Sitting and waiting [open]

[fallensiren]

Siren sat very still at the top of the astronomy tower, gazing out into a cool, slightly breezy night. She relished in the feel of the soft wind on her flesh. It was a good break from her first day thrown into this world where magic was all out in the open, not something she had to practice at night when her parents wouldn't know and be angry. She didn't miss her old home - much. But it was strange to be here finally, when she should have come five years ago. She was sixteen and felt out of place, awkward in her own skin. Everything felt new.

She looked up. The stars were the same, shining brightly in the light breeze. They twinkled in constellations that she'd known all her life. She sighed wistfully, and pushed her chestnut hair out of her face. The wind tossed it, disregarding her attempts to still it. Unable to resist, she chuckled, then quieted again.

She missed her granddad here, the man who'd taught her as much magic as he'd known how. She wondered if he'd gone here himself. She'd never asked him. But then, perhaps he too had been home schooled. He'd never have been forced to live the life of a Muggle, though. Only she had ever done that.

Her fists clenched. Her teeth gritted. The despair that had threatened to overcome her for several long months was rushing over her again. The disgusted look in her father's eyes as she finally announced that she would come to school, whether he liked it or not; her friends falling away from her, wary of the strange occurrences that had begun to be set in motion around her; her last boyfriend's disgruntled departure, the hatred in his eyes...

Anger rushed through her. Well, I wish I could kill you, savor the sight, she thought to herself ironically; the song had sung itself out in her mind over and over again for the last few months - "Porcelain," by Better Than Ezra. Well, that pretty much summed up her anger and her wounded state. It summed up her exhaustion and feeling of betrayal.

Atop the astronomy tower, she waited for someone to find her, suddenly hating that she was alone.

[kairava]

He had been accepted, as a Hufflepuff, and the day had gone rather smoothly. He had met a few friendly people and had finished settling in to his room when he decided that he should attempt his first prefect walk. Still wearing his necklace, a pair of gloves, leather soled shoes, slightly torn jeans, and a fitted, untucked button-up shirt with the top two buttons unbuttoned and the sleeves rolled up, and a blazer, Kai made his way out into the halls of Hogwarts.

Kai wandered the halls checking for students out past curfew. After a few floors of quietness he began thinking to himself. Thoughts of possibilities entertained Kai; it was a new place full of new people and he had actually changed over the last year as well. It seemed as though his whole life was an ever-changing river. Every time he thought he knew who he was something within him changed. It was no different now. He noticed when he first arrived at Hogwarts that something felt strange but he could not place it. Again, he let the thought dissipate into the night air.

He continued up the floors maintaining an absent trail of thoughts until he came to the balcony entrance of the astronomy tower. As Kai opened the door to the balcony he was not expecting anyone. He had not seen anyone other than a brief moment with his counterpart Caity the entire night and so was slightly startled to see a girl sitting out on the edge. Kai began his address formally, “You should…” but as he saw her face and the mixed emotions behind it he could not help but continue with, “let me sit with you,” in a softer tone. Kai mentally rolled his eyes at himself and thought, “Wow… nice intro.”

Relaxing a little, Kai walked over to where the girl was sitting and sat next to her. He wasn’t sure if he should start talking or not but assumed that he should at least give her his name thinking that it might make her more comfortable. “Hey there, name’s Kai; Hufflepuff prefect.” Again Kai could not help but be annoyed with himself; there was no need to insert the formalities but he had gone and done it anyway. “What brings you up here alone?” Kai found himself unable to resist asking.

[fallensiren]

Siren tried to disguise her features when she heard the door to the balcony push open behind her, to no avail whatsoever. The one time she couldn't conceal her emotions, and it was in front of someone she didn't yet know - someone who had time to engrave her in his mind as someone emotionally weak. She felt exposed, knowing his eyes were on her back; suddenly the torn jeans and t-shirt seemed little protection against another's gaze. And as she spotted the boy - the man, really; he was at least her age, if not older - coming out onto the balcony, she cursed under her breath. A prefect, she thought furiously to herself. Of all my luck in the world, the instant I start to feel lonely I end up with a prefect who's going to turn me in. What excuse could she give to a prefect for being up on the astronomy tower in the dead of night? It made no sense at all, even to her. She just wanted to think.

As he approached behind her, her worst fears were confirmed. His voice was formal, saying, "You should..." but he trailed off when he glimpsed her face. Did he see the war of emotion evident on her pale, angular features, or did he just see the sadness and her difficulty covering it up in the wash of moonlight and star fire? Did he glimpse her confusion? "...let me sit with you," he finished, and for a moment, her stomach did a somersault of relief. His voice was soft and kind. He wasn't going to turn her in. Thank whatever deity actually existed up there.

He introduced himself with all the formalities, and she nearly cringed at the loss of that momentary softness in his voice. "Siren," she replied, when he called himself Kai. "Ravenclaw nobody." She laughed softly at the joke. "Wow, a prefect. What an honor." She wasn't being sarcastic, but rather, sincere.

"What brings you up here alone?" he asked her, and she bit her lip, trying to think of the many reasons she could tell him. She'd been bored and fancied a late stroll. She'd been sitting here before and gotten too tired to go to the dormitories. She'd been...she'd been...

"I just wanted to think," she finally murmured quietly, pulling her knees up to her chest and draping her arms around her legs. Her chin came to rest on her knees. "It's...a lot to take in. I'm new. Things have been complicated lately." She tried for a smile and it came out a grimace. She'd told the truth, and she wondered how she'd pay for her vulnerability.

"What brings you up here?" she continued. "Just doing Prefect rounds, I expect?"

[kairava]

As he had expected he had fumbled by using the formality. It was his first day and he wasn’t sure how to go about things but those were just excuses he realized. As she continued and mentioned she was nobody, his heart felt as if it was cut deeply. “Why does this girl think herself nobody?” Kai asked himself mentally. Looking at her again he could not help but see the yearning for someone to care even through her laugh. Instantly he knew that he would be at her side the whole night or until she left.

Her mention of his title struck him again even though it sounded as if she was sincere. As he waited he looked around at the stars; it was not an interrogation and he wished no pressure on her. The moments between made him realized that she was thinking; probably thinking about whether or not to lie to a prefect and not whether or not to reveal something about herself. As she spoke he slowly turned his head to look upon her again.

Kai understood her feeling of being lost due to being new to a place but he had a feeling that was not the reason for her being here. His reasoning was confirmed immediately following when she mentioned that things were complicated; he understood that as well but he also understood that he might not. With her attempt at a smile, Kai could not help but smile back with a small, soft smile.

He was about to mention how beautiful and peaceful the night was when she asked him what he was doing and whether or not it was merely prefect rounds. “I was,” he replied in short. In fact he was, but he was also done for all it concerned him. If she needed him then he would remain and if not, then he would return to his chambers and sleep. Either way, his prefect duties were over for the night. “It is a beautiful night…” he said softly as he looked yet again out at the stars and the moon. His hair was short and so the breeze did not bother him or take away from the night.

“I could sit here all night… Of course, if you wish to think alone I will let you,” Kai said in a caring voice and using tones that would make it clear that either decision was completely up to her and that either answer would not insult him. He wanted to stay and keep her company but he also did not want to force his presence into her space, where she was thinking, like he already had.

[fallensiren]

"No," Siren said quickly.

Whatever she had felt before – whatever doubts she'd had about this stranger – she didn't want him to leave now. It was a risk, but her exposed vulnerability seized on the kindness in his voice. "It is a beautiful night," she agreed with him. "And it's not as beautiful when you don't have someone to share it with. When you only have your own thoughts for company, it's just...like a piece of art after the maker's dead: beautiful but distant and cold." She shivered slightly in the light breeze, wishing she'd brought a sweatshirt with her.

She turned to look at him again. It was obvious that he wanted to stay and keep her company. The play of thought and emotion on his face gave that much away. She was glad she'd decided to let him. She loved this particular perch on the astronomy tower: the grounds sprawled beneath them, the moonlight gilding the Black Lake, the silvery light of the stars frosting the grass that tumbled out across the lawns.

Sharing this place made it feel better - a bit more like home, the one she seemed to have lost somewhere behind her.

"I hardly know what possessed me to come up here, even," she continued finally in a quiet voice, looking away from him again. "Just that I'm too tired to sleep – have you ever felt that? It's a nightmare in its own right. This place is so wonderful, so beautiful..." She hesitated. To go further would be to talk about her family history, and she knew she couldn't launch into that. Not right away. It wasn't in her nature, to be forthcoming about information without being asked. "But, like I said, things are complicated," she finished, trying to make the words suffice. "For me it's strange, having things magical out in the open. Being able to wander where I please..." She tossed him a slight smile. "...except for when big bad prefects catch me."

[kairava]

As he sat there, his gloved hands pushing against the stone underneath them, he heard her say 'no' and his heart was relieved. No one should ever be alone, especially in the cold where it slowly begins to affect the soul. He felt the cold and how it crept in from every direction this time of night, he felt it transfer from the stone below him thankful that his body heat fought it back fiercely. Kai just sat there for a moment, realizing that the night truly was beautiful. At first he had only made the comment in an attempt to cover his uncertainty but as Siren repeated the words; he heard them.

He continued listening to her voice as it was carried across the wind. Her words struck him and forced him to realize how long he had been without anyone; without any friends. He never truly understood; he knew he was a good person but it always seemed that when he became close things fell apart. It was a fear of his now. He could let himself become friends but it always seemed that the moment he knew it was more…

As he was absorbing the scenery, he caught out of the corner of his eye, Siren shiver. “Don’t you ever remember the chivalrous things?” He bit at himself mentally. Immediately he lifted his hands off of the stone he was sitting on and let his blazer fall into his right hand, catching it, and then held it out for her to take. Someday he would get these things down; someday. He was glad he offered for as he did he found that she was looking at him. As he met her eyes he couldn’t help a small smile come across his face a few moments later before letting it fade.

Silence fell for a few moments and Kai let it; she was here to think and he would not be the one to blabber on about his situations and ruin the moment. As he hoped, she began talking again; if she had not he would have felt awkward accepting to stay and there being nothing said. Even though she looked away, he kept his eyes on her for a few moments longer. She asked a question but he wasn’t sure if it was rhetorical or not. His only response, as to not interrupt her thoughts, was a soft “So true…” that he let trail off.

She continued but even as she did, she still held her deeper thoughts in check. He realized things were complicated; most everything was. Of course, he had no idea how to bring them out of her; how to softly ease them out. He did not know her but he did know that whatever inside of her that was hurting her, he wanted to help her get rid of it. Then there it was, immediately afterwards. Her past had restricted her magical abilities, forced them from the sunlight and keeping them from letting her spirit… her soul give birth to its destiny. He could not imagine the hidden sorrow behind even that factor. As she continued, he noticed her reveal a second aspect of her past. She had lived a strict life.

Her pause brought his attention back to her in time for her to toss him a slight smile. He saw it for what it was, she was trying to make light of the situation. As she spoke though he could not help a cocky smile come across his face yet again as she complimented him. They were simple words but it still amazed him that in her sorrow she made him feel good; he was supposed to be doing that for her. “I may be big but I’m only bad on occasion,” finding himself unable to resist saying and hoping she would at least chuckle at his corniness. Afterwards he could not help it as silence captured his tongue yet again. He did not know where to go. Does she want to talk about her past or does she want to change the subject? “Girls! Ugh…” he jovially cursed in his head.

Realizing that the moment may become awkward, he searched for something to say. Deciding that he had no idea where to go he suddenly remembered how his father figure, Vidur, would answer things he did not know… with the simplest statement. As he spoke he looked out towards the ground, “Sometimes the complicated things are merely an illusion to hide the simple things.” He hoped that she found something in it where he was lost. After a moment to let his saying sink in he gave up, he knew that was not enough and he found himself saying, “Perhaps now that you are free from your previous bonds you are now lost…”

He felt retarded. He felt helpless. He looked away from her for a moment as he rolled his eyes at himself. Someday he will know how to talk to girls. Someday he would not stumble around words tossing things out there in hopes that they worked. “What are you doing? You need to be the strong one not the confused one!” he warned himself. Listening to his thoughts he took a soft slow breath and looked towards Siren again with a smile that said everything would be okay.

[fallensiren]

It was odd that in this strange night, where she had planned so bitterly to be fully alone with her thoughts and her regrets and all the memories of her past, Siren suddenly felt a connection, clear and blazing, with another human being for the first time in years. What is this? she mused to herself. No kind of magic causes such a sudden well of emotion – am I just so desperate for human contact that I'm seeing a connection where there is none? But there was something about Kai – though he was quiet, though he said little – that put her off her guard, made the muscles that had tensed so long in her shoulders and back suddenly come undone. It had been long since that had happened.

When she shivered, she saw a flash of – something; irritation at himself or her, she wasn't sure – pass his face, and then he lifted his hands, letting the blazer he was wearing fall into his right hand. He held it out for her to take. For a moment, she considered refusing – if one of them was to be cold, it should surely be the one who'd forgotten a jacket – but then decided it would be rude, and took it gratefully with a murmured, "Thank you." She shrugged into the jacket as he smiled back at her and inhaled deeply the scent that came from it, something pleasant that she couldn't identify.

She felt his eyes on her as she spoke and was astounded that she was comfortable with the gaze. His voice was soft in agreement with her almost-rhetorical question, and then as she turned to look at him again, when her veer in speaking had lightened the mood, she saw a cocky – yet endearing – smile cross his face at her compliment. "I may be big but I'm only bad on occasion," he commented pleasantly, and she let out a startled chuckle of laughter. She'd discovered through her years of life that on occasion, she found someone that she liked instantly – that there was something about some people, rarely, that drew her to them – and that Kai may well be one of them.

"Sometimes the complicated things are merely an illusion to hide the simple things," he added. She glanced up at him again, feeling warmer now that she was wearing his blazer, and noted his puzzled expression. Bless him, he was trying to help her, but she understood – how often had she herself been lost for words? How often had she feared that her lack of them would push someone she cared for out of her life forever? “Perhaps now that you are free from your previous bonds you are now lost…” he continued, trailing off.

Hesitantly, she mused, "Aren't we all lost?" Despite the fact that he didn't seem to entirely know what to say, how to help her, he still was. Roundabout philosophies always eased her mind; they were so distant from her, from her own individuality, in a world of generalities where nothing hurtful could touch her. She listened to his soft, slow breath, took comfort in his smile, and smiled back. "I mean, everyone...everyone...has skeletons in their closets; we all have things that have scarred us; I doubt there's been someone who's led a perfectly untouched life." Hesitating again, she reached out to just brush the back of his hand, folded on the stone beneath them, with her fingertips. "Thank you," she added in a quieter, softer voice. "You might not think you're saying the right things, but it's more the fact that right now, after having felt myself trapped in solitary confinement for years, I feel connected..." She lifted her eyes, a swirl of blues and grays and greens, to meet his.

She felt strange and suddenly light-hearted, and had it been moments ago Siren would have contributed it to moonlight and silliness, but instead she contributed it to the person sitting next to her, listening and trying his best to help her with the pain that was crippling her. Even that had eased in the moments they sat there on the cold stone, gazing across the grounds, exchanging glances and smiles. Two damaged souls – for she felt sure that there was something, too, that pained him – finding solace in company, unexpected but appreciated nonetheless. "Humanity hasn't felt this close in a long time," she whispered finally, her eyes still on his.

[kairava]

A slight breeze swept across Kai and he was glad that Siren had accepted the blazer. The air did not affect him though; at least he did not let it touch him. Through the years outside or alone he had grown used to the various temperatures and had trained himself to ignore their affects. The main reason he wore the jackets was for style, to fit in; ever since coming to Europe he had been antagonized by closed minded and superficial people. He had also learned how to remedy the situation and his remedy then, held a use now. It was a good sign that she accepted the jacket without argument or resistance; subconsciously Siren won points for doing so.

To compound her wonderfulness, she even laughed at his worthless attempt at repartee which allowed him to relax a little. It made him feel more secure in the idea, or rather, possibility that she may accept him as whom he was, with his strange curse. That is why he wore the gloves; to stay the affects of the curse inside of him. It always seemed to flow back and forth, a river which chose to move rapidly, slow to a still, or cascade into a waterfall. At first it was a curse that he feared, then it was a blessing, and yet again his psychometry became a burden as it has remained the last few years. Most often it found ways to hurt him and so he received these gloves; he never took them off unless he had to.

As Siren spoke of past events that have hurt, Kai instantly went back to his years in Al’Nirah and the beautiful Aliyah, his first and only love so far. The moment was brief but it still stirred a deep sadness within him. She had left him; disappeared without a trace. The small moment ended when he felt something brush his hand. Kai could not help but flinch and pull his hand away before he looked and saw it was her hand. Too many horrible things were seen through his hands; he was still paranoid of anyone touching them even with the gloves on. However, he deeply regretted pulling his hand away; he wanted her to hold them. “I’m sorry,” was all he could quietly murmur but as he did he slid his hand back under hers, palm up this time, and held her hand and giving it a slight squeeze at first touch. As he held her hand, he could not stop his thumb from slowly caressing her hand as it rested in his.

Within another few moments, she said thank you and continued speaking. Sitting there in the moonlight and thinking about the last words she said, Kai finally understood what Siren was yearning for. She did not wish answers to her questions or for philosophical ideas to help ease her mind or for someone to take all her pain away. All she wanted was someone with her, someone to make her feel whole and worthy that would see past the pain and endure with her.

He listened to her and realized he was feeling the same, he was feeling drawn to her. It was a sensation that he had not had in years and it brought back a few more bittersweet memories but those memories instantly faded as he looked into her beautiful eyes. His eyes could not pull themselves away, they were entranced but he did not want to look away. At this moment, he just wanted to be lost in the moment forever, with Siren.

[fallensiren]

At first, Kai flinched away from her touch. She froze, wondering if she'd gone too far, and was about to pull back, her face a mask of stone, when he slid his hand beneath hers again, palm up, fingers lacing together and squeezing at the first contact. "I'm sorry," he murmured as he did so. His thumb gently caressed her skin, and for the first time, she noticed the gloves he was wearing; the bare skin of his hands carefully made no contact with hers. She frowned, puzzling and considering. Why the gloves?

She didn't have much time for speculation, however, as she was still speaking and didn't want to stutter over her words or say the wrong thing. Her light-headedness still had not gone away. The world nearly swam before her as her eyes lifted to his.

His eyes were fastened on hers as she looked at him, whispering her last words for the moment. They were a curious golden hazel, green flecks distributed throughout, and as his thumb stroked her hand, she felt her heart suddenly beat a single erratic beat, then skip on haphazardly. She didn't want to break the moment. Some sort of intensified, insane understanding seemed to be passing between them – that was the realization dawning in his eyes – though if she truly knew what, that knowledge was lost to her.

As they searched one another's eyes, she felt that pull towards him that made her lean closer. Was he feeling this insane draw, too? They had known one another less than an hour – possibly less than thirty minutes – was her desperation the cause of this surge of emotion, not any fact or truth at all, just her longing for closeness after so long being alone?

His eyes seemed to say differently – the thumb still caressing her hand seemed to say differently – but she couldn't be sure. There was something bittersweet in his eyes, just for a moment, but then it faded, and she was left to look into the golden hazel uninterrupted, studying the mosaic tiles of gold and green there. She blinked, her head feeling suddenly heavy, entranced by the look in them, like he himself felt entranced. Absurd. Impossible...

She broke their gaze, looked down at their intertwined hands, and carefully, hesitantly, moved so that her head tucked against his shoulder, wondering if this was going too far. He felt warm, even in the cool night breeze without his jacket, which she was wearing still. "Kai," she asked suddenly, her voice quiet - his name sounded strange and exotic on her tongue, "why do you wear the gloves? You flinched from me before...is there something that makes your hands sensitive?" She was merely curious, but realized that she was being nosy. "Forgive me," she added quickly, "if you don't want to tell me, you don't have too. I was just curious."

It had just occurred to her that this might be a sensitive subject, that it might reveal some pain of his too quickly for his liking. She flinched to herself. The last thing she ever wanted to do was drive him away with too many questions. She had the habit of being innately curious, and it had damaged her relationships with others at every turn, it seemed.

[kairava]

The moment seemed to linger and he did not mind. Their eyes locked, with the world faded and unnoticed, he merely let the unseen weave of friendship entwine the two of them. At that time, he did not fully understand the extent that they would be but he could feel it. It drew him in and right when he was sure the moment may have become awkward, an uncertain moment of a pending kiss in the air, Siren pulled her gaze away. He was glad in a manner of speaking, the closeness scarred him and it might have shut him down completely if she had not averted her eyes.

Instead of allowing the space between them to remain, Siren closed it in a different manner. With her head resting on his shoulder he felt good. He was nervous and could not stop thinking about what might happen but he still felt content. The feelings confused him and all he could do was sit there and enjoy the idea that he was a place she could come for rest and peace; a foundation. That concept, for the moment, was winning against the fear of closeness, though he wasn’t sure how long it would last.

The cool night felt good against his skin that was burning with apprehension. Forcing his breaths to maintain a calm rhythm, Kai stared out at the stars in the sky and let their light calm his nerves. After a moment he no longer had to think about controlling his body and instead found that his focus had drifted away from the stars and back to the girl leaning against him. He wanted deeply to rest his head against hers but years of fear of contact prevented him from doing so. Almost as if his focus summoned the word from her mouth, she spoke his name. It sounded smooth and carried a pleasantness that he had been missing, he could only reply with a soft, “Hmm?”

He did not expect the question but he also knew it was going to be asked; like everyone who knew him to some extent asked. Why did he wear the gloves? It was something he wished he could hide in a different manner. Something he did not like about himself. His ability was a curse and an unforgiving and relentless one. He wanted to tell her the truth but he couldn’t let himself. He wanted to tell her but he was afraid that she might turn away from him. He had just met her; he did not know enough about her to say for sure that she would not then fear him. He still did not want to lie to her so he hoped that his tone would say enough; that he was sorry but he was torn and could not reveal it yet, “It’s alright. They cause me discomfort when I touch things… but the gloves protect them. It’s a past I’m not friendly with.”

Kai wanted to change the subject but he had no idea where to go. For a few moments that seemed like forever for him, he sat there contemplating his curse and the pains it had brought. He closed his eyes for a moment in hopes that they would disappear with the rest of the world… but they remained. His chest sank as he fought the memories away. In a desperate attempt, he turned his head towards Siren and slowly took a deep breath inhaling her hair and accepting the soft scents that tantalized him. He needed something to root him back to the present and was thankful for Siren’s unbeknownst saving grace.

Hastily Kai searched for a change of subject. He was at a loss though; every time he let his mind wander it began to crawl back towards the very thought he was avoiding. In his haste he pulled the first, random question from his thoughts and with her being a Ravenclaw he assumed she enjoyed at least one specific area of magic. With a curious tone and a slight hint of nervousness Kai asked Siren, “Which area of magic fascinates you?” He desperately hoped that she would accept the change of subject. The moment may be ruined for a while but it could be rebuilt.

[fallensiren]

Siren could tell that Kai was well in control as she leaned against him; his even breathing and the calm of previously thrumming nerves impressed her. She could sense, almost, his itch for further contact, but something prevented him...she shook her head slightly. No matter. Sometimes contact was not in the best of one's interest.

As he explained about the gloves, she knew that he was leaving something out, but didn't mind. It must be something deep, something that was wounding him - something he wouldn't yet feel comfortable sharing with her. She hoped that he might be able to tell her soon. He turned his head towards hers - she felt the sudden desperation in his search for a distraction - and she felt him inhale, no doubt catching her scent in the cool night air. It seemed to calm him.

"Which area of magic fascinates you?" he questioned her, and she sensed the edge of desperation still on his tone - this time for a change of subject. It didn't bother her. She was content to follow someone else's lead tonight.

Unknowingly, she pulled her wand from her pocket and twirled it in her fingers. "Everything about it," she murmured, her voice loving. "It's beautiful, powerful, dark, light, the fabric of us, who we are..." She smiled ruefully. "You asked me for specifics, not philosophical impressions. Transfiguration interests me most powerfully...I love the transformations. Charms and Astronomy, too, are some of my favorite areas of study."

She glanced up at him, her eyes bright with interest. She was starting to enjoy this night more and more with someone to talk to; her previous melancholy was fading rapidly. There was something about Kai...her eyes swept over his features, searching. For what? She wasn't sure, but there was something about him that naturally drew her to him, like her subconscious knew he was a friend - like she knew, somewhere, that she was safe with him.

She shook her head to clear it. What an absurd thought!

"What brought you here, to Hogwarts?" she asked, out of curiosity, sweeping the strange ideas from her mind. She had played this game before - the game of Truth, or Questions, or whatever any given person called it - and enjoyed the passing of information more than most things. It wasn't a game, really, she supposed, just a trade of life stories and experiences; she enjoyed it.

[kairava]

With her resting against him, the pressure of her weight on him, Kai felt as if the entire night seemed sharper and more alive. He was still nervous but his surroundings brought to him a calm feeling that was only enhanced tenfold by her voice when she began talking about magic. He had never met anyone who had thought so deeply about the philosophies behind magic. Her passion in her voice snatched his interest and he quickly forgot everything else, only wanting to listen to her talk about what she loved. Unpredicted though, she stopped her pathway and her passion died slightly as she gave a more universal answer. He wanted to edge her on to continue her philosophical desires but she turned to look into his eyes and he could only give the moment to silence.

As she asked him what brought him to Hogwarts, his whole life wanted to leave his lips in a story but it held and he could only reply with, “I heard that Hogwarts offered a different teaching style than Durmstrang and that curiosity pulled me here. I previously attended Al’Nirah, the top wizarding school in Arabia. Though I would much rather hear about your philosophical impression on magic. It seems that you have thought deeply on the topic and I’m curious. So, if you please…” The first part was spoken rather nonchalantly but the closer he came to asking her to continue the more his voice gained a hint of excitement. He truly was curious and the fact that the information was involving a pretty girl only enhanced it.

[fallensiren]

"Arabia," Siren murmured. "Interesting..."

But his excitement and interest in hearing more of her philosophies seemed more urgent than his interest in answering her about his past. She twirled her wand momentarily, golden and purple sparks erupting from the tip and streaming upward, surrounding them in a beautiful glow. "Magic," she murmured softly. "It's so difficult to describe. These sparks..." She reached out to touch the glow that surrounded them; one of the sparks faded when her fingertip reached it. "...Somehow, they make up a part of us, who we are. I can't believe that magic isn't imbibed in us in some way. I refuse to believe it. What a beautiful thing our souls must be, wrapped up in this great, colorful glow!" She laughed for a moment, the sound of pealing bells, as the sparks faded.

Her eyes felt suddenly heavy; sleepiness was stealing over her, soft and silent, just at the edges of her consciousness. Not truly conscious of the shift, she turned her cheek into Kai's shoulder, her forehead just barely brushing against his neck as her head found a comfortable place to rest. Her eyes drifted closed. "It's a beautiful thing," she murmured; by the close, flat sound of her voice, his skin must have been only inches away, stopping her words. She hoped he could still hear her. "Like music or words or any Muggle passion, this is all ours...this beautiful, complex, constantly changing, constantly evolving world. Had I known of it and not had the ability, I would have given anything to become part of this world. It can be used for so many things, good or bad; its utter usefulness, and at the same time, the lack of sterility through that usefulness...utterly unique, despite all the things we can put it to...in every instance, it changes, it shifts; it's always different."

She sighed, allowing her voice to trail off. "The words are hard to find," she whispered, and sparks erupted from her wand again, weaving themselves into braids of golden and royal blue color, twining in the air around them. "But do you feel that? The utter awe at the sight of something so impossibly wonderful? What could cause that but some deeper, spiritual, self-clarifying meaning?"

Silence fell as the braids of gold and blue glowed around them, and Siren's eyes drifted shut again, her breathing deep and even, feeling calmer, more at peace, than she had since her introduction to this world. Kai's soft warmth beside her only seemed to solidify that feeling.