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Post by ashley on Jan 2, 2009 23:10:58 GMT 1
He felt better with the wand in his hand, as he always did. Working with Aiden had really helped him and though he was still not up to the standards that were required in his OWL’s, he was at least doing better. It required a lot of practise and more often than not he ended the night with a headache, but he knew that he could do it. He had been able to do it in the past, so why not now? He would show them...show everyone that thought he was retarded that they were dead wrong.
Ashley smiled up at Jake thankfully, wondering why he sounded bitter but deciding not to comment on it. He didn’t want to linger on what had happened, on the way he had responded at first. The older boy had offered them both a nice evening out and he was going to damn well enjoy it. A good meal, some hot chocolate, the company of what promised to be a great friend...yeah, he was going to have fun. Their night in the Prefects Bathroom had been, and they hadn’t touched upon serious subjects then, at least not for a long time. It would suit him just fine to spend a night bantering playfully and sharing embarrassing stories.
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Post by mikeym on Jan 2, 2009 23:29:49 GMT 1
(Skipping to a few hours later...after dinner and such XD)
Jake was considerably more happy now after eating dinner and getting Ash out of the castle. The little voice was still nagging to take it easy with Ash, but the younger male hadn't winced much at all from his injuries. After they'd made it back to the castle they were wandering around the corridors aimlessly. Sipping his hot chocolate he looked over at Ash, smiling a bit. Dinner had been full of laughs and a few embarrassing stories from Jake's childhood.
As they got back to the castle, Jake had just finished telling Ash the one where he ran away from home once when he was six with nothing but his fire-fighter helmet, tricycle and wearing naught but his undies. "After two blocks, I got hungry and turned 'round and went back home and got a cookie from my mum. She had no idea I'd gone anywhere."
He chuckled softly after he finished, shaking his head a little and he took another sip of his drink. "You have any stories you care to share so I'm not the only one embarrassed?" he asked grinning over at Ash.
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Post by ashley on Jan 2, 2009 23:37:53 GMT 1
Laughing still about killed his brain, but he couldn’t help it. The idea of a six-year-old Jake in his underwear gave him an adorable visual that wasn’t too hard to link to the much bigger and more mature Ravenclaw now. Ashley had had a wonderful night, talking to Jake meant skipping from one subject to the next, trading playful insults and remembering the most horrible childhood antics. He grinned, shaking his head a little as if he wasn’t going to tell him any embarrassing stories, but the boys grin seduced him, making him scoff into his drink for a moment.
”How about this...I was three, I think. Went out for groceries with mum. We come to this traffic light and there’s a guy there, in a wheelchair. I look at him, and my three-year-old brain decides to ask the guy if he can’t walk. So far so good, the man turns out to be nice, so he says no, he can’t walk, but that’s why he’s got this cool chair that will do the walking for him” At this, he patted his own wheelchair, knowing full well how lucky he had been that the man hadn’t completely gone off on him at the next question he had asked.
”I just look at him for the longest time, he’s smiling at me right, and then I ask him...If you can’t walk, then why do you have legs?.” True story. His mum had been so embarrassed and agitated, but instead of getting angry, the man had just burst out laughing, claiming that it was a really good question. The light had switched to green then, and had ended their conversation.
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Post by mikeym on Jan 3, 2009 0:04:51 GMT 1
He almost started to protest when Ash looked like he wasn't going to play along and give up one of his own childhood memories, but Jake chuckled softly when he finally did. The thought of a three year old Ash happy with his mum made Jake smile again, let alone the little guy asking someone else in a wheelchair such an odd question.
He laughed softly "I guess that is a good question.." he said setting a hand on one of the handles while walking next to Ash. If you can't walk, then why do you have legs? Jake was glad the guy had taken the toddler's question with a light heart and Ash's mum hadn't told him to be quiet either. Who knew that Ash might just end up as the man was, in a wheelchair with legs. "I guess it's safe to assume that you still have legs so someday you can walk again in this life or the next? You know?" he spoke softly, not meaning to drag the light conversation down to thinking about Ash not being able to walk. He was just wanting to make a comment on it and hoped it wouldn't damper Ash's laughter or smile.
Jake glanced out of a window they passed by knowing it was already late but not after curfew late just yet. His mind wandered a little in thought of where he could possibly go with Ash to keep an eye on him incase he was hurt more than he was letting on.
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Post by ashley on Jan 3, 2009 0:14:54 GMT 1
Ashley just smiled at Jake’s comment. He wasn’t sure whether or not he believed in another life. His parents had never taught him much about religion, though they had always answered all his questions. The boy remembered asking them what happened when someone died, to which they answered that they weren’t sure, but that no matter what, they would always be with him. Maybe it was childish, but he still believed that they were. Sometimes he could practically feel them, when things were tough and he was on the edge, ready to give up. He could hear his mother in his head, not like she was completely there, he wasn’t delusional, but it was a nice feeling all the same.
”When I was younger, I read this book...It was about two boys who went to heaven, only they called it Nangijala. They were brothers, and when they got to this place, every flaw they had...it just disappeared. I used to think that it was stupid” Maybe not the response Jake had expected, but it was true. To a young Ashley O’Neill, who had been raised to respect everyone the way they were, it made no sense to have a heaven in which all flaws were erased. If there was a God and they had made everyone a certain way for a reason, then why would it be undone after your death? And if this so-called God loved everyone despite their flaws, what sense would it make to make them flawless?
”I suppose it all has a reason. I doubt I’ll figure it out soon...but things happen because they have to.” A lot of people would disagree with him, but he liked this reasoning. Because it got him through the tough times. The idea that in the end, it would all work out for the best. Ash glanced up at Jake, smiling. It was nice that he could share things like this with the older male.
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Post by mikeym on Jan 3, 2009 0:25:57 GMT 1
Jake listened quietly, a little surprised that the conversation had taken a religious twist. He only had himself to blame for speaking of another life. He racked his brain trying to recall if he'd ever read the book that Ashley was speaking about but he couldn't recall such a thing. "That does sound odd.." he shrugged a shoulder, thinking about his own small religious experiences.
His father was catholic, but never attended church unless it was during the holidays and his mother didn't seem to be much of a religious woman but she enjoyed attending services during holidays so all Jake knew was basically about Christmas Mass at the Catholic church his parents took the family too on Christmas Eve. Jake wasn't sure what he personally believed just yet. There were too many possibilities and stories to choose from to just pick one and hang on every word.
"Hopefully you won't find that out soon.." Jake moved his hand from the wheelchair handle to Ash's shoulder, giving it a squeeze and he smiled back at him. Talking just about everything with Ash was nice, it was good to have someone to talk to about these things that wouldn't judge or take offense. Jake glanced around their surroundings and noticed that they were at the stairs in front of them that led up to the other floors and towers and off to the right was where the Hufflepuff Common Room was. He didn't want Ashley to retire to his room just yet so he changed the subject to something random. Looking up the stairs he spoke up "Have you ever been in the Room of Requirement?" he asked sounding a little aloof but he didn't want to flat out say that he was worried about Ash's injuries.
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Post by ashley on Jan 3, 2009 0:53:18 GMT 1
Ashley tilted his head at the question, looking positively confused for a moment. ”The room of what now?” He’d only been here a full two months and though Louis had mentioned meeting Kris there at least once a week it had completely slipped his mind now that Jake randomly entered it into the conversation. He was wondering where the other was going with this, whether this had anything to do with the subject they’d talked about.
Glancing around, he noticed that they were close to the corridor that led back to the dorms and he bit his lip. It was late, nearing curfew, judged by the lack of students in the hallway. Like the night before, he felt that he didn’t want to really leave Jake. ”Will you walk me back to my dorm? Or...wheel me there?” He gave the older male a smile, wanting to selfishly stretch the time they had left.
Sure, they could hang out again in the morning, but he didn’t really feel like lying in bed and thinking about what had happened after class. It was something he would deal with, but not as long as he could postpone it. It was a nice thought to spend some more time with Jake, who had managed to cheer him up a great deal. For a second, the thought of inviting the other up to his dorm crossed his mind, but he quickly dismissed it. That would not be a good idea, no matter how hard his brain tried to convince him otherwise.
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Post by mikeym on Jan 3, 2009 1:15:45 GMT 1
Jake grinned, he'd forgotten that Ash hadn't been there for very long "The Room of Requirement.. it's this room that shows up only when a person has real need of it. Fully equipped with just about anything you need, except food. That you have to ask the House Elves for before going up there." he explained hoping he had peeked Ash's interest.
He glanced down the right where a door led to the hall to the dorms and he shook his head no "No.. but I'll walk you up to the Room on the seventh floor." he said, stepping over to be in the way of Ash going to his dorm. He smiled back at Ash, silently pleading for him to come upstairs instead of going back to his room. Jake just didn't want to say why he wanted him to tag along.
In the RoR Jake would be able to distract Ash enough to keep an eye on him and possibly keep him up just to make sure he didn't have any sort of head injury.
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Post by ashley on Jan 3, 2009 1:38:44 GMT 1
Ash only half listened to the explanation, wondering how he could prolong his time with Jake when the other suddenly claimed he was going to walk him to the room on the seventh floor. He was curious as to what the Room would turn into when the Ravenclaw wanted it to be there, and also whether or not they would have a real need for it. Sure, they wanted to spend some extra time together, but did they really need a weird, secret room for that? Jake could just ask him to go somewhere else for a while.
But honestly, Ashley was too tired to bring up any of these issues, instead just smiling as he rubbed at his forehead for a moment, wishing that the damn headache would just go away. ”Alright..sure. Sounds good.” If the room did appear, he was hoping that it would have a bed so he could lie down and a Potion that would numb his headache at least a little.
”How did you find out about the room?” His curiosity got the best of him, the blonde trying to force his headache to the background so it wouldn’t consume his entire being. He didn’t want Jake to think that he was blowing him off or something.
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Post by mikeym on Jan 3, 2009 3:23:02 GMT 1
Jake nodded, grinning slightly "Alright" he murmured. After that he headed up the staircases with Ash. Having to levitate him up the flights but Jake didn't mind. Too bad Hogwarts didn't have any enchanted lifts to help other students that might come who were wheelchair bound. He wondered if Professor McGonagall had thought about adding any of those on since Ash was here now.
Finally making it to the seventh floor, Jake took his charm off of the Hufflepuff's wheelchair. "Hope that wasn't a bumpy ride for you.." he said giving Ash's shoulder a little squeeze before he walked beside him down the hall stopping before he got to the tapestry. "Here's how it works. We'll walk by this wall three times, and while we do that, we'll both concentrate on a place that we want to appear. The only time it doesn't work is if we can go somewhere else, but there's not much choice since curfew is coming up."
He really hoped the room would appear, he just wanted a comfortable room with maybe a couch and fireplace to just hang out with Ash so he could keep an eye on the younger male. That would be what he concentrated on, he hoped Ash would think of something too incase there was something he needed but didn't tell Jake about.
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