Just Another Day [Reese]

[Graham Kerr]

Graham Jonathan Kerr was the biggest screw-up in the world. He honestly, seriously was. Only he could manage to get the boy who liked him to do a complete one eighty and hate him. Which was surely how Mickey must be feeling now, after Gray had gone and assaulted him. What had he been thinking?! Right, he hadn't. He'd been so focused on how good he looked in his towel and how much he'd wanted to kiss him again that he hadn't thought about what the younger male wanted for one single second. So of course he'd ran. What else could he do?

Gray had been left behind in the locker rooms, trembling as he took a shower. He'd avoided the Common Room ever since, not wanting to have his classmates look up at him in horror when they heard what their Quidditch Captain had done. He was so fucked up. He shouldn't even teach the team, let alone be on it, if he couldn't keep his hands off of his team member! How on earth was Mickey supposed to feel safe playing Quidditch when he couldn't trust his captain? It would really be better if he quit playing, if he kept his head down and focused on what he could have, instead of what his heart wanted.

That's what he'd do. From now on he'd focus on school and nothing else. He'd graduate, move back home, take care of his mum, and that would be it. Nothing else. No Quidditch, no crime, no boys. Especially no boys.

Gray knew that he'd have to add 'no alcohol' to that list, but right now he didn't care. Right now he wanted to be as drunk as possible, and what safer place to get out of his mind than in the Room of Requirement? He'd been here before, in the exact same room he was in now, and only Reese knew how to conjure it and find him. It was a comforting thought to the blonde that drank down from his second bottle of firewhiskey.

[Reese Mackenzie]

Reese Mackenzie was fed up with boys. And girls. Or more specific: love. Or even more specific: the lack of love. Why did people always leave? Or why was it that they deliberately chose not to care? Was that what this wolrd or this bloody castle was filled with? Lust?! Instead of love? Or was it more so that love was everywhere but that she wasn’t mean to have it?

Well great. No love and stuck with a bunch of horny people. Yay! How fucking amazing.

Her parents dumped her when she was seven years old. Jake died. Her baby died. And then you had the long road of bad relationships and the string of benefitters Reese had listed in her little ‘black book’. Oh, there was some lusting going on right there but lately it just wasn’t enough anymore. People only seemed to want the Reese that was on the outside but no one wanted the Reese who was hiding on the inside. People didn’t care, they just wanted something pretty to screw.

The only boy who she knew loved her and was still here was Graham. Only he was sort of like a brother and gay. Don’t get that the wrong way cause Reese loved Graham with everything that she had but sometimes…it just wasn’t enough. Brotherly love was a beautiful thing and Reese wouldn’t know what to do without him. But sometimes, even that love wasn’t enough.

Armed with her own flask of firewhiskey (which she had refilled twice, so now she was well on her way to get extremely drunk) Reese was at first aimlessly walking around in the castle. She wasn’t one to act all depressed as people were more interested in a happy and flirty girl, so she was merely wandering around in search of some fun. Only secretly she wouldn’t mind if she didn’t find any tonight.

From the other end of the corridor she was walking at, Reese watched Graham walk in front of her only for him to suddenly disappear. Knowing on which side of the castle she currently was that could only mean one thing. The Room of Requirement. So, her brother was up to something? Which as expected instantly triggered her Lion’s curiosity. Not more than half a minute later Reese stepped into the ROR herself and smiled when she caught her brother sipping from her favourite drink. A neat little trick she had picked up somewhere along the way, as she could usually always conjure the room Graham had needed the ROR to be.

“Want some pretzels with that?” Pretzels and alcohol. Perfect.

[Graham Kerr]

Reese was like the sister he'd never had. She was the one girl that he'd always confide in, the one that knew everything about him and never judged him for any of it. She meant the world to him and he'd tried so hard to fall in love with her, after first meeting her, but he'd never succeeded. Nowadays he was thankful for that, for their friendship meant more to him than any relationship ever could have. She would always be in his life this way, and right now he needed her more than anything.

Hearing her voice made him chuckle, the blonde looking up through hazy blue eyes to notice that she was standing there with her own bottle of fun. Looked like they were both having a tough time tonight, and instead of finding a party - which was usually like Lassie finding children down wells, Graham and parties - they'd chosen solitude. Relative solitude, because there was just one thing better than getting drunk alone and that was getting drunk with someone to hold on to.

"Naw I'm good. You stayin'?" He patted a spot on the sofa next to him, his long legs extended in the direction of the fire. It wasn't too hot in this room, nor too cold, and the atmosphere generally made him relax a whole lot more than anything had for the last couple of days. He was determined not to mull over what had happened between him and Mickey, ever again, though he knew that if she asked, he'd tell her all his problems in a heartbeat.

[Reese Mackenzie]

“Yeah, almost out. Need a refill.” Shaking the half empty flask as to prove her point. And since Graham seemed to have way more than she did, it seemed only fair to share. Although in all honestly she would just take it if he wouldn’t offer. Reese sighed as she plopped down on the couch and kicked off her shoes. Seemed like it was going to be drinking and more drinking tonight. This really was a horrible day wasn’t it?

“Boys suck ass and girls are sluts. Except for us. We’re pretty awesome, you and me.” She stared in the fire and brought the flask to her lips, taking a few gulps while tears sprung to her eyes. Even if she was a close friend with whiskey, it still made her eyes tear up. “I got a question and you can’t laugh cause I’ll hex your ass if you do.”Reese turned sideways, pulled both her legs up on the couch and looked at her favourite Huffle.

Without waiting for his answer she ran a quick hand through her hair and continued, “Okay, so pretend that we’re in this other reality where we don’t know each other and that you’re into girls. You see me for the first time, what is the first thing that comes to mind? And be honest.” She had this theory and maybe it wasn’t going to prove anything by using Graham as her ‘test subject’ but what the hell, they were here now and she wanted to know.

[Graham Kerr]

Graham laughed into his bottle of whiskey despite what she'd said, but more because she seemed to know exactly what had been on his mind. Lifting up a hand in defense, he offered her the bottle as some sort of peace offering, before settling himself on the couch to look at her. "Seriously? The same thing I thought when we met for real. How much I wanted to fall in love with you." He felt only slightly embarrassed at saying it, his eyes slanting as he looked at her. Fuck. Well, it was true, and she'd asked for it.

"And not just cause it'd be easy, cause face it, it would be. You and me, we'd be good together. But despite my being gay, I thought...well, damn, she's goddamn close to perfect" The blonde chuckled, reaching out to tug at a strand of Reese's hair before nicking the bottle back from her to take another sip. If they were going to be talking about his lack of straightness he needed a lot more alcohol in his system.

Glancing at her, he wrinkled his nose as he saw how quickly the bottle was starting to empty. As soon as the thought had formed in his head, a new bottle of whiskey materialised in the room, making him smile that handsome smile. He loved this room. "So what's the problem, hun? What boy or girl do I need to deal with this time?"

[Reese Mackenzie]

Definitely not declining the offer on more whiskey, Reese took the bottle and refilled the flask. Normally she drank out of a bottle but when wandering through the castle you couldn’t exactly wave a bottle around. That was asking for trouble. Hence the flask. Reese tugged the opened bottle between her legs so it wouldn’t tumble over when she let go of it. Holding it in place she put the cap back on the flask and let it rest besides her on the couch as she leaned back in the cushions.

Her eyes widened a little when Graham told her he had wanted to fall in love with her. Well…wow! That was a bit of information she hadn’t been given before. Reese blinked and stared at him, utterly caught in surprise. She didn’t came back to her senses right until he leaned into her and tugged on a strand of her hair before nicking the bottle back. “I..wha-…oh…”, it was the first attempt on saying something and she -of course- failed miserably at it. Then Reese suddenly frowned and studied Graham’s face for a moment.

“You suck! You’d be the perfect boyfriend! But no, you like boys more and have this brother /best friend thing going on. Not to mention how you always know what to say to make me love you more.” In the next moment she’d wrapped her arms around his neck and was kissing his cheek. “Please tell me there is a straight or bi version of you out there somewhere? Cause if so, I totally have dibs on him.” Well, she’d gotten an answer but it only proved her point half. Graham was just too sweet to ask him things like this.

Groaning softly, Reese nuzzled his cheek, kissed it one more time and pulled away. For a moment a small smile lingered on her lips as she leaned back into the cushions of the couch again. She shrugged, the smile falling from her face, “Way more than you think.” She shook her head faintly and looked down at her hands,“…people don’t want me Gray. They just want something pretty to screw. Except for Jake but he…”, her voice trailed of as Graham knew perfectly well what happened to her Jake.

She had wanted to hear Graham say he’d thought she would have been sexy or hot, or cute or whatever to proof that she was just pretty and nothing more. And he did, only he added the whole ‘fall in love with’ thing too. Which of course you could do –fall in love that is- when you actually cared about who someone was on the inside. So for him it wouldn’t have been just looks. Again she shrugged, “Never mind. Can just imagine some strawberries for me please?” Comfort food.

[Graham Kerr]

He frowned as she pulled back from him, not liking how she could get sad so quickly. He knew that it was a stupid thing to wish for, but he wanted Reese to be happy no matter what happened in her life. Hearing that people only saw her as a piece of meat was not something you'd want to say to her best friend slash brother. So the boy growled low in his throat, pulling her towards him so she was sat in his lap. "You're worth SO much more than that. You're beautiful, yes, but that isn't the main part. I wouldn't love you so damn much if you were just a pretty face, babe."

Gray did his best to imagine the most gorgeous and delicious strawberries that he could, and was glad when they popped into existance, a small bowl of liquid chocolate on the platter. He dipped one strawberry into the brown stuff, then traced her lips with it the way he would to a potential lover. "You mean the world to me. You're the sister I never wanted and got anyway" He chuckled at that, tugging at her hair again. "You know what I mean. You're my everything. And you deserve so much more than what you're getting from anyone."

[Reese Mackenzie]

When alcohol flowed through her system Reese could go from happy to sad in a split second. Her emotions were all over the place which is why it was never wise to start a real conversation with her. She’d make the person she was having the conversation with go mad with the way she would bounce from emotion to emotion.

A soft giggle left her lips though when she suddenly found herself to be pulled in his lap. This was nice and it made her feel loved when he’d hold her like this. Which is why she adored Graham so much. With just simple and small actions he could already make her feel like she was so much more worth than she knew she in reality was. “I guess I know that but it’s different with you Gray. You’re my best friend in the whole world, so you’re supposed to feel that way about me. Which I love you for, so much. “ Closing her eyes, Reese snuggled into his arms and wrapped her own arms around his waist.

I just want someone who isn’t my best friend to feel that too, like Jake did you know?” Or maybe not. Seeing as how Jake loved her too much and died for it. “But at the same time I don’t want that either. He loved me too much Gray. And now he’s gone.” Just like she was afraid Graham loved her too much and would do something stupid like Jake had done too. Catch a spell for her and die.

Well one thing was for sure though. She needed more alcohol to make that particular pain go away. Reese really did not want to spend the rest of the night feeling bad over the loss of Jake.

Her eyes fluttered open though when she felt something press against her lips. Smiling, she took the strawberry from him and licked her lips. “Thanks little brother. For everything. I know I don’t say that enough.” Reese knew not to take him for granted and she tried not to, which she once again made herself promise that to herself as she took small bites from the delicious chocolate covered fruit.

[Graham Kerr]

Sometimes the best thing to do was simply to listen to her, and though Gray would never compliment himself on this, he made a fair listener when he wanted to. It was the giving advice part that he usually blew at, but Reese was smart enough to make her mind up most of the time. So instead of solving all her problems for he, he was simply there for her whenever she needed him. Feeding her the strawberry, he nuzzled at her neck for a moment, content to be sitting here with someone he knew would love him despite his many flaws.

"Love sucks." He stated it bluntly, following it with a large sip from his firewhiskey. "Seriously, like. It just sucks. You've got the smarter deal, sis, sleeping with someone when you feel like being close. At least you know that those people want you, even if it's not completely how you want it." Whereas he had to fall for someone that he thought he could have, someone that understood him and wanted to be with him despite fucking up, and he managed to screw that over completely.

"I mean. Just. I don't know. Would be easy if you could shut it off, wouldn't it? Just live without love and never crave it." That way he could be with Alfie without thinking about Mickey, without feeling guilty over what he'd done. Life would be so much simpler.

[Reese Mackenzie]

Love did suck. When you didn’t have it you craved for it and when you did have it, it was almost messed up somehow. But at the same time Reese couldn’t imagine not having love in this world. It’s what made the world beautiful and it was what set her heart free. Never would she be able to give up love. Not even if it beat her down and kicked her afterwards just for fun. She always got back up to her feet even at some point.

“I wouldn’t say I got the smarter deal. Honestly, right now it’s the best deal I am able to make. The safest one for me and for everyone else.” Which sucked ass but that was life for you. Reese knew there was a reason her little brother was in here, drinking like this. Usually she let him talk around the subject until he could no longer ignore what was bothering him. And it seemed like he was moving into the direction where he was about to blurt out what was going on with him today.

Reese listened to him, staying in his arms while she started to devour a second strawberry. “Yeah that would be easy I guess. Would be boring too.” She sucked on her bottom lip for a moment, making sure there was no chocolate running down her lips when she looked up at Graham. “What happened Gray?” He was hurt. Or at least something close to being hurt. Whether it was done by himself -knowing he wasn’t shy on beating himself up for something- or someone else she didn’t know.

[Graham Kerr]

Gray took a deep breath when she finally went in for the plunge, asking the question he really didn't want to face the answer for. It was definitely one of his worst moments, far worse than being a criminal was to him. Sure, he did things that were against the law, but he never hurt anyone physically. He robbed stores, sold drugs, but he never took more than what people could get reimbursed for, so in a way they weren't being unfair. What he'd done to Mickey was way different though, and completely out of line. It was the kind of thing he deserved being beaten up for. And that's what he was doing to himself, making sure he got the punishment he deserved.

"There's this kid in my house, who kinda likes me. Which, you know, he's sweet. Didn't used to be but I guess he grew on me" Once he realised that Mickeys behavior towards him was more the childish way someone treated the one he liked, that was. He'd finally realised that hey, the kid was cute, and after their conversation he'd been enthralled. Someone finally accepted him the way he was, no strings attached. How could he ruin that?

Gray took another sip from his drink, letting out a throaty chuckle. "So I fucked it up. What else is new, huh? Guess I hit a new low though...managed to make him cry. He pretty much begged me to stop..." As much as he tried to, he couldn't play it off as something he didn't care about, and he hid his face in his hands for a moment, too embarrassed and humiliated to look at her. "I stopped as soon as I realised he wasn't into it, but I pretty much assaulted the guy."

[Reese Mackenzie]

Reese knew Gray was having a difficult time with trying to be open about who he was. She knew what it was like to openly confess you liked people from the same sex as you were. For her though it never had been such a problem but for Gray it was. She tried to support her brother as much as she could and help him deal with it, but there only so much she could do. Most of it he had to do by himself and seeing him struggle and hurt cause of it pained her. Especially when he took a few steps forward to only fall twice as much steps back.

She just nodded, knowing that as long as she stayed silent the rest would come. It did make her smile a little though when he mentioned there was this kid who liked him. Well good for him! Reese finished the strawberry and pushed herself up a little, so she could look at her baby brother but still stay in his arms. A pang of pain shot through her chest watching him hiding his face in his hands. Instantly Reese her arms were back around his shoulders and she let her cheek rest on top of his head.

“Oh honey…” she knew it, he was beating himself up over something. She figured he meant that he had kissed a guy, assuming that he wasn’t ready to go much further than that. But Reese was somewhat surprise though, this was not something she’d expect Graham to do. Which is why she instantly believed it couldn’t be as bad as he said it was. Gray was the sweetest guy she knew who would beat himself up for the littlest of things.
“Maybe you just surprised him? Or maybe he’s just as scared about this whole thing as you are, you know how you were in the beginning. When you first found out you liked boys.

She ran her fingers lovingly through his hair, something she always did in an attempt to calm him down or to comfort him. ” I know you, you would never intentionally hurt someone. Hell, everyone in this school knows that. And you don’t randomly kiss people either which tells me that this guy at some point must have given off some signal that it was okay for you to kiss him.” But apparently something had gone wrong in between but Reese highly doubted that had anything to do with Graham himself. “Have you talked to him about it?”

[Graham Kerr]

Gray sighed deeply, letting her run fingers through his hair, though she couldn't really soothe him. "I know you think the world of me sweetie, but I'm honestly not that great..Even if he wanted me to kiss him before, it hardly matters. I pushed things too far and he hates me now." The blonde spoke miserably, resting a pale hand on his forehead. He had honestly started to like Mickey, but his intentions - although considerably more honourable than the outcome suggested - weren't important. All that mattered was that he'd hurt the smaller and younger blonde, and that he never wanted to risk anything like it again.

"I have to quit Quidditch...He's on the team and I can't force him to spend time around someone he can't trust. I'd kick any sexual offender off the team so it's only fair that I do it to myself. As much as I hate the thought of never playing again" Gray wanted to pout and cry and ask for someone to solve his problems, but he was sixteen and old enough to face up to his own mistakes.

[Reese Mackenzie]

Reese sighed, knowing her attempts at comforting weren’t really helping. Not that she would give up though, never. “I wouldn’t know Gray. I wasn’t there but I do know you would never hurt someone on purpose. I can’t agree with you that you went too far cause I simply don’t know. Maybe you did push it too far or maybe you didn’t and he got upset over something else. But how can you be so sure he hates you?” It was very hard to hate someone like Graham. Reese knew that she would never be able too, she just loved him way too much for that. And anyone who even liked or adored Graham a fraction of what Reese herself felt for the little Huffle, would share that same opinion. Hating Graham was no option.

Now he was going too far. Reese always let him blame himself if that is what he wanted badly but enough was enough. “Look at me..” she softly said, although she didn’t gave him much of a choice and simply placed both of her hands on his face to make him look up at her. “You know what’s so great about you? You always end up doing the right thing. But this? Quitting Quidditch is not the right thing. Not yet.” There was something else, in her opinion, he should at least try first. “Go talk to him honey. Just tell him that you’re sorry and talk about it. Be honest and just tell him that you’re thinking about quitting the team. No good leader takes the easy way out. Neither will you. And if necessary just meet up where other people are present too if you don’t want to be alone with him.”

There wasn’t much she could do for him but she wasn’t going to let him quit something he loved just like that. Her warm brown eyes kept locked on his face but were filled with worry. As much as she wanted to fix this for him, she knew she couldn’t. Only he could.

[Graham Kerr]

Why did she always have to be right? Of course she had a point, he should do the right thing and talk to him. But he'd much rather not be strong and mature this time, because the idea of talking to Mickey still filled him with dread. What if the younger male would want him to quit the game? What if he could never fix what happened? He honestly didn't want to consider himself a sexual offender for the rest of his life, and Mickey could make him feel exactly like that.

"I'm terrified, Mackie. Really. What if...I just...I don't know. It scares the fuck out of me, knowing that I can hurt someone like that. I never thought I'd be able to, and I just want to get away from that person. Staying away from Mickey sounds like the easiest thing to do...the right thing to do. But I suppose you're right..I should be the responsible one in this situation and handle it like an adult would."

Running fingers through her hair, he kissed her forehead. She had made him feel better, despite the fact that he needed to do the right thing and own up to his mistakes for once. But not now. Right now he'd drink and spend the night with his favorite person in the castle. "Thanks though. Wish I could help you the way you've helped me."