Post by Bri on Oct 12, 2014 12:33:17 GMT
Will:
Will Arlington had woken up that morning feeling particularly cheery. He wasn't sure why, maybe it was the fact that he'd been out flying the night before. He'd stepped in the shower before putting on his robes. Books in hand he exited Ravenclaw Tower.
On his way down to the Great Hall for breakfast he gave cheerful smiles and even the occasional wave to everybody he came across. He finally made it to breakfast. He plopped down at the Gryffindor table and began serving himself some toast. Though technically sitting at different tables wasn't aloud, most people had become accustomed to Will bouncing around the tables. He'd never fit in Ravenclaw very well. Instead he spent several minutes of each meal at the Gryffindor table. If he stayed too long he was pushing his luck, but generally he could get away with a couple of minutes.
"Hey Cohen." he said to his friend. He and Cohen had met in first year, before they were sorted. Both had branched out to other friends since then, but there was something about knowing each other before house labels were put on them that was special.
Cohen:
Cohen sat at the Gryffindor table and glanced up and down, hoping to see someone he knew. Most of the faces were familiar but nobody stuck out as being particularly interesting or in a good mood, why did everyone seem so miserable? They hadn't been at school longer than a few weeks and he could already see tell tale signs of boredom and pessimism. For Cohen, being in a good mood came naturally and he fought against negativity for as long as possible.
"Hey Cohen," a voice greeted and he twisted round, meeting the grinning face of a Ravenclaw. Will had been the first person Cohen had met at Hogwarts and one of the only boys he'd had a lasting friendship with. "Sick of the Ravenclaws already?" He chuckled glancing at the stream of students bearing the blue crest. Will hadn't bonded with many of his housemates and tended to flit between the other houses. Cohen glanced at the top table, knowing the boy was paranoid about being caught at the wrong table, "Sit down, nobody's watching," he reassured him. "How are you doing? Glad to be back?"
Will:
"Thrilled." Will answered rather pleased with himself. Cohen didn't know much of Will's home life, not many people did, but he knew the more recent events. Cohen had been there after his father had been killed and during the long ordeal of his mother's death. He'd even been invited to the funeral Will had held for her a few months ago. Cohen was one of the few people who knew of Will's sister simply because he had known him at the right time.
"How are you liking your classes? Mine are okay, I have healing." he said. Healing was his favorite subject, Will was superb at it. If he had to consider a more practical job rather than professional Quidditch, it would be healing. Cohen hated the sport, instead he swam. Swimming was something Will had never understood. It didn't seem like you could get the same rush from it that you do from flying, but it worked for Cohen so he accepted it.
Cohen:
"Thrilled." Will answered rather pleased with himself. Cohen didn't know much of Will's home life, not many people did, but he knew the more recent events. Cohen had been there after his father had been killed and during the long ordeal of his mother's death. He'd even been invited to the funeral Will had held for her a few months ago. Cohen was one of the few people who knew of Will's sister simply because he had known him at the right time.
"How are you liking your classes? Mine are okay, I have healing." he said. Healing was his favorite subject, Will was superb at it. If he had to consider a more practical job rather than professional Quidditch, it would be healing. Cohen hated the sport, instead he swam. Swimming was something Will had never understood. It didn't seem like you could get the same rush from it that you do from flying, but it worked for Cohen so he accepted it.
Will:
Will laughed as his friend described healing. That wasn't his own experience. Healing charms came naturally to him, he'd been practicing charms far more sophisticated than the class for years now. He'd even pulled some strings and gotten himself employed in the hospital wing. He didn't do anything of importance, but it was a great opportunity to observe.
"I'm taking potions and transfiguration." Will pulled a face at the thought of the awful subject. He couldn't stand the class, though he enjoyed the magic itself. "What are you doing? Maybe you could help me in some of my classes as well." Will smiled at Cohen. He was brilliant in school, the recent years of students only got more and more talented. "We could put together a group, invite a few more people. Ramona. Mackenna. I'm sure there's more as well."
Cohen:
"I'm taking those too, need them if I want to be an Auror." Cohen listened as Will suggested a group of students. "Sounds good," Cohen agreed, eager to accept any form of help. It wasn't that Cohen wasn't intelligent, but he preferred practical magic to theory.
His smirk stretched as he mentioned Mackenna. Cohen had never spoken to her but recently Will had shown a particular interest in the Slytherin. "I'm sure Mackenna would love hanging around with us all, she seems so social," the boy joked but quickly added, "I'm sure it'll be great," showing he wasn't being serious. "Who else were you thinking of? I take it that it's us and a load of girls again, as usual." Cohen didn't mind the situation, in fact he knew most of the boys were jealous of his friendship with so many of the females.
Will:
"Yeah, like always. Us and a bunch of girls." Will shrugged. He enjoyed his friendship with most of the female population. Most of the time the girls were better conversation, the ones he and Cohen hanged out with anyways. Will could remember getting many looks throughout the years from other guys in Hogwarts. Their friends, though often times the most independent, were also some of the most sought after girls in Hogwarts.
"If you can find a guy willing to face some of the girls we hang out with... well he's more than welcome to join us." Will smirked. Their friends could all be mean when they wanted to, most of them balls of fire just waiting to blow. It was part of what made Will love hanging out with them so much.
"You could invite Dominique as well." Will added, thinking of the younger girl in his house. He knew Cohen, Ramona, and Dominique had formed quite the trio. Will didn't have any group of friends like that. Instead he found himself constantly bouncing between people. He didn't mind. Rather than several best friends, he had many good friends all over Hogwarts.
Cohen:
"I don't really know any other guys, besides they couldn't handle them, our girls are way too fiery." Cohen chuckled but agreed with his statement. He got along with the girls and honestly they were more fun than the Gryffindor boys he knew. They were unpredictable and never backed down, it was admirable.
"You could invite Dominique as well," Will suggested. "Definitely, she's a genius, we need people like her. I can't tell you the amount of scrapes she's got me out of. With you it'll be two brain boxes." Cohen owed a lot to his Ravenclaw friend, she had tutored him when nobody else would in second year and it had made the bond between Cohen, Ramona and Dom stronger. "We'll have to sort that out before I get out of my depth in classes. It's going to be even harder with the Triwizard Tournament going on. I can't wait for it to start."
Will:
The entire school had been buzzing about the tournament lately. With the foreign students arrival gossip had only gotten more frequent. Maybe they could find a foreign student to study with them. It was about international interactions, after all.
"I'm entering." Will said thoughtfully. "I'm probably stupid for it, but it could be an experience." what Will didn't add was that the real reason he had finally settled on entering was thanks to a certain Slytherin.
"Are you going to enter?" Will wasn't sure he could see Cohen entering. The boy was brave, but he wasn't stupid. He knew how to be cautious. Of course that may just be the reason he should enter. "Do you know about any of the others as well?"
Cohen:
"Not old enough to enter," Cohen shrugged. "Only turned sixteen this August. I probably would have given it a go otherwise, I love a challenge!" Part of the Gryffindor was pleased that he couldn't compete, it meant nothing could happen to him. His parents didn't deserve any more tragedy in their lives and the Triwizard Tournament may have brought it. He considered his friend, picturing him facing the challenges.
"I reckon you'd do well, I wasn't sure if you'd do it or not. Your only stupid if you die, anything other than that and you'll be worshiped all year." Cohen grinned to show he was joking, although the truth laced his words. The Hogwarts champion would be idolized by every other student, and it was dangerous, but nobody had been injured in years.
"I don't know who else is going for it, a lot of the Gryffindors are keeping quiet. I think it's because if they aren't chosen they don't want everyone to know about it. Stupid really..." Cohen rolled his eyes, sometimes his house let the idea of being courageous run away with them, they were a proud bunch. "Do you want to be chosen though? Or are you entering to say you did it? I won't knock you either way, believe me."
Will:
It didn't surprise him that Cohen seemed indifferent to his inability to enter. He was brave, but he was also cautious when he needed to be, especially when it came to life or death. He probably would have been torn between entering and just watching from the side lines.
Would Will like to be chosen? He was just barely making the age cut, his 17th birthday was in mere days. The more he thought about, the more he realized that he actually wanted to be chosen. Sometimes it felt as if he had nothing to live for. He had no family, unless you counted the sister that couldn't even recognize him. He did have a life to live though and it should be cared for. "I wouldn't mind being chosen. The recognition would be brilliant." It was his one fatal flaw. His yearn for attention, something he had been deprived of as a child.
There had been rumors flying about the tournament in Ravenclaw. Who would enter and who wouldn't. The Ravenclaws may not have their reputation as brave to hurt, but the tournament wasn't only about bravery. It was also about intelligence, something his house took great pride in. Some people were awfully stuck up about. This was the reason Will didn't get along with many of the Ravenclaws, the reason he was currently having this very conversation.
Cohen:
Cohen nodded as the boy spoke, hearing the subtle determination in his voice. It would be interesting to see him take part. People made assumptions about Will because he pulled pranks and avoided most of his house, but Cohen knew there was a deeper level to him. He was smart, but he had common sense too, something a fair few Ravenclaws lacked. "If you win and get a big bag of gold, remember who supported your through it won't you? Sharing is caring," Cohen chuckled and rubbed his wrist absentmindedly. The action reminded him of his arm wrestle with Ramona.
"It's a shame Ramona can't compete, she'd wipe the floor with them. Do you have any idea how strong she is? Honestly mate, the age limit should be lowered just to give her a chance." He didn't go as far as admitting his loss to Will, it was too humiliating. The Gryffindor girl would be good at it, possibly even better than Cohen. She was so stubborn and strong willed, it was an admirable quality. "Let's just hope Hogwarts wins over Durmstang and Beauxbatons."
Will:
Will laughed as Cohen joked about sharing the gold. That was another incentive for Will. HIs family's vault had been drained, they had nowhere near the amount of money they'd had before Will's mother had become ill. They could survive off of it for now, but eventually his sister would become too hard to pay for.
Will thought about Cohen's comments about Ramona. He was right. She wasn't just strong physically, but mentally too. She had an air of determination about her that Will admired. "If the age was lowered nobody 17 would even have a chance." Will laughed. "I mean, just think about the two girls you hang out with."
Will had a deep respect for Dominique and Ramona. The two of them were very talented. Anybody trying to go up against either of them would probably be faced with a hard loss. Will had seen Dominique get into a debate with an older student back in her first year. Needless to say, the older student had to face the teasing at having lost to an eleven year old. It wasn't very often Will saw that side of Dominique. He didn't speak to her much and she kept to herself in the common room. Now that he thought about it, he and Dominique would probably be really good friends if they made more effort to conversing with each other. There were probably several more similarities between them than Will realized.
Cohen:
"You're probably right about that," he agreed. He paused, mulling things over. Honestly, he had no idea what made one person better than another, or more likely to be chosen as champion. Was it bravery? Intelligence? How good a person was at reacting under pressure? Perhaps it was just a fluke and there was no specific attribute. He was interested in what would happen though.
"How are things at home?" He asked suddenly, aware he hadn't had chance to check his friend was alright. He'd had a tough time and wasn't the type to tell everyone about it. Usually, Cohen wasn't good at dealing with grief, but he understood Will and what he was going through better than most. What Will needed was a friend, and Cohen could at least be that.
Will:
How were things at home? Will wasn't sure anymore. He wasn't sure if he even had a home. He'd spent the summer hols with a foster family. They'd been nice enough to give him plenty of space. He felt bad for them, they were nothing but kind. "Fine I suppose, if you consider a stranger's house home." Harper had spent the summer locked away in the mental institution again. Will missed his mum, but mostly for Harper's sake. Harper had been under constant care with his mother, she had understood her daughter. Will was at a loss as to what to do. He wasn't even sure if Harper realized her mum was dead.
It had been nearly a year, Will realized horrified. His mother had been dead for nearly a year and Will still hadn't given himself the proper chance to visit his sister and grieve with her. He'd dropped in briefly a couple of times, but if it had been his mother she would have been there for ages. Will felt awful about himself. He felt worthless. He couldn't even help his family.
Cohen:
Cohen heard the resentment in his friends voice and wished he hadn't asked. When Will used to talk about negative things Cohen would make a joke and move the topic along. However, after attending his Mothers funeral and knowing all he did about Will's dreadful summer he knew it wouldn't work this time. "I take it they were pretty awful then? Are you going back at Christmas?"
The Gryffindor couldn't think of anything worse than being trapped with people who were complete strangers, trying to understand him. Will had a sister but Cohen had learned not to ask about her, it only caused the boy to get upset. "I haven't decided if I'm going home or not, depends who stays, besides my parents will have enough to worry about with Drew and Holly running around." He shook his head at the thought of his suddenly hyperactive siblings. "They're mental lately."
Will:
Will laughed, he'd only met Cohen's sibling briefly either before or after the Hogwarts Express. They seemed cute enough, but Will couldn't imagine living with them. "I'll be staying. I might try to visit Harper though." he said. It had been too long since he last saw his sister, and this conversation was making him feel guilty for not visiting more.
Will wondered who else was staying. If Ramona and Dominique did Cohen would probably join them. But Dominique had a family to go home to. He wasn't sure about Ramona. Even if nobody stayed with him Will knew it would be fun. Hogwarts at Christmas was amazing to see.
Cohen:
"Hows she doing? I guess you haven't had chance to visit much, being moved around."
Cohen grimaced as he thought about Will's sister. She wasn't in a good place and he had no idea how his friend was coping with her and the loss of his parents. Will didn't talk about it much, but Cohen knew the general story about Harper. It wasn't something he liked to bring up, but if it was one of his siblings he'd be as confused about it as Will was. "If I do stay, you know I'll come with you if you want, to see her I mean." Cohen offered, trying to make it casual. Honestly, he wasn't sure Will would think he was a good choice, Cohen had a tendency to make badly timed jokes to lighten the mood. Besides, it may be something his friend would want to do alone.
Do you want to continue this? Cohen Myers
