| Details for Burying the Hatchet |
| Summary: | As one of Lucian's friendships implodes, an old rivalry shows signs of turning into a real bond. |
| Date: | June 22, 1938 |
| Location: | Slytherin Boys' Dormitory |
| Related: | Straining Friendships, The List Comes to Light |
| Characters |
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Slytherin Boys Dormitory
Even the Boy's Dormitory has the same low ceilinged, dungeon-like atmosphere. Ancient four poster beds that creak and moan even empty at times are spaced out quite a bit and antique tapestry, many of which depict adventures of Slytherins of old hang on the walls as well as hang in the spaces between the beds to add all the more privacy. Merlin, a Slytherin House Alumni, is depicted more often than not on these tapestries. Within these tapestry cubicles besides the bed is a writing desk, low dresser and above each desk a display case and shelves are mounted for the resident's achievements to be displayed. Silver lanterns provide cool illumination.
Ripley is sitting on his bed and looking to the empty bed that is nearby. A pile of books that Ripley has been devouring is settled off to the side but now their pages are still. He's not been his usual rakish self, all he's done lately is study. For now… he turns and gives a little snap to the ground and a silky fox leaps into his arms and rubs against Ripley's chin. "I miss him, too." He comments a bit and smiles at Leander's pet.
Lucian steps into the Sixth Year dormitory wearing dark green sweats, a towel over his shoulders. It's a fairly common sight after he's spent some time working out in the club room. He gives Ripley a nod as he passes to move to his own bed. He plops down and starts pulling his shoes off. His eyes lift to Ripley again, eyeing the stacks of books curiously. For the moment, he keeps his silence. But it's a respectful silence. Ever since Durmstrang, the venom that once tainted his looks toward Ripley has vanished.
Ripley looks up to Lucian and gives the man a nod. "Pretty sure I aced my Transfiguration and Charms… The rest is up and coming." He speaks softly and then looks to the other boy, "Going to go WOMBAT for the summer and get all the rest done so I can hit seventh year and do what I need to do." He thinks a bit, "Could use some help with Dark Arts… Never thought I was going to use them in Quidditch."
Lucian arches an eyebrow as the second shoe comes off. "Oookay. So, you're going to do what you need to do." He nods as if he has a clue what Ripley's talking about. "Which would be…what, exactly?"
Ripley takes in a breath, "Hit Wizard, then auror." As he looks towards Lucian and waits for the man's reaction.
Lucian stares in silence for a few moments, eyebrow remaining arched. His gaze shifts to the fox, then back to Ripley. He nods. "Sounds like you've got a solid plan."
Ripley runs a hand across the fox's head as he keeps his eyes to Lucian, "Done nothing but study since I got back. Took my exams. I know Leander would be proud." He sighs a bit and looks to the floor. "I can't just do Quidditch. There's too much in the world to stop than to chase a flying snitch."
Lucian nods firmly. "I can respect that. You've got a fighter's spirit. You'll probably be a great Auror. I hear it's bloody hard getting in, though."
Ripley looks to the other boy and gives a bit of a smile, "Words I never thought I would hear from you." He chuckles a bit and then smirks some. "I'll do whatever I have to to get in." he speaks, voice soft. "But I could use a talented wizard's help." His eyes look back to Lucian, "If you feel like I could be a worthy student."
Lucian stands, turning his gaze away as he strips off his sweatshirt and goes to his trunk to fish out his pyjamas. "You should come back to Dueling Club. We'll only have a couple more meetings before the end of the year. But no reason you can't learn a few new things."
Ripley nods his head, "I will try. Just now getting to where I can really face people without thinking they find me pitiful. Went a little crazy there for a while so I threw myself into study. Seems I pissed Gabby off something awful."
Lucian frowns, dropping trow to get into his sleeping clothes. "Yeah," he grumbles. "You're not the only one." He shuts up the trunk, locking it tight before crawling onto his bed.
Ripley gives a little tilt of his head for a moment as he admires the view. Then he shakes his head and looks away. "What? What happened with you?"
Lucian blinks in surprise. "She didn't tell you?" He sighs, sitting up in his bed, leaning back against the headboard and resting his arms on lifted knees. "Bollocks. It's got to do with that stupid list that's been floating around. She told me about it, but she wouldn't tell me where she learned about it." He shakes his head in frustration. "I'm a Prefect. I couldn't just let that go. Not after she told me lives might be in danger. So I took her to see Dumbledore about it."
Ripley reaches up and places a hand on his face and rubs it across his mouth as he shakes his head, "And she felt like you were betraying her?" He speaks and then his hand falls to pet the fox a little more. "Tell me about this list? I have been out of it and the first I heard was Dumbledore. No wonder she feels like I abandoned her."
Lucian sighs with some measure of relief, and nods. "She did. Even worse, when we got there, Rosen was already there, showing Dumbledore the list. So I didn't even have to turn her in. I just said she was concerned so I thought I should bring her straight to him, and he bought it. I pulled her arse out of the fire, and then she acted like she'd done me some kind of favour." He rolls his eyes. "It didn't end well. She's not happy with me, and honestly, I'm pretty angry with her."
Ripley lifts a brow, "Seems like the same kind of things she said to me. I said I was doing all the studying to be better for her in the long run." He sighs and looks to Aristotle. "I think she's just got so much on her that she's blurring the lines."
Lucian grumbles. "Yeah…well…she has quite a habit of finding reasons to be offended, even when someone is helping her. Look, I know she's your girlfriend, and I won't start in on her. But I've had enough of it. I've done tons for her, and I usually get bollocked rather than thanked. It's not that I'm dying for praise, but I can't take her bizarre interpretations of others' intentions anymore."
Ripley lets out a sigh, "I know how you feel… But I do love her." He shrugs a bit, "She's all I have in the world lately."
"Sure. I'm not trying to tell you to break up with her. I just…I guess I just want you to understand why things went bad between us." Lucian lowers his gaze to his bed, frowning. "Believe it or not, I actually thought she and I would be great friends."
"She will come back some day and realize what she did… maybe?" Ripley shakes his head, "She's got a will to be independent as hell… But she doesn't want to do it alone or have anyone's help." He laughs a little bit, "She's her own worst enemy." He sighs a bit, "And here I thought being with Ria would be rough." He winks to Lucian, trying to bury that old hatchet.
Lucian clenches his teeth at the mention of the "hatchet," but bites his tongue. "Honestly, even if she did realize it, I don't know that I want to put myself back in that position. I get bollocked enough by people that don't like me. I don't need it from friends, too." He shakes his head. "Sorry, I said I wouldn't start in on her. The whole things just got me fired up."
"Only ever wanted to bollock you in a good way." Ripley teases the other boy and tries to chuckle a bit, "But I would like to think we could put some things behind us?"
Lucian arches an eyebrow at Ripley, a slight frown on his face. "Hey…I'll take the bollockings you actually gave me over that." He shakes his head. "Whatever there was between us, it's over with. We fought side by side. As far as I'm concerned, that means more than the rest of that crap."
Ripley cracks a bit of a smile, "I feel the same way." He nods a bit and then watches Aristotle as he hops over and plops down on Leander's bed.
Lucian nods firmly. "Good." He leans back, musing silently for a few moments before finally asking, "Are you…doing okay?"
"Still not used to it all, no." Ripley says quite honestly and watches the fox move, "I keep expecting to be able to talk to him."
Lucian nods, searching for the right words. This is really far out of his wheelhouse. "Well…come to club. It's a great way to distract yourself and focus on something productive."
"Which is what I need to do most to learn. I mean, I need to really get these things down." Ripley says to Lucian. "I have to… Be able to help people who go through what I have been through."
Lucian nods, and pulls up his covers to slip under them. "I'll do what I can to help," he promises. "Night, Fox."
Ripley nods and smiles, "Night, Lucian." As he moves to get his pajamas and climb into bed as well.