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wunderkind

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From:

doggedly

No, I suppose you wouldn't.

[He says it dryly, but there's a level of respect there that he would never admit to--not to anyone; certainly not to Edgeworth himself. Everyone does what they do for a reason, for the hope of some reward--even if it's just a job well done, or a good mark, or something. Good deeds are hard to come by. It wouldn't be exactly surprising if the great and noble Miles Edgeworth was one of the exceptions to that jaded rule.]

Not even an Order of Merlin?

From:

jurisimpudent

An Order of...Merlin?

[He repeats that, entirely uncomprehending. Edgeworth's dearest hope is that he can stay out of Azkaban for this; the fact that Sirius is (ironically, surely?) speaking of the highest honor possible - it's inconceivable.

And yet...He does know that there are some who would re-frame him as a hero for this. Who would interpret his astonishing boneheaded stupidity, his act of evil, as something grand. But surely no one in the Ministry would think that way. So even though there's something that does leap in him with some small longing, he quashes it at once.]

Absolutely not. Even if they tried, I should hope that the past recipients would rise up in armed rebellion for so denigrating the award.

From:

doggedly

'Armed rebellion'. Bit dramatic, isn't it.

[He takes a drag on his cigarette, with a shrug.]

Suit yourself, then. But you're going to look pretty foolish, turning them down for something like that. Isn't that what you wanted? Being a hero?

[He's not even asking it with any particular sarcasm. Yeah, he knows it because he's been in Edgeworth's head--but he's not saying it in any way other than simple statement of fact.]

From:

jurisimpudent

[He looks down again, embarrassed. There's no denying that; there's no point in even trying, after the thoughts they'd shared. But now, particularly, it seems like such a foolish thing.]

I...was expecting to die, I suppose. Heroism is useful if one is dead and can...serve as a model of resistance.

[God, that sounds imbecilic. Petty.]

And I didn't comport myself heroically.

From:

doggedly

[He snorts, but--not exactly unkindly. It's too dry to be cruel.]

Sorry, I should've let you get killed. Next time.

[He's not about to even try to define the reasoning of why he didn't let him be killed. It's too much, and he's too bloody tired to even think about it himself.]

And just how would a hero comport himself?

From:

jurisimpudent

I don't know.

[He confesses that, giving a little bit of a shrug.]

I think a hero wouldn't have been there at all.

From:

doggedly

[That gets a moment of silence, from Sirius, and a good long stare. Eventually, he snorts, incredulously.]

Sorry--wouldn't have been there? Then who's the sort of person that would be there, facing down that bastard?

From:

jurisimpudent

Someone who had the authority. Who wasn't acting out some...half-baked revenge plot.

[He stares down at his hands.]

Those who are heroic are those who do their jobs. Not who take law into their own hands.

From:

doggedly

[He stares at Edgeworth a moment, actually lost for words. When he's finally recovered enough to speak, he has to buy himself a little time still, and he snorts, incredulously.]

Sorry, what house are you again?

From:

jurisimpudent

[Edgeworth doesn't take offense at that, doesn't get defensive; instead, he lets out a little sound that comes close to being a laugh.]

I've wondered more than once what the Sorting Hat was thinking.

From:

doggedly

S'ppose it was thinking that it knows better than you.

[He takes another drag on his cigarette, tips his head back so he can blow the stream of smoke up towards the ceiling.]

Godric Gryffindor. You'd call him a hero. But I can't say that from what I've read of him, he was the planning type. The thing about heroes is it takes all kinds. There's not one.

From:

jurisimpudent

[He acknowledges this with a small shrug of acknowledgment.]

I suppose I simply...don't ever want to see anyone emulating me. What I did. If they were for some reason, in some madness, to want to reward me, I would have to turn it down; otherwise, we might see others taking the same risks.

[A pause.]

I suppose that makes me a monstrous hypocrite.

From:

doggedly

[He shrugs, at that first speech--yeah, maybe, though he's not convinced. The bit after the pause catches his attention, though, and he looks around at Edgeworth again.]

Why?

From:

jurisimpudent

[And Edgeworth looks up to meet his eye.]

Well, that is the definition of hypocrisy, isn't it? Saying to do as you say rather than as you do?

From:

doggedly

Does it matter?

[He ashes his cigarette, flicking his ring finger against the end.]

You're thinking really hard about it, and all anyone's ever going to remember is that Voldemort was killed. You're going to remember it differently, yeah, but no one else will.

From:

jurisimpudent

Then maybe that's what it's about.

[He looks down again.]

If I'm going to keep living after this, I don't want to let myself fall into thinking that this is all right.

[A slight pause.]

Besides which, I despise ceremonies. And there would inevitably be a ceremony.

From:

doggedly

[He might have something to say to the rest of that, but Edgeworth's sarcastic little confession gets a snort out of him again. He leans back, rubbing his hand over his mouth.]

You could waive the ceremony. You're the one getting the award, what's to stop you from doing that?

From:

jurisimpudent

[Edgeworth looks over at him, annoyed at the fact that that statement was quite logical.]

I'll defer it to you. How about that instead?

From:

doggedly

You're forgetting, I'm used to ceremonies and parties and having to talk to a load of people who only want to be seen standing next to me.

[He shrugs, his mouth twisted a little.]

I know how to get out of them even when they're already happening. Show up, shake a few hands, and cut out the back. I'd have done that tonight as well, if you hadn't had other plans for the night.

[It's not the time to joke about that yet, maybe--too soon?--but he's already said it, so what does it matter.]

From:

jurisimpudent

[There's a miserable I'm sorry on his lips; he swallows it down with difficulty.]

All right, then. It's settled. If they try to make Miles Edgeworth, Oder of Merlin, it will go to Sirius Black instead.

From:

doggedly

What, I have to be Miles Edgeworth? I'm not interested in being Miles Edgeworth, thanks. Disgusting.

[He flicks ash off the end of his cigarette, with a little smirk.]

From:

jurisimpudent

[A brief, chiding, somewhat insulted look.]

No. It would just go to Sirius Black. My name wouldn't be involved at all.

From:

doggedly

Oh, come on. And ruin my family's streak? I'd nearly have earned it, instead of paying for it with gold and silver and favors.

[He shakes his head, sucking at his cigarette again.]

I think we're better off turning it down entirely, if you're really asking my opinion. That's if they offer it. They might prefer to forget us. We're inconvenient.

From:

jurisimpudent

[Reluctantly, he says:]

Or they might retaliate against us yet.

[A beat - ]

I'd like being ignored the best.

From:

doggedly

Shouldn't have done something so brave and necessary, then.

[Retaliate. For all his dismal predictions before the event, Sirius can hardly imagine retaliation now. It's over with, surely. Voldemort killed, the purebloods will rally--but they've lost their fangs.]

Then again, you could speak to the Minister. [In Sirius' world, speaking to the Minister is no big thing, and he says it like that.] He might be all too happy to sweep you straight out of the picture. Give his departments a bit more credibility.