Poison Ivy

I…didn’t ask you to worry about me. Between you and me, I think my sister does enough worrying about me for everyone in this school.

That was rhetorical. To make a point. I wouldn't have worried either way. 

He’s confused by Ivy’s remark, and almost starts wondering if she’s right before quickly reminding himself that he’s the one who is being a realist. She doesn’t want to accept the truth, Tyler told himself. It’s her fault, not mine. "Shut up," he said vehemently, clenching his fists. "Just because I hate what I am doesn’t mean I hate who I am. If you saw the truth like me you’d know exactly what I’m talking about. But you haven’t, because you’re afraid."

"That's a shame, because from where I'm standing, who you are is far more the problem than what you are." 

Tyler stood up and rolled his eyes again. “Oh, don’t give me that self-important bullshit! You know just as well as I do what Muggles are like, you live with them too. You’re the one who’s deluding yourself!” he called, getting a lot more worked up than he’d planned. Tyler didn’t even know why he was so angry, or so loud. Hadn’t he accepted long ago that this was the truth. “Fine! Go tell yourself more lies!”

She laughed coldly and turned back to him before she reached the dorm doors. "This from the boy who thought he was a muggle until his eleventh birthday. I'd ask if you'd have wanted you to hate yourself had you never received the letter, but I have a feeling muggles are the least of the reasons you have to hate yourself. Don't give me that pathetic attempt at dragging me down to your level." 

No…I just get distracted and forget to be careful.

Well, if potentially blinding yourself isn't enough to make you change your ways, I'm certainly not going to bother myself worrying about you. 

I’ll try my best. Usually it doesn’t quite work, though.

Why? Are you stupid?

"Whoa, calm down," Tyler laughed, balling up the remaining bit of the letter and tossing it in the fire, then turning around to face Ivy. He sighed and rolled his eyes when Ivy said that the letter would have to be important. "I didn’t even read it. See, not important. I just like to get rid of things that stupid Muggles send me, and burning them is really the only way to do a good job of it." Ivy was right, he probably could have just thrown it out, but burning the letter made Tyler feel like he was really standing up against his family, even if they had done nothing but send him a Christmas present.

"Then how do you even know it's unimportant or not? You didn't read it." She said, not looking up from her books. But she did look up at his next comment, pinning him with a venomous glare. " 'Stupid muggles'? I'll thank you to watch your mouth and your misplaced prejudice around me. My parents are muggles, and splendid people at that. Now, if the letter was from your parents and you feel they are stupid, that's your prerogative, but the word 'muggle' is not synonymous with 'useless' or 'lesser'." She was getting worked up now; he'd struck a deep chord with her. She stood suddenly and gathered up her things in a pique, her eyes flashing. "I think I'll go study in my room before any of your blind, self-loathing ignorance bleeds onto me." She snapped, turning to stalk around the couch and toward the dorms.

I…yes.

Well then. Seems a simple solution to me. Be more mindful in the future. 

Tyler shrugged and tossed another scrap into the fire. “Burning a letter,” he said nonchalantly, as if it were the most normal thing in the world. He was a little disappointed that Ivy had shown up instead of a pureblood who would be actually impressed by burning something a Muggle had sent him. “Seriously, if you want to throw a piece in go ahead. It’s not from anyone important.” Tyler wasn’t even seriously upset. There was that familiar feeling of shame at what his family was, but ripping the letter up turned the feeling into nothing more than mild annoyance.

"Thank you for stating the obvious." She sighed again in an attempt to get through exactly how exasperated he made her. "I meant what are you doing burning a letting in the common room? You could the whole bloody place on fire if you're not careful, which I doubt you're being." She shook her head at the offer. "I'll pass for the safety of our dormmates. And for the record, dramatically burning a letter in a fit of fanfare is not an 'unimportant' letter. If it was so unimportant, you'd have simply tossed it in the bin and been done with it." She stalked over to a couch and set her books across the coffee table, preparing to study while Tyler did whatever he wanted with that 'unimportant' letter. 

I-…It wasn’t…I didn’t…It was an accident.

An accident that could have been avoided had you been paying any bit of attention to what you were doing, am I correct? 

*pulls two chocolate frogs out of her bag.* Thanks. 

*Shrugs and takes the chocolate.* Whatever. I assume you have things to be working on as well. I'm not expected to sit here and entertain you or anything ridiculous?

2 chocolate frogs and I’ll help you with whatever you’re working on. I’m desperate.

But I'm not. *She sniped.* I will take the chocolate frogs though while I work on my own work. *She said primly, sitting in the aforementioned chair and holding out her hands for her chocolate frogs.* 

Sit here. That fourth year over there. *nods with her head in the direction.* Don’t look now he’s probably staring. He keeps trying to sit here and I’m running out of excuses.

What's in it for me?

(Ed looked up, blushing in embarrassment with his eye still twitching a bit) Paint…

Well that wasn't very intelligent now was it? Perhaps you should leave the toxic supplies alone until you are properly aware you can handle the daunting task.

Library

Probably not but feel free to ask regardless. 

The Great Hall

*Looks up from her book to the boy standing near her.* What's what? You'll have to be a little more specific if you're hoping for someone to actually be able to answer you. 

Do you think the Frog Choir will get upset to hear I borrowed one of their toys? There were more guitars there, so they won’t miss it, I swear.

Oh no. I'm sure they'll be thrilled to hear you're stolen from them, of course.

Oh…oh, Merlin! I got it in my eye!

*Rolls her eyes but can't ignore the shouts for long, and with a long suffering sigh, turns to the boy.* Pray tell, got what in your eye?