Sitting on the fountain in the courtyard, the teenager absently spun three apples he'd taken from Transfiguration class with his wand. Instead of manually juggling them, the brown eyed fifth year was using magic to have them spin counter-clockwise while having the three apples rotate each other clockwise. While he was juggling the apples, Silas' lips were turned down into his usual frown. One leg was draw up with his arm around it, chin resting on his knee while the other leg dangled down and his arm was up, wrist flicking every once in awhile to keep the apples in the air. Since it was the weekend and no classes, the teen had dressed in slate grey jeans with nice thick black turtleneck. It would keep him warm since it wasn't that cold just yet.

His gaze on the apples were dull while his face held no emotion save boredom. That was what Silas had come to realize. He was bored most of the time. That was why classes failed to ignite any interest and why he found people to be rather....dull and not very entertaining. Yes, it passed time to talk with them, but with few exceptions did he really find someone he could actually converse with. Despite each year being unnatural with something happening, this year was the most unusual.

Bellatrix Lestrange entering his life along with the Dark Lord. He and his cousin were actually getting along somewhat. And everything was getting interesting with Potter, the headmaster, and his cousin. Yet, he still couldn't find it in himself to be like them.

Giving an annoyed flick of his wrist, scowling as he thought about what his boredom implied when his eyes widened. One of the apples he'd sent whipping through the air was heading straight for someone. In an uncharacteristic move and tone of voice, Silas warned, "Heads up!"

The blonde’s hair was windswept and mussed as he walked toward the castle. His quidditch gear was heavy on his body, which was covered in sweat from the workout he’d just had. Apparently doing beater exercises without a second beater on the pitch was a bit… suicidal. Draco had just spent the last two hours racing back and forth around the pitch, slamming two bludgers as hard as he could while attempting not to let either get away or get a hit in on him.

He was pretty sure he’d cracked a rib with the one hit he’d actually taken, but he didn’t much care. His frustrations were well sated and now he just wanted to go to the giant prefects’ bath and soak his sore muscles. Unfortunately that didn’t seem to be in his immediate future, as he heard a familiar, yet odd sounding ‘head’s up’ just before an apple nearly knocked him in the head.

“Oi! We finally start getting along and you try to kill me with a bloody apple?!” he yelled at his cousin, ducking the fruit and making his way over to the Ravenclaw. Draco sat beside his cousin, lounging back as a grimace overtook his face. ”Wouldn’t happen to know how to fix a cracked rib or two, would you?” he gritted out, hoping he might avoid yet another trip to the stupid nurse. If he kept showing up there she’d think he was a bloody idiot, which wouldn’t exactly be wrong, but he didn’t want that rumor spreading.

With a quick movement of his hand, the blonde snatched one of the still spinning apples and bit into it, not realizing how hungry his workout had left him. ”What are you doing out here anyway? Bloody strange bird…”

"Possibly," Silas replied automatically with a 'what's in it for me' tone without looking at the blond. Until said blond took one of the two remaining apples and called him a birdy. He bristled even though he knew his cousin hadn't meant it as a slight. Anything that reminded him that his mother had turned him into a girl however briefly, irritated him. Draco was surely using the term because of his Ravenclaw status rather then a female, but it caused Silas' eyes to narrow and a sadistic smirk to cross his features. Letting the last apple drop to the ground, he turned and did the diagnostic spell the mediwitch had taught him. Then he cast the spell to fix the berk's rib.

"Turbeninis incendium," he mutterd casting the spell at the apple on the ground. He watched the fire quickly consume the fruit and turn it to charred ash. Dropping his arm to his side and resting his chin on his knee, he gave a slight shrug.

Yes, he and his cousin were getting along. As much as they ever have. Glancing at the blond he wondered though. The Slytherin had changed much these few months. However, he knew just because a snake shed its skin, it did not make it a new snake. If pushed come to shove could he truly trust Draco? He had to laugh when people brought up the fueds and how Purebloods behaved. It was if no one realized they were like sharks in a tank. The little thing could chum the waters making it even more dangerous.

"Do you want specifics, Draco? Wanting another heart to heart. Or were you just looking for casual conversation?"

It struck Draco as somewhat odd that his cousin would so easily heal his ribs without demanding anything in return. The fact that he immediately started lighting things on fire was also rather concerning, and the blonde quirked a brow at the Ravenclaw. Something must have rubbed him wrong, but he wasn’t sure what exactly that was. He noticed that the younger boy seemed deep in his thoughts, but also rather troubled, and he didn’t like that.

”Hey, Silas… what’s wrong?” he asked with real concern in his voice. Yeah, Draco could be a real asshole, but he also cared about friends and family. At least when they were getting along. And right now, he and Silas were friends along with family, and that meant he was concerned about the boy. ”I don’t want to fight, Silas. I want to figure out why you just killed that apple.”

Draco sighed, tossing the rest of his apple aside and looking intently at his younger cousin. ”Look, I know we don’t always see eye to eye, but I know how it feels, alright? I know what it’s like to have nobody to turn to and nobody you can trust with the shit you really need to talk about. That’s the good thing about family. We know about your batshit parents and your crazy tasks and we don’t judge. We can’t judge. We have the same shit to deal with, just different faces.” He thought of Lucius and ran a hand forcefully through his sweaty hair.

Steely grey eyes looked over at the Ravenclaw and Draco let out a large sigh. ”You gotta get it out, so talk to me. Won’t say a word to anyone else. I swear.”

Silas admitted that perhaps what he'd done to the apple was overkill. The dramtics were usually Draco's forté. He on the other hand had always prided himself on being able to maintain control of his emotions. Holding onto them tightly so nothing leaked when he did not wish it to. Now that he'd actually vented a bit of his emotions via the apple, Silas didn't feel in the least bit better. There was no satisfaction, not even in the fact that he had gotten the spell correct.

Giving his blond cousin an assessing, calculated gaze, Silas weighed it in his mind. Part of him wanted to lash out viciously and cause as much pain and misery as he could upon Draco. Some of his problems were caused by the blond. It was made worse by the fact it was unintentional, the Slytherin not realizing he was becoming a bane to the younger boy.

At the spiel about family he snorted, a half smile pulled out before he locked it down. Family. That word was one he despised and hated. It was like a noose which caused no end of irritation and anger. Silas hadn't had a family. He had gaurdians. And when his mother appeared Draco had tried to take her away before now suddenly changing his mind. Eyes narrowed into a hard glare the more Draco talked.

Family meant that Silas had to ever be on gaurd, more so now. The chips were about to fall as soon as Leyton decided if he was going to challenge Silas' claim of heir to the Lestrange family. Draco didn't have to worry about that as both Draco and Lucius were only children. There would be no contests. When Leyton moved then Draco's precious family would be divided. Something that the Purebloods he knew tried to avoid. Silas never had been one to family loyalty.

"Like how you didn't say a word to your girlfriend about the plan with the Dark Lord?" His voice was ice cold, jaw set. He'd felt betrayed because he had trusted Draco. Told his cousin the way he had found while Draco was off busy diddling his girlfriend. He'd gone against his better judgement to trust the blond while inside his mind was screaming not to.

"It seems we have different definitions of trust." It was his own fault. Going against ones nature was sure to have repercussions. What irked him more and what he'd been wanting to know for awhile left his mouth before he could stop them as he surged to his feet. "How the bloody hell can you have survived this long when you don't think?"

Draco didn't want to fight but Silas didn't know how that wasn't possible. For so long Draco had been a spoiled poncey prat. Decided to have a personality change somewhere between the summer ending and their meeting with the Dark Lord. Got Silas dragged into his mess. While Silas found a way, thought things through, plotted, Draco came in like a rampaging rhino to ruin everything! Just because he was fifteen didn't mean he couldn't talk for himself. Silas was not going to be relagated to Draco's cleaner.

The blonde bristled at his cousin’s tone and the fierce look on his face. Obviously the boy was angry with him, but Draco didn’t really understand why. He didn’t have much right to be mad about his sharing details about the Dark Lord with Skyler. She was his bloody niece! She was just as much involved in this shit as they were, if not more, and she had to know what was going on. Just because Silas seemed to think this was some sort of breech of confidence didn’t mean it was wrong.

The older boy scowled as his cousin spoke of trust. That was rich, coming from the boy who seemed to trust absolutely no one. Perhaps they defined the term differently because the Ravenclaw didn’t have a bloody definition! Draco was shaking with rage by this point, and he couldn’t help flying off the handle when his cousin dared to call him dumb. He glared at the boy with so much loathing he could have made a firstie fall over in fear.

”You have a lot of nerve, Lestrange,” he spat at the boy, reverting to his surname like he didn’t even know him. The Slytherin stood abruptly and glared down at his cousin, ice in his gaze. ”I try to turn a new leaf for myself, try to decide where I want to stand on my own without doing what I’ve been told, and this is what I get for it? Working on losing my bloody girlfriend, finally start getting along with you only for that to bite me in the arse…”

He turned to start pacing, kicking a rock as he did so. With anger in his eyes, Draco grabbed the rock and turned back to his cousin, chucking it at the boy’s head. ”I hate you. You’re just a spoiled prat who has never had to face the heavy shit you’re facing now and you’re bloody scared. And you know what? I’m done offering any sort of help. You try and face everything on your own for a while. Try to figure it all out.”

Draco thought about attacking the idiot like he had in the Armoury before, but decided to simply turn away again and stalk off, muttering and flipping the younger boy the bird on his way. ”Just don’t come crying to me when it all blows up in your damned face!”

Hissing when the rock impacted on the forearm he brought up to protect his face he continued to glare. So it was back to hate. That he was used to and could work with. If anything else it seemed he was good at angering Draco to the point of violence. While that was interesting, he was more or less trying to figure out why his cousin walking away left him feeling out of sorts. He'd wanted the blond to explain to him. Why he should trust him when it was clear Draco didn't return the favor. He could have told Silas so he hadn't been tossed a variable he hadn't known about!

As for scared? Of course he was. Anyone who wasn't an idiot would be. Azkaban was not a place he wanted to experience. Silas might be crazy enough to purposely do things such as experiment with things such as giving himself a small dose of electricity. But not that insane to want to be near creatures that could suck out your soul. He was scared about these feelings he couldn't make heads or tales of.

"And you're a selfish bastard that should have been a Gryffindor." Flicking his wand he sent the discarded apple at his cousin as with as much force as he could.

As soon as his cousin started talking again, Draco turned to look at him. The apple was soon heading for his face, but his Seeker’s reflexes kicked in instantly and the blonde easily caught it with a sharp crack. He bit his lip to keep from making a noise from the instant pain that coursed through his palm. That had been a very fast moving apple, and he was pretty sure his hand was going to be bruised for a while.

”If you’re going to go barmy like your mum, you might want to pick a better method of murder than bloody apples,” he snapped. He’d heard the boy’s words loud and clear, and he was about ready to fly off the handle. Gryffindor? Why in the hell would this stupid boy tell him he should be in bloody Gryffindor?

Draco held onto the apple with a hard grip, stalking back over to his cousin and hovering over him, dropping the half-eaten apple in the younger boy’s lap. ”And you should have been a bloody Hufflepuff. Full of bloody feelings and lecturing about trust and loyalty…” The blonde spat the words at his cousin as if he was wielding a dagger. His tone was mocking and full of hate, and it was quickly becoming clear that the two would never truly get along. They’d never be able to put aside their differences and actually care.

”Take your bloody apple and shove it. I’m done with you, selfish bastard…” he waited in case the boy had more to say, not trusting himself to turn his back again and not keep stalking away even if his cousin wasn’t finished. He knew he needed to actually see this confrontation to an end, even if that end involved fists and curses.

"Yes, having 'Death by apple' would not be very dignifying on your gravestone, would it?" He sneered ignoring the part about him going mad. If he was honest with himslef, Silas was sure that ship had already sailed. He's already admited to himself he was slightly off. He tensed when his cousin returned and dropped the apple on him.

Blinking about the comment about feelings and loyalty he couldn't help think of his newly acquired cousin he met in the greenhouses. He scowled, bristling to be compared to her, yet stated "So you've met our illustrious cousin's daughter have you?"

Despite still being angry, he was able to cap it and give his cousin an odd look. "Of course I'm selfish you berk. Anything that was mine I got myself. I would like to contest the bastard comment unless you're also in agreement that I couldn't possibly come from Rudolphus."

Falling silent Silas wondered if Draco would leave again. Staring at the apple he quickly had it drifting to the ground in ashy grit to join the other. Wondering why that felt like a smaller betrayal. Maybe it was because of that speach about family then the blond basically being a hypocrite.