Older brothers and younger bothers Finished

Adam didn't particularly enjoy seeing his brother around the hallways of the castle. Usually the two boys ignored each other just fine, but there was always a sense of uncomfortableness that accompanied running into a sibling at school. Adam lowered his head a bit, hoping Dean wouldn't notice him walking along down the corridor; or at least, hoping that the older boy would be too preoccupied with his own conversation to talk to his brother.

Apparently, Adam would have no such luck. He saw Dean recognize him and excuse himself from his friends, heading over to where Adam had reluctantly slowed. Dean was a popular guy, and because of that, Adam didn't know most of his friends. His brother had been leaning against the wall, talking with some other Gryffindor guys, laughing at a joke his girlfriend had made. Sydney was nice enough. She seemed to like Dean okay, which was a miracle in Adam's book, and she treated the younger boy well too. She was a sixth-year, like Dean, and wore Hufflepuff colors around her neck. As he walked back towards Adam, Dean turned around and bid her goodbye.

"Hey, Syd, meet you for dinner?" She nodded and he smiled brightly at her before turning and clamping a hand down on Adam's shoulder. "Hey, man!" he said happily, seemingly encouraged to see his brother up and moving again. "Don't you clean up nice! Head feeling better?"

Adam shrugged off his brother's hand and gave him an annoyed look. "I'm fine, Dean. You could've stayed with your friends. They just did some procedure I didn't catch and made me wait a few more hours before they let me go. I've been okay for a few days, now, actually. Why are we walking so fast?"

"Don't worry about it. Are you sure you're okay? You looked pretty out of it last time I--"

"Yes, Dean. I'm fine. It was just a rock. He didn't even mean to...." Adam trailed off as he saw Dean lose focus, his attention switching to something else at the end of the corridor. "Hello? Dean? You there?"

"Yeah, yeah, I'm listening," his brother replied. Before Adam could go on, though, he continued, "Hey, isn't that the kid with the slingshot? The lunatic?" Adam looked where his brother was pointing and saw a figure walking the same corridor not far ahead of them, scarf trailing down behind him. It was definitely Kaegen. Adam was surprised to see him out in the corridors, though he didn't know why -- it was a normal place to be. Maybe he just wasn't used to Kaegen being in normal places.

"Yeah, that's him. How do you know him?" Adam asked curiously, peering up at his brother with suspicion. He didn't think that the two had ever met before. Maybe Dean had just guessed luckily?

"Doesn't matter. I'll be right back." Lengthening his strides, Dean walked purposefully after Adam's former friend and Adam grew worried. He remembered how Dean had reacted when he had first learned about the incident in the hospital wing. He wasn't sure if he trusted his brother around Kaegen -- or vice versa. Speeding up a little to keep up with his brother, Adam sighed.

"Dean, please don't cause a scene. I really don't want to have to stop you from doing anything."

"I won't need to be stopped if the lunatic behaves. I'm not stupid, Adam." his brother replied steadily. Looking his younger brother up and down, Dean smirked.

"Besides, it's not like you could."

Adam was about to respond with a snappy retort when the two boys closed in on Kaegen. Nearing the Ravenclaw boy, Dean didn't get quite close enough to touch him, but made sure that he'd be heard. "Hey there," he said dangerously, calling out to Kaegen from behind.

Adam prayed that this time, no one would end up in the hospital wing.

Kaegen had discovered one thing, and that was that people all acted similarly when they were aiming to fight. The walked directly forward, dead set on their target with sort of a grim determination in their eyes. That, and 11 years in the fens gave you instincts. Good ones, too. Good enough to tell that the "Hey, you" from that aggressive older kid meant bad news. If there was one thing Kaegen had learned from the diffindo incident, it was that trying to take someone down usually wasn't smart if they were stronger than you were. If he had learned anything else, it would probably have something to do with the fact that a loaded slingshot beat spells any day. Especially if the person you were fighting didn't have a wand out and was trying to intimidate like a blown up toad. Maybe not the smartest move, especially considering that this boy no doubt had the capabilities to wipe Kaegen off the face of the map with his spells. That was something that Kaegen was not going to let happen. He was going to get out of here, and get out of here unharmed. The empty sleeves were suddenly filled with arms. His hands holding a slingshot level to the older boy's face, right at his nose. He would have pulled back farther, but he didn't have time. Letting the rock fly as he hissed out a warning to the older boy.
"Don't cross my path"
He had meant it to sound more like a please don't, but his adrenaline had shot through his body already, and his voice made it sound threatening, like a wraith's voice coming from some faraway place warning the older boy to avoid him or else. And then Kaegen shot off. He had cut slits into his robe, and it didn't hinder his movement anymore. His grey scarf floated behind the boy as his unnatural smoothness and grace seemed to be taunting, laughing at the older boy's crisp pace. He shot around the corner, out of sight.

Oh, no. Adam knew what was going to happen before it did. The trouble was, he was too far away to stop it. Dean had moved too quickly for Adam to follow, and now he found himself only able to watch unhelpfully as Dean was struck with a rock, right on the bridge of his nose. Adam shook his head, sighing to himself. That boy really was uncontrollable. As Kaegen darted away, out of sight, Dean staggered backwards and clutched his nose.

"[EXPLETIVE]!" the older boy cursed, eyes flaring in rage. He turned to Adam, hand still on his nose, and asked angrily, "Is it bleeding?" Adam nodded slowly, noting the trickle of blood sliding down Dean's face, and his brother swore again under his breath. Keeping one hand pinched over his nose to slow the bleeding, Dean reached down into the folds of his robes and pulled out his wand. "Probably [EXPLETIVE] broken. Of course." Dean raised his wand to his own face and brought it down in a diagonal slash.

"Episkey," he muttered angrily, the spell setting his nose back into place. Dean wiped away the blood and growled when he reached up to touch the spot the rock had made contact, recoiling from the lasting pain. “Alright. That settles it. I’ve got some ass-kicking to do.”

Adam attempted to protest. He really didn’t want to be in another fight with Kaegen, much less have his brother get into one. Adam was afraid for both of them; Kaegen might have had a slingshot and deadly accuracy, but Dean had spent six years dueling, and didn’t look like he was in the mood for holding back. “Come on, Dean, just—“

“What?” the older boy interjected, frustration now turned on Adam. “What, Adam? Just let it go? Is that what you were going to say? No, I don’t think I will. Because you see, it’s one thing to attack my brother, but attack him and then me, and you’re dead. Dead.” He paused briefly, seeming to remember something important. “Oh, and another thing. I don’t know if you realized this, but it’s not really a dignity-booster to have dinner with your girlfriend while sporting a giant [EXPLETIVE] bruise from a [EXPLETIVE] eleven year old. So yeah, I’m beyond pissed. Anything else you want to say?”

Adam felt guilty speaking up, and a little scared. He’d rarely seen his brother this furious, and he wasn’t sure what he could do to stop it. “Dean, he’s just confused, okay? Cut him some slack. And would you please stop swearing? You’re going to draw attention.”

Dean laughed ruefully. “Oh, is that it? Well, pardon my [EXPLETIVE] French, Adam. No, I will not stop swearing! You want to know why? It’s because I was just shot with a [EXPLETIVE] rock point-blank, and I’m really [EXPLETIVE] ticked off! I don’t care how confused he is, I’m going to teach that son of a [EXPLETIVE] a lesson. Are you going to get in my way, Adam? Or are you going to be sensible?”

When Adam didn’t answer, Dean seemed to relax just a little bit. “That’s what I thought. Now, come on. He’s gotten far enough ahead already.” Stalking down the corridor, Dean muttered to himself in an angry tone, but Adam couldn’t quite make out the words. It was something along the lines of "Damn right I'll cross your [EXPLETIVE] path." He knew he had to follow his brother, if only to stop him before he could actually harm Kaegen in any way. This could go very, very poorly.

Ahead, at a fork in the roads, Kaegen stopped, just for a second. The footsteps were coming after him, apparently his slingshot hadn't been enough to deter the boy. But not to worry, he had read about this in a book. Blowing out a torch on the wall, Kaegen whipped out a bizarre looking top half of some creature's skull. Some rodent of unusual size.
Pulling out a red berry, he scrawled out a hasty 'begone, fool' on the wall. Force hadn't worked, asking nicely hadn't worked, maybe creepy skulls and what looked like a blood warning? Psychological warfare, so to speak. Choosing a corridor, Kaegen sprinted down it. The footsteps didn't sound like they were moving fast enough to catch up with the boy, and besides he knew the way outside from here. If he could make it to the lawn, there was probably no way that older boy could catch up, right? Well, that is unless he had some spell that could close the distance, but Kaegen found that unlikely. In case it did happen, he resolved to run in kind of a weaving pattern, he would try and be erratic, hard to hit. He knew how, it would slow him down but in the long run it would be worth it.

Dean barely cast a glance at the frightening message painted onto the castle wall, keeping his focus on the hallway in front of him. However, he did take the time to pull out his wand, flicking it fluidly through the air and harshly dictating the incantation to the Fire-Making Spell. "Incendio." The torch burst back into life, flame roaring high into the air and devouring the skull that had been left in its place. Reaching the split in the corridors, Dean eyed each one in careful consideration. The younger boy could've chosen either one, but he seemed smart. Smart enough to head for open ground, a place where he could escape. Dean had spent the better part of the last five years wandering the halls of this school, and he knew the quickest route to the front lawn. Smiling ruthlessly, Dean strode down the new corridor and listened for his target. He'd be somewhere nearby -- if he was as intelligent as Dean suspected.

When Adam reached the intersection, he stopped and stared at the bloody-looking message on the wall. Adam had been delayed by a sudden swarm of student traffic a few meters back, and when he had been able to clear the tide of travelers, Dean and Kaegen were out of sight. All that remained of them were the defiled wall and the charred skull, crumbling into ash as Adam watched. Fearing for the fate of his fellow Ravenclaw, Adam knew he had to find his brother fast. If he didn't interfere, there was no telling what would happen.

Kaegen could hear the older boy follow, but at this point it didn't matter. He made it to the open, and was running. Running quickly, but awkwardly across the stone floor. The door, the door to the open, where was it? Kaegen could hear the older boy start to catch up, the longer legs eating up the ground faster than the little 11 year old could hope to move on this kind of ground. The forest, he would make it to the forest. Glancing to the side, Kaegen spotted a window. A grin spread across his face and the plan formed. The window was open, and there was no way that boy would be expecting this. Swinging out of the window, Kaegen used his sleeves as a sort of protection and sound dampener, using the crack in the stone to slow down his descent as he slipped down the side, probably too quickly for comfort. Using all the force he could muster, he leaped off the wall when he was about halfway down, landed softly on the grass hands-first and rolled into a bush. Hiding in the bush, Kaegen pulled his slingshot. If he was right, and the footsteps following him did belong to the older boy, he was in for a world of hurt in the shape of a messed up ear as he passed the window.

Dean had gone quiet, not wanting to alert his younger target to his presence in the corridor. Looking ahead, he couldn't see Kaegen anywhere, but he knew that the boy had to be somewhere in this hallway. Dean hadn't been far behind him, and he was confident that this was the direction Kaegen had come. He must have disappeared into one of the rooms branching off of the hall. Smiling to himself, Dean advanced quietly. This was where it all came to an end.

Gripping his wand firmly in his right hand, the older boy narrowed his eyes and got into his Dueling mindset. This wasn't a standard duel, not exactly, but most of the same rules applied. The only major difference was that an attack could come from any direction -- oh, and the fact that if he got caught, he would likely be expelled. Dean was running through his knowledge of offensive spells, trying to decide which one would best fit the situation at hand, when he noted the open window close by. Could it mean.....would the lunatic go so far as to climb down the castle walls? Dean didn't think so, but he also didn't think that hunting weapons were permitted inside of the school. He'd been wrong before. Interest piqued, Dean took one more cautious step to the window. Raising his wand towards the glass, he began to mutter an incantation when a voice from behind him rang out through the hallway.

"Dean!"Adam yelled, furious and confused. What were the two of them thinking? This was a school, not a battlefield. Lowering his voice so only his brother could hear, he closed the distance to the older boy. "What the hell are you doing?" Blinking in confusion, Dean gave him an unsettled smile and replied, "Oh, uh.....hey, Adam." Out of the corner of his eye, Adam saw his brother angle his wand to Adam's own ankles, and looked up just in time to catch Dean mouthing a word. Incarcerous. Before the older boy could finish, however, Adam's glare darkened and he growled, "I know you're not trying to cast a spell on me."

Dean lowered his arm and slid his wand back into the folds of his robes, but looked into Adam's eyes just as angrily. "Well, what else do you want me to do, huh? I'm not going to let it go. You know me. So get out of my way, or--"

"No." Adam didn't know where this new confidence came from, but he was suspected it was from his growing annoyance at all the fighting that seemed to follow him around. He didn't need Kaegen taking down any more members of his family with that stupid slingshot. He didn't need Dean ruining both of their lives by getting into a blood feud with a first year. Keeping his voice steady, he continued, "What's wrong with you, Dean? Getting in fights with eleven-year-olds? Blatantly ignoring school rules? You're smarter than that. What were you going to do if you caught up with him, huh? Kill him? Cut him? I don't need you getting revenge for me, okay? Just don't be so stupid."

Dean looked surprised, but he was quick to restore his guard and his furious demeanor. "Let's get one thing straight, Adam. You don't tell me what to do. Got that? I'm doing what's best for both of us."

"You're doing something that doesn't need to be done," Adam stressed. In one last attempt to talk his brother down, he forged on. "Go meet up with Sydney. Apologize for abandoning her. And save the battle magic for Dueling Club."

Neither brother seemed to be backing down. At least, not at first. After a moment, Dean's stoic expression cracked and shook his head, smiling despite himself. "Fine. Fine. I think you're stupid, but......you're right." He tried to rub his hand through Adam's hair again, and when Adam smoothly stepped out of the way, it made Dean laugh even more. "Guess we raised you right, kid," he finished, before walking off like he had forgotten about the entire thing. He hadn't, of course -- there was no one that could hold a grudge like Dean. But at least for now, Adam had prevented war. Sighing, Adam checked for the time and realized that he was going to be late for class if he didn't hurry. He didn't have a guess as to where Kaegen had gone, but for now, it didn't matter. He'd reappear in time.

Kaegen was waiting in the bush. He had hear the footsteps, that older boy was coming. He just had to wait a while. He was patient, he had waited days before, and could do it again. It crossed his mind that all the older boy had to do was lay in wait by Kaegen's classroom and wait for the younger ravenclaw to show up. To not show up would be unacceptable, he had to learn. Some of the classes had windows he could use, and the 6th year had classes too, after all. He probably wouldn't skip one just to track him down, would he? As soon as he thought that, Kaegen knew the answer. That boy was a predator. He had seen it in his eyes as the slingshot hit. A predator with a wounded pride. But not too wounded. Kaegen wasn't one to hold a grudge, maybe the other boy wouldn't either? But Kaegen's eyes didn't look like that. He had checked in the mirror several times as a young boy to see if he had killer eyes. But hadn't found anything especially dark or menacing there. All of these thoughts swirled around in the boy's mind. As he sat in the bush with a slingshot. And waited. And waited. And waited.......

It was hours before someone returned to the window, but finally, two shapes stumbled into view. Dean pulled his girlfriend down the hallway, both of them laughing as he led her to the alcove where Kaegen had disappeared earlier that day. He stopped abruptly when they reached the window, turning to catch Sydney as she crashed into his chest and glared up at him jokingly. "How about a little warning next time, huh?" she teased, and he smiled, leaning down to kiss her quickly before she pulled back. "Oh no, it's not going to be that easy to distract me. Why are we here, Dean?"

The Gryffindor boy raised an eyebrow and smirked. "What, I can't be romantic?" he asked. Sydney gave him a look, the kind that asked, you can't be serious, and he sighed. "Okay, fine, I just needed to see if that kid was still back here." When Sydney started to protest, he quickly finished, "Come on, Syd, there's no way he just disappeared! I needed to make sure--"

"But why, Dean? Why? It's just a kid, an eleven-year-old. You're above this. It shouldn't be torturing you so much."

"I know, it's just...."

Sydney waited for a moment before smiling. "That's what I thought." She leaned in and gave Dean another kiss, this one lasting. Standing in the light of the window, they stood close and kissed each other, oblivious to the world outside.

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Adam had finished dinner and decided to go for a walk, while it was still light enough to see. It was nice to get outside for a while and clear his head. Plus, Adam knew that Dean at least suspected that Kaegen had fled outside. It was hard to explain, as was becoming clearer every time Adam thought about it, but he knew he had to at least check. Striding past the Great Lake, taking in the ever-awe-inspiring sights of the castle in the evening, Adam made his way across the grounds until he reached the spot where the window should have been. Yep, there it is. He didn't pay much attention to the window itself, instead focusing on the bushes that surrounded the area. He didn't think it was likely that the other boy was there, but he had to check. Creeping closer, he whispered,

"Kaegen?"