Unlikely Love in Unlikely Places - love potion chaos

"I'd rock your world," Henri growled, stumbling as she attempted to right the dizzy world around her. Erika looked rapturous in her capture. Henri let out a sigh as the girl went on her long tirade. "Geez. Everyone here thinks I'm the sociopath, yeah? Well, you must have been picking up some tricks of the trade from me or something."

She finally got into a proper sitting position, and sneered up at her. "You think I'm afraid of what you can do? Little Miss Introvert reaching the whole school? It's a funny thought. An even funnier thought is that you want to make a deal with me. I have to know - IF I cared, what would you want me to do?"

(Sorry, my muse for Henri is being funky.))

Bertie let out an uncontrolled giggle at Erika's witty Tongue. He didn't want to appear as though he was picking sides but he couldn't help how Erika used her words to an amusing effect. He liked that about Erika, she was literary talented, which was a rare talent in Hogwarts. The majority of students held their talents in being brave, intellectual, getting what they wanted.

Bertie smiled with admiration as Erika patted his curly hair. He hadn't noticed the touch barrier, nor the fact that Rika had layer a threat to Henri, what was happening enchantingly cunning and marvellous at the same time, yet it would ruin Henri's reputation. Perhaps if Henri said thank you then the whole situation would sizzle out, maybe end their rivalry?

'You know could say thank you.' The words seemed to just escape his lips. Dam. He regretted it, he never stood up to older people and already wanted to retreat into a little box. 'You know, be friends. Erika is pretty cool.' Bertie added, hoping that it would make up for his suggestion and make it sound like thank you would be a more happier route to travel down.

Bertie giggled at her words, and Rika felt like floating up to the seventh heaven. Wow....people never laughed at her jokes, or found her witty. She cast an affectionate glance on the third year, then realised....she had just patted his head. Initiated physical contact. Of her own accord.

Her eyes almost bugged out of her sockets. What the hell? "Bren?" Her lips moved barely, echoing a desperate prayer. No reply. This was getting weirder by the minute.

She shook her head inwardly. No no, this was her moment of triumph, her hour of glory, her minute of....well, you get the point. She needed to pay attention to Finch now. "Well, there are some not-so-good perks of being popular. People grab at any chance to gossip about you. I'm sure I can't be the only enemy you've made here....which means regardless of whether they believe it or not...the news that Henri Finch fell in love with a gargoyle should be all over school by lunch." Rika let out a happy sigh.

"But if you cared...." Rika's smile took on a decidedly sterner tinge. "You remember Potions class, of course. What I said to you. You have to publicly admit what you did...and publicly apologise for your actions. See? Nothing evil....unlike what you would've done if our places had been switched here." Her fingers lingered over her wand in her pocket, just in case, as loathe as she was to use it. She couldn't trust Finch not to obliviate her or something. "So I'm afraid you're still the sociopath here."

Now would've been a perfect time for Brenda to whoop inside her head. But there was silence. Rika shook off the uneasy feeling lingering at the back of her head.

A plan was forming in her mind. She was teamed up against, outnumbered. Even if she was only standing against a schizophrenic and her baby pet, it would be hard to gain the upper hand, logistically. And Henri did not want word of this to get out, no matter how nonchalant she seemed about the matter.

But Henri knew how to take a bad situation and turn it into a tool, a weapon. She ignored Bertie, because he was useless in this matter, in her opinion. He posed no threat. But Erika - yes. She had her in a corner. But, if anything, Henri knew how to make a corner comfortable.

She smiled. "I could do that. I should apologize. It's only proper. Tell me when, and I'll do it."

Bertie's eyebrows raised in alarm at how Erika was behaving so cunningly. The rivalry had greatly heated up since the potion catastrophe. Would the two girls ever get along? Bertie's idea of a quick thank you and formation of friendship had gone out of the window, much like his presence.

As the girls began to engaging small talk her stared out of the window, the sky was clear and blue. It'd be a perfect day to fly his broomstick, apart from the fact he didn't own a broomstick and didn't fly very well - nor did he enjoy being at such a height. 

'Should we go for a walk outside?' He murmured to the two girls, keeping his gaze on the cloudless sky. Returning his focus upon the pair whilst waiting for a response he managed to catch a snippet of what Henri had replied. She'd agreed to something? But what? Sometimes Bertie needed to pay more attention than stare off into space.

Rika blinked when Henri agreed without a fuss.

If she had been a Slytherin, she would have immediately smelt a rat in Henri's easy agreement, suspected the girl who had openly admitted that her 'rep' was everything. But Rika wasn't a Slytherin. In a fit of temper, she had promised Finch all Hollywood-esque that she would make her pay and all that crap, but she didn't have half a clue how to actually go about it. Today had been a marvellous stroke of luck. So when Finch agreed to apologise in a heartbeat, she gaped for two seconds and then smiled brilliantly, thanking the Fates for one right thing, "Excellent. When we're next in a public setting, I'll signal to you and you get down to it. Alright?"

She turned the headlight-like smile on Bertie next. Dear, dear Bertie. Opposing Henri Finch of all people, for her sake. If he hadn't been here as an additional witness, Rika doubted she would have ever agreed. "A walk? Sure thing. Let's go down to the Great Hall, if you will."

Then a sidelong glance to Finch. "If you wish, you can finish the apologising business right now, in the Hall itself. There'll be less students as compared to dinner. Barely." She was feeling particularly generous.

(( Let's do it in the throwdown thingy. It'll instigate Henri to go after Rika there. And what's a party without some drama? XD ))

A signal and obedience. Alright. Henri did not like the idea at being Erika Dixon's beck and call, but Henri also liked the idea of this. Erika would ask her when she thought it would benefit her most. Surely she would choose it when she had the most to gain - and, by that standard, the most to lose.

Henri could work with that.

Henri shook her head. "I have some studying I'd better get to. You know me, responsible as anything. I want to make sure I have my apology primed. I need to think over what I am saying. I'll only get this chance once." She smiled, and then turned and left the others there. "See you later."