Have You Heard? // Tired of This Game.
Title: Have You Heard?
Rating: PG
Word Count: 1,021
Characters: Narcissa Black, Bellatrix Black, Adelaide Slytherin, Cyanne Travers, Adelaide Slytherin, Astoria Greengrass, Druella Rosier, Alecto Carrow; others mentioned.
Prompt: 007. Babble
Summary: With the Yule Ball coming up, the Slytherin girls must discuss who is going with who.
Warnings: Alternative Universe of lumos_founders, set during their sixth year. And Adelaide comes from the mind of shotgundivorce.
Disclaimer: I do not own any of these characters, they belong to J.K. Rowling.
Narcissa Black settled onto the couch beside her sister, grinning broadly despite her attempts to look as thought she did not care about the fact that Lucius Malfoy had finally asked her to the Yule Ball. She was preparing how best to go about what she was going to say when Bellatrix, without looking up from her book, asked, "So he finally asked you?"
"You ruin everything, Bella," Narcissa said, sulking a little as the other girls who had settled in for the evening looked at her with interest. "I had a much better story planned than that. About the subtle hints-"
"You mean the batted eyelashes and the brushes up against him and the convenient mentions of his name just as he was passing by you in the hall?" Bellatrix sounded bored. "Cissy, you may be subtle about some things, but everyone who knows you knew that you were trying to get Lucius to ask you to the dance." She looked up from her book at last, smirking now. "Come now and admit it or I'll have to tell everyone about how you-"
"Adelaide," Narcissa said quickly, cheeks flushed, "I cannot believe that you actually said yes to Galen after he proposed in that manner." Most of the girls in the room could not believe that Slytherin's daughter had said yes to Gryffindor's son at all, but they had learned to not put it that way in Adelaide's hearing. But it was quite obvious that Narcissa would talk about anything at that point in time so long as it kept her sister from continuing with what she had been about to say.
Adelaide frowned. "If I hadn't said yes then he would have done something even more humiliating that the singing suits of armor."
"I don't think that's possible," Cyanne remarked, scratching something out on her parchment. "The only thing more humiliating that would be... well, I suppose he could've convinced the Mudbloods of the school to all besiege you so that his offer was flattering by comparison."
"I like Galen," Adelaide reminded Cyanne.
The brunette shrugged, hunching down to get a better look at what she had written. It was all the time that she spent in the United States that made her more willing to tread on the thing ice that was Adelaide's temper. "That's your loss and some other girl's lucky miss." Before Adelaide could think of something to say in reply she added, "I have a date to the Ball as well."
"Really?" Astoria asked, eyes brightening as she glanced up. "I could have sworn that I heard you say that you didn't even want to go to the Ball because it was degrading... which speaks volumes of how much time you've been spending with those Yankees."
Cyanne shrugged. "Rook asked me."
All of the girls burst out laughing at that. Sharing a house with the blue-haired Slytherin boy for five years had left none of them with any doubts about what Augustus preferred. "He'll be better dressed than you are," Narcissa chuckled.
"It was him or Amycus; and if I said yes to Amycus-"
"Augustus would hex you from behind the moment you walked in the door. Ah well, you could be going with someone worse." Narcissa's eyebrows raised slightly. "Like I heard just before I came back that Antonin asked Esmi to go with him... and she said yes."
"That's not a surprise," Astoria said. "They're two snakes wrapped in badger skins, they fit together."
"Even if Selene clawed his hands to shreds the one time he tried to pet her," Bellatrix chortled.
"I heard you said yes to Rodolphus," Narcissa remarked, smirking a little. If Bellatrix was going to make fun of how had she had tried to get Lucius to ask her, then she was never going to let her sister forget about how long it had taken the younger Lestrange twin to convince her to go with him. Or who she had been hoping would ask instead. "Did you finally decide to stop waiting for- ah... right, I was finished." If anyone else had put the tip of their wand to her throat, then Narcissa would have gone icy cold before drawing her own, but this was Bellatrix. She knew her sister better than to try something like that. Eager to change the conversation, Narcissa shifted her eyes to where Druella sat silently, unable to move her head because Bellatrix had not yet lowered her wand. "I'm most surprised by who you're going with, Druella." She would not call her mother.
Druella arched a slender eyebrow. "I trust that you know his bloodline is perfectly acceptable, no matter who he is. He will be a most pleasant escort and I will not have to worry about him attempting anything inappropriate."
"That's because he's related to you," Cyanne pointed out.
"If I had not told Scorpius that he was taking me to the Ball then he would have asked that Mudblood to go with him. I think that it's an acceptable alternative." Druella turned towards Bellatrix. "What made you decide to say yes to Rodolphus?" Of course she knew that Bellatrix would not threaten her with her wand.
Bellatrix glanced across the room to where the shortest girl in Slytherin house was seated, apparently engaged in her book and paying no attention to any of them. It was a ruse, of course, no Slytherin ever was unaware of their surroundings. "I don't want to talk about it," Bellatrix said shortly, climbing to her feet and stalking off towards the boys dormitories. No one called after her - they all knew that she was going to go find Rodolphus. It seemed to be her favorite pastime, spending time with Rodolphus when something was not going just how she wanted. Narcissa had remarked on it in a negative fashion once and it had been a full week before she had been willing to show her face outside of the hospital wing.
"Alecto's going with Tom, isn't she?" Adelaide asked. The humming that drifted from across the room was all the answer that was needed.
Title: Tired of This Game
Rating: PG-13
Word Count: 1,837
Characters: Rashnu Lestrange, Amycus Carrow, Tom Marvolo, Augustus Rookwood, Nikolai Rosier, Cyanne Travers, Alecto Carrow
Prompt: 030. Interest
Summary: On the night of the Yule Ball, Tom finally shows the slightest interest in going...
Warnings: Alternative Universe of lumos_founders; sort of a continuation of "Have You Heard?"
Disclaimer: I do not own any of these characters, they belong to J.K. Rowling.
"You haven't asked her yet?" Rashnu asked, disbelief clear in his voice as he rearranged his collar. "I hate to be one to point out the obvious... but mate, the Ball's soon. Shouldn't you have maybe done this before now?"
"That would explain why she has been so on edge," Amycus remarked from his seat on the edge of his bed. He held up his hand with a wry grin to show the red scratches on it. "She did this at breakfast because I didn't pass her the coffee fast enough... really, why didn't you just ask her sooner?"
Tom looked up from where he was laying on his bed, still in his regular clothes unlike the others who were all ready for the Ball that began in an hour. "I don't see why you think it is so important," he said in his quiet voice, eyes uninterested. "No one else would ask her."
Rashnu rolled his eyes. "I thought the same thing, but then I found out that Druella is going with that Ravenclaw Malfoy. Ah well, I suppose it is better than Cygnet." A pillow flew from the bed across the room to strike him on the head at that remark. "That wasn't very nice, Rook."
"I like Cygnus, thanks very much," Augustus said, his reflection grinning at the rest of the room. He had just redyed his hair that morning and the vibrant blue had brought more than one comment about how he resembled a Ravenclaw more than a Slytherin. But no one had lacked the sense to say it more than once, and the first who had said it was going to be missing the Yule Ball. "And besides that, Tom, didn't you hear? That Weasley boy has asked her out no less than twice a day since the date of the Ball was announced."
"And how many times he has gone to hospital wing for it?" Nikolai asked, applying a copious amount of gel to his hair."Last time I saw, I thought was fungus, not boy."
"Weasley's are fungus," Rashnu drawled.
"True," Nikolai agreed with a shrug. "Still, Tom, to not ask before now... maybe she go with someone else."
Everyone in the room turned towards Amycus, who was already holding his hands up in the air. "Do you really think she tells me anything?"
"Don't worry chap," Augustus said, reaching over to clap Tom on the shoulder. "I'm sure she hasn't, dear though she is." Tom's eyes flashed quickly with something that could not be identified... perhaps because none of the boys had seen it before.
Tom was leaning against the wall next to the exit of the Slytherin common room as the various students went through, some hurrying with ridiculous grins on their faces while others attempted struts or confident walks that would appeal to whoever it was they were going with. Most of the girls grinned at Augustus as they departed, no doubt because he had helped them pick out their dresses and told them the best way to arrange their hair to match. Sometimes it was a wonder that Slughorn did not just move the boy to the girls dormitories and be done with it, he always ended up there during the course of a day despite the charm on the steps. Finally the only people left in the common room were Amycus, Augustus, Cyanne and Tom.
"I told you she's not coming down," Cyanne remarked, studying the nails that Augustus had painted for her in the same exact shade as his hair. "Can we go to the Ball now? I promised Esmi that I wouldn't leave her alone with Dolohov the entire time and the first dance is going to be in about five minutes." Technically she was attending the Ball with Augustus, but everyone knew that they were not really going together. And Amycus simply did not have a date so he was going with the two of them, much to Augustus's unconcealed delight.
"Antonin's not going to do anything to her, that hissing creature of hers is no doubt making sure of that," Augustus remarked, though he did extend his arm for her to take. "But we'll go... you sure you don't want to come with us, Tom? No one will take it amiss."
Tom eyed Augustus coolly. "If I decide to go then it will not be taken amiss that I enter alone," he informed his house mate. "And if it is, do you really think that I care?"
"Do you ever care?" Augustus asked with a shrug, his grin not fading as he motioned for Amycus to go ahead. "See you later then."
It was only once the stone had slid back into place after them that Tom pushed himself off of the wall and strode over to the stairs that led to the girl's dorms. Pulling out his wand he uttered the counter-spell that had taken Augustus not two weeks to figure out, apparently he had not enjoyed the sensation of falling flat on his face. The proper door was unlocked, as he had known it would be, and the only girl whom he had not watched prance through the door. Her dress was such a dark blue that it was nearly black, edged with silver at the cuffs, and her hair was swept into an arrangement that must have taken hours, even with magic. Tom had not shared a room with Augustus for five years without learning some things about fashion, whether or not he cared to. No doubt he was the reason why Augustus could now keep a smile off of his face if he actually cared to and Rashnu was the reason why their entire dorm could strut without a second thought.
Alecto glanced up at him from her bed, mouth set in a tight line and her eyes shining in a way that Tom knew indicated the possibility of tears. They stared at each other for several minutes, neither moving, until Alecto finally looked away. In these situations she was always the first to look away, though Tom could never recall her doing the same when she was looking at anyone else. Not that he ever wondered about what it could mean. "Aren't you supposed to be at the Ball?" she asked.
"I'm not the one who is all dressed up," Tom pointed out, not moving from the doorway. He did not believe in idle chatter most of the time, but it seemed almost necessary at the moment. "Why aren't you at the Ball with everyone else? It's all I've heard anyone talking about for the past week." It had grown rather annoying and repetitive. How many times did one need to repeat who was attending with who? Though the news that Bellatrix had finally accepted Rodolphus's invitation had been a relief, even if Druella had started to throw him nasty looks.
Alecto's eyes were still firmly fixed on a spot a little to the left of Tom's head. "A lady does not attend a Ball alone."
Somewhere inside Tom's chest his heart beat a little faster, causing a small frown to appear on his face. That happened very, very rarely... and usually only when Alecto had that look on her face. No doubt Rashnu would have had a smart remark had he known about that. "You had invitations."
"How do you know that?" Alecto asked, a beat too quickly. She had either expected him to know or it had caught her completely off guard.
"People talk."
"Oh." Was that a hint of disappointment? "I suppose Amycus told you." There was the bitter edge, far more like her voice was supposed to sound.
"Amycus told me nothing I did not ask about," Tom admitted, knowing that the truth would be easier than evasion. It usually was when it came to this particular girl as he had learned a few years ago.
"You asked?" Alecto's voice was quiet and something in it tugged at that place deep inside of Tom's chest that so rarely stirred. She was not supposed to sound vulnerable and hopeful all at the same time, it was simply unnatural.
"I did."
That seemed to steel something inside of Alecto and she straightened, eyes flashing a little as she actually looked at Tom again. "Why would you do that? Usually people only ask things like that when they care."
Tom tilted his head a little, eyebrow raised. "Don't be childish, Alecto, it doesn't suit you." She had the grace to blush, but she did not lower her gaze and Tom continued, "I asked because I wanted to know if you accepted any of the offers. Clearly, you did not. I would like to know why."
"You know very well why."
"Do I?"
"I don't like playing this game with you."
"Yet you do it so very well."
"Maybe this time I don't want to play."
"Answer my question, Alecto."
"Stop it, Tom."
"Not until you tell me why you said no to everyone who asked. I know why you turned down the Weasel boy, but I did not think there was anything wrong with Rosier or Lestrange." So long as neither of them every made such a proposition to her again.
"Why do we always have to go through this?" Alecto asked as she stood up, walking forward until she had to tip her head back to keep her eyes matched with Tom's. "Eventually I may have a different answer for you."
"No you won't."
Alecto actually stamped her foot at him. "Damnit, Tom Marvolo, I'm serious! Do you have any idea of how long it took me to get ready for a Ball I wasn't even sure that I would be attending? All based on the slim hope that you-" Her tirade stopped abruptly when Tom laid a finger against her lips and his hand on her hip, an actual smile on his face.
"Tell me why you told them no," he murmured into her hair, sliding his hand along her neck.
"I was waiting for you to ask me," Alecto replied, shivering as she rested her forehead against his chest.
Tom's fingers paused at a spot on her shoulder. "Would you have gone with any of them if you knew I would not ask you?"
"Yes." She slipped her arms around his waist, steadying herself as he moved his hand back to her neck.
"Why?"
"To make you jealous."
"Will you go to the Ball with me, Alecto Carrow?"
"Perhaps I don't wish to go anymore." Her chin was tilted up and her eyes had time to widen before Tom kissed her. When he pulled away she gave him an indignant look, ruined slightly by the blush that started at the roots of her hair. "A gentleman would ask before he did that."
"Then it's a good thing I'm no gentleman," Tom replied, kissing her again. "Do you want to go now?"
"Yes, please. Just... wait a moment." Her legs were not quite stable.
Rating: PG
Word Count: 1,021
Characters: Narcissa Black, Bellatrix Black, Adelaide Slytherin, Cyanne Travers, Adelaide Slytherin, Astoria Greengrass, Druella Rosier, Alecto Carrow; others mentioned.
Prompt: 007. Babble
Summary: With the Yule Ball coming up, the Slytherin girls must discuss who is going with who.
Warnings: Alternative Universe of lumos_founders, set during their sixth year. And Adelaide comes from the mind of shotgundivorce.
Disclaimer: I do not own any of these characters, they belong to J.K. Rowling.
Narcissa Black settled onto the couch beside her sister, grinning broadly despite her attempts to look as thought she did not care about the fact that Lucius Malfoy had finally asked her to the Yule Ball. She was preparing how best to go about what she was going to say when Bellatrix, without looking up from her book, asked, "So he finally asked you?"
"You ruin everything, Bella," Narcissa said, sulking a little as the other girls who had settled in for the evening looked at her with interest. "I had a much better story planned than that. About the subtle hints-"
"You mean the batted eyelashes and the brushes up against him and the convenient mentions of his name just as he was passing by you in the hall?" Bellatrix sounded bored. "Cissy, you may be subtle about some things, but everyone who knows you knew that you were trying to get Lucius to ask you to the dance." She looked up from her book at last, smirking now. "Come now and admit it or I'll have to tell everyone about how you-"
"Adelaide," Narcissa said quickly, cheeks flushed, "I cannot believe that you actually said yes to Galen after he proposed in that manner." Most of the girls in the room could not believe that Slytherin's daughter had said yes to Gryffindor's son at all, but they had learned to not put it that way in Adelaide's hearing. But it was quite obvious that Narcissa would talk about anything at that point in time so long as it kept her sister from continuing with what she had been about to say.
Adelaide frowned. "If I hadn't said yes then he would have done something even more humiliating that the singing suits of armor."
"I don't think that's possible," Cyanne remarked, scratching something out on her parchment. "The only thing more humiliating that would be... well, I suppose he could've convinced the Mudbloods of the school to all besiege you so that his offer was flattering by comparison."
"I like Galen," Adelaide reminded Cyanne.
The brunette shrugged, hunching down to get a better look at what she had written. It was all the time that she spent in the United States that made her more willing to tread on the thing ice that was Adelaide's temper. "That's your loss and some other girl's lucky miss." Before Adelaide could think of something to say in reply she added, "I have a date to the Ball as well."
"Really?" Astoria asked, eyes brightening as she glanced up. "I could have sworn that I heard you say that you didn't even want to go to the Ball because it was degrading... which speaks volumes of how much time you've been spending with those Yankees."
Cyanne shrugged. "Rook asked me."
All of the girls burst out laughing at that. Sharing a house with the blue-haired Slytherin boy for five years had left none of them with any doubts about what Augustus preferred. "He'll be better dressed than you are," Narcissa chuckled.
"It was him or Amycus; and if I said yes to Amycus-"
"Augustus would hex you from behind the moment you walked in the door. Ah well, you could be going with someone worse." Narcissa's eyebrows raised slightly. "Like I heard just before I came back that Antonin asked Esmi to go with him... and she said yes."
"That's not a surprise," Astoria said. "They're two snakes wrapped in badger skins, they fit together."
"Even if Selene clawed his hands to shreds the one time he tried to pet her," Bellatrix chortled.
"I heard you said yes to Rodolphus," Narcissa remarked, smirking a little. If Bellatrix was going to make fun of how had she had tried to get Lucius to ask her, then she was never going to let her sister forget about how long it had taken the younger Lestrange twin to convince her to go with him. Or who she had been hoping would ask instead. "Did you finally decide to stop waiting for- ah... right, I was finished." If anyone else had put the tip of their wand to her throat, then Narcissa would have gone icy cold before drawing her own, but this was Bellatrix. She knew her sister better than to try something like that. Eager to change the conversation, Narcissa shifted her eyes to where Druella sat silently, unable to move her head because Bellatrix had not yet lowered her wand. "I'm most surprised by who you're going with, Druella." She would not call her mother.
Druella arched a slender eyebrow. "I trust that you know his bloodline is perfectly acceptable, no matter who he is. He will be a most pleasant escort and I will not have to worry about him attempting anything inappropriate."
"That's because he's related to you," Cyanne pointed out.
"If I had not told Scorpius that he was taking me to the Ball then he would have asked that Mudblood to go with him. I think that it's an acceptable alternative." Druella turned towards Bellatrix. "What made you decide to say yes to Rodolphus?" Of course she knew that Bellatrix would not threaten her with her wand.
Bellatrix glanced across the room to where the shortest girl in Slytherin house was seated, apparently engaged in her book and paying no attention to any of them. It was a ruse, of course, no Slytherin ever was unaware of their surroundings. "I don't want to talk about it," Bellatrix said shortly, climbing to her feet and stalking off towards the boys dormitories. No one called after her - they all knew that she was going to go find Rodolphus. It seemed to be her favorite pastime, spending time with Rodolphus when something was not going just how she wanted. Narcissa had remarked on it in a negative fashion once and it had been a full week before she had been willing to show her face outside of the hospital wing.
"Alecto's going with Tom, isn't she?" Adelaide asked. The humming that drifted from across the room was all the answer that was needed.
Title: Tired of This Game
Rating: PG-13
Word Count: 1,837
Characters: Rashnu Lestrange, Amycus Carrow, Tom Marvolo, Augustus Rookwood, Nikolai Rosier, Cyanne Travers, Alecto Carrow
Prompt: 030. Interest
Summary: On the night of the Yule Ball, Tom finally shows the slightest interest in going...
Warnings: Alternative Universe of lumos_founders; sort of a continuation of "Have You Heard?"
Disclaimer: I do not own any of these characters, they belong to J.K. Rowling.
"You haven't asked her yet?" Rashnu asked, disbelief clear in his voice as he rearranged his collar. "I hate to be one to point out the obvious... but mate, the Ball's soon. Shouldn't you have maybe done this before now?"
"That would explain why she has been so on edge," Amycus remarked from his seat on the edge of his bed. He held up his hand with a wry grin to show the red scratches on it. "She did this at breakfast because I didn't pass her the coffee fast enough... really, why didn't you just ask her sooner?"
Tom looked up from where he was laying on his bed, still in his regular clothes unlike the others who were all ready for the Ball that began in an hour. "I don't see why you think it is so important," he said in his quiet voice, eyes uninterested. "No one else would ask her."
Rashnu rolled his eyes. "I thought the same thing, but then I found out that Druella is going with that Ravenclaw Malfoy. Ah well, I suppose it is better than Cygnet." A pillow flew from the bed across the room to strike him on the head at that remark. "That wasn't very nice, Rook."
"I like Cygnus, thanks very much," Augustus said, his reflection grinning at the rest of the room. He had just redyed his hair that morning and the vibrant blue had brought more than one comment about how he resembled a Ravenclaw more than a Slytherin. But no one had lacked the sense to say it more than once, and the first who had said it was going to be missing the Yule Ball. "And besides that, Tom, didn't you hear? That Weasley boy has asked her out no less than twice a day since the date of the Ball was announced."
"And how many times he has gone to hospital wing for it?" Nikolai asked, applying a copious amount of gel to his hair."Last time I saw, I thought was fungus, not boy."
"Weasley's are fungus," Rashnu drawled.
"True," Nikolai agreed with a shrug. "Still, Tom, to not ask before now... maybe she go with someone else."
Everyone in the room turned towards Amycus, who was already holding his hands up in the air. "Do you really think she tells me anything?"
"Don't worry chap," Augustus said, reaching over to clap Tom on the shoulder. "I'm sure she hasn't, dear though she is." Tom's eyes flashed quickly with something that could not be identified... perhaps because none of the boys had seen it before.
Tom was leaning against the wall next to the exit of the Slytherin common room as the various students went through, some hurrying with ridiculous grins on their faces while others attempted struts or confident walks that would appeal to whoever it was they were going with. Most of the girls grinned at Augustus as they departed, no doubt because he had helped them pick out their dresses and told them the best way to arrange their hair to match. Sometimes it was a wonder that Slughorn did not just move the boy to the girls dormitories and be done with it, he always ended up there during the course of a day despite the charm on the steps. Finally the only people left in the common room were Amycus, Augustus, Cyanne and Tom.
"I told you she's not coming down," Cyanne remarked, studying the nails that Augustus had painted for her in the same exact shade as his hair. "Can we go to the Ball now? I promised Esmi that I wouldn't leave her alone with Dolohov the entire time and the first dance is going to be in about five minutes." Technically she was attending the Ball with Augustus, but everyone knew that they were not really going together. And Amycus simply did not have a date so he was going with the two of them, much to Augustus's unconcealed delight.
"Antonin's not going to do anything to her, that hissing creature of hers is no doubt making sure of that," Augustus remarked, though he did extend his arm for her to take. "But we'll go... you sure you don't want to come with us, Tom? No one will take it amiss."
Tom eyed Augustus coolly. "If I decide to go then it will not be taken amiss that I enter alone," he informed his house mate. "And if it is, do you really think that I care?"
"Do you ever care?" Augustus asked with a shrug, his grin not fading as he motioned for Amycus to go ahead. "See you later then."
It was only once the stone had slid back into place after them that Tom pushed himself off of the wall and strode over to the stairs that led to the girl's dorms. Pulling out his wand he uttered the counter-spell that had taken Augustus not two weeks to figure out, apparently he had not enjoyed the sensation of falling flat on his face. The proper door was unlocked, as he had known it would be, and the only girl whom he had not watched prance through the door. Her dress was such a dark blue that it was nearly black, edged with silver at the cuffs, and her hair was swept into an arrangement that must have taken hours, even with magic. Tom had not shared a room with Augustus for five years without learning some things about fashion, whether or not he cared to. No doubt he was the reason why Augustus could now keep a smile off of his face if he actually cared to and Rashnu was the reason why their entire dorm could strut without a second thought.
Alecto glanced up at him from her bed, mouth set in a tight line and her eyes shining in a way that Tom knew indicated the possibility of tears. They stared at each other for several minutes, neither moving, until Alecto finally looked away. In these situations she was always the first to look away, though Tom could never recall her doing the same when she was looking at anyone else. Not that he ever wondered about what it could mean. "Aren't you supposed to be at the Ball?" she asked.
"I'm not the one who is all dressed up," Tom pointed out, not moving from the doorway. He did not believe in idle chatter most of the time, but it seemed almost necessary at the moment. "Why aren't you at the Ball with everyone else? It's all I've heard anyone talking about for the past week." It had grown rather annoying and repetitive. How many times did one need to repeat who was attending with who? Though the news that Bellatrix had finally accepted Rodolphus's invitation had been a relief, even if Druella had started to throw him nasty looks.
Alecto's eyes were still firmly fixed on a spot a little to the left of Tom's head. "A lady does not attend a Ball alone."
Somewhere inside Tom's chest his heart beat a little faster, causing a small frown to appear on his face. That happened very, very rarely... and usually only when Alecto had that look on her face. No doubt Rashnu would have had a smart remark had he known about that. "You had invitations."
"How do you know that?" Alecto asked, a beat too quickly. She had either expected him to know or it had caught her completely off guard.
"People talk."
"Oh." Was that a hint of disappointment? "I suppose Amycus told you." There was the bitter edge, far more like her voice was supposed to sound.
"Amycus told me nothing I did not ask about," Tom admitted, knowing that the truth would be easier than evasion. It usually was when it came to this particular girl as he had learned a few years ago.
"You asked?" Alecto's voice was quiet and something in it tugged at that place deep inside of Tom's chest that so rarely stirred. She was not supposed to sound vulnerable and hopeful all at the same time, it was simply unnatural.
"I did."
That seemed to steel something inside of Alecto and she straightened, eyes flashing a little as she actually looked at Tom again. "Why would you do that? Usually people only ask things like that when they care."
Tom tilted his head a little, eyebrow raised. "Don't be childish, Alecto, it doesn't suit you." She had the grace to blush, but she did not lower her gaze and Tom continued, "I asked because I wanted to know if you accepted any of the offers. Clearly, you did not. I would like to know why."
"You know very well why."
"Do I?"
"I don't like playing this game with you."
"Yet you do it so very well."
"Maybe this time I don't want to play."
"Answer my question, Alecto."
"Stop it, Tom."
"Not until you tell me why you said no to everyone who asked. I know why you turned down the Weasel boy, but I did not think there was anything wrong with Rosier or Lestrange." So long as neither of them every made such a proposition to her again.
"Why do we always have to go through this?" Alecto asked as she stood up, walking forward until she had to tip her head back to keep her eyes matched with Tom's. "Eventually I may have a different answer for you."
"No you won't."
Alecto actually stamped her foot at him. "Damnit, Tom Marvolo, I'm serious! Do you have any idea of how long it took me to get ready for a Ball I wasn't even sure that I would be attending? All based on the slim hope that you-" Her tirade stopped abruptly when Tom laid a finger against her lips and his hand on her hip, an actual smile on his face.
"Tell me why you told them no," he murmured into her hair, sliding his hand along her neck.
"I was waiting for you to ask me," Alecto replied, shivering as she rested her forehead against his chest.
Tom's fingers paused at a spot on her shoulder. "Would you have gone with any of them if you knew I would not ask you?"
"Yes." She slipped her arms around his waist, steadying herself as he moved his hand back to her neck.
"Why?"
"To make you jealous."
"Will you go to the Ball with me, Alecto Carrow?"
"Perhaps I don't wish to go anymore." Her chin was tilted up and her eyes had time to widen before Tom kissed her. When he pulled away she gave him an indignant look, ruined slightly by the blush that started at the roots of her hair. "A gentleman would ask before he did that."
"Then it's a good thing I'm no gentleman," Tom replied, kissing her again. "Do you want to go now?"
"Yes, please. Just... wait a moment." Her legs were not quite stable.