A Different World ((Lynnette))

[Theo Darke]

Theo picked up one of the books lying in his trunk and turned it over in his hands. Staring at it for a few pondering moments, he shook his head to himself before grabbing another book and replacing the first one. After much inward deliberation, Theo eventually settled on a thick novel by a muggle author, Phillip Pullman. Although Theo was a wizard through and through, having been raised in a magical environment since birth due to having pureblood parents with little knowledge and association with muggle technology and culture, he was still extremely fond of their books. There was usually little difference between the two types, and Theo found the muggle imagination much more amusing and fascinating; their definitions of magic were interpreted in so many different ways. As a child, he had actively sought for muggle books and newspapers, and even now Theo thoroughly enjoyed a six hundred page novel about a world with ‘daemons’ and ‘dimensions’.

Putting ‘The Amber Spyglass’ under his arm, Theo glanced out of the window and noted the fair weather, where rare autumn sun beat down. Deciding not to waste such a lovely day, Theo went against the usual reading spots of the Common Room or the Student Lounge. Grabbing a warm jacket, he headed out of his dormitory, making a short trip to his destination: the Courtyard. Recently the temperatures had dropped significantly, forcing many students who feared the cold indoors to the fireplace-bearing rooms, such as the Common Rooms and the Student Lounge. Theo and Lori had already worn their gloves and scarves on several occasions, and many pupils had followed suit. However, there were still the odd days when the sun would shine brightly in the sky as though winter was nowhere near approaching. The trees, though, were a clear indication of the seasons; many had lost most of their golden leaves, swept to the floor in piles of colour.

Theo chose a free bench for himself once in the Courtyard, and settled down comfortably. The air was somewhat warm, but Theo was still appreciative of the jacket he had flung over his shoulders. Opening the book, which was the third and last novel in a series called ‘His Dark Materials’ (Theo had read the previous two, ‘The Northern Lights’ and ‘The Subtle Knife’ before, and couldn’t wait to read the ending, though had been prolonging this due to the extensive length of Pullman’s writings), Theo began to read, taking full enjoyment in every word the muggle author had written. He sometimes wondered where writers gained such inspiration – where he got his own inspiration from when he set pen to paper, whether it be for a poem, a song, a short story… the beginnings of a novel. Engrossed in the fantasy tale, Theo barely noticed when a presence joined him on the bench, until a familiar voice called him out of his reverie. Looking up, Theo neglected his book momentarily in disappointment, but not in impatience; he always had time for people, for they still came before his love for reading.

“Lynette.” Theo smiled in greeting at the older Ravenclaw girl he recognised. He hadn’t spoken to her much, but he knew her name, and she seemed fairly decent and friendly. Theo was sure she had a twin brother in Hufflepuff, but couldn’t recall his name. “How are you?” Theo proceeded to ask kindly, smiling in his usual polite way.

[Lynne Collins]

“Jupiter,” Lynne whistled for her little kitten experimentally, wondering if the kitten had picked up the habits of the rest of her litter and would actually respond this time. But no, of course not. How typical of her to pick the most difficult kitten out of the lot. And how annoying that she knew Kael would just laugh and call it ironic because wasn’t she the most difficult out of the twins? Lynne sighed and rolled her eyes impatiently, letting the black kitten she was holding in her arms climb down onto her bed before kneeling and peering underneath it. “Hello Jup,” she greeted grimly, pulling the white kitten out of her hiding place and placing her on the bedspread gently. The meows coming from the bed sounded joyful and Lynne smiled slightly, her annoyance with Jupiter fading away. The white kitten was just as glad to see her brother as Lynne would be to see Kael.

It wasn’t annoying to be asked to look after Pluto for the day; the black kitten was just as well behaved as his owner when he wanted to be. Of course, being with the ever-active Jupiter would probably change the small kittens behaviour until he was just as impish and playful as his sister but Lynne could handle it. They were too adorable to stay mad at for too long anyway, even if Lynne had a temper that could be flared up by such small things, which she didn’t. She had learnt to be calm no matter what a long time ago, for as long as she wanted to be thought of as like everyone else. When she was angry or frustrated, she tended to blurt out colours as opposed to names and that tendency had nearly exposed her secret more than once when she had been younger. She hadn’t been as bothered about keeping her synaesthesia a secret then as she was now. It hadn’t seemed such a big deal when she had been eight.

“Time to go!” Lynne clapped her hands eagerly, allowing Jupiter to claim her place nestled among Lynne’s blond hair before looking at Pluto thoughtfully. She hadn’t ever had to travel anywhere with him before – well, he was Kael’s responsibility! And Kael never delegated anything to anyone, let alone her – and she wasn’t quite sure how to proceed. Was he like Jupiter, unable to stay by her side and always dashing off somewhere and getting lost, returning hours later? Or was he more sensible and therefore able to stay with her as she made her way out to the courtyard? Oh, she hated having to make these decisions. But Kael would be so angry if she lost his kitten and so there really wasn’t a decision to speak of. “Sorry Pluto,” Lynne murmured before moving the kitten from the bed and holding onto him firmly, earning a mew in protest. Evidently, Kael had never held him in such a way and so she loosened her grip somewhat, allowing the kitten to pick a spot for himself. It didn’t take long before she had the black kitten on her left shoulder and the white kitten sitting on top of her head regally. What a sight she must make, Lynne pondered uncaringly as she walked through Hogwarts and out to the courtyard.

After performing a charm that prevented the two kittens from running too far away, Lynne pulled a ball out of one of her pockets and threw it, feeling a mixture between amusement and exasperation when Jupiter, in her eagerness to play, left a red scratch adorning her cheek as she jumped down. “Theo,” Lynne called to the younger Ravenclaw, sitting down next to him and watching the kittens play-fight each other. “I’m pretty much fine; just got stuck with kitten duty.” She smiled wryly, rubbing at her cheek gingerly. “What brings you out into the cold?”

[Theo Darke]

Theo chuckled as he watched Lynette’s kittens play with the ball. “Who does the black one belong to, and what’s the kitten’s name?” He asked with interest, leaning over and smiling at said cat. He was sure the white-furred one belonged to Lynette, but he didn’t know its name either. However, he could tell from the active personality of that kitten that she or he belonged to Lynette; the black one seemed somewhat quieter, much more suited to Theo’s characteristics. “That being said, I don’t know your kitten’s name either.” Theo smiled wryly. “Nor do I know the gender.” He let his hand drift to the black kitten’s head and gently pet behind its ears with a fond look in his eye; Theo liked animals, they were good companions. His Snowy owl, Luna, was extremely loyal to him, and in return Theo treated her like an equal. He had been given Luna as a birthday present in his second year, and they had been together since. “How long have you had your kitten then?” Theo proceeded to ask Lynette in order to make conversation. “They’re adorable.” He added with a contented smile.

Theo gave a careless shrug in answer to Lynette’s question. “I didn’t want to waste the good weather. It may be cold – it grows colder by the day, huh? – but this sunshine is pretty rare, and I wanted to make the most of it. I know I won’t be able to sit out here like now and enjoy a book until spring returns, and I like coming out for the fresh air, as much as I also like the Common Room or the Student Lounge.” Theo gave a somewhat longwinded explanation, but he knew Lynette wouldn’t mind. From the past times he had spoken to the older Ravenclaw, he knew she was someone he could talk to casually, and elaborate too, because she was quite talkative herself. Girls were generally more so than girls, Theo would know having a girl for a best friend, and he was used to it. He wasn’t like other boys, who couldn’t express themselves with detailed terminology; Theo liked extensive chats, especially when it wasn’t about objects and sport (which was the stereotype of what men liked to talk about). This was one of his characteristics which made his sexuality ‘obvious’, though aside from this, Theo was not known before the coming out of his homosexuality as very gay. In fact, he knew too well how people suspected him and Lori of being a couple way back in their second year days.

“What brings you out there then, Lynette?” Theo proceeded to ask with a smile, “Give the kittens a bit of fun time to wear them out before lunch?” The white kitten neared him, and he reached out a hand again to stroke its head. “Maybe I should get Lori a kitten for Christmas.” Theo mused as he stared at the white cat beneath his hand. “One like yours. She already has Bubblehum... her pink pygmy puff.” Theo clarified for Lynette. “But I could imagine her with a white kitten. I’ve been stuck about what to get her for ages... She can share with Flo. Flo can take care of it most of the time, she’s the typical excitable first year.” Theo smiled wryly at Lynette. “You’ve not met Flo, Lori’s sister, have you? I’ve got to introduce you some time. Flo – well, she’s actually called Florence, I’m the only one who calls her Flo – she is adorable.” Theo grinned fondly. “A replica of Lori, with green eyes rather than blue.” Theo realised he was going off subject again, and chuckled. He wasn’t apologetic of being what others would describe ‘girly’. He was himself, and no one could change him or put him down about it. Catching sight of a scratch on Lynette’s cheek, Theo frowned and leaned forward to point it out to her. “Hey, are you all right? I think one of the cats caught you there. It’s bleeding a bit.” Theo said in concern.

[Lynne Collins]

“Pluto belongs to Kael – you know Kael right? He’s pretty easy to miss in a crowd though and Hogwarts is huge so you might not have ever seen him. That twin of mine likes to blend into the shadows far too much. If it weren’t for the fact that I’m his own twin, he probably wouldn’t even talk to me. I’m too talkative for his tastes, don’t you think?” Lynne laughed, dropping her hand after pointing out the dark-furred kitten for Theo. She had proved her own point even before she had made it just by drawing out a simple fact into a full blown monologue. “Jupiter is the white kitten; you’ve probably seen her exploring the common room. She’s always getting into trouble and mischief and she generally drags her brother, Pluto,” Lynne added for Theo’s benefit, “into trouble right along with her when they’re together. It drives Kael crazy because he claims that Pluto is well behaved whenever Jupiter isn’t around. Like it’s all my poor Jup’s fault.” Lynne scoffed laughingly. “Jupiter and Pluto were born last December. You wouldn’t think that Jupiter had been the runt of the litter, would you? I had to hand-feed her and after that I couldn’t bear to sell her with the rest of the litter. Kael backed me up by telling our parents that he wanted to keep a kitten as well.” Lynne cracked a slight smile, her eyes openly amused. “My parents can say no to me but not to Kael. Which is just as well, I suppose, because he so rarely asks for anything from them. Independent to the very end, that’s my brother.”

Pluto hissed in protest when Jupiter bit his ear roughly, seeking protection from his sister in Lynne’s lap. Lynne smiled absent-mindedly, her fingers drawing abstract patterns through his fur and making purrs sound from his throat as the kitten settled down. “I dislike the Lounge. It’s somewhat like the meeting place for the students who have friends in different houses and so it grows too noisy too quickly. It’s hard to concentrate in there. Besides, I’ve never been that good with younger kids. Surprisingly enough, Kael can get along with people of any age as long as they let him have his quiet moments and harsh comments. From what most people see of us, it should be the other way around, right?” Her smile was light but the mocking derision she couldn’t help but to feel was reflected in her eyes. People saw a mixture of what they wanted to and what they were wanted to see. That was something Lynne had learned early on in life, even before she had entered Hogwarts. It had been in the school that she had perfected her techniques for hiding what she didn’t want people to see and she was good enough that even Kael sometimes was fooled by her. Not often, because not only was her twin sharp but Lynne couldn’t stand to trick him when he had always been there for her.

“I needed something to amuse the kittens with. Generally, I can manage fine with just Jupiter but Kael asked me to look after Pluto as well. As you can see, Jupiter is a handful by herself but she’s even worse when she’s with Pluto.” Lynne waved a hand toward her kitten demonstratively, seeing the antics of the white-furred kitten out of the corner of her eye. Since her playmate had removed himself to her owners lap, Jupiter had taken it upon herself to recruit herself another friend in the form of a leaf being blown about by the gentle wind. “I hadn’t thought of what I was going to amuse myself with so it’s a good thing you’re here to amuse me. I do so enjoy being amused.” Lynne tilted her head at the mention of a kitten, her eyes fixed upon the boy thoughtfully. It was, as a rule, Kael who found prospective buyers amongst the students they attended school with but she sometimes diverted people to him or handled them herself if they felt intimidated by her brother. “My parents are in the cat-breeding business, if you’re interested.” Lynne offered with a shrug. “I can’t promise that the kitten will look identical to Jupiter but her mother is still there. It’ll be the summer, probably, before you and Lori can come and check out a litter, if you’re still interested then so the kitten wouldn’t be a Christmas present if you want one from us. Lori needs to be there because we need to see how the kittens react to a prospective owner. It’s like they sense someone they particularly like and bond with them. For example, Saturn, Jupiter and Pluto’s mother, absolutely hates everyone but my father. No one can get near her except him unless she’s ill.”

Lynne frowned, swiping a finger along her cheek and rolling her eyes at the stripe of blood staining her hand. “I’ll be fine,” she assured him good-naturedly. “It’s just a fact of life when living with Jupiter. She likes to ride on my head and she sometimes catches me with her claws when she jumps down. It was even worse when her teeth were coming through because she preferred chewing on my fingers rather than her toy to ease her pain.” Jupiter wasn’t the only kitten who had used Lynne as a scratching post. With sixteen years of living with kittens, almost all of whom came and went within a year, she had acquired so many cuts and scars that she didn’t think anything of it anymore. The silvery coloured scars were so small and camouflaged against her skin that they were hardly visible anyway. Unless someone was specifically looking for them, or studying her intently, the scars wouldn’t be seen.