Lounging ((Pyro))

[kris]

Kris had taken a permanent vacation from the Hospital Wing. Not that madam P had actually allowed him to leave, but he just had. He didn’t go to any classes, but he just tried to familiarize himself with the school again. A difficult task really, difficult to everyone who was blind. Kris wondered sometimes whether or not roaming around the school previous years helped him to get to know it once again or not. Most of the help came from Morrigan however. She had taken up to residing on his shoulders and after a few trials Kris had learned to understand what the kitten meant. When Kris had to turn somewhere, then Morrigan would jump on the shoulder that Kris would have to turn towards. When something happened to come into the way the small kitten would extend her claws and Kris had learned to stop then. Morrigan was even good enough not to scractch him anymore. The small points of her claws on Kris’s shoulder were enough.

So Morrigan, Kris’s natural instincts, hearing – that had only gotten better than it previously was – and on Dana who had walked with him around the school a few times. Morrigan was intelligent so she could even direct Kris to somewhere he wanted to go. She knew what Kris meant when he told her ‘common room’ or ‘library’ or ‘hospital wing’. Kitchens were Morrigan’s ultimate favorite however. Kris didn’t feel like going to the Great Hall for meal-times for just about anyone to gawk at him. So Kris usually got his food directly from the kitchens and often either ate there or took his food and ate it on the go while touring the castle.

Right now Kris had stretched his body out in the kitchens. The house-elves were surprisingly quiet around here today. Or maybe it was just that they were busy preparing some meal-time for the student body and were further from Kris. They had learned quickly to keep their distance outside from following his orders. Kris had had a quick lunch and was now just lounging back in a high-backed and extremely comfortable armchair. He even recalled what the armchair looked like from his previous visits – deep-crimson leather, and carved cherry wood handrests and the back of the head. Kris fit into it perfectly with his black clothes – silk pants and a shirt. And the regular sun-glasses to shield his eyes. Taking a sip from the mug of coffee in her left hand Kris let his fingers trail over the potions book in French that was laid in front of him. He was under no circumstances quick at reading with his fingers, but he wasn’t fumbling with every word either anymore.

[Pyro Blackfire S5]

School had started, and with it came the usual boring details. Classes, homework, more classes, and more homework. Now that he was in his fourth year he would start his O.W.L.s studies. All that work combined with Quidditch practice- Dawn the captain was really pushing hard to beat Gryffindor this year- meant that he had hardly any time for his own martial arts training. So it was a complete surprise when he looked at his "To do" pile and noticed it was completely gone. He had actually finished all his homework. Checking his calender he noticed that today there wasn't any practice either. With a Joyous smile Pyro quickly stored his work away and ran off into his dorm, dropped off his bag, and picked up his workout bag.

He had been working out now for the past three hours in a abandoned classroom. He wore a pair of sweats and was bare chested. A fine layer of sweat covered him. His breathing was labored, but still he was a bit disappointed about this workout. He remembered back to the summer when him and Mary had gone and seen Kris at Kris's castle. Kris had had a training hall. Pyro had gotten the best workout of his life in that hall thanks to a certain human sized doll. Thinking on that now he remembered the attack on the train and the rumor that Kris had been injured during it. Pyro had meant to go to the hospital wing and determine if the rumor was true, but he had never found the time. He had also heard that Kris had gone blind.

Maybe it was time to pay Kris a visit. Pyro picked up his discarded shirt and placed it in his bag. He pulled out some body spray and sprayed it on himself to cover the BO. Than he slung the bag over his shoulder and left the room. Pyro was just about to turn down the hall toward the hospital wing when his stomach gave a tremendous growl. Pyro decided maybe he should get some food first. With that he turned and headed off toward the kitchens. Pyro had found the kitchens sometime in his second year. It had helped since now he was able to workout and get food whenever he wanted. Chuckling Pyro entered the secrete door and was in the kitchen.

Sitting near the door was a bowl of fruit. Pyro plucked a apple out of it and began to move through the kitchen eating the apple. Pyro turned around one counter and noticed someone sitting in a armchair not to far away. A closer look made Pyro realize that it was Kris. "Kris?" Pyro asked and moved closer to stand before him. Pyro smirked a little. "Well well. Look who's up. Last I heard you were still in the hospital wing." Pyro grabbed a nearby elf. "You, get me some water." He said before pushing the elf away and turning back to Kris.

[kris]

Kris’s fingers slid over the printed letters. He didn’t have too many hardships anymore with reading with his fingers, yet this way of reading wasn’t very quick. Most likely because Kris hadn’t had nearly enough practice with such reading. He’d sill have to learn to feel and understand printed Russian letters as he spoke the language freely and had read it freely as well. Blindness wasn’t going to hinder this part of his life. Not like it had stopped Kris from enjoying so many other of his… some-what ‘hobbies’.

He heard the kitchen door opening. His hearing and his sense of smell had only improved with him being blind. Kris had had sharp hearing before, but not it was even better. Kris was surprised how much emotions one’s voice still held, even when they tried to shield them. Emotions and personality. He had never noticed it – some other persons looks, appearance, grimaces always disturbed you from actually purely listening to someone’s voice. Kris didn’t have such kind of an interference anymore.
Even if it hadn’t been enough to hear the door swing open footsteps were heard a moment later and Morrigan made a quiet noise in the back of her throat as she curled up on Kris’s lap. The kitten had almost taken up to protecting Kris 24/7.

Kris was careful to keep all traces of a frown off of his face. Pyro… was a friend… but Kris wasn’t sure he wanted company right now. “I have been out for a while,” Kris finally said placing a calming hand on Morrigan’s back who had started to hiss at Pyro, probably sensing Kris’s not the best mood, “At least I say I have. Madam P might have a slightly different opinion about it.”

[Pyro Blackfire S5]

Pyro's gaze studied Kris. Could the rumors be true? Had Kris actually gone blind? Pyro looked at the dark glasses on Kris's face. Watching them Pyro took a small step to the side. Kris hardly gave any reaction at all. Pyro's attention was than drawn to the small cat that had started hissing at him. Pyro frowned at it just as Kris placed a hand on it to calm it. Pyro arched an eyebrow. Pyro glanced down at the book Kris was reading. Even from this distance Pyro noticed that the book was written completely in Braille.

So, the rumors were true. Kris was blind. Wonder how this affliction effected his attitude. Kris than spoke to him and Pyro couldn't help but chuckle at his words. So far so good, he was the same old Kris. "Aye, I'd have to agree with you there. That old bat can get a bit naggy. It doesn't help the fact that I've had to go to the Hospital Wing a lot ever since my first year. No matter what I tell her she still won't approve of my way of treating my own wounds."

Just than the house elf came with his water. "Bout time!" He snapped as he snatched the water out of its hands and than moved closer to Kris. Pyro sat down on a counter that was in front of where Kris was sitting. Pyro kept a wary eye on the cat. "So. How have you been holding up?" Pyro had no idea what Kris was going through. Pyro knew what it was like being blind. He had undergone blind fighting training, but that blindness was able to be removed at will. "Hows adapting to your new way of life?" Pyro looked at the cat. "I see you've already gotten yourself a blind-eye seeing....cat." Pyro chose his next words carefully. He didn't want to insult Kris. "You know, if you ever have any difficulties, I can help you. I've undergone training while blind. If theres anyone at this school that can help, it would be me." Pyro winked, even though he knew Kris wouldn't see it. "But only if you need it, I won't impose if you'd rather do it yourself."

[kris]

Kris arched his eye-brow from behind his glasses and picked up her coffee mug. Holding it behind his palms Kris leaned back in his arm-chair and reached his long legs out, crossing them at the ankle. Morrigan climbed up to sit on Kris’s shoulder where she actually did sit this time instead of curling up. And hissed at Pyro. Kris didn’t turn his head to even look towards Pyro as he replied: “Well, I understood her point about you. When you are happy you express it near-homicidal ways. Someone gets you angry and you act in homicidal ways.”

Kris’s eyes narrowed behind his sun-glasses – that luckily didn’t let any light throw nor let anyone see his eyes at Pyro’s words. His aw clenched in burning fury Kris replied in a scathing tone to Pyro’s next words: “How have I been holding up? Well, let’s think about it together, shall we? I was attacked during the bloody Express ride here, causing me to spend 15 days in coma. I had too many glass-cuts to count so I nearly bled to death. I broke my nose and one of my arms, not to mention getting a concussion. And oh, did I happen to mention the small fact that I’m blind for life? What do you THINK how I’m holding up?” Kris simply snarled with his voice cutting. Never before had he used such a voice towards Pyro, but he had pushed the wrong trigger and pushed it repeatedly, “So unless you want me to try and actually put you through half of it – shut your mouth and stop being a bloody moron!”


Morrigan seemed to be sensing Kris’s mood. Or being affected by his tone of voice as every piece of hair on her body was up as she hissed with her claws extended. Had Pyro been closer so she could have pounded on him, Morrigan would have attacked without any doubt of the fact. Kris absent-mindedly though that Pyro would actually deserve it but then it would be too hard to clean Morrigan’s claws from blood.
Kris forcefully forced his voice to an icy tone as he took a sip of his coffee: “I have gone through blind-folded training as well. But being blind-folded is one thing, being blinded completely an other. Blindfold never pushed you out of balance this way nor does it influence you senses this way. Being blind or blindfolded aren’t compareable. So thank you for the offer, but I’m going to pass.” Kris let silence settle as he drank his coffee with force relaxedness even though Morrigan hadn’t settled down one bit on his shoulder.

[Pyro Blackfire S5]

Pyro couldn't help but arch an eyebrow. "Near-homicidal ways? You must be mistaken. I would never." He said with a smile on his lips. That smile was short lived as Kris's attitude quickly turned sour. Pyro wasn't too surprised by Kris's reaction. In fact the reaction was all to easy to predict. Had it been anyone other than Kris at this moment, they would have found them selfs through the wall by now. It wasn't out of fear of Kris that Pyro held back his anger. In fact it had long been a fantasy to once fight Kris on physical terms just to see who would win in a fight like that. It seemed that a fight like that would never happen. Kris was proud and would never admit it, but he was working with a bad disadvantage.

Pyro patiently waited for Kris to finish with his little rant.
Pyro too had been caught in the train attack, he also had been caught in the attack in Diagon Alley, and on top of that he had also been attacked last year in the Student Lounge. In that certain attack Pyro had sustained a great injury. Had it not been for his Phoenix he probably wouldn't have survived. Due to the fact that Kris had received a few more 'permanent' injuries than other Pyro decided not respond to Kris's attitude with attitude of his own.

It was than that Kris declined his offer. Pyro chuckled softly. "The refusal of the offer is your choice, but I would like to ask. When did I ever mention a 'blind-fold'? I said I had blind training. You forget the world we life in Kris. There are many spells out there than can create the realism of blindness." Pyro set down his glass and hopped of the counter, still watching the cat for it looked ready to leap off of Kris's shoulders and attack him. Which would be interesting to see. "And if you think that a blindfold can't get close to the real thing than you must not of had a effective blind-fold" Pyro said with a chuckle. "Blackness is blackness. If that is all you see, than you are blind, no matter what is inducing the blackness."

[kris]

Kris laughed. A hollow, mirthless sound empty of all emotions. “Blackness isn’t just blackness. Are you scared of the night, little boy? The darkness that engulfs you softly and almost tenderly embraces you? The soothing cover of the night before you fall asleep? It’s safe, simple, clear in it’s own way. This isn’t darkness. This is bleak, black, cold, threatening and dangerous. I can surely understand why people have gone crazy because of it. It seems threatening. Something always lurking at the edges of your mind. It’s black. Even my tears are black after being hit by the curse. You aren’t able to fully comprehend it, not now… not never until you loose your eye-sight one day. It’s not only physical damage. It influences the way you think. So don’t ever again come to tell me that you ‘understand what I’m going through’ or ‘symphatize because of my loss’. You can’t do neither, because you don’t know what I’m feeling.”

Kris sneered raising his hand and picking up Morrigan while the kitten was still hissing. Placing the ball of black fur on his arm, Kris leaned back in his chair one of his hand slowly stroking Morrigan’s head and smoothing the fur. He had always had a way of anmals so even though Morrigan didn’t seem to completely relax she stopped hissing.
Kris closed his eyes under the shield of his black sun-glasses, being certain that Pyro wouldn’t be able to see through. Ignoring the younger boy – he could either learn and take a more polite tone of voice as he came to Kris – Kris placed his right hand on the book again. His fingers sliding down the page, Kris found his book-mark again continuing to read the words with his fingers gliding over the lines.