When Petty Arguments Are the Only Option PV Elsian C. Finished

Alec was late.

It wasn’t by much, just a few minutes really, but somehow the fact that it was Alec he had to study with made the minutes feel like hours stuck waiting on the other boy thanks to his poor timing. If it had been anyone else, anyone at all, he didn’t think he would be nearly as annoyed. Sadly, that wasn’t the case, and he was stuck with his housemate for the next few days until they got this stupid group studying over with.

“About time,” he’d muttered, flicking through a page of his transfiguration book.

Aside from this however, Elsian would not press the issue. He was just eager to get this whole thing over with, hopefully with a passable grade by the end of it.

There were a few times he went to ask the other boy a question, quick to stamp down the lingering annoyance and tension in the air as he quickly scratched down notes onto paper. They hadn’t been working long, not even close, but so far Elsian was pretty happy with how far they were getting; or rather, how far along he was getting in the notes. He couldn’t be sure if the other was actually learning anything worthwhile, let alone if he was bothering to actually write down as many notes as he should for his side of the project.

It was so boring.

For what was probably the 6th time in 15 minutes he stifled a quiet yawn, tired tears prickling at the corners of his eyes. The words on the page were blurry; he forced himself to re-read the page about the branches of Transfiguration and the dangers of not understanding the finer points of said subject possessed as he yawned again. The count went up.

The sound of the chair scratching along the floor shouldn’t have been nearly as loud as it seemed at that moment, practically clawing at his ears like nails on a chalkboard and sending the boy's gaze flashing up to peek at his reluctant partner as he stood with his book. He probably didn’t mean to, but the way he got up was loud and distracting, it shook their table and sent a wobbly line of ink through the word Elsian had written. Annoying, but not unbearable. He ignored it, pointedly glaring at the book, trying to focus on the words instead of the newly rhythmic tapping of shoes against the floor of the library.

Tap, tap, tap. It was quiet. Barely there.

Step. Step. Step. Step. Step. Pause, turn. And begin again.

It was so distracting!

“Can you maybe stop that!” He snapped, quill snapping against the table. “Or are you incapable of sitting still for more than 30 minutes at a time?” He couldn’t focus when he was making that stupid noise while pacing! “Seriously, are you a toddler or something? Stop squirming so freaking much.”

As Alec paced and read he would skim two to four pages of the book he was reading, followed by heading back towards the table to quickly and not very neatly jot down notes. Keeping active Alec considered the method efficient and superior to sitting and reading, jotting down those notes, never really taking any of the information in. It shouldn't have been a surprise to find a method like this more efficient for Alec considering his performance in class tended to dwindle without the use of his excess energy. Though Alec was working well, working efficiently, there were some people around who disliked his methods more than others. Alec hadn't heard a complaint from the librarian yet, and planned to keep on keeping on until of course he had to receive a complaint about it from Elsian.

“Can you maybe stop that!”

Elsian would snap his quill against the table. Alec's legs locked into place.The current thought speeding through his mind was 'If anyone was going to be having issues with the librarian, it was going to be Elsian now, not Alec.' Having a short temper gets you nowhere in a library. Why schedule today if they weren't even going to be productive? The least Elsian could do was work with Alec here, but no, of course not, of course this had to be how they would spend their afternoon.

“Or are you incapable of sitting still for more than 30 minutes at a time?”

Alec's eyes flitted up from the book he'd been reading to focus on Elsian, narrowing on him. With a scowl Alec would snap his book shut. He was annoyed, Elsian didn't have to do this, he was purposely trying to make their time here worse when he could just mind his own business.

“Seriously, are you a toddler or something? Stop squirming so freaking much.”

Legs unlocking, Alec took his time walking so slow back to the table it was agonizing. With a loud huff he would set the book he'd closed down onto the table, fold his arms across his chest as he stared Elsian down. “I can sit still for more than thirty minutes at a time.” Alec spoke, with a dramatic flair Alec turned his head away from Elsian, all for the purpose of saying one simple line. “I just don't want to.” Except Alec realized he was sounding like the difficult one here, he wasn't. It was Elsian!

“Take it as a chance to learn. Maybe if you tried my method you would stop yawning so much.” Alec's eyebrows furrowed and his nose crinkled, he'd would keep his lips pursed for only a few seconds before he was back at it again. “Your little yawning problem is boring me half to death. Yawns are contagious and I'm not going to get tired, become inefficient, and do tired yawn like you.” Alec had never cared about Elsian yawning until now, and right now he cared a lot, he was incredibly passionate about this yawning issue, even despite the fact Alec's pacing had nothing to do with Elsian's yawning.

It was an entirely different situation, Elsian was right about one thing, Alec couldn't sit still. “You sit there slowly reading, slowly flipping a page.” Alec took the artistic liberty of sitting down and acting out a mock Elsian scene where he dramatically and slowly flipped a book page, followed by slow note writing and many a yawn in between. Standing up from his seat Alec waved his hands around in the air. “Who does that?! Literally nobody ever but you. Plus the yawning... Who wouldn't want to keep their distance?” Alec was right, as he always was! Name one person who wouldn't want to keep their distance! You couldn't because they didn't exist.

“Now if you'll excuse, I have things I was doing before someone rather rudely interrupted me.” Alec spoke, he would lean over the table to quickly jot down a legitimate note. Follow by grabbing the book he'd set down on the table to open it, read, and begin pacing once again. Who was Elsian to ask Alec to stop pacing? Elsian couldn't stop Alec, he was going to continue on.

@Elsian Cox

Was he being serious right now!

“Sure,” he drawled with obvious disbelief, “I’ll believe it when I see it you overgrown rug rat.”

Mason was just full of hot air, like usual. He could talk big all he wanted but the other was just a wordy pushover when it came to anything besides arguing. At least that’s how he was in the Gryffindors eyes. An annoying blabbermouth who loved to hear himself talk; probably couldn’t get any attention otherwise so he just acted like a huge prat.

“Well, maybe I wouldn’t be yawning if we were already further along had you not been stalling with your stupid pacing!” Elsian hissed, much resembling a pissed cat. He felt much like one that’d been dunked in freezing water every second he was stuck here. “I bet you don’t even care. Not about the yawning. You just can’t stand being wrong. God forbid anyone tells you what to do.”

Dragging his notes closer he glared at Alec when the boy sat down; he didn’t trust the boy for a second. Everything he meddled with went wrong, he was bad luck incarnate. A curse in flesh and blood. He looked down, trying to ignore the dramatic scene as the boy mocked Elsian. The page was filled. He flipped it aggressively, also filled. He’d lost track of filling up the pages in his anger apparently. A new page, he began the motions again. Or tried to, Alec shook the table as he stood up, shaking his hands around in the air like a dumbass and had Elsian sending a large streak of ink onto the paper, droplets of black staining the paper; Elsian wasn’t sure his housemate had done that on purpose or if Alec Mason the waking disaster had struck again.

“Stop moving the table.” He grit out.

Why was Alec so fucking rude? By Merlin, he couldn’t stand him. Did he just enjoy being an ass to Elsian? As far as the sleepy Gryffindor was concerned he’d never done anything to warrant the other being a literal pest he couldn’t seem to escape for longer than a few blissful weeks at a time. He was tick. Persistent. Annoying. Disgusting.

Frustrated anger simmered just under the surface. He wanted to yell. To get up and do…something. Anything to get the boy to shut up and stop. Pacing. He moved without thinking. Elsian shoved out a foot into the chair across from him, moving the chair abruptly with a small squeak of wood against the floor. It’d move just enough to get in Alec's way, lightly smacking into the boy's leg. It wouldn’t be enough to really hurt, maybe sting, but it would be enough to make the other boy trip over his feet if he wasn’t paying attention or quick enough to catch himself. It had a dark burst of satisfaction bubbling in his chest.

“Careful,” he would say if the boy tripped or stumbled. “Probably wouldn’t have happened if you weren’t moving so much.”

If he didn’t? Somehow caught himself or paused long enough to not stumble over the chair, well, then Elsian would just stay silent. Playing innocent as he looked back down at his work. Either way, the corners of his lips would twitch in a ghost of a smile in smug bitterness as he looked back down at his work and finished a note on his paper.

This book was so boring. As Alec walked, eyes staring at the page, though he saw a read the words, they at the same time held no meaning and was unable to properly read the sentences. Alec couldn't do it. He couldn't focus on and read it. It didn't help that once again Elsian was being stubborn and irritable like always. Could he not let Alec do this one thing, this one simple thing in peace, and then they could finally go their separate ways?! It was one project but the answer was no, apparently Elsian could not.

Alec's eyes would flicker up from the book's pages to Elsian to check that Alec didn't seem to somehow be upsetting him more before Alec tried to get his eyes to focus on the page once again. Elsian was the one making something out of nothing why- The next thing Alec knew Elsian was back to shenanigans once again and with the impact of a chair Alec tripped over his own feet.

The shock of the incident was enough cause Alec to drop the book he was holding while he tripped. The book hitting the ground with a large bam. With his hands Alec would catch himself before he ever reached the ground. Alec hearing the voice of Elsian from just behind.

“Careful, probably wouldn’t have happened if you weren’t moving so much.”

The third-year would ignore the stinging in his shin, reaching for his book on the ground before Alec stood up to his full height once more. Brushing off his pants Alec scowled, he was angry, seething, Alec imagined himself like a steaming kettle. “You're very kind,” Alec spat out the words bitter and full of venom. It was strange to think it was a chair making him trip that angered him the most and yet here they were. “I'm sure people tell you what a socialite you are,” Alec would make of show of harshly dropping the book atop the table as he spoke.

Alec harshly shoved the chair back into it's original place(looking to this time purposely jolt the table), looking at Elsian with glare. “I don't know what your problem is! Who cares if I'm pacing if I'm getting work done? I'm not even stalling like you claimed, haven't you taken a minute to look at my notes?” Alec would speak out in frustration. It wasn't fair. He wasn't going to be able to get any work done if he had to sit in a chair. Alec knew he couldn't handle a minute more of sitting down and he needed to find another solution.

He would shake his head. “Merlin forbid anyone doesn't listen to you,” he spoke mocking Elsian's earlier words. Being the example of what happens when you don't listen to Elsian. Wow his parents must be so proud of him. Would it kill him to not boss people around for a change? Instead of sitting Alec would go back to his side of the table, standing while he worked.

@Elsian Cox

“Just looking out for my housemate,” he sneered in a sickly fond tone. It wasn’t even a total lie, the less the other boy goofed around the better it was for Elsis sanity. Saying Alec was a walking disaster wasn’t just Elsian being dramatic, everywhere the other teen went things went wrong; specifically, for Elsian himself.

Maybe it was just him, bad things happening because the other had seemed to prefer picking fights with him over their other dorm mates. Or maybe the bad luck followed Mason around like a leech, causing problems for himself and anyone around him, either way, Elsian didn’t care, what he did care about was how bad things always happened to him when this jerk was around. Ruining his potions, causing things to spill on him, singling him out to try and start crap…it never ended, if something could go wrong, big or small, it went wrong when Alec Mason stuck his nose where it wasn’t wanted.

The slam of the book against the table would have the sleepy Gryffindor briefly breaking away from his book, a distant sort of annoyance breaking past the initial smugness. This was new. He actually sounded…angry.

He went to ignore the other, dipping his quill into his inkwell. His mistake. The table jolted harshly, sending a harsh streak of ink through his notes where he’d put quill to paper, the tip had broken through the paper. It was enough to shake both of their things, 3 books they had stacked between them for easy pickings shook, the top book tipped, spine crashing quietly into the table and sending the book opening. The heavy cover of the book smacked right into his inkwell, ink spilling over the table and covering anything in its path. His notes included.

He gasped, quickly snatching his papers and shoving the books out of the way. He was too late for a few scattered ones. The one he’d been working on included with how close he’d been to the inkwell.

“Are you kidding me.” he said angrily, chair quietly scratching against the floor as he pushed himself back.

What was his problem? Everything about this stupid situation!

“What my problem is, is that everywhere you go bad things always happen! Just like now!” He hissed, standing up to gesture to the toppled inkwell now staining the table and neatly stacked notes near it. It was a struggle to keep his voice down.

“I care because the last time you paced around me you ruined my potions. I care because when you so much as sit up too quickly you ruin my books and then only laugh because apparently, it's funny to you.” Was he blind? Or did he just not give a single damn about others? Maybe some messed up mix of the two.


“You’re always ruining things! My classwork, my clothes, my notes,” he ground out, plucking at the edges of his thoroughly ruined paper to prove his point. It tore down the middle, so soaked as it was from the ink that drowned it, flopping down into the wet mess of ink in a ruined flop of parchment. Between his fingers it dripped slowly, staining the tips of his fingers a ghastly black before he dropped the wretched thing into its own puddle of misery. “And you’re always trying to pick fights! It’s like you hated me from day 1 of us becoming dorm mates and I don’t even know what I did to make you act like this!”


This was the first time in forever that the other Gryffindor was talking to him normally, not the cold nonchalance or fake civilness tucked between drawn out monologues & mocking jokes the boy seemed so fond of. The first time since…he couldn’t even remember…and it was when the jerk was angry. He wasn’t sure if he wanted to laugh or cry at the ridiculousness of it all.

My problem is you, he thought bitterly.

“Not that you would care,” he whispered darkly, moving to dig his wand outta his bag to spell the worst of this mess away. The other would likely just find some way to make this into another joke, excuse himself of any wrong doings with the claim of, ‘it’s not a big deal. We have magic after all’, maybe pin the whole blame on Elsi himself for being rude. He’d find a way. He always did.

Maybe he should just accept no grade and skip out on this assignment. Maybe…he could just do the whole thing by himself? Or at least, separate the work between them so they didn't need to so much as look at one another for the next week.

There were a million things a minute rushing through his mind when he saw the inkwell tipped over. For a moment as Elsian got through his angered words Alec believed he was currently about to be socked in the face. He seemed angry enough for it. It hadn't taken Knight that much to sock him in the face. Luckily as Alec listened to Elsian's angered words and backed away a little, he would soon find out Elsian didn't have such violent intentions despite his violent tendencies(the tripping). Alec eyes would settle onto the mess in front of him the one on the table. Of course he wasn't a complete monster and Alec's anger dissipated into the unchecked somber feeling of remorse.

Elsian mentioned Alec always ruining things. Elsian's classwork, his clothes, and his notes. The look on Alec's face softened. “I- I wasn't trying to-” Alec sputtered as he stared at the mess, a look of self-reproach clearly visible on his face. Elsian would shout about Alec always trying to pick fights and his eyes would dart away. Lips pursed and Alec looked away silently, refusing to respond.

Elsian would say Alec didn't care.

Maybe he was right. Alec didn't know if he cared, so what did it matter whether or not Alec cared? Alec took a deep breath shaking his head. “Stop,” was the only thing he said, Alec reached for his own wand, casting scourgify to clean of the mess on the table. Alec watched as the mess was slowly cleaned up. “Give me your paper you nundu breath, I can fix it... _{sort of.}” Alec spoke, whispering the last part. Alec would cast the hot-air charm on Elsian's notes followed by the paper mending charm. Not wet anymore, and the note ripped from the ink would be mended. It sucked because there was no way to remove the ink that ruined part of the notes but it was still sort of there.

“You know what? You're right.” Alec said, his voice surprisingly calm for someone who had sounded so angry minutes before. His eyes flickered from the table back to Elsian. Alec had a few options, he didn't think Elsian was going to go for what he was about to offer but it was worth a try. “I ruined your notes. How about I just do the whole project? I have an O average, so it's not as if this one will differ.” Part of Alec had been wanting to do it on his own anyway, worried he was going to not get the grade he wanted.

“The professor won't notice, they never do. I have several references from my former project partners. Besides... this cuts down our amount of interaction time seeing as we cannot feasibly work together.” If Elsian didn't accept, they were going to have to reschedule another day to work on the project, Alec didn't want to stay after this incredibly sucky afternoon.

@Elsian Cox

His face twisted into a bitter expression, nose wrinkling and lips curling in tight frown. His housemate couldn’t even bear denying the rest of the words apparently.

What a joke, thinking for a minute they’d be able to stay civil for an hour, let alone get along long enough to finish this project. What had they been thinking? Elsian knew himself better, he’d never be able to grin and bear it.

“What a joke,” he muttered.

Anger wheeled up quickly, practically spilling over like the ink staining everything at Mason's words. He paused, barely stopping himself from grabbing his wand as he threw a nasty glare in the other direction, as if affronted by the very fact Alec had dared to speak another word. Let alone a command. Forget the fact it was said almost politely, how could any type of civilness be anything but a set-up from this jerk's mouth. He breathed slowly, air staggering in his chest. He could practically feel his chest tighten with the effort to just stop and breathe; why was calming down so much harder than it used to be?

Silently he watched the other boy, the ink slowly disappearing in the wisps of the spells magic. It didn’t do much to loosen the tightness that lingered, tight like a coil just waiting to go off. He wanted to spit on the other boys ‘kindness’.


“Don’t tell me what to do,” he snarled, fingers curling to the point of pain around the table's edge. He shoved himself up, abrupt and aggressive; the chair clacked against the floor a touch too loud. He didn’t know what he wanted to do in that moment, just that he was pissed. Pissed and annoyed and- and…how dare he pretend like this?! Was it a twisted sense of pity? Annoyance? Mason needed to be shut up for good. To back the hell off. To-

His hand clutched one of the books, the cover sliding against the table as he got ready to slam the stupid thing righ-

The memory of the pillow resurfaced in his mind, the stupid blank look. And the wrongness of the other boy seeming so small, the memory of those ugly quiet gasps when the boy panicked had been enough to make him feel sick for hours afterwards. He hated it, he hated it, he hated it. Stopping, he leaned back, closing his eyes with a silent shuddering breath that shook in his throat as he let go of the book, took a step back from the table.

Eyes opening he stared at Alec. A brief silence filled the air between them as he silently contemplated the offer. His eyes flicked down to the table, it was practically good as new, but you could still see the tiny details left behind, the imprint of the argument not even magic could fully cover up; and nodded. Fingers curling around his notebook and extra papers he picked up his things silently. There was a part of him, that bitter feeling mixed with guilt that had him wanting to deny the offer. To tell the other boy to shove off, that he’d do the project on his own, maybe demand they just split the work. The rest of him was just too tired to bother.

“Okay.” Elsian said.

The Gryffindor sat back down heavily in his chair, bag suddenly in his lap as he shoved his things away none too gently. Couldn't really bring himself to care at that moment though. It was just paper, the parchment could take a few rips if it meant getting away from this train wreck of a study session. Elsians own books went next, pushed along with a few extra things and blank pages of paper wrecked or splattered with ink. He hesitated as he picked up his finished notes, the ones he’d saved when the ink spilled, thankfully shoved out of the way with its semi neat script and tiny nonsensical swirls he’d doodled along the top of a few pages. He wouldn’t need these. Not if Alec kept his word and actually did the project for the 2 of them on his own.

He shuffled his bag over his shoulders, standing up to leave.

Wordlessly he shoved his pair of notes into Alec's hand as he walked by. Maybe they would help. Or maybe the other boy would throw them away. Either way, Elsian didn’t care.

Elsian was having a moment. Alec knew it wasn't his place to intervene, or really even stare, knowing it wouldn't accomplish anything to do either. The teen started at his shoes for a moment the let the thick tension within the air subside before of course going ahead and casting scourgify to clean up the mess. Alec really had meant too- Well it didn't matter what he'd meant at this point when it still happened. “I just- I- I didn't think it was right for you to have to clean it up when you didn't make the mess.” Alec tried to explain upon hearing Elsian's words of anger, him not being pleased with Alec telling him to stop in order to do it himself.

Alec's eyes focused on a far away bookshelf, hands fidgeting with the sleeves of his school robe. He listened as the chair scratched the floor as Elsian pulled his seat out and stood up. Alec was surprised when after a few moments of shuffling around he heard the soft sound of someone grabbing papers sorting through things on the table or something close to it. Less angry, strange. Alec was even more surprised when he heard an okay. Elsian agreeing to let Alec do the project. Alec let out of breath of air he didn't realize he'd been holding in. Letting his eyes slowly fall from the bookshelves and settle on Elsian. He was surprised Elsian's willingness to pack up maybe he was just as sick of this as Alec was, or... His thoughts trailed in unimportant directions...

“I'm sorry for bossing you around.” Alec whispered, his volume reaching the one you'd expect for a library. He was apologizing for telling Elsian to stop since he had gotten so worked up over it in the first place. He watched as Elsian finished picking up, Alec thought he was about to walk off but before he did Elsian would shove pieces of parchment towards Alec and Alec took them managing to get in a “thank you,” before Elsian was out of earshot.

This was not at all how Alec had expected their little project session to go. Alec wasn't think about the outdoors now, he just felt bad, icky about the whole situation. Damn it. He couldn't even do the project, not after Elsian's words, not after how Alec felt like he needed to reevaluate everything ever. Alec was to blame, always poking and prodding at Elsian... Alec had a hard time explaining his reasoning in his head, not that he thought it justified anything. The whole mess was beginning to remind him of the duelling situation. Merlin, you'd think a person would learn from the same mistake twice, but no apparently not, not with Alec.

Covering his face with his hands, Alec took a deep breath. When he let the air exit his lungs Alec let his arms fall to his sides. Five more minutes, than he'd work on the project.Standing next to the table Alec grabbed a blank piece of parchment, he ignored the possibility of ink and quill and went for a pencil instead, it was easier to work with when Alec sketched. Five minutes turned into thirty and as Alec finished he stared at his completed work, Elsian. It was quick and messy, but not too shabby of a sketch. Alec let the paper sit as he spent the rest of the afternoon working on the project. There would be more work to get done but Alec felt he'd gotten a great start on it considering the circumstances.

Thread Ended
@Elsian Cox