While there was a lot to dislike about Liam's past, but he knew he still had fond memories of his younger years and his grandfather. He could remember his father showing him how to ride a broomstick, his mother baking his birthday cake, and the stories his grandfather would tell him at bedtime. In the dim light from a single lantern, he would lay huddled beneath his blanket, wide green eyes fixed on a timeworn face as a warm voice told of adventures spent tracking down rare potion ingredients.
If only Liam could only hold onto those memories, the good ones, the happy ones, and just let the bad ones go...but, of course, life was never that easy. His life had turned to grief and suffering in a single instance, everything he had ever known had changed. His grandfather gone, first arrested and then dead not long after, and his parents both retreating into their own separate worlds where they could try to forget. He tried to tell himself that what he was doing with his life was for a greater good, but sometimes he wondered if he wasn't just as bad as his mother and father...
For a few moments after his unexpected spiel, Liam tried watching the mare and her foal, for he never got tired of the sight, but perhaps inevitably his eyes shifted back to Addie...to discover her hazel eyes were damp. His heart froze in his chest as he gazed at her, his focus lingering on the glistening moisture clinging to her lashes. There was something so very wrong about those unshed tears, like their very existence offended him on a personal level. He found himself wanting to do something, to make them go away.
The sound of Addie's whispering voice jerked Liam back to reality somewhat, though he still felt a little light-headed and out of breath. Her stammering words made him want to say something to her, to comfort her, but his voice seemed to be lost somewhere. He could only look at her with green eyes that shone with an emotion he still couldn't place. When he saw her hand shaking was when he seemed to lose all control over himself.
Reaching out with certainty and no hesitation, Liam placed his hand over one of Addie's hands. The touch was light, but present and despite feeling like a fool he couldn't pull it away.
"Hey," he said to her, his voice coming out with a barely perceptible croak, as though it had been missing for years rather than minutes, "Its okay. You don't...have to say anything...unless you want to. Did you like them?" He nodded his head towards the unicorns, knowing his question was foolish but hoping it would divert the both of them.
-----
Parents...such a simple concept, and yet Sylvie had never really known the feeling of having anything even close. She wasn't the only child in the world who hadn't been able to have the privilege, but...well, that didn't make it hurt any less. Her parents had both died when she was very young, and while she has a single photograph of them, she didn't have any real memories to draw upon. Even though she'd been sent to live with her aunt here in the United Kingdom, she still felt very much on her own.
There was a lot to be grateful for, Sylvie knew, like the fact that she hadn't been sent to an orphanage, but she sometimes wondered if that would have been better. Her aunt didn't abuse her or anything of the sort, but Madison Argent was not the nurturing type. Most of the time she didn't seem to even remember her niece was living with her, but that wasn't a problem. Staying at Hogwarts for holidays was certainly no hardship for Sylvie...
So, for just about as long as she could remember, Sylvie had always taken care of herself, and that suited her just fine...but then here was Tempest Eaglet, kneeling down in the dirt next to her and rubbing some kind of gel on her burnt hand. There was an immediate thought of pulling away in indignation, but she found herself stunned and unable to move as she suddenly realized...nobody had ever actually cared for her before. It was...kind of nice.
But it was only a moment in time, and then Sylvie snapped back to her senses...
"Get off!" she shouted at Tempest, yanking her hand away a little more emphatically than she probably needed to and tried to ignore the searing pain that shot up her arm, "I didn't ask for your help!" She scowled in the other girl's direction, cradling her hand against her chest.
It wasn't that Sylvie hated people, and she had nothing against Tempest personally...not really, anyway. However, she was used to living her life a certain way, being in charge of her own well-being, her own future, her destiny. What she didn't need was other people trying to think they needed to help her because she didn't need anybody's help. She had spent her entire life learning how to take care of herself all on her own, and that as just the way she liked it.
Although...Sylvie had to admit that whatever Tempest had smeared on her blistered skin was making the pain a lot better...
"What is that stuff anyway?" she asked, her tone grumpy and reserved as she looked at her partner with a frown.
Edited By Britters on 8/15/2019 at 3:39 PM.
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Posted: 8/15/2019 at 6:08 PM
Post #62
It was easy not to think about that which you were missing when you were so used to doing so already. Addie didn't ever let herself ache for a better father - she never had. Rosalie had taught her that if they just dealt with their father until they were old enough to run away, then they could find a better life. They just had to... deal with him.
Of course, as Rosalie learned, years later, there was truly no actual escape from their father. Try as they might, his hold was just too great, and he was so manipulative at the worst of times... Rosalie couldn't run, not like she wanted to. She had promised to take Addie if she did, but she couldn't even run in the first place. He just... He was too strong, too angry, too clever...
Because of her father, Addie was somehow distrusting of touch. She didn't mind touch in general - Rosalie and her were sometimes practically conjoined at the hip. She didn't often touch people because she had no reason to, but it wasn't something she minded.
What she did mind was when others touched her unexpectedly. It was like her father, who could, at times, go from completely civil to something that wasn't entirely human. When the majority of touch she had sustained in life was harmful, she had become cautious about it. She allowed touch, but only when she was in control of it. That way, she wouldn't be hurt.
When Liam's hand covered hers, all thoughts fled from her mind and an overwhelming sense of panic flooded her. She inhaled sharply and quickly turned her head away, her initial instinct causing her to fear and expect some sort of attack. Unable to even register the question he asked, she shut her eyes, her grips on her skirt tightening considerably, though she didn't pull away. Not yet.
She just waited. She waited to see what he would do. Whether he would hit her or... Or be upset with her for reacting so harshly.
-
Her whole life, Tempest had taken care of others. Even when she was young, she made every excuse to tend to her parents whenever possible, playing 'Healer' and pretending they were sick and she was their healer. She would volunteer to fetch their drinks from the other room and cover them with blankets when they were cold. It's just what she did. She helped people. She cared for people. It wasn't a preference of acting, it was a way of life, and it was the way she had deigned to live from a very young age.
Now, she understood that people didn't always think they wanted to be taken care of, but she also thought that was rubbish. Everyone wanted to be taken care of - just some people didn't want to want to be taken care of, if that made sense.
From a glance, she had known that Sylvie would be one of these people. The girl was a loner, somewhat standoffish, somewhat awkward, scaring people off with her harsh sarcasm and vulgar remarks ever since they were all children, and Tempest only knew that there had to be something in her life causing such behavior. She didn't believe that Sylvie was really as tough as she played.
She had been expecting a reaction to her attempts to help the loner, but perhaps Sylvie's reaction was a bit more than she had prepared for... Still. Tempest was relentless. Sometimes, people just didn't know when they needed to be helped. That's why she was there. To help them.
"Utter rubbish," she rolled her eyes at Sylvie's reaction. "You didn't need to ask me, darling. I care about you, whether you like it or not. Now, there, doesn't your hand feel a whole lot better?"
At Sylvie's grumpy question, revealing that she at least confirmed that the paste worked, Tempest's face lit up with a brilliant smile. "It's burn-healing paste!" she answered cheerfully, scooting even closer and holding out the tube so Sylvie could see it. "You can have it if you want. I've got more in my dorm."
Edited By Creativity on 8/15/2019 at 7:29 PM.
Britters
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Posted: 8/15/2019 at 9:51 PM
Post #63
The thing to understand about Liam was that despite his popularity, despite the fact that he spent most of his time surrounded by groups of other people, he had no real "intimate" relationships. Nobody knew what he really wanted in life, nobody knew what he was really thinking or feeling, and that was all by his own design. He didn't want anyone to know those things, because that person wasn't strong enough to do what he needed to do. His only real hope had always been to make himself into someone else
When he pictured his future, rising up through the Ministry to become Minister so that the Fitzpatrick family could feel proud of themselves again, there was one thing that always bothered him...he was alone. No significant other, no children...just him. It wasn't because he didn't want those things in his life, but those kind of relationships were catastrophic for him. He couldn't allow himself to let anybody get that close, to know him on a level that nobody else did. It could bring everything he was working for come crashing down around him.
So this led Liam back to the big question...why had he brought Addie here, to this place that spoke of another side to his personality? At this point he was starting to think his only motivation couldn't have been just to apologize to her for upsetting her on two different occasions. There had to be another reason...but what? What else could possibly have driven him to break his most cardinal rule about not letting people see any sign that there was more to him than what he allowed people to see.
Now, here Liam was, kneeling in the grass, all thoughts of the unicorns banished from his mind because the only thing that mattered was his hand on top of Addie's hand. The feeling of her skin against his, so very different from the contact they'd had on the broom flight to the forest, made his heart throb with a pain that he couldn't even describe as unpleasant, and his tongue stuck to the roof of his suddenly dry mouth. He couldn't think of what to do next, what to say...
Then there was Addie's reaction, and things within Liam's mind came into sharp focus. There it was again...that fear in her hazel eyes that was beginning to make him feel vengeful every time he saw it on her face and in her posture. He wasn't the greatest at reading people but her fear was quite obvious, even to someone like him. It hurt him, he realized, seeing that terror in her expression, and more so when he was the source. Somebody (his mind wandered briefly to her boggart...) had hurt her, caused her pain, had made her this way. Who could have possibly brought themselves to be so cruel?
One thing became suddenly very clear as Liam looked at Addie. He hadn't brought her here to apologize...he'd done it because he wanted her to feel happy, and he thought to himself that he might do just about anything to make her happy. Even it meant revealing a part of himself that could destroy everything...the memory of her smile was enough to make it all worth the risk. He realized she seemed to be waiting for him to make the next move, and so he decided not to keep her waiting anymore.
"I'm sorry," Liam said to her, pulling his hand back and away but not entirely, letting his hand rest lightly on the ground beside her, "I didn't mean to frighten you again. I just...wanted to help." He could feel words wanting to come out, but he couldn't actually see them in his mind, so he improvised. "I...I'd never hurt you hurt you, Addie." His cheeks grew warm, but in the diminishing light of the setting sun he hoped it wasn't that noticeable.
-----
Pushing people away was not something that Sylvie necessarily did on purpose. She didn't consider herself to be a mean-spirited person, but it was certainly true she had few friends and spent most of her time by herself. It didn't matter so much to her, for she didn't long for the company of others, but it did give people an impression of her that might not be totally accurate. Besides, she didn't expect much from the world at large, since she felt as though fate had made it painfully obvious that she should expect no kindness from the universe.
Which is precisely why Sylvie couldn't stand people such as Tempest Eaglet. The other probably had it so easy at home, things handed to her whenever she asked, and if that wasn't bad enough the redhead seemed determined to try and spread joy and kindness as far and wide as she could. It didn't seem to matter to Tempest that Sylvie didn't want any of her joy or kindness and that infuriated her. Nobody told her how to live her life...besides maybe her teacup occasionally.
"You...you...you!" Sylvie stammered out, gritting her teeth as she tried to control herself enough to not get detention or points taken from Slytherin, "You know what? First of all, you call me 'darling' one more time and I'll hex you. You're right, I didn't ask because I didn't need any help from you. Just because you've got most of the school wrapped around your little finger, Eaglet, doesn't mean I need your...help." She finished somewhat lamely as she began to run out of fuel, though she had put particularly emphasis on her partner's surname.
Now that she had let off steam, Sylvie took a moment to examine her burned hand. It definitely could have been worse if the fire crab had been purposely trying to aim its rear cannon at her instead of just being surprised, but their flames burned especially hot. The entire back of her hand was various shades of red, the surface of her skin looked warped and melted, but as she had already noticed, the pain wasn't too bad. She didn't want Tempest within three feet of her injury again, but there was something to be said for the girls...talents.
Perhaps, Sylvie reflected, she had been just slightly too hasty with her venomous tongue. The liberties Tempest had taken thinking she was doing the right thing had irked her, as much of the other girl's personality also irked her, but even so she could recognize that Tempest had only meant to help, not to harm. Intentions counted for something...
"Look, thanks," she muttered, snatching the tube of burn gel out of Tempest's hands and stashing it in her robes, "We should finish up with the fire crab..." She felt as though she'd prefer to have the creature served steamed with a side of butter, but the crab also hadn't meant any harms. Intentions...
Edited By Britters on 8/16/2019 at 9:41 PM.
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Posted: 8/17/2019 at 6:51 AM
Post #64
It was hard for Addie to trust people. The only person she had ever personally trusted in her life was Rosalie. Everyone else had either expressed a desire to hurt her or had been merely a side character as she tried to push her way through school. After school, everything would be better, but until then, she wasn't going to make the mistake of trusting someone. Especially not someone she hardly knew... But she had trusted Rosalie. She was the only person she had ever trusted, and Rosalie had left her still.
And because of that, Addie was completely alone. It was so very hard to be alone... But she had to be, she chastised herself. She had to be alone for now so she wouldn't have to be later. The loneliness was so very suffocating, though, and for once, she just wanted to... Have someone to talk to, she supposed...
She finally brought herself to meet Liam's gaze, her initial panic subsiding a little bit every second and her body slowly beginning to relax from the tenseness it had adopted in that split second when he'd touched her. He looked so very genuine. He looked actually upset for the fear he had caused her, like when he had yelled at her over the unicorn blood in the lesson...
Looks are deceiving... That little voice in her head wouldn't let up, and she quickly shut her eyes again to try to control her erratic breathing. When she opened them again, she had come to a difficult - and rather absurd - decision.
With a trembling hand, she let go of her skirt and slowly began to roll up the sleeve on her right arm, turning to face him while not actually looking at him. Scars of varying sizes and causes dotted the arm, and she shakingly reached her arm out to him so he could see better.
"M-my father beats me every day..." she pointed to the accompanying scar, her voice hardly more than a whisper. "A-and burns me, and hurts m-me... All falling under the s-same category of a-abuse, I guess..." she swallowed hard, her throat feeling like sandpaper. "He hurts my sister, too, but she's st-stronger than I am... He hates me the m-most because I look more like our m-mother..."
She took a deep breath, unable to meet Liam's gaze. "I-I don't mean to react the way I do... I just get scared..." Tears finally began to fall, and she lowered her head to try to hide them. "I'm s-sorry..."
-
It was Tempest's belief that she had completely dedicated herself to others, and that was really a fantastic purpose in life. If she could do a little bit to help everyone, then the general public would be just a little bit happier. That would be worth it, because people deserved to be happy. She didn't understand how people could sometimes be so cruel to each other - how selfish was that? To purposefully diminish another's life or happiness? How absolutely selfish?
Tempest fully believed that she, herself, had no problems. She had a nice home with wealthy parents who did love her, many friends, a boyfriend who she liked and who liked her, and she was fulfilling her purpose every day, something that she really just loved to do.
She knew that Sylvie didn't mean the harsh words, and she was somewhat unimpressed by them either way. There were, of course, people who didn't like her at first, but once they got to know her stellar personality, they often switched over to 'Team Eaglet'. People had their opinions, and that was okay, but sometimes the opinions were wrong, and Tempest didn't mind correcting them at all.
One thing that occurred to her at Sylvie's reaction to her was that the girl probably didn't have the best home life, or perhaps had some trauma in her past that made her so spiny and averse to people in general. She utilized sarcasm as a defense mechanism to keep others at a safe distance.
"I care," she said emphatically, not pushing Sylvie but carefully trying to make her see the truth. "I don't wrap the school around my finger. There's nothing I'd do with that, anyway. And I don't help because I want to manipulate people, or because I want people to like me. I help because I care about everyone, even you."
When Sylvie suggested they move on, Tempest left it alone, smiling and agreeing. She stood up and brushed off her robes, retrieving the crab from its habitat and bringing it to the feeding station so that she may complete the task, since the terrarium was clean, anyway. She didn't say anything, only fed the little critter and then brought it back to its home.
Britters
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Posted: 8/18/2019 at 4:33 PM
Post #65
Trust was something that Liam was familiar with, but in his little well-manicured world it was a bit complicated. Did he trust other people? Sure, it was necessary when you played a sport like Quidditch to be able to trust your teammates. The complicated part was when it came to trusting people enough to tell them his very deep secrets, trusting them to be supportive without his fabricated popularity bolstering his chances.
Which led Liam to wonder...did he trust Addie? Looking back on the last couple of weeks, since they'd been thrown together over this whole tutoring business, he realized with a sudden jolt that he had revealed information about himself to her not just once but several times. He had always been so careful, so exact when it came to what he let other people see, and yet he had seemingly thrown it all away for...Addie Riversong. Why? Why her? Why now?
So many questions, but Liam found he had no answers to them. He only knew that in this single moment, sitting with Addie in the forest, he felt...something. There wasn't time to investigate exactly what this feeling was, mostly because his full attention was focused on Addie. He watched her struggle, hating that he had no clear idea of what to do, especially since he very much didn't want to frighten her again. All he could do was sit and wait to see what she how she chose to respond.
The moment she began rolling up her sleeve, Liam's heart caught in this throat. He couldn't move, he couldn't breathe, and he certainly couldn't take his emerald green eyes off her ivory hand as it manipulated the fabric of her robes to reveal the skin of her right arm. What he saw there, the haphazard pattern that adorned her flesh caused a multiple emotions to flash through his system. First there was...confusion, for these were nothing like her lightning strike scars, and then, as she began to explain to him in her voice which shook worse than her hand, he felt himself begin to fill with white hot rage.
I'll kill him..., a very dark inner voice spoke up in Liam's head as he gazed at Addie's bared arm, his fac shadowed with thought and emotion. He didn't much care for that voice, but he couldn't deny the naked truth in it's words. Anybody who could bring themselves to do anything like this to their own child...well, he didn't think they deserved to live. There was no logical reasoning, nothing that could rationalize this away. He wished he could get his hands on this man and...
But, no...those thoughts were not important, they didn't matter right here and right now, Liam realized. Looking at Addie as she finished explaining that her father's abuse was the reason she acted so scared any time he raised his voice or made sudden movements, he felt that nothing could be more important than him being with her in this single space of time. The tears she tried to hide from him made his chest ache in an awful way, and he found he could no longer sit still.
"Addie," he said to her softly, saying her name to grasp her attention as he raised his hand again very slowly, reaching out and placing his fingers on her cheek with painstaking care, then realizing that he wasn't even sure what to say next, "I...Addie...you...are the strongest person I think I've ever known." His mouth felt dry, and his throat felt tight, but he didn't move an inch.
This moment was so intense, Liam began to feel a faint sense of alarm. It was too much, he'd let himself go too far. What did this mean for his plans? Would it effect them? Did he even care anymore? No, he had to care, he had to...
"Its getting really late," he said, letting his fingers drop away gently, savoring the dampness of her tears which clung to his fingertips, "We should head back before we're missed at dinner." He began to stand up, his knees protesting from the kneeling position he'd been stuck in, and held out a chivalrous hand to Addie.
Edited By Britters on 8/18/2019 at 4:33 PM.
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Posted: 8/18/2019 at 9:42 PM
Post #66
Although Addie tried not to think about what she'd like to be different about her own life right now, there were a lot of things that she inadvertently wished were different, uncontrollably. One of those things was that she wished she were stronger. She wished she could weather a storm and not come out of it hurt, having been struck by lightning. She wished she was able to survive as happily as Rosalie did, always focusing on her sister rather than herself, showing her that there was joy yet.
She saw his fingers approaching her face out of the corner of her eye, and somehow, she didn't quite comprehend what he was going to do. When he finally touched her, she flinched, but only slightly. She carefully turned her head to meet his eyes, reaching one shaking hand up to wipe at her eyes and clear the tears before he could say anything about them.
And then... And then he called her strong. In that moment especially, she felt anything but. She glared at him, unable to conjure words, and pulled her face away, directing it towards the ground again. "Don't call me that," she muttered.
Not wanting him to confuse him into thinking she was upset about him calling her by her actual name - it was actually somewhat refreshing - she swallowed hard and continued on. "Strong, I mean. I'm not..." Letting her words trail off, she stood up beside him as he suggested they head back to the castle.
"No one would miss me at dinner," she gave him a wry, cynical smile that held none of the warmth that her previous smile had radiated. Then, losing the cynicism and adopting a more serious demeanor, trying to forget everything that just happened because she didn't know how to process it, she gave a dismissive wave of her hand and then began unrolling her sleeve. "I don't eat in the Great Hall either way."
Britters
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Posted: 8/19/2019 at 8:28 PM
Post #67
(Timeskip)
Another day, another round of classes, with Quidditch practice in the evening. A perfectly normal day in Liam's life...so why did he feel so out of sorts? He felt like his brain was completely turned around, being pulled in a thousand different directions as he tried to navigate his familiar waters. A simple task of getting to class was not as easy as it usually was, and he just wanted to comprehend what was happening to him. He couldn't let this go on forever.
If Liam had to describe what was wrong with him, it felt like his internal compass had been damaged. For the last five years it had been pointing very definitively in a specific direction, and now he was spinning all about, struggling to find his way. All throughout the day he'd felt distracted, unable to focus, even to the point of finding himself heading down the wrong corridor on his way to his classes. People passed him in the hallways and greeted him, but more often than not he failed to hear anybody when they spoke.
Almost relieved that Defense Against the Dark Arts was his last one for the day because Liam knew he could walk to that classroom in his sleep, he hoped he could end the day better. Never had he looked more forward to Quidditch practice, and it was within his grasp now. He took a moment just outside the door to compose himself, determined to regain his usual demeanor. It was with his broad, signature grin that he entered Professor Cranthorn's classroom, eager to be able to learn his favorite subject, and even more eager to get today over with.
"Afternoon, Professor," he greeted Cranthorn, his Head of House, cheerfully, dropping his bag down in the corner with the others since he knew today was a practical lesson (his favorite kind), "What do you have for us today?"
As Liam joined the rest of his classmates, he busied himself with rolling up his sleeves, trying to keep his verdant eyes forward. He could almost feel her there, in the group, and he was a little grateful that Addie usually tried to keep to herself. It felt awful to think that, but he didn't want more distraction than he was already dealing with. He simply tried to focus on Professor Cranthorn, standing in front of them with her silvery hair in her usual bun, bright blue eyes looking out at her class with a mischievous twinkle in them.
"Today, my darling students," she began to explain to them, "We shall be testing your skills with a Patronus Charm...on a live dementor."
Creativity
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Posted: 8/20/2019 at 6:09 AM
Post #68
The past few days since the day of the Quidditch game had been... confusing. Addie wasn't quite sure what other way to put it. One thing she did know for certain, though, was that she needed to avoid Liam. She already had been, somewhat, but now she put even more effort into making herself scarce, doing all of her homework in the Room of Requirement rather than the Ravenclaw common rooms in case he dare brave the eagle knocker to look there.
She didn't even know if he had been looking for her, but he did after the first time he scared her, so it was a perfectly logical conclusion. She had learned, over years and years, how to make it so she simply wouldn't be found when she didn't want to be.
The evening when he showed her the unicorns, she had revealed far too much of herself than she should have. It wasn't even simple things, like her favorite color or what her favorite class was, no. It was the most raw wound she had ever had, and would ever had. Her father. And she had told him. She had told him everything, within just a couple weeks of even talking to him. The fact that he was able to manipulate that out of her... That was perhaps the scariest thing she had experienced in a long time.
Defense Against the Dark Arts class was her absolute least favorite. It had nothing to do with the subject material itself, no - she actually found that rather enlightening. She could ace the class from a textbook, but in practice, she simply couldn't defend herself. She'd never learned how.
"...a live dementor."
Immediately, Addie felt her blood run cold. Her heartbeat quickened considerably, and she made an effort to look as calm and collected as she normally did. Mutely, she fell to the back of the line that was forming, hoping and praying that the class would end before she got the chance to try her nonexistent Patronus charm on the horrid creature.
-
Now, Tempest would be the first person to admit that there really wasn't much to her life. She followed a routine, went through the motions, catering to each and every person she could find in an attempt to make their lives maybe just a little bit better, or easier. But... That was how she liked it. Her life was nothing short of what she had chosen to do with it, and that was good. Great, even. If she could dedicate her life to making others happier, bit by bit, then maybe she could make the world a little better, bit by bit.
Having a purpose was something she had always craved. People who relied on her. People who trusted her. Having somewhere she fit in - her own little niche in the ridiculous drama and hierarchies that naturally followed when people and emotions were involved. It was just who she was, and what she loved.
The morning had been somewhat slow for her - as cheerful as she was normally, she was decidedly not a morning person. She could wake up easily and be awake, yeah, but she just didn't like them. She always desired crawling back into bed, usually until after breakfast.
Tempest was currently in the Great Hall for the aforementioned meal, sitting on the lap of her boyfriend, Harris. He was facing the bench at the table, and she was facing slightly out, reaching around now and then to grab another bite from her plate of food. Harris had his hand tucked in between her thighs, and was occasionally taking food from her plate. He, and every one of her friends around them, had already finished their own plates, but often deigned to take from hers.
...She didn't mind.
Completely ignoring her friends for the time being, she looked around the Great Hall, watching to see if anyone was in need of the assistance that she'd gladly offer. Her eye was caught by a lanky, dark-haired figure as she approached, and Tempest's eyes lit up.
"Sylvie!" she stopped her cheerfully, reaching out a hand to stop her. "You've been hard to spot. How's your hand been? Did the paste help at all?" She knew the answer to the last question, of course, but some part of her needed to hear Sylvie say it.
Britters
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Posted: 8/20/2019 at 8:18 PM
Post #69
The thing that Liam loved most about Defense Against the Dark Arts was that out of all of his classes, they rarely had to open their textbooks. It was all mostly practical learning experiences. All he had to do was show up and use his wand to perform magic that he was confident in executing. Unfortunately, his usual confidence seemed to be sleeping in today because he was not feeling very self-assured. He didn't like this feeling of uncertainty, these doubts, but he couldn't for the life of him seem to shake any of it.
When Professor Cranthorn announced today's exciting lesson, Liam raised his eyebrows appreciatively. The Patronus Charm was no easy feat, even for sixth years, and bringing an actual dementor into class was...well, rather mind boggling. They were not pleasant creatures, and they did not like being controlled, unless of course there was something in it for them. He wondered exactly what Cranthorn had done to get this approved by the Headmistress, but he applauded her radical ideas. This was the sort of challenge that he loved.
Of course, Liam was very much aware of Addie's presence within the classroom, but he tried to just focus on maintaining his cool, relaxed persona intact, which at this point was requiring nearly all of his attention. He didn't want to think about her, or their experience in the forest the other day, mostly because it just made his brain feel like a bomb went off inside, but also because he was still completrly confused about what had even happened behind that bush. He preferred to just try and block the memories out...though so far he hadn't had much luck with that.
The class was lining up in preparation for facing the dementor, and Liam jumped into action with vigor. He walked with purpose towards the front of the line, no one protesting as none of them looked particularly eager for this lesson. It wasn't that he was confident to the point of cocky, he respected the gravity of this situation, but he knew that defensive magic came from an inner strength and willpower. If you believed in your own abilities, your magic would come out more powerful and effective.
Now, Liam was quite curious about how this dementor would be presented to then, but Professor Cranthorn was wasting no time and was already walking over to a side door and opening it with her wand raised.
The temperature inside of the classroom immediately plummeted, and even Liam gave an involuntary shiver as he watched the cloaked figure glide into the room. His breath coming out on white puffs, he took his defensive stance and raised his own wand, ready to cast his spell. He watched the dementor draw nearer and he knew now was the time, and he conjured up a happy memory with which to fuel his patronus...or at least, he tried to do that. His green eyes widened with panic as his mixed up mind struggled to bring forth a strong enough memory.
Heart pounding, Liam watched the dementor approach and he felt himself floundering on the inside. He didn't know what to do, he didn't know how to fix this problem, and he knew the entire class was watching him. He needed a memory, a happy memory, anything strong enough to perform the charm. However, no matter how hard he tried thinking along the lines of memories he'd used in the past, everything kept coming up blank. With the dementor inching ever closer to him, he frantically opened his mind up completely, looking for any lifeline he could find.
And then, as Liam stood there with all barriers completely down...an image arose before him. He let out a barely audible gasp of surprise, but he didn't hesitate any longer after that before grabbing onto the memory and drawing himself up with bolstered courage.
"Expecto Patronum!" he bellowed, his wand raised confidently at the cloaked figure.
With satisfaction, Liam watched the bright silver falcon erupt from the tip of his wand, streaking towards the dementor with shocking speed and ferocity, driving the awful creature back towards the door. He stepped off to the side quickly, to make room for the next person, but also he just wanted to be by himself for the moment. He barely even paid attention to any of the other students as they faced the dementor in turn, his mind still clinging to that memory as it kept him warm.
The Quidditch game last Friday...seeing Addie sitting there in the stands...flying with her afterwards...
-----
Nothing about Sylvie's life was much of a routine. She went to bed at different times some nights, woke up differently, and she never did the same thing everyday, besides of course her classes. Sometimes she would be reading, usually outside, or some days she would just take a walk around the grounds. She was a firm believer that doing the exact same thing everyday was not the best way to live one's life. Besides, her Hoke life being what it was it was important to find joy and comfort in the small things.
Mornings were not the best for Sylvie, but they weren't the worst. She usually woke up amiably enough, little grogginess weighing her down, but she hated the...the pressure of mornings. It always felt to her like morning were a test, like a mistake here could ruin your entire day. One thing that was an exception to her non-routine way of life was that she consulted her tarot cards each morning. Sometimes she had a specific question for the day in mind, but sometimes she was just doing it for relaxation.
This particular morning was several days after that disastrous Care of Magical Creatures class. Normally Sylvie would not still be dwelling on the occasion, but her burned hand was a daily reminder. The burn itself had healed beautifully with the paste that Tempest had given her, but the flesh was still tender to the touch and there were still visible discolorations to the area. Just the thought of the the bubbly Gryffindor was enough to give her a headache, but this was the situation she found herself in.
After her morning card reading, which had left her perplexed rather than calmed, Sylvie made her way to the Great Hall for breakfast. She hoped a decent meal would help relax her internally enough to interpret what the tarot were trying to tell her. Unfortunately, the fact that she was distracted made her walk down the wrong aisle upon entering the Hall, and found herself in the path of the Tempest, Queen of the Bleeding Heart. She couldn't stop herself before that arm flew out in front of her.
So there Sylvie was, standing there while Tempest Eaglet interrogated her, acutely aware that the rest of the Gryffindors surrounding the other girl were...well, glaring was a bit of an understatement. If she were a werewolf and their eyes were shooting silver bullets she would be dead ten times over. Thankfully, she really didn't give a crap...
"I'm sneaky like that," she responded drily, shifting her weight to one foot as she gazed at Tempest with a look of calculated boredom, though her eyes did briefly hone in on the hand tucked between the redhead's thighs (Classy..., she thought), "My hand is fine. I'd thank you for asking, but I really wish you hadn't." She folded her arms over her chest, arching an espresso eyebrow expertly, as though daring Tempest to delay her further.
Edited By Britters on 8/21/2019 at 3:47 AM.
Creativity
Level 71
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Posted: 8/21/2019 at 6:24 AM
Post #70
Back in fifth year, when Professor Cranthorn taught them the Patronus charm, had been one of the most disturbing days of Addie's life. Everyone was practicing it together, and once she realized she struggled significantly with the spell, she had buried herself even deeper in a corner, as far away from everyone else as she could possibly get. She knew she struggled with the practical side of the class, but... There was no dementor in front of her at the time. She should have been able to conjure her Patronus.
Later, after class, determined to master the spell, she had returned to Professor Cranthorn's classroom and asked for outside tutoring. Of course, the professor had obliged, had helped her as much as she could, and yet, no Patronus ever formed from Addie's wand. That night, she had realized with soul-crushing despair that she simply couldn't have a Patronus. She was a smart witch - if she couldn't summon one by now, it must mean she didn't have one.
And on top of everything else, that just made her hate her father more for taking away her happiness to that point. To the point where she didn't even have any, really. Not enough to conjure the force of happiness that was so vital to most wizards' and witches' person.
She hung at the back of the line, watching the people face the dementor and trying to warm herself up by rubbing her hands on her arms - she had always been susceptible to the cold. She watched as Liam conjured a beautiful falcon that beat away the dementor, and for some reason, felt her face begin to grow hot. Quickly looking away, she kept her gaze firmly rooted on the ground as she waited for class to end.
Far too quickly, it was her turn. She began to tremble, cursing the clocks, as she slowly raised her head. The dementor came back out, reaching its arms out towards her.
'Don't you ever try that again, you hear me!? Hey! Look at me, you cockroach! I am your father and you will listen to me!'
The dementor moved swifter towards her than it had done to anyone else, fueled by the memories of her childhood trauma. Addie tried to lift her wand, but she was shaking far too badly to point it. She didn't understand why, but her eyes moved towards Liam, and she met his gaze, trying to find something to steady herself. Overwhelmed by everything, she tried to get as far away as she could, stumbling over the step at the front of the classroom and falling. Her breathing heavy and erratic and tears prickling at her eyes, she stood back up and fled like she had done so many times before.
-
It was hard to Tempest to understand why people wouldn't want her help - again, she understood that people would think they didn't want it, but the idea of someone actually not wanting her aid was far from comprehensible to her. Aid was so... so helpful! Who wouldn't want someone to help them become a little happier? Wasn't that what people were meant to do?
Sadly, she knew that that wasn't true. There were far too many people in the world that were just hateful and cruel, who cared about absolutely no one but themselves. These people saddened Tempest and... and she wanted to help them. She felt as if Sylvie loosely fell into this category - the girl wasn't necessarily cruel or anything, and she seemed to enjoy herself in Divination class (when Tempest had took it; she stopped taking it after fifth year), but she really only kept to herself, and to Tempest, that was just sad.
Sylvie's response just further confirmed her theory. The girl was in a really bad spot. She could really use some help or... or a friend. Sometimes that was all it took to brighten someone's day. She got the feeling that Sylvie didn't often have very bright days, and she became determined to help her.
"You're welcome," Tempest responded anyway with a cheerful yet sincere smile. she gestured to the open spot right next to her. "Would you like to sit with us?"
"You want the Slytherin to sit with us?" Venus, one of her friends, asked with a tone of disgust.
Tempest frowned at her. "Just for the morning, Vee." Unexpectedly, Harris began kissing her neck, and she shot a quick look of annoyance at him before she could contain it. "Not the time..." she muttered, but he didn't stop. Ignoring all of that, she glanced back at Sylvie. "Sit with us, please. Societal differences are just that."
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