A Flash of Anger PV. Flash Holmwood Finished

Another day like any other. A kind of calm was overtaking him in his return to the familiar halls. His perceptions had been rocked, but the boat hadn’t tipped over. He was uneasily finding a rhythm to his days that let him feel… fine. Safe enough not to get in a panic. He tried not to be alone for too long, or he would inevitably retreat back to the image, stuck in his mind like an indomitable itch. A dark forest, a wand in his face. Then from there, spiraling.

Thoughts about death, what it meant to be dead. A cold feeling all over, like the void was already right there beside him, waiting patiently for him to slip into its embrace. Once the fear caught up to him, he would feel anemic and panicked, a surge of stress coursing through him that had nowhere to go.

Because of that, he had actually been staying in the Great Hall longer than he ever had in the past. He just needed to be around people... noise. Even if it wasn’t the ideal spot to write or read, he preferred it to the danger of silence.

Silence was certainly not an issue on that day either. With most students having already left, there was suddenly a commotion towards the far end of the Slytherin table. Nearly everyone looked up to notice, it was hard not to recognize the sound of someone being pissed off.

Lowering the quill from his journal, Flash had to blink his eyes clear to make sure he was seeing things properly-- the pissed off person in question was someone he recognized, though their acquaintance was a bit of a unique one. Falentra was standing up, demanding that some group of students pick up something of theirs.

Flash looked around quickly, though without her pointing he might not have noticed it-- a small piece of chocolate. Had someone really thrown it at her? How… juvenile... While he also thought they had better face up to their improper behavior, he knew confronting them angrily would solve nothing. It was a firecracker thrown into a bale of hay, one pop after another and eventually the whole thing would be ablaze. It needed to be stamped out before that happened.

Getting up a bit quicker than would belie the apparent calmness on his face, Flash walked up between the group, no hesitation in his step. He looked at Falentra first.

”Falentra, I agree with you.” Flash smiled at her, though there was some latent awkwardness in looking her right in the eye. He didn’t really know what she thought of him, but she had been kind to him when he desperately needed it. He felt close to her, but he didn’t know if he should.

Looking back to the others, he took an authoritative tone, with just enough empathy to not come off as a scolding parent.

”It doesn’t matter why you did it, you shouldn’t throw things at people. You must know that.” Flash’s face was serious, leaving no room for debate. ”Please throw that in the trash where it belongs.”

It wasn’t a foolproof method, but it wasn’t a random one either. He was always watching people, he knew who the troublemakers were, and how to deal with them. How to diffuse them. It was part of how he felt safe, knowing how to read people so he could predict their behavior. Then, program their response by saying just the right thing. The skill was only becoming more honed the more he used it.

In this case, it worked perfectly well. One of them came over and picked up the chocolate, having deemed a confrontation not worth the effort. For people like them, it was useful to employ guilt tripping. After all, they had done something clearly wrong, Flash only shone a flashlight on it, making sure everyone around them saw exactly what he saw.

Flash himself was looking back to Falentra. He admittedly didn’t know anything about her, at all. It was an uncomfortable position to be in, but he also didn’t want to see her get hurt in a completely avoidable fight. Perhaps it was best to find out why, before he accidentally caused more harm than good.

”Falentra…” Flash’s voice was much quieter, child-like. ”You seem upset, are you alright?”

@Falentra Black

There was nothing but anger flowing through her veins by this point. She was ready to fight, almost excited from the thought of it happening. At any given moment, she was planning on jumping over the table and lunging herself at them. The adrenaline was pumping and causing her breathing to quicken, although before it was able to get to the point of her creating a blooded fight, a familiar looking face appeared beside her. He faced more towards the group of Ravenclaws but it was a face she recognised instantly. It was... Flash Holmwood if she remembered rightly. A boy she took a liking too quite easily.
He seemed different this time. No tears or any sign of worry were to be seen in the expressions she shown. He simply gave off a strong demeanour, and his words flew effortlessly from his mouth, as though he was a natural talker. Of course, that was what every normal person would notice, but not to Falentra. To her, they were too friendly and understanding. It was something she would be sure to later mention to Flash.

In the meantime, her gaze would eventually refocused itself from the younger Slytherin and back to the Ravenclaw table, seeing one surprisingly stand and follow the order that Flash had politely yet firmly asked asked if him. Surprised, Falentra would simply raise an eyebrow and scoff to herself before throwing herself back down to her seat.

By this point, the adrenaline was wearing off but surely she was still pissed and it was blatantly obvious through her expression. The way he had handled things was more mature, and thankfully had stopped anybody getting hurt. Although to Falentra that was just a sign of weakness, and as much as she cared about Flash, she needed to speak her mind no matter what the relationship was. “What the bleedin’ hell was that about? You think approachin’ situations like this will always turn out that way? Cause they don’t.” She spoke quietly, enough so that nobody around could hear, but enough for Flash to catch the irritation in her voice. Her choice of words were often sharp, and harsh for others to listen to but she always spoke her mind and didn’t plan on changing it for someone younger than herself. He was no baby. If anything, he was intelligent and seemingly quick witted from what she gathered of him.

Falentra would continue to speak, not once making eye contact with the boy but instead inspecting the dirty book in front of her. “Words... whether it be through knowledge or your quick witted attitude will only get you so far. It’ll only take one time for someone to ignore your kindness. Mistake it for weakness and attack you.” She paused and placed the book on the table before finally turning to Flash, giving him a cold glare. It would only be brief, but enough to let him know how serious she was. “I’m not... trying to ‘ave a go at you. Just sayin’ sometimes you just have to be an arsehole so people fear you an’ don’t bother you. At least not as much.” She wasn’t completely right nor completely wrong. Her approach was always rash and without thought, but so far it had managed to keep people away from her. Besides, she had seen the real world. Only glimpses, but enough to know it was harsh, especially for people like Flash if they were to go around acting like that.

After the serious speech and cold stares, Falentra would have finally calmed herself to the point in showing a slight frown. Maybe she had been to harsh on him. He was just looking out for her, but it was her way of looking out for him. Just in her own way. “Sit with me, little’un.” Her arm reached out and pulled the boy down with some force, not really giving him the chance to make his own decision. She would pull him down, sitting him beside her, whilst her arm hung loosely around his shoulder. “See them over there?” She would point with the arm that was around him, towards the same group of students he had spoken up to. “If they hadn’t done what you had asked, and all of them came at you with violence, what would you have done? Defend yourself until a professor came to the rescue? But what if you was alone, with nobody around to help? Your words won’t do nothin’ to defend you will they?” She looked down at him, her brows furrowed and her pointed hand now forming to a fist. “Do you even know how to fight little’un?” What she was telling him may have filled his head with thoughts children shouldn’t be hearing. She was making out that violence was the way forward. Not because she knew it was bad, but because it was the only way she knew. Unlike Flash himself. Whether he was to take note of that, was up to him.
In the meantime, Falentra would remove her arm from him, although remained closely to his side. He may be good with his words, but she was good with her fists and wanted to keep herself close by just in case on the off-chance something was to happen to him.

The reaction that Flash beheld from Falentra wasn’t surprising, though his eyes followed her carefully, wanting to make sure he didn’t miss anything. She huffed, sitting back down with the tense energy still brimming out from her like the heat off a light bulb. It would be a moment before it diffused completely, it wasn’t as though it would click off the moment the conflict was resolved. He started to figure he ought to save himself the embarrassment of having Falentra tell him his intervention was uncalled for, but not long after the chocolate was pitched did her voice silently pitch, calling out to him in the way that voices called out for a private conversation.

She was reprimanding him, for sure, but less so for intervening and more for his approach. Though it had ostensibly done the job just as it was supposed to, she hissed out a none-too-happy condemnation of the tactic. Flash listened intently, not making much of a face at all. Instead, he was absorbing her words like chiseling them into stone. She not only mentioned that it wouldn’t work all the time, but that words weren’t always the answer.

She wasn’t wrong, not at all. She seemed to expect him to disagree, or to throw her words back in her face. That, or she just needed to feel justified in her own actions. What mattered most to Flash was that she seemed unoffended, even seeming to want to pull him into her confidence. A small, subtle smile played on his lips when she invited him to sit with her. He tried to hide it so as to not appear too full of himself.

The one thing they did seem to not see eye-to-eye with was the reputation she seemed to encourage. Being ‘an arsehole’ to make sure that people didn’t mess with him? It wasn’t untrue that he had been accused of letting people walk all over him, but he didn’t see it quite so extremely. He was trying to strike a balance, though he preferred staying above conflict out of principle. That was what his… family always taught him.

The thought process degraded from there, he didn’t really want to think about his family at the moment. He tried to dull the line of thinking, like greasing a lens. It haunted the back of his mind blurrily as he was pulled down beside her, his little smile having disappeared by then to match her own frown. She pulled his thoughts as well, into a hypothetical scenario. One where he was faced with someone, violent, alone. The image was an evocative one, though her question about whether he could fight showed what little she knew about him. A given, though he somehow felt comfortably perched within a far more intimate zone of closeness than perhaps he deserved. Perhaps that was a result of the great amount of vulnerability he had shown her. It wasn’t as if that was intentional. Perhaps life just sometimes created these connections, where given any other circumstance it wouldn’t have existed.

”I… actually…” Flash’s words started slowly, he had so much to say. He wanted to tell her everything that had ever happened to him, hear what she thought of every choice he ever made. He had to contain his excitement before he could formulate how to say them. ”It’s funny you should say that. I actually… tried to talk my way out of a fight club and got hit for it… no, in fact, that was the second time someone kicked me when I tried to get them to listen.”

He almost forgot about the Blossom Ball, when Vladimir kicked him in the face, giving him a broken nose. Before that, he got beat up in the Football games at school, usually pushing himself a bit too far to try to prove something. He didn’t think back on them like they were anything important, though he could help but notice the pattern when put into context.

”To be honest I usually just… take the hit.” Flash said it before he had the chance to feel ashamed. It wasn’t as though he thought it was wrong.

It was nice, having that claim to superiority. Being the poor hurt lamb in the face of a big scary tiger. It made him sympathetic. It was for that reason that Søren Silverwood had subsequently attacked his attacker, wasn’t it? Because he got wounded while trying to make peace, his allies later retaliation became justified in the eyes of the gathered crowd. It was also a tactic, though he knew in saying it out loud that it sounded weak.

His face would reflect that shame, though he couldn’t say why he felt it. He just did. Being a meat shield wasn’t exactly a flattering image. He didn’t necessarily want to get a reputation for being a pushover. He didn’t know how many times he could continue to give people chances before he got something worse than a kick.

”In the end, I knocked him out with a sucker punch. But he got a few hits in before that. Really, I only beat him because I convinced other people to fight for me.” Flash looked off into the distance, nowhere in particular. ”And convinced the rest of his team not to fight.”

”If I was alone… I don’t know what would have happened.” He had a few ideas, but none of them looked good. He would fight, though perhaps he should also be talking less. ”What would you do?”

@Falentra Black

@Flash Holmwood

There it was. That lost look he had on his face, the same one he had when they first met. It was full of sadness and worry, a look Falentra hated to see on him. As much as in her eyes he was a bit of a people pleaser, he was still a boy who had seemingly been through more than most his age. She hated it, the thought of him being hurt. She just wanted to just look after him 24/7. It was true that all these feelings were new to her and sometimes she didn't know how to handle them, display them. Caring for nobody but herself was something she was used to and preferred. No friends, no worries. Though Flash had a different impact on her. Maybe she shouldn't have told him to fight. If he ever got hurt, she would blame herself.

Falentra soon lowered her gaze to the table and continued to listen. She didn't want him to see any of the expressions she wore as he would speak but she had no idea he was about to come out with the following. Someone had what? Hit him? This completely caught her off guard and caused her head to quickly turn to him and stare with a mixture of complete shock and anger, more than she showed earlier. ''What... What was t-that?'' She couldn't quite take it in how someone could hurt him so badly. He reminded her of that saying; like butter wouldn't melt and he quite literally were in her eyes. ''Who the hell did that to you? Tell me... I'll.. I'll make them suffer for it, I promise.'' She placed her hand on his shoulder and tightened it against the fabric, the passion in her words getting the better of her. ''Who.. who would do that..'' She repeated it again to herself under her breath, her eyes closing and her teeth gritting together. She felt hurt and it was noticeable in both her voice and expressions. That was one thing she couldn't hide from Flash. It seemed she had taken him under her wing to easily and caring for him like a little brother, despite the pair not knowing each other for too long. He made the good in her show and as much as she didn't showing her soft side, when it came to him she accepted it with pride.

Although she hadn't completely gathered her emotions under control, she managed to clear her head enough to contain her anger and hide those emotions people thought she never had. Her eyes opened and scanned the few students on the tables opposite them. ''Flash. Your gonna 'ave to give me something to go off. What house are they in? Are they in your year?'' Before she managed to throw another question his way, he would stop her with his own, a surprising one at that. He had hit someone. Finally! Some good news, kinda. Him getting hurt once again in the process wasn't pleasant to hear, but he stood his ground and fought back. ''I'm glad you at least smacked one of them back... it's a start I guess...'' She was proud, but it seemed there were more chances of him being knocked down than his opponent did. At least through a fist fight. She didn't know how well he was with his wand. Better, she hoped.

Her attention was quickly brought back to his saddened expressions once more. Was he scared of being alone? There wasn't a way she could be with him all the time, so maybe there was someone he knew that could have his back more often. ''Hey Flash.'' Falentra spoke in a calm tone, trying not to make the situation heated, or make him feel like he was weak. Her hand remained on his shoulder, trying her best to comfort him. ''Is there anyone in your year that you are close with? That can...'' She paused brieftly. There weren't any other way to make this sound as though she was making him look weak, so she just went ahead and said it as quickly as she could. It wasn't a topic she wanted to drag out. '' That can look out for you?'' Her expression would copy his own, worried with a hint of nervousness. She didn't want to make him feel like he couldn't look after himself. It was just her being stupidly overprotective. She wanted him to know that, rather than him thinking of himself lesser of himself when it came to defending. ''I care about you... a lot. And as much as I want to look over you or whatever, I can't.'' Her choice of words slackened purposely so it didn't look like she was being to soft on him, but she was glad to get her thoughs, her feelings off her chest. He was the little brother she never had which also meant she was still awaiting to hear who had hurt him.

Flash knew that it was ‘bad news’ to say one was in a fight, though it was generally looked on rather diplomatically in his house growing up. Not to mention he was in a boarding school since he was five, dorming with other boys. Generally if someone did something terrible to you, you didn’t then go and talk about it. Teachers would be outraged, bullies would just get angrier. For Falentra, he hadn’t known what to expect, perhaps camaraderie like one of his old roommates, but instead it was… well, it was hard to say what exactly it was. His mother nor his older sister had ever reacted that way, they normally inquired about the specifics, like a police commissioner gathering information for a report. Falentra was… wanting to retaliate against the people who hurt him? Surprised he could ever elicit an attack?

Granted, they had been extreme situations both, it was really Flash’s fault for needing to stick his nose in everywhere and he knew it. He was always toeing the line of acceptability when it came to gathering information, his idea of when to stop had yet to be fully established. Generally, he stopped when someone stopped him, and not before. He didn’t like being held back, perhaps it was a sense of entitlement he had been instilled with growing up as a Holmwood. After all, they took what they wanted when they wanted it, insisting they always knew what was best.

Well, he wasn’t exactly planning on telling Falentra that. Would she be as worried as she was then if she knew him better? There was so much ugliness in his head that he doubted anyone who showed him sincere concern.

She gripped his shirt, close and touching, as that boundary had already been crossed by an abrupt emotional outburst at the end of the year before. Her face was painted with intense emotion, it almost startled him. He felt guilty, he might not have said anything if he knew it would cause her distress.

”It really… both times it was really my fault.” Flash said it like the words were somehow more optimistic. It really wasn’t all that true. He was fudging it a lot, backtracking at the sight of her distress.

She wasn’t buying it though, she continued to ask for names and addresses, so he covered it by continuing to talk about the fight rather than the people involved. That, at least, seemed to work for a short moment. She even commended him, where for a brief moment he got to experience the thrilling rush of making someone he respects proud of him. It was a reward he craved constantly.

He became flushed, smiling in spite of the topic. It wasn’t like he had much of a choice in that situation, though he could have forfeit. Instead, he insisted that the other team forfeit instead. Perhaps it was out of pride, but he thought it had been logical too. He was more fit for responsibility than other kids his age, so he seized power among them indiscriminately.

Though as her grip softened to a gentle hand on the shoulder, she asked him about his friends. Or as she put it, people who looked out for him. In a sense, it did trigger a twinge of wounded masculinity, though he tried not to let base emotions like that control his thoughts. He certainly wasn’t the strongest kid in school, even if he could throw a few good punches and lift a few heavy things. He was fit, but not buff. Erin Ryan, for one, could have easily given him a concussion with the cinderblock she was waving around during their last conversation. In a sense, he hadn’t quite realized yet how very destructible he was.

And the truth was, he did have people looking out for him. Willow... Burnett… they called him out on his self-destructive behavior. Most of the time though… he surrounded himself with people who would let him get away with whatever he wanted. Not question him, and just do what he told them to do. It likely wasn’t exactly what Falentra had in mind, but it was the kind of looking out for Flash actually required. Protecting him from himself, though he would be the last one to admit it openly.

None of those niggling thoughts mattered however, as they were capsized by the warmth of her next admission. They were music to Flash’s ears, ‘I care about you’ echoed against his skull like the chiming bells of an angelic chorus. His timid smile grew to a grin that he reflexively hid with the back of his hand. He was still bad at hiding such genuine shows of emotion in the face of flattery. At least, it was flattery to him, who rarely thought he deserved such individual attention. More often than not he saw himself as an outsider, picking up pieces on a chessboard and moving them around, safe from the tempest of human interaction. He knew now though that his heart was just as easily swayed as anyone else’s, when he heard the words he most wanted to hear. In an instant, he felt like he would do anything to make her proud of him again.

”I… think… a few, yes.” He answered her question slowly, subconsciously inching even closer to her. ”Against their better judgement.”

He inadvertently used derisive humor to assuage the awkwardness of his clearly telegraphed self-consciousness. He wasn’t exactly sure how to handle someone being so openly affectionate so early in their acquaintance, though he knew where it led. Unabashed adoration, constant physical affection. Both Burnett and Willow could attest, and others too, to a degree. The ice sculpture of a boy was really made of marshmallow, the flame that might melt away his exterior also easily threatening to burn him to ash.

”I care about you too…” After managing to recover from his flustered state, he said the words quietly, only afterward daring to side-eye her to see her reaction. ”Which is why I don’t want to see you getting into fights you could avoid. You’re supposed to pick your battles, am I wrong?”

With that, he turned the spotlight back on her, whether she liked it or not. It was her yelling that had drawn his attention to begin with, and though she was his senior by two years, he trusted his logic at least that far. Some people were a waste of time and energy. He had learned that himself the hard way.

@Falentra Black

@Flash Holmwood

Flash really wasn't for telling her who had hurt him. Her actions and words were probably making him somewhat uncomfortable, or nervous even. She wasn't going to kill them or hurt them even... well, maybe a little but more of a warning was her only intention once she put aside her dark thoughts. The Slytherin really did need to get her emotions under control and show her concern through patience and support rather than anger and rage.
Rather than pestering him, she just sat there listening and watching his emotions dwell up. As much as she continued to think about how mature he was for his age and how perfectly well he spoke to people, she kept forgetting that he was, in her eyes, a fragile boy. Ever since their first encounter when he fell into her arms with tears rolling down her cheeks. He didn't even know her, yet he broke down on her. There must have been something there that made him like her more than most. She had to look out for him, just without going to those extreme lengths.

She was relieved to hear eventually that he had some people that'd be there for him. She was sure they'd be better inspirations than herself. Having her telling him her version of what's right from wrong was so much different and wrong for him to hear. If she was to think back on it, it was quite extreme; make them suffer. No wonder he didn't want to say anything. He knew better but Falentra couldn't help frown at the thought of her not being there to protect him, in her own ways. Maybe she was better to just keep her distance and do what she initially said. To watch out for him at a distance and only intervene when necessary. That was one of the main reasons she never got close to people. Because as soon as you do, you end up wanting to do stupid stuff that you never thought you would think of for someone that wasn't yourself. ''Mhm.'' She agreed, not really sure what on. It was more to let him know she was still taking in part of what he was saying. Her expressions softened yet looked somewhat bored. Probably because she had to keep her mouth shut and keep her cool now.

Though briefly, as he spoke about caring her too she couldn't help but smile. It was nice to hear. Especially with how much he struggled in saying it. She was the same when expressing sensitive topics such as this. She herself didn't plan on overly mothering him though. To say she cared was enough in her books, and knew that Flash understood it would have meant a lot coming from her. It was enough.
You're supposed to pick your battles. He followed up with words of truth, though she didn't want to accept it, and deep down she didn't. She would give him a nod in agreement if it was to keep his mind at ease. It was best not to tell him just yet of her dark nature and how she thrived off doing bad, if he hadn't already seen glimpses of it. Maybe in a few years she would explain it all.
Flash was just too pure in her eyes. He may not have been but whatever it was he did, it brought out the bit of good she had buried away inside. It was like an old dusted toy that had been left on a shelve. It needed working on to get better and hopefully the brighter side to her would eventually stay and take over her darkness.


It was best that she moved onto another topic in the meantime. Hopefully it would at least distract his train of thought onto a better one. ''So.'' She paused and rested her chin in the palm of her hand. Her brown hues fixed on his, following with a smile. ''The Masquerade Ball is coming up. You lookin' forward to it? Or you goin' to that costume party one?''

He didn’t know how he managed to feel so young next to Falentra. Realistically, she only had a few years on him, but the gap felt immense. It seemed maturity wasn’t even a factor, since his adult-like insistance on compromise fell on nearly deaf ears. She certainly respected him enough to look like she was paying attention, but Flash’s training had gone beyond the basics of body language. Twitches of the face muscles, direction of the gaze, posture… it all signaled thoughts and feelings. It was part of why he was always so tightly strung-- he knew how much the body liked to give away. A second voice, expressing itself silently.

It was no matter anyway, he wasn’t about to scold or insist. In the end, what mattered was expressing his concern, not whether she followed his advice. Human kind was a stubborn breed, and very few simply did as they were told, no matter how logical the argument might have been. Flash would know, controlling people was his eternal pursuit, and it was never done directly. His older brother Valerius and all of his books on social engineering made that point very clear. People liked being told what to do, but they didn’t like knowing they were being told. His minimal experience had refuted the claim time and time again.

Flash wasn’t trying to control Falentra though, at least not consciously. He wanted to learn from her, and if that meant becoming more aggressive, he might give it a try. It was good to be open-minded. Instead of remarking on her feelings on the topic further though, she diverged into current events. He perked up at the topic, features brightening.

”Oh, yes, the ball...” Flash laughed a bit, surprised at the swift change, and the likely unintended relevance. ”I’ll be going to the masquerade. In fact, I’m in charge of putting it together. Well, not to diminish the work of the rest of the planning committee, we all worked on everything, really, but at this point the masquerade has been mostly left to me.”

That wasn’t all, the Hogwarts staff helped a lot too, not to mention all the house elves. He figured it went without saying that the Professors didn’t leave a ball meant to represent the school in front of three visiting schools in the hands of one 12-year-old child. Still, they had given him a hefty amount of freedom in the process. Partially, he worried that a few of the higher-ups might have recognized his surname and assumed a lot.

”My mother threw balls all the time when I was growing up. I think people will be surprised with what I can pull off.”

Though Flash was often overly humble, and rarely mentioned his family, he felt encouraged to add a tiny sliver of insight into his life. Partly, he wanted to let her see more of himself than he showed everyone else. After all, she had already experienced the part that he usually kept under lock and key.

”I’m mostly concerned with keeping it safe… the reputation of balls at Hogwarts isn’t very positive.” Flash's usual smile pulled to the side, his hand lightly touching the spot on his arm where a vampyric mosp had bled him at the Blossom Ball. "But there will be Professors and Headmasters there. That should help."

Out of nowhere, he felt himself needing to resist the urge to cuddle up into her side and bury himself in her arms again. The truth was that the whole thing had been rather stressful, not to mention the fact that he didn't fully trust the staff. Everything had become increasingly strange for him since he started going to school. All of the things he thought were fact were being questioned, and every attempt at following his ambitions seemed to lead to disaster. Still wanting the comfort, Flash gently leaned his head on her shoulder. Hopefully he wasn't being a nuisance.

@Falentra Black

@Flash Holmwood

It wasn't long until Flash replied to her question on The Masquerade Ball, though she wasn't expecting a surprise follow way. In charge of putting it all together? A twelve year old boy being able to handle a large amount of pressure like this shocked her. She was beginning to think he was 21, not 12. ''You serious?'' Falentra didn't doubt the boy. She had every bit of confidence in that he would succeed with such a task, especially with how level-headed he was. Sure, he had an emotional side, but she knew he too was self-sufficient when he put his mind to it. She just hoped her initial shocked reaction didn't seem rude. She was very much a straightforward person after all, so if it meant having them hurt in the process then so be it. Of course, a situation as such was always different when it came to Flash. There was no harm meant in her expression and it was most likely not even thought in such a way by the other. It was just classic Fal overthinking the situation. She tried her best to brush it off on her end by showing the support was aiming for in the first place. That's bloody brilliant Flash! Proud of ya... as always. I can't wait to see it.'' A small chuckle would follow as she messed up his hair.

He would continue on about his family, his mother specifically. Going off how he was wording it, she seemed quite the creative woman and probably held balls for those of wealth. It was bad to assume where people had come from, but everyone did it some form or another. Flash always dressed smart and spoke with manners she probably could do with learning. Either way, she tried her best to judge Flash in the moment, and not off his family. ''Oh yeah? I bet you get it from her then. Sure she would be proud of you if she could see what you are doin' right now.'' She spoke with pure positivity for once. It wasn't forced upon her. It was just nice to hear about another's family for a change. Hopefully it was that of a good one. He only spoke little of his mother, but it didn't seem bad from what he was saying.

Falentra was going to mention her own mother, who she never spoke to anyone about but Flash would follow with words of worry. The safety of others at the event were obviously to be expected by all, and even more so to those who helped create it so she could see where his concern was coming from. Unfortunately, it would be impossible to perfect everything for the night to come. He could only prepare with what he had and in all honestly the safety of others shouldn't be his priority. It was the professors job to do that sort of work. ''Mister perfectionist.'' She joked light-heartedly to try and ease his worries. ''Try not to worry to much, alright? This event is meant to be fun! I know you can't help but worry but no matter what you do to try and stop it trouble will find a way in if it wants to.'' As much as she wanted to cram his brain with positivity on the event, she couldn't lie. There was always going to be a possibility of danger appearing on the night but he shouldn't feel the need to take responsibility on the matter. Flash would follow in regards to the professors attending, something she was about to tell him also. ''Exactly. It's not your job to look after everyone. Maybe one day, but right now its down to the professors.''

Her smile crept its way back to her lips once he rested himself against her. It was moments like these that made her question the darkness in her and if it was really worth it. To follow them would mean loosing Flash. A small sigh left her parted lips as her eyes closed tightly. A thought she dreaded and didn't want to think of. Right now, she was at peace with Flash and wanted the moment to last.

Falentra seemed downright shocked at hearing Flash's role in the ball, though he couldn't tell what element of it came as a surprise. When they were together, it was normally just the two of them, so she likely didn't know just how much work he was putting into his schooling. How many people he knew, how many extracurriculars he was involved in.

"It was for... extra schoolwork I did during summer." Flash said quietly, explaining.

That, too, was something he kept mostly to himself. He was expected to be a good student, so he could hardly pride himself in reaching the bare minimum. The extra work was really only getting an early start on that year's lessons, meaning he could cast a few spells before his peers learned about them. A slight edge, just in case.

It was also his only diversion when he was locked away in his room. After the stunt he pulled, he got a stern talking to and was run through his old punishment again. Reminded that he was a difficult child, reminded of the consequences of behaving childishly. There was really no other option but to do exactly as his sister said. If he escaped, where would he go? Even then, did he really want to leave his family? Just because it was hard to be one of them... because their... standards were so high? The only option was to obey. That was how the Holmwoods operated.

Flash wouldn't have to wax on about family obligation however, as Falentra once again praised him and ruffled his hair. In lieu of any darkness that might have found him down the path of such discussion, a fountain of joy welled in his chest. He didn't attempt to conceal his own laughter, nor his real smile. She went on to say that his mother would be proud, which elicited a small eyeroll. She most certainly would, though he felt a formerly completely unaddressed urge to never tell her. If she started including him in event planning, he would end up working all summer. Not only that, but how long would it be before he started getting implicated in what ever else they were all doing. Whatever part of the family business involved murder. Well. Alleged murder.

Falentra chided him lightly for taking on all of the responsibility, a thing Flash hardly realized until she pointed it out. At the last ball he had been a nervous wreck, thinking everyone's lives were in his hands. Everything went wrong, but they were all still alive. The Professors came and saved them. Though it wasn't the first time he had heard the sentiment, he was more willing to listen this time around. With raised spirits, he nodded his head.

"I'll try to have fun. I want to. I hope you do too."

She sighed a bit when he leaned on her, but she didn't seem too bothered. In fact, the connection was once again welcomed. Though his endless need to maintain a reputation made it hard to find occasion to, he was really a very affectionate person at heart. The warmth of another living, breathing person was like fresh blood being pumped into an anemic heart. The fact that she let him close, wanted the best for him... he knew she was a good person. She showed him compassion and understanding for seemingly nothing in return, like she was rooting for him.

That innate compassion within her drew him in like a bee to honey. Her smile made him happy, he barely gave any thought at all to the woes that were chasing him before. He was finding himself immensely invested in her happiness instead, wondering what he could do for her that might share even a fraction of what she did for him. They only sat there in silence for a small moment, though it felt like it lasted for the perfect length of time. They eventually had to leave the Great Hall, though no fragment of sadness remained lingering in the memory of the afternoon.

@Falentra Black