Catching up (integra)

Zeke looked at Integra as she ducked next to him in the small confined space that had them both blocked from the wind and any prying eyes that may be looking around the corners. Zeke hadn’t really spoken with her in over a year, things had gotten…heated between the two of them, after Zeke had decided to be exclusive with Bellatrix, even if he couldn’t officially be with Bellatrix at the time. He wanted to growl at her and tell her to beat it, but being a Slytherin and a pure-blood… Zeke knew exactly what she was going through this week. “Are you kidding me?” He asked bluntly as if he was offended, giving her a harsh look for a second before cracking a sly smile, “It’s parent’s weekend… I stocked up.” He reached back into his pocket and pulled out his pack of cigarettes and produced one for her, offering it to her. “I become a pack an hour smoker on these lovely weekends.”

He leaned his head back against the cool stone as he took another drag of his cigarette, closing his eyes as he blew it out. This was the thing that brought all Slytherins together; their families. It was their common ground that neutralized any rivalries… well, most rivalries. Zeke didn’t care if it was Parent’s month, he wouldn’t be caught dead sharing a smoke with Rodolphus LeStrange. “So what did they lecture you about?” He asked casually as he flicked his lighter for her, offering to light her cigarette. “Mine decided it was time to complain about the fact that I still haven’t picked a woman to betrothed to.” Zeke thought back to the horrendous dinner with Valerian, Zeke was at least lucky enough to have a Hufflepuff mother who wouldn’t let his Father come down too hard on him, and despite his Father’s rough exterior… his Mother was the one that was in control of that relationship and the entire Maxwell clan was aware of it. He chuckled softly to himself as he remembered the candidates that his Father had tried to sell him on; “You should feel flatter tegs, you’re the prime candidate according to my Father.” Zeke inhaled and held it in his lungs for a moment before exhaling, his Father had apparently already begun preliminary negations with Integra’s father, and he was willing to give Valerian a pretty hefty discount given Valerian social standing and their opinion of Zeke’s potential future. “I guess you’re Father thinks highly of me, he’s apparently willing to offer my Father a hell of deal if we agree to the betrothal by new year’s.” Zeke looked over at Integra and for the first time he realized that there was a legitimate possibility that this could be the reality for him for the rest of his life. Zeke shot her a playful grin before nudging her softly with his elbow. Integra Maxwell. The name rang through his head loudly, “Could be worse, right? At least I know you’re good in bed.” He chuckled softly as he took another drag on his cigarette.

Zeke could see the relief in Integra as soon as she took her first drag of her cigarette; he hadn’t known her to be much of a smoker, but then again who could blame anyone for picking up the habit during this time. Zeke flicked the filter on his cigarette with his thumb bumping off the ashes before taking another drag, he held it in his lungs for a moment while he looked over at Integra. The two of them were not so much different, they both were faced with the same issues in life, both wanting a love that they can’t have because of their circumstances. Zeke playfully blew his smoke in Integra’s face before giving her a playful grin, “Yup. Good old Valerian Maxwell… He’s fond of your parents. ’Quite the respectable family, Zeke.’” Zeke raised his voice to sound more formal and snobbish as he impersonated his Father. “My mother keeps trying to convince me that I could do worse, and telling me how pretty you are.” That was typical of Astrid, always trying to focus on the positive things instead of the negative things, like the fact that they were trying to buy their son a wife when he was clearly in love with another woman.

As Integra talked about being turned down by the Lestranges, Zeke felt his heart sink for her. “Fu.ck the Lestranges.” Zeke said flatly before taking another drag on his cigarette. He looked over at Integra and instinctively reached out and put his hand on her shoulder, rubbing it softly; “It’s their loss, Tegs. Seriously.” Zeke dropped his hand, and reached into his pocket and pulled out a small flask and offered it to her. “I was going to hold out on you, but it seems like you could use some too?” Zeke flashed her a smile; not a playful grin, or his charming smile that he used to persuade people; but a real, genuine, heartfelt smile. Something Zeke hadn’t given anyone, save for Bellatrix; in a long, long time.

Zeke simply shrugged his shoulders as Integra talked about how they had other people in their lives, ”At least Rab wants you. Bells, just tells me that she’s getting married and I can either enjoy my time with her now or be miserable. Zeke took a slow drag, closing his eyes as he exhaled, ” She doesn’t even want me.” Zeke listened to the words penetrate the air between them, it was the cold hard truth and Zeke knew it.

Zeke shrugged as Integra complimented his mother, most of his house mates were surprised about how nice his mother was; they’d never experienced anything like her. She displayed what the other students referred to as: “motherly love”. “My mother was a Hufflepuff.” he stated flatly, as if that were the reason she was nice, which in all reality, it probably was. The other houses lived so much different than them, it was intrigued Zeke as to what his life would be like had he been sorted into his mother’s alma mater as opposed to his Father’s. Zeke gave Integra a friendly smile, “There’s no hope for you Tegs, even marrying me wouldn’t make help you get better.” He sent a wink before sticking his tongue out at her playfully, just to ensure that she knew he was only teasing her. Despite the fact that Integra and Zeke hadn’t spoken in months, and the last time before this had been less than amicable, he didn’t think she was actually a horrible human being. Actually, before their falling out, Zeke and Integra had been decently close; both physically and emotionally, so he actually was fairly fond of her. It was times like these that made Zeke think about all of his friends, about all of the people that he might isolate himself from. Zeke was going down a dark and dangerous road and there was no turning back from where he was going.

Zeke shrugged as she told him that she would have held out on him too; it was the typical slytherin thing to do in these situations. After all, their house wasn’t really known for being friendly and helpful; that was for the hufflepuffs. “I don’t blame you; and the only reason I’m giving you some is because I’m trying to get you drunk.” Zeke once again shot her a playful wink before looking back out unto the night and taking another long drag of his cigarette, filling his lungs to the hilt with smoke before letting it out. Despite his joke, Zeke wasn’t quite sure why he was being so nice to Integra; perhaps it was because he just genuinely didn’t want to be alone tonight, he wanted the company of someone he knew and trusted; and despite not having spoken with her in so long, he still felt as if he could trust her.

“I know I don’t have to be nice to you.” He stated flatly, Zeke didn’t have to do anything, but he was simply choosing to be nice tonight, for whatever the reason may be. “I don’t take sides Teg. I think that both of you are being completely irrational; after all isn’t the entire feud about Rodolphus? You want him and she doesn’t. But since he’s technically hers, she’s mad that you’re getting railed by him? And you’re mad that she’s betrothed to him, even though it was no fault of her own, and it was only because her parents offered Cygnus enough money to help cover his gambling debt?” Zeke looked over at her, gave her a smirk and raised an eyebrow, “Am I close?”

Zeke took the flask as she asked the question and discretely took a sniff, wondering exactly what he had put in his flask tonight; it must had been a lot stronger than what he had originally thought. Regardless, Zeke considered the question, what would happen if Zeke and Integra agreed… “Well… first; My mother would scream and jump up and down, and probably hunt you down to shower you with affection. Then my parents would pay yours a large sum of galleons and sign the paperwork to make everything official…” Zeke took a gulp out of his flask, trying to wrap his mind around what was actually going on; his response was him being a smart ass and was the obvious information; not at all what Integra had actually been inquiring about. He looked over at her and gave her a soft smile; “As far as us? I… I don’t know? We’d probably want to begin talking again, and we’d have to discuss rules about you holding out on me.” Humor was Zeke’s way of dealing with anxiety and he realized by the sheer number of jokes he was saying that he was more nervous than he could even begin to describe. “I mean, would you even want that Tegs? You seemingly have a fascination with the Lestranges… and as I’ve been told, the Maxwell family isn’t nearly as upstanding as the Lestrange family.” Zeke looked away and took another drag of his cigarette contemplating the potential possibilities of him spending the rest of his life with Integra, despite the fact they’d never even been on an actual date.