A time to think ((open))

[Jeremiah Baer]

Holding his hand to his mouth, Jeremiah let out a deep yawn as he gazed at the ceiling. He had attempted three times to try and count the number of stones, but failed, each time losing track as his mind wandered. He thought of all the work that sat in his room, waiting to be finished. He thought about summer quickly approaching and how miserable he would be. He hated being away from Hogwarts, away from his friends, away from the randomness that he seemed to find. Finally, he thought of how depressed he had been feeling lately. It wasn't like him. Usually happy and care-free, his spirit had definitely been depressed in the last few weeks. He just didn't know why though.

Continuing to think, Jeremiah sat up and looked around the student lounge. Others were gathered in small groups, working on homework or chatting jovially. Why wasn't he involved in all the action? Maybe that was it. He had been kind of distancing himself lately. Sometimes he just felt so alone, even in the midst of a large crowd where he was easily the center of attention. Deep down though, he longed for a closer attention. He desperately wanted just one person he could talk to. Just one person he knew he could rely on. He didn't have a friend like that at Hogwarts.

Leaning his head back against the chair, Jeremiah closed his eyes and let his mind do its job. Refusing to stop this time, he let it continue through thoughts, faster than he could keep up with. It always felt good to let his brain do all the work as he just sat there and reflected on whatever came to mind. He was enjoying himself until he heard footsteps coming his way. Then, looking up, he noticed a student about his age. Waiting for them to make first conversation, he sat quietly and didn't do a thing.

[lissa]

Camille held the letter to her eyes. She couldn't believe what she was reading. Camille needed to learn to learn how to accept her mother? How could Van say something like that? Camille knew too much about her mother, Opal, already. Opal hadn't accepted Camille since she had been sorted into Gryffindor and not Slytherin. How could Van want them to be mother and daughter when Opal never even bothered to raise Camille? Van was the one she could always count on. Opal just ran off with her friends to have fun. How could Camille trust her? And what else did Van have to tell Camille? These questions raced through her mind. Camille became so sick of all her thoughts that she tossed the letter on the ground and fell over pushing her pillow into her face. She was just so fed up. Camille loved her father, but why would Van want her to befriend the women who didn't even care when Camille was born? Camille didn't need a mother; she was perfectly fine on her own. I don't need a father, either. She thought to herself sitting up. Camille wasn't the type of girl to burst into tears so she just took sharp breaths until she felt calm enough to breathe normally.

That's enough. She urged herself. Camille stood up abruptly and snatched the letter from the floor. She then ran to her trunk and pulled out a small wooden box within it. This is where Camille kept letters she didn’t want to throw away. She tossed it in the box without another thought. Camille put her hand to her head. It was aching with pain. I can’t believe this is happening. She told herself trying to take her mind off the letter but not succeeding. After a minute of just sitting in pain, Camille became more frustrated. "I'm tired of this!" She nearly screamed. With that, Camille had made up her mind to leave her dorm. Maybe that would make her feel better. She pulled her Gryffindor robes over her clothes and didn't even bother checking her reflection in the mirror. Camille just picked up her wand, and let her room.

The corridor she was walking down was nearly empty. It lead to the student lounge but it seemed that no one was keen on doing homework. Camille saw this as a good opportunity to think to herself. But is that really what she needed? Camille really didn't know. She walked into the room and notice a boy. After looking at him for a brief moment, Camille recognized him. It was Jeremiah, a boy in her house and year. Maybe she could talk to him. It wouldn't be so hard. Camille made her way over to him but he seemed to be working on some assignment. "Hello Jeremiah." Camille said calmly to the boy. "What are you working on?" She asked in a friendly tone. Camille waited for a reply.

[Jeremiah Baer]

"Oh, hey Camille," Jeremiah replied, recognizing the fellow 6th year Gryffindor. "I'm really not working on anything," he answered. "I'm just sitting here thinking, to be truthful. What about yourself? Are you up to anything interesting?" Deep down, he was hoping that she could occupy his mind for a while. It would be nice to actually have something to think of so that his mind wasn't replaying over and over again with what it had been. "You know," he added, trying a little harder to make conversation at this point, "it's our sixth year here, and before we know it, we will be entering our final year at Hogwarts." The thought kind of intimidated Jeremiah. He wasn't exactly ready to start thinking about a future outside of Hogwarts.

Unsure if Camille was actually interested in a conversation or if she was just saying hello, Jeremiah stopped talking, and waited for a response. He hated it himself when others would ramble on if he wasn't in the mood to talk, and he didn't want to come off that way for Camille.

((Sorry it's short... should get better once we get more to go on.))

[lissa]

Camille smiled a bit while taking a near by seat. She sighed getting comfortable. "Oh, I see." She said calmly reply to Jeremiah's comment of what he was doing. She gave her calm almost smile that was usually seen on her face and listened. "Well, thinking is a good pass time." Camille said referring to him saying he was just thinking. "Oh, same old, same old. Nothing too interesting, I was just reading a new letter from my father." She offered. It was the truth and Camille was glad she didn't force herself to lie. She just wasn't about to go into any details. True, there were many new interesting things in her life. Like for example, why what else did Van have to tell her? Camille wasn't sure, but she did know she wouldn't be pleased with the outcome. She glanced briefly around the room looking for other familiar faces but none came to her. Camille looked back to Jeremiah listening.

Camille sighed listening to Jeremiah's words. It was all too true. Hogwarts would be over for them in a matter of a little more than a year. There was nothing Camille could do to change it. She loved Hogwarts, it was pretty much her home. However, anywhere Van was, Camille thought of as home. But, Hogwarts was a close second. She loved that school and couldn't believe that soon she could only return on business and not for classes. Camille knew she would have to grow up, that was infinite, but she wished that she would have two or three more years at the school she loved. Camille glanced around the room thinking for a few more moments before collecting her thoughts. She sighed tiredly.

"I know. It's sort of hard to believe. I mean this place has basically been our home for years now." She replied. This subject wasn't exactly her favorite but she could see why Jeremiah was choosing it. "I mean the year has gone by so fast with everything.." Her voice drifted. Gryffindor and Hufflepuff house had been through a lot through the year. First with the Diagon Alley attacks at the end of the summer. There, some of the Hufflepuff's relatives had died and then the attack on the train where a Hufflepuff girl died. Camille was so thankful she had been on the middle portion of the train and not the front. And then the more recent events with Parvati's kidnapping, and the reappearance, and then again kidnapping. However, the next kidnapping left her parents dead, Padma kidnapped too and Hermione Granger. Camille had read it all in the Daily Profit and had been saddened. This was all happening so suddenly. Gryffindor house was loosing some of its oldest members and this effected the whole house. Camille had a weird look on her face thinking back and then looked back at Jeremiah. "This has been a crazy sixth year, that's for sure. I mean I don't really want to leave Hogwarts end of next year, but I will have to bite the bullet, won't I?" Camille eyed Jeremiah. "What do you think, are you afraid of leaving even just a little bit?" She asked. Camille waited for a response.

[Jeremiah Baer]

"Maybe a little," Jeremiah admitted. The truth was, he just felt so unprepared for whatever may lie ahead. It was hard for him to accept the fact that he would soon have to actually worry about things instead of just going with the flow. Flexibility was easy for him, and he wasn't too eager to get into the real world where he would have to be all organized and scheduled.

His mind quickly wandered. Pondering the many events that had occurred during the last year, Jeremiah quickly pushed them aside. It was too much for him to be involved in. He was just happy that he was safe through the whole issue. Knowing it was quite selfish of himself to feel that way, he cared deep down, but just refused to get involved. He just wanted to live his life in a free way without being bogged down by fear and worry.

"So, I hear that the annual Beltane celebration is coming up," he chimed, moving the conversation along as quickly as his thoughts were changing. "I've never really been to one myself," he added, which was somewhat a lie. He had been to a few celebrations as a child, but he remembered wishing he weren't there. Maybe he just didn't have the right company to make it fun. "Have a date yet?" he asked in a rather uncharming manner. This was common of Jeremiah. He was never afraid to speak his mind, nor was he concerned about what others thought of him.

((sorry for the long delay... do you even want to finish this post?))

[wormy]

They entered the Student Lounge, and like Peter had hoped, there were more people there. They immediately started screaming and running out of the Lounge, but most of them Amycus stupefied or knocked out with another curse. Peter scanned the students and let a grin slip his face, an evil grin. There were to Gryffies, both seeming to be the same age, talking. Peter pointed his wand at the boy; in moments all his hair was off. Scalping wasn't pleasant. But it wasn't something permanently damaging, which wasn't that fun. Peter wasn't through just yet. "Incarcerous." Thick ropes wrapped themselves around the boy and watched. Now what else? "Langlock!" Now he couldn't talk! Peter grinned malicously and then turned to see Amycus harming random students and robbing things from them. Money, and other valuable trinkets. Peter didn't mind the torturing but he didn't like taking things.

"Come on! Let's go!" He barked at Amycus before turning on his heel and skiddering out of the lounge down the corridors to another place.

[Jeremiah Baer]

Before Camille could reply, Jeremiah heard a scream. Turning fast, he saw two grown men in the lounge casting spells at other students and causing much chaos. The one man with rather large front teeth turned to look at Jeremiah. Before he could grab his wand in defense, he felt a searing pain on his head. Unsure of what was happening, he reached to the top of his head and felt raw skin. His hair was gone. Within seconds, the man had cast another spell that bound Jeremiah. Unable to move, he could only watch in horror as the two men continued their horrific actions.

"Camille! What's ha...." he stopped suddenly, unable to speak. With that, the two men were off, and the student lounge was left in shambles. Jeremiah felt faint, the pain at the top of his head increasing by the second. Feeling dizzy, Jeremiah fell back onto the couch behind him. His vision a little blurry, as he was unable to see Camille anywhere. The blackness closed in, and eventually Jeremiah was out cold, completely unconscious.

[lissa]

Camille smiled listening to Jeremiah. She was glad he was a bit scared himself, but who wouldn't be? Anyone with a sense of mind would be afraid to leave Hogwarts. It had been her home for six years and in the matter of twelve months, it would be taken from her forever. This was a hard fact to face even for Camille who believed she was a true realist. She was glad that at that moment Jeremiah was near her. Camille had always thought of Jeremiah as a jokster, but there was more to him than that. No one in the entire world is one sided. Everyone has different traits and Camille knew that better than many. She smiled a bit letting her gaze meet those of other students who were quietly chatting and doing homework. Camille pushed her deep red hair aside for a moment. She glanced around again for just a comforting glance before looking back at Jeremiah. This was a touchy subject for her as her true home had never been comforting. Hogwarts was the place Camille knew she could always belong no matter what and she felt safe there.

Camille released a grin as Jeremiah asked if she had a date for Beltane. The truth was no. Camille wasn't too much of a social person and she liked the few friends she did have rather than a massive group of them like some younger Gryffindors she knew. Camille didn't know if Jeremiah was just curious for the sense of curiosity or if he wanted to ask her. Really, Camille didn't mind what he meant by that. It was a bit blunt, but Camille did that often and it didn't really bother her too much. She opened her mouth to speak but before she knew it, screams were heard throughout the Student Lounge. Death Eaters. People heard people scream it. There were Death Eaters in the castle. No, there were Death Eaters in the Student Lounge. Camille's first instinct was to grab her wand but students were rushing all around her trying to find a way out. One boy hit Camille making her wand drop tot he ground and there was no time to pick it up. Jeremiah. She thought suddenly her body in panic mode. "Jeremiah, Jeremiah?" She yelled trying to find him so they could get out together safe. Camille was running with the crowd of students, but she couldn't see him.

Within another second, Camille felt students crowd around her running and she felt herself fall to the ground as one accidentally pushed her. She could now hear Jeremiah saying something but she didn't know what it was. Camille knew the Death Eaters had him and she meant to stand up but she couldn't with students running left in right. She wasn't hurt, just mentally sick. Within moments, the Death Eaters were gone and Camille arose not even glad that they hadn't seen her on the ground. She looked around and saw Jeremiah knocked out with tight robes around him. Camille ran up to him seeing that he wasn't dead. She didn't know what to do for a moment. Camille then ran and found her wand. "Evanesco!" She yelled pointing her wand at his robes making them vanish leaving just his clothes underneath. All of Jeremiah's hair was gone, but that wasn't the problem at the moment. Camille wanted to seal the door tight, but she needed help. She didn't know how to wake him from unconsciousness. "Help anyone!" She cried just waiting for the sound of footsteps.