Feet Off the Ground PV Alec Mason Fin

"Oh; I see," Jack remarked upon hearing Alec's explanation as far as knowing Flash. He wondered what sort of project it was, but as Alec didn't elaborate, Jack guessed that maybe he didn't wish to share. He smiled at the mention of George, though, and nodded. "I do, though not well," he answered, playfully echoing Alec's own words from before. "He and I spent a little time hanging out together during summer camp."

When Alec tossed his own handful of grass in retaliation, Jack laughed and tried to move out of the way. He still got a few blades of grass and some dirt clinging to his own hair and clothes which he promptly did his best to rid himself of.

He nodded at Alec's spoken hope that the hag kiss stayed as harmless as it seemed. Jack certainly hoped so as well. Otherwise he'd have another curse on his hands to have to try and find the cure to. But he didn't want to think about that now. He was enjoying himself as he and Alec messed around with their antics.

"I don't think hearing about someone sounds creepy. Pretty much all I've heard about you are good things. It just means you have a lot of friends who like to talk about you," Jack tried to amend. He blinked when the Gryffindor told him that if he had to be cool, the Slytherin did, too. Then he laughed again.

"Well, I consider going over to help someone you hardly know to assess their broom-maintenance skills to be cool," he stated, grinning. "And forgiving them just as quickly when they set out to give you a heart attack. That's pretty cool, too."

When Jack heard that Alec loved history, he brightened, not used to someone else sharing the same passion for the subject that he did. Most people he knew found it boring. "Haha, well it does take some patience, but I think that's easy enough to have when you love what you do enough."

His brows rose when he heard that Alec did art. "See, that's something I wouldn't have the patience to do. That's amazing! What do you like to sketch and paint?" He smiled at the other teen's comment that it was nice to get lost in a book and he agreed. But then he found himself being asked what his favorite period of history was to read about.

It took him a moment to respond and he tapped his chin thoughtfully. "You know...I'm not sure. Maybe the World Wars because there are so many different things that happened during them and on different sides. I like history because I like to learn from the past and there seems like a lot to learn from wartime. Like how dragons can't be used as weapons," he recalled with a snicker. "It's also really fun for me to compare muggle history with wizard history. Naturally, some things are the same, but the same stories about the same battles are told from different perspectives."

@Alec Mason

So Burnett had heard of Alec? The Gryffindor couldn't help but take the stance that Burnett hearing of him was somehow just the slightest bit off-putting. Alec called it creepy, the other tried to defend himself by saying all he'd heard were good things, meaning Alec had friends who liked to talk about him. “That's even worse,” he whined, dragging out his words. Alec didn't like to think his friends enjoyed talking about him, speaking about him when he wasn't around to hear what they were saying, a reaction awkward and uncomfortable no matter what they were to say. Both praise and insults would have had Alec a bashful mess. As the moment settled down, Alec's hands fell from his face and his eyes took a moment to adjust to the sun before focusing on Burnett.

If Alec had to be cool, the Slytherin would have to be as well, it was simply part of the deal, however the Gryffindor was curious as to what the other considered 'cool'. Alec would not say he was fishing for compliments, however, nobody could say he was not fishing for compliments either. It was incredible reminder towards how the Gryffindor had been tricked, Alec had agreed to help look at Burnett's broom. A simple gesture, one Alec didn't mind, he had the time and it wasn't a big deal. Alec had figured if someone asked something like that of him it would be genuine. Not with Jack. It was nice and all Alec supposed, but he'd been tricked so easily. The thought left an uncomfortable feeling in the pit of his stomach. Though Alec too seemed to brighten matching Burnett's own grin when he mentioned how quickly Alec seemed to forgive him. Staying mad was hard, Alec didn't have the energy for that. Rolling his eyes, Alec teasingly stuck his tongue out at the other. “Oh, please, you just got lucky.” Yes lucky, that's totally what it was.

Alec snorted, when Burnett used Alec's own words saying that he didn't have the patience for art. It wasn't such an astounding revelation as one might think and Alec made sure to air the opinion, “well, duh,” imagine having the patience to tirelessly work on a piece of art for hours on end. It was a lot, it was also probably with same with everything. “Half the time I don't have the patience for art. It feels like it takes forever to get a piece just right,” Alec complained, there were always little details to add, there was a certain unsatisfying feeling with a piece of art that didn't look finished quite yet, and Alec was never sure what to add to it. Burnett asked what Alec liked to paint and sketch, the Gryffindor answered earnestly. “Landscapes, architecture, but I usually prefer to do people.”

The most important question was to be asked or at least as deemed by Alec, asking Burnett about his favorite period of history to read about. World wars... They were always bloody and gruesome, it felt needless, yet it seemed right, there was a reason they were called wars. Alec agreed, also liking the various perspectives from muggle to magic-folk with history. He nodded. Alec was not as well versed on muggle history as he would have liked to be. It was harder to find information and books, the research was more out of it's way then it would be to study for the history of magic. “The giant wars are interesting, I mean their not world wars or anything-” There were casualties however it felt tame when compared to something like the first or second wizarding war, the thought of either was discomforting, really, it hadn't been so long ago.

As the realization of the situation Alec was in once again dawned on him, he would begin to realize something. Slowly he sat up, finding that if he had looked beyond the place the two had settled for even a minute he would have realized class was done, everybody was gone, only Jack and Alec were left. Alec laughed, “we practically missed the whole class,” his eyes danced around the area, carefully taking in the sight, how strange it looked, with no people it looked like a ghost town, but another class was due to start soon. “I hope your right about everything with Marion. Good luck on your... creepy hag ritual.” Alec turned to look back at Burnett, offering him a warm smile. Slowly Alec moved to stand up, “I should go, I think I'm gonna lie down.” Alec was going to have to explain to professors why he'd missed the rest of classes today, what a doozy that would be.

The Gryffindor was about to walk off when he paused a sudden thought hitting him. “Oh and, Burnett, never do that to me again.” Burnett knew exactly what 'that' was. Alec would attempt to stare down the other crossly(for the effect) though it quickly rather easily morphed into a half smile and Alec gave up, waving goodbye and walking away.

@Jack Burnett

When Alec told him that it was even worse for good things to have been said about friends who liked to talk about him, Jack laughed. He thought he knew what Alec meant as it could be pretty embarrassing for even nice things to have been said about you behind your back, but he still didn't think it was creepy or bad.

Once he got over his embarrassment, the Gryffindor claimed that Jack had 'just gotten lucky', presumably referring to the fact that Alec had been so quick to forgive him. To that, Jack just smiled. He highly doubted that was the case, but he wasn't about to argue the point. Lucky or not, he was simply happy to have been forgiven to have been able to make up with the other student.

Jack nodded upon hearing that half the time Alec didn't have the patience for art. Honestly, that was what it sounded like the case was for most artists. But that still meant that half the time they did, which was how their art was able to get done at all. That was what Jack admired. "I'm sure it takes forever, but you still persist, which is what makes it so amazing," he insisted. "Wow...you have a lot of different sorts of subjects. Sounds like you're pretty versatile as an artist. I'd love to see your work sometime if you're willing."

He listened, intrigued, as his peer spoke of the giant wars. He agreed; those did certainly have their appeal to learn about. Personally, though, he was grateful he hadn't ever met or seen a giant before. He wondered why they interested Alec so.

Before he could ask, however, the other boy brought up the fact that they had practically missed the whole class. Jack looked around, realizing Alec was right, but he didn't regret how he had spent the session. "Well you weren't really planning on doing any more flying today anyway, were you?" Jack teased lightly, moving to get up even as Alec did. "Thanks for the luck. I'm going to need it." He returned Alec's warm smile with a radiant grin of his own. "I hope you feel better soon, Ma- I mean, Alec." he said, quickly correcting himself.

He was brushing off his robes and was about to go his separate way when Alec stopped to warn him never to trick him the way he had again. Jack laughed. "Don't worry, I won't. I promise. And I'm a man of my word," the Welsh redhead assured him. When he was glared at, he thought for a minute that Alec was angry again, but the glare quickly transformed into a half-smile before the Gryffindor waved farewell and walked away. The Slytherin raised a hand in response before going toward his next class.

@Alec Mason