Dancing to Our Own Beat (Cern/Keela)

[shava44444]

Walking from his dorm room, Cernenus had on shorts and a muscle shirt, mostly because it left his legs and arms free of clothes. He always preferred feeling air on his skin and since he couldn't go around nude nor without a shirt in the dorm (the Head was firm about that) he had to wear something. Ducking the round doorway at the end of the tunnel, he poked his head in and looked around the dorm, seeing no one currently around. With a yawn he walked over to the tea set up in the corner (something which always seemed to be there) and warmed up some hot water for some hot chocolate mix he saw in a canister.

Getting a mug and putting some mix in with a few mini-marshmallows, he set the cup aside, aware there would be more then enough hot water for several others. He was nearly done when his sister came in and took his mug with a grin and he stuck his tongue out at her, pouring some more chocolate in a second mug and filling it too. Finished he sauntered over to a couch where she sat and sat on the other end; as normal habit between them, she had already stretched out on the couch, he sat next to her feet and stretched his beside hers the other way. Infinitely comfortable with each other despite the difference in years, siblings could sometimes look too comfortable.

He would miss her like crazy when she graduated and he was left behind.

Still, for at least a bit longer they were together, thank Morgana. "What trouble are you in today, Kee?" he asked as he took a sip and wishing he had a piece of peppermint candy to drop in his. There was something about the flavor of peppermint on the tongue to make him smile. "For once I seem to have a pretty decent class schedule. Lots of breaks!" He was unaware that meant more study time cause the classes were harder, but he would learn the hard way. A little later when classes started he would be quite surprised.

It always felt weird being away from home, though they had traveled enough he never felt truly homesick, just missed the comfortable familiarity of home and parents. It was always exciting to feel like one was off on your own like Hogwarts.

[kyla]

Now that she's back in the atmosphere

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Keela had felt like her body weighed three thousand pounds when she'd gotten out of bed this morning. Her limbs felt heavy with what her body considered too much sleep. Living on a farm, Keela was used to getting up somewhere between ungodly early and dawn. She was somewhat amazed her body had cooperated by sleeping as long as she had. While she had probably still beat her dormmates by at least an hour, Keela felt sluggish. As she dressed, she stretched, attempting to force some life into her arms and legs. She hoped Cern was awake too. She hated being alone in the mornings, it was just too big an adjustment from the noise and organized chaos of home.

She pulled on her boots, and made her way down the tunnell that seperated where she slept from the rest of the Hufflepuff quarters. She peeked into the vast common room. She sighed, thinking it was empty at first, but then she spotted Cern near the tea service and her mood brightened considerably. He had just finished making himsef some hot chocolate. Keela grinned mischievously, as he picked up the mug, she took it out of his hands. He stuck his tongue out at her, but didn't complain. "Morning Cern", she sipped the hot chocolate she'd just pilfered. "Mmmm this is delicious", she said with teasing dramatics.

Though she loved all three of her siblings dearly, she and Cern were definitely the closest. While they were separated in age by a couple of years, both had taken an interest in many of the same things. Not to mention that they'd gone through school taking care of each other. As she settled on the couch, legs propped up on the cushions, one over the other, she made sure to leave plenty of room for her brother. They'd done some variation of this every morning since he'd started Hogwarts. It was their morning ritual, their tradition. She gave him a mock-offended look and widened her eyes at him innocently. "Trouble? Me?" As though she'd never learned the meaning of the word.

Then the expression melted into one of amusement. "Nothing yet, but it is a bit early for causing too much mayhem." "What about you? Any of the girls from the feast catch your eye?" She loved teasing him about his looks. He strongly resembled their father, who had been quite the ladies' man while at Hogwarts, at least according to their mum. Dad always waved the comments off with good humor, murmuring something about gross exaggeration. When he mentioned having more breaks in his schedule, she gave him a knowing smile. "I hate to break it to you Cern, you have those breaks for a reason." She didn't elaborate, he'd learn the lesson soon enough.

It seemed odd to think that he was growing up. Even stranger to think that she'd be graduating not too long from now, and he'd be left to himself to watch after the little ones when they ventured to Hogwarts. The thought made her smile, Cern was such a kind person. Most boys his age were too caught up in appearances, in the importance of not seeming to emotional or too interested. Not Cern, he was his own person, making his own way. And it worked, she thought amusedly, since girls had been owling more and more these days.

She tilted her head, as though thinking. "I finally don't have to take divination this year", she exulted. "I think Professor Ambrose finally got tired of seeing me." She grinned, "I signed up for art though, thought it might help me branch out a bit." She gave him a curious look. "What are you taking?"

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Plain old Jane told a story 'bout a man

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Who was too afraid to fly so he never did land[/b][/size]
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WORD COUNT: 650[/b]
TAGS: Cern Summerby[/b]
OUTFIT: here![/b]
TEMPLATE:[/b] NO HARMONY. OF BLANK PAGES AND CAUTION. (:
LYRICS: Train - Drops of Jupiter[/b]
[/Center]

[shava44444]

'Siblings' he thought as he smiled back at her. Many a time they had pulled this on each other, claiming being older or younger or simply taking something as if it was intended for them - - old game which he rarely objected to any more. After all, just meant he could do it again to her someday. Like, at breakfast in a little while. His smile was turned away from her as he poured and he made sure to dampen it down before turning. Figures to that from trouble she jumped into asking him if he had his eye on a girl yet. Just because dad had been a ladies' man didn't mean he had to copy him! He made a mock face as if he was offended and light smacked her leg.

"Kee! Bloody hell, we just got here!" Then softer over the lip of his cup as his eyes met hers "I need a week at least..." he sipped cautiously and grinned, amused. Surely some house mate of his would have become prettier over the summer and might be interested in him. He hadn't thought much about other houses yet because, to be honest, it would be hard to carry on a relationship between two dorms. Where could you meet? A classroom? He might be making progress on his conjuring, but even he couldn't summon couches to cuddle on anywhere he wanted.

Speaking of which... "And speaking of wandering eyes, how about you sis? Any robes you've been mentally taking off in your mind? What happened to the Snake you were drooling over last semester...Harold? Harper?...Horny?" He laughed as she reacted; the snake in question was one she had a running feud with, the one who had managed twice to get her with jinxes in class from what she had admitted to him to her chagrin. She had no attachment to him at all except to want to stab him with an arrow-wand some day.

Oh sure, the breaks were there for cuddling up to some girl; he was no fool, he knew there was something up about those and her comment just made it more solid. He didn't know why really, but he suspected it. Like getting exactly what you asked for on your birthday, you could smell something was up in the background he didn't know about. And he hated secrets being held from him. "Out with it. What's up with them? Dragon wrestling classes? Dueling pixies? what are they about to throw at us, Kee? Come on! Tell your brother, the one who made you hot chocolate today...." He pushed at her side slightly as if to tickle her, though he couldn't with his foot, more like a hint. Like his father he had learned early on to become non-ticklish and while he couldn't do it forever, he was far better at it then his older sister.

He was surprised about the fact she could drop a class this year. Interesting. "Nice! I have the same classes as last year, just at different times. It looks easier to me at least which is all that matters. When do I get to choose more classes?"

[kyla]

Now that she's back in the atmosphere

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Keela giggled at his declaration. "A week? That long?" She loved her brother very much, but she delighted in teasing him. He was so easy to rile. It occurred to her just how quickly he was growing up, and what that said about her. It made her nervous to think that she had only one more year to go before she'd be thrust out into the real world, either into a secondary school or a job. Cern would be taking care of their younger siblings, and she hoped she'd set a good example for him. She eyed him covertly, wondering when the lanky, pestering, mischeivous kid she remembered had grown into the young man in front of her. She frowned softly, it wouldn't be long before some girl came and stole his heart, and the knowledge was bittersweet to Keela. She understood the changes his first serious relationship would bring. He would be consumed, at first by the chase and then by the girl herself once he'd managed to win her. She hoped he never got his heart broken, but knew it was likely he would.

After all, not everyone could be like their mum. Their mother had never been serious with anyone except their dad, and Keela found herself wondering if she ever regretted that fact, or at least, regretted not having more time to focus on herself and what she wanted before they'd gotten married. She thought she might ask one day when they were alone, but then, if Keela's mum really did regret marrying her father so young, she thought maybe she didn't want to know. Besides that, both of their parents had done a considerable amount of living even before they'd gotten married. Keela knew that her mum had been a part of Dumbledore's Army, a contraband group that taught advanced defense spells to students. She had known Harry Potter and Ron and Hermione Weasley personally, and though the idea of her mum having met living legends awed Keela, her mum always waved off the admiration. The war, she always said, was a sacrifice made by everyone who fought on either side of the war. Death, after all, was no respecter of persons, and most everyone had lost someone. Realizing how tense her expression must be, Keela relaxed her face. She slanted a glance at Cern where he sat across the couch.

The snake she...it took her a moment to realize who he was referring to. When she did, she narrowed her eyes at him. "I was not!" she exclaimed heatedly. "I was trying to figure out how to hex him into oblivion without getting caught." She scowled, that bloody idiot had hexed her, not once, but twice. The memories still made her blood boil. When she calmed back down enough to think rationally, she spoke. "I wonder what mom and dad were like when they were our age", she commented absently. Then, as if only just realizing how random that sounded, she elaborated. "I was just thinking about them, about how weird it must have been to be married so young." Married at seventeen, Keela couldn't fathom it, seventeen was a year away, and Keela certainly wasn't ready to be married, nor had she found anyone she could even picture being with for the rest of her life. She poked his leg with good natured affection. "Oh no, you have to learn the hard way just like everyone else." Her amusement faded, "seriously Cern, I can't tell you exactly what they'll do, it varies from year to year." She smiled encouragingly at him, "but I'm always here to help when you need it, you know that."

The smile returned, "starting next year", she answered. "You can have elective classes this year though, music, art, that sort of thing." She tilted her head, "but elective cores don't come until next year." She ran a hand through her hair, tucking it to one side. "What are you thinking about taking?"

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Plain old Jane told a story 'bout a man

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Who was too afraid to fly so he never did land[/b][/size]
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WORD COUNT: 650[/b]
TAGS: Cern Summerby[/b]
OUTFIT: here![/b]
TEMPLATE:[/b] NO HARMONY. OF BLANK PAGES AND CAUTION. (:
LYRICS: Train - Drops of Jupiter[/b]
[/Center]

[shava44444]

Her comment about only a week caused him to roll his eyes. Since when did his sister think he had girls on a string behind him, asking him for dates? That number would be a big fat zero, though there were several he was friends with. He didn't know what he wanted, he only knew what the end result had to be, that eventually he found a pureblood wife even if (like his father had told him was highly likely) he would have to go to another country to find a good one, not someone at school.

Which personally sounded scary to him, going out into the great unknown, even if that was years and years away. Would he have to go to another school? Like, spend a year somewhere else? He didn't want to leave Hogwarts, but how else would he manage that? His sisters had it so much easier, being female. There was no pressure on her for who she married; technically not on him either, not from their parents at least. But thirteen generations of marriages was pressure of another kind.

"Oh? I thought you had been studying his physical nature all of those times you kept narrowing your eyes, to like, bring him into better focus..." He almost answered her comment about their parents with the h-word again, but knew he'd get smacked for sure. He wavered on risking it anyway, but held himself in check. "Scared, nervous, excited, immortal, and knowing dad, naughty." His father had always had a tease on, as he had heard his grandmother laugh. Cern could remember having been sent as a kid to do stuff his mother had gone along with and then gone after his father about.

Her words made sense, even if he didn't care to be denied. "Fine then, tell me what happened to you last year and then I'll have some idea to compare what happens to me then. Come on, Sis, you don't want to give your brother a bit of extra help? You know I'd help you in a second..." He leaned his head on the sofa and looked up at her, sad eyes pointed right at her; hey, he could try. Sometimes he had a touch of his father's charms, sometimes not; he hadn't learned the magic combo yet. Classes, however, that was another story. "Um, actually I'm not sure. What are the choices really?"

"I want to learn the non-verbal stuff. Can we choose that? Or Magic Creatures?"

[kyla]

Now that she's back in the atmosphere

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Keela blushed, and stuck her tongue out at her brother. It wasn't very mature, but she couldn't help herself. "He's slime", she insisted. "The day I'm interested in a Slytherin is the day you marry Professor McGonagall." She cringed for effect as she shook her head. "Seriously Cern, if I get detention this year it will be because I hexed him...or hung him from one of the goals on the pitch." She looked to be seriously considering the idea, weighing the probablity of being able to levitate said Slytherin that high off the ground. Keela frowned, she didn't particularly like picturing her parents as anything other than pictures of abstinent innocence. She chose to believe that she and her siblings had resulted by some sort of magical immaculate conception. It was a notion she'd held on to since childhood, despite the fact that each of them had walked in on the two making out in random spots at some point in their lives. She pulled a face in her brother's direction. "I'm sure they weren't that bad", Keela insisted. "Mum had only kissed one other guy before she met dad, I doubt they were going at it like rabbits."

She shrugged, looked thoughtful for a few moments, and then answered: "Not much to tell really, the essays get longer, the tests get harder, and the topics get more obscure. You'll spend a long time looking things up in books bigger than your head, and they expect you to remember it all for the tests." She gave him an encouraging look, "it isn't as hard as I'm making it sound", she assured him, but then added, "but it is hard." She tilted her head. "I'm not exactly sure", she answered honestly. "I think there's a list posted somewhere around", but she didn't sound very certain. "You could always ask one of the Prefects, I think they're required to know." It ocurred to her then just how little she knew about the things that went on at Hogwarts. From the stories she'd heard, her mum had been in the middle of just about everything. Her father had insisted his wife had a knack for getting herself into all kinds of messes. To Keela, it sounded like her mum's years at school had been full of the kind of adventure she wanted for herself.

"I wouldn't mind learning a few non-verbal spells myself, but I don't think they teach it at school." Her tone erred on the side of disappointment. "I heard we have an earth magic elective this year, I think that sounds pretty interesting." Truthfully, she was having trouble focusing on her classes this year. She found herself zoning out all too often, picturing the world behind a camera lense. In her mind's eye, she saw faces, all shapes, sizes, and colors. Smiling, thinking, crying, and she saw herself, capturing it all, telling a story for them. She felt her mind drifting and shook her head to clear it. "Any idea what you want to do later on yet?"

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Plain old Jane told a story 'bout a man

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Who was too afraid to fly so he never did land[/b][/size]
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WORD COUNT: 650[/b]
TAGS: Cern Summerby[/b]
OUTFIT: here![/b]
TEMPLATE:[/b] NO HARMONY. OF BLANK PAGES AND CAUTION. (:
LYRICS: Train - Drops of Jupiter[/b]
[/Center]

[shava44444]

He chuckled at her vigorous defense, but that turned to shock as she struck back with the teacher comment. "KEE! THAT'S NOT NICE." Ug, him and an adult, really? The idea was gross enough. "I know I know, I was only teasing you. I know you don't want to get in any snakes robes. But sis," he said leaning forward and smiling as he placed a hand on her shoulder, "That means if I have a girlfriend before the week is up that your little brother is more attractive then his older sister. You need to actually try some, you know?" Mentally he added 'Not that some guys have not already tried and you've not noticed...'

Her parental comment almost made him choke. "Please! Are you serious??" he began counting out on his fingers all the places they had caught their parents doing more then just 'cuddling.' "The living room, kitchen, bathroom, hallway, stairs, the window seat, the barns, your room, and that's NOT counting all the sounds from their room." They had been re-doing his sister's room as she got older when he and his sister had returned unexpectedly early from grandmothers and had gone to see the room. When they came back early from ANYWHERE after that, they had by mutual agreement made loads of noise and delayed their entrance to ANY area.

Parents could be so inappropriate.

The idea this year would be tougher was not something he wanted to think about, though a part of him had known each year got harder, but why would it get so much harder they started needing more breaks from it? The thoughts running through his mind were not good and he frowned, not happy with the turn of subject. School work. He knew it was important and his parents kept harping on that very subject over the summer, about it would control a lot of his future and all that, but come on, enough was enough. "Eh, lovely." Her last comment however was not hard at all and he turned to look at her with confidence in this answer.

"Probably something to do with the oceans, most likely fishing or exploring, I don't know which. I don't know what kind of job that would be like however."

[kyla]

Now that she's back in the atmosphere

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Keela gave him an innocent look, but couldn't maintain it. She burst into a fit of giggles. The disgusted look on his face was quite comical. She couldn't help but smile, She couldn't remember what she'd done in the mornings before Cern had started at Hogwarts, but this might have been because she hadn't done much at all. Having another early riser around had done wonders in allowing her to get a good start on her day. She arched an eyebrow at him. Despite several late nights in the Hufflepuff girl's dorm during which her friends had jokingly complained that she'd won the genetic lottery, Keela simply didn't see herself that way. Keela thought her mother was beautiful, and she was aware that they favored each other, but that was about as far as it went. She shrugged, "or it means that little brother actually wants a girlfriend and big sister has better things to do" she pointed out. Keela shrugged, "I just haven't found the right kind of guy yet", she defended, "when I find one who has more than quidditch, food, and sex on the brain, I might give it a shot." She grinned at him, "unless you'd rather I date a guy who only thinks about having sex on the pitch all the time."

Keela shuddered, she did indeed recall each of the ocassions Cern had named off, most especially her bedroom. She hadn't been able to sleep there for days afterward, and her parents had promised to control themselves in the kids' rooms as a result. Everywhere else, however, was fair game. "That's true", she allowed, "but I don't think they were that way in school, they were prefects after all" she pointed out. Her parents obviously loved each other very much, despite theirs having been an arranged marriage. It had shocked them both when their parents had sat them down to tell them the story of how they'd fallen for each other. Contracts and betrothals sounded like words from a foreign language to Keela, and she'd said as much to her mum and dad. Both had been quick to assure their children that they loved each other very much, and that neither regretted the choices they'd made. Part of Keela thought the whole thing sounded terribly romantic, the other was horrified by the idea that arranged marriages had been a way of life for purebloods like she and Cern at one time. "At least they promised to stay out of our rooms after we caught them last time", she pointed out. "I was seriously considering warding the door at one point."

She tilted her head thoughtfully. "What about marine biology?...or you could be an oceanographer." Both she and Cern had always had rather abstract answers to the question what 'would you like to be when you grow up?' She had shocked her grandmother's friends when at the age of six, when one of her grandfather's old business partners had asked what she wanted to be when she was 'all grown up', young Keela had answered that she wanted to take pictures of the whole world, so that everyone could know about everyone else. Her parents had looked on with expressions that were both proud and slightly amused. Her grandmother had given her a misty-eyed smile. Keela hadn't understood it then, but she did now. She was doing what Gran would have done if she'd been born in a different time. Because that was Gran's secret, she had wanted nothing more as a girl than to be a photographer, but her station in life hadn't permitted it. So Keela allowed her great-grandmother to live vicariously through her. "And to think, I thought I was going to be the black sheep of the family when I went into photography."

"Speaking of which, you didn't happen to bring a camera did you? I forgot to pack mine."

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Plain old Jane told a story 'bout a man

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Who was too afraid to fly so he never did land[/b][/size]
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WORD COUNT: 750[/b]
TAGS: Cern Summerby[/b]
OUTFIT: here![/b]
TEMPLATE:[/b] NO HARMONY. OF BLANK PAGES AND CAUTION. (:
LYRICS: Train - Drops of Jupiter[/b][/Center]

[shava44444]

There were many reasons he loved his sister and looked up to her, but not for her dating habits. She almost never tried to date and to Cernenus, that was what school was really for, to learn about life. If you didn't date, where were you after school when you met women who were looking for a mate? So he tried to keep bringing it back to her mind, but she didn't seem to get his aims. "Well maybe you can date them, just not follow through at least," he laughed, "cause you do need some dating experience when you meet the right guys later."

Now, don't get him wrong, he wasn't pimping his sister to anyone and he didn't like the idea of her falling into some guy's clutches who had a bad attitude about her worth, but he also was concerned that she would miss out on a good guy who would keep the cheerfulness in her eyes. Cern was no fool - - he might make her laugh, but one day she would need her own guy to bring that out of her.

Not a huge fan of Quidditch himself, Cern had to chuckle at the idea however. "What an awkward conversation that would be. You talking about the best techniques for him getting a quaffle in your goal posts and not understanding why he's getting all sweaty and excited. What a terrible tease you would be, Kee." He half-giggled, forgetting himself for a second. The idea of Kee batting eyelashes at any guy made him want to snort in amusement; sometimes he wondered if she really was a girl even though he knew.

"Please, that to me is even easier to imagine. Think about it, wandering the dark halls together looking for trouble makers?" He rolled his eyes at her and slapped her on the leg lightly. "Seems to me that's power and easy to use." He shrugged; she would know he didn't mean his parents were doing it in broom closets, but the opportunities would have been there for some hooking up or romantic moments in quiet corners of the castle. The idea of finding a girl to make out with and find out later on that was where his parents had been necking made his stomach roll.

"Maybe. But in those I can't use magic so much and that would be....rough." They had never relied on magic, but most of the muggle sciences would not be compatible with magic used to make things easier in his work if he did that. "You take good photos. And of course I did, goof, but I only brought the underwater one. I'm hoping to get in the black lake with it and get some pictures." He shrugged; it wasn't as good as hers, but she was the one with the eyes for a decent camera, not him so much. It almost made him wonder if the Snakes could take pictures out of their ceiling as his aunts had talked about watching fish in the lake...

"Do you think the Slytherins ever sit and watch the fish and whatever-the-tentacled-thing is through their common room?"

[kyla]

Now that she's back in the atmosphere

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Keela tilted her head, considering her brother's words. She knew he wasn't the only one concerned by the lack of romance in her life. She and mum had had several conversations on the subject over the last year or so. The truth was, while Keela had no trouble being attracted to guys, and even less flirting with them. It was just...everything else. She had seen other girls get their whole world wrapped up in one guy, only to be tossed to the side when the guy changed his mind or found someone new. She had dreams, plans, ambitions, things she didn't want ruined by a fling with some cute guy. She acknowledged that the concept of avoiding all romantic commitment like the plague was probably unncessary, but she didn't feel like arguing the point with her younger brother. "I know, I know, but I've told you before, when I find one I really like, I'll give it a try." Keela wanted a guy who was different, one who understood her love of the arts, and her need to do something about the current state of the world. Most of the guys she'd liked in the past had looked at her with something like a dumbfounded expression when she'd brought the topic up in general conversation. They wanted girls who would giggle at their jokes, blush when they smiled, and go along with what they wanted. Keela Summerby just wasn't one of those girls, and she didn't want to be.

Keela flushed crimson, "Cernenus Summerby!" she swatted him across the knee. "First, I don't ever get into quidditch conversations with guys, who aren't you or dad." She shook her head, The last time she'd tried to talk quidditch with a guy it had evolved from a conversation starter to a three hour debate over teams, tactics, and playing styles. "Second, if I ever get into a conversation with a guy about how to get his quaffles into my goal posts I've probably been imperiused and someone should call the Ministry." She opened her mouth to retort, but closed it again, he had a point, even if she was loath to admit it. She had trouble reconciling the image she had of her bravely reckless mother as a teenager with the idea that her parents had been going at it in the empty chambers of Hogwarts late at night. She realized that of the two of them, she was the most idealistic when it came to facts of life. Cern, like their father, tended toward being a realist. Both had their strengths and their shortcomings, and it was one of the reasons they tended to work together well, they complimented each other, two sides of the same coin. "Absolute power corrupts absolutely I suppose", but she sounded uncertain, even unwilling, to relinquish the idealized picture she'd clung to as a little girl.

Keela sighed, knowing she'd have to owl home and ask them to send it. She couldn't ever be far from a camera, there were too many things to capture, too much to explore and learn from the other side of the lens. "That's a good idea", she answered her brother. "I hadn't thought of that." She pictured the ocean as it might look from a photographer's angle. Her eyes glowed with the fascination of a vivid imagination. She had never before had any desire to see the Slytherin commonroom, but the idea of being able to look above her head and see all sorts of fish swimming past made her grin. "The tentacle thing is a squid", she told him in a know-it-all sort of voice. "I don't know, I think I would in their shoes", she said thoughtfully. "Merlin knows I'd never get anything done." She returned her gaze to her brother's face, and smiled at him. "Maybe we could do it together? You know, while the weather's still good for it."

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Plain old Jane told a story 'bout a man

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TAGS: Cern Summerby[/b]
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TEMPLATE:[/b] NO HARMONY. OF BLANK PAGES AND CAUTION. (:
LYRICS: Train - Drops of Jupiter[/b][/Center]

[shava44444]

He gave his sister a stuck out tongue; the way she said it she was sure not to think about it till the moment came knowing her and then when her mind was all scrambled he'd hear about it. And probably be faced with going up against a sixth year or something for his sister's honor. Of course, he was far more down to earth on the subject, but he didn't think she was a 'not-until-marriage-type' so at least she had some sense. There was no point to bringing up that point again, she'd just slap him. Which she proceeded to do as he made his giggling comment. It made him giggle more, a sound he only made around family; he was trying to stop it but it just came out.

He wanted something more manly, just hadn't managed anything proper sounding yet. "You did notice I described you as the innocent one in the conversation? Seriously, Kee, I'm trying to watch out for my big sis here. I don't want you making some big mistake and getting hurt." His face showed his concern; he really wasn't trying to get his sister in bed with some guy, but he could see it was a bigger deal for girls in the house then the guys. And why was that, beyond the fact girls were so emotional? Cause a guy had emotions, but girls seemed to have sixty multiplying ones at any given time. Thank Merlin his sister wasn't that bad about them.

Her voice sounded reluctant to believe and he could understand that. "Oh come on, Kee, it's not like they weren't just like us at our age. They had hormones too and all the rest of the mess. They just managed to find a way to use each other to separate themselves out early. It's not like they were Helga and Godric." But then they got started talking about cameras and he forgot about the rest. He had been thinking about it last year, but the black lake was so dark and murky it was hard to see much. Now that he was older and could manage a Bubble head charm he really wanted to give it a try.

"Well...don't tell anyone, but..." he glanced around to make sure no one was in the room yet and looked happy to be proved right, "I was thinking of trying to find the Slytherin ceiling and take a picture of the dorm. It might be a real challenge to find, but how cool would that be?" His eyes showed his excitement at the idea, how he could show off to his aunts about it and get their praise or get it blown up into a moving poster of some kind for the dorm wall. He loved his aunts cause they were family, but they did tend to get a superiority thing going sometimes and knowing he could look down into the dorm on a picture...

Well it seemed like a really good thing to do. "Really? You want to go to? That would be awesome Kee! We can have an whole adventure just the two of us. When do you want to go? Tomorrow? Weekend?"

[kyla]

Keela giggled, something she rarely did in front of anyone except her family. She gave him a soft smile as the mood of the conversationg turned momentarily serious. "I know Cern", she assured him. "Trust me, if anything I'm over-cautious", she pointed out. "I'm not going to let some guy I barely know get inside my head", she promised. At least she desperately hoped she wouldn't. She'd heard stories from other girls about guys who swept in, swept a girl (quite literally) off her feet, and then swept out just as quickly, leaving the girl behind on a list of conquests. Stories like that made her angry, and she had resolved a long time ago to be extra careful with the oposite sex. "I'm not one to elope to some far off island somewhere", she pointed out, "but if I ever do you'll be the first to know." Keela knew it was true, though she loved her parents, they had a tendancy to be a tad over-protective of her. She didn't know if it was because she'd been the first born, or simply because she was a girl, but both her mum and dad could be a bit stifling sometimes.

She gave him a mockingly pompous look. "Speak for yourself, I happen to be a model of teenage chasity and virtue." This she said in a high-pitched, nasal voice, as though immitating an upper-crust snob. She broke down laughing a moment later. Though unwilling, she conceded his point with a nod. "I guess I just have a hard time picturing them with much free time", she told him. "What with everything that was going on" While Keela had wondered over the years if her parents had dramatized the events of their school careers somewhat, it still made it hard to picture her parents as students, trying desperately to toe a line between appeasing pureblood notions for the sake of their families and fighting for what they knew to be right in secret. They couldn't have had much time for fooling around, could they? Keela had always reassured herself with this thought, but in light of the conversation, it didn't work as well as in days past. "Can I help it if I think its easier picturing them as celibate?" She made a face, "remember when we were kids and they convinced us that babies were made from a potion?"

Keela's eyes widened with excitement at her brother's admission. "Only you", she said, somewhat enviously, "would think of something like that." In fact, Keela wondered why she hadn't thought of it herself ages ago. Those would certainly make some interesting pictures. She did, however, manage to congratulate his imaginative plan. "Very cool", she admitted. "So long as you don't get caught, most of the Slytherins probably wouldn't appreciate your spying on them through their ceiling." She shook her head, picturing him being chased by a group of Snakes her age. "If we get busted, I'm telling mum it was your idea." She grinned at him, "but it is a good idea." She glanced up at their own ceiling thoughtfully. "Let's save it for the weekend, that way if we get into trouble we can tell mum we at least waited until the first week was almost over." At this point, it was almost tradition for she and Cern to pull something together at the beginning of the year. It had started soon after Cern first came to Hogwarts, with a prank on some nameless Slytherin who had charmed Keela's hair to flash green and silver. While Keela had admitted, both to herself and to Cern that it was rather ingenious magic, it didn't stop her wanting revenge on the guy.

They'd gotten detention for a week, the first of the school year, while it wasn't necessarily something to be proud of, Keela had considered it worth the shocked look on the Slytherin's face when he'd begun spouting random bouts of praise for any Gryffindor that passed within ten feet. It was still one of Keela's favorite memories. Even their parents had been impressed, though they'd tried hard to hide behind a stern front, both kids had gotten off with barely a slap on the wrist for that one. "What made you think of sneaking down there anyway?"

[shava44444]

Maybe he was being too overly-cautious, but he was a guy. She had no idea even as they shared so much of how guys thought about girls. And while he was fairly inexperienced as well, he knew bad boy types tended to be very good at their approach, hard to detect when they were working a girl over. Cernenus thought he was being very reasonable to warn her, even if she did seem immune to most guys. Well, he certainly was interested in girls! Maybe this would be his year for finding one who liked him back. He let that part of the conversation drop though as it seemed she would turn the tables on him if he let things continue.

"I'm not so sure," he said hesitantly as he thought back over what he had been told, "Dad's never seemed the type to be the big dueler and all that. I mean, I can see him defending our house, keeping anyone from getting in, but I can't see him chasing bad guys around much, you know?" He didn't believe his father had it in him to be a fighter honestly; he admitted himself he had nearly failed Defense class. he snorted, nodding at the potion reference. "Oh yes, though that wasn't as bad as when he told me my wand was built in for casting spells. Had me spend a day shooting spells out of my pants." He colored a bit on that one; his big sister hadn't stopped laughing for weeks.

Gods he was gullible sometimes. Well, he could laugh at himself.

And then she complimented his idea, adding further by admission who she would blame if they got caught which told him she was totally sold on it. He grinned. She thought herself prepared for guys when she fell for her brother's ideas so well? "Don't worry, there's no flash on an underwater camera and they should have a lit common room, right? Aunty Boann told me they have a green flame fire! Just think of how cool that would be to see!" Nodding to her weekend comment he held out a hand for the agreement; once they shook it was a done deal practically as both were too stubborn to back out. He shrugged to her question. "I don't know, I was just thinking about taking pictures and remembered the stories we were told about the houses."

In truth he was wondering if there would be anyone in there when he took a picture anyway; Aunt Aimid had always told him it was often empty. It would be kind of funny to have them animated with a snake inside, wouldn't it? "It just occured to me to wonder, if they could see the Black Lake can you see them from the Black Lake itself?" Seemed logical. "I just need an area to start a search..."

[kyla]

Keela appreciated her brother's concern, but really, he was beginning to sound like a parent. She gave him a disgruntled look that melted into a grin when a thought struck her. "I hate to break it to you Cern, but you're starting to sound like dad." She grinned at him, the picture of innocence. "Next you know you'll be spouting lectures on the importance of staying out of trouble all together." Keela giggled, the image of a grown Cern lecturing a bunch of blonde haired children amused her greatly. "Aunt Aimid told me dad's been fathering her and aunt Boann since before they could walk", she told him. "I swear if you start giving me lectures about guys only wanting one thing I'm going to put you in a full body bind until you come to your senses." She tried to give him a threatening look, but failed miserably. "Or at least post that picture of you in the tub on the bulletin board", she ammended logically.

She nodded in agreement, of their parents, mum had always been the more outgoing of the two. Their dad said often that their mother's fire was one of the most attractive things about her, if the one that had gotten them in the most trouble early on. Keela smiled, picturing her mother's look of offense when he'd said it. 'We didn't get into trouble because of my fire, Taran', she always insisted, then she'd wait a few moments before adding. 'We got in trouble because I got caught.' Keela had adapted a similar motto. There were certain things she enjoyed doing, say sneaking out of the castle in the early morning to take pictures, that were frowned upon by school policy. However, she firmly believed that as long as she could avoid being caught, no one got hurt, and she got some great shots. She burst into laughter at the memory, "I think mum made him sleep on the couch for a few days if it makes you feel any better", she pointed out. Now granted, Keela was fairly certain their mother had gone to sleep on the couch with him, but the fact remained that he'd slept on the couch none the less.

Keela felt slightly reassured as her brother spoke, of the two of them, he was the better planner. Kee was more like her mother, so much so that the hat had debated heavily on whether to put her in Gryffindor or Hufflepuff. In the end, Keela had gone to the 'Puffs table, and she was grateful now because of moments like this that she wouldn't have gotten if things had gone the other way. She nodded, "makes sense" she admitted. "one thing though, what are you planning to do if you run into the squid? or the mermaids?" She'd heard a story from a fellow sixth year about a boy who had gone to the bottom of the lake on a lark, only to barely escape when he disturbed the mermaids nesting grounds. Apparantly they weren't very forgiving creatures. The thought of being captured by a giant squid discomfitted Keela even more. All those slimy tentacles...she shivered. "I don't think you'd be able to charm your way out that one", she teased. "Maybe we ought to take something shiny with us, I hear they like shiny things."

Keela shrugged, "your guess is as good as mine", she answered softly. "Why don't you owl Aunt Aimidd and ask if she knows anything about it?" she suggested. "Or maybe Aunt Boann, she'd be less likely to tell mum and dad wouldn't she?"

[shava44444]

Somehow being told he sounded like dad deserved a worse reaction then sticking his tongue out or slapping her leg. He wanted to noogie her and sat up partly to do just that and resisted, knowing she was not only older, but wiry enough to fight back hard. He didn't want to start a wrestling match in the common room, but Cernenus needed something so he stood and said "Well. Dad is the naughty one in the family. So I guess I'll take that as a compliment." And walked over to get more hot chocolate, having finished his off. Sisters, they knew far too much and had too much blackmail as well. His head whipped around and he stared at her in horror. "You wouldn't."

After barely a moment he had a thought. "Do that then. I'll write dad and ask for a copy of the infamous booty dance you did that he has a picture from. You know once I tell him what you threatened he will send it." In that dance, the Kee-toddler had been hilarious and captured, poking her butt at the picture frame like mad with gleeful faces. Of course, parents always had worst thing to pull on their kids, but he was surprised she had a picture of the tub one. "I can't believe you even have a copy of that tub one. Did mom give that to you?" Oh man, he could remember that couch week. After they had sat down for early morning breakfast bowls, he had found a pair of his mother's underwear tucked down in the couch.

A teenage imagination kept them off that couch for weeks.

"Don't remind me. Parents need to be more quiet and less rambunctious some days." Secretly, he wanted her to do something that he could tell her she was mom, but it was already mostly part of her personality. The question about the lake however was easily answered. "Won't need it. The dorm has to be under the school, not far down in the lake so it has to be near the shore. Finding where to start under water is the only big challenge. The squid and the other creatures are deeper in from what I hear." However, it was a good point to remember bringing something. "I'll take a couple of gifts just in case, but I don't think any of them will be used. And Aunt Boann, definitely."

He came back over and got her mug saying "Would Madam like another drink?" in a stiff imitation of a butler.