Hogwarts: Staircase, early evening

[fortunatestory.livejournal.com]

If anyone's walking around the castle in the early evening, they might come across Rhys, sitting in a lovely squishy armchair on a staircase landing and sipping a cup of tea. There's an empty portrait frame next to him- if you're fast, you might notice a flurry of movement across the other paintings nearby. The girl in the picture's shy, you see.

And you've interrupted their chat. How rude.

Comments

[fortunatestory.livejournal.com]

"I think the paintings around here are a little well-behaved to deserve that teasing." This part of the castle is rather old, the witches and wizards in the portraits all in medieval dress- what you can see from where they're cowering from the dread beast, anyway.

[reincarnshaman.livejournal.com]

Trever leans on a railing and looks out. "Yes, but she is, as pointed out, a cat and wouldn't let that stop her. I'm sure she'll get bored in a moment and try to drink your tea," he says.

[fortunatestory.livejournal.com]

"I am suddenly reminded why I hate cats," he observes dryly. "They think they own the world and act on that assumption, rather than behaving like any reasonable being would."

[reincarnshaman.livejournal.com]

"I think she's got some kneazle in her," Trever offers helpfully.

Veena has gotten bored with the paintings and is now wandering back over to see what her human has gotten up to.

[fortunatestory.livejournal.com]

"That's even worse." Rhys snorts, eyeing the cat with disfavour. If she tries to get at his tea, there will be trouble.

Or he'll Transfigure her into a spoon-rest.

[reincarnshaman.livejournal.com]

Trever wouldn't take to kindly to his cat being transfigured into a spoon-rest. For her part, she arches her back and rubs against Rhys' legs before flopping hard at his feet.

"I think she's got some bit else in her too. She's an odd one." There's a shrug. "I've never known her to be much of a talker." He means the painting now. Or at least the person who was in the painting.

[fortunatestory.livejournal.com]

"She's not, but we were acquainted when I was at school. Since I've been gone so long, I thought it only polite to come back and visit." He ignores the cat at his feet, waving his wand to conjure up a plate of fruit tarts and nibble one. "I hope your hell-beast didn't frighten her much."

[reincarnshaman.livejournal.com]

He eyeballs the tarts and ponders taking one, but decides against it. He's not his brother, who filches.

"Kale said you were charming, I guess you must be to get l'Violet to speak with you." He ignores the hell-beast comment.

The indicated hell-beast ignores both of them content to groom herself meticulously.

[fortunatestory.livejournal.com]

"That's right flattering of your brother," Rhys chuckles. Flattery is the way to any man's heart, even Rhys's. It's hard to be cranky when someone says you're charming. "He's the one I had the chat about engines with?"

[reincarnshaman.livejournal.com]

"There's only two of us around here, so yes, it would be," Trever agrees. "He's a bit of a softie when it comes to muggle-knowing folk. Especially older wizards. Honestly, I don't know what it is about the pure-blood Brits, but sometimes I don't think could find their way out of a muggle market with a map."

[fortunatestory.livejournal.com]

"Now, speaking as a Pureblood Brit, that's not entirely fair, but on the whole it does seem to be a problem for them. You wouldn't believe the questions I have to deal with in class." He shakes his head ruefully.

[reincarnshaman.livejournal.com]

"You sound Welsh, not Brit," He points out. "And would it be the sorts that involve things like 'how do can-openers work'?"

[fortunatestory.livejournal.com]

"I'm not English." Wales is part of Britain. "And yes, that's one of the common ones. Along with such charming things as television and electricity."

[reincarnshaman.livejournal.com]

"Bah," the cheerful Irishman says. "I bet they're want to know how muggles use the toilet too."

[fortunatestory.livejournal.com]

"Well, that's a useful fact, if they're ever in need of a washroom in a muggle part of town," Rhys points out with an amused look. "It's important."

[reincarnshaman.livejournal.com]

Trever steals a tart with a whisp of his wand. "Because they're so much different than ours," he says, chewing on it.

[fortunatestory.livejournal.com]

"I don't mind reassuring them. Helping them realize that muggles aren't always as different as they think is as important as helping them understand the ways that they are different." Rhys does not comment on the stolen tart. It's quite all right.

[reincarnshaman.livejournal.com]

"Kale thinks there should be a way to get magic and muggle technology to work together. He's always trying to do that... tends to blow up in his face."

[fortunatestory.livejournal.com]

"Well, that's not impossible. I knew some Americans who were quite good at it- of course, they're all about technology over there, at least the muggles. It's quite understandable that some of it would infect the witches and wizards, too."

[reincarnshaman.livejournal.com]

"It would be nicer if it could work here, on campus."

[fortunatestory.livejournal.com]

"Oh, well, Hogwarts likes its traditions and its antique air." He pats the wall next to him fondly. "I can't quite blame it."

[reincarnshaman.livejournal.com]

"And they're not bad things either, but there are more muggles around than wizards, it's bad that we can't openly acknowledge our existence."

[fortunatestory.livejournal.com]

"I can't imagine Hogwarts with technology about." He actually shudders a bit. "Technology's lovely- it really is. If I didn't think it was, I wouldn't be teaching Muggle Studies. I just don't think it belongs in Hogwarts at all. What would be the point? There's more to being a Muggleborn than your strange devices."

[reincarnshaman.livejournal.com]

"I am not muggleborn, but my family has always lived with muggles. My father's part of Irish government," he snaps briefly before calming himself down. "He talked about creating a school for muggles and magical folk alike."

[fortunatestory.livejournal.com]

"My apologies for assuming." Rhys takes a sip of tea, looking thoughtful. "I am torn on that matter- I am uncertain whether the split between magic and muggles is necessary, but I know how muggles would react to magic."