A Shoulder to Lean on?

[Xavier Snow]

Xavier had tried studying earlier like he knew he should be doing constantly if he was going to be ready for his NEWT's, but there were just too many things buzzing through his head for him to really concentrate on anything long enough to get it done. The fact that he would get to see Trilby soon, Nicolette was missing, and Christmas all coming up soon made his head busy like a circus show that just never seemed to stop playing. "Maybe if I got distracted less easily." He grumbled to himself as he left the Hufflepuff common room slowly and tiredly. It a little past curfew so he knew he probably shouldn't be wandering the halls at this time of hour, but he figured if he was stopped he could just say that there was a lot on his mind and he needed a walk to clear it all out before it drove him crazy.

So far he hadn't made very many friends, he joined the Brotherhood and that was about it for the year so far. Either everyone didn't care to talk to him, or realized who's brother he was and thought badly of him from what they thought they knew or heard about the Snow Family and it's descendants. So far Trilby, Vincent, and Nicolette had been the only ones not to judge him because of the family or by the blood that ran through his very veins. 'It's not like I asked to be pure.' His mother never really went over what a big deal blood was around here, in fact he barely ever heard her speak to him same as his father. It was just hard not to feel extremely lonely around here, an dit was rare when he felt alone in something.

 

[Patricia Styx]

Patricia was glad to have finished her Prefect duties for the night, which involved patrolling a few of the lower corridors. It was a bit boring at times and having all of the Prefects spread out all over the castle; lonely. It was another uneventful night, with not too many people out after curfew, Patricia couldn't wait to get back to the Hufflepuff House and go to her dorm and curl up into bed. She had been so tired lately, with all of her OWLs revision and trying to make up for her Herbology class a few weeks ago, she really hadn't acted the way a Prefect should.

Making her way along the fourth floor corridor Patricia felt relief that the Hufflepuff House was so close. Although, knowing her luck she heard a voice a bit ahead of her. Letting out a sigh she took out her wand. Sure she was 'off duty' but you never really stop your Prefect duties, or that's how she saw it at least. "Lumos!" she said, revealing the corridor in front of her. Taking a few more steps forward she saw a person. "Oh Xavier! It's only you." she said, happy that it was a person that she at least knew, and he was older so she wasn't going to really go into 'Prefect mode' with him. "What you doing out this late?" she asked.

 

[Xavier Snow]

Xavier halted in his walking and lightly turned his head so that his icy blue eyes could lock onto the owner of whoever had said his name, it was none other than the brown haired girl he had met during the Start of the Year Feast. Patricia Rogers was one of the first people he had spoken to here other than his siblings so of course he'd recognize her in a heartbeat, plus he remembered Nicolette speaking about her often so it was almost as if she were sort of family to him. "Hello Patricia. My brain wouldn't shut up so I thought a walk would help me clear it out." His French accent was heavy because he had lived in France most of his life, he still lived there today but spoke English much more often than he used to when he lived with his mother instead of his father. Xavier vaguely wondered how she was doing and if she missed him and Gabrielle at all, if she did she sure didn't show it like most mothers did even if she was probably one of the most reserved and cold hearted people he had ever met.

"I have a lot on my mind right now, sitting still just seems to fuel it. I suppose your out doing Prefect duties, or getting into trouble. Either way it's lovely to see you." The Prefect reminded him that Trilby was also one, her sense of authority was was attracted him to her so much. He had never become one because he was always in trouble and wandering when he should have been in bed or studying. "Might as well join me for a walk." He motioned for her to follow him as he started back down the hall again, he didn't mind Patricia at all. She was sweet and seemed to know how to have a little fun at times, so her certainly wouldn't mind if she wanted to join him for a stroll around the Fourth Floor Corridors.

 

[Patricia Styx]

Patricia nodded at his answer to her question, it was an understandable reason to be wandering out about. The French accent was clear in his voice and it reminded her that she was Theodore and Alyssa's brother, a fact that still surprised Patricia. He was so different from the twins in her year that she often forgot that they were related. Being a true Hufflepuff though she didn't hold the fact that she pretty much despised Xavier's brother against him. Xavier was a really nice guy and that was all Patricia was worried about when it came to who her friends were.

Patricia listened to Xavier talk, he seemed to have a lot going on and by the sounds of it he wasn't haven't problems with his NEWTs, although that could be part of the problem. Patricia laughed at his assumtions as to why she was out so late herself, "Yes I'm one for getting into trouble regularly," she joked, although she felt a bit bad about saying it, especially after what happened in the Herbology classroom. "Actually, I'm just finised patrolling for the night but a walk would be nice." she responded as she turned on her heel and followed the seventh year down the corridor. "So what's got you so wound up?" she asked in a soft voice, wondering if talking about it would maybe help, it usually did for her.

 

[Xavier Snow]

Xavier snorted at the girls' kidness not only towards him but seemingly overall, his family would probably eat the poor thing alive if she was forced to meet them so he was thankful the poor thing never had to meet Alphonse. "What's not got me wound up is a better question but..." He shrugged his shoulders and stopped walking for a moment, he knew he often had to keep his mouth closed about everything he knew but sometimes these things had to be shared or he'd go crazy from keeping it inside his head all the time. His icy orbs shifted to the side carefully before he sighed and ran some fingers through his hair, might as well tell her now because she seemed like she could keep a secret.

"Hmm well there's this whole Nicolette fiasco, some guys in love with my younger sister, my family is evil, and NEWT's are the biggest things bothering me." The worst part was that they all seemed to bug him the same amount, each had a different level of annoyance but all of them seemed to bother him just as much as the others did. Some of them were far more serious than the others were and probably affected him more, but still they all got on his nerves equally.

 

[Patricia Styx]

Patricia frowned her eyebrows as Xavier seemed to be really having a hard time at the minute. She knew what it was like so she could sympathise easily, sure their problems may not be the same but she knew that the way to handle it would be along the same lines. Noticing that he had stopped walking Patricia stopped in her tracks and and leaned against the opposite facing the older boy, sympathy for him clear in her soft features.

Patricia listened to him as he talked, hoping that getting it all off his chest would help him a bit, keeping all of ones emotions and problems all bottled up was never a good thing, something she learned the hard way. His problems were partly normal for a teenager and others normal for a magical teenager...there was a big difference at times. "Well lets see if we can elevate some of this stress." she said in a soft voice. "OK your NEWTs, not much can be done about that, it's all down to how much work you put into it but hey you've made it this far without cracking so you must be smart enough to pass them." she said, trying to take the easier things first.

"You're family...how evil is evil?" she asked, not really sure how big this was. Sure she would call her family evil sometimes when they didn't get along but this could be a completely different case. "Now I assume you're talking about Alyssa?" she asked, not sure if he had any other younger sisters. "If so, there's nothing wrong with that. I mean this was bound to happen sooner or later. You're not going to be one of those really over protective brothers are you?" she asked with a laugh, knowing Chris and Joe always threatened to be that kind of brother, then again she had yet to find out if they would ever hold true to their word. "And finally Nicolette." she let out a sigh, this whole situation hadn't gone down too well with his brother and sister and Patricia wasn't sure how Xavier was going to take it. "Um, don't throw mud at me but Niccy's been writing me letters so she's alive and well, and don't ask how I know but she'll be back home soon enough." she told him, preferring not to say much of her and Hades' plan.

 

[Xavier Snow]

At least Patricia was being kind enough to speak to him about all of this because usually people assumed that it wasn't their problem so they couldn't help him out at all. But they usually good if they just listened or tried to offer him some form of advice, or at least pretended that he existed as something more than just a whiny little pure blood who thought he had problems. "My family is evil enough to bother me." He wasn't going to bother telling her that they were filled with rotten Death Eaters because they would be selling them out and getting himself into more trouble then telling her were be worth, in fact he wondered if she knew how many Death Eaters she herself was actually interacting with all the time. "Yes Alyssa, and even if I really want to be overprotective like that..the guy is sort of one of my best friends and he would be crushed if he didn't get to tell her." He oddly enough trusted Vincent not to hurt his sister, but it was still so weird to hear that someone was into his sister like that. He almost wondered what Theodore and his father would think about this because they were even more protective than he was and they would take action so he was best it was hidden for a bit just to see how things worked out.

"I know Nicolette's be writing you, and I know where she is too." He almost rolled his eyes at her but then realized that she probably didn't understand how close the Snow Family was to her, that and Nicolette's behavior was easily predictable to the point where he never needed to worry how things were going for her. "You know when she's going to be back do you?" He raised an eyebrow and asked curiously as he stepped closer to her enough to look at her carefully. What did she know about this whole thing is what worried him.

 

[Patricia Styx]

Patricia was by no means at an expert at dealing with people's troubles in life. Heck if she couldn't handle her own there was no way she would be able to help anyone else. This being true it didn't mean she couldn't at least listen to someone's problems, knowing that most of the time they just needed to get all their problems off of their chest, she just hoped this would be enough for Xavier. When the Seventh year told her that his family was evil enough to bother him she got the feeling that he wasn't going to say much more on the matter and she for one didn't want to push him on something that he didn't want to talk about. Although she had the feeling that it was something bigger than the young Hufflepuff had ever encountered. As far as Patricia was concerned she had never been in close contact with evil...how wrong she was.

When her assumptions were proved to be correct, Patricia couldn't help but say, "Awww!" at the fact that someone was in love with Alyssa. The two weren't the closest but they were on good enough terms for Patricia to be happy for the Slytherin. Once again it was something that Patricia had never had experience in but that was a completely different matter. When she realised that she has said 'awww' out loud she laughed softly, "Sorry, but I can see why you're worried but it doesn't really seem like something you should be overly worried about. That is unless Alyssa doesn't feel the same..." she cut off. Sure it would be nice for someone to care about you so much, but if you didn't like them, then there could be a bit of a problem.

Patricia wasn't too surprised that Xavier knew that she and Niccy had being in correspondence with each other, he was Theodore and Alyssa's brother after all, one out of the two had probably told him. She was a little surprised though that he knew where she was, knowing how quiet Niccy wanted to keep that bit of information as quiet as possible but there was always ways to find something out so she didn't question it. When Xavier questioned her about when Niccy would be returning and approached her a bit more, Patricia leaned her back against the wall and averted his gaze towards the ground. "I don't know she's going to be back!" she said truthfully. She only knew that she'd be back around the holidays, but she didn't know an exact date, so really her words were the truth. "But she misses her family, surely she can't stay away for much longer." she added, hoping to get Xavier off asking her about when Niccy would be back...Patricia didn't like lying too much.

 

[Xavier Snow]

Xavier furrowed his eyebrows at Patricia when she did the typical girl thing that most of them did when they heard someone mention something about love, it made Xavier roll his icy blue eyes a little. Perhaps she didn't understand how serious this was everyone involved, then again she was still young so he didn't expect her to really understand. "He's setting up this thing on Christmas too with like gifts, candles, and under the stars and then like confesses that he loves her. It's just awkward to think about since he's my best friend." Xavier wondered if she understood at all now, not only would he have to face the fact that his best friend is going after his sister but what if something bag happened and he had to choose sides. Plus he didn't want to see his baby sister grow up so quickly like she was, he barely knew her already and she was going off and growing up into a lady. On top of that there was always the thought of how gross it would be to walk in and find your best friend kissing family, it was just not normal man, even if he thought the feelings Vincent had was sort of cute to think of how much that boy cared.

"I know when she's going to be back." He gave her a semi-cocky grin, his aunt Effie was an amazing source for information on these things and he was for once thankful that she bothered him about something. He vaguely wondered what Patricia's relation to Nicolette was, it seemed like everyone knew her in some way or another and held no hatred for her. "Let me tell you though she is so hot. Why if she weren't married I'd...um...yeah." He could actually never forget Trilby like that and would never cheat on her, she was his one and only right now. It had just been something that was lingering in his head earlier, he was sure his little brother had thought the same way once as well as his grandfather so it wasn't like it was that odd. "Actually I'm surprised you even know her." Nicolette spoke about Patricia often, but Xavier had still yet to get how they were related or they knew one another.