perfect examples | grey

[Claire Evangeline Slater]

never enough.

25TH OF DEC 2024

THE SLATER HOME WAS THE PICTURE OF HOUSE proud. Their mum and dad the type that yelled if you walked inside with your shoes on. Christmas was an even more tense time as they scrambled to make the place picture perfect, despite the fact that the only visitors they had were family members. Claire still carefully untied her shoes and lined them up outside the door, even at 23 years old. She still hung her coat up on the rack and greeted her parents each with a hug and a kiss on the cheek. No matter how long she was gone for, or that she had a flat of her own now, when she was home she was still that same exemplary student.

Though Claire still enjoyed the time she had at home, it felt different as they all grew up. As much as she filled the space with chatter, often about work as that is all her mum and dad really wanted to talk about, there was a growing rift between them. And she often dreaded leaving them all there without her, as if something might explode in her absence. She'd had to leave on Christmas Eve, and she'd expected her parents to miss her company. Alas, all they'd wanted to know over Christmas dinner was what her mission had been, had she caught anybody notable. They were like journalist's picking apart the corpse of a story. And Grey thought they were nothing alike.

Afterwards, Claire had excused herself and followed Grey up to his room. He was there, packing his meagre belongings and she hovered in the doorway for a moment. He barely had any possessions as it was. The walls baron, the bed crisply made. Almost as if he hadn't really been there at all. Never even slept in his bed. In her hands was a bare envelope, stamped with a waxy purple seal. She'd been given the stamp as a gift - it had her initials on the ornate metal print. "Knock knock," She said ironically, not even reaching up to wrap on the frame, he'd see her just fine. Back straight, she looked at his partially filled bag and frowned. "Leaving so soon?" 

grey xavier slater

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[grey xavier slater]

Claire Evangeline Slater

12.25.2024

Dinner had been the last obstacle of Christmas at his parents’ house. Grey predicted the outcome the previous night, because it had been hanging off the tips of his parents’ tongues all day; they wanted to know how Claire’s work had gone, the one that she had to suddenly leave for last night. In an alternate timeline, maybe they would have been asking him that question, as a brand new Auror of course. That timeline made him shiver now that he had escaped from it, and his family was sisters were lucky that he had even been invited back for the holidays this year. There would probably only be a few more years of that, or at least until he wrote a damning article on the Ministry or the Aurors for the Prophet. The last straw was in sight and he could already see the red in his parents’ eyes. Eventually they would say something. They had to. The utter silence from them after he said he was leaving the training program and then moving out of the house was concerning, because the pettiness and passive aggressiveness had to be going somewhere, or at the very least, directed at someone. If not him, hopefully not Addi, who would probably go through her own tribulations the second she revealed whatever her future plans were. There was no way of telling though, and he continued to assume throughout Christmas that the pot would eventually boil over and he’d be slamming the front door behind him for the last time.

With dinner over and nothing coming from it other than a thorough, detailed explanation about Claire’s job for the hundredth time (the amount of questions they asked was ridiculous), he washed off his dishes efficiently and stacked them on the drying rack next to the sink before excusing himself. Wiping his presence from the house before leaving would leave no room for criticism. His bag had been packed since the night before, in the off chance he decided to leave in the middle of the night, and everything else in his room had been returned back to the way it was supposed to be when he arrived yesterday. The excuse for leaving tonight was that he had work in the morning, which was half true. He did have to work, but it wasn’t until later in the day. Most of the other interns had already been placed in full-time positions, but due to his late entry, he was the last of them. Meaning all of the journalists were thirsty to have him run their little errands. Unfortunately for them, he was still tasked with Quidditch details and had to make it over to the Boxing Day match that was going on to conduct a few interviews. That was loads better than being stuck in this house for another day.

As he was shoving the last of his clothes into his bag, a wrinkled sweater, Claire’s voice broke the silence. He didn’t even bother to turn and look at her, his concentration still focused in on finding a place to stick the sweater so he could zip up the bag. Everything had been tossed in haphazardly, since it wasn’t going to be in there for long. “I have to be at work tomorrow,” he said gruffly as he forced the zipper around the bag, discovering that he would need to knead the clothes inside a bit more to get them in a position to actually finish the circuit. “No rest for the wicked. That’s what one of the journalists I’m shadowing says.”

[Claire Evangeline Slater]

never enough.

STANDING JUST OUTSIDE OF HER BROTHER'S bedroom, Claire had never felt more unwelcome. It probably had something to do with how quickly Grey planned to leave, his bags neatly packed, she realised he'd probably done it long before Christmas had even begun and it bothered her a little bit. It made her shoulders tense and her back stiffer than usual. But, she persevered nonetheless. Grey's odd standoffish nature was something she'd grown accustomed too, the distance just made her forget how cold it could be.

"Can't you commute?" Claire said with a hard smile, still trying to joke with him despite the fact that it went against every natural bone in her body. She wanted to call him out on the fact that, if work had called, why were his bags already packed? He was doing a runner, but she didn't want to run him off even faster by saying so. "I didn't know journalists were so cut throat." Except she did, working in a highly documented field, so she self-corrected. "Actually, yes I did." She added with a dry half-laugh, more of a gust of air than humour.

Smoothing an invisible wrinkle from his card, Claire whipped her arm out to offer it to him. "Here," She said, hoping it would stop him from zooming around his bedroom as if the house were on fire. Inside the crisp white envelope was a 'congratulations' card Claire had handmade a few nights prior. She had a whole set of calligraphy pens, ink and stationary. The stiff white parchment monogrammed with her indented initials at the bottom corner - lest anyone take credit for her hard earned work. Her parents appreciated their letters in such expensive fashion and it had naturally bled through to her every day life.

On the front of the card, in large Script Typeface was 'Congratulations' in a deep navy ink and inside Claire had gone to the trouble of purchasing a gift voucher for a lovely restaurant in London, with a free bottle of champagne and a plus one to boot. Claire had always been unable to do anything half way. On the card itself she'd written a quote about success by a Muggle she'd read about named Benjamin Franklin: Without continual growth and progress, such words as improvement, achievement, and success have no meaning. And at the bottom she'd signed it from herself, her mother and father, and even Addilynn. Though she'd only spoken to Addilynn before hand.

"It's just a little thing," Claire said, clasping her hands in front of her and smiling softly. "I haven't seen you since you got your promotion, you know." Her smile grew and there was genuine pride in her face. Though a part of her would always be disappointed that Grey hadn't stuck at his first career choice - and an arguably more admirable one, but she was glad that he was doing something he seemed genuinely good at. She'd even read a few of his small corner piece articles in the Prophet. As well as the ones he'd written while at Hogwarts. Though, she never told him this. 

grey xavier slater

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[grey xavier slater]

Claire Evangeline Slater

12.25.2024

All he could do was stare at his sister when she suggested he could commute to work from the family house. That defeated the purpose though, because he wanted to leave. He didn’t want to be in the house another night, only to be dismissed at breakfast the next morning, just like he had a thousand times before. The silence and comfort of his own flat was more appealing than the stuffiness that the house always had. Claire didn’t understand that his stomach was always in knots and his shoulders tense, wondering when the next piece of criticism would be slid his way. Removing himself from that before it happened was the least he could do, and considering he had avoided it over the last two days, it was bound to find its way to him if he stayed another night. She added that she didn’t know journalists could be that way, though quickly correcting herself on it. Of course she did. They had both read the articles that had come out following her killing of Desirae Rousseau. For a split-second, he wondered how she would react if he told her he had met the man who had written some of those articles. Grey kept his mouth shut though, deciding that there was no reason to ruffle her feathers when he was angry at himself.

Before he could stand from tidying up his bag, a letter was held out in front of his face. Taking it curiously, he stared at the word on the front, a fancy ‘Congratulations’, and immediately knew it was one of those letters. Claire had given him another one when he had graduated, and for each of his birthdays for the last six years. She really liked using the calligraphy set that had been gifted to her years ago, knowing full well that this was a common thing for her, accidentally opening one of Addi’s birthday cards once because the family owl had dropped it on his lap instead of the youngest Slater’s. “Thanks,” he said flatly as he stared at the front for a second longer than was probably necessary, before flipping it open to see what she had done to the inside this time.

An inspirational quote (he assumed that was what it was supposed to be) and a gift card for two at a restaurant he had never heard of. The signatures of his parents meant nothing, aside from the fact that this was clearly all Claire’s doing. As she continued to talk, explaining what the card and gift were for, he started to panic internally. Did she know about Cecelia? She had to if she was giving him a gift card for two. Grey knew there was going to be a point where he would have to tell Claire about his girlfriend (or someone else would spill it), and he had dreaded it from day one. Dating the younger sister of the person his own sister killed. It was messed up. “Thanks again,” he repeated, not breaking eye contact with the gift card. Flicking it twice with his fingernail, he decided to take a stab at how much she knew about him and Cecelia, “How long have you known?”

[Claire Evangeline Slater]

never enough.

GREY WAS VERY STILL AND VERY QUIET FOR AN uncomfortably long time. Claire stood in his bedroom doorway, stoic and waiting for some kind of reaction, but it didn't come as quickly as she'd like. He seemed to be assessing the piece of paper, quite as if he couldn't read all of a sudden. His brows pulled together in something that looked a lot like suspicion and Claire almost laughed. But, instead of questioning her motives he thanked her again and she perked up, a slight smile curling the corners of her soft mouth.

"It's nothing, really." She said, waving him off politely, though it certainly was something and had taken an awful lot of time, too. He seemed, however, not to be finished with her as he jostled the piece of paper once and then looked at her, a wrinkle between his brows - there was that signature suspicion. Almost accusatory.

For a second, she didn't know what he'd meant, and then she quickly realised that he wasn't talking about the promotion. Of course, Claire had always been a curious creature. She had noticed her brothers absence soon after graduation. Had been told quite scandalously, more than once, that he spent an awful lot of time near the local bloodbank. She'd had her suspicions, and had chosen the giftcard for that reason on purpose. And yet, she still maintained her confusion, carefully watching him as she said sweetly, "What do you mean?" Blinking her eyes innocently, thought her lips were quirked slightly. "The promotion?" She was making him sweat a little bit. 

grey xavier slater

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[grey xavier slater]

Claire Evangeline Slater

12.25.2024

Claire was quick to brush the Christmas gift off as nothing - her words - but it was impossible not to read into it further. Call him paranoid or accusatory, but his sister had access to so much information and intelligence that it made it difficult for him to believe that she didn’t know about Cecelia, or at the most, knew of his relationship to her in some capacity. Claire had made quick work of the older Rousseau girl after all, so the journalist in him was screaming that she probably did follow-ups on the rest of the family too. Adding to that, once Cecelia was added to the vampire registration that had to have sent even more alarm bells off for the Ministry. But he wasn’t paranoid, just a journalist, so it was all conjecture at this point in time. Unfortunately Claire was well trained enough that his prying questions would come across exactly as how they were intended and she would probably lock up on them.

“Yeah, the promotion,” he said, deciding to play her game. The exact nature of his new job hadn’t been explicitly handed out to his family, though Claire’s methods of finding information were unorthodox to begin with, so there was really no wonder where she heard it from. All she had to do was ask one of the dozen or so remaining Auror trainees from his year and they were sure to spill everything. He didn’t want to be a flop like the ones before him had been, so getting the interview for the Prophet immediately after dropping out ended up working perfectly for him. “At least you recognize it as a real career,” Grey said, not so quietly either, as his eyes looked past Claire and beyond, into the hallway. He didn’t care if they heard or not, and being estranged from his parents sounded sort of nice at times. They didn’t support him at all anymore and he didn’t gain anything in return from being around them so they sort of nullified one another.

[Claire Evangeline Slater]

never enough.

CLAIRE HADN'T QUITE FIGURED OUT WHY BUT her brother tended to be a ball of tension around her recently. In a very similar way that he tended to be on edge around their parent's. It wasn't all of the time, but enough that Claire was beginning to take it personally. She was only giving him a gift and yet he treated it like a bomb. His shoulders stiff, his eyes searching hers. There were no strings attached, she wanted to say. It was just a gift. And if it had been inspired by her suspicions that he had a girlfriend, well that was a conversation she had every intention of teasing him about. Not in the judgemental way their parent's would prod, but in a more... sisterly manner.

"Word travels fast on Horizon Alley." She said primly, her nostrils flaring as he smoothly recovered from her blatant side-stepping. There was a blood bank on Horizon Alley and Claire had been informed that Grey had become a frequent visitor, with a very pretty, pale looking lady at his side. It was a double-edged sword, but Grey was clearly born for the media. He had an impressive poker face. Though, Claire felt like her own might be just a little better. The only problem, they'd both been taught the same interrogation tactics. Grey had been in auror training just as she had in the beginning. She wondered if he'd stuck around long enough to get to the sticky parts.

However, Claire's secret satisfaction smoothed in to something akin to concern as her brother dipped his head. His voice she heard loud and clear, and it was like a lance in her back. Claire loved her parent's, and always she wished to please them, but she sometimes disapproved of their methods. "They'll come around," She said quietly, an encouraging smile on her face. But, the truth was, she didn't know if that was true. Grey was too stubborn to give them the time they needed to make their peace with the fact that he'd quit. And they were too stubborn to let him make such a decision without making their disapproval very clear. Claire had been lucky, she'd always done exactly as they wanted. Sometimes she wished Grey would just do them all a favour and do the same.

After a drawing in a deep breath, Claire couldn't stand the look in Grey's eyes, so she changed the subject instead. "Maybe you could invite your new girlfriend over for dinner," She said with a secret smile, leaning in close so their parent's wouldn't overhear right away. "That would surely shift the attention off of your new job for a bit." She quirked her brows at him, daring him to deny it to her face. He had a good poker face, but she'd never pegged him as a bare-faced liar, either. 

grey xavier slater

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[grey xavier slater]

Claire Evangeline Slater

12.25.2024

What did Horizon Alley have to do with knowledge of his new position at the Daily Prophet? Neither the newspaper’s headquarters nor anything remotely related to the Ministry or Aurors was located there, and from that, he doubted Claire had any business in the shopping district other than going shopping there. He wracked his brain a few more times to figure out why she would drop that when he realized that it was him who frequented there often: to go to the blood bank with Cecelia. He maintained the straight faced look he had held the entire conversation, but his eyes flicked up at his sister when he put two and two together. She did know, and either someone was staking out the vampires’ food religiously, or they were following Cecelia. Her sister hadn’t been the gentlest soul in the world. Claire knew that from first-hand experience he suspected.

Grey didn’t budge though, and decided that talking down on their parents was easier to do and could deflect the conversation further from where Claire was obviously trying to drive it. “Will they though?” he responded skeptically. “They never seemed to care that I was editor-in-chief of the paper at school, and they haven’t said a thing about this job either.” He understood that they didn’t care anymore. Apparently wanting to rise up the social ladder as a journalist was still frowned upon in this day and age. He could be working for a lot of less reputable newspapers or magazines too – the Daily Prophet was the best of the best in England and they somehow didn’t understand that still. “But it’s not about them anymore. That’s where I want to be,” he said. Like he needed to convince Claire of anything. She was on his side for this one, it seemed.

It didn’t take Claire long to finally say it though. Of course she knew, and he knew that she knew. They could have played this game all night, maybe even for a few weeks or months, but she decided to break the silence on it first, thankfully. Claire’s idea of bringing Cecelia around for a family dinner was horrific for a number of reasons. She wasn’t wrong that it would take the attention away from him though. “They might kill me if they know who she is,” he whispered back at her. “You might too…” Grey held onto that thought for a second before deciding to break it all right there with a drawn out sigh. “Her name is Cecelia Rousseau. Her sister was the one that, y’know, tried to off you but you beat her to it.” What a horrible way to put that, and he was immediately mentally kicking himself. “Plus dinner with mum and dad is more like breakfast for her…”

[Claire Evangeline Slater]

never enough.

IT DIDN'T FEEL GOOD BUT CLAIRE KNEW THAT Grey wasn't exaggerating. Their parent's had never cared about 'the arts'. And the Hogwarts newspaper had just never hit the mark for them. They preferred more tangible results. They didn't care to read a single article and appreciate the effort. To them, it was no work at all. They wanted grades, awards and prestige. Claire had always fought to deliver that, regardless of whether or not she wanted to. Grey was more passionate, he cared too much. She pitied that part of him.

"You know what they're like, Grey." She muttered, imploring him not to take their stance personally. But, how could he not? Claire had found herself reduced to tears more than once over the years while scrambling for their parent's approval. 'I'm not like that anymore', Claire told herself. She was. She'd just figured out how to impress them without appearing to even try any more. "They're... set in their ways." Claire averted her gaze, unable to withhold the sheer ridiculousness of her statement. Grey deserved better, but she couldn't bear to say as much. She loved them too much.

"Good." Claire nodded loosely, staring over Grey's shoulder at a slight scuff in the paint on the wall. A brief interruption of imperfection that she found herself eager to erase. It was her first and only instinct. But, soon enough, she dragged her attention away from the mark and back on to Grey. It was difficult, but her curiosity regarding his new girlfriend overwhelmed her. It made her think of a time when they had just been stupid siblings, poking fun at each other over every single pretty face either one encountered. It wasn't as simple as that any more. Confirmed by the break in Grey's stony composure.

"What-" Claire stopped and shook her head, he appeared almost distressed. "Because she's a vampire?" She added, a little astounded. "I like to think I'm not that narrow-minded, Grey." She snorted, but failed to mention their parent's. Claire would never speak for them, but she thought he might have a point. They were just... so traditional. But, Claire wasn't, she reminded herself. And then Grey opened his mouth and one word rung around her head. One big alarm bell. 'Rousseau'.

"Oh..." Claire breathed, her expression going terribly blank. Desiree Rousseau was Claire's first kill and her one claim to auror fame. It's what her superiors spoke of at introductions, it's what had put the name Slater on the map. She had killed a notorious terrorist of the rank 'Purifier' and she had done it well. It was one of the only reasons she'd ever felt like she'd earned her parent's full and complete appreciation. She felt utterly embarrassed in a single, blazing second and then so very cold. Her face remained expressionless. "Well, that's an interesting rebellion..." She blurted out before pressing her lips tight together, eyes wide at the thoughtlessness of it. 

grey xavier slater

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[grey xavier slater]

Claire Evangeline Slater

12.25.2024

He didn’t mean to scoff when she said that their parents were set in their ways, but it was funny hearing it come from her. An outright admittance by their most devout follower. Grey knew he was in the wrong being critical over Claire’s choice of career and obedience towards their every whim, but it was hard not to be bitter about it at the same time. She probably only did what they asked because she was trying to set a good example, or whatever. Getting caught up in her decisions when they weren’t his to make would only put him on a higher ground, and so far she was allowing him to do what he wanted. That was literally all he had asked of their parents and yet somehow he was still a disappointment somewhere in all of that. Being taken on as a potential Auror and then hired at the Prophet should have been a good sign that he was well-rounded and knew what he was doing. Obviously he interviewed well at both places and had the necessary skills for both workplaces. One simply didn’t fit with the direction he wanted to go. It couldn’t be easier than that.

Claire was right though, when it came to not being narrow-minded about vampires and the lot, while their parents certainly could be. But it had nothing to do with Cecelia being a vampire. That wasn’t going to be half the battle on that front. He liked to think that vampires were fairly integrated by this point in time, with a few outliers here and there on both sides of the argument. No, he was concerned about the second part of his declaration. The one that he dreaded more than anything else. He could take being put down for his career choice any day of the week and walk away feeling fine about it. The deal about dating a Rousseau though, especially after everything that had happened? If his parents were already willing to throw in the towel because of the job, this would surely get Claire to toss hers on the pile as well. “Yeah, I know how it looks. You don’t have to tell me that,” he said, slight agitation in his voice at her choice of words to answer with. “But if you knew the shit she’s had to go through because of that, and the vampirism, then you’d see it’s pretty obvious she needs someone on her side. And that’s me.”

[Claire Evangeline Slater]

never enough.

THE OPEN CONTEMPT GREY HAD FOR THEIR parent's often rankled Claire. She'd found it migrating over to her as the years went on. As if, as they both got older, Grey saw her more and more as a reflection of everything he disliked about their mum and dad. She didn't like that, it hit a raw and personal part of her that she had no name for. So, when Grey scoffed, Claire frowned, looking down at her nails and pinning her lips together to stop her from saying something that would send him running again.

But, Claire found a new and stuttering pause when Grey revealed whom he was seeing. Rousseau was a name not said with kindness in the Slater home. Their parents side it was smugness, the papers with contempt. Claire said it blankly, to avoid the reality of what it meant when attached to her own. She did not regret exterminating the Rousseau girl, but she didn't like to give it weight either. For someone had died and something was lost. Even if it was for the better. She didn't talk about that feeling though, she bottled it up and focused on the flattery instead. It was much more palatable.

"That's why you haven't told anyone," Claire said, almost accusatory as she crossed her arms, her eyes narrowed as she attempted to catch Grey's blazing stare. "You don't trust me- us to be sympathetic?" She snorted, shaking her head and taking a measured step back. "You know, Grey..." She curled her lip, feeling a little wounded as he tried to explain himself. "You think so little of us." She meant me. "I'm starting to think you do it just to make yourself feel better!" This was a assault Claire did not think out before it was in the air between them. But Grey was always 'me against the world'. Now it seemed to have broadened just enough to make room for a vampire. It was a bitter pill to swallow.

grey xavier slater

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[grey xavier slater]

Claire Evangeline Slater

12.25.2024

Merlin, Claire was wrong with how she was approaching this whole matter, and he could only stare back at her. This was exactly what he was afraid of, and she was only proving his point. It didn’t matter what method he used to come forward about him and Cecelia; this was the only result that was going to come from it. He never should have said anything to her, and let her figure it out on her own. For once he wanted to be forthcoming with what he was doing in his life, since everything else was always getting scoffed at or looked down on. Unless Claire saw something completely else whenever they sat at the dinner table all together, she had to know where he was coming from. “You can think whatever you want, but I know mum and dad won’t be sympathetic, or whatever,” he shook his head. That was like asking them to forget everything that had happened between Claire and the oldest Rousseau girl. He knew they had to think that way, because it was either going to be the way it was now or the roles would be reversed and Claire would be the one that had died. Even he couldn’t refute that fact. There were a lot of complicated parts to all of this, and she wasn’t seeing it the way he did.

“Right, because I forced myself to actively seek out Cecelia so I could start dating her out of spite. That makes a load of sense. It really does.” Yeah, maybe it was an act of late teenage rebellion in some form, but this was also his life to lead. He didn’t have to listen to their parents anymore. That was all over the second he graduated, moved out, and switched careers. They couldn’t whisper their perfect version of his life into his ear anymore. If they had it their way, he’d already be set up with some rich girl through that strange man that had the dating service in Horizon Alley. To them, that would be his ideal future. Everything dictated and followed to a T. Just like Claire. “I got tired of being a yes-man to them. It’s not hard to think for yourself Claire. It really isn’t. So yeah, in a way I do the things I do because it does make me feel better. I’m not tied down by their constant demands to be like you anymore. I don’t want to be you. That’s your life, not mine.” Slinging his bag over his shoulder, he stepped towards the doorway so that he could pass by her, pausing when he got in front of her. “And I don’t think little of you. Or Addi. Just them. Try doing things for yourself once in a while around them, and see how they start treating you. Then you’ll see where I’m coming from.”

[Claire Evangeline Slater]

never enough.

THOUGH THERE WERE CERTAINLY SOME TRUTH IN Grey's assumptions, Claire didn't appreciate them. In her eyes, he always saw the worst. But, Claire knew what it was like to be in their parent's favour, and she couldn't quite describe the feeling of their parent's pride. It was as pleasing as it was suffocating, but to Claire, Grey never even tried. Claire often wondered if he enjoyed their disapproval. Some kind of teenage rebellion he'd never quite learned how to shake. But, instead of agreeing with him, she scoffed and she rolled her eyes and she shook her head - as expected of her.

"Well, what else am I supposed to think?!" She snapped, crossing her arms firmly and closing herself off from him. "You don't even give me a chance any more." She felt an incredibly indignation about the whole thing. "We're your family and you act like we're your enemy." Grey felt grouped in with some terrible rumour of cruelty and ignorance. As if because she loved their parents it made her naive. She took a cautionary step back as Grey exploded, his face pulling taut as he spoke to her harshly. She might have called it passion, but she felt too wounded to do so.

"I am my own person, Grey!" She almost yelled at him, stabbing a finger in to her chest. She felt attacked and reacted in kind. "You're a rotten hypocrite!" She told him, turning her finger on him as he slung his bag over one shoulder and backed off as if to leave - his point made and his blows landed. "You think because I like the life we've been given - a very privileged life I might add - that it makes me weak," Her nostrils flared, her jaw a shard of broken glass. "But, I think you're just a contrary child." And then she lifted her chin and stepped away so that he could pass. They were officially Not Speaking. A typical end to a Slater Family Holiday. 

grey xavier slater

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[grey xavier slater]

▲

This had gone south as fast as humanly possible. Holding his tongue would have been better, maybe. Or would his silence have provoked a similar response from Claire? One where he wasn’t open or forthcoming enough with her and their parents, how he doesn’t trust them with telling them about his life. Never mind the fact their parents didn’t care what he did anymore now that he wasn’t on the path to be an Auror. That point had been made fairly clear already and he didn’t think it was worth the energy to be looping back to that again. All he could do was look away from her as she suggested that they were his enemies, which once again, was partially true. Grey didn’t actually see her as one, but the declaration she made was loaded with the fact that she felt like she was being treated like it. No amount of backtracking and explanation would get that through her head though. This was still very much a ‘him vs. them’ ordeal, and until Claire saw clearly what he was getting at, it was going to continue that way.

He maintained his silent vigilance as she berated him with accusations of being a hypocrite, before trying to defend herself for liking the way things were. Grey didn’t know if she actually believed that or not. It was hard to see it that way from his end, because being held to an unreasonable standard and then still being told it wasn't good enough didn’t work for him anymore. That ship had long since sailed, and Claire seemed to be on it still. There were still lifeboats there for her to take though, and given enough time, he was sure she’d come to understand what he was getting at. Their parents were quick with their work, after all.

As she stepped aside to let him leave, he took another few steps, passing through the threshold of the door before stopping again and turning around to face her once more. His mouth opened to say one final thing on it, but he stopped himself. It wasn’t worth it to burn bridges over this. “Merry Christmas…” he said quietly as he turned once again, readjusting his bag over his shoulder. On his way out of the house, he stopped briefly by Addi’s room and said the same thing to her before leaving, the loud crack of his disapparation sending him back home to his apartment.

[The End]

Claire Evangeline Slater ● 411 ● Illumination by Occams Laser

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