Duplicitous | T.N.

LIX • A loathing

She ignored him for the two days following.

• • •

His intended aggravation penetrated far deeper than he had initially hoped. There was however a game found within their 'fight'. Where she refused to communicate with him in any way whatsoever, he refused to stop trying to break her.

The Slytherin was proving to be a true nuisance. The consistency of his attempts never once faltered. His constant nagging suffice to say was driving her nuts. He was dedicated, she could admit.

Potions was the class she found particularly difficult to neglect his attempts at achieving her attention. Especially as she attempted to brew her concoction right next to him.

Two cauldrons bubbled of hazy green smoke, clouded the room. The envy coloured mirk saturated their sleeves and dampened their hair. That, paired with the humidity of the stuffy room, proved torturous enough.

The constant poking of her side had the poor girl on the verge of a temper tantrum fit for no other than a three year old. He was relentless, every three seconds the boy found great amusement in raising his pointer finger and gently stabbing her clothed ribs, murmuring his teasing message in her ear.

"Aurora." He would chant along each poke. "Aurora. Aurora. Aurora." Her fists clenched over her equipment as she stirred. "Aurora. Aurora. Aurora." Her jaw locked tightly shut. "Aurora. Aurora. Aur-"

"Shut up!" She seethed. His jaw slacked open in surprise as a particular pride overwhelmed him. Yet to process his triumph his finger dumbly remained poking her. "And stop that." She slapped his wrist.

"I win?" His voice came softly. She need not to reply, and so she didn't. "I win." He grinned. "Now you have to talk to me."

"I don't have to do anything." Her arms folded over her chest.

"Oh but we're talking now, are we not?" He was so smug. Too smug. His eyes checked the room, no one was paying any mind to them, he used such to his advantage. Lowering his head down to hers, he playfully pecked the side of her face.

A smile threatened to pull at her face, like strings sewed through her cheeks they tugged upward, a small grin of her own teasing her lips and no matter how hard she tried to shove them back to a straight line they refused. Theodore loved watching her try through.

"You're trying not to smile."

His words influenced a much wider curl of her lips. She dared not look at him. Maintaining her eye contact with the substances that continued to gurgle in her cauldron. She sighed, flashing him the finest unimpressed expression she could possibly offer, which wasn't very good. It merely sourced as kindling for his budding flame of ultimate amusement.

She liked that potions lesson.

• • •

Chaos erupted too easily within the walls of Hogwarts. Within the timeframe of less than half a second, the class was dismissed and with it the very bounds that kept Theodore sane. Snapped by the words of department their Potions teacher, Slughorn, his confinements had, exposing the Slytherin to his impulsive desires that would be considered intrusive by the vast majority of the wizard population.

Masked by the busy halls of thrilled students did Theo grip Auroras un expecting arm. The week had finally tumbled to its' end as the bliss of Friday afternoon greeted them. Lively chatter of the upcoming Quidditch match shielded any exhaustion the students may've felt, and the assortment of said students who crowded the hallways made it easy for him to slyly grasp her by the wrist and pull her along.