Closed Rumors Spread like Wildfire

[Tanith Whitlock]

Tanith was lethargic. She didn't want to try in any more of her classes. She didn't want to be doing much of anything. She knew she needed the grades, but she was having a really, really, really hard time trying to force herself to do it. She was in the library now supposedly studying but instead she was just sitting with her head on her books and her hands in her lap, staring blankly at the shelves. She didn't know how life had turned out this way. How her older sisters managed it. The twins had each other, Tullia had her plans, and little Tate was so spoiled he probably didn't even notice. Honestly, he'd never known anything else. Tanith was the odd one out, alone at school, not close to any of her siblings the way they were with each other. She wished she could be more like Tullia. At least she had her not-boyfriend to hang out with. Tanith wanted someone like that, someone that wouln't let her be alone all the time like she was. Maybe when her brothers came to school next year it would be different. She sighed, not bothering to move.

 

[Professor Conan Edogawa]

When Conan had become a professor, he hadn't expected how close it was to being a student. There were days where he had to go to the library to check a thing or two. Sure, his class was probably better served going to a muggle library, but he liked to check what the books in the library had about muggles. It certainly helped that his nephew was now one of the librarians in the school so it was a little easier to navigate and find the books that he needed. He'd just passed a Hufflepuff who had her head down on a table and heaved a big sigh. "Alright there? That was a pretty big sigh," he joked with a grin.​

 

[Tanith Whitlock]

Tanith's attention was drawn by a passing Professor. She glanced to him, face dull. "I'm fine," She replied woodenly, eyes going back to the shelves. Not that she really saw anything. "It's all fine. We say it enough. Fine, fine, fine," She shut her eyes. Her sisters were always telling her it would be fine. Maybe if she said it, too, she might believe it. Eventually. Probably.

 

[Professor Conan Edogawa]

Conan frowned as he looked at the girl, she was probably around his triplets' age. He closed the book he'd been examining and stepped closer to the girl, though he realized that towering over someone seemingly upset was not very good practice. He sat across from her instead, crossing his arms on the table and leaning down to rest his chin on them. "Well, I'd like to say that it's alright if it's not all fine and that I'm a pretty good listener things are less than fine," he said trying to sound encouraging as he tilts his head just a little bit. He'd probably have to talk to Professor Carter after this just to let him know to check on one of his Hufflepuffs.​

 

[Tanith Whitlock]

Tanith sighed again. "I already apologized for throwing the teacup in Divination," She mumbled. "It's not my fault, okay, we don't need any more babies." She took a breath, fighting the stubborn tears that sprung up every time she thought of it. "They- they have to be dead, alright, there can't be more of us, not since-" She whined, sitting up and leaning back, staring at the cieling.

"They left, and Tessa had to bring us here from Ireland to find Twila and we've been staying there since, but Twila swears she isn't having any babies right now. There are already so many of us- Tessa and Twila and Tullia at Beauxbatons and the twins will be here next year and Tate is the youngest, we all baby him, he'd hate it, but we can't- there's no way-" She rambled, before groaning and putting her hands over her eyes, digging her palms in a little like she could make the stinging of the tears she wasn't shedding go away, make the tightness in her throat go away.

"They're gone, and that's it, they didn't write or call or say goodbye so they're gone and that's it, no more," She whispered. She couldn't take what she'd thought she'd seen, she couldn't. She really, really, really couldn't.

 

[Professor Conan Edogawa]

"Well, good thing we're not in Divination and I'm not the Divination professor then," Conan said with a shrug as he temporarily ignored what she said about not needing more babies. It was obvious that she was holding things in and Conan was not about to disturb her thought process and if he had to sit with her quietly until then, he had the patience and time to do so.

He listened quietly as she rambled and he had to take a moment to decide to move to sit beside her instead of across from her while she dug her palms over her eyes. He had no idea who half the names even were, didn't even know the girl's name but he could only think that they were perhaps her siblings. He wanted to give her a hug, mostly because she was crying and she was around the same age as his own kids, but she wasn't his kid and he must seem like a strange old man so he had to settle for putting his hand over her head in comfort.

A whispered spell and with the help of his wand, a handkerchief and a glass of water was easily conjured - Tizi could kick up a fuss about the liquid later if he wanted to. And he put them in front of her in case she wanted it. Biting his lip after the silence between them, he didn't know what to say - hadn't really even understood most of the rambling. "Have you talked to anyone else?" he asked gently. This was probably something that needed to be brought up to Professor Carter considering how the distraught the girl was.​

 

[Tanith Whitlock]

Tanith let out another heavy sigh. "Professor Le Fey made me talk to her after I threw the tea cup," She muttered. She didn't move, too focused on trying not to look like a complete idiot. "It's stupid- I'm stupid. Our parents are gone, my oldest sisters are busy raising the rest of us, and there's absolutely no way we'll have any more siblings. I shouldn't be upset." She tried to force herself to believe it as she said it, but the truth was that she was scared, and desperately alone, and she had no idea what to do about any of it.

 

[Professor Conan Edogawa]

"I don't think it's stupid," Conan said with a shrug, still keeping his hand atop the Hufflepuff girl's head. "You can be upset for as long you need to be upset," he sighed as he leaned back on the chair so they were now facing the same direction even as he kept his hand where it was - it was gonna be staying there until the girl decided she no longer needed the small bit of physical comfort Conan could give. "I... I was upset for a very long time when my parents died; I was a little younger than you then." Much younger and he could still remember bits of it. Perhaps, if he had allowed himself to feel upset with the circumstances from way back when it wouldn't have just... exploded. He'd lost on so many years back then and even now, it still didn't feel like they'd made up for it enough. "We all have things to do and the world just ... continues ... and it's okay to be upset even then."​

 

[Tanith Whitlock]

Tanith couldn't help but let out a little choked laugh. "Is it bad that I hope they're dead?" She whispered, sniffling as a few stubborn tears leaked out. "If they're dead, then they didn't just leave. If they're dead, it's not my fault. The boys were still just too cute and too little, and my sisters... they're all so amazing." She let herself admit it. He was telling her his stuff too, and Professors didn't have to do that. The last adults she'd really known had left without any explanations. Between this one and Professor Le Fey, perhaps adults weren't all awful.

 

[Professor Conan Edogawa]

Conan would have to be very careful how he worded his answers from here on out, he thought. He heaved a huge sigh because he didn't want to lie or be a hypocrite when it came to these things but he was an adult and he didn't want to be that much of an awful influence. "I think," he said carefully. "You do what you need to get through as long as it doesn't hurt other people." Conan let that sink in for a few moments. "You thinking and hoping that your parents did not make a conscious decision to leave you and your siblings behind isn't going to hurt anyone and if that's what you need to get through today, you do that. Then we can worry about tomorrow tomorrow. And then the day after that. Then the day after that." He said with a sigh. Perhaps it's not what other adults would say, but Conan has always tried to be honest with his kids and this girl might not be his kid, but she's someone just needing answers. Conan didn't know if he had the right ones, but he can give her what he had.​

 

[Tanith Whitlock]

Tanith sighed and sat up, not noticing at first she'd moved away from the hand he'd had on her head. She ran her own hand over her hair, feeling a little worse without the comfort. "It doesn't matter," she murmured, taking a few deep breaths. "I can't keep worrying about this, I have to get over it before I get back to Twila's house." She scrubbed her hands over her face, starting to gather up her books, forcing it all back down again. "Twila had to move all six of us into her house after she'd already left and Tessa never got to leave at all. I can't be freaking out and making things harder."

 

[Professor Conan Edogawa]

Conan watched as the girl started to pack away her stuff, muttering about how she needed to get herself together. He got that. Having so little time to process every negative emotion because you couldn't bring that home. "Probably best to have those freakouts now, then?" he said, from experience. There was a time, when he couldn't afford to break down at home and so he would have to do it someplace else, pick himself back up, then go back home. "If you need anyone to talk to or just I don't know. My office is always open, and there are a couple of board games and card games there that people like to get into," he said as he stood to make way for her. He couldn't force her to talk any more than he already had. Trust wasn't built in a single meeting or a day, but at least he'd managed to offer a place for her to go to if she needed. It would just take some balancing between his kids and the other students that have started to camp at his office.​

 

[Tanith Whitlock]

Tanith shook her head before he could finish speaking, already feeling horrible. "No, no, I- it's fine, I shouldn't be relying on-" She took a breath, hugging her books tightly to her chest. "I'm sorry for my misconduct, Professor," She managed softly, taking a tiny step back. "I didn't mean to burden you or- be a nuisance in your day, I-" She took a shaky breath, trying to drag together some semblance of dignity. "Thank you for your time, I'm sorry," She took another tiny step back, needing a dismissal before she could leave, but not wanting to stay. It was a conundrum, and she rocked on her feet a bit, staring a hole in the ground under the table. This was all just a mess.

 

[Professor Conan Edogawa]

Conan sort of felt bad that the girl was apologizing for feeling awful. It wasn't like he expected her, or any student really, to be able to fully control their emotions with an upheaval. Merlin knows Conan had had trouble controlling his at her age. "No misconduct, Miss," he assured, "and you were neither a burden nor a nuisance," he said as he waved his hands as if it would shoo away those types of thoughts. It wouldn't but hopefully the assurance will do some good. He doubted it, but one could hope. "I will take my leave now, but remember my office - I'm the upper year Muggle Studies professor - is always open," he said with a small smile before he turned to walk away since the girl had started to seem uncomfortable in his presence. Perhaps he should check on her when the next school year starts. Unfortunately he didn't get her name so he'll have to hope he runs into her next year instead.​