Show down *Jinxter*

[drew]

"I dare you to stand in my way"

The librarian, in all her briskness, cruelty, and attempted maliciousness, stared past the rows of her honorary books and pieces of literature from decades past, to give her traditional glare at Drew Marino. Drew hadn't really made an attempt to notice anything other than the book he was reading, for quite some time. Several minutes past, and the woman would barely break her gaze except when people came to the front desk to check books in and out. It was during those precious moments when she was momentarily distracted, that Drew glanced up. Their eyes collided almost head on when she returned to her seat, even though they were half a library room away. She looked a little startled that he'd finally broke concentration, and he raised his eyebrows. He stared her down, they were like two people in a wild west movie, guns drawn. Finally she blinked and shook her head, looking ruffled. What was that about? He feigned confusion and innocence rolled into one, before returning to his history book. He knew exactly what it was about, he just refused to let her in on it. Drew and the librarian, they'd maintained a fairly decent and silent relationship over the years. He'd never touch or harm her books, nor make obnoxious, unnecessary noises while in her 'domain.' Unnecessary meaning any noise at all. He was as quiet as a mouse. It wasn't hard, no one followed the hufflepuff in here anyway; they knew he'd just zone out on them.

It was just last week when he'd been in somewhat of a rotten mood, that Drew had set miss priss off. He'd just had transfiguration with Vivienne, and he'd had to bother to share a note with her. He didn't know why he did it, they both knew they couldn't get along. He actually found her just plain obnoxious. For some reason his whole day was full of annoying people, up to the brim. So, an accidental dropping of a pile of books was strike one for Mr. Drew. She threw him a warning glance, and he rolled his eyes. He picked them up and carelessly tossed them back into the row, nowhere near the right spot. The librarian opened and closed her mouth in disbelief. What a way to treat such precious materials. Strike two. Drew didn't bother to fix them, he knew damn well that at the end of the day, she took pleasure in alphabetically sorting her books. He'd sat down in his creeking chair over in the corner, leaning back he realized he was starved. So very aware of the no food policy, and he so didn't care. Slipping an apple out of his pocket descreetly, he took a bite. He'd been munching on it for a few moments when she stormed over to his end of the library, literally ripping it out of his hands.

Drew said good morning, or afternoon to her every day. He was always very charming about it too, and she'd smile, as forceful and unnatural as it always seemed to be. Today was the first time he'd been in since last week, and he hadn't even looked over at her. She could be a grump all she wanted, it'd make no difference to Drew. He kept looking up now, to make sure she was paying attention to her own things and not glaring daggers. He sighed and ruffled his fingers through his hair, there was nothing to do. He'd done his HOM homework, a class he actually liked. As bored as he was, he'd never venture to doing homework for other classes, it was torture. Bella was off with her other friends, and Drew decided not to go with her. Sometimes he couldn't keep up, she had far too many friends and so little time. Today he didn't want to be with all of Bella's friends, because they weren't his friends. That of course meant not being with Bella at all for today, a serious consequence of his pride. Still, he'd see her tomorrow, he'd be sure of that. He named off people in his head, but they were all busy or studying for finals that came after the Christmas break, indicating the year was half way over. There was Jinxter, he hadn't seen her for weeks. For one reason or another, Jinx was always doing something and couldn't join them when Drew was with Bella, and vice versa. Huh.

[mcclarence]

When I see your smile

A good day indeed. Jinx had met one new guy during class, and it had made her slightly happier. Her good mood had risen another notch. And not because it was a guy she had met, but simply for the fact that she had met someone new. You couldn't misinterpret her. To Jinx, her first in priority in life were her friends, there were no replacing them in her life. They just made her world go round, and that was that. There was no arguing nor discussing that. If you knew her well, you were aware of that fact, and you had to respect it. Otherwise, you risked your relationship with her. They always came first to her. Even if she had a love life (which was currently non-existent, thank you very much), Jinx doubted her boyfriend would ever come first than her friends. Unless of course said boyfriend turned out to be the love of her life, but she had to be real. That wasn't happening any time soon. One of the perks of being fourteen. You didn't have to worry about all those annoying adult realities. She could just come and go as she pleased, so long as she didn't annoy anyone. Which was kind of hard to do, considering smiles and laughter didn't manage to annoy that many people. And that was all Jinx was about, wasn't she? So it was with a certain skip to her step that she walked out of the classroom, waving goodbye to her new acquaintance.

Yes, it was a good mood. She was even willing to ignore how much it bothered her to know what tons of homework awaited her when she arrived at the library--her next destination. Sometimes she questioned the Hat's decision of placing her in Ravenclaw. It wasn't that Jinx disliked her House, but more as if sometimes she felt she didn't quite fit in with the studious shots. The majority of the time school was a drag for her, her nature only asking of her to be in constant movement. Perhaps that was the reason behind her fanatism for Quidditch, but she would never know now, right? Maybe it was the fact that she had grown up knowing next to nothing of her heritage, that she was able to appreciate everything in a different level. But how could she know? She couldn't compare to anyone else, could she? Everyone was a world of their own, and she couldn't pretend to know everything, no matter how much she would like to do it. She sighed, readjusting the strap of her messenger bag as she took a sharp turn, the doors of the library coming into her line of vision. It was incredible how her mind could wander when given free rein. But wasn't that the loveliness of diversity?

She shook her head, trying to dispel her thoughts and try to focus that she had a HOM assignment due tomorrow that she had have to be working on since last week. Three cheers for procrastination, no?

She dumped her things in a table, sinking on one of the uncomfortable chairs tiredly, grateful even for the hard surface of the wood. Normally, Jinx would've pulled out her wand to put some kind of Cushioning Charm on it, but she was too drained all of a sudden. Or more like too lazy. Now the realization of all the work that lay ahead hit her like a ton of bricks, and all she could do was sigh and pull her bag closer, opening it on the way. She had to work, and she was too much of all smiles to let that good humor evaporate. So she focused on keeping the smile on her lips in a natural level and opening her book at the correct page. No matter how rumors said that girls were capable of multi-tasking, this was proving to be too much for Jinx. Soon, she was frowning, her brows knitting together as her lips pulled down in a small pout. Great. It was just that unit where she'd slept through. Wasn't that wonderful? Professor Binns was just a darling.

Rolling her eyes at herself, Jinx pulled out some parchment and her raven quill (isn't it ironic?), the ink bottle already in her left hand. Trying to gain a bit more time though, she looked up, biting her bottom lip as she pretended to not hope for a familiar face that would serve as a distraction. She was not to be disappointed. Her eyes lit up as they fell on no other than her current crush and her oldest best friend: Drew Marino. She managed to contain a squeal, but soon she had pushed her chair back (ignoring the groan of the wood) and was bounding over toward him, a smile once again replacing that unacknowledged pout. "Drew!" she half-whispered, half said loudly, not wanting to attract the librarian's attention, that sillly smile still in place.

[drew]

"Everything results in the extremes"

What to do, what to do, what to do. Drew leaned back in his chair again, and his seat squeaked in protest. He rocked a bit on the two back legs, looking around at all the students engrossed in their studies. Why did they do that? Why did they utterly insist on punishing themselves? Take the redhead in the corner for example. She was hunched over, which could cause serious back problems as she got older. And they said you were supposed to learn stuff like that in school. Her hair was hanging down in her face, making it impossible to make out her face or the probable frustrated expression that would go along with it. There were books literally covering every inch of her table; you couldn't even see the natural grain color of the wood. It looked like a messy pile of books floating in mid-air. This girl, she was oblivious to the world around her. She was torturing herself needlessy. There was nothing wrong with reading books, but if you don't like them, don't do it. School and tip top grades weren't for everyone, and it was quite easy to see that it didn't suit her. He wondered what kind of parents she had, and the expectations they laid down. What sort of sadistic punishment was this? Couldn't people just go on with their lifes, choosing what they wanted to do, not have others do it for them? Good grief, what the world was coming to. His chair more than just creeked, it sounded like it cracked, somewhere. He paused, and that awful glare met him once again from across the room. He smiled cheesily and waved his hand, getting back down on all four legs. She had Not appreciated that. Another sign that the library was in need of an update, the furniture was lacking. Just as he was preparing to settle down and keep reading, he jerked in his seat. The redhead groaned loudly and smacked both hands down on the table, pushing a book off as well. He looked expectantly for something interesting to happen. Maybe the librarian would break her last straw and they'd have some sort of a catfight. He was sadly disappointed. Instead, she let out the loudest SHH! His poor unsuspecting ears had ever heard.


She had a right to be upset, the school system was ridiculous. Giving an appalled look towards Madam Librarian, she tossed more books on the ground before hurriedly exiting the library, the doors smacking the walls as she pushed them open full force. He glanced from left to right before slouching down in his chair, pulling up his hood. A subtle attempt at pretending there was not a prefect in the room, and that he wasn't supposed to dock points or give out a warning. Drew didn't like scolding people for showing their true feelings, better then holding it in. Several moments passed before the disruption wiped away as though it had never happened. No harm done, only a huge dent in the wall. Finally, because it seemed like there was nothing left to do but wallow in misery, he smacked his head down on the table with a thud. It hurt. Oh, who cared. A familiar name, his name, almost seemed to be whispered nearby. Was he seriously hearing things? Drew never found himself to be the crazy type of guy, but maybe was. Hey, it would at least make the day more interesting, he could have conversations with himself. Oh. Wow. Was it time to go to sleep yet? Sleep sounded good. But that voice, it was insanely familiar too, it wasn't one he could have made up. Jinx. What were the chances that'd he'd run into her in the library, when he was on the verge of insanity? Oh right, Ravenclaw. The stereotype just couldn't be missed in this situation. He pulled his head up from his arms pathetically, just enough for his eyes to peer around the room. All he saw were a bunch of students shuffling papers and turning pages. That is, until he looked to the right.

There was Jinxter McClarence in all her glory. Ahh, there was a God. He pulled his head completely up, and even managed to get into a better sitting postion, though still slouching lazily. Last time they talked, nearly two weeks ago. What was this? He'd missed her of course, Drew seemed to be really losing track of time lately. Isabella always had that effect on him. It was hard to go from spending hours with a person, to barely seeing them in a week. He supposed that was what usually happened when he got a girlfriend, it was hard to be best friends with a girl and explain that to the other without suspicion. They had nothing to worry about. Even if he did maybe....like her. Well, the age gap always got to him if nothing else. You have no idea how much older she seemed than she really was, even if she still had all that childish optimism and energy in her. He hoped she'd never lose that, she always amused him that way. Drew grinned at her, before letting the side of his face smack uselessly against the table once again. No use, to hard....to.....bored. Still, his eyes followed her as she ran over to him, the librarian could glare all she wanted. Drew reached out to her and pulled Jinxter onto his lap, so she wouldn't run straight past him. "Jinx, you've come in the nick of time. I was just trying to decide what would be a better way to end unbearable boredom. Should I hang, or should I just try to avada myself?" He gave her a trademark smirk, barely whispering anymore. A few moments earlier, he'd almost decided to do homework, a true breaking point. Now that sunshine was in, there would be no need.

[mcclarence]

Tears run down my face

Now that Jinx was seeing him, it came crashing on her just how much she had missed him. Missed seeing him smile, hearing him say something—anything. And it was all Isabella Swan’s fault. How utterly brilliant. One would think she would be happy for her best friend, seeing as how he was so ‘in love’ and happy at the moment, finally having someone that made him so. But she wasn’t. She wasn’t happy because it wasn’t her the one who made him so. It wasn’t her he accompanied along, and it certainly wasn’t her who got to kiss him. Well dang it, she certainly wanted to. And she’d been terribly close to do so on certain occasions. Occasions that, thankfully, had fallen through. Why thankfully? Surely, if she was so eager, then she would’ve grabbed this opportunities like a miner would grab gold, but the truth was that Jinx was happy she hadn’t done anything stupid that put their relationship at risk.

See, to her, friends were always first. And (un)fortunately, Drew was one of the top three. That was certainly a problem. She just couldn’t bear to think that for one rash action, she could lose something that she’d been steadily building since day one. It was unbearable, a thought that almost caused her physical pain. For such was her attachment to him. It was beyond a school girl’s adoration, seeing as how that spot was already occupied, mainly because their ties went just a bit deeper than the ones she had to Drake Valo. Because with Drew, there was history. And there was truth, and realism, and just…well, it was way more solid than the crush she harboured for the Ravenclaw, which, she knew was just a passing occurrence. Because she simply couldn’t drop Drew. Not now, not ever.

So Isabella Swan was just an inconsequential obstacle that she would have to patiently wait through. There was no way they were going to last.

She giggled as she finally came to a halt, aided by him, and had to cover her mouth to smother the rather loud laughter. She was just too happy to see him. And it was good they had been friends for so long, otherwise her excitement upon seeing him could have easily been interpreted for what it was, instead of what she wanted it to look like. When he questioned her though, she sobered up quickly enough, appearing to consider the question seriously for a couple of seconds before speaking up. “Neither,” she declared firmly, pressing her index finger against his lips to keep him from speaking. “I say you should just seek me out, and everything shall be remedied.” And her lips broke out into a sunny smile, the one she reserved especially for him, as she threw her arms around him, ignoring the glares from casual observers as they disrupted the peace. She hugged him tightly, and finally, reluctantly, let go. There was a limit of seconds one could hug a friend before it going into the creepy section, and that was something Jinx had to respect.

[drew]

"We're just like PB&J, Sunny and Shar, Macoronni and Cheese"

He had of course missed her, every single time he'd seen her in the halls, Drew had only a brief second to say hi before one of them had to hurry and head off somewhere. For a pair of people who were used to seeing so much of each other, it was kind of like trying to get off drugs. She was always spending time with Joel now, which for an unexplainable reason, at least to a stubborn and unwilling to admit Drew, it ticked him off. He and Joel were friends, but still. He half-wished that Joel would get back with Viv again so he'd bugger off, but then he'd remember it was wrong to wish that girl on Anyone. Besides that, it was good that Jinxter had people to be around besides him, while he was spending so much time with Bella. Bella, he could never forget Bella. The girl who, at the beginning, drove him to his wit's end, but ended up being the girl he'd rather spend time with over anyone else. Even now he was wondering where she was, unusual for the commonly put laid-back lazy Drew, who just floated through life. Yet, he still wanted to know. God, how long had he known Jinx? He actually met Jinxter a little before Hogwarts, a chance encounter at a wizarding shop. The little spunky girl with the sun-lit smile and raven black hair. Drew was surprised with himself that he even remembered how they had met.

He was glad to be friends with Jinxter.....even if both of the girls in 'his' life were turned off by each other. Oh it was really easy to see, at least it was to him. He couldn't figure out why, after all he was a guy, and they generally weren't so observant. He knew how much Jinxter valued friends, so she never told him what the real deal was, probably afraid it'd cause trouble. Actually, Drew was just curious. He couldn't expect everyone he met to like everyone else, it just wasn't realistic. He didn't always like the people he was introduced to, in fact some of them were just a pain in the arse. Nothing you could really do about it. Drew knew Jinxter wasn't a little sister to him, though he pretended. But as she got older, as of this year, he felt something different. He was more protective, more teasing, and more cautious all at the same time. But whatever it was, even if it was a crush, he wasn't going to let out a word. Drew was in a relationship, he wasn't jepordizing that. Not when he and Isabella were getting along so well. Opposites apparently do attract. However he never thought about it, and to this moment he never considered how jealous he'd be if, or better when, Jinxter got a boyfriend. Nothing made sense at hogwarts, but then again it never really did, so what's new?

"Really, it'd make a great headline in the newspaper. 'Scandal! Once gifted hufflepuff hangs himself! Scientists say droning professors are to blame!" He flashed his hands across in a row, making an imaginary newspaper line in the air. "But if you want me to take the easy way out fine, I'll just go and find you." He smirked, pretending that he was let down that he couldn't make his dramatic exit. Drew hugged her back, taking in Jinx's familiar scent he smiled, she always had a way of that. Making him smile even when he was pissed off at something or someone. Even when it was her, now that he thought about it. He pulled back at the same time she did, they couldn't hug one another as long as they used to. Drew wasn't really sure how he felt about the whole thing. Running a hand through his messy black hair, he shut his textbook and peered over and her's, whistling. "Looks like you've got your favorite kind of homework, HOM." Drew began to taunt, she knew he actually liked the stuff. His eyes met the librarian's and he'd just about had it, so he simply scowled at her and moved on. "How exciting!" He added with a sarcastic tone, looking over the pages that he took the liberty of pulling out of her bag.

[mcclarence]

I can't replace

"Once gifted Hufflepuff?" Jinx arched an eyebrow, skepticisim evident in her voice. Of course, she agreed full-heartedly with him, but there was no way she was going to admit to that without giving him a semi-hard time about his ego. She was an all-time Drew supporter. That's what best friends are for, anyway, right? She could ignore the small crush she had on him.

Well, she could pretend she ignored that huge crush. Because honestly, friends were always first. Yeah, they were. She had to keep repeating that when she saw that smirk of his and she felt her own lips start tugging in a smile as a response. It was impossible to deny him anything, right? Sometimes she wondered how was it that he hadn't noticed the fact that she was pretty much infatuated with him. After all, it wasn't as if she didn't make it pretty obvious. As much as she liked to believe that she hid it well, if naïve Swan was able to notice it, she wasn't being discreet. And she had to be. You know, for the sake of their friendship. And that damn girlfriend of his, that even though they could pretend all they wanted, she was sure they didn't fool him. They couldn't stand each other. How could they? Rivals would be the best adjective to describe their interaction with one other, limited as it was, considering they tended to avoid each other so long as it was permitted. When they were in the same place, at the same time, it had to be because of Drew. Nothing else could force them to be together. After all, it was him that kept Jinx there. She was pretty sure the same went for her.

"You think way too highly of yourself, Mr. Marino." She giggled, ruffling his hair. Okay, so who cared that if someone saw them they could read between her lines? It was obvious, how bad she wanted to be with him, how badly she longed to be able to send Isabella Swan to hell and back. Because, honestly, no matter how friendly she was, and how much of a sunny person she seemed to be, Jinxter McClarence was a competitive girl. Accustomed to giving the things she wanted to win her best, and she didn't like having decent competition. Not that she would admit out loud that Swan was decent in any way, but deep down in her sub-conscious, she was aware of it. They were constantly at each other's throats, in the most indirect manner.

They couldn't imagine Drew's reaction, if they started Duelling all of a sudden, when they had managed to keep a relative peace around each other. Snippy comments didn't count. After all, they were only remarks that could easily be ignored. Just like she did with her? Right.

[drew]

"It's not about reality"

"You're right, I'm sorry, that was way too humble of me. How about 'a hufflepuff with a talent that will live through time'? I think that suits me better." Drew gave her a wink, not even sure what 'talent' he'd been talking about in the first place. He never thought he was particularly special, just another one in the crowd. Of course, if Drew had to pick one, I suppose he'd pick art. He loved to paint, probably more than anything, including reading and fixing cars. There was, after all, something unique about him. He first started drawing when he was a little kid. It was probably right about the time when his dad left, that he really got into it. Drew needed something to distract him, something to be passionate about. He really didn't understand where his knack for magic came from at the time, so he ignored it at first. He was seven years old when he went to an art show with his friend's family, and he couldn't help but be awed by it all. Because he didn't get along well with kids at school, and his mother became really withdrawn, he picked art as his distraction. He would never regret his decision, even if it had made him more of an outcast than ever. Then there were his cars, his crazy obsession. His dad had got him into that before he left, and his favorite toy as a kid was, naturally, toy cars. And he was rambling in his head again. As much as he usually didn't care what others thought, he could only imagine what someone would say if he expressed all of his thoughts out loud.

Drew wasn't observant at all; you could probably turn the sky orange and the grass blades blue and he wouldn't notice for a week. The fact that he had no idea jinxter liked him in any other way than as a friend, just made him that much more of a guy. Because guys generally, didn't notice much. If he had known what Jinxter felt, the stuff she thought so often, it definitely would make things quite different. He wouldn't know how, at least not yet, but it would change things. He tried his best to make things good for her; he hoped despite everything that was going on lately, including his lack of time for her recently, they were getting on ok. For some reason today, he had less humor for her than usual, perhaps because he was confused about everything. Whatever the case, he didn't really feel like Drew. He felt like some akward fool who didn't know what to say or what to do, and that wasn't natural at all. Still, when he saw her smile it made things more reassuring, like maybe he wouldn't have to explain himself. Maybe, like so often, she'd understand and know he hadn't meant to neglect. Hopefully, 'cause Drew wasn't so good with apologies. He set her book down on the table beside all of his own things, making the table look more like a storage area than an actual place to work.

Drew threw her a smirk, grabbing Jinxter's one hand and removing it from his hair, he grabbed the other and locked her wrists tightly in his own hands. "Now now, Jinx. Let's not confuse confidence with arrogance. If we do that too often, I'll start looking like an arse. And you wouldn't want to be seen with one of those." He stuck out his tongue childishy, before releasing her hands. "I'm glad you came along, I was as bored as ever. Besides, I think any longer on my own and Madam Librarian over there was bound to get up some nerves and murder me. Whatever you do Jinx, don't be fooled by her cute little button nose and bottled rim glasses." He said matter-of-factly, actually completely serious. "She's lethal. I even heard a rumor once, that she killed somebody in Tanzania. Yup, had to pack up and move in a jiffy, changed her identity and everything." He waited for her reaction, looking at the very innocent librarian out of the corner of his eye. "It's true." His eyes twinkled, a sure sign that he was making it all up. Drew scanned the pages of her homework, looking particulary interested at her blank piece of parchment. "Wow Jinxter. You're on a roll."

[mcclarence]

And now that I'm strong I have figured out

Perhaps her echoing laughter, ringing around the corners of the library was evidence as to how much, exactly, she’d missed hanging out with her friend. Perhaps it was that twinkle in her eyes, that gave her away. Or maybe it was the fact that she leaned in to hug him again quickly before speaking up again. But truth was, she was overjoyed. To think she was going to run into him at the library, of all places…if she’d known, she, for certain, would have been there sooner. It was jackpot, him being alone all of a sudden.

“Oh, stuff it already, Marino,” Jinx teased as she gave his shoulder a small, playful shove. “If anyone has a right to be full of themselves, that’d be me,” she said with a sniff as she crossed her arms and tossed her hair artfully over her shoulder, hinting that indeed, she was too good to be true. Which was ruined, considering the brilliant grin that popped into her lips, discarding the arrogant air with less than the blink of an eye. It didn’t suit her, trying to be arrogant. She was too used to being a person who accepted things as they came, not really paying attention to the exterior. Because you never knew what was underneath a pair of pretty airs, or horrid expressions. She wasn’t accustomed to judging.

“I hang around you too much to actually notice the differences,” she commented idly, struggling playfully to release her wrists. She hated it when she felt helpless. And keeping her hands still was something that made her feel like that. Jinxter was the kind of person who was expressive, bordering in the excess, and her hands were indisputably an elemental factor in her speech. They were never still when she was talking animatedly. In her eagerness to transmit her feelings, the sights, everything she took in on a daily basis, she tried to do it with her hands, shaping things out of thin, projecting the emotions with a certain twirl of her fingers, the play of muscles underneath the back of her hands…it was something that made her hands come alive, and keeping them still was not an option. She’d once tried to keep them still for a whole day, and had found herself unconsciously clutching at her robes as she heard other people talk, awaiting the chance to be able to mold fantasies out of the nothingness between her and her friend.

“Good to know that you at least remember I’m entertaining, considering you don’t remember me as a friend in whole,” she said stiffly, a slight tone of hurt coloring her tone. She wasn’t one to hold grudges; she often found them useless and rather pathetic. Why spend some time and emotion on something that had already happened? There were so many other things to enjoy, in which she could spend her pent up emotions in, instead of harboring and feeding something useless, ripe with pointlessness. She shook her head, her brunette locks cascading over her shoulders with the emphasis of the movement. “Don’t think your absence around your best friend has gone unnoticed.” She hated how he’d pick Isabella instead of her, any day, as if all those years of knowing each other, confiding in each other didn’t mean a single thing when it came to that…witch. Her eyes narrowed involuntarily, as they normally did when the thoughts of the Hufflepuff girl crossed her mind. Jinx would’ve kept up that train of thought if it weren’t for Drew’s next comment. For a second, she had no idea what the heck he was talking about, and she blinked at him a couple of seconds before she connected her blank sheet of paper with him and the reason as to why she was in the library in the first place. She groaned and buried her face in his shoulder, her disgust obvious.

“Don’t even get me started on that,” she whined. “You know how much I detest History of Magic. It’s just so useless!” She would’ve stomped her foot, had she been standing up. It didn’t matter that it was a childish gesture. As a matter of fact, things like that never mattered with her. Jinx always used whatever method suited her best to express her feelings, and acting petulantly was not underneath her. She never did things half-way. She felt thoroughly, through and through. You never felt things lukewarmly with her. It was one extreme, or the other. It was a bout being passionate. And for her short 5’4”, she was one passionate bundle of emotions.

[drew]

"It's all about making some noise"


"Oh? And why is that? Is it because you're a goody good Ravenclaw who actually Understands what slughorn is talking about? Or is it because you're nice to everyone, have a lot of friends, and you're one of the coolest girls around. Because honestly Jinx, I don't think it's That amazing." Drew raised his eyebrows up and down with a taunting smirk, another one of his jokes pulling through. He lifted his middle finger and his thumb, giving her a light flick on the nose just for kicks. He turned to look back at their books for a minute before looking around the library truely for the first time today. People were beginning to leave, it was a lot more empty than it was earlier. The librarian's bad mood must be giving them a chase. Tough luck, he was like a tree in a storm, he wasn't budging.

He knew exactly how she liked using her hands for everything. More than half of Jinxter's wild animation came soely from the use of her hands. Therefore binding them was annoying to her, and made Drew grin in return. Her not using her hands was sort of like forcing Drew not to make any faces for a day, to be completely serious. It would be an unusual punishment, and one he certainly would not suceed in. "Are you kidding? There are no differences. You should know I never change. Nope, I like the way I am, and it's not bound to improve." He began to rock on the back legs of the chair again, and it made a constant creaking sound every time he did so. He shook an unruly finger at her with a smirk, "And don't lie, you like me that way." He figured if she didn't, then why did she hang out with him so much?

Drew had just put his arms up behind his head, enjoying the comfort of the hard wooden chair, yes that's contradicting myself, when he heard Jinxter's next comment. He raised his eyebrows questionably, and the legs of the chair slammed down against the floor. Drew sat up straight to stare at her, waiting for some kind of grin or hint of a smile to show she was joking about it. Nothing. Drew's face went serious, it always looked humerous even if he was being serious, because it would scrunch up slightly as though he were focusing too hard on something. "Aww don't be like that. I've just been busy." He leaned in like he had some sort of secret to share, something he had done countless times before. "But don't tell anyone, I don't want people to start thinking I actually do stuff" He gave an over-dramatic wink before leaning away again.

"Seriously though, I mean if we have to be, I didn't mean to...abandon you I guess?" It was sort of a question, he knew he'd been neglecting, but he had vainly hoped she hadn't noticed. Drew put his arm around her shoulder and pulled her in in a friendly embrace. "I couldn't forget anything about you, even if I wanted to. You're memorable in many ways." He smiled a little bit, but cleared his throat, trying to go back to the serious face. "Alright, how can I make it up to you then? Should I make an oath?" Drew stood up from his chair and put one hand over his heart, the other up in the air. "I, Drew Marino, hereby solemnly swear, that I will not neglect my duties to Jinxter McClarence as a friend, prefect, older student,.....or as a wise advisor." He smirked and sat back down, after receiving several rude looks from other students.

"History of magic, useless? What are you smoking?" He stuck out his tongue and slid the book in front of him. Yes, the weirdo actually enjoyed it. "Let's see what we're dealing with here." He flipped each page with mild enjoyment, stopping at the page that was marked. "At least it's not potions, we're if you miss one step, the whole thing either changes a nasty shade of green, or blows up." It was definitely true. The librarian popped up behind Drew, peering over his shoulder. "Mr. Marino! Time and time again, I have asked you to be quiet. This is a library for students to concentration, study, and learn. And as such, you are supposed to be silent!" Her face was an unpleasant shade of red. Drew nearly jumped a foot in his chair before he turned around with a suck-up face. "Ah, I'm sorry Ma'am." He tried to appear innocent. It was hard for a guy, maybe Jinx could help him out. He was terribly tired of detention.

[mcclarence]

How this world turns cold

“It is too!” Jinx replied, sticking out her tongue at him and crossing her arms, preparing to fit into full-sulking position. Wasn’t it wonderful, being able to do whatever she wanted without needing to worry about being immature? The matter was that she wasn’t. But being a fourth year gave her more liberties than she would’ve imagined. While she’d been a third year, she’d been too afraid to do what she wanted, since she was still passing through that awkward stage of being stuck in-between two places. She didn’t twirl and laugh and stick out tongues out of fear of being classified as immature. But now that she was a year older, it was as if all the secrets about living had been unlocked. Or perhaps not so drastic, but it certainly seemed so to her. Now that she had left that awkward limbo and stepped into a different world (for her), it was a liberating sensation. She could laugh, she could twirl, she could sulk, she could stick out tongues and not be afraid of being thought of as a child. Because, the truth was, she liked living life this way. As if it was the last day she’d jump out of her bed and shout the respective “Good morning!” to her roommates, or laugh with Joel, or be serious and sentimental with Drew. Life was just too precious to waste on pretending to be something she definitely wasn’t.

She was a soon to be fifteen-year-old, and she still felt free enough to play in the corridors, shout at the top of her lungs outside the grounds and not be ashamed of who she was and what she stood for.

“I am amazing,” she stated, matter-of-factly, uncrossing her arms and pushing him playfully on his shoulder, her nose wrinkling as she realized just how self-absorbed and spoilt the claim she’d made sounded. Ugh. What was next? She’d be all chummy-chummy with Narcissa Black and they’d dye their hairs together? Her eyes widened in horror, instinctively reaching to clutch at her brown tresses, needing desperate reassurance that they were still in existence and very much intact. How would she look as a blonde? Worst of all, how would she be if she were Narcissa’s friend? Shivering at the thought, Jinx shook her head violently and peered over at Drew. “I take that statement back,” she said. “I’m not amazing. Not even close to amazing! I’m barely even great!” And no matter how ridiculous she was sounding, she was almost desperate to mend what she’d just said. You never knew when karma was going to strike.

Her voice lowered in pitch, though, when she noticed the librarian giving them the evil eye, and she turned to look at Drew, her desperation momentarily forgotten as the topic of his neglect came up. She wanted to tell him that it wasn’t fair. That even though he had a girlfriend, it didn’t mean anything; because if she had a boyfriend (which was not happening, considering she only wanted him in that role) she wouldn’t forget him as quickly as he had. It was something she wanted to point out, anger slowly starting to burn beneath her skin. It wasn’t anger that was directed at him. If at all, it was directed at relationships in general. Because, right now, according to her, relationships sucked. Big time. If they pulled you away from your best friends and torn your years of confidentiality apart, then yeah, they blew hard.

“Abandoning’s right,” Jinx muttered, examining her fingernails instead of looking up to his face. She didn’t want to see the apology in his eyes at the moment. If she did, the righteous anger she was feeling at the moment would evaporate in a nanosecond, and this time she wasn’t planning on letting it go quite so easily. After all, it had been weeks since their last conversation, and that couldn’t go without reprisal, could it? No, it couldn’t. So setting her jaw in that stubborn fashion that they both knew so well and could only mean one thing: she wasn’t giving up. Not that easily, at least. Nuh uh. This one was going to be one heck of a fight. Even if she hated doing it, if it meant getting Drew come back to his senses, then so be it. She was willing to go against her character, for the moment, at least.

Then he had to proceed and be all silly, and before she knew it, without even looking up to meet his eyes, a stupid smile was tugging at the corner of her lips, and she gave up completely when an unwilling giggle escaped her. Not being able to handle it any longer, she looked up, her eyes filled with mirth. “Oh, shut up!” She shook her head and marvelled at how difficult it was to keep angry at him. But then again, he was her best friend, so perhaps that ought to explain everything.

She eyed him with mild interest as he started flipping through her book, somewhat relieved to have that task out of her hands for the moment, and was about to make a suggestion when the shadow of the librarian towered over them. She let out a small “eek!” and actually jumped in her seat. She had managed to scare her out of her wits, and she risked a glance at Drew as she scolded him. Surely, the librarian couldn’t hand out detentions? Her eyes widened, and she bit her bottom lip, thinking for a moment on what to do.

“Yes, we’re sorry ma’am. Drew here just had a really bad day. News from home, you know. Finding out your favourite relative just passed away is never good.” She nodded seriously, her eyes wide with innocence. Wasn’t being young a total perk? “He’s been having a bit of a hard time. Which is why we’re both here. You know, Drew’s always going on about how peaceful he feels when in here.” Now, the actress had delivered her lines. The question was: Would the solo public buy it?

[drew]

"I think I'm moving but I go no where"

"Yeah we'll just see about that Miss. perfect. Now, when you learn how to stand on your head and sing a mother goose rhyme, then we'll talk. That's talent." Drew antagonized her further with the same smile he'd used all his life. Why he had some kind of obsession for out of the norm you'll never know. He'd just talked to Bella about the talent of fire juggling yesterday. What was next, swallowing swords? Well no, because that was about the only magic trick he Couldn't figure out. Those guys, or girls, were nuts. Of course he thought Jinxter was extremely cool, that's why even when she was a little first year he let her stick around. She was smart enough and twice as quick as any seventh year you'd ever meet. Most of the time he forgot about the age gap, especially since they pretty much had the same level of maturity, just on different subjects. Sticking out your tongue would never become to old or childish, among a few other things. That's why Drew mockingly stuck out his tongue in return.

"Alright already, all hail Princess Jinxter." He stared at her with a flickering smile, it was the best way to sum up her new-found arrogance. "Would you rather have your commoners bring you breakfast in bed, or at your throne? Oh! And perhaps I can find you a fan boy somewhere around here." Drew began checking the room, now that he was on a tangent. "Ah shoot, it looks like they're all on lunch break. Either that or the slytherins took them all. Sorry, rotten bad luck." His serious expression did nothing to soften his joke as he continued onward. As she swiftly changed his mind, he would have though is teasing had gotten to her, if only he didn't know Jinx so well. "Started letting your imagination take over again huh?" He nudged her with his elbow, he couldn't imagine himself what her mind managed to conjour up. Leave it to Jinxter to take anything even remotely close to vanity that she had spoken, and turn it into something horrible. It's like her concience never took a break, ever.

"Way to pull a 360. Hey, do you think you can do that for my COMC professor? You know, make them suddenly decide that quizzes are the epitome of all evil and therefore should be extinguished? I'd throughly appreciate it Jinxie." He had a quizz tomorrow, one that he had known about for a week. Although he would pass it with flying colors as he always did, he found it remarkable waste of time. He could be using it for something else, something worthwhile. Besides, a person couldn't begin to describe how bored he was after finishing it in five minutes, only to wait twenty minutes for everyone else get done. "Sorry shortie, but I'm not buying it. I'll venture to make a comprise though, and say that you are only slightly amazing. It's the best I can do. If you weren't interesting...." Drew let her think about it for a moment. "I'd have tuned you out by now." He only talked a lot to people he enjoyed talking to, on subjects that kept him going.

"I get it Jinx." He mumbled, knowing exactly when and how he was receiving the silent treatment. "It's not really my fault though you stubborn bird." He meant it all playfulness, although the fault part was completely honest. "I Did probably neglect you far too much, but every time I tried to get you to hang out with me, you refused, just because Bella was around. So really, let me ask you, who's really to blame? Are you really mad at me, or yourself? Really?" He tried to sound like some nosy phsycologist, who could always turn anything around on their client. Drew resisted a smirk and stared at her far too intently, just like they did. It was the truth though, she and Bella pulled a girl on him every time they heard the other's name. They wanted Drew, but they wanted rew to themselves. Of course, he really didn't get that part, he just figured their general loathing of one another was a girl thing.

"I can't, I've sworn to be your friend. And part of being a good friend, as you know, is teasing. That's just not something I can pull out of my system any time in the near future. Unless, you don't want me to be your friend?" He gave a suspiciously surprised look, a look of attempted hurt behind it. So the librarian had managed to scare the shiz out of two, not one, students already. Once both of their bodies had remembered the laws of gravity and they were firmly in their seats, they both had looked over at the cranky librarian at the same time. Drew nodded his head solemely as Jinxter perfected her lie, he was really quite proud of her. She did it without batting an eye or giving any indication that it was a fib. Drew sniffled a little bit, not too much, but just enough to give that really pathetic look. He looked down at his fingers and fiddled with them, avoiding the older woman's gaze. The expression on the soft-hearted librarian changed, and she nodded in understandment.

"Ok, thank you for telling me Jinxter. I'd been wondering what was up with our little hufflepuff lately." Drew sucked in his breath, holding back his snort. She patted his arm and looked at his face. "You just take it easy alright? But please, try to be a little quieter you two, and I'll try to be more understanding." She turned around, giving one last backward smile before heading for her desk. When she was far enough away, he gave a very dramatic sniff, that sounded almost like he was blowing his nose before laughing. "And I am left in awe. Really Jinx, you deserve a medal. Well done" He grinned at her.

[mcclarence]

And it breaks through my soul

She was feeling too pleased. She was feeling like she hadn’t felt in a really long while. It would be stupid and naïve to try and deny the fact that Drew was the cause for her suddenly bubbly mood. Seeing him again was making all the feelings she’d secured inside herself come swelling up, and the smile was a constant in her lips. It was the one that was always around when she was with him; the one that had given her away to Bella – the ever nosy girlfriend. Because it was brighter than the ones she had when she was only laughing. Because her eyes shone more when she laughed with him. Her body language said it all. How could Drew not know that? It infuriated her at times, his obliviousness and the cool detachment he kept treating her with. Compared to his effusive words when with Bella, their friendship turned drab and gray against those vibrant colors of—dare she say it?—love. It pained her to see him happy with someone that wasn’t her, and it made her heart squeeze. Jinx was being such a girl about it, all she could do was fist her little hands into angry fists and hope for the best. Hope that one day, the impossible turned plausible. There was nothing she wished for that she couldn’t get. As vain and self-absorbed as it sounded, it was true. Jinx had everything she could hope for: friends, a loving family (even if it wasn’t the real one, it was the one she had), magic running in her veins… But was it wrong to wish for a tiny bit more? That blasted four-lettered word that made everyone so damn happy. And she was happy, but how could she be with love? She’d be in cloud nine all day. There would never be ‘bad days’ anymore. It sounded so promising. Especially if Drew was in the package.

She sighed at the mental sight of it. What wouldn’t she give to have it? It was her permanent wish ever since last year, since it hadn’t been granted. Unrequited love was overrated. She needed real, she needed now. Being close to him and being her friend was all the more difficult this way. For it was hard to keep herself from launching herself into a tight hug. Which was the reason behind the unexpected tackles she sometimes submitted him to. The effusive emotion was refused to be tamped down at times, and Jinx, weakened, gave in to her impulses. Thank Morgana, she wasn’t weak enough to kiss him. Her eyes widened in horror. Now, that would ruin everything so thoroughly it wasn’t even a consideration. Jinx knew hugs were only natural in her, so that was justified; but kisses? Nonono. Ugh, what a mess. Jinx’s head had spun many a time as she tried to come up with a decent solution where everyone came out winning, but Isabella Swan was such a bothersome…bother.

For as much as she disliked the girl—‘hate’ was still too strong a word for her to use mentally, even if she knew that was the case—she didn’t wish him ill. After all, their strong feelings of antagonism toward each other stemmed from the same thing: Drew. Silly how the girl world worked, didn’t it? All in all, she was sure Bella was a good person who she might have even liked had they not been in this situation. For now, the possibility was laughable. Even if the seventh year girl thought it laughable to consider Jinx actual competition, Jinx knew that behind that pretense, Bella was aware of the risk of her being Drew’s best friend.

“No, I’m still mad at you, Drew Marino. Don’t try to turn this around on me, because that’s not going to work. I am a Ravenclaw after all, you big fat loser,” she said with a petty sniff. “And it’s not that your girlfriend’s presence annoys me,” Jinx said, emphasizing the word ‘girlfriend’, “But I don’t like being a third wheel. Her eyes shifted uneasily at her lie, but the small pout remained. It was true, in a sense. Who liked being around a couple when they didn’t have a boyfriend or girlfriend to compete? Really. Drew could be so oblivious sometimes.

“Thank you, thank you,” she said happily, faking a bow with a grin still on her lips. “But don’t compliment me. I should be comforting you, you poor, poor thing,” Jinx cooed, scratching the underside of his chin, as one would with a baby.

[drew]

"That's it, enough, I'm a hopeless case"

Why was Drew so oblivious? This question was often wondered by the general population of Hogwarts. The same thing was wondered back home, actually. It all came down to the reason that he wanted to be. The less you knew about what was really going on, the better. Unpleasant experiences were what was usually encountered when someone knew too much, was too aware. And the other 1% of the time when it was actually important, was what Drew considered worth sacrificing for the rest. Or so he thought. It would no doubt be different if he realized how Jinxter felt. Jinxter, the radiating little bird who made you feel like you'd just been hit full blast by the happy police. Except of course, when she pulled a grump on you for neglection. Everyone had their moments. Ignoring the truth made it easier for you not to get in trouble, because you really don't know what's going on. It was an interesting sort of self-defense mechanism, but one all the same.

Selfish and ignorant would be the best words to describe that kind of persona. But once you had started it, it was hard to defeat. He found himself naturally not caring about things, and realizing later that it was of real importance. At home he had to care about everything that happened, pay close attention, and make sure nothing drastic happened. Here he was completely allowed to relax and not take on really serious responsiblities. Because as most people didn't know, Drew had enough responsiblity. He tried not to use it here, but somehow it sought him out and made him a prefect. Which had its uses, he wasn't complaining. Jinxter was someone who would, for the most part relax along side him. Things were never very hard for her, and she kept his imaginary world in place. Losing Jinx would be horrible, he had already decided that a long time back. She was silly and sweet, smart and pretty, playful and thoughtful. He had never thought about how much Jinx and Bella were actually alike, a realization neither one of them would appreciate if spoken aloud.

Bella. Bella was nice and social, teasing and beautiful, smart and sassy. She pulled off the innocence perfectly, while still managing to insult the other opponent drastically, without them even knowing. Much of Drew's Hogwarts life was based around these two. That was the sole reason. The reason he pretended there was no kind of curious feud linked between them both, and that he was the one in the middle of it. He didn't want to admit anything he liked about Jinxter except as a friend, for fear of losing Bella. It was rather hard to have one with the other, but it would be even harder if one or both no longer talked to him. All of his friend relationships with people hung on a balance, all of them. He had to stay the same way, and not start acting differently than what was expected. No getting on a serious discussion with the party guys, no stressing out about something with another. He was slightly different with each person that he met, and he stayed that way.

"Not only am I akwardly skinny, but I'm not very big." He pointed out with a loopsided look. He had muscle, but he wasn't the incredible hulk mind you. He was five foot ten, but Drew never considered that enough to make him a 'big fella.' Unlike Noah, who was, what was he going on now? Nearing six foot two?....heh, aspparagus... "The loser part I'll let you have, but you better watch it. What goes around...." Shit what was the second part? He spun his finger around in a circle to illustrate, just as if he were teaching a lesson. "...Comes around." There you go, it had almost looked like the long pause had been on purpose. He flicked her on the nose, a habit he most often did, because he couldn't do anything else. "Who said you were the third wheel? And Jinx, the third wheel Is an important part. Without it, Derby Racing would cease to exist." Not that she would know what that was...he used to race them all the time, a means of entertainment. There it was. The pout.

The pout that talented girls like her used to completely torture the male into feeling guilty. It works. Drew frowned, something the muscles in his face weren't used to, and so it looked akward. "Well what am I supposed to do instead?" He asked in a genuine tone, leaving it up to her. "That's right, I'm in need of comfort" He smirked, moving his chin towards her hand. "Ahh that's the spot, right there. Keep going. You know if you feel really bad for me, you could always buy me a butterbeer."

[mcclarence]

And I know I'll find deep inside me I can be the one

Had Jinx known that Drew was mentally comparing her to Bella, she would’ve imploded then and there. As it were, Fate had been kind enough to draw a line in the privacy and allowed everyone to keep their thoughts to themselves. Except those who fell under the skilled hands of a Legilimens, which Jinx wasn’t, so everything was safe. She frowned. She’d have to be careful of letting her mind go off on tangents so often. Losing track of your thread of thought wasn’t such a good thing, was it? Especially when you were trying to keep mad at your crush. She had to. Otherwise, he wouldn’t take her seriously, and her whole pushy thing would be cast aside and soon everything would go back to how it’d been recently and she’d be forgotten yet again, only to see him all lovey dovey with that blasted Hufflepuff girl and Jinx was ready to hyperventilate. Why did everything have to go wrong? She felt the urgent need to stomp her foot, but stopped herself just in time. What was the point? Besides, she would only be creating more noise for the already irritated librarian, so yeah, it was pointless. What a mess. So she sulked some more, even if what he said made her want to giggle, she had to make a point. Otherwise, like she’d rambled before, everything would be for nothing. It wasn’t every day that she got the guts to say something so upfront to him. To her other friends? No problem. She was direct, everyone knew that. But as of late, Jinx found she’d been having more and more trouble expressing herself with him. Her emotions were too tangled up for her to base an opinion on him without some previous bias, but it was so hard to stop liking him. Sure, she said she wasn’t going to just because he had a girlfriend, but the serious thing was that she knew it was a lost cause. Those two were inseparable. Even if she hadn’t tried to tear them apart (because she wasn’t that mean!), their relationship had lasted for quite a while. And well, to be honest, they bored her. They didn’t do anything! They talked, they blabbed on about stuff about this and about stuff about that, but still, it was so…dull. Jinx knew that if she’d been in a relationship like that, she would’ve exploded by now. She was born to be on the move, to be dynamic, to be spontaneous, and to show the world what she was made of and be appreciated for it. Not to remain in a static relationship. She needed someone who could keep up with her.

Like Joel.

Exactly! Like Joel for example—whoa. She blinked a couple of times, trying to replace Drew’s face with his own features instead of the ones that had suddenly taken their place on his face: Joel’s. She shook her head to emphasize it, and then squeezed her eyes shut. That was it. When she opened them again, if Joel’s face was still there, she would know for certain she’d lost it. The school work had finally gotten to her. Drat all those hours of History of Magic. They were slowly corroding her sanity away. Thankfully, when she opened her eyes again, Drew’s features were his and no one else’s and she breathed a sigh of relief. She knew for a fact that he’d been speaking for a while now, but for the life of her, she couldn’t say about what. Of course it had to be some kind of response to her earlier comment, but as she heard the words, they all turned into senseless gibberish and she frantically tried to catch up for the sake of appearances. It wouldn’t do to look like a total fool who spaced out on random conversation—even if she was. Since when did she try to pretend to be something she wasn’t? Alright, that settled the issue. Defiantly, she stuck up her chin and crossed her arms. “I have no idea what we’re currently talking about,” she said haughtily, her bottom lip still sticking out petulantly. It was an admittance she felt weird making, considering she normally hung on Drew’s every word, but perhaps it was time to suck it up and not be such an idolizing teenager. Drew wasn’t perfect in any sense, except in the one she made him out to be, but that didn’t make it real. So perhaps she should just let it go. At least that perfective fantasy, for now. She was old enough to let go of that bubble. And who knew? Maybe later on she would be old enough to let go of him entirely.

But for now, the thought was too horrible to bear, and Jinx shivered and didn’t resist the impulse of burying her head on his shoulder. “Don’t you ever push me away again,” she whispered, sudden tears making her voice come out slightly strangled as she fisted his shirt in her small hands. She didn’t know why the sudden thought of not having Drew as her crush affected her so, even if she’d been the one to bring it up. It was a fact. Everything faded or went away altogether with time. As it was, she was already giving up the idealized figure she had of him, to let reality seep in. How long would it take for her to give up on him altogether? She shuddered again as she drew in a deep breath. Why did it scare her so? Had she settled on him being the balance for so long the mere thought scared her witless?

[drew]

ooc: I am thinking about offing drew *sniffles* because he is too one-sided. I can't seem to make him seem real to me, and therefore he's extremely hard for some reason to play. So I dunno if you want to continue this thread? Or maybe tell me what you think about it?