String Me Along

𝑻𝒓𝒊𝒙 𝑳𝒆𝒔𝒕𝒓𝒂𝒏𝒈𝒆

I ticked at the notebook on the desk in front of me, bored out of my mind. I hated having to be in class, even if the professor was nowhere to be found. And for the first time in forever, Professor Lupin was NOWHERE to be found. But still, we had to be in class, with no substitute.

Finally, after an entire agonizing hour, the bel went off, and students flew to their feet, eager for the weekend. I took my time, having absolutely nothing planned.

Then, as I calmly packed my shit into my bag, a figure appeared in front of me. My eyes shot up to him in irritation, not even knowing who I was irritated by. Then I did. Antonio.

"Can I help you?" I asked, noting the classroom was empty.

He stepped aside, giving me space to do my own thing. He then followed me as I moved to leave the DADA classroom.

"Hi, Lestrange," he said somewhat calmly.

I glared as he walked beside me down the corridor. "What, Romano?"

He shrugged softly his one hand dug into his robe pocket, the other holding onto his bag. "I just want to know how you are."

With a deep frown I stopped, not even have reached the end of the hallway. He stopped right in front of me, looking down at me with a very calm and somewhat sweet expression. This was not the Antonio Romano I knew. Either something was up, or something had changed.

"What?"

"I just want to -"

"No, I heard you the first time," I said, a frown expressing my confusion. "Romano, why do you want to know how I am?" I looked up and down the corridor, feeling like talking to Romano was a crime. It was kind of a thrill to feel, but still odd.

He shrugged lightly. "I remember what happened the other night, and want you to know that I am sorry."

"Which night?" There were two: him covering for me when Thomas was in the castle, and him fighting with Theodore over me. It could be any one of them.

He grew a soft grin, one he quickly tried to hide, hoping that I did not notice. "Lestrange, I do not want you to see me as a villain."

I couldn't help but let out a soft chuckle, quickly gulping down my amusement. "I don't see you as a villain, Antonio."

One of his eyebrows lift in surprise.

"But I do see you as a complete smug asshole."

He grew amusement on his face. "A smug asshole?" he repeated. "There's a difference?"

Of course there's a difference. Not every bad guy is a dickhead, but not every good guy is a saint. It's pathetic that he thought he was better than any other loser in Slytherin, including myself.

"What do you want from me?" I asked, appearing annoyed, under which I was not really, just uninterested.

"To know how you are." He really was smug, an asshole, and stubborn.

A bit irritable, I adjusted my hold on my bag as I took a deep breath. "I'm alive. That's all that counts, right?"

He gave a chuckle, shaking his head. Just when he parted his lips to talk, his eyes moved to two figures appearing; Daphne and Pansy stepped beside me. Pansy hooked her arm in mine and looked at Antonio with judgement on her face.

"What does this dimwhit want?"

I smiled softly, and saw him amused by me. "No, he's no threat," I vouched, looking at her. "What's up?"