(Untitled)

[gil_weston]

Week Name / Date / Time: 'Trick or Treat' / Tuesday, November 1st / 7:30 a.m.
Location: Teachers' Lounge
Open to: Larae, Professors
Currently Involving: Gil

Comments

[prof_dalina]

Larae wasn't a happy camper. She'd actually been there. She'd seen the bodies. Niki's eyes.....She'd never forget them. They way they just looked off into space, never actually seeing anything. The horrible things that had happened the night before, they would hount her. She just knew it.

She walked into the teacher's lounge, her mind clouded by her own thoughts. She was so preoccupied, she didn't even notice Gil sitting there. As a matter of fact, she didn't until after she had gotten her coffee, and had sat down.

Looking up from the steaming mug, she noticed him. Oh, well, this was awkward. First time they had been alone since the childish incident. Of course, it was her fault on the large. She'd acted very rash. So, maybe it was time to settle this, and try to get things back to normal with them.

"Hello, Gil."

[gil_weston]

Gil looked up as Larae entered, his eyes following her as she busied herself with making her coffee. He actually wondered for a moment if she was going to ignore him and pretend that he wasn't even in the room, but when she sat and loooked genuinely surprised he breathed a bit easier.

Apparently she'd just been too caught up in her own thoughts; couldn't say that he blamed her.

"Larae," he replied somberly, giving her a slow nod in greeting. He paused, looking down to his coffee before taking a long, slow sip. He let the hot liquid slip down his throat before he took a deep breath and looked back to her.

"How're you?"

It wasn't exactly an idle sort of 'how are you'; no, it was definitely a concerned, worred question.

[prof_dalina]

Larae nodded back at him. She then turned and focused on her coffee for a moment. She just wanted to get lost in it. Never to return to reality. Niki. Chamberlayne. Dead. She shuddered, and then looked back up at the man sitting across from her. A man that she had once had a great friendship with.

And apparently? He still cared for her. The tone of his voice. It showed his worry. Maybe they could be friends again after all. "Oh, to be completely honest? I'm horrible. Nicholette was one of my favorite students. She showed so much promise. And....well, she's gone. And it happened here. What if it happens again?"

[gil_weston]

As Larae mentioned Niki, Gil cringed; she'd been an excellent student of his, as well. She always seemed to be so excited by the subject, to exhibit a true interest in it. And to know that a mind was gone, wasted away on a disgusting whim of a murderer... it was depressing.

He swallowed hard, then nodded at her slowly. "Yes, she was a delight," he agreed, feeling a lump in his throat as he referred to her in the past-tense. That was a somber notion -- past. As in no longer there.

Her last question made him look more determined, however, and he shook his head. "I don't believe it will happen again, Larae. I know that the security's already been tightened, more frequent shifts in patrolling and such. I believe the problem was being... alone, in the wrong place."

[prof_dalina]

Larae saw that Gil was apparently uncomfortable talking about Niki.

She nodded. "Yes, she was. A great learner. Always thirsting for knowledge, and willing to help others if they needed it." She shook her head mournfully. This was a sad subject, and it hurt to talk about it.

Larae nodded. "Yes, I figured as much. I've been told that my shifts are close to being doubled." Fine by her. Protecting the students at all costs. "Yes, an announcement should be made to never be alone."

She took another sip of coffee, and turned back to look at him. "So, how've you been?"

[gil_weston]

Gil nodded idly as she spoke, not caring to dwell on the subject more than necessary. It probably wasn't good for him to keep it all bottled up, to not talk about it, but for now it was good. It meant that he didn't have to think about the fact that death had occurred here while he was supposed to be on watch.

Of course, he was neither a House Head, nor an Auror - but he still felt that responsibility; to protect the children. And to know he'd not been on top of things was a sour feeling.

Her question was welcome, and he gave her a weak smile. "As good as can be expected," he replied. "Considering there's been death, fear, and I've lost a rather good friend."

There. Just put it all out there.

[prof_dalina]

Yes. Time for a change of subject, no? It wasn't good to dwell on death, no matter how much you liked the person who died. Happy place, Larae, happy place.

She nodded. "Yes, as good as can be expected. Which, considering? Is a great deal." She arched her brow as he mentioned losing a good friend. "Oh, were you close to Chamberlayne? I'd only met him once, but, he did kill a rat for me..."

[gil_weston]

"Close?" he replied, holding the mug with both hands, making sure that it was keeping his palms warm. "No, I'd not say that we were close in the least. We attended school together, of course. Housemates, even..."

His eyes looked rather far off as he recalled just how close they were. After all, they'd both fallen into the wrong group back in school. As if trying to prove themselves.

Thank Merlin they'd both gotten out of that. Clearing his thoughts, he looked back to Larae with a small smile.

"Killed a rat?" he asked gently, realizing that she thought he was talking about Chamberlayne when he mentioned losing a good friend. One step at a time, he supposed.

[prof_dalina]

Larae looked at him quizzically. Well, who was the bloke talking about then, if not Chamberlayne? She shrugged it off and smiled at him. "Oh, I see."

"Oh yes. You see, Ronnie and I were trapped in here, just a few weeks ago, and he came in and...well, transformed into a cat, he's an animagious, did you know? Well, to make a long story short, he killed it, and Ronnie threw it out the window." She giggled, the story seemed so silly now that she thought about it. And so much for not letting the story leave the circle...

[gil_weston]

Good Lord, that sounded quite like Veronica Sullivan, didn't it? Gil gave a small chuckle, then nodded. "Well, quite nice of him to rescue you both, then." He looked down at his coffee, falling silent for a moment.

He didn't want to put any stress on them, especially as they were both speaking quite cordially with one another. But then again, he didn't want to leave these things unsaid. So, taking a deep breath, he looked up and spoke.

"I'm sorry about everything, Larae," he said softly, looking utterly sincere.

[prof_dalina]

Larae laughed softly and nodded. "Yes, it was very nice of him." Her smiled faultered a little as she spoke. She'd met the man only briefly, but had liked him well enough.

And then....the bomb. It completely caught her off guard. She wasn't expecting an apology from him, and when it came? Her heart soared. This was fabulous. Maybe now all the drama of the past could be forgotten, and they might actually work back up to a friendship again.

She smiled at him. "No, Gil. I'm the one who should be sorry. I was childish and immature. So, sorry."

[gil_weston]

Gil had held his breath, but he released it as she apologized as well and smiled. That made him feel a lot better, and he returned her smile with one of his own.

"Honestly, I just wanted you to know that I never meant to hurt you," he replied, nodding. "I wanted to... well, it just didn't work out. I don't think it would ever work out."

He paused, then reached out and placed a hand on hers lightly. "But I've missed you. I've missed our teas, our chats."

[prof_dalina]

Larae smiled at him. "Oh, Gil. I know that you never meant to hurt me. You're too kind." She tilted her head and sighed. "But, you're right. It wouldn't have, and it's better to have gotten it out of our system then to have went on...well, then to have me go on thinking other things." She nodded and smiled once more at him.

She smiled warmly as he laid a hand on hers. It was gone. The thrill she used to recieve when he touched her was no longer there. That was a relief. "So've I, Gil. So have I."

[gil_weston]

Gil returned the warm smile with one of his own; one that she'd perhaps seen so rarely, because he was usually so caught up in not smiling. Not letting her see what he may've felt for her a long time ago.

But now.. it was sort of liberating. To be himself and not worry about being cruel to her. To keep her at a distance. It was refreshing.

"That's settled then," he replied softly, nodding. "We'll have to have a tea date soon, I hope?" he added, pulling back and picking up his coffee before standing. He needed to get to class, after all; there would surely be somber faces waiting for him.

He looked down, still giving her a soft smile, then nodded his head in a goodbye.

[prof_dalina]

Well now, that was different. That warm smile, she wasn't used to those coming from Gil. Well now, this was a good sign.

She nodded. "Oh, yes. We shall. We need to catch up." She smiled at him as he stood up. With a slight wave at his nodding head, she watched him go.

Well, that was surely a good distraction from thinking of the murders. She sighed and mumbled to herself. "Here we go...." And she got up, heading for her classroom.