Wisdom begins in wonder

“It’s cute how you’re trying to lie, Boot.” Tracey said with a large grin. The lying was fairly obvious enough, even before reading Terry’s mind. Of course, getting into his head only gave her the greatest confirmation about her assumptions. He was trying to make it look like he was lying. He could try, but she was better at it. Her own mother, a Seer of her own, taught her everything about seeing through people’s lies.

Tracey stood and walked over to where Terry sat, taking the seat right next to him. “How you’re basically telling me this is all a test to see if I really am all that what people say – mind and future reader of Slytherin.” She smiled. “I know what you’re going through, alright? It’s messy, but it’ll make sense once you get the hang of it.”

Bingo was his name-o. She wasn’t lying, and that was good enough reassurance for him. There was a part of him that doubted her at first even when she was making clear references but at least now he didn’t have anything to worry about.

There was muggle medicine for headaches that his mother was able to buy over-the-counter medicine that helped with alleviating pain but it would only help for several minutes at a time. He didn’t know if it was wizard anatomy or his abilities went far beyond muggle help. Muggles sucked.  “Yeah..it’s been messy since I’ve gained my abilities. Did you know the other day I had to listen to some boy in the bathroom talk about how he wanted to see the Headmistress naked?” Terry shook his head. “I need control now because that’s not even the most horrifying story.” 

Tracey raised one brow up at the sudden abrupt stop to Terry’s sentence, brows furrowing even further now that Terry was trying to massage his head. She wasn’t a fool, though. She had a feeling she knew why Terry seemed to be having some of these… headaches.

Then when Terry did somehow bring up the reason behind his headache, Tracey had to hold back a chuckle. It wasn’t a funny situation though, but she was rather happy about her assumption. “It’s a curse at first, buddy. But it’s a blessing later on.” She started with a knowing wink. “I’m gonna try to be as subtle as I can, alright? You got a thing for Legilimens, don’t you?”

Talk about coincidence and plot twists. Terry said, not expecting these kinds of events to turn out. Rubbing at his temple, he chuckled before chugging another glass of water. He still didn’t see how it was mostly a blessing as he could tell when someone was lying to him and could read how people felt about him.

“No.” This was a test. If she was a legilimen (legiliwoman?) she’d be able to tell that Terry was lying. Being more deceptive was a trait he picked up after being able to pick up the small tics a person had whenever they tried to lie. She was going to have to rely on his thoughts, and in his head he made it clear he was lying and that it was a test. “Why on Earth would you think that?”

Tracey raised a brow at the person that had replied to her. That wasn’t what she told him at all, but she just assumed he might be completely out of it right now. Well, she could feel him on that. She wasn’t much herself since her return from surprising her parents in the good ol’ Dominican Republic.

“I assumed you’ve had some fun yourself during the break then, huh?” Tracey asked him. She knew who Terry Boot was, but what she couldn’t remember was if he had been in the Grimmauld Party or had stayed at Hogwarts. “I didn’t have a lot of alcohol in my system that time. Barely a sip, to be honest with you.”

“I did, I was here a majority of the time and all these people is just..” Terry rubbed at his head, trying to get over his headache. It was worse when he couldn’t do anything for the pain other than take it.

He shrugged, not really expecting the girl to really understand where he was coming from. “Let’s just say that I have a certain blessing/curse whatever people want to call it that not only gives me headaches but causes me to have a hard time telling if someone is actually talking.”

Tracey’s Christmas Break was far from the ordinary norm of interesting. A lot happened in the course of two weeks, and it was surprising to say that she really liked it. The Greengrasses were the kindest and most generous of hosts to guests (at least to her, maybe not so much to Draco). Then the party at Grimmauld Place. Although that one she didn’t join in the fun of drinking. She was just proud to initiate the charmed game that had everyone stumbling mad drunk once the clock stroke twelve.

But now it was out of the fray of break and back into the books, despite how much she hated saying it. Tracey had been tapping her quill, distracted, as she peered at her parchment essay in Herbology. She sighed, then looked up to the person sitting across her in the Great Hall. “Wish I’d done these essays during the break. Got a bit carried away myself.” She chuckled and nodded to the person. “Had any fun away from your books these past few weeks?”

Terry’s head has been banging all day as he had a huge headache from all the voices that were filling his head from the thoughts around him. That in turn made him more pissed off which made it even harder to focus, it was a never-ending loop. 

The girl in front of him was talking, and he tried his best to pay attention to something he thought she said but didn’t realize he was hearing the thoughts of a girl a few rows down. “I’m sorry..I don’t carry a flask on me. We just got back and I can’t handle anymore alcohol.”

Katie glanced up towards the boy who had stood up for her. It was a kind gesture, but Katie wasn’t feeling her energetic self today. “I’m hoping I’ll get short-term memory loss and forget how boring this break is.” She muttered, not taking her face away from the table. If only El or Rolf were there to keep her company!

Eventually, the Hufflepuff sat back up with a sigh, crossing her arms over the table. “I’d invite you to spend time with me, but I’m rubbish at Wizard’s Chess,” She glanced towards the empty chess table by her fingers, “and most people say that it’s too cold to go for a broom ride.” Katie looked sadly up at the Ravenclaw. She was far from her usual self. The break really took it’s toll on her. “I don’t suppose you have any ideas?”

Terry shook his head, as he hated people having this kind of attitude over the break when the holidays were supposed to be happier times. He was fortunate enough to have fun with something as simple as a ball or working out. “Try to have an optimistic outlook. Besides, maybe you just need to find alternatives to the entertainment of having many people around.” He shrugged, immediately taking a bite from the apple next to him.

He had a great deal of ideas, but he didn’t know if she’d be up for it. “Well, the problem with everything you listed is that they involve following the rules.” He pointed at the top of his head and chuckled. “You ever broke into the potions room, broke stuff in the Room of Requirement, try to get in another house’s Common Room, or something as funny as tricking Peeves?”

Katie rested her head on the wood of the Hufflepuff table in the Great Hall. With most people gone home, it seemed so… empty. Katie hated being alone. She was a social butterfly that always needed to be around someone. Usually, when she couldn’t find someone to hang out with, she’d find Rolf and bug him. Well, not really bug him, but she felt that she was doing that, sometimes. However, she couldn’t even do that, as he was home for the holidays. Of course, she could go look for El, but lord knows where they were. El was always off in the hardest to find places, but Katie, being their best friend, was good at finding them. But, she didn’t have the energy to do that today.

Katie could’ve gone home for break, but she felt that she simply couldn’t. She couldn’t bear to look at her mother’s grave as she spent her first Christmas without her. Besides, her father had sent a letter saying he was travelling to Scottland to visit his cousins and the rest of his family. He, of course, invited Katie to come along, but she promptly refused. Ever since the war, Katie’s father gradually stopped reaching out to his daughter. She felt that he didn’t care about her anymore, and that thought was always burrowed into her mind whenever it was time to return home.

The young Hufflepuff groaned and banged her head on the table. Two boys not far from her snapped at her to stop so she wouldn’t mess up their Wizard’s Chess game. Once again, she groaned and pressed her cheek against the cool surface of the table.

Seeing as Terry’s parents felt the need to take some trip to America for Christmas, Terry decided to stay back because America was one of the most boring places to him. The people had funnier accents and he didn’t want to avoid using magic because it was the rules as that side of the family were complete Muggles.

The Ravenclaw table was full of people complaining about not being able to go home while it only annoyed Terry because they had been complaining for ages as everyone went home last week.Terry spotted a Hufflepuff far away who looked upset, and he had nothing else to do so he figured he work his magic. The two boys telling her to stop were being prudes, which was enough reason to read his mind.

AS he opened up his mind for his powers to work, Terry laughed at the thoughts of the two as he looked back into a more embarrassing moment. Putting his hands on the boy’s nearest to him’s shoulders, Terry pulled a serious look on his face. “Listen lad, either you two can deal with some headbanging and movement or I’ll tell Casey over here about the time you....lied about not knowing what happened to his toad.” The boy quickly sat up, not bothering to ask questions or even say a word. Terry patted him on the back and sat down across from Katie.

“Feel free to keep banging your head but I doubt it’ll do much.”

“Oh” Anthony said.  If Terry was looking for a ‘serious coach’, then he’d come to the right place.  Anthony was just glad he wasn’t asking something about his feelings after the war or his relationship status with Sue.  Not that he wouldn’t trust the other with those things, just that he didn’t feel like talking about them in this particular moment. “Well, it’s not really that hard.  For me, at least, as you’ve probably been able to tell.  But, everyone is different.  For a lot of people making jokes is how they’re serious, to lighten up the mood you know?”  He asked.  “It’s not necessarily a bad thing, as long as whoever you’re talking to knows you’re being serious.  If it freaks you out to try being ‘my level’ of serious, then don’t do it.  And you’re not annoying.”  Anthony was honestly shocked that Terry thought he was annoying.  He was many things, but not that.

Terry didn’t want to be super serious about everything like Anthony. That would mean more responsibility on him which isn’t what he needs right now. “Yeah, you’re so serious that it’s tattooed all over you. When I accidentally read your thoughts you’re always...focused. It’s amazing, honestly.” It was a compliment, Terry envied that. “I can’t help that every little thing finds a way to become a joke in my head. Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. The medicine that I was given by muggles doesn’t work. No one cares how smart I am, Tony. How can I grow up and get a job when I’ll be denied at the door because I make the wrong joke during the interview.” He stopped walking, causing the both of them to freeze in their tracks. “Looks like I’ll be living with you and Sue.”

She smiled at his compliment, finding herself leaning her head back against his shoulder, “You always make me laugh, Ter Bear.” She teased, using that nickname deliberately, hoping to get a rise out of him. Romilda was starting to feel better about her situation–especially now that her tremors were under control. Terry was one of the only persons that she had told about her situation–and he had been there with her the entire time as she struggled. For that, she was eternally grateful towards him.

“I just want my hands to…stop.” She frowned, “I hate that I can’t get over what they did to me did to me last year.” Romilda huffed shaking her head and attempted to sit up straighter, “I just need to get over it. So many people were affected and are fine..”

“Ter Bear?” He thought. He actually liked that name. He had to get it trademarked at some point in his life. Focus Terry, he thought. This moment is supposed to be completely serious. Why was his brain so wired to not ever be able to focus for longer than a couple seconds? He found out through Muggle doctors that he had ADHD, and apparently the medicine given wasn’t strong enough to do much. 

Terry felt awful for the girl. He was subject to the same torture she had, but not nearly as much. The effects on him involved abilities he never thought he never had. He was in “detention” for several days a week for his outburst in the Great Hall. 

“You just have to give yourself time. It took years for people to even get over the first war...nothing is going to be easy, you know?” He pointed to his head. “I’m suddenly able to read the thoughts of people around me.” Terry rubbed at his temple. “It sounds great at first but..sometimes I’d rather just not hear that my friends think I’m annoying a lot.” Terry chuckled. “But I think my point right now is that not everyone “looks” fine, you know? You have people like me who are struggling and you wouldn’t know unless I told you. People do understand..I promise.”