[IC] Forsaken Children of War (Kirah and McHaggis)

[McHaggis]

Siobhan raised an eyebrow in an 'are you sure' gesture but otherwise followed Kyle dutifully. She was meant to be the fearless Gryffindor, not him! As they left the classroom, "Alistair talks about Malfoy a lot. Calls him a... y'know, I probably shouldn't say that in polite company." While not exactly the right time to ponder it as they were on a life-or-death spying mission, she wondered about the politics of Slytherin. It seemed like Maggie McCarthy was at the centre of a huge love-hexagon (not even close to a triangle) and she figured it had something to do with the only other viable girls being Millicent Bulstrode and Pansy Parkinson.

The hall was empty and, much to her surprise, they hadn't gone into a classroom like she had thought given that there were no others nearby on the corridor. Ah. Stairs. Sneakily, she took the first few creaking steps, hoping very much that the sixth years weren't still at the top of them.

[Kirah]

Kyle held his breath as he climbed the stairs. Near the top he knelt down so he could peer over the top step without being seen. His sister was blunt but her antics had taught him a high degree of caution. "They aren't there." He said just audibly. "I think they went further up."

Kyle slipped around the edge of the next section of stair. This one leading up to the fifth floor. He caught sight of robes disappearing around the corner up to the next flight. "They are still going up." He frowned. What was on the upper levels that they had any reason to be near during lunch break. They were way above the top library floor. Astronomy tower was off limits save for class time. The Slytherin dorms were in the dungeons. Kyle frowned and creeped up to the fifth floor. And yet still the older Slytherin was going up yet another flight of stairs. "The seventh floor. Isn't that where your dorms are? And the Ravenclaw dorms." Kyle couldn't think of anything else being on the seventh floor off the top of his head.

[McHaggis]

Siobhan carefully tightened her grip on her wand just in case as they saw Draco and his companions continue on up the stairs, staying deathly silent. "Maybe they're going to play a prank on Gryffindor Tower?" she asked hopefully, though she knew such a thing had never happened in all the years her brother was at Hogwarts. Her suspicions lay with dangerous activities to do with Death Eaters and dark magic -- those were very Slytherin things to do.

Her curiosity had been sparked and she took another few tentative steps up, looking back at Kyle. "They know something we don't know, which means we should definitely find out what they're up to," she said. "Maybe it's a secret passageway to a classroom or something?"

[Kirah]

"Maybe," Kyle doubted that and his tone was skeptical. "Why would a Slytherin be looking for a secret passage into a class? That sounds way more Ravenclaw-y." Kyle voiced his skepticism

Kyle followed Siobhan right to the edge of the landing for the seventh floor. He looked over the edge of the top stair not wanting to be spotted, it was a good thing he wasn't wearing the stupid pointed hat. From what Kyle could tell the hallway was empty save for a third year Hufflepuff girl holding a set of potion scales. Kyle frowned and shrugged at Siobhan.

[McHaggis]

"To be... uh, sneaky, why else?" Siobhan said with pride-worthy sass for a Gryffindor.

When they discovered the landing to be empty, Siobhan's eyes narrowed in suspicion. Poking her head out, she looked left then right to ensure the gang of Slytherins weren't waiting around the corner having already seen them, but they were nowhere to be seen. "They're definitely around here somewhere," she said resolutely. "They can't have just disappeared into thin air."

Courageously (or stupidly) she came fully out into the corridor -- a Hufflepuff wasn't anything to be frightened of, for sure -- and began sleuthing around... or as close to that as an eleven year old could be. "People don't just vanish!"

[Kirah]

"Yeah I can see why you are in Gryffindor." Kyle rolled his eyes and followed her into the corridor. The Huffelpuff jumped startled by their appearance and dropped the scales she was holding. She started picking up the pieces eying the pair of them as if expecting them to say or do something atrocious.

"Come on, we're going to be late for potions if we spend too much time up here." Kyle was unimpressed with the disappearance of the older students. "Besides we're in a school for wizards, people do vanish. There's a spell for that."

[McHaggis]

"Of course," Siobhan rolled her eyes. "You just have an answer for everything, don't you?"

With one last glance at the barren walls, she nodded to Kyle, heading back down the set of stairs they had taken up. Halfway down them, she said, "I hope that Hufflepuff doesn't say anything. We really shouldn't be seen together 'cos, y'know, we're not friends." While bundling her hair up into a neat ponytail, she wondered why she had forgotten that fact -- it wasn't like she based her whole day around it or anything. "Which reminds me -- I'm taking the shorter route this time. See you in Potions!"

The Gryffindor started to skip down the stairs cheerily despite one of her least favourite classes being next. It wouldn't be long until detention, and that was what she was looking forward to.

[Kirah]

Kyle snorted and then picked up his bag in the classroom. He noticed that the dust he and Siobhan had disturbed made it obvious that two people had sat in that room. He frowned and tried to think of way to redistribute the dust. He decided rather to clean the desks completely, since that was easier than putting the dust back. A few quick cleaning spells later and Kyle was running to potions. He had a stitch in his side as he slid into his seat almost toppling it over.

"Did you seriously run here all the way from the Library?" Sam asked him under his breath. Kyle nodded.

"Well you'll be happy to know your butt is filthy." One of the other Slytherins remarked. Kyle dusted off his backside, his ears hot. "What did you do sit on a top shelf?" Kyle nodded again not trusting his voice. He wanted to glance and see if Siobhan had a dust covered skirt. Before he could give her any sign though Slughorn entered the class.

[Kirah]

((Stupid double posts sorry))

[McHaggis]

After greeting Siobhan, Yvette pulled out her wand and pointed at Siobhan's back discreetly. "Here -- this'll get the dust off," she said, and the pureblood girl was slightly wary of how badly a Muggleborn could muck up with magic. Even so, she didn't say anything as the brunette's muttered spell didn't seem to cause an adverse effects. Slyly, Yvette noted in a low, secretive voice, "Made up with McCarthy then?"

Siobhan's cheeks burned red but found herself completely unable to lie, especially when Yvette's eyes sparkled like that. She only managed a nod, her friend's answering giggle -- or cackle -- saying it all.

Slughorn began to drone on and on, first about potions -- the next one they would be making was the Forgetfulness Potion -- and then discreetly changed the topic to his own get-together and how prestigious all those involved were. Siobhan tried to catch Kyle's attention and roll her eyes.

[Kirah]

At Siobhan's expression Kyle had to hide his face behind his notes in order to keep from laughing. Sam gave him a confused look and kicked him under the table. The pair of them went to making their Forgetfulness potion. Kyle, much too excited to pay close attention, and Sam of limited potion making skill, forgot to add only two pinches of mistletoe powder and instead each added two. The additional powder made the concoction explosive, and Sam was the unfortunate one to suffer the singed hair and blistering skin as Kyle nearly subconsciously cast Protego. His spell caught the worst of the explosion keeping all, but poor Sam who had been hovering over the potion, safe from the fire.

"Go ahead and go to Madam Pomfrey's office." Slughorn waved Sam out of the class. "I'm impressed McCarthy, that was a powerful shield charm."

"Uh, thank you sir." Kyle resisted glancing at Siobhan because he knew if they made eye contact neither of them would keep a straight face. Slughorn waved his wand and the mess disappeared.

"If you think you can finish a fresh brew before class end I'll not give you a zero." Slughorn waddled back to the front of the class. Kyle glanced at his watch. If he could get the resting period down to just 40 minutes instead of the required 45-60 he could finish in time. Kyle quickly started brewing the potion again. Without Sam there it went slower, but much safer in Kyle's opinion. While he brewed he ignored that everyone else in the class was turning in their potions. The Gryffindors saying snide remarks as they passed him, Kyle chewed on his thumbnail to distract himself.

[McHaggis]

Siobhan shot Kyle a discreet thumbs up under the disguise of putting her wand behind her ear as she finished bottling her merely above-average potion. Her friend would have to rush, she knew, and couldn't work with so many distractions. Instead, she surveyed the class, waiting as Yvette went up to take their result to Slughorn.

Trisha had poured hers into a glass bottle and left it lying. Left it lying, Siobhan thought, vulnerable for any... pranks. Taking her wand, she carefully cast a wingardium leviosa at a mysterious herb she found at the bottom of her Potions kit, slowly and silently feeding it through the open container where the other girl had forgot to put a stopper. Siobhan felt like cackling -- it went a frothing, bubbling black colour and when Trisha noticed it, she screeched in surprise.

Obviously it wasn't Kyle who was busy. It wasn't the Slytherins or the other Gryffindors, as they had all gone up in pairs to present their potion... Immediately, Trisha marched up to Slughorn with a complaint about Siobhan on her tongue, saying that she had "ruined their potion" and "was evil". Siobhan watched as the portly professor tried to placate the first year girl and stay on the MacFusty clan's good side. Heh.

All in a day's work.

[Kirah]

Kyle snickered hard enough that he had to pretend that he had stubbed his toe and was actually hurt. Once attention was diverted from him again Kyle set back to working on the potion. He was impatiently watching it as it simmered. He tried to come up with a way to shorten the time. It was supposed to be on a low simmer for the 45-60 minutes until it was the right color. How could he get it to be the right color? He already had his mistletoe ready to add. He glanced at his watch, 38 minutes of simmering past. He raised the heat just a little. Begged Merlin's beard that it wouldn't blow up in his face and waited.

The color changed at exactly 40 minutes and 48 seconds. Kyle dropped the heat down, and tossed in the mistletoe. He stirred the potion and waved his wand. Without giving the concoction time to cool even slightly he ladled some into his vial and put the stopper in. He was at the front desk putting the carefully labeled potion on Slughorn's desk when the bell rang.

"It's in on time McCarthy." Slughorn gave an impressed nod. The color of the potion was nervewrackingly off by a couple of shades, Kyle just hopped it would correct as it cooled. He headed back to his desk to clean up.

[McHaggis]

"So, Trisha," Siobhan said with an evil grin spreading across her face just after her potion (and Yvette's) had been held up to the light by Slughorn and graded. Near perfect, though with the slightly off shade it wouldn't taste particularly pleasant. "It's a real shame what happened to your potion -- are you sure you cleaned out the glassware before you bottled it? That can happen sometimes..." She stopped to wait for the professor to mark Kyle's who would be next.

"Exceptional for the circumstances," Slughorn said cheerfully, nodding to Kyle with a slightly nervous smile.

Siobhan's grin grew wider though for an entirely different reason; more ammunition. "Looks like even McCarthy did better than you," she continued, careful to stick to polite surnames now that they were not-friends. Trisha was turning red with anger and embarrassment, and although Siobhan felt ever so slightly bad, it was not enough to stop her from playing the villain.

[Kirah]

Kyle had given relieved smile and refused to look at Siobhan. He knew what she was doing. Time to play his part.

"Too bad Trisha, another zero for Gryffindor. Guess my troll brains are better than a no-brain." The jab he figured would be enough to push the hotheaded Gryffindor over the edge. Sure enough she slammed her hand on the table and got a reprimand from Slughorn, no detention though, which was too bad in Kyle's opinion.

"That's not fair. My potion was ready." Trisha complained.

"Now none of that." Slughorn interrupted her. "Obviously something was wrong with your potion otherwise it wouldn't have exploded."

Dinner and then detention. He and Siobhan were probably the only people in Hogwarts who were looking forward to getting Detention. They were also probably the only ones who got it so early in the year. Kyle hadn't heard of Potter's postponed detention, that had rescued the pair of them from Slug Club. If Potter hadn't gotten Saturday detention they would have, Kyle also hadn't heard that Potter's detention had been postponed. Not that any of that mattered to the first year Slytherin.

[McHaggis]

Siobhan had to force herself to eat sluggishly at dinnertime, otherwise she would be racing through her food to reach detention first. That would look incredibly suspicious -- who ever wanted to go and receive punishment? She made light chatter with Yvette, studiously ignoring Trisha glaring daggers at her from down the table, and grinned to herself, feeling lighter than she had all week.

Maybe Snape would force them back to being friends again? Who knew?

When other Gryffindors were filtering off back to the common room or to the library, Siobhan reckoned she could go now. Fifteen minutes early, sure, but she could attribute that to fear of her gloomy professor. She made it to the classroom with time to spare, mostly because she ran there. Taking a seat down on the clean, polished floor outside -- Filch must've washed it -- Siobhan waited for Kyle to appear.

[Kirah]

Kyle was quick with his meal. He wanted to run by the dorms before going to detention, and he knew that if he got waylaid by anyone, he'd be late.

Kyle was right of course. His sister was in the common room, waiting for him. "So you got detention." She sneered.

"Yeah, hear you've got it worse though." Kyle grinned, he enjoyed being able to tease his sister for it was a rare occurrence that he had something to pick on her about.

"Yeah, Alistair convinced me to go. Told me it'd be funny because Slughorn doesn't want anyone he knows to have association with the Dark Lord there. Guess that's what Slughorn gets for allowing people to invite someone. It's weirdly the event of the year though." Maggie rolled her eyes. She hated socializing and it amused Kyle to see her so irritated. Irritated enough to show it. "Anyway I've got to go. Did you breath your dinner?" She asked as she pushed past him and out of the common room. Kyle didn't respond. There wasn't a reason to Maggie was already out of hearing range. Kyle was just to the dorm when Alistair passed him.

"Detention tonight?" Alistair asked. Kyle nodded. "I'll wait up. I want to hear about it." Then he was gone after Maggie. Kyle dropped off his bag and checked his watch. He had enough time to make it to Snape's office. He checked that his wand was easily accessible and then hurried to detention. Siobhan was sitting in front of Snape's office.

"Hey." He said quietly, almost guilty sounding in case Snape was listening from inside. Hogwarts' walls had ears. "Your brother said he wanted to hear about dentition." It could be easily thought that Kyle was threatening Siobhan with telling on her if she was mean to Kyle during detention.

[McHaggis]

.

[Kirah]

[TIME SKIP]
Saturday

Kyle had found his way up to the third floor, they could have all afternoon in the empty classroom they had picked for this meeting. It had a great view of the Quidditch pitch too. They still hadn't talked to Alistair about their detention, which had been unbelievable dull. Snape had had them washing cauldrons out. He wasn't even the Potions master this year and yet there they had been. By hand too!

He had entered the room and sitting at one of the desks as an older Gyffindor boy. Probably third year, but Kyle couldn't be sure. Kyle was backing out quickly but the boy already looked up at him. "Oye, who are you?" Kyle wasn't wearing any marking colors.

"Uh..." Kyle started, but couldn't think of how to answer.

"Out with it." The boy pressed.

"Uh, Kyle." He decided it best to keep his last name to himself, at least for now.

[McHaggis]

Siobhan waltzed right into the designated meeting spot, wand behind her ear and schoolbag (complete with omnioculars inside) swinging at her hip. Subtlety wasn't her strong point – she knew that – but she also supposed somewhat belatedly that she ought to know to check around doorways, especially in such troublesome times.

There was a Gryffindor in there, one whom she'd seen around the tower a few times. Siobhan didn't know his name. He looked over at her as she entered, and her gaze was split between Kyle and the sort-of stranger. It was good that he wasn't wearing his Slytherin Tie nor the crest on his person. That would've been bad.

But Siobhan was fairly certain the guy didn't realise her friend was from a different house.

“And you're... MacFusty right? First years, both of you?”

Siobhan nodded mutely. He scoffed.

“Look, this is where we watch the Quidditch tryouts every year – find your own spot.”

“Hey, that isn't fair! You're the only one here... and Kyle was here first!” Siobhan crossed her arms.

“Right?”

“Not quite. Now scram,” the Gryffindor said, before pausing, eyebrows furrowing in obvious confusion. “Wait, you're not in Gryffindor.” His eyes turned back to Kyle. Thank Merlin he was slow – Siobhan swore she could smell the sawdust burning from where she stood as the older boy tried to work out who it was.

Siobhan looked at Kyle desperately, trying to convey that she thought they should run. Probably.