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Post by Sirius Black on Sept 12, 2008 14:34:16 GMT -5
Sirius frowned. He didn't want to leave Andi alone with this guy. He was aware of Rabastan's reputation... in fact, at times, he wondered if he himself was about to become like Rabastan., what with his cheating on Kris with Amy and flirting with Emmeline. The difference was, of course, that Sirius felt bad about doing it. Rabastan, by all accounts, not only didn't feel bad about it, he enjoyed it. He was a heartbreaker. And Sirius didn't want Andi's heart to be the next one he broke.
"Yeah, OK. Actually, I need to get another look at the sneezewort. I couldn't get too close to that one earlier." He took his things and walked over to the display of plants and acted as if he was interested in them.
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Post by Andromeda Tonks on Sept 12, 2008 14:40:14 GMT -5
Andi sighed as Sirius walked over to the plants. She knew what he was doing, and she loved him for it. Walking back to the back of the room, where Rabastan was standing, she put her hands on her hips and looked at him skeptically. "Friends. Right. We were never friends before, Rabastan. You flirted with me mercilessly until you wore me down and I went out with you. As soon as I fell in love with you, you moved on to another girl. And now you think I can just sit around and talk with you like a friend? You say you've changed, but I don't see it. You still have the girls in a tizzy... like that poor little redhead. Have you broken her heart yet?"
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Post by Alice Prewett on Sept 12, 2008 14:59:06 GMT -5
Alice hung back watching the exchange, she knew about the history Andi had with Rabastan and she tried to hang back with Sirius to make sure Rabastan didn't cause any major issues for Andi. She was protective of her family, at least the ones she cared about and so she went over to seemingly help Sirius look over the sneezewort. She gave Sirius a meaningful look to let him know that she was just biding her time for Andi's sake.
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Post by Rabastan Lestrange on Sept 12, 2008 15:02:13 GMT -5
Rabastan rolled his eyes. "I can only apologize for that so many times, Andi. And how do you know I haven't changed?" He raised his eyebrows almost challengingly. "I didn't even look at another girl in the room. What, it's my fault now if *they* look at *me*?"
He softened his tone. "Please just give me a second chance."
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Post by Andromeda Tonks on Sept 12, 2008 15:07:06 GMT -5
Andi shook her head. She was getting a little impatient with him. She didn't buy the innocent, contrite act for a second. How could she? She knew all of his tricks. He could charm the pants off of a librarian.
But not the Herbology professor. She was determined on that.
"OK, enough of this," she said, annoyed. "Did Bellatrix put you up to this?"
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Post by Rabastan Lestrange on Sept 12, 2008 15:29:20 GMT -5
Rabastan gave her a look. "I'm sorry?"
He was kind of impressed she had figured it out so quickly, but he wouldn't let on to that.
"Please, Andi. Your sister would kill me if she knew I was even trying to talk to you at this point," he said, and she would know that he was right. "She's not very happy with the way things panned out at the restauraunt, after all."
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Post by Andromeda Tonks on Sept 12, 2008 15:39:08 GMT -5
Andi hesitated a minute. A part of her was convinced that the timing was awfully suspicious. Just a few days ago, she had been involved in a very public argument with her sisters about the fact that she was dating a muggleborn. And now, here was her pureblood ex-boyfriend suddenly showing up to make "amends" when he hadn't even bothered to contact her in the last two years? No... the timing was very suspicious. And she really wouldn't put it past Bella to send in someone she thought could seduce Andi back to the dark side.
On the other hand, Bella was furious with her, and it also seemed very possible that she would just wash her hands of her "traitorous" older sister. The scene had been ugly, and she really didn't think Bella would want anything to do with her at this point.
"OK, I'm sorry," she said. She wasn't really sorry, because she still wasn't sure she believed him, but maybe it was better to play along. "But you have to admit, the timing is suspicious. If you were so sorry about what you did to me, why did you wait so long to even try to contact me?"
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Post by Rabastan Lestrange on Sept 12, 2008 22:44:29 GMT -5
"I was afraid of this," he told her. "I knew something like this would happen. That you wouldn't trust me, or give me a second chance or anything... and Merlin, Andi, you have every right not to. But I just hoped... after so long..."
He frowned. "You have someone now that makes you happy. I guess I just hoped that you would be more willing to let me in now that you know I have no power to hurt you."
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Post by Andromeda Tonks on Sept 12, 2008 23:17:04 GMT -5
Andi eyed him suspiciously for a moment. He really was laying on thick. Either he was being sincere (which she highly doubted), or he really wanted something from her. "See, the thing is, Rabastan, I don't see as how we have anything in common. We were never friends before we went out, and it doesn't make sense to be friends now. What exactly would we talk about? Am I supposed to open up to you and tell you my feelings? Give you advice on women? Help you walk the straight and narrow? I just really don't see it happening. If I tell you I forgive you, will that be enough for you? Will that ease your conscience?"
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Post by Rabastan Lestrange on Sept 12, 2008 23:41:23 GMT -5
Damn her. He hated how smart the girl was at times, but he could keep playing along.
"Well, I don't expect you to open up to me. You have Tonks for that now. I'm not having any woman issues, and the straight and narrow thing is working out all right without your help. Maybe we could start with a good book? Or... how 'bout them Wimbourne Wasps?" He raised his eyebrows and smiled at his own joke.
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Post by Andromeda Tonks on Sept 12, 2008 23:58:56 GMT -5
Andromeda smirked at him. "A good book?" she said with a laugh. "Um, aren't you the same Rabastan Lestrange who once told me that reading was for Ravenclaws? Last I recalled, you had never even opened a book willingly. But, OK, I'm sure we could talk about the Wimbourne Wasps. I could admire their skills and strategies, and you could tell me which players you thought were hot." She sighed. "Look, I'll think about the friend thing, OK? But I'm not making any promises."
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Post by Rabastan Lestrange on Sept 13, 2008 0:01:06 GMT -5
Rabastan smiled and shook his head. "For your information, I could talk about their skills and strategies too."
Just not those involved in Quidditch.
He nodded, finally. "That's all I'm asking for, is for you to consider it. Thank you, Andi. I really do appreciate it."
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Post by Andromeda Tonks on Sept 13, 2008 12:44:38 GMT -5
Andi looked at him another moment. He really did seem just too contrite, too.. nice. It bothered her. Maybe because it was so out of place an out of character for him. Or maybe because it was just so difficult to hate someone who was throwing himself on his sword for her.
"All right, look. I have to get back up to the castle, and I'm sure you do, too. Dumbledore said something about dinner being special tonight, so we should get back there. I suppose you can walk with me, but that's it, OK?" She walked back to her desk and gathered her things, forgetting all about Alice and Sirius still studiously examining the sneezewort plant. "Let's go."
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Post by Rabastan Lestrange on Sept 14, 2008 3:03:53 GMT -5
Rabastan nodded as though he understood completely and would respect those boundaries. But really, even if she was buying the whole, reformed act, he was still Rabastan and he still pushed boundaries. It was simply what he did... usually with girls, sometimes with authority. Maybe today he would just walk with her, but that wouldn't last for long at all.
"Do I make you uncomfortable, Andi?" He asked her. "I had hoped no. I thought with Tonks, I had a better chance... because I couldn't get to you anymore."
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Post by Andromeda Tonks on Sept 14, 2008 12:02:51 GMT -5
Damn him. He had no right to even ask that question. And there was no good way to answer it. If she said no, she would be lying, and she was fairly certain he knew it. But she couldn't very well answer yes.... he'd never let her alone. And it wasn't that she was still attracted to him. Yes, he was still sinfully attractive, but she was no longer affected by that. She had Ted now, and she found his fair hair and blue eyes infinitely more appealing that Rabastan's dark, shady eyes and coloring. But she'd resisted his charms the first time as well--for a while.
Rabastan, when he was pursuing a woman, had the ability to make her feel like a goddess. Usually he didn't have to pursue, but every so often he'd find one he thought to be a challenge. Andi had been a challenge to him; she knew that now. And he'd won her over, only to lose interest once he'd had her. A part of her feared he was going to try again, just to see if he could break her down and take her away from Ted.
"No," she lied. "But I don't trust you. You really did hurt me pretty badly, you know."
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Post by Rabastan Lestrange on Sept 14, 2008 15:00:39 GMT -5
"I make you uncomfortable," Rabastan confirmed, nodding as if he was reluctant to know this fact. "That's all right. It's something I will have to work on."
He walked with her a little ways in silence, before he wondered just how much he could play with her head. If Tonks really was somewhere, waiting for her, and Rita had found him... Merlin, he could have some fun. Let Andi build him up before he tore her down.
"Tell me about Tonks?"
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Post by Andromeda Tonks on Sept 14, 2008 16:15:39 GMT -5
She absolutely couldn't believe he was doing this. Was she really supposed to talk to him about Ted? Whatever he was up to, he was stubbornly sticking to it. Friends... the idea of being friends with Rabastan Lestrange was just about the most insane idea she'd ever heard. It made more sense to make friends with a python or a nest of hornets.
But at least she wasn't the same naive girl she had been before. She knew better than to get sucked into his lies. So with that in mind, she was curious to see where he was going to take this.
Eying him warily, she walked an arm's length away from him. "Ted is amazing. He's charming and sweet and caring... and best of all, he understands me, in a way no one ever has before. And even though he knows I'm strong enough to take care of myself, he's still very protective of me." As she spoke of Ted, her face transformed, her cheeks coloring and her eyes sparkling. Her expression was soft, displaying the deep tenderness she felt for him. For a brief second, she forgot she was talking to Rabastan at all.
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Post by Rabastan Lestrange on Sept 15, 2008 3:02:56 GMT -5
He was surprised she said anything at all. He wasn't going to argue, of course, but he had expected her to say something nasty or desperately apathetic. Or heck, even just to tell him that it was none of his business.
"He sounds nice," Rabastan said. "I have to admit... I'm a little jealous." He smiled softly, shrugging, silently telling her he knew it had been his loss. "Did you meet him at the Ministry? I don't remember much of him when you both were here."
Then again, Tonks was two years older than Andi, and four older than him. And a Hufflepuff. He wouldn't have noticed the other man at all.
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Post by Andromeda Tonks on Sept 15, 2008 16:17:51 GMT -5
It felt absolutely surreal to be talking to Rabastan about Ted. It almost felt wrong, because she'd never told Ted a thing about her past relationship with Rabastan. She hadn't really thought that it mattered; after all, she was over him. And until today, she really hadn't expected to ever see him again.
"Yes, we met at the Ministry," she replied vaguely. "And we both live in the Black Cat Apartments. Look, I really don't want to talk about this with you. It's weird. Why don't you tell me what's been going on with you? What exactly caused this change of heart?" She said the last part with an extra emphasis on "change of heart", indicating that she didn't really think he'd had one at all.
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Post by Rabastan Lestrange on Sept 16, 2008 0:34:25 GMT -5
Rabastan shrugged. "I know you don't trust me. I wish I could find an easy way to prove to you that I've changed," he told her. "But as it is, I can't, so I'll prove it to you the long way. I was kid when we dated, Andi. I've grown up... that's what happens to most of us, isn't it? We realize what gits we were."
He was looking at his shoes, his hands in his pockets as they walked. It seemed at though he had gotten shy all of sudden... Rabastan never got shy or bashful. One day, perhaps, a girl really would bring this out in him. But it wasn't going to be Andi.
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