truth comes out (gavin)

[viola kadence thespar]

Viola wandered down the corridor, clutching her books to her chest. Her robes, normally clasped tightly around her neck, fluttered open around her ankles. She was normally much more careful and particular when getting prepared for her day, but Viola was finding that she was far from her normal self. Migraines had been plaguing her for years, but, lately, they'd gotten much, much worse. Bright lights were now practically unbearable, and any hint of noise while Viola was studying shattered her concentration. As someone who prided herself on her intelligence, the sudden difficulty with concentration was absolutely devastating.

School had been a breeze for Viola for the longest time. She was passionate about learning and had a level of intelligence greater than most of her peers. To suddenly lose that... it was terrifying. It was pulling her into a very dark hole that seemed utterly inescapable. Her only saving grace was the Room of Requirement. It could morph into a dimly lit room that was utterly silent. It wasn't as if anyone would bother her there. She was normally a friendly person, loving people and human interaction. However, these migraines had made her a solitary creature, introverted and comfortable with the idea of being alone. It helped her to accomplish her school work, regardless of the fact that it had become quite a chore.

Still, things would have been better if she could talk to her family. She'd grown up in the primarily gypsy family in her commune. One of her close, family friends, Gavin Bertram, was the new Divination professor at the school. However, her family was stereotypically loud and colorful. Viola wanted desperately to sit with her father to discuss her problems, for him to hold her and smooth back her hair to tell her that everything was going to be alright. Even sitting down with her little brother seemed like a godsend. However, she knew that wasn't something that would help with her migraines. It was something that would have to be solved by Viola herself...

Thud!

Viola shrieked as she ran headfirst into someone much taller than she was. The shrillness of her own voice caused her head to spin, and Viola found herself slipping into a dizzy spell, something that had become remarkably common. She staggered backwards, trying to catch her balance as she attempted to stammer out an apology to the person she'd run in to...

Viola's Outfit

[gavin henry bertram]

Lately it had not been a common thing to spot Gavin outside of the North Tower- both because he kept it warm and cozy against the impending winter, and because he'd been going through a rather odd series of visions. None of them seemed to connect in any sort of logical way, but they went together, he knew that much. Most troubling was the colour green, it kept cropping up in everything from his visions, to his dreams, even when it came to crystal gazing and reading tea leaves. Normally a positive colour, indicating things such as life, wealth, and fertility, this particular time all the green he had observed had a very negative feeling attached to it.

Sometimes green could mean jealousy, but it wasn't that. What Gavin was getting was a very sharp sense of fear. It didn't make much sense, and he was still turning over the thoughts as he meandered through the castle, hardly noticing the bitter cold in the corridors given how very lost in thought that he was. Gavin normally paced the circular room in which he taught, but today it seemed nowhere in the castle was off-limits, he'd gone all the way down to the dungeons, and had slowly wound his way up, not paying much mind to where his feet took him- they knew the layout of the castle on their own.

Except of course, when those tricky staircases changed, or when some of them lead to different places on varying days of the week- that he never could keep track of. Which was probably how he mysteriously ended up on the sixth floor when he had been on the third only a moment ago. A sudden collision, however, brought him harshly out of his thoughts. It hadn't been hard, just a slight bump, but the contact alone was enough to jar him. He tensed, having never been one for touch unless he was getting intimate with someone.

Gavin recognized the girl immediately, Viola Thespar, he'd long been in good standing with her family back at the commune, the Thespars truly were delightful people. Though something seemed a bit off about Viola, the way she staggered when she had barely touched him... Thinking quickly, Gavin pulled the sleeves of his pastel yellow robes over his hands and lightly grabbed Viola by the shoulders in hopes to steady her. Something was most definitely off... He frowned, feeling concern for the girl, already feeling the need to help- he'd often been told he was too compassionate for his own good. "Viola... are you all right?" asked Gavin, looking her straight in the eye. He didn't think twice about using her first name- even if he was supposed to call her Miss Thespar, she was an old family friend, he wouldn't dream of being so impersonal with her.

[viola kadence thespar]

Viola looked up, seeing Gavin Bertram peering anxiously down at her. She managed a small, weak smile, but even that brought her seemingly incurable migraine roaring back into her brain, rattling her. She winced visibly, trying to blink away the spots in her vision and the bright lights blinding her, causing her to feel even more pain. Something about Gavin's presence was causing her strife, she could feel the electricity in the air. Gavin always had given off that sort of air, ever since she could remember. He was a powerful wizard, and she could feel it. His immense power was palpable.

Normally, that sort of thing calmed Viola. Her father had always hung around Gavin, especially after her mother had been banned from the commune for something that Viola wasn't entirely sure of. That part of her memory was fuzzy. Viola couldn't even bother thinking about all of that mystery now, it wasn't important. What was important was that, currently, Gavin's presence was causing her an unusual amount of stress. Whatever typically radiated from him was overwhelmingly strong, and Viola felt the need to bolt out of there. Of course, that didn't exactly work in her favor, as Gavin pulled his sleeves down to cover his hands and placed them upon her shoulders.

"Viola... are you alright?"

Viola gritted her teeth, her migraine pulsing. She batted his hands away instinctively. "Yes, yes, I'm f-fine..." she stammered, pressing her hands to her temples. Her books fell to the floor and she groaned, kneeling down to pick them up. She gathered up her books , her face by Gavin's incredibly bright robes. Suddenly, her nose caught whiff of a particularly feminine smell, something that was uncommon on her friend and professor. It caused her head to pulse, but she couldn't help it.. she instinctively leaned closer to the hem of his robe, inhaling. Her breath caught in her throat as her vision went white, pain flooding into her head.

Viola watched as Gavin sat comfortably inside the tent that he typically stayed in. She recognized the inside, the bright shag carpet underneath her feet was something that she had played on as a small child when Gavin and her father would have tea together. She looked around. Gavin had his feet up, he was reading a book, when a noise outside of the tent drew both of their attention to the opening. In walked a pretty redhead, someone Viola vaguely recognized from watching Quidditch matches in school. A smile erupted on Gavin's face, and Viola watched in disbelief as the pair embraced rather passionately. Viola knew the kind of love life Gavin led, but this was somehow so much stranger... Gavin and the redhead exchanged whispers that Viola couldn't hear before kissing each other, the redhead's hands fumbling to push Gavin's teal-colored robe off of his shoulders...

Viola's vision returned, a flash of green and a feeling of unease blinking into existence before she found herself on her back, staring up at the ceiling.

[/size]

[gavin henry bertram]

Gavin knitted his brow together, he was feeling a rather odd sense in the air around Viola, his Inner Eye was jumping around like crazy, not giving him anything to work with, but constantly vying for his attention, like a hyperactive, poorly trained puppy. Like it was picking up on something, definitely odd- but Viola was definitely hovering between here and the beyond, he was about to start squealing in happiness, it was very rare that someone in the school got genuinely close- she was dipping her toe into the pool of the beyond, and that was very exciting for him. Perhaps his adjusting to a formal schedule and dealing with people who didn't care if one person got a glimpse from inner Sight...

At the moment it was all Gavin could do to keep calm, he didn't want to distract Viola from whatever might be coming to her, he knew his own visions could be diverted, or even made fuzzy with the interference of others- hence why he kept to his tower for the most part. There were too many people in this school, too many opportunities for what was developing in his Inner Eye to be diverted before they could be made known to his more conscious mind. All the same, however, it was hard not to worry, Viola seemed unsteady.

Gavin barely had time to react before Viola's books went tumbling from her hands, was hardly aware that she'd pushed his covered hands from her shoulders, he stooped to help her gather them, though before he'd picked up a single volume she'd fallen backward. Gavin yelped in surprise, it appeared that she had fainted on him, though there was a surge of energy pulsing through his Inner Eye, coming from her, he knew she hadn't lost consciousness, she was in the beyond.

He felt tremors of excitement, and a sense of bewilderment, how had he not felt any sort of these vibes from Viola before? She was an old friend, she'd played on the shag carpet rug in his yurt while he'd had tea with her father, they'd lived in such close proximity for so many years, how it had escaped him, he had no idea, these things were mysterious, but still, he felt that he should have known something, had any idea... Gavin shifted to a position on his knees beside Viola, resting his hands on his thighs while he waited for her to come around.

When her eyes fluttered open, Gavin had to restrain himself from immediately questioning her, if this was the first vision she'd had, then it was going to be rough coming out of it. "Welcome back, dear," said Gavin in the gentlest voice he could muster, "take your time getting around, once you've got your strength back we'll nip in my office for a cup of tea, hmm?" He then promptly bit down on his tongue to avoid spewing forth a stream of questions, forcing down his bubbling excitement. She had Seen something, he knew that much.

[viola kadence thespar]

Viola couldn’t fathom what she had just seen. It was all so confusing, but the pressure that she’d had built up inside of her head had vanished with that little vision, or whatever it was. It was incredible relief, none that she had thought she’d ever experience again. She audibly sighed with relief, hands gently drifting upwards to hold her head. Just as quickly as the terrible migraine had disappeared, however, panic began to set in. What was that? She had no idea what that could have been, no idea what she’d just experienced. Viola gently began to sit up, slowly, carefully, before she realized that Gavin was kneeling beside her, frantically speaking.

”Welcome back, dear. Take your time getting around, once you’ve got your strength back we’ll nip in my office for a cup of tea, hmm?”

Viola looked up at him, stomach churning. He knew what was going on? This was a bit unnerving. All of her thoughts were jumbled together. There was something that she remembered from divination… something about the Inner Eye… was that what this was? Maybe it had just been a vivid hallucination, brought on from her migraine and the powerful odor that had been radiating from his robes… perfume, now that she’d seen what she had been able to see. Perfume from whomever that redhead was.

Who was she? Obviously, there was something going on with Gavin and the girl, someone who was a student… Viola had no right to judge. His lifestyle was free, as was her father’s, as was the entire gypsy-esque commune. Still, a student? That was dangerous… Viola slowly got to her feet, those feelings of relief giving way to a light, fuzzy feeling. Her knees were suddenly very weak. She gathered up her things and stood, taking a moment to gather her bearings before turning towards Gavin. She looked at him for a moment, head cocked, drinking in the sight of him.

It was difficult to look at him the same way. What on Earth was going on? Viola wanted answers, and she wanted them as soon as she was able. Gavin looked as though he were about to pop. It was then that she realized that he knew exactly what was going on with her. There was something he was going to tell her, something he was going to reveal, and something that he wanted to know. Viola looked at him warily, wondering what he knew. Biting her lip, she shifted her weight from foot-to-foot.

”L-let’s go…”

[/color] Viola stammered, finding words hard to come by. It was taking all of the strength she had (which, granted, wasn’t very much - the whole experience had worn her out) to not blurt out what she had seen, not ask all of the questions that she was just dying to ask right then and there. If he was, indeed, having an affair with a student, it was best not to bring it up anywhere outside of the safety and comfort of Gavin’s office… Without another word, she began the route to his office, itching to sit down and have tea and get the chance to get the answers she felt she deserved.[/size][/blockquote][/blockquote][/blockquote]

[gavin henry bertram]

Gavin watched Viola carefully, lightly chewing on the end of his tongue- biting back a flood of questions and excitement. She had been in the Beyond, he knew that much, he had felt the Sight radiating off her in waves. If he were anyone else he wouldn't have noticed, simply thought that she had had a fit or something, and then insisted that she have a visit to the infirmary, but Gavin knew better. Yes, the after-effects of a vision, particularly the first few ones that a Seer would experience, were godawful, but any kind of healing could diminish the aura of said vision, dulled them, made them harder to remember.

Gavin nodded after she weakly admitted she was ready to go, and then began to lead the way back to his office. He set the pace slowly, Viola did still seem rather unsteady on her feet to him, but he was finding it rather difficult to keep the bounce out of his step. Seers weren't a dime a dozen, he never would have thought that he would come across another in his very first year of teaching, much less said person would be someone that he had watched grow up from a very young age. It was all so exciting. What had she seen? Gavin wanted to know everything.

It was so difficult to tame his incredibly vibrant personality, really Gavin wanted to behave like an overexcited puppy, jump up and down, clap his hands, and spew forth questions faster than Viola could possibly answer him- but he knew that if there was anything she didn't need, it was that. Gavin had to hold back everything as not to overwhelm her, she did still look incredibly peaked. She needed to sit down, nurse a cup of tea, and collect her thoughts. He still, however, couldn't prevent an excited little giggle as they reached the base of the ladder that would take them up into the North Tower.

Gavin climbed up quickly, remembering the state of affairs in the cozy circular room. Honestly, it was a mess, and he couldn't be bothered to pick it up. The house elves no longer bothered to come up anymore, given that things would again be strewn about all over the place no longer than five minutes after they had left. At least the classroom was clean. Gavin lead the way back to his desk, unceremoniously pushing stacks of papers and piles of books onto the floor so they could have a clear surface to discuss over.

He did, however, carefully tuck his hookah into its reserved desk drawer, and with a flick of his wand rid the room of the smell of its fragrant smoke. He instead lit a stick of incense (lavender, one of his favorites), let the tip burn a moment before extinguishing the flame and threading the reed into the holder. The smoke unfurled from it elegantly, dancing up into the air and vanishing from view. With excitedly trembling hands his went about preparing the tea. "Please, sit," said Gavin, tilting his head in direction of the stack of cushions in front of his desk. He then resumed chewing on his tongue as he set up things for tea, they had a lot to discuss. After a moment, he pushed a cup across the desk to Viola, while dropping a cube of sugar into his own. "You were in the Beyond, weren't you?" Gavin asked softly, excitement seeping into his voice.

[viola kadence thespar]

Viola's head was swimming. It wasn't like it had been before she'd blanked out and had that bizarre vision, it was a bit more pleasant than the weakness and the migraines. She was actually happy. Now she knew what was happening with her... well, to an extent. She had been able to see the strange vision. She was a Seer. Viola was incredibly surprised, never realizing that she's ever possess that type of ability, let alone that she'd fully be able to harness it. Partial Seers were much more common, how lucky was she to be a fully Seer?

Luck didn't seem to have anything to do with it. While she was pleased to know what had been causing her so much strife for months on end, she was also stressed. She really enjoyed being with Gavin, but how was she going to be around him now that she knew his secret? Viola wasn't even sure what it is that she knew. It was hard to wrap her head around, but she wasn't going to say anything until she was safely in his office.

They quickly reached the area. Viola watched Gavin slip his hookah into a drawer as she settled down into a plush seat. She was anxious and itching to get to the bottom of everything, but she was willing to wait a few more minutes. Viola took the tea that had been pushed her way, inhaling deeply and smiling a bit to herself as the combined scent of the lavender incense and the tea wafted into her nostrils.

"Please, sit. You were in the Beyond, weren't you?"

Viola took a small sip of her tea, nodding. "I think so, yes/

[/color] she replied softly. Viola looked Gavin in the eye, answering the next question before he could ask it. "I saw you with a red-headed student. Who is she?"[/color] she asked quietly, hoping he'd trust her enough to tell her the truth.[/size][/blockquote][/blockquote][/blockquote]

[gavin henry bertram]

Gavin squirmed incessantly in his seat, as if he were trying to find a comfortable way to situate himself atop a large pine cone, it was getting difficult to retain his excitement. He had always been this way. Back in the commune it was easier since no one thought twice about his excitable nature, or had taken his random tangents the wrong way- he might have been the source of amusement for many, but they never reacted the wrong way. He started humming lightly to himself as he began to pour a second cup of tea for himself, waiting for Viola to explain exactly what it was she had Seen, he was most curious...

"I saw you with a red-headed student. Who is she?"

Gavin was so shocked he dropped his teapot. Thankfully, it wasn't from any sort of height, but he still managed to knock over his cup and spill quite a bit of tea over the surface of his desk. What had they been doing in her vision? Had she seen them in a compromising position? Tea was rapidly beginning to soak into the papers he hadn't pushed to the floor, but Gavin didn't notice. He mentally screamed at himself to say something in reply, but his tongue which a moment ago had been so eager, was suddenly very uncooperative.

Blinking out of his stupor, Gavin first pulled his tea-soaked notes out of the puddle on his desk, using his wand to clean up the mess, and took another moment to again find his voice, which seemed to have run away on him. "Wh-what happened?" asked Gavin, "In the vision, I mean." Her Seeing him and Evelyn together didn't necessarily mean that they had been together, perhaps he just needed to calm down- this was where his excitable nature got to be a bit of a nuisance, he always reacted strongly to things. Perhaps there was noting to worry about, though the expression on Viola's face told him otherwise.

[viola kadence thespar]

Viola flinched as the teapot came crashing down. She shot to her feet, cradling her teacup as she backed away from the table, tea flowing across the desk and wetting ungraded papers. She watched Gavin's face contort into something closely related to fear. She wasn't an idiot, she'd been around Gavin her entire life. Viola could see the panic in his eyes, could see the wheels turning. The moment seemed to last forever, hanging in the air as the pair sized each other up, each waiting for the other to say something, anything of value that could potentially alleviate the current situation.

Finally, time restarted, Gavin calming down. He was pretending that she hadn't seen anything compromising. Why? Viola bit her lip, closing in on herself a little bit as she watched him turn towards her, setting a brave expression on his face before plucking the soaked pages from his desk. With a flick of his wand, the area was clean and dry. He turned directed his attention back towards her. His expression stated that he was calm and collected, but his eyes spoke differently.

"Wh-what happened? In the vision, I mean."

Viola found herself shaking slightly. She set her teacup down on the desk, playing with the folds of her skirt. She wanted nothing more than to close in on herself, to lie and tell Gavin that nothing out of the ordinary had happened in the vision, that she'd seen him tutoring her or something. Still, Viola knew that she couldn't lie to Gavin. She looked at him and frowned softly. It was going to hurt the both of them, but Viola knew that she wouldn't tell anyone. Gavin was too much like family, and she didn't want to get him into trouble.

"You didn't answer my question,"

[/color] Viola stated quietly. She looked up at him. "And I think you know what I saw,"[/color] she added in hushed tones. Viola took a step towards Gavin. "I won't tell, I promise... just tell me her name. I want to know what I saw. Then we can talk about why I'm seeing things..."[/color] she said softly.[/size][/blockquote][/blockquote][/blockquote]

[gavin henry bertram]

Gavin licked his lips and forcefully swallowed, though his mouth had suddenly gone entirely dry. This was bad, terrible, even, not when they had been so careful, making sure that nobody had seen... Of course, many people in the commune had seen Evelyn, but aside from himself, Viola, and her father, the rest of them were muggles, so it was a very safe place for them to go, safer perhaps than sneaking off to his office and hoping nobody had seen her go in, yet not exit. But this, Viola's vision, could ruin everything that they had worked so hard to preserve... Though Gavin wasn't entirely sure that Viola would tell.

Her views were more liberated than most, and the fact that Evelyn was technically an adult might sway things in their favour... But the more people that knew about it, the harder it would be for their secret to remain that way... But if Viola wouldn't tell... The wheels in Gavin's head were furiously turning, he needed to stop worrying and actually answer Viola's question. And she called him out on it, and then insisted that she wasn't going to tell. Gavin, however, wasn't exactly feeling relieved at the moment. He busied himself with the single sip left in the bottom of his cup after he'd spilled the vast majority of it.

"Her name is Evelyn Strauss," Gavin said gently, his voice lacking the typical animated nature that it usually had, and was decidedly normal, something which was incredibly out of the ordinary for him. A long pause lapsed as he debated whether or not he was going to add the next bit, though now that the initial chaos in his mind had died down slightly, his heart was screaming at him to speak up. "And I love her," Gavin added, only after he had spoken it aware of the weight of it. He had never admitted to being in love with anyone before, but now he had fully decided that was what he felt. He wanted to not care about who knew, but that would be far too dangerous.

[viola kadence thespar]

Viola watched Gavin struggle internally with the decision to say something. She knew him well enough to see the struggle in his eyes. His demeanor had changed as well. The normally bubbly and quirky man that she'd grown to love like a father figure and admire just as much was now caved in. His chest had curled in on itself as he stood there, nursing the final sip in his tea cup. It was incredible to watch, but it also made her sad. Viola didn't want to potentially do anything to ruin the familial bond that had been formed since her birth.

Viola really did respect Gavin more than most. He and her father were two figures that mattered the most to her. She wanted desperately to learn from Gavin, for him to be her mentor in the terrifying process of coming into her own as a Full Seer. That term was startling to her as she thought about it, but she knew that there was nothing she could do about it at this point. Viola was scared, but Gavin would guide her. At least, she hoped he would. After all of this, she wasn't so sure.

What if he rejected her? What if he lied to her and then refused to speak to her again? It seemed like a petty thing for a grown-man to do to a teenage girl, but she'd seen worse happen. Her own mother had up and left for reasons unknown to Viola when she'd just been a baby. Suddenly, the young Ravenclaw was panicking. What if Gavin left her too? She didn't want to even think about that being a possibility...

"Her name is Evelyn Strauss... and I love her."

Viola looked up at Gavin, startled that he'd responded. She'd been so wrapped up in her fantasies and nightmares that she hadn't expected an answer from him, let alone that answer. She surveyed him in silence for a moment. If Gavin said that he loved this girl, this Evelyn, then it was true. Viola smiled softly. "Well, that's all that really matters then, isn't it?"

[/color] she said softly. Viola finished off her tea, cradling the small and empty cup in her hands, wondering what else Gavin would say about the girl, if anything.[/size][/blockquote][/blockquote][/blockquote]

[gavin henry bertram]

Gavin resumed fidgeting as a pause lapsed after he had admitted to loving Evelyn. A bit of a weight was settling in his chest as he waited for Viola to respond to this, and also because he hadn't yet said it to the red-head. He wasn't exactly sure why, now that he had said it to someone else he felt like he had known for a long time. Fear perhaps? Lack of formal commitment? Gavin did still have his casual lovers, yet that was another topic entirely. He would willingly give them up for her if she requested, but the fact remained that they weren't technically a couple.

They couldn't be, not in their present situation. Gavin again lifted his cup to his lips, having forgotten that it was empty, and found himself sipping at air. He shook his head at himself, placing the cup on the desk before running a hand through his hair. It felt like the silence was going to undo him- it was slowly plucking away at whatever semblance of sanity that he might possess. Thankfully, however, Viola spoke, dissipating all his worries about her having Seen them together, even temporarily shoving away the thoughts of how Evelyn might react to his polyamorous lifestyle.

Viola had approved of them. Gavin wasn't so sure why his giddiness had suddenly been replaced based on a fourteen-year-old's approval about his lifestyle choices, but he was immensely relieved. Perhaps since Viola was different to him, rather than just another student, another teenage girl. He'd watched her grow up in the commune, they were essentially family, she was almost like a little sister to him. He beamed, bouncing a little in his seat rather than squirming uncomfortably. This day was certainly full of its twists and turns, but he was happy to be excited again.

"Yes, it is!" Gavin said excitedly, now wondering why he was worried at all. Viola had been brought up in the same manner that he had been- surely she was also of the philosophy that love should have no limits between consenting adults. So silly of him. He took a deep breath and released it heavily. "So about these visions of yours," said Gavin, doing as he typically did and changing the topic without warning, "I'm guessing it was the first you've had- I've never felt that aura from you."