Light and Shadows (Aiden/Trent)

[Trent Frey]

Lyric stared mournfully out at the lawns, or what of them he could see through the heavily falling snow. He'd been wanting to spend time outside lately, but Scotland was having whiteouts and Hogwarts didn't seem to be an exception. So here he was, trapped in the library, albeit with the freedom to sit alone and think. It was strange being alone again, even for the short times he was allowed before another Prefect would show up, but it was also a relief.

A low rumbling and a sudden soft pressure against his leg brought Lyric's attention out of himself for a moment. He was curled up in a cushy chair that he'd dragged right next to the windows, and now he shifted, forcing himself to unfold his legs just in time. Shadow had already been preparing to jump.

The cat/kneazle mix was a recent purchase, but had been immediately interested in him, which was why he'd chosen him. The other animals had milled around, begging to be pet, but this one had pushed through the crowd and there had been something in his eyes that seemed more than the others.

Shadow was a wash of grays, deep charcoal, smoke, and mist with vivid yellow eyes that commanded attention. He was a guard as much as the Prefects were, though whether anyone would believe that was unsure at best. Shadow seemed to know when he was considering doing something, like digging out his trench coat and forging through the storm to hop the Knight Bus in Hogsmeade. No one would be able to see him crossing the lawns in weather like this...

The cat butted its head persistently against his hand, trying to burrow its way underneath until he finally sighed and lifted it. He let his fingers sink into winter-thickened fur and just imagined going out, knowing he wouldn't.

[Aiden Shover]

Aiden was used to the end of term madness, but the library seemed strangely empty for this time of year. He supposed most students were in their common rooms trying to be warm or something. He, on the other hand, had decided that this year he would actually study for his tests. Yeah, that was going just great.

"The weather sucks, doesn't it," he said when he saw the guy staring out the window, jumping on the distraction. "It's like, what's the point of snow if we can't go outside, you know?" Snow was something he had always loved, though he rarely got the chance to go out in it. "I mean, we can't even see it really well. It's useless."

[Trent Frey]

It took Lyric a moment to realize that the voice was addressing him, and when he dragged his gaze around to look, he blinked in surprise. Not only was it someone he'd never even seen before, but when was the last time he'd seen someone with hair like that? London, he answered himself, with a pang of longing. Part of him wanted to run just for that, and part of him wanted to talk, to drop a few words and find out if the guy was from a crowd like that.

Shadow was curled up contentedly, feet tucked under, watching from beneath half-closed eyes, but otherwise doing nothing, so he made himself speak. A little. "Yeah."

[Aiden Shover]

Aiden grabbed a chair and spun it around to face the wall by the window before sitting. Hey, if the guy didn't want him there, he'd leave. He propped his feet up on the edge of the windowsill. "Of course, I completely forgot about my boots at home, and all I have are these," he said, gesturing to a pair of worn, clunky, black and yellow vans. "And without a good waterproofing spell they're wet for a week if they meet the snow."

[Trent Frey]

"Do you know a waterproofing spell?" Lyric asked, baffled but unable to argue. He didn't really have a problem being interrupted, considering how bored he'd been, and if the guy bordered on overpowering, he didn't mind. It was a lot better than uncomfortable silence. He kept to himself that he was good at wandwork for now and kept his fingers sunk into Shadow's fur to ground him. It was a little easier to talk when he didn't feel alone.

[Aiden Shover]

"Yeah," Aiden said, tilting his head down at his shoes. "But I suck and it always wears off like half an hour later. It's seriously annoying being out in the rain and all of the sudden have wet feet." Which he had done quite a few times in the past term. It was just too annoying to have to redo the spell every time he wanted to go outside. You'd think I'd get better from doing it so damn much, he thought to himself.

[Trent Frey]

"I'm good at spells," Lyric said, the offer lightly audible in his voice. "It's too cold to help, though." There wasn't anything to do about the kind of weather outside. You could try to make your way through, but without Point Me and some luck, you could end up twenty feet from the castle steps and unable to find your way back.

[Aiden Shover]

Aiden's eyes brightened and he looked over at the guy. "Really? Well, maybe I'll get you to help me figure out what the hell I'm doing wrong," he said. He let his eyes hover on the guy for a minute before he looked up at the window. "Or maybe I'll just hunt you down next time it's safe to go outside. Might need to know a name for that, though." His eyes dropped to the guy's again.

[Trent Frey]

Lyric's lips curved, despite his best intentions. "Trent," he said, clinging to the name he'd tried to use the last time he'd been clean. "Trent Frey. What's your name?" What House was he in? How long had he been here? And how could anyone talk as easily as this guy did?

[Aiden Shover]

Aiden returned the smile. "Aiden," he said, mimicking Trent's answer. "Aiden Shover. Hufflepuff, sixth year. That's always the next question, isn't it?" So maybe not, but it was never fun wondering and then forgetting to ask which just led to more wondering and then by the time you remembered you forgot it was way too late and it would be awkward.

[Trent Frey]

Hufflepuff. "I'm in Gryffindor. Sixth year," Lyric said. Was what he'd been thinking really that predictable? It looked like it, but Lyric told himself that it was better that he hadn't had to ask anyway. "Have you been here long? I... I've been around..." sometimes "for like a year." Actually, he wasn't sure how long he'd been here. It was hard to remember some things.

[Aiden Shover]

"Never gone anywhere else," Aiden said. "My dad wanted me to come here." There were a ton of kids that hadn't gone here their whole school careers, but Aiden rarely met or talked to any of them regularly. But then, most of them were sorted into Gryffindor or Slytherin, there weren't exactly a ton of people that were jumping to be Hufflepuffs. He was fine with that, it meant that everyone there kind of knew each other and was familiar. Not that he minded new faces. "You're American, aren't you? Why'd you move here?"

[Trent Frey]

Lyric's eyes widened a moment before Shadow's rumbling purr grew louder and his gaze dropped. He focused on the feel of soft fur as he debated his answer. "My mom wanted me to go to a better school," he settled on. "This is a good school." Somehow he hadn't been expelled. Somehow there were a bunch of people helping him stay clean, however much he resented it sometimes and however little he understood.

[Aiden Shover]

Aiden nodded, "Yeah. My mum died when I was a baby and dad's a muggle, but he knew. So he started freaking out and studied it up and decided Hogwarts was the best." Which, as far as Aiden knew, was true. He hadn't heard that any other school was better, and if he did he probably wouldn't believe it if he heard it. There weren't any other schools he knew of that he would want to go to.

[Trent Frey]

Lyric nodded, but couldn't think of anything to say to that. He didn't want to talk about why the school was so good, didn't want to talk about anything to do with his parents, and wasn't good at transitions to other subjects. After a moment Shadow stood, then stretched, paws imprinting on Lyric's thighs, then pressing hard when the cat jumped to the ground. Shadow went to mill around Aiden's feet, and Lyric's heart stopped. Don't bother him! he wanted to hiss.