Closed Cocoa, chats and chocolate chip cookies.

[Linden Kinnek]

Linden stood and watched Casper walk towards the castle. What had he done. How has he let himself that close to loosing his grip. A heartbreak and some kind words and he had almost messed up. Big time messed up. He couldn’t use cas like that. He couldn’t hurt Casper like that.

He turned around scanned the grounds. He had given himself the harder job. Trying to find a sixth year was a bigger task than making cocoa. There was no sign of his sisters striking blonde hair so he headed inside. If he was a sixth year transfer where would he hide? He started scouting out places. Not the courtyard or the great hall. Not the library. But ahh there she was lounging in The lounge. He flopped down on the sofa next to her lifting her feet before he squished them letting them fall back in place across his lap. how’s my little sister going today? he said want to join me and cas for hot chocolate? he asked.

 

[Tara Hawthorne]

Tara was just relaxing, reading a good book Briar had given her, when she felt her feet being lifted up. She looked up, shutting her book with her finger as a bookmark, and gave Linden a smirk. "She's caught up in this book, thank you," She teased him. The book was quickly forgotten, however, when he mentioned chocolate. And Casper. "Whoa whoa whoa, Casper? The Casper? Moody broody artist boy who will most likely steal your cat?" Tara's smirk grew bigger. "And hot chocolate? You're buttering me up for something," She teased him.

 

[Linden Kinnek]

linden chuckled as tara said that she was caught up in a book. "I know how much more appealing a book might be to spending time with me. but I can make it worth it" he teased. before he asked if she wanted hot chocolate with him and Cas
It seemed that he was right and both him and hot chocolate were just the bonus and tara was more than excited enough just by the prospect of seeing casper. He could feel his ears reddening as she described him. especially after the conversation, and hug they had just had. he had been glad for a few minutes to get himself back in check. beforehand but he couldn't allow himself to think or act like that around cas again. unfortunately the way she had described him was just so. he wasn't sure how to categorise it, so casper, so emotional or so over the top, but so true, there were already feelings behind it. and it dawned on him that the only tings she knew about casper was through him. "he has basically already stolen my cat. but yes the one and only casper becket." he said in response. "He is making it as we speak. he ran into me in the grounds and we started talking. then got cold and thought you may like to join us" he said. not sure if cas was actually making right now or of he had taken too long and it was already done and waiting or if like him cas had wanted a few minutes alone except for cas it would be to prepare for meeting his sister and for him it was to settle his emotions and to remind himself why he couldn't let himself that close to loosing his control again.

 

[Tara Hawthorne]

Tara raised a brow, studying Lindens face, when the sudden realization dawned on her. "Oh my god, you like him!" She blurted, before letting out a laugh. "Linden," She teased him. She shifted and stood up, offering her hand out to her brother. "I won't tell him," She gave him a playful wink. "Now come on, I want that hot chocolate. That sounds absolutely heavenly right now." She smiled widely, her mouth already watering at the thought.

 

[Linden Kinnek]

linden could see a look spreading over Taras face. a look that he was sure spelled trouble. he rolled his eyes as she spoke. "of course I like him. he is my best friend. I wouldn't be best friends with someone I don't like" he said as he gave her a hand up. though he had picked up on the meaning of like that tara had meant. but the truth was he couldn't like cas the way she implied despite the moment from just before. he put his head in his free hand and shook his head as tara continued to tease him. "God tara why do I take you anywhere. it's a good job I like you now come on this way" he teased. as he lead her out of the lounge and towards the arts room.

 

[Tara Hawthorne]

Tara rolled her eyes. "Oh please you can lie to someone else, Linny bear, I know better," She followed after him. "But we can argue later. The more pressing issue in that statement was 'like'. Like? You know you love me," She laughed, knocking his hip with hers. She was sashaying beside him, absolutely stoked by the thought of hot chocolate. "So, what brought this on?" She asked as they drew nearer to the arts room. "Casper wanting to show off some new painting he's done or something?"

 

[Casper Kinnek]

Casper took his time walking back to the castle and to the kitchens, trying to force himself back into place. He'd been noticing Linden more since the pet shop. It annoyed him to no end. He'd already gotten rid of these feelings once, he didn't like that they'd resurfaced. Linden had spent years pushing it into Caspers head- they were just friends. Casper knew that there was absolutely no way Linden would ever even give him a second glance, much less want a relationship.

By the time he'd gathered the hot chocolate, Casper was certain he'd forced everything back to how it should be, and nerves over meeting Tara had officially taken over. In an effort to calm himself, he'd taken to painting a swirling design on the leg of his jeans. He was focused on that, the plate of cookies and the three cups of cocoa on the table in front of him.

 

[Linden Kinnek]

Linden rolled his eyes "you suck at nicknames tar" he said. "and I am not lying so we have nothing to argue about but you are right.ex oh, ex oh I know I love you" he said as she squeezed past him on their way long the corridor. "I told you we were talking outside and got cold. so we thought hot chocolate would be a good way to warm up. and it means I finally get to introduce the two of you" he said. leaving out the slightly uncomfortable part or the maybe too comfortable hug. she didn't need to know about those. and he certainly wasn't the one who should tell her about Caspers family discovery.
as they reached the ground floor he was starting to get a little nervous. could he look cas straight in the eyes. would he tell tara what he knew. how would tara take it.
they reached the art room and he paused at the door knocking before slowly opening it. which was maybe not the usual way of entering a club room but no matter what cas had said this felt like cas's space. "Hey cas" he said hoping that he sounded casual enough. "this is tara. Tara this is casper who I have been telling you about" he said. as his eyes drifted around the room at the artworks lining the walls. large landscapes some with forgotten buildings and others just magical wilderness they were awesome.

 

[Tara Hawthorne]

Tara slid casually past Linden, grabbing a chair and pulling it up super close to Casper. "So!" She smiled wickedly. "You're Casper. Linden's told me soooo much about you." She shot Linden a sly wink. "He's told me more about you than he did about that emo badger." She giggled, leaning her elbow on the table and propping her chin in her hand.

 

[Casper Kinnek]

Casper thought he was ready for Linden to come back with Tara, but he was absolutely not. He looked up with wide eyes when the two of them entered the room, his heart twisting in his chest. He couldn't even decide who it was that made his heart twist. He hesitated as Tara sat much closer than he'd been expecting, blinking a few times and stammering at her words. "I- what- emo badger?" He looked to Linden. Was she talking about Lucas? Why would Linden talk to Tara about him at all, much less even more than Linden had talked about his then boyfriend.

Cas was abruptly and very easily overwhelmed. Tara was real, too real. He couldn't tell her. He couldn't talk to her. He couldn't breath. He needed to get out. "I- I forgot I have to- paints- dorm- I'm an idiot, heh, sorry," He apologized quickly to Tara, hoping to his feet. "Theres- drinks- enjoy," He stuttered, and strode quickly back towards the door, trying to slip past Linden. "I can't- I gotta go, I'm sorry," He whispered to Linden, panic clear in his voice.

 

[Linden Kinnek]

lin paused and watched the scene unfold. tara getting very close to cas. he looked between them. now they were together you could see some similarities between them. other than the blonde hair they weren't overly noticeable. but they were there. he had been too caught up in this to hear what they were saying at least until the questioning tone caught his attention. "Yeah tara likes to make ridiculous nicknames for everyone. emo- badger is l-well I am sure you can work it out" he said not wanting to Bring Lucas' name into this space and meeting like a bad charm. Tar. maybe give cas a bit of spa- he started but before he could finish the ce cas was on his feet making a beeline to wards him, no past him.
despite his embarrassment on the team linden was a keeper and thus fairly good at stopping things getting past him if he wanted to. and the arts room had only one door that cas could get out of. he put his hands on cas' upper arms keeping him at arms length but rubbing his thumb slightly like how he had found so calming not trusting himself to hold him anywhere else he looked him in the eye trying hard not to think of before. "Come on cas. paints in the dorm or whatever can wait." he said softly. "this is tara. and she has been looking forward to seeing you all break, actually probably for over a year. since she was dragged to help find you like a week after she moved in" he said. quietly hoping that only cas would be able to hear him. "you've got this. I know you do" he said giving him a small push to encourage him back into the room.

 

[Casper Kinnek]

Casper stopped as Linden grabbed his arms, looking to the boy with shimmering blue eyes. "Lin, I can't." He managed, fear twisting his voice. "I- I can't even get a date, my parents tossed me out, my family barely sees me, I can't- she has you, she's fine- I'm nothing, she- she-" Cas shook his head and tried to wiggle away, his heart twisting painfully in his chest. He was going to be sick, he couldn't breath, he needed to get out.

 

[Linden Kinnek]

linden looked cas in the eyes. they were damp with tears he looked almost petrified. "you can cas. I have faith in you" he said. squeezing slightly. "she, she, has also lost families over the years. and a lot more too. she has us now, my little sister which won't change. but I have spent the last three months talking up my best friend. the awesome artist. one of the best people I know, don't let me down, don't let yourself down. she has been excited to meet you, and probably thinks of you as a second big brother already," he said the conversation from earlier echoing in his mind. was this just pretty words. he meant it. but that didn't mean it was not just words to him. "I'm here, I've got you, I'm not letting go. no mater what. you've got this"

 

[Casper Kinnek]

Casper hesitated. He was scared. He didn't know how Tara would react. How he should tell her. Unthinkingly, his hands came up to cover Lindens, holding on a lot tighter than he probably needed to. He drew in a shaky breath, tears slipping out. He shut his eyes, and pulled a bit away. He kept one of Lindens hands. "Tara?" He asked, peeking up at her through her hair.

"U-um... I... Lin... Probably told you I'm adopted? D-did um... He mention I met my birth mother recently?" He squeaked, squeezing Lindens hand and clearing his throat. "U-um... It... It turns out.... I have siblings. An older brother, Basil. A-and... Two younger sisters. They- we're really young when our dad died and we were taken... U-um... The youngest, Maisie Morvay, s-she.... Goes to school here." Casper was trying hard not to panic, and he stepped back, looking to Linden with fear in his eyes.

 

[Linden Kinnek]

linden felt casper inflate as he took in a deep breath. he let his grip drop as cas pulled away keeping hold of his one hand and giving it a squeeze. if cas needed that support for the he wasn't going to complain even if he maybe felt a little guilty for enjoying the closeness. he glanced at tara as cas said her name. she looked uneasy. but then he figured she was in an odd situation. he had brought her down here with the promise of hot chocolate and meeting his best friend. and it was here but cas had freaked out, and he could agree that their conversation would have looked weird from the outside even if it was normal for them.
Linden looked between cas and tara. trying to gauge their reactions. he somehow hadn't expected cas to be quite so direct at delving into his life story. he looked back nervously to his sister. hoping she was okay and not too confused or intimidated. he returned Caspers squeeze and then reached out towards tara in case she needed a hand to hold or an arm around her shoulders. he was so proud of casper for doing this. he probably would have chickened out if the roles were reversed. but cas knew himself better than he let on and was never going to stop surprising him or ever let him down despite what he had said before. he just sometimes needed a little encouragement.

 

[Tara Hawthorne]

Tara was surprised, both by Caspers sudden reaction and the conversation the boys seemed to be having. She glanced nervously at her brother. When he held open his arm, she walked over, nestling in under it and looking to Cas with curious eyes. The way he was acting... her mind was racing. "Wait... am I your other sister?" Her eyes lit up as she looked between the boys. "That's why you're so nervous!" She clapped, pleased. "This is awesome! You!" She reached out and grabbed Caspers' arm. "Come on. And you!" She reached back to steal Lindens hand too, moving back to the table. She sat down and picked up her cocoa. "Now then. Go on." She motioned for Casper to talk.

 

[Casper Kinnek]

Casper stuttered, blushing furiously as Tara beat him to the punch, grabbing his hand and pulling him to the table. He hesitated and sat down, his heart thundering in his chest. He felt shy, and he couldn't help but blush. "I- um-" He bit his lip, rubbing the back of his neck and glancing to Linden. "I... I don't know what to say," He stuttered.

 

[Linden Kinnek]

Lin wasn't sure how tara was going take the story cas was weaving. he was telling it almost as though he was avoiding the main point. or maybe he was just not sure how to say the words out loud. but it seemed like when they ad been joking about brains brawn and beauty he had been right assigning her the brains. she clocked on quicker than he had expected. and by the look of it quicker than cas had expected. the poor boy looked stunned and short of words. he was just glad that tara being the girl she was took it in stride. probably the most sure of what to do in that moment of the three of them taking both of their hands and leading them in a slightly disorganised circle to the table, cas just seemed stunned and he, well he felt a bit like he was stepping into someone else's moment even so he felt his heart glow with love for them both. his brother and sister, his family. two of the people he felt most at home with. "you did great." he said quietly to cas as they settled down on seats. he took a drink of his hot chocolate it was delicious sweet and warm and rich. a smile playing on his lips as he put the cup down. "It is so good to have you both together. my brother and sister. my tara and my cas" he said. wrapping his hands around the mug feeling the warmth he wanted to be getting from wrapping his arms around them both. he was just so proud of them. he looked at tara. "now we don't need to argue or decide. you are the brains. I am brawn. and we have the final answer as to who is the beauty" he said. gesturing to cas with his head trying to suppress blush and grin that was playing across his face.

 

[Casper Kinnek]

Casper picked up his hot chocolate, cradling the cup. He peeked at Linden, a flash of disappointment twisting in his gut. Right. Brother. It's all in your head. Like it always in. Stay in your place, Casper, don't let yourself get carried away. You're going to break your heart again. He scolded himself, taking a sip of the drink. He nearly choked on it though, as Linden spoke again. Cas spluttered on his drink, setting it down again and coughing a moment. "What the hell are you two arguing about?" He asked, a bit flushed as he tried to catch his breath.

 

[Tara Hawthorne]

Tara smiled, sipping on her cocoa before picking up a biscuit. "Why don't you tell me what you know," she offered. She looked to Linden and rolled her eyes playfully as he said they didn't need to argue, before looking back to Cas as he spluttered. She raised a brow. Well, that was an interesting reaction. She sipped her cocoa again. "You alright there, Cas?"

 

[Linden Kinnek]

linden stuck his tongue out as tara rolled her eyes. she wasn't disagreeing. he turned around at the sound of a cough and a splutter from cas. he looked around to see cas coughing infant of a cocoa puddle. "are you okay there cas? it's not meant to be inhaled" he said hitting him on the back.
at Caspers question he once again bit back a smile before talking. "we were talking a while ago Over the break. and tara said she was the brains and I said I was the brawn. but we couldn't decide which of us was also the beauty. now it turns out neither of us are. as it is obviously you" he said. looking around the room for some kind of tissue or cloth to wipe up the spill with.

 

[Casper Kinnek]

Casper was quick to catch his breath, shooting Linden an almost scolding look. "Linden, I am too gay for you to be saying things like that. " He took out his wand and cleaned up his mess, before leaning back in his chair and looking at Tara. "That's a broad question. Why don't you just tell me what you want to know?"

 

[Linden Kinnek]

linden bit his lip at Caspers comment. glancing from him to tara to try and get a read on her expression in any way. before looking back at cas and his big blue eyes. "Yeah, and I am just as gay as you are. and you are the best looking one here. Um Sorry tara, you are not really my type so I may be bias" he said. but it wasn't just Caspers classsic good looks. he was beauty because that is what he saw in the world. his art was a testament to that. glancing back at tara at the end. not that her ever being his type had ever been a question. maybe it was one of the things that made it easy between them.
he relaxed back down as the conversation changed back to their family not even realising that he had gotten so tense. he took a sip of the chocolaty goodness of the hit chocolate and listened as his family's family story was uncovered.

 

[Tara Hawthorne]

Tara looked between the boys, her brow raised. Was that... tension she spotted? She decided to let it lie for now and chuckled at Lindens joke. "Now now, we both know I could do better than you." She teased him, sipping her cocoa, before turning to Casper. "You know, Cas, it makes sense. I only remember being with the one family, but they gave me up when things went sideways. I'm glad I wasn't actually theirs." She smiled. "You said we have other siblings?"

 

[Casper Kinnek]

Casper was going to die. He was bright red, he knew it, but he had no idea what to say. So instead, he just reached over and smacked Linden upside the head before returning to his drink. He turned his attention to Tara, grimacing at her words. "Ugh, I know that feeling. I bounced through about four different homes before I was adopted. Unfortunately for me though, it wasn't by the Cullens. They kicked me out for being an artist." He shrugged like it was no big deal, sipping his drink. "And we do, yeah. An older brother named Basil, he's a Quidditch Player professionally for Germany. And a baby sister. Maisie. I haven't told her yet, I don't know if she knows she's adopted," He admitted, rubbing the back of his neck.