Caution: Mindless Babbling (And a Kitten) ((Seth))

[Lynne Collins]

Lynne was just one of those people who absolutely, completely and with all of her heart despised confrontations; part of her even feared them. Maybe it had something to do with the cruel bullying she had suffered through at the hands of the other kids in her area but, as a rule, Lynne tended to ignore those young years and forget that they had ever even happened. The only sign of it ever happening, at least to Lynne’s clouded vision, was the way she sometimes depended on Kael a bit too much. In reality, there were plenty more signs that she hadn’t exactly been the most popular or best-liked child back in her childhood but if there was one thing Lynne was best at, it was hiding the truths that she didn’t want to be shown to the world. She had worked hard to become the wonderful liar that she was today. And that was what she was, after taking away her reasoning and fears.

You’re nothing but a pathetic liar sometimes, Lynnette and sometimes...sometimes I’m ashamed to have been the one to make you that way. The voice of a younger Kael, a Kael who had not only noticed faults in himself and his twin but also challenged them to improve themselves because he was just idealistic that way, echoed through her mind and Lynne winced. It was amusing to think that, at one point, Lynne had been the more realistic of the two siblings and Kael had been the one who dreamed of a perfect future. But that had been before she had fallen in love with Danny, before she had dreamed of things that wouldn’t happen...just before. Before the past three – four? – years.

Ah, but that was no way to think. Lynne shook her head slightly, her smile soft as she berated herself for dwelling on past matters that she wasn’t ready to think upon. It wasn’t like her at all. Whether she liked it or not, it seemed that once again Danny was changing her. She was hopeless, Lynne despaired lightly though her smile never wavered. It wasn’t in her nature to be weak therefore she wouldn’t be. As if sensing her thoughts, Jupiter placed her paws on Lynne’s leg and mewed quietly, her nose pressing against Lynne’s arm. She rewarded the little cat with a true smile, unburdened by the thoughts that had previously been bothering her, and bounced to her feet quite energetically.

“No, you have to stay here.” Lynne informed Jupiter firmly, determined to remain firm against the adorable kitty eyes that just seemed to beg her to take her along. “No,” Lynne repeated, slightly less firm this time. “Last time, you ate my quill, which was actually Kael’s quill, and he found out and he wasn’t happy at all. I had to buy him three more just because you ruined one. And Honeydukes chocolate too, just to keep him in a good mood.” Nevertheless, when Lynne slung her bag of homework over her shoulder, Jupiter was quite happily bounding along at her heels with a feline smile of satisfaction.

The corridor seemed empty and that was the only reason that Lynne sent the catnip-filled mouse toy skidding down the hallway. So when a figure stepped out, Lynne wasn’t quite sure where he appeared from, and Jupiter slid right between his legs, only to return straight to Lynne’s side as she summoned the mouse back to her hand. Lynne grimaced when her troublesome kitten sprinted straight between the boys feet again, very nearly tripping him over from Lynne’s past experiences with that particular trick. Lynne knelt to scoop up her cat into her arms and approached the boy with an apologetic smile. “I’m really sorry about that. Jupiter generally gets a bit overexcited about playing but it was my fault for being stupid enough to let her play in the corridors, I just didn’t know that anyone was going to be around. The hallway seemed empty, you see.” Lynne’s head tilted as she examined him and a spark of recognition burned to life in her eyes as she remembered the description of his teammates that she had forced Kael to give her. “Seth, right? You’re on the Hufflepuff team, aren’t you? My brother says you’re good.” Her eyes widened as she realised how that comment and her recognition of him could be taken. “It’s not that he gossips about you or anything, I swear. Kael isn’t like that. It’s just that I was bothering him about his position on the team so he told me about the team.” Lynne took a shallow breath, forcing her unusual babble to a stop. She has just been so flustered by Jupiter nearly knocking him over that her mouth had blurted out words without giving her mind time to catch up. “I, uh, I’m Lynne by the way. Lynne Collins. Hi.”

[Seth Wright]

((Ah, it's so long! Gosh, this is what happens when you haven't roleplayed in such a long time...))

When Seth was nine years old he broke his mum’s favourite and most expensive china teapot. It had been an accident of course, but just because something is unintentional does not mean pain and guilt are gone unfelt as a consequence. Although Lucy did not show her sorrow over the teapot her deceased mother had bought her for her doomed marriage to Payton, her emotions were still keenly felt by Seth. He in return felt awful. He wanted to see his mum happy after all her suffering, and he was distraught at his clumsiness. He had always been a klutzy boy, falling over chairs, tripping down the stairs. Within the first four years of his life he had already broken his left finger’s pinkie trapping it in the front door; by eight he had suffered concussion, fractured several ribs, and almost severed his wrist in a chain of violent incidents. This wasn’t all his own doing though; not directly, anyway. He was bullied constantly at school, resulting in brutal physical attacks that Seth always hid from his mum; his reasoning was that she had enough on her mind already, and there wasn’t much she could do to help as it was.

Eva was angry, of course. She was enraged, in fact, by the treatment to her elder brother. She demanded they change schools, but Seth didn’t want to hear it. The nearest school aside from their current one was twice as far away, and would therefore require them to take the bus every morning and afternoon, which would cost unnecessary money they couldn’t afford to use. Right now they could easily walk, and Seth paid many visits to the local hospital in the mean time, his excuse always the same: “I’m clumsy! You know me. I had another accident. It’s no bid deal. Just treat me and I’ll pop off back home.” Perhaps the doctors and nurses did begin to suspect something was going on after the fifth visit in a month – maybe bullying, maybe domestic abuse – but no one could prove anything, or dared to for this adorable little boy, always so mashed up and bruised and broken – apparently just physically, but everyone doubted that his emotional and mental status was anything but normal anymore. They continued to treat the ‘clumsy’, yet talkative and cheerful Seth, on several occasions spanning almost a decade. Some did wonder often how he managed to do it – be so physically tortured and yet externally remain so carefree and happy. Perhaps, had a psychologist taken a good look at him, they would realise that all wasn’t well underneath that toothy smile of his. Seth Wright was a broken little boy, inside and out.

But anyway, back to the story of the teapot. At the time Seth held the local paperboy job; he’d been doing it six days a week since he was seven years old, and he had continued to do it until he left for Hogwarts, wherein Eva had taken over. Seth normally saved up this hard-earnt money for himself though; his mum had insisted. And what did Seth spend his cash on? His beloved comics and manga books. Every time he saved up enough he would run down to the store, excited and overjoyed. They weren’t too expensive, and the man from the local newsagents gave him a discount because he worked there as the paperboy. However, when Seth saw his mother’s expression, staring at the shattered pieces of the teapot on the floor, irreparable, reflecting his shock, he resolved to save up his money to buy her a replacement. He had to. He owed it to her. This woman who had suffered so much to bring up her two children; to provide and care for them; to love and cherish them. Seth loved his mum so much, and he couldn’t envisage anyone else being his mother. To Lucy, Seth and Eva encompassed her world, and Seth loved his mum to pieces.

The reason such a memory had suddenly surfaced in Seth's mind was because of a fellow sixth year having broken a cauldron this morning, and subsequently had suffered the evil wrath of Professor Snape. Severus Snape. Seth shuddered at the mere thought of the man. He hated the professor, and the feeling was mutual. Thankfully, Seth had his fantastic potions skills to rely on. Still, he wasn't exempt from being clumsy. Thankfully, the only exception was during Potions lessons, where he didn't display a single clumsy attribute. Perhaps it was one of the only kindnesses Seth would ever receive in his life. A smile tugged at his lips at the thought though. No... The biggest slice of kindness he had ever received was meeting Chace. Chace changed his life. And then Willow had come along and made the perfect picture complete. Seth stared down at his hands as he ambled along the empty corridor from his Potions lesson. These hands... these clumsy, klutzy, good-for-nothing hands. They weren't totally useless after all. Chace had helped remind him of that.

That was when a ball of fluff darted between his feet. "Whoa!" Seth voiced aloud in surprise as what seemed to be a kitten dashed through his gangly legs, then skidding back again like a mini cannon ball of... fur. "Ah!" Seth really did not want to squish the poor creature under his much larger feet. Finally, the kitten dislodged itself from beneath his looming figure. Regaining his balance and blinking rapidly, Seth looked up to see the kitten being picked up by a familiar girl. "That's one nifty kitten you have there." He commented with a laugh as the blonde-haired girl approached apologetically. "It's not a problem." He dismissed her apology quickly. "I'm used to kittens tripping me up every day. I say it's kittens, but really, it's my clumsiness." Seth said good-naturedly, hoisting his bag into a more comfortable position on his shoulder. "Yeah, where is everyone anyway?" Seth picked up on the girl's explanation of her kitten roaming freely in the corridors, glancing around. "It's weird, this school is always so... noisy. Makes it feel like you're at home..." Realising he was trailing off oddly again, Seth covered it up with a quick laugh of embarrassment. "But quiet is good. I should learn the meaning of the word..." Smiling a little nervously now at the girl, Seth tried to place her identity in his mind. She was in his year, he was sure of it, and a glance at her robes told him she was in Ravenclaw. Before he could affirm this though, she spoke his name. "Yeah, that's me," he confirmed, somewhat surprised. "Seth Wright. Hufflepuff. Yeah, on the Quidditch team..." He coloured a little at that. He'd only recently joined and it was a very responsible position. "Er, your brother?" Seth enquired in confusion. This girl had a brother on the Hufflepuff Quidditch team? Which one? She didn't resemble the boys... he didn't think...

Recognition dawned on Seth's face almost immediately at the mention of the name. "Oh, Kael is your brother?" He blinked in surprise. "But... that makes you twins, right? Because I'm sure you're in sixth year too. I really should get to know everyone..." He laughed in embarrassment again, scratching his head. "Oh, I don't mind if he gossips about me, but I didn't think he would anyway." Seth said kindly and genuinely with a smile. "I like Kael. Though I'm scared of rubbing him up the wrong way. I sure wouldn't want to be on his bad side. Wait, you guys are pretty different. I would never have guessed you were twins. But, yeah, I mean, I don't mind being gossiped about. I'm used to it, and it's usually not good stuff. I'm just amazed anyone here knows my name for anything other than being an idiot." He gave a sad, wry smile, before grinning at Lynne's flustered introduction. She reminded of himself more than Kael, and was surprised he hadn't really ever spoken to her before despite being in the same year. "Oh yeah, Lynne! I've heard of you. Oh, um, I don't mean gossip either." He smiled and reached forward to pet Jupiter gently between the ears. "And this is Jupiter, huh? Nice to meet you both."

[Lynne Collins]

Oh, maybe she really should start to listen to Kael when he told her to calm down and not act so rashly. It wasn’t right for a sixteen year old to behave like a six year old, as Kael constantly reminded her, and she needed to learn to think before she acted. But...the corridor had been empty so it had been safe to let Jupiter play. It was all Seth’s fault for stepping out so randomly. No, that wasn’t fair. Lynne was quite sure that when Seth woke up this morning, he hadn’t decided to be almost mauled by a cute kitten and her strange owner. Besides, Seth was Kael’s friend and her brother had precious few of them. Well, that wasn’t actually true. If she asked Kael then he’d probably say he wasn’t friends with Seth. But they were teammates and housemates and dorm-mates, so wasn’t that close enough? They were just like friends twice removed. If Kael had complimented Seth – which he hadn’t so much as merely mentioning that, yes, Seth was a good Quidditch player from what he could see, but wasn’t that just the same thing? – then Lynne certainly couldn’t pin the blame for the way Jupiter had nearly tripped him up on Seth.

Lynne clicked her tongue at Jupiter disapprovingly as the kitten started to purr, sounding rather proud of herself. “Nearly tripping up boys isn’t something to be proud of, little pest.” Lynne murmured softly, her slight frown disappearing when Seth brushed off the incident. Other students would have caused a fuss about how dangerous Jupiter was – her sweet little kitten, dangerous? How laughable! – so she was rather relieved to have nearly attacked one of the people who simply laughed it off. “Well this time at least, you can blame a kitten,” Lynne laughed quietly then shrugged. “Not many people use this corridor at this time. Right now, I’d guess that most people are in the lounge having a laugh with their friends and pretending to do homework, some are actually doing homework and others are in detention. Then there’s people in Quidditch practice or in their common rooms...and you didn’t want a long list of possible places in which people could be hiding so I’ll just shut up now. I’m not usually like this, honestly. This is the first time I’ve babbled like this in about two years.” That, Lynne decided, she would blame on Danny. It was always nice to have things to blame on Danny, just to remind herself to keep her distance. After the way he left her without even a letter and then returned like nothing had changed, she wasn’t exactly in the mood to be forgiving.

The grin on her face widened ever so slightly when Lynne saw Seth’s surprise when she identified him. Maybe that was why she loved knowing who people were; the look of surprise on their faces always made her smile to herself. “Mmhmm,” Lynne nodded nonchalantly, “my brother is on the team as well.” It took him a little while to connect her to Kael, and she had a feeling it might have taken longer if she hadn’t dropped his name into the conversation. No one really ever connected the two twins, probably because they were both so different. “Yeah, we’re twins. And no, Kael doesn’t gossip.” Lynne’s face cracked into an impish smile. “Can you imagine my brother in a circle of girls – not to say that some boys don’t gossip, just that it’s mostly girls – whispering about who is dating who and which Quidditch player is better looking? Actually, I was quite interested to hear Kael being discussed in one such conversation, not that I’d ever tell him so. He might hex me.” Lynne’s left eyebrow inched upward slowly even as her eyes warmed toward the boy. “You...like Kael. That’s great. Are you delusional?” Lynne laughed quietly, taking a new liking to Seth. It was rare to find someone who actually liked her brother, as opposed to tolerating him because he was Lynne’s brother and therefore civil treatment of him was an unspoken necessity. It wasn’t as obvious, but Lynne was just as protective of her brother as he was of her.

“Ah, Kael’s a big softie. Don’t be afraid of him. He gives off the impression that he’s mean and bad-tempered but trust me, you’ll know if he doesn’t like you. It’s really hard to get on his bad side anyway, unless you’re me or you insult one of us. Just think of him as a protective older brother and you’ll soon see past his sarcasm.” There, her good deed for the day; prodding one more person toward the right way of viewing Kael. Of course, if Kael ever realised that she’d been doing that at all then her dignity was almost definitely forfeit. “I’m sure you’re not an idiot. After all, have you ever attacked a completely innocent person with the kitten of doom? I think not.” Lynne nodded her head when Seth mentioned that he’d heard of her, not really surprised. Quite a few people knew her, either for herself or through her brother, and she had been the focus of gossip more than a few times. Who hadn’t? Rather than acknowledging Seth, Jupiter chose to bat the mouse out of Lynne’s hand and struggle out of her grip to bounce after her toy once more. “She never learns,” Lynne shook her head wryly, summoning the mouse back to her grasp once more. “Have you ever seen Pluto, Kael’s kitten, and how well-behaved he is? Yeah, Jupiter’s his sister. They’re just as different to each other as people think me and Kael are.”

[Seth Wright]

Seth struck up a knowing grin as Lynne apologised for babbling. Somehow, knowing his fellow classmate was also a chatterbox like him made him let his anxious and nervous guard down and be himself a bit more. Though, had it not been for Chace’s entrance into his life, Seth wouldn’t have even gotten this far. “I’ve never stopped babbling, so you don’t need to worry about that around me. Man, I babble all the time, it’s the only thing I’m good at, honest to God. I enjoy talking, me. Wait, here I go again.” Seth gave a smile that said ‘typical’. “I think babbling is healthy. Not like those other people who think expressing themselves will be social suicide, or think it’s some sort of weakness – I don’t get those people, and that’s probably why they don’t get me. Oh, but Chace is one of those kind of people… kind of. Oh dear. I hope he’s not listening to us round the corner…” Making a grimace, Seth craned his neck to stare down the still-empty hallway. “My, you’re right. There really is no one around at this time. We get the corridor all to ourselves, just our luck,” he said somewhat sarcastically, though not in a mean, I-don’t-want-to-be-here kind of way. It was more of a joke than anything, and Seth didn’t pause to think it could be taken any other way. “I didn’t think Kael would gossip. Nah. I get good vibes from the guy,” Seth nodded and didn’t stop, a bad habit of his. His thick curly hair bounced against his forehead.

“Well, I could imagine him getting roped into it. I could imagine myself getting roped into it too, and I don’t think I’d complain. But it’d never happen to me. There’s a much higher chance of it happening to Kael, I’m sure. And I’m sure he would be a man; take it all in his stride and ignore all their fervent love confessions, never-ending questions, and hyped gossip. I should know. My girlfriend’s a gossip-eating monster,” Seth made another displeased face, but it was filled with affection too. “I still don’t know why she dates me.” He added, though his tone showed how pleased and happy he was. Seth laughed at Lynne’s comment about Kael. “Hex you? Kael’s too much of a man to do that. He’s a lot more popular than he realises, huh?” Seth joked friendlily, before nodding, “Um, yeah, course I do. And yeah, I probably am delusional.” He gave an awkward but amused grin. “That’s me. Delusional. Insane. Crazy. Whacky. Messed up. They’re words I’m often associated with. Are you sure Kael didn’t mention anything when he told you who I was? Or anyone else for that matter? I’m sure someone must’ve spread something stupid about me. Not altogether false, I guess, but some people need to learn to keep their mouths shut. Well, I talk a lot, yeah, but I don’t go around spreading hurtful rumours, you know?” He saw Lynne’s face and stopped. “Ah, I’m doing it again, aren’t I? Babbling, that is.” He sighed and shook his head self-deprecatingly.

“What I like about Kael – and what makes me know he’s a good guy – is he doesn’t try to get on my nerves by telling me I’m an idiot, or I’m good for nothing. He just acknowledges my presence. We’re not good friends or anything, but I appreciate the fact he doesn’t go out of his way to make my life hell. He’s not spiteful or nasty and stuff. Generally my fellow Hufflepuffs aren’t, but there are lots of people who do it, and have always done it.” Seth shrugged, memories surfacing. “I’m used to it. It’s better now than before though.” He gave an upbeat grin, as though it didn’t affect him. “Kael probably thinks I’m annoying though. That I’ll admit to. Only Chace can bear with me for more than twenty-four hours. Even Willow would kill me after too long, since I’d be babbling about comics and stuff she thinks are too nerdy to be associated with.” Frowning slightly, Seth’s smile returned at Lynne’s words that Kael was a big softie. “Really? I guess he probably is. I think I noticed but never thought about it. Apparently I’m good at seeing through people’s true characters, but never their true intentions. I swear God gave me the shortest straw in all areas of life. Nearly.” Seth remarked sarcastically, before nodding again, “I will. I do like Kael. If he’ll stand me long enough and if I wasn’t so nervous we’d probably be better friends,” he grinned.

“Trust me, I can be such an idiot,” Seth chuckled, “but I’m not always an idiot. I can be intellectual and wise too. Sometimes!” he laughed, “No, but I’ve done worse, I promise you. I’ve once broken several Herbology plant pots and got a month’s worth of detention with Professor Sprout. And she’s my head of house,” he admitted gloomily. Still, Professor Sprout had always been kind to him; she was one of the only teachers who was. And he sucked at her subject! So, Seth was genuinely grateful for her kindness. “No, I haven’t,” Seth replied to Lynne’s question. He had no idea Kael had a kitten, neither would he have imagined him to own one. “I never thought Kael would have a kitten. But the more I think about the more it makes sense.” Seth said honestly. He tilted his head in thought, “Yeah, you’re different, but I can tell you’re related now,” he smiled brightly.

[Lynne Collins]

Lynne was just behaving ridiculously out of character today; completely unusual. Okay, so being slightly reckless by playing with Jupiter in the middle of the corridor when anyone could walk by wasn’t exactly unusual for her – Lynne did tend to do things without thinking them through first. That was why Kael was the mature, responsible one. Lynne behaved rashly, got one or both of them into trouble and Kael berated her in an attempt to make her be more responsible while trying, and succeeding, in getting them out of trouble. But babbling? Unusual! She talked a lot, that she would admit. But she liked to meet new people and make new friends and just be a generally nice person. It was almost like her way of making up for Kael being so grumpy. It was like a game, in a way. Kael scared people away and Lynne coaxed them back, just like she’d coax a scared kitten from out of its hiding place. Only, when it came to kittens and cats, Kael was the gentler one. And that was almost like his weakness, or that was how Lynne was pretty sure her twin saw it as. Lynne would play with the kittens and encourage them to explore but Kael would be there to help them to heal if they got hurt and watch them learn to walk. Maybe he was something similar to bipolar, Lynne pondered guilelessly. But no, Kael had to be the normal one. Their parents couldn’t have two defective children. And, when it came down to it, that was how Lynne saw herself. Defective; damaged.

“Fervent love confessions,” Lynne echoed faintly before choking back a giggle. “I honestly think Kael would run in the opposite direction if someone tried to tell him that they were madly and desperately in love with him. And I don’t think his girlfriend would be too pleased either,” she added with a warm smile. For the first time in years, Kael seemed to be truly happy; the contentedness in his eyes was similar to the light Lynne had seen in her own eyes every day before Danny had left. Only, she had been – and still was, though she would die before admitting it – head over heels for him and Kael was just walking the thin line between love and affection with Adrina. Hopefully, he would be luckier in love than she had been. Ah. A silently amused grin graced her features even as she longed to reassure him that she was probably far more messed up than him. But Lynne was selfish and she liked being popular, not being the oddity that she had once been, so she kept silent and didn’t voice the reassurances that bubbled up in her throat. “No, he didn’t mention anything else. And Kael is generally rather brutally honest, even when he’s talking about me or himself. So rest assured, you’re a good Quidditch player and will probably end up being a better Keeper than him. He did say that he thinks you might be scared of him though.” Her smile flashed again quickly, showing humour in her brother’s personality. “He thinks he scares everyone off though. I don’t have the heart to tell him that people only run away because they want to cuddle him like a plushie.”

Lynne smiled shyly, looking, and feeling, slightly unsure even as she confided in Seth. “Kael wouldn’t try to make people unhappy, not deliberately. I don’t think it’s in his nature at all and even if it was, he wouldn’t do that. It would be incredibly hypocritical of him after he repeatedly saved me from bullies when we were younger. He chased them away and bandaged me up; physically, emotionally and mentally.” Lynne shrugged inelegantly, blocking off the memories before they could surface. She was good at that; pushing things away and not dealing with them. “I think you’d be a good friend for him,” she admitted honestly. “If you see past his grumpiness enough to want to befriend him then he won’t push you away. That’s always been his rule. He won’t change his personality but he’s not as mean or as stand-offish as he appears to be. And he likes books,” Lynne added after a moment, grimacing at the cryptic wording. She made it sound like Kael liked reading them, not writing them.

Ah, it seemed like Seth was starting to get the hang of seeing what Kael was really like. Her twin brother was just like a complicated puzzle to other people and Lynne had never really understood why. Kael was Kael; her protective, snappy, author brother. Most of the time, it was a safe bet to tell people to think of what Kael was likely to do and expect him to do something completely different. And even then he remained misunderstood. Lynne was quite sure he enjoyed it too. Such a difficult boy. “It’s the hair, isn’t it? It’s a dead giveaway. Always shows people that we’re related,” Lynne joked laughingly, flicking a lock of her blonde hair away from her face and comparing it to her brothers dark hair.

[Seth Wright]

Seth blinked in surprise, his mouth opening in a slight gape, before he remembered his manners and quickly shut it again. It had always been a bad habit of his, his mouth hanging open when he heard something shocking. "Kael? Girlfriend?" he questioned, his voice indicating he was finding it hard to piece the two items together. "Girlfriend?" Seth repeated again, none of his surprise fading away as he stared at Lynne, searching for any signs of a joke. "Wow. Um. I didn't know he wasn't single." Seth laughed guiltily, embarrassed by his lack of knowledge. He shouldn't be surprised really; why wouldn't Kael have a girlfriend? After all, Seth had one, meaning anyone could get one. "Who's the lucky girl?" he asked, calmer and more collected this time with a smile. "Someone in our year? I'm really very unobservant. I probably won't even recognise her name," he chuckled wryly, tapping the side of his head to emphasise his point. "My brain only holds a certain amount of capacity, so I tend to use selective-memory. I choose what to keep and what to discard, and what's left is this idiot of a guy standing in front of you right now," Seth explained good-naturedly, scratching his head; his arms were always moving, as was his entire body, his legs shifting the pressure of his body from one to the other. Seth could simply not keep still.

"Me? Better Keeper than him? Are you serious?" Seth laughed in amused disbelief. "As if. Nah, I'll never be as good as Kael, rest assured. And I'm okay with that, you know? It's something I accept, one of those great facts of life. I'm not am amazing player, but I'm a passable one, and I just want to make my house and my best friend proud. Chace was the one who gave me enough confidence to pursue a spot in the team." Seth smiled fondly, before tilting his head to one side, his grin turning sheepish. "Um, well... yeah. I am. I'm scared of a lot of people though, so he shouldn't be offended. Just the way I am. B-But I'm not scared of you, Lynne," he added quickly. "That's a compliment," he finished for clarity, then laughed at Lynne's comment. "I'm sure the girls are like that. Me, no no. I can't admit to wanting to cuddle him." Seth gave a brief wink conspiratorially as he shared the joke with Lynne. His smile faded into a sympathetic expression, and he felt his heart going out to the Ravenclaw girl. "Really?" he stated more than asked quietly, his hands stuffing themselves into his pockets and staring at the floor. "That was nice of him. That's what big brothers should do, right?" Seth suddenly had a greater admiration of Kael Collins, and an increased awe of both him and his sister's strengths.

"I used to be bullied, you know. A lot." Seth's eyes darkened with the memories. "Unluckily for me, I never had a big brother to run to. I didn't even have a Dad." He shrugged like Lynne had done, casual but filled with hidden emotions. "But I coped," he continued with a more cheerful voice. "Looks like you and I have a lot more in common, Lynne. Though, being tied by having been bullied isn't exactly something to be happy about," Seth laughed, brushing away the depressing topic. "We should start up our own bullying helpline in Hogwarts," he continued to joke. "I do want to be friends with Kael," Seth quickly interrupted when Lynne changed the topic back to Kael - though they had never reallt deviated from him in the first place, because the subject of bullying had been raised by talking about Kael. "I'll try harder though," Seth promised with a determined, reassuring smile, "if I have your assurance he won't bite my head off!" Grinning, Seth nodded enthusiastically to Lynne listing Kael's personality. "I like books too. Books are good friends, don't you think? They can't hurt you like people can. Animals can't emotionally hurt you either," Seth commented somewhat sadly, though a smile lit his face. He raised a hand to rub Jupiter's ears again, feeling much more comfortable and at ease in Lynne's presence now; it was as though they were long-lost friends. Seth felt a certain bond with the Ravenclaw girl.

"Really?" Seth smiled happily, looking over Lynne's blonde hair. "No, I never made the connection at all until you pointed it out to me. It's not a physical thing. It's a personality thing, you know? People say there's something quite similar about my sister and I, and we're nothing alike. She's a Gryffindor. Eva's a right bold kid. Speaks her mind and doesn't care what other people think. I really admire her for it, because in comparison, I'm such a coward. And I'm older than her by two years!" Seth wasn't sad talking about Eva though, because he truly admired her strong traits. "Hey, you have some free time?" he spoke after a brief pause. "How about we go around the school rather than just standing here? I don't want to talk your legs off, which I'm very expert at doing." Seth grinned and gestured down the corridor. "I get much more conversational once I'm in my element," he added in explanation of his suddenly confident personality change. Only a few people made Seth feel at ease and happy to be himself, free of oppression, and it happened Lynne Collins was one of those people.

[Lynne Collins]

Lynne laughed delightedly, flashing a knowing grin at Seth. She had reacted in almost exactly the same way upon hearing Kael’s casually mentioned news. Only, she had been a lot more surprised and had shown it a lot more vocally. She remembered it well because that had been the fifth day in a row that her parents had been arguing and Kael had forced her to climb out of the window so that they could escape to Vic’s before they went insane from the yelling. Lynne had curled up on Vic’s couch with one of the older woman’s books for an hour before taking control of her kitchen and cooking up a storm. A chocolate fudge cake, lasagne, pizza, prawn risotto and lemon sponge cake, if Lynne remembered rightly. Kael had returned from Hogsmeade with not only a wide grin but also a girlfriend. Lynne had nearly dropped the pizza she was putting into the oven and had barely remembered to close the oven door before dashing forward and interrogating her brother. “Yeah, a girlfriend. Kael doesn’t tell me much about her; he likes having his secrets sometimes. But I know that she’s a Gryffindor in our year...Adrina, I think. I don’t think I’ve seen her around very often but all that tells me is that she doesn’t run in my usual circle of friends and that doesn’t surprise me. Kael would probably hate to have a girlfriend almost exactly like me. We’d drive him insane after a few hours.”

Lynne observed Seth silently, a pleasant smile flickering around her mouth. In some ways, Lynne noted, Seth was a better person than either her or her twin. Kael played not only because he enjoyed Quidditch but also because he knew he was good and that he wouldn’t make a fool of himself on the pitch. Seth reckoned that he wasn’t the best player but he played to make other people proud of him and gave some of the credit to his placement on the team to his best friend. “I always try to make sure that people won’t be scared of me,” Lynne answered honestly, bouncing out of her reflective mood instantly to shoot a quick grin to Seth. She was the upbeat twin, the energetic and kind one who never stopped smiling and laughing. She was the opposite of Kael. People had made her that way and Lynne always strived to live up to expectations and avoid disappointing people. Her mother was disappointed every time she looked at her and remembered that she wasn’t the normal child she had wished for and Lynne never wanted to see disappointment lurking at the back of anyone else’s eyes when they looked at her. “It’s quite amusing to see people eye me somewhat warily after meeting Kael, as if they think I’m secretly as bad-tempered as he can be. Oh, but I’m so sure Kael wants you to cuddle him,” Lynne protested laughingly. “It’d do him so much good if someone just came out of nowhere and gave him a big hug, I’m sure. Hugs can cure almost anything.”

Lynne stepped forward, hugging Seth impulsively and bouncing back to her previous place after a moment. She had never been one to curb her impulses and that had often got her into trouble but she just felt that Seth needed the hug more than she needed to stop herself from giving it to him. “You can borrow Kael,” she chirped brightly. “He’s the ultimate big brother when it comes to stuff like that. I used to be bullied because I wasn’t seen as normal; I wasn’t like the other kids in their eyes and they made me an outsider because of that. But look at me now,” Lynne smiled lightly and gestured around carelessly. “I have friends that like me, even if not all of them are reliable. My best friend used to describe me as ‘popular and pretty Lynne Collins’ and that always made me realise just how far I’ve come since then.” She wasn’t the small child with bruises and cuts who ran to her brother because the other kids in the street thought she was abnormal but she had grown into a girl who kept secrets from everyone but her parents and brother because she feared being that small child again. She hadn’t come as far as she would like to believe but she quite liked where she was now. “Kael wouldn’t bite anyone’s head off. It’s too messy for his tastes. He might get blood over his books,” Lynne joked easily, her smile flickering out of existence for a moment before she fixed it into place firmly. “No, books and animals can’t hurt you emotionally,” Lynne echoed emptily, wallowing in bad memories for a few seconds before pulling herself together.

“Being bold has little to do with age and more to do with past experiences with people,” Lynne pointed out gently. Everyone reacted to experiences in their life differently and not everyone went through the same situations. “Yeah, searching the castle for a secret adventure sounds fun.” Lynne grinned playfully and pointed at Seth. “But if there’s a dragon lurking around these corridors somewhere then you have to be a valiant knight and fight it off for me. I’d rather hate to be eaten by a dragon. And yes, I have been reading fantasy stories lately,” Lynne added with a sheepish smile. “I’m not quite so delusional that I actually think we’ll find a dragon hiding in an old classroom somewhere. That would be a bit too much excitement for my liking.”

[Seth Wright]

"Good for him," Kael Seth ((how on earth did I do that?!)) nodded, wondering if he knew this Adrina girl. She didn't sound familiar. "I don't know her. But I don't know most people." Grinning sheepishly, Seth's smile broadened again when Lynne said she didn't want people to be scared of her. "You're not scary at all, though. I don't see why anyone would be scared of you. You're nice." Seth beamed genuinely. "You're much nicer than most people to me, anyway. That's how I categorise people in my head: nice and not nice. Nice people are people who treat me like I exist and matter. Not nice people are people who treat me like dirt. Most people go in that category," Seth admitted humbly, but not self-pityingly. He wasn't looking for sympathy from Lynne, not at all. "You're completely different than Kael, so I don't think people should be scared of you. I can see why people are scared of Kael though, even if he's in my nice category." Chuckling, Seth wondered what he'd say to Kael the next time they spoke. Probably not any time soon that would happen, but it would be an interesting conversation if Kael deemed he had enough time to stop for a chat with the insignificant Seth Wright. Seth wondered if Kael had ever heard of him until he'd joined the Quidditch team. "Hug him? Out of the blue?" Seth laughed as he imagined himself spying Kael and then launching himself onto the unsuspecting boy. "I don't think I'm going to try that," he chuckled honestly, thoroughly amused by the notion. "Because Kael would probably hate my guts after that for scaring and embarrassing him, and I don't want to get pummelled to a pulp by his glares, you know? Oh, and my girlfriend would probably dump me for apparently changing my sexuality," Seth laughed.

Seth was surprised when Lynne burst forward and gave him a friendly, warm hug. "Uh?" he managed to stutter, dazed, before she had already drawn away and he continued to look confused. Finally collecting himself, Seth began to laugh. "Sorry, you caught me off guard there. I don't get many hugs," Seth admitted, "Only Willow hugs me when she feels like it, which isn't all the time. Thanks for that. Hugs are nice," he agreed with a bright smile. He admired Lynne's impulsiveness. Even if he wanted to Seth would never randomly hug someone. His personality would allow it to happen, probably all the time, but Seth's fear of people, nurtured through his childhood, prevented him from penetrating others' personal spaces without their permission. "You and Kael are real close," Seth commented as Lynne rambled on about her brother. "You always talk about him. It's nice. Eva and me don't talk about each other that much, but we're close too. But we're very different people. She's completely opposite to me, but my mum says in principle we're exactly the same. Bit like you and Kael." Seth laughed at Lynne's offer. "Thanks, but I think I'll pass. I appreciate you lending him to me, but I don't think he'd be as willing. And I have Chace. He's like a big brother to me, he always protects me nowadays. Like a white knight in white armour," he joked.

Seth nodded with a gentle smile. "Yeah. I haven't come as far as you, but I've come further than I could've imagined. I'm a different kid than when I was ten years old. I was scrawny and small, bullied and hated. My shins were scarred and bleeding all the time, and I was always sporting something broken." Seth laughed off his painful past. "Now I don't get hurt any more and I can talk to people without running away. I used to be so scared of people I couldn't talk and I'd clam up. It was embarrassing." Seth smiled in understanding. "I want to keep growing. There's always another goal to reach for. Nothing's perfect yet, but I'm closer, I think." Seth's honesty shone on his face, but in his mind he was recalling his childhood, lonely and scared and always hiding in the dark. He had been a lost child, but then he met Chace, and Chace was the light, offering a shining white hand, glowing in the dark and spreading light everywhere. Seth had reached for Chace's hand, not really believing it, and he was tugged away from all the black of his past. And still, Chace was like a beckoning beacon, bright and pure and beautiful, and sometimes it made Seth want to cry, how much his best friend had done for him. Where would be be now without Chace Coxen? He didn't know. Seth didn't really want to know. All he knew was he didn't take a moment of his current life with Chace for granted. It was a precious miracle of an opportunity, and Seth lived every moment with his head held high and a smile on his lips.

"Me? A knight? I'll try, but I've always been the one protected. Bah, I guess it's time for a change, right?" Chuckling, Seth took Lynne's shoulders, spun her gently around and pushed her in a straight line along the corridor. "Right. I'll fight all the dragons off, don't worry. I'll use my special Seth-powers, which include, um, laser fingers and fire breath." Making it up on the spot, Seth didn't think Lynne would mind his hands nudging her carefully along from behind. Since she had been OK with entering personal space, he thought it would be OK for him to do the same. "Fantasy stories are my favourite," Seth remarked enthusiastically. "I can immerse myself in a world where anything is possible." Seth bent across Lynne's shoulder and grinned at the bundle of fur still in her arms. "Is Jupiter coming with us, then? On this journey of a lifetime through modern-day Hogwarts, on a quest to slay the dragons and other evil creatures out to get pretty and popular Lynne Collins?" Seth chuckled and continued to maneouvre Lynne slowly through the corridors, not wanting to bash the poor girl into a statue or a professor, or even worse, her brother. Goodness knows what Kael would do to him if he injured Lynne, or if he bumped into them with Seth steering Lynne around like some sort of horse and cart.

[Lynne Collins]

“I think it’s strange though,” Lynne confided secretively, a faint flicker of uneasiness showing in her eyes for a few seconds before she automatically replaced it with her usual gleam of happiness. “I mean, I know most people; people in other houses, and people in other years. But I don’t know Adrina. I’ve never met her; I’ve never even heard any gossip about her. It’s like she doesn’t actually exist.” Lynne paused and then laughed, shaking her head as if to dismiss the thought. “Oh, that’s ridiculous, I know. I’m sorry. My imagination runs away with me sometimes. Kael isn’t someone who would pretend to have a girlfriend.” But it still made her uneasy. Lynne knew that she had been out of it this year, what with Danny abandoning her without even a letter or any type of explanation and then reappearing without so much as a warning, and that she had pretended to act normally without really listening to the things that people were telling her but had she really been so distant that she had forgotten to investigate her own brothers new girlfriend? Yes, Lynne realised with sudden shock. Whether he was in Russia or by her side, Danny had dominated her thoughts all year. It wasn’t healthy. But she had loved him for so long that she couldn’t stop. “You shouldn’t be treated like dirt,” Lynne stated firmly, believing every word that she said. “You’re nice and you’re friendly and if even Kael likes you then you should be adored by everyone else. I demand it.” She sounded so childish sometimes, Lynne thought and smiled to herself wryly. But those were the times when she also had the sincere honesty of a child and that was probably the best time to catch her if people wanted the truth. “Kael would probably be a bit alarmed if you just pounced on him,” Lynne admitted laughingly. “And your girlfriend probably wouldn’t be too thrilled either. For that matter, Kael’s girlfriend might not be ecstatic about it. So I’ll have to rethink that plan a bit before recruiting someone to carry it out.”

Lynne brushed a lock of hair behind her ear, completely unapologetic and unembarrassed by the impulsive hug she had given Seth. She was just a naturally impulsive person and not even Kael had managed to make her change that. He hadn’t even tried to although he had taught her to curb her tongue and to think about what she was saying so that she didn’t spill her secret so Lynne rather suspected that her brother liked her impulsiveness. It added something interesting to life. “Kael tells me that I have no respect for personal space,” Lynne shrugged carelessly. “It’s true and I admit it. But it’s not really a bad thing because sometimes people just look like they need a hug and I’m not afraid to give it to them. Hugs are great. People should hug more often.” Lynne blushed awkwardly, ducking her head and making the same piece of hair she had just tucked behind her ear drop forward again. “I know I talk about Kael too much; people are always telling me that. It must get annoying. But...he’s my twin; he’s like the other half of my soul. He’s always been there for me so he’s influenced my life in a big way. Almost everything I do involves him in some way so it’s hard to keep him out of a conversation.”

Lynne stubbornly resisted the urge to grimace, feeling guilty. She hadn’t come as far as anyone thought she had; even Kael was somewhat fooled by her laughter and smile. And she had even had longer to recover than Seth had. Her bullying had stopped before her tenth birthday, thanks to Kael. He had threatened the bullies away – receiving more than his fair share of injuries for doing so, but he had succeeded – and kept a watchful eye on her to make sure that she said people’s names rather than the colours she saw. It had been hard to recover from that but Lynne had started, reached the point where she was able to smile and laugh and be sociable and then abruptly stopped for some reason. She just wasn’t able to go any further and she wasn’t at all sure why. It wasn’t like she battled her demons alone, after all. She never had. Kael and her parents had always been right behind her, offering strength when she had none and support when she felt like she needed nothing more than to cry helplessly. Jupiter started to purr and Lynne blinked, looking down to discover her hand absent-mindedly petting the kitten. She had almost forgotten that her cat was even in her arms but she smiled down at the quietly purring bundle of white fur that was curled up in her arms warmly. Jupiter had been there for her to. There had been nights when Lynne had cuddled up to her kitten and silent tears had dropped into the white fur and been hidden from sight.

“Don’t be absurd,” Lynne complained good-naturedly, turning her head slightly to let Seth see her grin before he thought she was seriously protesting. “You can’t use your fire breath against a dragon. That would be fighting fire with fire and that never works. Though it’s pretty cool that you have special Seth-powers. It’s like you’re a wizard or something,” Lynne joked light-heartedly. This was just like being a child again, making up wild adventures to go on and battling fierce enemies that only existed in their imaginations. Lynne glanced down at her arms and smiled ruefully. Only now, she didn’t have bruises marking her as the outcast from the other children in the street. “Fantasy stories are amazing,” Lynne agreed enthusiastically. “And of course Jupiter is coming. You’re not used to being a knight so she might have to change herself into a fierce white tiger to fight off the dragons who want to eat us.” She stiffened slightly at hearing the title that Danny had given her before forcing herself to relax. This was Seth, not Danny. And Danny was back anyway; he was back and she no longer had to miss him or start to fall apart when something reminded her of him. “So where are you leading me to, brave knight? Or will we only know when we arrive to our destination and realise that that was where we were headed to?”

With a cheerful grin, Lynne waved at Kael as she and Seth passed him. Her brother glanced at them, nodded in greeting and turned away for a few seconds before his head snapped back to face them again. Kael’s expression was positively astonished and Lynne shook with silent laughter. “I don’t even want to know,” Kael decided slowly, caught between amusement and confusion. “Seth, if she annoys you too much then just return her to her common room and tell her to leave you alone. Lynne, don’t damage him with whatever strange game you’re evidently playing. He doesn’t deserve to be corrupted by you.” Lynne watched her brother leave, grinning to herself when she caught him mumbling to himself about the strangeness of people wandering around Hogwarts. “I told you that you didn’t annoy him,” Lynne smiled triumphantly. “If you annoyed him, he wouldn’t tell me to not damage you. Though I’m not quite sure what he meant by that. It’s not like I’m dangerous!”

[Seth Wright]

"Adrina... No, doesn't ring any bells. But I'm forgetful like that. I forget most people's names and faces." Seth gave a self-conscious but casual shrug. "I'll keep my eyes peels for you, but I doubt I'd remember for you even if I do find out who she is." His typical lopsided smile surfaced as he watched Lynne pondering her brother's girlfriend. "It's not always good to know your friend's and family's girlfriends and boyfriends, you know. I know Chace's girlfriend too well," Seth started to say in reassurance, not off topic and yet not on it either. "Lara's Willow's best friend. You know them? Yeah, well, the two of them are, like, unstoppable forces of nature together. Chace and I cling to each other to combat their evil femaleness." He nodded avidly, making him look like a bobbing doll. "If someone asked me who my girlfriend is I'd say Willow of course, but if they asked me who my other half is then that's my best friend. Chace is one cool dude." Seth scratched the side of his head out of embarrassment, his cheeks glowing just a tad pink, but he was proud and pleased too. "Of course he wouldn't!" Seth beamed when Lynne said Kael wouldn't lie about having a girlfriend. "I wouldn't and I have faith that Kael wouldn't either." Firm nod. Seth really needed to learn to curb his nodding sometimes. It really did make him look like a nodding figurine, but at least it endeared him to some people.

Seth made a dubious pout and tried to contain a smile from Lynne. "You want Slytherins to adore me? Nah, I'd rather not, Lynne. Think about it - being cuddled by them, kissed by them, I mean, eeeew!" He flailed his arms and body about in a half-fake shiver. The thought was rather disturbing. "Ah, no, I think I'm happy as it is. Yes. Better not to have too many friends. And really, if Kael likes someone isn't it the other way around? He's one cool dude and all, but people generally seem to think the opposite of him, right?" Seth tried to phrase his words so he wouldn't offend Lynne or Kael, but he had always been bad at hiding anything. He usually just came out with it all and it got him into a lot of trouble. "Apart from Aurora. Everyone likes Aurora. She's too... nice and likeable. But I'd rather be me than her. She's always smiling and being friendly. I wonder if she gets tired of it? I would. She can have all the Slytherin friends she likes. I think I'm happy with me and Chace and Willow. Yep. Oh, and Eva. Can't forget the sister, otherwise she'll burn me alive." One would've laughed whilst saying such a statement, but Seth's eyes were filled with true and honest terror. "My sister's a demon hunter," he turned back to Lynne after looking into the distance with misted eyes. "Just so you know. She fights demons. She's very strong. Don't get on her wrong side or you'll regret it. Sometimes I think she should've been born a boy. She's more like a boy than I am. She's even stronger than me!"

Seth huffed his cheeks out in fake indignation. "What are you saying, Lynne? I'm not gay! How could you even think that? I am as straight as, well... um... a stick. Yes. A pencil. As straight as a pencil, I tell you. Boys can be macho and friendly with each other, there's nothing wrong with that. Willow would understand. She's awfully chummy with Lara so she can't complain. I'm sure Adrina won't mind. Kael's up for some sharing, right? He's a manly enough dude not to feel self-conscious about it. Just like me." Seth prodded himself with a finger and grinned widely. Seeing Lynne's awkward expression after her self-confession for more hugging, Seth nodded slowly and smiled. "Yeah. Yeah, I agree with you. I'm all awkward and all that. Maybe if people weren't so, well, enclosed or something, then I'd be a changed man! I would go around hugging everyone I could see and then I wouldn't be so insignificant any more." He said it in a jokingly warm way, but Seth wondered, just a little, what it'd be like if the world was just slightly different; how different the people in it would be. He shrugged again and once more the lopsided smile twitched at his lips at the mention of talking too much. "I talk too much full stop," he admitted with a chuckle. "I talk about Willow all the time. I talk about Chace so much people have really began to wonder about my sexuality. I'm straight, remember that. Like a stick. Oh, I mean a pencil. But you get the point. We just like talking about people. Nothing wrong with that. You look like you've just gone and committed the most horrible crime ever. Like, murdering a Slytherin. How terrible that would be." Seth laughed and then coloured. He'd actually been slightly sarcastic! He wasn't normally like that.

"Well I don't know," Seth whined helplessly as Lynne pointed out the flaws in his plan. "I'm not an expert on dragons. I'm not that nerdy. Do I look that nerdy to you? And I am a wizard already. And I'm awful with a wand. 'Seth powers' won't have anything to do with wands, honest. Give me something better, Lynne. I don't know what, though. I'm awful at everything." Seth paused for a moment and blinked at Lynne's question. "Um. Good question. I have no idea." He wailed. "After seven years I still get lost in this place? Where are we? Aha! Yes, a right turn here, fair maiden in distress! Yes, we will realise our goal when we get there because right now I have none in my brainless... um, brain!" When they passed Kael, Seth stiffened somewhat in fear, anticipating an onslaught of, "Wright! What are you doing to my precious twin sister?!" However, they seemed to pass unnoticed, and in relief Seth pushed Lynne even quicker, hoping to get away in case Kael realised that actually something was quite wrong with the picture he had just witnessed. However, Seth wasn't fast enough, and as he had expected, Kael whipped around and stared at them in amazement. At least he doesn't want to kill me, Seth thought to himself in relief as Kael eventually managed to say something coherent. He was even more relieved when Kael was under the impression that Lynne was leading his imagination astray and not the other way around.

Shoulders gradually relaxing, Seth gave Kael a crooked, self-conscious smile. "Um, no, Lynne's not annoying. I'm the annoying one really. I'm just protecting her from dragons. You know. The ones around... the castle." Blushing a little in embarrassment of how stupid that sounded, Seth was sure Kael would think him a bigger and more childish idiot than he had originally thought. "Um, no, no corruption," he answered for Lynne quickly, running a nervous hand through his wild hair and breathed out in relief when Kael finally left them to it. "Thank God. He didn't slaughter me. I was so scared it would be my last chance to play the knight in shining armour." Loosening up and grinning at Lynne again, he chuckled at her words. "I think he thinks we're both pretty dangerous. Put us together and it's like chaos, right? Dude, I like the thought of being chaos, but in comics the superheroes are the cool ones, you know? We need to be superheroes, not the villains. We have to be undangerous and all that. Yes." Avid nodding again and Seth felt back to normal without on edge in Kael's presence.