Quote:
Originally Posted by
DJ ExpelliarMOOSE 
His head jerked to the side when a loud thud grabbed his attention. Someone had fallen to the ground and it was to dark to tell who. So Oakey moved slowly to the sound of the fall, and saw..."Professor Flamsteed!?" Oakey dropped to his knee's and tried to get a better look at the Astronomy Professor, who had cradled himself up into a fetal position. "Are there more in the Challenge Area?" Oakey asked nobody in particular, maybe it was to Flamsteed. The Professor looked like he wasn't going to answer him anytime soon. Oakey dug his hands into his pocket in hopes that maybe he still had one piece that he missed. Nothing was in that pocket. He still had the piece that was in his mouth...no that would be way to gross, even in this situation. So he moved to one of his inner coat pockets. THERE! he felt it! It was covered in goo, but he had single piece left in his inner coat pocket. "Professor here, take this." with his last piece of goo covered secret candy Oakey held it out, hoping the Large-Foreheaded Professor would at least take it from him.
Airey remained on the ground long after the terrifying chill caused by the dementors had gone due to their retreat into the forest. He felt both cold and numb at the same time and lost. Very lost. Like he was in a dark tunnel and no matter how far he walked it never seemed to end. No light. Just darkness and dark memories. His cheek felt almost wet and, confused for a moment, he reached a trembling hand up to it. Sure enough, it WAS wet. He was...crying?
The astronomer slowly uncurled himself from fetal position after hearing a voice speak to him. He assumed it was to him at least. Everything was fuzzy right now. This was ridiculous. He had faced dementors before and they had never, NEVER, affected him in this way.
"Oh, Mr. Gunter, thank you," he said, his voice barely above a whisper as he accepted the candy - slime and all. "You best be heading back up to the castle now. Make sure your classmates are safe." Quote:
Originally Posted by
MaverickMagpie Was... was she giving him a cookie?
Tobias looked taken aback for a second but he was certainly not going to refuse sugar. He took the cookie with a tiny smile. He didn't believe it would help... just one of those things that adults said would help. But as Tobias took a tiny bite, he really DID feel a bit better... almost like there had been a door in his head that was blocking the happiness out but now it had been opened a tiny bit.
The hopeless feeling had lifted slightly but the fear was still there. He stared back towards the area where the scary things had been and noticed that it was actually... really bright now. Even seeing the light made him feel a tiny bit better too. Tobias took another bite of the cookie, glad that it was helping.
Dementors... overwhelming sadness and cold... Patronus Charm...
Storing that information away in his memory to either do more research later or just lock away somewhere in his brain never to be thought of again, Tobias listened Kurumi kept talking. Because that was her name... because she just said so.
"My name's Toby," he replied quietly. "Or Tobias. I don't mind which." Tobias gave a weak smile but the fact was that he COULD smile a little bit. "I'm in my first year here," he added as a way of kind of explaining why he was so terrified. He opened his mouth again to try and explain all the really really bad feelings but his voice caught in his throat and he decided not to dwell on the bad stuff. Another good sign... because before the cookie it felt like there only ever WAS bad stuff and bad memories.
Biting his lower lip, Tobias glanced back there again. "So... so Professor Hadley... she's going to be alright now, yeah?" Toby looked at Kurumi with wide eyes. "She's my head of house. But she'll be okay 'cause the silver things, yeah? And the scary sad monsters will go away."
It was still so difficult to see past the sad but at least it was somewhat possible.
And then there were people who were catching up and going back to the castle... that must be because it was under control. But he couldn't see Hadley and all he could really think of when he thought of her were the scary sad monsters which was a terrifying thought, and he impatiently (and hopefully inconspicuously) brushed away a couple of tears. He NEVER cried and wasn't going to start now, especially if there was no concrete reason to do so. "It'll be okay," Tobias whispered to himself, and gave Kurumi a shaky smile before remembering his manners. "Thank you..." For the cookie and the help and the being there and the being nice and the everything.
His long silence would have been uncomfortable under normal circumstances, but Kurumi found herself greatful that he was not feeling too talkative and asking too many questions. Mostly because she did not know the answers and Kurumi Hollingberry hated it when she did not have an answer.
At least he had taken the cookie from her. That was a relief. She just wished that she had had straight chocolate with her. It would do for now. At least until he was safely back in the castle and in the Hufflepuff common room. She was sure that professors would be about passing out chocolate to students to help them recover. It was what she would do at least.
But where was the Headmistress in all this? Shouldn't she....be out here for this event?
Thoughts being pushed aside when he spoke again, Kurumi turned her full attention to him. "
Hey, Toby," she replied, forcing her lips into a small smile. So she had guessed right then. He was a first year. Merlin did she wish Lewis was here now too. She was used to comforting students on scary things, but never fear itself. She needed him beside her to give her the extra strength she needed. Plus, he was an excellent comforter too.
"
Professor Hadley will be fine," she nodded, her forced smile still there. "
I think I even see her standing up over there now." See? All was alright. But the memories would be there and that was something that each person would have to figure out how to deal with on their own.
"
Do you want me to walk you back to the castle?"