Table Slytherin
"It's still better than anything I can do." Nolan chuckled, surprised to find he actually did feel fine with the self-deprecation joke. "But yeah, I know he'd definitely say yes... if you can get his head out of the clouds or catch him when he's not busy with a girl. Ohnoherehecomesnow." Roy had glanced over and the Slytherin table and after some quick words to his friends got up. The young men and women at the table looked in his direction then talked in hushed tones.
Nolan sighed. Of course he should have expected this. In the aftermath of yesterday's incident coupled with all the business of the first night, Nolan hadn't had a chance to speak to his brothers. Judoc had seen what had happened but Roy was likely still in the dark.
"So, now that you're a Ssslytherin you're too good to say hi to your brother?" Roy asked as he plopped down across from him with a smile. He said Slytherin in his best imitation of a snake. "Congratulations though. Judoc looked like he'd swallowed a dragon egg whole. It was beautiful. And I think Tidus owes us each a galleon or two now." He laughed out loud, making the students nearby fully aware of his presence. "So how're they treatin' you? First day going all right?" He glanced around the table with a smirk. The faces he saw varied from friendly acknowledgment, to indifference, to annoyance and disgust.
Nolan could feel the attention that Roy was drawing. While his older brother thrived on that attention, it just made Nolan more uncomfortable. He could ignore them right? Just an everyday conversation with his brother. "Uh, yeah actually. Everything's fine. I haven't really met too many people in my house, but they all seem nice. the dungeons are so cool too. There's so much down there. And my classes so far... well, you know...." He trailed off, not wanting to express his difficulty with school in general.
Roy simply nodded. "So I don't know if you heard, but apparently you're a little violent little troublemaker. Did you really knock a kid out with a door?"
That was unexpected. Of course he remembered what had happened last night, what that girl had told Judoc about him being a monster. It hadn't even occurred to him that nobody had heard the actual story. Except the teachers of course. That sort of thing would've earned him far more than a single detention. And that expectant smile on Roy's face. Nolan had no idea what he wanted. Was he hoping he'd say yes? "No."
Roy gave an exaggerated sigh. "Well, shit. Now what am I gonna tell the girls?" He looked around the table. "Sorry ladies, but contrary to popular belief, I am not the older brother of a crazed lunatic so you can stop spreading those rumors. Rest assured, I have plenty of redeeming qualities."
"Shut the hell up and go back to your table, Archer!" A voiced called from a few seats down. A tall young witch about Roy's age. Nolan seemed to remember a photo of her stashed among Roy's things from his fourth year. She was red in the face with a look of utter contempt.
"Aw hell, looks like I've overstayed my welcome..." He got up from his table, swatting away a balled up napkin that flew at his face. "You might wanna apologize to the door guy anyway. Or tell him what happened. He's a little odd, but a nice guy. I'll be down by the lake before dinner if you want to hang out for a bit."
Nolan watched in complete confusion as Roy... did whatever it was he did. He nodded at his instruction. It made sense. "Yeah, all right." He became aware of Caelum for the first time since Roy had joined them. "Oh, hey! I forgot to introduce you. This is my friend Caelum! She's an artist like you. I told her you'd help her learn to make her art move." Nolan watched the older brother turn to Caelum, clearly just noticing her. His eyes moved back to Nolan then to Caelum. For a fraction of a second, Nolan could swear Roy's mouth twitched into a smile. Oh god...
"A pleasure to meet you Caelum. Promise to keep this guy out of trouble, and I'll definitely help you out. but for now, I have to go." He gave a quick wave to the table and retreated back to his seat.
With his departure, Nolan felt the attention on his area of the table subside. Though he noticed for the first time that some familiar looking older students were still muttering and glancing and Caelum and him. The Quidditch team? Surely they didn't hold him responsible for the events on the train.
He did his best to ignore them, turning back to Caelum. "So that was Roy..."
It was then that the girl from the train scooted down, now seated across from the two. Those intense eyes trained on them. "You're lying. I saw it with my own eyes." He was taken aback. Her severe tone was a far cry from the flippant attitude she'd shown the day before. She turned her gaze on Caelum. "And you, Hufflepuff. You were a wreck. What did he do?"