Quote:
Originally Posted by
feeheeheeny 
"...No, not really," Sophie murmured after a beat, wrapping both of her arms around him and giving him the best hug she could manage from their sitting position. "Don't ever stop." Though they had to, and she let go after a few long moments, not wanting Flamsteed to walk in and accuse them of things. Hehe. But she did shift and gently rest her cheek on his shoulder as he continued speaking, and she snorted lightly at what he had to say.
"He's the only thing in the whole world that I'm scared of. Dunno how you're not terrified, too, honestly. His arms are massive and he could crush you like a bug, and his EYEBROWS are so creepy and he STILL always gives me that look like he's gonna reprimand me for something. So serious. Terrifying." She shivered. "But speaking of him, Piers wants me to look out for him - and you, too. Look out for him, I mean. Piers says Javy gets lonely and sad but he won't show it, so we've gotta give him hugs and make sure he doesn't get too lonely, okay?" Sophie peeked up at him a bit nervously, though she was sure Tobes already looked out for his dad. "He needs us."
As Tobes began to unwrap the present, she gently reached her hand up to lightly squeeze his arm comfortingly, her cheek still on his shoulder, and grinned big at his reaction. "Your dad, of course. He got his last night. Test-called it and everything. He said we can call him any time of day, any time we'd like. So... we'll share it between us? You can take it with you. I'll let you know if I..." she cleared her throat a bit uncomfortably, "need it. And we can call him together sometimes. Bet he'd like that. Just thought... y'know, this would help with... coping. We can see him whenever we want now."
So? Did he like it? Or was he terribly disappointed that she wanted to share it and it wasn't all his own?
Really, all those things she was listing were weak arguments when it come to Thompson. Toby had never been scared of the man, never had any reason to be, even though his arms were probably bigger than Toby himself. Dude was a teddy bear.
"I like his eyebrows," the sixth year replied, almost thoughtfully, as he lightly pressed down on one of the piano keys to see how quietly he could play the note, or if he could press it without playing it at all. Toby kept his eyes on the piano even as he spoke again.
"I know that." Really, it was more the other way around.
"Though, y'know... I'm pretty sure he gets to go back home every night anyway." At that, Toby pressed the key perhaps a little too hard, and the note rang out louder than he'd been expecting. After that, Toby drew his hand back and didn't touch the piano keys again.
But yeah. The present. Toby passed it backwards and forwards between his hands for a moment, out of habit, watching the reflection of the room move about with the mirror. He was quiet for a moment. Contemplative? It was unclear, but definitely quiet.
"Thank you," he said at last, holding the mirror still for a moment.
"It's awesome, really." Toby smiled at her, and it was genuine, but he couldn't help but feel a horrible tug somewhere in his chest at the news that she'd already tested it out. It was an ugly sort of feeling, and one he could only identify as having felt one other time in his whole life, back when he found out that basically everyone had known that Piers was leaving Hogwarts but him. But thinking about that still hurt a little bit, so he pushed all those thoughts and feelings away, with the kind of practice of someone who'd been doing so all his life.
Toby thought for a moment about trying the mirror out now, but the thought of using it, of seeing him and being so far away, and at a time when his emotions felt so wobbly and tears seemed to be perpetually threatening to spring, he knew it would be too painful.
"But you keep hold of it." Toby it back over, as though it were some sort of volatile creature that might bite and/or blow up on him. He knew if he kept it he'd be more likely to use it, and if he used it and spoke to him then Piers would use his weird, superhuman perception and realise something was up.
"For now. We'll take turns. Maybe we can test it later. After dinner."
Which was soon, hopefully.