The fires find a home in me (Jayden)

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It was two days before the October Hogsmede trip and Andy was sitting in front of the fire in the Common Room, staring so intentely at the flames that you would think she'd never seen fire before. She was watching them dance, watching them change direction and do whatever they wanted... then she frowned, thinking of the moment they'd be snuffed out. She shook her head, turning back to the book in her lap, but the words were just swimming on the page. She couldn't focus. Why? Because she had an idea brewing in her head all day...

Sure, she had attacked Nik and maybe that meant they weren't on the best of terms, were they ever? But he seemed to be... encouraging her, in a way, which she expected. Which meant that if she needed to teach someone else a lesson say... Desirae, maybe he would help her find the French girl? She had been toying with this idea for the last ten hours, barely able to focus on a single thing. Was she really considering this? Was she really considering making that choice again?

She bit her lip, eyes looking back up at the fire again, fixated on it. She could almost hear it whispering to her... as if telling her that this was the right thing to do. Desi had a light, a horrible light, and that needed to be snuffed out.

@henry

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@lestrange

jay had spent the day sitting on the lake writing a letter to send to phil when he got the chance. filling him in on what he thought his big brother should know about what was going on in the school and at home. he knew that phil was talking to their mum, andy and ranger too probably but jay felt there was no harm in finding out how phil was going for himself. he didn't think he'd miss his brother as much as he had, there was only a few weeks to go till he was home but still, jay missed him. making his way back into the castle he headed up to the common room, wondering where sao was and if she was free to come for a walk with him. though those thoughts got put on the back burner as he walked the small corridor into the warm and cosy room when he saw andy sitting there, staring at the fire. he smiled slightly as he made his way over to her and sat down next to her quietly. "you loose something in the flames?" he asked her.

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Andy jumped when she heard a voice beside her, not realizing that Jayden had sat down. She chuckled, clutching her chest with one hand and using the other to gently place on his knee. "You scared me," she muttered, patting his knee before moving her hand away. "Yeah. Yeah, I think I did," she said softly, smiling gingerly at him before turning back to the flames, resting her elbows on her knees. "And what brings you over here? Did Phil give you the job of looking after me?" she joked. She loved Jayden, and realized that she loved him before anyone else in the Longbottom family, at least in the way she did. She was happy to just be near the kid.

@henry

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@lestrange

"You scared me," jay smiled slightly and rested his hand over the top of hers on his knee. he hadn't meant to scare her, he hoped she knew that. "Yeah. Yeah, I think I did," jay smiled and looked at the flames, leaning a little closer as he did and trying to study what was in the flames or what could be hidden beneath them. "what did you loose?" he joked. "maybe we can salvage it" he said as he turned his head to look at her, his hands resting on his knees. "And what brings you over here? Did Phil give you the job of looking after me?" he looked at her and smiled slightly. she might have been joking but he wasn't going to. not about that. phil had asked him to keep an eye on andy, he had asked a few people too but jay would have done it anyway. "he did .. but he didn't need to. i'll always look out for you andy" he said with a smile as he looked at her. he had loved her from the day she had been brought into their home. it hadn't mattered who she was, she had become a part of their family that day and there for he had loved her as easily as he did alice or phil.

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Andy was thankful fro Jaydens hand on hers and smiled a little as he leaned in closer to get a look at the flames with her. He asked her what she lost, and said that maybe they could salvage it, and she turned toward him as well, her brow furrowed. "I don't think it'll be that easy," she answered softly.

Then he answered her question about Phil and she smirked, shaking her head, "awe, thanks Jay. I don't deserve it, though," she patted his leg again and pulled her hand away.

@henry

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@lestrange

"awe, thanks Jay. I don't deserve it, though," he felt his heart hurt as she said that to him. he didn't even notice her pat his leg again. he shook his head a little and he shifted forward, moving to wrap his arms around her shoulders and he hugged her tightly. he was sad she felt she didn't deserve someone to look after her. someone to look out for her. he could see she had meant what she had said, that she thought she didn't deserve it and he knew she was wrong. "of course you do" he said as he hugged her a little tighter. "you're my sister andy. nothing you do or did or think or feel will ever make you less deserving of having someone look out for you, someone to love you and someone to be there for you" he said softly to her. "i'll always be here for you, okay?" he said as he leaned his head back a little to look at her face. "that annoying little brother you always thought you wanted but when you found out how dreadfully annoying he could be, you didn't want anymore" he teased her with a small smile.

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What came next Andy wasn't expecting. She cringed a little when Jayden wrapped his arms around her, but only for a short moment. It was interesting how her entire body seemed to melt into it, her arms wrapping around him as well. His words slipped into her ears and she tried to let them land but she knew but they just left one ear and out the other. No matter how hard she tried to grab onto them. He spoke about how she was too they're open, and about how he'd always be there for her. She didn't want to pull away, but let him, in order to look into his eyes as well. She found herself smiling a little, at his words about being an annoying little brother he always wanted. "No, no I didn't decide that," she assured him, shaking her head, "I'll always want that annoying little brother," she teased.

Then she bit her lip, her eyes getting mosty again. Her hand moved to his shoulder and she gripped there, hard. "I did a bad thing, Jay," she said firmly.

@henry

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@lestrange

"No, no I didn't decide that, I'll always want that annoying little brother," he grinned and nodded a little. he was glad to hear her say that because he didn't plan on stopping being that annoying little brother anytime soon. "I did a bad thing, Jay," he frowned as she gripped his shoulder and he brought his hand to rest it on hers. his fingers clasped over her knuckles and held them tight. he bit his lip as his brown eyes looked into hes and he lowered his head slightly so he could see her face better. "what did you do andy?" no matter what it was he'd never be able to judge her for it.

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Andy could tell she was worrying him, which wasn't a surprise. She was worry herself. He asked what she did, lowering his face to look into her eyes. "Please... don't tell anyone," she started softly, taking in a deep breath. She looked up into his eyes, "I hurt someone. On purpose" she swallowed then bit her lip. She shook her head before going on, "I'm just like my father, Jayden. I'm just like him."

@henry

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@lestrange

"Please... don't tell anyone," he nodded his head slightly, a silent promise to keep this between the two of them. he didn't like to break his word and he'd try with all his power to keep it, especially for andy. "I hurt someone. On purpose" he was shocked but he didn't let it show. the last thing she needed was to think that he was going to freak out on her. he just squeezed her upper arm lightly and kept his eyes trained on hers. if she'd hurt someone she'd had a good reason. that's the only conclusion he could jump too. "I'm just like my father, Jayden. I'm just like him." he was sure he felt his heart break for her when she said those words. that just wasn't true. he blinked as he felt water well in the corner of his eye and he wiped his face on his shoulder before looking back at her. "that's not true. you are nothing like the awful scumbag you were unfortunate enough to be born to" he said, softly and meaning every word. he kept his eyes on hers, not letting her look away from him. "you andromeda, are one of the best people i know. regardless of the fact you hurt someone. i know you. i know you wouldn't have hurt someone that didn't deserve it" he said, meaning it and hoping that she knew he meant it. jay normally tried to see the best in people, but he wasn't a fool. sometimes people were just bad and there was nothing that could be done and those people didn't deserve sympathy. he was sure it was a person like that andy had hurt. "we love you andy. me, phil, mom and dad. nat and even alice."

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Jayden nodded and Andy knew she could trust him. She'd always know that, in a way, even before she was that close to him. He was just that time. He spoke when she was finished, calling her father a 'scumbag' and her circumstances 'unfortunate'. Well, he was right. She knew that. He spkoe softly, though, and that was what kept her eyes fixed on his. He said she was one fo the best people he knew and she gently shook her head. She didn't deserve words like that. Then he said that she wouldn't hurt someone if they didn't deserve it... well, that was true. Then he said 'we love you' and the names came out. It wasn't Phils name that choked her up this time, oddly. It was Nat's. She bit her lip, nodding and placing a hand on his shoulder as well. "I love you, too. I just... I know that fighting can sometimes be the right answer. But I don't know if it's the right answer for me," she started slowly, "too close to home."

@henry

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@lestrange

he saw her shake her head when he told her she was one of the best people he knew and he frowned a little. he moved to lay one hand on her cheek to keep her from shaking her head anymore. "yes." he said simply. he kept his hand against her cheek and looked into her eyes. he hated that she didn't think she was one of those people. she was brilliant and he loved her as much as he loved alice. he hated that his sister was hurting and he didn't have the words to make her feel better. "you are andy. trust me" he said with a soft smile at her. "I love you, too. I just... I know that fighting can sometimes be the right answer. But I don't know if it's the right answer for me, too close to home." he understood that in some ways. he had issues with the differences in the way he had been raised and the opinions he was starting to form for himself and he wasn't sure what was right. "then make sure you fight for the right reason" he said as he took his hand from her cheek and squeezed it over the hand on her shoulder. "want to come up to my dorm? i have a stash of chocolates .. and i'm pretty sure the stash phil has hidden in his room is there still" if he knew phil it would be hidden so his roomates couldn't find it. but they weren't his brother.

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Andy was slightly surprised at the feeling of Jaydens hand on her cheek, but she didn't flinch. He stopped her head from shaking and she looked up at him, catching his eyes as they found hers. He spoke again, saying that she was and that she needed to trust him. She didn't move to nod or agree, but simply just kept her eyes on his as she spoke about fighting. But then he, so wisely, said that she needed to make sure she was fighting for the right reason, taking his hand from her face.

When did he get so smart, anyway? Andy had always known he was, but she was always amazed at the wisdom that came from him. Then he offered her some of his chocolate stash as well as offering Phils and she grinned, nodding, "that sounds perfect," she managed.

@henry

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@lestrange

"that sounds perfect," he smiled slightly and he moved to get up from where he'd been sitting. he ran his hand through his hair and looked down at her with another smile. "okay i'll go raid phils room." he said as he climbed over the couch they had been sitting in front of. he realized it would have been quicker to around but a lot less fun. "you know which bed's mine right? we can sit there and gorge. my chocolate is under the curtain on the top of the bed" he said with a grin. with a four poster bed the obvious place for him to hide it was under the curtains on the topper. who thought to look on top of a bed when looking for something. it was usually always under. with that he hurried up the stairs. phil's room was one floor above his since his brother was in his seventh year and he dropped to his knees beside it and looked around the bed till he found the chocolate. he found some parchment and pen and scribbled an 'i owe you' on it and stuck it in the box after he'd taken all the chocolate out. grinning to himself he got up, pushed the box back under the bed with his foot and hurried back down to his dorm to see if andy had managed to find the chocolates.

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Jay said that he'd go raid Phils room and Andy nodded, "yeah I think I know which one it yours... if not I can figure it out," she teased, letting him go ahead of her to Phils. She almost asked to go with him, actually, because she had never actually been in there. She had only been in Jaydens once before because she and Phil had woken him up once or twice last year for fun. But, she'd never even seen Phils dorm room. She realized, as she searched for Jaydens bed and then for the chocolate, that her and Phil had never actually been romantically involved while at school. Maybe for a moment at the end of spring, but the majority of their romantic involvement was during Christmas break and then over the summer... so, she didn't know where he slept. Not that she thought she'd learn when he got back! Well, maybe she would. She wasn't sure.

She found the chocolate and got settled on Jaydens bed, just sitting on top of the covers, waiting for him to return.

@henry