What If: Expelliarmus My Heart

What If: The Fontane's magical heritage carried over to a different canon…a very Hogwartian canon…

Classes are underway this fine Scottish afternoon, and the meadows surrounding the Hogwarts castle are still, and, calm, and…

"PETRIFICALUS TOTALUS." Ivan calls out, his robes whipping around him as the sharp movement jerks him away. His target, a rather burly young man who's face has been frozen into an expression of pure rage, falls to the ground face first. This leaves a very young, very flustered, and very triumphant Ivan to do what he does best in the face of victory.

Run. As fast as he can, towards the Entrance Hall. After all, he'll need to be around people for when the seventh year breaks free from the spell and comes hungry for blood.

-

Defense Against the Dark Arts just happens to be letting out, which is allowing Scarlett to make her way toward the Great Hall. To do this, she must pass through the Entrance Hall, whereupon she very nearly runs face first into her running brother. What she sees in his wake is a seventh year who is on the ground about to get swarmed by other students that are about to burst into the hallway as various other classes end.

Whisking her wand from the hidden pocket in her robe, the female Fontane twin exhales a sigh. Pointing the wand at the poor boy, she calls out, "Finite Incantatem!" It takes several long seconds, but just as the halls start to swarm with younger students the poor young man is able to get up without being trampled to death.

"Shouldn't you be in class, brother?"

-

Ivan, with all his sixth year sprightliness, bounds right by Scarlett, pausing in his steps with a cry of surprise to calm himself down. "S-sorry Scar, I - what are you doing don't free him!" His high-pitched squeal of terror is particularly unbecoming of Ivan, but he doesn't care. Dignity is the last thing on his mind as he literally makes a flying leap for a particularly dark spot behind a full suit of armor. The why will be clear soon enough - as the fallen lad from before makes his way to his feet, he casts a furious gaze around before screaming; "FONTANE. I'll murder you, I swear it!"

Luckily, however, the hulking seventh year doesn't end up finding Ivan, leaving the twin to emerge with a sigh of relief. "I - err, class? Dunno. Shouldn't you be out there ruining the fun of people everywhere?"

-

"Murder me, whyever for? I just freed you, you big lug." Scarlett shoots a very charming smile at the furious seventh year, not even letting on that her twin is anywhere nearby. They may be in different houses, but he is still family. Once the larger student has wandered on his way, she slides the wand back into its hiding place, and lifts he shoulders in a small shrug. "I have a free study period. I was going to work on my Arithmancy homework, but I think that Professor McGonagall wanted to see me."

-

And but whom should happen upon the siblings Fontane? None other than Carter Moore himself, Hufflepuff dweeb extraordinaire. His robes swish as he steps up to the familiar siblings and gives an easy smile to them both. "Hiya Scarlett, hi Ivan. Need any help with that arithmancy homework later? I'm getting good marks in it." He pauses long enough to look Ivan up and down before stuffing his hands into the pockets of his robe. "Rough day?"

-

Ivan is not oblivious when it comes to his sister's loyalty. This is why, when all is said and done, Ivan heaves the slightest of sighs. "…Thanks," he finally gruffs out, rolling his shoulders back in a desperate attempt to win back some of the dignity he has lost while squealing like a little girl and hiding behind statues. "Richardson is a brutish oaf, you know. Takes offense at the slightest of things…" Because, you know, it's unreasonable for any man to be upset when Ivan chats up his girlfriend. Really, it is. Smoothing out the front of his robes, he only glances upwards once again when Carter appears. "Oh. S'you. Hullo Moore." Despite the fact that he's positively dripping with excitement - ahem - he does give the Hufflepuff a rather respectful nod of acknowledgement. "Arithmancy? Ha! I don't worry about marks anyway. S'not how well you do, it's all about who you know once you graduate. My father works at the Ministry, you know? He's already looking to find me an internship for this summer!"

-

"You're most welcome," Scarlett mutters to her brother with a roll of her eyes. Loyal she may be, but she's well aware that this little foul up was likely due to some antic or another, and it was merely easier to fix it now as opposed to waiting until Snape asked her what was going on. When the Hufflepuff appears, she quite forgets that her brother is there. Until he hassles the other boy. "I would actually love someone to work on it with later. It's far from my best subject, and if I don't pull this grade up before the end of the year, Professor Vector is going to give me work to do over the summer." Really, she is a good student. Several distractions this year have just kept her from giving her all in every single subject.

-

"Professor Vector isn't SO bad…" If you keep your grades up. "I'm sure that we can work something out. Maybe you can help me with my flying in exchange. I don't have any problem lifting off, but I have problems sustaining…" Carter trails off there before coughing and looking to Ivan. "Well, that's what you may think NOW, but you can't always count on other people to do it for you, you know. But everything ALWAYS works out for you." Cue anguished sigh. Carter reaches up to toussle his blond locks before giving the siblings another easygoing smile. "Didn't I hear that Richardson's girlfriend got caught passing her mate a note about you?"

-

The sheepish smile that alights Ivan's features are highly damning. There is nothing even remotely innocent about this boy. "Maybe. Oy, it can't be helped! And it's not my fault - I don't control what people talk to their friends about. I don't see how I'm responsible for this at all." He wouldn't, of course. It is with a boyish, inexplicably smug sense of entitlement that he ends up scratching the back of his neck. "Hey - s'not about counting on other people to do it for you. It's about having them open the proverbial door for you, and then once the opportunities are their, performing to the best of your abilities."

-

That Scarlett managed to pass her O.W.Ls for Arithmancy were a small miracle in and of themselves. Her Exceeds Expectations in them were enough to get her into her final N.E.W.T level class, but now she's struggling with the overload of courses. It is her most sincere, and most charming smile that is graced upon Carter. "That sounds like a reasonable deal. I'll speak with Madam Hooch when classes are over for the day, and see if we can't book the Quidditch pitch for the afternoon tomorrow." Flying happens to be one of her favorite subjects. When mention of Richardson's girlfriend comes up, the female Fontane twin just shakes her head. "I knew he had a reason to be angry. Be careful, Ivan. She really honestly isn't worth the hassle."

-

Carter gives Ivan a rather skeptical before letting out a quiet sigh of surrender. "Hard work is it's own reward!" He says, before shaking his head at the other boy. "You're incorrigible, Fontane." He turns to look at Scarlett for a moment with a pensive look that says he's contemplating his next words very carefully. "That sounds great. Just don't tell TOO many people. I have performance anxiety. It's bad enough when the ones that are in my lesson are there…" Carter gives Ivan a distinct warning look that says the plea was more for him than his sister.

-

Ivan chuckles under his breath, quite smugly. "It's what the French call my 'je ne sais quoi'. My natural charm and…animal magnitism if you will. Although, do you really believe that?" He inquires, peering over at Carter with some amusement. "Seriously. No lie, no joke…do you like working hard - regardless of the pay off? I'm curious." When Scarlett warns him about the hassle that women can be, green eyes roll expressively. "I know, I know…I'm not doing anything wrong!"

-

"If you weren't doing anything wrong, brother, then why did I come upon a petrified Richardson?" Scarlett simply shakes her head at her brother, at most of what he says, but she does feel she has to quip in about something. "Working hard for what you want, regardless of the pay off is much more rewarding than cheating your way into things." There is a nod that is given to Carter, and another smile. "Well you obviously did well enough to pass your flying O.W.L, Carter. I'm sure the only difficulty you're having is confidence, and we can work on that too. I promise I won't breathe a word to anyone but Madam Hooch though."

-

He passed at the minimal amount, but he's not going to divulge that to Scarlett. Or Ivan. The Moore simply flushes a little bit and smiles sheepishly. He shrugs his shoulders a little bit at Ivan. "I'd rather earn something by actually earning it, and if I fail… I'll just know I need to better myself." Carter seems somewhat amused by the mental image of petrified Richardson, although makes no immediate comment. The guy IS something of a jackass. "Listen, if Ivan wants to get in trouble, we should let him. Just remember that when you're running away from an angry mob of men whose women you've stolen, we shant offer you a place to hide!"

-

"Yeah? What about earning something but not actually receiving it? Like…say you put in all this effort into getting a promotion? And you work really hard and everyone knows you deserve it…and the new kid gets it over you? Do you still think the effort was worth it? That the work was it's own reward?" As the inquiry spills from Ivan's flapping lips, he reaches into the inside pocket of his robes to produce on long, particularly springy wand made of yew. Deftly, the artifact moves in between his fingers, before he stops to blink at the pair. "I seriously didn't, okay. I treated her the same way I treat everybody. It isn't my fault he overreacted and decided to channel his inner troll! So - what now? You're saying that I ought not to talk to anyone who isn't single?"

-

While her brother does pose a very interesting question, the response he receives from his twin is a mere shrug. "One cannot stop nepotism, one can just try to surpass it by doing the best they can, and working hard to achieve their goals. Father may work at the Ministry, and you may be his darling widdle Ivy-Poo, but should I receive an internship this summer it shant be because I asked father to procure it for me. It will be of my own hard work and perseverance." Scarlett is just really not the type to cheat someone else out of a position just because of who her daddy is. "I trust you, Ivan. I still don't think she's worth it though, and I think you should be careful since Richardson thinks that you think she is." Next time, she won't be around to help him out of a bind either.

-

"I agree with everything that Scarlett said." Because it takes the guess work out of everything, really. Carter licks his lips in silent contemplation before he hears the 'Ivy-Poo' and casts a horrified look upon Ivan. "Of course you can talk to girls who aren't single. You probably just shouldn't ask them if… well, nevermind." He won't say it in front of the other boy's sister, for crying out loud. Let's just say he heard there was some innuendo involving Ivan's wand… "Are you guys going to Hogsmeade this weekend? I'll tag along. I need to pick up a new wand… Fletcher broke mine in half…"

-

"So, you're saying I wont deserve the position? Despite being qualified in every way and, to top it off, probably extremely skilled at my work? But, because I just so happened to have an inside connection, I'm morally reprehensible? You know what I think of that?" Ivan inquires with a mischievous smile. "That's a big, steaming pile of," and he trails off here, writing the next word into the air with his wand. The script is big, and bold, and a glittering, attractive cacophony of rainbow colors. It says, "DUNG".

"Anyway, yeah yeah." With a wave of his hand, Ivan dispels the visual aide cheerfully enough. "I'll back off. Or something. Anyway…you're roommates with that Tabitha girl, yeah?" Ivan inquires curiously, mischief written on her features. "She cool? Hm? Oh, yeah, Moore. 'Course I am. I'm thinking of heading out early, too. Scouting out the masses. So, you can tag along if you'd like."

-

"No, what I'm saying is that you should likely apply for the position like everyone else, and see if you get it. Not have father push it through for you just because." Scarlett is willing to let this particular discussion drop, however, as it's undeniable that the twins will never see eye to eye on it. "You had best hope that Professor Snape doesn't catch you making rainbow colors."

There is a second or two of consideration. "Tabitha? To be honest, Ivan, I really don't think you stand a chance. She absolutely abhors anything to do with Slytherin, and that, my dear brother, would likely include you." She turns toward Carter, and smiles. "You're more than welcome to come with. I'd enjoy the company."

-

Carter nods towards both the siblings gratefully. "Thanks… my parents are going to kill me for needing a new one, but it's not MY fault." He pauses and grins at Ivan. "No one ever said you were morally reprehensible, Ivan. Connections are valuable, but… not everything." He shrugs his shoulders and takes his hands out of his pockets, holding up a box of Bertie Botts. "Beans, anyone? Unloaded most of the booger and dirt flavored ones on a first year… who says he's collecting them. I'm worried about the first years, this year."

-

"And what distinguishes your from the hundreds of other qualified candidates? Connections are everything. But, you guys just aren't clued into it yet. Us Slytherin are a rather advanced lot." Proudly, Ivan tucks his wand away, before peering at his sister and even offering her a boyish snicker. "I bet it's just a facade of Snape's. I bet pink is his favorite color, I do." Apparently, ragging on his own head of house is a well loved past time of Ivan's. "And, she doesn't, does she? Perfect. I love a challenge." When the beans come up, Ivan considers, looking quite tempted for a moment before declining with a rather gracious shake of his head. "Ahh…no thanks, mate. And, man, seriously! They're so tichy! And…is it just me or have they gotten dumber?"

-

"Carter, you really shouldn't be that mean to a first year." It comes out before he finishes saying what he does, and she laughs. "I have a feeling he's collecting them so that next year he can feed them to a first year." Sadly, this means she's going to have her work cut out for her next year. "The Beans or the students? You couldn't even float your feather in the first year, Ivan, so don't be ragging on the first years just because they're having a difficult time." Scarlett reaches for a bean. A pretty little red one. She chews it silently for a moment and then smiles. "Rose flavored? I've never had the opportunity to try one of those before."

-

The blond boy snorts at Ivan's words about first years having gotten dumber. "If we're the future of this country, I fear for everyone and everything." He waggles his brows before he plucks one of the beans out from the box — a blue one — and puts it in his mouth. He chews thoughtfully without making a horrid face. "Oh, Scarlett. If I was being mean, I'd have done what they did to all of Hufflepuff our first year and put Ex-lax in the pumpkin juice." Carter glances to Ivan, shivering a bit as he imagines Snape in pink robes. "Thanks for the mental image, mate… except not so much."

-

"They put…what?" Ivan stares at Carter with growing disgust, his lips curling unpleasantly. "Ugh. That'd make for some rancid loo, I can only imagine. You Hufflepuffs are a strange, strange brood. And, hey! The important bit is I got it! I could be as good a student as you if I put in half as much time studying as you do. The difference, dear sister, is that I'd rather have a life. Anyway…" And he glances around the hall curiously, his lips licked in a thoughtful manner. "Speaking of a life…"

-

"Oh my gosh! If I had known that…" She likely would have run right to Professor Sprout. "That is just awful. I'm very thankful that Gryfindor tends to rise above such things." There is a small, proud, hmph that accompanies that statement. "One can study to perfection, and still have a life. I have to really focus on my N.E.W.Ts if I want to become an Auror though, and so I can't afford to let my studies slide while I flirt my way into trouble with Gwen's boyfriend." Not that she would ever wish to flirt with Gwen's boyfriend, but that is entirely beyond the point. "Besides, brother dear, good things come to those who wait, and I have a lot of patience since I've had to deal with you my entire life."

-

"Well, the elder Hufflepuffs didn't do it. The Slytherins did." Carter lets out a quiet chuckle before shrugging his shoulders in a 'what can you do?' manner. He watches Ivan as the other boy scans the hallways, looking momentarily amused before Scarlett mentions the N.E.W.Ts. "Ugh, don't remind me. I have to start cramming right away if I want to make good enough marks to work for the Ministry. Maybe if I talked to your dad… he could give me a few pointers." It's not quite the same as what Ivan does, is it? Carter scritches at his chin thoughtfully while he considers that.

-

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. I love you too, Scary Scar. Anyway, I think I'm going to catch you cats later, alright?" Ivan offers over to them, giving them a sort of two-fingered salute, he smiles and starts to take a few steps away from the pair. "Try not to bore yourselves to death without me, okay!" And off he runs, to make mischief and all sorts of merriment.

-

"Figures," Scarlett says with a frown. Leave it to the Slytherins to make life miserable for everyone. A half-wave is offered to her twin as he makes his exit. "Do you have a free period now, Carter? I just need to run to talk to Professor McGonagall about something, but then I'm free until potions this afternoon." She shifts her books in her arms a little, then looks down at the floor. "I would love that Arithmancy help if you've the time."

-

Carter grins at Scarlett, waving absently to Ivan as the other Fontane twin bounds off. "Sure, I can spare some time." He offers Scarlett his arm. "Shall we then? I have some things that I should pick up first, a couple of notes, but then we can go study." And off it is. Just another day at Hogwarts, what with the laced pumpkin juice, debauchery, and broken wands…

Unless otherwise stated, the content of this page is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 License