The Consequences of Reckless Behaviour (Reserved)

[Lita Hollows R6]

((Those invited know who they are and are welcome to show up to join in with Lita scolding Rister or just watch.))

Lita eyed the door distastefully. She absolutely hated the Great Hall in the morning. Or rather, she disliked breakfast and, if she appeared in the Hall at breakfast time, Rister and Gabriel or Jared – sometimes all three of them if they were sitting at the same table – would try to force her to eat. She understood why they were so adamant about it and she loved them for it even though it drove her absolutely insane with frustration. Leandra also tried to coax her into eating but, thankfully, Damon and Morgana were slightly more lenient in that aspect. Maybe she should consider sitting with Ashlyn instead, Lita mused thoughtfully. Prising Damon away from the blonde’s side for more than a few moments might be a bit of a chore – really, Lita huffed with mock-offense, it was as if Damon didn’t trust her to not tell Ashlyn all sorts of embarrassing stories about him – but she was quite sure that she could manage it. Anything for a peaceful breakfast in which she could merely grimace at those eating and ask why they thought food at such an hour was an appealing idea. Of course, there had been people who tried to copy her. In every school, there were people willing to do all sorts of things to gain popularity or the attention of the boy they liked. Therefore, the fans of Gabriel, Jared and Rister had tried sitting next to one of the boys and very pointedly not eating. Lita rolled her eyes, bewildered and amused as always by the thought of her dating one of the boys. Maybe she would have, if she hadn’t met Gaenor. Maybe she still wouldn’t have found the idea tempting in any way.

“Are you going to just stare at the door or actually go in?” Lita turned, grinning at Ashlyn when she saw the tell-tale signs of someone who wasn’t a morning person in any way. “I suppose I’ll go in. You do realise that I haven’t told Rister off yet,” she added nonchalantly, absent-mindedly steering the younger girl toward the Ravenclaw table and pressing her into the space next to Damon. Lita herself chose to sit next to Jared – “don’t mention anything about me eating breakfast,” she warned the fourth year hastily – and blinked in shock when she saw Ashlyn all but snatch Damon’s coffee, drink from it and not be murdered by the grumpy, morning-hating Ravenclaw. Maybe it was love after all. It seemed that it was the day for all the Graas’ to sit at the Ravenclaw table, Lita noticed with a grin as she scanned the other people at the table. How fortunate for her that she didn’t have to seek out Rister in order to scold him. The Slytherin boy was rather adept at hiding himself when he wanted to. So, patiently, Lita had bided her time and waited. She had waited for two whole weeks. Just to trick him into a false sense of security so that he wouldn’t consider ways to smooth the issue over.

She would usually have complained to Gaenor about Rister’s reckless behaviour, demanded that he do something about his godson, but the man was away on a business trip. Instantly, Lita felt her mood plummet somewhat. She always missed him when he was away, although she knew that it was necessary. Adrian was still slightly disgruntled about their relationship, Lita added with a dark smile. Her brother claimed that he had been expecting this almost since the two of them first met but he had always held a slight hope that maybe it wouldn’t work out. After all, Gaenor was so much older than Lita. It wasn’t exactly what a brother wanted for his little sister. Impatiently, Lita waited for Rister to finish the majority of his breakfast before turning her head to stare at him. “Rister, can I talk to you privately?” Her smile was evidently strained as she turned to the other Graas’ but her words and tone were welcoming. “You can all come along, if you wish. After all, I wouldn’t want to keep secrets from any of you.” To Lita’s surprise, it was Ashlyn who gave the first reaction, nodding slowly. “I have something I want to say to Rister, though I can say it now or later if he doesn’t want an audience. You’ve waited long enough for this conversation though, I believe.” Her blue eyes gleamed with humour as she shot a smile at Lita, who shrugged, raising an eyebrow at Rister. “Well?”

[Rister Graas S6]

Rister sent a pleasantly teeth-filled smile at a young Ravenclaw, watching as she and her friend immediately scrambled off upon receiving it. It wasn’t even as if they couldn’t’ find other seats. It was weekend so the Great Hall was half-empty. Besides, it had hardly even been an open threat. If the girls found it dangerous for a Slytherin to smile them in a slightly malicious way – well, leaving had been their choice. Not that Rister didn’t appreciate the speed with which they had scrammed. Dropping himself onto the bench between Damon and Morgana, Rister made a light sound in the back of his throat in terms of greeting, before starting to pile food on his plate. He enjoyed breakfasts; they were the most important meal of the day. He liked to eat more than once, but days could have unexpected twists that kept you too busy to eat. Rister had learned that lesson swiftly and had learned to be sure he could last the entire day on his breakfast, should the need rise. Supplying a word or two of his own as the conversation carried on between his siblings, Rister mainly concentrated on his breakfast.

Lita appeared in the Great Hall not long after Rister himself had and as she steered Ashlyn towards the Ravenclaw table, Rister shifted in his seat. Ashlyn would undoubtedly want to sit next to Damon. “Jared won’t. I will. A slice of toast or a pancake and I’ll be satisfied for a while,” Rister responded, pointing his work to first Lita then Ashlyn. And then Rister snickered at the look of utter shock on Lita’s face when Ashlyn grabbed Damon’s coffee. “Really, Lita, you should know by now that a whole lot more is allowed to the woman you love,” Rister drawled out, flinching slightly as Ashlyn jabbed him in the ribcage. “That was uncalled for. I think I liked you better when you disliked me too much to be comfortable enough to do that. It was easier on my poor ribs anyway,” Rister told Ashlyn jokingly and upon seeing that both girls found themselves a bit of breakfast, turned his attention back to his own food. Apparently it was a good thing they sat on Ravenclaw table as well. Ashlyn had been over at the Slytherin table, but she didn’t seem fully comfortable while sitting there. Maybe it was a Gryffindor effect, maybe something else. But Ravenclaw table seemed like a pleasantly neutral ground. Damon himself had sat over at the Gryffindor table with Ashlyn, but it would probably be too volatile if all of them sauntered over there. Ravenclaw table did seem to be the best spot.

Rister had just lifted the last piece of fried egg to his mouth when Lita turned to him. Glancing up, Rister tilted his head. It was an odd request. Usually Lita knew to just come out with whatever she had on her mind. And her smile was too strained for that something right now to be pleasant. But it was good to see Lita interact with Ashlyn. It had taken longest for her to accept Ashlyn into their midst. But apparently her mind had been put slightly at ease when Ashlyn had learned Morgana’s transformation and not ran. Peering at Lita thoughtfully over the rim of his mug, Rister rook a deep sip before placing the mug back on the table. Dabbing at his lips with a napkin calmly, Rister tossed it on the table and then nodded to Lita. “Well, you’re the one who wants to talk to me. You’ll have to know how much privacy we’d need,” Rister stated with a shrug, even though most of his siblings had snapped at attention and were peering at Lita questioningly. They would probably like to hear it too it seemed. “If you think we need privacy, lead the way,” Rister stated calmly, his eyes trained on Lita.

[Ashlyn Swallow G5]

Ashlyn yawned, sending a blearily-eyed glare to the hopeful young Gryffindor who had been brave enough to wake her up and not supply caffeine. “No,” Ashlyn stated, not even permitting the younger girl to speak. “I am not dating Damon Graas. I will not set you up with Jared or Gabriel. I will not even get you a signed photo of any of them. I am not interested in what you think of my parents because of what they think of Morgana. I am, however, very irritable and will happily curse you until not even your closest friends will recognise you unless you go away and leave me to this miserable morning.” Obligingly, the redhead mumbled incoherently and fled. “You shouldn’t be mean to the younger years,” one of her room-mates remarked disapprovingly. Ashlyn’s eyes flashed bad-temperedly but she kept silent, dressing quickly and leaving without a word. Ever since that damned article in the Prophet, people felt that it was acceptable to publicly air their opinions on Ashlyn, her supposed relationship with Damon, her friendship with the Graas’ and her parents. If it had just affected herself then Ashlyn might have ignored it, but it was now widely known that Keegan, Alexis and Layla were related to the Swallows. The Slytherins weren’t much affected by the gossip – they did, after all, have each other for company and security - but it had troubled Layla and Ashlyn wouldn’t stand for it. As such, even Binns had stopped droning on about the goblins for long enough to give her detention for arguing during class.

It seemed that Lita automatically guided her to the Ravenclaw table and Ashlyn rolled her eyes, hiding a faint smile. The brunette had openly admitted to her that it was hard to accept someone else, and Ashlyn thought that she could understand. The Graas’ were a close family and, for a long time, Lita had been the only non-family member to be a permanent part of their lives. As much as Lita undoubtedly wanted to see them happy, it was hard to trust someone with the secrets that came with the territory. And Damon had made no secret of the fact that he expected Ashlyn to be around for a long time. Rister’s remark earned a sharp jab to his ribs, even as she determinedly pretended that she hadn’t flushed slightly at the idea. “I still dislike you,” Ashlyn assured Rister with a smile, “but now I don’t mind causing you bodily harm as a way of expressing that dislike.” Unconsciously, Ashlyn skimmed the table in search of Layla and frowned slightly when she saw that the girl’s group of friends had decreased quite a lot. So the gossip was affecting her more than she had told Ashlyn, she thought grimly. Ashlyn and her cousins had been talking about it until early in the morning but Layla had never mentioned that her friends were being influenced by all of the gossip and, somewhat foolishly, Ashlyn had simply guessed that they were too young to really be bothered by such things. She had been aware of business details and gossip when she had been a first year, but her upbringing had been very different to that of Layla and the twins. Time for another talk with them then. Ashlyn sighed wearily, not noticing that she had shifted closer to Damon until she felt his fingers run through her hair gently. A scathing remark was on the tip of her tongue but Ashlyn just allowed herself to smile slightly, enjoying the affection. She was tired, subtle signs of affection would be temporarily allowed.

Her eyes vaguely amused, Ashlyn watched the conversation between Lita and Rister. Lita had hinted to her about the topic of conversation so Ashlyn knew what to expect, and even comprehended Lita’s motivation slightly. It was obvious to anyone that Lita and Rister were close. So for her to find out that he had been put under a torture curse was probably alarming. Ashlyn herself had felt exasperated at the knowledge that Damon was sneaking away every month to play games with a werewolf, even though she knew that Morgana retained her human mind and way of thinking. But Lita seemed a bit too tense for the conversation to go well, which was why Ashlyn spoke up about possibly going with them. She did, after all, need to have her own discussion with Rister which would possibly end in her smacking him or at least snapping at him.

[Lita Hollows R6]

“I don’t eat in the morning,” Lita snapped, more out of habit than any real defiance. She knew Rister well enough to know that he wouldn’t listen to any verbal disobedience. Which was why Lita lifted a pancake onto her plate and then pointedly ignored it, falling into conversation with Jared and Leandra. It was just the best way to deal with Rister’s policy of eating breakfast, Lita had found. “But Damon never gives his coffee to anyone!” Lita protested, smirking when Ashlyn glared at her weakly, obviously not awake enough to be unmistakable about her dislike. She enjoyed annoying Ashlyn; it was just too easy. The Gryffindor was just too new to the concept of easy rapport and signs of affection so Lita delighted in throwing her arm around Ashlyn’s shoulders whenever possible. The action had two benefits – Ashlyn’s scowl entertained Lita, and it accustomed Ashlyn to the careless affection that she would be surrounded with. Maybe she had been unsure at first, but Lita was now certain that Damon would end up marrying Ashlyn. Her concerns had not been about the girl herself, but her attitude and her past. Families had never been very good for Ashlyn Swallow and her past had left invisible scars on her. Lita didn’t want to see those issues break Damon’s heart when Ashlyn found herself unable to commit. The night of the full moon had reassured her. Ashlyn had had her chance to run, to forget about all of them but she had chosen to stay. With new faith in Ashlyn, Lita had found herself able to befriend the girl without worrying about the future. Ashlyn might be unaware of it right now, but Lita could almost see the relationship between Damon and his Gryffindor growing and developing.

Aww. Her gaze fell on Damon and Ashlyn just in time to see him playing with her hair, and Lita couldn’t suppress her smile. Yes. Damon and Ashlyn would be fine after all. Unless Rister found a girl soon, it seemed that his younger brother would be marrying before him. If Ashlyn stopped being stubborn long enough to say yes to the proposal, Lita added with a wry smile. “Some things require more privacy than a place filled with curious students,” Lita murmured softly. She had no reluctance about scolding Rister in the middle of the Great Hall – she had done so before – but this topic called for more discretion. Maybe she could entertain the students another time with a more public scolding, if she felt the need. It would take some of the attention off Ashlyn, Lita thought with a flash of insight. The Gryffindor wasn’t used to the attention that the Graas’ received for just existing. Add that to the publicity that the article on her parents had brought and Lita wasn’t at all surprised by the defensive tint to the girl’s posture. Being in the spotlight had never bothered Lita; she neither revelled in it nor hated it, but Ashlyn wasn’t used to it and that would call for some intervention unless there was some more exciting news for the students to gossip about soon.

Lita waited for all of them to finish eating before pushing herself to her feet and striding out of the Hall. There were secret passages scattered through the castle, especially around main areas such as the Great Hall, but Lita already had one in mind. With a grin, Lita opened the passageway and ushered everyone through before closing the door after herself. The narrow passageway opened out into an abandoned classroom that she knew Jared would recognise instantly. There were still some posters of Gabriel lying on the floor, left over from the bonfire that Lita had made out of the majority of the posters. McGonagall hadn’t been happy with that but Lita was always good at talking herself out of trouble. Three days of detention instead of the week she had been threatened with. Not bad. “Take a seat,” Lita invited with a mocking smile, gesturing to the comfy armchairs and couches she had transfigured from the rickety wooden chairs that had been there originally. They were a new addition from when she had first shown Jared the room. While she had been agonising over how to deal with her wretched cousins, Lita had spent a lot of time in this room and she had made it as comfortable for herself as possible. No need to think about uncomfortable things while sitting on an uncomfortable chair.

[Rister Graas S6]

“You don’t, but if you decide to appear before me at breakfast time, you were obviously prepared to eat something,” Rister stated, with a cool glance at Lita, “Truly, we’ve been through is often enough before, haven’t we? We argue, but in the end you force yourself to eat something and I pretend not to notice how little you actually did eat.” Instead, Rister shifted his attention to Ashlyn, grinning widely like a Cheshire cat. He didn’t reach around Ashlyn, as he would have done when it was one of his sister or Lita – Rister wasn’t stupid enough not to notice Ashlyn didn’t like contact much – but he did lean his wrist lightly on her shoulders and leaned closer. “Dislike I can handle, whereas all that smacking? Why, could it be good old physical attraction? I still have time to whisk you away to a sandy beach at the Bahamas for some bikini-modelling you know.” That promptly earned him another sharp smack that made Rister snicker quietly, even as he ignored Gabriel’s comment that he had been using Gabriel’s line. Damon sent a rather mild glance at Ashlyn who had subconsciously shifted closer to him and Rister sighed. “Oh well. I suppose I must be satisfied with teasing you as much as I can and watching Damon get all ruffled about it.”

Rister observed the way Ashlyn and Lita associated between each other with a secret smile. It was good to see that the girl shad managed to find some sort of a common ground. Ashlyn meant a lot to Damon and with the bond, she wasn’t going to go anywhere. Lita would have had to shape up, no matter what her opinion of the girl was. But those thoughts would stay stashed away in his head. He was confident enough to not mind enjoying something worked out only in the privacy of his own head. “More privacy? You usually don’t mind spectacles,” Rister stated as he spread some sour cranberry jam on a piece a toast, “But I must tell you, Lita. I don’t think Gaenor will be very happy with me if you decide to suddenly launch yourself at me and ravish me senseless. I know I’m handsome, but that is really where I draw the line.” Rister paused and chewed on a bite, smirking wickedly at Lita who had promptly kicked him in the shin: “Well, he is quite adept at using a wand if need be. Neither of us would want to ruin my dashing looks for a night of passion now, would we?” But they all finished eating soon enough and stood to follow Lita.

Gabriel hopped forward to hold the door open for the girls as they made a miniscule train towards wherever Lita was heading. Rister was the first to follow Lita in the room. It looked to be an abandoned classroom fixed up. The transfiguration seemed like something Lita would do Rister thought absently as he eyed the purple-green-orange pattern on the armchairs. Gabriel had bent to pick up on of his posters around the room and for a moment Rister glanced at him as the poster-Gabriel seemed to flirt with the real life version with everything he had. For the briefest of moment his eyes also landed on Jared in silent question. Was this the room Lita had kept a secret to hide away? Jared closed his eyes and tilted his head lightly in response and reached into his pocket for his harmonica long before Lita could even start to get suspicious enough to turn and look at him. Leandra had already thrown herself onto a couch next to Gabriel and Morgana and the Damon and Ashlyn turned to find seats as well, whie Jared seemed content supporting the wall. Rister regarded Lita pensively. If it was important and discrete enough to demand such a room? Would he have to be the Graas heir today for her? It was merely a fraction of second that it took for Rister to analyse his options. To sit and possibly give Lita the upper hand of standing higher than anyone else? Remain standing and display insecurity? His eyes stayed on Lita as Rister lowered himself into an armchair with calculated and conscious slowness and grace. The armchair was slightly more separate than the rest of the seats – being sideways to all of them – and for the moment Rister preferred it like that. He remained silent however, letting Lita decide at her own pace just what she was going to say and how and when.

[Lita Hollows R6]

“We always do seem to compromise,” Lita muttered to herself distantly, her eyes flickering with faint distress when she glanced at her best friend. Unless Rister pulled his ‘I’m the heir of a greater family than yours so what I say goes’ act, they were going to end up arguing. Lita bit her lip nervously. Rister looked so much like Kris, whose dark glare reminded her so much of her father. She really didn’t want to fight with him. But she wouldn’t bite her tongue and remain silent any longer. Avoiding confrontations with Rister had been almost acceptable while Lita had still been intimidated by Kris but now she knew, liked and trusted the head of the Graas family. He wasn’t the scary figure that he had once been. Light-heartedly, Lita smirked at Gabriel in amusement. “He can’t think of his own lines anymore so he has to steal yours. Take it as a sign that your oldest brother is bowing to your superiority in flirting with girls.”

Quietly, Lita laughed. “I have never minded making a spectacle with you, Rister, and you know it. But unless you want me to grab your ear and pull you from the Hall, I think we won’t provide entertainment for everyone today.” Lita kicked Rister sharply, her smile faltering slightly. She missed Gaenor, though she had smiled brightly and pretended that his absence didn’t affect her since the day he had left. It was an obvious lie, and one that her friends had seen through almost immediately. But knowing that something was necessary didn’t make her miss him any less. Even when they had just been friends, Lita had missed him during his business trips. She would have liked his advice in this matter though, Lita thought regretfully. She wasn’t at all sure how to proceed and Gaenor always seemed so self-assured and confident about everything. “Well, Gaenor is away for the next few days,” Lita reminded him with a wicked grin. “What he doesn’t know won’t hurt him, I suppose. Your dorm or mine?” The rhythm of the banter was familiar and Lita fell into it easily, taking a small bite from her pancake in an unconscious and natural attempt to fulfil Rister’s demands that she eat while also holding to her distaste for food in the morning.

Deliberately distracting herself from the matter at hand, Lita glanced at Gabriel examining his poster and smiled. She had spent so many hours in this room at one time, and those posters had heard her try to puzzle through everything. She had cursed at them, cried in front of them and threatened to destroy them but they had always been there to listen to her. Humourlessly, Lita rolled her eyes. What had she expected – for the posters to just get up and walk away? Naturally they had always been there. “Playing political games?” Lita asked Rister mockingly, sharp eyes not missing the calculated movements. “I know my place, Rister,” she told him softly enough that only he, and Morgana with her enhanced hearing, would be able to hear. “You’re the Graas heir, you outrank me in everything that matters in the political world. But you’re my best friend and my brother and I love you. You know that.” Taking a deep breath, Lita turned away to collect her thoughts and then whirled back, a hint of controlled temper showing. “You’re reckless lately,” Lita asserted firmly, shooting an apologetic look at Ashlyn and Damon with her next words. “None of us handled the full moon with Ashlyn very well, and that was a mistake shared by all of us. And then...the Cruciatus Curse...” Lita trailed off helplessly before shaking her head, not willing to discuss why Rister hadn’t trusted her with the knowledge. “And then that business with Meredith Garwin.” Lita gestured exasperatedly, exhaling with a hiss. “I understand why you chose not to remove her memories of the incident but couldn’t you have confounded her or something? How do you know that she’s trustworthy? People have sold less interesting stories to the newspaper and her sister works for the Prophet – what if she mentions something, either accidentally or deliberately? All she has to do is use a Pensieve and she has evidence!”

[Rister Graas S6]

“Or maybe I’m just too bored to figure out lines anymore,” Rister murmured with a slight grimace. And in reality he didn’t need lines. He was handsome and smart enough on his own to be a pleasant date. And his name and wealth and background generally attracted women even more in the wizarding world. “And yes, I’m aware just how bad it sounds coming from someone who’s 17,” Rister murmured absently, before shaking his head to rid himself of these thoughts. He still enjoyed the company of women after all. There would be plenty of time to worry about everything still. Instead Rister kept up the pace with this siblings talking wise and followed Lita to the room. At leas tit was a comfortable room. But well, he hadn’t expected anything less from Lita. She had always had plenty of common sense and also good taste. And in an odd way the room suited her. At least it suited her better with it’s tones than it did Rister, even though he felt comfortable enough in his own skin to fit into nearly any setting.

Rister arched an eye-brow at Lita’s question. “You’re setting the rules of this conversation. Can you blame me for following them?” Rister questioned back softly, even as he tapped the ring of the heir he carried on a silver chain around his neck and that was even now securely hidden under his shirt. He didn’t wear it daily on his finger. That would be a bit too pretentious for Hogwarts. But he was proud of his inheritance and family and he knew his duties, so when the ring wasn’t on his finger, it was secured around his neck. Lita knew him well enough to know of that habit, so Rister tapped the ring once again while looking at her pointedly. Were he worrying about politics here, the ring would already be gleaming on his finger. And then Lita had to go and make sure that he couldn’t’ even get properly upset with the words she whispered only for Rister’s hearing. The cutting green of Rister’s gaze softened a tiny bit at the words as he waited for Lita to gather herself.

Rister simply listened as Lita let out the things that had been worrying him, ignoring the gazes flickering back and forth between them. Instead he placed his elbows on the arm-rests and his finger-tips against each other and peered at Lita. He had a quick mind and he was good with words, if perhaps not quite up to par with Damon when it came to twisting words, but he had an easy way with words. So the fact that he now took the time to think and word his reply would let Lita know that it did matter to him as well. Even though the girl was looking almost uncomfortable under his eyes. Rister blinked and let his arms fall to the arm-rest, realising that he had used a gesture his father generally did when he was straightening out some relative. He hadn’t truly meant to, but he and dad were similar. In looks, in characters, even in gestures they used and how they thought. “The full moon with Ashlyn was nerve-wracking, but it turned out pretty well didn’t it?” Rister questioned, feeling slightly smug for a moment as he had won the game that night. Damon and Ashlyn had been too distracted to pay much attention, Lita had been worrying over Morgana, Jared’s fingers had been itching towards his harmonica so often that Rister had almost seen a new song unrolling in his head and luck simply hadn’t been with Gabriel. “It was Morgana’s secret to tell and she decided to put her faith in Damon and the girl he chose. And Ashlyn rose to the occasion.”

The Cruciatus. Rister turned his head and he and Damon and shared a long look as they both recalled the day. It hadn’t been a pleasant experience to say the least. Ashlyn sent him an alarmed look and Rister smiled lightly. For all the denying the Gryffindor did, she cared for Damon deeper than she admitted to anyone. “Don’t worry, Ashlyn, Damon wasn’t placed under the curse, but he was along that day, even though not even Gabriel and Jared knew of it,” Rister assured the blonde swiftly, as Damon let his head fall backwards. And Damon had seen it but decided not to go under Cruciatus. He had been put under Imperius along with Rister, but Rister wasn’t willing to share that information right now. Instead he leaned back, closed his own eyes as well and tried to figure out a place where to start. “The Cruciatus happened about three years ago. Dad discovered that one of the family-members had used it occasionally to discipline his wife. That was put a swift stop to but it did remind dad that I would need to know the Forbidden curses as well. So he took me and Damon – Damon is next in line should something happen to me - along to the ministry and in a private section of the Auror department. The Cruciatus was cast on me,” – thrice, but Rister wasn’t planning on telling that to Lita -,”and I was taught how to cast it myself.” Rister opened his eyes and met Lita’s eyes squarely even as he paused for a moment. “You know I’ve taken a life when there’s some animal with rabies or other dangerous cases in the forest. These are just aspects I will one day need to know and be able to handle if I’m to become the Head, because these are the things that might be sprung on me. The Graas’ hold on to some pretty old traditions as you know.”

“Being in school doesn’t relieve me of my duties just yet. Two days ago I saw a woman about to marry a cousin of mine. She’s a sweet 18 year old girl who’s deeply in love with our 46 year old cousin. But he is known to be a sadist in bed so she came to request that I use my right of first night at her wedding night to make her first initiation to sex pleasant,” Rister paused and smirked lightly at Lita’s expression as she attempted to digest the information and possible not notice that Gabriel was looking slightly uncomfortable, as Rister had delegated that task over to him. Gabriel would be heading to Italy for that purpose in another three days, but he probably didn’t’ want a confrontation with Lita about that topic. “These are things and problems I deal with weekly. I’m so used to it that I usually won’t even bother mentioning them as I can handle them – I’ve been taught to - and they aren’t that out of the ordinary for me. The same with the curse. It was something I needed to know, so it didn’t seem important enough to kick up a fuss over it. If something similar comes up again and I know I need to be prepared to it, I’ll do it without a moment of hesitation all over again. It’s part of who I am and am growing up to be.”

Whereas Merry? Rister blinked at Lita, even as Morgana spoke up: “It was me who dragged her over. It seemed easier to get her to help Rister than track down the rest.” Silencing Morgana with a light gesture, Rister peered wonderingly at Lita: “Meredith Garwin swore a triple wizarding oath with Damon, Gabriel, and Jared as witnesses. Courtesy of Damon’s skills with words she would be maddened due to breaking such an oath before she could even get out enough words or hints or writing to make anyone suspicious she might know something about Morgana. Didn’t anyone tell you that then or didn’t you pay attention in the general fuss of things? She isn’t walking around as freely as she is just because I decided to turn a naïve look to human nature and believe everyone is good and sincere deep down. You’re a third sister to me, Lita. But I’m protected.” And if Rister was protected, then he would protect every single one of his family and friends in turn, even if Rister simply left the implication hanging in air as he peered at Lita while waiting for her response.

[Lita Hollows R6]

((Snuck online so that I could give you a long-awaited reply. Hope it doesn't disappoint.))

Rister was the worst person, at least for Lita, to confront. He was her best friend, which made it hard enough for her to argue with him over something serious, but he also looked so very much like Kris. Not the man she knew to be the father of the closest friends she had ever had – except Gaenor, of course – or the loving husband to a wonderful witch and cousin to another fantastic person, but Kris Graas. Patriarch and therefore dominating and too powerful, malicious and a threat. The man who reminded her far too much of her father for her to feel comfortable. Adrian didn’t understand her discomfort around their father and subsequently Kris – after all, Adrian had always been the unfavoured child, not her – which had led to him questioning how she could stand to be close to Rister. No answer that Lita thought of had ever been deemed a sufficient explanation so she had never gave one. Did she really need one? Surely it was enough just that she loved Rister.

“You’ve never followed any of my rules before,” Lita offered with a slight smile, her alert senses not missing the way Ashlyn raised an eyebrow slowly at the continued pleasantness from her. The Gryffindor still had a lot to learn. Not about Lita specifically, but families in general. Yes, she was irritated with Rister. But he was still her brother. A small argument wouldn’t change that. The movement from Rister forced her to lift her head proudly, her eyes guarded as she fought for composure, for the strength to not to hunch her shoulders and back away submissively. The way he had clasped his fingers together while peering at her was just eerily reminiscent of Kris and she hadn’t been expecting it. It was always harder when she wasn’t expecting it. “There were too many risks,” Lita murmured mildly, her eyes still trained on the floor instead of meeting Rister’s gaze. “It only turned out well because of who Ashlyn is.” Unsurely, showing a concern that she only ever offered to those she considered family, Lita turned her head and lifted her eyes to examine Ashlyn before sighing and shrugging as she turned back to Rister. She might end up with Damon mad at her on Ashlyn’s behalf if he was feeling protective of his girl. It was a possibility, even if she didn’t want it to happen. “It only turned out well because she wants a family,” Lita crossed her arms as she spoke bluntly, her posture daring anyone to defy her in this. It was time for honesty, even if she had to drag it out of its hiding place herself. “She wants a family – hush, Ashlyn, some part of you knows that I’m right, whether you admit it or not – and even before he said anything about it, she sensed that Damon would give her that. He’s made it perfectly clear that he’ll probably marry her. And that’s great for them, it really is. For the idea of a family, she’s prepared to overcome the werewolf sister-in-law and father-in-law, the overprotective best friend of her eldest brother-in-law and her arrogant brother-in-laws. But how would things have been if that was too big of a hurdle for her to overcome?” Lita demanded harshly, her eyes softening slightly just because she could never remain truly angry at Rister for more than fifteen consecutive minutes.

Not amused, Lita scowled at Rister. “Obviously it was because you’re the heir. I didn’t think it was because Kris had temporarily gone insane and decided to torture one of his sons,” she snapped furiously. “But is it so terrible of me to not like the idea of any of you being put under the Cruciatus? If so then I most whole-heartedly apologise for caring,” Lita added mockingly, hurt flickering in her expression for a moment before she forced it back into the recesses of her subconscious again, along with the longing for Gaenor that never quite faded when she knew he wasn’t available. “Do you really think that that surprises me?” Lita questioned him with a dark smile, chuckling to herself dryly. It did occur to her to lower her voice again but Morgana would most likely hear anyway. Besides, it was only a matter of logic. “Don’t you think that I already know that I might need that option one day?” Closing her eyes in momentary despair, Lita raked her hands through her smooth hair. “My father is insane,” she informed them coolly. “Absolutely insane. Power-mad, I believe some people like to call it. With an extreme hatred for Slytherins. Ever wondered why he disinherited my brother?” Lita sighed, shook her head wearily, tried to find a reason for not having parents who weren’t irrational and nonsensical. “I love Gaenor. You know that. But he’s a Slytherin. How much longer do you think I can hide that from my father? My 17th birthday is months away. If he realises that I’m not avoiding the Slytherins like I claim to be but that, in fact, I’m in love with one and close friends with most of the Slytherin house then I’ll be married off to one of my father’s business associates before I even have time to say goodbye to any of you. The best I can hope for is to find a discreet way of killing the man before I end up killing myself. Because I won’t be forced into a marriage with a man I don’t love. I won’t be forced into marriage at all.”

Suddenly weary, Lita shook her head and walked past Rister wordlessly, facing the wall behind him. Getting caught up in the heat of a situation and spilling her secrets wasn’t a habit of hers. Running away from things, however, was. She hadn’t been raised to be brave and confront things head-on. Her mother was a pathetic excuse for a woman who allowed her husband, a veritable psychotic, to rule over her without any protests simply because she loved him. Lita wouldn’t let anyone dominate her. But that didn’t mean that she was above fleeing from her problems. Without looking back, she walked directly through the trick wall and ledft everyone else behind her, pressing her hand against an imprint on the other side to solidify the wall and ensure that no one would come after her, before sliding down the wall and resting her forehead on her knees. She was a damned fool. She had kept that secret since it had first occurred to her at fourteen years old. Just a few more months and she would have been free from any possibility of an arranged marriage without involving her friends. Why couldn't she ever keep her mouth shut?

[Ashlyn Swallow G5]

“Well,” Ashlyn huffed discontentedly, somewhat aggravated by Lita’s words. “I’m not quite sure whether you’re trying to call me selfish or selfless, Lita. I do resent the implication that I’m desperate for a family though. I have a family. It’s me. It’s me and Layla and Alexis and Keegan. Those three kids that I chose to take into my house after their mother died and their father proved to be an unacceptable coward. I became the head of my own little family even before my sixteenth birthday. I’m weary of families. I certainly don’t want to take yours.” It was true. Damon had freed her from her parents’ control and her uncle had left his three children under her care. Technically, she had to be seventeen and in possession of a family crest to be Head of a family but her parents no longer had any say in her life and the crest was merely a formality. In the eyes of the law, she was an adult and there were three underage children in her house and under her care; she was the head of that small family. It was never going to be permanent, because looking after anyone but herself, and Damon at times, left her with a terrible headache. Ashlyn was still far too selfish, far too accepting of her isolation, to be a suitable guardian. “Morgana isn’t just a werewolf,” Ashlyn snapped, her blue eyes dark with disapproval. “And Kris was nice to me.” She didn’t bother to protest the claim that Rister, Gabriel and Jared were arrogant. There was no point in arguing against the truth. “You forgot to mention Damon’s arrogance though,” she pointed out mildly, refusing to join the argument any further. This was between Lita and Rister. She had spoken to defend herself but it wasn’t her place to interfere further.

Cruciatus? Ashlyn shot a sharp look at Rister, demanding answers to the question she knew Rister didn’t need to hear. It undoubtedly made sense for both Rister and Damon to have such experiences; Damon was, after all, second in line but that didn’t stop her instant concern. “Not placed under that curse, perhaps, but there are others,” Ashlyn murmured to herself softly, unhappy eyes resting on Damon’s face momentarily. She didn’t like the idea of him being hurt. She had Rister’s word that the Cruciatus hadn’t been used on Damon, and she trusted him to tell the truth, but she knew that the Cruciatus wasn’t the only curse used to inflict pain. It shouldn’t bother her so much – after all, what was Damon to her except from an irritating Ravenclaw who had the ability to invade her head? – but she couldn’t help caring. He did ridiculous things, like pull her into the lake and get ill and demand for her to wear the nurse’s uniform because he didn’t like Madam Pomfrey. He was the reason other Gryffindors pestered her about the possibility of dating Rister or Gabriel or Jared. It was, in a way, his fault that she had to share her home and her life with Layla, Alexis and Keegan. Was it really her fault that she knew all this and still couldn’t stop herself caring for him? Not at all. It was Damon’s fault. It had to be. Caring wasn’t something that Ashlyn did willingly.

Her eyes tracked Lita as the older girl made her desperate escape but Ashlyn made no move to stop her or follow her. “A bit dramatic perhaps, but she has a point,” Ashlyn commented with a nonchalant shrug. “Not about Meredith Garwin – that directly concerns only you, Morgana and the girl herself – but certainly about the right of first night. It was originally a humiliating experience, you know, as a lord would claim the right of first night with the brides of peasants under his control,” Ashlyn added thoughtfully. Quite thankfully, the world had evolved since then. “Neither your cousin’s fiancée nor Lita are the first girls to worry about the first night. Every young girl from a dominating family is informed about their right to ask the head or heir of their future family to call on the right of first night. I was given that warning by my uncle, which was a particularly uncomfortable conversation.” With another shrug that showed just how accustomed to the possibility of being married off to someone who would almost certainly not be gentle with her, Ashlyn raised a bored eyebrow at Rister. “Are we finished? If I had wanted to see Lita criticise you then I would have waited until she had a valid reason, like when she next found out that you had skipped class or something.”