Bright Lights, Big City [OPEN]

[whatever]

The sun shone brightly through the windows in the boys’ dorms of the Gryffindor towers. A groan escaped from a bundle of sheets and pillows on the bed farthest from the door in the circular room. With a sigh, the bundle shifted as the man beneath the covers stirred and rearranged himself. Why did mornings have to always come so fast? Christopher Wood grumbled beneath his covers as he shifted and groped the sheets around his head to block out the bothersome rays. The geniuses he bunked with had forgotten to fully cover the windows with the curtains the night before…lovely. How was it that after six years of rooming together the five boys couldn’t manage one of the simplest tasks around?

Chris’ head pounded as he lay motionless in his bed trying to get back to the tranquility of sleep but after several minutes he found the endeavour fruitless. Dramatically he pushed the sheets off of himself, revealing his bare chest. He patted his chest only to feel something sticky all over. His brows furrowed as he brought his fingers to his nose and then to his mouth. Hmmm…maple syrup…indications of a good night the night before. If only he could remember everything—meh, he was sure to be filled in eventually. He grimaced as he groped his way out of bed and towards the bathroom.

Chris hadn’t been at Hogwarts a total of twenty four hours and already he was in a familiar state of mind. Hangovers visited Chris on such a frequent basis he was surprised he didn’t just move his bed into the bathrooms. It would, after all, save a lot of time. To say his first night as a seventh year was eventful would be an understatement, but then again every night with Chris Wood was an eventful one. He knew just how to have fun. Seeing as he was buzzed by dinner and a bit too friendly by dessert it was no wonder he was in such a state that morning.

After what seemed like forever Chris had emerged from the bathroom, freshly showered, holding a towel loosely around his waist. Re-entering his dorm he realized he was alone. All of his mates had already headed off to their classes no doubt which meant he was probably late. No surprise there as Chris rarely ever made it to class no matter what time of day. He grumbled again as he glared at the open window that had jolted him awake. It was far too early to function. Whoever played such a cruel joke needed some serious help…or maybe just a nice friendly hex to set him straight. At any rate, Chris was up…far earlier than he or anyone else would ever expect. Holding his head he readied himself for what was sure to be a long, hard day of not going to class.

***

His vision slightly blurred, his ears ringing, and his head going off like a rock concert, Chris managed to make his way down to the Great Hall. It seemed like he caught the tail end of breakfast. The hall was relatively full, but he was in no state to socialize. Sliding into the first open seat at the Gryffindor table he let the buzzing noise of the day’s gossip and excitement filter through his ears. Bloody hell was it loud. He grumbled incoherent words as he pushed a hand through his drying, messy hair. What a way to start off his seventh year…if he wasn’t mistaken it was the same way he started off his sixth year…and his fifth year…maybe even his fourth—no he was definitely still drunk the morning after in his fourth year. He shook head aching head one last time, wishing to still be in bed. It was a rare sight to see Chris Wood up and awake any time before noon.

He slowly put his head on his plate and closed his eyes to ease the pain he self inflicted from the night before. If this was any indication on how the year was going to go Hogwarts was in for a big, wild, and fun filled year from the likes of Chris Wood.

[gabrielledubois]

it looks easy to love her but believe me brother,
( it’s harder than it looks )

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At the first rays of sunshine, Gabrielle was up and awake. She had hardly been able to sleep the night before, filled with the excitement and promise she had in store for her seventh year. This year, she was Head Girl, which meant she had plenty of new responsibilities and commitments she had to deal with. Not that it was a problem. She simply adored the new duty. She couldn’t wait to get started on it. The previous night she had helped first years off to their dormitories, but now, she was going to be able to start her actual duties in the hopes of making a more refined, scholastic school.

It seemed that the only reason half the students attended Hogwarts anymore was to have a good time, which usually included alcohol and drugs. It was a shame, really. They were letting the wonderful education slip right through their fingers. Well, Gabrielle wasn’t going to waste a second of her time at Hogwarts. She was easily the brightest witch in her year, if not in the top few years. She was astounding with her magical abilities, and her desires of being a healer were most likely going to be fulfilled right after graduating Hogwarts. She was quite excited for her seventh year. Therefore, that morning was like all the other first-day-of-school mornings. She shot out of bed, a huge and silly grin on her face.

She’d gotten a shower and spent over an hour getting herself looking perfectly polished and collected. This year, she had to portray herself well as Head Girl, not just herself. Looking at herself in the mirror, she felt confident and calm. She smiled. Everything she had worked for had finally become hers. This year was bound to be a great one. She was determined to make the most of it before heading off into the real world, where she was sure to succeed. Her hands tousled her long, semi-wavy locks. She adored her hair. Deciding that she was ready to make an entrance into the Great Hall for breakfast before heading off to her classes, she left the bathroom and went back to the dorms to grab her things.

Entering the Great Hall, Gabrielle was aware of the looks. Since she was younger, she always got looks, mostly from the males. She was one-fourth veela, after all. When she walked, she tended to have that certain effect on most members of the male gender. But, she usually ignored it. Today, she hoped that they were looking not only because she was beautiful, but also, because she was brilliant, and smart, and intelligent, and Head Girl. With a flourished smile, she sat down at front of the Ravenclaw table with some of her friends. She ate a good meal, knowing she had a long, hard day ahead of her. It was always best to start off the day with something good in her stomach, like eggs and toast. Sipping her juice, she found most people exiting the Great Hall and heading off to class.

Fortunately, Gabrielle didn’t start her classes incredibly early. Most of her started with the second block. During the first round, she was expected to make her own rounds through the corridors to ensure that all students were in their classes. Her bright blue eyes looked towards the entrance to the hall, catching sight of the last person she would ever want to see. Christopher Wood. The biggest trouble maker in the entire school. And he looked like hell, which probably meant he had been engaging in illegal activities the night before. As he sat down, she realized she was quite angry. How dare he could to school and get drunk the night before classes started? They hadn’t even been there for twenty-four hours. He was disrespectful and a pig. She quickly got up from where she was sitting. She had no reason to punish him, since she hadn’t caught him doing it, but she could give him an earful. Gabrielle tended to be a bit feisty, when she wasn’t trying to control her temper. Once again, a veela trait. Storming over to him, she stopped, hands on her hips. "You are absolutely ridiculous, you know that, right?" She paused, blue eyes flashing with her annoyance. "You look a mess, and you still reek of alcohol. I technically can’t punish you, since I didn’t see you throwing your life away. But, I promise I’m going to make sure that you stay on your best behavior this year. " She finished with a smug look on her face, figuring she had won this battle.

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WORD COUNT -- 792.
TAGGED -- CHRIS.
STATUS -- finished.
OUTFIT -- Hogwarts robes.
NOTES -- this is gonna be funnn.
CREDIT -- eric church lyrics.

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[whatever]

It seemed like everything Chris was experiencing was heightened. The lights were brighter, the smells were stronger, and of course, the noise was louder. This wasn’t Chris’ first time at the show and he knew what to expect but it didn’t make it any more pleasant. He did not dare move his head off the plate nor did he dare open his eyes as the headache he had that morning started growing by the minute. Though it may seem an odd sight to see someone half passed out in the Great Hall it was no surprise once someone looked closely enough to who it was. It was almost expected that Chris Wood would show up drunk or hungover to most occasions and the first day of the last year of his Hogwarts education was just that.

The noise seemed to be amplified the longer he stayed in the vicinity of the Great Hall. Bloody hell was one of his roommates going to get it for leaving the curtains open. Now that he thought of it, the entire thing seemed too perfect. He could see Teddy and James laughing about it later when they saw him half passed out and dying in a hallway somehow. ‘Clever boys,’ he thought.

Footsteps clicked with purpose around the floor, and to Chris it seemed as though they were getting closer by the minute. Before he could prepare himself, however, a shrill and rather angry voice rang dangerously close to his ear, causing him to jump slightly and groan loudly.

"You are absolutely ridiculous, you know that, right?"

“Thank you, thank you,” he said as he waved his hand as if he were to bow...expect his head still lay plastered on the plate and his eyes remained tightly shut, “I’ll be here all year.”

Chris didn’t have to look up to know who was throwing a fit at his account. Gabrielle Dubois had always had it out for him since they met if first year. The fiery Ravenclaw seemed to hate him more and more each year. Too bad she was so damn fit. She was the one girl Chris’ charm and tricks didn’t seem to work on. The more he tried the angrier she became...which was why he never really stopped.

She continued on her power trip, her voice seemingly getting higher with each passing syllable. Slowly, Chris peeled himself off the golden platter, let his eyes flutter open, and looked at the raging blue eyes that belonged to Gabrielle.


“Do you have to yell?” Chris said sensitively as he put his hands over his ears for a brief second, “It doesn’t help a man in my condition...believe me.”

Chris and Gabrielle couldn’t be more different, she was on the up and up with her life while Chris was looking at every turn to sabotage his. Still, he found her to be a challenge. Girls didn’t usually put up as much of a fight when Chris took an interest in them. Plus, it was jaw dropping funny to see her annoyed reaction after every little thing he did.

He turned his head slightly inward and took a small whiff of himself...meh not too bad. He did shower after all. He had no idea what was getting her knickers in a twist so early in the morning. He watched the smile produce on Gabrielle’s face, as she obviously think she won...or had gotten through to him. Perhaps that shiny head girl badge had gotten to her head.

“Oh darn, you can’t punish me?” he said with a seductive little wink and laugh.

He smirked playfully at the blond and then reached for his goblet of pumpkin juice behind him. Maybe it would help his hangover...at the very least it would help his dry mouth.

“Make sure eh?” he said, “ Well, that’s a full time commitment. We’re going to have to spend long hours together and you’re going to have to find something to distract me with so I don’t feel the urge to go breaking your precious rules long into the night...Got any ideas?”

He couldn’t help but let out a laugh as his cheeky grin produced over his face. If they were keeping score that morning he would definitely at the present time have the upper hand. He placed his goblet back down on the table but never let his eyes waver from Gabrielle. His head was still pounding and really talking with her was not helping, but he could not resist it, the fun was too obvious. She almost seemed to walk into his retorts willingly. He would have to get Teddy to whip him up some kind of remedy later, but for now he knew he wasn’t going to get away that easily.

“Oh yeah, Congrats on the big HG badge,” he said almost sincerely, “ I’m just waiting for mine in the mail, don’t worry my owl is just a bit behind schedule,” he added with a sarcastic laugh.

This was going to be a rather interesting year, especially with Gabrielle being HG. It would make things a bit more difficult if she was looking for him to mess up...All the better, Chris always liked a challenge.

[gabrielledubois]

it looks easy to love her but believe me brother,
( it’s harder than it looks )

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Gabrielle knew exactly how Christopher Wood was. They’d been going to Hogwarts together for six total years now. He was most definitely near the top of her list of people that thoroughly annoyed her. It wasn’t just that he was wasting away his educational years. Yes, that was rather awful, but that only hurt him, not her. She could care less if he wasted all of his time here by getting drunk and randomly hooking up with girls. But, she hated how he thought he could just flirt with her, and like the rest, she would bend to his ways. For years now she watched as he flirted and got girls to instantly fawn over him. She would never be one of those girls. When he flirted with her, she merely ignored him, or came back with a smart remark. His arrogance and demeanor of being the most gorgeous thing to walk the earth were what truly got under her skin.

Looking down at him, head on his plate, she didn’t understand what girls saw in him anyways. So, he was attractive, but he was a complete and total pig. He flirted with anything that had a pulse. She truly believed he just enjoyed the attention of having all of the girls chasing after him. It was repulsive to her. Gabrielle wasn’t one for mushy lovey-dovey things. In fact, she didn’t really believe in the concept of love or being with someone for a lifetime. People never remained satisfied, especially in relationships. She was too practical and intelligent to fall for anyone. She would never give herself completely to a male. Chris just happened to be the perfect example as to why. They were all idiots—some just knew how to hide it better than others. Plus, she refused to let infatuation or lust stand in the way of her career. She was better than that, and she was certainly better than Chris Wood.

His responses were typical. But, when he started his flirtatious banter, she had enough. Who did he think he was? He was inappropriate and rude. "You are being inappropriate. And repulsive." She paused, her face stern and serious. She loathed the way he spoke to her, as if she was going to bow down and have a change of heart suddenly about him. There was no way she would ever find him to be more than just a pretty face. "I would never spend a single second with you that wasn’t centered around my responsibilities as Head Girl." Pausing, she played with her hair a moment. "Don’t flatter yourself, Chris. I find you completely moronic.” She finished with a huff. She was used to rejecting him like this. It happened often. Anytime their paths crossed, he found a way he initiate something flirty with her. She knew he only did it to annoy her more. And it was his nature. The more she refused him, the harder he tried. Well, this was one challenge he was not going to win.

She wanted to smack that smile right off of his face. And she would have, if it wouldn’t be completely inappropriate. She was all about the rules, and she knew that wouldn’t go over well. Looking around the table, she wondered where the rest of his little crew was. James was almost as bad as Chris. Actually, when he wasn’t around Chris he usually behaved himself. Chris was clearly just a bad influence. And Gabrielle adored Teddy. He was like the brother she never had. She constantly pestered him about being friends with Chris. Teddy was much too good for someone like Chris. She almost wished the other two had been present at the table, so she could have said her greetings. Focusing her attention back towards the difficulty in front of her, she looked towards the clock. And he was also going to be late for his first class, she presumed. His next comment made her even more angry. She knew he was mocking her, but she chose to ignore it. "Well thank you, I’m rather proud of it." Pausing, she looked around as the Great Hall continued to empty. "You do realize class begins in a few minutes, right?"

Skipping would be a terrible idea for him at the moment. She was right there, and she knew that he wasn’t looking forward to going. Hands on her hips, she looked at him quizzically, watching as a few third years hurried past, giggling at him as they went. So typical. Shaking her head, she waited for his response, knowing he wasn’t planning on going. And for that, she could punish him. What a way to start her morning.

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WORD COUNT -- 828.
TAGGED -- chris!
STATUS -- finished.
OUTFIT -- robes.
NOTES -- <3
CREDIT -- eric church lyrics.

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[whatever]

Gabrielle did not seemed impressed by Chris even when he flashed her a perfect smile or said a clever remark to add to her disapproving lecture. It was as if he had no effect on the Ravenclaw girl...no that was simply not possible. He knew deep down she at least thought he was attractive. With the disgust eminent on her face Chris had to confess that those feelings had to be extremely deep down. He pushed his hand through his hair that seemed to fall effortlessly into place on his head. Even when it fell casually into his eyes it did not give the effect of sloppiness. He was able to pull of the mystique and charm of someone well put together despite the obvious state of things.

Shaking his head he mimicked her in the highest girl voice he could manage, “ You are being inappropriate and repulsive,” the devilish smirk was evident on his face as he continued, “ And I not so secretly love it Chris.”

He let out a laugh at his own joke. That was one thing Chris was well known for. He was never afraid to laugh at himself of the jokes he made. He had confidence, sometimes too much. His ego often seemed to have a life of its own, but, at the same time it worked for him. Gabrielle, on the other hand, had a completely different kind of confidence. She was sure of herself, that much was obvious, but what was different is she did not rely on the superficial privileges girls seemed to emphasize. As she continued to speak about her responsibilities as Head Girl and her hatred for Chris, he knew that her position was already going to her head. She had always been strictly books. He had guessed that was why she was sorted into Ravenclaw, but he couldn’t believe that a girl like her never once strayed. Where was the fun in following the rules anyway?

"Inappropriate fun is the only fun worth having by the way," he said with a joking laugh, "I'll show you some time." he added with a wink. Oh this was just too good.


”Don’t flatter yourself, Chris, I find you completely moronic.”

Okay, now he was getting to her. Everything leading up to this point was simply their normal interaction. His eyes lit up as he realized her annoyance. He knew pretty much as soon as she turned him down the second time that he was never going to add her to his not so little black book so the next best option was to make some fun out of it. He thrived off of her annoyance for her. To him it was almost as good actually adding another notch to his bed.

“Such strong words,” he said playfully, “It’s as if you’re covering up some kind of underlying feelings. Undying love perhaps? Don’t worry it happens to the best of us when they see a face like this.”

He let out a laugh as he reached for his cup of pumpkin juice once more. Odd, he felt strangely normal while annoying Gabrielle. It was almost as if he had forgotten he had a hangover. Perhaps it was just talking with Gabrielle. He mulled this over momentarily as she went on again about rules…or something to that effect. No, that wasn’t it at all. It had to be annoying her that did the trick.

With her hands on her hips she gave him a dismissive but authoritative look. Chris never did well with authority figures or rule so perhaps that was why Gabrielle and Chris never got on too well. He had to roll his eyes and chuckle slightly when she mentioned attending class. Chris was notorious for skipping. He was sure he hadn’t actually been to a History of Magic class in about three years. Binns was easy to fool and most Ravenclaw girls were all too eager to “help” him with his assignments so he managed to always skate by.

“A few minutes?” he said in an overly concerned voice, “ Well, I better get going shouldn’t I?”

He did not make any attempt to move; instead he took another big swig of his pumpkin juice and then put his head in his hands, not being able to escape the hangover bug completely. He let the mischievous grin set on his face once more as he knew that this was one thing Gabrielle would not stand for. She ran her life so far in line with the rule book she left no room for what Chris considered to be fun…or any figment of a social life. He would have to change that the moment she caved into his devilish good looks and stunning personality, he thought jokingly.

He was pretty sure if he ever attended a morning class or any class in general for more than a minute the teachers would all die of shock. Really, in his mind, he was doing them all a favour.

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