Cleaing up Stryder (Stryder & Dresden)

[aneen]

Once the trio had safely arrived in the H.W. Aneen took a moment to wipe off her own brow, which was rather sweaty from all the recent turmoil. All of it was already a strange blur. It had happened rather quickly, but at least there hadn't been... any obviously permanent damage? It was the least she could hope for.

I should probably clean out my bookbag...it IS getting a little big Aneen thought ponderously. But looking at it, she never she could never decide which books she could do without. She was a Ravenclaw...and bookish. A little more bookish, perhaps, than your average Ravenclaw. She noticed a couple extra astronomy books she pulled to look at. Well...mostly the pictures. They have the nicest figures in these books!

Feeling a little guilty that she had let her mind slip to something like that at this moment made her feel just a little guilty, so she turned her attention back to the other two.

"Are you feeling any better?" she asked the boy when she got the chance.

[Dresden Amnell R3]

Dresden sat down on a spare hospital bed once they had gotten the boy into the wing. She watched the other girl begin to go through her bag. She seemed to have an endless supply of them.Maybe she has a bag that you can keep putting stuff into, and it never gets full. Wow, I wonder if they really make things like those...

"I just realized something. We don't know each others names! Well, I'm Dresden, anyways."

[[Sorry about the shortness; I can't think of anything good right now. Stryder, I'm doing this one as if it were before the rain one.]]

[stryderstalk]

Stryder stumbled into the Hospital Wing with the two girls by his side. His was glad that they realized that he didn't mean what he said. He was thankful that they were there to help him. Stryder's head continued to hurt as he sat down on the bed. He touched his forehead quickly as he felt pain go through his body. To think a bookbag could do that much damage, well that's supposidely what happend.

Stryder was still convinced that this had something to do with darkness. He was there, he saw his father. Stryder felt the pain and the anger. He could even remember how it felt trying to udder the two worst words in all of history. How could it be that it hadn't happend? It must have.

Stryder looked over at one of the girls who started going through her bookbag. Stryder thought that maybe she would pull some kind of clue out to help him understand. He was disappointed when all she did was pull out an astronomy book that he had himself.

She must have had an epiphany because she looked up at both Stryder and the other girl.

"Are you feeling any better?" she said while looking at Stryder with a worried look. Stryder looked back about to talk when the other girl leaped out a sentence.

"I just realized something. We don't know each others names! Well, I'm Dresden, anyways."

"I'm Stryder Stalk, third year Gryffindor. Nice to meet you."

Stryder said giving his 'formal' introduction. He then turned his attention back to girl number one and answered her question.

"I'm alright. My head hurts a bit. I'm curious though, is your bookbag a portkey?"

They probably thought he was nuts for asking that but it was the only way Stryder could realize what was happening. If her bookbag was a portkey when it touched Stryder's head he was brought over to his father and all that stuff happend. Then again if her bag was a portkey how did he return back to Hogwarts, you can't travel like that in Hogwarts. It was impossible, then again maybe not if you have dark magic on your side. Either way Stryder had to ask her the question, even if it made him look retarded.


((( You are??? Because in "Rain Will Fall" I said we should do it as if the that came first and then I hit my head.)))

[aneen]

"Ohthankgoodnessyou're OK," the words gushed out of Aneen's mouth. "I was in a hurry and wasn't paying attention to where I was going and my bag just flew around my side and hit you and your head went down... and..." she realized how fast the words were coming and how incomprehensible they were.

When she realized that Stryder had asked her a direct question, she suddenly got a very puzzled look on her face. "No...no. It isn't," she said, mildly hurt because she took the question as just a bit of an insult. She gave him a bit of a defiant glance and with a resloute thum, resettled onto an empty bed and started straightening out all of her books.

Portkey indeed. And it's likely the things wouldn't work on these grounds anyway. Portkey! As though my hitting him were some kind of intentional act. As likely as...as...a leprechaun handing over his gold! that's what. Her sharp tongue was poised to give him a good wherefore as to what he could do with his Portkey theory. But, taking a deep breath, she managed a the more civil

"Were it a Portkey, it would have worked on me when I picked it up," she intoned a little too evenly. you dolt she added in her head because it really was a little too obvious. and don't you dare argue that I 'turned it into one just before I hit you. couldn't do that even if i wanted or i'd've done it long before now and not to you. she thought, giving him a glare daring him to challenge her.

She finished coldly and flatly: "Aneen. Ravenclaw. Third year."

[Dresden Amnell R3]

Dresden nodded her head to the boy, her way of saying 'nice to meet you too'. Stryder turned back to the other girl and answered her, along with asking his own question. Dresdens eyebrows furrowed when he did. Why would the girl be carrying around a port key? And why would he come to that conclusion? Maybe he's delusional...

Stryder wasn't making sense at all to Dresden. He appeared to be rambling on."Hmm", said Dresden to no one particular. "What makes you ask that? Are you sure you're alright?"


[[Haha, this is so confusing. Ok, we'll do both like we didn't know the other. So from now on, we know each other.]]

[stryderstalk]

Stryder shouldn't have said it. The reaction on both girls faces was not what he wanted. Stryder tried figuring it out in his head.Let see, if it was a portkey, placed by my father somehow, it hit me and sent me to him. The question is though how did I get back? I didn't touch anything there except my wand. My WAND!

"No...no. It isn't,"

Stryder heard the girl as she went over to another bed. He had to see if his wand was a portkey. He slowly moved his hand over to his pocket and touched his wand. He didn't go anywhere. He must have dreamed it. All of it.

"Were it a Portkey, it would have worked on me when I picked it up,"

Stryder had forgotten that he had hurt the girl. He looked over at her, she glared at him. It wasn't supposed to be an insult. I'm just confused. I must have blacked out or something when I hit my head.

"Aneen. Ravenclaw. Third year."

Stryder would have nodded and smiled but he felt that it wouldn't be appropriate, for all he knew Aneen wasn't to fond of him right now.

"What makes you ask that? Are you sure you're alright?"

"Sorry, it's a stupid question I know. I must have blacked out or something when I hit my head. You see I dreamed that I was in another place with someone else. My head still hurts and I must have thought that what I saw was real. Sorry it's confusing. I didn't mean to make you mad Aneen."

Stryder should have realized how hurtful his question could be, especially if Aneen is a muggleborn or pure for that matter. After the attacks the thought of someone portkeying an object for someone was horrible. He felt bad.

[Dresden Amnell R3]

The tension in the room could be cut with a knife. Dresden felt as if she was going to be swallowed up inside it. She didn't know if she should change the subject, continue with the same one, or run from the room and never look back.

"May I ask what your dream was? Sometimes, dreams can have an important meaning to them. "

[aneen]

"Yes, it was," Aneen said sharply in response to the statement "it's a stupid question." Aneen had done her best the moment she realized that she'd caused such a commotion and was feeling incredibly put out to be so besieged by such stupid questions.

Taking a couple deep breaths and trying to even her nerves out, Aneen felt some of the anger slip away. Despite that she had just eaten, she felt a bit hungry and rather thirsty.

This last half hour or so has just been too much. First, dealing with a bunch of blood and now being accused of something that I'm not even capable of! All I want to do right now is cuddle up with my cat and take a long nap.

With a resolute decision to return to a more civil state, Aneen let her muscles relax a bit and chimed in after Dresden.

"Yes, a dream would make more sense," she agreed calmly.

Crazy, paranoid kid...And he's a Gryffindor...didn't think they'd be the paranoid ones about things like that....well, maybe his family is a bunch of whackos. But she was rather taken aback when he used her name. In general, people sort of didn't use each others names, she'd noticed. Hearing her own name made her jump for half a second.

[stryderstalk]

Stryder couldn't believe what he had done. Everything was going fine, well except for him almost passing out every second, and he ruined it by being stupid. He should have realized that it was just a dream. He father wasn't trying to kill him, not yet at least, and he doubted that these girls had anything to do with his father. Stryder was getting to paranoid about his father. Ever since he received the letter saying that Cecilia goes to school with Stryder, he has been freaking. He doubted that his younger sister would be able to do anything to Stryder physically but mentally yes.

"Yes, it was, it's a stupid question."

A pain went through Stryder's head. He clutched his forehead. He didn't know that it would offend her that much. She wasn't a Slytherin, that means she didn't know his sister, she was just in the wrong place at the wrong time. Stryder had made her feel like a threat. It was a bad feeling, Stryder knew that from personal experiences.

The room was quite for a bit. Neither of the girls were talking. Stryder didn't know what to say. He just clutched his head, it still hurt. The bandages were seeking through a little bit. How could his head bleed so much??? Stryder was about to call for a nurse when the worst happend. Dresden asked him what he was trying to avoid.

"May I ask what your dream was? Sometimes, dreams can have an important meaning to them. "
"Yes, a dream would make more sense,"

He couldn't tell them his dream. What would they think if Stryder just simply said that he had tried to kill his father. They would think he was nuts and be afraid of him. They wouldn't understand, Stryder didn't even understand the dream. He didn't know what to do, he had to say something though.

"Well I was at my ranch and this guy was there. I couldn't see who he was but he pulled out his wand and muttered something at me. I grabbed my wand and held it out as well. The man laughed and said that he was going to kill me and my family. Then he said..."

Stryder stopped there. It was close to what he dreamed. The man was his father and all that had happend but it was Stryder who had said it, not him. Stryder looked at the girls. He took a deep breathe and quietly continued his story.

"He said... Avada.... Kadavera. I saw a light come at me, before I got hit with it though I saw you guys. Instead of being at my ranch I was in the Great Hall."

Stryder had finished his story, saying it quietly so he didn't freak anyone out by saying the two worst words in all of the wizarding world. The story was similar to the real thing. Stryder felt the same way about this story as he did about the dream he had. He wouldn't kill his father though. Would he? Stryder wouldn't be surprised if his father tried killing him though.

[Dresden Amnell R3]

Dresden listened intently as Stryder recalled his dream. It sounded more like a nightmare to Dresden. He went over everything that happened, right until he had woke up.

Dresden wasn't sure what to make of his dream. Something in his eyes made her think there was something else; smehting he wasn't telling them. Instead of asking, she kept her thoughts to herself. No need to start anything by accusing him of lying.

Dresden looked at Aneen, waiting to see her reaction.

[aneen]

I don't think that this kid likes home any better than I do. But at least I don't have anyone threatening to kill my family. Aneen thought. What would I do if someone were threatening my family? My father...my brother. A sudden flood of irrational worry swept over her. Taking a quiet, deep breath through her nose, she set aside the worry and turned her focus back to Stryder.

But as he told his story...she wondered. The pauses, the breaths. Their placements. Sure, it had been a difficult dream, but why not just get it all out at once since that what it had turned out to be. She considered what she might do in the situation. There are certain things she thought slowly that I would never reveal in this situation. Many things...

But not having any other choice at the moment, Aneen took his disturbing tale at face value. She looked at him carefully and chose her words even more decidely in order to mask those doubts.

"Do you have any reason to be afraid for your family? Any...specific reason?" she asked guardedly. I suppose that we all have reason to be afraid for our families...because of...that man as Aneen always called him in her head. She had inherited the fear of his name from her mother, who she thought supported him a bit more than she'd let on. Though...not the way he goes about it, just the bloodline thing.

She turned to Dresden and gave a small, forced look of concern for Stryder, as if trying to say "tough luck." "Thanks again, for the help," she tacked onto the look. How I would have managed without her, I don't know. What a sight we are...three third years... mopping up blood.

[stryderstalk]

He was surprised to find that he didn't feel bad about lying to the girls. He knew that if he had said that he had tried to kill his father they would have freaked out. Maybe, if he got to know them a little bit better over the next four years, he would tell them. Once they realized that his father was a horrible man and that Stryder wouldn't kill him, not anyone, even if he hated his father more than anything in the world. Man I need therapy. Ever since the letter I've been acting funky.It was true, since Stryder had received a letter from his father Stryder had been behaving quite risky, even for him.

Stryder looked at the girls when he finished his story. It was the reaction he expected, shock. If Stryder had been in their shoes he would have been shocked as well. You see someone knocked out, clean them up, then find out that they had a dream they were about to die, you don't hear that everyday.

There was an awkward silence that Stryder didn't like. He was tempted to pretend to pass out but he knew that the girls would freak out if he did. Plus he had already lied to them once, with good reason though, he didn't want to fake another thing. The girls seemed to nice to do that. Maybe if they were Slytherins Stryder would have changed his mind. Luckily Aneen spoke before Stryder could remember how to make himself pass out again.

"Do you have any reason to be afraid for your family?Any...specific reason?"

Well my father raised me to hate muggle borns. I ran away from home when I was seven after watching my father murder someone, and ever since then my father has been threatening to kill me and one day I'll to face him and his dark magic. Who knows he might even turn into a Death Eater. Other than that no I'm not afraid of my family. Stryder was pretty sure that that answer wouldn't go over to well with the girls. He would just say a simpler version of that.

"My family had ties to the dark arts."

Had ties... they are the ties. Stryder thought to himself as he realized that his head was hurting but it wasn't from the gash on his head. He had the worst headache possible. He wished he hadn't gotten in this situation.

[Dresden Amnell R3]

Dresden knew that some of the students at Hogwarts had ties in dark magic; their family member was into the dark arts, or sometimes even their whole family, but she never gave it thought that someone outside of Slytherin might be into the dark arts. Then again, some of Stryders family could have been in Slytherin themselves.

Dresden decided not to ask anymore questions. She would let Aneen if she wanted to, but she knew if it was her in Stryders place, she would most likely hesitate while talking about it too.

Dresden looked at Stryder. "How's your head?" she asked, trying to change the subject. Maybe it would make things a little less awkward on the three of them.

[aneen]

I don't like this...I don't like this at all. "Ties to the Dark Arts?" Sure, sure, he's in Gryffindor. But blacking out should not cause those sort of fearful dreams...should it? Not that I know anything about blacking out. I'm never going to be a nurse. I'm not good at Potions anyways... Aneen pulled her thoughts up short, realizing that she was totally spacing out on the situation at hand.

Aneen held her tongue and pulled her legs up onto the bed and hugged her arms around them. Her eyes started to narrow a bit and she looked appraisingly at both Stryder and Dresden.

Who are you? she wondered strongly about Stryder. She was about to apologize again for the sake of small talk until she realized that that would be horribly repetitive and pointless and so she didn't bother.

Had? hmmm...people don't lose those ties overnight usually...

[stryderstalk]

LIke he had expected, slience filled the room again. Stryder was glad that the girls weren't bombarding him with questions and words again. It made him head hurt. Stryder knew that mentioning the dark arts would silence any room... well for the most part. He still couldn't get over the dream though. Why? Why Stryder? Stryder wasn't like his father, he wouldn't kill anyone. Sure Stryder hated his father but he would much rather have his father deal with a dementor's kiss instead of doing anything physical to him. There had to be another part to the dream. It hadn't ended. Stryder realized this as he stopped touching his head. He had to pass out again to figure out what was going on. Maybe he was being dilerious. Stryder had to pass out though.

Stryder listened as Dresden asked him how his head was doing. His head is going crazy. Stryder needed to find out the rest of the dream. It was like the time he the MacMasters let him watch a movie but stopped the movie ten minutes before it was over. It killed Stryder. He couldn't sleep that night, he kept on thinking of the different possible endings. The next morning the first thing he did was watch the ending to find out that the monkey died. It was horrible but Stryder had to know. Stryder had to know now what happend. He had to black out.

Stryder looked around, there were no nurses. There was just Aneen and Dresden. How could he blackout though without them thinking he was mental. Stryder thought about it and came up with a plan.

"My head's alright but I think I need something to drink."

Stryder got out of his bed and stood next to his bed. He looked at both of the girls and smiled showing that he wasn't dizzy. He started to walk and then purposly fell over. Stryder hit the floor but didn't black out. He looked up at the ceiling as his head pounded once more. Stryder heard a scream and tried to get up. His head hurt again. Stryder got to his knees and climbed himself back up on the bed. He couldn't blackout. He needed to though.

"Guess I'm not ready to walk yet."

[aneen]

After giving him a hard look and seriously feeling that he was stalling, Aneen heavily got off the bed she was seated on and rummaged quietly around the wing until she found something for him to drink. She passed him the glass, ready to make sure he had full control of it or be ready to grab it in case he dropped it. She didn't need him to get himself all wet after everything that had already happened.

Standing up straight, she looked at him, pointedly.

"If you don't need anything else, I think I'll be going now," she said distantly.

[Dresden Amnell R3]

Dresden watched Aneen search the room for a drink. As she handed Stryder the drink, she said she was going to leave if he was ok.

"I think I will leave too," said Dresden, "If you're ok, that is." Dresden looked at her watch. Lunch was about to start and she was starving. She had yet to eat, and couldn't wait to see what they had for choices today.

[stryderstalk]

Stryder didn't blame the girls for wanting to leave. They were just minding their own business trying to probably get house points for helping someone but they got dragged into Stryder's problem. He knew that it was almost lunch time and since they were Ravenclaws, they probably needed to go study. Stryder wasn't hungry though, he looked at both girls.

"It's fine if you leave. Thanks for all you've done."

Stryder said with a smile as he turned his back on the girls waiting for them to walk out of the room. He couldn't believe they actually wanted to leave though. First they cared all about him and now they could care less if he died right in front them. He didn't like his 'nurses' anymore. Then again now that they were leaving he could make himself blackout and not freak them out.

[Dresden Amnell R3]

Dresden watched as Stryder pretended that he didn't care if they left. She knew different though.Dresden raised one of her eyebrows. "I'm sure you don't have to stay, you can always come with me if you want. I need food though. I'm fading away to nothing!"

Dresden twirled around to show how she was 'fading away to nothing'. Obviously, she wasn't, but that wasn't the point.

"Besides, I've had lot's of babysitting experience," said Dresden, cracking a joke at Stryder.

[aneen]

Without another word, Aneen shoved her things together and put her bag over her shoulder again, though, this time, being more careful not to whack anyone with it.

Not even glancing over her shoulder, she walked directly out of the Hospital Wing and out into the halls of the school.

Well, that was well mannered. But she was flustered from the accusations and the blood and dragging him up.

Home...or as close as I can get she wearily told herself and headed for Ravenclaw and, hopefully, her cat.