[OPEN MINGLE] Or perhaps in Slytherin

[fulllifeconsequences]

Who: Slytherin House! (And friends and visitors, of course!)
Where: Slytherin Common Room, Quidditch Pitch, various places around Hogwarts
When: Duration of the event
Rating: G (will edit as necessary)
Summary: Slytherin open log!
The Story:



The Slytherin common room was a long, low underground room with rough stone walls and ceiling, from which round, greenish lamps were hanging on chains. A fire was crackling under an elaborately carved mantelpiece ahead of them, and several Slytherins were silhouetted around it in carved chairs.

The common room has changed, somewhat, from its historical description, thanks to the decorative powers of one Mettaton. Though it still extends beneath the lake and thus retains a greenish, aquatic cast, it's much more brightly lit, its cold, damp atmosphere replaced with dazzling MTT-brand warmth. Even the giant squid, occasionally peering in as it does its rounds of the lake, seems just a shade more glamorous inside such a charming space.

Students - and a ghost or two - can be found nestled within its confines, plotting mischief around the fire, studiously doing their homework (as good students do), or perhaps trading Chocolate Frog trading cards. Though Slytherin is not especially well-known for its wide-open, trusting nature, Slytherins are known for not snitching on each other; if a guest or two were to creep in for a while, then odds are, nobody saw anything.

Comments

[lifeskills]

_{[Okay, Vasilka turning his homework into her new perch definitely wasn't part of the deal.]}

I'm not pouting. But you see? This is what I meant. She's always doing things like this.

<sub>[Together, both boy and raven fix Vasilka with a look of wariness. Chew on him if you must, cat, but he draws the line at chewing on the one piece of parchment standing between himself and a perfect grade. She had better not do more than sit there.

Honestly, he'd have considered helping Katerina out without a price tag attached--she's Elena's sister, and she's Katherine, sometimes, when he gets her nickname stuck in his head. She's not just somebody he'd walk away and ignore if she's in need.

But this? This is an extreme decision, even for someone like her who seems to excel at extremes.]</sub>

I mean that he knows about your parents and the rest of your family and he's still with you. Right? _{[Surely he knows the sort of trouble that can follow people in the magical community. If not know, then he must at least suspect.]} Why would that have to change?

[kralitsa]

[ katerina rolls her eyes. victor's so dramatic. ]

[ she keeps her eye on vasilka, ready to leap forward as quick as a strike of lightning to pull her off his homework lest she actually try and eat it. she may enjoy tormenting those around her, but katerina doesn't particularly want victor to have to rewrite his entire essay. his writing's a complete mess. ]

[ arching her brow, she looks at him, and feels as though she's tutoring a student in the most basic of concepts: look both ways before crossing any road, don't just look at one, or none at all. ]

You know how you feel the need to protect your homework from our feral friend here? [ she nods toward vasilka who remains where she is, sitting on the middle of the parchment as she looks to victor. ] That's how I feel about Aleksander and the Wizarding world.

[lifeskills]

_{[Doubtfully:]}

I'm not sure those two are quite the same thing.

<sub>[For one thing, Aleksander's memories aren't like words on a piece of paper that can simply and easily be erased, or adjusted. It can be done, but not without lasting consequences. He'd be missing a big chunk of his life. He'd be missing Katerina.

Although Victor still enjoys reading the language of love and emotion in poetic form, he's had a stone in his throat the last two years; it's been harder and harder to find the words to talk about these things with real people. But looking at the older girl, he feels like she'd miss Alek, too, and the idea just feels sad and foreboding. These are supposed to be the best years of their lives, not time spent preparing for the worst.

He looks down at the edge of the desk, then back up, taking a moment to gather his courage and his thoughts.]</sub>

I don't know... I don't think that's a good idea, Katherine.

_{[Two cents from someone who already knows what losing your loved ones is like.]}

[kralitsa]

Good thing I wasn't asking for your judgement call.

[ a part of katerina was, but she'd made up her mind long ago. it's partly why she'd thrown herself into potions — wanting to try and fix what's broken, erase what could otherwise bring peace if it was forgotten. she hadn't ventured into the library to research all those unlawful and unjust spells for the sake of filling her palate with more knowledge. she'd been looking for herself, and for alek — for everyone she's ever met. ]

[ sometimes katerina wishes to live a life without her name, but she knows she can't quite shed it. she'll always be katerina petrova. it'll always carry weight wherever she goes. she'll always be both proud and frightened of her name and what it may have in store for her. ]

[ leaning forward, she plucks vasilka off his homework and cuddles her to her chest. the great feline seems comforted by such a movement, enjoying the way katerina's glide through her fur. she looks down at her cat and watches as her black, sometimes invisible ears twitch. ]

Haven't you ever wanted someone to forget, so you could alleviate their pain?

[lifeskills]

<sub>[No, just to help her wipe her muggle boyfriend's mind, apparently.

Victor isn't entirely comfortable with where this is leading partly because there's weight to this he doesn't know how to grapple with, and the tense line of his lips makes that clear. Has he ever wanted someone to take away someone's pain? Physically, yes. His own, certainly.

But Katerina and Aleksander had come together for a reason. Stayed together for a reason. Love, maybe... or maybe not, it's none of his business. But they seem happier together than apart, that much he's confident of. Is taking away something good--memories of time spent with someone you care about--and replacing it with a cheap substitute alleviating pain or just displacing it elsewhere?]</sub>

If I forgot my own pain, I wouldn't have my reason for studying magic.

_{[He frowns into the middle distance, gaze going distant.]}

And you haven't said anything about what he'd want--what if he's happier taking the risk? Aren't you happier like this? Use the potion and you'd both be in pain. He might just not know why, but I think he could still feel it, somewhere. That he's missing something.

[kralitsa]

I never took you for a romantic, Victor.

[ katerina may not appear impressed with him pushing back on her, but she's uncovering bits of him she hadn't known were there before. victor always comes off so cool and disinterested, detached in a way she thinks draws vasilka to him at times. but she'd always known — and had seen, at times — portions of him that were gooey. ]

[ she hadn't suspected this would be a slight sore spot. ]

[ she hadn't expected herself to have this be a sore spot. her plans are foolproof, but she's finding herself to be the idiot in this situation. ]

You have someone you care about who is a muggle. They decide it's best to risk everything for you, despite the fact that there's other forces out there trying to ensure you, the wizard, stay in line. Forces you can't always protect him from, because you're here and he's out there, and no matter what spells you cast, there's always someone who has a better and stronger one on hand. [ her tone isn't necessarily matter-of-fact, as katerina hasn't quite learned how to remain so cool and detached she comes off aloof, almost like her own father. but she keeps her own temper and passion under control, even though it seeps through everything she's saying right now. her body language remains as cool as ever, but not her voice. ] If he forgets everything he's ever known about you and the world you come from, and that's enough to protect him because that's what those forces want, wouldn't you do it? Wouldn't you at least consider it?