Poisoned apples,walking rocks,eloping books (Lita)

[Rister Graas S6]

Rister smirked – it wouldn’t be dignified enough to grin – victoriously as he bit into the rounded red apple he had managed to secure from Leandra after a lengthy discussion on the topic of whether male’s were immune to poisoned apples or not. Finally Rister had secured an apple after pointing out that if guys weren’t immune they couldn’t wake slumbering girls, who had eaten poisoned apples, with kisses. Or rather he had used the distracted moment as Leandra pondered over the fact to grab an apple and make his way out. He wasn’t overly hungry, but it was the thrill of the chase for the apple that had made him want it. Some people really did exaggerate the need for motivation. It was a good apple though, Rister decided, as he bit into the fruit and savoured the juice flowing into his mouth.

Sauntering through a crowd of 2nd or 3rd years Kris stepped outside of the school and squinted his eyes lazily at the sun. Seemed like a spell of sunshine for a change. It had been raining for quite a while, so the ray of sun had drawn quite a lot of people outside, even if most should probably be doing those last bits of scramming information to their heads. Possibly he should be among the crowd of students studying as Potions wasn’t his best subject really, but he couldn’t really care too much to do it. Besides, he never had cared much for Hogwarts library. There was no creativity, nor comfort, nor even simple joy for books in there. Lack of space, lack of money for the rarer editions. He liked reading and books, but on his own terms. Damon promised to brief him with a quick summary of the classes he had skipped later on anyway. Until then he could entertain both himself and that 6th year Raven skipping stones, who could nearly be considered a family friend.

A sly grin spreading on his face Rister made his way over, gracefully slipping an arm around Lita’s waist and pulling him to a quick twirl with himself. “Lita, the light of my eyes, the support of my sanity, the encyclopedia of my mind… Will you leave your rocks to walk on their own, I’ll leave my apple to poison some other fair maiden waiting for their prince…. Whereas you can elope with me to the library, and I’ll keep you occupied over a potions book or two for those potion class or two – or about ten – I missed. As a reward you get to gaze adoringly at me. Dream come true, or what?” Rister smirked patronizingly at Lita even though he didn’t let the girl go just yet.

[Lita Hollows R6]

The stone skipped across the lake three times before sinking to a watery death. The next stone fared only slightly better, landing a few feet away from its rocky companion. It wasn’t the first time Lita had retreated outside with only the lake and a few handfuls of stones for company. The pastime had started after Gaenor graduated and Lita had spent increasingly more time outside by herself after Adrian left too. There was simply no one left to drag her inside or keep her company. But that was okay. There were a lot of things Lita needed to think through and silence, other than the soft splash from the stones as they merrily skimmed the surface of the water, was the perfect condition for her to sort through her problems.

The first problem was, as it always seemed to be lately, the fact that her devious, scheming cousins were plotting to steal what was rightfully hers. At the very least, they had agreed to settle it between the three of them, rather than in court since the two redheaded thieves couldn’t wait until summer. Just because they had spent all of their inheritance, frittering it away on frivolous fancies, didn’t mean that they could snatch what had been left to the only person left to collect her inheritance. Clarissa and Evan wouldn’t have dared steal from Adrian in such a way; maybe she was just special. Rather, they looked upon her as weak because they remembered the scared, uncertain little child she had been before she had come to Hogwarts and changed into who she was now. Relying on Adrian and Gaenor would be nice, Lita admitted to herself silently. They had been there for her whenever she needed them and such security was a wonderful thing but she had never been the strong one, the one to support them if they needed her. Lita didn’t want to turn back into the weak little girl she had been in years before. That was why she’d keep silent about her problems and fight her cousins by herself. It was time to prove that she could be strong by herself.

Just as Lita skipped the rock in her grasp, an arm tugged her into a twirl and she found herself facing Rister. A small smile played around her mouth even as she listened out for the favour he undoubtedly wanted in return for plying her with all of those compliments. Nobody gave out such compliments without wanting something in return, especially not a Graas. “You’ve missed ten potions classes?” Her eyebrow arched in a strange mixture of annoyance, concern, amusement and even reluctant admiration. “You’re absolutely unbelievable, Rister Graas! I’m surprised Professor Snape hasn’t dissected you for ingredients to use during one of those lessons. I suppose I should scold you about being lazy and then using me to catch up on what you’ve missed but you have parents to do that.” Lita stretched agilely, letting out a small sigh as her plan to find a solution to her problem was replaced by Rister’s demand for her intelligence. “I’m not going to the library though. If you want my help, you can bring the books down here. As for gazing at you adoringly...well, it’s not as if I have anything better to look at for the moment, excluding that particularly adorable tree.”

[Rister Graas S6]

Lita… was an interesting girl, Rister supposed. Not that he was in any way interested in her – no, he preferred his dates to be higher maintenance, but ready to jump at the beckon of his finger. He would never admit it but they probably had some sort of a reluctant affectionate friendship going on. Rister smirked arrogantly at Lita’s upturned face with the arched eyebrow: “Possibly. Not sure. Haven’t counted. That’s the number Damon offered while verbally butchering me today. But I suppose I should be glad you didn’t even use my middle-name. HE did! See? I’m abused my own family. The pain! The sufferings! The torture! The outrage!” Kris took an other bite of his apple and chewed on it thoughtfully. “Human remains aren’t used in potions aren’t they? I know Dark Arts always make exceptions, but in general? But please, I’m a Slytherin and a dashing one at that. Snape would never harm me… Even if that sounded somewhat odd just now.” Rister threw his head back and laughed, letting the rumbling start deep in his chest, “Parents? You know my parents. They skipped their own wedding, as you fully well know. What makes you think they’ll so much as arch an eye-brow over a missed class as long as I get the subject finished?”

Rister threw an absent-minded glance over his shoulder to the castle and the towers. That was a twist he hadn’t planned on. He just wanted some entertainment not studying. “Nah, Damon can brief me later on. At least he doesn’t make me carry books. Those things are heavy you know? And dusty? We wouldn’t want some dust marring my great looks now, would we?” Draping his arm absent-mindedly over Lita’s shoulders Rister pulled her along as he started sauntering down the lake-shore not even bothering to glance at the tree Lita was so fascinated by: “Ah, but the tree doesn’t have my darling locks, nor will it offer you a half-eaten apple. No apple-worms though. Possibly mildly poisonous. Swiped it from Leandra. Don’t worry, I’m sure she’ll organize a glass-casket and a line of all Hogwarsts guys third year and up to kiss you, in order to find your one true love. You’ll excuse me if I miss that kissing part, but I’ll be sure to take plenty of pictures for future blackmail. Maybe then you’d offer to carry the books of little delicate me.”

Rister peered pensively at the Hogwarts lake. Letting his own mind wonder, but pulling himself back together before he could forget his company. “And you? Troubles with frogs attacking? School? Work? Babies popping out at every turn? Trees trying to turn you into a nymph? No proper shoes to be found anywhere in the world? Already saw rocks flying away from you, so should I be prepared to grow wings like Gabriel on his photos?”

[Lita Hollows R6]

How had she become friends with such an idiot? Lita shook her head in bemusement, looking up at the Slytherin as she listened to his arrogant prattling. By all rights, she should’ve smacked him the moment he twirled her into his arms and started murmuring ridiculous sentiments – had he actually called her the support of his sanity? How amusing. Everyone who actually knew Rister knew quite well that the arrogant boy had no sanity left to speak of. What made her friendship – well, it couldn’t really be called a friendship; there wasn’t really a word in existence to describe whatever she and Rister had – with him somewhat worse was the fact that Adrian approved of it. Adrian, who had practically dragged her away from Gaenor on occasion, approved of him. “See, Damon has common sense; that’s what makes him different to you. That, and I’m sure he can’t possibly be as arrogant and annoying as you, dear snake.” Her eyebrow inched even higher. “You? Abused?” Her small frame shook with laughter at the thought. “A younger brother scolding you, even if he did use your middle name, isn’t abuse. That would be all of your siblings scolding you and one, or more, of them smacking you.”

“Of course they are.” Lita looked briefly surprised before recalling that Rister wasn’t exactly...good at Potions. “Polyjuice uses human parts, as do a number of others, especially the older ones. So you believe that Snape would never harm you because you’re dashing. The most alarming part of that sentence is the fact that you think you’re dashing, to be quite honest.” That was a lie, since the boy did have a certain charm to him and knew it quite well, but Lita had awarded herself the job of making sure that Rister’s ego didn’t grow any larger than it already was. If that mean that she sometimes had to be insulting then well...a job was a job, however rewarding it was. “That’s true,” Lita admitted reluctantly. “Kris and Cleo aren’t likely to care about your ridiculous behaviour. Never mind,” her smirk turned devious with her next words, “that just means that I can take on the responsibility of bothering you about going to class. I suppose that means I’ll see you every morning to drag you down to breakfast and then to class. I don’t suppose you’d be so kind as to supply me with the password to the common room rather than making me bully it out of an innocent first year?”

Lita tutted laughingly when Rister gave her just the answer she expected from him, lazy Slytherin that he was. “You can’t keep relying on Damon to teach you everything you miss. He’s younger than you and he has his OWLs this year. Stop making him learn your work as well as his own. Not that that’s a bad thing,” Lita mused quietly. “After all, it will probably help him next year so he’ll get good grades since he knows it all already. But that’s no excuse! Go to class or I’ll get permission to hex you whenever you don’t.” It was a worthless threat because Rister was hardly likely to listen to her but he’d certainly listen to her after she hexed him a few times. It would only take a letter to Gaenor if Kris and Cleo weren’t very receptive to the idea. “Why would I want a half-eaten apple? Especially if it means that I’ll have to suffer through idiots pawing and groping at me in the hopes that their pathetic selves might be worthy of being my one true love. Besides such traumatising ideas, the person I currently have my sights set on doesn’t even attend Hogwarts.” Lita stretched up the small space needed to raise herself to Rister’s height and kissed him on the cheek jokingly. “Sorry, but that counts you out. I know you’re heartbroken but try not to cry on me. This is a new shirt.”

Her expression turned grim for a moment when Rister brought up the idea of troubles before she resumed her smile automatically. “Unlike you, I don’t skip class so my school life is relatively trouble free. Trees have often tried to turn me into a nymph but apparently I’m too wonderful as a human so they leave me alone lately.” Lita laughed, truly amused by the thought of Rister flying, or indeed even running, away from anyone. It just wasn’t something she ever thought Rister would do. He was too much like his parents to run away from something. “Ah yes, Gabriel and his wonderful modelling job. Has the latest poster arrived yet? If so, I can expect to be plagued by insufferable gossip about how attractive your younger brother is to the younger years very soon. At the very least, I can try to talk the prefects into confiscating the posters and then burning them in front of the idiots.”

[Rister Graas S6]

“Nah, Damon is a politician. That’s what makes him different from me. He hides his sneaky Slythy-ness. He could present a fundamental truth in a way you wonder why you were idiotic enough to believe it,” Rister shook his head morosely. Turning sharply and falling to one knee, he grabbed Lita’s hands and brought them to his heart while staring forlornly into her face, “He hid his insults. Behind family-name, revising for OWLS, brotherly care, to get me to shut up and stop ruining his date while showing baby-pictures of him to his date – who loved them by the way. It was verbal abuse and torture. I’m eternally scarred now. Will you mend my bruised heart?” Getting up Rister listened to Lita talking and made some mental notes about Potions, while indulging in a small self-satisfied smirk. And even though Lita had said he wouldn’t teach him, here she was telling him the details of Polyjuice potion.
“But a piece of you, not included in you – like a strand of hair – isn’t completely you anymore. It doesn’t have my charming personality.”

Chuckling softly to himself, Rister tugged on Lita’s hair. “Sorry, I’m afraid Leandra and Morgana drop by too often for the guys to sleep in the nude anymore. That ended after Morgana commented to someone that she wasn’t really impressed iwht the view. The poor guy was teased for months afterwards. I do believe one of them has a crush on Leandra. OR rather had until he had a chat with my brothers and me,” Rister smiled at Lita, knowing fully well that she was just as aware that mornings were his time. He was rather reknown for wandering into breakfast soaked, bloodied, with ripped clothes and leaves in his hair, having been out and about, rather than sleeping late. He was his fathers son and not only by the identical looks, even if Rister was possibly still missing the finesse that comes with years. “Besides, you got to work a little bit. And it would be good practice for the little ones. Go and dig for information with my blessing. No, you aren’t allowed to turn to my sisters or Damon. But as I recall isn’t the raven and the snake in an eternal embrace of death? The raven takes the snake up so it’ll plummet to it’s death, whereas the snake bites the Raven… so theorethically the bird will plummet to the ground and splatter into pieces too.”

“You’re too quick with your wand, little one, so violent, and here I am, my own angelic Self,” Kris clicked his tongue playfully, “Don’t worry, I wouldn’t mind practice either. Haven’t had a good duel for ages anyway. People avoid irking me. It’s particularly annoying when I want to pick a fight to test out a new spell. It’s not like I could aim a curse at some poor defenseless newbie, who’s yet to figure out which end of the wand to hold on to!” Kris shrugged and took an other bite of his apple before sending it flying to the lake with an arch. “And the person you have your sights set on, wouldn’t happen to be my darling god-father, would it?” Rister looked at the girl by his side with a fond smile. Everyone knew it. The professors, the other students… anyone who saw the couple together. Everyone but those two. Both were crazy about the other but neither believed it about the other. “You know? Old guy, grey hair, middle-name Byron? Who’s cutting his business trip short just so he could get back and see you, instead of letting any of the other guys ogling at you whisk you away, because he’s so overly jealous of your attention? Don’t you think you needing a kiss like that wouldn’t be a good reason to get one from him?” Rister peered at Lita with a slight smile tugging at his lip-corner, “And is that a blush that I see on your cheeks there?”

“You’re a Raven. It would be a blasphemy if you weren’t doing well on your homework.” Rister cackled merrily at the mention of Gabriel: “He got his own poster yesterday. I saw it when it was ripped. Appearantly a rather amusing run-in with some Hufflepuff. Posters will be published on Sunday. I’m sure Gabriel will help you in burning the posters. The gossipers will rush to buy new ones then as they’re overpriced Gabriel will only become even richer. Maybe you should pose with him? Gaenor buying every single poster would make you independently rich as well. Might bankrupt my poor godfather though.”

[Lita Hollows R6]

“A lot of things separate you from your siblings, Rister. One of the most obvious, and wonderful, things is that you have me in your company a lot more often than they do. Except perhaps Jared, Damon and Leandra. I do, after all, share a common room with them.” Rather than feeling pity for Rister, perhaps a slight bit of amusement to see him down on bended knee and almost wishing that she had a camera to remember the moment with, Lita tugged her hands free of his grasp and brushed a lock of hair away from the boys eyes, a sweet act completely at odds with the words coming from her mouth. “Go and hunt down one of your idiot girlfriends if you want someone to heal your heart. I have more important things to do. Like practice my aim with dangerously pointy knives. Naturally, I’d be throwing them at Gryffindors.” Ah, some things just never change, including her dislike for Gryffindors; rude, rowdy and terribly annoying people, in Lita’s experience. “Perhaps not, but that strand of hair gives other people the ability to look like you. Your personality, they just have to try and master by themselves. Not that it’s hard. You’re terribly simple sometimes.”

Lita smirked to herself in amusement, not at all bothered by Rister’s insinuations. For her first few years in Hogwarts, she had been in and out of the Slytherin common room and dorms more often than the Ravenclaw ones. “Shall we just say that Morgana wasn’t the first young girl to make such a comment to an older Slytherin and leave it at that?” Lita shook her head at Rister reprovingly, knowing full well the pains of being a younger sister guarded by a Slytherin brother. “I don’t think it would be incorrect to say that Leandra probably can’t wait until you and your brothers graduate. Maybe then she can get a date without him having to go through torture for daring to have eyes and see that your sisters are pretty.” Lita smiled slightly, remembering how thankful she had been when Adrian had graduated. And he wasn’t even as bad as Rister! At least there had only been one of him; poor Leandra and Morgana had four brothers. “Do you really think that you’re my only way into the Slytherin common room? How naive. The password is ridiculously easy to get, and I’ll prove it to you one day. You snakes just can’t keep a secret. Or is it just my dazzling wit and beauty that make them give passwords to me?”


“Hah,” Lita scoffed scornfully. “You’ve never been angelic. And who are you calling little? I can’t possibly think of why people try to avoid irritating you. Perhaps I’m simply the only one in Hogwarts brave enough to try, barring the people who were unfortunate enough to grow up with you as a brother.” Lita smiled nervously, turning her face away from him resolutely to hide the blush travelling rapidly along her cheekbones and down her neck. “That’s absolutely ridiculous. I don’t have a clue what you mean. And he’s not old nor does he have grey hair.” Lita snapped protectively. After a moment, she turned back to him with a miserable smile, admitting defeat. “Please don’t tell him. He’s known me since my first year; he probably just looks at me like a little sister or something. For example, remember the guy I dated at the start of fifth year? Ravenclaw, a bit older, red hair and even more charm than you? I found out that I was part of a bet of some kind – no, I’m not going to go into details – and Gaenor cursed him beyond recognition for me. Just like Adrian would have done. He comes back early because he wants to make sure I haven’t gotten into any more trouble than usual, not because he’s jealous of some nonexistent guy. I mean really, you’re the only guy I spend a lot of time with and everyone knows we’re just friends. I couldn’t imagine dating you nor would I want to.” Lita’s hands rose to her cheeks self-consciously even as she scowled at Rister. “No, that’s not a blush. Shut up.”

“His poster ripped? If he’s as vain as you, I can’t see him being very happy about that. Did he curse the person insolent enough to dare attacking his beloved poster?” Lita inquired good-naturedly. Bantering, with anyone, not just with Rister, always put her in a good mood. “Oh good, I’ll be able to have a nice little bonfire on Sunday, Monday and even Tuesday, because the younger ones just don’t learn. With Gabriel’s help – even if he is helping for profit rather than my amusement – I’ll be able to get the posters from the Slytherins too. What fun we’ll have!” Once more pink crept along her cheeks as the blush heated her face and Lita glared at Rister, smacking his shoulder violently. “Will you shut up about Gaenor?” Lita hissed furiously. “The last thing I want is for some idiot Gryffindor to overhear and decide that he’s just found the perfect revenge for me...well, you don’t need to know what I did to them. Not that I did anything to them. Certainly not anything long-lasting. As for the notion that he might be jealous of other males, I really think that you should clear your head of something so impossible. He doesn’t think of me that way. He’s graduated and I’m the same age as his godson. Such a great match, I’m sure.”

[Rister Graas S6]

Rister laughed quietly: “Enjoy your company? Why, I do believe you’ve made a sport or at the very least a hobby from picking on me. Not that I mind, as I do whip your ass in verbal spars. And of course, by the time you spent in Slytherin common room while my godfather was in school? You do know the older Slyths had been shocked to discover you yourself aren’t one. You certainly have the character.” Laughing lightly at the ease with which Lita brushed his hair, Rister simply shrugged, not even arguing about the idiot girlfriends comment. For the bigger part it was true however.
“They may be idiots, but they’re pretty to look at and good to kiss. That’s all I need for now. A Graas loves once and loves for life, and until I find that one… I’m perfectly content by the company of pretty, if a bit air-headed, girls. I have family and friends to keep my intellectually stimulated. Life is much easier if you don’t live it overly complicated anyway.”

Rister grimaced lightly. He adored both of his sisters. But sometimes he worried about Leandra and her love for fairy tales. She was almost naïve about people at times and it worried him. It might be easy for someone to hurt her. In that sense Rister even worried less about Morgana, even though she was a year younger than Leandra. “Leandra deserves having someone watch after her, just like Adrian looked after her. Though I’m glad to know that she’s more likely to go kissing frogs currently, rather than guys,” Rister commented with a shrug. The comment about people not irritating him didn’t deserve an answer. Sure people sometimes irritated him, but not on purpose anymore. He was far too good with his wand for that, and far too quick. And while he might be lazy and cut classes often – no one oculd deny that Rister was smart. His knowledge of different spells, hexes, jinxes, and curses was impressive.

Rister merely smiled as Lita turned her face away. Lita was better than most, but even she responded to instincts. Turnings one’s head away did nothing to hide the blush, rather showed that it was an important topic. “He wouldn’t believe me if I did. He thinks you think of him like just an older sibling. And I remember that Ravenclaw.” And actually – Rister added mentally – there had been fists in play as well. In a way it was much more satisfying to deal the revenge for hurting your loved ones by your own hands. Wands were occasionally too impersonal. Hardly info Lita needed to know however. “I could shut up. But one of you has to listen. You’re here, he I can’t talk to right this moment. See my logic? I could. But I’d much rather tell you that the guy is afraid of what you think. So if I were you, I’d grab him by his ears, shove him against a properly sturdy door and kiss him senseless. See how long it would take you to make him let go of you afterwards, once you’ve gotten your point across. You grew up at the same time I did. And about the same time I started to look at girls with interested… I learned to recognize the interest that started appearing in his eyes too. It’s the same interest I see so often in dad’s eyes when he’s looking at mom.”

“What do they want revenge for now? Something new your devious mind has cooked up?” Rister asked nonchalantly, mentally frowning. Lita was a friend of sorts, and while she was very good on her own, there were sometimes more than just one or two opponents. He made a mental plan to keep an eye on her, as well as ask her brothers too do so. While Leandra and Morgana were also good with their wands, he didn’t want to put them in pointless risk, if it was avoidable. Rister scowled at Lita. “Exactly. We’re the same age. I’m still not sure why my parents decided you’re the more responsible one and left you in charge usually. It’s silly. Speaking of which – mom wanted to know if you’ll be visiting sometime this summer as well? You can time it between full moons to avoid dad’s transformations if you wish.”

[Lita Hollows R6]

“You know you adore me,” Lita answered carelessly. “Hmph, you must be delusional. I’m a lot better than you are when it comes to verbal sparring. Which I suppose is quite a pity since you learned from the best. My parents, unlike yours, are rather pathetic when it comes to sparring.” Parents were a point of contention for Lita; she hated the way they had brushed off Adrian because she truly loved her older brother, but it was hard to just stop caring about them. For the most part, she just tried to avoid them and suffered through their attentions whenever she had to. Some summers, she had taken to hiding out at the Graas’ for a while before staying with Adrian and pretending she had been with their parents since the start of summer. It was a weak pretence but it was rare for Kris, Cleo and Adrian to talk so it generally held up. “Oh, I know,” she assured him lightly. “I kept getting stopped outside class by people asking why I never came to the common room anymore. I’m not sure if it was pathetic that they hadn’t noticed the Ravenclaw badge or flattering that I had inadvertently fooled the Slytherins.” Lita sighed and shook her head lightly even though she had to acknowledge the truth in her friends words. “You need someone better than that,” she complained darkly. “If I have to put out an advertisement or kidnap just to find you a girl who matches up to your expectations and has a brain then I will. Having your girlfriends scowl at me every time I talk to you isn’t pleasant, you know. I swear they think I’m actually interested in you.”

It was interesting to watch Rister with his sisters, Lita had always thought. Even to her, he sometimes appeared the arrogant, irritating pest she claimed he was but knew he wasn’t. Seeing him, overprotective and with a hex on his lips because there was some idiot being flirtatious toward Leandra or Morgana in his presence, showed a side of him that not many people ever really got to see. “Every girl deserves to have someone watch over her,” Lita corrected him gently. “None of us will admit it to the person watching them but it’s reassuring to know that someone is always ready to leap to your defence without asking questions until after the hexes have been cast.” It had been different for her and Adrian because he had seen something between her and Gaenor that hadn’t been there at the time and had tried to keep their friendship from starting but had only earned his sisters resentment for trying to take away her friend. She had been cruel to him for that yet he still stood by her. Maybe she should buy him a present.

“Good,” Lita replied shortly. “He doesn’t need to be distracted from his business dealings because you’ve been telling him my personal business and he knows he has to tell me he doesn’t feel the same way.” Her smile flickered for a moment, making her wish that she had never brought that Ravenclaw into the conversation. He had meant nothing to her at all besides the pleasant feeling that came from having a boyfriend but the reminder that she had been used to win money still struck something unpleasant inside her. “I will certainly not do that to Gaenor!” Lita protested fiercely, turning into Rister’s side to hide the embarrassed flush on her face. “Just let it be, Rister. You’re entertaining ridiculous notions and I won’t be forced to listen to you trying to make me feel better.” Her voice nearly cracked – another sign of weakness, Lita snarled at herself mentally – and she had to stop with her scolding for a second to reinforce the firmness threaded through her tone. “If you think of me as a friend then please stop. Please don’t make me listen to this.” It wasn’t so much that Rister was saying such things that bothered Lita as her own longing to hear those things and whole-heartedly believe them.

“I don’t share my schemes, you know that. Can’t have you taking all the glory for something I did,” Lita laughed lightly. “Besides, you know what the Gryffs are like. They take offence if Slyths even look at them and I’m practically a Slytherin.” Lita dismissed his questions almost carelessly and rather too quickly. The scheme had merely been to get her mind off treacherous relatives and had maybe gone a bit too far. She had always tried to be careful when dealing with Gryffs; they were a more varied bunch than the Slytherins she was accustomed to. “Of course they think I’m the more responsible one. I’m not the one who keeps pranking your siblings, am I?” Lita smirked lazily as she pondered his question. “I’ll probably be around at some point,” she replied carefully, frowning as she thought of the struggle over the stables and the possible problems her cousins could cause over the summer. “I’ll have to deal with some things first so probably mid-summer, you can expect me as a guest. And you know that your dad’s transformations don’t bother me. He’s a bit intimidating no matter what time of the month it is.”

[Rister Graas S6]

Rister accepted the idea of his parents bantering easily. After all they did and both enjoyed it. Though it did remind him that he didn’t know much about Lita’s parents. He let it pass without comment for now though, and opted for the easier version. “Advertisements for me? Do you really think someone besides my regular dates would answer to that? But I swear, Lita, find me a partner for life and I promise to change my ways,” Rister tugged on Lita’s ear gently, “Until then? What’s wrong with having something pretty to look at and kiss, especially if it’s so easy to make them happy? I never even promise them any commitment nor anything more than a date and a fun night. It is their decision to take the date, cause they know the clingier they are, the less they’ll see me. I don’t need a match-maker just yet. I don’t plan on repeating dad’s trick and getting married during the summer between my 6th and 7th year.”

“Not every girl perhaps. Just like every girl or a woman isn’t a lady, just the same there are not overly nice characters among girls, just as often as among guys,” Kris commented light-heartedly, “And they’re my sisters. Of course I’m going to scruntinize everyone who thinks they’re worthy of them. Cause most guys won’t be.”
Rister hugged Lita and kissed the top of her head as she turned into her side, her voice cracking. “You should know me not to joke with such matters. But as you wish, I’ll leave the topic for now. I will reserve the rights of saying ‘I told you so’ one fine day.” Rister swayed with Lita slightly, not offering words but just holding her, letting go when Lita pulled away and changed the topic.

“You’re nearly a Slytherin, but not quite. Very privileged among Slytherins and taking over some of the characteristics,” Rister boked Lita on the nose playfully to emphasize his point, “But you aren’t a full-bred Slytherin like me or dad or even your brother are. There are clear bouts of niceness in you that the rest of us don’t really experience. But don’t worry, it’s quite endearing.” Rister mock-scowled at Lita at the pranking comment, but couldn’t really respond again. Pranking in his home was allowed however, as long as no one came whining, nothing irreplaceable was broken and no one bled to death. So he couldn’t really argue, cause Rister had his fair share of pranks on his tally. Not that Lita was any more innocent but possibly as she spent less time over, her mischief didn’t accumulate as much.

“Mid-summer? Sounds nice. Maybe I should visit you at some point instead,” Rister offered lazily, kicking a small pebble off from his path, “And most people do feel uncomfortable around a fully grown werewolf at full strength. Though I can’t believe you’re afraid of dad after all these years! I don’t even know just what about him you find intimidating, though maybe that’s explained by the fact that he’s my father. Sure he can growl and look spooky to strangers if needed, but you’ve seen him dirty after rolling around with the dogs or bloody after helping a foal out more than once. Speaking of transformers and werewolves and all that. It’s full moon tonight.” Rister looked pointedly at Lita, knowing that the girl was aware of Morgana’s condition. “Shall we wait for you for the poker and monopoly and whatever else tonight?”

[Lita Hollows R6]

Lita grinned up at him laughingly, her eyes twinkling with amusement. “I’ll find the perfect girl for you one day, Rister. Maybe then you can bother her about catching you up on classes you’ve missed rather than me or Damon.” Lita paused for a moment, her brow creasing in thought before she shook her head. “No, maybe not. You’ll probably persuade her to skip with you and indulge in activities I’d rather not hear about and then I’ll have to tutor both of you. Don’t I have enough to do with those annoying first years that persist in thinking that Potions is an easy class and Snape yells at them just for his amusement?” Lita swatted at Rister playfully when he tugged at her ear. “That’s true, I suppose. No one’s ever claimed that you’ve ever made them any promises for the future. I think that’s what they complain about a lot of the time. But when I do find your perfect girl, I hope she’ll be the one not to make you any promises and you’ll have to chase after her just so that you know what it feels like.”

“No, maybe not every girl. But certainly most of them. That’s why Leandra and Morgana are lucky to have you, Damon, Jared and Gabriel to keep an eye on them. Maybe they won’t make life difficult for you and you’ll have an easier time than my brother did.” Lita smiled softly, remembering the various times Adrian had tried to protect her and she had ignored him. No wonder she was always getting into trouble. She felt herself being pulled into a hug and silently pushed down the tears that tried to well up in her eyes due to the sense of security and affection she felt in the hug. “I know you wouldn’t joke about it, but I honestly think you’re wrong,” Lita mumbled into Rister’s shoulder, her voice slightly muffled.

Lita blinked, drawing back slightly and wrinkling her nose. “That’s the best type of Slytherin to be,” she responded playfully. “Who would want to be a full-bred Slytherin when it means being an arrogant, lazy student like you? At the very least, my brother outgrew some of his less desirable Slytherin qualities at some point. Probably when I came to Hogwarts and he had less time to practice his sneering and scowling.” Well, something about her had to be endearing, Lita thought with amusement. It seemed that she had almost found herself a family of Slytherins but that would mean acknowledging Rister as something similar to a brother and she wasn’t sure she could suffer through his teasing if she ever admitted that.

“No!” Lita looked panicked at the idea of Rister visiting her house for a moment before forcing herself to relax. “We’re busy during the summer, I think, but I’m sure Adrian will let you visit when I’m staying with him.” Lita smiled lightly, preferring to look past Rister rather than at him. Lying, or almost lying, almost made her uncomfortable when she had to lie to someone she was close to. It was better than the alternative solution of admitting that her parents had almost disowned their own son for being a Slytherin so they certainly weren’t going to allow another Slytherin into the house even if he was there because of their daughter. “I’m really not sure what I find intimidating about Kris.” Lita winced slightly as the lie escaped her lips, but, once more, lying was better than the truth. “Yeah, I suppose I can make time to amuse you and the rest of the Graas imps. It would be too cruel to let Leandra and Morgana be bullied by four males without me being there to he you all into submission.”

[Rister Graas S6]

Rister chuckled quietly: “I’m only 16, if I may remind you. I have plenty of years to find a suitable woman for myself. And Potions is often far too illogical anyway. Not that Snape is such a bad guy. Occasionally he yells, but we generally get along well enough. He doesn’t fail me and I won’t create a mess in his classroom too often. It’s a win-win situation really.” Rister grinned. He wasn’t looking for that one and only girl for himself just yet. He enjoyed his dates and attention and was happy with that. There would be time for everything else when he was older. He was planning to still lead a long and happy life after all. “Skip with me? But I thought that if you are finding my perfect girl, then one of your demands to her might be that she might “straighten me out”? And you agree to tutor them out of your own free will. Not allowed to complain about that. And I’m not planning on making any promises either. If you promise something you need to keep it, and I don’t want any of the girls I’ve dated so far forever after. They’re great, some for friends, some for a date, some for 5. But none of them is for life, so making a promise would be lying.”

Rister gently patted Lita’s shoulder even as he frowned slightly. Lita was a well enough known girl, she had her fair share of friends, she was active as a tutor, but she didn’t have much of a love-life now that Rister thought about it. Sure, she knew guys and he had seen guys look at her appreciatively too, but no real dates to mention. He would have to do something about it, because his godfather’s life was just as boring. Locking them in a cupboard was really a far too dumb idea to even consider it. Perhaps he should gather his family together and have a discussion what to do about these two. Or at the very least owl his parents. “We’ll leave the discussion be. But we will return to it at one point,” was the only thing he told Lita however.

“Please,” Rister threw Lita a patronizing glance as he patted the top of her head, “despite the neurotic subject of Potions, you know fully well I’m at the top of the food-chain in classes. In everything proper I’m among top 10 I believe. And let’s recall that in transfiguration – even though McGonagall always does glare at me. Really? Who holds 15 years old accidents against an innocent little student like me? – I beat the whole rest of the class at the last test. Try perfect score?” Not that he always attended those classes either, but Rister read, listened, and practiced. He was lazy, but he could usually manage that because he was quite bright too.

“No? What? Afraid I’ll eat all your cookies and prove to your family you’re a bigger trouble-maker than I am? Hah,” Rister grumbled quietly but didn’t press the subject. Letting the topic of his father pass away, seeing Lita decidedly staring past him – a sign she wasn’t up to conversation, Rister laughed and poked Lita, “Bully into submission? Us? As if they’d let us. And of course, we’re all shamed to admit the fact, that one glare from our mother and we’re hiding in our rooms. Preferably dad guarding the door. But it’ll be good to have you visiting. At least I can blame you for doubling the number of crisis during your visit. If not tripling them that is.”

[Lita Hollows R6]

“I’m 16 too,” Lita pointed out reasonably. “I’ve found someone, though I’m quite sure Adrian will fuss about exactly how suitable Gaenor is for me. I can almost hear him protesting about it. ‘He’s too old, Lita. He’s older than am I, you realise that, right? Why can’t you find a nice boy your own age for me to torture? Not that I’m suggesting Rister. I did say a nice boy, after all.’” Lita mocked her brother, quite pleased at the accuracy with which she had captured her brother’s spirit. “You’re a bad influence on everyone, Rister. Not even your perfect girl would be able to resist for long. And I only agree to tutor them because most of them are grateful enough for my help to provide me with an alibi if one of the Professors accuses me of something that I may or may not have done. Besides, it makes me appear reliable and responsible even though I’m friends with troublemakers like you and your siblings.”

Despite his arrogant exterior, Rister did seem to care and that was the only reason Lita had let him carry on with that topic of conversation for as long as he had. “That’s what you think,” Lita replied cheerfully, her disturbed emotions and thoughts soothed now that the problematic issue had been taken out of the conversation. That Rister had dropped the subject so easily made her wonder if he had some plan brewing in his mind but she didn’t bring it up again. She could handle whatever schemes Rister could come up with. After all, she had known him for years and had learnt almost exactly what he was capable of.

Lita brushed Rister’s hand away, poking him in the side as a silent scolding for patting her. She wasn’t one of his pets! “Potions is a proper class!” Lita protested fiercely. “Though I have to admit that you’re better than me at Transfiguration. I swear that McGonagall hates me just because Adrian was awful at her subject and now he’s not available for her to take points from. And I’ve heard about what you did to McGonagall so I’m not really surprised she still doesn’t like you. You were a troublemaker as a child and you haven’t changed much except that now girls are interested in you for other reasons than cooing over a baby.”

“Yeah,” Lita rubbed the back of her neck nervously. “That’s why I’m worried about you visiting. Sure.” Of course it had nothing to do with her parents being Slytherin haters, Lita snickered mentally. How could anyone think such a thing? It was only her father who hated Slytherins, her mother was just too weak to stand up to the man who had once loved her. And people wondered why she was so determined to be strong. “Your mother does have a rather intimidating glare, I suppose. I’d hate to be at the receiving end of it, as opposed to laughing at whichever one of you is so unfortunate as to have angered her. And I don’t like you implying that I cause trouble. I’m an innocent angel, me. I just get dragged into trouble by you and your miscreant siblings.”

[Rister Graas S6]

“You’re an exception. As crazy as mom was for marrying dad just a couple of months after turning 17. And Gaenor isn’t that bad. His company doing quite nicely. Besides your brother already knows Gaenor, which is one less of a threat, to know he won’t be abusing you, should you two get together,” Rister countered easily, “I can tell from personal experience, that it’s easier to let your sister go with someone who you know well enough to imagine the date. Not that I’m planning on letting either Leandra or Morgana go on a date anytime soon. And I’m truly glad your brother wouldn’t suggest me. And I’m not a nice boy, we both know that. I’m adorably innocent and kind and charming.”

Throwing his head back in full-fledged laughter Rister pulled Lita into a make-shift, quick-paced polka around a tree they had reached. Grabbing hold of the girl’s waist, Rister lifted her up and twirled her around, still laughing amusedly. “Now, I did hear correctly what you just admitted. Let me quote: ‘You’re a bad influence on everyone’. And then you hinted tot he possibility that no one would be able to resist me? Why, does it mean you have finally succumbed to my charm, glorious as it is? I do believe you will be joining me on rampages through the grounds and countryside soon!” Setting Lita back of her feet carefully Rister snickered at her merrily: ”And of course I’m going to influence you! Have no fear!” Cupping her face for a moment, Rister dropped a chaste kiss on Lita’s forehead before dancing further away, to avoid a smack or two, should Lita decide to take such severe action, “Why, you, the green developing caterpillar, will in no time bloom into a gorgeous butterfly like me. I knew you’ve always wanted to be as gracefully floating and charming and carelessly godly as I am. You shall never be me, of course. But admitting your hearts secret desire is already a good start.”

“You wouldn’t need alibis for time spent with me. I’d be a perfect alibi, if you’d stop digging your ting little fingers into my ribcage. Really, you should know by now that I’m not ticklish,” Rister admonished as he fell into step next to Lita again, “And Potions is illogical. Whereas McGonagall hating you? Haaa! You haven’t seen the glares she sends my way then. I swear, it’s abnormal to hold me responsible for someone else leaving their wand laying around for a child to take. Nor for me being a fully red-blooded pureblood, so that it’s natural a wand responds to me. Even if my current wand also has a similar core and the same wood, according to Ollivander. Different dragon naturally though. And I’m still as cute as a baby, so it’s perfectly natural girls still coo over me.”
“Miscreant? Look who’s talking is all I can say at that. The one denying most furiously is most likely the one to blame,” Rister quoted with a deathly all-knowing tone, “Really, you should know that you triple the number of mischief going on.”

[Lita Hollows R6]

“Your mum wasn’t crazy. Unless you count falling in love and being happy crazy, in which case I daresay she was.” Lita raised an eyebrow sceptically. “You know how much Adrian dislikes Gaenor. Honestly, I think he knew how much I’d like Gaenor before I did and did everything in his power to stop it.” She had stopped trying to protest Rister’s belief that there was a possibility of her and Gaenor getting together, which he would undoubtedly take note of, but indulging in a bit of fantasy-dreaming was harmless. “Adrian wouldn’t suggest you because he doesn’t trust you with me anyway, and he thinks you’re too unpredictable. I’m quite glad of that simply because he can be stubborn at times and I’d hate to have to convince him that we’re just friends.”

She wasn’t really sure what was so funny or why she was currently doing a version of the polka around a tree but that didn’t stop her from breaking out into heart-felt laughter of her own. The two of them undoubtedly looked absolutely ridiculous and Lita was enjoying every minute of it. Not that she didn’t quietly scan the surrounding area to check that none of Rister’s would-be girlfriends were hovering around. She could hold her own in a fight – Adrian and Gaenor had taught her to defend herself before they graduated and she had learnt even more in their absence - but rampaging, tearful girls against one girl wasn’t exactly what she would call fair odds. “Your charms don’t work on me, as you well know. Save them for the type of girls you currently date because I know you far too well.” Rister dropped a kiss to her forehead and Lita shook her head laughingly. Her friend did have a dazzling charm about him, that much she would admit freely. And if she hadn’t met Gaenor then at one time she might have dated Rister, but it wouldn’t have lasted. Whoever his perfect girl was, Lita didn’t have to date him to know that it wasn’t her. “Why am I a caterpillar when you’re the butterfly? You’re so much more immature than I am!”

“Not alibis for time spent with you. I trust you enough to cover for me. But they’re the perfect alibis for whenever I’m doing something by myself, without you trying to interfere. And it’s not fair that you’re not ticklish.” Lita complained good-naturedly. If she had to be ticklish then he should be too. It was only fair. “Potions is not illogical. It makes perfect sense. McGonagall however doesn’t make sense and neither does Transfiguration sometimes. Why would we ever need to turn a rabbit into a pair of shoes? Just go to the shop! As for the mischief tripling whenever I’m at your house. Well...” Lita shrugged and smiled modestly. “It’s not my fault you all try to impress me with your troublemaking ways. Your parents understand, I’m sure.”

[Rister Graas S6]

“Seeing that you don’t like dad. Or well, l maybe dislike is a too hard word. You don’t feel comfortable around him? Might work. Seeing that you don’t feel comfortable in your skin around dad, I’m sure you’d be quite open to the idea that mom was crazy for marrying him. So mom’s sanity is negotiable as she took a very permanent step for life at that age. Take Gaenor. Not even trying to match you two up, just using an example currently. Are you able to finish this year, get married and have 6 kids during the next 6 years? Though admittedly dad is just as crazy. I can honestly say that I wouldn’t be ready to be a father to a child just yet,” Rister stated calmly, suppressing the urge to gesticulate, because that was something he just didn’t do. Gestures gave away too much of your thoughts and words to distance so you didn’t know who learned them and put the pieces together later. Slytherins had a good deal of paranoia in them.

“Me? And unpredictable? Why, I take that as a compliment! Do give your brother my most sincere thank you,” Rister grinned widely at Lita. He liked the girl, but he was glad for her and his god-father. He would give his very best to ask his parents to match the two of them up. Besides they looked good together. “I know it breaks your heart. But we would have never worked. But don’t worry. Just because I love you, doesn’t mean I have given up all hope on your improvement. You’ll make that important step and skip Potions with me one day.” Posing dramatically, with one hand on his forehead, the other on a hip Rister stayed in this position letting Lita eye him for long enough: “Of course I’m the butterfly. I can grow up, but that doesn’t mean I can’t be immature. And I have much more experience in spending time outside classes, so thereby I’m the more evolved one in that aspect. And aren’t you usually the ones who claims you don’t need alibis? Ravenclaws are renown for their bright wit, so shouldn’t they get caught in the first place?”

Rister smiled gently. He disliked potions. Mastered a lot of seventh year Transfiguration spells however. “It’s not so much as a need for turning a rabbit into shoes. It’s making the situation adapt to your wishes. If you need something to tie back your hair and don’t have anything… you just take the most random thing and transfigure it and your problem is solved. Or when you have some accident and need to help yourself you can transfigure something in a crutch to help you get out of a tight spot. It’s the will and power to make the situation adapt to you, instead of letting chance control you, that makes it so precise and so rewarding a subject,” Rister smiled lightly as he gazed out over the lake. He liked transfiguration. Sure, possibly his relation with the professor wasn’t the greatest,but they got along manageably, mainly due to both loved for the topic McGonagall taught. “And we don’t try to impress you. We’re just protecting ourselves from your pranks. Offence is the best defense, remember?”