imperturbatus | 3rd Bite is Friday Blues

A) MORNING: Great Hall - Slytherin Table

[It's Friday morning and Rin is eating his spicy bacon, thinking about everything he has to do today, from Christmas shopping to study the new potion that Prof. Flourite has started with them - you could never do that early enough. He had passed the last test well enough, but it has revealed to him, that he still wasn't as good as he thought he was.

And then he has to go to Hogsmead shopping for presents, because there's no way he can get it all done next time. Besides Quidditch is starting in December, he ought to prepare for that as well. Gryffindor absolutely could not win.

He's torn out of his thoughts by the arrival of the owl post and to his surprise, there's a letter dropped in front of him. One look at the sender has him choking on the bacon one moment, and tearing off the top of the envelope the other. It was rarely that his step parents wrote him - for the obvious reasons of being Muggles - but sometimes they found a way how to deliver a letter to him, usually by someone assisting them.

His eyes skim through the page, a feeling of warmth spreading through him at the familiar handwriting smiling at him. He doesn't even notice how his perpetual frown drops, allowing a rare, unguarded smile settle on his face, as he reads what Russel and Lori wanted to let him know.]

B) DAY: Library - Behind a neat pile of books

[Rin is sitting behind his usual table in the library, a pile of various books on potion ingredients in a neat pile next to him. Let it be said that the 'Draught of Peace' was finnicky to make, but the more he understood the function of the ingredients, the less mistakes he'd make. Powdered Moonstone, Unicorn horn and Porcupine quills are mostly obvious, but the Syrup of Hellebore is tricky, thus there are more than a few Herbology books around him as well.

His quill is twitching as his hand flies over the parchment, taking notes of everything he deems as useful. He's collected over two feet of notes already and they keep coming, black ink painting the parchment with a dense, small script.]

C) AFTERNOON - Outside: Hogsmead, or on his way there

[Rin practically flies, even without his broom underneath him, out of the castle as the last lesson ends, in a hurry to buy at least a few presents before the shops close. Which won't be for another few hours, but still. At least he knows exactly what to buy, which saves him some time as well. It's dark outside already and the freshly fallen snow crunches underneath his feet. It's cold, but the running keeps him warm.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[Rin's quill stops mid-word, as he hears the voice of his rival and looks up only to see said guy sit down across of him. He glances at the two books in his hands and raises an eyebrow.]

Trying to deliberately fall through?

[He counters. Seriously, like two books were enough to properly understand something.]

Maybe if you weren't hogging all the study material, the rest of us would do better.

[ Excuse him, he's going to eye the books around Rin more closely now, just to prove a point. And to further prove a point, he'll yoink one of the Herbology books from the stack.

Thanks! ]

[A small sound, that can be under circumstances be classified as a growl leaves Rin at those words, but when Jean snatches away one of the books, he bursts out.]

Hey! I need that!

[Nevermind that he's not using it right now. And he's being 'shh-ed' at. Again.]

Yeah? So do I.

[ There's a bit of a satisfied smirk on his lips that Rin's being shooshed, because Jean's all calm and casual against the back of his chair.

In fact, he goes far enough to flip it open and start skimming through the chapters. Truth is, he doesn't really need the Herbology book. Neither does he find it particularly fascinating. He's just trying to get under Rin's skin for something to do. When an opportunity presents itself, they say. ]

You're not using it right now anyway. What's it matter to you?

You could at least ask!

[He gets another wave of 'shhhhhh's, but ignores them, reaching for the book to grab it and snatch it back. It's a matter of principle. Besides, he doubts Jean really needs it, the dude's just trying to piss him off.

Except he forgets one should never, ever piss Matsuoka Rin off.]

[ Jean's pretty fearless when it comes to pissing people off though.

Instead of giving the book back, he pulls it away and leans back. ]

Why? It's not like it's yours. Unless your name is on it somewhere-- [ He makes a show of flipping the book around to check for Rin's name and -- ] Nope. Not there.

[Rin is seething now, flashing a set of sharp teeth as he grits them at the bastard.]

Give it back! You don't need it anyway!

[ The sad thing is since they're both 5th years, they both know Rin is right. However, what's brilliant about that is what Jean's going to point out now. ]

Neither should you. So, why do you have it?

[ He's not giving in, though. Jean's an asshole like that. Rin's sharp teeth don't scare him. ]

I need it for a potion.

[He seethes, giving Kirstein one of his darkest looks. That a book's not in the curriculum, doesn't mean it's not supposed to be read. He's however not letting Kirstein know, that he has trouble understanding a potion. No way. He's not giving the asshole that victory.]

Fair enough.

[ See? He's not all bad. In fact, he'll toss the book for Rin to catch as a show of it. ]

[Wha...? He catches the book with the reactions of a Seeker, but his mind is still trying to wrap itself around the fact, that he got his book back like that. He puts it back on the neat pile.]

Thanks.

[The small words slips from him before he thinks about it, and then for a moment all he can do is scream at himself. Invardly. Dammit don't thank him, Matsuoka!]

[ Jean's capable of reigning himself in and being nice. All it really takes is consciously doing it. And honestly, it's the same with his temper. If he forces himself to be calm, he'll be calm. If he lets himself get riled up and stay that way, he'll be a handful for anyone around him. Including people he likes or cares about.

Right now? He's just trying to get under Rin's skin because he's bored. ]

What is all this, anyway? It's not like the library is going anywhere.

[Rin flashes the Gryffindor another annoyed look.]

Don't you have anything better to do?

[He clicks his tongue and places his hand on top of the pile.]

These are books. And these [he points at his notes] are my notes on the ingredients for the Draught of Peace. Which is the Potion we're doing now, in case you didn't notice.

I know what books look like.

[ How about one annoyed look for another? Jean's eyes narrow as he wiggles one of the books he brought with him to sit down. ]

Don't tell me you need all of these for one potion... It's not that hard to pay attention to the directions.

I can make the Potion just fine.

[He huffs, agitated. Is Kirstein trying to say Rin can't follow stupid instructions?]

Do I have to remind you that your failur rate exceeds mine drastically?

[He clicks his tongue again.]

Every idiot can follow instructions. I wanna understand the ingredients.

I won't need potions for the ministry job I want after school, so who cares what my grades are like?

[ Jean crosses his arms in front of himself and just... stares at Rin. Kind of like maybe he's (Rin) an idiot after all. ]

[Rin grips his quill a little tighter for a moment, as he gets reminded of the fact that some people can get by so easily, without putting in the minimal effort.]

Good for you.

[He retorts.]

But I need five challenging NEWTs and for those I need perfect grades at my OWLs. So if you don't mind...

[He says with a tone that implies he'd like Jean to get lost. Not that the guy has ever listened to him, but Rin is not gonna do him any favors. Slytherin pride and all.]

[ It's not necessarily getting by so easy as much as picking a job he's already well versed in. Jean's a shoe in for Muggle Relations, having spent most of his life (at least until he was eleven) in the muggle world. And by the time he's out of school, he wants a no hassle life. A Ministry job would bring more than enough income in to start providing for a wife and family one day. ]

By all means, go back to what you were doing. [ A small smirk as his feet come up to rest on a corner of the table, opening the book in his hands. ] I'll just be here doing my own homework.

3rd Bite is Friday Blues

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