Maledictus

Ch. 15 - Headmaster

"Whatcha doing?"

Blake slammed his book closed in surprise, and looked up at the girl who was clinging to his shoulders. He turned around, ready with a clever quip, clearly expecting Alice.

It wasn't Alice.

But he couldn't take his eyes off her.

"You should take a picture Alexander" she chuckled. "It will last longer"

"I..umm.. sorry" he mumbled, adding the book to the large pile in front of him. "What did you want?"

"Do you find me pretty?"

What kind of question is that? "Sure if it makes you feel better"

It wasn't that he didn't find her beautiful, he found her overwhelmingly beautiful, but he couldn't tell her that.

Could he?

She giggled in a way that made him regret his word choice. "Dahlia Crawford, Hufflepuff, same year and we share Astronomy and Transfiguration. I've been trying to get your attention since you arrived"

"I've been busy"

"Are you busy tomorrow night?"

"What's that supposed to mean?"

He was really bad at this.

She sighed and took the seat beside him. "Merlin, Nadia truly was right, you are clueless" she smiled. "Blake Alexander, would you like to attend the ball with me tomorrow?"

He wanted to ask Alice, he had been planning it since the flyers were released.

And he hadn't changed his mind.

"I've got other plans, sorry Crawford"

The blonde-haired girl folded her arms and scoffed loudly. "You're not seriously going to ask out Alice, are you?" she laid her hand on his arm. "Blake she isn't worth your time, she won't appreciate you as I will"

Bitch. Are all the girls like this?

He shoved off her hand and grabbed a second book and flicked through the pages. "Look, you don't know what you're talking about. I won't be attending the ball with you Crawford"

She flicked a braid over her shoulder. "You and her would never work. There's too much she's hiding from you. You don't even know her. You can't wait forever. Not to mention you did sell out that old professor she loved, isn't he dead?"

"How the fuck do you know about that?"

"She probably hasn't forgiven you-"

"How" he breathed heavily. "Do you know"

She placed herself on top of the table, curling his hair with her finger. "Everyone does darling" she smirked. "Word travels fast"

He wanted to hit her hand away, but people were already staring. He decided not to make it worse. "I did what I had to do"

"Doesn't everyone" she let her hand brush against his cheek and this time he did hit it away and she let out an overdramatic yelp.

"Look Dahlia, you're great and beautiful and all, but I won't be attending the ball with you. So please kindly fuck off"

Dahlia stood up and fixed her robes. "I think you will and you'll know where to find me when you change your mind"

She flicked her long braid over her shoulder as she walked away loudly, swinging her hips. As much as Blake tried to look away, focus on his homework, he couldn't take his eyes off the Hufflepuff girl with a questionable personality.