Swish and Flick

Chapter 2

"Hey, bro."

A finger prodded someone's tan coat.

"Bro. Canadia."

A sigh.

"It's Canada. Can-a-da! What do you want America?"

Sky blue eyes light up at the acknowledgement, a smug grin pulling at plump red lips as a childish boy pesters his brother while he leans back against the crimson velvet seats that occupied the carriage of the train they were in; causing a disturbance in sandy blonde hair that had been blessed with a cowlick that somehow managed to avoid blocking the boy's eyes. The personification of the United States of America (Or just simply America) shoots his brother another smug grin, cackling a little to himself as he speaks, "Can you believe we actually managed to get in without alerting anyone?"

The boy's brother, who was known as the personification of Canada responds with a simple sigh, not paying his brother much attention as he focuses more on entertaining himself by disturbing the rebellious curl that separated itself from wheat coloured blonde hair. Once the boy realizes his brother had asked a question that had nothing to do with usual things such as heroes or burgers, the Canadian blinks; allowing thick eyelashes to hide amethyst orbs for a single moment, "I can't believe Dumbledore agreed to hide this from Scotland," Is the truthful answer, "And helped us change our bodies on top of that,"

American's grin fades, eyebrows furrowing in thought as he hums in agreement. Before his brother could question the reaction, America had his hands buried in one of his pockets, only to withdraw a burger seconds later and proceed to take a rather large bite out of it; completely ignoring his brother's surprised expression, "America…Why do you have a burger?"

"Because I'm the hero, duh!"

Canada stares, unsure how he was supposed to respond to such an illogical answer. Thankfully, since the Canadian was used to his brother's antics, it's not that hard to tear his gaze away and roll his eyes, only to pause when he notices two figures stood by the now open door of their carriage. Almost instantly, two pairs of eyes are staring back at him and realizing they were caught the duo speak up. "Um…Hi?"

America jerks a little in surprise, having been completely oblivious to the duo, though it doesn't take long for his gaze to turn calculating as it settles on the two boys, speaking up the mandatory 'Who are you?' question that seems to be lost on deaf ears. It's only when America prepares to repeat his question that the two seem to snap out of their trance

"Oh! Uh...We don't suppose you've seen a toad?" A minute pause as a emerald snake-skin gaze flicks to a certain bear by Canada's side, "...That bear didn't eat it, right?"

"Toad? What the heck – Who are you?"

The first one that spoke up only just managed to get his words through the mouthful of chocolate that he was munching on, leaving traces of the brown substance on his lips. It didn't stand out much compared to the messy dark ginger hair that stuck out in random places, quite clearly unbrushed to the point of nearly hiding blue eyes that spun around multiple emotions, "Ron Weasley. He's uh, Harry Potter,"

The ginger boy makes a gesture to his companion (Just a brief glance at the two confirmed they couldn't be brothers) who was attempting to hide behind his friend, though the curiousity in emerald snake-skin eyes ruined the attempts. It didn't matter much, as the jet black hair hid most of the boy's face anyway, yet the style somehow suited the thin boy.

The pause that proceeded after speaking the latter's name told the two nations that perhaps there was something important they hadn't been informed of. Or maybe they'd forgotten it; it was hard to decide which one, though their lack of response seemed to make the two...relieved.

They'd definitely missed something there.

As they were storing that information away to look into later on, the ginger haired boy – Or Ron as Canada remembered he'd called himself – spoke up, "So what's your names, then?"

"Alfred F. Jones!" America manages to call out through a mouthful of a hamburger, practically inhaling the food in order to speak, "But you can call me the hero!"

Needless to say his brother's response was much more quieter, shy and withdrawn as the Canadian instinctively curls his fingers through his bear's soft fur, "I'm Matthew. Matthew Williams,"

A brief look of confusion passes over the intruding duo's faces as they exchange a glance, hesitating with the words at the tips of their tongues before Ron speaks up again, "Aren't you two brothers? You look really, really alike,"

"E-Eh? W-Well yeah,"

"Then why do you have different surnames?"

There's a small pause following the question, silence drowning them as the two brothers glance at each other; alarm oozing to the surface as their emotions as they try to come up with an excuse they'd been stupid enough to neglect thinking about before-hand.

It was Canada that saved them, putting on an expression of deep somberness that darkened the look on his face as he shuffles his feet; twisting his toes into the ground briskly due to a now tense posture while biting his lip. Awkwardness settled in quickly like a thick smog over them all, though it didn't stop the two intruders to hear the soft, "We don't like to talk about it..."

Bingo - the boys at the door were already exchanged worried glances as the darker haired one speaks up as fast as the situation would let him, "Sorry, you don't have to tell us anything!"

"Yeah, we should probably go anyway," The other pipes up, wiping the corner of his mouth with the back of his hand, "There's clearly no toad here..."

The response had Alfred looking up, a frown etched onto his face as he calls out after them, "Wait, what the -"

Yet the duo had already gone, leaving the two brothers alone on the carriage to allow the faint humming of the train rattling along the tracks to reach their ears again. Two pairs of eyes were glued to the spot where the two had been, though they only saw the door they'd pulled shut and the emptiness just above that through a pane of glass they could barely see through like this.

The boys fell in silence for a few minutes, America returning to biting into his snack as he watches his brother curiously, a stare that didn't escape the others notice, "What?"

"You never told me you could act,"

The response Canada was given sets off a chain reaction with him, starting with a small blink of confusion before the gears click together and he spins to face his brother properly, ears warming up at accusation he'd found, "E-Eh?!"

"You heard me! I didn't know you could act like that, did someone teach you or something?"

"It's not that hard," Matthew retorts, tensing up as he watches his brother regard him like a new object more than an old brother. The intrigue seems to fade though, as the American reaches some sort of conclusion in that crazy mind of his,

"Hmph...But I'm supposed to be the awesome hero that can act; unless you're going to be my source of distractions,"

A facepalm, one that has a sharp 'slap' bouncing off the metallic walls painted a fresh white. A muffled 'What?!' was exclaimed as Alfred tries to speak through a mouthful of burger, narrowing his eyes until he was giving Matthew a challenging stare. Matthew merely gives him a harsh deadpan look in response, less than five seconds passing before Alfred backs down; keeping his glare intact when Matthew mutters, "Mon dieu why didn't I convince the others to come?"

"Obvious reasons," The American snorts, "Though knowing the others they'll just show up at some random point anyway,"

His brother frowns at that, the mental image of a certain group raiding the famous school making his lips tug down into a frown. History between them had split, a strange peacefulness allowing them to spread out and interact with other nations in a way that long ago would be a web of complicated consequences. It was strange to Matthew, to start thinking of others as nations and friends.

It was nice.

"But didn't they say they were going to avoid getting murdered by the magic trio?" Alfred continues, confusion much more notable as he pauses his eating for a moment, "'Course we can't really count Matthias in that, can we?"

"Not really..." Matthew echoes, emitting a soft sigh as he washes the memories and thoughts away as if he was commanding an ocean of thoughts, "Though who knows? Things change, don't they?"

Alfred simply nods and they leave it at that.

At least until another question was thrown out into the air, "Well, what if they sent something ahead? you know, a secret spy messenger or something like that; do you think everyone here will see them? You know with the whole hocus pocus thing,"

A loud snort of amusement comes from Matthew, though the question was somewhat understandable to them, "Alfred, didn't we get over the fact Sight and magic are different things ages ago?"

"Yeah! But I was wondering, since it seems to be their thing,"

"Fae will let people see what they want them to see and Sight will show you what's there anyway, though it doesn't make it entwined to magic."

"I said I know that, Mattie. I was just asking! We're not even here for that!"

"I'm only here because you dragged me here,"

Alfred smiles sweetly, a mockery of innocence that his brother could see through in a heartbeat, "You know you wanna' join the hero, bro,"

"Whatever helps you sleep at night," Matthew retorts, the argument drowned in bickering coming to a halt as the carriage they were in halts, a freeze of movement that has Matthew nearly stumbling and Alfred blinking in surprise, their gazes turning to the clean sheet of glass that made the window, "We're here?"

Next in line for sudden events making them jolt in surprise was the sharp sound of the engines cutting off, letting loose final streams of steam fleeing their hot confines. It wrapped around the top of semi-circular roofs of slick black like a blanket, rising into the sky and taking off when deemed ready. The brothers watch, enchanted by the sight of people beginning to bustle around on cobblestones platforms, most wearing dark robes matching their own that swiveled with every movement and blended into the other robes until there was a sea of black covering the station. Before Matthew can register it, Alfred had already slid open the door behind him and was dragging his Canadian brother to follow the others; both of them failing to catch the duo they'd seen earlier.

Their minds were soon warping away from that, shifting and adapting to face the various people pushing them along in the streams of people escaping the bus. Matthew panics, letting the fear and claustrophobia brought from such a crowd spark his instincts; grabbing Alfred's arm. To his alarm, from where his fingertips had clamped around Alfred's robes, faint streams of patterned frost begin to freeze the material.

Matthew gasps, though Alfred detaches his pale hand from his robe and entwines their fingers instead; giving his brother a reassuring look that has no effect as the American drags them to the sidelines. People continued to flow beside them, but turned a blind eye as Alfred moves his arm to examine the patch of frost now beginning to melt into crystal clear water under the sunlight seeping through the steam, "Mattie. I know it's hard and all', but you're not supposed to freeze the hero!"

The Canadian hisses, giving his brother a light whack on the shoulder that only accomplishes sending a thin stream of frost where he'd swiped the material, "Maple..."

"Hey, look, calm down. This is what we're here to control, remember? Just try to keep people from seeing it until we get there and it'll be cool!"

"Oh yes," The Canadian drones in a sarcastic deadpan under his breath as Alfred resumes dragging him through the sea of people to find their way, "What such wise words from the oh so great hero. Brilliant advice, Alfred!"

His voice was too quiet for his brother to hear, but he felt satisfied with it anyway; failing to pay attention as Alfred finally escapes the crowd to lead the duo stumbling to a large, cheerful looking man that towered over them like a giant, messy brown hair streaked with grey melting into a large near that hid fair; dirty skin that failed to encase black eyes that watched them stumble over; never ceasing calling out for more first years that crowded around him like lost kittens.

Their conversations were mostly blurred, various voices blending together to the point that you could only tear the words of their eager talking apart by actually listening, though they both managed to catch the discussion a brown haired girl had started over how the elder students of Hogwarts travelled to Hogwarts via carriages that pulled themselves; which Alfred had perked up at.

Matthew can't resist a large sigh, keeping the hand buzzing with a crystal energy concealed either under his robe or entwined with his brother's hand throughout the journey towards previously proclaimed boats, lingering near the back to avoid curious eyes that washed over everything and anything around them

Alfred seemed content to let his brother continue his actions, mind filled with thoughts on the trio expected to strike them down the moment they discovered of it. Pity for his friends rose, though it quickly dissolved into nothing.

It was why, when gawking up at perhaps one of the biggest castles they'd seen, bathed in golden moonlight that caused a shimmering reflection to appear in the soft waters they were travelling across in small boats, taking in the highlighted oak coloured walls that stretched to connect with traditional towers burdening sloped roofs of deep indigo, candlelight flickering out of elegantly paved windows; when Matthew fails to notice the streams of ice forming underneath his fingertips and sticking to the wood he had his hands on, Alfred doesn't dare point it out to his brother even when the cold leaking into the air from it makes him shiver.


A/N: So who recognized the start of this chapter? The ending of this one is a little rushed, but even when I took the time to try and go over it I couldn't come up with anything to rescue anything so I thought I'd just leave it as it is. I had fun writing this one nonetheless, writing Alfred and Matthew is very interesting in such respects. I'm sorry it's taken so long to get this up! I've had so much on my plate lately, but hopefully I'll get in the swing of writing this again.

I hope you enjoyed it and I'll see you next time~