“I know exactly what we’re dealing with, I have no false pretenses about anything nor am I going around life with rose coloured glasses.” She hissed between clenched teeth, wanting nothing more than to put space between the two of them so she could think clearly. “I don’t care about anyone else, not anymore. I’ve got a job to do and I plan on doing so, I’m not about to let anything else get in the way of that.” If Tavia did as he asked, actually considered what he was saying, she was scared of where she would find herself and what she would feel. “And who or what exactly are you then Alec?”

“I don’t think there are many people going around with rose-tinted glasses. There’s a difference between wanting to see the best, and believing it.” He informed her, defending those who didn’t want to be bogged down by the same sorrow that Octavia was every day. He didn’t know himself which was the best way to be. “It’s not a bad thing to have people around who want to help you, Octavia.” Alec said plainly. It would do her no good to have no one on her team. “I’m my own person -- and I can make my own decisions, beyond what any of my family do. And I’m someone who wants to help you, not hinder you.” 

What’s more important: Looks or personality?

Personality is the most important factor when dating. 

“I think that the people in this town like to sit around playing pretend. I think that everyone is either living with their heads so far up their own arses that they don’t even see what’s happening right in front of them.” After all if what Alec was saying turned out to be true, then he was a prime example for her argument. She’d gotten too settled, too complacent, and forgotten what her goal was by letting herself get sidetracked. “And what exactly did you mean then, Alec? Because I don’t even know anymore.”

“Are you talking for everyone else? For me? Or for yourself?” Alec asked, not in an aggressive way necessarily, though the words themselves didn’t lend much to the opposite. “What do you expect people to do, Tav?” And by people, he meant himself because she was quite clearly referring to him in her comments. “I meant that I’d like you to at least consider where I’m coming from. It’s too easy for people to pretend to be something they’re not. But it doesn’t mean everyone is.”

“Oh you’d like me to?” She scoffed shaking her head, barely holding it together. “Well I’d like it if every death eater could go crawl into hole somewhere and die an agonizing death but it doesn’t look like we all get what we want.” If she was a little calmer and had more of her rational side to her functioning, she would have known and heard her own hysteria. As his words registered, it was enough to cause her to pause briefly. “How can you not know?”

“You think we don’t all want the worst for them?” Maybe not in the way Tavia had put it, exactly, but somewhere not too far off. Of course, he meant everyone that didn’t fall in lines with the views of Voldemort. “But that’s not what I meant, Tav.” He said, a sigh following his words. “How would you expect me to know? He’s been gone for years.” 

There was a part of her that wanted to stop and hear him out yet at the same time she didn’t want to hear anything he had to say, it would all probably be lies and an attempt to get her to lower her guard. Tavia knew if she stopped she would more than likely lose the little control that she had been clinging onto for so long. “Yeah, sure that’s what they all say! Like I’m suppose to believe that.”

“How am I supposed to be honest with you if you won’t let me explain?” Alec asked, his voice raised so she would be able to hear him. He hoped she would listen to reason, but there was a large part of him that knew that was just wishful thinking.

“I didn’t want to worry you, and… I – I thought if I didn’t talk about it I could pretend it wasn’t happening.” She explained her voice shaking with emotion. The witch fell silent as her brother tried to reassure her. She knew deep down that Alec saw her as his sister but she’d be lying if she said sometimes she just felt like she didn’t fit in - like she didn’t belong. “I suppose.” She replied sniffing back her tears. “I just don’t get what happened with him.”

“I’m always worried about you, but that doesn’t mean that I don’t want to know what’s going on with you.” Alec informed her. It was true that his worry for his sister had only increased since what they thought was his brother’s passing. Now, even more so if there was practically a target on her head. Alec frowned at her comment and nodded. “Neither do I.” He said gently. “But we’ll find out. I’ll find out.”

“You knew! I trusted you, I told you about my family!” Octavia knew that she probably wasn’t making much sense but she was just too angry to be able to form full coherent sentences. It was enough to cause her to pause in her steps and shout her words at him. “You knew my story and all this time–” She broke off with a shake of her head, fighting back both her anger and her tears. “I saw you, Alec. You were getting taken away by ministry officials, they don’t just take random people. They only do so if they suspect you of having connections to Death Eaters.” Having got enough of it out of her system she started walking again before she made a fool of herself.

Alec wasn’t sure what she was getting at with her first comments -- he’d been glad she’d become more open with him. He suspected that she thought he had something to do with Voldemort and his followers now, but she must have known that wasn’t the case. Well, not directly or in any way that he could change. Apparently. “It’s not like that!” He called after her as she began to move again. Sighing, he began moving again to follow her. “It was about my brother, Tav.” 

Octavia finally came to a stop as the male quickened his pace realising he wasn’t going to give up. Instead she turned to face him, anger clear on her face. “Stay the fuck away from me.” She warned him venom clear in her voice. “I don’t want to hear it. Did you really think I wouldn’t find out?” She scoffed and turned back round so she could continue walking and put distance between them.  

Alec was a little taken back by the tone of the brunette’s voice and the obvious anger that laced her features. He knew this was going to be difficult, but until then he hadn’t quite grasped just how difficult. He stopped in his path as he spoke. “Please, just let me explain --" It was a futile effort. “Find out about what?” He said, genuine confusion lacing his tone as he called after her. “Tav--” Alec called as she started to move, he didn’t follow this time. Not yet.

Elsie wasn’t sure what she was expecting her brother to react like but she definitely didn’t think he would be so calm about the whole thing. She assumed he would be mad, furious even, yet there was no anger in his voice. Chewing her lip the brunette tried to decide how much she wanted to tell her him. She gave a small shrug. “Yeah.” She admitted quietly. Stepping into his embrace she hid her face in his chest as she gave another sob at his words before nodding in agreement. “Okay.” Elsie turned her head slightly so she was resting against his chest. “Nothing nice, he wasn’t like the old Elliot. He was just ranting about how I wasn’t a real Bell and that not even the muggles want me. I guess I almost wanted it to be one of my hallucinations.” She admitted bringing up her hand to wipe away some of her tears. 

A frown found a place on his lips as Elsie admitted that this kind of thing happened a lot. He found himself wondering why she had never told him before. “Why haven’t you said anything, Els?” He asked, brows drawing together in worry. The wizard was chalking it down to the drugs she used, but he wasn’t going to give her a talk about that when she was already upset -- that wouldn’t help anything. Alec shook his head as Elsie recounted when Elliot had told her. “None of that’s true, you know that, right?” He assured her. “I don’t know what’s up with him, but he’s not right.”