Alexander ignored his comment and climbed aboard, trunk in tow. He learned to stop letting his extended magic restriction bother him, he’d be at Hogwarts soon enough. This was his last year. From here on out so long as he graduated without a hitch he would have magic every day for the rest of his life. He just had to get there.
He stared out the window deep in thought as usual. It was his favorite pastime, staring out windows. Soon he’d get to stare out his favorite one, the one on the train to Hogwarts. He made his way onto the train without looking for anyone, finding his own to curl up with a book. He preferred to ride in alone, he was terrible at the whole “how was your summer” dribble. Once they got into the rolling hills of green he pulled out his sketch book, taking breaks from staring out the window to draw within. Home was coming closer.
The first feast was always the best, with all his favorites. Alexander stuffed himself with a bit of everything, even slipping a few treats into his pocket for later. He’d been eating whatever food the Leaky Cauldron had drummed up that day all summer, and it was never really that appetizing. He went straight from the feast to the Slytherin common room, hoping to find a comfy chair to spend the rest of his night in, he stayed until everyone had gone to sleep and he was the last one there reading Most Macabre Monstrosities in front of the fire.
When Orion descended into the common room, he didn’t see her at first. He heard the clip of her shoes against the stone, despite her soft steps. He looked up from her book and saw she was dressed for something – a party maybe. He’d heard whispers there was one going on, not that he expected an invitation. He caught her eye from across the room and a smile split across her face. She was always so vibrant and filled with life. He went back to his book, unresponsive. She appeared in front of him, sliding a brightly colored gift bag between his book and his vision.
“What’s this?” he asked.
"That," she said with a tilt of her head and a lithe bounce in her step, "is your outfit for the night." There were dark stars glowing in her eyes, and a bright red smile on her lips.
He looked at her expression, unable to match her enthusiasm but appreciative for it anyway. Reaching into the bag with his brow furrowed, he seemed confused when he pulled out fine dark linen. It was obviously a nice outfit, but he appeared perplexed. "I don't get it...why would I wear this to bed?"
A single, perfectly dark eyebrow rose. She placed her hands on her hips, her head tilting in the other direction. She seemed to debate with herself momentarily. Finally, she said, "You wear them to bed so that I can take them off later."
Without giving him time to consider her words too deeply, she broke into a joyful laugh. "Come on, Lex! Be my date tonight."
An eyebrow quirked at the suggestion, looking Orion over. He was terrible at identifying flirting, but he was pretty sure it just happened. He mulled over her words for a few minutes, playing with the fabric of his new clothes. He didn't own many nice things, and he could tell this was *nice*. Finally, he set his book down. "Fine, since you've lured me in with the obligation of the gift of fine linen." He said, standing up.
"Besides, if I'm correct about my social standing and teenagers...when the ostensibly attractive girl asks you on a date," He said, holding the outfit against his frame to confirm it was the right size, "you say yes."
Orion's smile exploded into a grin. "I love it when you use big words, buttermilk. Now hurry up and change. Life won't wait for us."
Alexander dropped his things in his dorm, a couple of his roommates has already slipped out - presumably to the same party where he was headed. Not one to spend much time on his appearance, he changed promptly, running a hand through his hair instead of a comb. He still looked disheveled but at least the clothes gave him a polish. The clothes fit like a glove and seemed to match Orion's outfit perfectly.
He was adjusting the sleeve his entire way back to her, he hated anything that made him stand out. Still, he had to admit he looked sharp. Doing the calculations in his mind, he offered his arm to Orion. It seemed like that was what a date would do, or maybe that was just a muggle thing, maybe misogynistic - he wasn't sure. He was certain his stream of thoughts were written in his expression. He couldn't turn the them off.
Orion's smile never faltered. She looped her arm around his, letting her fingers glide against the skin of his hand. Looking at him, she stood on her toes, only just managing to reach his hair. Soft flicks of her fingers styled it to a personal preference. "There. You look dangerously handsome."
He seemed to deeply consider her words, before nodding. "And you look attractive - but you already knew that."
"Yes," she replied, "but I love it when you say it."
Alex had taken the trip to the Shrieking Shack enough times to lead the way, enchanting their shoes so their steps were muffled. He wasn't sure how they got away with these parties, he could smell the moondew from a kilometer away. His mouth began to water thinking about the substances within.
A weight on his arm made his look down; Orion had rested her head against his arm. Her eyes seemed far away, the way they did when something was not quite right inside her. She held his arm tighter, pulling him closer, as if he were a lifeline and not the other way around.
"Think of me," she said, "when you're happy in there."
He could something had shifted, but couldn’t put his finger on what. He responded with what he always did when someone who took interest in him seemed down. The corners of his lips pulled up, revealing dimples on either cheek. His smile reached his eyes, a technique he mastered years ago by smiling over and over in the mirror to perfect the authentic fake smile. He had learned early on that people responded to smiling, so he had honed his to perfection. “That won’t be hard,” He said, almost flirting for a moment, “you’ll be standing right next to me.”
He escorted her in, making sure to be as gentlemanly as the cinemas had taught him. Immediately he could see Teddy in the back of the room, people flocking to him. Alexander knew what Teddy meant – the guy had everything and anything to give Alex that high he so craved. He tensed, trying not to stare. Instead he looked at Orion, practicing his smile once again.
Her reaction wasn’t what he was hoping. Orion was not smiling back at him the way she usually would. Her red lips were lifeless on her beautiful face, and the grip of her hand on his arm tightened.
"Oh, Lex," she sighed. "We are nothing but liars, you and I."
And with that, she stepped away from his side, weaving her way to her cousin.
Alexander furrowed his brow, trying to figure out what she meant. It was a very out of character response for Orion. Maybe he had done something, maybe not – he wouldn’t be able to figure anything out while Euphoria Elixir was sitting so close. He slinked through the crowd to where he saw Theodore and his bag of loot. There had to be some in there. As he neared, he could see the phials resting within the bag, he was practically drooling.
He was unable to stop his hands from fiddling, he found making himself seem nervous when talking to people made them more sympathetic. It was habit at this point. “T-Ted?” He spoke, almost inaudible over the cacophony. “Can I…get a couple of those –“ Ted didn’t seem to even notice him. Probably for the best. Alexander didn’t feel like Theodore liked him much. He snagged a couple of phials, throwing a couple sickles into his bag. Before he could turn around, he felt a familiar arm slink into his. Orion had found her way back at his side, he analyzed her features to see if the strange moment had passed.
"Only what is enough," she said, pulling him into the dancing crowd. Her hands were so soft on him, so gentle and caressing that he didn't notice when she took the vials from him. She pocketed one, drank the other. Before he could do anything, Orion reached for the back of his neck and. pulled him into a deep kiss, Euphoria Elixir sliding into his mouth.
Usually such intimacy made him ill at ease, but all he could think about now is the elixir, he drank every drop. He didn’t even realize he was kissing her back until he felt the elixir hit. It flowed to the tips of his fingers, toes – the corners of his eyes. Suddenly he couldn’t quit smiling, and he was dancing….D A N C I N G. He grabbed Orion’s hand, twirling her where she stood. Finally, he felt alive again.