wunderkind | (no subject)

wunderkind

STUFF GOES IN HERE

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From:

parumcanis

[Some of Sirius' coolness has thawed, thanks to spending a few hours in the compartment with James Potter. There's some vestiges of it present, in his eyes, in the way that he holds his shoulders--straight-backed; it will be a better part of the year before he develops his almost signature slouch that flies in the face of all his etiquette lessons. But his careless, aloof air has lifted a little, leaving him a little more himself--not the Sirius of family parties, little better than a trick dog in a show, but the Sirius that put frog spawn in his aunt's tea and teased his cousin's first boyfriend so mercilessly the boy left the house in tears. Everyone in the Black house still refers to the unfortunate kid as Grotty Grimy Greengrass--even the parents, sometimes, when they aren't thinking, but they manage to refrain from affecting the boy's slight lisp when they say it.

But it's more the teasing than the cruelty that's in Sirius right now, still on uncertain ground here on the Hogwarts Express. People recognise his name, and a few key Slytherins have shook his hand, leaving Sirius feeling as if he wants to have a wash--but people mostly avoid him as well, except happy puppyish James Potter, who's practically adopted Sirius as his own straight from the off. It's going to be awkward if he gets into Gryffindor and Sirius follows that predictable Black path towards Slytherin. James has gone off down the train to greet someone else, swearing up and down to be right back, and Sirius is in the queue for sweets, ready to confirm friendship with James over Every-Flavour Beans and chocolate frogs--

And then this kid turns around and asks such a crisp and well-worded question that it takes Sirius by surprise. He blinks, and--second nature by now--makes a quick study of the kid's face. No one he recognises. Lesser family, half-blood, or muggleborn, and he sort of hates that the thought comes into his head at all, and he hates the easy way he can sort him out once he realises the question he's been asked.]

Which ones?

[He stands on his toes to see over the kid's shoulder, peering at the cart. There's a gruffness to him even as he's helping out--but he is going to help, to defy that instinct of pureblood ordering.]

Those, just there? Five knuts. Don't do those, they're total crap. Seven knuts for those, and the bag is larger. [He points, but when the kid doesn't immediately count out the little brass coins, Sirius sighs, irritably, and holds out his hand.] Here. I'll count it out.

From:

bitty_justice

Thank you.

[He hopes quite keenly that the boy isn't going to just run with his money. He knows that's a possibility when he hands over his coins, and honestly Miles has seen so many people in strange clothes over the past few hours that he'd be challenged to remember the other boy's face if he did just take it. But he's not about to say no, I'm too suspicious of you, not when the boy is being very kind. (And especially not when he's starving and afraid of half the food he's seen so far. There were some kids eating things in the other compartment which he was pretty sure were alive.)

So he tips the money, a mixture of brass and some silver, into the other boy's hand, looks down at the collection and then up into the boy's face.]

Is this also your first year?

From:

parumcanis

Yeah, but I'm not an idiot.

[Like you are is sort of implied, but Sirius shoots the kid a quick little glance--narrow-eyed and grinning--before he goes back to sorting out the coins.]

I've been down for Hogwarts for ages, and loads of my cousins have already been. I know what I'm doing. [He says it with simple self-assurance, and there isn't a hint of boasting to it. It's just a plain fact.] Here, these ones are knuts--see, the brass ones. 29 knuts in a sickle, and 17 sickles to a galleon--you haven't got any of those, but they're the gold ones. Seven knuts for the crisps is really good--but give her another fifteen and get a chocolate frog. I'll bet you haven't any Famous Witches and Wizards cards, have you.

From:

bitty_justice

[And Miles stiffens very slightly, turning his gaze towards the other boy - but he smiles, and Miles understands that he's being teased and relaxes slightly and offers a very slight, shy smile in return. It's gone very quickly, but it's sincere.]

I don't like chocolate very much. But it comes with a card?

[He offers, very earnestly:]

I'll buy it if you promise to eat the chocolate.

From:

parumcanis

You don't like chocolate? Who doesn't like chocolate--

[A little disgusted, he wrinkles his nose--but like hell he's going to pass on the offer of free chocolate. Greed is untempered by generosity, for now, and he nods, folding his arms over his chest.]

Done. Make sure you pick a good one, though, you don't want to get a crap card.

From:

bitty_justice

[Miles nods firmly and moves forward in line; two from the front now. After a moment of intense concentration, though, he turns around and nods once more in polite acknowledgement and says:]

I beg your pardon, and apologize. How can you tell which one has which card?

From:

parumcanis

[Sirius shakes his head, with a worldly air. Kids these days.]

You can't. You just have to choose. But you'll know, if you concentrate. I never get crap cards.

From:

bitty_justice

Oh.

[Miles' brows furrow very slightly at that, not entirely certain - ]

So it's a magical...thing? Are we allowed to? We're not at the school yet.

From:

parumcanis

What?

[He laughs, then, leaning against the cart with his arms folded over his chest, assuming an air of playful superiority. He is the wise one here, this kid is like his student.]

It's not magic. It's just knowing. Come on, look at them--you'll know which one to choose.

From:

bitty_justice

[Just knowing? Miles feels a bit silly saying this, but he has to point out - ]

That's not very scientific.

From:

parumcanis

[This sarcasm is a little advanced for a kid, but Sirius has already had years of practice and observation. He wrinkles his nose, cocking his head slightly.]

Sorry--but you are a wizard, aren't you?

From:

bitty_justice

Yes, I...Of course I am.

[He bobs his head in a nod.]

But magic is science, too, after a fashion. I know it is. It just takes figuring out how.

From:

parumcanis

[Sirius stares, uncomprehendingly for a moment--and then bursts out laughing. The witch behind the trolley looks mildly irritated, and jostles the cart a bit. Are you two buying, or chatting?]

Buying--

[Sirius digs a galleon out of his pocket and hands it over, still snickering at Edgeworth.]

His stuff, and-- this lot--

[He holds up his handful--six chocolate frogs, a bag of Every-Flavour Beans, a licorice tongue, and three pumpkin pasties--and hardly spares her a smile of thanks before he turns back to Edgeworth again, eager and amused.]

You're mad. What're you called?

From:

bitty_justice

[Miles, though, bobs in a half-bow, mutters some words along the lines of thank you very much apologies for the inconvenience before gathering his own food - he just picks a frog at random, in the end - and then turning back to the boy.]

I'm Miles Edgeworth. What's your name -

[And Miles then turns to sort out the proper amount of money to give to the witch, squinting slightly - still in the knuts, not enough to go over into the sickles territory - really, why couldn't they just use base ten like everyone else?]

From:

parumcanis

[Sirius reaches out and bats his hand away, impatiently.]

I already paid, you twit. I'm Sirius Black. Come on, open your chocolate frog, Edgeworth, I want to see which one you chose--

From:

bitty_justice

[Sirius...was paying for him? Miles stares, a bit flummoxed, before nodding in acknowledgment to the witch at the cart and scooting off to the side, out of the way. And he ventures a shy:]

Thank you. Very much.

[And bobs in an abbreviated bow to reinforce his gratitude. So quickly, he opens the package, and - ]

Ahh!

From:

parumcanis

What! What, what, who'd you get--

[It's good for Edgeworth that Sirius was so consumed with tearing open his licorice tongue that he missed that bow. Even at eleven years of age, he's uncomfortable with people bowing--to him, around him, whatever. It's strange. But his attention is caught again at that outburst, and he leans in, eager to see--]

Merlin!

[He gives Edgeworth an approving grin. This is clearly a good thing.]

Well, that's a good one to begin with--well done! See, I told you, you'd choose correctly, when the time came for it--

From:

bitty_justice

No, it - it - it - it moved -

[Miles looks up at Sirius, his face a little bit pale. It's a miracle he didn't drop it; he holds onto it now with a very tight grip.]

There - there might be something alive in there -

From:

parumcanis

What?

[He looks at Edgeworth, a little alarmed--and then peers at the card, uncertainly.]

It's just the picture. See, there's Merlin--winking at you--they hang around in the cards for a long time, it's not like portraits. I think they like being looked at, 'cos it's like someone is really remembering things that they did. Better than hanging on a wall getting dusty.

From:

bitty_justice

No, the - the candy! The frog!

[He's pulled out the card, but clenched the little package closed on the candy itself. He holds out the bag to him, trying to show him - though that's all such odd information - what's that about portraits? No matter - ]

From:

parumcanis

What?

[And he laughs, suddenly, as she takes the packet from Edgeworth.]

'Course it's moving! That's what they do! [And he tears it open the rest of the way, and the chocolate frog leaps out--right towards Edgeworth, first--]

From:

bitty_justice

Ahh - augh!

[Miles, by luck or skill, in spite of his stumbling backwards, manages to catch it neatly between his cupped hands. He braces himself for further magically-animated trauma - and then realizes that he...caught it, and that it's contained, just hopping gently against his hands.

He's breathing hard, his eyes wide, and asks - ]

It's - it - You're supposed to eat it alive?

From:

parumcanis

[He snickers at that reaction, but Edgeworth's question has such horror in it that it even gives Sirius a moment of pause. Er--]

It's not actually alive, y'know. It's a charm. They're all charmed like that. Anyway, that's half the fun, isn't it!

From:

bitty_justice

[Miles peers down at his cupped hands. And he asks, firmly:]

You promise that it's not actually alive? Because if it's alive, then I'm going to release it.

From:

parumcanis

I swear! And you can't release it--if you let it go, it's just going to melt, or someone else is going to eat it--

[The frog is struggling, and it's even making a faint ribbit every now and then, and Sirius points urgently to Edgeworth's hands--]

Eat it! Go on, it'll get away if you don't--