change will come, it's on it's way.

He was snapping at her. Because, as most of Hogwarts knew, if there was anyone to rival her in remarkably high levels of frustration about acceptance despite the loud and barely-believable claims that they did not care what anyone else thought, it was Apollo Zabini. As fiercely as they would both deny any resemblance, two of the most hostile presences in Hogwarts were hostile for the very reasons they claimed to have no interest in. Mad about Christian dating Charlotte? Of course not. Care what the other Slytherins thought? As if. Feel lonely? Pfffft, people were overrated.

She stopped and turned on her heel lazily, her face drawn into an unimpressed expression of impatience. What do you want now? meets I have better things to do.

"I didn't realize you two being unable to go four hours without proclaiming your love had anything to do with PA," she said, her voice less bitter than it was annoyed. The spiteful stab in her stomach would go ignored. Because she didn't have problems with couples in general right now. Of course not. It was just them.

"I'm not going to argue with you whether or not having Lily 'help' is necessary. Personally, I don't see why she needs to be in the castle if he can do magic in said castle. And I'm sure you'd like any real excuse to get her off the staff. But Christian's got it in his head that we need her, and you're going to back him up on this because... I dunno, because you guys have a weird tally going of favors and injuries going and you're trying to even the score. I dunno."

In truth, Ace saw further into the relationship than she let on. She could see Christian's frustration with his brother fight against his undying loyalty to him. And she would even admit that it was almost selfless of Apollo to agree to the whole thing - even though his angst and determination to see Lily any chance he could made it much harder for them in the long run, but whatever. She knew they weren't as petty as she was making them out to be.

But how was it that she and Frank, who had begun bickering the moment she sprung from the womb, had a more easy-going, certain relationship. She didn't hold a thing against him. And she didn't think he held anything against her. And she regularly stuffed gnomes into his things. If anyone should have a tally, it was them.

She rolled her eyes. "Charming thought. But no one gets in my way." She turned and headed towards the door.

"That's not what this is about," he cut in, only managing to make the claim before she continued on. He certainly felt that way, himself, but he had the journal for that. The charm.

Maybe Ace didn't realize how much they were giving up because she'd never experienced it. That sounded harsh, really, but Apollo couldn't care less after that response of hers. Eventually, perhaps, Ace Longbottom would know what it was like to love someone to the point of actually feeling desperate. Maybe she'd learn why having them feel that way in return was worth more than any club or map or fight picked for her pride and honor.

Maybe she just hadn't experienced loss in a personal way. Not that he knew one way or the other. But it would make sense.

Why was she walking away again? Merlin's sake. Apollo dropped his bag to the floor, recrossing his arms.

"He almost died once."

Surely that would do the trick.

"Did he even tell you? He always claims it wasn't that bad, but it was. If you think this is a game to me, you're beyond wrong. I'm not a good brother, in his eyes or in yours. I won't try and convince you otherwise, but you've got no idea. If you cared about him at all, you'd respect his desire to have someone more experienced on his side. You think he's not doing this for you?" Apollo shook his head.

"He never would've done this if he didn't want to help you, Ace. Bringing someone like Lily in? That's all part of the same thought process. If you were really his best mate, you'd have figured that out by now."

She wanted to go to her dorm. She wasn't supposed to be here in the first place, and she had an exam tomorrow she wanted to be awake for. Her plans to turn in early had been foiled by Lily and Apollo but she had gone along with it - never mind the fact that she could have made a whole stink about not deserving the detention. And anyone who knew her knew that she could make a mountain out of a molehill.

She had done him the favor. Why couldn't he just let her be?

"He almost died once."

That jerk.

She stopped, of course. He knew she would stop. She hated that he knew. She hated that she wasn't as strong as she tried to project, that she could be manipulated and toyed with. And how dare Apollo Zabini exercise that control. How dare he exploit his own brother just to force her to listen to him.

"Did he even tell you?"

She turned her around, her face stormy. She wanted to snap and ask if he had told Apollo what she had gotten him for Christmas. If he had told Apollo about the Grinch, or about their plans for Potter's Army, or any of the things she knew because every moment she shared with someone else was a moment she shared with Christian Zabini. Apollo was his brother in name alone, as far as she was concerned. He had stopped actively trying the day he moved out. He had been too busy snogging Lily to realize that Christian was actually upset to see him go. And he was going to act as if she were just a casual presence in his life.

"Of course I bloody respect it, I agreed to it, didn't I?" Ace demanded. "I didn't want it but I agreed to it - and when have I ever been a compromising person! Christian was worried you and Lily would have trouble at the ball and it was my idea for us to help you guys stage your breakup - even though I thought it was a stupid idea for her to even show up. I didn't want to go. I didn't want to wear a dress, and meet people who have hated my mum and dad for decades for being on the right side of history. And here I am, guarding you and Lily, which could definitely get me in trouble, because it's important to Christian that you guys don't suffer - never mind the fact that I barely see him anymore. I could have fought Lily, refused to show up, turned her in for giving me a detention I didn't earn. But I knew it would upset Christian, and even though I never see him anymore, I sucked it up for him." Her fists clenched at her sides. "Don't you dare accuse me of not caring enough, Apollo Zabini. My whole life is messed up right not because I cared too much. Just because you and the rest of the school forgot that I'm a person doesn't mean I don't have feelings too."

She turned on her heel and stormed out of the classroom, shoving the door open and pulling at the strap of her bag.