(Untitled)
Week Name/Date/Time: 'She's Bad News' / Sunday, November 19th, 2006 / 1:33 PM
Location: Transfiguration classroom
Open to: Lou Hawkins
Currently Involving: Professor Reed
Edward collapsed into his chair at the front of the classroom, glad that it was empty for a change.
“Ohh, Mein Gott...” he sighed, letting his head fall back.
He reached for the cup ( Read more... )
Location: Transfiguration classroom
Open to: Lou Hawkins
Currently Involving: Professor Reed
Edward collapsed into his chair at the front of the classroom, glad that it was empty for a change.
“Ohh, Mein Gott...” he sighed, letting his head fall back.
He reached for the cup ( Read more... )
Was it really a problem that she sometimes lurked outside of Professor Reed's classroom, waiting for him to get *just* the right amount of stressed before she bounced in to make his day?
...Louvika didn't think so. Afterall, she needed some cheering up as well! The visit by Rita Skeeter, the full moon, the murder of her classmates, the impending-- nay, the RINGIN VOICE-- DOOM she felt continually on her head and a hundred other things made her cry longer and harder than usual in the girl's loo this morning, to the point where someone had thought Moaning Myrtle herself had moved to the Gryffindor Girl's bathroom.
She flounced in just as Edward put his head down, smiling brightly.
"Professor Reeeed," she said, giving him a loving smile. He was so handsome, wasn't he? And German to boot! Had she remembered to clean up the smudges of her make-up from when she'd been crying? She definitely hoped so. She never wanted Edward to think she was ever anything less that positively corking.
"You look like you're about to cry! Are you alright? I brought you some tea-- the house elves made it special for you!" she procured the tray from behind her back.
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His head snapped up, staring tiredly at the red-haired girl in front of him. But something was wrong with said Hawkins that day... Edward examined her face for a few moments before noticing the tea she brought him.
"Ahh," he began, still a little drowsy. There were most likely crease marks from his sleeves on his cheek. "Thank you, Lou! You know just what to bring me at the right time, ja?"
He chuckled a little bit and graciously accepted the drink from her. Thank god! No more of that nasty coffee rubbish...
Edward drank a little from it before noticing Lou's face again. Oh no... He knew that face. When girls have been crying for longer than they should, and their lovely makeup gets ruined. Edward's insides churned when he thought about it. Here she was, bringing him tea, trying to make him feel better, and she had been crying...!?
"Lou...!" he began, the concern in his voice rising impeccably. "Have... Have you been crying?"
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She was just about to comment on how the tea was tasty, but also caffeinated when he asked the bombshell of a question.
Oh balls, had she forgotten to clean up her eyes?
Ballsy balls.
She struggled to respond.
"P-Professor...I... no, of course not," she said, frowning and looking away. Were her eyes still red? She thought she'd checked them good enough before coming up here, but apparently, she'd missed something! She caught her reflection in the teacup-- it was the make up! Her bane, her bane!
"I was coming down the stairs to go to the kitchens and... and someone spilled water on my face. It was a ghost! I mean, not a ghost, but someone who'd...err... seen a ghost. And they were... scared." She ended, lamely, knowing she was a terrible liar.
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As she stuttered, Edward immediately picked up on it. Of course she had been crying. He'd known Lou ever since the first day she walked into his Transfiguration class, and she was indeed a terrible liar.
"Someone who'd seen a ghost, love?" Edward stated, trying to show her how bad the lie really was. "And they were... scared."
Shaking his head, he got up from his desk and walked around it, pulling up a chair from one of the student desks. He motioned for her to sit down before pulling up a chair for himself.
"Would it be too bothersome for you," he began, a serious tone of concern in his voice now. "For you to tell me what's wrong, Fräulein?"
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She dropped reluctantly into the chair, avoiding Edward's eyes. The main reason for this? She had, in such an untimely fashion, started to cry once more. Not sobs, no. Her eyes just had gotten very watery and started to drip a little down her cheeks, smudging her make-up once more. She tried her best to wipe it away with the side of her finger.
"It's just that...I don't think it's important that you hear," she mumbled, biting her thumbnail as she spoke.
"Not that you're intruding!" she said, quickly. "Just... I'm sure the last thing anyone in the world wants to hear is my woes!" and I have so many of them! she didn't add.
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"Of course it's important that I hear," he told her sternly. "And you are wrong there, Lou. The last thing I want to hear right now is the terrible, screeching voice of Rita Skeeter."
Edward gave her a small smile, trying to cheer her up, if only for now. Lou was one of his favorite students! Right now he'd give anything in the world to make her feel better. He had never seen her cry before, let alone act sad in class.
"Now if you would, Miss Lou," he continued quietly and calmly. "Tell me what's wrong. All of it, if you have to. But I won't force you to tell me anything you don't want to..."
Tentatively, Edward presented her with his rather fancy handkerchief.
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"But I don't want to talk about that-- it's only one of the things that's bothering me," she said, her eyes going back to their more submissive state and dropping to the floor.
"Are you... are you sure you want to hear?" she asked, frowning. "It's really a load of nonsense." She insisted. She didn't want to trouble him right now, especially when he already seemed so stressed!
But even as she spoke more tears continued to pour down her cheeks. Reaching in her pocket, she removed a very grubby handkerchief, monogrammed, 'Illiad Laetus Achilles Patrokles Hawkins' and stuffed it into her eyes.
"No, thanks," she said, waving away his. She had her own. Or, well. Something like it.
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Edward furrowed his eyebrows as he continued to listen.
"I'm sure it's not a load of nonsense," he stated, quite frankly. "Nothing out of your mouth is, Lou. If I really wanted nonsense I suppose I could just open up a book of Divination, ja?"
Not to be of any offense to the subject... Well, actually, yes. Edward hated it, to be frank. Biggest waste of time, easily.
Edward tucked his handkerchief into his vest pocket once more, seeing that she had pulled one from her own pocket. Ugh, his was a terrible gaudy thing to begin with. Rubbish birthday gift from.. ah, he forgot who.
"I'm always more than willing to listen, Miss Hawkins," he told her, huskily.
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"I'd be afraid to do anything but confront her, Professor," she mumbled, albeit a little sheepishly. She and her mother had never been entirely huge fans of Skeeter, especially since she'd published the very mean article about Werewolf Rights and how the Ministry would do very well keeping such 'half-breeds' and 'fiends' off the street and into Azkaban. Meeting the woman would give Lou a chance to vent and speak her mind about everything, and she had no intention of holding back.
When he said he was more than willing to listen, however, Louvika flushed with embarrassment. He'd be getting extra tea next time. She even averted her eyes.
"It's so many things these days, I don't really even know. I mean... well..." she looked even further away, her eyes focusing on the corner of Edward's desk.
"I...I don't know. It was a full moon last night and those just always make me so upset." She never told Edward about her brother-- for all she knew, he could've found out about it from some of the other teachers, especially Grady, who was her godfather and might've told the man, had he known that Edward reserved a fatherly affection for the girl.
"And, Merlin's balls, Illiad still isn't acknowledging my existence... it just makes me so sad, y'know?" her eyes were welling up with tears as her voice cracked on the last syllable.
"I think he's going to... well."
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Edward frowned as Lou went on. How was she still functioning? If he were in her position, he would choose to stay in the bathroom all day and cry! He had to praise her strength.
"Yes, I'm familiar with that feeling..." Edward trailed sadly. Oh yes, he was more than familiar with it. A loved one pretending that you don't exist... He could hardly forgive his mother. But that aside, Edward leaned in closer, listening intently.
"What is Illiad going to do?" Edward asked her, softly, and with care. "You can tell me, Lou."
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"I think he's going to join the Dark Lord. I mean, I don't think, Professor, I know he's going to... if he actually believed in him, maybe that would be different. But he doesn't." She knew the professor knew her cousin-- he was in his class, afterall, and a most standout of a student that Lou would ever be, what, with his top marks.
"He doesn't because... because Illiad just isn't like that. He's a very good person," she said, her big grey eyes honest and as wide as ever.
"I know it doesn't always seem like he is, but he is. I know it! He's doing what he's doing for all the wrong reasons."
She paused awkwardly.
"Well.. I...I don't know he's doing it. But I'm pretty sure. And I know the reasons and they're all pure and sweet, but they're completely wrong, y'know?" she said.
"But he won't even look at me anymore, save speak to me!"
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And what did Lou mean?
"The wrong reasons?" Edward pressed. "I can imagine them being pure and good intentions, but why are they wrong, Lou? Is he being forced into this decision?"
He could hardly contain himself when Lou continued, saying that Illiad wouldn't speak to her. And he knew that she probably had the wrong idea entirely!
"Oh, Lou..." Edward trailed. "I don't think it's because he doesn't love you, or that he doesn't appreciate you. If what you say is true, then it probably means that he's feeling a bit unsure of himself right now."
He frowned and let his shoulders fall.
"You look positively depression-inducing like this, Louvika," Edward admitted. "If you keep this up then you might have me crying by the end of the hour!"
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Lou shook her head when Edward asked if he was being forced into it. "I don't think he is! I think it's his decision... I mean... I don't..." she gave a great big old sob, "...I don't know!"
She didn't want to tell him that Illiad was gay, because she knew her cousin was sensitive about the subject, and honestly? It wasn't her place to go talking about his sexuality because it was his business. She didn't need to be spreading around things that some people might take to be negative about Illiad when he was already so disliked.
And yet still... still, a part of her wished and hoped and dreamed that the professor would be able to do something about it. Maybe be able to counsel Illiad, or, heaven's above, speak to Dumbledore on the matter! Louvika didn't know.
"He's in love! He's...he's just so madly in love with someone who... who... who is Brinley Watson!" As the rush of words came to her, some strange part of Louvika's brain insisted that this was right, that Professor Reed undoubtedly knew Brinley, his own sympathies and desires merely from having him in class and that by knowing that Illiad loved him so much, that he would understand, maybe be able to help her cousin? She didn't want Illiad to leave Brinley-- no, the older Slytherin made him happy. She just wished politics didn't play into it so much.
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Edward had a fairly keen eye when he taught in the classroom. Whatever rubbish was spread that a Professor didn't know anything about what was happening in his classroom was most certainly rubbish. Edward wasn't that dense. He had talked to Illiad many a time, and he knew the type of person the young Hawkins was. He didn't sense malice behind his eyes, not once.
"Brinley Watson," Edward said slowly. Yes, it made sense. That boy could be extremely controlling when he needed to be. It was a terror having him in his class.
What could he do? Edward racked his brain with ideas, his eyes darting about the room for some reason. If Illiad was so in love with Watson that his mind was made up, what more could Edward do for the boy? If only he could reach the pure intention that he knew was inside Illiad somewhere. After all, he was making this huge decision-- joining the Dark Lord-- all for the sake of someone else.
Frowning, Edward reached up and brushed a tear from Lou's cheek, staring sadly into her eyes.
"Lou," he began, his voice a little broken. "I want to help. I want to help Illiad. What would you have me do?"
There was a pause.
"I'll do anything," he finished, solemnly.
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Her eyes only filled with tears again and she buried herself even further into her handkerchief-- err, Illiad's handkerchief.
"Please, Professor," she said, her eyes red and very, very wet. How sweet was he! Lou couldn't believe his kindness, even if it did upset her. She sniffled, wishing someday she could be so self-sacrificing.
"If you talk to him, he'll know it's me-- he will! And he... he is pretending I don't exist. Well, maybe I don't," she said, her big eyes rolling oddly in her head, giving her a slightly demented look. It was a thought, though, wasn't it? What if she had suddenly ceased existing and only Illiad had cottoned on? He was always so bright...
"Brinley's put him up to it, I'm pretty sure because we had an argument a couple weeks ago, Brinley and I and right after it, Illiad stopped talking to me, and looking at me, and really, doing anything to notice I was there?" All this on one breath.
"We were arguing about... about Illiad because I said that Brinley doesn't take enough care of him and he said...well. He said a lot of things, most of them highly derogatory...not that it matters," it didn't seem to matter to Lou at all. Brinley could insult her ten ways from friday and she wouldn't notice if he was insulting Illiad as well.
"But...Professor, please... he'd be so angry with you, y'know."
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"Lou, how are you planning on settling this?" Edward asked, leaning down a little to meet with her eyes. "What will you do? It seems the task is difficult for you to do alone, and too risky to have someone help you..."
He furrowed his eyebrows. "And I won't settle for you spending another Sunday morning crying in the ladies' restroom, do you understand? That simply won't do. Crying doesn't suit you, Miss Hawkins."
Edward tried a smile before wiping another tear from her tear-stained cheek.
"You very well do exist, Lou," he informed her. "After all, you're sitting here, bringing little old me some tea and chatting me up... I don't know how much more alive you could be. You have a kind soul, Louvika. I think, with your charisma, you could do anything you wanted."
He leaned forward now, to see her better.
"The Sorting Hat put you, little Fräulein, into Gryffindor for a reason. If you keep putting yourself down, you aren't going to get anywhere. I wouldn't have the courage to do the things you've done. I honestly don't think I could pluck up the courage to talk to Watson right now, and I'm a professor."
Edward smiled at her.
"But you can."
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