alittlemirror | wit beyond measure is man's greatest treasure

wit beyond measure is man's greatest treasure

To say Jade is displeased would be an understatement. It's not that he cares about this detention tarnishing his record, no. He doesn't really care about his record. What he does care about is how it cuts into his studying time. He had just come across a particularly fascinating snippet on the nature of death and the soul...

(And besides, those Hufflepuffs had started it with their incessant chattering. They're like a less annoying version of Saphir, and nobody had ever really objected when he hexed Saphir. And it's not like he used a serious hex; he just sealed and removed their mouths. Easily reversible, if they knew what they were doing - and knew how to use nonverbal spells.

After all, what kind of first-year doesn't know how to use nonverbal spells?)

But someone had taken offense to his hex, and now he finds himself trudging to Professor Rammsteiner's office, growing increasingly irritated at the loss of his study time. From what he's heard of detentions, they usually entail doing useless, mundane tasks easily accomplished with a little creative wandwork. He's thought about ignoring Professor Rammsteiner's orders more than once, but he's also been told that it would just lead to more detentions and thus a bigger waste of time.

Oh well. He's here now. With one last irritated sigh, he raises his hand to the door and knocks.

"Professor Rammsteiner? This is Jade Curtiss."

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He knows Professor Rammsteiner is hiding from him when he shows up at his door early next morning as promised, only to find no one there.

It's annoying, but he supposes dealing with Professor Eichel is a big step for someone as passive as Professor Rammsteiner is. Jade decides to give him some time.

He gives him one day. Then another.

The third day is a school holiday. Jade breaks into Professor Rammsteiner's rooms, as is habit by now, and when he finds no one there he simply sighs and leaves. This time, however, he doesn't go back to his dormitory. Instead, he stays outside Professor Rammsteiner's rooms and Conjures up a book and chair, settling down to wait.

Heine does have to come back eventually. Unfortunately. He returns from a late night meal (for some value of that word) in the dining hall, only to see one of the two people he's least inclined to speak to sitting outside his door.

For a second Heine pauses, down at the other end of the hall. Then he just sighs and walks the rest of the way to his door and starts to unlock it without looking at Jade. If he follows through the doorway, however, Heine says nothing.

He's just turning to a new page when the person he's waiting for arrives. Jade sets his book down on his lap and simply stares at Professor Rammsteiner, unblinking, waiting to see if he'll approach or run the other way.

He's faintly surprised when Professor Rammsteiner comes towards him instead of away. He stands, dismissing the book and chair with a flick of his wand, and following Professor Rammsteiner into his rooms.

Once inside, he closes the door and locks it with magic. Only then does he face Professor Rammsteiner with a frown.

"Are you finally ready to talk?" He asks, and there's a faint note of bitterness in his voice that he isn't aware of.

Heine takes a second before answering. Once he gives the dog an inch, it wants to take the mile; after dealing with Professor Eichel a good part of him wants to put away the other half of the ugly business by blocking Jade out of his life completely.

He settles for a vague shrug. No, he's not ready to talk, but he'll try.

"Has he come near you?" he asks, for a start.

It's not at all a positive response, but it's a start, Jade supposes. He shakes his head.

"No. I haven't gone to him either." Even though he told me to go that night. But Jade had decided not to go, and he hadn't felt anything tugging at his mind, forcing him to obey. It was...odd, but he thought Professor Eichel was simply biding his time. It weighs down on him, filling him with an urge to do something.

If only Professor Rammsteiner would cooperate...

"Then don't." Heine's not sure if the orders he gave would extend to repelling Jade if he approached Professor Eichel, and he doesn't want to test it out.

Jade frowns. "I still want to use him, you know."

Something else about the suggestion grates at him too. He's not Professor Rammsteiner, to deal with his problems by turning away from them.

"Do it from a distance," Heine mutters. Professor Eichel is still dangerous, and he could use his magic again on Jade. Then we could—fuck, shut the fuck up.

He drags a hand over his face and shakes his head slightly. "Just don't go near him again."

"Oh? Should I send him owls?" Jade asks, biting. Why is Professor Rammsteiner being so stubborn about this? Jade's fingers curl.

"I thought we had an agreement."

Owls would work. Maybe. Until Professor Eichel started putting spells into those.

"I don't see why you want to talk to him," Heine admits after a second. He really doesn't understand the burning desire Jade apparently feels to see that woman again. Is this all worth it?

Jade's answer comes immediately.

"I want to learn from him." He is matter-of-fact, as if the answer should be obvious. To him, it is, and he can't understand why Professor Rammsteiner fails to grasp something so simple. "Is that so hard to understand?"

But why, when Professor Eichel is someone like that? Heine can't understand that. (But then, it's easier for Heine to give up on things.)

"Fine. I'm just telling you," Heine stops, takes a breath. "It's a bad idea."

"It has its risks," Jade acknowledges. "Which is why I'd rather bind him if I can."

He levels a stare at Professor Rammsteiner. "Will you help me?"

After a moment, Heine mutters, "If you need me."

He doesn't want to get nearer, but nor does he feel he can walk away. So: compromise. Of a sort. He can do that.

For once, Professor Rammsteiner manages to give Jade pause. He's not used to needing other people, not used to asking for help without being able to offer anything in return.

But finally, he nods. "Yes, I do. I need you." He thinks about the bindings that must be weaving through his mind right now, anchoring him to Profesor Eichel. "I can't overpower him on my own."

He'd agreed, and now he can't go back on it. If Professor Eichel strikes back, then he can do something. Help Jade. Make this situation slightly better, even.

Heine nods. "Now?"

There's a flicker of surprise in Jade's eyes as he looks at Professor Rammsteiner. "You're not going to ask me to wait?"

He thought he would have to navigate yet another game of hesitations and avoidance, slowly coaxing Professor Rammsteiner into seeing things his way with aggressive bluntness, as he has always done.

"...no." They should just get this done with. And then we can do worse to him.

Ugh. Heine sighs and jerks his head towards the door.

It looks like no explanation is forthcoming, so Jade nods and heads back out again. He can understand the desire to just be on their way and finish this, he supposes. It's what he wants as well, although he wishes he had done more preparations; he hadn't expected to be going right this moment.

He'll lead the way to Professor Eichel's office. It's where he usually spends his days off, engrossed with a paper, with Jade sitting at his feet busy with his own studies. There's no guarantee that Professor Eichel will be there that day, but it's a decent place to start looking, Jade supposes.

Heine follows Jade. The office isn't far, but the short walk is enough to make him feel deep apprehension. Rising up in his mind is his dog, excited by his mood.

When they reach the door Heine lets Jade knock for him. Professor Eichel answers with a smile; Heine stands a few feet behind Jade, watching.

Professor Eichel is smiling, but there's something off about his smile, Jade thinks. There's a tight line at the corner of his teacher's mouth as he asks: "What can I help the two of you with?"

Jade wonders if he's trying to exert his influence over him right now. But he feels lucid enough, his mind sharp and clear, his focus entirely on his goal.

"I want you to break whatever curse you put on me," he says, fingers curling around his wand but not pointing it at Professor Eichel just yet.

You let him live. The dog snarls, deprecating and quietly furious. Heine just tries to ignore it.

Professor Eichel keeps smiling.

"I didn't place any curse on you." There's no tangible sense of power, but he still speaks with authority.

"Don't talk semantics," Jade replies, cold. His eyes narrow. There's only Professor Eichel and him now, and the bonds that tie him to the older man; nothing and no one else matters. "You know what spell you cast on me. Whatever it is, remove it."

And maybe he can learn something while that spell is being removed.

Professor Eichel's eyes narrow too, in response, his expression utterly focused on Jade. With Heine here, he can't be too obvious. Slowly, he applies pressure without looking directly at him. There's no spell. You can leave. Come back alone, later.

"I've already agreed, since Heine asked." He shrugs, hands spread wide. "I don't want any more from you, or from him."

Professor Eichel's eyes catch him, holding him in place. Jade stills, and--

Surprise jolts him into action. He whips around to face Professor Rammsteiner, eyes wide in an expression of incredulity. "You've spoken with Professor Eichel?"

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