Unfortunate Truths

Padril put up his hands and made an apologetic face. "Oh, I'm so sorry to surprise you," he mocked. "How rude of me to do something unexpected. I am clearly in the wrong here." As she began to attempt her rationalisation, he sighed. Her logic was riddled with holes. Yes, sure, peaceful protests in the last 150 years for a change of government that was evilly and cruelly put down- but oh it's not in the history books so bother looking it up. Misinterpretation of a legal loophole and a personal anecdote completed her biased reasoning, making the whole thing a 'just trust me' plea disguised as righteous indignation. It was pretty typical of conspiracy whack jobs and brainwashed people. He reserved his judgement on the matter as a whole though; just because Vivianna's arguments lacked substance didn't mean they were entirely invalid. He had actively avoided studying politics for years, but it seemed like it was time to soldier on through it. This day was getting worse and worse.

"Whatever," he said simply, shrugging. "Anything political you say is already obviously biased, and I don't trust you at all. I'll do my own research, thanks. Can I leave now? Being in your presence makes me nauseous. Don't take that personally, you just smell as bad as you look." He may have been laying on the insults too hard and clumsily, but god it felt good to be mean.

The Slytherin gave Padril a piercing look. "I wasn't blaming it on you, idiot, I was admitting that I'm in the wrong here. It's a hell of a lot more than you'd get from anyone else in my house," Vivianna stated dryly. She was bloody apologizing and he was turning it around to make it sound like she'd insulting him! If the redhead had wanted to make it sound like an insult, the male would have noticed.

"Look, I get it. I'm biased and I'm a slimy Slytherin. But do that research, what you find will disgust you. Especially the creature laws. We've got vampires in this school, you probably know at least one, just remember that it's them those laws are effecting," her tone was dark, serious, and Vivianna could only hope that she'd make her point with this one. The Slytherin was actually friends with a Hufflepuff in Padril's year. Maura was a vampire, and the teen was aware that Padril probably knew it too. Knowing how close to home some of the laws were, might be the difference between having or not having the Hufflepuff's support.

Eyeing the muggleborn one last time and sincerely hoping that this wasn't a mistake, Vivianna turned on her heel and left. She'd never even gone swimming.

Padril turned to face the lake and sighed audibly, putting his hands in his pocket. Varnes would be back with some task for him at some point he was certain; by then he needed to reign in his emotions, and be better armed with knowledge. Assuming everything she was saying was true, the girl was in way over her head. Varnes and this rebel group could end up hurting a lot of people, blinded by ideological righteousness. He didn't want to be put on trial as a collaborator, but he had to take a chance. If he just went to the Professor, or the Ministry, he would bet the rebels would go deep underground and they would never find them. He needed more information, he needed to make them public so the conflict could finish in one fell swoop.

And what if they're right?

He grimaced and kicked a rock into the water. Then he would have collaborate and just try and stop people from dying. And he would definitely make sure Varnes learned the lines you couldn't cross when it came to sexuality- you couldn't out people, and you certainly couldn't threaten to out them. He'd have to show her how to be a somewhat good human being and if he couldn't, well...he would be the only one in a position to stop her. If the rebels actually overthrew the government, he simply could not let Varnes as she was now take any form of power. Either way, he was in this for the long haul. Once he was sure he wouldn't run into the girl again, he turned and walked back towards the castle. He clicked his tongue and continued the mull over his plans.