| Dwarf
Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: #8000FF
Posts: 35,308
Hogwarts RPG Name:
Amelia "Mia" Adair
Slytherin Sixth Year
Hogwarts RPG Name:
Leigh Upstead
Hufflepuff Fifth Year  x11
|  Post #1 be curious, not judgmental
Text Cut: Zander Quote:
Originally Posted by ArianaBlack  Wait. What. A maze? But no, NO he hadn't even practiced yet. He was still trying to collect happy thoughts for his memory. It wasn't even fair. So instead of making his way into the maze like most of the others, Zander stood around where he had been previously sitting on the floor. He needed more time to practice. Though, wait a minute. He wasn't going to be able to get the patronus to work in the first place, so what was he doing taking more time to practice?
Maybe it was just seeing Sophie patronus that gave him a little bit of hope? Maybe. But whatever it was, he wasn't going into the maze yet. He had to at least try first. Even if he was completely against it at first. Anyways, speaking of Sophie's patro-- huh? Where'd it go?...... Where'd she go?
The Gryffindor looked around the room for a few seconds, brows furrowed. He was a bit confused.... But maybe she had already ventured into the maze like the others? Maybe. Either way, Zander was going to stay out here for a bit longer. He needed at least some practice if he didn't want to look like a fool too late. Taking a few deep breaths, the Gryffindor tried to dismiss all his fleeting thoughts. Thoughts about firsties beating him, thoughts about where Sophie's patronus went, thoughts about failure... All dismissed.
Instead he tried his absolute hardest to concentrate on the one isolated memory: the memory of being called a best friend.
"Expecto Patronum!" Nothing. "Expecto Patronum!" Again, nothing. "Expecto Patron-ugh!" Zander Adair hated Defense Against the Dark Arts. Officially. Sophie Brown reentered the classroom with a cool, confident air about her, but for anyone who looked really closely, there was a subtle, red puffiness around her eyes. That was the only trace that she had been crying for a little while, but she had managed to pull herself together before her skin tone gave her away and her eyes went completely bloodshot. No, she figured only three people would notice - Dakest, who seemed to notice everything, then Tobes and Zander. But, as she stole a glance toward the Hufflepuff when she crossed further into the room, he seemed to be totally in his own world. So... he probably wouldn't notice at all either.
She was fine now, though, and smiled as she bounced toward Zander, who was undeniably stressed over this whole thing. She'd missed Dakest's spiel about their next activity - she saw people headed into the maze, but she didn't know the details of it - and for the first time upon returning to class, she acknowledged and gave Dakest a salute. Yes, she was back. And she was okay. Surely he knew she didn't need to really use the loo... but he seemed like an all right guy and she didn't expect him to question her brief absence. She'd come BACK, at least, which was probably most important.
"You're overthinking this, Zan," she nudged him, approaching just after he had let out a noise of frustration and defeat. "And you're underestimating your abilities, which is just a rotten combination, y'know?" She was speaking very, very quietly to him, so only the two of them would hear. No need to make him feel any sort of embarrassment - he was putting enough stress upon himself. "Don't let your grades get into your head. Don't let it define you. You're more than that letter, than what the examiners saw that day."
Sophie tugged lightly on his arm encouragingly and gave him a soft, friendly smile. "Because I know that you're a great wizard. Pure of heart. Powerful, even - maybe y'don't show it so much, because y'don't know y'have it in you. But I've seen how powerful your emotions are, and how passionate you are - with a boost of confidence coupled with your pure heart and passion, I bet y'could be one of the most powerful wizards in this whole room." She was playing with the fingers on his hand now, trying to calm him down and clear his thoughts of all the frustration and discouragement he was facing.
"I don't care if you produce a patronus or not right now. Because I know you can, and I know you have it in you. If not today, you'll do it some day, there's not a doubt in my mind." Was he taking her seriously? "You're still my super cool, super nerdy, super great best friend, no matter what. You're not a failure if you can't do this today." A gentle hand went up and cupped his cheek, encouraging him to look her straight in the eye. "Okay?"
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