pretty please | gigi

[Theodore Marcus Flint]

a fine young galahad.

THE L.I.F.E LIBRARY WAS EXCLUSIVE THE SAME way that infectious diseases were, thought Theo. Nobody wanted them, but they sure were interesting to talk about. However, Theo had been warned if he didn't up his game in Potions, an owl would have to be sent home. If his great aunt got her wrinkly little hands on that kind of ammo, she might just make true on her word and lock him in the basement with her precious wines. It meant that Theo needed results, with as little effort as possible. He heard Sammy had resorted to begging Tilly to tutor him. Theo wasn't quite so desperate, just yet. He had some pride.

Faking a tutoring session of his own worked to get Theo past the bespectacled librarian at the L.I.F.E library. It meant that he had to look busy carrying his books, his expression terribly morose as he scanned table, after table, looking for the one person who might save him after all. Asking around, Gilly Godfrey - tittering little gossip that he was - told Theo that he'd heard from Peter, who had heard from Pretty Pendleton, that Geethanjali Root was the best potioneer in first year NEWT classes.

Connecting the dots, convoluted as they were, Theo realised that the Miss Root Professor Big-Head-Many-Feet bragged about in classes was in fact the elusive Geethanjali that Gilly knew. The next order of business was pinning her down. Typical as any Ravenclaw, Theo followed the scent of 'knowledge' all the way to the dingy L.I.F.E library. With a great big thump that rattled the wooden table, Theo dropped his big pile of textbooks onto the table Geethanjali sat at. Her description fit just about, long dark hair and the kind of brown skin that looked flawless in the low, scone lights at each table. Fit, if Theo were honest, but he'd heard that too along with everything else.

"Hi, Gigi." Theo said with the kind of confident familiarity that was entirely unearned. He used his foot to drag a chair out perpendicular to where Gigi sat with her work, sitting down heavily and blowing out a curl of dark hair as he crossed his arms on the table comfortably. "I've been sent here so that you can save my life." He smiled largely, the kind he used when he wanted something terribly and he was about to try everything in his repertoire to get it. He leaned forward, resting his chin on his crossed arms and staring up at her. "Blink once for no, twice for yes." 

geethanjali amaryllis root

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[geethanjali amaryllis root]

Spring 2029

By the time the spring had rolled around, it seemed as though everyone had suddenly remembered that the LIFE library existed and that they needed to spend at least a little time there if they wanted to pass their NEWTs or be in good shape for the next academic year. Geethanjali had a habit of going there anyway because it was usually free from distractions for her NEWT revision, though she was finding it challenging to get any work done with so many people there. At least J.J., one of her parents, was a potioneer, so she could ask them for help when she got back home to Ireland later that evening from campus.

Geethanjali jumped out of her chair a little when someone else set a pile of books down at the same table at which she was sitting and reading through some of her Charms notes. "Hi, Gigi." She looked over and saw that it was a younger boy, obviously a Slytherin student at MAGIC from his uniform robes. She didn't recognize him personally, though. "I've been sent here so that you can save my life," he told her, and Geethanjali was immediately puzzled about what he meant by that. She wasn't really the person to go to for life-saving advice. As a werewolf, a lot of people seemed to avoid her for that kind of thing. "Blink once for no, twice for yes."

Making an active effort not to blink whatsoever, Geethanjali looked at the boy curiously. "Do I know you?"

Theodore Marcus Flint

[Theodore Marcus Flint]

a fine young galahad.

LEANING FORWARD, THEO WAITED FOR THE inevitable 'first blink', but apparently Gigi wasn't just a pretty face. Promising for his potions homework, but not so promising for manipulation purposes. They ended up in a sort of stare-off for a handful of seconds, Theo quite determined to even catch a single half blink, and Gigi apparently equally determined to thwart him. Damned Ravenclaw's. When he tired of the silence he slapped the table, and huffed a defeated laugh before he reached for her hand and grabbed it in a friendly shake.

"Theodore Marcus Flint," He introduced himself hurriedly, shaking her limp hand before letting it rest back on the table with a hasty pat. "Call me Theo, if you like." He pasted on his shiniest smile and sat back in his seat, crossing his arms all business-like and kicking out his legs, only grazing her own under the table before he shifted his gangly limbs out of the way. Gigi did not appear as pliable as Theo had hoped, a very shrewd look on her face, and he still wasn't convinced she'd blinked even once since he'd sat down. Which, to be entirely fair, was a feat unto itself. 

"Professor Millipede is always bigging you up in class, I mean- I have to admit." He pressed a hand to his chest and dipped his chin as if to appear sheepish. It was only technically a half lie, Theo had heard her name from Big-Head originally, but probably with not as much zeal as he made out. But, it worked for his purposes. Laying it on nice and thick. "I'm a bit starstruck." And then he grinned again, for equal measure, looking a bit too cute for his impure intentions.  

geethanjali amaryllis root

NEVERLAND at ADOXOGRAPHY 2.0!

[geethanjali amaryllis root]

Spring 2029

The boy who had approached her seemed to think that he was in some sort of business meeting, introducing himself to her with his full name and shaking her hand out of nowhere. He was clearly not a fan of personal boundaries, but maybe it was her fault for not having spoken up about it. "Call me Theo, if you like," he instructed her, not that she had said a word to him. Until she knew what he wanted her for, Geethanjali remained determined in her one-person staring contest. If he was he vying for some sort of Ministry position, she didn't have the ability to get him in.

"Professor Millipede is always bigging you up in class, I mean—I have to admit," Theo went on, "I'm a bit starstruck."

Feeling her eyes beginning to burn from not having blinked, Geethanjali looked away from Theo's direction so that she could move her eyelids, hopefully without consequence. All that, and he wanted her help with Potions class? Looking back in Theo's direction, she studied him. "So… You need a Potions tutor?"

Theodore Marcus Flint

[Theodore Marcus Flint]

a fine young galahad.

THE SILENT TREATMENT WAS STARTING TO IRK Theo just a little bit. He'd faced a couple of challenging verbal opponents, but they almost always spoke back. He felt as if he were facing off with Ari, that blank expression on her face as she appeared to simply stare at Theo as he pushed and prodded for some kind of interaction. He waited, and then waited some more. Eventually, Gigi turned her head - presumably to blink without being caught, which was awfully tricky of her.

When she turned back, Theo pasted that same grin on his face, fingers drumming a restless beat on the table as he watched her draw in a breath and finally speak - much to his relief. "Well..." Theo drawled, smacking his lips and uncrossing his arms as he shrugged largely. "I need a potions... something." He relaxed his arms and watched her expression, hoping she wouldn't fall into that same stony silence as he couldn't bear the bore of it all.

"I need someone to talk me through a couple of assignments." He explained, tip-toeing around the reality of his request, seeing as she was a bit of a tricky sort. Theo quickly deduced she wasn't likely to just do the homework for him. However, if he managed to get her help in a more hands-on manner, perhaps he could simply bother her to the point where she took great pity on herself and him and did the entire thing mostly by herself. "So, a tutor, yeah." He nodded his head, grinning hopefully as Gigi did her usual doe-eyed staring.

geethanjali amaryllis root

NEVERLAND at ADOXOGRAPHY 2.0!

[geethanjali amaryllis root]

Spring 2029

"Well…" Theo spoke up. "I need a potions... something." Geethanjali nodded a little, hoping that the younger boy might explain what it was he needed her help with. He didn't really want to say aloud that he needed a "tutor", as such. He seemed to dance around using that word, in fact. "I need someone to talk me through a couple of assignments," he elaborated.

She could do that, Geethanjali thought. It would be an experience, especially Theo was behaving with her how he usually behaved in Potions class. Honestly, though, OWL-level Potions was hard, but a lot of people needed to do well on the examination in order to continue with the subject at NEWT level so that they could get into the programs they really wanted for their careers. It probably wouldn't be too much work for her; she'd heard that Shiloh Fleming had tutored one of the girls in the year below them the previous year, and she and Shiloh were usually pretty evenly matched at Potions.

"So, a tutor, yeah."

Geethanjali nodded, putting her Charms notes in her bag to keep them from getting lost amongst all the textbooks Theo had with him. "Alright," she agreed. "Obviously, we can't brew potions in the library, like," she stated, something of which she hoped Theo was aware, "but we can set up a schedule, and I can meet you in the Potions classroom at MAGIC?"

Theodore Marcus Flint

[Theodore Marcus Flint]

a fine young galahad.

THE SILENCE WAS ALMOST TOO MUCH FOR THEO, but he had to respect that not everybody thought aloud like he did. He drummed his fingers on the table, maintaining that same innocent smile and waiting for her to contemplate all the reasons she should or shouldn't help Theo. He tried to look as harmless and tutor-able as possible, but unfortunately Theo's scope for how that particular kind of person might look was very slim, at best.

"Alright?" Theo leaned across the table eagerly, "Alright!" He exclaimed, helping her gather up her Charms parchments, but mostly just getting in the way of her own methodical packing. He handed her the final foraged pieces of parchment and sat back in his chair. "Whatever you want, Gigi." He drawled, dropping his friendly grin for a self-satisfied smirk. "I'm at your mercy." He held out his hands in surrender and thought of how he might just get her to make the potion for him.

"I'm free this Thursday," Theo declared, thinking of all the things he had to do, and wanted to do more than trick Gigi into doing his homework for him. "I have practice Saturday, but I could make time for you on Sunday." He winked them, rocking back on the back legs of his chair lazily and peering around the stacks as the librarian stalked the shelves in the distance. A crooked looking old woman, who took no nonsense and scared the magic out of the first years.

geethanjali amaryllis root

NEVERLAND at ADOXOGRAPHY 2.0!

[geethanjali amaryllis root]

Spring 2029

Now, Geethanjali knew that she was usually the one who got told to be a little less excitable, but she began to question her teachers on that when she saw how Theo reacted to being told that she could tutor him. As much as she appreciated Theo's desire to work with her, it was a different experience to have a younger student literally jumping at the opportunity to help her out even slightly. That Theo's helpfulness was mixed with what seemed like flirtation also wasn't something Geethanjali encountered every day. She had always been the one giggling over boys, but it felt strange to be on the opposite end of it.

What confused her more than that, though, was how Theo was acting as if she was the one who had requested to meet with him after he mentioned that he was free that Thursday. "I have practice Saturday, but I could make time for you on Sunday," he explained. It didn't really matter to her what his Quidditch schedule was. Sunday worked for Geethanjali, if he wanted to do that, though Thursday would work better since she would be on the Hogwarts campus anyway.

"Thursday after your lessons might be easiest?" Geethanjali suggested to Theo. It seemed more reasonable, since it would be easier to access the Potions classroom than on a Sunday. "And then we could meet on Sunday if you need some extra time?"

Theodore Marcus Flint

[Theodore Marcus Flint]

a fine young galahad.

AS MUCH AS THEO TRIED, HE COULDN'T SEEM TO crack Gigi's uncertainty. She still looked much too unsure for his taste, though he maintained his most charming smile and easy posture. How would he ever convince her to do all the work for him if he couldn't even convince her that tutoring him was a good idea? She didn't look keen, he had to do something about that. Chair legs landing with a quiet thud, Theo stretched across the table with a nod.

"Thursday." He echoed, committing it to memory and promising himself that he wouldn't do something stupid, like get detention right before they were due to meet. She already looked ready to back out, if he stood her up she might take it back entirely. "It's a date." He let his grin soften a bit, looking at her a little too long and hoping maybe she'd think he was a bit in love with her, or something. He averted his gaze eventually, looking dumb. She was pretty fit, he thought, but a Ravenclaw. It made her a bit of a wild card.

"I mean, lets quill-in that Sunday, too." He relaxed back into his chair and let his legs stretch out under the table. His ankle knocking against hers and moving away with a sorry shrug. "I'm sure we can think of something to do if we're finished." Theo let out a gusty sigh, a promising glint in his eye as he tucked his hands into the pockets of his school robes, lax and troublesome all at once. "What do you usually do at the weekends?" He asked with a curious lift of his chin. 

geethanjali amaryllis root

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