(1938-12-02) So; Jenny-rus.
Details for So; Jenny-rus.
Summary: Genevieve and Esther sit down to have a bit of a chat about Esther's secrets and friendship. Things nearly come to a head, when Silas falls into the scene and Esther remembers that it's bathtime. And then? It's Silas turn to talk.
Date: 1938-12-02
Location: Slytherin Common Room - Hogwarts
Related: LoweBorn\Honest Owls
Characters
EstherGenevieveSilas

It's a rare habit, for Esther to be seen wearing nightclothes. They're saved for the occasional bedtime where she's cold enough, or the brief gap between the dorm and the bathrooms. It's 11pm, when Esther emerges from the dormitories. Her bookbag held close, the girl wearing nothing more than a simple silk nightgown, clinging to the slender girl as she walks down into the common room. A secret little smile, as she makes her way to the chair closest to the fire, putting down her bag and withdrawing a small piece of parchment. It's a very basic sketch, at this point. It's simple, at this point - A figure kissing another on the stomach, two more sitting at a table nearby. The more general outlines of a house in place. Just looking at it makes her smile, when she withdraws her quill.

Jenny's probably one of the few people in Slytherin who doesn't wear silk pajamas. Honestly. It picks on any old thing it brushes against, gets cold when the draft pulls through and then it just feels like you're walking around in something someone's poured a drink out on. At least, to Jenny anyway. What Jenny wears is far more pratical, again, to her mind. No more than a pair of black longjohns, complete with buttons on the rump, because you never knew! With crocheted socks. In a rainbow of colors, because her feet get just as cold as the rest of her. "I don't understand how you don't freeze to death," the chit's voice drones, draped across the couch to the right of the chair, Mister Mephistopheles laying on her stomach, at ease now that his happy clawing as bloodied most of her exposed hand.

It's the tactile thrill, you dolt. Esther didn't expect company - Or perhaps she didn't think, Jenny manages to startle her. Her piece of parchment is rapidly folded away, and her quill tucked behind her ear. "It's… Warm in here, ish. As long as you stay close to the fire." The young woman blushes a little bit, looking across at her fellow student, and her beloved pet. "'Sides. There's little of me to freeze. I'm sorry for our encounter in Hogsmeade, Genevieve." Esther murmurs, her voice quiet. "I was under… A lot of stress." The rumour has probably reached the common room by now. The audacity of that half-blood Ravenclaw. Whatever she did to Esther.

It's cold and it picks on broomsticks, door knobs and the trunks at the foot of beds, you hedonist! "It was warmer in here the other night," Jenny admits. "When Black set one of the cushion's on fire, it exploded into little flaming feathers, falling down like rain but, as I understood it, you were already in bed." Ohmygod, how does she know that. "There's enough of you to freeze, regardless." Playful in counter, a hint of peek poking out from between her lips as she stuck out her tongue. "You worry about things to much, Esther. You'd nothing to apologize for at all. Things happen. It was an interesting night for…everyone. Are you feeling better, at least?"

Esther blinks. "Alphard is well known for that kind of carry-on, not always with notice." The wild-haired girl reaches up, brushing her hands through it while she basks in the light of the fire. "I behaved out of character. Made myself seem quite the… Well, obsessed is the wrong term. And I was more than a little impolite. An apology was well owed." The playful look is returned, at least with her eyes. There's no tongue-sticking to be done here. "I am. I spoke with Medusa, and Alphard. Between them and Myrus I think I'm feeling much happier." A hopeful smile. Only the slightest bit ingenuine.

"The only one who decides your character, is you, Lowe. Were you beyond what you're comfortable with? And if you are, why is it bothering you? You control your feelings, you control your reactions. Or at least how they appear. You get to decide what you want to be. Is out of character, your character?" And this is Jenny stone cold sober. "Anyway," and smiling. "It really is alright." She managed to even avoid rolling her eyes, with the mention of the self styled queenie. "Promise."

"I was out of control, Genevieve." Esther states simply. "I was spinning, and looking for some kind of conflict. I'm just glad that poor man was there to take the force of it." At least, that's what she's decided in retrospect. "Rather than my own house. Also… I am sorry on behalf of Myrus. He is… A strange person at the best of times." Her hands gather in her lap, and after a few moments fidgeting, she rises from her chair. No wonder Tom has been forcing her to eat lately - The silk reveals that the's possibly a little overthin. "So. Could I interest you in a cocoa? Or a coffee? No whiskey, I'm afraid."

"Strange?" Jenny repeats with a laugh, "Naw, he's fine. I already talked to him. He's good people. So are you, I think. Questionable taste in company, perhaps but, good people. For the most part, anyway. You really, really gotta stop apologizing for yourself and everyone else so much. I mean, I barely know you and it's kind of what you've done since the beginning. Are you okay?" And that question, seems somehow more important than cocoa or coffee or whiskey, all three of which would require her to get up and actually..move

Esther wanders over to the table, with the kettle and cups on standby at all times. "… It's hard." Esther admits. her head bowed a little bit. Away from the fire, it's hardly as warm - Her wand is withdrawn from the robe, and tapped against the kettle. She's making herself a coffee.. Who can explain why she decides to tell the truth. "… I'm used to it. Being sorry. I feel bad so easily, even now. But I'm learning." Being drawn out of her shell has revealed an interesting person. She forces a smile onto her face, and gestures to the kettle. "Last call." It's not a bar, but the term is used with a tiny bit of a smirk. "If you have a coffee, you might be up long enough to tell me more about yourself."

"Oh fine," the girl actually hauls herself up into a mostly sitting position, the perpetual ball of pissed off scarred up fang and fur padding off to look for Silas giant white rat of a ferret to harass. "I'll have a coffee, but not so I can talk about myself. So that I'll be able to sleep later." Buuuut, since Esther's offered, sitting upright is as far as Jenny is willing to go on this. "Does feeling bad make you feel good? Or make anything at all better?" Jenny is…probably not the best person for this talk. She's probably the furtherest thing from it, truth be told. But, she's trying.

"No." Esther answers simply. "It doesn't change the way I feel at all." The girl makes another coffee, and then wanders back to Jenny's side, and then takes a seat beside the girl. She offers the drink over, while sipping cautiously at her own. "It's a habit I'm breaking. It may sound… Superficial, but Alphard and Medusa are helping me push past this uncertainty. Don't worry yourself with it." A smile. "As for you. I've spent so long in the same house, and heard naught a rumour about you. What have I been missing out on?" She only assumes people have heard of her. With the mockery, both deserved and undeserved. And then the abrupt order from Medusa that it /stops./

To hear that both Medusa and Alphard at helping just has Jenny arching a somewhat skeptical brow. But then, there is a railthin Esther with coffee and it's all smiles, warm cheer, happy days. As if it'd always been. "Well that's good, quite good really, to have such fine and staunch supporters at your back. I'm sure they'll you sort through all of it in good time." It's just going to be such a sad miserable pity, if she comes out acting like them. Sigh. But there was coffee and she'd sipped it, so that was probably what she was sighing over, wasn't it? Knowing where the girl pockets though, has limited the conversation and Jenny's tongue. "Nothing remarkable to tell, really. I'm just me." Shrug.

There are more than enough rumours about Esther and Alphard being in conflict to bring doubts to mind. Esther's wand is hidden back in one of the long, flowing sleeves of her robe. "That's a lie. You're clearly an athlete. I'd kill to look like that." Esther's sincerity betrays her, just a momentary blush before she continues, explaining her comment. "… By which I mean, you can't look like that and be a blank piece of parchment. That's saved for people who look like me." She gestures to herself. "The people who'd hide for all of Hogwarts if they could."

"Instead you hide in plain sight," Jenny mused, nose twitching while she looked at Esther with a bemused sort of grin. "Which is clearly the best place to hide if one is going too. Because when people expect you to be some silly empty headed open book then, they don't expect you to know anything either." Did she sound..bitter? "But, this is perfectly fine." For very obvious reasons. Or, reasons that are obvious to her, at anyrate. "Though if you'd like to know about me, you could go ask your friend Duces. Annoying, I believe she'd say, empty headed, aggervating, a perpetual disappointment, who associates with all sorts of questionable riffraff and all of that, truly, in far less kind terms. She really is such a sweet girl." Jenny doesn't even sound sarcastic, is the funny part.

"I've learned some new techniques. One of the many things I've learned is that I cannot ever trust what someone puts forward for others to see. That's why they call it face value." Esther smiles faintly. "Medusa is guilty of many things. Underestimating others is one of her largest crimes. Forgive me if I don't ask her what to think best of you, Genevieve." She sips her coffee, slowly… "As much as I'd love to stay quiet in the corner, and see what you put forward… I think it's better to stand in the light, vulnerable, and see if there's a kindred spirit in you." Her voice a little quiet. Eyes darting downward after she's finished speaking. "More sociable, perhaps. But there's /much/ inside." Her? Or Jenny?

It's on the tip of her tongue. It is, to say what she really thinks. Genuinely thinks. Honestly, but the only person Jenny's ever been that pointedly blunt and delightfully cruel with is Alphard. And Medusa has done this one a favor. There is an investment. No. "It'd be a learning experience," remarked instead with a wry grin, in regards to Duces. "There really isn't much to tell about me, Esther. I talk to a great many people, because I don't much care what the rest think about me. I enjoy Quidditch and a stout drink. I enjoy fun. There is not the struggle of for.." Right spack dab in the middle of the word, Jenny paused to sip her coffee. Took her time with it too. "..bidden love in me. A casual, fucking good time is what I'm about. You may carry the depth and the desire enough for the both of us I think." A bit bitter there, that coffee was wasn't it. Or just…scalding. Right in the middle. But then it eased. Of course, that may have also been how Jenny had sounded, for just a moment. "Hopefully you're not too disappointed."

Esther bites her lower lip for a few moments. "No." She admits. "I asked for honesty. It was delivered - Although we're both more than we appear, we're less alike than I thought…" The young woman noticed the pause, but she let's it go unmentioned, despite how it plays in her mind… Of course, she hears the word, broken up as it is, and although it gives her due cause to blush, she thinks rather than reacts. Forbidden loves. Myrus. Sigh. "… I made it obvious, I know. It's… Supposed to be something of a secret. While we feel out what this is, what it means, what we want. I'd appreciate if you didn't make others aware of it. If there's any compensation to be made, I'd be happy to do so." She murmurs. Embarassed, slightly. She draws herself inwards around her coffee, sipping the hot drink. Jenny seems to have made her withdraw, just a little ,bringing up her 'secret'

"Yes," Jenny agreed, "Because you're willing to put out more than I am on the first indepth conversation." Jenny has trust issues. Big ones. "And like I told him," Esther's Myrus, "I don't intend to say anything. What's it going to accomplish? You already get sad, it'll make you sadder, I'm not a sadist. Might be a bit of a masochist, but, I'm not a sadist." Honest. Cross her heart. "You might..work on being a little less…obvious with your secret though, if you don't want others to watch and guess it." A smidge of helpful advice.

Esther does too. But she finds herself growing close to Jenny - The cautious hints of what she knows, and the advice, neither steer her towards or away. "We are normally subtle. But… You know when you've had a hard day, and you just need something?" Your favourite blanket, a drink, or your cousband. "I… I don't interact on an honest level with many people… Are you upset, if I want you to be one of those?" She asks. As upfront as she can ever be with anyone. "You already know the only secret I really care about anyhow."

"Yes," the girl agrees, because it's true. There is no sense lying about it. There was probably also no sense in adding, "That's usually when I drink." But she did. Because..they were being honest. But because it was Esther and she turned such delightful shades of pink, "Are you saying that I'm the something you need, Esther?" Pokerface.

Esther looks shocked, "I would… No, I don't need…" She stumbles over her words, looking embarassed, her blush brightening. "… I'm not saying I don't need you. But I… Y'know." A pause. A deep breath. "I was saying that I needed my cousin, at that point." It only makes her more embarassed. She holds her hands together around the cup, staring into it. A few seconds pass, before she murmurs into it. "You're toying with me, aren't you." Words designed to inspire playful guilt. A bit of a smirk toys around the corners of her lips.

Oh this is really too good! It takes effort to keep her expression into one of merely generally amused, rather than pointedly and eventually, as Esther offers those quiet words down to her cup of coffee, Jenny cracks. "Yes." With a shameless grin. "But honestly I'm terrible with serious and you're so very serious and..," it was probably a deflection tactic. Probably. Someone has messed this girl up good. "But it would be…nice, I think. To be your friend. In the sense that I mean it without the typical drama generally attributed to people of our house, by which I mean the backstabbing and the rumor mongering and the nose curling. There's already a group that does that. I go to great pains to avoid being a part of it."

Esther's face turns into a grin, and a playful push of the other girl, "Cruel." She teases, biting her lower lip for just a moment. "I will get you for that, Genevieve." She seems happy enough with the change of pace, as she finishes her coffee, and then places the cup upon the table. Turning to face the girl properly - Seeking a free hand, with both of hers - Taking it, and speaking seriously. "You have my solemn promise, Genevieve. I have no intention of playing those games with you, as long as you don't visit them upon me." A small smile. "I wouldn't mind a friend. My last left me crying in the great hall, so you have fierce competition." A little sadness tinges her joke.

This is…backwards somehow. Generally she's the one carelessly invading the personal space of others and now, Esther doesn't just have her knees framing Jenny's with the way they're both sitting cross legged, but facing opposite directions, she's claimed her hand, too. If Esther were a boy this is where she'd resort to tried and true lines about shallow natures leading up to moments of physicality and how it'd all be a joke and they were done. Through finished and one more word and she'd scream. But…Esther is not a boy. "That..was very unexpected. And I'm..it's nice." She settled on, in the end. Because the words were tangling in her head. "I'm really terrible with the indepth personal private conversations, you realize this I hope." You're still holding my hand too. But I'm not going to say that. Jenny's mind, is a strange place. And almost as a second thought, she gave Esther's fingers a gentle squeeze. "It's Jenny, you know. You can call me Jenny."

Esther is far from careless in her invasion, it's a demonstration of how much she cares. Her hands hold Jenny's warmly, the squeeze making her smile before she returns it back to her lap, patting it gently. "What was unexpected? My word? My earlier humiliation? Or touching you?" She seems genuinely unable to tell what she meant. "I'm not fantastic with them either, Genevieve." She smirks a little. "I don't often talk with others like this." Although she's not as bad as Genevieve it. "Jenny sounds good. Awfully casual though; it suits you. Friends?" She asks softly.

"I'm still missing the…oh with the former friend," Jenny admits, blinking owlishly and finally catching up, all the little ducks slotting neatly in a row so that she can finally understand what it was Esther was actually talking about. "Right. I knew that. Though, I meant all of it." And there was her hand, back in her lap, warm from Esther's fingers despite the fact it looked as if it'd never left. The girl is sincere. So starkly so in such a way as that Jenny doesn't entirely know what to do with her because of it. If she were even just a little bit harsh, or atypical somehow, or catty or suggested a cruel streak the answer would be easy. But because it's not right there in front of her face…face…face value. "You're playing me." Blunt. "What is it you're wanting to know, or is this just to keep me quiet?"

Esther's warm smile falters when she's accused of playing games. "… I'm doing no such thing, Jenny." Esther sighs to herself. "I'm… If you revealed my secret, it would hurt my feelings greatly. But never accuse me of being so shallow as endearing myself to you to keep it." Her eyes narrow justa little - She advances upon girl - Or rather, she leans forward, inching closer. "I would /never/ open myself up to someone for such a cheap gain. I want your friendship, Jenny… That's why I would be this open, this trusting with you. Not for your secrets, or your silence. Just because we live in a bed of snakes, doesn't mean that you can't trust /anyone/."

Watching her, the frustration at the percieved slight apparent in her eyes, Jenny turns, when Esther leans, mirroring the position so that she too, may lean. And she does, going so far as to reach out for the other's cheek, with no more than the back of her knuckles in an attempt for a very gentle caress. Affectionate almost, in the way it flows down, until it's jawline to chin that it's following, unless Esther swats her away. "You told me yourself that you learned some new techniques. That you couldn't trust what someone else puts forward for others to see." In the event that some stroke of fortune, grants Geneveive's hand still remains, her thumb'll brush out along the other's bottom lip. "I play nice, not stupid. And it would have been a very clever way to buy silence."

Whether Esther is embarassed, or shy, it's hard to tell. She's flushed, leaning just a little into the touch as it caresses down her cheek, and along her jaw. "I said so much. I also wait, I have no intention of playing games with you. That I wanted to see if my honesty and openness might draw out the same in you…" She feels a thumb trace upon her bottom lip… And they part, to speak. "There's nothing I wouldn't do to my enemies, Jenny… And there's /nothing/ I wouldn't do for my friends. But I'm not so far gone that I'd toy with your feelings… Or betray my honesty… Just for amusement." This couldn't be misinterpreted, could it? Just two girls, on the couch, nice and close in their pyjamas.

Somewhere along the line of Esther pointing out that she'd not toy with her feelings, Jenny lets her hand fall away, like a feline resheathing it's claws because..that'd been exactly what she was doing. "But I don't know who your enemies are. And I don't know you. So we'll…go at it slow, or something." Friendships with females were more dangerous than dating boys. At least with a boy, you know where you stand eighty percent of the time. With a female? "And hang out sometime. And see if we can't find a middle ground or something in common or…something." Jenny has terrible trust issues. She also wears long johns. In black. Not silk. And crocheted rainbow colored socks. Nothing to see here.

It's more of Esther than anyone has seen either. It's a white silk nightgown that clings to her almost indecently, with nice, long sleeves. Revealing how little there is to the slender young woman. She seems… A little confused. "Slow." She nods. "Slow is probably safest. But I'd never expect my enemies to come with my friendship." She looks up, slowly, as if realising how close they'd got… And she pulls herself away, slowly. "We should see eachother another time. Here. Or Hogsmeade. Or something. I feel there's a good friend in you, Jenny… Just waiting to come out." She can't put her finger on the source of the awkwardness… But something doesn't feel right about the interaction they just had. "If you need me. Or want to talk. You know where to find me." A small smile, the offer so innocent. "A friend will never be turned away from my bedside." Offering companionship. Support. And allowing herself to be woken.

"Stupid, arrogant, foolhardy slive of a feline GIT!" No sneaking for Silas. It may be late, and although it might not be actual yelling, the relative quiet allows his voice to carry. The malice within seems tinged with resignation, however, and with Silas, the smile in his voice is unmistakable. Sure enough, something vaugely feline comes scampering out of the boy's area, claws scrabbling for dear life as it streaks over into the safety of the girl's area. Following shortly after it, of all things, is a sock. A long, tube-style sock of many colors, questionable wear, yet clean. It lands on the floor with a soft thunk, followed shortly thereafter by a familiar long puff of white, hair standing at end, back arched, and dancing in the clucking war dance her species is so well known for. She attacks the sock, viciously, chuckling and clucking all the while.
Leave it to a warrior-ferret to break the mood.

"Well then, let that be the first lesson in friendship, though with the humble disclaimer that I do not mean myself. You should." Though, it took Esther retreating, for Jenny to realize just how comfortable that closeness had been. "Most in our house use it as a tool of manipulation and if they know how loyal you are to those you count as friends? Then that makes you an even bigger pawn to control." Perhaps that was the second lesson, in their fledgling friendship, because Jenny rarely gave such astute advice, without gaining something from it. "You're a strange girl." But at least when she said it, it didn't sound like it was an insult, more a compliment and the smile that went with it was affectionate and warm. The kind of nice little peaceful moment that had all sorts of potiental before…
"He's talking about my cat." Jenny couldn't help but grin. "Only he doesn't mean it. Because everybody knows," and Jenny raised her voice, just enough to carry, but the playful tone unquestionable, "That Slytherin boys are full of absolutely nothing but hot air." Why hello, Silas. Didn't see you there!

Esther smiles. Rules are good. Genevieve manages to make her feel comfortable even with the closeness and the conversation. "I know that. Manipulation is the currency of our house. That, or currency." Slowly, she shifts, getting her legs off the couch and preparing to get to her feet. "There's a little strange inside you too, Jenny. S'not so bad, once you've embraced it." Suddenly, a cacophony. She looks up, startled.

Silas's grumbling rant continues, even as he comes into view shortly after the ferret. "…perfectly good sleep… now I have the warrior Athena wanting my attention…" Making a point of ignoring the girls for a moment long enough to scoop down, grab the poor, tortured sock, and absently flip it over in the direction of the two girls… the sock landing as close to Genevieve's foot as he is able. The white warrior goes bounce-hopping after it, teeth bared amidst her continued war cries.
He is clearly fresh out of bed. His hair, often so well-manicured, is a mess of short curls leaning to the right. His nightclothes are, of course, green robes, although they hang nicely off of him to show off his own lithe form without being too flashy.
Silas walks after Adelaide, turning his gaze toward the girls, nodding amiably at Esther. Then he looks at Genevieve, sleep still evident in his eyes, and says, "You. Your fleabag. Decided to tease my ferret in the dead of night. Do you know how ferrets respond to teasing? They see it as challenge. Which means war. Which means playtime until she collapses with exhaustion. Your cat…" He gets close enough to the two, close enough to actually reach out and 'boop' Jenny on the nose if she allows it or isn't fast enough to dodge it. "Your fault."
And with that, he slumps to the floor in a sitting position next to the ferret. "And please," he offers with a grin back on his face, "I totally avoided that part of the meal this evening." See? Boy. Fart joke.

"Oh I embrace it plenty, s'everyone else that's the problem." Jenny replies, smiling happily at Esther as she listens to Silas going on about Athena in the background. "Well, almost everyone." Clearly there was one who didn't, but then there's a sock beside her and it, "Have you been sending your ferret to steal my socks, Sy?" Jenny inquired, looking up in his direction. She blinked too, for the clearly bedtime attire that seems suddenly so strange to see him in because he's a person now, instead of someone else drifting around in the background. He was a real person. With a name. And pajama's.
Throwing socks at her. "Look how much it matches!" Pointed out, aligning her foot with the sock-toy, in a move that will probably come back to bite her, in the near future. But it also had her looking up at him for the chiding he was giving. One could see too, the counter argument that was formulating there behind her eyes, just waiting for him to pause when…he caught her nose.
"Hey! It's not my fault that your ferret looks like an over grown white rat to poor Mister Meph. He's had a hard life, you know. What is this thing anyway?" Inquired of the toy, which she was poking…with her big toe.

Esther blushes a little when Silas interrupts their conversation, a hand slowly crossing her thinly covered chest, as discretely as possible. "Silas." She smiles a little. She hasn't seen the man for the longest time. "I… Had best take a bath, actually. A long morning awaits me. No fighting in the common room while I'm gone;" Esther speaks to them both, standing up. allowing the silk gown to lightly trail across the floor as she begins to walk away. "Jenny; it's been a pleasure speaking with you again."
Ever since her second year, ESther has been having her baths at nighttime. Mostly due to the hour or three she takes, and the rumours they were attracting. While some might turn to filthy thoughts, she has pirates and privateers, encroaching on her domain. "Goodnight to you both. Unless you're awake, when I return."

Silas pokes at the ferret idly, continuing to play with her as she went between his hand and the sock for a moment. A look goes to Jen, "Actually no, she didn't steal it from you… the sock's been hers since we first weaned her from her mother. It's my mother's actually. An interesting connection, though." He grins at her before Esther stands and makes motion to leave, "Oh goodness!"
He looks between the two girls, an honestly abashed look on his face, "I've stepped in it, haven't I? I honestly didn't mean to interrupt anything… Adelaide and I can go elsewhere… there's no reason for you to leave…"
Of course this moment of inattention means that Silas is unable to warn Genevieve against error number one regarding ferrets: sock-covered toes wiggling equal toys. With a squeak and a click, the ferret suddenly wraps herself around Genevieve's foot, teeth bared and play-biting initiated.

"It was a pleasure," Jenny answered in Esther's direction, offering an unabashed smile towards the other girl. "And don't worry. I shall save my fighting for the pitch, I promise." A chaser since her second year, the girl had on occasion been known to well…play rough. "I hope you have a wonderful bath though. And…your mothers?" That connection had wiggled into Jenny's attention on Esther and had her head whiping around to look in Silas direction. She was not, at all, sure how to feel about this. The look on her face said so.
"Now you're fine. I think we were finished for the night an—," and then Jenny squealed, because the innocent white thing had stopped paying attention to its daddy and caught her foot. Which must be a treat because it wiggles and squirms and moves like real prey!" The problem is that the prey, like most prey, or at least considerate prey, was trying to disengage itself from the ferret, without putting her fingers near it or having it.."Oh..," giggle. "No! Make it..," stop. Make it stop, was how that ended, because it was exceptionally ticklish prey, turned flailing and in turn? Tumbling in a rather unceremonious heap right off the edge of the couch.

"I normally bathe before I come down the stairs, Silas…" Esther smiles kindly at the man, her arm still over her chest as she gestures to herself - The cute little concave bend to her stomach draws the eye, the slight curve of her hips. Silk isn't good for hiding. "It is why you never see me like this…" She pauses, to pluck her parchment from her first chair, and tuck it safely back into her bag. "Goodnight." She murmurs, her final action and her parting words probably lost in the sudden strangeness that is Jenny. It almost rivals her own. The girl walks away quietly. She muses under her breath, smiling to herself. "To arms, to arms. Once more, unto the breach."

Silas cocks his head to the side at Esther's coquettishness, chuckling to himself at her antics. "Goodnight, Esther…" And then the noise happens. Oh dear! Silas looks over, back toward the current fracas, and exlaims, "No! Adelaide!" He knows she'll do the girl no harm, but still…
Hands reach out to try to capture the beastie, which means he's there as a perfect landing spot once the tipover begins.

Crash, THUMP. At least she's not heavy, this girl, who spends most of her time up in the air. Perhaps the perpetual lack of oxygen is what makes her so perfectly pleasant when she's on the ground. Or, in an awkward and slightly, well no, awkward sprawl, in the poor boy's arms. Still somewhat shaking, in an attempt to keep her laughter in check.
"I'm ticklish," came the pathetically bemoaned defense, as if that might somehow both explain and displace any possible blame while she tried to hide her toes under the outter curve of his thigh. "Are you squished?"

Thankfully, Warrior Blood-Lust does not preclude self-preservation. Adelaide skitters away from the falling girl, waiting a moment before coming bouncing back, challenging her while nipping at whatever keeps her from her prey.
For his own right, Silas makes a point of not looking too overwhelmed by the sudden closeness. Instead, he actually shows a decent presence of mind to use his current position to shift Genevieve ever so slightly to prevent any possible added awkwardness. It doesn't prevent him from, with a huge grin and squeaky, faux-squashed voice, piping out, "I'm all right!" Then his voice goes back to normal, "And you? Once she's had a taste of your blood…" Which would never have happened. She knows just how light to bite when dealing with a fragile human.

"Bah," Jenny replied in response to Silas' near squished sound, offering a playful and light elbow towards his ribs, for all the good it did her as karma seemed on the side of his little Warrior Protectress, because his adjusting of her person, any awkwardness of which she doesn't seem the least bit aware, is lost on her when the shifting manages to reveal a toe or three and.., "It's new skin! New skin is always sensative!" Oh dear. What if the common room is never safe for Jenny's feet again.
"I'm sorry that Mephy woke you though, he only likes to play and your minx there's the only one around I've seen that doesn't take him seriously at it. I think he enjoys it, to be honest."

Bounce, one-two-three. Lunge, one-two-three. Cluck, one-two-three. The ferret continues to go after the toes, this time simply lunching and nipping rather than full-on-attacking. Apparently it took her some time to realize it was attached to something. Of course, this much activity, and already the mighty beast is letting out a few yawns.
At the moment, Silas watches with an amused grin. "It seems to me that her earlier disapproval of you is either forgotten, or was merely a product of a cold princess wanting to continue sleeping. You've clearly been upgraded to 'Toy'." His arms stay where they are situated, not moving, perhaps for fear of upsetting some sort of balance.
"And truly, if he can handle her rough-housing? I'm all for it. Just not in the middle of the night."

As long as there's a pattern to the little creature's play, Jenny can avoid the end result that ruins her ability to talk for bouts of laughter. She's not terrible at Quidditch after all, there has to be some smarts in that, despite what most of them would think. And the little ferret is adorable; the way it's fangs flash and its tongue curls when it yawns.
"She's so precious. Mephy just faceplants into the pillows. Although…I am not entirely sure precisely how I feel about this 'toy' status. It doesn't sound like it's got very many perks, except that I need to find someone capable of darning socks to see them whole." She's teasing really, mostly. Just watching and not thinking, but eventually, even as she's nodding her agreement to the children's consent to play, her mind is wandering on.
"So your plan for rumors worked. There some new girl out there you're wanting to make jealous or just, let know you're on the market again, by being seen with me?" Most girls would flip. Jenny seems really fine with it, honestly. Even if she is catching part of the speculation about him, which she hadn't entirely counted on.

The ferret does have a pattern, but as it plays out, she actually seems to focus more on continuing that, than actually attempting to fight. The yawns become more and more common, although she doesn't seem to be slowing at all.
"She's a dear, actually… it's difficult to be angry with her, to be honest. Even when she's on a righteous tear." He then pauses as she makes the next statement, and for likely the first time since she's known him over the past six years, he frowns. "No. No. I actually just enjoyed the perversity of just making people wonder. I assure you… I wasn't trying to use you as a pawn on someone else. That' is not the game I play at all." All seriousness now… as if a flip of a switch.

"I was just asking," Jenny replies, the sudden seriousness in him, the slight frown. "I wasn't accusing or upset or anything. Honest." That he looks unhappy though, has made her realize that it's probably past time that she moved, though simply getting up now would seem insulting or like she was lying. Ah, the arts of navigating feelings between new friends.
"She looks like she's getting tired. I bet she wants your lap back. I should move." There. Absolutely within reason. Absolutely transparent too. It probably still looked like a retreat.

Silas is silent for a moment, and then one of his hands move to press slightly on a shoulder, "She can wait a moment, though." No need to retreat quite yet, "I… it's important to me that I be honest. That people see me as honest. Sure, it's part of the game, part of the play; to see just where it can take me. You say you're not hurt or upset, it's important to me that it is true."
He shakes his head, pushing forward the smile again, "Perhaps it's too late, I'm letting down way too much of my guard right now."

It stops her, that touch. The tension bleeding out of her with his gesture. And her eyes, after some length, rise up to his face. "It's true. I wouldn't lie to you." She has no cause too and some strange manner of trust. "I knew I was part of the game when I agreed, but I didn't think to ask then, if I needed to keep an eye out for anyone specific coming at me incase you were playing it with someone in mind. That's all. Promise." Cross her heart, even. Complete with the gesture, even if it meant the ferret settled on her foot and tucked in to his thigh.

Squeezing the shoulder for a moment, Silas says, "I'm going to let you in on a secret." Interesting, since he said he didn't have them, "I'm new at the friend thing. I've followed the examples of the others in our house… but it's all rather empty. I'm always wondering if I'm doing it right… And I'm deathly afraid of screwing that up. I can promise you… I wouldn't pit people against each other. It's not what I do."
His eyes then move to the little puff of white in front of them, who has suddenly fallen over to her side, panting, yet almost seeming to grin, "I think she's trying to tell me something, though."

Jenny offers the slightest of nods, though the question that was rolling around in her mind to ask, doesn't make itself known. It hasn't been spoken of. Maybe the cat ate it, or his little Protectress ended up carting it off to pad a hidden bed. Who knew. "I'm new at it too. I mean, the general nice thing, I do well with but wait, you mean, I'm your test friend?" It came with a grin, before she looked towards the warrior he was speaking of.
"Yeah, I think she's telling you that you need to go to bed."

Silas coughs into his hand, "First." He then smiles, and shrugs, "I've got allies… acquaintances. The friend thing just never really happened. I was of an uncommonly adventurous and experimental mood the other night, is the truth of it. It was only recently that I came to realize I was missing something in my life… that I couldn't just treat it like another chess game with Father."
He actually blushes at that… the embarrassment evident; his defenses truly are down tonight it seems, and shifts uncomfortably underneath Genevieve now, "I think she's right. I'm practically babbling."

"Oh," Jenny replies with an owlish blink and no small amount of surprise. His first friend. Of course, he also admitted it was on a lark. But, the rest of it seemed to make that part okay. "Well. Uhm. You're doing wonderfully," she offers hopefully, helpfully and with sincerety. "You've been a great friend. I have no complaints. I just, hope that you don't end up disappointed. There were probably people more qualified than I for the job but..," if she'd not been sitting, she'd have toed dirt. "Thank you, for not treating me like a game. I promise not to do the same thing to you, either." Incase it helps.
And she's not sure how this, is a pat to the knee alright? It's there, anyway. The light fall of her hand against his knee, because she can't contort about to pat his shoulder without making it awkward. She was even nice enough not to point out the blush. "I babble all the time, Sy. You're due a turn at some point. Just, don't let it happen all the time." Wink. Aww, please feel better. That lone hope is plain as day in her eyes. She's aware, at least, that some of her social skills need work.

The problem with being honest is sometimes you let on too much, regardless. Normally he's more reserved, more calculating with doling out the truth. But these things happen. He lets out a little sigh of relief, and then a yawn himself. "Thank you." There's a lot said in those two words.
Then after another pause, as if considering what should come next, he chuckles, leaning his forehead against Jen's back for just a moment, "It's late. I have a furball to coax into her bed, and a bed of my own to reacquaint myself with. And you have a cat I may have terrorized who likely needs some love as well."

"If he's shredded my pillow," Jenny murmurs, a hint of amusement there in her eyes, "Then I'm going to send you the bill." But she's moving as well, very carefully easing herself up so as to not squish him further or do any damage in the process. "Have a good rest, Sy. And thank you," the girl's hair threatened to fall down over one eye as she looked at him, though her smile won through, "For being honest with me." And on that note, she started padding off towards the girl's dormitory.

"I think I can handle the bill if need be.." Silas offers back as she walks away… and a softer "You're welcome," as she turns the corner. Then, with his devilish smile firmly back in place, he scoops up the sleepy ferret, and her favorite sock… and heads back toward his own hall.
Silently he wonders to himself when she'll find the note he slipped into her wand-pocket… the well-chewed and slightly slobbered-upon note she had sent him ealier via cat. On it was a simple answer, "Get me an invite, and I'll be there."

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