(1939-02-08) Brotherly Advice
Details for Brotherly Advice
Summary: After Lucretia's untimely departure, Ulysses gives some well-intentioned (if not perhaps ill-informed) advice on what he should do next.
Date: 08 February, 1939
Location: Hogsmeade Beach, Hogsmeade
Related: This scene continues directly after Niffler on the beach.
Characters
LucretiaIgnatiusUlysses

Lucretia tugs her hand from Leos and wraps her arms around her middle. "Its freezing out here," she says. There's a small smile given both Leo and Ulysses, ultimately though the look that she gives the former is one of mild disappointment as if perhaps she finds him lacking somehow. "I'm going back to the castle. Excuse me." She shoves her hands deep into the folds of her cloak, retrieves her gloves which she takes a moment to wriggle her fingers into, then turns and marches along the path, not giving anyone, least of all Leoric, a chance to follow her.

There is a long look given to Iggy, before the older boy rolls his eyes, "The point here is apparently lost on you. The point was, let people whisper, you can be just as much of a prat." And all delivered by Ulysses with a thin grin. Regardless, giving a niffler free reign in a public area like this… not precisely a good choice. And in this cold, too. Their bodies freeze rather quickly in subfreezing temperatures."
Then, a blink, As the younger girl suddenly left. The older boy watches, a bit baffled.

Leoric seems just as startled as the others when Lu excuses herself abruptly and heads for the literal hills leading back to the castle. In her wake, he shoves his hands into his pockets and watches her until she's out of sight. He glances to Ulysses at his latter comment and throws a look towards Iggy. "You don't know the half of it."

"Huh?" Indeed it was lost on him. "What are you talking about?" Then Lucretia makes her exit for warmth. And in his defense, "The bag has a warming spell. Can't keep the thing locked up in a cage without letting it do what is instinctual. Better out here in the wide space than back at the castle." The the constant feeding of coins and shiny tokens. Prewett eyed the path taken by departed Black, "What's her deal?"

And in that moment, Iggy is dismissed, Ulysses' eyes simply roll for a moment, and then he looks back at Leoric. "Brother," he says, not wishing to use a nickname at the moment, "I think you've got two choices here… either go running after her, or come have a talk with me about whatever the hell that was."

Leoric grimaces, but- after apparent internal debate, nods. "Fine. We'll do the latter. I don't think she's wanting to be followed just now. Where do you want to talk?" Leoric seems a bit begrudging about the whole thing, but not uncooperative. He just seems intent on having someplace a touch more private to speak.

Iggy scratches at the back of his head, "Right.." Just as the creature was starting to poke it's head out again Prewett shoved it back down into the satchel. He muttering to himself and possible over the whole ordeal. Steps resume, continuing on their voyage along the beach side, and opposite of the path Lucretia had taken, for both siblings to converse in private.

There's a moment's hesitation, before Ulysses finally puts a hand on Leoric's shoulder, "Rule number one, Leo? You always chase after them. If they're leaving? It's likely they're not feeling important. Or at least want you to remember that they are." Wise words? Likely not so much as they could be… but they're Lys-Wise.
Grunting, he motions along the pathway, away from the beach. "Let's just walk."

Leoric shrugs and nods. "Sure. I did chase after her. I chased her here. Then Prewett showed up." He scowls. "I think we were actually getting somewhere before that. Something has her…" Leo shoves his hands back in his pockets. "She feels like there's no point all of a sudden. Like all being together'll do- together with anyone- will just make her miserable and break her heart and all that. It's… we were talking about it, and I'd just told her she was important enough to try, and… Prewett."

Ulysses thinks on that a moment, frowning. "So Prewett, and I, to a smaller degree, interrupted that conversation. That's bad." Walking, he kicks at some defenses rocks for Leoric's sake, Sounds like someone's worried about breakups. I've not exactly got my pulse on the grapevine, but has there been a lot of that going around, lately? It is only a week until that 'special' of dates, which causes more broken expectations and broken hearts right beforehand than any other."

"Yeah. A lot of them. The Lowes split. Messily. The girl'd been seeing someone behind the guy's back. They didn't find out from her, either. And then Solomon split with Goyle and got… back? with Meliflua, I think?" He shrugs a bit. "And Solomon, Meliflua, Goyle and the Lowe girl are all Slytherins. People she knows."

Ulysses actually winces. "That's… unfortunate. Sounds like there's love problems for the snakes overall," is offered, brow wrinkling for a moment. "So it sounds like she's worrying if the two of you are worth trying. Which is understandable. But at the same time… it sounds like she needs to know that /you/ are worth the risk… not that she is."
"Now," he continues, "did she say she didn't want to be with you are all, or was it more the commitment and titles and all that which scared her?"

"She's betrothed. To Prewett. And worried the whole thing will be painful and not worth it when we already know things won't work out in the end, because… Prewett." Leoric mutters his answer. It's not often the boy gets sulky. For him to deviate from his usual aloof attitude, this whole matter has to be getting to him pretty hard.

There's another wince, and a face that suggests something just a little sour in his mouth. "Black and Prewett. That makes a bit pf sense. Is it a promise or an actual betrothal?" He frowns, "If the two of you were a bit older, I could send a letter of intent to her parents… but I wouldn't want to lock you into that any more than I'm sure she would want to trade one lock for another." The statement, however is simply put out there. He almost sounds like Father, for just a moment.

"… wouldn't that anger the Prewetts something fierce? They've been betrothed- and it IS betrothed, much as I hate to admit it- and it's probably a little late from their perspective to start looking for a new bride for their abusive bully of a son." says Leoric.

Ulysses nods, frowning, "I did say if you were older," Ulysses offers with a smile, "And it would likely take quite a bit of work on my part to sooth any wounds. However, that anger would be there anyhow, were she to take you as a dalliance."

"If you say so… Politics aren't really my thing." Leoric gives Ulysses a sideways glance, as if concerned about even expressing interest in this concept. "… might be worth keeping in mind. If things smooth over." Leoric looks up at the skies and, after a moment, sighs, letting his head fall again. "She likes stars, too. Prewett… I don't think he'll ever really get her. Even if he could be arsed to try. I want to try to help make sure she at least knows what's proper, like… how being cherished feels so she can show him how she ought to be treated." There's a moment of quiet. "… she deserves to be cherished. Not tolerated. Or abused."

"So show her that, ya git." Ulysses says, a bit of a quirk coming to his lips as they continue to walk. "For Merlin's sake… she doesn't need a boyfriend to show her that. Or some fancy title, or anything like that. If she's worried about getting heartbroken over something as silly as a title, throw it out the window. Tell her what you just told me, and leave it at that."

Leoric says, "I DID! And then Prewett showed up. I mean, she heard me, she seemed to be feeling better, she even gave me a kiss and then-" Leoric scowls. It's a Prewett Scowl. "… maybe it'll be alright tomorrow. I hope so. I could get her some more chocolates. The ones with rose flavored icing. She likes those." Leoric glances back up at his brother. "Do you think that'll go over okay? Or just… make her feel like I'm trying to buy her off of being made?""

"Don't try to make it okay with the gift," the currently single brother with something of a litany of broken hearts trailing after him suggests, "Have it be part of the full conversation, later. Otherwise she likely WILL take it as buying her off. And go somewhere a little more private than a public beach, I'd suggest." He pauses, "The chamber of reception, perhaps… or the balcony on the fourth floor."

"Well last time wasn't an apology. Last time was just trying to find her. She sent me an owl, said we were done, and… I didn't want to let her go, not without a fight. I did tell her that I'd still try to make her happy even if we're not together, just that I thought it'd probably be a bit harder."

Ulysses thinks on that for a little bit, before answering. "Have you thought that perhaps she wants you to fight for it?" He shrugs, "Sure, the title bits aren't important anyhow… but she needs to know that she's worth fighting for. And not just in words."

Leoric walks along, staring at the ground. "I could do that. Do you think that's what she wants? She seemed to be trying to be polite with him. Or at least cordial, even though she felt threatened." One of the rare cases where Leoric is admitting he doesn't know what to do.

"I can only guess," is what Ulysses offers in response. "She either wants to be left alone, which I doubt, she wants to be chased, or she wants to be fought for. Almost invariably, it comes down to those." Then he snorts, "Of course she's going to be polite with him. If she's staring down a tunnel of life with the boy, she's got to be worried about at least being civil with him."

"HE isn't!" Leoric snaps, scowling fiercely. "HE isn't trying to be the LEAST bit civil. He hexed her, he HURT her and humiliated her and he hasn't apologized, not one bit! SHE's the one that's got to play diplomat and let him walk all over her? It's good on her for trying and I don't want to ruin it if she's gonna do it that way, but I've offered to find a way to teach him a lesson and she's told me no!"

Ulysses's scowl matches his brothers, but perhaps for different reasons. He studies Leoric for a moment. "Some things I'm not going to be able to answer for you. Some things you have to try and fail to beat. But I believe you'll figure them out, without my help. Have you confronted him? Not with ehre there as bait between the two of you, but man to man?"

Leoric shakes his head. "I've been doing what she asked me to do. I'm… also not really looking forward to the idea of calling him out. I don't really know what I can trump him at besides broomflying and I dunno that he'd take that bait even if offered."

Running a hand through his hair, Ulysses replies, "Don't forget, she's a Snake, Leo. She'll appreciate cleverness and guile as much as a direct confrontation."

Leoric nods and keeps tromping along. "And you think I oughtta go behind her back to resolve things? What if it makes things worse?" Leoric looks his brother over, as if visually hunting for signs as to whether he can trust his brother's advice or not.

Ulysses looks back at Leoric, grinning, "I'm just offering ideas here, Leo. Throwing them into the wind. We're talking /women/ here. Even the young ones, like your Black lass… they make no sense. Each has their own separate set of rules. The trick is to finding them. One the answer might be yes to. The other no. But sometimes it helps having another voice say these things, right?"

"Right. I'm better suited to that, I'd say. I'll have to see what I can do to engage with him on that level." Leoric sounds a bit lost- he's clearly not sure exactly how he wants to approach the situation, but he does sound convicted about making sure he does take Prewett on somehow.

Ulysses steeples his hands together in front of him, cracking the knuckles a bit, "And if there need be a more conventional method used, you know where I'm at. Although I have an impression that such may not be your stile." A grin. "In the end, just amke sure she knows YOU are worth the risk."

"That's the plan. Worst case scenario, she gets what she wants anyway, right? If she'll really be happier on her own, then she'll be on her own and know someone has her back." He glances over and grins a bit at the cracked knuckles. "Don't think I'm gonna get away with that, but I'll keep it in mind!"

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