Don't Make Me Laugh (Open)

[Tallulah Skeffington]

The trip here had not been what she expected. She didn't have a choice on where she would be going. Tallulah never had a choice. As she arrived in Hogsmeade her father and mother gave her a quick kiss kiss and walked off, apparating back at their house she presumed. With a perfectly formed pout she walked on, towards her new school. Her new hell. The walk up wasn't bad. She wore ballet flats, though her mother told her to wear heels. She wanted Tallulah to make an entrance, to show the school who their new queen bee was. All she wanted to do was go back home. To appease her mother she let her pick out the rest of her outfit. She was told to wear her blue skinny jeans (the ones that made her bum look nice), one of her tight black shirts, a cashmere sweater her aunt bought her, and her pea coat. Tallulah tried to talk her mother out of the outfit, but as her mum always said, "Mother knows best!"

She neared the entrance of the school. She stopped, looking up at the castle's towers. The school was beautiful, she had to admit. Like the fairy dream castle she always wanted to live in. Tallulah walked through the gates, and onward to her new home. As she got closer she could see students sitting around and hanging out. This wasn't her crowd what so ever. With a bored sigh she kept walking, pulling her jacket closer around her lithe frame. So, this is what they do here? Sit around? Boy, and I thought bringing some fun to this school would be hard! She thought as she stifled a yawn.

She came upon the Entrance Doors, these huge wooden doors. She noticed as most would that they were not opened. With a quick look around she noticed that no one was even thinking about her predicament. After a few seconds she lifted up her hand to knock the door but as her hand got a few inches away the doors creaked open, welcoming her into the school. This brought an amused smirk to Tallulah's face. She stepped in, looking around yet again. Some people, no one she knew or wanted to know for that matter.

[Emeric Troy III]

The mere fact that Emeric had been able to wake up that morning was something to be proud of. He had no lessons to be attending, there wasn't anything planned at the school as the Hogsmeade visit had been last weekend. That had also been rather uneventful despite his run in with Matty. He was indifferent to the girl, and truth be told, Emeric wasn't even sure how to feel about his run in with her at all. He liked her company, but he always had the knowledge of being somewhat above her looming in the back of his mind.

Saturday morning. Emeric woke up with a slow groggy start, waking himself up and getting dressed in his normal Saturday attire, clean pressed jeans, white dress shirt complimented by a black tie and his normal black blazer over it. He wok himself up enough to head down to the Great Hall to eat a quick breakfast consisting of eggs and toast. A bland breakfast, for a bland morning. Nothing was happening at all, his homework had been completed some time ago, his friends were, as per usual, mostly non-existent at that particular moment in time.

Exiting the Great Hall with a few younger Slytherin students, Emeric began talking to them about the somewhat recent Quidditch game of Slytherin versus Ravenclaw. A brutal defeat, surely, but Emeric didn't mind. The Slytherin team was no match for the forces of the Ravenclaw team, he knew it to be true. He didn't feel bad for the members of the Slytherin team, though. If anything, the loss would help them to become closer as a team and work harder for the next match, if they even survived it. Quidditch, the ever popular topic at Hogwarts, was at least something everyone could talk about at the school.

Emeric's talking ceased as he spotted someone walking into the Great Hall. He shooed the younger lads away with a quick glare that sent them scattering off. His eyes returned quickly to the girl, for he recognized her. The pout on her lips, the way she looked around the place with a certain amount of smugness in her eyes. A smirk formed upon the Slytherin's lips as he walked over to Miss Tallulah Skeffington.

[Tallulah Skeffington]

The time Tallulah had already spent in Hogwarts was enough to make the girl cringe. She didn't want to be there. She looked around the hall seeing no one she'd relate to. She usually found someone she could talk to but alas she was stuck there all by herself. To her right she saw a few boys from some other house, and by the look of them they were deffinately not in her house. The were pointing at her and whispering. She only her parts of their conversation but from what she heard they were wondering where someone like her came from. She distinctly heard one boy go, "She isn't a Hogwarts student. They don't make them like that here." She smirked at what he said. At least she hadn't lost her power. Oh, it was addicting. At least she had that.

She took another glance around the hall. Still no one she'd talk to. She felt someone tap her shoulder. She turned around to be greeted by the boy who talked about her. He was smiling with a stupid grin on his face. She gave him back a little smirk, nothing more. "Are you new?" He asked, by the looks of him he was almost slobbering over himself.

Tallulah gave him a little nod. "Yes, I am new. How could you tell?" She was pretty sure she didn't stick out that much. Her eyes went back to him, his grin ceaselessly there. She sighed a little, hoping this small show of her boredom would make him go away. Sadly, he just stood there. Pity, She thought, If he walked away I might have liked him. She really needed someone else to amuse her. Now.

As if someone from up above heard her someone else was walking towards her. And she knew him. Emeric Troy III to be exact. Though they hadn't seen each other in a year or two he still looked the same. And yet he looked different. Better. Handsome. He grew into his looks well. Her bored smile turned into a slightly malicious one. With that she turned back to the first boy and said goodbye. The boy seemed to notice Emeric walk up and how Tallulah seemed to respond to him. She watched him walk over, still smiling. "Well, well, well. Emeric. You look....dashing." She flashed another smile, flashing her perfect white teeth. Maybe this school wouldn't suck.

[Emeric Troy III]

Emeric watched with interest as a slightly dissapointed and put out Gryffindor walked away from Tal. Poor lad, falling under her spell. He shook his head in pity as he watched the Gryffindor return to his small group of friends and shoot daggers in Emeric's direction.

His eyes scanned back to Tal, and he noticed that she looked exactly the same as she had the last time Emeric had seen her, only this time around she looked older, more sophisticated and more... beautiful. She had clearly grown into her beauty as she aged. And she didn't look like she was trying too hard, which had always been a great accomplishment for Tal in Emeric's eyes. Most girl's tried too hard to look beautiful, or pretty or even ' cool. ' It was over-rated, really but Tallulah pulled it off well. His eyes quickly scanned over her as he neared closer.

'Well, well, well. Emeric. You look.... dashing. ' He smiled his most charming smile, reaching for her hand and kissing it lightly. " And you look more beautiful than ever. Although, I have to say, I never thought I'd see the likes of you at Hogwart's. " It was true, Tal had always been a Beauxbaton's girl. Emeric glanced over his shoulder, sending a smirk at the still put out looking Gryffindor. He dropped his hands back into his pockets as he looked back to Tallulah, still wondering what she was doing at Hogwarts looking so... ravishing.

[Tallulah Skeffington]

Her smile stayed put on Emeric as he walked up to her. Her eyes scanned him over. Though he was a year younger he was still good. If he mum had been there she'd be pushing Tallulah all over him but she wasn't and now it was her turn to be captain of her life. When he got close enough he picked up her hand and kissed it. What a gentleman, She though, her smirk still slightly malicious. Boys needed to be more like him.

She giggled lightly as he complimented her. When others complimented her it sounded different, fake if one may say so but when Emeric did it sounded real. Like her meant it. She brushed her bangs out of her eyes, still watching him. She noticed him look over she shoulder at the Gryffindor she'd rejected. Feeling a little evil she also looked back, giving him another devilish smile. As she turned back the smile didn't cease. "Well thank you Emeric." She said quietly, only to him. Some people in the hall were staring at them. Tallulah took note of this. It must have been because her. Another victory cry from her ego. "I know. Mummy and Daddy didn't like Beauxbaton anymore. Said there were undesirables being let in." She nodded as she said this, her smile went to a smug smirk.

[Emeric Troy III]

Emeric didn't hide the fact that he was looking Tal over still. Why should he? It was clear that she was used to being looked at by guys, and probably reveled in it as well. He couldn't blame anyone for staring at her, though, she wasn't the type of girl that anyone saw all too often. She had a classy look about her, something Emeric admired about a girl.

' Well thank you Emeric. ' He only nodded his head slightly, not feeling the need to say the standard ' you're welcome. ' If anything, he should thank her. He scoffed at her comment, though, finding it ironic that her parents would say something like that about Beauxbatons and then send their lovely only daughter off to Hogwarts. Although he knew Tul's parents, and he wasn't so sure that they always knew best. " Have they been here yet? Surely Beauxbatons must be better than this place. " Hogwarts wasn't a dump or anything, but Emeric would have liked for them to be more choosy about who they let in regarding blood status.

[Tallulah Skeffington]

She listened to what he said about Beauxbatons and Hogwarts. He was right about one thing, Beauxbatons was nicer looking but her parents still didn't want her there. She shrugged lightly, glancing at the rest of the kids in the hall for a second, then back to Emeric. "They didn't like the school after all. Things went down. Mummy didn't like the people I was calling my friends. So then they took me out and now I'm here." She grinned again, though this one was a bit melencholy. "And no, they haven't been here yet. Haven't been back since they graduated. I don't think they'll be coming here anytime soon."

"Enough about me. What about you? Are you still breaking hearts? As you walked over a few girls glared at me." She glanced over to them. To her surprise they were still glaring. With a smirk to them she turned back to Emeric. "Oh, lucky me. They're still staring" She could have laughed loudly at those girls for being such prats but that would be unladylike, and that was not Tallulah at all.

[Emeric Troy III]

Ah, the news that Tal had been taken out of school because of her choice in friends wasn't all the surprising. She liked to manipulate, and it was likely that she had decided to manipulate the wrong person and had gotten got hanging around them by her parents. A pity, but Emeric was safe in thinking that having Tal at Hogwarts would make things a lot more interesting. " Well, good to have you here if you can't be there. " He said lightly with a small nod. Again, Emeric wasn't surprised that her parents hadn't been at Hogwarts in a while. The place had changed, he had heard, greatly from the time that their parents would have attended the school.

His smirk turned into one of the smug variety as she asked if he was still breaking hearts. He didn't answer, only turned and gave the said girls a smile. Might as well give them something. " Breaking hearts, I don't know about that, Tal. A gentleman doesn't kiss and tell. " He said in a coy tone of voice, his smug smirk still in place as he looked the girl over still. " And what about you, still tearing up those boys over at Beauxbatons? " He asked curiously, feeling as if he already knew the answer.

[Tallulah Skeffington]

She grinned again, as he said it was good that she was there. If she had to be anywhere she'd rather be at Hogwarts. If she had private tutors she'd go insane. Home was never the place for her. Her mother could be a total slave driver if she wanted to be. If Tallulah could have it her way she'd have left her parents, or well as she called them her creators a long time ago. They never did anything 'parent like' to her. Ever.

She glanced at the girls again, then back to Emeric. A small grin appeared on her lips. "You're right, you are a true gentleman." She moved a step in closer towards Emeric, her grin getting a little wider. He wasn't a boy she could wrap around her finger, he was exactly like her, something she never come up against. "The boys at Beauxbaton were quite hard to catch, but I never go down without a fight." She raised an eyebrow, knowing she wouldn't have to say anymore after that.

[Emeric Troy III]

Ah, it was good to be talking to someone from back home. Emeric had known Tal for a few years now, due to their parents knowing one another through business and social functions. It was refreshing to be talking to someone who, like Emeric, felt above some of the people at Hogwarts. Well, a lot of the people at Hogwarts. Tal had the same outlooks as him on a variety of important topics. He grinned with ease as he looked down to the girl.

" A true gentleman? Why thank you Tal. Means a lot... coming from a lady and all. " He said with a small roll of his eyes as he poked fun at the girl. Emeric couldn't believe that he was only a fourth year. Most of the people he talked to, with the exceptions of Jax and Lianna on random occassions, were fifth years. At least he would have most of his classes with Tal, though. It was bound to get interesting, of course. He smirked lightly as she stepped closer to him and said her little bit about not going down with a fight. " You might find the Hogwarts boys, with a few exceptions, to be unfit for you, m'dear. "

[Tallulah Skeffington]

He smirk grew a little wider as he poked fun at her. If anyone else did that they'd most likely end up with a nicely placed hex and a week in the Hospital Wing. A light chuckle escaped from her lips. "You always knew how to compliment a lady." Her eyes went to his again, she was still smirking. Her body language was playful as ever. She couldn't toy with him, but they could play nicely together. As nice as two Slytherins could.


Her smirk faltered a little as he said how Hogwarts boys wouldn't be up to her standards. She gave a quick look around at the boys in the hall. Whatever was left of her smirk vanished in an instant. She looked back at him, now slightly annoyed at the state she'd been left in. She thought for a second. With a few exceptions..., He said. Her smirk came back. She turned to fully face him as she said, "And who might those boys be?"

[Emeric Troy III]

This dance they had, it was an old one that they had developed some time ago. A teasing, flirty, compliment filled dance. Emeric was more than willing to partake in it, of course. The younger Slytherin watched in amusement as he watched Tal's smirk dissapear off of her face. She looked dissapointed, but as she turned back to him, Emeric noticed her smirk was in full spring once again. He hadn't expected much of anything less, though.

He shrugged his shoulders, not bothering to answer at first. He turned away from the girl, looking back around the hall to the various groups that were gathered around. " Care to go on a bit of a walk, love? " He ventured, finally turning around back to Tal without answering her question. As far as Emeric was concerned, he had the upperhand at that moment. The way he preferred, really. " I can give you the tour. " He said with a quick glance around the place. If this was indeed her first time at the school than it might be a bit confusing. He tried to imagine Tal asking anyone for help genuinely without intentions of manipulating them in some way. The mere thought widened his smirk slightly.

[Tallulah Skeffington]

Tallulah noticed he didn't answer her question. She bit her lip, wondering why he didn't answer her question. They were always like this, playing with each other in the worst ways. This made her smirk turn a bit more malicious then seductive as it was before. She sighed a little, showing a little displeasure. He liked to in control and so did she. This was going to be a fun ride.

"A walk would be nice," She said in her best bedroom voice. She gave him her devil may care grin. "Where will you take me? Or is that part of some secret plan?" Tallulah pulled her coat off, showing her slim upper body under a cashmere sweater. Distantly she could hear one of the boys say something else about her body. This time she didn't turn back to grin at them. She had better things to look at.

[Emeric Troy III]

Emeric only smiled nicely at the Slytherin girl's malicious smirk. If there was one thing he thought she would hate, it would be ' nice. ' It wasn't her in most cases, or at least when it came to Emeric. When the two were together, nice was overrated and dismissed completely. Teasing, playful and sometimes mean, was usually the way to go for the two adolescents. " Not part of my secret plan, exactly. But I won't tell you anyway. " He said, leading her down the hall and starting down some stairs. He would show her the Slytherin Commons first, then head up the castle's many flights of stairs.

He turned, noticing that the girl had taken her sweater off. Being the slightly shallow teenage boy that he was, Emeric admire from afar before sending another sweet smile at the girl. Fight malice with niceness, that was the key. He hoped it drove Tal absolutely batty, especially with him not answering her question as she wanted him to.

[Tallulah Skeffington]

Her eyes looked at him for a second, trying to figure him out. She had some idea of what he was thinking but she wasn't truly she what she was thinking was right. Without a shrug or any sort of show that she was thinking about Emeric she walked down the stairs next to him. As they walked she noticed he looked her over when she took off her jacket. Her smile turned seductive again, alluring. She knew she'd never have full power over him, but she could make him want her and that was all that mattered.

Usually she'd make a boy want her then just drop him but with Emeric she probably would follow through with him. They'd make a scheming, yet beautiful couple. Both of their looks would even out. They were each the same amount of gorgeous. She couldn't help but glance at him every once and a while. She knew this was giving him power over her but at least the power was going to someone worthy, someone she could be seen with.

"Ooh, you can't tell me? How very.....naughty." Her smirk turned angelic, almost too angelic. She looked a bit sinister as they descended the stairwell. As they walked down the last few steps she noticed that they were now in the dungeons. She looked around at her dank surroundings. Tallulah turned around to look at Emeric, her smile still there. "Where would we be now, love?"