quiet (Ian)

[Arden Patricks]

I walk into a random, empty classroom just off the entrance hall, listening to the rain beat against the windows in the otherwise silence.
Chance and Andra are both right... people and classes are both overrated.
I sigh slightly as I lower myself into an empty seat and take out a muggle paperback.
Much better than the common room....

[Ian Hunt]

I'd taken to wondering aimlessly around Hogwarts over the past few days. Rowan and Poppy were in hiding, so there was hardly any point in going back to the house. And I couldn't go home because...because of Maddie, so wondering around the grounds had become something to do with my time.
Apart from when it was raining, like now, hence the wondering around inside.
I spot a large group of Slytherin's heading my way and duck out of the Entrance hall and into an empty classroom in a bid to avoid them and then stop dead when I see who else is in the empty classroom.
Just my luck.

[Arden Patricks]

I vaguely hear a large group of people passing by with the usual chatter and look up with a frown... to see just about the last person in the world I want to be alone in a room with standing in the doorway. I freeze and start shaking a little immediately, hoping that he doesn't notice.

[Ian Hunt]

"Er...Arden," I incline my head slightly in way of greeting, immediately putting my hands up slightly to show they were empty.
I stand in the doorway for a minute, really liking the idea of making a sincere apology, but not quite able to find the words to do it.

[Arden Patricks]

I stare at him a moment, not sure I trust the empty hands, and then incline my head in return.
"Hey," I manage, voice shaking slightly as I wish I could control my panic response.
You're pathetic.
If he were anybody else I would go back to my book then, but instead I continue staring at him.

[Ian Hunt]

Look what you did to her. She's terrified. Happy now?
I struggle to find words for a moment, then say eventually, "I know it means nothing, coming from me. But I didn't-...I didn't mean for it to happen. I didn't set out to-...do that to you."

[Arden Patricks]

I swallow hard and eye him for a minute, then nod.
Hey, Morgan says he's decent, right?
I nod again. "So why did you?" I ask, clenching the book so hard my hands are probably going to go numb.

[Ian Hunt]

"This is going to sound really pathetic..." I murmur to myself, before managing to say simply, "I wanted him to hurt, how he made me hurt."
As soon as the words are out of my mouth, I want to explain further and apologise and practically beg to be forgiven and for her to understand but can't find the words to do all these at once.

[Arden Patricks]

I can't quite stop an ironic sort of laugh. "Well, that's real noble of you," I say almost hysterically, then cough and look down at the desktop. And you deserved it more... I think. I hope you deserved it more.

[Ian Hunt]

I laugh humourlessly, "I know. I was just desperate and...there's really no excuse. But I'm genuinely sorry, if it means anything at all."

[Arden Patricks]

I pause again, then nod, still looking down at the desktop.
You are too forgiving.... Logan would probably be telling you to run again right about now.
I shrug at the voice in my head. Logan is a bastard, remember?

[Ian Hunt]

"Am I forgiven?" I ask after a moment.
Why does it matter so much to you anyway?
Maybe because you've been beating yourself up over it since you did it.

[Arden Patricks]

I swallow hard, start to nod, and hesitate, not sure if it's the truth or not.
"I talked to some girl named Morgan the other day," I say instead, slowly. "She said you had your reasons... so did Rowan." I bite my lip, not wanting to say it. "And I guess that they're all right... so... I guess I should forgive you, if I can continue to forgive him...."
For killing his brother? For torturing innocent people? Can you really, Arden?
I shrug, biting my lip harder.

[Ian Hunt]

"Everyone has their reasons, myself and Logan included. I accept a good half of the blame for...our feud," I reply evenly, knowing that both Row and Rowan would be biased against Logan for their own reasons.
I look down at the floor, not sure what more to say if there was anything more to say. I almost half wanted to warn her, to stay far away from Logan and not get anymore involved.

[Arden Patricks]

I nod, greatly disliking how jumbled and smudged all the gray spots are getting... it was easier just to hate slythies and love everyone else.
Logan is a bastard... but then so is Chris. A slythy saved your life and your best friend is a death eater and some of them don't want it and it's not all black and white....
"This is fucked," I mutter, hammering my head into my palm

[Ian Hunt]

"Yeah, this is very very fucked," I murmur, half-watching her, half not seeing her at all.

[Arden Patricks]

I close my eyes a moment, resting my forehead in my palms with my elbows on the desk while I take a few deep breaths, then look up.
"I... I'm sorry about...." I hesitate a second, then shrug and say it anyway. "Um... about... what Logan said, about... your, um, kid.... Yeah." I cough again and look back at the desktop.

[Ian Hunt]

I immediately drop my gaze, "It's alright," I mumble, "We didn't-...we didn't really want it anyway."

[Arden Patricks]

I shrug. "Sorry anyway," I say under my breath, studying my fingernails. There's silence for a moment, and then I have to ask. "Um..." My voice sounds funny, and I clear my throat. "I... can I ask... who else he hurt?"
I'm not entirely sure why I need to know... penance for being his friend? Morbid curiosity?

[Ian Hunt]

I swallow for a moment, immediately dozens of names firing into my head, "He-...he killed Will. He tortured Maddie. And Angel, and Izzy too. And-...and-..." My voice disappears for a moment and it's a second or so before I can go, "And Erin. He tortured her-...tortured her to suicide."
I start to go on, but my voice disappears completely so I just stop talking.

[Arden Patricks]

I sit there for a moment without moving or blinking, horrified all over again.
No... can't be....
And why the hell not? You've acknowledged he's a murderer.
I swallow hard, and try to say I'm sorry again but can't. I don't know who Erin was but I am sorry....
And yet you're going to go forgive him when you see him.
Shut up.

[Ian Hunt]

"Sorry, you probably didn't want to hear all that," I mumble, "I just thought...I mean, he doesn't seem to give a fuck about anyone else, apart from you. You; he cares about. I just wanted him to know...what it was like, what he does to me, do you understand?"

[Arden Patricks]

"I guess," I say quietly, nodding. Why me though? I can't be the only person he gives a damn about.
"I'm sorry," I say again. "For... whoever she was. And the others."

[Ian Hunt]

"I know it doesn't make it right though," I add quietly as an after-thought.
"Yeah, I'm sorry too. Because of him, my daughter's not ever going to know it's mother, and it's...it's not fair, but that's life."

[Arden Patricks]

I let out a very deep breath and shake my head, laughing humorlessly as I study my thumbnails again.
"This is really, really fucked... how did you all wind up like this?"

[Ian Hunt]

I shrug, "It just kind of got that way. I know he hung around back home for a while after I left, but then they all caught up and...it just got fucked from there."

[Arden Patricks]

I grimace slightly, then nod. "You were decent, I think... don't remember exactly, just something about fire. Will... Will was always...." I shrug, not sure what adjective works best. "And Rowan couldn't stand me and then... Logan was just Logan." I shrug again, and laugh without humor.

[Ian Hunt]

"Couldn't control my temper, set things on fire," I smile wryly, "Will was a good man. Rowan was a creepy child, but is a much more balanced man. Logan is...yeah, Logan was and still is...Logan," I agree, shaking my head with some form of painful amusemant, at talking about them this way.

[Arden Patricks]

I nod, agreeing with everything he said, then frowning slightly. "Hey, um, Ian? Do you remember Fitzy at all? What he was like back then?"

[Ian Hunt]

"Fitzy...yeah, I remember him. He looked out for you, didn't he?"