my own way (addie lee)

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Dominic had developed a habit of hanging out on the moving staircases. It was a good place to see what was going on around him and to entertain himself with whatever poor soul happened to cross his path. He and Liona had some funny stair history, too, so that just made it even more fun. He was on one of the sets now, sitting down and leaning back on the steps above him, a book in hand. He had it open but wasn't really reading it, even though it was one of his favorites.

No, he was too busy noticing Addie Lee coming his way. He wasn't sure if she'd come to this particular staircase at first, but the more he caught sight of her the more it looked like she was headed right for him. Ah, he was right. As soon as her foot stepped onto his particular staircase he turned back to his book. "Anyone could hear you coming a mile away, Ravine. What, do you have elephant feet?" he questioned, not looking up.

@candace

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Elephant feet? Elephant feet? Geez, Dominic could be an arse at times. Well, she felt he was an arse most of the times. By all rights, she shouldn't have even been around him. She was supposed to detest people like him. But damn it all, he had some redeeming quality about him somewhere that made her enjoy his presence. Someday, she hoped to find out just what... if she didn't kick his arse beforehand. For now, she'd deal with his opinion on her feet.

"I happen to have beautiful feet, Bird Boy," she said. "And besides that can't be as big as that ego of yours." She then smirked at him as she made her way over. "By the way, Dippet, what Doxy made its way up your arse today? You miss an exam question? Hurt that Ravenclaw Pride?" She really had nothing against Ravenclaws in general, but she couldn't pass up the chance to playfully pick on Dominic. She then placed her arm around him and mock sighed. "I really don't know how you Claws do it? Get so smart so fast and all. It's a potion, right? Mum and dad put it in your hot mash as a kid to make you all bright? I'm sure that's what happened to my sister, Zoey, anyway."

She then moved her arm and leaned against the railing, looking over Dominic. He was a handsome devil. Maybe that was his redeeming quality. He was just a fine bloke. It was difficult not to be around one with a firm bum like his.

@dominic

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Bird Boy? What on earth was that supposed to mean? Oh. Because of his house. Still, that was more of a condescending pet name than he as okay with. She mentioned his ego, which was funny considering he was probably the most self conscious and self loathing person at this school, but he did pretend to be confident so that made sense that she would go to that. He was pretty good at pretending.

He rolled his eyes, not even reading the words on the page as she went on. She was pretty good at this stuff, and he admired her for that. Banter was something that had been brewing between them for years. This wasn't anything new. When she placed her arm around him he looked up, one eyebrow raised high. She moved away from him to lean against the railing instead and he closed his book with one hand, placing it in his bag without taking his eyes off her. "Better than what they put in your mash, kid. What is it? 'inferior sibling syndrome potion'?" he happened to know that quite a few families had kids in both Ravenclaw and Slytherin. Ondina had a little brother in his house even. Though, he would never call Ondina inferior.

"And I've seen your feet. They're nothing to write home about," he countered back. He was sure there had been times when she was barefoot in the courtyard or something. He wasn't actually sure if he had seen her feet without shoes... but logistics. "Zoey's got the brains and the looks to match. You've only got one. Must be tough."

@candace

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Dominic could be a total arse, and he seemed like he wanted to push a few buttons with her. That made him all the more fun. However, she wasn't too keen on him bringing up Zoey and calling her an inferior sibling. It was bad enough that at times, she felt her father was prouder of Zoey for being in the same House as he once was.

"Oh I could think of another type of potion," she said. "A few drops of cunning, a dash of ambition. You're smart enough to know that we Slytherins have our own attributes as all the Houses do. If you weren't so busy being Mr. Ravenclaw Pride, you'd realize we all had a bit of something special in our mash." Addie Lee was big on respecting the traits of all four Houses. She didn't find hers any better than they others, as fun as she found cunning and ambition.

She then frowned about her feet. She took pride in her feet and got a lot of compliments. Again, this was a case of Dominic just being an arse. He then went a bit overboard about her only being pretty.

"Bloody hell, Bird Boy, someone woke up on the wrong side of the nest," she said. "I know my sister's brilliant, but that doesn't make me a complete idiot. You do make me wonder if there are advanced lessons out there on being a complete douchebag." Though she was friendly and not intolerant of others for their blood or Houses, she was a Slytherin through and through, and if she had to go into "b****-mode", she would.

@dominic

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She gave a different list of ingredients for her potion and he nodded a little. Well, that all sounded like her. He raised an eyebrow at her as she said that he was too busy being 'pride' to notice what was special in the Slytherin mash. "Well, I suppose I did date one of you for two years," he admitted. "That must mean something," he added. He had dated a seventh year, Raven, on and off for the past four years, but when the broke up in November he was sure that it would be it for them. It really wasn't a big deal, though. They weren't ever incredibly serious. Aside from losing their virginity to each other there really wasn't much about their relationship that was all that special.

Then, she seemed rather unamused about his comment on her only being pretty. This is what Dom did, whether they were 'friends' or not. He found peoples weaknesses and he exploited on them. That was how bullies did thing. "Actually," he pointed at her, "there are advanced lessons. I was just coming back from those," he said, playing into her words.

@candace

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Addie Lee rolled her eyes when Dom spoke of dating a Slytherin for two years, and how it meant something. The last thing she wanted to discuss was dating someone. It made her think of the arse who broke her heart, and that was the one thing she hated constantly thinking about.

"I would say it does, but that does depend on how you treated this Slytherin," she said. "I can't really say that I see you as a charming one. Then again, maybe I'm just lucky enough to be your target of choice for insults on most days." She then laughed. "No, no, I couldn't see you as being charming at all."

Addie Lee calmed a bit and nodded as Dom said he just came back from douchebag class. Well wasn't he the king of comebacks? Well, she could be the queen when she wanted to be.

"I hear those classes aren't for ordinary douchebags," she said. "You going for supreme douchebag? I guess I should be proud of myself that I'm such good practice for you. So what's next after my feet and my lack of intellect? Let me guess... you're going to tell me my art is rubbish. That's usually the next one with me."

@dominic

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She said it depended how he treated this Slytherin, and he raised his eyebrow as she said he wasn't charming. Oh, he had no idea how charming he could be. Liona and Raven knew that better than anyone else. And Diana, of course, but that was a secret. "Well, it's a shame you won't get a chance to see my charm, it really is something to behold," he said firmly. Truthfully, he didn't try to be charming unless it served him, and with Liona and Raven - it did. With Addie Lee... eh.

Dominic smirked, nodding as she asked if he was going for supreme douchebag. "Yeah, supreme, sure," he didn't answer with much thought because she brought up her art. "You do art?" he asked, completely taken aback. He should have known that about her but... for some reason it wasn't clicking. That was something he could admire. Easily.

@candace

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Addie Lee would actually feel like she just discovered some rare treasure if Dominic showed off his charm. She and certainly never see it, and never thought she would. She wondered if it even truly exist given the way the guy treated her.

"I'm sure I'm missing out on a lot," she said, not hiding the sarcasm. "I'm guessing you usually keep this charm in a little box, waiting to bring it out on special occasions... with special ladies."

Addie Lee narrowed her eyes at him about the art thing. Dominic could be an insulting douchebag, and she could handle that. However, she had prided herself with her art. It was her life, and it was one of the things she felt she was truly good at. To hear someone act as if he had no idea she did it, that was a bit much.

"Oh piss off!" she said. "Though I guess I should have expected you to hit below the belt like that! You can trash my art all you bloody want, but to say I'm not an artist? I mean, that's like me saying you know bloody nothing about Arithmancy or whatever, you Ravenclaw arse!" Addie Lee's face was red. If Dominic was trying to get to her, he succeeded.

@dominic

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She sarcastically said she was sure she was missing out on a lot, saying that he probably kept his charm in a little box to bring out on special occasions... with 'special ladies'. This made Dominic smirk, "yeah, that may be true," he added. Really, though, that was the whole truth. Cara and Liona got most of the fake charm, whereas Diana got every inch of his real anything that he could possibly give.

She narrowed her eyes at him and he knew she had the right to be suspicious about his question. If it was something special to her then it really wasn't in her best interest to give it up to the worst bully there was... even if he was genuinely curious

She exploded, however, and his eyes widened a little bit. "I honestly don't remember," he said a little lightly. Dominic was too focused on himself to really know that. "I'm sure it's great?" ooh, she was going to kill him and he wasn't even meaning to push her buttons this time.

@candace

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Addie Lee chuckled at Dominic admitting that him keeping his charm locked up for special ladies to be true. She wondered just how charming he could be. She didn't remember seeing it in him. Then again, he thought she was a dumb Slytherin bimbo. Why would he?

"Well, best of luck to the ladies who earn your charm then," she said. "May one of them steal your heart." She did wish the best for him. Dominic needed a girl to lighten him up.

Dominic's response regarding Addie Lee's art didn't calm her all that much. There were two things no one spoke poorly of- the people Addie Lee loved and what she loved. That was over the line.

"I think it's great, and I could give a Hippogriff's arse what you think of it!" she said. That wasn't true. She did care what others thought, otherwise she wouldn't be so angry. "And really, Dominic, just what's your bloody problem with me? What horrid act have I performed that makes you think I'm this vile excuse for a witch? I think you'd actually be worth hanging around if you weren't such a jerk!"

@dominic

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Addie Lee wished luck on him for a girl to steal his heart and that very heart skipped a little bit at that. He had something in mind, but he didn't think that particular person would be brought up in his mind when Addie Lee said that. For a moment, he forgot what they were even talking about. All his thoughts were Diana.

But, in terms of the art, they weren't doing so well. She said she didn't care what he thought, then asked what his problem was with her. She was getting a bit... insane, for his taste. Picking on people wasn't as fun when their heads started to explode. He took a few steps back, "I think I better hop off on the next turn here," he suggested, taking another step back as the stair turned, "any last words for me?" If she had some sort of underlying crazy to let out, he'd let her.

@candace

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Addie Lee was about to let out more of her rage on Dominic, but then stopped and thought. Why was she so angry with him? He wasn't the first to upset her regarding her art. He wasn't the first to be mean to her. Hell, she lived with Slytherins. So why did she vent on him? Was it because she liked him in a sense, and just wanted him to be a little nicer to her? She sighed.

"I just wish that for once, I could encounter you without both of us going at each other's throats," she said. "I mean... I don't believe you're as bad as you let on. Maybe I'm wrong though. I don't know. I just think you'd be a better person if you weren't so damned... well you most of the time." She then turned away, feeling this was a lost cause. She probably had better things to do than trying to change someone's heart anyway.

@dominic

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Her words weren't what he expected. She said she believed he wasn't as bad as he let on. That was... an interesting thought. He knew, of course, that he wasn't as bad as he did indeed let on. But Addie Lee didn't have to know that. No one did. Still... he supposed he could try. Maybe. Even the thought of trying to be nice made him flinch. "I'll... maybe next time," is all he managed to get out. Now he was just damned confused. He turned as the stair matched up to where he needed to be and he climbed off, letting Addie Lee and his confusion roll away with it as it left.

@candace
(the end!)