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Post by Gabriel Sutherland on Jan 12, 2008 13:52:15 GMT -5
Now, as one could come to suspect by now, Gabriel's unique attitude toward life tended to attract all sorts of problems. He just wanted to help...that's all Gabe was about and being young coupled with that odd idealism was.......well...dangerous and problematic. Some people had to be approached differently, some people like Kat here. Gabriel had certainly pissed her off and while that might have been another's intention with her kind, it wasn't his. The tap she gave him on the forehead quickly sent up all sorts of red flags and warnings of danger, but as always, this just sent Gabe into further pursuit in order to pacify the situation. He didn't like it when people were mad at him and by mad I mean genuinely mad...not just annoyed.
Taking a deep breath, he assessed the situation and hoped to move it into a more positive direction. With Kat however, this might prove to be more difficult that first thought, but hey...Gabriel Sutherland wasn't one to tuck tail and run at the first sign of difficulty. No sir, everyone was worth the time and effort, no matter how hard it got and while Kat didn't yet realize it, she would be thanking him later for all his efforts.
"It wasn't my intention to bother you....I just thought you might like the company," he said calmly, his smile fading just a bit. Gabe wore his heart on his sleeve and while most threats tossed his way were disregarded, moments like these hit their mark. He didn't want to upset Kat, never his goal, and the look on his face, the kind one gets after they run over their own dog, told as much.
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Post by Lillian 'Kat' Gillespie on Jan 12, 2008 16:45:12 GMT -5
Kat arched her left eyebrow as she listened to Gabe apologize - in a way. She hated the way that he looked completely pitiful right now but still she couldn't let that effect her judgment. Beside for all she knows he could just be playing her up or something. Either way she was still annoyed, a little less but that irritation was still there.
"You thought that I would like some company?", she repeated his own words as if she wasn't exactly connecting with it, sort of like she couldn't believe they were talking about the same thing. "What gave you an idea like that? The fact that I was enjoying my book in peace or perhaps the way that I intentionally sat alone in the corner?" She gave a slight pause her expression demanding some sort of valid answer. "Look..." she was going to call him by name but realized she didn't know it, and she wasn't going to ask so after a moment she just continued on with her sentence, "I don't know where you come from but when people are reading, alone, with the option of socializing and not taking it.. well that means they aren't crying out for someone to keep them company." She furrowed her brow a little as she stood there, realizing just how much she was talking to him.. even if it was still all negative.
She couldn't keep going like this, could she? So she took the first step that came to mind, moving her hands out in front of her and making a similar sweeping gesture that is meant to ask someone to stop. "How about I throw you a bone here? I'll run down to the dungeons and you scamper off and get your tea set and will hop out onto the lawns and sip green tea and make daisy chains til the sun goes down? Would that make you happy?" Really she wasn't holding back on slathering the whole comment with sarcasm so she doubted that even in this seemingly dull state of mind would he really believe her offer.
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Post by Gabriel Sutherland on Jan 12, 2008 20:40:46 GMT -5
Gabriel wasn't slow or incompetent by any means and while his grades weren't anything spectacular, they still spoke for themselves. Sure, he wasn't top of his class or even in the top five percent, but he was still highly recognizable to almost everyone. He had made prefect for his house and while it still wasn't head boy, it was still a position to be proud of, especially for a muggle born such as himself. It meant he had earned some respect from his professors and peers and while not all of the other houses might have looked upon him as anything special, he was still something in the end. So when Kat began to insult his intelligence, it sort of triggered a more aggressive side of Gabriel, something which didn't make it out all that often.
"Don't take me for an imbecile miss....," he said finding he had the same problem as Kat did....he didn't know her name at all. His anger quickly disappearing, Gabriel found his famous smile again. He took a breath and collected his thought quickly before his tongue said things he didn't really mean, "If your not going to be honest with me about things, because we both know your just wanting to get away from me at this point and if I let you go then I'll never get to make my daisy chain," he rambled on, laughing a little bit, "Anyway..," he said shaking his head to get back on track, "The point I was getting to is this...Whether you realize now or not, you wanted company. If you really wanted to read a book in peace, you would have picked somewhere a little less occupied, like your common room or the lawns or even the astronomy tower....not the over crowded library," he finished, throwing his view on the situation out there, "As I said, I was just trying to be nice......Something that wouldn't kill you to be every once in a while," he said, letting out a slow breath, still holding onto his smile and lowering his head every so slightly, but keeping his eyes locked onto Kat's.
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Post by Lillian 'Kat' Gillespie on Jan 12, 2008 21:03:12 GMT -5
Kat narrowed her left eye when it appeared as if he was going to go on a rant. However he ran out of steam very quickly and she let it relax a little. Perhaps she did hit a nerve, however it still didn't seem to deter him talking to her. And just what was his motive for this? It wasn't like his friends could be watching now where they stood.. Surely she made this far too complicated to want to fulfill some dare - probably talking to a Slytherin or so.. Because her house was so cut throat it was clearly foolish of someone outside the house to take such an annoying and aggressive approach.
She gave a sigh as he went on about honesty and something about her still wanting company. Well he wanted her to be honest, alright.. she would be. "I really don't think that you're being honest with me. I mean did Hogwarts start up some kind of buddy club and this is your initiation? Do the impossible and make a Slytherin your friend?" She didn't usually associate with anyone outside of her own house but that was because she usually didn't have to. And it wasn't like she really knew Gabe at all, not even being able to recall having any classes with him so there was really nothing there even in the slightest (that she could remember) to pursue.
She exhaled softly, "And I do go to the library to be alone. Usually everyone in there is working on school work and the view is wonderful. The lawns are the worst place to go if you want peace and quiet and you can't escape irritable chatter if you stay in the common rooms." She had let her eyes glance away towards the wall beside them but she brought them back on Gabe. He could be funny, either when he tried or when she gave him good props. Maybe he wasn't so annoying if he wasn't trying to summon up rainbows and baby bunnies...
"Why are you really talking to me?" She might as well get this out in the open. "I mean I'm not really friendly and I hope whatever reason you have, this has been worth it." If he was so kind and such (what chance is there of that???) well then she had put him through hell... well not yet, but it wasn't as if it's been a cake walk.. well, if he was that kind she didn't know.. but it made her feel a little sick.
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Post by Gabriel Sutherland on Jan 12, 2008 21:58:54 GMT -5
Kat was still being somewhat aggressive, but her tone wasn't quite as sharp as it had been. She was letting her guard down a tad and if Gabriel could play his cards right, he could actually find himself on Kat's good side. Now, this could be taken one of two ways, either the obvious one, a rather handsome young man taking interest in a very attractive young woman hoping to score......some intimate time or just as he had said, someone trying to be friendly and nice to someone else. Kat was attractive and Gabriel would be hard pressed to deny that and to be honest, he really wouldn't. Kat was tugging at that side of him and he liked it and if he wanted Kat to start being honest, then he was himself...starting right now with this.
"I'm talking to you....because you looked like you could use a laugh or two," he said, glancing away for just a bit and then taking a long deep breath, "That....and I think your pretty," he said sort of boyishly, not really sure how to address the situation. He let his explanation drop there, shrugging his shoulders as he slipped his hands into his pockets once again. He laughed a bit nervously, glancing down at his feet before forcing himself to look Kat in the eye once again. He knew he had to say something else or she wasn't going to believe him and he could understand, considering which house she came from. "Honest...no jokes or strings attached...nothing," he said, being as honest as he could be, he just hoped she would believe him this time.
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Post by Lillian 'Kat' Gillespie on Jan 12, 2008 22:39:00 GMT -5
Kat narrowed her eyes in disbelief as he explained why he had been talking to her. She wasn't the kind of girl that went far out of her way to get a guys attention... Not that she went around nasty or anything.. It's just she wasn't showing off skin and giggling on cue at their stupid remarks. So it was a little hard to believe that he was genuinely interested in her. Still none the less she was getting a little tired of arguing with him. If he wasn't being honest with her by now then he wasn't going to be.
She exhaled slowly, her shoulders relaxing a bit as she did. "In case you haven't noticed I'm not really the kind of girl who laughs...." She paused, pressing her lips together just slightly in thought. What would she say to his... compliment? She didn't get those often (at least from an attractive guy who's reputation wasn't already spoiled) This guy was so goody two shoes.. it's sort of sad to put forth any more effort to crush him right now, right? Was it she genuinely felt sorry for him or was it she was just too tired of this that she was looking for a good excuse to.. to what? Let him go.. or... She didn't know. She hadn't come across anyone who acted quiet like him.
She gave a slight forced smile, almost as if someone winning a bet and telling you 'I told you so' before she let her lips fall back into a straight line. "Well if you are a really smart guy I'm sure you can see I'm not worth your effort. I'm far too moody and pessimistic to be around, much less talk to." She wasn't actually downing herself, not really.. she thought there was nothing wrong with the way she acted and the way she viewed life.. It was just he and her were way different and she would definitely put a damper on his parade. Perhaps it was a logical way of trying to tell him it just wouldn't work out.
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Post by Gabriel Sutherland on Jan 12, 2008 23:29:00 GMT -5
Gabriel gave a frown of sorts when he heard Kat's lame excuse, the typical views and opinions he always heard from everyone around him. The worn out idea that everyone had to fit into certain little cliques and what not and then you weren't supposed to associate with anyone outside of that particular little special group. If it wasn't bad enough that the parents were forcing it down their children's throats, the school even chipped in a divided everybody up into these retarded houses. Then in some sycophant way, expected everyone to get along while competing for house points and quidditch trophies...yeah, brilliant idea there. Heck, it was a wonder if any wizard in the world was still alive thanks to all this foolish philosophy.
"Well, last time I checked, you didn't decide who was worth my efforts," he said, emphasizing the word 'my'. Gabriel knew that by the same statement, he couldn't decide if someone liked him or not, but he had to at least try because if no one else was going to, then what was the point of working side by side like this. If none of the houses could get along, then why put them all together like this, why not open three other school devoted to just one idea? "Besides, your not as bad as you might like to make yourself out to be," he said smiling again, "Do you honestly think I care what house or family you come from?," he asked her, waving his arm about now, obviously getting worked up. Gabe had a major panic button and Kat had hit it. He couldn't let any opportunity to tear down division slip by him, heck it would kill him if he did.
Gabe stepped away from Kat for a moment, standing to her left as he tried to collect his thoughts once again. Usually he didn't have this much trouble keeping his wits about him, but something about Kat seemed to shut his brain down entirely. She had his flustered, but in a good sort of way. Gabe saw the good in everyone but with Kat it was more...he saw something extra in her. Call it puppy love or love at first sight, whatever craptastic sappy Disney spiel you want, but Gabe was attracted to Kat and whether she realized it yet or not, he was helpless around her.
"Give me a chance.....," he asked her, looking back to her now, smiling weakly, "Just a walk around the school and if you still don't like me, then I'll leave you alone...," he threw out there, offering Kat his hand, waiting patiently and nervously.
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Post by Lillian 'Kat' Gillespie on Jan 13, 2008 0:02:12 GMT -5
Kat watched Gabe as he flustered about there for a moment. It's funny she hadn't really complained or commented about not liking him because his house or his family.. nor that because she was a Slytherin pure blood that she couldn't associate with him. And as of right now she was unaware of his house or blood status. Of course it's easy to misinterpret a Slytherins words or true meaning. She was guessing right now that he was probably a Gryffindor.. Surely a Ravenclaw would have headed towards the books and stayed there. He was out going and social like so he seemed to fit the profile.
She gave a slight shrug as he told her that she wasn't able to tell him who was and who wasn't worth his time. And it was almost funny that he thought he knew her in a since, claiming she wasn't as bad as she let on to be. Who was being judgmental here? I mean even if it was to compliment her he really didn't have a clue what he was getting in to.
Well if Gabe was nervous making that offer to Kat, well surely he was almost a wreck while she took her time standing there, looking at his hand. Did she really want to walk around the school with him? First response would be 'no'. Still he had this appeal to him that made it hard to say no. Now she could usually resist these sort of things and just the fact that she was having trouble refusing him right now was irritating enough. And would she be a hypocrite if she didn't 'give him a chance'? She usually wasn't openly generous with this either. I mean upon chance meetings she formed an opinion but that was it. She wasn't letting anyone pencil in appointments when she had a perfectly free day to do as she pleased. She wasn't a shoulder to cry on and she wasn't some pretty doll you could pull the string of and have her saying all these catchy phrases. Kat did what she wanted on her own time and she didn't like to have someone she felt wanted to be entertained. *Gromph*
Still he was really attractive.. annoying but she couldn't deny he did look rather appealing. She almost slipped a smile as she visualized this strange satire of her pulling a turkey out of the oven, her hair all flipped out at the ends and dressed like people day way back in the day when TV was first created. Ruby red lipstick as she turned to him at the table where he smoked his pipe and read the paper talking together about something and using words like 'swell', seeing who could smile more.. or at least seeming to. But she finally drifted back to reality and the corners of her mouth moved back to their usual position. What could it hurt? This wasn't going to last and when it ended bad she could go out in style...
She gave another shrug, not seeming as negative as before. And stepped up beside him. Alright she would walk with him but there was no way in hell she was holding his hand. And to make that clear she looked back down at it, "I'm perfectly capable of walking myself so there's no need.." Sure.. she was a b*tch but this is actual mild compared to what she could be. Besides, she didn't shoot him down did she? "Did you just want to walk around the school in the halls or outside?" She was sort of making this sound like a chore, but then again that's just what she did. She was negative Nelly and she seemed as if she were doing a task rather than something leisurely..
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Post by Gabriel Sutherland on Jan 13, 2008 0:17:54 GMT -5
Gabe stood there, hand out in mid-air for what seemed like an eternity....Okay, so maybe it wasn't quite that long, but when your a guy and your waiting on a woman to decide or make up her mind...well...let's just say the world seems to come to an abrupt halt and time slows down considerably. Gabriel fought the urge to drop his hand as he waited, pressed his smile even harder and did his best to remember what his father had taught him about women...then he completely erased that thought and remembered the better advice his mother had given him.
A little odd look slipped over Gabe's face as Kat finally fell in beside him, letting him know his hand or arm was not needed and to be honest, finding someone who still offered old style customs like that was a rarity anymore. He really couldn't fault Kat for refusing, after all, he was sure the only boys who acted like that were the stuck up pure bloods and he really didn't want to come across like that. "Its called courtesy...not help," he said softly as he took a breath and dropped his hand to his side, nodding off down the hallway before them, "The corridors are fine with me," he said with a smile again, taking a step to lead the way, hoping Kat wouldn't suddenly take off in the other direction as soon as his head was turned.
"Gabriel Sutherland," he said with a laugh as if he just remembered his own name, "Forgot to introduce myself there," he said scratching the side of his temple with his finger just slightly, "Sorry about that," he added, as he carefully watched Kat now, hoping she would follow suit and introduce herself, but judging by how things had gone so far, she probably wouldn't and then Gabe would be forced to peck at her some more. Then again, if Kat was as bright as she looked, she would already realize this little tid bit of information and rather quickly reciprocate the gesture.
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Post by Lillian 'Kat' Gillespie on Jan 13, 2008 11:12:15 GMT -5
She hugged her books up close to her, using both arms across her chest, as they started walking down the hall. She couldn't believe that she was taking a stroll with some guy down the halls... especially not some guy like Gabe. Surely she didn't dislike him that much if she willingly agreed to this. *She was thinking this while watching him from just a step behind.. or two* I mean she could see if it was one of her fellow snakes that was a laid back and pessimistic as she was. Well this is the first and more than likely the last time she ever found herself in a position like this.
As he started talking she took a few big steps to try to catch up. Gabriel Sutherland... wasn't he.. something in school? She thought that she had heard the name before. Head boy or something? Hell she didn't know, she didn't keep up with all that popularity stuff.
She didn't tell him her name right off, now whether that's because she wanted to talk to him more or she didn't want him to know.. maybe a bit of both, who knows? However she did quickly ask a question, "What about your middle name?", she asked as she glanced over at him, not really saying anything further on the matter. Sure she wasn't blurting out hers, smiling like a fool, and grabbing at his hand... But hey, at least she showed enough interest to pursue the matter further. If she really didn't want anything to do with him at all she would have merely grunted. But hey, she wasn't going to let him know that.
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Post by Gabriel Sutherland on Jan 13, 2008 11:40:46 GMT -5
Gabriel thought about slowing down as he walked, but then decided against that. He wanted to see just a tad bit of effort from Kat, because if she did put forth the effort to catch up, then it meant he had struck a chord with her somewhere. He was already putting his hand out as far as he was able, now it was time for Kat to make the effort to reach for him. Now please don't take this as some sort of macho ego thing, it was far from that. Gabe just wanted to see a bit of effort on Kat's part because if she didn't, it meant that he was going to have to re-evaluate the situation and move it in a different direction. He had meant what he said about this moment with Kat. If she didn't like him after this, then he would leave her be, however, Gabriel would do everything within his power to make sure that Kat liked him, even only if it was just a little.
He laughed to himself when Kat asked his middle name, a clever way to dodge the oddness of introducing herself for the moment. She could have simply kept on walking in silence, forcing him to do all the talking but she had made some effort and while her interest in his middle name might not have been genuinely curious, it was a step in the right direction. "James," he said as he put his hands behind his back now, still smiling, "You know this would be far less stifling if I knew your name as well," he said still smiling as he watched Kat. He could tell by her poise and walk that she was still a bit at odds with him and hopefully by sharing a few personal tid bits of information, then things might relax just a bit. He wanted Kat to feel comfortable around him, to trust him in a sense and while that might sound devious, it was all innocent in his eyes. He was aware of how the Slytherin house members acted toward one another and maybe if he could be that one little bit of peace and reassurance for one of them, then perhaps they could spread that to the rest. It was a vain dream I suppose, but then Gabriel never was one to be held by barriers or certain rules.
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Post by Lillian 'Kat' Gillespie on Jan 13, 2008 12:40:25 GMT -5
Lillian gave a slight nod as he told her his middle name. Now for most people this may not seem important but for people like her, who go by their middle name, or at least a short version of it, it was. And as he in a round about way asked her name, or should I say set it up for her to divulge it to him.. well she decided she could poke at him for a while. "Yeah, it probably would be, wouldn't it?", she commented as she glanced over at him. And strangely enough part of her seemed to like him but she fought that. She wasn't the kind of person that let people really close. Hell the only person that she really really cared about that she showed it to was her younger sister. "But then again I'm not here to make your life easier..." She had to be mean for a moment.. after all she had opened her mouth.
She let Gabe walk a moment in silence before she started speaking again. She really wasn't the type of person that opened up so she would take every advantage that she could to keep the topic on him. "So what do you go by?" she asked casually, knowing that he could go by Gabe or James instead of his full name. And when saying this she seemed as normal as ever, not snippy or hateful or seeming to have just recently been cold like two seconds ago.
She dropped her ams, holding her books against her side in one of them. She seemed more casual than usual but this whole thing still seemed to fit sort of awkward to her. She didn't seem like she was ready to run but it wasn't coming natural. She inhaled deeply then blew the air out of the corner of her mouth to move a strand of bangs that had fell over he eye. "Lillian Gillespie." She finally spouted that out, quickly and softly. She casually glanced away as if it was no big deal that he knew her name and that she had given it to him.
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Post by Gabriel Sutherland on Jan 13, 2008 13:25:47 GMT -5
Evidently, toying with Gabe was becoming a new past time with her and well, if it brought her a moment of pleasure, then Gabe wouldn't deny her that little moment. He had been the butt of jokes before, and this certainly wouldn't be the last time either. Gabe liked making people laugh and anyone with that sort of attitude knew that if you were going to be like that, you had to be willing to make sacrifices along the way. Gabe intentionally put himself out there on the chopping block so to speak from time to time and so, he would do it again. Keeping Kat in a good mood was his goal and if he could keep on this track, maybe he could just make her laugh, even if only a little, that way, he would have her for another meeting later.
"A lot of people call me Gabe, except for the professor's and my mother who insist on calling me Gabriel," he added, giving Kat a little more to work with now, hoping she would jump on the chance. He was working to make her comfortable with him and if she felt she could joke with him, even if he was the butt of all of it, then he would do whatever it took.
The slight murmur was almost missed, but Gabe caught it...Kat just told him her name. "Lillian....huh," he said with a smile, looking forward again, tossing her name around in his head. There was nothing wrong with that name, but as he looked at her again, it just didn't seem to fit her right. Don't take it the wrong way, the name was her...but just not....her, if you can understand. Kat had a certain personality and while Lillian looked right with her, it didn't fit who she was, hence the next question Gabe asked her, "What...no middle name?," he said poking at her for a bit more conversation, "So...miss Lillian, what's your preference?," he said, still smiling, holding back a laugh just a bit, "What do you go by?"
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Post by Lillian 'Kat' Gillespie on Jan 13, 2008 14:40:47 GMT -5
Kat kept her pace up beside of him. So he was Gabe and Gabriel, eh? He still didn't tell her if he liked being called one or the other, though he seemed to dislike his full name more. Well maybe he didn't dislike it but the way he worded that his mother insisted on calling him that, well it sounded as if he didn't favor this. And she would surely poke at the situation further.. because that's what she did when she was curious.
But before she could say anything he called her Lillian. The corner of her mouth lifted a little in displeasure. Not that she completely hated her name... She just sort of reserved it for formal addressing by people she didn't like. "I don't like being called Lillian.", she remarked shortly, her eyes darting to his in a matter of factly way. "And I do have a middle name, you've just failed to ask it." Not that he hadn't insinuated but still... if he was so gung ho about wanting to get to know her then he was going to have to work. And maybe, just maybe she'll actually let a few things slip. Nothing too big mind you because she has some secrets that even those she considers friends don't even know.
After walking a few more steps and a pause of silence she blurted out, "Kat. That's what I like to be called." She turned her icy blue eyes back around on him, after she had been glancing about at the tapestries and such. "You haven't told me what you prefer to go by." She stated it simply but it was showing respect if she wasn't choosing whatever name or nickname to her liking. "Nor have you told me how old you are or what house you're in." Another quick fact that she hoped he would clear up. Sure she liked it when others actually asked her for information but just admitting slightly that she would like to know was hard enough on her part.
Now perhaps he would stall on the house part, knowing her to be a Slytherin... But then again Gabe seemed to d*mn cheery and straight forward that he may throw it all out there like a badge of honor. And truth be known maybe he did deserve a purple heart for being in such a lame house. I mean they had to throw someone in there and he'd be just the type to jump up and volunteer for this idiotic task.
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Post by Gabriel Sutherland on Jan 13, 2008 15:01:25 GMT -5
Kat was getting to be a bit bolder in the conversation, showing some interest in things now, so in response, Gabe would as well. He was going to take things a little slowly at first, but Kat was already off the line and running the race, so tact was not an option anymore. He would be cautious, after all, he didn't want to piss Kat off anymore than he already had, he would just word his questions and statements a bit better....well...maybe. Gabe wasn't really as smooth as he liked to think and more often than not, he had this really bad habit of sticking his foot in his mouth anytime he opened it.
"Well Kat," he said smiling more confidently now, "You can call me Gabe," he replied as she insisted on knowing what to call him. To be honest, Gabe really didn't care what she called him, just as long as she was talking to him right now. He was worried a bit about telling her his house, even if it was out there on his robes for everybody to see, because let's all face it, Hufflepuff wasn't really on the top of any social listing. Of course, being honest was the subject so clearing his throat, he charged on into the next step of their conversation. "Seveenteen.....and Hufflepuff," he responded rather quickly, still smiling although be it a bit more nervously now. It wasn't as if he was ashamed of his house, he just knew how others saw them. Of course, Kat was a bright girl, so she probably had already fit him into the right house so to speak...but then again, maybe she hadn't.
He looked away from her for a second then back, daring to watch the expression on her face as she heard his house. Call it a bit judgmental on his part and I know that Gabe really isn't' the type to be like that, but as much as even he hates to admit, he is from time to time, after all, he's only human and can't really help it. Maybe Kat wasn't like the other Slytherin's, but her attitude so far had leaned that way, however, the fact that she was taking this chance with him leaned her in another direction now. "Oh, almost forgot," he said in a very dangerous bid now, but what the hey, "Don't tell anyone," he said looking about really nervously now as if he was telling her a very deep and dark secret, "BUT I'M A MUGGLE BORN", he screamed, laughing as he did so showing that things like that really didn't bother him, but humored him somewhat.
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