]].Can't.Get.Worse.[[--(Dru, Mal, Open))

[edward]

Dru was avoiding him. Edward was smart enough to realize that. He'd come close, she'd move away. He'd go in for a kiss, it wouldn't last more then a minute--then she'd pull away and go to class. So here he was. In the library. With his books in front of him, and for once in his life he was actually studying. Or giving the false appearance of studying. He wasn't able to quite concentrate. Not with what had been happening lately.

First there was moving out of his father's home. Moving in with Calli, then having your mother declare you insane--literally. Trying to find you so she can put you in a facility. She'd wait though, until he'd graduated Hogwarts. That much Edward knew. And at one point he thought himself completly sane! But now? With what happened recently with Mal? And then telling his best friends almost everything that had been going on? The one thing he was really relying on in his life, the one thing he thought just couldn't be messed up...was leaving him. Or it seemed that way anyhow.

Sure, it was a crappy situation, asking her to marry him. He'd be tied down for sure, but after his episode in the dorms, he'd had time to think it over. And it was almost alright. He loved Druella. He'd never felt this way about any girl, any woman. He was head over heels in love with her, and would do anything for her. And she had been so excited after he asked her, Edward wouldn't--couldn't take that away from her now. That just mess things up even more.

Sighing, he basically just banged his forehead against the table he was sitting at, "My life is so screwed," Mumbeling to himself. Things just couldn't get worse. Things in his life were so horrid, that he just knew nothing else could possibly come along that would meet the mess he'd managed to crawl into.

[aprildraconis]

Dru walked around in the Slytherin common Room, she couldn't find peace with herself, the entire day had mixed her head up. It was stirring, never ending. Dru could curse herself, how could she have let this happen, how could she have accepted that HE had come so close to her, that HE had kissed her and she had kissed HIM back. She just couldn't understand. The Potions essay wasn't coming along either, questions rose in her head, but she couldn't answer them. She needed to go somewhere, somewhere where she couldn't be disturbed...

Walking along the grand staircases, Druella Rosier walked towards the library, trying to figure things out as she did so. It didn't work however? Dru entered the library with swift strives, the librarian looked at her with a grumpy expression and Dru understood immediately, she was making too much noise according to the old lady. Instead of trying to sooth the woman, she made even more noise as she bustled around the corner.. and then she.. stopped.

A little further, Eddie was apparently stuck in a book. Her pace slowed down, she wanted to take as much times as she needed, just to make sure she didn't do anything unlike her. Walking behind him, she just heard his words. His life was screwed? What was she talking about? After all this time, Dru still didn't know what was going on in his life, it was like a secluded spot that she could not enter... Slowly she lay her hand on his shoulder, bringing her mouth to his cheek and kissing it softly before saying. "Hey".

She smiled, unlike the ones she used to have when she was around him and sat down, trying to be as calm as possible. "What's wrong with your life?", she asked him carefully, hoping he had not heard of what had happened between her and Abraxas.. After all, nobody knew..except her and Abraxas.

[edward]

He hadn't been expecting any company. Much less Dru. Oh merlin, he'd wanted it though. More then anything. But he was coming to think she was just wanting time away from him. As if this whole asking her to marry him thing was not bringing her close but pulling them apart. She'd been so excited though...which only caused Edward more confusion. And in the shaky state he was in, he couldn't stand much more change and hurt. He just wasn't stable enough at the moment.

Lifting himself from the book, he looked to the side, struck silent for a moment as he couldn't believe she was actually here. But with her question, he realized that Dru had heard him. Even better was the fact that she was still clueless to all the crap he was going through.

If he could help it, it would stay that way. He could hardly stand having his best friends think he was weak, let alone his girl. The hottest and sexiest girl in Hogwarts thinking him weak? Troubled? What a smart idea that'd be huh? Oh yes. Definitely, especially when she was already pulling herself away from him.

"Just some work for class...its just killin me thats all..." He pulled on a fake grin, not really noticing that his eyes were blood shot, and he had dark purple splotches under his eyes from how exhausted he was. He nearly looked ill. And maybe in some sense, he was.

"How are you?" His tone was telling that he really needed to know.

[aprildraconis]

Druella didn't believe that it was really true what Eddie was saying. Was it really just course work he was going nuts about? That couldn't be the truth. She let it rest though, getting into a little conflict now because she thought he was lying wasn't something she'd like to do on this very moment, things were strange enough as they were.

How are you?

Dru looked at him , a small smile graced her lips as she did so. "I'm okay, just quite busy with tasks, etcetera." There, now they both had told a lie. Dur hadn't done anything for school in a few weeks, it wasn't really worth paying in attention in class either. She noticed the purple gleam around Edward's eyes, he looked worried, restless, to be quite honest. She was worried but what could she do? It wasn't like she'd been the best girlfriend in the past days.

"You don't look so good, Eddie. Are you sure you're okay?", she asked with concern. It hadn't been an accusation, just a mere statement of what she was seeing. Eddie didn't look like his normal gorgeous self, though he was still hot, let's not forget that.

Brushing her blond hair out of her eyes, Dru gave him another smile. Her heart pounded heavily in her chest, but at least she was with Eddie again, trying to be as calm and relaxed as she could be. Well, at least things couldn't get any worse right now... could they?

[malfoy]

Being physically forced out of class, and literally dragged to the doors of the library, Abraxas had been told he either walked inside with dignity or he was dragged in by a three-foot tall house elf, accompanied by his Professor at six paces. He had obviously back-chatted, then chosen the former.

Not like he had nothing to lose. He figured he'd gotten some credibility back from the verbal he'd shot at the Professor, but that would all be lost if he was dragged anywhere by a house elf. He shuddered at the mere thought of it, disgusted that a servant could actually touch him let alone drag him.

Stepping inside, he shot a look back at the Professor, who was wearing a smug grin. Smiling sweetly, Abraxas raised his middle finger at the guy, then watched as anger boiled on his face. Smirking, he turned back into the room and cursed his luck.

So Dru was here, that was a big problem in itself, and normally he would have simply walked the other way - avoid the confrontation, and rise to the expectations of people that knew how things had lain between him and her. But the complication lay in Edward. He was sat next to her, looking as gloomy as anything. Mal could figure a few reasons why, but they weren't for talking about here and now.

Having behaved abismally the night Edward launched all that on him, and then talked it over with both himself and 'Rion, Mal figured that he should act normally, or partially normally. And normally, he would go and speak to the guy, normally he would scowl at his companion, but unusually, Mal hesitated.

Looking at Ed seriously, he risked it and flicked his eyes to Druella. Cursing himself barely had his gaze fallen on her, Mal looked away and proceeded to browse the shelves nearest, before moving to lean on the counter to ask the librarian for a few books. Ed would hopefully think this was just about the fact that he had scared him - though that had never been said openly - but it was a fact, plain and simple and that did things to a person's perspectives.

[edward]

You don't look so good, Eddie. Are you sure you're okay?

Edward wasn't fully there at the moment. Not physically, emotionally, and most definitely not mentally. And managing to actually respond to Druella's question in an Edward Potter normality was basically just impossible, "Not sleeping is finally catching up with me, I suppose..." Not bothering to lie, he was too tired to think up a good fun excuse. Not that Druella would laugh, lately he couldn't even manage to do that.

Continuing to admire the girl beside him, he heard a bit of commotion at the library doors, and that caught his attention. Noticing Mal the second he flipped the bird, Edward could only guess it was towards a professor. And that managed to cause a smirk to come to his features, but for a short moment.

Before Mal could notice him, Edward's attention when back to Druella. Infact, he felt a strange urge to just lean in and kiss her--but lately that wasn't the best of options. Instead what he did was scoot his chair closer to her, and he snaked an arm around her waist--just wanting to do something that could help him feel like he still had her. Like Dru was still his girl. Even if she had been pulling away, possibly she just needed some space.

Maybe things would go back to normal. That could happen, right? Maybe it was just the rough beginnings of the year. Things would quickly slide back into place, and possibly Edward could just act like none of this ever happened. Well, none of it except marrying Dru.

[aprildraconis]

Dru just looked at Eddie, a small smile was upon her pure ruby red lips, though there wasn't really a purpose of that small smile. He hadn't slept a lot in the previous nights, some he had shared with her, others not. What could have happened on those nights that kept him awake? Was there someone else? Dru shook the thoughts of immediately, she didn't want to go there. It was dangerous to think such things, certainly when you were the person who had betrayed your love.

As Eddie slithered his arm around her waist, Dru leaned closer to him, only to see another person out of the corner of her eyes. Her hard stopped pounding, only to start pounding even heavier within seconds. Abraxas Malfoy was in the library. Dru's eyes quickly looked at him, catching that he had done the same, for about a second before he turned back to Edward. Dammit, this wasn't going to be easy.

What did she had to do? What did she have to say? Should she acknowledge his presence or should she just look away after making a snide remark like she used to do? Dru didn't know what they'd said on one of the previous nights, things had gotten so blurry. But either way, she was sure Edward Potter would notice something. He wasn't stupid. If Dru was nice to Abraxas, Eddie would find it fishy from the start... And if Dru shot Abraxas a comment, it wouldn't be as catchy as when they'd been enemies, plus then their might be a chance that Malfoy and her started of on the wrong foot once again.

[malfoy]

Teasing the librarian, or rather the young assistant, Mal smirked at her blush. It amused him, and kept his mind off of the couple behind him. He adored them both, in very very different ways, but only one of them would he go to right now if he had any issues. That scared him when the name popped unbidden into his mind. Damn near fatal error, though it was subconscious.

The older librarian appeared and Mal leant back off of the counter with an innocent grin. Oh so it was her daughter..all the more fun. The blushing girl fled and he grinned at the librarian. Being ordered to go and sit and wait, he shoved his hands in his pockets and sighed heavily. Turning, he looked at all the tables, all of which had at least one person on them. At his dark look, several turned away in fear, and Mal smirked to himself.

He felt a hand on his shoulder and looked up to see the librarian who was now guiding him toward a seat. "What the-? Get your bloody filthy hands off me!" He demanded, but there was nothing much he could do, except assault the woman, which was wrong merely as she was female, or claimed to be.

Being shoved into a seat at Edwards table, he turned and muttered darkly after the witch, shooting daggers at her. This was seriously the one place of all that he didn't want to be.

He turned back slowly then blinked as if surprised. "Ed, Druella." He nodded curtly and then pulled his bag onto his knee to look for a notepad or something similar, something to do instead of talk. Instead of look at either one. This was absurd, the two people he least wanted to meet together, and definately in public were right here, and now he was in their faces.

"I'll be gone, just need some stupid books - don't mind me." He informed the pair, head down, eyes focusing on what he wanted from his bag. Better to ignore. Ignoring was a good tool, a useful tool. They would understand in the end that it was for their own good.

[edward]

Mal was definitely not himself. Edward noticed that much. Just sitting down--without a comment about Dru...or without Dru making a comment. Maybe it was just too soon--but there was something about the situation that even managed to register in dear ol’ Edward’s head. Exactly what he was going to do about it was uncertain. For right now he’d consider himself over reacting, and just call it exhaustion---allowing himself the privalege of assuming it was just the aftermath of what happened up in the dorms the other night. Because of something he did--nothing more, or less. That’s the end of that.

“Alright then...” He said, a bit slowly. Studying his friends movements for a few enlongated moments, before returning his attention back towards his work. Looking down at the book, eyes scanned over a few sentances, and of course he read them, but just afterwards he found himself not having learned a damn thing. Because he forgot it instantly. It was as if all these words were written in a foriegn language, and no matter how many times he read over them nothing would stick. He couldn’t damn well concentrate, and for once in his Hogwarts career he had actually been wanting to study. Needing something to distract him.

Trying one more time, he failed. Groaning loudly in aggravation, he wanted to slam the book shut and throw it across the room. But he didn’t have the energy. And being himself, he was just simply lazy. He closed the book, and pushed it towards the middle of the table. For a hesitant moment he wondered on if he should lay his head down on the wood or in Dru’s lap. Usually he’d end up doing the second, just because he could, and to be fully honest more comfortable--Would she push him off though is the only question?

Deciding that in the end he just wanted sleep, he got over the damn thoughts in his head and just went on impulse. More ‘n more lately he’d been thinking about the consequences of all his actions, to worried to act. Which meant not as much pranks, and slytherin actions. Some of the professors were starting to actually enjoy his participation in class!!! The DADA teacher no longer checked his seat before sitting in it, or went through his jacket pockets before putting it on--those had been some of the easiest pranks, but his professors always remembered it and feared him for it. Now he was just another student--and he hated that.

Shaking his head a little bit, he felt the starts of a migraine coming into action. His slid his hand from her waist, and put both hands to the side of his head--allowing himself the privalege of lying down. Placing his head in her lap almost a moment later, he shifted himself so that his feet rested on the cushion of a seperate chair, “I forgot those fucked up pills in the bathroom this morning...” Remembering that he had to take some wierd meds prescribed to keep his pain to zero. This included all the broken bones and bruises he’d gain from his father---he came to visit every so often, trying to figure out where his son moved off too...right now he wished he had some in his pocket to get rid of this messed up headache!

[aprildraconis]

I'll be gone, just need some stupid books - don't mind me

His words made her look up again, away from Eddie, trying to keep as cool as she could. This was going to be way more difficult as she had expected. They had decided to keep things like they were, just see how things went, tease, flirt, have a little fun until it would all rush over, until one of them had enough. And that would come, soon. Turning back to Edward, she gave him a small smile, hiding the feelings she felt within.

“I forgot those fucked up pills in the bathroom this morning...”

Within a second, Dru's breath stocked. This was really going to be difficult. Eddie had laid himself down on her lap, as he had done so many nights before... But right now, she didn't feel like doing those things. She didn't feel like kissing him, or hugging him or winding him up. The stress of hiding had caused all of that....

The one side of her told to get him off of her lap, the other just wanted to make sure he suspected as least as possible. Her hand traveled to his head, brushing through his hair while she smiled softly. Everything would turn out right, if they just waited long enough.

Her eyes glided from him to Abraxas, she swallowed, she bit her lip, trying to get that feeling awkward feeling out of the way. "Shouldn't you go and get them, then, Eddie?", she asked him softly after looking down again. Staring at Abraxas wasn't a good thing, certainly not when Eddie was around.

[malfoy]

Mal watched Edward indirectly, as he fished out an old quill and proceeded to start to rip it to shreds just to annoy the librarian that was watching him. He gave her a broad grin and a wink, smirking as she ruffled visably and strode away to chide and hurry her daughter no doubt. It was funny because it was the only thing distracting him. But once the woman had gone, he was left with nowhere for his eyes, and so glared at his quill as he plucked it slowly, refusing to raise his eyes to meet Eds or Druellas.

Too weird, this was too weird. He caught the movement of Ed shifting to lie his head on Druellas lap and rolled his eyes a little. That in turn caused him to look up to Druella's reaction. Meeting her eyes for a split second, he looked down fervently and plucked with more determination. Far too weird. From the look in her eyes she felt it too though, the awkwardness and tension. He couldn't do that again, but it was so obvious that something was the matter with him because he couldn't bring himself to insult the girl.

Then Druella was encouraging Edward to go and get his pills. Would she go as well... or what? Abraxas looked up from his quill sharpish and at her with a look that would be practically unreadable to Edward - he hoped - but questioned Druella's intentions. He was a good liar, but far too curious for his own good. That was a downfall. Even if Ed noticed though, he could probably turn it around into something that would make 'sense'. It was a bad thought to imagine lying directly, but hadn't Edward lied the past few years? That salved his conscience...a little but not too much. It was still taboo, much like the truth.

[edward]

Swallowing a few times over, his eyes had been closed while he tried to shut out the immenatrating light. That bright stuff that was causing him to feel like a thousand or more needles being shoved in and out of the sides of his head. The only wierd thing about those meds was the fact that it wasn't a potion. Nope, some wierd pills made with some cracked up herbs 'n shit. But the nurse said that it was the only treatment that wouldn't easily be traced, especially by those he wanted to hide his secret from.

Shouldn't you go and get them, then, Eddie?

He opened an eye, and looked up at his Dru, "Wha--Oh..." Her question quickly being comrephended in under half a second. A hand went over his face as he attempted to block out his vision, "Nah...just some shit messin with my head, won't last too long." Hopefully.

And as wierd as it was not to have Mal making those wretchedly wicked comments about himself and Dru, right now Edward was partially grateful. Who knows how short of a temper string he was on right now. Sure this was beyond normal, and when he was thinking clearly he'd try to figure it out...but right now?

He shuffled himself around, and as he kind of turned onto his side, he pressed his lips against Druella's thigh. This kind of thing always calmed him down, relaxed his migraines. It was cheesy, and not green in the slightest--but he didn't give a rats ass what anybody thought...usually...

[aprildraconis]

Fuck, fuck, fuck, this wasn’t good, this wasn’t good at all. Abraxas and her had talked about it just yesterday, they’d act as if nothing had happened, as if it was like before, but it wasn’t, and Dru hated it that she was getting all mixed up about it. Why couldn’t Eddie just go and get his pills so that she could relax a little, so that she could breath again and get herself together by the time he came back? Instead, he had just made things more difficult. He had laid his head on her lap, and now, he had just planted a kiss on her thighs. It was perhaps a little sentimental, but Dru just gave him a small smile, trying to be on her best behavior, trying to be as calm as possible. The fact that Abraxas had rolled his eyes at the pair of them, didn’t help. The fact that he was sitting there in his gorgeous self didn’t help either. She just needed to get it all out of her system, soon, so that she could continue what was going on between her and Eddie.

Brushing her hand through his hair, she stared at the table, her heart was still pounding heavily, but she didn’t want to look up, she didn’t want to look down either.. because both of those things meant that she had to look into the eyes of one of the boys, either Abraxas or Edward… She didn’t know what was worse, feeling the temptation rise, or letting guilt sink in. This was doomed to fail.

"Are you sure you're not going to get them? It might be better once you've taken them.", her voice was slightly husked, she felt unable to not show some worry, luckily the timing was rather correct. It almost seemed as if she cared more about Edwards illness than about her infidelity being discovered. If she just kept this on at the right pace, there might be a chance that Eddie might not suspect a thing.

[malfoy]

"For once, she's right Ed..." Mal put in after a moment, as simply as he could. He didn't want to offend, but he couldn't act like everything had gone, that would signal him to something. And even if they had agreed to just friendship, it was suspicious in its own right. No one knew why they had hated one another so vivaciously, no one except they two. And to have it suddenly disappear after all this time would more than freak whoever knew them. It would be worse right about now either way. There was no chance.

Resting his elbow on the table, he pushed one hand through his hair and kept his eyes off of Druella and Edward. Too weird, too close for comfort. Now that the quill was demolished he was just playing with the different disgarded pieces. He wanted to leave, but that stupid witch wasn't going fast enough. Seemed he had been pushed to the back of the queue. Bad idea for her. There would be more than trouble if he stayed. "Can one of you pair just get the damned things so you don't keep flicking it back and forth?"

His tone had become bored in the seconds he was distracted, but he didn't note to himself that he was grouping the pair together - which he had loathed to do before in Druella's presence - and he wasn't insulting her and ordering her to do it so that he could talk to Edward. It was just because he wasn't sure which he would prefer to leave right now. Mainly he would prefer to leave himself, but he couldn't without getting in deeeeeeeep trouble, the likes of which he always managed to escape normally. Just his luck to be caught this time. The one time he really needed to just get away.

[edward]

Something flickered inside Edward's head. Eyes opening, brows furrowing in frustrating thought. Replaying Mal's words over once again inside his head. He couldn't've heard him right. Because that would mean for the first time Abraxas would possibly be refering to himself and Dru as a true couple. Something particularly unified. Mal hated Dru, and especially Edward's relationship with her. That's how it had always been, for the longest time. Their group was fully aware of it.

Turning about, he found himself staring up at the ceiling for the smallest moment, before finally just lifted himself, twisting around to face his wierd and slightly disturbing bestfriend, "Did you just call us a pair?" His tone definitely giving away that he was being very suspicious. The gaze he was putting out radiating the damn discretion.

Maybe it wasn't alright. Maybe there was more going on in Mal's life then Edward was aware of. It couldn't be that the guy was just tired, or that he was being watched. No, something was off--very off. Sure, Abraxas hadn't been himself for days now. But Ed had always just assumed it to be the remnants of his secret. Their secret.

Maybe there was more to this situation then Edward originally thought.