Post by Admin on Aug 10, 2015 16:06:27 GMT
Robert wandered around the corridors of Hogwarts, ignoring the students that passed him by and not seeming to be looking where he was going. But despite appearances, he did in fact have a goal today.
The staircase he was on touched a landing on the fifth floor. He stepped off and walked on. When one of his Ravenclaw classmates greeted him he was almost too late to give a dull "hello" back. His mind was occupied trying to keep conviction that this was a good idea. He suspected Hayley would have told him not to, that was the problem, but there was just no point to it anymore.
He finally reached his destination. Professor Allbrass' office. On the wall next to the door were a few long pieces of parchment that carried almost equally long lists of names, each written in different handwriting. Some names were already crossed out, he noted with somewhat higher spirits.
He took a self-inking quill from his pocket ... and did nothing. Still he hesitated.*
Walter had bid Ela goodbye at the Hospital Wing after dropping off the potion he made. He had wanted to cross his name off all week, but hadn't gotten around to it yet. Best get it done before he was stuck. After all, he'd only really signed up to spend time with Hayley, but since she probably wouldn't be participating even if she did come back in time, he didn't see much of a point in staying.
He whistled a tune to himself, trying to keep his mood up. He'd had a rather enjoyable time today, all told, though the lack of her presence was a reminder in itself. He wondered vaguely about the letter Ela had mentioned, too, though he wasn't sure why he was wondering.*
Walter wasn't expecting to see Robert there, staring contemplatively at the list with a quill in his hand. "Thinking of backing out too?" he asked as he approached.*
He turned around to see who it was. Hayley's frown seemed projected on Walter's face.
"Yes. There's no point in participating anymore."
His face seemed contorted by inner demons, as it so often did at the mention of any number of painful subjects.
"It was all for the practice, so we could learn how to fight. So yes, I'm signing out."*
"Practice for what?" Walter frowned, he had had his suspicions. The way Hayley had looked so determined that night on the roof when she said she'd be signing up. The way she hasn't been allowed out on her own, how she'd been kidnapped.
"You wanted to fight him?"*
"Of course. And we were right, but it wasn't good enough."
He shrugged and looked at the floor, distancing himself from himself.
"I don't know. What's the point now?"*
"Don't know." Walter looked at his own name on the list. "May I?" He gestured to the quill in Robert's hand. When the other boy handed it over Walter crossed his name off with a decisive slash.
"Ever consider she might like it if you kept trying anyway?" He handed the quill back. "Seems to be she wouldn't want you to give up on her. Or on beating him in the end."*
He had. Of course he had, almost non stop.
He shrugged again, and after an unnatural silence said, "Do you think we could do it? Beat him?"
The idea seemed so abstract. No one had even seen him yet (except for Elisa and he really didn't like to think about that).*
"He was beaten before, wasn't he. Well, sort of anyway." Walter vaguely remembered hearing something about it in History of Magic at some point.
"I don't know. Seems a shame not to try, at least. I bet that's what she'd say. You've known her longer than I have."*
"It sounds like her," he admitted.
"Why did you sign out if you want to try?"*
"I signed up to spend time with Hayley." He looked sideways at Robert. "That was before I realized that the two of you are," he cleared his throat awkwardly.
"Anyway, I'm not much of a fighter, much better with my cauldron."*
"Really?" His face opened up in surpirse.*
Walter reddened. "Her smile is like sunshine breaking through the clouds on a rainy day. I couldn't really help it." His smile died as he spoke. He may have moved on, but he missed his friend.
"Don't worry. It was pretty obvious the moment I saw you two together that I was never an option." He remembered how much that realization had hurt. hard to believe it had been over two months since then.*
Robert's expression at the first part could perhaps best be described as "what did I just hear?"
"Actually, she made the rain disappear with her smile once."*
"That is unsurprising." Walter said, looking at him again. "She's kind of incredible like that."*
He nodded and directed his attention to the list again, idly reading over the names. The quill was still in his hand.
With another half-hearted shrug he turned away, back to facing Walter, and pocketed the quill.
"Nice talking to you, see you in class," he said in one breath and hurried off without another word.*
Walter watched him go, feeling sad for him. He hoped he hadn't made it worse.
The staircase he was on touched a landing on the fifth floor. He stepped off and walked on. When one of his Ravenclaw classmates greeted him he was almost too late to give a dull "hello" back. His mind was occupied trying to keep conviction that this was a good idea. He suspected Hayley would have told him not to, that was the problem, but there was just no point to it anymore.
He finally reached his destination. Professor Allbrass' office. On the wall next to the door were a few long pieces of parchment that carried almost equally long lists of names, each written in different handwriting. Some names were already crossed out, he noted with somewhat higher spirits.
He took a self-inking quill from his pocket ... and did nothing. Still he hesitated.*
Walter had bid Ela goodbye at the Hospital Wing after dropping off the potion he made. He had wanted to cross his name off all week, but hadn't gotten around to it yet. Best get it done before he was stuck. After all, he'd only really signed up to spend time with Hayley, but since she probably wouldn't be participating even if she did come back in time, he didn't see much of a point in staying.
He whistled a tune to himself, trying to keep his mood up. He'd had a rather enjoyable time today, all told, though the lack of her presence was a reminder in itself. He wondered vaguely about the letter Ela had mentioned, too, though he wasn't sure why he was wondering.*
Walter wasn't expecting to see Robert there, staring contemplatively at the list with a quill in his hand. "Thinking of backing out too?" he asked as he approached.*
He turned around to see who it was. Hayley's frown seemed projected on Walter's face.
"Yes. There's no point in participating anymore."
His face seemed contorted by inner demons, as it so often did at the mention of any number of painful subjects.
"It was all for the practice, so we could learn how to fight. So yes, I'm signing out."*
"Practice for what?" Walter frowned, he had had his suspicions. The way Hayley had looked so determined that night on the roof when she said she'd be signing up. The way she hasn't been allowed out on her own, how she'd been kidnapped.
"You wanted to fight him?"*
"Of course. And we were right, but it wasn't good enough."
He shrugged and looked at the floor, distancing himself from himself.
"I don't know. What's the point now?"*
"Don't know." Walter looked at his own name on the list. "May I?" He gestured to the quill in Robert's hand. When the other boy handed it over Walter crossed his name off with a decisive slash.
"Ever consider she might like it if you kept trying anyway?" He handed the quill back. "Seems to be she wouldn't want you to give up on her. Or on beating him in the end."*
He had. Of course he had, almost non stop.
He shrugged again, and after an unnatural silence said, "Do you think we could do it? Beat him?"
The idea seemed so abstract. No one had even seen him yet (except for Elisa and he really didn't like to think about that).*
"He was beaten before, wasn't he. Well, sort of anyway." Walter vaguely remembered hearing something about it in History of Magic at some point.
"I don't know. Seems a shame not to try, at least. I bet that's what she'd say. You've known her longer than I have."*
"It sounds like her," he admitted.
"Why did you sign out if you want to try?"*
"I signed up to spend time with Hayley." He looked sideways at Robert. "That was before I realized that the two of you are," he cleared his throat awkwardly.
"Anyway, I'm not much of a fighter, much better with my cauldron."*
"Really?" His face opened up in surpirse.*
Walter reddened. "Her smile is like sunshine breaking through the clouds on a rainy day. I couldn't really help it." His smile died as he spoke. He may have moved on, but he missed his friend.
"Don't worry. It was pretty obvious the moment I saw you two together that I was never an option." He remembered how much that realization had hurt. hard to believe it had been over two months since then.*
Robert's expression at the first part could perhaps best be described as "what did I just hear?"
"Actually, she made the rain disappear with her smile once."*
"That is unsurprising." Walter said, looking at him again. "She's kind of incredible like that."*
He nodded and directed his attention to the list again, idly reading over the names. The quill was still in his hand.
With another half-hearted shrug he turned away, back to facing Walter, and pocketed the quill.
"Nice talking to you, see you in class," he said in one breath and hurried off without another word.*
Walter watched him go, feeling sad for him. He hoped he hadn't made it worse.