna straightened up, unconsciously tugging her blouse back into place where it disappeared into her skirt.

Lavigna huffed, a sound of exasperation more than annoyance. Normally she’d have a right go at the guy, but for one, they were in the library and quiet was in order and for another, he looked sorry enough, in a puppy-dog-like way. The way he was looking down, he was probably hoping she’d notice none of this. ‘Boys’, she thought. Really, she would have had to have been blind not to see this. Inwardly, Lavigna shrugged, suddenly amused, and her lips twitched upwards. Hey, it’s not like she minded having an effect on a boy who, if she was honest, was attractive, in a way. Not that she was contemplating whether he was attractive. She just reckoned that he had the kind of looks a lot of girls went for.

“Don’t worry,” Lavigna said, waving off his apology. “Though, I’d recommend keeping your head up and eyes ahead.” She chuckled and flipped her blond hair back behind her shoulder with a shake of her head.

“Besides, someone has to save that poor book from having a hole stared into it.”

Lavigna winked. She loved when she could read people like this; as if they were books, too.

“Hey, look. I’ve probably got more books here than I can carry without any more mishaps. Do you think you could help me carry them back to my table?”

Having already turned on her heel, Lavigna looked back at the boy and indicated the way down the other side of the isle with a nod.

“I’m Lavigna, by the way.”

[/blockquote]

;;;

word count;; 351
credit;; Primadonna Girl by Marina And The Diamonds
notes;; longer post!
thoughts;; She knows how to wrap them around her little finger.

[DANTE QUICKPAW]

DANTE.owen.QUICKPAW

The secret side of me, I'll never let you see.
I keep it caged but I can't control it.

~~~

Dante glanced up again when he thought she wasn't looking, but immediately turned his gaze down again. He straightened up and tried to hand the books to her, but she was already walking away. He watched her walk for a moment before the words registered.

“Hey, look. I’ve probably got more books here than I can carry without any more mishaps. Do you think you could help me carry them back to my table?” He opened his mouth to answer but realized it had been too long, it would only look like he was slow. So he followed her back to her table, carrying the stack and trying to tame the raging blush that made him feel much too warm. It wasn't like he hadn't ever dealt with women before, he just... he was awkward, around them. In a group of guys, he was fine, he could make jokes and act like a normal human. Even in a group of guys and girls, he was generally fine. But when it was one on one with a girl... especially one that was rather attractive... well, he just lost all of his common sense and couldn't for the life of him remember the function of language.

“I’m Lavigna, by the way.”

"Dante." Dante muttered in response. His gaze was on the floor or on the books most of the time; he only glanced up occasionally to make sure he was following her and not about to run into anyone. It made him blush all the more when he realized that anyone in the library would be able to see how ridiculously red his face was. Sometimes he really hated himself, he really did. Why couldn't he act cool and collected? People would take him seriously if he was like those popular guys that everyone seemed to like.

"So... You're..." Dante tried to offer some conversation, tried to be cool, but he realized after he started speaking that he didn't have anything planned to say. "You're in Slytherin..." Did that make them enemies now? Gryffindor and Slytherins weren't supposed to get along well, he didn't think. Something about conflicting values or... maybe it was just what they were supposed to do? Maybe it was supposed to be ingrained in him, he hated all Slytherins and that was that. But that meant he wasn't a very good Gryffindor, then, because he couldn't find it in himself to hate this girl just because they'd put her in a different house.

"Do you like it there? In Slytherin?" His voice sounded shaky and awkward, but at least he was saying something, right? That had to count for something. He just hoped she didn't think he was pathetic or something, unable to have an intelligent conversation.

~~~

I feel like a monster.

[/b]

.::Word Count::.459
.::Credited::.Monster by Skillet
.::Notes::.Second post!
.::Thoughts::.He's so silly. =)

[LAVIGNA LESTRANGE]

lavigna . eliora . lestrange

;;get what i want 'cause i ask for it
not because i'm really that deserving of it;;

Dante. Aha. Lavigna nodded and filed the name away. Once they’d arrived at the table, Lavigna put her stack of books down on it and plopped back onto the chair she’d sat on earlier. It had still been standing in the position she’d left it. Lavigna crossed her legs and twirled a strand of hair around her finger.

“Yeah. And you’re in Gryffindor.” She paused. She supposed that was now to mean something. Her grandmother would have certainly had something to say about it. Every household she’d ever been in probably would have. But hey, old Bella wasn’t around anymore to say anything and no one else was stopping her, so she’d chat to a cute Gryffindor if she wanted to.

She contemplated Dante’s question for a moment. Did she like it? Well…

“Well… I don’t know yet,” she said. “It’s alright I guess. I like the dorms and the common room. “Uh, meals are weird.” She shrugged and with her foot nudged a nearby chair towards Dante so he’d sit down. She wasn’t really going to look up at him all the time they were talking.

“But it’s where I’m supposed to be. The sorting hat really didn’t think twice.”

Really, the sorting hat had barely been on Lavigna’s head before shouting out Slytherin. She supposed it was her name, as much as anything else.

“Am I supposed to be different now?” Lavigna shook her head. “I don’t feel any different.”

Lavigna looked about. Few others seemed different, either. The groups of friends were still sharing tables the same they’d always bee. Noisily and messily.

“And you, Dante?” Lavigna asked, cocking her head inquisitively, meeting his brown eyes. “Do you like it in Gryffindor? It does seem to be… the house to be in, so to say. All the big names from the War were in Gryffindor, after all.”

Well, all the good big names, anyway. The desirable ones. Lavigna had never really had trouble among her peers but among older wizards and witches, the name Lestrange brought about an interesting range of reactions from loathing to respect to fear. Or maybe it was just respect out of fear. Lavigna wouldn’t have been surprised.

[/blockquote]

;;;

word count;; 361
credit;; Primadonna Girl by Marina And The Diamonds
notes;; third post!
thoughts;; The awkwardness begins...

[DANTE QUICKPAW]

DANTE.owen.QUICKPAW

[/size][/center]

The secret side of me, I'll never let you see.
I keep it caged but I can't control it.

[/color]

~~~

Dante set the books down on the table and stared at the floor. He looked at her occasionally, feeling brave or at least attempting to look less ridiculous, but it always ended up back on the floor because he felt his face heating up. When she pushed a chair toward him, he sat like an obedient puppy and immediately felt as if he should have waited for a moment, not looked so eager for a chance to do what she wanted. It was easier, though; if he did what they asked, he didn't have to attempt to form his own thoughts.

“Do you like it in Gryffindor? It does seem to be… the house to be in, so to say. All the big names from the War were in Gryffindor, after all.” He met her eyes and then quickly looked away. Did he like it in Gryffindor? What was so special about the house boldly showing a lion on a red and gold banner? He knew that supposedly great witches and wizards came out of Gryffindor, because he'd tried to pay attention in History, but witches and wizards just as great had come out of Slytherin, and even Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw. People just seemed to place greater emphasis on Gryffindor, for one reason or another.

"I suppose it's great. I don't know that I really belong, but they're great." Sometimes he wondered if he wouldn't be better suited to Hufflepuff, where he wasn't expected to be suave and cool, necessarily, just nice and friendly. He could do those, but suave and cool came with the people around him. And normally he felt like he didn't quite match the other Gryffindors that he hung out with.

And then there were the stories; great things that were accomplished in the War by people from Gryffindor. He didn't know that he'd ever really be able to do anything like that. Being Chaser was more than enough excitement for him, thank you. He could live without duels and chases, defending the stone walls of Hogwarts with his life. He looked up and met her eyes again, feeling as if the blue could pierce him. He held that longer than he had been, but then he had to glance away again. He wasn't even brave enough to hold a girl's eyes, let alone fight the most powerful Dark Wizard of all time. A sigh escaped his lips, quiet and almost imperceptible.

"I guess I just don't see a boy that can't meet a girl's eyes as brave enough to be in Gryffindor." He said with a small, self-demeaning smile. He immediately wished he could take it back, and his blush darkened as he stared intently at his twiddling thumbs. Now he sounded like a loser. Not that she hadn't noticed that already.

His eyes flicked up to her face for just a moment, attempting to gauge her reaction.

~~~

I feel like a monster.

[/b][/color]

.::Word Count::.483
.::Credited::. Monster by Skillet
.::Notes::. Not the best post
.::Thoughts::. Dante, I'm sorry. ^^;;

[LAVIGNA LESTRANGE]

lavigna . eliora . lestrange

;;get what i want 'cause i ask for it
not because i'm really that deserving of it;;

Really, Lavigna had possibly never met anyone so unenthusiastic about Gryffindor, but Dante went on hem-ing and haw-ing. She pursed her lips as she listened and continued trying to hold Dante’s gaze, even though it was more slippery than an eel and apparently magnetic towards the floor. She herself had been taught to stand tall and meet gazes at all times and especially when she was feeling unsure of herself.

She shouldn’t have been surprised at what came next. However, who in their right mind wouldn’t have been when the guy they were talking to just started to exhibit an extraordinary case of emotional diarrhoea?

Lavigna wasn’t often rendered speechless. She chose when to talk and when to remain silent but for a moment, there, she didn’t know what to say. Instead she raised one pale eyebrow and regarded Dante with an expression that stuck somewhere between a frown and incredulity, because Lavigna really didn’t know what she’d just got herself into.

She sighed and rolled her eyes.

“Seriously?” she asked, her voice dripping with dull incredulity. She shook her head.

“Well, must have been something else then," she said. "Because I doubt the Sorting Hat sorts by good looks now.”

Lavigna bit the inside of her lip for a moment before a small smirk crept onto her lips. With her right hand, she took up her wand which had been lying on the table next to her arm.

“Well then...,”

She pointed the wand at Dante and looked him dead in the eye.

“Look at me,” Lavigna said. “Keep looking or I swear I’ll immobilise your head.” And she would. Lavigna followed through on her promises and it wasn’t always pretty.

“Now, why don’t we continue the conversation like this? Goodness, it’s a good thing you’re not trying to pull me.”

Again, Lavigna sighed as if she were dealing with an obstinate child.

“Number one: You always look people in the face. Even if you don’t feel like it. They don’t need to know that.” She emphasised her words with a few jabs of her wand.

[/blockquote]

;;;

word count;; 347
credit;; Primadonna Girl by Marina And The Diamonds
notes;; elaborate speech with the template like this takes forever to colour
thoughts;; I love how Lavigna takes nonsense from no one.

[DANTE QUICKPAW]

DANTE.owen.QUICKPAW

[/size][/center]

The secret side of me, I'll never let you see.
I keep it caged but I can't control it.

[/color]

~~~

She thought he was an idiot. And rightfully so. He let his gaze wander the carpet while she chose her words, no doubt words of disapproval. He couldn't really expect much else. He was bound and determined to keep his mouth shut, anyway, so the disapproval would soon fade to boredom and he would go off to pretending he was a good student in a few moments.

“Well, must have been something else then, because I doubt the Sorting Hat sorts by good looks now.”

[/b] Dante grinned at the floor. So she thought he was good looking? That meant she could at least get over his awkwardness, if she could compliment him. He glanced up again and caught her eyes as he said, "Thanks," and looked back at the floor. He glanced up as he saw her arm move, and met her eyes as her wand pointed at him. He kept completely still, wondering if he'd been hopeful too soon.

“Look at me. Keep looking or I swear I’ll immobilise your head.”[/b] Dante nodded. He wasn't about to say no to someone pointing a wand at his chest, especially since his own wand lay next to the books he was looking at. He was completely and totally helpless, and that didn't lend well to disobeying direct orders, even if it was against his nature.

“Now, why don’t we continue the conversation like this? Goodness, it’s a good thing you’re not trying to pull me. Number one: You always look people in the face. Even if you don’t feel like it. They don’t need to know that.”[/b] Dante flinched away from her wand, but kept his eyes up. He wasn't sure if he was required to speak here; he wasn't sure what to expect if he didn't. Maybe this was what they had meant when they said that Slytherins and Gryffindors didn't go well together. Maybe they spontaneously took their wands out and threatened each other in otherwise normal conversations.

"Um... alright." Dante's fingers twitched where they sat on his legs. If he had his wand... "What would you like to talk about?" He tried to slip into his usual calming voice when he came across arguments, but it was a little more difficult when the conversation included a girl who he assumed was a loose cannon pointing her wand at his chest.

It was hard to look at her for very long, especially with those eyes. He'd never seen anyone with eyes quite like hers before, and it was a little unnerving. They were beautiful, of course, but it was just so intense. His eyes flicked toward her wand for a moment before back at her, realizing that she probably wouldn't appreciate that little movement.

"I'm sorry." he muttered, watching her face intently but keeping track of her wand as well. Just to be safe. He wondered if someone would stop her if she did something. Surely they wouldn't let her get away with whatever she wanted, but he also had no idea who she was, aside from the fact that her name was Lavigna. Maybe everyone was scared of her. Dark wizards came out of Slytherin usually?He certainly didn't believe that Slytherin was the root of all evil, but he also didn't know her well enough to assume she wouldn't do something to prove that belief. [/size][/blockquote][/center]

~~~

I feel like a monster.

[/b][/color]

.::Word Count::.557
.::Credited::. Monster by Skillet
.::Notes::. I hope that flows well...
.::Thoughts::. Tee hee, Dante...

[LAVIGNA LESTRANGE]

lavigna . eliora . lestrange

;;get what i want 'cause i ask for it
not because i'm really that deserving of it;;

Oh, great. Now, apparently, he was scared. Lavigna groaned inwardly. Then again, she supposed, she was jabbing her wand towards his chest and that might come across as a little threatening. But she was trying to make a point and that point was that he shouldn’t be such a scaredy-cat.

But hey, he was looking at her and wasn’t running away screaming or hexing her in return – and where did he have his wand anyway?

Now, what did she want to talk about? Nothing specific, really. She was only talking to Dante because of the books and then because he just couldn’t seem to keep his head up and he just seemed so meek. It wasn’t that Lavigna hated people like that, she just… hated that kind of behaviour. Since Dante, however, seemed to at least have mastered looking at her now, maybe she could help him further. And then he apologised. Lavigna pulled a face, but slowly lowered her wand.

“What are you apologising for?” she asked. “Do you think you did something wrong? If so, good. If not… Number two: Never apologise if you don’t think you’ve done anything wrong.”

Lavigna put her wand on the table and crossed her arms, nodding approvingly.

“Which brings us to number three—“ This was actually kind of fun. Life lessons à la Lavigna Lestrange.

“Don’t tell people the things you told me earlier. They don’t want to know them. In fact, they shouldn’t know them.” Lavigna’s expression turned dispassionate while she said that.

“It gives people way too much power over you. So does stalling and not looking at them, btw.”

Lavigna smiled.

“Or, would you have carried my books if I hadn’t just completely flattened you and told you to back there?” She winked.

Judging by what she’d seen, yeah, he probably would have. He seemed like a nice guy, if awfully shy.

“Also, I wasn’t really going to hex you. Not in the middle of the library.” She laughed. “Buuut, looks like it worked anyway. You’re finally looking at me.”

[/blockquote]

;;;

word count;; 342
credit;; Primadonna Girl by Marina And The Diamonds
notes;; must try making a post that's above 365
thoughts;; Oh, Lavigna. Never quite sure whether you're flirting or not.

[DANTE QUICKPAW]

DANTE.owen.QUICKPAW

[/size][/center]

The secret side of me, I'll never let you see.
I keep it caged but I can't control it.

[/color]

~~~

Dante forced himself to continue looking at her, even after she put her wand down. It worked for a few minutes... and then his gaze darted over her shoulder, at the people that milled around behind her and the books they were studying... really, at anything that wasn't her.

"“It gives people way too much power over you. So does stalling and not looking at them, btw.” Dante looked at her again, nodding at her words. He didn't think any of this would really stick with him, but since she seemed genuinely interested in him, he figured he would at least hear her out. She wanted him to act tough and not so pathetic, and he certainly wanted that as well, but putting all this stuff into practice... well, that was a different story altogether. And he was sure all this had spawned from his lack of control over his earlier words.

"I'm not sure it worked." Dante offered a hesitant small smile. "I'm just not sure I can look anywhere else when I have a wand pointed at my chest." His eyes flicked to her lowered wand and back up at her. And then immediately to his hands, setting in his lap because there was no where else for them to go. No. He looked back up at her.

He wouldn't be this brave later. He just felt that, if she cared enough to divulge her 'life lessons' with him, then maybe he should attempt to follow them while she was around. "You're rather blunt, aren't you?" He asked, and then quickly amended, "Not that it's a bad thing, I'm not saying that." And then he wanted to kick himself in the face because he shouldn't have tried to fix it like that, it just made him seem weaker. He wasn't weak. He wasn't. He was a werewolf, for crying out loud. That was harder than having a conversation with a girl.

Night would know what to do. What would Night have done? Charm her pants off, that's what. But Dante didn't really know how to do that. Unless stumbling around a conversation was charming, he was out of luck.

"I... I have to study." Dante finally said, thinking of the books that still sat, waiting for him to pour over them again. He needed to get some serious studying done if he was going to pass this class. Maybe that was the best way to go about this; walk away and pretend it didn't happen. But he didn't want to pretend it had never happened. This was one of the few semi-successful conversations he'd had with a girl, and he didn't want it to stop now. So instead of getting up and leaving, he sat still in the chair and made every effort to look at her. If she decided she didn't want anything to do with him, he could leave. But he could also stay, if she decided he wasn't a waste of her time. Maybe if she thought he was a 'promising pupil,' she would retain interest.

Besides, she thought he was good looking. Night would tell him that it was his duty to let her look, if she wanted to. So if she wanted to... well, he wouldn't deprive her.

~~~

I feel like a monster.

[/b][/color]

.::Word Count::.545
.::Credited::. Monster by Skillet
.::Notes::. Bleh, not the best post
.::Thoughts::. Dante Dante Dante... what will I do with you?

[LAVIGNA LESTRANGE]

lavigna . eliora . lestrange

;;get what i want 'cause i ask for it
not because i'm really that deserving of it;;

Lavigna sighed, a little disappointed that her impromptu pep-talk hadn’t done much.

“Well,” she said, “it takes practice, I guess.”

Maybe she should ask some people to randomly point their wands at him around school if that was the only way he could do it. But then again, that would have been a bit cruel, wouldn’t it. And Lavigna wasn’t that mean.

Dante was looking down again and Lavigna wondered if that would be the end of their little exchange. However, then he spoke again. Lavigna laughed, not in the least offended by his words.

“Yes, I am blunt,” she agreed with a satisfied smile. “And of course it’s not a bad thing.” Because to a degree, it was a healthy thing to be. Who had time to faff around like that anyway?

But now, it seemed, Dante was trying to weasel out of the conversation and Lavigna didn’t want that, didn’t want to let him just yet.

“Oh, sure. I still have studying to do, myself. You won’t mind if I join you, right?” she said and was already gathering her things to follow Dante to his table.

[/blockquote]

;;;

word count;; 189
credit;; Primadonna Girl by Marina And The Diamonds
notes;; Uuugh. Super short post. Sorry kinda ran out of steam there.
thoughts;; Lavigna needs no invitation.

[DANTE QUICKPAW]

DANTE[owen]QUICKPAW

[/size][/center]

The secret side of me, I'll never let you see.
I keep it caged but I can't control it.

[/color]

"I guess so." He smiled and chuckled quietly before he looked away. "I suppose I'll just have to work on that, then."

Dante searched desperately for something to say as she offered to come with him. He wasn't really expecting that; to be honest, he'd expected her to insult him in some way or other and then leave him alone, if for no other reason than that he was strange.

"Uh, of course not, I guess, if you want to." he stuttered, standing up and knocking his chair over. His blush returned full force at the noise and he quickly bent down to pick it up. He set it right and pushed it into the table, then smiled awkwardly, his hands resting on the back of the chair still.

"Uh. would you... would you like help? Or I can go get my stuff, and I can come back here, or..." He shut his mouth and picked up the stack of books he'd carried. He looked at her and waited for a moment before he realized that she wouldn't probably know where he'd been sitting.

'Calm down.' he told himself. 'You've gotten this far, you can do this. She's just another student. It's not like this will determine the course of the rest of your life or something.' But it might. If he'd gotten this far only to fail, would he be able to find the courage to have an actual conversation with a girl again? He needed to make this work, if only because he wanted to get to the point where he could have a whole, real conversation. If this girl, Lavigna, wanted to help him get there, he wasn't in any kind of position to turn her down.

"Hey, uh... thanks. For talking to me."

[/color] He wondered if that sounded dumb, but at least he was being polite. She was doing him a favor, not the other way around. She deserved to be thanked, even if she hadn't meant for it to be a favor to him.

He started toward where his books waited for him. Company was appreciated when he was doing something as unpleasant as History of Magic.[/size][/blockquote][/center]

[[

[/b]]][/center][/color]

.::Word Count::.362
.::Credited::. Monster by Skillet
.::Notes::. Decided to go back to dialogue color as well. =)
.::Thoughts::. Dante, you so silly.

[LAVIGNA LESTRANGE]

lavigna . eliora . lestrange

;;get what i want 'cause i ask for it
not because i'm really that deserving of it;;

“Do that,” Lavigna said, nodding curtly as she neatly placed one book atop another. He head whipped up towards the sound of crashing though and when she found that Dante had somehow managed to knock over his chair while getting up, Lavigna wasn’t sure whether to laugh, glare or actually be embarrassed. Many heads around the library had turned their way, the librarian was sending Dante death glares and Lavigna, of course, found herself associated with the disturbance. She sighed inwardly. Oh boy, that boy.

Deciding that a small change of scenery, even if it was just another table, would be preferable, Lavigna took half of her books and she would have asked Dante to take the rest anyway, but he’d already offered.

“Let’s just go to your table,” she said, now mindful to keep it down, considering where they were. “And do be more careful, Dante,” she added in an impatient whine.

They made their way to Dante’s table and Lavigna wondered what she was doing. Maybe she was subconsciously craving company while studying. Yes, that at most. And who knew if maybe she could instil at least a little more grace in this bumbling individual.

“Don’t thank me,” Lavigna almost cut Dante off when he did thank her. For talking to him. As an afterthought, maybe he should be thanking her. But Lavigna had her charitable moments, so she did not voice this thought.

“Assertiveness is a virtue, Dante.” Her voice had an almost sing-song quality to it as she said this. “Learn it and many doors will open for you. And you’ll be able to slam the ones shut you don’t want open."

Then, as if closing a book, Lavigna closed the topic and moved on to why there were actually here. For a moment she remained quiet, gathering her thoughts.

“Well, then, Dante. What do you need to study?”

[/blockquote]

;;;

word count;; 313
credit;; Primadonna Girl by Marina And The Diamonds
notes;; Yay, coloured speech.
thoughts;; I feel almost sorry for how Lavigna's walking all over Dante. Almost.

[DANTE QUICKPAW]

DANTE[owen]QUICKPAW

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The secret side of me, I'll never let you see.
I keep it caged but I can't control it.

[/color]

Dante nodded, his face back to the indecent red that it had been before. He'd been so close to getting rid of it, and then the chair... He sighed inwardly as he carried the Sytherin girl's books over to his table and set them down. Then he plopped himself into his own chair and ran a hand through his hair. He was realizing, again, how much he hated History of Magic. Or really, just reading assignments in general. He didn't learn well from reading a book, he needed to see things in action. History of Magic was all about the books and the dates when the important figures in the important places that did the important things. Dante could never keep it all straight in his head.

"History of Magic." He answered, staring at the book and wishing it would somehow spontaneously burst into flames. It wasn't often that he got violent; he generally didn't have anger issues at all, but when it came down to it... he hated History of Magic. With a passion that he hadn't known existed before he'd gone to school and been forced to take that course. Sometimes he wondered if he disliked the werewolf side of him less than History of Magic, but he wasn't sure they were even comparable.

"What about you?"

[/color] Dante asked, suddenly conscious of the fact that he was slouching horribly in his chair and his thoughts had gone off on a complete bunny trail. He grinned sheepishly as he sat up and his gaze flicked to hers, attempting to show her that he was learning, even if he wasn't very good at this whole thing yet. His face was still beet red, he could feel it, but he was trying so hard. She had sounded rather condescending earlier, and for some reason her opinion of him mattered more than it had before. He wanted her to like him. Then at least one girl wouldn't think he was a total waste of man, and he would have had a semi-successful conversation with a girl that he hadn't met before. It would be two wins in one day; even if he failed at History of Magic, he would have something to show for his efforts.

"And if you have any tips... um, as to studying for History, I would... I would appreciate it."[/color] Maybe it didn't have to be such a failure for History of Magic, either. Maybe, just maybe, he could hit three birds with one stone. Night would be so proud of him; not only was he talking to a girl, he was getting help with his grades. Night always stressed the importance of doing well in school, and he'd been disappointed to hear of Dante's failings in History of Magic. Of course, Night had become an Auror with his good grades, and Dante had no such desire. He would be happy with finding a quiet job somewhere which didn't require a lot of interacction that would make him stutter and blush. Quidditch would be the ultimate job, but he was pretty sure he wasn't good enough for that. Besides, that was a child's dream.

Dante wondered if Lavigna would think he was an idiot because of his inability to do well in History, but he figured if she didn't think he was a complete fool by now, there wasn't much he could do to make her think that. [/size][/blockquote][/center]

[[

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.::Word Count::.570
.::Credited::. Monster by Skillet
.::Notes::. This went a lot longer and had a lot more tangents than I had intended...
.::Thoughts::. Dante Dante Dante... =)

[CASSANDRA SINCLAIR]

lavigna . eliora . lestrange

;;get what i want 'cause i ask for it
not because i'm really that deserving of it;;

“Oh,”

[/color] Lavigna said, looking up at Dante. “Me too.” Now if that wasn’t a coincidence. Lavigna didn’t mind History of Magic but Dante had looked positively put out at mentioning the subject, as if it had left a bad taste in his mouth. Well, it looked like they were going to be studying the same subject together and that brought up a whole different question Lavigna didn’t think they were far apart in age, but she had no idea what year Dante was in.

“What year are you in?” she asked. If he was doing parts of History which Lavigna already had, well, it would be no problem to help him. That was actually something Lavigna enjoyed doing. She knew she was smart and if she put herself to it she could do well in most subjects. And tutoring others gave her the chance to show that. She wasn’t showing off, honestly, she thought as a smirk tugged on the corner of her mouth just ever so slightly. Especially when she was asked so nicely to do it.

“Well, I don’t have any specific advice, I think,” she said. “But I guess, I could try to help you. Ask you names and dates and important events.” [/i][/color]She shrugged; a gesture possibly a little more indifferent than she felt. Now, she wasn’t saying that the boy was growing on her, exactly, she wasn’t. But she didn’t mind his company much.

Refusing to dwell on this any longer, Lavigna pulled the book she’d need out of the stack on the table and held it up.

“This is what I’ll be studying,” she said. “I have two feet of parchment due on Friday.”

Lavigna dug in her bag for an extra piece of parchment, a quill and some ink which she’d use to copy notes from the book. She paused for a moment.

“Well… why don’t you take notes, too. And after we’re done, we can see about memorising.”
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;;;

word count;; 326
credit;; Primadonna Girl by Marina and the Diamonds
notes;; Wasn't really sure whether to make up exactly what they'd be studying.
thoughts;; Oh, Lavigna, admit it....