September Brought the Fall

[Derrick Breckenridge]

Derrick was sprawled out, with a rather content look upon his face, across one of the many benches in the courtyard which was nothing out of the ordinary what so ever. His guitar as usual rested next to him with care on the ground and a book occupied his hands. What was off at this moment though was unlike usual the book rested upon his face because he had drifted off underneath the sun's warm gaze on that fine afternoon. Sleep was the only thing on the young man's mind at the moment besides the dreams that would later make him wonder what he had ate earlier that day that could cause such things. Thankfully Derrick had been in his right mind in his placing of Francesca as his guitar was place snuggly underneath the bench and not next to it. This though would not be too important were it not for the fact that Derrick was a bit of a clumsy sleeper and had rolled off his bed in mid sleep on more then one occasion. This also wouldn't be of much importance were it not for the fact that in few seconds Derrick would in fact be brought to a rude awakening. Shifting his weight for comfort reasons Derrick's body weight and gravity took over deciding to leave him with only one option. This option of course was for him to slide off the bench at a decent speed and hit the ground with not much more then a loud moan that sounded something like this.

"Ohhhh bloody."

Derrick stood up a tad bit bewildered and quite disturbed at the fact that he had drifted off so easily. Stretching and working out all the kinks he realized the sun must of gotten the best of him. The book he was reading at the moment after all was not one that he found particularly entertaining but it was one that he felt he needed to read for his research. Straightening out his clothing and attempting to tidy his hair Derrick sat back on the bench and went back to his book. A quick peek beneath the bench told him that Francesca still rested safely underneath that bench. His guitar was unharmed and that was all that mattered to him at this moment. Francesca was not something he would ever fix with a simple spell. It was a guitar that he had taken care of for years and would not be the same if he had to do such a thing as replace the neck or anything of that nature. He was attached and he knew it after all he had named it and treated it as his pet or best friend. Derrick named everything though but this name meant something to him, it was what he would name his daughter provided he had one, and it was..... Derrick hurried the thoughts out of his head. He didn't need any further relapses this week. Maybe if he talked about it or told someone he could deal with it better? That was out of the question though this like the rest of his life would be held tightly to Derrick's chest.

Sighing Derrick hummed to himself erasing the previous thoughts from his mind as quickly as he could. It was a beautiful day and the wind blowing through his hair reminded him of this. It wasn't terribly hot but still warm enough to feel like summer and the day brought enough wind so the leaves could create their own music. Derrick inhaled the air around him with a smile and went back to his reading. It was boring yes but it could be worse he could take another tumble off the bench, which he hoped no one had seen, but Derrick doubted he would fall asleep again. Derrick though as he was on many an occasion was wrong in this instance. For as he read the sun took over him once more and brought drowsiness to his eyes in less then a few minutes time after Derrick had just awoken. Leaning back it was almost as if he was retaking the same sprawled position that he had moments before he had fallen earlier. Once again Derrick would succumb to sleep and with the passing of only a few minutes Derrick drifted off into dreamland. Just as he had earlier Derrick attempted to shift his weight and fell hitting the ground hard. Unfortunately the second time around someone was around to see him fall. Staring at their shoes he felt paralyzed as if gravity was pushing all the force of the world down onto him. Unable to move he waited nervously for whoever was staring down at him to say what they wanted to say to him because at the moment his tounge was twisting circles unable to escape from his mouth.

Open to whoever

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[Brenton Douglas]

Finally, someone was doing what they were supposed to do--bow at his feet. A Prince could only be treated correctly in this way, and with so many nobles around, he couldn't make them bow, but this kid did it all on his own, without any coaxing. It was turning out to be a rather good day. Check one thing off his list, and if this kid was the same age as him, even better. Of course, the unexpectedness of it all startled the young boy, but a somewhat devious grin troubled his face for the time being.

Staring down his nose, he waited for the kid to respond somehow. But it seemed all words failed him in the presence of royalty, the way it was supposed to be.

"Heh," Brenton ushered under his breath, still waiting. While he'd always dreamed of a situation like this, that someone would finally recognize that he was what he knew he was, it was different that someone else was finally realizing the hugeness of it all. It was SO cool!

"Finally someone knows how to treat royalty around here," like some big secret that others had no idea so they didn't bother. If they only knew, then they'd all be bowing.

[Derrick Breckenridge]

The boy's words snapped Derrick back to reality and with that he gravity granted him a reprieve. Rising to his feet he brushed himself off once more and couldn't help but scoff at what the boy said. Looking the person who stood in front of him he took in exactly who he was. The boy if he recalled correctly was Brenton Douglas and he like Derrick was a third year or so he assumed as they shared a bevy of the same classes. Also from what he gathered by his robes and attitude of importance meant he belonged to the house of Slytherin. His small stature though and what he had said were what made Derrick scoff a few seconds earlier. Was this kid for real? Was he actually royalty and if so what was his status? As far as Derrick knew royalty wasn't something that was common now a days amongst wizard kind. Derrick for whatever reason at this moment couldn't help but let a snide comment escape his lips.

"Royalty eh? What are you mate Prince of Midgets?"

Derrick surprised himself in this instance but something about the boy that stood in front of him rubbed him the wrong way entirely. He wasn't to sure what it was but he knew he would find out soon enough. Picking up his book he folded it and placed it in his back pocket hoping that he wouldn't damage his reading material by doing so. Stopping himself Derrick wondered if this was the sort of thing normal teenagers concerned themselves with. Shaking it off quickly he turned back to the boy who was in front of him and the disgruntled feeling he had moments before returned. The boy bothered him most likely because of the fact that he claimed to be royalty but there was something more.

Shaking his head Derrick wondered if this is what hatred at first sight was. This boy in his small stature managed to with a few simple words make Derrick want to punch him square in the face. He wasn't violent though and surprisingly enough for some reason found himself holding himself back from doing so. He towered over the boy, Derrick knew, and after tidying himself up stood up to his full height instead of his usual slouch. Looking down at him Derrick made sure his eyes were not blocked so he could make direct contact from his own eyes to the boy's.

"I bow to no man make no mistake; I fell don't feel so privileged even if you are royalty the chances of me doing so are slim to none. The day I bow to a man is the day I die."

Well Derrick didn't know if this phrase was exactly true but knew that if he was to bow to anyone it would surely not be the small boy that stood in front of him. Turning it over in his head he wondered why he was acting this way at all. He had never been this mean or bitter with anyone. I had to be that this boy in front of him had such a large mindset of self importance built up that Derrick's mind was forced to be this way. After all that was the only thing that really got underneath his skin.

[Brenton Douglas]

Raising an eyebrow, Brent shook his head and rolled his eyes. What an idiotic comment made by such an obvious commoner. People needed to learn to bite their tongues and think deeply about the words they dared to issue to anyone, especially when they didn't know of who a person was. And his comment angered the young man, enough so that he had to breathe for just a moment to regain his stature. Sure, he was a bit on the short side, even for his age, but he knew it ran in his blood lines to be that way. Any taller and he'd be questioned as to whether he was really of royal blood, and the boy knew his mammie wouldn't do something like that to his father, no matter how much he was gone from their home.

But before he had a chance to get a word in, and he wasn't too sure what he would've said anyway, other than it was better to be a Prince of something than to be the one with his face in mud, the other guy continued to talk. And what came out only made the young Slytherin smirk again and roll his eyes once more. If he wasn't careful his eyes would be stuck lollygagging about in his head for a lifetime, he was sure of it.

"A bi' overdrama'ic, aren' we?" he questioned. Whether the boy fell, was forced to the ground, or did it all his own didn't matter to Breton, he bowed at his feet and that was all there was to it. The kid actually sounded like he was trying to quote some great master that no one could remember the name of; obviously those were his last famous words.

[Derrick Breckenridge]

Derrick found himself in a large amount of displeasure at the moment for two very different reasons. One of reasons being that he was seeing quite a different side of himself. He wasn't usually one to speak with such venom lacing his words but this boy was getting the better of him. This though was the second reason he was having such difficulty acting in his usual calm and over all kind demeanor. This boy who carried himself as if he was so all important because he was royalty. Well he was possibly royalty this was something though that at the moment Derrick did not know. Derrick had always disliked those who carried themselves with self important attitudes and thought others were below them because of their blood. So what if you were born into something what had you done to earn it and more importantly if you had done nothing why did you deserve to even carry yourself as you do? It was this way with royalty and a majority of the rich. They had done nothing to gain this attitude they carried and to bow to them when in most cases they were weak and useless was disgraceful. It was something he would never do unless forced to. Brushing the hair from his face Derrick locked eyes with Brenton's and kept his gaze like this as he spoke.

"Over dramatic? Not at all I live by certain standards and bowing to people who most likely have nothing to deserve the honor other then being born isn't one of those standards. Actually the only reason I think I'd ever bow is if it were to give the assassin a clearer shot."

Derrick knew he wasn't done but inhaled for a brief second. What he had said was harsh, he knew it, but it needed to be said for him to maintain any kind of sanity in this particular situation. He was actually surprised with himself as Derrick felt that he had put that in mildly nice terms. Detail had been excluded and in this particular situation Derrick would have been more then happy to delve right into it. Looking up again now Derrick let an odd grin cross his lips and quirked his brow.

"So then if you aren't the Prince of Midgets what are you Prince of assuming you are a prince of course? I mean after all you could be an earl or duke or something of that sort. I'm just curious what exactly you were born into and what exactly you've done also that gives you such a need to feel entitled to ask others to bow and respect you?

It was a totally reasonable question in Derrick's opinion and any competent human being could answer it. He was quite intrigued to see what the boys response would be to his question. If he was in fact royalty what was he and if not had he made sure to construct at least some kind of back story? Would he crumble at Derrick's questions and words or would he have at least have a backbone about the whole situation? God what was Derrick thinking this attitude and cruelness was not him what was he letting himself do. Looking at Brenton though for a split second Derrick remembered exactly why he was acting the way he was in this circumstance.

[Brenton Douglas]

Man, this kid was a whacko. He didn't know a thing about Brenton, and obviously thought as highly of himself as the Slytherin did. Just his speech ensured Brent that the kid was well educated, still over dramatic, and didn't know a thing about politics. Nowadays, most people just shook hands, but in some countries bowing was the only option. Brenton just liked the look of how bowing to another was portrayed; it made the person look all that more important. But what the other boy said next sent him reeling. First of all, he didn't really tell anyone about the Prince bit, too shady with most people, and second of all, well...

"I never asked you to bow, you did it on your own." Shrugging, Brenton looked down at his feet for a moment. It was the truth, and he'd never actually specified what he was; just royalty as the kid picked up on. And even then it could be taken sarcastically, after all, he wanted to wait for the right time to reveal exactly who he was to everyone, not just one measly person who wasn't worth a rat's...well, yeah, that. The boy meant nothing to Brenton, but then again, most didn't at first.

Even his best mate, Jeremy, he was still unsure of, but perhaps when they were older he could knight the guy just so it would look better.

[Derrick Breckenridge]

Derrick shook his head and chuckled. The boy couldn't even answer his question and tried to brush it off. Derrick figured as much and if there was one thing that bothered him more then royalty it was most defiantly liars. Building ones status and stature on empty claims and false deeds was despicable. Although the more Derrick thought about it that was in fact what royalty did in most cases. Was this why he was acting like this? Was his sense of injustice that strong that he couldn't take this fools blatant claims and lies? Derrick assumed that this was the case and at least now he had some sort of explanation for his actions and deeds.

"No answer of substance I see. That's fine I figured as much. I wasn't bowing I fell off the bench after all some of us have to be clumsy in this world my dear prince."

It was now as if he was spitting venom and sarcasm both lacing his spit and building to the point where they were burrowing through his teeth to come out. Derrick needed to get away from this....Prince or whatever he wanted to call himself. Whatever he was he was bad for Derrick and whatever he was doing to him Derrick didn't like or appreciate in the least. He wanted to flee but seemed rooted to the ground at the moment and movement was just not a possibility. Turning his head he checked on Francesca and made sure she was still in place. He didn't want this boy to manage to ruin something so pure with his mere glance or touch. Although Derrick doubted heavily that he could do such a thing to his beloved guitar. Looking up at the boy he marked him as a Slytherin seeing as only they could probably come up with such a pompous lie and attitude all in one swoop. Derrick hoped secretly that the boy wasn't friends with Claire seeing as he really deserve to be she was far too nice or at least she seemed that way to him.

"If I may inquire my dear Prince what in fact is your name just so I know how to avoid you should I hear it called."

It was the truth if he heard the name Derrick would be bolting in the other direction as quickly as he possibly could. He really didn't like the idea of acting the way he was at that moment around other people. Derrick really didn't find it appealing and he figured whoever he was with would feel the exact same way about the attitude he was taking at the moment.