A book, a decision, and a twin ((Niki))

[damien]

Damien started down toward Hogsmeade. It was another one of those wonderful Saturdays. Of course, Hogsmeade didn't hold such a high regard in his head anymore, maybe that's because he's been to every store there and has visited it every weekend since he was 13. Four years he's been visiting Hogsmeade. He probably won't do it as often next year. He was more in a mood to just continue his studies. He had to get great marks on his N.E.W.T exams to get into training as philosopher. He shook his head. All of that would be useless if he followed his brother into hell. Damien stepped out the doors of Hogwarts and started toward the gates. His baggy jeans could be heard dragging on the ground. His over sized t-shirt hung from his shoulders. He had picked up the style from one of his muggle friends back home. Of course if Dominic knew about Chris than he would probably freak. Dominic was way into the purity of blood thing and revenge. He was more into revenge than anything, but still if Dominic knew about Damien's friend it would be the end of their relationship. He loved his brother, but he could be quite stubborn at times.

Damien exited the grounds of Hogwarts and headed into the small town of Hogsmeade. The wind had picked up and was quite chilly at this point in time. He wasn't in the cold too long before he came upon his favorite book shop. Stepping inside he smiled at the woman behind the counter as she called him by name. He was a regular in the store as were most Ravenclaws. The woman behind the counter knew just about every student in Ravenclaw. She said they always made their rounds starting with the bookstore and continuing on. She was a nice lady, though she was a muggle-born. Dominic despised her, but Damien found her quite amusing and kind. Damien smiled again as he headed back to the books on Charms and Transfiguration. He was better at Charms, but he loved Transfiguration. The unfortunate thing was that Dominic was great at Transfiguration and Damien only above average. He had gotten an E in the class for his O.W.L.'s though. Enough so he could continue on. Damien began flipping through books on Charms before a particular one caught his attention. It was Advanced Charms for the Amateur. Damien smiled and took the book to the counter. It would be perfect to show off some cool little spells to a few of his first year friends. He smiled at the thought, he liked to entertain them.

Damien stepped from the store and slipped the small black leather bound book into his back pocket. It was normal for his books to go there and it was noticeable. The pocket seams were worn. Damien stepped into the Tree Broomsticks and ordered a butterbeer. After acquiring his butterbeer he moved to a back table by himself. He didn't know many people that were in Hogsmeade this early in the morning, but maybe someone would show up soon and bereave him of his loneliness. To take his mind off of it, he pulled out the book from his back pocket and began to read through the book. He didn't look up, except for when he heard the bell of the door, but even then it was only a quick glance. It wasn't long before he heard someone hear him and quickly looked up to see who it was.

[niki]

Niki slung her pink gift bad over her shoulder. She had some clothing to return. Helen had taken her on a shopping trip before school started and bought her many items. Niki merely kept them in her trunk because it's not like she would actually wear them. Helen wanted her to wear tank tops and mini skirts. The truth was, Niki was perfectly happy with her white shirts and jeans. She had grown quite fond of them and had picked them out herself. Helen, however, was more concerned with fashion than with what Niki wanted. She had long ago given up the clothes fight with Helen and had just decided to return the clothes without telling her. Niki didn't like lying to her own aunt, but if she wore those clothes people would think differently of her. They would think of her as a cute girl who wanted to party. the truth was that Niki just wanted to fit in and be loved by everyone. That was her wish and she wouldn't let Helen change that.

Niki walked into the clothing store and quickly exchanged the bright clothes for her usually white. She smiled at the clothes she had chosen and left the store. Shopping wasn't her favorite thing in the world. Actually, Niki hated to shop. She would much rather be writing or reading. Niki enjoyed reading and studying. Helen always told her she got that from her mother, but Niki wasn't sure because she had never met her. Her mother died before she turned two and Niki hadn't lived with her when she was alive anyway. She had always lived with Helen. Helen knew Niki well, but not nearly enough. Sometimes she wanted to tell her aunt she was just a happy book nerd, but she never could drum up the courage. Maybe that was the way it would always be. Maybe Niki would never be able to tell Helen who she really is. Niki would just have to wait and see.

She was pretty hungry, but decided to stop by the book store first. Niki wasn't just a regular Hufflepuff. She love to read and learn. Helen always told her she would be sorted into Ravenclaw, but Niki knew otherwise. She might like to study, but Niki was loyal and friendly. Even Slytherins couldn't intimidate her. She would just laugh them away. Yep, Niki was a Huffie through and through and she liked herself that way. She was also often told that she "over analyzed things". She didn't think so at all. Niki might think about peoples feelings or how she might appear, but that was the extent of it. Niki looked around the shop. She could see many Ravenclaws around and she smiled at them. Niki scanned the shelves of books until her eye found an interesting one. It was named The Origins of Magic. Even though Niki pretty much knew what it was going to say, she decided to purchase it just to see what the author had to say about it. Niki smiled at the clerk and left with her little bag in hand.

Niki then decided lunch was a good idea and headed into the Three Broomsticks. It was crowded, as usual. She didn't see an empty table, but spotted many students she could sit near. Some were Slytherin and while Niki didn't mind them, she didn't feel like getting yelled at. She finally spotted a table with a boy that seemed her age sitting at it. Niki smiled as she walked over to him. "Hello, I'm Niki." She greeted him nicely. "Do you mind if I sit here? Everywhere else is full." She continued. Niki looked at the boy. He didn't seem to be a Slytherin so that left Ravenclaw and Gryffindor because he wasn't a Hufflepuff. She looked at him nicely waiting for a response.

[damien]

Damien looked up from his book when he heard a voice near him. He saw a girl that looked to be around the same age as him. She was cheerful enough, so she was obviously not a Slytherin, though Damien knew most of the Slytherin's anyway, thanks to his brother. Damien stood at her presence and motioned for her to sit as he spoke, "Of course you are welcome to sit. Excuse me for not standing earlier, I did not know how welcome I would feel." Damien was his normal charming and gentleman-like self. He always made a point to be polite to everyone. It was how he showed his was a pureblood without all that Slytherin crap about being superior. Damien's brother was like that, but maybe it was because he brother was young and dumb. He brushed off the idiocy of his brother as he turned his attention back to the girl.

"My name is Damien Oswald. I'm a Ravenclaw 6th year," Damien said as he held out his hand to the girl. He was a true gentleman and wouldn't let anyone feel like he wasn't. He continued to stand until the girl was properly seated. He was taught to do that as a young child, by someone who had taken care of him after his parents had died. It was those two years of his life when Dominic had gone insane and ended up in St. Mungo's. Damien shrugged those years off. He had learned some valuable lessons, but he still didn't want to think about at what expense he had to go through to get those two years. His brother had gone through too much. Damien wouldn't even bring up what had happened to his brother or himself. Those things were just unacceptable to talk about at any point in their lives. Only when it was of utmost importance that they would speak about it, but it had been very rarely in the last three years.

Damien was now sitting and looking at the girl across from him. His book was laying beside his butterbeer on the table. He noticed the bag the girl had and tentatively asked her about it. "What's in the bag?" Damien asked. He was a little curious, but what did you expect for him to just sit back and read while someone else sat at the table. No, Damien was not like that. He was the type of person who would be reserved about everything in life, but make sure that small talk was going on while two people were sitting together. He picked up his bottle of butterbeer and took a deep swig as he waited in silence for a response from the girl who had joined him.

[niki]

"Thanks, no problem." Niki responded to the boy. He seemed rather polite. She was amazed that a sixteen year old had bothered to stand up for her. Most of them would just ignore her. He, however, seemed nice and like a true gentlemen. Niki like gentle men because she had learned that her father wasn't. Niki had never lived with her mother or father. Her father fled when he found out Niki's mother was pregnant. Niki had never seen or heard from him. He was only sixteen when it happened, but still. He should have shown more curiosity than that. Niki's grand-mother had told her that he was a wild rebel child. He liked his skate-board and was barely home. From the moment she heard this, Niki made it her mission to stay away from those types of boys. She didn't want another man in her life to leave her.

Niki listened to him introduce himself. "Nice to meet you." She said shaking his hand. Niki then sat down in her chair. "Oh, forgot. I'm a Hufflepuff sixth year." She said nicely. Niki remembered she had forgotten to say that. Niki forgot many things. It wasn't her fault she had a horrible memory. It was one of those things Niki blamed on her father. She would tell people he did to so she would have to say she never met him. Niki didn't like to lie, but she could not say her father was a loser. That would hurt her more than the fact he left. The whole situation was horrible and she often found herself wondering what life would be like if he stayed. Her mother would still be alive and Niki would never had sent Helen that terrible letter because there would be no need for it. But, of course he had left. Niki would never have a father and maybe that was for the best.

Niki watched as he sat down and then when the waiter came over. He asked what Niki wanted. "Just a butterbeer for now." She said softly. Niki wasn't a huge eater, but she did like food. Niki decided that she should save her appetite for the moment in case she wanted candy later. The boy, Damien asked what was in the bag. Niki smiled. "Oh, this is clothes I was returning." She said. "My aunt bought them for me and I returned them and bought new ones. I don't really like fashion or anything, but I'm sure she would be upset if I just returned them and didn't exchange them." Niki paused and reached for her small book bag. "This is a book I just got. It's called the Origins of Magic. I'm kind of a book nerd." She said. Just then, the waiter brought Niki her butterbeer and she took a sip. She then looked at Damien's book. Niki eyed it curiously. "What book is that?" She asked nicely.

[damien]

Damien smiled at her introduction. She took his hand and started to shake it, but Damien quickly stopped the shake and took her hand the way a gentleman would and he kissed it softly. Damien had been doing that for years and he did it to every girl he met. It was something he had picked up from a muggle movie he had saw a few minutes of while he was traveling a few years back. It had caught his eye because of the reactions from the women. It seemed like something polite and kind. Damien smiled as Niki forgot to tell him what house and year she was after she sat. He nodded his head. He had guessed that she was in Hufflepuff. They have that certain air about them, besides most of them were pretty hyperactive. He didn't mind it at all though. He enjoyed their company; they always seemed to bring something new and exciting to the table.

Damien listened to Niki's response about what was in her bag. He understood where she was coming from. His foster mum always thought it was a good idea to pick out his clothes for him, but they were usually terrible. They were more to Dominic's style than his. He had to keep reminding her that he wasn't Dominic. They may look the same, but they were definitely different. Damien was more reserved and quiet than Dominic, who was spontaneous and loud. Damien considered himself to be an old soul; at least that's what he had been told when he was young. The woman had been witch, a seer. She had ran across him with his foster parents in Diagon Alley. What she said has always stuck in his mind..."The old soul will turn upon his family and fight for what is right. He will not choose the easy path, but crawl along the path that's hard to tread." No one else had been with him at that moment and he was glad. If they had heard they probably wouldn't ever accept him into their family.

Damien shook his head to clear the thoughts of the past and paid attention to Niki as she told him about the book that she had. He laughed quietly when she said something about being a book nerd. He definitely understood that. "I'm in Ravenclaw, mostly because of the book thing, so I understand. This is the latest charms book I've picked up called, 'Advanced Charms for the Amateur.' What can I say I'm into books and charms?" Damien smiled as he sat his book down on the table. He was enjoying the book, but she company was more enjoyable. He picked up his butterbeer and took a quick drink. "Tell me about yourself. Where do you live? What's your best subject? Etc.," Damien said as he sat his bottle back on the table and leaned in a bit. He wanted to know who Niki was and what made her tick. It was one of the things that Dominic and him had in common...curiosity.