Entrance Hall (Nick or Orynn)

[Dónall Kennedy]

Donall had finally been given permission to return to school, and his father had accompanied him until the front doors of the castle.

He now sat on his trunk, unwilling to move any further, with his head cradled in his hands.

This 'vacation' had not been for pleasure, nor had he enjoyed one second of it. Any parchment or quill had been removed from his room, along with any other item of comfort aside from his bed. He had been locked in, with the twice daily visit from his father.

His father demanded that Donall explain his odd behavior, and in doing so promise to return to his normal way of acting. Sean Kennedy did not approve of Donall's change one bit.

Donall shuddered just thinking of his week long stay at home. He didn't want to think any more of it, and wished the conversations and arguments would leave his mind. All he could think of were the recurring words of his father, "You will do as I say or face the consequences. Leaving Hogwarts will be the least of your problems."

Don refused to cry. He just sat in his spot in the entrance hall, not quite ready to face the castle just yet.

[Nicholas Gawain Lannsman]

The door to the castle opened yet again, a brief gust of wind whipping in the occasional flakes of snow. Nicholas stood there, holding the wooden bludger box, his training sword sheathed on his left hip. His black hair was tied back as usual, his green military cut wool coat and brown scarf bunched at his neck had their fair share of snow upon it. Stomping his feet a few moments, he cleared what was left and began to move forward.

There, he saw Donall and an older man. The similarities were enough to allow him to deduce they were related. The older man's bitter disposition towards the obviously crushed young man meant that it was none other than Donall's father.

Probably.

Setting down the box, Nicholas moved towards them.

"Good evening, gentlemen. Hello, Donall, welcome back. Is there anything I can help you with, Sir?" he asked, politely.

[Dónall Kennedy]

Sean Kennedy looked at the man who had just entered, and mentally cursed at not having left sooner. He had no desire to confront any of Hogwarts staff, least of all this man. He recognized Sir Nicholas Lannsmann from the many news articles that had surfaced over the years.

While Don's father sized up the Gryffindor Head of House, Donall merely looked up at the professor with fury in his eyes, and did nothing else to acknowledge his presence. He looked as though he hadn't slept well in days.

Sean Kennedy stared a moment longer, then answered Sir Nicholas. "Sir knight." he greeted, no respect in his voice for the title he spewed. "I was just seeing my boy safely back onto school grounds."

He looked back at his son for a split second, then back at the knight. "We had some family business to take care of."

[Nicholas Gawain Lannsman]

Nicholas sighed mentally.

When are these people going to grow up and try to acknowledge me as a person, and not the title.

Still smiling, as though oblivious to the man's jibe, he looked to Donall. "Well, as a father, I understand completely. If you wish, I can accompany him to his dormitories or wherever it is he needs to go. I can safely say he'll be alright from this point on. No need to worry. Unless, of course, you're waiting for the Headmistress. I assume she's been notified that you're permitting him back into the school." he replied in a rather regular conversational tone, despite the fact he insulted the man's parenting in his last phrase.

His smile remained cheerful.

[Dónall Kennedy]

With a stern glare in the knight's direction, Don's father merely nodded, and said "Yes, very well then. The Headmistress has been notified, and I should be on my way." He was eager to leave before the knight pressed him about the reasons for his son's sudden departure from and arrival at the school. Though he was a stubborn man, proud and powerful, he was a stickler for privacy and didn't like people butting into his business when they were unwanted.

Don's eyes followed his father, and avoided his DADA professor. When his father walked past the knight to leave the Entrance Hall, however, Don's eyes rested on Sir Nick for a few seconds before dropping his gaze to the floor.

Shuddering from the cold as his father left the castle, Don blocked out any more thought of his father an dstared blankly ahead.

[Nicholas Gawain Lannsman]

"Do take care then, Master Kennedy. I'm happy to see that your son was well taken care of! We missed him, you know." he added as the man began to leave. He kept the smile on his face until the door to the castle closed. Taking quick measured steps, he moved to the bludger box and picked it up. Snatching his cloak of of it with his other hand, he moved to Donall.

Yet again, he deposited the box, but not before wrapping his thick black cloak around Donall's shoulders and sitting onto his box opposite him. "Thought you could use it. It's a lot colder out there then one would think." he said, quietly, worried before remaining silent opposite the young Slytherin.

Nicholas looked down the hall, waiting.

[Dónall Kennedy]

Don shrugged out of the cloak that the knight wrapped around him, and glared at him in the same way his father had. He fixed him with a cold stare, letting him know it was cold inside as well.

"I don't need your help," he spat, venemously. He added in quickly, "Sir." He acted, seemingly, back to his old ways.

[Nicholas Gawain Lannsman]

Nicholas looked to him and shrugged. "Suit yourself, Mister Kennedy. I should return this to their proper place and should try to find Orynn. I guess you two would like a heart to heart. I'm not your Head of House, right? Why would I need to care. I'm just some stupid Gryffie House Head." he said, standing up his smile significantly decreased.

"At least your safe." he said, picking up his cloak and box.

[Dónall Kennedy]

A flash of guilt showed in Donall's eyes, but he didn't raise them for the professor to see. He wasn't going to slip up on his first day back. He didn't say another word to the professor but pulled out his wand an banished his things to his Common Room. He would follow soon after.

Now, he spoke. "Yes... Safe." He then walked past the knight and made his way to the Slytherin Common Room.

[Nicholas Gawain Lannsman]

"Safe from him at least. But you didn't come back."

Walking to deposit the bludger box, he thought to himself, contemplating if all the head aches, all the insults and snide remarks, the distrust was worth it after all this time of simply trying to help these Slytherin's.

He remembered how proud he felt when Donall stood up for Neoma, and how he even began to smile at the Christmas Ball, even dancing with a Ravenclaw.

Decision made, he pressed on. He wanted to spend some time with his family and tell his own family how much he cared about them.

Like any good parent should.