| Details for Bait and Switch |
| Summary: | Andromena tries to smooth things over between cousin and boyfriend after events in Pulling Punches. Adam gets his picture stolen, then crumpled, only for prefect Sykes to offer him a 'better' gift in return. Lucretia and Angelus get chummy. |
| Date: | 1938-12-21 |
| Location: | Hogwart's Express |
| Related: | Pulling Punches |
| Characters |
      |
Anthony is lounging in his own compartment, with a large picnic hamper, and some good books. Alternating bites of sandwich and pages of reading. Just pray he gets them the right way round.
Lucretia is also in the compartment, Gaston her large silver cat draped the length of the overhead luggage rack. His tail hangs down, swishing slowly, indicating his supreme contentment since he's been fed several pilchards for his lunch. Lu herself has a large book in her lap, her conversation with Anthony from earlier apparently not dipped back into despite her trailing him back to his own compartment.
Andromena manages to find her cousin's compartment with little trouble. Alphard had found her not too long ago when she'd been chatting with her younger brother - who, not surprisingly, was spending time with Anthony's little sisters. In greatly exasperated tones did the young man tell her, in great detail, about how her cousin was behaving like an ass and would get a broken nose or worse if he wasn't careful. Oh, and JEEZ, the sheer indignity of being so WRONGFULLY accused of ever even considering laying a finger upon her! Alphard was a perfect gentleman!!!
So Andromena was off to check on Anthony, to make sure he was okay. Alphard could have misconstrued Anthony's intentions, maybe? She had tried to smooth things over, by means we shan't discuss here- and no! That does not mean snogging, don't be filthy! At her feet followed her cat, Apollo, who darted inside to jump up with Anthony the moment she slid the compartment door open.
"Am I interrupting?" Asked with a small smile, but little indication that she'd leave.
Anthony looks up, and lowers his book, "Hey! No, not at all! Come on in! Have some food! I have all sorts of things!"
Lucretia glances Andromena's way when she walks in. "Hello," she offers her cousin's girlfriend, a smile quick to light her face as she closes her book and sets it to one side. There's a quick glance up to see how Gaston takes the new cat's arrival, but he's supremely indolent today and merely blinks at Apollo, yawns, and eases his head over the edge of the rack.
Adam peeks into their compartment, takes a deep breath, and says, "Hello, has anyone seen a small piece of paper? It was folded in half and had a moving picture of a…" His eyes land on Lucretia, and he hesitates. He still hasn't changed out of his school robes, it seems; they're quite obviously secondhand. A second later, he weakly finishes, "… a unicorn."
Andromena fully entered the compartment, just in time for Adam to insert himself in her vacate spot. There's little time to do much else as the child is asking if they'd seen a missing unicorn. Unicorn picture, that is. Andromena pressed forefinger to her lips, "Hmm," -ing as she tried to recall having done so.
"No," she tells him. "I've not seen anything like that. Herself, Lucretia and Anthony are all within, while little Adam is standing just inside the entryway. There are cats lazing about! Apollo seems intent on crawling up Anthony - maybe to read his book? Or maybe he wants his food.
Lucretia can't miss Adam's arrival when he pops his head in and asks about the missing piece of paper. "Not seen it. Sorry." One hand now wrapped over the top of the book in her lap, she tucks dark hair back behind her left ear with the free one. "Perhaps your friend, Evans, has it." With the smallest of lifts of slender shoulders she looks away from the first-year, not freezing him out, but hardly inviting him in either.
Anthony reaches down, to take a bit of chicken flesh, and scoops up Apollo into his lap with his other hand, and brings the two things into conjunction. "So, we must be almost at London, now, I think!"
Adam gives Andromena an appreciative smile for her answer, but he keeps his eyes mainly on Lucretia, surprised but wary when she answers as well. "Okay," he says to all of them. "And, er, you haven't seen a couple of Slytherin boys come by? Only, they were the ones who took it from me."
Andromena's cat, Apollo, seems to be much more interested in the chicken than whatever Anthony was reading! He also appears quite content to now be in a lap. Anthony was one of the few the smug little thing would deign to sit upon, but mostly because he was usually so absorbed with his mistress. Since she was standing, he obviously had to do the next best thing. He purred loudly as he ate the proffered snack. Gaston is ignored, in the way cats often seem to take no interest in one another…for now.
"How old?" Comes Andromena's next question, almost as soon as Adam mentioned Slytherins. It seems talk of another Slytherin will have to wait.
"Yes. How old?" Lucretia says, parroting the words of Andromena. It must be a terribly important question, because her attention fully ratchets upon the first-year, dark eyes locking on his. Its a particularly piercing look and one that she'll likely work on perfecting in years to come since being looked at so fully that way might make a person feel rather like a bug pinned to a board by a lepidopterist. "I mean, I can help if its someone my year or lower, but older and I'd rather struggle. Are you sure that they just didn't need the unicorn picture more than you?"
Anthony frowns, folding the book, and putting it down, whilst the cat gets fed, and then scritched behind an ear, "More bullying? Really? Do they have _no_ sense of Christmas?"
A green dress perfectly ironed. The sound of perfectly polished oxfords against the train floor. A few dirty looks gathering from students. There's no doubt about it. Ria Sykes has just stepped into the train car. A young girl points to the compartment Andromena is in, and with a shopping bag on the crook of her arm the Slytherin heads straight for it. Only stopping to frown at a piece of crumpled paper on the floor, dropped by a pair of boys from her house. "Oh honestly, everyone is so filth. This is why we can't have nice things," she announces herself to those in the compartment. Uncrumpling the paper, her brow quirks at the picture of a unicorn, "Does this mean anything to anybody?" She holds it up for them to see.
Adam is about to answer Andromena when Lucretia asks as well, and he seems rather unsettled by the look she gives him. "Um, not sure," he says to them. "I think they were older than you." He glances back at Andromena. "But younger than you. It's hard to tell! Er, what d'you mean? What difference does it make if they needed it? They didn't even ask!" He gives Anthony a helpless, unknowing shrug and then turns at the sound of someone behind him, edging out of the way to make room for Ria to enter the compartment. Then he sees the paper she's holding up and his eyes light up. "Hey, yeah! That's mine! Where'd you find it?"
Andromena would argue Alphard had plenty sense for Christmas! She was wearing his present, was she not!? An antique silver necklace, and glinting there so prettily below her collar bone was an onyx pendent: a raven in flight. But she was not about to jump to conclusions. One small misunderstanding between boyfriend and cousin was only to be expected, from time to time. When Ria enters, Andromena visibly brightens.
"Oh, miss Sykes," said dramatically, enthusiastically as she extends her arms skyward. "You're an absolute angel, finding this young man's," sadly, she can't quite seem to recall even his last name. "Belongings." Her grin is really rather sly, but still unmistakably friendly! She gestures for Ria to come and be by her.
"Prefect Sykes," she greets the seventh-year Slytherin, sitting just that little bit straighter in her seat. Its an almost reflexive thing, if barely perceptible, and she doesn't need to say anything further in response to Ria's question since Adam's already claiming it. Whilst Andromena addresses Lu's House Prefect, she does however turn once more to the first-year and answer the question he'd directed her way. "Because there's an order to how you do things at Hogwarts. Probably your friend Evans could do with being told that. Luckily for you Prefect Sykes seems to have come into possession of it."
"On the floor outside of this compartment," Ria rolls her eyes at Adam. Silly, incompetent little first year. "If you want to make sure your rubbish is tossed away properly, you have to do it yourself," she lectures, assuming the picture was garbage and just crumples it back up again. The paper ball is handed back to Adam, so that he can learn a lesson and throw it out himself.
"Ahhh Rowle! Just the lady I was looking for," she warm and yet snaky smile is directed toward Andromena as she unceremoniously pushes her way into the tight compartment next to sit next to her friend. "Of course a hello is in order for you Lucretia. But don't be silly, you're welcome to call me Ria. I hope your Aunt Dorea is doing well. I plan to visit her over the holiday." And to Anthony, she tilts her face not really recalling his name, and greeting him with an awkward, "Oh …and… Hi you…"
"Thank you, Ria," Lulu says, the smile given the seventh-year so bright it could light Wembly Stadium.
Anthony gives a smile, and a faint, "Rowle." And it's clear he would make to stand politely, but he has a cat glued to his lap. And a small picnic in progress. "Care for something to eat, Miss Sykes?"
Adam looks devastated when Ria crumples the paper up in front of him. He takes it from her with a murmured, "It's not rubbish. I was going to show it to my parents. To show them they're real, an-and that pictures can move." He uncrumples the picture and smooths it against his ribs, trying his best to flatten out all the wrinkles that now cover it. He glances up from his task to look at Lucretia. "Er, what's the order?"
Now that Andromena felt secure the matter of the boy's lost paper was at its end, she turns her attention back to Anthony. It really would not do to let the matter steep over long. Thoughts and feelings might cement and cause undue quarrelling in the future! Firstly to Ria, however, "I hope you don't mind waiting for me to settle something with my cousin right quick?" Ria may have heard Alphard's grumblings about it when he'd stalked through the train to tell his girlfriend how stupid Anthony was being.
"Now, Tony, I want to assure you I know you were acting with the best of intentions and I hope you don't mind how Alphard can be. He's very proud, you know." She wrung her hands together as she considered her next words. "And I'm sure everyone can agree there's always room to improve on communications skills no matter who's involved." Cleverly pointing no fingers. "He was just so incensed because he thought you believed he wanted to hurt me. I'm sure ah, that if he had not felt that way he would never have said the things he did. I hope you're all right?" Poor Adam, his paper crumpled. Andromena would have felt bad if her mind weren't currently elsewhere.
"That you give respect to those older than you," Lucretia says, twisting her head to look back at Adam once more. "Especially important when you're a Firstie and even moreso when a mudblood." There's a small lift of her chin with that, eyes cooling a little. "I might have asked around for you were it first, second, or even third-years that took your picture, but I'd definitely not stick my neck for a mudblood with someone older than me. I probably wouldn't even have with someone younger. As it is, it would appear you were simply careless and it wasn't taken at all." Leaving it there, she just lets the implication that Adam lied hang in the air.
Ria purses her lips tensely at the proximity of animal and food on Anthony's lap. "Oh so you're the cousin.." she says mostly to the Rowle pair, but she can't rip her eyes off the the lack of hygienic consideration happening before her. She did indeed though hear Alphard's bitching. A polite decline. "No thanks." But a brow is quirked at Adam, "You mean they never…" She stops herself short from commenting further toward the boy with the far too big clothing. She merely rolls her eyes, because that's how she expresses pity, "Yes. By all means. Show your parents. Get their knickers all up in a twist about a silly little picture of a Unicorn."
A look toward Andromena seems to say - look at all the people I put up with to hang out with you! But a wave and a nod welcomes Mena to take care of her business. But Lucretia. Lucretia gets nothing more then a subtly pleased smile.
Anthony gives Ria a cheerful smile, and feeds another scrap of chicken to Apollo, "Yes. Yes, I'm 'the cousin'." He pauses, and considers the words 'mudblood', and 'moving image', and says, thoughtfully, "Are they supposed to see magic? I mean, sorry, not really up on the rules for that side of things, for obvious reasons. Probably Miss Sykes knows better than I." Then he turns to look towards his cousin, "He…. really wasn't listening to what I said, was he? I said _if_. IF he were to hurt you. And actually, I simply said I would be upset if he hurt you. Whereas he then threatened me! Honestly…." And then he tails off, "Sorry, I know you're fond of him, Andy. Just don't want you getting hurt. Perhaps he's not so _Black_ as he's painted, eh?"
Adam's mouth drops open when Lucretia calls him Mudblood right to his face. For a moment he stares at her in stunned silence, and then he shoots nervous looks around at the others. But his temper flares at her implications. "I wasn't careless!" he says loudly. "They took it right out of my hands! I was trying to put it in my trunk when they snatched it!" He turns to Ria, expecting her to come to his aid as a prefect. "W-what?" he says instead. "I-it's not silly. It's clever. It moves around the page and whickers." Crestfallen, he drops his eyes to the picture, which is flatter than it was, but much more difficult to see with all the wrinkles.
What was that? Andromena's cat seemed to say as he stared unwaveringly towards Ria and his beloved mistress. You want me to come and sit in YOUR lap? But…he was quite cozy there with Tony and free snacks, so Ria can be soiled by loose strands of cat fur another day. But hopefully never, because it could put a little crimp in her and Andromena's friendship! Ria's expression does not go unnoticed, but Andromena's answering one could almost be read as: This is Tony! Everyone should like him as much as she did.
"Alphard is Alphard," as if that explained everything. Sometimes even she misspoke around him and sent the young man into a tizz. "I talked it over with him as well, and I think that helped." Maybe. She wasn't sure yet…give him time. There might have been further explaining, but, well, they weren't alone.
"The root of his intentions were good," even if he did threaten to beat Anthony up for the same good intentions! Then she trails off, because of the growing tension between Lucretia and Adam. Andromena isn't sure how the rules work with muggle parents, either. She doesn't exactly bat an eye at the use of mudblood, either. Words only have the power people give them.
"We only have your word for it that it was taken," Lucretia points out quietly. "So, that would be your word against two Slytherins." Offering the younger boy a particularly delightful smile, she looks away from him, but the implication of it, and the stress that she loads upon both 'your' and 'Slytherin', leaves no doubt as to her personal feelings on the legitimacy of his claim. Leaving the older students to their discussion, she slides a finger along the faded ribbon that marks her place in her book and opens it carefully. That the matter of Adam's picture is consigned to the bin of irrelevancy can be in no doubt. She dips her head and concentrates on her book.
"They're allowed to see certain bits of it, I believe - seeing as this boy is a mud- erm, has magical capabilities. I think a picture is fine so long as they don't go around showing it off to their neighbors," Ria says to Tony. Their dirty mundane neighbors. But in reply to Adam she digs around in her shopping bag to procure a smallish box, with a picture of an elegant tea cup on it. "If you really want to impress your parents you should give them this. It's a teacup that keeps your tea continually hot. Never goes cold. It's practical and magical." She shrugs nonchalantly and offers the box to Adam. "I was going to give it to my mother for Christmas, but my brother advised me that she'd like something more flashy. She's got expensive taste you see."
Of course the teacup, though mundane on the box is actually a nose-biting teacup. Totally intended for her twin Kaiden Sykes. But this was too delicious of an opportunity to pass up.
Lucretia glances up when Ria hands the gift to Adam. There's a flicker of amusement that dances briefly behind her eyes, but she hides it well by looking immediately back to her book. Not so easy to hide however is the snigger of laughter, it sounding a litle like a snort as she coughs to cover herself.
Anthony keeps scritching at the cat, and at the vital moment is assuring the small God of just how important he is to the Universe. To his cousin he says, "Intentions good, execution poor." He shrugs, "At least he didn't give me a _Black_ eye." There's a reason there aren't many Ravenclaw Stand Ups.
Andromena, by virtue of being right beside Ria, sees the teacup for what it is. Which places her in quite the pickle. You see, Andromena is not quite so vicious a person as her two Slytherbitch companions, but neither would she dare to call out her friend. B-but he's just a little kid, even if he is a mudblood that clearly has no understanding or knowledge of the wizarding world. THIS IS WHY PEOPLE OUGHT TO BREED RESPONSIBLY!
Conspicuously, Andromena keeps silent as Lucretia snickers, looking briefly to her feet.
"I'm glad he didn't…" Now she started to giggle herself, unable to help it. The young woman has a soft spot for bad puns. Or maybe Ravenclaws just have the worst humor. "Blacken the relationship between all of us. I really would like it if you two were agreeable toward one another." Since being friends with Alphard took a lot of work. It really did.
"But it's what happened!" Adam protests. "Why would I lie? You saw me carrying that paper around when we were in the compartment with Madeline and Angelus. I had it the whole time!" He looks at the others uncertainly, suddenly feeling outnumbered three-to-one. "They're not going to show it to anyone," he quietly says in response to the talk of his parents seeing the moving picture. "They're not stupid." He looks up at Ria and his mouth opens once more with amazement. "Wow, really? You're sure you don't mind? Wow! Thanks so much! They'll love it!" Having missed out on Hogsmeade, he has no idea that such a joke teacup exists, and he takes it from the prefect with wide eyes. "Now I'll have something to give them for Christmas."
Ria's pair of polished hands delicately, give the teacup in a box over to Adam. And my goodness, if that smile on her face is just not the sweetest smile imaginable! "No, I don't mind at all. They're absolutely brilliant. I have some myself at school. I'll bring it around and show you sometime after the holiday." The sweetest. Simply the sweetest. But its soured by bad bad jokes. "Merlin, you two really are related," she practically face palms. "Anyhow Mena, I merely came her to drop this present off to you." She scoops out a box immaculately wrapped in pretty blue paper with a white ribbon on top. It's longer than it is tall and its runs as long as Mena's forearm. "Don't open it here please." Because they both knew how well that turned out last time.
"Oh, thank you," Andromena exclaims cheerfully. "I saw your brother earlier and since I was nervous that I might not catch you, I gave your present to him for safekeeping." She takes her own gift within her hands and smiles brightly. "I shan't open it until Christmas!" She assures the older girl with a firm nod. She just can't look toward Adam.
Anthony sotto-voces to Andromena, "You know, I don't think she Sykes our senses of humour, and she's about to give us a Rowle about 'em!" Stop him if you've heard it… actually, just stop him, someone. At least the cat is getting plenty of love. "So, get in at Kings Cross. Do you know if the plan is to Aporte, or Floo down to Winchester, Andy? Or are we taking the Muggle route?"
Back in control of her giggles, Lu returns to the studying of her book; though half an ear does remain on the conversation of the older students and half an eye on Adam. Unlike Meanie, she can look his way, even if its only sly looks from beneath lowered lashes. She could leave it there. She could. Instead she chooses to address him once more. "Careful that you don't drop that, it'd be such an insult if you did." This timed with a sudden lurch forward of her body, as if the train had hit a set of bad points or come off the rails. With any luck, he'll jump and drop it. That'd be almost too perfect.
"Great!" Adam says, beaming at Ria. "Wow, now they'll never have to drink cold tea again!" He clutches the box in one hand and the picture in the other, quite happy with this turn of events. Even Lucretia doesn't seem quite so bad right now, and he starts to smile at her. But when she lurches forward, he does jump back in alarm, and he almost drops the box. Luckily, he manages to pinch it against his side and recover. "Whoa, yeah!" he says. "I'd better go put it away just in case. Thanks!" He ducks out of the compartment and hurries off back the way he came.
"Kaiden or Garrett?" Ria asks for clarification on just which brother has her present. She might worry depending on the answer, but waving her hand dismissively, "No worries. I'll find it one way or another." The final pun, delivered by Tony himself, makes Ria groan as she rises from her seat. "I can't take this anymore. I'll hurl," she raises her hands up in defeat, "I will see you all in London." Delicately she makes her way out of the apartment after the young boy. She pauses only to give Lucretia a waggily fingered wave and a thumb in Adam's direction as she mouths the word 'Sucker' to the young Black girl.
"Mother stressed that Carolus make proper use of Floo powder…so I guess that's how we will be getting back to Winchester this time." There was a bit of a wistful look for the idea of going home by way of the Muggle route, for reasons known only unto herself. Then some other memory or thought cropped up, destroying her mental meanderings and causing Andromena to grow momentarily wan. All gone in a flash, though.
"Oh, I'm just so excited to be seeing everyone," said as she rubbed her hands together. "I really hope uncle Spence brought back some cool artifacts from his trips again. We've been corresponding and I'm just so envious of him!" Talk, now that Ria and Adam have departed, the conversation can turn toward more familial matters. Lucretia, of course, is welcome to chime in as well!
Anthony flashes a smile, "A lot quicker, tho'!" Tony ponders, and then says, "I suppose I ought to go and get changed into something less obvious, for arrival? Although we don't have _that_ far to go to the nearest Floo." He regretfully disturbs Apollo, shifting him to Andy's lap, "Right. Time to go and… well… change."
Lucretia smiles. "I'll just be staying in London. Grimmauld Place, should either of you wish to come visit. Alphard will be coming over, so perhaps I'll at least see some of you during the holidays?" This directed to Andromena, Lu's eyes back to their usual warm brown with the departure of Adam from their carriage.
Apollo is limp in Anthony's hands as he shifts him to Andromena's lap, almost like a warm ragdoll. He settled down without looking all that put out, and immediately begins to doze. Cats. "Yeah, get changed coz, and maybe try to corral Carolus and your sisters so we're not waiting on them forever once we arrive?" Pleadingly asked, but she would do it if he hadn't the time.
"I'm sure I'll get the chance to see you over break, Lu," said with a smile. Unless somehow the meeting between Alphard's parent and her own went dreadfully wrong and their beautiful relation came to a screeching halt. Unlikely, though.
Anthony heads off towards the toilet cubicle with a small bag. Yep. Looks like he's getting changed for arrival.
With the compartment emptying a little, Gaston slinks down from the luggage rack, the long-haired silver cat landing heavily on the seat beside Lu. There's a quick grin given Anthony's way by the small Black girl and she wiggles her fingers at him. "Hurry back! You don't want to be trapped somewhere horrible when the train pulls into the station." As she says this, she lays her book aside and drags her cat onto her lap, scritching fingers along his spine until the low rumble of a purr starts and his back arches, front paws kneading in that kitty-kat thing that cats do so well.
Clearly there wasn't much changing to do. Perhaps he already had the trousers on under his robes, for in just a few minutes, Tony returns, wearing a well cut, grey suit, and a 'Sam Spade' type mac over his arm, with the fedora that he had on the other day in place on his head. He's still got the Ravenclaw tie on, but that tells no tales to Muggles. Somehow it really does indicate a change from schoolboy to young man, and may be a bit surprising. If he gets looks, he explains, "I sent an owl down to find out the fashion, with my measurements, and had it sent up."
Angelus is keeping his balance as he walks along the train, a hand reaching out to brace himself on a seat whenever there's too much sway. He peeks in on the compartments politely, excusing himself until he finds Lucretia. The youth, dressed in robes a touch on the fancy side (ones he'd consider casual), leans up against the side of the compartment, silently offering a raise of his head in greeting to the two Ravenclaws. Angelus makes sure no one is in mid-conversation when he pipes up, "I hope I'm not interrupting anything important?" His blue eyes drift away from the older students to land on Lucretia. "I stopped by the trolley again. Got something just for you," he says, tossing a clear bag of goodies (yes, fudge flies included) lightly upward in a gesture.
Andromena had already changed into less obvious wizarding attire before she had arrived to talk with Anthony and Lucretia. In typical fashion of the day (or rather, the decade. It's a close call, but certainly not anything resembling a flapper from the twenties!), the young woman cuts a rather striking figure of feminine loveliness to Anthony's dashing masculinity.
"That hat is just smashing," she tells Anthony. Just after this utterance arrives Angelus. The youth is given a wave by way of greeting, and bade entry if he so desires.
Lucretia positively beams at Angelus when the bag of sweets lands in her lap. "Oh you're an angel, Angelus! Thank you!" Rescuing them quickly from Gaston's inquisitive nose, she opens the bag and offers them around, the flies irritated at being tossed quite so casually, buzzing loudly. "You aren't interrupting anything! Come and sit next to me!" A quick pat is given the vacant seat before she looks properly at Anthony, his whole getup taken in with a quick sweep of her eyes. "Oh that's absolutely perfect! I love the hat. Is that what the fashion is in London right now?"
Anthony gives a shrug, "So I'm led to believe." Certainly, of course, this is the era that required men to wear hats. He slides into the seat, "We shall find out shortly whether I'm the victim of a huge practical joke."
"Nonsense," Andromena tuts. How could anyone not think such an outfit simply grand? And if it were Muggles mocking them, well, what did they know!? She bats away an errant fly. "I'll probably have to shoo girls away from you on our way to the Floo." Did Andromena do that already, unknowingly? You know, simply by showing up and being a female?
"I know, I'm such a sweet guy," Angelus remarks with a playful grin. He winks at Lucretia, and then turns to gaze onto Andromena. A delighted smile slips across Angelus' face at the invitation, a dip of his head as he replies politely, "Thanks." When he flops into a seat next to Lucretia, he sits in a cool, casual manner that may or may not be mimicking something close to Alphard's relaxed slump. After all, perfect role model, that cool sixth year. He pulls out his own bag of treats when he's sitting, popping a lion shaped cookie into his mouth that that suddenly causes the youth to roar. A wide grin follows, a soft chuckle escaping him before he clears his throat. "Oops, sorry - want a noisy treat?" He offers out to Anthony and Andromena.
Anthony shakes his head politely, and reaches for his book once more, "Do you suppose we have time to check out the used bookshops on the Euston Road?"
Lucretia wrinkles her nose, smiling at the older students. "Well. I can't wait until I'm old enough to wear such things myself." There's a small brush of her hand over her own clothes; the soft black cashmere sweater and the matching casual flannel pants that skim her slender curves. Plain, simple, but ultimately terribly expensive and well fitted, she could, nevertheless, be never mistaken for anything but a thirteen year old. Perhaps that's the thinking of her parents behind the choice of such clothes for her. Hooking the fragile silver chain that loops her neck, she toys with the emerald clasped in the filigree pendant. "Oh! Oh! What are those!" she exclaims as Gaston suddenly moves into high-alert-must-protect-Lucretia mode, his back arching with a hiss in Angelus' direction.
Andromena declines as well. She never did do well with eating before excursions. An anxiety for the coming somewhat-unknown, a trait not quite shaken off from childhood. To Anthony, "Yeah, I think we should have plenty of time. We did not exactly say we'd be home at a particular time." Even if their parents knew just when the train would arrive, and the general time it would took to reach the particular Floo they'd be using.
Anthony gives his Cousin a faint grin, "That's exactly what I thought. And, you know, maybe we can get a look at the ones on Diagon Alley, too. And find out about bookbinders and so forth."
"Well…it would sort of be on the way, wouldn't it?" Suggested in such a way that only two teenage minds would come to the conclusion that these places were at all linked. Luckily, each was pretty responsible in the eyes of their parents, and it was doubtful that even should they arrive a little later that there would be any trouble over it. To Lucretia, "Not long now, and you'll be agonizing over your wardrobe any time you want to go any place." A sly wink and a grin.
Lucretia grins, dipping fingers into Angelus' bag, if somewhat cautiously. There's a small squeak of delight as one of the lions nibbles at her, and she pulls it out with a triumphant laugh, biting off its head. It perhaps helps that she's just laughed, because the roar that's belched forth from the half-pint Black judders the glass in the sliding door that separates the compartment from the corridor beyond. "Oh! Oh my goodness I just love these!" she exclaims once control is exerted over her vocal chords once more. Poor Meanie and Anthony, it might be a very long remainder of the trip to London with two thirteen year olds and a whole bagful of Harkiss' best.
"They taste good /and/ are fun to eat," Angelus replies with a grin. When he draws the bag away from the cousins, he moves it closer to Lucretia so she doesn't have far to reach. "I got you some too," he says as a smile flicks against his lips, nodding his head towards her bag. Not that he minds sharing with her. He dips his hand back into the bag after her, pulling out another creature which he stuffs into his mouth. Next thing that follows is a loud trumpet sound of that of an elephant. Angelus laughs as he shifts lightly, a hand casually flinging around the top of the seat while he pulls up one leg, resting its heel against the edge as he rests hit other arm over his knee.
Anthony gives a firm nod, and then sighs, "I should see if I can corral the others. Yes." Okay, something his cousin asked him to do that he's not keen on, but doing it nonetheless.
"I can come along, if you want." She eyes Lucretia and Angelus, a small, secret smile growing upon her lips. Whether Angelus meant it or not, his arm slid the younger girl's way, and Andromena took that as a sign she should evacuate with her cousin!
"These are so scrummy!" Lu exclaims, continuing to much on the one in her hand. Apparently she's not going to lucky dip for another, she might get a monkey, or heaven's forbid a pig. She'd already snorted like a pig earlier when trying to stifle a laugh at Ria's gift to Adam and that wasn't going to happen again. "Orion is going to love these! Do you mind if I take one for him? Or are there some in this bag…" She, apparently, is oblivious to such manoeuvres undertaken by Angelus, and her attention skitters Anthony and Andromena's way when they start to talk about leaving. "Are we nearly to London? I've completely lost track of everything."
Angelus lifts a head in a simple gesture, sweeping a hand over his knees lightly. "Take the bag," he offers, shifting his shoulders. "There's going to be plenty of treats over the holidays." A hum escapes the boy in thought as he flicks his gaze onto the older students, and an eyebrow arches. "I'm sorry, I'm not going to eat any more of them," he states, as if the reason the cousins were leaving was because it was too loud. He shifts a little, and if he notices where he placed is arm he doesn't seem too worried about it. It is, after all, a casual position. "So, Lu, what do you want for Christmas?"
Anthony waves a hand, "Not at all. We need to get our group ready to move. And honestly, we must be coming into the suburbs now." There's a pause, "You know that's a latin term?"
Lu's answer to Angelus is exactly the same that she gave to Alphard earlier in the day. She smiles, picks a chocolate frog from the bag and nips the toes from its left leg. "I can't believe you asked me that, Eibon. I want everything, of course." A sudden smile tugs the edges of her mouth and she looks for a moment so completely and utterly happy with absolutely everything in the world, that she simply forgets to say anything else for a minute. The minute doesn't last long. "But, failing that, I'd love one of those books that Morgana gave my cousin. I didn't quite see the name of it because he tucked it away so quickly. It was something like Kma Str though. It looked interesting."
Andromena, too, assures Angelus it had nothing to do with noise. "Yeah, if we don't catch our siblings now, we'll never get the time to do what we want." Which was of great importance, obviously. Andromena got to her feet, and made to follow Anthony. "And no, I did not know it was rooted in Latin," she added.
The response from Lucretia causes a wide grin to flash over Angelus' face, one that twinkles in his eyes. A chuckle escapes him, and he nods to her as she carries on mention the book, a hum escaping him. "Mhm," he murmurs. "Everything? 'Cause I can probably think of a few things you might not want," he remarks with a teasing glint, a little smirk twitching at his lips. Not that he'd buy one to give to her as a gift. Angelus ends up lowering his leg to the floor, leaning forward. "I should probably check on where my sister's at."
Lucretia pushes to her feet once Angelus has gone, a slow collection of the vast array of items she's brought with her gathered up. "Well, seems like we're getting close to London now. I think I'll go find Alphard so I might walk through King's Cross with him, make sure mother and father don't miss me in the squash."
Anthony vanishes down the corridor, in search of other members of his family, with a view to getting everything smooth for the raid on bookshops
Lucretia isn't long in following Anthony, the slip of a girl dragging a suitcase in her wake.