Athena and Archimedes

[Brian Getathorn XIX]

Brian was tired, training Archimedes had been harder and more stressful then Brian had imagined. It was strange since Athena had always been easy to deal with and had been a good friend while Archimedes seemed more wild and willing to fight with him. Brian knew he needed to study and practice Quidditch before the next game but wasn't sure how he was going to do it. His Christmas Holiday had been much of the same with his parents going out of town for some conference and him just staying at home alone. He didn't mind though since he had wanted to use the time to read over some things for the upcoming OWLS that were now closer then ever. Brian looked around at the lounge and couldn't help but feel comfortable as he simply relaxed, something he'd been having more and more difficulties doing as of late.

 

[Andromeda Fiorelli]

Andromeda carried the large stack of books from the library to the sixth floor lounge, she didn't want to face any of the Gryffindors just yet after her humiliating apology in front of the school. So far she had managed to keep her head down and attend class but with OWLs coming up she knew she would have to study hard. Keep her head firmly screwed on and not let anything or anyone distract her. Time away from Crispin in her mind was never good though, she usually found she was doodling his name in the margins of her books or some other little nonsense when he wasn't sitting beside her helping her to study.

As she entered the lounge she looked about and smiled as she saw her old friend there. Going to the rug in front of the fireplace she put down her books and sat cross legged on the floor. Opening up a few of the text books to the chapters she needed she smiled up at him as she unrolled her parchment of notes.
"Hey Brian, how were the holidays?" she wasn't sure if she should ask about his relationship with her other best friend or not. It wasn't any of her business really, though she did worry about them.

 

[Brian Getathorn XIX]

Brian looked up after closing his eyes for a few minutes and saw a sight he hadn't seen in a while, it was Andromeda. "They were good and yours?" Brian asked as he looked over at his friend. Brian had seen the apology that Andromeda had made and while he did think it was just he knew that he would never tell her that. Brian felt a rush in his veins that he hadn't felt in a while but quickly it subsided to his relief. "I'm sorry for what happened" Brian said meaning the Great Hall where Andromeda had made that semi embarrassing apology. "Andromeda, what's gotten into you lately?" Brian said knowing that he had avoided talking to Andromeda because of several factors but now that he was in the same room as her can't keep it in anymore.

Andromeda and Brian had their moments but Brian liked to think that they were friends again and aside from the very rare conversations they had, Brian had been forced to watch his friend act crazy all year and had to say that he didn't like it that much. Brian wasn't trying to start an argument but knew that the real Andromeda was hiding somewhere inside this new one and he wanted to see her again. A part of Brian however didn't, It reminded him of something that he couldn't describe but for some reason liked. Brian sat up from his chair and looked at Andromeda with Piercing eyes hoping that she wouldn't be angry with him for asking a question.

 

[Andromeda Fiorelli]

She thought fleetingly about his question, her holidays had been wonderful. Every minute had been spent with Crispin, both looking for a suitable place for him to live once he left school, walking hand in hand, finding out more and more about one another. Flicking a page she smiled.
"It was lovely actually" she had expected something from Brian regarding the Great hall apology, so his question to her now was not in the least surprising. She took a deep breath and put down the quill that was in her hand before turning to look at him.

Her amber eyes were so bright, so knowing as if she had lived a hundred years and had so much wisdom behind them.
"Don't be sorry for me Brian, I deserved it. Every bit of it" pushing some hair behind her ear she thought for a moment before answering, "I lost it. I well and truly lost the plot Brian. Remember... remember the day we became friends again. You found me crying in the forest, well I was crying because of a boy. Bruin actually. He broke up with me, then left without giving me any indication that he would return to me. I seriously thought I loved him. During last winter vacation, something really horrible happened which added to my... insecurity I guess. By the time I started back at school here in September I was determined to have as much fun with as ..."she didn't want to say with as many boys as possible but she had kissed quite a few in her first semester, "... I thought that me being a werewolf meant I was evil to the core. That I was this broken, demented awful thing that didn't deserve happiness so took it in whatever little amounts I could get. It took me a long time to realize that I am not the evil I thought I was."
She bit her lip as she looked away again, wondering what he would make of that. Brian always had been in her face regarding her werewolf condition.

 

[Brian Getathorn XIX]

"I'm sorry" Brian said as he got up from the couch and walked over to her, "It's my fault" Brian said as he sat down and looked at her "We were supposed to be friends and I was so wrapped up in myself I didn't even noticed that you needed me" Brian said feeling bad that he had let Andromeda fall so far and did nothing to help her. Brian had been confused with how he felt about Andromeda during his time of absence with Zazuka but now he knew where he needed to be. Brian wanted to be the person that Andromeda could talk to without regret, Brian wanted to be her friend again. Her true friend even if that meant bottling up whatever feeling might or might not be there otherwise. Brian looked at Andromeda with more sympathy and understanding then he probably ever had before.

"What would make you think that you were evil just because your different?" Brian asked trying to be sensitive and more tactful about Andromeda's condition. She had been sensitive about it since the beginning but she had been like this for years now and Brian couldn't understand what would bring such a change. "You've proven time again to be a caring person, something that's definitely not attributed to those with evil in the core" Brian said with a slight smirk that was not intended to be mean or rude but rather a method of trying to cheer his friend up. Andromeda had changed alot in the past five years but so had Brian and Zazuka, this was the time when their friendship was really put to the test and while Brian may have failed the first part miserably he was ready to make up for that.

 

[Andromeda Fiorelli]

Andy watched and smiled as he came to sit beside her. This was nice she thought, her bestfriend and herself being able once more to sit in the same room and converse. Finally the question was out there and she visibly flinched. Andy had told no one about what had happened in the Silver Snake that day, had bottled it up as if to deny its occurence. Even when Merlina had attempted a few times to speak of it she had walked away, denial seemed her only option but lying to Brian wasn't. She could omit truths certainly but out right lying was something she and the rest of the Fiorelli family were incapable of doing. This was something that she as yet had to tell Crispin, not sure how she could ever get around to it though she had always let it drop. How could you tell your boyfriend that you thought you were the most evil creature in existence?

"My stepfather left me his store in Bleak Street" this was harder than she imagined, "myself and Merlina went to see it during the winter vacation."She paused again not for effect but because this was difficult to admit. Andy glanced behind her at the three second years that were studiously pouring over their books at a far table, she lowered her voice.
"Things happened in there Brian. I saw myself, like a... a illusion, an apparition. I was so evil, so cruel. I nearly killed someone, nearly killed three people. At least the evil version of me did. Tin, our house elf showed up and said I had organised the entire shop to be like that, for him to cast spells to protect it and that I had been acting so strange of late. I don't remember ever asking him those things Brian. None of it". She sighed casting an anxious glance his way.

 

[Brian Getathorn XIX]

"Well then it wasn't you" Brian said simply enough "Tin's a house elf and could've been tricked by someone using Polyjuice potion or something" Brian said simply remembering that the potion would allow someone to take on the complete form of someone else, it would've been easy for someone to take some hairs and then trick the house elf into doing all those things for them. "Think about it, someone set up the shop to attack you and that person was you?" Brian said to Andromeda trying to figure it all out in his head as he said it. "Someone is messing with you or worse wants you dead" Brian said not sure who would hate Andromeda so much as to do such horrible things to her. Brian looked into her eyes again though turned away, his heart raced again and he didn't like it because he wasn't suppose to like it.

"You haven't had any more blackouts since have you?" Brian asked knowing that he ought to at least entertained the ridicules notion that Andromeda had ordered those things just to help prove a valid point against it. "Andromeda" Brian said thinking about it "you never got along with your step father before he died and it was kinda weird that he would just leave you the shop, could he have set this up from before he died?" Brian asked thinking of a more logical answer, though he still didn't understand why Andromeda's stepfather would want to kill her. Brian looked at Andromeda again and felt his heart pumping faster with each beat though he didn't turn away since he knew that he didn't want too. Brian didn't know why he was feeling like this since Andromeda was like a sister to him but still... he couldn't deny what was in front of him.

 

[Andromeda Fiorelli]

Andromeda listened to him, each word, each syllable and for some reason it made sense. She knew now why she had never made Ravenclaw and was perfect for Gryffindor. As gung-ho as she was, she didn't always think things through. She glanced at Brian again, noting only briefly his looking at her and smiled at him. It didn't unnerve her in any way, he was her bestfriend and right now this was perfect. This reassurance was exactly what she needed. Perhaps she would feel so much better and so much easier about telling Crispin about it all now.

"I didn't actually black out at all Brian, that's what makes it all so strange. I didn't even consider someone using polyjuice potion, I guess it was easier to believe that I was evil" she pushed the hair on the other side of her face behind her ear as she turned to look at him properly.

"Do you really think he could have done it? Would he really have hated me that much? He left me a letter saying that the store was mine as his way of apologising for being so horrible to me" she sighed, had her step-father really and truly hated her with so much force that he would have set in motion such horrible events to harm her, "I saw myself as a werewolf during the day about to attack a boy that was also in the store. It was like some outer body experience. I could see myself attacking him, trying too though part of me knew I hadn't moved an inch."

 

[Brian Getathorn XIX]

"Hmm..." Brian said trying to think about it more clearly, he saw Andromeda mover her hair but tried not to look as though he was paying attention to that rather then the problem at hand. "I've never heard of magic doing that, If your stepfather did plan this then he put a lot of energy into something this elaborate and left a great deal of it just up to chance" Brian reasoned knowing that it was indeed pretty far fetched that he should be able to guess that Andromeda would enter the shop with other people before anyone else had. "Then who else would have a grudge on you?" Brian asked not really sure why anyone would really want to kill anyone, it seemed petty to him when everything could just be talked out.

"I mean you not at bad person, smart, funny, your... you have nice skin" Brian said as he thought about it "anyone around here jealous enough that they might want to kill you?" Brian asked knowing that a thought like that was just as far fetched as the last one. It didn't seem to make any sense to Brian why someone would do this to Andromeda, though it made less sense why Andromeda herself would do it. All of it seemed like a puzzle that didn't fit together and wasn't even the same puzzle. Brian didn't know how Andromeda had been able to deal with all of this but knew that she should've felt comfortable enough to confide in him the moment it happened. Brian had done alot of bad things and didn't know how he would make them up if he could.

 

[Andromeda Fiorelli]

She listened closely to him and when eventually he stopped, she rubbed her temples. Just thinking about all of this again hurt her, pained her head like no tomorrow. No wonder she had been pushing it far from her mind for so long.
"I don't think I've incited that kind of hatred in anyone, besides the centaurs" she managed to chuckle remembering Claphore, reaching out she touched his hand gently before moving it again to pick up her quill.

"Thanks Brian, for listening and for trying to make sense of it all. It does no good though because none of it makes any sense at all" she grinned brightly at him resembling someone very close to the happy go lucky Andy of yester year.
"Thanks for those compliments too, wow. Nice skin, not a bad person? remind me not to go to you for a reference on my character".

 

[Brian Getathorn XIX]

"You know what I mean" Brian said with a laugh as he looked at Andromeda "your a great person who's just had alot of bad things happen too" Brian said thinking about everything Andromeda had gone through in the last few years "I don't think I could've done it and turned out how you did" Brian said as he smiled without meaning too "I know one thing though, your not evil and you wouldn't hurt someone unless they deserved it" Brian said trying to be nice but honest at the same time. Brian had missed being able to sit with Andromeda and hold a conversation even if it was weird that he wasn't arguing with her like he used too. Though he had to admit he did like just sitting here and talking with her about things that really mattered rather then the trivial things that he normally went through.

Brian wondered what would happen to them when they left Hogwarts, it was kinda hard to think that something that had brought them together and torn them apart would eventually be out of their lives. "I'm glad we got to talk though" Brian said as he thought about it "you know you can always talk to me about things right?" Brian asked feeling as though maybe Andromeda didn't know this since she had kept it bottled up for so long without mentioning it to anyone else. Brian didn't like seeing Andromeda act out simply because she felt alone even when she was standing in the center of a crowd since he always saw her alone but in a different way. "After all your my best friend, even if you did date a Slytherin" Brian said with a laugh even though a part of him felt pain as he said the word friend.

 

[Andromeda Fiorelli]

Andromeda smiled and actually got embarrassed by his compliments, blushing slightly by the unaccustomed praise from Brian of all people she looked down at her books.
"I think I'm either a jinx or a crap magnet" she chuckled, "I guess I have to always try to get above things, pull myself up and plough on some how otherwise... I'd go stark raving mad. I think you're selling yourself short Brian. It's amazing what a person is capable of when they've hit rock bottom. What's the saying, there's no where to go but up?"

With a sigh she slammed one of her books closed, she could seriously see herself failing her OWLs at this rate. Brian's words made her turn her head to look at him, when had he found out about Crispin? She continued to look at him for a moment trying to figure out his source then remembering who his girlfriend was simply smiled and shook her head.

"I know I can always talk to you, at least I know now, I missed this B" she told him sincerely, "you and me, just chatting like this. I missed it alot. Let's really try not to fight anymore huh? And I didn't date a Slytherin, I am dating one."

 

[Brian Getathorn XIX]

"Well, I can't promise we won't fight since you gotta admit it always kept our lives interesting even if it wasn't enjoyable" Brian said with a slight smirk. Brian knew that he didn't want to fight since he enjoyed just being comfortable with Andromeda without the drama of having to reconcile. Perhaps the arguing of the past that made them so easy to understand. "Well, I won't judge you for dating a Slytherin since your going through alot and I'm sure evil guys are making you feel better" Brian joked not really trying to make a hit on Andromeda's new boyfriend even though a part of him did want to cringe at the thought of Andromeda kissing a snake lover was a bit unnerving though Brian figured it was just old tendencies popping up. "Ugh!" Brian said as he thought about the up and coming match with Slytherin "I still can't believe I lost the Snitch to a Hufflepuff, how embarrassing!" Brian said with a slight cringe.

Brian had tried his best to get the Snitch but the Hufflepuff girl had been too fast for him. Brian would just have to practice more with his Streak and hopefully get as use to it as he was with his Firebolt so that he could pound Slytherin into the ground during the next match. Ravenclaw couldn't afford to loose another match and considering the fact that Lily had made Brian Assistant Captain he didn't want to let her down. That and the OWLS that were around the corner were definitely going to keep Brian busy as he scolded himself for thinking about girl's now, even if he may or may not have extra curricular feelings for Andromeda it didn't change the fact that he was in a relationship with Zazuka and had told her he loved her. Brian's feelings for Zazuka hadn't changed however his feelings for Andromeda was growing, Zazuka gave him butterflies while Andromeda gave him electricity... Brian didn't understand why.

 

[Andromeda Fiorelli]

Andy looked shocked and surprised by his next words but also finding the humor in them nudged him playfully.
“Don’t make me hit you, you know I’d most likely win if it came down to a punch up” she threatened good naturedly before becoming very serious with him.
“Crispin isn’t evil. Don’t let’s get into a debate about the virtues or lack thereof of the members of Slytherin. They are ambitious, hardworking and many of them more devious in the ways they achieve things but there isn’t a bad bone in Crispin’s body. He rescued me from myself Brian” she lowered her head blushing slightly, the color looked alien to her pale features and yet she still managed to look startingly strangely beautiful.
“I love him Brian” she turned her face to his, her eyes lit up as if sparkling with tiny galaxies a glow in them.

It sounded good to say it aloud and for Brian to be the first person she actually told outside of Crispin himself was an even bigger leap of faith for her. Brian’s mentioning the last quidditch game that the Ravenclaws had played made her chuckle.
“Just wait until you’re up against us, lambs to the slaughter”.

 

[Brian Getathorn XIX]

Brian smiled as Andromeda defended Crispin, it wasn't like Brian was going to go get into a fight with him just because he was dating Andromeda though Brian had to admit he was a bit shocked when Andromeda said that she loved him. Part of Brian wanted to argue that she really didn't know him that long and that maybe she was being a bit rash but Brian decided that it would be better to keep that to himself. "I'm happy for you" Brian said with a smile wondering how Crispen had saved Andromeda from herself when she had just gotten in major trouble for underage drinking and acting like an A$$ in front of the whole school. Brian had to be nice though and supportive because despite what he thought of Crispin's help, he had been there for Andromeda when Brian had not.

"Please, like you guys did last year?" Brian said with a smirk at Andromeda's remark. Ravenclaw may not be in the lead for the Quidditch Cup but if Brian had anything to do with it they were gonna keep it. "I just need to practice flying my Streak more and then I'll be ready to catch the snitch again" Brian said regretting that he'd missed the last one but also knowing that it happened to everyone. "A few more months until the OWLS though, can't say that hasn't affected my flying" Brian said thinking about it. "Oh, Lily made me Assistant Captain which means next year I'll be taking over her spot as Captain" Brian said with a smile at the thought that he would be both a Prefect and Captain of the Quidditch team.

 

[Andromeda Fiorelli]

She smiled and leaned her shoulder against his, glad that he was happy for her. This was great finally they could go on a double date or something. She was no longer the spare part in the equation, the third wheel. He began speaking about quidditch again and she slowly began to chuckle and shake her head.
"Oh that's it blame the OWLs for your poor performance on the pitch" she laughed heartily now, she had missed the camaraderie that herself and Brian had often enjoyed together, "I think the name on that cup this year will be Gryffindor."
she winked at him but knew if it killed her she would make sure their team was in tip top shape for the upcoming games.
"You're co.captain now? Wow, I thought Lily had more sense than that" she chuckled repeatedly now and even had to hold her stomach as the laughter seemed to cramp her stomach in tiny convulsions.

 

[Brian Getathorn XIX]

"Hey now, I don't think I make a bad Quidditch Captain" Brian said with a slight smirk, Brian hadn't ever really decided what he wanted to do when he left Hogwarts but being Captain would definitely mean something if he ever wanted to enter the field of professional Quidditch. "So you know what classes your going to take next year?" Brian asked already knowing what classes he was probably going to continue that was if he received the necessary grades to continue in those classes. The OWLS determined alot unfortunately so it made more sense to Brian that it would've have affected his Quidditch capabilities considering the simple fact that it was probably the biggest thing on his mind besides a few other things that Brian would have to work out on his own. Brian wondered what was going to happen after the next two years considering the last five had already gone by so quickly with many little things filling the pages.

 

[Andromeda Fiorelli]

She chuckled once more as she moved some of her books aside and stretched out her long legs. Flexing her feet back and forth to rid the pins and needles that seemed to be growing. Andy reached down and removed her shoes and lifting one foot up to her lap began to massage it.
"I really need to get new running shoes, my old ones are killing my poor feet" she muttered absently before turning to Brian, "Aw I'm sure you'll be fine as a captain. Of course we'll know for sure from the next game of course."

She looked up briefly as the three students left the room, she looked about finding that they were now the only ones in here. Glancing down at her hand held foot she chuckled.
"Well it certainly wasn't my foot odour that emptied this place" Andy nodded her head in relation to his class question, "B, I've known since the end of second year what classes I'd be doing. DADA, charms, herbology and potions. I don't need any others. What about you?"

 

[Brian Getathorn XIX]

Brian watched as Andromeda removed her shoes and began to massage her feet and as the other students left, Brian couldn't help but admire how nice Andromeda's feet were despite the fact that he himself didn't particularly enjoy feet. "Here let me help" Brian said as he moved over and began rubbing Andromeda's feet for her without hesitation "your feet don't smell Brian said with a chuckle. He looked into Andromeda's eyes and saw the same fire as the first day he met her though Brian had to admit it was different. When Brian had first met Andromeda Fiorelli, she had a flame in her eyes that was wild and independent. At the time Brian had enjoyed that about her, now however it was different. Life had beaten some of that willfulness out of her so that now she seemed more like a fire that needed guidance and understanding.

Brian wanted to be that person that Andromeda could rely on and for just a moment as he stared into her eyes he forgot that he had a girlfriend and had a strong desire though he quickly removed that desire to preserve the friendship that they all shared. "I've never really known what I wanted to do" Brian said as he thought about it. "I'm not as brilliant as you" Brian said meaningfully as he tried to think about it, when he was eleven he had wanted to travel like his grandfather but now he didn't think that he did. "I think I might want to do something that involves justice" Brian said thinking about it more inside his head "I don't know, maybe it would be cool to be an Auror or something" Brian said with a slight laugh. Brian loved Zazuka but at the moment he couldn't help but think that he loved Andromeda as well.

 

[Andromeda Fiorelli]

Andy was a bit shocked that he took her feet and began to rub them for her and as he spoke the way he looked at her made her feel uncomfortable. Two years ago she would have given anything for him to be as considerate of her as he was being now, would have given anything for him to look at her as he was doing now. But things were different, very different. She allowed him to rub her feet for another few minutes so as not to appear rude by pulling them away, simply smiling as he spoke. When he said he wasn't as brilliant as her she couldn't help but laugh. It was also her cue to move her feet.

"Thanks for the foot rub" she smiled tucking her feet up under her once more, "If you remember back in first year I wanted to be a professional quidditch player but they don't accept werewolves on any team. Ministry regulations. So I had to change my entire future goals, they were more or less changed for me the night I got bit anyhow. Are you only considering the justice angle because of your parents being lawyers?"
she wasn't being rude or snubbing his idea, she was merely being curious. Andy felt as if she had missed out on huge chunks of his life over the past couple of years and she didn't like that at all.
"You're brilliant enough to be an auror, it's supposed to be very tough though. The training is gruelling, have you spoken to your head of house about what points you'll need and subjects would be best for that type of job?"

 

[Brian Getathorn XIX]

"It's not something I've given too much thought about to be honest" Brian said a bit mildly as he thought about it. "I don't know, I guess I've tried to push away the whole prospect of life after Hogwarts since my parents already had an idea of what they wanted me to do" Brian said knowing that both of his lawyer parents wanted him to be like them even though he had tried to tell them several times that he didn't want to do such a thing. Brian kinda wanted to simply push off on the whole 'get a job right after school' idea even if it wasn't actually a real idea. "I just don't want to think about it because every time I think I found something I like, I think about it later on and feel like I'm just settling" Brian said knowing that such thoughts were probably not right but they were still in his head. Brian looked at Andromeda and felt bad that he had pushed her away so much over feelings they may have or may not have existed.

"Your a good friend Andromeda and I don't want that to change" Brian said as he looked into her eyes once more, the electricity he felt was still there however he knew that he couldn't and wouldn't pursue such thoughts because it would jeopardize everything the three friends had, Andromeda was happy and so was Brian and Zazuka. Brian knew that he didn't need to risk all that happiness just because there was a chance for them to be happier, Brian had missed whatever chance there had been and deep down he knew that their was a reason for that. Brian didn't need more because he loved Zazuka and she was all that he needed.

 

[Andromeda Fiorelli]

She fiddled absentmindedly with a piece of skirt as she listened to him talk, conscious of looking up at him and afraid in case he was still staring at her. She wasn't used to people staring, it was bad enough that Alexis the new girl in dorm 4 was terrified of her and stared all the time though she tried not to. Slowly she allowed her gaze to lift to his, worried about him now and not being able to hide it.

"Brian you're a Ravenclaw. It'll come to you soon what exactly it is you do want and when it does I know you'll go after it with everything in you. You're the most determined person I know, I've seen you as a seeker " she smiled at him, not knowing why she did it but believing it was because he was her friend Andy reached up a hand and touched his cheek gently, "you will figure it out and... I don't want this to change either. I missed you".

She moved her hand away again and let it rest on her lap, part of her was wondering why the place was so empty now for so long and another part of her enjoying spending some quality time with him at last. Her limbs still felt as if they ached something awful though so she carefully stood up and raised her hands up over her head stretching her entire body out before relaxing and looking down at him with a grin.

"I must be getting old, my joints seem to be ceasing up completely today".