Post by Dylan Caoimhe on Dec 21, 2009 19:16:53 GMT
He slowly walked up the front steps of a nice looking two story house, in a nice, peaceful looking neighborhood where it seemed nothing bad had ever happened; and if it did, it was once every blue moon. He imagined nosy neighbors, fathers out every Saturday morning mowing the lawn, keeping it in tip top shape. Mothers out in the garden every other day, planting and plucking away. When he got to the front door, he stood there and stared at it, reminding himself that it wasn't too late; he could easily turn around and leave at this very moment. But, he was already here. He knocked, and no one came to the door; he didn't even hear a scuffle on the inside. Dylan laughed at himself, mainly because he didn't really knock so much as tap the door with his finger tips. Okay, he thought. He knocked, he really knocked this time, and found himself biting his bottom lip and blushing; he had knocked a lot harder than what he had intended. He heard foot steps coming to the door and his breath caught in his chest. It opened very suddenly.
"Oh, Dylan!" It was Ptah, who after he saw who had knocked, began smiling brightly and warmly; Dylan couldn't help but return it. "I thought you were Mr. Patterson. He's our next door neighbor. I have yet to return something that I burrowed of his and he has been hassling me about it all week. Come on in." He stepped aside for Dylan to enter. It was everything he had expected. The house was very neat and well decorated. Nothing too fancy, but at the same time, you could very well tell that they had some form of wealth. It was very appealing. "Are those for us?"
"Huh?" Dylan realized what he was holding. "Oh, yeah.......I mean, yes.....they are." Dylan had brought the six butterbeers that they never drank; he thought it a good gesture, thoughtful even. He suppressed an urge to feel sick.
"Well, follow me. Wait, let me take your coat." Dylan went to sit the drinks down but Ptah had grabbed his free arm and was taking his coat off for him. This made Dylan thoroughly uncomfortable, seeing as how he was fully capable of taking his own jacket off, plus he had never had anyone do something like that for him before. He switched the butterbeers to his other hand, and Ptah slid his jacket off his other arm and draped it over his own forearm. Dylan was kind of embarrassed, seeing as how his coat was all but nice, but Ptah seemed to not care. "Come on." He clapped Dylan on the shoulder, held on, and started guiding him, much like he had seen him do to his son. It made Dylan feel awkward, like so many trespasses on his comfort had already been made and he had only been there for maybe four minutes. He led Dylan to the kitchen, where a woman was sitting at the island in the middle of the room, bright orange drink in hand.
She was older, and Dylan supposed she was good looking for her age. She had long, dark and curly hair that was put up, and a long, puffy blue dress. She looked as if she didn't want to be there, as if the atmosphere of the house alone annoyed her enough. Dylan didn't doubt for a moment that she enjoyed the "finer things in life," and seemed to be one of those stuck up, old rich women. "You can put those drinks in the refrigerator over there." Ptah motioned to the area beside Dylan, and he complied. Needless to say when he opened the fridge, it was full of food. He stuck the drinks on the bottom shelf, and quickly closed it; he was feeling out of place and fast.
"And who the hell is this?" The woman had spoke sweetly, staring at Dylan with mild interest.
"Annabelle, this is Dylan. He goes to Hogwarts. He's a sixth year. Dylan this is Annabelle, Sarah's mother." Dylan didn't even bother to plaster on a smile; he knew he didn't like her already and refused to pretend as if he did. Though, Dylan noticed something very strange. The woman's mouth had fallen open, and she looked back and forth between Dylan and Ptah, as if there were something obvious that the two should pick up on, but then she gathered herself, and sat up straighter with renewed interest.
"Sixth year, you say? What House?"
"Slytherin." He heard Ptah try to speak, but Dylan made sure to speak clearly and loudly before he could interrupt, or try and save conflict. Dylan welcomed it; this woman looked like she needed to be knocked down a peg or twenty, and he'd love to be the one to do it. Her eyes widened in surprise.
"Really now?" She looked as if she wanted to pursue the matter, but she looked Dylan up and down, half smiled, and then turned her back on him, returning to her drink. She would be loads of fun, he thought to himself. If he wasn't welcomed back at the Thoth's, he knew she'd be the cause of it; not that he had any immediate plans of returning.
"Dylan come on. I'll take you to the living room to meet everyone else." Once again, he placed his hand on Dylan's shoulder and guided him. "Don't worry," he whispered. "None of them are as bad as Annabelle." Dylan didn't respond, but allowed himself to be steered down a hallway. He looked to the sides and saw pictures of Williard, from when he was a baby until the present, and couldn't help but think that Williard reminded him of himself when he was a baby. Come to think of it, Williard did look like Dylan........sort of. There were also pictures of another boy that Dylan recognized but couldn't put a finger on. Ptah opened the door to the living room, and no sooner than he did, he heard his name be called just as it had two days ago.
"Dylan!" It was Williard. He stood up, walked over, and shook Dylan's hand. Dylan gave him a small smile and wished that Williard would stop acting like he was Santa Claus or something; he was way too excited. "I can't believe you actually came."
"Neither can I," Dylan said pulling his hand from Williard's, who probably wouldn't have let go if he hadn't. He looked around and there were two people, a man and a woman, who he didn't know, there was the boy from the pictures in the hall that Dylan recognized, and then there was Sarah, who looked as if she were smiling before Dylan had walked in. He nodded at her, but she just stared back at him, going pale again. Her chest started heaving up and down, but before he could ask, Ptah spoke again.
"Dylan this is Gavin and Mairi. And over there is their son Kellan. Do you know him? He goes to Hogwarts too. Same year as Williard, only Kellan's in Hufflepuff. Dylan shook his head no. So that was where he knew the boy from; he had seen him around Hogwarts. Dylan shook Gavin's hand, but the woman named Mairi stood up and gave him a hug, which Dylan thought inappropriate seeing as how he didn't know her and she didn't know him.
"Hello. How are you Dylan," she asked sitting back down.
"I'm fine, thank you."
"I-I think it's time for dinner." Dylan looked over at Sarah, who had spoken very abruptly and was now walking out of the living room at a fast pace.
"Is she alright Ptah? Is she sick or something?" Gavin stared after Sarah.
"I don't know. She's been that way for the past two or three days. She's your little sister, I was hoping you could tell me what was wrong with her."
"Beats me. This is definitely new."
"Well we'd better go then," said Mairi standing up. "If Sarah is sick, then the last thing we want to do is upset her. She's not a very nice person when she's ill."
"Who are you telling," Ptah said laughing. "Anu," Ptah said looking at Williard. Dylan was slightly confused.
"Anu," Dylan questioned when he got close enough.
"My middle name is Anubis," Williard said walking ahead of him. When they got to the dinning room, Dylan slightly paused. He had never seen that much extravagant food on a table outside of Hogwarts. Everyone was taking their seats and Dylan kind of stood there, unsure of what to do or where to sit. Williard turned around and motioned to the seat next to him. What the hell, Dylan thought. He sat down and pulled his chair in. Ptah had sat down on Dylan's other side, and Sarah sat down across from her husband, looking down at her lap fumbling with something.
"Where's Annabelle?" But before anyone could answer Mairi's question, she walked in, and took the seat directly across from Dylan. Oh great, he thought. "Sarah this all looks wonderful," Mairi said serving herself a bread roll. Dylan looked at Sarah, but she was still looking down, and she didn't respond to Mairi's compliment.
"Sarah darling," Annabelle said placing a hand on her daughter's lap. "Liven up. Your being a terrible hostess."
"Mom," Gavin started, but Annabelle cut across him.
"So Dylan.......this is all very.....oh, what's the word.....odd. What are you, a Sixth Year Slytherin, doing here? On Christmas, no less?"
Everyone at the table tensed up. For the first time since they sat down, Sarah looked up at her mother with red eyes. "I was invited."
"By whom?"
"By me," said Ptah serving himself some corn.
"Really now?"
"Well, Williard invited me first. I didn't accept until Ptah asked me." Dylan felt no shame in that whatsoever, though Annabelle's face indicated otherwise. It was the truth.
"I see. So.....tell me.......do you not have any friends at Hogwarts that are your own age? Do Sixth Years like you always hang out with Second Years like my grandsons?" He saw Sarah put her hand on her mother's forearm, but Annabelle acted as if she didn't feel it. "I mean, no offense. It has been a while since I've been at Hogwarts-"
"I can see that," Dylan said clearly, serving himself some punch; he could've swore he heard Ptah choke on his bite of chicken. "But, you're right. Sixth Years usually don't hang out with Second Years. I helped Williard out with Quidditch one time, and I'm guessing he asked me to dinner as a thank you."
"Oh, Quidditch, huh Williard?" Dylan looked over and Williard nodded at his grandmother. "Good. I always said you could use some hardening up." Sarah closed her eyes as if restraining herself. "So Dylan, what's your last name?"
"Mother....." Sarah had spoken for the first time that evening since seeing Dylan.
"That reminds me!" Ptah wiped his mouth with a napkin. "Caoimhe, isn't it?"
"Yeah," Dylan said taking a nother sip of punch. He didn't drink, but part of him wished he was drinking something a bit stronger.
"Really," said Mairi. "How do you spell it?"
"Um, C, A, O, I, M, H, E."
"Well, isn't that a coincidence," Annabelle said placing her chin elegantly on her hand. "If you turned out to be family it wouldn't surprise me one bit. I mean, looking at you Williard and Ptah sitting together like that, the resemblances are a bit uncanny. What do you think Sarah dear?" Sarah looked at her mother with an expression Dylan didn't think she made very often. She got up from the table, eyes teared up, and left the kitchen.
"Oh, Dylan!" It was Ptah, who after he saw who had knocked, began smiling brightly and warmly; Dylan couldn't help but return it. "I thought you were Mr. Patterson. He's our next door neighbor. I have yet to return something that I burrowed of his and he has been hassling me about it all week. Come on in." He stepped aside for Dylan to enter. It was everything he had expected. The house was very neat and well decorated. Nothing too fancy, but at the same time, you could very well tell that they had some form of wealth. It was very appealing. "Are those for us?"
"Huh?" Dylan realized what he was holding. "Oh, yeah.......I mean, yes.....they are." Dylan had brought the six butterbeers that they never drank; he thought it a good gesture, thoughtful even. He suppressed an urge to feel sick.
"Well, follow me. Wait, let me take your coat." Dylan went to sit the drinks down but Ptah had grabbed his free arm and was taking his coat off for him. This made Dylan thoroughly uncomfortable, seeing as how he was fully capable of taking his own jacket off, plus he had never had anyone do something like that for him before. He switched the butterbeers to his other hand, and Ptah slid his jacket off his other arm and draped it over his own forearm. Dylan was kind of embarrassed, seeing as how his coat was all but nice, but Ptah seemed to not care. "Come on." He clapped Dylan on the shoulder, held on, and started guiding him, much like he had seen him do to his son. It made Dylan feel awkward, like so many trespasses on his comfort had already been made and he had only been there for maybe four minutes. He led Dylan to the kitchen, where a woman was sitting at the island in the middle of the room, bright orange drink in hand.
She was older, and Dylan supposed she was good looking for her age. She had long, dark and curly hair that was put up, and a long, puffy blue dress. She looked as if she didn't want to be there, as if the atmosphere of the house alone annoyed her enough. Dylan didn't doubt for a moment that she enjoyed the "finer things in life," and seemed to be one of those stuck up, old rich women. "You can put those drinks in the refrigerator over there." Ptah motioned to the area beside Dylan, and he complied. Needless to say when he opened the fridge, it was full of food. He stuck the drinks on the bottom shelf, and quickly closed it; he was feeling out of place and fast.
"And who the hell is this?" The woman had spoke sweetly, staring at Dylan with mild interest.
"Annabelle, this is Dylan. He goes to Hogwarts. He's a sixth year. Dylan this is Annabelle, Sarah's mother." Dylan didn't even bother to plaster on a smile; he knew he didn't like her already and refused to pretend as if he did. Though, Dylan noticed something very strange. The woman's mouth had fallen open, and she looked back and forth between Dylan and Ptah, as if there were something obvious that the two should pick up on, but then she gathered herself, and sat up straighter with renewed interest.
"Sixth year, you say? What House?"
"Slytherin." He heard Ptah try to speak, but Dylan made sure to speak clearly and loudly before he could interrupt, or try and save conflict. Dylan welcomed it; this woman looked like she needed to be knocked down a peg or twenty, and he'd love to be the one to do it. Her eyes widened in surprise.
"Really now?" She looked as if she wanted to pursue the matter, but she looked Dylan up and down, half smiled, and then turned her back on him, returning to her drink. She would be loads of fun, he thought to himself. If he wasn't welcomed back at the Thoth's, he knew she'd be the cause of it; not that he had any immediate plans of returning.
"Dylan come on. I'll take you to the living room to meet everyone else." Once again, he placed his hand on Dylan's shoulder and guided him. "Don't worry," he whispered. "None of them are as bad as Annabelle." Dylan didn't respond, but allowed himself to be steered down a hallway. He looked to the sides and saw pictures of Williard, from when he was a baby until the present, and couldn't help but think that Williard reminded him of himself when he was a baby. Come to think of it, Williard did look like Dylan........sort of. There were also pictures of another boy that Dylan recognized but couldn't put a finger on. Ptah opened the door to the living room, and no sooner than he did, he heard his name be called just as it had two days ago.
"Dylan!" It was Williard. He stood up, walked over, and shook Dylan's hand. Dylan gave him a small smile and wished that Williard would stop acting like he was Santa Claus or something; he was way too excited. "I can't believe you actually came."
"Neither can I," Dylan said pulling his hand from Williard's, who probably wouldn't have let go if he hadn't. He looked around and there were two people, a man and a woman, who he didn't know, there was the boy from the pictures in the hall that Dylan recognized, and then there was Sarah, who looked as if she were smiling before Dylan had walked in. He nodded at her, but she just stared back at him, going pale again. Her chest started heaving up and down, but before he could ask, Ptah spoke again.
"Dylan this is Gavin and Mairi. And over there is their son Kellan. Do you know him? He goes to Hogwarts too. Same year as Williard, only Kellan's in Hufflepuff. Dylan shook his head no. So that was where he knew the boy from; he had seen him around Hogwarts. Dylan shook Gavin's hand, but the woman named Mairi stood up and gave him a hug, which Dylan thought inappropriate seeing as how he didn't know her and she didn't know him.
"Hello. How are you Dylan," she asked sitting back down.
"I'm fine, thank you."
"I-I think it's time for dinner." Dylan looked over at Sarah, who had spoken very abruptly and was now walking out of the living room at a fast pace.
"Is she alright Ptah? Is she sick or something?" Gavin stared after Sarah.
"I don't know. She's been that way for the past two or three days. She's your little sister, I was hoping you could tell me what was wrong with her."
"Beats me. This is definitely new."
"Well we'd better go then," said Mairi standing up. "If Sarah is sick, then the last thing we want to do is upset her. She's not a very nice person when she's ill."
"Who are you telling," Ptah said laughing. "Anu," Ptah said looking at Williard. Dylan was slightly confused.
"Anu," Dylan questioned when he got close enough.
"My middle name is Anubis," Williard said walking ahead of him. When they got to the dinning room, Dylan slightly paused. He had never seen that much extravagant food on a table outside of Hogwarts. Everyone was taking their seats and Dylan kind of stood there, unsure of what to do or where to sit. Williard turned around and motioned to the seat next to him. What the hell, Dylan thought. He sat down and pulled his chair in. Ptah had sat down on Dylan's other side, and Sarah sat down across from her husband, looking down at her lap fumbling with something.
"Where's Annabelle?" But before anyone could answer Mairi's question, she walked in, and took the seat directly across from Dylan. Oh great, he thought. "Sarah this all looks wonderful," Mairi said serving herself a bread roll. Dylan looked at Sarah, but she was still looking down, and she didn't respond to Mairi's compliment.
"Sarah darling," Annabelle said placing a hand on her daughter's lap. "Liven up. Your being a terrible hostess."
"Mom," Gavin started, but Annabelle cut across him.
"So Dylan.......this is all very.....oh, what's the word.....odd. What are you, a Sixth Year Slytherin, doing here? On Christmas, no less?"
Everyone at the table tensed up. For the first time since they sat down, Sarah looked up at her mother with red eyes. "I was invited."
"By whom?"
"By me," said Ptah serving himself some corn.
"Really now?"
"Well, Williard invited me first. I didn't accept until Ptah asked me." Dylan felt no shame in that whatsoever, though Annabelle's face indicated otherwise. It was the truth.
"I see. So.....tell me.......do you not have any friends at Hogwarts that are your own age? Do Sixth Years like you always hang out with Second Years like my grandsons?" He saw Sarah put her hand on her mother's forearm, but Annabelle acted as if she didn't feel it. "I mean, no offense. It has been a while since I've been at Hogwarts-"
"I can see that," Dylan said clearly, serving himself some punch; he could've swore he heard Ptah choke on his bite of chicken. "But, you're right. Sixth Years usually don't hang out with Second Years. I helped Williard out with Quidditch one time, and I'm guessing he asked me to dinner as a thank you."
"Oh, Quidditch, huh Williard?" Dylan looked over and Williard nodded at his grandmother. "Good. I always said you could use some hardening up." Sarah closed her eyes as if restraining herself. "So Dylan, what's your last name?"
"Mother....." Sarah had spoken for the first time that evening since seeing Dylan.
"That reminds me!" Ptah wiped his mouth with a napkin. "Caoimhe, isn't it?"
"Yeah," Dylan said taking a nother sip of punch. He didn't drink, but part of him wished he was drinking something a bit stronger.
"Really," said Mairi. "How do you spell it?"
"Um, C, A, O, I, M, H, E."
"Well, isn't that a coincidence," Annabelle said placing her chin elegantly on her hand. "If you turned out to be family it wouldn't surprise me one bit. I mean, looking at you Williard and Ptah sitting together like that, the resemblances are a bit uncanny. What do you think Sarah dear?" Sarah looked at her mother with an expression Dylan didn't think she made very often. She got up from the table, eyes teared up, and left the kitchen.
