Quote:
Originally Posted by
NiallNIP
Interesting places, indeed. Curiosity tended to be the reason Maddox got up to half the things he did, and it always landed him somewhere unexpected. He gave the smallest chuckle in response.
He listened to Alaric as he chatted, not necessarily relating to everything he was saying. Maddox knew the kinds of storybooks he was talking about, but he hadn't quite compared the two. He was never really interested in those books, anyway. But on the topic of some of it being overwhelming...he could relate to that. The way Alaric said it, though, seemed like there was something else to it. Which, to be fair, Maddox also had more of a reason for why he got overwhelmed—what with the whole thing about being able to hear and feel people's thoughts? But he wasn't going to run around telling everyone that. So as much as he wanted to question Alaric about what he meant, he didn't want to be questioned back. Wasn't gonna go on a deep dive into his head, either. Privacy and all. So instead he studied Alaric's demeanor. "Hm," he said when he couldn't glean anything, "Agreed."
Maddox hadn't necessarily wanted to come to Hogwarts, per se, but he wasn't against it, either. He knew he needed to go to school, didn't really feel one way or the other about where, and this was the best, closest one. Jane had gone here, too, when she was younger, so he figured it was best to go somewhere he would know a thing or two about before he headed off. But there was a lot more here that he liked than he'd been anticipating, he had to admit. He nodded. "And secret passageways. Giant spiders in the woods. Ghosts." All things that kept Maddox intrigued about the place. And more, of course.
"I never thought about it." Truthfully, he hadn't. He wasn't one to build something up in his head only for the real thing to be lackluster. He only took the words of Jane, or things he read, as what he could expect when he got here. And all of that was fairly accurate so far. He would figure out for himself whether the place was as grand and enchanting as others had made it out to be. "Not one for expectations."
Alaric tilted his head slightly as he listened to Maddox. The chuckle and measured responses hinted at layers beneath the surface, but Maddox wasn’t offering much of a roadmap to explore them. That was fine. Alaric enjoyed a good puzzle—and a fellow Slytherin was bound to have some intriguing ones.
He raised an eyebrow at the mention of giant spiders, ghosts, and secret passageways. “
Sounds like you’ve got your priorities in order,” Alaric said with a soft laugh. “
The dangerous and the mysterious—definitely the best parts of the place.” He glanced at the Whomping Willow, its branches twitching as though considering another violent outburst. “
Though the tree might argue it’s the main attraction.”
Maddox’s mention of not being one for expectations made Alaric pause. “
No expectations, huh?” he repeated, considering the idea. “
That’s... probably smart. Keeps you from being disappointed when something doesn’t live up to the stories.” He smiled faintly. “
Though I guess that means when things do surprise you, it’s all the better.”
After a beat, he added, “
I think I’m the opposite. I like imagining things, building them up in my head. It makes me more determined to make the best parts real.” His tone was thoughtful, almost confessional, before he shrugged and let his grin return. “
Doesn’t always work out, of course. But that’s part of the fun, isn’t it?”
He studied Maddox for a moment, curious about what made the other boy tick. “
So, what’s your next curiosity project? Something else dangerous? Or have you already mapped out all the secret passageways?” He kept his tone light, with just enough interest to suggest he wasn’t entirely joking.