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Hogwarts Grounds
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The Steps
And suddenly, it came to her. Nicolas was searching for some type of cure earlier. A cure he said was for a friend."I've got a lot on my mind. Thought I'd come down for some fresh air," she said, admiring the view the same way she saw Ruby do. She wanted to know who the girl was avoiding, but she wasn't a person that liked to ask too many questions. "A few people I'd like to avoid myself."
And suddenly, it came to her. Nicolas was searching for some type of cure earlier. A cure he said was for a friend."I've got a lot on my mind. Thought I'd come down for some fresh air," she said, admiring the view the same way she saw Ruby do. She wanted to know who the girl was avoiding, but she wasn't a person that liked to ask too many questions. "A few people I'd like to avoid myself."
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She did not know what had happened between Dimitri and Morth last night. Today, after classes Dimitri was nowhere to be found. Henry as well. Reese did not know anything either so they had to wait.
Nicolas. If she hadn't gotten involved with him those years back, nothing would be happening now. She was still paying for past mistakes.
But why would he be worried for her, that was a mystery. Nicolas never cared, he thought things as possessions. Yet when Henry confronted him, and for her satisfaction punched him, he seemed worried.
"Why are you avoiding them, if you don't mind me asking." said Ruby. She couldn't think anymore; her brain felt as if her skull was shrinking and it couldn't contain it anymore.
Willa actually laughed a little this time. Her reasons were so silly. "Well, some people seem perfectly fine one moment and suspicious the next. I don't know what to think anymore. Should I be careful? Should I try to help? This-" she said, pointing at her brain, "-is one big mess." That was a big one for her. She didn't like to share much. Now there was no doubt she was talking about Nicolas. Willa didn't know too many people, and ones she did always seemed to have a strange side to them. It was almost like a hamburger. The restaurant will sell it to you, tell you what's in it, but leave out the information about that one secret ingredient that makes it different and special. Many people were like that, and Willa just couldn't figure out their secret ingredients.
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"Are they from your year? The ones you can't make your mind on?" she asked gently.
Willa let out a stressful sigh. There were too many things going on in her head. She smiled weakly at Ruby's question. "No, he's not," she said, her eyes widening as she realized what she just revealed. Willa quickly wiped the shocked expression off her face, but her cheeks turned a rosy shade of pink. "But I don't think it matters that much."She really hoped Ruby hadn't noticed her slip, but it was unlikely considering the reaction that followed.
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"Maybe you like this guy? Is that why you're avoiding him?"
It was nice. Her mind was distracted and she felt better, talking about smaller problems.
At that point, Willa wanted to go hide in a corner and never come out. Her cheeks turned an even darker shade of red. She knew it would be very conspicuous against her pale skin. "Oh goodness, no! We just met recently, and he's older than I am." she said sheepishly. She thought now would be an appropriate time to ask about Ruby's troubles without being nosy. "Why are you avoiding your guy?" She put a friendly smirk on her face, hoping Ruby wouldn't feel uncomfortable answering the question.
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"Well, Nicholas is not a nice person." Person... Ruby didn't think the mention of his name would cause trouble so she kept talking.
"Just an advice, age doesn't really matter. Maybe he likes you too. You should try talking to him."
It was like someone cast a good strong stupefy on Willa. Her mouth dropped open, her expression completely dumbfounded. For a moment, she couldn't say anything. It was like someone bottled up her voice and threw it into the ocean. When she finally found it, the first thing that came out of her mouth was, "huh?" Not her best line.
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"What's wrong, are you okay?" she asked, trying to figure out what had happened.
"If I intruded I am sorry." she said apologetically.
Willa's sense slowly started coming back to her. "Umm...err, no. I just thought I heard you say Nicolas. But you couldn't have," Willa said, laughing. It came out lacking humor, so she sounded a bit mad. "What you said was good advice, just not if you knew who I was talking about."
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Something was at work here. Did Nicolas send this girl to spy on Ruby? No, that couldn't be it, if he knew where she was then he'd come himself. So that left only one explanation. Willa was a coincidence, both to Ruby and Nicolas.
Which meant she had no idea of what was going on. Yet she was still avoiding him which meant she suspected something.
"I did say Nicolas. Nicolas Morth. Do you know him?" asked Ruby. This was no time for discretion.
All hopes Willa had of mishearing Ruby had vanished, replaced with dread and confusion. "Yes, I do. We met just the other day. I'm only avoiding him because he acted strange in the common room." Willa said, not wanting to reveal too much. She was a bit tired of people knowing things and not telling her, which was exactly what Ruby was doing. But now almost everything clicked in. Nicolas wanted James' book to help find a cure for Ruby. This clarified that the red spots on the girl's skin weren't just a part of Willa's imagination. The only question was, why is Ruby avoiding him? Atleast Willa assumed it was him and not someone else.
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Groups of girls were in clusters on the stairs, chatting. Catching Christen Erickson's eye James winked and she glowered and turned away.
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Ruby unrolled her sleeves when she caught Willa's eyes glancing at them. "Yeah well, Nicolas is a challenging person." she said.
I have to get out of here... she thought. What if Willa was a spy or something? Or a subject of Nicolas' charms? Ruby had to avoid him at all costs.
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Willa wore a stern expression, still very confused. "Indeed," she studied Ruby's face, noticing the girl had rolled her sleeves down. Ruby looked really anxious. "You alright there?"
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"Sorry, I got to go." she said and turned around. Her feet stopped in the second step and she turned her body half a circle to see Willa.
"Nicolas isn't good for you. You should keep your distance."
This was one of those situations where Willa didn't know what to say. Ruby seemed to be in a hurry to get away, yet she was warning her. Willa finally just nodded and stood up herself. "That's okay," she said, brushing dust off her clothes. "I should probably get going too."Willa headed up the steps but stopped when she reached the door to the castle. She turned and gave Ruby a half-smile to say goodbye. It wasn't an ordinary meeting, but she was still glad to know one more person in this school, and she didn't need that person to hate her. She entered the castle, slightly scowling, because now she had even more unanswered questions.
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No... she thought. Nicolas didn't have a soul to befriend or a heart to are about others. And Willa, she was walking into his web.
But Ruby couldn't afford to worry about her. Her strength was weakening once more. She hurried to find Dimitri.
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Tac, tac. Tac, tac.
It was as if time had stopped even though he had found himself standing on the last step, staring at the soft soil that seemed untouchable.
Lately Aito had kept himself busy, studying a lot, discussing with his sister what the future held for them. It was really tiring and contradicting to his usual high-spirited and carefree self.
With his head tilted to one side he kept staring at the view, still standing up with his hands in his pockets, without realizing a figure shyly coming closer.
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Aito felt a small tap in his shoulder but what really awoke him was a fresh batch of warmth. And then he felt her hanging from his arms and his view was completely blocked by the red sea that she carried around with her.
When she let go Aito still believed it was only his imagination since she was glowing brighter than ever; someone so beautiful must be a figment of imagination.
"Juniper." he said, his voice deep and hoarse, as if he hadn't spoken in years.
After a few seconds, when it finally stroke him that she was actually there, an electric wave forced its way to his body and he realized that she was there. She was back once more.
"Juniper!" he said more enthusiastically and engaged her once more, enclosing her into his arms with such happiness.
"How... how are you here?" he asked while running his hand through his messy hair.
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Just a few minutes ago he was deeply dipped in seriousness about his future and all the big decisions he would have to make and next hing he knows all of this is washed away.
He took her hands and held them tight. "Jun, I-" he paused "I have really really, a hundred times more than you can imagine, really miss you."
This time there was something different in his voice, the sincere sound that had emerged because of her. He sat down and she sat down next to him.
"So, how's school over there?" he asked, wanting to talk with her as much as he could, inhale every second.
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"Everything here is... bleak and serious nowadays. I just haven't been the same lately, lots of responsibilities and long talks about the future and- uuuuh." he exclaimed, rubbing his forehead.
He paused there for a moment. "It's just... when you were around, everything seemed to flow into place, everything was simple and extraordinary at the same time." He knew he should stop, he should behave like things are normal, things are okay. But the words simply escaped his mouth.
"Everything felt right."
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He stood up abruptly, and stood in front of her, this time his shoes dipped into the brown, muddy soil. With his uniform poorly placed on his body and his hair all messy, he bowed his head slightly to Juniper and his usual cheerfulness and high-spirited voice echoed.
"Milady, though time is our constant enemy we shall not wield to its tremendous power." he said, smiling brightly.
"Two weeks is more than enough time to let myself live in vivid color once more."
He meant it. Anytime with Juniper was better than no time with Juniper.
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She wasn't used to him not doing crazy things so it must have been weird for her. But Aito wanted to talk. All this time that he had spent around Jun, he knew only a few things about her. And he wanted to know more.
"I'm gonna start!" he said, sitting next to her but leaving a little space in between. With a whiff of his wand he filled that space with a tablecloth which took the form of the stairs, a couple of baguette-sandwiches and on the upper step two glasses filled with butterbeer.
Juniper looked with wonder. "Do not ask me how, it's a secret." he said, provoking her to ask him.
((It's okay, writing happy RPs are hard! :P That's why we are all Drama lovers here :3 ))
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"Actually..." he started by juggling with his apple, "everything started with this specimen." he said mysteriously as he offered a butterbeer to Juniper.
"The day I met you I had spent five whole minutes sneaking into the kitchen to install something and then my personal reward was this fresh and delicious fruit." He put his hand in his pocket and took out a small, tiny actually, machinery that from afar looked like a button.
"This is my secret. I placed one in the Kitchen ages ago and started my experiments. See, of course I cannot create food or things out of thin air so I just apparate them." Juniper looked even more confused than before.
"This little thing allows me to apparate objects to wherever I am...well, it has a 10 km range unfortunately." he said kind of disappointed. "Yet, it is way better than using accio where everyone is able to see what you are summoning. And it really allows you to steal stuff so I don't think it will be good in the wrong hands... Like the hands of thieves."
"In other words... we stole from the Hogwarts' kitchen. So that makes us thieves but... well..." He said, not sure if he wanted to sound proud or intimidated, not sure if Juniper would approve.
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Aito accepted her positive criticism with a wide smile. Nobody understood him the way that she did. Even Myriad thought that some of the things he did were a little extreme or useless even. Not that she weren't supportive, just that she was never a hundred percent with him.
But Juniper...
He sighed, and drank a bit from his beer. "No, I mean I wanted to finish up with school first and then try something like that. BUt I have the NEWTs coming up and Myriad thinks that we should head down the road of Aurors. "
He said that last one half-heartedly. He knew that Myriad meant no harm. She just wanted them to be together in the next part of their lives; after all, they only had each other.
But Aito dreamed a different kind of life. At that moment his expression darkened and he seemed lost in thought again, just like he was when Juniper surprised him in the beginning of their evening together.
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Aito accepted her touch and relished at her comment of him being a free bird. It was as if she could revive his spirit every time she pierced him with her eyes.
He smiled. "It's hard to break off from her though. Not that I don't feel scared being on my own for the first time... It's just, after all these years together it's frightening knowing how alone you really are in the world." His smile turned nostalgic but then he remembered that when Jun was around he needn't feel like that.
He giggled at her eating the cake, as if she was a small child enjoying her newly-bought candy. "I'm glad you are enjoying it. No I haven't had the courage to go back..." he said, looking her in the eyes.
She must knew how hard it would have been for him to go back there alone. Even though originally he wanted to have the treehouse as a small haven for his inventions, after Juniper entered his life and he shared it with her everything of that treehouse was painted and dipped by her presence.
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Aito let himself fly upwards with Juniper and stared at her all excited. He could feel his blood pumping through his pale cheeks, and he felt he was glowing so much in the inside it was starting to become visible on the outside.
He waved his wand murmuring his spell and the picnic vanished from their eyes. "I wonder how the elves are reacting right now since a half-eaten meal just landed in the middle of their kitchen floor." he said, giggling, grabbing Juniper's hand and heading up the steps joyfully.
Juniper followed behind him. He stopped at the top of the stairs without letting her hand go. He tilted his head on his left side, glaring at the steps and the view that unfolded under them.
"You know..." he said, his voice surprisingly deep and his eyes glowing with a nostalgic light. "I'll never forget that day; the day I saw a red fire sitting at that first step."
He turned his head and looked directly into Juniper's surprised eyes. "No matter what happens, from now, the moment we leave this place once more, from the moment you have to leave or I have to grow up and become all... responsible." he said, adding that last part with half a smile.
"No matter what, I'll never forget this. I won't even need my Memory Lane spell. I will be able to reach that small part of my mind that withholds the few happiest moments of my life and you'll be there.
Sitting on the stone surface, writing."
((I'm inspired :P))
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Juniper was right. Enough sulking around, she was here with him and they should make the best of it. He smiled widely, grabbed her hand and started hopping toward the inner parts of the castle. She stumbled behind him and then laughed loudly as she tried to copy the crazy rhythm of his steps.
He was softly chanting between breaths
"...Into the forest our tall tree shall wait, whole but hollow, our intertwine of fate. Never again will sadness follow, since only happiness is required at the gate..."
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No one could disturb her. Eve was too deep in the land of Illéa and Maxon and America. If someone said her name she wouldn't hear them.
Wood walked out the doors, studying a scroll given to him by a teacher. It tells of the arts of divination, predicting the future. Oh how wondrous that can be, predicting the future! Wood likes to be suprised, but knowing how he will end up in the wizarding world! He gushed slightly thinking about that. He was so much in thought he didn't look where he was going, sure that his protection angel would prevent any kind of disaster, or that Selena could help.
"Ack!"
Where are his angels, demons and cats and whatever lurks there in the depths of his heart!? Help!
And so he rolled down the stairs, face down and the scroll slipped out of his hands.
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"Are you okay?" She repeated, taking in the strange boy. He was wearing a variety of bright colors that wouldn't look out of place at a circus of sorts.
"Ahh, my head! Who is this angel speaking to me from heaven? Am I in heaven?", muttered Wood from the ground, slightly muffled.He then jumped up and dusted himself out, flashing the girl a smile.
"Ah, dear. I am alright of course! Nothing can harm me and my powers. This being has to be from the deepest, darkest pits of Tartarus to be able to scratch me."
He went to pick his scroll up, only to notice it had landed in ... owl droppings, Wood sighed.
"There goes my way of predicting the future as a whole. The dream of unmasking the dark unknown. The-"
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"Ok, I don't care about demons from hell. I am not an angel. Good day, sir," Eve did a mock salute and began to walk away, back to her book.
She didn't get far, for he seemed to have shouted something after her in a foreign language. "Pardon?"
"I summon the angels from hell. May thee be purified from your doubts! I sense the dark seed inside you! Tell me, who darkened your mind to turn away from illumination! Answer me!",shouted Wood. He was appalled she'd say that. Wood often says things normal mortals wouldn't understand, yet she, the girl, the pure being decided on her own will to go the road of disbelief. He can't accept that. He had to do something.
"þes béo eardwrecca!"
Nothing happened. Shoot.
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"Whats wrong with you? Such talk, of demons, angels and darkened minds. I'm fine, thank you," she said briskly, turning back to the banister to get back to her book.
Wood crossed his arms."Fine!", he snapped. "Be that way then!"
Truth to be told, Wood was hurt. Both physically and mentally. His knees were bleeding slightly, and the unbelieving girl's behaviour reminded him painfully of his parents.
"This is my dilemma. This gate, those steps. I come here when I'm at my limit, when I need to decide what to do next."
She sighed, and she ran her hand through her hair. "What brings you here?" she asked, wanting to change the subject.