Breakfast Brawl PV Rafa D PV Jo M PV Ruka T Clo

 @Jack Burnett @Rafael D'Spacito @Jo Morgan

Staying away from breakfast to get some early morning rehearsal into his daily schedule had become a thing of the past for Ruka ever since Jack had declared himself his personal babysitter and tracked him down whenever he even so much as thought of skipping a meal.

It should have been humiliating for the second year to have the Slytherin join him at the Gryffindor table on a regular basis just to make sure he ate, but Ruka couldn‘t help somehow enjoying Jack‘s company, despite how hard the other boy tried to make the experience as embarrassing as possible for him.

Granted, there were days when Ruka was making it especially difficult for Jack, just like that specific day, when the young fire dancer wasn‘t exactly feeling much like eating anything at all, least of all a healthy, nutritious breakfast.

„Stooooop,“ he whined, swatting at Jack‘s hand before giving in and opening his mouth to the spoon the insistent Slytherin had been poking his way. „I‘m really not hungry today,“ he complained lightly, mouth feeling sticky and sweet from the oatmeal. 

Being spoon fed in front of his whole house should have really been embarrassing, but Ruka didn‘t exactly know anybody in his house too closely, and furthermore he found he couldn‘t even get up the strength to care.

Did it really matter what anybody else thought?

Anyway, he appreciated Jack doing so much and sacrificing such a huge junk of his free time just to make sure Ruka was taking care of himself. Despite Jack refusing to call them friends, the Slytherin had been the best friend to Ruka that he could have possibly imagined; he‘d been helping him with class, had pulled him out of the rehearsal room whenever he was overdoing it, and was the sole reason he was currently eating more than an apple a day.

„I swear, once I‘ve managed to become a blazing Tân I‘m coming to burn you down first,“ he threatened, but there was no heat behind his words. On the contrary, his tone was laced with amusement at Jack‘s antics, and his eyes were sparkling with appreciation for the other boy.

At least, he thought, he had someone around who seemed to genuinely care, and if that meant having to endure the occasional spoon feeding at his House Table, then he would happily put up with that. 

@Jack Burnett @Ruka Tân @Jo Morgan

[font=Segoe Print]There was something ominous about the morning, something incredibly hard to explain but ever present in the air, as if the world were warning the students of Hogwarts of something terrible soon to pass. The skies were cloudy and gray, the air nippy and humid, the wind whistling through the halls like a ghost’s sickly wail. There was a slight chill in the breeze, the same breeze that blew through the open doors and into the school, following any and all students ventured past. Perhaps Mother Nature knew something that the students didn’t, or perhaps it was the universe screwing with everyone’s livelihood once again. Whatever the case, the outdoors were an absolute bloody mess, forcing anyone and everyone inside for the day.

But that’s not what had upset Rafael. No, Raf had never been one to believe in omens.

Instead, the rain had thrown a socket wrench into his schedule for the day. The boy had reserved the field for the morning, in the hopes for getting some practice in – his dodging skills had been a bit rusty in the past few days, and the next Quidditch Game were coming rather soon. And, usually, the rain wouldn’t have bothered the newly-dubbed Quidditch Captain. On the contrary, the boy actually preferred extreme conditions, as they gave a well-trained player the upper hand. But, particularly on this day, the rain was an unforgiving, monstrous sort of being, coming down in raging sheets, the winds violent and dangerous. Rafael had nonetheless chosen to venture onto the field – only to retreat back into the locker rooms in a quivering mess, completely soaked from head-to-toe.

He was still shivering as he found his way to the common room, and even after he had changed into dry robes. The weather he had found, had taken quite the toll on him, sending him into a fit of cold chills and sneezes. The young boy had even taken measures to warm himself up, having put on his school coat over his robes – but alas, the warm clothing did nothing to console his sickly state of being. His nose was bright red, his lips a bit blue, arms clutching his sides as he ventured aimlessly down the halls. Having nothing to do for the day, and feeling just a bit discouraged by circumstance, the Gryffindor decided to make use of his time and grab a bite to eat.

So, Rafael journeyed down to the Great Hall for a hearty breakfast. His first mistake.

Though the Gryffindor looked and felt a bit ghastly, what with his nose lit up like Rudolph, his hair soaking wet and stuck to his forehead, a gray-and-blue ring of bruising tracing his right eye socket, he still held himself as confident as ever as he journeyed into the grand room, his head held high and his eyes bright. The rain and cold certainly hadn’t gotten to his mood - instead, his livelihood seemed to exude brightness, cordiality, and accomplishment. [He’d finished his massive stack of homework earlier in the morning – the only occurrence in which he’d ever gotten a peaceful study session in the common room.] Though the skies tempted his mood, he would have none of nature's antics. He just felt good for some reason, one of those moods that people find difficult to explain.

It felt a bit strange, being in the Great Hall at this time, as the boy usually didn’t journey down this early in the morning – rather, he’d come later, just before classes started, opting to grab a quick something and dart to his first class. As a result, he felt slightly awkward, having no usual seat or friend group to sit with. At the sight of the table, Rafa sighed, a slight twitch bugging the back of his neck, an tic of aggravation formed many years ago. Faces… faces… His eyes quickly scanned the table for a familiar person, anyone to entertain himself with. It didn’t take him a long time to find someone. Jo Morgan.

[His frenemy and partner in investigations, the same girl that impressed him and ticked him off all at once. Their relationship was a strange one, as many different people had opinions on what exactly they were. But, as far as he was concerned, they were strictly enemies. That was that.]

A slight grin began to grow on his features as he noticed her, sitting alone and hunched over her notebook. She seemed angry, aggravated for some unspoken reason. Well, that wouldn't do. No, if she wanted peace and quiet, she would have stayed in the Girl's Dormitory. An idea quickly came to the Gryffindor's mind, and he quickly acted on it, deftly making his way to the girl and sliding onto the bench next to her, fast enough to have taken someone by surprise. “Jo!” he called out, his voice rather obnoxious in the hopes of getting a rise out of her. “Didn’t think I’d see you down here – certainly not your hour, is it?” He wiggled his eyebrows in a joking way, before his eyes caught her notebook. “What’re you writing about? Your boyfriend?” Perhaps that was his second mistake – prodding at Jo in such a mood.

He wouldn’t notice this, however, as the third mistake came soon after – though, this time, the mistake wasn’t his.

Rafael turned towards the food on the table, his eyes brushing against the different breakfast options spread out before him, catching eggs, bacon, porridge, and other outrageous foods, along with… something else. Something green, a very specific color belonging only to those of a particular house. Which was unusual, because the Slytherin table was the farthest away from the House of Lions’, being all the way on the left of the Great Hall. Green? His eyes quickly left the amassed breakfast selections, quickly searching his surroundings for the alien color among the red. And he found it.

The sight made his blood boil, his face become even redder than it already had been. His fists clenched unconsciously, his once cordial gaze slowly fading into one of enmity. Of all the paces the damned Slytherin could have been – at his table. Jack freaking Burnett.

All Godmodding Approved by Jo Morgan.

@Rafael D'Spacito @Jack Burnett @Ruka Tân


For Jo, bad weather didn't always mean a bad day. In fact, the little witch rather enjoyed listening to the pattering of rain - how such a simple act of nature could change their perception of the entire world in a few seconds. Flowers would bloom, snails would roam around, and the crackling of thunder would echo the Gryffindor fireplace, soothing her fears and reminding her of her new home.

So, it wasn't the weather. What was it, then? The great chocolate fiasco with Evelynn? No, it couldn’t be that. While extremely embarrassing, that hadn’t been quite enough to distract her from her schoolwork and drag down her mood on even the happiest of occasions.

The mystery. Of course it was. That stupid mystery - it was always on her mind, pushing away homework and friendships as a large question mark shadowed every move she made. She would walk by that office on the way to class and think... a murder happened there. That's a crime scene. This is a crime scene. There is a killer among us, stalking us, waiting for us to make one mistake or ask one too many questions. There is someone lying in the shadows, hidden behind that moving staircase or just beyond that corridor, waiting to silence us. And all the while, here we are, muttering about magical histories and astronomy, crouching over herbs and broomsticks, pretending nothing happened. We're helping them. We're helping the cover-up. But... maybe something good would happen today. Maybe I'll find something interesting - learn a thing or two about the witnesses or find something in a tapestry that I missed before. I mean, my day already sucks, what else could go wrong? Merlin knows I've had a crappy week, maybe...

“Jo! Didn’t think I’d see you down here – certainly not your hour, is it?”

Well, shit.

There was something so, so irritating about his voice today. "Didn't think you'd see me around here?" she echoed, a hint of incredulity in her dull voice. "The fuck am I, a Hufflepuff? Where else did you think I got my breakfast from?"

Blatantly ignoring the fact that Rafa had accurately pointed out her dislike of mornings, she angrily shoveled an alarming portion of of scrambled eggs into her mouth and returned to scribbling notes into her notebook, hoping that he would notice her annoyance. Rafa was a lion, and lions liked to play. She couldn't help that, of course. The least he could do, though, was understand that Jo wasn't playing - she was hunting, and the only thing she planned on toying with was her prey. When she caught him, that was. But she knew that soon they would; the Liberation club would bring the murder to justice.

“What’re you writing about? Your boyfriend?”

Whether or not Rafa had intended to do so, his comment threw the poor girl into a moment of confusion. If she answered honestly, she'd risk someone overhearing her important findings. Gryffindor or not, some people just weren't to be trusted with secrets. Then again, a hotheaded joke about Rafa's own boyfriend was far too risky - she didn't want a repeat of the horrendous Christmas errand that had almost ruined her friendship with Saoirse, and had definitely ruined her friendship with Wren. After a bit of deliberation, she decided against both. She had no idea how Rafa was doing with his little Ravenclaw Romeo, and a wrong comment could set him off.

"I'm doing a crossword puzzle." She lied, folding her hand to snap the notebook closed. "Tell me, thunderbird, have you ever heard of the word backpfeifengesicht?" She spelled it out for him, over-enunciating every letter. "Eighteen letters, going down. You could always go find a Durmstrang student, but I'll save you the hastle. It means a face that's begging to be punched."

Satisfied at her joke, Jo looked smugly at the boy, but her expression changed as she noticed that he looked absolutely enraged. She couldn't have upset him that much, right? His hair seemed to be wet - perhaps, like Evelynn, a Slytherin had poured tea over him. But, then, his lips wouldn't have that disconcerting blue tinge. Hmm...

She followed his gaze, stopping as her eyes fell upon the reason for his sudden change in demeanor.

It seemed that fate, unsatisfied with using Jo as a punching bag, had decided to take her "what else could go wrong?" as a challenge. The first-year's lips twisted into a grimace - Jack Burnett was making himself right at home at their table.

Jo almost stood up to say something, but hesitated. It was February, the month of love. Awfully close to Valentine's Day, and Jack seemed to be having some fun with a Gryffindor boy. Could there be some rule in place she didn't know about?

For now, she decided to wait, carefully watching the actions of all three. She was sure Rafa was just as angry as she was - what right had she to lash out at him first? If Rafa, proving himself as thirsty for the Slytherin's blood as her, chose to strike, she'd have his back in an instant, but there was no reason for her to provoke a fight - after all, she had to be the reasonable one. Brains over brawn, peace over war. That was her rule, though it was unsure how long she'd be able to stick to it. Probably not very long - she could already feel her face heating up.

"Speaking of backpfeifengesicht..." she muttered.

@Rafael D'Spacito, @Jo Morgan, & @Ruka Tân

Jack appeared to take no notice of the angry Gryffindors - or, if he did, acted as if he did not. The Slytherin boy was all too used to feeling the weight of dagger gazes and death glares aimed his way. But while he usually would have made an attempt to locate their sources at the very least, with Ruka around, he couldn't be bothered. His only goal at the moment was to make sure the skinny second-year ate a proper, wholesome meal in order to contribute to the healthy lifestyle he was working the fire-dancer toward. Ruka may not have thought he was hungry, but Jack knew that could have just been because the poverty-striken young man was not used to having full, decent meals. The taller boy intended to change that.

He snickered at the copper-haired boy's retort. "I'd love to see you try, but you have to become a blazing Tân, first. At least finish this bowl. That's a normal portion for a kid your age, you know? You don't want to waste food, do you?"

When Rafa had first entered the Great Hall and seated himself by Jo, Jack had noticed out of the corner of his eye but chosen not to comment. As time passed and he saw out the corner of his peripheral vision that the two cross students seemed to be eyeing him with more hostile intent, however, he sighed. As much as he would have liked to ignore them completely, Jack doubted that the Quidditch player, at least, wouldn't just let them be. Offering Ruka another spoonful, he met green eyes with his hazel ones.

"Hey, Tân...I think those lions behind me are jealous of us. What do you think?" he asked quietly, grinning with his back to the others so only Ruka could see.

@Jack Burnett, @Rafael D'Spacito, @Jo Morgan

Ruka grumbled in defeat at Jack’s words, taking a long look at the bowl in front of him. It was still half full and didn’t exactly look very appetising, but the Slytherin was right in saying that it was a normal portion of food for a kid his age, and he had been feeling better ever since Jack had started making him eat at least one meal a day.

The comment about wasting food really hit home, and Jack knew that full well. What a calculating little bastard. Ruka grinned fondly at the other boy, shaking his head at him with a little sigh. “Fine,” he said, opening his mouth to receive another spoonful of oatmeal.

Heavily swallowing his food, Ruka didn’t really notice anybody looking their direction, so when Jack pointed out a boy and a girl close by shooting death glares at the Slytherin, he tilted his head in surprise. He realised, of course, that it wasn’t very often that the specific colour green mixed in with the reds at their table, but he didn’t this it really warranted as much attention as this couple was paying Jack at that very moment.

“Friends of yours?” he asked teasingly, nudging Jack’s side with his elbow before sliding a little closer and accepting another spoon of oatmeal. He could imagine what they might look like to someone else, with Jack spoon feeding him at a table that wasn’t usually his, close to Valentine’s Day nonetheless, and he laughed lightly as he bumped his shoulder into Jack’s. 
“I think they have every reason to be jealous.” He grinned, eyes sparkling mischievously. “We are by far the best couple at this table.” With a little suppressed snort he took the spoon from Jack’s hand and fed himself another small portion of the oatmeal, suddenly feeling his hunger resurfacing, as if his body was preparing itself with energy for a possible conflict within the next few minutes.

If those two kids had an issue with Jack being there, Ruka assumed they were probably Gryffindor enough not to stay silent about it, and he was more than prepared to make sure they understood that Jack was going to stay exactly where he was as long as Ruka was there too.

@Jack Burnett @Ruka Tân @Jo Morgan

[font=Segoe Print]Jack Burnett – his 'supposed' nemesis – at the Gryffindor Table, of all places. Rafael scoffed aloud, a mixture of anger and amusement melding into his features in an unnatural mess. It was an utter disgrace. A slap in the face. The Slytherin scum had their table. Why disturb the Lion House with their ugly colors and their disgraced features? The boy’s anger was piquing quite dangerously, twisting inside of his chest like a knife, piercing the deepest recesses of his being. He vaguely suspected a hint of curiosity – it seemed silly that the boy would sit at their table for any old reason. Was it possible that the boy actually had friends?

"Speaking of backpfeifengesicht..."

Jo’s words rang out into the open air, bringing the boy back to reality for a moment. As per his previous suspicions, the girl had seemed quite miffed regarding his sudden arrival. Though, for some reason, it seemed as if that stick up her ass was lodged a bit farther up than usual – he couldn’t help but wonder why. What’s got her panties in a twist? Though, he would admit, there was a certain sort of amusement that came with that curiosity. He must have been a terrible person, relishing in the suffering of the other girl. The humor of it all brought an air of comfort to his ruddy mood, his anger wavering long enough to get intelligible words out of his mouth. “Get in line, Jo,” he sneered, his voice low and dangerous. He was a bit wary, using such a tone with her – she certainly wouldn't take it, as she had clearly shown him with her venomous comeback. Now that the incident was on his mind again, he was starting to reminisce the events. It was true that his interactions with the other boy were no mystery to the girl. She’d shared some interesting information of her own – it seemed as if the boy had made Jo cry, a fact that enraged the boy all in itself.

His fists clenched around his fork at the mere thought, wryly at first, slowly tightening as a boa constrictor would around his prey. His anger was flaring again, though this time, he wasn’t sure there was much Jo could do to relieve it. He felt his face growing hot in anger, his features contorting in a look of absolute hate and enmity. Jack couldn’t be here. This was his table, his territory, a place that Jack had no part in. Such an act of transgression would certainly have to be punished – Jack would finally get what he had coming for so long.

Without so much as another thought, or even a mere word to Jo, he slammed on the table, the plates and silverware rattling with the sudden vibration. His knees popped as he extended his legs, maneuvering out of his seat smoothly, though his movements had a certain jerk to them, his actions tense and taught with his anger. The boy was out for blood, and anyone would be able to tell as he began his war march, his feet thudding ominously on the floor as his fists clenched, moving slowly but surely in the direction of the person he hated most…. [/font]

@Jack Burnett @Rafael D'Spacito @Ruka Tân

Get in line, Jo.

Despite his words, it seemed as if the boy was just as angry as her, if not more. She’d already sworn to herself that she wouldn’t be the first one to throw hands, but they were two for two right now. If the two Slytherins decided to gang up on her frenemy, he’d need some backup, and now that she’d heard about the bad blood between all of them her usual method of running away just wouldn’t cut the mustard anymore. Besides, she was tired of running. Running away sounded like something Jack would do, and through the painfully bright mirror her self-preservationist nemesis unknowingly held up to her, Jo was slowly learning that the world was not a kind place to the selfish and cowardly.

Rafa was gripping his fork now, his knuckles wrapping tightly around metal as if to portend a strike of cold silver against warm skin. Was it a crime to fear violence? Was she wrong for wanting to turn her face and run from the crackling storms on the horizon? Lady Aithne would have encouraged it - choose safety over danger, then think about what to do to get back at them. That’s my girl. Don’t be rash or try to play the hero, running headfirst into conflict and sacrifice yourself for a world that would forget you in a month.

Why, oh why, did she have to be a Gryffindor?

Maybe it wasn’t too late to stop all this. She could calm Rafa and maybe herself down. They could pick up their trays and leave. That would show the Slytherins they weren’t welcome here, right? Maybe next time thy would choose somewh…

A loud bang startled her, and by the time she looked up Rafa was already standing and a sinking feeling in her gut told Jo to prepare for war.

She stood up too, though a bit more quietly, and trailed behind the Quidditch player, her body a tense knot and her breath coming in short but silent bursts.

“I am in line.” She muttered to Rafa. “Right behind you - whenever you’re ready.”

@Rafael D'Spacito, @Jo Morgan, & @Ruka Tân

Satisfied at Ruka's verbal agreement to finish the food before him, Jack then smirked as the topic turned to whether or not the Gryffindors staring them down were his friends. "Tân, I thought you knew me better than that," he answered, speaking as though the idea of his being friends with either Rafa or Jo disgusted him. "I was wondering if they were friends of yours, being your fellow lions and all. I thought maybe they might have been worried about my harassing you." His smirk grew. "But if they aren't, well, then...jealous or not, they don't have any business disrupting your breakfast, now, do they? They could upset your poor little stomach and make it harder for you to digest."

Tsking and frowning like a disapproving mother, he gently pat Ruka's shoulder as the spoon was taken from him, preferring to watch the second-year eat even as he opened his mouth to address the loudly-approaching Rafael.

"Morning, Birdie. Lioness," he greeted Rafa and Jo without looking at them, his cheek still resting against his knuckles in a lackadasical manner. "I'd love to play with you, but I'm busy feeding a fellow lion of yours at the moment. Come back another time. Maybe I'll be less busy then."

@Jack Burnett @Rafael D'Spacito @Jo Morgan

Ruka grinned bemusedly at Jack’s disgusted reaction to the suggestion that the boy and girl that had been staring at them may have been his friends, and he waved dismissively as the Slytherin pointed out that he’d thought they may have been friends of his instead.

“My friends have better manners than to stare while people are trying to enjoy their breakfast in peace,” he pointed out while rolling his eyes. His attention was torn from Jack for just a second as the boy down the table slammed his fist down on the wood, causing the table to vibrate slightly even underneath Ruka’s plate.

His eyes followed the Gryffindor boy as he strode along the table towards where he and Jack were sitting, the girl very close on his trail. They both looked murderous, a fact that made Ruka frown suspiciously as he slid a little closer to Jack as if trying to shield him from any impending attacks.

It was clear to see that both of these Gryffindors had a personal issue with Jack, and it didn’t exactly surprise him; Jack invited enemies like a beautiful flower invited bees.

Still, it wasn’t really any of his business what Jack had done to invite such rage from two of his housemates, and Ruka found himself not really caring either as he snorted ungracefully once Jack addressed the two Gryffindors.

“Should’ve probably made an appointment,” he added in an apologetic tone towards the two kids interrupting their breakfast. Instinctively his left hand slid into the pocket of his cloak, wrapping around his wand just in case. 

The boy standing beside them seemed like he was just about ready to start throwing punches, and Ruka really wasn’t about to let anybody lay a hand on Jack.