The Motley Princess

A HariPo fanfiction

by mew-tsubaki

Note: The Harry Potter cast belongs to J.K. Rowling, not me. Any OCs you see are mine (like Frank –you'll see him later, Corner, Smith, Belby, yadda yadda, you get the point). This is for my forum topic in the Harry Potter Fanfiction Challenges, and can be found under Prompt Challenges. So join the forum topic!! Here (Just take out the spaces!): http : // forum. fanfiction. net/ topic /44309 /25299326 /1/ Read, review, and enjoy!!!

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Chapter Two: Kindness Means Something's Up

"Love is a game that two can play and both win by losing their heart." –Eva Gabor

"Stop smiling like that."

Lorcan only grinned wider. "Why? Because it accents the mending broken nose you gave me last week? Or because it makes my bum look big?"

Roxanne grimaced despite the flush in her cheeks. Yes, only last week had she started to repair her friendship with the Scamander twin. Of course, she'd begun making demands of him, as all friends do. Her last demand was that he'd stop chasing her cousin Rose and not look at any other girls.

His response? "Okay. Maybe."

So Roxanne had punched him in the nose. Yes, blood got everywhere. Yes, she broke his nose. However, he refused to deduct points or even go to the Hospital Wing. He healed himself for the most part, but preferred to let his nose heal the natural way. Possibly to lord it over her.

"So? Which is it?" he asked now.

She heaved an exasperated sigh. "The second," she answered absentmindedly.

"I didn't know you were looking," he teased, waggling his eyebrows.

Roxanne blushed, clearly coming back into the moment. "Oh, you idiot!" She hit his arm. "Why didn't you just heal your nose all the way?"

"But it's the first present I've gotten from you, Rox!" he mock-whined.

She scoffed, hating the heat that just wouldn't leave her face. "That's stupid. You look much better when your face isn't disfigured."

"Aw, I didn't know you cared." Lorcan laughed at the death glare she gave him. "Rox, I'm teasing! I'm just happy you stopped hating me!"

Yes, but why do we have to play this game of cat-and-mouse? she thought as they pulled up on the greenhouse. Really, though, she knew it was a game of cat-and-dog. A playful banter remained between them, but neither was truly playing with the other. She didn't want to toy with him, but now Roxanne wondered if Lorcan was smart enough to have caught the meaning behind her last demand. If not, then maybe he was a lost cause. If so…then was he toying with her?

"I'll see you later, okay?" he said with a wink as he handed her bag to her. He mock-saluted her and headed to Potions.

In the greenhouse, Roxanne took her spot by Lucy and dug out her materials. "Can you believe he's still sporting that bloody broken nose?"

Lucy shrugged. "I think you're gonna have to get used to him being a part of your life again."

"Yeah, but I was hoping gradually. It's like he hit a switch and now he's in 'friend' mode."

"Look on the bright side –at least your bag is carried for you and you have a personal escort to each class. I mean, he even picks you up!"

Roxanne laughed. "You talk like there's a down side to it!"

"Well…" Lucy glanced at some of their female classmates, many of whom were shooting Roxanne venomous glares. "You've got a horde of girls as your enemy. Lorcan's pretty popular, as strange as he can be."

"Wha…?" The twin's grin faded. "I'm not dating him. He's just my best friend again."

Lucy whistled, rolling her eyes. "Just friends –uh-huh. Sure you are."

"No, really. Why does everyone read into it that way?" Maybe because I kinda do, myself, a nagging voice told her.

"Never mind. Class is starting." With that, Lucy ended the conversation and Professor Longbottom began his lesson.

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Now that Lucy had pointed that out, hanging out with Lorcan was still the same, but walking with him was a whole other matter.

It bugged Roxanne, Lorcan's new-found popularity. Apparently, during the time of absence in their friendship, Lorcan had become quite the ladies' man, despite his unrequited crush on Rose. Then, when Lorcan had taken points from Corner more than two weeks ago, his popularity had further skyrocketed. It bugged Roxanne, though, because Lorcan was Lorcan to her –strange, fun, creative, often mystifying, but just plain old Lorcan. She could see that Lorcan was handsome –she was a teenage girl, after all –but Roxanne was pretty sure that any other girl would leave if she knew the real Lorcan.

Who am I kidding? Roxanne scolded herself at the beginning of June. She loosened her tie and fanned herself. It was the end of spring, but it felt like summer had come a while ago with the high temperature and the humidity. I know the real Lorcan and I wouldn't abandon him, she continued pondering. She leaned back in her seat and closed her notebook. She couldn't focus in Binns' History of Magic class when the weather was so uncomfortable. The witch conjured up a damp, cold rag and placed it over her eyes. "Much better."

Beside her, Hugo (another cousin and Rose's younger brother) yawned and copied her magic. "The castle's so unbearable during the summer."

"Um-hmm," Roxanne agreed, too lazy to form a real answer.

"The damn stone retains cold in winter and heat in summer…"

"'S like a bloody oven…" Roxanne blinked and abruptly sat up, a wicked grin on her face. "That's it." She glanced across the room and locked eyes with Fred; it was obvious that the same idea had occurred to him. She winked, he winked back, and then the bell rang.

For once Lorcan was not waiting for her and Roxanne was grateful. Roxanne slipped out of the group of her classmates and met up with her twin.

"You're thinking what I'm thinking?"

"Of course," Fred replied. The two followed the others into the stairwell. Just as one moving staircase had lined up with another, Roxanne and Fred swished their wands, one summoning water and the other changing the stairs.

"WATER SLIDE!!" the twins shouted in unison.

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"Wow, I'm so honored to be in your presence," Lorcan joked as he and his brother headed up to Divination.

"Shut it, git," Lysander grumbled, fighting a blush.

Lorcan shrugged. "Well, can you blame me? You spend almost all of your time with Dominique."

"She dropped Care for Magical Creatures, though, so we don't have that class together anymore. She says my tutoring helped, but that it just wasn't her best class. That kinda blows, but we try to get together as often as we can. She's my girlfriend, Lor. You, on the other hand…" He smirked at his twin. "You have a girlfriend, too."

Lorcan squinted at his brother. "What? Roxanne? We're just best friends again."

"You walk with her everywhere. And you carry her bag, though she doesn't ask you to. Just friends –uh-huh. Sure you are."

"Why does everyone read into it that way?" Despite his protests, Lysander laughed at a blushing Lorcan. Lorcan frowned. So I'm obvious to others –but am I obvious to her? …No, we should just stay friends. I still like Rose, anyway. He looked down at the ground since his feet were squishing along. "What in the-?"

"WATER SLIDE!!" he heard two familiar voices yell.

"Ah, hell. Rox-"

CRASH. SCREECH, ssssslip.

"-anne." The Ravenclaw looked down at the girl who was on his lap, grinning up at him. "Of course."

She kept grinning. "What? It was hot."

"And now I'm drenched!"

"But it doesn't feel hot anymore, does it?" Roxanne retorted. She waggled her eyebrows and laughed.

Lorcan coughed. "Er, Rox… This isn't a wet T-shirt contest," he mumbled.

The witch turned beet red. "You pervert."

He laughed and helped her up, but both only ended up floundering and slipping again. He landed on his bum and caught her on him. He laughed again. "Well, you'd definitely win if it were one."

"Oh my Merlin…," she groaned, hanging her head to hide her heated cheeks. "Lorc, shut up before you say anything else inappropriate." Of course, that only made him laugh harder. They finally managed to get up. Roxanne surveyed everyone, enjoying the squeals of delight that were the result of her and Freddy's handiwork. She rang out her skirt and brushed back the hair that was sticking to her face. "Anyway, I'd say this is a job well-done."

"Whose job well-done?" came a clear voice.

Roxanne's cheer faded as she turned and saw Professor Longbottom cross his arms and tap his foot. "Eh heh… Hello there, professor. Lovely weather we're having."

The Herbology teacher heaved a sigh. "Miss Weasley, I'm afraid you and your brother have detention again. Tonight, with me."

Out of the corner of his eye, Lorcan saw Smith and Belby grinning. He didn't like that one bit. Lorcan stepped in front of Roxanne. "Sorry, professor, but it was me, not Roxanne."

Neville gave him a strange look as he reversed the twins' magic. "Mr. Scamander, are you sure? I'm surprised a prefect would do such a thing." He paused. "Well, Dumbledore did make Ron a prefect back in the old days," Neville muttered to himself. "Then please meet me in my office after dinner, Mr. Scamander." Once Neville had dried off the other students, he left, and Roxanne reeled on Lorcan.

She punched him in the arm. "What the hell was that for?! You're a prefect, you idiot! I'm used to getting into trouble." She blinked a few times, hating that itchy feeling in her eyes that could only mean tears were coming, but she fought them off. "You didn't have to do that…"

Lorcan shrugged, not displaying his concern about Smith and Belby's sudden interest in Roxanne, though it occurred to him that the two Slytherins had probably gotten Longbottom over there. The Scamander twin passed Roxanne her bag. "I did it anyway. Besides, it's not that big a deal. I used to get into a lot of trouble, too, remember?" He winked and poked her nose when she frowned. "I'll see you later, okay?" Don't look at me like that; I'll only fall harder for you, he thought, fighting the urge to go back and hug her and hide her away from all the world's troubles and her own.

Roxanne smiled a heartbreaking smile as he unwillingly headed to his next class. "Later," she called. Don't act like that; I'll only fall harder for you, she thought, fighting the urge to run to him and fall into his arms to hide away from all the crap she dealt with and everything else that the world threw at her.

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Shorter than 1, but I really came to love this chappie! Lorcrox just work so well together. Merlin, I would melt if I were ever in Lorcan's arms –I LOVE HIM!!!! XD

Chapter 3's on its way, so please review!! Thank you!!! :D

-mew-tsubaki X3

Thanks so much for Beta-ing, Morghen! :3