The Return of Wynter Closed

Marcus De Wynter had been gone from Hogwarts for 1 year and 1 day, exactly that long. Erin had been keeping track. Something about being killed by Deathwitches if she believed the little she had gleaned from a one Kaegen Deathmote. There were more than a fair few students that believed that she was somehow responsible. Erin was a lot of things, but a killer was not among them as of yet. She was getting closer, her voracious hunger and her growing obsession, not with some Slytherin boy but from this gnawing hunger this incessant itch that she could never quite satisfy. She was getting more dangerous, but not any more clever. 

She had looked for Marcus this past year, a Slytherin with an ego so large there was only space for one in the grand hall, would never leave without a word. He also had a presence, an obnoxious one. One that was had to miss if you did not see the elephant-sized ego, yet nobody seemed to notice when he disappeared in a puff of smoke. She had asked about him, there was no word. He was not the only one, there were so many others as well -- Seige Bal, Sebastian Leeds for instance. One day here, the next day gone. Recently a few had returned such as Howie White and Anatole Evans. Neither came back right. Hell, it was as if someone came back donning their skin but little more. It was damn creepy even if she was having a great time getting to know the new and improved Howard White.

It was then that she saw him, Marcus that is. That cocky bastard just strolling down the hall like it was any other Tuesday. Maybe it was not him, some other smug-faced Slytherin. Erin would follow him, quietly, picking up the pace as to walk adjacent to him. She would look up. He probably gown, she had not this past year, at least in height. 

Yep, that was him.

She would attempt to body check Marcus into a wall without warning. 

And then hug him.

Marcus looked around noting some of the new faces as he made his way toward the Headmaster's Office, unbeknownst to him he was being followed by his once mortal enemy Erin Ryan as she followed him silently Marcus went back into his head to think on who to talk to upon finishing up with the headmaster "I doubt Erin would be happy to see me, Kaegen is probably dead..who else do I bloody know?" he said suddenly "Should probably just head to the Library after.." he mumbled still unknowing of his stalker..

"I should probably get a snack from the Kitchens before the Library" He mumbled reading the note of which books he will be reading for his second year at Hogwarts, grumbling as he won't be able to do Runes just yet "Wonder if Professor Magnus is still around?" he said to himself "I wonder who the teachers are these days as well..Merlin I feel old just thinking of who is new and who isn't" he said with a sigh then made a turn to the staircases upon entering the hallway he feels a body tackling him into the wall with a grunt of pain he was able to draw his wand and point it against the person's neck only for him to realize the person was hugging him and it was Erin "W-w-what the hell are you doing Ryan!" he shouts with his eyes wide, trying to get her off him "Get off me or I will stun you!"

Erin's greeting was a mixture of violence and relief, but mostly violence. She had been worried about him this past year and now she had assaulted and restrained him, just in case he escaped once again. "Where the hell have you been you asshole," a muffled voice demanded an answer. While smaller, she was incredibly strong and durable. The wand pointed at her neck did not seem to phase her, in fact she did not even seem to notice before he made his threat about stunning her. "Aint scared."

She craned her neck to the side, exposing more of her neck as if daring him to try. She would peel herself off of him enough to look up at his shocked and possibly dismayed expression. With the palm of her hand she would push herself off of him, she was hardly the friendly touchy-feely type after all. She sniffed the air, as if trying to take in the scent. A part of her expected the scent of brimstone or the perfume of a potion, a foolish prank that would end with some kid crying in a puddle of their own snot on the floor when she was done with them. 

"You only get one shot with your twig there before my shoe is shoved so far up your ass you're spitting leather Marcus. Don't screw it up," she smirked like the devil herself would. "Or, you can tell me where the hell you have been and save the ass kicking for another day."

"Watch your language, so immature as usual it seems." he said shaking his head with a chuckle "I have been away back to my manor when my father died, I had to take time away to grieve and to run my house, but now I'm back" he replied "You should be scared, you obviously don't know what spells I have learned in my time away." he added sliding his wand back into his wrist holster, then looked her over with a raised eyebrow "You haven't changed it seems, still as rude as ever, can't believe I was hoping you would mellow out while I was gone." He said with a grin "But it is good to see you cared enough to tackle me into a bloody wall." he added checking himself for any injuries "Why did you have to do that, now I need to go to the nurse just encase after I meet the Headmaster."

"Who else is still around?" He asked curious if some of the people he knew, transferred out or just plain died somewhere, or even if they were alive even if it was unlikely they would have, moving his hand to pat on her head "Are you on the quidditch team still or did you quit cause I was gone?" he asked a teasing grin on his face still patting her head.

The students of Hogwarts had grown accustomed to the girl's madness. She was for the most part harmless but still cruel. Her means of assault more commonly of a psychological nature, prying into family affairs or gleaning from their words and their eyes their darkest torments just to use them against them moments later in some sort of cruel game. Truly it was easier to elicit fear or anger, even sorrow than it was happiness or joy which were more often feigned. 

Language... Really? She raised her brow at the comment. That was his first bloody fucking thought! 

He claimed that he was tending to his father's affairs for a full year. She shook her head, "I don't believe you." As self-important as he was, she would have been more apt to believe he was distracted by his own reflection in the mirror for this past year. She had not mellowed out, in fact she had gotten worse. Significantly. 

Well, she was done missing him now at least. She just remembered the fragile body and the know-it-all attitude she had nearly forgotten about this past year. He made mention of stopping by the medical wing, "Pfft... I forgot you were half banana. Would not want some fancy-pants heir to bleed out internally or anything." She relinquished any physical contact she might have still had with him at this point. 

He asked who else was still around and she stopped moving. Who else was still around? She was not entirely certain, she was fixated on the people that were missing. She shrugged. "I don't know, there are a lot of people missing, you're the third to come back." She was keeping track.

"Quidditch was dismantled, something safety-based," Marcus started patting HER on the head. She started swatting violently at the air above her head. "I did not miss you, you dork. I thought they killed you!" She shouted at him. Yes, she assumed he was dead, killed by the Prefects or the Professors. her paranoid delusion supported by Kaegen's madness as well as the actual strange disappearances of so many students. Little did Erin know, she was wrong about people being in the know but there were legitimate terrible happenings involving many members of the former student body. "Stop!" She complained.

"It took a while for me to look through every..single..document my father had involving our House's businesses, plus I was homeschooled with a tutor..so you are wrong about not believing me." he replied grinning as he continue to mock her by patting her "I'm not the heir anymore I'm the Lord." He added "Also I am not a damned banana, I have been working out and keeping in shape just so I can taunt you like this without getting bruised when you punch me like a damn ape." he said continuing to grin with a laugh "huh I wonder why people went missing, I mean I had an excuse..why don't they?" He mumbled then shrugged going back to patting her head "You say you didn't miss me, but it seems like you were searching for me and you tackled hugged me upon seeing me...I say you are lying and did actually miss me."

He turned to look at the surrounding students and waves to them then turns back to Erin "Gonna give me a tour after I get back from the Headmaster?" He asked with a chuckle "Or are you going to continue to pout that I'm patting you on your head?"

"A buff banana?" The phrase did not make any sense coming from someone who would toddle into the infirmary from one little body check. Erin's tolerance was incredibly limited as the taller youth continued to piss her off. It would seem like any heart filled reunion was over already. She would utilize a technique that had been passed down for generations, a secret powerful technique that could bring most men to their knees in a single blow. 

"Worked out just to deal with little old me?" Really? She scoffed as she shot her knee upward. Where it was aimed was quite obvious. Having few places to run, she had body checked him into a wall after all and even if his arms were longer than hers she had a perfectly fine set of legs. 

If her blow made its intended mark and crushed his family jewels or not, it would seem that they were pretty much back to where they left off. This tense, perpetually pissed off state. Wait, he pissed her off. That was an epiphany for the Slytherin. "I really can't stand you," she vocalized out loud a bit of shock in her voice. Success or not, she backed off. This was a game-changer for her. She had a lot to think about just then. More importantly, she needed to get back control and use this annoyance for something constructive.

She had no interest in giving him a tour but she would. "Fine... a tour?" She seemed to relent. "In exchange, answer my questions?"

Marcus sighed shaking his head at her banana comment "Eh I worked out for myself mostly, you were just a side thing with how big and hulky you are." he commented with a grin seeing what was about to happen he moved his right knee to block her knee to his jewels, then moved forward attempting to slam his fist into her nose, but stopping just an inch from her with a mocking grin "Things have changed." he replied staring at her "But maybe you should go off and think about how things have changed instead of giving me a tour, I could probably get a house elf to do so instead, but I can answer some questions when I see you again" he replied moving away from her since she backed off, keeping an eye on her as he made his way to the headmaster's office once more, intent on speaking with him when he does 'Well that was an interesting welcome back' he thought continuing to watch Erin encase she tried to tackle him again and if she did it won't end well for her as he begins to think of which spell to use on her if she tried to do so.

Marcus would protect himself with his knee, not that it bothered her to impact his leg as hard as she could with her own. His grandchildren would have felt that had it landed. He would respond with a punch of his own, something intended to stop an inch before her face. Something that would stop an inch before her face had it remained where it was. But no, she forced her head forward, her nose pointed slightly down as she headbutted his fist with her incredibly hard (not just metaphorically) head. Erin was an incredibly reckless fighter, pain was hardly a detraction even if a white light subverted her vision for a moment. Erin acted primarily on instinct, more a brute in physical combat than a tactician. 

She would feel that, but so wouldn't he.

In the end he was uninterested in continuing their conversation. He was better off.... mayhaps safer finding a House Elf that was willing to take him on a tour of the facility. He was leaving. She was not going to pursue the jackass, he needed to check in with the nurse and get his boo-boos kissed. She had better things to do as she rearranged her bangs so that they hid the red mark that was likely forming on her forehead. She needed to meet up with her boyfriend, it was their scheduled hour for some quality time.