The Epic Fight of Doom

Julian gritted his teeth, glaring at the school from above his newspaper. It was like they thought he couldn't hear them. But to their apparent surprise, Julian Rousseau had ears, and they worked rather well. Burying his nose back in the newspaper, he glared at the words peering back at him, too angry to actually read. It was taking all of what self-control the prefect possessed not to leap across the table and throttle them. Taking deep breaths that failed to help at all, Julian clenched the newspaper edges, his knuckles turning white.

This was all her fault. Ninette Fontaine was going to pay for this. What he'd done didn't deserve this. Not at all. He hadn't ruined her reputation, so doing this to him was completely unfair. Eyes narrowing, he slammed the paper down and glowered at the people around him, instantly shutting them all up. Scowling, he tapped his fingers against the table. She'd have to show up sooner or later.

Ninette clucked her tongue as she walked into the Dining Hall. She hadn't really thought this many people would start talking about this. There was a small part of her that felt guilty but... she never listened to that part anyways.

"Honestly people," she announced loudly walking into the room, "Can't you all mind you're own business."

She rolled her eyes and continued to move through the room. Most of the whispering had stopped when she had entered anyways. The rest had stopped upon her talking.

The girl knew which one was Julian even though he was hidden behind his newspaper. She slowly walked up to the table, standing in front of him, and tapping the table.

"Morning Rousseau."

Looking up at the sound of Ninette's voice, Julian's eyes narrowed from above the newspaper that he'd picked up again. There she was. But, if there was anything he'd learnt, he wasn't going to go up to her and start a fight. Because that would just end badly.

But, he had to admit that if he simply got her back for what she'd did, they'd just go back and forth until it killed one of them. And Julian had always prefered that his impending death had as little to do with Ninette as possible.

The eerie silence of the Dining Hall now that Ninette had gotten them to stop talking was - well, eerie. Shuddering despite himself, Julian listened to the sound of approaching footsteps as he tried to focus on Quidditch scores. Flickering his gaze back up to Ninette as she stood across from him, he sighed softly, putting the newspaper down. "Sadly Ninette," he said, somehow managing to keep his voice relatively cheerful, "I think that just 'morning' is an inappropriate greeting for someone who's reputation you just ruined."

Ninette sighed and rolled her eyes.

"Now, now Rousseau, lets not be melodramtic about this," she cooed. "You know how this works. They talk about you now, and they'll be bored of it by tomorrow. You make gossip all the time you'd think you'd have grown up by now to not be as vapid as that."

"But that," Julian snarled, dropping all friendly prefaces, "is completely different. This gossip? It's all your fault because you feel the need to get back at me for something that everyone else has already gotten over. It's been half a year, Fontaine. And it was a joke. I would've at least thought you had a sense of humour."

Scowling at her, the prefect rubbed his fingers against the table before he continued, "So you can tell me to grow up as much as you want, but seeing as you still have the mentality of a five year old...." he trailed off there, having made his point, raising an eyebrow at her.

Lisette strolled into the dining hall, her usual chipper self. She beamed widely at the people passing by her, waving at a couple of the boys. She looked around the large room, bright eyes eventually falling on Ninette and Julian.

She skipped over to them, eager for something to eat, and even more so for an interesting conversation, "Hey you two." Her pace slowed and her smile faded away once she saw the scowl forming on Julian's face. "What's going on?" Lisette's eyes darted between the two, her face full of wary concern.

Ninette rolled her eyes and leaned on the table, "But you already knew Rousseau. I. Am. Not. Everyone. Else."

Her voice was lowering with each sylabel, her eyes narrowing. She wasn't quite at the dangerous level yet, but Julian's petulent whining over something that she hadn't been allowed to whine over before, when people had bigger problems, when there were people who couldn't whine, was starting to get to her.

She rolled her eyes, "Calling me a child Rousseau. At least I wasn't so egotistical to make you fall in love with myself. Like some people."

Ninette barely looked up as Lissy sat down.

"Oh nothing Lisette," her voice was airry again, the danger was still lurking just below the surface though. Lissy's appearanced had brought her back slightly but one word from Julian, one wrong word and she was liable to blow, "Nothing at all. Rousseau and I are just having a little... Chat."

"That is true," Julian mused, his hands now behind his head as he scrutinized the blonde in frog of him, "after all, you're a lot more insane than everyone."

He really had been right the first time they'd met; she was the insane one of this duo. Shaking his head softly, he shifted again, tracing his fingers along the plate in front of him, never taking his gaze off of Ninette, smirking slightly.

"Well of course you wouldn't do that. No amount of love potion can make anyone love you, Ninette." Flicking his gaze over to Lisette as she joined them, Julian shrugged, glancing back at the lighter haired Angelique.

"And a sweet little chat it is. Of course, it'd be so much nicer if her heart wasn't three sizes too small, but well..." he shrugged again, stretching out his fingers, a little smirk on his face, "it can't be changed. It's just how poor little Ninette Fontaine is."

The insane comment didn't bother Ninette. She had always kind of wondered if she had snapped the day she learned about Simon anyways. It wasn't like it was a now thought to her.

However her smirk froze as his next words clawed at her, stabbing at her heart. No one would love her. He was probably right. But just because it was a fact she had accepted didn't mean that Juli got to parade it around in her face.

"Rousseau-"

Her warning died on her lips as he kept talking.

Instead something a lot like a snarl escaped her lip.

"Shut up Rousseau," her voice was low, cold, detached - dangerous. "Just. Shut. Up."

Hands balled into fist, she reached over and flipped his plate full of food off the table into his chest where it slid down into his lap.

"Don't talk about things you don't understand."

Raising his eyebrows at Ninette, Julian was about to respond to her comment, but whatever he was about to say was cut off and replaced by a series of short gasps as his pasta - his still hot pasta - was spilled all over his lap. Wincing, hissing and grimacing at the same time, his eyes squeezed shut, the very hint of tears visible in the corner as he pulled himself up, brushing piping hot food off of his uniform after placing the plate back on the table.

God, she really was crazy. Forcing his blue eyes open, Julian glared at her, beginning to see red. Opening his mouth to speak, no words came to him, and he simply growled at her. Grabbing the plate off the table, he twirled it around in his fingers, his eyes on it before flicking his startling angry gaze back to her, "What? You think I don't understand that you'll end up sad and alone one day? I get that, and Fontaine, you can't blame anyone other than yourself."

And before he really knew what he was doing, he'd taken the plate in his hands and flung it at her as if it was a disk.

Lisette shifted uncomfortably in her seat, her eyes darting between the two adversaries. With every veiled threat, her frown became just a little more pronounced until she caught the icy tone in Ninette's voice and went rigid. She knew that any time her friend used that voice, all hell was about to break loose.

Lisette preemptively closed her eyes, and almost immediately afterward, each and every voice in the hall was quieted by what she knew was the first assault. Julian's pained hiss confirmed her fears, and she opened her eyes, flinching when she saw the mess of steaming food on the boy.

The girl's bright blue eyes widened in shock when he picked up the plate. He wouldn't dare... would he? Her gaze flicked to Ninette. Lisette opened her mouth, wanting desperately to say something to remedy the situation, but her stunned brain was grasping at straws.

Everyone that happened to be within earshot, which was a significant amount of people, was watching attentively when Julian flung the plate, and Lisette cringed before she could see it hit Ninette.

"You little-"

Ninette's eyes flashed and she didn't even bother to take a thought as a plate flew at her. She ducked and didn't hear it smash to the floor before she was diving over the table and grabbing the boy by the shirt collar.

"You know nothing," she repeated slowly, pulling him close to her so he was forced to look into her deep cold eyes, as her wand was slowly pulled out of her pocket. "Of my heart, or my life - You do not get to speak of it as if you do. Maybe. I. Want. To. Be. Alone."

"Flippendo."

Watching Ninette duck, Julian sighed softly. Well, he hadn't wanted to kill her with the plate, and he was somewhat relieved that she hadn't been hit, but part of him - the rather homicidal side of him - was out for her blood. Pulling out his wand as she dived over the table, he flinched slightly as she grabbed his shirt, staring into her green eyes.

"I don't know anything about your life?" he really should shut up. The more he talked, the more likely he was going to end up the infirmary for a really long time after this. But he couldn't help but antagonize Ninette further. "I've been in it for the last five years. I think I know you pretty well by now. It'd be better for everyone else if you ended up alone, you know."

"Pro-" but before he could actually finish the spell, he was already thrown back into a table behind him. Hissing softly, he pulled himself back up, the people he'd crashed into giving him fearful looks as they scooted out of the way of the fight.

Stalking back towards Ninette, he glared, pointing his wand at her, "Diffindo."

Ninette's eyes narrowed. She let out a scream and instead of going of her wand agian, took a trick out of Juli's own book and grabbed a class off the table throwing it in his direction.

"And maybe it would be better off for everyone else if you never existed, you good for nothing little-" her tireade was cut of in a call of pain, as she barely managed to dive out of hte way of his spell, it getting to close to her arm, and digging into her flesh, a bright read wound peaking through her now ruined sleave.

"Levecorpius."

Lisette instinctively leaned away from Ninette when she got on the table. Her eyes darted to Julian, desperately hoping he would have the sense to back off, just this one time. But he didn't, and she shook her head, resting it in her hands.

She gasped and jumped out of her seat when she heard the collision. Why did they have to do this here? Why now? She glanced nervously around the room again trying to think of something she could do.

A determined look came into her eyes as she strode determinedly away from the two, adjusting her prefect badge and placing her wand against her neck, muttering, "Sonorus."

"ALL STUDENTS PLEASE EXIT THE DINING HALL," Her voice boomed across the room, turning the heads of everyone in it, "AND RETURN TO YOUR COMMON ROOMS UNTIL CLASSES RESUME." She couldn't stop this fight, but at least she could prevent some of the other students from being harmed... right?

A pack of frightened-looking first years went out the door, but other than that, her announcement had no effect on the rest of the room. If anything, it brought more people to the scene of the fight. "Quietus," she muttered, disgruntled, only to hear a scream coming from behind her.

Staring at Ninette as she screamed, he edged slowly away from her. God, she was nuts. Shaking his head, he almost didn't notice the glass being thrown at him. Noticing it in the corner of his eye, he ducked, but was too slow, and got hit in the head with it. Straightening up, he rubbed the side of his head, glaring at her. "Is this your new thing? Trying to break my skull open?"

Pointing his wand at her, Julian growled, squaring his shoulders, "Please. We both know where you'd be without me." What was he even talking about? He wasn't even sure, but it sounded good, so he went with it.

Squashing down the homicidal part of him's cheer at the sight of Ninette's blood, he jumped slightly at the sound of Lisette's voice ringing in his ears. "Oww," he whined, rubbing his ears, distracted from Ninette, "I like not being deaf thank you very mu -" Letting out a little scream as he found himself suspended in the air, he forced his heart, which was suddenly racing, to calm down, even as his hands began to sweat. He did not do well with heights. Not at all.

"Get. Me. Down." Julian shrieked, craning his neck to glare at Ninette. "Right. Now."

Ninette rolled her eyes as she heard Lisette's voice boom around the room. As if that would make anyone leave.

"If that was my new thing Rousseau," she grimanced, "you're skull would actually be broken."

She rolled her eyes and snorted, "Pathetic really, that you have to make stuff up now."

Her eyes danced with wicked delight as she saw the panic on his face as he went into the air.

"Oh yes," she drawled tilting her head a bit to meet his panicked upsided down stare. "I forgot. 'Ittle Juli doesn't like heights does he."

She put her hand up to her chin, wincing as it tugged at her torn skin, and made a large show of thinking.

"I suppose I could let you down, but you know... I think that is something that someone who actually cares would do. Since I'm going to be alone anyways."

The girl shrugged and turned on her heals, smirking as she did.

"And right now," he growled, twirling his wand in between his fingers as he glared at her, "I'd rather have my skull broken then spend time with you."

Ignoring her comment, Julian clenched his wand tightly in his sweaty hands, all the blood rushing to his head. Every breath he took was shorter than the last and space between them was shortening. God, if he didn't get down soon, he was either going to go through a full-fledged panic attack or pass out.

Watching Ninette talk without really listening to the words she was saying, he hissed softly, feeling as if the room was spinning around him. Taking - or at least trying - a deep breath, he closed his eyes, reopening them minutes later.

Eyes widening and then almost instantly narrowing again as Nine began to walk away, Julian held his wand up a little higher, beginning to panic at the idea of spending any more time up in the air. "There is no way I'm just going to let you walk away, Fontaine."

Pointing his wand squarely at her back, he yelled the first spell that came to mind, "Diffindo."

Ninette smiled to herself as she heard his voice. She would never admit it but there was a small part of her - very small - that felt sorry noticing his coming panic attack.

But that part was killed quickly as she felt his spell slash across her back. She let out a loud hiss, as the blood began to readily seep through her clothes. Tears of pain sprung to her eyes, but she swallowed them back, never letting one fall.

"Fine then." She stated simple, her voice low. With a flick of her wand she released her spell letting the boy fall - hopefully painfully - into a clump on the ground.

He - he'd just - staring at her back, Julian swallowed hard, hands beginning to shake. God, what was wrong with him? He'd just panicked and then - there was so much blood. As he watched her shirt darken with a sick sense of horror, he felt his stomach clench, and he couldn't even tell if it was from the height or from what he'd done.

Hissing softly as he hit the ground, he laid there for a moment, a little stunned as the wind was knocked out of him. Coughing as he pulled himself into a sitting position, he opened and closed his mouth soundlessly for a moment before choking out the words, "Oh God, I'm sorry for - for," gesturing at her back, he finished, "that."

Ninette's hand clenched as she heard his voice. She didn't want his apology, his pity his... his regret.

She wanted- wanted..

"Diffindo," she muttered, flinging the spell behind her, but her heart wasn't in it as much as it was before. She was hyper careful that any wound she might inflict wouldn't be deeper than a graze. She just wanted him to get a taste of her own medicine before she left. She just wanted.

"Forget it Rousseau... just forget - everything. Just forget I was even here," her voice was back to its cold detached state, however this time it had a level of tiredness that made it sound more sad then threatening. "Just forget I even existed. Since apparently its what everyone wishes for anyway."

Letting her words hang in the air, not even bothering to do anything with either wound, Ninette continued to walk out of the Dining Hall and disappear off into the school

Letting out a little hiss as her spell hit, he glanced down at his chest, absent-mindedly running his fingers across the gash along his collar bone. It hurt, but compared to the dull thud in his head, the slight ache that breathing caused, and the overall dullness he felt, it was nothing in comparison.

Whipping his head up at her, he blinked in surprise at her words. Frowning, he shook his head, "What - no - Nine -" pulling himself up, he swayed a little dangerously, holding his head in his hands, a determined gleam in his eyes despite the fact that everything seemed to be swaying.

Shaking his head slightly, as soon as he felt more stable, he glanced over at Lisette for a moment, smiling apologetically. She was going to have to go fix this mess that they'd made while he tracked down Ninette.

Swearing softy under his breath, the Prideux chased after her.