Kyle could only shake his head in resigned acceptance when Missy pointed out how arseholes often got off scot free. He’d found out the hard way that people didn’t always play by the rules, and he’d be fighting with a hand tied behind his back if he didn’t as well. So he’d learnt to how and when to b...

A pang of regret and guilt hit Kyle when he realised that he probably had inadvertently doused an innocent party with water. “I’m so terribly sorry, I—” he began, only to have the rest of his apology die in his throat as he recognised the sopping wet mop of light blond hair and the usually smug mug ...

Kyle cast his gaze downwards as his lips curled in a wry half-smile. “You’re right, we shouldn’t just roll over and accept everything,” he said with a sigh. “But we can’t win every fight. Sometimes we have to pick our battles. I mean, my best mate’s not coming back, ever, short of turning back time ...

The mood darkened considerably after Kyle shared his story, and even Missy’s entire demeanour had changed. Her jaw was clenched, presumably in anger at how unfair things were. At least it didn’t appear to be pity she was feeling, and that was something Kyle was thankful for. That was the last thing ...

Unconvinced by Sam’s words, Kyle motioned to his robes a second time in case she might change her mind, before dropping the matter with a shrug. The other Gryffindor girl – the one he didn’t recognise – spoke up, indicating her interest despite having the same concern as Kyle. He chuckled when she s...

Anwen’s giggle cut through Kyle’s worries and spiralling thoughts like a ray of sunshine on a gloomy day, and some of the tension lifted from his shoulders when he heard that she would be able to leave the hospital wing tomorrow morning. As the anxious energy within him somewhat subsided, he accepte...

The casual banter and Missy’s companionship as they each tackled their respective assignments – it was times like this that helped Kyle tough it out when things got difficult. Having benefitted much from the help and frnedship from the older students during his first few years at Hogwarts, this was ...

Ravenclaw sounded like a good match for Missy. Though students from that house were usually seen as academically inclined or nerdy, many of them were streetwise and generally smart enough to know what to do in any given situation. The impression he had lined up perfectly with Missy’s description of ...

Sam’s voice sounded a bit off, and the way she adjusted her scarf gave Kyle the impression that she wasn’t feeling too well or something. “Cold?” he asked, before realising a moment later that he didn’t know what to do if she was. The weather didn’t bother him much so he didn’t even have his scarf o...

Kyle winced as Missy corrected him about her year of study. “Sorry, my bad,” he apologised. “But trust me when I say you’re very, very mature and sensible for your age.” That one word response from Missy – that resigned “yeah” – did nothing to improve their situation, but just being reminded that he...

Crowds weren’t Kyle’s favourite thing. By force of habit, the lanky Seventh Year decided to take the corridor around the courtyard to avoid the modest group that had gathered near the fountain, but the sight of the young student beside a signboard caught his eye. Was that the boy he had shared a cab...

“True, Kyle conceded almost immediately when Missy explained how she got caught in Eve’s ‘trap’. “But I gotta say, I thought you’d be smarter than me and not fall for that.” Meanwhile Eve did her best imitation of a sweet and innocent smile – the operative word being ‘imitation’ – which made Kyle s...

Kyle gave an understanding nod as Selah revealed that Professor Fah had helped her a lot when she was a student, a sentiment that he could definitely relate to. He had received much guidance from the professors – although it sometimes came in the form of tough love – and he counted himself extremely...

It seemed to Kyle that Selah had let slip something she wasn’t supposed to when she covered her mouth and then made a face. “I didn’t hear anything from you,” he echoed, feigning ignorance while giving her a knowing and mischievous grin, as though he too was complicit in this accidental leak and cov...

Kyle had just passed the third bed when his ears caught a familiar voice responding to his call. She’s awake. That thought offered him a small measure of comfort, for it meant that Anwen was at least well enough to be up. Hurriedly (and as quietly as he could manage) he made his way towards her, and...

“Happy Christmas, Mr Winters” 24th December, 2005 ♪ “Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence” – Ryuichi Sakamoto ♪ Don’t look. Keep walking. A gentle breeze picked up as Kyle pulled the hood of his jacket over his head, trying to hide his face as best as he could. Not that it made any difference: his height, ...

As Professor Forrester explained that it wasn’t an Auror interrogation, and that he was free to back out at any point if the session got uncomfortable, Kyle nodded to acknowledge that he had understood. “Yes, Professor,” he replied. Given what had happened, it was almost certain that he would be ask...

The relative peace of the Hospital Wing was abruptly interrupted by a pair of clanking crutches as their anxious owner hurriedly entered and began to search for a particular someone. Said owner was none other than Kyle Winters, who had rushed over here as quickly as he could upon learning that Anwen...

Saturday, 3 December 2005 4:00pm The corridors were fairly quiet when Kyle returned to Hogwarts Castle after his solo Quidditch training. He guessed that most of the students were either studying in the library, or hanging out in the Common Rooms. As he strode down the hallway past a stairwell, he ...

A relieved smile spread across Kyle’s lips as Juniper confirmed his guess earlier; he had presumed that she didn’t have a dance partner yet because she was sitting alone. “Oh, I don’t think we’ve been properly introduced,” he said. He didn’t quite know the Fifth-Years as well as the other batches, f...

Kyle’s face reddened a touch as Selah reminded him that it was always good to pay attention to how others around him were feeling too. “I’ll remember that,” he promised; when the school year started he’d need to send more letters home too to check on his mother, or even pop back home for a bit after...

A loud sneeze reverberated through the old classroom, followed by a very sheepish apology. The source of the noise was Kyle Winters, whose nose had instantly disagreed with the dank and dusty air when he first stepped into the old classroom. Though social events and dancing weren’t his thing at all,...

As a Quidditch player, Kyle was no stranger to the occasional injury and subsequent stay at the Hospital Wing, but this was the longest he had been stuck here and it was driving him bonkers. No amount of protesting from him could convince the healers that he was all right, and while they agreed that...

Hearing how Anwen used to attend lessons for ballet, jazz, and even tap dancing… that felt like a lot to Kyle. “Whoa,” he said – and it was pretty much the only thing he could say, as astonished as he was by the number of extracurriculars she used to take. And that was probably on top of all her oth...

It was only when Selah pointed out his elementary mistake did Kyle realise that the reading hadn’t been for him. “Fuck,” he swore involuntarily under his breath as a mix of embarrassment and anger at himself welled up in him. Everyone had their own struggles, of course, but he was so stuck in his th...