Battered and Bruised;;

[Aeryn Taylor Wakefield]

The cabins on the Hogwarts express were filling quickly with the students ready to begin a new year in studies and whatever lie ahead in terms of adventures and spells and new friends to make. The newcomers stuck together, anxiously comparing rumours, while the those seasoned students were in their own cabins, some still wildly scribbling and looking very stressed over summer homework.
During all this turmoil, no one seemed to notice the girl racing down the hallway, still in her Muggle clothing of a pair of abused jeans and a green plaid hoodie, chasing after something that seemed to have gotten away from her.
"No! Burnsy!"
Aeryn weaved her way through the crowd, trying to find where her cat had went.
He's pratically as big as a dog; how could I lose him?
Burnsy was the dog sized, gray maine coon family house cat that, after much begging, her mother let her take to Hogwarts with her. Her mother had told her not to lose him, and Aeryn shuddered at the Howler she'd receive if she didn't find him on the first day to Hogwarts.
Aeryn was just about to give up until she saw the large, forearm thick, fuzzy gray tail shoot up in the air like a flag.
Yes!
The cat slinked his way into a cabin, his purring able to be heard from outside the door. Aeryn rolled her eyes; Burnsy was often obnoxious like this.
Her slender hand reached out for the door, grabbing the handle.
Maybe if I open it slowly, it won't make any noise and I'll be able to catch him.
Aeryn closed her eyes, turning the door handle and slowly drawing the door back.
CREEEEEEEEEEEEAAAAAKKK.
Burnsy jumped up in suprise in the empty cabin, yowling as he slid through the crack in the open door, slippery as a minx.
"Aaah! Burnsy!"
Aeryn ran after him, trying to follow him before he mauled someone, or something like that.
Aeryn was starting to regret bringing a companion.
As if I couldn't make friends myself anyway, Burnsy would probably maul anyone who irked him.[/size]

[Servilius Vladimir Murder]

It took some work looking normal amongst the other students, Servilius thought to himself as he boarded the Hogwarts express. Not that he knew how people usually acted, but he would casually bump into quite a few things if he remained without a hand out stretched to act as his faulty eyes, something he didn’t want to so. He must have looked like an air-headed fool swaying around with his luggage in front of his body, drifting down what he guessed was the train corridor. In all honesty, Servilius was unsure where to go from here; what side were the compartments located?
Stopping in the middle of what felt like a carpeted hallway, he listened closely for someone to open or shut a door. Maybe then he could figure out where to go.
God, it’s so loud in here…. How will I ever be able to hear anything with all this pointless small talk?!
As he struggled to listen, something bumped into his leg. He jumped a bit, turning his thin body in the opposite direction of whatever it was. It felt fat against his leg, but like the crown of someone’s head might be like at the same time. The creature had hair, and a lot of it. Is that how people acted on this train? Ramming people with their heads?
Animals are on board too.
Realizing this, he began to walk forward. He had been standing in place for too long now, and surly someone was starting to get suspicious. Servilius didn’t want anyone to know about his blindness if he could help keep it a secret. All he must do was keep people from seeing his face. Shouldn’t be too hard-
What was that?
He held up his hands, feeling what he had run into. His fingers moved around arches that felt like shoulders, as well as soft, slightly curled strands that felt like hair. Without thinking, and without direction, he stepped back quickly and suddenly, only to land right on his bum.
“Sorry,” the Hogwarts student huffed, pissed at himself by now. He kept his cloudy gaze on what he estimated to be the ground, his long black hair hanging in front of his pale face. “I bumped into you.”
You idiot.

[/size]

[Aeryn Taylor Wakefield]

Aeryn sped down the hallway, the large and furry body of Burnsy still visible.
She watched in horror as Burnsy rammed into a raven haired boy, putting her hand to her mouth.
"Burnsy!" she called to her ferociously large cat as the dog sized maine coon began to purr loudly and rub against the boys leg after ramming into him, her face heating up in embarrasment. "You come back here right this instant!"
The cat gave her owner a long look, closed his eyes, and wrapped his tail around the boy's leg.
Aeryn walked over to the boy, her arms outstretched to pick up the cat.
She scooped down, her hazel eyes fixed on Burnsy, wrapping her arms around him.
"Here we go!" she exclaimed, while Burnsy made a yowling noise of protest. She gave him a tight hug, angry and relieved on how close she was to losing her cat.
The boy walked into her, making Aeryn a little bit annoyed. She was just about to retort back when she saw the boy prepare to move.
The boy raised his arm and moved his hand toward her. Aeryn stiffened, in some sort of paralysis for that instant.
What's he going to do?
His hand touched her shoulder, and Aeryn turned to stone. She caught an intake of breath as he moved his hand higher, turning her head away in confusion. Why didn't she run?
His fingers became entangled in her curls and she was just about to take a step away when the boy fell over onto the carpeted ground. Burnsy, socially innapropriate as ever, strutted over and sat squarely on his feet.
"I'm really sorry about my cat." Aeryn said in nervousness, reaching down to scoop him in her arms. Burnsy made a yowl of complaint, flattening his ears at being taken off the ground. His tail whisked around in annoyance, occasionally touching the two humans.
Aeryn held Burnsy in one arm (which led to further yowling) and grabbed the boy's hand, helping him up.
"It's fine." she said, smiling politley as her mother would often instruct despite the awkwardness she felt of the situation. "I bumped into a few people earlier too. Jammed here, isn't it?"
Aeryn grinned. "I'm Aeryn, Aeryn Wakefield. It's my first year."
Her hazel eyes averted him for a second, hoping he wouldn't notice that she wasn't paying attention for a second. She saw an empty compartment.
"Hey!" she exclaimed. "An empty cabin!"
She began walking towards it, finding it easier now that the halls were barely populated as people began to take their seats when she looked back at the boy.
"You wanna come? I don't think there are any other open cabins."[/size]

[Servilius Vladimir Murder]

He heard the yowl of a cat before a hand helped him back to his feet. Servilius was caught off guard for a moment as he stood there silently listening to her talk. She sounded too nice, as if her cheerful voice was masking something. He scowled to himself and shrugged the feeling away. He’d look into it later. He of all people should know not to judge people by how their aura feels around them.
Even when it’s usually right.
Servilius groped the air for his trunk handle. “Uh, okay,” he said, finally wrapping his fingers around the leather loop. He followed the vibration and faint sounds of Aeryn’s footsteps to find the compartment she was talking about. He moved carefully but scruffily to avoid awkward looks he may get from her. The first year pushed his trunk in front of him for it to act as a guide for his steps. Servilius finally was able to push the trunk though the cabin’s open door, feeling the trunk bump down and roll slightly different than it was on the carpeted corridor. He knew that he must be in, and outstretched his hands to search for a seat to sit in. He bent awkwardly downward sideways, hands touching the walls and a window before discovering the cushioned seat right next to him. Blinking, as he often forgot to, he took a seat.
I must look like an idiot, Servilius thought, twisting around slightly in his bum to get comfortable. He felt his black hair against his mid-arm, reminding him he would have to change before the train ride ended. That would be awkward, especially with a girl sharing the same changing space.
I'm Aeryn, Aeryn Wakefield.
That name. Wakefield… he’s heard it before somewhere. Maybe Voldemort or his uncle Xavier? He wasn’t sure, but he felt like the name was important somehow. Maybe he would ask her… would that sound strange? Servilius didn’t know how people usually acted around each other. This was the first time he had been off of the Malfoy’s property in his whole life. How was he supposed to know?
“Aeryn,” he said, “your last name is Wakefield. Who is your mother, then?”

[/size]

[Wilhelmina Rose Smith]

Being on the Hogwarts Express after so many years was almost calming to Wilhelmina. The soft roar of the students voices around her brought back so many memories of her years at Hogwarts, good and bad. She giggled softly as she remember the one time she injured anyone on this train, giving a ridiculously rude girl boils to match her fiery red hair. That was back when she was good friends with Xanthe Murder, she had even gotten a high five after that incident. That was also when she was still sickly shy around Liam who was now her husband of a couple months. It was so bizarre to think about how things use to be, and yet so fulfilling knowing how her life had actually turned out the way she had prayed. Being back here made her wonder what became of her friends and enemies from back then, especially Xanthe. She could easily say that she hated that girl, but there was a part of her that knew that Xanthe was and probably always will be one of her best friends. And up until a few years ago, she couldn't have admitted that to herself knowing what Xanthe ha done, but Mina was done with grudges. They weren't healthy. She wished that girl, who would be a woman now, well.

Mina was torn away from her memories as she walked down the corridor when the mention of a familiar name caught her attention. She froze behind the two students, tilting her head to the side curiously as she gripped tightly onto the leather handle of her rolling trunk (That happened to have Liam's initials carved into it, since she decided upon using his instead of her own stationary one). A chill went up her spine as she eyed the girl who had called herself a Wakefield. Mina could see a small resemblance of Darien in this young girl, only this girl's hair didn't seem to change colors with her mood. Mina grinned at the memory of Darien and the few adventures she had went upon with the boy that she had previously dated for a small amount of time. He had been a sweet heart, and he had been completely and utterly in love with Xanthe. Thinking about those two together gave her a warm and fuzzy feeling on the inside, or maybe that was just heartburn.

With a shake of her head, Mina noticed that the students had disappeared into the empty compartment the young girl had mentioned. Excited about meeting an offspring of someone she had gone to school with, Mina trotted over to the compartment doors and slid them open carefully. With a wide grin present on her face, her hand placed on her very swollen stomach stomach, she looked back and forth from the students. "You all don't mind if I share this compartment with you, do you? As I heard you say the rest are full and I can't exactly fit in a full compartment with this bundle of joy." She spoke somewhat sarcastically about her pregnant stomach, but it was easy to tell that she was a very proud mother-to-be. Mina didn't wait for an answer before she stepped into the compartment and slid the rolling trunk in after her. "Would it be a problem if I asked one of you to lift my trunk up onto the shelves?" she gestured up toward the shelf above them as she spoke, "I would do it myself, but..as you can see I am a little handicapped." She laughed, rubbing her stretched stomach with both hands as she took a seat next to the young boy.

"I'm Wilhelmina Whit..Smith, by the way. Forgive my mistake, I've only been married for a few months and I'm use to using my maiden name. And I heard you say," she said as she nodded toward the female, "That your name was Aeryn? That's a very pretty name, it fits you well." Mina grinned, apparently feeling very social at the moment, and then turned toward the boy next to her. "And your name? I don't think I caught it earlier while I was eavesdropping."

[Servilius Vladimir Murder]

A kind voice broke through the loud, obnoxious ones surrounding him on the train from the hall. Judging by the sound it was a woman who spoke, probably a young woman too. By her information she was pregnant, and Servilius thought it might be her first child considering how fondly she spoke of the little life inside her tummy.
I was like that baby once. I bet my mother wasn‘t happy about me.
Listening to the heavy steps of the woman as she entered the compartment, his feet shifted to make as much room as she needed to maneuver. He didn’t know how big a woman’s belly was when she was pregnant, much less how big the babies were when they were born. The Malfoy Manor was not gracious enough to give him the chance to touch a newborn baby, simply because no babies were born there since him. He grew up alone with his uncle.
The young mother-to-be requested assistance with her trunk, but he wouldn’t be the one to take up on that offer as much as he’d like to help. Knowing him, Servilius would do something very stupid. He didn’t know how easily babies were killed, either. That would be a terrible weight on his shoulders.
He felt the cushioned seat create a basin near his right thigh. She sat down next to him, obviously. He didn’t mind too much, but it felt awkward being accompanied by a teacher on his way to Hogwarts.
"I'm Wilhelmina Whit..Smith, by the way. Forgive my mistake, I've only been married for a few months and I'm use to using my maiden name…”
Professor Smith might teach him at Hogwarts very soon, or perhaps even this year. It would be best if he kept on the teachers’ good side. Not like he cared, really, however Smith seemed like a very nice woman, and he didn’t want to be rude to someone with such manners. It was odd to experience someone with socially acceptable behavior. In the Malfoy Manor, the applauded actions were killing, following orders, and bowing to your Lord; not particularly in that order. He hated it. Such a stupid, poor way to live a life with so much potential.
“And your name? I don't think I caught it earlier while I was eavesdropping."
Servilius hunched his shoulders, eyes locked on an area he believed to be a window (he could feel the air from it) as he snapped out of what would become a potentially angry thought. “My name is Servilius Murder,” he said. “You might not know my family. It’s my mother’s maiden name. Not that I’ve ever met her or anything, and she surly hasn’t made any attempt in the last eleven years to even write me one single letter!”
He didn’t intend a simple question to become a miniature spit of rage. Servilius crossed his arms and huffed, frowning at the thought of his mother. Oh how he hated her and her stupid name. Why would he have her name if he had a father? Hell, he hated him too! Neither ever wanted him and that was made clear all his life.

[/size]

[Aeryn Taylor Wakefield]

Aeryn cocked her head with confusion as the boy asked who her mother was.
My mum? What, does he know her?
"My mum?" Aeryn asked, her voice a little colder; she was very protective of her mother - she was all that Aeryn had left. "Well, she's...her name's Bethany Wakefield. Well, my dad was murdered, so she goes by Bethany Jacobs sometimes."
Her voice lowered. "A Death Eater murdered my dad, and I'-"
The creaking of the cabin door halted Aeryn in her tracks, freezing up like a deer in headlights. Had someone heard her tell about her dark family past?
A teacher, by the looks of it, walked in the mostly empty cabin, her stomach abnormally large from pregnancy. She had a kind look to her; surely, she taught something sweet and soft, like Charms?
"Here, let me help you with that."
Aeryn smiled at the new Professor, an inner feeling that she was going to be one of her favorites rising within her. The trunks were a little heavy, but it wasn't anything that Aeryn couldn't manage.
Aeryn's ears turned hot with embarrasment. "Yeah, my names Aeryn. Aeryn Wakefield."
So her name was Professor Smith. She smiled at her genuinley.
"It's nice to meet 'cha!"
Burnsy seemed to lighten up a bit by the fresh air in the open window, but not by much. He still gave an irritated growl here and there, but his tail was flicking about.
Aeryn Wakefield's attention was once again driven to the boy.
His name. Servilius.
The name itself felt like a scaly snake on her tongue when she mouthed it to herself, but somehow, it seemed to fit him well.
Aeryn's large hazel eyes rounded with softness, and she laid a hand on his shoulder.
"Well, it's her loss, really." she said optimistically, trying to cheer him up. She hated when people were sad. "I think you're great."[/size]

[Wilhelmina Rose Smith]

Mina smiled gratefully toward the cheery girl as her trunks were put up onto the ceiling shelf. "Thank you, hon." she muttered quietly as her eyes examined the now slightly cramped compartment. Her smile slowly turned to a grin as she eyed the large cat near the window. She missed her animals. Aeryn seemed like a nice girl, and it was nice to see someone so uppity here at Hogwarts. She wished that someone like that would have been around her when she was back in school, maybe she would have been better liked.

She perked up as the boy beside her answered with his name. "..Servilius..Murder?" Mina grinned and shook her head before looking down at her protruding stomach. Thinking about it, a part of this boy did slightly remind her of Xanthe even though she hadn't known him more than a couple of minutes. Mina, almost exploding with curiosity put her hand under the boy's chin and gently moved his head toward her. She wanted to examine his face and, like back in school, had absolutely no problem intruding into other people's personal space. It was strange to know that Xanthe had..a kid. For a moment she wondered how Xanthe had taken to becoming a mother, and how she treated her son. Then he continued and kind of ruined her good train of thought. Xanthe wasn't there for him? That..doesn't sound like something she would do. Sure, Xanthe had done some horrible things when they were younger, but she couldn't see her giving up something that important. "That's..awful, Servilius. I am sorry." She kept the information she had to herself, if Xanthe didn't want the boy to know about her then Mina wasn't going to change that.

The brunette girl across from her made her laugh, she was so happy and it was incredibly contagious. "She is right, you know. It is her loss, and I can easily say that and mean it even after only a few moments of knowing you. But, maybe it wasn't her fault that she never got to know you or communicate with you." She smiled and rubbed her stomach thoughtfully while conjuring up a picture of young Xanthe in her mind. "Maybe she really wants to be around and doesn't have a choice."

[Servilius Vladimir Murder]

The name Bethany Jacobs rang a clear bell in his mind. She was a member of the Order if he remembered correctly. That’s probably where he had heard the name Wakefield from, from the Death Eaters chatting about Order members and their families. He silently wondered if they would target Aeryn for some reason one day. No one ever knows with Voldemort, but his favorite thing seemed to be ransom of his victims, the bait of choice being parents, siblings, or children.
"A Death Eater murdered my dad…
Made perfect sense to him.
Aeryn’s kind words made Servilius reposition himself in his seat. He felt his face flush with redness, something that usually only happened when he was nervous. He had never heard anyone praise him for anything before, other than Uncle thanking him for something. It was a weird, bubbling feeling in his stomach that made him want to smile, but he refrained form doing so. Even if Servilius wanted to, soft, gentle fingers wrapped themselves around his chin. His emotion only got stronger as he met Mina’s eyes, the raven hair shifting out of his own.
She knows I’m blind now, he thought, his dark eyebrows wrenching upwards in worry. Normally Servilius would have lurched away, but why try when she had already seen what he was hiding? I don’t want her to feel sorry for me.
Pulling back lightly from Mina as she spoke again, the first year raised his hands and replaced his bangs and a curtain of hair back in front of his cloudy-blue eyes. What the professor said could be true, that his parents could never see him. Maybe Voldemort was threatening them somehow. But for what reason? They didn’t even make one attempt!
“I’d like to think that way,” he mumbled, crossing his thin arms. “But if my mother and father loved me, they would at least try to communicate. For all I know, they could be awaiting me at Hogwarts. I doubt they would be so educated and respected, though.”
Servilius blinked, trying to act natural around the girl that wasn’t aware of his secret. He really hated talking about his parents.
“I bet they’re dead.”

[/size]

[Aeryn Taylor Wakefield]

Aeryn shrugged, looking over the raven haired boy again.
"Naw, my mom always says you inherit something from your parents. You seem to have a way with words, Servilius. I bet one of your parents did too. Like, my mom says I have her hair and skin and some personality and stuff, and I have my dad's eyes and nose. Then again, I don't really remember exactly how his nose looked, so that doesn't really count. I bet you've got your dad's eyes and nose, too."
Burnsy gave an irritated growl, breaking free of the young girls thin arms. The gray dog sized cat strutted around the cabin as if inspecting a new plot of territory for him, then sat firmly on the ground. He wrapped his tail around Servilius' leg; he had obviously gotten used to the raven haired boy in the time knowing him. Burnsy then rammed his head into Professor Smith's lower leg, making a rather obnoxious purring sound, begging for the attention that he wasn't recieving from his owner.
Aeryn smiled at Servilius in a sort of understanding. They had both lost parents, both were alone...
I hope we get to be friends.
"Hey, I bet it's okay." Aeryn comforted, her smile fading. "It's not like they hate you or anything."
She started to look rather dismal, her cheery self melting like sponge candy. "It's not like people plan to leave people they love. I know. My dad didn't plan on dying. It just happened. He didn't die to get away from me and my mum. Actually, I remember that the night he went out, he told me he would try to come home early from his work so he could read me my bed time story. I was nearly three."
Aeryn's hazel eyes rounded with pain. "He didn't mean to get murdered, just like your parent's don't like that they're not around you. I'd bet my life on it."[/size]

[Wilhelmina Rose Smith]

Mina wrinkled her nose in curiosity and slightly confusion as she looked down at the young boy. She saw some very small similarities, but he didn't look as much like her old friend as Mina had expected he would. But what caught her attention more than anything were his eyes. She had never met someone who was blind before, and didn't expect someone so young to..not be able to see. She wasn't sure why, but before now she had always thought that disability was reserved to older people who could handle it well. Her heart sank for a moment at the realization that this boy couldn't see anything around him, and he would have to live with that for the rest of his life. Mina cursed the sensitivity that came along with her pregnancy, something like this normally wouldn't have made her tear up so quickly around others.

Maybe it wasn't just that he was blind, maybe it was because of who he was. This was Xanthe's child. And it made everything even worse knowing that this boy hated her so much, and he didn't even know her. A part of her couldn't blame him, because there had been several times in her life where she absolutely and completely hated everything about Xanthe. However, there had been times when she called the girl her very best friend. There was more good in that girl then most people liked to notice, and apparently that included her own son. With her lip trembling, Mina looked away from the two students and stared over at the compartment door as she forced her tears away. "You shouldn't say things like that. I'm sure your mother is incredibly intelligent, and beautiful, and strong..Well, I'm sure both your parents are." her words were something struggled as she spoke, but at least she had successfully stopped herself from breaking out in tears.

Unfortunately, the look on that previously cheery girl's face was not helping Mina's mood and neither was the story she told. Mina rubbed her stomach idly as the girl spoke, obvious sadness filling up the small compartment. She felt so close to these two children, and she hadn't known them more than a few minutes. But sitting next to her was her best friend's child, and that girl had been through almost exactly what Mina had to go through at a young age. How could she not feel so close?

A part of her wanted to tell her story as well, but she knew that it wasn't going to help anything right now. Smiling slightly, attempting to change the feeling within the small room, Mina spoke up. "She is right. Sometimes things like that happened and you can't do much about it, really. You just have to be strong, and I can already tell you are a very strong person. No doubt about that."

[Servilius Vladimir Murder]

Servilius felt his heart become a weight inside his chest as Mina began to speak to him. He could sense a sad aura around her instead of the dominant, quite bubbly attitude she had worn into the compartment. He shrugged his shoulders, arching his back out of a slight guilt. He disliked causing others to feel pity for him. The last thing he wanted was sympathy, but he wasn’t going to lie about how he felt.
“My parents are as good as cretin. My mother even abandoned her brother, my Uncle. Ever since he has been out of his mind. I think she played a big part in this, considering she was the only thing he had left to live for,” Servilius said, careful not to give away anything secret or important. He snorted. “All Uncle does is sit in his room in the darkness, waiting for relief from his pain. No one is allowed to see him anymore but me and a few selective others. He’s been known to hurt people.”
Even me.
When Servilius was two he was bitten by Xavier during the full moon. Luckily he was not infected, which was amazing in the Death Eaters’ eyes. Xavier blamed himself for the attack, but Servilius knew better than to point the finger at him. After all, all he got from the bite was a barely noticeable scar on his right forearm.
The first year sucked in his cheek, focusing in on the blackness that made up his world. You know, judging by how Mina had spoken about his supposedly strong, beautiful, intelligent mother, you would assume she was reflecting somehow. Servilius did not know how old Mina or his mother was, or even if they could have actually known each other. It was worth the question.
“Professor,” he addressed Mina in a kind tone, turning towards her again, “is there something you’re not telling me?”

[/size]

[Aeryn Taylor Wakefield]

Aeryn blinked at Professor Smith, her hazel eyes rounding a little. She didn't want to be talking about such a depressing topic at the moment. Aeryn was often like an emotional sponge that absorbed the overall feelings of people around her; it was often when she would become suddenly remourseful, angry, happy, or other emotions if the crowd was feeling that way. Aeryn didn't have much of an identity to herself.
Professor Smith looked on the verge of crying, and Aeryn nodded slightly in understanding. The topic was getting to her too; Aeryn desperatley wanted the train to arrive at Hogwarts, or the topic to change, or-
"Professor, is there something you’re not telling me?”
Aeryn's eyebrows scrunched together in confusion, biting her bottom lip in a nervous habit.
What did Servilius mean?
Aeryn opened her mouth to say something in response, but she closed it from a lack of words to say.
Aeryn glanced at Servilius and Professor Smith.
There's something between them.
Professor Smith obviously did know something that she wasn't intent on telling, something that could change Servilius.
But why would she keep a secret?
Aeryn Wakefield looked at Professor Smith, scanning her large, impregnated frame and her kind and caring eyes...
No. I can't imagine her purposely keeping a secret.
Aeryn relaxed her stiffened frame, grabbing her large cat from where he was on the floor. Professor Smith didn't look like the type of person who would keep a large secret from someone. Why, Professor Smith looked pretty at ease, if she could say so herself...
Naw, I'm just imagining it. Professor Smith probably lives an easy life. I mean, why would she keep a big secret? She looks the kind of type that have never seen Dark magic.
Aeryn smiled awkwardly, looking at Servilius. Maybe he was just imagining things.
"What could you possibly mean, Servilius?" she whispered lowly. "You've only known Professor Smith a few minutes."[/size]

[Wilhelmina Rose Smith]

"Is there something you're not telling me?"
Her heart started racing within her chest with that simple question. He had caught on a lot quicker than what she thought he would have, but his mother had been quite good at that kind of thing as well. But, she couldn't answer truthfully, no matter how much she hated lying. How was she going to tell this boy that saw his mother as someone completely awful that she was, well, nearly the complete opposite? What was he going to do when Mina let him know that she had gone to school with the very woman that he seemed to loathe so much? To the VERY school he was on his way to attending! And..how were the two students going to feel when Mina couldn't stop and poured her how out to them? They didn't know her whole story with Xanthe, it was definitely not a kid-friendly situation.

But lying? Mina was a horrible liar, and even if she did manage to change the subject, this would end up eating at her until she finally did tell this sweet boy the truth. And then he would be upset at her for not telling him in the first place. It would all be a big problem. With a shake of her blonde waves, Mina sighed. "I should've kept my mouth shut," she started as she ran her hand nervously over her swollen abdomen. "It's nothing important, Servilius. Really, it isn't." She rolled her eyes. It wasn't important, no, it was MUCH more than important. "You see, I..well.." Aeryn's whisper toward the young boy interrupted her, but it wasn't the only thing taking her mind from her secret.

She gasped, and although it was a rather short, it was more than loud enough for all three occupants of the compartment to notice. Her hand froze on her stomach, just above her button, and a grin quickly appeared on her previously worried face. Without hesitation, Mina leaned over and gently grabbed Aeryn's hand and placed it where her own had been moments ago. "I hope you don't mind, but I have to share this with someone. It's amazing, really. I haven't felt the little hitch hiker move this much before, it must like you two." She glanced over at Servilius, feeling a bit more awkward with forcing a male to touch her stomach. "You are free to feel it as well, Servilius. It is an incredibly interesting feeling, beyond words."

Oh, how she loved this little child inside of her already. Apparently the little creature knew how to get it's mother out of a tight situation. Thank God for this tiny miracle growing within her.

[Servilius Vladimir Murder]

Nothing important, huh? If that was so, Professor Smith would not seem as anxious as she did. Of course, it may be the pregnancy causing her to flush at times, sending off an aura of unease, but Servilius was too stubborn to accept it. He strongly believed she knew something, based on how flustered she sounded as she spoke and the words the woman had chosen.
He huffed lightly, sitting farther back into his seat as the professor stuttered. If she wasn’t going to tell him anything, Servilius would just ask someone else. If Professor Smith knew something about his parents, it was very likely another teacher would too. Maybe his parents went to Hogwarts themselves as children. They were closer than he thought after all, living right under his nose all along, probably. Damn cowards.
The topic changed quickly. Mina was good at proving she was uncomfortable. The boy let it go without a fight. If it was something she did not want to discuss, he wouldn’t push it. She surly had her reasons, and they must be good ones. Either his parents were so bad that Smith wouldn’t speak of them, or they were dead, and rather not let him know the truth.
Servilius bit his lip, ignoring her gesture to touch her belly. “Sorry,” he said. “It would feel wrong if I touched a woman that wasn’t mine.” He chuckled a little, a faint smile forming between two choppy curtains of black hair.
They had been on this train for a while now. He could feel they were getting close to the castle by now, his calm attitude slowly etching away. Truth was, he was hungry, but didn’t much favor sweets. Servilius preferred real food any day to some concentrated, artificially colored sugar crap.
Though, he was wishing for some pie.
“When will we get to the castle?” he asked, turning towards Aeryn. “I don’t know what the landscape looks like, and I’m starved.”

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