Floating Ties ((Scott))

[August Reid R7]

August sighed to himself. Loudly so that someone would hear him. Maybe they would come over and ask him what was wrong. But no one came. That was because hardly anyone was there. August found himself in the Student Lounge on this Thursday evening because of Transfiguration. Professor Granger was new but not new to legend. She was known as one of Harry Potter's good friends. The rumours said that she should have been in Ravenclaw, she was so smart. Unfortunately for the students, like August, she expected great things from them. August knew in his heart of hearts that she just wanted them to succeed but giving them homework within the first week seemed a little much. Especially since it was such a beautiful September day outside. August had heard from some of the older students that fifth year was one of the hardest but he had hoped that his professors would at least let them enjoy the last few weeks of the quickly fading summer. Sometimes when you lived in a drafty castle, it seemed like winter lasted for ages. August sighed loudly again and waited for the non-existent response before returning to his book.

The book in front of him was Transfiguration and What It Means to Students. Professor Granger had wanted to start out with some basics to refresh the new fifth years from their summer. She had asked them to take off their ties and place in them on their desks. She then asked them to change them into something and then change them back. Some of the students had flattened their ties out and changed them into sticks and then back. Others had bunched their ties up and changed them into rubber balls and then back again. But not August. He could not make up his mind as to what he wanted his tie to do. So he just sort of jabbed his wand at it and hoped for the best. Instead of the tie changing into something... it exploded. With a very loud bang, August would like to point out. Needless to say, the entire class had searched for the noise and found a very bright red August rubbing the back of his neck with his left hand. Professor Granger had calmed the class down but told August that as homework he must practise basic Transfiguration. To be fair, he wasn't the only one unable to change his tie. Just the only one to make it explode.

This is where we join August. His tie (another one, there was no helping the exploded one) and the book were laid upon a coffee table in front on an orange plush couch where August found himself. To change something, you must have intention. He kept reading this sentence over and over again. Intention. He held his wand above his tie and intended on changing it. The most creative thing he could think of was into a rolling pin so that it what he wanted to change it to. Just as he opened his mouth to say the spell and moved his wand at the same time he heard shouting and laughing outside the nearest window. Other students were enjoying the last days of summer while he was stuck here practising basic transfiguration. His mood turned quite sour and therefore his spell had a sour twist on it. Instead of turning into a rolling pin his tie did two things. First it expanded, not exploded, expanded as if being filled with air. Then it lifted of the coffee table. August was so astounded that he had to watch. The tie rose to about eight feet off the ground and stayed there as if to taunt him. August sighed once again, louder than the other two times to let the mostly empty Lounge know that he was frustrated. He climbed onto the couch and stretched his hands as far as they would go. He could still not get it. "Bloody hell!" He yelled at the tie. "Blast it all!"

[Scott Ryder G7]

"Powdered moonstone and syrup of hellebore," Scott said to himself. "Half of the moonstone, stir, let it sit until it boils, and then add the hellebore. Once that has turned a shade of dark lavender, add the rest of the moonstone." Ever since they had been informed that their next Potions class would be a quiz which covered all the potions they learned in their fifth year, Scott was determined to do well. He had started with Aging Potion, and was currently reciting the process for making the Draught of Peace Potion. If anything, by reciting the potion ingredients and processes to himself, Scott was able to pass the time more quickly whenever he was on Prefect duty. Today was one of those days.

He'd have much rather been outside on his broom, flying around in the cool autumn air, but Scott was stuck in the confines of the castle. At least there wasn't too much going on. He never really did like having to take house points or yell at students for doing things that they weren't supposed to be doing.

Happy with his memory of the Draught of Peace, Scott decided he'd take a break from studying as he entered the student lounge to check it out. A few students were gathered around the tables, most were studying as Scott had been, or they were finishing homework. He didn't see any opportunity to exercise his prefect duties; at least not until he noticed a boy jumping on the couch on the opposite side of the room. "What are you do..." he began, but then stopped when he saw that the boy was trying to reach something which was floating above his head.

Scott walked closer to the boy and saw that the floating object looked a lot like a Ravenclaw tie, blue and bronze stripes with a tapered end. He glanced over at the boy, a Ravenclaw, and then suppressed the urge to laugh. "Need some help?" Scott asked, shooting a jet of blue light at the floating tie until it popped. Like a balloon, the tie whizzed around their heads as it lost air. Scott ducked, but they reached his hand out to catch it, almost as though he were catching a Snitch. "What exactly were you trying to do?" he asked, handing the tie back to the boy.

((Sorry for the lack of quickness in my reply. I'm terrible, I know. ))

[August Reid R7]

One would think that in a magical school one would use magic to solve a magical problem. August's floating tie certainly was a magical problem and looking back on the situation August admitted that he should have used his wand to make it come back down but that he wasn't thinking. All he could think of was getting that tie back and jumping up and down on the couch seemed to be the best solution right now. He wasn't getting any closer to the bloated tie and each creak from the couch was making August nervous but it just seemed like the best thing to do at the time. It wasn't until he heard someone else's voice that he remembered that he was in the middle of the Student Lounge and that he probably looked pretty foolish. Right now. "What are you do..." the other boy began but it was obvious what August was trying to do. "Need some help?" the boy asked him.

August stopped jumping on the couch and looked at the older boy. He could feel his face flush and then August spotted the other boy's prefect badge which made the shade on his face just deepen in colour. All he could do was nod. August watched as the other boy aimed his wand at the tie and with a spark of blue light the tie popped. For a tense second August thought that his tie had exploded. But his fears were quelled when he saw the tie whizzing around them like a deflated balloon. The other boy caught the tie with such accuracy that it made August think of a Seeker. That's it! That's why he looked familiar. He most likely played for the Gryffindor team given the colours on his robes. August cringed at the thought of that game. He had performed so badly that he didn't want to remember it.

He pushed the bad memory from his mind as he accepted the tie back. "Thanks," he told the other boy. He looked down at the tie in his hand. There was a hole in it where the other boy's spell had hit it. A hole was much easier to fix than an exploded tie. He took his wand and tapped the hole. "Reparo," he told it. The hole was soon fixed and the tie good as new. August finally was able to look at the prefect when he felt the colour return to normal in his face. "I was actually trying to change the blasted thing from a tie to a rolling pin. Professor Granger told me that I needed to practice. I guess she was right," he told the other boy with a smile. "But I can't concentrate on a day like this though!" he sighed in frustration. August flopped down on the couch and crossed his arms across his chest like he was five. He then looked up to the other boy and added, "I'm August by the way."

[Scott Ryder G7]

"Don't mention it," Scott said after August thanked him for retrieving the floating tie. He watched as August used his wand to mend the place on the tie where the fabric had been ruined from the popping spell that Scott had used. "You mean the Vinculium spell?" Scott asked, trying to remember the particular transfiguration that August was referring to. Scott was decent at Transfiguration, but sometimes just remembering the spell was the hardest part. Curiosity got the best of him though, so he tugged at his own tie, loosening it enough that he could pull it off of his neck.

"I'm Scott," he replied. "I think I remember you from playing Quidditch. You're on the Ravenclaw team, right?" Scott laid the tie flat on the table that was nearby and took a moment to recite the spell in his head before trying it out loud. "Vinculium," he said clearly, waving his wand from one end of the tie to the other. The flat tie instantly gained more dimension, gradually forming a cylindrical object with two handles, one on each end. It looked like a rolling pin, though the surface had distinct stripes of burgundy and gold just as Scott's tie had. "I guess you're not the only one who needs practice," Scott said, raising his brow a bit and grinning as he cast the untransfiguration spell and took his tie back from the table.

"So what makes today such a hard day to concentrate?" Scott asked, remembering that August had seemed a bit distraught with his inability to perform the transfiguration. He looped the tie back over his neck and tucked it underneath his collar. Tugging at it back and forth, Scott attempted to straighten it, but it seemed to be a lost cause. Without a mirror, he was having a tough time getting the tie just right. It didn't matter though. It would be good enough, he assumed, looking back up to August as he waited for a reply.

[August Reid R7]

"Aye, I do play Quidditch. Although judging from last years performance, I can't say for how much longer. I was pretty lousy in the game against Gryffindor," August explained to Scott as he watched the older boy take off his tie probably to practise the spell that he had just mentioned. "I was trying to perform the Vinculium spell but as you can see," he said holding his tie. "I wasn't having that much luck." August watched as Scott waved his wand from one end of the tie to the other. The tie gained dimension and two handles on either end. There was just one problem. The colour was distinctly Gryffindor. Not that there was anything against Gryffindor coloured rolling pins but August didn't think that was the intended result of the other boy's spell.

August couldn't help but grin. It was always nice to see someone else not succeed. Not that he wanted other people to fail but it was always reassuring to see other students struggle. It helps August to realise that everyone makes mistakes and that he should not take his so personally. "Why can't I concentrate?" August repeated like a parrot. "For one thing it's the first week of school. I don't want to be bound by homework just yet. And then for another thing, this isn't a hard spell. I should be able to do it. Here let me help you," August reached over to Scott's neck and straightened his tie. "There. Oh, I'm sorry," August said as he withdrew his hands. "We don't even know each other. For all I know you hate people in your personal space." He rubbed the back of his neck with his left hand and found that in his right hand he still held his own tie. Laying it flat on the table he waved his own wand over it while saying the spell. The tie gained dimension and grew two stubs on either end but did not change colour. "I used to be able to do this. It shouldn't be so difficult."

[Scott Ryder G7]

With his head cocked just slightly to the side, Scott listened to August explain what had been edging away at his concentration. "Ah, the Ravenclaw Curse*, yeah?" Scott had witnessed many students from Ravenclaw who were at times overwhelmed by their academic endeavors. Likely, they were under so much pressure to do well, to outshine their classmates and live up to their house expectations. It was unfortunate, really. For all Scott knew, the Gryffindor students didn't think less of a Gryffindor if they lacked the lion-like pride. House lines were opaque at times, not really meant to be solid boundaries set between the students to distinguish them. Of course they had their purposes, but everyone knew quite well that so many stereotypes were attributed to each house. "I'm sure it'll come back to you. Maybe you're just preoccupied with something else.

August reached toward Scott and helped to fix his tie, quickly apologizing after the fact. "Oh, um... you're fine," Scott said, not exactly uncomfortable by August's actions as much as he was caught off guard by August apologizing. I know you well enough to realize that you weren't intending any harm," Scott said with an uncertain shrug. August seemed almost a bit timid, perhaps a bit like Scott in ways. Timidity hadn't completely overcome Scott, and more recently, he'd been more outgoing and less timid from simply befriending Theo and Lori. One couldn't be timid around the two of them. As his mind slipped from his girlfriend and good friend, Scott focused his attention to his new friend.

"Perhaps you can return to it later," he said, sitting on the table and swinging his legs restlessly below him. "I've found that if I put things aside and come back to them with a fresh mind, I do a lot better." Scott wondered if August had heard that before. It was fairly common advice. Plus, most Ravenclaws knew all the tricks and tips for studying. Sometimes they were just the students who worked the hardest, not necessarily the ones with the best talent academically. Scott surely lacked a certain motivation to spend the majority of his time studying. He liked doing well, but hardly made it a habit to spend countless hours perfecting every spell and memorizing every bit of magical knowledge. "What do you do for fun, August? Aside from Quidditch, that is."

((*Not to be confused with my OOC Ravenclaw Curse... ))

[August Reid R7]

"You're right," August nodded. "I should just not think about it for a while." August reversed his botched spell and picked up his tie. He folded the flaps of his collar so that he could re-tie his tie around his neck. Most of the prefects would not care if he was out of dress code but some of the professors might give him some grief. He did not want to make his house lose points so early in the semester and for such a petty reason. He tied the tie with the knot that his father had shown him. August recalled when his father had shown the knot to Jack. Bronsen and August wanted to learn at the same time. It was one of the few moments that August could remember all three brothers and their father getting along and laughing. His mind wanted to drag him away from the moment and think about his family but he wanted to stay present. With Scott.

Putting his collar back in place he walked to the window behind the couch. Looking out he saw some boys playing with a fanged frisbee. They were tossing it back and forth all the while trying not to be bitten by the thing. He looked back at Scott and leaned on the window sill. "Actually, I can't quite believe that I'm on the team. I'm not very sport inclined," he said glancing over his shoulder and looking at the boys one last time. He noted that one of the boys had his shirt off. He would have to stare some more but he couldn't be obvious about it. Especially not in front of Scott. His focus once again landed on the Gryffindor boy. "It sounds silly to say aloud but my friend Belle is a photographer. I love to follow her around and then make up stories of the people she takes candid photos of. What else... I really enjoy a good game of exploding snaps and wizard's chess."

August paused as he searched for what else he did for fun. What did he do for fun? It seemed like such a long time since he did something fun. The entire summer was spent worrying about his mother and trying to figure out how to reverse... her situation. August felt a pang of guilt but quickly hid it. Scott probably did not want to hear about his problems. "Oh yeah," he went on. "I don't know if you know Theo Darke but he is going to start a dance, er, movement. And I think I'm going to join. So hopefully that will be fun." August thought his list was pathetically small but he really didn't do a lot for fun. It seemed like his life was full of schoolwork and stress and no amusement.

((Sorry it took me so long ))

[Scott Ryder G7]

August began to list the things he did, though it seemed he wasn't able to easily offer many examples. By the time he was done though, he had mentioned a handful of things, most of which Scott would have agreed to enjoying as well. "Exploding Snap and Wizards' Chess are fun," he added. Then, at the mention of Theo's name Scott's attention snapped up. "Yeah, I know Theo," he said simply. A dance group sounded like something Theo would enjoy. He wondered why his friend hadn't told him about it. Then again, they had been a bit distant lately. Perhaps the bulk of their friendship had faded away over time. Scott wouldn't have doubted it. "Sounds like you stay busy then at least," Scott posited with a shrug.

"For me, it's basically Quidditch. I love it. So glad I decided to join the team. For the longest time I avoided doing so because I wasn't sure it was for me. I mean, I knew I loved Quidditch, but I wasn't so sure that being on a team was my strong suit. I guess I transitioned pretty well though." Oddly enough, Scott had convinced Theo to do the same, landing his friend the current Vice Captain spot on the Ravenclaw team. Theo was a good leader though. His charismatic personality was one that a lot of people found easy to get along with. "How d'you like Theo as your Vice?" he questioned, wondering what August thought about it. Theo was fairly knew to the team. Perhaps there were some who thought he was too new to be a proper captain. Then again, Oscar Flynn had been made Vice for Gryffindor after just making the team. Cass had seen something in the new Keeper apparently. Scott didn't mind Oscar being Vice though. He was fair enough at Quidditch, and Scott had no qualms with the guy.

Looking at his watch, Scott realized he should be getting on with his prefect duties. It had been almost fifteen minutes that he'd spent with August. If he didn't get a move on, who knew what trouble the other students would find themselves in. If there was one thing Scott took seriously, it was his responsibility, and being a prefect was one of those responsibilities. "Oh, man, I gotta go," he said, biting his lip. "Sorry," he offered politely. "See you around August," he added, nodding his head as a goodbye.

[August Reid R7]

August shrugged at the question. "He's fine. Theo is a really nice guy and most everyone gets along with him. Except Slytherins, but no one gets along with them. At first I didn't know what kind of leader he would be but being the vice captain has brought out a competitive streak in him." August could recall a few practices where Theo had pushed the team to do their very best. Sometimes it seemed like he overshadowed Celia but maybe that was what made them a good team. Theo was loud enough to get everyone's attention and Celia was reflective enough to make them think. Ravenclaws loved to think. Give them a riddle and they won't give up until they have a solution.

August wondered whether Scott knew Theo more than a vice captain and opponent on the Quidditch field. His attention seemed to snap into focus when the name was said. Although, since they were in the same year it made sense that they would know each other. They probably had a few classes together and maybe competed for the highest marks. But then Scott's answer was short. August's brow ruffled in confusion and he wanted to ask further but nothing came to mind. What would he ask? What could he ask that wouldn't seem nosy? Scott obviously didn't want to talk about it and August didn't want to push the subject. August looked at the Gryffindor prefect with interest. August usually disliked all Gryffindors as a rule but with Scott he felt he could make an exception.

He nodded his understanding when Scott told him that duty called. Although August would never be a prefect unless something happened to Ed, he could sympathize with someone for having responsibilities. Scott seemed to take his seriously. He raised a palm in a gesture of goodbye as Scott left the Student Lounge. "See you around," he called after the older boy. August stared for a second in the direction of the corridor before turning his attention back to the window. Professor Granger would not be pleased with his progress but August was pleased with the view.