&& just when i FiGURED it { o u t ... [ Justin ]

[Schuyler DePaul]

Schuyler had spent a good bit of the morning wrapped up in her thoughts. Her professors had noticed something when she didn’t raise a hand warily to answer questions, though none did more then send her concerned gazes. She didn’t mind though, and had brushed each look off under the presumption that she had more important things to think about; and indeed, she did.

The Ravenclaw’s thoughts kept dancing around her conversation with Sarah that morning, somehow she was still unable to take in what she’d learned without the shock of emotion that hit her each time. “ remember, don't tell Justin anything ...” Sarah had said, but as time went by and classes droned on, Schuyler felt more and more like she had to talk to Justin; she couldn’t live secretly knowing about his past. She couldn’t know about his past while he didn’t know about … about hers.

As the tone rang for the period to end, Schuyler gathered her books, making her way into the hall aimlessly—yet another free period graced her that afternoon. Her gaze was down, though somehow she managed to continue pondering her dilemma whilst not running into any other students. It must have been that experience with reading and walking … or something. Holding her potions book close to her chest, she looked up by chance, pausing slightly when she noticed the back of a familiar figure some ways before her.

“I have to tell him.” It was decided in an instant, as if seeing him had assured her that things would be better off if he knew; surely he wouldn’t be that angry at Sarah … right? Biting down on her bottom lip, she moved forward until she was behind him, raising a hesitant hand to tap him lightly on the shoulder. “Justin?” she spoke at the same time, pulling her hand back and masking her shock at the rush of warmth that spread through her fingers at the contact. She swallowed and looked down at her text book, wrapping her arms around it and swallowing softly as she waited for him to answer.

Her mind may have been made up, but that definitely did not make actually carrying out her intentions any easier.

[Justin Whistler]

Thursday.... Justin hated Thursdays. There was no real reason why the Ravenclaw hated Thursdays. It was just that the day was pointless. It was more than half way through the week, but it wasn't Friday. How sucky was that? Well, that's what the Justin's thoughts consisted of as he doodled in the margins of the notes he was supposed to be taking. He glanced up randomly to watch the teacher write another word on the board, speaking in a monotone voice before returning his attention to his drawings.... and Thursdays. Wouldn't it suck to be named Thursday? Everyone would hate you.

The sound of the class getting anxious registered in the Ravenclaw's mind and he glanced at his watch. There were only a few minutes left of class. Looking back at his drawings, he reluctantly shut his notebook on the incomplete sketch. It was a good thing he had a free period next, he didn't think he'd be able to sit through another class. However much the Ravenclaw enjoyed classes, Thursdays sucked.

No matter how expectant he was of the tone, Justin's heart still skipped a beat as it rang, signaling the end of the period. Gathering all his books, he slid them into his black backpack before slipping out into the crowded corridors. His back thrown over one shoulder, he moved easily through the crowds, loosening his blue and silver tie.

A light tap on the shoulder and a quite call of his name pulled him out of his thoughts. Turning to look over his shoulder, he arched an eyebrow curiously to see who had tapped him. Instantly a friendly smile appeared on his features as he recognized Schuyler. "Hey," he greeted her before noticing the somewhat distant look on her features. Frowning slightly, his dark brown eyes tried to meet hers. "What's up?"

[Schuyler DePaul]

Schuyler averted her gaze from Justin’s at first, looking around them at the emptying hallways. “I need to talk to you,” Schuyler admitted, watching the other students slowly flock to their next classes, dormitory, or wherever they needed to be. She raised her blue eyes finally to meet his, chewing on her bottom lip before speaking again. “Or … if you have a class, then I could just tell you later, but I really have to tell you something, and I have a free period myself, and …” she stopped, chewing her lip again as she realized she was rambling.

Hadn’t it been nearly a month since she’d acted so nervous in Justin’s presence? Of course, the reasoning behind her actions was clearly enough to validate them. Schuyler shifted her weight from one foot to the other, gaze dropped as she waited for Justin’s response. She watched as the crowd of students slowly thinned—debating on whether to tell him right in the hall, or to find a quieter spot to talk … assuming he had no classes to attend or anything of the sort.

She raised her gaze to his once more, turning her face away a few seconds later, watching their fellow students meander carelessly down the corridor. Stephen would murder her, she realized. And yet, Stephen was already mad about her trusting Justin in the first place; in the end, did Schuyler much care what her brother thought? No, not really. Stephen would get over it eventually.

[Justin Whistler]

Justin watched Schuyler curiously as she seemed to fight something in her mind. He nodded as she said she needed to talk to him. "Sure, anything. I have a free period next too," he smiled reassuringly at her, wondering what might be causing the girl so much termoil inside. Her rambling was starting to worry him. He wasn't sure what the topic of her discussion was based off, and immediately his mind went to the worst thing he could think of. Had she found out about his past? What would she think of him if she did?

The last thing the Ravenclaw wanted was for the girl he had become so fond of to pity him, or worse - fear him. He had spent so much time making sure no one would ever find out about it, spent so much time pounding into Sarah's mind that no one must ever know. Hogwarts was his safe house. If the people he surrounded himself with there found out... what would they think of him? The funny thing was, he didn't quite care what everyone else thought about him at the moment. As the other students walked passed them, it was as if Schuyler was the only one there that really mattered. If she found out, what would she think of him?

His dark eyes searched the younger Ravenclaw's for some sign, but to no avail. Dropping his gaze, he looked around. "You want to go somewhere else to talk?" he asked, not really sure what do to. He hoped Schuyler knew she could tell him anything. He thought so highly of her, nothing could ever change that. Thinking about it, he almost wanted the girl to know about his family, the truth about his past. Was he scared to tell her? Yes, but for some reason he just knew she'd understand. Wouldn't she?

[Schuyler DePaul]

Schuyler nodded softly, almost to herself, as Justin informed that he had a free period as well. She looked up as he asked if she wanted to go somewhere else and nodded once more, the action slightly more pronounced this time. “Yeah,” she spoke softly, the word almost a whisper on her breath. (Woah, where did that imagery come from? O.o) Schuyler brushed a piece of her blonde hair from her face before turning to scan the hall behind her. Blue eyes landing on a relatively empty corner of the wider part of the corridor—you know, the areas with the benches and random coffee tables and sometimes potted plants?—she moved in that direction.

How was she going to tell him again? I mean, it wasn’t everyday Schuyler admitted her darkest secret. No, even thinking about doing something as such was forbidden in not only Stephen’s mind, but her own as well. But when it came to Justin … Hell she didn’t even know to what extent the whole “lack of caring” in the rest of Justin and Sarah’s family went to. Were the two Ravenclaws just ignored, or was their past more like Stephen and Schuyler’s than one could imagine.

Schuyler gulped silently, nervously as she sat down on one end of a bench, pulling at the edge of her uniform skirt. “I talked to Sarah today,” she admitted, raising her gaze to meet Justin’s for a split second before averting it once more. Her thoughts wandered to the younger girl, her carefree attitude something Schuyler had always respected in anyone, mainly because such a laid-back personality was so far from her own. “She said something, actually …” Schuyler spoke slowly, thinking over her words before she let them leave her mouth. “She … she said no one cared, at home …” Schuyler paused once more, raising her gaze to meet Justin’s, not quite sure how to say what she needed to.

[Justin Whistler]

An agreeing nod could just barely be seen as Justin's eyes followed Schuyler's toward the empty corner. Following the younger Ravenclaw, he waited for her to sit before sitting on the other end of the bench himself. The nervous tendancies were making the older boy worry. What was going on? What was she going to tell him? Out of habit, his hands met, his fingers twisting the silver ring he wore all the time. The constant reminder of what their dad had done. A constant reminder of the promise he made not only to himself but to both Sarah and their mother. The silver ring that never left his finger.

His attention was pulled from his panicked thoughts as Schuyler finally started to speak. Looking over at her, his face looked calm though his insides felt like they were on fire. When she brought up Sarah, the feeling only worsened. What had Sarah done this time? He continued to twist the silver ring on his finger, his dark eyes moving to the stone floor near his shoes, though his mind begged for the girl next to him to continue. Finally hearing what he almost knew was coming, his gut seemed to turn to stone. Looking back at Schuyler quickly, his dark eyes fell back to the stone floor. The emotion that had flooded them was too much for even him. A long pause drew out in the now silent and rather tense corridor.

Taking a deep breath as if there was cement lay ontop his chest, he quickly glanced at Schuyler. "You must understand, I made her promise not to tell anyone. I didn't want anyone to know," he started, before dropping his gaze again. "Everything was fine.We were a normal family just like any other. Sure we had money, but we were happy," again he paused, this time not looking back at Schuyler. He was lost deep in his thoughts, remembering the dark parts of his past he had worked so hard to forget. "About a year before I got my letter.... my dad lost his job and then started drinking, and when he started drinking he didn't stop and he got so violent..." he said looking back at Schuyler, his dark eyes like a gate into the story he was telling. With difficulty he continued. "He beat us, and I couldn't bare to watch it. I swear to myself everyday I'll never be like him. I won't allow it," he shook his head. It had been so long since he had actually told anyone about the way they lived then. Thought back about what they had to live through for so long. The hell that faced them everytime they went home.

Tears threatening to slip from his eyes, he went on. "He died, from alcohol poisoning, when I was in my fourth year. You'd think the horror was over, but then my mom went into a depression. She still is, and now I'm the only one Sarah has left. I have to be there for her." He finished, afraid to look back at Schuyler for fear of her reaction. He starred down at the lines in the stone floor. Waiting for the Ravenclaw beside him to say something. The time seemed to tick on forever. What had he done? She'll never speak to him again, he was sure of it.

[Schuyler DePaul]

She swallowed in the tense atmosphere that followed her statement-of-sorts, her fingertips picking at the hem of her robe sleeve as she wondered if perhaps she should have listened to Sarah instead. Each moment that passed through the silence caused her nerves to increase, her anxiety and sudden wish to take her words back. It wasn’t that she didn’t want to talk to Justin—Lord knows it wasn’t that. The Ravenclaw girl’s shy personality was rearing its head, as well as her dislike for confrontation of any sort. And then he spoke, and she raised her blue eyes, listening closely.

Schuyler watched Justin silently as he explained, her breath taken away each time her eyes met his. She could picture his story in her mind’s eye, as real as if she were there, each time she read the emotion in them. Sure, the images she was imagining were surely not exact, but … needless to say, her heart was breaking as her suspicions were confirmed. Justin couldn’t have gone through what she had; no one deserved such. It wasn’t until Justin spoke about the beatings that a tear rolled down her pale cheek. Schuyler cried silently—no sobs, no sniffles—as he went on, rubbing the back of one hand just under her eyes to brush the tears away. ‘No … no, no …’

She shook her head softly, much like she had nodded earlier, gaze dropping to the floor as well when Justin finished. Her hands fell to her sides, and she gave in to the silent tears, letting them trail slowly down her face to splash onto her grey skirt. A dull pain throbbed in her chest, the sensation anything but physical. No, it was more of an emotional pain over anything else. Schuyler blinked softly, lifting a hand to wipe away the tears after a few seconds of silence—though those seconds had seemed more like hours, to be honest—before pushing aside her promise to Stephen and silently deciding to share as well.

“My mum left us when I was ten,” Schuyler admitted, her voice surprisingly steady compared to the state she appeared to be in. She drew in a shaky breath, delving into the memories of her mother that she’d constantly pushed out of the way. “I don’t remember her much, actually; I’d spent most of my time with Stephen, shut up in one of our rooms to block out the fighting.” That was where Schuyler and Stephen had begun to develop their relationship; Schuyler’s childhood was filled with more memories of hanging out with her brother than of her smiling mother; the fights her parents held were feared by the girl, and Stephen did what he could to distract her when one was occurring. “She and my father used to fight all the time, over stupid things according to Stephen …”

She sniffed, blinking harshly as another tear ran down her cheek. “Mum left us with him; he’d hit her and she fled, not caring to take us with her.” Schuyler’s voice broke and she sniffed softly, holding back the tears. She hated to think of her mother this way. No, her mum was supposed to be smiling, caring … but she’d always wondered in the back of her mind: if she was so perfect, so wonderful, why had she left them there? “He’s hated me ever since then, hitting me for reminding me of her; Stephen … Stephen tries to stop him, but it only makes him more angry.”

Schuyler shook her head, sobbing quietly now. She lifted her right hand to touch the back of her left shoulder, where her scar started; there was no way she could tell Justin about that. Not the scar; no, she could tell him of the scar … but the story behind it … what Gabriel DePaul had tried to do … No. Not now. Later … but not now.

[Justin Whistler]

Slowly gaining control over the overbearing memories, Justin grew enough confidence to just barely glance at the still silent girl beside him. He was almost shocked to see her crying silently. His eyes immediately going back to the floor, he felt his face get hot with a blush. He knew this would happen. She'll never look at him the same now. Pity will ruin they're friendship. Beating himself up about it, the girl's soft voice pulled him back to reality curiously.

Listening silently as she started to tell her own story, Justin slowly shook his head, eyes still remaining on the floor by his feet. No, she couldn't have gone through anything like he had to. It was too horrible for the girl. Just the thought, the images he got in his mind as she continued to speak was horrifying enough. Looking quickly up at the girl, her facial expression verified her story. There was so much hurt and sadness held there, the Ravenclaw couldn't stand to look at her for very long.

Again Justin could only shake his head as Schuyler finished her story. He wanted to hug the girl next to him, hold her close and tell her it would be alright, however resisted, knowing all too well the girl's reactions to being touched. Slowly, he looked back at the younger Ravenclaw next to him. "No one should have to go through that kind of thing," he said softly. He did not speak with the pity most people speak of. You know, the kind that obviously says 'too bad, but better you than me'? No, Justin knew exactly where the girl was coming from, knew exactly what she was feeling. He didn't speak with pity, but with understanding. He wasn't sure what to say next. The weight of such powerful revelations still lingered in the air between them, and his fingers subconsciously went back to twisting the silver ring upon his finger.

[Schuyler DePaul]

Schuyler slowly dropped her hand from her shoulder as Justin spoke, raising her eyes to meet his gaze. She nodded, agreeing with him, and lifted a hand to wipe at her eyes, swallowing back what was left of her tears. The memories were hard enough for the girl to touch upon, but throw in the fact that Schuyler had found out Justin had to deal with the same thing—the same fate that no one should have to deal with?

“No one,” Schuyler repeated softly, agreeing with him. To tell the truth, the Ravenclaw girl wouldn’t have minded if Justin hugged her. Schuyler had felt just minutes earlier so comfortable with Justin, that contact would have been fine with her—not embracing, per say, but still. Now … now that she knew the boy beside her had endured the same harsh childhood that made her so jumpy, Schuyler couldn’t help but feel she trusted him as much as she did Stephen, if not more considering her brother’s lies had been exposed and they hadn’t quite gotten over that yet.

Schuyler fidgeted slightly, pulling her legs up to fold underneath her, brushing her hands down her skirt to smooth it as she struggled to think of something to say. “Sarah told me not to tell you I knew,” she admitted with a soft, sheepish smile, attempting to lighten the mood at least slightly. Surely she didn’t want Justin to become angry at his sister. If anything, Schuyler was glad she hadn’t followed Sarah’s wishes.

[Justin Whistler]

Schuyler had to deal with the same thing Justin did. The fact was still trying to sink in to the Ravenclaw's mind. How could something like that happen? He began to question everything, from the first time he met Schuyler, and even before that. How could he have missed the girl? He was a prefect and didn't know the girl existed until just recently. She was in Ravenclaw and he didn't even know. It wasn't like they were that far apart as far as years either. He found himself thankful that he had approached the girl in the entrance hall that day. If he hadn't.... he didn't want to think about it.

His face already returning to it's usual composed state, his eyes were the only way of knowing that such a deep and emotional conversation had just taken place. The strong emotion, the pain, the realization still swirled in the dark depths of his eyes. Meeting the girl's gaze, he forced a bit of a smile. "Please don't tell anyone," he pleaded. He wasn't bothered by the fact that she knew, he was almost relieved, happy. However, that didn't mean that he wanted the rest of the school to know that he had issues at home. Watching as a lone tear slowly made it's way down Schuyler's already tear streaked face, he reached out and wiped it away gently. Not catching himself until after the feat was done, he quickly pulled back his hand, dropping his gaze. He knew better than to touch her, and expected her to jump or flinch at his touch. "I'm sorry," he offered quickly, his voice no more than a whisper as a blush started to redden his ears.

His eyes staring down at the stone floor once more, he felt the silence as it seemed to drag on. He felt bad about touching her, hadn't he learned his lesson before? He knew better than to touch her. He knew that it made her uncomfortable. If he knew, then why did he do it? He continued to beat himself up. This whole thing had seemed to knock him out of balance. He was almost panicking inside his head again when the girl's voice hit his ears. It took only seconds for the statement to register in his mind. Looking back at the girl, he shrugged, though he wondered how many people she had told that. "I'm glad you did," he offered. He'd have to remember to confront Sarah about this later.

[Schuyler DePaul]

Schuyler had known about Justin through her last few years of school; rather, she’d known of him. He was a prefect, so naturally she knew his face. However, she’d never pictured herself talking to him. And now that she knew how alike the two of them were, she couldn’t believe they’d never spoken, never really run into each other until this year. Even so, she couldn’t imagine how her year would have gone so far if Justin hadn’t spoken to her only a month ago. A sense of relief passed through the girl; she felt so much better having someone else know, having someone else who understood. Schuyler looked up as she felt Justin’s gaze upon her, meeting his brown eyes with her blue ones; she smiled slightly in response to his. Her smile dropped, however, as he pleaded once more. She opened her mouth to reassure him once more, though stopped as he reached out, brushing a tear from her face.

Schuyler had froze, eyes locked on Justin’s as his fingers brushed her skin. Though her heart skipped a beat at the contact, Schuyler didn’t flinch at his touch this time. She finally blinked when Justin pulled back his hand, watching him look down and catching the red tinge on his ears. She shook her head softly as he apologized; for some reason, Schuyler didn’t mind the touch. Something about what she’d learned about Justin made her trust him on a whole new level. She lifted a hand, hesitantly setting it on Justin’s. “It’s okay, Justin,” she spoke. “And I won’t tell anyone. I promise.” Her eyes searched the side of Justin’s face visible to her; her touch was gentle, hand barely resting on his. It had taken a large part of her to do what she had, but something felt so right about touching him.

Schuyler nodded, agreeing with Justin’s statement. She was glad she’d said something as well, but she couldn’t help but allow her thoughts to travel to his younger sister. “Justin?” she asked softly, looking up at him. “Please don’t blame Sarah. The whole thing was an accident; she didn’t mean to tell me…” Schuyler’s soft voice was pleading. She’d promised the younger Ravenclaw not to let Justin know of their conversation, and the last thing Schuyler wanted to happen was for Justin to reprimand Sarah.

[Justin Whistler]

No matter how much Justin scanned his memory, searching for somewhere that he had maybe bumped into the girl, maybe had seen her somewhere, he just couldn't think of a time. How could a prefect not know such a beautiful and intelligent girl was in his very own house? He couldn't believe he had looked over her so many times. How could it have taken them this long to finally run into each other? The two of them had so much in common, such a relationship that seemed to blossom so fast in a month. A month, wow. Justin couldn't believe it had been that long. It seemed like yesterday and yet forever ago that he had approached her in the entrance hall. There was something about having Schuyler know about his past, something about knowing she'd been through the same thing. It scared him, but at the same time, he felt more relaxed about it, there was actually someone that understood what he was going through.

Justin's face was on fire as he dropped his gaze. He couldn't believe he had done that. He knew how Schuyler reacted to being touched and yet he still had to go and do that. He felt stupid and he was instantly kicking himself for it. He was forced from his thoughts, forced from the anticipation of her reaction as she set her hand on his. His eyes widened in astonishment, he looked at her hand, almost to verify that she had in fact done that. He listened to her words before looking up into her blue eyes, the fading remains of the blush still lingering on his features. He smiled softly, nodding. Turning his hand, Justin wrapped his long fingers around Schuyler's, gently holding her hand in his.

His eyes remained on their hands, almost unable to believe what he was feeling, what he was seeing. Hearing his name, he raised his eyebrows before drawing his eyes back up to the younger Ravenclaw. Blame Sarah? The entire idea seemed so distant, how could he blame her? If anything he'd thank her. He understood what Schuyler was saying, but he really couldn't care less. If it was an accident, he was glad it happened. "Don't worry, I won't," he smiled softly. It wasn't something he was planning on doing anyway, whether Schuyler pleaded with him or not.

[Schuyler DePaul]

Whatever the reason Schuyler hadn’t known Justin before this year, she didn’t really mind. What mattered more was that she knew him now, and he was someone she knew she could trust. It was weird, she realized, that her subconscious had known to trust him before now. She’d always felt like she could tell the older Ravenclaw anything—that he’d understand and not blow things out of proportion. Schuyler hadn’t told him, of course, not until now. She felt great after having told him, actually; she was still nervous and slightly upset that he and Sarah had both gone through the same thing she had, but she felt relieved as well—as if a weight had been lifted from her shoulders. She’d kept the secret for so many years, and it was hard enough having only Stephen to speak to. And now that Stephen was mad at her, no less? Schuyler was glad she’d met Justin the month before; he was her confidant, her friend, and yet something more…

Schuyler bit her lip as she noticed Justin’s blush. If anything, his reaction only reassured the girl that he hadn’t meant anything by touching her. And still, she didn’t really need that confirmation; that calm safety she’d felt around the seventh year since within minutes of their first conversation was still there. She trusted him more than she trusted most anyone else. A coy smile pulled at Schuyler’s features as Justin looked down at their hands, a small blush turning her pale cheeks a rosy color as she waited for his reaction. It wasn’t that she was embarrassed as much as she was far less than used to doing something of such caliber. She looked up from their hands, smiling into Justin’s comforting dark eyes once more. Curling her fingers gently around his, it felt so natural to be holding hands with him. Her blue eyes flicked down to their grasped hands for a few seconds more before returning to his face again.

Her smile grew when Justin spoke; she couldn’t help but feel even more comforted by his serene nature. No doubt, Stephen would be upset at her for confiding in Justin, whether the two boys liked one another or not. But in the end Schuyler didn’t bother minding what her brother would say; she’d felt that Justin should know, and it was her right to disclose her past in another, right? “Okay,” she smiled almost fully up at him, meeting his deep brown eyes. Schuyler smiled as she remembered the young girl she’d met in the Great Hall; in a way, she hoped Sarah wouldn’t hold it against her—the fact that Schuyler had told Justin what his sister had said. “Sarah’s a sweet girl,” Schuyler voiced, feeling like she had to say something. Justin and his sister were so alike in some aspects, but so different on many more levels. She enjoyed being around Sarah almost as much as she couldn’t help but like being around Justin when they’d first met. That eerie comfort she felt with Justin was the same with his sister, only on a smaller level. It was … nice.

[[ ick; I meant to get more replies done, but I got distracted and we had a little party here >.< sorrehs ]]

[Justin Whistler]

Justin still felt ashamed that he hadn't even recognized Schuyler as a Ravenclaw before he talked to her a month ago. He couldn't believe he'd missed such a wonderful person, and he was surely grateful that he took the time to talk to her. He was happy he knew her now. To think about what the past month would have been like without Schuyler was something he didn't want to try. He couldn't believe she had gone through the same things he had at home, but that made him realize just how much he could trust her, with anything. Telling someone of his secret family life never would have entered his mind if Schu hadn't told him about hers first. After telling her, however, Justin felt like a sort of weight he forced himself to bear was lifted. He'd kept everything a secret for so long, not even comfortable talking to Sarah about it, now that Schuyler knew, he felt strangely better about it.

Justin smiled back at Schu, simply nodding as she stated Sarah was sweet. He couldn't help but chuckle lightly at the statement. "When she's not causing trouble," he agreed. His sister was the one thing about his family he could say he was proud of, no matter how much he didn't show it. He loved her, and that's all that mattered. He'd give his life if it meant she was safe. The more he thought about it, the more he was determined to get custody of her. There was no way he was going to leave her at the mansion with their mother.

Justin hadn't meant anything at all by touching Schuyler, he hadn't even meant to touch her at all. It was something he had done without thinking, just an instinct reacting to the situation. His dark eyes moving between their hands linked together and her soft blue eyes, he noticed her blush lightly. It felt so right to hold her hand, to feel her curl her fingers around his. It was as if their hands were made to fit together. Looking into her eyes, he returned her smile. He followed her gaze as it flicked back and forth between their linked fingers and his eyes. Without realizing what he was doing, he slowly leaned in, his eyes skipping between her eyes and her lips. Gently, his lips met hers, nothing more than a brush against the sensitive skin. Realizing what he had done, he was too shocked to react as he did before. His breath was gone as he looked into her eyes. It felt so good to kiss her, he hadn't even thought about the way she would react. He wanted to smile, and yet, he couldn't help but wait to see what Schu would do first.

(( I don't know, but whatever...))

[Schuyler DePaul]

It felt good—no—wonderful to have someone else know, someone to confide in, someone who hadn’t gone through the exact same thing—hadn’t been there to witness her father’s rage like Stephen—but had been through something so precisely similar that it was almost scary. Justin held a relation to Schuyler that, honestly, no one ever had before. He lacked that brotherly air Stephen held, but at the same time made her feel safe, like nothing would ever hurt her if he was present. That relation was even more new to the girl due to the growing fondness she was feeling for him. Yeah, Schuyler was really starting to like Justin. She was falling for him in a way that was so similar to and yet so unlike the fairytale dreams girls her age wished for. They got along so well; her hand seemed to fit perfectly in his; she’d always felt comfortable—safe—in his presence. And yet, to think of what they both had gone through, what she would go through again the next time she crossed her father’s path at one of those undesirable times, it was surely far from a fairytale, but somehow they had met. Of course, Schuyler couldn’t help but wish she’d met this boy years earlier than she had.

Schuyler smiled, a soft laugh leaving her vocal chords as she caught the somewhat sarcastic tone of his words. Justin and Sarah were so different; he more reserved and conscientious, she more outgoing and rebellious. Schu could only imagine how much it took for Justin to look after his sister and she knew without having to ask that it was something he strived to do. “I’m sure she keeps your life interesting,

[/color]” Schuyler guessed, voicing her thoughts with that timid smile of hers. Her smile brightened just a bit, taking on the smallest hint of an “I know something you don’t know” grin as she recalled how Sarah had come to be in the Great Hall earlier that day: skipping Muggle Studies. She wasn’t about to let Justin in on that secret, though. She’d made a promise, and Schuyler had a feeling that Justin had an exceptional chance of finding out on his own, anyway.

As the silence fell after their small conversation—this silence anything but awkward, mind you—Schuyler’s mind couldn’t help but to, again, take in the warm atmosphere around them. Her hand was warm in his grasp—the cozy feeling was invigorating, her own fingers being commonly cool to the touch due to their slender shape. All of those thoughts of the past, the future, and her problems that seemed to always be in the backdrop of Schuyler’s thoughts were nowhere to be found, as if just being with Justin took the constant subconscious worrying away. Her eyes finally locked with his as she faintly noticed him leaning in. But she was too lost in his deep, warm eyes and the moment to care. No, it felt right. Schuyler’s blue eyes closed when their lips met, the only sign of her usual instinct to flinch away … well, perhaps the beat her heart had skipped wasn’t due to her past. So many feelings coursed through her at that one simple touch. The air was frozen in her lungs, breath stopped in surprise. The feeling of the tender action seemed to activate so many epiphanies and emotions in her brain—her being. And there was no way to describe the rush of warmth the kiss had caused. But perhaps the most important thing his actions had caused was Schuyler’s revelation. She’d realized that within such a short amount of time, she’d grown to trust Justin. Schuyler trusted him like no one else. Her eyes opened as she felt him move away, appearing stunned though the underlying joy she was feeling shone underneath that initial reaction. Her eyes met his once more, and she couldn’t help the soft blush that spread a pale pink across her cheekbones, nor could she hold back the delicate smile pulling at her tingling lips. Yeah.[/size][/blockquote]