Anywhere but Home (Mack)

[Eric Caolan R6]

It was a couple of hours between lunch and dinner, and Eric wanted to take a walk. His mind was on a whole mess of things, as the end of the year drew in close. He was not looking forward to another mind wrenching summer with Grandfather and Grandmother. Just the thought made his stomach do flips.

He could see it now, his grandmother sitting there with her hands folded and sipping sherry, while his grandfather sloshed brandy and looked at him with that ridicule. “You spend much too much time with your head in the clouds and not on your studies. For heaven’s sake, you’re a Caolan.”

Eric shoved his hands in his pockets and started to brood. He loved being at school and was already longing the start of the year feast.

“All my friends have exciting vacations planned and I’m stuck with two old coots who would not know humor if it bit them right in the a---oof!” he was deep in a rant when he noticed he had run right into someone.

((Sorry, so short, lol.))

[Mackenzie Holden]

Mack strolled through the corridors, her eyes straight ahead of her, her mind elsewhere. Her mind was always elsewhere these days. She was just going through the motions, waiting for July 1st and for school to be over. Then she could focus... she could focus on her music and nothing else, which was what she really longed to do. When Mack focused on her music, she became oblivious to everything else in the world and that's exactly what Mack needed. With all that was going on in her life, Mack could do with something that she poured all her energy and will power into. She found that when times got rough for her, she hid in her music, but she figured that it was something everyone did; hid themselves in their work or hobbies so they wouldn't have to focus or think about what was making them depressed. Was Mack depressed, though? She didn't know, and she wasn't sure she wanted to know. If Mack realized she was depressed, she wasn't sure how she'd handle that.

She made her way down the corridor, passing people who were going to and fro. It wasn't like she was paying attention to where she was going anyway. She had a free hour before she had to go play good Prefect and Mack was spending it wandering the corridors aimlessly. There were worse things she could do with her time, surely. She could be spending her free hour actually doing something she should be doing, like studying or catching up on homework, or something of the sort that would make her professors happy. That's the only reason Mack did her assignments as it was, because she was a prefect and because she needed to keep up appearances. Mack sighed and ran her fingers through her blonde hair, trying to keep her focus on where she was going and not on how her life was going down the drain.

The moment she started to focus in on her surroundings, she slammed into someone - or rather, someone slammed into her. Mack groaned as she stumbled backward, putting her hand to her head in an attempt to stop it from spinning. Looking up, she saw a guy her age standing just across the way from her. She sighed and steadied herself before looking at him and shaking her head, "It would appear that no one pays attention to their surroundings anymore."

[Eric Caolan R6]

Eric cursed loudly; he was in no mood to get into it with some no brain git who was not looking where he was going. Ready to punch his roadblock right in the nose, he took a second to actually look at the guy.

Oh...make that girl he thought, regaining some composure. He would more or less be thrown into the Forbidden Forest if he punched a girl in the face. He looked her over, trying to place her face. Saint Ciarian, a prefect...a Slytherin Prefect. Perfect. Just what he needed, some prefect sticking their nose into business not their own, and nagging about how he should be sitting in the library. He would have to watch what he said or he would end up in detention again. Instead he let out a laugh, a little out of place, given the way he really felt.

"It would appear that no one pays attention to their surroundings anymore."

Eric swallowed hard, and let out another nervous chuckle, "I guess that could be said. Ahem...sorry I ran into you...I have my mind on other things I'm afraid."

His gaze was on the wall and he ran a hand through his hair nervously, he really was in no mood to have detention. Not tonight. Any other night, sure, but he wanted to make sure to be in the common room in case the Ravenclaw Quidditch Captain made an appearance and he could schmooze her.

"It would seem I was not the only one with my head in the clouds, hm?" he cast a glance over to her and laughed. After all, it was just as much her fault as it was his.

[Mackenzie Holden]

Mack ran her fingers through her hair again, making it fall naturally over her shoulders, as the boy apologized. She smiled slightly, "Everyone seems to be thinking about something else, these days." It was a true fact, because even she had her mind on something else. She had just decided to bring her head out of the clouds so things like this wouldn't happen. Apparently, though, not everyone had that mindset. She sighed and nodded when he made the comment about not being the only one with their head in the clouds. "Yeah, but I was coming back to Earth - begrudgingly, maybe, but I was still coming back." Mack smiled and started to walk in the same direction she had initially been going, "Want to walk with me? We'll be able to avoid another collision easier that way." She crossed her arms, looking at the boy, trying to put a name to the face she was staring at. She had seen him around before, they were in the same year. As a Prefect, Mack should have been able to name everyone in her year, in any house, but she never took time to memorize anything.

"I'm Mack, by the way, if you didn't know that. I wouldn't so surprised if you didn't." She shrugged at that. A lot of people knew who she was because of her music, but Mack also knew that a lot of people didn't care for her music so they didn't know her because of her fame. She wasn't so conceited to believe that everyone knew who she was and that everyone liked her. Mack looked at the boy, waiting for his answer patiently. As she waited, though, her mind began to wander again. How famous did she really want to be? Was it really about the fame? Or was she doing her music, because she wanted to make music? Did she really care about the fame any? Did she love music anymore? Mack scowled at her thoughts, pushing them away to bring herself back to the present moment.

"I'll tell you what, we can walk around aimlessly and talk about the most random of things, or we can go out separate ways only to run into someone else again today. Then we'll go the whole day thinking, 'damn, I should have taken up that suggestion for a walk. In the least it would have spared me head trauma.'" Mack smirked, watching a first year barrel past them toward a classroom with a scream tearing from his lips She shook her head, but decided it was her off hour - she could let it pass.

[Eric Caolan R6]

Eric nodded as the Prefect replied that everyone seemed to have his or her mind on something else. It was true. Here he should have his thoughts on his Transfiguration paper, and he had his mind on Quidditch and even worse, thoughts on his miserable home life. His thoughts traveled to his father and mother. He should be angry with them for agreeing to send him to his Grandfather’s house for his only time off. It was absolutely criminal. But how could he blame them? No matter how much he hated to admit it, his Grandfather was a powerful wizard who got what he wanted ninety-nine percent of the time. His mother was terribly afraid of him, because Tierney Caolan was at the top of the family hierarchy, and with just a narrowed eyebrow could have her thrown out of Ireland. Eric sighed deeply.

“I wish I would keep my mind on Earth, it would make my life easier if I did not have time to mull over my life,” he laughed, turning his back to her. She moved past him and started to walk, asking if he wanted to join her. He thought for a minute, what was she up to? She introduced herself as “Mack,” did he know her? He heard the name before, but could not remember where.

“I’m Eric Caolan,” he replied, and then added in an overly dramatic voice, “Grandson of the Almighty Tierney Caolan, Lorrrrrrrrrd of Ireland.” He laughed loudly, clapping his hands. He would have to use that one more often. And then Mack made a suggestion that they should definitely walk together and he shrugged. “I suppose it couldn’t hurt. What the hell. I mean I really can afford any more head trauma until at least summer.”

As a first year went tearing down the hallway, Eric snickered, he remembered when that was him. A couple of fourth year Slytherins put a boggart in a closet and tricked him into opening it. He frowned, he hated bullies. Who knew four years later he would be walking with a Slytherin instead of away from one?

“So…what’s it like being a Slytherin Prefect anyway? Do you bust a lot of your buddies?”

[Mackenzie Holden]

"Note to self: never visit Ireland," Mack smirked and nodded her head in the direction she had been walking, hinting that he should start to walk with her. Once they were in a steady pace, not too fast but not extremely slow, Mack contemplated his question. What was it like being a Slytherin prefect? Was it difficult? She didn't really "bust" any of her buddies, considering she didn't really have any buddies, but even if she did... she didn't think they'd be the type to get into trouble. After a moment of silence, Mack opened her mouth to reply, but was cut off by being slammed into from behind. She whirled around to see the first year that had been running before, clinging to her robes. "Um..." Mack looked at Eric with a bewildered expression and tried to pry the first year's hands from her robes. "Can... can I help you?" She finally was able to prize the bit of robes from his tiny hands, but the little first year just started to wail. Mack's eyes grew wide, "No, no, hush... quiet... please, stop? Shut up!" The kid stopped crying, and she took in a deep breath, "What happened?" Once again, the kid started to cry. "Oh, good Merlin!" Mack stood up straight, closing her eyes in thought.

A crying jinx. How dumb could she have been? She pulled out her wand, "Stay, good dog." She flicked her wand, muttering the counter jinx, and instantly the kid was smiling and hugging her in thanks. Mack groaned and peeled the kid off her, "No problem, now... stay away from third year Slyths, they're the worst, okay?" The first year nodded and off he went. Mack turned to Eric and shook her head, pocketing her wand, "Being a Slytherin Prefect is kinda like that." She chewed on her lip in thought a moment, continuing their walk, "Well, I guess being any type of Prefect is kinda like that. You always run into kids who get jinxed, shoved into the disappearing closet, or stuff like that. Normally, it's an older Slytherin picking on a younger year. It's hardly ever a Slyth older than a third year, though." Mack sent Eric a smile, "We tend to grow up a bit in our fourth year." At least, she wanted to believe that the Slytherins grew up in their fourth year. She had.

As they dodged the flow of students going in the opposite direction, Mack took a look at Eric, "Ravenclaw, right? Yeah, see, if you weren't wearing your robes - I wouldn't have noticed. That's the thing, that's what changes. As you get older you tend to forget the stereotypes. Not everyone in Slytherin is a wanna-be ruler of the universe, just like I doubt everyone in Ravenclaw's so smart they tend to alienate everyone else, right?" She gave Eric a teasing smile, turning sideways so she wouldn't run into a third year gaining speed. "Ugh, I'm so ready for the term to be over."

[Eric Caolan R6]

Eric laughed as Mack decided she would never visit Ireland, “Ireland’s a lovely place, just um…don’t visit my house. Well, not my house. I live with me mum and dad…well…during the school year. Which I guess is not really living with them since I’m here…in the summer I live with my grandfather, which I guess is actually where I literally live…but it’s not my home if that makes any sense at all, because I don’t even think I made sense to myself just now.”

The whole situation was rather ridiculous. From the end of the term until the beginning of the term, he lived with his grandparents. From the beginning of the term until the end of the term he lived at Hogwarts. He only got to see his parents on break and whenever they came to visit him at his grandparents’ estate. He hated it, but there was no matter of kicking and screaming that could get him out of it. He had tried it his first and second year, and by the third he had lost hope. He shoved his hands in his pockets and forced the thought to the back of his mind.

Suddenly, out of nowhere, he noticed Mack had stopped walking. When he turned to see what the hold-up was, he found that the first year that had gone screaming past them was now crying at Mack’s waist. Eric’s face went dark; he knew what it was like to be like that. He watched as Mack fixed what seemed to be a crying curse and send the first year on his way.

“…stay away from the third year Slyths…”

…hm… He had made up his mind he would find those punks later and give them a taste of their own medicine. But he would not let Mack see him do it. Even if they were starting to become friends, he could not risk her reporting him to a professor or something. For right now, he would let it go. Mack explained a little of what a Prefect was like and that most kids grew up after fourth year. Remembering back to when he was picked on in his first and second year, he replied, “Well not always.”

When she changed the subject however, he forced his mood to switch back, “Yeah, I’m a Raven, proud of it. Maybe every one in Slytherin isn’t about to take over the world…but a lot of Ravenclaws are know it alls.”

He laughed to show he was joking, as a third year bolted past them. Mack expressed her feelings toward the end of the year and Eric replied, “Are you kidding? I wish it were all year! I live for this! Quidditch matches, Hogsmeade trips, and the pressure of turning in that Potions assignment you waited until the morning of to do? Oh…it’s the best. I swear in the summer I would die if I didn’t look forward to school starting in the fall.” He chuckled dryly, “So have you got any big plans for summer?”

[Mackenzie Holden]

Mack smiled at Eric, “Home is where the heart is, I know what you mean. Before my mum divorced my dad and got married to Hank, the Holden manor was never home – Hogwarts was. Now, the Laurie manor’s home, Hogwarts is just an unnecessary vacation spot.” She ran her fingers through her hair, amazed at how easy that was to say. Normally, her life was so complicated that it took hours to answer something like that. She sighed and looked over at Eric as they continued walking through the throng of students that was slowly thinning as everyone made their way to their destinations. She didn’t say anything about his comment on not always growing up, but she did shrug. It was the truth, not everyone grew up in their fourth year… just those willing to did. Mack looked at Eric out of the corner of her eye, the darkness she had seen on his face when the first year had grabbed onto her had disappeared now.

She let out a laugh at his Ravenclaw comment, “Oh, every house has a group of know it alls. In the Slytherin house it’s everyone in the third year. Just the other day, I met this Ashakiran girl who thought she owned the Student Lounge. Can you believe that? Honestly… owned.” Mack groaned at the memory, she had been so aggravated with the girl. Or was it more so with the idea that every other third year Slyth was like that? Probably a mixture of the both of those ideas. “I don’t know, you know… I hate when third years think you don’t deserve their time at all… but then they constantly try to get your attention by acting petulant and… and… so third year!” She looked at Eric and smiled brightly, dodging yet another hurried younger year.

When he replied to her summer comment, Mack felt her eyebrows rise. She knew that tune. She had sung that tune often before her mum got remarried. It wasn’t her place to pry into Eric’s home life, so she remained quiet until he asked her about her summer plans. With a guilty, nonchalant type shrug she replied, “Um… touring, actually. Throughout Europe. It would be cool, if I hadn’t done the exact same thing my third year.” Touring wasn’t that great, anyway. It was just the same thing over and over again. Wake up at ungodly hours, ride in a bus for more ungodly hours, and fall asleep on a band member’s lap; hoping, or praying, that you’ll get at least ten minutes of decent sleep. Okay… so maybe it was that great. Mack smiled to herself as she thought about the last tour she went on. It had been bittersweet. She had found herself missing Jack completely, but it was fun. This tour would be different. No Jack to miss.

“How… how about you, Eric? Besides the obvious dread that the summer hols brings, do you have any plans? Any plans to attack some unsuspecting relative or whatnot?” Mack often found herself wondering what it was like to be a regular teenager and have the summer holidays to yourself… to do what you pleased, not what you had to do.

[Eric Caolan R6]

Eric looked up the hall then turned abruptly when Mack called Hogwarts “an unnecessary vacation spot.”
“Really? Hm, I guess to some people it’s a haven, to others…a burden,” he replied airily. “I guess it all depends on the person.”

He knew how it was for him. He practically packed his trunk three weeks prior to the start of term. Maybe this summer he would actually try and get along his grandfather. But the man made it so damn hard for him. Why did he have to be so hard on him? Eric was not a bad kid, yeah, he got into trouble a bit…but nothing outrageous. His father was nothing like Tierney. Kiefer was a kind-hearted man who encouraged his son’s passions and dreams. It was hard to believe that Kiefer and his father were even related.

Eric’s attention was brought back at the mention of a Slytherin girl. Ashakiran. Yeah, he knew her. “Oh yeah, I know who you’re talking about.” He laughed lightly, Mack did not need to know about his plan to walk the Forbidden Forest with her later. Unless she wanted to join in for the mischief? No, she was a Prefect afterall. He would tell her after it was over. He may even have a funny anecdote to add to it later. “She’s a bit…forward, that one. A lot of third years are a bunch of gits. Hell, even I was. Well, to a certain extent you know.”

He laughed again, remembering when he switched out Professor Snape’s eye of newt, and the professor caused an explosion that caused the classroom to smell like old garbage for days. He had gotten detention every night for a month for that one. When Mack said that she was touring over the summer, he raised an eyebrow, “You don’t say, a singer are you? My mum is a singer, well was a singer. Doesn’t get to sing as much as she did when she met my dad.”

He left it at that, the truth was, she couldn’t sing the way she wanted to. His grandfather convinced her that it would draw attention to she and Kiefer and cause a Muggle uprising, if they knew she married a wizard. A lot of rubbish to Eric, but he could not convince her otherwise. His mother was afraid…but she dare not show it.

“My plans for the summer? Well…I have to stay with my grandparents. It um…a deal they worked out with my parents…” Eric rubbed the back of his neck. “So I have to attend banquets and galas and charity dinners and talk up a bunch of blue bloods that I could care less about, while they schmooze ol’ Tierney Caolan into giving them money. The parties are okay…I get to meet a lot of people…but it can be rather dull when you know they’re only interested in your grandfather and his truckloads of money. But other than that…I want to practice Quidditch. I want to make the House Team, ya know? Next to my grandfather’s estate is forest…surrounding the whole backside…and in the middle is a large clearing. Big enough to practice in. So when the old man is meeting with whoever the hell he’s meeting with, I sneak off to the clearing. Hasn’t caught me yet and I assume he never will.”

Eric flashed a mischievous grin, he loved to pull one on the old man.

[Mackenzie Holden]

“Forward?” Mack smirked, “Forward is an understatement. That girl is infuriating. Then again, maybe I’m just annoyed by her because I deal with people like her every day? I think that could be it. I mean, how many third years do you encounter who believe they own some part of the school, if not the whole thing? One or two a day maybe? I encounter no less than ten a day. It’s insane and by the tenth one, I tend to be ready to chop off heads.” She grinned at Eric secretively and then rummaged through the pockets of her robes before pulling out a tube of lipgloss. She held it up and smirked, “The thing with being a Prefect, you learn how to apply make up while on the run.” Quickly and efficiently she applied the lipgloss, dropped it back in her pocket, and grabbed Eric’s arm – abruptly turning him left down the corridor that held the Transfiguration classroom.

They continued their walk down the corridor, which was empty, and Mack slowed the pace down a little. She could enjoy this walk for a bit before she had to run off for Prefect duties. She looked at Eric and nodded when he questioned her response, “Yeah. I’m a singer. Signed and all to a record company. Yes, I’ve sold my soul to the music devil.” She grinned here. It was true. She had sold her soul to the music devil, just… the devil had changed. She had sold her soul to Georgia, who wasn’t that bad of a manager at all really, but now with Nelson there… well… G-Major was just hell in orange. “I’m wrapping up my second album and by the time it hits the stores, I’ll be out on tour across Europe. It’s fun, you know, but it gets lonely.” Mack crossed her arms again as they walked, “Your mum’s a singer, eh? I don’t believe in a past tense when it comes to singing. Once a singer, always a singer. You’ll always have it in you. That doesn’t mean you have to be a rock star, though. And you can tell her that. From one singer to another, being famous isn’t all it’s cracked up to be.”

She listened to Eric talk about his summer plans, chewing on her bottom lip while doing so. She knew how that was. Actually, no, she didn’t. Dixie did. Dixie was always the one who was pulled into galas, banquets, and things that involve getting dressed up and going from place to place. She was the one who was able to charm the wealthy men and connect with the wealthy women. Dixie had been in her element at those events, Dixie was born to be a wealthy pure blood. Then she went insane and she lost all sense of what was worthy and what wasn’t. Derreck hadn’t been happy with that, but Mack had embraced it. Dixie giving up on all of the wealthy and pure ideals meant that Mack could actually become something like a sister to her, considering Dixie wouldn’t give her the time of day when she found out that Mack wasn’t pureblooded.

“The life of the pure, I assume. I wouldn’t know,” she sent Eric a look, wondering if he’d ask about that, but then she turned down another corridor, “You should get out more during the summer hols, Eric. That’s what the summer’s all about. I mean, I tour, and yeah it’s work but it’s fun. Maybe you should tour.” Mack smiled as her thoughts began to whirl around in her head, but she didn’t say anything more. After a moment she broke the silence that she had developed, “Quidditch, eh? Hmm, I’ve never played. I’ve never… really want to learn how to play. I guess, it’s just… not my thing? I wouldn’t know, though. I’m an okay flyer, I just don’t think I can fly and catch and throw a ball at the same time. I bet you’re good, though, having all that time to practice and all over the summer hols.”

[Eric Caolan R6]

Eric laughed nervously when Mack expressed her feelings about the girl Ash. He found her entertaining. She probably had no clue what she was in for, and that was funny to Eric. “Third year is…when you think you can take on anything. I tried to make a potion to make myself take on the appearance of a troll. Yeah, that did not go so well. I had troll ears for a month.”

It had been because some fifth years said that if he showed his face in “their hallway” again, they would hang his by his robes from the Astronomy tower. He thought he could scare them off, make it seem like he had a troll for a friend. But it backfired and he had made a fool of himself. He was snapped back to reality when Mack said something about putting on make-up on the run. He laughed, “Luckily, I don’t have that problem.” He batted his eyelashes and tossed back imaginary hair. It was amazing at how much make-up one girl could pile on. He had run into a sixth year Hufflepuff with so much make-up on he wondered if at night she had to scrape it off with a chisel.

Eric nodded when Mack explained that she was actually a professional singer. “Congrats to you, then. I suppose you’re one of the lucky ones.” He never heard his mother complain about not making it to the big time, but he knew she wanted to. Something other than lounge singing. His father had encouraged her, but Tierney had forbade it, unbeknownst to his son. But Eric knew it; he was ten and he was hiding in the china closet when he heard them arguing.

This is my life, I can do as I please!
Not while you have the Caolan surname you won’t. Do you want a life of hiding for Kiefer…for Eric? How selfish can you be…

Eric shook the memory away, and replied to Mack, “Yeah, she was a singer in a Muggle club. That’s where Dad met her. Love at first sight and all that mushy stuff. But, I will tell her what you said about fame. Once a singer always a singer, hm?” He thought about it. He heard his mom singing around the house, at the Christmas dinner, in the garden…she still had the pipes, there was no doubt about that.

“Did you assume I was a pureblood?” he laughed, “No, no. My mum’s a Muggle. Proud Muggle. Dad’s were the magic came from. He’s from a long line a Purebloods, though. Could you imagine the shock when he told them all he was marrying a Muggle woman? But I guess I’m not really treated any different…they ignore her altogether. Of course they make nice on the holidays, but you know it’s just for show.” He nodded in agreement when Mack stated he should get out more. “I definitely do. I want to visit some friends over the summer, have some over. The Caolan estate is really beautiful, everyone should see it. Maybe when you come to Ireland, you come by for a visit.” At the mention of Quidditch, his eyes lit up. “I guess Quidditch is not for everyone. My dad still wonders how I got the talent. He can’t stay on a broom to save his life. I think I have an uncle that used to play for Ireland…but no one ever talks about it. But no one can ever explain why he went off for months at a time and sent back pictures from Quidditch matches. Well, unless he’s a reporter…but I doubt that.”

[Mackenzie Holden]

“Some people would consider it lucky, I guess,” Mack replied to his congratulations, “but I don’t. It’s all a bunch of drama. I mean, don’t get me wrong, I love singing and making music for my fans and all, but sometimes I could do without the stress. All the business and such sometimes make me miss when I used to sing for me, you know?” She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear as they continued to walk. She hadn’t ever told anyone that she missed when music was her thing and not G-Major’s. Not even Tommy knew her feelings about the subject, and Tommy knew most everything. “Yeah, once a singer always a singer.” Mack smiled slightly, looking down at her feet. It hadn’t been that long ago when she had talked with Conan about it all. It hadn’t been that long ago when she had seriously considered quitting her music, but she knew she couldn’t because it was such a huge part of her. Mackenzie Holden was nothing without music.

When Eric asked if she assumed he was a pureblood, Mack looked up at him. He explained that his mother was a muggle and that his father’s family ignored her. She frowned slightly, “Well, yeah I had assumed with the way you talked, but I suppose that it’s still the life of the pure. My sister was always good with things like charity events and such. She always loved getting dressed up and mingling with everyone. Dixie was made for those types of things. I, on the other hand, was locked up in the attic until the event was over with and then I could come down to clean up the mess. I’m pure, but I was always treated like I was muggle born.” Mack ran her fingers through her hair as a means of a distraction before continuing, “There was a period of time where I thought I was a half blood because I thought I had been kidnapped when I was young and taken from my real mother by my real father, but that all came out to be a bunch of bollocks. Now I know I’m pure, but I don’t act like it.”

The history of Mack was one that she hated retelling. It was always so confusing. When she had first learnt of it, she had attempted to explain it all to Jack but he had things going on in his own life at the time, too. After awhile, Mack had forgotten about it, but then she met Trevor and he had played a nasty trick on her – making her believe that she had a twin and that she really was a Hanner and not a Holden. It had only been recently when Trevor had come clean saying that it wasn’t real, none of it. The Hanner’s had existed but they weren’t magical and they couldn’t have kids. Mack hadn’t been angry with him, in fact, she didn’t really care that he had lied to her – she was just happy to know that she was indeed pure.

She nodded politely when Eric said she stood stop by when she was in Ireland and then an idea occurred to her, “Well, what if… I mean, you don’t have to, but what if when I did tour through Ireland I stopped by and then you came with me for the rest of the tour? It wouldn’t be that long, considering Ireland is near the bottom of our list at the moment – but it would be cool and you’d be saving me from the absolute boredom that I usually get when I’m stuck on a bus with the same people for months and months on end. Besides, we’d have something other than music to talk about. You don’t have to, and I know it’s kind of forward and sudden considering we just met – but the offer’s out there.” Mack sent him a smile, wondering if he was thinking that she was a freak and debating whether or not to run – she would be.

The talk shifted to Quidditch again and the more they spoke about it, the more Mack wondered why she hadn’t ever really attempted to play it. Jack was on the team, so maybe she thought if she were on the team too he would feel like she was stepping into his place of talent? It wasn’t something Mack had often considered. She usually boiled it down to her being more musically inclined than athletically, but she doubted that was completely it. After a moment of thought, Mack grinned at Eric, “I think I’m going to try Quidditch some time. Getting on a broom and flying for me is no big deal, really, but the actual thought of Quidditch I hadn’t even considered.”

[Eric Caolan R6]

((I swear I posted this last night I mean I had it all typed up...must just be one of those weird things... ))

Eric listened to Mack carefully, he would have never imagined being famous being anything but wonderful. But then again, when people hear how miserable it is being rich and powerful (well at least his family is), they react the same way. Maybe his mother was the lucky one, as weird as it sounded. After all, if she had to perform when she was feeling lousy (which was often these days) and spent most of her time on tour away from Eric and Keifer, she would hate it. His mother loved music, but she would not sacrifice herself or her family for it. Eric knew that.

He chuckled when Mack replied to the fact that he was not a pureblood, “I suppose if you spend five years surrounded by blue bloods, you pick up a few things. Smile to Mr. Blah-blah…kiss Mrs. So and so on the hand…say please…thank you…bow…be humble…but make sure that everyone knows how rich and powerful you really are,” he scoffed, “Trust me, if I had the option to stay in the attic rather than pretending to be something I’m not, I’d pick the attic.”

He turned to smile at Mack, but his smile slanted slightly when she said that at one point she had thought she was muggle born. “How did you come to that sort of realization? I mean…you had grown up with magic parents, yeah? So did someone tell you that you were Muggle born? Hmph, what a nasty thing to do. Get someone’s hopes like that. I’ve been around my mum’s relatives before and let me tell you, Muggle-life is easier. Maybe that’s just the way it is with her family, but they knew what I was, well my grandmum and gramps do…and did not care. I mean the way my Grandfather, his Lordship, talked about them…you would think they were all torch bearing monsters.”

Eric’s eyes lit up when Mack offered him the chance to escape from the Caolan estate, even if just for a little while. He would love to, if his Lordship would let him of course. He would have to ask permission…he made up his mind to Owl him as soon as he could. “I would love to tour with you. Even if just for a little while. See something exciting over the holidays, it would be amazing for sure. And plus, with me around you’ll never have a dull moment!” When she mentioned trying to play Quidditch some time, he got an idea, “How about in exchange for putting me up on the tour, I’ll teach you a bit of Quidditch when you come to visit? Sound good?”

[Mackenzie Holden]

Mack chewed on her bottom lip, steering Eric down a new corridor now, as she listened to him go on about how he would much rather choose the attic than be fake. Not her attic. Mack would have given anything to be downstairs, to be treated like she was actually part of the family, and not some stow-away maid they could call whenever they needed her or wanted her. That was always something that Mack hated most about her life. She was never a Holden, but always “that other child.” Oh, well, Mack had made a name for herself now – and yes it was Holden, and perhaps she should feel filthy carrying it around, but it was who she was. Unfortunately, that is.

She broke herself from her reverie when Eric asked her about her blood issue. She sighed, and crossed her arms, looking down at her feet as they walked in a steady pace. He talked about his mum’s grandparents, and Mack offered him a small smile, “Yeah, I was told by someone that I wasn’t pure. He even went as far as making up a fake diary and showing it to me – saying it was my dead twin sister’s. It’s completely ludicrous, and I don’t know why I believed him – but I did and then when I realized it was all a lie… I kind of flew off the handle. You’re right, though, muggles aren’t bad at all. At least, not all of them. I know a few fair number of muggles and they’re all pretty decent people. Honestly, it’s the wizards who think that pure’s the only way to be that are the less than decent people.”

Mack ran her fingers through her hair again, her thoughts turning to her father. Her father was less than decent – he was scum. Derreck Holden had never cared for anyone except himself and that was always evident in the way he treated his family; especially Mack. Sometimes, though, a small light of decency would shine through and Derreck would appear to be a modern man – someone who didn’t support the old Dark Arts teachings, someone who didn’t dally in the black market of illegal magical items. That wouldn’t stay long, though, and he’d always return to Derreck Holden, the evil and sinister man who took joy in his family’s sufferings; especially his daughters’.

When Eric said he’d love to join her on tour, Mack smiled brightly – all thoughts of Derreck vanishing from her mind. Then Eric went on to make a deal. He would teach her a bit of Quidditch for her breaking him out of his summer hell. Mack grinned, “Splendid. I’d really like that, but I’ve got to warn you – my producer? He’s a bit of a… well… he’s pretty uptight when you first meet him. I really wanted to punch him when I first met him, but he’s a great guy once you get to know him. I guess, don’t let him frighten you off – he’s just Tommy, and in the end he’s as cuddly as a teddy bear…” Mack paused here, “Except, please don’t go and try to cuddle with him – I’d doubt he’d like that.”

[Eric Caolan R6]

Eric frowned upon hearing about the issue Mack had with someone telling her she was not pure. Making up a whole life for her, it was despicable. He hated when people toyed with people in such a way. Sure a clever lie here and there, but this was different, it was someone’s entire life. Eric could feel his anger rise, but he squashed it down inside. He liked Mack, though he just met her, she seemed like a nice person. A good friend. And Eric did not like when people messed with his friends. He could only hope that he did not meet this guy in an alley, he would surely get expelled for the things he would do.

“Yeah, muggles are really great. My grandparents are always fascinated by the fact that I can do magic…I hate to see them so disappointed when they find out I can’t do anything outside of school, you know?” he laughed, he always wanted to put on a good show for his mum’s parents. They were always so supportive and kind, even though he was different. They loved him for sure, with Tierney…he had his doubts.

Eric heart did a flip when Mack agreed to learn Quidditch. Oh the purity of the feeling he had. His cousins never had love for the sport (well, besides his uncle the Quidditch player’s kids) and never wanted to learn “such a daffy sport.” He mentally rolled his eyes, a bunch of selfish gits they were. “Fantastic! An hey if I can get through most of my summer with Tierney a bit of time with your producer should be a cake-walk.”

He was grinning like a first year girl, Quidditch always made him feel that way. And finally having someone to become his student, it was certainly unreal. It was hard to believe that the summer holidays were so close, but at least now, he had something to look forward to. Turning to Mack he replied, “You must owl me over the summer, okay? It would be criminal not to.”

He glanced at his watch, realizing he had to rush off if he wanted to squeeze in a bit of practice, "I really have to be off, so I'll catch you later, then?"

Smiling, Eric ran off in the direction of the common room, and waved a hand, "Don't forget me over the holidays!"


((EDIT: CLOSED))