Magical Hogwarts

gorman residence - st. paddy's day party
march 2005

Tess went barreling through the back door of her house to the gardens out the back. She didn't really care if a banshee shrieked an inch from her ear here and now, she needed fresh air and solitude. She wished she had a cigarette, but that was the whiskey talking.

The night had been eventful enough - she'd had her romantic hopes and dreams crushed, someone had broken her parents' ancient enchanted phonograph, and she'd just spent the past fifteen minutes retching into her toilet. She needed the cool air on her skin, and she felt the familiar tingle and tightness of the goosebumps forming across her chest and arms. A younger part of her reveled in the nostalgic feeling of a cool Irish night, the air thick with mist and the earth reeking of youth and fearlessness. She wasn't the same girl, running away from the nightmares of battle all night, no responsibilities, every hope for a better future. Back when she could laugh and say 'how could things get worse', never realizing they would.

With the contents of her stomach into the void of a magical plumbing system she didn't understand, Tess felt slightly more sober, but no less morose. Pressing her back into the whitewashed stone of her childhood home, she sucked in a deep breath past her lips and shivered on the exhale. The quiver in her chest was possibly anxiety, possibly the chill in the air, but she was basking in it nonetheless. She was one bad experience from kicking everyone out of her house and going up to bed. When she heard the door creak open, she stayed put in the darkness of the night, plastered to the wall with a deep frown on her face. Tess swore to herself that if it was anyone except Freya, she would throttle them.

It was hours into the party and Ian had already gone through quite a bit of his hash stack and drank too much whiskey for his liking. He was smoking a joint with another lad, head tilted back blowing smoke and laughing at something stupid. One of the lads broke a phonograph after shoving each other from a bit of arm wrestling. Ian wasn’t quite sure which of the lads was the culprit and which one won. It didn’t matter anyways, he was enjoying catching up with everyone and one of the lads asked him where he could get some hash. “One of those wee lasses with the cracking eyelashes. You can’t miss her.” Finishing up the last of his own, Ian got off the couch and almost crashed into a lass who was wasted. Gently he showed her his former spot on the couch and went outside.

Ian preferred it out here over the loudness and rambunctiousness that was going on inside the Gorman household. The outdoors was his place to think anyways, to let the fresh air clear his mind from the party that has become quite eventful. It was when he was pulling out a cigarette that he saw Tess leaning up against the wall. Seemed like he wasn’t the only one who thought a bit of fresh air would do him good? Had she been crying? Ian hoped not, he wasn’t in the right mental state to deal with an emotional lass.

“You alright there Tess?” Walking over to her, Ian lit his cigarette while pulling out another and held it in front of her. “Would you like a smoke?” Did she smoke? Ian couldn’t remember, it had been a while since he really talked to Tess. Back at Hogwarts he had been wrapped up in Ivy and hanging out with Basil that last two years before he left. He didn’t mean to make everyone else fall by the wayside, it just sorta happened. Ian looked at her thoughtfully before opening his mouth again, “Would you like me to send everyone home?” She didn't seem to be enjoying her own party and maybe she was ready for a lie down. Perhaps her pride wouldn't allow her to end the fun everyone else was having back inside. Ian would do it for her if she wanted, because that's what friends are for.

Tess bit down hard on her lip as she realized who was outside with her. Shit, she thought, trying her hardest to absorb into the stone behind her. Though this wasn't her usual reaction to seeing her Scottish friend, Tess didn't particularly want to be vulnerable around Ian. She preferred the playful quips and friendly banter, and if she couldn't hold it together, she would never keep her reputation for being silly and fun. If there was one thing that Tess could do well, it was put up a front. Her mood didn't lend to playfulness now. Frankly, she was in no mood for jokes and innocent sarcasm. She kind of wanted him to go away. That was, until he offered her a cigarette.

"Yeah," she sighed, holding out two fingers to take a butt from his pack of smokes. She didn't bother lying about being alright, and instead lit her cigarette with the tip of her own wand, faster than the gentleman in front of her could. She was sure he would've lit it for her, but she didn't want anything from a man right now.

Tess took in far too large of an exhale, succumbing to her poor mood and attempting to shroud her sorrows in silver smoke. She immediately choked out a cough from deep in her lungs, hacking for over a minute and wiping her eyes when finished. "Fuck." she choked, still reaching for air. She wasn't a regular smoker at all. In fact, it had been over a month since her last cigarette. She wasn't cut out to be a cool smoker like some of her friends, and part of her hurt for that. Not even good enough to drag from a cigarette. She thought Harvey might not have liked to see her doing this, and she took another drag.

Tess shook her head and looked down at her shoes. The chill settled deep into her skin, but she didn't pay the goosebumps any mind. "Nah," she whispered at his offer to send folks home. It would either send the message that Tess Gorman was too emotional to handle a little rejection and mishap, or that she wanted alone time with Ian. She didn't know how she felt about the latter, but the thought crossed her mind in a moment and she was red in the cheeks instantly. Thank Merlin for the half moon in the sky and not a full one. She scrambled for something to say, the silence filling every cell in her body. "Are ye having fun?" she managed, looking up at the moon while she flicked the ash from the tip of the cigarette. She didn't want to look at him and have him see the spoiled fun on her own face. It was her own party after all.

Ian stayed silent as Tess took a cigarette and lit it herself before he had the chance. He could tell she wanted some alone time, that was why she was out here and not inside enjoying her own party. Taking a drag from his own cigarette, Ian wondered if she was regretting trying to be popular and throw this party? Most of his year mates had done just that to look good and Ian thought it was quite ridiculous. Who cared what others thought? Raising a brow as she coughed from the smoke, Ian leaned back against the stone wall next to her and thought to himself how that just proved his point.

She doesn't actively smoke but will do so when offer.
She will put on this front just to be good enough when Ian wouldn't care if she wanted to smoke or not.

"The other lads and I have been going through my good hash and drinking, I would say I'm having a good time aye." He took another drag and exhaled up into the moonlit sky. "But all that matters is if our Host is having fun and I would say that you're pretty bloody stressed out." The things that were broken, trying to keep the place somewhat tidy so her parents wouldn't get angry, and he was sure she was in the bathroom for a while. Unlike the others, Ian can hold his liquor and drugs well enough to still be aware and involved in his surroundings.

Flicking his cigarette over the wall, Ian turned slightly so he was facing Tess and looked at her carefully. "I'll help ye clean up after those Eejits if ye like." Offering a wide smile to try to make her feel somewhat better, Ian hoped that Tess would find her own peace like he found his. It wasn't good to try to and please people all the time. Especially when it was causing her such stress. "Or would ye rather I just leave and go back inside?"