Re: A Hidden Alcove

[Sirius Black]

"Uh, honestly? I got lost. I have no idea where I am. This is what happens when you wander a strange castle while not entirely sober," he said with a slightly guilty smile. "What're you doing down here?"

[Pansy Parkinson-Malfoy]

Pansy laughed and wandered into the little alcove, taking a seat because I'm assuming it's like one of those little jutting out things with a little bench on either side. "Prefect shit. Mostly just yelling at first years for the fun of it and to see how many I can get to wet themselves. Tonight's count is decidedly low."

[Sirius Black]

"Prefect? You're a prefect? Shouldn't you be like, arresting me? Docking points? I feel like I'm breaking some sort of rule every time I breathe around this place, seriously, the professors are so damn uptight," he said with a laugh. "Apparently they don't take well to you getting bored in class and accidentally setting other students on fire. I swear it was an accident, I was lost in thought while toying with my wand," he said, grinning.

[Pansy Parkinson-Malfoy]

Pansy smiled, wishing she'd been there to see that. She shrugged. "Eh. Obviously, I don't care too much about the actual rules and enforcing them with people I like. Mostly like just having an excuse to intimidate the ickle babies around here." As a small Ravenclaw boy wandered past, shoving his glasses up his nose, Pansy jumped out from her seat, and demanded he tell her where he was supposed to be. He cowered a bit, sputtered something about talking with one of his professors before he turned, wriggled a little as he tried to get from a standstill into a run, and hightailed it down the hallway. Pansy took her seat again as if nothing had happened. "That makes five. Apparently I've a bit of a reputation with the little ones. No clue how that one started." She smirked broadly, glad to add another set of wet trousers to tonight's count.

[Sirius Black]

Caradoc watched, then waited until the kid was out of sight and hearing distance to laugh. "Honestly, the poor kid wasn't doing anything! No need to make them wet their pants now, Pansy. There are other ways to abuse your authority, you know. I don't really see how it's fun, when they don't fight back. You're just scaring them," he said, shrugging. "Wouldn't you rather pick on someone who can actually challenge you?"

[Pansy Parkinson-Malfoy]

"Eh. Their embarrassment at going home with went pants is fun though. Besides, all I did was ask where he was supposed to be! I didn't even threaten him with detention or expulsion or anything, so I don't see how it's a big deal. Anyway, a little challenge you said? That could prove worthwhile, if there was someone up to the standards, that is." Pansy secretly hoped he wouldn't suggest a mock duel right now. She knew she had good aim and whatnot, but as far as spell creativity? She wasn't so hot. Maybe she should leave Astronomy alone a while and beef up on her spell knowledge base instead. After all, that was probably a bit more practical to memorize than the stories of constellations.

[Sirius Black]

"Sure, they're embarrassed. They're also kids. I find a lot more enjoyment about embarrassing a worthy foe, though I find myself lacking in finding one. A real pity, I can't stand it, when I can't find a new way to challenge myself. I hate wasting time, bothering with inferiors, like the younger students, it's just not worth it. I need to be doing something, always getting better, always learning new ways, and you've gotta practice, to make sure you can still stand your ground, or you get out of shape," he said, starting to ramble like he had earlier with Fabian, talking about his dreams of being head of the aurors.

[Pansy Parkinson-Malfoy]

"Sounds like someone's quite into what he does." Another kid passed, but Pansy let her continue on her way, under a hawklike stare, but still. She slouched a bit in the seat, stretching her legs across the distance between the two benches to rest her feet up on the far one, one leg crossed over the other. "I can see what you mean though, about getting out of practice. I've abandoned spells for astronomy over the past year. I'm probably no better than a Puff by now. Though, I supposed you'd be the exception to that statement."

[Sirius Black]

Caradoc laughed, and shrugged. "I don't see what the prejudice between the houses is supposed to mean, honestly. They tell me all you Slytherins are foul, but I don't see it. Granted, you're the only Slytherin I've met, but still," he said. "Are Puffs supposed to be lame, or something? Because then they definitely sorted me wrong," he joked. "But yeah. I am really into dueling, and I get really into whatever I'm doing, really. If I'm going to do something, I don't go halfway, I go all out. I don't see the point in doing anything half-assed, you may as well not have done it at all."

[Pansy Parkinson-Malfoy]

"Hm. That's a very Hufflepuff concept, the hardworking nature in you. I suppose you were sorted correctly afterall. Unfortunately, your lame housemates have earned you a reputation as such, just as my cruel housemates have earned me one. Really, we're just more ambitious than most, willing to do anything to get what we want." She thought about the group of Slytherins that had managed to get them labeled that way, Bella, Evan, Fenrir, McNair, whoever hung out with them. She shrugged. "Anyway, I should brush up on dueling I suppose. I've not done it in far too long, I'm ashamed to admit." She was also ashamed to admit she'd only truly perfected three main spells, had an okay grip on a half dozen others, but couldn't do much more than that. Pathetic.

[Sirius Black]

Caradoc would probably fist pump if he knew that, because the idea of him mentoring someone just made him go YUSSSS! He likes doing that sort of thing. "As for my lame housemates, I've only met two, which are my roommates, actually. And as for ambition? I see nothing wrong with it whatsover. Everyone needs a healthy dose of ambition, or they'll never amount to anything. And I couldn't stand that, to just be average. I want to be more than that, and so I work for it. There's no way I'll make it to head of the auror department before I'm thirty if I don't make sure I'm the best that I know of at all times," he explained, drawing his wand and using it to doodle in the air with sparkles.

[Pansy Parkinson-Malfoy]

"Well, you're a Slytherpuff if I've ever met one, and in the good way. The ambitious Puff, not the lame Slytherin." Pansy smirked, as she couldn't quite put all pre-formed house judgments aside. It's just how she was. She believed some groups of people were better than others, even if there were some individuals that were clearly exceptions to that. Take Rad, for example. And as far as stupid Slytherins? Well, Astoria was the only one that came to mind, and she almost snarled when she thought about her. Luckily she caught herself in time, or so she hoped. "Head of the aurors before thirty? Well you've got what, thirteen years to get there?"

[Sirius Black]

"Plenty of time, I'm just factoring in the years I plan to spend in Asia and Africa. I've always wanted to see the world, and I have definitely always wanted to meet a chimera," he said with a grin. "And potentially a Chinese Fireball. I fucking hate those bastards, all flashy and shiny, they're like the ghetto dragons, with all that bling. I just wanna rip off their glittery scales and tell them to stop bathing in glitter, it makes them look trashy," he said, his slightly flamboyant coming out finally.

[Pansy Parkinson-Malfoy]

"Chimera? Nice." She nodded in appreciation of his big plans, laughing as he talked about trashy dragons. Yep, there it was. The gaydar was slow, but functional. "I always planned on traveling the world after graduation. Mostly just to get away from the world of purebloods for a while though. I've had quite enough of them in my seventeen years of life and can't wait to get away. I'm sure my mother won't be thrilled, but I'll be gone by the time she even finds out what I'm planning to do." She smiled, once again hoping that she'll have Draco to go with her by then. Everything was looking pretty promising for that right now and it kept her in a generally good mood.

[Sirius Black]

"The world of purebloods? I've never experienced it. I grew up with muggles, actually," he said, shrugging. "Mostly muggles in my town, but my mom wanted to stay close to home, and my dad didn't mind. I've never really met much of his side of the family, honestly, except at his funeral. That's about all the experience I've had with pureblood families," he replied. "I must agree, though, there's a big difference between pureblood families and mixed blood. They raise their children very differently."

[Pansy Parkinson-Malfoy]

"Very much so. We're forced into a world of attempted perfection and high expectations. I don't think a single one of us would say we had a particularly wonderful childhood, but sometimes being close friends with another pureblood kid was enough to make it not so bad. I always had Draco around, and we made it through." She shrugged. "Sometimes I wonder if I'd be a different person if I was raised by a non-pureblood family. Probably so. It has a big affect on your life, your choices on magic and alliances, that sort of thing."

[Sirius Black]

"I wasn't born a pureblood, and trust me when I say I understand about the need for perfection and high expectations. Though, now that I think about it, I guess my dad was a pureblood, so that's part of it, for him, anyway," he said, looking thoughtful. "Yeah, I imagine it would be nice to have a companion from a similar background. My best friends were all muggles, so I felt so outcasted when I had to leave for school, or I'd come home for the holidays, with my books. It was tough lying to them, though my best friend knew. His mom was a squib, so he knew about the wizarding community. I'd have had an easier time, I think, if I'd known a wizard my age."

[Pansy Parkinson-Malfoy]

"Yeah. It'd have been rough without him, so I can only imagine how it was for you with muggles." She stared at the wall across from her, letting her eyes relax so it was as if she was focusing on something a bit beyond the wall. "Sometimes you just need to find something that lets you totally escape the world and get into something that's fully your own. You know what I mean?" She blinked and looked at him for a moment before directing her gaze back at the wall. "That's been astronomy for me. Just laying outside and staring at the stars for hours. Nothing to worry about, just looking at the skies. It's relaxing, and I don't worry about expectations or class or friends when I'm doing that. Nothing seems overbearing, or stressful, or anything."

[Sirius Black]

"That's when I take out the gillyweed, or, much better for me, my guitar. When you're playing for people, it's different, I mean, hell yeah, I love to put on a show for the crowds, but when I'm on my own under the stars, just me and my guitar, I can just let things go. Granted, I never let myself get stressed, if possible, but still-- it's peaceful, and helps you sort out your thoughts, and just let it all go, you know? We all have our thing, that helps us do that, I think," he said with a slight smile.

[Pansy Parkinson-Malfoy]

Pansy laughed and shook her head at his mention of gillyweed. "You're gonna make yourself crazy with that gillyweed shit. I'd stick with the guitar if I was you. But you're right. Everyone's got their own thing to zone out with. It's what keeps us rather sane." Pansy wondered briefly what Draco did to relax, as she'd never really paid attention, which was strange. Her thoughts seemed to be dwelling on him even more than usual lately.

[Sirius Black]

"Sane? Now, I never said I was sane, I simply said I liked to unwind. Personally, I don't like the sane. Life's far too boring for logic at every moment. And hey, gillyweed isn't so bad, every once in a while. It hasn't got any long term effects, really, or I wouldn't bother with it-- I'd never risk my body's wellbeing on something so trivial. It's good for the soul," he said with a wink and a laugh. "You ought to try it sometime, really. A little fun never hurt anyone."

[Pansy Parkinson-Malfoy]

"I don't know about that. I like being in control a bit too much. I have a hard time giving up control of myself to much of anything or anyone, even less something simple as gillyweed. I've never considered doing something like that before because of that, I guess." She paused a moment, wondering how it actually would be if she tried it. Once couldn't be terrible, right? "I'd have to be properly persuaded, I think. But you know... maybe you're right."

[Sirius Black]

"Well, if you're ever interested, I've obviously got plenty, and more coming since there's apparently a decent enough business for it around here. Can't exactly model if I'm in class, so I've gotta get money somehow," he said, fingering his gillyweed leaf pendant. "I could get you something milder than what I usually deal, not the real good stuff, if you just want a taste. And if you're afraid of doing something stupid, just do it on your own,I mean, I know people like to smoke that shit with their friends, but there's nothing like being alone with yourself, honestly," he replied casually.

[Pansy Parkinson-Malfoy]

"Eh, maybe sometime I might, but don't wait around to hear from me about it." She honestly wasn't sure if she'd rather do it alone or not. What if she did do something stupid but got into a predicament or hurt herself? She had no idea how it would affect her, so would it be better to have someone with her? She didn't like to worry about it, so she brushed the thoughts aside. Whatever, maybe sometime she'd just join him to try it. "Yeah. We'll just see about it later."

[Sirius Black]

"Sure, just let me know, like I said. But what do you like to do for fun, besides stare at stars? Have any hobbies? Quidditch, reading, drawing?" he asked, curious about his companion as he leaned back against the wall. "I've already told you I play guitar, but I play some sports as well, some quodpot back home, and obviously quidditch out here. How about you?"

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