Freaks: Year Two

Evil Eggs

Reference to past unhealthy consumption of drugs, PTSD in the form of sleep paralysis.

Christopher could barely sleep.

Jasper had only left a few hours ago, but ever since he had stepped through the floo and disappeared, Christopher had felt an extreme sense of guilt for not going with him.

He should have gone, just like when he should have somehow talen all the Odairs out of that stupid house. He was relieved that he and his brother had gotten one of the best solutions to their own situation, but why couldn't the Odairs have that too? Why did he get lucky while others had to suffer?

Christopher sat up with a groan. There was no way he was going to get any sleep tonight with being worried about the Odairs. Maybe it was his punishment. He deserved one, didn't he?

If only he had more power to help them. If only the system was fair where they kept siblings together instead of tearing them apart, if only the system was good and put the children first, but there were so many flaws, too many...

And he knew that Jasper had a bad experience with foster care, whether it be the home itself or with the trauma of being taken from his house, Christopher knew it would be cruel of him to ever put him or his siblings through that again.

He went down to the common room, pulling out a cigarette from his pocket and he took a seat on one of the couches and he was about to light it to have a smoke to hopefully calm his nerves when pink and blue eyes started to peer at him in the dark.

He slowly got up, muttering a, "What the fuck," and was about to take out his wand to blast it when a small light source appeared and Christopher realised it was Xenophillius Lovegood with those weird looking glasses that made him look like a pigeon.

Christopher dropped his wand to his side. "Oh Jesus Christ, Xeno, what are you doing?"

"My nightly search."

"Your nightly search to what?"

"To search for the wrackspurts."

Christopher groaned. "I am pretty sure those thingies aren't real, take off those stupid glasses, they look ridiculous. You look more ridiculous than usual!"

Instead of complying, Xenophillius asked, "What are you doing at this hour of night I should ask...since you asked me, it is only fair I ask you."

Christopher pursed his lips and took a seat on the couch. "I can't sleep. That's all. Simple answer."

"There is something that is troubling you."

Christopher let out a heavy sigh. "And why the heck do you think that?"

"The cigarette in your hand," Xeno pointed out. "You smoke when you're stressed. Everyone knows that."

"Not everyone actually, because they think I quit."

"How about instead of lying, tell the truth and get some help?"

Christopher gave him a look. "You smoke, hypocrite."

"Ah, but you are the one who couldn't go a day without one when you were thirteen," Xeno reminded him. "It was quite dark Chris."

"Do not call me that."

"Ignore all I have to say then," Xeno said with a heavy sigh. "But I don't think keeping secrets is the way to go...especially with those who are close to you...Pandora, your brother..."

"They don't have to know, Lovegood," Christopher spat out. Xeno was just overreacting and being a bother to him just like he always had been. This was not like third year. He was only smoking on and off when he got stressed, and considering tonight he felt like he should be allowed to use them. Yes, he had told Pandora and Anthony he had quit, but that was only because he didn't want to worry them over nothing. It wasn't like third year when he had turned to them to well, survive. It wasn't like that anymore. It wasn't like third year when he would smoke packs a day and not leave his dorm room, it wasn't like he used them to cope anymore, it wasn't like he used them because they were the only things that made him feel something. It wasn't like he was smoking so much as a way to survive and get through the day even though it was slowly killing him off, it wasn't like that anymore.