ANOTHER DAY; another...well, not a dollar...

[Hayes Simon]

It was hard to believe that he was back at Hogwarts, and going into his sixth year, much less. Hayes could barely process how quickly the first five years had flown by, and without him getting in any major trouble. Of course, magical phenomena were commonplace here, so it was hardly a surprise when something blew up during an argument. Well, actually it was, especially when a piece of a suit or armor thunked you in the head and had you in the Hospital Wing for a week. Hayes's head still ached from that incident.

He stood by the notice board, amused by how many things had gone missing before school had even really started. LOST: sneakers. Blue laces. Return to Hufflepuff dorms. FOUND: copy of 'Hogwarts, a History'. Ask for T. Scott. LOST: PAIR OF KNICKERS. SIRIUS BLACK, I DON'T KNOW HOW, BUT I KNOW YOU HAD SOMETHING TO DO WITH THIS. Hayes smirked at the last one. Black actually had nothing to do with that - one of Hayes's mates did, though - but why take away the fun?

The smirk still on his face, Hayes turned on his heel and was about to enter the Great Hall when he collided with something, which in turn caused him to rebound against the doorframe.

Well, it was better than a 50 or so mph piece of steel, he had to admit. "Watch it!"

[Marissa Eveglion]

It was still early days yet; still a few hours to herself before people came and Marissa would be forced to endure the compliments from lesser beings, the suck-ups and the desperetes, before the boys flocked in and she was eyed like a piece of meat. Still early before the mask came up and the pretense and the lying and the false promises.
Why, oh why was her life sounding more like a Muggle soap oprah?

Absentmindedly, Marissa wandered around the Halls, no makeup, her hair spilling down her shoulders in a wave of brown and gold. Lily was in the library, and thus so was Jame's, so Marissa had no worries about anyone seeing her, in her eyes, completly vulnerable.

She turned towards the kitchens, in the thought of maybe nicking something to drink, when she ran into something solid, and she thought, too soft to be a wall, what the hell? before she fell to the floor.

"Watch it!"

That's definetly not a wall. Marissa thought mildly, before reality really kicked in and she realized she was staring up at a good looking blond- WITHOUT MAKEUP. It was equivelent to Doomsday. Rissa did the only thing she could: Be rude.
"Your one to talk! Geez, get a career as a blocker!" Rissa snapped back, feeling herself turn crimson.

[Hayes Simon]

"I would, but I'm too busy being bumped into by little girls who don't pay attention," Hayes said, snark dripping off every word. The girl should've wtached where she was going, else they wouldn't have landed in this predicament. Honestly, girls. He didn't remember the fact that he had walked into her as well - it was probably bumping his head on the door frame that did that. Or maybe it was shock. Or maybe he just forgot it. Who knew?

He watched the younger girl for a moment. They were, more or less, the same height, even though she was a bit obviously younger than he. You could say she was pretty, even with her even more obvious lack of makeup, but there was something about her that let you know that she knew it too and didn't need anyone telling her. Her robes seemed expensively made, but he wasn't a good judge - he was middle class and had seen plenty of clothes his sister had brought home that looked like all the most famous designers in the world banded together to make them, but only cost a few pounds and were made by relative unknowns. What did he know about clothes, though?

Hayes appraised her for a second longer before he held out his hand. "Get up," he told the girl, "'fore someone comes around." Last thing he needed was Little Johnny Squealer to run to a teacher and say he was pushing around younger years without any proof. Or, even worse, Big Mister Manly coming and seeing him attempting to be nice and calling him a wuss. Oh, the horror.

[Marissa Eveglion]

This guy was just enough of an ass that Marissa actually forgot her makeup situation and leapt to her feet, furious. Oh, why had she left her wand in her dormitory? Nevermind that, this boy had to be taught some manners.
"First of all, I am not a little girl." Marissa said hotly, brushing herself off. "I am a fourth Year Slytherine and know curses that would make wittle brats like you hide under your bed. Second of all, you bumped into me, and not vice-versa. And finally, you little twit, a true gentleman would help a lady, whether he knocked her to the ground or not, off the floor. Ergo, you are a jerk. Now, if you don't mind, I would rather you leave. And why are you here anyway, term hasn't even started yet!"

As it always was when Marissa got started, she stood ramrod straight and glared the boy with enough force to launch lasers. How dare he. How dare he. Oh, Merlin, please don't let anyone have seen me with this wanker, she thought furiously.

[Hayes Simon]

"Fourth year, fourteen. I'm a sixth year, turning seventeen in three months. Making you a little girl," Hayes smirked at the Slytherin. "I probably know just as many curses, if not more. Sixth year double-DA has quite an interesting curriculum, I have to say."

He raised his eyebrow. "What's that thing they always say - ah, yes, 'ladies first'. Which means you bumped into me first. Discussion over." The other eyebrows followed the first. He lowered his outstretched hand. "I was attempting to, you little prick, so don't you dare say anything about gentlemanly ways when you simply ignore what's in front of you," he hissed.

"Should be asking you the same thing," Hayes commented, lightly but coldly. Hypocrisy with a side of rudeness, anyone? "I just came in early to get a headstart on the library, work some problems I had with last year's classes through with Professor Murtas, et cetera, et cetera. Now, you've given me the right to ask what you're doing here as well." Still no name from her? He was sticking to the 'ladies first' policy.

[Marissa Eveglion]

"You know what? You are a Grade A bastard." Marissa snarled. "Do you even have any friends?" Considering all things, it was technically a low blow, but Marissa was in a maim, torture, and take no prisoners kind of mood.

"I'm here because my parent's-" Didn't feel like putting up with my bitchiness "-Had to go on some travelling thing and decided I could stay here for a little longer." She shrugged, as if it were a nonchalent thing, but she was brimming with curiousity. How did this guy not recognize her? If she was a charactor from a book, she was the Queen Bee.
Wait, don't they always get dethroned?

"And who are you exactly?" She demanded haughtily, shaking her hair back in a desperete attempt to look better. She HATED being without makeup.

{{OOC//; Sorry, sucked }}

[Hayes Simon]

"Of course I am - do you expect any less from me?" Hayes smirked at the girl, leaning against the wall he'd just bumped his head against. He raised his eyebrow. "Very low blow - considering, y the fact that no one's come rushing to your rescue and you've been a perfect twat for the past few minutes, I could throw that question right back at you."

He nodded. "Travelling thing. Interesting," Hayes said, a bit flatly. He was always jealous of people who could visit the world, while he travelled between home sweet home Scotland and Diagon Alley. Meanwhile, his shcool friends were going to France, Italy, Switzerland, Australia, Japan - everywhere on the planet. Damn you, fate! Damn you!

"Hayes Simon, sixth year Ravenclaw. Travelling and journalism enthusiast. And youself?" Hayes asked, trying to be at least a bit polite. This girl was making it very hard.

[Marissa Eveglion]

Marissa flushed, even though she actually had a very good- and truthful- and, actually, quite obvious answer. "It is not even the start of term, and we both just admitted to being here early. Jesus. If we were basing Year on Intelligence, you'd be a First Year." Marissa arched her brow and scowled.

Marissa's ears pricked at the sound of discord, which she noted gleefully. As things were, one of her favourtie phrases was "If you don't have something nice to say, come sit by me." "Don't travel much?" She inquired loftily.

"Marissa Eveglion. Aspiring model." Rissa announced. In truth, she had no idea what she wanted to be, but it sounded good.

In theory.

[Hayes Simon]

Hayes smirked at the girl. "And you wouldn't even be here yet - keep in mind that you admitted as well." He mocked her scowl before dropping the face and raising his eyebrows at the girl. He wouldn't say how flat her responce had sounded - she might walk away, and with Hogwarts being as deadbeat as it was at the moment, Hayes needed something to entertain himself for the moment. At least until all his friends arrived for the school year. God, it was annoying, being one of three people in the dorm.

"Not really - don't have much time," Hayes said, a bit frostily. His mind was still chanting Greece, Japan, France, Greece, Japan, France. "Between schoolwork, chores, and minding a dog, can't say I have much time for vacation. Once I leave this place, though..." Here, his grin came back, and his eyes lit up. "Once I'm out of Hogwarts, I'll go everywhere. Start with London, end wherever."

"A model?" Hayes said, only slightly shocked. "To be one of those, you has to be the average size of a poplar tree, and as worn away as a rock on the beach. More oft than not, your wear three pounds of makeup too. It's sickening, what those girls do to themselves. My sister just got over her model fascination - God thank her friend for snapping her out of it."

[Marissa Eveglion]

Marissa rolled her eyes at the immesurable immaturity this boy was showing. Part of her wondered why she didn't just leave. Another part of her wondered why the world was round. Who really cared at this point, you got what you got.
And Marrisa had an argument that looked to start the year off with a bang.

As she tended to do when nervous or disquiet, she fidigted; playing with clasps, pulling on hair, hands in pocket- AHA! She had a tube of lipgloss in her pocket! Immensely proud of herself, Marissa pulled it out and dabbed some on. Normally, she wouldn't do so right in front of a guy, but this was drastic.

"Funny." She continued loftily, ignoring Hayes first part and skipping to the second, stowing the gloss back in her pocket. "You'd think you'd be to London before. I've lived there for years. And there's all the Chateau's in France, and the Temples in Greece, and oh, my, the food in Japan..." She gave a dreamy look, reminicing. "There's really no comparing to Madrid, of course. Or Istanbul." Why must she torment the poor boy? Why?

Because it was fun.

"Uh, well..." She couldn't back out now. Nor could she admit what she really wanted to be, it was so mundune and common. "I-uh, hear you get payed really well though."

[Hayes Simon]

"I've been in London, of course - Diagon Alley and all that - but I've never really gone out into the muggle part," Hayes bristled, glaring at the girl. She was doing this for her own entertainment, he could tell. Oh, she was going down. He had friends in all of the houses, he was sure he could track her and take her down. "But it gets really busy during the holidays. Studying, minding the dog, helping with the chores, and a summer job. You've heard of that last one, I'm sure? Even with my sister helping out, things are still insane around there." Hayes wasn't exactly poor, but his family kept a tight belt on their money. So, although their house was fairly big, they had no hired help for anything, and Hayes had been working since he was fourteen. His sister was planning on starting once she was old enough, as well.

"Payment? Oh, yes, starvation and death is perfectly fine so long as you're rich," he sneered. "That's sick - practically hired suicide. Self-assasination." Terms his sister had used, yes, but after listening to her ranting for about two weeks, they all seemed to fit. Strangely, he cared a lot about the topic, despite zero interest in fashion. "While you're off starving yourself to make yourself about the width of a pocket dictionary to look good in ugly clothes and killing yourself in the meantime, I'll be off heading the Prophet or some other paper, doing something worthwhile."

[Marissa Eveglion]

"What's so fun about the Muggle part?" Marissa asked, generally puzzled. "Its just ... Muggle stuff." She had gone out onto the streets of London before, and found herself lost in no time, confused, and with no idea what to do; someone asked her kindly if she was from 'the hospital' when she tried to buy food with some Galleons.

She returned his glare with a sugary sweet smile, the innocent angel taking the time to be kind to a rude ruffian. "Summer Job? I think that's what the garderner said he was doing. What are chores?" Mark one that you are a selfish spoiled little brat: Marissa Eveglion never had to do a chore in her life.
Well, sometimes she had to carry her own bags. Shudder.

"I ... well, I-" Marissa felt the barbs hit way too close to home, and as always, that made her lash out. "What would you know, you great stupid prick, some people think that's a beautiful look, and I'm one of them!" She snarled, her voice rising to a shout, a burning sensation behind her eyes. "If I had a choice between dying thin or living fat, I choose thin! You ... you jackass!"

[Hayes Simon]

"Museums, shops. One of the social hubs of the world. Everything happens in London, and whatever doesn't is common news there before it gets anywhere near anywhere else," Hayes said, a bit wistfully. There were supposed to be skyscrapers and celebrities on every third corner. He longed for the day he graduated, when he'd be able to go there and see it for himself.

Until then. School. And dealing with this twat.

"Something that, when done, give a person moral, character, and something to do in life instead of being a spoiled-rotten bitch of an heiress," he replied flatly. "Given me a lot of new hobbies. Anything you can name, I've done something similar." It was his summer job-seeking that gave him his interest in journalism - he was, for a brief time, a gofer at the local paper. He'd also acquired a strange craving for coffee, from the many hours spent bringing coffee cups to various journalists.

"Beautiful? If you think jutting bones and looking like a clown-faced corpse is beautiful, then by all means." This conversation was going no where, and he knew he was right. "Jackass I may be, but at least I'm not some little twat who thinks that starving herslef is fine if she's paid well and has tricked herself into thinking that's beautiful. I'll choose health over looks anyday."

[Marissa Eveglion]

It happened before Marissa was quite sure she had done it. Anger and hurt and hatred were coursing through her, very passionate emotions, and she carefully wrapped her arms around her waist, as if Hayes had wounded her; in reality, she was measuring how fat she was. Then, like a stricking cobra, her hand struck out and slapped Hayes right across the face.

She wanted to scream 'You don't know anything!' but it took all the collective force of her will to not pummel him into mud. Carefully she took a deep breath and closed her eyes, and when she opened them, they were like daggers.

"Maybe." She said quietly. "Its not fashion that drives them to what they are. Maybe its not what's beautiful. I may not work, but I have seen enough sadness that would drive you back to the hole where you came from. You ass."

[Hayes Simon]

Hayes glared at the girl a little while longer before he realized that his cheek wa stinging. He brought his hand up to it. Slap me, will you? Had Marissa been just another one of the boys, Hayes would've snarled or sneered before attacking her. A punch here, a kick there, and she would've been set straight. But, as it were, all he could do was sneer at her, no matter how much he wanted to hit her back. Being a boy, he tended toward the violent.

It was a shame, then, that Marissa was a girl, and being taught morals from his mother, it was against his beliefs to hit a girl, no matter how irritating.

With her last comment, hayes leaned in slightly and said, more quietly but twice as cold, "How would you know what I've seen? I've seen homeless and slums and family disputes. I almost saw my dog attacked by a neighbor's. The things I've seen at my muggle school. And you what's the worst of all? I had to watch my own father die in front of me." It was difficult for him to admit it. His voice shook slightly as he said it, but say it he did. "Do you what that's like, watching the man who taught you everything just die? Don't say anything about sadness until you have."