Release of Tension

[Matthew Harper]

The last thing Matthew remembered from the duel, aside from the red beam of light coming at him, was the feeling of disappointment. Not disappointment that he hadn't won, but disappointment that the duel was over already. He had woken up without antlers, and had thanked the professor for reviving him before getting to his feet in search of the boy he had fought. He spotted him and hurried over, worried he was going to leave without talking to him. "Hey, Rudolf, wait up!" It was sad to see the boy was no longer bright pink. "You should have kept that color, it suited you." He wasn't sure if they were even in the joking territory yet, but he had felt like the duel had cleared the air between them a little. He still intended to apologize for his behavior last semester, but decided to start the conversation in a lighthearted way.

 

[Rudolf Lagowski]

After the duel, Rudolf hopped quickly down from the stage, letting the supervising professor reverse the effects of the match before hurrying through the crowd toward the exit. He didn't want to avoid Matthew, exactly, but while their duel had been fun, he wasn't sure their brief enjoyment would translate into friendship once they were off the stage. He'd made it no further than the door, however, when the Hufflepuff caught up with him. He stopped and turned, trying to conceal the disapppintment on his face. "Hah," he said, a smile creeping over his lips. "It did, didn't it?" Urgh, why were they being friendly? They obviously didn't like each other very much. Rudolf bit his lip, recalling his conversation with Cyndi, and how he'd once wished he and Matthew could get along. Was it too late to try? "You looked pretty good with those antlers... though, let's face it, they'd have looked better on me, too. Cause, you know... Rudolf..." He grinned, feeling the tension between them like a heavy cloud. "I'm, uh, going to get some lunch. You wanna come?"

 

[Matthew Harper]

Matthew scratched his neck, feeling both awkward and relieved about Rudolf at least talking to him. He had half expected the other boy to ignore him and walk away, though after the duel they had, he might have found it funnier to hex him instead. "It looked great, you should try blue next."
He said with a small smile. "And you have a good point about the antlers, I could give you some if you want." He took out his wand and gave it a teasing wave. The tension wasn't really clearing, though he was trying his best. Rudolf asked him to join him at lunch which was surprising, but welcome. Matthew knew he had to do something first, though. "Sure, but first..." He sighed, trying to think of the right words. "Look, Rudolf. I'm so sorry for what happened before the holidays. I made a snap judgement, based on only a little information. I shouldn't have. Reuben didn't tell me that in confidence so I could turn it around and use it against you, and I only did that because... well, it sort of hit home for me." He paused. "Sibling stuff, you know?" He hesitated. "But that's my business, and has nothing to do with you and your family. I would get it if you're still mad with me about what I said, but... thanks for being civil and stuff. I really like your brother, and I don't want to be his friend while being your enemy. That would probably hurt him quite a bit. I can tell how important you are to him." He hoped he wasn't being too honest and scaring Rudolf away, but he wanted to say all of this.

 

[Rudolf Lagowski]

Rudolf laughed weakly, dodging the wand as if he were enjoying this social encounter, when all he really wanted to do was go and eat lunch in peace. But he had to try - if not for himself then for his brother. His hostility toward Matthew was negatively affecting his relationship with his brother, and that meant it had gone too far.

Rudolf was ready to leave the duelling chamber when suddenly Matthew sprung something incredibly surprising on him. He frowned at first, not quite trustful of the Hufflepuff's apology, but the further Matthew carried into it, the softer Rudolf's frown became. By the end of the speech, the Gryffindor's grudge against his brother's friend had almost entirely melted away. There was something so heartfelt, so genuine about it that he couldn't possibly respond in any other way except to say: "Thanks, Matt. I was pretty harsh, too. I'm sorry about that. I'd never really spoken to anyone about Reagan before, and... I was still mad? Whatever, I just mean it wasnt your fault, and I'm sorry I got mad at you. You were right, anyway; I did abandon Reuben, and it was the s***est thing I've ever done, and I wish I couldn't go back and change things, but I can't." He sighed and shrugged, looking away. "I guess it hit home for both of us, huh?"

 

[Matthew Harper]

Matthew realized he might have poured his heart out a little too much, he hoped Rudolf wasn't going to run away screaming. But instead he talked to him in return, opening up more than Matthew had ever expected. He listened quietly, seeing the boy in a whole new light. "Hey, we all do stupid things as kids." He told him slowly. "And I don't have a twin, just a younger- I mean, just younger sisters. It's an incredibly different situation so I can't really compare it." He paused. "You've definitely not been abandoning him lately, you been hogging the seat next to him enough in classes if you ask me." He smiled, showing it was a joke. "Reuben knows you're there for him now. We both are. You might not be able to go back and change it, but you changed your own behavior to be better." He shrugged. "That's all we can do, right?"