Holiday Plans and Study [Mami]

[Kerridon Paradox]

It was approaching the end of term, and Kerridon was beginning to wonder what exactly to do with himself over the coming two months of summer holidays. Of course, ideally he would like to spend time with D'rorah away from the hubbub of Hogwarts – not that he thought that clearly enough that anyone listening in would notice – but that was clearly impossible. There was a chance that he would be able to go to China with the lightfighters, but it would not be for long if it even happened at all. Dark Phoenix would likely have some tasks for him during his time away from Hogwarts, and he could not risk her being unable to contact him. Trying to explain that would be very difficult, and if she delved too deep then D'rorah's protections on his mind could be broken. He just had to trust in his own ability to avoid suspicion from her.

If some way could not be arranged for him to contact Dark Phoenix while at the monastery in China, then he would have to find something else to keep him occupied for the intermittent months between the terms. Obviously he would need to spend some time at Paradox Manor and Taylor Hall, to manage the estates after the time they had spent unoccupied – especially Taylor Hall. But with the house elves, that would not take too long. Perhaps he would be able to travel around a little... get some valuable material for his research.

Sitting at the Ravenclaw table in the Great Hall, Kerridon was eating dinner quietly. He was quite late and the usual crowds that appeared at meal times had subsided, leaving the Great Hall much quieter. A book was propped open in front of him as he memorised some potion ingredients for the upcoming exam. He was not going to have anything nocuous in front of him in such a public place, so he devoted meal times to studying for exams. He was not particularly worried about them, but it seemed sensible to study at least a little in case his memory was waning in certain details. No one was really near him and he paid little attention to those that were around, concentrating instead on the book as he occasionally took a bite of food and not worrying about the fact that it was going cold.

[Mami Tien]

Mami sighed as she entered the Great Hall, it was getting towards the end of meal time and she had just finished her finger exercises. She'd gained most of her flexibility back since the accident, though she still had no memory of what happened or where she had been. Thinking about it she shivered as she took a seat a few places from Kerridon on the opposite side of the table.

Her hair was done back in two buns, elongating her neck, and decorated with dragon hair clips. She wore her school uniform, though the skirt was longer than most and it's hem was done in lace with small bows of ribbon the Ravenclaw color at each pleat. Her socks were gray with Ravenclaw colored stripes near the top which came up past her knees and ended with the same lace and bows. Her feet were in comfortable black oxfords. Her top was normal, collared white shirt with a gray and Ravenclaw colored vest over top. Her amethyst pendant sat outside of it, hanging approximately 3.5 inches from her throat on a black leather cord.

It wasn't that she didn't want to sit near him, it was just that she'd been keeping everyone at a distance ever since. She immediately piled her plate high with the many items she'd grown to like, her stomach rumbling with her hunger as she'd forgotten to eat breakfast. After the first few bites were down and she wasn't starving, she made the effort to glance in Kerridon's direction, wondering how he'd been doing. She didn't see him often, even in the common room. They seemed to have completely different schedules as of late. Of course, that could have something to do with the fact the whenever she saw D'rorah in the halls, she suddenly remembered she needed to go the other direction.

[Kerridon Paradox]

Kerridon was paying little attention to what was going on around him, instead focussing on the details of his book as he memorised them. Although when he had first began learning he had found it a little difficult to memorise things, especially when it came to languages, he had soon learnt techniques that made it much easier. Now, glancing through large passages of text for anything he didn't know and committing it to memory was not in the least bit difficult, but he did have to keep his concentration on it.

However, Mami's arrival at the table did catch his attention. He had not really spoken to her recently, what with the distance he had created between them following her rescue from the Shadow Realm. He still regretted it, but it was really safest for her. He couldn't let anything else happen to her on his account. Still, that didn't mean he didn't have an interest in her wellbeing, but since she seemed to have retracted from everyone it made it a little difficult, not to mention making him even more concerned.

[blue]"Good evening, Miss Tien,"[/blue] he greeted her quietly, his eyes flicking up from his book to watch her, although otherwise he made no movement that might show he was acknowledging her presence. He stuck with the formal use of her name, not wanting to mislead her. [blue]"How are you?"[/blue] he inquired. He missed the way they had interacted before, but after she had ended up in the Shadow Realm he wasn't willing to risk her any more. The scars from that were still visible even now.

[Mami Tien]

"Good evening, Miss Tien. How are you?"

Although she knew there was a chance that Kerridon-kun would notice her and greet her, she was still startled when the words came. They hadn't said more than a few words to each other since he'd offered his assistance with her homework in the common room. She'd hoped in the back of her mind that something would change, that somehow they could be friends once more.

She sighed softly to herself and steeling herself from possible pain she looked over at him curiously, "Good evening Paradox-sama, I am well. And yourself?" Instead of continuing to look at him, waiting for his answer, she glanced back to her plate to take another bite. She was giving herself a break from looking at him, which still hurt somewhere deep inside, making all her scars throb in a strange way. She turned back to him before he really had a chance to answer, not wishing to look rude, she was still Japanese and therefore raised to as polite as possible.

(I was trying to write more, but I'm totally stuck...)

Glossary
-kun:‚­‚ñ Japanese honorific used by females when addressing a male that they are emotionally attached to.
-sama: ‚³‚ÜJapanese honorific used primarily in addressing or referring to people much higher in rank than oneself, and sometimes toward people one greatly admires.

[Kerridon Paradox]

Kerridon noticed Mami's surprise when he spoke, and it made him feel a little guilty. He knew he had been ignoring her, and he knew why, but she didn't... His sudden professional distance would have come as quite the shock to her, he suspected, and she would have no idea why it occurred. This was why he did still speak to her on occasion; as if to assure her that she had done nothing wrong, hoping that she wouldn't think she had offended him or any such nonsense. He wasn't convinced how well it was working, though. Even so, it was for her own good.

[blue]"Good to hear. I am also well."[/blue] He hesitated there, unsure what else to say after such a long distance. He noticed that, unusually for her, she turned her head away after speaking, although she did look back afterwards. Not one to usually engage in small talk, he was at a bit of a loss. He paused a moment longer before coming up with a common subject in the hallways recently. [blue]"How do you think you will fare in your exams?"[/blue] he asked quietly, his eyes still fixed on her. Her scars were still visible especially at close range, he noticed. It was best not to mention them, though. D'rorah was the prime example of someone who didn't like attention drawn to her scars; no one did really, there was no reason Mami would be any different.

[Mami Tien]

"Good to hear. I am also well."

She gave him a small smile, "That is always good to hear." She turned back to her breakfast for a moment, trying to think of something to talk about. Before she could think of something casual he was speaking again.

"How do you think you will fare in your exams?"

"My exams?" She looked up at him again, biting lightly on her lower lip as she thought of exams. "I do not think I did badly, though my wand work is still recovering...." She blushed and was silently for a moment. "I'm sure you did exceptionally well Senpai..."

She looked down again and sighed, forcing herself to eat more. It seemed that her appetite had been replaced by an uncomfortable silence and nervousness. She looked back up at him with another small, almost shy smile and wondered why when she thought of him, her scars would throb lightly. It wasn't a painful feeling, but almost as though her heart were pounding in them, or that they were tingling with magic.

It wasn't the first time that she wondered where she'd been for those few weeks. She tended to think about it any time it was dark or heavily shadowed. She knew she'd been someplace bad, and that someone had saved her. Slowly she was releasing her memories of that time in the hopes that she would remember who had saved her life and who put her in danger.

Coming back down to earth she wondered why she'd been thinking about her absence while speaking with Kerridon-kun. Maybe her meditations were finally paying off and she was remembering something?

Senpai:‚¹‚ñ‚Ï‚¢ At school, the students in higher grades than oneself.

[Kerridon Paradox]

The awkwardness in the air was obvious to even Kerridon, oblivious as he normally was to such things. The fact that he knew why probably didn't help the situation but did make him doubly aware of the tense atmosphere. He took another bite of his food, trying to buy time to think of some other innocuous form of conversation that would pass the time and would not be thought of as intrusive. He really wasn't very good at small talk.

[blue]"I am sure your wand work will improve back to its previous level,"[/blue] he assures her, [blue]"just like your English has."[/blue] Although it was not particularly common, he had heard of magical ability taking a beating when a person was... well, beaten, or otherwise subjected to great levels of stress. But he had not really come across any cases of it not recovering, except if the person continued to suffer or simply died before their magic had the time to recover. [blue]"It will just take time,"[/blue] he reassures her, [blue]"and I am sure those marking your OWLs will take into account your current difficulties with magic."[/blue] Although he really didn't know much about exams, having never taken them before, he was certain that Mami's fingers being broken along with her other injuries would be taken into account, because she obviously wasn't at her normal level of skill.

He noticed that despite her smile – which was encouraging, nonetheless – there was some anxiety noticeable through it. He smiled back anyway. A rare action for him, really. [blue]"What will you be doing in the holidays? Going back to Japan?"[/blue] he questions, focussing on another innocuous subject that was also being discussed a lot in the halls recently. It seemed that many people went on holidays and trips in the summer with their families. If he had a choice in the matter then he would be going to China, but he doubted that would actually happen.

[Mami Tien]

"I am sure your wand work will improve back to its previous level, just like your English has. It will just take time, and I am sure those marking your OWLs will take into account your current difficulties with magic."

She smiled, appreciating his kind words and nodded, "I am sure that you are correct Paradox-sama. I am sure that I did well enough that my standings will not be negatively effected by my injuries overly much. Thank you for your reassurances."

When he smiled, it almost reached his eyes, and she couldn't help but remember his face when he listened to her play. Her heart skipped a beat and she suddenly needed to catch her breath. Quickly covering up her reaction, she swallowed down several bites of food in quick succession.

"What will you be doing in the holidays? Going back to Japan?"

"Oh no, my guardians will be on tour this summer. We are trying to decide if I should go with them or if I should stay in the home that the ministry provided us with until they return." She gave him a sad smile, she knew there was no way she could go with them on tour. There was too much to do and there would be no time for her. She already knew that she was going to tell them she'd stay in the ministry provided home while they were away. She knew that she was going to spend the summer alone. She could only hope it wouldn't be plagued by her new found fear of shadows and darkness.

[Kerridon Paradox]

Kerridon nodded, glad to hear that by the sound of it, Mami's confidence wasn't too badly affected or was recovering; or at least, she was strong enough to pretend that it was. He noticed a slight skip in her expression as he smiled at her and wondered what had caused it. Once upon a time he might have had the same reaction to her smiling at him, but that had long gone now he was with D'rorah... It didn't occur to him that she might have similar feelings towards him, especially after he had spent so long ignoring her. He took another bite of his food, finishing it off then leaning back in his seat, watching her.

[blue]"Where are they going on tour? And why?"[/blue] Kerridon asked, trying to continue this awkward conversation without letting it lapse too much and make the atmosphere even more tense. Perhaps it was a good thing that most people had left already, so it could just appear from a distance like polite conversation between two people with no one else to talk to. [blue]"Is there some reason why you should not go with them? Travelling is a valuable experience,"[/blue] he points out, wishing he had had the chance to do more himself.

[Mami Tien]

"Where are they going on tour? And why? Is there some reason why you should not go with them? Traveling is a valuable experience."

She shifted slightly, the fact that he was paying full attention to her now was disconcerting to say the least. "The London Symphony is going to Ireland, France, Germany, and America. Summer is their touring season, so there isn't much my guardians can do about it. As for me going along, the Symphony would have to purchase another ticket for me for all the traveling. Not to mention, they would have to reserve another room for me to stay in everywhere and then food. I'm sure they don't want to have to deal with all of that. Then there is the fact that the other performers are not permitted to bring their families and it wouldn't be fair for everyone else if they let me go. I might have had a decent chance, before... I could have re-stringed instruments and made myself useful, now I'd just get in the way."

She was silent for a time then she smiled and started again, "If you think about it Paradox-sama, I have been traveling quite a bit already. After all, I am from Japan and I've been here at Hogwarts this last year, so I haven't really had a chance to explore the town where the ministry is letting us stay. I'm sure that if I must stay I will still find valuable experiences."

She took another bite of her food, getting close to the end of her meal far too quickly for her liking, even with the conversation. "Do you have plans for vacation?" She was extremely curious as to what he might be up to, something to think on while she wandered the small English town during her own.

(What do you think, did it take me long enough to respond? >_<)

[Kerridon Paradox]

Kerridon didn't even really comprehend that he was making Mami uncomfortable by actually paying attention to her – the fact that he hadn't in months but was managing it easily enough now didn't occur to him either. It was just as if there had never been the break between them, to him at least. Now he was listening to her speak, it reminded him of all the time they had spent together before.

Certainly, if he had the chance to go on a tour such as she was describing, he would go. He had a sudden urge to suggest that they go on their own tour of Europe and America, before biting back his comment. That wasn't an option, and never would be so long as this war was going on. He needed to protect her, not make her be seen around him even more. Even talking to her now was dangerous, and he leaned back in his seat a little. What was he doing, putting her in more danger? Settling his own worries about how she was doing wasn't going to do her any good. His eyes moved away from her back to his plate, but unable to just stop himself listening and head off.

[blue]"It sounds like an excellent trip, though. If I had the chance I would go, but I have things to do over the summer,"[/blue] he told her, glancing back up again. [blue]"Perhaps you should explore England a little more though, there is plenty to see,"[/blue] he told her, reminding himself that he couldn't offer to show her around. It would be a bad idea all round.

[blue]"I need to work on restoring my mother's estate, it has not been used for quite some time,"[/blue] he explained. The house elves had kept it in a decent enough state, but it still needed a lot of sorting.

[Mami Tien]

"It sounds like an excellent trip, though. If I had the chance I would go, but I have things to do over the summer. Perhaps you should explore England a little more though, there is plenty to see. I need to work on restoring my mother's estate, it has not been used for quite some time."


She smiled kindly and finally pushed her plate away, shifting in her seat. She knew that their conversation would be coming to a close all too quickly. After all, even though he was talking as though they'd never stopped, she knew that he was only speaking with her because they just both happened to be there at the same time. It didn't hurt that no one else seemed to be around. "Well whatever I end up doing this summer, I'm sure it will be interesting." She pushed the thought of boring lonely nights alone in the dark away and continued to smile.

"Oh, you're restoring your mother's estate? That sounds very exciting, but then, I suppose that's not the normal reaction to such a thing, ne?" Her eyes lit up at the thought of a house project, but she quickly pushed down her reaction. "Perhaps we could exchange owls over the summer? Make each others summer's more exciting?" Even as she offered the idea of owling, she both wished she felt that she had a right to offer her assistance with his mother's home and knew that he probably wouldn't want to talk to her any more outside of school than he did inside of it.

[Kerridon Paradox]

Kerridon could hardly not notice how uncomfortable Mami was and felt another stab of guilt for stopping all contact with her without any explanation. It was for the best though, he didn't want her hurt any more than she already had been. There was something in her expression that made him frown when she said she was sure it would be interesting. Something that said she wasn't quite telling the truth. He pushed away the desire to inquire further. That wasn't his place... not anymore.

He couldn't help but smile as he saw her eyes light up. [blue]"Yes, you seem a little more enthused than most people would be,"[/blue] he replied with a small, gently teasing smirk. [blue]"There should be plenty to discover, though. Especially in the cellar and attic – my grandfather had all sorts of collections and records,"[/blue] he recalled wistfully. He wished he had been old enough when living there to remember the details of them properly, but at least he had plenty of time over the summer to sort through it all.

He hesitated at the mention of owling, unsure if that was a good idea. Perhaps if he gave her an address he knew wasn't watched it could work, though. [blue]"Maybe occasionally,"[/blue] he conceded. [blue]"I will be quite busy."[/blue]