Headline Avenue

[Benjamin Chase]

Semester 2 was proving to be a lot like the start of Semester 1. At least so far, Benjamin Chase was far better at handling his massive pile of things on his to do list. The young man learned that it was better to plan ahead than to wait to be spoon fed the information his professors were to teach. Planning ahead allowed him to gain some information about the topic and understanding it in advance would be a load lifted from his shoulders. Just so when the classes arrived, he would only have to ask the things he did not quite understand or if worse, he did not understand at all. But Benjamin was a fast learner - he picked up things quickly but sometimes, one thing went in an ear and at the same time, went out from the other.

The library was not packed, since exams were far away from their laps yet. But as a seventh year, the green eyed wizard knew better than his old, lazy ways. He went into the section of the library where there was a younger girl studying too, but her back was towards him so she really didn't see what he was doing. Benjamin dropped his pack onto the table and sat down on the chair, whilst he brought out his quill and notes to read and revise later on. The notes he had were smudged, but it was readable to him still. Reluctantly, Benjamin let his mind's noise lower into a soft buzz that allowed him to process the information on the parchments. Then he began, oblivious to what was moving about.
​

 

[Victoria Chase]

Victoria had nothing to do. Nothing but daydream her way into the day. However she did not want that. She did not want to plunge into the life of nerds studying anyway. Some people had that role but apparently, Victoria Chase wanted to do something productive that was other than studying. She looked over at her dresser, seeing that she had a book she had been reading all break and still had not gotten past half of it. A settled, semi reluctant look grew on her face as she got the book and decided to read it. The plot was promising, though not all stories caught her fancy as it progressed to the middle of the story. Within ten minutes, she still was stuck on the page her bookmark was placed on and she groaned, tossing the book to her trunk of things. Vee looked at the pile of things and saw a textbook that she was only left to read. What could she do? Sleep instead? No, that would not allow her body to move. Without having any choice, the pureblood decided a study session was in order for today. However, she would do it in the library. The Gryffindor Common Room was just too.. much.

Victoria went in the library with only a textbook in hand. Her Gryffindor robe was lazily put on her casual outfit and Victoria only put it on to keep herself "warm." Slowly she went to the table near the librarian's counter, when she found a discarded newspaper sitting on the desk with a moving picture of a woman with many flashing cameras around her. It was the headline and with a little curiosity forming in her, the brunette snatched the newspaper and placed her textbook on the table whilst she leaned her hip on it. The headline clearly was summarized and it stated that New Zealand's Minister of Magic, Seraphine Snow, was stepping down. An election would partake soon and the candidates would be announced sooner. Slow surprise caught her, making her green eyes widen and she bit her lip as she skimmed through the article. "Wow." Victoria murmured, thinking that the rumors she actually heard in America were true. New Zealand's minister was really quitting! She didn't believe it at first when she heard the rumor, because America's distance from New Zealand was insane and people would have just misheard. However it was a fact, and it was lying right in front of her, printed in the front page with a blonde woman answering questions that were asked by reporters, writers and the like. Victoria folded the newspaper and thought she would keep it with her and got her book to go to a section in the library that was more secluded.

When she did, she found a familiar back facing her, his hair quite disheveled and his back slouched towards the parchment in front of him. She walked slowly to the older student, grinning when she saw it was Benjamin who was studying - unsurprisingly. She hit him in the head with her two fingers, making him suddenly alert for her presence. "Someone's being responsible," Vee sang, teasing him. Benjamin was not like this before but she figured with the maturity he had began to acquire, he was certainly becoming a more balanced person. Without permission, she sat in front of him and set her textbook on the table with his parchments around. "Hi Ben," Vee greeted jovially.
​

 

[Benjamin Chase]

His mind was not full of information and Benjamin was getting a hang of studying this subject. Thankfully. If not, Benjamin would have slept in the library for the nth time and did he want anyone giggling at him? No, that was a jab in his ego. Speaking of jabs, he felt two fingers suddenly push at the side of his head and impulsively cursed. "Sh*t." He scowled when he saw those familiar, brunette waves and green eyes that were almost identical to his. Of course, who else had the nerve to do that except for his dearly beloved sister? Benjamin rolled his eyes, leaning back on the chair with his arms crossed. As per usual, she teased him with a little praise for being responsible. He allowed himself to relax and his scowl lifted into something more neutral. Stupidly, the Head Boy thought that his sister was going to leave him there. The textbook though, hit the table like a thud of rock. He looked up at her disbelievingly, quite irritated that she decided to even accompany him.

"Hello Vee," greeted Benjamin politely, hoping she would get his body language. Victoria was very stubborn - that even if she got your message to leave, she would be there just to bug the hell out of you. Those were many of the downsides if you had Victoria as a little sister. "I'm here to study, actually. I don't think I'd like unwanted voices now." Benjamin hinted, rather than shooing her away. He was not raised to be rude to ladies, even if they were itching his temper. Knowing Victoria though, she was going to stay there to just chatter with him.
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[Victoria Chase]

Victoria let the newspaper rest in her lap and opened the textbook to a random page. They were about werewolves, but honestly did not care at all. Dramatically, she held a hand to her chest expressing her false hurt. "Ouch." Victoria sighed, clasping her both hands and setting it on the table. If she wanted Benjamin's attention, she was going to get it. That was now very certain. Plus, she had to tell him the insanely colossal news that the Prophet just published! Minister Snow declared her announcement to the nation and Victoria, even if she really was a part of the American Ministry was interested nevertheless. So right now, it would be great if she would distract him from his pile of dirty, smudged notes that were rubbish. Vee knew that Benjamin was smarter than her, so he could study tomorrow and not even forget a thing he read about today.

"How was your break? Eventful?" She asked, smirking. Cocking her head to the side, her expression brightened like she recalled a key fact in their break. Of course she was only here to irritate him further, but wasn't that what siblings did? But to Victoria, it was more fun distracting a seventh year guy who had better things to do than talk to some Gryffindor third year. "Oh, I forgot. We actually live together." Acting dumb was funny, especially when she wanted to gauge out a certain reaction from someone. She returned to her innocent expression, looking at those orbs that were neutrally set on hers too. "Silly me."
​

 

[Benjamin Chase]

Rolling his eyes, he was aware of the fact she was acting just for the fun of it. Dramatic reels like these weren't something Benjamin wasn't fond off, especially if it came from girls. To be honest, he had no idea how he was able to stand the company of Victoria all his life. Sure he loved her, but her voice could drive him off the cliff's edge. Literally, that was. He rolled his eyes, looking away and looking back, only to see her ready for even a conversation that was not small talk. Benjamin hated small talk just as Vee hated it - a similar like they have. He ran a hand through his hair as she asked how his break went, even if she was there to witness every move he did back in the mansion. Benjamin was about to snort, when she apologized for forgetting about the fact they were siblings. As the eldest child he knew things his younger siblings did not know about their parents and thankfully, Victoria was oblivious to that yet. Arthur and Isabela Chase were just having mid marriage problems regarding cheating and scandal, but it seemed to have mellowed down. Benjamin thought so anyway.

He tapped his finger on the table, bored and uninterested in the direction this conversation was going. Benjamin sat up straighter, taking the lead and leaning forward. "So tell me, what do you want Victoria?" He asked and calling her by her entire name would tell her he was serious about it. Being blunt towards her was a good thing, because beating around the bush did not work well with Victoria. She was blunt herself, but she had social sensitivity tucked in her personality too. "Come to lecture me about being the worst brother to Luke? Mother sent you, didn't she?"
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[Victoria Chase]

With all the things in the world, Benjamin decided to ask her about giving him lecture. Hilarious, but weird too. As someone a few years younger than Benjamin, Vee was sure that if she did give him a lecture it would be fool proof and he would have no right to yell at her for being so bossy and dictating. The brunette snorted to show what she thought about his prediction and thought that if she did use that as an excuse, she would resort to lecture him about his could shoulder thing going on with their youngest member of the family, Lucas or better known as Luke. "I don't plan to. But I could if I wanted." Victoria shrugged, letting him know that she was not scared about his irritability. They always had this cold shoulder thing going on between them siblings even if Vee did not understand the logic behind it. Perhaps Benjamin was only being an immature prick. "But you're in fault. You, picking on a younger child. How immature." Victoria laughed at him, smirking deviously like the devil child she was. Just like Benjamin, she also had some reserved bites for his ass. "But you sure have fun being so. That's why I'll leave it at that."

The newspaper on Victoria lap began to roll, and she crossed her legs to create some sort of elevation for it to stay still. As she did, she filled in the silence with a different topic of discussion. "Speaking of fun, you never told me about that fancy event." Victoria looked up at Benjamin, fully pouting and making her eyes go big like a puppy's. She was not exactly the best at puppy looks, but nevertheless she did her try at times. "The soirée, Benjamin. Tell me about it." Victoria prompted him with the French word sliding off her tongue with a French accent too. "You went home with a glow in your face," joked Victoria.
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[Benjamin Chase]

Benjamin listened, not attentively so however, to his little sister mocking him freely. She sat there like she was sort of a know it all, but Benjamin knew she only wanted to tickle his buttons into pushing it further. When people wanted a specific reaction from you, it was important to give them something they did not want. Or at least Benjamin thought that was the way to do it. It worked on Victoria since he did feel her disappointment at times when she thought she had failed at getting that reaction from him - whether it be happiness, irritation or surprise. Benjamin laid a little on the scene now, nodding along to the words she said and his lips quirked at her, amused that she was driving him till this point. Benjamin was pleasantly surprised though when she changed the topic to that event that went well in the host's mind, but in Benjamin's was an organization to perform pureblood pleasantries and to exercise his politeness. "You're exaggerating," scoffed the Head Boy as he set his notes aside to properly speak to Victoria without his hands having to hover over the damn parchments. Once they were not under his hands, he placed his hands to lay it down one the hard table. "I saw people. Exchanged words. Boring words, honestly. If you were there you would have whined." He shifted, remembering those women who he had to stay with for almost more than half an hour, which, now that he realized, was a waste of the precious and golden time he had during that evening. "Although I saw one person I haven't seen in years. We revisited some old memories."
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[Victoria Chase]

All the things in the soiree seemed traditionally perfect, just like how purebloods must do it. Victoria was not so amused when he told her that she was not allowed to visit, for alcoholic beverages were served there. She complained to her mother, telling that it was unfair that Benjamin got a free pass whilst her butt was stuck in America. Benjamin though was freely roaming around New Zealand because he was older. Parents always used that valid excuse to their younger children and Victoria hated hearing that. She was fourteen for Merlin's sake, three years away from the official age of newly made adults. "What do you mean whine? Now you're the one exaggerating." She rolled her eyes at him, thinking that as a well bred pureblood she could handle herself. She was a Gryffindor and unlike Slytherins, had the courage to face boring people and make the most out of things. At least Vee thought of herself as someone who did that. Truthfully she hated small talk and uninteresting people that placed you in a dull mood, but that was how acquaintances were made in events like those. Soirees were a lot fun if people were not so uptight.

Victoria smirked suggestively at Benjamin when he told her about the person he revisited old memories. She was not one who used sexual humor on her brother often, but it was funny seeing him shift when it came to subjects like those. "Revisit? I can't imagining you doing the act, Benny." She waggled her eyebrows, before laughing at him. The way he positioned his words affected the whole meaning. It was like he was hiding some double meaning behind the sentence. It was a terribly constructed sentence which implied other things. Victoria thought if that friend of his was a woman because if it was, then she had to change the subject immediately. Talking about it made her feel weird, because this was her brother here who she was with. After her laughing ceased, she looked at him with her lips pursed, a funny light in her eyes. "Explains the, uh, glow... I guess?" This time she bit the inside of her cheek to stop laughing and looked down at the paper on her crossed lap, almost forgetting to tell him about the massive news.

She cleared her throat, changing the atmosphere into something more serious. She liked a good laugh, but it was also better to clean humor aside for a whilst to show him what New Zealand was about to get; which was an election. "Guess what, the rumors that we heard back at home... They're real." She looked down at her lap and got the rolled newspaper. She unfolded it and read the headline to Benjamin, who she bet was listening to her clearly. Victoria was surprised that New Zealand's Minister decided to resign now that it was such a good year, but perhaps she just wanted to try something else new in her life. Being a politician could be challenging, but there were more things that could thrill a person's life than debates in a conference room with other Ministry officials. "Snow is stepping down. New Zealand is getting a new minister!"
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[Benjamin Chase]

A pinkish tinge appeared on Benjamin's skin, specifically coloring his cheeks in its darker shade. Victoria mentioning the whole thing about sleeping with Athena Zhefarovich was preposterous because first he would not do that and second, he would only do it if he was mighty drunk. Mighty drunk meant he could not even remember his own name. Benjamin was not a strong one when it came to alcohol so the stakes for that one was too high for him to reach. "I did not glow, Vicky. I f*cking swear," Benjamin countered. He ran a hand through his hair, feeling the heat in his body increase because of the ideas Victoria just gave him. It was normal for them to banter with sexual humor but talking about a particular person who Benjamin knew ever since he was a fifth year was uncomfortable. Athena was someone he respected and did not dream about. At least that was how their relationship told him to be. Benjamin thought nothing of Athena as something more, but her company was always greatly appreciated than most other purebloods. "Nothing happened. So you're hopelessly insane."

When she dismissed the topic of the soiree, Benjamin looked at his discarded notes at the side and decided that if Victoria made one more move about sex and the like, he'd dismiss her as well. Apparently she wanted to talk about some New Zealand politics in which she unexpectedly announced the resignation of the Minister. Benjamin's mouth opened slightly in shock and he closed it when she was finished reading the headline. Minister Snow, as everyone knew, was a brilliant woman who cared for the country well. Someone powerful like her stepping down was indeed massive news. "Yes, I heard you for the first time," Ben snapped at his sister. He held his hand out. "Though that's totally impossible. Give me the Prophet."
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[Victoria Chase]

The New Zealand politics were not a big deal for Victoria Chase in the past. She found it boring, just like the American Ministry that had many mudbloods infiltrating its walls. Its growing population in her country was sad, much to her family's protest however it was not like they could storm up there and demand for more purebloods. In New Zealand though, the population of muggleborns were growing too and purebloods were getting rarer and rarer by the minute. The world's reality was harsh to the olden pureblooded clans around the globe but all they had to do was to accept the fact. She wondered if the next minister would be a pureblood that could implement more laws regarding a social hierarchy or social importance, but people nowadays believed that equality would have to reign for peace to be constant in a nation.

She chucked him the newspaper, eager for him to let his eyes read the headline that summarized the whole press conference of Seraphine Snow. Victoria was not surprised that Benjamin's eyes widened the first time he heard her read the headline, so his second reaction would be hilarious. When he was done reading it, she looked at him for a brief second with the smug glint her eyes always had when she was correct. "Told you so. The rumors are true."
​

 

[Benjamin Chase]

Benjamin read the Prophet's words, as it exclaimed in capitalized letters the resignation of Snow. He snorted, disbelieving initially but he recalled the exclusive newspaper he was holding. This was the Daily Prophet and there was also a Daily Prophet branch in his country. They were a trusted newspaper and since this was a breaking news printed on their headline page, this was most probably true. Benjamin's mouth formed into an a perfect letter O, indicating his apparent surprise and shock. It was a pleasant feeling though, to imagine who the next minister would be. If it would be someone who is corrupt and selfish, then New Zealand might as well crumble to poverty's hands. But the Ministry must know its candidates well as well the entire citizens of the country. Wizards and witches alike must know who the nominees for the position of minister would be. Benjamin wondered how the election would go and most importantly, who would step up for the position that Seraphine Snow left for the public to fill in.

"I wonder why..." Benjamin thoughtfully voiced, thinking about the possibilities as to why she wanted to step down. He placed the newspaper down on the desk that he shared with Vee and looked at her in question. "Better yet, who would be brave to... You know, step up?" The article confirmed that the announcement of candidates would be soon as long as the people who planned to run submitted their applications early or in time. "The candidates, I mean. Who do you think will run?"
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[Victoria Chase]

Victoria was forced to think about the possible candidates. She knew who led the Auror office of New Zealand, she knew several people who worked for the Unspeakable offices although she wondered if they ever wanted to take over. Leading a nation, especially a nation that had mixed personalities thrown in together would be difficult. It would be like pushing hell and making it into a heaven that nobody ever dreamed of. She thought of several eligible people and how far they could take this country, but not all seemed to be the right one. When her head drifted to one person in her life however, who she thought was strong willed, persistent, determined and has a tongue dripping with charisma, she half smirked and grinned. "I know someone who can run for Minister," murmured Victoria more to herself than to Benjamin. Her green eyes looked up from the focused spot her eyes were upon whilst she thought about the candidates.

The man she thought was a man known for his mind wherein creativity was a flowing stream of water running with ideas that gave them opportunities for a better life. She knew this for a fact because whenever she conversed with him, she was challenged to always top his intelligence with her dull one, but of course, she was never surprised when she was lost for her words. This man had ideas that bordered over the dangerous level, like making an object that needed specific dark and ancient magic that could only make it work. One wrong move and that object could make an entire estate crumble down. Victoria thinking of him as New Zealand's minister was a fantasy, but it never hurt to suggest. She shrugged, leaning in to half whisper it to her older brother.

"Father could."
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[Benjamin Chase]

When Victoria zoned out to think of a possible candidate, Benjamin looked down at the newspaper and chewed on his lip. It was odd knowing that soon a different person will be on that throne, possibly with a different blood. As far as he knew Seraphine Snow was a pureblood just like them and her views about supremacy were unknown to him. Perhaps she was not a supremacist for the way she treated those of different blood was all the same. Some said she was a motherly woman whose motherly instinct was definitely overloaded with kindness. Unsurprising, because natural leaders were just as good as mothers and fathers. When Victoria looked at him, like the brightest bulb just lit up her head, he looked over with sudden interest. Her green eyes were bright with the suggestion she came up with even if she had not said who it was yet. Benjamin raised a brow in question as she was silent for a whilst, probably thinking about that eligible person. When she shrugged, he did not expect the person she was about to say.

'Father.' Benjamin's eyes blinked once. Then it did the same thing after ten seconds of staring. "Wow, you must be joking your own ass." Imagining Arthur Chase apparating to New Zealand to fill in the application of running for minister was preposterous. It was a fantasy only in their minds, because Arthur Chase was a busy man. A smart man, but one hell of a busy one. Hell, tending to his own children was difficult to fit in his day and what more was asking him to run for Minister. "A childish fantasy, but great nonetheless. You're not serious about this, are you?" Benjamin hoped she was not, because if she was he would have to explain to her how delving into politics could destroy a marriage that already had a fragile foundation. Benjamin expected Vee to shake her head, indicating she was not serious at all.
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[Victoria Chase]

Arthur Chase, their very father, was ideal. Victoria looked up to him in many ways, but there were things about him that could drive her mad too. As a father he always wanted to find things out and Victoria sometimes wanted to yell at him the definition of the term 'privacy.' Perhaps he was only doing it to reach out to them because honestly, Arthur was not the best father out there. Isabela was a lovely mother, but her husband was just absent most of the time. If he was around the mansion, then surely 80% of his time would be spent in his small corner in their massive library, tucked with a book that informed people of different things. They had many books in their home, most of it was there to help Arthur with his new projects or inventions, as he would love to refer to it as. Victoria always begged to have more story books than those dusty old reference books, but her mother never obliged and got her a room filled with books of romance and tragedy.

She nodded, biting her lip in wonder. It was a silly idea, to have their father go on and run for the position. Benjamin was in no doubt correct, that this little suggestion of hers was a nice one but impossible to attain. She shook her head slowly, telling herself that if Arthur did agree to register himself as a citizen of New Zealand then he could be as well registered as insane in St. Mungos' insanity ward. "I guess I'm not..." The idea still appealed to her, though the truth was Arthur would never do such a deed. She decided to joke with Benjamin by making it seem she was half serious after all. "Oh but I will definitely owl mother about it. She deserves to think about it, don't you think?" Victoria smirked. Their house was very quiet, save for the occasional parties their mother would throw to give it some light so it could show off its grandeur. A little buzz in the household is what they needed, but this type of thing to talk about was out of their league. "After all the house is really dull. Like it's a house for the dead. Blah."
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[Benjamin Chase]

"What do you expect? Parties thrown every other day just so we have some life?" Benjamin asked, a sneer settling on his lips immediately. He himself liked the quiet of the mansion, though it could be really dull at times but he just got used to it over the use. The overly polite chatter, the melody that sent all the guests into a "lively" setting and the lights were too much. Inviting people just for some new buzz was not worth it, unless Benjamin's father needed to talk to several important figures in the business then he would understand. However, Victoria's frivolous view towards parties like these made him irritated and quite frankly he would spend the entire time instead in their garden with his best friend, whilst they talked about how forced conversations were put into place just to have a pureblood discussion.

Benjamin cracked a knuckle, clearly half bored with this conversation. Nonetheless this was his sister he had to entertain, or else she could pull a stunt on him or something. The young man hated her schemes, whether it was big or small. "Plus, father is American. He's registered in the American Ministry, not here. I think he'll have to go over lots of applications before he can even get his hands on the application to be the Minister." Benjamin shrugged, knowing that the papers about Arthur Chase's birth and citizenship were all faithful to their country, so having to travel all of it to New Zealand for a position that can get you killed was a no brainer for Arthur nor for Benjamin. "I'm guessing, your small brain forgot about that fact," mocked Ben with a pompous chuckle emitting itself from his mouth.
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[Victoria Chase]

The hard look on her face signified how she accepted his insult without any word to come back at him yet. Victoria doubted she was a dumb, little brunette who had nothing to do but fantasize about traveling the world and attending the upper class events. She was no airhead however Victoria's brains were not as capable as Benjamin's when it came to memorizing educational stuff and keeping in mind important facts. She smiled sarcastically at him, hoping he would get the hint to shut up with the insults. It did hurt, even if she did not want to admit it. People thinking she was a person of only pride and no brainpower was a bite in her ass. "Thank you for just calling me dumb, Benjamin." God, she hated him at times. Having a brother as pompous as him was a burden on her shoulders however she also loved him unconditionally. Their sibling relationship was a typical one - only it involved scheming and making use of one's magical power to its limits. It drove their parents insane with irritation, especially their father who would shut one of them up with a flick of his wrist and lock the other one in his or her room. Now that was the time they had to force themselves to stop cutting at each other's throats. "You probably underestimate people more than the times you breathe." Victoria had a concerned on her face, with her eyes sneering itself at him. Their jabs were childish and Vee did want to return to their political discussion on the vacant Ministry position.

She sat up straighter, her green eyes glazed slightly as she thought of the possibility. Vee smirked at the potential possibility and thought that indeed, it would be great to have someone related to them in the world of politics. Especially someone who was directly in their bloodline. "However, wouldn't it be a dream world if this becomes a pureblood society all of a sudden? Well, it does not have to have purebloods everywhere - those with magical blood can be welcomed too. As long as those with no magical blood at all would be... ridden off." As far as she knew those people did not belong with them. People always reprimanded them for their beliefs, however the purebloods were just concerned about the magic in their society. With so many muggleborns roaming around it was doomed to happen that soon their magic will be mixed with other foul things. Who wanted that?
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[Benjamin Chase]

He sniggered childishly, not really taking in her sarcastic smile seriously. He was only fooling around with her and she, of all people, must know that the most. Benjamin did not mean his insults towards his sibling most of the time but he really could not help but be blunt. It was a magical wonder how his best friend had put up with his bluntness and ridiculousness - like those times wherein he only wanted to have some deep talks about the universe and politics. Benjamin's mind was a never ending snowstorm at times and he could not help but think of bigger matters than his life. It was interesting how this side of him dubbed him as a secret poet but truthfully, he was out of interesting topics to discuss. School had become dull and the only thing he wanted as of now was to graduate and run free all around the globe. He chuckled, wanting to pinch his sister's cheeks because of her sensitivity to his assaults. She really was a little girl in his eyes. "No - but when it comes to you I would," joked Ben with a brotherly glint of deviousness in his eye. This was his little sister he was talking to, so admitting that he wanted to apologize was out of his pride. To him they were only coming across another banter that would end up fading away. "Love you too, Vee." Becoming a petty pain in her life was easy and Victoria effortlessly allowed him to crawl under her skin. Although, Benjamin knew she had the capability of being as insensitive as possible to him too. Now that was a tested fact.

She continued their political discussion that was beginning to pique his interest slightly - at least here, they were discussing ideal possibilities that would benefit the multiple pureblood societies. Interesting, but hardly a piece of cake. He nodded and secretly thought that halfbloods and those other mixed bloods were not to be welcomed even if they claimed they had magic in their veins. Victoria however, seemed to be preaching it was bearable to have them around. Benjamin mentally disagreed but did not bother to open a new discussion about that topic. "Well, that would be paradise to us purebloods. But of course there will be rebels. If they get in the way, those people will do nothing to help. Instead they will tear down drafted laws for the extra safety purebloods. Nosy little things." He expected her to agree, because purebloods deserved to be on top of the social ladder. With their blood as the origin of all magic, they needed credit. It was indeed difficult to keep a family of purity untouched by other bloods and still up to their generation, Benjamin's family was not one who allowed any mudbloods to be a part of them.

"But if you're still considering father to run, I wish you luck in even trying to suggest it to him." Arthur Chase was too busy to handle his own offsprings personally and as one of his, Benjamin only knew his father to teach him lessons that would help him become an acceptable figure in the world of corporate business. The only times they became truly like a father and son was when they went fishing or surfing which happened once in a blue moon. "As a matter of fact, as soon as mother gets her hands on your letter, expect her not to tell father. At least she sticks to reality." Benjamin shifted in his seat, an empty feeling settling itself in his mind because of the lack of information coming in. He stopped studying more than ten minutes ago and his good conscience was patronizing him already. Victoria was proving to be a good distraction which he half liked and disliked by now.
​

 

[Victoria Chase]

Her head bobbed up and down, silently agreeing that indeed, those who were not fanatics of the elite society would not be pleased if the newly elected Minister would focus on their decreasing population. Victoria only wanted a little respect from those muggleborns who thought they were entirely welcomed in their world. Because they certainly were not and for that they should be grateful their kind of species was even permitted to roam around. Whatever 'pureblood nonsense' people thought they believed in was not entirely crap because to her, purebloods actually deserved more laws about them and not about muggleborns and their privileges. Ten laws about them were not enough; they needed a thousand for them to be on the brink of satisfaction and another ten thousand for them to be wholly content. Laws about their safety and power would be more than rad. That was fabulous. Victoria also thought about those ministries who raided Gringgots vaults of purebloods whenever they were convicted to Azkaban. Now that was unfair right there and to her, no one had the right to touch another person's wealth if they did not own it. "But you know, New Zealand's ministry can't touch us entirely right? If we're in trouble with them, they wouldn't be able to throw us in Azkaban or someplace vile without the American ministry knowing... right? We're not from this country at all." That alone was a good thing because Arthur knew a few powerful purebloods in the American ministry. With them to assist in times of misfortune, Azkaban will surely be out of the question.

Rolling her eyes, she laughed humorlessly at her older brother who still thought she was considering to get Arthur as a candidate. By now she thought the idea was a mere fantasy she wished could be set in reality but the entire process of getting his hands on the minister application would be difficult enough. "I was only joking! Don't you get what a joke is? I thought you Slytherins had more common sense than the rest of the houses?" She looked at him with her big, green eyes and pouted perfectly to mock the Slytherins. She had nothing against the house but some mockery from the Gryffindors did not hurt anybody. "You must be losing your touch. Ah well I expected that to happen. All you seemed to be doing is bury your nose in a stupid book. What happened to my fun brother?"
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[Benjamin Chase]

Benjamin was in a roll with Victoria's assumptions about the New Zealand ministry not being able to touch them. Not sexually of course -- more like in a way wherein they would have to seize their possessions and even get the perfect opportunity to explore their Gringgots vault back in their country. Benjamin knew little about the things there except for the enormous wealth they contained that expanded as his father continued his work on earning twice the fortune they had today before he retired in the ripe age of 50 or so. He shrugged, not really knowing the rules and regulations of the Aurors or whoever was in charge for those kinds of missions. He assumed no one could touch them first without consulting the American embassy, because it would basic rude to break out in their home without any prior notice. With their father in charge, they could easily get away with any accusations regarding possession of dark and illegal artifacts. Not to mention their age was beyond anyone's in the world right now. However he knew that those things were kept under strict magic, tucked in the deepest corner of their vault where nobody could access it unless they performed some kind of unlocking spell. "I do not know," answered Benjamin truthfully. "If they did in the future, I'll slit their throats first." He stated, not making a big deal that he threatened the lives of innocent people. However in his young age, he could not do that. Killing was beyond the humanity of Benjamin and he doubted he could kill without having to grow sickly of it first.

So this was a joke in the first place and for five pure seconds, Benjamin stared at her like she was a wacko or something similar to that. He had begun to think she was making this up for the sake of not embarrassing herself and he stuck to that secret belief of his and shook his head in response to her minor, nasty comment regarding his fellow housemates. His acquaintances in the Slytherin House only reached up to 20% of its population whilst the remaining 80% was unknown. The much younger ones were like mosquitoes to him -- a single clap to their mouth and they would be out for good but in ten minutes, they would buzzing near your table awaiting for you. Despite not liking them, he always had pride in his house and housemates. Even for the muggleborns, he thought that perhaps they were much stronger than any kind of muggleborn to be sorted with the Snakes. Benjamin's eyes narrowed as he leaning forward in a mock sneer. "Oh? And what happened to my sister's social life? Hanging out with me isn't a good sign. You must be in here to avoid someone." Benjamin did not know any of Victoria's friends, except for that Slytherin boy named Tommy, whom Victoria clearly adored like a baby brother. "Let's see... Since I'm Head Boy, I have the power to dock off points from any house. I think I'm in the mood to see Gryffindor drop 200 points. What do you say, Vee?" Only insane people would do that. Benjamin only wanted to gauge out a reaction from her.

He rolled his eyes, glancing at the abandoned schoolwork in front of him. It was there, begging to be touched and he couldn't resist his conscience without telling Victoria about it. He looked at her stoically. "I need to get to work. If you could kindly leave... that'll be a great help for me." He motioned towards the opening that could lead her out of the library and clasped his fingers together. He felt like his father when he dealt with people who were meant to get the hell out of his office. Victoria had enough common sense to figure she was not wanted and he anticipated her standing up and gathering her things; including the Prophet.
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[Victoria Chase]

Putting their political discussion to an end, Victoria nodded in approval when he said he would definitely slit their throats. She doubted that threat, because the way Benjamin dealt with death stories was gross and he would more likely sit there with his skin in a tinge of a greenish hue when he would do that sort of task. They were so young however to be talking of these things and Victoria preferred the much lighter subjects to converse about. Deep and intense political discussions were not her favorite as it was very obvious. She knew she could leave those heated debates or whatever thing they wanted to regard to the professionals, because her life would never involve itself in politics or anything that considered leadership to a nation or crime. Their tasks were too dirty for her liking.

The way Benjamin tried to see if she was hiding from someone was pathetic. She smiled, a sickly sweet feel to it like the normal way she would try to smile at whoever was trying to target her with their weak mocks. It was sarcastic and at the same time telling him she did not deal with sh*t like hiding from people. "I face the people I dislike. I don't hide. Who will I have to hide from anyway? My reputation is always under my care." Her mind drifted to a few people whom she dealt with last semester and quickly shoved the idea aside. Avoiding was never her game. She dealt with it impulsively -- at least that was how she heard from her mother. It was not a good thing. Nevertheless she hated hiding; it was a sign of defeat and cowardliness. Her eyes bugged out and her jaw slackened when he mentioned deducting 200 points from her house. Gryffindor was way behind the Slytherins and taking off 200 points did not seem likely. She stopped gaping, realizing that there was probably a hint of falseness to his words. "You're already winning," sniffed the brunette at her elder brother. "Anyway, you wouldn't really do that. I'm your sister! I bet you add points to Slytherin everyday that's why you're ahead of everyone else. Don't deny." Her lips curled into a smirk. She did not do anything wrong, from what she gathered. Perhaps he was the one putting in points for Slytherin since the possibility of abusing his power was huge. He wouldn't do it often, but Benjamin could do it for his entertainment.

A sardonic smile touched her lips and she did not budge from her seat as Benjamin politely hinted that she, again, was not needed in this nerdy, study session of his. "Goddamnit Ben, you're becoming a nerdy Ravenclaw and hell, it isn't charming at all." He was a smart guy and revising for the nth time wouldn't make him any smarter in her opinion. "I'm going to stay anyway, I have to read some chapters." Consistency in her advance reading was never her thing. Victoria was not dumb per se, more like clever in a way that she never used in the field of academics. She just never felt the need to immerse herself into a deep study for the next three hours. Talking to people or going out for a walk near the lake was more of her thing. She shrugged and looked down at her textbook that was open and sighed dramatically. She read along the lines lazily, staying like that for a good ten minutes whilst her knee bounced up and down because of the stored energy in her.

After twelve minutes she was muttering and when she couldn't take it anymore she looked up abruptly to the seventh year. He was focusing and it seemed that the world around him had shrunk. The Daily Prophet newspaper was still lying open and immediately, she had a lot of random questions run in her mind. Snatching the Prophet, she rolled it and slapped it on the parchment Benjamin was reading. Surely now she caught his attention because the silence was softly and slowly killing her. "Oh god, I can't study anymore." It was like she ran ten miles and she had given up. She frowned, trying to address her book in a more appealing manner but it was so full of words that was trying to suffocate her. Victoria slouched slightly and raised her brow in a questioning manner whilst absently putting down the newspaper. "Don't you have any responsibilities to attend to besides from studying?" If she wanted to stay awake, she had to make a conversation that would make her do so.
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[Benjamin Chase]

Of course she did not hide because Victoria was constantly curious. She was curious what people thought about her and what they whispered about her. She was curious about all the unnatural things that in time, it became natural for her to wonder about things that were not even important. Opinions from other people regarding her seemed to affect her more than it should and at times, Benjamin worried about that. Criticism was good but too much could affect somebody's everyday living. How miserable for a young girl like her to consider even the crappiest opinion about her. Benjamin learned through the years that Victoria sometimes only acted like she was unaffected but that totally contradicted her sincerest feelings. He snorted and shook his head at her. Of course her reputation was under the care of her gentle and motherly fingers. His reputation was more tainted than hers -- even he could not deny that small but valuable fact. Residing in Hogwarts and eventually earning a name for himself cost him some ridiculous rumors to float but for the most part Benjamin ignored them. Victoria mentioned he must be adding points to Slytherin's emeralds and for a moment he was quite sure people whispered about that. The Head students of this school year were both Slytherins and honestly, Benjamin was not so sure why the Slytherins were very motivated to go to classes and earn extra points. It was good though, because at least he would not be known as the Head Boy whose house sunk low to the ground because of the lack of points. "What bullsh*t is that? I don't cheat on such things like that," defended Benjamin and crossed his arms protectively. He never added to their points because if he was caught, he would probably face humiliation from all the professors. He shrugged, thinking that her reaction was less than he expected but that was fine. "Since I'm in a neutral mood, I think I'll spare Gryffindor their downfall. Poor Lions. Must have lost your roar huh?" It was a rhetorical question and Benjamin thought Victoria would either snap or roll her eyes. She was too predictable at times.

A nerdy Ravenclaw was unsurprising to see around the halls of the castle however someone titling him with that label was embarrassing. He stared stonily at her as she talked about how he was too busy with the exams and his duties to be a good role model. Personally he thought he was doing an okay job with it, because actually devoting his life to becoming the perfect Head Boy would cost his social life. When she decided staying with him was the better option, he made a noise that was between a whine and a grunt. Even with his already obvious hints, Victoria was stubborn. Too stubborn for today, he thought.

After a full twelve minutes, Benjamin's eyes were already focused on the parchment before him. He was getting into the lull of studying when suddenly, the brunette in front of him slapped the newspaper in front of him which caused his shoulders to jump violently and so did his eyes as he looked at her in a snap. His lips formed into a tight line as his tongue went ahead and pressed the side of his mouth irritably. When she admitted defeat against studying, he laughed; a laugh that was genuine and warm but at the same time brotherly mocking. The energy raging inside her was affecting his study session as she curiously asked if he had anything duties he must accomplish. Raising an eyebrow, he wondered why she asked that. "Well, I..." trailed he, before continuing what he started. "From what I know there is no huge event coming a week from now. Quidditch games are far from now and the latest one; the Yule Ball has finished. Which is good and fun." He shrugged, thinking of his brief time there with his best friend. As per usual the event was enchanting and for his final year, he decide that attending the ball and having his picture taken by Accio was a good idea.
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[Victoria Chase]

For what she did not know, Benjamin's irritable mood was still neutral ground in his book. Of course it was, because most of the time he was unbearable. Around her, his moods were rapidly fluctuating or at least, that was how he was with her. Living with him for fourteen years surely took its toll on him because with her he practiced and perfected his killer glare and smirk. Years of sibling scheming, backstabbing and comforting with Benjamin Chase also molded her into someone of her own person. She had to thank him for that, because without his annoying ass hanging out in the mansion all day during the break, she was forced to toughen herself up a little to spiteful comments about practically everything. Idly, Victoria wondered how Kialla Smith, his best friend, handled him at his worst. Perhaps she was stoic and probably got a little feisty with him. Having no idea, it left her with raw curiousness.

Responsibilities were like a sack of heavy crops; there were too heavy to carry but nonetheless necessary to put strength in one's character, literally and figuratively. She watched Benjamin think for a second or two, evaluating his progress with whatever work was dumped with him because of his role of Head Boy. Victoria wanted to be Head Girl, but without the responsibilities and only the power the sole title it carried. However becoming a prefect in the first place was difficult enough without being a b!tch to people whose common sense was lost underground or, fed to the hungry souls who aspired to live. For her brother, Victoria pitied those people who had to handle his sarcasm and dry humor when he was feeling sour.

He mentioned two events that drove the school insane with excitement. Quidditch games were merely excitement to her because this was amateur quidditch they were talking about. Watching games of the professionals was five hundred times better than that. For a dainty and delicate young lady, Victoria actually enjoyed quidditch games secretly. She loved the tension, the speed and the smell of victory or loss from both of the respective teams. It was just a guilty pleasure, nothing too serious to ponder. What he said next was the Yule Ball, which made her head stiffen and her eyes widen a bit. He stared at those identical green eyes of her brother's, whilst he mentioned that it was fun. Fun? That meant he attended the Ball and Victoria felt the bouncing of her knee stop so tensely. If he knew about her little scheming during the night of the Yule Ball, she would get a taste of her father's scolding as soon as she got home. Having to spend time with Perseas Stratis was a mistake and for her part, she only enjoyed the rumors that were surfacing and how the members of the love triangle dealt with it. "...Y-Yule Ball?" Vee repeated and her eyes blinked so rapidly, she thought she was going to break her eyelids. "Like the one where you were supposed to dance in?" stupidly asked Victoria, and she swallowed. Her expression must have sent something fishy in the air and immediately, she straightened her posture and relaxed her neck. Instead of gaping at him like he had three heads sprouted, she forced a tight smile to feel like nothing was going wrong. She huffed a laugh, doing her very best to not let the air around her alter. "Okay... uh, I didn't know you attended..." When did he start liking Balls? "Did you see anything interesting?" More like anyone, because in the Ball she was doing things she was supposed to not do. The worst thing was, she did those things with a person she absolutely disliked that when she heard his name, her nose scrunched up. Hell, what made her nervous was that Benjamin had no idea she went to the Yule Ball at all!
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[Benjamin Chase]

The first question that ran in his mind was that, was he unattractive? His sister stared like he were a wild troll with the foulest scent. It gave him a disgusted shudder along his spine and he wanted to smack her out of her staring. Something had stirred in her as he evidently saw it in her eyes and in that whole expression her face held for so long. Benjamin was not exactly a perceive-r of lies, but he sure knew when his sister was thinking of something else she would like to keep as a secret. It was funny because whenever she wanted to scheme, her acting skills beat even the professionals. However when she was trying to cover up for something or someone, her emotions got the best of her and the word 'GUILTY' was written on her forehead. If he was lucky, he would literally see beads of sweat sprouting like unwanted weeds. He mouthed some curses at her for her to snap out of it, because now, she was the one who looked like a stupid, underground troll. "No Vee, I went to the Ball where we snapped each other's wands for fun," Benjamin snapped at her in the most sarcastic tone. Did her stupidity level up to the hundredth in just a matter of seconds? It seemed so, because she inquiring if he went to the Ball where they normally danced was dumb. Was there any other Yule Ball? Benjamin noticed the sudden change of air she wanted to express and her spine sat up straighter. It was sort of relaxed, with a sort of hard feeling to it. Like she was planning to put on a relaxed pose that was meticulously too scripted. It was off and Benjamin felt she was growing anxiety. He did not suspect anything serious however. "I saw some ladies in gorgeous dresses. Now they were interesting." A lazy grin touched Ben's lips until it reached his eyes. He was a young man now, so the sight of young and attractive ladies never got lost under his radar. Especially blondes. With his awkward approach to flirting however, Benjamin did not dare humiliate himself as Head Boy in the Yule Ball. "Well okay aside from that, I was with Kia. Some other Slytherins were present but it was mostly Kia and I having fun." If that meant endless teasing and stepping on each other's feet purposely was fun, then Benjamin had tons of it. He was not a bad dancer and so was Kialla, however him poking her whilst they did practically everything was more fun. His bestfriend also looked lovely that night and for some reason, the only way to let her know was for Benjamin to pick on every aspect of her outfit. It was an odd approach for brotherly affection.

He frowned now, clearly taking in that emerald gaze from across the table as a sign of curiosity and... worry? Was Victoria worried? Benjamin doubted so and he was a little confused why she was treating his attendance to the ball so sensitively. "Did I grow out white hair in two seconds?" Benjamin took in her answer and he nodded. "Exactly. I didn't. So, stop. F*cking. Staring." Not to mention, it was creepy. As far as he knew, Victoria Chase never did creepy staring.
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[Victoria Chase]

She was a stupid lady. Right now, her very instincts told her to make a run and call and end to this sibling session. Branching towards the topic of that specific, formal ball was going to make her feel uncomfortable for the sole reason she was talking to Benjamin. If a totally different person was sitting in front of her, attempting to discuss any events worthy of highlighting during the ball, Victoria would totally point out her little act with a Gryffindor boy to make another brunette's feelings stir. The aftermath was what Victoria expected, since rumors about people she disliked piqued her interest and despite her little involvement, she made no effort to hide. Her routines everyday were never disrupted and she planned to keep it that way... only if Benjamin never heard of this little sideline mission of hers. He was graduation soon, which meant the news would possibly not reach his ears. Victoria smiled weakly at his sarcastic comment regarding wands and normally she would patronize him for that. At the moment she was only occupied with how she could cover up her scheme whilst feigning disinterest in the Yule Ball. "Kialla must have been gorgeous. She always is but, she must have been extra gorgeous that night," offered Victoria, her mind briefly drifting to the face of the Smith pureblood. Perhaps Victoria never told her directly, but she found Kialla Smith real pretty. If only the older pureblood lady would agree to go shopping with Victoria for dresses, Vee would have been more ecstatic whenever she saw the other Slytherin. Her brother's best friend was one of Victoria's close friends.

She could not help it. She cleared her throat and got rid of that relaxed posture she had. Her rigid state was making her seem suspicious but it was not too much that it aroused all of Benjamin's interests. She laughed, a hint of nervousness combined with discomfort crossing it but not too much. This subject had to drop immediately and Victoria was eager to lead the conversation away from anything related to balls. "I'm not staring," denied Vee and nibbled on her upper lip rather painfully. Her teeth pulled away when she felt the dry skin of her normally glossy lip tear and she winced. She did not taste that metallic tang which was good because dealing with a bleeding lip was not convenient in the first place. "So um, what did you do there? Besides from teasing your date, of course." Victoria thought that transferring the limelight of the conversation onto Benjamin would be a good thing, so he would focus on himself and not ask about her night instead. She'd rather hear his stories than share what she had been doing.
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[Benjamin Chase]

"She looked wonderful. Though, we didn't go as dates," commented Benjamin absently when Victoria paid her own compliments to his best friend. Truly, Kialla never looked bad in anything. Benjamin thought that her wardrobe suited her, because Kialla rocked life like that. It was him however who badly needed a change with his clothes. He still had those pants that were not fit for his age anymore and the last thing he had in his mind was to pester his mother to accompany him in Milan just for some suits and slacks shopping. "I think I looked pretty cool as well." Benjamin grinned as he said so, clearly recalling the hours he spent just to make sure he looked appealing to... well, the opposite sex of course. He really was not looking for a girlfriend, but it would be nice to catch some ladies staring at him for physical reasons.

His sister really knew his tactics with Kialla. Their normal routine as best friends was to tease each other mercilessly and frankly, Kialla was getting good at matching his mocks nowadays. Their time in the Yule Ball was nothing unusual and Benjamin even had fun with her. He was sure that if Kialla wore a rare and expensive gown, that John Smith of hers would have jaw permanently dropped to the floor. He had hoped to meet John Smith in the ball but it simply did not happen. Looking back at Victoria equally, he cocked his head in a devious gaze that was simply a pretense of his brotherly affection for the younger brunette in front of him. "What was I doing hmm? Well... you wouldn't guess so I might as well say it." He leaned back and crossed his arms. "I was definitely keeping an eye out for you, Vee. Surprised?" He chuckled and ended it with a snort. Of course he was not looking for her. He was not Victoria's keeper and nor did he intend to really. Being an overprotective brother was uncool, even if he had this strong urge to drag her away from anyone attempting to rule a bad influence on her. "Alright, in all honestly, I was only there to get some drinks. I left quite early since I only wanted to get a look at my last Yule Ball. Can't say I was disappointed." He smirked, because the event was truly beautiful. Anyone who did not experience Hogwart's Yule Ball was missing out on his life. "Plus, my picture with Accio wouldn't hurt, would it?" Who wouldn't want to flaunt those garments he had on last night? It was rather a simple choice of clothes. Nevertheless Benjamin liked it for himself.
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