belated declone astronomizzle ♧ gryffinDORK | & the rest is drag ♣ #badluckDerf Atlas had gone back to half paying attention, his eyes darting around to make sure certain people did not eat the bread. Not until he had been able to fiddle around a bit at least. Perhaps it was commentary on wizarding society, how an answer was presented to them and being wary of it. Distrustful. He was not sure what kind of response he was expecting from Healer Poppy...but perhaps he was being foolish for not expecting her to be accepting and understanding. She...wasn't coming across as malevolent as he really needed her to be.
So he found himself blushing a bit and looking down at the bread in his hand. No, not yet. Not until he had seen the Potions Mistress.
He did nod, trust was a two way street and he knew that much...but he wasn't quite ready to open that door and give her the opportunity. One meeting and so early into the term? He would not be red shirting, thanks. Even the people he trusted the most...he was facing conflict with so...one could never be too careful when it came to your own well being, right? It had taken him a long time to be open to the process with the family therapist...it was going to take more than a lakeside conversation to do that.
He was feeling a little soft in all this...and he was tempted to leave since they were not obligated to be here. Apparently...that obligation and mandatory element had come from the headmaster and not Healer Poppy...which was something he hadn't entirely expected. Or maybe he just had not been paying attention enough to notice this distinction before - both were entirely possible given his fluctuating attention span these days.
He was quiet while everyone reflected and shared whatever it was they felt like sharing, but the jabs at the Ministry...at the accusations that they all let this happen...that hurt. His dad had not asked to be kidnapped and tortured. He hadn't simply let any of it happen. He had been fighting the whole time and that was the only reason he had come out on the other side in any sort of capacity. But before Atlas could shout at people...the daughter of the lake Divination professor was doing that for him...but maybe not in the way he would have shouted if he were to have used his voice.
Pain was pain. Suffering was suffering. Just because her mom had become a martyr to the cause did not maker her pain more significant that what he and Kale Trent were going through. It was just...different...but it was still theirs to shoulder. And all this talk of betrayal...Atlas had been grappling with that himself...whether or not HE had betrayed people.
And judging from the words of many of his peers...he had.
Thankfully Professor Kazmi had taken care of all that and stepped in. The Gryffindor felt...a little twitch of something in his chest at that. It was either kindness or a misdirect, he was not sure which yet.
With everything dismissed, Atlas was sure of one thing and one thing only...he did not like Ashley Fox. Not one bit. She did not know what all she was talking about and she would not even trying to understand.
Bread in hand, Atlas silently slipped away...before the tears were too prominent. He did not want to be known as the crier either.
__________________ When you’re stuck in a moment and your spark has been stolen .................................................. ........... this is our time to own it, so own it..................................... baby we were born with fire and gold in our eyes |