Snippet #1986261

Garrett Flint

The other chief troublemaker of Vulpes house had been noticeably absent from the opening feast. No doubt many of the students had expected Garrett Flint to make a surprise appearance, something loud, most likely with explosions of some kind. It hadn't happened. But Flint wasn't concerned with the feast, and all the jabbering of friends being reunited. He didn't think himself so important that the night wouldn't go on without him. His absence would be noted, but not dwelled on for long. This particular sixth year was known to make swift recoveries. He had mentioned his intentions to pass on the feast to Justin, but he sensed his partner in crime had something else on his mind. Emerson, no doubt.

This time was perhaps different. Flint found himself alone, an insanely rare occurrence, in the Vulpes common room, his feet kicked up upon a nearby table, his ass slouched down in a delightfully comfortable chair. And he was reading a book, of all things. Anyone who knew him would recognize that something was up. Flint didn't just read all the time. Or at all. It was a Muggle book, too, an older one, written in the 60s. He actually found it quite funny, and couldn't remember the last time he'd enjoyed a book like this.

His father knew him better than he thought.

No, he pushed his dad from his thoughts, and focused on the book. For once, Flint found that the silence in the common room pleasant, rather than irritating. He meant to enjoy it while it lasted. Eventually all of his house would filter through here, and then it would be back to the old Flint. Though he planned to finish this book before...well, he planned to finish it. Perhaps he make an effort to read it every night.

Flint was glad he had made this decision. It was a healthy change of pace. He'd be as loud and boisterous as ever tomorrow, but for tonight, he was content to be alone, and to...well, to find himself a little. He didn't really want to see anyone. Not Justin, who was clearly dealing with problems of his own. Not Bliss...he covered it up well, and they were probably better friends now than when they had dated, but he would have been lying if he'd said it didn't hurt to think about last year. He thought for a moment that he wouldn't mind seeing Summer, but...well, that was a stupid and confusing thought, and it made him angry more than anything.

No, he just needed the book right now. A simple laugh to take his mind off the very few things that could get Garrett Flint down.

It was going to be a great year, he kept telling himself. Time to make it happen, right?