Brewing The Witches' Brew

[Sophie Wright]

It was lunch, only a few days away from the upcoming Yule Ball and a certain gossip-eer was perching in the Great Hall, discreetly watching the students around her. She'd pulled up a stool to the far end of the long row for Gryffindor so that she could see all the tables around her. Gryffindor students in the 6th and 7th years knew better than to say anything too sensitive to or near Sophie as it always ended up in the gossip rag that made its way through the school every quarter. The younger years and the ones not in their house didn't know to be wary of her unless those 6th and 7th years warned them... which they didn't, because they wanted to get the gossip too.

Sophie had a little notebook in front of her and a regular pen- more discreet than a quill in the middle of the Great Hall- and seemed to be jotting down something. She was listening to hear who was planning to ask who, who'd been asked by who, and who wished they could go with who. This was the prime time to get information, everyone was so focused on the upcoming ball, they stopped being so discreet that she could catch wind of things. She also had a little charmed gadget going around the Great Hall under the tables for her to hear conversations that were far away from her. She smirked to herself before jotting something as she seemed to hear something juicy somewhere.

She didn't tend to look up while doing this, making it seem more like she was in her own world and thoughts and not trying to be discreet. People who didn't know her didn't see her as someone to be overly concerned about, thinking her looks plain enough to think she was overall harmless. Rarely did they understand why they'd come to regret that lack of judgement.

[Missy Dragonov]

Missy sat at the Slytherin table, absentmindedly poking at her lunch with her fork while chatting idly with a fellow fourth-year. She wasn't paying much attention to the conversations around her until she caught sight of a Gryffindor girl sitting by herself at the far end of her house table. Missy tilted her head curiously. The older girl seemed to be scribbling something in a notebook, her expression unreadable but strangely focused. Missy squinted slightly, trying to get a better look. She didn't recognize the Gryffindor, but the pen in her hand—not a quill—stood out as unusual.

"Who's that?" Missy whispered to her tablemate, nodding discreetly in the Gryffindor's direction.

Her friend shrugged, clearly uninterested. "Dunno. Probably just doing homework or something."

Missy hummed thoughtfully, her curiosity piqued. The girl didn’t look like she was working on homework—her movements were too quick, almost like she was trying to capture something before it slipped away. Still, Missy didn't think too hard about it.

"Maybe she's writing about the Yule Ball?" Missy mused aloud, though mostly to herself. The upcoming event had been the center of everyone's conversations lately, and Missy was no exception. As she sat at the Slytherin table, she swung her legs idly under the table as she chatted with her friend. The conversation was light—mostly about dresses for the Yule Ball and which professors might chaperone—but her attention wavered again when she noticed a small, glimmering object darting in and out from under the tables.

At first, she thought it was just her imagination - like she had seen a Snitch out of the corner of her eye. When she swung her legs again, her foot accidentally connected with something small and hard. Startled, she froze and looked down. The little device—a charmed object with faintly glowing runes—spun slightly from the impact.

Missy blinked, her brow furrowing in confusion. “What, in the name of Merlin, is that?” she muttered under her breath. She glanced around, wondering if anyone else had seen it, but her friend just shrugged, clearly not paying attention and focusing on lunch. Missy tilted her head, curious about the device as it continued to spin in a little circle. Maybe it was some kind of study aid? A project for Charms or Transfiguration, perhaps? Still, the way the device zipped about seemed... intriguing. Just as she reached down under the table to pick it up, it zipped it's way back to the Gryffindor table and the older girl.

Unable to resist her curiosity, Missy pushed her plate aside and stood up. She approached the Gryffindor table, her green-and-silver tie a stark contrast to the red-and-gold surroundings. As she neared, she hesitated for a moment before speaking.

“Hi there,” she said brightly, her voice carrying just enough to be heard over the general chatter. She offered the older girl a polite smile. “I couldn’t help but notice that little... thing darting around under the tables. Did you lose something, or is it supposed to be doing that?”

Her tone was light and curious, with no hint of accusation. Missy wasn’t one to assume the worst of anyone, though she couldn’t help but wonder what the device was for, what it did, and where she could get one!

[Sophie Wright]

Sophie winced as someone hit her spying device which zipped back to her upon being caught and released. She tucked it back into her pocket before looking over at the girl who addressed her. She, in no uncertain terms, gave her a once over before deciding on how to reply.

"Shouldn't you introduce yourself first before trying to pry into my secrets?" She said with a tight smile, "Here, here's proper decorum; my name is Sophie Wright, and it's supposed to be doing that, but I'm not telling you what for," she said with a smirk, twirling her pen as she closed her notebook, not about to let her see it over her shoulder either.

"Sophie," she cut her eyes to the side as a male chastised her from near the Ravenclaw tables. Two younger Ravenclaws, looking a lot like the male who called her name, were also looking over.

"Mind your own business, Nate," she bit back to him, then looked back to this Slytherin, "Ignore him; that's my cousin. He's a prefect, so he thinks he has the right to boss me around too, but he's Ravenclaw, so he's not my boss," she shrugged before an interesting quill and notepad also floated back to her from the Hufflepuff's table. She tucked the quill in her pocket, closed the notebook, and put it on top of the one she'd been writing in.

"Any other questions?" she raised a brow, "Try not to kick them if you see them; it gets them terribly off center." She was a Slytherin. Would she be bold enough to press? Sophie was almost hoping she would...

[Missy Dragonov]

Missy blinked, her lips pressing into a slight pout as the older girl—Sophie, was it?—spoke with an air of confidence that bordered on dismissive. Introduce herself? Pry into secrets? That hadn’t exactly been her intent, but the way Sophie smirked and twirled her pen made Missy feel like she was suddenly in the middle of something she hadn’t signed up for.

“Missy Pavlov,” she said after a pause, lifting her chin slightly as she glanced at the notebook and quill that floated back to Sophie. She wasn’t entirely sure what was going on, but whatever it was, it seemed like it wasn’t strictly... allowed.

Her gaze flicked briefly toward the Ravenclaw boy—Nate, apparently—before returning to Sophie. “Didn’t mean to kick it, but maybe you should make them a little less noticeable next time if you don’t want people asking questions.” There was no malice in her tone, just a hint of curiosity and mild annoyance.

Missy leaned forward slightly, her arms crossing on the table. “And what if I do have more questions? You gonna answer, or is this one of those times where I’m supposed to ‘mind my own business’?” She smiled sweetly, but her green eyes sparkled with a mix of challenge and amusement.

[Sophie Wright]

Sophie grinned like the cat had found a mouse as Missy spoke back, "Duly noted," she said in response to making it less noticeable, "It usually blends in with all the other random things flying about at meals," she shrugged. As Missy continued, leaning forward, Sophie raised a brow at her, still totally amused at this new person in her presence, "That depends entirely on the question," Sophie shrugged, clasped her hands over her notebooks, leaning forward herself, "So. Missy, what questions are you bold enough to ask?" she asked, tilting her head, her eyes never leaving Missy's face.

She was running through her memory as to whether or not she'd ever heard this girl's name before. She was a Slytherin, obviously, but she didn't seem like the Anderson girl or Valtoris, or even the Innes fellow her cousin had a beef with. There was the Winters boy, too, mostly cause of the Boggart thing, but even he was surprisingly boring. Even Morningstar and Goldman had stood out somewhat, but this one? She was new territory. Perfect.

"You've been rather under the radar in your house. That's impressive," she mused, drumming her fingers.

[Missy Dragonov]

Missy tilted her head slightly at Sophie’s words, her brow knitting together in mild confusion. "Under the radar?" she repeated, almost tasting the phrase. "I don't think I was trying to be... but I guess that means I haven't caused any trouble worth writing about, yeah?" There was a flicker of a smirk as she spoke, though it didn’t quite reach her eyes. She wasn’t sure yet if Sophie’s interest was genuine or if it came with strings attached - certainly not brave enough to ask questions at this stage.

Fiddling with the hem of her sleeve, she leaned back a little, as if putting a safe distance between them. "But, since you’ve noticed me now, maybe that'll change." Her cautious demeanour gave way to a touch of pride as she continued. "I just made the Slytherin Quidditch team—Chaser. So I’ll most definitely be flying. Not exactly ‘under the radar’ up there, is it?"

She paused, letting her words hang in the air for a moment before her gaze flicked back to Sophie. "But why does it matter if I’ve been ‘under the radar’? You keeping tabs on everyone or something?" It wasn’t accusatory, more curious, though a faint edge of wariness lingered behind her tone. Missy’s cautious smirk wavered as something clicked in her mind. Her eyes narrowed slightly, not in suspicion but in realization. "Wait a second," she said slowly, tilting her head as she studied Sophie more closely. "You’re not the Sophie, are you? The one who writes for The Witches' Brew?" Her voice held a mix of intrigue and newfound wariness.

She straightened up a bit, brushing a strand of hair from her face. "I’ve seen that thing floating around the common room. Everyone loves reading it... though, Merlin knows none of us would ever admit it." A small laugh escaped her.

[Sophie Wright]

Sophie smirked at Missy, going on the defensive, realizing she was walking a dangerous line. When she bragged about making the Quidditch team, she smirked, "That depends if you're any good, you've got some people who might overshadow you on that team," she said, shrugging.

When she asked why it matters, Sophie shrugged again, "I just like knowing who everyone is," she said, but then she nailed it and Sophie grinned, "Oh a fan, I'm flattered," she put her hand to her chest, "I suppose you're going to be able to put together a few things with that realization, but don't spoil my fun," she said with a bit of warning, "Usually the front pagers are the ones that tried to get me to stop. Tried to threaten me like some sort of backyard bully, but alas for them, I've got thicker skin than that," she snorted, shaking her head.

"Everything alright down here?"

Sophie turned her head and sighed, "The Prefects are swarming," she said dramatically, "Good day, Valtoris," she said to Miral who stood a few steps away, her blue eyes going between them, "Don't worry, I'm not hurting your new chaser, we're just having a friendly chat, right, Missy?" she looked back at the girl across from her.

Miral narrowed her own before looking to Missy, "I've been looking for an excuse to get the professors to confiscate those, so don't be afraid to tell the truth," she said, motioning to Sophie's notebooks.

Sophie snorted, "That's worked out so far, hasn't it?" she taunted, getting another glare from the Slytherin Prefect, "Plus I have plenty more where that came from. Nate's been taking them for years like it'll stop me," she thumbed back at her cousin, who happened to be a Ravenclaw Prefect.

"Then I suppose it's time we involved Professor Murphy so he can let your father know of your behavior. Not very becoming of someone whose father works in the Ministry," Miral chided, and that clearly struck a nerve as Sophie's sass stopped for a second, but then her efforts renewed, a sneer on her face.

"Must be something about that Malfoy blood in you making you run sniveling when you can't solve problems yourself," she scoffed.

"Is that the best you can do? For someone who writes a gossip rag, I expected better," Miral waved her off, looking to Missy, "Seriously though, are you alright here? It's not that don't think you can hold your own, but obviously she's not above trying to stoop," she asked, ignoring the fire in Sophie's eyes. She was getting written about, she knew that, but Miral had never been one of the ones to care for the tripe anyway.

[Missy Dragonov]

Missy shifted slightly in her seat, her eyes darting between Sophie and Miral as the tension crackled like a live wire. She leaned back, crossing her arms in an attempt to look casual, though her amusement at their exchange was hard to hide. "I’m fine, Miral," she said lightly, her tone calm but careful, as though she were navigating a precarious broomstick mid-air. "We’re just chatting."

She glanced at Sophie, suppressing a smirk. "Nothing to report, really." Her gaze flicked back to Miral, trying to project sincerity. The last thing she wanted was to upset her Prefect, and her Seeker—especially when she was still trying to prove herself on the team.

"But, uh," she added, her voice slightly lower, "I’d rather not see anything happen to... the notebooks." Her eyes slid meaningfully toward Sophie, making her feelings about The Witches' Brew subtly clear. "They’ve got their... charm, you know?"

Missy bit her lip to keep from grinning outright, her amusement shining in her eyes. "Not that I’d encourage anyone to step out of line, of course," she said quickly, offering Miral a polite nod to soften the statement. "Quidditch season’s coming, and I’d hate for any unnecessary distractions." Her attempt to keep the peace felt a bit awkward, but she hoped it would satisfy both parties—at least for now.

[Sophie Wright]

Miral gave a snort at Missy saying that Sophie's work had its charm, clearly disagreeing, "Just keep in mind who you're talking to," she said, eyeing Sophie once more before turning, heading back to where she'd been sitting, tossing those blond locks over her shoulder as she walked.

Sophie rolled her eyes as she walked away, "If I could just get some dirt on her that isn't the obvious with her filthy bloodline," she scowled, "She thinks she's so perfect," she said, making a face, waving her hands, "Thanks for the save," she added to Missy, shaking her head, "Everyone's such a hater when they know it's me that writes the Brew, but it's not just me," she pointed out, "But I won't reveal my cohort... Thooooough," she gave Missy a mischievous look.

"How do you feel about being an inside source? Most Slytherins won't give me much," she smirked. "You'd get to see your stuff in the Breeeew~" she added in singsong like it was the perfect reason to tell her all the gossip of her house, "I've usually got Griffindor covered, and my friend has Hufflepuff. Unbeknownst to my cousin, Mr. Uptight over there, I have an insider in Ravenclaw. If you help me, I'll never write about you so long as you do," she made an 'x' over her heart as a promise.

[Missy Dragonov]

Missy nodded slightly as Miral’s parting warning lingered in the air, her gaze briefly following the Prefect’s retreating figure. She respected Miral—she kind of had to, given their shared house and Quidditch team—but the tension between her and Sophie had been undeniably entertaining. Missy’s lips quirked into a small smile as she turned her attention back to the older Gryffindor, her curiosity piqued.

"An inside source, huh?" Missy repeated, leaning forward a little. She rested her elbow on the table and tilted her head, her expression thoughtful. "That’s... an interesting offer." Her fingers tapped lightly against her knee as she weighed the pros and cons. Upsetting Miral wasn’t on her to-do list, but at the same time, the idea of contributing to The Witches' Brew was tempting. She’d always found it amusing when she read it, even if some of her housemates had grumbled about its content.

She looked Sophie square in the eye, her lips curving into a sly grin. "Alright, you’ve got my attention. I can’t promise I’ll have anything juicy for you every time, but..." She shrugged nonchalantly, though her mind was already buzzing with possibilities. "I think I could keep my ears open. No guarantees, though. I’m not exactly a snoop, but I do hear things now and then."

Missy leaned back, crossing her arms, but her grin remained. "And as long as you keep me off the pages, I guess we have a deal." She paused, her eyes narrowing playfully. "Just don’t go writing about me behind my back, or I’ll find a way to turn the tables. Slytherins are good at that sort of thing, you know."

[Sophie Wright]

Sophie watched as Missy chewed on the idea and when she agreed, she broke out into a grin. When she said they had a deal, Sophie offered her her hand, "Sounds like a deal to me," she said, "And don't worry, I've got ears out, so even if you don't catch the juicy bits, I probably will, provided no one else kicks my listening tool," she teased her, "It felt like I got hit in the actual ear to be honest," she said as she admitted to her the purpose of the floating thing she'd seen, a token of her trust.

"Now, you should probably get back to your table before someone thinks you're already spilling their secrets," she stood, lifting her notebooks, "I've a pamphlet to write," she smirked deviously before striding towards the exit, flipping her cousin off in passing, who rolled his eyes, though the younger two giggled at her antics.

Zeke, who'd been sitting a little ways down, leaned her way, "You'd best bargain with her on those stories," he said, "Make it worth your while rather than just give her what she wants. Just a suggestion," he smirked as well before turning back to the other Gryffindors near him, tossing a roll to someone.

[Missy Dragonov]

Missy watched Sophie’s retreating figure, still mulling over the whirlwind interaction. She turned her head at the sound of someone leaning her way and caught sight of Zeke, the Gryffindor Beater. She didn’t know him personally, but his reputation as a skilled player preceded him.

Zeke’s words, casual as they were, carried a layer of caution, and Missy arched a brow, offering a half-smile in return. “Appreciate the advice,” she said lightly, her tone measured. “You Gryffindors sure stick together, don’t you?”

She let her gaze linger on him for a moment, her curiosity stirring. “You wouldn’t happen to know if you’re one of Sophie’s insiders, would you?” she asked, her voice playful but her eyes sharp. She leaned back slightly, crossing her arms in a thoughtful gesture. “Not that I’m expecting you to tell me if you are. Just... curious.”

Missy glanced back at the Slytherin table where she was supposed to be, her expression neutral but her mind buzzing. Zeke’s warning was friendly enough, but it reminded her to tread carefully. Sophie might have offered trust in revealing her little spy tool, but trust could only stretch so far in the world of gossip. Missy would play this smart—after all, she wasn’t about to hand over her house’s secrets for free.

[Zeke Smith]

"I don't know about that, considering I'm telling you to be careful with that one," Zeke smirked at Missy's comment about them sticking together, "And most definitely not one of her insiders, I have way more important things to do in a day than gossip or listen to gossip," he snorted, shaking his head.

"As much as I'd rather trip Valtoris down some stairs than agree with her, ever, Sophie's only one step away from belonging in those green robes rather than red ones," he added, "She feels you're double-crossing or playing her and the gossip will be the least of your worries," he warned, "You just never hear what she does to the rest. All I'm saying is to watch your back and not let any of your friends know you've agreed to help her. They probably won't talk to you about much anymore if you do," he said casually, shrugging again.

"But you're a big girl, you can make your choices for yourself," He took a bite of a roll before looking around for someone, muttering to himself about being late.

[Missy Dragonov]

Missy gave Zeke a thoughtful look, her lips pressed into a small line as she considered his words. "Fair enough," she said, nodding slowly. "I guess I should've figured you'd be above all that." She offered him a faint smirk, her tone carrying a touch of dry humour. "Too busy plotting Valtoris' untimely demise to dabble in the likes of Sophie’s little schemes, huh?"

As she turned to head back toward the Slytherin table, she paused and glanced back at him. "But, you know," she added with a half-shrug, "sometimes sticking your nose into other people's business is just... fun. Not all of us have a Beater's swing to settle scores, so we have to get creative."

Her tone grew a bit more serious as she continued. "I'll take your advice, though. Watching my back is kinda second nature around here, anyway." She flicked him a grin that didn’t quite reach her eyes. "And, hey, I’m a Slytherin—it’s not like anyone expects me to play fair, right?"

With that, Missy turned on her heel and strode back toward the Slytherin table, her expression a careful mix of nonchalance and thoughtfulness. As she slid back into her seat, she made a mental note to tread carefully. Sophie's offer was tempting, but Zeke’s warning lingered in her mind.

[Laguna Lestrange]

Laguna strolled in a bit later than most other students, following what was likely a conversation that many were interested in eavesdropping on. He, on the other hand, didn't care to check in on whatever the group of Slytherin's and Gryffindor's had been discussing. Judging by Sophie's involvement, it would be buzzing around the school in no time if there had been anything of interest that occurred. But assuming by the number of quidditch players involved, perhaps it was just some friendly....ish banter. He watched as the group seemed to disband one by one until it seemed that only Zeke was still lingering in the spot he'd been in for the duration of the exchange. His eyes flicked toward the Slytherin table for a fleeting moment, though he turned back toward Zeke as he grew closer to his friend. "Did I miss anything good?" He asked casually, knowing that if it was anything noteworthy, Zeke would surely catch him up on the information.

He plopped down on the bench beside his friend and began to work on his midday fuel. They had quidditch practice this evening, which meant he'd need his extra energy. Quidditch was something that already put an enormous strain on the players, both physically and mentally, but pair that with the other weird stuff going around, and it was enough to make anyone feel like they were running on fumes. "I'm starving..." He muttered, taking a huge bite from his plate and following it with a swig of pumpkin juice to wash it down. His blue eyes flicked toward Zeke, studying his face. They really hadn't talked about anything going on recently. He wondered when, if at all, they'd finally get around to catching up. There was so much going on between quidditch, the ball, the rumors of their love lives, and then there was the weird creepy happenings around campus it was enough to keep anyone from really getting a chance to catch their breath.

[Zeke Smith]

"Seems Sophie caught herself a new fish," Zeke said to Lag's initial question as he finally joined him, "I was wondering if you were gonna show," he gave him a slight elbow push, "Me and your best buddy were giving her some warnings about messing with that particular Wright, even if the other Wright already hates me," he snorted, taking a bite of food.

Lag would see that Zeke looked tired, like he wasn't sleeping well, but then Zeke looked up at him, "You and I have a lot to catch up, buddy o' mine," he said, "I'll start with a simple, but generic question cause I have a feeling it's something we don't need to be wide spread known," he said, taking another bite ad then asking, "What's with the mirror?" he looked at him, squinting a little like he was looking for something. Which he was a little, he was looking to see this was his friend, and really him and not whoever that imposter was.

[Laguna Lestrange]

"Not surprising," He said, knowing that Sophie was always out to find her next project. At least someone was still carrying on with their usual business. The young Gryffindor had started in on his meal, "Have you ever known me to miss out on a chance to eat?" He joked, which was typically true. In the last couple of years his appetite was a driving part of his personality. It was only lately that he hadn't been holding true to his typical routine. "Informing her about the Wright crowd to associate with, eh?" Even despite how awful the joke was, he still gave himself a satisfied smirk, amusing himself at the very least.

His eyes darted toward Zeke to see if he'd get an eyeroll out of it if nothing else, but what he noticed was that his comrade didn't look much like himself at all. He noticed the bags under Zeke's eyes, how he looked like he was only a fraction of his usual self. Laguna wondered if it was stress about the ball, but that didn't seem like something that Zeke would lose any sleep over. Catching up was something they both needed to do. A hint of guilt crept up as he realized that most of his recent life was a secret from his best friend. So it didn't surprise him that Zeke was ready for a question. However, when the question came to light, Laguna felt the color drain from his face. His eyes darted around the table as if he was expecting someone else's attention at the mention of 'mirror'. "What do you mean?"

His mind was suddenly filled with questions about what Zeke knew or didn't know. He felt a little war in his mind about what he could or should share. His thoughts darted back to the events with Nautica and the shards of the mirror--the mess he'd gotten himself into. The dangers lurking around the grounds. His eyes moved back toward Zeke and he met his friend's gaze, knowing in that moment that Zeke had somehow come to learn about something to do with the mirror, but unsure about the extent to which he would know. One thing was for sure, he needed to proceed carefully from here.

[Zeke Smith]

Lag's response had Zeke sucking his teeth for a second. He tapped the table a little, the lack of sleep making him a little irritable, "I thought I was meeting up with you in Hogsmeade," he said, keeping his voice low, "Except it wasn't you, and not you attack me, and then not me also showed up after not you showed me some piece of a mirror," he explained, raising a brow at Lag, "Who else is involved in this? What is this?" he took another bite of his roll.

"Oh, and let's add on that I met with someone not that long ago, though I've kind of lost track of how long ago it was, but turns out, I'm adopted, and my family is actually pure-blood...and French," he said at a more normal volume, but his tone hinted at this being another reason for his bad mood currently, "I kinda wanna tell your friend to watch her face pucker," he muttered, meaning Miral.

"All that to say, I need you to be honest with me, Lag. And not in the it's not lying if I just leave it out kind of way, but a your friend is a breaking point and can't take his best friend lying to his face kind of way," he added, looking at his plate as he said, pushing the food around on his plate with the roll, before finally looking back up at Lag.

[Laguna Lestrange]

There was a moment of silence as Laguna took in Zeke's comments and questions. His expression shifted into a frown as he thought about the scenario. Zeke meeting up with his reflection was not really something he expected. If the reflection was wandering around impersonating him, what sorts of trouble could it cause exactly? His gaze was on his plate now, though he stole a peek in Zeke's direction, then toward the Slythering table, as he asked who else was involved. As much as he wanted to tell Zeke everything, there were many reasons he was hesitant to do so. But now, whether he liked it or not, Zeke was in involved. If Zeke's reflection was also showing up, he was in danger.

"I uh..." His mind was turning as he searched for an explanation that best suited the situation. But Zeke wasn't finished yet as he continued on about something else. His eyes widened as he learned the new information. There was a mixed reaction. Part of him understood the gravity of this situation, but the more immature part of him found it kind of amusing given the heated history between Zeke and Miral over blood status and the likes. "Wait, wait, wait..." He shook his head and then turned toward Zeke. "You're skipping over important bits of information--like who you met up with? What family are you from? And...french?" Laguna peered at Zeke through bright, interested eyes suddenly. This was news worth diving into. That and it saved him from having to elaborate too much more on the reflections.

Or so he thought. The last bit caused a knot to form in his chest. "Look," Laguna lowered his voice. "I...believe you about the not me and not you. But I can't talk about it right now..." He shifted his gaze around the crowded setting. I'll explain everything...when I can." Laguna thought about it for a moment and then finally formulated a plan, "We can meet up tonight, after curfew," he whispered quietly. "I can't chance anyone else listening in."

[Zeke Smith]

Zeke listened to his response, his eyes watching his face as he spoke, reading him before he took a deep breath. Hearing Lag push him off, hit probably the wrong way, and he knew it. Even Zeke knew this wasn't really a conversation for such an open space, but...his jaw ticked before he answered, "Later then."

He cleared his throat, "I met my sister," he said, shifting back to the easier discussion for now, "Her name is Clémence," he said, though struggled a little to say it the right way, repeating it a couple times to show he wasn't really sure if he was, "She reached out to my "parents"," he used the air quotes, still touchy on this clearly, "and asked to meet, and they gave me no warning. Just told me to meet them there, and instead, I met her," He said, dropping the roll onto the plate. "She's nice. She felt really bad for being the one to drop that bomb on me, but no one else was going to, apparently." he rolled his eyes.

"She told me our family name is Dubios. She's a couple of years older. She said she graduated from Beauxbatons last year. I wasn't sure if I believed it at first, but when I asked my "parents," they didn't deny any of it. " He shook his head. "I know this is not necessarily a bad thing to learn, but it's like realizing you're the last one to be picked for quidditch practice," he muttered, shrugging.

[Laguna Lestrange]

"Dubois..." Laguna said almost inaudibly, his gaze fixed on Zeke's face to analyze his reaction. "That is...a lot to take in," Laguna finished. He wasn't sure where to start. This type of news was big and he wasn't sure how to feel about it--excited that Zeke had some answers? Concerned over the mysterious manner in which he discovered it? Worried that this could wind up being dangerous? He ran a hand through his hair nervously. He was trying to think if it was a name he recognized at all, but it wasn't ringing a bell. All of the pure-blood families in and out of his home over the years he thought he'd be able to recall anyone of high significance. Maybe his parents would be familiar or he could do some research in the family library over his next visit home.

But more concerning than an unfamiliar pure-blood name was the story of his sister. "Don't you think it's strange she is suddenly reaching out? What convinced her to finally do it?" Laguna inquired, still carefully considering Zeke's reactions. He didn't know if this would trigger a defensive reaction or if he was hitting a soft spot. There were several things he didn't quite understand about this situation so far, for example, why his parents would leave him to meet a complete stranger on his own. He wanted to inquire further, push for more information, demand to know why Zeke hadn't mentioned any of this until now, but he didn't. Rather, he waited for Zeke to press on.

Laguna gave Zeke a sympathetic look, "Well, when you put it like that..." It might have taken a good quidditch analogy, but he understood that in this moment, Zeke was questioning his life and his identity. This changed everything. Laguna thought back over the years and frowned, Zeke's entire life was probably feeling like one big mystery now. "We'll figure this out together," he offered, unsure of whether that helped at all. "But we need to be cautious." Laguna thought to the mention of this 'sister' and how he could gather more information on her.

[Zeke Smith]

"It is strange; none of this makes any sense, but apparently, my real mom passed when she had me, and my real dad couldn't handle it," Zeke muttered. "My adoptive parents asked some questions when I first started showing signs of magic and got the Hogswart invitation. So when her letter came in the mail, they said they knew it was her but still had us meet in Diagon Alley because they thought it would be safe since I wouldn't be surrounded by weirdos. I got a weird pass to go home for a bit that one weekend; remember that? And I guess it was for this, so I could talk to her and learn this, but then I had to come back still here while I'm still trying to figure it out and having people still give me the contemptuous looks of thinking they're better cause I'm just some muggle born, and if I try and be like "Turns out that's all a lie", they're going to think I'm crazy or lying myself," he muttered, expressing with his hands and expressions.

Zeke rubbed his forehead. "Who do you even ask to verify stuff like this? I've been rolling it over in my head all this time. I didn't even get a chance to figure that out before things one and two came at me in Hogsmeade. Still, a chick stopped them... it looked like," he looked around the room, knowing he'd seen the original in here and nodded towards Rhysln against the back wall, "Her," he said, waiting until Lag looked at who he was talking about before turning back straight, "I end up spending half the night just trying to think, sort everything out," he rubbed his forehead, closing his eyes for a second.

"Enough about me, though. Is there anything you can share about what you've been up to? I think that trip to Hogsmeade at Halloween is the last time we've hung out in like a month?"

[Laguna Lestrange]

It was a lot to process just hearing it, so going through it must be consuming Zeke. No wonder he'd seemed so unlike himself lately. Laguna had been so caught up in Riley and the mirror and everything else that he missed some major signs that his friend needed help. Suddenly he was consumed by guilt. He still wasn't convinced that the circumstances leading up to Zeke's sudden discovery were all adding up, but the last thing he thought Zeke wanted to hear was skepticism on the whole ordeal. Knowing Zeke as long as he had, it was something he was sure his friend at least gave a little bit of thought to. It would be reckless if not. Was Zeke that reckless? His brow furrowed. Actually he might be. In that case, it might be a good idea to pay Zeke some extra attention until he was sure there wasn't anything deeper going on than an identity crisis.

"It is a little strange," Laguna agreed with the statement that it wasn't making complete sense. "Maybe it's better that you did have to come back. Don't you think having the space to reflect on it all will help clear your mind?" The space to clear his mind would probably be more effective if Laguna hadn't let loose a killer reflection that tried to attack Zeke. His face twisted a bit at the thought, guilt showing on it. "There are ways to verify your family history, though not all are completely reliable and if there is more to it, poking around could be dangerous." Coming from a pureblood family with...complicated ties, Laguna knew that it was possible to discover more than one would like to know. He also knew that digging up old secrets could sometimes be a very risky path to choose. He studied Zeke for a moment, exhaling deeply. "But I know danger won't matter more to you than figuring out the truth. So whatever stupid move you're planning next, count me in."

There was a pause as Laguna's gaze shifted toward Rhysln and he wondered just how she seemed to be in the right place at the right time so often. "Rhysln." He mumbled quietly. Laguna looked back to his plate, picking at little bits of his food now. But as he thought about it, that didn't make sense and there was a knot forming in his stomach. Not Rhysln. He was pleased when Zeke changed the topic.

"Well, to be honest I've been spending some time with Riley." He admitted, some of the color now returning to his cheeks. "Mainly just some extra time in the quidditch pitch and all. We've been meeting there after classes most evenings. I guess I got caught up while we were scheming about our deal for me to pretend to be her date to the ball." Laguna gave Zeke an apologetic smile, "Has it really been that long since we've hung out together?"

[Zeke Smith]

Zeke raised a brow at the fact that he was pretending to be someone's date. "Was that so you didn't have to beat off the other options with a stick?" he teased, elbowing him lightly. "Or is it pretend because one of you isn't ready to just say you're going to the ball with a date?" he raised a brow, smirking a little.

To the question, he nodded, "Yeah, I mean, we've seen each other in classes and at practice of course, but we've not really just hung out and talked and done stupid stuff," he chuckled a little, "Been dragging poor Ryan along here and there, but he's got his own things going on, he's a captain, same as you, and his grades have always been better than both of us... so I didn't want to keep bugging him either," he rubbed the back of his head.

"I've been wallowing in this mess for too long," he rubbed at his eyes, "I need something fun to do, something to get my mind off all this," he said, drumming his hands on the table, "When's the next match? Even if it's just a scrimage, getting to bludger someone will probably make me feel better," he gave a strained laugh.