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Post by The Letter-Weaver on Apr 12, 2013 13:11:26 GMT -5
Alec strolled by the edge of the Forbidden Forest, peering through the wall of trees. He had no intentions to venture into the Forest--he wasn't stupid--but it was always rather quiet on this part of the grounds, and he savored a bit of quiet. Eventually picking out a tree, he sat below it and pulled out his wand. He murmured a charm under his breath, making some of the leaves around him levitate for practice. He began to hum under his breath absent-mindedly.
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Post by SilentGaze on Apr 12, 2013 13:17:06 GMT -5
Come on. You were the best keeper we've had in years. You've got to come back. Delaire ran over the words bitterly in his head as he walked along the edge of the Forbidden Forest. After being badgered for hours on how he should try out of the Slytherin Quidditch team this year and make some grand comeback so that Slytherin could win at long last, Delaire had to get away. That's what he did when people were too much with him, which was beginning to become a little too often according to people who knew him. Still, it was an effective method, and he knew of just as effective places to go where people wouldn't look for him... or at least didn't have the courage to look.
As sixth years, the Forbidden Forest didn't often bother them, but Delaire knew that a few of the more talkative ones weren't very fond of the place, while others were simply too lazy to venture that far out in search of Delaire.
It was also a plus that those reasons didn't just apply to his friends. Most people didn't like to go near the Forbidden Forest, which was a plus for Delaire. He probably wouldn't either, if it weren't for the apparent lack of humans.
So why was he hearing humming? And were those leaves moving?
Then Delaire spotted a younger kid up ahead. So much for less people near the Forbidden Forest. |
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Post by The Letter-Weaver on Oct 2, 2013 19:34:59 GMT -5
Alec glanced up at the sound of leaves crunching under feet, wondering who on earth was hanging around the Forest. It was a Slytherin boy, tall, and by the looks of it older than him. His wand dropped from his hand in surprise, the leaves floating about his head gently drifting back down to the ground. He experienced a moment of panic, wondering what to do--should he ignore him, and let him go on his way? The boy looked upset about something, as if talking to him was not what he wanted right then.
But they'd already caught each other's gaze. dammit.
Deciding to settle for the bare minimum of politeness, Alec waved awkwardly. "Uh, hi."
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Post by SilentGaze on Oct 4, 2013 9:12:09 GMT -5
"Uh... hi."
Delaire furrowed his brow, eyes falling to the wand the younger student had dropped. "Hey," Delaire greeted stiffly, fishing out his own wand and, with a murmured 'wingardium leviosa' (don't quote me on that spelling, I didn't look it up at all) he levitated the younger boy's wand back into his grasp. "You dropped something."
What to do, what to do? Since fifth year Delaire hadn't really tried making new friends. He'd stubbornly stuck to the ones he already had, because by then the pressure from his pureblood extended family had reached the point where he was so pessimistic about new relationships that he was afraid to make new ones. Sometimes the ones he insisted on keeping were just like they were before, understanding and supporting. Other times they were a little pushy. Why had they become worse in the 'insisting' department?
Or maybe Delaire had lost some patience since his fourth year. He wasn't really sure. All he knew was that as far as people went, he simply wasn't as good at handling them as he used to be.
So what did he do now? ((note: Tara doesn't do specific colors. Too much work. Tara does, however, do maroon)) |
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Post by The Letter-Weaver on Oct 4, 2013 12:00:10 GMT -5
Alec's fingers closed around his wand as the boy levitated it back into his hand. The wood handle was still warm, whether from his holding it earlier or from being magicked he didn't know.
"Thanks," he said softly, dropping his gaze to his hands in embarrassment. Who drops their wand? What a freaking idiot. Jesus. See, this is probably why people don't talk to you, you embarrass them. He pulled his knees up to his chest, wrapping his arms around his legs before glancing back up at the boy, who was still standing there. It appeared neither of them knew what to say next. That gave him a bit of comfort, at least. He wasn't the only one who was awkward.
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Post by SilentGaze on Oct 5, 2013 11:04:57 GMT -5
Oh good, evidently the boy was just as awkward as Delaire was. Wonderful. Absolutely wonderful. Now the most painful ten minutes could proceed in utter silence. He needed to think of something to say, quick.
"Fourth year by the forbidden forest?" he finally asked, taking a guess at the boy's age as he gestured to the area next to them. He didn't even tend to go near the place, but people accidentally pushed him to that point. Had it been the same for the younger kid? |
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Post by The Letter-Weaver on Oct 6, 2013 11:29:15 GMT -5
Alec nodded, wondering how he'd guessed his age correctly--even now, people generally assumed he was either a first or second year. "I like it over here. It's peaceful. I guess you think so, too?" That last bit was going out on a limb, but why else would anyone be over here? He didn't look like he was intent on causing any sort of trouble that was nearly synonymous with the Forbidden Forest, and Alec rather doubted it was because of the scenery. Besides, he'd always had a bit of a knack for figuring things out about people.
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Post by SilentGaze on Oct 9, 2013 13:29:37 GMT -5
Delaire bit his lip and looked into the forest he'd been wandering the edges of for the past ten minutes. "Ah, no. Not really. Sort of? Maybe? I don't go for the whole invisible horses and dangerous bloodthirsty pixies and what not, but sometimes it's better than people," Delaire admitted, slowly shrugging his shoulders as he glanced over at the shorter kid. "I'd prefer the lake or something but my friends like it there, so it's not a very good hiding spot." |
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Post by The Letter-Weaver on Oct 13, 2013 14:57:22 GMT -5
Alec nodded, able to relate to having to hide from others to be alone for a while. "There's lots of good hiding places around here," he replied. His personal favorite place to explore was the cave system under the castle, but it required a lot of preparation, and he could really only make it down at the beginning of the year or during holidays.
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Post by SilentGaze on Nov 1, 2013 23:09:50 GMT -5
Delaire arched his eyebrows. "Used to looking for them, huh?" It was more a statement than a question. The boy was as socially awkward as Delaire. But perhaps there were differences. Delaire had the fortune of having many social experts for friends, outgoing and talkative and observant. They knew how to work around Delaire's tendency to fall a little flat in the interaction department, so Delaire never had to find a place to hide. Not until his fifth year, anyway.
But this Hufflepuff spoke of a different sort of familiarity with the school, the sort that was laced with loneliness. It was the kind that Delaire reserved for his house. "No bubbly people taking you on as their social experiment for the year? All the books suggest that's what happens," Delaire noted. |
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Post by The Letter-Weaver on Nov 2, 2013 12:57:00 GMT -5
Alec shrugged, embarrassed by the Slytherin's hypothesis, and that it hit so close to home.
"Not really, no." And he left it at that. He elected not to mention how he didn't really have any friends at school. Oh, there were people he talked to now and again--Hufflepuff had a reputation for being the friendliest and most welcoming of Houses, after all, and it was well deserved. But they'd never become more than passing acquaintances at best, for reasons Alec didn't quite understand. By now he was used to it, but it didn't mean that it was fun. And it didn't mean he was going to blurt out an "oh woe is me!" monologue to everyone he met. So he didn't.
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Post by SilentGaze on Nov 3, 2013 1:11:16 GMT -5
Delaire nodded slowly. "Books tend to be wrong in that department, I've noticed. Unsocial people don't seem to write them," Delaire observed as he casted a wary eye over towards the castle. Figures were nearing them. They were still a good distance off, impossible to distinguish as particular students, but Delaire knew who they were, anyway. Fellow Slytherins, perhaps friends Delaire had been close to before his fifth years, still looking for him. They were likely going to turn before they got near the forest, probably dismissing the idea, but Delaire began to wonder if he should have thought up an emergency hiding location in case even the Forbidden Forest proved to be an ineffective spot. |
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Post by The Letter-Weaver on Nov 4, 2013 10:23:27 GMT -5
Alec noticed the Slytherin glance back at the castle, wondering what he was looking for. Maybe he was waiting for someone he was supposed to meet over by the Forest. He should probably leave. But he didn't get up from his spot, only nodding slightly in agreement.
He caught himself humming under his breath, embarrassed as he realized he was unconsiously humming the happy birthday song. Happy Birthday to me, indeed. Maybe he should leave, he was beginning to get maudlin. He could go visit the kitchens like he usually did on his birthday, greet the house elves and nibble on a cookie or two. Then maybe he'd go to bed early. He didn't have much else to do, having finished all his homework and no one to hang out with.
His birthday always had made him feel unbearably lonely.
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Post by SilentGaze on Nov 5, 2013 12:50:00 GMT -5
Delaire was too nervous to leave once he saw the figures in the distance take a turn before getting close to recognize who he was. If he moved now he risked running into them. And that was something he wanted to avoid at all costs.
it finally occurred to him that the fourth year was sitting and Delaire was still standing, and the dramatic height difference made the already stiff and awkward conversation well... more stiff and awkward. So, much like a robot, Delaire sat down in time to hear Alec humming a very familiar tune. "Who's birthday is it?" he finally asked, thinking that perhaps Alec had the song caught in his head from singing it earlier. Of course, he got the vibe that Alec didn't have too many friends despite seeming like a decent kid, but what other explanation was there? Happy birthday wasn't necessarily one of those songs that just popped into one's head. |
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Post by The Letter-Weaver on Nov 6, 2013 7:56:02 GMT -5
Alec could feel himself flushing in embarrassment, and he kept his gaze resolutely on his hands.
"Um, no one's." he muttered, lying through his teeth. It wasn't a good lie, and he knew it wasn't very likely to work, but he figured he'd give it a shot. Maybe it would spare him the horror of explaining just how lonely he was.
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