Engraved (Harry AU)

He smelled of cigarettes and pine, a smoky scent that reminds Lolita of a searing forest on a rainy day. Not too hazy smelling, but just mild enough for her to tolerate. His eyes at first shrieked of lust and wanting, but as the time in that tedious classroom progressed, he lost interest and began to just get lost in that blighted coffee colored journal of his that most likely holds the same aroma as the very mysterious boy.
The pudgy looking old woman said that Lolita was just another soundless phantom in her class, and by the looks of it, she can already tell that the other one is the very flirtatious yet inquisitive soul that is sitting two columns away from her, writing intensely and quite violently in the equally quiet book. He is most definitely not writing down notes and is most definitely not listening due to the downward arch of his brows that seem to have been posed for concentration.
Lolita senses that she won't like this kid, not at all, but damn he is attractive. And she knows that she will most likely abuse the privilege of being able to look at him, for even though he seems as if he's solely just a dark silhouette wearing a costume with nothing else to live for besides eating the souls of easy and desperate women, his disguise is pretty fucking beautiful. And that's a good enough of a reason for her to continue giving him even a mere ounce of her attention.
She quickly alerts her awareness towards the very powdery white chalk board where Ms....well Lolita doesn't really remember the ladies name yet.
"Ms. Bender! Since you think you know it all and do so enjoy admiring Mr. Styles, why don't you come here and answer this equation?"
For a second she felt confused by the name given to her by this woman, but then she remembers how Nancy assigned her a new last name as well to blend with her new alter ego, she soon felt her eyes widen in realization and she could hear the chaotic laughter coming from her new set of fellow students. The laughter doesn't really affect her as much as it would a regular normal teen, because well, the laughter in her school is so common that she even considers it music, since she hears it so much in her path. Lolita doesn't blush once she notices the Harry guy's immediate averted attention towards her , she doesn't feel embarrassed when the teacher points to the board, and the students' loud chatter continues, no. She just fixes her onyx black toned leather jacket, picks herself up, and parades herself up to the board with an expressionless face and straightly positioned back.
The woman fixes her specs and points to the problem on the board, Lolita snatching the chalk from her pale, rotund, wrinkled fingers earning a gasp from many of the bodies in this dreaded space.
Lolita is not very advanced in math, but she has already taken algebra two years ago, and right now she's actually in Algebra 2 in her own time, so this problem that is faced in front of her relaxed body makes her feel as if she's the Gerald of this class and that's amusing as well as amazing to her. For everyone only dreams of being the Gerald in something.
She begins to scribble down all the work, powder from the practically disintegrated chalk leaving itself all over her fingers, the room as silent as an abandoned grave yard.
Instead of announcing her completion, she just handed back the chalk back to the old broad, sauntered back to her desk to grab her stuff, and smiled simply before walking out, hearing the word "Correct." muttered behind her.
She has to stop in the middle of the hallway just to compose herself. She has never done anything that gutsy before in her life, and she's proud of herself for once. The smile on her face widens, her bright white teeth revealing themselves as she constricts her hold around her bag tighter from excitement.
Lolita is unsure whether she will get in trouble for ditching at such an early time, so she decides to hide in the ladies restroom for the remainder of that period. It would be quite embarrassing if she returned after leaving so dramatically before, and besides...Zoe doesn't really 'do' classes.
...
After an hour of concealing herself within one of the compact, un cleansed stalls, and after reapplying her bright red crimson colored MAC lipstick, the third period bell finally rang. Lolita swallowed hard and felt her hands beginning to shake because well...lunch is during third period.
Lunch is supposed to be an enjoyable time of the day where the ordinary human can sit down and relax by eating their nutritious meal to gain energy until they return home from their daily activities, but to Lolita, it's the underworld...hell on earth.
Friends join together and eat together and talk...together. Lolita has always stood alone in the shadows of the basketball courts where no one can find her and where she simply closes her eyes, thinking that if she can't see anyone, no one can see her.
Usually Daryl or some egotistical self induced person finds her and just ridicules her until her food rises to her throat and she feels suffocated from their destructive accusations and her own self loathing. She is unsure if she should just stay in the dirty bathroom chamber until lunch ends or if she should just do what normal people do in cafeterias. Eat lunch.
Sounds of clicking heels and toilet flushes are beginning to enclose all around her, and all she can do is take a silent deep breath and pray for the best, because praying is really all Lolita can think of to do at that precise moment.
She washes her hands quickly after stepping out of the stall and holds her things closer to her before finally strolling out of the perfume and floor cleaner smelling space.
Her third period is study hall, so when she returns, she's just going to be alone and anti social again, so at least in lunch she'll be doing something. Eating.
...
The cafeteria is very capacious and is cluttered with a countless amount of teens, resembling a concert stadium but without the singing and happiness. Eyes all around Lolita's terrified body are peering at her. Some filled with curiosity and sensitivity, others drowning with envy and potential uncivil thoughts, and others shallow with lack of interest and altruistic intentions.
She's the 'newbie' of this god awful dump, and she already has expected all the attention on her, but now she is unsure of how Zoe would handle the situation at hand and whether or not she should ignore everyone or socialize in an acquaintance like manner.
Heads soon begin to turn away from her, and she feels some of the pressure and stress fade away. It amazes Lolita the way everyone dresses in this time period. The stereotypical 50's poodle skirts are being worn by more than half of the female students, while many of the boys are preppy and sporty looking with their hair nicely slicked back at the sides.
Lolita didn't want to be ordinary, even though she has been that way all her life in her own time, but still. She didn't want to dress like those girly girls with their ankle length skirts and heel tap looking shoes. So she decided to just wear her black leather jacket, black tight high waisted jeans and white converse. She may not be the very typical 50's girl, but that's what her intention was.
Her stomach isn't settling well due to the mixture of nervousness and uncertainty that is now whirling around in the pit of it due to the sudden attention, so she just walks to a table in the middle of the room and plops herself down, placing her legs and feet on the table in an intimidating way to frighten everyone around.
She leans back on her chair and takes out another cigarette, lighting it and placing it in her lips. The room already smells of rotten meat and spoiled milk, so the smoke won't really be a bother. Her bag is on her lap, in which she decides to rummage through it and take out her copy of Pride and Prejudice, since in fact it was written many many many years before even this era and also because she is quite bored.
The book cover is practically falling off and is being held in place by dirty looking tape, she really needs to get a new copy.
"Hi."
Lolita slowly looks up from her book, forcing an annoyed glare so the very charismatic blonde in front of her will get the idea and leave.
The girl just smiles wider and sits herself in the seat next to Lolita, leaning her body to her in a very un comfortable way.
"Hi. My name is Gabriella. But you can just call me Gaby." She states with much enthusiasm in her high pitched bubbly voice.
She resembles one of those pageant queens with her very white teeth that look like they were painted , and her very petite figure.
Lolita just takes another blow from her cigarette and turns back to the book, trying so much to ignore her.
"You don't have to be shy you know. When I first came here, I was like you. I didn't want to socialize with anyone, but that was until I met Jared and everything was all good from there. And when I-"
"Why are you talking to me?" Lolita interrupts, actually quite serious even though she is beginning to feel annoyed with this preppy chic and her rainbows and smiles.
Gabriella looks quite startled by her sudden question, but quickly recovers as her glowing smile returns. Lolita wouldn't be surprised if that girl's teeth could glow in the dark.
"Like I said before. I haven't seen you around before and you seem very nice and pleasant." She adds.
Lolita observes this very alien looking girl to her, because well no one has ever complimented in her in any way, shape or form, much less talk to her. Besides, this girl is very pretty and seems like she is one of the populars in this zoo, so why would she even want to talk to her. Whether she's new or not.
Hannah, the lead dancer at her school in her time, is always a bitch to all the newbies and has even spat on a new freshmen last year, making yet another human being feel as if they weren't worthy enough to even glance at her, for they are like a ant and she is the dominant leader of the social food chain.
Lolita even begins to think whether or not to turn around to see if this Gaby girl is mistaken and was really talking to another girl. But she would look utterly ridiculous, and besides it seems as if she is conversing with her and no other soul besides her own.
"Oh sweetie, I am definitely not nice and I am definitely not pleasant." Lolita remarks before placing her feet back on the ground, grabbing her stuff and looking back at the very hopeful girl one last time before forcing an arrogant grin on her lips.
"It was cute that you tried though." She comments before taking another blow from her smoke and walking off.
To say she feels horrible is an understatement. She feels like absolute shit. She thought she could be this jerk that everyone would fear, because well it would be like pay back for all the crap that has been done to her over the years, but the thing is that this girl seemed nice and genuine and even though Lolita wished that the girl was in her time period with her so that they could be friends and everything would be different, she wouldn't even be able to do that, for she isn't worthy enough for anyone. Not even a simple girl with a charismatic smile and bright teeth.
As she approaches the entrance to the forsaken place, she can't help but bite her bottom lip and turn around to see if the girl is okay. She so hopes that she didn't injure her feelings whatsoever, and feels her lips turn into a small smile when she sees a handsome light brown haired boy hugging Gaby from the back, kissing her for dear life all over her bright face, making her giggle immensely.
That must be Jared. Lolita thinks to herself. Jared seems nice.
Lolita suddenly feels slight anguish wash over her. She will most likely surely exist lonely for the rest of her being which will hopefully be short, for she needs relief and freedom more then she needs oxygen.
She glances at the floor for a quick second before looking back up to see a body glaring at her with as much intensity as pain and suffering. Those familiar deep green eyes are sparkling with interest, one of his hands in his pocket and the other holding that forsaken beat up journal again.
She quickly turns her gaze away and slowly makes her way out of the room and back into the empty hallway, sudden silence embracing her as well as welling tears. Even though it only lasted for a few seconds, she liked talking to that girl, because someone was actually speaking to her and that is worth more to her than her fancy BMW.
...
"Hello class. Some of you may have had me when you were much younger, but I got promoted so whether you like it or not you're stuck with me again. And like the great Robert Frost said, 'In three words I can sum up everything I've learned about life: it goes on.' So pretty much, deal with it."
A mixture of laughter and snarky scoffs fill the room, causing Lolita to smile immensely. Zoe wouldn't have laughed at that, she would've rolled her eyes, but Lolita couldn't help herself. Her grandfather makes her want to be herself and it's like an over powering emotion that possesses her when he used to be around. And now that he's here, it's returning, that monster called happiness is returning even if it's for a brief hour. It's actually here like her grandfather.
He smiles himself, causing the room and Lolita's soul to brighten like a fire to a candle in a dark hushed room marinated in empty void.
His non wrinkled hands clap together as his eyes search the room.
"So I heard that we have a new student today! Will anyone like to rat her out and reveal her, or am I going to have to look for the stranger myself?"
All heads turn towards the back where she is sitting. She would have loved to have sat in the front, but she was too petrified of the possible outcomes.
His eyes narrow in concentration as he tries to focus on her features, making her feel very brittle.
"Hold on let me put on my glasses. I think I'm beginning to become mad." He jokes, before he scurries to his desk to put on his thick black eye specs.
The class is silent and are all probably as tense as Lolita, for they are unaware of why their teacher is making such a big fuss over this new student. But Lolita has a hunch, and she prays that she is mistaken and that her hunch will just flatten.
His feet lead him to the back of the room right next to her, and Lolita tries to keep her composure for she doesn't want to whale out in incessant tears in front of everyone.
He bends down and observes her for a while.
He can't remember. He just can't... Lolita repeats in her mind.
I mean how could he remember her if they only have seen each other briefly in only a few minutes, maybe less.
His eyes go down to her arms, her sleeved arms, and he just shakes his head before aligning his back and smiling once again.
"Sorry, I think I am going mad. I'm getting old. What are you gonna do?" He jokes, chuckling soon after.
Lolita just shrugs unsure of how to respond and his smile slightly falters.
"Right. Um well your name is Zoe. Am I correct?"
She nods and he mirrors her expression before forcing a small smile and walking back to the front of the class.
"Well everyone. This is Zoe and you can get to know her when you are not in my class, because well you have to pay attention. So let's start off today by taking out a piece of paper and a writing utensil, and you'll begin by copying all these formulas down. Yay science!"
She chuckles to herself and smiles the rest of the class, her face beginning to hurt.
...
The rest of the day wasn't as tragic as she thought it would be. Her classes are very simple and no one else tried to communicate with her, so that was always reassuring. She already preferred this school and just this time in general to be more sublime then her real life.
But, even though she felt as if she herself were lit up in her grand dad's class, she couldn't shake the feeling of regret and culpability over the fact that she was rude to that girl. Even though she didn't seem affected by it, Lolita still feels shitty. So the next day at school, she arrives early with Nancy and begins to search for the welcoming blonde.
She searches in the bathrooms, the library, the cafeteria, everywhere. When she was about to raise a white flag in the air, her eyes landed on those bright teeth of hers, and she quickly walked up to her, gripping her own wrist tightly from nervousness. She hasn't talked to a person her age since Beth and Marshall, and she's fearful that she might embarrass herself, for she is not the most social person.
"Hi." Lolita whispers.
Gaby is with that light brown haired guy again, both of them leaning against the lockers. Her in a light pink skirt and white button down shirt and him in a letterman sweater and khakis.
She glances at Lolita, and her smile falls almost automatically.
She takes a deep breath, wanting the girl to just forgive her already. I mean she only met her once, she couldn't have been that hurt, could she?
"I forgot to tell you that my name's Zoe yesterday." she tries again.
This time her boyfriend, Lolita is guessing, turns around and towers over her, staring her down with a blank expression. She must have told him.
Lolita swallows hard. The silence is very awkward and is just making her feel even more terrible.
"I really like your skirt... Um where did you get it?" She tries for the last time, not wanting to have to humiliate herself further. It's as if she's just conversing with herself, and she rather be beaten with Daryl's words and judgment then having to live this ignominious and unfathomable pointless conversation much longer.
A small smirk reveals itself on her pimple less face and relief washes over Lolita like a rain shower.
"Why don't we have lunch together today and I'll tell you? I can introduce you to Stephen and Lila."
Lolita's whole body freezes and she feels her eyes widen.
What would Zoe do?
"Sounds cool."
The blonde just smiles widely and nods in response before grabbing the attractive guy's hand and waving before walking off at the sound of the first bell.
Holy crap.

Notes