[THD] All I have to do | • z a r a

"This is ridiculous."

Prosper tapped his foot impatiently as he waited for the goblin to check his wand again. "Yes, I know I don't have my key, but that's my wand, isn't it?" Prosper cocked one arrogant eyebrow. "Can't you just use your goblin magic and work out who I am? Isn't there like some kind of test or something?" Prosper sighed as the goblin muttered something about very painful and infuriatingly stubborn that he thought Prosper couldn't hear. The young man ran a hand through his messy curls as he leaned elegantly against the counter, posed like he thought he was a greek god or something.

He really didn't want to have to go home to his parents place, but it was there or home to his place. He didn't know what was worse. Even just being in Paris right now was making his skin crawl a little. A part of him was paranoid he'd see her. Or worse - him. Seeing Zoé and his brother together would probably make him spontaneously combust, so he was taking the safe route by ditching Paris and running away from his problems. So he'd been all over the place over the past couple of months, so what? Prosper had exhausted all of his cash and now he was here to collect a little more. The nineteen year old wasn't ready for his party bender to be over just yet.

The teenager caught sight of a perfect blonde bun in the crowd. Bunhead, he thought distantly. "Zara!" he called out, snatching up his wand from the goblin as he strode over to the girl. He hadn't seen her in weeks. Knowing Zara, she was going to hold it against him for all of five minutes and then cave when he appealed to their friendship. "Hey girl," he said, as if he hadn't walked out with a backpack, leaving behind some cash for rent and a note. The young man pulled his smaller, ballerina friend in for a quick hug, picking her up off her feet for just a second before gracefully lowering her back down. "How are you?" he asked. "I don't have my key so they're not letting me get any money out," Prosper sighed dramatically, "But it's cool, I've had Mum send you some cash for rent."

"Put me down!"

The squawk came from a petite blonde girl who had been hoisted up against her will. Wriggling wildly, she repeatedly smacked the offender who eventually put her down. Her pretty face went through some pretty significant changes. It contorted from shock to surprise to upset to relief that it was Prosper and then finally settling on rage. She pulled her small fist back and ploughed it into his chest with as much force as she could manage, punching him in his left pectoral muscle.

"Don't you hey girl me!" She screeched at him, arms flailing like a maniacal marionette, her perfect bun wobbling and threatening to come untangled. She boggled at him, her pretty blue eyes almost popping out of her skull. Zara scoffed derisively, annoyed at his infectious nonchalance. "Oh wonderful," she said sarcastically, her melodic voice seeming to go up an octave and border on becoming shrill. Mrs. Lachapelle must be super tired of running around after Prosper and putting out his mini drama fires. "Clearly that's all I care about," she hissed bitterly, eyes blazing. The comment about his key made her laugh and roll her eyes. "Typical," she said with a shake of her head before punching Prosper again in the same spot.

"I've been worried sick," Zara whined as she turned and lead them down the busy street, fixing her hair deftly as she went along, tucking and pinning the strands back into place. "What the Hell are you playing at?" The ballerina asked as she spun, the skirt to her short dress spinning out perfectly as the sun caught her from behind, lighting her up in a shimmery golden aura. Zara Rousseau knew how to make a point.

Grunting and muttering about how much of an impulsive loser Prosper was, she pushed open a door to a rather dingy and rickety looking pub. Inside was dark, full of dark wood and even darker characters that followed her with beady eyes. Neither of them fitted in. At the bar, she ordered two of the "specials" on the board that soon came in two glasses of brown, strong smelling sludge. The place didn't ask for ID which was fine by her. Lifting the glass, she took a tentative sniff and wrinkled her nose. "I hate you," she told Prosper darkly before taking a sip and grimacing as she swallowed, feeling uncomfortable as she felt a bubbling in her gut.

Prosper expected this, so he let it play out with a sort of relaxed coolness. The nineteen year old took her punches, barely flinching as she hit him in the same spot with one tiny fist. He did rub the spot a little when she'd stopped though. Zara started walking and Prosper fell into step with her, his problem at the bank all but forgotten. A well-natured smile graced his handsome face even though she was ranting about this or that. "I had to get out for a little bit, Zar, you know me." Prosper side-stepped some bustling shoppers as he followed her. "I'm a free spirit." Really, she should know shy he left Paris. He hadn't really explained in his "going away for a while, be back soon" note, but he did assume that Zoé had told her about the fact that she was dating... Prosper shut the thought down, determinedly keeping his well-natured smile firmly in place.

Prosper followed her compliantly into a random bar he didn't remember and said nothing as she angrily ordered alcohol. Diederik must be a very patient guy, he thought distantly. Zara was pretty cute when she was grumpy but she was also entirely neurotic and one hundred percent high-maintenance. Diederik had always been pretty relaxed though, he supposed. "No you don't," he countered immediately, following suit and taking a sip of his drink as he slid into place beside her. Prosper paused for a moment, not really wanting to bring it up but also definitely needing to know. "Zara, you didn't know about Zoé and Pierce before, did you?" he asked. If she had, she would have told him, right? They were best friends. Roommates. They'd known each other since they were in nappies, surely she would have thought to divulge this bit of sensitive information...?

The man wanted to ask more, but suddenly he felt the urge to belch. He did so. Zara shot him a look, but Prosper couldn't stop himself, it was uncontrollable. Prosper looked down at his glass and then at Zara as she let out a loud belch of her own. "What the-" Buurrpp "-hell are we drinking?"