Hide-and-Seek PV Adaryn Misfit Finished

That knock startled her into raising her head and looking at the girl in the doorway. The girl was just showing her frustration: with the hoodie pulled tightly on her head, Adaryn couldn't help but give her a lugubrious smile.

"Oh, um, I haven't found anyone yet whom I would categorize under that description," Adaryn softly stated in a gentle voice as she tilted slightly to one side and gazed at the girl trying to indicate her brother's height, before hastily adding with a small laugh, "though I'm not really sure what 'yay high' looks like, so perhaps I'm not the best judge."

With an awkward smile, Adaryn smiled softly. Then she felt sympathy for the girl whose irritation was visibly mounting. "I'm really sorry that you can't find him. That's really irritating. You said he's your brother? I'm Adaryn," she continued kindly, looking at the girl. "Nice to meet you under, um, frustrating circumstances."

She hesitated for a moment, and the softness grew in her voice. "If you wanted, I could help you look. It's not going to be very hard, I guess, because I would want to think that he's on the train."

Adaryn bit her lip, wondering if she had said too much, but added, "I would love to help. Really, it would be no trouble at all. I know how frustrating it is when people hide and forget that you're supposed to find them. And it's just not fair to make you wait like that. So let's find him together and hopefully we can reach him before you reach the castle!"

With a reassuring smile, she gestured down the corridor. "His name is, by the way? I will keep an eye out for anyone who looks like your brother."

“Avis,” she replied with a smile, despite her current annoyance. “And yes unfortunately we are related,” the girl sighed, entering the compartment. This girl seemed nice enough.

And it seemed Avis was correct at her offer to help, although her mention of its being ‘easy’ made her frown.

“I thought so too but this train is huge! And I have no idea where the older students sit. He’s a sixth year,” she grumbled.

Despite her frustration, she couldn’t help but feel a bit lightened by Adaryn’s easy helpfulness, something she herself made a mental note to be more of. Avis steeled herself and straightened with new confidence. She had a brother and robes to find.

“Right. It isn’t fair. He’s even got my robes and we don’t have much time to change. Do you want to take a peek in the dining car maybe?” Avis suggested, stepping back out into the corridor and gesturing for the girl to lead on.

“It’s Will,” she replied to her last query. “Will Greymond. And thanks by the way. Everyone else has been rather unhelpful,” she finished, an embarrassed blush tingeing her cheeks as she thought of her massive ears. Third times the charm, hopefully.

@Adaryn Misfit

Even Adaryn could not help but widen her eyes a little when she said that her brother was in his sixth year. No wonder that he could not be found; he was probably busy chatting with his friends, oblivious to the trouble he had brought along. However, she could not stop herself from offering a warm smile, hoping to ease the girl's frustration.

"The train is really large," she said. "It is like looking for one Bertie Bott's bean in a whole pile of Chocolate Frog cards." She then gave a little encouraging laugh before glancing back down the corridor. There were always so many compartments all filled with students talking, laughing, or putting on their Hogwarts robes. No wonder Avis was having so much trouble-her brother could be anywhere.

Adaryn perked up when Avis said they should check the dining car. "That sounds like a wonderful place to check," she said as she stepped out of the compartment and into the hallway. "And maybe if he's not there, someone else has seen him?" Then she turned back to look at Avis as if trying to cheer her up even just a little.

That was easy for her to tell. Avis was still annoyed, but now it at least had an air of determination rather than just being upset. Adaryn knew how that felt: sometimes it was just easier to plan out doing something than to just wallow in feeling bad about things.

So she turned towards the corridor and announced she was ready to lead the way. "Let's go find your brother before we run out of time!"

Avis nodded slowly. “Yes I suppose if no one has seen him yet, someone in the dining car might’ve,” she replied thoughtfully. The train was huge but with Adaryn’s help, she was finally rationalizing the fact that she’d scoured almost every car and Will couldn’t possibly be far unless he was climbing out windows… which she wasn’t putting past him.

The girl sighed. “Right and when we do find him, you hold him and I’ll box his ears,” she laughed bitterly, only half joking.

It was becoming clear that the boy had left her behind in purpose but he still had her blasted robes which meant he needed to be found, regardless of if he wanted to be or not.

Avis straightened her shoulders and marched forward past her new friend, new determination lighting inside her chest and a reinforcement in tow.

Squeezing past a group of first years gathered excitedly around someone’s stash of goods from Weasley’s Wizard Wheezes, Avis passed into the next car and craned her neck over the babble of students getting a bite to eat in the dining car before arriving at Hogwarts.

There.

Lounging at a booth in the far corner was her older brother, laughing lazily at something his friend had said.

Avis furrowed her eyebrows.

“There he is,” she whispered to Adaryn, whom she sincerely hoped was still behind her and not stuck in the crowd somewhere.

“Now how do we corner him so he can’t escape if he sees us?”

@Adaryn Misfit

Adaryn trailed Avis, making sure she did not lose sight of her best friend while wading through the crowd in the dining car. The entire place seemed to be bursting at the seams with students seated, comfortably, and chatting between themselves over snacks, and the air was soaked with the sweet hot smell of pumpkin pasties and chocolate. She gripped her bag tightly so as not to jostle Topeka too much as they made their way through the throngs. When Avis halted suddenly, Adaryn nearly lost it and crashed into her, just managing to pull herself around at the last moment to follow her gaze.

Over at the far corner of the car, with a few acquaintances, Avis' brother was lounging back in a booth, looking entirely at ease. Every time the irresistible joke was muffled in laughter, he raised his density, looking unconcerned by the fact that a 'sister in distress' would run around the whole train after him. Adaryn blinked in a tilt. He really just left behind, didn't he? This was no accident.

Adaryn broke her head in thinking, surveying the booth as well as the crowd surrounding it. If they just bombed into him, he would be gone before Avis could even think to give chase. Having meditated inwardly with pursed lips, she leaned in slightly towards Avis.

"He won't have a chance against us if we attack him with a pincer," she suggested quietly while casting nervous glances at Avis for approval. "I can circle the other way, act like I'm just passing through, then-" a little sparkle of mischief appeared in her brown eyes, "you can go in for the... uh, ear-boxing part."

She didn't know how much caution Avis was hinting at really, but the way she had been blazing earlier clearly indicated that the new friend could only be half-joking. They would have to ensure he would not disappear again anyway. Straightening, Adaryn nodded almost imperceptibly but very firmly, the corners of her lips lifting into a sort of half-smile of assigned encouragement.

"Ready to go then?" she asked, ever ready to execute the plan.

Avis grinned mischievously at her new friend’s plan.

“Brilliant. Let’s go,” she hissed and the two split, Avis cutting to the right on the far side of the car. She was careful to walk behind the crowd of students laughing and chatting, oblivious to the hunt that was currently taking place. Sneaking across to the other end of the car, where Will was sitting, Avis hoped Adaryn was upholding her end of the plan, trying to see through the crowd at where she might be positioned.

An announcement from the trolley lady making her way through the crowd made Avis jump.

“Last call for sweets! Arriving in 15 minutes!” she called over the excited chatter. Avis’ eyebrows flew up. 15 minutes?! She snorted and moved forward, unable to wait any longer. She was not going to be the only student arriving in her regular clothes. Hoodie still pulled tightly over her voluminous ears, Avis marched up to her brother, secretly hoping (despite her outward confidence) that Adaryn would be there to back her up. It was no small feat to go up against three 6th years.

“Wilson Tobias!” she announced, trying to sound as much like their mother as possible. The boy looked up in surprise but an easy grin replaced his initial shock.

“Ahh Bird, congrats you found me,” he chuckled, his friends laughing along with him. Avis’ cheeks blushed a furious crimson. She despised being laughed at. Will gave her a curious glance. “What’s with your hoodie?” he inquired, amusement still clear on his face. Avis bristled.

“N-nevermind that! Just give me my blasted robes!” she sputtered angrily. The older boy shook his head laughing.

“Oh right, completely forgot,” he said reaching for the leather bag their mother packed. He pulled out his own before handing the bag off to Avis. “Prim already snagged hers so you’d better hurry and put those on. Making friends already?” he asked calmly, glancing at Adaryn. Merlin’s Beard, the nerve of this guy. She snatched the bag from his grip.

“You are a blithering ninny, Will, and unfortunately for you, I’ve got the whole school year to get you back for this. And yes this is Adaryn. She’s going to help me!” she spit at him, fully caught up in her anger and not realizing she’d just added a girl she’d met moments before into her plan for revenge.

@Adaryn Misfit

Resolutely Adaryn was weaving her way through the groups of students. The midday car rang with laughter and the strong scent of pumpkin pasties and melted chocolate, but she paid it almost no mind; her mind was on the plan. On Avis, especially on the pleasing countenance of Avis's brother, who sat all the way in the far corner, looking far too pleased with himself.

A first-year just accidently lost within the raucous activity of the car was how she maintained this calm and steady persona, giving almost contemptuous attention to the gossip and glaring gazes of all the first-years. She latched on to waiting for Avis' signal.

Then. Bingo.

"Wilson Tobias!"

The decibels of the name made Adaryn almost jump, but she somehow managed to slow her pace even more and turned her head to follow whichever events were unfolding.

Right on cue, there was Avis confronting her brother—and for good reason; the laid-back and oh-so-cool sixth-year was thrown for just a moment by his younger sister's antics. The smirk returned, like he had known it all along.

Adaryn grinned and stepped an inch closer. The only thing she could do was act like she was just passing by. Her bare eyes were darting between Avis and Wilson, hardly able to stifle her laughter. What a shameless guy, she thought as she watched him chuckle as he taunted Avis a little before nonchalantly trudging away with her robes.

However, the next moment caused Adaryn to freeze for a beat.

"And yes, this is Adaryn. She's going to help me!"

Wait, what?

His big brown orbs went a little wider. Help her? With this? Now, this had gone the way toward becoming rather ridiculous. She thought she was merely to act as a strategic accomplice for the whole affair; it now seemed that she was going to be a long-term partner in what was shaping up to be a full-blown vendetta.

With that, Wilson's glance tiredly flitted onto her, taking stock, amused.

Adaryn, to her own shock, blinked. For a fleeting moment, her mind considered the sensible option of stammering out some excuse about how she'd only just met Avis, that she wanted to be as far as possible from any sibling rivalry. But fire was pooling in her chest now.

She had suggested the pincer move. She had agreed to it. And honestly, he kind of deserved it, didn't he?

So she straightened just a little, lifted her chin, and gave Wilson an inexperienced look. "That’s right," she managed more casually than Avis would have, but equally defiantly. "And I’m very good at planning."

A pause. Just long enough for that one to sink in.

Then up went the corners of her mouth, and in her brown eyes danced mischief.

"You'd better be worried."

@Avis Greymond

Avis’ eyes flitted to Adaryn’s taken aback expression as Will chuckled at both of them. The girl mentally willed her new friend to carry on her impulsive idea.

She sighed in relief when the girl straightened and told her older brother that they had a plan in the works, in a surprisingly cool, casual tone. Avis gave Adaryn an impressed look and then stifled a surprised giggle when she added a defiant threat to her words.

Will, looking just as laidback as he had the whole time, did not seem worried in the least but Avis offered Adaryn an encouraging smile and turned towards the 16 year old with a stormy expression.

“You heard her. Watch your back, Will,” she spat and turned on her heel to push back through the crowds, nose in the air.

“Merlin’s Beard. Not one but two first years after my arse. Not sure I’ll survive the year, boys,” she heard Will say as she marched away. Avis scoffed. She loved her older brother and truthfully saw him as her biggest role model, but sometimes he could be so… insufferable.

…which was exactly why the two of them needed to teach him a lesson.

Finding the nearest water closet, Avis turned to her friend and gave her a grateful smile. She opened her mouth to thank her for the back up but the loud screech of the train whistle interrupted. Avis grimaced.

“Sorry about my brother. He’s a pain the arse sometimes. Anyways, I’d better get these on. Sounds like we’ll be there soon, but find me later and maybe we can test out this planning ability of yours… y’know, if you want?” Avis asked hopefully.

After waiting for the girl’s answer, she gave her a grin and slipped into the water closet, shutting the sliding door with a snap behind her.

Avis glanced down at the robes in her hand and a sudden rush of excitement shot through her. Let the adventure begin.

Wilson was gone, and Adaryn experienced a rush of exhilaration mixed with slight uncertainty. Her heart raced for a moment, and she enjoyed a brief warmth of the confidence she had just discovered. A slight twinge of doubt, though, had begun to creep in as soon as Avis had spun about and disappeared back through the crowd. What have I done?

For a moment, she stood still, eyes watching the last remnants of this scene unfold. Wilson must have been chuckling away inside his head by now, returning to his casual self. Adaryn wondered what the relationship was between herself and Wilson. She never had imagined that she would find herself being dragged deeply into Avis's vendetta, not at least in such an overt manner.

Yet, she couldn't stop grinning as she entertained her inner monologue. "I'm really good at planning."

It felt like something out of a book she had read, one of those not-so-assertive, defiant moments where everything is on the line, and gently, her face got warm at the thought.

"Let's see if that's true," she frowned softly.

Then came the screaming whistle of the train, abruptly dragging Adaryn back into reality. She winced at the sharp noise, turning toward the door where a flood of students seemed just about to arrive. She took time to catch her breath. She just had to keep her cool and keep everything in perspective, for the only way this operation would ever work was if she managed to keep her head cool while constantly thinking of the big picture. For this definitely wasn't going to be enough for this new hurdle, but it was something to fall back on.

She turned her eyes one last time at Avis, who was leaving, still weighed down by the choice.

Find me later...

The only thing that Adaryn needed her to say.

Adaryn has left the thread