#atsconferences

When their father had first shown up, Leia’s first thought had been, why didn’t he tell me? Because he hadn’t. She hadn’t gotten a single message -- and she’d checked her phone again and again, just in case he decided to come. But no messages had come through. He’d just up and surprised them out of the blue.

She didn’t think he’d want to come.

She’d been looking forward to spending the weekend ignoring her mother and Lucas.

But of course, seeing her father was lovely, and having him around was a nice confidence boost. If only because she’d get further proof about how she was still the superior twin, and Lucas couldn’t say a single thing about the events in the woods not too far back.

Plus it did make sense, she supposed. That’d he’d eventually show some interest in the school, given what he’d asked her to do.

“Might you give me a tour of the grounds?” He asked, a smile on his face. “I’d ask your brother, but...”

“Yes, of course, daddy.” She grinned and ran a hand through her hair. “Don’t ask Lucas, he’d just show you nothing useful. I know my way around better, anyhow.”

“I know.” Samuel rested a hand on her shoulder and gave it a small squeeze. “That’s why you’re my favorite.”

Leia couldn’t help but stand up a bit straighter at his compliment. It always felt nice, having him tell her everything that he appreciated. Through emails and text messages was satisfying, but hearing his voice in person sent a whole new set of thrills through her whole body.

She imagined this would be what it’d feel like, were she actually religious and actually attended services for more than the outfits she got to wear to them.

“So what would you like to see first, daddy?” Leia began walking outside of her cabin, glancing up at the sky. At least the weather had decided to behave.

“Well I have so much to discuss with you, so please, darling, start anywhere.” He grabbed her shoulder to stop her movement for one moment. “I know I can trust you.” He let go and gave her a small nudge forward. “By the way, I love the dress, it compliments you well.”

“Thank you.” Leia grinned. “Well you know that you picked it out, and not mother, so of course it’d be perfect.” She tugged at the hem as she began walking. “Well, you just saw my cabin. Every house has a number of different cabins, and I’ve been rooming with the same girls since I arrived. So for all that they drive me utterly insane most of the time, I have gotten to know them very well.”

“So I see you are doing just what I’ve asked, unlike your brother.”

“I’m not Lucas.” Leia practically hissed, before smiling again. “Sorry. I am not my brother, daddy. You know that. I don’t mess up.” The pair continued to move along -- Samuel walking right next to Leia as she pointed out different areas on campus. “That’s the library.” She motioned to the building. “While I do prefer to study in the comfort of my own cabin, I make an effort to study here at least three times per week. It allows me to observe at least some fraction of the goings-on around campus.” She ran a hand through her hair and smiled up at Samuel.

“Good job, Leia. It’s important to have...”

“Balance, I know.” Leia nodded. “I can’t spend too much time in the library, because that would be awful and just mingling with the other students far too much, but I can’t just be a shut-in because then I’ll never be loved and I’ll never be able to know anything.”

“Exactly.” Samuel smirked. “You understand perfectly well. Glad to see this school hasn’t ruined you like it seems to have ruined your brother. Or done further damage, he’d never match up to you even if he tried, even without this school.”

Leia gave a quick nod of agreement, before moving their tour along to some of the classrooms. “That’s where we’ll often practice for Dueling Club.” She nodded towards a closed door. “I’m President, as you know, and I do do an extraordinary job of leading, if I do say so myself.” Samuel murmured an agreement as he placed the palm of his hand on Leia’s back and guided her out of the building, before giving a small tug on the back of her dress to bring her to a halt. “Yes?” Leia turned around and looked up at her father with wide eyes. “Am I going too fast?”

“No, no. Nothing like that.” Samuel waved a hand dismissively. “But I think most everyone else is otherwise occupied and I have an important matter I need to discuss with you.” He smiled. “One I know I can entrust you with.”

Leia’s eyes lit up at his words and she practically rose up on her toes -- boots digging themselves into the dirt as she stared up at her father. “Yes daddy? What do you need?” She smiled and ran a hand through her hair. 

“For you to figure out how to block truth serum.” Samuel replied. “We can’t have you slipping up and letting anyone know anything, now can we?” He placed a hand on Leia’s shoulder again, looking down at her and straight into her eyes.

“I’m sorry daddy, could you repeat that? I just want to be sure I understood.” Leia replied.

“Don’t tell me Lucas’ false stupidity might be contagious.”

“Never, daddy, I just don’t want to fail you.”

“You need to figure out how to block any truth serum or truth spell that might be placed on you. My plans for everything are moving along, and I don’t want my darling daughter slipping up on something and revealing anything.” Samuel repeated, his eyes almost narrowing.

“That makes perfect sense.” Leia replied with a nod. “We’ll not fail, of course. I’d never fail you, daddy. That’s why I’m so much better than mother and Lucas.”

“Precisely,” Samuel continued, “plus, if you mess this up, it will only continue to prove just how horrible the magic world is, and I can’t lose you to it. I need you around, my darling daughter.”

“I know you do.” Leia giggled. “I’ll do everything you want, no matter what the challenge is, I’m up for it.”

“Good, good.” Samuel nodded. “That’s all I have to say -- care to finish showing me around?” He gave her shoulder a small squeeze. “Oh, and when you come home for break, remind me to introduce you to one of my friends. He’s been dying to meet you.”

“If you don’t mind, before we continue seeing the school, I’d like to stop by Luna’s classroom -- she’s not got conferences for another hour and a half, and I’d like to do a little bit of catch-up.” Julia smiled at her daughter. “Just check in, even though I know she’s not one of your teachers.”

“Yes, of course!” Allegra smiled. Though she would have been happy with either parent coming, it was rather nice to have her mother come by -- after all, she was the only one in the family besides Allegra to have attended Ilvermorny, so it was almost like a reunion of sorts for her -- or at least a time when she would be able to see her old school without having to just drop off Allegra. “I’ll wander around while you two talk, no worries.”

Julia pressed a kiss on top of Allegra’s head. “You continue to be my favorite blessing.” She stood up from the bench where the two of them had sat and brushed off her pants and adjusted her sweater. 

Allegra knew that she should probably go off and wander somewhere, but Lucas was busy and she didn’t want to further bother Valarya, and most others were probably busy as well, and so she made her way up and down the hallway for a brief moment before settling outside of the classroom, cross legged. She had a book with her 

“Luna.” Her mother’s voice was her favorite in the whole world -- often some shade of sea-foam green, swirling around in perfect circles.

“Julia.” The other woman said, her voice warm. “It’s lovely to see you. You really have to get your daughter to take my class before she leaves Ilvermorny, will you?” 

“I’ll be sure to.” Allegra could perfectly see her mother’s laugh and she smiled as she opened up her OWL and scrolled through some of her photos. She focused on them, and then back on her book -- because eavesdropping wasn’t polite, especially when her mother was catching up with an old friend. However, Professor Whistlewind’s tone changed and Allegra couldn’t help but look up from her book.

(Her OWL had been set to the side some number of minutes ago.)

“Julia, it’s true. I mean, so far there’ve only been whispers about it, but I’m worried it’s going to actually happen. They’re going to do something. I just don’t know what yet.”

“Luna...” her mother’s voice began, no longer light and free as it had been last time Allegra had caught a snipet of the conversation. “You can’t be serious.”

“I’ve often been serious, Julia, and I wouldn’t give you falsehoods, especially not when it came to something as incredibly dire as this. You do know what I was before I went into teaching, right?”

“But the Scourers...?” Allegra could almost picture her mother shaking her head, her hair falling around her shoulders. It wasn’t something she did often, but Adam had come home late one night with the excuse that he’d lost track of time and she’d seen it then, and her mother’s voice hadn’t been nearly as tense as it was now.

“Yes.” Professor Whistewind replied tersely. “Julia, I’m afraid for what’ll happen, but you need to promise that you’ll keep yourself and your family safe. I know we didn’t share a cabin when you were here, but you’re still important to me.”

“You don’t think what happened in England could happen here?” Julia replied, her voice sad. “You know, when Allie was born on the two year anniversary of the big battle over there, I thought perhaps she was some surefire sign that we’d have peace, somehow. She can’t be lost to this.”

“She does certainly carry that idea with her, Julia. But yes -- I fear we may end up in a war. So I need to you promise that you’ll keep yourself and your family safe, no matter what happens.”

“Of course.” Julia replied, followed by a few minutes of silence.

--

It couldn’t be true. Allegra shook her head, back pressed against the hallway wall. Her parents had always told her how awful lying was, how you didn’t lie unless you were throwing a surprise party for someone. The Scourers weren’t real, or any reality that they held was long-gone and nothing to worry about. But then why did mama say that they were? Allegra squeezed her eyes shut and sucked in a few deep breaths. There had to be some sort of outside explanation for this all. 

Because the magic world would never do anything to make anyone try to undo or destroy them.

"So I see you're still faking stupid."

Lucas really shouldn't have been surprised that they were the first words out of his father's mouth as soon as they had been alone, however as he walked past the different trees it still stung. The boy had known that it was coming, he'd known it as soon as he had saw his father show up instead of his mother. The gut punch of getting to look forward to seeing her only to see what he was most scared of instead.  Lucas figured that Leia had been excited, after all she was the favorite.

And yet part of him wondered if that was the case.  He'd been thinking about his twin more and more often since he'd rescued her when she was drunk. So maybe there was a chance she was just as terrified as him, Leia was just better at hiding it since she always had their father's favor.  

Which in Lucas' opinion then made it so she had to be a lot less scared.  But he didn't know.  All that the boy really knew was that Leia wasn't going to be treated like this. And for about the millionth time in his life, Lucas wished that he was his sister.  And then immediately regretted it because he wouldn't wish his life on anyone.

However, Lucas also knew that there was no counter to his father's claim. He'd been trying to explain it to the man, ever since he had started school, but it always ended with him "faking stupid" or "trying to get attention" or "him needing to be more like Leia." So instead of answering, Lucas stayed quiet, his eyes focused on the ground in front of him.  He could only imagine why his father suggested for them to have a walk in the woods, and Lucas was sure that no matter how he answered he would make it worse and that maybe by not it'd somehow be a little better.

But unfortunately that wasn't the case.

"Does this school make you forget your manners?" Samuel demanded, Lucas could hear the start of his anger behind the man's voice, "Answer me when I speak to you."

"Sorry Sir," the boy mumbled, loud enough that he could be heard.  Lucas wasn't sure when the "sir" had started, it had been a habit for so long that it just seemed second nature.  Samuel Elliot wasn't one to have the ridiculous "Daddy" or "Pops" or any other name like that - no matter how hard Leia tried to get that going.  He was a "Sir" and any other thing seemed completely ridiculous.  Though that easily could have just been him.

"Good," the response was short, an obvious minor victory that was going to be the the first in a long string of them, "Though you're actually passing three of your classes. I have to say I am surprised, you actually seem to show that you can try. Really contradicting this whole learning disability story you and  your mother have made up."  Lucas felt like maybe he could get away not saying anything there, and was pleased to find out he was right as his father continued.  "Though I guess I should have seen this magical creature class coming, you've always had a ridiculous soft spot for animals that deserve no love."

Lucas fought the urge to roll his eyes, knowing that this probably wasn't time for the Elliot eye roll. That'd probably just get him in more trouble, even though the man had never gone after River before.  But Luke knew better than anyone that there was a first time for anything.  Especially in the insults that came from his father.

"What do they even teach in a class like that?" Samuel demanded, much to Lucas' surprise.  It was one of the few classes that the man had decided to tail him to the day before instead of Leia.  Which only put him a little on edge.  Or maybe his father actually had some sort of genuine curiosity in this sort of thing, which Lucas had to admit would have been a big step for the man.  Samuel made no secret of his dislike of magic, between how much Vivi and Lucas got blamed for it, not to mention there was still that speech condemning the WW that Lucas was too terrified to bring up.  

"Just about different magical creatures," Lucas replied, doing his best to watch his words. There wasn't much else that the boy really thought to explain that hadn't really been covered the day before - the class just being an overview of the syllabus and a long rant about the dangers of pixies and why they were no longer kept in the classroom.

"That doesn't answer the question Lucas," the edge was back in the man's voice, and Lucas knew better than to try and argue that it did.  

"General facts," the boy replied, trying his best to think back to the week's lesson but drawing a blank.  The only reason that Lucas did well was that Tulley put pictures on the test and he could guess on how it could kill people based on the images.  It was enough to make her think that he had learned something when really ha didn't know what the woman was talking about most days. "A lot of how they were dangerous.  Nothing really specific."

"So you're not paying attention and you're passing this class?" Samuel growled, almost making Lucas shrink to the point that he was smaller than his father.  "What kind of school is this that it awards your disgusting laziness with a passing grade?  Can you even tell me if a werewolf can change on cue?"

The question caught Lucas off guard, partially because he didn't even realize his father knew that werewolves existed.  Not to mention now that he thought about it, Lucas also realized that it seemed to be clear that his father knew that magic existed once the twins had gotten their Ilvermorny invitations. Things were clicking now that just raised more questions than answer

"That's not...they cover that in a different class.  Next year..." Lucas tried to explain, before getting slapped so hard that his cheek stung.  It shut him up, which he knew was the entire point.

"No excuses," Samuel hissed at him, "If you're going to pretend to do well in a class you are going to find information out for me. And you will give me any information you can get about them, because if you're going to be here you're going to be good for something."  This only gave Lucas more questions, but he knew better than to ask them.  Maybe he'd eventually ask Leia, even though the boy knew that he'd get nothing out of his sister.  But it was clear now that there was something going on, something that Lucas was in the dark of, and that just gave him more and more of an uneasy feeling in his stomach.  

"I'll try Sir," he quietly said, already trying to figure out how he'd add this in to what he needed to do on a regular day at school.

"No you will do more than try," Samuel demanded, "You will find me whatever information you can about werewolves and whatever other humanoid monsters that you're hiding here.  And to make sure you do, I'll just give you a reminder of what will happen if you fail."

Lucas knew what was about to happen and shut his eyes as he anticipated it.  He wasn't going to disappoint his father again, that was what Lucas told himself so that he could get through it.  This was going to be the last time, he told himself - even though it was a lie that he had been trying to get himself to believe for years.  But maybe this time he'd be able to finally impress his father just once.