breakaway

Arianne // Gryffindor // she/her i'll spread my wings and i'll learn how to fly i'll do what it takes 'til i touch the sky and i'll make a wish take a chance make a change and breakaway

[ariannelupin]

Ari was experiencing a new sensation. Anxiety about a date. It was very disconcerting. She'd been on what she would describe as several dates and what Savannah would describe as an insane amount of dates. Then she'd got pregnant, and that had put a bit of a stopper in the whole dating thing. She'd not really minded: she was so focussed on being a mum, and she really loved being a mum. She had her friends and family to help her with Lyra, so she didn't need anyone else. But Elyan had started bugging her, saying he was a great matchmaker and that he could definitely find the right person for her, and she'd said yes just to shut him up. When he'd told her who he'd chosen, she'd nearly asked "really? why?!" but she was mature now, so she'd said "great!" Still, it was her first date in months and she was anxious. Could she still remember how to date? She'd gone through about forty outfits trying to get dressed, and settled on a nice skirt. As she reached the Entrance Hall, she checked the clock and realised she was actually early. Early. For a date. Way to look eager. She didn't even want to be on this date! She took a few calming breaths and considered fleeing and hiding under the bed.

[kylebennett]

He was being a good friend, Kyle reminded himself as he headed towards the Entrance Hall. He'd been pretty shocked when Elyan had said he was setting Kyle up with Ari - apparently he just "saw sparks" between them. Sure, Kyle liked Ari; they'd spent a bit of time together, as Al was good friends with both of them, but nothing one-on-one or for very long. Of course Kyle couldn't say no, so he would have to give this a chance. He was slightly dubious, but he wasn't going to let that cloud the experience - he was going in with an open mind. He smiled at Ari as he approached her, not entirely sure on the etiquette for a first date which had been set up. Kissing her on the cheek seemed a bit too old-school so he just settled for a somewhat awkward wave, which he immediately regretted. "Hey! How are you?"

[ariannelupin]

Kyle's awkward wave made Ari feel a little better. Clearly she wasn't the only one who felt nervous. She'd just have to put on her best face and pretend like she had no nerves. Channel the Ari of old. Except she most definitely did not want to end up in bed with Kyle at the end of the date, so she'd have to rein it in a bit. "Hey! I'm great, just glad it's the weekend!" She was definitely due for some study this weekend, unfortunately, which meant this date was due to be the only fun she'd get. So she had to make the most of it. "How are you?" she asked, taking initiative in looping her arm through his and starting off out the doors.

[kylebennett]

Relaxing slightly as Ari looped arms with him, Kyle reminded himself that the world wasn't going to end if this was a bit awkward. He just had to be nice which, luckily for him, was his go-to disposition. "Oh, me too. Although Al has got us scheduled to get up at the crack of dawn tomorrow for Quidditch practice. Like, on a Sunday, really? He owes me a lie-in." He didn't even want to start thinking about how much homework he had to do tomorrow, or how he was going to fit it all in. Sixth year was much harder than he had expected.

[ariannelupin]

"Ouch. See, this is why I'm glad our captain is my best friend. I can convince her not to put practices on at ridiculous o'clock in the morning." She'd been sad when she'd not been Sorted into the same House as Al, since they'd known each other from when they were tiny, but hearing about how merciless he was as a captain... she was very relieved that they were in different Houses. Plus, if she'd had Al in her House, she wouldn't have had to make new friends and really, where would she be without the Moustache Buddies? "So, where should we go?"

[kylebennett]

"Al is my best friend, theoretically," Kyle grumbled good-naturedly, "but trying to convince him that I need more sleep is like trying to convince a Mandrake not to scream." Kyle was a firm believer that sleep was a good thing but Al didn't seem to subscribe to that philosophy. "We could get a drink somewhere? Or go and buy chocolate? Lady's choice," he offered, happy to go with the flow. He wasn't sure how much time Ari had to herself, now she had a baby, so he was more than happy to let her spend her time the way she wanted. "Who's looking after Lyra today?"

[ariannelupin]

Ari had to laugh at 'theoretically'. "Yeah, Sav's more of a listening person than Al is." She was amused by the comparison, and yeah, that sounded like Al. She loved him, and his siblings, but they were all stubborn as heck. "Ooh, I do like chocolate, and drinks." This date was going ok so far, she had to admit. They seemed to be getting on fine, even if they didn't have a spark. Maybe the spark would come, in time. Honestly, she was ready to try that, see if a slow burn would work. "Owen. I think he's planning to multitask and study while she naps."

[ariannelupin]

Ari was experiencing a new sensation. Anxiety about a date. It was very disconcerting. She'd been on what she would describe as several dates and what Savannah would describe as an insane amount of dates. Then she'd got pregnant, and that had put a bit of a stopper in the whole dating thing. She'd not really minded: she was so focussed on being a mum, and she really loved being a mum. She had her friends and family to help her with Lyra, so she didn't need anyone else. But Elyan had started bugging her, saying he was a great matchmaker and that he could definitely find the right person for her, and she'd said yes just to shut him up. When he'd told her who he'd chosen, she'd nearly asked "really? why?!" but she was mature now, so she'd said "great!" Still, it was her first date in months and she was anxious. Could she still remember how to date? She'd gone through about forty outfits trying to get dressed, and settled on a nice skirt. As she reached the Entrance Hall, she checked the clock and realised she was actually early. Early. For a date. Way to look eager. She didn't even want to be on this date! She took a few calming breaths and considered fleeing and hiding under the bed.

[kylebennett]

He was being a good friend, Kyle reminded himself as he headed towards the Entrance Hall. He'd been pretty shocked when Elyan had said he was setting Kyle up with Ari - apparently he just "saw sparks" between them. Sure, Kyle liked Ari; they'd spent a bit of time together, as Al was good friends with both of them, but nothing one-on-one or for very long. Of course Kyle couldn't say no, so he would have to give this a chance. He was slightly dubious, but he wasn't going to let that cloud the experience - he was going in with an open mind. He smiled at Ari as he approached her, not entirely sure on the etiquette for a first date which had been set up. Kissing her on the cheek seemed a bit too old-school so he just settled for a somewhat awkward wave, which he immediately regretted. "Hey! How are you?"

[ariannelupin]

Kyle's awkward wave made Ari feel a little better. Clearly she wasn't the only one who felt nervous. She'd just have to put on her best face and pretend like she had no nerves. Channel the Ari of old. Except she most definitely did not want to end up in bed with Kyle at the end of the date, so she'd have to rein it in a bit. "Hey! I'm great, just glad it's the weekend!" She was definitely due for some study this weekend, unfortunately, which meant this date was due to be the only fun she'd get. So she had to make the most of it. "How are you?" she asked, taking initiative in looping her arm through his and starting off out the doors.

[kylebennett]

Relaxing slightly as Ari looped arms with him, Kyle reminded himself that the world wasn't going to end if this was a bit awkward. He just had to be nice which, luckily for him, was his go-to disposition. "Oh, me too. Although Al has got us scheduled to get up at the crack of dawn tomorrow for Quidditch practice. Like, on a Sunday, really? He owes me a lie-in." He didn't even want to start thinking about how much homework he had to do tomorrow, or how he was going to fit it all in. Sixth year was much harder than he had expected.

[ariannelupin]

"Ouch. See, this is why I'm glad our captain is my best friend. I can convince her not to put practices on at ridiculous o'clock in the morning." She'd been sad when she'd not been Sorted into the same House as Al, since they'd known each other from when they were tiny, but hearing about how merciless he was as a captain... she was very relieved that they were in different Houses. Plus, if she'd had Al in her House, she wouldn't have had to make new friends and really, where would she be without the Moustache Buddies? "So, where should we go?"

[ariannelupin]

Ari was experiencing a new sensation. Anxiety about a date. It was very disconcerting. She'd been on what she would describe as several dates and what Savannah would describe as an insane amount of dates. Then she'd got pregnant, and that had put a bit of a stopper in the whole dating thing. She'd not really minded: she was so focussed on being a mum, and she really loved being a mum. She had her friends and family to help her with Lyra, so she didn't need anyone else. But Elyan had started bugging her, saying he was a great matchmaker and that he could definitely find the right person for her, and she'd said yes just to shut him up. When he'd told her who he'd chosen, she'd nearly asked "really? why?!" but she was mature now, so she'd said "great!" Still, it was her first date in months and she was anxious. Could she still remember how to date? She'd gone through about forty outfits trying to get dressed, and settled on a nice skirt. As she reached the Entrance Hall, she checked the clock and realised she was actually early. Early. For a date. Way to look eager. She didn't even want to be on this date! She took a few calming breaths and considered fleeing and hiding under the bed.

[kylebennett]

He was being a good friend, Kyle reminded himself as he headed towards the Entrance Hall. He'd been pretty shocked when Elyan had said he was setting Kyle up with Ari - apparently he just "saw sparks" between them. Sure, Kyle liked Ari; they'd spent a bit of time together, as Al was good friends with both of them, but nothing one-on-one or for very long. Of course Kyle couldn't say no, so he would have to give this a chance. He was slightly dubious, but he wasn't going to let that cloud the experience - he was going in with an open mind. He smiled at Ari as he approached her, not entirely sure on the etiquette for a first date which had been set up. Kissing her on the cheek seemed a bit too old-school so he just settled for a somewhat awkward wave, which he immediately regretted. "Hey! How are you?"

[ariannelupin]

Kyle's awkward wave made Ari feel a little better. Clearly she wasn't the only one who felt nervous. She'd just have to put on her best face and pretend like she had no nerves. Channel the Ari of old. Except she most definitely did not want to end up in bed with Kyle at the end of the date, so she'd have to rein it in a bit. "Hey! I'm great, just glad it's the weekend!" She was definitely due for some study this weekend, unfortunately, which meant this date was due to be the only fun she'd get. So she had to make the most of it. "How are you?" she asked, taking initiative in looping her arm through his and starting off out the doors.

[ariannelupin]

Ari was experiencing a new sensation. Anxiety about a date. It was very disconcerting. She'd been on what she would describe as several dates and what Savannah would describe as an insane amount of dates. Then she'd got pregnant, and that had put a bit of a stopper in the whole dating thing. She'd not really minded: she was so focussed on being a mum, and she really loved being a mum. She had her friends and family to help her with Lyra, so she didn't need anyone else. But Elyan had started bugging her, saying he was a great matchmaker and that he could definitely find the right person for her, and she'd said yes just to shut him up. When he'd told her who he'd chosen, she'd nearly asked "really? why?!" but she was mature now, so she'd said "great!" Still, it was her first date in months and she was anxious. Could she still remember how to date? She'd gone through about forty outfits trying to get dressed, and settled on a nice skirt. As she reached the Entrance Hall, she checked the clock and realised she was actually early. Early. For a date. Way to look eager. She didn't even want to be on this date! She took a few calming breaths and considered fleeing and hiding under the bed.

[owencantor]

Owen’s head was still spinning as he made his way up to the Gryffindor dorms. Was it really his fault that he and Scorpius hadn’t spoken in ages? Had he been the one to break their friendship? And how had he not noticed that the two of them weren’t really friends? He groaned aloud, narrowing his eyes at some second year Slytherins who turned to stare at him in bemusement. As if being a dad and trying to pass this year wasn’t hard enough, now he had to deal with this as well, and on some ridiculously tiny amount of sleep. He was relieved when he got to Ari’s room, knocking gently on the door. “Hey,” he said (probably in a tone reminiscent of Ross in Friends). “I know it’s your shift and all, but do you mind if I just hang out in here for a bit? I could do with some Lyra snuggles.” He felt instantly slightly better as he saw his daughter’s chubby cheeks.

[ariannelupin]

Arianne was enjoying some quiet time. Lyra was in her cot, playing with her mobile, absolutely engrossed with it, and she was taking the opportunity to do some much-needed studying. She’d be taking her NEWTs next year and she felt completely unprepared. It wasn’t like she’d ever thought she’d get amazing grades, but she’d hoped she’d do all right, but having a baby had derailed that a little. She’d had to resit some of her OWL exams just to get enough passes. At a knock on the door, she put the Charms book down, a little relieved. She would have to get Savannah to explain it to her later. At Owen’s tone, she frowned. “Yeah, that’s fine, just-” She cut herself off before she could tell him to make his presence known to Lyra and give her a moment before picking her up; he knew that, he was a good dad. “What’s wrong?” she asked, giving him her patented no-nonsense face so they didn’t start a “nothing-no really-I’m fine-really what’s up” cycle.

[owencantor]

Owen smiled slightly, sensing that Ari had stopped herself from telling him how to deal with Lyra. He made his way over to the cot, waving down at her. “Hello my little sunshine,” he said, taking a few moments before gently picking her up and cradling her. He caught Ari’s eye and saw her face, knowing he’d have to actually talk about it. At least he felt slightly calmer now he was with his favourite person. He sighed, bouncing Lyra gently. “Just had a weird argument with Scorpius. Did you know we’re not friends anymore?” He asked, frowning in consternation.

[ariannelupin]

Ari smiled, watching him interact with their child, and leaned over to tickle Lyra’s tummy. If someone had to come and interrupt her peace, she didn’t mind too much if it was Owen. He was her best friend, after all, and he took such good care of Lyra. She definitely appreciated him more since they’d had a baby together. She frowned at him, wondering what he was on about. “Er, yes? What, is that a surprise? Have you even spoken to him since first year?” It happened; not everyone met their best friend on the first day. She’d hung out with Rosie and Jessie at first, after all, before she’d started spending time with Savannah.

[owencantor]

Owen usually appreciated Ari’s bluntness (although he’d been horrified when she’d told him she was pregnant, at least she’d been straightforward about it), but now he made an unsatisfied face at her. “I mean, I always try and say hey to him, but I guess we haven’t really talked much…” he sighed, shaking his head. “Fine, I guess we’re not actively friends, but I didn’t expect him to hate me as much as he seems to.” There were loads of people at Hogwarts who Owen wouldn’t count as friends but he’d have a conversation with. He’d been startled to realise that Scorpius wasn’t even willing to talk to him.

[ariannelupin]

Ari nodded when he said they weren’t friends, relieved that he could at least admit that. “Yeah, saying hey in the corridors does not a friendship make, babe. I mean, I say hey to Rosie every time I see her, we even have chats about our newborns, but we aren’t friends because she is a psychopath.” At his next words, she sighed, and scrunched up her face. “Owen, you were his only friend, and you dumped him for us. I mean, I’m glad you did, or we wouldn’t have our little bundle of joy, but them’s the facts. There’s a reason Jared always says his dorm is awkward.” Jared had felt guilty much longer than she had: an offhand comment he’d made in fourth year had made her look over at the Hufflepuff table, where Scorpius was sat by himself staring into his dinner, and realise with a jolt that he was always alone. Leigh had shrugged it off with a joke, but Ari and Jared had shared a look, and since then she’d had a vague sense of shame whenever she saw Scorpius. “What did you expect?”

[owencantor]

Rosie was a bit of a psychopath, it had to be admitted, so Owen snorted slightly at that. “Okay, I know that really.” There were plenty of people Owen would say hi to as he passed, whose names he didn’t even know. He winced as she laid down the facts. “I didn’t dump him completely, did I? I mean, he was saying that I never invited him to hang out with us, but I’m sure I did at the beginning, right? And he always had some sort of excuse?” Despite the guilt that was steadily building as she said Owen had dumped Scorpius, he was glad he’d come - Ari was always a good person to talk things through with. “I guess… I just thought we were close enough that it was one of those friendships where you don’t need to talk constantly to stay close. Merlin, I’m an idiot.” He admitted, frowning.

[ariannelupin]

Ari gazed into space for a moment, narrowing her eyes, trying to remember. “I mean… I guess I remember you saying to him, ‘we’re going to hang!’ a couple of times, and him saying he was going to study. I don’t know what you said when we weren’t there, of course, but maybe you said something similar. It’s not exactly an invitation, is it?” She wrinkled up her nose. “Didn’t Leigh tell you not to invite him at some point, anyway?” She couldn’t remember exactly when it had been, but she was sure Leigh had said something about not inviting his dorky little friend along. Maybe it’d been in a joking tone and Owen hadn’t taken much notice. “Well, yeah, but you still have to talk sometimes. Me and Al don’t talk as much as we used to, but I can think of at least three times we’ve hung in the last couple of weeks.” She hid her smile as he said he was an idiot. “Yeah, that was always true. I just assumed you didn’t want to be friends with him anymore, y'know? That was how it seemed.”

[owencantor]

Owen had to admit, it wasn’t sounding good. He sighed, bouncing Lyra a little more and gently wiggling her fingers. At least he hadn’t messed up being a dad yet. “You’re probably right. I guess I should have explicitly asked him… I suppose he’s not exactly the type to come along unless he’s been asked specifically.” Owen had really been a stupid, self-involved 12 year old, hadn’t he? He liked to think he would be better if he was friends with Scorpius now. “Yeah, she probably did. I probably did abandon him, didn’t I?” He winced at the truth. “I didn’t want to stop being friends, I thought we’d still be friends like you managed to do with Savannah.” Ari was much better at balancing things than Owen ever was. “I really f… fridged it up,” he amended, glancing down at Lyra.

[ariannelupin]

“I’m usually right,” Ari said, with a shrug. It came with being a mother, she figured. Mother knows best. “Yeah, especially when me and Leigh were there. We were terrors even at 12, remember? He was probably scared shitless of us.” She liked to think he wouldn’t be scared of her now; she knew becoming a mum had softened her even further. “Well, I live with Sav, which helps,” she pointed out. “Yeah, you did kind of really drop the ball on this one. So, I guess the question is, what are you gonna do about it?” She could tell this was going to haunt him until he fixed it. The problem was, it might not be fixable. Still, she knew Owen, and he was going to try.

[owencantor]

“This is true.” Owen agreed. Out of the four of the Mustache buddies, she was the most reliably correct. “Merlin, good point, yeah. I was scared enough of you both and I’m not super introverted.” He shook his head at his stupidity. “Wasn’t it all so much simpler at 12, though?” He asked fondly, remembering the trouble the four of them got into sometimes. “Good question. I guess I should probably start by trying to apologise for… well, pretty much the last five years. That shouldn’t take too long.” Owen would write an essay about how sorry he was if that helped - which it probably wouldn’t.

[ariannelupin]

Ari beamed at him. See, this was why she’d had a baby with him. Okay, that wasn’t true, she’d had a baby with him because protection wasn’t 100%. “That’s just common sense, darling, it was your self-preservation instincts warning you off.” Clearly, Scorpius just had stronger instincts than Owen. “Merlin, yes,” she said, then shook her head. “Shit, we are too young for nostalgia.” Having a kid made you grow up quick, though. And it showed who your real friends were. She’d barely seen Leigh recently. “That might help, yeah.” She wiggled closer to him and rested her head on his shoulder. “Just be there. That’ll show him how sorry you are.”

[owencantor]

Owen smiled back at Ari, always pleased when he got her to smile like that. “Good point, yeah.” Owen was glad his self-preservation hadn’t warned him off too much, or he wouldn’t be friends with them now - and that was probably another reason he hadn’t been put in Slytherin. “I feel like once you have a kid, you’re allowed to be nostalgic.” Of course he loved Lyra and wouldn’t change any part of being a dad for the world, but he had to admit he was somewhat nostaglic for the days of being reckless - and of getting a solid 8 hours sleep. Owen nodded, putting his arm around her (while carefully securing Lyra in the other), glad she was there. “I’ll give it a try. I’ll be there so much I’ll annoy him into being my friend again,” he joked.

[ariannelupin]

"That seems fair, yeah. I do get nostalgic for when she was just born and she was teeny tiny. She's growing so big already, aren't you, Ly-ly?" Merlin, her dads had said this would happen. She was completely obsessed with her kid. "Well, if anyone could do it, you could. You are extremely annoying," she said dryly. She eyed up the Charms book she'd put down when he walked in, and turned her puppy eyes on him. "Oweeeeen, you know you love me and I spent nine months carrying your child? Please will you explain this Charms theory to me?"

[owencantor]

Owen’s head was still spinning as he made his way up to the Gryffindor dorms. Was it really his fault that he and Scorpius hadn’t spoken in ages? Had he been the one to break their friendship? And how had he not noticed that the two of them weren’t really friends? He groaned aloud, narrowing his eyes at some second year Slytherins who turned to stare at him in bemusement. As if being a dad and trying to pass this year wasn’t hard enough, now he had to deal with this as well, and on some ridiculously tiny amount of sleep. He was relieved when he got to Ari’s room, knocking gently on the door. “Hey,” he said (probably in a tone reminiscent of Ross in Friends). “I know it’s your shift and all, but do you mind if I just hang out in here for a bit? I could do with some Lyra snuggles.” He felt instantly slightly better as he saw his daughter’s chubby cheeks.

[ariannelupin]

Arianne was enjoying some quiet time. Lyra was in her cot, playing with her mobile, absolutely engrossed with it, and she was taking the opportunity to do some much-needed studying. She’d be taking her NEWTs next year and she felt completely unprepared. It wasn’t like she’d ever thought she’d get amazing grades, but she’d hoped she’d do all right, but having a baby had derailed that a little. She’d had to resit some of her OWL exams just to get enough passes. At a knock on the door, she put the Charms book down, a little relieved. She would have to get Savannah to explain it to her later. At Owen’s tone, she frowned. “Yeah, that’s fine, just-” She cut herself off before she could tell him to make his presence known to Lyra and give her a moment before picking her up; he knew that, he was a good dad. “What’s wrong?” she asked, giving him her patented no-nonsense face so they didn’t start a “nothing-no really-I’m fine-really what’s up” cycle.

[owencantor]

Owen smiled slightly, sensing that Ari had stopped herself from telling him how to deal with Lyra. He made his way over to the cot, waving down at her. “Hello my little sunshine,” he said, taking a few moments before gently picking her up and cradling her. He caught Ari’s eye and saw her face, knowing he’d have to actually talk about it. At least he felt slightly calmer now he was with his favourite person. He sighed, bouncing Lyra gently. “Just had a weird argument with Scorpius. Did you know we’re not friends anymore?” He asked, frowning in consternation.

[ariannelupin]

Ari smiled, watching him interact with their child, and leaned over to tickle Lyra’s tummy. If someone had to come and interrupt her peace, she didn’t mind too much if it was Owen. He was her best friend, after all, and he took such good care of Lyra. She definitely appreciated him more since they’d had a baby together. She frowned at him, wondering what he was on about. “Er, yes? What, is that a surprise? Have you even spoken to him since first year?” It happened; not everyone met their best friend on the first day. She’d hung out with Rosie and Jessie at first, after all, before she’d started spending time with Savannah.

[owencantor]

Owen usually appreciated Ari’s bluntness (although he’d been horrified when she’d told him she was pregnant, at least she’d been straightforward about it), but now he made an unsatisfied face at her. “I mean, I always try and say hey to him, but I guess we haven’t really talked much…” he sighed, shaking his head. “Fine, I guess we’re not actively friends, but I didn’t expect him to hate me as much as he seems to.” There were loads of people at Hogwarts who Owen wouldn’t count as friends but he’d have a conversation with. He’d been startled to realise that Scorpius wasn’t even willing to talk to him.

[ariannelupin]

Ari nodded when he said they weren’t friends, relieved that he could at least admit that. “Yeah, saying hey in the corridors does not a friendship make, babe. I mean, I say hey to Rosie every time I see her, we even have chats about our newborns, but we aren’t friends because she is a psychopath.” At his next words, she sighed, and scrunched up her face. “Owen, you were his only friend, and you dumped him for us. I mean, I’m glad you did, or we wouldn’t have our little bundle of joy, but them’s the facts. There’s a reason Jared always says his dorm is awkward.” Jared had felt guilty much longer than she had: an offhand comment he’d made in fourth year had made her look over at the Hufflepuff table, where Scorpius was sat by himself staring into his dinner, and realise with a jolt that he was always alone. Leigh had shrugged it off with a joke, but Ari and Jared had shared a look, and since then she’d had a vague sense of shame whenever she saw Scorpius. “What did you expect?”

[owencantor]

Rosie was a bit of a psychopath, it had to be admitted, so Owen snorted slightly at that. “Okay, I know that really.” There were plenty of people Owen would say hi to as he passed, whose names he didn’t even know. He winced as she laid down the facts. “I didn’t dump him completely, did I? I mean, he was saying that I never invited him to hang out with us, but I’m sure I did at the beginning, right? And he always had some sort of excuse?” Despite the guilt that was steadily building as she said Owen had dumped Scorpius, he was glad he’d come - Ari was always a good person to talk things through with. “I guess… I just thought we were close enough that it was one of those friendships where you don’t need to talk constantly to stay close. Merlin, I’m an idiot.” He admitted, frowning.

[ariannelupin]

Ari gazed into space for a moment, narrowing her eyes, trying to remember. “I mean… I guess I remember you saying to him, ‘we’re going to hang!’ a couple of times, and him saying he was going to study. I don’t know what you said when we weren’t there, of course, but maybe you said something similar. It’s not exactly an invitation, is it?” She wrinkled up her nose. “Didn’t Leigh tell you not to invite him at some point, anyway?” She couldn’t remember exactly when it had been, but she was sure Leigh had said something about not inviting his dorky little friend along. Maybe it’d been in a joking tone and Owen hadn’t taken much notice. “Well, yeah, but you still have to talk sometimes. Me and Al don’t talk as much as we used to, but I can think of at least three times we’ve hung in the last couple of weeks.” She hid her smile as he said he was an idiot. “Yeah, that was always true. I just assumed you didn’t want to be friends with him anymore, y'know? That was how it seemed.”

[owencantor]

Owen had to admit, it wasn’t sounding good. He sighed, bouncing Lyra a little more and gently wiggling her fingers. At least he hadn’t messed up being a dad yet. “You’re probably right. I guess I should have explicitly asked him… I suppose he’s not exactly the type to come along unless he’s been asked specifically.” Owen had really been a stupid, self-involved 12 year old, hadn’t he? He liked to think he would be better if he was friends with Scorpius now. “Yeah, she probably did. I probably did abandon him, didn’t I?” He winced at the truth. “I didn’t want to stop being friends, I thought we’d still be friends like you managed to do with Savannah.” Ari was much better at balancing things than Owen ever was. “I really f… fridged it up,” he amended, glancing down at Lyra.

[ariannelupin]

“I’m usually right,” Ari said, with a shrug. It came with being a mother, she figured. Mother knows best. “Yeah, especially when me and Leigh were there. We were terrors even at 12, remember? He was probably scared shitless of us.” She liked to think he wouldn’t be scared of her now; she knew becoming a mum had softened her even further. “Well, I live with Sav, which helps,” she pointed out. “Yeah, you did kind of really drop the ball on this one. So, I guess the question is, what are you gonna do about it?” She could tell this was going to haunt him until he fixed it. The problem was, it might not be fixable. Still, she knew Owen, and he was going to try.

[owencantor]

“This is true.” Owen agreed. Out of the four of the Mustache buddies, she was the most reliably correct. “Merlin, good point, yeah. I was scared enough of you both and I’m not super introverted.” He shook his head at his stupidity. “Wasn’t it all so much simpler at 12, though?” He asked fondly, remembering the trouble the four of them got into sometimes. “Good question. I guess I should probably start by trying to apologise for… well, pretty much the last five years. That shouldn’t take too long.” Owen would write an essay about how sorry he was if that helped - which it probably wouldn’t.

[ariannelupin]

Ari beamed at him. See, this was why she'd had a baby with him. Okay, that wasn't true, she'd had a baby with him because protection wasn't 100%. "That's just common sense, darling, it was your self-preservation instincts warning you off." Clearly, Scorpius just had stronger instincts than Owen. "Merlin, yes," she said, then shook her head. "Shit, we are too young for nostalgia." Having a kid made you grow up quick, though. And it showed who your real friends were. She'd barely seen Leigh recently. "That might help, yeah." She wiggled closer to him and rested her head on his shoulder. "Just be there. That'll show him how sorry you are."

[owencantor]

Owen’s head was still spinning as he made his way up to the Gryffindor dorms. Was it really his fault that he and Scorpius hadn’t spoken in ages? Had he been the one to break their friendship? And how had he not noticed that the two of them weren’t really friends? He groaned aloud, narrowing his eyes at some second year Slytherins who turned to stare at him in bemusement. As if being a dad and trying to pass this year wasn’t hard enough, now he had to deal with this as well, and on some ridiculously tiny amount of sleep. He was relieved when he got to Ari’s room, knocking gently on the door. “Hey,” he said (probably in a tone reminiscent of Ross in Friends). “I know it’s your shift and all, but do you mind if I just hang out in here for a bit? I could do with some Lyra snuggles.” He felt instantly slightly better as he saw his daughter’s chubby cheeks.

[ariannelupin]

Arianne was enjoying some quiet time. Lyra was in her cot, playing with her mobile, absolutely engrossed with it, and she was taking the opportunity to do some much-needed studying. She’d be taking her NEWTs next year and she felt completely unprepared. It wasn’t like she’d ever thought she’d get amazing grades, but she’d hoped she’d do all right, but having a baby had derailed that a little. She’d had to resit some of her OWL exams just to get enough passes. At a knock on the door, she put the Charms book down, a little relieved. She would have to get Savannah to explain it to her later. At Owen’s tone, she frowned. “Yeah, that’s fine, just-” She cut herself off before she could tell him to make his presence known to Lyra and give her a moment before picking her up; he knew that, he was a good dad. “What’s wrong?” she asked, giving him her patented no-nonsense face so they didn’t start a “nothing-no really-I’m fine-really what’s up” cycle.

[owencantor]

Owen smiled slightly, sensing that Ari had stopped herself from telling him how to deal with Lyra. He made his way over to the cot, waving down at her. “Hello my little sunshine,” he said, taking a few moments before gently picking her up and cradling her. He caught Ari’s eye and saw her face, knowing he’d have to actually talk about it. At least he felt slightly calmer now he was with his favourite person. He sighed, bouncing Lyra gently. “Just had a weird argument with Scorpius. Did you know we’re not friends anymore?” He asked, frowning in consternation.

[ariannelupin]

Ari smiled, watching him interact with their child, and leaned over to tickle Lyra’s tummy. If someone had to come and interrupt her peace, she didn’t mind too much if it was Owen. He was her best friend, after all, and he took such good care of Lyra. She definitely appreciated him more since they’d had a baby together. She frowned at him, wondering what he was on about. “Er, yes? What, is that a surprise? Have you even spoken to him since first year?” It happened; not everyone met their best friend on the first day. She’d hung out with Rosie and Jessie at first, after all, before she’d started spending time with Savannah.

[owencantor]

Owen usually appreciated Ari’s bluntness (although he’d been horrified when she’d told him she was pregnant, at least she’d been straightforward about it), but now he made an unsatisfied face at her. “I mean, I always try and say hey to him, but I guess we haven’t really talked much…” he sighed, shaking his head. “Fine, I guess we’re not actively friends, but I didn’t expect him to hate me as much as he seems to.” There were loads of people at Hogwarts who Owen wouldn’t count as friends but he’d have a conversation with. He’d been startled to realise that Scorpius wasn’t even willing to talk to him.

[ariannelupin]

Ari nodded when he said they weren’t friends, relieved that he could at least admit that. “Yeah, saying hey in the corridors does not a friendship make, babe. I mean, I say hey to Rosie every time I see her, we even have chats about our newborns, but we aren’t friends because she is a psychopath.” At his next words, she sighed, and scrunched up her face. “Owen, you were his only friend, and you dumped him for us. I mean, I’m glad you did, or we wouldn’t have our little bundle of joy, but them’s the facts. There’s a reason Jared always says his dorm is awkward.” Jared had felt guilty much longer than she had: an offhand comment he’d made in fourth year had made her look over at the Hufflepuff table, where Scorpius was sat by himself staring into his dinner, and realise with a jolt that he was always alone. Leigh had shrugged it off with a joke, but Ari and Jared had shared a look, and since then she’d had a vague sense of shame whenever she saw Scorpius. “What did you expect?”

[owencantor]

Rosie was a bit of a psychopath, it had to be admitted, so Owen snorted slightly at that. “Okay, I know that really.” There were plenty of people Owen would say hi to as he passed, whose names he didn’t even know. He winced as she laid down the facts. “I didn’t dump him completely, did I? I mean, he was saying that I never invited him to hang out with us, but I’m sure I did at the beginning, right? And he always had some sort of excuse?” Despite the guilt that was steadily building as she said Owen had dumped Scorpius, he was glad he’d come - Ari was always a good person to talk things through with. “I guess… I just thought we were close enough that it was one of those friendships where you don’t need to talk constantly to stay close. Merlin, I’m an idiot.” He admitted, frowning.

[ariannelupin]

Ari gazed into space for a moment, narrowing her eyes, trying to remember. “I mean… I guess I remember you saying to him, ‘we’re going to hang!’ a couple of times, and him saying he was going to study. I don’t know what you said when we weren’t there, of course, but maybe you said something similar. It’s not exactly an invitation, is it?” She wrinkled up her nose. “Didn’t Leigh tell you not to invite him at some point, anyway?” She couldn’t remember exactly when it had been, but she was sure Leigh had said something about not inviting his dorky little friend along. Maybe it’d been in a joking tone and Owen hadn’t taken much notice. “Well, yeah, but you still have to talk sometimes. Me and Al don’t talk as much as we used to, but I can think of at least three times we’ve hung in the last couple of weeks.” She hid her smile as he said he was an idiot. “Yeah, that was always true. I just assumed you didn’t want to be friends with him anymore, y'know? That was how it seemed.”

[owencantor]

Owen had to admit, it wasn’t sounding good. He sighed, bouncing Lyra a little more and gently wiggling her fingers. At least he hadn’t messed up being a dad yet. “You’re probably right. I guess I should have explicitly asked him… I suppose he’s not exactly the type to come along unless he’s been asked specifically.” Owen had really been a stupid, self-involved 12 year old, hadn’t he? He liked to think he would be better if he was friends with Scorpius now. “Yeah, she probably did. I probably did abandon him, didn’t I?” He winced at the truth. “I didn’t want to stop being friends, I thought we’d still be friends like you managed to do with Savannah.” Ari was much better at balancing things than Owen ever was. “I really f… fridged it up,” he amended, glancing down at Lyra.

[ariannelupin]

"I'm usually right," Ari said, with a shrug. It came with being a mother, she figured. Mother knows best. "Yeah, especially when me and Leigh were there. We were terrors even at 12, remember? He was probably scared shitless of us." She liked to think he wouldn't be scared of her now; she knew becoming a mum had softened her even further. "Well, I live with Sav, which helps," she pointed out. "Yeah, you did kind of really drop the ball on this one. So, I guess the question is, what are you gonna do about it?" She could tell this was going to haunt him until he fixed it. The problem was, it might not be fixable. Still, she knew Owen, and he was going to try.

[owencantor]

Owen’s head was still spinning as he made his way up to the Gryffindor dorms. Was it really his fault that he and Scorpius hadn’t spoken in ages? Had he been the one to break their friendship? And how had he not noticed that the two of them weren’t really friends? He groaned aloud, narrowing his eyes at some second year Slytherins who turned to stare at him in bemusement. As if being a dad and trying to pass this year wasn’t hard enough, now he had to deal with this as well, and on some ridiculously tiny amount of sleep. He was relieved when he got to Ari’s room, knocking gently on the door. “Hey,” he said (probably in a tone reminiscent of Ross in Friends). “I know it’s your shift and all, but do you mind if I just hang out in here for a bit? I could do with some Lyra snuggles.” He felt instantly slightly better as he saw his daughter’s chubby cheeks.

[ariannelupin]

Arianne was enjoying some quiet time. Lyra was in her cot, playing with her mobile, absolutely engrossed with it, and she was taking the opportunity to do some much-needed studying. She’d be taking her NEWTs next year and she felt completely unprepared. It wasn’t like she’d ever thought she’d get amazing grades, but she’d hoped she’d do all right, but having a baby had derailed that a little. She’d had to resit some of her OWL exams just to get enough passes. At a knock on the door, she put the Charms book down, a little relieved. She would have to get Savannah to explain it to her later. At Owen’s tone, she frowned. “Yeah, that’s fine, just-” She cut herself off before she could tell him to make his presence known to Lyra and give her a moment before picking her up; he knew that, he was a good dad. “What’s wrong?” she asked, giving him her patented no-nonsense face so they didn’t start a “nothing-no really-I’m fine-really what’s up” cycle.

[owencantor]

Owen smiled slightly, sensing that Ari had stopped herself from telling him how to deal with Lyra. He made his way over to the cot, waving down at her. “Hello my little sunshine,” he said, taking a few moments before gently picking her up and cradling her. He caught Ari’s eye and saw her face, knowing he’d have to actually talk about it. At least he felt slightly calmer now he was with his favourite person. He sighed, bouncing Lyra gently. “Just had a weird argument with Scorpius. Did you know we’re not friends anymore?” He asked, frowning in consternation.

[ariannelupin]

Ari smiled, watching him interact with their child, and leaned over to tickle Lyra’s tummy. If someone had to come and interrupt her peace, she didn’t mind too much if it was Owen. He was her best friend, after all, and he took such good care of Lyra. She definitely appreciated him more since they’d had a baby together. She frowned at him, wondering what he was on about. “Er, yes? What, is that a surprise? Have you even spoken to him since first year?” It happened; not everyone met their best friend on the first day. She’d hung out with Rosie and Jessie at first, after all, before she’d started spending time with Savannah.

[owencantor]

Owen usually appreciated Ari’s bluntness (although he’d been horrified when she’d told him she was pregnant, at least she’d been straightforward about it), but now he made an unsatisfied face at her. “I mean, I always try and say hey to him, but I guess we haven’t really talked much…” he sighed, shaking his head. “Fine, I guess we’re not actively friends, but I didn’t expect him to hate me as much as he seems to.” There were loads of people at Hogwarts who Owen wouldn’t count as friends but he’d have a conversation with. He’d been startled to realise that Scorpius wasn’t even willing to talk to him.

[ariannelupin]

Ari nodded when he said they weren’t friends, relieved that he could at least admit that. “Yeah, saying hey in the corridors does not a friendship make, babe. I mean, I say hey to Rosie every time I see her, we even have chats about our newborns, but we aren’t friends because she is a psychopath.” At his next words, she sighed, and scrunched up her face. “Owen, you were his only friend, and you dumped him for us. I mean, I’m glad you did, or we wouldn’t have our little bundle of joy, but them’s the facts. There’s a reason Jared always says his dorm is awkward.” Jared had felt guilty much longer than she had: an offhand comment he’d made in fourth year had made her look over at the Hufflepuff table, where Scorpius was sat by himself staring into his dinner, and realise with a jolt that he was always alone. Leigh had shrugged it off with a joke, but Ari and Jared had shared a look, and since then she’d had a vague sense of shame whenever she saw Scorpius. “What did you expect?”

[owencantor]

Rosie was a bit of a psychopath, it had to be admitted, so Owen snorted slightly at that. “Okay, I know that really.” There were plenty of people Owen would say hi to as he passed, whose names he didn’t even know. He winced as she laid down the facts. “I didn’t dump him completely, did I? I mean, he was saying that I never invited him to hang out with us, but I’m sure I did at the beginning, right? And he always had some sort of excuse?” Despite the guilt that was steadily building as she said Owen had dumped Scorpius, he was glad he’d come - Ari was always a good person to talk things through with. “I guess… I just thought we were close enough that it was one of those friendships where you don’t need to talk constantly to stay close. Merlin, I’m an idiot.” He admitted, frowning.

[ariannelupin]

Ari gazed into space for a moment, narrowing her eyes, trying to remember. "I mean... I guess I remember you saying to him, 'we're going to hang!' a couple of times, and him saying he was going to study. I don't know what you said when we weren't there, of course, but maybe you said something similar. It's not exactly an invitation, is it?" She wrinkled up her nose. "Didn't Leigh tell you not to invite him at some point, anyway?" She couldn't remember exactly when it had been, but she was sure Leigh had said something about not inviting his dorky little friend along. Maybe it'd been in a joking tone and Owen hadn't taken much notice. "Well, yeah, but you still have to talk sometimes. Me and Al don't talk as much as we used to, but I can think of at least three times we've hung in the last couple of weeks." She hid her smile as he said he was an idiot. "Yeah, that was always true. I just assumed you didn't want to be friends with him anymore, y'know? That was how it seemed."

[owencantor]

Owen’s head was still spinning as he made his way up to the Gryffindor dorms. Was it really his fault that he and Scorpius hadn’t spoken in ages? Had he been the one to break their friendship? And how had he not noticed that the two of them weren’t really friends? He groaned aloud, narrowing his eyes at some second year Slytherins who turned to stare at him in bemusement. As if being a dad and trying to pass this year wasn’t hard enough, now he had to deal with this as well, and on some ridiculously tiny amount of sleep. He was relieved when he got to Ari’s room, knocking gently on the door. “Hey,” he said (probably in a tone reminiscent of Ross in Friends). “I know it’s your shift and all, but do you mind if I just hang out in here for a bit? I could do with some Lyra snuggles.” He felt instantly slightly better as he saw his daughter’s chubby cheeks.

[ariannelupin]

Arianne was enjoying some quiet time. Lyra was in her cot, playing with her mobile, absolutely engrossed with it, and she was taking the opportunity to do some much-needed studying. She’d be taking her NEWTs next year and she felt completely unprepared. It wasn’t like she’d ever thought she’d get amazing grades, but she’d hoped she’d do all right, but having a baby had derailed that a little. She’d had to resit some of her OWL exams just to get enough passes. At a knock on the door, she put the Charms book down, a little relieved. She would have to get Savannah to explain it to her later. At Owen’s tone, she frowned. “Yeah, that’s fine, just-” She cut herself off before she could tell him to make his presence known to Lyra and give her a moment before picking her up; he knew that, he was a good dad. “What’s wrong?” she asked, giving him her patented no-nonsense face so they didn’t start a “nothing-no really-I’m fine-really what’s up” cycle.

[owencantor]

Owen smiled slightly, sensing that Ari had stopped herself from telling him how to deal with Lyra. He made his way over to the cot, waving down at her. “Hello my little sunshine,” he said, taking a few moments before gently picking her up and cradling her. He caught Ari’s eye and saw her face, knowing he’d have to actually talk about it. At least he felt slightly calmer now he was with his favourite person. He sighed, bouncing Lyra gently. “Just had a weird argument with Scorpius. Did you know we’re not friends anymore?” He asked, frowning in consternation.

[ariannelupin]

Ari smiled, watching him interact with their child, and leaned over to tickle Lyra’s tummy. If someone had to come and interrupt her peace, she didn’t mind too much if it was Owen. He was her best friend, after all, and he took such good care of Lyra. She definitely appreciated him more since they’d had a baby together. She frowned at him, wondering what he was on about. “Er, yes? What, is that a surprise? Have you even spoken to him since first year?” It happened; not everyone met their best friend on the first day. She’d hung out with Rosie and Jessie at first, after all, before she’d started spending time with Savannah.

[owencantor]

Owen usually appreciated Ari’s bluntness (although he’d been horrified when she’d told him she was pregnant, at least she’d been straightforward about it), but now he made an unsatisfied face at her. “I mean, I always try and say hey to him, but I guess we haven’t really talked much…” he sighed, shaking his head. “Fine, I guess we’re not actively friends, but I didn’t expect him to hate me as much as he seems to.” There were loads of people at Hogwarts who Owen wouldn’t count as friends but he’d have a conversation with. He’d been startled to realise that Scorpius wasn’t even willing to talk to him.

[ariannelupin]

Ari nodded when he said they weren't friends, relieved that he could at least admit that. "Yeah, saying hey in the corridors does not a friendship make, babe. I mean, I say hey to Rosie every time I see her, we even have chats about our newborns, but we aren't friends because she is a psychopath." At his next words, she sighed, and scrunched up her face. "Owen, you were his only friend, and you dumped him for us. I mean, I'm glad you did, or we wouldn't have our little bundle of joy, but them's the facts. There's a reason Jared always says his dorm is awkward." Jared had felt guilty much longer than she had: an offhand comment he'd made in fourth year had made her look over at the Hufflepuff table, where Scorpius was sat by himself staring into his dinner, and realise with a jolt that he was always alone. Leigh had shrugged it off with a joke, but Ari and Jared had shared a look, and since then she'd had a vague sense of shame whenever she saw Scorpius. "What did you expect?"

[owencantor]

Owen’s head was still spinning as he made his way up to the Gryffindor dorms. Was it really his fault that he and Scorpius hadn’t spoken in ages? Had he been the one to break their friendship? And how had he not noticed that the two of them weren’t really friends? He groaned aloud, narrowing his eyes at some second year Slytherins who turned to stare at him in bemusement. As if being a dad and trying to pass this year wasn’t hard enough, now he had to deal with this as well, and on some ridiculously tiny amount of sleep. He was relieved when he got to Ari’s room, knocking gently on the door. “Hey,” he said (probably in a tone reminiscent of Ross in Friends). “I know it’s your shift and all, but do you mind if I just hang out in here for a bit? I could do with some Lyra snuggles.” He felt instantly slightly better as he saw his daughter’s chubby cheeks.

[ariannelupin]

Arianne was enjoying some quiet time. Lyra was in her cot, playing with her mobile, absolutely engrossed with it, and she was taking the opportunity to do some much-needed studying. She’d be taking her NEWTs next year and she felt completely unprepared. It wasn’t like she’d ever thought she’d get amazing grades, but she’d hoped she’d do all right, but having a baby had derailed that a little. She’d had to resit some of her OWL exams just to get enough passes. At a knock on the door, she put the Charms book down, a little relieved. She would have to get Savannah to explain it to her later. At Owen’s tone, she frowned. “Yeah, that’s fine, just-” She cut herself off before she could tell him to make his presence known to Lyra and give her a moment before picking her up; he knew that, he was a good dad. “What’s wrong?” she asked, giving him her patented no-nonsense face so they didn’t start a “nothing-no really-I’m fine-really what’s up” cycle.

[owencantor]

Owen smiled slightly, sensing that Ari had stopped herself from telling him how to deal with Lyra. He made his way over to the cot, waving down at her. “Hello my little sunshine,” he said, taking a few moments before gently picking her up and cradling her. He caught Ari’s eye and saw her face, knowing he’d have to actually talk about it. At least he felt slightly calmer now he was with his favourite person. He sighed, bouncing Lyra gently. “Just had a weird argument with Scorpius. Did you know we’re not friends anymore?” He asked, frowning in consternation.

[ariannelupin]

Ari smiled, watching him interact with their child, and leaned over to tickle Lyra's tummy. If someone had to come and interrupt her peace, she didn't mind too much if it was Owen. He was her best friend, after all, and he took such good care of Lyra. She definitely appreciated him more since they'd had a baby together. She frowned at him, wondering what he was on about. "Er, yes? What, is that a surprise? Have you even spoken to him since first year?" It happened; not everyone met their best friend on the first day. She'd hung out with Rosie and Jessie at first, after all, before she'd started spending time with Savannah.

[owencantor]

Owen’s head was still spinning as he made his way up to the Gryffindor dorms. Was it really his fault that he and Scorpius hadn’t spoken in ages? Had he been the one to break their friendship? And how had he not noticed that the two of them weren’t really friends? He groaned aloud, narrowing his eyes at some second year Slytherins who turned to stare at him in bemusement. As if being a dad and trying to pass this year wasn’t hard enough, now he had to deal with this as well, and on some ridiculously tiny amount of sleep. He was relieved when he got to Ari’s room, knocking gently on the door. “Hey,” he said (probably in a tone reminiscent of Ross in Friends). “I know it’s your shift and all, but do you mind if I just hang out in here for a bit? I could do with some Lyra snuggles.” He felt instantly slightly better as he saw his daughter’s chubby cheeks.

[ariannelupin]

Arianne was enjoying some quiet time. Lyra was in her cot, playing with her mobile, absolutely engrossed with it, and she was taking the opportunity to do some much-needed studying. She'd be taking her NEWTs next year and she felt completely unprepared. It wasn't like she'd ever thought she'd get amazing grades, but she'd hoped she'd do all right, but having a baby had derailed that a little. She'd had to resit some of her OWL exams just to get enough passes. At a knock on the door, she put the Charms book down, a little relieved. She would have to get Savannah to explain it to her later. At Owen's tone, she frowned. "Yeah, that's fine, just-" She cut herself off before she could tell him to make his presence known to Lyra and give her a moment before picking her up; he knew that, he was a good dad. "What's wrong?" she asked, giving him her patented no-nonsense face so they didn't start a "nothing-no really-I'm fine-really what's up" cycle.

[ariannelupin]

Ari flung the Floo powder into the fireplace, and stepped in carefully, cradling Lyra, as she said her dads’ address clearly. She was looking forward to a weekend at home: her dads would dote on Lyra, and Tonks would visit, so she might get to have some actual sleep. She felt like she’d been tired ever since she had Lyra; she now knew what people meant when they said they had mum brain. While she’d never been a star student, her grades had slipped since having Lyra. She’d been studying more, leaving Lyra with others, to try to keep up. It had gotten so hard, she’d even considered quitting Quidditch. She stepped out of the Floo and yawned loudly, already considering a nice long nap, and looked around for family. “Teddy!” Well, this was a surprise, and it woke her up slightly. She stepped towards him, beaming, and held out one arm for a hug.