thine own self

“I don’t like loud noises and people making a fuss, and I especially don’t like people celebrating because they know a piece of private information about me.”

“Right, right. On the down low, I get it. Can’t let everyone know-” Frankie raised his voice, “-that you’re the real mvp.” A few eye rolls, Frankie didn’t mind.

“For you? Anything. But, It is going so. well. Thanks for asking man, it means a lot, really”

The sides of his mouth tugged upward, mirth etched on his visage. “If everyone were to know, they may begin flocking around in masses for the latest story. You of all people have experience with what such scrutiny is like.” Not that Brent wasn’t already garnering more attention than he would prefer with his father having been elected as Minster of Magic and the announcement of his betrothal. “I am glad to hear it. Should you ever need it, I’ll give you my phone number.” Brent outstretched his hand, anticipating Frankie to give him his own so that he could insert his contact information. “I am one of the few that won’t be at any of the parties, so if you ever need company?”

“Who ya gonna call? Ghostbusters! …it’s a movie. You don’t know that movie? A ghost gives Dan Aykroyd oral sex.” @notttobe

"I see.” Brent knew neither the movie nor the actor mentioned, unsure why Lily Potter was mentioning it to him in the first place. Perhaps to get a rise out of him? “I’m not familiar with the film, but if that is the most memorable scene, I don’t think that I am missing out on a cinematic masterpiece.”

“You, me, and our friend Destiny. But we could meet at Castelobruxo though, if you wanted. It’s nice. Although, I mean, why does it have to be lost and won? We can just win instead. With your superior bookish knowledge and my charming personality – i.e. ability to mix drinks – we could absolutely achieve world domination.”

"Destiny? Are you leaving your life to fate now?” Brent himself would never do anything of the sort. “It is a little late for that, is it not? It’s our last year, and we are not stopping at Castelobruxo for the tournament. And I doubt a campaign based on literature and alcohol would win over the people.” Though after the last magical British election, anything was possible. “I had assumed you would become a journalist who attempted to dismantle dictatorship regimes rather than assume position in one yourself.”

“Naturally. What good would wisdom be if it did not establish reasonable lines. Parties such as the one tonight, however — well, would choosing either be particularly wise?”

"You seem to forget that we are surrounded by unreasonable teenagers who, despite being at a tournament that can reward them with an internship, are not thinking of their futures at all.”

// @notttobe

“Look, we all go way back and uh, I owe you from the thing with the guy in the place and I’ll never forget it.”

"Ah. I thought that we were not going to speak of that again? But it is best you not forget it, even if I do not intend to cash in the favor. Consider it one more reason to continue your sobriety streak. Is that going well for you?”

@notttobe

“When shall we three meet again? In thunder, lightning, or in rain?”

“When the hurly-burly’s done, when the battle’s lost and won,” Brent recited back to her. “Are you referring to an actual meeting? If so, then I suppose it depends on which three of us you are referring to. And where we are at. If we are visiting Castelobruxo, I would deduce that rain is most likely.”

“Sit down. Rest.”

“There's a time for daring and there's a time for caution, and a wise man understands which is called for.”

But Fletcher had always known was a nuisance he was. While back at Hogwarts, he had done these things on purpose. Always acting completely oblivious to it, he never really enjoyed watching people squirm or get frustrated over the things he did. Upon soul searching during his first year at UIM, Fletcher had realized he acted this way as some sort of coping mechanism just to keep people away by ensuring that they did not like him. That he was some druken party animal, or a fool, or an ass, or whatever it was he chose to be in that situation. However, realizing this had not stopped him.

“Brent if you are trying to say I do dumb shit, or that I used to do dumb shit, you ain’t gotta wax poetic about it. You could have just said ‘Fletcher. You’ve done some dumb shit that I had forgotten about until you reminded me. Good times’.” It had taken Fletcher until the end of his fourth year to realize that he enjoyed Brent’s company. Sure, Nott was a real pain in the neck, a stick in the mud, an ass, what have you. 

“I think my hair looks nice, thank you.” He hadn’t looked in the mirror all day. “Oh, I don’t suffer too much.” He hated UIM, “Shit school’s not as shitty as Hogwarts was. Hey, I even go to class there.”

Brent understood that he was a difficult person. Hard to talk to or approach. He didn’t know any other way to be, really, and even if he didn’t, he wouldn’t, not caring for being in the business of being a dishonest version of himself. If people couldn’t handle him, if they didn’t like him as many didn’t, so be it. Hogwarts was a place of learning and he intended to utilize the educational experience to empower him enough to succeed. Making friends was not part of the plan, although there were a select few who had slipped through the cracks despite his initial impressions of them. Fletcher may not be a friend in the truest sense of how Brent had come to define the term, but he was a rare someone that Brent could stand without too much issue. The male dormitories had not been quite the same without him, even if Brent had welcomed the peace. The wit was missing. 

“I could have, perhaps, but it is more amusing to have you attempt to discern what it was that I was getting it. You, at the very least, were always self-aware unlike some of the others.” And Fletcher had always known how to play the game. He may be foolish, but he knew how to play his cards. “Though perhaps not as much as I thought, if you are unaware that Maladh’s climate also does not appear to be doing the curl in your hair any favors.” 

As hopefully a future educator, he could see why different schools would work for different types of students. “Is that so? Is that because Filch is not there to entice you to skip, so that you can have an excuse to have detention with him?”

A few of the partygoers already seemed to know to avoid Anita after she had started yelling in a panic. While the boy was much more levelheaded than she was, it didn’t really seem to help – she was going to feel upset regardless. “If you’re trying to get us back, then where is the fucking pier?”

It didn’t seem to make sense to go back to a place when she didn’t even know where to go back to. 

For someone so critical, Brent had his fair share of patience. Dealing with first years who didn’t know better was actually not difficult for him, but this? It was thinning his tolerance threshold for nonsense. “Do you not comprehend how magical transportation works? A portkey would take us back to the pier and if you were able to Apparate,” he was assuming that she was not considering her utter lack of focus and how easily she was rattled. “You would just have to think of the resort as your destination. Or do you not know where that is either?”

Vegas watched as the other girl disappeared towards the portkey before returning her gaze to the boy rather guiltily. “If I’m being entirely honest, I don’t know anything about the cat other than that it’s missing, I just figured it would make a good diversion. 

– Not that I don’t care about the missing cat, of course! I did promise to keep an eye out for it, I just… well, you seemed pretty uncomfortable with that other girl grabbing you like that, that’s all. Though I’m sure you’re…perfectly capable of handling yourself! ”

Brent nodded understandably. Searching for a cat would have wound up being a rather fruitless endeavor anyway, considering how vast the streets of Dubai were and how littered they were with strays the way that it was. “It did serve its purpose.” 

As he listened to the blonde prattle on further, he continue to nod, more than ready to begin making his trek back to the resort. “She was rather insistent and didn’t seem to take any of my indications that I did not wish to go with her. I appreciate you stepping in.”

“sounds DULL—-so right up your alley, right? oooh, i bet since zach and i left you’re just been having the time of your life, hosting impromptu book clubs and boring people to death with your almost award-worthy prefect lectures.” she shrugged, “i can always catch the next, zach won’t blame me for being fashionably late, and who am i to ignore a damsel in distress? see, i’ve evolved, brent nott. and you may not have the power to break up the party, but god knows your disapproving glare would kill the buzz faster than an avada kedavra. anyway—-i heard you were betrothed, so  w h y  are desperate social-climbers hanging onto you like a niffler on a galleon?”

There was satisfaction to be found in reading and pride to be earned in being a designated Prefect. He didn’t expect Valeria to understand, however, and saw no need to make remarks in turn. He was comfortable with who he was. “I have no vested interest in breaking up parties here. It would be a waste of my time to do so. You have free reign here.” Why would he bother attempting to enforce rules where there was far more Maladh had to offer that captured his attention and was his idea of fun? Let the rest of them engage in their parties and other teenaged, dramatic affairs. So long as he could be kept out of it. An increasingly harder task now that he was arranged. “You heard correctly, but you are also a pureblood and reside in that social circle. Or perhaps it is that age old appeal of wanting something they seemingly cannot have. As I recall it, telling you, for instance, not to do something only tended to encourage you to do just that.”

Anita immediately tensed at the vibration of the bass, feeling the entire deck pulse to the music. She cursed before letting go of the boy, her eyes staring at the ground before he tried to get her attention again. Unfortunately, she didn’t hear half of his sentence over the music, and she just shouted the first thing on her mind.

“I was trying to do something nice! Now look what you’ve done!”

Brent certainly did not want to be at the party either, but he could not comprehend why the girl was reacting with such an outburst. He was not responsible for this. He had not asked for her assistance, nor had he asked to be harassed by the insistent girl who had dragged them there in the first place. As it seemed to be necessary to get through to her, he spoke louder, but clearly, “And I am in turn attempting to get us back to the pier. There are bound to be other portkeys around and if not, the one that we used to get here will surely be scheduled to deport soon. There is no need to get so upset.”

“brent?“ the sight before her was something else. the girl was obviously pining for his attention as per usual he wasn’t having any of it. it was almost funny to her – almost like reading a teen fiction novel where somewhere in the chapters ahead he’d fall for her. lame. to be honest, maria found those ‘heroines’ a bit pitiful when they couldn’t take an obvious no for an answer and in this girl’s case it seemed that it wasn’t enough. “what’s going on??” she shot a quizzical look at the girl that she’d so cleverly blocked with her arm looping through her cousin’s which had made her back off. “–i was wondering if you’d walk me back to the school if you’re not busy?” she turned back to a very frustrated brent, hoping that he’d take the hint and make his escape.

To Brent, there was little that was funny about the situation. It was unsettling and irritating. This stranger had no right to try and lay a hand on his person, but the one who swooped in at a perfectly timed moment did. Throwing an appreciative look to his cousin, Brent gave a nod. He didn’t even spare a glance toward the girl before addressing Maria. “Of course I will. I was just about to head that way myself.” Arms comfortably linked, he began to lead the two of them back toward Maladh. “That was quite the entrance that you made. An appreciated one. I had imagined that you would be going to the party,” And he still believed that had been her plan, considering that she had clearly been on her way to the portkey herself. “Or at the very least you would not want to spend the first Saturday here catching up..”

“Well, Brent, don’t look too excited about seeing me, you’ve got a rep. to maintain.” Fletcher grinned at his former roommate. How could one have a conversation with Brent Nott and walk away without being thoroughly amused? It always perplexed Fletcher when he heard other students moaning about Nott. Sure, he was uptight. But the guy was great. “Excuse you. Did she ever steal your charms homework and try to pass it off as her own? She do the crossword in your copy of the news? Did Carrow ever drunkenly piss on your bed while you were in it? No? Obviously, she should be your favorite expelled Gryffindor. I was a shit roommate.” 

“Sure. Except for the humidity bites in the American south. You wouldn’t believe it mate, you step outside and it’s like, you really can’t breathe. And your hair, just sort of puffs up instantly? And the moquitos, don’t even get me started. War is hell, war is hell.”

Brent dismissed the idea that he was excited to see Fletcher Parkinson. Maybe it was just relief from being out of his precarious predicament that left him enlivened. “Don’t misunderstand the situation, Parkinson.” As he was reminded of just a few of the other’s long list of transgressions and slights that were personally committed against Brent during his time at Hogwarts, he didn’t hide his distaste, nose scrunching. But the crinkle of his brow did not linger, easing. “Ah, what is this, character growth? Admitting how much of a nuisance you could be?” There was no harshness accompanying the words. “The brain is a powerful thing. A thing that you seem more content to not utilize, but its powerful enough that I had repressed such dreadful memories until you brought them back to the surface.”

haru had spotted him just in the nick of time. heels sounded out a confident walk as she headed over towards the pair – or lack thereof – eyes practically on fire. the fact that there would no doubtfully be cameras around was more than enough to split the two apart. “get lost.” if looks could kill the girl would have dropped right there. though that look softened as she turned to her –fiance? friend? neither seemed to fit but she had already tore the girl’s hand from his arm. “if you can’t handle some girl hanging all over you, how are you going to handle anything else?”

The girl was quick to scatter, the lethal glare from Haru apparently meaning more than Brent’s own protests. Glancing around, he started walking away from the portkey that was sure to have people gathering around it soon. He doubted Haru would want anyone to hear their conversation. “Everything else?” Brent repeated with an inquiring inflection, regarding his arranged partner skeptically. “It is rather difficult to sway me and I can assure you I would have found a way to handle the situation.” He was known for his composure, prided himself on it. He may have the reputation of being a stick in the mud and rumors may have swarmed around him, but he was also discreet enough that few knew anything substantial about him.