An active, character-driven Hogwarts experience set in the early 2000s. Unique items, plots, and features. Non-canon; this isn't Harry Potter's story, it's ours.
Post by Amara Seabrook on Jun 24, 2020 23:57:46 GMT 10
Amara stepped out of the castle and sighed, glancing up at the clear sky. It was a lovely day and she hoped to enjoy some time outdoors for once. Brewing potions could wait, for now.
She made her way to the covered bridge, as she'd be meeting Lucas there soon. As he'd no doubt suspected, it was the ideal place as they could talk in private and be easily forewarned of any company - with full view of either side of the bridge. Yet it was also open and public enough that students could also seek him out for deals or whatever else it was he schemed of profits.
She didn't mind waiting though. There was hardly any rush, with nothing else planned that day except for the Halloween feast. Amara used to love Halloween when she was younger, and wasn't entirely sure where that enthusiasm had faded. Then again, a lot of the joy and excitement in her life had faded the past few years as well so why not that too?
No, she refused to think about that right now. Amara stared at the stunning view of the mountains and lake, trying to take it all in and relax. She focused on what sort of curses to use against Thatcher, and wondering if would have minded if she'd touched his wrist. It was practically holding his hand, right? And she'd done that in the Great Hall, of all places. What was wrong with her? Too bad she'd hurried off before she could determine his reaction.
Post by Lucas Mardling on Jul 1, 2020 23:30:41 GMT 10
Hands in his pockets, Lucas strolled along the bridge until he reached Amara. He glanced around, and could immediately see why she'd chosen that location. It was perfect, and he could still handle deals if anyone came along in search of him.
They had a lot to talk about, but Lucas didn't start conversation right away. He leaned against the bridge, peering at the wonderful view he still appreciated even after four years. It was a sunny day and the weather was nice. He didn't usually care too much for making the most of good weather, but having a day of free time just felt right for that sort of musing.
Then he glanced at Amara. She seemed more relaxed than he was used to seeing her, and it reminded him that she wasn't just one of his classmates who tolerated him better than most. They were friends, or at least working towards that. He was intrigued by her.
'What are you thinking about?' Lucas asked before he could reconsider. She could be calmer because she was picturing Thatcher's death for all he knew, yet he hoped there was more to it. More to her than the reputation she'd build and carried around for so long.
'My dashing good looks?' he joked, trying to lighten the mood in case his somewhat more personal question wasn't appreciated. He quickly checked she didn't have her wand out yet.
Post by Amara Seabrook on Jul 5, 2020 16:29:38 GMT 10
Aware of Lucas' approach, Amara kept her gaze on the view. It remained quiet for a moment, which she appreciated, as there was a lot to think about. Her thoughts got a bit sidetracked though, when she did finally glance at him. She remembered running her hands through his hair for that dare, wishing she had another excuse to do it again. Why though? It was just hair. What was she thinking about again?
'Hardly.' Amara scoffed, rolling her eyes at his accurate comment about his dashing good looks. She couldn't give him the satisfaction of boosting his ego. She'd never live it down, probably.
Should she tell him of her idea from last night? It had nothing to do with Thatcher, but then again... Maybe it could?
'Uh, Doren,' Amara said. 'The one in our class. She's interesting. The Dorens aren't ideal, but she has potential. She's always been so weird but maybe she'd join us? Maybe she could be persuaded to see there are sides. There are some people better than others, who know how to make real progress. I plan to seek her out and test the waters. We know so little about her.'
With a sigh, she supposed they should get to the topic at hand though. Amara was still annoyed by it, though had a lot to think about. She was always angry at Thatcher, but this was different. This felt even more personal.
'So. Thatcher.' Amara glared at the railing, then turned to properly face Lucas. 'If we're going to teach him a lesson, we need to be smart about it. And effective. I have some ideas for general suffering, but let's start with something more direct. I say we corner him and get the point across.' She got out her wand to make it clear what she meant. She'd read about a few new curses she was eager to try out.
The question was: did Lucas have her back?
His self preservation above all else was no secret, but while Amara was confident she could handle Thatcher on her own - it was Lucas who was belittled and attacked. And it would go a lot better if she had the back up, in case Thatcher was surrounded by other idiots who had ideas about playing hero.
Post by Lucas Mardling on Jul 14, 2020 22:38:25 GMT 10
Lucas pretended her response didn't knock his pride down a peg. She'd scoffed and rolled her eyes so was probably not particularly serious about his lack of dashing good looks, right?
'Doren?' He considered what he knew about Elizabeth, and realised Amara was right - there wasn't much to know. She hadn't really approached him for anything either. Or at least, nothing that stood out in his mind. It wasn't a comforting thought, as he usually made a conscious effort to know something useful about everyone. If he couldn't blackmail someone, he was slacking.
He was intrigued by Amara's plan to approach Elizabeth though. Surely he'd be updated if she made progress? Lucas hadn't exactly kept it secret that he was rather agreeable to a lot of Amara's plans for the future, and recruiting those to help them succeed.
As the topic returned to Thatcher though, his anger towards the Gryffindor returned as well. 'You speak my language.' Lucas smirked. Amara understood the need to be smart and effective in plans like this.
It was the idea of cornering Thatcher and confronting him that Lucas struggled with. That wasn't typically his style, as he preferred to avoid conflict unless necessary. Could this be counted as necessary enough to cast the first spell or throw the first punch this time? He wasn't convinced.
But hadn't Thatcher already done that? Lucas remembered being cornered in the dungeon the night before, forced to defend himself. Not that anyone would believe him, but Lucas was sure he hadn't done anything recently to warrant that kind of response. Thatcher was just being the git he was, targeting Slytherins he disliked as a form of entertainment.
He eyed Amara, considering the offer. If Thatcher had back-up, it could get messy. But with Amara Seabrook on his side, Lucas was confident he wouldn't be at the disadvantage regardless. He was tired of the crap the Gryffindors put him through in moments like that. He never wanted to be seen as weak or someone to push around.
Post by Amara Seabrook on Jul 26, 2020 2:01:22 GMT 10
Amara took a while to respond. There was so much to think about and she wasn't sure how to word it all. She also had to decide if she could trust Lucas on his word, not because she doubted him so much but rather his reputation was quite long-term.
'This afternoon,' she answered his question of when. 'I'm sure we can arrange something so the circumstances are ideal for our confrontation. I have some allies that can ensure no one squeals to a Professor while it's going on, but of course we can't control everything.'
That irritated her. Amara wanted to be in control, but the more they tried to perfectly arrange the moment then the higher chances of Thatcher being forewarned. The element of surprise was important for getting their message across.
'Hufflepuff have try-outs, so that should keep Rhynhart out of our business,' Amara added.
She glanced at the view again, letting the conversation drift. There wasn't much else to plan, though she wasn't ready to head inside just yet. It was getting too late in the morning for her to bother with collecting ingredients or brewing potions either.
Post by Lucas Mardling on Aug 4, 2020 15:18:19 GMT 10
'Thatcher isn't exactly a genius,' Lucas added. 'With the right bait, we should be able to able to make it work in our favor.' He certainly liked the idea of bringing allies along as well, as it meant less confrontation was focused on him. Lucas preferred to have as many human shields around as possible for situations like this.
He felt similar to Amara, regarding not being able to control everything. Lucas was more flexible and willing to adapt, but if the odds weren't in his favor then he got nervous. Self preservation, and all that, was at the highest of his priority list.
Glancing at the cloudy sky, Lucas was disappointed that they had to part ways. He was less confident about their afternoon plans now, which should have been the opposite now they actually had plans. He didn't shy away from confrontation as much as people thought, but he was aware of his own dark side and wasn't so keen to remind people how rotten he could be. Thatcher had a big mouth too, so his reputation might take a hit if the idiot was stupid enough to whine about the encounter afterwards.
'We should head back,' he said, knowing it was time for lunch. Lucas was tempted to ask her to walk back with him, to extend their time together, but he wasn't feeling especially sociable now. He was almost tempted to cancel their plans, but refused to look weak or cowardly in front of Amara. Besides, no one just cancelled on a Seabrook.
'I don't know about Rhynhart, though,' Lucas said, suddenly remembering. 'I think Langford's back in action. She might help out though, so here's hoping. Thanks, for helping me. I'll see you this afternoon - you have my word.' He specified a time, then shoved hands into his pockets as he turned to stroll back towards the castle.
Post by Amara Seabrook on Aug 4, 2020 15:23:12 GMT 10
Amara nodded, but had nothing else to add.
Lucas always had a wealth of information and he envied him for it at times. How did he know so much? Being sneaky and nosy was one thing, but Lucas seemed to hear or notice things even she hadn't. Perhaps it was because he didn't limit his interactions as much as she did? Or perhaps he bribed them out of people? It was impressive, either way, but she didn't like anyone being better at her at something so important.
She sighed, in no rush to return to the castle. She watched him leave, then admired the view a little longer. It wasn't as relaxing once the sunshine had faded and made the grounds a bit dull under the cloudy sky. Amara looked forward to the afternoon, as it had been far too long since she'd cursed someone or taken her anger out on an idiot who crossed her or Slytherins. In her more dangerous sense, of course, not the typical day-to-day dominance.
With too much to think about on an empty stomach, she finally conceded that her time at the bridge was finished. Amara gave the grounds a final glance, then headed back. She had a lot of networking to do during lunch anyway, to secure some backup for the afternoon. Not that she needed it, but it would work wonders for intimidation tactics.
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