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Post by aiden on Dec 3, 2008 17:22:23 GMT 1
Upon Aiden's shoulder sat Rosencratz, his pet jobberknoll. A thin chain linked up from a metal bracelet around the bird's foot to a bracelet around Aiden's wrist. Aiden took great care of the bird but the creature still wasn't good at coming back when he was called.
As Aiden waited for his new study partner he tried to talk to the bird. "!dlrow a tahW !dlrow a tahW." There was a science to speaking backwards. Aiden tried to learn is as best he could so when the jobberknoll died and spouted back everything it ever heard in reverse, it would say, "What a world! What a world!" Aiden had heard that in some muggle movie with a witch in it. He forgot the name but it would be funny to hear the little jobberknoll repeat it.
As Aiden understood it, his study partner had lost some time as well. He was a 6th year like Aiden who was supposed to be in his 7th year. Beyond that their circumstances were different. In comparison, Aiden's love curse was a minor annoyance. He couldn't even imagine going through Ashley's problems.
Aiden intended to be as cheerful as he could to Ashley. He had to watch himself from saying anything dark and dreadful about his own issues. Ealier that day Aiden had heard some snickering behind his back by some Slytherins about he and Harmony. It hurt worse than Aiden let on.
He took out his Magical Creatures book. That's where he wanted to begin the studying. He didn't want to get bitten at all during tomorrow's class.
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Post by ashley on Dec 4, 2008 1:33:02 GMT 1
Ashley had spent some time in physical therapy that morning, cursing under his breath as he made a slow and painful way to the Hufflepuff Common Room. He hated how he always had to be the one exception to the rule, how everything somehow had to be different for him. As much as he loved sharing a dorm with the Sixth Years, it wasn't how it was supposed to be. If things had gone according to plan he never would've come to Hogwarts. He'd still be in America, with Axel and Noah and Quidditch. Instead he was here, scrambling to get his life back on track - and losing August in the process.
Oh he knew that he'd been stupid, pushing for something that the other wasn't ready for. It honestly hadn't been his intention, but he'd had a bit of a drink and his boyfriend was just so incredibly cute and good-looking. Still. Ever since that night, August had seemed to become as invisible as ghosts were to Muggles, leaving him alone and miserable.
But tonight he wouldn't think of it. He'd only think of the good things that were here, like Seth and his other, newer friends. Like still being able to be part of the team, even if he wasn't up in the air, playing to his strenghts. Hogwarts had Herbology with one of the worlds best Herbologists. Hogwarts had people like Aiden who had their own history and wouldn't pity him. The thought of that made him smile as he finally got up to the room, struggling with the rug but managing to put his wheelchair next to the table. "Hey Aiden"
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Post by aiden on Dec 4, 2008 14:38:05 GMT 1
"Oh! Hi!" He smiled brightly. Aiden wanted to help but he learned a lot at St. Mungos about people with wheelchairs. Most of it contradicted itself but it basically boiled down to this: Some people didn't want help at all nor did they want to be treated differently in conversations. If they wanted help, they would ask and you helped them with a bright smile. Aiden guessed so far that all Ashley really wanted was a smile and conversation, both things that Aiden could do very well.
"Is there anything you wanted to study first? I picked magical creatures but we can get to that later. I just have this suspicion that tomorrow Argall's gonna show us something that will bite me. I swear he was looking right at me during class like he knew. I could be wrong but he gives me chills.
"And I hope you don't mind that I brought Rosie." Aiden had some apple slices nearby that he'd been feeding the jobberknoll. Rosie had hopped off his shoulder and was heading for them in the middle of the table. "He won't be any trouble. He only bites me."
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Post by ashley on Dec 4, 2008 15:47:20 GMT 1
Ashley smiled as Aidens face seemed to light up at the sight of him. His knowledge of handicapped people was right; if there was anything Ash disliked it was being treated like he was not only incapable of doing things, but also as if he was a complete stupid head. That's why it bugged him more than anything to not be able to do the simplest spells, things he knew he had mastered before the accident. On some days he wondered what he was even doing at Hogwarts, when he could barely keep up his grades.
Not that he wasn't thankful for the chance, he loved being here. He loved being able to learn and although his future was unclear, he was at least alive and had the possibility of making a new future. Ashley really wanted to believe that being in a wheelchair didn't take all his career choices away, that he'd be able to live a full and happy life without too much help. Sometimes he wondered if it was too much to ask, but he never bothered to linger on it. His history could throw anyone into a depression, Ash wasn't about to slip into that spiral as long as he could manage to look at the bright sides.
Looking at Aiden, he nodded when the boy suggested focusing on magical creatures first. It really didn't matter to him what they studied, since he was doing poorly in any subject, save for Herbology. The one good thing about August avoiding him was that he finally had time to catch up on school work. "Sounds good to me, mate." He looked at the pet, shaking his head. "Naw, I don't mind. I like animals."
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Post by aiden on Dec 4, 2008 18:33:23 GMT 1
Aiden fed Rosie an apple slice to get him out of the way. Aiden had already sprawled quite a books all over the table. Some were for some extra credit that Aiden wanted to propose to his teachers. He would take anything he could get. Maybe he could even ask Ashley to join him.
Aiden felt like he was still feeling Ashley out. Aiden kept mostly to himself because he felt that since his father was such a well known coward that nearly got the famous Harry Potter, Ginny Weasley and Ron Weasley killed because of his arrogance, Aiden had to seem apologetic all the time. If he appeared sorry for his father's actions, he was left alone. This shut him off from many people.
"I know the test is two weeks away but studying now would help me catch up." And in flipping open his book from last year a page fluttered out and landed near Ashley. It was a paper with poetry on it and little hearts with the initials saying, "AL luvs HD." He narrowed his eyes at the paper. "I'm also thinking of proposing a divination project where we can burn things and see if we get any messages." Or get rid of them, he thought.
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Post by ashley on Dec 7, 2008 0:20:02 GMT 1
Ashley knew little to nothing about Gilderoy Lockhart, though he had heard some rumors. It was hard to tune out the students gossiping and he caught a little snippet here and there. Most of it seemed too exaggerated to be true and though he was curious, he didn't think that asking Aiden was too good an idea. Instead he just smiled at him, letting the boy talk about his tests.
It was nice to have someone around who was also put back a year, Ash didn't feel as stupid around him as he did around others. It was the reason he'd approached him, wondering if Aiden really was a nice guy. He seemed like it, but he also seemed to like his solitude, and though Ashley could be quite the chatterbox, he had been hesitant about throwing all of himself on the poor unsuspecting Hufflepuff.
When he noticed the paper with little hearts, he just looked at it and chuckled softly as Aiden mentioned burning it. "Oh I don't mind starting us a little fire right here. Prophecies not included, but I can guarantee you some horrible-ending love-stories if you're interested." His smile was warm, the joke obviously referring to himself rather than the other boy.
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Post by aiden on Dec 9, 2008 21:23:01 GMT 1
"Love stories? I think I'm sick of them all no matter what the ending." Aiden smiled happily as he grabbed the paper, crumpled it angrily and put it in his pocket. He'd burn it later but now there was so much work to get done. His curse would have to wait.
At least Ashley was friendly about it. It would have made Aiden feel worse if the boy had tried to ignore the paper. It would be like looking the other way while Aiden was getting a pie in the face. Sometimes no response hurt more because it was like that person was so embarrassed for you that even they don't want to be associated with you.
"I have many extra cedit ideas. Or schemes. Whichever word you prefer. I feel like a saleman trying to pitch the right sale to each professor for better grades. I hope enough of them will work well enough so I won't have to work as hard after New Years. If you'd be interested, we could work together on as many as you have time for. I've been finding most of the professors sympathetic."
Aiden hoped Ashley would say yes. He wouldn't to work as hard if the two of them were putting in the same effort. Plus, Aiden did want to spend more time with Ashley. There was something so inviting about the other boy.
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Post by ashley on Dec 12, 2008 19:37:10 GMT 1
"Love stories? I think I'm sick of them all no matter what the ending."
Ashley smiled at him, happy that Aiden was smiling back at him and not offended by his way of handling things. He found it was often easier to just comment on things than trying to pretend it wasn’t there. Some people did that when they were first confronted with his wheelchair. He could see them looking at him, then they would ignore it and try not to touch on topics that might possibly be connected with walking. He’d even had it happen that someone brought up Quidditch, then almost ran away when they figured they had somehow offended him. Just because he couldn’t walk didn’t mean that he wasn’t learning to deal with it. Ash just wanted people to see him as another normal kid. ”Fair enough. Though if you feel like listening to some of the stupid shit I’ve pulled” In other words, if Aiden wanted a laugh, ”You’re more than welcome.”
He listened to Aiden explaining his scheme to get extra credit and laughed a little. ”In other words, you want someone to share your misery?” Ash gave his dormmate a warm smile. It sounded really good. Working with a tutor was definitely something that would help, and the fact that Aiden was, like him, in an extraordinary situation, made it a lot easier. They wouldn’t feel sorry for each other and instead just focus on the good things. On the fact that they were still here, battered and bruised but by no means broken. ”That sounds really good, Aiden.”
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Post by aiden on Dec 24, 2008 3:59:11 GMT 1
"Oh! I just got a really good idea." Aiden sat up straight and picked up his Magical Creatures book. "We can save so much time." He smiled. He was so proud of himself when he had ideas. Of course, they didn't always work out well but he tried to be optimistic that an idea would work. "I will go ahead and make flashcards for us. While I make them, you can help me in herbology. I understand you're good at it. I have a question for you." Aiden gave Ashley a puzzled and uncomfortable look before picking up another book he'd hidden under the table. It was hiding there because it stank a bit. It looked like it used to be a book about roses but it was somehow it had taken the outward appearence and stink of an onion. "I can't make heads or tails of this book from the library. I signed it out because I wanted to learn more about the magical properties of roses. Were they ever a part of the onion family? I'm terribly confused." (ooc- I think I have a direction for us. lol. If you have one, let me know. We can make both work.)
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Post by ashley on Dec 24, 2008 20:08:10 GMT 1
Flashcards. Ashley grinned back at Aiden, liking the fact that the other was so into catching up. Most people were slacking off, since the Halloween Ball was approaching and they were busy making or buying their costumes, as well as arranging their dates. After he’d broken up with August, Shi had asked him to attend the ball with him as friends and Ash had accepted, knowing that he’d at least have a good time with one of his closest friends.
”Herbology? Yea, I love it. Professor Longbottom is so great! He knows everything,” It was obvious that Ash thought the world of this man. He often took the time to talk to students who were gifted at the subject, regardless of how they were doing in other classes. The Hufflepuff had spent countless hours discussing the latest theories on the use of particular plants. The kid knew that when it came to the subject though, not many people were as interested as he was and tried not to ramble too much when he was answering the question.
”Not as far as I know, though I do know that roses and onions match well when you grow them together. Or with any part of the onion family. My grandmother used to grow roses and garlic together. Made for a very weird smell, but her roses won many a competition.” Ashley glanced at the book, wondering how in the world a library book could look like that. Especially a book on roses. ”If you want a book on roses, I probably have one around here. My aunt sends me books on Herbology...she doesn’t know how else to tell me that she loves me.”
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