xeno-philiac-blog

[xeno-philiac-blog]

auroracarinx:

Aurora had swam only a few times in her childhood, more so in the summer months when her sister took her and her brothers out to the lake to get them out of their parents hair for a few hours. Those were definitely some of the better times she could think of, most of the things she missed about her pureblood life involved her sister in some way, shape or form. She was always so kind to her, like the mother she should have had but didn’t. But after Portia left and got married the dynamic in the house sort of changed and she didn’t have much of a maternal figure any longer. 

It had been instilled in her from a young age that nudity was something shameful, that you weren’t supposed to be open about that sort of thing. There was no excuse unless you were married, dead or somewhere in between. Rory struggled to keep her head above the watter,trying hopelessly to keep her hair dry. At last she had to give in, after she adjusted to the temperature a little more she ducked her head under briefly and pushed her hair back out of her face. “Cold enough?” she questioned, raising her eyebrows in disbelief. She swam around Xeno in a circle, trying to warm herself up even just a little. “What if someone sees us?”

Xeno noticed that Aurora was having a bit of trouble swimming, so he started to slowly drift closer to the shore where they could stand in the water more easily. He often forgot the he had nearly a foot of height on her, and he didn’t want anything to happen if a wave came and she went under. “Are you a strong swimmer?” he asked with an eyebrow raised, realizing that they had never swam together before. Xeno was more of a skinny-dipper than a pool person, and judging by Aurora’s bashfulness in regards to nudity, it was probably a good thing that she’d been studying every time he’d gone on a midnight adventure.

“We jump into the seat when it’s frozen-over at the shore in Denmark - it’s never gonna be cold enough for me!” he said with a big grin, shaking his head around and spraying her with the seawater that dripped from his hair. “Although we usually warm up in a sauna after...” Xeno pushed off from the ocean floor now that they were closer to the shallows, and he floated on his back as he stared up at the cloudy sky. “Ror, who’s gonna see us? That fish down there?” He glanced down at the water, but it wasn’t exactly crystal clear and he couldn’t see any sea life where they were floating. “You can’t get in trouble for just bein’ yourself, anyway,” he said, letting his eyes drift closed for a moment.

Summer 1979 | Midnight Sun | Xenora

[xeno-philiac-blog]

History of Wrong Guys: Spring1975 (Xeno&Mark)

[xeno-philiac-blog]

Spring 1975 | Keeper | Xeno + Mark

It was the most exciting Quidditch match of the season - Gryffindor versus Slytherin for a spot in the final - and pitch was tense as a quaffle through one of the goalposts tied up the score. The students and staff that were decked out in red and gold roared with applause, and Xenophilius Lovegood found himself standing on his seat and throwing his fist up into the air as the players whipped around the stands and sent a gust of wind through his hair.

While Xeno wasn’t usually the most avid Quidditch fan, he’d suddenly started making appearances at twice the amount of games than he would have normally gone to, thanks to a certain Mark McKinnon and his friendly flirtatiousness that he couldn’t seem to get enough of. They were a real pair of mates by now, and Xeno even had to cancel a few plans with other guys so that he could have a good adventure or two with Mark, which only enhanced the crush he was developing for him. 

To outsiders, they were nothing more than friends and never would be, but the red stripes on Xeno’s cheeks meant a little more than just team spirit, and he felt his chest swell just a tad every time the handsome boy flew around the pitch. Why, he was so distracted by Mark that he wouldn’t have even realized the game had ended if the bloke that was standing next to him hadn’t grabbed his shoulder and hollered in his ear something about how Slytherin had deserved to lose - and with that, he was off. Xeno pushed through the crowd and nearly tripped down the stairs until he was finally back on the ground so that he could catch Mark on his way out.

He stood and waited a few paces away from the dugout, hands in his pockets as he stared at his feet and made designs in the dirt. Xeno glanced up every time someone walked out, and most of the team was long gone by the time he saw the boy he was looking for. Erupting into a massive grin, he hurried over to Mark and held up a hand for a high-five. “Brilliant, mate! You got a spot in the final!”

@themiddle-mckinnon

[xeno-philiac-blog]

auroracarinx:

Rory wasn’t as certain as he was about wading into some freezing cold Icelandic waters in the buff. She hadn’t even liked getting changed in front of her roommates of seven years at school never mind running into foreign water where anyone could see her. She screwed up her face and swatted the tank top away when he aimed it at her and ran off towards the water. She didn’t see many options here. She could sit here and wait for him to come out or she could follow him and have spontanous fun for once in her life instead of calculating every aspect of her life.

Reluctantly she got to her feet, casting a quick protective spell to their belongings just in case, before trudging down to the edge of the water. She watched Xeno for a while, “Is it cold?” she asked, kicking her boots off so that she could dip a toe in the water to test for herself. It took a minute of contemplation before at last she took a deep breath and pulled off her t-shirt. “Look over there,” she said, pointing in the distance so she could get undressed in peace. She pulled off her shorts as well and folded them neatly, setting them to the side with her shoes until she was left only in her underwear. She already felt exposed enough, it wasn’t as hot as it had been when she was half naked instead of walking uphill. Aurora took another deep breath and summoned all the courage she required before she stripped completely and folowed him in to the water. It was colder than she expected against her skin, so much so that she almost turned back around – but alas she perseverd. The water was up to her shoulders a good distance away from Xeno, she had to swim over to where he was.”Alright, are you h-happy?”

“Hell yeah it’s cold!” Xeno called over to Aurora with a cheer. He adored the icy temperatures, and the water exhilarated him as he wiped sopping-wet hair from his eyes and bobbed up and down with the gentle current. It’d always been a shame that his sister couldn’t swim with him when he was younger, and he loved to have a partner whenever he was in the water. He and Pandora had swum in nearly every lake, river, and sea that they’d come across in their travels for that reason, at Xeno’s request.

He humored her and dunked his head under the water again when she told him to look away. Nudity wasn’t something to be ashamed or embarrassed of, he thought, but he understood why she was a little nervous about it and only wanted to help her get out of her comfort zone in a safe space. When he surfaced, she was chest-deep in the water and making her way slowly toward him. Xeno stood on his toes and pulled his hands out of the water to clap. “Woohoo! You did it!” he applauded when she was finally by his side. “Is it cold enough for you?” Xeno grinned and then sunk down into the water until everything but his nose to the top of his head was submerged. If Aurora had been any other one of his friends, he would’ve pulled a prank and pretended to be dragged away by a shark, but that sort of thing was better saved for people like Mark McKinnon.

Summer 1979 | Midnight Sun | Xenora

[xeno-philiac-blog]

auroracarinx:

Aurora gave Xeno a look when he said that there were no factories around. That was a concern too, of course, but the thing at the forefront of her mind was what sort of creatures happened to lurk in the strange, Icelandic waters. She had never been here before and what she knew of the land was only things she had read in books in the past week or so — even then those mainly covered the culture spread out across the region. “If we just stay inland there won’t be any sharks,” she reasoned, although her knowledge on sea life was fairly limited unless magical creatures were concerned. Regardless,this trip was all about risk taking so she wasn’t going to let a possibly irrational fear get in the way.

Aurora was a fan of planning ahead, when there was no plan or the plan was disrupted it was definitely cause for stress as far as he was concerned. But Xeno was right — this was a vacation and they were meant to spend it relaxing. She could at very least take the opportunity to try and get acquainted with the meaning of the word. She nodded slightly and pushed her hair back out of her face. “Yeah, you’re right,” she smiled slightly. She sat there staring at the river for a few melancholic moments before he suggested that they start on the tent. She was all set to do just that but then he said he was ready for a swim immediately and she blinked in surprise. “Oh, well er- I didn’t bring anything to swim in,” she said. “You can just go ahead.”

“Well, I never saw any sharks when I swam at home in Denmark, and we went in the ocean every day during the summers. One time, though, this thing called a Porbeagle shark washed up near one of the fishing towns. Apparently they like to steal fish right off of the fishermen’s hooks,” Xeno explained, trying to get her to feel a little less nervous about the water. He bent down and wiggled out of his shoes, shoving his socks back into them for safekeeping, and bunched up his shirt into a ball mindlessly as Aurora spoke again.

He just grinned at her when she told him she didn’t bring any swimclothes. “I didn’t either. There’s nobody here, Ror, don’t be shy!” Xeno tossed his sweaty tank top at her face and then started running through the coarse sand towards the beach, cackling all the way. He stopped just before the water’s edge and slipped out of his shorts and underwear, nestling them under a rock so they wouldn’t blow away, and then he waded out into the cool water. Xeno was used to the chilling temperatures of the sea from when he was young, and although it sent a shiver up his spine at first, it didn’t take long before he was comfortably submerged to his chest. “I haven’t seen a shark yet, Ror!” he called out to his friend before pulling his hair out of its bun and dunking his head under the water.

Summer 1979 | Midnight Sun | Xenora

[xeno-philiac-blog]

themiddle-mckinnon:

Mark grinned hearing Xeno laugh slightly. It made the whole situation so much more comfortable. Mark wasn’t a serious guy so he got wound up when he had to be formal and behave himself. He always felt anxious which made him want to vacant the situation as soon as possible. The date with Ravenclaw dude being a prime example of his behaviour in those circumstances.

The Gryffindor smirked when Xeno panicked. He gained satisfaction from any form of practical jokes or playful torment. Mark was a born joker so he was in his element surrounded by smiles and laughter.

“Oh- oh! Getting feisty now are we Lovegood!” he howled with laughter and lay on his back as he hugged his stomach. Kicking him back lightly as he rolled his eyes. “Oh for- we’re playing footsie again” he teased before hearing his comment. “Yes! Reborn! Ready to take on the world!” he cried out before beating his chest in a similar manner to Tarzan then hold his arms up in victory.

After managing to calm himself he looked back over at him and nodded with a smile. “Yeah. Feels like I got over a barrier” he said honestly as he had to admit to himself that he was seeing Xeno in a different light. The boy was attractive and he was a good friend. It made someone appealing when they were both beautiful in both personality and appearance. “Well, what a day….. I didn’t think I’d be coming into the Shireking shack and snogging Xeno Lovegood” 

Xeno rolled his eyes, his cheeks pink with embarrassment as he foot-wrestled Mark for a bit, until they both were too caught up in giggling to keep at it. He pulled his knees to his chest and rested his chin on them, gazing over at the other boy with great fondness. It was nice to have a friend that he could both horse around with and seriously talk to, and Mark was turning out to be one of the closest friends that Xeno had had in a while. Kissing hadn’t changed much in his mind - come to think of it, he’d kissed most of his friends at one point or another - but it had made him look at the boy in a different way. 

He grinned at the boy’s victory cheer, happy to see him overcome his mental hurdle. “I’m glad that I was able to help,” Xeno said, tucking a strand of hair behind his ear. A little part of him wondered if that was all Mark needed from him - a person to pull him out of the ditch he’d made for himself in his head - and he hoped that he wouldn’t abandon him in favour of other guys. He was always worried that he’d be kicked to the curb for someone more put-together, or more handsome, or less eccentric.

“Snogging?” repeated Xeno, and he laughed uproariously. “Mark, I feel sorry for you if that’s your definition of snogging. You poor thing, you.” He shook his head and tutted playfully, knowing that his friend was no stranger to relationships and the intimacy that came with them.

By then they had been out for a while, and Xeno noticed that orange light had started filtering into the room from the cracked windows. “It’s getting late... We’ve been here for longer than I thought,” he said, hopping off of the couch and grabbing the bag that he’d brought. “We should probably head back before someone starts looking for us. Maybe we should come here again sometime, though...” Xeno gazed around the room once more - there were loads of other rooms to explore, and it was a nice, quiet place to come talk about things alone. Perhaps next time they could bring some music and have a bit of fun.

History of Wrong Guys: Spring1975 (Xeno&Mark)

[xeno-philiac-blog]

scampish-scotty-scamander:

“I do- I do. Really. It’s just I know most of the stuff and I enjoy learning new things. I guess I’m fortunate to see them most days that I don’t get the same excitement” he said honestly. Honesty was the best policy!

His perked up at the class that involved the stars and space. The unknown was fascinating. “Yes I love that class.” He murmured fondly.

As she spoke of peoples’ opinions on her he pressed his lips into a line and thought to himself. He had heard those comments too. “I don’t think you’re weird. You’re unique. That’s better than being like everyone” he shrugged softly. He knew he was considered different. Socially awkward and nothing like his confident and energetic father. He had a handful of friends that didn’t just quickly stereotype him as being the odd one of the bunch.

“Okay!” he smiled softly. “I look forward to it- oh I have to quickly run over to my dorm. I forgot my books. I’ll see you in class. Can you let the Professor know I’ll be there?” he said in a rushed voice and then quickly darted off.

Luna nodded knowingly. She understood that re-learning everything his father taught him must have been tedious, although she was glad to hear that he at least didn’t mind the class. It would have been a shame if he hated being there because it was too repetitive. “That makes sense,” she said with a little nod as they approached the entrance to the castle’s grounds.

Her face lit up into a big grin when Rolf told her she was unique. She knew she was ‘different’ and ‘strange’, but hearing him call her unique was new and it warmed her heart. “You’re right,” she agreed, a little skip in her step. “It is better to be different, isn’t it? Being like everyone else is boring.”

She stopped abruptly when Rolf turned around right before they were on the grounds. Luna furrowed her brow, but then nodded quickly and told him, “I’ll make sure they save you a spot!” Once the boy was out of sight, she hopped down the stairs by herself and hummed as she walked the rest of the way to class.

Bubbling Cauldrons: 1996 (Luna&Rolf)

[xeno-philiac-blog]

auroracarinx:

The thought of visiting Denmark occupied her mind for a good ten minutes as she walked in silence,but after that she was painfully conscious of how much her feet and back were beginning to ache from just how much effort it was taking to walk. It was a wonder she didn’t just collapse at the side of the dirt track and stay there until someone physically carried her back home. But she knew the journey would be difficult and she wasn’t going to let herself give in. She had gave up too much in recent months and she wasn’t going to keep that up. “Are the waters safe to swim in?” she asked after a long while, looking over at Xeno, the effort of just averting her gaze from the ground obviously more than she would care to admit to a seasoned traveller like him. She didn’t want to complain mainly because she didn’t want to disappoint him and take away from his plans. She hated a plan being disrupted more than anything.

As the ground evened out and she managed to really catch her breath she thought about asking to tame a seat for a few moments — but then he suggested they just set up camp here and she probably could have jumped for joy if she had the energy to, but instead she kept a mostly neutral face,offering only a small smile of resignation. “I’m okay with staying here for the night if you are,” she agreed without much prompting at all. She plopped her bag down on the ground and took a seat, leaning back against it for support. The weight off her shoulders was a huge relief and that showed as an even more delighted smile spread across her face.

She stretched out her legs and leaned back, they still had plenty of time to sort out the tent - magic could aid them if need be. Rory looked over to where he pointed then back at the plot of land they were on right then, it seemed similar enough. “We can get a bit farther tomorrow if we start early? And look - there’s a little river nearer here.”

Xeno watched Aurora take a seat on the ground, glad to see that she was embracing the break. She would need all the rest she could get in order to keep up a similar pace tomorrow, and it was nearly unheard of to not be sore after a spontaneous day of hiking like they had just done. Xeno reached down to untie his boots, glancing behind him at the beach when Aurora mentioned it. “‘Course the water’s safe to swim in! There are no factories or anything around for miles - it’s probably the safest water in the area,” he said, tossing his shoes and socks near her. After a moment, he paused and realized he might’ve misunderstood his friend’s concerns. “Er, do you mean, like, sharks? Uh... I’m sure it’s fine!” He hadn’t been worried about sea life before, but there certainly was the possibility of something being in the water. Luckily, Xeno wore enough pendants and charms to scare off any possible threat as long as it was magical, but sharks didn’t exactly cast spells.

He smiled at Aurora’s positive attitude, but he didn’t want her to feel like she had to stick to his plan if she wasn’t up for it. Planning wasn’t his specialty anyway, and he almost preferred to just wing it, regardless of that ‘it’ was. “Sure Ror, we can do whatever you like, but let’s figure that bit out in the morning. We’re on vacation - let’s take it easy, yeah? You never know, you might wanna sleep in tomorrow.” His gaze wandered to the river she pointed out, and his smile grew on his face. It looked exactly like the one at home, part of a little delta that went out into the ocean that he used to swim in while his sister watched, and he nearly become teary-eyed from the memories. Keep it together, Xeno!, he told himself silently, and then he shook his head to clear it and plopped his large hiking backpack down on a particularly flat piece of ground near them. 

Stretching out his tired back, he grunted a bit and looked over at his companion. “Did you want to set up the tent now? Because it’ll only take a minute with magic, but by hand I think it might take all night... And I’m really feeling a swim right now.” Xeno grinned at Aurora in excitement, reaching to his middle and pulling his tank top up over his head. 

Summer 1979 | Midnight Sun | Xenora

[xeno-philiac-blog]

scampish-scotty-scamander:

Rolf grinned at their success before he quickly began clearing up. Packing his books and quill into his satchel before he looked over at Luna. Slowly approaching the Professor’s desk as he pressed his lips into a line. He always felt nervous around the elder man, he just creeped him out.

Joining her outside of the classroom as he smiled brightly. “Yes I have Magical Creatures next.” He said a little less enthusiastic than her. He didn’t get the same buzz other students gained when they saw these wild beasts. He was used to waking up and looking out of his window and seeing a Hippogriff there. Nevertheless, Rolf was not stuck up about it or disrespectful of others.

“Ginny Weasely?” he asked hearing the familiar first name. “Yeah- Yeah that would be nice” he smiled as he fidgeted with his jumper sleeves. “No I haven’t got anyone- I mean. I have friends. I just- they don’t want to go” he sighed a little flustered. Could he make more of a fool out of himself if he tried?

His reaction to their next class wasn’t exactly what she’d expected from someone like him, and Luna frowned a little as she started walking out of the dungeons. “Don’t you like Care of Magical Creatures? I think it’s quite fun. I really like our professor, and we get to go outside. It’s even better than Astronomy, I think, and I love Astronomy,” Luna said, getting carried away a bit. She too knew a fair bit about creatures, and even though many of the things they were learning she had already heard about from her father or Scott, but it didn’t bore her or make her annoyed.

“Yeah! We always go together, and sometimes Hermione comes along if she’s not busy with Ron and Harry, but she usually is,” Luna told him with a little giggle. She gave Rolf a knowing nod when he got a bit flustered. “I know what you mean. I knew a lot of people my first few years here, but no one really wanted to be around me except Ginny. I do care about people a lot and I think of people as my friends, but they don’t always want to do things… I’ve heard people say I’m weird, but I just don’t really get it. This is just me, I don’t think I’m weird. I’m just glad I have Ginny, and you too of course!” She turned back to look in front of her as they walked toward the lawn. “We usually go to Hogsmeade early in the day, so I’ll let you know and we can all go together.”

Bubbling Cauldrons: 1996 (Luna&Rolf)

[xeno-philiac-blog]

themiddle-mckinnon:

Mark looked over at him as he debated the situation. Everything was moving so quickly and it made him feel breathless. He felt completely out of his comfort zone but after some careful consideration he realised he’d been in this position many times. A first kiss was something he’d had in a fair few relationships. This was no different, surely?

Xeno’s humour was a good icebreaker during the tense moment. Smirking softly before raising his eyebrows. “I can’t be sure” he teased. It quickly faded at his next comment as he hadn’t considered fleeing but it wasn’t completely out of the question. Nodding in reassurance that he would keep his nerve. Surprisingly he didn’t feel as self-conscious around Xeno as he had done with the other Ravenclaw student. Xeno was easy going and he helped him feel comfortable with himself and how he felt.

The Gryffindor boy watched him for a moment before he cupped his cheek with the palm of his hand and guided his face forward to meet his own. The kiss can’t have lasted more than a few seconds but it felt like an eternity.

Pulling back as he ran his fingers through his hair and paused. For the first time he felt like it was right. It felt strange to say but he wasn’t conflicted about it. Tilting his head slightly as he leant over and kissed him again. He wasn’t shy or timid about it. Mark was very similar to Marlene that they were both incredibly confident about themselves and their flirting abilities.

After a moment he lent back into the chair and glanced over at Xeno. “Oh- do you want me to leave? Was I that bad?” he asked in all seriousness before grinning. He was such a tease when he wanted to be.

Xeno sat very still as Mark decided what to do. He gave him a little smile, fidgeting with his hands in his lap, and tried to read the boy’s expression but couldn’t really find anything out other than the fact that he was obviously a bit nervous. The nod that Mark gave him was reassuring, even though he knew that he would never hold it against the boy if he needed to leave or decided he couldn’t do it. Xeno was understanding, if nothing else at all.

And then, before he really knew it, Mark had his hand on his cheek and he was pulling him closer. Xeno felt his heart beat a little quicker in his chest – no matter how many people he kissed, the first one with a new partner was always the most exciting. He closed his eyes and tilted this head to the side slightly to meet Mark, and their lips touched softly as if just testing the waters. When Mark pulled back, Xeno’s eyelids fluttered open, but they quickly closed again when he came in for another kiss and he couldn’t help but laugh into it just the tiniest bit.

The whole thing had only lasted seconds, and Xeno wished it had been longer. They parted and he leaned his shoulder into the back of the couch, staring over at Mark and wearing a content smile. It would be a lie to say that he hadn’t kissed anyone else in a while, but it was true that he hadn’t felt that way from a kiss since perhaps his very first one. He felt like he knew Mark, and it wasn’t weird in the slightest to be kissing him – it seemed like a natural progression of their relationship.

Xeno’s cheeks went slightly pink when Mark started teasing him, falling for it at first. “Wh – no! You don’t have to - ,” he started before realizing that the other boy was just pulling his leg, as always. Xeno narrowed his eyes at him and he erupted into a grin, reaching over with his foot to shove him a little bit like before. “You shut the hell up,” he laughed, shaking his head and then sprawling out quite a bit on the couch, feeling very comfortable. He glanced over at Mark. “How do you feel? Like a new man?”

History of Wrong Guys: Spring1975 (Xeno&Mark)

[xeno-philiac-blog]

thirdeye-sybill:

“Oh, I know! I’ve read all about your old runes magic, the ancient Norsemen used them for fortunetelling. I feel like they don’t teach us enough of them here. But I’ve asked our teacher for some complementary reading and he’s pointed me to some very informative volumes” Sybill’s eyes lit up like fireflies whenever she spoke about Divination arts and runic magic. But there was a special glimmer that was reserved to express her excitement for simply acquiring knowledge. It was at moments like these that one might truly understand why the quirky little witch had been placed in Ravenclaw. Hers was a true passion for understanding. Understanding the secrets of magic, the secrets of fortune, and most of all, the secrets of the universe. She was one of those mind that would gaze up at the galaxies above and wonder about the great ideas of existence.

Sybie pouted sadly when Xeno claimed to be rubbish at school. For some reason, it made her unexplainably sad that such a kind, open soul thought so poorly of himself. The way Sybill saw it, just being in school proved you were good enough for it. Sure, Hogwarts was perhaps not the most academically demanding educational institution in the world, but it was still a prestigious enough school with high standards.  It would not accept children who were unsuited for it.

“You are not rubbish. We are all good at some things, and others are harder. Some people work better outside the mold. I think you might be one of them. But we have to adapt to what we have at hand, and I’m afraid the school can’t have different systems for different people. I believe it tries to be as inclusive as possible, though. At least under Professor Dumbledore’s guidance it seems so” she observed, her voice quiet and suddenly sounding wise beyond her years without her really realizing it. The instance of solemn, thoughtful maturity passed quickly though, and soon Sybill was back to her oddball little self again.

“Oh, if you ever do go to Dartmoor, you ought to write me. I can show around the best places of the moor. I know the hilltops that have the most beautiful views” Sybill offered enthusiastically, gathering a fistful of sand and pouring it in a thin flow over her lap her expression pleasant and absent-minded.

When Xeno yawned, Sybill panicked for a fraction of a second, fearing that she might be boring the other boy with her pointless blabber, but then she gave a yawn of her own and realized he was probably feeling as tired as she suddenly found herself to be feeling. It must have been really late.

“I’m not sure…maybe a little bit past midnight, judging by the moon’s position?” she ventured, stifling another yawn and smiling. History of Magic could be a very tiresome subject. Sybill did her best to like it, as she believed that in order to understand the future she saw, it might be useful to comprehend the past. But she could not blame Xeno for having a hard time staying awake during that particular class.

“Maybe we should head back to the castle?” the witch suggested with a smile “Gotcha. I’ve got Potions. I don’t want to be so tired that I mix up the ingredients and end up with my classwork blowing up all over my robes!”

He ruffled the back of his long, wild hair and gave a shrug. Xeno was perhaps a little hard on himself at times, but he tried to keep a positive attitude and he really didn’t think he was bringing himself down. If anything, he was just trying to be comfortable with who he was, which was once of the most important things in his mind. “Well – I mean – I’m not saying I’m rubbish at everything. I think I’ve just not so good at the whole process, y’know. I can’t force myself to do stuff that I don’t like to do, and that’s what you have to do in school. So I’m not good at it. I’m good at other things, though, and I really don’t mind that I’m not some sort of genius. I think it’s better that I’m honest with myself about it, or else I’d just feel sad all the time that I’m not good enough. I’m as good as I can be right now, and that’s alright.” Xeno brushed sand off of his hands and then looked over to give Sybill a smile. “I do think you’re right, though. That I work better outside the mould? Maybe that’s what I should be looking for.”

Xeno glanced up at the moon when Sybill mentioned it. He guessed he probably could have figured out the time from that, too, but he’d been too tired to even remember that they had learned that in Astronomy. “Yeah, that’s a little late for me to be able to be awake for Professor Binns tomorrow,” he said, stretching and sitting up properly. “We definitely don’t want you getting Professor Snape angry with you, so we should be going.” He put his hands into his pockets one more time to check that he had his pipe with him still, and then he brought himself to his wobbly feet and picked up his shoes from where they were laying in the sand. It wasn’t so cold yet that walking barefoot was out of the question, so he gave a little yawn and then motioned for Sybill to follow him as he started towards the castle.

“Hey, uh, we gotta be careful,” he said after they had walked across the grounds for a while. It was late, yes, but he knew for a fact that the prefects were still on duty, and there was always a teacher or two prowling around to keep everyone safe, and they weren’t exactly in the best shape to be caught in at the moment. “If anyone catches us out, we’re gonna get in really big trouble for smoking,” Xeno told her, looking over and giving her a half-frown. “We totally reek. So just be careful when we get in, yeah?”

Fall 1974 | Clear Your Mind | Xeno + Sybill

[xeno-philiac-blog]

scampish-scotty-scamander:

Rolf was interested to hear someone else actually had concern over the animals used in transfiguration. Although he couldn’t help but grin at her suggestion. “I suppose it would be useful for storing them over summer.” He shrugged in amusement as it made logical sense. “I don’t think you’re supposed to get it, you just have to go with it!” he smiled.

The boy’s smile faded immediately as he stood up when Professor Snape came near their bench. Watching him asses and then mutter his instructions, the boy was more than relieved when he left. “It’s not your fault” he shook his head as he also had a copy of the recipe and could have pointed it out.

“He’s certainly one of a kind” the boy muttered as he watched the Professor slunk around the classroom, seemingly enjoying the terrified look on pupils faces and infecting wherever he went with the dark cloud of misery that followed him. Thank Merlin he wasn’t in Slytherin.

Stirring the mixture to keep it from setting or bubbling too much, he moved out of the way to allow Luna to add in the remaining ingredient. “I think we might have just pulled it off” he uttered as he continued to stir the liquid.

“What class have you got next?” he questioned as he had enjoyed the time with Luna and unfortunately the lesson was drawing to a close. “Are you going on the next Hogsmeade trip?” he added as he vowed to make more of an effort to hang out with her.  That was if she wanted.

Luna sprinkled the powder into their cauldron and the mixture slowly turned to the right colour, to her delight. She nodded to Rolf, grinning and said, “I think we might’ve!” The rest of the students seemed to already be packing up, so she quickly took a vial and filled with with their potion, labeling with with both of their names. Once they were all set, she helped Rolf clean up their ingredients and then threw her bag over her shoulder, hopping down from her stool.

She beckoned the boy to follow her to their professor’s desk, where she handed off their vial of potion to be graded. Professor Snape gave the two of them a bored and slightly disproving look, regardless of the kind grin that Luna had plastered on her face. Once they were all set, she skipped out of the classroom and moved off to the side in the corridor so that they could talk.

Luna pulled a little notebook out of her bag that listed all of her classes for the new year. “I have Care of Magical Creatures next! What about you?” she said, beaming with excitement. After Potions, she needed a real pick-me-up, and going down to the ground to learn about animals sounded like the perfect thing to help he forget out how she’d mucked up the potion. Luna tilted her head and looked up at the ceiling, thinking for a second. “Hmm... I don’t see why I wouldn’t! Usually Ginny and I go together, but you’re welcome to tag along if you like. Unless you have other people to go with, of course.”

Bubbling Cauldrons: 1996 (Luna&Rolf)

[xeno-philiac-blog]

auroracarinx:

Aurora was trying her best for Xeno’s sake, despite the fact this walk was certainly not as easy for her as it was for him she was keeping to a rule of no-complaints and stopping ever so often and making sure not to go too fast and tire herself out. Each step once the incline started to get steeper was more of a struggle but she was going to manage if it was the last thing she ever did. Her willpower was certainly one thing at the moment. Her eyes drifted down to her feet only briefly before she was scanning the scenery again, refusing to let her guard down. She had come here in part to find some writing material and get to know foreign surroundings, not to stare at dirt all day.

She smiled at the idea of meeting his parents. Xeno was one of her oldest friends, at least one of the only ones that had stuck around aside from Sybill. Aurora wasn’t good at making friends to begin with but with those two she didn’t feel like she had to try too hard to impress them or that she was going to be judged for doing or saying something. It would be nice to see where her best friend came from. “I’d like that,” she said honestly. “When do you think we’ll get a chance to wash properly?” she asked, having not really thought about that part properly, surprising since she had practically analysed the whole trip with pros and cons. Hygiene hadn’t come up. She was far more reflective of personal dangers.

Once they started to walk again, Rory fell into a pattern next to Xeno. Not too fast and not too slow for either of them. She wanted to reach his goal but then again she was inexperiences and with the time they had set off at it might not be possible. They were a few miles in and she was already getting tired what with the heat and the changing terrain.

He grinned at his friend when she agreed to meet his parents. It would probably be great to have a home-cooking meal from his mum after their adventure, too, so the idea seemed like a great one. “Perfect, I’m sure they would love to have you,” Xeno said, nodding, but his expression turned into one of confusion at her next question. “Uhh, well, we’re supposed to pass by another village tomorrow so I’m sure you can take a little sink-bath in one of the shops, or frolic in someone’s sprinklers outside,” he suggested, though Xeno himself didn’t even think about washing up for a backpacking trip that was this short. It wasn’t really worth the hassle unless you rolled in mud. “There’s also the ocean and the rivers, if you want. Come to think of it, I’d love to take a dip tonight.”

A couple miles before Xeno had planned on setting up camp, he glanced over at Aurora and hid a little frown when he noticed how worn-out she looked. Yep, this had definitely been too much for the first day, and he was already kicking himself as he thought about how much harder the next few days would be for her with the soreness and fatigue. He kept walking for just a few minutes as he took out his map and examined it quietly, hoping she hadn’t been keeping track of how long that had been going for because he didn’t want her to feel like she had failed. Once the trail leveled out, Xeno stopped.

He turned to Aurora, smiling at her, energized from their travels. “You know what? Now that I see this area, I think it’s the perfect place to stop for the day. We can set up the tent over there, and we’re far enough away from the ocean that the waves won’t keep us up all night, but we still might be able to see whales. That alright with you? We can keep going if you’d rather get to the other spot,” Xeno explained, pointing to a plot of grass a little further inland that they could easily camp on.

Summer 1979 | Midnight Sun | Xenora

[xeno-philiac-blog]

themiddle-mckinnon:

Mark shook his head amused and then dropped his head back against the dusty, old sofa. “Yeah some people live for short term” he murmured softly as he thought back to his past of failed relationships. He’d been unable to find someone who would possibly be interested in more than a couple of dates.

Xeno spoke what he was thinking in his mind. Relationships were important to Mark. Of course one night stands were fun and good to break up the quiet periods. Yet he always craved real love. He guessed it was seeing how besotted with each other his parents were, that led him to always wanted that life too.

“I can convince myself it was a casual meet up” he murmured as he looked over at him. Looking over at him when he offered to help and it took a few seconds before he caught onto his drift.

The boy paused for a second as he debated such an idea. A million and one thoughts crossed his mind. Whether it was a good or bad idea? Whether it would make things awkward between them? For once in his life he decided to ignore his mind. “Yeah” he nodded as he looked over at him.

His mind caught up with what he had said as he furrowed his brows slightly. He’d stuck to this decision now. He’d see it through. “I mean you’re a guy right? Unless you’re hiding something from me?” he teased lightly to lift the mood and any doubt Xeno had in his response.

Xeno sighed when Mark said he could pass off the date as something else. He really didn’t like to see the boy trying to delude himself when he knew what the truth was, and he worried that it would only get worse. In the few months that they had known each other, he’d grown to care about Mark quite a lot, and he really wanted him to be able to feel comfortable with himself. Acceptance was an important concept for him, and self-acceptance even more so.

He perked up a bit when Mark agreed to his help. There were loads of things that he thought might ease some of the boy’s tension, but he wouldn’t be pushy. Anyway, the last time someone made a move on Mark, he did flee the scene, so it was probably better to let him take the reigns with what he wanted to do. “Well, whatever you need, I’d be happy to help,” he said with a nod.

Xeno’s lips twitched up into a smile and he sat up properly. He gave Mark a little shrug, saying, “I dunno mate, I’ve got this long hair, and a slim figure... You tell me.” After a second, he gave him a laugh. It was nice that the two of them resorted to comedy when things got a bit serious, since Xeno could barely go two minutes without being silly unless he was talking about his sister. “Yeah, I’m a guy - I’m pretty comfortable with that. Does that give you ideas, now that you’ve figured that out? If you wanna do anything with me, though, you just gotta promise that you’re not gonna run away.” He put his hands into his lap, smiling softly and hoping that even that hadn’t been too forward.

History of Wrong Guys: Spring1975 (Xeno&Mark)

[xeno-philiac-blog]

[xeno-philiac-blog]

[xeno-philiac-blog]

scampish-scotty-scamander:

“We have a garden too- to feed the herbivores that we take care of- also for brewing potions” he explained quickly as he got a little excited about it. He did miss home quite often. Yet seeing his friends in Hogwarts was also worth being away from the animals and his father.

Rolf sympathised with her regarding potions. Anything his dad had brewed up at home he knew and could do blindfolded. Other potions he was unfamiliar with just didn’t click in his mind. He couldn’t understand why it happened and then he felt a fool when he was stood in front of Snape with a cauldron spewing yellow slime instead of simmering a deep purple.

“He’d intimidating.” He nodded softly. “And could maybe use stronger toothpaste” he smiled softly as he tried to cheer her up. He didn’t like seeing his friends upset so would try his best to make them smile, even if he wasn’t comfortable about insulting other people, even Snape.

The Hufflepuff shrugged his shoulders, “I like changing things from one to another and I love McGonagall as a Professor. She’s fantastic. Although… I don’t like it when we have to change our animals. I get scared that it’ll hurt them” he admitted as he was a gentle boy who wished harm on nobody. Turning back to her, he nodded. “Yeah, I can help- well I can try!” he smiled fondly as he always felt accomplished when he could be useful to others.

He peered into the cauldron and scrunched his nose up at the colour and odour it was creating. “I’m not entirely sure that’s correct.” He murmured the obvious. Quickly glancing at his watch before covering his mouth to hide the grin. He had no idea what to do with it. He felt like a naughty child who he could only laugh in a situation like this. “Don’t let Professor Snape see” he whispered before grinning. “That… we might have created a new potion here Luna, we’re founders. We should call it the Lovegander” he chuckled.

“That’s something that bothers me a lot about it too,” she agreed, nodding. “I just can’t bring myself to turn that mouse into a teacup. But then I have to and I end up having a furry little squeaking mug, and it’s so much worse than just practicing and doing it right!” Luna complained, just as concerned about the creatures as Rolf was. “You know, I always wondered if Professor McGonagall turns all of those teacups back into mice and whatnot. Would they still need to be fed if they’re teacups? Because it would be much easier to keep them like that for next year.” She shook her head and laughed, perplexed. “I just don’t get that class!”

Luna giggled at Rolf’s suggestion and hopped off her seat to stand in front of their workstation, billowing out her robes and sort of using them to cover up their cauldron from view as she pretended to peer into it quizzically. Professor Snape had reached their table again as he did his intimidating rounds, and he stopped a bit short to give Luna a strange look. The girl was always daydreaming and mucking up recipes in her class, but it honestly seemed like she had some sort of trouble in the head rather than a lack of ambition. Her father, he recalled from his years at school, had been the same way. 

“Get your robes away from the cauldron, I won’t have anyone catching on fire in my classroom today,” he instructed, and Luna sheepishly moved aside before the professor could pull out his wand to force her to move. Professor Snape stepped forward and only had to take one glance at their potion before he knew exactly what had gone wrong. “One of you forgot to add the pulverized ashwinder eggshells,” he said, looking between the two of them with his eyes narrowed and his hands behind his back. “It’s salvageable. Get to it before you actually ruin it.” And with that, he slunk away to check on the next group.

Once he was gone, Luna hurried back to her seat and gave Rolf an apologetic look. She read over the recipe again, frowning, and said as she pointed, “He’s right, I skipped this line here. That’s my fault, I’m sorry - but at least we can fix it!” Luna grabbed the discarded eggshells and started pounding away at them with her mortar and pestle. “You’re right about the toothpaste,” she added in a whisper, scrunching her nose up at the memory of their professor’s breath.

Bubbling Cauldrons: 1996 (Luna&Rolf)