Don't you believe me?

[Andrew Sedgwick]

Andrew had spent the last few weeks trying to get Larissa Sedgwick out of his mind. However he had failed miserably. He hadn't seen her since valentines day, a whole week ago, but he hoped she recieved his little gift. Andrew didn't know what she was going to make of it, but he just hoped she'd take him seriously. It was obvious to the Durmstrang Head Boy that the Head Girl was playing with his feelings, but right now he was allowing himself to be strung along. He had lead the way with his and Chyou's relationship, and prehaps this time it would be better to take a back seat in that department.

Andrew had his polished badge on his chest, and was wandering the corridors. It was early morning and students were going down for breakfast before the school lessons began. Andrew hoped he would catch Larissa as she walked down, and prehaps they could get a few things settled straight. He was not normally one for being so blunt, but he needed to know what was going on in her mind, so he was going to confront her. They may have only met twice before, but it wasn't going to stop him from approaching her as though they'd been together from life. It was these sorts of thoughts that had Andrew confused, of course Larissa wasn't with him. He just needed to talk to her to help him sort himself out, but secretly he was hoping she'd push him away firmly. At least then the idea of them not being together would finally sink into his head..

 

[Larissa Sedgwick]

Confident, powerful and in possession of veela blood, it was no surprise to Larissa Sedgwick that on the fourteenth of February, she had received an elegant red rose. Naturally, the person who had sent it to her, had not left their name, and therefore, Larissa had taken up the task of finding out who the sender was. She had yet to ask anyone outright about the rose, but she did not doubt for a second that a little veela magic would do the trick.

She was due to patrol the corridors, as was one of her duties as Head Girl. So far, she had confiscated two stink bombs and a had given a third year a warning. Someone she often passed on her journey around the corridors was the Head Boy, Andrew Spinnett. Larissa frequently made a point to flirt with him and wind him up to his limit, before simply wandering away with a big grin on her face. He was a game, her entertainment. "Hello, Andrew," Larissa said, switching to a highly flirtatious voice as she spotted the boy in question. She paused to flick her hair and look him over. Even she was forced to admit that he was not bad looking. Although, Larissa had never cared for looks, other than her own. As long as she looked good, who else mattered? "If you're free, later, we could always.. Go for a stroll around the grounds." She winked at him before breaking out her gleaming white grin. Her eyebrows raised a small way; he seemed a little.. Different today.

 

[Andrew Sedgwick]

Andrew hadn't been standing long when he heard the voice he'd been waiting to hear. He turned to see Larissa in her usual flirty manor, attempting again to get away with whatever she had in mind. It was times like these that made Andrew believes they were in fact an item, and afterall she did hold the rose to prove it.

He didn't know if she'd say anything about it, nor whether she knew it had been him. "I don't know if I am" he lied, knowing full well after lunch he had nothing better to do than sit in the common room and pratice his spells. If she wanted to play hard to get, Andrew could too. He continued to patrol up and down the corridor, breifly stopping a second year in his tracks as he had his wand poised at another student. Andrew warned him against charming other students, and should he be caught doing similar again he'd be sent to a professor.

He moved past Larissa again, his eyes only briefly meeting her. What does she want? he thought, curious as to why she was always on his tail. Why him?

 

[Larissa Sedgwick]

Larissa could not prevent the smile etching itself onto her face. She kept it small and flirty, prowling around Andrew like the deadliest of cats, teasing its prey. She liked to put fear into her enemies, and self-doubt into her friends. Larissa was the hidden poison destroying friendships, ruining lives, beckoning her army to march with her through the flames.

"Oh, Andrew," Larissa said with mock disappointment, "I had so hoped you would be free for our little date.." She stopped where she was, blinking her eyes at him like magnificent shining diamonds. "Unless," her tone seemed to darken. It stared into those who heard it, hissing at Andrew. "You're trying to avoid me?" Larissa didn't doubt herself for a second- she was beautiful, confident, and powerful. He would not escape her grip if she said he wouldn't. And, right now, Larissa was having too much fun to let Andrew go. He took her mind off things. Things that troubled Larissa's heart.

One of her hands danced up Andrew's shoulder, before sliding slowly down his chest as she began a relaxed pace of circling him, once again. Her hand continued to drag along him. She was going in for winding him up, big time. She missed the times she had got Mark all flustered by simply stroking his cheek. She loved Mark, that was something she could not deny, though he was far too busy to deal with her. But Larissa had needs, too.

 

[Andrew Sedgwick]

Andrew stood rock-still, watching Larissa circling him. She gave off mixed signals, and it confused him. Did this mean she liked him? A part of him wanted to tell her that the rose was his gift to her, but another part of him knew she would only laugh in his face. But as her hand trailed down his side, unintentionally, Andrew found himself grabbing hold of it.

That long silence nearly killed him. He just stood there, gripping her hand. At first, neither spoke a word. She would surely hate him now. It had been such an aggressive movement. No girl wanted someone like that around. She'd think he was violent, wouldn't she? But Andrew was far from violent. He had very mixed feelings for Larissa: He liked her courage, and she was beautiful. But she was forever teasing him and laughing in his face when he fell for it. He just didn't know what to do anymore.

Tensing up again, Andrew released Larissa's hand and turned to look her in the eyes. He wanted to say something to her, but the words wouldn't come out. Instead, he found himself peering over her shoulder at one of the younger students, stabbing at another's arm with their wand. "Oi, stop that!" He side-stepped Larissa and moved to tell off the younger students.

 

[Larissa Sedgwick]

Larissa froze on the spot the moment she felt Andrew grabbing hold of her hand. Not taking hold of it like a gentleman, but grabbing it, snatching it up and gripping it tightly. She turned her head to look at him, but he was still looking away. A more forceful and solid side was showing out. And Larissa liked it. She raised her eyebrows, matching them to a small, dark smile. How amusing it was, how very quickly people could change.

She had been about to say something when Andrew released her and turned to look at her. Immediately, he was hurrying to tell off a student. Larissa was no psychic, but she had a feeling that Andrew liked her as more than a friendly rival. It was only now that she looked to the red rose in her other hand, and then to the Head Boy. Surely not.. she thought to herself with a smile. A new admirer was always a flattering sensation. It seemed that the Head Boy, a young man seemingly interested only in his studies, was also interested in Larissa. Had she gone too far with flirting? Had she been far too charming?

Deciding that she would have to say something to him, Larissa approached Andrew, holding the rose aloft. She waited for him to turn, her presence more than obvious, before she began to speak. "You wouldn't know who sent this, would you?"

 

[Andrew Sedgwick]

In his mind, Andrew was growing more certain that this relationship was one-sided, and yet.. The way Larissa had always acted around him, made him feel like he was the only one. He was someone that she had chosen to be around, to flirt with, but to be in a relationship with? He wanted that to be true, though nothing was ever said for or against the matter. At least if he knew for certain, he could sort out his life either way.

The words he dreaded, arrived at his feet, and he stared at the rose for a moment or two, deciding what to do. If he confessed, then maybe she would thank him with a kiss and tell him exactly how she felt. Ot, maybe, she would just laugh in his face and dance off down the corridor, letting everybody know what a mug the Head Boy was for letting her take him for a ride. The options were bleak, and keeping his silence would resolve nothing. It was time for Andrew to open his mouth and saw something. He braced himself.

"Yes," he said as firmly as possible, "it was me."

 

[Larissa Sedgwick]

Larissa did not so much as raise her eyebrows. She stood there, hearing his answer, considering her reaction. At least somebody was thinking of her, at least someone cared whether she was dead or alive. She had no family to turn to, not easily, anyway. The last scraps of family she had were leaving in New Zealand, and here she was, living in Germany, still in Schwarz manor, waiting for her hero.

"Thank you," she found herself saying softly. It was unusual for Larissa to be so polite to another when she could be teasing them to insanity. "I appreciate it." Then came the short pause, the moment in which Larissa met Andrew's eyes, fully. She smiled into them, her bright blue ones speaking how much this meant to her. It looked as though she was truly grateful. It looked as though Andrew was about to get the answer to his question, as Larissa began to close her eyes, tilting her head slightly to one side, about to plant her soft lips onto Andrew's, and then came her whispered words..

"You didn't really think you'd get a kiss for a rose, did you?" Larissa grinned. She may have enjoyed boy-bothering, but she wasn't intending to go as far as to full-on kiss Andrew right there and then. "Thanks for the gift!" she laughed cruelly, turning on her heel and dancing off down the corridor.

 

[Andrew Sedgwick]

Andrew couldn't believe how well this was all going. She seemed genuinely pleased to have such a gift. And now, it seemed, she was going to finally repay Andrew's feelings. He watched as Larissa closed her eyes, and he too closed his. They were mere centimeters away from the answer, from a solution to many problems, when the bubble was burst and Andrew found himself opening his eyes to a grinning Head Girl who had, once again, made him look the fool.

And as Andrew watched Larissa dancing away down the corridor, he realised with a sigh, that he knew no more about Larissa's relationship with him that he had at the start of their conversation.