wunderkind | (no subject)

wunderkind

STUFF GOES IN HERE

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From:

bitty_justice

[The boy sitting there is wearing a singularly unpleasant expression. He looks up with complete, aristocratic contempt, opens his mouth to say something unpleasant - and then, all at once, that drops away. He scrambles to his feet, says -

You're - Sirius Black. We met, do you remember when we met -

Which makes Miles squint at Sirius in surprise.]

From:

parumcanis

[Sirius nods, once, folding his arms over his chest. He hasn't forgotten what it is to have people react to him like this--but he wishes he could have. An hour or so in Miles' company, and Sirius has found that he much prefers when people don't know him, when people get to know him rather than hear his family name and expect something, or look for something.

It's an advanced thought, one that he's not sure of. But he remembers how effortless and fun conversation with Miles was--and how forced it was to talk to this kid, at the wedding he's talking about. It was really for the adults, but all of the children were there as well, forced into dress robes.]

Yeah. Rosier. I remember.

[And he turns his back on Rosier, looking at Miles instead.]

If we stand on the bench, we ought to be able to get your trunk.

From:

bitty_justice

Sure.

[Miles is still looking between Sirius and Rosier - and it's just odd, how the cold and arrogant boy of that first hour in the compartment has suddenly turned, well, fawning...But, no matter, really; he was weird to begin with, and he's weird now, just in a different way.]

Here, give me a hand up -

[Rosier, though, is staring in astonishment - after a moment, he starts frowning, says -

Black, whoever you think this boy is, he isn't that. I saw his dad - Muggle clothes and all. He's a mudblood.]

From:

parumcanis

[Sirius was midway to giving Edgeworth that hand up when Rosier speaks up. He's heard that word all his life, in passing, and it's never really meant anything, because Sirius has never known any muggles. He's only seen them in passing, but they've always looked the same, at least--and now he's met Miles, he's friends with Miles, and for once he hears that word for what it is: an insult.

So he turns, quick, to glare at Rosier.]

Shut up. I know who he is. We're here for his trunk, not to listen to you.

From:

bitty_justice

[Miles turns, looking curiously first at Sirius, then at Rosier. Rosier doesn't have a glance to spare for Miles, though: he's staring, astonished, nearly horrified, at Sirius, like Sirius has said a bad word himself.

Miles doesn't know what a mudblood is, but it's certainly not hard to guess. Maybe if he were on his own, and he'd heard that word, he'd be flinching - at the insult to him, to Dad...but with Sirius backing him up with such ferocity, Miles just looks at Rosier and says, firmly:]

And I'm not going to hear any insults towards my dad. If you persist, I will alert the proper authorities and ensure that disciplinary action is taken against you.

[And then he nods firmly, and turns to Sirius, nods, and hoists himself up on the bench for his luggage. He's proud of himself, and his toughness...even if Rosier seemed to have stopped hearing anything after Sirius rebuked him.]

From:

parumcanis

You'll alert the authorities?

[Sirius wrinkles his nose a little, amused--but he hoists himself up as well, beside Edgeworth, stretching his arm up to try to grab the handle of the trunk.

But Miles' comeback startles Rosier out of his shock, and he gets to his feet, staring for him. You can't talk to me like that--

He goes to grab Miles, to pull him down--and Sirius turns, indignant and angry, leaping down to the floor--]

Oi! Leave him alone!

From:

bitty_justice

[Miles gives a little cry of outrage and surprise when the other boy just grabs him. It's just - weird, first off; Miles has never been in a fight, not in his life, and has never even gotten near a fight, really, and to suddenly have this other boy grabbing at him is just weird. And he doesn't get why, just because Miles said (rightly and dutifully) that he'd report misbehavior.

And he slips off, and falls hard onto one foot and scrapes his shin hard on the bench as he goes. It's no major injury - doesn't hurt so much - but it's enough that he turns to Rosier with his eyes blazing, demanding furiously - ]

What is wrong with you? Are you mental?

[Because Miles tends to be shy by nature, and a bit quiet, but he's got a temper like anyone else. And he wrenches his arm out of the boy's grip.]

Now I will be reporting you.

[And he turns towards Sirius with an expression of can you believe this - annoyed and angry, not the least bit hurt or scared.]

From:

parumcanis

[Rosier stumbles back, unnerved--by Sirius' defensiveness, by Miles' temper--he's not used to muggles any more than Sirius is, or muggle-born kids, but they're meant to be meeker and more cowardly, aren't they?

Sirius, meanwhile, grins hugely, with a fierce pride in Edgeworth's tenacity and stubbornness. He moves forward to help him to his feet.]

He's a twat.

[He hesitates just a beat before he says the word; it still feels wrong to say. Firmly, he repeats it:] A twat. Sit down and shut your mouth, Rosier, or a doxy'll fly into it.

[And Sirius scrambles back up to tug at Miles' trunk again, adding--]

You could punch him, if you wanted.

From:

bitty_justice

I don't want to.

[Miles is still wearing a ferocious scowl.]

If I'm to punch someone, they ought to really deserve it. And he's not even deserving of another three seconds of my time.

[And Rosier goes pale, and there's a look of mad fury in his eye - but he sits down, and says nothing else. And Miles looks over, catches Sirius' eye, and sees that grin, and his own expression eases into a grin as well; he gives his friend a nod, and climbs up once more (a little tentatively, his ankle does hurt) to tug the trunk free, easing it down.]

From:

parumcanis

[That's a strange bit of logic, one that Sirius isn't familiar with--but he sort of likes the superiority of it, the way that it's a choice to ignore Rosier and leave him sulking. He doesn't even throw the other boy so much as a glance, he just tugs and tugs at the straps of the trunk--

And then it comes down, and lands crookedly on the floor, with a heavy thud. Sirius leaps down and takes up the handle again.]

Let's go. This compartment smells weird.

From:

bitty_justice

[And Miles says:]

Agreed.

[And picks up his handle of the trunk, and stalks off after Sirius. Once they're out, though, with the door slid shut and latched firmly behind them, Miles grimaces and says:]

Here, slow down a bit. I did twist my ankle.

From:

parumcanis

What, really?

[Immediately Sirius lets his end of the trunk down, dropping it on the floor. The little corridor is rather narrow, but he scrambles by the trunk anyways, coming around to Edgeworth's end.]

Which ankle?

From:

bitty_justice

The right.

[He wrinkles his nose, holding up his foot and flexing it experimentally.]

Doesn't really matter. I'll walk it off in a few minutes.

From:

parumcanis

[He crouches down to stare intently at Miles' ankle. His magic is too unpredictable to risk trying to heal it, but he wants very badly to help.]

Are you sure?

From:

bitty_justice

Yeah -

[But Miles is looking down at Sirius, crouching and staring at his foot like it's something fascinating, and he can't help but laugh. He knows Sirius is concerned and being nice, but he just looks silly - ]

What, it's not like it's broken and the bone's sticking out or anything! It's not gonna look interesting.

From:

parumcanis

[He looks up, somewhere between guilt and embarrassment.]

Well-- no, I know that!

[Hotly, he shoves himself to his feet and clambers over the top of the trunk to get back to his end.]

I thought maybe-- come on, let's go, stop wasting time!

From:

bitty_justice

[And Miles wrinkles his nose, still smiling but giving an embarrassed little roll of his shoulders. He feels bad at once for having made Sirius uncomfortable, and so his voice has returned a little bit to its prior shyness when he prompts:]

Thought what?

From:

parumcanis

Nothing.

[Pride makes him hold his shoulders high, keeps him turned away from Edgeworth--but, after a moment, he relents enough to admit:]

There's healing spells. My mother does them for us if we're stupid enough to be hurt.

From:

bitty_justice

[Miles brightens at once, says:]

Hold on, you ought to try!

[But then, deflating a bit - ]

Or...it's risky?

From:

parumcanis

Well, it's not risky--

[Not exactly. Or it is, but he's fairly certain he can do it. He glances back at Miles, considering.]

I can give it a go, if you want.

From:

bitty_justice

[And in Miles there are two warring forces: that of common sense and obeying Dad fighting that of curiosity and wanting to make up for embarrassing Sirius. He hesitates, mouth open, and then says uncertainly:]

Yeah. Let's try.

From:

parumcanis

Yeah?

[That makes him brighten considerably, and he glances back at Miles with a little grin.]

Well, let's get to the compartment first, c'mon--

[Not that that's very far off. Sirius lugs his end of the trunk inside, but doesn't bother to get it into the rack--just drops it and hops over to the bench.]

C'mere!

From:

bitty_justice

Okay -

[And Miles follows inside, giving a little skip whenever he's about to step on his bad foot; he settles down on his own bench a moment later and puts up his foot. And, with a grin:]

If my foot turns into a, um...teacup or something like that, I'll never let you live it down.

From:

parumcanis

It won't be a teacup, don't be a git.

[He grins at him, taking any sting from his words. And it won't be a teacup. It might inflate to three times its size, or drop off, or turn black and rotted. These are all things that Sirius keeps to himself.]

All right. Here.

[And he gets out his wand, and taps Miles' ankle, without a second more of hesitation. He's seen his mother do this often enough, he ought to be able to do the same--but his confidence in himself is more than a little uncertain.]