A Little Studying

[Bethany Rogers]

Bethany supposed that was correct. Of course, they might find a way to try. “They’d just get me to avoid them,” she said, “not that I’d have gone seeking them out, anyway. I’m not that crazy.” Before she’d learned what a chimaera could do, she might have, but now that she knew, she was determined to keep her distance. At least, she’d keep her distance until she knew enough spells to possibly protect herself. When Dex said he didn’t often lie, she grinned. “I figured as much. Is it because you think it’s wrong, or have you just never had much of a reason to?”

Genetic? With all the inbreeding of the royal families – though she didn’t know if it stretched that far back – there could be some kind of beheading gene. “Or power just makes people crazy,” Bethany said. “I mean, neither of us are likely to behead anyone, and that’s because we’re a pair of fourteen-year-olds who can’t even drive or buy drinks or anything.” She wondered if wizards drove at all, or if it was just a Muggle thing. Now that she was almost old enough to start learning, she wasn’t sure if she would even have to. She might, just for the fun of steering over a ton of steel down the road.

“The Order? That’s just as dangerous, isn’t it?” She’d heard about it but had never much considered it as something for her to do, and by that extension, it wasn’t something the people around her might do. “Of course, if you think Quidditch is more serious than life-or-death, then you’ve got some strange priorities. I know it’s fun and all, and I know you care about your standings and the Cup at the end of the year, but… I just…” Bethany shook her head for a moment before laughing. “I don’t believe it,” she said. “Dex, you’ve turned me speechless!”

Bethany grinned. It was kind of cute to see Dex fumbling with her jokes, the way seeing a kitten trying to jump and not quite making it was cute. “I don’t know about that,” she said. “I might turn out to be really good, and I wouldn’t want you to get a swelled head.”

[Dexter Cox Jr.]

"Could've fooled me," Dex said with a smile when Bethany claimed she wasn't so crazy as to seek out a chimaera. Then he had the odd feeling that he should apologize for calling her crazy, because she wasn't; a bit reckless, yeah, but pretty normal as far as he could tell. But he didn't, because he remembered that she, unlike him, understood humor and teasing insults. It was totally foreign, being on the other end of it, and he really preferred being the serious, straightforward one, but at the same time, he was actually enjoying this time talking with Bethany, more than he ever thought he would, at least. "Well, I - both," he said, but more of a question than an answer. He really preferred not to lie, from a moral standpoint, but on those instances where it was probably the better option, he still would rather not, knowing he would slip up or get found out in some way or another. "Even if I had a reason and didn't think it was wrong, I know I'd be too obvious."

Undoubtedly, power can be as much an impediment as it was a gift, it could get to one's head and transform everything they thought they believed in, but not everyone with power was corrupt, surely. And he could easily drop into a conversation about the pros and cons of immense power, but for some reason that did not sound even remotely appealing. Maybe Dex was enjoying the lack of seriousness more than he'd thought. "To be fair, I don't think my parents have ever beheaded anyone, either," he said as if he were offering some great proof that that kind of bloodthirst could be genetic. Obviously, there was a whole lot they could get into now on this topic, but he wasn't going to be the one to take it there. He doubted it was anything that interested someone like Bethany. How'd they get on this topic to begin with, anyway? "If driving gives you any sort of power that flying doesn't, I think I can live without driving," he said, basically, his way of saying his preferred method of travel, as if it wasn't obvious enough. Plus, there was Apparition to consider - more the wizarding equivalent of driving.

"Well... yes," Dex admitted. The Order was pretty dangerous, from what he knew, and it wasn't much, but he could only imagine joining the resistance movement against You-Know-Who and his Death Eaters was not exatly safe. "No one really knows what they do, besides the fact that they're the opposing side. I imagine it's more than life-threatening duels," he remarked. There had to be some behind-the-scenes, strategizing stuff going on, right? He might be useless on a battlefield but he could be a help in the war room. Even Dex had to laugh as well once she said he'd made her speechless. Well, that was an accomplishment, so it seemed. He shrugged modestly. "Some people go wild over sports and really do take it that seriously. Not saying I am one of those people, but... I am." He added after a moment of futilely trying to get around admitting that. 

Dex getting an overinflated ego was almost laughable, though if anything, it was possible on the Quidditch pitch. Typically, he tended to be very humble and down-to-earth, but he could get surprisingly competitive and know-it-all-ish when it came to Quidditch. Guess sports do that to you when you take them more serious than life and death. "If you get really good after me helping you, there's really only one explanation, though," he said, laughable as it was, he could at least try to sound narcissistic, though he was probably failing.

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[Bethany Rogers]

Dex had made a joke, and Bethany couldn’t help feeling a bit proud. “That’s what happens when you bring adventure-hungry Muggles into a school of magic,” she said. “They get so excited they do the most reckless things they can think of because they’ve never seen anything like this.” She was only half-joking; Hogwarts certainly seemed to encourage her reckless side, but she was sure she wouldn’t get herself killed. Dex, of course, likely hadn’t been encouraged to be reckless, or if he had, then he must have been the most frightened child in the world. “You’re Good with a capital G, aren’t you? Tell me, have you got any enemies at all, or does everyone just love you at once?” The only reason she could imagine anyone being angry at him would be because he wasn’t exciting enough, but he seemed sweet enough to get away with even that.

Bethany laughed. “Well, that’s good to hear. Maybe we ought to start a club. Elizabeth and Mary and what’s-his-name… Edward can’t join.” She was pretty sure Henry VIII’s son had been named Edward. Given how many Edwards there were in history, it was a safe guess to make. “Driving is…” She frowned, trying to think of how to describe it. “There’s less danger of falling out of the sky, but there’s more a chance that you could kill someone. Oh, but you don’t get bugs in your face, because there’s a windshield.” She hadn’t heard too many people with brooms complaining about bugs, but she supposed it would be rather embarrassing to say “Oh, I almost won the game, but then a bug flew down my throat and it was so disgusting that I lost the Snitch.”

“I suppose they would have to have someone smart there,” she said. The seriousness was strange and a bit uncomfortable, but she didn’t think she could manage to make a joke about something like this. The only other thing she could think to do when things were this serious was to start a fight, but she wasn’t about to fight Dex, so words just started falling out of her mouth. “After all, if they were all duelists, they might get killed off pretty quickly, right? I mean… when you’re going up against the darkest wizard in England ever, you need to know what you’re doing, and oh, hell, I’m babbling, I never babble.” She forced herself to stop, and the feeling of the wand in her hand relaxed her a little. After all, if she had her wand, not much could go wrong. “I suppose you’d have to wait until you’re an adult to join, right?” she asked, hoping Dex wouldn’t realize that when she said you she really meant I.

Bethany shook her head, critiquing Dex rather than disagreeing. “You still sound modest,” she said. “The words are right, but you’ve got to puff your chest out a bit and sound like there’s no way I could get good at Quidditch if it hadn’t been you teaching me. You take it seriously, but you’re still such a good guy about it.” She was sure he could tell she wasn’t complaining, though it might have been a bit easier to joke around with him if he weren’t a good guy, or at least a bit less… puritanical wasn’t the word, but it was the only one she could think of, because Nina had gone through a phase where she would only use that word when she meant something was serious.

[Dexter Cox Jr.]

"You take the non-Muggleborns away from their parents and they think the same thing," Dex replied, only joking as much as she was, which seemed to be partially. Obviously, it couldn't have been that serious, because Dex wasn't going off being reckless and risky just because he wasn't under the watchful supervision of his parents. Surely, though, he was not representative. There were a few that tested their limits because they had more independence here, magical or otherwise. Again, Dex had to wonder a little whether Bethany was making fun of him; it seemed he had to dissect everything she said for what was serious and what was not, and it was not easy. And if she was making fun of him... was it playful, or did she think he was totally lame because he didn't like lying? It probably came off as super lame. "I-I don't think... definitely not the latter," he finally managed to say after some characteristic struggle.

A club for people whose bloodlines are free of beheadings? Well, that would be just another club that he could, but wouldn't join. He'd like to think a lot of people would qualify for that, and when a lot of people were involved, he wasn't. Hell, he would fake beheadings to not be in that club. Then they could get a taste of how good he was at lying, too. On the topic of things he would never do, driving was something he could not relate to. His mother could drive, but she really didn't because of the Floo Network and Apparition and whatnot. "I'll have to take your word for it," he said. He'd probably a nervous driver anyway. He didn't know how nerves affected your ability on the road, but as they already discussed, they didn't really do you any favors in the air. "I guess I don't know as much about the Muggle world as I thought..." he said a little sheepishly. He had always liked to think he had the best of both worlds, but he really was one-sided.

Well, the Order already had someone smart there. Dumbledore had founded it, and that's about all he knew. They kept things really close to the chest, in the Order. Not that he could blame them; it would really defeat the purpose of being a resistance movement if even the average 14-year-old knew what you were up to. Dex smiled again as Bethany realized she was babbling; first she was speechless, which never happens, then she's babbling, which never happens. "Lot of firsts today, for you," he remarked on that thought; then again, it was a lot of firsts for him too. Talking with someone for longer than five minutes without them giving up? That was pretty impressive. "Uhm, probably..." he guessed. He felt pretty stupid now; he shouldn't have brought up something he really knows nothing about. "I wouldn't - I doubt a fourteen-year-old would much good anyway... probably more harm than good."

Dex gave a hesitant look when she gave instructions on how to sound and look more haughty. Yeah, right! If he tried any of that he'd just come off as even stupider than he already seemed. "I... will not be taking that advice," he said, for lack of anything else to say. He already knew he couldn't really joke around like the average person, he didn't have the delivery, or the creative sense of humor, or anything like that. It was things like this that made him think he'd be a sorry liar; he just wasn't convincing. 

[Bethany Rogers]

Bethany supposed he was right. After all, there were plenty of half-bloods and pure-bloods that got excited enough to wind up in the Hospital Wing or just with plenty of detentions. “They at least know what they’re getting into, though,” she said. “People like me don’t know the first thing about magic before coming here. It’s the biggest adventure anyone could have.” She still thought it was a great adventure, though now at least she knew it was a dangerous one. Not that that would stop her. This particular part of the adventure – befriending someone who had to be the shyest Ravenclaw – wasn’t exactly dangerous, but that didn’t make it any less fun. There were plenty of surprises, too, even though she hadn’t been entirely serious. “Really? You don’t seem the type to charm everyone you meet, but are there actually people who dislike you? And don’t mention people who don’t like you because you beat them at Quidditch,” she added, “because I think that hardly counts.”

She wasn’t surprised that he seemed nervous about driving. Even if he’d grown up around cars, he was part of the wizarding world now, and there was a gulf between them and Muggles, including cars. “Loads of people here don’t know much about it,” she said. “Even I don’t know all that much, and I grew up there.” Of course, she had been put between two worlds when she was eleven, so she was pretty sure no one would expect her to have a full grasp on either, though her parents still wanted her to read Muggle papers and try to get a “normal” job. “It’s like this world, but with a different sort of magic.”

Agreeing to try Quidditch again, babbling, talking about history… there were quite a few things she hadn’t done in a while or that she could remember at all. “Maybe you just caught me on a strange day,” she said. Even stranger, she wondered if there was something she ought to do with her life besides going out and getting into duels for fun. “A pair of kids would probably just get in the way,” she said. “Though if it’s still around in three or four years… not that you’d know, necessarily… do you think they might use an extra wand?” It wouldn’t hurt to have a purpose as long as she could still get into trouble.

Bethany laughed. “Has anyone ever told you you’re kind of adorable? If I were older than you, I’d probably have tweaked your nose by now or something.” She was pretty sure that was what she would do with cute kids. That or ruffle their hair and ask if they wanted to learn some neat hexes. “And you’re right. You shouldn’t try to act all proud. No one would recognize you if you did.”

[Dexter Cox Jr.]

He was sure there was nothing that could really compare to the experience of a Muggleborn when they find out about this whole new world that they're suddenly a part of. It probably did give a sense of power or invincibility, or at least irresistible curiosity. Part of him was glad he didn't have to deal with that, but at the same time, it must have been a pretty remarkable experience, too. "Yeah, they totally deserve it," he said with his best attempt at sarcasm, in regards to those who knew what they were getting into and still got themselves in trouble with magic anyway. He didn't think anyone deserved to have magic blown up in their face - sometimes literally - except maybe a few people. Dex shifted a little awkwardly in his seat when Bethany continued to insist that it would be impossible for people to dislike him. Maybe people didn't dislike him, and it was just that he was an easy target, but it certainly came off as dislike. He delayed his answer for as long as he possibly could before finally conceding that he really ought to answer. "I-I guess people think I'm..." How lame was it admitting that people bullied him and picked on him? "Geeky and awkward? And they don't like me for it..."

Usually Dex liked to stay on top of his knowledge of the Muggle world, or at least not be one of those totally clueless wizards. Maybe he should look into driving at least a little, even if he would never have to get behind the wheel. After all, in a few years he'd be at that age where it was suddenly hugely important to a Muggle. He could at least read up on the rules of the road and how cars work and such. "I think I've been in the car with my grandparents before. When I was really young," he thought aloud. He couldn't really remember, but for some odd reason he thought he had. It was because of them he had any knowledge and experience with the Muggle world at all. "You really think it's like this world?" he asked with a little disbelief. From what he could tell they were quite dissimilar. But she probably knew better than him, since she had the firsthand experience with both worlds.

Maybe he was imagining it but it seemed Bethany was expressing a little more interest in the Order of the Phoenix than the casual listener would. It actually made sense, for her interest in dueling and her muggleborn background, she'd obviously be in support of it, right? But at the same time, he wished he hadn't brought it up, because he hardly knew more than she did about the organization. He didn't really feel comfortable asking questions about them. "I don't see why not..." he answered uncertainly. After all, it was a war they were fighting. They needed all the help they could get. He sincerely hoped that they wouldn't have to worry about it, and the Order wouldn't be around in 3 or 4 years, and this war wouldn't last that long, but if it did... well, he was building up his confidence now, so that he could join after graduation. He definitely needed it. 

Dex was sure his face had been pink for a lot of this conversation. Walking in on Bethany and trying to sustain conversation with her was pressure enough, but then it got easier and he could act... normal. But any color that was lost came back with company as soon as she mentioned that he was adorable. He was probably resonating rose-color. What the hell was he supposed to say to that? What did that even mean? Like some cute little kid adorable, apparently, but still... he couldn't possibly fathom a response to this. Her comment about not acting all proud for lack of recognition went completely by the wayside because he could only focus on responding to one thing at a time. "Well... I-I'm sure my sister would be happy to do it f-for you." Really? That was the best he could come up with? This was even worse than he'd walked in, however long ago that was... now that he thought about it, maybe it was about time to get going. "I think I should go... let you get some reading done." She hadn't really made as much headway into that book as she probably intended. "But I-I'll see you this weekend, yeah?" he asked as he stood, itching to leave all of a sudden, but still wanting to confirm that the conversation about Quidditch practice had been serious.

[Bethany Rogers]

Deserve it? She almost envied them, since they had a hint of what was happening, but then, Dex didn’t seem the sort to get excited about finding trouble. He even sounded a bit sarcastic – well, more than he had earlier – so she supposed she could try to see from his point of view. “Their own fault for not knowing better, really,” she said. “Although, I’m not sure what could prepare kids for this place. Is there some kind of magical nursery school?” She couldn’t imagine what that might be like aside from a little unfair to Muggleborns. When Dex mentioned that people found him geeky and awkward, Bethany blinked and looked him over. Shy, nervous, a bit uncomfortable at first… she’d thought it was just because she tended to set people on edge, even when their conversations didn’t start with her pointing a wand at them. “I guess I’m just too used to defending kids like that,” she said with a grin. “I was too busy saving awkward people to pick on them, and now I just don’t see the point. There’s no challenge to it.”

So he did know what a car was. Of course, that didn’t necessarily mean he’d know anything else about the Muggle world. “It’s not exactly the same,” she said. “They’ve just got science to make things work instead of magic. Cars instead of broomsticks, telephones instead of fireplaces, that sort of thing. It doesn’t all work better, but it works well enough for them, and they’ve used it to go to the moon.” Her whole family had been thrilled about it, and she had vague memories about the “Moon party” her parents had thrown for the neighborhood, while she ran around protecting Nina from pretend aliens.

She wasn’t sure whether she felt nervous about the war lasting so long or glad that she might be able to useful. “Well… good, I guess. I mean, I’ll have something to do after school.” It was a weak joke; fighting the good fight probably wouldn’t count as a real job, and there was no way she could tell her parents she would be putting her life in danger when she was just eighteen. “And, hey, maybe we’ll be teammates. It’ll be nice to see a friendly face.”

Bethany couldn’t help laughing a little when Dex blushed. She hadn’t expected him to be so embarrassed, but then, she had just called someone her own age adorable, and that usually meant either teasing or kissing would follow. As he got to his feet, she hopped off her desk. “It was nice to meet you,” she said. “I’m sorry if I embarrassed you.” She meant it, though the smile lingering on her face might make him think she was just teasing him. “I’ll be there,” she said, holding out her hand to shake on the promise. “The pitch, Saturday afternoon sound good?”

[Dexter Cox Jr.]

Dex shook his head when Bethany asked about wizarding 'nursery schools.' If there were such a thing, they were far from commonplace. Daycares, perhaps, for parents who work a lot and cannot leave their kids unattended, and cannot leave them in a Muggle daycare in case they unintentionally display their powers or say something questionable. But there was no set of schooling that was mandatory or even encouraged for wizarding children. Personally, Dex was just hauled around to wherever his parents went so they could look after him and his sisters. However, they did like to keep him occupied with books and learning... that might not work so well for other magical kids, though. "No, education doesn't start until 11, unless parents teach them on their own time," he voiced his thoughts. Before age 11, kids were really too young to harness control, and even if they were, it was illegal to actually perform spells outside of school until 17 anyway. He wasn't quite sure what to make of her grin when he confessed the obvious - that he was geeky and awkward. It couldn't be a bad thing, right? "Yeah, well..." he began in his signature uncomfortable voice. "Not everyone thinks like you."

Maybe Bethany's comparisons made the worlds seem similar to her, but Dex couldn't see it. Well, he definitely understood the analogies. Cars were their method of transportation. Phones, communication. And so forth. But 'similar' was a bit of a stretch... he wouldn't say it was like their world. They all got along how they could, that was for sure. "I guess, if you put it that way," he said in a way that indicated he saw her point, but was not as confident on it as she was. Basically, if he was suddenly stripped of all magical ability and access, he would have a hard time getting along at first. He'd do better than others, sure, but it would be a big change to swallow.

It was amazing how optimistically Bethany looked at things. Talking about the most frightening war in wizarding history, which was their present, their reality, and she was thinking about how they could be teammates. Dex hoped they wouldn't be, but... for some reason, the thought of Bethany being there with him, 3 or 4 years from now, was a little bit relaxing. Of course, there was no calming all of his nerves, there never was. But walking into the resistance movement with possibly experienced fighters and whatnot was terribly nerve-wracking, and he'd definitely prefer to have her there than to not. So he gave a nervous smile at her optimism. "It'll be something to do to keep you out of trouble," he said, giving a shot at her optimism. Well, keep her out of different kinds of trouble, and get her into other kinds.

Any words that crossed his mind all seemed too lame to say, and even if Dex had thought of something to say, he wasn't sure he'd physically be able to. He'd probably stutter far too much to get his point across. Instead, he just matched the smile she gave after she apologized for embarrassing him. He wanted to tell her not to apologize but thought that staying quiet might just be the better option. Part of him was glad she extended a hand, so that he could look at her hand instead of her face as he shook it. "Perfect. I'll see you there." And before anything could get any more weird, he turned toward the door, shuffling out looking at his feet just as awkward as he had come in.