He said, He said

[Raziel Kim]

Raziel Kim sat alone under a huge tree in the extravagant garden of Hogwarts. It was barely dawn and the sixth year Ravenclaw found that he couldn't sleep anymore, so he decided to head outside discreetly. While not one to break the rules for his own convenience, he does enjoy going out during the wee hours of the morning from time to time. It was at times like these that the usually populated and noisy garden was void of any people. He didn't like noise and never did like being caught in a situation where he will be forced to talk. This was the only time of the day when he could truly enjoy the nature outside the castle. Later, he knew that he had to go back inside again and bury himself in his books. Not that he minded it though. He could live forever with only books as his companion. Books wouldn't force him to talk, they could tell him lots of stories and bring him to places he knew he'd never be able to visit, but they would never force him to do things that he weren't comfortable doing. They're good companions, way better than some people he knew. He wasn't shy though, and he certainly didn't have any grudge against people. He did love to observe them from time to time and he did love to watch their reactions, but talking was another thing. Talking was a really tiring activity for him. Talking drains his already low supply of energy and he really didn't like it. That's why he tries to avoid people as much as possible, which wasn't that difficult. His classmates barely noticed him anyway, probably because of his lack or presence, or probably because he wasn't just trying. Whatever it was, he decided he did not care. He only had about two years left, and after that, he'd be returning home again. He did love the school though, and he would certainly miss some of the 'friends' that he did make. Conan was one, and the other was a Ravenclaw named Dante. Dante was very much like him. The younger valued silence just as much as he did if not even more. And for that, he appreciated the younger. With the Ravenclaw, he didn't have to worry about needing to say something. While silence might be awkward to others, for them, it was a gift.

The fifteen, almost sixteen year old, Ravenclaw stared off into the bluing abyss of the ending night skies. Surrounding him were dewed daffodils and violets. It was a shame that he didn't bring his toys to play with as he watched the sun very slowly rise from its peaks. He wasn't alone though, despite not having his toys, he did have some books with him. Perhaps he should read before heading back to the castle again. Reading would certainly take his mind off the things he didn't want to talk about. Like the coming full moon for example. He frowned as he pulled a tiny calendar from the bag he brought with him. He then pulled out a quill and marked off another day. He was already getting used to the monthly ordeal that he had to deal with, but being used to it didn't mean that it was any less painful than it was before. He twirled a strand of his hair as he stared off the abyss blankly. His sisters often commented that he was too indifferent. Indifference was simply how they would describe him, that and of course, odd. They were wrong though, he might be unresponsive and his reaction time might be too slow but he did have interest on some things. It was fairly easy to get his attention though it was incredibly easy for him to lose interest on things too. The only things that could perhaps keep his attention for long were books, his toys, and sweets. But who would be able to resist sweets anyway? Should he meet the one who invented these wonderful delights, Raziel would surely thank him. He'd force himself to talk if needed be, he really did want to express his gratitude to the inventor of these chocolates and sweets.

His eyes looked from the sky to the violets and daffodils around him. He admired them silently. Part of him wanted to pick up the delicate flowers by their stems but the other part of him wanted to show no encouragement to nature. He considered it for a few moments, before he decided to lie on the grass. The grasses around him were fairly tall enough to cover his body. Lying like that, it would be hard to notice him. Which was good, he could sleep and no one would bother him. On top of that, the grass felt rather nice. It was definitely more comfortable than the hard ground he had to sleep in whenever he was in his other form. If only he'd be able explore the forest or the garden while in his other form, but alas, he knew that it was impossible. Controlling himself would be difficult. While he didn't hate his other self, he feared that it would kill other people. He'd seen what it was capable of doing. He had hurt himself a lot of times before, and he knew that should be given the chance, it would not be impossible for him to hurt someone else. He curled on his side and closed his eyes, one hand on his stomach and the other, gripping the strap of his bag.
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[Dante Vittori]

Generally, Dante would not go outside, since outside was where nature was. While Dante quite liked nature, he liked being a silent observer, from a considerable distance. He did not like having himself subject to all the things nature brought. Namingly, people. Dante failed to understand why, if he was looking at something, someone would talk to him, or even if he was looking at someone, it was not because he wished to talk to them - how could they think that? He was just looking at them. Dante didn't expect someone that was looking at him to talk to him, so why did others? The young Ravenclaw shook his head apathetically, and walked across the grounds. The grass was at some length. He could not help but note that they did have a groundskeeper, so why was this person not doing their job? were they not paid to take care of the grounds? That was the purpose of them - and what their very title alluded to. He shook his head as he trudged through the grass, which, in reality, was just a little tall, but to Dante, it was like a wild jungle. If one was going to have a lawn, it should be flat. This was just terrible. He could trip on something, or fall down a pothole - which became more of a reality as Dante considered the groundskeeper to be lazy because of the state of the lawn. If they could not even be bothered to keep the lawn flat, would they have the concern to fix potholes?

Dante's eyes widened suddenly when his foot touched something. However, he only realised this when he ended up tripping over the thing, and landing over it. Dante picked himself up on all fours, and looked under him. If he was into that sort of thing, the Ravenclaw would have smiled, but since he wasn't, Dante simply rolled off of his Ravenclaw comrade, Raziel, and rested in front of him. He seemed to be sleeping, and Dante was not sure if he had woken him or not, so to just make sure, Dante poked the older boy in the chestto gain his attention, and then looked at him quizzically. What was he doing lying in the grass in such a dangerous manner? While Dante was slightly curious, he was not going to ask, as it would be pointless information unless it led to something important.
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[Raziel Kim]

Raziel rarely dreams, which was good. He rather have dreamless sleeps than to dream about the monthly ordeal that he had to deal with. He already had his scars as reminders, he didn't want his other form to invade his sleep as well. While he certainly didn't hate his condition, he wasn't too proud of it as well. He knew how the people who shared the same condition as him was treated. They were treated as monsters, they were hated, and while he didn't particularly care about being hated, he couldn't say the same about his family. He cares about his family too much and should his condition be discovered by nosy individuals, he knew that his family would suffer greatly. That was why it was really great that he was able to keep his condition a secret for years. He felt quite bad about hiding it from his 'friends', but his mother had told him pointedly not to tell a soul, not to trust anyone with his secret, which he understood. She didn't have to tell him though, after all, he wasn't really the most talkative kid around. He could go on for days without talking. Talking was tiring, and he couldn't really understand why some people enjoyed that exhausting activity.

The wind blew gently against the sixth year Ravenclaw's face. The grass was really comfortable to lie on and the weather was rather nice. There wasn't much noise either. Raziel was quite sure that he could spend the whole day just lying there, if only no one would disturb him. But alas, that happiness and comfort was short lived. It felt like his life had been pushed out of his body when something suddenly fell on top of him. Raziel wasn't really the healthiest boy in the world and that 'something' that fell on him wasn't the lightest thing in the world either. It was great that that 'something' or 'someone' really, decided to get off of him. The Ravenclaw coughed and rolled on his side. If that 'something' had already moved, then he need not bother with it. Opening his eyes would only encourage that person (he had decided that it was a person as if t wasn't a person, the who would have moved that thing off of him?) to talk to him, and he didn't want that. He didn't want to start any conversation and he didn't want to take part in one either. He need not hear an apology. That person removing himself on top of him was already enough as an apology. However, that said person seemed to be persistent as Raziel soon felt someone poking him on his chest. He was torn between wanting to just ignore the person and deciding on opening his eyes. Choosing the former may result to said person bothering him even more, which he wouldn't appreciate at all, thus, he chose to open one eye to see who the intruder was, and the face that greeted him surprised him though the surprise wasn't shown in his face as his expression remained blank. It was Dante. Though curious as to the reason why the younger was wandering around the grounds at that time of the day, he decided not to ask. If it was anything important, then the boy would surely say it. The sixth year Ravenclaw yawned and nodded at his company. He then sat with his legs tucked under him. He had been trying to get accustomed to sitting the way other people does, but he was finding it really hard. Uncomfortable with the way he was sitting, he switched back to his usual way of sitting. He then stretched his arms and rubbed his eyes. The semester had just started and he hadn't really seen the boy that much. The boy had surely grown which made him wander whether the younger was now taller than he was. Reaching for his bag, he took out a couple of sweets and offered them to the boy. ​

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[Dante Vittori]

Dante blinked as he noted that his Ravenclaw friend appeared to be rather tired. Did he not sleep enough? If he continued to sleep on the ground regularly, Dante was sure he would eventually acquire enough sleep. Perhaps at a later date it would be best to inquire about the sleeping habits of his friend, as it was simply unacceptable for Raziel to be falling asleep in his presence without it being the appropriate time, and since the young Ravenclaw thought sleepovers to be a strange and foreign consent, he would not find himself engaging in one with Raziel. Since Raziel seemed fit to sit up, Dante follow suit, and decided to sit up as well. It would be easier for both of them to hold eye contact if they were on similar height levels, otherwise the possibility of pulling a muscle came into play, and the Ravenclaw did not want to have that sort of injury, and he did not wish it upon his fellow Ravenclaw companion. Raziel seemed to be shifting - possibly unsure of how to sit. He ignored how peculiar this was, as they were both rather different from others. However, at least Dante knew how to seat in order to be comfortable, and cared little as to whether it was a natural sitting position or not. Such things were honestly not worth much of his time.

The pure blood watched Raziel reach into his bag, and reveal to him sweets. He hated those things. Not because they were disgusting or failed to taste desirable, but he recognised that he had a problem with them. However, this did not stop him from taking one, so he allowed Raziel to give him a sweet, knowing that he would not stop at one, but that would come later. He unwrapped the sweet, placing the rubbish into the pocket of his robes, and popped the sweet into his mouth, nodding his appreciation to Raziel.
​

 

[Raziel Kim]

Despite having stayed at the castle for more than five years already, Raziel had never been able to acclimate well in being surrounded by a lot of people. As a sixth year student, one would have thought that he should already have his own circle of friends. As a sixth year with only one year remaining before he finally graduates, one would expect that the once passive and reserved boy would have learned how to get out of his shell and socialize with other people. But Raziel had acquire neither of those things. He was still the same old him, still reserved, still the same boy who valued silence greatly. He didn't change at all, expect for the fact that he wasn't really capable of transforming when he first entered the school. He wasn't part of any group too, something which didn't really bother him. Being a part of a group would obligate him to do things that he wasn't comfortable doing. He was fine by being by himself. He was fine with having only his books as his company. He could still experience all those adventures that the others experience by just reading his books. And besides, while the others are out there, exhausting themselves because of tiring activities like talking and running, completely oblivious to the world offered by the books, he would be perfectly safe, away from any energy draining activities and surrounded by the books that he loved the most. Though he wouldn't really say that he wasn't happy that he met Dante and Conan. They were, to say, his only friends. And while he's fine being alone, he grateful that he had met them. He may not be able to express it to them as he wasn't really the type to do such thing, but he really appreciates them.

Raziel cocked his head to look at his companion. Dante was truly amusing. He liked observing the younger boy. He had never really met anyone who values silence the same way he does and though they barely know anything about each other's personal lives, he decided not to pry. He liked Dante and he would like to keep being friends with him. He wasn't really sure how they became friends, it just fell into place it seemed. And though he remained quiet and passive every time they were together, he greatly enjoys the younger's company, and hopefully, it was the same for the latter. He shifted on his seat and popped another sweet into his mouth, eyes still trained at the younger Ravenclaw. Raziel had the habit of staring at other people, and though he had been constantly told to stop doing it, he hadn't been able to. How could he stop doing something that he had been doing for years after all? Raziel continued to stare, only really taking his eyes away from the boy every time he would get another set of sweets fro his bag. Thoughts kept running in his head. It had been years since they have been friends and he does trust Dante a lot. Friends tell each other secrets and confides their problems to each other, do they not? Though in their case, they really need not to talk like normal friends does. He rested his chin on his knees and finally tore his gaze away from the boy. Dante was his friend, he shouldn't be hiding anything from him. He shouldn't be lying, though technically, he wasn't really lying as he had never said anything. But that was beyond the point. What if he accidentally hurt the younger boy? He was unstable enough as he was and he couldn't really control his other form. He didn't really want to lose Dante either, so just avoiding and ignoring him was not an option. He should tell him, and if the younger would decide that he didn't want to be friends with him anymore, then there's nothing that he could do, right? The society doesn't really welcome the likes of him. Though it would be great if Dante wouldn't mind even if he was a werewolf.

The problem, however, was he didn't know how to tell the younger. He hadn't had any proper conversation with anyone in years, and he never really found himself in a situation where he had to reveal his condition. It's usually his parents who do all the explaining. He opened his mouth in an attempt to talk, however, he couldn't bring himself to utter a single word. That was another problem. He wasn't mute and he was capable of talking, but the activity which is already an innate skill for other people is a heavy task for him. He went on all fours and crawl towards his bag, deciding that if he couldn't tell the boy in words, then he would show him. It's not like he could transform at will though, and he didn't really want to transform in front of the boy either. He pulled out a book and then crawled back towards his previous position. He then opened the book to the certain page that he had been reading the night before and pointed at the topic about werewolves. He then trained his eyes at his companion again, wondering if the boy would be able to take the hint.​

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[Dante Vittori]

The sweet, as anticipated, was delicious. The Ravenclaw instantly craved another, but thought it to be inappropriate to ask for another after literally just swallowing one. They were, afterall, Raziel's sweet, not his own. This obviously meant that sometime in the future he would have to get himself some sweets in order to eat whenever he pleased, and share with Raziel. He was now indebt to the older Ravenclaw, even if it was something as simple as a sweet, it was still a gift that was not needed, and therefore should be repaid. The shifting of his companion was rather distract, Dante found. Usually, Raziel would sit quite still and simply stare. Sometimes he would invade Dante's space - especially when they first met, but he would not make such a ruffle with his movements. He then appeared to have found staring at Dante to be boring, which caused the young Ravenclaw to experience to some mixed feelings. While being stared at was never a comfortable feeling, having who he considered his only friend suddenly change his habits was concerning. Dante liked people being repetitive and disliked them changing their habits after being his friend for an extended period of time. Maybe Raziel was dying - that would be the only plausible excuse for such behaviour.

What really concerned him was when Raziel opened his mouth. Oh Merlin. Please don't talk. Don't ruin it. He thought, watching Raziel like a hawke. He watched in confusion was his fellow Ravenclaw moved to his bag, appearing to retrieve something. He looked at the book, and was comforted to find that this was going to be some sort of reading session. That would be better. Dante liked reading. Raziel looked at the book, at the passage his friend pointed to. It was about werewolves, it appeared, and he was not sure why they were reading this. It was a mince day, why read about the unfortunates of society? Especially when the Ravenclaw took Care of Magical Creatures, and was therefore already learning about werewolves in some capacity, and therefore did not need this.

However, out of respect for Raziel, Dante read the passage in depth, making sure he did not miss anything. He did not, however, truly understand the relevance of this exercise. Was there some hidden message or clue? Was this some sort of game? Was this supposed to be funny? A sort of humour that Dante did not understand? Once he had finished looking over the passage one last time, he looked back at Raziel, meeting the older's eyes with a slightly tilted head. The relevance was still escaping him.
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I apologise for my tardiness - and hey, another rp without talking?

 

[Raziel Kim]

Raziel watched silently as Dante read the passage that he had shown him. It was about werewolves and the signs that identifies one as one. Did the younger understood what he was trying to imply? Did he take him seriously or did he just thought that the older was being completely random? He couldn't blame the younger if he wouldn't be able to decipher the meanings behind his actions. after all, how can one say that his companion was a werewolf by simply pointing out to a passage that talks about such thing without saying anything? Dante might be smart but perhaps, what he was doing was not enough to get his point across.

His unsaid questions were answered when he saw the younger looking back at him. Dante need not say anything for him to know that the younger couldn't see the reason why he had made him read the book. He tore his gaze away from him and read the passage again. He forced back a sigh as he finally accepted that if he wanted to tell the boy about his condition, then there was no other way to do it but to tell him directly. He exhibited all the signs of being a werewolf though, he was pale, and he always looked tired, but perhaps, that weren't enough. After all, even prior to being one, he had always been like that. He had always been so sickly and pale.

Raziel pulled back and rested his chin on his knees again. He was mentally preparing himself for this seemingly impossible task that he needed to do. How long had it been since he last talked to someone? Merlin, he might not even recognize his own voice should he speak. His throat was dry and he could barely organize his own thoughts. How should he start? His parents, when trying to explain to their relatives and the authorities what had happened to him, would usually begin their stories on the night when everything in his life had changed. His parents talk a lot and his mother would usually cry a lot when retelling his story. He couldn't do it the same way they did it. He was sure that he would die first before he get the chance to end his story. In fact, he was convinced that he would barely get to the middle of the story before he pass out and run out of air. Talking that much would be too much for him.

The sixteen year old bit his lower lips in an attempt to concentrate. He was hesitating, which was new. People often says that seeing is believing and that actions were much better than words, and he believed that. But at the moment, he doubted that just acting without telling would be enough to convey his thoughts to the younger boy. Besides, how could he possibly show the boy that he was a werewolf? It would be much easier if he could transform at will and then point to himself while in his other form. By that, he need not talk anymore, for the boy would surely believe him should he see him transforming into one. But alas, he couldn't do that. Besides, he couldn't let the younger see him too. It would be too dangerous, and he valued Dante too much. He wouldn't let the boy risk his life just so he'd be able to show him what he was without saying anything. He opened his mouth again in an attempt to talk. No words came out instead, he just sat there, staring at his friend, not knowing how to start. They had been friends for years without them talking, talking would just ruin everything. But lying would too. Dante was his friend, he had to tell him the truth even though it might be the end of their friendship. "I," his voice came out as a whisper that if one was not paying any attention, one would miss it. He couldn't say it. Not because he was ashamed of his condition because Merlin knew he had already accepted it. He paused and grabbed the book before he went on all fours, crawling towards the boy until they were only inches apart. His eyes were unblinking as he continued to stare at the younger, not even bothered by the close proximity, for he was too focused on trying to tell the boy about him. He opened the book to the page which bore the image of a werewolf again and raised it to cover his face, before he lowered it down to the ground and pointed to the book then to himself. "Me." He couldn't bring himself to say anything more. He pulled back and stared like nothing happened. He hoped that the boy understood it now, for he was sure that he wouldn't be able to bring himself to talk again.​

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[Dante Vittori]

Eye-contact was broken, and for a moment Dante thought he had done something wrong. However, Raziel did not seem to be agitated, although Dante was not sure he would be able to identify whether the older Ravenclaw was angry or not, but from what he could guess, Raziel wasn't mad at him. Dante himself sat back, crossing his legs and resting his hands in his lap. There wasn't very much he could do, except wait for Raziel to do something that will explain the situation better than previously. The younger Ravenclaw's eyebrow rose slightly and Raziel chewed down on his lip, before opening his mouth and suffering from silence. While Dante didn't like having to talk to people, and just moments ago he had wanted the silence, now he wanted to know what the purpose of this was. Why were they here, looking into this book? If Raziel wanted to read with him, why not start from the first page? Dante couldn't learn much if he jumped into the middle of a book he had not previously read - and why one book? There were two of them, thus they should have two books.

Finally, Raziel's voice broke through in the form of one, short and raspy syllable. The Italian had heard Raziel speak back in their early days of friendship, but he had admittedly forgotten the older boy's voice, just as he had virtually forgotten his own. As Raziel shifted and moved, as did Dante, now resting on his knees and Raziel approached him with the book in hand. Dante's eyes fluttered from Raziel's, to the page the older Ravenclaw was pointing at - with the image of a werewolf. The book seemed to consumer Raziel's face as his friend held it higher. The book was then place back as Dante's brain began to make the appropriate connections. Quite frankly, if this were anyone else that Dante knew, he doubted he would have felt as compassionate as he was. Dante had trouble dealing with others, and he found kin and peace when he spent time with Raziel. The pureblood did not know his friends status, and he did not know his favourite colour. He did not know where Raziel lived, or whether Raziel had other friends. But he did know that Raziel was virtually the only person on this planet that Dante would miss if ever they were to die. And that included his family members. He only held the loyalty of blood to his siblings and parents, while to Raziel he held the loyalty of acceptance and friendship. If this were one of his brothers, he would not care. But this was Raziel, and Raziel was his person. His only friend. And he deserved to not have this change anything between them. Before Raziel moved away, Dante placed one hand on the book, and one hand very gently, almost as if he were touching a cactus, on Raziel's forearm. "Family." And, just as Raziel had, the young Ravenclaw pulled away and rested back onto the grass to continue absorbing the sunlight and spending time with his friend, and surrogate family member, Raziel.
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- FINISHED -​

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