[ttd] when we fall, we know how to land

Leonidas smirked, his laughter quiet, amusement dancing in his brown eyes as he lounged on a blanket one of the girls had brought out. He would never lay in the grass and risk the expensive linen of his shirt to dirt and grass stains even if he could magic them away easily. He simply didn’t want even a temporary mess. 

But it was actually a nice day out. For once. It reminded the Ravenclaw of a day in Madrid last spring break when he and Cavanaugh had flirted with girls most of the day and then ‘accidentally’ shot off magic fireworks over the river of a muggle suburb. They may or may not have gotten in trouble with the Italian Ministry but his family’s deep pockets had kept anything off the record. For Leonidas at least. Still, he could remember the look of wonder and delight on the face of a freckled young child with the light of fireworks on her face. 

Sadly, no fireworks today however. Just a group of upperclassmen near the lake, mostly shooting the shit, complaining about school, a bag of Bertie Bott's was being passed around, Leonidas teasing Mira who had her head propped again his thigh as he taught her some basic words in Spanish that she knew and laughing at her as she tried and failed to roll her Rs. Cavanaugh, twirling his wand between his fingers, had that look in his eyes that Leonidas didn't usually like. He didn't even have to ask before his friend smirked and spoke. "Hey, do you remember that prank we pulled on that Hufflepuff?" Cavanaugh asked before he nodded across the lawn, seeing the brunette by herself, and rolling his eyes as he tried not to laugh at the memory. Leonidas recalled that the girl had been in a hurry and Cavanaugh thinking he was funny set her with an Impediment Hex. She had been fuming and then almost crying as she walked in slow motion. It had been a little funny.

"An Impediment Hex, wow, very creative," Leonidas drawled as he pushed his silky brown hair off his forehead that he had spent no less than thirty minutes this morning styling to get that artful I-woke-up-like-this look. But Cavanaugh had a sadistic streak and he could tell from the way he was fingering his wand. "Just leave her," Leonidas said to him in warning, but he could already hear the hex on his voice so Leonidas reached out spanning the distance between where they sat and pushed his wand arm over, away from his Hufflepuff would-be victim. HIs friend cursed at him, but with a quick glance, Leonidas saw that the girl was still sitting by the lake undisturbed.

Except he hadn't really accomplished his goal. Cavanaugh was laughing hysterically beside him, pointing. Leonidas followed and then groaned, quickly getting up to go over, Mira unseated as he left her without warning. Cavanaugh had just hexed the Gryffindor prefect.

@Killian Buckley

The bag of Every Flavour Beans was waggled under Killian's nose. He scrunched up the orifice, trying to increase the distance between him and the candies without making a big show of standing up. "Ah, no thanks," he said, waving his classmate way. She shrugged and went back to sit with Lovecraft's little gang. Killian's eyes lifted slightly from his Arithmancy workbook to look at them all, and sighed.

This close to OWLs, he didn't understand why some Ravenclaws, of all people, were goofing off and eating those horrendous jelly beans. There were perfectly good normal beans in the real world, though Killian's dad had a fondness for the weird wizarding ones. Who wants to eat something earwax flavour? It simply didn't make any sense to Killian.

Neither, though, was Arithmancy, as Killian blunted yet another quill on the thick parchment of the practice book. He groaned, looking up from where he was sitting (alone, having been abandoned by his Arithmancy study group some fifteen minutes ago) to Lovecraft and his gang (so many of them, so rich, so annoying). He was surprised not to see Reinhardt among them.

He might as well stand up –- his legs were going to fall asleep, otherwise. He shut the book, dropped it lazily into his rucksack, pulled himself to his feet on the grass ––

–– only to hit the ground again immediately.

There was laughter, somewhere, as Killian tried to figure out why his legs gave out on him. Had he ripped his Achilles? When the hell would that have happened?

More laughter. Oh, Killian thought as it clicked. Jelly-Legs Jinx.

He scrambled for his wand, just grabbing it when a shadow fell across him. "Hullo, Lovecraft," he said, not bothering to keep the annoyance out of his tone. "Having a laugh, are we?"

"Cavanaugh's being a troll, sorry about him," Leonidas said in way of greeting as he bent over for Killian's wand to give it to him at the same time the Gryffindor reached out for it. Their fingertips brushed and Leo pulled back after a moment.

Killian had always been someone who stood out to Leonidas. Whether it was because of his interesting muggleborn quirks like those 'university' tshirts he wore outside of class or perhaps the way his face was so classically constructed as if a sculpture artist would pick him for a muse the moment they saw him, he wasn't exactly sure. He knew their circles didn't overlap much of the time (though why he didn't really understand), but he certainly wasn't opposed to the idea even if Rowen had nearly dueled him earlier in the year much to his dismay.

So while the irritation in his voice was clear, Leonidas was sure it was more annoyance at the situation of being hexed unexpectedly and not something to do with him specifically. "I can do the reversal," he offered as he pushed his hair off his forehead and gave the Gryffindor an affable smile. "If you'd like?"

"Cavanaugh is a troll," Killian said, digging deep into himself for some compassion and finding none to spare. Perhaps he stored his compassion in his legs. Leo reached for his wand, long fingers brushing against Killian's grass-smudged ones. Leo pulled back. At least finish the job, Killian thought, finally getting purchase on the wood of his wand and tugging it closer to him.

Leo was giving him a funny look, though, Killian certainly looked funny, sprawled out like this. He didn't get Leo. He was almost decent, the youngest Lovecraft, but then he hung out with Rowen Reinhardt and Cavanaugh and all sorts of - of - of people Killian didn't care for. But, then again, so did Barbie and Billie. Maybe Rowen had a glamour on them, or white people just put up with more bullshit.

Leo offered to do the reversal. Killian tried not to roll his eyes -- just do it, then, man! "Well, take your time," Killian said, sarcasm dripping off his tongue. Was he messing with his hair??? Killian would never understand.

Cavanaugh, a troll? Leo raised his one shoulder, tilted his head and conceded with a look. Maybe sometimes, he could agree, but not always. Just like Killian wasn't always the patient, kind-hearted Gryffindor he had seen most often in corridors and in classes. Leonidas perked a brow at the sarcasm, but he slid his wand from the bespoke leather strap just under his sleeve and cast the anti-jinx with a wave of his wand.

"No need to thank me," he told the Gryffindor with a smirk before he could stop himself. On second thought, he realized it might tempt Killian's anger at the situation a bit more, but honestly, it was an accident. He didn't need to take everything so seriously. He thought of offering his hand to help him up, but he didn't want to run the risk of him rejecting the kindness so instead he took a step back and then another, his hands resting behind him.

"Enjoy the rest of the day and sorry again about Cavanaugh," he said, a small note of sincerity ringing in his tone before he loped back to his friends, Mira resettling herself against him as he rejoined the conversation, but his gaze stayed on the Gryffindor.

/end