The Think Tank

"We, too, could be glorious."

[peterpettygrew]

He felt slightly silly, as there had been no friendships he had made outside of the marauders and the ones that had come along with their little group. No, Chris was someone he was getting to know all on his own, and the entirety of the situation left him feeling strange. 

"Yeah, exactly. I get what you mean. And it’s not like it’s bad or anything, like the food is fuckin’ great around here and I get to eat it with friends and stuff," he shrugged. "But it’s just great to have that little occasion, a tradition or something, I dunno."

"Uh, Lewes." He said, rather confused as to why Chris would want to know. "It’s in East-Sussex." Unsure whether he should return the question, he just added, "It’s a great place, yeah."

[christheclaw]

"I like tradition." He replied with a shy smile, fingers plucking away at a loose thread on his sleeve. He was proud of this friend of his, proud to have made this friend without his siblings interfering or someone taking pity on him. The fact that Peter had, of his own accord, decided to chat with Chris was enough to put him in a good mood. "I haven't seen my siblings in quite a while - many of them are away studying in college, one of my brothers lives in Switzerland now, so I haven't seen some of them since before the summer. We always have Christmas together, though, I'll be pleased to see them again." 

"Oh, I see. I don't think I've ever been... I, uh, I'm from Wales. Little place called Fishguard, it's in South-West Wales. It's got sort of a strange name, but I like it. Peaceful. London was a bit of a shock at first, when I had to get my wand and my owl and such." He wasn't sure if Peter gave a damn about where Chris lived, but offered him the information anyway. 

[marauderingstag-deactivated2015]

James sighed. “Okay good.” He looked around. He needed to have some fun, desperately.

He sighed again. “One of those rule people. It’s fucking sad.”

[christheclaw]

He nodded, heart still thumping wildly from the fright. Still, he could see the downcast expression on the boy's face. "Are you okay?" He asked.

He wanted to say that there was nothing wrong with following the rules from time to time, but felt that James mightn't appreciate it. o instead he simple nodded again, not necessarily agreeing but acknowledging his words. 

[christheclaw]

"It’s the little touches, I think. The Elves cook for hundreds of us, but when my mum cooks I get to smell it as she does so, and often I’d help her by cooking the vegetables or baking the pudding, and we’ve always had cranberry sauce with it regardless of it not being traditional around Christmas because it tastes so good with it. Family traditions will always be so much more important than those of others, or those of our school." His voice was dreamy and a little bit distant, and he was hit with a sudden wave of nostalgia.  "It’s delicious, absolutely."

[peterpettygrew]

Peter felt something strange - endearment, maybe? Or possibly just recognition, because everything Chris said was something he agreed to wholeheartedly. “Oh, yes, family traditions are incredibly important.” He said, nodding, and it was for the first time in quite a while that he didn’t feel uncomfortable talking about his family. Was it because Chris seemed to be like him, and talking to him was so very easy? He wasn’t sure, and in all honesty, he didn’t feel like thinking about the reason why, as he just enjoyed the relaxed state he was in. “Everything is so much more personal than it is when you’re eating at school, and it’s just, I don’t know, rather pleasant to be around people you really fucking love.”

[christheclaw]

Without meaning to, his eyes flickered across Peter's face for a moment, finding enthusiasm and enjoyment and, as he spoke about his family, love. The last time they'd spoken had been pleasant, albeit somewhat awkward, but for their second conversation he reckoned they were doing well.

"Yes, exactly, I understand what you mean. It's less the food and more the conversation that makes it as good as it is. School dinners are very... Anonymous, if you get what I mean. Food by an unseen force." He smiled at his own joke, ruffling his hair up with one hand absently.  "Whereabouts do you live?" He asked nonchalantly, and then paused, turning crimson. "I, um, I didn't... I didn't mean to be intrusive, I meant in general..."

[marauderingstag-deactivated2015]

"Whatever you’re doing, stop. Do you really want a detention?" James then sighed. "Merlin, I’ve become one of them."

[christheclaw]

Chris jumped at the sudden voice behind him, "I, uh... I wasn't doing anything, James. Just, erm, just walking." 

He looked up at James, brow knitting together in a confused frown.  "One of who?"

[peterpettygrew]

"Yeah, yeah, exactly! Like, my mother’s food is as exquisite as the house-elves, but it’s more personal. And the tradition of eating with the entire family just makes it all taste much better. And I agree with that, Christmas pudding is absolutely amazing."

[christheclaw]

"It's the little touches, I think. The Elves cook for hundreds of us, but when my mum cooks I get to smell it as she does so, and often I'd help her by cooking the vegetables or baking the pudding, and we've always had cranberry sauce with it regardless of it not being traditional around Christmas because it tastes so good with it. Family traditions will always be so much more important than those of others, or those of our school." His voice was dreamy and a little bit distant, and he was hit with a sudden wave of nostalgia.  "It's delicious, absolutely."

[christheclaw]

Knock Knock || Christopher and Marlene

[marlene--mcgorgeous]

Marlene pressed her lips together as Christopher stumbled through speech, desperately holding in a giggle. She clasped her hands behind her back as he tripped over a question. It took her a couple moments to sort out what he said, but when it finally processed, she beamed at him full-watt. “Of course I could! We’ll get you sorted out before breakfast in the Great Hall.” She paused, pondering of the logistics of such a thing. “We need a faster form of communication…” she drifted off, thinking maybe they could charm their notes like the Ministry did.

Smiling, Marlene looked back up at Christopher. “Yeah, it’s hard to do the same things over and over. How can you expect to get any better that way? Besides, Dumbledore is always going on about House unity, I think this could be a perfect example.” She nodded seriously, listening to his thoughts on Quidditch. The fire she saw in his eyes was distracting and beautiful, so unlike his earlier countenance. “Other sports? What other sports?” Having been raised a Pureblood, Marlene was mostly ignorant of Muggle sports. She had heard of football and cricket from Lily, so maybe that’s what Christopher was talking about. She didn’t ask, though, for fear of saying the wrong thing and appearing foolish. “And how many siblings do you have?” she asked curiously, thinking of her two older brothers and the things they all used to do together as children.

As the Gryffindor backed up and felt for the door handle, she was confused to see Christopher’s face alight with rejection. When he spoke, she couldn’t help but smile again; how wrong he was. The smile grew as she strode forward and boldly took his hand in hers and tugged him toward the door. “No, silly, you haven’t been keeping me. I lied earlier, I wasn’t looking for James. I was scouting out the castle for a prank I’m planning,” she told him as she wrenched open the door and dragged the poor Ravenclaw behind her. “I just think it’s a good idea to not get caught in the boys’ room,” she added.

[christheclaw]

A smile streaked across his expression, doubtfulness replace with relief and gratefulness. "I appreciate this, I really do. Perhaps I could do something for you in return? If you need a favour, or... Or something, I'm sure I could help out somehow." There was childish eagerness in his tone, eagerness to return the helping hand and prove that he really was as grateful as he informed her. 

"Exactly. that's my opinion on it exactly. If I know everyone's position and ways of playing, I'm never going to learn to think on my feet."  Of course, he thought to himself, she wasn't Muggleborn. She wasn't like him. "Quite a few. Tennis and baseball and rounders and occasionally volleyball, given that we practically lived on the beach there was plenty of room to play. I'm not sure if you know those sports but the first three are a lot like being a Beater, and the last is more or less hitting a Quaffle back and forth over a net. Tennis is volleyball but with a smaller ball and using a racket instead of your hands. It's great fun." He loved the chance to talk about his years as a child - they had been the best years of his life, and while he was proud of how far he'd come he also envied those that were just beginning.  "Four brothers and a sister, all older than I."

"Oh." Relief and realisation met him at once and he let himself be lead out by the hand, ignoring the blush that crept up his neck.  "What kind of prank." He tilted his head slightly to one side at her last words, "Why not?"

[christheclaw]

"I just... Uh... Sorry... 'Scuse me..."

[victorieuxetbelle]

If Chris was going to be her new pet, then Victoria knew that first of all she’d have to make sure that the pet felt comfortable around her. So realising their situation to be certainly to her advantage in most senses, she first of all stepped back a few feet to make him room, smiling at him no longer so cheshire cat-like. 

She did not pick up on the nonchalant tone of the male however and continued to muster the sketches once more, even daring to take one out and look at it closely. “This doesn’t look like nothing.”

[christheclaw]

He was glad when she moved away and gave him some space, and wondered if she'd notice the new note of relief in his tone. Finally he could breathe, comfortable in his own space, and surely if she didn't have his best interests at heart she wouldn't do such a thing as respect his space. He chided himself for being so sceptical before, though a part of him still begged to stand guard.  He liked to ignore that part of his mind. 

Chris's blush deepened as she took one sketch, and even more so when he realised which one it was - in this drawing, two boys sat close together with heads bent over what seemed to be a book. "They're just, uh... They're rough, they're very rough sketches. Unfinished, I mean. Scribbles. I get bored in class sometimes, so this, um, this is a result of that."

[peterpettygrew]

"All food just seems a little, I don’t know, boring compared to the Christmas dinner I’ll be having soon."

[christheclaw]

"There's something about Christmas dinner that has less to do with the food involved and more to do with the fact that it's an occasion, I think. Though I could eat bucketfuls of Christmas pudding..."

[christheclaw]

Knock Knock || Christopher and Marlene

[marlene--mcgorgeous]

Grinning broadly, Marlene just shrugged. “Now what kind of girl would I be if I shared all my secrets?” She winked again, glad that Christopher was slowly coming out of his shell. “Do you mind if I - ?” she started, not bothering to finish the question or wait for permission before moving closer to him again. She touched her wand to his hair again before stepping back slightly. His hair was now more tousled, as if he had just jumped off his broom. “There,” she said softly, thinking that it suited him better that way.

To say that Quidditch was close to Marlene’s heart would be an understatement. Her father had taken her to see the Scottish National Team at least twice every year for as long as she could remember. Her eyes lit up at his words. “Yeah, me too! It’s always nice to practice with someone who’s not on your own team, you know? It’s a good challenge.” 

She tilted her head as she watched Christopher deliberate. “Oh, it’s brilliant! I love it. It’s like, I’m in the game but detached from it at the same time. All I really need to worry about is catching the Snitch after we’ve scored enough points. Well, that and staying away from Bludgers,” she said with a giggle. “How long have you been playing?” she asked him, moving towards the door. It was getting a bit awkward standing in the boys’ room, and she hoped that Christopher wouldn’t mind a walk round the castle with her.

[christheclaw]

"Poor but kind." He said with a smile, "That's what you'd be." He was beginning to get used to her jokes, though he knew that for a long time a wink would make him blush. He doubted he'd ever be quite bold enough to return it - that is, if he even can wink. He wasn't sure. "Go ahead." He replied, though she moved towards him before he could even get the words out. Surprisingly, he was okay with that. After she stepped back, he blinked at himself in the mirror again.  "I like it." He informed her, "Much nicer than usual. Brushes don't work for curls, so... Um... I usually leave it however it is when I wake up." Slight embarrassment could be heard in his voice. "Uh, I don't know how... I mean, I was wondering... Maybeyoucoulddothisagainformeifmyhairisamess?" He forced the words out in a rush, his gaze sheepish. "I'd be grateful, and I'm sure I can do something for you in return."

He watched her light up at the mention of Quidditch, galaxies in her eyes and Christopher had always liked star-gazing.  "It's great, yes. It gives you real practice, not just repeating tactics and strategies with your team over and over again."

Christopher gave a little nod, pretty much hanging onto her every word. It had been a while since someone had bothered to engage him in a conversation like this, and to be honest he was really enjoying it.  "I love being a Beater for the exact opposite reason, actually. You're just in the midst of it all, so many people and Bludgers to keep an eye on, and it's not possible to concentrate on anything other than the game at hand. Quidditch is a good distraction. I've only been playing since second year, but as a child I played a lot of sports with my siblings that used bats and such, so I developed good hand-eye-coordination."

He noticed her edging towards the door, and mistook it for her wanting to end the conversation there. He tried not to let his face fall and failed miserably, disappointment shining through as her hand rested on the handle of the exit. "Oh." He said, "I'm sorry, I've been keeping you from looking for you friend..."

[acciozayn-deactivated20150718]

Max Irons - Elle UK

[christheclaw]

*knock knock*

[moiradurane]

Relief spread through Moira as she realized he didn’t seem angry. Not that she had really expected him to, but she would’ve understood it if he had. “I couldn’t help but..uhm, look. It looked really good! I mean,” quickly she held her hands slightly up as if trying to calm him, before letting her hands drop down on her side again. “I just saw a few of them properly. But they were impressive.”

[christheclaw]

"It's fine, I understand." He said softly, lifting one shoulder in a lazy shrug. He would have done the same thing, most likely. Still, he held his sketchbook almost possessively - hands wrapped around it, thumb idly drawing circles into the cover. It wasn't his only sketchbook, no he had far too many of them to keep count, but this held every idea he'd ever had in relation to his current project. It meant a lot, and panic had been steadily rising when he realised he'd lost it. Until now, of course. Her compliment came as a shock to him. Sure, he loved drawing, but he didn't reckon he was much good at it. After all, he was just some kid with a pencil that happened to like comics. Most of them were just rough sketches, anyway. Nothing special. "They're not much." He said, "I have better. I mean, these are rough, they're not impressive at all."

[christheclaw]

[christheclaw]

The smile didn’t fade, thanks to how it was received. He could tell instantly that he liked this girl - she was interesting, no doubt about it. It was in her smile, her laugh, the way words seemed to just roll off her tongue. He was certain that when she talked in a group,...

[christheclaw]

"Capillum Bellus..." He murmured under his breath, nodding slightly to himself. He looked up, then, voice no longer a whisper. "Again, thank you. You've saved me from ridicule, no doubt... Where did you learn that, if you don't mind me asking? It's not exactly the sort of thing we'd be taught in class, though I'd prefer if we were." He chuckled softly at her words, liking the sound of them. It was a nice thought, that a friendship between them could potentially bloom. He certainly hoped he'd be around her for long enough that a nickname would present itself. Christopher felt her eye him up, and he couldn't quite meet her gaze while under such scrutiny. He could practically see the cogs in her head turning to try work out how exactly he could be the Ravenclaw Beater. He of soft words and gentle movements, though if someone looked hard enough it was more obvious than one would initially thing - his hands were calloused from the bat, and he wasn't lacking in muscle. He was different on the pitch, caution replaced with passion, shyness replaced with competition. Quidditch was an unexpected love, one that reminded him of tennis or baseball or rounders on the beach with his siblings, and one that he hoped he'd never have to give up. L "Yes, we should. I'd like that a lot." He nibbled at his lower lip for a moment, unsure of where to take the conversation but not wanting it to end just yet. No, he was enjoying this far too much. "How is being a Seeker, then? I'd never be able for it... My eyesight isn't all that good, and I'm not nearly fast enough on a broom."

[christheclaw]

*knock knock*

[christheclaw]

His blush deepened to crimson, and he shook his head, hands dropping from his face. “N-no, not like that… Uh, not like that at all.” 

He winced slightly as the sensation of something dragging across his scalp spread over him, though when he next looked in the mirror he was in awe. His hair, which had been almost matted with knots and puffy beyond anything presentable now lay obediently against his head, his curls slightly tousled but in a way that looked purposely messy, not like something small and furry had made it its home.  "You have to teach me that.” He grinned at her, and for a moment his usual shyness melted away, replaced with gratitude.

"Christopher K-Kemble." He replied, shaking her hand. His grip was firm, hands calloused from the Beater’s bat. He was slightly taken aback by the confidence that seemed to just exude from her - it was expected, he supposed, from a friend of James Potter, but still a wave of envy hit him. She looked familiar, but before now he would have shied away from approaching her. Honestly, he wasn’t sure why she was bothering with him. Was this funny, for her? Was she getting some kick out of helping the stuttery, hopeless Ravenclaw?

[marlene--mcgorgeous]

Marlene just chuckled. Clearly, this guy was not into the same type of humor that she was. It came with hanging around the Marauders too much - Sirius specifically. The look on the Ravenclaw’s face when she finished the spell on his hair was priceless, and completely made up for her just barging into the boys’ bathroom.

"Stick with me, I know all the tricks," she replied with a wink. The smile that shone at her seemed to be from a completely different boy for a moment. It made her look twice at him, and Marlene decided then that it was her mission to make that look grace his face more often. "Christopher," she said, trying the name out on her tongue. It suited him. "It’s nice to meet you." It wasn’t often that Marlene took an instant liking to someone. It usually took her awhile to warm up to new people, but there was just something about Christopher that made her feel at ease. 

Suddenly realizing she was staring at the boy, Marlene cleared her throat and stepped back. She didn’t want to scare him this early into a friendship by appearing too bold. Even as that thought crossed her mind, she snapped her fingers and pointed at him. “You play Quidditch, too, right?” 

[christheclaw]

The smile didn't fade, thanks to how it was received. He could tell instantly that he liked this girl - she was interesting, no doubt about it. It was in her smile, her laugh, the way words seemed to just roll off her tongue. He was certain that when she talked in a group, people were drawn to her as he was then. Hopefully she meant well. "Will do." He replied, though he wasn't sure how exactly to react to the wink. He settled with glancing down at his feet for a moment, before looking back up at her. "You can call me Chris, if you'd like to. Most do. Whatever you prefer, really..." 

He blinked, aware of her staring, and that feeling of self consciousness came back. Thankfully, she stopped after a moment. He nodded, "Yes, Beater." He'd met a lot of people who were surprised at this information. Beaters were often outspoken, confident, strong - both their body and their personality. Chris didn't fit into a lot of those stereotypes, so most cast him aside as a supporter when he had a love for the game that rivaled a mere fan.

[christheclaw]

*knock knock*

[marlene--mcgorgeous]

"A rough night, huh?" She leered at him and winked. "Had a quite a few of those myself," she added. Amusement still dancing in her eyes, she walked closer to him and inspected the back of his head critically. "Here," she said, pulling out her wand. With a flick of her wrist, the boy’s hair was put back in order. 

"I’m Marlene, by the way. Marlene McKinnon. I’m not sure we’ve ever been formally introduced." She recognized him vaguely from classes and just from seeing him in the hallways over the years. She just simply couldn’t recall ever actually speaking with him. She stuck her hand out and waited for him to take it.

[christheclaw]

His blush deepened to crimson, and he shook his head, hands dropping from his face. "N-no, not like that... Uh, not like that at all."  He winced slightly as the sensation of something dragging across his scalp spread over him, though when he next looked in the mirror he was in awe. His hair, which had been almost matted with knots and puffy beyond anything presentable now lay obediently against his head, his curls slightly tousled but in a way that looked purposely messy, not like something small and furry had made it its home.  "You have to teach me that." He grinned at her, and for a moment his usual shyness melted away, replaced with gratitude.

"Christopher K-Kemble." He replied, shaking her hand. His grip was firm, hands calloused from the Beater's bat. He was slightly taken aback by the confidence that seemed to just exude from her - it was expected, he supposed, from a friend of James Potter, but still a wave of envy hit him. She looked familiar, but before know he would have shied away from approaching her. Honestly, he wasn't sure why she was bothering with him. Was this funny, for her? Was she getting some kick out of helping the stuttery, hopeless Ravenclaw?

[skullface-ghostlyheart]

"I think its more the texture of them for me. Too slimy and weird." Aura chuckled at his grimace, before smiling widely. "Oh that sounds like a wonderful place to live. I live in the British suburbs of Birmingham, which is no where near as nice as a seaside. Your family sounds wonderful. I wish mine was more like that."  

"Oh I’m like that with my older sister. If she’s cooking we all run for our lives." Aura laughed, the memory of her sisters attempt at a roast dinner still fresh in her mind. Aura found it very easy to laugh with Christopher, and even easier to talk. This she enjoyed, almost as much as she enjoyed Astronomy, and boy, was that a lot.

[christheclaw]

"That's the way I see cauliflower." He shared, for no reason other than that he was sure she wouldn't mind him sharing little facts about himself. "It's so bobbly and strange, like some kind of alien vegetable." He returned her smile with one equally as wide. "My family can be, yes. There's... There are a lot of family members, though. For a small house. Not much to call my own, it very much feels like everyone is so much better at everything than I. I suppose that's how it is with older siblings anyway..." He trailed off, then laughed softly. "I mean, other than the fact that none of them can see any of this." He gestured to the stone walls, to the classroom doors and to themselves. It was nice to have something special to himself, and if that made him selfish then he supposed he was selfish. 

Their laughter came together, and he was unsure where one ended and the other began. He liked that.  "I wouldn't have minded being a little closer to facilities, though... It's quite a cycle from my house to the nearest town."

[christheclaw]

*knock knock*

[moiradurane]

A smile spread over her face as relief went over his. “I found it by the Herbology section, actually.” Then she remembered having seen through the book, and she became a bit ashamed. She hadn’t meant to, but she had thought it was a library book, and so had just gone through the pages without checking for a name first. It had quickly become clear that is was personal though, so she hadn’t seen much of it, feeling like she was snooping into someone else’s stuff. “You like to draw?”

[christheclaw]

"Yes, that makes sense... I was researching a Herbology project..." He mumbled, flicking through the sketchbook quickly to make sure nothing had fallen out or be lost since last he had seen it.  Her question caught him a little bit off guard, though he supposed that he'd have done the same - he wasn't angry at her for looking through it, not at all. He turned slightly pink. "Oh, um... Yes, I do. I love it." 

[skullface-ghostlyheart]

"It was rather, I hope she makes it if I go home for the holidays. I’m not really too keen on tomatoes, I’m not sure why. You bake?" She asked, quite curious. Aura had no cooking or baking skills herself, she could just about make a cup of tea without ruining it.

"Oh, well I think they should. You’re welcome." She smiled, and moved next to him to lean against the wall.

[christheclaw]

"Tomatoes can be good, but they can also be horribly sour and the only way to tell is to take a bit." He winced slightly at the memory of unripe tomatoes, before nodding shyly at her. "Aura, I live in a cottage by the Welsh seaside. The stereotype wouldn't be complete without an extensive family who can all cook and bake to their hearts content." He grinned at his joke, before reconsidering, "Alright, maybe not all of us. My other brother and my sister share a love for greasy takeaway that my love for soup can just about rival. I wouldn't touch anything they cooked for fear of poisoning."

This was easy, and easy was nice. Calm, quiet, enjoyable banter passed between them. This he could do for hours.