You Drive Me Insane pv. Prat Pass

date ; summer mentions ; @siobhan mccarty languages ; english | thoughts

Killarney ; location 1470+ ; wordcount ; ooc notes

XXXXX Prat had spent the better half of the night inside what muggles in their world referred to as a Car, a rather ingenious little box made of metal and some applied mathematics that managed to move people hundreds of miles while requiring absolutely none of them to hold a broomstick. Unlike many purebloods his age, he neither feared nor dismissed muggle inventions. His aunt made certain of that years ago, much to the horror of certain elderly relative of theirs who still believed anything without an inherent magical attachment was either inefficient or actively plotted against wizardkin.

If work smarter not harder was a person, they'd be his opposite.

Personally, Prat found cars to be rather comfortable, particularly the expensive ones his parents had insisted he travel in. The journey from London all the way to Killarney stretched close to a good eleven hours , and yet none of it unpleasant.

The first stretch of the divine remained uneventful. London slowly surrendered itself to quieter countryside as Oxford disappeared behind them, followed by Birmingham, Stafford and countless rolling fields that all looked vaguely identical once enough hours had passed. Still, Prat found himself watching through the window with amusement. This was becoming something of a tradition for the lad, every holiday seemed to carry him somewhere new instead of being trapped inside the familiar walls of his family estate. And while he loved home well enough, adventure was significantly harder to resist.

The family had spent the previous few days exactly as one would expect of them. His mother had fussed over packing enough clothes for a week despite his insistence while his father reviewed travel arrangements with a military precision he was renowned for. The sibling however, had demanded all of his available time, down to the very last second for herself before reluctantly allowing him to leave; only after she'd extracted several impossible promises regarding a few certain souvenirs.

His parents had even gone so far to produce an itinerary. Prat treated it less like a schedule and more like inspirational and totally optional reading material. The greatest hurdle in his journey wasn't even the logistics.

It was convincing two very traditionally raised pureblood parent that would allow their son to spend an entire week living with a muggle family, ensuring that it wouldn't somehow unravel centuries of magical civilization. Fortunately for him, both had grown considerably more reasonable over the years. However, the entire arrangement remained carefully hidden from one particular set of eyes.

Grandfather.

Prat could already picture the old man's expression if he discovered his only heir voluntarily staying inside a muggle household with a muggle girl and her family. The estate might genuinely require structural repairs afterward.

Thankfully, his parents understood some information simply never needed to reach certain ears.

His escort throughout the journey had been Sophia, one of the family's butlers and perhaps the most sensible and fitting choice imaginable. Barely into her thirties, possessing snow-white hair, striking blue eyes and enough experience navigating both magical and non-magical society to make the entire journey appear effortless, Sophia had served the family for about half a decade, give or take after entering service through the Head Butler himself. Being half-blood allowed her to move naturally between both worlds, making the arranging international travel remarkable uncomplicated.

Inside, the car resembled less a vehicle and more a travelling sitting room. Soft leather seats, enough space for Neoth to comfortably curl beside him, refreshments tucked neatly away within polished compartments....Prat could hardly complain.

The ferry crossing proved considerably more interesting. Rather than remaining inside, both he and Sophia stepped onto the deck where the cool air greeted them alongside endless stretches of water broken only by distant seabirds and the occasional fish breaching the surface. Sophia pointed out landmarks along the coastline while Neoth enthusiastically investigated every smell available before eventually deciding Prat's shoes remained the safest place to sit.

Somewhere after leaving the ferry behind, exhaustion finally caught up to him. Supported by a travel pillow, wrapped beneath a blanket and accompanied by the comforting weight of Neoth sleeping against his side, Prat surrendered to sleep with a lack of resistance.

Sophia woke him roughly an hour before their destination.

Morning sunlight filtered through the windows while Ireland slowly unfolded outside in brilliant shades of green. They stopped briefly at a countryside inn where all three travellers freshened up. Neoth received an enthusiastic brushing after collecting entirely too much fur during the drive, Sophia disappeared long enough to emerge looking as impeccably professional as ever, while Prat enjoyed a hot shower before changing into fresh clothes.

Breakfast followed shortly afterwards.

A full english was certainly tempting, but he ultimately settled on something hearty alongside an aggressively oversized chocolate milkshake that Sophia silently judged him for without ever actually saying so. Then they continued. The now rested boy found himself considerably more awake than he cared to admit, though excitement remained something he'd never willingly confess aloud.

Seeing Siobhan again after weeks apart...well. It was nice. Entirely normal so. Probably. Before arrival, inspiration had struck as he hastily borrowed parchment from the hotel, produced what could generously be described as the world's least elegant Braille message and dispatched an owl carrying exactly three words.

Get the door.

Nothing else, not even a hint of explanation. Perfect, it was all so perfect.

By the time the owl reached its destination, their car rolled quietly to a stop outside what Prat could only assume to be the McCarty household. Even before he could make his approach, Prat could hear voices spilling through the walls. Loud and animated as entire conversations somehow occurred simultaneously.

It did lack the rigid order he'd grown accustomed to inside his own house, where conversations occurred one at a time and interruptions bordered on social crimes. But this was oddly pleasant too.

Then a particular sentence drifted through their door as his lips betrayed him immediately.

"Siobhan, is that from your boyfriend?"

A grin appeared before he could prevent it and moments later came the exact response he'd expected. "He's not my boyfriend! He's just....a friend!"

Mhm, sure, all friends routinely held hands, blushed around each other and exchanged kisses after all.

Entirely platonic behaviour. And Prat would be wise to keep those observations to himself.

He waited another few seconds, estimating she'd be approaching the front door by now, before knocking loudly enough to announce his arrival. Several heavy knocks into the house door. Almost immediately came what sounded suspiciously like someone face planting.

Oops.

The door swung open, standing before him wasn't Siobhan; instead stood a younger girl as she stared excitedly before immediately turning back towards the house. "Mamyr! Papa! Siobhan's boyfriend is here!"

"...I'm not her boyfr—" Too late, she'd already disappeared.

Sophia meanwhile offered Prat a deeply amused smile from driver's seat before smoothly turning the car round and driving away without the slightest of intentions to rescue him from the social catastrophe she'd left him in. The owl too departed alongside her. Bloody Traitor.

Neoth proved significantly more loyal. The half-crup bounded enthusiastically through the open doorway the instant permission presented itself, disappearing into the house with unmistakable enthusiasm of a being searching for Toaster.

Prat, meanwhile, found himself face to face with Siobhan. Still dressed in her pajamas. Still looking remarkably like a startled deer caught in carriage lanterns. He couldn't help himself as a smile tugged at his lips. "Good morning," he greeted warmly. "You look awfully homely today. Quite a sight."

After allowing the joke exactly enough time to exist, he gestured politely towards the entrance.

"May I come in?"

Receiving no objection, he stepped carefully inside before placing his suitcase neatly beside the doorway, smoothing an imaginary wrinkle from his sleeve almost automatically.

Only once he'd entered did he properly register the audience. Quite a lot of audience. Presumably the McCarty family. Every pair of eyes seemed directed somewhere vaguely in his direction. Prat simply smiled.

Years of formal dinner, Ministry galas and aristocratic gatherings had prepared him for significantly more intimidating rooms than this. Offering the family a courteous inclination of his head, his posture remained perfectly straight.

"Good morning," he said with a polished ease. "My name is Prat Pass. I'm Siobhan's friend from Hogwarts. It's a genuine pleasure to finally meet all of you. Siobhan's talked a lot about you all. Thank you very much from welcoming me into your home."

xx

𝐒𝐓𝐀 𝟕 | 𝐄𝐕𝐀 𝟏𝟎 | 𝐒𝐓𝐑 𝟔 | 𝐖𝐈𝐒 𝟕 | 𝐀𝐑𝐂 𝟕 | 𝐀𝐂𝐂 𝟏𝟑 𝐅𝐄𝐀𝐑𝐋𝐄𝐒𝐒 | 𝐋𝐎𝐕𝐄𝐋𝐘 𝐂𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐓𝐔𝐑𝐄 | 𝐄𝐕𝐀𝐒𝐈𝐕𝐄 𝐌𝐀𝐍𝐄𝐔𝐕𝐄𝐑𝐒 coded by elena clark | banner by esme hestridgexx

x

⋅•⋅⊰∙∘☽༓☾∘∙⊱⋅•⋅

Stats: sta 7 ⊹ eva 9 ⊹ str 7 ⊹ wis 10 ⊹ arc 8 ⊹ acc 7 | Date: 22/07/26 | Time: | CC:#2E8B57
────────────────────────────────

"May I come in?"

Prat's voice was directly across from her and Siobhan was dressed in her oldest pajamas. Well not old to her per-se. They where new to her this summer, but they had been Agatha's only a week or so ago and as far as she knew these might have been from nearly two summers back. Siobhan could already feel the morning crispness break at her wrists from the lack of length the sleeves had any more. The shorts only came down to about knee length but if she moved too quickly they would rise higher to her thigh. Had perhaps she remembered that today was the 22nd of July, then maybe she would have been dressed and not looked like a rat had climbed through her hair as she had slept. But lack of sight unfortunately does mean a lack of physical calendars.

Before Siobhan could shove Prat out of the mudroom, her family had already appeared at the summons of her younger sister's excited scream. Her mother likely had Kaitlyn firmly held against her so that she could not run over to Prat and begin to bother him.

Listening to Prat's greeting sounded less like words and more like the sweet sound of tinnitus as she lost the only other sense that made sense for a blind girl. She was sure that he was utilizing some sort of devious charming aspect to move her parents into thinking he was less of a Prat than he was. It wasn't until she felt the worn out hand of her father on her shoulder that she was brought back into the realm of the present and her father's voice permeated the plans she had to keep everyone away from everyone.

"Any friend of Siobhan's is welcome here lad. My name is Niall and she's Ophelia. You're free to call us by our names, or by Mr. and Mrs. McCarty-"

"Oh Niall, hush. You can call me Ophelia, hun." Her mother interrupted, waving whatever her father said off. Siobhan hid her face in her hands as if she could save herself from the amount of people around them. Eoghan and Declan greeted Prat quickly before they left with her father to continue their morning work and Ophelia ushered the rest of the kids out of the hall. Leaving Siobhan and Prat standing alone in the front room.

Siobhan didn't say anything for a minute. As soon as she opened her mouth though, the loud heavy sound of her Bernese Mountain dog, Porter, came barreling into both herself and Prat, barking as he chased Toaster and something else. If she had to guess it was probably Neoth, Prat's adorable crup. Who was also nearly 1/4th the size of Porter and likely scared out of his mind. Siobhan whistled at Porter, a mistake, and was subsequently knocked back on the floor by her dog who attacked her with slobbery kisses.

"Porter! Porter! Gow sheese dty lhiannoo!" She half-scolded the dog as she managed to push the nearly 120lbs of furball off of her. Porter rolled over and quickly padded over to Prat in a much more dignified manner like he hadn't just chased Neoth and Toaster into the room and barreled into Siobhan.

"Sorry about Porter. His main form of socialization is sheep. Let alone a puppy like Neoth. He's really a sweet dog, just... fluffy and a little lick-heavy." Siobhan offered as a half-apology. She was pretty confident that Prat had a look of utter disgust on his face over the amount of drool that Porter tended to exhibit. Thankfully, it was as if her father could sense the plight that her dog was causing the poor kid and his call of "Madra tréada!" sent Porter after the sheep to keep them from wandering over the knocks.

The day was already quickly getting on but thankfully with the open door and the morning wind chill it reminded Siobhan that she still needed to get dressed and that standing in the middle of the walkway wouldn't stop the march of time. Aside from quite literally just rolling out of bed, she was being a terrible host. Even if her guest perhaps had been neglectful in reminding her that he was showing up in any other way than "get the door."

"You probably need a minute to decide if you're running away. I know my family can be a lot and being cuddled by my dog probably wasn't any help." Siobhan offered sincerely. She did mean it too. From the minimal amount of information she had about Prat's family, he probably wasn't used to this many people in one go. When the sound of departing running did not meet her ears, Siobhan turned and gestured to the more interior areas of her house.

From the outside, the McCarty home looked very much like a traditional country cottage. Inside was a mishmash of personality, an attempt at a cohesive theme, and life. Housing a family of eight and soon-to-be ten wasn't easy the farther out in the Irish country you got. However they made it work with well timed scheduling and the acceptance of elbows in faces. The house comprised of two stories- the first floor being mostly kitchen and living room but also housing the oldest of the family, her parents in one room - Eoghan and his fiancee Abigail in the other, and the second floor corralling the rest of them in a girls room and a boys room. They were spacious, but cramped in the way that sharing rooms with a sibling became and selfishly, Siobhan did miss her dorm room and the semblance of privacy that a drawn curtain could offer. It was basically her own room. Alphonse was only there for his books at this point.

"You can have a choice of where you want to stay- normally we let guests stay in the living room but my moir- mum, thought maybe you'd like to stay in my brother's room? She's been very interested in the whole... pureblood culture thing... but like not like that- just" Siobhan fumbled as she walked Prat through the house pointing out the various necessities as best she could. "Declan and Cillian aren't awful just- well- actually I'll let you decide that."

Once they had decided where he would stay, Siobhan excused herself to get dressed and returned only a few moments later in something more appropriate for wandering around outside. She picked up Toaster and walked towards the kitchen where her mother and Kaitlyn were prepping vegetables for the dinner roast and the separate dish that Agatha and Siobhan would be eating. Ophelia looked up at both kids with a smile and gestured to the cut bowl of apples and strawberries. Fresh from the field and the orchard.

"Did you get all your belongings settled hun? I hope Siobhan showed you everything you needed. I don't know what in the house you might not be used to, with us being- what's that word?" She asked looking to Siobhan

"Muggle, moir"her daughter offered quietly

"Right- Muggle. But if you need something you won't be lost for someone to help. Niall and myself are happy to explain or get anything you need. Did you want to call your parents to let them know you made it here safely?"

Siobhan couldn't help the slight twist in her gut as her mother offered the phone on the wall to Prat. Did he know what it was? Or even how to use it? She wasn't sure but even if he did it was more than likely that his family did not own one. As much as she had tried to explain the difference in culture and the worlds apart, her family would always be part of the misunderstanding. All she could hope for was that Prat wasn't offended by anything that anybody said this week.

Despite Siobhan's lack of sight, she knew that the counter space would provide a slight form of cover as she reached for Prat's hand and found his wrist. Her fingers slipped around it and gently signaled for him to follow her.

"We'll be outside. I was going to show him around the land."

─────

────────────────────────────────
|

Manx Translations: Gow sheese dty lhiannoo (Get off, you pup), Moir (Mother)
Irish translations: Madra tréada! (Herd dog!)
𝑴𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒊𝒏𝒈: @Prat Pass

⋅•⋅⊰∙∘☽༓☾∘∙⊱⋅•⋅

date ; summer mentions ; @siobhan mccarty languages ; english | thoughts

Killarney ; location 1640+ ; wordcount ; ooc notes

XXXXX Prat would be lying if he said he hadn't imagined this moment more than once during the long journey across England and Ireland, although every version in his mind had fabricated the idea of Siobhan greeting him after having been awake for at least an hour and looking vaguely presentable.

Reality, as it often enjoyed being with her, had decided to be way funnier than his wildest dream. Standing in the doorway with sleep that still clung to her voice, with hair resembling the aftermath of a duel between a nest of bowtruckles and a particularly determined breeze. Her clothes looked like hand-me-down pajamas, a concept Prat was unfamiliar with but who was he to judge. Yet, despite all this, she managed to still look exactly like herself, only with ever carefully maintained piece of composure temporarily misplaced beneath covers. Prat suppressed his grin before it could grow into something far more obvious.

Perhaps his judgement had become hopelessly compromised over the last few months but he honestly thought she looked quite...adorable.

Before either of them could exchange more than a handful of words, the remainder of the McCarty household seemed to materialize from every conceivable direction he could guess, transforming the quiet entranceway into something resembling the organized chaos one would only expect from a household so vast. Prat straightened instinctively, years of etiquette lessons slipped into place before conscious thoughts of his even had opportunities to intervene.

"My name is Prat Pass," he introduced himself with an easy smile that had clearly been rehearsed through years of diplomatic family gatherings. "My name is Prat Pass. I'm Siobhan's friend from Hogwarts. It's a genuine pleasure to finally meet all of you. Siobhan's talked a lot about you all. Thank you very much from welcoming me into your home."

The first response came from the broad shouldered man whom Prat immediately identified as Siobhan's father. "Any friend of Siobhan's is welcome here, lad. My name is Niall and she's Ophelia. You're free to call us by our names, or by Mr and Mrs. McCarty—"

"Oh, Niall, hush," Ophelia interrupted with effortless warmth. "You can call me Ophelia, hun" Her family was sending mixed signals and Prat could not for the life of them, understand them one bit.

Prat blinked once before he glanced sideways towards Siobhan, only to find her hiding behind both hands as though wishing the floorboards would kindly open and swallow her being entirely. He understood the feeling, families possessed as extraordinary ability to dismantle years of carefully cultivated dignity within seconds.

"I believe I'll stick with Mr and Mrs McCarty for the time being," he replied diplomatically, inclining his head with same polished courtesy his parents had drilled into him since childhood. "However, thank you though, I appreciate it."

Two older boys—Declan and Eoghan if he remembered right; offered brief greetings before departing alongside Niall, likely heading towards whatever peasant work the farm demanded that morning, while her mother gently shepherded the younger siblings elsewhere, finally leaving the entrance quiet enough for Prat and Sio, leaving them in enough solitude for him to believe conversation might actually begin then.

It didn't.

Instead, something approximately the size of a small bear came charging through the hallway at them. The Bernese Mountain Dog collided enthusiastically with both while pursuing toaster and Neoth. Neoth, who immediately demonstrated remarkable intelligence by sprinting for his life. Considering Porter outweighed the young half-crup several times over, Prat couldn't exactly blame Neoth.

"Porter! Porter! Gow sheese sty Ihianoo!"

Whatever Siobhan had just said clearly resonated with the dog and carried authority as the enormous dog redirected most of his attention towards enthusiastically covering her face in slobber instead. Prat took three very deliberate steps backwards.

Absolutely not.

He wanted no involvement whatsoever with the very horrifying exchange of saliva currently unfolding before him, especially while wearing clothes that had survived as eleven-hour journey without incident. His wardrobe had endured enough already. Eventually, Porter abandoned Siobhan's face and wandered towards him instead.

Prat hesitated, but now, the dog looked harmless. Large and imposing but still Harmless.

Against what he suspected was better judgement, he extended one cautious hand and porter accepted the offering immediately.

"...Right," Prat muttered under his breath as enormous amounts of fluffy fur greeted his hands. "You're significantly softer than you have business being."

A few scratches behind the ears quickly evolved into proper pats despite his earlier reservations. "Sorry about Porter," Siobhan apologized. "His main form of socialization is sheep. Let alone a puppy like Neoth. He's really a sweet dog, just...fluffy and a little lick-heavy."

"Fluffy and heavy are definitely the words i'd use to describe him," Prat laughed, withdrawing his hand before Porter could decide to grace the pureblood with some unnecessary drool. "It's alright though. I don't mind him. He's basically a friendly fluffy battering ram."

A louder voice echoed from elsewhere on the property.

"Madra tréada!"

Porter's ears perked instantly before he abandoned everyone present in favour of whatever duties he'd been oh so suddenly invited for.

Prat watched him disappear. "Does he actually believe he's one of them? To think himself another sheep?" he asked curiously. "Or is this some highly specialized career choice?"

Siobhan soon recovered enough composure to continue.

"You probably need a minute to decide if you're running away. I know my family can be a lot and being cuddled by my dog probably wasn't any help."

Prat chuckled softly.

"I'm somewhere in rural ireland with no realistic method of escaping unless I intend to jog back to London," he replied, adjusting the strap of his jacket. "Beside, I quite like it here already. It's different, the air smells nice and admittedly, also considerably grassier than anything I'm lately accustomed to... but I suppose that's part of the appeal."

Following beside her, he allowed himself to observe the cottage properly now that immediate introductions had concluded. By no means was their abode grand or symmetrical, nothing matched particularly well if he was being honest. But it looked infinitely more alive than the homes he'd visited.

"I like this place," he admitted honestly. "You can practically tell who spends time in each room just by looking around. It feels quite lived in."

As Siobhan walked him through the house, explaining where everything was, she evnetually arrived at the inevitable question. "You can have a choice of where you want to stay, normally, we let guests stay in living room..."

Prat shook his head almost immediately. "Whatever causes the least inconvenience for everyone is perfectly fine for me."

"but my moir- mum, thought maybe you'd like to stay in my brother's room? She's been very interested in the whole... pureblood culture thing... but like not like that- just"

That earned her a small laugh from Prat.

"I think she's probably more interested in mystery of it all than the reality." Prat replied. "Pureblood culture sounds fascinating until someone starts explaining the Ministry Politics and then it all feels like jargon."

He shrugged lightly.

"And I'm sure your brothers won't bite." Probably, or so he assumed.

Once accommodation had been settled, Siobhan disappeared upstairs long enough to exchange pajamas for clothes considerably better suited to explore fields, returning shortly afterwards with Toaster comfortable occupying her arms before leading him towards the kitchen once again.

Fresh apples and strawberries occupied the countertop.

Prat selected an apple without hesitation, washing it beneath the tap before taking a crisp bite. Strawberries remained untouched. They looked fantastic but never tasted as impressive. Ophelia smiled warmly. "Did you get all your belongings settled hun? I hope Siobhan showed you everything you needed. I don't know what in the house you might not be used to, with us being- what's that word?"

"No-Maj—" Prat joined

"Muggle, moir," Siobhan corrected quietly. "Right. Muggle." Prat simply smiled. "Everything's been wonderful so far Ms McCarty. Thank you for your generosity."

Her mum continued, "Did you want to call your parents to let them know you made it safely?" He noticed the almost imperceptible tension from Siobhan around him, as though she'd worried he'd somehow be offended by the nature of her mother's question.

Truth be told, why would he?

He believed Sio knew enough about his upbringing to understand telephones weren't exactly commonplace in pureblood households, but assumptions born from kindness hardly qualified as insults.

"That won't be necessary," he answered pleasantly. "Sophia travelled with me, she'll inform my parents that I arrived safely before returning home, so they'll already know."

There wasn't any awkwardness or confusion, just another cultural difference he acknowledged and chose to quietly move beyond.

Moments later he felt her fingers wrap around his wrist. "We'll be outside," Siobhan announced. "I was going to show him around the land."

Prat bowed towards Ophelia. "Thank you again for having me Mrs McCarty. I'll try not to get lost." Whether that promise proved to a truth remained to be seen.

As they stepped outside together, he let his fingers shift naturally until they rested comfortably around her hand, giving it the faintest squeeze before looking towards the endless vast of the countryside stretching ahead. Prat had already asked her to show him where the sheeps were and the boy had but one plan. Roll around with the sheeps.

"So," he asked with a crooked grin tugging at the corner of his mouth," Where are you taking me Miss McCarty? Is this an elaborate plan to lure an unsuspecting London boy into the Irish countryside where no one will find us and you'll clear yourself of all the kiss debt you've accumulated these past weeks? Just like they do in christmas movies."

xx

𝐒𝐓𝐀 𝟕 | 𝐄𝐕𝐀 𝟏𝟎 | 𝐒𝐓𝐑 𝟔 | 𝐖𝐈𝐒 𝟕 | 𝐀𝐑𝐂 𝟕 | 𝐀𝐂𝐂 𝟏𝟑 𝐅𝐄𝐀𝐑𝐋𝐄𝐒𝐒 | 𝐋𝐎𝐕𝐄𝐋𝐘 𝐂𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐓𝐔𝐑𝐄 | 𝐄𝐕𝐀𝐒𝐈𝐕𝐄 𝐌𝐀𝐍𝐄𝐔𝐕𝐄𝐑𝐒 coded by elena clark | banner by esme hestridgexx

x

⋅•⋅⊰∙∘☽༓☾∘∙⊱⋅•⋅

Stats: sta 7 ⊹ eva 9 ⊹ str 7 ⊹ wis 10 ⊹ arc 8 ⊹ acc 7 | Date: 22/07/26 | Time: | CC:#2E8B57
────────────────────────────────

She dragged Prat out of the house and towards the pasture where Porter's barking could be heard as he kept their sheep in line. Like the insufferable teenage boy he was, he already started teasing her about whether she was taking him somewhere secretive to "clear herself of kiss debt," whatever the hell that meant. No? She was taking him to explore the boundaries of their farm so on the off chance they got separated, he knew where not to go. Additionally, part of her morning chores included checking on her orchard and the spring lambs. If she had to go, then her guests would follow. Instead of entertaining his comment about Christmas movies and kissing, she chose to redirect his interest with the arrival where the lambs were.

"I'm pretty sure Porter doesn't think he's a sheep. He likes to chase his tail and dig holes. Our sheep are too docile for that. But if you're concerned about animals- you'll have worse luck with my brothers. They don't bite but... they might lock you in a headlock or try to wrestle you if you provoke them enough. Declan especially. He's not very fond of Hogwarts or magic." Siobhan spoke on their walk upwards. She chose not to open that can of worms.

"Do you want to hold a lamb?" She asked as her hands ran along the gate looking for the lock. The wood creaked under her palms as she pressed her fingers against it until the slight shake of her weight into its bearings loosened the metal with a soft 'click and she was able to flip the latch open. The pastured area had a rocky wall around the small perimeter that kept the sheep flock safe from unsuspecting predators such as foxes or wolves but if you walked farther back, the green fields only grew. As they walked, she could feel the shift of her weight pressing down into the mud and the smell of turned up grass drifted through the wind. She hoped Prat wore good walking shoes. They'd be outside for a while. "Careful where you step, the mud gets bad up here. But the path is easy and worn in."

When Porter stopped barking and is heavy body ran into hers again, she let go of Prat's hand and cupped them around her mouth. In doing so, it allowed her to make a series of high pitched but short burst calls. They weren't quite a song per-se but they carried a melody that alerted the sheep to her presence and to come towards her. The clanging sounds of bells and bleats filled the air and soon the two were surrounded by a flurry of wool and wondering eyes.

"We kuln for our sheep and cows. It's more effective than whistles and their names. Sorry if that was... right in your ear." Siobhan explained as she picked up one of the lambs that was baaing at her. She felt around for the embroidery on its collar, smiling when the name gave itself away under her fingers.

"Hello Buttercup." Siobhan cooed softly to the fluffy baby as she stood up from the wet earth. The wiggly lamb squirmed in her arms as its curious bleats echoed across the air and in her ears. They weren't ones of fear, only those of 'who have you brought here?'

"Here Prat- This is Buttercup. She's one of our newer sheep this spring. Do you want to hold her? Siobhan started but promptly had the baby thing snatched from her hands in a careful but greedy way.

They sat in the field in a drier patch of the grass as the smaller sheep and lambs crowded around Siobhan, having not gotten over the fact that she was always gone and didn't spend enough time with them. But it was nice to be around them. Toaster was fluffy, but not in the same way the herd of sheep was. Siobhan often missed this- the pile of warm, bleating wool she would find herself in. During the summer it was especially nice because once the chores were done, and her responsibilities fell more to keeping herself out of trouble, sometimes she would even fall asleep out here. More than once had it happened this way where she woke up on the couch under a quilt because she'd fallen asleep in the fields.

Siobhan could feel the weight of a heavier sheep, most definitely one of ewes, over her legs. She leaned back on her hands and stared outwards across the farm. It was nice to be in this moment, a safe place with someone she enjoyed spending time with. Even if said person periodically annoyed the daylights out of her. But enjoyable, nonetheless. Siobhan spoke carefully as they sat so as not to disturb the sheep with a simple, "Farm life can't be this bad for you, can it?"

Part of the reason she was so worried about Prat staying for a week was the work around the farm. Many hands made light work and if he was here, Siobhan wouldn't be surprised if it was asked of him to help around with a couple things. If anything, even distracting Toaster, Neoth, and Porter would be helpful. If her brothers around he might be subjugated to something more heavy lifting though. Both of them were still three-ish years away from being allowed to utilize their magic without consequence from the Ministry, but Siobhan knew she would do so once she graduated.

"How long was your trip? And who dropped you off? They didn't come to the door." She asked with the latter part of the question slowing down slightly. Was it perhaps because they were repulsed by muggles? It went unasked but the question still existed in the air. It wasn't something she meant to start up again, so she waved it off with a follow up "I've never enjoyed long car rides. I think that's just because my brothers can't drive. If they ask to take us anywhere and you hear my sisters and I start screaming, then assume we're being shanghaied into the truck." she joked with a muffled giggle before she made a disgruntled "eugh" sound- having gotten dirt on her face from her hand.

"When you've had enough of the sheep, I can show you the orchards. I think I actually had my first experience with magic there." She explained before the sound of running feet pulled her out of the start of her conversation. Judging by the distance between footfalls and the general 'out of breath' wheezing, it wasn't Eoghan or Declan. Cillian was in front of them, panting from the seventy-five or so yard dash that he had just completed when he could have just walked, and tried to speak but most of it came out as "ach- ugh- wait- oh shi-"

The look Siobhan gave her brother was unmatched to anything she'd ever given anyone in the last couple months.

"Can I help you, tú as cruth, a dhing-bat?" She asked, obscuring the second part of the sentence in Gaeilge. With her siblings, especially Cillian, she allowed herself to be silly and joke around with them like this. But in front of people who didn't know how their sibling dynamic worked, she tried to keep it under wraps by mixing her languages. It got confusing- with three of them under her belt sometimes the inner voice in her head couldn't keep up and would code-switch before she was ready to make the verbal adjustment. She let out a pained yelp as Cillian pulled a strand of her hair upwards from her scalp at her question to him.

"Agallamh sionnach- Give me the sheep. You're not supposed to be out here watching them by yourself and it's my turn to watch 'em- Take your boyfriend somewhere else." He teased with a bit of a snippy tone as he helped her up off the ground by slipping his hands under her shoulders and pulling her upwards. The uneven footing that it left her with sparked a bright red flush that tinted her entire face as she nearly slipped. After her accident, she'd made it clear to her parents that the infantilization of herself from her brothers wasn't going to be tolerated. Still, somehow that request/demand had gone in one ear and out the other with all her brothers. Cillian knew better than to pull her like that. She was mad enough that she pushed him off her when he let go of her.

"Put the sheep down Prat- come on." Siobhan grumbled still embarrassed by the way her brother had babied her. As they walked off past Cillian, her foot shot out and kicked him in the ankle. "And he's NOT my boyfriend!" Siobhan hissed as she grabbed Prat's wrist and pulled him along away from the area that had been so peaceful only moments ago.

"You're going the wrong way Bean!"

"I know that!"

It took her the entire ten-minute walk towards to the orchards to calm down from what had just happened. When the shadows shifted from occasional to more prominent, she knew they were under the leaves of her mulberry trees. The trees where her magic had manifested itself for the first time, and the ones where she was able to hide from everything when it all got too much.

"Siblings- They're embarrassing all the time. I'm sorry they keep calling you that- I've been telling them for weeks that this- we're not- its not like that. I think they're just doing it to tease me." Siobhan explained as she stuffed her hands in her pockets before changing the subject. "Pear? Apple?"

─────

────────────────────────────────
|

Irish Translations: tú as cruth, a dhing-bat? "you out of shape dingbat?"
Agallamh sionnach "fox face snipe"

Kulning sounds for ambiance

𝑴𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒊𝒏𝒈: @Prat Pass

⋅•⋅⊰∙∘☽༓☾∘∙⊱⋅•⋅

date ; summer mentions ; @siobhan mccarty languages ; english | thoughts

Killarney ; location 1888+ ; wordcount ; ooc notes

XXXXX Prat couldn't be happier to have been dragged out of the McCarty household. Although he'd never admit it to her without the addition of a smug remark to the confession; the family was perfectly alright. But the sheer number of people under one roof was a tad overwhelming for the viridian. Especially when compared to his own residence, where seeing his parents outside of dinner or the occasional evening conversations was hardly a daily occurrence.

In contrast, there always seemed to be somebody nearby, a few voices always present, or someone with an opinion to share. While he has the desire to be acquainted with all the members of this family, he certainly didn't have the patience for such an undertaking within just one afternoon.

Unfortunately for him, escaping the house did not necessarily mean escaping the farm life.

He followed the girl towards the pasture, amused at her deflection of his attempts to coax another kiss out of her. Instead of receiving the compensation he'd hoped for, Sio decided to reward his efforts with a personal introduction to the sheep. Porter barked somewhere ahead, herding the flock with quite a fair of bit of energy and enthusiasm, more than Prat imagined the task warranted.

Prat's attention remained split between Siobhan, Porter and the sheep. "I'm pretty sure Porter doesn't think he's a sheep. He likes to chase his tail and dig holes. Our sheep are too docile for that—" Sio began.

Prat listened along, nodding with solemnity as if receiving information of considerable importance; to an extent, the conversation around this dog was slightly more entertaining than anything he'd encountered so far on the estate.

Prat replied, "He probably imagines himself as the sheep's leader or something. Clearly the best of the pack in his own mind. But I do appreciate how fluffy he is."

The dog seemed rather pleased with his own importance, which Prat could appreciate on a personal level. At least somebody around these parts understood the value of an appropriately valued sense of self.

"- you'll have worse luck with my brothers. They don't bite but... they might lock you in a headlock or try to wrestle you if you provoke them enough. Declan especially. He's not very fond of Hogwarts or magic."

The part about her brothers was, unsurprisingly, less reassuring. Apparently, provoking them could get him in a headlock and Prat only wished she'd have mentioned this before he was in hostile territory. "Those are very comforting words Sio. Your farmhand siblings being covetous of this face does not help me much in finding comfort within these lands. Though, I'd hope you wouldn't let it come to that."

He was joking, partially. He was reasonably confident in his own abilities, but he was a smart man too. There was a stark difference in being confident and voluntarily inviting a wrestling match with a peasant who had spent all his days doing physical farm work. Beside, Prat had better things to do than roll around in mud with a nincompoop.

They arrived at the exact location Sio had been leading him to, his attention dropped to ground and the shift in his expression was almost immediate. The path was uneven, earth damp and mud appearing to ruin all it touched and leaving behind it's remnants.

"Careful where you step, the mud gets bad up here. But the path is easy and worn in." Sio added and Prat mumbled "Should've started with that before. There goes my fucking jordans in this damn mud. Fuck farms." Prat's disappointment was well earned, he'd just bought the pair fresh from footlocker.

Prat followed Sio along the worn path anyway, doing all he could to avoid the worst patches without making his attempts seem too chalant. He couldn't let it seem as if a farm succeeded at worrying him.

Sio called the sheep with a series of short, high-pitched sounds, Prat turned towards her with his eyebrows lifted. The sound was hard to describe, but one could consider it similar to a siren's screech. It did however, work surprisingly well as the flock began gathering, and Prat watched this disney princess with genuine awe and curiosity. Especially when she explained what it was and how it worked on both sheep and cows.

"We kuln for our sheep and cows. It's more effective than whistles and their names. Sorry if that was... right in your ear."

"Neat trick bucko." Prat joked as he glanced at the animals again, countless possibilities running in his mind. It was certainly more effective than attempting to whistle at them or calling each one by name, and Prat did appreciate a practical solution as he saw one. He surely didn't know enough to attempt it, but it was insightful to know it existed.

"Hello Buttercup." iobhan cooed softly to the fluffy baby as she stood up from the wet earth. "Here Prat- This is Buttercup. She's one of our newer sheep this spring. Do you want to hold her?"

Prat didn't need to be asked twice. He took the little animal from her with an eagerness that contrasted rather sharply with those earlier complaints of his. He adjusted his hold carefully and once Buttercup was settled against him, Prat smiled at the fluffy baby For all his theatrics, he wasn't reckless enough to mishandle something so fragile and beautiful.

Prat's expression softened into open delight as he looked down at the lamb. "Well hello there darlin'. Aren't you just the prettiest girl on this farm."

His fingers moved gently over her wool, and he continued petting her with this care and grace he rarely showed. Buttercup was certainly a far more pleasant company than the potential company Sio's brothers threatened to be. She in fact did not seem inclined to put him in a headlock after all.

The couple of them eventually settled into a comparatively dryer patch of grass, where the sheep and lambs all gathered around Sio. Prat watched the animals cluster near her, their familiarity with her apparent in the ease with which they all approached her.

He looked from her to the sheep, an amused smile pulling at the corner of his mouth. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say they miss you."

There was something strangely endearing about the way she spoke of the animals, although he had no intention of admitting it. He'd never imagined himself sitting about in a field holding a lamb and listening to the ordinary routines of a farm girl's daily life; this afternoon however, was proving to be far less unbearable than he'd anticipated.

Siobhan spoke carefully, "Farm life can't be this bad for you, can it?"

Prat glanced around at the pasture, the sheep and the mud on his shoes before his gaze returned back to her with a smirk on his face and a giggle in his voice. "It's downright terrible, I'd hate to do this with anyone for even a single day of my life."

The performance was only partly genuine, he'd hardly exchange his own life for hers, but it'd be a lie if he said there wasn't something appealing about being outside with nature. This didn't mean he intended to become a farmhand anytime soon, but the urge had begun to grow.

For a short while, their conversation shifted towards journey and the driving of their own chauffeurs. Prat had shifted Buttercups slightly in his arms as they exchanged words. All he told Sio was his journey being quite short since he spent most of it sleeping and using a tv. Sophia had dropped him off but couldn't prolong her stay due to the errands she had to run for his mother.

Prat's experience had been quite smooth, which was more than what Sio could say of her own family's stories. Her brothers' driving apparently inspired little confidence and the sisters rightfully seemed more than willing to make their displeasure known if they were ever dragged along.

They were still speaking when he noticed the dirt on Sio's face. "Here, let me help you." he remarked as he used a clean portion of her dress to wipe the mud away. Carefully removing the mark rather than spreading it further.

"When you've had enough of the sheep, I can show you the orchards. I think I actually had my first experience with magic there." Prat's interest sharpened a fair bit. The prospect of exploring an orchard and hearing about Sio's first encounter with magic was considerably more appealing than hearing about any of the other farm chores or the various threats her brothers posed to him.

They hadn't reached a conclusion before a figure came running towards them, panting and huffing while he'd crossed the distance from all the way when he could've just walked. What a show off. Prat watched the exchange between the two siblings with growing uncertainty when the boy pulled Sio's hair and announced it was his turn to see the sheep.

Sio seemed particularly down after the exchange had taken place and it only deteriorated as he told her off and called Prat her boyfriend. The viridian could only blink in confusion and glance towards Sio. Whose reaction made it abundantly clear that the remark from her jerk of a brother wasn't appreciated. Prat had found himself caught between the urge to intervene, but had the rather sensible suspicion that involving himself in a sibling dispute would only make matters worse for him. Prat continued holding buttercup, he had no desire to become Cillian's next target.

"Put the sheep down Prat- come on." Siobhan grumbled and Prat obeyed, carefully returning Buttercup before following her away from Pasture. "Yeah, get that in your brain. It's a work in progress, alright mate." Prat called the words back towards Cillian with an irrepressible grin, more interested in teasing her sibling than in offering any actual clarification. Sure it risked his head in the mud, but provoking her brother was too good of an opportunity to pass up.

For the next ten or so minutes, he found himself following Sio towards the orchard as she explained herself and her siblings. "Siblings- They're embarrassing all the time. I'm sorry they keep calling you that- I've been telling them for weeks that this- we're not- its not like that. I think they're just doing it to tease me."

Prat was hardly going to take the comments personally, especially when the embarrassment they caused Sio was considerably more entertaining than the alternative. "Its fine, you're good, besides he expedited our tour."

The orchard proved to be a welcome change from muddy pasture, the trees offered a pleasant stretch of green that was both appealing to the eyes and his other senses. Prat glanced all over the place, looking over the branches and fruits growing among them.

"This place is really pretty."

As sio offered him a choice between apples and pears, Prat naturally inclined towards apples. "Apples please and thank you. What about you?"

Prat was curious about this orchard's connection to Sio, if he recalled correctly, she did mention it being connected to her first instance of magic. "So this was the place I assume?" he held hands within his, "Do you wanna share what it was? your first time doing magic."

xx

𝐒𝐓𝐀 𝟕 | 𝐄𝐕𝐀 𝟏𝟎 | 𝐒𝐓𝐑 𝟔 | 𝐖𝐈𝐒 𝟕 | 𝐀𝐑𝐂 𝟕 | 𝐀𝐂𝐂 𝟏𝟑 𝐅𝐄𝐀𝐑𝐋𝐄𝐒𝐒 | 𝐋𝐎𝐕𝐄𝐋𝐘 𝐂𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐓𝐔𝐑𝐄 | 𝐄𝐕𝐀𝐒𝐈𝐕𝐄 𝐌𝐀𝐍𝐄𝐔𝐕𝐄𝐑𝐒 coded by elena clark | banner by esme hestridgexx

x