Open What a View

[Aonghas Fergusson]

With this being his final year, self imposed, but he was feeling a little nostalgic. He hadn’t ever formed as deep a bond as he had thought he might, he didn’t understand any better how his brother could’ve formed such a connection that he’d leave the family for life on his own. He could admit the way his family was was outdated and harsh, but it still didn’t make sense for him. He couldn’t see what the appeal was. Perhaps his brother’s school experience had been so wildly different from his that he had wanted that and Aonghas was just looking forward to it being over. It had been a nice break from what his life would become but it was just time to move on. The Hufflepuff was letting these thoughts fill his mind as he began going around the grounds, eventually the sixth year headed out to the cliffs and start down at their edge. He would miss some of these views. He would always say goodbye to them of course but he would miss them nonetheless. He sighed slightly and just let himself sit in silence. ​

 

[Tyler Lee]

Tyler was feeling somewhat down, and he didn't know why. This year, things were supposed to be looking up. He had friends, he had a girl he liked and who he was fairly sure liked him as well, and he was running a club even if it was with an annoying girl. Tyler was the real leader though, and he knew everyone who'd look at them would know it. But even though all of this was true, Tyler couldn't help but feel lonely. The situation in the dormitory was still fraught, though avoiding Blake had become a routine now. He got up earlier to avoid him, and always sat in one area of the Slytherin house table he knew Blake wouldn't approach. It was like a silent agreement between them. Tyler was feeling a little lost, and had decided to wander. The urge to go to the common room and try to have a conversation with Blake was big, but he headed outside instead. He walked over to the cliffs, a spot where he knew he could usually be alone when he wanted to. But when he got there, he realized there was someone else there. It was too late to turn back, and Tyler sighed. Aonghas Fergusson was a strange kid, and he didn't particularly like him. Mostly because he had beaten him last year at the duelling tournament. "Oh, hey." Tyler said to announce his presence, though he was sure the boy had heard him approach already.

 

[Aonghas Fergusson]

Aonghas had heard someone approaching, he’d hoped they might go on and leave him be, but no such luck. Instead they took they remained and even spoke to him. He glanced up and noted it was Tyler, he knew the boy vaguely from his interactions in the duelling and the fact he was enemies or something with Lauren and that they shared classes but he could admit the was the length of his knowledge about him, ”Hey,” he said in response, looking back over the view in front of him. It was pretty wonderful. ”Ah’ll be done soon, if ye want the space tae yerself,” he said. He was just watching the view in front of him, perhaps Tyler needed it more and he could come back later, he’d know to. This was his final year and looking out over the water was his favourite thing to do, when he wasn’t just walking around the place. It was these views that he would miss. His family home was well placed for views too, but it just wasn’t the same. ​

 

[Tyler Lee]

Tyler sighed as the boy said he was nearly done, suggesting Tyler wanted some time for himself. He did, but that didn't mean Aonghas could just assume that. "Why, did you need time for yourself?" He asked the boy, frowning slightly. He had no idea what Aonghas was really like or what he cared about. "What, girl trouble?" He asked him with a slight tilt of his head. "Or... what else would bother you? It always seems like nothing really matters to you." He said, a slight challenge in his voice. He had been sharing a classroom with this kid for the last five years and knew next to nothing about him. He just knew he spent a lot of time with one of Emily's roommates, the snooty redheaded girl who Tyler hadn't seen in a while now that he thought about it. "Did your girlfriend leave Hogwarts?" He asked, trying to remember if he'd seen her in any of his classes.

 

[Aonghas Fergusson]

Aonghas gave a little shrug at the question, he hadn’t really sought out time for himself, that always just sort of happened for him. He just didn’t associated with too many people and tended to avoid a number of things. But he never necessarily sought out time alone. It was just sort of part of who he was as a person. Aonghas shook his head and gave a little laugh at the statement. Though it was said like it was a challenge, it was the truth. Nothing did matter. Not any of hogwarts at least. ”She’s ma fiance, and aye,” he said with a shrug, it wasn’t a problem that he minded, she was doing what he couldn’t yet with her birthday being better placed than his. ”Ah’d have left tae but ah’m waiting till ah turn 17, which unfortunately fae me is at the end ae the school year,” He told him. It seemed like less of a big deal the more people he told. ”What about ye, what brings ye here? Girl trouble?”​

 

[Tyler Lee]

Tyler couldn't help the slight snort that escaped him as the boy corrected him, saying she was his fiancée. "Right." He said. "That sounds pretty ridiculous coming from a teenager, but no offense. I know that's normal for you." He said, brushing off his robes. He was honestly in a bit of a bad mood, and reminding himself that he at least wasn't in Aonghas' shoes was something that made him feel a bit better. "Why wait until you're seventeen?" He asked, raising his eyebrows. "If your education doesn't matter. Clearly hers didn't." He said, "if she can just miss two years and be fine. Must be nice to be guaranteed a job without having the knowledge to back it up. I just hope you don't miss out on anything important at school." He commented idly. "And no, no girl trouble. That's all fine." He added as he looked out over at the lake. "Most of us manage to get girlfriends without having our parents pick them out for us." He added. He wasn't sure why he kept prodding at Aonghas like this, except that he wanted some sort of reaction from him, anything else but the casual, laid-back persona he put on. Surely he couldn't actually be as content with his situation as he pretended?

 

[Aonghas Fergusson]

Aonghas gave him a little shrug at his statement, he was sure that it sounded ridiculous, but it was his reality. He looked at him at his question, ”Just makes sense tae wait until ah can dae magic outside of school legally,” he told him, it was true that his education wouldn’t mean anything to him in a short year, but he still wanted to at least stick it out until he was of age, ”I like school, it’s a bit pointless fae me aye, but I like it,” he felt like a number of them were pointless and they’d grown more pointless but it didn’t stop his original desire to learn, work hard and achieve by his own merit also being true. ”Ah’m sure ah won’t miss out on much,” he told him, he didn’t say anything about the job because he knew he was pretty lucky, it didn’t matter that it wasn’t what he wanted to do. It was good work, he did well in it what he’d done so far and it was a successful business. Aonghas’ gaze remained out at the water until Tyler’s last statement. He knew that Tyler didn’t get along with Lauren or the other way around but he hadn’t minded him. That just felt a little harsh…”Good fae some,” was his reply with a little shrug, not really doing or saying much else. He didn’t correct Tyler, what was the point? ”Let me know how that goes fae ye,”​

 

[Tyler Lee]

Tyler sighed as the boy said it made sense to wait until they could do magic outside of school legally, it did make sense, but it still felt strange and kind of wrong to him. "Why is it pointless?" He told him with a frown. "You learned a lot of stuff here, even if you don't ever need to prove yourself with your grades." He told him with some bitterness. He was starting to be a bit frustrated with this guy, and he didn't really know why. It just felt like he didn't care about, well, anything. Why wasn't he mad he had to leave school? That he couldn't pick who he dated? Why was it all so casual with him? Tyler knew he would resent anyone who tried to tell him what to do like that, even if it was supposedly for his own good. "It's going fine." He told him curtly. "So do you... actually believe all that crap? Abt you being more important than the rest of us because of your supposed pure blood?" He then asked, realizing that was what was bugging him. He could never tell if Aonghas really believed in all of it, or if he was just going along with it and basically rolling over without a fight. He couldn't respect him if it was the latter, but he had the feeling it was.

 

[Aonghas Fergusson]

Aonghas just shrugged in response, it was pointless because he was unlikely to use a lot of it. He didn’t need to know it, just the parts that would help him do his job properly, the parts that he could’ve learned at home, but no. He’d come to school, the school Rory had come to, when things had been sort of okay. He could feel the frustration that Tyler seemed to emanate, he didn’t particularly want to rise to it and at the accusation, he shook his head. ”Ah dinnae, not anymore at least,” he told him. He wasn’t sure his family did either half the time, well, maybe Liusaidh, but they believed in the line, keeping the line going. His parents believed in it harshly and he knew what would happen if he didn’t do what he was doing. Liusaidh shouldn’t have to. ”But pureblood families are complicated,” he replied though he knew this was a rather weak, and he wasn’t sure he should be the one to be telling or explaining to Tyler about it. ”You willnae get it, but if ah dae this, marry Katia, dae what ma parents want, it’ll fix things,” he was thinking about his brother, how deeply his missed him. How deeply he should’ve treasured the time they’d had together, how much he understood his decision now. It was nice having Graeme around a little more but he didn’t know Graeme at all, and that wasn’t his brother, not really. ”Ye got siblings Tyler?” ​

 

[Tyler Lee]

The way Aonghas was reacting was only increasing Tyler's frustration. He didn't get this kid, shouldn't he be wanting more from life? Maybe that was why he was a Hufflepuff, they were all passive. It just stung that he had lost to someone like this in a due last year. But it did surprise him to hear Aonghas didn't really believe the pureblood stuff anymore. "So you're going along with something you don't even believe in?" He asked him, raising his eyebrows. "All families are complicated." He added, thinking of his own father and Salem's mother, and how much things had changed over break. "Doesn't mean that is an excuse for forcing you into things." He paused as Aonghas said it would fix things if he did what his parents wanted. He hadn't expected such honesty from him, especially as they hadn't spoken much before today. Tyler wavered. "Fix what kind of things?" He asked him, his voice quieter now. "No, why?" He added as Aonghas asked if he had siblings. Tyler didn't. He supposed his cousin Salem was the closest thing he had, and he'd barely seen her before this year.

 

[Aonghas Fergusson]

Aonghas knew that Tyler wouldn’t get it. He knew that Tyler wasn’t from a pureblood family and wouldn’t get the difficulties of being in a family like that. He wouldn’t deny that all families were complicated but he knew that ways in which his family was complicated was not the same way that most people’s families were complicated. There was history, deep history and problems in his family. He just shrugged, ”There’s no forcing, it’s ma choice,” he told him with a plain tone. He wasn’t surprised when Tyler said he didn’t have any siblings. ”Purebloods are all about passing on the mantle, continuing the line,” he said with a quiet tone, ”Ma elder sister died when ah wis like four, she wis ma dad’s favourite and ah think losing her kinda broke him,” he said with a little shrug, ”He went fae not carin’ tae much about blood tae it being the biggest thing. My eldest brother, Rory, he decided he didnae want that life, so my parents kicked him out, they don’t act like he died, they act like he never existed,” Aonghas said, ”Ah cannae dae that tae my little sister, ah cannae let that cycle continue. Ah marry Katia, we have a pureblood bairn, ma da will retire and calm down. My brother gets to come home, my little sister never needs tae worry about it, ma kids willnae need tae worry about it,” his friendship with Lauren had made him somewhat keen to also help just protect people in general from their families, but he wasn’t sure he could really do much about that right now. ”So it’s ma choice, and it fixes everything and ah like Katia, it’s a small price tae pay fae family,” he told him. He wasn’t sure Tyler would still get it, but he was making it plainly clear why. ​

 

[Tyler Lee]

Tyler listened as Aonghas insisted it was his own choice, holding back his own comment. How could something chosen for someone by hteir parents also be their own choice? It made no sense. It surprised him that Aonghas told him about his sister dying and abou this older brother being kicked out. It was a lot more personal information than he had ever expected the Hufflepuff to share with him, and he wondered if the boy was just open about it or if it was something that he simply needed to tal kabout it. But the way Aonghas talked about his life still sounded pretty bleak, even if it made a bit more sense. "What makes you think your brother can come home just because you did what your dad said?" He eventually asked him. "You're assuming a lot of things." He said with a frown. "But I guess you know your family. It sounds pretty messed up." He said honestly. "But... good luck with it, I guess." He said with another shrug. He hadn't asked for all this family history, but it had given him a lot more context. He'd never thought there was this much thought behind it all, and this much stuff happening in Aonghas' life. He didn't exactly respect the boy, but at least he didn't seem as weak-willed to Tyler as he had before.

 

[Aonghas Fergusson]

Aonghas knew it was a lot to say to someone, his family was complicated but he felt a little better for saying it. He’d always given small details before and this close to the end when after the year was over he was unlikely to ever see Tyler again, he didn’t mind saying it. He nodded a little at the statement, ”Ah just gotta trust,” He couldn’t be sure of it, but he was really certain. He couldn’t see his father doing such a thing. But that was all he could do. He had to hop and he had to trust that it would work out for him. He had and would’ve given up quite a bit for it. ”Thanks, ah guess. Good luck wae yer NEWTs,” he returned. He knew he should probably go, ”And listen, dinnae pick on Lauren or whatever wis goin’ on between ye two, she’s been through enough without ye piling on,” he wouldn’t say what and he didn’t know what sort of relationship they actually had but he just didn’t want Lauren too have too rough a time when he wasn’t here to help her. He knew him leaving would hurt her hard. ​

 

[Tyler Lee]

Tyler knew he had to leave, the conversation was over and it had been strange. It wouldn't do to linger now and have normal small talk. He nodded in acknowledgement as Aonghas wished him luck with his NEWTs, but then scoffed when he told him not to pick on Lauren. "I don't know what she told you, but she's the one who picked on me." He told him with a frown. "I barely remember she exists most of the time. Don't worry." He then said with a slight sneer. Lauren was definitely one of his least favorite Hufflepuffs, but truthfully also someone that intimidated him. He definitely tended to avoid her. "See you around, for now." He said, giving him a small wave before putting his hands in his pockets and walking away, back in the direction of the castle.