Someone needs to do something. We're someone.

He exhibited a real lack of creativity. They'd have to work on that. "Just say you don't want to study with your brother. I'm sure if anyone could understand that, it's Lily." James was, after all, the exact inverse of Lily. Loud and brash and wild and out - the entire Potter family was a strange checkerboard of personalities, as though someone had thrown darts to determine who would make up the family. Besides, after the interaction Ace had witnessed, she doubted Lily would ask many questions.

"If things really are bad, she'll need the help, and I doubt she'd turn it down."

Christian nodded at Ace's correction. It was a fair point, of course. As he'd learned, Ace was usually right about pretty much everything, though she sometimes had strange ways of making it known or of going about things. That seemed to rub people the wrong way, depending on who it was, but Christian rarely found himself bothered or upset by anything she did. Especially this time, when they found themselves on the same page.

"Yeah, okay," he agreed. "I'll ask." He didn't really see her around that much, but he had noticed with a great deal of confusion that usually if he went looking for his brother in previous years, Lily Potter would often be nearby. She didn't spend as much time in her old haunts, this year, so it wasn't exactly true anymore. But considering they were having this conversation because Apollo had purposefully pushed her buttons, maybe he just hadn't figured out how the two of them ended up in the same place as much as they did. For students in different years and houses, it really was strange. Particularly given who they both were.

Still, he shrugged at her theory. "I hope so. But sometimes people who need the help either don't realize it or don't want it."

Yes. She had been given her yes. Excellent. She gave him a curt nod, half listening to his musings as she slipped her bookbag off her shoulder and began to rifle through it. She answered, a bit distractedly, “Well, we’ll cross that bridge when we get to it. We don’t even know what kind of help it is she needs.”

She withdrew what she had been looking for, several scrolls with neat, small handwriting. She handed them to him. “Here. I did some reading on child psychology, and reasons for poor performance in school. The books were written for parents to discuss with children, so some of it is a bit odd, seeing as your not her parent. But there’s some useful stuff. Mostly it’s about ‘opening a dialogue’ so she feels comfortable telling you what’s going on.”

At first, Ace's explanation made Christian think that she was a little more insane than he'd already thought. But as he looked over what she handed him and really took in what she was saying, he found himself surprised. Not by her words as much as what they meant, underneath. That, and the fact that she had somehow always been this person and he'd never seen it before.

There was a thoughtfulness to her that he felt certain he must've noticed in passing or in the back of his mind, but he looked up -- really looked at her -- and understood that this was the sort of person that, evidently, would go to great lengths for people they cared about. Ace clearly loved Lily, whether that familiar love was registered or just an innate thing from undoubtedly spending time together growing up. He didn't know the details, of course, but he could see the outcome of whatever interactions made her care so much.

So he just nodded. "Okay. I'll read these over, then. I don't know how good I'll be at something like that, but, y'know, I'll do my best. We're not exactly close, but I do see her as a friend, so hopefully she thinks the same."

Unburdened by the stacks of research, Ace quickly fastened her bag and tucked it away, looking up in time to catch Christian studying her with what seemed to be… surprise? Hey eyebrows lowered slightly, confused, but he continued to speak and she was more than happy to continue on. People didn’t just… look at her. It was why she was able to get so much done.

She lifted a shoulder. “Just be nice, and honest, and trust your instincts. People like you, so I’m sure it’ll be fine.” She considered him a moment. "I think you should talk to her separately. I don't come off as nice. And she'll thinking I'm watching her for her mother. But if you need any advice, I'll be close at hand."


(sorry it's short, still finding her voice without a cause to rally behind haha)