Michael had propelled himself inside of the Great Hall quickly, not because of a time constraint but because being awake all night had given his body the chance to realize just how hungry it was. His bolt was guided by his stomach. "Hey mate," Michael greeted warmly to Anthony, clapping his head gently in an affectionate hold before he sat down next to Terry. "Terry, you must have a tapeworm. Slice at a time, man!"
Michael grinned as Terry was shovelling toast into his mouth without really swallowing, somehow managing to pour pumpkin juice down in between. "Mfthkyumph." Was Terry's response, along with a foodstuffed sneer.
Michael chuckled, turned to Anthony and pointed to Terry, "Should I be scared that I know what he actually said? Fuck you, right?" Michael said, jerking his head back to Terry, who nodded with a packed cheek, cheeky and supremely amused grin.
Michael looked down at Anthony's toast, "Merlin that smells good."
"Well, seven years of friendship is bound to have unusual results," replied Anthony before taking enough bite. After he finished chewing, he continued. "The Ability to decipher words with a full mouth, identify a mate by his snore, determine how long it's been since he showered by his smell."
Michael caught the toast against his puffed out, thin chest and let it fall into his palm, neverminding the residue it left. "Brilliant, thanks." He grinned, taking a liberal first bite. His eyes moved up, their greyness amused before the boy stuck his beaky nose up into the air and inhaled. "Uhh... twenty, maybe thirty minutes." Michael said, pointing to Anthony. His finger turned to Terry, "Two or three weeks, I'd say."
Terry scoffed, "Mfthkyumph!!"
Michael grinned and pointed with his thumb, "Yep. Definitely 'fuck you'." Seeing Anthony's juice was emptying, Michael reached for the glass caraf and with a backhand 'I'm cool' motion poured it to the brim.
"Dankeschön, meines Freundes" Anthony replied, before taking a sip. "So, did you get a chance to look at the paper today?" It was getting more and more difficult for Anthony to withhold his true opinion of what was going, but he knew that they must continue to be covert - at least for the time being. "Let's just say that I don't think Sarah will be pleased with his."
Anthony glanced up. "Don't even think about it," he said, as he saw Terry's hand inch its way across the table.
"No, lets see," Michael responded, brow knitting. He had religiously been collecting the paper since all this madness had begun- now Michael avidly avoided it. There was no mistaking it- the Prophet was just a propaganda rag now. Still, it did have the occasional story that usually dismayed more than uplifted
( ... )
"Sure, marriage is about commitment. But to lose the backing of the government and all the rights associated with it? Any children they have will illegitmate. If one of them were to die, the other will not be seen as a spouse, but as a "domestic partner". They could lose the children, any shared property." Anthony's words were hushed, so as not to attract the attention of anyone nearby. But he also knew that Michael already understood what this Purification Act really meant - to all future marriages and all those that were disolved as a result.
But Anthony's train of thought was derailed when Michael mentioned Owen. "Captured? How? There's no way he could have returned to the castle. He's not even old enough to apparate."
"Oh, believe me," Michael said with raise of his hands up in a stopping way, "I know how serious this is. And its completely insane, mate. I really feel for Sarah and well... pretty much everyone whos about to lose their spouse or parents in this. Its complete bollocks." Michael looked up, "But its not the end of the world, trust me. Couples like me have done it for centuries and we've managed." Michael bit his toast and talked while he chewed, "Keep in mind as soon as we win this, all this rubbish'll be repealed." He gestured then in a circle with his toast-hand and swallowed.
Michael sighed in frustration, "Yeah I don't understand. I mean I suppose he could have picked up how to apparate illegally, but we were in the bloody middle of nowhere. I don't understand how he could have gotten back even if he wanted to. I mean up until then, he was a ruddy mouse."
Anthony pondered the scenario for a moment, trying to figure out how it was possible. He was about to offer an outrageous suggestion when Professor Carrow strode past and Anthony was quick to seal his mouth. The last thing he wanted was that woman to over hear dialogue regarding this issue.
Carrow was passing by on the way to the Hufflepuff table. Heading directly to where Hannah was sitting, the older woman pulled out a letter from the folds of her robes and handed it over to the girl. "Miss Abbott," she said simply, but the look on her face showed that Professor Carrow was not pleased by the information she was giving Hannah. Anthony immediately took that as good news.
Michael's eyes followed Anthony's gaze towards Hannah at the disruption of their conversation. He too watched as Carrow dropped a letter next to Hannah, who looked up bleakly at the woman. Michael could also see whatever it was about, Carrow seemed disapleased.
The moment Anthony looked back at Michael, Michael smirked and gestured with his chin, "Get over there. What're you doing at this abundance-of-wiener table anyhow? Go talk to her." His smile quirked a little more to the side, revealing teeth in pleasure.
Michael chuckled and looked down, then smirked at Terry. "You eat sort of like a duck, don't you Terr?"
"Mfthkyumph!!" Terry smirked, his face hovering maybe three inches from his plate but turned just long enough to utter it.
Michael grinned, "Welcome to the wiener table..." Michael whispered to himself, and smiled quietly.
Hannah looked up at Anthony and blinked. She looked so tired, but not as haggard as she had during Defense Against the Dark Arts. She did look worse for wear though. Her hands were bandaged in bright white bands, with herbs sticking from the occasional band. "No. Please, love." Hannah said simply. It became evident that she was stunned, and hadn't even finished unfolding her letter to read it.
Without even thinking, Anthony reached out and held her two hands gently in his. "Detention, I see," he said, solemnly. And even though he didn't say it, his anger was evident on his face. "I'll find a way to get you out of the next class. I don't know how, but I'll figure something out," Anthony assured her. His thumbs grazed her bandages lightly.
Looking up at Hannah, he could see how worn out she looked. He wished that there was something he could do to help her.
"Carrow didn't look too pleased when she dropped off the letter. I'm sure that means it's good news, right?"
"Yea," Hannah nodded, allowing Anthony to touch and turn her hands. She shook her head, her eyes squinted while she pulled her hands away, "No... no don't do anything like that. Don't get yourself hurt. I shouldn't have smarted off to her." Hannah looked up, her washed out green eyes asking him to be careful. "I'm fine, really I am. Its just a few burns."
"No, she was pretty angry." Hannah nodded, her eyes only now dropping down to read. Her breath caught in her throat eventually and she tried to form words. "Dear Miss Abbott. Upon further investigation, the Continuing Committee has issued a probationary ruling of 'Loyalist'. You are warned that any deviation from established mores of our culture will almost certainly cause a revocation of this decision." Hannah turned it over to Anthony to reveal it was just a standard form letter, the only signature on it pinned 'N. Vaisey', under the title of Associate Chair.
"That's great!" Anthony nodded. "I mean, not great that they think you're a loyalist, but it means they won't expel you, Hannah!" The Head Boy could barely hide his excitement. "I've been so worried," he confessed, "every since they said they'd be interrogating the Half bloods as well."
Anthony leaned in closer to her. "I know it's hell here right now, Han, but having you here makes it bearable." He let go of her hands so as not to hurt her any further. "And don't worry about what I plan to do. I know the system now and I can keep you away from her, without getting caught."
Hannah blinked in shock, not entirely sure that she was still even holding the letter. She blinked again, her brow slowly knitting. "I thought for sure I was off back to London. Or worse." She spoke sort of in half-step with Anthony. She heard his words and they registered but somehow her response was lost to it all.
"I'm.... loyal..." She blinked, like this realization was new to her.
Finally, Hannah just jumped, grabbed Anthony and hugged him, her eyes wide like a deer's. "I'm... I'm staying! Oh Merlin! I'm staying!" She babbled, squeezing him. Tears were rolling down her cheeks and she was hiccupping something between a sob and grateful laughter.
Anthony stood up and held Hannah in his arms, grateful for the emotion that came spilling out of her. She had been so dazed, so disorientated for weeks now - it was so wonderful to see her react with such life.
But his delight was dampered quickly, when he could feel the steely gaze of Professor Carrow on his back. "Come on, Hannah. Let's go some place else." He placed his hand on her lower back.
Michael grinned as Terry was shovelling toast into his mouth without really swallowing, somehow managing to pour pumpkin juice down in between. "Mfthkyumph." Was Terry's response, along with a foodstuffed sneer.
Michael chuckled, turned to Anthony and pointed to Terry, "Should I be scared that I know what he actually said? Fuck you, right?" Michael said, jerking his head back to Terry, who nodded with a packed cheek, cheeky and supremely amused grin.
Michael looked down at Anthony's toast, "Merlin that smells good."
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He tossed Michael a piece. "Enjoy!"
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Terry scoffed, "Mfthkyumph!!"
Michael grinned and pointed with his thumb, "Yep. Definitely 'fuck you'." Seeing Anthony's juice was emptying, Michael reached for the glass caraf and with a backhand 'I'm cool' motion poured it to the brim.
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Anthony glanced up. "Don't even think about it," he said, as he saw Terry's hand inch its way across the table.
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But Anthony's train of thought was derailed when Michael mentioned Owen. "Captured? How? There's no way he could have returned to the castle. He's not even old enough to apparate."
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Michael sighed in frustration, "Yeah I don't understand. I mean I suppose he could have picked up how to apparate illegally, but we were in the bloody middle of nowhere. I don't understand how he could have gotten back even if he wanted to. I mean up until then, he was a ruddy mouse."
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Carrow was passing by on the way to the Hufflepuff table. Heading directly to where Hannah was sitting, the older woman pulled out a letter from the folds of her robes and handed it over to the girl. "Miss Abbott," she said simply, but the look on her face showed that Professor Carrow was not pleased by the information she was giving Hannah. Anthony immediately took that as good news.
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The moment Anthony looked back at Michael, Michael smirked and gestured with his chin, "Get over there. What're you doing at this abundance-of-wiener table anyhow? Go talk to her." His smile quirked a little more to the side, revealing teeth in pleasure.
Michael chuckled and looked down, then smirked at Terry. "You eat sort of like a duck, don't you Terr?"
"Mfthkyumph!!" Terry smirked, his face hovering maybe three inches from his plate but turned just long enough to utter it.
Michael grinned, "Welcome to the wiener table..." Michael whispered to himself, and smiled quietly.
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"Mind if I sit down?" He asked.
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Looking up at Hannah, he could see how worn out she looked. He wished that there was something he could do to help her.
"Carrow didn't look too pleased when she dropped off the letter. I'm sure that means it's good news, right?"
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"No, she was pretty angry." Hannah nodded, her eyes only now dropping down to read. Her breath caught in her throat eventually and she tried to form words. "Dear Miss Abbott. Upon further investigation, the Continuing Committee has issued a probationary ruling of 'Loyalist'. You are warned that any deviation from established mores of our culture will almost certainly cause a revocation of this decision." Hannah turned it over to Anthony to reveal it was just a standard form letter, the only signature on it pinned 'N. Vaisey', under the title of Associate Chair.
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Anthony leaned in closer to her. "I know it's hell here right now, Han, but having you here makes it bearable." He let go of her hands so as not to hurt her any further. "And don't worry about what I plan to do. I know the system now and I can keep you away from her, without getting caught."
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"I'm.... loyal..." She blinked, like this realization was new to her.
Finally, Hannah just jumped, grabbed Anthony and hugged him, her eyes wide like a deer's. "I'm... I'm staying! Oh Merlin! I'm staying!" She babbled, squeezing him. Tears were rolling down her cheeks and she was hiccupping something between a sob and grateful laughter.
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But his delight was dampered quickly, when he could feel the steely gaze of Professor Carrow on his back. "Come on, Hannah. Let's go some place else." He placed his hand on her lower back.
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