Libraries are for geeks

[Bradley O'Connor]

Bradley was studying- a verb very seldom applied to the subject in question if he could at all help it. Yet time was pressing and Bradley had done very little, meaning none at all, revision for his upcoming NEWT exams. Already they were 'doing his head in' and he hadn't even sat them yet, but the way his Professors kept going on about them you'd think they were the most important things ever. Did they not know you could pay someone to change your results to a slightly higher grade? Did they not know you could bribe an examiner into giving you higher marks on practical assignments? Did they not know grades didn't matter when it came to getting jobs if you happened to be a rich pureblood, or an offspring of rich purebloods? Clearly they did not. It was all about who you knew, not what you knew. But Bradley's parents were flat out refusing to accept that excuse, even if it were true, and had sent him a Howler that morning to remind him not so quietly that he should study lest he embarrass the family by being an idiot. Charming.

So now, Bradley found himself lying on his stomach in the middle of the Room of Requirement, open textbooks surrounding him in a wide arch with his gaze vaguely following the words on the pages. Very little of it was going in because he just was not in the mood for studying... mind you the loud music coming from the magic radio in the corner of the room was probably not helping either. With the volume it was playing at, it would be amazing if anyone could think let alone study, but in fact Bradley quite enjoyed it that way.

((ooc: Anyone? I need to un-abandon Bradley because it's quite soothing writing as an arse.))

[Adriana Truscott]

Adriana entered the Room of Requirement oblivious to the other person in the room and the music, which happened to fit her mood, blasting from the magic radio. She was too busy cursing at the letter in her hand. It was from her boyfriend, now ex-boyfriend, he was quite a bit older and a pureblood, a rotten, stupid one at that. “Bloody, stupid, arrogant, son-of-a-bitch,” the string of curse words left her mouth with palpable rage as she promptly crumpled the piece of parchment and stuffed it into her pocket.

Only then did she realise that the music wasn’t for her benefit but someone else's. Looking up she sighed. “Great,” Adriana threw her head back in exasperation, “Anything else you’d like to throw at me, a rabid bear perhaps?!” she called to no one in particular. The forces-that-be apparently wanted her to suffer today. Noticing that Bradley- aka her nemesis- was surrounded by books she smirked and walked over to him with her saucy little saunter. “Bradley O’Connor studying, now that’s a laugh,” she remarked, slamming her own text books down as she sat gracefully beside him. “Mind if I join your poor attempt at learning something? Not that you could get anything through that thick head of yours anyways,” she wasn’t really asking permission as she flipped open her Transfiguration book.

((ooc: Hope you don’t mind Adriana. If you do Brad can just tell her to piss off.))

[Bradley O'Connor]

((ooc: Of course I don't! Bradley secretly likes it too, really secretly mind you haha. ))

Confused as he just about heard a string of curses amongst the blasting of the music, Bradley propped himself up and twisted round to see Adriana Truscott entering the room, swearing at a letter in her hand. Rolling his eyes and muttering, “Jesus Christ, thanks Room, I really appreciate her,” he griped sarcastically, as though it could actually hear him or something. Which it should be able to really, considering everything else it could do. Maybe it could… hmmm. It was lost on Bradley though who merely raised his eyebrows as she finally noticed him and was less than complimentary.

“Well gee, Adriana, hello to you too, thanks for that warm welcome,” he retorted with a heavy sigh, “I don’t understand what you could have possibly required to let you into this Room while I was here. I think the room’s pissed and taking out it’s anger by throwing us together,” he informed her surely, as if this were a proven fact, before doing another eye roll just for good measure as she sauntered over to him. It was hot, she was hot, but fuck she was annoying, and so he kept his expression as one of slight distaste when she sat herself down beside him.

“Yeah well, laugh away Truscott, laugh yourself to death if you feel like it,” he said, as though being generous by allowing her this opportunity, before he smiled in a jokingly simpering way at her. “I suspect, and I am proven right, that you will join me whether I like it or not,” he commented uninterestedly as he flicked over another page of his textbook, his gaze firmly on the page now as though to prove he could study if needs be, whether Adriana thought so or not! Reading for a few more moments he turned another page and asked suddenly, “So who is the bloody, arrogant son-of-a-bitch then, anyone I know? Oo maybe I’ll send them a card to say ‘well done‘!” he enthused, glancing up at Adriana for a second before his gaze trailed back to the book.

[Adriana Truscott]

Adriana sneered at him and looked positively disgusted by his presence. Never mind that he was here first. “Or maybe I wanted someone to take this piss out of, you will do nicely,” she smiled a little too sweetly before glaring at him.

“You wish,” she remarked with a biter edge to her tone as she flipped open her Transfiguration book. “Oh, you got that did you?” she asked, the rhetorical question in a patronising way. “No!” she groaned already irritated with him. How was that possible in five seconds? Adriana huffed and punched him rather hard in the arm, “You do and I’ll hex you with something really nasty so that you look even worst than you do now, if that is possible,” she mocked.

((ooc: sorry Adriana is so mean, but she really does like him underneath everything, hehe.))

[Bradley O'Connor]

Rolling his eyes Bradley pointed out, "Yeah? Well since I was here first doesn't that mean the Room should cater to my needs? And I certainly don't require, nor have I asked for, you," he said in a matter-of-factly way, looking to her with a look that clearly said 'come on then Truscott, hit me with your best insult!'

Snorting loudly he nodded, "Yes, I do actually," he retorted back rather nastily- Bradley would never actually wish death on anyone but hey he did belong to a Pureblood family full of Deatheaters and well... 'old habits die hard' apparently. Simply ignoring her mocking rhetorical question his eyes scanned the contents page of his textbook before he found what he was looking for and slowly flipped to the right page, trying and failing to ignore her biting words. He just couldn't sit, or lie rather, there are let her take the piss, it actually almost physically hurt him to do so.

Glaring sharply at her as she punched him not so lightly in the arm he scoffed, "There you go again with the physical violence, not very ladylike are you, Truscott?" he said. Then he held his hands up in a show of mock defence, "Hey, easy with the death glare! Since you refuse to reveal the identity of said person I can't exactly send them a card, like I want to, can I? I could just send a card to every guy out there, chances are the right one will get it in the end... I mean I am assuming this 'son of a bitch', as the insult suggests, is one of the male gender who has screwed you over?"

((ooc: haha I like her meanness, and so does Bradley really, he'd just rather die than admit it to her!))

[Adriana Truscott]

At his statement Adriana’s eyes narrowed, “Really?” she began, her tone already taunting, “Then maybe you needed a really good arse whipping and you didn’t even know it,” she smiled as though talking of giving him a nice expensive gift, “Metaphorically speaking… or maybe not,” she added thoughtfully, the idea of physically beating him up was really quite appealing.

“Exactly,” the word slithered from her mouth like a seductive serpent as she leaned toward him, “We can’t always get what we wish for,” she finished with a sneer. “Only when I have to be,” she said primly flashing a falsely sweet smile at him. “Yes it’s a guy,” she scoffed, “And no, I’m still not telling you who he is,” she argued, bloody hell he was annoying. Glancing down at his book she raised an eyebrow, “What are you studying anyways?” she asked critically.

((ooc: hehe, well thank you, both I and Adriana appreciated it.))

[Bradley O'Connor]

Bradley laughed darkly at her taunting reply, "Yeah, maybe," he commented sarcastically, "That'll be it. God, so glad you were here to help me see the light!" he enthused, his eyes wide with wonderment before he dropped the act and turned to her with an unamused expression. "You want to beat me up? Truscott, go for it, really, because despite appearances I doubt you're any worse than a Bludger to the head. It's the same kind of blow and just as annoying so you're about on par with a Quidditch injury but no worst," he commented seriously, as though this were a matter-of-fact and comparing a girl to a Bludger were a complimentary thing.

At her next words his raised eyebrow raised even more and he snorted in amusement, scoffing and turning his gaze away from her as though he were disinterested in what she had to say. In reality the way she spoke was just a little bit too suggestive... damn, why did girls know exactly how to do that with ease?! "I see, so the girly girl act is just to lure guys towards you and then you cut them down straight away and they realise the real you is merely a sharp-tongued snake that spits poison," he mused mockingly.

"Ah but of course!" he said with a roll of his eyes, "So what has a member of my gender done to you then? Something mean I hope," Bradley commented off-handedly as he turned back to his books. "I'm studying everything and anything I need to get by," he muttered, eyes fixed on the words on the page though whether or not he was taking it any of it at all was up for debate. "Nah it's only because of that Howler my mum sent me, I'm sure you heard it at breakfast? Well, apparently I'll 'shame the family' blah blah blah if I don't at least appear to study for my exams... so... you know I'm appeasing her because no doubt she's bribed Evvy, Addie and Matt to keep an eye on me and make sure I'm not slacking off," he explained before frowning slightly, at himself. "And why am I telling you this? You couldn't give a shit really, could you?" he asked rhetorically and then sighed, deciding to be remotely civil, "So... Transfig giving you trouble, eh?" he inclined his head to her textbook.

[Adriana Truscott]

Adriana scowled at him, “Oh, I think I could do worst than a bludger,” she protested. For a moment she looked thoughtful as if he had posed a difficult question and then answered simply, “Yep,” with a sweet smile that wasn’t genuine.

“He was an arse,” she replied glaring at Bradley again. How she could stand to be in the same room as him she had no idea. “That would be helpful if you were studying the correct material, we don’t need to know that,” she tapped her finger on his open book, and then turned the page for him, “That however, we do need to know,” she said matter-of-factly.

“Yes I heard it,” she snickered. “And how can they see you if they’re not here?” she observed. “Nope, I just like watching you squirm,” she replied. “No,” answered Adriana defensively, “I’m reviewing,” she said but as she stared back at the text book the tight set of her jaw and fierce concentration in her eyes revealed that she was a bit confused. “Not like you would know what this is anyways,” she retorted.

[Bradley O'Connor]

Snorting softly he nodded, “I’m sure you’d like to think that, you just keep telling yourself that if it makes you feel good, Truscott,” he mentioned. Nodding once more he smiled himself, mirroring her insincere sweet smile with one of his very own. “Thought so,” he said shortly, the sickening smirk never fading as he looked up at her.

“Ah, wonderful, he’s doing the gender proud,” Bradley murmured, ignoring her pointed glare at him like he usually did. However as she told him he didn’t need to know what he’d just spent so much time pretending to read, he glanced sharply up at her. “Thanks,” he said so quietly, and pained, that you’d think he’d just had to endure something terrible.

“I thought you would have, never miss a thing do you?” he commented with a roll of his eyes before frowning at her observation. “Trust me, they‘ll know, they always fucking know. Besides Mattyboy will probably give me a pop quiz next time he sees me, to check I’ve been doing revision you know?” Bradley remarked before raising an eyebrow as he turned his gaze to her and saw her tightened jaw. He recognised that frustrated look. “Yeah? Try me,” he replied surely. This time his confidence wasn’t faked, he got Transfiguration, he just did, but very rarely spoke up in lessons to answer questions, he preferred to simply mock other people.