Revelations PV AngelFyre McCubbin F

@ Simon Kincaid Sees AngelFyre in the Library

AngelFyre was sitting at her favorite study table in the Library. It was was pretty far back in the stacks, and as far away as she could get from the section on Magical Creatures, which seemed to be the most trafficked section in the Library by far. Her books and papers were spread far and wide over every available centimeter, and "then some". The "then some" space consisted of piles of open books, stacked 4-6 books high, with voluminous notes trapped between some of the pages, all of which threatened to spill over the table's edge at the slightest touch.

To the casual observer, heck, even to a gawker, it would appear that AngelFyre was a scattered, undisciplined kind of student. Who could accomplish anything in such a mess? Yet, she knew exactly where everything was, and her grades did not suffer for lack of an organized system. Was it pretty? No. Was it methodical? Certainly not! But it worked for her. She had been up here since dinner, working through her homework so that she could turn her focus onto her personal mystery project. The subject of said mystery was, of course, none other than the handsome Mr. Simon Kincaid.

AngelFyre had pretty quickly figured out a day or so earlier that she believed Simon to be a Dhampir. The rest of her studying had focused on how that might have come to be for him and what it all meant for him on a day to day basis. It began to make a little more sense why his father may not be in the picture, but she realized she could be filling in the right blanks with the wrong answers, so it would be best to hear it from him... when he was ready... if he was ever ready to tell her.

She stretched and set her quill down on her doodles and started thinking back to the night in the Rehearsal Room, for only about the millionth time. No, she was confident he wanted to tell her. What was it he had said that night? He did not want to scare her away. She smiled. Well, that was something at least.

Oblivious to it as she always was, AngelFyre had rested her chin in her palm and was gently twirling soft strands of her hair between her fingers. She was looking off to her left, not truly focusing her sights on anything in particular, just very deep in her own thoughts. Funny. Even after reading what she had, there just was not a scenario she could foresee where anything Simon could do would scare her away. She wished she could tell him that, but there were... well... complications. She was beginning to feel like an adorable little puppy that just wanted nothing more than to follow its person wherever they went. And again, for about the millionth time, she wondered if that actually was how Simon saw her? He had to be used to girls swooning over him all the time. Why would she be any different? Ugggggh.

Yeah, she had it bad. This was exactly what her father was afraid of when she came to Hogwarts. Boys. He may have been right, she was now prepared to concede, but she also knew her studies would come first. Still twirling her hair, she glanced down at the doodles and just felt an ache at the sight of her silly schoolgirl crush hopes and dreams laid bare, mocking her; hearts filled with the initials, A.M. + S.K., swirly declarations of AngelFyre Loves Simon, and the show stopper of course, the scribbles of her first name with his last name. Still though, looking at them just made her smile.

Then, yanking her from her thoughts, she heard his voice say, "Hey, you" and before she knew it, he was standing at the table, smiling broadly. Please, please, please do not let him have seen the doodles was all she could manage to say in the moment, but unfortunately, she only said it to herself, and nothing more.

Simon had been rather distracted by the books that were on the table and had not yet seen the things that AngelFyre had written. Still, if she neglected to get them all covered up, he probably soon would scan his eyes across them - as he was quite curious as to what her research involved.

"So uh....first of all...nice to see you, as always," he said, feeling a little shaky with his words. She seemed startled and even went so much as to stand before him and he wondered if she was scared of him now. He watched her, with the same kind eyes he always had. Whatever she found out about dhampirs in those books couldn't have changed her opinion on him so quickly, could it? Did she no longer want anything to do with him?

Then it occurred to Simon that maybe she came across one of the two T.Ruth articles in school's newspaper, The Hogwarts Headliner, which warned the entire student body how terribly dangerous dhampirs were. They were ignorant articles, which was spreading false information and stirring up drama just to stir up drama. Still, the school newspaper was SUPPOSED to be a credible source of information and one in which the students could trust so he could easily see how AngelFyre's perception of him could change.

"Look, can we talk?" he asked softly. "Or rather...you ask me questions that you might have and I'll answer them honestly?" He couldn't lose her. Not now.

In an effort to shield her doodles from him, AngelFyre stood rather quickly. She noticed two things immediately. First, her precarious mountain of books was threatening to topple at her jarring movement to stand too quickly and second, Simon seemed very tentative. Something had changed from his initial exuberant greeting to suddenly asking her if they could talk. AngelFyre had seen enough Muggle Rom-Coms to know that that opening gambit of his could bode no goodwill for her tender heart.

"Of course we can. Here, let me move my mess out of the way. Take a seat, please," she offered and then she hurriedly moved a pile of her books, strategically placing some of them on her notes. Whew! Mission accomplished. At least if he was going to break it to her that he was not in the market for an adorable, doting puppy, she would not also have to deal with the added embarrassment of his having borne witness to her childishness on top of it.

Sitting back down and steeling herself for whatever it was he wanted to say, AngelFyre settled herself in her chair and finally looked directly at him. "Honestly, Simon I think it would be better if you started. I would not know where to even begin." And then she sighed before mustering up a shaky smile.

And like a duck paddles madly beneath the surface, AngelFyre was frantically clenching her fists open and closed beneath the desk in an effort to release her nervous energy. Here we go.

He slowly sat down. She seemed flustered and that couldn't be a good thing. She was going to think that dhampirs were gross, that dhampirs were dangerous, that dhampirs were downright monsters. He slowly sat down, making sure it was the empty seat across from her instead of beside her because the last thing he wanted was to frighten her. - More.

"Well, it's about all that," he said and looked to the stack of books that were over top of her notes of love. In her mind it could read either way but of course Simon intended to bring up the books. "And I'm not sure where to really begin the conversation. I'm still struggling through all the information myself in my mind and trying to get a good grasp of it and how it makes me feel and how it will affect things in the future."

Was he helping things at all? Simon looked to her, feeling confused. "I just uh...well... I mean..." What did he mean? Why did this girl always get him so flustered? She was probably thinking him quite unintelligent about right now with his stuttering and stammering. SPEAK THE QUEEN'S ENGLISH, SIMON KINCAID!

Simon sighed. As much as he tried the words weren't coming to him. But this WAS important. He didnt want to lose her. "Sometime's it can hard to express things. To put yourself out there. I'm sorry that I'm not making this very easy."

Her first instinct was to laugh. Seriously. She wanted to laugh. Not at him. Never at him. It was from a combination of relief and a release valve for more of her nervous energy. She wanted to laugh, but she did not. All anyone had to do was look at the boy to know that laughing right now would probably be entirely misconstrued. He looked like he was as confused as she herself felt, and maybe a little distressed as well.

Why had everything suddenly become so strained between them? It was all like a well oiled machine in the Rehearsal Room. Was he having regrets? Getting teased by friends about his latest lovesick groupie? It was just all so exhausting. Truly.

He was right. It is not easy to put oneself out there, and bold as AngelFyre could be, she was not prepared to declare her affection for him first. If anything were ever going to happen between the two of them, he would have to be the one to take the first step. She would not be coy and make him have to guess at her feelings, but she was not going to be a heat seeking missile either. It crossed her mind that she was very glad she was not a boy. If she were, she would live and die, more than likely, never having kissed a girl because she could not imagine where the courage comes from to put yourself out there first. But Simon would have to if she had read the situation correctly that night in the Rehearsal Room.

Part of her relief she had felt earlier though, and one of the reasons she wanted to laugh, was because a saving grace kind of thought crossed her mind when he gestured to the area where her notes were. Her notes were covered by the research books on Dhampirs. She had forgotten all of that in her moment of doodle panic. But what brought relief to her may be bringing him some angst right now. What if he feels like I am encroaching on his privacy? Now this she could sink her teeth into, and she did giggle, she could not help it, at her own unintended pun inside her head, but since it was not a matter of the heart, she had no issue asking him about her research.

"It is okay, Simon. Really. Whatever is going on here,".... and she gestured her hand in a wave around and between them... "it is okay."Then on a sudden impulse, feeling like he was miles away from her, she stood and slipped into the chair next to him, moving it closer to him. Feeling even more emboldened.... maybe she was acting like a heat seeking missile...she again wanted to giggle at the irony of that imagery and a Dhampir, but this time she was able to refrain from indulging the impulse. Instead, she reached for his hand with both of hers, instinctively caressing the top of his hand with her thumbs, not even aware she was doing it. Looking at him directly and unblinking, she spoke her truth to him.

"There is nothing you could do or say that could ever make me not want to be your friend." What she desperately wanted to add onto that statement was... or more. But again, that would just be a bridge too far. "Now, can you tell me why you are so cold all the time? I have not meant to encroach on your privacy, I swear I have not, but I have been curious. Ever since we shook hands in the Common Room that first night, I have wondered. My research all points to you being a Dhampir, but I am prepared to be wrong. Either way, you are stuck with me unless and until you decide to be rid of me."

And in her head she heard Arf! Arf!

He felt terribly sick from his nerves and his stomach at the same time and when she stood up he had the feeling she was going to leave - just walk away. Walk away? Or would she run?

Simon watched and was confused as she didn't distance herself from him but instead came and sat down beside him and instantly he began to feel a little better. Prey, if feeling threatened, didn't come closer to their predator. Never. That meant that AngelFyre didn't feel threatened by him.

And then she surprised him even more. She took his hand into her own hands. She was showing physical affection and his nerves started up a little again but not in fear this time. He looked forward and his eyes found hers the way they always did and their gaze connected.

Her voice was low as she spoke about her suspicions and he felt she was there for him. The nerves went away and he began to feel comfort and smiled. Everything around him now started to slowly come back to him and he didn't have to panic.

"I never want rid of you, AngelFyre. Ever." He spoke those words so clearly and so sincerely as he stared into those eyes of hers. Did she understand just HOW much he meant it? Probably not. Still, now wasn't the moment for that. He'd stick with the topic at hand - for now.

Simon disconnected their gaze for a moment and glanced around to see who else was in the Library and how close they were. It was relatively empty that day and for that he was thankful. Simon turned his chair so it was facing hers, scooted it closer so he could be within whispering distance, and with taking one of her hands and enveloping it in his own he began to whisper out her answer.

"You're not wrong," he revealed to her softly. "And...some of those books are accurate and some of those books are horribly wrong. Just know, that I'm me. I'm the same me that you met in the Common Room and I'm the same me that you sat with at the piano in the Rehearsal Room. I'm the same me that loves music and is fascinated by magic and dragons because...DRAGONS," he laughed a little, "and I'm the same me that tries to be a good Christian and a great person and wants to get to know you. All of you. And...that me being that is just genetics. Genetics that make a part of me that I don't really have a good connection with. My mum was a witch, a former Gryffindor," which he already told her about, "but it was my father that was - "not was, so he corrected it, " - is...a vampire. I think. I mean, I have yet to really talk with him except vaguely one particular night over this past Summer and there's a slight chance that it wasn't even him but I'm pretty certain it was."

Rambling again. But at least...somewhat getting somewhere with it.

"You never need to feel afraid around me, AngelFyre. I'd never want to hurt you and will do anything I can to protect you. Any questions you have, please ask. But please never question whether or not you should be near me and something about your coming closer just now makes me feel a little assured that you've already understood that." Simon smiled widely.

Hopefully she was starting to feel more comfortable too now through all that.

AngelFyre Reacts to Confirmation From @Simon Kincaid

She listened silently. Intently. Never interrupting. He clearly had been bursting at the seams holding so much of himself back, and it was a lot to be holding back. As he spoke, she could see and feel that the world between them was righting itself again. She let him purge himself of everything he needed to and wanted to until he came to the end of himself, finally falling silent, though his eyes had been desperately searching hers in the telling for some sign, AngelFyre supposed, that she did not think him… what? A monster? The relief washing over him was evident in his smile now, even as she could still hear a modicum of concern and confusion in his voice, and his eyes were still searching hers. Never in her most vivid imaginings had AngelFyre ever foreseen Simon pleading with her not to be afraid of him. Pleading his case for her to believe that the Simon she knows is the Simon he is. Her heart hurt for him in those moments because clearly those worries were some of his deepest concerns. Not just that she would be afraid of him, but that anyone would believe there was a need to be afraid of him. Is he afraid of himself?

When she finally spoke, it was maybe half a minute or so after he had finished, and the tack she took probably had him wondering if she had heard anything he had said at all, but she had. She most definitely had. “You know,” she said, in a barely audible whisper and a distant look crossing her face as she turned her head away, remembering, “the very first time I ever recall seeing you was here in this Library. It was last fall, near the beginning of the term, and I was in here studying, but I was at a table closer to the Magical Creatures section that day,” and she nodded her head almost imperceptibly in that direction. “I could not make out everything that happened, but there were two, no three boys rough housing in here and generally acting most inappropriately considering where they were. Their rough housing centered around a blonde girl; giving her a hard time. I am not certain what they did exactly, but it sounded like they made her drop her books or they knocked something over. I was aware of them, obviously, but what truly caught my attention was you. You stepped right in and I remember thinking at the time, one guy against three? This was not going to be good. You calmly but firmly told them to cut it out and to take it outside, which to my amazement, they of course did. But the thing that I most took note of, however, was what happened next.”

AngelFyre started smiling at the memory and continued, “The girl had ink on her face, unbeknownst to her, and you took off your uniform shirt, grabbed a bottle of water from your bag, wet your shirt, and started wiping the ink from her face. It was such a gallant thing to do, yes, but that was not even the best part from my perspective. The best part was how terribly embarrassed she was about the whole thing and just how easily you calmed her and made the situation for her as comfortable as it could be. When you had finished, that flustered girl was smiling and laughing with no detectable air of distress or embarrassment plaguing her any longer.”

AngelFyre was silent for a few seconds, still smiling in her memory posture before turning back to Simon, and finding his golden brown eyes once again. “That was but one of what I am sure are hundreds, if not thousands, of incidents which speak to who you are, Simon. I have seen you again and again make every conceivable effort to make anyone around you feel at ease while exhibiting an honest and genuine interest in who they are as people. It is a gift. It is one I wish I had. So believe me, please,” and as if to emphasize the point she was making, she squeezed his hand, “when I tell you that you never, ever, have to plead your case to me about who you are. I know who you are. I do. And I am not now, nor will I ever be, afraid of you. Your being a Dhampir in no way changes how I see you… or feel about you.” She again was silent for a short while, but her gaze bore into his in an effort to convey the sincerity of all she had said and felt. Then she laughed a little and added, “Heck, if anything, it just makes you a million times a million to the nth degree more interesting.”

Then somewhat more seriously, she said, "I do have a lot of questions though."

He was surprised that she had noticed that and he recalled that day. She had to have been sitting elsewhere because he was pretty sure if she was within close distance, he would have noticed her. Simon didn't know what it was about AngelFyre McCubbin but she had a way of capturing his attention and as she spoke to him he listened intently, his eyes not diverting from hers. Initially he wanted to look away, not for his sake but her own, but there was something comforting in her voice and her explanation beautifully explained it all and he knew that he didn't need to hide. He could still be himself to her and that meant everything to him.

"And hopefully I have a lot of answers," he replied, squeezing her hand in the same gentle manner she had just moments before. Simon was making sure that she knew that she could ask him anything, that the line of communication was open. They had said they'd answer honestly to things back in the Rehearsal Room and that was true - there, here, anywhere.

"Want to hear something a little humiliating?" he asked and paused a moment. "I uhhh...I didn't know I was a dhampir until last year." His voice was still low so that only she could hear him. Yes, Hogwarts accepted halfbreeds and let them attend normal classes, but that didn't mean that the student body and staff were without their prejudices. Better to just let some know and the others could guess or be clueless about.

"Growing up I thought I had a muggle genetic condition called xeroderma pigmentosum - extreme sensitivity to sunlight. I would cry all the time when I was outside and when I started walking my mum thought it would be a good idea to go to the coast so I could experience the beach. She thought that would stimulate me, distract me, get me excited to be outdoors. She and my Aunt Maggie took me and I wasn't out long before developing a really deep burn. A doctor suggested it might be that and I guess she just took his word for it. She didn't have a fondness for doctors, unfortunately. And yeah, I'm not even sure she knew what my father was so... it was a surprise to me. The had an article last November in The Headliner here at school," the school publication, "and it told of ways to recognize a dhampir and what you can do to protect yourself." There was an eye roll for that. No one needed to protect themselves from Simon Kincaid.

"Anyway, I fit every single characteristic. There was no doubt. It's been a learning process though. I might have been it my whole life but finding out about it is a lot. I'm glad though that there's certain individuals like you who don't care; that still support me. I'll answer anything I can."

AngelFyre Experiences an Odd Episode with @Simon Kincaid

She smiled at him tenderly. "Your not knowing about being a Dhampir is not anything to be humiliated about. How could you know? You grew up, like me, knowing nothing of magic. Why would it ever occur to you to think otherwise, or even any of the Muggle doctors, if your mother had been a fan of doctors, to even believe this was a possibility?" She shook her head and looked down, suddenly aware their hands were each holding the others. Her heart simultaneously skipped a beat and leaped into her throat. She momentarily thought about withdrawing, but she liked the small sign of affection, and decided to remain in place, at least for a few more moments.

Looking back up at him, she queried, "Does your Aunt Maggie know? Does the school know? Do any of the students know? Well, obviously someone knows because you mentioned there were '... certain individuals like me who don't care and still support you...' " She sighed as her body was trying to release some of its tension. It warmed her heart that he had support, but of course he would. He was Simon. Everyone loves Simon.

"You mentioned the school paper. I had not gotten to that yet in my research, so I missed out on all the signs and warnings I should have known about that would have had me run away from you far and fast after the first night in the Common Room," she said as she laughed and rolled her eyes. "Just so you know, it would have made no difference anyway and I am glad I missed the articles." To herself, however, she was making a mental note to read them as soon as she possibly could. Simon was important to her, more than he, or even she, could possibly know, so she wanted to know what the lies were that had been published and where possible dangers for him could come from by the telling of those lies.

Then her mind wandered to what he had said about the visit from the man he thought may be his father. AngelFyre could not imagine what it would be like to be in Simon's shoes and not know her parents. His mother died when he was still so young so his memories, if had any of her, must be few, and then to think that there was a father out there that he did not know was what? A blessing? A curse? An opportunity? But a vampiric father at that. Not being afraid of Simon was one thing. Being afraid of a Vampire was an entirely different matter. And upon meeting his warm gaze, a flash of something, shrouded in darkness and a feeling almost like a movie scene being viewed on fast forward at 8 times the normal speed raced through her mind, bringing with it an overwhelming and sickening feeling of fear that washed over her. A deep, dark palpable fear for him. Her eyes were shut tight and she shuddered uncontrollably. As Simon had not known the truth about himself until recently, AngelFyre did not yet know, and would not know for certain for a couple of years still, that she was herself a Seer, and what she had just experienced was a manifestation of a talent that would only grow stronger.

"Please, God.... please protect him," she whispered softly, and then she opened her eyes.