Secret's Out [Jamie]

[Max Kameren]

NPC - Violet Kameren

---

She'd heard he was here. Violet mused on how quickly the word got to her as she leaned on the doorway to the Hospital Wing and watched the shaggy head of Max Kameren tend to the students. He'd arrived only an hour earlier. Was filling in as extra help in the wake of the earthquake for a day. Violet had heard almost immediately; she always did. She had the same gift for wit as the rest of the Kameren family, but better than them all she could listen. She heard everything.

"Max." The fifth year stood at the foot of the bed, smiling brightly at her brother. He smiled but didn't look up; she knew he didn't have to look to know it was her.

"Hey, Vi." He looked up for only a moment at his sister as he kneeled at the foot of the bed to examine the injured ankle of Seamus Stowe; the two Gryffindors greeted each other with a silent smile. "How've you been? Do you have any quidditch injuries that need patching up too?"

Max looked up from the bandages he was removing from Violet's teammate, looking his sister up and down in concern. As if in reply she crossed her arms, cutting herself off from her brother. She knew with the earthquake her brother's concern for his sisters had grown, but theirs had too: they knew he was fighting. Dad had trained him like a soldier, they all knew eventually Max would put those skills to the test.

"It's been fine, mostly. Classes have had to move around a bit, apparently there's been damage to the Slytherin common room so they're in the Great Hall til it's fixed."

"The Slytherins?"

His hands paused in his work just long enough for Violet to notice and she arched a thin brow, now curious. "Yeah. Why?"

Max looked up, opened his mouth, then closed it again. "It's nothing, Vi."

"For having mind-reading powers you're a horrible liar. What is it?" Her eyes narrowed and she pushed her annoyance to the front of her mind, hoping to bother her brother's empathy enough to frazzle him into talking; this was a well-known tactic she'd honed on him and she smirked when she felt him push his annoyance back at her. He tried to escape by turning to the Head Nurse's office, but the stalwart Gryffindor followed. "Max. Maaaax. What is it? What is it Max? Is it your girlfriend? Evie told me you have a girlfriend."

"What? Damn it, Evie. No, it's not her. I - " Violet grinned as she watched the familiar sight of her brother cracking under the weight of her aura " - it's nothing, really. Was thinking of some Slytherin kid Elle patched up the other day at that Weird Sisters thing."

"Jamie MacDougal?"

"Yeah, you know him?"

Violet's emerald eyes sharpened in suspicion: why was he taking such an interest in Jamie MacDougal's sprained wrist? Especially at a time like this? What's more, why did he care if she knew him? "Yeah, he plays on the Slytherin quidditch team. Why?" What was so special about Jamie MacDougal?

Her brother paused and took a breath, pushing his cunning little sister's aura out of his mind and stepping over the threshold of the office to put space between them. "It's nothing Vi. Drop it. Leave it. Seriously."

Well, now she definitely couldn't.

.. .. ..

She stood in a dark rarely used corridor on the first floor, watching and waiting. A Gryffindor lioness, searching out her prey. The conversation had nagged her since yesterday, and now Violet had to know. What was bothering Max? What was so special about Jamie MacDougal?

When a familiar green-clad redhead finally bobbed past on his way to the great hall a pale white hand darted out of the darkness, pulling him back by the robes into her hiding place with surprising strength for her size.

"Lumos," she whispered and her wand lit their alcove. Her brow furrowed and she examined his face with shrewd sharp green eyes, meeting his emerald gaze with her own. His eyes were very, very green. Hm.

"What did you do?" She asked, her voice coming out more accusatory than the curiosity she'd intended. "What happened?" He must know, at least.

[James Malcom MacDougal]

Jamie walked with his head down in thought. Normally he walked head high, greeting everyone he walked by. He knew everyone. Or at least, he easily knew of everyone. Those he didn't know personally he knew by association. And he was a rising star on the quidditch team this year. It really helped him network when people came to him. 

But he was quiet. It had been two weeks. Two weeks since he'd sent that desperate letter to Alex Kameren. He wanted to kick himself when he thought of it. It was embarrassing, he sounded desperate. Like a little kid. What did he care that he had a father now? He'd never been too worried or interested in the past, so what changed? He'd written that awful, embarrassing, rambling letter. And Alex hadn't written back. Over a week had passed before he'd heard the rumor about the aurors and the attack. More specifically, Alex's part. He was preoccupied musing over the complication that was his life now that a hand grabbed him and pulled him into a side corridor before he'd even realized.

"Lumos," she whispered and her wand lit their alcove. Her brow furrowed and she examined his face with shrewd sharp green eyes, meeting his emerald gaze with her own. His eyes were very, very green. Hm.

Light flared and he looked up, startled. It was like looking into a mirror. A female mirror, but still. Wide green eyes framed in a pale face with a small smattering of freckles (he didn't have those) and. And the hair. A little brighter than his, but still, red as the sunset. Violet Kameren. He jerked away, smoothing the wrinkles from his robes where she'd grabbed him.

"What did you do?" She asked, her voice coming out more accusatory than the curiosity she'd intended. "What happened?" He must know, at least.

"I didn't do anything!" he snapped back to her accusatory tone. "What do you want?!"

[Max Kameren]

"I didn't do anything!" He snapped back. "What do you want?"

"I want to know why my brother's taken a sudden interest in you." Violet reached for him and grabbed his wrist in her hands, her grip tightening each time he tried to wrench it away. She examined his mended flesh, her eyes narrowing up at him analytically. There was something odd about him at this proximity, something she couldn't put her finger on. Being a Gryffindor and a Slytherin the two had never really interacted up close besides whizzing past each other on the Quidditch pitch.

"Merlin's beard, how do you play Quidditch with a wrist this weak? Like catching a quaffle with limp spaghetti." She bit her lip in thought, finally letting him go with a last wrench away and pushing her long red hair behind her shoulder as she paced in the alcove. There was a sudden itch in her wrist and she rubbed at it absent-mindedly, her green eyes staring through her Slytherin counterpart as her brow furrowed.

Then suddenly it dawned on her. Her eyes widened and she grabbed for him again, lining up her wrist with his: identical fingernail marks from where she'd dug in accidentally before letting him go, piercing the soft flesh of his inner arm. A gasp escaped her and she covered her mouth to stifle it lest she catch the attention of another student. 

She turned with a flourish of red hair, pacing faster as it all came back together: the eyes. His face, it was his cheekbones that looked familiar because she saw them in her brother, sister and uncle. Elle had been the one to patch him up because she was there with... Alex.

"Alex!" She whispered excitedly, turning back to Jamie with an incredulous look. She kept her voice low, but her whisper was quick with excitement at the information she'd deducted. "Alex has a secret kid?! You?! What?!"

[James Malcom MacDougal]

"I want to know why my brother's taken a sudden interest in you."

"Who?" Jamie yanked back on his wrist. Her grip was strong but it was the nails that got him. Why did girls always have nails so sharp?? "Let go!"

"Merlin's beard, how do you play Quidditch with a wrist this weak? Like catching a quaffle with limp spaghetti."

"Better than you in the last game." he retorted, finally reclaiming his wrist and rubbing at it. Merlin's pants, she'd left marks. She should be declawed. So far he wasn't extremely fond of this cousin. He started to back away, but suddenly she was rushing at him, grabbing at him yet again. "What is your problem, " He growled, his sentence ending in some not too flattering Gaelic words as he yanked free from her yet again. Disturbing things were happening to her face. She was excited, a light of revelation dawning over her. Great. He hadn't even figured out his own feelings towards his newfound father and he had this twit gawking at him. Splendid.

"Alex!" She whispered excitedly, turning back to Jamie with an incredulous look. She kept her voice low, but her whisper was quick with excitement at the information she'd deducted. "Alex has a secret kid?! You?! What?!"

"Is that his name?" Jamie said, backing away from Violet Kameren lest she grab him again. Maybe he could play dumb. So far this wasn't his favorite day.

[Max Kameren]

"I want to know why my brother's taken a sudden interest in you."

"Who?"

"The tall idiot in the Hospital Wing today, with the homeless beard." 

"Let go!"

She relented and let him go, rubbing her wrist absently as she thought. "Merlin's beard, how do you play Quidditch with a wrist this weak? Like catching a quaffle with limp spaghetti."

"Better than you in the last game." he retorted, but his insult was lost on her as recognition dawned on Violet and she turned to him with an incredulous look. "What is your problem, " He growled.

"Alex!" She whispered excitedly, turning back to Jamie with an incredulous look. She kept her voice low, but her whisper was quick with excitement at the information she'd deducted. "Alex has a secret kid?! You?! What?!"

"Is that his name?" Jamie said, backing away from Violet Kameren lest she grab him again.

Violet rolled her eyes, staring at him with a hand on her hip. He knew who Alex Kameren was: everyone knew who Alex Kameren was. Everyone in their year knew at least the basics of the Kameren family story; it had been in every paper three years ago. It had been all over the school after the Headmaster collapsed. Those poor Kamerens, how terrible. Having been in the class he collapsed in, Violet got the worst of it. She knew exactly how much the rest of the school knew.

"You know, don't play stupid." She cocked her head at him and crossed her arms, her sharp green eyes darting around his features and picking up more Kameren traits. Besides the hair and lack of scars, he was the spitting image of their mutual relative. Violet didn't know how she'd missed it. Maybe it was the height? That was rather off, in terms of the rest of his newfound family; Violet already had a few inches on him. She leaned against the wall, shaking her head in amazement. Huh, Alex Kameren had a teenage son. How had no one known?

"So, you didn't know?" She arched a curious brow at her new cousin. "He never told us either. Did he even know?"

[James Malcom MacDougal]

Jamie knew who Alex Kameren was. The only part of the Wars that had interested him had been the Kameren Brothers and their takedown of Mosrael. And though Alex wasn't as cool as Damien the Sting, he was still, y'know, pretty cool. And he was a hero. Jamie was having a hard time with that especially. Why would such a hero never meet his son? Clearly it wasn't because he hadn't known about him, that had been disproven.

"You know, don't play stupid."

He narrowed his eyes at Violet. Frustration and anger and embarrassment warred in him, along with a whole host of others which he couldn't place. Right now for sure it was frustration. She was extremely frustrating.

"So, you didn't know?" She arched a curious brow at her new cousin. "He never told us either. Did he even know?"

"No I didn't!" He crossed his arms over his chest defensively, startled by his own outburst.  "How did you know??"

[Max Kameren]

Alex Kameren had a son. Violet cocked her head at Jamie as she looked him over, shaking her head. How had that happened? Violet couldn't remember a single girlfriend who had passed through the Kameren Estate on Alex's arm in the fifteen years she'd been alive. She always kind of assumed he just didn't like women. Or anyone, really. She didn't think about her uncle's romantic life at all until the Flux return and suddenly his apparent girlfriend from before Violet was born arrived back in his life. 

"No I didn't!" He crossed his arms over his chest defensively, startled by his own outburst. "How did you know??"

Jamie snapped her back out of her train of thought and she glanced up at him quizzically. Oh, right. He wouldn't know. "The blood curses. Come here," She beckoned him over and held out arm. She took his and lined it up with hers, quickly scratching him with her nails before he could pull away from what she was doing. "Now watch," She pointed at her own arm, where the flesh in the same area she scratched him had already begun to turn pink as an identical scratch etched itself across her skin. 

"We have weird enchantments in our blood, this is one of them. One Kameren can't hurt another without the same injury reflecting back." She looked over at him and smiled; she wanted to be welcoming, brash as she was. She was just amazed at his very existence, and how Alex had managed to keep him a secret for so long. She pulled out her wand and with a whispered Episkey the scratches she'd inflicted on him quickly healed. "Sorry, one of the only ways to really know. If that works, you must be blood-related. Welcome to the weird club."

[James Malcom MacDougal]

"The blood curses. [...] We have weird enchantments in our blood, this is one of them. One Kameren can't hurt another without the same injury reflecting back."

He jerked his arm back, giving her a glare. What was her problem? But he couldn't help but be,fascintated as an identical scratch appeared on her arm. Blood curses? It certainly didn't sound very pleasant, and an uncertain anxiety wound its fingers around his,chest and squeezed. As if he didn't have enough bormones and emotions right now.

"Sorry, one of the only ways to really know. If that works, you must be blood-related. Welcome to the weird club."

"What the fuck is,wrong with your family!" he burst out, before lapsing into Gaelic. He crossed his arms, clutching himself as if he were worried he'd break into a thousand pieces and fly off in a million directions. He wasn't sure that he wouldn't. He paced back and forth in the little alcove. "And--and, he knew! He onew, and so did mother, but,she lied! He lied! How could they?" he turned on Violet, throwing his hands into the air as,the frustration burned through him.

[Max Kameren]

"What the fuck is wrong with your family!" Violet grinned crookedly at the boy's gaelic outburst, her green eyes following him around the room. Their family, technically, but that was semantics. She was curious about his thoughts on their family, what he would do next with the information. What did one do when they discovered they were part of a notorious wizard bloodline abruptly? She could ask Max, she supposed. Or Curse's portrait. Huh, why was this such a common occurrence? His distress pulled Violet out of her musings and her smiled faltered.

"And--and, he knew! He knew, and so did mother, but she lied! He lied! How could they?"

She frowned. In truth she didn't know; this sounded unlike the Alex Kameren she knew. She met his eyes and tried to smile reassuringly, her brow knit together in concern. "I dunno Jamie, but it's shitty." She stepped forward and was about to put a hand on his shoulder when she shied away, remembering his recoil at her touch from earlier. "Look, this sucks. I'm sorry, really, and if you need me for anything through this let me know. For venting, passing notes, slapping my uncle upside his head, whatever." She shrugged and smiled sheepishly, unsure if dark humor was the right way to go but always willing to try: "S'what family's for, right?"

[James Malcom MacDougal]

"I dunno Jamie, but it's shitty." She stepped forward and was about to put a hand on his shoulder when she shied away, remembering his recoil at her touch from earlier. "Look, this sucks. I'm sorry, really, and if you need me for anything through this let me know. For venting, passing notes, slapping my uncle upside his head, whatever."

"He's a hero!" Jamie hissed, clenching his fists. "He's supposed to be! So why--why have I never heard from him?" Frustrated tears formed in his eyes. Why was he getting so worked up? He hadn't been interested in who his father was until that night two weeks ago... so why now? Why suddenly all these questions, these feelings? He scrubbed the tears away before they could fall, desperately glad she was giving him his space. he really didn't like to be touched. And also deeply embarrassed. His cheeks were flaming red, he could feel them. But from shame or anger? he didn't know.

 "S'what family's for, right?"

"Is it?" He asked bitterly, taking a few halting deep breaths, trying to calm down from his outburst. Aside from his mother, he didn't have family, and his mother could be described as flaky at best, distant at worst. Always in the past. He wondered what lured her so often into that depth.

[Max Kameren]

"He's a hero!" Jamie hissed, clenching his fists. "He's supposed to be! So why--why have I never heard from him?" Frustrated tears formed in his eyes.

Well, he was also a person. People made mistakes. Violet bit her lip, diverting her eyes to try to give her newfound cousin some semblance of privacy in his anguish. Alex keeping his parenthood a secret didn’t make much sense to Violet, but she was sure Alex had some reasoning. If only Jamie could talk to him, maybe that would help? Alex was a man of few words, but surely there was a reason.

"S'what family's for, right?"

"Is it?" He asked bitterly, taking a few halting deep breaths, trying to calm down from his outburst.

“Look,” Violet came around his side, slouching to Jamie’s level to meet his eyes, “I’m sorry, really. Your mum and Alex messed up by not telling you, definitely. But on the other side, you’ve got a whole new network of people looking out for you.” A smile smile pulled at her lips as she tried to console him, meeting his eyes. “No pressure, just, we’re here. Reach out when you need us, alright?”