| Details for Let Me Help You |
| Summary: | Just a lovely day in the library…Theodore has a proposal for Cillian and is not quite prepared for the little first year's response. |
| Date: | 09-02-1937 |
| Location: | Library, Hogwarts |
| Related: | None |
| Characters |
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Library Hogwarts Castle
(Fourth Floor)
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It is a summer night. The weather is warm and overcast.
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The Hogwarts Library consists of books filling shelf after shelf in a large sequence of twisting corridors that culminate at the hallowed Restricted Section. Books that cover a variety of topics no muggle could ever dream of, from Potions to Magical History to all manner of obscure, fantastical and abstract magical disciplines and creatures. Amazing as all these are, what knowledge is held in the restricted section is only spoken of in whispers. Books float across from one shelf to another, rearranging themselves back to where they belong as students never return them properly. Tables are positioned at reasonable intervals to provide students with a place to consume the vast knowledge found here, or to study whatever assignment they've waited until the last minute to complete.
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A first year, yes indeed but Cillian has taken time to get all dressed in his uniform and find a place to tuck his wand, hair brushed and he's hard at work. A book about the History of Hogwarts and then another book about aquatic creatures and then another book about…nautical history, from a magical view point of course and they are spread out on a table as he takes notes, cross referencing things and writing in a handwriting that's a tad more advanced for a boy of his age, all elegant loops and swirls.
Theodore makes his way into the library. He looks around, and then spots Cillian. He walks straight over to him and looms ominously over the boy's shoulder, looking at all the books. He just stares, and doesn't say anything.
Cillian's eyebrow raises as he finishes another line of the physical descriptions of a squid and he lowers his quill to reach for a book on Transfiguration. "I may only 'ave one eye but I can 'ere you breathin'." He points out as he flips to the index of the book and trails a finger down a listing of terms and words and such.
Theodore furrows his brow a bit, and he moves to Cillian's good side. "We haven't even started classes yet. Why are you studyin', Popeye?"
"Popeye?" Cillian muses over the name before he tilts his head to the side and he shakes his head with a soft chuckle. "This isn't studyin', this is information gatherin'." He shrugs his shoulders. "Got responsibilities an all, ye might not understand…"
Theodore moves around the table and sits across from the lad. He smirks a bit, tilting his own head to look at the information being gathered. "You must be pretty smart, then?" Looking back at Cillian, "Why are you gathering information?"
"Me Father was sure I'd be in Ravenclaw, but 'is first choice was Slytherin." Cillian replies, looking back to his work as he flips a page in the history of hogwarts book and he leans over the table a bit as he sets the transfiguration book down, worrying his bottom lip. "Ah, there's some stuff I need to figure out. Ye know the little unfortunate man, Mister Pringle or sommat, actually had the lil' bits and newbies trembly and scared that they'd get eaten by a squid if they fell out the boat…but far as I can see in me research, them creatures? Squids? They ain't man eatin'…"
Theodore smiles, "You ARE pretty smart." He chews his lip a moment, and then he leans forward. "You're gonna need help around here, Popeye. Someone to look out for you." He shrugs a little, "You know, like your father hoped, I'm Slytherin. Maybe I could help…?"
"A bird can fly, a badger burrow…a lion can roar and a snake can slither…give ye a nice peek up the skirts of those you can slither beneath and make it hard for ye to break many bones." Cillian speaks as he draws a little box around a bit of information he's written down and then he looks to Theodore. "What do ye want? M' curious as to 'ow you believe you can 'elp me." And he does indeed look curious.
Theodore smiles once more, "Little guy like you… You're eye…" He shrugs, "You're likely to get picked on. Maybe tossed around." He bites his lip a moment, then smiles again. "I can help you with that. Show you around. Stick up for you when you're pushed. Fight back those that'd maybe try to shove your face in the dirt."
Cillian takes a deep breath as he leans back a bit in his chair before looking back to Theodore, a small smile on his lips. "Based on what I was seein' at the ceremony and all, those who slither 'bout in the school 'ave issues with those who bustle about on 4 legs so why would a person like ye want to 'elp a little lion cub like meself? The goodness of yer 'eart?" He leans forward, resting his elbows against the table, just staring at Theodore with his good eye.
Theodore laughs, "Okay, first of all? I happen to like animals." He smiles again, "And everyone in Slytherin ain't so bad as you make them sound. Your father, for example, sounds like a nice fella." He leans forward once more, "But, you're right. You could maybe help me." He taps the books between them, "What you're doin' here… Maybe you could do some of that for me…"
"Me Father wanted to be a Slytherin cuz of his family and all but he was a Ravenclaw." Cillian clarifies before he picks his quill back up and flips to a new page in the book about nautical practices. "I dun 'ave a problem with snakes ye should know." He just gives a little nod, listening to what is being said. "Ah, ye want somebody to do yer studies for ye?" A soft chuckle goes here that slips into a contained laugh as he hiccups to hide it and snorts softly. "Ye pick /one/ subject…one subject ye want done on a weekly basis. But it'll cost ye, contract to be…renegotiated in ah, every two week or so. Iffen ye got a paper of sorts to write, I'll do the research of ye but I won't be writin' it for ye." He sighs softly and settles back in his chair. "Ye know, me Father may have been all books and brains but me Da? All about survival, ye got to be givin' to be gettin'. So, I do this for ye, I'm not lookin' for yer protection…ye wanna hear me price?" He just arches an eyebrow.
Theodore furrows his brow, and folds his arms over his chest, leaning back in his chair. "What?" he asks, flatly.
"Chocolate." Cillian answers simply as he tilts his head to the side. "Ye get me chocolate, I'll do yer studies." He holds up a finger. "I will, 'owever, accept peppermint humbugs when the getting gets tough." He shrugs his shoulders. "It is no business of mine if ye wish to not benefit from doin' tings on yer own, we all 'ave our educational paths…but all I want in return is chocolates or peppermints."
Theodore unfolds his arms, perhaps a little surprised, "Chocolate…" he repeats, quietly. "You're… You're serious?" He chuckles, "Okay. But, if you get to renegotiate every two weeks, then so do I." He smiles, "It's just one subject. So… I get to change the subject every two weeks, if I want."
Cillian hmphs and nods firmly. "Sounds fair to me!" He chirps before idly rubbing his left ear lobe. "Ye get to change the subject, aye." He waves a hand vaguely. "If ye fail a test, 'owever, I am not liable…cuz I can't exactly sit in for ye there." A long pause. "Do we 'ave an accord?" He offers a hand across the table, eyebrow raising a fraction.
Theodore reaches his arm out and shakes Cillian's hand. He has a strong, firm grip. "We do, Popeye. We do." He smiles, "One more thing though? No one can know. Okay?"
Cillian shakes the hand with his smaller hand and he nods slowly before blinking and then blinking again. "Very well. If anybody asks, I'm just paddin' me educational docket with extra bits from upper grade levels due to an unsatiable curiosity and a fondness of stumpin' meself." He flashes a grin.
Theodore opens his mouth to respond, but then closes it, perhaps not quite sure what all that meant. "Right." He pushes a smile back again, "So… What happened? You know… To your eye?"
Cillian wiggles his fingers before siding a finger down a page, starting to carefully copy the list of ranks he's able to find. "Hm? Me eye? Oh." He falls quiet for a few moments, considering how to answer. "I still tink I can see flashes innit, someting…a flash of light, tings like that. It happened when I was a baby actually, me Da…well…" He trails off. "I've 'eard different versions but the long and short of it, I was in me cradle and it was either me eye or the rat." He shrugs his shoulders. "Some…injuries, iffen they 'ave a magical cause, can't be cured by muggle or magic treatments."
"Your eye or the rat…?" Theodore furrows his brow once more, "Why would your father save a rat instead of your eye? That's…" He pauses, tilts his head, "Why was a rat chewing on your mug?"
"Hmm, I dun tink he meant to 'it me. He was aimin' for the rat." Cillian explains as he checks the nib of his quill with a squint and then sets his quill down as he peers at his notes. "I don't really know…one of those mysterious things…why a rat was in me cradle? Who knows. But me Father was livid…I dun tink he ever forgave him." A long pause. "But to be 'onest, I dun tink me Da ever forgve 'imself either." A wry smirk. "But what do I know, m' just a boy."
Theodore seems a little concerned by all of this, and left a little speechless. "Huh…" He leans back in his chair, maybe a little uncomfortable. "Okay. I um…" He sighs, "Well, you won't have any rats in your bed here. I mean, unless your companion's a rat." He smiles a little again, "I hate rats."