Quote:
Originally Posted by
MissAmy 
Well, close enough. Mina watched as Xylina perched herself on the other side, albeit in the corner rather than where the Hufflepuff had suggested. At least she wasn't doing the same thing she'd done last time, and simply walked out of the room without a word.
'My home?' she repeated, deadpan. 'Might I remind you that I don't have a proper home? I don't live with my dad, and I don't belong with Jake.' She shrugged, bending one leg at the knee and lifting it so she could play with the laces on her shoes. 'So I'd say it was okay.' She sighed. Why was she getting into this with Xylina again?
'Good,' she muttered quietly. 'I'm glad Si's learning. He's two and a half months now, isn't he?' She nodded at her own question regarding Xy's new brother.
But that staring ... it was creeping her out, as much as she didn't want to admit it. Dropping her bag to the floor and letting the cat inside hiss (like always), she frowned at her cousin. 'What's with the stare? Have I grown an extra head or something?' she asked, one eyebrow raised. 'I've spoken to Kari, and I know you guys listened into the conversation the adults and I had. It doesn't change a thing whether you know or not.' She examined her nails casually, like she couldn't care less about their opinions.
Inside she was freaking out. 'So, I know you and Briar listened in ... who else?' She wanted an idea of how many people knew. And then it would be time for some serious damage control. 'But you should know, before you spread anything, nothing's changing this year. I'm not leaving or anything.' I hope, she added mentally.
Xy fought the urge to roll her eyes as Mina's dramatic ideas about home. It was like that a lot - perhaps that was why she was always flicking around during the holidays? Who cared, anyway? Not Xy any more.
'Yes,' she answered fondly, thinking to her baby brother. It was good to get some males back into the family - there were a grand total of four to about sixteen girls now.
'Some of my cousins already staked a claim on him - Kali especially.' The five year old was hilarious.
She raised an eyebrow much like Mina's at her questioning.
'I'm not allowed to stare?' she asked coolly, crossing her arms across her chest and frowning.
'Wow. That's something I'll need to put in the rule book: Do not stare at Mina.' She nodded, making a show of reaching into her pocket to withdraw a notebook and self-inking quill, and pretending to scribble something down.
'So you know we overheard. That'd be me, Briar, Em and Le. Or, at least, that's those of us who understood what was being said.' She shuddered.
'But I'm just grateful the younger ones didn't understand any of it. If they had you'd be in serious trouble.' She swung her legs back to the floor abruptly.
She turned to the door, sliding it open.
'I need to take a walk,' she lied, sparing no glance back at the older girl.
'I'll ... I'll find you later.' She turned down the corridor, desperate to avoid her again. She didn't want another conversation just yet.