what's on your mind ((lien))

The moment had finally come: for the first time since the dance, outside of that brief accidental crystal convo, James was going to talk to Lien. Although those few messages showed no hint or sign of malice or hatred, a part of him could feel every possible nerve hitting him. He was going to find out just how normal their friendship would continue to be; the very last thing he wanted was to return to all of those years of hatred. He couldn't bear to think not having Lien in his life in some form. He had made a stop to the gym to change back into his casual clothing before making his way to the library. Why attend the afterparty when he had a more important matter to deal with?

James, being James, placed his bag on top of a table and sat beside it. Not like there was anybody around to tell him off about it. His heart raced as he waited for Lien to arrive at any moment.

@Lien Chang

There were various rumours of different after parties popping up when the match was over, but Lien was trying to leave before anyone tried to drag him to one. He thought that James would probably go to one, which was why he was surprised to be receiving a message from him as he walked across the grounds. The library? Well, it certainly wouldn't be any party. Plus, as the entire castle was elsewhere, the library would be completely empty. A smile came to Lien's face. He couldn't help but feel James was doing this on purpose: inviting Lien somewhere that he'd obviously like.

Then again, perhaps he was majorly overthinking it.

He was nervous the entire way through the castle to the library, and when he entered, his heart was somewhere up by his throat. Why was it so nerve wracking? This was James Potter - someone who used to make his heart flare in rage, not make his heart throb in anticipation...

"H-Hello..." He hated his little stammer then. How embarrassing. James looked a little more... meaty than before. The extra weight suited him though. Lien was skinnier than ever, except for his arms. They had firmed up a little.

@James Potter

James grinned widely when Lien entered the library, but that quickly turned to concern when he got a better look at him. He looked gaunt? He needed to do something about that! Biting his lip, he jumped down from the table and went right over to Lien; it was very tempting to give him a huge hug, but he was afraid that he was going to shatter in pieces like a porcelain doll.

"We gotta get some grub in ye, Lien!"

The contrast was nice, but he was a bit too delicate looking for his liking. He patted his back and dragged him towards the table where he began going through his bag before pulling out a bag of spicy crisps. "Jacked 'ese from Fred, better than nothing'."

For some reason, James felt a lot calmer and more at home than he expected seeing Lien. It was nice.

"How've ye been?"

@Lien Chang

His pulse quickened when James slid himself from a table and made way towards him in long, powerful strides. Lien's lips parted slightly and he was looking up at him, alarmed by his sudden closeness. When he said about getting some food in him, Lien blinked a few times in bemusement.

"Thank you..." he said quietly, taking the packet. After weeks of his dorm mates trying to get him to eat, Lien was opening a packet of crisps that smelt horrendous and was eating them quite happily.

"How have I been?" he said sheepishly, glancing away awkwardly. "After everything you've been through and you ask me how I've been? Heh." He smiled weakly. "It's been a little difficult, I won't lie to you." He sighed, eating a small amount of a crisp like he was a bird eating it. "A lot has happened, hasn't it?"

He smiled in a self-depreciating way.

"And, er, yourself? You seem... happier."

@James Potter

"Er, yeah. Been thinkin' 'bout ye ev'ryday. Of bloody course I'm askin' 'bout ye!"

James chuckled finding being in a quiet, empty library with Lien to be much more enjoyable than the high he experienced up in the air playing quidditch. The former was comfortable while the latter was just fulfilling his obligations as Gryffindor's seeker.

There was one thing he needed to say before he could get into the events since the dance. "Before I tell ye 'bout those, I wanna apologize for havin' ye dragged into that mess. I, uh, didn't plan on tellin' ye 'bout the crush thing anyway 'cause I, uh, didn't really know I was crushin', yeah? Didn't wanna make shit awkward after years of not likin' each other, y'know?"

It delighted him to see Lien actually eat even if it was stale crisps his cousin had; he had heard a fair bit from Atticus about how he hadn't been eating as well lately.

"I'm happy 'cause I'm fuckin' relieved that ye don't hate me!"

@Lien Chang

He didn't know if he was being attacked or whether the post-match adrenaline was causing James to be so extravagant, but it was a little overwhelming.

"It's okay... it's just one of those things," he said quietly, not wanting him to explode again, but also not wanting to discuss it with further detail. The idea was still very confusing to him, but he appreciated the apology. It had been a hard time trying to convince everyone that he wasn't gay, and he'd gone slightly overboard in doing that.

Lien shifted uncomfortably, putting the half-eaten crisp packet to one side.

"No. I hate Alayna, not you."

@James Potter

Clutching his chest, James took a deep breath. Maybe he was still feeling all those minutes of physical activity. Even though there was nobody else around, he still needed to relax since they were in a library.

"Aye, she's a right cunt and so is 'at slimy git of hers."

James bit his lip as he briefly checked out a bit of Lien's arms; if only the rest of his body was tout like that. "I woulda sought ye out if I knew it was gonna be chill like this. Sorta wishin' I did now so I woulda had more sanity while hidin', but eh, I'm glad to see ye!"

He smiled at Lien as he dug through his jacket pockets.

"While I was hidin', Professor Riddle visited me and gave me some advice, aye? He decided he was gonna teach me some stuff not in our classes, and I thought ye'd wanna check out the Restricted Section with me."

Then, James went through his trouser pockets to pull out his dragonhide gloves.

"Can't fuckin' tell my family 'bout it 'cause they 'ate his arse, mainly Fred. Bloody odd, aye?"

@Lien Chang

It was good to hear someone else referring to Alayna and Rowle in that manner. Particularly when it was coming from James, as he hardly sugar coated things. He wanted to vent some more about the pair of them, but perhaps when things had settled down a little: Lien was still feeling a little nervous. James was putting him at ease rather quickly though. He smiled back at him when he said it was good to see him.

"It's good to see you too."

When he went rummaging in his pockets, Lien straightened a little in interest. What was he doing?

"Professor Riddle has given you permission to go into the Restricted Section?" he asked, stunned. He'd been wanting to get in there for years! Well, of course, perhaps he shouldn't be surprised: James was James Potter after all. That would have annoyed him in previous years, but now he was bouncing all the balls of his feet like some impatient child. "I won't tell anyone. I promise," he assured him rather breathlessly, wondering why on earth books required a pair of gloves...

"What do you think he's going to teach you?" Lien asked excitedly, eyeing over the Restricted Section in the background. He was really raring to go now. "I can't believe our luck! I've been wanting to get in there for years. I know there are some extremely rare and single-copy volumes inside of there. Did you know there are books that the founders wrote themselves, then sealed and preserved at the school so that someone worthy enough could uncover their secrets and personal entries?!" His eyes were positively wide and gleaming with wonderment. "Thank you, James. Really - thank you!"

@James Potter

James nodded. "Surprised me too 'cause I don't really pay much attention in classes, y'know? Turned out it was sorta what I needed to get my missin' work done. Most o' the time, I don't see the bloody point in doin' 'em 'cause I can ask any of my relatives 'bout stuff like 'at."

If it were possible, his pupils would've been heart-shaped while watching Lien work himself up to excitement over checking out the Restricted Section; he figured that he'd like that. They could learn so much together... James assumed Professor Riddle wouldn't mind since he brought Lien up in the first place when they talked. "Stuff not bein' taught in our classes..." He lowered his voice into a deep whisper. "Such as the dark arts..."

If what he had heard regarding Lien were very much true, he had no worry about him being particularly fazed about it. There was a reason why he always tried to go to the library when everyone's eyes would be elsewhere. On that note, he'd have to show him the Marauder's Map at some point...

"C'mon, let's go!" He slid the gloves onto his hands and dashed off to the Restricted Section motioning his hand for Lien to follow him. "Can ye help me look for the Enchanted Forest? Supposed to be my readin' before learning' anythin'..."

@Lien Chang

A wide, knowing smile had spread across his face when James mentioned the Dark Arts. Of course that would be the case. Lien was sure that he knew more about what was in the Restricted Section than James was, but he was excited that they were both going to see it first hand now. He nodded vigorously when James beckoned him, and they moved through into the section.

"The Enchanted Forest? Hmm... all right. I'm not sure I've heard of that one." How thrilling! Lien removed his jacket and placed it gently onto a table. He loosened his tie a little bit, then took off around the shelves in a flurried wind.

"It's probably best that you do have permission to be in here, and perhaps if the librarian did return - I could say that I was helping you or something. I've been in a fair bit of trouble lately..." he admitted, not sure if James had heard. Knowing what the school was like, he may have. "I've already had my Prefect's badge taken 'until further notice', Riddle said. So I'm not sure when I will be getting it back. If I will be getting it back..."

@James Potter

"When ye do find it, tell me 'cause ye can't touch it without gloves. Somethin' to do with the spells used on the trees. Fascinatin, aye?"

There was no other person James wanted to explore the Restricted Section with; in the past, he would've gone in just to say he did. This time, he was interested in learning and bonding. Plus Lien would be able to help him make sense of some of the more complicated texts with that smart brain of his. He could imagine them reading together under one of the trees near the lake; James would be the one against the tree's trunk with Lien slouched between his legs. A nice, gentle breeze and the shade providing relief from the beating sun....

"A lotta trouble, aye?" James wondered; he heard about the incident with one of the Lestranges, but now he just had to press further. "Even when I hated ye, I sorta wondered if ye had a side just waitin' to burst through..." He grinned mischievously as he slid his fingers down a row of books. Licking his lips, he examined Lien's form before facing the bookcase again. "What all did ye do?"

@Lien Chang

Ah - so that was the reason for the gloves. Still, a book that couldn't be touched without gloves: fascinating! As his eyes rapidly skipped along the books on the shelves, he noted how some were so dust-covered that he doubted anyone had been able to take them from the shelf. Slipping a book out titled The Painted World, Lien beamed in delight at the cover.

When James spoke, he turned around, eyes slightly widened in surprise. He suspected there was another side to him? He was hugging the book to his chest and diverted his gaze.

"Well, I..." How did he begin to explain what had happened without making James feel guilty? Lien put the book down gently on the table. "After I had broken up with Alayna following what she did, there were a lot of rumours circulating about me. I had people - strangers - approaching me and giving their stupid opinions about everything. It just annoyed me, how presumptuous everyone was. They thought I was this, I was that: they assumed to know how I was feeling, what I should do to, what I shouldn't do. That's when I... sort of lost it."

He turned to the bookshelf and carried on looking for The Enchanted Forest.

"I couldn't take it anymore. That Lestrange girl just... wouldn't shut up. So I thought I'd make her shut up." He curled his tongue over his teeth. "Then I saw Alayna and Rowle together at Hogsmeade, and I turned him into a rat." A snigger came over him again. There was just something all too perfect about that entire episode.

@James Potter

James nodded sympathetically Lien explained his reasoning for acting out; a lot of what he was describing felt relatable. It was as if he was looking through a mirror. He couldn't help but feel glad that Lien didn't have to deal with that for his entire life. It was awful enough that he was included in the Hogwarts rumor mill for once. All because of a crush. All because of a bitch. Alayna's a bloody bitch. At least he got his revenge in a way that would have her eternally seething...

"I think ye shoulda fed that rat to a snake. Plausible deniability. Prolly let ye get away with murder," he replied with a chortle. "Y'know, if ye permanently lose yer badge, we could get into a lotta trouble together..." That time, James looked directly at Lien in the eyes. There was a lot they could get up to...

@Lien Chang

He laughed along with him. Plausible deniability, indeed.

"Riddle was already convinced of my doing it. But when I was in the room with him, Alayna and Rowle, I thought I'd annoy her even more by fabricating a very long-winded excuse. She was almost screaming by the end of it. You should have seen it."

He was chuckling. There was something about having a mutual dislike for someone: it brought two people together wonderfully. When he said about getting into trouble, he tried hard not to smile. His face was straining.

"Well, perhaps we could. I only wanted the damn thing for the status anyway," he confessed, meaning the badge, "And the bathroom." But he found that he hardly used it anyway. "I certainly won't be going off the rails to the extent that you do, but there are some rules of this school that I admittedly find tedious."

As his eyes moved, he found the book James wanted.

"Here it is," he said, pointing at it. Lien picked up The Painted World and sat down at the desk inside of the section, opening the book.

@James Potter

A long-winded lie? Although James had gotten to know Lien decently enough to not be surprised at him nearly being in Slytherin, that rat incident cemented those traits. "Wish I coulda been a fly on the wall for that. Y'know, I woulda if I was smart 'nough. Wore that damn cloak like a security blanket!"

He felt like he may need a cold shower later... Who knew Lien could get so much more attractive by being a troublemaker for once?

"Y'know, I never been in 'ere though I coulda exploited Louis' kindness to. Speakin' of 'at, I took over his dorm while in hidin'. Yer not missin' much besides space to spread out. It's a glorified hotel room..."

He grinned as Lien pointed out the book to him; he moved close to him and pulled it off the shelf. "Professor Riddle said that the pages 'ere made from the forest the book's 'bout. It tells ye the magical process behind it..." James gently placed it onto the table and opened it up letting his gloved hands glide over it. There was a surge of magic vibrating into his hands.

@Lien Chang

Having James's approval was somewhat gratifying: Lien couldn't help but feel rather warm inside. He wondered where James had been staying, as others had commented that he hadn't been in his dormitory. Lien couldn't say that he blamed him. Although he downplayed the Head Boy's suite, he couldn't help but feel envious of Louis having it all to himself, especially when he was so effortlessly likeable.

He watched, in wonderment, as James opened the book.

"Oh wow!" he cried, leaning across to get a better look. There were runes swirling about in the pages. "Are you at all versed in runic languages? There likely is a translation further on in the book, but it may not be a hundred percent accurate. I'd like to translate it myself..." He was leaning over the book, and James, gleefully, clearly itching to get stuck in. "Perhaps I could take a photo and do that in my own time. But go on: read on, read on. We have the whomping willow, but imagine having an entire forest at your disposal!" His soft features were illuminated slightly by the glow of the magic.

@James Potter

The glow from the book was illuminating; Lien's excitement was contagious although he couldn't understand a single word embedded in those pages. Now he was wondering if there were books written in that snake language.

The closeness of the two about took his breath away that he was left momentarily speechless.

"Er, yeah, I dunno much 'bout runes at all. I dunno what I'm supposed to learn without a translation."

Too bad runic languages had to be learned, but James found himself hoping that some of Lien's knowledge would rub off on him. That'd be sweet.

James flipped the page wondering if the book was supposed to actually speak to them; thatd simplify the process.

@Lien Chang

"Just keep on going, there likely will be a translation - even if it's in old English."

He smiled at James, and sat up straight again. The book he had - The Painted World - was one he had heard of before. It was exciting to actually open the it and start reading the contents. As he did, his eyes flipped rapidly left to right, and his lips moved very slightly in time with the words.

"Listen to this," he said, "I'll try to say it in modern English: Portrait artists achieve their creations and enchant them to wander long after their deaths, but there is a way of subjecting a living person to the realm within the frame. Depending on the resources the painter provides, a living subject can exist, but be trapped in a space until the curse is lifted. This is pretty dark magic." It was strange that he felt excited about reading it though. "Imagine cursing someone to live inside a portrait..." Like Alayna.

He ran his tongue over his lips and carried on reading, pulling the book closer to him.

@James Potter

An olde English translation? That was better than nothing? James began flipping the pages hoping something other than symbols would show up sooner than later.

"That'd prolly make a good punishment, but that'd be givin' authority figures too many ideas, y'know? Auror Jetson was once counterculture among muggles, but now he's part of the establishment. He also thinks they shoulda never got rid of dementors. I wouldn't mind if one o' 'em kissed her though."

There were always exceptions!

James glanced up at the book cover and wetted his lips before looking back down. If Lien was a professor, he'd be asking for some extra credit.

"Since yer more familiar with the section than me, d'ye know if there's anythin' written in, er, parseltongue..?"

@Lien Chang

"I doubt the Ministry would ever end up using dark magic. They're so frightened of it nowadays, magic like this has just been forgotten."

He smirked a little at the thought of a dementor taking the soul from Alayna.

"That would probably give her warped personality some improvement."

As he read through the book, he started making a few mental notes about the content. Whether it was obscene magic or not, he was still fascinated by it. Being so absorbed in its contents, Lien almost didn't hear James speak. He did hear the word parseltongue though, because it wasn't a word he was expecting to hear.

"Considering that there are probably a few works of Slytherin's in here, I surmise that it's likely..." But then he really had to ask: "Why?"

@James Potter

"Blame my family for that, aye?" James chortled at the thought of Alayna being left a soulless husk. Beauty really is only skin-deep.

Maybe he should tell him about the encounter he had with his brother down in the kitchens; it was almost laughable to think about some of the regurgitated talking points Albus spouted. Who would've thought that the Slytherin of the family would compensate so hard?

James flipped the pages of the book some more before answering, "Er, aight, so while I was hidin', I took a couple drugs in Moaning Myrtle's bathroom, right?"

Storytime!

"I was chattin' with some snake 'cause that's what I usually do when high if there's one around. That's relevant? Uh, Lils busted in cryin' 'bout how I shouldn't've gotten high when that was the first bloody time since before the dance that I brought out some 'arder stuff. She grabbed Lou Lou in and tried to stage a fuckin' unnecessary intervention. Sorta puzzlin', y'know? My own bloody family believin' tabloid trash! Fuckin' flushed most of it down the loo after I found out 'bout the sprog, so I was already more sober than they assumed. Oh, yeah, turned out I'm a fuckin' parselmouth. Wait. There's more."

At this point, James was looking for an excuse to blabber away to someone who'd listen and not utter a word. He moved some hair from his face while taking the pause to catch his breath.

"My own fuckin' brother accused me of studyin' dark magic. I lied but was technically tellin' the truth 'cause I hadn't at that point in an actual, er, way, y'know? D'ye know how fuckin' odd it is for yer Slytherin brother to denounce dark arts and shit like 'at? Everyone expects it to be the other way around!"

@Lien Chang

He kept his eyes on him as he spoke, and gave the occasional nod. James's hair, although perfectly clean and healthy looking, seemed as though there was still a bit of wildness in it from the Quidditch match. There was that rough boisterousness to him: both in the way he spoke and the way he looked, and Lien rather liked it. It made everything about him seem genuine and exerted quite a lot of manliness.

"I suppose the majority of your family would think that way, because they are conditioned to believe dark magic equals bad."

He gave him a sympathetic smile, then started shaking his head.

"As if you can talk to snakes as well. Is there any end to how remarkable you are?" Wait - why did he choose those particular words? His cheeks turned pink as he stood up, shielding his face from James's view. "This is excellent. A once in a lifetime opportunity. If we found something written in Parseltongue, not even Professor Riddle himself would be able to read it. I heard it skipped his generation." Grinning, he slotted something out from a shelf with the Slytherin emblem on it. But as he held it, a surge went through his hand and sparked at his fingertips. Lien winced, and dropped the book in surprise. Looking at his hand, his fingertips now look burnt.

@James Potter

He loved his family, for the most part, in the sense that they share the same blood, so there was an innate bond. However, they were born with some sort of hivemind. Fred was one of his closest cousins, yet he knew he couldn't come clean about everything to him with how moralistic he was when it came to the dark arts.

Remarkable..? James blinked as that word filled his mind; that was a first. He bit his lip as he stared off into space awkwardly before crashing back into Earth when he heard a book drop. He got up and examined Lien's hand. He didn't have the bedside manners or knowledge that Louis did, but he had to try something. Pulling out his wand, he pointed it at one of his fingertips and muttered, "Dittany." It couldn't hurt to try!

"What 'were ye doin'..?"

He glanced around until he saw the Slytherin book on the floor. At least he had his gloves if the worst were to happen... James bent down and picked up the book with his wandless hand and averted his eyes.

@Lien Chang

Of course nothing happened. Lien almost felt like laughing, but he didn't: James was in the right area, at least. Dittany was a plant that would have been good to have at hand here. The burning sensation didn't last long though: it was slowly sinking back and returning his flesh to normal. He flexed his fingers around a bit.

When James went towards the book himself, his eyes widened.

"Wait!"

But he'd already touched it. Lien sighed. It would likely burn him as well. Folding his arms across his chest, Lien pushed his glasses back to the bridge of his nose.

"I was going to say try saying something in parseltongue first..."

@James Potter

James ended up throwing the book onto the table trying to avoid any possible burns as he didn't know how well his gloves would protect from any of the guarding spells. He finally looked back at Lien before glancing at the book.

"Like what? Didn't fuckin' know it wasn't just me hallucinatin' 'til recently. I never tried to actually speak snake intentionally!"

What could he say that would make it work?

"Open sesame?"

He grimaced not seeing anything happen. Whatever it was, open sesame wasn't the key to safely reading the tome.

"Y'know, I thought the snake speakin' thing died with the horcrux. Can't fuckin' imagine what our classmates will say if they find out..."

@Lien Chang