WHO: Zach Sloper & Brianna O'Hara
WHAT: She's pissed. He gets smacked.
WHEN: April '78
WHERE: Hogwarts grounds

Zach had expected just a little more from his fellow Slytherins in the way of birthday celebrations. Rhys had gotten a nice party with alcohol and stuff but since the day had been spent on the train and everyone was just exhausted from the trip, Vivica had promised him a big bash some other time. Some other time wasn't a 'next weekend' or 'during Hogsmeade' but more like a brush off. So not only had his parents forgot, Owen had been out of town and Zach had tried to use the tellyphoner but he'd just ended up getting some lady talking in Spanish for a half hour as he tried to explain to her that he just wanted to talk to the footballer with the blonde hair but she wasn't getting it. So Zach had hung up and got to spend an hour with Quinn who was trying to explain the dynamics of his new broom (of course his parent's had got him a broom just like Fortescue's, but they'd ordered it weeks ago and had to wait like everyone else to get it) and Zach had never been so bored in his life.

So that's why he was lying outside on the grass, staring up at the sky as his kitten napping on his chest, purring lightly as Zach's chest rose up and down. He had his hands behind his head and let his eyes slide shut as he listened to the kitten. He was sure it probably wasn't good to bring the cat everywhere with him, but it was hard to leave it in the middle of his bed looking so forlorn. He'd made a secret little pocket in his bag and the inside pocket of his robes was just the right fit (for now) for him to just ride along to class. "Looks like it's just you and me, Pip," Zach said, reaching up to scratch the kittens ear. He couldn't think of anything original for the cat's name, so he'd just started calling him Pipsqueak, on account of how small he was and the little squeaky noises he made when Zach gave him treats.

Hearing quiet footsteps, Zach turned his head to see who was approaching. He really didn't want to have to deal with anyone right now and especially not a certain Irish girl. Honestly, Brianna had turned down meeting up with him. For what? Her rinky family or whatever. Zach was still not happy that he'd been rejected so rudely and for stupid reasons too. And of course, it had to be Brianna, stomping over to him right then. Just exactly what he'd wished for.

Not.

Zach thought about sitting up, but just used one hand to shield his eyes from the sun as he gazed at her with a lazy smirk. "Something got your knickers in a twist, O'Hara?" Zach said, letting his eyes drift a little down to her legs before looking back up to her face quickly. Hopefully with the kitten on his chest, that would save him from getting a swift boot into the ribs.

What had her--what had her knickers in a twist? (Oh, and what a vile phrase, what an--ohhhh he was certainly asking for it and--) Brianna could hardly believe that this--this boy was asking her that, after all that he had--oh oh, even with him, Brianna O'Hara couldn't remember being so absolutely, positively livid in her whole life. This even beat the time that Fiona had stolen her colored pencils when she was three, this was--this was tantamount to anything that'd ever happened in her life to ever make her angry at anyone and and and--

He was going to get it, and she knew that he could see it, and it made her even angrier the closer the got, the longer he just laid there with his stupid bloody kitten and tried to look innocent and casual. The piece of paper she had crumpled up in her hand (which she was sure she was squeezing so hard that it was leaving bites and indentations on her skin) found its way hard--or as hard as a you could get, throwing paper--into his face, causing the kitten to scare and run off of him and she hoped the cursed thing left scratch marks all over him because she was that mad that she just wanted to see him just--ugggggh!

"What the--what the fuck, Sloper, don't you dare ask me why I'm worked you, you great tosser!" she was practically yelling at him. And he wasn't about to avoid that kick in the ribs, because she gave him one while he was down there, swift, and satisfyingly hard. "You cursed all the bloody stuffed animals in our dorm, you left me that note" --she pointed sharply to where it lay on the ground now, the kitten attempting to chew on it-- "and then--and the worst--you won't just fucking leave me alone! I don't understand, Sloper, are you some bloody psycho stalker, I mean--what the fuck do I have to do to make you understand--I just want you to get out of my life and stop making it hell and--you are--AUGH, I CAN'T EVEN STAND TO LOOK AT YOU!"

Brianna turned away on her heel and put her hands to her head and--she couldn't even believe how mad she was, there couldn't even be a word to describe how much she hated him, she--there was--holy fuck!

Okay, the kitten's nails totally had to get clipped and she needed to not wear such hard shoes. Zach grabbed his ribs as he scrambled to his feet and grabbed her by the elbow, turning her around to face him. She looked so angry and it wasn't like he'd done the entire room himself, the whole team had gone into all the girls' rooms (fourth year and up) and given them the same treatment. Except for that note that he'd left Brianna under her pillow. It was charmed only for her to see so it wasn't like, she could go telling anyone. Plus if she did, he'd have to tell on her about the changing room prank that Hufflepuff had pulled on them, so.

"HEY! You don't get to kick me and run off!" he said loudly. She was the one who had started the yelling first though. She didn't have to yell so much and yeah she was pretty when she mad but that wasn't why he'd done it. It was all because of the prank. Yep, sole reason why. And he might have done the note because he was mad she'd rejected him but whatever, that didn't matter. "I'm not a stalker! And if you really wanted me out of your life you wouldn't have come here!" Zach lifted his chin a bit with a cocky grin. She couldn't hate him, no one could hate him. He was Zach Sloper.

UGH, she--she had truly been clenching her fist at her side so she wouldn't be tempted to hit him again, because she knew that if she did things would just get worse and--oh, but then he had to go and say that and he was making her look at him and there was nothing else as this point that angered her more than his face and--

SMACK

The grounds of Hogwarts suddenly seemed to go deathly silent, except for that resounding, sharp sound of her hand meeting his cheek, and Brianna actually stood there for a few moments in shock at what she had just done... Except that she could believe she had done it, and it didn't last long before she moved, pulling her elbow away from him and barely resisting the urge to do it again because it had felt so good.

"Fuck you," she hissed quietly. "Fuck you, Zachary Sloper, and if you ever come near me or my things ever again, so help me I will do much worse than slap you. You are the most immature, annoying, and downright disgusting person I have ever had the misfortune of meeting in my life--I don't want you to talk to me, look at me, even so much as breathe in the same space I'm breathing in, you'll be sorry you ever fucked with me."

And without a single word more, she stalked off again, once again barely resisting the urge to lay another smack on his cheek. No, suddenly all her energy was gone and she just wanted to go lay down and sleep, and maybe later she'd write Fiona and tell her what she'd done because--ugggh, she'd think about it later, she couldn't think right now.