Sitting on the Fence

[Logan Kings]

Logan grinned, waving to his friends as they swayyed to the music, intoxicated by FireWhiskey, and darted out of the Three Broom Sticks. He was in no mood to drink.
He rolled his eyes. How'd they even get the Whiskey? Probably bribed the waitress, or something. Sometimes his pals were so obnoxious.
The streets of Hogsmeade weren't as busy as he would have assumed. In fact, they were quite empty, except for the occasional resident. Which was good luck. Kings had too much to think about.
For one thing, the war was getting out of hand. Soon, he'd have to pick a side, and that wasn't somehting he was looking forward to. The NO was loosing, and he wasn't sure he wanted to loose his life. But, the DE was killing most MudBloods, and he was surprised he hadn't been targeted for weeks.
Then, there was the raging war between Vikki and Nikki. It was far closer than the war between the houses, and potentially more dangerous. No matter who won, someone close to him would get hurt.
He knew he should break it up, stop the fight, but he just wasn't that brave. He was afraid of getting caught in the cross fire, or soemthign to that effect.
He flinched as he heard voices, ones that sounded suspiciously like members of the NO, and he ducked into an abandoned alley. It was nearly painless to do so, and he got down on his hands and knees, and let himself shrink to the size of a rat. Infact, he was becoming one.
No matter how many times he did it, it was still disoreinting to see his nose shoot out infront of him, and a tail swish behind him. It just wasn't natural.
The voices grew closer, and the Logan-rat dashed into a pile of garbage, knowing that's where he'd be expected to be in his current form. He took a whiff -nasty- and hoped he would be passed unnoticed.

[Noah Dale]

"No, it's okay Ted. I uh-- I uh, gotta head back to the castle." Noah said, hating to lie straight to his friend's face. He could handle the stare from Rosie, and James was just blunt about the subject. But Rosie always was ahead of the game, noticing things the bloke she called a boyfriend never seemed to notice till it was too late. Ted smiled and waved off Noah as he exited Weasley's Wizard Wheeses. George Weasley had surely benefited from this store, after buying Zonko's after the war. He used to enjoy going in there with Ted and the other Gryffindor members, before he chose his side.

Being an undercover Death Eater seemed to have its advantages sometimes, but he always found it strenuous. That would be Ted's fault, Noah never seemed to do wrong in his eye, making the fact that everything they gave away to him would be relayed back to the queen of the Death Eaters itself. He bit his lip and closed his eyes. Nothing new seemed to be happening with the NO, meaning that they weren't planning anything, or they we starting to make the connection. After all, he did have a fling with Charlotte a year back, what would stop him from joining the Death Eaters? Because he had friends on both sides? No, that was a lie, he had fake friends on one side. His real friends were Death Eaters.

Noah shut his eyes, squeezing them together as he slumped into a alleyway. It was dark, and all that was there to bother him was a small rat. He let out a loud sigh and looked down at the creature. It seemed to be hiding from him. "Hey there little guy." Noah said, smiling gently at the creature. He suddenly remembered the tea biscuit in his pocket and pull it out, revealing a few dozen crumbs and a fourth of what used to be the tea biscuit. He placed it in the palm of his face and gently lowered his hand to the ground, offering it to the rat. Not that many people knew, well besides Billie, but she was a NO, and his fear of telling her exactly everything was frightening, but he always had a close relationship with animals. Even after his accident in the woods that time.

[Logan Kings]

The Logan-Rat jumped as footsteps sounded in this trashed sanctuary, and looked around, twittering, nervously. He was just about to flee into a black plastic trash bag when he noted that this was not an enemy. Just Dale.
Even though he was tempted to bite the Puffer's finger, Logan raised a single eyebrow, and took the crumb in his tiny paws, groaning internally at the nessicity. He wanted to change back, because being so small was not a fun time, but he refused to deal with human emotions. Plus, he was still worried about where his clothes went when he shifted.
You could never tell, nor could you know for sure they'd be there when you change back.

[Noah Dale]

Noah smiled as the rat took the crumps, a sigh escaping his lips. "You must have it easy you know. Living out here, free from drama, unless some other rat comes along to take your food or whatever." he said, dropping the crumbs to the ground, pulling his legs to his chest. He just watch intently as the rat continued to eat the crumbs from te ground. "I mean, you don't have to worry about hurting you friends, well I'm not sure if their my friends or not, but yeah, you don't have to worry about them. I mean, sometimes I want to be their friends, other times I want to, or have to, be their enemy. Without them even knowing." For some reason, he felt like the rat was the only person he could tell at the moment, the only one who could really listen to what he believed in. "It must be easy, to be a rat. Humans, well we got it a bit more difficult." he sighed again, eyes still on the rat.

[Logan Kings]

Keeping up his rat charade- or could it really be called a rat charade because, right now, he technically, he was a rat- Logan perked his ears as Dale began speaking. It seemed like he was having friendship issues. Yeah, you and the world, man He thought to himself, rolling his eyes at his own problems.
Logan dashed to the ground as the crumbs from Noah's hand whoosed to the ground, and began eating them up, one by one, because he was hungry, and this was what a rat did. He hadn't eaten since they had arrived, the stench of wizardly booze had stung his nose, and made his stomch uneasy. And, with the pretty Gryffindors in a table beside him, Logan hadn't wanted to loose his lunch. Or breakfast.

"I mean, you don't have to worry about hurting you friends, well I'm not sure if their my friends or not, but yeah, you don't have to worry about them. I mean, sometimes I want to be their friends, other times I want to, or have to, be their enemy. Without them even knowing."

What was he talking about? Wasn't he another fence-sitter? Doing his best to stay uninvolved in this craziness of teenage wars? Or, was he secretly on a side? Trying to keep it from his friends? But, which friends, for Noah was a rather popular sixteen-year-old. The NO friends, or the DE friends, two groups Logan himself had been having a hard time with.
He squeaked, trying to sound like he was talking. Could you talk while in animal form? He doubted it, for animals were not speaking things. Their voice boxes, or whatever, differed than a humans.

[Noah Dale]

Noah chuckled, the rat squeaked along like it actually understood what he was saying. It felt alright, having someone to talk to. Even it was in the form of a animal. "You know, you would think there would be more of us fence sitters. It's like Gryffindor is all NO members, Slytherin is with DE. ANd Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff is in the middle, most heading to the NO, while others head to the DE. I wish that stupid sorting hat would of put me in Slytherin like everyone, including me, wanted. Then I wouldn't have to choose my friends. I mean, I love the DE guys, and I with them and all, but Ted and all them.. we're so close. They have no clue what I'm really doing." he sighed, running a hand though his hair. He couldn't tell anyone about this, afraid that it would relay back to any of his friends. The NO members didn't know he was apart of the DE, that he was really a spy. He just kept himself quiet, and hoped no one ever found out.

[Logan Kings]

Logan blinked a few times, wondering if he had understood the conversation. The DE? Noah's a Death Eater? So Noah was playing the Puffer card to try and be a spy for the DE. Gawd, it seems like I'm the only fence sitter anymore. Everyone jumping off to go prancing around the Death Eaters.
Tempted to bite Noah's foot, Logan rolled his eyes, wondering who he would tell if he had to. But, noah had told this in confidence to the rat, not Logan
He still told you The voice in his head piped up.
Should he phase back to human, and actually talk to him? No. Then, with his luck, Kael'd force him to the unbreakable vow, or whatever it was that Purebloods were always moaning about. And, he'd die if he told anyone. Which would be a problem.
Torn, he merely scampered up on top of a garbage bag, trying to look like he was unting for food.

[Noah Dale]

Noah sighed as the rat scampered off to get more food. "See? Even the rat thinks I making the wrong desicion." he stood quickly and hit his fist against the brick wall and rested his head on the wall, trying to calm himself down. Being angry never did any good. Why did he join the DE in the first place? Oh right, because he wanted to proove to his father that he wasn't some wimpy Puffer. Why did he even care? His father probably wouldn't like him either way, he never seemed to. Ria would always be proud of him, but he doubted his father's ability to actually love. His mother even got the cold choulder from him every once in a while.

He couldn't just stay here now. He shooved his hands in his pocket and exited the alley, hoping no one would see him as he walked towards the Shrieking Shack. He hoped no stupid third years would be there daring eachother to go up towards the house. Almost everyone knew now that it was built for Ted's dad when he attended school, no ghouls actually lived there. But it was the place where Servus Snape died, and that seemed to be important to some people.

He leaned against the fence and let out a sigh, glad that no one seemed to notice him there. He rubbed his eyes with his palms beforing letting his fingers glide through his hair, tugging at it gently, trying to calm himself down and that he had made the right decision. Charlotte had told him that himself that he was valuable, the Puffer that no one would expect. But what if his secret came out? Would they just drop him then? He didn't want to think about it. He wondered where the fence sitters were. They seemed to be having just as much as trouble as he was having at the moment.

[Logan Kings]

Logan blinked, and -sick of being small, and longnosed- ran down the back way of the alley, opposite of the way Noah had gone. Maybe he could talk to him about leaving the DE, though he had a feel that once you were inside, it was for life.
Luckily, Logan knew these alleys like the back of his paw, and, as he entered into actual sunlight, it warming his body, a lot more than he originally thought it would, checked for people, and made the switch.
In no hurry, he walked down the next street, and turned, leading back to Noah. It was quickly after when he spotted him. "Hey, Kael!" He called out, waving. As he got closer, he noticed the dejected look on his face. "Ya look sad man, what's going on?"

[Noah Dale]

Noah sighed as he heard his name being called, well his last name, but he was called that mostly. He turned his head towards the sound and notcied Logan Kings walking towarsd him and he let out a sigh. "Since when did you care Kings?" he sighed and placed his hands in his pockets. "It's got something to do with something you probably don't understand." he sighed again, looking down at his feet. He qas quickly reminded that King's was a fence sitter. Maybe he did know how it felt, somewhat. He was sure that he wouldn't no what it was like to have parents like his, but he could get the whole sides thing.

[Logan Kings]

I dunno. You look depressed, but, I apologize for asking"
Oh, but he did understand. He got the full story about it just a few minutes ago, and knew quite a bit of Noah's problem.
"Taking a wild guess, Is it about the whole 'pick a side' thing? I understand exactly what you're talking about there. Don't think everyone's out to get you, man. Make a choice on what you think is right. Don't do it for anyone else. Not your parents, not your friends. No one.
He began walking away, but, after about a yard or two, he turned around, walking backwards. I do understand. A little rat told me exactly what' going on. Make your own decision."

[Noah Dale]

Noah looked at Logan bewildered as he told him to make his own desicions. Not even his parents could. How did he know his deciding factor? The reason why he joined the DE. The fact that he did it to protect his skin, he knew too much now. The wouldn't let him leave even he wanted to. He was sentenced to life. But as Logan mention that a rat told him his eyes shot opened. "You little... How could you listen in like that? You little sneak!" he sneered, walking towards Logan. "Promise right now that you won't mutter a word of what you know to anyone, I can be ruined, and I'm in too deep for that to happen. If I tried to go to their side.. I don't know what they would do to me. I don't know what they'll do to me if the NO finds out either. I think they just have me to spy for them.." Noah said, looking down at his feet again.

[Logan Kings]

"I...uh..." Noah didn't make the connection. He didn't know Logan was the rat?
"I'll look you right in the eyes, and tell you I won't tell a soul. I'm not terribly close to anybody on either side. This war is insanity. I don't plan on getting anybody killed, or disowned, or whatever. Aren't they your friends? The DE or whatever. Why would it matter to them if the NO knew..." In that silence, he remembered that visit to the Owlery, where a simple comment had gotten one of his closest friends slashes up and down her arms. Deep. Imagine what they would do to their spy once he wasn't useful anymore.
"I ain't telling no one, you can trust me that far."

[Noah Dale]

Noah sighed and relaxed a bit. He only just noticed how tense his boyd had become. "Thank you.. Logan." he sighed and rubbed his face again. "I hate this. I hate Charlotte for starting this war, but I understand she was doing this to avenge her Dad. It's understandable, in a way." he sighed for what felt like the millionth time today. "So what makes you a fence sitter? Don't want to get involved?" he asked. Noah had never really felt a need to talk to Logan, but now that he knew, well he felt he finally had someone to talk to.

[Logan Kings]

"I don't really know anythign about this place. I've been here nearly eight years, and it still feels like I don't understand everything. As much as I guess it is, this doesn't feel like my war. Like what I should be doing. I talk to Rosie, and she wants me to join the NO, and Nikita, when I talk to her, is constantly trying to convince me to join the DE. It's....complicated. I don't even wanna be in this anymore. I guess it doesn't help that I'm not Brittish. I know this'll spread to the states, and all that pizzaz, if it's not stopped, but, this is war. We're only teenagers, and since when did this become our problem. Shouldn't there be somebody to help us?"
He rolled his eyes, as he continued trying to understand himself, as well as explain it for Noah.
"Harry Potter had Dumbledore, one of the most powerful wizards of all time. The NO has Longbottom, but he's too reserved to be of any help. The DE has just about every teacher here, but, it would feel wrong to me, to take someone's life, or to take their freedom."
He didn't know what he would do, when the time came. Maybe hide under a rock. That would be fitting.