Red feels a seed of brotherly love plant itself into his heart, watching Benji happily praise Matthias (who already sees Benji as a younger brother, almost son even) yet put himself down. The wizard looks at the young Slytherin before the mention of that incident years ago comes up. He’s careful to conceal the discomfort in his features and slowly straightens from his slouch against the table. Red licks his lips and feels his walls come back up, brick by brick. However, Red knows Benji didn’t mean ill from asking and besides, Matthias loves this boy. He can afford to open up to a potential new member of his inner circle.
“We… did. It was hard,” Red begins and looks at Benji with slightly more vulnerable eyes. “I was scared for Wren but she handled herself wonderfully, despite starting her studies years after me. Still, we were both young children. We didn’t get out unscathed.” Red absently touches his side, where he had taken a dangerous spell so Wren would have the chance to unleash something powerful enough to knock all the Death Eaters to the ground. His mother, he can still hear he wailing as he fought tooth and nail to crawl over to her.
“… But we both have grown from the incident. We’re proud of ourselves and take no pity on Death Eater sympathizers.” Red smiles and spells the glass out of Benji’s hand, letting it float away to be cleaned. The Slytherin looks at his younger and gives a shrug. “We’ve moved on. It’s a strange memory to revisit.” He gives Benji a smile.
“I’ve heard much about you though. I know you’re amazing at Herbology, enough to garner much respect and praise from Professor Longbottom. I know you’ve impressed the potions professor multiple times, something I’ve only seen when I was in your year. And…” Red hums and breaks into a pretty smile. “You’re kind. And I enjoy that quality in people, Benji. I hope you’ll be fine if I pursue a friendship with you.”
There’s a moment, where Benji looks at Red and listens to him talk and thinks, this boy seems incredibly sad and lonely. It passes in a blink though, and Benji is left with a surprising amount of praise and something that could be friendship, given enough time. And Benji wasn’t sure he’d be allowed friendship with anyone while at Hogwarts, let alone a supposedly esteemed Jo.
Still, he shakes his head and smiles, crossing his arms lightly in front of his chest, “I don’t really think I’m all that kind, but thanks. You seem really cool, compared to other slytherins.” He keeps his face carefully neutral thinking about the common room and the table in the great hall, and shrugs hard, “I’d like to get to know you better too.”
Benji moves to lock up the store room again, and pushes his dress shirt’s sleeves up, walking over to the large upstanding sink tucked into a corner of the room, talking as he goes, “Honestly, I’m a little surprised the professor mentioned me all that much, with how busy he usually is talking about you and your sister. Most of the time she doesn’t seem to realize her own popularity,” As Benji speaks, he heaves a medium cauldron into the sink, but what comes out of the faucet is a dark purple goo instead of water, that froths when it makes contact with the inside of the cauldron, “But you seem pretty self aware. Don’t you think it’s a bit of a bad idea to be talking to me? I mean, most people from our house don’t really like me, y’know?”
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