Friendly Advice

[Jacob Kingsley]

Jacob bounced from foot to foot for a moments as he wondered what to do. His original plan had been to just wait until Tristan came out, but now that he was actually here, Jacob realized that could take forever. Or Tristan could not even be inside. Jacob wasn't sure what he would do if that was the case. He really needed to speak to someone, and he knew it had to be Tristan. This wasn't the kind of thing he'd speak to his mother about. She'd awww him to death. And Jemma hadn't been around much lately. And his brother wasn't even around though he wasn't sure if he'd have gone to him if he was. And Jacob didn't like talking to his dad about this kind of thing. He always felt really weird when he did. Tristan was who he needed to speak to.

On that thought, Jacob tapped a passing Hufflepuff on the shoulder. When the student turned around, Jacob was silent for a second before quietly asking if they could see if Tristan was inside for him. "Tristan Collins" He emphasized, not knowing if there was another in the house. He gave the student his nicest smile and was happy when they entered. Now all he could do was wait and hope Tristan was there. He took his wand out and levitated a piece of paper beside him while he waited.

 

[Tristan Collins]

Being in his fifth year was very interesting for Tristan. The OWLs at the end of the year didn't intimidate him, but he knew he had to prepare for them. There was no reason to take it easy even though his exams were still months away, as he knew they would cover much more information than his regular exams did. So he had decided to study for a few hours in the common room. It wasn't his favorite place, but it was at least relatively quiet and had a limited amount of people inside. He didn't feel like talking to Hayley Elridge about politics if she happened to pass by him, not did he really want to see October today. He still had to think of a way to ask her to the ball, and it was making him nervous.

He was going over his Transfiguration notes, trying to remember what they had covered in third year, when someone came up to him to tell him someone was waiting outside the common room. Startled, Tristan's hopes immediately went up. Was it October? If it was, he definitely needed to do his hair better. But as he asked for details, the person outside the common room was described as a younger boy with glasses. He realized quickly it was Jacob Kingsley, who wasn't someone he could turn away. With a sigh, he thanked the Hufflepuff that came to get him before making his way out of the common room. He spotted the boy quickly and gave him a smile, watching him levitate some paper. "Are you here to deliver a note to me?" He asked with some amusement in his voice as he gestured to the piece of paper.

 

[Jacob Kingsley]

Even though Jacob had been waiting for him, when he heard Tristan's voice, he was a bit startled. With his concentration broken, the balled up paper dropped to the floor. His heart thumped loudly in his chest, though it wasn't entirely because of that. The twelve year old shook his head. "Nope, not unless you're missing a quarter of an Astronomy essay" he smiled. He'd glanced at the balled up paper, someone's essay on black holes. Jacob was glad that he could count on someone when he didn't have very many people he could count on anymore. His brother was countries away. Zennon was probably busy hanging out with Analei, he hadn't seen the guy in ages. Jemma was never around either.

"I didn't interrupt anything, right?" the younger boy said, a bit anxiously. He did need help, but he didn't want Tristan to think he was a bother. He wanted Tristan to like him, to consider him a friend in spite of their age difference. Jacob stowed his wand in his pocket while he waited.

 

[Tristan Collins]

Tristan looked at the boy curiously, laughing at his response to his comment. "Not unless its a few years old." He said with a slight shake of his head. He had never regretted dropping that particular subject as soon as he could. He didn't say so out loud in case it was Jacob's favorite subject or something. He wanted to make sure the boy really liked him, as it would possibly open up doors later on. He knew Minister Kingsley wasn't going to be minister for much longer, but he would always be a prominent name in politics.

The boy's question made Tristan's smile soften, and he quickly shook his head. "I was just revising a little, but I still have more than an entire semester until I have my OWLs. I have plenty of time." He said reassuringly. "Is anything the matter? Can I help you with anything?" He guessed the boy didn't just want to hang out. He probably had friends his own age to spend time with, and the way Jacob asked for him specifically by asking another Hufflepuff made it seem urgent.

 

[Jacob Kingsley]

Jacob almost forgot that Tristan actually cared about his grades. He'd tutored Jacob though, so it was silly to forget. He figured he wouldn't hold it against his older friend. It wasn't that Jacob didn't care about his grades; he had no choice but to with the parents he had. But his priorities were a little different. Shaking his head at the first question, Jacob glanced around. Although it wasn't overly crowded, there were enough people coming and going that he was a little uneasy speaking with Tristan here. "I need lots of help" Jacob finally groaned. Life as a twelve year was complicated. He didn't know why no one had told him that. He looked around again, hoping everyone was too distracted to care about what he was saying. "I need" he began and then blurted out, "how do you know if you've been on a date?"

 

[Tristan Collins]

Jacob shook his head in response to Tristan's questions, which didn't really tell him much. He watched him, waiting patiently for some sort of explanation. His eyebrows raised slightly when the younger boy said he needed lots of help. Tristan wondered what that meant, and if it was help he would be able to provide. He remembered the questions the boy had had for him during their tutoring session last year, questions about his relationship with Kauri. Maybe this would be along those lines? He was quickly proven right as the boy blurted out a question that made Tristan laugh despite himself, though he quickly stifled it. He didn't mean to laugh at the boy, but it was a little funny. He tried to recover by turning his expression more serious as he looked at him. "Is that question one of those many things I can help you with? I'm afraid I'm no expert on dating, but I can see if I can help." He paused, thinking back. "In my experience, a date happens when one person asks another person on a date, and they go. Did that happen? I might need more context to help you out here."

 

[Jacob Kingsley]

Jacob scowled as Tristan laughed. It was how he would have expected Noah to respond if he was still around. He was twelve for Merlin's sake, and he often wondered when everyone else would realize he wasn't a little boy anymore. He was almost a man like Link and Uncle Carter and his dad. Jacob also needed quidditch help, but he had Lizzie for that, and when he needed school help, he had a lot of people to ask. Jacob had never taken stock of how many people he had to help him. It was kind of nice. Giving a firm nod to Tristan, Jacob waited, trying to seem not overly enthusiastic for the older guy's reply. Tristan was cool, and he needed him to think of Jacob as cool too.

As he listened. Jacob deflated slightly. He knew Onyx hadn't used the word 'date,' but he had asked him to hang out and they had. Jacob shrugged his shoulders. "I dunno. We went to Brightstone to 'hang out '..." he trailed off. He knew that more information would help Tristan help him. "Ok, so if I want to ask someone on a date to say the Yule ball, I should definitely use the word date when I ask?" If he could, Jacob would have taken out a notebook to take some notes on all of this. It was all so confusing. But Tristan seemed to have it all down.

 

[Tristan Collins]

Tristan realized he had made a mistake in laughing when he saw Jacob's face. He remembered being the same age and how he hated not being taken seriously. Quickly, he decided to make sure he fixed it. "Sorry, I shouldn't laugh. I know it's not easy. It was just an unexpected question." He said, giving him a slight smile. "I'm flattered you think I can help you, though, and I'll definitely try my best." He really was, and he would do his best to give good advice.

When the boy described they had gone to Brightstone to hang out, Tristan considered it for a moment. "It's tricky, because it can be a date to go to Brightstone together. Especially if it was just the two of you. Did it feel different than hanging out with any of your other friends?" He asked, though he supposed it did. Otherwise the boy probably wouldn't have asked him about dates. He cracked a smile as the boy asked him about the yule ball. Jacob was on this track early. Tristan's first date to the yule ball had been Jessica back in third year. He hadn't thought back to that in ages. "I think asking to the yule ball implies it a little, but if you want to be absolutely sure you're on the same line you should probably slip the word date in somewhere to be safe." He said with a small nod. "I think the slight embarrassment it might make you feel to use the word is worth it. You're avoiding the risk of having a totally different understanding of the situation as the other person." Tristan tended to calculate the risk and benefit of most interactions, though he didn't usually let anyone know he thought about it that way. It could come across as cold, despite the fact that it was simply logic. He knew he would use the word 'date' for sure when he asked October to avoid any misunderstandings. "Do you like this person? Would I know them?" He asked Jacob. He couldn't help being a little curious about the situation, even though he hardly knew any of the other younger students and doubted he knew this kid. "I think it's pretty brave of you to want to ask them to the ball, I definitely didn't have that courage yet at your age." He said kindly, smiling slightly. "And I'm still mustering up the courage to ask the person I want to ask. Though I think I'll ask her soon." He nudged Jacob slightly, teasing him the way he imagined teasing a little brother. "Can't let you beat me when it comes to romance."

 

[Jacob Kingsley]

Jacob nodded his head, acknowledging the apology but mostly eager for the older boy's reply to his question. He wasn't really mad anyway, just annoyed as he was whenever someone treated him like a baby. Listening to Tristan, Jacob tried to think back to the day in Brightstone, trying to figure out if it felt any different from when he hung out with other friends. It was definitely different from hanging out with any of his female friends but wasn't so different from when he hung out with Zennon. Jacob wasn't sure what to do with that.

As Tristan continued, Jacob listened with his gaze mostly on the ground. This was still an embarrassing topic to talk about even if he was the one who had brought it up. The Gryffindor was pretty scared about this all, wondering what he would do if he asked and the guy said no or worse. Because there was definitely worse that could happen. Jacob nodded his head slightly, looking back up at Tristan as he explained why he suggested for Jacob to mention the word date. It made a lot of sense to the second year boy.

Jacob had been expecting Tristan to dig a little more and he blushed slightly. "I guess so" he said slowly, a small shrug. The second year was so new to all of this that he could only assume he liked the guy. A second shrug followed the first. Jacob wasn't sure if Tristan knew Onyx at all, but he didn't want to say his name aloud just in case he did and Jacob didn't manage to work up the nerve to ask. He was supposed to be a Gryffindor but there was the chance he was going to be a coward about this. Hearing that Tristan was in a similar boat made Jacob feel a little better though at the same time made him feel even more apprehensive. If even Tristan, who was one of the coolest guys in school, was nervous about asking someone to the Yule Ball, that meant that this wasn't ever going to get easier. "Is it ok if I tell you after I ask?" If I ask he added silently, wondering if Tristan would be mad at him for not giving him a name.

 

[Tristan Collins]

Tristan really wasn't sure how much he could help Jacob, though he knew he would try. First crushes were strange, and definitely hard to understand. Tristan himself had crushed on Ares back in the day, and then on Jessica. Not to mention Vivian. It hadn't been a big shock to him that he liked both boys and girls, but it had taken a bit of adjusting. He remembered how Jacob had asked him about Kauri specifically last year. He had wondered ever since if he was in a similar situation, though he hadn't felt it necessary to ask directly. Whether the person Jacob liked was a boy or a girl was Jacob's business alone. But if he had helped the boy with any confusion on that front he would be happy, as he knew there weren't many boys openly out at Hogwarts. Himself, Vivian and Ares were the only ones he could think of off the top of his head.

He could tell Jacob was a little embarrassed, but decided to keep talking as if he didn't notice. He had already laughed at a moment he shouldn't have, so there was no reason to make Jacob feel worse. "I know it's not easy to figure all that stuff out, especially when you're just starting to like people for the first time." He said gently. "It's okay to need some time to get used to it all, I bet the other person is probably in the same boat." He smiled slightly. "Of course it's okay, I'll be happy to hear about it." He was curious who Jacob was trying to ask, but noticed the boy avoiding naming anything specific about the person. He wasn't going to push. Perhaps he would see Jacob with someone at the ball and his question would be answered. Either way, he wasn't going to wonder about it too much. "I hope I helped in any way. Do you have other questions?" He said, wondering if there was more he could do for Jacob.

 

[Jacob Kingsley]

Jacob was glad when Tristan didn't seem to be mad about him not giving a name. It wasn't so much about who he was going to ask. It was more about the fear of rejection and the embarrassment of that. Jacob couldn't imagine having Tristan ask him about Onyx and having to explain that he'd said no or, worse, that Jacob had completely been mistaken in Onyx's interest. It wasn't like the second year had a whole lot of experience, or any, to go off of. Nope, this was just a few months of watching other people and a lot of talks with Merlin he was going by.

As Tristan asked if he had other questions, Jacob lost laughed. He had a million of them! But for today, he would keep the rest to himself and probably for someone else. He couldn't ask Tristan any stupid questions and he had a feeling most of the ones he had were. "No. Thanks Tristan. That really helped" he said with a smile. "I'll let you go back to studying now. Ok, bye! Thanks again!" he said.

 

[Tristan Collins]

Despite the fact that he had other things to do, Tristan was a little sad to hear he couldn't help Jacob in any other way. He figured it was best to get as many favors in as he could, though it would obviously look strange if he pushed the issue. Instead, he playfully ruffled the boy's hair. "Let me know how it goes. Good luck." He said, nodding at him. "I'm sure you can do this." He sighed softly, glancing back at the common room. "I suppose studying awaits, indeed. I'll see you around." He gave the boy a parting smile before making his way back to the common room. He didn't actually care that much about the outcome of what the boy had planned, but it was best to let Jacob think he did. It was never bad to seem invested, that much he knew. Perhaps he would see the boy at the ball.