The sun was high in the afternoon; summer was coming to the countryside and the breeze was cool enough to balance it out. The only one that wasn't enjoying it was Tess Holmes. She was not a fan of going out, especially if it was to entertain herself while her parents and brother did business. At sixteen, she was seen as a nice trophy girlfriend, future wife, and overall a contract that brought both families. She saw it as a waste of her time, the waste of whatever poor fool was interested, and a waste of her future. She had dreams and she would be damned if she was going to let them take it over.

She had managed to escape another date; another set up where she was forced to look the part of a proper lady, then abandoned while her family did their own thing. It was sickening; and he was an idiot. His Durmstrang background made him a bit touchy feely which she did not appreciate; he was so stupid, and she managed to escape. And now, with heels on her hand, her barefeet touching the wet grass, she walked to get anywhere away from there. She appreciated that she managed to at least wear a comfortable red dress, letting the breeze cool off her shoulders, and her legs. As she treaded she avoided the main road, and cursed everyone that had brought her in this predicament.

Three down. Fourteen to go. If his parents were dead set on this business trip, Ben was going to get something out of it himself. They may try to put on a facade of the "perfect pureblood family", but Ben could care less about their image or their pompous business transactions. When they'd told him they would be having a private lunch with one of their contacts, he grabbed the opportunity and ran. Not literally, of course. He'd passed the Apparation test with ease, so he'd been free to go where he please.

The countryside was an easily accessible choice. They'd been here before on various vacations, though his parents didn't much care for the outdoors. Ben wasn't one to go traipsing through the mud for the fun of it either, but he knew the value of that mud in his own studies. So, equipped with his school messenger bag and plenty of materials for his purposes, he'd set off for a day of gathering. He had an active list of natural plants and other materials that he wanted to find, for experiments and potions, and whatever he could think of to do with them.

An hour into his blissful alone time, he'd collected a few roots and some petals from the flowers in the open field. There were a line of trees on the edge that he'd read about but hadn't been able to gather before. Dropping his bag to the ground, he rolled up his sleeves and stripped his tie off. The tree was large, but its branches were low enough that he could easily climb it.

Minutes later he found himself out on a high limb, grabbing a few of the more perfectly formed leaves. Sure, he could have gathered a few of the fallen leaves from the ground and carried on, but they wouldn't be prime specimens. Pulling out his wand, he cast a soft, "Immobulus," on the still attached leaves. Once they were frozen in stasis, he plucked them from their spot and placed them in their individually labeled folders. A few fell out as he moved to climb back down.

"Damn," he murmured, watching the frozen leaves float down towards the ground.

Tess was not happy. Her feet were already starting to hurt, and she had little knowledge of how to even get back. She didn't dare, she knew that if she really wanted to she could try and get back. She turned to face the path that she had walked already, sighing realizing she could no longer see the country estate that she had once been in. No matter, all territories were the same and she would eventually be sought after if the boy had enough sense.

"It's worth it" she muttered as she continued on her way.

She never thought the moment that puberty hit, and the moment that one passed the awkward phase, they would immediately notice her. Not just notice her as a member of the family, but as an asset. She was not taking it calmly, she would purposely be sickly sweet and when the moment was right ,scare them off as best she could. She was good at that, and she was damned if she was going to change. At this point, even a muggle would be better than anything set up by her family. She shuttered at the thought.

Ten minutes later the wind seemed to be picking up, and before she could even think, her hat was flying off. She cried in distress; she knew how much that hat cost, and how much her mother just adored when she wore it. Enough things had been spoiled for her to lose her hat (and she was a bit materialistic she would admit later) and the chase began. She must have looked a sight, a teenage girl running with her shoes at hand, and her hair flowing wildly through her exertion. Once the wind seemed to die down, she managed to grab her hat and sighed in relief, gripping it tightly on her left hand.

She was breathing a bit heavily, and rested for a moment, only for her to feel as if ice had touched her back. She cried out in surprise, her items falling as she felt something melting on her skin. Leaves, frozen leaves had caused her distress and glared at them as if it was their fault. Her eyes trailed up the hill till she saw this tall boy oblivious to her annoyance.

"What is wrong with you?!" she called out.

What the... Ben's brow furrowed as someone walked under the tree he was perched in. Some stupid little girl who was out on a walk through the meadow, clear by the way she was holding her shoes. Some people wanted to enjoy the feel of the ground beneath their feet. Ben, well he personally wanted to know what was in that soil, and what could grow in it. And this girl was imposing on his time, which could be better spent getting more samples.

Sighing in resignation, he decided the few leaves he'd managed to keep in his folder were enough for what he needed. He'd really only grabbed the extras to keep for his personal collection. Never hurt to have extras laying about. His parents had no idea, but he'd turned his personal library into more of a laboratory. They never bothered to come into the wing that housed his rooms and library, so they were none the wiser.

A few minutes later, he'd swiftly moved down the trunk, his long limbs making it look easier than it would be for most. Ben knew he still had some growing to do, before he reached his full height, but he was already towering above most of his classmates. And this year would be no different. His pale complexion, in contrast with his dark locks, and his lithe form, were offsetting for most people he met.

As an afterthought, he shoved his wand into his pocket, ready with an excuse if the girl asked what it was. They were close enough to muggle towns that she could be anything, and he didn't want to assume. "There is nothing wrong with me." The tiny pang in his chest did not register in his voice at all. Instead, he was the epitome of stoicism and aloofness. She wasn't worth his time, so he simply moved over to his bag, placing the folder of leaves gently inside.

Tess glared at the fact that he was annoyed by her presence. He was the one perturbing her, this was her time to be able to walk away from her brother and the way he pleaded for her to try to follow instruction. Her parents and the tutting they made every time she pushed another suitor away. She knew she would be the one who needed help when it came to matchmaking. Aria wouldn't need help, she was a natural flirt and she would find the person she wanted. Tess had no way to work with that. She was more introverted, she was not afraid to say what she thought, but in a way she pushed people away.

She studied him as he ignored her question; he was tall and imposing by the graceful way he carried herself. Wealthy by what he was wearing, it was expensive, and the indifference in how he got them dirty. 'Disposable' her thoughts immediately sped. He was snooty and he probably thought that he was superior over her. Pureblood, he had to be. That's how the men were, that's how they all were and she immediately felt annoyance run through her blood.

"You're not even going to apologize after that stunt?" she asked frustrated.

She lifted her feet shuffling away from the icy leaves and back to the normal grass. She wouldn't dare put on her shoes, because she knew she would sink if she did. Perhaps she should have walked away but she was annoyed and simply wanted to pick a fight.

Crouching down next to his bag, Ben's long limbs seemed to fold in on themselves. He wasn't athletic, in comparison to others of his age. His...not friend... acquaintance, a Hufflepuff named Conner, contented himself with physical pursuits like Quidditch and the like. Personally, Ben preferred to hone the most important part of himself: his mind. Anything outside of that was just excess.

He arranged the objects he'd collected carefully, making sure that none of them got crushed. Phials and folders, quills and parchment for notes and the like. He needed to know, for future experiments, exactly how he collected each item, and under what conditions. When he was very young, he would simply grab things that looked interesting, fisting them in his small hand until he could get them home to place under his miniature microscope, one of the few muggle contraptions his parents had ever bought for him. Years later, he knew how important each variable was, that no detail was too small.

One quill in hand, and a slip of parchment, he started taking notes on the tree leaves, his mouth pursing at the memory of that stupid girl that had tainted quite a few of his specimens...

Oh. She was still there, and talking, it seemed like. Or at least she had. Flitting through his mind, it presented her question, having stored it while he had focused on something that actually mattered. Looking up sharply, his eyes pierced hers.

"You should be the one apologizing," he replied, his voice relaying his annoyance at her interruption. "You ruined quite a bit of my leaves simply traipsing about." He let his weight pull him down to sit in the grass at the base of the tree. Propping one of his knees up, he pressed the parchment to his thigh, his quill moving in smooth motions.

Tess looked at him gobsmacked after his snooty reply. She'd never had someone disrespect her in such a way. This boy really thought that she was going to be so calm as to walk away, oh no. He was clearly one of those self-righteous bastards that always thought they were right. But that wasn't the case. He was the one that interrupted her stroll, had he not frozen those leaves she would have been able to simply ignore him and go on her path. Had he even looked remotely guilty, not like some emotionally stunted jerk who looked surprised at her still being there.

"You're so lucky I can't hex you at the moment" she muttered not caring if he heard. If she was of age, she would have shown him who the hell she was and why he should be more respectful. If Aria was here he'd be kissing her foot, afterall she was better at this than her.

"Are you barmy? Obviously if those leaves came from that tree you're sitting under, what's so hard about using a freezing charm again?" she drawled out.

She considered staying but he didn't want her there, she wasn't even sure if she even wanted to stay there, and she would probably end up hitting him if he was any ruder. There was no point in hanging around people that were toxic, and she could see that he preferred being alone. Taking a deep breath she turned around, head held high and began to walk away. She had to find her way to the village somehow, and she doubted her parents would be quite happy with her disappearance, nor would her date. What was his name anyways? She wrinkled her nose in thought as she walked back down the hill. Darren? John? William?

"Ben?" she murmured softly. No no no, it was...Brighton. Ugh. She was not looking forward to having to go back to that boy.

Ben's brow furrowed in genuine confusion as he watched her get mad. Was this girl so adverse to cold that a frozen leaf falling on her would actually make her this angry? He didn't understand, and this was a perfect example of why he tended to avoid other people. Why a stranger would threaten to hex him over a fallen leaf was completely beyond his comprehension.

As she turned to leave, he stood, slipping his things into his bag and hoisting it over his head to lay across his body. He could have brushed the dirt off his cloths, from sitting in the grass and climbing the tree, but he really didn't care. It wasn't a commentary on the ease of which he could get new ones, he just honestly didn't care that much if they got dirty. Not here, when there was no reason to care. He'd been brought up with business-minded people, so he knew when to dress properly, but any other time...he would rather be in sleep cloths. At least that way he was comfortable to move about as he liked.

In a moment, he decided that his ambition to collect samples was dulled for the day. His parents needed them here for a few more days, so he would have time to return and gather the other plants in the field. But the fire to continue today had died a bit in the face of his social confusion. He would not let it show though.

He easily fell into step behind the girl. She was going the same way he was, so there was no reason to walk yards behind her, causing even more awkwardness. That much he could figure out on his own. There was no real reason to talk to the girl, but a strange impulse in him forced words out of his mouth. "If you must know, all of those leaves were extremely similar in structure and coloring. It is important to be consistent, when working with a new variable. Broken leaves, or ones of different sizes or coloration, may produce different results."

Ben was brought up short, his steps stopping abruptly, as he heard his name come from the girl. Brow furrowed, he asked, "Do I...know you?" He couldn't think of any other reason she would say his name, but for the life of him, he didn't know her.

Tess was quickly trying to map out the way she she had come from before the whole hat incident. Now she wished she had let the useless thing fly off, it would have saved her a lot of time running and this uncomfortable situation. What she would do to be reading her book in her little corner of her room. She sighed at the thought, wondering how quickly she could get out of the dress and into her nightgown.

She heard shuffling behind her, and she was at a point where she didn't even care where the hell he was up to, he was too..he made her hot headed way too quickly for her own good. But his longer strides quickly caught up with her.

"If you must know, all of those leaves were extremely similar in structure and coloring. It is important to be consistent, when working with a new variable. Broken leaves, or ones of different sizes or coloration, may produce different results."

Her thoughts were still thinking over the name of the suitor whom she'd abandoned that is until she heard him ask a question. She turned around to look at him in confusion as her brain caught up with the situation at hand. For a quick moment she wanted to ask him how the hell didn't he know her last name, it was...known in Wizarding politics. But his expression brought her to really look at him. With his wild hair and his bright eyes he wasn't...that is to say he wasn't...his personality was absolutely atrocious but..he wasn't that horrible. She shook her head and trailed her eyes down to his clothes, far too overdressed for being outside, and her eyes landed on the ring. The symbol was clear enough for her to file through family information to get his surname.

"Watson" she commented, "You're Benjamin Watson"

She had heard of him through her family, he was the heir and most definitely someone she should have known. Slytherin like her, she'd seen him in advance potions, always with a Hufflepuff in tow. Now it all made sense, his features and how rude he was. She had heard of him being rude to everyone, but she'd never bothered to even try, socializing wasn't her specialty either.

"Do I look familiar?" she asked as she raised her brow.

His brow furrowed slightly as he watched the confusion play out across her face. Confusion, surprise, and understanding, intermingling so quickly that most people wouldn't notice. Ben may be terrible in social situations, but he could read the slight nuances of a person's facial features as if they were telegraphing their very thoughts. Well...most people. Something about the way she looked at him, before the unavoidable familiarity set in...he didn't quite understand.

He didn't even bother to accept the title. It was a name he neither earned, nor saw the importance in. If he wanted to go into the family business, the Watson name would be beneficial, yes. But he wanted nothing to do with people, in any way. While his father had been a potioneer when he was younger, his greed had turned him into a business owner, rather than being on the front lines. And his mother was all about marketing. Between them, they had created the leading brand in potions. While some shops tried to support local potion makers, there was no arguing with the consistency of the Watson products.

And Ben wanted nothing to do with it. He'd fallen in love with the experimental side of actually creating the potions. Once the urge to know had crawled inside of him, all else had fallen away. At school, he barely noticed most people. They were all blank faces that were simply existing alongside him as he moved towards his inevitable purpose.

At the girls question, he didn't even feel a twinge of guilt at his response. "No." His word was not harsh, nor was it submissive or apologetic. It was a statement of fact. "Who are you?"

Tess rolled her eyes at his blunt comment. Honestly no wonder her sister was so keen on this boy. Aria knew who everyone was when they mattered in some way. And the Watson name mattered in Aria's world, it meant power and potions. To Tess she didn't care at all what names meant, at least names that weren't hers. They could all be muggles for all she cared. This was another reason that the sister's differed. And to think that this boy was indifferent made her respect him, yet frustrated her. She did bristle a bit at the fact that she wasn't remembered. She knew she wasn't the most popular but she worked hard to end up where she was, as Head Girl and as the first Holmes Girl to do so.

"And to think I thought the Head Boy was supposed to know who everyone was" She replied with mirth and annoyance. Mirth at the fact that she had the upper hand of information.  "I'm Tess Holmes"

She had seen him roam the halls with his cold demeanor as he removed points from people that were annoying and no one ever argued. He was ice cold, she'd seen it but had never been under that gaze until now. But she wasn't going to take it and not throw it back, she'd seen worse, and even then she hadn't shown weakness.

Well damn. That old annoyance, again. Coming up through his years at Hogwarts, one thing had been perfectly clear to Ben: the only student who had the access that he wanted, to the ingredients closet and the restricted areas of the library, were the Heads. The good marks in classes was easy. Staying out of trouble...a little less so. It helped that the only times he got into trouble was on his own, and for educational purposes. When presented with logical, rational reasons as to why the legendary Severus Snape was sitting in an empty classroom, surrounded by the scent of polyjuice, not many professors wanted to argue right and wrong.

The down side of being Head Boy? He had to deal with simpletons. Students who thought necking in the alcoves and playing jokes on each other were proper uses of their times. He barely bothered to learn their names, simply deducting points evenly across the board. It worked perfectly last year, with the previous Head Girl being the more "people person" of the two of them. She had been a popular little Hufflepuff with enough of a mind to deserve the position, if not based purely on scholarly merit.

At the girl's comment, his lip tugged up in a hint of a smirk. "Alisha took care of the people last year. She was an adequit partner, in that way."

That name... Where had he heard it? His eyes closed quickly, sifting through his memory. It didn't take long for him to locate it, a name written in an owl sent shortly after school got out. She was the new Head Girl. His eyes widened as he let himself take her in for the first time. It took only moments, his eyes flicking here and there. Youngest. Slytherin, sixth year. Quiet...usually. Loner.

"Oh." How was this going to work?! There couldn't be two people like this, it wouldn't do well. He would be expected to step into the role of leader, something he dreaded.

It was almost adorable how she would practically hear him think. His eyes would glaze out and she could almost picture the wheels turning in his head. She crossed her arms and smirked wondering when he would come back to reality. She ignored the poke that her heels gave her the moment she had crossed her arms and instead relished the upper hand. From this angle he looked a lot taller than he could be, but she couldn't tell from their differences.

"Alisha took care of the people last year. She was an adequate partner, in that way."

Oh Alisha, she remembered her well, she always tried so hard to get everyone to know her and get a first name basis. She was sweet enough, nothing wrong with her, but she was just so happy. Tess always thought she was trying to make up for the cold broody Head Boy who look like he had a pole stuck up his arse. Even now she could see how tightly wound he was.

As he closed his eyes she tapped her barefoot to the grass, and saw his posture change. As he looked at her in surprise, her smug grin widened and lifted her head as if letting him take all of her 5'4 inches of height in.

"Oh?" she reiterated and chuckled. "Good you've caught on. Since we'll be having a working relationship, let's just say, you get dibs on being Alisha for me okay?" and tilted her head looking at him with glee.

Eyes narrowing at the girl's smugness, Ben decided in that moment he did not like her. Sure, she may be...well, some people may think...to the normal...There is nothing remotely important about the texture of a girl's hair, or the symmetricality of her facial features, in regards to her work capabilities. While simpler minds would try to "make nice" with someone they were forced to work with, Ben was far from simple.

His face returned to its normal, stoic, removed expression, although his eyes were as focused as ever. Fingers lacing together behind his back, he took the last few steps to bring him within physical contact distance. At this proximity, he had to admit to himself, because he would never say it to anyone else, that her eyes weren't completely below average in their uniqueness. His height advantage was even more clear at this point, in that the top of her head barely reached his nose.

"There is nothing 'working' about us, and there is no 'relationship'." His words were soft, but firm in their intention. "And what makes you think that I would act any different from my previous years actions? I'm not the new person to the position. If things happen to...fall through the cracks, who do you think they will blame, hmm?" His lips pursed as his eyebrows rose in meaning.

With that thought out there, he easily sidestepped her and started walking again.

Tess felt her smugness shake when he got closer, too close, but she wasn't going to back down. She knew this was a fight for dominance, especially if they were to work together. He had a thing coming if he thought that she was going to play nice to the students and be Allison. She was not her and never would be.

"There is nothing 'working' about us, and there is no 'relationship'." His words were soft, but firm in their intention. "And what makes you think that I would act any different from my previous years actions? I'm not the new person to the position. If things happen to...fall through the cracks, who do you think they will blame, hmm?" His lips pursed as his eyebrows rose in meaning.

Her eyes flashed in annoyance as he studied her like a specimen under a microscope. He was not going to peel back the layers she knew were her protection, she was better than that. Yet she felt a shiver run down her spine at his deep voice, purposely lowered to intimidate her. She huffed, especially as he sidestepped and kept walking as if they weren't talking.

"I would never be blamed," she called out as she found herself following him. 'Not following, you were going the same way' her mind corrected her. "The Deputy likes me, and I don't have a record of being a prick in class unlike someone here."

She found herself speeding up to keep up with his long legs. She wasn't done and he wasn't going to have the last words.

"Slow down" she hissed under her breath before finally catching up. The height difference had yet to change, in fact, while it wasn't so drastic as when they were on the hill, they were still far apart in stature.

"Also, I don't make mistakes, if you do that's fine, but I don't" she drawled out, mimicking his deeper voice.

A wicked smirk tugged at Ben's lips as he heard the girl walking after him. He absolutely wouldn't entertain the idea that his parents could be right in their approach to people, but a tiny thrill ran through him at getting the upper hand just then.

Her voice was that of a petulant child, the way she tried to bring the Deputy Headmistress into the equation, as if that mattered. Ben liked the woman, if he cared to say he liked people at all. She was more experienced than him in her respective field, so he showed her respect. But whether or not the woman was fond of the new Head Girl made no difference to him. All it showed was...

"So, not only do you clearly underestimate my ability to care," he spoke as he continued to walk, not bothering to wait for her to catch up, "but you feel the need to demonstrate you lack of personal independence by showing how much of a brown-noser you are. Typical."

Her speaking of mistakes did irk him a bit. He never made mistakes. The only things that appeared so were unaccounted for variables that had different outcomes than he'd expected. Nothing more. He could hardly be blamed when a fellow Slytherin, a fat little first year, had shown up to his first lesson with blue hair. The potion Ben had slipped in his drink had, apparently, contained just a bit too much of the key component and hadn't sat well with the boy. It was still a success, if not an exactly expected one.

His lips pursed imperceptibly. "I do not make mistakes, Holmes. Except, possibly, hoping that the new Head Girl would be up to the task."

Tess felt her blood boil at how much of a prick Benjamin Watson truly was; this was going to be the thorn on her side. Taking a deep breath, she forced her shoulders to lessen their tension. There was no point in showing the annoyance, it was stronger to not care. 'Don't care, don't care' her mind reiterated.

"Oh you wound me Watson, how you wound me with your cold indifference" she mocked eyes blazing. "Lack of personal independence? Brow noser? That's rich coming from you no? Little boy, spoiled rotten heir, always claiming to be smarter than everyone. Is your nose held so high because there's always dung smell under it?" she added with a flutter of her lashes, "Or maybe 'Professor Holmes, the answer is so obvious, why even bother asking when they won't know" she attempted to drawl it out the way he would say it in class.

Never once lowering her head, she walked faster walking ahead of him and not bothering to look back at him. This was a challenge and she was not going to just sit calmly. she knew better than that, she was better than that. If he wanted to be a dick, then he could be, she could be the worst roommate he'd ever seen if that was the case. Being a bother? Didn't bother her at all.

So she walked ahead of him, hips swaying eyes steady ahead just waiting for more berating came her way. Funny how they were arguing and yet still walking the same direction. It was bothersome really. Yet a part of her was angry and intrigued he'd been keeping up and keeping her on the toes. People so rarely did.

"Really? No mistakes" she said in a higher pitch, "My mistress' eyes are nothing like the sun; Coral is far more red than her lips' red;" she sang softly, "If snow be white, why then her breasts are dun; If hairs be wires, black wires grow on her head." she looked back at him grinning reminding him of last years prank. "I have seen roses damasked, red and white, But no such roses see I in her cheeks; And in some perfumes is there more delight Than in the breath that from my mistress reeks." she tugged off her hat "I love to hear her speak, yet well I know That music hath a far more pleasing sound; I grant I never saw a goddess go; My mistress when she walks treads on the ground. And yet, by heaven, I think my love as rare As any she belied with false compare." she finished humming softly. "Was it love? Or was it the little firewhiskey you drank out of pride?" She taunted.

He knew it couldn't last long, this feeling of enjoyment at having the one up on someone. Ben had been taught from a young age the benefits of having the upper hand, of staying one step ahead of people. While his parents enjoyed that in all aspects of their lives, not caring who they were besting, Ben saw no point in bothering with those that weren't on the same level as him. And as the girl started in on her cattiness, her low blows and her boring insults, his feet slowed to a halt, finding no reason to even continue to walk in the same direction.

She knows nothing. Just like the rest of them. He was the heir, yes, but to what? Born to take his role in the company, to sit at a desk and order others to do the work? No. He couldn't stand to sit idly by while others got the credit for findings that he envisioned. Hell, he could barely stand being partnered with people in class, thankful after some terrible experiences first year to find Conner, someone with at least the sense enough to let him lead.

But it was Tess's next words that made his blood run cold, freezing him where he stood. The words flowed easily from her lips, the gentle lilt of the melody all too familiar. No... He'd tried to delete that memory time and again, but Conner never let him. The damned Hufflepuff was to blame, anyway, and Ben wanted to strangle the boy every time he was forced to recall it.

He'd let his guard down one time, one time! In his own common room, with his only friend there, he thought nothing bad could happen. One drink of butterbeer, which was laced with a potent love potion, and he'd been made a fool. Selena, one of the prettiest Ravenclaws of the then-graduating class, had went up to Alisha's room to grab a sweater. The staircase had made things even worse, in that it forced him to stay down in the common room, to his embarrassment, and the joy of all those present. He'd sang like a love-sick puppy to the girl who'd eventually appeared at the top of the stairs. When he'd come to his senses an hour later, Conner had explained it all to him, as he hid in his room in shame.

Thinking of it now made his stomach uneasy. He'd worked too damn hard for six years to have his reputation tarnished in such a way. He may not care if people liked him, but he needed them to stay out of his way when the time came for it. To not question him, or be a distraction. He frowned as one of his hands clasped the strap of the bag in unease, his eyes focused on something across the field.

"Love doesn't exist, Holmes. And even if it did, do you honestly think someone like me would be spouting sonnets in public? Love is a weakness."

Tess' eyes studied the boy as he froze, she saw how he remembered the night well. She had never gone to the whole festivity, parties were never her strong point, but her sister told her everything. She remembered how Aria was complaining how it would be Selena that could be so lucky to get a poem said to her. Tess had corrected her immediately that it was Shakespeare's sonnet and that it was one of her favorites. She'd fawn over it in her early teens wondering how someone could have written something so beautiful.

Funny how she forgotten who it had even been until that very moment. A part of her felt bad for bringing his embarrassment up, but he had hit a few buttons. It was the cattiness in her that she'd forgotten to tame. She expected him to say something harsh, go right to the jugular, wasn't that how bantering worked? It wasn't working now that was for sure. Her eyes looked at his expression and saw how his expression shifted immediately.

"Love doesn't exist, Holmes. And even if it did, do you honestly think someone like me would be spouting sonnets in public? Love is a weakness."

Tess hummed softly, finally agreeing to something. Something ate at her though at the way he had visibly deflated she'd shot his pride.

"Well if someone was declaring such a thing as love, My Mistress would be the most appropriate way" she said softly, "But you're completely right, love is a weakness if it were to exist. Everyone needs a goldfish from time to time no? A little pet that shows you what humanity can be and so forth..no?"

Aria had many goldfish, Tess had admired her sister how easily she caught them. But Tess prided herself in having none, Rhian was special, she was not a goldfish. Tess never was one to want goldfish anyways. A bitter taste rose in her mouth but she ignored it.

"If it's any comfort, mostly everyone graduated from that party. And you were popular with the girls...if you're into that sort of thing. Until you returned to your prickish nature."

A tingling floated across the nape of Ben's neck. He could always tell when someone was looking at him - another sense, as it were. It didn't mean he needed to return it. He would be just as happy returning to his tree, if only to be rid of this stupid girl. Her first words were soft, almost too soft, he barely caught them. He looked to her, then, but any sort of expression that would accompany those words was gone, a cold harshness that he understood too well.

Tess's next words were nothing but nonsense. Goldfish? Pet? Her words made his jaw clench, memories of his childhood flashing through his mind. Those were terms his parents used. Ways to view those they deemed lesser than them, based on blood or money. He never understood why those things made the Watson's better than others. He preferred to care only about himself, not really bothering to worry about others. Others were confusing. And complicated. And messy.

He looked at her then, standing there in her bare feet, her arms crossed as if to stave off the world. Her words were joking, in a sense, that was clear. But he didn't understand the meaning underneath. No, he didn't go for that sort of thing.

A small laugh escaped him, his mouth twisting up into a smirk. "I've been called worse," he conceded. Maybe this wouldn't be completely terrible. She had stood up against him. Looking over at her with something strangely akin to hope - as close as he could come, anyway - he thought, Maybe this year won't be a total waste.

Tess lifted her brow as she heard him laugh; that was brand new, and not necessarily unwelcome. She looked at the boy discretely wondering how exactly this was going to work.

"I've been called worse,"

She hummed in agreement, she'd heard more than enough through the halls about him. Ice man indeed, a cold aura about him, but like ice that was cold it was also capable of burning. He burned hot too, too quickly for her to even realize it. They would work fine; she wouldn't let him get the best of her.

She closed her eyes as she felt a chilly breeze run through her, and looked up to see the sun nearly setting. She had been gone far longer than her parents would even find forgivable. Hopefully Aria had fixed everything like she was good at; Tess destroyed things, Aria fixed them. It seemed simple enough of a dynamic.

"Well as fun as entertaining as this is, I'll leave you to collecting samples" she said putting herself together, "Have to eventually return to my date and see if he's got the message that nothing's happening" she smirked.

Placing the hat back on her head she gave a careless wave knowing they would see each other soon enough, especially once school started. But for now she needed a good excuse once she returned to the town. This day had definitely been a different one, not necessarily welcomed but she made do.