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Post by Professor Selwyn on Nov 6, 2010 14:13:05 GMT -5
Your professor is Professor Horace Slughorn.
Your class? Potions.
ENJOY!
(Do not begin 'lessons' until all students have arrived...or you're sure that someone has decided to be late.)
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Post by Zoe Thompson on Nov 6, 2010 15:19:40 GMT -5
It had been a long morning of practice for Zoe, she'd been the first one of her House to rise, slipping outside in her robes while carrying her treasured broom with her. It was her morning ritual, and she'd skipped the Gryffindor party the night before so that she could be rested for it. Admittedly, her stomach was pissed at her for not stopping to get breakfast, but it was bound to forgive her eventually, or so she hoped. Her face was flushed with the heat of the morning as she dismounted her broom and walked back to her dorm, where she put her broom away and showered quickly, even stopping to make sure that her blonde hair was entirely straight, although she curled the two front tendrils. On any other morning, it wouldn't really matter as much, but this was her first time seeing James and the majority of her guy friends, and if she showed up looking like a sweaty mess...she'd never hear the end of it.
She was a tomboy at heart, truly, but sometimes, she felt as if it was important for her to act girlier, especially since it was her last year, her last chance to be the cliched girl who "gets the guy". It didn't make her happy to even bother caring about her hair, but it needed to be done for the greater good. Checking her schedule, she grumbled at it, muttering, "Potions? Why the hell do I even bother taking this class?" However, the schedule was only a piece of paper, so it didn't yell back at her, even though she wished it would. It might be entertaining to freak out the other students as they watched her having an argument with paper, especially to the new students who would probably classify her as insane. Maybe she was, come to think of it, but if that was true, she loved being crazy.
Slipping into the throng of people in the hallways, she greeted some, hugging others, ignoring a few. It was essential that she found Briony and the other Hufflepuff players and reminded them about tryouts. The Hufflepuff team was generally inconsistent in its playing abilities, and she wanted to win the House Cup before she left the school for good. Now that she was Captain, it just meant that there would be a ton more practicing--which was good, because if the other players were really committed, they would be forced to commit to the team as much as she did. After all, she'd wanted to attend the party last night, but had avoided it to pursue a better morning practice. She wanted to be the best, there was no denying it. Even though she was competing against some of her closest friends, her first priority was to shine above them all. If she did, then she could get scouted, drafted, and then before she knew it, she'd be signing a contract and playing Quiddich every day for screaming fans. Her eyes closed in happy joy at the fantasy, but she was quickly snapped into reality as the crowd began to pull her forwards.
Stepping into the Potions classroom, she grabbed the first open seat that she saw, at a large table that she hoped her friends would quickly fill up. Smiling, she took out the necessary materials from her backpack and sat there, letting her mind drift into the fantasies that she wanted to experience in her last year. Some of them included James, and the House Cup, but mostly, she just wanted to look back on this year and feel happy, feel like this was one of the best years of her life.
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Post by James Potter on Nov 7, 2010 10:49:25 GMT -5
The day probably could have started off better, James thought sincerely. But then again, the entire year could have started out a hell of a lot better for his sake. His headache was still dominant, his hands stung from the scraps he had recieved during his fall, and his friendship with Gia was still more awkward than he ever could have possibly imagined. He had somewhat abandoned Ben in the common room, forgetting they had the same class together, and claiming he would explain the whole Gia situation next time he saw him. He had grabbed his books and pratically fled the dormitory, uneasy as to the glances he was getting from the other Gryffindor seventh years.
The dungeons didn't do much to better his mood either-- the dark and damp stone walls felt as though they were pressing down on him, and he stepped a bit more lively to get to his classroom quicker. Gripping his books in one hand and wincing as it pressed against his scraps, he pushed the door open with the other, not registering for a moment how empty the classroom was. He spotted one solitary figure at a rather large table and forced a quick smile before joining her at the seat next to her.
He sat quickly, then let his head fall to the desk, cushioned by folded arms. He let out a loud groan, acceptable since it was only the two of them so far in the room, then rolled his head to look at the girl, smiling sleepily. "Morning Zoe." he said, though her name turned into a yawn, elongating the 'o' of her name. He and Zoe had been rivals pratically since their first year-- but that had developed into quite a friendship over the years. Likeable and quick on a broom, James couldn't help but admire some of Zoe's qualities from a far. She always seemed to be there when he so needed-- after all, in his mind she was one of the bros.
He gave a quick glance at her appearance then smirked. "I see you're trying to get some early practice in there." he said, propping his head up with the hand that was the least scrapped up. "You're definitely going to need it if you plan on coming second in the Cup this year." Now that they were both Quidditch captains, he knew he would have to push the team hard this year. There was no way he was going to let her beat him-- he would never hear the end of it.
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Post by Ben Murray on Nov 7, 2010 11:01:46 GMT -5
Ben was heading down to the dungeons for Potions, his first class. He was slightly annoyed with James, who had dragged him all the way up from the Ground Floor to the Gryffindor Tower to get his books...then left quickly to get to class, leaving Ben to go BACK downstairs to the dungeons from the Gryffindor Tower by himself. In addition to that, James still hadn't filled Ben in on whatever was going on between him and Gia. Clearly, something must have happened the night before to lead to them being awkward today, but Ben had no idea what that might be considering he hadn't gone to the party.
It felt like the journey downstairs took longer than usual, but that was probably because Ben was alone. Well, not alone, exactly; there were tons of other students in the corridors, but no one Ben felt like starting a conversation with. He wasn't the most social guy ever and rarely ventured outside of his little friend group, his comfort zone.
When he reached the Potions room in the dungeons, there weren't many students there yet at all. He spotted Zoe and James sitting together at a table and claimed the seat on the other side of James. It sounded like they were talking about Quidditch, which was no surprise to Ben. Those two could talk about Quidditch for hours, which was weird for Ben since he was one of the very few people that he hung out with that didn't play Quidditch. He was interested in the idea, but it made him a bit uncomfortable when he thought about all the hundreds of students who came to watch Quidditch matches. What if he messed up, or did something stupid? He felt like the whole school would always remember his mistakes.
"Wow dude, way to abandon me upstairs. You know I'm in this class too, right?" he joked, shoving James lightly on the shoulder. "Hey Zoe," he said, turning over to Zoe and smiling at her. He didn't mind really mind her hanging out with them; she was pretty cool. "Good summer? Haven't seen you yet...I wasn't at the party last night, did you go?" he asked, relaxing more in his seat and waiting for class to start. He was bored with school already. His older brother used to tell him about how the oldest year in Muggle high schools got something called "Senioritis". He compared his brother's description of it to how he felt right now, and they definitely matched up. He felt like he wouldn't be able to deal with another whole year of essays, papers, tests, and homework.
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Post by Zoe Thompson on Nov 7, 2010 11:25:32 GMT -5
Before she could even blink, James was there, sliding into the seat next to her. Smiling at his groan, she took a second to look at him--he looked cute. Tired, definitely, but besides that, there was clearly something wrong. That was a bro quality, she guessed, being able to do the whole emotion-spotting thing. But he was as cute as ever, and for a second, she saw him looking at her with a look that she hadn't been expecting. Truly, she'd never expected anything from him, she felt lucky to have his friendship, which had spread into the friendship of so many others like Ben and Jay.
But her reverie was getting the duo nowhere. Laughing slightly, she replied, "Hey James. How's tricks?" Faking a yawn, she did her best to mirror his elongation, but with the 'a' of his name. It seemed like it would probably be a better idea to not ask him anything, if he wanted to tell her, she would know, simple as that. But when he commented on her appearance, her stomach made an awkward lurch, her mind slipping into a protective state. She'd taken /extra/ care to make sure that she looked what was her idea of good, simply because she'd be seeing him. He didn't like it? Or more likely, did he not notice? It seemed like she was a guy to him, and that was all well and good to her, but in reality, she was a girl. She wanted what all girls secretly want, affection, but she just tried to do a better job of hiding it.
After all, she was there for him when he needed her, and vice versa. They were close, and that would hopefully never change. Why bother thinking about ruining it? Her eye brows raised slightly at his Quiddich comment, a smirk fighting its way onto her face. "Say that again and you'll be falling off your broom at our first match." She had to beat him, there was no other option.
Suddenly Ben was next to them too, and her smile automatically grew. True, she valued her alone time with James, but she could never feel too sad when Ben was around, he was one of those people who was perfect at lightening any situation. "Hey!" She enthused, "Pretty good, could have been a lot worse...I skipped the party, had to catch up on sleep. What about you, man?" She wondered, watching him relax. Leaning a bit into her chair, she yawned, feeling suddenly tired. Potions really should never be a first class, she thought to herself.
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Post by James Potter on Nov 7, 2010 12:33:52 GMT -5
"That a threat, Thompson?" James asked with a laugh, raising a brow with an unconvinced look on his face. With both of them on the teams the past seven years, they had always been competitive when it came to Quidditch, but a friendly rivalry. The way Quidditch was, it wasn't exactly like they were always competeing-- he was a chaser and she was a seeker, two very different aspects of the game that didn't interact too often. Still, it was a matter of house pride, something they both had lots of.
Ben soon entered, and James felt even worse that he had ditched him up in the dormitory. "Dude, I'm sorry. I totally forgot we had Potions together first." he said apologetically, rubbing his shoulder where Ben had shoved him, pretending it had hurt in a joking manner. "I guess I was just distracted cause of the whole Gia thing." James said, sulking slightly, a pout on his face.
"Oh, I said I was going to explain, didn't I..." He said, glancing at Ben with a frown. He was glad it was just the three of them at the moment in the class, or else he would feel awkward explaining what happened. Even with Zoe here, it wasn't awkward-- she had always been one of the bros, so he didn't mind explaining in front of her either. He didn't think she'd mind to much listening to their boyish gossip, so he continued, leaning back in his chair and closing his eyes.
"So apparantly I kissed Gia last night at the party. I must've been pretty damn drunk, since I don't remember any of it." James said, trying to sound as nonchalant as possible, but failing miserably. James glanced at Ben, waiting for his response. To be honest, he was kind of annoyed at Ben-- he assumed that if Ben had been there, he wouldn't have made such an idiotic move. But who knows how the night would have turned out otherwise.
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Post by Ben Murray on Nov 7, 2010 13:11:41 GMT -5
Ben chuckled. "Oh, so neither of us were there. Now I don't feel like such a loser," he joked. "But yeah, my summer was pretty good...kind of awkward with the brothers, you know...it's like I'm not even part of the family anymore," he said, serious now. It was no secret that Ben was Muggle-born, and both of his brothers along with both of his parents were complete Muggles. He felt so out of place every time he went home on break.
"It's okay dude, just don't forget me next time," Ben said to James, now listening intently because he got the feeling that was was about to get the whole story on the Gia thing. Ben didn't like drama, but this was something he definitely needed to hear about.
"You kissed her," Ben said, and it wasn't a question. His face spread into a wide smile; he glanced over at Zoe with a smirk. "That was bound to happen. But...what's the problem? I didn't think that was something that Gia would have a problem with, ya know? What'd she say?" Ben asked, trying to get all the details he could so he knew what was going on. James looked really uncomfortable about this whole thing; Ben felt bad for both James and Gia and whatever this was doing to their friendship. He still couldn't quite understand why this was such a bad thing. To be honest, he was surprised the kiss hadn't led to them getting married just last night or something.
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Post by Zoe Thompson on Nov 7, 2010 18:15:59 GMT -5
She chuckled, "It absolutely is a threat, and you know I'll stick to it!" He really believed that his team would beat hers, which was probably true, considering how good his players were, but she was determined to outfly his Seeker, which wouldn't be much of a challenge. Their rivalry was 99% friendly, of course, but her tomboy self wanted to win, and to win at all costs. Turning to Ben, she added, "Maybe we are losers...and we just don't know it?" The second part of his response saddened her though, she could understand how he felt--although her blood status wasn't something she made overly clear in general. "I'm sorry about that, it's gotta suck majorly."
But then James was talking, explaining something, and her ears and eyes floated naturally to him, wanting to know everything that he knew and thought. However, the way this was going, it wasn't a story she wanted to hear. Her suspicions were confirmed as James finished his story, and as he did, her brain began to pound with some odd mixture of agonizing pain and rage. He liked her. He had kissed her. Well, of course he had, it wasn't like she would ever be an option to him, right? This was inevitable, but her mind was racing in misery, trying to force herself to cope was what she had to do, but it seemed impossible. How could she possibly, especially at his forced bravado and his awkward explanation.
Catching Ben's smirk, she realized that they might be waiting for her to comment on the situation, something she was entirely unable of doing, as her tongue had attached itself to the roof of her mouth, which was closed tightly to keep her stomach from responding to his tale. Trying to calm herself down, she took a deep breath, forcing a smile onto her face. She suspected that neither of them would notice or care that she was faking it, so she might be able to get away with her genuine lack of approval. It wasn't as if she hadn't seen this coming, he practically obsessed about her, but she didn't want to hear it, especially with her newfound feelings towards him.
"Oh!" She said, letting her voice take on an airy and shocked tone to prevent any real emotions from slipping out. The blonde in her had taken control, which was probably the best thing. "Did she, like, not take it well? I mean, it seemed kind of...obvious. Did you do anything else? Profess undying love, etc., etc.?" Her old joking tone had slipped back into her voice, as if she'd returned to her normal state, no matter how abnormal she felt.
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Post by James Potter on Nov 7, 2010 18:58:55 GMT -5
James took a look at Ben's grinning face and winced. His friend was so happy at the idea of he and Gia getting together, he almost felt bad to disappoint him in that way. "Don't grin so much, Ben. It didn't go like that." he said with a sigh. "I didn't get the whole story, but the way it sounded, she was talking to Jay, I walked over there and kissed her, and then she freaked." James said with a sigh, waving his hand dismissively. The whole situation kind of sucked, and James felt like there was more to the story than Gia had told him-- her conversation with Roxanne at breakfast this morning and her interest in what Jay had thought led him to that assumption.
James turned to Zoe as she talked, rolling his eyes and grinning slightly. She always made a situation seem less dire than it may have seemed before and he was glad she was here. "No professions of undying love so far as I was told." he said with a half-hearted chuckle. "Worse part is I don't remember anything. I was half deep in a crate of firewhiskey by the time this all happened." He scratched his head, trying to remember any sort of detail and failing miserably. He hated black outs, probably the worse part of drinking. That and the enormous headache he now had.
"Besides, I don't, like, love her or anything." James said, more to himself than to the other two. He couldn't love Gia, she was his best friend. As far as James Sirius Potter knew, that's not how love was supposed to work. "This is Gia we're talking about. She's my friend. Plus she could get any guy she wanted-- such as Jay." he said, biting his lip, eyes focused on the chair in front of him rather than his two friends. "She likes him more anyway. I was probably just stupid and drunk. It's not like it meant anything anyway."
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Post by Roxanne Weasley on Nov 7, 2010 20:44:55 GMT -5
Part way through her muffin, Roxanne realized that going to class was inevitable. Her headache was temporarily repressed with the thoughts of Jay and her first class was Potions, a subject she abhorred with her entire heart. The only NEWT class she signed up for was Astronomy, either opting out or not have sufficient grades for the rest. She wasn't planning for a high-profile job. And plus she wasn't going to beg and beg for Jay's help at the beginning of the year when the material was just starting -- well, maybe...
Roxanne threw the muffin back onto the table, dismissing herself immediately from the Gryffindor table. She could go back for her quills and parchment, but that was too much effort. Her head might hit the desk once the lecture began. The extra baggage would be futile. And sharing was caring when it came to reading out of the book.
The dungeons thoroughly depressed her on a regular basis, a constant reminder of the people who lived there and Potions. Hopefully they'd all be out in a hour -- she could only hope.
Familiar faces were all too familiar -- she was with her Gryffindor and Hufflepuff peers in this class. James and Ben were among those, seeing them was not something new. And it was one of the few times she saw Zoe in person, as Quidditch seemed to absorb everyone on the teams during this season. Roxanne opted for the seat next to her at the large table, making sure to distance herself from James a bit. The conversation had dragged on into this class, and she couldn't refrain from making a comment.
Plus she could get any guy she wanted-- such as Jay. She likes him more anyway. James' observation was haunting. Maybe she was just being shallow. Last night's alcohol binge had stopped the repressed feelings in her mind. Otherwise, the snog wouldn't have happened. She wouldn't have kissed him had she not liked him. Did Gia really like Jay instead of James?
"I wouldn't let Gianna hear you say anything of the sort, James," she interjected. "It could be construed in an awful way."
She sat next to Zoe, hopefully starting on a more positive note. "Hey Zoe, Ben," she started, leaning back against the chair. "As I'm sure you've heard from James, you both missed an entertaining party."
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Post by Ben Murray on Nov 7, 2010 20:51:05 GMT -5
"Wait, Jay? That's kinda weird. Maybe she just freaked because she doesn't know what Jay's gonna think of it, or something?" Ben suggested. He really had no idea, but he could tell that James was still confused about how the true story went. "I dunno man, maybe you should talk to her again and see if you can get the whole story. I mean, it's good that you and her talked about it and all, but there's obviously still something missing, right? By the looks of it, anyway..." Ben said. He was telling James basically what he would've done in the situation, but he wasn't sure if it was good advice or bad advice. He'd never really been in this sort of situation with a girl. That is, the kind with drama and confusion and being all mixed up. He'd obviously kissed girls before, and even had a girlfriend or two...not that those had lasted very long. Ben had a hard time opening up. The point was, he hoped that his lack of romantic experience wouldn't disadvantage James when it came to Ben trying to help him.
Ben sighed, trying to figure out what he was trying to say. "Look, you were really drunk. You don't remember anything, and Gia apparently does. It's not like she can refuse to tell you about something that YOU did, right?" Ben said reasonably. It made sense to him, at least, but he didn't know if it made sense to James. He wasn't sure if James was really at a point where he wanted to push it with Gia right now. He thought that James might be feeling as though he and Gia were on the fence; they could go one way, or another way, depending on how they dealt with this. And it was clear the James didn't want them to fall the wrong way.
"Aw come on mate, don't say that. Sure, Gia could probably have any guy she wants, but that could be you. I don't think she likes Jay more than you, anyway...you guys have been so close for years. Jay's just a guy for her to flirt with at parties when she's bored. Get real, James, do you really think Jay deserves her? He probably left her after the whole situation with you and went to snog another girl," Ben said. In truth, he was trying to make James feel better about everything, but he meant every word that he said. "And it's possible to love your best friend, man," he added as an afterthought.
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Post by Zoe Thompson on Nov 7, 2010 21:10:45 GMT -5
Although she'd been immersed in the conversation, Zoe's eyes lit up when Roxanne entered the room and snagged the seat next to her. Nothing made her happier then seeing her friend, especially at this moment in time where her heart was controlling her mind entirely. "Roxie!" She squealed, pulling her friend into a hug. Her emotions, now seemingly joyful, clearly clashed with the more somber tone of the table, but that was probably for the best--this was a class, after all, and not the funeral that everyone was making it out to be, which made even less sense. The tension was chewing at them all, even Roxanne, who clearly knew what had happened too. What was her take on it? Zoe found herself seriously wanting to know, and at the same time, she wanted to tell Roxanne about her feelings for James, even though they were beginning to seem futile. Why would he obsess about Gia this much if he /didn't/ like her?
"Jeez, you must have really been drunk off your ass," she commented unsupportively to James, before feeling guilty and adding, "If you don't love her, then relax. It'll work out--Gia adores you, she probably just wants this whole awkwardness gone." Although I don't, she finished in her mind, hoping secretly that the wedge between the two lovebird best friends would draw him slightly closer to her, for once. But then Ben began ragging on Jay, presumably to cheer James up, which actually irked Zoe slightly. "You guys, Jay has absolutely nothing to do with this. I mean, you totally interrupted their conversation, Jamesie, but that doesn't mean that he has burning passionate feelings for Gia. It means they were talking, you kissed her, and he decided not to get involved, which was smart." Ben's advice was cracking her up inwardly, clearly Gia did not want to talk about anything that had happened, and if Jay was involved, then he should go talk it out with Jay like a man. He was stronger than Jay if it came to a fistfight anyway, so it would work out in the end.
What tore her apart was the last part of Ben's comments, as it was almost like he was speaking to her instead of James. Yes, it was possible to love a best friend, because she loved James, but James was Gia's best friend, not his. It was time for a reality check. "Don't knock Jay, he never did anything to you." Why she was being defensive of someone she barely tolerated, she didn't know, but she was seriously pitying him here. Gia cared about him too, was that a crime? If people were allowed to have different feelings for different people, it was none of anyone's goddamn business how she felt about James, whether he liked her or not.
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Post by James Potter on Nov 7, 2010 21:31:46 GMT -5
"I'm not blaming Jay!" James tried to explain, sounding exacerbated. It wasn't fair of them to just assume all of this-- after all, none of them had been there-- none of them, until Roxanne walked into the room. He wanted to bite his lip, to keep quiet so that she didn't hear too much, but it seemed like she already had. While he trusted Ben and Zoe not to say anything to Gia or Jay, he wasn't as sure about Roxanne. "The guy is all right, and I don't care what girl's like him or he likes." James said with a shrug. There was no conflict with Jay, not now at least. "And I would hope that you wouldn't say anything to her." James said, shooting his cousin a meaningful look.
"And Ben, I don't love her. She's my best friend, but I don't love her." he said, sighing, then glancing at Zoe and giving a small knowing smile. Ben's advice was sometimes good, but he didn't have much knowledge when it came to girls, so his advice wasn't great. But Zoe wasn't making him feel any better either, so he frowned, and leaned back in his chair. "Whatever, let's drop it, okay? We already talked it over, it's not awkward anymore, and whatever happens, happens." James said, shaking his head slightly. It wasn't exactly the response he had been expecting from his friends, and it wasn't making him feel any better.
"This isn't gonna ruin our friendship." James explained, ending the conversation with the simple tone of his voice. He was done talking about this, it was only making him stressed more. What he really needed after a long day like today was a nice flight. Maybe he would take his broom out tonight and go for a fly, maybe practice some new chaser skills he learned over the summer from his mum. Resting his head on his hand again, he flipped through his potions book, vaguely trying to look like he was doing something.
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Post by Roxanne Weasley on Nov 7, 2010 22:30:10 GMT -5
Get real, James, do you really think Jay deserves her? He probably left her after the whole situation with you and went to snog another girl. Well, wasn't that just ironic. It was just dripping with it. And fortunately for her, she would be the only one to know how ironic the statement was.
The troublesome thought left as Zoe went to hug her, her happiness cheering up Roxanne quite a bit. "We'll need to catch up," she remarked, insinuating that this talking would occur without James and Ben's presences. "Absolutely necessary, Zoe."
She had nothing to comment on Jay, nothing helpful, at least. Roxanne was quite amused with the small banter between James and Zoe about the Ravenclaw, but unfortunately it was bringing down the mood.
"Don't worry, dear James, it's perfectly safe with me," she returned, with a smirk. She would uphold this with James, after all, he was her favorite cousin, but he didn't say anything about Jay. Loopholes were great.
Talking to Jay would be on the top of her list. If she couldn't find him (most likely in his room, no way could she answer the Ravenclaw riddle, and was not waiting for one), she'd send an owl about the urgency of their meeting.
"Don't be so grumpy, James," she mused. "They're only trying to help."
She turned to Zoe with a shrug. "Men, honestly."
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Post by Ben Murray on Nov 7, 2010 23:42:14 GMT -5
"Hey Roxanne," Ben said, not particularly in an enthusiastic way. This conversation was making his head spin. He could tell that this whole thing was stressing James out a ton. It was understandable, considering none of them really had much of an idea of what had gone on last night.
"Dude, I'm sorry. I don't really know the situation, I guess I should've been there. If you love her, that's great. If you don't, that's fine too. If you think it's still awkward, talk to her...if not, then just leave it alone? I dunno what else to say about it," Ben said, feeling a bit stressed out himself at this stupid argument.
He put his head down on the desk and tried to sort everything out, but it was useless. James didn't know what was going on, and Gia probably didn't either. Which meant that no one else really did too. But if James thought that everything was okay between him and Gia, then that was his own decision to make. Ben didn't want to get involved in this any more than he already was; it was all drama and silly complications that he didn't feel like adding to his life at the moment. He couldn't help but thinking, however, that at least James had a girl to have drama with. Ben didn't, at least not at the moment. But then again, considering how easily James and Gia's friendship seemed to have gotten flipped upside down over night...maybe that wasn't the best option for Ben right now.
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Post by Zoe Thompson on Nov 7, 2010 23:43:27 GMT -5
Guilt overtook Zoe entirely as James tried to end the conversation. Her mixed emotions clearly hadn't helped at all, nor had her remaining silent. She clearly wasn't helping, and as she caught the smile that James had quickly flashed her, she returned it, realizing that Ben hadn't been helpful to him either. Maybe he really just needed to talk it out with Gia--or maybe nothing was wrong and he was being overdramatic.
Either way, he looked out for the count, and that saddened her. There was really only one thing she could think of to cheer him up, "Fly with me later," she demanded, not bothering to form a question out of it, "It'll cheer you up, and hey, maybe you'll even learn something from me!" She chuckled at the last part, as James would probably react the most to it, considering that they played entirely different positions. Yes, she wanted to be more then his friend, but for now, she was his friend, and clearly she was doing a shit job at that.
But luckily, once more, Roxanne had saved her. Turning to her friend, she smiled, allowing a quick chuckle to escape her lips, "We really do...I have so much to tell you!" Roxanne was doing a fabulously good job of staying out of James' storm cloud, which didn't shock her, as Roxanne and Jay were quite close. She wondered how her friend felt about how everyone was discussing Jay--had it been her instinct to defend him on Roxanne's behalf?
Suddenly, she wanted to be alone with Roxanne, to ask her if she'd screwed up, and how to make everything better, but they were in the Potions room with their friends, and there was truly no escape. She felt slightly trapped by her words, which had, in retrospect, been fueled partially by jealousy, but they had already been said, and doubting herself would be utterly moronic at this point. Nodding in response to Roxanne's last comment, she sighed, "They never get it, do they?"
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Post by James Potter on Nov 8, 2010 0:00:49 GMT -5
James suddenly realized how intensely he wanted to be somewhere else, anywhere but this damp, dreary dungeon being interrogated about things he couldn't even remember doing. He made a thoughtless vow never to drink again, then realized how idiotic of a vow that would be-- chances were he would be doing so again in no time. Plus, he supposed he couldn't blame the alcohol entirely. What was that phrase? Drunken actions are sober thoughts or something like that? This whole situation just sucked in major ways, and he didn't feel up for it all.
As Ben spoke again, James felt it necessary to defend himself again, but figured it would just lead to more discussion. He had already ended the conversation and didn't feel like getting back into it. He grunted nonsensically, closing his eyes for a moment and sighing lightly. Whatever he had done, it wasn't worth all this trouble.
When Zoe demanded he fly with her tonight, he felt somewhat relieved. If anything would cheer him up, it would be some time on a broom. He was grateful in a lot of ways Zoe was there-- she may have been tough on him during their argument a few moments ago, but she knew how to cheer him up. James gave her a small smile and nod, then went back to his sulking. Honestly, James figured this day couldn't get much worse.
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Post by Roxanne Weasley on Nov 8, 2010 0:19:34 GMT -5
Ben's head falling to the desk didn't really help their case. For Merlin's sake, they were worse than her! Granted, Roxanne did a lot of pouting and sulking when she was frustrated, but her voice did escalate to high decibels when deemed necessary. Ben just needed a girl so he didn't have to deal with James all the time. James' priorities needed to be sorted out.
Zoe's affirmative of their catching-up session brightened her features, as she could not resist a chance to discuss boys and other exciting tidbits from over the summer. "As do I!" she said, smiling.
Roxanne looked over at the boys again. They looked even more pathetic now. She figured she should feel some sort of guilt for lengthening the conversation, but she was more amused at how depressing they looked. At least Zoe attempted to cheer James up, and no doubt it would work if it involved Quidditch.
"Nope, never," she replied, grinning. This was why they were friends, they were always on the same page. Roxanne liked that.
James' nod was even more pathetic, if possible. "At least give the girl a proper reply!" Roxanne snapped, frowning. "Sulking doesn't solve anything."
She sighed. The headache was coming back. "This morbid atmosphere has given me my headache back," she frowned, even more so. "I'm so looking forward to my free period today."
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Post by Ben Murray on Nov 9, 2010 17:39:27 GMT -5
"I think we all are, Roxanne," Ben said, regarding Roxanne's comment about their free periods. The thought of this brightened his mood only slightly. "It's so weird to think we're seventh years now, ya know? Tons of free periods and time to just do whatever...it doesn't feel like it's time for that, but it is," he observed. It was so hard for him to believe that he had already completed six years of his Hogwarts education, and he was working on his seventh and final year now. Where had the time gone?
James seemed to be feeling a bit better now, at least after Zoe's offer to fly with him. Quidditch and flying had never really been his thing, and Ben wondered what he would do to occupy himself while James was gone. The thought actually made him uncomfortable; what did he normally do when James was with other people, such as Gia? Sit around and do nothing, and wait for James to come back and decide what they would do? Ben didn't want to be that kind of guy, who just always did whatever James did and couldn't think for himself. Ben definitely could think for himself, but he usually left the event-planning up to James.
It really wasn't how he should be acting at this point in his life. He was seventeen years old. What would happen to him when James got a serious girlfriend and started spending all his time with her? Ben decided to make a point of doing whatever the hell he wanted this year and not worrying about anyone else. Maybe he would get a girlfriend himself, or at least open up to more people and find other people to hang out with on a more regular basis. This was his last chance at that.
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Post by Zoe Thompson on Nov 9, 2010 17:56:32 GMT -5
Was that...a smile? Her heart thudded excitedly, as she realized that she'd temporarily been able to cheer him up, a feat that even Ben hadn't been able to accomplish. She loved being his ray of sunshine, it was a mission that she took exceedingly seriously. "Good! This way you get a sneak peek at your competition," she paused, winking before adding, "you're going to need all the help you can get." Maybe she was pushing him out of his comfort zone at this point, but it would get an emotion out of him besides misery, which seemed to have spread to Ben slightly.
A smile appeared on her face while she heard Roxanne berating James on her behalf. They really did need to catch up, and mostly, she just wanted to spend some time not on the Pitch, just being around her friends and talking, feeling like she did right now, no matter how awkward the situation was becoming. Chuckling, she commented, "Sulking, moodiness, exhaustion, forgetfulness...hmmm, sounds like the normal side effects of a hangover. Apply friendship topically, and I'm sure you'll be feeling right as rain in a little bit. If not, I'll write you a prescription to go talk to Gia, already, and stop moaning." She hoped he understood her little metaphor, maybe he would take it to heart.
Ben had always been a point of interest for her, she'd tried many times to get closer to him, without really doing much of a good job. But he'd spoken up to Roxanne, and she never missed an opportunity to hear her own voice. "Mmmmmm, free period. I'm loving that concept so much right now." It really was a perk, although most likely, she'd been alienating everyone by being out on the Pitch. It was beyond important to her that she outdid the competition, after all, she had a reputation to protect, a reputation that was exceedingly tenuous, just asking to be pushed over the edge.
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