close call//closed - Johanna

[Declan Gable Krumovitz]

Back home everybody looked like him.


Everybody was overly muscled and large. Didn’t much matter the height of the man so long as they were strong. Everybody back home had a collection of tattoos and then some. Sure, Declan had more than a lot of them but given what he had been doing before he had been pushed into a school, they were needed. They were important marks. Back home, they helped him pass in the streets without getting stabbed and he was allowed to go places and talk to people that otherwise, without these marks on his skin that he wouldn’t have been allowed to do. Only now he wasn’t home. He was very, very far from his home and even further away from his family. He didn’t know a single soul here and with his tall stature and thick accent, he stuck out like a sore thumb. He didn’t know their sports, he didn’t know their slang and he wasn’t entirely certain that he wanted to. It was hard being a transfer student at any place he was certain but here in particular he was having to play catch up with quite a lot. Declan wasn’t the best student. Where he came from the class sizes were far smaller and the grades weren’t really enforced. A proper education wasn’t something that any of his town much cared about. Farming communities for most just enough to make sure that they are able to live their lives and have enough food to tide them over until the long winters were over. Whereas for people like him...with his father being who he was, and even more importantly with his brother being who he was, it was important to keep himself strong to step into those roles as well.

It had been a total and complete shock to Declan to learn that he had the sorts of powers that he did. His mother had always told them stories about people who could do things that were impossible. All of his siblings had grown up learning about the various stories and folk lore to keep them properly in line. Baba Yaga and the boogeyman. It was all in the realm of things to be kept in childhood. Little did he know that the stories that his mother told in particular were things that she knew from her own personal experience. He and Alexsi had stayed up many late nights whispering to one another if it was possible. Alexsi had always said that she wished that it was her. The one who wanted to be able to make the snow melt with her magic wand so that she could be warm forever. She had the dreams of being able to travel to the lands of beaches and put little umbrellas into her drinks. She was definitely the dreamer and true to sister treatment, none of her brothers was willing to shatter that bubble for her. Declan missed her. Until he had come here...he had never spent a full night away from his twin sister. Since coming here he hadn’t heard a single word from any of his family members. He had seen some of the other members using owls to communicate...but he still wasn’t grasping entirely how that was possible. Mama had said, that he needed to keep an open mind. Mama had said that no matter how crazy something might seem here, that it was important to accept it and he was trying his hardest to make that true, because his Da had said as he left that should he fail in any way not only would he shame his family but he would make sure that whatever powers he might have, he would rid himself of.

Not powers. Magic. It was magic and it was all real.

They said he was severely disadvantaged. Being that he was about five years behind everybody else, it made sense. He wasn’t angry with them for saying so but at the same time it threatened to trigger his temper. Keep his head down and learn as much as he could. That was what he was here to do. It was just hard whenever keeping his head down was still standing a lot taller than everybody else. It was hard enough to try to study in a language that he wasn’t fully fluent in without the other kids calling him stupid every other time he sat down. The library was useless to him. It was like the idiots were trying to use him as some idiotic rite of passage. He was the larger of them so therefore they must do anything in their power to try to take him down whatever pegs they felt that he needed to be knocked down. It made little sense to him. He wasn’t one to fight for the simple fact that they needed to fight. He wasn’t for the violence, not that he couldn’t defend himself should he need to. The way that he was being tested he was afraid that he was going to snap and then he was going to he kicked out of the fancy school with the very soft beds.

“Hey watch it!”

“Apology.” Declan muttered just loud enough to be heard. He didn’t want trouble. He didn’t want to deal with it. The man who Declan had accidentally bumped into was almost as tall as him. Athletically built with a strong jawline. He had the sort of stubble on his face that indicated that he might be attempting to grow a beard but it wasn’t working too well for him. Declan didn’t know his name but he was willing to be it was something stupid like Fritz or Marty. Declan held his gaze but did his best not to provoke things further. He watched silently as the man gave him a thorough once over. ”And if I say it’s not alright?” the boy scoffed ”Then what happens? Do you apology that as well? Tell me something, do you think as slow as you speak? Do you need me to slow it down for you?” The man’s eyes lit up with amusement at Declan’s lack of response. He could feel his teeth grinding together as he stared somewhere aimless at the boy’s shoulder. ”Do you even understand a single word that I’m saying? Are you fucking slow?” The boy laughed and shoved his shoulder against Declan’s own. He felt like his teeth were going to crack with the effort of standing still. This was a stupid altercation. ”Hah! Look at that, he wants to hit me! Don’t you? That’s all your rock brain can process isn’t it?” The boy bobbed and weaved. Whenever he had first come here, he had been approached by quite a few boys like this asking to be on their sports team...but when they realized that Declan really had zero idea what they were talking about it had shifted to antagonism. Much like this.

The man shoved him again and Declan was just about to lose his entire mind. “Halt.” Declan paused, exhaling slowly. “Please.” The uniforms didn’t fit him right and the more tense his shoulders got the tighter the fit of his uniform shirt started to feel. He hated how many layers he had to wear in this place. He wanted to go back to his room, at least it was quiet there and the others in his room left him well enough alone. ”You hear that? He said please” At the last word he attempted to copy Declan’s accent and speech pattern. It was beyond insulting. He didn’t make fun of them for sounding stupid when all of their words blurred together.One punch - just one punch and the asshole would be on his ass. Just one, he was absolutely certain of it. He didn’t want to listen to any more words coming out of his mouth, so Declan attempted to shoulder past him. His body passed through without issue but the man grabbed hold of Declan’s shoulder bag and pulled it off of him with a laugh. By now there were more students stopping to listen or slow in their path on their way past to their next class. Which is exactly where it was he was supposed to be going. Heaving an exasperated sigh Declan held out his hand for his bag back, but the man was going to have none of it. Frustrated, Declan lunged for his bag but the asshole moved away quickly and laughed mockingly and held it just that much further out of the way. ”Gotta be faster than that.” He didn’t have time for this. He needed to be on his way. This wasn’t the sort of situation that he was willing to stay in. “You know? Keep it.” Declan huffed. This was exactly why he didn’t want to speak around here if he could help it. Declan turned and attempted to make his way through the crowd of bodies without his bag in the direction of his classroom.

[Johanna Lehner]

The noise around Johanna was deafening. It was the time in-between classes were students were going every which way. Lots of laughing and chatter. Even a few yells here and there. The perfect time for those to socialize and catch up on the current hour’s events. The chance to see friends who one may or may not have had classes with, which was precisely her reason for being tucked off to the side of the chaos. Standing in a small group with three other girls, the four of them met here every day at the same time. Right after their third class of the day and in the time where most students were heading off to lunch or a free period. Same side of the corridor. Same tacky medieval portrait of some knight whose face mask kept slipping over his eyes. It was the most convenient location for the four girls to rally for the first part of their day. Although Johanna shared classes with Maddy and Amirya for most of the day, as they were both in her house, they did not have the same schedule as their friend Liesel, who was a Gryffindor. The girls had grown up at the school together. She had instantly clicked with Maddy and Amirya and they had met Liesel in the courtyard not soon after. The four were known to be inseparable, using every chance they had to spend time together unless forced away by classes, dinner or times in their respected dormitories. Though different in every way, they just clicked. Johanna found great comfort in their presence.

Even when they were clucking like hens after the latest gossip, Johanna could help but to smile and roll her eyes. Gossip had never been her thing. She simply didn’t hate people enough to talk about them when they were or weren’t around. She was so used to being at the end of other’s discussions anyway. It wasn’t a good feeling. Even if she could hear the whispers about who her mother was or how pretty she looked that day. Johanna didn’t like attention like that. Couldn’t stand it actually. It was a trait she certainly didn’t receive from her mother’s side of the family. For that she was grateful. Colette Chastain-Lehner was an international supermodel. Known for her breathtaking looks and the ability to keep all eyes on her as she was walking down a runway. Of course, there were other veelas well-known in the wizarding modelling world. Odelia Bisset…Inés Desmarais…Galina Baranov, just to name a few. It seemed only natural that most of the supermodels were of the same race. However, no one quite stacked up to Colette. The woman had always had the ‘it’ factor. A beauty that truly stood her out from all of the rest. A beauty that also caused some of the most mind-boggling vanity Johanna had ever come across. The woman was always so concerned with her looks. Even wearing make-up around the house on her downtime. ”You always have to be ready darling.” Her mother would say in her thick French accent as she puckered her lips at her reflection in a mirror. ”You must always be the face of perfection to uphold the reputation.” Luckily for her, Colette would be too busy looking at herself to see the eye roll Johanna gave her as she stuck her tongue out.

Johanna wanted no part of that life. Having people watching your every move was a lot of pressure. Though it seemed to come naturally to her mother, surely the woman must have felt the same given the need to be dressed to the nines at any given time. Johanna didn’t want to spend her life posing for pictures or having people gawk at her in the latest fashion. She didn’t want to do interviews, attend red carpet events or be constantly reminded of her own natural beauty. None of it appealed to her, much to the dismay of a woman whose who live revolved around that. Colette loved her daughter…in her own way. Yet she had spent, and continued to spend, so much time away that she missed big events in Johanna’s life and seemed not to care much when her father pleaded with her to come home early. There was already a lot of strain on the mother and daughter’s relationship. Perhaps somewhere, deep down, Colette had a sense of guilt. Perhaps that’s why she had been getting pushier about casting calls or taking a weekend day to go get headshots taken. Insisting she’d be there for all of them and hire the best stylist for young women Austria had to offer. Perhaps that was the woman’s way of showing that’s what she thought was best for Johanna. Yet that was the problem, it was what she thought was best. Not at all caring what her daughter had to say in the manner.

Continuing to prove true, the latest letter dropped off by the family owl Harnsby attested to that. Colette was going off about a photoshoot this weekend and how she would love for Johanna to stop by and get some tips. Johanna found so much interest in the request that she was currently using the parchment for a placeholder in her Charms book. Had yet to tell the girls about this one. Didn’t really want to hear them complain about how they wished it was them and they should be so lucky she had this opportunity. Maybe, but she really wondered if they could actually deal with Colette Chastin-Lehner breathing down their throats every second of the day. She’d keep this one to herself today.

”I heard Phillip Gruber passed out in Potions today.” Johanna rolled her eyes as Liesel excitedly told the girls about the boy who shared the same year as them. Looking down into her bag, she made it a point to avoid the conversation as Maddy and Amirya questioned her for more. Johanna was much more interested in finding the watermelon lollipop she had been craving since her last one an hour ago. Her affliction for sweets was one that she had yet to find a cure for. Didn’t really care to find one either. ”You think that’s good? I heard Jennifer Moser and Uldrich Abendroth were making out in the backrow of in Winslow’s 2nd period Astronomy class.” A collective gasp from the three other girls. ”Shut up!” Shaking her head, growing more annoyed by the minute that she couldn’t find the sucker in the trashcan that was her bag. She was such a disorganized person by nature. Could never force herself to break the habit for longer than a day. ”That’s just what I heard. But you know those two. Everybody knows they’re practically all over each other anyway.” As her manicured fingers finally dusted against a plastic wrapper, Johanna grinned and used her thumb and index finger to pull the candy from the bag. ”Oh my god, there’s that Slytherin dreamboat.” At the mention of the boy, she quickly looked up as she brought the sucker to her chest. She frowned, only catching his massive back as it continued on down the corridor. ”How come nobody knows his name? You know he has like tattoos? Isabelle said she saw some black on his neck once. How could he have tattoos and be like sixteen?”

The boy in question was one that Johanna had heard often about but had yet to encounter up close. She was an admirer of good looks as any young teenage girl would be. She was disappointed she had missed her chance. Would have loved to see what face was hiding behind that large structure. He certainly had the body type she found most attractive. The face just had to go along with it. Sighing, she turned her attention back to the lollipop and began to unwrap it. ”Did you see him Jo?” Her eyes didn’t leave the candy as she shook her head. “Not yet.” Maddy shuffled next to her. ”Too bad. He’s super dreamy though I heard he doesn’t talk. I wonder what he sounds like? I bet he’s got an accent.” Johanna gave her a disapproving look as she tossed the wrapper into her bag. “We all have accents Maddy,” she playfully scolded, popping the sucker into her mouth. “Now if you’ve girls had enough of the chitter chatter, anybody wanna figure out what time to meet to study for that Transfiguration exam tonight? Professor Delia’s exams keep getting worse by the month.”

When none of the girls responded, Johanna furrowed her brows at them. Not a single one was paying attention to her. Instead, they were all looking past her. Confused, she tried to wave her hand in front of them but none of them responded. “Hello?” Still nothing. Figuring she wasn’t going to get an answer from them, she turned around and noticed a big crowd gathering further on down the corridor. She stood on her tip toes; lips wrapped around the candy as she tried to see what was getting everyone’s interest. She could see two guys. One was that prick Jack Schulte, Gryffindor’s leading scorer on the house Quidditch team. Even from this far away, she could see the smirk on his face as he moved something in his arms as if antagonizing someone. Upon further inspection, it was the same back she had seen earlier. The dreamy Slytherin. Johanna didn’t like to partake in gawking but couldn’t help herself as she watched the rest of the scene unfold. Jack was a narcissist asshole who loved stirring up trouble. Full of house pride, he was notorious for getting into fights with Slytherins just because he could. Though she wasn’t quite sure what his angle was with this one. She could see the other guy towered over him by at least a good inch of two. Just like that, it was over. The guy moved past Jack and went about his way. In the wake, Jack remained standing there, laughing like an idiot as he held a bag, presumably the Slytherin’s, over his head.

Johanna was never one for confrontation but she couldn’t stand seeing someone bullied. Even someone who looked like he could take care of himself. “I gotta go” she started, sliding her arms through her small backpack. ”Where are you going?” Amirya questioned. “Getting a head start,” she shouted back, leaving the group quickly. She maneuvered carefully through the crowd until she got to where Jack and his merry band of goons were giving each other high fives. “Such a tough guy Schulte,” she remarked as she approached. “You really proved a point there.” Jack laughed as he looked in her direction. ”Why I was merely trying to impress you JoJo. I knew you and your royal court were around here somewhere. Thanks for proving me right.” Johanna glared at him. “Right because I’ve haven’t at all been able to stress how unattractive of a quality that is to me. Especially during the three other times this week.” One of his friends gave a low whistle as Jack returned her glare. “Give me the bag.” He scoffed. ”The bag? What the hell do you want this thing for? Is he all looks? Has to have a girl fight his battles?” She laughed. “Not at all. I just want to remind him that not everybody around here is a worthless piece of shit like you Jack. Now give me his bag.” Jack’s boys let out a resounding ‘Ohhhhh’. She could see Jack’s cheeks getting flushed. ”What’s it to you JoJo? For me maybe a little squeeze.” He smirked at her before giving her a wink. Merlin she felt dirty now. She opened her mouth to respond before cut off by the current Head Boy. ”What’s going on here?”

Before giving Jack the chance to respond, Johanna snitched. “He took my friend’s bag. I’ve politely been asking him to give it back but he won’t. Perhaps you could help?” She beamed at the boy, flashing her killer smile. Worked like a charm. ”Give it back Schulte otherwise it’ll be twenty points from Gryffindor and detention.” Jack scowled at her again. Looking towards the Head Boy and then back to her, he shoved the bag in her chest, practically knocking her over as he leaned down in her ear. ”You’ll have to repay me later. Don’t think I’ll forget.” With that, he led his band of idiots away. Struggling under the weight of the new bag, Johanna groaned as she adjusted her arms around it. She needed to find where the Slytherin boy went before it was too late. Surely he would need this for whatever class he was about to go to. It took a few seconds but she finally saw the back of him even further down the way walking towards the courtyard. She had no idea how she was going to catch up but was going to make the best of it. After a few stumbles and obscenities shouted back at her, as well as a few greetings from voices with no faces, she eventually caught up to the brute. Closing the distance completely, she nervously chewed on her bottom lip as she briefly took one of her hands off of his bag and poked at him. Nothing but muscle. “Excuse me?”

[Declan Gable Krumovitz]

It didn’t make sense to him. Even when those who were unwelcome back home, the first instinct wasn’t to steal their items. Perhaps he just didn’t have enough interaction with those of his own age. Perhaps it was because he had offended the boy in some way that he just didn't at all understand. That bag had all of his stuff in it. All of the books on subjects that were far too crazy to understand. All of his papers and pens. Even if he had had the money to replace those things he wouldn’t have known where in this building to go and purchase them. He had heard some of the students talking about how there was a village that they would somehow go to sometimes. It just wasn’t something that he fully understood yet because Declan also had yet to see anybody leave this building outside of the grounds. The forest and lake that surrounded them on all sides seemed to want to do nothing but keep them in. If only they would let him go out into the forest, that would have been far more peaceful for him. What was he supposed to do when he got to class now? The professor had told him that he was going to get detention if he showed up for class unprepared again. He hadn’t meant to, but apart from the meager walk around the school whenever he had first transferred to this country, he was still getting the lay of the land. Adhering to schedules and writing papers were all new to him. The castle seemed to change each and every time that he was starting to understand his way around. It also seemed to be frowned upon for him to just meander around looking at the portraits on the walls. He had never seen so many things like this, and it was all fascinating. He had been accused of not knowing what fruit was the other day because he had been watching the portrait in the basements as the lighting changed. The fruit changed every day in just small ways and he had been wanting to know if it was seasonal as the weather outside changed to match crop growth, he had only been here a few months but apparently he wasn’t supposed to spend too much time looking at things. He understood not making eye contact with strangers out of respect but not looking at art? That was beyond him.


Declan had intended to go back down in the direction of his room because at least there was paper there for him to use. If nothing else he would have been able to find some more paper there and carry on about his business. Where were the clocks? He was going to be late? He also had gotten gasped at whenever he had produced his phone out of his pocket so to be safe rather than sorry he was trying to keep it in his pocket. It was becoming more and more difficult to stay in the lines here. It was difficult to follow all of the rules and the order of things. He wasn’t afraid of these children his own age, he was however, afraid of his father and what his brother would do to him should he be sent back home before he was supposed to. Only he wasn’t going down the stairs to his dorm; he was heading toward a courtyard. Which….wasn’t at all where he wanted to be. He couldn’t deny that the fresh air made him feel better though. Declan liked being outside far more than he liked being inside. He couldn’t breathe right in that castle and he didn’t think it had anything to do with the air quality and everything to do with the people that were around him.


He wasn’t expecting to be poked. “Yebat-kopat!” swore a touch louder than he intended in surprise as he turned his large frame around quickly. It was even harder to control his reflexes standing here. Normally, he would have shoved whoever poked him much like he had been in the hallway himself just to protect his personal bubble but he couldn’t swing it. He couldn’t do that here. He had broken some kids nose his first week and spent that rest of his first week in detention and lectured about proper decorum and reactions. He felt like they were treating him like a dog who didn’t know how to behave. Perhaps he was. Declan’s eyes were still widened in surprise as he looked down to the small thing in front of him. Slender and shapely with long brown hair, even more she was holding his bag. “Excuse me?” Declan wasn’t certain if he had seen her before, or if he had if he had paid much attention to her before this moment. Alexsi had always wanted to be taller, much like this girl, she would have probably tried to be her friend. Declan wasn’t so warm. “Da?” His nose crinkled as he caught his mistake. That was twice now. He wasn’t supposed to speak like that here. “Yes?” It was an easy enough word to understand he probably didn’t need to change it but he did anyway. Declan took the heavy bag from her without comment. He wasn’t sure what she was doing with his bag or how she had managed to get it back and he wasn’t sure if he wanted to ask. He was glad to have it back but he hated nothing more than owing somebody a favor. He didn’t know this girl, he didn’t know in what capacity she was going to what that favor to be cashed back in for her own benefit. That sort of uncertainty wasn’t something that he liked. Dipping into his pocket he fished out a couple of coins that he still didn’t fully understand the value of and offered them to her.

[Johanna Lehner]

”Yebat-kopat!”

Well that wasn’t the reaction she expected. Johanna quickly brought her hand back to the bag that was feeling heavier and heavier in her arms. Could feel her eyes widening as she clutched the bag tighter. Why was this thing so damn heavy? She certainly had a lot of books and other supplies but she at least knew how to charm her bag to comfortably hold all of them. Didn’t he know how to? She figured most students did. Maybe he liked the extra weight. Maybe he was just so strong that he could comfortably hold a bag that she was becoming more convinced weighed the same as her. Johanna was so focused on trying not to drop the damn thing that the fact he responded in a different language hadn’t registered with her yet.

As he turned around fast, Johanna didn’t realize the small circle that had formed from her lips. Merlin he was beautiful. She swore he had gotten taller. Dark hair, intense…very intense blue eyes. A jawline that resembled one of the gods of ancient times. So chiseled that it made even his face look muscular. Couldn’t help dropping her eyes down. Easily saw the black lines that littered his neck. She didn’t even know that was allowed here. She had sworn that she had seen in the student handbook once before. Well, had she? Johanna couldn’t think straight. Did he have more tattoos? Where? Her eyes quickly scanned the rest of him before averting back to those profound eyes of his. He had such a mysterious aura about him, which was surprising given she had only been looking at him for a few seconds now. He radiated ferocity despite not doing anything but returning the astonished look she was giving him. How had she missed someone of this caliber wandering around the grounds?

”Da?” What? It was then that Johanna finally realized he was speaking another language. Apparently the same time he did as for the expression on his face temporarily switched to one of annoyance. ”Yes?” Merlin he even sounded dreamy. His voice was deep, husky. Very easily capable of being stentorian. She continued standing there like an idiot, mouth agape and completely transfixed by the boy in front of her. As if realizing she wasn’t capable of doing it on her own, his hand moved to the bag in her arms. They hung limp as the bag was removed. Why couldn’t she do anything? She was embarrassing herself at this point. He probably thought she was making fun of him for being slow or something. Oh Merlin. She really needed to snap out of it. Johanna watched as he undid the bag. Did he think she took something out of it? Her mouth finally shut, gulping nervously as she did. Instead, the boy pulled something out before extending his hand towards her and showing her the contents.

Coins. Peering down at them, her brow raised. It was a couple of knuts and sickles. For a moment, Johanna didn’t understand why he was offering them to her. Then she did. “Oh no,” she hastily said, shaking her head as well as her hands. “No, that’s not at all necessary. It’s not a big deal.” Because to her it truly wasn’t. Jack had done him wrong and she was merely wanting to help. “The professors are such sticklers about not having your supplies so I didn’t want you to suffer for the childishness of someone else.” Biting down on her bottom lip, Johanna crossed her left arm across her mid-section. She then moved her right hand to the lollipop stick hanging from her mouth as she continued to stare awkwardly at him. ”Hey Jo!” Acknowledging whoever it was was a sight flick of her finger, she kept her attention on the massive hunk in front of her. “I’m Johanna,” she finally said after what she was convinced a few minutes of silence. “I’m sorry about what happened back there. You didn’t deserve that. People around here can be pretty cruel sometimes.”

[Declan Gable Krumovitz]

Why was she looking at him like that? She was staring at him as if she couldn’t tell if his face was stuck like that or not. He wasn’t certain if she was implying something or if there was some sort of casual exchange here that he didn’t yet know the custom for? Honestly he had no idea why she was still standing here at all, gawking. There was no other way to put it other than she was gawking. It was almost enough to make him feel insecure. She was taller than a few of the others that he had seen, and the colors that she had woven through the strap of her own bag signaled that she wasn’t in the same house as him. Why? He didn’t really understand. He liked that there weren’t rows of people stacked in on top of each other though. He didn’t much care for sharing rooms, back home he had only had to share with his sister so at least this time he didn’t think he had to worry about being stabbed in the kidney for leaving the seat lid up like he did with Alexsi. Then again, that was only conjecture. She was looking from his neck to his face to his neck again. He tried to keep the tattoo’s covered here because apparently they weren’t allowed. He felt strange enough being one of the few kids that still wore those assigned uniforms from head to toe. Most of the others seemed to find ways to make theirs fit them a little more custom style. Declan wouldn’t have minded but honestly, he was worried about breaking the rules when he was still so new. He didn’t know which ones were flexible and which ones weren’t. It had been suggested to him that he should wear tall necked sweaters or consider growing his hair out and neither of those were things he was really keen on trying. So, this was what he did. He couldn’t help the ink that covered his neck and hands. He wasn’t sure that he would have wanted to even if he could conceal them. Somebody had said something about a spell but that made him nervous. All of the other kids in his classes were so comfortable flicking their little sticks around that he just, wasn’t. Didn’t feel like an extension of his arm like they said it was supposed to. He wasn’t accustomed to using things like this. Baseball bat? Gun? Police baton? Sure. He was big for a reason. Small little bit of wood to make giant shit happen? Really fucking awesome, but also strange as hell.

When the girl didn’t take the coins from him...he wasn’t entirely certain what to do next. There must have been a piece missing here. Nobody did anything for free. Nobody got something for nothing. It just didn’t happen. It wasn’t the sort of thing that he had ever experienced. She wanted to hold a favor over his head then. There was no way around it. Declan’s nose crinkled again in distaste. He hated that. He more than hated it. Was she attempting to be sneaky? He didn’t have anything to offer her. That was abundantly clear because he was so many leagues behind everybody else here. “Oh no,” No. Declan’s hand lowered to rest against the open lip of his bag as he waited for whatever other favor she was going to ask. Only she didn’t. The girl almost seemed nervous to have been offered money in the first place. Perhaps she had enough of it. “No, that’s not at all necessary. It’s not a big deal.” It was a big deal. He didn’t know what she had to do in order to get the bag back. He didn’t know what rifts that was going to cause. Everything had a second meaning here and he was still very slow on the uptake. Declan glanced around them, making sure that she hadn’t been put up to this on some kind of dare but it seemed that for the most part, people were only glancing at them with the same rubbernecking curiosity that they would regard anything else with. “The professors are such sticklers about not having your supplies so I didn’t want you to suffer for the childishness of someone else.” That was true. She was speaking a little too quickly for him to catch every word but he understood for the most part. A single brow raised as he watched her speak. Her arm crossing over her middle, the candy in her mouth. She smelled like sugar. ”Hey Jo!” Was this it? Was this the other shoe about to drop? Declan’s shoulders tensed as he shifted to look at who was speaking to Jo, and then right back to her when she dismissed it. Strange. “I’m Johanna,” He should say something. They were standing here for too long in silence, he was sure of it. “I’m sorry about what happened back there. You didn’t deserve that. People around here can be pretty cruel sometimes.” Declan shrugged. “Is no worries.” it wasn’t the first time it was going to happen and it wasn’t going to be the last either. He shifted the bag higher up on his shoulder , checking the contents out of habit alone before closing it and leaving the rest. It hadn’t dawned on him at all that the reason that she might still be standing here with him was because she was flirting with him, or anything near to it. “Declan.” He held out a hand to her in greeting, it seemed the most appropriate so far. If she wasn’t angling for something, or wanting to gawk at him further, what was she doing? Was she possibly being the first person here to be nice to him? He wanted to say something else, but the words were failing him.

[Johanna Lehner]

Well he hadn’t yelled at her yet for denying his money. Johanna supposed that was as good as any of a start. She truly hoped she hadn’t implied that she was being rude. It just didn’t sit right with her taking payment for something she would have done for anyone. Well, anybody except that prat Jack anyway. Felt a little better that he seemed to be as unsure of how to proceed in this situation as he did. She probably should leave after formalities, if she got one. Although her schedule was clear for the next hour or so she had no idea if the boy shared a similar one. Didn’t know why she was thinking about where he was headed off to. She was just so damn intrigued by him.

”Is no worries.” When he finally spoke, it took all of her not to smile. His accent was captivating. There wasn’t a single doubt in Johanna’s mind that he wasn’t from here. She wanted to know where. She needed to tap into her father’s genetics and pick up the dialect. Or she could just stop being an idiot and ask. Would that be rude though? Why were there so many questions going through her head. His hand moved towards her. ”Declan.” How had she not noticed the tattoos on his hand as well? By that alone he certainly had to be covered in them. Johanna would be lying to herself if she said she didn’t want to see what was underneath. She also wondered if perhaps he was a member of a gang. IT wasn’t natural for a sixteen or seventeen year old to be covered in tattoos from head to toe. The thought caused a sense of anxiety but she did her best to push the feeling back to where it came from. She had no right to be judging a book by its cover. That’s what people did to her all the time.

Finally, she smiled. Taking the hand from her torso, she grabbed the one that was being offered to her and shook it. Merlin was he warm. His hands were rough, slightly calloused. She wondered what kind of work he did to cause his skin to react like that. Lifting weights must have been one of them. “It’s a pleasure to meet you Declan,” Johanna responded, dropping her hand and instantly bringing it back to her body. Took a moment to quietly suck on the lollipop in her mouth. She loved this flavor. ”JoJo!” Merlin she wished people would leave her alone. Nodding in the direction of the passerby, she offered them a small smile. People would be getting back to their classes or wherever they were supposed to be soon. Johanna had no idea what time it was but judging by the dwindling number of bodies in the corridor she figured it was almost time. “Well,” she said, taking the sucker out of her mouth. “Um…I’m keeping you from whatever class those books were needed for so you should probably get going.” She wasn’t sure she wanted him to leave but also didn’t want any of this on her conscious.

“What class are you getting ready to go to?”

[Declan Gable Krumovitz]

Her skin was impossibly soft when she shook his hand. She had a good handshake. Which, was good because it seemed that everybody was scared to shake his hand since he got here. Like if they gripped his hand firmly that he was just going to crush it on principal, which of course he wasn’t. It was like everybody just made instant assumptions about him the moment that they ever saw him. Not all of them were wrong of course. He caught her looking at the ink on his hands. Unorthodox, he knew. He might have a little more ink than most people. She didn’t look like she had a single one. He was fairly certain that nobody here had them. In the life that he had been living before coming here he perhaps hadn’t needed to get as many as this but in truth he had liked them. He had more than one friend who fancied themselves a tattoo artist and he had gotten his first one at thirteen, and then the rest had just happened as soon as the one before it had healed. Sometimes he didn’t even wait that long. It wasn’t even something he had ever thought twice about before coming here...where nobody had anything and the rules said that he wasn’t supposed to look the way that he does.

She was still standing here. She was still looking up at him despite everybody's insistence apparently that she leave. “It’s a pleasure to meet you Declan,” Declan nodded. The candy was pulled from her mouth and he couldn’t help but stare at it. Bright color in the world of uniforms. Hadn’t looked at her lips until she put it back. ”JoJo!” Declan’s shoulders felt like knots with people continuing to talk to her in this way. His hand shifted to hold the strap of his bag in place, his fist tightening around the leather, fully expecting for her to walk away. Only she still didn’t. She stood there like she didn’t have a care in the entire world. “Well,” Blue eyes shifted to hers as she spoke. She had that comfortable smile like nothing could really phase her. Was that true? Was that the type of person that she was? “Um…I’m keeping you from whatever class those books were needed for so you should probably get going.” For a moment he didn’t believe what she was saying. Not because he didn’t need to be going as well but simply because she didn’t seem to want anything in return. “You don’t want anything for the bag?” He muttered incredulous. It sounded almost impossible to him. She was dismissing him just that easily? “What class are you getting ready to go to?” Declan wasn’t actually certain the answer to that either. He had memorized his schedule and then it had shifted when he had broken that kids nose and since then he couldn’t seem to make it stick. He kept going to the wrong class on the wrong day. He pulled the worn sheet of paper from his pocket, still wrinkled and tried to smooth out his schedule, only to see that it was upside down and flipped it back over again. . “Charms.” he still had trouble with his ‘A’ sounds. They were coming out strange but the dragging out of sounds wasn’t familiar to him. He was used to just shoving everything all together at once. He flipped the paper over again to a crudely drawn map on the back of the page. He wasn’t sure which direction that was supposed to start in now but he would figure it out. Or he would get lost yet again. He certainly couldn’t ask for help because then that would be two favors that he owed her and he could not stomach that thought at all. “You?” He couldn't stop looking at her. Why couldn't he stop looking at her?

[Johanna Lehner]

”You don’t want anything for the bag?” Was he still caught up on that? Johanna doubted it was just to be a polite. Well, not just polite, but that was at least part of the reason. “No,” she laughed. “I promise its no trouble at all. Seriously. If it was I would have just let Jack keep your bag. On second hand, maybe I should have so that way he could have learned a lesson when you got it back.” Quickly realizing the way she said that last part could have been misconstrued, she nervously chuckled. “Not that I don’t mind getting to meet you and say hello.” Hopefully that was a good enough save. She added a smile just for good measure.

Her answer seemed to have satisfied him for the moment. Johanna continued to watch him silently as she worked on the sucker. Was about halfway done now. Wasn’t sure she had another in her bag but if she didn’t at least she had time to go back to the dormitory and take from the stash underneath her bed. Merlin willing she could find it anyway. There was so much stuff crammed under the mattress that she was constantly surprised it didn’t lift the bed up. Declan proceeded to pull an old looking sheet from his bag. Puzzled, Johanna tilted her head to the side to see if she could get a better look. The new view point didn’t do much to help. However, he answered the question in her head pretty quickly in that cute accent of his. ”Charms.” Could not at all refrain from smiling ear to ear. She had heard rumors about Declan for awhile now. Johanna was pretty sure he had been here for at least a couple of months. Although the castle was enormous, that seemed to be enough time for most to figure out how to get from point A to point B. Though, truthfully, with the staircases that liked to change directions at certain times of day or the statues moving when they felt like being petty to block a corridor, navigation around Galaxia could get pretty confusing.

“Oh!” Johanna replied. “That’s my favorite class. I love learning about the intricate little movements.” She freed her hand from her torso and pretended to cast an invisible spell with it. “The slightest change in direction-“ She stopped. “And something completely different happens.” She dropped her hand to her side. “It’s wild.” Taking another look around, she noticed the number of students had dwindled even more. If Declan was going to get to his class on time, or close to it, he needed to get going. “Do you know where you’re going from here? Unfortunately it’s back the other direction.” Lifting her arm up again, she made a closed fist with her thumb exposed and motioned behind her. “You really should get going so don’t get something stupid like detection.” Then an idea came to mind. Taking another lick at the sucker, Johanna shrugged at him. “You know the shortcut to get there?” She asked, arching a brow in question. “I’ll show you if you want.” The lollipop had gotten down to the point where she could bite it off of the soggy paper stick so she did just that. “No payment necessary,” she joked, as she slid the candy to the right side of her mouth. “Just doing a good deed. And…getting out of study hall. Promise they won’t notice I’m gone.”

[Declan Gable Krumovitz]

“No, I promise its no trouble at all. Seriously. If it was I would have just let Jack keep your bag. On second hand, maybe I should have so that way he could have learned a lesson when you got it back.” It wasn’t possible. Not in the slightest. It wasn’t possible that she didn’t want anything in return. He didn’t have a solid reason to know why he was so hung up on this particular thing but he absolutely was. Jack must have been the name of the other person. He wasn’t sure if she was implying that he looked strong, or if she had heard about how violence tended to follow him. He wasn’t entirely certain if he should ask her just what she meant because in all honesty, it probably didn’t actually matter in the long run. “Not that I don’t mind getting to meet you and say hello.” Did she...did she actually want to say hello to him? It had been months since somebody had actually felt genuine. A real interaction was like cool, clean water was splashed right over his face. He wasn’t entirely certain why he felt as disarmed by it as he did and really she had only been nice to him.

“Oh! That’s my favorite class. I love learning about the intricate little movements.” Little movements indeed. They were tiny movements. They were almost impossible for him to pull off properly. His arms were too bulky for the slighter movements but he could pretend that someday with enough practice that he might somehow be able to pull them off. Little wrist flicks. Incantations in a language that he couldn’t speak any easier than the others. Didn’t stop him from following the delicate little motion that she did with her wrist. She makes it look so easy. In truth he was certain a lot of things that she did came easily to her. “The slightest change in direction-“ Transfixed. It was the only way to describe it properly. “And something completely different happens. It’s wild.” A smile threatened his lips but he had to stop himself, glancing around them another time just to make sure that there wasn’t somebody standing around watching him. “Do you know where you’re going from here? Unfortunately it’s back the other direction.” That was what he was afraid of. Turning around to look in the direction that he had come from, that was exactly what he was suspicious of. Declan pulled his lower lip between his teeth and started to crumple the small map that he had just been looking at before shoving it right back into his pocket. “Well.” He muttered. He was just going to have to look like an idiot and come right back the way that he had come

“You really should get going so don’t get something stupid like detection.” No. He has had more than enough time in detention. It was a boring little room where they made him do boring little tasks. He had to write lines over and over again. He had to clean things by hand or other tasks that he would have been doing back home anyway. “You know the shortcut to get there?” Shortcut? Now that had his attention for sure. “I’ll show you if you want.” No prank? She would show him a shortcut? That would likely make his life here a hell of a lot easier. He was all for making his life easier here. “No payment necessary,” She sounded like she was joking, perhaps she was even teasing but he still wasn’t taking it perfectly seriously. “Just doing a good deed. And…getting out of study hall. Promise they won’t notice I’m gone.” He didn’t yet understand the purpose of study hall. He might eventually but it wasn’t something that made an abundance of sense to him yet. “So she says.” He wasn’t certain if she was going to know that he was joking as well or not. Without meaning to, he copied her stance and wrapped one arm in front of his body. “Help would be nice.”

[Johanna Lehner]

At the mention of a shortcut, Johanna gave herself a silent pat on the back. It was unlikely Declan would know her little secret. Most people didn’t. She had actually stumbled upon it by accident. Hadn’t been in a rush to get anywhere at the time. Actually, Charms had been her last class of the day back in her fourth year. The corridors were just too crowded and she had been feeling particularly flustered over an exam she convinced herself she had failed. It was one of the only times Johanna had left the girls behind, opting to just take the scenic route and see where her feet led her. Surprisingly enough, the paths less travelled were far more convenient then she could have anticipated. After finding herself in the courtyard in practically half the time it took normally, she chose to make use out of the extra time and walked amongst the grounds. Being outside had really helped elevate her mood that day. The weather was warm. The sun was bright and casting its rays onto the waves of the Great Lake making it appear as if the water was full of diamonds. Had she had her camera on her at the time she surely would have taken a picture of it.

“Come on,” she insisted, when he had still yet to respond. “You might see some cool things. Granted, they may not be there in an hour but you can at least say you saw them when you did.” She was really trying her best to sell this to him. ”So she says.” Was that a trace of sarcasm she detected? Johanna was sure Declan could see the amusement written across her face. No secret of it as he mimicked her before saying, ”Help would be nice.” She clapped her hands together. “There we go!” Swallowing the last bit of liquid sugar from the sucker, she looked to the side to adjust the right strap of her back bag. It had gotten a little loose after the extra baggage of Declan’s from earlier. Wisps of hair fell in front of her face as she finished adjusting. Without thinking anything of it, she pushed the strands behind her shoulders. Swore she was going to piss her mother off one of these days and just cut it all off. It only got more tempting as she got older and acted more defiant. With any luck the woman would be so devastated she’d leave the house for at least a month. Johanna could only dream.

Satisfied, she righted herself and turned on her heel. “Come on,” she said with a smile as she turned her head over her shoulder to look at him. “No more lollygagging.” He probably didn’t even know what that word meant. Johanna turned her face forward and began walking, taking a left as they reached the courtyard instead of turning around. “Don’t worry!” She called back. “This is all part of the plan.” She led the pair across the center towards an arched doorway behind the fountains. A few calls of her name sounded from the sides of her, but as she did in the corridors, she simply nodded and waved. While she was grateful that so many people took the time to acknowledge her and say hi, Johanna often wondered how true their intentions actually were. It was hard for her to believe that over half of them were actually genuine. Many kids in the past had used greetings from her as a sense of achievement. ”Johanna Lehner said hi to me today! If she knows I exist then maybe the other cool kids will!” The whole popularity gimmick was disgusting. Johanna hated that the school had such an unnecessary ranking system in place. Though for most it probably prepared them for adulthood.

As they walked through the arch, Johanna looked back again. “Keeping up?” Laughing, she shook her head and steered them towards the left. “So Mr. Strong and Silent, where are you from? That’s definitely no German accent. “More East I think?”

[Declan Gable Krumovitz]

“Come on, You might see some cool things. Granted, they may not be there in an hour but you can at least say you saw them when you did.” It was of a small comfort to know that it wasn’t just him that was seeing the changes in the castle. That somehow he wasn’t on drugs or doing something crazy, hallucinating or something. She was working very hard to convince somebody who was already sold. “There we go!” How silly of a thing that she was to the level of excited as she was over something so small. He had merely just agreed to let her show him around and already she looked like she was about to clap for joy. She was giving up her free time to spend time with him, it was better than he could have expected he supposed.


“Come on,” i] Follow or get left behind. Lines that his brother used on him all of the time. Follow instantly and silently, or else suffer the consequences was usually what he actually meant in those scenarios but those weren’t things that he was supposed to say out loud. Whenever he questions where his brother was telling him to go, it usually ended up with an injury of some kind. Hopefully, the same thing wasn’t about to happen here. He had no choice but to follow her he supposed. If he didn’t then he wasn’t going to get where they were supposed to be going. “No more lollygagging.” He didn’t know what that meant but he was going to follow her anyway. It was easy enough to keep stride with her because his legs were slightly longer than her own. He didn’t want to walk directly beside her because he didn’t have any idea where she was leading the two of them. “Don’t worry!” Worry? Why would he worry? If nothing else he would assume that he would be pulled into a classroom sooner or later. If he missed yet another lesson because of the same thing that nobody seemed to believe then he would be back in that detention classroom all over again. “This is all part of the plan.” Plan? Because of the shortcut. That had to be the plan that she was meaning. He didn’t want to think that she was luring him into some sort of elaborate hazing situation. He didn’t want to distrust her but he couldn’t help it. He couldn’t stop that instinct to distrust until proven. At least it was a very pretty picture that he was being taken down. He could smell the lake in the distance and the fountains that sparkled as they passed. It wasn’t a route that he had walked on his own yet. She managed to ignore every person that called to her along the way. Turning back into the corridors she still didn’t slow. He wished that she would simply because he wanted to better remember the path that they were taking. He wanted to memorize it, at least in the formation that it was in as of this moment. Perhaps tomorrow it would be different or the trees would decide that they no longer liked where they were sitting and they needed to relocate. Declan didn’t know if that sort of thing was actually possible or not but he didn’t doubt it.


“Keeping up?” of course he was keeping up he was in terrific physical shape. His looks weren’t totally just for show they were more than that as well. He was functional. He didn’t know how much longer it was going to take to get where they were going but he was thankful when she slowed so that he could make a mental map of how many turns they took and in which direction. It was really no wonder that everybody thought that he was slow. He was just having a lot of difficulty catching up. It was a great deal of information to shove into his brian all at once not to mention that he was now existing inside of a world that he had thought was only something that existed in fairytales. Left. They went left again. “So Mr. Strong and Silent, where are you from? That’s definitely no German accent. More East I think?” Declan nodded at her as he fell into a better pace now that they were back inside. He couldn’t stop watching the people as they walked past. They all seemed to be looking at her more than himself for once. “Da,” Why were they all looking at her like that? Like they were attempting to put together the pieces of a puzzle or perhaps something more. They seemed to be trying to make up stories in their heads as to how this must have been happening. “Mother Russia.” Of course she would know exactly what that was. In truth he probably should have been at the school there. Father had said that they couldn’t afford it. Father had said that if he was going to get a proper education in this nonsense that he couldn’t possibly accomplish it when he was so close to home. Too many distractions. Said that he wasn’t smart enough to really make that sort of effort if he wasn’t forced to. Father had said that this was his best option. So, here he was. He didn't know how to phrase any of that easily though. “Have you been here all years?”

[Johanna Lehner]

The best part about the shortcut was that Johanna was fairly certain no one else knew about it. Nobody except Declan now. Hopefully she wasn’t going too fast for him to process the twists and turns she was leading them on. Hopefully he would say something if she was. She was the type of girl that was always on the go. Sometimes having too much energy. She just found it so hard to stay still when there was so much to see and explore. If there was one thing she did envy about her mother though, it was that Colette had been all over the world. Granted, her mother had made it obvious that she never appreciated the parts she visited. Everything to her was always work, work, work. Johanna had asked her a few times when she was younger if she ever went out and about in her downtime. The woman would always give her a strange look and say no before asking why. The idea of being adventurous was unheard of to her. She was more than content to do exactly what was expected of her and be the best at it. Living life like that was just so boring. Though, in her mother’s defense, that could have just been her race. Johanna typically hated visiting Colette’s side of the family as they all were just like her. It also made her thankful for only being half-Veela as she inherited most of her looks and good nature from her father. She had asked her mother once before if all veelas were similar and the woman had given her a half-assed answer. The general gist being that no one was like her. Johanna had no interest in pursuing that conversation again.

Another quick right. They were alone in a smaller corridor now. Another perk of being the only one to know about this alternate route. It had always given Johanna a few minutes of necessary peace. Not that she hated interacting with people. On the contrary, she was quite the social butterfly. She found people so interesting. Everyone was so different. Everyone had different ticks. Everyone thought of things different. The magical brain was fascinating. Then at times it was annoying. Like really, really annoying. She was still young, but unlike most of the kids her age she found that they worried about things that were so trivial. Who cared about what other people did? Who cared about what shade of pink was in season?

Slowing her pace, Johanna wanted to make the best use of the same time they had left together. ”Da.” She fell into step with Declan. ”Mother Russia.” She should have known that. Russian’s accents were so unique. She had only ever met one before and that was a kid named Emorlai who was here for only his second year. From what she had heard, his parents didn’t approve of the teachings at Galaxia, whatever that meant, and brought him back home upon completion. It had been so strange to her because she felt like the school had so much to offer. There were such a variety of subjects. She had never once attended a class that didn’t challenge her to open her mind and think about things from a different perspective. Maybe that had been the problem? Tucking her thumbs underneath both of her shoulder straps, Johanna looked up at Declan. “What’s it like there? I’ve never been.” Emorlai had always come to school in the winter with thick fur caps and coats. She didn’t know if it was appropriate to make a joke about the cold with him quite yet. Declan seemed to be lightening up a bit, but given his reputation for being a loner around school she didn’t want to push him away. ”Have you been here all years?” Merlin his accent was so cute.

“I have,” she said, turning her gaze forward again. “I actually didn’t know if I was going to go here or Beauxbatons. That was the school my mother went to, well, for a few years anyway. Have you ever heard of it? I was really hoping I’d come here though because I had a lot of friends who were definitely going to be going here. I figured I had a pretty good chance since my dad is from Austria.” Words couldn’t describe the excitement that coursed through her when Johanna received her acceptance letter. Her mother had been furious for days afterwards. Randomly turning into the harpie-like creature Veelas were infamous for when they were angry. She always had to go an excuse herself so she could laugh when her mother had one of her episodes. She never understood why the woman was so upset. She hadn’t even finished her own schooling at Beauxbatons because the opportunity for a modelling career was too much to pass up. Johanna didn’t think she had a single right to judge what school she went to.

[Declan Gable Krumovitz]

What must it be like to be her? People wanting to stop and talk to her every few moments or so. He must admit it seemed strange to him. It wasn’t in the same familiar aspect that he was treated with his own friends he didn’t think. She didn’t actually seem interested in talking to any of them in return, or at the very least she was just more interested in Declan at the moment. He appreciated what she was taking the time to be here either way. This school simply didn’t interact like the public schools back home. Perhaps it was because this was magical. Still crazy. Magic. He could do magic. Not very well but it was there. He wondered if the girl in front of him was good at magic? Had she been raised around it? Was it something simpler for her to do? She said that she liked how complicated it all was and he didn’t know if he would ever get to a point that he shared her sentiments. Declan didn’t consider himself stupid, but he did think of himself as differently suited for learning. He was better with his hands. He was absolutely a hands on learner who did the best of his work when he could see and touch things. That just wasn’t possible with magic when it was all lights and flicks and then bam something happened. It was it’s own kind of incredible though, he supposed. “What’s it like there? I’ve never been.” How was he supposed to answer that question? Declan breezed a huff of air that almost could have been called laughter and rolled his shoulders back. “Cold.” much colder than it was here. The heavy jackets that had come with him weren’t used for any useful purpose instead they were used to cover up his tattoos or just for comfort. He liked the weight of his heavy coats but they were far too warm to be used here on any practical level. He was only hoping that in the winter, he might have a reason to actually use them. It wasn’t the most descriptive explanation of his homeland but he knew that most people tended to have their minds made up of people who come from Russia. Sometimes their opinions were almost funny. He had been asked once if he slept with yacks. Which, of course he did not but he had said yes just to see their reaction. It was almost like that was the answer that they had been expecting the entire time. People were incredible.

“I have,” Declan nodded and turned to walk backward while she spoke. “I actually didn’t know if I was going to go here or Beauxbatons” That was a word that he wasn’t even going to attempt to pronounce. ” That was the school my mother went to, well, for a few years anyway. Have you ever heard of it? I was really hoping I’d come here though because I had a lot of friends who were definitely going to be going here. I figured I had a pretty good chance since my dad is from Austria.” Declan’s eyes widened as she spoke. He was following what she was saying for the first part of her conversation but was totally lost for the second part. She spoke very quickly. “You speak fast.” Declan shrugged as a form of apology, lifting his bag further up on his shoulder. “Where is…” Declan moved like he was going to attempt to say whatever that fancy word was and then thought better of it. “The other school? Where you did not want go?” He had been in a similar situation he supposed, he didn’t even know what school his mother had attended. It had never occurred to him to ask. They weren’t overly close as a family. Apart from himself and his sister anyway. His relationship with his older brother was really a means of survival. Yevgeny was a mean bastard just like their father. Their younger brother, well, that was also strained but for different reasons.

“How you find shortcut?” He was trying his best to be friendly and keep the conversation going despite the fact that he normally wasn’t the sort of person to speak freely. Though it was easier for him to do so here, he wasn’t going to lie. People spoke so much here. He could walk past just about any grouping in the hallways and overhear very personal details. Perhaps that was just what life was like whenever one didn’t have to watch their every single word all of the time. He wasn’t certain. It was absolutely a learning curve. Really, he just wanted to continue hearing her speak.

[Johanna Lehner]

Johanna couldn’t help but to smirk to herself as he responded to her question about Russia. ”Cold.” Lowering her chin for a moment, she did her best to hide her amusement. Perhaps she could have gotten away with a joke. Still didn’t have any interest in risking it though. Not until she got him to open up a bit more. As she moved her head back to its normal position, she briefly pulled at the straps of her backpack and released a sigh as she did the same with the straps. Not too much further before they had to take another left to a flight of stairs that led downward. Johanna was fairly certain that the path below led to underneath the castle. They wouldn’t be down there for long but it probably the only part of the shortcut that gave her the creeps. The space was fairly limited. Her and Declan could work shoulder to shoulder and fit maybe another person and a half. The lack of space was likely to cause any claustrophobic a panic attack. Fortunately, she did not suffer from that particular fear and hopefully Declan didn’t either. If he did, he would undoubtedly be late for class.

Declan’s change in movement caught the corner of her eye. Couldn’t help but to beam up at him as his new walking position gave Johanna the perfect view. It was hard not to get lost in those piercing eyes of his, as intense as they were. They were such a unique shade of bluish-grey. She wasn’t sure she had ever seen that color before. Certainly had never seen the other parts of him on anyone else before. ”You speak fast.” She could feel the colors in her cheeks instantly. “Oh,” she mumbled, looking up apologetically. “Sorry, I should probably remember there’s a language barrier.” Had to make a mental note to slow it down. Or just keep her sentences short. “I get really excited when I talk.” That was definitely not a lie. Johanna couldn’t count the number of times the girls yelled at her to slow down when she was talking about something she was passionate about. Amirya had practically shoved a pillow in her face when she had showed her the new camera for father got her for her birthday last year. ”JoJo, I love you, but as long you can take some fire pictures of me, I don’t care.” Some people just couldn’t appreciate the little things.

The stairway was coming into sight. ”Where is…” Johanna arched a brow at him. Somehow he looked cuter when he was struggling to find the right words to say. ”The other school? Where you did not want to go?” She smirked at him again. Practically everyone got the Beauxbatons name wrong. “It’s in Paris, France,” she responded, slowly and emphasizing the ‘s’ as an ‘e’. Keeping her arms tucked in, she cast her hands to the side. “La Ville des Lumires,” she added in perfect French, allowing herself to spin carefully. Laughing at herself, Johanna smiled at Declan as she fell back into place. “It means ‘the City of Lights’.” Paris was one of her favorite places to visit. When they had visited during the summer holiday last year, she had spent hours in the park outside of the Eiffel Tower. Taking candids of love-struck couples, families that were also visiting and young children playing tag. She had been able to stay just long enough to see the tower light up with its majestic beauty. Johanna had remembered being mesmerized by it until her parents had forced her to leave. She, they, were all so small compared to the massive structure.

”How you find shortcut?” Almost near the stairs now. “An accident,” Johanna replied, “which is what’s going to happen to you if you’re not careful.” Placing her hand on his left arm, she forced him to stop. Merlin his muscles were even tighter then they looked underneath his uniform. How was it possible for him to have that many? Even that prick Schulte wasn’t as jacked at Declan. Her hand lingered for a moment before she realized what she was doing it. Dropping it instantly, she motioned with her head to the left. “Down here,” she said, passing in front of him and taking the staircase down. As she heard him follow, she continued talking at a slower pace. “I was having a bad day. Decided to go right instead of left. Then I just kept turning whenever I felt like it.” She paused for a few moments. “It’s very easy to get lost around here,” she continued, looking over at him, “sometimes its not a bad thing.” Taking a look down at her watch, she frowned. Only had a few more minutes before she needed to get them to the Charms classroom.

“So how do you like Galaxia? Are you learning a lot?”

[Declan Gable Krumovitz]

“Oh, Sorry, I should probably remember there’s a language barrier.” Just a quick flash of impossibly white teeth was the closest that he could get to a smile. Smiling had always made him feel strangely vulnerable. He wasn’t certain why but it didn’t feel natural on his face, at least not in public. Back home he had to look tough at all times, or else deal with being treated like you weren’t, and yet. More adjustments that he was needing to make. “I get really excited when I talk.”Yes of course, that was very obvious. She was easy enough to read. At least she looked like it, he knew that a lot of people could act one way when really they want to be thinking or acting another. He wanted to pay attention to what she was saying properly so missing too many of the words wasn’t going to be an option. “It’s in Paris, France,” There was something that he understood. Alexsi was obsessed with Paris. She had been her whole life. She was just about the only one in the family that didn’t want anything to do with the cold land that they called home. She was the one that wanted to travel, she was the one that wanted to get out and go places. However it just wasn’t in the cards for her it would seem. Each time that she wrote to him it was almost always about how jealous she was that he had managed to get out and how angry she was with him for not taking her with him. He understood, and it didn’t matter how many times he had said that he wished that he could have traded places with her, it just wasn’t possible. “La Ville des Lumires,” That was lost on him. He didn’t have the tongue or the head for languages. He was lucky that he could make do in just the three that he did know, and two of them were close enough together that he didn’t even count them as separate languages. Declan was of the opinion that French sounded like flowers. He thought that if flowers could talk, that they would all speak french. It didn’t matter where the flower was front, it would all speak the same thing. It just flowed to him. Like perfume in that sickly sweet smell. It must have been one of the languages that she spoke, her spin only cemented it further for him. “It means ‘the City of Lights’.” Declan’s brows rose in interest. He had always just pushed Alexsi away as having some silly girl fantasy, but that was a sister and it didn’t seem so silly coming from Johanna.

“An accident, which is what’s going to happen to you if you’re not careful.” Declan was almost called to show off. He wasn’t built like this for nothing, however he wasn’t going to fight her when she placed her hand on his arm and he was forced to walk back the correct way. He moved easily, thankful that he hadn’t gotten to the point where he was clumsy in his bulk. Her hand was warm, he could feel it all the way through the layers that he was wearing. “Down here,” Declan paused that the stairs. It was darker down there, he couldn’t quite see the bottom and his gut said that he probably shouldn’t just go wandering into places that he couldn’t see with strangers, then again he also didn’t want to insult her so down they went. . “I was having a bad day. Decided to go right instead of left. Then I just kept turning whenever I felt like it.” It didn’t surprise him at all that she ended up somewhere that she hadn’t meant to be because that seemed to be just about all that happened to him since he had arrived here. If she had been here all of her years and still managed to get lost, that actually made him feel a little bit better about it. “It’s very easy to get lost around here,” It was like she had read his mind. Pulled the thoughts right out of it. “sometimes it's not a bad thing.” So far the only lost encounter that he had had that was a positive thing was the one that he was on right now. Getting lost in the courtyard today seemed to be a much better choice for him. It certainly was working out well.

“So how do you like Galaxia? Are you learning a lot?” Declan couldn’t honestly answer that with a positive unfortunately. He only hoped that she didn’t notice the shameful way that he glanced momentarily down to his feet. He didn’t want to lie and say that he was getting along just fine because he wasn’t. “It is…” he trailed off, attempting to figure out the best way to proceed. It wasn’t like she hadn’t seen what had been happening earlier, he wasn’t just going to pretend like that hadn’t happened. “Difficult. Da, it is difficult.” It was just about the only judgement that he could make on the school because it wasn’t an issue so much with the institution but all of the contents inside of it. “Adjustment.” It was the kindest way he could put it, his lips pressing together in something that he meant to be a smile but was nowhere near it. “You seem have lot friends?”