Closed It's fine, it's cool

[Mania Athanasiou]

Mania could not believe it was already nearing the end of her first year at Hogwarts. That was absolutely INSANE to think of. It felt like just yesterday she had met Callie and Pim and even Pom. She had been so excited but nervous and now the first year was almost over. Merlin time ran fast. Nia had taken it to herself to explore the Antiquated Lavatory, having not set a foot in there before.

As she stepped in it looked like nothing too fancy. Just an old bathroom that apparently didn't work. How silly, they had magic yet they couldn't make a simple loo work. She wasn't wearing her usual school uniform, her clothes were just casual instead. A sweater and jeans she had glued some ribbons on because quite frankly they looked boring the way they were. Her hair was half up in two pigtails with a ribbon on each respectfully. She looked around the room and wondered just why on earth they hadn't figured out how to make the toilets work, magic or no magic. Perhaps they just hated the room. She walked to a sink and looked at one of the mirrors, she couldn't see much since they were sort of dirty and it was dark in the room. There was a slight sound of the water droplets coming out of one of the faucets every now and then, over all it was pretty creepy to be there all on her own. All that was missing to set a horror film worthy scene now was a house ghost or something.

 

[Felix Layton-King]

Felix had been sat in the bog for about an hour, probably. This was the one room he could probably get away with not being caught out in. It had just been three months since he'd told Esme he loved her, three months since they'd danced together at the Valentines ball, believing that they'd had nothing to worry about, that they were the strongest couple in the school. Now, Felix wasn't even sure if he was her friend. For the most part he'd managed to bury those emotions deep down, but every now and then he needed the privacy just to think by himself, to figure out what went wrong and to consider how he could avoid it in the future.

The only thing Felix could come up with, was that he wasn't ready for a relationship. That at the end of the day, Esme had offered everything she could to him, and he didn't want it. He thought he did, given they'd already been together unofficially for the best part of two years, but when push came to shove there was something in him that was telling him that settling wasn't part of his current agenda. No, it was better not to view anyone like that, instead it was good to keep to himself, and focus on whatever most teenage boys focused on.

He looked up when he heard footsteps in the room. Not that Felix could see where they were coming from given, he was sat inside one of the cubicles, but he listened in silence for a moment to see if he could figure out who it was, although whoever it was hadn't gotten very far before they stopped walking. Very slowly and carefully, Felix rose to his feet, unlocking the door in front of him and peering his head around the corner of the door. "It's you," he said quietly, eyes laying on the brunette he'd met at the shop.​

 

[Mania Athanasiou]

Mania was still very much deep in her own head when she heard a voice speak, although quietly it still startled her and she whipped her head to that direction. Eyes wide and mouth slightly open. It took her a second to even realize that no, it was not a ghost, no it was not anything dangerous. It was just Felix. Letting out a slow breath Mania glanced around the room, for any more surprises, before speaking. "Yeeees, it's me..?" She drawled on a bit confused, was she not supposed to be here? "My deepest apologies if you were waiting for someone else, but nope it is just me." She said leaning against the sink she had stopped in front of.

Narrowing her eyes she pushed the thick black rims of her glasses up her nose a bit before speaking again. "You know you almost gave me a heart attack, what are you doing alone in an abandoned bathroom anyways?" Not that she wasn't in there herself right now, also by herself, but you know.

 

[Felix Layton-King]

With the amount of ghosts floating around Hogwarts, Felix would have thought that in time it was hard to startle someone with your presence. Surely they'd be accustomed to finding people where they wouldn't expect, even if that was a ghostly apparition. "You know," Felix began, exiting the stall, "I dressed up as a ghost once." It had been the day he'd met Esme. "Actually, I've dressed as a ghost plenty of times," although those had been against his will after Uncle Wendall made him be the victim in most of his home horror videos, that Felix usually ended the show as a non living being. It would be nice to see Wendall and the girls again, although rumour had it Felix had a fourth cousin to meet now too. It took the second year a moment to realise where he was going with his comment, and tucking his hands into his jeans he sauntered closer. "Nope, not waiting for anyone else." It was likely be a while before he was considered to be waiting for anyone at all.

Felix didn't really know how to explain what was going on to practically a stranger. In truth, Marnia didn't need to know why he'd been here. "I was waiting for the effect of a potion to wear off," he lied, awkwardly rubbing the back of his head to feign embarrassment. "Potions isn't my strongest subject," another lie, but what she she know?​

 

[Mania Athanasiou]

Mania stared at the boy, wondering where he might be going with this whole explanation of dressing up as a ghost. She raised both her brows, waiting for him to finish it up but he never did. Just said he wasn't waiting for anyone in particular. Alright then. She watched the blond walking closer, staying quiet because what was she going to say? Yeah, nothing really. Her brow arched again as Felix here said he was waiting for a potion to wear off, right because exams hadn't just ended and there probably was no potions for him to be consuming on his free time right now unless he made something himself. Then he said potions weren't his strongest subject, but if he was of any relation to Amortentia, whose brother was named Felix, he'd sure have some knowledge even prior to Hogwarts. Given he was named after a potion, much like his siblings.

"Riight, yeah." She started, deciding to play his little game of lies. "What potion was it? That had such bad effects you had to wait them out here?" Mania asked fixing her eyes on him expectantly and crossing her arms over her chest. Sure if he'd had a Potion he wouldn't mind sharing which one, she knew her way around the names and effects of them just not much beyond, thanks to her mother.

 

[Felix Layton-King]

Felix didn't really know why Finley's little friend started questioning him, as though she'd be able to see through his lie. All the first year knew was that he was good at suggesting pranks for her to use to her advantage, so why was she so inquisitive about his side effects? "I dunno," he shrugged, lowering his hand, "part of the problem I guess." If he didn't know what he'd taken, he didn't know what else to do but ride out the symptoms.

"All I know is that my skin? It was practically glowing like a golden firefly," he explained, walking a little closer to seemingly peer at himself in the mirror. "Looks like it's calmed down now," he added after a moment of inspection, before he glanced to Marnia with half a grin on his face, "which is good, means I can go back out without dazzling anyone too much." Honestly why would he ever choose to be truthful about what he was feeling and bring the mood down if a joke could cover things up and make him more friends? Not that that was what Marnia was, but he'd have better hope of making them if others were comfortable around him. "Did you give Fin the wand yet?" he asked, eager to change the subject as he turned to lean against the sink beside her.​

 

[Mania Athanasiou]

Mania stared as he said he didn't know what he had taken. Right either he was extremely daft, too trusting or just again DAFT. If he was taking potions without knowing what he was taking there was no other way of explaining it. As he started telling her what the effects had been she raised her brows and opened her mouth in a gasp, as if this was truly shocking. "Oh no! No no I still see it." She said bringing her hands to her mouth.

"Oh no Felix, I fear you have gone blind because it is still very bad, but only right here," She said, tapping the tip of his nose with her pointer finger. "You must have taken the 'Rudolph maximus'! A hefty dose too if it made your whoole face glow." She had no doubt her hazel eyes were practically the size of the moon as she lowered her hand again, slightly shaking her head. "I don't knooow, this could be really bad for you..." She said with false worry laced voice. "And no I didn't get to yet. I am planning on doing it on our first lesson that requires wands after the break though!" Mania added.

 

[Felix Layton-King]

Felix paused a little as Marnia mentioned she could still see the glow on his skin, although it only made his grin grow wider. His cheeks flushed for real for a moment as she tapped him on the end of his nose, "Yeah, it was probably that," he agreed, no longer aware of what it was it was agreeing to. "You think?" Felix wasn't convinced anything bad was going to happen and not just because he hadn't actually taken anything. If his skin had actually been glowing, then the fact it was fading was a good sign. He took a deeper breath at the mention of the break, something he wasn't really looking forward to although he wasn't about to admit it. "Alright, good. You'll have to tell me how long it takes for him to notice." No doubt Felix would be seeing Finley over the holidays, so maybe it was better she wouldn't be giving it to him beforehand otherwise Felix would have to wait until next year before his cousin even tried to use it, and there was a big risk he'd uncover it before returning.

The Gryffindor suddenly narrowed his eyes, "What are you doing here?" he asked. He'd been here trying to have a bit of privacy until Marnia had wandered in, although there were plenty of other places in the castle she could have gone to if she only wanted to check out her reflection.​

 

[Mania Athanasiou]

Mania kept her act up as she examined his face and the slight flush that took over his cheeks at her touch. Well that was awkward enough, best keep hands to herself. Probably. Preferably. Definitely not. Her eyes gleamed, the only sign of her not being serious, as he agreed on the absolutely ridiculous name of a potion she'd given. Was he even listening? "Yeahhh, I think it might just be really bad. I think your nose might grow a few inches, like Pinocchio, not from any potion but simply from lying." She finished with a grin. "You definitely weren't waiting out any potion effects nor is there a potion called Rudolph maximus, I don't think at least." Nia finally said pushing herself off the sink she has occupied.

After giving a quick nod to the comment about letting Felix know how long it may take for Finfin to notice the wand prank he turned her question against her. She had taken a few steps away from the sinks so to see the blonds face she had to turn around and as she did she saw his narrowed eyes. "What? Can't a girl explore in peace?" She questioned, throwing one hand dramatically up to her forehead. "Suppose I just wanted to see what it looked like here and to get away from all the noise and hustle for a bit. To get away from my trunk that still needs to be packed up and to just have some room to catch my own thoughts about everything." She admitted with a shrug, settling to stand where she was awkwardly. Why had she left the sink? At least she had somewhere to lean now she was just left to fidget with her own hands awkwardly.

 

[Felix Layton-King]

"Well obviously," Felix gave half a laugh, "that wasn't what it was called. I don't know what it was called." He crossed his arms over his chest, "All I know is that it was better for everyone involved that I stayed out of the way, so here I am." As Marnia moved away he watched her take a few steps back, although frowned at her sudden outburst. "What?" Felix stood there in silence as Marnia tried to justify why she was here, acting as though Felix had somehow p*ssed in her rosebush by asking. "I don't care why Marnia," he told her, "I only asked to be polite." The second year stood up from his leaning position against the sink, "You asked me the same thing, sorry for trying to be friendly I guess," he wasn't going to hang around another girl if she was just going to get flustered at small talk, and besides if she was here to think about all her feelings then Felix was better off finding somewhere else to hang out.​

 

[Mania Athanasiou]

Mania stood there watching as Felix clearly took her little show of a joke to heart and then turned it as a jab at her that he didn't in fact care and called her Marnia. "Yea because asking someone something and then saying oh I don't care is oh sooo polite," She huffed leaning onto her right side slightly. "And for the record its M a n i a, not Marnia, though I suppose you wouldn't care either way so it is whatever." She added, barely containing her need to intensely roll her eyes. "Though I suppose it wasn't Marnie or Menace but at least somewhat close to my name," Nia huffed silently more so to herself than the boy. She felt a little bad though when the boy actually apologized for trying to be friendly, he was right she had asked the question first. Somehow this wasn't any better than staying in her dorm staring at the half packed trunk and thinking of all the possible ways the break was going to go. In the middle of the year she had missed home but as the break grew closer so did her anxiety of going back. She didn't feel at home there, she hated seeing her parents and their disappointment, especially given the absolute sh*tshow of grades she had on Potions especially. She could already hear her mothers comments.

"Though if you got any of that Rudolph Maximus left, I'll take it. Perhaps it'll make my face glow so much I won't even be able to return home for the break." Mania attempted at the joke from earlier somehow needing the space to think but not wanting to be completely alone and Felix seemed like the safest option. At least he wouldn't care about what she was trying to hide from because he too clearly was trying to hide from something.

 

[Felix Layton-King]

Felix didn't bother to mention that after Marnia's outburst, being polite was no longer something he waas trying to be. The second year did care that he'd gotten her name wrong, although he could hardly blame himself. He'd only overheard Zennon say it once. "Suppose Mania is more fitting anyway," he adjusted his outfit as he stood in front of the mirror, if not just for something to do. Felix let her next question dangle in the air for moment, trying to figure her out. Asking her why would only open up an opportunity for her to ask the same of him, which wasn't something he was willing to do. On the other hand however, the instinct to make sure that others weren't treated in the way he had been by their families was something Felix was overly aware of. The blonde turned to face the Gryffindor once more, turning slowly until he was once again with his back to the sink. "Nah, you don't wanna drink that, your family will miss you," he said, testing the waters.​

 

[Mania Athanasiou]

Mania was glad the boy decided to stay though she did snort at his comment about Mania being more fitting. "Nope, don't even go there. Old joke," She said halfheartedly, turning her back to him just to hide her smile a little more. She stared in front of her, which was now just worn out cubicles, but she stared at them never the less as the Gryffindors words sank in and before she could stop herself she let the words out. "Well perhaps then they'd at least care for once," For something other than her failures that was at least. Her sisters did care for her, but her parents only really cared what she could do for them and with her terrible school work it wasn't much. "Though, I doubt. They'd call a Manialess summer a perfect and quiet one." She knew she wasn't the quietest one around, but she really wasn't that bad.

 

[Felix Layton-King]

Felix had been named after a potion although it wasn't as obvious as his sister. He could at least pretend he had a relatively normal name, rather than thinking his mum had deemed him lucky. In reality Felix wasn't sure he was lucky at all although he never would have said that out loud. He frowned as Mania told him that her family might care for a change. Again it would feel unfair to say, especially now that Ten and Ned had apologised, but there was a part of him that knew how the first year felt because he'd felt the same for the longest time. The only difference was, Felix believed his family didn't care because he'd just slipped into the background whereas Mania was experiencing the opposite. "Would they really?" Or is that just want you want to believe, was the question on the tip of Felix's tongue. He didn't want to invalidate what she was feeling, but he had his own history to understand that family didn't always show their love in the way they thought they were. "You think your family would rather spend time without you?"​

 

[Mania Athanasiou]

Mania kept staring at the cubicles as if they were the most interesting thing in the world. They weren't. But she'd do anything to avoid turning around and just shrugged. "Well my sisters would care but I truly doubt parents would, they seem to prefer a life away from us kids which is hilarious given how many they have." It wasn't funny really but you know. She finally turned around at the boys second question and tilted her head slightly. "Pretty sure, I seem to never do anything right. It's always 'Hera this, Melinoë that, oh never be like Mania just look how perfect the others are.' Yada yada, always too much but never enough I suppose." She needed to stop talking to strangers so easily. She needed to learn a filter. "Alas, suppose they are stuck with me, whether they liked it or not." She added with a grin, to hide her true feelings about the situation. "What abouts you? Looking forward to the break?" Nia asked in return.

 

[Felix Layton-King]

Felix listening intently as Mania explained the way she thought she was seen by her family, stepping a little closer as she went on about her sisters. "Well," Felix's hands were once more shoved into the pocket of his jeans and he walked closer still, "I guess there is just no one quite like you," he said with a small smile, trying to make light of the situation, "Could you imagine if all your sisters were as sassy?" He'd only spoken to Mania on a few occasions, but from what he knew of her she was always a bundle of energy. If all her sisters were on the same level, you could probably power a small village from the electricity generated. "It wouldn't be good for them," he shrugged, a face that showed her it was just a matter of fact. "Not everyone is built to handle it." Felix added with a wink.

"Me?" His eyebrows rose as he tried to play off how much he wasn't looking forward to going back, "Eh, it's boring being at home isn't it? When magic is here, going back to pretending to be a muggle isn't exactly fun." Sure, he'd have his phone back and be able to play some games, meet up with the family that weren't at Hogwarts, but it all just felt like filler. "Besides, I only live in Obsidian, it's not like I'm going on an adventure or anything," it was practically at the end of the road in comparison.​

 

[Mania Athanasiou]

Mania wasn't sure she liked to be seen in the light she was seen in right now. She shrugged trying to keep it casual, she wasn't that special but she just stuck out like a sore thumb from her family standards, but it didn't make her special. Felix walking closer and closer had Nia feeling on edge and backing away herself as she raised her brows. "Thank Merlin there's just one of me I suppose." She grimaced at the thought. The way he was talking to her right now, felt far too intimate in a way. Perhaps it had been her own foolishness for spilling the beans about her family but still. "Uhhuh, pray tell if you ever meet someone who is built to handle it." She tried to match his nonchalant attitude about it but it was difficult.

The first year studied the second years face as he replied her question, glad to have the attention off of her in a way. Tilting her head again Nia raised her brows in answer, almost mimicking Felix's own reactions at this point. "Yeah? I suppose leaving the magic behind at school is sort of boring." She sort of agreed, though it felt like there might have been more to it than just that. "Well at least you don't have to travel so much. I can bet my wand that half of the summer will be spent in Greece, then my parents will get restless and want to go somewhere else again. I'd much rather honestly stay at the school or just in Obsidian." Traveling was fun, but not if you did it constantly.

 

[Felix Layton-King]

Felix knew sometimes family dynamics were hard, but at least it was a case of not feeling like Mania fit in more than that her home life was making her unhappy. "Exactly," it was better if she didn't think it was a bad thing that her sister's weren't encouraged to be more like her. Who would want their siblings to copy them anyway? It was hard not to delve too deep into a conversation but instead to keep it light hearted. Felix's mind quickly wandered time and time again down a path that he had to remind himself to stay away from. He wanted to help of course, but he was a little tired of trying to work out feelings.

"What do you meaaaaan?" Felix groaned, "You basically get to go on vacation every few months to Greece," if not more, by the sounds of it, "instead of staying at school during your break!" Felix gave half a laugh, "seems like a pretty sweet deal to me." Felix wasn't sure why he was still hanging around in the bog at this point. "Look if you ever wanna swap, I'd be more than happy to take your place. You just need to stick it out here with my sister and the occasional nephew and you'll be fine!"​

 

[Mania Athanasiou]

Mania couldn't exactly pinpoint why she felt comfortable around the blond but she did, he had this easy going vibe to him that she liked. His reaction to her declaration of rather staying back in Obsidian. "No no, you missed the part where I said they'll get restless and want to go somewhere else. I have to spend weeks at a time using different bathrooms like daily. The second one gets comfortable they skip town or country, it's tiring." While she spoke she had raised her right hand between them in almost a stop motion. Smiling at his offer though she spoke again. "I think I'll manage, you might be eaten by the wolves though. My mum hates noise, hates mess, hates disorder, which is funny that she's a healer but she is the least patient person I have ever met and every other healer I have met seems so patient." It was an odd contrast honestly and her father? Well there wasn't much to be said about him nor his patience either. "Your sister? She doesn't happen to be a redhead? Amortentia? She didn't snitch on me last we saw each other so I think we'll get along just fine." This was the perfect opportunity to ask if he was related to said redhead and Mania was not about to miss out on it.

 

[Felix Layton-King]

Felix couldn't bring himself to feel sorry for the girl that had too many holidays, spoken truly by the sounds of someone who had too much money and a family that cared about making the most of their time. "Yeah, you take Ten and I'll take the horrors of someone exploring too much," Felix didn't know why her mum would bother taking them away so much if she hated disorder. Surely there had to be some element of organization if she thought and enjoyed taking them away for a while. Felix was about to move away again when he realised what she'd just said, "Amortentia didn't snitch on you? What were you doing?" Ten had been keeping to herself more recently, or at least she didn't seem to be out for vengeance as much as she had when she was younger, but it did pique his curiosity than Mania was doing something she perhaps shouldn't have been.​

 

[Mania Athanasiou]

Mania raised a brow, sure he could spend some time with her mum she didn't have any objections about that. "Go on then, spend a week with Sofia Athanasiou and then tell me how you feel. Money can only go so far if there is no love." She said shrugging. She was sure he'd move away when suddenly it was as though something had sunk in and it was after the question that Nia realised just what bit of the info had finally sunk. Right. Her cheeks gained a rosy colour at her mistake. "Nothing! I wasn't doing anything, I didn't mean snitch snitch! I just meant like..." The Gryffindor scrambled for something to say other than that she'd been caught in the potions cupboard talking to herself no less. "RUN AWAY! Like the snitch does in Quidditch!" Nia suddenly recalled her dad speaking of Quidditch once and how the seekers tried to catch the ever elusive snitch or whatever. It wasn't a solid lie but well she didn't even know why she just didn't tell the truth.

 

[Felix Layton-King]

Felix didn't need to be told twice. An inheritance would never replace the fact he never got to take a trip with his own mum. "If you say so," It wasn't that Felix was growing bored of the conversation so much as if he were too look too deep it would only make him sad. He had enough going on without delving down there, too. He watched as the younger girl suddenly got very confused about what a snitch was, clearly she was unaware how many times he'd tried out for the team. "Fine, don't tell me. I'll just ask Ten," Felix shrugged. He was tired of playing games with people, and of people playing games with him. Thankfully his own relationship with his sister was at least stable, so he didn't need to feel worse that Mania got on with her too. Suddenly he realised he missed Esme more than he'd previously let on. Things were changing fast around him, and Felix felt as though he had nothing and no one to hold on to, to ground him. Sure things weren't all moving necessarily in a bad way, but it would have been nice if he had someone to go back to. He supposed he deserved it now, to feel like he was by himself and unsure of which way was up. After all, if he didn't need her when things had been good, why should he have anyone for when things were bad? "I'll see you at the feast or something, yeah?" He was done talking.​

 

[Mania Athanasiou]

There was a sudden change in Felix's mood, she could say as much from the way he was. Long gone the easy going boy."Yep, I do." She said, she didn't need to explain herself. He'd never know just how things were in her family and she didn't even want him to know it. She gave a curt nod when he said he'd ask Ten about it, fine he could go ahead if he was so interested in her business. Though as Felix made to leave he did look very sullen and Nia let out a thread of Greek curse words before finally giving in. "Fine I snuck into the potions cupboard, wanted to brew a potion myself since I nearly failed it this year. Spoke to myself, your sister heard it BOOM she scares the life out of me, hit my head, she spoke to me and kind of maybe reprimanded me. That was it." She explained but made no move from her spot. "Not my proudest moment getting caught because I spoke to myself but then again wasn't going to do much brewing a potion when I still had to show mama the P in potions,but worth a try I suppose." She shrugged, it was a good try ten points to Nia for that, maybe not Gryffindor but just Nia. "I'll see you at the feast then I guess," The brunette added.