CHECK YES JULIET ▷ JAMES POTTER [1]

𝟎𝟑. 𝐒𝐎𝐔𝐋 𝐎𝐅 𝐋𝐄𝐀𝐃

(03 : A SOUL OF LEAD . . .
SO STAKES ME TO THE GROUND)

✧࿐ ཾ✧

     "JULIET, YOU KNOW I LOVE you —"

     Glancing up from her book, Juliet interrupted in a saccharine tone, "Funny because I hate you."

    "Let's not lie," Holly waved off the insult. "You love me, I love you, it's the seventies, we're one big love fest! My point being, I love you, but I'm forbidding you from going as an angel for the sixth year running." The girl in question wrinkled her nose, like the act of going as an angel to a Halloween party was a cardinal sin in itself as she continued, "It's so . . . cliché. Don't be a cliché, darling."

    Holly Higham was the most annoying half-blood you'd ever meet, and she was Juliet's roommate. Of course she had others, but they were all sycophants and Holly seemed to be the only one that made the effort with Juliet because she wanted to, not for her pureblood connections. Not that Juliet reciprocated the efforts. For six years, the dark-skinned girl tried to befriend the eternally angered redhead, but had yet to be successful beyond a handful of conversations. Mainly because Juliet didn't appreciate people who thought adding "darling" on the end of everything and having a string of fake pearls made them sophisticated.

     "There are worse thing to be than a cliché, Higham," said Juliet, her eyes glazing over at the unexpected truth in her own words.

    Her roommate let a solemn ten seconds pass before she pulled something off a hanger. "Ooh, you should be Little Red!" she squealed, holding out a blood-coloured, velvet cloak to the witch. "It would be hot. I'll curl your hair, then you'll put on a short little dress underneath and nobody will be able to take their eyes off you the entire night. You do still fancy Avery, right? Because I heard he's going to be there and —"

Irritated, Juliet slammed her book shut. "Stop fucking talking, please." The girl began to massage her temples. "I'll wear the bloody cloak if it makes you that happy. And for the record, I never fancied Avery. Not that it matters because I'm already betrothed." There was a mocking air to the teenager's words, which was emphasised with an eye roll. Maybe she was a fatalist, but there was no point in her getting excited over boys when it could never last. She'd always been the no strings type, but her careless ways would have to end, lest her father find out she was being unfaithful — arranged or not.

    In response, Holly smirked, not shaken in the least by Juliet's harsh tone. "Don't be such a cliché Slytherin either," she teased. "Now, put that boring old book down and let me do your hair."

    Juliet narrowed her eyes, but relented after it was clear Holly was not backing down. Even if she had no clue who Little Red was, she opted to go along with it with every intention of drinking herself into oblivion, hoping alcohol would help her forget the shit show that was her life. At least for one night her soul of lead could be a little bit lighter.