"You are an Alinac....that means you have power, ambition and the capacity to change the world. But a name is only a name, Leila, unless you make it something."
Two young rivals are headed into a war they know will change them forever. The question...
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James hated being wrong. He hated giving in. He hated Leila linac for making him both of those things. And so, that hatred fuelled each and every step he took towards the Hogwarts library that early Saturday morning. The sun beat against his back as he ventured away, early one may add, from quidditch practice.
As usual, the pressure was steadily increasing as the first match of the year drew closer and closer; Ravenclaw vs Hufflepuff. James was captain, finally, after years and years of endless pining and strenuously practice. Yet, while he would prefer to be running over drills or taking laps around the pitch, he knew he should probably work on his grades.
As so there he was, waiting like an idiot outside the library for the rest of his group to show up. It was nearly quarter to ten before the first person showed up, and since merlin is always on his side, it happened to be Alinac.
She didn't utter a word towards him, merely looking him up and down before clothing the book tighter to her chest and brushing right by him. The faint scent of lilacs tickled his nose and he watched as the fading morning sun lit her hair a bright shade of white, he thought impossible.
Wordlessly, she led him towards a table, where his other two partners were already sat working. Had they been there the whole time? as he waited? He wrapped an iron fist around the flush of embarrassment making its way to his cheeks.
"Got it." Leila announced, placing the book down on the table as Rosier and Daphne scribbled away on their project notes. Leila had rushed to her dorm room to grab this notebook, hoping it would help to accelerate her project, when she saw james dawdling outside.
All sweaty from practice, with his uniform balancing on his strong frame like he had only seconds to dress himself. His tie wasn't even done and his glasses as per usual were askew. He looked.... anyway.
She sat herself down beside Daphne and began furiously looking through the pages she had written for a particular spell. It was only when she felt an awkwardness in the air that she looked up.
"You can sit, Potter." She sneered, as the boy stood before them not quite sure what to do with himself.
"I knew that. " He bit, taking the side next to Rosier. "Soo.. anyone fancy catching me up."
"No." Rosier smiled, his eyes lacking the warmth his expression was showing. "You should have been here, but don't worry...you'll catch on fast enough."
The girls giggled, as though they were transported to the innocent antics of their pre-school days. And like many times before, they all fell into a familiar silence as they worked away on their own sections of the project. James had no idea what to do.
He observed how each time Daphne ran out of ink, leila would flick her wrist without thinking and refill it; how Rosier would send Leila more paper if she was reaching the end of her page; how Daphne would grab Rosier a new book from a shelf without him needing to ask. They were well oiled, academic team. Polished and tuned to each others movements after hours of hard work. He was the outsider.
