(Untitled)

[opheliaballard]

Week Name/Date/Time: 'The Season Begins' / Sunday, November 27th / 2:20pm
Location: Corriders near Gryffindor Common Room
Open To: Mummy's Boy, then this Erik bloke
Currently Involving: Ophelia

Comments

[erikcohen]

ERIK VALENTIN COHEN WAS VERY VERY HEALTHY AND EXTREMELY MANLY, kiitos. It was sad that such an extraordinary bloke was going to have a very history repeating type of encounter. Make a 5th year Slytherin girl angry? She brings along a 7th year Slytherin bloke to crucio you. Anger a 3rd year Slytherin girl? She brings a 5th year Slytherin bloke to... erm... throw around some insults?

He bounded out of the Gryffindor Common Room with determination. Ride the staircases! It was like getting exercise, but not so much. Thrilling for about ten minutes until it became dull. This was Erik's way of life. But he was not going to make it to the staircases, as two very green figures approached from the end of the corridor. And the little-ish one he recognised instantly.

"MALLARD! Oy there, duckling! I knew you'd be back to see me sometime, can't resist the Cohen...charm...," Erik said mischievously, though lost his focus at the end as he noticed the person with her was Hargreaves.

Hmmmn? WHAT on EARTH was he doing around Gryffindor Tower with the Mallard? Were they out to get Phillip or summat? Erik wouldn't stand for anyone going after his best mate all sneaky like in the corridors. He'd had it happen to him, and it ended in the most excruciating pain of his life. Not that he thought it would be quite so bad for Phillip, but still.

"Hullo there, Hargreaves," Erik greeted him with just a slight nod of the head. Erik Cohen was not much of a fighter. Only when it came to Wes, and there were very personal reasons behind all that.

[opheliaballard]

Necessary? NECCESSARY? If Hargydear hadn't been an alright sort of bloke (and it was always nice having older years to tote about) Ophelia would have exploded at him then and there. But her brain processes did have some semblance of order... well, they imitated having some semblance of order anyway. On occassion.

Instead she planted her hands firmly on her hips and stared him very patiently down. "I've done this already. Loads of times. Once he even hexed me, if you can believe. Audacity, I tell you. Heads as big as very large and round and ugly balloons. Didn't even seem too choked up about the letters and I got Preston to help me with that," Ophelia went on, neverminding the fact that Hargreaves may not have the slightest idea what she was babbling about. What was important was that he went along with her, really. Wesley or Preston or even Iago would never go along with this, or if they would, they'd be very put out about it. Preston may even pout. Ta ta.

AH NOW THERE HE WAS. Ophelia attempted to refrain from rubbing her palms together in the very image of a plotting evil doer, but alas, it was too difficult to not do. Him calling her Mallard stopped the Rubbing of Doom immediantly, however, and her face grew a very serious smirk.

"Cohen. Couldn't resist the thrall of your Common Room really. Your 'charm' is what kept me away, kept all us away really. Honestly, the SMELL of it. I hear your younger years babbling about it during Potions 'Blahblahblah Cohen, awful bloke, shame about the smell'," she babbled away, not really paying attention to what was said, her eyes instead sliding to Hargy, standing looking all... non confrontational.

"Anyway, it's Hargy who really wants to see you," she drawled, choosing each word extremely carefully, which made it all the more frightening being unwholly uncharacteristic of the Ballard. She tapped her foot with infinite slowness and ease and shot the stupid mudbloody brotherless Gryffindor scum a smile.

[hargreaves_b]

Hargreaves looked down at her apologetically. He really had to tilt his head to look at her, him being much taller, making it more awkward. "I know you being hexed is all fun and games and such, but I would prefer to not be today. I already was last week." He tried to keep up with her babbling, half of which he didn't even understand. Then again, this was Ophelia, after all. He was both afraid of her and respected her at the same time. She was frightening as ever, but that worked on the Quidditch pitch. A loose cannon, on a broom, hitting anything in her gaze, like a shark. Eat, sleep, hit things. Though, Hargreaves was a believer in 'finesse,' not simply throwing yourself somewhere before you think.

His stomach seemed to drop when Erik Cohen walked out. His gut instinct told him to bolt and run for it. This was another disaster waiting to happen. However, he remained there, absently listening to Ophelia's insults, trying to hide the sense of glee it gave him.

That sense of glee was wiped away when Ophelia told him HE wanted to see Erik. He turned white, even whiter than he usually was, and gulped. "No, you must be mistaken, I don't want to see Erik, I came up to pay Maslin a visit! Erik, Blaze, it's a common misunderstanding, you know. Ophelia just doesn't listen!" he smiled to Erik, anxiously.

[erikcohen]

The smell of his charm? What in bloody hell was this ducky bird going on about? He wasn't really all that concerned with what younger years were saying. Honestly! Juhi loved him, but not so much that she'd neglect telling him that he smelled badly. The only younger years he could think of off the top of his head either adored him, were afraid of him, or were Slytherins. The third group, obviously, was the one in which Ophelia belonged.

He gave her a lopsided sort of grin as she babbled on. While it was clear he was slightly confused as to what this confrontation was about, he was also extremely amused. Aside from the whole wish-he-were-deader-than-dead (because he was a 'mudblood') thing, he found the Mallard to be hilariously unique. He meant it as a compliment, really.

Hargreaves wanted to see him? That was hardly making sense to Erik. He'd only really seen the bloke in classes, and while Phillip always talked about fighting with him, Erik had never really had any problems. In all honesty, Erik wasn't willing to lose some fingers over mere house rivalry.

"Don't know why you're so hostile, Mallard. All I ever did was try and help you with the vegetable disease. It was a favour, not an attack," Erik said, shaking his head as if disappointed with her.

He'd barely been involved. It had been Fi's adventure really. At least he didn't tell her the whole bit about her name suiting her because she was quacked.

"Blaze and Erik sound nothing alike, Hargreaves. You sure you didn't need anything? Help with an assignment or... what have you?" Erik tried to remain civil, though he knew Ophelia was behind all of this. It couldn't have been more clear she wanted the two of them to pull out their wands and bloody themselves up. He wasn't in need of THAT, kiitos!

[opheliaballard]

Ophelia was honestly beginning to think this Erik bloke was not all the trouble of climbing 8,000 stairs, thwapping two dowdy old paintings, losing a bookbag to Peeves' head, and dragging Hargreaves all over the bloody school for. No site of a hex yet, and awfully slow at that. Why in the whole bleeding world would she trounce up through all that to bring Hargy to get help for an assignment? Help from this daft Erik-creature? SHE RATHER THOUGHT NOT. RATHER.

"I think I've a different memory than yours, poor Cub. Bad habit you know, Gryffindor's often bang their head up against walls, but I really do think you should stop," Ophelia tapped the side of her head and grinned. "Knocks the brainses loose, seeee?"

Twiddling her thumbs at him, she bounced back over to Hargy and pushed the older boy. Really, Blaze? They were both terribly daft.

"BLAZE NO! ASSIGNMENT NO! HARGREAVES IS HERE TO DEFEND MINE HONOUR!" she screeched out suddenly, driving several portraits back behind their framework and breaking a pane of glass a few corridors down. She vaguely wondered if some blithering first year would be happy enough to wonder onto said panes of broken glass, but alas, a thought to store away for later.

She nudged Hargy once and pushed him hard in front of Erik, smiling sweetly at him all the while. "There there now Hargydear. Mummy will be ever so proud," she added, winking at him lovingly and twining her hands together.

[hargreaves_b]

Hargreaves groaned and turned around, pacing the hallways, rubbing the back of his neck, trying to keep in the frustration he was feeling. Having another Gryffindor classmate of his wanting to curse and hex him left and right was the LAST thing he needed. Of course, the mere prospect of hexing anyone at all affiliated with Phil in ANY way seemed rather nice, there was no way he could go off causing a ruckus. Had to make cordial and nice, after all. He'd been doing it for five years, and didn't see any point in stopping now.

Meanwhile, Ophelia had taken off and was now breaking things, but not before giving Hargreaves a swift push right into Erik. He flinched back and pulled on his sweater, horrified. Honourable?! This girl was honourable?! She was losing her marbles! All Hargy could do was stare in terror, wondering how on earth she could come from such a 'fine' family.

HOWEVER, his family knew her family, so there must have been something of merit there. At least there was a connection.

Not wanting to stir up any trouble, Hargreaves meekly sighed, "Well, you see, Ophelia told me we were going to. . .hex a painting or something." He was ever so good at lying, he thought, and perhaps the Gryffindor would catch on. "But there's no fun if you're around, so I suppose I'd better be off. . ." His eyes darted across the corridor, searching for an exit. Sure, he was wussing out, but sometimes it was better to stay out of trouble and behind the scenes rather than attempt the usual Ballard Maneuvers.

[erikcohen]

Erik Cohen's brain was about ready to spill out his ears into a puddle on the floor. Mixed signals, very confusing Ophelia ranting and Hargreaves pacing the corridor as if he had some sort of heavy burden on his shoulders. Honestly, Erik hardly cared about what Hargreaves was up to on a daily basis. The bloke barely touched his wand, Phillip constantly explaining how easily he'd won duels and such. Obviously there was something wrong with him, as he was willingly spending time with the Mallard! Bah. He didn't know whether to hex the boy and give Ophelia the sight she wasn't expecting (her help being made a fool of), or just step to the side and let it go.

Erik Cohen only fought for a purpose he deemed worthy. To appease Ballard-y children was not one of them.

"Seems we're on the same page here. If 'beating my head against a wall' is a metaphor for listening to your gibberish," Erik said, crossing his arms over his chest and waiting for her to stop screaming. Probably a waste of his time, as she never seemed to shut her mouth. Not even to let Hargreaves throw around some insults... if he was going to, that is.

"I think the Mallard's made it clear you're here to defend her honour, Hargish one. Might as well face facts," Erik said with a sympathetic smile and turned back to Ophelia, shaking his head.

"Honestly, have you any idea who you're trying to put him up against? Trust me, I've been in worse situations and come out alive," Erik warned her, for Hargreaves' sake really.

[opheliaballard]

Although 'Ophelia ranting' may most always be described as 'very confusing', Ophelia herself was having trouble understanding what was going on. The problem was that, even in her own adled way, she usually kept tabs on what was generally happening. But here Hargy was spouting nonsense and Erik blathering like he always seemed to do and she had an annoyed feeling about how they were both treading dangerously into her neck of the woods and what all.

"There's NO PAINTINGS INVOLVED HARGY... dear. Didn't we discuss this? We diiiiid, poor thing. Losing one's mind is so sad in one so young. Memory a precious thing," Ophelia took the older boys hand and gave it a comforting pat as the last bit of what Erik had said sunk into her brain, which had blocking out any Gryff emitted words for the most part.

She turned to face the other boy and gave him an unreadable look before beaming at him. "Oh you don't look to tough to me. From what I've heard. Either. All ridiculous plant hair and your face looks like an octowhatsit and lookit, not so far from the ground are we?" Ophelia finished this scattered sentences in a jumble of quick words, apparently hoping to win back her reputation as someone that induces confusion.

"Anyhow, hop to it Hargy. Haven't got all day," she took the hand she had been patting and pulled it towards and then away from her, towards the Gryff. Why he did look evasive. Nice protecter he was. She should write to his mum, she should!

[hargreaves_b]

Hargreaves shot Ophelia a horrified look. Merlin, what a person had to put UP with to 'maintain connections'! He highly doubted his father ever had to do something like this. Flinching as she grabbed his hand, he snatched it back as if he had been diseased.

He looked at Erik. Sure, Hargreaves was a bit taller than he was, but physical strength off the Quidditch pitch was something he had to work on. . .BADLY.

This was turning out to be a horrible, terrible week. Rolling his eyes as he was pushed into Erik yet again, he had given up. Well, I'd better get used to it, he thought to himself, holding his arms out, bracing himself for either a punch or a hex. He could take it. He'd hate it, but it was better than gaining the hatred of someone who would be on Phil's side. He preferred to gain revenge on him in secret, rather than here.

[erikcohen]

This was ridiculous and hardly worth his time. What was it with these Slytherin girls, grabbing blokes to do their fighting for them and then just standing around as if Erik was going to make the first move! Clearly, Erik wasn't interested in fighting anyone. Sure, his house was pretty much known for it, but he wouldn't hex someone unless it was required for class or his heart was in it. He didn't have any trouble thus far with Hargreaves, and Ophelia was a ranting lunatic.

But as Hargreaves was shoved at him again, Erik knew there wouldn't be a proper end to it all unless he did something. So he pulled out his wand, lightly shoved Hargreaves out of the way, and aimed the tip at Ophelia's neck.

"Either grow up, get a backbone, and do things for yourself, or accept the fact that no one wants to fight and go cry somewhere, Mallard!" he warned, not actually planning to hurt her. He just wanted his message heard.

[opheliaballard]

Alright, quite enough of this. It was obvious they were getting far to serious and dull for their own good. You'd think one Lion and one Snake would be near jumping at the chance for a good tussle, instead they had to get all 'manly' and start throwing around boring insults. Pah pah, she wanted something exciting.

She didn't think anything this Gryff bloke said anymore was worth properish words, therefore she stuck out her tongue at his stupid wand and snorted into laughter. She'd really rather leave Hargy hear to excuse his way out of it alone, but alas, one must exit with a flourish.

Which was why she chose to, out of nowhere, make one quick and accurately placed kick for his shins before snuffing her nose at him and stalking down the stairs. Stalking being very difficult to do while walking downwards, of course.

[hargreaves_b]

"Merlin!" Hargreaves gasped, quietly HATING himself for even agreeing to come all the way up here with Ophelia. "This is HARDLY necessary, I. . ." his eyes shot between the two of them. He wondered whether to hex Erik and get him away, or petrify Ophelia just to make her stop. . .

However, he remembered that for now, unneccessary force would only get him into trouble and gain enemies, and he certainly needed less of those, with Phil and Avis and Charlie hating his guts already. He gulped, trying to remain cool and collected, and put his hands between both of them. "Now look, this is all one big misunderstanding, perhaps a bit of House rivalry, and. . ."

He was interrupted when she kicked Erik in the shins. "MERLIN, OPHELIA!" he groaned, and before he could make a move (or attempt to awkwardly, as Hargy would have) she was off down the stairs.

To follow or not? To go off or stay behind and look sympathetic?

The sympathy act seemed better. Hargreaves stayed by Erik, hoping he would believe his 'polite' front.

[erikcohen]

At least Hargreaves had some ability to rationalise things. If he had hexed Erik, the reaction he'd get would not be one he'd want, being so unwilling to fight. Erik's mood was significantly different than at the start of the day, though it was more frustration than anger.

Obviously Ophelia was someone he was going to have to keep an eye on from this point forward. She started laughing when he pulled his wand on her! Clearly unstable, and he didn't want to be around when she finally went over the deep end.

He could hear Hargreaves talking, but he wasn't all that interested. House rivalry? PISH POSH. This was all about her being a cowardly, yet insane, ducky girl and had absolutely nothing to do with him.

Erik hissed as her foot connected with his shin, a sound of pain for once and not a threat toward her. He shook his head as she seemed to stalk off, if one could call it that. Honestly, one kick to the shins and she was leaving?

"GOOD RIDDANCE YE MALLARD!" he shouted after her and shook his head at Hargreaves. Just because the bloke stuck around didn't mean he trusted him. He was Phil's enemy after all!

"Aren't you going to follow her? She clearly thinks she's got you all tangled up in your knickers!"

[hargreaves_b]

Hargreaves kept his hands in his pockets, trying to look humble and well-mannered as ever. Perhaps this Lion would believe him. After all, Jackie did.

He laughed and raised his eyebrows in a chummy way, "Oy, no, I'll let her cool off and forget about it. Reckon it won't take that long. I tell you, it gets awfully tiring hanging about the same. . .unstable individuals all the time. Besides, best to let her believe she does. Only makes it funnier when she clearly doesn't." He smiled his best, "friendly" grin.

"You all right? Did she kick you hard?"

Oy, Beckett. Hypocritical as ever. But sometimes these things had to be done.

[erikcohen]

It was too late for Erik to look at Hargreaves as well-mannered. He'd heard enough from Phil to know that the Slytherin was a real prat, but in a fashion similar to Hargreaves, Erik did what he had to do to keep himself out of fights. Well, that was what he usually did anyway, until Wes came along.

"I know all about Slytherins being unstable, trust me," Erik said with a hint of mischief behind his eyes. Probably not exactly what Hargreaves wanted to hear, but... eh. Erik could be civil without changing his opinions.

"It might bruise or something, but I won't lose sleep over it. I suppose I just find it funny, that someone so clearly on the elite side of things takes care of things the muggle way. Would have expected her to make use of that 'pride' and pull her wand out," Erik said with a shrug of his shoulders, a little less interested in this whole encounter without the loony around. Honestly, she was more amusing than the others.

[hargreaves_b]

Even if it wasn't what he wanted to hear, it didn't phase him in the least. He'd gotten used to saying one thing and feeling another. "Oy, you'd be surprised," Hargreaves smiled. "She's not the worst of them."

He nodded absently at his shin. "That's the great Ballard contradiction. It's been a while since I saw her use the magic she's so. . .proud of."

He looked around, waiting for an exit. Didn't want to be too suspicious. "Well, I'd better be off. I'll see you later, class and summat. Oh, and. . .good luck with your house and all in the game."

Sure it wasn't sincere. But he hated both houses. Sincerity was never his thing.

With a polite nod, Hargreaves smiled and began to walk down the stairs, back to Ophelia.

((Hargy out??))