Full Circle [Julian]

[THALIA BURKE]

The winter break was finally over; Thalia had spent it at home, with her parents both pointing out changes in her personality and questioning why she seemed to be feeling under the weather. They both noted how she was quieter now, no longer as eager to entertain the adults by showing off new skills she had gained. Neither of them fully accepted the excuse of academic pressure causing her stress. Mom finally ceased her inquiries once she learned about the disagreements between Ella and Meredith, as this type of dramatic tween friendship was understandable to her - even though Thalia wasn't overly concerned about the barbs her cousin and best friend kept exchanging. Dad was much more difficult to convince; he finally told her he knew of the furtive friendship she had with Blaise, and asked if Thalia was worried about Mom learning of this small act of disobedience. It wasn't technically a lie to tell him that yes, the ban on 'fraternising' with the Headmistress' son bothered her a lot. She did feel guilty listening to Dad's reassurance that he would keep her secret safe until she was ready to talk to Mom about it. He was a good father and deserved honesty, but she couldn't provide that - not even if she wanted to, and she most certainly didn't.

Returning to the castle was almost a repose after that; at least she wouldn't have to keep uttering half-truths and variously-coloured lies. The new broom she got for Christmas was enough to distract her for a while, but soon enough the worries returned. The Mulciber girl, Olivia, was still notably absent from the classes they shared. By now, all their peers knew she was in the Hospital Wing - though nobody seemed to know why. Some thought she had been petrified, but that theory was quickly debunked by those who had gone to visit the first-year. They reported her being awake, albeit pallid and exhausted, but the Healer refused to tell them what illness was causing it - only informing everyone that it was not contagious. Whatever that potion did to the eleven-year-old must be pretty bad, if she was still bedridden.

The club meetings had not yet resumed, either. They did have one brief session back in December, where Thorne announced that Olivia would recover in time. However, no new spells were introduced. They were all allowed to practice curses from the list, though Thalia and Meredith could only utilise them on dummies - while being monitored by the Head Girl. The gathering had felt oddly subdued; she fancied she could sense the unease the older students felt. Perhaps it was simply a lull in activity that often happened before a school break. Some professors avoided introducing new study material, knowing that students would forget it in two weeks - the club leaders could be using the same logic.

About a week after returning to Hogwarts, she started suspecting that she was simply kicked out of the group for misbehaviour, and the leaders neglected to inform her of it. Meredith might not even be able to tell her, if the Tongue-Tying Curse treated Thalia as an outsider once more. She couldn't safely ask about it, either - the fear of being overheard was constantly present. Finally, she decided to check for herself. The Room of Requirement was supposed to prevent anyone who wasn't invited from entering their study room. If she had been uninvited, she couldn't access the group's version of the Room, right? That would likely create a whole new type of anxiety for her, but at least it would dispel the uncertainty that was currently tormenting her.

She waited until dinnertime, when most inhabitants of the castle would be in the Great Hall. Having cautiously circled the seventh floor thrice - and heard footsteps behind her on the first two occasions - Thalia only approached the invisible entrance when the corridor was veritably vacant. I need a place to study Dark Arts; inaccessible to Hogwarts staff and anyone else who was not personally invited, she recited in her mind while pacing in front of the empty wall. The door materialised as she completed the third round. Without further hesitation, she pushed it open and slipped inside. They hadn't been expressly forbidden from using the space outside of the 'official' meetings, after all.

To her relief, the room was the same - only it seemed much larger now that she was here alone. A part of her wanted to flee and return only when everyone was summoned, but she ignored the cowardly urge. Her legs carried her to a cloth-covered structure; once she was a few yards away, she recognised it as the rat cage. Pulling the heavy cloth off of it, she watched the silenced rodents scurry around in their confines. If only she was able to stun one, she could try the curse again. After spending some weeks thinking about it, she had concluded that her qualms had been silly. Being loudly reprimanded for unwillingness to harm a test animal had only caused her to dig her heels in; she didn't regret standing up for herself, but the reason that necessitated it now seemed insignificant...

JULIAN MULCIBER

[JULIAN MULCIBER]

The school breaks, for Julian, were not something to particularly look forward to, though there could be found small reprieve in not having to share space with anyone but his sister for several weeks. This Christmas break, however, had driven him out of his household entirely after being required to listen to his father's gloating about the incident involving his cousin. 
Julian had yet to discover how Marcus Mulciber had learned of Olivia's injury and subsequent extended hospital wing visit, though after witnessing his father in an uncharacteristically stellar mood, and having overheard him gloating to whomever he was hosting, suggesting it was her ill-competence and bad-breeding - he had just about enough. 

Taking Hilfiger up on his offer to spend the rest of the holidays at his families' holiday house in Hogsmeade had been his escape. Where once Julian might have joined in his fathers' revelry against his cousin - now it only brought him discomfort. Olivia had proven herself to be intelligent, quick-witted and gifted in magic - much unlike the girl his father had warned him not to interact with. Although the two of them had certainly experienced a rocky start, he didn't mind her company, and in fact, felt a tinge of pride in her accomplishments as a Mulciber. 
Thus, her sudden plight had affected him more than he would have liked to let on - though anyone present at the Dark Arts Club would have witnessed his fear. It was an emotion very unlike him, though it had hit him like a wave - and until the Healer had informed him Olivia was going to be alright - Julian had been drowning. It had brought back memories of another family member falling ill - the traumatic experience of having to watch his own mother waste away had briefly been brought back from the deep confines of where he had repressed it. 

He shuddered to think on it. 

Now, Julian was lying on the plush lounge in the Room of Requirement, stretched out lazily across its entire length. He had not eaten supper with the rest of the students, much preferring solitude to having to listen to everyone discuss what items they obtained for Christmas. His family did not celebrate the occasion. With one arm draped across his eyes to block the torchlight, he rested, eyes closed, having intended to come here to practice some more curse-work, though halfway through absolutely demolishing some effigies had given up trying to concentrate. 
And that was when the door opened. 

Unperturbed by the intrusion, Julian listened to the footsteps without moving. It could only be one of few members of their club - as nobody else had access to Thorne's creation without the specific instructions on how to materialize the room. As the intruder approached where he was lying, Julian lowered his arm fractionally, opening an eye to observe who it was. He assumed it was Thorne, given the light steps - though the person who moved right past the lounge without glancing his way was Burke. He watched her back momentarily as she approached the cages of rats, stopping there to stare at them, obviously deep in thought. 
He had half a mind to believe she was going to free them - given her reaction to the members using them as practice.

He re-closed his eye with a soft sigh, shifting slightly where he lay. At any other time, Julian would have been rather irate at being seen in such a fashion: unpoised, dressed-down simply in an unbuttoned white school shirt folded at the elbow, black trousers and unkempt hair. "If you are going to release them, do it outside." He spoke to her, a rumble of exhaustion in his tone, and none of its usual malice, "however if you are here for round two, I am afraid you will have to wait for me to gather the disposition." Burke had witnessed him when he had been momentarily vulnerable - and given nobody else was around to witness this exchange, Julian did not feel the need to raise his guard. 

THALIA BURKE

[THALIA BURKE]

The quiet sigh behind her made Thalia freeze, the cloth slipping from her fingers and landing in a heap on the floor. Too distracted by the rat cage, she had failed to notice the presence of another person. She recognised the voice addressing her, but only just - it was so different from the usual intensity of his speech. There was no reprimand in his words; she relaxed a little, though without letting her guard down, and turned around to face him. Somehow, his appearance was even less reminiscent of Mulciber than his voice. His bearing often reminded her of a wolf - wary of everyone but dignified and ready for a clash. There was still some semblance of that wolf left, only it seemed to have been weakened by a harsh winter. It was a disconcerting sight, but the second-year kept her eyes on him despite the unease she was feeling.

"Round two can wait; I did not come here for that," she responded, her voice steady. The fear she had felt during that first club meeting had melted away in the heat of her anger, and never returned. It had been so puerile to fret over older kids' opinions of her. They were only a few years older - just as they had recently been at her current skill level, she would soon be at theirs. And none of them could harm her in a lasting way without condemning themselves and the whole group. The worst that could happen to her was getting banned from the meetings. That would be a harsh punishment for simply standing her ground, yet not sufficient to make her regret the decision. For the most part, the memory of challenging a fourth-year was a source of pride for her. Only a small part of her mind wondered if he blamed her for his cousin's mishap; had the duel not distracted all of them, someone might have prevented harm from befalling Olivia.

"And I do not intend to free the rats, either. I wanted to try the curse again, but first I need to master the Stunning Spell." It was an advanced spell even some fifth-years struggled with, so she wasn't embarrassed to admit this deficiency. Stunning a rat had to be easier than rendering a human unconscious, though. Practicing and possibly failing in front of Mulciber was not an enticing idea, but she could see he wasn't even interested in her performance this time. Whatever was bothering him was more important than mocking and antagonising a junior club member. Was he still afraid for his cousin, even though she was supposedly going to recover? Unless that had been a lie, to keep them all from panicking.

JULIAN MULCIBER

[JULIAN MULCIBER]

He did not see her freeze, nor watch her turn - as his eyes were still covered by one arm, his other draped across his abdomen. He would have to congratulate Thorne on her discovery of these lounges - they were indeed rather comfortable, much more so than the cold leather ones in the Slytherin dormitory. Despite his last encounter with Burke resulting in a duel, Julian did not feel threatened by her presence. She had displayed a significant amount of anger and resolve to challenge him months earlier, the result of which had him witnessing first hand her budding power with offensive magic. He had underestimated her initially, for despite only having barely two years of magical experience under her belt - she was a force with her wand. 
Although it had not been a thought he had concentrated in the heat of the moment, he had considered their duel since - replaying her movements over in his mind; her guileful attempt to split his concentration between the two duellists as she circled around his back. She was clever, and she clearly had power underneath that usually timid exterior. 

Hearing the steadiness in her voice was different. In his first interaction with her, Burke had been rather uncertain, and this had leaked into her voice as she spoke, eyes downcast under his cold gaze. When she had grown angered, her voice contained the shakiness of frustration, threading through her tone as she compelled a duel from him. Now, she seemed collected. Julian allowed himself one last second of quiet darkness before he lowered his arm away from his face, bringing it down to his abdomen where he rested it alongside his other arm. He turned his head on its pillow toward Thalia, catching her gaze as she explained her reason for coming here. 

So she wanted to try the curse again, and she had intended to do so without the judgemental eye of the other members. Tough luck. He was here, and in silent approval of her desire to practice Thorne's curse. It demonstrated a level of persistence, and a desire to learn. He liked that.
"Stupefy?" He had utilized the stunning spell against his own rat during their club meeting, having practiced the useful spell many times against Hilfiger during their duelling practice, and within the confines of this room. Stupefy was one of the most versatile spells a duellist could have in their arsenal - given it had the power to end a duel with but one successful, powerful hit. Julian rarely used it seriously, much preferring to drag out a duel to gather more experience and practice. "I am sure you will have little trouble learning it." She likely did not want his assistance, given her last experience with his 'help', so he opted against offering himself up, lest she ask. Despite stupefy being a more advanced spell - and beyond a regular second-year capacity, Julian had witnessed her utilizing magic above her skill-level - so knew that with some practice, she might just be able to perform it. 

Now that she was here, however, he felt that his time resting had come to an end. Better to utilize his time wisely. He felt her eyes on him, searching for something, though perhaps it was simply his presentation that threw her off. He did not blame her. "Are you worried about me?" He teased her lightly, knowing full well her uneasy appearance was more like to stem from the prospect of harming a rat, rather than worrying about himself. His actions with Burke thus far would hardly warrant care. He swung his legs over the side of the couch, finding the energy to stand and running a hand through his hair to slick it back. It did not work the way he had intended, but it would have to do for now. "I will be over there," he gestured then to the destroyed and cut-up practice dummies, one of which was still slightly smoking, "should you require any stun work for your curse-practice." Olivia's accident had shaken him to his core, and had only strengthened Julian's resolve in learning more advanced healing magic so as to avoid circumstances akin to her poisoning in the future - so perhaps he would take this opportunity to further test the spell taught in his healing class: Vulnera Sanentur. 

THALIA BURKE

[THALIA BURKE]

Everything was so blatantly off about the boy that her mind was halting every time she tried to coldly think of him as Mulciber. That was a title for the severe teenager who criticised and insulted her during their very first interaction. He seemed to just be Julian today, even though she couldn't claim to know what that entailed. Fatigue and melancholy, if his current state was a typical reflection of his true self.

"I am sure you will have little trouble learning it."

"Careful, that got hazardously close to sounding like a compliment." The words were out of her mouth before she could filter them. Why was she still antagonizing him? She wasn't even upset about his comments anymore; all that was over a month in the past, and all of her anger had faded as she watched his reaction to Olivia's collapse. That terror of potentially losing his cousin was only too relatable, and it made the boy seem much more human in her eyes again. No resentment remained, or so she had thought during the weeks when the two of them had no contact with each other. Yet now she was being snarky without intending to. Well, she wasn't going to be apologetic about it. "I will learn it despite the trouble. It will just take me longer than it would an older student." That was the main reason for teaching certain spells to students of a particular age, wasn't it? It was rarely just about the raw power; the 'complexity' of a spell often stemmed from the wandwork and the amount of focus required. It was mostly about one's skill, and skill could be developed through practice. She had learned the Reductor Curse, even though it took her weeks where a fifth-year might have gotten it right after a few attempts. The Stunning Spell was no different.

She wanted to start working on this self-imposed project, but something about her unexpected companion's current appearance made it difficult to look away. Perhaps it was simply the element of unpredictability that it created. She knew what to expect from mean and grumpy Mulciber. But gloomy and despondent Julian was a whole different person. Was she worried about him? It sounded like a quip rather than a serious question, but the wording he used identified her state quite accurately. Not having a ready answer, she had decided to ignore his jibe when...

"I will be over there, should you require any stun work for your curse-practice."

"Are you offering assistance? That does make me worried." He could almost pass for a nice person now - that is, if she only listened to his words without registering his tone or looking at his expression. She glanced to where he was pointing, the demolished and half-demolished dummies indicating his activities prior to her arrival. It looked like he had practiced some powerful spells. Was he allowed to do that all on his own? One backfired curse of such intensity could be lethal, if there was nobody to provide immediate aid. Perhaps his wand was not one to backfire readily; hers wasn't, either, but some of her classmates constantly had accidents in class. "Thanks, I will keep your offer in mind. Have fun destroying the dummies." Did he ever have fun, with anything? Somehow, she doubted it. Thalia might be the most reserved person in her friend group when it came to enjoying herself, but she was still a veritable ray of sunshine compared to Julian.

The second-year turned back to the cage, rats scurrying inside of it. She couldn't open it without accidentally letting them all escape, but she remembered how Thorne had done it. Thalia retrieved her wand from the masterfully crafted hip holster Dad had bought her for Christmas. "Immobulus." This spell, at least, was within her capability range. The rodents froze in place, still conscious but unable to move. Reaching up, she unlocked the cage and retrieved the first one her fingers grasped - a dull brown male. She carried it over to the nearest table and placed it on the smooth surface, its beady eyes watching her with what she interpreted as primal terror. "Stupefy." A few red sparks came from her wand, not enough to stun anything bigger than a housefly. She adjusted her grip on the wand and tried again. "Stupefy." The scarlet flash that hit the rat was feeble compared to what she'd seen older students produce. Thalia poked the animal with her finger, testing for a response. Although its eyes were now closed, a paw twitched. Not good enough.

JULIAN MULCIBER

[JULIAN MULCIBER]

He had not expected company in the Room tonight, though he supposed if he truly desired to be alone he could have conjured his own Room in this ones stead, locking everyone else out without an invitation. In fact, Thorne had been more than generous sharing her Room of Requirement with the group - and allowing them to utilize it for their own gains. He could not imagine sharing a piece of himself so intimately with other people - though he supposed she held nothing in here that she wished to hide; it was but a mere training room, and a place specifically designed to encourage learnings of the dark variety. 
Of all interruptions to his rest, however, Burke was far from the worst. Although their last meeting held much to be desired - she had not garnered any dislike from him for the challenge - in fact, it was rather the opposite. 

"Careful, that got hazardously close to sounding like a compliment." She retorted to him swiftly, causing him to pause briefly. The remnants of his resting were still providing him with a little haze of exhaustion, but that didn't quite mean he was undefended, "ah," he shook his head slightly, "we cannot have that, can we?" He did not want to gather the reputation for being complimentary - especially as that would surely only lead to others believing he was kind - for he simply wasn't. Julian had never been particularly altruistic - and if people needed to be reminded of that when they got too familiar - well, that was just something he was required to remind them of. Better to keep people at a distance, should he otherwise begin to care. 

As Burke justly remarked that she would learn the spell without trouble, though it might take her a little longer, he nodded. It was strange confronting someone that had witnessed his panic - he was having a little trouble resorting to his usual broody demeanour - once that veil was torn, it was hard to replace. He questioned whether she was worried about him - though Burke seemed to be at a loss for words. His forehead twitched toward a slight frown, jaw setting at the hesitation. Did that mean she was worried about him? How strange how that made him feel. Julian turned away after the hesitation, wanting to distance himself from a potentially uncomfortable conversation, informing her that he was be practicing over there, away from her. He did offer her assistance, if she so needed, with her stunning - if she reached out he would not deny her an opportunity to learn. He had taken on that responsibility as a Founder, and he would take that responsibility seriously, as each of them should, no matter how much of a loose cannon he potentially was compared to the others. 

Apparently providing assistance was strange enough for her to re-discover her verbal capacity. Julian heard her retort and it felt more on par with what he would normally expect from Burke - rather than a hesitant, uncertain response. "Have fun destroying the dummies," came her next remark, to which Julian called over his shoulder, "I will not be destroying them any longer." He had already dissected these effigies, and used a lot of his pent up energy doing so. Now was the time to practice his opposing interest - healing. 

Julian reached the fallen dummies and with a soft sigh dropped to a knee beside the one with the deepest scarring caused by his practice of the sectumsempra spell. It had quickly become a favourite curse - and one he imagined would be a trademark of his in the future. It was effective, powerful, hard to counter and detrimental to his victim: a useful spell on all fronts. However, he was not an idiot. Knowing how to cast a powerful curse was certainly important - knowing how to cure was perhaps even more rare. Julian loathed to think he would become the kind of wizard that would readily utilize dark magic without being aware of how to heal that very same magic. What if his spell ricocheted? What if he required the victim to live? It was one thing to threaten a person with pain - another entirely to wave the ability to cure them in their face, if only they submitted to his whim. 

He unsheathed his wand, eyes tracking the deep gashes across the dummies chest. He had watched Thorne perform this spell perfectly in class before, but had not yet practiced it himself. He mimicked her movements, wand moving gracefully across the effigy's body, "vulnera sanentur" he breathed the melodic spell, recalling the class: 

"In order for this spell to be fully effective it must be used three times. The first is to slow down the floor of blood to prevent death from bleeding, the second to clear residue and begin to heal the wounds and the third to fully knit the wounds however Dittany must still be used to prevent scaring."

Julian watched the deep wound begin to re-stitch itself, wand tracing the gash a second time, "vulnera sanentur," he commanded again in that same song-like tone, the sound of which felt foreign in his throat. He could hear Burke attempting the stunning spell across the room - though he tried to ignore her voice, instead focusing on his own. The gash was definitely healing, though the general lack of blood and residue made it hard to tell if his spell was truly effective. He would have to ask Maeve if she could somehow conjure an effigy with substance inside so that he could more properly tell if his healing was improving or not. Time for the third cast: "vulner-"

-"Stupefy," Burke was re-casting so Julian paused, drawing his wand back from the dummy and swivelling on his knee to turn and look at Thalia, watching her prod the rat rather unceremoniously. If he had been a less-serious person, this unaffectionate poke might have been rather amusing. Julian stood, quietly moving back across the room toward her, though keeping a slight distance should she not appreciate his presence. "Your magic is dictated by your emotions," his eyes found her immobile rat, still alert, despite not being able to move. "You were stronger when you were casting at me." He looked at the younger Slytherin briefly, studying her. She had been frustrated and angered by him - and that strong emotive response had exploded her magic. Julian had been on the receiving end of her spell-work - and although he assumed she was a strong witch regardless of her emotional state - he had learned the hard way that his near uncontrollable rage provided him with much more formidable dark magic. If this reasoning was applied to other magic - perhaps different emotions would provide the same boost to certain spells. 

"Would you care to try to stun me?" He took several paces backwards, cocking an eyebrow and crossing his arms in anticipation. He would not offer this to many people, and he doubted she would be capable of completely knocking him unconscious - but he had taken an interest in her capability, and the fact she had stood up to him and demonstrated such ferocity provided her with a little more lee-way in terms of his generosity. 

THALIA BURKE

[THALIA BURKE]

So he hadn't meant to compliment her - it was unsurprising, given how frigid he always seemed. Thalia was just fine with that; what he meant the words to sound like didn't diminish their effect, at least not in this case. Someone who was possibly superior to her now expressed his belief in her abilities - it was a pleasant experience, one of her favourite ones. It would have caused her such joy, if it had happened during that first interaction. However, he'd chosen to deride her instead, and now she was wary of lowering her guard enough to feel anything more than general satisfaction. The main lesson she had taken from that first club meeting was not to reveal her emotional state to others too quickly - be it joy or anxiety. Had she not shown how uneasy she felt, he wouldn't have picked on her back then.

They both focused on their separate, vastly different tasks. While Thalia tried to get her rodent unconscious with an advanced spell, Mulciber was performing some magic that didn't seem to have much effect - but it certainly didn't sound like a curse or even a jinx, judging by the melodic incantation. She glanced at him a few times and saw the damaged dummy he was targeting begin to mend. Was he practicing a healing spell? That didn't seem suitable for this place, so heavily centered around Dark Arts, where the select few came to learn how to hurt others. Of course, the founding members needed to know how to heal those who got injured during their forbidden lessons. It made sense for him to hone those skills here, it just didn't seem to fit the general atmosphere of the place. With a small shake of her head to dismiss the irrelevant thoughts, she shoved the fourth-year boy out of her mind and returned her attention to the rat.

He must have been paying some attention to her, too, because he soon addressed her again. Thalia looked up from the semi-conscious rat, ready to question the statement about magic being dictated by emotions. She knew of several great duelists, and they never seemed to be somehow agitated when in combat.

"You were stronger when you were casting at me."

That gave her a pause. It was true - although few of her spells had landed successfully, she could feel their intensity surpassing anything she had produced in the neutral environment of the Dueling Club. "Does this mean that wizards and witches who are quick to anger are also more powerful, simply because they have easy access to intense emotions?" That shouldn't be right, but there might be some truth to it. And she did hear other members of their secret gathering mention the use of negative feelings in producing Dark spells. What if the same rule applied to other branches of magic? Or perhaps it varied from person to person, and some didn't need to be furious to be formidable.

"Would you care to try to stun me?"

Her eyes narrowed with suspicion. This wouldn't be an attempt to provoke another duel, would it? Not without anyone to watch them and be ready to offer aid. "Do you enjoy enduring the effects of offensive spells?" They weren't in a club meeting now, where such volunteering might be expected. Still, she wouldn't turn down such a generous offer - she'd never had the chance to practice the Stunning Spell on an actual human being. It's not like she could knock the older boy out, either, seeing as she couldn't even do that to a one-pound rat. "I would like to try," she admitted, stepping forward in response to his inviting body language. After causing him to be showered in - and even wounded by - wooden splinters and then sending a Bat-Bogey Hex at him, a weak stunner seemed almost like child's play. He might not even injure himself if he happened to fall, since the carpet was there to cushion him.

To test his theory, she first dedicated a few moments to recalling their initial interaction. "Do you always allow other people's feelings to impede your abilities?" ... "Come back to me when you grow a spine." The frustration wasn't nearly as intense now as it had been right after the words were uttered, but it was still there. Even the memory of being unfairly criticized and mocked was enough to light the flame of anger. Since it threatened to flicker out if not stoked, she attacked without further delay. "Stupefy!"

JULIAN MULCIBER

[JULIAN MULCIBER]

She had glanced up at him as he approached, and he briefly met her hazel eyes before dropping his gaze, turning his attention to her very still, yet un-stunned rat. He had witnessed Burke's magic during her first appearance in the Dark Arts Club, though that was a particular meeting he would not soon forget: not only for his discovery of Thalia's inner fire, but for his cousins accident and subsequent months-long stay in the Hospital Wing. Julian had not interacted with the younger Slytherin since that fateful meeting - for his free-time had been spent largely with stubborn nights by Olivia's bedside, often resulting in him falling asleep watching over her. On many occasions would Kearn or one of her assistants wake him and send him sternly to his dormitory - but other times, rarely, Julian would wake with the morning sunlight streaming through the tall windows, and realise that they had given up trying to force him to leave.

That did not mean he had not thought on their duel, moments before everything fell apart, however. In fact, a lot of his time in the black of night when he could not sleep had been dedicated to replaying every action and inaction, move and counter-move. Thalia had demonstrated classical footwork and good evasion technique. He had witnessed her dodge during his attack, and mimicked it to avoid Fay's responsive flipendo - his ability to absorb any moment of teaching around him saving him from being knocked down. Burke had impressed him - not simply by her demonstration of offensive magic - for he could not deny that she had given him more trouble than he had initially expected - but for her anger. The emotion had been dripping from her as she cast at him - brought on so quickly by few words... Clearly he had struck a cord, though he had wrecked himself attempting to discover what exactly had set her off so adamantly. 

Her question on his remark about her strength when attacking him in particular made him think, "if that were the case, you should not have caused me trouble." True, he had managed his emotive state rather well during their duel - keeping a cooler composure than his challengers - though as it persisted, so did his appetite for fury. "I have always found strong, negative emotions allow me to perform curses more fluidly... As though the feeling itself is tangible and channels through to my wand--" he paused, tired, dark circles underneath his eyes prominent as he realised he was speaking far too much, allowing her insight. He redirected his answer, "--I do not think we can discount emotion as assisting us in performing feats of magic beyond our usual capability." For him, anyway. Others may learn differently, or experience other effects of their stronger emotions while casting spells. Darker magic, however, always seemed to work in tandem with passionate wrath.

He offered then, for Thalia to attempt to stun him - confident that her lack of experience with the spell would mean that he would not be vulnerable to complete unconsciousness. It was a more advanced spell for her year, though she showed promise and he would not allow her to fail her potential. 

"Do you enjoy enduring the effects of offensive spells?" Julian had stepped back several feet, providing her room to cast effectively. He did not need to think on his answer, "no," he responded truthfully, a little more quietly than before, "I do not enjoy it." He was not a masochist who thrived on pain, only that it seemed to numb the guilt and hurt he constantly felt burdened by internally. Julian exhaled as she revealed that she would indeed like to attempt a stunning spell on him, eyes hardening as she took a step forward, his mind screaming to defend himself -- though he remained stark still, arms still crossed over his chest, waiting, ignoring the warning bells. 

And then a sudden attack: "Stupefy!" The jet of light flashed within the room - turning everything red as it sped toward him. Julian braced himself, attention not on the spell that emitted from her wand, but on her eyes - catching the flash of anger and frustration before her cast. There she is. It was what had driven him as he replayed their duel over and over - the flaming red fury, the window into her soul - she was like him: anger could fuel her, as much as it could unravel her. Her spell hit him a split-second after her cast - and Julian felt it collide with his abdomen. The effect was immediate: his body pushed back, falling toward the cushioned floor as his eyes fluttered closed, his usual fixed glare turning soft and serene as he succumbed to unconsciousness, his last thought before all went black was just how much he liked her. 

THALIA BURKE
ooc: given her age and lack of experience with the spell - im going to suggest he's only out for about 30 seconds to a minute? 

[THALIA BURKE]

Thalia had seen the Stunning Spell being used countless times. It was a popular offence tactic for older students, thanks to its potency; one successful hit could take out the opponent for a good while. Once or twice she'd also witnessed a feebly cast Stupefy render the target dizzy for a few minutes. That was the type of effect she expected to produce now - Mulciber would sway a little, that's it. He would recover in no time and find some fault with her spellcasting capabilities.

Instead, he collapsed.

The second-year stared at the older boy, her eyes wide with incredulity and shock. Now what? She couldn't revive him; it required an advanced charm she had never even tried to use. Did she even cast the stunner correctly, or did she mess up and he was now suffering from some unknown effects? Spells could go wrong, even the most harmless ones - that's why older students and even professors often supervised the Dueling Club. The thought hadn't even occurred to her until now; Stupefy wasn't a Dark spell, it seemed so harmless compared to what they had been practicing in this room. But magic wasn't a toy, as her father often said. They shouldn't have done this, not without anyone else present. Hindsight was such an irksome thing.

After a moment's hesitation, she approached him warily, without any plan of action in mind. How did one help an unconscious person? Pouring some water on their face sounded like a vaguely familiar idea, though she was pretty sure he wouldn't appreciate it. Thalia knelt on the carpet next to him and lightly touched his forehead with the back of her hand, the way her mom did when she was sick. That gave her no insight whatsoever, and also made her feel stupid. She hastily withdrew her hand, remembering how tense Mulc- Julian looked whenever anyone invaded his personal space. Only her eyes stayed on his face, studying the features that appeared almost unfamiliar now. He was always so irate-looking, so resentful. With his emotions wiped away by unconsciousness, though, he looked... younger. More handsome, too. All the features were still the same, but his entire visage appeared different somehow. How was that even possible?

She noticed his eyelids flutter and scuttled back a few feet. Now that he was awakening, her worries about the spell having gone wrong were replaced by mild uneasiness about his possible reaction. Did he expect to be knocked out, or would he not have offered himself up for such practice if he'd seen it coming? Was he going to demand that she be his test subject for some spell, in exchange for this favour? Despite the anxious thoughts, she was beginning to feel pride, too. Her Stunning Spell worked - and it worked so well! He'd been out for around half a minute, or at least she thought it must have been that long. That was a much better result than anyone in her age group should be able to achieve. The words he uttered right before she cast surfaced in her mind then. I do not enjoy it. Guilt was the final emotion to creep into her chest, completing the odd mix.

Thalia resisted the urge to apologise. "I suppose negative feelings do help... a little more than I had expected," she admitted once she was sure he could hear her. The professors never gave such advice; precise wandwork, accurate pronunciation and practice, practice, practice - that was their default recipe for success. Perhaps they feared that those who harnessed their emotions for spellcasting would soon start looking into the field of magic that was known to use negative emotions as fuel. She was somewhat disgruntled by that. "None of my tutors ever mentioned it, and neither did the Hogwarts professors."

JULIAN MULCIBER

[JULIAN MULCIBER]

"You are a Mulciber, do you know what that means, Jules?"

A voice from somewhere deep in the recesses of his unconscious mind was brought forward - a voice so familiar and comforting that he knew immediately that this was some kind of dream. He had not heard that voice in almost two years. 

"It means you are descended from angels, my love."

Julian allowed himself to listen to the words, softly spoken. He had forgotten this memory -- no, he had repressed this memory, forcing it underneath a tirade of others, keeping it down and quietening her voice. 

"Mulciber is the architect - perhaps the greatest architect of all time."

What had been happening? He could barely grasp time or space. Only that his mothers voice was all-encompassing. Was he sleeping? Was this the beginning of another nightmare - where sweet words were replaced by images of her deathbed? 

"An angel, and the creator of Pandemonium."

No. He wasn't sleeping. He had been somewhere else... In the Room. With someone... Thalia. Julian almost started at the remembrance, eyes beginning to flutter as his body shocked him into a slow consciousness. 

""And you will be an architect too, one day...You will be the harbinger of something incredible."

Her voice was fading fast as light came into focus, mind torn from its sudden slumber. He heard movement close to him, moving away. It only took him about half a second to recall his situation, and where he was, before his eyes shot open, focusing on the only other presence in the room: Thalia. They narrowed at her almost immediately, a slight throbbing in his head a clear indication of how he had fallen backwards. He had been vulnerable, completely knocked out - by this girl. "That was entirely unexpected." He said matter-of-factly before he could stop himself, hoisting himself up onto his elbows for a moment, slight dizziness preventing his immediate standing, "how long was I out for?". Although it only felt like a few seconds in his mind, it could have been much longer to the conscious world. He half-lay there a moment, thinking on his mothers words before looking back at the younger Slytherin as she spoke, admitting that negative feelings did help.

Julian watched her, crouched there like a cat, poised to attack or defend. She did not trust him, clearly, which was entirely understandable. Julian too, took a very long time to extend his trust to others and he had not exactly been the beacon of kindness or tenderness toward her. He tried not to think on his last thought before succumbing to unconsciousness. "Glad to be of service," he tightened his core, pulling himself up into a more seated position as he forcibly pushed those thoughts away, "of course they wouldn't," he responded derisively, "utilizing darker emotions, particularly rage, is not seen as a controlled medium through which to perform magic. It is savage magic - and sometimes untameable." Julian had learned the practice from his family, who utilized negative emotions to perform far better curses than those performed in a neutral state. 

His dizziness had subsided and, it seemed, his exhaustion had briefly found respite in his momentary lapse of consciousness. Julian exhaled softly, "shall we try again?" He asked her, pulling his knees up so that he could stand, "on the rat, this time." He added, not liking the idea of being unconscious again so quickly around her. Not that he believed she would cause him harm while undefended, but that he had no control over his dreaming state should his mind turn dark and nightmares take hold. 

THALIA BURKE

[THALIA BURKE]

The fleeting sense of guilt enabled her to suppress a smile at Julian's words. That was entirely unexpected. She had surprised not only herself, but him, too. For some reason, that felt like a significant achievement - more so than the instances when she impressed people who had never criticised her. The heavily conditional, scarce praise coming from him felt more genuine than anything her parents or tutors had ever said when endeavouring to boost her confidence. "You were out for less than a minute," she estimated. Knowing a more precise duration would have been preferable, since it was the main indicator of this spell's success. It hadn't occurred to her to whip out a watch or use one of the available hourglasses. Next time, perhaps - whenever she got to attempt the spell against a human again.

Julian's features had mostly rearranged themselves into their usual positions, forming the mask he always wore. Still, she fancied she could see glimpses of the softer, attractive face she had witnessed during his unconsciousness. He was handsome, she had noticed that months ago, though her awareness of it had decreased following their conflict. Back then, her interest stemmed from the sense of power he emanated, and his intimidating presence. Now she discovered it anew, from a different perspective.

Thalia watched him sit up, remaining in her crouched position as he did so. Her expression hardened as the fourth-year spoke of the reasons for adults to withhold certain knowledge. It only made her feel more frustrated with every mentor she had ever had, including her own parents. If she wasn't taught to control her magic while affected by strong emotions, that would only endanger her in high-stake situations. She was expected to stay out of conflicts, both her mother and her father displaying neutral - if not pacifistic - views. That did not excuse the omission in her training - shouldn't her parents be preparing her for the worst, after living through so many wars themselves? The thoughts opened up a whole new reservoir of anger in her chest.

"Shall we try again?"

For just a tiny moment, she thought he was suggesting another shot at stunning him. She would have declined, and was thus relieved to hear his addition. The rat, yes. Thalia dodged the incoming thoughts of Dustin and how he would feel knowing she was torturing rodents, rising to her feet with a determined expression on her face. Her cousin would not find out, and this was just an animal in any case. Worse things happened to rats caught by potioneers - she had handled enough tiny spleens to know that.

The second-year approached the rat, which was once again fully conscious - only held in place by the fading effects of her Freezing Charm. This time, she did not need to seek negative emotions far. Her frustration about adults' failure tell her emotions could be used as spellcasting fuel was still there, so intense it felt almost tangible. "Stupefy," she incanted, aiming at the rat. The bright red flash sent the little creature sliding across the table, its limp form deprived of consciousness. The spell wasn't any stronger than when she used it against Julian, but it should keep such a small animal knocked out for a substantially longer period of time. Somehow, the triumph only made her feel more irate. It was such a simple trick, and she was only learning about it now. She couldn't trust her own family to share knowledge with her, or they didn't trust her to use it wisely; both possibilities were hurtful. Surfing the wave of negativity, Thalia cast the curse before her anger could die down. "Vulnus Pertinax."

A gash appeared on the rat's back; not particularly deep, although some blood was already beginning to well in it. The sight was unpleasant, but Thalia forced herself to look at it for a few moments before turning to Julian. "Thank you for helping me out with this." He had been right from the start, though she wouldn't admit it out loud. Perhaps he was even helping her with his comments during that first meeting, trying to provoke the outburst she needed for success? Well, maybe not, but his actions still ended up aiding her indirectly.

The words he had uttered just recently came to her mind then. Glad to be of service. Thalia considered her options. She could wait for him to call this debt himself, or even hope that he wouldn't. But that would be pretty cowardly and ungrateful of her. Julian did just show her a way to successfully cast spells she had previously struggled with. "If there are spells you wish to try out, I could be of service as well," she uttered after a brief hesitation. She knew, of course, that most pieces of magic he would want to try out were unpleasant at the very least. Still, he had just granted her a favour - she had to repay in kind, and trust that he would not try any curses that would cause irreversible harm. Their study group was largely controlled by common sense, after all... or at least that was the impression Thalia formed from the meetings she had attended.

JULIAN MULCIBER

[JULIAN MULCIBER]

"You were out for less than a minute," she informed him as he proceeded to lounge there before her, swallowing his surprise at the effectiveness of her spell. He had known Burke was exceptional in some way, for it was not often that Julian was impressed by anyone - yet her performance in the Dark Arts Club had captivated his attention, and he continued to be ensnared by her passion for growth. "It felt longer, but I doubt my unconscious mind is particularly good at calculating," he responded heedfully, still hearing the echoes of his mother from somewhere deep in the recesses of his mind. Clearly he was far too tired - conjuring past conversations with his dead relative. He had, after all, come to the Room to seek solitude and quiet.

As he recollected his conscious awareness, carefully reforming himself, Julian felt her gaze still on him and he briefly returned the look as he pulled himself up to sit, never one to shy away from direct eye-contact. She appeared thoughtful, her hazel eyes almost searching as they studied him, what are you looking for? He spoke then on the way he had been instructed in magic and her expression hardened, morphing that thoughtfulness away as she seemed to be drinking in his words. They were Mulciber words, as was his direction, but she seemed to be flourishing with them - her capability in casting a successful stupefy on himself proved as much. She was a quick study. Julian would not have expected any less. 

As he suggested she try again, on the rat this time, Burke stood and Julian followed suit, rising and ignoring the throbbing pain in his head at the movement. He shadowed Thalia as she moved to the rat, silent as he observed her - unwilling to interrupt her concentration. She cast resolutely at the animal: an explosive hit that sent it sliding across the table. Julian smirked, seeing its limbs flop in unconsciousness. Perfection. The younger Slytherin cast again, causing blood to well upon its back, a deep red amongst the fur. His lips twitched upward on one side at the sight as she observed it a moment, his eyes moving instead to her profile while she was distracted, noting the way her hair fell about her face, her expression one of sheer determination. He watched her a moment, before she suddenly turned toward him. Immediately stepping back an inch to provide the both of them with space (he had not realised how close he had been), Julian nodded once at her thanks, "my grandfather would like you," he informed her, knowing it to be true. The older man might have been cold and hardened with time, but his eyes shined with pride whenever Julian performed well - even if he were attempting to perform magic yet out of his capability. Burke would have been an exemplary student - and she seemed to mesh well with Mulciber teachings. 

"If there are spells you wish to try out, I could be of service as well," her offer surprised him a little, and Julian studied her a moment, wondering at her generosity. It was true there was magic he needed to practice, but those spells were largely dangerous and he would not cast them in her direction. His attraction to curses was potent, and he seemed to excel in most, but his repertoire required expansion - and Julian wanted to learn them all. On the other hand, he also desired to improve his healing spells - though that would require her to be injured, so those were more or less also off the table as well. "None that would not put you at risk," he finally responded darkly, "I do not doubt your defensive skills," he decided to explain, "but I would be spitting in the face of my cousin if I attempted the unpractised here." Olivia was still in the hospital wing, recovering from the effects of her potion-making. The stress from her near-death experience still followed him every day. It was one of the reasons he had sought to come here that evening, alone, away from prying eyes: to let off some steam.

THALIA BURKE

[THALIA BURKE]

The sudden proximity to him was startling, though Thalia didn't show it. Concealing her thoughts and emotions was a habit she had been developing for months now - her friends and parents were not supposed to suspect that something was amiss. It was a little unnerving how quickly she became good at suppressing tics that used to betray her lies, and how easily she was deceiving the people closest to her - except maybe her parents, who seemed to have a sixth sense sometimes. Her surprise at seeing Julian so near wasn't a negative experience, either - Thalia found she didn't mind his closeness. For a moment, she smelled lavender and something citrusy... but his retreat took most of the scent away.

"My grandfather would like you."

She did not know anything about his grandfather - or any other family members, except Olivia - but this assertion had the sound of a compliment about it. "He practices Dark Arts as well, doesn't he?" It was an educated guess. The Mulciber name, she knew, was associated with Him-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. The grandfather Julian mentioned couldn't have been a Death Eater - he would either be dead, imprisoned, or on the run if he had. However, if someone in the family supported the dark wizard, others were also likely to possess the same views and inclinations. Interest in - or fear of - the Dark Arts was usually shared by all members of a family... except hers, it seemed. "None of my relatives do," she added. "Not anymore, at least." One of her ancestors had even opened a dark artefact shop in Knockturn Alley, which meant there used to be some involvement in that branch of magic in the past. However, it got lost even before her father's generation. Thalia did not know why it happened, but she found it disappointing.

He seemed to consider her offer of practicing a spell on her, but then declined it. Not overly eager to experience the effects of any known curse or hex, she didn't mind the refusal at all. However, should she change his mind in the future - during the next gathering of their group, perhaps - she would still be ready to return the favour. Julian even included another modest praise, this time about her defence skills. He was chipping through her wariness bit by bit.

"I would be spitting in the face of my cousin if I attempted the unpractised here."

Of course - the accident that injured Olivia so badly had made them all even more careful. Thalia hadn't gone to visit the first-year, even after non-family visitors were finally allowed. Staying away from Olivia while she was hospitalised was likely the safest option for all members of their group. "I hope she will be released soon... classes are a lot quieter without her." No estimations were given during that last meeting - all she knew was that the younger girl would recover in time.

Now that they were talking, she wanted the conversation to continue. Julian was fascinatingly unpredictable; she barely knew anything about him, except what she'd noticed about his personality. "That healing spell looked advanced. Why are you practising it?"

JULIAN MULCIBER

[JULIAN MULCIBER]

"He practices Dark Arts as well, doesn't he?" 

"He does," he divulged without concern. Burke was a member of their Dark Arts Club - which automatically more or less permitted her to such knowledge, as many members hailed from similar backgrounds. Although proud of his family and their teachings, Julian did not speak of them much at all with others, for he was not so callous to believe that spreading word of his families allegiance's was wise. Too, nor did he like speaking of his personal affairs freely. He was very much a closed book to any of whom wished to delve into his life outside of school - most did not even know he had a sister, let alone that she would be joining him at Hogwarts in not so long a time. 

Thalia then mentioned that none of her relatives studied the Dark Arts, which was rather surprising, given their history. Julian had read up on all the sacred 28 families in his youth - and thus knew Thalia had ancestry with Pureblood supremacy views: Elizabeth Burke, a former Headmistress of Hogwarts was famous for her favouritism toward pureblood Slytherin students - encouraging them to be 'nasty to mudbloods'. Additionally, further down the line was Caractacus Burke, who was written to be a dark wizard of whom co-founded the infamous Borgin and Burkes in Knockturn Alley. Surprising, then, that the rest of her family seemed distant to the practice. Julian looked at her, "until you," he corrected her in reverence to her adoption of dark magic. To have no other family partake meant that she would have little support back home to continue her studies, thus all her practice would be carried out within the castle walls.

"It must be taxing, being the only one of your household to follow this path," he then remarked tacitly, "I suppose I take mine own support for granted." He had not thought much on it - given it had simply been the way he was raised - surrounded by artefacts of a dark nature, spoken to about the victories of old. Thalia would not have grown around such stories, nor been tutored in lesser known histories, and she would not have the freedom to seek guidance from her family when it came to dark magic. Thinking on this, Julians lips parted, intending to invite her to his familial home over the holidays to gather such support - though after a brief hesitation he slowly closed it, swallowing the words - uncertain of the offer, and of how it would affect him. 

At his mention of his cousin, Thalia fell silent for a moment, before she spoke on her recovery, mentioning that classes had been quiet without her. Julians expression softened somewhat at that, reflecting on his cousin and her impassioned responses, "she is doing well," he let her know, having been spending much time by Olivia's bedside, "however eager to leave her current confines and return to classes." She seemed to loathe her position - and complained about it often, though Julian could see she was still in pain, her small, quiet winces at every movement like daggers to his heart. Kearn was unmoving in her stance that she could leave, however - not until she was completely healed. 

"That healing spell looked advanced. Why are you practising it?"

Her question caught him off-guard - for anything to do with healing was a direct response to what had befallen his mother. She doesn't know. Of course she didn't - Julian did not go around parading the fact he had lost a parent: he did not seek pity, and nor did he particularly enjoy speaking on the event. He exhaled softly, "Vulnera Sanentur," he introduced her to the advanced spell, "for deep wounds caused by dark magic." He thought on his next words carefully, eyes meeting hers, "the notion may not be shared by many that practice the artform, but I have seen the destruction it can wreak in its wake - " A slight pause as he removed his gaze, turning his head away from her as he spoke, finding something - anything - else to look at, "- my mother was an ardent practitioner of dark curses, and she was very skilled... However, none in my family are Healers, and many who pursue healing are not versed in dark magic. I wish to bridge that gap." He had not told anyone this before - the reasons behind his interest in healing had long been kept quiet. 

THALIA BURKE