Sock and owl - Come to Jesus

[hopalongmcgurk.livejournal.com]

I know that Brienne is a grown adult, and anyway she is bigger than me and could squash me like a bug if she wanted to, but I still feel some responsibility to her, even if I get irritated by her oafish awkwardness and her crippling self-doubt. Which explains why I'm curled up on her scrupulously made bed, reading the biography of some guy named Gilderoy Lockhart, who used to apparently be some kind of hugely powerful wizard but who isn't anymore.

When Brienne comes in, she's smiling, lost in thought. I consider sitting up abruptly and shouting "Boo!" just to see what happens, but then she spots me and frowns.

"How'd it go tonight?" I ask around a yawn, before she can snap at me for being in her room.

She looks puzzled as she answers, sitting heavily on the other end of the bed. "It... went well."

Usually, I'd have called bullshit on something like that, but I don't. I don't have much patience for self-pity, and I think that's how Brienne's reaction would have read to me if I didn't know her well. The problem with Brienne is that there's no artifice about her. She genuinely is puzzled that her evening didn't go to hell and back. It's that genuineness that keeps me drawn to her, and it's one of the reasons she reminds me so terribly much of Mary Lick. That and the social awkwardness, the big body that is only graceful when it's engaged in athletic pursuits, and the face only a mother could love. The only difference is, I have no need or desire to kill Brienne. Even if sometimes she does drive me crazy with her aforementioned tendency toward excessive self-doubt.

Being her friend isn't always a walk in the park, though, and I'm not as sanguine about the fact that she reminds me of Mary as I could be. I have nightmares in which it's Brienne's blue eyes looking out accusingly at me from Mary's face as we're both trapped in a women's locker room, breathing in ammonia and about to die. I'm sure, when she encounters me after one of those nightmares, Brienne is confused when I'm snappish with her, but it's not something I can tell her about.

She's looking at me now, obviously expecting a reaction rather than the woolgathering I've been doing, so I smile. "I'm glad. You going to see him again?"

She gives a slow nod. "I think so."

"Did he take liberties?" I don't know why I ask this, because it's really none of my business, and Brienne, as mentioned earlier, is a big girl and doesn't need to answer to me. But maybe I'm feeling a need for sharing secrets that I didn't get from Ely and Iphy.
I don't get an answer from Brienne. She just frowns heavily at me, a look that says that I have way overstepped my bounds and indicates the door. "Good night, Olympia," she says meaningfully.

I can't help but push a little. "Come on, what did you do?" I persist, not moving.

"We talked." She shucks off the top she's been wearing, once more glancing meaningfully between me and the door.

"And?"

"That's *all* we did, Olympia," she says. "If you think there is more, you have a sordid imagination. Good night."
"Fine," I say with a laugh. "I'm going. But if you ever decide you need some prophylactic potion--"

"In such an event--which is highly unlikely to occur--I will speak to Professor Snape," Brienne bites out.

I know when I've overstayed my welcome, so I leave her to her own devices and return to the pallet on my floor. I can't quite let it go, though. I know a little bit of what's happened to Brienne, from the things she's told me, though she doesn't speak of the horrible things she went through back home all that much, and even though this is Hogwarts, where the most traumatic thing that can happen to you involves you eating enchanted food products, I don't want to see my friend hurt. Besides, I need some practice against the day that Miranda decides she wants to meet a nice boy (or girl, or other species altogether) here at Hogwarts. I figure having a little come-to-Jesus talk with Methos will at least ease my mind. And since I still don't know what he looks like, I need to remedy that as well, against the day someone does need to administer a jock itch rune to him.

I flag down a house elf the next afternoon and send it with a message to Methos. When the elf, who has obviously done messenger duties a lot, tentatively suggests that the owlery is really the place to go, I snap at it that I'm too fucking old to climb all the stairs in this castle.

The message I've composed (and warded heavily) reads:

METHOS:

WE NEED TO TALK.

MEET ME IN THE CLASSROOM ON THE THIRD FLOOR ACROSS FROM THE PAINTING OF THE GIANT SQUID IN ONE HOUR.

I don't bother with a signature. I figure it's more dramatic that way, and I'm nothing if not still a showman at heart.

I arrive early so I can be there when (or if) he arrives. I take a desk in the corner and wait, pretending to read. My wizard's robe--shrunken to accommodate my size--is black, as is my wig. It's great clothing for skulking, and if there's one thing I'm good at, it's skulking.

Comments

[ancient-adam.livejournal.com]

After seeing Brienne back to Gryffindor, Methos headed back to his own room. He was going to stretch out with a book, or one of his old journals until he could manage to fall asleep. The evening had gone better than he expected, and he was pretty sure that Brienne had felt the same way. He woke the next morning to a light tapping at his door.

Methos swung the door open, his sword held lightly in one hand. The poor house elf nearly fainted when it saw the weapon, and seeing the sword was about as long as the elf was tall, who could blame him? Guiltily, he hid it behind the door, took the message and watched the poor elf scamper back down the hallway. He was going to catch hell for that later.

He scanned the note, his lips quirking in an amused smile. Someone certainly has a flair for the dramatic.

The ancient lingered outside the classroom, watching any points of exit and entry for a few minutes before he entered. A fellow can't be too careful, after all. Satisfied that he wasn't walking into some sort of ambush, Methos walked in and tossed the note onto the desk.

"Not exactly subtle, but I'm here." His tone was guarded, his stance cautious.

[hopalongmcgurk.livejournal.com]

"Ah. So you are." I glance at a clock, conveniently mounted on the classroom wall. "And you're punctual, too."

I'm on my feet, which doesn't actually help since he still towers over me, but it makes me feel better. I don't bother to hide the once-over I'm giving him, and I'm relieved that Brienne's taste apparently still runs to norms. Thankfully, this guy is wearing the full compliment of clothes, and I don't detect the telltale sign of insipient madness when my gaze meets his. Thank God. If Brienne's taste had run to, say, Beowulf, I would have had to stage an intervention. I do notice he's carrying a sword. Well, that lines up with what Brienne told me, and he looks like he can use it. I don't think I'd have wanted him with Miranda, who could use someone stable and boring--at least to spare giving her now no-longer-dead mother a heart attack. But a guy with a sword seems fitting for Brienne.

Satisfied with what I'm seeing, I thrust out a hand. "Name's Olympia Binewski," I say, and I'm even smiling, too. "Most people call me Oly. I'm a friend of Brienne's. Care to sit down?"

I produce my wand and summon a tray which I had the house elves prepare, which contains a pitcher of lemonade and some funnel cake, which I hope is edible.

[ancient-adam.livejournal.com]

"I don't like to be late, even when I'm not entirely sure what I'm meeting someone for," he ventured. His eyes flicked around the room as he was being inspected.

At her introduction, his stance relaxed and he even managed a small smile at Brienne's name. He shook her hand firmly, "Methos. Nice to meet you Oly."
He was beginning to get some sense of what this little meeting might be about, but he'd let her take the lead in the conversation.

Methos took the chair Oly indicated, cocking it with his foot so his back wasn't to the door. "Thanks."

[hopalongmcgurk.livejournal.com]

((Damn, I of course didn't catch my mistake until I went AFK for a bit. I'm reposting under the correct journal. If you don't mind deleting your reply to the wrong account and reposting it as a reply to this post I'd be grateful. :D))

I pour the lemonade and offer him a glass and some of the cake, making a point of sipping my own drink and taking a couple of bites to show that the food isn't, in fact, enchanted.

"You know," I begin. "I think everyone who comes here has had it rough. So I shouldn't need to tell you Brienne isn't an exception. She hasn't been all that forthcoming with the details, mostly because I haven't asked and I figure if she wants to tell me, she can. But I think her road's been harder than most. Her world seems like a really shitty place to visit, let alone actually live." I pause, swallow some more lemonade. "I'm just asking you to be careful, OK?"

[ancient-adam.livejournal.com]

((Hehe, no problem!))

Methos accepted the lemonade and took a drink. He wasn't concerned about poison, the worst it could do was hurt like hell for awhile, but he'd survive it.

"I know," he finally said. "I could read that much in her expression when I first met her, and the way she carried herself walking into the Great Hall to meet me for dinner. It was like she expected the whole thing to go horribly wrong."

He picked up a bit of the cake and nibbled at it, not really tasting it. "She really doesn't see how remarkable she is, or how brightly she shines."

The affection he feels for Brienne is evident in his voice, and the warmth in his eyes. "I am being very careful, Oly, I assure you. I have given her every opportunity to tell me to back off, and when she asked me for time, I promised to give her all the time she needs. It's not my intent to push for anything she might not feel ready for, and I would never hurt her."

[hopalongmcgurk.livejournal.com]

"I'm glad to hear it," I say, meaning it sincerely. "You seem like a nice kid. I really would hate to actually need to test out some of the more interesting hexes they've come up with here."

[ancient-adam.livejournal.com]

Methos laughed, "I have a feeling I would too."
He drained his glass. "It will take time to convince Brienne that she's worth it, but one thing I have plenty of is time."

"How long have you known Brienne?"

[hopalongmcgurk.livejournal.com]

I relax a little. For a norm, he's not a bad sort.

"I haven't known her that long," I answer. "I've been here almost a year, and she's been here longer than that. I actually met her through Jaime. He's the guy she's in love with back home, only there's some bullshit thing about how she's got to kill him or something. Which is kind of impossible here at Hogwarts, and that's not exactly something that can be talked out over a bottle of wine, you know? Anyway, the long and short of that whole thing is that she didn't want to kill him, and he figured he should let her if only to appease her honor. And when no killing commenced, he went home via popcorning. And, well, someone had to break the news to Brienne. I've been kind of keeping an eye on her ever since." And if that isn't the world's most pat explanation, I'm not exactly sure what is.

[ancient-adam.livejournal.com]

His eyebrows rose at the explanation.
It was more than he expected, but it also made sense. A faint smile crossed his face. "Matters of honor and love mix about as well as gas and a lighter," he observed.

"I can respect a code of honor, as long as it's not too rigidly held to. It's killed friends and damn near cost me another in the process."

It always came down to his friendship with MacLeod. Byron, Kristin, even Cassandra. Honor and the game. One of these days, the kid would figure out that the game wasn't the place for his strident moral code.

Methos picked up a fragment of cake, "Do you think he will return?" he asked mildly.

[hopalongmcgurk.livejournal.com]

I nod. "Yeah. And Brienne's pretty stuck on honor," I say. "Or at least she is about keeping her word. If she makes you a promise, she'll keep it, come hell or high water. My impression, from the things Jaime has told me, is that that makes her pretty remarkable." At his question, I shrug. "Who can say? It's Hogwarts. He could show up tomorrow, he could never come here again. For that matter, you and I could disappear in a cloud of butter and salt tomorrow ourselves. I know that's not exactly reassuring, but I don't think you need to be discouraged either. Plenty of people hook up here all the time, and not, I'm sure, always with the people they would have been with normally if circumstances had allowed it."

[ancient-adam.livejournal.com]

Methos smiled fondly, "It reminds me of a friend from back home, he'd do the same thing. It's a rare sort of person to find. And another reason why she's special."

He let out a breath, "Well, I suppose if he does come back, we'll deal with it then. I've no wish to cause her any sort of distress and after all this time," he smirked, "I've developed pretty good coping mechanisms."

[hopalongmcgurk.livejournal.com]

I nod. "I think you have to be pretty zen about this place," I muse. "Otherwise, you spend your time worrying and waiting for the other shoe to drop, which isn't really the healthiest way to live. I mean, someone from your own past could also come back. Just deal with the situation like grown-ups and you'll be fine." I top off his lemonade with a smile. "I think you'll be good for her."

[ancient-adam.livejournal.com]

His expression.. faltered for a moment when Oly mentioned the idea of his own past showing up at Hogwarts. That was hardly a prospect he was ready to consider. Finally, he nodded. “True, but I hope the Hat will see fit to leave my past where it is. In the past.”

Methos smiled, “I think we’ll be good for each other.” He leaned forward, his eyes bright. Up to something? Of course he was. “So, you’ve known Brienne longer. Is there anything special she likes?”

[hopalongmcgurk.livejournal.com]

"Heh, you and me both," I mutter at his comment about the past staying where it is.

At his mischievous look, I shrug. "Oh, man, you really shouldn't (http://community.livejournal.com/hogwarts_hocus/1727751.html) ask me about that kind of thing. I'd get her something practical, though. It can be pretty, but she's not going to be the kind of girl who'll respond well to flowers and chocolate. But find something she can use and I don't think she'll be able to turn you down."

[ancient-adam.livejournal.com]

((love the gifts she sent! :D))

Methos nodded, “Pratical, eh? I can do pratical.” He already had a few options in mind, and Oly’s advice had pointed him in the right direction. He didn't think something as cliche as flowers was appropriate for someone like Brienne.
It was going to take a fair amount of bargaining with the house elves to get what he needed, but he was pretty certain he could pull it off.

“So do you teach here? Or are you a student?”

[hopalongmcgurk.livejournal.com]

I laugh. "God, no! Nobody wants me teaching them anything. I am the Ancient Runes TA, though, but I'm not sure if that has anything to do with my magical abilities or if it's just because the old bastard finds me amusing. I was a carnie before I came here, so I don't have much practical experience in magic beyond what I've learned since I came here. What about you? Is there magic where you come from or is this new to you, too?"

[ancient-adam.livejournal.com]

At the mention of runes, the scholar in Methos perked. “Ancient runes? Germanic or Norse? The runes really carry power over here?”

“I don’t know how much Brienne told you, but I and my kind are immortal. We never age, never get sick, and we heal from virtually any injury, from the mundane to the catastrophic. It’s not magic in the same sense that’s praticed here, but it’s the closest I’ve come. The whole business with wands and spells and so on.. is still pretty new.”

[hopalongmcgurk.livejournal.com]

"Well, Mr. Wednesday specializes in Norse runes," I answer. "Though I imagine he's not unfamilliar with other runes either. He's having a class sometime this week. You really ought to go, if only for the fact that I think you'll find him an interesting person." Actually, I'm not certain how an immortal and a god will get on, but I kind of want to watch.

[ancient-adam.livejournal.com]

He nodded, "I was planning on it. I spent some time with the Vikings once Rome started to fall apart from the inside out. They used them mainly for augury, but it was a fascinating method of writing."

Methos inclined his glass of lemonade in Oly's direction, "I'm finding a lot of interesting people since I got back."

[hopalongmcgurk.livejournal.com]

I allow myself an impressed whistle. "Wow... the sacking of Rome. That must have been quite an experience." I incline my head in acknowledgement of his last statement and flash him a full-fledged grin. "Yeah, there certainly are. You never know who you'll meet wandering around."

I finish my lemonade and stand up once more, offering my hand. "It's been nice meeting you," I tell him with sincerity. "And I'll see you in class?"

[ancient-adam.livejournal.com]

Methos shook her hand firmly, "It's been nice meeting you too Oly. Absolutely, I'll be there. I look forward to it."

He drained his glass and left the class, his mind already working on the gift he was going to send to Brienne.