Mercy ((Theo))

[Bronsen Reid R1]

It was an uncommon sight to see the Ravenclaw tower not full of students working in groups and on their own to complete essays, projects, or study for exams. Today though, there were less than five people scattered in the chilly common room. The fireplace had a healthy fire that cast an invisible warmth throughout the room as it tried to fight against the winter chill that seemed to always be strongest in the Ravenclaw tower for one reason or another. Bronsen had just finished his classes for the afternoon, and he was hoping to get a quick start on some of the homework that he needed to finish for the end of the week. He hurried to his room to drop of what books and other things he wouldn't need before heading back down from the dormitories to the common room. Not in much of a social mood, he stayed clear of the few people that were in the common room. Likely, they probably wouldn't want company anyways as most of them were either reading or enjoying a nice afternoon nap by the fire. Bronsen took a seat close to one of the windows so that the sun might provide him with a bit of natural light and even perhaps some heat. It was odd to look outside and see the bright sun. It almost seemed as though it might be warm outside if it weren't for the snow and trees blowing in the wind.

Bronsen stopped starring outside though, and he pulled out his Transfiguration homework. They were studying some of the basic Transfiguration spells at this point, and for their homework they had to do a review on identifying some of the main characteristics of Transfiguration for each spell. It wasn't too hard of an assignment, though the one characteristic that gave Bronsen the most trouble was shape. Sure, shapes seemed to be an easy concept to understand, but whenever you had such odd shaped objects that were being transfigured, he was never confident in trying to decide what the main shape might be so that he could then determine if a change in shape was taking place to then help determine the complexity of the spell. He would figure it out though. This part was all the theoretical part anyways. Often times, it didn't matter how much or how little one knew of the theory. If you couldn't put it into practice, then it didn't matter either way. On the other hand, normally a good theoretical knowledge could quite possibly help on the practical side of things.

In about ten minutes, Bronsen had identified the color, size, and function of each item on the list that they were to look at. There were a few he wasn't completely certain of, but he made his best guesses. Next, he could either move on and identify the textures or the shapes. He had been trying to save the shape characteristic for last, but he also knew that the texture characteristic was probably the easiest to identify. If he saved it for last, he could finish with the easy work and try now to get the hardest part done with. After a moment's thought, that was what he decided on, and so he set forth in trying to decide what shapes each of the items best represented. The first few were easier than he had thought. The items were obviously shaped like lines, boxes, or spheres. Those were the most common shapes after all. But then, he got to one of the items on the list, and he was quite puzzled as to what shape he should mark down. The item was 'leaves', and as far as Bronsen knew, leaves could take on quite a variety of shapes. He thought that it really might depend on what type of leaf he was using to determine if the shape would change in the overall transfiguration. He was so flustered in not being able to make a decision, that he instinctively looked up for the possibility that someone might be nearby to help him.

The first person that Bronsen saw was a blonde boy who was older than he was. He was a prefect too, and Bronsen only really knew him by his first name: Theo. Not many of the older students talked to Bronsen, though he preferred it that way. Theo seemed kind though, from what Bronsen had observed, and being that he was a prefect, Bronsen was sure that he might be at least one possibility for help. Sighing to himself, Bronsen decided he had no better option, and so he took his list, along with his copy of his Transfiguration text book and walked over to Theo. "Umm.... Theo?" he questioned, not wanting to just spout out his question before seeing if the older boy even had time for something that might seem very miniscule to him. Bronsen stood and waited for Theo to respond, and he hoped that Theo really was as nice as he seemed. Sometimes people were good at putting up fronts that really were not good indicators of who they were. Bronsen himself might have even been one of those people; such a kind and quiet boy that probably seemed more distant and cold than anything else through his anti-social behaviour and tendency to stay on his own.

[Theo Darke]

“Theeeeeeeeeeoooooooo!!!”

The voice rang out loud and clear, not whiny but in a joking manner. Theo rolled his eyes in mock irritation and turned around to his intruder with a half-suppressed smile of amusement. “Yes, Flooooooooreeeeeeencccce?” He copied with a twinkle in his eye, gazing upon a much younger girl with blonde hair in high pigtails on either side of her head; they were tied with lilac bows, giving her an adorable and angelic impression, along with rosy pink cherub cheeks and smiling green orbs that made anyone’s heart feel light and happy; such was the impact Florence Leigh had on people. Theo thought she was gorgeous, a typical little lady or princess of the court. A mini-version of Lori, with the exception of younger features and those brilliant emerald eyes, Florence certainly carried the Leigh gene of beauty within her. The Darkes didn’t have such fair features in their family, but on the other hand they were renowned for their intelligence. Theo grinned warmly and fondly at Florence, taking in her pretty features appreciatively; she could always bring a smile to his face even on the gloomiest days.

“Help with homework?” Florence asked hopefully, holding up some work in one hand, her pigtails bobbing with the movement of her head.
Theo raised a brow with a teasing smile, “Let me guess. Transfiguration?” Florence gave a shy nod, causing Theo to laugh in amusement and pat the empty seat next to him. “Come on, sit down. Let me see what I can do for you, princess.” Giggling, Florence did as Theo bade. She spread out her homework across the table as he shuffled his Defence Against the Dark Arts to a corner, neglected for now.
”Where’s Lori?” Florence asked curiously as Theo dug around his bag for a new bottle of ink.
“Hm, not sure.” Theo sent the first year a small smile of reassurance. “She’s around. I haven’t seen her since class, she said she had something to take care of.” Refraining a concerned frown, Theo produced the ink and held it high in front of Florence’s face. “Aha! Voila!” Grinning triumphantly he unscrewed the lid and dipped his quill in, “Now, see here? This bit is…”

Time passed by. Half an hour later Theo stretched his arms into the air and gave a quiet yawn, dropping his quill onto the table. Beside him, Florence giggled at his actions, and he grinned across at her. “Hey, what are you giggling at?” He demanded, a false stern expression on his face.
“Nothing.” Florence countered, sticking her tongue at him before tidying her parchment into a neat pile. “Thanks again, Theo.” She spoke with finality as she gathered her stuff into her arms and beamed appreciatively at her sister’s best friend. “That was really helpful. Your time and efforts will be repaid someday.” She winked playfully, and bounced away to her dormitory.
“It’d better be!” Theo called after her with a relaxed grin of amusement. That cheeky devil, he thought to himself, though wasn’t really angry at Florence. Who could be? She was so innocent and cute. She really reminded Theo of a younger Lori, a time when his best friend was not as uptight as she was these days. Recently Lori had been so tense it had started to get to Theo; after all, they were best friends, and one’s mood was bound to affect the other’s. He wanted to tell her to snap out of it, but that was cruel, and yet trying to coax the truth out of her was harder than trying to get along with some of the Slytherins.

Theo sighed as he retrieved his Defence essay and picked up his quill again. It was wrong of him to compare Lori to Slytherins, because that comparison didn’t add up whatsoever. He glanced out of the window to see that outside was pitch black already, with only artificial light from the lamps and candles, as well as from the fireplace, providing warmth for the Common Room. Theo had always been fond of the short days in winter, because it felt like the perfect opportunity to sit, curled in bed, and read a long novel. He didn’t venture outside, obviously; the cold was something he wasn’t fond of, but he bore it well enough. Scarves and gloves usually did the job. Glancing around the room, Theo noted with a little surprise how few people inhabited it; only a few students were dotted across the place. He wondered for the tenth time that afternoon – or evening – where Lori was, but knew his worrying was in excess. She was big girl, it wasn’t as if she couldn’t look after herself. Knowing he needed to do his homework and not focus on Lori’s whereabouts, which were none of his business, Theo set to his essay again with as much concentration as possible. Maybe after this he would go on prefect duty, make sure no young ones were breaking the curfew rules.

Theo was onto the conclusion of his essay, when another voice broke his thoughts and crossed his utmost concentration. Surprised at the interruption, as he had been so into writing about Grindylows, Theo gave a small jump of surprise, and whirled around having been alerted to the presence of someone else. “Oh, ah, I’m so sorry, I didn’t hear you there.” Theo flashed an apologetic grin at the interrupter. He recognised the boy as a first year he had helped a few times before – Bronsen Reid. Placid and docile, from what Theo had observed so far, and a good student. He smiled automatically, his air social and friendly. “Bronsen, isn’t it?” He asked in case he was wrong, which Theo knew he wasn’t. He was sure this was August and Jack’s Reid younger brother; in fact, only the other day Theo had spoken to the middle sibling, a Ravenclaw in the year below him. “I spoke to your brother, August, the other day.” Theo offered randomly with a warm smile.

“What’s wrong?” He proceeded to ask with a now concerned look; he hadn’t expected a first year to approach him. Theo ran his eyes down Bronsen and noticed the familiar-looking parchment in his hands, before making eye contact again with a wry smile. “Let me guess. Transfiguration?” Theo repeated for the second time that day, almost laughing at the déjà vu feeling. “Do you want some help? I was helping someone else before with the same piece, so I should be faster this time with answers. You know Florence Leigh, don’t you? Same year, same house.” Theo asked curiously, patting the empty chair that Florence had previously occupied. It was cold now from neglect of body warmth. “Don’t worry about the Transfiguration homework, it’s actually not too hard. Just a bit confusing.” Theo grinned encouragingly, pushing his own essay away again.

((I’m so tired I have no idea what I’ve just written… eyes going weird… oh dear… But anyway, hope this suffices… lol.))

[Bronsen Reid R1]

Theo's reaction was as kind as Bronsen had hoped. When he said Bronsen's name in a somewhat questioning sort of way, Bronsen shook his head and gave a subtle smile. Theo didn't say his name in return, and Bronsen didn't bother to ask as he had known it without needing to. At the mention of August then, his eyes brightened a bit. August was really the one person at Hogwarts that Bronsen knew he could count on to be there whenever he needed him. Only three years older, August was the person Bronsen looked up to most since both his father and Jack never did quite see Bronsen in the light that August had seen him in. August understood Bronsen more than anybody else. Even his mother didn't quite understand him, not that she was now capable of understanding such things as complicated as personalities and such. Sometimes she had a hard enough time remembering that Bronsen or any of the Reid boys for that matter were even her children. "Yeah, August is my brother," he replied matter-of-factly.

Bronsen was surprised at first that Theo had know why he was seeking help. Then, he realized he was carrying his Transfiguration book, and when Theo explained that he had just helped Florence, it made more sense. Another nod and another shy 'yes' as Bronsen took a seat beside Theo. "Florence sits beside me in Transfiguration," he informed Theo. "Sometimes she makes me laugh and Professor McGonagall never seems happy when that happens. I can't quite help it though. Florence is just too funny sometimes." Bronsen carefully turned to the page that had their assignment on it. "We're identifying the main characteristics of Transfiguration for a list of a few dozen items," he said with a confidence in his voice. School work always helped to boost Bronsen's confidence, and despite the fact that he figured Theo knew what the assignment was after having helped Florence, Bronsen wanted to simply state the fact anyways.

"I'm stuck here," he said, pointing to the example of the leaf. "I've identified the color, size, and function, but I needed help with the shape. Obviously, like color, the shape of leaves is quite random. Even knowing that though, I wasn't entirely sure what shape it is most similar to." He turned his attention from the book to Theo, half expecting him to spout off some answer that would surely be exactly what Bronsen was looking for. After all, Theo was in Ravenclaw and he was a prefect. Unless he was simply terrible at Transfiguration, a question that was designed for beginners would surely be something Theo could answer in his sleep. "Did Florence know this one?" he questioned, the tiny bit of competitive nature slightly peeking its head from behind the timidity that often surrounded Bronsen. It wasn't like he was overly competitive, but Bronsen did like to know that he wasn't the only one who had troubles with some of the assignments in certain subjects. Overall, Transfiguration was one of his average subjects. He didn't seem to struggle with it nor excel in it enough to make it either good or bad for him.

[Theo Darke]

Theo nodded and smiled as Bronsen sat down. He looked a little like August, but he couldn’t visualise the older brother, Jack, because he didn’t know him well, so didn’t dwell on if they shared any similarities. Theo had only seen Jack Reid a few times around school, and he assumed he was the type of Slytherin that stuck to himself; otherwise Theo would have known his face well. “I see.” Theo smiled fondly as Bronsen talked about Florence. “She is a cheeky little minx sometimes, isn’t she? And she looks so much like an angelic child.” Giving a mock sigh, he flashed another encouraging grin at Bronsen. “But I’m sure you’ve noticed that Transfiguration isn’t Flo’s strong point. It runs in the Leigh family; her sister is just as useless, if not more. Hence me being her tutor through the subject.” He explained briefly, before taking up Bronsen’s work and looking over it with a familiar eye. “Yeah.” He nodded his understanding as Bronsen described the assignment, which was identical to what Theo had helped Florence with before. “You’re in luck, my friend. You have an experienced Transfiguration tutor here who has to slave away every day with Little Miss Florence Leigh.” Theo joked.

“All right.” Theo nodded slowly, glancing where Bronsen was pointing. “I see. Yeah. Well done, you’ve done well so far.” He gave the younger boy an encouraging smile; he really enjoyed teaching other people, it gave him satisfaction and pleasure knowing he had made a difference to someone else’s life; Theo had helped widen their knowledge, he loved passing his understanding on. “The shapes you should be able to find some help through the textbook. It is a pretty concise section... a small one, that’s probably why you haven’t seen it so far. I should show you it, there are some good tips in it... You see, I know all the secrets of this.” Theo grinned jokingly. “You’ve got your textbook there? Yeah? Oh, good.” He reached over to take it and flipped to the contents. “It’s been so since I touched this book, and it brings back memories. I would normally be quite rusty, but helping Flo got me back in the game...” He trailed off as his mind concentrated on flicking to the right page. “Here we are.” He pushed it towards Bronsen and pointed out a section. “This page is really good. Basically, the shapes are listed here, it has some good clues. If you get stuck I can help you out, I’m right next to you. I just don’t see the point of giving someone the answers without them trying their best to get to the answer first. I want to be able to teach people properly.” Theo said somewhat solemnly, but he was still smiling in reassurance.

Theo laughed when Bronsen asked if Florence had known the answer to the question. “Flo? Oh no. Maybe you haven’t spent too long with her, but her skills in Transfiguration are pretty awful. You’ll probably notice later.” Theo laughed and shook his help in helplessness. “You’ve gotten much further than Flo; she couldn’t even get past the colours.” He remarked dryly with a hint of fond amusement in his voice. “I should grow up to be a Transfiguration professor to take over from Professor McGonagall in the future, with the amount of time I spend tutoring girls who are useless at the subject.” He muttered under his breath more to himself than Bronsen, a small smile etched on his face. “I spent an hour or so today with Flo pouring over this homework. It’s a daily ritual, almost.” He glanced wistfully at the neglected Defence Against the Dark Arts essay. “So, how are you finding Transfiguration then? And your other subjects? Got a favourite yet? I assume there’s a lesson you don’t like already.” Theo smiled good-naturedly, thinking back on his first year days. That was such a long time ago.

[Bronsen Reid R1]

"I hadn't noticed," Bronsen said truthfully when Theo asked if he had realized Flo was rather weak when it came to Transfiguration. As much as Bronsen seemed to be inwardly competitive, he was too busy paying so close attention to the professor to take much notice of other students and how they did. When the professor wasn't talking and perhaps helping another student, Bronsen was reviewing the latest material, desperately trying to absorb as much as he could. Bronsen loved to learn and was obsessive about learning as much as he possibly could. It did get tiring though, which was why he loved to have things that seemed more fun to learn than others; things like his wand research. Bronsen could read about wands all day and not get tired of it. Unfortunately, there was so much more to learn and so many other things to do with his time. He was always busy though, never wasting a moment. Perhaps this was typical for a first year, at least one with his type of personality. As the years passed, maybe he would slowly slip from his desire to be constantly learning. But for now, he enjoyed it, and his mind was young. He was able to absorb a lot, and overall he had a good time with it.

"Perhaps you wouldn't mind a second student to tutor then?" Bronsen asked hopefully. He offered a weak smile as he didn't really expect an answer. It seemed that Theo was going to help him today at least. Bronsen could always find a new tutor if Theo was tirelessly having to tutor Florence. Plus, knowing that Florence was the sister of Lori, who happened to be the best friend of Theo, Bronsen figured she'd have first chance at Theo.

As Theo spoke, Bronsen held onto every word. Overall, Theo didn't give anything that was too much help, but he did point Bronsen to a page that was later in the book which talked more about the shape characteristic of Transfiguration. Carefully, Bronsen eyed the page, reading the bits of information under each example. He scrunched his nose a bit and looked up as he thought about it for a second. "Well.... I guess we can start by classifying it as two-dimensional. Leaves are pretty thin, so they really only have a length and a width. That can rule out all of the three-dimensional shapes, right?" Bronsen was pretty sure of this concept, but it was the next part he didn't know about. "But then trying to pick the actual shape is a bit more difficult. Take a maple leaf for example. They are not really any shape in particular. I guess they have five points in some cases, but they are more like a star than a pentagon. However, not many other things are shaped like stars to be transfiguring the maple leaf into." Bronsen wasn't sure where he was going with this, and he didn't see a star as one of the possible shape to even chose from. "I guess we'd have to go with a pentagon in this case..." he said. It was sort of phrased in a question-like manner as he shrugged his shoulders with uncertainty. "But what if we are using a leaf from a fern plant? That's definitely not like a pentagon. See, what happens when the item you are doing can be all kinds of different shapes?" It seemed to be the question of the hour, at least for Bronsen. He couldn't possibly comprehend what the answer would be. Surely you couldn't pick two shapes. Or even more than two for that matter. That solution seemed too obvious. Perhaps Theo might not even know, or maybe the answer really was that simple.

When Theo told him how far Flo had gotten with her work before requiring help, Bronsen felt a bit better about his own progress. He didn't say anything about it though, not wanting to be boastful or degrading in any way. "Transfiguration's fine," Bronsen answered. He pondered the thought of Theo teaching. Bronsen really liked Professor McGonagall. She was stern with students who didn't seem to care, and through her strict outer layer, she was kind on the inside. Bronsen could easily see that. However, Theo seemed like a nice guy and a good teacher from the bit of time Bronsen had spent with him. He was quite too young to teach now though. Perhaps in a few years. Apparently, the new Arithmancy teacher who was just hired had been a graduate from the year before. Bronsen didn't have Arithmancy yet, but he had seen the new professor in the Great Hall. It wasn't often though that the teachers were that young. Some of them were quite old, having been teaching at Hogwarts for quite a while. "I guess I like Charms the best," he said when Theo asked him about the other classes. "Potions is all right," he added with an indifferent sort of facial expression. "Defence Against the Dark Arts is a good class too." It was hard for Bronsen to not like most of his classes for the majority of the time. "Astronomy isn't that great though," he decided. Sometimes, Bronsen felt like Astronomy consisted of too much memorizing. He preferred classes that involved a bit more practical work than what Astronomy offered. "I'm really looking forward to muggle studies though," he said with a look of interest. "Do you like that class? I've always thought it might be really neat to see what kinds of things muggles use to do the things we can do with magic."

As the two of them sat and talked while Theo helped him with his homework, Bronsen couldn't help but remember the new piece of news that had been circulating about Theo this year. Bronsen had heard lots of people talking about how Theo was gay, but for a while, he hadn't known who Theo was. This was the first time since hearing the news that Bronsen had really gotten to talk to Theo. He wasn't sure how he felt about it really. Bronsen wasn't one to get into relationships though. He found them somewhat useless for now. Love didn't seem to be a need he felt the desire to fulfill. Thinking about Theo though, Bronsen was a bit curious. The idea of a relationship seemed foreign enough to him, let alone a relationship with another guy. In fact, maybe Theo didn't even have a relationship. But then, how would he know that he was gay? Bronsen had so many questions he wanted to ask, but felt it might a bit rude and also embarrassing to to bring up. In that moment though, something in Bronsen gave him the courage to ask. It wasn't like him, but at the same time, he was such a curious kid that it only seemed natural for him to ask about anything he didn't quite understand. "How'd you know you were gay, Theo?" The question probably seemed to come from nowhere, and Bronsen realized that. He wished he could have taken it back, perhaps eased into it a bit, but it was out there now. Plus, Theo was such a nice guy that Bronsen doubted he would get angry.

[Theo Darke]

“You will notice soon then,” Theo tried to say with a straight face, but he couldn’t help his lips curling into an amused smile. He felt a little sympathetic for Bronsen, as he sure didn’t know what he was in for during his Transfiguration lessons; Theo and Lori had always sat together during the last four to five years, and Theo had witnessed some extreme things during his time. If Florence was as bad as her sister, which, as Theo had assessed as he had helped her during this first half a year, she was, then Bronsen would be in for one heck of a time. Theo felt the need to alert the younger boy to this fact, because it would certainly be good to steer clear of the other end of Florence’s wand in Transfiguration. However, most likely Bronsen wouldn’t truly understand the extent of Theo’s words; no one quite believed the tale of the Leighs’ awful skill at the subject. Plus, Theo didn’t want to sound like he was talking about someone else behind their back in a snide way. Keeping it peaceful and indifferent, as neutral as possible, was the best way forward. So instead, he continued to smile down at Bronsen in reassurance. “Of course not.” Theo grinned in reply, “The more the merrier. I am thinking about professions in the future, and perhaps teaching will be something I’ll take up. So, the more practice the better, right?” He then gave a casual shrug with a lopsided smile, “Anyway, I’ve always been quite good at Transfiguration, and I enjoy passing on the knowledge to other people. Rest assured, you’re in good hands.”

Theo listened after Bronsen had finished reading over the short passage in the textbook, before nodding his head. “Yes.” He replied in approval, casting his eyes over Bronsen’s homework with a familiar eye. “That’s right. Although in real life it is 3D, it can be classified as 2D, because of how thin it is. You’ll find that with other simple objects too.” Bronsen ploughed onto maple leaves, questioning their shape. Theo nodded slowly in return. “Yes, a pentagon, because as you’ve pointed out, it has five points like a star. Nothing is ideal, so just go for the second best thing. It works out, especially if you perform the transfiguration correctly.” Theo glanced at Bronsen in slight admiration for his curious questioning personality. Already it was obvious to why he had been sorted into Ravenclaw; he had the same enquiring mind as his older brother, August. Theo wondered what else the two shared in common; and if they had any similarities with their eldest sibling, Jack. “There isn’t a set shape for a particular object. Take the leaf, for example. Like you said, there are different kids of leaves; maple, fern, oak, chestnut, beech. The list is endless, because there are so many different trees with different leaves out there. So, yes, you are correct in thinking that every single time you will encounter a leaf with a different shape. Even within its own type; say, the fern leaf, for example; it may have perhaps another corner to it, possibly just a random deformity. That means it is not your usual fern leaf. Then what? Leaves have a different shape for each one, right? Not one leaf is the same. Well, you just have to treat each one differently. Don’t think of them as all being within one branch of transfiguration; every shape is different and therefore requires a different type of spell or incantation. You have to be smart enough to figure out which one, which of course, you get onto learning later. For now, generally all leaves fall into the same category, and they all work with the same shape. Do you follow me?” Theo looked to Bronsen’s face to see if he was confused or lost yet.

“Anyway, this still leaves you in the dilemma of what to write in that box, right?” Theo stated more than questioned, sliding the homework along the table to view it more clearly. Remembering what he had done with Florence before (and he was glad Bronsen seemed to be catching his drift for the most part, because with Florence he had had to explain it several times, even doing it for her when it came to the point she just didn’t understand and didn’t plan on doing so anytime soon), Theo continued. “I don’t want to give you the answer outright, like I said before, but... as a hint for you, go with the shape you believe best fits the general shape of all leaves. Because that one usually works with all leaves in your first year, trust me. It’s only when you get onto the more complex stuff...” He smiled wryly, “Yep, there is a whole load more about leaves, more than you can imagine. Transfiguration is a wide subject; a fun one, though, at least. Lots of things to learn and digest.” Theo nodded sagely when Bronsen said he found the class ‘fine’.

Theo smiled wider when Bronsen said he liked Charms the best. “It’s my favourite subject too. To be honest, I like all my classes, but Charms comes top.” Theo grinned at Bronsen’s comment on Astronomy. “The subject or the teacher? I’m guessing the subject? I quite like it, you see, but it’s not for everyone, especially the times of the day... or should I say night, we have to have the lessons. I’m not much of a night person, but I still enjoy it. I’m afraid you’ll have to keep that class till my year, for OWL, but you can drop it for NEWT and take on your favourite subjects.” He smiled reassuringly. “I do. Muggle Studies is great. It’s really fascinating to learn about such a different culture. I think they should offer the classes in first year.” Theo nodded his enthusiasm. He was definitely pro-muggle, rather than anti like the Slytherins. Glancing across at the homework again, Theo recollected one of his first Transfiguration lessons with Professor McGonagall and his lips quirked in memory. “I actually remember doing something with leaves back in my first year. But, I believe now that Professor Dumbledore has retired and Professor McGonagall is Headmistress, the teacher for Transfiguration has switched to Professor... Thorne, isn’t it? I haven’t had a lesson with him yet, but according to rumours he an animagus like McGonagall, and he changes into a Siberian tiger.” Theo grinned in enthusiasm. “Sounds pretty cool. I can’t wait till my next lesson. Flo said you guys have a lesson with him soon, and she said other first years were telling her about an activity with needles or pins, or something along those lines.” Theo nodded his approval. “Makes sense. They’re pretty 2D, since they’re so small and thin. Should be easy for the gifted kids to transfigure.” He turned his eyes on Bronsen and patted him encouragingly on the shoulder. “I’m sure it will be easy for you, Bronsen. You seem to have a knack for the subject.”

Theo almost started when Bronsen asked him a question concerning his sexuality; so much so he almost fell off his chair, since he was swinging a little on it. “Whoa...” Theo whistled under his breath as he steadied it – and his beating heart. Somehow the subject could still cause Theo’s blood pressure to go through the roof. He wasn’t ashamed of it, but it was certainly a topic that made him nervous when discussing it with some people. Not that he had anything against Bronsen, but the kid was so young, and he wondered if it were right to ‘expose’ such things to them; would that be irresponsible of him? However, Theo had long since decided before that children should have every right to know about homo and bisexuality. The world had to make everyone tolerant of something that was not a mental illness, which it once had been classed as in Britain. Anyway, his own siblings knew, and they were younger. Theo avoided looking at Bronsen at first, shuffling his chair and just plain fidgeting; he was wondering how much Bronsen was aware of. It wasn’t a surprise he knew, since he knew Flo, and Flo knew. Both his parents and the Leighs had been genuinely surprised, but tolerant of his confession, a relief for Theo. He supposed since Bronsen asked he wasn’t prejudiced, but one could never really tell; opinions could be hidden, or changed.

“How?” Theo finally murmured quietly, looking up at Bronsen again with a gentle smile. “Hm... I’m not sure. I just... did. It clicked for me just during my fourth year. We went on holiday to France in the Easter break, like we do every year. My family, along with my best friend’s family, stayed by this beautiful sunny beach. I don’t want to be corny, but it reminded me of the vision of ‘paradise’.” He shrugged. “Anyway, I met someone there, and it wasn’t the first time I realised I was attracted to someone the same gender as me. I had never looked at girls either. I had always pushed it away before, but now the feeling was stronger than ever, so much so it almost consumed me. I realised I was hiding the true me away. At first I was afraid about telling someone. I was terrified, in fact. It’s not something people see as ‘normal’. I didn’t hate myself, but I couldn’t be comfortable either, and I felt guilty about keeping it all in. Eventually I told Lori, and it went from there.” Theo leaned back in his chair and chewed his lip in thought, before saying, “I’m not really sure that clarity and understanding can be explained. You might get it soon, actually. I’m not saying you’re going to be gay, like me, but it’s the same feeling for girls for you, I’m sure. Girls with guys, guys with girls, girls with girls and guys with guys. You hit that age and suddenly everything overwhelms you; the knowledge that you are attracted to someone. You’ll realise how much you ache for them in here.” Theo tapped his heart with a soft smile. “The same way you feel about your family, your friends, the people and beings you love. Maybe even stronger. And that person just might be someone of the same gender as you.”

((Maybe I should read this Transfiguration textbook. Where can it be found again? It’s pretty hard to write this post as though Theo knows what he’s doing, when I certainly don’t! *laughs*))

[Bronsen Reid R1]

Bronsen couldn't help but smile whenever Theo confirmed that he was indeed on the right track. At least he was going in the right direction, it seemed. He wasn't one-hundred percent sure he was getting it all completely, but it was nice to know he had a very general understanding at least. As Theo proceeded to explain a few more things, Bronsen listened with a natural curiosity as he tried to follow everything that Theo was saying. It helped him to be able to visualize most of what Theo was saying in his mind, and so Bronsen's eyes were pointed toward the ceiling as he unknowingly had his bottom lip pinched between his teeth as he thought. "I think I'm understanding it a bit better," he said with a nod of assurance when Theo questioned him. "Basically, you have to treat each transfiguration a bit differently even if it is the same spell being cast. All objects, or at least most objects, are unique even if they are the type of thing as something else, like leaves for instance. So, since everything is unique in its own way, you have to consider that whenever you are casting the spell." Bronsen concluded with a look of inquiry as he hoped for some sort of confirmation from Theo. Bronsen loved it when others helped to reassure him that he was doing things right.

Bronsen looked back at his homework and finally decided on an answer. Theo didn't say whether or not it was right, but by this point, Bronsen had a feeling that it was a good answer. At least he had tried his hardest. One good thing about most professors was that they were willing to distinguish between students who really tried their best and still perhaps got things wrong and then those who didn't seem to care. That was with most professors though, and not all professors. Theo transitioned into his next subject which was ironically on Bronsen's mind already. The new Transfiguration professor, Isaac Thorne, was just part of the recent news that followed after Dumbledore announced his retirement. Bronsen couldn't help but wonder if Professor Thorne would be the type of professor who didn't care as much about correct answers as he cared about the students' willingness to try. Granted, Bronsen hated being wrong, but it was only natural that he, nor anybody else, could always be right. "Sometimes it's the practical part that I have trouble with though," he said after Theo had completed his round of thoughts about classes and the new Transfiguration professor. It was nice of him to compliment Bronsen though, and Bronsen had done his best not to smile too wide when the compliment came. "You're very good yourself though," he added quickly, not wanting to have Theo simply be the one to give the compliments.

Bronsen became nervous whenever his question about Theo's sexual orientation seemed to catch him a bit off guard. It made him think to himself even more that he shouldn't have asked the question. However, much to Bronsen's relief, Theo seemed alright in answering the question, and he didn't seem as much upset as he seemed confused about how to answer the question in general. Bronsen listened though as Theo did start to answer, adding in bits of his own experience and trying his best to put it in a way that Bronsen might understand. "I see," Bronsen replied, though he really didn't see at all. He understood the concepts of what Theo spoke, but he didn't really understand it beyond that. Perhaps it would be something he would have to wait to understand. He would have to wait for that dreadful thing that he had been warned about. Bronsen didn't want to reach the age where things would start to change. It scared him to think about it. But then again, he saw so many other people, students older than himself, and they were all fine, weren't they? Perhaps he shouldn't be afraid for when that age came for him. Bronsen made a note to ask August more about it, but for now he figured that Theo's answer would suffice. There was no need to make it more confusing. Theo had been kind enough to try to explain at least. "I guess I'll just have to wait to understand it fully," he added with a shrug.

Bronsen was feeling that it might be time to leave Theo alone. He had already done enough in helping with homework and then trying to answer Bronsen's quite random question. It was probably a good time for Bronsen to head back to his room anyways. "Thanks for your help though, with both the homework and answering my question." Bronsen shut his book and stood to go back to his stuff. Before he left though, he turned and titled his head curiously as he looked back at Theo with one more question burning at his chest. "What about Flo? Does she like boys? I mean, am I the only one who still hasn't hit that stage?" Bronsen was speaking rather quietly now, not wanting others to hear. He was rather embarrassed by just Theo hearing him, but he trusted him in a way and knew that Theo wouldn't taunt him or anything of the sort for asking. Bronsen couldn't help but wonder though if he was the only student in Hogwarts that didn't know what it meant to have a romantic relationship. Was he the only one who hadn't been through puberty? It was an overwhelming thought to try to accept, and he looked anxiously to Theo for an answer, provided that Theo even had an answer. Maybe everybody else in Bronsen's year was as scared and nervous as himself about talking of such subjects.

[Theo Darke]

Theo nodded his affirmation. “Yes, exactly.” His smile was exuberant, reassuring. “Don’t worry like it too much, like I said. After all, that concept won’t be introduced to you for a while yet. Just store it in your memory; it’ll definitely be useful later on.” Theo gave a small shrug and patted Bronsen encouraging on the back when he said he wasn’t good at the practical part. “Don’t worry about it. The practical part takes practice, Bronsen. Try transfiguring something small every day and you’ll be expert at it in no time. If you ever need any help with it, you know where to find me.” Theo smiled, then laughed as Bronsen returned the compliment. He wondered if it was because the boy was polite or embarrassed, but took it all in good jest. “Thanks. I used to practice a lot. I wasn’t awful at the practical side of things, but I’ve always done better at the less practical work.” Theo explained jovially, remembering the old days of practising his Transfiguration homeworks. “It’s been a very nostalgic day, you know.” Theo said out loud to no one in particular. Teaching the first years had brought up memories he hadn’t remembered in a long time. It felt like his last five years had sailed past in a whirlwind of work and fun. Sometimes Theo missed the naïve past, but he enjoyed growing up and learning about the world. It was like opening a new box of surprises every time he hit another birthday.

Theo gave Bronsen a wry smile. “Yes. It’s not something someone can explain to you and you can understand completely. You have to experience for yourself. It’s a life lesson.” He didn’t want to scare Bronsen, but he wanted to be realistic with the boy. There wasn’t any point in covering up the truth; Theo knew Bronsen was the type to listen to his advice carefully and take it on board. “Don’t worry about it.” Theo said firmly, putting his chin into his hands as they propped against the table. “It’ll come to you one day. You don’t want to get too far ahead of yourself, do you now, Bronsen?” Theo grinned, shaking his head. Bronsen was certainly the type to plan ahead, think to the future. Theo personally believed too much worry for the future only made your fears more likely of occurring. Who could enjoy life, agonising over every step of the way? Theo believed in taking one step at a time, but he didn’t believe in thinking about every step he made. Some steps were the wrong steps, and he knew he had taken some of those already. But like he had said to Bronsen, life was a lesson in itself, and those wrong steps would turn into experience and understanding, all of which Theo treasured and used to his advantage.

”No problem.” Theo have Bronsen a supportive grin, tilting his head to one side. “Come see me again anytime if you need my help. I’d be happy to be of service.” He nodded enthusiastically, about to turn back to finish his essay, when Bronsen’s voice cut through his thoughts again. Turning around, the younger boy asked him a question that made Theo smile a little. He could sense the urgency in Bronsen’s tone of voice; his embarrassment as he kept his words quiet and hushed. “Flo likes boys. As friends.” Theo replied gently, his voice just as soft and low, as though sharing a special secret with Bronsen. “She likes girls as friends too. You are not the only one who hasn’t hit that stage yet, Bronsen.” Theo put a comforting hand on the younger boy’s shoulder. “Trust me. I didn’t understand until my fourth year, and you’re only in first year! You’re eleven years old! Love and girls and boys should be the last thing on your mind.” He said genuinely, his smile tender. “Love is not something you should worry about even when you hit my age. When the right person comes along, you’ll understand that. These things happen at different times for different people. But I can guarantee you that most of your year haven’t gone through this stage yet, and won’t be for a while yet. Those that have are either lying or completely abnormal.” Theo joked lightly with a laugh. “So ignore everything they say, okay? That stage? It’s reachable, but it’s not a stage you need to aim for. It comes to you.” Theo’s finger found Bronsen’s chest and pressed against his robes gently. “Be patient.” He concluded with a soft smile.

[Bronsen Reid R1]

What Theo said had come as a relief to Bronsen. He always hated when it seemed he was the only one who felt the way he felt. However, Theo had made it easy for him to accept that he wasn't alone in his feelings. Bronsen didn't open up much to people, so it was easy for him to live in his own world of worry and fear that he would never understand the things he desired to understand. Theo had helped to open his mind though, and Bronsen was thankful for that. "Yeah?" he said, possibly searching for more reassurance. But, as Theo's words sank in, Bronsen realized he was right. "Yeah, I guess I do have lots of time to figure things out." He smiled brightly, a smile brighter than what he had produced in a while. It wasn't often that he got one of those feelings like he had now. It was a feeling that let him believe everything really was going to be ok. It was a feeling that let him forget about Jack and his family. It was a freeing feeling, and it was a feeling that let Bronsen be the child that he was. So often, he felt as though he was rushed to grow up and that nobody had really realized it. He liked having the carefree feeling.

"I will be patient," he said with a nod. "I like life how it is now, or at least for the most part, so I don't want to go rushing into anything that seems as scary as love does." The thought made him think of Valentine's Day, for it was coming up in a week or so. He had noticed that there were posters up in the common room that advertised for a flower sale and a chance to get a love message published in a magazine. It all seemed like fun in a sort of carefree way, but Bronsen was too shy to participate in such things. Plus, he had no clue who he would even get a flower for or write a poem to. Of course, he could always give Flo a yellow flower. It only symbolized friendship after all, and Bronsen would consider Flo a friend, or at least he figured he could eventually if he perhaps might talk to her a bit more. "Do you think Flo would like a yellow flower for Valentine's Day?" he asked. By this time, he had respected Theo's advice and wanted to know what he thought. "I'd consider her a friend," he added with a shrug.

After Theo gave his opinion on the manner, Bronsen figured he really should get going. He had stolen enough of Theo's time asking for his help with homework and then pestering him with enough questions to fill a book. "Thanks again, for everything," he offered one last time. "I really should go now." Bronsen gave another quick smile before hurrying back to his pile of books at the table across the room. He packed his things eagerly, happy to have taken the time to talk to Theo. In a lot of ways, Theo reminded him of August and the way that Bronsen could easily talk to August about anything. He made a note to tell August about his talk with Theo as he scampered to his room to wash for dinner.

[Theo Darke]

Theo cracked an amused smile at Bronsen's words. "Yeah. Love is pretty scary. Scary even for someone like me." He said with genuine honesty. "I'm sure she'd be delighted." He nodded, grinning. "She'll be getting a lot, mind you. She's on my long list of yellow flowers too." He recalled the amount of people he planned on sending a yellow flower for Valentine's Day, which included Lori (of course), Flo, Scott, Dylan... Theo smiled contentedly to himself; it seemed this year he had some proper friends to flowers to. It was a shame he wouldn't be buying any red or pink flowers, though Theo didn't expect he would be doing that even by his seventh year. What were the chances of finding love here and at his age? No, Theo's heart was not set on finding a man anytime soon; he'd let that person come to him in due time, and in the meantime, he would be patient, following the same advice he had given Bronsen. "No problem. Any time." Theo smiled friendlily at the younger boy, "See you round, Bronsen." He watched as the Ravenclaw child disappeared, and turned back to his own work, pulling the forgotten essay towards him with an inaudible sigh. Work. Not that Theo didn't enjoy working; he was a study-freak, in a way. But, it would've been nice to take a rest tonight, but no such luck. What with helping Flo and Bronsen with their Transfiguration homework, a lot of his relaxation time had been sapped away. He didn't regret it, but he was tired, and was beginning to think perhaps he should put the essay away for another day and go find Lori. He didn't know where his best friend was, and he felt like he'd neglected her. Lori could seem so distant sometimes nowadays, and it worried Theo constantly.

Deciding to call it a day, Theo began to pack his things up and head to his dorm. He wasn't in the mood to finish writing a Defence Against the Dark Arts essay, and he knew he would make a better job of it after some decent rest. Theo preferred to put one hundred percent into his homework to get a rewarding result, rather than force the motivation upon himself. He found that the quality of his work fell dramatically. He ran a hand through his short blonde hair as he gathered his parchment into a pile, textbooks flattening them to make sure they didn't stray. Losing even one piece of his work would be drastic, as Theo had once learnt several years ago. It had meant he could not finish his homework, but thankfully, Lori had her notes in tact, and he had used hers instead. Lori was Theo's life-saver, and he hoped she always would be. Just as he was about to shove his stuff into his arms and stand up to return to his dorm, a piercing voice split his ears and caused him to fall onto the chair again, his things dumping themselves back on the table.

"Theeeeeooo!"

Theo stifled a groan in the back of his throat and turned around with a bright smile on his face. "Yes, Flo?"