Brotherly Love

[Perseas Stratis]

Out of Character:

Following this event.

Perseas was running through third floor corridor after the end of charms class. Jet of lights were flying over his head or were missing him for inches next to him. His twin brother Theseas was chasing him with his wand in hand shooting jinxes and hexes his way. The young cub had his usual half smile across his face as he was using the next secret passage. He was enjoying this. He was enjoying brining his twin to his limits and exhausting any trace of patience in him. The steep passageway behind a tapestry gave him a few moments of peace as his brother never saw him using it. He followed it to appear from an opening hidden behind the portrait of a fat barber. "What the flip?" he exclaimed as he saw his brother waiting for him at the first floor. "How did you know-" his next phrase was cut short as he stooped to dodge the next jinx of his twin's wand. Realizing that Theseas wasn't really in mood for negotiations, he darted towards the staircase.

Perseas must have pissed his brother more than what he had expected. "Hey! Stop it! We are even now!" he shouted back to his brother as another jinx crashed on an armor next to him and fragments of steel collapsed on the floor. He had just summoned an apple straight on his brother's head back at the charms class. He wouldn't have done that if Theseas hadn't done the same on him with the hat he had summoned. But what Perseas had considered as insignificant, was apparently perceived differently by his twin. Running down the stairs, he decided to confront his brother so he stopped on a landing just before reaching the ground floor and used his wand again. "Protego." he said casually. A force field of blue energy flowed out of his wand's tip to consume the power of his brother's jinx. The force field disappeared as soon as Perseas lowered his wand. "What are you trying to do? I'm stronger than you anyway." he sneered, not dropping his guard. He knew he had hit a a soft spot of his huffy brother.

 

[Theseas Stratis]

"Stupefy!" Theseas barked like a mad dog chasing after his brother. The red flash of light bursting out of his wand's tip shown his contorted face of consuming anger. Few people were capable of irritating him so much and Perseas knew which buttons exactly to press. Humiliation in front of the whole class was the drop that spilled the glass and while Perseas wasn't going to be confronted by calling him on his behavior, Theseas' next option was to talk through his wand. He had fallen for his brother's tricks so many times that he was preparing his payback for a long time. Theseas casted another jinx towards his brother who avoided by disappearing around the corner. He rushed after him but when he turned around the corner Perseas was gone. He casted a suspicious look at a swaying tapestry and his lips twitched in a smirk. If Perseas thought he was going to escape so easily he was dead wrong. He raced from corridor to corridor, knowing where exactly was leading the shortcut his brother was using.

Theseas was just in time in front of the portrait of the fat barber to watchhis brother jumping out of the revealed opening. "Going somewhere?" Theseas snickered for surprising his brother.
"Petrificus totalus!" He casted a body binding curse but his brother dodged it to escaped to the grand staircase. Theseas chased after him. He so wanted to see on of his jinxes getting to their target and erase the smug on Perseas' face. "Locomotor mortis!" He bellowed a leg locker curse. He missed again and hit instead an armor which collapsed in pieces. Theseas was going to cast the next incantation at the top of his head when he saw his brother stopping and trying to negotiate. "Even!?" He blurted with his eyes flashing and closing into slits. "You humiliated me in front of the whole class!" He stormed and casted then a banishing charm. He saw the force field of the protego charm in front of his brother blocking his spell. When the magic shield disappeared and Theseas' saw again his brother's smug, his nostrils flared. "Stronger?" Theseas snapped. "You are nothing but a chicken running around corridors." He mocked him the same way he did to him."Come on! Show me how strong you are coward!" He dared him casting another red flash of light out of his wand.

 

[Perseas Stratis]

"Protego!" uttered Perseas and another force field was emitted out of his wand, protecting him from his brother's stunning spell.
"You are useless." he began as the force field dissolved in front of him. "You tried to jinx me, how many times? And you still haven't succeeded. That tells a lot about who's the strongest." Perseas sneered at his brother's helplessness. He didn't stop provoking him even now that he was boiling like a volcano ready to erupt. "Well, what can I say? It was entertaining so far but I have other business to attend to." he said with his wand still pointing at his unpredictable brother. "So this wild-goose chase ends here. Depulso!" he casted swiftly his banishing charm to slow down Theseas. Wasting no time he rushed towards the entrance hall heading to the courtyards.

 

[Theseas Stratis]

Theseas groaned when his brother blocked another of his offensive spells. He was fed up with Perseas' arrogance, believing he was the best in everything. Theseas was belittled so many times by him that it was time to teach him a good lesson. He clenched his fists, forcing himself not to get violent when he was called useless. He so wanted to punch Perseas on his face but he preferred to hex him to humiliation.
"I'm going to stun you thrice and feed you to the lake's gryndilows." he spewed into space like a volcano releasing its pent up emotions. He was ready to carry out his threat but Perseas was faster. A force hit him hard on his chest and sent him flying a few meters before crashing on another armor, knocking it down with his fall.

Clenching his hurting ribs, he stood up from the scattered pieces of armor and saw his brother escaping.
"Coward!" Theseas yelled, gathering the eyes of many passing students on him. Perseas was heading at the main entrance and Theseas knew what he was planning. Once he was out of the castle he was going to disappear for good and Theseas was going to lose his chance to confront him. "Stupefy!" He bawled with another red jet flying towards Perseas. Unfortunately, the stunning spell reached the wrong target and left behind it a stunned first year girl dropping in the middle of the hall. "Sorry." He murmured an apology as he was storming off by her. "You're not going to escape. Stupefy!" He casted once more, aiming for the house point hourglasses this time. The red jet slammed the Hufflepuff hourglass, drizzling shards of glass everywhere and showering the floor in front of the main entrance with yellow topazes. He fired another red flash out of his wand now that his twin brother was going to slow down with the obstacle he had set.

 

[Perseas Stratis]

This situation was getting stale. Every time Theseas was ridiculed he was acting like a snotty, little gnome. Perseas strongly believed it wasn't his fault his brother's humiliation. Theseas was always initiating these disputes. Perseas was just managing to outwit him each time and Theseas wasn't accepting this really well. He was asking for trouble and Perseas was giving it to him generously. At first the grey eyed gryffindor was having fun chased by his worthless brother but it was starting getting too insipid for his own taste. He had different plans for his afternoon, like finally visiting the forbidden forest and he wasn't intending to lose his precious time because his brother couldn't deal with defeat.

The main entrance hall was jammed with students and Perseas had to meander his way past them. A red flash and a thud right next to him forced him to look over his shoulder and see the casualty of his brother's bad aim. Although he wanted to stop and cast the counter-spell on the poor girl, he continued racing towards the entrance of the castle when the shattering of glass alerted him of the millions of topazes scattering in front of him like golden sand. "Depulso." he casted without second thought and the yellow sea covering the floor sidetracked, providing him a clear path to the double door. "Protego!" he bellowed and turned his wand behind him when he heard his brother casting again. The stunning spell bounced on the blue force field and crashed on Ravenclaw's hourglass. Sapphires greedily flowed out of the crack and flooded the passage he had created with his banishing spell. He pushed open the doors letting a few sapphires and topazes follow him outside before slamming the door behind him. Perseas took a moment to look around him and then darted through the courtyard, deciding that the forbidden forest was the best place to hide.

 

[Theseas Stratis]

Theseas watched surprised his brother blocking again his spells. It was much harder than what he had expected. Straight spell casting wasn't really working out so he had to find another way if he wanted to stop his brother from running away. Sapphires joined the topazes on the floor when Perseas deflected one of his spells on an hourglass. "No way." He murmured indignantly as he watched his twin finding a way trough the smell gems and escaping to the grounds. Theseas did the same thing in order to reach for the door without sleeping on the gems but Perseas slammed the door right on his face. He pushed the heavy double door which budged slowly. Perseas was already running through the courtyard and Theseas followed his trail. He could see what his brother was trying to do. Theseas had to stop him before he had the chance to get into the forbidden forest and disappear out of sight. He didn't want to spare to Perseas another reason for him to brag with that smug on his face. While chasing after his brother a crafty idea hit him. If this wasn't going to work he didn't know what else would do. Theseas pretended he tripped on something and fall hard on the ground with a thud. He used his elbow to protect his face and an acute pain spread across his arm. He moaned in pain and looked at his elbow where blood was oozing from an abrasion. "Hey! I need some help." he cried out and clenched his teeth to stomach the palpitating pain. He died his palm red as he clenched his elbow. The pain was worth it if Perseas was going to fall for his need of assistance.

 

[Perseas Stratis]

The great lawn wasn't far now that he was drawing closer to the wooden bridge. Perseas had the lead and he was a fast runner. A useful skill for someone who was constantly chased by his mother to be scolded for the trouble he was sowing around the house. His feet started clattering on the creaking planking of the bridge and he focused on his hearing in case his brother was going to spit another incantation. Instead, Theseas' footsteps ceased and curiously Perseas looked over his shoulder. When he realized that his twin was no longer after him he slowed down and eventually stopped. What he's up to now? He waited for a few moments there expecting to see his brother rushing through the bridge but when silence grew disturbingly long, he reluctantly walked his way back to the courtyard. Perseas held his wand tightly in his hand pointing at his brother's direction but he instantly lowered it when he noticed that Theseas was hurt. Dark red liquid was covering his elbow. "Are you alright?" Perseas rushed towards his brother, dropping completely his defences. No matter how rocky was his relationship with his brother, Perseas still cared about him. He pocketed his wand and inspected the wound on Theseas' elbow.
"It's superficial. You'll be fine, fairy queen." he teased him in an attempt to quieten him. Theseas was tending to be exorbitant when he was getting hurt. Perseas was actually considering all his twin's reactions to be extravagant, like now that he got so furious for nothing.
"Let's go to the hospital wing and have this wound cleaned." he suggested, finding the perfect opportunity to reconcile.

 

[Theseas Stratis]

It was the first time Theseas was managing to ignore pain. His thirst for revenge seemed to be stronger, making pain insignificant. He checked the abrasion on his elbow and the blood on it make his stomach stir. For a moment he was afraid that his brother escaped at the grounds but he heard footsteps and Perseas appeared back from the bridge. "Do I look alright?" he grumbled and gestured at his elbow dripping blood on the cobblestone. Theseas wanted to pounce right on his brother but he waited him to come closer. He wasn't intending to use his wand this time. Perseas was indeed too fast and able to react at time and block his spells. This was something he wouldn't see it coming. With the corner of his eye he noticed that his brother put away his wand as well. This was good, he had fall for his bluff and he was coming closer. Theseas let his brother inspect the abrasion but when he was called fairy queen for overreacting, he acted in cold blood. "You'll need to go to the hospital wing." His knuckles clacked on his brother's cheek bone, punching him right down the eye with force, fueled by pure anger. "How's that now?" He smirked and drew his wand to point it at his defenseless brother.
"Maybe you should apologize now. Or do you want to end up stunned in the lake?" He threatened, deriving pleasure from watching his brother losing his smug face.

 

[Cyndi Kingsley]

This early in the semester, Professor Kingsley didn't have much work to do. The students were settling into their classes and she had been rather lenient in her homework giving. Sitting on a bench by the lake, the professor finished up the last few bites of her snack and wiped her hands clean. Deciding to sit for several moments longer, Cyndi hoped to enjoy some more moments of peace and quiet before she returned to the din of the castle. That was not meant to happen. Behind her, she heard some yells but she ignored them. She knew that the younger students especially took some time to adjust to the newfound freedom of not having their parents around all of the time. It wasn't until she actually tuned in to what was being said that the professor became alarmed. Her brown eyes looked for the source of the noise and they fell on two boys.

As she drew closer, the professor realized that it was the two Stratis brothers that were the source of the noise. The two boys had been on Cyndi's radar since the sorting ceremony when she had discovered their surname. Her troubles with their older brother were well known among the other students. It figured that the boys had ended up in her house. Looming over the boys, the professor placed her hands on her hips. "No one is going to end up in the lake" the professor intoned as she heard the last few words that one of the boys said. She had yet to learn which was which, but it didn't matter to her. "I would love to hear an explanation of what all this is about though." She paused, looking first at one boy and then the other as she waited.

 

[Perseas Stratis]

Perseas might was hoping for reconciliation but he underestimated his brother once more. For that, he saw Theseas' fist zooming towards his face, too late to avoid the blow. The punch was so hard that Perseas lost his balance and fell on the floor dizzy. His face was feeling numb and the skin above his cheek bone was throbbing with pain. He groped his cheek to find out there was no blooed but a knob was slowly developing.
"Are you out of your mind?" he barked as he stood up, still examining his cheek but he flinched when he saw the wand pointing at him. Now he was angry as well. His chest was going up and down as rage was building inside him. Perseas took a step towards his brother, thinking to use force as well but his brother's wand tip pressed against his chest. Recklessly, Perseas drew his own wand shiftly and pointed it at his brothers forehead. The Gryffindor didn't have enough time to think of a jinx as someone arrived at the scene. Perseas was first to lower his wand when he realized it was the head of Gryffindor house who was demanding to be enlightened about the situation. "Nothing. We're just playing around." he replied first before Theseas was going to say anything stupid. Theseas' bleeding elbow and and his own slowly bruising cheek, weren't really suggesting a game but the usual monkey business.

 

[Theseas Stratis]

"Just accept you lost this time, brother." Smirked Theseas and pressed his wand at his brother's chest. He should have jinxed right away as Perseas flourished his own wand and pointed on Theseas' head. The outcome of this quarrel would have been unpredictable for both of them. Fortunately for their physical integrity, an adult approached them. Theseas recognized her immediately and lower his wand as well as his head like an intimidated puppy. Theseas placed his hand over the abrasion to hide it from the inspective eyes of Professor Kingsley. The woman was the head of their house and also responsible for their punishment in case of misbehaviour. If she was going to find out they were fighting, they were surely going to get a detention. Blood trickled between his hands as his brother dared to say they were just playing. Did he forgot the mess at the Main Entrance? he rolled his grey eyes remembering the smashed hourglass. There was no point in lying. Not in that extend. "He's lying." He broke into their conversation. "We had been arguing. He jinxed me because I had a different opinion about something." Theseas revealed and showed her the bleeding wound in his elbow that had dyed red his hands. This was closer to the truth. At least he had the wound to support his claim while his brother didn't have yet a bruise to counter it.

 

[Cyndi Kingsley]

Now that she was before them, the professor could see resemblances to their older brother in both of their faces. As one of the boy's replied to her query, her eyebrow rose. Surely, he didn't think she was stupid. The professor could tell just by looking at the boys that something slightly more significant than nothing had been taking place. The boy who had spoken had what looked to be a shiner beginning to blossom on his cheek. She almost grabbed his chin and lifted it to be sure, but stopped herself just in time. She noticed that the other twin was avoiding her gaze and she wondered if perhaps he might be different from the other Stratis boys. That would be a nice change. The surprise was evident on her face as he lifted his head and spoke to her. He was very quick to inform her that his brother had been lying. “Really?” she asked, her gaze going to the first boy once more as a grimace crossed her face. As he let his hand drop to reveal the bloody wound he had, the professor gasped. “ You call this nothing?” she hissed to the first boy.

“You to the hospital wing. Now.” Professor Kingsley was no Healer and she knew that the boy needed medical attention. “And then, I expect to see you in my office Mr. Stratis” she added sternly. Once he had left, her brown eyes swung to the other Stratis boy, the one who bore injuries but was well enough to lie. “As for you, if you’re going to do lie, you should at least be sure that the other person is going to go along with your story” she rolled her eyes, unable to contain her annoyance. “You are starting off on the wrong foot in this house. ” I suppose that’s a family trait, she thought to herself. The professor sighed, trying to see what she should do. It wasn’t odd for first years to take advantage of being able to use magic finally and getting themselves into trouble. On the other hand, he was a Stratis boy and for that reason alone, he was already on her bad side. “You and your brother will both be serving detentions with me. Separately. I expect you in my office this evening after dinner.” The professor waited to see that the boy understood.