The Powers that Be ...

[Andromeda Fiorelli]

Andromeda Fiorelli was in a savage mood. She had returned from the cavern earlier that morning with a massive headache and had taken it out on just about everyone all day long. Even now as she walked from dinner up the stairs she felt on edge as if the first person to irritate her would get the full brunt of her rage.

It was most unfortunate then for the first year she came across whistling loudly on the seventh floor corridor. Andromeda removed both wands in an instant and glaring at the brat walked like a lethal predator towards the girl. There were no professors about, they were all still downstairs in the Great Hall so Andy felt fine in taking out both her wands and smirking as she drew nearer.
"Silencio" she called out flourishing her cherry wand at the girl and instantly the annoying whistling stopped. The girl looked shocked and then on seeing Andromeda instantly had the look of a terrified animal.

Another flick of her wrist, this time with her other wand and soon the small girl was dangling by her legs in the air while Andromeda stood there giggling at her.
"Not so damn smart with your whistling now are you Huff and puff. In future maybe you'll stick to your own corridor and stop wandering around where you don't belong" her amber eyes glistened dangerously as she looked at her.

 

[Mike Gray]

Mike had was heading up the lengthy flight of stairs, making his way to the Common Room. Mike had not yet had a chance to use his status of Head-Boy to stop any rebellious people, which Mike was thankful for in some respect. Mike was casually walking along the corridor, when he heard some voices. He stopped, searching around for any clue as to where the the sound was coming from. He listened momentarily, before walking towards the scene of the talking. He heard a high pitched giggle, which could only mean one thing. Trouble. He reached the scene, surprised by what and who he had seen. "Andy?" Mike asked shocked. "What in God's name are you doing?" Mike asked, authoritatively. He reversed the spell that had been cast on the on the girl, and Mike stooped over, checking she was okay. She left without another word. Mike turned his attention to Andy, unsure what to say, unsure how to approach this.

"What was that for? What's got into you?" He asked the ex-prefect.

 

[Andromeda Fiorelli]

Andromeda sighed when she heard her name being called, she should have known some one would come but rather it be Mike than anyone else. The first year landed and scampered off with Andromeda watching her shrewdly, regaling her face to memory incase she came across her again.

She turned on her heel walking past Mike.
"God doesn't exist here, this is not the muggle world Mike" she all but spat the words, stopping just beside him she glanced at him a moment.
"She was misbehaving so I was reprimanding her Mike" a smirk on her face as she spoke, "so our methods differ slightly, get over it. She won't go whistling dixie down the corridors again now will she?"

Andromeda began to move away from him, as if his authority as the headboy didn't matter to her in the slightest.

 

[Mike Gray]

"Andy, come back here. Don't walk away from me, this isn't finished" Mike said, his tone raised slightly.

"Reprimanding her? I think the term vindictive bullying would be more appropriate" Mike said. "I don't care if our methods differ. You don't have the authority any more to reprimand students, you lost it when you got your badge revoked" Mike said sternly. "There are set rules for rule-breakers, so a fair, equal punishment is given across the board. I also don't like your tone. I would appreciate it, if you also changed your tone. I have never raised my voice at you, nor spoke with attitude to you, so I would expect the same respect I have given you" Mike stated. "Last time I checked, whistling was not rule-breaking. It may annoy you, but that is a different matter. It doesn't give you the right to silence her. You should of asked politely to stop. Exerting your own form of punishment is not acceptable, and I would of expected more from you Andy " Mike said truthfully.

 

[Andromeda Fiorelli]

Andromeda turned slowly on her heel and observed Mike while he had his little rant, she had never heard him speak this way before and couldn't help but find it a major turn on. The guy actually had the nerve to stand up to her and she liked it. Slowly she approached him, deliberately circling him slowly as she listened to him a slow smile gracing her features. Andromeda was not an ordinary beauty, her looks were lethal. A body that many boys ogled as she passed by and a face that was so startling in it's strangeness as it was in it's beauty. As she circled him and came to stand before him once more, she had also managed to move herself closer to him.

His scent was familiar to her, they had once had a very casual relationship in their OWL year but he had definitely not behave like this. She might have made it more than casual if he had. A hand slowly reached out and touched his arm, her fingers gliding up his sleeve, her head tilted as she looked at him through her long lashes.
"I could very well say the same for your tone. You may have failed as the triwizard champion but I think you found your calling in being headboy" she grinned, taking another step closer, "So I over-reacted I had a rough night in the cavern Mike."

Now her tone changed to an almost simpering apologetic tone, almost impossible to deny her anything when her amber eyes dazzled the way they did and her voice seemed to reach out and caress the listener.
"Are you going to punish me?" she gave him a playful smile, teasing as her fingers glided over his shoulder and around his neck. Curling into the hair at the base of it.
"Are you Mike?"

 

[Mike Gray]

He watched as she circled him, before her hand connected to his arm and her fingers went up his sleeve. Mike went a bit red, as she attempted to appear sympathetic. He could feel her hand on his shoulders, before touching his neck. He stepped back. "Stop. That's enough" he said quickly, embarrassed. He listened as she asked whether he was going to punish her. He knew that he had to do something. He couldn't let her get away with it, it wouldn't be fair. He needed to remain impartial. It didn't matter whether he had become good friends with her or not. She broke the rules and she had to pay for it. She couldn't blame it all on her being a Werewolf. Moments passed, his mind buzzing, unsure what to do.

"Andy, I'm going to have to give you detention. I'll also have to tell Professor Fletcher, so I'm sure the detention will be with him. Don't make me do this again" Mike warned her, pointing his finger with authority. He wanted to apologise, but he knew she would see it as a sign of weakness, trying to slither her way out of it, using her looks to do so.

 

[Andromeda Fiorelli]

She watched as he stepped back his words attempting to cut through her actions but Andromeda was by nature a predator and Mike seemed like the perfect prey at that moment. He smelled delicious, he looked scrumptious and his positive stance against her was intriguing. It didn't bother her in the slightest that he had moved back she at the same time and taken a step forward as if preempting his movements.

Her hands this time moved to his waist as she smiled at him, her slender yet strong fingers gripped the sides of his top as she moved closer bending her head as he spoke about giving her a detention. Inhaling the sensitive skin around his neck she let out an appreciative sigh before straightening up once more yet strategically positioning her mouth mere inches from his own.
"I accept my punishment Mike" she told him as her amber eyes looked only at his mouth, the fullness of it, the perfect form of it. Sure he hadn't knocked her socks of like Crispin had when they kissed but he had still been a damned good kisser and right now Andromeda felt as if it had been an eternity since she had any lips against her own. Swearing off guys was one thing but that didn't mean she had to suffer a complete withdrawal from them surely.
"I know you have to do your duty, you caught me red handed" a playful smirk and then her lips were gently grazing against his before hovering once more, "you're in charge here after all."

 

[Mike Gray]

He waited as her hands went to his waist as she smelt his skin and looked as her mouth was close to his mouth. This is awkward Mike mused as she told him she accepted his punishment. Like she has no choice Mike reminded himself sternly. Her lips connected with his before she pulled away. This whole act of seduction was close to working, but Mike snapped back to reality, returning to the fact that she was in trouble. " Andy. Stop" Mike ordered. "This is innapropriate" He told her sternly.

He crossed his arms after pulling away from her. "I am in charge" he reassured her, although he was reassuring himself as well. He closed his eyes momentarily. "Just leave Andy. You're making a fool of yourself" he told her earnestly, not bothered about the way she would react. "You're just a silly girl, who thinks she can weasel her way out of anything by batting your eyelids and attempting to be playful and seducing. It isn't on" Mike said.

His relationship with Andy had been casual and had ended mutually. It had been fun, but it would never of lasted. He worried about her. She had been through a tough life, but that did not mean she could do what she wanted, and run rings around who she wanted. She wasn't a Princess on a pedestal, waiting to be respected. If she wanted respect she had to earn it. So far, she was losing Mike's respect.

 

[Andromeda Fiorelli]

Andromeda laughed as he spoke, shooting him a feral look with her amber eyes.
"Inappropriate Mike?" she questioned him, "it wasn't inappropriate when you were more than willing to kiss me before. It wasn't inappropriate when you were initiating it but typical isn't it? A boy gets a bit of power and it all goes to his head."
She sighed a little, not in the slightest bit put out that he hadn't returned her kiss. To be honest with herself she hadn't expected him too and would probably have been shocked to the core if he had. She had only done it to wind him up and unsettle it after all.

"I haven't made a fool of myself in a long time" she told him and as far as she was aware or concerned she was telling the truth. Stepping towards him once more a flash of Andy seemed to glow from those haunting eyes, seemed to call to him. Her whole face changed from it's tough exterior to pure softness, to absolute gentleness as if she had never been struck with her 'condition'.

"I don't plan on weasling my way out of anything Mike" her voice was in earnest now; she may be a lot of things but doing her punishment, her time for whatever stupid crime she had done was something she never shirked from. Andromeda had always tried to be an honourable person. She made mistakes and had more faults than many but she still tried to be as honourable as she possibly could. Even now when she was sliding down the slippery slope to the death eaters.

There was a huge difference this time when her hands reached up to his face, cradling his jawline in her long slender hands. Her lips didn't just graze his this time they touched them as if searching for something she had lost and could never find. It was as if every ounce of longing she had for Crispin was welling up inside of her and unleashing itself now. Unable to stop it, a single tear drop rolled down her cheek sliding between their lips. Mike's name whispered itself from her mouth, Andromeda felt herself losing control. Losing all sense of equilibrium and tried to pull back.

 

[Mike Gray]

Her face connected with his as though she expected him to return the action. He didn't. He couldn't. It wasn't the time. It wasn't the place. Their little relationship was long gone, and Mike had no feelings for Andy any more. He certainly didn't expect her to have some for him.

Mike was flabbergasted when a tear fell down Andy's face. He looked at the floor, guilty as sin. Never once had he known Andromeda to cry, but he had managed it today. He didn't know what to do or say. He couldn't apologise, as in some sense it was his fault for getting into trouble and he had to do his duty of trying to keep the peace, but she was his friends and he had to do or say something.

His face remained looking at the floor. He was embarrassed, placed into an awkward position. Her points were valid, but the situations were completely different. "Andy, that was different. We had a little fun. This wasn't the time. I may have misinterpreted your actions, but I cannot undo time or rethink what I have said" he replied, his eyes still locked on the floor.

His thoughts went to Quidditch. It would be awkward playing with Andromeda, and there was only one thing he could do, to stop the awkwardness from taking place. He knew that Andy could not do it, so it had to be Mike. "Andy, I'm going to pack in Quidditch. It won't be fair on the team. It would affect the mentality of Mike both on and off the pitch. You're going to have to find another Keeper" Mike said, saddened by this, but he had to take one for the team, even if it meant he had to go. Mike knew that an apology and it would all be over, but Mike was not one to apologise when he wasn't entirely to blame. He may have taken it out of proportion, but he couldn't change it. Only time could change things now.

 

[Andromeda Fiorelli]

Again of course his lips did not move beneath hers and though part of her was glad of this, another part of her had hoped. A futile hope it seemed now. Was she considering this her last ditch effort at humanity, before all true feelings and longings were taken from her and she became a puppet of the Death Eaters. An image of Crispin faded from her mind as she stepped back from Mike, her fingers reached up to tentatively wipe her lips clean as she listened to Mike speak.

Why were boys so infuriating, why were they so damn ridiculous? Did it really matter if they kissed or not? If she had crossed some unspoken line between them that she hadn't known was suppose to exist. She rolled her eyes and slowly with a deep sigh she glanced up and down the empty corridor before looking back at him again.
"Actually Mike no... we never had a thing. We were ... house mates, class mates and team mates. We were in between partners and used one another for casual petting if you want to call it that. But we never had a thing".

The hard core Andromeda was slipping back, amber eyes cool and haughty once more.
"It won't be any loss to the team but we will be sorry to see you go. We had an alternate keeper in place just in case so she'll be delighted to know she's got the full time gig."

She turned then to move away from him, glancing back once more. Was that it then, seven years thrown away so easily? Andromeda considered taking a leaf out of Mike's book, how simple it was for him to discard people so easily. She had never thought he was capable of it but the proof after all was in the pudding.
"I'll be there at my detention don't worry ... HeadBoy" she said the last word as if it were an after thought before she took a step away.