Rot or Assimilate [Charlie's Devils]

Integra was thrilled to have the original triad back. Or maybe it was just she was more relaxed not having to be terrible to absolutely everyone. It was nice to have a break from all the burdening work of being horrible and mean to someone you once called a friend. Sure, it came the easiest, but it was still exhausting. Not to mention Integra had been taking her frustration out partly in torturing everyone that she came across and partly in drowning herself in her relationship. Her romance with Rabastan was not like a typical sort of courtship. Integra loved him deeply. She had for a very long time. After nearly losing him, the pair were nearly inseparable now. This was in part because of their little mission. Build an army with in Hogwarts. Sure most of them were dispensable. But the more followers they could get for themselves and the Dark Lord, the stronger they would be. Integra had her hands full with this. Naturally, having Bellatrix back on her side and back in proper working insanity, Integra felt as though she were on vacation!

As wicked as she was, however, Miss Echoes knew when to lead the pack, and when to let Bells take the helm. Lately it had been a lot of quiet observing while Bells dragooned everyone else. "No interesting news." Really it was boring being in school still. Bells and Chloe were so lucky this was their last year. Integra would have much rather to be out of school doing things that mattered, not knocking books out of petty 3rd year hands. Though she did suppose that those were the hands of their future just as much as hers were. And it reminded her to keep her eyes out for prospective recruits in the younger half of the student body. That was when the blood traitor walked up. Myers. The name had been dropped in her home more than once and her father didn't seem to detest him exactly. This of course made Integra very curious. Of course one of their own going soft wasn't a foreign concept to her. Bellatrix's own cousin was a filthy blood traitor.

Integra let the girls banter on with the boy as she simply leaned her back against the wall, kept her arms crossed, and said absolutely nothing. There were perfect moments in time, she had noticed. That allowed the most sparse amounts of words, make the biggest impact. She'd been one to run her mouth in the past. Twisting her words around the subconscious of her victims. Burning them into their minds like a riddle with no proper answer. Lately she'd been learning very quickly the impact just words had on someone. And that the lack of them often did more damage. Instead she eyed the boy up and down and let Chloe prattle on about how homosexual the Ravenclaws were getting lately.

Oh she'd heard every thing that night. Every. Last. Word. And she had said nothing then as well. Caitlin had outed not just her best friend, but also Rod, who was like a brother to her now. It did not sit well with Integra and she wanted nothing more than to squash the girl like a little bug. However, it was not her place and she knew that. What was in her rite, however, was torturing none other than the boy before them. He'd attacked them directly. The words had slammed through the air at the Slytherins. Now of course they didn't hurt at all. But the suggestion that he was not with them, was enough for her to condemn the poor boy for life. "Girls Girls... Myers is a smart boy. I'm sure he thought he was doing the.... right thing." her smile was wicked though her words defended him.

"He's a Ravenclaw, after all. I hear they are supposed to be the smartest of them all. Isn't that right... Benji?" Pushing off the wall, Integra looked squarely at him. "So...valiant of you. To stand up for 'mudbloods?' was it? That he called them. Tragic. The prejudice in this world is so... I can't even say. It's so powerful. Terrible that it's in the wrong hands." Her words had undertones that came with more undertones. It was possible what she was saying only made sense to her. While not the same level of Insanity that Bells functioned on, Integra may have seemed only a little crazy. But looking at them... She could see they all had their own way of getting information. Chloe, with her body lured it out of men, taking it for herself. Bellatrix, had more lunacy than Bedlam, and Integra, had the manipulation, fear and coercion of a lethal snake. There they were. Intimacy, Insanity, and Intimidation. Ruling the school again. As it should be.

Integra watched the girls with half a sense that they were certainly not after the same thing she was. Or maybe it was a different result they wanted. Integra merely sought to prove a point; mold her public image to her most vicious benefits. To her, socialization was a road map to success; to political hierarchy. It was, of course, her every intention to be at the pinnacle of that social standing. Naturally she'd back Rabastan all the way to the top. Maybe they didn't have a five year plan and they had no foreseeable future advancements within their society, but they had their mission statement. And they had each other. With their combined intelligence and manipulative influences, Integra and Rabastan could have just about anyone they wanted wrapped around their long, cold, skeletal fingers. Benjamin Myers, however, was not the way to get there.

Having a particular fondness for his female companion, Integra knew that if she wanted Myers on her team, the easiest way to get to him was through the Giovanni girl. Normally she wouldn't dare be in cahoots with the likes of a Giovanni, but Addie made a good impression on her. Of course, she was well aware of what Adeline's parents did for a living. Age five to age seven were the most quiet two years of her life after Roderick Giovanni locked her father away. Though, when he came back he was more malevolent than ever. There were full days that Integra spent locking herself away in a closet to avoid his wrath. And then there were days spent soaking in the tub letting her bruises ease away. Hogwarts was her only escape, and even then Ichabod liked to pay visits if he thought there was just cause. If he ever caught wind of her acquaintanceship with Addie, Ichabod would be on her hide in a mere second.

"Now, ladies... there's nothing wrong with being a hero. Somebody has to do it. You can't all be the villain. It'd be not fun that way and there would be no one to save our boring, petty, pureblood lives." There was a soft yet cold smile on her lips. Something had changed in her over parent's week. Now Integra spoke as though nothing could phase her. Like she had nothing to lose and everything to fight for. This was false. Integra had nothing to begin with. After nearly losing Rabastan, Integra was discovering the value of her relationship. He meant more to her than her own life. So she'd be damned if she didn't fight like hell to not only keep him, but to make him the very King of their social circle. Maybe this meant putting a seize fire on her reign of terror. Maybe it meant her rage needed to be redefined and focused. Either way, this wasn't her fight just yet. At least not in the traditional sense.

"Ohhh Chloe! Come off it! Would you honestly like to have your cousin's sloppy seconds? As much as I enjoy watching you terrify the poor boy, it repulses me to think you'd stoop so low as to mingle with that lot's sheets. Have some self respect and sleep with your own muggle lover. You should too, Bells." Her eyes fluttered at the girls in turn before turning her smile back to Benji. "Why waste our time with him anyhow? We all know who's really to blame for all the misjudgments in the Great Hall." Integra gave a shrug, raising her shoulders smoothly and letting them fall as if her words meant little to nothing. "It's that Gallagher girl who should be watching her back."