Two Stars are Brighter than One

[Isabella Chaos]

Isabella had just come out of the play that the Prefects put on, so she was still wearing her black sequined dress with her fancy accessories. She had wanted to go over and congratulate Mike for doing a great job on the play, as well as the rest of the Prefects, however she refrained from doing so. After the confrontation between Aiden and Mike in the seventh floor, she didn't know how Mike was feeling.

Isabella felt restless, she didn't want to head back to her dorm room just yet, so she allowed her black shiny shoes to lead her away, anywhere; she wanted a place to think, to get away from all the chatter that was buzzing around the entrance hall after they had all exited the play. Before she knew it, the only sound Bella heard was the small click of her shoes against marble floor, and finally, stone steps as she headed up towards the North tower.

Once she was there, the cool night air whipped around her, causing her to draw her arms close to her to keep herself warm. A pang of heartache overcame the small Slytherin girl as she went over to the edge of the tower, overlooking the castle grounds. The few times she had been here had all been with Aiden. She remembered their argument last year after the huge fight with Henri; that was the first time she had realized she liked him all along. Then, with her heart aching more, she remembered their break-up on Halloween night, right here. She had stupidly told him she loved him, and after he didn't reciprocate it (why would he, she hadn't meant it either), she got mad and threw his sweater that she had been wearing on the ground. For a while she had begun having nightmares after she stopped sleeping with that sweater, but they were finally able to subside again.

Isabella couldn't help but get teary-eyed at the recollection of these memories. She had to admit she still had strong feelings for Aiden, but nothing had progressed since they had returned to the castle from Christmas break, which is when she had been expecting them to get back together. She scoffed silently and rolled her eyes, partly to stop herself from allowing tears to spill, and bitterly thought "I shouldn't expect anything from that boy anymore." She was foolish to think so.

Isabella looked down at her white satin gloved hands as she traced the arbitrary cracks on the stone of the tower and remembered Mike onstage. A smile came upon her previously sad face, as she remembered the way he looked while onstage, with such confidence that she had never seen in him before. She hadn't been able to admit it to herself since she was so wrapped up in Aiden, but she had been developing feelings for the older Gryffindor, and tonight had been the turning point for her. Her mind buzzed erratically with different memories and emotions as if telling her "Make up your mind!" and the Slytherin girl sighed loudly in response.

 

[Mike Gray]

Mike had just come out of the play. He had made his way to the common room to get changed into something more comfier and for some reason made his way to the North Tower. He had previously been wrestling with his conscience over the Bella matter. Mike had clabered up te stairs, wanting nothing more than an empty corridor to sit down and reflect on things in a quiet environment. As he passed several windows, he stared out into the starry night, thinking to himself. He thought about the way he had acted a jerk to impress Bella, realising afterwards how wrong that approach was. Mike looked ahead, to see the moonlight lighting his path which shone upon a familiar face. The person he wanted to see the least. Not because he didn't like her or anything but becuase it was the last thing he needed at the moment. Worrying she might have seen him, so he couldn't back away now. Mike slowly made his way to her. "Hey Bells" Mike said in a quiet tone.

 

[Isabella Chaos]

Isabella turned around when she heard someone greet her. Her eyes widened slightly in surprise but a smile formed on her face nonetheless. "Mike, hey!" she said cheerfully, contrasting greatly with her rather gloomy thoughts. She adjusted her headband to make sure she looked good and said, "You did great in the play!" Her chocolate colored eyes were sparkling with honesty, she admired him for acting, for some reason most boys hated theater.

Bella walked over to him and wrapped her arms around him in a congratulatory hug before she blushed and immediately pulled away. Judging from his quiet tone of voice, she didn't think he was too thrilled to see her. "Sorry," she muttered as she pulled away, tugging on her pearl necklace.

 

[Mike Gray]

"Um thanks" Mike said, glad she hugged him, wanting it to last. "So um... do you think it got the point across efficiently?" Mike asked her, struggling to make conversation with her, so was tugging at straws. Mike closed his eyes, rolling them.Great conversation. Well done!! Mike told himself sarcastically ashamed and disappointed by his lack of confidence.

 

[Mike Gray]

"Um thanks" Mike said, glad she hugged him, wanting it to last. "So um... do you think it got the point across efficiently?" Mike asked her, struggling to make conversation with her, so was tugging at straws. Mike closed his eyes, rolling them.Great conversation. Well done!! Mike told himself sarcastically ashamed and disappointed by his lack of confidence.

 

[Isabella Chaos]

Isabella laughed lightly and replied, "Hmmm, I don't know really, these first years are pretty stubborn and seem to think rules don't apply to them or something." She rolled her eyes playfully as she said this but added, "But it was at least entertaining." She giggled and beamed up at him appreciatively. "Do Prefects put on a play every year?" she asked before feeling dumb, she had been here last year and they hadn't put one up so it was obvious they didn't do it every year. She had just asked the first thing that came to mind so there wouldn't be an awkward silence. "If they don't do it every year, they should. That would definitely make me want to be a Prefect even more," she said without waiting for a reply from him. She twirled her short hair in her fingers as she wanted to smack herself for sounding so dumb around him. When did Isabella Chaos become a dumb girl around boys?

 

[Mike Gray]

"No I don't think they do it every year" Mike said honestly."But then again, this year has been by far the worst for trouble" Mike said honestly. "You should aim for Prefect. Its fun." Mike said smiling glad he had been chosen to be one. "Aslong as you haven' caused too much trouble, and attend your classes, then I suppose you have a good chance of becoming one" Mike said smiling.

 

[Isabella Chaos]

Isabella laughed again and said playfully, "I've been aiming for prefect since the day I got here." Everyone knew that Isabella wanted to be a Prefect. She thought she had pretty much blown it with her barely-average grades last semester but was determined to make up for it this semester. That was the reason why she had cut her hair short, she thought it made her look sweet and innocent. She had also started wearing her glasses in public to make her look more studious.

Suddenly remembering about her glasses, she realized she still had them on. She hurriedly slipped them off and put them in her small hand purse. "Great, he saw me in my glasses, I must've looked terrible!" She tucked a few strands of hair behind her ear and said, "Being Prefect is fun?" Her voice was of mock-surprise but her smile was one of amusement. "Of course having power would be fun," she said sticking her tongue out at him lightly.

 

[Mike Gray]

"Yeah it's fun. We have our own common room to hang out. So its cool" Mike said smiling. "Well to be fair we don;t have that much power. We can generally only refer them to their head of house if need be. We can olny tell them off. Thats about it" Mike said, glad he hadn't had to tell anyone off. "How come you took your glasses off?" Mike asked. "They make you look more intellectual" Mike said sticking his tongue out.

 

[Isabella Chaos]

Isabella nodded her head softly when he explained the perks being Prefect had, yet they couldn't really do much when it came to punishment. "Still, that silver P badge on your uniform makes everyone look at you different," she said with a smile, wanting nothing more than to wear that badge.

Isabella blushed lightly when he asked if she had taken off her glasses. She tucked a stand of short, brown hair behind her ear as a form of hiding her blush and shrugged before she laughed as Mike said they made her look more intellectual. She had a look of offense as she said, "Are you saying I don't look intellectual when I'm not wearing my glasses?!" She leaned forward and shoved his arm playfully and knew she had actually done the gesture just to get closer to him.

 

[Mike Gray]

"Hmm, tempting as it sounds to say yes" Mike laughed. "No it makes you look more intellectual" Mike said putitng heavy emphasis on the word more. "As in you are intellectual already without them, but wearing them makes you almost as smart as me" Mike said teasing her. Mike gave her a little cheeky wink, to show he was only joking.

 

[Isabella Chaos]

Isabella laughed lightly at Mike's response. "Nice save," she said sarcastically with a smirk. She pushed him again as if to tell him he better watch it next time. "I don't like wearing my glasses in public. I wouldn't even wear them in class!" she said with a laugh. She ran her fingers through her shortened hair as a reminder that she had started wearing her glasses after she cut her hair just so that she could look more studious. Apparently it was working because Mike said she looked more intellectual.

"Let's see how you would look with glasses!" she said with a devious smile. She opened up her small handbag and pulled out her black framed glasses and playfully put them on Mike. She stood back for a second to look at him fully and laughed at him lightly.

 

[Mike Gray]

Mike walked backwards with the glasses on. "How do i look?" Mike asked with a cheeky wink, waiting for a reply. Mike was really enjoying himself tonight. He was in a far better mood than before. Mike took that he looked daft when she laughed at him, so he took them off handing them back to her. "So..." Mike said awkwardly grinning but also he was bright red. Mike looked at her. "Reckon I suit glasses?" Mike asked Bella trying to quickly make conversation.

 

[Isabella Chaos]

Isabella bit her lower lip just so she wouldn't laugh at Mike, not that he looked ugly or weird, but it was just an unfamiliar sight. "You look good," she said truthfully but laughed nonetheless. She took her glasses back from him and put them away in her small purse again. When he asked if he suited glasses she looked into his eyes for a long moment and shook her head no. "I hate glasses, I feel like they block your view into the other person's eyes," she said quietly, realizing she had been looking into Mike's eyes so she quickly looked away.

 

[Mike Gray]

Mike wondered what she meant by that statement about glasses blocking the view into the other person's eyes. Deciding not to comment on that but to move ahead, Mike made another comment. "Ah well, I personally like glasses for the reason I stated before. They give the people the intellectual look, not that you need it though" Mike said with a devilish wink. "It's getting late" Mike said looking at his watch. " I think it wouldn't look good if I was out after curfew then again it wouldn't look good for a wannabe Prefect" Mike said simply smiling.

 

[Isabella Chaos]

Isabella beamed up at Mike when he again told her that she looked intellectual. That was a different type of compliment that she'd never heard before and she definitely liked it. She laughed lightly when he winked at her but her face fell when he said it was getting late. Isabella was tempted to say 'So' but he, unfortunately, made a good point that if they got caught it wouldn't look good on a Prefect and an aspiring Prefect. "Yeah I suppose so," she said softly. She took a step towards the exit and towards Mike before giving him a smile. She was reminded then of Aiden when he used to walk her all the way down to the dungeons and then he'd make the trip back up to the tower. Isabella almost wanted to laugh because she felt bad for making Aiden do that, but she thought it was sweet that he did it for her anyway.