[Hogsmeade] The Mask & The Mirror [Kieran/Open]

[Brooke Kennedy]

The truth was, Brooke never normally cared much for Christmas until the actual day when she received her presents. That was the best part about Christmas for her, receiving elegantly wrapped gifts and Brooke had become quite accustomed to noticing if the wrapping was of high quality, usually so was the present. Of course she secretly enjoyed seeing her family’s faces when they opened the gifts she had given them but she would never admit to breaking from her regular routine of selfishness. She remembered back to last Christmas, sat around the tree a year younger than she was now with her twin Bryn, and her favourite sister Alicia sat in between Bryn’s legs rattling the presents slightly, listening intently as if it would give away its secret.

She remembered the family dinner, how her and Bryn had a food fight with the peas, most of them ending up being flicked into poor Ali’s curly hair and taking ages to pull out without squashing them into her blonde locks. As she laughed at the reminder of Ali’s unimpressed face, Bryn took the opportunity and poured some apple sauce down the back of Brooke’s trousers, the cold and lumpy texture felt very odd to Brooke, especially where he poured it, and Brooke thought the worst, not even aware that Bryn had poured something down there. Excusing herself from the table, she rushed to the bathroom only to realise that Bryn had made her think she’d soiled herself, so in revenge, she came out and flung the apple sauce from her bum back at him. He soon squealed.

Holding back the laughter as she reached Hogsmeade, she stepped from the gravel onto the cobbles and did a slight hop before she continued her normal way of walking and the same pace. She normally liked shopping like most girls, but instead of enjoying it, she became stressed at finding the right gifts for her family and friends. There were many things to buy and she had to get them all today.
“Why did I wait so long? I’m more like Bryn every damn day” she mumbled under her breath before pushing open and shaking her head slightly. A tickle overhead notified the shop keeper of Brooke’s arrival, and she looked up, giving the old man who owned Scrivenshaft's Quill Shop a slight smile and a nod in greeting. First stop, Ali’s present.

Browsing the many shelves and surfaces full of writing equipment, Brooke knew what to get Ali but she was unsure of what kind. She wanted it to be pretty yet elegant, a factor that would still look beautiful in a year when she had grown up slightly and something that she would still want to use and re-read in a couple of years. She wanted the new chapter of her life to look pretty, maybe it would bring her a good year? Stupid logic.
It was then she saw it, a golden yellow quill with a silver nib and an amber coloured feather that screamed Hufflepuff elegance. Brooke grinned from ear to ear as sat next to it was a perfectly matching diary, complete with glittering jewels on the cover. They were perfect.

Taking them to the counter she quickly paid for them, and to be gift wrapped before leaving the shop with a small black giftbag. Looking down into the bag, she was grinning as she saw the white and silver wrapping paper and walked out of the shop, bumping into someone lightly. Looking up, she breathed out, not realising she had gasped at the shock.

“Sorry!” she apologised before scurrying away.
Pushing her hair away from her face as she walked down the street, she did a double take. No bracelet was on her wrist. Oh great! Looking back at the entrance to the shop, the woman had gone and so if she had stolen it then there was no chance Brooke would get it back now. Becoming flustered, she dropped to the floor, frantically searching the dirty street to find the bracelet that Bryn had given her just a few years ago.

“Oh man, is he gonna kill me” she breathed.

[Kieran Davies]

Christmas was a time for family, or so he was told. He never really understood that concept, but that was probably because his mum and dad were never around. Always too busy, even on Christmas, to spend the Holidays with their son. Kieran was an only child, he didn’t have any brothers or sisters, but over the years gained brothers in friends. Ollie had become a brother to him, and Ollie’s mother had become a mother figure to Kieran. He was always round theirs at the Holidays, his mother bought him Christmas Presents, and Birthday Presents and that was the way it had been for years. Ollie and Kieran had even been known to be asked if they were brothers, they had enough sibling like fights.

The two of them used to sneak downstairs and try to guess the presents. Though every kid did that. Now he was getting older, the idea of Christmas never really excited him anymore, it was just another day. Kieran and Ollie had already decided over the Holidays that they were to have a party. Obviously no doubt Rie would be there, and Max most likely. Rie had warned Kieran that Max tends to slip back into his gay persona when he’s drunk, which Kieran had shuddered at slightly and asked that he then stay away from Kieran. It was most likely Dante was coming too, and he was bringing Paige, Alice and Rosalie. Kieran wondered if Paige had given in to Dante yet. Lucas would obviously be there trying to get into any girl he possibly could. Kieran on the other hand, if he had a beer was fine without a girl on his arm. An accessory.

Kieran had already gotten Rie’s present. A small white tiger cub teddy bear. He had bought a dog collar and inscribed the word ‘Rie’ on it, knowing Rie would get the joke even if everyone else didn’t. He had bought Ollie new broom equipment which was supposed to help the dynamics of it which in turn would make it go faster and be as though it was once more new, along with a little lion to stick on the end. Just cause he thought it would be funny. It was bright pink too, so he doubted Ollie would use it, but it was tradition for him to buy Ollie something stupid, last year he bought an orange and wrapped the peel and seeds up for him. He only had Lucas, Dante, Ollie’s mum, Kendra and Fay to buy for now. Though what a part Veela would want he was at a loss for, maybe a book like 101 ways for you to not release your charm on unsuspecting poor males when drunk. Kieran really hated Christmas shopping, this was the time he missed Kendra most of all, she did all his shopping for him and got it perfect every time.

He walked into a book shop. Not that Dante or anyone he knew would appreciate a book. Though that was when he saw a perfect one for Lucas. Get the girl of your dreams. 100 ways to successfully charm even the most powerful of Veela! He knew Lucas would see the funny side of it, so he bought it, paid for it, and then went back out into the street. He already had an idea of what to get Ollie’s mum. Some form of charm necklace or something. Apart from that, he was at a loss of what to buy anyone else. Where was Kendra when you needed her.

He leant on a wall and looked around at the people when one caught his eye. He had seen this woman before, she was a known thief and a damn good one at that. As she scurried away from Brooke, Kieran followed the woman and pulled his wand out as she took a wrong turn down a dead end allyway, turning she saw Kieran, who had his wand pointing at her face and his left hand held open. “I don’t like thieves. Especially thieves who steal from my mate’s sister. Now, I wont hex you if you hand the bracelet back.” She looked at him sceptically, so pulling his wand back, he was about to throw a damn good bat-bogey hex her way but she yelled at him to stop and threw the silver bracelet to him. “Get lost thief.” He snarled as she rushed past him and back onto the main street, as far away from Kieran as she could.

Kieran made his way back up the street towards Brooke, standing in front of her he dangled the bracelet in front of her. “Lose something?” He knew Bryn had bought her that bracelet, and he knew it had cost him a fair bit too. “You ought to be more careful, do you wanna go grab a drink or something?”

[Brooke Kennedy]

My, did Brooke have some shopping to do. Ali’s present could now be crossed off the list but what in mandrake’s name was she going to buy for Bryn? Being twins, you’d think she would know what to get automatically but recently he had not hinted towards anything which he wanted like he usually did, very subtly of course. Brooke scoffed a small laughed inside her head at her own thought. Neither did her twin secret sense seem to be matched up with his at the minute either, which sucked for her timing. It was not just Bryn’s however; she still had to get the other five members of her family presents as well as her friends. Christmas shopping seemed to get more work each year.

Brooke was too trusting recently. Normally if someone walked into her, she would probably call them an idiot or shout at them, telling them to watch where they were walking or something rather rude, depending on her mood of course and what the reaction of the person to their action. Normally if someone had stolen her bracelet right off her wrist, Brooke would have chased them and given them a slap for the pure cheek of trying to steal off a Gryffindor, not to mention a Kennedy. Heck, Kennedy’s were never taken for a fool. That was the common denominator in the family, they were definitely not idiots.

As she clambered about on the floor testing her eyesight to try and find the bracelet, it seemed she had lost it for good and she was about to stand up and go back to the Quill shop when no-one other than Kieran Davies stood in front of her dangling the bracelet in her face like a fisherman with his prize catch of the day. Grinning, Brooke jumped up and wrapped her arms around his neck, squealing in delight that she wasn’t a dead witch walking. That excited she was that she began to repeat thank you to him over and over again, wrapping her legs around his waist and kissing his forehead in sheer delight. Grabbing the bracelet from his fingers as she untwined her arms from him and dropped herself to the floor, she grinned ecstatically and she quickly wiped it on her black skinny jeans as if there was a visible thief germ that she had to rid before it infected her. Slipping it back onto her wrist, she let it clink onto the others that were on her wrist before she sighed in happiness, just happy that she really wasn’t going to die by the hands of her own brother. What a tragic death.

Brooke felt slightly sorry for Kieran not having the closeness with his family like the Kennedy’s did with theirs. He was an only child and she imagined it being quite lonely and boring on your own. Heck, she had five other siblings, two younger than her and Bryn and two older so the house was never empty and the house was definitely never quiet. It was how Brooke liked it and she couldn’t imagine having any fewer siblings to annoy or talk with, especially if she didn’t have Bryn. ‘What a weird world it would be if I didn’t have a twin’ she thought before realising she had not answered Kieran for a while and her eyes flicked back up to look at him.

“Oh, a drink sounds good. Thanks again Kieran, you're a lifesaver...literally" she announced, elbowing Kieran playfully in the ribs. Kieran knew just as well as she did how Bryn was, and how he would react if he found out she'd lost her bracelet, and not only that but that she was mugged.
"So, i'm assuming you're in Hogsmeade for shopping too?" she enquired as they began to walk down the street, Brooke slipping her arm into the crook of Kieran's comfortably.

[Kieran Davies]

Kieran had some shopping to do as well, but he could put it off for another day. Why do today what you can do tomorrow? He still had to buy his mother and father one, but since his mother and father were rarely around he didnt have a clue what he could buy them. He didnt know what they would like, apart from a plane ticket away from London. Which was fine with him, he had more fun staying with the LaRoque's anyway. He couldnt understand these closenit families, those who moaned when they had to go home for christmas or bitched about their parents. Kieran always had to bite his tongue to stop himself from flying off at the deepend of them.

Kieran walked back up the street, the bracelet in his hand as he watched Brooke on the floor, frantically searching for the silver object which was now in Kieran's hands. This wasnt like Brooke to be so careless, he knew her and knew what she was like, there was no way she'd be on her hands and knee's searching for it. She would be running down the street trying to find the idiot who thought she could get away with thieving from her. Brooke Kennedy was a very scary female. Then again, most females scared Kieran, they were a very strange race and a lot of the time Kieran found them intimidating.

As he stood over Brooke, dangling the bracelet for her to see, she looked at him for a moment with a blank expression on her face. He gave her a grin and jingled the bracelet childishly infront of her. Though when she jumped up Kieran jumped backwards slightly for she had moved that fast it had startled the poor Gryffindor. He found her arms around his neck which he laughed at and soon she jumped up and wrapped her legs around his waist, this would possibily look odd to passers by. He gripped his arms under her legs so she wouldnt fall and break her back, then Bryn would kill him. Which wouldnt be good. She was squealing thankyou's repeatedly, he kept repeating that it was nothing, it was fine. Then she proceeded to kiss him on the top of his head. He had expected some kind of witty remark from her, not this. "I should rescue your personal belongings more often...." He mumbled and have a laugh. She let go of him and took the bracelet back, slipping it back on her wrist with the million other bracelets she had on.

If you told Kieran you felt sorry for him for not being close to his family he would shrug it off. He was never all that bothered by it. Kieran had an extended family and he felt as though his real home was here in Hogwarts. It made him sad when he thought this was his last year here. It was like he was losing his home. Though the months were passing quickly and the fact that he knew his time here was coming fast to a close, not knowing what he would do with himself after he left. He hadnt even thought about it, he tried not to if he was honest.

"Dont worry about it, just dont tell Bryn you lost it." He smiled, "Come on then, we'll go to my cousins club." He told her as she slipped her arm through his he began leading her up the street to Club Motion. "Yeah, I have some more presents to buy but I can finish it up tomorrow." He shrugged, this was really his first year lone shopping, "I still have Ollie, Fay, Ollie's mother and a couple of others to buy for yet. I got Lucas'" He grinned and pulled out the book he bought him, "Its more of a joking thing really, this is Rie's" He showed her the little wolf teddy he bought with Rie inscribed on the collar. "I suck at this buying thing."

[Brooke Kennedy]

Brooke knew that most men were not very good at shopping, and she was sure Kieran was no different. She couldn’t actually recall ever shopping with him because men didn’t make very good companions when girls tended to go a little nutty as a fruitcake when it came to shopping. Brooke was no exception to the typical girly behaviour, but Kieran definitely could not be seen as the shopping type.

If Brooke were to know that Kieran would be planning to spend Christmas with Ollie and the La’Roque’s again, the mood she was in might have even sent her to offer him to stay with the Kennedy’s for his Christmas period. After all, with all the Kennedy’s crowded round their dinner table, what were one more person and one more mouth to feed? With Brooke’s frame of mind currently, she would of forced him to spend it with them if she’d of known.

As she saw the slight twinkle of the silver bracelet, she acted very unlike her usual self, but that of course was because she wasn’t herself at least she didn’t feel like she was. She was unsure why in her mind she had suddenly ‘gone soft’ but as she more or less jumped on Kieran, she was just glad that he could hold her weight. As she did, she got a slight scent of Kieran’s deodorant or whatever it was and it smelt nice and manly to her. What was getting into her, she really was gone in the head.
“You smell good” she simply stated before jumping off of him.
Yes, she definitely had gone soft. As if the real Brooke would ever say that to somebody! More like ‘You smell bad’ even if it was untrue.
Judging by Kieran’s expression he was too shocked at the words that slipped out of her mouth and by her over-excited actions. Brooke would never jump on somebody like that, unless of course you were being used so she could see better for a concert or something.

“Oh, I definitely won’t be telling him. Do you really think I want him stealing an axe from one of the suits of armour and wielding it after me around the common room? No thanks!” she chuckled, picking up her back with her present for Ali in it.
“Motion?...great! I’ve not been there since that party. How’s your cousin anyway?” she said making conversation. As they started walking, she smiled as Kieran reeled off the list of people he had yet to buy presents for.
“Maybe we should shop together. I have so much to do but I don’t know where the heck to start first! Everyone is so difficult to please this year...” she sighed, when in fact she was just trying harder than usual. Normally she would either know exactly what to get or she would just get them something little and not be bothered whether they liked it or not. It was the thought that counted, right?

“Oh” Brooke gasped before a fit of giggles commenced.
“That’s really clever, Kieran. I’m sure Rieko will adore it. Lucas will kill you, you know that right? Well at least he’ll try! Bless him. He’s so weedy I wonder if he’s ever going to fill out” she pondered out loud as they finally got to Club Motion and Brooke pushed open the door.