Alec had entered the common room right after the long Quidditch practice. So far this year was starting off as great. He was working towards being the captain, and that would be in reach hopefully next year, his classes were working out alright, double potions was a pain but he'd deal with that.

Dorian and him were as closer as ever. It was a shame the bastard couldn't bunk with him and he was stuck with two idiots. Oh he hated his roommates, they were sooo boring! Who knew that Slytherins could be boring, though if he took his sister in consideration he supposed it was very likely. But Damien was always off dating some brown haired chick, while being seen more often than not with a red-head, he never really found it important to find out their names, hell he should pat himself on the back for ever remembering Damien's name!

The other was even worse; Parker was a stick in the mud, always following this group of friends, well at least he used to, now he was dealing with 'things' he wasn't really one to care. Perhaps he'd find the blond he had once been seen with as attractive, but her attitude, ugh, not worth a shag.

But for him, he just danced through life, no worries just success without stressing oneself too hard. And he showed this even through his body language, as he sat down with his drink waiting to see who could entertain him.

Parker was holed up in his room as he always was as of late. The whole year so far it seemed he only went to classes, the library, the hospital wing, and his room. Half the time he'd not even be out for meals, and he'd seemed to be actively avoiding any situation where he'd have to talk to anyone...especially Pyxis. She had complained of the startling, sudden change in his personality. It had been only a month previously where he was the happiest he had felt ever.

The previous week after getting in a shouting match with Damien, he'd thrown both of their things around the room in a fit of rage and moved Damien's bed so he could put his own length ways at the window. All complaints of Damien's he ignored, but Parker had agreed to clean the room to make up for it. The room was back in order again, and Parker was leaned against the window, his cheek pressed against the cold glass. His eyes were closed tight as a grindylow swam past.

He moved his textbook off his lap and leaned up, deciding he needed to stretch his legs and go to the library. He had some books he could return anyway. With a heavy sigh he pushed himself up, not as lanky or scrawny as he was only two years prior. He grabbed the few books and slung his bag over his shoulder because if he was there he might as well finish up the last of his homework or what Healer Henley asked him to work on.

He walked the stairs with heavy steps, his hand dragging on the railing, and his eyes focused on his feet. He glanced up when he entered the common room, it seemed to be pretty empty to the last time he was out. At least the coast was clear of Pyxis. She'd started making a habit of waiting right next to where the stairs met the common room to try to ambush him. Her yelling at him had started becoming a regular spectacle. Some kids even bet on the day when Parker just snapped back at her.

He walked slowly through the seemingly empty common room, sighing and trailing his hand over the back of the couch as he started to make his way to the door.

Alec heard the footsteps and the sighing. He lifted his head from his couch and rolled his eyes at the scene. If there was a textbook case of teenage angst than it was Parker Emery. He was a year older and yet, that boy had some issues. He dragged himself all around campus, and while he never really cared, his ear drums were tired of the fucking screaming that blond girl did. He didn't appreciate the stress of someone else's business, nor did he care, but when dirty laundry was thrown, of his sudden mood change and the whole idea of him changing. It was sickening not to mention bad on the house.

He had put money on the pool, betting that in ten years that poor bastard was not going to say a damn thing. It was sickening, he wanted them to just go to the Gryffindorks dorms. Those bastards would appreciate, hell deserved the screaming.

His mood swings reminded him of women on their period. The screaming match last time from those two poor saps Damien and Parker was heard through the whole hallway. Dorian had been studying with him in his own room, and they heard it. When he'd returned he got sick of it and just ended up sleeping elsewhere. Now he was at a point where he slept in the girl's dorm with whatever girl who had a nice skirt. And if he wasn't in the mood, he'd make one of Dorian's roommates leave so he'd have a bed.

Parker Emery just pissed him off. Why be sad? So things are shitty, you just forget about it and move on, not be the saddest sap around. It was disgusting, with that grey cloud over his head.

"Look, it's sadder than thou, Parker Emery." he called out. "Angst getting to you? Do you need some pepper up potion?"

While Parker might have cared about causing a scene in the past, he had stopped caring now. People didn't like him anyway, so why even bother? He pushed past people in his way in the hall, gave dirty looks, hell if he had actually done his homework and felt annoyed enough he'd show off in class just to piss some people off. Why not act out a bit? he had all this anger...and just felt like punching things..or people most of the time. And there was only so much self-loathing he cold hold in before he needed to lash out on others. It was a vicious cycle because it only make him feel worse about himself.

Which is why he'd been trying to isolate himself more. It was better for everyone. He didn't care that his roommates spent most their time in others' rooms. He didn't like them anyway, even though he half considered Damien a friend. He couldn't give a damn about Alec though. Sometimes just thet way the guy looked at Parker set him off the edge. Even though he was younger, there was something about him that inexplicably reminded Parker of his father. Maybe it was the certain condescending tone to his voice, or that half amused half dead look in his eyes. whatever it was he could so easily get under his skin and he hated it.

Speak of the devil. Parker held back a groan, stopping as he heard Alec's voice. He turned his head, looking over his shoulder to see Alec sitting down. "I need you to piss off, more like." He snapped.

Alec raised his brow and he let out a lazy wide smirk seeing him. Oh he was so butthurt, it amused him more than anything. Perhaps it was because he's so easily pushed, and his reactions were priceless was that he bothered him. He was so easy to push the buttons, but oh he was so sensitive, so teenage angst it intrigued him.

"Getting pissed? No that's tomorrow Emery" he said smirking.

He knew that Emery hated him, and honestly he didn't care, it added to the tension. He didn't need someone to like him, in fact he'd rather have people dislike him than be fawned at by others. It entertained him. Dorian said he was a fool spending so much time, giving Emery hell, but he wanted him to break. He was always so broody, it was annoying, he'd rather see him yell at the loud blond girl.

"Still got the stick up your butt?"

Parker groaned and rolled his eyes as he rubbed his forehead. He really wished this guy didn't piss him off so easily. Parker knew hos much the bastard like to get on his nerves, but Parker never seemed to be able to hold back any snarky comments, could help try to get that last word. He just sent him off the rails every time he talked, and if Parker was already in a particularly foul mood it was always worse. At the moment he was already pretty bad off, the itch of wanting to get in an actual fight was in the back of his mind.

"Oh shut up, you think you're so goddamn clever don't you?" He snarled, starting to turn around to face him.

"Just mind your own business for once, you prick." Parker just glared at him, pulling at the strap of his bag. He didn't make any move to leave. He was at the point he needed to vent his frustrations. He didn't like to have to snap at people, but better this asshole than Pyxis.

Alec lifted his hands to his chest, acting as if he was hurt, before looking innocently at him. Despite the fact that he was older than him, he couldn't help but find it amusing that he got angry for the littlest things. Alec had a specialty; keeping in his emotions, while others around him reacted so easily to things, he had to find what buttons to push to get reactions from people. Parker was one of those people, he was snippy, permanent period pains he called them, and his angst really annoyed him for some reason.

"I have my moments" he replied with a lazy smile.

His smile turned to an even more amused one as he heard the next comment. Oh well wasn't he so witty today. He threw his broom on the ground and took off his uniform.

"Is that a yes?" he cooed rudely.

As much as Parker would have liked to have a better control on his anger... and emotions in general, for the most part he'd given it up. After learning about and having an explanation for his own mother's mood issues, he's just chalked it up to genetics. As much as he didn't want to have to deal with issues like hers, he had begun to accept it...but he'd been to in this hole of his to try to do anything about it. Was there anything magic could even do for him? He just had no clue how to cope with all the stuff he was harboring with no one to turn to, so i just manifested in the only way he knew, the only way he was really raised to cope with it: take it out on other people.

Parker could feel himself get more and more riled up in anger. His heart rate sped up as Alec looked more and more amused and self-assured. He held onto his books so tight his knuckles were white, and he could feel his jaw clenching.

"You're the one with the stick up your arse, Black!" he snapped back lamely, tensing slightly at the sound of the broom clattering against the floor. He was getting so upset, the wit of his comebacks didn't even matter anymore. All that did was the rising desire to get the smug expression off his damn face.

Alec never had that grin wiped from his face, but what he did notice was that something was wrong with little Parker Emery. He might have been older, but in all honesty, Emery's exclamation and anger problems were really surprising. He had never seen someone so short wired, so delicate and so easily manipulated. He was so riled up at the moment, his voice booming through the common room that he merely raised his brow.

By the age of eleven, Alec had mastered the art of a nonchalant expression. His father, deemed the "Ice Man" by his younger sister had made it so he himself was becoming chilly himself. Parker was so heated up, that it just made him think that he was so vulnerable. If anyone were to enter, they wouldn't have known they were at odds, had it not been for Parker's red face and his hands clutching the books far too tightly.

"Tsk tsk, calm down Parky" he said shaking his head. "for one thing brooms aren't my style and secondly, have you had a fight with your girlfriend? Blondie? Are you about to cry, I don't do well with crying people"

He picked up a book lazily and brought it to his face to play the part of even more indifference. It was fun to rile him up, but this boy was either near an aneurysm or a psychotic break.