Loved and Lost (I)

BASED ON OROGINAL CHARACTERS BY J.K. ROWLING.

"You just left him there?" June questioned.

Arabella and June were stationed in Arabella's room. Arabella had thrown open her balcony doors to view the Society flower garden outside. She was now swishing a brush on a canvas, painting the view. June lay on Arabella's bed, flipping through a magazine. Arabella had been successfully pissed off by an article in the magazine that claimed that she was snogging a homeless bloke a week ago. June was talking to her about the recent Draco encounter the previous day. Apparently, June was shocked to find out that Arabella simply rode off and left him outside.

"What was I supposed to do, June?" Arabella questioned. "Cart him inside with me so he can irritate me the rest of the evening? I'm not stupid."

"He wasn't doing anything wrong!" June argued. "But you still lashed out at him. Couldn't you have been at least civil?"

"No, I couldn't have."

"Why don't you try being nice?" June suggested. "You have serious dating potential buried under all this hostility."

"I'm not hostile," Arabella debated. "I'm irritated."

"Well, you're irritated all the time, Bella," June remarked, rolling her eyes. "It's not that exciting anymore."

"Shut it, June," Arabella snapped, pointing the brush at her. "I can't focus."

June watched her best friend apply slow strokes to thecanvas, face pinched tight in concentration. Was she serious? "Bella, you don't know how to paint," June said exasperatedly.

"Yes, I do," Arabella answered. "I took classes."

"You got irritated at your instructor, threw a chair at his head, hexed him, and then got him sacked," June pointed out. "All during the first lesson!"

"I still maintain that he hexed himself," Arabella retorted.

"And why would he do that?"

"Because he's a stupid-"

A knock on the door cut Arabella off midsentence. She turned to it, slamming her brush andpaint palette down on a small table beside her and storming to the door.June sighed, knowing she was going to have a row with whoever wasat the door,no matter who that person was. She went back to her magazine, intending to ignore the scene about to unfold.

Arabella wrenched open the door and met an obnoxiously large bouquet of flowers held by someone who was hidden behind the blooms.Arabella looked curiously at theflowers and eyed the person who was holding it.

"Hullo?" she called to the person behind the bouquet.

A blonde head and a lazy smile peeked around the flowers.Arabella rolled her eyes and sighed. Him again, she thought. This time, he brought a ritual offering. How quaint.

"Good morning, Arabella," Draco said, noticing that June was chuckling and shaking her head. He offered the bouquet to Arabella who might as well havebeen looking at a piece of yarn. "For you."

"Wow," Arabella said sarcastically, taking the flowers. "Dead plant reproductive organs. How cliche. I knowjust what to dowith these."

Arabella left the door open and crossed over to heropen balcony. Shewhipped out her wand and pointed it at the quivering flowers. The bouquet burst into flames and Draco'seyes grew wide. Arabella tossed the burning love token over the balcony where it hurtled to the ground. Screams and shrieks tore from down below. Arabella looked down interestedly. Then, she smile evilly.

"WHAT THE BLOODY HELL IS YOUR PROBLEM, GRAVES?!!"a fuming voice howled from down below.

"Parkinson?" Arabella asked in mock disbelief, amusement wild in her eyes. "Did that hit you?"

"DO YOU NOT SEE MY SLEEVE ON FIRE?!!!" Pansy bellowed. "OF COURSE IT HIT ME!!!"

"Hmm," Arabella commented, walking away from the balcony, a smirk pressed to her face, ignoring Pansy's shrieks and curses. "I must have better aim than I thought."

Draco cursed in his head as Arabella laughed wickedly. This would be much harder than he thought. Much much harder. Most women fall head over heels if you give them sticks of colorful "plant reproductive organs". Arabella burned it and tossed it and set unsuspecting passerbies on fire. This would be a near impossible task, Draco concluded.

Finally, Arabella fixed him a glare. "June," she said, still scowling at Draco, "I'm going to get something to eat. When I get back, this cretin better not be standing anywhere near my room."

Arabella pushed past him and went down the corridor. Both of them listened to her footsteps fade away and disappear. Then June let out a peal of laughter. Draco turned to her, extremely annoyed.

"What the hell are you laughing at?" he demanded.

"Did I fail to mention that Arabella hates flowers, chocolates, or anything remotely romantic?" June asked, still chuckling.

"That would have been auseful piece of information, don't you think?"

"Sorry about that," June shrugged. "I didn't think you'd attempt something like that so early."

"Well, what does she like?"

"Athletes."

"I'm an athelete!" he argued.

"Has she seen you play?" June questioned.