Hallway Leading to Kitchen

Tav slunk along the wall being careful to not be seen by anyone. He was after all not suppose to be out of his room. But he had become hungry and calling a house elf didn't have the same appeal that sneaking into the kitchen held...

Valerio Addams was in a strange, magical castle full of strange, incredible things and people. Well, 'strangers' as far as the people part was concerned. He couldn't really tell if anyone was stranger than his father. It'd be quite a feat, the boy imagined, if they were...

He had no idea where said parent was at the moment, having been left with his sisters in the care of a pair of House-elves. The girls were more content with staying with the elf and asking it a plethora of questions, but he was not. In fact, Valerio had to practically fight with his elf-nanny by taking determined steps out of the room and down the stairs with the elf grasping his heels. Eventually it gave up, in favor of finding his father. Meanwhile, he'd located another elf that gave him directions an eight-year-old could follow to get to the kitchens.

It seemed a long time since then and now, so either the elf was still looking for his father or the man had thankfully given him permission to head to the kitchens. House-elves... help and hindrance all in one package! That was Valerio's thought on the creatures. His mum had one back at her place, but she - the elf, that is - needed to be taking care of her rather than worrying about the three children now.

As Valerio approached the hall to the kitchens, he noticed another boy about his age sneaking toward a large portrait depicting a bowl of fruit. The lad assumed this new kid must be around his age because they were approximately the same height and weight. The real differences lay in the more distinctive features such as hair and eyes.

"G'day!" he greeted the other boy with an Australian accent like his father's voice sometimes sounded when he wasn't mimicking a different accent. Valerio wasn't quite sure why the other kid seemed to be attempting steath when Val could see him clear as day... perhaps he was playing Secret Agent or something? That was always fun!

Tav screamed, jumping a good meter when someone stated "G'day!" from behind him. Turning around, he pushed himself up against the wall. "Who in Wallace's grave are you?" he asked, his voice a hushed whisper. "And hush, I'm not suppose to be here." He noticed that the boy seemed to be too young to be a student.

As the other boy screamed, Valerio jumped backwards several feet and cringed as his ears painfully rebelled against the sound. Blond brows knitted and quirked in confusion - who was Wallace, and how did he die if he has a grave? "Oops!" Val said apologetically, and covered his mouth the moment he heard his voice echo about the hall.

"Sorry 'bout scarin' ya, mate. The name's Valerio Addams - and yours?" Valerio asked in a whisper. "And why aren't ya supposed to be here? It's a school, innit? We can't stay bloody locked up in our parents' rooms all day, can we?" There was a string of mischief in the lad's voice despite its lowered volume.

Tav took a deep breath, relieved when the boy whispered instead of speaking loudly as he had formerly done.
"No problem." he muttered. "Tavish McConn. And I'm suppose to be studying for a test. But my Da is out." he folded his arms. "What are you doing here?" he asked, remembering his da mentioning that there was a Professor Addams. Supposing Valerio was a relative of the man, he found it ironic that the boy looked about the same age as him and and was related to someone at Hogwarts.

"Pleasure to meet ya, Tavish!" Valerio half-exclaimed in the hushed whispers required. "You're studyin' for a test? For here?! Lucky... Dad hasn't even started any lessons with me, yet... and he's probably out in the green'ouses by now," Valerio chatted, though shoved his hands into the pockets of his trousers.

"Well, it's kinda a long story... but basically Mum wanted to make sure we - my sisters and I - were goin' to school here. Then she found out Dad was workin' here. Haven't seen 'im in a month, my Dad... and now we're visitin' with him for a while. Your dad a teacher, too?" Valerio explained, which was succeeded promptly by a question. The boy was personally elated to find someone near his own age here at the school! And a boy, for that matter! Hanging out with sisters all the time got rather boring...

Tav listened intently, glad to have someone his age to talk to. "Yeah, my Da travels a lot and I go with him. So I'm homeschooled...muggle." he explained. "But he teaches me magic as well." He clasped his hands behind his back as his father always did when talking.

So, Valerio liked to talk and ask questions as well, Tav mused happily. This was like a dream come true. "Sounds neat. No, my da is an auror. He's engaged to marry the headmistress. Kiara her name is. She is really nice and I can't wait till she is my new mum. Your mum and da are not living together anymore?" he asked, confused. Divorce was hardly a subject he knew a great deal about.

Valerio nodded, taking note of the posture change in his new friend. "That's me as well, only with me mum. At least, until now. I'm hopin' Dad'll be teachin' us somethin' soon other than gardening or encouragin' us to read..." Valerio went on, sparked by the fact that Tavish seemed to have a similar academic background as him.

"That's cool! I met Kiara, too, when my mum went to see her. She's nice..." Val trailed off, not entirely sure what his father's status was with a new girl or if he was even going to get back together with the woman he married in the first place. The latter didn't seem very likely, though.

"And nah - they're divorced. Been that way for six years now. Mum's often said Dad was married to his jobs. The ones before here: he's a writer and herbologist. Not quite sure how someone can marry their job... Anyway, Mum got custody of us kids because between writin' and research on plants there really hadn't been much time in Dad's life for anythin' else... At least, nothing often. Obsessed, she called 'im.

"But... 'e's my dad, and I can't ignore that bit. ...It's not exactly easy livin' with two sisters and a strict mum. Least Dad was lenient," Val waved off the seriousness of the topic with a bit of humor and a laugh.

"You got siblings, mate?"

"You are home-schooled too? Wicked!" Tav exclaimed, forgetting the fact that stealth was required for his position in the middle of the hall. "Yeah that'll be neat if he'll teach ya."


"I've never heard of anyone being married to their job before...sounds a bit odd." he stated, childish curiosity playing with several different pictures of Professor Addams being "married" to his job... strange wedding... "My Da is a bit obsessed with his job as well, but he tries to make time for me, since my mama died." he added a bit softer.

Two sisters...boy was Valerio lucky, Tav thought. "No, I'm by myself. Maybe after Kiara and my Da marry though. It must be neat having two sisters. I've always wanted siblings."

Valerio laughed good-naturedly in response to Tav's statement. It did sound like a strange wedding, he decided, upon further thought into the matter. He had an image of his mum in a dress covered in flowers and bits of paper his father had written on. Could his father really have been married to two jobs and his mum at the same time? The boy decided not to really think about it too deeply.

The lad's smile faded slightly upon hearing that Tav's mother had died. "Sorry to hear 'bout that... but glad your dad makes time for ya. I'm hopin' that my dad'll make time for me an' my sisters, too. Rather boring when he gets writing," he replied, lowering his vocal volume as well. "Only been here a day or two, though, so we'll see."

"Sisters are okay, I guess... kinda boring though. All they want to do is play dolls and dress up, though. Occasionally I can get Erica to swordfight with me, though, which is fun," Val explained, perking up a little.