Just one of those days

[Preston Paine]

Preston had been back in school for a few weeks, but he hadn't done more than attend classes and practice his drawing. The guy still wasn't into Quidditch so he hadn't gone to tryouts and none of the other clubs appealed to him, though he was sort of interested in the Muggle Sports club. He had missed tryouts though, mostly because he had second guessed what his housemates would think of him trying out. Preston had quickly learned the deep prejudices that some of his housemates held about people like him and he wasn't going to do anything to feed into that. Preston was sure that he had convinced some of his friends that he was from a wizarding family.

Throwing his backpack over his shoulder, Preston walked out of the library where he had been doing research for an essay. He had found all the information he needed in one book and had taken notes so that he could write up his essay in the commonroom later that evening. A grumble in his stomach reminded Preston that it was mealtime. He followed his nose, making his way into the Great Hall and settling into a spot at the Slytherin table. It was already fairly full, but he managed to find a space in the middle near some other Slytherins. After nodding his head in greeting, Preston picked up a chicken pot pie from a plate full of them and tucked in. Boy, was it good! The young Slytherin loved the food in this school. As he glanced around the hall, Preston realized that in between breakfast and now, the room had been decorated for Halloween. Skeletons hung here and there as did pumpkins. He smiled before returning his attention to his meal, wondering what he would wear for the party.

 

[Sergei Zhefarovich]

Sergei Zhefarovich walked down the Great Hall, dressed in his typical uniform. There was nothing creative about that, but he didn't want to wear anything less than the pride that he wore with the Slytherin house. Even though he was rather apathetic about everything. He walked further into the Great Hall to see that there was some decor around, and he looked at the skeletons and the pumpkins. If only the skeletons were real mudbloods there, but that was highly unlikely. He rolled his silver eyes and he continued to walk toward the Slytherin table, looking for somewhere to sit. He had become good friends with some of the dormmates that he had made here, but Sergei was still very mysterious about himself. At least they were not mudbloods. As far as he was aware. That was something that he could find out via connections, but no one had given him a reason to just yet. Sergei almost yawned until he found someone that he could sit next to. Preston Paine. Though Sergei mostly called him Paine because it sounded better. Sergei's presence was not made known until he sat down next to the dormmate, and he seemed to be eating a chicken pot pie. That alone made him wrinkle his nose in disgust.

Most students that knew Sergei knew that he was a big lad. Tall, lean but gaining slight muscle. Yet, he was a vegetarian. He hated meat. It was all that his dad actually ate, and most of his family, yet he was the one that hated it. Sergei muttered, "I don't know how anyone can love to eat that crap." He reached for an apple, then a knife and started peeling it to get the skin off. The skin neatly fell onto the plate, and he continued to do the apple, and skin it. It could remind him of something that was really morbid, but he remained silent. That is, until he mused, "It would have been much better if the skeletons in here were made of mudbloods though. Don't you think?"​

 

[Preston Paine]

Preston glanced up just to see who it was who was joining him at the table. When he realized it was one of his dormmates, he smiled before shoveling another bite of pot pie into his mouth. He noted the boy's look of disgust. Preston had eaten with Sergei before and knew that he didn't eat meat, but that didn't mean that Preston didn't. He loved the stuff and couldn't see how Sergei could live off of vegetables and fruits. "The same way they can love to eat your crap" he said with a grin as he put a pea off to the side where there was a small pile of them. Preston didn't mind some vegetables but he hated peas.

As Sergei continued, Preston glanced sideways as his friend. He had heard the rumors people had said about his house, that they hated muggles and muggleborns. And, being in the house he knew that it was true for some people, his friend being one of them. The fact that he was saying it in front of Preston let him know that at least one person didn't suspect him of being anything other than a boy who had grown up in a wizarding family. He tried his hardest not to present himself in any other way. With a shrug, he responded. "A skeleton is a skeleton, right? I doubt a mudbloods would look any different." That word left a bitter taste in his mouth, but he had said it often enough that it was beginning to not bother him. The young Slytherin didn't know how he felt about that. "Are you going?" he asked and then quickly added, "to the Halloween feast?"

 

[Sergei Zhefarovich]

Sergei rolled his eyes and he was about to reply that chickens wouldn't be able to reach his type of food when it occurred to him, they could actually fly up trees. That would make his argument invalid. Sergei shrugged and he said with a smirk, "It is a vicious circle. As soon as we die, we melt into the ground, the worms will feast and rise, where your chicken devour." It was a morbid way of thinking and he added, "So enjoy the dead bird that feasted on dead people." It was almost absurd, but he was smirking while he said it, which made it appear that he was joking around like someone normal his age. However his mind thought differently. He just didn't like meat. It never tasted good to him. He always wanted to throw up when he got done chewing. There was no divine reason why he chose to live that way, but he just did. He continued to peel his apple and then slice it to chunks. Sitting with someone he could consider a friend was better than sitting alone, so he realized then. It was really better than nothing.

If Sergei would have known about the blood status of none other than Preston, he would not be sitting here. And he basically said that his own skeleton would look good as decoration. Sergei stopped with the last peeling of his apple when he looked over at Preston as he said that a skeleton would be just that, and how he doubted there was a difference in the skeletons. He wondered about that. "Perhaps we should find out one day, comparing the bones of a mudblood and a pure-blood. Just to see." However the boy did use the word, and Sergei was convinced that it was natural of Preston to use such a word. It was not an easy word to throw around. He was asked if he was going to the Halloween Feast. He let that question linger as he popped a piece of apple into his mouth and chewed silent. Once he finished swallowing, he shook his head, "My family don't celebrate holidays, so I don't bother. Do you plan on going or something?"​

 

[Preston Paine]

Out of Character:

Yikes! This was before the Halloween feast.

"Way to bring down the mood, bro" Preston stated with a laugh as he took a hearty bite of chicken and peas. His mouth was too full to speak for a few long moments so he simply watched his roommate as he worked on his apple. Unlike Preston who simply just bit into an apple when he wanted one, Sergei seemed to have a method to apple eating. It was rather amusing. As he swallowed his bite and took another, the Slytherin tried his best to push away the thought of mudblood skeletons. It was so morbid. When the Slytherin continued to talk about the bones and one day seeing the difference, Preston just stared at him for a moment, not sure if he was serious. He blinked slowly and then laughed nervously. "That's..." he didn't finish the sentence, not sure what to say, before putting another bite of food in his mouth.

The silence between them was beginning to grow awkward and Preston was grateful when Sergei broke the silence. When he asked if Preston was planning on going, he replied with a shrug. "Yea, why not? I don't have anything better to do that day." The Slytherin had enjoyed the party the previous year, so he had been looking forward to it this year. He was a bit surprised that someone as morbid as Sergei was sometimes wouldn't want to celebrate one of the darkest holidays of the year. It sort of made sense though. The guy was a bit of a health freak and the holiday was a lot about candy.

 

[Sergei Zhefarovich]

Out of Character:

Welcome to RPing with me. I figured we can wrap this one up, and have a new one for, well, the present year?

Sergei smirked a bit and he shrugged his shoulders. He could really bring down the mood if he wanted. He finished chewing on his apple before he spoke, "I am good at doing that." Sergei did not even notice that Preston had watched him peel the apple with the knife. He loved working with sharp objects and this was just giving him practice that he needed. He would have skills that impressed his dad one day. Or freak him out one. Either way, he would be find it entertaining. Why would he not? Sergei wanted his dad to be like his grandfather, full of dark magic and whatnot. But Chavdar was not. Sergei would have to learn to live with him. Chavdar had plenty of kids, went through a bad marriage, it was just bad for everyone. His eyes went briefly over to Present when he did not say anything more about what he was talking about with the skeletons.

Sergei nodded when Preston said that he did not have anything better to do so he was going. He was sure that he would not have to go. It was several of his relatives' birthday, so he might just get something for them, or spend some time with Professor Styx. "You can have as much fun with that as you can. I am sure it is the same as last year." He shrugged his shoulders before he finished off his apple. He stood up and he put the knife he had away. "Anyway, as much as I would love to watch you eat a dead animal, I think I am going to go to the dorm and sleep." He gave a wave to Preston before he started to walk away.​

 

[Preston Paine]

Preston listened to his friend speak, continuing to eat as he did so just because he knew that his roommate didn't like it. Just because they were friends didn't mean that it wasn't fun to annoy him sometimes. As Preston watched Sergei walk away, he pushed his plate away. He still planned on going to the Halloween Feast but that conversation had been disturbing and it didn't sit right with Preston at all. Shaking off how he was feeling, Preston waited until Sergei left the room before he stood up and headed out himself. As he walked out of the Great Hall, he walked up the staircase, wondering aimlessly as he thought about what might happen if his friend found out his blood status. Now more than ever, the Slytherin knew that he had to keep that secret as close as possible. Other than when he was being creepy, Preston really liked Sergei and he knew that they wouldn't remain friends if he knew that Preston was a muggle-born. With a sigh, the guy leaned against a window taking in the view for a while before heading back to his dorm.

The end...for now​