Antonym

[Vivian Brackenstall]

Vivian didn't know exactly where Slytherin house was, but the dungeons seemed as good a place as any to start when you were looking for a Slytherin. He had written to mum to ask what she thought about all this, but he didn't expect her to know anything about the strange girl with his name. Asking the girl directly seemed to be the only option, as daunting as it was. There was no way of knowing if she would even have any idea what their connection was, but it was the only option available to him for now. He was just glad he had Tristan with him for support.

As they explored the dungeons, Vivian's eyes flashed nervously at every passing girl with long brown hair, on edge at the thought of having to have such a potentially important conversation with a stranger. He stayed close to Tristan, not liking how closed in the space felt down here. When his eyes finally fell on the girl he froze, throat sticking, no idea how to begin to address her. What did you say to someone you could be related to, someone who might not even know you were related?

 

[Tristan Collins]

Tristan had been the one to suggest talking to this girl that might be related to Vivian, but as they walked to the dungeons together he was starting to think it hadn't been the best idea after all. The dungeons gave him a creepy vibe, and with the excitement of the sorting behind them it was starting to look more and more likely to Tristan that it was all a coincidence. And if it was, they would look incredibly silly and he hated the idea of others laughing at them, even a first year. He glanced at Vivian, but his expression told Tristan that this was too big a possibility for him to ignore. He sighed. He did want to support his friend.

He could tell Vivian was nervous too and he tried to give him a reassuring smile. Because he was looking at him, he could see the exact moment Vivian spotted her. Tristan followed his gaze. The girl looked even more odd and ghostly in a dungeon like this. "Is that her?" He asked quietly, though he hadn't anticipated for how much his voice would carry in a space like this. It was an unnecessary question anyway, he could see with his own eyes that it was the girl they had seen at the sorting ceremony.

 

[Lourdes Brackenstall]

Lourdes was fully aware that Slytherin was a prestigious house, and it was a great honour to belong to a group that included so many who had gone on to greatness, her own father included, but she had never realised having to live in a literal dungeon would be part of the deal. It was foul, damp and cold and unpleasant, and while Lourdes strove to maintain her composure even in less than ideal situations, she couldn't help hurrying her steps slightly whenever she had to navigate the corridors, eager to get out of this hovel.

But even walking as fast as she was, Lourdes quickly realised she was being watched, a couple of scruffy looking older Hufflepuff boys staring at her unashamedly. Scowling, she slowed to a stop and folded her arms, frowning up at them. "May I ask exactly what you are staring at?" She asked, a hint of venom lacing her tone. Lourdes had always been taught to be courteous, but it was hard not to let her irritation surface, with two strangers gawking at her in such an unpleasant place.

 

[Vivian Brackenstall]

Vivian somehow hadn't expected the girl to notice him staring, and her abrupt confrontation rendered him momentarily speechless. How could he even begin to broach this topic? He wished he had thought about this, he wished he had planned what to say, he wished he had found a better way of doing this. Nervous, his already soft voice came out with a distinct waver he had started to notice forming the last few weeks. "Um... Sorry. I saw you at the sorting." He started slowly, scrambling for the words he needed. "Your last name... are you Alexander Brackenstall's daughter?" That was all Vivian had ever known of his father, a name. Maybe this was ridiculous. The Brackenstalls could be a huge family he had just never heard of. But it was hardly a common name, surely there must be some connection...

 

[Tristan Collins]

Tristan wasn't sure if it was the Slytherin house he knew the girl to be in, but for some reason he got the impression he wasn't going to like her very much. The moment she opened her mouth that feeling intensified. Her posh, affected way of talking filled him with annoyance and he could see she saw herself as above the both of them immediately. He wanted to drag Vivian away, rethink this whole thing. Tristan raised his eyebrow and opened his mouth to tell this girl that he could stare at whatever he wanted, but thought better of it. This was Vivian's thing, he was just support. He nearly grimaced when he heard the way he asked about the girl's father. His voice was soft and wavering, the very opposite of this girl. Did he have to be so shy? It made Tristan feel awkward by association. But he supposed it wasn't really the time to criticize his friend, even mentally. He was clearly nervous, and Tristan could understand why. So he just stayed next to his friend quietly, ready to defend him if Lourdes or whatever was mean to him.

 

[Lourdes Brackenstall]

Lourdes could feel her frown deepening as the tallest boy was practically snivelling trying to ask her a simple question. "Of course I am." She snapped, glaring at him. "What, may I ask, exactly is your interest in my family business?" Was this the brat of some disgruntled worker with a vendetta against father? Acting the way he was, there was no way he was the child of a business associate. Her eyes flicked to the other boy. He... could be. Possibly. There was an edge to his gaze that Lourdes didn't trust, and whatever these boys may have against her, Lourdes knew he would be the one to keep an eye on should things go awry. "I don't appreciate being accosted by strange boys while I'm trying to go about my day."

 

[Vivian Brackenstall]

It felt like a bullet through Vivian's gut. He had both known and refused to believe it was true since he first laid eyes on her in the great hall. This curt, strangely-spoken Slytherin was his half sister. He took a couple of shaky, nervous breaths, mind racing as he struggled to figure out how to answer her question. Unable to come to a reasonable plan in the short time he had, Vivian's instincts overtook him and he simply blurted out the truth. "I'm his son." He said shakily, eyes wide with nerves. "I-I'm your half brother..."

 

[Tristan Collins]

If he was completely honest, Tristan was sort of regretting giving Vivian his support in this as readily as he had. He wanted to get out of here. This girl wasn't worth their time. He hated the way she was looking at him. It reminded him of the encounter in the forest at the end of last year, like she thought he was worthless.

But when she answered Vivian's question he knew by the change in Vivian's expression what was going to be said. This wasn't some distant relative, some coincidence. This was way more serious. He knew what was happening and he wanted Vivian to keep his mouth shut. They could talk about this later, but he shouldn't just blurt it out and tell this girl that he was--

Too late. Tristan nearly put his hand over his face in embarrassment. He understood that this was a big moment for Vivian, but what would this girl think? Didn't he realize what he looked like? Of course, this was a bizarre situation. He doubted anyone else in this entire school was going through something like this, so he did understand that it was hard for him, but he still wished they had taken some time to talk about this possiblity before confronting her. A sister. That was huge. He put his hand on his friend's arm. "Viv." He muttered. "Maybe we should go." His voice was urgent, he didn't think this was a good situation for anyone.

 

[Lourdes Brackenstall]

Embarrassingly, Lourdes felt her jaw drop slightly at the taller boy's ridiculous assertion. She clicked it closed again quickly and scowled at him. "Where on earth are you getting these nonsense ideas?" She snapped, glaring up at him. "Stop being preposterous, and don't bother me again." Brushing past the boys without another word Lourdes swept down the corridor and up towards the stairs, still fuming. Was this some weak idea of a prank? What had made such unkempt boys target her so specifically? This place was obviously full of people intent on wasting her time, what a shame.

 

[Vivian Brackenstall]

Oh god. Vivian had messed this all up. He could tell at once at the sight of the girl's expression, and Tristan's guiding whisper came much too late. As the girl brushed past Vivian like he meant nothing at all he slumped slightly, pressing his face into his hands, and turning to face the cool stone wall. "Damn it..." He mumbled, banging his head against the wall slightly. "That was so stupid..." There it was... he had a sister, a little sister, and now there was no chance she would ever want anything to do with him again. Vivian had managed to completely ruin the conversation in record time. The only thing he could do now was write to mum and ask her what was going on, but the chances she would know were slim, he knew she hadn't had any contact with his dad for years. Even if she had... he didn't want anything to do with Vivian. He clearly hadn't even told his daughter, so... there was nothing really to be done.

 

[Tristan Collins]

Honestly, the girl's reaction was probably the best outcome they could have hoped for. At least if she didn't believe him, she wasn't to freak out or cry. Tristan grimaced as she swept past them, the look of disdain on her face was one he would rather have avoided. Great. Now they would talk about this in the Slytherin Common Room, and Tristan's name would be associated with the story. It made him a little grumpy, even though he knew deep inside he was being unreasonable. "Look, Viv, that wasn't really the best way to handle that." He told his friend gently. "Like, that would freak anyone out, right? She might come around..." He didn't really know what else to say, Vivian honestly had been a little stupid, but he didn't want to say that to him.

 

[Vivian Brackenstall]

Vivian groaned, rubbing his face. "I know." He mumbled, finally turning away from the wall to face Tristan again. "I'm sorry. I just panicked... I don't know what to do." He wrapped his arms around himself, looking down. "But... that's... I have a sister, that's so huge." Vivian trailed off into silence and his eyes went distant as he contemplated. He had thought he would feel different about her, if things became certain, but she still just felt... like a cold, uninterested stranger. Which he supposed she was. Being flesh and blood didn't... bond them at all. He wondered what it would have been like to grow up knowing her, and knowing she existed. Would they have done things together? Would they have gotten along? It looked as though it had gotten too late for that to be a possibility now, but if they had grown up together... Vivian shook his head. "I should write to mum." He said slowly. "She'll know what to do."

 

[Tristan Collins]

It was sad to see Vivian so down, and he wished he could do more for his friend. He gently put an arm around his shoulders. "I know. That is huge." He said softly. "But it's huge for her too, she's going to write her ... your dad, or her mother, or someone that knows about this and then she'll see the truth. Maybe she'll even seek you out... I mean, I would if I found out I suddenly had a brother." He had always been an only child, but he figured that he would like a sibling. At least, as long as they were nice and not very weird. He nodded at Vivian's idea of writing to his mother. "That sounds good. You can write the letter in our dorm, I'll help if you want. And Lumos will be there to cuddle." Vivian's love for Tristan's cat was something he had mixed feelings about, but at least now it could be used for good. He gently started to lead him in the direction of the stairs up. "C'mon." he murmured to his friend.