these days i tend to lie [edmund]

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The day of the First Task was hurtling towards them, but that wasn't what Jamie was thinking about. She was thinking about the letters she had been sending back and forth with her sister. They weren't the normal kind of letters you would expect from loving siblings. If you took all of your preconceived notions and shoved them onto some letters, that was closer to what Jamie's correspondence with Odette was like. They weren't nice people, at least from the perspective of their letters. They weren't nice people, because they were planning a murder. If anyone had ever told Jamie she would become a murderer someday, she would have laughed in their face. If they had told her she would be happy to become a murderer, she would have laughed even harder. But here she was, excited by the prospect of her father's demise at her hands. She was excited to finally erase his name from history, and replace it with her own. Jamie paused on her walk back to the Hufflepuff common room from the owlery, staring at the entrance to the Slytherin room. Should she tell Max? Jamie stood there, pondering, for a long while, waiting for an answer or for someone to tell her to move.

@edmund

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Edmund was hungry. It was one of those side-effects that seemed to happen when he studied a lot. He just got hungry and annoyed. So it wasn't uncommon for him to take breaks to go and find some food and that was his plan at the moment. He'd been studying for his classes in the Slytherin common room during his free times this morning and decided he needed to take a break. He looked around for Addi to see if she wanted to go with him, but she was nowhere to be found. Which was fine. 

He stepped out of the common room and jumped when he found himself face-to-face with Jamie Greyback. "Hey," he said after a second. He really didn't expect her to be standing right outside the door. "Uhh ..." Edmund had never really talked to Jamie before. It wasn't that he didn't like her or anything, they just never had the opportunity. So he knew she wasn't waiting there for him. "Are you looking for someone? I can see if they're in the common room if you want," he commented, not really knowing what else to say to the girl. 

@jamie

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Jamie was shocked to find that someone was at her side, and wasn’t just demanding that she move out of the way. She knew that none all Slytherins were bullies – her sister certainly wasn’t – but she had assumed that the majority were. “Hey.” She said, searching for the boy’s name. He was one of the Windsor kids, if she wasn’t mistaken. Ed- something? Edward? Edmund! His name was Edmund. “I’m not really looking for anyone.” She said hurriedly, not wanting to inconvenience him. “Just – thinking. About…things. And my sister.” Jamie added on the last bit to make her pondering of the wall seem a little less bizarre. Edmund knew she had a sister in Slytherin, right? If not, this was about to get a lot worse. “You have a very nice wall.” She added hurriedly, just in case. Complimenting people on things that were totally out of their control helped make friends, Jamie hoped.

@edmund

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"Alright," Edmund said slowly. He didn't really know what to say to that. If she wasn't looking for anyone, why was she standing right outside the door to the Slytherin Common Room? Not that he cared, but the next person to come out might. He nodded when she said she was lost in thought. "Thinking is a dangerous thing. For me, at least," he commented, not wanting to offend her. "I tend to overthink things, especially family things." Ed explained a little, not that she asked for it, but he was trying to make this as not awkward as he could. And he was failing at that. But it was the effort that counted, right? He smiled, chuckling a little when he complimented the wall. "Why thanks, I put it there myself," he teased sarcastically, hoping that she would know by his smile that he was teasing. He didn't want her to get offended, especially since she was a good friend of Addi's. "So ... are you planning on admiring my great wall for a while longer, or do you wanna come get some food with me or something? I'm starving." As nice as it was talking to someone new, it wasn't diminishing Edmund's hunger. Still, he had no problem asking if she wanted to join him.

@jamie

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Jamie thought that maybe she was cut from the same cloth as Edmund Windsor, because thinking was pretty dangerous for her, too, not that she’d ever admit it. The last time she was alone with a crisis and her thoughts she had ended up punching a wall, and that wasn’t much good. And as far as family things went…well, you couldn’t have a family as big (or as screwed up) as Jamie’s without a little bit of overthinking. At least Edmund was kind enough to laugh when Jamie made the comment about the wall. She smiled at his comment about putting it there himself, and hoped that the tension was broken, at least somewhat. “I won’t say no to food, though I think the wall will miss me.” She said, cracking a smile. “Is it really already dinnertime?” The part of the day she hadn’t spent writing intermittent letters to Odette had been spent studying, and Jamie wasn’t the best at tracking time when she was trying to focus.

@edmund

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Edmund smiled. At least they were getting along and things didn't seem too awkward. He shrugged, "That's okay. You can always come back to the wall later. It's not going anywhere." It was a very lame joke and Edmund cringed when he realized that he actually said it out loud. Now Jamie would probably think he was a complete idiot. Way to ruin your image in less than two minutes. Then he laughed. "No, it's not dinnertime. I'm going to the kitchens. I can't wait for dinner." He was too hungry and he didn't even know why! Edmund always ate a good amount of food, even when he was stressed. He didn't let anything mess with his food. 

@jamie

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Jamie chuckled a little when Edmund said that the wall would still be there when she got back. He was right – walls didn’t tend to move. Well, some of them did, but this particular wall didn’t. It wasn’t the best joke, but it was a nice one anyways. The Hufflepuff was relieved to hear that it wasn’t dinnertime – she hadn’t lost track of time that badly – but that he was going to go to the kitchens. That sounded like an adventure worth having. “Lead the way then.” Jamie said, flinching a little at her own phrasing. She knew how to get to the kitchens, so why was she having him lead? They really needed to move on to a different topic of conversation. “So…” Jamie began, trying to buy time before she had to talk. “Slytherin.” She said, grabbing onto the only word that seemed to be in her head. “How’s that?” Ugh. She sounded stupid.

@edmund

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"No problem," Ed said when Jamie told him to lead the way. He couldn't help but wonder if she knew the way to the kitchens. It wasn't a very well-guarded secret, Ed was pretty sure that most- if not all- of the student body knew where the kitchens were, but if she was asking him to lead her maybe she didn't. Either way it didn't matter. They walked in silence for a little bit before she ... asked how Slytherin was? Really? Edmund wasn't sure how she expected him to react, but he couldn't keep himself from laughing. "It's Slytherin," he answered vaguely before elaborating. "I mean, it's cool. I get along with most people there, if that's what you're asking, but we have our share of arrogant snobs. I feel like you find those people in every house, though." Granted, there were probably more in Slytherin house because of its reputation, but that didn't mean everyone there was rude. The problem was, now Edmund didn't know what to ask Jamie. Was she expecting him to ask about Hufflepuff or just drop the subject. "So ... I don't know you very well," he started, which was hardly news to her. "So what classes do you like here?" That was a good question, right? Everyone had a favorite class or two and it was always interesting to see which ones they chose.

@jamie

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Edmund answered her question with the obvious – Slytherin was, indeed, Slytherin. Luckily for Jamie, he elaborated before she had to press him for information. He said that the house had its share of arrogant snobs, and Jamie nodded. She couldn’t think of a single Hufflepuff who was both arrogant and a snob, but they were the house least prone to that sort of thing, based only on what they valued. Edmund said that he didn’t know her very well, and Jamie nodded with a chuckle. That was part of what made the conversation like pulling teeth. “Well, I like all of the classes I’m in.” She told him, scuffing at the stone floor. “Otherwise I would have dropped them after O.W.L.s.” She elaborated. Neither of the career choices Jamie had been considering required a real breadth of knowledge – of the two, Potions was more intensive when it came to school classes, but even then, Potions was little more than Herbology, Alchemy, and of course Potions itself. “So, the long answer is Astronomy, Charms, Defense Against the Dark Arts, Potions, Transfiguration, Alchemy, Ancient Runes, Arithmancy, and Flying Special Skills.” Jamie said, rattling off her classes in a manner that made it obvious that she had done it before. “The only class I would never take would be Care of Magical Creatures. Too many opportunities to be bullied about that one.” Because, when all was said and done, some people still considered werewolves creatures. “What about you? What are your classes like?” That was a good line of conversation to follow.

@edmund

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Edmund shrugged when she asked about classes. Without a doubt this was one of the most awkward conversations he'd had in a while. Which was saying something because Edmund seemed to have a gift for awkward conversations. "I'm taking all the basic classes still except for History of Magic- that one bores me to death," he confessed, though he was sure lots of people felt that way. "Other than that, I'm taking flying and alchemy. I guess I'm just trying to keep all my bases covered because I really don't know what I want to do when I leave school." Well, he certainly hadn't expected to say that. Edmund didn't like admitting his weaknesses to people he didn't know, even if they were fairly nice, as he was sure Jamie was. "Uh, do you know what you want to do when you graduate?" he asked, almost certain she would have an answer to that. She looked like the kind of person who was a planner and knew what they wanted to do with their life.

@jamie

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Jamie nodded when Edmund said he was taking all the basic classes, with the exception of the History of Magic. She wasn’t in that class, either, mostly because she was afraid that they would cover the Second Wizarding War and her father would be brought into the conversation. Having to write an essay about her own relative would have been a conflict of interest if there ever was one. “Well, having a wide knowledge base makes you valuable in any career.” Even if Edmund decided to do something specialized like Jamie had, there was nothing bad about knowing more rather than less. “Yeah, I’ve got a rough plan for after graduation.” Jamie still had to check with her Head of House, who helped advise students on career paths, but there was no harm in talking to Edmund about it, was there? “I’m hoping to play Quidditch, professionally.” Edmund was on the Slytherin team, Jamie remembered, and she smiled at him. “Chasers are always needed, if you think you’d be any good in the pros.” Sometimes even the best students at Hogwarts weren’t prepared for professional level play, and Jamie didn’t want Edmund to feel like she was pressuring him to play Quidditch after school just because that was what she had decided to do.

@edmund

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Edmund smiled and shrugged a little when Jamie said it was good to have a wide base. "Yeah, that's my goal at the moment. To do well everything I can until I can figure out what I want to do," he confessed, but at least she didn't think it was a bad plan. That was good. She said she had a plan and Edmund waited to hear it, hoping she was actually planning on telling him and that he wasn't just making things awkward for the two of them. He stood a little taller when she said she wanted to become a professional Quidditch player. That was something he'd been thinking about for a while, but he wasn't sure if it was right for him. Maybe she wouldn't mind if he asked a few questions. "That's cool," he told her, showing his interest. "Do you have a particular team you want to join, or would you want to play for any team?" Edmund wasn't sure how that choosing process was made. Maybe he could learn a little about it from Jamie.

When they reached the painting, Edmund reached forward and tickled the pear so they could enter the kitchens. He smiled at the house elves, asking if they could bring some snacks. Really, he wasn't hungry enough for a meal. He just wanted something to tide him over until it was time to eat. If Jamie disagreed with that, she could ask for whatever she wanted, of course. "So what do you like most about Quidditch?" he asked curiously. Edmund knew why he loved it, but he'd always wondered what other players liked about it the most. Since she wanted to do it professionally, Jamie was probably more passionate about it than others and he was intrigued to hear her response.

@jamie

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Jamie felt a little bad for Edmund. She could understand how stressful it was not to know what you wanted to do with the rest of your life, especially because there were probably people pressuring Edmund about it already. He was in sixth year, so it was good to start thinking, but Jamie was certain that he had enough time to think. Jamie smiled when Edmund said that her chosen profession was “cool”, as he put it. “I’d be happy with any team, really.” Jamie said with a laugh. “But there are a few I was thinking about.” Irina’s older brother was a member of the Appleby Arrows, so Jamie thought it would be cool to join them and get to know her friend’s family a little better. Jamie was also fairly certain that it was every little girl’s dream to be a member of the all-girls Holyhead Harpies, so she definitely wouldn’t say no to them if they asked her to join up. “Mostly I just want to find a team that likes me as a person, if that makes sense.” It was all well and good if they respected her as a player, but Jamie wanted to find new people to connect with, since it seemed like she wouldn’t be able to talk to a lot of friends from Hogwarts once they graduated and everyone went their own separate ways.

Jamie followed Edmund into the kitchens, putting in her own request for cheese and crackers when he asked for snacks. Like Edmund, she wasn’t hungry enough for a full-blown meal, but she had a craving for cheese. Edmund asked what her favorite part of Quidditch was, and Jamie’s cheeks burned in shame. “When I’m playing, no one cares that I’m a werewolf.” She muttered. Discrimination against werewolves wasn’t as widespread as it had been once, but Jamie’s particular werewolf – her father and turner – was still far from popular. When she was playing, no one cared about Fenrir.

@edmund

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"Well if you don't mind me asking, which ones are you thinking about?" He didn't really have to ask that, but the way she said it made Edmund curious. He didn't know very much about professional Quidditch, but he loved it, so he was interested to see what she thought about it. He smiled when she said she just wanted a team who would accept her. "That makes sense," he answered with a nod. He felt like acceptance was something that most everyone wanted, but that was pretty obvious so he didn't say anything.

Jamie was blushing, but Edmund didn't understand why. To him, it made perfect sense. He knew it was different for everyone, but wasn't that a release for all Quidditch players in a way. When they're playing (especially if they're good), no one cares about the things that might embarrass them. Like when he was playing Quidditch, no one cared he was a muggle born, or that he was royalty, though Ed tried not to tell anyone about that in general so it wouldn't be an issue. He smiled and nodded, trying to think of a way to express his thoughts without sounding like an idiot. "I'm sure that's true, but I also think that with the people that really count- the ones who know you for you- the fact that you're a werewolf doesn't matter." He couldn't say that everyone else didn't care, because it was obvious that lots of wizards and witches did care if you were a werewolf, but Jamie seemed like a really good person. Only idiots would judge her without knowing her. Sadly there were lots of idiots in the world so he wasn't sure if anything he said helped at all. He turned his attention to some of the snacks in front of him and started grabbing a little bit of it all.

@jamie

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Jamie nodded when Edmund asked if she could list which teams she wanted to play for. “The Arrows or the Harpies would be cool. One of my friends has an older brother on the team, so there’s that to consider.” She didn’t feel the need to explain the Harpies, but if Edmund asked, she could say something about that, too. He said that it made sense that she wanted to be accepted, and Jamie gave him a weak smile.

Edmund said what everyone said – that her being a werewolf didn’t matter. Jamie just shrugged. “I’m beginning to think that it might not be the fact that that I’m a werewolf, but the fact that my dad is a famous, genocidal werewolf.” Which she supposed made sense. People judged the Potters on their father, so why should it be any different for her and her father? The house elves came back with her cheese and crackers, nibbling on the snack before turning her attention back to Edmund. “I’m worried that he’s going to come back someday.” It seemed to be only a matter of time, and Odette said she had people looking out for him, and everything seemed to be pointing to her father’s big reveal. And then, Jamie was going to have to make a decision, one she didn’t want to make. She was prepared to make it, but it wasn’t going to be pleasant.

@edmund