Year/Job
Sixth Year
You shine a light on my dark side, But you don't care what you see. |
Beater (23)
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Post by Nathaniel James on Jan 27, 2024 8:03:53 GMT -8
This had been one hell of a week. So much was going on in his friend’s lives and it was hard to keep up. Finch was dealing with stuff with his mom, Laurie got beat up by a fourteen-year-old, and he just found out that Lydia’s mum died before Christmas. Oh, and he guessed that Finch and Rose were a thing now. Like actually a couple. Nate had underestimated Rose’s feelings for his friend because he never could have imagined Rose entering a real relationship. With everything going on, he nearly forgot about Operation: the Beauty & the Brain.
Nathaniel was tasked with figuring out Liam’s feelings for Bella before they put the plan in motion since the whole thing would be pointless if he didn’t have any. It was probably the biggest challenge for him and Nate was excited about it. Liam was a very logical wizard who led by his brain rather than his heart. It was going to be a difficult undertaking to get him to open up about her. But Nate was by no means discouraged! He just had to get a little creative.
He’d given it thought all morning and he thought he had something figured out by lunchtime. Finch was sitting with Rose to eat so Nate took the opportunity to sit himself beside Liam. The boy smiled warmly at his friend and started to make his plate. “Finch talk to you?” He couldn’t just jump right in, he had to test the waters first.
Liam Sagewater
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Year/Job
SIXTH YEAR
BLAKE
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Post by Liam Sagewater on Jan 27, 2024 8:31:35 GMT -8
Liam's mind was miles away, but he snapped to when Nate took a seat beside him. He gave him a quizzical look but spotted Finch and Rose across the way. He smiled inwardly; Rose's threat was very fresh in his mind. Her secret was safe with him. He was just glad she had taken his advice. Hopefully, things would go smoothly between the two of them. He'd feel partly responsible if things went up in flames. He turned his attention back to Nate. "He did," Liam confirmed. "All thanks to you. Nice work." Who would have thought Nathaniel James had it in him to turn the tide? Liam looked down at his untouched plate of food. Hogwarts food was delicious, but he missed his mom's homecooked meals. He stabbed his fork into a carrot. "Now we can get a proper study session going."
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Year/Job
Sixth Year
You shine a light on my dark side, But you don't care what you see. |
Beater (23)
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Post by Nathaniel James on Jan 27, 2024 9:03:01 GMT -8
Nathaniel grinned at him and shrugged. “What can I say? I’m pretty great.” He didn’t actually believe that, but he had to keep up his appearance of unwavering confidence. In truth, Nathaniel often doubted himself and his worth. The only thing he truly felt confident about was his skill in Transfiguration and Quidditch. But he had to believe in himself right now, because how else was he to get Liam to spill the beans?
He mentioned a proper study session and Nate saw his opportunity. The boy nodded solemnly, glancing over at Rose and Finch across the hall. “How much you wanna bet Finch brings Rose along?” Honestly, he wasn’t totally sure Finch would bring her, but with the way they were cozied up together it seemed like a logical step. “Maybe we can invite Laurie and Bella so we’re not third wheels.” His heart started to speed up in his chest as he considered his next words carefully. “Speaking of Bella, she’s single, right?”
Liam Sagewater
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Year/Job
SIXTH YEAR
BLAKE
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Post by Liam Sagewater on Jan 27, 2024 9:25:19 GMT -8
How could anyone be so smug? Liam had to actually try not to roll his eyes at Nate. It was a battle. Probably closer to a war. He was happy to have Nate as a friend, but some days the Quidditch player made him want to choose violence. And for the record, Liam was a pacifist by all definitions of the word. "I'll be sure to bring you back a token of appreciation the next time we have a Hogsmeade Weekend," he mused. He bit the carrot in half and started into the rest of the stack as Nate talked. If Finch brought Rose along, he wasn't sure they'd get much studying done. Rose's affinity seemed to lay with Quidditch and Defense Against the Dark Arts. Everything else seemed to go out the window. "We'd be limited on the topics if we're going to get any work done with her around," he answered honestly.
Liam's fork hovered over the next carrot as Nate suggested bringing Laurie and Bella along. "It wouldn't really be third wheeling when the point of a study session is to study." He wasn't going to out her to Nate, but he didn't think he could handle another session of Laurie's paranoia so soon after the last. He imagined her looking over her shoulder at every stray sound. Would going to the school healer be a betrayal of her trust? Liam dropped his fork and rubbed his temples when Nate asked if Bella was single. Where had that even come from? The level of reliability when it came to forming this so call study group was dwindling. "How should I know," he answered, dropping his hands to the table.
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Year/Job
Sixth Year
You shine a light on my dark side, But you don't care what you see. |
Beater (23)
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Post by Nathaniel James on Jan 27, 2024 9:45:10 GMT -8
It wasn't like Nate was dumb - he knew that Liam had a bit of a problem with him sometimes. It kind of sucked when he knew the parts of him he didn't like were parts that he just put up for show. Hanging out with Laurie had softened him up a bit and allowed him to open up a little, but that was limited to her and Finch so far and even then it caused him anxiety. Nathaniel felt he was a bit cursed, like the person he was deep down was just a revolving door for people to pass on through. Finch had been the only person who stuck around. Maybe one day Nate would be able to let his guard down around other people, but that day was certainly not today. Nate dug into his meal as Liam said they wouldn't get much done around Rose and Finch and he hummed softly in agreeance as he chewed. Rose Kelly was not the studious type and she was way more physical than his classmates. He let out a groan. "I think the only thing she's ever studied is Quidditch strategy. And maybe for Professor Walker's class." Which they had that exam for very soon.
Liam had a point and, honestly, Nathaniel was hoping Finch wouldn't bring her. He had no intention of asking Laurie and Bella to study, but for the sake of his mission he brought it up anyway. It didn't seem like Liam wanted to hang around Laurie anyway, though he didn't know the reason. Just that he thought her crazy. A small smirk touched his lips as Liam dropped his fork, taking his reaction as a good sign. "How should I know," he said and Nate forked some carrots himself. "You hang around her, don't you? I was just thinking that she's gotten pretty hot since fifth year." He took a bite as he looked at his friend.
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Year/Job
SIXTH YEAR
BLAKE
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Post by Liam Sagewater on Jan 27, 2024 10:14:41 GMT -8
Liam had to take into account that Finch might not come if Rose was barred from joining them. Did they chance a botched study session? He was reluctantly willing to do it. They'd only just got Finch back. He didn't want to push him away by accident. "We still have that exam," he murmured. "And by the power of Merlin it's a topic Rose is knowledgeable in." He gave a shrug. "Looks like it all works out. No need to drag-" He stopped when Nate spoke about Bella. He turned his head slowly to his mate. Leave it to Nathaniel James to plot his next victim with such cleverness. "Is that why you want to invite them, so you can hook up with Bella." The comment on her being hot went right over his head. Unbelievable. Liam shook his head. Why did he always get stuck with the romance stuff? First Rose. Now Nate! Who was next? Once again, he needed Lydia. She'd have all the details his friend was searching for. He had none to offer. "I wouldn't say we hang out," he said after a moment. "We sort of just run into each other from time to time. It's not planned or anything." He went back to his food. Let's invite Laurie and Bella. Tch, next time just come out with it. No need to waste precious study time when there will be no studying involved. A shiver ran down his spine as he went on a mental rant. Liam didn't have the heart to say such things aloud. He was too nonconfrontational for that.
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Year/Job
Sixth Year
You shine a light on my dark side, But you don't care what you see. |
Beater (23)
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Post by Nathaniel James on Jan 27, 2024 10:28:50 GMT -8
That was true enough, though Rose was liable to tell them all how they were wrong as opposed to actually studying. He could feel himself already getting frustrated at this made up scenario. Liam cut off when he brought up Bella, slowly looking over at him. Nathaniel smiled innocently. No, Nate didn't want to hook up with Bella, but he wasn't about to tell Liam that. He needed him to believe he did so he could figure out if he had feelings for her. And just as he suspected, his friend was almost impossible to get a read on. Cerulean eyes watched him closely, looking for any indication he was feeling some type of way about this. He seemed annoyed, but that's probably because Nate was being annoying so it didn't really tell him anything. This is where he had to get creative. "That's not what Lydia says," he said nonchalantly, poking around his plate. "Or Bella." Maybe if he framed it like she talked about her time with him? This was most definitely a challenge. Laurie had it easy in comparison. "I'm just trying to make sure there's no one who cares if I go after her."
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Year/Job
SIXTH YEAR
BLAKE
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Post by Liam Sagewater on Jan 27, 2024 10:45:21 GMT -8
He had already talked to Lydia? Why hadn't he just asked her whether Bella was seeing someone or not? Wait, was he insinuating that Lydia thought he and Bella spent legitimate time together? He was well prepared to argue that Lydia would pair a rock and leaf together if it meant she could play Matchmaker for a day. It was like she had some weird quota to fulfill. It was the addition of Bella that made him eat those words. Liam's brain scrambled and then shut down completely. What did he mean Bella said differently? He took an almost cautious look around, trying to see if he could spot her in the room. As if that would help make sense of any of this. Liam's gaze returned to Nate as the other went on about making sure no one was interested before he made his move. The reboot process for his brain was taking a long time, leaving Liam staring at Nate in silence. "I didn't- W-we...We only met on purpose that one time because there was a constellation that would be visible before that big storm passed through." Why was he explaining himself? "And I bring snacks from the kitchen, but it's not like I know what she likes or anything. I mean I share because that's proper etiquette and it's rude to eat in front of other people without offering." He went silent, clearly flustered by his inability to make sentences. "What did Bella say," he asked.
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Year/Job
Sixth Year
You shine a light on my dark side, But you don't care what you see. |
Beater (23)
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Post by Nathaniel James on Jan 27, 2024 18:07:01 GMT -8
Nate didn't really talk to Lydia. Or Bella. But he was good at lying when it was necessary and to him, this was necessary. Finch found love in Rose and it was high time that Liam did as well. And who better than Isabella Clarke? Plus, this whole scheme brought him closer to Laurie and he was finding that he was really enjoying spending time with her. But his feelings on Laurie were a topic for another day. Today, he was concerned with Liam and Bella. Nate fully expected Liam to shoot back some nonsense about how Lydia likes to play matchmaker, but it seemed that he stumped him when he brought up Bella. He had to fight hard not to smile. Bingo. Nonchalantly, Nathaniel continued to eat his lunch in the silence that followed, his gaze flicking back and forth from his plate to Liam's face. It seemed he was at a loss for words. Then he opened his mouth and Nate really had to fight a smile. His lips were twitching from the effort, but he did his best to maintain a neutral expression. His eyebrow quirked upward as he rambled on and on. This was easier than he expected it to be - he thought for sure it'd take several more tries before he got anywhere.
"What did Bella say?"
Now he did smile, his mouth full of food. He quickly chewed and swallowed the rest before shrugging. "Just that she enjoys spending time with you," he offered. The key to a good lie is that it has to be believable and, well, you just had to look at her to see that was true. But Nathaniel was seeing an opportunity here to push the two of them together without involving Lydia. Perhaps he should have talked to Laurie first, but he couldn't let this chance slip on by. "You'd have to be a fool to not see the way she looks at you." Nate sighed sadly, like he was actually pained by this. "Guess I won't get the pleasure of snogging Bella after all."
Liam Sagewater
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Year/Job
SIXTH YEAR
BLAKE
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Post by Liam Sagewater on Jan 27, 2024 21:10:30 GMT -8
It didn't even occur to him that Nate was lying. It didn't occur to him that this was some elaborate scheme. No, Liam was worried that Lydia was spreading false information. He was concerned that Bella thought their run ins were leading to something more. He was trying to figure out how to explain that it wasn't like that. At least, he didn't think it was. He was just being nice! The dark haired male was practically short circuiting in his confusion and panic. He was most definitely panicking. How had something so simple and innocent gotten blow out of proportion? How could Nate just sit there and eat when he was struggling to figure out what was going on. He wanted to scream 'Help me,' but then he'd have to explain why. He didn't have an answer to why. How had things gotten so mixed up?
Nate smiled at him and Liam felt queasy. 'She enjoys spending time with you.' Liam's brain reset with those words. Heh, that didn't mean anything. He enjoyed spending time with her too. It didn't mean anything. They just enjoyed each other's company. Liam took a moment to regain his composure. "I think you're taking things out of context. I enjoy her company too, but it's an intellectual thing. She's smart and knowledgeable when it comes to Astronomy. She really knows her stuff. She's taught me quite a bit, but I don't think she meant it the way you think. And we both know Lydia will blow anything that even smells romance related out of proportion." Liam was back to functioning levels. He was admittedly embarrassed for thinking there had been an ounce of meaning to this conversation. The way Nate was talking, he'd thought he had dismissed Bella's feelings. Was there a tiny voice in his head telling him he should be embarrassed? Yes. Nate was the school's playboy. If anyone knew about these things, i.e. the so called looks Bella had given him, it would be Nate. Great, now he was questioning himself again. Was he blind? Surely she'd have said something, right?
Either way, he only had something to say about Nate's intentions. "You're obviously going to do what you want, and I can't stop you," he started. "But from one mate to another, I think you'd be wasting your time. I don't get the impression that she'll randomly snog you like the other girls you pull in." He probably shouldn't have said anything. Nate might take that as a challenge and pursue to the issue as if it were some goal to be conquered. He couldn't just not say anything though. Liam didn't want Bella getting caught up in Nate's web. She was a sweet girl and she deserved better than being someone's chew toy. Then again, maybe she liked people like Nate. He didn't know.
(sorry, I went a smidge overboard out of excitement. No need to match.)
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Year/Job
Sixth Year
You shine a light on my dark side, But you don't care what you see. |
Beater (23)
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Post by Nathaniel James on Jan 28, 2024 7:28:04 GMT -8
Now that Nathaniel was convinced that Liam had some kind of feelings for Bella, he was even more determined to get them together. If he wasn’t able to plant the seeds in his mind, then of course Lydia would be the next step. He highly doubted that Bella would be the one to make the first move; she was far too shy for that. But as Liam tried to tell him he was taking things out of context, Nate lowered his fork and turned his head to give him a knowing look. “I think you’re in denial. Do you know how I’m so successful at getting girls?” He paused to let the boy think about it for a second, his brows raised pointedly. “It’s cause I know how to read their interest. I don’t go after someone I know isn’t into me. You can tell that they like you by the looks they give you, the way they blush when they talk to you, and when they talk about how much they enjoy spending time with you.” He went back to eating his food to let that sink in.
Nathaniel shrugged at his next words. “Maybe I’m tired of snogging whoever I want. Maybe I like the challenge. The only thing I gotta do is convince her you’re not interested in her because she’s clearly interested in you. But, you know, continue to think everything’s all platonic if you want. I won’t stop you.”
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Year/Job
SIXTH YEAR
BLAKE
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Post by Liam Sagewater on Jan 28, 2024 10:16:20 GMT -8
Liam was a firm believer that people could enjoy the presence of another without there being an underlying meaning to it all. When had Nate ever had a meaningful relationship? All he did was hunt females like it was some sort of sport. Liam was declaring his expertise invalid; no matter how successful he was. Still, there was that annoying little voice in the back of his mind that was telling him Nate was right. He did enjoy spending time with Bella. She did smile a lot, but he'd never thought much about it. Did she blush around him? He'd never paid attention. Did she look at him a certain way? He didn't know that either. He didn't have eyes in the back of his head. What he did notice was that she had a warm smile and her eyes lit up when she talked about the stars. Was he in denial? He wished that voice would shut up. Liam turned to his plate, no longer feeling hungry. Great, Nate had successfully killed his appetite too.
Then, like the jackass his friend was, he made it clear he would continue to pursue Bella because she was a challenge. Was he being serious right now? Why go through all the trouble of bringing all of this to the light if he was just going to snog Bella anyway? Liam would have preferred to have stayed in the dark of his ignorant bliss. He stared down at his plate, the colorful array of vegetables blurring out of focus. Even if he told Nate to back off, how would he go about moving forward with Bella? If she really was interested in him, how long had been oblivious to her feelings? Was he interested in her? Yes, but it hadn't crossed his mind that they could be more than friends. Liam felt as though an anchor had been attached to his ankle and he was sinking deeper and deeper into the abyss. When was the last time he'd dated someone? How was he to face Bella the next time they ran into each other at the Astronomy Tower? There was a crack in that fragile peace he cherished between the two of them, and it was Nate's fault. How long until that crack splintered and shattered altogether? Drowning. He felt like he was drowning.
Liam was lost in his thoughts. Everyone in the room had disappeared. Nate had been forgotten. A proper response had been forgotten. He owed Bella an apology. How did he make it up to her? Did everyone but he know she liked him? How daft could he be? An odd silence filled his head, and then the ringing started. For once in his life, Liam didn't know what to do. There was no contingency plan. There had never been a plan to begin with. Talk about feeling lost. He was not familiar with it, and he didn't like it one bit. It felt like someone had ripped the rug from under his feet, introducing him to the hard floor called reality.
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Year/Job
Sixth Year
You shine a light on my dark side, But you don't care what you see. |
Beater (23)
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Post by Nathaniel James on Jan 28, 2024 10:25:36 GMT -8
Nathaniel had no interest in pursuing Bella, but he thought that making Liam believe he did would get him to admit to himself and others that he actually did have feelings for her. As he watched Liam stare off in silence, he felt a band tighten around his heart. Now he had upset him. Had he gone too far? Probably. Most definitely. Laurie will probably chew his head off for this, but right now he had other things to worry about. Nate sighed heavily, pushing his food around on his plate. "Look," he started softly. "I'm not going to do anything if you don't want me to. Just say the word and I'll forget all about Bella." Before anything, Liam was his friend. Damn... hanging around Laurie had him feeling so soft. The boy swallowed past the lump in his throat and sighed again. "I'm sorry, man." Was Nathaniel James apologizing? Yes, yes he was. His gaze lifted from his plate to look over at the wizard beside him. "But if you feel something for her, you should go for it. I don't imagine she's going to tell anyone how she feels."
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Year/Job
SIXTH YEAR
BLAKE
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Post by Liam Sagewater on Jan 28, 2024 10:59:13 GMT -8
Nate drew him back up from the darkness by speaking, and Liam faced him. He felt smaller than he had ever had in years. In the span of a few moments, he'd questioned his ability to interact on an emotional level with others. He'd questioned his friendship with Nate. He'd questioned whether he was good enough for Bella when he hadn't even seen what was right in front of his face. Nate apologized, and Liam frowned because it was all he could think to do at the moment. Nate didn't apologize. "Mind repeating yourself," he asked a little too politely. After a moment, he shook his head and started back into his lunch. Everything tasted like cardboard. "Nate, I genuinely didn't know," he admitted. Liam wasn't above admitted he was wrong. He had plenty of shortcomings, and he was working on them. This was just another to add to the list. "I wouldn't even know what to say to her." He tried not to look too bothered as he spoke the next sentence. "That's on the basis she gives me the time of day after all this time." What if just knowing he'd been completely oblivious put her off? Was it possible to ruin something before it even began? Or worse, what if he got too comfortable and started rambling about everything and nothing and she ran off? It was becoming extremely difficult to stay afloat in unfamiliar territory. The last thing he wanted to do was mess this up.
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Year/Job
Sixth Year
You shine a light on my dark side, But you don't care what you see. |
Beater (23)
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Post by Nathaniel James on Jan 28, 2024 11:14:44 GMT -8
"I'm sorry," he repeated it for good measure, offering up a small smile. "You're not getting more than that, though." Apologizing wasn't something Nathaniel did often. It was part of his whole 'pretend I'm some big asshole so people don't hurt me' thing. He learned how to when he was young, but he's gotten so far out of practice that it felt almost foreign to say now. Was his pride wounded? Maybe a little, but he had Finch and he had Liam. He didn't want to mess those friendships up. The young wizard nodded slowly as Liam said he didn't know. That was probably by design. Nathaniel only noticed it because he knew what to look for, but knowing Bella she probably didn't want him to know. She just wasn't as good at hiding it as she thought she was. When he said something about Bella not giving him the time of day, Nate let out an amused huff. "You think she's the kind of person to hold that against you? She didn't want you to know, man. I'm only telling you because I think it's stupid to dance around it for so long. As for what to say... well, you've got some options. Depends on how you want to handle it." There was the logical way of just telling her how he feels, but there was a more romantic way of going about it. In the end, he was sure that once Bella knew he felt the same that things will progress pretty nicely. "She likes the stars, yeah? I'm sure you can think of something romantic with that. Set it all up in the tower and then just... tell her how you feel. The rest will fall into place."
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