sometimes monty found it hard to believe that there had ever been a time when he and laurel had been more than just strangers to each other. trading barbs and insults was so second nature to him now that it almost allowed him to block out anything good that had ever occurred between the two of them. ALMOST. ❝ i didn’t realize you needed me to state the obvious. you’re a lot of things, laurel, but i never thought you were D A F T. ❞ eyes roll of their own accord as poison seeps from between his lips, arms crossed tightly against his chest. ❝ simply put, if it looks like a hat and ACTS like a hat.. well i’d bet a handful of galleons that it is a hat. wouldn’t you? it’s only good sense. ❞
for the most part, desmond did his best to ignore her. when he passed her in the halls he didn’t glance her way, barely acknowledged that she existed. it was a good system and it worked for them. but hearing her call him des incited more anger than he would have liked to admit. ❝ the one thing we do agree on? the pointless nature of this conversation. ❞
when she ended things with monty, laurel had not expected things to go so terribly wrong so terribly fast. of course, she wasn't dumb enough to think they’d stay best of friends --- people hardly ever do after a break-up, especially one like theirs --- but she had not expected them to become so spiteful towards each other either, as if there had never been anything good between them, just resentment. ❛ and i never pegged you for a petty idiot either. looks like we can both still be surprised. ❜ the gryffindor deadpanned in reply to his insult. the stack of gathered papers lay forgotten by her feet as the brunette finally focused her full attention on the slytherin.
❛ i knew EXACTLY what you meant --- that karma’s not the only bitch at work. although she does put more heart into her work than i do. ❜ lori spoke jokingly, gesturing towards her scattered notes before returning her attention to monty. ❛ i was just giving you an opportunity to unload it all before that pretty head of yours explodes from all the thoughts bouncing around in it. that would be a terrible waste. ❜ momentarily, the shadow of a smile played on her lips. not a malicious smile but a genuine one, quickly burried back undernteah the facade of boredom.
❛ also, a hat ? ❜ the lioness lightly tilted her head to one side, an eyebrow arched questioningly. ❛ my galleons were on a more --- colourful metaphor. oh well, i guess i can’t be right about you ALL THE TIME, des. ❜ her tone was more casual, self-assured. of course, she didn’t know everything about monty but she knew enough to be able to push his buttons --- even when it clearly wasn’t a good idea. at some point, monty had been the centre of her world, the only good thing she had going, and sometimes --- a lot of times --- she missed that, she missed them. but she no longer meant anything to him and most likely never will again. so maybe it was easier after all, having monty hate her. that’s why lori tried her best to keep it that way. ❛ now you’ve made me curious --- what was it that lured you into our little pointless spat anyway? you could have just minded your own business, passed me by like you usually do. ❜
