Chapter 9
Chapter 9
Friday
Hadrian got up Friday morning a little sore, but happy nonetheless. It was his last day of testing, and then he could make fun of everyone else for not being done like he was.
"What do you have today?" Jaecen asked, plopping down next to Hadrian on the couch he'd chosen.
"Dance and then Drawing." Hadrian hummed. "You have… Literature?"
"Your memory is a fucking nightmare."
"... In a good way?" Jaecen groaned, leaning his head back to rest on the back of the couch.
"Yes, I have Literature." Jaecen sighed. "Your memory is horribly perfect once again."
"Personally, I think that's a good thing." Hadrian grinned, "Not everyone can cruise along just because they're pretty, Samîel."
"Touché." Jaecen shrugged. Then he and Hadrian both turned towards the stairs at the absolute racket coming down the girls stairwell.
"You're going to pay with this Windswell!" Hadrian heard Gianna shouting. "The school year hasn't even fucking started yet and I'm assigning you a week's worth of detentions! This is unacceptable!"
Hadrian climbed to his feet smoothly and headed over. Gianna was standing halfway down the stairs glaring at Amelie with absolute hatred. Amelie looked both horrified and resigned, and Hadrian immediately knew why.
"It was the nymphs, right?" Gianna let out a frustrated scream and stormed past Amelie to stand by Hadrian at the bottom of the stairs. Everyone in the Common Room gasped.
"Windswell angered the nymphs, and they took it out on every single fucking fifth year girl in our dorm!" Gianna raged. "It took me nine years to grow my hair out that long, and now look at me!"
Gianna had previously had beautiful long blond hair that matched her older sister's, and it fell in beautiful curls all the way to her waist. They were bouncy and well cared for from years of maintenance. Unfortunately… now it was cut short at chin length and her curls framed her head in a tangled mess. They weren't delicately cascading down her back, her curls went in every direction and seemed to defy the laws of gravity. She… she looked remarkably like Helena, actually. It was expected because they were sisters afterall, but Gianna’s long hair had been the main factor that made them easy to tell apart. Gianna’s hair was now around the same length as Helena’s, which most likely only added to Gianna’s anger.
Amelie entered the Common Room next, looking down at the ground in shame. Her own blonde hair was gone as well, but it was even shorter. It was a full blown pixie cut, like the style Jaecen usually sported. The sides were buzzed in a short style but not enough for her to be bald, while the top had floppy length that fell into her eyes like a fringe. It was actually quite pretty, but Amelie looked miserable.
"I'd have to agree on those detentions." Hadrian sighed. "Every girl in fifth year?" He sighed as Gianna glared past Amelie, and then four other girls came down the staircase with varying levels of anger on their faces and all different lengths of hair. Every one of the styles were short, though.
"Gianna, some of them are hiding up there and refusing to come down." One of the girls said to Gianna with a frown.
“Shit.” Gianna ran a hand through her curls and her face twisted unhappily as her fingers failed to cart through them properly.
"I'll handle it." Hadrian sighed. "If I'm not back in time for breakfast, take the others down without us. We'll be along shortly." He saw her nod, and then he was moving up the stairs and navigating to the fifth year room. He knocked. "It's Lord Black, fifth year Prefect. Can I come in?"
"I guess." A weak voice called. Hadrian opened the door, and he saw three girls huddled together in a circle on the floor. Hadrian took in their appearances to categorize how to approach them at the best angle.
One girl looked like she had Asian heritage, pin straight black hair and thin brown eyes. Her hair was cut in an angular bob, chin length in the front but buzzed in the back. She was crying.
A very angry looking girl whose hair vaguely resembled a piece of broccoli was glaring at him. Hadrian didn't know what her hair looked like before, but now it was a mess of very fluffy wavy curls that bounced around her ears and fell in her eyes.
The last girl had pink eyes, but Hadrian didn't look much further before he winced. She had beautiful dark box braids, but they were harshly cut and unraveling at shoulder length. The girl looked numbly exhausted.
"Hey, it's nice to meet you all." Hadrian said, walking in and sitting down near their little circle but not joining it. "I'm Lord Black, but you can call me Hadrian."
"Heiress Redrea." The green haired girl bit out. She glared at him fiercely, but she didn't ask him to leave. Hadrian took it as a win.
"Wendy Thompson." Hadrian nodded to the softly crying girl with the black hair. She would've looked a little pathetic if she wasn't so tall. Even sitting down she was very obviously taller than even Hadrian.
"Heiress Stendoid." The braid girl sighed.
"I'm sorry for what happened to you." Hadrian said earnestly. "My friend Amelie angered the nymphs yesterday morning, which you probably remember."
"I know it was her." Redrea snapped, "I've never liked her. She never takes anything seriously."
“I can’t deny that.” Hadrian answered with a tiny smile.
"She was punished too." Stendoid said, and she sounded exhausted.
"But why us?" Wendy cried, burying her face in her hands. "We didn't do anything wrong!"
"The nymphs don't particularly care." Hadrian told her gently, "This was probably a warning because Amelie offended them consecutively three times in a row. They're vindictive, and they're making sure no other girls in our year would get any ideas."
"Look what they did to Diana's hair!" Redrea pointed at Stendoid's ruined braids. "She had to get those specially done before school started, and now they’re destroyed because of Windswell’s little stunt!"
"Tinna…" Stendoid sighed. "It doesn't matter. It'll be a pain to take them out, but it's not like they were going to last forever anyway. They don’t really stay that well after a month or so. The braids are a protective hairstyle, which is mainly the reason I have them."
"I'm sorry your braids are ruined." Hadrian frowned. "Is there any way to fix them?"
"No, they've completely come undone." Stendoid sighed again. "I’ll have to just take it all out and start over. I could rebraid it all myself if I want them again, but I'm too exhausted to care at this moment in time."
"I’m sorry to hear that, but I’m glad you can fix them if you choose to." Hadrian smiled gently. “Now, I'm here to bring you all down to breakfast.”
"I can't go!" Wendy exclaimed, still crying openly. "My mother would have a heart attack if she saw my hair this short!" Hadrian resisted the urge to point out that her mother wasn’t anywhere near the school and most definitely would not see it. He took a deep breath instead.
"Is there anything I can do?" Hadrian asked, "I can find some clips, or maybe a headband, if that would help."
"I don't know." She sniffed.
"Well, do you want to come with me and grab something?" Hadrian offered. "Your friends can come if you want, but they should go down to breakfast."
"... We can go." Wendy said finally, wiping her eyes.
"Alright." Hadrian smiled. "Thank you."
They all stood up, the girls stretching slightly, and Hadrian was right. Wendy was significantly taller than him. Redrea was a few inches shorter, and Stendoid was about the same height as Hadrian.
"This way." He beckoned them.
The rest of his morning was spent sorting through the clips and hair ties he'd brought with Wendy, and she eventually accepted a set of black butterfly clips to put one on each side of her head. It cleared her face and kept her hair back, but it looked pretty and Hadrian made sure to tell her that.
They arrived at breakfast halfway through it, and Hadrain made sure to whisper an apology even though the nymphs hadn't stopped their singing. He gave Wendy a smile, and she gave him a wobbly one in return before she darted towards her friends.
Hadrian plopped down with his own friends, and he didn't bother hiding how done with people he was. Jaecen gave him a sympathetic expression, and Amelie sent him an apologetic one. He smiled at them.
Amelie really should've known better.
—————
Hadrian smiled as he spotted Trollman leaning against the far wall of the dance studio. Everyone else was either at the mirror wall or the barre wall, so he wasn’t really hard to find. Especially when Hadrian’s chest did a painful backflip at the similarities to Theo every time Hadrian laid eyes on him.
“Hey." Hadrian greeted as he approached. "I still think it's cool we’re in the same testing group. Don't you think so?” Trollman glanced up at him expressionlessly, and then slowly looked Hadrian up and down.
“No, I hate you.” Trollman said. “However I demand you partner with me if such a thing is necessary.”
“Duly noted.” Hadrian nodded with a small grin.
"You look like crap." Trollman said bluntly, "Does that have something to do with why you arrived late to breakfast?"
"Ah, the nymphs took revenge on Amelie plus every other girl in her dorm." Hadrian sighed. "Every one of the girls got a haircut they didn't ask for."
"Ouch."
"Yeah." Hadrian agreed. "Anyway, I spent my morning comforting some of the girls who were extremely upset about their new hairstyle."
"I do not envy you." Trollman shuddered, and Hadrian laughed.
“Anyway, enough about that." Hadrian grinned, "How’ve your tests been? You said you were aiming for Level 3 Art History."
“That went well.” Trollman smiled the same genuine smile he had the last time Hadrian brought up art, “I think I made it. Some of the material was new and I didn’t know the answers, which was exciting.”
“Awesome.” Hadrian beamed at him. “You’re a sixth year, right? Are you planning on graduating next year?”
“Yeah, staying for an eighth year would be a nightmare.” Trollman rolled his eyes. “I’m aiming for a Mastery degree, actually. I have six right now, and I’m hoping to end this year with nine. That way next year I only need two.”
“That’s actually super ambitious.” Hadrian blinked.
“You don't need to sound so surprised.” Trollman raised an eyebrow. “I bet you’re well on your way to having your own Mastery degree. Let me guess, you have at least three already and one of them is Defense Against the Dark Arts.” Hadrian opened his mouth, and then shut it again.
“... How did you know?” Trollman smirked.
“Mainly? The way you hold your wand.” He said simply, brushing back his curls as they fell in his eyes. “Year 7 Defense mainly focuses on how to best hold a wand so you don’t drop it while dueling, and controlling your wand movements to most effectively cast. I saw you trying to clean up your friend Windswell yesterday.” Hadrian could only blink, and then Trollman continued talking. “You’re also confident in the same way powerful people are. 'You’re capable and you know it' kind of thing. People who are good in Defense come off that way more often than not.” Trollman smirked, and Hadrian blinked for a moment before being able to respond coherently.
“Wow, I suddenly feel very seen.” Trollman laughed, and Hadrian noticed he had a dimple by his left eye.
“I should probably add I already knew you had a Flying Mastery.” He said, still smiling. “Henry told me a few years ago. He thought it was cool of you to beat out the whole Quidditch team like that and then decide you didn’t even want to play.”
“In my defense, if they wanted to play real Quidditch games I shouldn’t be allowed to play.” Hadrian grinned. “The games would be over before they even started.”
“There’s that confidence.” Trollman said pointedly. “More like arrogance if you’re not careful,”
“It’s not arrogance if it’s true.” Hadrian winked.
“You should get your eyes checked.” Trollman replied blandly, “One of them blinked without the other.” Hadrian burst out laughing, and Trollman looked immensely satisfied with himself.
“Okay, that was the best response I’ve ever gotten, hands down.” Hadrian wheezed.
“Stick around, maybe you’ll hear an even better one.”
“I’ll do that.” They grinned at each other, and then noticed the professor had walked into the room and was setting something up in the corner.
“I might cry if she has us do ballroom waltzes.” Trollman sighed.
“Don’t worry, you look like you’d be a pretty crier.” Hadrian said. “You’re pretty in general, too.”
“... You think I’m pretty?” Hadrian glanced over to see Trollman actually frowning in what looked like genuine confusion.
“Um, yes?” Hadrian raised an eyebrow. “You’re one of the prettiest boys I know.” Prettier than Henry, not as pretty as Fred. Prettier than Jaecen, almost as pretty as Cedric. Hadrian decided not to compare Trollman to Theo because it wouldn't even be a competition, despite their similarities.
“Oh… maybe you do need your eyes checked.” Trollman muttered, and Hadrian had no idea how to respond to that, honestly.
“Jackson–” Hadrian started, but that was when Mademoiselle Gyrospe cleared her throat to get the class’ attention.
“Alright.” She said, scanning the room. “Welcome. Dance is a secondary class that involves mixing beauty with magic in a way most people don’t. For example, we do not use magic when dancing formally, like in Etiquette classes. We won't be doing any of that here.”
“Thank Merlin.” Trollman sighed. Hadrian, on the other hand, was still trying to compute Trollman’s odd reaction to being complimented.
“Today we’ll be learning the basics, since you all are in here for Level 1 exams.” Mademoiselle Gyrospe paused. “If you’re not here for Level 1 then you’re in the wrong place. So, remember that.” She cleared her throat a little awkwardly, and then straightened. "You don't need partners, so don’t bother picking one."
"Looks like your demands won't be necessary." Hadrian drawled.
"I guess I have no reason to put up with you anymore." Trollman grinned, and Hadrian stifled a laugh as the Professor started talking again.
"Alright! Today, we'll be dancing to a magical magic that comes from a rare form of water nymphs." She said, striding to the front of the room. "They sing, and their music hypnotizes any living thing that hears it. Can anyone guess why we'll be using it during class?" Hadrian raised his hand, but someone else was called on.
"Is it because the song can be resisted through some form of dance motions?" Hadrian grinned when he realized the boy had said exactly what Hadrian had been thinking.
"That is correct." Mademoiselle Gyrospe nodded. "However, it is very difficult. Several of you will need to be broken from the trance throughout this test. I will surround myself with a Muffling Charm, and if one of you slips I'll head over and Muffle the sound for you. It'll take a long moment for you to recover, but the confusion and mild high can be shaken off relatively quickly." She paused, and then glared at every one of the people in the room firmly.
"When I say high, I don't mean something pleasant or safe. In the wild, sea nymphs use it to force people into drowning themselves or others. Sometimes they just keep people or animals alive, constantly under their spell and slowly making them dependent on it. Once someone becomes dependent on a nymph's song, they'll die if the song ends because they have nothing keeping them alive besides nymph magic." She ended her little speech, and nodded in approval. Hadrian noticed the few kids that had looked interested or enticed by her original words were now pale or shaking or both.
"Well that was intense." Trollman muttered.
"Alright everyone, here we go!" Mademoiselle Gyrospe called, and then the music started.
—————
Hadrian stumbled slightly as he reached the student lounge, and he just let himself fall face first into a couch. That was where his friends inevitably found him.
"Did you die?" Jaecen called, "I hear dance can be pretty dangerous. You get killed?"
"Maybe." Hadrian groaned into the couch cushion. He flipped over and found Jaecen, Amelie, Trill, and Henry standing over him. "Hey guys. What's up?"
"How was Dance?" Henry asked, shoving Hadrian's legs out of the way so he could sit. "I haven't had a chance to ask Jackson yet, so spill."
"It was the most amazing yet terrifying thing I have ever done." Hadrian declared. He kicked his feet back up, and settled his legs over Henry's lap. Henry stuck his tongue out, but did not shove him off.
"Why terrifying?" Amelie frowned.
"We were dancing to sea nymph songs." Hadrian sighed, dropping his head back down. It was odd having his feet propped higher than his head, but he didn't particularly want to move. "Mademoiselle Gyrospe taught us a ritual dance to counter the song, but it was way harder than she made it look."
"Ah, finally found something you're not immediately good at?" Trill raised an eyebrow.
"Yes, actually, and it was really fun." Hadrian grinned. "It was nice that Jackson was having as much trouble as I was. We both messed up the same part of the dance over and over. He couldn't move his feet fast enough, and I couldn't get my arms to cooperate."
"Sounds positively daunting." Jaecen said, swooning dramatically.
"Bet your ass it was." Hadrian shut his eyes and grinned tiredly. "I'm so tired I'm probably going to absolutely butcher my Drawing Exam."
"At least it's a secondary class." Amelie hummed. "You picked it, so they can't fail you."
"True enough." Hadrian smiled. "I wouldn't mind being put in Level 1, I need to learn the basics anyway."
"That's an interesting way to look at him." Henry said, "Most people would prefer to learn more advanced things, and then learn the easier things as they go if they need to."
"That's because if you start at the bottom you learn so much more useless shit." Jaecen groaned. Hadrian still had his eyes closed, but he imagined Jaecen was pressing his palms to his eyes in frustration. "I mean, when am I ever going to use all the information that's been crammed in my head about the Goblin Wars? History of Magic is necessary, especially the Grindelwald War and the Global Wizarding War, but Goblin Rebellions??"
"They actually aren't so bad." Hadrian hummed.
"That's because Mr. Overachiever memorized them." Amelie teased.
"Shit, you did?" Trill exclaimed. Hadrian opened his eyes tiredly.
"1612, Hogsmeade Village, the British wizards used the Three Broomstick Inn as their main base. 1752, they went through three Ministers during the rebellion. Minister Albert Hoot resigned due to poor leadership skills, Minister Basil Flack resigned two months later once the goblins allied with the werewolves, and Minister Hephestaus Gore was elected after that. 1890—"
"That's enough! I can't listen to any more about the goblins!" Jaecen shuddered. Hadrian sighed. Everyone always interrupted him there. Mind hadn't let him talk about the Goblin War of 1890 either. What did they all have against the 1890 Goblin War??
"Okay, but in 1890 there was another rebellion led by Ranrok who allied himself with a band of dark wizards led by a man named Victor Rookwood." Hadrian added, smugly watching exasperation cross Jaecen's face. "Fine, I'll stop. I never get to talk about that one!"
"See?" Jaecen waved a hand at Hadrian, "I give up, I’m dead now."
"You also have Literature now." Hadrian said. Someone across the room had cast a Tempus, and Jaecen followed Hadrian line of sight to the numbers as the spell shimmered away.
"Shiiiit, that's on the second floor!" Jaecen exclaimed, "Bye!" He then sprinted for the stairs, and Hadrian couldn't help but laugh.
"Why was he up here on the fifth floor if his only test was all the way down there?" Trill frowned.
"Probably because I'm up here." Hadrian sat up, adjusting his legs but not removing them from Henry's lap. "You know he's hopelessly in love with me? Jaecen mourns me when he must leave my side. Sort of like you, Bensoir." Trill choked on air.
"Go easy on Trill, his heart might not be able to take it." Amelie said as she always did, and then laughed as Trill's face got redder and redder.
"He can take it." Hadrian disagreed, his eyes slid to Trill and he winked. "Right?"
"You're blinking with one eye again." Trollman said, approaching from behind Amelie. "You should see a doctor about it."
"Only if you're the doctor examining me." Hadrian grinned. Trollman huffed, and he shoved Hadrian towards Henry so he could sit on the couch. Hadrian laughed as he was practically shoved all the way into Henry's lap. Trollman and Henry were both sitting normally, and Hadrian leaned back with a grin so his head was in Trollman's lap and his legs were on Henry's.
"Who's this?" Trill asked, frowning in confusion.
"This is Jackson, I mentioned him earlier." Hadrian grinned, looking up at Trill from Trollman's lap. "Be nice, he bites."
"Only if you ask nicely." Trollman said with a completely bland tone that left Trill blinking in surprise.
"Seriously?" Trill asked, a little bewildered.
"Yes." Trollman said, no hesitation.
"Bite me?" Hadrian asked with a wink. Trollman shrugged, but he grabbed Hadrian's hand and kissed the back of his hand, and then turned it over and nipped at his palm. Hadrian laughed in delighted surprise as Trollman's teeth gently scraped his palm. "That was hot." Hadrian grinned at Trollman, who tilted his head with a matching grin. Hadrian then looked at Trill. "See? He bites."
"So, Hadrian, who's this?" Trollman asked finally, releasing Hadrian's hand.
"Oh! Jackson, this is my friend Bensoir." Hadrian gestured between them. "Bensoir, Jackson. Jackson, Bensoir."
"Trollman." He leaned forward to offer Trill a polite hand.
"Bensoir." Trill shook his hand with narrowed eyes. Trollman leaned back into the couch, and Trill's eyes examined the scene of Hadrian laying across both Henry and Trollman with suspicious calculation. "Are you guys dating?"
"Yes." Hadrian declared.
"No." Trollman said at the same time.
"Ouch! Another rejection." Hadrian laid a hand on his forward dramatically. "Turned down by the prettiest boy in school, woe is me! The hardship!"
"Suffer." Trollman said, staring down at him blankly, and Hadrian laughed. "And I'm not pretty." He added as an afterthought.
"Yes you are. Henry comes in a close second, and Jaecen is probably third, but you're definitely the prettiest." Hadrian grinned up at a very confused expression on Trollman's face. "Seriously, you're gorgeous."
"I can't believe I’m second best." Henry exclaimed, "Here I was thinking we had something special, Hadrian."
"Henry, my love, I'm leaving you for Jackson." Hadrian replied.
"Go back to Henry." Trollman deadpanned, which made Hadrian pout.
"As you wish." Hadrian stood up so he could sit firmly on Henry's lap. He wrapped an arm around Henry casually, and Henry's hand found his waist. Then Hadrian stuck his tongue out at Trollman.
"Oh no, how will I ever live without Hadrian Black laying in my lap." Trollman stated emotionlessly, which made both Hadrian and Henry laugh.
"Well I feel like a complete third wheel." Amelie declared. "Fourth wheel, since there's three of you. Maybe even a fifth wheel if you're counting Trill."
"I thought you said Trill couldn't take it." Hadrian raised an eyebrow.
"I lied." Amelie grinned.
"Evidence suggests otherwise." She glanced at Trill, who was staring at Hadrian with wide brown eyes. More specifically, he seemed to be staring at Henry's hand on his waist. "Something catch your fancy, Bensoir?"
"Nope, but I gotta go!" Trill exclaimed, and then he was practically fleeing the lounge. Hadrian heaved a sigh and dropped his head on Henry's shoulder.
"He's embarrassed so easily." Hadrian lamented. "I never know when I've gone too far with him."
"Eh, he probably hasn't adjusted yet." Henry shrugged, grinning as the moment inconveniently jostled Hadrian's head. "He new?"
"No actually." Hadrian hummed, "He was around when I was a second year, but we didn't really become friends until third year."
"He's been getting flustered like that for years?" Henry frowned. "Why?"
"I dunno." Hadrian shrugged.
"Maybe he's in love with you." Trollman said blandly.
"Pfft, the day Trill likes me is the day I kiss Amelie." Hadrian laughed. Amelie choked for some reason, covering her mouth and coughing.
"I thought you were gay." Henry raised an eyebrow.
"I am, that's why I wouldn't kiss Amelie and Trill wouldn't ever like me." Hadrian scoffed. “I think I’d know if someone liked me like that.” Hadrian had known with Fred, after all.
"If he confessed to liking you one day, you'd kiss me?" Amelie wheezed once she was done coughing. "Suddenly I hope Trill never does that."
"Yes, we know, I'm attractive as all hell but you've never been interested." Hadrian rolled his eyes. "My ego takes a hit every time you remind me."
"I know, that's why I say it." Amelie grinned. Hadrian just laughed.
“I should head to Drawing now.” He sighed, smiling. “See you guys after?”
Hadrian loved the grins and acknowledging confirmations. His army of friends was growing.