Kaz and Meru (P1)

Kazuma Reeds entered the Great Hall with one objective: Flirt with Merula Snyde.

It had started as a bet. He and Rowan had been lazing around in the Slytherin common room, each attempting to out-annoy the other as they went through a variety of topics. They'd started on their grades, and had so far run through house elves, muscles, Voldemort, Quidditch, Ben Copper's cowardliness, love, life and happiness.

"I'm so good at flirting," Kaz argued, his head lolling over the armrest of the chair. "A deaf giant-"

"Stop!" Rowan cried, before a cacophony of 'SHHHHs' from the other students forced him to lower his voice. "Be quiet." he whispered.

"You recognize my skill?" Kaz probed, shifting from the sprawled out position he'd been in to sit in the chair normally.

"Not really. It's just that Merula Snyde just walked in." Rowan explained, nodding toward the entrance to the common room.

"Ah." Kaz turned to look over, and sure enough, the ball of anger and probably-repressed-mental-illnesses had just walked in. Upon seeing him glancing over at her, she assumed one of her trademarked sneers. Kaz was not particularly perturbed by this, since they'd managed to progress from hexing each other at any point to simply throwing heavy banter at every opportunity. "Heeeeeeey, Snyde. How are ya?" Kaz drew the words out, wiggling his eyebrows as he did so. He noticed to his amusement that a look of confusions seemed to flicker across her face before the sneer fell back into place.

"Piss off, Reeds." She turned toward the dormitory entrance and disappeared upstairs.

"So much for your skill at flirting." Kaz heard Rowan snicker behind him. He settled further into the chair, crossing his arms.

"That wasn't flirting." Kaz said with a pout.

"Really? You always greet girls like that?" Rowan leaned forward, putting the book he'd been reading on the table beside him.

"How would you even know what flirting looks like? Have you ever looked at a girl outside of drawings in your books?" Kaz shifted back to the position he'd been in before Merula's entrance, with his head over one armrest and his legs dangling over the other.

"I'll have you know I could talk circles around anyone, while you couldn't get Merula Snyde to look at you for more than five seconds without a look of disgust on her face."

"Oh yeah? You want to bet on that?"

"On what? My ability to talk like a human being?"

"No, on me, successfully wooing Merula Snyde." Kaz raised his fists in what was almost a celebratory gesture, before allowing them to limply fall and hang off the chair, almost brushing against the cold dungeon floor.

"Why would you make a bet you're definitely going to lose?"

Kaz sighed, allowing his eyes to slide shut. "Someone doesn't have faith in me."

"I don't think faith matters much when you failing is a forgone conclusion."

"Oh come on. You don't think I could at least get her to talk to me normally?"

"I don't think you could get her to stay sitting at the same table as you for more than a minute unless she actually had to."

Kaz furrowed his brow. "She's been sitting near me in every lesson we share since first year. I know how she thinks. I guarantee I'll manage to get her to warm up to me. Ten galleons."

Rowan sighed and stood up. "You're on. You might as well pay me now."

Kaz rubbed his hands together. "Heh...you're gonna regret this." Rowan shook his head and began walking toward the entrance to the common room. "Where are you going, anyway? We don't have any classes for another hour."

"Library. I want to get started on Flitwick's essay."

"But that's not due for another month!" Kaz called out as his far-too-studious friend left the room. 'Well, whatever. I've got a bet to win.' He thought to himself.


Entering the Great Hall for breakfast the next day, Kaz began his assault on Merula's mental barriers. Quickly locating her at the end of the Slytherin table, sitting alone as usual, he made his way over and threw himself down opposite her.

"Who the hell gave you permission to sit here?" She was clearly not in a conversational mood, but Kaz wasn't going to let that stop him.

He gave her a wide grin. "You know, we've got a lot in common. We've both lost family, we're both searching for the vaults and we've both been seen as outcasts to the rest of the school."

She stared at him, leaning heavily on the table. After a few seconds, she responded. "Are you ill or something?"

Kaz had already figured it would be best to start off strong, so once she denied him he could build his way up. "Want to be friends?"

Merula leaned on her hand and narrowed her eyes. "Jump off a cliff." She said in a deadpan tone.

Kaz smirked and leaned back, looking down the length of the table to see Rowan walking toward him. Without stopping or slowing down, Rowan walked right past him and whispered out the corner of his mouth. "Told you."

"Just you wait! You haven't seen nothing yet!" Kaz called after him as he left the hall. He turned back to Merula to see her violet eyes flashing with anger. Or hunger, he supposed, since she didn't have any food around her.

"What is he talking about, Reeds? Are you trying to trick me? I'll destroy you!"

"Oh relax. I just want to have a nice conversation."

"You're a danger to everyone around you. I'm getting out of here." Merula thumped both her hands on the table before jumping to her feet and walking toward the door. Kaz smiled, leaned back and delivered the finishing blow.

"But you look so cute when you're confused!" At this, she stopped and turned to look back at him, and he noted with glee that a slight blush could be seen on her face. She gave him a smouldering glare, but continued out of the Great Hall unabated.

Ignoring the questioning looks he was getting from the other students around him, Kaz reached for a slice of toast and began to munch on it absentmindedly, pondering how he could get the tiny witch to open up to him. 'Wonder what she'd do if I sent her flowers? Nah, she'd probably set them, and me as well, on fire...' He spent the next 15 minutes brainstorming before the teachers shoo'd everyone out of the hall for their first period.

Kaz continued to think as he wandered toward the dungeons. 'Maybe I could tell her that she'd look real good without eyeliner? Nah, that's part of her signature look. That's like telling her to take off her clothes...although she'd probably look pretty good like that too...' He was interrupted from his musings when he reached the classroom to see the foreboding eyes of Professor Snape.

"As usual, you seem more occupied with your own thoughts than classes, Reeds. You are now 5 minutes late. 10 points from Slytherin. Sit down." Kaz decided antagonising Snape was probably not in his best interests, and quickly took his usual seat next to Rowan and Merula, who did the usual and looked at him like he was walking garbage.

Kaz winked at her. Her eye twitched.

'Good lord, this is fun.' Kaz thought to himself.

"Today, you will brew me a love potion. These potions can ensnare even the most stout of heart, and are not to be taken lightly. The instructions are on page 394. Begin." Snape gave his usual introductory speech before beginning to circle the room.

"Did he say a love potion? Hey Merula, you think he's trying to set us up?" Kaz whispered.

"Shut. Up." Merula hissed through gritted teeth, beginning to measure out ingredients.

"You know, if you want to go out with me, you don't need to brew a potion." Kaz leaned in to whisper in her ear. "All you need to do is ask." Kaz was almost certain he'd seen a full-body shiver course through Merula before the ingredient she was pouring into the simmering cauldron slipped from her hand. The last thing he remembered before waking up in the hospital wing was Rowan diving over the opposite side of the desk.

'Still' Kaz thought from his bed, 'She didn't seem too mad about that...'