Post by Admin on Aug 11, 2015 11:34:51 GMT
Hayley shut the door of the Room of Requirement behind her, shivering slightly in her damp robes. She watched it disappear then headed towards the astronomy tower. To the room she had found her second year. The halls were deserted, other than a few prefects, but it was past midnight, even they had gone to bed. She felt behind the tapestry and unlocked the door, practically running up the stairs at this point. It had been months...She reached the door at the top and opened it. She broke into a watery grin as she saw him there, standing with his back to her, watching the stars. She crossed the room and threw her arms around him.*
He turned around graciously, smiling.
"You are wet," he accused. "Why, if I may ask, are you wet at this time of day? You have not been outside in the dark, have you?"*
She shook her head, laughing. She'd missed him. "No, of course I wasn't. Robert and I were in the room, and I started crying, so the room started crying. Well storming really." Her smile fell a little, thinking about it. "We had a good time though, for most of it. I even produced a fully corporeal patronous." She let him go, using her wand to dry their robes. "How was summer? Did you get out of the room much?"*
"A corporeal patronus? I am so very proud of you, Hayley Harrison. You should also be proud of yourself. I am glad to hear you can produce a patronus. It means you can still see the happy memories you have. That is good. I often worry about you. You are so sad."
"Shall we sit?" He indicated two chairs. "Then I shall answer your question. No, I did not go out much. It is a risk, as I have explained. I must not be seen. I trust you have still not told your friends about this room?"*
She blushed, "well, i was in a rather good mood at the time." Hayley took a seat on one of the chairs, tucking her legs under her. "And, no, I haven't told anyone, and I don't think they suspect a thing. Not even Robert knows." Which made her feel guilty. "Or Soph..." she felt even more guilty for that. "Her parent's keep pushing her on the whole marriage thing..." Her mouth twisted into a grimace and she bit her lip, looking down at her hands. "She and Robert came up with a plan to get them off her back. I don't like it much." She could tell him this, explain how she really felt. He would understand. Robert would too, but she didn't want Robert to know she was unhappy. He had enough to worry about.*
"I am sorry to hear that Sophie MacMillan is suffering from her family's attitude. As you may recall, I was in much the same situation once. But I feel she suffered from it to a greater extent than I did. One might even say, I suppose, that I did not suffer at all."
"Of course my problems were resolved by my, shall we say, untimely death."
He smiled kindly.
"I am painfully aware I added to hers at the time. Robert Fowler is a smart boy. It must also be said, I feel, that he inherited a certain amount of ... tendency to scheme, I think would best describe it, being raised a pureblood heir. Yet we all have a darker side do we not?"
He spread his arms, as if to show himself better.
"What is their plan then, if I may ask?"*
"I think she forgives you, by the way. It wasn't your fault. Any of it." Her gaze drifted to his missing hand and she colored. He'd lost so much because of her. She caught his eye a moment before looking back at her hands. "They're pretending to date. That's their plan. It'll get her parents off her back, and his parents off his, and hopefully Seamus off all of our's..." her voice wavered. She didn't believe that last part at all. Seamus wouldn't back off just for that.*
He folded his left arm back into his sleeve, hiding the missing hand from side.
"I do apologise. It is not a pretty sight still."
He looked at her, pensive.
"I do see the reasoning behind that plan. But you poor girl. It is not fair that you have to watch it unfold. You have so many burdens already. Although to reflect, Cloak might be confused by the sudden change. Perhaps you could use that to your advantage."*
"Maybe, he's always seems to be one step ahead of us, but this, this wasn't us. This was Sophie's idea. He wouldn't expect that...and if i managed to look horribly upset all the time, he might actually believe Robert had left me..." the thought made her stomach hurt. "He wouldn't spy all the time if he thought there was nothing to see. I could see Robert more often..."*
He rose and started looking out of the window at the stars again.
"That ... I suppose is true," he said thoughtfully. "But also we are most vulnerable to attacks from the people we ..." He looked around at her. "... lose out of sight. The girl, Sandra Scorsby. She came to you this evening, did she not?"*
Hayley frowned, "I don't know how you know all that. She came over at dinner, and again in the common room." It was odd, Sandra never spoke to them. She'd been dating Seamus for as long as he'd been a problem. "She talked about the holidays..." She joined him at the window, watching the stars. "She's why we can't even talk in the roost..."*
"I know," he said. "Not even our precious Roost is safe anymore. A bad day for the house of Ravenclaw."
He seemed lost in thoughts, or maybe he was just looking at the starry sky.
Then he pointed.
"Do you see that star there? The bright one right next to the three close together. That is Sirius. In past times, captains at sea would use it to navigate. What they did not know at the time was that it is not one star. It is two, circling each other."
He looked sideways at her.
"The things we rely on are not always what they seem."*
"No, things aren't I guess. And people even less so." Hayley watched the stars, thinking of Sandra. "Maybe something's up with her and Seamus? Perhaps..." she considered the idea. Sandra may be able to help them, which would be great. "Thanks, I never would have thought of that on my own." Hayley smiled at him and yawned. It was late, and it had been a long day. "Do you mind if I stay up here tonight? I don't want to walk back to the roost."*
"Of course I do not mind. This room was your discovery, don't you remember? You can stay whenever you want. Will they not miss you in the common room?"*
"No, I don't think they'll notice, honestly. They're probably all asleep by now anyway..." She shrugged, "Even if they did, what are they going to say?" She went to the closet and pulled out the extra blankets she'd brought up here last year. "And this is your place. I may have found it, but you need it, so it's yours..." He deserved at least that.*
"I can share. You should sleep. You are very tired now. You have every right to be."
A lopsided smile crept on his face.
He sat down in one of the chairs again, watching her now.*
She yawned again, disappointed in herself for not managing to stay awake. "Thanks again," she put the blankets out, curling up under them comfortably. "You don't have to keep watch all night, you know. I know it's supposed to be your job and all, but..." she covered another yawn, "even you need to sleep."*
"I will sleep when you are asleep," he assured her. "For now I shall leave you alone. I am close by if you need me. Sleep well, Hayley Harrison."
He left through the door.*
Hayley nodded sleepily, "please take care of yourself too, alright?" She used her wand to lower the lights till the room was illuminated only by the stars. She heard the door close and sighed, eyes drifting shut before her thoughts could lead to tears again.*
He turned around graciously, smiling.
"You are wet," he accused. "Why, if I may ask, are you wet at this time of day? You have not been outside in the dark, have you?"*
She shook her head, laughing. She'd missed him. "No, of course I wasn't. Robert and I were in the room, and I started crying, so the room started crying. Well storming really." Her smile fell a little, thinking about it. "We had a good time though, for most of it. I even produced a fully corporeal patronous." She let him go, using her wand to dry their robes. "How was summer? Did you get out of the room much?"*
"A corporeal patronus? I am so very proud of you, Hayley Harrison. You should also be proud of yourself. I am glad to hear you can produce a patronus. It means you can still see the happy memories you have. That is good. I often worry about you. You are so sad."
"Shall we sit?" He indicated two chairs. "Then I shall answer your question. No, I did not go out much. It is a risk, as I have explained. I must not be seen. I trust you have still not told your friends about this room?"*
She blushed, "well, i was in a rather good mood at the time." Hayley took a seat on one of the chairs, tucking her legs under her. "And, no, I haven't told anyone, and I don't think they suspect a thing. Not even Robert knows." Which made her feel guilty. "Or Soph..." she felt even more guilty for that. "Her parent's keep pushing her on the whole marriage thing..." Her mouth twisted into a grimace and she bit her lip, looking down at her hands. "She and Robert came up with a plan to get them off her back. I don't like it much." She could tell him this, explain how she really felt. He would understand. Robert would too, but she didn't want Robert to know she was unhappy. He had enough to worry about.*
"I am sorry to hear that Sophie MacMillan is suffering from her family's attitude. As you may recall, I was in much the same situation once. But I feel she suffered from it to a greater extent than I did. One might even say, I suppose, that I did not suffer at all."
"Of course my problems were resolved by my, shall we say, untimely death."
He smiled kindly.
"I am painfully aware I added to hers at the time. Robert Fowler is a smart boy. It must also be said, I feel, that he inherited a certain amount of ... tendency to scheme, I think would best describe it, being raised a pureblood heir. Yet we all have a darker side do we not?"
He spread his arms, as if to show himself better.
"What is their plan then, if I may ask?"*
"I think she forgives you, by the way. It wasn't your fault. Any of it." Her gaze drifted to his missing hand and she colored. He'd lost so much because of her. She caught his eye a moment before looking back at her hands. "They're pretending to date. That's their plan. It'll get her parents off her back, and his parents off his, and hopefully Seamus off all of our's..." her voice wavered. She didn't believe that last part at all. Seamus wouldn't back off just for that.*
He folded his left arm back into his sleeve, hiding the missing hand from side.
"I do apologise. It is not a pretty sight still."
He looked at her, pensive.
"I do see the reasoning behind that plan. But you poor girl. It is not fair that you have to watch it unfold. You have so many burdens already. Although to reflect, Cloak might be confused by the sudden change. Perhaps you could use that to your advantage."*
"Maybe, he's always seems to be one step ahead of us, but this, this wasn't us. This was Sophie's idea. He wouldn't expect that...and if i managed to look horribly upset all the time, he might actually believe Robert had left me..." the thought made her stomach hurt. "He wouldn't spy all the time if he thought there was nothing to see. I could see Robert more often..."*
He rose and started looking out of the window at the stars again.
"That ... I suppose is true," he said thoughtfully. "But also we are most vulnerable to attacks from the people we ..." He looked around at her. "... lose out of sight. The girl, Sandra Scorsby. She came to you this evening, did she not?"*
Hayley frowned, "I don't know how you know all that. She came over at dinner, and again in the common room." It was odd, Sandra never spoke to them. She'd been dating Seamus for as long as he'd been a problem. "She talked about the holidays..." She joined him at the window, watching the stars. "She's why we can't even talk in the roost..."*
"I know," he said. "Not even our precious Roost is safe anymore. A bad day for the house of Ravenclaw."
He seemed lost in thoughts, or maybe he was just looking at the starry sky.
Then he pointed.
"Do you see that star there? The bright one right next to the three close together. That is Sirius. In past times, captains at sea would use it to navigate. What they did not know at the time was that it is not one star. It is two, circling each other."
He looked sideways at her.
"The things we rely on are not always what they seem."*
"No, things aren't I guess. And people even less so." Hayley watched the stars, thinking of Sandra. "Maybe something's up with her and Seamus? Perhaps..." she considered the idea. Sandra may be able to help them, which would be great. "Thanks, I never would have thought of that on my own." Hayley smiled at him and yawned. It was late, and it had been a long day. "Do you mind if I stay up here tonight? I don't want to walk back to the roost."*
"Of course I do not mind. This room was your discovery, don't you remember? You can stay whenever you want. Will they not miss you in the common room?"*
"No, I don't think they'll notice, honestly. They're probably all asleep by now anyway..." She shrugged, "Even if they did, what are they going to say?" She went to the closet and pulled out the extra blankets she'd brought up here last year. "And this is your place. I may have found it, but you need it, so it's yours..." He deserved at least that.*
"I can share. You should sleep. You are very tired now. You have every right to be."
A lopsided smile crept on his face.
He sat down in one of the chairs again, watching her now.*
She yawned again, disappointed in herself for not managing to stay awake. "Thanks again," she put the blankets out, curling up under them comfortably. "You don't have to keep watch all night, you know. I know it's supposed to be your job and all, but..." she covered another yawn, "even you need to sleep."*
"I will sleep when you are asleep," he assured her. "For now I shall leave you alone. I am close by if you need me. Sleep well, Hayley Harrison."
He left through the door.*
Hayley nodded sleepily, "please take care of yourself too, alright?" She used her wand to lower the lights till the room was illuminated only by the stars. She heard the door close and sighed, eyes drifting shut before her thoughts could lead to tears again.*