Down Time

[Dante Vittori]

Dante never liked the hussle and bustle of breakfast. All four tables were filled with people and it was just too much for him to handle. The only decent thing he had found there was his library companion, a fellow Ravenclaw. Dante was still not entirely sure of his name, as he had never asked. In fact, Dante had not spoken a single word to him. Ever. Was that odd? He doubted it. He barely spoke to his siblings and parents. He dind't speak to students unless he had to correct they were being an irritation, and he only spoke when asked a question by a professor. If Dante did not talk to you, but remained in your company and occasionally looked at you, he rather liked you. It was when he spoke that there was usually something wrong. The pure blood had never started a conversation. He only ever attempted at continuing one. He frowned a little. To his memory, he only recalled one time that he actually attempted to continue a conversation, but after a few minutes, he had grown bored and the novelty of talk wore off. He followed his arm and looked at his fellow Ravenclaw. He was not holding his wrist, he was holding the sleeve. Dante had quickly realised that his companion did not like any unnessesary touching. Nor did Dante. However, a sleeve was not a wrist, and he wanted to make sure that they did not split up down here. These dungeons were rather unforgiving to those who lost their way.

Dante opened the door to the kitchens and led his companion through the door. He gestured around the kitchen, which had a few house elves inside. Dante knew them quite well, considering if he ate breakfast it would be down here. He moved to the fridge and began to gather ingredients to begin cooking something. He had no idea what he was going to make, but everything was here. He was grateful for the fact that the school accounted for the lack of magic that could be used. Making a meal with magic was something Dante was not capable of. He was too young and too inexperienced. He then turned to his Ravenclaw companion and decided that it was time they actually learn each others names. Even if he really liked the silence they had previously shared, even Dante appreciated knowing the names of people. He felt a little weird right now. He was going to start a conversation, even if it was just an introduction, it was still difficult for him to think up the right words. Then there was the fact that he was going to be using his voice, which was rarely used. He spoke softly, but made sure that his companion would at least hear him. "I am Dante." His accent revealed the fact that he was Italian. It was strange to hear his own voice, was it strange to consider ones own voice foreign? Even after three words, Dante was ready to never speak again. Talking and upholding a conversation was quite difficulted for the unpractised.
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[Raziel Kim]

Early mornings were probably the hardest time for Raziel Kim. It was not entirely because he found it hard to wake up, though it was mostly the case, rather, it was because mornings were probably the noisiest time of the day in the castle. Every morning, as soon as he opened his eyes, he would be met with the scene of his roommates hurrying to get themselves dressed and head to the great hall where their breakfast would be served. That was another thing that he did not like at all. The Great hall would always be filled by chattering students, most of them in groups. It actually reminded him of one of his sister's stories. Japanese lunch time rush, was it? Though technically, it was not lunch time now. Would it be Hogwarts Breakfast time rush then? That was too long.

He would not usually mind the people around him and just eat in silence. In fact, he would usually find it entertaining to observe them should he have nothing to do and there was nothing else to occupy him. He could block out the noise if he tried, that is, of course, until someone would bother him. He would not mind sharing a table with another person, he did not own the place, but what the Ravenclaw did mind was if said companion would attempt to make small talk with him. He was not rude though; he was far from being rude. He just did not like wasting his energy trying to catch up with what they were talking about. Talking was a really tiring activity. He did not understand how these people could chatter so much. Were they not getting tired? He surely would. Their tongues must be loose from too much talking.

Raziel's eyes traveled down to the hand that was currently leading him by his sleeves. To that he was quite grateful. He found it quite uncomfortable to be in close physical contact with someone. Though, they were still in close contact, at least, they were not touching. The blond did not fully understand how he arrived in this situation. He remembered having to endure the noise in the Great hall, his hands covering his ears as he stared at his own untouched food. They had bacon today, which made the already quite horrible day for the Ravenclaw worse. He had nothing against bacons; at least, he used to be alright with them. However, when his overly active mind pondered about it and when he took into consideration that bacon contained bacteria and other fat-laden nutritional contents, both of which could potentially lead to sickness and death, bacon wasn't worth eating anymore. He should probably thank this boy for saving him from the nightmarish place. However, he should also probably tell the smaller that he did not appreciate where they were going. He did not like the dungeons that much. They were confusing and extremely dark for his liking. Raziel was not good with directions. Though he had been a student there for an entire three years, he would probably get lost should he try to travel this seemingly endless labyrinth. Sure, he liked the silence there, but he did not like being too deep in the ground too.

The Ravenclaw stumbled quite a bit as he tried to match the younger's pace. He stopped when the younger did and what he saw greatly amazed him, though such amazement failed to show in his still impassive face. They were in the kitchen. Raziel had never been here before. Should they have bacon for breakfast and there were no other foods to choose from, he would just settle with eating his chocolate bars. Chocolates and sweets were quite deadly too. But at least, he would die a peaceful and satisfying death. He loved chocolates. He even asked Briar, just to make sure about it, whether chocolates would be bad for him the same way that it was bad for canines. He was not given an absolute answer, but he decided that he loved sweets and chocolates too much to give up on it.

Raziel stood motionless on the spot where the smaller boy left him. His eyes were following the younger's movement as the other went to what appeared to be a fridge to gather what he assumed where ingredients for whatever it was that he wanted to prepare. Raziel had never been good in the kitchen. Or rather, it was more like he never needed to cook for himself before. Unconsciously, he reached for a lock of his blondish hair and twirled it on his index finger. Today, he managed to tie his shoulder length hair into a low ponytail. It was messy, but at least, it prevented his hair from getting to his eyes and covering his face. Raziel just stared at the smaller boy. It was then that his companion of sorts began to speak. His voice was soft and it sounded really strange to the Ravenclaw's ears. Perhaps it was because of the distinct way that he pronounced the words. Perhaps it was because he rarely meets someone who speaks this way. A lot of people he had encountered so far seemed to think that they needed to yell for them to be understood. Again, Conan did not count. Conan was always an exception. The yellow boy was tolerable.

The Ravenlaw contemplated whether he was supposed to answer or not. The boy did not raise a question. Raziel rarely did talk unless he had been asked something. But then, the boy just stated his name. It would be rude not to state his name too, would it not? Though he had been told time and time again not to randomly share any information to any stranger. The smaller boy was not a stranger was he? He was that interesting boy from the library. He rather found him amusing. He was different. "Raziel." His own name sounded foreign to him. How long had it been since he had introduced himself to someone? The Ravenclaw then reached for his pocket and pulled what seemed to be some sort of candy and offered it to the boy, palm upwards. He rarely shares his sweets to anyone, if he did; it only meant that said person was someone that he quite favoured. ​

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[Dante Vittori]

Although rather patient, Dante didn't like having to wait during conversation. He was never sure if he was doing something right or not, and if the other person took a while to reply, his thoughts would get the best of him. So, Dante returned to work, but made sure to keep his eye on the other Ravenclaw, just in case he did reply. Dante wasn't exactly expecting, or wishing the other boy to drum up conversation. If he wanted that, he'd just go find some random first year and ask them about their day. Dante decided to begin making his breakfast. He had yet to decide what exactly it was he was making. It was probably going to be a sandwich of some sort. Dante did not want to have to actually cook anything. At home, he was quite confident with cooking all sorts of things, but this was school, and it was only breakfast. He was not going to try too hard just to make a simple meal that will carry him throughout the day. He looked at his companion of sorts when he spoke. Raziel? An interesting name. Dante had never heard of one like it before. Then again, he lived a rather sheltered life. It could be a very popular name, for all the Italian knew. Maybe it was his own name that was foreign? His voice and accent were certainly foreign, why not his name as well? He nodded in response to the boy. Just to let him know that he had heard hi. Dante did not need his companion to be repeating himself, the room was virtually completely soundless, there was very little chance of them failing to hear each other, if they ever began speaking again.

Dante paused when Raziel had his hand outstretched. The Ravenclaw looked at the sweet in his companions hand. Dante liked sweets, especially when he wasn't allowed to have them. His parents often tried to enforce the rule of not spoiling a meal before its time. Dante never really liked that rule. It was such a ridiculous rule. He plucked the sweet from the Ravenclaw's palm and nodded in thanks. It tasted quite nice, and he was sure that it would most certainly not spoil his breakfast, unless Raziel decided to give him a handful more. It he did that, Dante would probably be on a sugar rush by first period, which probably wouldn't be good for the cool, calm, collected boy. Sugar often threatened to make him crack a smile. He returned to making his breakfast and silently thought about Raziel would like something. Surely he would make it himself? But what if he did not? Dante could not possibly eat when someone else wasn't. He didn't like doing that. So, he decided to just make two sandwiches, well, partially. Dante made his own. It was mostly full of salad, lettuce, cucumber, carrots and other such things. He brought the ingredients to the counter and laid them out, so it would be easier for Raziel to make something if he wanted. The young boy hopped onto a stool and cut his sandwich in half, before looking back at Raziel. It was weird to know his name now. Name learning was usually the first thing done. How rather backwards this was.
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[Raziel Kim]

Raziel had never been much of a talker. He only talks when he needed to, like when he was asked a question, or when he needed something which requires the help of someone. Other than that, he didn't see the need for him to force himself to utter even a single word. It was tiring. Even just introducing himself was quite troublesome already. He had never been good with introductions. He never did know the right things to say or the right things to do. Should he bow a full ninety degree after he uttered his name? Or should he offer his hand for a handshake? He never did see anyone in the castle do the former, while the latter, that was never an option. Some people seemed to think that saying what they liked or disliked was a good way to get close to someone, however, he did not think so. His likes and dislikes, those are private things that only he himself should know unless he had been asked. If not, then why should he flaunt his preferences to other people? They are probably not interested anyway. Thus, after saying his name, the Ravenclaw did not make any indication of wanting to say anything else. Instead, he just stood there and watched as the younger boy prepared something at the counter.

Dante. Quite an interesting name. It sounded different which was not that surprising as it seemed that the castle was full of people with interesting names. Would his surname be as remarkable as well? Like that Blaze professor?

Raziel walked to the counter where the boy left the ingredients that he used for what appeared to be a sandwich. It was not that much for a meal, not that he could talk though, he only eats sweets when he does not like the food prepared at the hall. The Ravenclaw just stood there, deciding whether he should prepare something for himself as well. He had never been good with these things. What should he do with these stuffs in front of him? He had never been a fan of vegetables. He would eat them when he needed to, when his parents would force him because it was good for his health they said. He did not love it nor did he hate it.

He fumbled with the things in the counter, unsure of what to do. In the end, he decided to just pick bread and placed it awkwardly in a plate. No lettuce, tomato, or anything. Just a simple bread. That would do. Perhaps he should try and put a chocolate bar as a filling for his sandwich? Anything with sweets and chocolates would not fail to taste amazing. He the searched for a cup, checking various cupboards and shelves until finally he managed to locate a jar filled with powdered chocolate. A hot chocolate drink would be great. He also took ten sugar cubes and placed it on the same plate as the sandwich, or bread rather. After he was done, he picked the plate and cup filled and stared at the counter for a second. Should he clean them up now? Or would he let the house elves do it instead? Maybe he should just let it be in case the younger boy, or Dante, would want second servings. He decided on the latter and walked to the table.

He chose a seat that was not too far from where the younger boy was. If the boy was like anyone else, he would probably just find a place where he could be alone or just sit comfortably on the ground. But then, Dante was not like any of those students in the hall. In fact, he was greatly different from them. Just like Conan, he was tolerable. Perhaps even more. His tongue was not loose and he doesn't shout. The Ravenclaw climbed into the seat and and sat in a rather unnatural position, his legs close to his chest and his weight focused on his rear. If he would just move a little, he would most likely loose his balance and fall off the chair. That was a risk that he had to take though, he never did comfortable sitting the same way the others do. He then pulled more pieces of sweets from his robe and placed it at the table, pushing it to the center so should the boy want to have some, he could.

He stared at the boy for a few seconds, as if wondering whether he would talk again, before he turned his attention to the sugar cubes. He stacked them the same way that he would stack dice. He then stirred his still steaming drink with a licorice wand. Stirring was very important. If he didn't do that, the drink would turn out clumpy and he would have to start from scratch. Once the chocolate and water was mixed properly, one by one, he put the sugar cubes in it, making a soft noise as it made contact with the liquid. It would probably be too sweet, but then again, nothing was too sweet for the fourth year Ravenclaw. ​

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[Dante Vittori]

Dante brushed his hair out of his eyes and slouched a little on his stool. Posture was something he only upheld when he was uncomfortable. Right now, he was quite comfortable. Raziel was easy to spend time with. He didn't talk. He didn't ask questions. He didn't become bothersome. He was a great companion. Why some people liked their companions to talk confused him. It just seemed unnatural to talk too much. There was not way to measure how happy and relieved the Ravenclaw was to know that Raziel was not planning on upholding conversation with him. Unless he was somehow made to be talkative, it would probably be an awkward exchange. There was also no physical contact. This was just perfect. Dante once ran into a girl that liked to hug people. He had to force himself to not cringe and slap her away. If he had of done that, it would have just caused trouble. People here were just too much like Dante's little brother. Jasper was the cuddly type, and it just rubbed Dante the wrong way every time. Jasper was too smiley and pleasant and talkative. He did not understand the meaning and beauty of silence. He needed a permanent silencio charm cast on him. If Jasper were anything like Raziel, Dante might appreciate his existence a little more. It would probably be a bit much to wish for one of his brothers to be like Raziel, wouldn't it? He had a few of them. Maybe one day one of his siblings will actually be approachable to the young Ravenclaw. He shook his thoughts away and continued to eat his sandwich, silently watching his companion move around.

It took great restrain to not appear shocked when Dante saw all the sugar that Raziel was placing in a cup. That was a lot of sugar. If Dante had half of that, he'd be bouncing off the walls, laughing uncontrollably. Surely it was unhealthy to have so much sugar? It was quite a contrast to Dante's own breakfast. He had quite a healthy mix, while his companion had a rather unhealthy breakfast set out for him. And Dante thought he was spoiling his food for eating one sweet. Raziel just butchered his entire diet for the rest of the year. Would his fellow Ravenclaw become uncontrollably happy after having so much sugar? It was a worry that planted itself in the back at Dante's mind. He really didn't want to have to deal with that. Not today, not now, not with his new companion. Dante tentatively eyed the sweets that appeared to be offered to him. He really shouldn't. It was bad. It was really bad. The Ravenclaw knew that sweets were not for him, not too many. He had to remain quiet, because noise was an uncomfortable thing. But he could not ensure silence if he had too many sweets. Just a few shouldn't ruin the silence... right? The Ravenclaw looked away from the sweets. No. Definitely not. He wasn't going to have one and that was final. The case was settled. He was having none... okay, he was going to have one. But that was it. Just one. Just two. Two was a nice number. But four was possibly better. No, just three. Dante nodded to himself and released a quiet sigh after his third. He was going to regret that so much. Having rarely taken sweets of any sort, Dante was not very good with sugar. But it was so tasty! He buried his face behind his sandwich. He didn't want to look at his companion any longer. Not right now.
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[Raziel Kim]

Raziel absentmindedly twisted the piece of blond hair hanging slightly beneath his ear as he examined the cup in front of him. He continued to stir with the licorice wand, carefully mixing the sugar with the liquid. He was well aware of the presence of the younger boy, which was already saying something. The fact that he was aware of Dante only meant that the Ravenclaw acknowledges him. Usually, Raziel would not pay any attention to things that do not interest him. He usually would just sit around and mind his own business. He only sees what he wanted to see and hear what he wanted to hear. He was different, not because of the way that he looked or acted. He was not trying to be different. No. It was simply the way that he was. Despite his own problems, he did not act in that desperate teenage way where they would flaunt their faults for sympathy and attention. He was also not the type to act cheerful as if the world was full of flowers and sugar and everything nice, though living in a world full of sweets would not be bad at all. No. He simply stewed in his dissimilarity, simply sitting with his books and toys in his corner, whittling away at time. He was not the type to seek attention by talking and socializing. Why people felt the need to talk, he would never understand. Words tend to be misconstrued. He never did understand why some people would waste their energy just to be misinterpreted. Would it not be nice to just say what you want directly and not use thousands of words to say it? The world would be a nicer place to live in if only people would learn to value the beauty of silence and honesty.

That was why Raziel greatly appreciated Dante. It was easy to be around him. With him, he was not compelled to talk. With other people, he would always be obligated to respond which was really difficult. He was not rude. Though not evident with his lack of facial expressions, he would be greatly saddened when he had to reject someone and tell that person that he did not want to talk. What could he do though? Prolonged social interactions exhausted him. That, however, was not the case with Dante. Dante was calm. He did not talk not try to strike a conversation. He was the perfect companion.

Raziel paused for a second and looked at his companion. Dante seemed to be in deep thought but the Ravenclaw decided that whatever it was, he had no right to intervene. He was not asked for help after all. He picked the bread by its corner and took a bite. It tasted so plain. It was definitely unappetizing. Thus, he decided to resort to his other plan earlier. A chocolate filling for this bland bread would not be bad. He turned his attention to the sweets in front of him and noticed that his companion had been eating some of it. He did not mind though. He favored the boy. He could take as many as he wanted to. The Ravenclaw pulled a chocolate bar from the bunch of sweets in the center of the table and used it as filling for his sandwich. He then took a bite. Right. It tasted just right. No. That was an understatement. It tasted superb. Maybe he should have it as his breakfast starting now?

He was in the middle of eating his sandwich when he noticed his companion hide his face behind his sandwich. Normally, Raziel would not care. He was not the type to poke his nose in other people's business. However, like always, curiosity got the best of him. Was it because the sweets were bad? He could not believe that though. Every sweet was a wonderful creation. If he could, he would thank the ones who invented these wonders. Then what was it that had caused this strange behavior? Perhaps it was because he thought that Raziel did not want him to take them anymore. That was far from being true. He liked the boy. He could have them. Curious, the Ravenclaw placed his sandwich on the plate and stared at his companion. Asking what was wrong was out of the option. He could not find the right words to say, he would only end up being misunderstood. Thus, instead of asking, the Ravenclaw took the licorice wand and poked the other's sandwich three times, the number of times which he deemed to be enough to catch the other's attention. He then pushed the sweets nearer to the boy and even offered his own chocolate drink. He had not taken a sip yet so it would not be bad. Besides, he could always make another one. ​

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[Dante Vittori]

Dante's blue eyes focused on his sandwich for some time. The bread was that grainy type. Dante was not a huge fan of the grains, because they would get stuck in his teeth and take forever to remove. Dante watched curiously from behind his sandwich as his companion seemed to be moving around. What was he up to? It seemed that he was placing more sweets onto his sandwich. He was not going to overdose on sweets, was he? Could that happen? How many sweets would it take for his companion to be bouncing off the walls ecstatically? Dante returned to his hiding behind his sandwich and just observed Raziel's interesting behaviour. Dante had never met someone like him in his entire life. How could one consume so many sweets and not have some sort of negative reaction? It was astounding to say the least. Dante looked up when Raziel began to stare again and poking his sandwich. At least he was at a greater distance this time. Dante had been quite shocked in the library.

Raziel seemed to be offering Dante his sweets and even his heavily sugared up drink. It would rude if he were to push everything back, wouldn't it? He didn't want to offend Raziel. Raziel was pretty much Dante's only friend and the only person the Ravenclaw was comfortable with spending at amount of time with. The last thing he wanted to do was offend Raziel, so he slowly took another sweet popped it in his mouth. The familiar flavours occurred and he felt a sugar rush starting to form in the pit of his stomach. It appeared that if anyone was going to have a sugar rush down here, it would be Dante himself. He sipped the drink, closing his eyes in surprise. It was so sugary! It was like drinking a cup of sugar, rather than whatever the beverage was supposed to be. It was so rich, but he liked it. He sat the drink down and nodded his thanks to Raziel. At this rate, they would both be sugar eating maniacs. That didn't seem too bad.
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