these are the lies. | magnolia

“Yeah well when we get married, you’re not invited,” she teased, her expression becoming serious only for a moment before it softened again. She might have been a little obsessive with her crushes but the whole wedding planning business was reserved for serious, long time crushes and celebrity beaus only. And the furthest in planning she had ever gone for a crush (Roderick, to be exact) had been in deciding location and colors, a nice night wedding in the spring in Naples sounded like just the thing. Unfortunately (or maybe fortunately) she had never gotten that far into a conversation with the boy to tell him. Otherwise, Mavis and her kept a little book of favorite things that they’d cut out of magazines, for future reference and just in case. “Now I need to figure out what his last name is,” she added, giving him a smirk at his reaction to her suggestion that she write her name on his stuff.

“Fine, guess I’ll have to wait for the right opportunity, then, but don’t think you’ll get off that easily,” she threatened, signing her name into the air as if to punctuate what she intended to do to his textbooks if she ever got a hold of them. She would do no such thing, but it was nice to make him think she would, “Think of it as payback for all those notes you ruined,” she added. Magnolia still had those notes and while she never intended to actually study them or verify the information on them, she wasn’t just about to toss them in the rubbish bin either.

Magnolia giggled in response to his reaction, not loud enough for the librarian to get upset but loud enough for Isaac to know that she was making fun of him. “I know enough to make comparisons, I’m not dim, you know,” she added as if it were a matter of fact. She actually had no experience in that matter apart from what she had learned in any class related to the anatomy and even in those courses she’d only paid half the attention she should have. “You’ll have to give me some references first, let me see if comparing you is even worth my time or whatever,” she teased.

"What makes you think I would want to come to that shitshow?" Isaac asked, cursing quietly as they had already earned the ire of the librarian. Isaac shook his head at her, "I did no such thing," He claimed, even though he had ruined her notes. They were all wrong anyway; what he had done was an improvement, in his modest opinion. Unless she had been talking about the messages they had passed back and forth in class, and the thought amused him, had she kept the ones she had?

The wizard watched her closely when she spoke to him, knowing she was talking out of her ass but wanting to see what she looked like when she was lying. There was no way Magnolia had anything to compare to. Nothing about how she acted around him told him any different, and Isaac always believed his first impressions of people until proved wrong. "What, and spoil you before your dreamy wedding to the Egyptian sun-God over there?" Isaac said, waving his hand in poor Horus' direction and not caring if he noticed.

"For your sake, I hope his last name is something ridiculous." Tongue between his teeth, the teenager, smiled brightly. He wasn't keeping his voice down, not enough that people around them wouldn't hear.  Horus probably had listened to their entire conversation. They were over here planning his future, after all, so it would be a shame if he didn't get any input. The Ravenclaw closed his textbook slowly, and Isaac saw him approaching out of the corner of his eye. Leaning back in his seat, front legs off the ground, the Slytherin waited for whatever was about to come next.

"It's Heyward," He said from behind blushed cheeks and the tiniest bit of stubble. It must have just started growing, but it was dark, like the rest of his hair and his olive complexion. "Horus Heyward the Third, to be exact," The Ravenclaw informed them, and Isaac sat forward loudly. "For fuck's sake, you are not serious?" He looked between Magnolia and the newcomer before speaking again, "Oh shit, you are," Isaac bit his tongue, and Horus glared at him before shuffling off with his bookbag and whatever dignity he had left. Isaac turned to Magnolia slowly, blinking twice, before bursting into laughter.

"Horus... might as well call him bore-us," Isaac said between entirely too loud laughs.

“My wedding is going to be amazing, it’ll only be a shitshow if you decide to show up,” she retorted, the entire thing a game she was more than happy to play, especially if it meant talking about a guy she only had to pretend to like with the guy she sort of actually liked. It probably would have sounded very twisted to anyone outside of her own head but the girl had done worse to get a boy’s attention; it wasn’t something she took pride in but she’d have to reflect on that a few months later when she resolved to stop crushing on boys she couldn’t really have, again.

Either way, at least that Horus kid wasn’t half bad if you looked at him from their angle, and he was a Ravenclaw so maybe Billie could vouch for him? Magnolia knew that if Killian heard word that she was after a Ravenclaw this time, he’d be proud, even if it was all just for show.

“Spoil me he says,” she rolled her eyes before bursting in laughter, quieting down when the library gave her another look in warning, it was obvious that the older witch was getting fed up but nobody was studying anyway and it seemed a waste not to enjoy herself once in a while. The lady would have probably been rolling in laughter at Horus’ expense had she heard what they were saying. “You are so full of yourself, really, sounds like you’re making up for all that you lack, at least you’re funny,” she patted his back in an effort to pretend that she actually felt sorry for him because she really did, for having such a ginormous ego.

He was kind of cute when he was so confident, she noted, but only just a little because Magnolia was totally not swooning or anything, the Gryffindor did not swoon for assholes like this one. “Horus is a pretty cool name, I’m sure that whatever comes after it will be equally cool, much better than Hackney, that’s for sure,” she added, hoping (for her sake) that the boy’s name didn’t end up being something absolutely ridiculous because that sort of thing would just be her luck.

Thankfully, Magnolia didn’t have to wait long at all, for the great bird-deity made his approach and revealed the great mystery of his last name. But before she had a chance to comment on his name, Isaac had already burst into laughter at the poor guy’s expense. Smiling up at Horus, she pretended to ignore Isaac, “Don’t worry about him, he’s just upset that I’d rather go on a date with you than with him, but to be honest it isn’t much of competition,” she said, “let’s hang out sometime, yeah? If you—” she started but was shushed by the librarian, who was now glaring daggers into her eyes. “He’s helping me with my homework!” she insisted to the older woman. 

Isaac couldn't stop laughing, even while the poor Ravenclaw was right there in front of them; he laughed so hard that his cheeks started to hurt. He was mean, but that was no different from any other afternoon. The Slytherin's eyes were closed as he chuckled wholeheartedly and entirely at the other wizard's expense. When Magnolia asked Horus out on a date, right there in front of Isaac, his tune changed. "Seriously?" He asked before his mind could wrap itself around what she was doing. Logically he knew it was a trap, but in his vindictive glee, he was caught off guard and fell right into it.

"Fine date him," He told her, "Magnolia and the bird-boy, it has a good ring to it," Isaac narrowed his eyes and laughed some more. He could pretend it didn't bother him that she'd just flung herself at some pitiful Ravenclaw. He could pretend. Still laughing as the librarian shushed them for the hundredth time, Isaac's voice followed Magnolia.

"No, she is keeping me from finishing mine!" He shouted, and soon enough, the librarian was pushing up from her chair; obviously, she had had enough of their nonsense for one afternoon. And Isaac was back to laughing.

“See Horus, we’ve even got Hackney’s blessing,” she teased, having absolutely no intention of ever going on a date with Ravenclaw even if she was saying the complete opposite. If anything, she was enjoyed the slight change in Isaac’s demeanor and wondered if it had anything to do with her turning his joke right back at him by pretending that it hadn’t phased her at all. If that was the case, she might have even considered going ahead and giving Horus one date to see what he was all about to brag to him about it. All for the sake of a well-played game of course.

“Horus,” she emphasized, “Horus and Magnolia does have a nice ring to it, doesn’t it?” she smirked, “and a Ravenclaw too, my friends will be very proud, and imagine how much my grades are going to improve too,” she added considerably, though she could tell that Horus wasn’t all that thrilled about spending time with her, even if he wasn’t saying it out loud. Too bad he had already gotten dragged into their little tiff and she wasn’t just about to let him walk away from her now.

“I think Isaac deserves detention, looks like he’s missing his friends already,” she continued, giving him a look as the librarian approached them. It wasn’t looking good if the expression on her face was anything to go by. “You better hope you don’t get me in trouble,” she whispered angrily (though not really angry, she was still giggling) in Isaac’s direction. As usual, everything was starting to become his fault.

Isaac couldn't believe she was sitting there flirting with this dweeb right in front of him. It was nauseating; he did not want to watch this. Shifting uncomfortably in his seat, the Slytherin made faces at everything that she said to the Ravenclaw. If she were going to be like this, he would ruin any chance she had with this kid. "Good luck, mate, she is bat shit crazy," He pretended to be informative, squinting at the other wizard in a very nerdy sort of way, and then chuckled.

Eventually, the boy left, and Isaac felt slightly better, but it wouldn't be long before the librarian was on her way over instead, and Isaac was blaming Magnolia. Hoping she'd catch detention and he would be free, the Slytherin moved quickly to steal one of her text books. He'd left whatever nonsense he'd been pretending to read on the other desk when he came to bug her, and he didn't have any homework left to finish.

Sliding the book in front of him as the librarian reached them and Magnolia finished whispering, he stuck his tongue out at her. "Both of you, out," The librarian nearly shouted at them, pointing her long sharp nails at the exit and standing her ground. There was a firm frown on her face, causing all sorts of wrinkles, and it made Isaac not want to tempt fate. "Fine," He said softly, grabbing the book he was still pretending was his and hurrying out of his chair as loudly as possible. "I have already finished my homework, anyway," Isaac began, his features turning into a smug grin as he turned to Magnolia.

"What about you Ms. Hawkins?"

Magnolia frowned at Isaac, hitting his forearm rather hard, angry that he’d even say something like that, “I am not,” she insisted but she could tell that the damage had already been done in the way that Horus was giving her a look like he believed exactly what the Slytherin boy was saying about her. First he was making fun of them together and now he was trying to interfere with her accepting his challenge? He was so annoyingly counterintuitive and it frustrated her to no end.

Before she could say anything else to save her honor, the poor Ravenclaw retreated, almost too quickly for her liking, and just as he had the librarian made her way over. Sighing heavily and rolling her eyes, the Gryffindor girl leaned back in her chair, almost assured that the woman would have nothing nice to say to the two of them. Of course, before she had had the time to get her story straight, he had already taken the book out of her hands and she was left to deal with the fury of the librarian on her own.

As soon as the woman demanded that they leave she started gathering her things with a pout, glaring at Isaac when he talked to her. “You’re a prat,” she announced, bumping into him as she passed by him, on her way to the door, “I’m all done anyway,” she added with a shrug, though Magnolia had only managed to start a bunch of old assignments she had no intention to finish.

Isaac rubbed the place where Magnolia had smacked his arm, it stung a little from the force, but the smirk remained on his face. Horus took his leave, and honestly, the Slytherin was grateful for it. Things were going to get weird if the Ravenclaw hung around any longer. And he did not want to watch Magnolia flirting with him ever again. Nola's future husband's dismissal brought the librarian's arrival, and honestly, Isaac wasn't sure which one he would prefer. She told them to leave, and after some parting words, Isaac did as he was instructed, stealing one of Magnolia's books in the process, and headed for the door.

"Pouting is not a good look on you," He told her as she bumped past him on the way out. He let out a howl of laugher when they were safely outside of the library. Leaning against the stone wall just outside the large oak doors, Isaac held tightly to the book he'd stolen from her and waited for her to turn around. He could have followed her, probably should have; Merlin knew he wanted to, but waiting to see if she would return to him was more interesting. He looked down at the book, Advanced Arithmancy, and mouthed his confusion about her being in the class once more. It wasn't that he didn't think she could figure it out if she were motivated enough; it was that Isaac hadn't thought of her as the sort to be interested in Advanced Arithmancy in the first place. Sure it was like divination, it told the future, but it was also a lot of mathematics.

"Do you not want this back?" He called after her just for insurance. Isaac didn't want the conversation to end yet, but it wasn't like he would be nice about it or anything.

Magnolia just knew that if she kept trying to keep up with Isaac, the consequences would eventually outweigh all this thrill of chasing after his attention. She had resolved not to talk to him any longer and had decided to ignore him and whatever silly little rude statements he threw her way. This was risky, even for her. Case in point, this was the second time she had gotten in trouble thanks to him and though she had apologized to the librarian as she was leaving, Magnolia wasn’t sure if the woman was convinced or if she was trying to give them detention anyway. The girl had been there with no intention of returning and would be pretty upset if she was assigned detention again, especially with this annoying boy she was trying to get away from.

Once she had left the library, she had resolved to get away from him, maybe find Mavis or Josie and spend the afternoon catching up on gossip or just using each other as an accountability check for homework assignments. Her plan was a short-lived one, though, because as soon as she had made her way a little down the hall, he called out to her and of course, being the nosy witch that she was but also being a teenager that was way too interested in boys for her own good, she turned around, stalking back to him with a huff.

“May I have my book back?” she asked in the politest manner she could, hoping that this would somehow give him the sense to be at least minimally decent. But where Isaac was involved, she doubted that was possible.

"What will you give me for it?" Isaac asked; it was a basic game, but he still wanted to play. Steal something from the girl, ask her for payment to get it back, it was childish but also a classic, and Isaac had a penchant for the classics. She was polite, but it just made him more impish. Smirking as he leaned against the wall, the Slytherin wondered how long before she stomped off or smacked him, and if his buddies were here, they might even take bets on it. He was glad they weren't, though. Duncan and Allison had left the library some time ago, Horus too, he was glad that kid was nowhere in sight, and it was just the two of them.

"I could think of some things?" Teasing her with a wiggle of his eyebrows, Isaac pulled out all the stops in his attempt to press her buttons. She irritated him, so he aggravated her back, it was a push and pull and not at all how people should treat each other, but Isaac never did what he was supposed to.

“If you’re trying to extort something from me, you’d be better off not using a book,” she scoffed, realizing that though the class was supposed to be important to her, considering how hard she had studied to get in (once in a lifetime sort of studying) she wasn’t that invested in getting the book back if it meant giving Isaac anything. “But,” she smirked, coming closer to him as she did, invading as much of his personal space as she could, “sounds like you just want a reason to keep my stuff,” she lowered her voice, making sure that no one passing by could hear her, making sure they would make their own assumptions about what was going on and he’d get uncomfortable. Magnolia had decided that there was nothing more entertaining than to make the Slytherin boy regret ever putting himself in this situation in the first place.

“Or,” she started, taking a step back again, “you could just give me my book back, since I’m sure my new boyfriend Horus wouldn’t like me colluding with the enemy,” she added, giving him a little smile as she said it. Magnolia had absolutely no intention of ever dating the Ravenclaw officially though she wasn’t opposed to going on a date with him once or twice just to prove Isaac wrong. In different circumstances, she might have considered this sort of behavior deplorable, she wasn’t completely heartless and what if the poor boy liked her and she broke his heart? Though considering the looks the Ravenclaw was giving her earlier, it seemed like he was well aware of her intentions all along. Either way, she would go as far as she could if it meant that she could claim another small victory. 

Isaac knew he was mean to her, holding her book hostage, picking on her, and generally making her afternoon as frustrating as possible, but that didn't mean he was going to stop. It was partly because she annoyed him (what he told himself) and partly because he did want to spend more time with her (the truth he would never admit). It wasn't unlike the Slytherin to be rude, condescending, and even a thief, but he didn't typically go to this much effort for any of it. Magnolia was worth the effort, even if the teenager hadn't quite figured it all out yet.

"Oh, really, what would be more useful?" Isaac questioned casually, acting like he wasn't threatening her personal property and asking for more ammunition in the same breath. Her smirk caught him, though, and it wiped his right off of his face before he shook his head. "You would like to think that, huh?" Isaac's smile was gone, but he was as smug as ever. There was no way he'd let her get the better of that exchange, not when he had all the cards. Or the Slytherin thought he did, at least. Pushing away from the wall to stand in front of her, he held the book out for her to take.

"Does he know you are already calling him that Magnolia?"

“So, the Ravenclaws scare you too, huh?” she teased as he held out the book for her, taking it from him almost immediately in case he tried any more funny business. In all honesty, Magnolia didn’t find any of the Ravenclaws intimidating at all (well with that one exception) but apparently her semi-threat had wiped that smirk right off of Isaac’s face so at least it was working. On second thought, Horus sort of did look like the type of guy that could find a sinister way to get his revenge if he needed to and he had knowledge which was always a dangerous thing in the wrong hands.

His question made her smile a little and wonder whether he thought she was serious and if he cared. A small part of her got excited at the prospect that her “intention” had made him a little jealous and that he might, in turn, try to foil her plans at going out with the Ravenclaw. But if Isaac went through all that trouble, it would probably have something to do with his need to be a total jerk to her all the time. She could not imagine him having one kind bone in his body, but she had considered what that might be like, a girl could dream after all. Regardless, her intentions were almost nonexistent. Magnolia was almost certain that Horus did not have it in him to be as interesting (and infuriating) as Isaac. And there was nothing the girl hated more than a boring person.

“Oh, I’m sure he’ll be thrilled,” she replied, it was a little arrogant for her to assume but really it was all just a game. “Wanna bet that I can make it happen? I’ll have a date with him by the end of the week,” she added. Magnolia was really talking herself up here but it was hard not to when Isaac was around.

"Do you think he scares me?" Isaac laughed at the idea because it was silly. Horus might have been built like a statue, but he was a Ravenclaw, and that meant slow and meek. While Isaac wasn't the sort of wizard, who was getting into fights every other day, he was still fairly certain he could take the Egyptian boy-king if he had to. Not that he would, because even if there was a legitimate reason to duel him, Isaac just knew Magnolia would make it about her. The witch twisted things too easily, and based on what she was saying, Isaac figured she would assume it was some fight for her honor. And he was not looking to get in that drama.

"You do realize that you are objectifying him?" Isaac made a clicking sound with his tongue on the roof of his mouth and folded his arms across his chest. "Boreus is a person, he has feelings, and he deserves your respect." Even though his voice was serious, Isaac was having difficulty keeping the smirk from showing on his face. This was a ridiculous thing for the Slytherin to say, especially considering who he was and how he treated everyone around him, but accusing her of doing the same things was too much fun to resist.

"I thought you were better than that, Hawkins,"

“Well you gave the book right back, didn’t you?” she offered, trying to find a nonexistent connection between his actions and what she was saying but coming up a little short. Not that it stopped her from speculating some more, that was something she had much talent in, no matter what anyone said differently.

But she never expected him to pull that card, that whole ‘you aren’t thinking about his feelings’ thing that suddenly made her track her words back. “No,” she started out slowly, “No I’m not, you know what I mean,” she insisted, looking around to make sure that no one was overhearing the conversation and formulating not very nice opinions about her. The whole thing was completely innocent, and Isaac knew that…right? Now she felt a little guilty for saying it the way that he had. Of course, Horus had a choice (if she was serious) but would he like tell her no? (if she was serious). And that only unlocked a completely different set of feelings, many relating to her own sense of insecurity. Or what if he already had a girlfriend? But really? Horus could get a girlfriend and she couldn’t even get one date? Her mind was spinning out of control again.

“Well, I’ll ask him and he’s completely within his rights to say no and…” she frowned, “if he says no that’s totally fine because he has a choice. So the point is…” she let out a frustrated sigh, “ugh, never mind, you are awful, I do hope you realize how serious I am when I’m telling you this,” she added, rolling her eyes at him.