Just Peachy ((Dawn))

[will]

Will's feather quill scratched across the surface of the parchment as he tried out his newly improved arm. The hand-writing was weak and strangely wavy, not looking at all like Will's formal cursive writing. He scowled darker and continued to try until it began to go straighter and look more normal. Finally. He had been wanting to write a quick letter to John McCartney, asking if he was still in for a trail to prove if he was able to make a champion with Luce. Hell knows Lucifer deserved something like that to take the blotch off of his reputation. Will sighed and rolled over, putting the ink bottle and quill on the bedside table. His arm was feeling much better, but he was supposed to stay in the Hospital Wing for a few more hours, just to make sure. Will hated this, particularly because Fall was fading away right under his nose, and all he could do was lay in bed. He wanted to be outside, enjoying the last bit of warm air, but no, Dawn had to break his arm.

Just thinking about that made Will feel incredibly angry and foolish. What had he been doing, flying on a broom? A half-witted imbecile he must have looked up there in the sky, trying to beat the Slytherin Captain! Bloody hell. Dawn probably had a good laugh afterward, Will could just imagine it. He clenched his pillow with his good hand and closed his eyes against it all. If only in real life you could blink things away, eh? He smirked into the soft pillow, but try as hard as he might, he couldn't go to sleep. He rolled over quite a bit for a long time, but sleep evaded him no matter what. Just like that blasted Quaffle had. Will turned on to his back to face the ceiling with half-closed eyes. Annoying, really. Trying to get to sleep and not being able to. William was used to injuries, but never had he broken his arm like this. It was twisted and his shoulder felt like it had shattered as well. What was Dawn made of? Steel? Will glared at nothing in particular and moodily fluffed up his pillows.

After managing to sit up on his bed, Will again put his quill in the ink and took out the parchment. There was nothing else to do, and Will didn't feel like sulking. He wrote down a few lines, promptly asking what time and date Will should make an appearance at the stables. He hoped he was being clear enough. Any brute would be able to tell what I was saying, Will thought cynically and began addressing Luce's traits again. Really, if horses would read, Will would be sending letters to Lucifer every day of the week. He missed him badly, and with Autumn nearing it's end, he wished direly that he could have just a few hours with Luce, that's it. That would make things better. Will sighed and continued to write until his hand grew tired and began to throb again. Maybe he should take a breather... Will put his things away and leaned back, resting his arm under the sheets.

[dawn]

Dawn was defiantly not in a good mood. She was wearing an arm sling and would be for the next few days. "What the hell am I going to be able to do with one arm! Of course, I had to mess up my wand arm.... damn it!" she growled to herself as she went up the main stair case. She moved her right arm to grasp the hand rail, but she couldn't- her sling was in the way. Rolling her eyes she stepped away from the side of the stairs and walked up the middle. Her hair was down and wavy toward the ends. It fell naturally down, since she couldn't fix it due to the damn arm sling. She was dressed in the normal Hogwarts School uniform, which she despised mind you. She was wishing the days would pass more quickly- since she was leaving in two weeks for Winter Break. She wouldn't have her arm sling on, and she would be away from this wretched hell hole of a school. She would be at home, in her gorgeous manor with everything she wanted, and more. The sooner she left, the better.

Stepping off of the first stair well she was walking on, she turned and walked upon another. Dawn was making her way to the Hospital Wing to visit William Senetta. He was still in the Wing from their game they had the previous day. Grinning to herself she rethought how the last few seconds played out. To say the least, Dawn faked him out, hit him. They both fell but Dawn saved herself and Will.... well he wasn't so lucky. Falling from great heights above tough turf defiantly had to hurt. As well as the several bows he took from Dawn. Rotating her shoulder she only had a bruise, she was "immune" to bumps, bruises, scrapes, and injuries. She was a born and raised Quidditch player- as well as a McGrogan. She had to ability to withstand rough and tumble things. She's been dealing with that all of her life. She just assumed she caught Will off guard, he never played Quidditch before- but she assumed he saw her play at least once in the past years.

Smiling, she logged into her brain to remember the play she did on William for a game in the future. Stepping off the last stair, Dawn made her way down the hall. Two doors with small plate glass windows inlaid were seen at the bottom. The clicking of her shoes echoed the halls, as deserted as they were. Now, steps away, she reached for the door and turned the handle. Walking in, there were only two people in beds. William, and someone Dawn didn't care to know. Walking over to the Pureblood Ravenclaw, she stood a few feet away. "Holding up well I see." she said in a cold tone, but joking. Dawn was entertained by herself. She was actually on 'alright terms' with a Ravenclaw. She used to be the best of friends with Catalina Calves, The Old Ravenclaw Quidditch Captain- when Hogwarts used to play quidditch with other schools, but ever since than a Raven never suited her liking as an acquaintance. Walking a few paces, she sat down on a visitors chair faced toward William's bed. "How much longer do you say, you'll stay?" She as she eyed the injury. She wanted to see how bad she hit him.

[will]

William looked up slowly as he heard the clicking of heels. That was all too common in Hogwarts, as it seemed girls had grown a fancy to those high-heeled shoes. Will himself held nothing much toward them except the noise they made was dreadfully annoying and always continuous. The person was coming closer, and soon Dawn McGrogan came into view, arm-sling and all. Will raised a quick eyebrow in surprise, but quickly stashed it away for later use. Dawn mentioned he was holding up together in that cold voice Slytherins had no probably adapting to, but other houses rarely used. "Just barely," he replied with a small smile. "The ground was pretty solid." He sat up straighter in the bed, moving the pillows around so he was comfortable. Dawn, by this time, was sitting in the chair opposite him. Will raised an eyebrow but said nothing.

"I'll be staying for the rest of the day, at least. Madam Promfey might say I have to stay for the night. I hope not, since there's nothing to do in this bloody place." He looked over the Hospital Wing with a quick turn of his head. Another student was lying three beds away from them. Will had seen him before, but hadn't given any sort of greeting as he didn't know them. Will turned back to Dawn and found she was looking at his arm. He pushed the covers away so she could see. "It took a pretty bad beating, thanks to you." He watched Dawn's expression to see how she felt about this. "My arm was broken and twisted pretty bad, and my shoulder was bruised into oblivion. I'll probably have to were a sling too. My ankle was twisted, but Madam Promfey healed that in a heart beat. I got bruised here," he pointed to his ribs, "from the Quaffle. I don't know how that happened..." Will pretended to think over it for a while but just shrugged. His arm wasn't in a sling at the moment as he wasn't doing any movement like walking. It was bruised all the way up to his shoulder, which hurt the most. Small scratches covered his tan skin near the elbow, which was probably one of the first places he had hit. His ribs had a small wrap around it but they felt better and his ankle was completely healed.

"What happened to you? Did you hurt yourself somehow?" It was his turn to ask about the sling, but he gloated silently, as Dawn couldn't like it any better then he did. Walking around with a sling... At least Will didn't have to do that. Yet. He was sure in time he would too. After a little while of golden silence, Will felt he had to break it. "Where did you go when I fell?" He suddenly demanded. He had asked Madam Promfey but she hadn't really given him a straight answer, and if she had he couldn't remember. Will watched Dawn with what could be mistaken as anger. "I was like a bloody invalid on the field and.. the crowd... " Will glared at her moodily, rubbing his arm. His ego had been broken along with his arm. All that self-confidence, arrogance, whatever, had snapped when he had fallen and laid there, unable to move. He felt like he needed to know what Dawn had done, because if she hadn't done anything, it was mostly her fault that he was broken emotionally and physically as well.

[dawn]

Crossing her right leg over her left she relaxed in the chair. She loosened the sling to let it sit comfortably at the high of her leg. Soon William began to respond to her. Looking up, her gave him a look like she really didn't care about the details, but she was glad she played well. But in all honesty- she didn't want someone to get hurt, she merely was caught up in the moment. Dawn didn't regret anything in her left and this minor accident she most certainly did not regret. William know new how to ride a broom in extreme situations, and Dawn knew a new trick to use in a game. "Well, If you get out today, there isn't anything happening. I heard a storm was on its way. Unless of course, you are up for another game but now in extreme weather conditions, count me in." Dawn commented. Her statement started out normal but slowly turned into a sly twist of words. Grinning her all too familiar Slytherin cliche` grin. She looked about William and all of his bruises. "Trust me, you wont be hurt for much longer. When I was in my second year of Quidditch, an older player broke his two left ribs from a fall almost like yours. He was keen in two days flat." she added, trying to make William a little more optimistic. His tone was too low for her liking she knew he was angry with her.

Dawn's eyes flickered by the light of the sun, coming out from behind a cloud, as William set off with questioning Dawn. "When I hit you for the last time, I used this shoulder as a guide." Dawn shrugged and added. "A small price to pay." She glared at William pushing to get angry. She actually loved when people raised their voice to her. A fight with a McGrogan is a fight no one would win, but of course Dawn loved to play along. And as Dawn hopped- William snapped. Tapping her left hand fingers on her leg, she let him vent until he ran out of breath. Dawn merely looked at William, paying attention of course, but with a look as if she was looking right through him. Dawn of course went to get help for William. She was a Slytherin, but leaving a pureblood down for the count wasn't something she would do. Of Course, not to a pureblood who never did anything to her to make her angry. Dawn was raised with manors, and she held them as long as she could. But then again, if it was a Gryffindor pureblood who was trying to 'up do her' all day during the game- Dawn very well could have let that person rot. But William wasn't that person.

"Are you done?" she asked as she gave a faint grin. Silence sat between the two as Dawn began. "of Course you fool I went to get help. The second you fell, I came to your aid. I've been captain for two years, and been playing quidditch as far back as I can remember, boyo. I first thought I could help you- but once you didn't respond and I noticed your breathing was as shallow as a bloody squid. I came here to get Madam Pomfrey." Dawn shot as she shook her head and added on. "Do you belittle me so much William Senetta, That you actually believe I would leave a Pure, whom to my knowledge has never done anything ill of myself, lifeless to rot? Dear boy, I have more decency than that." Dawn narrowed her eyes as she finished her explanation.

[will]

Will smiled at Dawn and let a small laugh escape his lips. "Of course, if I did ride in extreme weather, it would be very likely that my broom would catch fire." He shook his head at his own pessimistic words. Dawn probably had gotten hurt millions of times and she still road that piece of wood with luxury that William could only imagine to have. She was the Slytherin Captain, which meant she had to be the best, right? Or one of the best, anyway. Will didn't know much about Quidditch, but from watching her games and playing against her, he could tell she was rather skillful on a broom. No, she excelled on the broom. But she had still hurt herself by doing that play on him. Will managed a smile. "Maybe I should join the Ravenclaw Quidditch team," he added with a sarcastic tone, but it was more optimistic then his last remark. Of course he wouldn't join the Quidditch team. Or if he did, Chaser wasn't even an open spot, probably. But maybe he would do better doing something else... Oh, who was he kidding? He couldn't play on a broom. He was attached to the ground, not enjoying being one hundred feet above it.

Dawn then told about her shoulder and the small price she had to pay. Will raised an eyebrow. Was that an insult? Or was she just saying it like that to prove she was bigger and better then William? Either way, he took it as an insult on his playing ability. "Maybe I will try out for the Ravenclaw team," Will declared. "Just so I can beat you next time." He smiled and nodded as though that settled it. He couldn't beat Dawn McGrogan, no way. Just saying it made him feel better though, and he was certain it would give Dawn a laugh as well. But maybe... it wasn't such a bad idea. He would ask for her advice later on, he decided, when he was done throwing words at her without thinking. "My breathing was not as shallow as a squids," he protested indignantly, although he wouldn't know himself. "I'm glad you came to help me, Dawn. Really. If you hadn't, who knows how long I would have been out there for? I didn't know that you came to help me though, so I had to ask. No need to get upset." He added, although he was feeling upset at her wording.

"So, you're saying that if I hadn't been of pure blood, then you would have left me there?" He asked as calmly as he could. William had just realized about five months ago that he was pure and not a muggle-born or half-blood. His parents had died before he could remember them, and the orphanage he was stuck to now didn't know anything about them either. Or if they did, they didn't say. Will had found out by seeking old family friends that they were indeed a powerful pureblooded family and he was the last descendant. Some way to figure it out, but he had, and that had been what he wanted all along. But he was still left with an empty feeling, one that wouldn't fill for a long time, and he knew it. He felt he had to live up to something now, something incredibly big. To be someone like the McGrogans, or the Slytherins at large, who always seemed to be the living logo of pureblooded families. Could he do it as well as they did? Or would he end up being just as snobby, and not like the old William Senetta at all? If he hadn't figured it out before, and no one had known about it, Dawn would have left him there, knowing that the possibilities he was a pureblood was low. Dawn wouldn't have gone for help because he was a good person, but because he didn't have the lineage, the back-up of pureblooded heritage. This made him feel somewhat labeled, like a toy at the store. 'Pureblood, be nice. Be decent. He's worthy.' Honestly, how could people live like this? He watched Dawn with a blank face, hoping she wouldn't give the answer he was certain he would hear.

[dawn]

William repeated comments about trying out for the Ravenclaw team. Dawn took this as a game and adored to play along. "Of course, try out, you very well make it. Now adays you very well could be the best player on their team." Dawn said with no emotion as she looked at her nails. Picking at one, she went on. "I'd like you to do that. Honestly, You could give me a simple 'run for my money'." she commented. She was giving him a compliment under all of the witty remarks she made. Thinking back to the game they previously played- she thought about the last time, when Will hit the ball and Dawn's throw into the goal didn't make it. He actually hit the ball, and that is why Dawn 'stepped up her game' and became fierce. She knew she tweaked a nerve in all of her remarks to William. She was glowing inside for that fact, but Dawn really wasn't in the mood to hurt him that much again. As she saw, he was pretty banged up already.

Nodding once to William's comment. She made it seem like it was no problem for her to go find help. She honestly wouldn't have let him lay there broken and decrepit. "Yes, you were fully 'out of it'. You would have had no idea." she agreed and crossed her arms at her chest. And as swiftly of the movement of her arms, William questioned her, with out a tone this time. Dawn listened and agreed, since he confronted her decently she would do the same. "What I am saying is, I wouldn't have played anyone other than a pureblood in the first place." She spoke in her normal tone, no higher no lower. Just as if she was speaking to her brother. She looked at William as she noticed his eyes were full of thought.

Dawn knew a lot about the Hogwarts school, staff, and students; more than anyone thought. Dawn was the type of girl who needed to know her surroundings before she let her guard down. But letting her guard down was never an option now days. She made it a hobby to know history, to know secrets, to know the truth. Dawn always was one to work off of the truth, never tell a lie and only believe what you see for yourself. She knew about William's past and how he didn't know his blood line for the longest of time, but Dawn knew it very well. As a McGrogan she had more contacts than normal families would. As a Pureblood she seemed to be more obsessive compulsive than most, of course for a good reason; her future. Dawn was aware of the conflicts that were going about William, but never showed that sign of the talent. She was, like her house mascot; a snake. She was cunning and sly. She was there when no one thought she was and had the ability to also be superior; depending on species. And as a Pure, she was dominant. "Is there something wrong?" Dawn asked, waiting for a reply. She was officially aquanted with the boy, and was finally ready for an actually conversation; if he was ready.

[will]

Will nodded. "You might be surprised." He said with a raised eyebrow, inwardly laughing. There was no chance that he could beat Dawn alone, especially not with the big boys and girls that played on the Slytherin team. If William didn't know any better, they were nearly the most brutal team around, and the play Dawn had done on him was living proof. Joining Ravenclaw team would be a big commitment, and with a bucking bronco to deal with, William found that he was already rather busy deciding what he should do and when it should be done. Not only that, but his studies were becoming a huge part of his life. He had passed O.W.L's with high grades except with Transfiguration and Potions, which he had done below average. But even with that, he had passed with exceptionally high scores, and was proud of it too. See, Ravenclaws may be the book-worms, but their grades will reflect who they become in the future, William had thought, as he despised the way people held a prejudice against Ravens. Of course, it was the same with everyone. Gryffindors, Hufflepuffs, and Slytherins. Slyths were the bullies, the tough 'get out of my way or I'll hurt you.' Hufflepuffs were supposed to be the left-out kids, the people with no reason to be in any other house so they were dumped in Hufflepuff. Ravenclaws were the smart-alacks and always had their nose in a book and Gryffindors were just... stupidly brave, I guess. Will shrugged and tuned in to what Dawn was saying.

The way Dawn could level her voice out to be either high or low, or just nothing more then normal was amazing. Will nodded curtly, understanding what she meant. She wouldn't have given a half-blood or muggle-born the time of day, let alone played Quidditch with them. Why hadn't William guessed that she would say that in the first place? Will's back was starting to ache from the lack of a good position on the bed. The pillows stacked up behind his back was a good support and he was twisted slightly in order to see Dawn, who now had her arms crossed over her chest., he turned and fluffed up his pillows bit to make it more comfortable. He turned when Dawn was speaking. William was pleasantly surprised when she asked if anything was wrong. Dawn may be exceptionally different from him, but that meant for another point of view on a subject, and Will loved having another person comment on his thoughts. But would she understand was the scary concept, or would she just slid her way through it, like most Slytherins did. William decided to take the chance, and he was pretty banged up already, so why not add a little bit more? He might have reconsidered if Dawn had been acting angry, but she wasn't. "Well... kind of..." Now that he was talking, the words he had wanted to describe what he was thinking escaped his mind and he struggled for something new to say that Dawn would understand. "Have you ever.... felt like..... like you were labeled?" He asked, using his previous term he had described it with in his mind. "Like.... like whenever people looked at you, a single thought flashed through their mind, and they used that to judge you, instead of getting to know you?" Will knew he was describing what Slytherins often did to other people, but whether Dawn would catch on to that or care, he didn't know. He wasn't exactly saying it in that tense though. He was saying it like... oh, he didn't know. Mostly, he was referring to the pureblood thing, but if it was based on Dawn... it could be a few different things, like being Queen, perhaps? Will waited for an answer.

[dawn]

Silently watching William move his pillows around, she patiently waited his response to her question. Like Dawn thought before, they were only acquaintances. But Dawn liked the fact that she could have more acquaintances from other houses. Catalina Calves was one of them, Celina Bluewick was another. Dawn gained many other house friends in her younger years of Hogwarts when they had a traveling quidditch team, but ever since she was in her fifth and sixth years, she stayed strictly to her own house. Now her seventh consecutive year in Hogwarts, Dawn figured no harm done.

Dawn often caught on to people's motions and movements well. A trick of the trade she learned from her father. She felt the need to always be aware of her surroundings and understand everything. Dawn of course, never let her guard down. Well, never say never. When she is around Cole, her whole persona seems to change, but that is Cole. They have been friends for nearly her whole life. It would be a given she felt differently when she was around him. But in normal settings Dawn was always aware. By watching William she knew he had a lot on his mind, and like many Ravenclaw do they need some sense of security to open up. Dawn only beat him up hours previous. They conversed enough, it was all based on how he felt toward her. If he only saw the 'Slytherin' persona or actually 'Dawn'.

Getting comfortable, he looked at her for a moment and slowly begain to speak. Listening, not speaking until he was finished Dawn inquired his whole thought. "Did something happen to him? Should I speak from a raven point of view, a slytherin point of view, or mine personally?" She really wasn't sure what he wanted. Dawn was a McGrogan. A top pureblood family. One of the very few left un-altered. Of course she was looked at differently. Some thought she was stubborn, shovanistic, and crude. Others think that she is normal, well-behaved, a cliche pureblood, and proper. Her in school persona was a Queen of Slytherin, a top Slytherin, and a bully. Dawn was used to the fact everywhere she turned their was a view of her, but where was Will coming from with this throught. Dawn's mind rolled as she remembered, he just found out he was a pureblood not to long ago....

Speaking up Dawn went on. "Well, yes." She paused and explained. "When you first saw me today, you of course judged me right off the bat. I was a 'Queen of Slytherin'. " her voice went sarcastic. "I was a seventh year Slytherin. Or maybe, Oh she is Dawn McGrogan. Whether you thought any of those thoughts your surely made some judgement on me." Dawn said normally. "I suppose its just something that comes with the shoes." -refering to the fact she was born pureblood. Noticing the uneasiness of William she asked. "Is that bothering you? The lable?" she paused for a moment to see his reaction. "I'm sorry to say but, You can't change who you were born as."

(( Sorry for the long wait. I am finally active again. ))

[will]

((Yay, you're back! *gives you cookie* ))

The pause after William's question only made him feel uncomfortable. Labeling, hmm. Why did he have to put it that way? Surely Dawn knew what he was talking about, but the way she was thinking it over without saying anything made him wonder if it was really the wrong idea to ask her such a question. He really wanted to know what she thought he meant by this; explaining just wasn't an option. Not until he heard what she had to say. When the silence continued to stretch across the room until it was taut like a rubber band, Will began to fiddle with his blanket. My god, why did he have to be so nervous and uncomfortable? He wasn't even sure why he had told her now. She had wanted to know, but still....

Leaning back in the pillows he had just recently messed with, Will forced his hands to keep still. He would only look the fool with twittering hands. Wasn't that a sign of nervousness? He didn't want Dawn to figure that out, that he was unsure about whether this had been a good idea or bad. But making his face look completely passive was out of the question as well. He bit his bottom lip, blinked, continued to look from Dawn, to his hands, to the wall, and other signs that Dawn would be sure to pick up on. Not that he could help it. He just hoped that Dawn would understand why he felt so insecure, and it wasn't because of her. No, it wasn't Dawn, not her at all. He just never talked about this to anyone, not even his best friends.

Relief swept into Will when he heard her begin to speak. She was speaking like a Slyth, like a Dawn McGrogan, and that made Will listen even harder, trying to understand her thinking. Slytherins were always harder to decipher. Some of them spoke in riddles, which was clearly annoying after a while, but always fun to figure out, some spoke bluntly and frankly, which always turned out to be a nasty conversation. Will wasn't sure where Dawn fell, but at the moment he was just glad she was answering like she normally would. "At first, back at the Grounds when we first met," Will hesitated, but decided it was better to be truthful, "at first I didn't know who you were. You seemed normal enough for me, but when you introduced yourself, I had second doubts about whether I should still be around you or not. And, well, not many people look upon Queens as nice people, you know?" Will figured that Dawn could understand that; she had said she was a bully herself. "In the end it worked out though, right? Besides the broken arm, I mean." Will looked down at his arm for only a brief moment. It was more of a nuisance then anything.

"The label? I guess you can say it's bothering me. More then anything else lately." He paused, undecidedly questioning if he should explain. But since they were acquaintances, and Dawn looked like she clearly wanted to help him out... Well, maybe not help out. He wasn't even sure why Dawn wanted to know, but maybe it didn't matter. Her last statement stuck to Will's mind. "That's just it though. I didn't know who I was born as. I grew up as a muggleborn, someone not many people looked up to. An orphan, and back at the orphanage, they considered me to be a strange creature because of all the different things I could do. But just recently, I found out that I am not a muggle born, but a pureblood, and then people looked at me differently. My personality didn't change, nor did my looks, but that changed. You said yourself that you wouldn't have played with a muggleborn or half-blood." Will had to use that as an example to her, nothing else worked. "I just don't understand..." He looked at Dawn, meeting her eyes. "Why wouldn't you play with a muggleborn or someone who wasn't pure?"