Today was nothing but a splendid morning to do anything but sift through piles of the exact same item, trying to find something that spoke to the tanned Prefect. Some stupid piece of worthless pranking junk that said "sorry" in a hilariously mischevious manner. Some glorious trash that he could purchase just to give away or consume. Something horribly wonderful.

These types of things were never up Anatole's sleeve or particularly true to his heart. In fact, they were usually the opposite. He'd been known to hate pranks and anything remotely belonging to an evildoer or diabolical bully. All which made the situation even more ironic.

On one of the last days in his last month before second year, Anatole was here out of all places. Searching for some gift out of whatever was left of the kindness of his heart. What was there that said, 'I'm sorry I let your classroom get invaded by stinky boys with a dungbomb', or 'You're such an idiot, you shouldn't have invaded said classroom and planted said dungbomb?' "Come on..." There were few objects that held all the words Anatole wished to say to people, but there was an extremely excessive amount of specificity the boy had to have. Good princes gave good gifts.

A ding sounded from the door as Anatole turned around, taking his hands out of a box of Exploding BonBons and eyeing the newcomer. A Slytherin. Oh. This would easily get somewhere.

As a Prefect, Anatole felt obliged to say the first hello, unable to see much of the boy's features since this boy's face was obstructed by a pedestal. "Oh, um, hello."

Tedrick was a little overwhelmed. As he strolled around Diagon Alley with Uncle Vincent, his amber eyes darted from shop to shop, taking in each and every unfamiliar sight. Tedrick had lived in a small wizarding community for nearly half of his life and he had seen his share of strange things, but nothing compared to this. Feeling like a fish out of water, Tedrick unconsciously stepped a bit closer towards his guardian. As they walked on, Tedrick suddenly tugged on the sleeve of Vincent's shirt and pointed to a purple and orange covered building that had caught his attention.

"Hey, Uncle Vincent, can we check out that shop?" The tawny-haired boy glanced up with a hopeful look towards the taller man.

Vincent winced at the eyewatering color scheme. "We are not going in there, Teddy. I don't want you wasting money on prank items." There was a note of finality in his voice, and Vincent directed his attention back to the list of school supplies that had been mailed to their apartment. Tedrick frowned and was silent for a minute as they began to walk away from Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes; he wasn't a huge fan of pranks since he had been the butt of many, many jokes, but Tedrick's need to satisfy his curiosity overpowered his nervousness. What was that muggle saying again? There are different ways that curiosity skinned the cat? ...Ah, whatever.

"Hey, Uncle Vincent? Where do we buy a remembrall? I've seemed to have forgotten." With with a triumphant smile, Tedrick watched as Vincent opened his mouth to speak before giving up and heaving a sigh of annoyance. "Go. I'll be at Potage's if you need me." A big grin was splayed across Tedrick's lips as he practically ran off towards the shop. As Tedrick opened the door to Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes and stepped inside, a small bell announced his arrival and a few heads turned, though he was mostly ignored.

"Oh, um, hello."

Tedrick turned towards the source of the voice and stepped away from a pedestal that was blocking his view of the speaker. "Uh... hi? What's up? I... I mean, you were speaking to, erm, to me, right?" Oh boy, I'm making this awkward...

Sitting amidst the other public buildings in a certain magical alley there sat a small shop filled to the brim with every laughter bringing thing a wizarding child could hope for. From chocolates to prank items, lollies to toys, the little shop was overflowing with pure and unadulterated shenanigans. It gleamed with a certain cheerfulness none of the other stores seemed to muster and though it was the tiniest bit gaudy, it's front was beacon of alluring fun and games, delightful and lovely as the children dancing about with their newly found treasures and toys. Weasley's Wizard Wheezes. The store that caused as much mischief and smiles as their dear and beloved founders.

For a long time Khris sat watching them enter and leave, smiles on their faces and laughter mingling in the warm and bright morning air. Children and parents, teens and their siblings, mothers and fathers and aunts, uncles, and grandparents, all of them on the search for something. A gift or a treat or a prank or a joke. They all seemed to find what they wanted.

Ice cream dripped in a lazy trail down and off of his cone, ran over his fingers and down his wrist, a sticky path of sugary goodness thanks to his parents generosity and good grades of last year. A treat. Their treat. Like Khris ever paid. The lad chuckled and shrugged, took the napkin handed by his mother and endured the ruffling of curls from his father while continuing to watch the parade. Most of the people coming and going were students, it would only make sense that they were. Children and teens, all of them carting about books and items from the various stores he and his parents had visited just moments ago. It gave him scope really. Reminded him how very few people at Hogwarts he actually knew when it came down to the numbers.

Oh, he had made the occasional friend of course, allies and acquaintances, a few enemies and comrades, just apparently not enough to recognize a single face heading in and out of the cheerful little store. Well. No. That's actually a lie. He had recognized one. A boy. A scoundrel from last year.

The devious and unusual Anatole Evans. Prankster, trickster, un-trustworthy, odd.

Khris wasn't usually the type to make enemies or even to become particularly peeved at a single individual. There was just something about this lad though. He grated on Khris. Made his eyes narrow and shoulders tense while he watched the young Gryffindor enter the shop. The Prank shop.
Ugh. The boy was up to his usual antics it seemed. You see, last year there had been an incident. An incident involving a few rowdy boys, a dung bomb and a teacher. Decimated gift pies, shouting and excuses. One might say it left a nasty taste in Khris' mouth and this Anatole Evans brought it to the forefront of his mind.

"You can go if you like." The soft sweet voice of his mother prodded, a delicate hand pushing back stray curls as she gestured towards the bright and gleaming shop. "You've been watching it all morning and I can tell you want to go. Don't worry about it. Go have fun. We'll be right here when you get back out." "Here or at the Apothercary shop." His father chimed in. "Either way, we'll be near by. Just come find us here or there when you're finished larking about with your friends."

Friends?

Silver blue eyes widened as they drift from his parent's faces to the shop door to the large window displaying the treats. He hadn't really planned on going in. Not just yet anyway. Not until the Gryffindor had left so as to avoid any awkwardness. "It's okay, Khris. Just try it." His parents gave him simultaneous encouraging smiles, the type Khris knew meant they wanted him to step out of his comfort zone to do something "fun".

A glance was cast once more towards the laughter filled store. It did look awfully fun.

What's the worst that could happen? So what if he runs into Anatole while looking for chocolate to share? So what if he found out the scoundrel was planning another devious trick or prank? Maybe it would be for good in the long run. He could warn a professor or try to talk him out of it or- or- or something! Yeah!

A determined nod of his head was given, Khris casting a grateful smile back at his parents with a little wave over his shoulder as he stood. "Thanks, mum. Dad. For this and-" He gestured towards his destination. "-that. Be back real quick, okay?"

And with that he was off, a small blond student weaving in and out of the magical folk running their errands.

Now, when one enters Weasley's Wizard Wheezes one is pulled quite entirely into the unique and little world the store had somehow created within itself. There are children laughing, sweets being tasted, pranks being practiced and toys being tested! There's a sense of total overwhelming madness of the most beautiful and best of kinds. It grabbed Khris the moment he stepped through the door. Chocolates first, lollies next, toys because they called to him so sweetly. A smile on his face and a murmur of awe on his lips he took a few steps forward. Silver blue eyes flew over every cheerful thing, ideas and attention pulled in a million fascinating directions.

"Oh, um, hello."

And with those three words Khris felt his smile waver.

He was right there. Of course he was. Anatole Evans, scoundrel extraordinaire, chatting with a student Khris had never seen. Not that Khris had seen even half of the student body in general but he'd never seen Evans talking to this one before. He was a slight lad similar in height to Khris with fluffy light hair and a spattering of freckles that rivaled his own.

And that's when he remembered.

Evans. He was here most likely for a prank and if this poor lad was new he could easily be looped into it unwillingly or unknowingly. Well now, he was at a bit of a crossroads, wasn't he? Either stay safe and hidden and let this new fellow figure it out, or step in and make sure he's alright. Khris furrowed his brow, an opposite of the cheery atmosphere swirling about them, his fingers twisting and tugging at the hem of his shirt. He didn't really want to. His mind said to stay hidden and safe and avoid the comflict at all costs and yet...

His eyes drift to the new lad.

Yet Khris had a duty to follow now, didn't he? A job he promised to do and one that he felt most strongly about. He was to be prefect for this coming school year after all, a bit of carry over for a short responsibility given him end of last season. It was his job to ensure nothing happened and that this person was at the very least was aware of what kind of trouble he may be stepping into.

A shakey breath was taken, the sweet smell of sugary candies and chocolate making his lips twitch in a smile despite the nerves.

That was it then. The decission. He had to step around that corner no matter how much it made his stomach flip. Oh boy. One step, two step, three, four, five were taken.

"Evans. Fancy seeing you here." A nod, a tad bit cold though he had at least tried to keep the sarcasm to a minimum, his head dodging down in a moment of nerves before turning to the new lad with a hopefully softer expression. "And hello. I, um, I don't believe we've met before."

Ah, apparently awkwardness was no stranger to the public. There weren't many who could hold a conversation off the dot like he used to, and this situation made a mighty fine example.

His ear was traced away from the chatter of the store and toward the door, therefore dimming Anatole's overall focus from that..."gift". He slid a bit away from the podium, noticing the newcomer. Whoever he was, he didn't seem like too bad of a boy to accidentally greet. Pleasant, really, unlike the aura the Prefect held. Squinting at the young man, Anatole replied, nodding at the boy's sudden stuttering and decided to spark a conversation. Damn it, school had gotten him used to saying anything whenever anything happened. Those boys had rewired him.

"What's up? I...I mean, you were speaking to...erm, me, right?"

"Yeah, yeah I was speaking to you." He took his hands out of the piles of junk, turning toward the door and facing the boy. "I...I just need someone's opinion on a purchase, you mind?"

He beckoned the boy over to a pile of Exploding Snaps. "So...yeah...I'm here to buy a gift for someone," he mentioned, his voice low in his throat. It wouldn't have sounded much worse if he said he was here to please himself, but a gift was something completely different. "They're...they're a good friend of mine, but I was just wondering which option you thought would be better, you look 'round my age, right? Uh..." He tried to control the conversation with whatever he had left. Anatole's deep chocolate eyes scanned through the pile and a neighboring pile of Exploding Bonbons. "So I practically have it down to one of these, Snaps or Bonbons. Which one do you think says 'Sorry' bett--" Anatole's voice wavered off once he looked back up the boy and his distant vision came into focus, noticing the boy who had just entered with a piercing stare only belonging to a Slytherin student he had met at the very end of his schooling year.

"Evans. Fancy seeing you here."

Crap...what was his name again? It started with a K...or was it a C? Whatever his name was, he knew Anatole's surname and it was apparently filled with scorn, the way he said it. His tone had froze the boy who had previously burned four people, ouch mid-sentence to the point where he couldn't recover without a fluster in his speech. "OH! Yeah, you too, I guess?" It was best not to address him by name until he introduced himself.

Speaking of introductions, Anatole had never introduced himself to the other boy before pulling him aside. Great, now the other second-year had the upper hand. Brushing his hair off of his face, Anatole let out a breath. Why did someone from school have to ruin this little excursion?

"Yeah, yeah I was speaking to you."

Unbidden, a small sigh of relief escaped Tedrick's lips. Thank goodness. There had been many times in the past where he had returned a cheerful greeting to someone only to learn that they had been talking to the person behind him; needless to say, all those memories were rather embarrassing. Tedrick was brought out his thoughts and shook his head no when he was asked if he minded being a second opinion. As the boy waved him over to the pile of Exploding Snaps, Tedrick took a moment to remind himself to relax. You're just talking to another person your age. There's literally no need to be so nervous. Right.

"So...yeah...I'm here to buy a gift for someone,"

A gift? For whom? Tedrick listened intently and nodded occasionally to show that he was listening as the kid explained that the gift was for a close friend of his. Huh, that's a really nice thing to do. The closest thing to a gift that Tedrick recalled getting from his best friend in the whole wide world was a nasty wet sock that belonged to neither himself nor Vincent. Though, maybe it didn't even count as a gift considering the fact that said friend was a big dog. Pulling himself out of his silent musings, Tedrick returned his attention towards the two heaps of explosive items. Normally, people didn't apologize with a gift that would blow up in the recipient's face, but this was the Wizarding World, and Tedrick rationalized that such violent exciting toys and candies must be rather ordinary. Now, which one would be better? An exploding card game might last longer than the candies, and I'm half certain that the Exploding Bonbons aren't allowed at Hogwarts...

"I think you should get the Snaps..." Tedrick's voice trailed off as he glanced up at the boy who had asked for his advice, only to find him looking at another kid who had just arrived at the shop. Judging from both their expressions, Tedrick decided it was safe to assume that the blond wasn't the friend that the other boy, Evans, was talking about. He silently wondered if he could slip away from what seemed to be the start of a conflict and nearly took a step away but stopped as the blond kid suddenly spoke to him.

"And hello. I, um, I don't believe we've met before."

"Um, y-yeah. We haven't, er, we haven't met before." Internally cursing his inability to get a sentence out without sound odd, Tedrick managed an awkward smile and introduced himself. "I'm... I'm Tedrick Lee. Nice to meet you...?"

"Oh, sorry! I should have said right away! It's Khristopherson. Khristopherson Bailey with a 'K' and an 'H' rather than a 'C'..." A bright pink danced amidst the boys freckles as he spoke, the flush climbing into his ears in attempts to match the hue of cherry lolipops nearby. Oh goodness, that had certainly been odd of him. Khris hadn't used his full name in ages and ages, not through the whole of last school year while introducing himself to fellow students and not even with his parents while they teased in fond playfulness. Yet, here he was giving it out to this new boy as if he was proud of it. Like it was some sort of badge he was eager to show. He was not. His name was long and unusual and stuffy. Rather like an old duke sitting at the head of a vast table of mince pies and roast peafowl. Khristopherson Hemingway Bailey was the whole of it and he quite hated carting it about. So why...?

The curly haired lad shook his head and shuffled his feet -converse scuffling over the wrapper laden floor- tugged at the sleeves of his jacket and bounced a bit as a crease formed between his brow. The fidgeting did nothing to keep his nerves from clambering higher however and he resorted to a quiet self deprecating chuckle instead. Oh bother. He had hoped to make a good impression on this seemingly shy new acquaintance. To perhaps make a friend or at least conduct a semi hospitable conversation prior to the school year.

Perhaps it was that Evans boy's fault. Most likely it was. Some sort of childish desire to have a name that was more fancy and unusual than Anatole. They were children after all, little trysts like this were bound to happen.

Still... Khris didn't want to get off on the wrong foot. Heavens no. Here he'd started off with a snappish greeting to the scoundrel and followed it up with a pompous sounding introduction and goodness! What ever was this new lad, this Tedrick, to think of him? A bit of damage control would need to be done and done fast.

A few lungfuls of chocolate scented air were slowly taken and released, as a bright smile was hastily spread across his face.

"Sorry. Just... please call me Khris though. No need for the whole thing. It's rather ridiculous when you put it all together." He paired the words with a small shrug and a bright smile, the murmured apology blending in with the giggles of children and whirling of gizmos amidst the store. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Tedrick." He said, his hand extended the way all adults do. A greeting for men reenacted by lads just the way he was taught.

Speaking of things taught...

Silver blue eyes darted to the Evans boy, his proximity to a shelf and the contents displayed upon it. Of course. A large assortment of exploding something-or-anothers displayed haphazardly in piles. Will scoundrels never learn?

"The Snaps! Yes! Why didn't I think of this earlier..." Anatole snickered, trying to play it off with a shrug. Supposing it would be too late to pick a package up at the moment (considering at this point the nervous Gryffindor had spotted whoever-he-was near the door), the boy decided to place that gift on the backburner of his mind and use it if they needed an explosive conversation starter.

Either that, or a great distraction from a heavy topic. There was danger in the slightest animosity, especially when it involved a cunning, cutthroat snake.

It was hard to focus himself when the stress kicked in. There were so many interesting things in the store the Prefect could wander off to and get lost in. There were so many things to look at, and if you caught him at the wrong time, Anatole had the attention span of a fruit fly.

As the second year greeted the newcomer, Anatole had realized that all the boy now knew was his lowly, common surname. Evans. Lame, wasn't it? There were probably five million people in the school with that surname. Why did he stick out like a sore thumb?

And Tedrick Lee! Lee was a wonderful surname. Short and to the point. His name was fun to say aloud and almost forced Anatole to greet the boy by name. It would be a proper noun he could not forget.

But as the three boys conversed, it was painfully evident that all three of them held reservations. Not one of them felt very confident in what they said, and it showed in the way their speech wavered. That was one thing that bugged Anatole. Before the second year came, he was doing alright, but as soon as he stepped in that door, Anatole's composure fell apart.

The blonde one decided to finally reveal his identity as another boy with a fancy name. Three of a kind in one place. A rare breed for boys with strange names. Not everyone could be a John.

"Khris! Yeah, that's your name! Almost forgot it." It was by far better to keep up the good guy act. Poor Tedrick didn't know a thing. "And...Tedrick, good to meet you. Anatole Evans, at your service." He took a shaky breath, making sure to avoid Khris and look Tedrick in the eye. Another pleasant distraction.

Part of him wished that he had never introduced himself by anything else but his surname. It was how Professors referred to him sometimes, and by now, he found it flattering.

Part of him wished he had brought up the gift again to ease the tension, but for what he knew of Khris, it would only heighten it.

The last part of Anatole wished he had never had the courage to walk into this nefarious shop with the expectation of buying something.

"Oh, sorry! I should have said right away! It's Khristopherson. Khristopherson Bailey with a 'K' and an 'H' rather than a 'C'..."

Hold on. Should I ask him to repeat his name, but a little slower? Tedrick found himself silently trying to piece together the long name, not daring to ask for a repeat for fear of either embarrassing himself or irritating Chris- wait, no, it was Khris- Khristopher- no, he was close, but still wrong. Names always seemed to go in one ear and out the other, but it usually happened after the person he had been talking to had left. So why was he already struggling to remember this kid's name?

Tedrick blamed it on the nerves.

There was obvious tension in the air, but Tedrick didn't understand why. Evans seemed like a pleasant person, going out of his way to get something for a friend, whereas the-boy-whose-full-name-he-wished-he-could-recall didn't really seem like the type to be a menacing bully. Yet something was clearly wrong. In the back of his mind, Tedrick recalled Uncle Vincent's words about being overly anxious; maybe he was reading way too much into everything?

Nah. Tedrick glanced over at Anatole and then back at the other boy. The one thing about himself that he considered magical was his ability to detect an uncomfortable situation and this was definitely uncomfortable. Not wanting to get caught in the middle of an argument, Tedrick decided to play it cool, as if everything was fine.

Some may call it 'conflict avoidance', but Tedrick personally preferred to use the muggle term, 'letting sleeping dogs lie'.

"Sorry. Just... please call me Khris though. No need for the whole thing. It's rather ridiculous when you put it all together."

There was an internal sigh of relief and Tedrick nodded, taking the hand that was extended towards him. Shaking hands was something that was a bit strange to him because he usually stayed away from Uncle Vincent's customers which mostly consisted of purebloods who loved to greet him like so, and Tedrick fought the urge to quickly snatch his hand back. That would be rude and I'm not in the mood to make a bad impression... Just play it cool and avoid trouble. That should be easy enough, right?

"And...Tedrick, good to meet you. Anatole Evans, at your service."

The younger boy looked over at Anatole and gave a smile that he hoped looked more friendly than hesitant. "I... uh, it's good to meet you too, Anatole." Tedrick paused, opening his mouth to speak before stopping as he struggled and failed to find something to say that wouldn't sound out of place. Of course, it was that lovely moment that his brain (and maybe his tact) decided to abandon him.

"So... do you two, um, know each other?"

So much for playing it cool.

A look of joy crossed over Khris' face at this shy young lad's return of the handshake; an indication he had not yet botched another first meeting despite their shaky start. In fact, our blond haired prefect was so enamored with the idea of a first meeting going well that he quite missed the slight look of concern that darkened Tedrick's eyes as they clasped hands. You see, Khris' young mind was far too occupied entertaining the thought that this might possibly be a new beginning for him. A new start to a more courageous, more confident, more chill Khristopherson Hemingway Bailey.

A lad can dream, can't he?

Anyway... Oblivious to Tedrick's possible discomfort, Khris simply returned this lad's grip with an uncommonly cheerful grin and solid curl of his digits, thin wrist bending artfully as their hands rose and dipped two times more, a proper handshake indeed. This was good, very good. It was a lovely moment in time in which very little awkwardness existed in Khris' stratosphere and, even if it was only for a second or two, the typically embarrassed young Slytherin was going to enjoy this moment to its greatest extent.

"Tedrick, good to meet you. Anatole Evans, at your service."

Ah, of course.

Leave it to the scoundrel to break it.

He'll be at your service alright. Help you right into detention, just you watch. Why, I bet he's even picking out another prank as we speak. Exploding Snaps or Bonbons my foot. We haven't the slightest clue as to what they actually do.

If only that surge of confidence he had felt moments before would return and allow him to speak his mind.

His hand now returned to his side, Khris tipped his head curiously at this Evans boy, this scoundrel of scoundrels who was refusing to meet his eye like the adults they were not. Perhaps in a way he was being too harsh on the lad, he hardly knew him save that one fleeting moment last school year, but really, when you think about it, really really think about it. When aforementioned scoundrel ends up ruining the last days of your first year at Hogwarts with an exploding dung bomb situation, one is probably allowed to make rather harsher judgments than normal. At least, this was Khris' opinion on the matter. And that's not even weighing in the sorrowful fate of his laboriously and lovingly baked pie.

Silver blue eyes closed as a calming breath was taken, delicate fists slowly un-clenching from his sides where they subconsciously had been made. What was wrong with him?! He wasn't like this ordinarily! Wasn't one to hold and make grudges so stubbornly or completely. It was just that- that this Anatole, this Evans boy, this scoundrel of scoundrels just seemed so- so unwonted! He didn't seem the normal type of lad to do what he had done. He was neither all brute and swagger nor all charisma and charm like the pranksters and bullies Khris had met in the past. To be honest, it unnerved him, this not understanding of his opponent. It made him leery and confused and quite possibly far more judgmental than his young mind needed to be. Perhaps...

Nah. 12 year olds will be 12 year olds and once opinions are made it can be very difficult to sway them. Not impossible, but very very difficult indeed. Especially when dealing with someone as completely stubborn as Khris.

Children's laughter and parent's guiding words and mumbles of, "No, you can't have more of that." or "Of course we can get this for you." flowed around the three of them effortlessly, seemingly unaware of the riot of emotion surrounding these young boys. So much drama for such little beings. Giggles like raindrops conflicted with the steely glare Khris fixed the Evans boy with, confident shouts of triumph from lads rushing past covered the nervous stuttering of all three. In general, the entire feel of Weasley's Wizard Wheezes was at odds with these three most serious young boys.

A beat of silence passed between them, the joyful chaos around them never stopping and yet feeling so very still.

"So... do you two, um, know each other?"

Well that was the million Galleon question, wasn't it?

Of course he knew Anatole Evans, had heard of him throughout the school year and had that encounter with him just before they left. But did Khris know the lad? Did he actually know the boy branded scoundrel? His feet shuffled and thumbs twiddled and a exploding something or another was prodded just to keep busy before Khris dared to look at the boys before him. Oh gosh. Something important would need to be said. Something that would have meaning and weight and help this situation defuse. Something elegant.

Khris cleared his throat and straightened his back.

"Well- Um, er. Some might- Well I suppose- I guess in a way... Mmhmm. Sure."

Khristopherson! That was his name! Khris for short, wasn't it? Their introduction before had been rather hasty and dismantled, considering Anatole was stuck sneezing half the time and worrying about doing his job too much. All of it was frantic, quick, and nasty, just like the stare this "Khristopherson" handed him.

The silly, slightly startling smirk Anatole had tossed Khris back made the situation even more evident: there was something lingering between them that the other student was unaware of.

Throwing on a mask of innocence was challenging, especially considering a large part of Anatole's Hogwarts life was spent by combatting bullies, sparring with words, and hearing and watching things he had never wished to hear. Of course, these could easily be classified as pranks or simple wrongdoing, but to a traumatized twelve-year-old, things had stuck a little longer than they had to. Hence why summer was such a precious, rare time for the boy.

So he kept his eyes trained on Khris with a smile that grew warmer and more twitchy by the second.

Watching the boy's fists uncurl, his head tilt almost robotically and his eyes clench shut, more cues were thrown out to the supposedly unassuming boy. There was something wrong with them. There was something trapped between their lips that just couldn't run free - not with this other boy here. Maybe he wasn't even a Hogwarts student and would just laugh at the terrible story of Ailing Anatole and the Dungbomb of Dorian.

Chances were he'd make a bad impression. Even in casual clothes, Anatole felt an imprint of the Prefect insignia right where it was at school. The metal badge no longer sat attached to the fabric and didn't glitter in the light if he faced an ever-so-certain direction and the confidence associated with it was but a mere illusion.

An illusion Anatole was unsure how long he could keep up.

Rolling his shoulders back with a sigh, Anatole prepared himself to address the two, knowing they would surely listen to whatever he said. He was superior. And when Tedrick asked the question, it was simple to say he was prepared.

"Yeah, that's right. We...we know each other." He cleared his throat, trying to raise his voice slightly above the din of squealing children and creaking footsteps. "We went to... school, yeah, school together last year." This would add the perfect amount of inquiry for the boy. The suspicion would build, and eventually Anatole would have to tell the full truth...including whatever fragments he had held back before.