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 29, 2024 7:50:46 GMT -8
Nathaniel’s talk with Liam went a lot better than he expected and he was feeling pretty good about it. He had managed to convince his friend of Bella’s feelings and nudged him into asking her out. They didn’t even need Lydia now and it was all thanks to him. The snowstorm came as predicted and after dinner had ended, Nate made an excuse to Finch and Liam and snuck away to the Astronomy tower. The boy was smart enough to stash warm clothing and blankets under the observation deck beforehand to battle the cold.
The wind was howling as he trudged up the stairs, the icy wind and snow blowing down the staircase and reaching Nate before he had even reached the top. When he got to the observatory, the floor near the railing was covered in a thin layer of snow, the winds picking it up and blowing it all around the air. He shivered as the bitter air nipped at him and made his way below the deck where he’d find his winter coat and a few warm blankets.
Now bundled up, he waited for Laurie to find him. He wondered if she had fared just as well as he did.
Laurie Greer
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Year/Job
6th Year
Tried to drift dear but don't know how... |
Sol
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Post by Laurie Greer on Jan 29, 2024 8:20:38 GMT -8
Merlin was it miserably cold. Laurie simply wasn't made for this weather. But despite her disdain of the cold weather, her spirits were high. Although she wasn't confident Bella would act on her feelings, she was confident that the feelings were there-- which was great for she and Nathaniel's mission. If Liam liked Bella, they could simply go to Bella, drop that little tidbit of information and call it a day. Their work would be done, Bella and Liam would be happy together, and they'd be none the wiser. Her robes and sweater were barely doing the job keeping her warm and the scarf could only wrap around her neck so many times-- it didn't matter much though, she need to report back to her second in command on the progress of their mission so they could move to phase two.
She practically skipped up the stairs, arms wrapped around herself as she climbed higher in the tower. Thankfully, heat rose so she hoped the tower would be toasty and warm and would fix the chill that ran through her body. Laurie secretly wished Hogwarts had been in Italy or Australia or some warmer place. Quickly rounding the corner, the cool air flushed her face-- well, it definitely wasn't warmer in the Astronomy Tower. Had someone forgotten to close up the balcony doors before the snow storm? Probably so. She groaned softly, wrapping her arms tighter around herself. "Nathaniel?" She called as she entered the dimly lit Astronomy Tower. It was pretty when the lights were dim-- you could see every projected constellation on the ceiling of the tower, looking back down on you. "Nathaniel!" She exclaimed with a smile, waving her gloved hand and him before rushing to close the balcony door shuts. Her hands pressed against the latch, the wind blowing violently against the door. "It's like no one ever checks up here..." She complained, glancing back at Nate. "I mean, I know that's kind of the point..." She kicked the snow that had a piled up. "But still..."
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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 29, 2024 10:44:44 GMT -8
Nate didn't spend enough time up here to know that there were doors to the balcony. He felt a little silly now, but he brushed it aside with a shrug. "I think there's more on their mind than the Astronomy tower. Like, oh I don't know, a fight near the staircase or a duel that got out of hand." Nathaniel raised a brow, an amused smirk on his lips. The boy couldn't resist the urge to tease her.
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Year/Job
6th Year
Tried to drift dear but don't know how... |
Sol
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Post by Laurie Greer on Jan 29, 2024 15:46:22 GMT -8
When Nathaniel spoke, she felt like she'd been caught in a web of some kind-- how could she forget that Nate was the one that dispersed the crowd that day?! And surely he'd witnessed the battle between Rose and she? Merlin, Laurie had been up to some trouble. And it all started when she started hanging around Nate-- what a funny coincidence. Unlike her animal curse, she knew Nathaniel didn't have anything to do with her series of unfortunate events. Rose hated her, they were truest rivals, of course it was going to get intense. And the thing with Poppy... well... She brought a hand up to hug her ribs, as if subconsciously remembering the fist against her abdomen. "Both of those things were out of my hands," She claimed, walking away from the now sealed window. The tower was still freezing, but at least it wasn't actively snowing in there. The sound of the heavy winter storm outside was soothing. "Thanks. For making people look away from that train wreck.."
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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 29, 2024 23:35:58 GMT -8
Nate would be lying if he said he wasn’t worried about her. Seeing her get punched had lit a fire in him and he felt a sense of protectiveness for her. Had Poppy Carmichael been a guy, he would have beaten the shit out of her. But Nathaniel didn’t put his hands on girls like that. Still, he had felt frustrated that he didn’t get the chance to intervene, seeing it happen just as he had pushed his way through the crowd.
He was present for the duel with Rose and the result of it was shocking to more than just himself. Nate knew Rosaline pretty well and he could tell she was going through it right now, likely having to do with Finch. Things seemed better with her now that the two of them were together, but he didn’t know what went on between her and Laurie after they all left the classroom.
The young wizard offered her a small smile at her thanks, shrugging his shoulders a bit. “I’m just sorry I didn’t get there sooner. I would have put Poppy in her place,” he said softly. The decision to disperse the crowd wasn’t something he had consciously made, he just did it to protect her from the stares and whispers of their classmates. Bella swooped in to whisk her away and, while he was grateful she did, he had been a little sad to miss out on checking on her himself. “You doing okay?”
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Year/Job
6th Year
Tried to drift dear but don't know how... |
Sol
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Post by Laurie Greer on Jan 30, 2024 8:13:48 GMT -8
"You would have put Poppy in her place?" Laurie looked at him skeptically, raising one eyebrow. She didn't think there was anyone at Hogwarts that could put Poppy in her place. If she were to be completely honest, the fight with Poppy had perplexed her. She tried not to think about it, letting it drift from her mind. It stayed absent from her conversations with Bella, and even her small reunion with her sister had been lacking of more than a few seconds of talk about Poppy. Part of Laurie actually felt bad for Poppy-- but if she let that be known, Poppy might have served her another knuckle sandwich. Whatever made her so angry and aggressive all the time was clearly an issue she'd been dealing with for a while. From what she heard from the others, Poppy Carmichael had been a problem from the moment she came to Hogwarts. That kind of trouble making must have been born from some pretty serious stuff at home or something. "You sound like a mobster or something." She joked, eyes scanning the room for anything out of place. She knew it wasn't her job-- technically the Astronomy teacher would have things back in place, but Laurie came up their so frequently it felt like her responsibility.
Finding a book out of place, she picked it up and placed it back where it came from. Looked like a book on Perseus... someone was studying their constellations. Turning around, her let her back rest against the bookshelf, gaze resting on Nathaniel. "I'm okay." She told him with a smile before looking down at herself. "Don't I look okay? It's not like Poppy smacked me in the face or broke my nose. I'm stronger than I look, don't you think?"
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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 30, 2024 9:59:51 GMT -8
He raised a brow at her skepticism. "She's fourteen, Laurie," he pointed out. Yes, she obviously could pack a punch, but Nate wasn't afraid of her. "Little punk needs someone to put her in her place." Nate gave an eyeroll when she said he sounded like a mobster. He wasn't even close, but he knew some people. Of course, he wasn't about to tell her that. The last thing that Laurie needed to know was that Nathaniel was selling pixie dust on the side. That was a conversation for another day. A day very, very far away from this one.
His bright baby blues watched her curiously as she picked up a book and put it back on the shelf, a small smile tugging at his lips. She really did spend a lot of time up here, didn't she? Laurie turned around and leaned against the bookshelf as Nathaniel leaned his hip against the railing. She said she was okay and he nodded, giving another eye roll as she explained herself. "Didn't say you weren't," he said with a sigh. "Just asking, jeeze. First Liam gives me shit for being nice and now you. See if I do anything nice ever again." He turned his head toward the howling on the other side of the balcony doors, finding the sound kind of comforting in a way. "Speaking of Liam, turns out he does have feelings for her. And it looks like we don't have to involve Lydia after all. He should be putting something together. Don't ask me what, he won't tell me, but I think he's going to make a move sometime soon."
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Year/Job
6th Year
Tried to drift dear but don't know how... |
Sol
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Post by Laurie Greer on Jan 30, 2024 11:15:23 GMT -8
Poppy was fourteen-- that was exactly the point. She knew for a fact that Ella and Sophia were menaces when they were 14. It wasn't that they needed to be put in their place, they needed a little care to help them become less... horrible. It was like a thing. Laurie was a bit more mild-- she kept to herself. She didn't remember being so angry at the world like Poppy, but she was sure if she did she wouldn't want to be put in her place. She didn't bring it up any further, realizing that Nathaniel might not understand her forgiveness towards the Gryffindor that technically beat her up. Even Laurie didn't really understand it.
"You can't blame me for being a little embarrassed about getting my arse kicked by a fourteen year old, you know? I feel like Bella's been tiptoeing around me like I'm this porcelain thing that could be broken at any second. Need I remind everyone that I almost beat Rose Kelly in a duel?" Laurie was convinced had the duel not gotten out of hand, she might have had the leg up. But stubbornness infected everything those two girls did. Finally, the conversation naturally drifted towards their whole reason in meeting. Selfishly, Laurie wished they could have drug it out a bit more. What reason did she and Nathaniel have to hang out-- outside of Quidditch practice-- if not for their mission? This likely marked the end of their week and a half of schemes and plots. "Well... That's good and all." She said, arms crossing over her chest. "Bella really, really likes him. So I guess.. Our job is done then?" She looked at him with raised eyebrows, almost as if she wasn't asking if the mission was over-- but if their little meetings were over too. After all, they had no reason to linger in the Astronomy Tower if their friends got together. It was a snow storm-- even if Laurie wanted to look at the real stars, it would be impossible. Nathaniel and she would go their separate ways and that would be it.
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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 30, 2024 11:35:04 GMT -8
Yeah, okay he could see why she might be embarrassed. That was part of why he shooed everyone off when it was all over, to help save her from some of that. It's not like she's the kind of person to fight back. Still, it made Nathaniel really angry to see her get wailed on like that. Laurie may forgive the Gryffindor, but Nate sure as hell didn't. He felt guilty that he hadn't been there to protect her from that. "Yeah, you did," he agreed. Honestly, watching the duel he felt kind of impressed. Rose thought she was the best thing to come to Hogwarts since Merlin himself, but seeing how Laurie was going toe to toe with her was pretty cool. It was unfortunate Rose took a bad turn with it. Just another instance of Nate feeling guilty just watching it unfold.
Honestly, he didn't even think about that being the only reason they were meeting up. It didn't have to be, did it? Maybe it did. Did Laurie Greer really want to hang out with a guy like Nathaniel? For the last five years she treated him like the scum off her boot, like she was too good to be seen around him, or maybe she just seriously hated his guts; Nate didn't know. The thought of it caused a lump to form in his throat. His gaze had been fixed to the floor between them when she replied to him, his jaw working as he thought about everything. He didn't really want to go back to how it was before - he was really enjoying Laurie's company. Nate wasn't sure exactly why that was, he just knew that he did. "Yeah," he said softly, eyes still focused on the floor. He didn't want to leave. Nathaniel rubbed the back of his neck and looked up just passed her at the bookshelf, gesturing to it. "Er - what book did you put up?"
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Year/Job
6th Year
Tried to drift dear but don't know how... |
Sol
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Post by Laurie Greer on Jan 30, 2024 11:56:07 GMT -8
There was some intangible, unspoken something between Nathaniel-- as if both of them were silently communicating the same thing. With their Bella and Liam dilemma solved, it was a cut and dry conversation. But something in both of them wanted too stay-- wanted to find some reason to stick around as the snow storm raged on outside of the Astronomy Tower. The small lights above them twinkled-- that was the only constellations they'd be seeing that night. His question made her turn to the bookshelf, having already forgotten the title-- it was something she'd read once. Honestly, it sounded like something Bella would've liked more than she, considering Bells loved Perseus and his story. "Looks like it's a book on... the myth of Perseus. I don't really know much about it." She waved the book that she'd just pulled out with a smile before replacing it. Merlin, when had she been this awkward around Nathaniel? It was like she was waiting for some hidden camera show to pop out and yell "PRANKED!" in her face it was so terrible.
"Soo... Quidditch, huh?" Laurie asked as she circled the globe in the center of the room, her hand brushing over the ornately carved stand it rested in. She was hunting for any topic that would launch them into a conversation-- they'd get lost in it, and before they realized it, would be running back to their dorm, hoping not to get caught by a prefect. That thought made her smile a bit-- but she realized she was being stupid. Nathaniel was her friend, she wanted to hang out with him. Why were they acting like this? A small laugh left her mouth before it started to build. "Sorry..." She covered her mouth, a smile still resting on her lips. "Sorry-- This is just so weird. I'm not being crazy, right? Like this is weird? Not in a bad way. It's just--" She laughed again.
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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 30, 2024 13:16:18 GMT -8
All of a sudden, Nate started to feel incredibly nervous and he couldn’t pinpoint why. It was a feeling he was not familiar with. Why would he be feeling nervous around Laurie? It was something he couldn’t understand. Perhaps it was because she has seen him when he was vulnerable, singing in the common room, or maybe it was the way she brought out the good in him. In the time they’ve spent together, he started to realize that he didn’t want to be the old Nathaniel James anymore. He was kind of liking this new and improved version. But there was this underlying fear that she was going to disappear one day and then where would he be? He would feel so stupid if he allowed himself to be hurt by her. The boy shuffled his feet as she told him about the book. He knew about Perseus from his late night readings. He was the hero who bested Medusa and saved Andromeda from the rock she was chained to. Nathaniel admired heroes like him, though he wasn’t about to admit that out loud.
She brought up Quidditch and he perked up, thinking that that was something they could talk about, but his mind blanked on anything to say and he lowered his head again. This was so dumb. What had happened? He opened his mouth to say something, anything, when she let out a small laugh. His eyebrows raised and he looked up at her with surprise as she devolved into a fit of giggles and he couldn’t help but laugh softly along with her. Why were they being so weird around each other right now? It was never like this before. She started to apologize and echoed his own thoughts back to him, telling him how this all was just so, “Weird.” he finished her sentence with a smile. He had to wonder why that was. The raven wracked his brain for an answer when it hit him. Did he… like Laurie? That was something he had never considered before. But she was acting weird, too. Did that mean…? “It doesn’t have to be,” he said with a shrug, stepping toward the globe centered in the room. “Does it?”
(Ugh proboards ate my original reply I’m so mad idk how I feel about this one but here it is before it eats it again)
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Year/Job
6th Year
Tried to drift dear but don't know how... |
Sol
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Post by Laurie Greer on Jan 30, 2024 15:27:37 GMT -8
Laurie was never one that let herself be consumed by emotions. Unlike Bella, who seemed to experience feelings like embarrassment and shame to the extreme, she tucked them away and used logic to disperse any of those feelings. If she deserved to feel embarrassed, she would. If she deserved to feel shameful, she would. If things needed to be weird, she would let them-- but just as she'd called attention to the strangeness between them, she knew there was no reason to be weird around Nathaniel. They were friends-- something that a year ago she couldn't say. And there was no reason to be weird around friends. "No. It doesn't have to be." She said with a smile, finally coming to a standing place across from in, hands still firmly placed on the globe's stand. "I'll be honest, Nathaniel..." She started, eyes locked on the globe. "I really don't want to go back to the dorms yet. I know there's no reason to stay but-- I don't know. I thought we could just.. hang out. I mean, if you still wanted to. I know our business is finished. But you're cool. I like being friends with you." She rambled, being completely honest with him in that moment. If there was anything Laurie was good at, it was honesty like this.
"Plus, I don't want Bella to feel pressured into hanging out with me. She could be cuddled up with Liam in the Common Room and me coming back could ruin that all!" She told him, offering a terrible explanation for why she shouldn't go quite yet. It was funny the way people behaved when their perceptions changed. She wondered if she felt awkward because she'd assumed a million things about Nate that all turned out to be wrong. For a time, she was worried Nathaniel was just a playboy, trying to snog every girl in Hogwarts before he graduated. And while some of that might have been true, it wasn't all true. Nathaniel was a nice person-- he was funny, he was similar to her in many ways, and different in a hundred more. Unlike some of her friends, Nathaniel wasn't a mirror that showed her what she wanted. He was exciting and fun and new. Laurie did wonder if he would get bored of her after a while-- she didn't anything that would interest him. She was very plain looking, unlike most of the girls in her years. While the others had picked up makeup brushes over the summer holiday, Laurie remained utterly clueless about the whole thing. Hopefully Nathaniel wasn't so shallow as to only surround himself with beautiful people-- maybe she'd make the cut for once and he'd learn how fun she was to have around. "I could show you a secret in here. If you wanted." She offered finally, one last attempt at making a reason for them to stay.
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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 30, 2024 18:38:10 GMT -8
With this revelation, he was seeing Laurie in a whole new light. He thought back to the last time they were in this tower together, searching for a fake snitch to save the day. He remembered the weird tingling sensation he felt when her hand was on his and how the feeling lingered long after she had removed it. Was that what that meant? It was very weird to him because, at a glance, Laurie Greer was not his type. But he enjoyed her presence and her conversation and he thought her laugh was the nicest sound in the world and holy shit he liked Laurie. Had he ever actually liked a girl before? I mean, on an intellectual level. Sure, the girls he dated in the past were gorgeous and exciting, but he always grew bored of them before too long. Their conversation wasn't stimulating and they didn't push against any of his ideas. There was no challenge with them. Rose was a different case, he never actually dated Rose. Their relationship was purely physical with no attachment at all. They were friends who made out occasionally, but of course that was long over. Laurie was different than all the rest of the girls at Hogwarts. She was intelligent, but funny with just enough sass to keep things interesting. She didn't hang on Nate's every word and go along with anything he said just because. The more he thought about it, the more he realized he was right. Somewhere in the past few weeks, he had developed some real feelings for Laurie Greer. And for the first time in his entire life, he wanted to take things slow.
He watched her as she settled into the spot before him, smiling, and he smiled back. There was a warm glow from constellations above them that washed over her face and illuminated her gray eyes. It was moments like these that he could see that she was actually really pretty. Was he just noticing it or were her looks improving on him? It was hard to tell at this point. She was right, though, it didn't have to be weird between them. "I'll be honest, Nathaniel..." His eyes were trained on her as she started speaking again, noticing the way she avoided his gaze. A warm smile started to slowly spread across his face as she continued, Nate feeling the same way. He didn't want to go back to Ravenclaw tower right now because they were already here and hanging out with Laurie Greer sounded more interesting than anything back there. His smile spread into a grin when she said he was cool. He placed a hand on his chest and pretended to swoon. "Laurie Greer just called me cool. I think I can die now." Nathaniel let out a hearty laugh. "You're also pretty cool, Greer. I like being your friend, too." She made some excuse about Bella and Liam and he couldn't help but roll his eyes. "You already admitted you like hanging out with me, you don't need to make up some scenario that likely isn't even happening right now." He was mostly teasing her.
"I could show you a secret here." He raised a brow curiously. "If you wanted." Nate gestured for her to show him the way. It wasn't like he was wanting to go anywhere else right now.
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Year/Job
6th Year
Tried to drift dear but don't know how... |
Sol
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Post by Laurie Greer on Jan 30, 2024 19:07:47 GMT -8
Laurie cracked a grin at his reaction, rolling her eyes. "I can call you uncool if it would keep that big head of yours in check?" She shot back at him, eyebrows quipping up. It was only a joke-- Nathaniel wasn't as pompous and arrogant as she'd once imagined him to be. All the rumors milling about Hogwarts had been deeply wrong about him. For a moment, she wondered what rumors there were about her? Besides the fact that her sister was an alcoholic... That was one rumor she did not want to think about. Did people think she was kind or judgmental? Did they call her strange looking? Perhaps they said things like 'the only thing she has going for her is her big brain' or maybe there were a few people that thought she was pretty and smart. A smile rested on her lips as she thought about it-- she hoped people said nice things about her. As much as Laurie didn't care for other opinions, she hoped they were gentle with her. "I'm never admitting it ever again, so hold onto every word, James." She teased with a grin, quickly snatching up one of the blankets resting on the floor and throwing it around her shoulders. "You better bring one of those," She jabbed a finger at the blankets. "It's going to be cold."
Approaching the latched doors, the howling wind outside was admittedly intimidating. The place Laurie was thinking of going... well, she just didn't want that howling wind to send Nathaniel or herself flying off the tower. That thought made her laugh a little. Unlatching the doors, they opened without much resistance. The wind was cold, instantly flushing her cheeks and nose red at the temperature. "Well?" She said impatiently, before quickly grabbing Nate's wrist and dragging him along, gentle grasp on his arm as she pulled him outside. The wind flattened her clothes against her and made the scarf and gloves she wore seem virtually useless. They'd only need to bare a little bit of the cold before they reached it. She remembered when she discovered it in her third year-- a secret spot. She hadn't even told Bella about it. Nathaniel really was her friend if she was willingly giving away one of her best kept secrets. "Revelio." Laurie spoke, trying not to let her teeth chatter as they rounded the corner. A small brick popped out and Laurie quickly removed it, feeling around on the inside and mashing something. With a click, a small door swung open. It was shorter than both of them-- maybe a first year could make it in without ducking.
Laurie quickly ducked inside, waving Nathaniel in. "It's kind of cramped. I hope you're not claustrophobic." She said, wiggling her way inside. In the passage was a very narrow staircase that seemed to spiral around the interior walls of the Astronomy Tower. They went far up, to a small room above them. A secret hideout long forgotten by the students and professors alike. It was Laurie's haven. "Come on, Nathaniel! I don't want to be trapped in this tiny staircase too long..." Her shoulders pressed against the cool brick as she began up the staircase.
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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 31, 2024 7:55:40 GMT -8
A wide grin spread across his face at her teasing and he let out a soft chuckle. He knew what the majority of Hogwarts thought about him; it was all by design. If he could convince everyone he was some jackass then they wouldn’t try to get too close. It was a way of protecting himself from getting hurt again. At some point, the lines started to blur between what was a front and what was real. After so long of pretending to be uncaring he had started to believe it himself. Laurie got him out of that funk and gave him the courage to start changing it. He didn’t think he’d ever stop being thankful for that. He watched as she picked up a blanket and draped it across her shoulders, suggesting that he do the same. He raised an eyebrow, but did as she said, picking up a thick blanket to wrap around himself.
The storm raged on outside of the balcony doors and they stood safely on this side of it, but it was clear to Nathaniel that they were about to go out there. He felt a little nervous listening to the winds thrashing about. Nate was solid enough, he felt, to stay upright, but Laurie was a skinny thing and he worried she’d fly away in all that wind. She opened the doors and the icy, bitter wind rushed at them and froze Nathaniel where he stood. A shiver ran through him as the air bit and nipped at his exposed flesh and he glanced over at Laurie, noticing the color that rose to her face. “Well?” she said, rather impatiently. “You’re mad if you think we’re going out in that,” he told her, but she was already pulling him along. The blanket didn’t really help the cold much. He stood on the balcony, freezing his ass off, as she revealed a hidden switch or something. He watched as she pressed something, a small door opening right after. His brows shot up, impressed.
“I’ll be fine,” he said, his teeth chittering. She slipped inside and the tall wizard had to crawl to fit through as he followed her. Laurie wasn’t lying - it was cramped in here. “I’m coming! I’m coming!” he shot back impatiently, letting out a sigh as he followed her up the staircase. His broad shoulders rubbed against the walls as they climbed. After a few minutes, he huffed. “How much further is this place?” Eventually, they reached the top and Nathaniel was greeted to a small room high up in the tower. “Oh wow,” he breathed, looking over at Laurie with excitement in his eyes. “This is really cool.”
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