High Functioning Sociopaths (Josh and Madison)

Guest

It hadn't been too hard to sneak out of the castle. In their first year there Maddie and Melody had found a few secret passages out into Hogsmeade and used them as much as they dared. Now that Melody was no longer there, Madison was left to exit and enter the castle alone, and while she did miss her sister, being dependant on herself alone was something exciting and new.

Things were going good with Nirek and Finley - or at least, she thought they were; she didn't like to be overly positive about things - but she knew she needed help. She was young and while she had been manipulating people her entire life, that was only roughly ten years of experience. There was only one person she knew who could help her - an older, ex-Slytherin by the name of Joshua Murray. Or Josh, rather, as she heard people calling him.

She had properly seen him in Potions class and knew what he was capable of - she could sense it, although she never truly knew him. It was due to this that it was only Josh that she sought after to teach her. But she had no luck in this; he was indifferent to almost everyone, herself included, and one year was not enough to grab his attention. He had left school to further his education and Maddie was left disappointed, although she had not really expected much.

News had reached her, however, that he was back, spotted around Hogsmeade. Girls in her dorm had commented on it, mentioning something about how cute he was and all that. Madison herself only smiled knowingly; he may have been good looking to some, but there was just something that told her he could be deadly - and was deadly, but only if he cared to be. One thing was for sure: she did not ever, ever want to see an angry Josh.

But she definitely still wanted to meet him, so, one Friday afternoon, after her classes had finished, she sneaked out of the castle and into Hogsmeade. For a good couple of hours, she searched around for him, peeking into tabs and bars, always with the excuse of looking for her parents, whom she had come with. She had even dressed up in something that would make her look a couple of years older for this exact reason. Unfortunately, she could not seem to locate the elusive ex-Slytherin.

Finally, deciding on taking a short break - her feet were getting tired of walking around - she stopped to take a rest on a bench just outside the Three Broomsticks, careful to hide her face behind a book that she pretended to read, bending over it so her hair blocked any possibility of someone recognizing her.

Guest

With the Christmas holidays in full swing, Josh had much time to himself. Louise had mentioned something about living in Hogsmeade in the holidays at some point, and he'd idly wondered where. It had taken only a short amount of time to acquire the address from the registers, but now he'd gotten the address, he didn't know what to do with it.

Or even why he'd looked it up in the first place.

The Murray heir was on another errand in Hogsmeade, picking up some clothes from a store that tailored everything to order. New trousers, shirts, etc for himself, and a few pieces for his mother. Why they couldn't be delivered was beyond the ex-Slytherin, and his dissatisfaction with the situation had been made clear.

Leaving the, now blithering, shop keeper's presence, Josh had moved towards The Three Broomsticks for some dinner. The dinner he'd been served last night by the house elves had been abysmal, and he was making them suffer by not eating the food they had likely prepared for them that evening. Even if that meant dinner in a pub only just above average in standard.

There had been a girl on the bench outside, Josh had noted as he walked in to the pub, but there was nothing of significance about the witch, apart from the fact she apparently thought it was a good idea to sit outside in the snow. Shaking his head at the stupidity, Josh pressed the door open and moved to the nearest booth, taking a seat and shrugging off his jacket.

The waiter was at the table in an instant, and after ordering a jacket potatoe for dinner, Josh was left on his own, watching the others in the pub with little and less interest.

Guest

Some time had passed and she was getting restless; her feet had rested enough and she wanted to get going, but just as she was about to get up, she saw him. He was entering the pub, body posture as cold as ever, and a smile touched her lips. It seemed that he had come to her, and not the other way around, although she figured it wouldn't be wise to say that. Instead, she closed her book, dusted the snow off her hair, and stood up. The cold had never really bothered her, especially not since her clothes had a warming charm placed on them; it was why she loved to wear the skimpy clothes despite the snow.

Moving inside, she was almost at once spotted by a waiter, and stopped. "I came here with my father," she said at once, before he had a chance to ask her why she was there alone. Adding a hint of impatience to her tone, as though she had heard this a thousand times before and was sick and tired of it, she continued, "He gave me money to eat dinner while he holds a business meeting."

With a roll of her eyes, she added, "Besides, I'm older than I look. Do you really think a father would let a young girl wear something like this?"

That was all it took, and the waiter apologized and let her pass. It was far too easy. The hard part came when she neared Josh. She didn't want to disturb him, but at the same time, she might never get the chance again. So, taking a risk, Madison walked straight up to him, not hesitating or haltering her steps, although she wasn't as confident this time round.

She knew enough to know Josh was capable of many things.

"Excuse me, Josh?" she asked, keeping her tone brisk and void of any girly traces she sometimes used. "I've been meaning to talk to you."

Guest

Josh had just about finished analysing a couple across from him. The young witch had something of a strained expression on her features, which the ex-Slytherin could just about work out to be worry. Her teeth were worrying at her bottom lip, whilst the man looked like he'd just swallowed something like a balloon. Almost a if he was going to wheeze at any point.

"Proposal." Josh muttered to himself, looking away from the two of them and glancing towards the fire. What a dire place to propose to someone, Josh thought to himself. Though, in his opinion the reason for a proposal was a sign of weakness in the world that wasn't like his. Which, looking at the couple across the room, they could never be from his world.

The door opened, and closed behind him. Light footsteps began to move, then the heavier sound of the waiter's feet moved to join them. An exchange of words, and the smaller, lighter footsteps continued.

And then the owner of the footsteps stood beside his table.

The sound of his name made Josh look up, if only slightly, at the witch who had addressed him. Ah, it was the one from outside that looked like an idiot in the cold in... that attire. Josh looked away from her, much too young. The waiter might be fooled, but Josh wasn't.

"I've been meaning to talk to you."

The words brought a single, amused exhalation from Josh, his eyes staying away from the witch who had deemed herself worthy of his attention. "I don't talk to little girls, especially not little girls who dress like... that." He replied, his tone cold, body language even frostier.

Guest

As the ex-slytherin looked up at her, she looked him directly in the eyes, seeing nothing there but coldness, and, coupled with the words, she knew she wasn't welcome. Most people would have flinched, or grown nervous, or apologized and left. But Madison was not 'most people', and Josh's actions did nothing but push her even more. She wanted to learn from him now more than ever.

With a casual shrug, she said, "The outfit helps." She left it at that, not bothering or wanting to say any more about it. He did not need his time wasted, and neither did she.

She knew she was right; wearing things like that came with a price - people didn't always take kindly to girls dressing like that - but at the same time, it helped when she needed information from boys, or to act older. It had worked this time round, in any case.

If Josh had been watching - and she was sure he was; he seemed to be a watcher - then he, too, would have noticed this.

"If you don't want to talk, then listen," she continued, then paused for a split second to make sure she had his attention - or part of it, any way. She knew she needed to get him to be intrigued, even if partially, and fast, before he got too annoyed and shut her out completely. "I want you to teach me. I want to learn."

What that meant, she was sure he understood. If he didn't, then he wasn't as great as she once thought, and she wouldn't want his teaching any longer. Placing both her hands on the table, she didn't sit down, instead remaining in the exactly same posture as she waited for his reply.

Guest

Josh ignored the witch as she tried to justify the outfit she was wearing. In Josh's mind - which to him was the only opinion that would ever matter - the outfit was ridiculous given the time of year, and was much, much too old for the witch in question. Of course, he was much better than most people at reading people, he couldn't deny that on idiots it would perhaps work much better.

A squeal on the other side of the room brought a smirk to Josh's features momentarily as the situation he'd read just before the child had come to pester him had arrived.

But the witch continued to talk, and Josh listened with half an ear, his ice cold gaze on the embers of the fire as they flickered in the hearth. A teacher. Josh's mind flickered quickly through the possibilities of what the witch meant, drawing out a few, chucking them back and then pulling out one.

"And what makes you think that you could possibly be worth teaching?" Josh asked, his eyes moving from the fire to the witch. His expression bore nothing but boredom of the conversation. His drink arrived, and the waiter left without a second glance, or a single word. "Sit down." Josh told the witch a moment later, not bothering to motion to the other side of the table. If she wasn't going to go away, she might as well get out of his line of sight.

Guest

She blocked out all other occurrences around her, instead focusing everything she had onto Josh. Reading him was very nearly impossible, and if she so much as got something wrong by a fraction of a millimetre, she was a gone case. She had too much on the line to risk losing.

"It's not what I think that matters right now. It's what you think and what you want," she replied at once, not even hesitating in the slightest. He had understood her, and she was glad, even if he was asking hard questions like this. It meant that, in the very least, he was willing to hear her out.

Being told to sit was even better in her eyes; he was not telling her to go away, which he could have, and she paused for just a moment to look at him before doing as he asked and taking her seat.

A moment passed, then, sure that he would at least listen, she continued. "I am a quick learner. You have much to teach, I know you do. But why teach me? I know I'm young. I don't have much to offer you... Yet. But I can assure you, one day, I will only need to snap my fingers and people will be doing everything I ask of them."

She paused once more. "But I am not there yet. That's why I want you to teach me. Because I've seen you around Hogwarts and I know some of what you can do, and I admire that. I'm not trying to compete with you and I never will. I just want to learn."

Keeping everything she said short and as to the point as she could, Madison leaned back in her chair and waited.

Guest

As the witch made a comment about what he wanted, Josh's amusement with the situation peaked, only marginally, but enough for his smirk to show he thought she was much too young for all this. Which, she was, but she was showing it in that moment. "Okay, lesson one for you. Only weak people want things." Josh told the witch, neither in a degrading manner, or in a manner that sounded wise. Just his usual, flat, uninterested tone. "Strong people take." He added.

As the witch continued, Josh listened, never interrupting the flow. When she'd finished, Josh allowed a silence to fall over the two of them. Taking her in, and wondering if she could actually pull anything off. "Lesson two, there will never be anything you can offer that I would need, so don't think that you can ever fulfill something like that." He continued, because the most efficient way of doing things would be for him to do them himself. No reliance on the little people meant things got done right, first time.

Again, Josh allowed a pause, mulling things over with himself. He didn't have anything to lose, that was a certainty, as a Murray you could never take on something that would cripple you in any manner. But a gain. Could this witch be a gain for him?

"I will teach you." Josh told the witch, but held up a hand before she could get excited and do those weird noises girls make. "But, before we do anything of substance, I need to know what you've got. You're going to do something to prove you have power within the castle. I'm not going to tell you what because you need a sharp mind. If you can do that, then we'll talk more."

Guest

She nodded as he spoke, wondering if she dare to reply. But, as he didn't seem to be irritated at her, she took a chance. "I would be a fool to think of taking something from you. Besides, everybody wants something, be it power, or fame, or even something trivial like love. If you don't want it, you wouldn't take it." She paused, tilted her head a little, and smirked. "That's why I hide what I want. It makes it easy to play people when you know their desires. I only told you so you know I am serious about this. I am showing you my weakness not because I trust you, but because it benefits me, if you accept."

But she could only nod at his second statement. She was sure he wanted something - it was human nature - but he was good at hiding and pretending. It was entirely possible, however, that she would never be able to offer him that, whatever it was. She didn't care. All she wanted was him to teach her. A mentor, she believed they were called.

The moment he mentioned he was willing, she let a small smile settle on her features, but did not make to move or speak. His holding up of hand was redundant, but she let it pass; he was not done, she could tell. Taking in his challenge - for that was what she saw it as - she merely nodded. "Alright," she said simply, tone neutral and casual. "I have work to do, and you have food to eat," she continued, glancing at the waiter that was fast approaching. "So I'll leave you be. Two days time, same place as now?"

Standing up, she pushed her chair in quietly. "I'll see you then, Josh," she said curtly, then turned to leave without so much as a second glance behind her. She needed to get planning, and fast.

Guest

"Everyone else wants something." Josh told the witch, his tone firm to make sure that she knew he didn't want anything from the anyone. The spiel on how she had told him because she wanted him to teach her might have been moving to anyone else in the world, but Josh saw right through it. This girl knew what to say to get what she wanted, and she would soon learn it would take much more than that to get Josh to do anything.

"Two days." Was Josh's reply to the witch stating she would be back then. Did he think she could pull something of a large enough substance that would make him want to continue this? No, not really, but Josh would let her try so she could taste the bitter sweetness of failure.

The witch soon left, leaving Josh to his dinner. He was glad of that much, because he was hungry, and there was only so long that he was willing to entertain little girls.

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