Burley Village, located in the open heathland of New Forest, surrounded by rolling hills, spacious grasslands, valley bogs, and woodlands of hearty oaks, beeches, and soaring pines. The Hastings Fox Hollow, affectionately named after the patronus of the Hastings grandparents, holds five acres hidden within the heathland of New Forest on the outskirts of Burley. Horses and cattle can occasionally be seen roaming the hillside grounds as the village still practices the old tradition of commoning.
A muggle repelling charm and disillusionment charm have been cast over the home and its grounds.
”Mum and da' have been mental all summer, I thought they might explode when you didn't get off the train..." Savannah stretched and rolled off her back to lie on her belly, propping her elbows in the grass to rest her chin against her knuckles while she offered her brother a weary stare; he was sprawled across the yard with his face to the storm clouds as a heavy gust of wind rustled through the leaves of the forest, she almost thought she heard a groan, but couldn't decide if that was just thunder in the distance. ”I'll find out, y'know, eventually,” she reminded him in that ethereal voice, somewhere lost between the realm of life and death. ”I always do.”
”And yet you can't even manage to change out of your pyjamas,” Tristan rolled his eyes, but hadn't turned to face her as he replied. He never did, she'd grown comfortable with it. ”I already told you Savannah, I don't want to talk about it. I just want to forget.”
”Fine, whatever.” If he didn't want to talk about it, she wouldn't force him. Instead, the chirp of crickets and the 'lu-lu-lu' song of the woodlarks filled the silent stretch between them. ”Taking care of yourself?” Her thoughts were sporadic and her speech was too, so immersed in deep thought and yet too empty minded to think before she speaks. Tristan had learned to adjust, after all these years. ”Not getting caught, right? No one knows?”
”No one knows.” He promised like clockwork.
”Good.” Savannah mused, humming to herself, quite content for the moment being. But as ever, her mind spun like a roulette; black and red thoughts, black and red dreams. ”Black forest, red wolf,” she hummed, almost without thinking.
”What?”
”What?” Confusion muddled her features, Savannah blinked while Tristan's brows furrowed and his nose wrinkled. He wasn't amused.
”You said—nevermind,” Tristan decided, and Savannah couldn't tell if it was because he rather not endure the hassle, or the answer. Humming again, the drum of thunder echoed in the distance as drizzling rain poured from the sky and in the background, their mother's voice was calling them back to the house. ”Race yo—hey!” Savannah didn't even give him a chance, she saw that look in his eye, sprang up to her feet and bolted in a full sprint for the front door.
I'm no hero, you remember how I was, you know All I ever did was worry, feeling out of control To the point where everything was going end over end I'm spinning around in circles again
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Sᴇᴄᴏɴᴅ Yᴇᴀʀ||Rᴀᴠᴇɴᴄʟᴀᴡ||Rᴇsᴇʀᴠᴇ Sᴇᴇᴋᴇʀ
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Rhys hadn't cared about where he ran to in the manor, he just wanted away. They'd lied, and he didn't want to be around them. He wanted to scream, but he felt the conflicting urge to disappear just as strongly. So, the young Ravenclaw had taken the next best thing. He couldn't talk to Gid, he was in another part of the country as it was. And he didn't exactly have friends either. His silence and strong dislike for talking to people had ensured that. Instead, he had grabbed a bit of floo powder and said the first name of a location he knew wasn't his family and was connected to the network. Gid was absolutely out of the question, as the boy was muggleborn, but that didn't mean that he didn't know someone. He closed his eyes as he stepped into the emerald flames, and felt himself be pulled along until he came to a sudden stop. Having been quite used to travel in this manner, he braced himself and managed not to fall out of the fireplace, and instead stepped out quite readily.
His eyes roved over the room he was standing in, feeling completely lost and nervous as he looked around the unfamiliar room he was standing in. He blinked as he was looking at a library. He looked at the expansive room, noting the books upon books in the place, and Rhys sighed in relief a bit. He looked around, then decided to try and speak, hoping that someone was around and would answer him."Um, hello? Is anyone home?"He cringed at the way his voice echoed around the room, and then steeled his reserve. No. Being quiet had led him into this mess. He wasn't about to let his innate shyness suddenly steal his voice away.
════════════════════════ Location: Hastings' Library Thinking: I'm not going back home, they can't make me. OOC:
This is where you come in All of this to explain to you why I had to separate myself away from yesterday's life Please remember this isn't how I hoped it would be But I had to protect you from me
”Carry my soul into the night – May the stars light my way – I glory in the sight – As darkness takes the day – Ferte in noctem animam meam – Illustrent stellae viam meam – Aspectu – illo glorior – Dum capit nox diem,” she sung off-key in a low and raspy voice. Savannah was reading upside down, sprawled across the top of an oak desk with her book levitating above her head as she kicked her legs up against the wall of bookcases beside her. And while she was only reading between every other line of her song, it kept her focus sharpened more than reading in silence could ever do alone. She hardly blinked an eye at the sudden roast of green flames spewing from the hearth on the floor below her, but the vague, unfamiliar voice had her heart skipping beats. Who the hell was that? And why were they there? As she rolled off the desk, the book broke free from its incantation and thwacked straight down, by now Savannah was too busy peering over the edge of the second floor railing to spot the pale hair of her classmate, Rhys. ”Up here!” Savannah tossed down a smile and waved, but even without the torn expression on his features, his aura screamed something wicked.
”Are you alright?” The inflection in her voice insisted she knew otherwise, and that she wouldn't take no for an answer. Savannah skipped down the spiral staircase to join Rhys on the main floor of the library, between the rows of bookshelves and the potted pair of young dittany plants set by the sunlit window. ”I like to sing when I'm upset, have you heard the song 'In Noctem?' It's really quite lovely.” Somehow, she didn't think he'd want to hear that song, or any song really, not even the merpeople's. ”Have you found your fwooper then?” She asked without skipping a beat.
I'm no hero, you remember how I was, you know All I ever did was worry, feeling out of control To the point where everything was going end over end I'm spinning around in circles again
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Sᴇᴄᴏɴᴅ Yᴇᴀʀ||Rᴀᴠᴇɴᴄʟᴀᴡ||Rᴇsᴇʀᴠᴇ Sᴇᴇᴋᴇʀ
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Rhys nearly started when he heard a voice from above, but relaxed as he noted it was just Savannah. He refrained from biting his lip when she asked him if he was alright, and from her tone, suggested that she thought otherwise. He started to nod, but then shook his head instead. No, Savannah had that odd way about her that could tell what was going on with people she knew, and despite the face she more often than not studied her tarot deck than anything else, she was in this case spot on in her observations."Yes. No. Ugh, I don't know. I guess it depends on your definition of alright."There was no way he could say what just happened at his home, not without ripping at the emotional wounds he had. But, maybe that would make it feel better. He'd already ripped them wide open when he screamed earlier, and he still wanted to rage against everything going on in his life.
He blinked as she mentioned a song, and the white-haired preteen blinked even further when she mentioned finding his fwooper. He shrugged, not exactly knowing how to answer the girl. Not without ranting about his family issues. They were many, and he hated himself for not doing a thing to stop them."I don't know about finding my fwooper, but I just don't feel like not talking anymore. It's only caused problems, and I can't fix them."The last part was said with a sneer on his voice, and he remembered Ciaran's words to him. What was the use of being smart when you couldn't even figure out your own problems? He hated that he didn't have the answers, and they should be there if there were problems. That's the way the world worked. If there was an issue, there was a solution to go along with it. Ciaran was wrong in that regard. Rhys could have done something. He just didn't, and now their whole family was torn asunder as a result.
════════════════════════ Location: Hastings' Library Thinking: I'm not going back home, they can't make me. OOC:
This is where you come in All of this to explain to you why I had to separate myself away from yesterday's life Please remember this isn't how I hoped it would be But I had to protect you from me
”I hate this,” he told her, teeth clenched, and about to gag. Savannah shook her head and only said, ”You're not supposed to like it.” Despite the weary look she had given her brother, Tristan didn't seem to notice or mind. He thrust his head back and pressed the cold glass to his lips as he choked down the thick concoction and stuck his tongue out with an exasperated, ”Gyaaah, gross.”
In two nights, he would change. The transformation used to be the cause for all his anguish, but they were both beginning to realize that was changing. Tristan flexed his arms, opened and closed his hand into a fist. He felt so weak, so tired, and sick. Savannah could see it in the dark circles around his eyes, but she had to wonder if his sleepless nights was really from the wolfsbane potion or something deeper. ”You're beginning to like this too much,” she warned him. Tristan only snarled and snapped, ”What's there to like?”
”You can't lie to me, Asher.””Don't call me that.””Why not? Because it makes you remember?” The siblings shot each other a sharp look; a warning. But Savannah carried on. ”I've seen your books, Tristan, I know your trying to recreate it. I know you are.” She didn't look up at him, but leaned out over the windowsill to peer down at the garden gnomes digging up the flowerbed again. When Tristan didn't respond, Savannah took it as an open invitation. ”I shouldn't be so surprised, you were always like that...You always got too... 'addicted', to things. Especially things that make you...” she paused and hummed, searching for the word until she finally settled for, ”Powerful.”
”Get out.””What? Why?””You know why.” He spat back at her. ”Because I'm right?””Go!” So she left him. Too hurt to say anything else, too tired to care. It was her fault this had happened. It was always her fault.
Leaving Tristan behind in the library, Savannah wandered down the stairs and around the kitchen. Mum was away at work, and da was locked in his workshop again. She hardly saw the two of them together except for supper, but then it always seemed rather forced. Tristan never seemed to notice, and she was too scared to talk to Ralphy about it. Instead, she hoped it was her own delusions getting the best of her. But was that really something to hope for?
Deciding that she had had enough of her own thoughts for company, she skipped down the porch steps, bounced from stepping stone to stepping stone as she reached the workshop that had once been the garage, and peered through the dusty windows to try and see if her father was busy inside.
And he was. But he wasn't alone. And he certainly wasn't working—unless you counted swapping spit as work?—somehow, she didn't think her mother would. 'I shouldn't be seeing this,' she wanted to turn around, pretend like it never happened. But she couldn't turn away. Not when the hands that were supposed to be holding her mother were now wrapped around the thin waist of someone younger, prettier, and blonde. And bright white nail polish, she noticed, when a finger suddenly jabbed in her immediate direction and then both heads turned to stare. She panicked. Ducked her head two minutes too late, and ran.
When her father finally found her, nearly half an hour later, she was curled up on the roof just outside her bedroom window, bundled in blankets and pillows and clutching her wand as if her very livelihood depended on it. ”Savannah, we need to talk.” His voice was smooth, even; you almost couldn't tell there was a tremor in his tone. But she heard it. ”No we don't.” She insisted, but her father clambered out the window anyway. His big hands were clumsy as he tried to situate himself, crossed his feet under his legs and stared out into the twilight sky. ”What you saw today....”
”I won't tell mum.” He looked shocked, but from the corner of her eye, it was hard to tell. ”I understand why... And I don't want it to be my fault again.” This time, she turned her head away, so she didn't know what face he had made, or how he was feeling. She felt safer when he wrapped an arm around her, but she refused to look up.
”Sweetheart, it isn't your fault. Nothing has ever been your fault, you shouldn't think like that.” Savannah just laughed. ”It's not funny, Savannah, it's true.” But she shook her head and said, ”No, it's not.” She didn't know why, but she couldn't hold on to this secret anymore, it was an anchor, and it was drowning her. ”It is my fault.
“It's my fault that you and mum aren't happy. It's my fault you're always fighting. I know you two love each other, but you need someone to blame and it shouldn't be the other. It should be me... I'm the reason that Tristan got bit!” She started so calm and slow, but now it was a torrent rushing out of her, faster and louder and she couldn't stop. ”I tricked him! I was so tired of him kicking my tent; I just wanted to go to sleep! He wanted to play! So we did! Only I lied, and I told him I would follow him but I didn't! Then mum saw he was missing and you went to go look for him and he was just down by the stump, and I didn't want to get in trouble so I tried to go look for him and—!” She fell silent, the image from the night had haunted her ever since. The blood; the screams; the muscle ripped from the bone; the wolf; it's glowing eyes; blasts of red and green magic; then the dark forest when she turned and ran.
She could feel his breaths fading shallow, already deaf to the sound of her own heavy breathing and racing lungs. ”Savannah...” he whispered, ”you should've told me sooner...” Embraced by warmth, he wrapped her in a hug but for all it mattered, she was too numb to really notice. 'I should tell him about Tristan,' the thought raced across her mind and vanished as quickly. Whether or not her brother was growing fond of his wolf, it wasn't her secret to tell. And she owed him, didn't she? Frustrated and confused, she pushed her father away and uncurled herself from her blankets. ”Mum'll be coming home soon...” Shoving back the heavy drapes blocking her window, she jumped through the gap and landed safely on the plush carpet. Deciding she needed to step away from life and focus externally, she hunted down some parchment and quill and penned down her first letter to Rhys. Then after some deliberation (and three rough drafts later) she scrawled Liam's name on the second.
Soaring across an unfamiliar landscape, the Hastings' family owl continued it's hunt for one particular boy that his owner had called "Liam Cade". Though the owl had never made this trip before, it knew just where to go. But his owner had been very specific, Miss Savannah expressly advised to only allow Liam to take the letter. (Whoever that was.) And to bite the hand of anyone else to try and take it. The owl was sure it would know who was who when the time came. But for now, it perched on the windowsill and pecked at the glass for attention.
Liam,
See look, now you can't say I don't write.
(You honestly don't know how tempted I was to send just that one sentence, and nothing else, but it might be cruel for me to put the family owl through such a long flight and for such a short message. So I suppose we both have my owl to thank for that. By the way, he prefers Eeyelops Premium Owl Treats; if you don't have those, I don't suggest trying to feed him, or he'll bite. Yes. He is spoiled, old, and half senile, I know, but at least I'm warning you now instead of three letters too late.)
I suppose this is the part of the letter where I ask you how your summer was, then consequently talk about mine own. But I don't think I'll do that. Instead, I think I'd rather ask you what you're most looking forward too next. And don't say Hogwarts, there has to be something else you're excited about; even just a little. I'll be going to Highcliffe Castle Beach in a few weeks, and I can't wait...
There's a storm moving up the south coast, have you heard? Supposed to be nasty. They say they're not sure which direction it's headed; east or west, but I hope it comes west toward us. Is it weird that I'm looking forward to a storm more than I am going to the beach? But I love the chaos afterward, all of the flooded plains, muddy puddles, broken branches, and torn down trees. The down power lines. The shredded fences. The scattered roof shingles. It's the one time you see people band together. But once everything's fixed and back to normal—they all go back to their own secluded lives; magical or muggle, it doesn't make a difference. I always thought that was so...odd. Anyway, write me back when you can.
-Savannah
[OOC: So I totally just noticed you don't have a home profile for the Cade family yet, so I'll just put Liam's letter here.]
Theron wound around through a thick patch of trees, the deep emerald green of their leaves glowing as it soaked up the plentiful sunlight. As he approached the seemingly dilapidated abode surrounded by several acres of property, he tilted his body backwards—feet forward, and let his wings sprawl out, eventually bringing his body to a halt on an aged window sill. Through the foggy glass, the bird could see that the interior was a stark contrast from the abondoned, castle-like appearrance he had noticed from a couple miles back. Without hesitation, he pecked against the warm glass, which shook unexpectedly as his presence was made known. Around his ankle, a yellowed piece of parchment was folded neatly into a perfect square and tied securely with twine—the letters S. H. written in calligraphy on the back.
Vannah,
Perhaps if I had your cunning abilities, I might have been able to read your letter before actually opening it. If that had been the case, I could've saved myself the blood shed, courtesy of that friendly family owl of yours. In case you were wondering, he does not care much for raisins.
I think I'd have to say that the thing I'm most looking forward to for the remainder of this summer is the three consecutive days my parents will be away to celebrate their anniversary in Tuscany. It might not sound like much, but I guess that's the purpose of silence. Now if only I could ship my brother Dawson off, as well...
I have indeed heard talk of the incoming storm, and find myself surprisingly in agreement with you. Mother nature has a way of making destruction devastatingly beautiful. There's also something about those clears skies and the calm that follows that makes me appreciate the mundane.
I hope your summer has been enjoyable. Mine has been...interesting, to say the least. Had a little father-son bonding time that I won't soon forget. Perhaps more exciting was the new patch of dittany I managed to squeeze into my mothers garden without her noticing (it's tended by a hired hand, and she's never been one for details). While I wouldn't much care to pursue a career in Healing, the class has made me appreciate how advanced our medical abilities are in comparison to muggles.
If you find the time, feel free to scribble a reply. If not—I'll see you soon.
-Liam
Posted: Mon Apr 25, 2016 2:06 pm
Hastings Family Owl Canterbury, England
Weeks passed before Savannah had found the words to write again. The old owl certainly didn't mind the procrastination, he was quite content filling his belly to the brim from owl treats and the abundance of rodents scavenging through the moors. Hours after a heavy rain that devoured England's southeast coast and traveled northwest through Wales, the Hastings' family owl took flight and set course east from Hampshire to Canterbury.
Quote:
Liam,
If you had my cunning abilities, Liam, then you would know that you've walked right into my trap. This was all a clever ruse to get my owl to bite you before touching my last letter; it was cursed. And you'd be surprised what can be done with blood magic—but I suppose you'll find out sooner or later.
Okay, okay, I'm kidding! (Or am I?) Suppose you'll just have to trust me. (Don't worry, I wouldn't trust me either.) But at least if you ever need help with that brother of yours, might be I can put a little curse on him too. For a small fee of course. Can't exactly put “Crazy Evil Witch” on my taxes, can I? Well, I dunno—my mum always says you should try everything at least once. I'm sure she didn't mean that, but why should it be my fault that she was so vague? What if I want to drink Re'em blood? Or travel with vampires? That should be my right, I think.
I'm sorry to hear about—my summer has been full of surprises. Whether they're good or bad, I can't say yet. But the poles flipped; polarity reversed. It's strange, it's like standing on your head. Everything's upside down and all the blood is swelling to your brain. You should try it if you haven't—standing on your head, I mean—not the magnetic shift.
And you're right. It is amazing what our potions can do. And how dangerous they can be. Have you ever watched a potion brew for two weeks? It's calming, in a way. Until you remember one wrong stroke could explode in your face.
”There.” Tristan, despite his growth spurt, was dwarfed beneath three separate stacks of books. His father had to move around the edge of the desk to get a better look at him; and all Tristan saw was disappointment. ”You're going to be spending a lot of time studying up here to make up for those scores, young man.” The werewolf groaned as he tilted his head in an attempt to read the spine of books, nearly half of them were history, but there were a few scattered fundamentals of magic and magical theory.
”But da' there's no point! It was only two bad scores—and I'm not even taking the classes next year, why do I have to do this?!” Exasperated, his father shook his head.
”You're not doing this for next year, you're doing this for you, for now. And because you bloody well know your mum won't give this a rest until she feels you're proper punished.” The older man nodded his head with force, Tristan thought it made the wrinkles on his brow wiggle like worms.
”What about Effy? She'll be taking her exams next year.” He pointed out, hopefully not as desperately as he thought he sounded; it was hard to judge. But if he was going to be punished, it only felt right to drag his little sister down along with him. His father gained a thoughtful expression, and for a second, he thought he had a prison inmate to serve this sentence with. Instead, his father simply said, ”I couldn't find her.”
Typical. Of course Vannah managed to escape; she must have seen this coming a mile away. He supposed he couldn't blame her, but he sure he wished he'd thought of it first. (Ha! As if he'd get away with it.) Tristan watched his father disappear down the hallway until all that was left was a faint trail of footsteps echoing down below. Then silence. Now it was just him and half a hundred books to read. Sighing heavily, he took a leather bound tome from the top of the pile and turned to the first page...
'The magical history of our world...'
And that was as far as he got.
The next half hour was spent carefully planning, organizing, scratching the peach fuzz on his chin, and restacking all of those books into a near three meter tall castle which featured two of his sister's pink plush dragons as guardsmen and his action figure of Victor Krum (broom and snitch included) seated high on the throne. Tristan gazed up at his masterpiece, plopped down on the ground and said, ”...Yup... I'm going to be the first person to die of boredom.”
∷∷∷∷∷∷∷∷∷∷∷∷∷∷∷∷∷∷∷∷∷∷∷∷∷∷∷∷∷∷∷∷∷∷∷∷∷∷∷∷∷∷∷∷∷∷∷∷∷∷∷∷∷∷∷∷∷∷ 【LOCATION:: library】 【COMPANY:: no one】 【ATTIRE:: jeans and a tee】 【STATS:: 5' 8", 149lbs】 ∷∷∷∷∷∷∷∷∷∷∷∷∷∷∷∷∷∷∷∷∷∷∷∷∷∷∷∷∷∷∷∷∷∷∷∷∷∷∷∷∷∷∷∷∷∷∷∷∷∷∷∷∷∷∷∷∷∷
Posted: Fri Jul 08, 2016 9:56 pm
╓xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xx»wнere«xx xxxTristan's Front Door xxxxxxxx»wιтн«xx xxxxxxxxxNo one xxxxxxxxxxxxxx»ғeelιng«xx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxNervous xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx╜
ι'м ιи тнє ∂ є т α ι ℓ ѕ ωιтн тнє ∂ є ν ι ℓxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx ѕσ иσω тнє ω σ я ℓ ∂ ¢αи иєνєя gєт мє σи му ℓ є ν є ℓxxxxxxxxxxxx ι נυѕт g σ т т α gєт уσυ σ f f тнє ¢ α g єxxxxxxxxx ι'м α уσυиg ℓ σ ν є я ' ѕ я α g єxxxxxx gσииα иєє∂ α ѕ ρ α я к тσ ι g и ι т єxxx
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spaceLorelei hesitated slightly when she raised her fist to knock; she'd given Tristan the warning that she'd be coming to stay with him, but she'd not given a specific time frame on when that would be. She also had no clue if he'd actually discussed it with his parents, and so she was slightly worried that she might be turned away. His reply back hadn't indicated any such conversation, which was worrisome. But, she had a back up plan, at least, courtesy of her brother. She sighed, and finally knocked, praying Trist was the one to answer. If not, things could get rather awkward, rather quickly.
spaceA soft mewling sound drew her attention, and suddenly she worried that having a cat might be a problem. She hadn't considered that when she'd purchased Sheik, dammit. She didn't usually miss details like that. But then again, even she fell victim to pettiness, and people didn't tend to think well when they were being petty. The Slytherin slipped her fingers through a crack in the kitten's carrier; did Savannah have a cat? She seemed like the sort of girl who would. But then again, maybe that was just because Lori associated cats with a very muggle idea of what witches were, and Savannah seemed to fit that to a T. Mentally, Lori slapped herself for being so careless. But, it was too late now, she'd knocked on the door. Not like she was worried about Tristan not being alright with the cat (she didn't think his werewolf side was that pervasive... though she could be wrong). She was more worried that Sheik would dislike or be afraid of the boy, like the hippogriff from Care of Magical Creatures had been. When she'd heard about the encounter, she couldn't think of any other reason the creature would've reacted that way... at least Sheik was too small to doo much damage if she didn't like him. She'd claw him a bit, and maybe bite him... Obviously she didn't want that, but it wasn't as though it'd be the end of the world, right?
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xxxα ¢σиѕтєℓℓαтισи σf т є α я ѕ σи уσυя ℓ α ѕ н є ѕ xxxxxxвυяи є ν є я у т н ι и g уσυ ℓ σ ν є, тнєи вυяи тнє α ѕ н є ѕ xxxxxxxxxιи тнє є и ∂ єνєяутнιиg ¢ σ ℓ ℓ ι ∂ є ѕ xxxxxxxxxxxxму ¢нιℓ∂нσσ∂ ѕ ρ α т вα¢к συт тнє м σ и ѕ т є я тнαт уσυ ѕ є є
High above the stoop where Lorelei waited nervously, a window on the tower's third floor swung open and Tristan hung over the edge to wave down on her. ”Hey Looorrii!!” Gesturing for the her to wait a moment, he swung back inside the window and disappeared inside of the house.
”I got it!” Tristan shouted, bolting down the stairs skipping a step at a time. ”Hey, go away,” he stopped short of the doorway and frowned when his father pressed a heavy hand on his shoulder. ”What? And let you introduce your guest as painlessly as possible?” Tristan didn't like the amusement bubbling in his tone. ”Uh, yes, now go away please.”
Clayton leveled a look on his son as they squared off. ”Fine, fine, just... no baby pictures, please?” His father seemed affronted to even be accused of such a crime. (Now he knew he was doomed.) The older man reached over Tristan's shoulder, unlocking and pulling open the door even as Tristan swatted his arm in the process.
Dammit, he wanted to let her in. And he didn't want his father hanging over his shoulder like some stupid conscience. But he supposed he couldn't complain. They did agree to let Lorelei stay; they'd done the same for Savannah's friend, and he was sure to repeat that vehemently, along with some other empty threats about sexism and any other kind of 'ism' that could help prove his point. Despite his mothers reluctance for not being able to speak to Lorelei's parents, Tristan had to insist they were they reason she had to leave in the first place. When confronted with the inescapable question of “Why?”, Tristan was forced to tell the truth, or as much of it as he was willing to say. (Didn't seem right to share Lori's view on Emerson's cause of death, after all.) His mum and da' exchanged a look, one he couldn't read, but they relented and agreed. So he supposed, after all, that he could get through this introduction if it meant he wouldn't be trapped in the library all summer long. Especially since that's where the spare bed is.
The door swung open and father stood right behind his son; the similarities were astounding. The same messy shade of dark hair tousled over their brows, Clayton was bigger, broad of shoulder and thicker in the arms and neck than Tristan was, but the werewolf was growing every day. Even Tristan's stubble shadowing his chin, cheeks and upper lip matched the same pattern as his father, though distinctly much smaller than the fully grown beard his father had. And while the wolf hadn't realized it yet, he wasn't wearing long sleeves (and he always does.) It was the best way to hide the old, thick scars slashed across his arms from his days as a whelp, before the wolfsbane potion.
”Lori! I didn't think you'd be by so early.” Honestly, he would've cleaned his room if he had. Oh ********, how many crusty socks were hiding under his bed that he forgot about? Ignoring the rise in his heartbeat, he wiped his clammy hands on his jeans before gesturing to the grinning face hanging above his shoulder. ”This is my da', he's really annoying, so you can just ignore him. Mum's at work right now, but she's the smart one, just so you know.”
Clayton scoffed at that introduction, flaring his nostrils. ”Very sporting of you son, truly.” The older man tried to even his gaze on Tristan, but the bloke hadn't paid him a single mind since the door had been opened. Tristan was too busy sizing Lori up and down, trying to judge what sort of mood she was in, and how long she'd had a cat before. Odd, he never thought of her as much a 'pet person', but he supposed an independent feline would make quite the companion for her. So long as it doesn't hate him, (most cats do.) ”Tristan, why don't you help her with her trunk?” The boy nodded and offered a hand to help his friend, leaving her with cat carrier as he stumbled along inside. ”Lorelei, is it? I'm Clayton, and like Tristan said, Sierra is at work right now. If you ever need anything, feel free to ask. So come on in, and make yourself comfortable. I'm sure Tristan would like to show you where you'll be sleeping before I start dig out the baby pictures... I trust you won't mind sleeping in the library?”
”No, she won't, she'll be fine, da', thanks!” He said in one quick breath, then waved for his fellow Slytherin to follow him as he jumped up the stairs and raced to the landing of the third floor, taking the turn for the library instead of walking straight into the potions room. Now that they were away from the prying ears of his father, Tristan turned to face Lori fully and frowned. ”You know, when you said you were coming, I wasn't sure if you were actually.. y'know.. going to do it... What happened?” And he didn't mean about what she briefly mentioned in the letters; he wanted details—everything. How else would he try to fix the problem?
∷∷∷∷∷∷∷∷∷∷∷∷∷∷∷∷∷∷∷∷∷∷∷∷∷∷∷∷∷∷∷∷∷∷∷∷∷∷∷∷∷∷∷∷∷∷∷∷∷∷∷∷∷∷∷∷∷∷ 【LOCATION:: library】 【COMPANY:: no one】 【ATTIRE:: jeans and a tee】 【STATS:: 5' 8", 149lbs】 ∷∷∷∷∷∷∷∷∷∷∷∷∷∷∷∷∷∷∷∷∷∷∷∷∷∷∷∷∷∷∷∷∷∷∷∷∷∷∷∷∷∷∷∷∷∷∷∷∷∷∷∷∷∷∷∷∷∷
Cara MiaKitty
Posted: Mon Jul 11, 2016 12:29 am
╓xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xx»wнere«xx xxxTristan's Front Door xxxxxxxx»wιтн«xx xxxxxxxxxNo one xxxxxxxxxxxxxx»ғeelιng«xx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxNervous xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx╜
ι'м ιи тнє ∂ є т α ι ℓ ѕ ωιтн тнє ∂ є ν ι ℓxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx ѕσ иσω тнє ω σ я ℓ ∂ ¢αи иєνєя gєт мє σи му ℓ є ν є ℓxxxxxxxxxxxx ι נυѕт g σ т т α gєт уσυ σ f f тнє ¢ α g єxxxxxxxxx ι'м α уσυиg ℓ σ ν є я ' ѕ я α g єxxxxxx gσииα иєє∂ α ѕ ρ α я к тσ ι g и ι т єxxx
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spaceLorelei glanced up in surprise at the sound of Trist's voice, hand shielding her eyes from the sun as she looked up to see him. She offered a smile, waving up to him before he disappeared. Inside, her stomach squirmed, because she couldn't be sure that he would be the one to answer the door. He'd been rather high up, and she had no clue how long it would take him to get down the stairs, or where anyone else in his household might be located. Probably close than he was, though. She shifted uncomfortably as she waited, chewing her lip. Well, at least he knew she was here. Even if his sister or one of his parents got the door, he wouldn't be too far behind, right?
spaceIn the end, her worries were mostly unfounded; it was Trist who answered the door, albeit with his father right behind him. She blushed, a hand tucking a loose bit of hair behind her ear as she offered the two a smile."I wasn't entirely certain when I'd get the chance to..."She trailed off, a sheepish look directed briefly towards his father."Um, my scheduling wasn't set. When I wrote you."She didn't know what he'd told his parents regarding her reasons for staying; for all she knew, he'd just said she wanted to spend some time with him or some other similar thing. Her circumstances were sort of complicated, after all. She felt a faint pang in her chest when he introduced his father, his introduction reminding her much of the way she'd liked to quip and banter with her stepfather. It was the closest to sad she'd gotten since his death.
spaceShe coughed awkwardly, trying to shove the emotion away. It wouldn't do to get all blubbery now. And she hadn't even felt inclined to be sad until this moment... Why? Probably because she actually felt safe now, regardless of how unsure she was regarding the Hastings parents."It's very nice to meet you, sir,"she said primly, stepping aside so that Trist could grab her trunk. Her eyes widened slightly at the mention of sleeping in a library. Tristan hadn't mentioned that! Some might've been put off by the notion, but she was actually thrilled. When she'd been little, she'd often dreamed of exactly that.
spaceHer friend's abrupt reply amused her; obviously he wanted her far, far away from his father. Though, the mention of baby pictures seemed to explain why easily enough. She got a sense that Mr. Hastings was rather similar to her brother in some ways... in which case, she could perfectly understand why Trist would want to limit their interactions.
spaceLori followed the boy up the stairs and into the library. As she entered, her eyes roved the room excitedly. She was so caught up, it took her a moment to realize he'd asked her a question, and another to register what it'd been."I just happened to catch and opportunity to get away,"she answered."Charlotte was watching me like a hawk, and Lindsay was constantly hovering about. Particularly after she told me we were to move in with him. I think she was well aware I was a flight risk... I doubt she would've left me alone long enough to have the chance, if I hadn't bought Sheik while I was at Diagon."
spaceShe indicated the cat, frowning slightly."I didn't even think about it, about having a cat. I mean, when I wrote you, I didn't have her yet. I wasn't even sure I was going to get her, it was a spur of the moment idea. I was just thinking about how Zeph kept the kitten from his Transfiguration exam... When he told me, I just thought, I wish I'd done that, Lindsay's allergic. And when I was writing Gia about shopping for my school supplies with me, I thought, I could do it, I could go buy a cat."She smirked faintly, still a bit pleased over the idea."Charlotte was furious, of course. 'The fur will get everywhere' and 'how could you be so disrespectful' and all that. But I guess she thought my rebellion would end there, so she stopped watching so closely... Left me alone today because she had some event or another to attend tonight. So I bailed."
spaceHer smug expression grew, eyes brightening. She'd never really rebelled before. Oh, there'd been instances of attitude and rudeness and all manner of everything else, but she'd never outright defied her mother and Lindsay. She'd been too afraid, and wanted their approval too much. Now, though... She could care less. They were horrible, despicable human beings, and she didn't need anything from either of them."I am sorry, though. About Sheik. I wasn't thinking... I would've written again to warn you, but I'd sent Chell out with letters for Gia, Leslie, and Zeph so they knew that I'd actually run off."Of course, only Gia knew where she actually was. Leslie, as smart as he was, tended to turn into a moron when he was pissed, and she could absolutely see him running his mouth off if he got pushed too far. Zeph, meanwhile... She doubted Lindsay would even get as far as him, but on the off chance he did, the Hufflepuff didn't strike her as a good liar. He was too... Hufflepuff. It was actually what she liked about him, truth be told, but it was damned inconvenient under the circumstances. Being honest to a fault was an admirable trait... but there was a reason it included the word 'fault'.
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xxxα ¢σиѕтєℓℓαтισи σf т є α я ѕ σи уσυя ℓ α ѕ н є ѕ xxxxxxвυяи є ν є я у т н ι и g уσυ ℓ σ ν є, тнєи вυяи тнє α ѕ н є ѕ xxxxxxxxxιи тнє є и ∂ єνєяутнιиg ¢ σ ℓ ℓ ι ∂ є ѕ xxxxxxxxxxxxму ¢нιℓ∂нσσ∂ ѕ ρ α т вα¢к συт тнє м σ и ѕ т є я тнαт уσυ ѕ є є
Everything changed. Even the house, she reflected, seemed to be weeping. Vines strangled the stone walls. Water seeped through the cracks and dampened corner to rust. Weeds had overtaken the yard, save for the brown patches of dead grass scattered throughout. But the breeze was gentle and the shade had finally reached her. It was half past five, she noticed from the position of the sun. Sighing, she picked herself up from the front porch to head inside. ”Mum?” She called out. ”Muum?” But she was asleep. Passed out, really. Savannah sat on the edge of the bed overlooking her mother's body twisted in bed sheets and blankets. ”How did I let this happen?”
******** “You can't keep doing this!” Savannah slammed the compartment door shut behind her, but the whistle of the train covered most of the sound. Tristan barely glanced up from his wristwatch when he shrugged. It was the day before the full moon. He was tired, weak. She'd never find a better chance. “What were you thinking? Bringing this book to school!!” Her voice cracked when she waved the thick black book over his eyes. Not long enough to read the silver lettering on the front cover, but enough to know.
“Give that back!” Her brother growled and tried to snatch it away, but missed. “Savannah, now!” But she sidestepped out of his reach.
“Why? So you can turn yourself into a wolf every other day of the week?! Honestly, how much of a wanker could you possibly be? How would you even turn back!” Hissing venom under her breath, she never expected her brother to charge head first in a tackle. “Oof! Ger- off- o- mee!” Scrambling in a heap, nails dug under skin and fingers pulled hair, she scratched and tore at his forearms while he struggled to dodge and block and steal. Fighting to to keep her grip on the self-transfiguration book, something cold touched her fingers and she pulled until metal snapped to pieces.
“What the ******** is your problem, Savannah!?” With one final shove, her head slammed into the ground while Tristan dropped to his knees to collect the pieces. “You b***h! You broke da’s watch!” And not even a repairing charm could fix it, not truly. An enchanter would have to take a look, but that cost more than either could afford and she knew that… She just didn't care.
“So!” She forced herself to her feet and spat on his shoes. “Good ******** riddance! Who cares about that bloody watch! And who cares about da!” All she saw was red. “You're both stupid prats and I hope your watch never gets fixed! Wait! What are you doing? Tristan, get out of my bag, Tristan stop!” But all of her punching and kicking didn't help. He held her crystal ball high above his head. “Don't. You. Dare.” CrAAAsh! “Noooo! You arsehole!”
“Yeah? Well to hell with you and your stupid glass ball, I hope it never gets fixed.”
“Why do you have to be just like da! Why do you have to break everything you touch! You lie! You cheat! Try to transfigure yourself into a bloody wolf and lemme guess! You're gonna get married just to cheat on mum too!” Savannah sucked in a short breath, wide eyed and terrified. She wasn't supposed to say that. Oh God. She was never supposed to say that. A moment of tense silence filled the room. Sweat drained from the back of her neck and spine right down into the gutter.
“What are you talking about?” But she never answered. Not even after the train ride, where he glared at the side of her head as she pretended not to notice. She never said a word, but he did...
