Sweet tooth (Atticus)

Alayna sat in the kitchens as she waited for Atticus to arrive. It was their weekly dinner together and Alayna had a craving for something sweet. She could probably convince Atticus to make them brownies. She loved brownies. She would have to take a few back to Ptolemy when they were done for thee evening. She heard the door open and turned her head to smile at her brother, "Hi Atticus!" She wondered if he had heard about the events that occured at Hogsmeade. She hadn't personally told him herself.

@Atticus Nott

"Hey," he said, "I'm just finishing up this chicken and ham pie. We've got potatoes - a lot of vegetables. I also made some cauliflower cheese as a side, but it doesn't really go..."

Atticus always cooked too much when it came to meal times, but he did need quite a lot of food himself. He preferred to get nutrition from food, the old fashioned way, than trying to bulk with shakes.

"I heard what happened with Ptolemy. So he can't see you in the evenings now. What a shame." As much as he preferred Alayna to be happy, he also loved the idea of Ptolemy having to attend detentions and have no leisure time for what he did.

@Alayna Nott

Alayna laughed as Atticus rattled off all the different items he made, "You're so crazy. I missed you." She had missed her brother over the week. She didn't see him as much as she spent alot of time with Ptolemy and he did... Whatever it was Atticus did. Alayna pouted, "It's not fair. That took away alot of my extra curricular activities.* She didn't want to go into detail, obviously.

@Atticus Nott

"What a great time to invest in a better hobby," Atticus said tartly, dishing up the food for them.

When he set down the plates, he began to eat quite rapidly. He was starving.

"He deserved what he got. If he'd gotten away with it for any longer, I would have had to say something myself. I had a feeling that he had something to do with it." And Alayna hadn't told him that. She'd protected him. "Maybe his isolation can give him a taste of what James had to go through. Not exactly, but it's close enough."

Atticus speared his cauliflower in contempt, frowning.

@Alayna Nott

Alayna glared at him, "I'm a woman, Atticus. I have needs. Just as I'm sure you do." She began eating when he placed the food in front of her, "Amazing. As always." She stopped eating when he began speaking about how Ptolemy deserved what he got, "I suggest you stop now, Atti. I don't wanna fight tonight and I feel an argument coming if you keep going about it." She was still upset by the fact she couldnt see her boyfriend.

@Atticus Nott

He glared at her, feeling annoyed again that she was part of the reason for James's and Lien's misery. Although they did seem to be getting better now, James more so than Lien, he still felt embarrassed to be related to Alayna - that she'd do something like that.

"I need the bathroom," he said, standing up all of a sudden. Perhaps if he cooled down a bit he could continue on without spilling the beans to her that he'd slept with James. He'd left his jacket behind, with his crystal inside of it.

@Alayna Nott

"Alright?" She said confused when he rushed off. She rolled her eyes and reached into her pocket to pull out her crystal realizing it wasn't there. She must have left it in the dorm. She wanted to text Carina to come to the kitchens and get something to eat. She reached into Atticus' jacket and pulled out his crystal. He wouldn't mind if she used his. She unlocked it, knowing his passcode and scrolled through the messages looking for carinas contact. She stopped when something caught her eye. Why was her brother texting James Potter? She opened the messages and screamed in pure horror almost throwing the crystal across the room. Her brother.... Was fucking... James Potter? She began to shake with anger as she put the crystal back without even using it. She would have to be clean about this. She sat back down and continued to eat, waiting for Atticus to return.

@Atticus Nott

They would just have to try and change the subject. Alayna disliked James, Atticus disliked Ptolemy: it was something that they disagreed with, but they could overcome it. They were brother and sister after all: he had to try and be happy for Alayna that all of this was a big mistake, she'd moved on from it and hopefully James would as well. He seemed a lot better already, which was rather surprising, given the circumstances.

Returning to the kitchens, he smiled at her. "Sorry about that."

He took a seat.

"So... tell me how everything else is. How's Carina?"

He resumed eating as well.

@Alayna Nott

Alayna gave her brother her fakest smile, "She's good. Still has no clue where her date from the dance is. But she's determined. Pandora is dating Jonah Ravencroft now. It was about time. Mackenzie is.... Well she's Mackenzie. She was talking to that Exchange student for a while but he disappeared. And now you're going to tell me how long you have been fucking Potter and committing the utmost betrayal to your own flesh and blood." She said shoving the plate away from her and looking him dead in the eye.

@Atticus Nott

Atticus nodded, listening along, or sort of listening. He was thinking of what to make for dessert. Then he was thinking about the dessert he made for James, and how it somehow ended up all over him. That had been a very good evening. Probably the most fun he'd ever had, having sex. James was extraordinary - he was --

Atticus blinked, and turned to her in surprise.

"... What?"

She did just say that, didn't she? Atticus sat there with his mouth slightly agape, bewildered.

"Erm," he said, forcing himself to look confused, "What gave you that idea?"

@Alayna Nott

Alayna scoffed and shook her head, standing up away from the table, "Un fucking real. You're really going to sit here and deny it. The proof is All over your crystal. In unseeable black and white. Not matter how much you want to unsee it." Alayna was going to need therapy to recover from what she had read about her brother and James. She felt nauseous as she thought of it, "How long? How long have you been stabbing me in the fucking back Atticus!?" Her voice was filled with rage and hatred towards her brother for the first time in their life.

@Atticus Nott

Atticus stood up as well. He didn't like this. This wasn't the way he wanted her to find out. Well, honestly, he didn't want her to find out at all. Because this would happen.

"What are you going through my crystal for anyway?" he asked heatedly, annoyed that she'd actually do that. Although they were twins and she knew his password, he didn't like the idea of his privacy being invaded like that! Atticus definitely wouldn't think of going through her crystal. He should remember to take the damn thing with him next time...

He shook his head.

"It just happened. Several times. So what?"

@Alayna Nott

"I was borrowing yours to text Carina because I forgot mine. That's how I found your dirty little secret. And this isn't about me using your crystal, which you've never minded. This is about you keeping shit from me and fucking someone I hate! You're my brother. You're supposed to care about me!" Her eyes widened and her nostrils were flaring, "Oh my god. Serval fucking times? What's next. You gonna fuck Lien too? Just twist the damn knife while you're at it!?" She was pissed. She wanted to break shit. She wanted to scream and hit something.

@Atticus Nott

He could feel the rage shaking through him as well. Although he was typically the calmer, more grounded twin - there were instances where his wrath could match Alayna's...

"Yes I do bloody mind! You just assume that I don't mind because you're borrowing it before you're actually asking me if it's okay!" he flared, "I do fucking care about you, Alayna. But you've made it really hard for me to believe you care this past month. James has been a person in need - someone that I can empathise with as we've both got shit for being what we are. So yeah, that concern I had for him turned into compassion, and we ended up sleeping together. I wanted him to feel good about himself!"

He glared at her.

"Even if I did have sex with Lien, it's not your concern. I thought you were over him anyway!"

@Alayna Nott

"You say you care but your actions say otherwise. You knew this would upset me when I found out. And you either didn't care or never planned on me finding out. And I honestly don't know which of those is worse." She laughed at his excuse for why he did it, "Oh of course. You have to make bloody James Potter feel good about himself while making me feel like fucking trash. Brother of the year, ladies and gentlemen." She glared back at him, "I am over him. I just need to know what betrayal to look forward to next."

@Atticus Nott

"You made him feel like trash in the first place, Alayna!" he thundered, his dark eyes like obsidian. "You betrayed me! Do you really think I'd go on as if everything's hunky-dory? You have no idea how much of Father's wrath I had to take when I confessed to being gay. You have no idea at all!"

He was towering over her, clenching his fists, feeling his blood boil and his rage blind him.

"And now you've put someone through the same thing! You're a fucking monster!"

As his voice bellowed, it rang around the room. The elves had darted away in fright, and gone to hide away.

@Alayna Nott

"He's not my brother. He's not family. He's not my fucking twin that's supposed to love me no matter what. You are! Or at least you were." She said her voice lowering at the end. "I betrayed you! I never claimed to be anything I wasn't. We all know I'm a bitch so why are you fucking surprised, Atticus." She didn't like thinking about how he had been sent away. But part of her wished he had never come home. At least then they wouldn't be fighting. When she actually screamed at her she took a few steps back, "Alright then, Theodore." She said, her voice both scared and angry.

@Atticus Nott

"You're not just a bitch, you're a fucking sociopath love."

He laughed bitterly.

"And the whole world doesn't bloody revolve around you."

He gathered up his jacket in rage.

"Call me whatever you want. If there's one of us who's closer to being our Dad - it's you. He really would be so proud that you're as homophobic as he is. He'd be so proud that you're with a boy from a well-bred family."

He stormed towards the door.

@Alayna Nott

Alayna felt her fists start to clench at her sides. She could feel her nails digging into the skin of her palms, "I know the world doesn't revolve around me Atticus. I'm not some child." She was insulted by his words. She had never been so angry with him before, "Then fine. You don't have to see me as a sister anymore. And I certainly don't need you and you're betrayal." She didn't mean any of it. She was just angry. He was hurting her and she wanted to hurt him the same way, "Go run off and fuck James. You're choosing him over your family. Go on. But just know I'll never speak to you again. And it's not because James Is a guy and you're gay. I've always been accepting of that. It's gonna be because you chose him over me. I always come second place to someone. I didn't think I would come second place with you."

@Atticus Nott

"Shut up and get some self-awareness, you hypocrite."

He didn't want to stand there and take it for any longer, so he left the kitchens and made way to Ravenclaw tower. On the way, he sent a crystal message to James explaining what had just happened, then one to Macmillan saying he now knew what it was like to have a disappointing sibling. He just needed to vent to someone.