There's Safety Within These Walls [November 1997]

[Reed Wintersprout]

"Yeah, birds love sunflowers." Reed nodded, as if he knew everything on the subjects of birds and sunflowers. "Especially deformed birds."

[Kirsa Fitzroy]

"Could make for quite the tragic love story," Kirsa nodded along quite seriously, "and they'll never really end up together because of their irreconcilable differences."

That might be something she picked up only recently from her good friend, David Mathers, who spouted the occasional Legalese every now and then.

[Reed Wintersprout]

"Yes, it's so sad," Reed sniffed and pretended to cry. He was only joking around, but he could always test his acting talent at the same time.

[Kirsa Fitzroy]

Kirsa laughed, bending a little to the side as she did so. She then gently nudged Reed in the ribs with her elbow, teasing mischievously, "If I didn't know any better, I'd have thought you were secretly the sort who read Fifi LaFolle." She highly doubted that was the case, but it never hurt to poke fun at her friends every now and then.

[Reed Wintersprout]

"What! No way!" Reed defended himself. "I hardly even read, and if I did I still wouldn't read that rubbish." He really wasn't into romance, not reading it anyway. Not that he wanted to do something romantic either, Madam Puddifoot's was supposed to be romantic and it was a horrible place.

[Kirsa Fitzroy]

Kirsa lifted a blonde brow in amusement as she asked, something that was a cross between jesting and just pure getting to know her fellow Prefect, "Is it just disinterest? Or because you're too cool for books?"

[Reed Wintersprout]

"Too cool for books, definitely," Reed grinned. Actually it was more the first option, but the second option was way too awesome not to pick.

[Kirsa Fitzroy]

It was safe to say that Kirsa wasn't surprised. She gave a small smirk, "Hard to decide if you stole that trait from Jer or he stole that from you. You guys are two peas in a pod."

[Reed Wintersprout]

"Yeah, people have mentioned that before." They looked alike as well. Especially when they were younger, Reed and Jeremey had looked like twins. It was too bad they weren't actually related, even though Reed treated Jer like a brother.

"And I do read sometimes actually, if Which Broomstick or Quidditch Star Monthly count," Reed grinned.

[Kirsa Fitzroy]

Kirsa laughed, "I'd say no, but then that's all Sascha used to read, too."

It was not until she'd spoken the words did the golden-haired witch's smile fade abruptly at the thought of her younger brother. How long had it been since they'd properly spoken? There were times she looked as Sascha and couldn't recognize him for the person he'd became. That was a wound that would never heal for Kirsa.

[Reed Wintersprout]

"Yeah, I remember," Reed said, though his smile faded a little. He and Sascha used to get along so well, and he couldn't count the amount of nights he, Jeremey and Sascha had stayed up during the night doing something weird. It had been amazing.

"Do you and Sascha still talk?" He asked. They were siblings, so they must have a closer bond than anybody else had with either of them.

[Kirsa Fitzroy]

Kirsa's sweeping long lashes lowered as her wand hand subconsciously crossed to lightly clutch her right arm, as if in a protective gesture. She rarely spoke of Sascha to anyone, even Jeremey. It was much too painful to think of, least of all speak of. She stared into her lap for a long moment before finally responding, her voice hushed, "No, not really."

She looked up, her pained gaze latching onto the heart hovering in the air, "Sash's changed a lot."

[Reed Wintersprout]

"Yeah, he really has," Reed didn't know what to say that could comfort her. Jeremey had also had his problems with Sascha, and had actually started dating Kirsa to get back at him. Though that wasn't something he would tell her, he couldn't betray his friend like that. Reed had tried to stay out of it mostly and stay neutral, but he had to admit that their former friend had changed for the worse. "It sucks."

[Kirsa Fitzroy]

Under any other circumstances, Kirsa would have attempted at a smile in order to lighten up the atmosphere. However, Reed had treaded into a sort of ground that could not be compensated in any way. Kir couldn't muster up a smile at all, and really only looked downright miserable at the thought of her brother.

"I just try to keep it easy on him if I catch him breaking any rules now, I guess," she confessed, her voice very small.

That was yet another issue that was a sore spot for Kirsa - her Prefect status. Oh, behind that shiny badge was really a can of hideous worms that she never wanted anyone to find out. With Reed, who was her fellow Prefect, it was harder to hide.

[Reed Wintersprout]

"Yeah," Reed nodded. He wouldn't actually know what to do if he caught Sascha breaking any rules. Probably pretend he hadn't seen it, so that he wouldn't have to deal with it.

"But anyway," Reed wanted to talk about something else, the subject was obviously making Kirsa upset. "He'll come around eventually."

[Kirsa Fitzroy]

"He better," Kirsa answered promptly and with conviction, a determined glint in her eyes, "he have to. Even if I have to personally jinx some sense into him." That was actually rich, coming from Kirsa. Her DADA skills had been brushed up to some extent ever since joining Dumbledore's Army in September, but at the end of it, Kir was always a notch beneath her peers with attack-based wandwork.

She then glanced towards Reed, forcing herself to tug her lips into a small, strained smile, "We all will, wouldn't we?"

[Reed Wintersprout]

"Yeah," Reed nodded. "He's your brother, you guys will always know each other for ever." That was an annoying thing about family, you could never get rid of them.

[Kirsa Fitzroy]

Kirsa nodded with the same small smile at Reed's words. It was a grim situation to look at, but she hadn't given up on her brother. Not yet anyway. Knowing Kirsa, it would be a miracle if she ever truly gave up on Sascha.

Eager to change the subject, Kirsa glanced towards Reed with just a hint of curiosity, "Do you have any siblings then?" She hadn't ever heard Reed talking about his family, though that may have to do with the fact that she simply wasn't personally acquainted with Reed all that well.

[Reed Wintersprout]

"Yeah, two sisters," Reed shrugged. "Noelle is twelve years older than me, I never really see her, and Leia is a third year."

He wasn't particularly close with either of them, Noelle was always working and Leia was just a kid, and she was extremely annoying most of the time. Her favourite thing to do was annoy Reed.

[Kirsa Fitzroy]

Reed's revelation that he had a sister who was twelve years older than him had Kirsa widening her soft brown eyes in amazement. She didn't even know such a gigantic leap of age gap between siblings was possible.

"Wow, Noelle must be really grown-up," she commented. Though then she gave a small smile, "Your parents give all of you such cool names though. Leia is a pretty name, and I always thought Reed has a nice ring to it, too."

[Reed Wintersprout]

"Yeah, she's pretty much old and boring," Reed grinned. He called her that all the time, much to his amusement. Noelle never really was amused, though. "Thanks, I've never met anyone else with that name, which is cool. I've never met another Kirsa, either." He smiled.

[Kirsa Fitzroy]

"How lovely of you to say that," Kirsa released a breath of laughter from her nose at Reed's remark regarding his sister.

Though she then smiled, "And me neither. I'm one of a kind." That last bit was said as bit of a joke. Jer cracked the vain comments for them both as was without her adding to the pile.

[Reed Wintersprout]

Reed shrugged, and grinned. He told his sister that she was old and boring to her face, too, but Noelle didn't seem to mind that much.

"Yeah, it's pretty," Reed then realized what exactly he was saying, "I mean, it's not like some of those stupid names, like Xanthippilios or something, you know." He said a little awkwardly.

[Kirsa Fitzroy]

Kirsa flickered her gaze towards Reed as he complimented her name. His hasty explanation brought a smile to her lips, followed by a laugh, "Oh, I don't know. Xanthippilios sounds like it could be the name of a famous, legendary painter. At least more than 'Kirsa' anyway."

[Reed Wintersprout]

"Would you like to change your name to that, then?" Reed raised his eyebrows. He couldn't imagine why anyone would want to have such a stupid name.