| Details for Sibling Rivalry |
| Summary: | Victor and Lucian Proudmore have a brotherly spat. |
| Date: | December 10, 1937 |
| Location: | Club Room |
| Related: | — |
| Characters |
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It's early before the other kids from dueling club are even supposed to be in the room and Victor is already there and up on the stage. His wrist flicks and he mouths the words without giving them voice to make the spell go off. It's and over and over type of practice, using the wrist to make it perfect. He flicks once more and then changes his stance a hair and uses his hip into the movement more.
Lucian is always early for club meetings, but it seems that today Victor was even earlier. When he steps into the club room and sees his half-brother up on the stage, he lets out a quiet sigh. He's usually very good at leaving his issues at the club room door. But if there is one person whose very existence tests his ability to do that, it's Victor. He shrugs off his robe, hanging it on a peg. His eyes scan the rest of the room, and notes the club mentor, Professor Dumbledore, sitting quietly in his usual seat, reading yesterday's edition of the Daily Prophet.
Victor makes another few moves before he turns and regards his brother. To Lucian, he gives a very deep and flowing bow with his wand tucked up next to him, "Sir Lucian. I bow to thee." He announces and then lifts his lids a little to peer at the other boy to see his face and a grin alights as he stands back up. he strikes a stance once more and gives as perfect of a wand twist as he can.
Lucian resists rolling his eyes with visible effort. "You bow when I'm on the stage with you." Usually that would be followed with "nitwit" or "numbskull." Lucian's eyes keep moving to the door, hoping for someone else to come in and give him an excuse to be distracted. But no, the Proudmore boys have beat the others by at least ten or fifteen minutes. "You'd probably have more success if you had a target to focus on." He gestures to the practice dummies at one end of the room.
Victor gives a little smirk to Lucian, "You look awful crabby lately. I was hoping that giving you a bow might bring a little smile to that awful face you keep making." As he moves to the side of the stage, looming down over his brother. "I was practicing like shadow boxing. With my opponent in my sights. Besides, club hasn't really started yet and I wouldn't want to get into trouble for casting when I shouldn't."
Lucian points toward Dumbledore in the corner. It's entirely possible Victor didn't see him come in. The man does like to sneak about. "He's here. You're fine." His awful face isn't helped by Vic pointing out that he's crabby. It's no secret why he's been crabby, either. There are plenty of rumours flying around about his reasons for dropping out of the dueling tournament, and he's gotten his share of ribbing over it.
Victor looks to Dumbledore, "Ha. So he is." And he continues to look at his brother, "Little surprised to see you here. You dropping out of the tournament and all. Looks bad on the family, Lucian. Like we don't keep our word."
That earns a glare from Lucian. "This is still a place of honour. That ridiculous tournament was a joke." Then, dripping with sarcasm, he adds, "And, gosh darnit, I'm just so sorry I made the family look bad." Lucian rolls his eyes as he arranges some dummies for a practice exercise later.
Victor gives a little smirk to this as he gets the reaction he wanted. He chuckles a little bit and then just sobers a little bit before he moves and sits on the edge of the stage. "Lucian. What's going on with you? Why on earth do you believe that the whole world is after you?"
Lucian pauses, his hands resting on the shoulders of a dummy. He gazes into the dummy's "face" as if looking to the inanimate target for moral support. Slowly he turns toward his sibling. "I don't. I just see that the whole world is basically selfish and perfectly happy to turn it's back on you the second you become an inconvenience." He sets his jaw, shaking his head. "Not that I'd expect you to understand that."
"Why do you hate me so much?" Victor speaks to his brother and looks into the other boy's eyes, "I have never done anything to you other than some simple sibling rivalry." His voice goes low as he speaks, "I cannot help who your mother was and who mine was and that we were born at the same time."
Lucian chuckles darkly. "Of course it must be about you. You can't see two feet past yourself to even have a clue about how others' lives must be. Tell me, does a silver spoon really make things taste better?"
"I wouldn't know. The only silver spoon I ever had a chance of using has been stuck up your ass for years." Victor looks right back at his brother for just as long as Lucian looks at him, "Not my fault how you were born. I have tried to be your brother, friend, anything in your life but you just can't get it that I could be." He chuckles a bit, "Duel me." He says, the gauntlet shoved into his brother's face.
Professor Dumbledore clears his throat almost instantly after the Victor's use of the worse "ass." He seems content to let the brothers work through their issues, but with civility.
"You haven't tried to do anything. You just coast by and get all the praise for it, while I work my-…" he glances to Dumbledore. "I work my fingers to the bone, and sleep on your discarded mattresses." He shakes his head. "I'm not dueling you. Not like this."
Victor gives a little grin once again as he glances towards Dumbledore, "Oh? Out of the place of honor?" He takes in a deep breath and shakes his head, "You do what you do. You think what you think." He bores into Lucian's eyes, "I put a hand out all the time and you just slap it away because you think you are somehow beneath it. You put yourself there, Lucian. YOU. Not me." Then he turns and gets back up on the stage, "Get up here… We settle this as wizards with a lot more honor than you would ever give me. Get up here. I challenge you."
"I refuse your challenge. This isn't about honour. Not when you're like this. Not when I'm like this." Lucian shakes his head, glowering at Victor. "And for the record? I don't think I'm beneath you, you arrogant sod. That, right there, is why I can't stand you. You think everything is about you, and you just assume that it's because I think I'm less than you. Well here's a shocker for you. I'm more than you, because I've bled for everything I have, while you had everything handed to you."
Victor shakes his head as he looks to Lucian, "I swear. You are the biggest windbag I have ever know. You just heap the lowliness on yourself." He smiles now, laughing. "You are so self righteous that you can't even see it. So blinded by your own views that you cannot see the forest for the trees."
Lucian snorts. "Look who's talking." He puts on his best impression of Victor, "'I put a hand out and you slap it away because you think you're beneath it.' How much more full of yourself can you be? You've never done a bloody thing for me except remind me what snobs the Proudmores really are. So, thanks for that. It gives me perspective."
Victor draws in a breath, "See. Right there. You never see it. Your whole damn family tries to help you and you won't let us. Hell, Chastity adores you and you don't even know it." He shakes his head once more and turns towards one of the dummies and flicks his wand, "Reducto." Right at one of the dummies.
Lucian growls at Victor, "Knock it off. These are for the Firsties." Thankfully, the dummies are enchanted for reconstitution, and Lucian taps the dusty remains with his wand, "Reparo. Don't pretend you know my mind. You don't have a clue how I feel about Chastity. And don't you dare say the family has ever tried to help me. I sleep in the bloody servants' quarters. Where was the family when the carriage house caught fire? I'm supposed to be grateful for all that? You know, I always knew you were a spoiled jerk, but until now I didn't actually think you were stupid."
Another clearing of Dumbledore's throat precedes his intervention. "Lucian Proudmore. You are free to enjoy a spirited spat with your brother, but mind that you keep a civil tongue while you do it." The subtly powerful gaze of Albus Dumbledore is enough to cow even Lucian, who simply nods his assent.
Victor thinks about this for a moment. "Lucian. Have you ever gotten a bundle down there? Where you live? Wondered why I send down mattresses so often. Why I pitch a fit to have a new one?" He plops down on the edge of the stage, "I can't do much for you but I try." His voice comes out very low so that nobody can hear him. "I can't just give you money as Father would rip me a new one." His voice sounds awfully sincere, "I admire you in the duel. I want to be as good or better than you." He looks to Lucian into his eyes. "I try. Give me a chance."
Lucian stares at Victor, his face like stone. There have been bundles, alright. It was always assumed that they were for the servants, in general. But slowly, his neutral stare darkens to a hard glare, and he rumbles through clenched teeth, "I don't want your charity." He whirls and strides toward the door, slowing only to snatch his robes from the peg on the wall.
Victor rubs a hand across his face and sighs, "What will the firsties do without you?" As he speaks out to his brother.
Lucian ignores Victor, storming out of the club room. He pauses for a moment out in the corridor, clenching his fists so tightly they tremble. He doesn't want to leave the younger students on their own…but he can't face Victor. Not right now.