FICLET: Of Waiting with Zacharias, and His Ridiculous Mind-Reading Abilities
Title: Of Waiting with Zacharias, and His Ridiculous Mind-Reading Abilities
Character Pairing: Zacharias/Marietta
Prompt: stillness is a lie
Rating: G
Word Count: 548
Summary: They're standing awkwardly just inside the doorway, waiting.
Author's Notes: The third of the series.
Link to Prompt Table: http://briony-tallis.livejournal.com/77461.html
They're standing awkwardly just inside the doorway, waiting, and Zacharias has started making tutting noises, tapping his foot impatiently as he glares at Harry Potter. Marietta wants to glare, too, but all she can do is laugh at the sight they make, the two of them so in tandem without even meaning for it, without even caring about one another.
Zacharias looks around at the sound of her laughter. "What's so funny?" He demands loudly, as though speaking louder could somehow scare her into silence.
She arches an eyebrow at him. "Temper, Smith."
"Oh, please, like you're thrilled to be here." He nods at her, noting how their postures match, both of them with their arms folded over their chests, waiting to be allowed to leave. Harry has instructed them not to all leave the Room of Requirement at once, so as not to arouse suspicion. They're waiting their turn, and clearly not very happy about it. Marietta can't decide if she hates waiting, or if she just hates taking orders from Potter. It's bad enough having to listen to him for these little Defense classes. "You ought to just go now and leave your girlfriend behind," says Zacharias. "She's angling to be last, you know."
Cho is not standing with her friend, which makes Marietta's nerves itch. Cho is standing near Harry, not speaking to anyone, but making it rather obvious what her goals are. Marietta follows Cho's gaze to Potter, and she swallows hard. "Maybe I will," she says, offhandedly. Cho doesn't seem to notice Marietta fighting to catch her eyes; Marietta wonders if Cho would notice if she left without her.
Zacharias makes a snorting sound of disbelief. "You will not," he says firmly. "You're afraid to go anywhere without that girl, aren't you?"
Marietta frowns at him. "Why do you keep trying to tell me how I feel? You don't know a thing about me, as I seem to keep failing to remind you."
"You're in love with her," says Zacharias, and Marietta feels the bottom drop out of her stomach. "It's obvious," Smith continues, seemingly oblivious to Marietta's shock. "The way you stare after her, it's exactly the way she stares at Potter. The both of you are utterly transparent. Frankly, it makes me sick just looking at it."
"Then don't," Marietta snaps, feeling her face flush, an unbearable heat creeping up her neck. "I am not in love with Cho, Zacharias. You're completely ridiculous, and as I said before, you don't know the first thing about me."
"So go, then," Zacharias replies, his head twitching towards the door. "Leave Cho here to moon over Potter, go back to your Ravenclaw bedroom, and go to sleep. Leave right now, if you're not a terrible liar, if you're not afraid of losing her." He laughs harshly. "As though waiting could lure her to you."
Marietta stares at him, at the cold anger in his eyes, and she wonders how he can speak to her this way, as though he is slowly pulling the words from her heart and stomping on top of them. She stares at him, and then she looks back at Cho, who is not moving. Marietta hesitates, her body still in the doorway.
Zacharias nods at her. "That's what I thought."
Character Pairing: Zacharias/Marietta
Prompt: stillness is a lie
Rating: G
Word Count: 548
Summary: They're standing awkwardly just inside the doorway, waiting.
Author's Notes: The third of the series.
Link to Prompt Table: http://briony-tallis.livejournal.com/77461.html
They're standing awkwardly just inside the doorway, waiting, and Zacharias has started making tutting noises, tapping his foot impatiently as he glares at Harry Potter. Marietta wants to glare, too, but all she can do is laugh at the sight they make, the two of them so in tandem without even meaning for it, without even caring about one another.
Zacharias looks around at the sound of her laughter. "What's so funny?" He demands loudly, as though speaking louder could somehow scare her into silence.
She arches an eyebrow at him. "Temper, Smith."
"Oh, please, like you're thrilled to be here." He nods at her, noting how their postures match, both of them with their arms folded over their chests, waiting to be allowed to leave. Harry has instructed them not to all leave the Room of Requirement at once, so as not to arouse suspicion. They're waiting their turn, and clearly not very happy about it. Marietta can't decide if she hates waiting, or if she just hates taking orders from Potter. It's bad enough having to listen to him for these little Defense classes. "You ought to just go now and leave your girlfriend behind," says Zacharias. "She's angling to be last, you know."
Cho is not standing with her friend, which makes Marietta's nerves itch. Cho is standing near Harry, not speaking to anyone, but making it rather obvious what her goals are. Marietta follows Cho's gaze to Potter, and she swallows hard. "Maybe I will," she says, offhandedly. Cho doesn't seem to notice Marietta fighting to catch her eyes; Marietta wonders if Cho would notice if she left without her.
Zacharias makes a snorting sound of disbelief. "You will not," he says firmly. "You're afraid to go anywhere without that girl, aren't you?"
Marietta frowns at him. "Why do you keep trying to tell me how I feel? You don't know a thing about me, as I seem to keep failing to remind you."
"You're in love with her," says Zacharias, and Marietta feels the bottom drop out of her stomach. "It's obvious," Smith continues, seemingly oblivious to Marietta's shock. "The way you stare after her, it's exactly the way she stares at Potter. The both of you are utterly transparent. Frankly, it makes me sick just looking at it."
"Then don't," Marietta snaps, feeling her face flush, an unbearable heat creeping up her neck. "I am not in love with Cho, Zacharias. You're completely ridiculous, and as I said before, you don't know the first thing about me."
"So go, then," Zacharias replies, his head twitching towards the door. "Leave Cho here to moon over Potter, go back to your Ravenclaw bedroom, and go to sleep. Leave right now, if you're not a terrible liar, if you're not afraid of losing her." He laughs harshly. "As though waiting could lure her to you."
Marietta stares at him, at the cold anger in his eyes, and she wonders how he can speak to her this way, as though he is slowly pulling the words from her heart and stomping on top of them. She stares at him, and then she looks back at Cho, who is not moving. Marietta hesitates, her body still in the doorway.
Zacharias nods at her. "That's what I thought."