There are some things I don't forget ((Will))

[Sapphire Phoenix R7]

The same bright room, her sixth year in this one dormitory now. After all the travelling she'd done over the summer, she hadn't had the chance to get used to any one bedroom; it felt now as though she had come back to her proper one. Then again, she did spend much of the year here, and Sapphire trusted the girls she shared it with Sapphire smiled happily as she sat up in bed and pulled the curtains around her bed open. She'd fallen asleep reading the night before, so they'd been closed to keep the light from her wand from disturbing anyone else. Sapphire rubbed the sleep from her eyes and fumbled on the bedside table for her wand. All the other curtains were closed or the beds abandoned and she reckoned there was no need to shut out the natural daylight anymore; she flicked the curtains open with her wand. The usual quality of white light slanted into the window. Sapphire stretched and got out of bed, wandering over to the window to look out of the small square panes of glass, slightly hard to look through because they were blown glass. Across the grounds the morning sun glinted on the surface of the lake. Ahhh. She was back at school.

It wasn't the same school. Her friends were missing. Well not all of them but... Dana had been her best friend and she wasn't coming to Hogwarts anymore. And Cleo had been a very good friend as well. Damn it, Sapphire thought, slapping the windowsill with her hand, the stone rough and cold beneath her palm. It was as though someone had made an incision into her life, what made her the Sapphire she was, and drawn out one of the vital parts of it, so that she had to start all over again with slightly less. Sapphire didn't make friends quickly. And to start with the anaesthetic of shock had numbed the pain; she had been so distant all summer that it was disturbing to come back and find things changed. But life did change. Sapphire hated that fact. No. It all looked the same, but it wasn't. Could never be the same again. She glowered at the morning sunshine, her original good mood completely disintegrated.

Oh, it could be worse, she thought as she put on a navy blue dressing gown over her nightdress and thought back sombrely to the events of last May. It could be worse, she reassured herself again, and having rebuked herself thus she took up an amount of purpose she hadn't demonstrated thus far this morning, slipping into her moccasins, picking up a small black box from under her bed and her mug from her bedside table and then ambling out of the dormitory. She made straight for the seventh year boys' dormitory; not somewhere she was particularly well known but enough to be recognised and not thrown out. A quiet knock on the door was all she used to ascertain there was no one inside there she'd be disturbing immediately (she had other intentions as regarded her friend). She entered confidently, at the same time using her wand to fill her mug with steaming hot chocolate and taking a sip of the heavenly liquid. It was early in the morning, earlier than she needed to get up despite it being a school day, but it was worth it to get to wake Will up on his birthday.

Sapphire opened up the black box she'd brought with it and out of it took a equally small black horse figurine which she placed in her hand. She could feel its hooves kicking at her fingers slightly as though it were just kicking up dust on the ground, and smiled at that. It wasn't quite a normal horse though: curving out of its heartgirth, as much a part of it as any of the rest of it, were two strong black wings, of velvety softness. Well, they had been black velvet before, Sapphire remembered as she thought of everything that had gone into making the little horse. The wings started beating to bear the horse upwards. It was a midnight-black Pegasus; being Sapphire she wouldn't think of it just as a flying horse. No, she liked mythology. Will didn't... no he certainly couldn't do after his comments about it. Maybe he wouldn't realise what she'd been thinking about it when she first started planning it. Maybe he would. She didn't know. But she caught the horse before it gained much height, returning it to the state of inertia it had been in when she first took it out of the box.

She gazed at it for a moment, as though trying to remember something, and then twisted one of the hooves. The targeted hoof came off immediately and as she held the tiny thing in her hand it grew so that it was the size of her hand and you could see the face of a clock etched into the bottom of the horse shoe, the engraving of the second hand constantly moving round it, the previous second's engraved image disappearing as it moved on. Sapphire smiled, remembering how long it had taken to get that right. But her grandfather had turned out to be very good at it. And her dad had pointed her to the correct spell to allow it to grow and shrink again, as well as demonstrating it. But it was Sapphire that had actually cast the spell, waiting until she could practice to her heart's content on the train before risking it on the small piece of iron that had already been enchanted by her grandfather. Sapphire noted the time - plenty; she wouldn't be late to any classes - before turning it over and fiddling with a few knobs on the back. Immediately it shrunk and sprang back into place. She tapped the horse with her wand and it sprung back into action, flying over to Will's bed. She ensured it didn't get snagged in the curtains around his bed and then sat down on the floor to continue drinking her hot chocolate. She made herself comfortable as the horse started stamping on the quilt under which Will was currently asleep, moving closer to his ear and whinnying again. It would persist until he was awake. Sapphire smiled a little evilly at the thought and waited patiently.

((I just want to apologise to you Jazz, I just remembered an idea somewhat similar to this in a post a very long time ago in Hogsmeade. I have a long memory. But it's not quite the same... I mean well... it wasn't a clock... so I say I get to keep the idea. ))

[will]

Will wasn't having pleasant dreams. He continuously woke, sweaty and shaky, with a whiny ringing in his ears. He missed Luce so bad he actually ached. It hurt every time he breathed, every time his heart pumped, every time he ate. He couldn't stop thinking about that black stallion that he loved so much. Leaving him behind had been the hardest thing Will had to do in a long time. Last year had been bad, but not as much so as this. This was like... heart break, literally. For his heart had a tear in it, a rip that was slowly inching toward the center of his life. For Lucifer was the center of his life, the center of everything he did. He wasn't whole without that horse, so being wrenched away just for the purpose of school was like tearing Will in two. The pain was unbearable, but Will constantly reminded himself that after this year, him and Luce would be together forever. It kept him going, even if he'd rather stay in bed.

Tonight had been a particularly bad session of nightmares. What if the orphanage did something to him? What if he encountered an animal that was intent on a meal? What if, what if, what if? Anything could happen and Will wasn't there to help him. He was certain that even with the orphanage's new-found amazement in Lucifer and his talent on the race-track, they wouldn't lift a finger to help him in his time of need. For that devil-of-a-horse, they would say, had been a nuisance to them for far too long. Maybe now that Senetta boy would pay attention in class instead of running off to be with that god-forsaken animal. Will knew that's what they'd say, he just knew it, for it had happened before. The thought kept waking him but finally his body fought the fear and right about when the sun was peaking over the horizon, he fell into a restless sleep.

The wind was intent on pushing them back today. It blew every which way, sometimes with such force Luce nearly lost his footing. The track condition was good though, not wet or soggy. It was perfectly dry and perfect for racing. The sun was nearly blinding, however, and since it was late in the afternoon, it shone right in their eyes. Luce's dark brown ones were radiating with excitement. He was nearly prancing around, showing off for the crowd and the other horses, who were all snorting with impatience. Will could nearly feel Lucifer vibrating under him with anticipation; every muscle was tense and kept under control with reluctance. Will himself was growing frustrated with the long wait; apparently the judges were hoping the wind would die down before they started. Yeah, like that would happen in this lifetime. He pushed his hair away from his eyes and looked at the orphanage gathered in the stands, all looking eagerly at both boy and horse. The judges finally called them to their starting places. Luce shifted excitedly, unable to stay still, as the judges checked to see that they were all properly in their boxes. Once everyone was off the track, they rang the buzzer and the gates flew open.

Lucifer was out before any other horse, pounding wildly down the track. Will's common sense made him pull back on the reigns hard - he had to save the horse's energy for later. Lucifer slowed a bit, allowing a few horses to catch up and eventually pass. They went around the corner fine, though Will noticed with worry that some horse's nearly wiped out as a strong gust of wind blew through them. He himself could hardly see. Then the straight away came, the one that ended the race. Suddenly all noise was forgotten - the screams of the crowd, the whistling wind, the cracks of whips (which Will didn't use. He didn't need it, Luce went on his own). He only heard Lucifer's pounding hooves and suddenly they became in sync, both rider and horse, and Will waited for the opportune moment. The horse behind them was drawing near, and as soon as both the chestnut and Luce were eye to eye, Will let him loose. The noise came back in great waves as Lucifer saw the horse and all that energy bottled inside of him, that wildness within, was unleashed. He flew down the track on wings that could match Pegasus's and left all others behind. The joy of winning made Will's heart burst as he bent over Luce's trembling body and gave him a good pat. "You did good, Lucifer. We did good."

Suddenly a whinny came as if gliding on the wind. Distant at first, but then louder and louder. Will frowned in confusion; none of the horses gathered around the track were making any noise except their labored breathing, of course. Suddenly a very loud whinny that seemed to come from right beside him jerked him... awake? He blinked and saw himself not at the race-track but at Hogwarts in his dormitory and sitting on the floor was... "Sapphire? What the hell? What's... what's going on?" he sputtered, still blinking like a complete moron.

((Sorry for the very long delay. Don't know what happened there - school just caught up and I lost the inspiration I had gained from being back. Hope you enjoy this post though - it turned out rather long. ))

[Sapphire Phoenix R7]

Will really was master of the most amusing bemused expressions in the world. It took all of Sapphire's self-control not to splutter her hot chocolate as she swallowed it down hastily so that she wouldn't have any accidents while laughing. Of course having controlled herself already she didn't actually laugh, but she still wore a smile on her face from the new memory of an expression she hadn't seen before. Will-startled-and-completely-non-comprehending-expression, that was what it was. Sapphire sipped at her hot chocolate a little more before placing it safely on his bedside table. She didn't want to knock it all over the carpet of the dormitory floor.
"Wake-up call," she offered in calm explanation, and then added, "Are you always like this in the mornings? I'm surprised you appear so composed in classes. Apart from Transfiguration, of course." Sapphire switched briefly into Professor McGonagall mode: "Are you quite with us yet, Mr. Senetta?"

"Anyway," she said, back to her normal voice, "Happy Birthday. Be careful not to crush your birthday present - I haven't cast any strengthening charms on it yet. In fact..." Sapphire stood up and took hold of the pegasus figurine, a mere tap of her wand stilling it again. "Firmos lapidem", she said, tapping it with her wand, and then repeated "Firmos articulum" several times on different parts of the horse: its legs, its knees, its tail, its neck and the base of the strong miniature wings. Sapphire believed in doing everything separately to make sure it was done properly. "If any of the charms - not just the strengthening ones - wear off, bring it to me and I'll renew them, okay?" she said as she handed it back to him. "You tap it with your wand to make it move," she added in explanation since one confused Will expression was enough for her in one morning.

((Sorry, I know it's short and not up to much, but it's all that's coming and I don't want to keep you waiting any longer.))

[will]

Will grumbled something like "having a nice dream," under his breath as his mind slowly became more accustomed to what was going on. Sapphire was in his dorm, which a cup of hot chocolate (which looked awfully good) and was sitting on the floor, watching him as he slept? How weird could things get? She wasn't even supposed to be in here; it was a boy's dorm after all! He ran a hand through his disheveled hair, a smile quirking his lips as Sapphire imitated McGonagall. He grabbed his pillow and tossed it at her, being sure it landed on the opposite side of the hot chocolate. "I never said Transfiguration was my favorite class," he replied, groaning a bit as he made to sit up. His head hurt and everything seemed too bright.

He had to admit that he was surprised Sapphire remembered his birthday today. There were far more important things to attend to probably, and Will knew that she must have lots of things on her mind. Of course, he had played the act of such a great friend, oh yes. Upon seeing her, he demands to know why she's here and can't quite wake himself up. Great friend. He sighed, though the smile was now prominent on his face. Will started when she mentioned that he should be careful not to crush his birthday present; he looked around, but was saved farther confusion as Sapphire picked it up and performed some charms on it. The small horse figurine was as black as midnight and had wings sprouted near its withers. It looked perfect. He looked at Sapphire in wonder; did she know how much that meant to him?

"Thanks!" He was never good with words. He could have said a lot more to express his appreciation, but that was the only word that seemed to come. He grinned; "Thanks so much. I'm glad you remembered," he added. Reaching over, he grabbed his wand and stared at the horse now in his palm. He tapped it and watched with glee as it moved about, pawing at his hand and throwing its head back. He appeared to be just like a little child opening a present; he shot Sapphire a look of pure happiness. "It's great." Superb, wonderful, amazing - all of that meant great, in Will's dictionary. "You're amazing, Sapphire. Simply amazing. I'm lucky to have you as a friend," he said, casting her a look full of gratitude.

[Sapphire Phoenix R7]

Sapphire laughed and ducked as the pillow hurtled towards her in a rather lumpier fashion than the graceful movement of the Pegasus figurine. She sat up and reached for it on the floor behind her, standing up to place it on top of the quilt at the foot of Will's bed and retrieve her hot chocolate. She leant against the wall casually; it was plastered so not as cold as bare stone, although it still had much of the characteristic chill due to the stone underneath. The Ravenclaw tower never got warming sunshine in the mornings.
"Oh I'm sorry, I don't know how I could possibly forget History of Magic," she said sarcastically as he reminded her Transfiguration wasn't his favourite class, and then added more earnestly, "I would do you an impression of someone who frightened you more, but I can't; I'd make a right fool of myself if I attempted it when I know I can't do it anyway. Of course, I could be considered an idiot as it is, but that doesn't give me any licence to make the situation worse." She nodded and became more taciturn - she'd said too much. Will wouldn't realise she meant what she said, no of course not: she often meant the exact opposite or at least what she said was completely tangential to her thoughts. But he would at least think she was rambling, even if he didn't realise quite how idiotically she seemed capable of acting nowadays.

It suddenly occurred to her that Will had been examining his birthday present for a while, and now she watched the expression on his face. It was one of boyish delight - he was just as absorbed in discovering its intricacies as Mikhail would have been. Sapphire laughed, not just tickled by his reaction but also gratified by it, as she responded, "Well I was hardly about to forget, was I?" Sapphire grinned along with Will as he told her, in as simple terms as could be, how much he liked it, and then she stopped as she realised what she was doing. Will's grins were merely foolish; hers were not only foolish (to say the least) but also highly uncharacteristic. "I'm glad you like it," she said, "- well, relieved, more to the point. I enjoyed making it: we - me and Zara, that is - went to the World Cup this summer. We went to the last one as well - you know, when it turned sinister afterwards - and I didn't really want to go again. But Zara did, so we went, and I started that" - she indicated the horse - "as a project to just keep my mind off things. I wasn't able to do everything myself to start with because of not being able to use magic outside of school yet... oh Will! you can now! Congratulations," she added smilingly, "so anyway then it's just as well you like it at the end of that."

Sapphire drained her mug and then cleaned it using her wand. She was talking a lot suddenly, almost as though she was nervous. But Sapphire didn't get nervous; well at any rate not nervously talkative. She shook her head at herself incredulously. Ah well, at least it would be a constant tirade against Will's sleepiness - there was solace to be found in everything.
"Anyway!" she said, loudly and abruptly enough to surprise anyone who hadn't been watching her eyes to know when she'd broken off from private thought, "Your birthday is not the best day to go losing house points for being late, so I'll stop obstructing you getting up. I have a few things to do myself... like actually getting dressed." she informed him as the thought had only just occurred to her herself, having glanced down at her own state of dress to be reminded that navy blue dressing gowns weren't the standard issue for attending classes in. She was partway out of the door before she remembered something else and turned on her heel to let him know. "Oh yeah, there's some stuff I still need to show you with your present. Like how to set the alarm. And turn it off. Come and find me this evening or something, and I'll show you how to work it. I wouldn't go back to sleep right now though," she warned him. "I don't mind being responsible for you getting a black eye any other day of the year, but not on your birthday." With that and an impish smile, she was gone.