Work Hard

[Athena Rey-Martinez]

After the previous semester, Athena had gone home without expecting her parents to have a chat to her about her grades. She just had a small slip, it wasn’t like she was doing it on purpose and besides, she had been doing so well since her first week at Hogwarts two years ago. It just wasn’t fair that just because she failed some classes they were now putting so much pressure on her. But no matter, Athena thought with a roll of her eyes. She would show them that she could study hard and have fun at the same time. Studying all day long was boring, as much as she loved it, and she felt that she wasn’t spending enough time with her friends nowadays.

She did however have a boyfriend and this uplifted her mood a great deal. Liam was amazing and he treated her so well, of course she knew he flirted with every girl but she was his first girlfriend as far as she was concerned. This definitely boosted her ego, and she was more than happy about it. She liked hanging around Liam after all and they could possibly be one of the cutest couples in the school, she was sure of it. Athena flipped through the pages of her charms book, finding it a little boring. It was easy for her to remember information and since the semester had just begun she wasn’t about to read the entire book.​

 

[Grayson Wolfe]

Heading into the second semester Grayson wasn't in the best of moods. The girl he liked was dating easily the worst guy in their year, Liam was so off putting that Grayson's dislike of him was shared by Antonio and the pair never agreed on anything. Grayson was a relative stranger to the library, the rare times he did study he preferred to do so in the common room or somewhere on the grounds with Jazzy but on that occasion he wasn't looking for a book but a certain Slytherin and he knew with her recent slip in grades she would be hitting the books in her never ending quest for perfection.

Gray wasn't in the library long before he spotted the girl he was looking for and he made his way over to her table and casually took a seat, pulling out a book he brought to blend in with the students who were actually studying. "Hey Athena," He said offhandedly. Grayson didn't want Athena to know he had sought her out but as soon as an opening occurred he hoped he would be able to try and talk her out of her poor decision to date Liam Waldgrave.

 

[Athena Rey-Martinez]

Athena didn't enjoy studying for long periods at a time, but she was getting into it to her surprise. When a voice spoke it almost startled the girl and if it were not for the familiarity of it she would have told the person off for rudely interrupting her time to not be disturbed. She closed the book slowly and turned to Grayson, one of the very few people she actually trusted and cared for. "Hey Gray," she greeted back with a smile, it had been nice of her best friend to approach her and start a conversation despite the location he had chosen to do so. There seemed to be something a little off about the Gryffindor, though Athena was in a good mood and she barely pondered over it a second time. "So, have you come here to study, keep me company or what?" she asked him, teasing. The blonde knew Grayson wasn’t one for books or homework so she wondered whether he was genuinely wanting to hang out with her or if there was something else on his mind.
​

 

[Grayson Wolfe]

Grayson smiled as he took his seat and opened a book he had no intention of reading. Athena clearly saw right through his attempts to blend into the library as his presence there was suspicious from the offing. "You got me, I'm not here to study," Grayson sighed and closed the book. "Call me crazy but it feels like forever since I've seen you so, if hanging out in the library is what it takes...then thats what I'll do," Next to Jasmine, Athena was one of his favourite people and watching her run around with a slime ball like Liam pained him but he would have to approach the subject delicately if at all. He didn't want to push her away as she hadn't taken to his comments well at the dance. "So tell me, if whatever homework you're doing more interesting than your best friend?" He asked with a cheeky grin. Technically her best friend was Jasmine but she wasn't there and they were basically the same.

 

[Athena Rey-Martinez]

Athena shook her head at the Gryffindor when he cracked open a book Athena knew he was never going to read. Maybe never was a long time, but she knew how Grayson was with studying. Perhaps she should convince him to do so sometime, before it was too late to salvage his grades. They were important for him to have a future, after all. And a good reputation, but she doubted her friend cared much for his rep really. She raised an eyebrow, trying not to feel smug about what he said. "That's sweet of you, Gray, and yeah it has been forever," she confirmed, moving her head up and down in a nod slowly. "I mean, the library isn't exactly the best place to hang out with friends, but it's fun to pretend to study when really all we're probably doing is disturbing others." She paused, glancing at Grayson. Then her face split into a grin. At his question, she scoffed. "Please, what could any type of homework have that you don't? It's tiring and takes effort, you know," she carried on, "but at least the grades are worth it," she finished, with a hint. Athena may also have been competitive. "And hey, you're waaayyyy more interesting than books!"​

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[Grayson Wolfe]

Grayson sighed and closed the book, he clearly wasn't fooling Athena and he had already told her he was there for her so there was no need to keep up the act. "Probably because you spend all your time in here or with...him," Grayson scoffed. It was no secret that he wasn't a fan of Athena's boyfriend for various reasons but the fact that he monopolized her time was one of the more public ones. The Gryffindor laughed when Athena told him he was more interesting than books and that her work didn't compare to him, it was nice to hear her say it even if it sounded a little ridiculous to actually say out loud. "I dunno, our Transfiguration homework was pretty riveting last week," Grayson laughed. "Are the grades really worth it Athena? I've yet to see proof,"

 

[Athena Rey-Martinez]

Athena hadn't really expected her friend to mention Liam, and she knew what Grayson thought of her boyfriend. She sighed, finally turning to Grayson fully with a serious look on her face. She thought they had gotten over this, but apparently, they hadn't. She could see Grayson wasn’t happy about her seeing Liam, but he wasn't as bad as he made him seem to be. Really, if they just spent a day together Athena was sure that they would get along, or at the very least tolerate each other. Besides she couldn't recall a time when Liam upset Grayson, unless the blonde wasn’t there to witness it. "I thought we talked about this, Gray. Why don’t you like him, anyway? Besides the fact that he's my boyfriend and you’re probably just protective, I get that. But it’s not as if he did something wrong, did he?" Her question was genuine, she didn’t like to see her friends upset because of someone she liked, for whatever reason. She giggled and playfully smacked him on the arm for the comment. "It was, wasn’t it?" she added, with a tinge of drama in her tone. "Seriously bro. Don’t you want to have a future, or something? That’s what grades pretty much do for you. They give you a future so you can graduate and get a job to earn money and...well, not struggle with basic survival needs," she finished impressively, with a cheeky grin. ​