Comming to Terms (Open)

[Seth Inophen]

Seth had made it a point to avoid his friends today. After Jarrod left, he really needed time to think, to let everything soak in.

His father was dead. Killed. Murdered. Gone.

A normal 14 year old, from a normal family, would be devistated. Crying his eyes out and hugging his brother tight, while wondering how in the world they could help thieir mother.

But Seth was from an Inophen family, and all he could feel was relief to know that at least one of his family members would never have to be tollerated ever again.

But that didn't feel right either.

So Seth found himself contemplating the Whomping Willow, not knowing how he feels. He didn't want to talk to the others...Gage, Maxi, Bek. He loved his friends, but they were biased. He wanted to talk to someone who didn't know his relationship with his father.

[Samantha Montgomery]

One might have thought that her encounter with Rafe the other day left her wary of the Whomping Willow, but she wasn't. Still it was better to be prepared, she had her wand strapped to her arm beneath her robe, it wouldn't take much for her to use it were there to be danger suddenly.

She didn't know why she kept coming back, but perhaps the rage of that Willow tree, when the tree was enraged, simply matched a chord within Samantha. Otherwise graceful and serene, it could be deceptively chaotic and dangerous.

She hadn't expected company this time either. "Seth." she said before a half smile fell to her lips.

[Seth Inophen]

"Sam," Seth looked up at his friend and smiled. "What brings you here? Haven't seen you in a while. Wanna sit?" He gestured to a spot of grass beside him. His voice was off, hitched, probably from his overwhelming confusion today, but Seth had a feeling that Sam was just the person he wanted to talk to.

[Samantha Montgomery]

She shrugged, then moved to where he pointed before practically floating to her seat, " Thank you." she said then arranged the folds of her robe to sit more easily. " Just out for a walk myself, you?" she asked.

He seemed to have a lot on his mind, she wasn't sure if she was intruding at all. She also had heard about his father's death, but she didn't want to bring it up if it would hurt Seth.

[Seth Inophen]

"Just thinking," Seth said truthfully. He really was out of sorts with the whole issue with his father. If only things were different with his family. If only things were easier at home. If only Seth was more like what his father expected of him.

If only there weren't so many if only's.

"So I assume you heard?" Seth asked Sam. Some student must have overheard his convorsation with his brother, because he hadn't seen the news of Lyle's death in the papers, yet everyone seemed to know.

[Samantha Montgomery]

She nodded, "I'm sorry." she offered reaching for his hand in an attempt to sooth and comfort. Even if she couldn't tell that his pain wasn't in losing his father, she noticed the strain he was dealing with by the look in his eyes.

Whether either of them would ever realize it, they had a lot in common. Seth with his father, and Sam with her Mother. Had she known how Seth truly felt about his father, it would have been easier for her to relate, as it was she thought of losing her own beloved father and the idea was only too heartbreaking for her.

[Seth Inophen]

"I don't know how to feel," Seth said quietly, almost ashamed with this revelation. It was like all the anger he had toward his dad didn't matter anymore. My dad wasn't great Sam," Seth explained. "He wasn't even good. He never said it, but I know that he was one of those wizards who used the dark arts..." Seth sighed a little. "And i always hated him for it, and for getting my brother into it, and for treating my mother like she hardly existed and now...he's dead, and I dont know how to feel." He skook his head as his thoughts began to spill out.

[Samantha Montgomery]

Sam felt instant empathy with him but cautiously took a look around them. "Seth, you musn't say such things." she warned her friend. Then impulsively she leaned in and hugged him, "These are dangerous times, you know that as well as I do...My mother..." she began but then stopped herself. " Let me just tell you that I understand...and as much as I understand I know how difficult it is to keep such secrets..." she gave him a sorry look.

"I would never hurt you or betray you Seth." she told him sincerely, but there were those who wouldn't hesitate. Those who would take what Seth said and look for ways to use it against him. And then there were those who would hear Seth's words and turn in Seth's brother or worse, would tell Seth's brother about Seth's accusations and Sam shivered when she thought of what retribution might be. She really was worried for her young friend who had been nothing but kind to her since she arrived.

Then listening to him she didn't know what to say, certainly in the past she had felt similar things if only because of what her mother had done to her, she sighed, " You don't really have control over what you feel Seth...you just feel it. I wouldn't try forcing an emotion that isn't there. You're a pretty good guy, whatever your gut tells you I'm sure it's the right thing."

[Seth Inophen]

"There's no one around Sam," Seth said. Yes, despite everything, he knew not to say things like that in a crowded room. But it was just Seth and Sam, whom he trusted, up here, and he wasn't as worried about admitting his susspissions to Sam.

She said he had no control over his feelings. He knew that was true. He just didn't know what those feelings were. "You know, when I was little, I used to idolize my dad and my brother," Seth reminiced. "I used to try and do exactly as they did. I wanted to be just like them..." He shook his head and frowned. "Boy did he have me fooled. My first day of Hogwarts, i started learning the truth. I didn't even know mudblood was a foul word until Bek and Maxi both told me."

[Samantha Montgomery]

She nodded when he said no one was around the fact that he considered her trustworthy was a whole different concept. Samantha would have never seen herself in that light, but she was coming to realize that it was true all the same. She wouldn't do anything to intentionally hurt Seth, she simply had no reason to. She had no mother to point out a reason at least.

Taking a deep breath she sighed, " People will always find reasons to hate other people. When really looking down on others is only a way of assauging one's own ego, it makes them feel better, and superior because without it, they don't think too highly of themselves." She placed a hand on his shoulder, " Your father, despite what you thought of him, was not an evil man, a bad man perhaps, but even then you must realize that his beliefs are deeply embedded in society. They are wrong beliefs, but popular ones all the same. It takes a very strong man to combat the pressure that comes with swimming against the stream. Most of those men who attempt it are often swept asside and crushed by the currant. You are a stronger man that your father ever was...and ever will be. I can't tell you not to hate the man, because that would be only too hypocritical of me...but I can say that to pity his weakness is an infinately more peaceful way of living, it probably would have pissed him off more as well."

[Seth Inophen]

Seth never thought of his father as a strong man, in fact, he usually thought just the opposite. That Lyle was a cowerd, taking the easy option of dark magic versus the right choice of the good side. His memory of his dad would always be a sour one, but he wouldn't let Lyle's death control his life. There would be no more decisions based only on the fact that his father wouldn't like it. It was almost...releaving.

"Thanks Sam," he said. He was glad she had shown up, even if all Seth needed was some advice on what was swimming around in his head, messing with his emotions. But Seth now knew how he felt about Lyles death.

[Samantha Montgomery]

Samantha didn't imagine she helped all that much, in fact she wasn't sure she had said anything truly helpful at all, but she had tried. She gave him a light smile, "I suppose you're welcome, although you seem to have all of this figured out on your own. I congratulate you for that."