Year/Job
6th Year
Tried to drift dear but don't know how... |
Sol
|
Post by Laurie Greer on Feb 14, 2024 6:55:06 GMT -8
2 February 2024 | The Aftermath of Red Lake Laurie's heart was pounding in her chest as she retreated from Nathaniel, Rose, and Poppy-- and eventually Professor Walker. It felt like she couldn't breath. How had a perfect afternoon spiraled out of control so quickly? All because Poppy Carmichael. And all because Laurie possessed some bone in her body that made her unbearably nice. Even after all the hateful words, and the pummeling of her ribs, and her friends faces, she still thought there was a way to talk it out-- as if Poppy would ever respond to words. Laurie was convinced after that the only way Poppy knew how to communicate was when someone was threatening her. Was it possible to dislike a person this much? She clutched her chest as she finally made it to the Creature Sanctuary. Elsie told her once that she could get some peace and quiet if she ever needed a moment of respite and that's just what she needed to keep her head from spinning.
Stumbling on a rock, she caught herself, snapping her gaze up to the soft expanse before the Forbidden Forest. It was almost beautiful, had the horrifying forest not been looming behind it. Covering her mouth, Laurie squeezed her eyes shut, trying to do anything to calm herself down. Surely this was just-- this was a natural reaction? And yet, why did it feel like she couldn't breath? She couldn't think. She didn't want to. Crumpling to the ground, the girl squatted with her arms wrapped around her knees, just hoping the feeling would pass. If she squeezed her eyes tighter shut, or hugged her knees just a bit more, maybe she could disappear all together and then Poppy Carmichael wouldn't be able to hurt her and her friends would be safe.
It felt like it was all her fault-- this was twice she'd been humiliated and someone had been injured. What was she doing wrong?! Hands lifted from her knees and sunk into her hair-- a bad habit Liam pointed out would cause her to lose hair if she wan't careful but if felt impossible not to. She stayed as still as possible hoping one of the magical creatures would pick her up and take her away to some place far far far from Hogwarts.
Nathaniel James
|
|
Year/Job
Sixth Year
You shine a light on my dark side, But you don't care what you see. |
Beater (23)
|
Post by Nathaniel James on Feb 14, 2024 7:15:36 GMT -8
The fight was over, but the adrenaline was still pumping through his veins. His heart was pounding in his chest and in his ears, the sound of it deafening. The pain had somewhat subsided until all that was left was a dull ache. More than his physical injuries, his pride had been wounded most of all. Many people saw how that brat took him down and it wouldn’t be long before word spread to the whole school. He had a feeling that others may try to test themselves against him and see if Nathaniel James really was weak. He planned on showing them just how wrong they were.
Laurie took off as soon as she was able and Nathaniel moved to follow after her, but Professor Walker wasn’t done with him. He was surprised when she awarded him points for standing up for his friends, but the feeling was soon overtaken by his worry for Laurie. He was released just as he saw her head into the forbidden forest and he had a feeling he knew where she was going. He followed after her, stepping over the overgrown roots and rock clusters until he reached the sanctuary.
She hadn’t made it very far into the sanctuary and he found her easily, his chest tightening as he looked at her kneeling body. Her hands were clenched in her hair and Nate moved to her, kneeling down next to her. His hands came up to her shoulders and he gave them a gentle squeeze. “Hey, I’m right here,” he told her softly, one hand rubbing her back. “What do you need?”
Laurie Greer
|
|
Year/Job
6th Year
Tried to drift dear but don't know how... |
Sol
|
Post by Laurie Greer on Feb 14, 2024 7:29:10 GMT -8
Nate's presence shouldn't have surprised her, but it did. The girl flinched, startled from him but relief quickly washed over her face. She could've jumped into his arms again and just sobbed but she knew if she did that there would be no saving her dignity-- and it wouldn't quell the frustration and anger that was bubbling in her chest. She should've been able to do more. To defend her friends. Sure, she'd tackled Poppy but as the annoying lion pointed out, she'd only come out to "play" after it was three to one. Was that really cowardly of Laurie? She couldn't tell. All she knew was she was so frustrated with herself. She straightened up a bit, finally settling on the ground and turning to face Nate. She swiped at the tears spilling down her face, not wanting to Nate-- or anyone for that matter-- to see her crying. They were caused for a myriad of reason, all of which as infuriating as the next.
"I need you... I need you to teach me how to fight." Laurie spilled out quickly between her sniffles, letting her request hang in the air for a handful of seconds as she tried to recollect herself. "I'm weak. I'm so stupidly weak and pathetic! And Poppy is targeting me because she knows I'm easy pickings. I just think... I think it's brutish and absurd to fight!" She exclaimed, clearly still irritated at the situation. "But if Poppy won't stop, then I'll just adapt...." She said, a sureness and confidence in her eyes. Laurie didn't want to beat the shite out of Poppy, she didn't want to hurt anyone, she just wanted to be able to protect herself. "I want to be my own knight in shining armor..." She rose and took Nate's hands in her own. "Will you help me? Please Nate? If there's anyone that can do it, it's you."
|
|
Year/Job
Sixth Year
You shine a light on my dark side, But you don't care what you see. |
Beater (23)
|
Post by Nathaniel James on Feb 17, 2024 9:58:07 GMT -8
The tears in her eyes made his heart lurch in his chest, but he remained stoic as she quickly wiped them away. There was a target painted on Laurie's back, put there by Poppy Carmichael, and Nate couldn't imagine how upsetting that must be for her. She wasn't the confrontational type, but Poppy has sure as hell gone out of her way to try and pick a fight with her. If it wasn't for Rose, he was sure that he would've continued to get pummeled by the fourth year. He was grateful she stepped in when she did; he didn't know if his ego would ever recover if Poppy beat the ever-living shit out of him. Laurie had turned to face him and his hands drifted down to her arms as she did, his brows raising expectantly while he waited for her to respond.
"I need you to teach me how to fight."
Well, he sure as shit didn't expect her to say that. His brows shot up his forehead as he looked at her, disbelieving, in the small silence that followed. He was sure he didn't mishear her, but he needed to know her reasoning before he gave her an answer. Did he think it was a good idea? Maybe. He thought it would be good for her to learn how to defend herself, but did he really need to be the one to teach her? Nate knew the answer was yes, he just wasn't sure he wanted to. He didn't think she was weak or pathetic, but he could understand how she might feel that way. Poppy was using her as a punching bag and it was frankly getting on his last nerve. Laurie took his hands in hers and he stood when she did, his eyes still focused on her face. Her voice was soft as she pleaded with him and he could feel his willpower crumble. There was determination written on her face and in her eyes and Nathaniel knew he couldn't say no to her. "Fine," he said with a small smile. "But I know a better place." He dropped only one of his hands and pulled her along with the other as he led her deeper into the sanctuary. Before long they came upon a low fence surrounding a field with a large willow tree in the center. Nate hopped over the fence and held his hand out to help her get over before he walked a few more paces.
"The mooncalves are sleeping, so they won't come out and bother us," he said, waving over to the tree. His bright blue eyes rested on her face and he motioned for her to come at him. "Try to hit me."
|
|
Year/Job
6th Year
Tried to drift dear but don't know how... |
Sol
|
Post by Laurie Greer on Feb 17, 2024 10:23:36 GMT -8
Laurie had no clue if Nate was going to agree. Maybe he thought she was a lost cause. She wasn't like her siblings-- Ella and Sophie were both strong, confident people. It's probably one of the reasons Poppy left them alone-- they didn't flinch when she came along screaming and yelling and making her problem everyone else's. Elsie was a firecracker in her own way, packing a punch when she needed to. Even Lachlan was competent enough to defend himself when he needed to but Laurie... Her arms were weak, she didn't even look like she knew how to muster the courage to throw a punch! If Nate sensed that insecurity she wouldn't blame him if he immediately rejected the idea-- but she hoped in everything good that he wouldn't. She didn't have a chance to face Poppy if he didn't.
"Fine."
Fine! Fine! Fine wasn't a no-- it wasn't exactly an over-the-moon yes but it was still a yes. "Seriously?" She gasped, her eyes finally lighting up for the first time since Poppy disturbed their peaceful afternoon. "You won't regret this Nate, seriously. I owe you... I owe you a billion times over." She said with a small smile of gratitude creeping on her face as she squeezed his hands. Part of her was nervous, of course, but she was excited. Nate was knowledge about these kinds of things, she just knew it. Not that she thought Nate got into a lot of fights... But he was a Beater, so he'd been hit and been hit by a few bludgers in his time-- she had too, but it was her least favorite part of quidditch.
Following him eagerly and deeper into the sanctuary, the sleeping mooncalves were a sight that soothed some of her melancholy. How could she be upset over Poppy when these cute creatures were resting so peacefully? Any sane person would melt at the sight of the adorable things. Her eyes snapped up to him, quickly finding herself catching up to him. "Hit you?" Despite being the one to request him as teacher, she really didn't want to hurt him. She didn't even want to hurt Poppy, she just didn't want to get beat up again. "Okay... Just.. Don't let me hurt you.." She told him earnestly, pushing her sleeve up and hunkering down in an awkward stance that she deemed a worthy fighting stance. She tackled Poppy... She could tackle Nate... Or hit him? With a running start, the girl went barreling his way, hand raised to strike.
|
|
Year/Job
Sixth Year
You shine a light on my dark side, But you don't care what you see. |
Beater (23)
|
Post by Nathaniel James on Feb 18, 2024 10:56:11 GMT -8
Nathaniel had a feeling he would come to regret this decision, but the look in her eye would make it all worth it. "You don't owe me anything," he told her with a shrug, waving her gratitude off. "Let's just get started." It did make him feel good to see how happy his simple answer made her. He just didn't want her to feel like she owed him for just helping her out. This wasn't a transactional thing. He knew how to fight and he knew how to take a hit after years of practice. Getting Laurie to that point was gonna take a lot of work.
He had to fight pretty hard to keep from laughing when he saw the stance she chose to take, his lips twitching from the effort. That was something he'd work on momentarily, but he wanted to see how she decided to throw her first punch. She started running toward him and Nate caught her fist in his hand and spun her around, pressing her against his chest with the momentum she carried. "You gave me too much time to react," he told her before releasing her. "And your form needs work." It needed a lot of work. Nate stepped forward and placed his hands on her hips, turning them until they were at a slight angle. "Spread your feet to shoulder length, put your dominant foot forward a bit. Yeah, like that." He moved to her elbows, bending them and giving them a shake. "You're too tense. You want to be a little loose so you can react in time. Put your fists like this, just in front of your face." He moved her fists where he wanted them. "Bounce a little on your heels to keep moving. You're not just focusing on throwing a punch, you're trying to anticipate and block their hits as well. Like dueling." Nate stood back a little and ran his eyes over her stance with an approving nod. "Much better. Now, when you go to punch - first of all, if you tuck your thumb like that you're going to break your hand - " he corrected her fist. "When you go to punch, you want to be quick and put force behind it. Watch me." He brought his fists up to his face and threw a few short jabs in the air. The boy pulled out his wand and conjured a cushion for him to hold. "Okay, now try punching the pillow. You're not gonna hurt me just do it quick and hard."
|
|
Year/Job
6th Year
Tried to drift dear but don't know how... |
Sol
|
Post by Laurie Greer on Feb 18, 2024 11:33:15 GMT -8
Laurie was convinced she could do anything if she put her mind to it but as she barreled towards Nate with her fist raised, she was starting to think that fighting was not something she could do ever. No matter how hard she put her mind to it. When her fist was engulfed by Nate's hand she had a feeling this was going to take a lot longer than she thought. The boy quickly pulled her in, humbling her quite quickly with how easily he removed her as a threat. Great. Just great. She stared at him with wide eyes, not taking her eyes off of him as he told her what she'd done to wrong. Was fighting about the art of distraction? Fool someone and then kick them when they're down? She wasn't too good at that. Merlin, she couldn't even lie about small things, no less say 'hey look at that real thing!' and then attack. It felt like a cheap trick. Maybe Nate wasn't talking about that...
Nate was a distracting teacher. Laurie should've known when she felt sick (aka butterflies, but she couldn't differentiate that and a tummy ache quite yet.) around him. His hands moved to her hips and she shifted them, swallowing some of the nerves that were beginning to build in her chest. It was hard to act like she wanted to fight Nate when he was being such a good friend. If she could really defend herself against Poppy then maybe the girl would stop bothering her. "Like this?" Laurie asked, turning her head slightly to look at him. They were already so close... She felt her chest tighten, recurring her fist to not break her thumb. "Could you really break your hand like that...?" She made a mental note to never ever do that. Laurie valued her hands and didn't want them broken into a million pieces. Watching Nate's demonstration, she nodded her head, hunkering down into the position Nate had put her in. She focused on the pillow, looking at it as if it were enemy. Nate had said she wouldn't hurt him, so with all her might, she mimicked his punches, throwing them fast and hard at the pillow. One, two, three-- Her fist went through the pillow and straight into Nate's torso. Hard. Again. "Shoot! Oh my... Merlin, are you okay Nate?! I didn't mean to... Maybe this isn't a good idea.. You just got hurt by Poppy and now I'm... I should've thought about that before I asked you... Are you okay? Seriously?" She fussed as she tried to check on him.
|
|
Year/Job
Sixth Year
You shine a light on my dark side, But you don't care what you see. |
Beater (23)
|
Post by Nathaniel James on Feb 20, 2024 2:04:07 GMT -8
The closeness between them was something that Nate was trying hard not to focus on. She asked him for help learning how to fight and that's just what he was doing. But he'd be lying if he said he didn't feel a jolt of electricity when he touched her. His heart sped up in his chest as he realized just how close he was standing next to her. The boy cleared his throat when he was done and stepped back, the heat rushing to his cheeks. He wanted to bridge the gap and be closer, but he knew that this was not the right time. One day it would be and waiting for that day would make it all the more sweeter.
Nathaniel held the pillow in front of him and steeled himself as Laurie prepared to throw her punches. His body tensed as she started, the cushion softening the blow significantly. He could feel the force she was using behind her jabs and he felt a sense of pride well up inside him. Maybe this would be easier than he thought. Her fist went through the pillow and into his stomach. Nate coughed at the blow, but he's been hit harder before by bludgers. Laurie immediately started to fawn over him and he reached out to grab her arm. "Laurie - Laurie! I'm fine, promise," he assured her with a smile. "Poppy could hit me fifteen more times and I'd still be fine. You did good." She was a fast learner. "We should work on blocking next. You can hit now, but Poppy will keep coming at you and you need to learn how to defend yourself." He paused, looking her over as he thought about it. What was the best way...? "Okay, think of it like dueling. You want to be watching your opponent and try to figure out what their next move is. Could be the way the shift their weight or how their right arm starts to draw back. You want to be able to meet them and stop whatever blow they're trying to land." He got into his stance and waved her on. "Watch and learn. Come at me and keep coming."
|
|