Hogsmeade: Shrieking Shack

[Wilber Winterbottom]

The Shrieking Shack is positioned up a slope from the Three Broomsticks and is accessible to all who take the muddy and puddled pathway up and down the hillside to get there. Though much of its history has been revealed to wizardkind, the place is still eerie as ever and continues to hold the reputation as the "most haunted house in Britain." If you listen or look carefully, maybe you will hear a noise sound or see a flicker of light come from inside.

Still the windows and doors of the house are boarded shut with wood. No one may enter or exit the premises through those openings without breaking and entering. It would be advised to simply stand on the other side of the fence that surrounds the property and enjoy the home and its dank overgrown garden from a safe distance. You never know what could be lurking about inside that dusty run-down place after all these years...

[Chelliephone]

When Vera had suggested a 'group gathering' as she'd awkwardly coined it when they'd been running together one day, Allie had had to hide her amusement at the other girl's clear discomfort before she had agreed. She had no problem with Vasco's twin, on the contrary she liked her, but everything she heard about her from Vasco made her just want to tease the girl as her brother clearly did. But considering they did not know each other well, she was trying really hard to stamp down that usual reaction of hers and instead remain simply politely friendly and cordial. Which was difficult, honestly.

Especially when the Gryffindor gave her source material like 'group gathering' when this seemed far more akin to a double date. Was she uncomfortable calling it that because Allie's partner for the day would be her own brother? If so, truthfully she could not wait to see the reactions then when she flirted with Barncat later.

Making it to the suggest meeting place - Shrieking shack, which seemed like an odd choice - Alouette found a rock to perch herself on while she waited for the others. She had considered trying to walk down with Vasco from the castle, but there had been some book shopping she desperately wanted to do first so she'd gone on her own. Stretching her furlined legging clad legs, Al pulled her coat tighter around her and adjusted her beanie over her curls before she pulled out one of the books to flip through the pages.

.... 'Group gathering' was absolutely one of those embarrassing moments where the Gryffindor stayed up for hours chiding herself for how ridiculous she sounded. She had been going to call it a double date, but she'd assured Vasco she was staying uninvolved and that felt like more involvement than she was supposed to do (though the invitation in general was probably more involvement than what she was supposed to do), so she'd choked and said THAT instead. But whatever... she supposed the important thing was Alouette had said yes, which meant she'd actually get a chance to see what it looked like when her brother was interested in someone.

It was probably going to be amusing honestly. There was no way Vasco, of all people, could be any good at flirting.

But to give them all the upper hand of being active and not just... awkwardly sitting around a table drinking butterbeers or something, she'd suggested the shrieking shack. Not to go into the creepy building, but because there was enough space that they could have a proper snowball fight in the snow while they hung out. She knew the three of the four of them would enjoy some friendly competition, but considering how often Allie seemed to have to be the one who reached their destination when running first.... Ve assumed she would be into it too.

Stepping closer to Logan as they approached, Ve waved one hand towards the figure that was definitely too engrossed in a book to notice her, before wrapping both of her arms around one of his. "You and Vasco annoyed I suggested your usual spot for today's shenanigans?" She asked, grinning up at him.

[Kolyander]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chelliephone

When Vera had suggested a 'group gathering' as she'd awkwardly coined it when they'd been running together one day, Allie had had to hide her amusement at the other girl's clear discomfort before she had agreed. She had no problem with Vasco's twin, on the contrary she liked her, but everything she heard about her from Vasco made her just want to tease the girl as her brother clearly did. But considering they did not know each other well, she was trying really hard to stamp down that usual reaction of hers and instead remain simply politely friendly and cordial. Which was difficult, honestly.

Especially when the Gryffindor gave her source material like 'group gathering' when this seemed far more akin to a double date. Was she uncomfortable calling it that because Allie's partner for the day would be her own brother? If so, truthfully she could not wait to see the reactions then when she flirted with Barncat later.

Making it to the suggest meeting place - Shrieking shack, which seemed like an odd choice - Alouette found a rock to perch herself on while she waited for the others. She had considered trying to walk down with Vasco from the castle, but there had been some book shopping she desperately wanted to do first so she'd gone on her own. Stretching her furlined legging clad legs, Al pulled her coat tighter around her and adjusted her beanie over her curls before she pulled out one of the books to flip through the pages.

.... 'Group gathering' was absolutely one of those embarrassing moments where the Gryffindor stayed up for hours chiding herself for how ridiculous she sounded. She had been going to call it a double date, but she'd assured Vasco she was staying uninvolved and that felt like more involvement than she was supposed to do (though the invitation in general was probably more involvement than what she was supposed to do), so she'd choked and said THAT instead. But whatever... she supposed the important thing was Alouette had said yes, which meant she'd actually get a chance to see what it looked like when her brother was interested in someone.

It was probably going to be amusing honestly. There was no way Vasco, of all people, could be any good at flirting.

But to give them all the upper hand of being active and not just... awkwardly sitting around a table drinking butterbeers or something, she'd suggested the shrieking shack. Not to go into the creepy building, but because there was enough space that they could have a proper snowball fight in the snow while they hung out. She knew the three of the four of them would enjoy some friendly competition, but considering how often Allie seemed to have to be the one who reached their destination when running first.... Ve assumed she would be into it too.

Stepping closer to Logan as they approached, Ve waved one hand towards the figure that was definitely too engrossed in a book to notice her, before wrapping both of her arms around one of his. "You and Vasco annoyed I suggested your usual spot for today's shenanigans?" She asked, grinning up at him.

Whatever this was that they were doing today, was new but not unwelcomed. It was about time they all hangout as a little group. The only issue he did have with this, was that Allie wasn't already with this. Had he known that she had gone to the bookshop beforehand he'd have gone along with her. Had she forgotten that he liked to read too?

Needless to say, her not being with them left him walking up to the Shrieking Shake with the twin and the bestie chatting about whatever they were chatting about. He may have already zoned out as they drew closer to the meeting spot and his gaze landed on Allie who was already there waiting for them a book in her hands. Because of course she was reading. His continued footsteps brought him closer to where she was sat upon a rock. Vasco quietly cleared his throat to announce their arrival hoping not to startle her too much. "Hey."

[Zoe]

Well, this was bound to be ... interesting? Logan wasn't sure if that was the right word, but he certainly was intrigued by how this 'group gathering' (ie: double date) would pan out. Sure, he was certain that Vasco was more than used to him and Vera by now -- not that much had changed between them besides them being more affectionate with each other in comparison to their past selves. However, seeing Vasco and Alouette, together, was ... something.

Needless to say, he was ready for an afternoon of entertainment. Whether that meant the twins had looks for each other or the girls tried to one-up each other with snowballs or they just all hung out like normal teenagers (whatever that entailed).

"Annoyed? Not at all. I prefer the mystery of the shack over stuffy Puddifoot's any day," he responded. "Not that this is a double date or anything. Right, Vas?" A teasing smirk was sent Vera's way.

Soon enough, the shack was in view, and the blond took note of Alouette sitting on a rock with a book at hand. A thought fluttered him his mind about how she and Vasco were perfect for each other if that was what she wanted to spend her time doing, and another glance to Vera might have communicated as much, before he stopped himself and his linked counterpart a couple paces away. "Please don't tell me I've been tricked into attending a book club," he said in greeting, an air of jest in his voice.

[Chelliephone]

While Allie was acutely aware her favorite Ravenclaw was also a bookworm like herself, she couldn't imagine scouring the romance shelves with her would have been his idea of fun - which is why she had not asked him along. Had she been looking for anything other than her usuals, she probably would have coordinated, but as it was this had been easier. And it gave her time to not get distracted by a handsome companion and instead have a chance to flip through some of her new purchases.

Though as she turned another page, pulling her scarf further up over her nose only to be interrupted by a slight sound and a greeting, the slytherin looked up and suddenly couldn't remember why the distraction wouldn't have been a very, very welcomed one. Her scarf slipped down again, which revealed her grin as she beamed up at him. "Hey to you too." She replied, closing her book to shove it back into her bag before standing and brushing off the dirt from the stump. It was then she also noticed Vera and Logan behind him and gave a wave as they continued to approach.

While she had not heard Logan's first question to his mate, she did hear the second and gave a small as she grinned over at Vasco. "Oh dear, I think they've figured out our plan already. Should we immobilize them before they can get away?" Turning back towards the Gryffindors, she followed her own tease up with a proper greeting as well. "Hi Vera, Hi Logan."

"I'm glad you're not annoyed. Although, I could have sworn Puddifoot seemed exactly your vibe." She replied, giving a small giggle. It was not her type of place either, and if they HAD gone there she was certain it would have been difficult to not make jests about the entire experience throughout their time. No, this was a far better decision. At his question towards her twin, she snorted in amusement, but mimed keeping her own mouth shut. Vas was far more forgiving of what his best mate said.

Vera eyes shifted from Logan to watching her brother as they walked, hazel eyes full of curiosity. Vasco was usually quiet, but he seemed even MORE quiet and she couldn't tell if that was because he found being around them annoying... or he was just very focusing on meeting up with the fourth to today's quad. An answer seemed to become apparent when they had reached distance of spotting Alouette and Vasco was the first who managed to make it to her side. Curiosity turned a bit to amusement as her eyes shifted to meet Logan's when he looked at the pair too. She couldn't decipher exactly what his thoughts were about them, but she certainly would have plenty of time to ask later.

As for a book club? The idea alone made her groan, and if she hadn't been the instigator of this go begin with she might not have put it past the other two. "Try it and I'll just have even more motivation to pelt you both with snowballs." She replied, smiling at them both and giving a nod of hello towards Allie and her greeting. "which speaking of, snowball fight sound good to everyone? Boys against girls or cou-" she stopped herself from saying couples, quickly changed her word choice. "Vasco and Alouette against Logan and I?"

[Kolyander]

Those two were lucky they hadn't tried to drag him into Puddifoot's. Had they tried he may have actually refused to come along on this group gathering. Maybe. There were plenty of shops he was much more easily inclined to step foot into much more willing than that one however. Not that he had to go worrying about that at all today. "She can call it whatever she likes, but that isn't what this is. I'm more than capable of planning dates on my own." Which he already had done, the day just hadn't arrived yet for it, thanks to his twin setting this up first.

"Beelz says hi, well actually she tried to make me bring her along but yeah.. she says hi," Vas told her, his gaze shifting towards the book as Allie put it away. "Whatcha reading about this time?" He hadn't been able to catch a good enough look at it to tell what it was. Logan's question and then Ve's comment made him laugh but only for a moment. "See, I would but even if they did read half as much as we do.. it's likely nothing at all what we would read." His own tone held a clear playfulness as he glanced between Logan and Vera.

There was an immediate eyebrow raise as he eyed the sister for a brief minute. "Boys against girls or.. what, Ve?" He had totally caught and pretty strongly knew what she had wanted to say. A quick glance may have been cast towards Allie to see if she had caught onto that and what her reaction to it was but otherwise, "I'm all for a snowball fight. Allie you want to be on my team or with my sister?"

[Zoe]

While it didn't take much to annoy him, the whole group being at the shack wasn't one of those things. Now, if they were just going to read the entire time, that would be an entirely different matter. He would much rather go to the tea shop than sit around and flip through a book any day. "Now that you mention it, maybe it is. I hear Puddifoot's is the perfect place for a good snog," he retorted with a wink. "And the cakes are supposed to be top-tier." He wondered if the other two love birds were aware; a quiet tea shop seemed more their vibe.

Vasco's response to his comment resulted in Logan raising an eyebrow. Was this a sensitive matter, this double date or not-date or whatever it was? His mouth opened to inquire, but he decided that now probably was not the best time to poke the bear more. So he shrugged the thought away.

He almost regretted questioning if this was a secret book club meeting. Odds were that it was going to give certain people ideas (depending on how things went, there was a chance that the other couple would request a double date that involved books to get back at them). The blond rolled his eyes at Alouette and Vasco's playful chatter between each other. "Vas is right. I only read books with lots of pictures in them." He was joking of course, though he honestly couldn't say he had read many books from cover to cover. Not that doing such a thing was on his to-do list.

When Vera brought up a potential snowball fight, his eyes lit up with excitement. That that was more up his alley. He had to stifle a laugh at Vera's near-slip of the word couples. "Or you can be on my team, Allie. I am the MVP here." Truthfully, he didn't mind who he was paired with for this impromptu fight in the snow. Obviously there was a rank of preference, though he was willing to let the girl with the book decide for them.

[Chelliephone]

While Allie was not nearly as acquainted with what Madam Puddifoots was as the others, the likelihood of the area being her ~vibe~ was also not very high. She liked romance as much as the next girl, but not usually in the presentation of hearts and pinks and reds. She tolerated it only on Valentine’s day, which despite her dislike of sweets, she happened to have quite the fondness for the holiday.

She laughed at the greeting from her favorite little fluffball, shaking her head in mock disappointment. “You should have! She could have been comfortably cocooned in someone’s sweater or frolicked through the snow.” Y’know, assuming she liked snow which was not often a guaranteed for cats. “Just something for fun. It’s got something to do with muggle crime lords.” From what she could tell, it’d be a fun read. At his words, she glanced over at the actual couple of the now gathered group and smirked slightly. “I’m not sure what Logan’s preferences are, but I think Vera and I might have some common reads.” At least, she had certainly recognized a book that had fallen out of her bag the last time they’d done warm ups together before a run. “I don’t think we could find something though that all four of us would enjoy, which I suppose defeats the purpose of a book club.” So the Gryffindors were safe, she supposed. At Logan’s offer of what he did look bookwise, she did let out a laugh though and gave a nod. “Fair enough.” It was obvious he was kidding, but from things she’d heard from Vera and Logan it was clear they weren’t avid readers. At least, not for fun.

The conversation turned to questions of snowball fights (which she was of course entirely game for) and then the selection of teams was presented to her. An amused expression settled on her face at the back and forth between the other three. She did in fact catch what Vera was going to say, but she saw no reason to comment on it. There were a million things she could think of that would be worse to be thought of as than being a couple with Vasco. She just turned her smile towards him for a moment with a quick wink, before her attention turned to the decision at hand. “You lot have left me with a hard choice. Obviously displaying the fact we are the better gender appeals, and couples” An amused glance towards Vera here “would be fun too. But… is there anything more fun than some competitive flirting?” Attention shifted towards Logan as she indicated the twins with a nod of her head, “What do you think? Us against the twins?” She figured this outing was primarily to get to know Vera and Logan and while she did not know much about Ve still, she certainly had more instances with her than the best friend. Plus, if Vasco and his sister argued, they would have a better chance at victory.

Logan’s comment regarding Puddifoot’s received a snort and a smirk from the brunette, as she cut her eyes to look sideways at him. “I prefer the library. It’s bigger so there’s less chance of having to notice other people with the same idea.” Plus the library was also still quiet and nothing else fun to do, so it was the perfect location in her opinion - which she was certain he was already well aware of.

As for Vasco and the terminology for the day? It was only a sore subject because Vera had been told, in no uncertain terms, to butt out. WHICH in her defense, this wasn’t really an attempt to get in the way or try to push things. She’d merely wanted to get to know the person Vasco was spending so much time with! As his twin AND Logan as his best friend, shouldn’t they have an opinion and make sure he wasn’t getting set up for heartache? While maybe she did have some doubts on whether or not he could be smooth enough to start something with someone (there was no way, right?), she understood that wasn’t her business. At least for the time being.

Ugh, except maybe her twin did have some game because was it just her or were the other two being cute??? Such an odd concept, for her. But she was quickly drawn out of even considering it when Alouette mentioned their similar book interests. She merely blinked back at the curly haired blond and fought to not blush. “Shhh. You’ll ruin my reputation if people think I actually read for fun sometimes.” She was a sucker for romance stories though, ew.

She was pleased the snowball fight idea seemed to be widely accepted, though perhaps only the slightest bit displeased at the turn of events with the teams. She’d been thoroughly looking forward to pelting snowballs at her brother, though she supposed it would still be fun to target her boyfriend as well. She would say maybe if she acted cute enough he might take pity on her but… she had known Logan far too long to consider that an actual tactic. Side glancing over at Vasco, she grinned a bit. “Should we kick their bums with twin telepathy then?” It wasn’t a real thing, but she had known her brother since they were in the womb - guessing his actions was not that difficult.

[Kolyander]

If Vera and Logan wanted to spend their day in Puddifoots or wherever snogging, they could go do that. He had no issues with them doing their own things but this had been the twins idea. Whatever they were both thinking though, they could leave him and Allie out of it. He already had something much better than sitting in some stuffy tea shop planned out. In fact he had a few things in mind for further dates if all went well.

"Next time, promise." He hadn't thought that Beelz would approve of the snow very much nor was he sure of what the days plans would be. So he wasn't going to take any chances with anything happening to her even if she was really well behaved. "Sounds interesting?" Not that he would be likely to read it but if it was what she enjoyed then that's what really mattered. "It would be a miracle for us to find something all of us would read, that wasn't required for a class." Vas laughed. So no, he doubted they would be starting up a book club anytime soon and including Vera and Logan in it.

Logan's comment about being the MVP of snowball fights got a roll of the eyes from him. "Sure, sure. Whatever you say.." Boy must be dreaming. Anyhow his attention was all on Allie as she talked through her choices. The use of the word 'couples' didn't slip past him and he only smirked at the look his sister was given. "If that's what you want, you're gonna lose." Vera might get on his very last verve a lot of the time but when they did work together they were an epic team. "As long as you remember that I'm on YOUR team, we should be just fine," Vas grinned at his sister. Seriously, just don't forget that they were working together today.

[Zoe]

The library of all places was ... a choice. One of his brows rose without him needing to think about it. He supposed Vera did have a point with it being a large space and there likely not being other people doing the same thing. However, such a location was too quiet for his liking. Plus he didn't want to think about what would happen if they were caught in the act in one of the library's nooks and crannies. But if it meant potentially sneaking into the Restricted Section where no one would bother to check right away... The mental gears were turning now.

Logan's train of thought certainly had moved away from book club talk. Had he been engaged with that conversation instead of thoughts about the library, he might have chimed in with romance novels being a guilty pleasure of his (which would have been said in jest, though one of the very few books he had read completely was related to romance). He also might have suggested that there had to be some sort of commonality they could work off of. Maybe there was a fantasy novel out there that had a little bit of everything they each liked (not that he'd read it for fun, on his own at least). But such comments were not shared.

His attention then jumped back to talk of a snowball fight. He grinned when Allie suggested some competitive flirting and agreed to partner up with him. "A wise decision," he replied with a nod. If they were lucky, the twins would bicker with each other. Or maybe someone would betray their teammate to make things a little more interesting. Only time would tell. In the meantime, he gave Vera one last arm squeeze before they had to be on opposite sides.

Vasco's comments resulted in Logan retorting in a rather Gryffindor way. Quickly the boy reached down and sent a ball of white in the Ravenclaw's direction. Let the fight begin!

[Chelliephone]

“I’ll hold you to it, Thanatos.” She replied, grinning at him. Though of course she didn’t truly mean that - considering he would know his cat best. If he thought she wouldn’t have appreciated the snow, he was probably correct and had naturally made the best choice leaving Beelz to curl up back in the warmth of the castle. Especially if they were about to start hurling the frozen water at each other. “So far I’m not bored.” She agreed, giving a nod of her head. As for a book they’d all read? “Something tells me it might be even rare still for in class too.” She replied, which earned a nod of agreement from Vera which caused her to laugh softly. She couldn’t fault her there - honestly, Allie didn’t like to read the class texts either.

As all agreed to the team selection, she grinned at Vasco and his comment - allowing her own competitive streak to shine through as she batted her eyes at him. “I don’t know, I’m hoping I can slip some by you because I’m cute.” She teased, though she wouldn’t actually resort to any tricks like that. Maybe. She was fully planning on relying on her athleticism. And she would have said preparation too, believing they’d maybe have a few moments to strategize or make an arsenal…

But the ball Logan threw dashed that idea and instead she simply gave a laugh as she winked at the twins and scampered backwards to get some distant between them, before picking up her own handful of snow and packing it into another ball to shoot Vasco’s direction as well.

Truthfully? Vera would have been VERY curious to know what it was that Vasco had planned. Did her brother have good ideas? Generally. But she wasn’t sure if that would extend to this area too. It just wasn’t something she’d seen from him before. But she also didn’t spare much thought to it, especially now as she caught sight of the expression on Logan’s face which she could only assume either had him thinking about libraries or mentally questioning her choice. If it was the former, she was pleased. If it was the latter well… she supposed that just meant she’d have to provide evidence for her hypothesis at a later date.

Excuse, why was SHE the one who was blushing from Allie’s comments? It was clear the Slytherin was well matched for Vasco, which Ve was currently loving and hating as she poked her tongue out at the girl and the emphasis on the word couples again, before pseudo glaring at her brother and his smirk for good measure, before responding to him. “I’ll remember you’re on my team.” And she would. What he should be more concerned about was if she would care. For now, she did, but what sibling could resist the bait of throwing a snowball at their brother, hm?

Now with the official decision of teams, she returned Logan’s squeeze before stepping back to her brother’s side as well and smirking at him. “Don’t worry, I promise not to tease too much when you lose later.” She informed him, before apparently the game was afoot as Logan threw the first shot. With a squeal, she ducked away from Vasco, scooping up a bunch of snow as she took advantage of both aiming at Vas so she could find shelter.

[Kolyander]

"There's no doubt in my mind that you will," Vasco replied, returning the grin. Next time Allie and himself were meant to meet up, he would bring Beelz along just for her. "Well that's a good thing, I'm sure if you weren't enjoying it you wouldn't be reading it." Or so he assumed. He read a lot but the books had to capture and hold his attention. "Mm' yeah, we'd be better off finding movies we all liked." Now that would be easier. Maybe.

The Ravenclaw was going to say more. He had a comment on the tip of his tongue for both Allie and the twin sister but before he could get either of those out... a snowball was already sailing at him. Seriously?! No one even announced the start of this thing. Shaking snow off of him and ducking out of the way of Allie's aimed snowball, he took off the other way. "Thanks for the help, Ve!"

[Zoe]

The moment Alouette and Vasco shared moments before he made the first move of the great snowball fight went unnoticed. Had he took notice of such a thing and paid attention tot he words being said, a face would have been made and at least one teasing comment would have been said -- something along the lines of how he hoped Vasco still found him cute too. The next set of words to come out of his mouth instead were directed to Vera. "That confidence of yours is adorable. But I'm afraid it won't be enough to secure a win for you, V."

So far, he (and Alouette by default) were very much winning. With a mischievous glint in his eyes, Logan chuckled at the chaos erupting around him. Not one but TWO snowballs were sailing through the air and Vera had made a beeline for cover. His blue eyes watched his girlfriend run off for cover, though let out a triumphant cheer when his surprise-attack snowball made contact with his best friend.

"Sorry, Vas, but constant vigilance!" he called out as he backed away, scooping up another handful of snow to pack into a ball as he did so. A rush of exhilaration came over him as he made his way over to Alouette. The cold air nipped at his cheeks, but he was too focused on the thrill of the game to notice.

"Have a strat in mind, or are we just going to wing it?" he asked the best friend's girl of interest. He personally preferred the no-plan-is-the-best-plan method, but he was curious about how the Slytherin wanted to approach this friendly rivalry against the Thanatos twins. Already it seemed they had the upper hand, with them getting the first throws in and the twins not seeming to work as a solid unit at the present moment.

[Lottiepot]

Avoiding his younger siblings had become a new favourite pastime for the middle Greenwood. It wasn’t that he disliked the twins, he just didn’t fancy being responsible for them, especially Evander who seemingly got himself into some sort of trouble every week. Hiding himself in the Slytherin Common Room with a decent book was his usual spot or lurking around in some corridor or other that was less frequently visited.

Hogsmeade weekend couldn’t have come at a better time. The same four walls were becoming tiresome and some fresh air and a change of scenery would be greatly appreciated. He’d hinted to his older brother Ezra where to find him if he managed to escape from the clutches of the younger siblings. The Shrieking Shack had always fascinated him even with the knowledge that it wasn’t actually haunted, at least it wasn’t when it was first used but the history was intriguing. His departed Great Uncle James had succumbed to Lycanthropy, not that he knew him but still he felt a strange sort of connection.

He approached the fence that separated the path from the house and tilted his head at a slight angle deep in thought.

[noodles]

It was a chilly winter's morning when Ezra escaped the castle to make his way to Hogsmeade. Bundled up in his winter coat, scarf and gloves, the recently turned fifteen year old had decided to forgo his winter hat today for fear of messing up his hair, which he had been practising styling using two very different kinds of magic; charms and hair products. This self awareness (he wouldn't call it vanity) was very new to the Ravenclaw. It was only a couple of months ago that he would rise late from bed, get dressed, and go about his day exactly as he was. He figured it was around the time the fluff started appearing on his chin every few days (which was rapidly removed), that he started taking note of his overall appearance.

Feeling free as he made his way along the familiar road into town, he breathed in the biting air and watched his breath leave him in a cloud. He wrinkled his nose; his ears were getting cold..

For some reason, his brother had decided they would meet at the Shrieking Shack. Ezra was a-okay with that. The place was fascinating, even if a little spooky. Funnily enough, Elias was currently also trying out new things with this appearance.. although Eli's change seemed to be more of a rebellious nature. Which surprised Ezra as the family always shoved him into that particular box. It baffled him greatly.

Speak of the devil – Ezra spotted his younger brother, as he approached the old shack, deep in his own thoughts. Deciding not to sneak up on him this time, he approached with a smile. “There he is. Hi Elias.” Again with the urge to hug him, he refrained.

“Why on earth did you want to meet here?” He shivered as he looked at the creaky building, wrapping his arms around himself.

[Lottiepot]

Elias could sense his brother's approach before he even opened his mouth. Constant vigilance had been drilled into the Greenwood’s from a young age, so much so that Eli had unnaturally heightened senses and the ability to observe without even seeing. There was a familiarity with the pattern of footsteps and the slight change in atmosphere. He needn’t even turn around to know that Ezra had joined him and the unchanged body posture proved that he was comfortable with the company.

Technically he hasn’t suggested meeting at the Shrieking Shack, he just said that it would be where he would be if Ezra wanted to see him. As for the reasons why he chose this place and not somewhere on the High Street, well they were plentiful. “It’s far quieter, it’s fascinating and most importantly our siblings aren’t here” he commented nonchalantly, keeping his eyes trained on the flickering light behind one of the boarded up windows.

“It’s supposed to be the most haunted house in Britain but it’s not haunted at all. Or at least it wasn’t when it was used as a werewolf sanctuary. But with all that anguish and torture, I wouldn’t be surprised if there was something darker concealed within the walls.” Like an Obscurus or a Boggart or even a Dementor.

Just the usual thoughts of a completely ordinary fourteen year old boy.

[noodles]

Constant vigilance had, indeed, been drummed into the Greenwood children from the very moment they peeked out into the world, but Ezra had always struggled with it. He was a laid back sort of boy, and the expectation to be on alert at all times just didn't resonate with him. So the mantra went into one ear and straight out the other. He would rather take things as they came and not worry about life's what-ifs. How could you enjoy anything if you teetered on the edge of paranoia?

But it was obvious that Elias knew it was Ezra approaching because the Ravenclaw wasn't being stared down or feeling like he risked being hexed just for getting close. As he stood next to his brother, he noted that the pair now stood at about the same height, with Ezra around an inch taller. Eli had always been tall for his age, but Ezra had been on the shorter side. He was finally catching up to his age.

He paused for a moment and took in the silence, closing his eyes briefly and sighing. It was nice. “For the first time ever, I envy you being down in the dungeons. Their common room is too close to mine for comfort.” Although, in all honesty, Ezra did enjoy the company of the twins. In small doses. When they were being quiet. And getting along. But out of all the family, he bonded best with Elias, regardless of their differences.

He looked at the house as his knowledgeable brother talked about it. “There's a weird serenity about this place, don't you think?” He said softly. As he spoke, a curtain twitched in one of the windows. He tilted his head, trying to see what had caused the movement, putting it down to nothing more than a draft. But.. “You're not thinking about trying to get in there, are you?”

[Lottiepot]

Elias hadn’t understood what the aversion to the Slytherin common room was anyway. Yes it was in the dungeons but considering that most of the castle was made of stone and looked like a basement anyway it really didn’t make a difference. The lack of windows was made up by the view under the surface of the Great Lake and its distance away from the rest of the school made it much quieter. Or it would if his fellow students weren’t so.. wild.

“I must admit that I was surprised that they are both Gryffindors.” Evander made sense but Emelia could’ve fit in several of the houses that Elias couldn’t figure out which one the hat would’ve chosen. “I was secure in the knowledge that no Greenwood belongs in Hufflepuff at least.” He probably could’ve put up with Lia being in Slytherin with him but Vander was too much for his patience. “But look at it on the bright side, they’re not IN your common room.” For once, Eli felt a little sorry for Ezra in that he was the eldest and therefore responsible for the wellbeing of the younger siblings. Not an easy task either.

“The serenity comes with the thought that it’s supposed to be a scary place.” He supposed that Muggle’s feared the unknown but they knew better and Hogwarts was absolutely full of ghosts. “Ironically the ghosts of Hogwarts aren’t exactly quiet are they?” Not the ones that he had experience of creating chaos in the Great Hall or floating through the corridors stuck in the centuries of past.

As for attempting to get in, Eli wasn’t the sort to risk himself for the sake of curiosity. “Do I look like an idiot to you?” He quirked his eyebrow. As much as he wanted to know what was within those walls, it meant the possibility of being caught. He might’ve been pushing his boundaries of comfortability as of recent but the thought of being reprimanded by their grandfather was too much to bear still.

[noodles]

Well yes.. that was exactly it. The Snake common room was in the dungeons. There was no natural light, and from what Ezra had heard, it was very dimly lit. He would get depressed living in such conditions. The boy needed his vitamin D. Copious amounts of it – he did hate being cooped up indoors, but at least when he was, he could look out at the sky.

“I could have put gold on Lia being a Slytherin.” But the hat was unpredictable as he well knew. He had been half expecting to be the first Greenwood in living history to be placed in Hufflepuff. But the hat never even mentioned it – the boy's emotional understanding had won out in the end. That was after the hat stall and the three way monologue over the the remaining three houses ensued. He had to admit, (to only himself), that he was initially disappointed – he wanted just one more reason to stick it to their Grandfather. The old fart would have hated it, and that would have given Ezra just a little bit of sardonic joy. “What's actually wrong with the Hufflepuffs?” He asked with genuine curiosity. Their traits seemed the nicest of the four houses. “Yeah. At least I can hide from them in there. But I wouldn't be surprised if Evander attempted to get inside at some point.”

Maybe Elias was right.. The place had a reputation but wasn't very scary. “It's all quiet. Like a graveyard. They're peaceful places too.” It was strange that the shack was said to be scary because it was rumoured to be haunted, yet they lived with in a castle which was full of ghosts. “Have you ever encountered Peeves?” Personally, and thankfully, Ezra had not had any personal confrontations with the poltergeist.

He looked at Elias, all smiles of innocence. “Do I have to answer that?” Butter wouldn't melt. He was relieved, however, that Elias was, indeed, not an idiot.

[Lottiepot]

Elias was not some rare plant and therefore the absence of natural light wasn’t a hindrance to his wellbeing, nor did his pale Scottish skin particularly enjoy the sun’s burning rays. He was quite content ‘cooped’ up in his common room where certain people couldn’t find him and where the low moody lighting made for perfect ‘observation’ spots. In other words, dark corners of the room he could lurk in unseen, undisturbed and uninterrupted.

Emelia was the only other member of the Greenwood family that Elias could’ve foreseen joining him in the snakes and whose presence he supposed he could’ve tolerated just enough to not lose his mind. No offense to Ezra but sometimes he was too much of an optimist for the fourteen year old, even if he WAS his favourite sibling. “She could’ve been but I think her attitude lends itself to joining the Gryffindors.” Notoriously over-confident but with a hint of that Slytherin manipulation. “Nothing is wrong with Hufflepuffs, they’re just the others. The misfits.” In his opinion the weak and feeble. “Imagine having a personality that wasn’t discernible enough to place you in one of the other houses.” And loyalty was a trait he saw in every house.

“Evander would be incapable of answering the riddle.” Ezra had the best chance of Vander being unable to break into his common room for that reason only. The boy used his brawn over his brain every time.

Whilst Elias agreed with the statement, he couldn’t help but question why Ezra had been hanging around in graveyards in order to know that they were peaceful. “And people think that I am the dark, creepy one?” he raised his brow. He was self-aware enough to know what others thought of him by now and frankly he didn’t care much for their opinions. As for encountering the school ghosts, Elias tended to avoid their presence for a number of reasons. Firstly because some of them were incapable on knowing when to shut up, secondly because they tended to just show up out of the blue when he was trying to be inconspicuous and thirdly, that was reserved for the irritation he felt whenever Peeves was present. “No and I don’t intend on either.”

“If you answer incorrectly I might throw a hex in your direction.”

[noodles]

The houses were a weird segregation of students in a way. It wasn't something Ezra had thought about until now, given how diverse his own house was. Although, apparently you could request the hat put you wherever you wanted. Perhaps Lia hadn't wanted to separated from her twin, or visa versa. To Ezra, she just screamed Slytherin loud and SHRILL. Yes, she could be overconfident and demanding, but so could, say, a Hufflepuff. Heck, there were a lot of Slytherins around who liked to make themselves heard. Ezra sometimes wondered how Elias, who was impatient and set in his ways, hadn't hexed any of his housemates yet. “Maybe.” He thought for a moment. “She might end up hexing Evander. I think the hat likes to stir up the cauldron a little.” Cheeky little Mister Hat.

His brow furrowed as Elias talked of the Hufflepuffs in a derogatory manner. “That's rude. They're not misfits, Eli.” He replied, although his tone was soft and level. “I'd be honoured if the hat thought I was caring, patient and hard working enough to make me a Badger.” He might have been the former, but there were times at home when Ezra's fuse was lit and he had to go and hide in his room until it fizzled out.. and, although he did well in lessons, he was lazy outside of classes. Even more so since the growing pains started and the urge to sleep in until mid day was overwhelming.

The thought of Evander trying to work out the riddle was amusing and Ezra chuckled. “We're both up at the top of the castle. He might try and fly in the window. Or just follow another student who did the hard work for him.” Anything thing was possible with that little loose cannon.

Well.. there was a graveyard near their family home with a whole host of Greenwood headstones. It was interesting to walk around and read the names and dates and then sit on the bench and eat a few snacks. That wasn't weird.. was it? Another chuckle. “I think it's the lack of smile ever.. the hair.. the nails.. the bluntness and the nose in the air.” He teased with a wry smile. That was just Eli. Ezra would never dream of changing him. He loved his brother despite his flaws. The kid's good qualities, which he didn't let many see, far outweighed anything else, in Ezra's optimistic (and definitely blinkered) opinion.

Then came the hex threats and the smile remained. “Hexing your own brother for telling the truth. Tut tut, Elias.” And still no answer came. “You can't make me answer.” Nope. no. He pressed his lips together, repressing a laugh.

[Lottiepot]

Strangely Elias agreed that the segregation of students was a little odd. For a community who had tried hard to correct the prejudices that had once run rampant of which his family were not exempt from, they sure liked to separate them in other ways. Personally he did not care particularly for house pride, he was pleased that he was a Slytherin and would not want to be anywhere else but winning the house cup was not something on his agenda. The Sorting Hat had briefly deliberated between Ravenclaw and Slytherin for himself but had made the decision fairly quickly otherwise without Elias having to even voice his own opinion. “I wouldn’t blame her if she did.” Elias himself had felt like hexing his young brother on occasion when Evander was feeling particularly irritating. As for how the third year hadn’t hexed his own housemates, well he couldn’t guarantee that he had not flicked a bat bogey hex towards an unsuspecting second year.

Technically he was not being derogatory on purpose. The Hufflepuffs really DID feel like the ‘others’ in that they did not fit a strong characteristic of one of the other houses. “I’m not being rude, I’m being honest.” And wasn’t telling the truth, even if it was his truth and not that of others, a valued trait in itself? “Besides, I’d argue that those traits can be seen in any of the houses which further cements that the Hufflepuffs have no discernible traits for themselves.” Surely the Ravenclaws were hard-working and the Gryffindors were loyal and the Slytherins were oddly patient when planning behind the scenes.

Answering the riddle would mean that Evander would have to stop and think, which was evidently a very difficult task for the Gryffindor. It would also involve him using his brain which Elias was quite sure didn’t function half the time. “He’d get himself lost on the way there” the Slytherin rolled his eyes. Once again that would involve him thinking ahead, a task that he was not so talented at.

He’d visited the graveyard before but did not take pleasure in wandering its grounds. Perhaps it was the uncomfortability of the thought of all those ancestral eyes bearing down on him, of the pressure that if they were still alive they’d be reprimanding him constantly to ‘be better’. It was bad enough that their grandfather’s estate had so many portraits hanging up who just loved to make comments. “I cannot help my hair colour” he rolled his eyes again, flicking his growing fringe away from his eyes with a toss of the head. “I’d rather others think of me as intimidating anyway, they might keep out of my way then.” Elias liked to pretend that he was independent and preferred the company of himself which in many ways rang true but he was from a large family and when in the right company, the young lad flourished.

“I bet I could” he argued, twirling his wand which he had removed from his holster in between his fingers almost like a visible threat. Whether he would was a matter up for debate, he’d get in a lot of trouble from his parents if he chose Ezra as his target.

[noodles]

Yes yes, those traits could be seen in other houses. I mean, they were all human with all so many quirks and shades of grey and ALL the colours! Ezra shook his head. “I hate that.” He said earnestly. “People who say, 'Oooh, I'm just being honest', but then come out with the bluntest, meanest things. They might be true but you don't say them.” But in any case, he didn't agree with what his brother was saying. “It's their strongest traits. Just like yours is ambition and achievement. You can still be caring and hard working, it's just you fit the Slytherin mould more than you do the Hufflepuff one.” It was weird because the pair were essentially coming from the same place, but with their views at completely different ends of the scale. This happened so often with Elias and Ezra.

The lad chuckled at the thought of Evander getting lost on the way to the tower, and he had to agree. “If Evander thought before he acted, he'd be unstoppable!” The chaos he could cause would be unfathomable. “It's probably a good thing that he has the attention span of a gnat.” Who was being mean now, Ezra? Pah, it didn't count when it was your own family.. Right?

Where Eli found the graveyard to be emotionally turbulent, Ezra found it a place of quiet contemplation. Those ancestors were dead and buried. Gone. And the future could be shaped and changed for the better. As much as Ezra did not want to inherit the family business (and which he was trying his best to not be lumbered with by acting like the muggle-loving, technology obsessed, free spirited boy that he was), he, at least, had the solace that he could change things for the better. “You can help your hair length.” Like so it didn't fall into your eyes like that, Eli. But Ezzy did like the look on Eli. Despite it having dark, goth, vibes, it somehow made the younger boy look softer, sweeter.. more approachable. Evidently not what Eli was trying to achieve. He was like a pretty plant that would draw you in and then eat you when you got too close. “Good luck with that.” The boy smiled at his brother. The kids at Hogwarts were way too inquisitive (and nosy) to keep away from pretty man-eating flowers.

Well this was an interesting turn of events, wasn't it? “I know you like to try and look threatening but actions speak MUCH louder than words.” He teased. Would he do it? Ezra (bless his misguided soul) liked to believe that he would not.

[Lottiepot]

Eli’s eyes rolled as Ezra protested against the Slytherin’s words. “I thought that the truth was always better than a lie.” He couldn’t care less about sparing the feelings of people he barely knew. He might have thought twice about saying it to those he did care for but he didn’t actually know any Hufflepuffs so that was redundant anyway. “You have your opinion and I have mine.” He might’ve sounded diplomatic but really he was bored of the argument they were having over a house that neither of them belonged to.

Elias was more concerned over the chaos that Evander could cause without thinking. The boy was reckless beyond relief, a trait that was alarmingly absent from the older boys considering that vigilance and patience and meticulous planning had been drilled into them from a young age. “If Evander thought in general. He’s going to do something so incredibly stupid and WE are going to get the blame for not paying attention to him.” Hardly fair but that was the hierarchy. Sorry Ezra but as the eldest, he was the MOST responsible.

Arguably those ancestors weren’t entirely gone. They lived on through portraits and spirits and the overwhelming pressure of their legacy and they might not have been able to physically torment them but they were still there in his mind and seeing their graves was not an activity that the Slytherin enjoyed. Elias didn’t know what he was trying to achieve with his hair but it certainly wasn’t ‘approachable’, it was quite the opposite. He liked it though, he liked doing something that his Grandfather might not have approved of when he was far away from his disappointed eyes. The second they went home, the hair was swiftly slicked back and styled neatly. “I’d hardly say that my hair was the reason that people are intimidated by me. However it’s working so far” In that Eli’s friendship group was small and exclusive and mostly consisted of acquaintances whose presence he could tolerate for longer than a minute.

“Fortunately for you, I’d rather not be sent to detention for something as trivial as sibling rivalry.” That didn’t mean he couldn’t do it, but rather that he wouldn’t.