Things Only Get Worse ((Kris & Gaenor))

[Lita Hollows R6]

Today was great, as far as rubbish days went. Which would make it the single worst day of her life, including the time her uncle had shown up drunk at her sixth birthday party and called everyone by the wrong name. Boy, had Adrian been steamed when he had been called the prettiest niece in the entire world. But anyway, back to today. Waking up had been fine; she had even managed to sleep in five minutes later than usual – something that hadn’t happened in years. Then breakfast had come and things went rapidly downhill from there. A strange owl had crash-landed in the toast that Lita had been reluctantly contemplating eating. That, in itself, wouldn’t have bothered her in the slightest; rather, it would have even pleased her. Eating in the morning was just...unnatural. But the letter from her cousin had been completely unforgivable. Clarissa was trying to sneak Lita’s hard-earned inheritance from her? The girl smirked darkly. That would never happen, even if she had to involve Adrian. Their blonde cousin did have a fondness for Adrian and he, more than anyone, would be able to persuade her to stop her foolishness and drop the grudge against Lita. But, as ever, Lita’s pride interfered with practicality. Besides, if Adrian knew then other people were likely to find out too. And sometimes it seemed that Gaenor knew more about her than anyone else had ever cared to learn, so he would probably be the first to find out.

Naturally, with the day starting badly, things only got worse. Her Transfiguration essay was lying on her bed in the dorm, earning her a detention and the loss of several house-points, Hawthorne had called on her for not paying attention during DADA and, nearly at the end of her self-control, Lita had resorted to skipping History of Magic only to end up sniffling into her pillow pathetically. The stables and the horse-riding school were all that she had from her Aunt, the one person other than Adrian who had been more attentive than Lita’s actual mother, and now Clarissa and Dan wanted to take control of it and sell it on just because they had spent their own share of the inheritance of frivolities.

“Your Slytherins are outside,” Alyssa informed her carelessly, earning herself a confused look from Lita before she sauntered away and up the stairway to the dorms jauntily. Her Slytherins? Lita arched an eyebrow curiously. It couldn’t be Adrian – Alyssa would have called him by name, even if he had brought a friend. Perhaps Gaenor – the flighty redhead didn’t know him, as far as Lita knew anyway. With her curiosity fully awakened, Lita crossed the common room and opened the entrance, blinking at Gaenor and Kris owlishly before sighing exasperatedly. “You have to be joking!” Lita exclaimed, hiding her amusement with annoyance. “Is the corridor floor comfortable or do you two just enjoy the odd looks being sent your way? “ Lita enquired testily, choosing a spot on the floor by Kris to sit down. Usually, her favourite spot would be near Gaenor but she couldn’t help but to feel all too aware that he would be leaving at the end of this year. She knew it wasn’t his fault – he couldn’t help his age, nor his abnormally tall height – but it still left a faint sense of betrayal and hurt when she considered that her closest and favourite friend was leaving her behind.

[Gaenor Maydell]

((Clumsy and short and rushed. But something before I leave for the weekend.))

Gaenor piled the remains of his potatoes and a slice of meat on his fork and with this one bite finished his meal. One more sip of dark coffee from his cup and he was done. Naturally there were a lot of delicious-looking foods still left on the table, and a lot of desserts among them. But even though Gaenor usually might have spared the pancakes more than just a curious look, he had other things on his mind right now. Namely the house of Ravenclaw and one of it’s smallest members. Both literally and figuratively as Lita wasn’t a tall girl even for a first year. Gaenor had absorbed with some amusement as an owl had collapsed into her food in the morning, heard of her detention with the help of a small bribe, and now that Gaenor could actually go and at least try to entertain her some she was absent. Adrian was still eating himself Gaenor acknowledged with a sweeping glance over the table as he stood again, smoothing the front of his shirt in an automatic movement. “Pardon me,” a polite nod to the crowd at the table and Gaenor was on his merry way.

Long strides, even if not overly hurried at first glance, carried him away from the buzz of the Great Hall quickly. He checked the kitchens – meeting people wasn’t always wonderfulon a bad day – glanced outside, where the weather was starting to look decidedly disgusting, and even peeked into the library. Ravenclaws tended to frequent there. No matter how bright they were. Sitting there was an other couple he could appreciate though. “Cleo, dashing as always,” Gaenor smiled at Rister crooing from his spot before turning his eyes to Kris who had boredly thrown himself in a chair. “Mind if I steal your husband for a little while? His presence might give me a chance and an excuse to be near Ravenclaw common room should some professor question me,” Gaenor questioned, his tone addressing both of the Graas’s even if his words were aimed to Cleo. A calm wave of the hand from Cleo, accompanied by a stern glare at the non-plussed Kris, signified the response: “Go ahead. Relocate him for a long while even. He’s not doing anything but bothering me anyway!” “But you like being bothered,” Kris drawled out even as he stretched himself out of his chair and fell into step next to Gaenor.

The two walked in silence, for which Gaenor was grateful. Conversations were nice and interesting. But in his opinion you couldn’t call a person a friend if you couldn’t also be silent in his or hers company. Kris orientating however he exactly was kept up the pace easily as they rounded corners with ease. Both of them had known for years where the Ravenclaw common rooms were. Both of them had most likely accompanied Dana as well, when she didn’t like to patrol in the dungeons of Hogwarts at night alone. “Lita doesn’t seem to have had the pleasantest days. Just wanted to check,” Gaenor informed Kris quietly as they reached the hallway with the entrance to the Ravenclaw common room and stopped undecidedly. Entering the common room wouldn’t exactly be the smartest idea perhaps. Then again the door didn’t seem to be too willing to let them in anyway.

[Kris Graas]

Lita. Kris smirked inwardly as his guess had been right. The little “cub” as Gaenor referred to her had his friend twisted backwards around her little finger. It was quite amusing to observe it in reality. Even if Lita herself seemed to always withdraw to herself when Kris was around. He had noticed, but hadn’t commented. In reality, he was used to being shunned and feared. Lita wasn’t the only one who did it. Luckily she was just polite enough to handle the situation in the company of Dana, Gaenor or Cleo with enough grace to keep it subtle. But if you were blinded your other senses did become stronger. And Kris himself was able to shrug it off easier than Cleo or Dana might. Hearing hurried footsteps approaching Kris reached out his cane, blocking the path to a hurrying younger year. Catching the girls shoulder Kris commanded calmly: “Lita Hollows. First year. Get her.” A moment of silent – obviously filled by a stare from the Ravenclaw before Gaenor added a half-hearted ‘please’ and Kris let the girl’s shoulder go. Appearances and traditions had to be upheld as well.

“How long do you suppose we have to wait?” Kris asked conversationally as he seated himself comfortably on the floor, Gaenor taking a seat next to him when the common room door had swung shut after the Ravenclaw. “Not a clue. If the message is forwarded promptly, it might still take a moment for Lita to decide to grant the request,” came the reply but before they could continue their conversation the door swung again. “You have to be joking!” Ahaaa. So it didn’t take long for Lita to show up. All the better.
“We aren’t really. You have this tyrant here whipped. And he forced me to drag along to make sure you two behave and then didn’t even care to conjure up a couch,” Kris drawled out lazily letting out a mocking whelp if Gaenor aimed a light kick at his shin. Lita sitting down next to her was more of a surprise. She, as a general rule, did avoid him or in a bigger crowd simply kept his distance. Arching an eye-brow mildly Kris decided to toy with Gaenor some more as he reached out a hand and using his superior strength yanked Lita towards her. “I’m wounded now. A violent tyrant! Why are you friends with someone that violent? My leg could be permanently harmed now!”

Kris positioned his arms easily and pulled the young Ravenclaw in a teasing hug which left her leg wailing somewhere over Kris’s head. An annoyed grunt form Gaenor’s direction made Kris smirk: “But I have to hand it to you. You have him whipped. Serves him right. Even though he so charmingly came to check if you’re alright. I’m here just for protection should the Ravenclaws decide to run amok for him. And for my dashing locks and witty remarks too, of course.”

[Lita Hollows R6]

“Wait,” Lita grabbed Alyssa’s arm before she reached the stairs, suddenly realising something that she had overlooked in her surprise. Silently, Lita tapped her cheekbone, wincing as pain shot through her system at the sharp touch. With a sigh, Alyssa waved her wand, muttered a few words and then turned away again only to look back around and raise an eyebrow pointedly at Lita’s hand, still resting on her arm and holding her back. Smiling wryly, Lita held out her hands hopefully. Another sigh, another spell and the gashes across her knuckles disappeared under the concealment spell, just as the bruise on her cheekbone had. “Why do you help?” Lita asked quietly, again stopping Alyssa before she reached the stairs. This time, the redhead didn’t turn around to face her as she replied. “Maybe I have nothing better to do.”

“Maybe, but then again...maybe not,” Lita smiled slightly, pondering over the older girls reply before stepping outside and confronting Gaenor and Kris. It was a good thing that she had thought ahead and enlisted Alyssa to conceal the latest injuries from her most recent fight since she wasn’t quite sure how the two would react. “How foolish of him,” Lita rolled her eyes sarcastically. “Gaenor, when stalking me with Kris, please conjure a couch for him. He is, after all, the King and you’re just a jester. Show His Majesty some respect.” Lita blinked in shock as she found herself leaning against Kris, aiming an accusing glare at him even though she knew it was useless. Even if he could have seen her, he probably wouldn’t have taken much notice anyway. “Because he’s not violent towards me,” Lita smiled cheerfully, her eyes focused on the wall behind Gaenor’s head rather than his face. It was such a pretty wall, made out of such pretty...stone. Grey, boring stone. “Besides, can you honestly say that you don’t deserve the injury? I’m not a cuddly plushie that you can cuddle whenever you want, you know.”

Lita smiled lightly, unconsciously relaxed in Kris’ hug as her subconscious slowly came to terms with the fact that, no matter how much Kris sometimes reminded her of her father, Alaric had never joked around with anyone the way Kris was with Gaenor and her. It would take a bit longer for her to consciously accept it, but it was a start. “Well he was really mean to me when we first met,” Lita complained light-heartedly. “So he has to be nice to me now or I’ll lock my pygmy puff in his dorm room.” Innocently, Lita tilted her head and widened her eyes, wanting to know just how much the two boys knew. “Why wouldn’t I be alright?”