Check Up.

[Taylor Mercer]

Taylor walked up to the owlery with the letter to her Mother grasped in her hand. She hadnt had too much time to dwell on the whole 'cousin' thing, because last time she had come up here she had bumped into Sam and she had been busy with classes ever sinse. Not that she minded spending time with one of her best friends. To be honest she prefered the whole situation stay off her mind.

Reaching the owlery, Taylor pulled the letter she had written out of its envelope, just to check what she had wrote before she sent it.

Dear Mum,
How are you? Im good, school is great, Ive been spending lots of time with friends and Scorp etc. Classes are going well blablabla you know the drill. I joined Hogwarts Monthly as an Investigative Journalist, should be interesting.
Anyway, Mum did you know anything else about this mysterious cousin of mine? All you told me is that he is a first year and his name is Charlie Linus. It doesnt give me much information. I really want to know who he is. Its not every day you find out you have a relative at the school your attending. Anyway, if you dont know anything I understand, but if you do, I would love to know.
I spose thats it, nothing out of the ordinary.
Say hi to everyone for me.
Love Tay xxx

She replaced it back in the envelope after reading it and handed it to a snowy school owl. She stroked its head gently for a moment before saying, "Send it to Melissa Pappus." The owl flew out from under her hand through a window and Taylor watched it go. A slight draft moving her blonde hair out of her face. She stood afterwards staring out at the setting sun over the grounds.

 

[Charlie Linus]

Charlie had finally wrote the letter to his parents. He really needed his guitar. If he didnt have it soon, he would seriously go insane. Clenching his fist with the letter placed in it, he didnt care that he crumpled the letter. He was still contemplating turning around completely and just sticking out not having his music. But he really doubted he would last very long.

Reaching the Owlery, he had no idea how he was going to go about this letter sending. He was surprised however to see a girl facing away from him. He thought maybe she could help him, if he was brave enough to ask for help. He stepped into the Owlery and looked up at the hundreds of owls sitting around the place. He coughed a little, making his presence known.

 

[Taylor Mercer]

Taylor snapped her head around when someone cleared their throat. She let out an uneasy breath. "You scared me." She said, before looking up properly to notice who she was talking to. It was the boy from down in the Dungeons. She narrowed her eyes only slightly and looked at him, wondering if he would say anything now he knew who she was. Taylor wasnt in the mood to fight with anyone. Why was it whenever she came up to the owlery for peace, that was the last thing she recieved.

 

[Charlie Linus]

Charlie looked at the girl and blinked, finally recognising who she was. He removed all form of emotion from his face. He wouldnt be nasty, he needed to send this letter and had no idea how. Maybe if he was nice, she would co-operate. "Sorry." He said in regards to him scaring her. In truth he hadnt meant to.

Charlie walked over to an owl and looked at it, as though expecting it to do something. He glanced over at the girl once more and noticed her looking at him, he turned his full attention then. His lip twitching in an almost smile in an attempt to play nice. "I've never sent an owl before." He said carefully, would that give away his 'Muggleborn' status? No, he could just lie and say his parents spoilt him or something outrageous if the question came about.

 

[Taylor Mercer]

Taylor was a little surprised at the boys use of the word sorry. He hadnt been very nice at all the last time they met. Taylor wondered what had changed that? Not bothering too much about it, Taylor's eyes flicked breifly out the window, before the boy moving had her looking back. He was glaring at an owl as though expecting it to do something. Taylor waited until the boy looked up at her and said he had never sent an owl. Taylor blinked slightly, then thought perhaps he was a MuggleBorn. Or perhaps he just didnt know. "I'ts really quite simple." Taylor explained, thinking he was being reasonably nice, so Taylor would do the Gryffindor thing and help the boy.

Walking over to him she placed a hand out, glancing down at the letter scrunched in the boys hands.

 

[Charlie Linus]

Charlie wanted to roll his eyes when the girl said it was simple, maybe to you, he thought. As she walked over to her he looked down at her hand, wondering what she wanted him to do with it. He most certainly wasnt going to take it in his if thats what she thought. Would good would that do in sending a letter? Sure she was pretty enough and everything, but no thanks?! Charlie looked up to see her looking at the letter in his hands. He held back the blush that wanted to rise on his cheeks for his thoughts. He needed to stop jumping to conclusions. He did it all too often. He handed over the letter and looked at the girl expectantly.

 

[Taylor Mercer]

Taylor accepted the letter and then tied it around the owl ankle that was in front of the boy. She gave it a quick stroke then looked at the boy again. "Then you just tell the owl who they have to take it to. Smart creatures." She explained, with a small smile. "Im Taylor Mercer by the way." She stuck out her hand, hoping this boy wouldnt get angry, for extra measure she added. "I believe we got off to bad terms the first time we met." He raised an eyebrow, with a small smirk.

 

[Charlie Linus]

Charlie watched with slight fascination as the girl tied the letter to the owls ankle. Then asked him to tell the owl where to take it. This was it, his last chance to back out of sending the thing. He looked up at the girl then his eyes went back to the owl. He gave it a small scratch on the head before saying, "Lucia Linus." The owl took off as soon as he withdrew his hand. Well that was that.

Charlie looked back at the Gryffindor he had met in the Dungeons and she introduced herself. Charlie looked at her hand, he rarely touched people, he wasnt a physical contact guy. He tentively took it, thinking he would look stupid if he didnt, his eyes met hers and he slowly said, "Charlie Linus." Before snatching his hand back as though it burned. That wasnt so hard was it? His mind told him.

 

[Taylor Mercer]

Taylor watched as he said the name to the owl. Linus. Her cousins name. She could have heard it wrong, so shook her head, although introducing herself would work as a perfect plan in getting to know his name.

When he grasped her hand, he said the name. Taylor blinked, not noticing how fast he took his hand away. She looked at him and felt something inside her sting. This boy was her cousin. Her Mother's brother's son. So he was a muggleborn. Taylor couldnt help but smile, her eyes glistening. "This may sound really weird, but." Tay started, but she stopped. It would seem weird wouldnt it? She couldnt just out that they were related. Maybe she could go about this at a different angle. "Is your Dad's name Ethan Linus?" She said slowly, not sure what the boys reaction would be.

 

[Charlie Linus]

Charlie furrowed his brows at the girls expression, he looked down at his hand, wondering what was so special about it that had made her smile so much. He kept his eyes there as she said what she was about to say next would be weird. Erm. Okay? He swalllowed, not sure what to feel about her statement. The next one had his eyes shooting up to meet her eyes. How did she knew his Dad's name. He was a muggleborn and no one knew him here. Or... Did they?

"Yeah." He said slowly, looking at Taylor questioningly. "How did you know that?" He raised an eyebrow, it truly shocked him that the girl would know something like that, he definatly wanted an explanation for this one.

 

[Taylor Mercer]

Taylor's smile softened when he confirmed that his Dad was in fact Ethan Linus. "Your my cousin." She said without thinking about it, still slightly not believing it herself. She continued smiling and shook her head a little at how weird these series of events were. "I know, its weird for me too." She said, knowing the boy. Charlie. Her cousin. Would obviously find this whole situation as strange as she did. If not stranger, because he had no idea how they came to be related.

 

[Charlie Linus]

"Im your what?" He said furrowering his eyebrows, if possible more than they already were. "You cant be serious." He said shaking his head. It didnt make any sense. His Mother had one sister, but his Dad didnt have any siblings. She couldnt possibly be. "Your obviously wrong." He said as if he was 100% sure he was right, he looked at Taylor seriously, his eyes alone demanding her to tell him what was going on.

 

[Taylor Mercer]

Taylor looked at Charlie seriously this time. "Im serious. Unless my Mum is lying to me. And with something like this, I dont think she would somehow." She raised her eyebrows in warning that he shouldnt accuse her of being wrong. She sighed, "Come on." She started, gesturing with her hand to one of the benches at the other side of the Owlery. "I think I have a lot of explaining to do." She smiled, before they both took a seat and Taylor gave Charlie the story that Taylor herself wished she didnt know.