Uh oh.

Tibi was being pointed at. And being told to do something. He dropped his hand from his mouth and was about to say no when he thought better of it. Plymouth was a 7th year. And bigger. And.. well, just AND.

Getting to his feet, Tibi dropped his eyes sheepishly. Chewing on the inside of his bottom lip, he walked slowly over to where Plymouth and Celandine had been sitting.

Waiting for them to finish, well, whatever it was they were doing - Tibi wasn't really paying attention - he shuffled his feet nervously. It wasn't that he was worried about having to flip. That he knew he could do. It was the fact that he was being asked to do it at all.

Plymouth lowered his gaze to the firstie and gave a sweeping, GO ON, sort of motion. Roll, boy, rollllllllll! Show Cela up. Show Plymouth up, too, not that that took much really.

To Cela, he just shrugged. He just didn't want to talk about it. If she knew, then she knew and Plymouth was glad she was so smart and had everything figured out. Plymouth had never been, nor would he ever be, as smart as Celandine.

"I noticed, CellBell. Bet you can tote me around this room now." False. Plymouth too had grown a lot, and not just in height. He was a very big boy. It did not stop him from trying to climb onto her back though. Hehe

Ack! Celandine fell backward, overbalanced by Plym's weight. GEEEEE silly boys.

She gnashed her teeth at him but gave him a searching look. She still kind of needed him to acknowledge it, to show he understood just a little bit now, even if he was still hurt over everything.

Tibi sat down dutifully after Plymouth gestured to the spot. Tibi watched them both intently, a little confused as to what was going on.

But, he knew what he was expected to do. Taking a deep breath, Tibi swung his legs up over his head. Giving himself a little swing, Tibi pressed his back down on the ground and rolled onto his shoulders until his feet touched the ground. Keeping the roll going, Tibi let his legs slide down and he pushed up with his arms until he was back in a sitting position, legs out to the side.

He looked up to smile at Plymouth just in time to see him and Cela tumble.

Plymouth caught Cela as he fell back on the couch, too. He made sure she was balanced and okay, then removed his hands from her completely. "Hehe. Well, maybe next year, Big Cela. Maybe next year you can start repaying all those piggy back rides you owe me."

Plymouth eased his arm back around Cela at the look she was giving him, but it didn't stop him from sighing. "Do you want to know the biggest difference, Cela? It's that Daphne wants me to kiss her. That's the biggest thing."

Celandine applauded Tibi when he did his flippy thing and scrambled around to sit comfortably on the couch, eyeing Plymmy seriously when he spoke again.

It hadn't been that Cela had not wanted to kiss Plymmy, they'd done plenty of kissing, really. Candy and all that. He was still looking at it wrong, Cela was sure.

"But its more than kissing." She insisted. "Feels different." Or maybe... it was just different for girls? Cela knew what Daphne thought and felt about the kissing thing, but she looked speculatively at Plymmy then. Maybe he didn't feel the thing with the stuff?

"If I could give you points, Tibi Toto, I'd give you at least 20. Well done, kid. You do cartwheels, too?" Plymouth stretched his leg out and pushed the little table way out of the way. Your stage awaits, Tibi!


"Different flavor and all that, I remember," Plymouth insisted. His mind wandered off thinking about cupcakes for a second, and marshmallows. That Daphne always go sticky with her food. Hehe. "I'm agreeing that it's different, CellBell. I am."

"Me too." Cela agreed, "I'd give you exactly six points Tibi." Silly Slytherins.

"Yes different flavour. But like its not just one sense its like all of them. You feel different stuff and like, um... stuff." Another flickering glance.

"You understand... a little bit now? Not that I mean it makes stuff okay, just that... you understand a little bit?" She hoped. She hoped a lot.

Tibi had started to walk away when Plymouth addressed him. Shrugging, Tibi answered. "Nope. Just twisty things. My old school, the muggle one? It had lockers. I used to, uh, spend a lot of time in there. The more flexible I was, the more comfortable it would be."

Tibi scuffed his shoes on the floor. He could hear bits and pieces of their conversation and figured that maybe he should head up to the dorm. "Erm, I think I'm going to go now?" He hadn't meant it to be a question, but it had come out that way.

"You don't have to go, Tibi. You can stay. Sit on my knee and tell me your troubles. Why the sad face?" It wasn't like EVERYONE under the sun hadn't known about Cela and Plymouth anyway. Even before Plymouth knew.


Plymouth laid his head back against the couch and stared up at the ceiling. "I liked you, CellBell, okay? I am still ... completely irrational when it comes to you. You know. I don't know what to say about all this though? It IS different." But it was because why Plymouth had said. Daphne wanted to be with Plymouth. Only Plymouth. It made an amazing difference.

"Why would you spend time in a... whats a locker? A thing that locks right?" Cela, puzzled by this, tipped her head to one side. She was ridiculously flexible too though for her it had more to do with her monkey-climbing nature.

"I know. Liked you too." Cela agreed. But there were different levels of like. Totally different. Cela poked at his thigh gently. She was so sure, if it was a question of Plym picking between her and Daph, and every other factor was removed, that Plym wouldn't choose Cela, despite what he thought. Because he looked at Daphne differently. There were clicky things. Cela made little clicky noises in agreement with her own thoughts and just sort of eyed Plymouth curiously.

"I'm happy. Are you happy?"

Well, it looked like Tibi wasn't going anywhere after all. Sitting next to Plymouth, but not on his knee, Tibi looked around the room, only really paying attention when he was being addressed. He was trying really hard not to eavesdrop, even though the conversation was happening right next to him. And he didn't really have troubles that seemed.. well, important enough to interject into the conversation. It was... awkward.

But then Cela asked about the lockers. Turning back to them, Tibi frowned. "Well... they're these metal things in the halls, almost like really small closets? People can put their stuff in them so they don't have to carry things." Tibi scrunched up his face. "Only, sometimes bullies will put kids in there too." Tibi looked up at Cela not really wanting to mention the rest. She was smart. She could figure the rest out, right?

Plymouth tilted his head to the side and gave her a gentle headbutt to her temple. "Exceedingly so, CellBell. I never meant to make you unhappy, so I'm glad you're fixed now. And me, too." An unfortunate route they took, but they got there. Plymouth WAS happy for her. He really, truly, with everything piled on top, was happy for Cela.

Had Plymouth been a mind reader and able to answer Cela's thoughts on who he would chose? He'd have agreed with her.


Plymouth's head cocked to little Tibi's story though. "Do people bully you here, too, Tibs?"

O_O

"Why would... you put your things in a metal closet when you can just charm them not to weigh much or shrink them to fit in your pocket?" Because clearly everyone was capabale of those charms, just like Cela.

O_O

Bullies put Tibi there?

Cela got all... riled up and bristly and sort of, in a Celaish way, glared around the common room as if she were daring anyone to try to do stuff like that to her Tibi now.

Pwnership.

'Claws stick together.

Happy was good. Cela found Plymmy's hand and gave it a squeeze, then went back to glaring (sorta) around the room.

No bullies!

Tibi looked at Cela a little perplexed, head tilted. "Well... no one there could do magic. At least not that we knew then. I didn't know until I got my letter. Mum never told me about my dad..." Tibi let his voice trail off. The look on Cela's face startled him a little. He'd seen... something like it when they'd first met, under the table at the feast, when he'd told her what happened on the way to school. Speaking of the beginning of term...

"Not really," he said, answering Plymouth's question. "Not since the train." Tibi involuntarily shuddered, remembering Willie and the train. "I get myself into enough messes now, I don't need bullies to help."

Plymouth returned Cela's little squeeze and watched her with much amusement as she... was she trying wordless magic again? Or was she really just glaring at everyone?

Who knew. Plymouth never HAD figured out those looks..


"My mum never talks about my dad either," Plymouth explained, hopefully encouragingly? He was, at the core of it all, trying to be helpful. "If someone WERE to bully you here, you could tell me. I happen to be on very good terms with the Head Girl." hehehe Truth. And, Plymouth ... could stick first years in toilets if they were picking on Tibi.

"Ooooh. You're a Mu...ggleborn? Thats sooo cool!" Or... wait. Was it more like Plymouth where he didn't know? Cela looked between the two boys, big to little, trying to puzzle through it.

"Your dad is... Cope's dad now. I like Albert. Don't think he likes me though." Cela looked all thoughtful for a brief brief moment.

"And when they all graduate, I'll still be here Tibi! So like, you know. Stick by me on account of I'm super awesome with my wand."

Modesty who?

Tibi looked at Plymouth and then at Cela, grateful for their offer. "I'm sure it'll be fine," he said softly. "Like I said, hasn't been a problem since the train." Well, it wasn't entirely true. He'd had problems with students... just not problems of his own. He just seemed to be getting caught up in everyone else's, even though he was fine.

Pulling up his knees and planting his feet on the edge of his seat, Tibi stared out into the common room. "Half." He said to Cela by way of explanation. "Mum's a muggle, but dad was a wizard. She knew. She just didn't tell me. Knew all about Diagon Alley and Gringotts and flying and.. and everything. But she never said a word."

Tibi was speaking more to the room now than to either of them. "Sorting Hat knew more about my dad than I did. I.. don't remember him. My dad, I mean. He died when I was little."

Tibi reached into his robe and pulled out the now very wrinkled picture. He'd taken to carrying it everywhere. It still showed a 2 year old Tiberius perched on a broom, flying around with his father, but it was a little jerkier, now that it was all creased. Holding it out to show the pair, but not letting go, Tibi turned to them again.

"Mum said it's the last picture we took. She sent it to me when I wrote home about being scared to fly. I think she thought it would help." Tibi looked up at Plymouth knowingly. If anyone knew it hadn't, he knew.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Celandine

"Ooooh. You're a Mu...ggleborn? Thats sooo cool!" Or... wait. Was it more like Plymouth where he didn't know? Cela looked between the two boys, big to little, trying to puzzle through it.

"Your dad is... Cope's dad now. I like Albert. Don't think he likes me though." Cela looked all thoughtful for a brief brief moment.

"And when they all graduate, I'll still be here Tibi! So like, you know. Stick by me on account of I'm super awesome with my wand."

Modesty who?

Plymouth frowned at Cela. Did she really think Muggleborns were soooo cool? Really? And then, his frown got bigger. "He is not my dad. He's Albert. He's pretty cool, but he's not.. my dad." Plymouth did not have one of those and that was just how it was, how it would always be. "And I'm sure he likes you fine. Everyone does." Truth.

Quote:

Originally Posted by AmbiguouslyMe

Tibi looked at Plymouth and then at Cela, grateful for their offer. "I'm sure it'll be fine," he said softly. "Like I said, hasn't been a problem since the train." Well, it wasn't entirely true. He'd had problems with students... just not problems of his own. He just seemed to be getting caught up in everyone else's, even though he was fine.

Pulling up his knees and planting his feet on the edge of his seat, Tibi stared out into the common room. "Half." He said to Cela by way of explanation. "Mum's a muggle, but dad was a wizard. She knew. She just didn't tell me. Knew all about Diagon Alley and Gringotts and flying and.. and everything. But she never said a word."

Tibi was speaking more to the room now than to either of them. "Sorting Hat knew more about my dad than I did. I.. don't remember him. My dad, I mean. He died when I was little."

Tibi reached into his robe and pulled out the now very wrinkled picture. He'd taken to carrying it everywhere. It still showed a 2 year old Tiberius perched on a broom, flying around with his father, but it was a little jerkier, now that it was all creased. Holding it out to show the pair, but not letting go, Tibi turned to them again.

"Mum said it's the last picture we took. She sent it to me when I wrote home about being scared to fly. I think she thought it would help." Tibi looked up at Plymouth knowingly. If anyone knew it hadn't, he knew.

Plymouth reached for the picture and brought it to where he and Cela could both look at it together. "You were the age my little sister is now. Can you see Zahr-head on a broom?" Plymouth shuddered at the thought. Brooms were dangerous. But... this, all of this, was hardly any reason for little Tibi to be so sad. So what was really up?

Celandine peeked at the photo with interest, trying to find something in there to gauge what kind of father Tibi's had been. Without looking at Plymouth she told him in a quiet voice. "Well, Albert is really nice and you are lucky. I wish I didn't have a father."

Because that was a perfectly normal everyday sort of statement.

She also wished that Albert actually did like her. She was scared of him just a bit.

"I can fly." Celandine announced, but in order to try to comfort Tibi and Plymouth, their own fears and Plym's concern about Zahra she added, "I can't land that well though. I usually crash, its easier."

Tibi chuckled when Cela said she usually crashed. He really hadn't expected that from her. Looking at the picture wistfully, Tibi chewed on his lip.

"What I don't get? Look, you can see the tops of buildings in the pictures. We were up high. But I don't look scared. So why am I now?" Tibi frowned and scratched the back of his head. "I want to fly. I really do. It's just..."

Tibi sighed, taking back the picture. Speaking more to it than to them, he was quiet.

"Everything scares me. Everything. My dad made my mum promise that no matter what happened I'd go to Hogwarts... but... I think maybe... maybe I shouldn't stay?"

"That's a horrible thing to wish," Plymouth informed Cela. A truly, horrible thing to wish. Having a bad father had to be better than not knowing at all, right? Plymouth hadn't put a whole lot thought into this father thing until the arrival of Albert and the implied 'now you have a father' he seemed to catch from everyone. This whole conversation was on the verge of making Plymouth GRUMPY, when he'd been SO HAPPY about Daphne Hopton.

Cela saved it though with her crash landing comment. "I'm glad Tibi is earth-bound like me. You can use him next term as your favorite landing cushion." As Plymouth had been.


Plymouth caught Tibi around the shoulders and pulled him into a headlock of sorts. NOOGIE TIME. "Do me and Cela scare you?"

Gaaaah.

Tibi's hands flew up to his face before he recognized... playfulness?

"Erm, sometimes?" He admitted, softly. "Like I said... everything."

Walking up to the common room, JD enters through the portrait, looking around sneakily, he smiles when he realizes Anya isn't there. Grinning to himself, he finds a spot in the corner, and pulls out the drawing pad from his bag.

Waving his wand a little, he starts to work on his project again. Since he had learned to draw with the wand, he found it soooo much cooler, then using his crayons, at home.

And no one was going to see that picture til it was finished...

"Grass is greener." Celandine answered, not at all willing to take back her wish. Not even in the slightest. He didn't care about her except as something to own. He'd never shown her anything resembling affection and Cela had stopped hoping that he would. Maybe even stopped needing him to.

Cel peeked at Tiberius and shook her head roughly. "Oh please don't leave. When I started school I was supposed to be here at Hogwarts but Hogwarts didn't exist and we had seperate schools with mean teachers but I still stayed and I'm super glad. You'll be glad too. You'll make special friends and everything will be the best ever even when scary things or hard things happen because you can do anything and get through everything with friends." Trueeee. Even just knowing that you had people that cared about you, after so long of just... not, made everything worth while.

"I'm sorry if I'm scary Tibi." Celandine told him wide eyed. Her? Scary?