[ttd] sapphire and faded jeans

"A hive-conjuring spell? Really, Craig? Give me that," Wini said, her prefect-voice as Marin called it making an appearance as she looked down at the younger mischievous Hufflepuff who somehow kept sneaking books out of the Restricted Section in the library, or at least Wini thought these books should be in the Restricted Section. Honestly, what student needed to know a hive-conjuring spell? Craig gave her his patented 'I'm sorry' look, muttering an apology, but she knew he wasn't actually remorseful because as he grabbed his bag and scampered away, he turned and stuck his tongue out at her over his shoulder.

Ugh, second years. She had not been this annoying when she had been that age.

Wini closed the book with a snap, putting it on her mental to do list to return this to the library after she finished up here with Andy. Speaking of, she walked back over to him, wearing faded jeans and a Hufflepuff jumper as she folded her legs underneath her. They sat in the grass on the edge of the lake and she glanced back to his application. After Herbology class when they had paired up, it had been obvious to Wini that Andy was next to hopeless when it came to applications like this and while she hadn't exactly forgotten how much of a jerk he had been to her and Marin in their younger years, he did seem different now. Wini, as usual, was willing to give him another chance.

"Okay, so did you rewrite the essay part like we talked about?" she asked, pushing her hair over her shoulder, the spring sun shining dimly behind some gray clouds.

@Andronicus Lovecraft

Andronicus tried not to stare as Winifred shuffled over to the younger student who had been threatening to cause hives on another wizard. He wasn’t surprised but rather impressed by the way she handled the situation. Instead of punishing them both, or worse, Winifred took the spellbook and told them to be on their way. She was firm but not awful, and he saw her Hufflepuff colors shining through. If she were a Slytherin prefect, things would have ended a lot differently. A lot worse.

When she returned, the seventh year went back to the sheets of parchment he’d been unfolding on his lap. He made himself comfortable in the grass, stretching his legs in front of him. Andronicus pulled the zipper of his jacket up a bit to guard against the spring winds. His hair swished back and forth in the soft breeze, shining in the sun. "You didn't turn them in for unsanctioned dueling?" He asked, his head tilting to the side a little as she sat down next to him.

“Yeah, I rewrote it,” he said as he passed the pages over to her and leaned back on his palms. “I put in more stuff about my personality like you said, but I think it sounds kind of…. I don’t know.… pompous now?” He shrugged as he spoke and then grew quiet as he watched her read over the newest version of his application essay.

Wini shook her head at him and gave him a little shrug, his question making her second guess herself on if she should have 'turned them in'. It only took a moment for her decide. "No, Craig is usually harmless, I think he just likes the attention," she told him, the soft breeze pulling at her blonde hair and she tried to tuck it behind her ears as he passed her the pages. She smoothed them out and started to read.

"Pompous?" she repeated, before it clicked what he meant and she laughed a little, glancing at him from the corner of her eye. "I think you have to be a little pompous in these things, it's fine," Wini added, as she kept reading. "Oh, this part's good," she murmured and nodded as she kept going. It was only a few minutes later when she looked up at him with a bright smile. "Andy, this is really good. I loved the part you added about your first memory of being on a broom and why that stuck with you. It's much better than the first version. I would just say you need to--" Wini stopped suddenly as a crack of thunder boomed overhead, making her jump and whip her gaze up to the sky.

"You don't think it's going to.." she asked warily. It was if the question prompted the skies to open up and prove her wrong. Heavy rain started falling in sheets, so quick and so fast. It was as if she blinked and one moment it was fine and the next it was pouring. She squeaked as she shoved the essay back at him, not wanting it to get drenched before she hurriedly shoved all her items in her back. And then oh-- she grabbed her wand and cast a shielding charm around them, a magical umbrella of sorts and then glanced at Andy, her eyes wide, and started laughing at the ridiculousness of it all.

“Never met anyone like that,” Andronicus replied with a cheeky grin on his dimpled face. Just like the attention, he’d been that way once upon a time, and the wizard supposed some part of him would always be that way. He couldn’t help but crave attention from his peers, from Jacqueline, even from his family. The only difference now was that the Slytherin began to understand that it didn’t make him weak. He didn’t need recognition, acceptance, and respect to feel worthy, but rather the attention motivated him. And Andronicus was nothing if not ambitious.

Observing Winifred as she read through his work, Andronicus felt that surge of pride when she approved; it was like a drug. Five years ago, they hadn’t been friends, far from it, and now Wini was helping him, and it was her acceptance he craved. It was strange how time worked, how personalities seemed to shift, and people changed, but Andronicus knew not everyone changed for the better. Winifred seemed like she had been a good person from day one, but he took a little longer to figure himself out, and he knew plenty of housemates (and younger brothers) who still hadn’t picked the right path. The fact that Winifred was something of a friend now was like something coming full circle, and Andronicus liked its symbolism. If she could forgive him for his past and the pain he’d caused her and her friends, then maybe he was worthy of redemption.

And as if Merlin heard his thoughts, a thunderbolt rang across the clouds, and Andronicus shivered from the change in the wind. “Yeah, I do,” he managed just as the rain began to fall. He folded the parchment back up and tucked it away in his waterproofed dragon hide bag as quickly as he could muster. The corners had gotten damp, but Andronicus was hopeful that it would still be salvageable. Winifred was quicker to reach for her wand, and the shield she produced was impressive. Andronicus was a pureblood wizard who’d never known anything but the magical world, and yet a good charm still inspired him. “Thanks,” he said between laughs and pushed his wet brown hair off of his forehead.

“I will miss the Hogwarts storms,” Andronicus admitted as he leaned back on his hands and watched the rain beat down on the invisible umbrella she’d summoned around them. Like watching the rain through glass, the beads of water trailed down the edges, splitting and gathering like little rivers. “It is not the same in London, you know. Rain here always seems so magical, but in the city, it is bleak and mundane.”

She shook her head at Andy, an amused smile pulling at her lips. Wini didn't know him that well to say, but she went with it. She wondered if that's why he had been so terrible when they were younger - seeking attention even if it was in the worst way possible? She didn't really like thinking about that though so she focused on the Slytherin in the here and now. Wini might be able to forgive him for how he had acted towards her, but when she thought about the things he had done and said to Marin? It felt very different and she wasn't quite sure how to work it all out on how she felt about it.

It was better to just focus on the essay she had in her hands and so she did.

"Sure," she said in reply to his thanks, a rueful smile on her face. "Should've thought of this first," she added with a look up at the umbrella charm. She pulled her bag closer to her so that it stayed under her charm as well. Wini could feel the magic thrumming along her ash wand, her eyes catching on the way he was gazing up at the sky. The blonde followed his gaze and gave a little nod. "I think I'll miss everything about Hogwarts," she admitted, a hint of longing in her voice. It was something that she had been feeling for the past several months knowing graduation was coming quicker than this rainstorm had. It tugged at her heart having to leave behind this place, especially without knowing what her future would hold.

A comfortable quiet cropped up between them as the rain pattered down against her umbrella charm, her gaze on the lake where the drops hit the surface, causing tiny ripples and making the Black Lake dance under the gray skies. "Let's head back," she said eventually as the wind started to pick up. While her umbrella charm was good at keeping the rain off of them, it did nothing for the wind and she could feel the temperature dropping. "I'll give you more notes once we get inside," she said before she stood and brushed the grass off her jeans and waited for him, raising her arm a little more to accommodate for his height before they returned to the castle together.

/end

Andronicus felt the same as Winifred, and as graduation loomed closer and closer, he couldn't battle the bittersweet feelings. It was like he was already missing the castle, but they still had a few weeks left, and Andy knew better than to mourn things before he lost them. "Yeah, that is a good idea." Moving quietly, Andronicus quickly secured the fastener on his book bag and pulled the strap over his shoulder. In addition to his resume, there were some essays and exam prep work in there that he couldn't risk getting wet, so he double-checked the flap of the bag before standing.

Winifred moved the spell so that it would still cover his head, and he smiled politely. She was the sort who thought about things like that, and silently he wished he was a little more like her. Not just back then, but now too, Andronicus still struggled to put others first. Not because he was inherently self-centered, but because sometimes he was just too distracted to notice. He tried, but it wasn't enough. The storm kept rolling toward them, and Andronicus pulled the sleeves of his jacket over his hands, balling the ends in his hands so that they wouldn't slip up again.

"Thanks for helping me; I know I've said it already, but really, thanks," His words were sincere, and Andronicus hoped she would understand that. As they reached the castle doors, another crack of lightning ran across the sky, followed by the mother of thunderclaps. The storm wasn't coming anymore, it was here, and once again, Andronicus was thankful for the castle's protection. He held the great door open for her before ducking inside. It fell to a close behind them as a torrential downpour began, beating against the old wood doors, and Andy shivered.

/end