The Great Hall was decked out completely in all its splendour, banners of red, yellow, blue, and green adorning the walls, made to seem all the more magical by the flickering orange glow of the floating chandeliers. Above them, the ceiling was transfigured to look like the night sky above, a starry, resplendent view that was strangely devoid of clouds. Down below, the four tables of the four houses were packed to the brim and buzzing with life, anxiously waiting for the new first years to make their entrance. Truly, it was a magnificent view, as the youngsters would soon attest to when they take their first steps in Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Not to Linwood Branson though. This would be the seventh time he had to stick through the whole affair, and the novelty of it all wears off after the first few years. Not to mention the pureblood had other, more pressing worries at hand than which kid ends up in what house. If anything, he'd be glad if Slytherin got fewer students this year; fewer people he'd have to reject in quidditch tryouts later this year. The last student to get into a team on their first year was Potter himself anyway. Perks of being captain; he gets to destroy the confidence of a bunch of 11-year-olds.
Sitting at the edge of the Slytherin table, befit of a leader as denoted by the shiny little badge pinned onto his robes, Lin looked every bit the conceited pureblood people would expect a Branson to be. Sharp features, sullen face, silvery blond hair tied up into a bun. People could be forgiven for thinking he looked quite the pompous wanker, as his good friend Rhys had told him. The other teen was sitting across from Lin, looking visibly more cheerful than the blond, a shining silver lapel also adorned on his chest; this one denoting that he was a Slytherin Prefect. "Lighten up, mate. Merlin's tits, you look like someone pissed on your face this morning." That earned a nasty glare from Lin. By Salazar, he wanted to punch this idiot. How he was able to be so nonchalant about signing his life away in a ministry-mandated stunt, he would never understand. Strange how they coped so differently under the same circumstances. But then again, Rhys had always been the more easy-going of the two. He chalked it up to having parents who weren't complete arseholes.
"Man, I think I'm allowed to be upset about being forced into a life-long commitment, Rhys," the blond bit back with furrowed brows, to which his friend only shrugged. "Maybe they just figured out we ain't ever getting girlfriends if they don't step in." That was... quite fair. Throughout the whole six years he'd attended Hogwarts, Lin had never really found the opportunity to date. Not that he was opposed to it, and certainly not because he was gay like his parents suspected when he was fifteen - he was a bit of a loner by nature, and committing himself to a long-term relationship had always been a bit of a hard sell for him. Not that it mattered anymore, of course. For all his complaints about not wanting to deal with girls, he would be paired up for life with one in the next few hours.
The Blood Unity act, they called it. Bit of a lame name for what was essentially a matchmaking service, in Lin's opinion. Ever since He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named's demise at the battle of Hogwarts a little over two decades ago, the English Ministry of Magic had been trying relentlessly to erase the idea of blood purity from wizardkind's minds. Muggleborns were given equal rights, and purebloods had some of their privileges taken away. Most were all too happy to accept these changes, but some, mainly the ancient pureblood families, clung tightly onto the old notions of their superiority. The Bransons were one such family. Proud, unrelenting, unbending. They kept espousing their views upon any who would listen and had the money and power to keep doing what they did. The act, passed five years ago, was more or less a direct jab at the old families, forcing the heirs of these families to muddle their blood by marrying into Muggleborns and Halfbloods.
The gall of them, said Linwood Branson Sr. The Slytherin remembered the uproar at his family home when it was announced that the act had been passed, and the ones that followed as his elder brother Lincoln was matched with a Muggleborn girl. She'd been fairly pleasant, on the occasions Lin had talked to her. Sweet, maybe a bit dull, too eager to please Lincoln, even. His brother, being the obedient dog that he is, broke off the engagement right after graduation. The backlash on social media was unexpected and intense, with a mob lynch accusing the family of still being blood elitists. It was true, of course, but the damage was controlled with carefully chosen statements and some very generous donations to both charity and Hogwarts itself. His father was more than experienced in dealing with such things. And so, for the second son, they had a new plan.
"Your parents give you the whole spiel about not breaking things off first?" he asked Rhys, hand lazily tapping the empty silver plate in front of him. "Yeah, hard not to after the whole Lincoln Branson fiasco. Make it look like the girl wanted to end the engagement. Pretty sure your folks gave them the idea." The blond nodded; it was more than likely. The Bransons had the Ellwoods tightly in their grasp, after all. Not that big of a stretch to think they'd also dictate them on how to raise their son. The thing was, while both parties had the option to break off the engagement if things aren't going well, it's generally frowned upon to do so, since it was supposed to represent unity and peace and all that. Looks even worse if it's the purebloods doing it, and most of the failed pairs so far had been the purebloods' fault.
"Well... might as well make it a bit more fun," breathed Lin, pulling himself up from his slouched position and pulling out some gold coins from the inner pocket of his robes. "Ten galleons say you get paired with someone from Hufflepuff." Rhys snorted. "Fine. Same bet for you, make it twenty." "Deal." The two then shook hands on it, both certain of being twenty galleons richer by the end of the day. Just then, the large gilded doors at the edge of the hall opened, revealing a gaggle of wide-eyed first years.
◌◌◌◌ ◌
The announcement came near the end of the Great Feast, when the Sorting had been long over and most students were done with dinner. "Seventh years chosen for the Blood Unity Act, please assemble at the end of your respective tables." A ministry official, a stiff-looking woman in a red petticoat, standing near Headmistress McGonagall, read out the announcement from the little sheet of paper in her hands, detailing in a long drawl the importance of overcoming their differences in their past. Linwood felt nauseous, feeling like all food he'd shoved down would come back up at any moment. Anxious, his bright blue eyes flicked to the other tables, where the other seventh years were also assembled, huddled close together. One of them would become his lifelong partner in the next few minutes. The thought was more terrifying than he would've liked to admit. He didn't even talk to half his housemates in his year. He did recognise most of the girls, though. There was ugly Eloise from Ravenclaw, slutty Crystal from Gryffindor, and of course, the Head Girl, along with some others.
"Moment of truth, mate," said Rhys in a conspiratorial whisper.
"Get out your twenty galleons," Lin taunted back. This was a terrible way to start off a relationship.
The hum of chatter that filled the Great Hall was warm as friend greeted one another after a long summer apart. Of course, most kept in contact via owl during those months apart, but it paled in comparison to being across from your best friends, hearing their voice. It was like a warm buzz that bubbled up within Sylvanie McKenna. Soon the brand new first years would be here and sorted into their houses. Sylvie could remember her sorting, the butterflies and nerves that had twisted through her. She felt for the new souls joining them and was ready to welcome them. Unlike other within the Great Hall, this was something she never tired of and one of the parts she looked forward to the most was the Sorting Hat's new song. Always different, it was the sign that a new year at Hogwarts was here. This would be her seventh year and while the joy of such a thing was dimmer a bit by the Blood Unity Act (or BUA) that loomed over her head like a dark cloud, she refused to let it shake her. Sylvie after all was Head Girl and she took that role seriously. She was someone for all others to look up to.
The thoughts of who she must be, who she wanted to be for not only the new students, but her current classmates was pushed aside as a gangly bunch of first years trooped into the Great Hall, led by Professor Turner. A warm smile spread across her lips; it was starting! A ratty old hat was brought out and set before the assembled students. Sylvie leaned forward in her seat, tucking an errant lock of hickory brown hair behind an ear. Bright brown eyes sparkled as one of the seams ripped into a mouth and the rich voice, though a bit comedic of the Sorting Hat began to sing.
Once I was a fledgling hat, Tall and pointed without a tear,
On brave Gryffindor’s head I sat
And witnessed magic beyond compare.
But the greatest wand-work I ever saw,
Came with the founding of these halls,
Those four great minds of years ago,
Used the magic I’ll now recall:
Wise Ravenclaw with wand of willow,
For charms she was renowned,
She hid and disguised this patch of land,
To ensure we would never be found.
Then brave Gryffindor with wand of holly,
Transfigured out of the mountain,
The great stone castle in which we sit,
Where generations could all be taught in.
Now Helga Hufflepuff with wand of spruce,
Added features for our leisure,
She conjured furniture and stocked the kitchens,
For every student's pleasure.
Meanwhile ambitious Slytherin,
Kept his work closely guarded,
He enchanted rooms and carved out chambers,
Just before our founders parted.
So remember now in these challenging times,
That one day long ago,
Our founders four all worked together,
To ensure they reached their goal.
And now although each of you may possess,
Skills that set you all apart,
You must stay united while you’re divided, To give Hogwarts back its heart.
As the song came to a close, the Great Hall erupted into applause and amongst them, Sylvie clapped the loudest. As the clapping died down, McGonagall raised a sheet of parchment and began to call out the names of the first years. Each house cheered as a new student was sorted into their house. Hufflepuff received a handsome number this year. With the sorting done. a few announcements were given, though these Sylvie tuned out. Don't go into the Forbidden Forest, new banned items from Caretaker Yalden, Finch's replacement. The man no less crotchety than Filch himself had been; perhaps it was part of what the job required? It was not nearly as exciting, though while her mind drifted, her face was turned obediently to Headmistress McGonagall.
Announcements over a glint in Professor McGonagall's eye as she took in the students before her and announced the start of term Feast. The plates before them populated with a wide array of food, the aroma hitting them all at once. The chatter came back in full force, a buzz of excitement now lingering over the students. One by one students ate their fill and when the last of them had leaned back away from their food, stomachs full to the bursting a woman rose from the staff table. Sylvie knew her from the year before, the Ministry Witch who had been in charge of the BUA. Sylvie had almost been able to forget about what was to come as she'd eaten and talked with friends and new first years, it was sobering now though and she felt her shoulder stiffen as she heard the woman speak.
"Seventh years chosen for the Blood Unity Act, please assemble at the end of your respective tables."
Glancing up at the staff table, she could see her mother and father smiling at her. In truth? This was the last thing Sylvie wanted to do. While she understood the act and it purpose, it had not been a spectacular hit last year. She could still recall how Lincoln Branson had broken it off with his partner, the poor girl had been utterly devoted to him and it had crushed her. Of course, it was all smoothed over as it always was. As she rose from her seat, warm brown eyes found his younger brother rising as well. Linwood Branson. Beyond being handsome and a decent Quidditch player, Branson had nothing else going for him. Sylvie took some comfort that she was unlikely to get paired with him. Smoothing her skirt, she moved to stand before her table.
Even before being Head Girl, Sylvie had been the center of attention. Likened to Minister Granger (which Sylvie was overwhelmingly flattered by) back in her day at Hogwarts, she was known to be an exceedingly bright Witch. Sylvie had even overheard Headmistress McGonagall and Professor Longbottom talking once about how she could have likely given Hermione real run for her money. While not quite so sure that was true, it only added to her desire to follow in Hermione's footsteps. Beyond her academic successes, Sylvie had something else going for her. In the words of Rowan Gallagher, Hufflepuff Quidditch Captain and Chaser, she was beautiful. The words had been uttered as he'd kissed her in the Library. Much like being compared to Hermione, it was a subject that Sylvie was less confident on. No, she was far too short! Standing at four eleven she was down right dainty; hell even some of the first years were taller than her... Next point of contention was her brown hair and eyes. While one would have been acceptable, both being brown made her feel mousy. The list of what she herself saw as flaws could have gone on and on. From her lips to her brows and even the soft curves of her body. While she could pick at herself, wish herself different, Sylvie was willing to concede that she was pretty.. but beautiful? Never going to happen.
The first name was being read. "Linwood Branson." Sylvie pitied the girl stuck with him. No doubt the 'engagement' wouldn't last. A farce, if she'd ever heard one. "Will be matched with..." and then the unthinkable happened and Sylvie could feel her eyes go wide as the witch said "Sylvanie McKenna." Voices erupted around her and she could feel hundreds of eyes on her. For the first time in a long time Sylvie was at a loss as as the next names were read, she stared up at the High Table, at her parents who were openly frowning at Linwood. There was no love lost between them and the man she was now engaged to. He was a lackadaisical student and that was if they were being kind. It felt like those horror movies she had seen, her head slowly turning towards Linwood. Her lips slightly parted, the shock still clear in her face.
Behind her, she heard Rowan say something derisive. Sylvie knew she should reprimand him... Yet..
-- ♡ --
The rest of the names were read off and the gathered students dismissed. There were expectations of her and she turned, fixing a rather forced smile on her face as she motioned to the prefect of the house. "Please lead them to the dormitory. Remember, the password is Lemon Drizzle." Did her voice sound funny to the others as it did to her own ears? Turning slowly she walked away from the Hufflepuff table towards Linwood. Stopping before him she lift her face towards him, ignoring his friends on either side of him. "We.. should talk." There was no question and while the sweetness of her voice seemed almost unsure, it was clearly a demand. "Follow me.." Turning she strode from the Great Hall, clearly expecting he'd follow.
Her mind felt... unsettled. This was not apart of her plans, damnit! Everything in her life had been planned out. It was perhaps a bit much, but it clearly worked for Sylvie and she honestly so nothing wrong with setting goals for oneself. She'd marry, of course, but her sights had been more on someone like Rowan. He was a good student, well liked and had his own ambitions. Linwood? She bit back a sort as she stopped just before the library doors. Turning the heavy weight of her hair flicked behind her like a whip, eyes on his as she crossed her arms beneath her breasts. Would he smell her sweet and spicy fragrance? Undertones of incense and a bit of mint. A frown settled across her face and she spoke first.
"I am sure neither one of us are thrilled with this pairing." She knew she wasn't and she doubted that he was either. "Just... tell me if you plan to do what your brother did, please." Her voice was softer and she looked up at him, her brown eyes searching his face. "I will try and make this, us.. work. But if you plan to just break it off with me or try and drive me away, just tell me. We can put on a happy face for others, but I don't.." Goodness, she felt like she was going to cry and she couldn't tell it was because of frustration or something else better left undisturbed. In truth, Sylvie doubted she'd fall for Linwood Branson. What she knew of him was not appealing. However, she knew that plans did not always go to plan. It wasn't like making a potion or saying a spell, where the outcome was known.
All around him, voices erupted, though it was all white noise for Linwood's ears. He felt hands slapping him on the back, people banging on the table, some to congratulate him and others to take a jab at him. There was also Rhys's voice demanding his twenty galleons. The blond Slytherin, usually able to keep himself cool and aloof, found himself completely flabbergasted as he just sat there, brows furrowed, as the ministry woman continued to read out the names. What the fuck was she thinking? She had one job, one job, and she did it... absolutely perfect. The son of a proud, openly elitist pureblood family and the muggleborn daughter of two muggleborns... there was no better way to make a statement and give the middle finger to Linwood Sr. and Elizabeth Branson, that was for sure. By their own accord, his eyes flicked to the High Table, finding the gazes of the parents of his now-fiancee frowning down at him. Great; just great. Lin visibly bristled under their disapproving looks, unpleasantly reminded of the ones his parents so often gave him.
Slowly, steeling his will and pursing his lips, he turned his head towards the Hufflepuff table, where he saw the woman he was now engaged to already staring at him, mouth wide open and eyes wide in shock. He couldn't blame her for such a reaction. From what he knew of the Head Girl, she and he were as different as chalk and cheese. The brunette was a hardworking, overachieving academic, compared to the likes of Minister Granger. He was a lazy schmuck whose only passion was getting up early once in a while to fly around on a broom. He was a loner; most wouldn't know of him if not for his name. She was popular, well-liked, the quintessential Hufflepuff. And worst of all, she seemed to have strings attached, if the guy behind her glaring at Lin was anything to go by.
Rowen fucking Gallagher. As if he wasn't enough of a nuisance on the pitch already. Bloody hell.
◌◌◌◌ ◌
"We.. should talk."
Obviously. His appetite had left along with the students that filed out the hall, and for the good part of the last fifteen minutes or so, he had been staring blankly at his plate, trying to think of how to not come across as a complete arse. Sighing and rubbing the back of his neck, he nodded; despite the soft, uncertain tone of her voice, he knew Sylvanie was not posing it as an offer. "Right." Rhys, now sitting with his new fiancee Scarlett Beaumont, a fellow Slytherin, gave him a slap on the back, urging him to get moving. With some effort, Lin pulled himself up from the bench and followed, mind still racing as the pair filtered out of the Great Hall and turned towards the Library.
It occurred to him just then how small this girl actually was. A tiny little thing, at least a foot shorter than him, with mousey brown hair and big brown eyes that he would've admitted were beautiful if they were not looking like him as if he was a particularly disgusting house elf. The Slytherin crossed his own arms in response, a decidedly more intimidating gesture than Sylvanie's. The first words to come out of her mouth, as expected, were not exactly friendly. "No, I don't think we are," he answered flatly. No, he wasn't thrilled about the fact that he was engaged to a second-generation muggleborn. He wasn't thrilled about having to write home to his parents about this. He wasn't thrilled about inevitably receiving a directive from them on how to handle the 'mudblood'.
"Come on, this is how you start our first conversation? Asking me if I'm gonna flake on you?" His brows raised ever so slightly, his voice soft and controlled in contrast to his harsh words. "Well, we certainly won't work if you've decided you don't trust me even before we've even talked." He met the gaze of her eyes, blue staring into brown, faintly annoyed at being accused right off the bat. Even in his bloody engagement, he couldn't escape from Lincoln's shadow. "You don't... what? You don't want to end up actually liking me?" The words stung Lin more than they should've, and although he did not show it, his pride was bruised just from the simple suggestion that she didn't want to like him. Shaking his head, he pushed the door open and stepped into the dark, empty library, beckoning her to follow with a tilt of his head.
"Look, despite what you may think, I'm not an arsehole. I got forced into this whole thing, same as you. I want to make this work just as much as you." As he walked past her, he got a whiff of her scent - sweet yet spicy, with a bit of mint. Pleasant. Elegant. Feminine. Lin internally cursed himself for liking it so much. His own was of a stronger make; woodsy, herbal. Still not turning towards her, he produced his wand from his pocket - willow, dragon heartstring, custom made for him by Ollivanders. 'We purebloods choose our own wands, not the other way around,' he remembers his father saying as the pair walked into the wand shop when he was 11 years old. With a non-verbal spell, he pulled apart the blinders on the windows with a casual flick of the wand, letting the moonlight spill into the room and around them.
Finally, he turned around. His brows were still furrowed, obviously discontent, but he made a conscious effort not to seem too sour. "And for what it's worth, I'm not my brother. I'm not going to just mindlessly follow what my parents tell me to do. Alright? Good." Obviously a sore subject, being compared to his brother; Lin did not like to talk about his older sibling at all, partly because of his own insecurities, but mostly because he was tired of being seen as Lincoln's brother rather than his own person. Being the jealous second son was terribly cliche, he knew, but goddamn was it hard to bear when all people wanted to talk about was his brother who got twelve O's on his NEWTs and broke off his engagement to a muggleborn girl and got a job at the Auror's office under Potter and whatever the fuck else.
A pause ensued, the silence awkward and deafening, Lin at a loss on how to break the ice and lead into a friendly conversation. "...do you have a boyfriend? I saw Gallagher throwing a hissy fit when your name was called."
Before the grand doors of the Library the pair stood bathed in the warm glow of the flickering candlelight. Outside, Sylvie could hear rain, a sound she normally found soothing. The crack of thunder was foreboding though and for a moment she hugged her arms to her chest tighter. Thunder, she wasn't overly fond of. A small shake of her dark head was given and she frowned. He made a fair point, but she stood by what she said. "Would you prefer I hide my feelings from you?" The question held confusion. The frown deepened and she sighed, feeling defensive. "I never said I didn't trust you. I wanted to be sure you are actually going to put work into it." It was clear from the look she gave him, she was well aware of his reputation. The next question hit her like a blow and she took a step back, her cheeks burning. Linwood had hit the nail firmly on the head. Sylvie didn't want to risk her heart to him, if he was going to just toss it aside the first time he was able. Looking away from him, her eyes focused on the stone floor.
It was rare that she didn't know what to say, but the accusation had been too close to home. The push of the library doors made her head lift. Blinking, she followed him quietly. The doors closed slowly behind them, a soft thud as they joined once more. Moonlight poured into the room as he opened the drapes near them, the fat splashes of rain on the glass illuminated by moonlight and lightning. Walking closer to the window, she heard him talking behind her and she turned when he said he wasn't his brother. Warm honey eyes searched his face and after a moment she nodded. "Alright," the word echoed. Sitting on the edge of one of the long tables, she crossed her ankles primly, and smoothed her skirt into place. "Look, I didn't..." she sighed and shook her head.
She might not have meant to, but she had. "You are right, we were both forced into it and for what it's worth I am sorry." A small, almost shy smile was given to him. "But, I am going to treat this like everything else I do, Linwood," Her smile grew slightly, "Lin?" She seemed to question if he was alright with the nickname, or rather her using it. "I will put all my effort into making this.. Us.. work. So, yes, I am afraid that that I will end up actually liking you." She pulled her own wand out of her robe pocket, willow as well. The handle was etched with golden swirls, elegant and simple. Toying with it, she tried to decide how to broach the subject that seemed to put him ill at ease.
"I am sorry that I thought you'd be like your brother." She met his blue eyes, oh so white teeth worrying at her lower lip for a moment. "But I don't know you, not really. I have only your family to really go off of." Honesty, a trait of her house, even such honesty as this. "I knew her. Millie..." She looked away and laid her wand across her thighs. "She didn't know he ever had any intention of following through. Millie fell for him, hard. She was in love with Lincoln and he broke it off cruelly." Fingers now toyed with the edge of her black thigh-high, almost as if she were nervous. "I saw it first hand, can you blame me for being worried?" Her eyes rose again and she frowned some. "I didn't mean to hurt you though, please forgive me. You are your own person. You are not Lincoln" There was sincerity in her voice, she really hadn't and Lin had been correct. Starting off so bluntly was not promising.
The silence between them grew and his question seemed to come out of nowhere. She blinked and gave a small shake of her head. Once to the left, once to the right. "I don't." Her cheeks flushed and she shifted, uncomfortably. "We dated a little, last year. But, because of the BUA.. I broke up with him. He wasn't putting his name forward." Rowan was a pureblood, but his family hadn't pushed him into signing up. It hadn't made him happy that she had and subsequently broke up with him because of it. She'd been pressured by not only her parents, but others as well. It would look good, fostering a bond between Muggleborns and Purebloods, that had been the normal push she'd been given. In the end, she didn't feel like she had a choice. Sylvie didn't want to disappoint anyone. Rowan Gallagher though had been her almost ideal mate, when that time came, but she hadn't been ready for that or this. True, Lin and she wouldn't turn around and marry right away. However, things were expected of them. They'd be seen together more and even some budding romance wasn't off the table. Hand holding, kissing. Unlike her and Rowan though, she knew nothing about Lin. She'd said as much.
Clearing her throat, Sylvie looked up at him. Even sitting like this, she was smaller than him and she'd had to hop onto the table's surface; her feet dangled off the floor. "What about you?" She could seem to recall that there was a girl in the Slytherin house that hung around Lin. The idea oddly didn't sit well with her. Was it simply because they were now meant to be an item? Or was it something else? A smile curled through her mind. Did she have a thing for bad boys? Lin would definitely be considered a bad boy. Another loud crackle of lightning, this one closer made her jump and her lashes fell closed as her eyes tightened with a moment of fear, the windows vibrating with the force. It was only after the rumble passed that her eyes opened again. "I.. I don't like thunder or lightening." A chink in her perfect armor, though obvious, was offered up to him quietly.
Embarrassed and showing him that weakness she shifted on the table's surface. "We should go. I need to make sure the first years are settling in well..." It was a pitiful excuse and she knew it.. yet she doubled down. "Then rounds before I can sleep myself." She slipped from the table's surface and her hand brushed his and suddenly, Sylvie was much closer. The softness of her body pushing against him for a moment as her lips brushed his cheek before pulling back. "Goodnight, Lin." She should have offered to have breakfast or lunch with him... but still feeling out of her element, she didn't. She moved to leave, if he let her, she'd slip from the Library and head towards her common room.
Three apologies in the span of a moment. Lin wasn't exactly the type to mince his words - his parents could exasperatedly attest to that - but even he wasn't above feeling guilty after seeing the effect his (decidedly) harsh words had on Sylvanie. From her reputation and status as the popular, over-achieving Head Girl, Lin had expected her to be more of a snobbish, stuck up prude. She was none of that, apparently, and Lin felt like a right jerk for being so hostile right off the bat, even if she had quite bluntly stated that she wasn't exactly impressed with him, to say the least. And he hadn't expected her to be so... well, soft, either. "Look, I... I'm sorry too. I didn't mean to come off-" Like a cunt. "-so aggressively." A bit more self-conscious now, he too folded his hands as the crisp blue eyes followed the other to the table where she sat down, legs dangling off the floor. She was small too.
The thing was, maybe he did want her to hide her feelings. Smile, wave, say your niceties and get out of sight - that was how Linwood was raised, and that was how he conducted himself when he was with his parents, so of course, he expected her to do the same. They were strangers, essentially, and a part of him treated her like just another faceless acquaintance he would shake the hand of, when in fact she was to become the most important person in his life if the pricks at the Ministry had anything to say about it. He certainly didn't expect such blatant honesty, though he should've. Typical Hufflepuff. But Sylvanie didn't need to hear any of it, if only for her own sake, so Lin bit his tongue, and simply hung his head a bit shamefully in the face of her soft-spoken apologies.
Her shy little smile brought out a similar one from him, much to his surprise. "Well... we have the whole year ahead of us to figure things out, don't we? Maybe our whole lives." His last words struck him dazed, the reality of the situation starting to settle in, and in defiance of the circumstances surrounding them, he shrugged and let out a chuckle. "Who knows? Maybe you'll find me spectacularly annoying and won't want anything to do with me. You won't have to worry about falling for me, then." In his parents' ideal world, this would be the case. Ruin the opinion of one girl to save face with the rest of society. A part of him wanted actually wanted this whole thing with Miss Perfect to work out if only to give Mr and Mrs Branson the proverbial middle finger. "But I promise, I want... us to work as well. I'm going to put the effort in, same as you." A brow quirked up when she called him by his well-used nickname, or rather, asked if he was okay with him using it. He nodded cooly, thinking that going by nicknames was the least they could do, considering the circumstances. "Yeah, Lin. And... Sylvie? Syl? Vee? Annie?" A bit harder to work with her name, but still. Thank Salazar she didn't try to call him Woody though.
The Slytherin stiffened noticeably as she continued to broach the subject about his brother, though he didn't wasn't as venomous as before, simply opting to listen with a few nods of the head. Lips pursed, he glanced between her and the stained window panes, unsure of how to respond. He was used to verbal jousts. Not dances. "I- There's nothing to apologise for. I was just being a sensitive prick. I'm sorry." He paused, torn between just sliding the topic over and offering her his own view on it, reassure her that he wasn't the callous drone his name made him out to be. That he wasn't Lincoln's clone. "I knew her as well," he stated quietly. "I liked her. She was sweet, kind... good to Lincoln. I actually thought he was going to go through with the whole thing until... well, you know." An awkward pause again, eyes settling on the wand she was toying with. It was etched in golden swirls, in contrast to his understated one. It was pretty, elegant. Like her. "I'm not like him," he said again, more to reassure himself than her, though his tone indicated that he believed it thoroughly and meant it. He knew she meant it too, when she said the same earlier, and that put his mind to ease, if only a little.
The growing, uncomfortable silence was broken by his question, the answer to which left him raising his brows and tilting his head, even though he had half-expected it. "Well that's stupid of him," the blond quipped back, his dislike of the fellow Quidditch captain showing in his tone. "Pretty sure his family has the influence to have you two paired together if he stepped up for it." Still, seeing her obvious discomfort with the subject, from her flushed cheeks to her retreating a little into herself, Lin backed off. "Well, in any case, I'm sorry for how things ended." And how you got saddled with me. Despite his laissez-faire attitude, the fact that Sylvie and Rowen used to date bugged him, sparking within him something that felt like jealousy, much to his dismay. Maybe it was just his ego, but the fact that Rowen of all people had dated his now-fiancee did not sit right with him, at all. Her question brought him back from his little internal cesspit, however, because this time it was his turn to be put on the spot, and Lin found himself tripping over his words, same as she did. "No. I mean, yes. Scarlett. But she's just a fling, you don't need to worry about her. And she got engaged today as well, so you know... we're done." Perhaps not on her part, as she kept pestering him even after he'd made it clear they were over when he was made to sign up for the BUA last year. But Sylvie didn't need to know that. "She uh, got engaged to Rhys. Rhys Ellwood. The Slytherin Prefect. You probably know him." He shut himself up promptly, realising he was really starting to look ridiculous.
But his face was saved soon when the Hufflepuff jumped in place at a crack of thunder outside the vast empty library, and Lin couldn't help but smile and tease her a little when she admitted that she didn't like thunder or lightning. "Obviously. What, are you going to tell me you're scared of flying next?" He didn't mean to sound too cruel, and his lighthearted tone suggested that. Yet, he was left feeling a little guilty for his words when she abruptly decided to leave afterwards, shuffling off the table and giving some excuse about needing to do her rounds and show the first years around, which, fair enough, were very valid reasons. "Right. Right." He was turning to leave when he felt a small, dainty hand brush against his bigger, slightly calloused one, and then Sylvie was suddenly next to him, her soft frame pushing against him as she stood on her tiptoes and pressed a quick, chaste kiss against his cheek. Instantly, his ears and cheeks went red, and he was left standing like an idiot, eyes wide open and mouth sealed shut, as she slipped out of the room before he could even say anything. His eyes followed her as she went, from the brown tresses to the gentle bounce of her backside, frozen in place.
Eventually, he was able to move again, and the first thing he did was touching where her soft lips had brushed his cheek. The phantom of her kiss was still there, and Lin, now alone with his thoughts, grinned stupefiedly.
What was happening to him?
◌◌◌◌ ◌
The next few days passed by without much upheaval, all things considered. For a large part of the student body, it was life as normal, promptly forgetting about the BUA pairings after the dramatic Opening Feast, which was understandable. Rhys kept drilling into Lin every chance he got to cough up those ten galleons, which was also understandable. Lin, for the most part, kept to his year start routine of getting his classes sorted, scheduling Quidditch auditions and practices and writing back to his parents a half-hearted letter about his new engagement to Sylvanie McKenna, to which he still has not received the dreaded reply. He was already quite busy, so thank Salazar he wasn't a Prefect; he wouldn't be able to handle little kids bothering him every hour of the day. This also meant he hadn't been able to speak to his new fiancee after their little conversation that night, which left him feeling like he was slacking off. There were many chances for him to go talk to her; he could've joined her for breakfast the morning after, or offered to help out on her many duties as Head Girl, anything that might set a good example, but he found himself shirking, perhaps intimidated and anxious about the prospect of approaching her in broad daylight in front of everyone, despite the fact that they were engaged.
And it made him feel all the worse because many times, he felt her eyes on him, looking at him from across the Great Hall or the many classes they shared, only to look away when he returned the gaze. Even Rhys noticed, and that idiot wouldn't know a hint if it slapped him in the face. Perhaps she was in the same boat as him, too anxious and nervous about approaching the other out of the blue, though Lin felt like the onus was on him to make the first move, being a guy and the less busy of the two. So, after much procrstination, the boy walked up to Sylvie after the Charms class ended, looking well out of his element, devoid of the usual swagger, though he sincerely hoped Sylvie and her gaggle of friends wouldn't notice. "Hey." Nothing more nuanced came out of his mouth, so he simply went with that, pointedly ignoring the looks her friends were giving him and the giggles that were being had. This was why he was such a recluse. "Uhm, you want to have lunch together? Slytherin table's not that crowded today."
Harsh words hadn't been exactly uncalled for. There had been better ways to handle her unease with their pairing; yet this matchup had thrown a wrench into all her carefully laid plans and meticulously devised goals. Her bluntness had been born of both fear and perhaps a small spike of anger, though the latter was in no way his fault and in the end, he wasn't the only one left feeling like a cunt. It was why she'd said sorry so profusely, feeling the need to soothe any hurt she might have caused. This was no more his fault than her own and his answering words had earned him a small smile as she'd hopped onto the table. A small shake of her head, offering a dismissal, not of his apology, but the fact that he hadn't needed to be sorry. She'd started it, his response, in Sylvanie's mind, had been reasonable.
A small nod she bit her lower lip lashes lowering. "I suppose we do, yes." The statement made her heart give an odd sort of flutter and it made Sylvie shift on the table slightly. The year was a foregone conclusion. They would be an item for the year, at the very least, but the rest of their lives? A small part of her mind, a fanciful, romantic side that normally had no room in her life peeked out, silently pleased by his words; by the prospect of such... love. Even if that hadn't been quite what he had meant. The practical side of Sylvie squashed it though, not so ready to throw her heart into the ring with Linwood quite yet. She chuckled and lifted a brow, her head tilting to one side, the heavy curtain of her hair swaying past her face. "Perhaps. Or you will find my fastidious nature tiring and avoid me." Her words were spoken playfully, but there was something there, a hurt from her past that lingered like a ghost. Shrugging some she inclined her head some when he said he wanted to make them work too. She could have doubted him, but what was the point in that? She wanted to make them work and not believing him was just counter productive.
She smiled brightly when he nodded at the nickname. Sylvie had no way of knowing Lin was his normal nickname, they were far from running in the same circles and when he rattled off nicknames for her she laughed and wrinkled her nose. "Sylvie is what most people call me, Vee is really cute though." She wrinkled her nose again and stuck out her tongue playfully. "Never Annie though" It wasn't a bad name, but she didn't care for it in the slightest. Leaning back some she had looked up at him, taking in his shadowed features. He really was handsome.
"No, there is." She insisted, reaching out for a moment before deciding better of the action, her hand falling away. She fought the urge to squirm. "You are not your brother and just lumping you in with him was wrong." The words were softer, tinged with shame. Her cheeks flushed a pretty shade of pink and she looked down. Fear was natural of course, his family did have a reputation... but the sins of the father didn't belong to those of the son. Sylvie tried instead to explain why her reaction had been quite so strong, telling him of her relationship with his brother's fiancé, how she'd seen it tear her friend apart and how it had hurt her heart to watch. She, like many, had seen them together and for a time, things had seemed good. They seemed like they might really work. Lin's words were met with large honeyed eyes and she nodded some, understanding. It was a relief on some level to know it had come out of left field for him as well, that it hadn't just been the one side blind sided. She looked up at his words and her eyes softened, a flash of rainbows sparkling in her eyes as a peel of lightening went off. "I trust that you are not, Lin." His name was just as soft as the eyes that held his own, a caress of velvet on the tip of her tongue.
The awkward silence that had stretched between them had been broken by his questions and her answers, his sharp quip in response made Sylvie chuckle. "Highly possible," she conceded to Lin's point about the influence that Rowen's family could have exerted to make sure they'd been paired. It had bothered her that he hadn't wanted to sign up when she had, but she hadn't pushed it. What good would it have done? But it had effectively ended their short romance. "There are no guarantees though," the words whispered for a moment, "And the program was designed to pair my "kind" with yours." While there were Muggle Slytherin, there were not many. There was also the matter of who he was, his family name. It was unlikely that he'd ever be paired with another Slytherin. Like it or not, the Ministry would want to make an example of him. Sylvie wasn't stupid, they were both pawns. It was up to them to make the best of their parts in the game. Clearing her throat she nodded, feeling a bit like a bobble-head. "Not much to be done about it," Sylvie tried to be dismissive, mourning the loss of her ex to her fiancé was not appealing to be sure... so she had changed the subject and the answer spiked similar feelings of jealousy within her. She was quite familiar with Scarlett and neither female had a fondness for the other. There was a tiny, dark part of her that took an almost perverse pleasure in taking Lin from her. A part that she almost immediately felt shame in. "I do know her." Her voice was cool and she nodded some. "Yeah I know Rhys too. He always seemed okay?" She seemed unsure though and she laughed uneasily. "I've never really talked to him, but he never seemed like a bad guy." It was the best she could offer about the man she knew to be his best friend.
Her cheeks still flushed; she frowned at him, eyes not quite meeting him. There was no way she was going to tell him she was afraid of flying now! It was something about heights that freaked her out... that and it seemed like she had very little control and for someone who liked to have every little detail planned out? It was a little too much for her. Feeling embarrassed and suddenly shy, Sylvie decided it was time to go. It was more than him though, she was neglecting her duties. She realized her departure seemed rushed and maybe that was why she'd kissed him. She could still smell the scent of his skin, feel his cheek beneath her lips as she slipped into the hallway towards her dorm...
-- ♡ --
Days passed between that night and while Lin was never too far from her mind, Sylvie had her hands full. During the morning she could be seen helping new students find their way to breakfast or classes. When not surrounded by a gaggle of first years, she was often surrounded by friends as she moved from class to class. All of that didn't mean that the pair were not often caught looking at one another. When Lin caught her looking at him though, she often looked away, suddenly finding herself busy with other things. Sylvie knew she could talk to him... knew she should, but since that kiss, she couldn't help but feel self-conscious. So she kept her distance. Rhys wasn't the only one to notice the way the pair seemed to look at one another, for even when she felt his eyes on her, she often wouldn't look up till one of her friends giggled in her ear and told her he was looking.
Sylvie also found herself getting more and more annoyed by the day. She'd made the first move... shouldn't he make some effort too?
-- ♡ --
Looking up from her bag to a chorus of giggles Sylvie found Lin standing before her. Blinking those large honey eyes at him she swung her bag over her shoulder, the straps pulling at the white dress shirt she wore. Hands linked before her and she offered him a slight smile. "Hello Lin." Taking pity on him she waved her friends on. "I will catch up with you." The girls giggled again and moved away slowly, lingering to hear the conversation the pair were having. His question though had her full attention, her lips forming a small oh of surprise. For a moment she didn't say anything before she nodded. "I'd.. I'd like that." There were some nerves around eating at the Slytherin table, but it had been sweet of him to come ask her. Biting her lower lip she shyly held her hand out to him, lashes lowered some.
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