au_hogwarts | (no subject)

"And do not, under any circumstances, let go of your brothers."
It was the last thing she'd said, the very last time he'd seen her alive. It was easy to keep up on his promise when they were at Xavier's, less so to the point of impossibility at Arkham. Here at Hogwarts though, he was trying his damnedest to comply with Shen's last wishes.

Every morning he woke at dawn to meet Leonardo for a jog around the grounds, then they would eat breakfast together. After breakfast he'd meet up with Donatello for 6th Year Charms, and following that either lunch or the library. The evenings found Mike either seated at the Gryffindor table with Raph, or just across the way at the Hufflepuff table. Then they would spend the rest of the night goofing off and avoiding homework until either lights out were called, or he was asked to leave the Gryffindor common room.

But right now? In the sweet spot just post lunch and before dinner? That's his time. And today he's utilizing that time to sit on the steps outside the front door and sketch the surrounding grounds.

It was amazing what you could buy, borrow, or snag from people at this school. Nearly everything was for sale or lease for the right price. Through a series of favors and promises Mike had managed to scrape together a semi-decent art kit. Today was the day he was going to try out the charcoals he'd gotten in a trade from a really cute girl in Ravenclaw.

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"Okay," she replies in the same tone of voice. "Would you still be able to place an origami in the crown molding without damaging it that way?"

Obviously this mystery must be solved.

Mike's pretty unflappable, but that second question is awfully specific. He looks up at her and raises an eyebrow.

"Me? Probably not, no."

She pulls a paper turtle (http://2serve.livejournal.com/1997.html) from her robe and holds it up. "I found this in the weirdest place last night. It wasn't enchanted or anything and I'm tempted to take it apart to see if there's anything written. But I don't know that I'd be able to get it back together right."

Plus you don't just take apart clues right?

Mike's eyes widen ever so slightly when he sees the turtle. See, for him, the pieces come together pretty quickly, and there's only one person at Hogwarts that could pull of what she's suggesting.

"Yeah, that's all like, fancy and stuff."

"So could you still do it? There's no tears or extra creases that I can see, so it wasn't just shoved it."

"You keep saying you. Do you mean me? Specifically? Or like...anyone?"

He can't lie if he's not entirely sure what he's supposed to be lying about.

She takes a calming breath (though tries to hide it) and smiles. Can't alienate the people whoa re like friends. Friends are good. Friends convince the powers that be that you are okay.

"Sorry, I don't mean you. I mean why would you be leaving paper sculptures in hard to reach places? I meant it more as 'do you think it's possible with what you know'."

"Isn't you finding it there kind of proof positive that it can be done?"

Oh he knows that calming breath. He's been on the receiving end of it sooooooo many times before.

An eyebrow arches.

"I know it happened, I'm trying to come up with the how."

"Ooooooh," he says as if he wasn't the slightest bit aware of that from the get go. "Gosh, I don't know. House Elves? Maybe Peeves did it?"

Seriously, butter wouldn't melt in this guy's mouth.