Two new friends pv Simon Kincaid

His dormitory, the Hufflepuff Common Room, the doorway to the Kitchens, the Great Hall, the Library - those were all locations that Simon had already attempted to search for his small little gray rodent friend. Obviously, Rascal thought now was a good time for him and Simon to play a game of Hide and Seek and didn't care what other plans might have been in the words.

It was during the planning of a possible first PULSE meeting for the year, Simon's healing club, that Simon looked up from his notebook and realized that Rascal wasn't sleeping away on his cozy little favorite spot of his on the cage that rested upon the desk in his dorm. Usually that meant that Rascal had taken up a new sleeping place upon his bed but no, he wasn't there either. That started Simon's search and when he scowdered and searchde place after place - he was quite certain that Rascal was making this a game of Hide and Seek - one that he wasn't really wanting to play right now but he had no choice. Many students had other pets there at Hogwarts - some being owls and cats and snakes and some had owls and cats and snakes that weren't particularly kind to old small gray rats; especially when hungry.

"Rascallllllll," Simon drew out the last syllable in the name as he had grown tired of saying it. He had now made his way up to the third floor of the castle and thought maybe perhaps he'd try the Hospital Wing. Sometimes visitors there would get a large amount of treats sent to them from their families or friends and maybe, just maybe, that would lure in a particularly food-driven rat.

Passing by the Trophy Room on his way to the Hospital Wing, he saw someone inside sitting on a bench. He gave them a small smile and continued on his way but about three steps later he realized that that someone had something in their lap and it just so happened to be a gray rat, lapping up the attention that they were getting. That sounded like a particular rat he knew.

Simon stopped and doubled back, making his way back those three steps and stood in the doorway of the Trophy Room. "Hello," he greeted the other student and smiled again. "...Did you perhaps find that rat or is it yours? It bears a striking resemblance to my own if not. He likes to wander...."

Olivia looked at the student in front of her. He was older than her, sixth year if she had to guess, a Hufflepuff. He asked about the rat she had found. “No, it’s not mine,” Olivia replied, petting the rat. “I just found it under the bench. Is it yours?” she asked him, walking up to him.

“I haven’t done anything to it, just… petted it,” she said quickly to reassure him that she was a good person. She smoked over the rat and then introduced herself. “Olivia Williams, second year, Gryffindor,” she said as formally as she could. She had never spoken to a student that much older than her, so she really didn’t want to mess up.

It felt rude to just leave him right after that, so Olivia asked, “Does he run away often?” referring to the rat. Animals were something she could talk about without losing interest, and this particular rat was really cute. “What’s its name?” she asked him, looking at the rat. “And what’s your name?” she asked quickly after that so as not to seem rude.

Then there was silence for a moment. “Uh… what’s your favorite subject?” Olivia blurted out to fill the silence. She really didn’t want to be rude, really didn’t.

When Rascal heard his voice, it seemed to sort of look away quickly as if he knew he was caught. Could rats be that perceptive? Simon didn't put anything passed his. He was named Rascal for a reason and lived up to his name time and time again.

When the girl walked closer to him, Rascal stretched up towards Simon as if apologizing and he smiled, telling from the demeanor and one streak of white that it was definitely his pesky rodent. "That's Rascal, alright. He likes to make trouble and make my life more interesting," he said and transfered the rat over to his own hands. "You've got to stop running away like this, mate," he said as he held his pet up to his eye level and then shook his head before stuffing him comfortably into the crocheted pocket added onto the outside of his enchanted satchel. The rat curled up happily inside.

"I'm Simon. Simon Kincaid," he introduced himself. "Pleasure to meet you, Olivia." He smiled, glad to have met someone new as he always enjoyed getting to meet his Hogwarts schoolmates. "I think I like Herbology and Potions best," he answered and then came and sat down on the bench near a row of trophies. He patted the space beside him and then went to the main compartment of his bag and pulled out a bag of lemon drops. "What about yours? And would you care for a lemon drop?"

They were his favorite candy, although he didn't normally like most sweet tasting things. Lemon seemed to sometimes be the exception for him and lemon drops were a taste he did like. He ate them often and always carried them around with him.

Olivia nodded at his name and smiled. When he patted the spot next to her, she sat down. “Yes, thank you,” she said, taking a lemon drop from the bag he held out. She had tasted them once before and thought they were quite tasty. “Well,” she continued. “Potions and Herbology are very interesting subjects.”

She thought about it. “You’ll probably think I’m crazy now, but I’m quite fascinated by the History of Magic. It’s very interesting to read about what has happened and how it affects our present,” she explained, tucking a strand of her hair behind her ear. “But I’m so looking forward to next year when I get to start reading Care for Magical Creatures. I love magical creatures, my mother was a magizoologist,” she said, fingering the sleeve of her shirt.

She thought about something else to say. “Your rat is very cute,” she said, pointing in Rascal’s direction. “I wish I could have my own pet, but it doesn’t really work for me. Too much homework and other things taking up my free time. The only animal I could take proper care of would be a walking stick,” Olivia said, laughing a little to herself.

“Anyway. I didn’t catch what grade you were in,” she said to Simon. “Let me guess… like fifth, sixth or seventh?”

"Sixth year. Super old," Simon flashed a smile. He didn't always feel like an upperclassman although he certainly looked like one and had his mind set on the future like one. He had already begun and internship with St Mungos when he was back home in London when not at Hogwarts. That was a good start.

"Taking on a pet isn't so difficult. Get one that likes to sleep like this guy," he said of Rascal. Rascal didn't seem to deny it. "I think this one saves up his energy for these sorts of fiascos." He slipped Rascal back into the crocheted pocket that was attached to the outside of his enchanted satchel. "They have those one things, bowtruckles....they're like walking sticks but spukier."

Simon wasn't sure that someone could have a bowtuckle as a pet though. He wasn't big on magical creaturs - not because he didn't like animals, its just his facination with the wizarding world seemed to go other directions, that was all.

Simon glanced around the room. "I haven't been in here too often," he admitted. "I once browsed the names," but saw no mention of his mother. It made sense though, she seemed quite lowkey. "I always thought it might be fun to make up some fake awards and leave in here. Like, Lifetime Achievement in Avoiding Homework or Most Spectacular Fall Off a Broom or Most Suspicoiusly Coincidental Illness on Test Day."

Those might be amusing, although - potentially hurtful. "Then again, I also thought it would be fun to make some Hufflepuffish sort of ones as well. Make this a space where everyone feels included. There could be the You're Doing Your Best award and uh, the Made It Through The Week cup. These could be one that's could be charmed to magically update names depending upon who was reading them."

It was an idea. He wasn't sure how practical. Still, he thought for some it might mean something. "What brings you this way?"

Olivia brightened up and smiled back at Simon, he seemed very nice. When he mentioned bowtruckles, she smiled even more. “My mother, as I mentioned, was a magizoologist and she actually took care of a whole herd of bowtruckles. I got to see them a few times, wonderful creatures,” Olivia hurried to say while fingering her bracelet.

When he talked about fake awards, Olivia laughed. “That would actually be really fun,” she replied, god how long it had been since she laughed and led like this. When he mentioned Hufflepuffish awards, Olivia nodded enthusiastically. “That actually sounds like a great idea.”

“What brings you this way?” Simon then asked. Olivia tried to think of a good answer to that question. “Yeah,” she began. “I’m not much for crowds, so now that most people are outside, I took the opportunity to wander around the castle a bit and somehow I ended up here.” She looked around the trophy room.

“You know,” she said then. “My dad is actually at an award show in here.” She pointed to one wall. “Hogwarts duelling champion: Marc Williams.” Olivia almost felt a little proud that her dad had left a mark on Hogwarts. “He’s an Auror, you see.” There was a moment of silence. “What do your parents work as?”

Magizoologist sure sounded like a fascinating career and he could tell that her mother had a longstanding influence on her. Maybe she'd become one herself someday or maybe she'd work with dragons the way the first and second year Simon Kincaid had wanted to. His sights were set quite differently now these days and he was sure of his upcoming future career path - he just had to work to get there.

She mentioned not being one for crowds and Simon respected that. He was more than perfectly content being amongst a crowd, liked a group of friends, enjoyed a small gathering, and found pleasure in a one-to-one conversation such as now. What he struggled with was being nalone. He had never done alone very well and assumed that it was probably just part of his nature and would always be that way.

When Olivia mentioned her father's award, he looked to where she was pointing and stood up to walk over to it to really see it, to read it. "That is so awesome," he said as he read the words. "Duelling is absolutely mad," he said but laughed. "I'm not knocking it at all, not at all. One has to be very brave and confident for such a sport. I could never." His girlfriend had been a duellist for some time though so he had gone to all her matches.

"Come over here," he called her and hoped that she might. Upon returning to the bench, he opened up his enchanted satchel that he always had with him and reached inside for something. "I've got my wizarding camera in here and would like to take your picture next to your father's award for you. I'll give you the copy when I develop it." If she'd agree, the two could head over next to it so he could snap a photo and Simon was careful to stand just to the side so not to wash out the words with the flash.

"I bet being a winning duellist sure helped pave his way to becoming an auror," he said, unsure how his new friend felt about that or her father in general. Maybe it was just him but she just didn't seem to carry the same warmth she did when she spoke of her mother. Maybe her father was gone a lot. Maybe she worried about him in such a high risk job.

"My parents?" he asked and faltered. It was the first time someone asked him about his parents directly and he couldn't say something about his mother and not knowing his father or something about his mother and his father and his relationship was difficult. It was the first time that someone had asked since he had been parentless. "Oh, uh," he paused, trying to think what the question was again. Right. "For work...."

He sat back down on that bench and looked around the trophy room, appreciating the dim lighting of the space because it made it more calming. He could see why Olivia had gravitated there. "My mum worked in a diner but always wanted to own a floral shop," he said easily. He didn't hold many actual memories of her, as unfortunate as that was, so he didn't truly miss her - just missed having her. "And my father, he.... he..."

Wow. It was never so difficult for Simon Kincaid to converse. He what? He was a manipulative authoritarian who tried to control the lives of those around him? Or maybe he could try and be civil and sugarcoat it, saying his father was a business man and a group leader and a 'religious man.'

He didn't know what to say but he had to say something because he had already started his sentence and Olivia was probably already wanting him far away from her. "He was a uhh, a leader of his vampire coven." Still truth but left out so, so much.

Maybe Simon was still being affected by the events that transpired over the past summer.

With his statement, maybe Olivia would be scared that he was a dhampir and the conversation would come to an end and two new friends would never come to be in the trophy room that day at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

But if in case she stayed, he decided it best to continue. He had talked of his mother, of his father - both in past tense - and it had been quite difficult. So onward to something that was able to comfortably talk about and that was his homelife. It may not be conventional to most, but it was such a wonderful family. "My aunt, now my Aunt Maggie that's raised me since I was 3, she owns this wonderful bookstore and bakery in London and my Uncle Mark owns a steakhouse."

The trophy room went completely silent. Olivia just looked at Simon for a long, long moment. Then she smiled. A small, almost sad smile. “My mom… she died when I was five… and my dad, he works all the time. I don’t have any relatives, not that I know of.”

She took a step closer to Simon. “So if your dad was a vampire… does that mean you’re one too?” she asked cautiously, but there was no fear in her voice. She took another step. “I was attacked by a werewolf when I was three… I’m a… a werewolf.”

She looked Simon straight in the eyes. “I don’t care if you’re a vampire, human, or part troll. I want to be your friend anyway,” Olivia said and smiled. It was quiet and peaceful in the trophy room.

Then she nudged Simon playfully in the side. “That picture you were talking about. I don’t think we should take it off me and some old boring award. I think we should take it off something that actually means something.”

Then she smiled again and sat down on the bench. “How do you want me?” she asked, tilting her head to one side and smiling even wider.

He was glad that was out in the open but it still didn't make the loss any easier and Simon suspected that perhaps Olivia felt the same in her statement of her mother. Losing anyone, whether you remembered them vividly, whether you weren't on good terms with them - was still hard; especially when family.

"I'm sorry to hear about your mum," Simon said as truthfully as one could be. He knew how that must mean a varied mix of emotions for Olivia throughout all of her childhood. There was no doubt. There was missing, there was longing, there were the 'what ifs.' And then to have the other parent work all the time? Must be lonely.

And then she admitted being a werewolf and Simon smiled, an understanding grateful sort of smile. Sometimes it was nice to cross another halfbreed at Hogwarts, especially one that would openly admit it - even if only amongst the trophies in the Trophy Room. "Close.... I sort of realized that being a dhampir and being half vampire doesn't truly mean being half vampire to vampires whilst I was trying to get to know my father and his coven. They're not very accepting. Dhampir would be term, I suppose," he shrugged.

"I think I'd like to have made a new friend today as well. "Pleasure to meet you, friend Olivia," he said as he extended out his hand for a proper handshake but smiled warmly. "And we're going to find that Marc Williams trophy and take your portrait with it."

Still though, she was on the bench right now and Simon came and sat next to her. "We'll start with a friendship portrait." With camera in hand, he turned it around so that he could take a selfie with it. Simon wouldn't be 100 percent certain it would turn out, but the attempt could no less be made.

"Think you'll follow in his footsteps and be a dueler?" Duelling seemed the most tricky of all the sports Hogwarts had to offer according to Simon. His girlfriend was one for quite some time and he always worried about her.

"And, now that our friendship is forged....tell me what you like to do with yourself - hobbies and interests. We're friends now and sometimes at Hogwarts that means as good as family. You just might be stuck with me so we need to spend some time together doing something when you get the chance to between coursework and all."