Seeing you again (Alayna)

It was the first night back at school, but Atticus hadn’t boarded the Hogwarts Express or ate at the welcome feast like everybody else. As a school governor, his Father had been allowed to use the floo network to transport himself and his son. Theodore wanted to ensure that he was there, and that he would remain so until he was summoned home for breaks. Apart from that, there was no tenderness in the farewell or the departure. It was like a cold, empty business transaction: here, have this boy, and make sure he does what he’s told.

Atticus had gone to the kitchens that evening to get some leftovers on Professor Riddle’s suggestion. He still hadn’t seen any of his friends, or even his sister. It just all seemed so far away even when he was sat right there, mere walls away from them. Would they accept him now? Would they think he had changed too much?

He nibbled quietly at his food, but wasn’t really eating much. At least he’d tried.

@Alayna Nott

Alayna was walking away from the Hufflepuff common room after spending the evening with Abeline. They had gossiped and done each other's nails. Typical girl stuff. She was walking past the kitchens when she smelled something cooking. She was curious as to who was in the kitchen so late. She poked her head in the doorway and let out a scream. She quickly covered her mouth and felt the tears start to fall from her eyes, "Atticus?"

@Atticus Nott

Atticus was heating something on the stove, insisting that the house elves left him to it for tonight. Just when he was stirring slowly, however, a scream erupted from the door. He jolted so hard that the wooden spoon went flying off the pan and struck against the wall. Laughing, he turned to see his sister. Almost instantly his face weakened and the tears welled up, all while holding a pan filled with stew. He took it off the heat, turned off the stove, and turned, pushing his sleeve across his eyes.

He smiled. He choked. He held out his arms to her.

"Alayna..."

@Alayna Nott

Alayna didn't hesitate before she ran to her brothers arms. She jumped into them, wrapping her arms and legs around him like a small child. She hid her face in his neck and felt the tears wrack through her body, "Oh my god. It's really you. When the hell did you get here? Does Theodore know you're here? Oh my god. Atticus!" She had so many thoughts and emotions running through her body, she felt like she was going to explode. Her brother was back. She was back with her twin. Nothing else in that moment mattered.

@Atticus Nott

He held his sister tightly against him. At least he knew then that he was still capable of emotion. He was beginning to think that it had all been squeezed out of him: that everything was by the hour, routine, structured. But how he felt was real: cuddling his sister again after all this time.

"I missed you so much," he said, his voice shaking slightly, "Fathe- Theodore... dropped me off. We came by floo. It seems that he has no choice but to have me back here. Also, you know. I've changed now. I'm not the same as I used to be."

When he parted from her, the tears had stopped. He brushed the excess away. That's right: he was a better person now.

@Alayna Nott

"What do you mean you're not who you were anymore?" What did that even mean, she wondered. "What did they do to you? Where did he send you?" She hated knowing that he had been all alone during whatever it was Theodore had made him endure, "I'm so sorry I couldn't be there for you." She stood on her feet again and cupped his face with her hand, "You know there is no shame in tears in a moment like this." Atticus had never been one to hide his emotions from her before. They really fucked him up, "Whatever you had to go through I will make Theodore pay for it. I swear it."

@Atticus Nott

He smiled sadly at her.

"Well there is one thing that could never change."

A big grin slowly crossed his face.

"I'll always be gayer than the entire audience of a Celestina Warbeck come back gig."

He laughed a little, then smiled at her reassuringly. She was upset, distressed, worried about him. Perhaps this wasn't the right time for jokes. "Alayna they put me in a school full of boys my own age, I couldn't have been happier. Sometimes it was tough, of course, but it's funny how you get used to it. Now I actually quite like getting up early and making my bed."

@Alayna Nott

"There's my Atticus. My fabulous fantastic twin." She said with a wide smile. She knew it was impossible to kill the gay in someone. But he had her worried for a moment. "maybe it's good it was boys your own age. I worried the way you kept looking at professor Maddox 4th year. Granted, he's hotter than hell, but still. I'm just glad you're home."

@Atticus Nott

“Oh Alayna...” He laughed a little, and kissed the top of her head.

“How about I cook for both of us? From scratch. Mother used to like it when I cooked, but she daren’t not tell Father of it...” He still had to refer to his parents properly. Despite all that had happened. “How is Mother, by the way? I saw her briefly when I got back, but not long enough for us to have a real conversation.”

He turned to the stove and switched it on again, smiling.

@Alayna Nott

Alayna felt like she was 7 years old again when he kissed the top of her head. It was comforting for her. She nodded when he offered to cook, "Yes please" she always enjoyed her brothers cooking. "She's fine I guess. Same as usual. Hiding from Theodore's anger and just trying to go say by day. She cried alot when you were gone. I could hear her at night when I was home from school. He would just yell at her to shut up and hit her. He's pure fucking evil."

@Atticus Nott

Atticus smiled and started to inspect the fridge, drawing out a strange mixture of different ingredients. He got to work quickly and fluidly, as though he had been cooking for years. The more that Alayna was saying about their Mother, however, the slower he got. Then he had to stop at one point, with the eggs cracking into a bowl mid-air.

He turned and looked at her, with genuine fear in his eyes.

“I know he is...” he murmured quietly, “But all what you said about him having to pay, that you’re swearing on it... it sounds like you’re going to try and do something. Please, don’t do that. Don’t try anything with him. Just don’t worry about it. I’m fine. We’ll protect Mother. Promise me that you won’t go off and do something reckless?”

His eyes pleaded with her.

@Alayna Nott

"He sent you away, Atticus. I was alone for three years. I didn't half my best fucking friend for three years. Because he wants to be a homophobic piece of trash. Fuck no. I want him to hurt. I want him to hurt the way we all do because of him. I tried to run way multiple times. I'd go to Macks or Rina's. He would show up and drag me back home. And then.... Well I don't have to tell you what he does when he's pissed off." She didn't understand why he would want her to back down. She looked at him with a pout before that pout turned into a frown, "They really did a number on you, Huh, Atty?" She remembered the days when Atticus would help her with her crazy revenge schemes, "Fine. I'll leave it alone. For now."

@Atticus Nott

He remained silent as he went about making the food, but there was quite a lot of emotion surging through him at every word she said. He mixed everything together in a bowl, and some tears ran down his face again.

"I'm sorry..." he choked, smiling ruefully. "I just don't want you to be sent away to that place. We have to get out of there first..."

It hurt to think that he had changed so much. He didn't like to think of Alayna rejecting this new side of him. He loved her so much.

@Alayna Nott

Alayna understood her brothers fear of Theodore doing something to her if she retaliated on his behalf. She had that same fear. She knew he was right. He was alright right. Alayna had gotten their mothers looks and Atticus had gotten Theodore's smarts. No matter how twisted, he was very intelligent, "I hate this. He gets to ruin our lives and just not be punished."

@Atticus Nott

He pulled himself together and poured the mixture into a pan. The tears had receded.

"He will get what he deserves, whether we have any part of that or not," he said acidly, as the Spanish omelette slowly cooked away. He put it inside of the oven.

"I hope you like this. It's something a friend taught me how to cook when I was over there. Well... We were more than friends, really. At one point. You would've liked him. He had a good sense of style." Atticus grinned at her.

@Alayna Nott

"But I want to have part in it, Atticus. I want him to know his children hate him. Especially me. I want him to know I had a part in his downfall." She raised an eyebrow at her brother, " A special friend, huh? I love a man with a sense of style. That's why I love you so much." She said with a smile, "Speaking of fashion you wanna help me find a dress this weekend?"

@Atticus Nott

He wanted to put a stopper on the subject of their Father for a while. He was so happy to see Alayna and be around her again, talking casually and laughing together. That's what they should be doing. Atticus just wanted to dream to last that little bit longer, until he had to think about the subject of Theodore and his maltreatment of his own children...

"He reminded me a little of Professor Maddox, actually. Is he still around?" he asked, laughing. He wasn't going to pine over him like he did when he was fourteen years old, but it would be nice to see his face again.

"Oh, absolutely. I'm there." He laughed again. "Is this... for anything in particular? Any special friends of your own I should know about?"

@Alayna Nott

"Yes. Maddox is still around. He grew his hair out. He looks sexy with it. Like, I could literally climb him like a tree." She blushed a bit when he asked if she had any friends, "Well. It's for the winter dance. You know we have one every year. As for special friends.... Well there's Oleander Parkinson. You remember him? Pansy Parkinsons son. Bad then there's Lien Chang. Don't make fun. He's not my typical type, but maybe that's what I need. Someone structured and mature. Not one of these bad boys that fuck me then break my heart."

@Atticus Nott

That... did sound pretty good, actually. There was no harm in looking at him while in class.

"Oleander and Lien?"

He laughed a little.

"Alayna... are you going through the boys in my dorm? That's not fair. I haven't been through them yet." Of course he wasn't being serious, he just poked her in the sides a little to taunt her. "Yeah... Lien really doesn't seem your type. I suppose I get the whole wanting to break someone's seriousness thing, but I can't really imagine him around girls. Ollie seems more your type," he said thoughtfully, "He's more charismatic and funny. Perhaps if you really are going through my dorm, you could consider Macmillan as well." He grinned teasingly at her.

@Alayna Nott

Alayna smiled sheepishly and gave him a playful shrug, "I can't help it that they're attractive and into me. I mean look at me." She said gesturing to herself. "Oh trust me. He can be around girls. He's a little shy but..." She trailed off not needing to fully get into what had gone down with Lien at the pool. She grimaced at the idea of Macmillan, "No thanks. I'll leave that one for you. He's a bit... I don't even know. I had an interaction with him on the train and he was kind of rude and just, eh. But I'm not trying myself to just one yet."

@Atticus Nott

"Yep. You're gorgeous."

He grinned at her.

"Oh, hmm. Macmillan can be a bit like that sometimes. I hope it wasn't anything too rude?" He didn't like the idea of boys being rude to her, even when he considered Macmillan to be an old friend. "Well. That sounds good to me. Do what you want to do."

He smiled at her, and took the pan out the oven. He cut up the Spanish omelette and put it onto plates, handing her over her portion with a fork.

@Alayna Nott

"Thanks love." She said blowing a kiss at him when he handed her the plate. "He wasn't too horrible. Just obnoxious. " She took a bite and then looked at him with adoration, "I forgot how much I love your cooking. Were gonna have to do this like once a week. The house elves are great at their job, but I need Atticus cooking in my life. I've gotten it back ; can't go cold turkey again." She said being extra over dramatic to make him smile.

@Atticus Nott