No, I'm Not Cold PV Beckett closed

@Kaegan Chase

Anastasia Beckett had decided she was completely and totally over this week. It had begun with her punching someone in the face and for the most part, gone downhill from there. Somehow, she doubted this boded well for her school year. Granted, she had started her first year by attempting to hex a much older student and spent most of her first and second years cursing anyone who irritated her, so her bullying others wasn't exactly new. Punching people was a new development though, as was her leather jacket.

She wasn't sure why she had spent so much time in the owlery lately. She was allergic to feathers, the owlery stunk of owls, and she wasn't sending nearly enough letters to justify her frequent visits. Truth be told, she had grown rather fond of the view. It wasn't close to the Astronomy Tower, but for the most part, it was quiet.

That particular morning, she did, in fact, have a letter. That was the main reason she was there, although the fact that she also happened to be avoiding the majority of her friends was just an added bonus. As she pushed open the door, she was hit by a wall of cold air. She was grateful for her leather jacket and sweater, but the cold bit into her exposed hands and face.

She desperately wished she had chosen to wear her far warmer robes since she was going to have to go back to her dormitory to change and the heavy garments sounded quite a bit more desirable than they had when she was dressing. She smoothed the creamy envelope as she climbed the spiral stairs. She never had never relished writing home, and her sentiment was intensified now. Her aunt was making an effort, but Ana felt like the woman was treating her niece like she was made of glass. The overly pleasant letters that replaced her parents' harsh ones felt wrong, like a shoe that didn't fit right.

Shivering, she reached the top of the stairs and continued without looking around much. She nearly jumped out of her skin when she heard someone's voice. She relaxed slightly when she saw who it was. "Ah, well, life's full of disappointments," she said drily. "Better you learn that now than later."

Kaegan was someone she was friendly enough that he wouldn't be a complete ass. Well, not more of an ass than normal. Still, they weren't particularly close, certainly not close enough for him to pry about things she would rather avoid. Although, the fact that the entire Beckett family had gone completely radio silent in mid-July wasn't something would exactly go unnoticed. There was also the issue of the fact that she was wearing a leather jacket and combat boots as opposed to the preppy pastels she had previously veered towards. Hopefully, all that would warrant was a sarcastic comment or two.

The wind blew desperately as Kaegan turned to eye the new arrival, a familiar face he'd almost forgotten through the passage of time. It had been quite a while since the Chase family and the Beckett family had mingled, and even longer since the two children had struck up a conversation. They'd known each other for quite some time, after both families had, at a variety of events, favored each other's company, if only briefly. The two, while never truly friends, had grown to tolerate each other, through a mix of necessity and expectation. The boy had never made an effort to strike a conversation outside of the occasional formal occasion, and it seemed like she had chosen a similar path. After all, despite their differences in age, Kaegan had been here for a decent amount of time, yet this was the first instance where they'd immersed in conversation.

The Gryffindor gathered that something was definitely off about Ana upon his first patronizing glance. His attitude had never been altered in her presence- he remained at the same sarcastically arrogant temperament as usual- but any insults tended to be less pointed, less meant to offend. Still, that didn't prevent him from offering the occasional degrading comment, intended or not. Certainly, her new attire warranted one. The pampered girl from Beckett Manor seemed to be hiding in an interesting style of clothing that was in a middle ground between a gang member and a punk musician.

He raised one brow satirically. It had been Kaegan's general idea of their acquaintanceship that they had bonded entirely out of boredom, passing the time together to escape the typically mundane affairs of a Pureblood lifestyle. While the boy realized that the time he'd spent evading this could have been more usefully applied to acknowledging and making known his status, it looked oddly to him like Anastasia hadn't complied with the same reasoning. Her demeanor seemed entirely rearranged- for better or worse Kaegan was yet to discern.

"Ah, well, life's full of disappointments. Better you learn that now than later," she said, lacking a change of characteristic responses to go with her outfit. The boy snickered slightly, his eyes flitting towards an envelope she held in her hands. He hadn't exactly taken pains to orient himself to the Beckett family's whereabouts, but hadn't they been oddly silent this summer? Usually, there was talk of at least one happening at their manor, but the latest news regarding them had been lacking. "The new jacket seems to be one, yes," he snarked, looking back at her leather garment.

Another draft made the arched windows of the Owlery shudder, and the assembled birds began to puff up, burying their heads in their plumes of feathers to brace themselves against the frigid wind. A shudder ran involuntarily down Kaegan's spine, and the absence of his robes was irritatingly noticeable. The boy rubbed dark circles under his eyes from a late night and continued to give Ana a demeaning inspection. It was apparent that she'd become quite different in the span of time since they'd seen each other last, but hadn't they all? Caring what she dressed in was an entirely pointless outlook. As long as she had on something, the subject was below his consideration. Besides the outward appearance, most teenagers took it upon themselves to project a sullen attitude- nothing troubling, in her case.

"So, what brings you to these fine parts?" Kaegan asked ironically, ending his appraisal and indicating the barren, icy room with an exaggeratedly sweeping gesture as if he was presenting it for the first time. "I thought you found owls were below your standards. Though it's admittedly harder to adhere to the same expectations after meeting me," he added smugly.

There was a sharp tug behind him and Kaegan turned, the smirk on his features fading into an irritated scowl. Another gust of wintry air assisted the brown owl who'd delivered his letter in nipping the parchment out of his pocket, somewhat impatient for him to read it. "I fed you, did I not?" the boy snapped, irascibly stepping away from the bird a moment too late. The creature snatched the paper away in an insolent movement, letting it fall to the ground with a brusque, expectant tilt of its shaggy head.

Kaegan attempted to maneuver the letter under a desk with his foot, not wanting to have to answer any exasperating questions from Ana. While an endurable companion, for the most part, the stubborn nature he remembered her retaining had always been one of the things that irked him the most when presiding in the society of the Becketts.

If she insisted on prying, the boy thought, superciliously giving Ana's own correspondence a glance, then he supposed it was only proper of him to inquire after what she planned to send off, which he predicted would dissuade her from posing questions. Hadn't she been less of an open type? Honestly, he couldn't remember. The temperature continued to plummet, making the Gryffindor shiver.

In spite of this uninspiring reunion, it'd be much preferable to skip the pleasantries and return to his common room.

@Anastasia Beckett