--------------------Fancy seeing you here---------------

As promised, Aiden arrived at the library in perfect timing. The door to the library creaked softly as he pushed it open, the familiar scent of dust, old parchment, and polish meeting him like an academic slap in the face. His eyes swept the room with a practiced disinterest, noting the hunched OWL and NEWT students cramming like their lives depended on it. He, mercifully, was not one of them. He spotted Sophie almost immediately—by the window, predictably. Her hair was piled artfully on her head, and she was wearing some kind of subtle makeup—nothing flashy, but noticeable enough that it wasn’t her usual look. Not the same look she'd had a few hours prior in class.

Aiden slowed as he approached, one brow twitching upward. He tilted his head and gave her a lazy once-over. “You look like you’re trying to impress someone. Don’t tell me it’s me.” If so, she'd be disappointed. Probably. It took more than some makeup to impress him. Though a pretty face was a good start, if it wasn't accompanied by a difficult personality. There was that half-smirk again, but his voice had lost its usual edge. He looked tired, somehow, like he hadn’t stopped thinking about what she'd said earlier—or more likely, what she hadn’t said. That he was forced to be here played a part too, of course.

He reached into his bag and pulled out the parchment with his notes and the textbook from earlier, flipping it open to the same page. “Still no known cure, in case you were wondering,” he muttered, running a finger along the margin of his notes. Whether he admitted it or not, he’d started to suspect there was more to this library meeting than just the homework.

“And if it was? Would that make you actually try to pass this class?” Sophie studied her fingernails, refusing to pay him as much as a glance while she straight up insulted him. "Besides, you wouldn't know what to do with it."

If his patience wasn't worn thin already, it was now. Aiden narrowed his eyes at her, an annoying tick in his jaw, trying to gauge if she was purposefully trying to get a rise out of him. The prissy little Hufflepuff probably was. To some degree it was working- but probably not in the way she was aiming for. Once again, he wasn't failing, and the fact that she kept trying to push the narrative that Aiden was aiming for Trolls was start to piss him right off. There was no point in correcting her, however. Since she clearly had already made up her mind.

"You're right, that would be a waste of time," he simply agreed and returned to the books and notes, calmly considering the circumstances. But the tension in his jaw spoke for itself, even if he wasn't looking at her now. If she actually had been trying to impress him — which he still hadn’t ruled out — Aiden figured she might be right. He wouldn’t know what to do with it. Not because he was insecure, but because at this point he didn’t care. At most, he’d enjoy the attention for a moment, flirt just enough to reestablish control, then move on like always.

Right now, he was too inconvenienced to feel even the faintest flicker of desire. No matter how pretty she might have been. Aiden didn’t doubt most guys would be thrilled to have her attention — he just didn’t see the appeal if it meant slaying a metaphorical dragon and scaling a castle to get there. It was not worth it. No girl was worth all that work. To be honest, he didn't even like girls all that much, and this interaction reminded him of why.

What was supposed to be a peaceful study session was short lived, which only confirmed his suspicions that she was not actually here to only study. Sighing, Aiden dragged his gaze from the book to the blonde girl in front of him when she spoke. "Do you always try so hard with girls? You don't seem the type to waste precious seconds on frivoulous things such as girls." It had nothing to do with werewolves, might he add. The question made him scoff, raising an incredulous eyebrow at her, for once amused by something she said. "I’m not trying,” he said flatly, tilting his head. He didn’t know what made her think he was, unless it was delusion and a way to try to get a reaction out of him. At least Sophie was right about one thing: he didn't waste his time with girls. Especially not ones that thought they were clever playing stupid games. With an eye-roll, he continued reading and taking notes. End of discussion.

Not long after, a sudden giggle made him pause. Aiden glanced up at her, eyes already narrowed into suspicious slits, catching her making eyes and smiling at some kid in substitute for the lack of attention Aiden was paying her. Or at least that's how he interpreted her sudden desperate need for flirting. The boy in question, some scrawny gryffindor, looked like christmas had arrived early. You've got to be kidding me. What was the damn point in dragging him here if she wasn't even going to focus on the assignment?

Sophie stood up and told him to go find her when he'd finished research, then left with a flourish, albeit leaving a pink scarf behind. Maybe a promise that she would return, or perhaps an invite for him to go chasing after her. Either way, he saw through it. Aiden stared after her in disbelief, flabbergasted by the sheer audacity of this girl. There were some irony to the situation, too. For someone so concerned with her grades, why did she leave him to do the research if she thought he would settle for trolls? Clearly, someone had not thought this through.