It felt weird to think this would be her last year to ride the train to Hogwarts. Her mother had very nearly cried as her parents sent her off. The last of the Sullivan children to graduate. The prefect badge had been an added bonus. Keela had been a prefect, as had Luch. Cern hadn't had much time for badges with his dancing. She wondered who the other one might be. Someone who took it seriously she hoped. Prefect status would look excellent on her ministry internship application. The badge was currently wrapped in cloth and stowed in her bag. It had been polished to a near iridescent glow before she'd left that morning. While she was a bit nervous about the added responsibilities during her N.E.W.T studies, it should help her in the long run.

It was a cloudy day, with big gray puffs as dark as chimney smoke, and she wondered if they would make the journey in the rain. She settled into the compartment, legs crossed, watching the people as they crossed paths in the narrow passage. Brier wanted to make her parents proud this year, but most of all she wanted to garner the kind of attention that would get her noticed when the ministry officials began making selections for their top spots this summer. As they pulled out of the station, she glanced around the empty compartment, trying to decide if it felt good to be alone with her thoughts or just...lonely.

Everyone in her family had someone these days. Keela had been married most of Brier's life, and both Cern and Luch were in committed relationships. It was almost amusing that she was the odd one out. Her parents had been married before the end of seventh year, as had Keela and Vin. There wasn't even a boy on Brier's radar, no one who intrigued her at all. She might have thought she was into girls, except that she hadn't found one of those to peak her interest either. Throughout her upper years, she had convinced herself she didn't have time for dating, and this year was no exception. Still, though, it might have been nice to have someone, especially if that someone understood and supported her dreams.

There weren't many of those in the wizarding world, she knew, especially not purebloods, and Brier wanted a pureblood. Her mother and Keela had gotten lucky, but most had been raised to expect the women in their lives to fulfill certain roles. For all of the charm she'd cultivated, Brier wasn't a socialite. She was a politician, or at least, she hoped to be. The sound of the rain as it pelted the window caught her attention, and she followed the drops as the wind pushed them across the glass in streaks. There were more important things than love, she reminded herself. There was fame and glory, there was ambition and nerve. Still, Brier could just barely remember the expression on her sister's face when she'd married Vincent Silver-Moon. What must it be like to feel that way about someone? To know they felt the same way about you?


She shook her head, trying to clear it, and dug out a large tome entitled 'Polyjuice in Politics'. It would be a while yet before she needed to change and head for the front of the train for the meeting that would decide rotations for rounds and such.

Words: 575

Outfit: here

Lyrics: Sky Full of Stars - Coldplay

Notes: Hmm, waxing poetic over here.

Tags: @shava444
 

While not a clothes horse (and honestly his oldest sister still had a strong influence on him of wearing the least he could get away with behind closed doors), Darius had been influenced by what he had seen his brother wearing for years. Vincent had been far and away the best when it came to asking questions of and checking on him and it showed. While Darius had never completely felt comfortable at Hogwarts in the hallways, he had dealt with it enough to learn how to deal with those he'd rather get rid of personally. A gifted student in the realm of potions and healing preparations, Darius didn't unnerve his peers like he had, but the first years would probably still steer clear of him nonetheless. His mother Lindsey Moon considered this a special occasion however, his last time going to Hogwarts so he had dressed to make her happy, unaware how it showed off his looks.

Nice pants, a red shirt (which he felt attached to, it's silky feel on his skin very pleasant not to mention it's color), and a nice vest his brother had gotten him last Christmas seemed about as formal an outfit as he felt comfortable in. His new-ish cloak was over one arm as he stepped onto the train, skillfully tripping two second years who tried to rush past him. As they caused a tumble behind him, he moved to the nearest coach cabin and glanced in, registering who was there and moved to the next. His eyes fell onto Brier Sullivan and he opened the door, slipping in as he asked without really needing to "Mind if I sit with you, Brier?"

Sitting down in the middle seat across from her, Darius set down his small steamer trunk and little feet came out of the bottom of it to hold it still automatically by magic. "My mother wanted me to dress up just for going back to school. Let me get out of this..." Putting his cloak down on the empty seat near the window, he undid the vest slipping out of it and folding it beside him before removing the shirt as well without any conscious thought of embarrassment. Darius was not the type for jewelry or decoration and that was his excuse for getting rid of the fancy looking clothes first off, but there was a ring on his right finger as always. More eye catching however was the fact he had a tattoo on his right upper chest. Darius seriously did not look like a tattoo person. He didn't even look like this kind of tattoo.

His hair had darkened another shade since she had last seen him and his upper body was more defined, though he clearly was not working out, just staying active. That was also a surprise from past years as he had rarely been one for heavy exercise except for scaling Hogwarts, much more interested in being in a potions lab working on new ideas and research into older concepts. But something had clearly changed in the way he moved and acted and it transformed his appearance if you knew anything about him from past years. The unconciousness about his body however was normal, still an undervaluing of the way people looked at him as always, nearly a form of cluelessness of his appearance. No, this was Darius, but a new version almost; one could see the old in the new, but it was harder to see the way he acted before in his movements.

Holding his arm down he made a sort of twitch and the complicated looking tied knot sheath on his arm let go and his wand fell into his hand easily from long practice. Tapping the trunk, the lid opened and he placed the folded shirt, vest, and cloak inside before pulling out a purple shirt as well as his uniform robes, and closing the trunk. Resetting his wand in the interesting sheath, Darius pulled the shirt on and buttoned maybe three middle buttons before picking up the trunk and putting it on the rack above. He was clearly a wealthy young man who was so used to things being a certain way he lost the impression it made on others. Carelessly falling back into the seat, he frowned out the window before looking back at her for the first time since entering the compartment.

"I know it's important, but it doesn't feel important to me. It's another stage in life, but why dress up for it?" He shook his head, one of the only times he had come close to going against his mother in his life as she was somewhat familiar with. "How was your summer, Brier? Did you get many things accomplished?" Darius said it that way on purpose as she had heard him speaking of tasks he set himself over the summer, not books to read so much as things to learn how to make and expand his already quite impressive list of skills. Not so much driven as intensely curious.

BRIER ANNABELL SULLIVAN

She knew the voice as soon as he spoke without really having to look up to confirm it. She glanced up and smiled absently at him in that manner of one distracted by something else. "Of course you can, Da--" A double take as her eyes went from his face and then down over the rest of him. "Wow, Dare, you look..." How could she say this? "Really nice" Getting a hold of herself, her expression became more normal, and her mouth closed, though she was still eyeing him with something close to disbelief. A nod as he spoke, "You should have seen what mom wanted me to wear at first" she agreed, "but it looks good on you, really." When had he started looking like that? And why was she just noticing now? Could one summer really change someone so much? He disposed of his clothing quickly and meticulously, and though she'd seen him shirtless, he had never looked like that before. She tried to study him without being too obvious about it, but it was hard this close up.

Her eyes found the tattoo, and she arched a brow. She had never seen a tattoo before, though she suspected Keela had one somewhere. It took a moment, but she found her voice. Motioning to his chest, she tilted her head. "Tattoo?" was all she actually managed. It was surprising really. He would have been the last person on earth she would have expected to get a tattoo. All in all, it was a lot for Brier to take in, all these changes in him after only a few months. She wondered if Vin had had anything to do with the tattoo decision. Her next thought was to wonder if she looked different too. Pulling the small mirror out of her bag, she studied her own face. No discernable changes that she could see, but then, maybe she just hadn't noticed.

Putting the mirror away, she studied him again. The way his hair had darkened made his eyes stand out more, a much deeper blue than before. She had never paid much attention in the past, but now she couldn't stop looking. Dressed again, he looked a bit more like the Darius she had come to be familiar with, and it made it easier to pull herself away from studying him so intently. "Because its the last time it happens for us, and they'll remember it for a very long time." She shrugged, "so I guess it makes for a nicer memory." Another shrug as she added, "I don't really get it either." Brier tended to dress nicer than the average person for most ocassions. She believed in looking her best, always. "What you have on now is nice too though." She smiled teasingly at him. "Matches the hair."

He brought up the summer, and her eyes brightened. "I got a job as the receptionist for one of the ambassadors in the Department of International Magical Cooperation. She beamed, something Brier rarely did. "Not sure how really." She looked a bit uncertain. "I got an owl in the mail about it near the beginning of summer." She brightened again, "but she spent a lot of time in Bulgaria, so I got to go a couple of times." Still smiling, she added: "It was amazing!" She gave him a curious look. "How was yours?"

Words: 564
Outfit: here
Lyrics: Magic - Coldplay
Notes: Hmm, he got her attention.
Tags: @shava444

Typically Darius missed the little things when it came to social interaction. This was not new.

A nod as he said "Thanks," and proceeded with the shirt, hearing her words, but misunderstanding their actual meaning. "I know. Vin helped me pick it out at one point this summer. I go through clothes like everyone does, but most of mine might sit in a closet before someone else wants them at home." He missed the compliment, of course, assuming it had been about the clothes and not having looked up missed the look on her face as well. Not that he would have understood it.

He looked up when she said 'tattoo' and gave her a shy smile and a nod. "Looks good I think. It nearly made mom fall out of her chair in surprise. I like the effect it gets certainly." Not that she would understand what he meant; the tattoo had taken some research to get right, but it was having the design effect he wanted so it had been worth it. Match skin tones had taken him forever honestly, a good chunk of the summer to get just right. Good thing he didn't tan much. Dressed in the barely closed shirt he felt more relaxed, just enough not to get in trouble with an adult, but enough he felt much better. Now he took the time to look at her.

Darius noted she had filed out more in the chest, but it was more analytical then most guys would have. Most of it was tied up into the fact he knew he was not datable material and had long gotten past the idea of relationships of that nature. Why linger on things you knew no one would ever want with you? It was a sign of how much they were both turning into adults, though she had never flaunted what she had. He probably would have not noticed unless she hit him over the head with a steel bar however.

"You look good as always. I don't think I'd ever be able to stand long hair on me, but you always seem right with it." A frown as his eyes dropped slightly studying the necklace without really paying close attention to what most guys would have on either side of the chain. "New necklace? I've never seen that one before." He thought he knew all of her jewelry. She spoke about 'their memories' and he let out a cough of a laugh, very slight. "That would be helped by the twelve pictures mom took, making me turn around and pose."

Why his mother wanted that many for him just going back to school mystified him though. "Thank you, it feels nice cause it's really loose on my skin. Just enough not to get in trouble for it being too open. Never have understood why that gets to adults so much though. Don't get me wrong the other feels nice for it's softness, but it's close fitting." he gave her a more solid smile, knowing what he was talking about helped a lot there. Seeing her smile and her excitement he knew what had happened was very important to her so he treated it as such. "Excellent! You think it will help with your plans?"

Hadn't his brother said travel changes everything? Maybe that explained some of it.

"When I was there I was too young to remember much except that mom had some ghost to chase down and it was a frustrating hunt. She took me on a lot of her trips like that." She seemed to have a good enough summer though it sounded like she had mostly concentrated on her future goal more then current ones. "Yes, I got quite a few things taken care of and planned out. I feel very prepared for this year. I might need some help from you actually on that..." He knew where his badge was in his uniform pocket, but he wasn't going to get it out till he had to.

BRIER ANNABELL SULLIVAN

Brier would have sighed, but that he would have noticed. She doubted, however that he would have understood it even if she had told him straight out why she had done so. "You should wear them more often then" she said finally. "Nothing wrong with surprising people every now and then. It keeps things interesting." And occasionally blew people's minds the way hers had been blown. For herself, Brier generally always looked perfectly put together. There were very few circumstances where she felt comfortable being dressed down. Though she and Darius were pretty close, he had still never seen her anything less than put together. She made exceptions when she was at home, but at school she had an image to uphold.

She studied the tattoo a moment longer before she spoke again. "I bet she did" a nod and then "Why that specifically?" Brier had never really considered the idea of a tattoo, though Ally had mentioned it a time or two. Her niece was more like Vin than her sister, but there were moments, and her house of course. She had hoped Ally would be sorted into Slytherin, and she suspected based on the time the hat had lingered that it had been considered, but in the end, it had been Gryffindor. "I can't imagine a tattoo really" she admitted. "I'm not a big fan of needles." If there was a magical way, Brier hadn't heard of it. She saw him studying her in return and wondered what he was thinking. She doubted Darius was interested in her. In fact, she'd never seen him be interested in anyone. At first, she'd thought maybe he was just gay, but if anything he seemed to tolerate males outside his family even worse than he dealt with girls. She reached out as if to trace the skin and then stopped short. She wondered though..."does it feel different? Where the ink is I mean?"

She ran her fingers through the ends of the wavy, gold-colored tresses. "I can't imagine it short" she told him. "I can't remember it ever being much shorter than it is now." He mentioned the necklace and her hand went to it automatically. "Oh! Yes its new." She was surprised he had noticed, most guys didn't. It was one of the reasons she liked him. He noticed things others missed, and seemed oblivious to things most people focused on. "It was a gift from mum." She hesitated, and then her wand slid out of the sleeve of her jacket. Tapping the crystal prism, she murmured "Revelio". Suddenly images cast themselves on the walls of the compartment. They were pictures of her family, of Keela and Vin from before they were married at Christmas, of Luch and Cern wrestling in the grass in the front yard as kids. The pictures shimmered and changed periodically. They were all there, her siblings, her nieces and nephews, her parents, smiling and laughing in and out of focus as the pictures changed. Brier suspected her mother knew she got lonely while away at school. Having everyone around her, she didn't feel quite so alone.

"Finite" she murmured, and the images halted and disappeared. She smiled at Darius. "There isn't anything wrong with pictures" she insisted. "They're good for remembering things." She shook her head as the topic shifted to his clothes. "I think Ally inherited that from your family. She's not a big fan of clothes either when she can get away with it." He was only just covered enough to avoid raising eyebrows, and it still left plenty of him open for Brier to study, and she was trying hard not to do so. "Jealous" she nodded, "We do a lot of traveling too, but more touristy things." The kind of expedition he was describing sounded like a lot more fun. She crossed her legs and tilted her head, giving him a curious look. "My help?" She hesitated, "Sure, what do you need?"

Words: 661

Outfit: here

Lyrics: Lights - Ellie Goulding

Notes: Oh yes, starting to be intrigued definitely

Tags: @shava444

He paused, then tilted his head at her, curious. "Why? One feels more comfortable then the other. Certainly I would dress up for something important, but shouldn't comfort for oneself come first?" That was puzzling. It was his skin, his body and he was planning on being solitary after graduation mostly if he could find his nitch. She was the one seeking out public works so he could understand her need to be the other way. As to the tattoo... "I needed something that made people jump to conclusions or be surprised by. When I researched symbols this one fit what I needed exactly. Therefore I made sure to get an artist to draw it out for me and got it made up."

A pause. "Needles. Why? Most only sting and for a moment. If you trust the person using them, there should be no problem then." Most people probably would not trust him with one and he understood why because they themselves were not worthy of trust, but Brier was family, if a confusing connection for his mind. When she reached out he paused what he was doing and slid out of his seat, going down on one knee in front of her. The complete trust in her was obvious and clear. "Feel. It is just the same as skin, no definition. It's why it works so well." He seemed proud of it, though she had no way of knowing why he was so proud of it.

Short hair for him felt normal, really. "I've always had mine short. I prefer the shortness for myself. Actually, Vin taught me to shave and it's the same feeling for me. I like the short feel, the smoothness both have." It was hard to explain, but his hair felt smooth and soft to him as did his cheek after he shaved. Twice a day sometimes because the bristles felt terrible to him. It's why most people thought he was younger then he was he supposed, because of that. He watched as she used the spell, looking at the images and getting a soft smile though not turned up much at the ends. "Very nice way to carry memories, well made it seems."

The point was there however. "Brier, I understand about pictures, but twelve? Having me turn around so she could get all angles? It seems odd to me." He had no idea what he looked like to others beyond unnerving. And family telling you you looked good was just family; they were supposed to say things like that, it meant less then another from outside. He nodded about the clothes. "Char. She's the oldest. It's a thing guests get disturbed by walking across her only in underwear walking down a hallway. But I understand her point though. What's more natural then skin and what could possibly be more beautiful and fascinating then the human body? All those thousands of blood cells, veins, nerves, everything working together in one compact unit, working in perfect harmony. Clothes hide the natural beauty of that miracle."

Her words about travel were opposite of what he would have said himself. "Interesting. I never went to the tourist things really. I remember a few places for how nice they were, but they mostly weren't around a lot of people either, more natural settings." When she agreed to help, he looked at her to see her reaction. "I seem to have been made a prefect this year and as you know I've never been one before. What do I do?"

BRIER ANNABELL SULLIVAN

She opened her mouth to disagree, and then stopped. Appearances were important to her. In some ways, her image was everything. It would continue to play a large part in her life if she was as successful as she hoped to be. But, did that mean it had to be that way for everyone? If Darius was happy doing this his way, if he was comfortable, wasn't that important for him? "I guess if one doesn't plan to go into politics." She half-smiled. "I guess I've never really seen things any differently. Appearances have always been so important to me." She shrugged. "But everyone's different." She nodded to herself. "Still though, you did look really nice, and you should dress up more often. You know, just because." The smile was now directed at him. She gave him a confused look, not off-put so much as a bit lost. "Why though?" It seemed an odd thing to need. "Do you just like surprising people?" She studied it another moment. "What does it mean?"

She winced at the thought. "Its not trust so much as I...just don't really like pain." The idea of someone marking her skin made her shiver. As he knelt, Brier felt something, not really surprise so much as a feeling of being special. She knew he didn't let many people touch him, and she had rarely ever seen him in a vulnerable position this way. Come to think of it, she was fairly certain she had never gone beyond touching his hand or his arm to get his attention. With that in mind, she reached out and gently ran her fingers over his skin where the tattoo was etched. He was right, it felt the same, and yet...She brushed them over the spot one more time, unconvinced. It seemed strange that the marking was so much a part of him she couldn't even feel the difference. Pulling her hand away reluctantly, she nodded. "You're right" she said softly, "just the same."

She looked confused by his hair comments. The having part she could understand, but..."Long hair is just as smooth and soft as short hair, Dare" she insisted. "Or at least, I'm pretty sure." It wasn't like she had much experience with comparing the two. She'd always had long hair, and it wasn't like she spent a lot of time running her fingers through her brothers. She nearly wrinkled her nose at the strangeness of that thought. "Plus, doesn't your hair feel different than everyone else's? Keela says Vin's is different." She ran her fingers through her own hair, unable to stop herself wondering what it would be like to do the same to his. That, she thought, was probably taking things a bit far. She wasn't even sure where all these thoughts had come from. This was Darius for Merlin's sake. They'd grown up together, like family, though not quite like siblings. It was a tricky thing to get her head around. She smiled at the compliment. "Mom's good at stuff like that. It became a hobby when Keela went into photography."

She laughed when he spoke about his mother, she couldn't help it. "If there's one thing I've learned about your mum, its that she always has a reason for doing what she does, and I never know what it is ahead of time." She had never heard someone give a more poetic argument for shedding clothes. "That's...kind of lovely actually" she acknowledged. "But I wouldn't really feel comfortable walking around that way in front of most people." She thought about some of the boys in their year and shuddered lightly. "Though I don't mind it for swimming."

She looked envious for a moment, before the mention of a Prefect's badge got her complete attention. "It's you?!" She looked excited as she began digging through her bag. Pulling out the badge, she unwrapped it, revealing the shiny new Slytherin Prefect badge. "I wondered who got the other spot" she told him. She looked relieved and happy. "Mostly its just helping the younger years and making sure no one gets into trouble" she answered. "We can figure it out together if you like."

Words: 700
Outfit: here
Lyrics: Because of You - The Piano Guys
Notes: This is going better than I expected.
Tags: @shava444

Ah yes, she had her mind in appearances because of a public life as he had surmised. He could understand that. "Most of what I am interested in will not be public so I think I'm good. Though if it is important like I said I will dress up, but I prefer to feel good. Do you not ever dress down behind closed doors Brier? " That must get tiring really. He remember the time she had spoken to him on the way to use the restroom to get ready early early one morning when he couldn't sleep. It seemed a rough thing to do just to get privacy; his way was certainly easier stress wise. However she seemed to approve of his dressing up. "Then you should come up with something important and I will dress up for you, Brier."

There, that should settle that issue.

"Well I know that it helps to keep people from realizing things. So if they see a symbol for something their minds jump to that and fail to see what is really there. I read about it in a muggle book how distraction can help one pull off some very good tricks. So it serves a purpose. Can you guess what I don't want them to think about?" Her hand felt warm against his skin which always felt cool to him. it was more pleasant then he would have thought, something he waved away for the moment in his head. "Good. If it can fool you, then I was successful." Now he smiled softly. She was very bright, he doubted she would fail to figure out at least part of his secret.

As she expressed doubt about his comments he realized there was only one way to explain it. Reaching out for her hand he said "Here, it is hard to say in words." He placed her hand on the back of his head where it was short cut into nearly a buzz near the bottom of his neck. A pass through it with her fingers proved to find it soft and cool to the touch, rather nicer feeling then the hair on his head normally was. Then he ran her hand up through the rest of his hair. It had always felt soft because of the nature of the magic in it, but it was definitely less a neat texture then the back of his neck. "It's a texture thing," and ended by running her fingers across his lower cheek where it was baby smooth.

He liked the feel of her hands there too.

Having heard of her family's interest in photography he nodded. He was unaware his mother was using hers to have a portrait made of him for the house as she did with all of her kids, but not where they would see them in the dungeons, her own personal space. "Well she does nice work. You can tell her I said so." As to being bare, he shrugged. "I don't want to be controlled by others and if they force me to wear more clothes then they have control. So I resist behind doors on purpose and it is very freeing for certain. But I understand, not everyone can wrap their minds around it."

The idea of being a prefect still eluded him some however. "Help them to do what? I remember them mostly giving out point reductions and giving out detentions for obviously bad behavior. And yes please! I would like to."

BRIER ANNABELL SULLIVAN

"Oh, you decided what you want to do after school?" This was news. She knew he'd been thinking about a few things, mostly potions related because he was a genius at it. His next words brought her up short, however. "At home, sure" she answered. "There's not a lot of privacy anywhere here though" she reminded him. He answered, and she brightened. "Okay, what about a dance? There are always several of those, and we have to be there anyway." She hesitated, decided to go for it. "Why don't we go together?" The question didn't really have the feel of asking someone out. This was still Darius after all. Regardless, she was nervous. She had never gone to a dance with a date before, and there was always the chance he would say no of course.

She nodded understanding, though she was still a bit confused. Darius had always done certain things that made no sense to her. She had stopped trying to discern his inner workings years ago, but there were moments she still got curious. "That's good I guess" she said finally. "At least it does what you designed it to do." The question surprised her. "Not really" she admitted. Darius had a way of isolating himself, but Brier had never understood what people found so off-putting. In his own way, Darius had always been sweet to her, and he was always right there when she needed something too, which had been fairly often with none of her siblings around. If she really thought about it, he was probably her best friend, though she'd never given it any real thought before. She gave him a small smile. "Its not the hair is it?" Her tone and expression made it clear she was teasing him. She frowned, however, when he mentioned fooling her. "Fool me?" Her fingers found the marks again, traced over them lightly. "Fool me how?"

She didn't resist when he took her hand. Rather, she marveled that this was probably the most physical contact they'd ever had with one another. His skin was cool against hers, and the difference in temperature was startling somehow, but in away she found exciting rather than off-putting. She passed her fingers up and through his hair, noting the differences as he pointed them out. As her fingertips brushed his cheek, she felt the tingle that lingered, wondered if he felt it also. If he did, it didn't show. She waited for him to release her hand before she pulled it back, looking stunned a moment before she nodded. "I see what you mean, but..." She took his hand in return and guided his fingers through her hair. "Just as soft" she insisted. "See?" Pulling back slightly, however, she nodded. "Different texture though, you're right."

She softened as they spoke of her mother. "She'll appreciate that" Brier answered. "I think she worked harder on it than she's willing to admit." The 'behind closed doors' part of his sentence got her mind going places they'd never gone before, and she blushed. "M-might take some getting used to" she agreed. "Not sure I'd ever be that comfortable anywhere." She laughed, "like, help the first years when they get lost or can't figure out the stairs, keep the older ones from messing too much with the younger ones, that sort of thing." She shrugged, "and then there are patrols, we might have some of those together." She shrugged. "It'll be an adventure."

Words: 578
Outfit: here
Lyrics: Drops of Jupiter - Train
Notes: Hmm
Tags: @shava444

He shook his head slightly. "Narrowed down, that's all." They both knew he had enough money he didn't need to work in the first place. "You showed me where once, have you forgotten about it?" The room of requirement was certainly one of the more interesting places he had been and she had been the one to point him there long ago. A dance. Darius frowned, he had never seen the point in those, but he would go if that is what she choose. "Hmm. I guess we can do that. I usually don't go. Is there a certain way things are done there?" She would be a guide, he expected, to help him understand. her words about the tattoo brought a smile to his eyes.

Shaking his head in a short motion he said "No Brier, forget what it symbolizes and wonder what it distracts from." She touched it again and he caught one finger, helped her circle it once. "I always like to be prepared for what might happen and you've seen how young kids react to me, Brier. So I wanted to be sure I would always have a backup should someone arrest me on suspicion or try to have me sealed away somewhere." Seeing she didn't get it he said quieter "Watch carefully." Pressing his hand against it, he muttered something softer then she could hear and then touched the top of the mark. It sort of faded into view and he lifted the edge of his skin, showing the tattoo was on a piece of very soft color-of-his-skin leather.

Then he pressed it back down and it faded back, looking completely like his skin again. "The tattoo keeps you from thinking it's anything but a tattoo. Distraction. Muggles invented it and it's rather brilliant." And no one would ever suspect it of him either, that was the best part. He, as normal, didn't think his intelligence was so high, but he expressed it in his thinking. it showed now. She put his fingers through her own hair and he shook his head after a moment, sliding them himself into the very back across her scalp as he leaned in. "No, where I feel coolness, you are warm to the touch, Brier. It feels nice however. Then again you probably have to use shampoo," and he nodded at her realization of what he would say "And I never do. Only water which doesn't stick."

Hmm, she needed help with the concept. Maybe he could help her with it if it helped her in the long run. "Well, I understand there is a prefects bath. We could always go there in bathing suits so you can get the idea of it if that helps." He saw no harm in it, she was after all family. "You should never let yourself be controlled, Brier, especially by the habits put in your head from growing up." He loved his mother, but still.

BRIER ANNABELL SULLIVAN

A slow nod as though that made more sense to her than his suddenly having figured out what he wanted to do with his life. "Well, at least that's progress." Most kids who had the kind of money he did wouldn't have looked at working at all. His brother Vin had, of course, gone into business with her sister, but the two of them were known to skip out whenever they felt like it and disappear for days or weeks at a time. Still, they managed to do well for themselves. Keela's photography was everywhere these days, as she'd taken up freelance on top of her studio in Hogsmeade. Vin had made a fortune in his own right selling his potion infused candles both to St. Mungos as well as commercially in the other half of the building he shared with Keela. It was strange really, how well the two fit given how different they were.

She looked almost ruefully at Darius, drawn away from her thoughts about their family. She had actually forgotten in her distraction with other things, but it came back to her now. "I remember now" she answered. "Do you actually do much of your work there?" He had tutored her some last year in potions when she'd been looking to raise her exam grades, but beyond that they spent little time together in the RoR. She nodded when he spoke about the dances. "They're required for Prefects, and the dress is formal." She gave him a half-smile that closely resembled a smirk. "Do you happen to know anything about ballroom dancing?" She had learned of course, from her brother and from watching Keela and Vin. She had even gotten to dance with her brother-in-law a time or two during Christmas hols when everyone was home. She had always had a bit of a crush on VIn, and the way Darius was starting to resemble him unnerved her slightly.

He caught her hand, and she let him trace her fingertip over the skin once more. As he explained, and revealed the secret, Brier just stared for several moments. "I..that's...really clever actually." She tilted her head and smiled at him. "Dunno, your siblings seem to like you well enough, and so do mine." And so do I... She did, admittedly, find it a bit strange that he was already planning for what might happen if he got arrested. "You really think it would ever happen? You getting into trouble I mean?" She couldn't see it, but then, she realized she saw a side of him most people didn't. She'd always liked that knowledge. It felt powerful and different, special even. A nod of agreement even as she's still thinking about it. "It is pretty brilliant" she agreed. The feel of his hands in her hair distracted her rather well from her confusing thoughts, only to birth new ones. He leaned closer, still running his fingers through her hair and along her scalp and she inhaled suddenly, realizing she'd beeen holding her breath. What was this? She'd known Darius nearly all her life, and suddenly she wanted nothing more than to close the small distance between them.

This wasn't an all together new feeling for Brier. She'd wondered how it would be to kiss other boys before. However, it had never lingered, tugging at her as it was doing now. "Well, most people are you know. Warm...that is." She was having trouble with articulation just now. He was further away now, but her skin was still warmer where his fingers had been on her skin. She grinned. "Yes, I use shampoo, and you don't know what you're missing. It feels amazing." He mentioned the Prefect's bath and she very nearly gaped at him. "I um...sure...maybe. We'll have to see I guess." The idea of being with him in a pool of hot water in a bikini and his being in swimming trunks again made her...well...it wasn't helping. She laughed. "No one controls me, Dare" she answered. "I just have a certain way that I want people to see me...usually."
She bit her lip, and looked up at him suddenly. "Dare, have you ever...kissed anyone before? Outside your family I mean?" She was pretty sure she knew what the answer was, but he could suprise her.

Words: 726
Outfit: here

Lyrics: Come Wake Me Up - Rascal Flatts
Notes: Oh boy...
Tags: @shava444

"Unlike most I don't have to rush so if I find something I think will add to my skills I can try it. The Healer's training still sounds like it might help. Then again who knows what I will find between here and now." Options, those were always good. A nod. "I do, it's nearly always quiet and undisturbed. Plus I can use the pool after. A very satisfactory room. I wish I knew how it was made, having a house with that would be very handy." He debated on that thought a moment; yes, it would be a good thing to play out with. Maybe he would go look up that concept this year.

Gah, required? "Ah, that would explain the formal robe requirement then in the letter." She spoke about dancing and he looked slightly uncomfortable. A glance out the window before he looked back at her. "I've been taught to dance. I've--" he looked uncomfortable "--just never done it with anyone but family. It's too close for strangers, even if they are students." He frowned, not liking the idea of being forced to dance with others.

She spoke for a minute about how smart the trick was and he shrugged. "I read up on psychology this summer and you remember I was reading about muggle deception tricks last year. It just took putting together to make sure I could use both. And you just proved it works." She questioned him and again he shrugged, but not as deeply as before. "People do not trust me. I'm aware of that. So even if I don't do anything, eventually I may get accused. It's simply logic to prepare in advance so I can be ready without panicking. Besides, it was a good exercise in logic and new magic at the time." His soft smile and a nod showed he felt the same. "They may not have magic, but they have some inventive things many wizards never think about."

And that was the information he needed.

Warm. Yes, he did like things warm sometimes. He chuckled. "I tried it once. It just runs straight through." He nodded for a moment. "Well I guess I can show you if we do. People do always seem fascinated with my family's hair. It seems so normal to me." A tilt of his head as she spoke and he felt a certain kinship to her in that way she spoke of. "So you use a disguise." He tapped the tattoo thoughtfully. "And in essence I do too. Interesting."

Giving her a look with down turned eyebrows and pursed lips, he studied her a minute. "No." He wondered why she asked.

BRIER ANNABELL SULLIVAN

She wondered, for a moment, if he could read her thoughts. It was, after all, a reference to the immense wealth she'd been thinking about a few moments before. Her lips twitched, however. "I can't picture you as a healer" she admitted. "In those robes with that 'bedside manner' smile on your face. It was nearly enough to make her laugh, and she didn't do that often. That's not to say Brier wasn't happy, she had an incredible life, but she disliked the idea of most people seeing her open and vulnerable. Darius was not one of those people, and so she grinned. "Would you do it? Become a healer I mean?" He sounded sort of like Ally, which amused her further. "Careful" she warned, smile wider now. "You're starting to sound like Ally." Ally Moon, their niece, was every inch a member of the Gryffindor house she'd been sorted into, but Brier often suspected their was a great deal of Slytherin in the younger girl as well.

"I have a theory" she admitted softly. With anyone else, she'd have hesitated to state something she didn't know for fact, but with him she didn't mind as much. "The room creates the space we need the most upon entering it." She stated the obvious. "I think it may work the same as wandless, non-verbal magic." Here, Brier summoned a glass and then banished it, all without raising a wand or muttering an incantation. "But in order to work for everyone the room possesses some sort of amplifier to magnify the magical will of the younger (and less gifted) students." She tilted her head thoughtfully. "After all, when one removes the wand movements and verbal spells, magic is simply projecting your will onto reality isn't it? And that's what the room does. Plus, its supposed to only appear when the person has 'real need' of it, or when the person's will is strong enough to summon it." She was, all in all, rather proud of her theory, but she wondered what Darius would think of it.

As the topic shifted to the prefect requirements, she nodded. "I have a few here" she answered. A couple from her parents, and a couple Keela had brought her as souvenieres from other places. She did love her elder sister, truly she did. Gryffindor or not, Keela had a knack for understanding her the way she felt no one else had. It made her wonder if there had been more Slytherin in Keela than she would admit, even before she'd met and married Vin. She nodded understanding. While his thoughts might have seemed strange to most people, she was used to Darius, and so she offered him an alternative which she thought might suit them both. "Another benefit of going together" she pointed out. "You can just dance with me, and with Ally if you can get her away from whatever boy she's leading along at the time." She rarely ever saw her niece truly infatuated with anyone, and it was a good thing. Ally's passionate nature might get her in trouble some day otherwise, and Brier was watchful in case someone should take advantage.

The 'tattoo' now that was something! It was strange, of course, most things Darius did were a little strange, but dead clever none the less! She wrinkled her nose at him in a playful manner. "I just wasn't expecting it is all" she insisted, though she was still smiling. "I would have figured it out sooner or later." He spoke about muggle inventiveness and Brier shrugged. "They have to solve problems we don't have" she pointed out. Brier had no problem with muggles. She definitely thought they'd gotten the shorter end of things, but some of their ways around it were interesting and not to be entirely discounted. "Also, I'll be working in the ministry by then, so there's that in your favor too" she reminded him. "And your mum of course."

His touch on her hair, or more accurately her reaction to it, sent her reeling a bit. As a result, it took her a moment to get her bearings back, and when she did, she realized with a near-start that she was flirting with him. Flirting! With Darius! Merlin!! The Silver-Moon family hair was infamous. You could spot one of them a mile away because of it. "Ally's is the closest to yours isn't it?" she asked. "Almost like she crossed yours and Vin's together." Though Ally never stuck often with the same color due to the meta gene, her hair was naturally a sort of burgendy that looked to be a perfect cross between her father's nearly neon orange and Darius' bright purple. She hesitated at the word 'disguise' but nodded after a moment. "I guess" she agreed. "I've just never thought about it that way."

His reaction to the question she asked was expected. "Me either" she said carefully. "But I've always wanted to try it" she added. "You know, just to see what its like, what everyone's fussing about."

Words: 843
Outfit: here
Lyrics: Dead in the Water - Ellie Goulding
Notes: If that last bit works...it was clever.
Tags: @shava444

A pursing of the lips, though he was about as close to humor as most saw him really. He was amused at the very image in fact. "Ah, no. I would never be interested in being a healer, but making the compounds, the potions, the salves is very interesting. Also knowing all about how the body truly works is something only a healer training can help one to understand. I find that knowledge very valuable." And understanding how it all fit together and worked not only helped with magic, but in the taking apart of a body as well. A glance at her face and then back out the window. "Oh no, it's just for the knowledge, though I suspect working as one who makes the products would be a good side line. Might build up some trust from others."

He was careful not to say his own trust.

Ally was a random ball of enthusiasm so Darius found that certainly worth a grim smile, though it softened for Ally. "She is a delight to have around so I shall consider that a good thing." Honestly, she reminded him of his sister Ash a lot. Then they spoke about the room and his gaze wasn't out the window so much, not seeing it but what she said. "Hmm, interesting idea. Magic based on the will of the summoner might explain why some are never able to find it either. Wandless and non-verbal means there must be some sort of receiver in the hall, some spot which seeks out the thoughts..." It was definitely a theory worth considering and he liked that. His gaze turned from the outdoors to her, considering how intelligent she was as well. That added up with him on her side; she had never neglected him and friendship and he appreciated that a lot.

In his experience though that made her unique.

Still evaluating her face, he nodded, eyes on her. "Very logical. I think that would work well. Knowing your mother she already gave you lessons in dancing a long time ago I suspect so we are probably more evenly matched then I would have guessed. Bravo, good thinking." A pause to glace down at the floor in thought but it simply added up too well. "If you don't mind then I would like to go with you to it. And if you find someone you want to dance with in between more I can always take that as a break." He was not aware he had just said that he would find no other worth his time, but in essence that was his meaning. She spoke about her own determination and he nodded. "I would expect no less from you, Brier. You've always been better then most."

Family watched out for family. It was one of the most basic things in his life for Darius and he would not expect any less so gave his all in return of course. "True. Someday I might need it if I can not find a way I like well out of sight of others. People have never made me feel comfortable in large numbers." No, large numbers made it hard to do anything effective with far too many witnesses to deal with, something he was right glad Vincent had proved to him long ago. Still, there were a few who might not survive long after school if he didn't find his own way soon after. That way they could serve a purpose for knowledge at least though their purpose otherwise seemed no benefit to society or anyone but themselves. He touching on hair comparisons stopped that train of thought fortunately.

"In color, yes, though mine is closest in nature to mom's. Although with mine darkening slowly by degrees Ally likes to pretend hers is an exact match." An amused smile for a moment, remembering her last 'proof.' Darius had a spot in his heart for his niece who already seemed more in control in the relationship then he felt smart to allow. Not like there was anyone else to put on a pedestal so maybe it was his protective nature of her that let him keep her close. His look towards Brier became more curious. "Is it not? You do not put your inner thoughts out there for most people and you seek a particular image. That is a disguise of yourself at the very least to suit the image you wish to project. I would think that for most politicians the challenge is not turning themselves into what they image completely and forget their inner selves."

The thought was curious. While the mechanics of it hardly seemed difficult as everyone seemed to pick it up without training, he did not see the attraction really to expressing oneself through physical touching. "Hmm. I guess I have never given it much thought." His gaze turned back out of the window about as uncomfortable as he got on a subject. "I hardly think anyone will ever be interested in me in such a way so not a skill I imagine I will ever have a chance of learning. But I don't understand the attraction everyone seems to develop for it either. Hugging I understand, closeness I understand as Anne seems to think hugs are worth tackling unsuspecting brothers at random is her life goal," he frowned shaking his head, "but people seem to think kissing is worth crouching in broom closets in awkward positions for long periods of time."

And in their house, mom in a mood got the rest of them out of the house super fast. In this case, it was easy for Darius to get off topic of Brier's aim of the conversation. "Married couples I can sort of see as it's a matter of expressing closeness it seems, but broomclosets? Really? Or the couple caught last year in a chandelier while hiding from the caretaker. Couldn't be still enough to escape detection. If they really liked it so much wouldn't it make far more sense for them to just sneak into another's room where it would at least be comfortable without the threat of exposure? It happens often enough in the dorm." He shook his head amused, not understanding why she had been bringing it up really. All he knew was that people got far too much into physical distraction to the detriment of their time in school really. "I guess it takes all types. People can be weird."

BRIER ANNABELL SULLIVAN

She wrinkled her nose slightly, but smiled as she did so. “I will never understand your fascination with potions, Dare.” Her face relaxed. “Speaking of, you’re going to help me study for N.E.W.T.S right?” She needed the Outstanding, wanted her scores to be as high as she could possibly get them, and Potions was not her forte. “Please?” She gave him her best, winning smile. She had never truly understood the way he got so fascinated with things, but at this point she never thought much about it anymore. She shrugged, “It’s not like you have to figure it out right away” she acknowledged. Or ever really, she reminded herself, aware of how insanely rich the Silver/Silver-Moon clan was. Her sister and brother-in-law didn’t work because they needed the money after all, though both were pretty successful in their own right. It made her happy to think her sister and brothers were all doing what they loved, and Brier sometimes struggled with the fact that beyond her political ambitions, she had no great passion for any hobbies. She was smart, diplomatic, well-spoken and well-read, but it was almost as though nothing really touched her, as if she’d been holding her more human aspects at arm’s length for so long, they had stopped trying to be heard. To Darius, she added. “Why is it so important for people to trust you, Dare? Why not just let it happen?”

It was clear in his expression, though maybe not to most, that Darius loved their niece. Keela and Vincent’s eldest was so full of life, a fiery example of the wild-at-heart in both parents. Though Brier was a very different girl, she found her niece very difficult not to love. “She is” Brier agreed, “very wild though. I worry about her getting into trouble and sneaking around so much.” As a Prefect, Brier wondered if she would be able to keep a better eye on Ally, but she doubted it. “I wonder sometimes how she ended up in Gryffindor, she’s very like Vin isn’t she?” As the topic shifted to the Room of Requirement, she nodded. “Maybe something like a pensieve that collects thought instead of memory and projects the same way?” It was a long shot, but as long as they were considering theories, she had no problem presenting hers. It was enough to shift his focus from the window to her face, and she silently enjoyed her success. Darius appreciated her mind, and she appreciated his. It was another thing they had in common.

He was still studying her face when he spoke again, and she wondered what he saw. He had made off-handed comments about her appearance before, but never anything that gave her the impression if interest. She smiled when he mentioned her mother. “Of course, and my oldest brother is a dancer too you know.” Cern had given her some pointers on the finer aspects, and she was fairly confident in her dancing ability as a result. The smile remained in place, softened even. He often spoke as though he had stepped out of another century, and she appreciated that about him: his propriety. “Of course” she agreed, though she doubted she’d find anyone who interested her too much. She generally had so little patience for boys her own age. “It’s an...arrangement then.” She hesitated for many reasons to call it a ‘date’.

That compliment, more than the others, earned him a pleased smile. “I’m going to have to be to get the Minister’s internship, there are several Ministry openings, but only one for the Minister himself.” It was a fast track into the political ring if she played it right, and one day when she had built up her contacts and credibility, she would be Britain’s Minister of Magic herself. That was her plan anyway. She tilted her head and studied him. “They’re not all useless you know” she pointed out, unaware that she had answered unspoken thoughts. “You ought to give some of them more credit you know.” It was as far as she pushed however, his life and his choices were his own, and Brier respected them.

His fingers in her hair were a welcome distraction from her current line of thinking, and she nodded as he spoke of his mother. Smiling wryly, she added: “She likes to make it an exact match in classes too. I think she enjoys that it confuses people.” She also sometimes borrowed Brier’s nose and eyes, though she suspected Ally had no idea she knew about that. She looked thoughtful in return as his tone turned serious for a moment. “The two are not so different for me yet” she defended softly. “Mom says I’ve been a politician since birth, but…” She hesitated, “you might be right.” She sighed softly, “I will have to be careful of that then” she acknowledged, “but it isn’t as though I don’t have plenty of people around to remind me” she pointed out.

She wasn’t surprised that he seemed uncomfortable, and as a result she was careful. “You might be surprised” she said, softly enough that if he wasn’t paying attention to her he might miss it. “I think just because it feels good” she pointed out. “It’s a closeness too, but a different kind. You wouldn’t kiss just anyone, so the person you do kiss is...special, I think.” Brier laughed softly, “Anne is unique” she agreed. “But sometimes I think you need tackling, it keeps you…” She searched for a word. “On your toes.” She wrinkled her nose and shook her head. “I know, and we’re likely to see plenty of that this year during patrols.” She just hoped none of them were Ally. “I can’t see why you wouldn’t just kiss someone somewhere more comfortable rather than a closet.”

“Exactly” she nodded agreement, rolling her eyes at the memory of the chandelier story. “You have to give them points for evasive maneuvering though. I wouldn’t have wanted to try it.” Another nod, “on that we can agree.” Or a train compartment...she added silently, but no one could have offered her anything to say it out loud. “Isn’t everyone a little weird to everyone else?” She pointed out. She wanted to kiss him just then, just to see what it felt like, what it would be like. It got her thinking about it, and once she started thinking it, she found the thought difficult to dissuade. Out loud, she said only: “I would like to know for myself some day, but I’m not worried about it just now. There’s plenty of…” She spotted Ally passing the compartment door in a skirt a corset top and a skirt short enough to send her eyebrows into her hairline. Shaking her head, she sighed. A dark-haired, seventh year Slytherin appeared to be trying to convince her of something, and was currently enjoying the view as she kept moving away from him, laughing, though Brier could tell she was enjoying the attention.

Brier motioned to the door. “See what I mean? Trouble.”

Words: 1,198
Outfit: here
Lyrics: Ellie Goulding - Burn
Notes: Yep, it begins. 
Tags: @shava444