aciiers:
❛ 𝑔𝑎𝑏𝑝𝑟𝑖𝑚𝑝 , 𝑦𝑒𝑠 , 𝑜𝑓 𝑐𝑜𝑢𝑟𝑠𝑒 , ❜ sirius drawls , though there is sincerity behind it . remembering everything lovegood throws at him would be a gift worth having . at the next abrupt statement , sirius gives a snort , shrugging at xenophilius’ suggestion . ❛ could very well be the case , ❜ he says , sitting back . he hums at the assertion of figuring his family affairs , still at the point of finding the idea rather funny either way . ❛ maybe i’ll need to invite you sometime . i'd say sneak you in , but that’s a lot of effort with very minimal results , considering we’d very likely get caught . my mother’s adding to the traps laid out almost every month or so . ❜
sirius nods long and slow as xenophilius goes on about his astral projections . ❛ outer space ? i’d think so too , really . can’t imagine much of anything interesting happens for a while , if astronomy is anything to go by , ❜ he agrees . he turns to xenophilius with a smirk then , when the thought crosses him , ❛ you visited the dog star yet , then ? i’ll be personally insulted if you haven’t ; it's supposedly rather close . ❜
xenophilius nods. “it’s actually quite opportune, too. i’m due to start a few summer jobs. i can interpret cards for your family, or maybe tutor one of your relatives. my prices are pretty low, but for the black family, i’ll make it steeper. i know you all have the capacity to pay me large sums. i will make my labour as expensive as i can.” and that’s a promise!
“very uneventful up there,” he agrees. “the stars are only good for maybe predicting things that could happen in the future. according to my astronomy work this week, my luck will soon improve in my relations with a pretty girl or i’ll find a cool-looking shrub. i really hope it’s the first one.” xeno tilts his head. “you know that the dog star is just a star, don’t you? it’s the same as all the other stars, just slightly brighter. it’s not shaped like a dog at all. i don’t know why you like dogs so much.”
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frcnklcngbottom:
“who was it?” he questioned, frown tugging at his features as the boy pulled out his own wand to assist, but the boy had himself separated before frank had to do anything, “i haven’t given out a detention in ages and as much as we fail to enforce it - hogwarts had a zero tolerance for bullying–” merlin, kids had the ability to be the worst of the worst out there and he tried to swallow the sympathy that was building up for the boy - no one liked to be pitied.
“i don’t know.” he shrugged. “it doesn’t matter to me. you don’t need to punish them.” for a moment, it sounded as though xeno was opting to take the high road, until he followed this statement with: “but if i may, i’d like to request permission to jinx or hex my bullies back. i mean, it’s not bullying on my part if they started it. i’m simply retaliating, am i not?”
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charityfaithfull:
Intuitively, she knew he must be thinking more than one thing. At least half of them she would find ridiculous. The other half could often lead her into a depth-filled conversation she knew he could misinterpret. Lighter words, lighter tones, and being direct as possible was Charity’s way towards seeing a civil side of the boy. Words of excitement, words that usually she usually engaged with to fuel ideas and exploration had lead them to a stranger place before. “I’m fine.” She nodded. “Have you still been…” careful words, “writing? You always seemed very dedicated to it.”
“Yeah, I have! I’m poking around for the sake of my writing, actually.” Xeno let his smile grow wider. Though he was beginning to take himself a bit less seriously, he still had to consider whether or not he wanted to tell her about his day’s schedule. He decided not to tell her after all. “It won’t be your kind of thing, but... that’s alright.” He nodded to himself.
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henrvkas:
alice crouch in the hallways near curfew was a common enough sight, one of a few prefects that stuck to their schedule and duties in earnest , she often took on more than her fair share of what others dropped , picking up the extra shifts that needed covering . it was a useful trick though , being the prefect always on call , always the face expected around the corner when you hear those telltale footsteps ; no one ever noticed when she alice crouch wasn’t quite mean to be there . such was the case tonight, she’d just been out for a wander . a forgotten half pack of smokes she’d rediscovered in an bag burning a hole in her pocket . habit taking her to the nook behind the greenhouses she and her cousin used to frequent , alone , or so she thought .
“ xeno , what— what are you playing at ? ” she called out , slipping the back back into her pocket . merlin , why did this have to be the boy that thought of himself as her ex ? “ stop it , ” she half snapped , alice had never been a girl of vanity , she much preferred leaving that area of things to ivy , this form of flattery — this was NOT the way to her heart .
he sighs. “alright, so i’m... doing something. nothing dark, nothing illegal. i’m sorry if i’m breaching curfew. i mean, i have no idea what time it is right now.” his eyes jump to the booklet in front of him as he realised that it very clearly displays the words YOU MUST COMPLETE THIS RITUAL BEFORE THE ELEVENTH HOUR OF NIGHTTIME ENDS. he slaps it away, chuckling sheepishly. “that’s just a fiction book. i’m not... this isn’t a ritual. just practising some spells.”
he breathes in. moments pass. “...okay, alright. i’m attempting to summon a creature. but it’s a friendly creature! it’s called the woodsmaster, and i only get a few chances per year to summon it. it’s supposed to have mastered all the elements of the forest, so it brings an abundance of natural gifts.” quickly, he studies her. well, he’s bluffing right now, but it’s worth the risk: “you’re not here for prefect duties, are you?”
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see-celia:
Celia watched with her head tilted just a few feet from where the boy stumbled, with her mouth agape at the sight of him. “Are you sure you’re all right? If I fell like that I know I’d be very bruised, and probably would hurt my knee. It’s why I can’t climb trees anymore, I always fall.” She looked back over him, taking a few steps forward before turning her head to see if anyone else was around. “What happened…exactly?”
Xeno’s forehead crinkled at Celia’s response. He didn’t know what to say, really. “Maybe you should stop climbing trees. Why do you climb trees?” he asked. “Is there anything good to be done or seen on branches? Anyway, it’s just some people who stole my special telescope and hexed it.” He shrugged. “But I’m alright now.”
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xenophilius frowned when he saw the sheet blocking the book he had opened. he was absorbed in another text, and so his mind was floating in a different space. all noise was drowned out as he focused on what he was perusing. his eyebrows unknitted the moment he caught sight of pandora’s face, however. “oh, hello,” he said. if he knew her a bit less, he would probably be falling over his feet around her presence. but they were friends. he relaxed around a friend. in spite of this, however, the thump beneath his chest rang louder in his ears, and his cheeks grew pleasantly warm, as if he’d taken several sips of butterbeer.
“uh,” xeno said. he looked into her eyes, voice dropping an octave as he concentrated, “it depends on what properties of the fairy wings you’re seeking to emulate.” a smile slowly stretched on his face. “as you know, fairy wings are used in beautification and girding potions. they enhance appearance as well as physical fortitude. i’ve found that moondew is a fine alternative for the latter purpose.” his intentions for substituting the wings with moondew weren’t so noble, more because wings were rare and expensive, and he often needed cheap tools for protect himself as he roamed forests in search of his elusive creatures. but she didn’t need to know that. thoughtfully, he hummed. “i’ve never needed a beautification potion, but... as unglamorous as it is, neem oil has restorative properties. it could potentially be used as a fairy wings alternative for looks-altering brews.”
closed starter for @xencs !
“i need your opinion on something.” pandora announced without ceremony as she scooted to sit right next to xenophilius at the study hall. granted, they had other classmates that would be vastly more interested in the matter, but she always trusted xeno’s insights–alright, perhaps not all of them–but she never denied that he was smart. she slid her parchment right under his nose to show him her work. “i’m inventing my own potion that does not use anything from or of magical creatures. i think it would be a right sight for when we do n.e.w.t.s. i need a substitute for fairy wings.”
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Xeno took his telescope from the corner of the school in which a few bullies had hidden it. “Really? Stealing and hiding my special telescope again? Can’t any of you come up with something new?” As he moved to walk away, however, he stumbled; someone had cast a hex on his telescope, and his feet were stuck together.
“Ha, ha, very funny. At least there’s a bit of originality today!” He produced his wand and separated his feet. “I’m fine!” he said as he stood up. Not that anyone was necessarily asking.
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call-me-gilderoy:
As the corridor cleared of students walking to their next class, Gilderoy noticed Xenophilius yelling into the middle distance. He walked over to his fellow Ravenclaw and snatched the newspaper out of his hand. “Fine journalism, eh? Seem a little light on the content. I’d suggest more editorial, maybe an interview or two. Of course, I have a very busy schedule but I’m sure I could move some stuff around providing the right photo could be taken for the front page.”
“You know, I had a newspaper once when I was in second year. It was quite lovely if I do say so myself - printed on lilac paper. Of course it was before its time, only ran for one issue.”
“Merlin,” Xeno muttered. A testament to the rampage Lockhart’s ego had gone on, was that Xenophilius Lovegood —— normally the subject of vexation —— found the other boy’s presence to be a nuisance. Under his breath, Xeno uttered words expressed by many a Hogwarts student about himself: “Not you again.” His fingers met his temples, miming a headache. He sighed.
“I heard of that paper.” Did he really not recall how Xeno was one of the Ravenclaws whose passion for writing he had exploited and used for his own vanity newspaper? “Can’t say I was much of its fan.”
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aciiers:
❛ 𝑝𝑟𝑦 𝑎𝑤𝑎𝑦 , ❜ 𝑠𝑖𝑟𝑖𝑢𝑠 𝑖𝑛𝑠𝑖𝑠𝑡𝑠 , extending a hand out in deep bow . ❛ we can exchange tips . i’d love to see what father would say if he came home to aunt lucretia’s necklace covered in — what was that the other day — garbpimp dust ? anyway — ❜ he shakes his head , sitting a little straighter to think this through . it’s been a while since he’s given the dark objects littered about any passing thought . ❛ i’ve no clue what the half of them do , honestly . but let me think . . . my mother used to make us sleep by having this creepy little music box open all night in our rooms . it plays some off - key melody and you’re passed out with terrible nightmares until someone closes it . oh , and there’s the arachnid tongs . half the objects , really , will try and bite or pierce you . our clock doubles as a riffle too . ❜
sirius cocks an inquisitive brow at the derivation in topic . mind , he hasn’t heard of astral projection and spends most of his time listening to xenophilius deciding on how much to take at face value . that finale certainly isn’t helping , and sirius has to pull his lips together to stop from horrifically laughing again . ❛ pure rubbish , really , ❜ he acquieses , nodding . ❛ i wouldn’t listen to muggles . our biology is different . so you did it then ? the body separation ? ❜
“gabprimp dust,” amends xeno, patiently, because the other male actually listens to his theories (even if for amusement). he listens to sirius rattle off some of the things the black clan store in their households. xeno pauses, meditating on this new information. then, he says in an even tone, “to be honest, your family may just be weird.” he explains, “i’m interested in great truths, remember? we’re both from strange families, it’s an established fact. not very interesting.”
he says, “i’ll still look into your family’s affairs, of course. those items you mentioned, i think, are probably common in the dark arts market; yet there still may be a larger picture i’m missing.” as soon as sirius talks about astral projection, his train of thought accordingly shifts. “i’m still a novice. during my first few attempts at managing my astral travels, i’ve only been able to go to outer space. i know the people down here romanticise the cosmos, but i don’t see what the fuss is about, personally. it’s just fire, fire, and more fire. i found it rather boring as well.”
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charityfaithfull:
Charity sat up in place. She didn’t pity him, he was better than that; and she wasn’t one for dramatics unless they were written. “I’m glad to hear that.” Her fingers dawdled over the edge of the book before taking light hold of it again. “I wasn’t really reading it, I guess.” She truly believe they could be friends for as ridiculous that she once believed him to be to actually engaging in conversation with hm. “I thought I was going to read today and I just didn’t…taking time to not do things can be important, too.”
“Hmm,” the Ravenclaw boy pondered aloud, “I don’t know what that’s like.” He was constantly in motion, his mind buzzing to no end. But he could respect that others’ minds worked differently, especially when they respected the way his did. He was so sure that Charity thought so low of him, and maybe she did back then; but they were growing up, and with that came emotional development. He would learn to be nicer too. “Are you feeling relaxed?” he asked, imbuing his tone with earnest sincerity.
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tdtvnks:
“ ARSEHOLES WOULDN’T EVEN KNOW WHAT TO DO WITH IT ! “ ted shouted after the crowd of students, flipping a couple of the ruder ones off with one hand and patting his mate on the back with the other. the cheek of people these days, honestly. never mind it was his friend’s work they were trampling over, the least they could do was not litter.
“ here y’are mate, they wouldn’t know good reading if it hit them over the head. “ pulling his wand from his robe pocket, he pointed it at the muddied copy of the quibbler and muttered a quick SCOURGIFY, brushing away the the last pecks of dirt that his spell didn’t catch. “ easily fixed, eh. practically brand new. although i’d check all your drawings are still there, actually, my spells tend to get a bit excited. might’ve taken some of the ink away with the dirt. “
“i’d love to hit them over the head, alright.” though his words were coarse and unpleasant, xeno was calming down. a slight, wry smile spread across his visage. they were kindred spirits in more than one way -- their shared fascination with conspiracies being one of those -- but sometimes, it also helped to simply be in the company of one who sympathised with the occasional need to punch snobs in the face.
xeno glanced at the copy. he spent a minute rifling through the pages. “...well, i have other copies,” he said, a gentle means of letting the other know that his casting of scourgify wiped away most of his original text and drawings. nonetheless, ted put forth some effort to alleviate xeno’s sadness, a kindness he still did not encounter often. he was thankful to have people like these in his life now. friends. “this month, i wrote about umgubular slashkilters. have you heard of them? probably not, because people at the ministry work hard to keep them under wraps.”
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aciiers:
𝑎 𝑚𝑜𝑚𝑒𝑛𝑡'𝑠 𝑝𝑎𝑢𝑠𝑒 𝑝𝑎𝑠𝑠𝑒𝑠 with the slow blink of sirius’ eyes , and soon he’s hunched over his own stomach in laughter he can no longer contain . ❛ they- they , yeah . . . yeah , no , they certainly would have , if they had one , ❜ he manages to wheeze out , the last few chuckles coming out with a breath . ❛ we do have plenty freakish objects , though . a small hoard in our attic would fit right in . maybe it still belongs to my uncle alphard . i always had the impression he’s helped draw the line at the number of howlers i get sent . ❜
xeno is uncertain as to why sirius is laughing. he thinks it’s quite sad, really, the way the gryffindor is treated by his family. but before he can provide some words of commiseration, his ears perk up at sirius saying his family has ‘plenty’ of freakish objects. his speech speeds up. he may as well be vibrating. “such as what? um, what objects does your family have?” for a moment, he pauses. “i understand if you’re not allowed to say anything, though. i mean... i am going to pry, but you don’t have to say anything. i’m prepared to fend off whatever creatures or items your family may use against me.”
he tells sirius, “if i die, that’s on me. not your fault at all.” instantly, he follows this all up with, “have you ever wondered what it’s like to die? i’ve always been interested in joining the spiritual dimension. lately, i’ve been reading about astral projection.... it’s when you separate your consciousness from your body. i think i do that quite a bit, but one of the muggleborns in my class told me her parents are ‘therapists’ and i’m probably ‘dissociating’ due to ‘trauma.’” he shakes his head, chuckling. “are those even real words, am i right?”
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charityfaithfull:
She tilted her head with a light squint besides the otherwise cloudy sky. “Who said Quidditch is what you had to be practicing?” Charity’s voice stayed gentle despite his perceived tension, his curtness towards her. Could that be childish, or was she just inconsiderate? No, that didn’t seem right either. “I’m in the practice of organizing my thoughts and I’m out here. You are allowed to be here for whatever reason you want.” She lifted herself with one elbow, allowing herself to prop up and see him more fully and let her book down towards the grass.·
Xeno took a deep breath. There was a part of him that was genuinely just awkward, but he knew this was unfair on her regardless.·“I’m not... mad or anything, Charity,” he said.·“Just... you know, Xenophilius Lovegood. Not the best at social interaction.” And his ego was bruised, but he rarely conceded to a bruised ego. He gave her a cordial smile.·“Are you reading anything good?”
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11 pm. an hour before midnight. this, according to all his research, was the perfect time to summon the woodsmaster. he was in spider silk robes he had sewn himself, with a large leaf secured on his head via magic. “laevo vapum,” he said. nothing happened. “laevo va... who’s there!” he pointed his wand in the direction of the other presence.
through his smoky glasses, he took in the sight. oh, merlin. he would know that face anywhere, even in the faint light of the moon. he chuckled anxiously. “alice crouch...” he coughed. the grasshoppers on his head chirped. really not an ideal look for when a prefect, who also happens to be a girl you used to kinda date, is confronting you for breaching curfew. “i don’t know why, but you’re even more beautiful tonight than you usually are. has anyone told you?” @henrvkas
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“I’m not practising. I’m sure you remember that I’m not on the Quidditch Team,” replied Xeno. He would’ve expanded upon what he was doing there, but he remembered she didn’t like it when he rambled. Normally, he never cared what anyone thought of him, but he had to admit this one stung. (Even more so because she was so cool around him, while he remained an embarrassed mess.) “I’m just... admiring the grass,” he said through gritted teeth. Anyone who’d spent more than a minute in his presence would know he was searching for creatures, as he often was.
Yes, the March air was chilled. But it was cool enough for Charity to relax across the grass of the quidditch pitch, using her robe as a makeshift blanket. She was content in a cozy sweater, laying with her hair splayed across the ground, arms crossed to the book on her chest. The perceptive girl was deep in thought. She figured this was how philosophers must have spent their time, but that didn’t stop her senses from recognizing the nearby presence. “You may practice, I’d like to stay here though…. Good for contemplating.”
@petrificusstarter
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aciiers:
❛ . . . 𝑖𝑠 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑟𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡 ? ❜ sirius nods along to xenophilius’ little tirade , forcing an absolutely straight face . ❛ and what use would a stone be to the . . . embercalf society ? ❜ he asks , leaning forward and taking the stone in his hands . in theory , it did look like more than just a stone , but whatever magical properties that encased was beyond his attention span , much preferring to listen to whatever nonsense lovegood was on about this time . he could never quite tell just how much of these little rambles were based on , well , anything — but that didn’t stop them from being highly amusing to listen to , so sirius kept prompting .
xeno ponders. “i don’t know. there are a thousand purposes a stone could serve. i can’t just choose one based on conjecture.” to everybody else, he just has a screw loose, but in his mind, there exists a logical structure to his theories. “i would ask you, as i figured the black clan may have embercalves too. but you’re still alive, so your family probably does not own one.” he pauses for a moment, then elaborates -- without any malice or personal emotion whatsoever, said as though bluntly stating a fact: “i believe your family would send an embercalf to maim you at least. but you’re still walking, perfectly fine.”
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