Closed A Chaos to Confess PV Alec Mason ReOpened

Today had been a quiet morning. Alec found himself at peace in the wake of the slowness of that day. The lack of the rush of needing to be somewhere and do something. It was surprising for Alec, as some who always had a go, go, go mindset. Always needing to rush somewhere for something, the hype of it meaning absolutely nothing in the grand scheme of things. It was hard to enjoy oneself when you were always rushing. Thus Alec took his time as he entered, strolling through the small hall. He had no destination and would simply let the walking journey lead wherever it may lead, he was along for the ride.

Alec's mind drifted as he took in the scenery, his efforts intaking in life beauties were meager at best. His viewing of the scenery was half-hearted, mindlessly doodling into his sketchbook as he walked. It would have been generous to give Alec the benefit of the doubt and assume he was watching in front of him as he walked, he was that lost and distracted in it all.

Yet, curious as it was, the sight of a familiar brown-haired Slytherin. She looked to be having trouble holding herself together, Alec's once distant and dazed features softened with empathy. He didn't know what he could do, if he could help, the least the could do was ask if she was alright. Approaching her, Alec moved to put the sketchbook he was holding into his satchel. Opeila met him halfway.

Before he could get a word out, Opeila asked if Alec had a moment, he was confused but he nodded. “Yeah, of course,” Alec spoke, Alec's eyes carefully assessed Opeila as if noticing the slightest clue would let him in on what was going on. At least she didn't look unwell, no more scary hag rituals, it was all behind them now far into the past. Whatever slight clues there were to pick up, if any, went unnoticed by Alec despite his search. Alec eye her warily with some amount of increasing concern. “Are you okay?” he asked, his voice coming out in a hushed tone.
@Opeila Winters

This was on her alone and Opeila knew it well, yet, when it came to actually confessing what she had done, she felt like she could hardly breathe. She was ruining everything, wasn't she? Jack was right, Opeila had no idea what friendship was, she was selfishly using those around her, wasn't she? And now, that she had truly crossed a line, it seemed to take her breath away.

That Alec started off asking if she was fine didn't help either, instead it almost crushed the little self control she had left. "Yeah- yeah, I'm fine.", she answered, sniffing, trying to keep it together. Don't cry. You wronged him. You don't get to cry. As if that way of thinking ever helped.
"I um... I need to tell you something. I- I did something.", she began, looking at the floor, the group of first years passing by, everywhere but the boy in front of her.

"You know, at the ball my guardians organized at Christmas... They announced an arrangement they made with this American family regarding their son and me." The anger about this violation was not just gone yet. She still felt a sting of betrayal. "And the day after... I swear, I didn't mean to, I have no idea what I was thinking- I just tried to get out of it. I told Lady Virtanen that I had a perfectly suitable boyfriend and when she asked who... I just blurted out your name."

There. It was out. And Opeila could not endure even a second of silence. "I'm so sorry, Alec, I really don't know what I was thinking, I panicked and- I'll make it right again, I'll tell her I was lying." She sniffed again. So much for no tears.

Alec couldn't find it within himself to curb the habit of checking up on her, making sure she was alright. Long after it all had blown over he continued to do it. He asked if Opeila was okay. His question with met with reassurances the opposite of reassuring. Opeila sniffled, and Alec his tongue to keep himself from pressing further on the matter. She was clearly upset, however, Alec resigned it wasn't his place to push. He had to keep reminding himself the two of them weren't close enough for that. The hag ritual, Opeila getting sick, everything that happened after. It shouldn't have been enough to bond people. Alec didn't know Opeila, not really.

Opeila said she needed to tell him something. Opeila didn't look at him as she spoke. He nodded slowly to gesture her forward in her speaking. Alec was blank-faced, unsure what to expect. There were a million different possibilities for what she was about to say, each worst than the last.

She brought up the ball organized at christmas, her guardians announcing an arrangement. Alec found himself more lost then ever as to where this was going, how it was relevant to something she needed to tell him, her palpable distress. Opeila brought up the desire to simply get out of it, she said she wasn't thinking, and her words framed the situation as her trying to haggle her way out of it, searching for any token, any bargaining chip she could use.

A perfectly suitable boyfriend. She blurted out his name. Alec found himself taken aback to know that he had become her bargaining chip. In a matter of a second the Gryffindor became an enigma to himself. Unable to separate emotions and puzzle out what he felt. She used his name. Pulling into a mess he never agreed to be apart of because his name had been mentioned, his name was out there. Though he was upset and confused by the other mass of emotions swirling around inside him, Alec couldn't bring himself to be mad or upset with her.

As if unable to bear her actions, the words were out and he had no time to react in between her confession and her profuse apology. She said she panicked when she said it. She continued to panic now. Opeila said she would make it right, said she would admit to lying. Alec found it quite unbelievable to bear witness to a moment like this, where he was the one most outwardly put together in this situation.

Opeila sounded again like she was on the verge of tears. Working herself up at this point when he hadn't even said anything. What she confessed too suddenly became the last thing on his mind, finding himself focus on the fact she was upset and slightly panicking. “Hey... shhh,” he cooed, if she would allow he moved to place a reassuring hand on her shoulder. “Take a deep breath. It's okay.” He kept his voice quiet and gentle, hoping a soothing tone would help.

If and when she seemed calm and or reassured enough to continue talking, if his hand had been on his shoulder this is the moment where he would pull his hand away. He pursed his lips as if the very topic brought a sour taste to his mouth, then spoke. “I... I get it.” He didn't have to pretend to know, he knew the situation she was in all too well. He'd seen it time and time again. He'd been in the same spot for a brief period. “I'm not mad or upset with you, okay? I'm just- I'm... confused?” Alec spoke, his words coming out like a question.

Alec took a deep breath, running a hand through his curly hair. “Does- did it change anything?” Alec asked the words hurriedly escaping his lips before he could stop them. Alec's eyes met hers a serious look on his face. “Do you um... do you think your claim to have a perfectly suitable boyfriend will get you out of it?”
@Opeila Winters

Please. Please say something. Anything. Somehow Alec's silence, his closed off expression were harder to endure than if he had snapped at her. Know this moment in a horror movie where the background music fades away and one knows there's a jump scare coming in a moment but not where it will come from? That was probably the best comparison to how Opeila felt.

And yet she would have probably not reacted any differently herself if someone else dumped this kind of info on her. She had used him. Not meaning to, but she absolutely had, so whatever Alec might want to throw at her was completely justified and she knew it.

The hand on her shoulder came out of nowhere and entirely unexpected, making Opeila freeze on the spot. The flood of words that just seemed to pour out of the young girl stopped immediately. Was he really calming her? Was he telling her it was ok? This was all wrong, he shouldn't have to calm her, she should be the one begging for his forgiveness.

Well, it did effectively calm her down and once she breathed more slowly again, Alec took his hand away and told her that... he understood. That he was not mad with her, making Opeila stare at him blankly. "You do?" The words left her mouth as a whisper, green eyes were looking at him with an expression of disbelief.

"No. It only buys me time and stops my guardians from making any more choices in that direction without me knowing. Then I... will have to think of something.", she answered his next questions.

Opeila had disbelief, or perhaps the better term was 'surprise' in the fact Alec claimed to understand her situation. Swallowing, Alec's eyes flitted away from her in that moment, his body stiffening at her follow-up. With the way he seemed discomforted in her words it was clear he hadn't expected to address the fact that he understood her situation a second time over. He would nod, “it's personal.” The words left his lips before his mouth could stop them. The sentence was curt. It was as if Alec had this conversation many times over and the idea that people would try to push past his boundaries was deeply instilled in him. Alec wouldn't talk about it with just anybody, Opeila however... “I would tell you about it at length, but, now isn't the right time or place.” He would tell her. He wanted to tell her. With an experience as rare as it was, it was hard not to feel alone in it. It was even harder not to feel helpless.

When he asked if her name blurting at least worked, Alec received an answer he should have expected. Of course it didn't. It's never that easy. Nevertheless, the use of his name had helped. Alec shifted where he stood. “I don't want it to seem as if I'm trying to insert myself in personal matters but I want to help.” Alec surprised himself the straightforwardness of his words. Now it really did seem like he was trying to insert himself in her personal life. It was a matter he didn't need to get involved in but it wasn't is if he he was getting involved for drama's sake, he wanted to help. “If there is anything at all that I can do, let me know.” Anything he could do more than not being upset over the use of his name. He understood what she was going through, and it was silly for him to get upset, especially if it could help.

Rubbing the back of his neck nervously, Alec spoke again. “and- this might seem like stupid offer, I don't know what your situation is, If you ever need someone to talk to...” Alec trailed off but Alec felt his intentions were clear and she'd get the message. “The next time you use my name, a heads up would be nice. Just so we can get our story straight,” though his words sounded serious, there was a teasing air to his voice, making it clear he was just poking at her.
@Opeila Winters

Alec seemed unwilling to talk more about his own experience, that seemed to enable him to understand Opeila's situation and Opeila knew better than to dig after such a clear hint. She would accept his decision with a nod, ready to drop the topic and move on, when he said that he would tell her, if it wasn't for the time and place they were at. Again she could only look at him with an expression of surprise on her face that couldn't remotely show him what was going on inside her.

Obviously this meant something to him. He didn't want to discuss the topic in a place as open as the Small Hall, but what Opeila had expected was that he didn't want to discuss it with her. She could have understood it. Since her first year, she was used to having people around her she knew she could trust but only with a sting of guilt as she felt that they didn't trust her. Even Flash.
And Alec would? Just... just like that? "Of course... whenever you want to." was all she responded, occupied with the feeling of warmth that had appeared in her stomach.

When Alec began to explain how he didn't want to insert himself in her personal matters, a laugh escaped the young Slytherin before she could stop it. "You... inserting yourself? So far I had the feeling that I did a fine job of inserting you in my personal matters without your input at all..." Another small laugh broke out of her.

The offer that she could talk to him if she needed came unexpected as well. "Thank you. Really. And same to you." It took her another moment to realize what had just happened.
"Hold on. So- let me get this straight. You are... you are fine with this? If we go through with this lie, we will have to play it at Hogwarts too. There are too many people here who have connections with my guardians." Her face had turned serious again.

Alec had always preferred to keep most of family and home life under wraps. It was the easiest way to prevent an unwanted conversation before it could begin. It worked because Alec had for the most part been able to keep the arrangement his parents made with the Ironwoods under wraps until rather luckily for Alec, it fell apart. If he had made his situation known, perhaps he would have felt less alone, they way he felt now when he expressed wanting to share why he understood with Opeila. Alec didn't regret his decision to keep the information to himself in the past. If he told the wrong person the effects may very well have been disastrous. He knew he could trust Opeila.

Opeila's laughed at the suggestion that Alec could ever come off as inserting himself given the circumstances. It was a relief to know that he wasn't coming across as trying to insert himself. She said she seemed to have done a fine job of inserting him in her personal matters. Alec bit his tongue to keep from pointing out her actions hadn't been intentional. He didn't being inserted into her personal matters when he was able to help her with it, and this wouldn't have changed with the intention of her actions.

His offer to come talk to him if she needed someone to talk to was met with a reciprocated offer. He felt comforted to know that safe space to share and confide in Opeila, and her with him. It was reaffirming of his decision to want to share his personal experience with Opeila.

Whether they had a place to confide in each other or not, Opeila was slow to believe any of this meant he was okay with what had happened. Good on her because he wasn't okay with what had happened. Put it had nothing to do with playing out a role in a fake relationship for Opeila, it had nothing to do her using his name. Opeila should have never had to feel guilty about using Alec's name because she should have never been put into a situation where she felt the need to use anybody name like that to get out or slow it down. “I said I understood. Throwing you to the wolves... It was never an option to begin with.” Alec would never have made Opeila have to admit she let Alec's name slip in a panic. He didn't know what Lady Virtanen was capable of. A passive excuse about them 'breaking up' would have been better than throwing Opeila to the wolves, and a passive excuse was still a terrible option!

“Don't see it as me begrudgingly agreeing either. I want to help, remember?” Yes, despite all those other terrible options they weren't cornering him into doing this for Opeila. Alec needed to make it clear he was doing this because he wanted too. It wasn't a chore or a burden to do this for her. Everybody needs a little help or a favor every once in a while, no matter how unique it may be. “By the way, I am serious about the whole getting our story straight thing,” Alec felt people weren't likely to pry and ask, despite that, it was better to be safe than sorry.
@Opeila Winters

Alec repeated that he understood and Opeila nodded. Of course he wasn't fine, with it, who would be? But he seemed to tolerate it. He wasn't pushing her away as she had feared, but he was not going to throw her to the wolves, as he put it. How did she deserve this boy again?

All of this was way more than Opeila had dared to hope for. Her hopes had been resting somewhere around the possibility that he might not yell at her and cast her aside but she had already started to think about how to come clean with the Virtanens before the next pureblood gathering.
And yet here she stood with Alec who was now telling her that he wasn't begrudgingly agreeing, that he wanted to help.

Even seemingly agreed to pretend to be together at Hogwarts, which meant pulling off a ruse for pretty big parts of every day. No, Opeila had truly not even had the idea that Alec might agree to this.
She stared at him, observing his face, not quite sure if he was being entirely serious yet. "This- it would mean the world. Thank you, Alec. Truly." If he was actually going to pull this lie off with her- she had no idea how she would ever repay this favor.