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Post by ashley on Oct 1, 2008 20:26:34 GMT 1
Ashley had gone to bed late this night, hoping that if he was tired enough, he would sleep straight through the nightmares. Sure, they'd bother him while he was dreaming, but he wouldn't wake up screaming like he had a few nights in a row now. He had cast a silencing charm around his curtains the first night, but was worried that people might have heard regardless - there were some odd looks the next morning.
Tonight, after spending the entire day either chatting to Seth, in class or doing physical therapy, he was so exhausted that he snuggled into the covers with just his boxers on, forgetting all about the charm as he fell asleep.
At first, the nightmares stayed away, and he dreamt about Seth, the Muggleborn he had randomnly met during a holiday. They had become quick friends once they realised both were wizards, and had always stayed in touch, even when Ashley went back to school in America. Now that he was new at Hogwarts, he had been counting on his friend more and more. Seth was truly his best friend.
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Seth Hevulen
Hogwarts Student (A)
Hufflepuff 6th Year
Posts: 153
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Post by Seth Hevulen on Oct 1, 2008 21:54:05 GMT 1
Unusually for Seth, he had retired to bed an hour before his friend. His best friend, some would argue his only friend. But he did socialise with other people, he just didn't talk as much around them. He felt comfortable talking to Ash, and he liked him.
Seth worried about his friend. Since the accident something hadn't been the same. Ash would be slightly rattier in the mornings, or Seth wouldn't hear a peep from him all night. Which was odd, during the holidays before Ash had come to Hogwarts, they'd be up half the night chatting. So this was a different situation, it still meant something was wrong in Seth's eyes.
Despite Ash's desperate attempts to hide his nightmares however, Seth knew. He always knew when soething was up with him, and one night, as he worried, he stayed up, watched his friend - sat on the side of his bed as he tossed and turned. Yet he heard nothing. Ash's spell remained and quite what his friend dreamt about Seth was yet to find out.
Being the light sleeper that he was, when the dorm door opened to show Ash heading for bed, Seth lay awake in his own bed, not alerting his best friend to his conscious state. through the gap in the curtains of his bed he watched as Ash got himself into his bed. He gulped, tonight he was going to keep an eye on him. Whatever happened tonight, Seth would know about it.
It inrigued him when Ash didn't put his spell on his four poster. Tonight would be the night Seth found out what made Ash yell out in the middle of the night.
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Post by ashley on Oct 2, 2008 12:50:24 GMT 1
Ashley usually didn't close the curtains completely. It made him feel unsafe, locked up, like he had been in that car. It reminded him of the heat in the car, of the fire that was suddenly all around him. Of how it had greedily devoured his father. It reminded him of how he had caught the last flicker of life in his mothers eyes. Closing the curtains always made him shiver, and he left them opened a little, taking the chance that anyone might see.
He hadn't told Seth. Mainly because he didn't want to worry or upset his friend. And partly because he had trouble admitting to himself that he wasn't the same boy anymore. He tried so hard, to be the Ash Seth had known, but mostly he just wanted to scream. They hadn't talked about the accident, actually he had never told anyone. As soon as he had come out of his coma, had learned about his parents death, he had been focused on getting better. On moving on.
But it all came back in his dreams. He was tossing and turning now, seeing images he wanted desperately to forget. His father, blood on his face and his arm in a strange position - outstretched because he had tried to protect his son. His mother, who was moaning weakly, focusing her gaze on her son as life faded from her. As her brown eyes grew dull, he heard her whisper five little words. "We will always love you."
The words were on his lips, but they never actually made it out of his mouth, formed into sound. The images were getting blurry now, because he'd faded too, he was bleeding all over his cellphone and remembered hearing the ambulance in the distance as flames and heat were overtaking him. And then he just woke up, screaming.
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Seth Hevulen
Hogwarts Student (A)
Hufflepuff 6th Year
Posts: 153
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Post by Seth Hevulen on Oct 2, 2008 14:05:04 GMT 1
Seth kept his light enchantment going inside his four-poster’s curtained walls. Grabbing some parchment and a quill from his bed side table, and pushing his glass back up his nose, he started writing his essay for potions. One of his worst subjects, he had never been a scientist in primary school, he much rather believe in spells and magic then mix elixirs.
He kept quiet, allowing his friend to sleep. His sleeping patterns had been interrupted enough with whatever had been going on in his head recently, he needed to catch up on all the zees he’d been missing out on. Continually looking over at his friend through the gap in his curtains it was hard to judge how he was fairing, only being able to see the lump that was Ash under the covers.
A few hours past, and on seeing the lump under the covers move frantically Seth took that as his cue. Jumping through the gap in his curtains and pulling back on Ash’s, he sat himself on the edge of his bed. Calling out Ash’s name repeatedly, yet quietly, in order not to wake the others. Seth reach out his hand, across Ash’s body and onto his shoulder, shaking him gently. It was no use.
He was mouthing words now, Seth, unable to lip read didn’t take this as a good sign and shook him some more. ”Ash, mate, come on, wake up!” he said slightly louder than he had been saying his name before, ”Ash!” he said, louder still.
The abrupt movement of Ash as he woke up and screamed knocked Seth off of balance for a second before he quickly grabbed at his friend and pulled him into a hug. ”It’s alright mate,” he said quietly, ”It was just a bad dream,” he whispered reassuringly into his ear.
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Post by ashley on Oct 2, 2008 14:38:10 GMT 1
He shot up, shivering violently as he gulped in breath after breath. His first instinct was to fight off the arms that were around him. It was too tight, too warm, too much of everything to calm down. Ashley hadn't been hugged much, ever since the accident people seemed scared to touch him, as if his condition would spread somehow. He hated it, almost as much as when someone looked at him with pity.
The last person to hug him was Noah, his boyfriend (or was it ex-boyfriend now?). He knew about him, mostly from Seth, but his memories were coming back slowly. Relaxing slightly when he realized that this was his best friend, he curled deeper into his arms, breathing in the scent that always made him relax.
”It was just a bad dream,”
If only that were the truth. If only it was just a bad dream, but it was the truth. It had happened, exactly like that. He'd heard it in the carefully weighed words of the nurses. He had seen it in the eyes of his aunt, the eyes of Seth as he'd flown over to America just to sit at his bedside. He could never thank him enough for being there when he opened his eyes.
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Seth Hevulen
Hogwarts Student (A)
Hufflepuff 6th Year
Posts: 153
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Post by Seth Hevulen on Oct 2, 2008 15:40:15 GMT 1
Seth moved his head back slightly as Ash tried to push him away. Frowning slightly but keeping Ash close. Seth let out a breath he didn’t know he had been holding as his friend relaxed into the hug. He didn’t want him to be scared. He just wanted him to feel safe. He’d barely hugged his friend since the accident – it didn’t seem right somehow. He was so confused over Noah, and everything that had been happening. Now it happened on instinct.
Holding him close and running his slender fingers * through the ends of Ash’s hair in attempt to sooth him. ”Wanna talk about it?” he offered quietly, his warm breath on Ash’s ear.
Seth knew his friend was thankful for him being there for him. Seth could had hardly stayed at home know his closest friend might never wake up again. He’d spent every waking moment at his bedside – only ever leaving for toilet breaks. He hadn’t wanted to leave for bed, but the nurses forced him too. His mum had kept him alive with trips to the canteen to get him food.
”It’s alright mate,” he mumbled, ”It’s over.”
(OOC - *cringe* so short and rubbishy!) (* aka *noms Dougs dfingers*)
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Post by ashley on Oct 2, 2008 15:51:35 GMT 1
Ashley shook his head at first, wrapping his arms around Seth and closing his eyes so firmly that he could see little specks dancing in the dark. He hated nights like this, nightmares like this, they always made him shiver and afraid to go back to sleep. "It's...It's just that night" He said, pain and longing in his voice. Sometimes all he wanted was to have died with his parents.
Things were all so different now. His life had been back in America, his love had been there. They had talked about marriage before the accident, and now he was here, and he was single. Single and lonely, because he couldn't force Seth to spend all of his time with him. Even if part of him wanted to be selfish, he couldn't do that. What if his friend wanted a relationship with some girl? It wouldn't be fair to force him to lead a single life just because nobody wanted to date a kid in a wheelchair.
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Seth Hevulen
Hogwarts Student (A)
Hufflepuff 6th Year
Posts: 153
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Post by Seth Hevulen on Oct 2, 2008 17:39:52 GMT 1
Seth rocked slightly as he kept a tight hold of his friend. He didn't want to treat the guy as a kid, he was far from it, but he knew the motion soothed him when he needed it and prayed it had the same effect on Ash.
"It's just that night," he heard him say into his shoulder. Seth knew exactly which night he was implying, he thought as much. There wasn't anything he could say that would make Ash feel better. Telling him thee was nothing he could do only made him angry, he was a 'wizard for gods sake, why couldn't I save them'. Telling him it would be alright only gained the reply 'No it won't'. Smiling was wrong. Looking concerned only made Ash angry, and looking worried made Ash apologetic for worrying his friend.
"It's over," was about the only thing Seth could say without having it thrown back at him, "It's okay," the second comment would often receive a retaliation of 'No it's not' or 'How can it ever be okay' but Ash really was going to be alright. Seth would see to that. Running one of his hands up and down Ash's spin, Seth pulled aay slightly. Hunching his back and looking up through his glasses at his friend Seth offered him a small smile. "You're safe here."
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Post by ashley on Oct 3, 2008 12:56:19 GMT 1
Seth knew him like no other, knew the exact responses that would come if he said something stupid. He'd said them all at one point or another, and gotten a glare or a punch in response. Ash knew it wasn't fair to treat his best friend this way, but sometimes he needed someone to be angry at and Seth always stuck around. His dorky, quiet best friend who was there for him whenever he needed it. Who always gave him what he was looking for, even if Ashley didn't know what he wanted.
Seth was always there, and he was so fucking grateful that he didn't have words for it. He just nuzzled Seths throat in an attempt to thank him without words, shivering slightly as the fingers ran down his spine. He had always liked that, but now it felt odd because the lower he went, the less he felt. "It will never be okay" He whispered weakly, tears attached to his eyelashes. "I never told you, but I saw her die. The last words she said to me were 'We will always love you.' But I didn't save them. I was a wizard and I didn't...I couldn't..."
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Seth Hevulen
Hogwarts Student (A)
Hufflepuff 6th Year
Posts: 153
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Post by Seth Hevulen on Oct 3, 2008 13:52:29 GMT 1
Seth inwardly groaned. One of his taboo statements and he’d gone and said it. Taking Ash back full yin his arms, resting his cheek on his head, feeling his hot breath on his throat. Bringing his hand back up Ash’s back to rest at the trails of his hair, flicking one of his fingers out to push his wire frames back up his nose.
”It will get better,” he insisted, still rocking backwards and forwards slightly.
”We will always love you,” Seth considered it, made sense, in the fact that Ash had been mouthing words before he’d woken up. Seth didn’t know what to say to this however. What could you say? Even when you know a person better than you know yourself, you still struggle to come up with the right words.
”No wizard can bring people back to life,” Seth said quietly after a few minutes, ”You know that. You were trapped too, mate. There was nothing you could do. You can’t blame yourself,” Seth had dealt with this part before. All of it, in fact. Nobody else had ever had these words said to them, for starters none of the Muggles would believe him, he would have been locked up in the psych ward for one.
Seth knew Ash knew it too. No matter what he said in retrospect it was an accident. There was nothing anybody could do, for any of them. Once death took you, that’s how you remained, dead.
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