| Details for Flowers With That? |
| Summary: | Ria looks into suspicions that Arian's been gambling, and Arian offers chocolate as penance. |
| Date: | October 18, 1938 |
| Location: | Entry Courtyard, Hogwarts |
| Related: | Not Tricks, ILLUSIONS |
| Characters |
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Entry Courtyard Hogwarts
A path leads from the Gates through to the huge bridge that travels across the lake towards the Hogwarts entry hall from here. The otherwise green hill isn't very steep, however, almost like it was designed for long walks and for the carriages. Another, steeper and well-trodden, path leads down to the lake shore and the groundskeeper's cabin, in a roundabout way to the west, while the lake itself is visible over cliffs hundreds of feet tall to the South.
Across the bridge and just outside the entry hall is the courtyard itself, a large rectangular area with roofed walkways along the outside, with benches to sit and arched open-air windows to give a view over the lake. Inside these walkways is a central open square just outside the doors to the castle, with a couple of larger benches to give students a place to sit.
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In the time between dinner and bed, when classes have finished for the day, Arian has found himself out in the courtyard once again. This time, however, he's not juggling balls. Instead, he's settled in front of an open bench, muggle playing cards laid out in front of him and a look of intense concentration on his face. As he stares at the cards, a sudden breeze flitters through the yard and a single card goes skittering across the stones. Arian, of course, gives chase immediately.
And the card flits off, bumbling, bouncing along the courtyard stones until an immaculately polished shoe steps on it, anchoring it to the ground. The owner of said shoe, is a girl who looks as if she hadn't planned to stop the card's momentum based on the look of mild surprise on her face. So she bends down to pick it up between her clean fingers and observe the card with narrowed eyes before looked up to see that a young boy was chasing it. "Yours, I presume," she says, holding it up in front of Arian but not necessarily offering it to him. And looking left and right for any other Ravenclaws, she questions, "You're not /gambling/ are you, Kyle?"
Arian is not having a good week with his magic accessories. First the ball, and now… this. And just when he'd managed to stay out of her way for a while. "Yeah, it is, actually," said Arian, stretching out a hand, more hopeful than expectant. "And what do you mean, gambling?" He points to where he was sitting. "I'm alone."
Ah! There we go. A pack of Ravenclaw boys just a year older than Arian sit not too far from where the boy was playing, snigger among themselves but also cautiously looking over at Ria. She's got /that/ look in her eye, which flits from the boys to the card to Arian. "You don't look too alone," she gestures with her chin to the group of boys. "And they look like they've just won big or like they were up to no good. Or perhaps both." At least that's how she sees it, or perhaps that's the way her lips, with a slight smirk to them, will tell it. She continues to hold the card, rather than give it back to him. "Based on how things appear, I'd say you were lying to me Arian."
"Oh, c'mon," Arian protests, making a grab at the card in Ria's hand. "What is it with your house and making things up?" Just to make sure, he runs back to where he was sitting and grabs the rest of his cards before returning to the the Slytherin girl. "See? All mine. GOt it? I was practicing my illusions. You remember those, don't you?"
Ria pulls the card away at his snatch while she replies, "I have no idea what you're talking about. I've never encountered anyone who lied to me in my own house." It's partially true, and partially a lie. She waits for him to fetch his cards before rolling her eyes over his 'illusions.' "Yes, I'm well acquainted with /those/." But she purses her lips, scrutinzing the situation and giving the boy an up and down look before stopping her gaze at his pockets. "What's that you got in there?" asks curiously. "Contraband in your pockets?"
"Look, I told you I was sorry about your dress," Arian says, remembering the time that he accidentally squirted her with lighter fluid. He's been in a pretty good humor — for someone having to deal with Ria, anyway — until she starts glaring at his pockets. "What the bloody hell are you talking about? There's nothing in my pockets. And you KNOW Pringle took that contraption away from me. You were there!" Suddenly a thought crosses his mind, and he scowls. "Okay, what do you want from me?" he asks.
Ria narrows her eyes at the mention of her beloved dress, and how it was tainted with lighter fluid. "I went to have that stain removed, you know. And my moronic house elf used the wrong charm and blew a hole through it. It was a favorite, you know. A gift, from my late grandmother," she says, letting guilt be the force behind her verbal punches, "To think it all could have been avoided if /someone/ was a more competent … illusionist." How she hated saying such a tacky word! "What I /wanted/ Arian is for you to tell me the truth. And now that you've blatantly lied to me I can't believe you. So you'll have to empty your pockets," she flicks her hand at him in a 'go-on' motion.
There's a load of grumbling and glaring from Arian. "I said I was sorry!" he says, in a genuine effort to apologize. "Geez, it's not like I told your house elf to ruin it." He's about to argue further, but as his hand goes into his pockets, he remembers that he did, in fact, have something in there. "Here's your bloody contraband," he says as he pulls a couple of chocolate frogs from the robe. "Chocolate. Now, would you like one? I hear women like it when they're… in a bad mood," he says, stopping himself from saying something that would, in all likelihood, get him killed.
Once again, Ria's pink lips purse in scrutiny as she takes a look at what was in his pockets, only to be let down by the common chocolate frogs he pulls out. Annoyed disappointment is written all over her face, as she scowls with her eyes at his statement. Big tip here, never blame a girl's mood on menstruation, even if it's true. With her wand, she makes a definitive swipe toward the sky and a directs and modestly strong flow up air upward, aiming for the card and frog contents in his hands.
And now the cards go flying, along with the chocolate frog, and all Arian can do is just stand there and watch. He's been in a good mood lately, but this? This is just unfair. He didn't ACTUALLY SAY it, right? That should have counted for something! A scowl slowly settles on his face as he stares at the older Slytherin girl. "What the bloody hell was that for? I offered you chocolate! What, did you expect FLOWERS too?"
Hope you like 52 pickup, bitch. Ria's smirk reaches all the way to her eyes as Arian's cards float and flicker around them like snow flakes down to the stone floor. "Accio chocolate frog," she flicks her wand and the the desert zips its way into her palm with fingers closing around it. Casually, she unwraps the frog and pops it into her mouth. Delightful. "Yes. I did," she says, delicately chewing away at her well earned treat, "For future reference, I like camellias." And with that she turns on her heel and walks away, taking a peek at the card she got with her chocolate frog — Jocunda Sykes. Perfect, she groans and tosses the card over her shoulder to head back into the castle.