[Huff C. Room] Parental Advice

[Prof Grace Marks]

Grace was pacing on the worn carpet in front of the hearth. Her hands were clasped behind her back and her head was bowed. She was staring at the floor, frowning in intense thought. No one else was in the common room, she had put a sigh up on the entrance saying a series of stink bombs had gone off and everyone had to keep out till the common room was stink free. This was Grace's doing, there were no stink bombs, she just needed time to think, space to pace, like her father had done...

She had become increasingly worried over the past weeks since she had made her announcement about playing for the Chudley Cannons. It was Bog. He had not been happy for her to begin with. He had been worried about himself. Grace had been angry because that was her moment and he had turned it to focus on him. But the more Grace thought about it, the more Grace knew what she had to do. But actually doing it was going to be difficult.

She needed parental advice but lacking in the parental part, she could think of no one better to ask but what would he be able to do about it. Dan did always seem to be in Bog's favour and Grace wanted to use this. As soon as that thought can to her, Grace stopped dead in her pacing. "What are you doing?" she said, sliding her fingers into her hair and holding on as she crouched, hugging her legs with her bent arms. "That's your father talking! Stop it!" She could not believe herself. She closed her eyes tight, willing the tears away, and she began to rock backwards and forwards on her heals. "What should I do?" she cried softly into her lap.

[Professor Daniel Hubbles]

Dan was marching through the corridors towards the Hufflepuff common room at a fast pace. He had heard that some idiot had decided to let stink bombs off in the common room and was going to give the culprit a good shouting at however he was most disappointed when he got there. Not only were there no Hufflepuff’s hanging around the portrait to shout at when he entered no one seemed to be there and when eh dared take a breath of the air there was no vile smell.

He could not help but frown as he looked over the room, why would some one did such a thing, why would they prevent a whole house form there common room this was something he would do but this must have been a student. Looking around he saw someone sitting on the floor rocking backwards and forwards. With a small grin Dan sat down on the chair of the closest chair and folded his arms.

“Miss Marks I really think you should stop doing that. It looks like you should be in St Mungo’s.”

Dan continued to look at Grace with a small smile on his face, he could not help but wonder what made the poor girl act like this. He had heard her family history from Girty and knew she had been through a lot, but it still shocked him to see her like this.

[Prof Grace Marks]

Grace looked up wide eyed in surprise to see Dan sitting close by. She heaved a sigh of relief that it wasn't a fellow student. She nearly cried when she saw him though and she flung her arms around his neck in a tight hug. A tear ran down her cheek when she closed her eyes tightly. Remembering her place, Grace quickly let go and sat on the carpet again.

She sighed, remembering once again her worries. "Professor," she said, frowning intensely, "Dan," a little softer, "I need your help." She didn't know how to voice her troubles. Everything was moving so fast through her head and in no logical order that she wouldn't have been able to make a comprehend sentence even if she tried. But she had to find a way. She wouldn't be able to sleep otherwise. She took deep breaths, calming breathes, trying to get some order in her head.

[Professor Daniel Hubbles]

Dan watched Grace carefully, the look of relief on her face, the glistening tears that roll down her cheek and then to his total surprise she hugged him. He did not know what to do other then hug her back and hope that the company may aid her in some way. But she soon let go and sat back on the floor still looking as pale and worried as before. With a small sigh Dan moved off the arm of the chair and sat down on the floor with Grace. It was only when she asked him for his help he knew something must be wrong.

“What do you need my help with Grace? Is something wrong between you and Boggleworth or are your head girl duties getting in the way of your study? I can sort that out no problem, if it is friends it maybe harder.”

Dan seemed to just spurt out a load of nonsense. He truly did not know what to say all he knew is that he had never seen Grace like this in his time at Hogwarts and that it must have been something major to make her feel like this. And because of this Dan did not know how to act, should he be caring and brotherly or act the fool in hope of getting a smile. He just hoped Grace did not expect to much, he could give her as much knowledge and experience as he could but in the end of it all he was a man.

[Prof Grace Marks]

Grace watched her head of house join her on the floor. Her breathing was getting heavier again and she couldn't think straight. She shut her eyes firmly and wiped her cheeks. She had unwittingly began to cry and her cheeks had been wet. She sniffed and cleared her throat, trying to straighten her thoughts. A few deep breaths and Grace was a little calmer.

Dan mentioned Bog, mentioned her duties, and her eyes began to water again. "I ..." she began. She sniffed again, wiped her eyes and looked to the fire as she tried again. "I don't know if you can ... oh, I hope you can." She let out a heavy breath and turned to face the professor. "It is about Bog, and I just don't know what to do. He won't talk to me about it and I can't help him if he won't. I'm at an absolute loss at what to do." She spoke very quickly, playing with her fingers as she did.

[Professor Daniel Hubbles]

Dan could tell that what ever it was that was bugging Grace must be extremely vital to how things shaped out with her and Boggleworth. But although she was claming down Dan knew that he had not seen the end of the tears and was ready to move away if any violence broke out (he was convinced Grace would never do that sort of thing but a lot of women that Dan had come across in the past had tried to hit him when like this.) However the one problem was that Dan did not know what had caused this problem. With a nervous glance at Grace, Dan tried to phrase the question carefully.

“Well maybe Grace, if you tell me what you told Bog then I could see if it was something you said or the way you present the information or simply mainly because he is a guy and there is an emotional barrier up in his head. If so then I could have a word with him is you like?”

Dan reached out and took hold of Graces hand and rubbed it gently, it is what his mother did when he used to be upset. He could only hope that it would help, with out knowing anymore he could only smile at her and hope simply in some way his company could help.

[Prof Grace Marks]

Grace sighed heavily and looked at the professor. She was being irate and she hadn't yet said what was wrong, all she had done was say that there was something wrong. She closed her eyes tightly for a moment, getting her thoughts in order. "Well," she said slowly taking a breath, "when I made the announcement to everyone that I was going to play for the Chudley Cannons after school Bog went mad. He was so upset. I thought he would be happy for me."

Grace felt the professor's hand on hers and she opened her eyes that were shining with tears. "But he wasn't. I don't know what wrong. Maybe I've stepped on his pride some how but I can't get him to talk to me about it. If you could, professor, that would be fantastic. I know he holds your opinion very highly and he would listen to you. But me?" She rolled her eyes, "never. Why would he want to talk to me? I'm only the love of his life." She heaved a shaky breathe and let it out slowly. She couldn't believe she was asking this of the professor but she didn't know where else to turn.

[Professor Daniel Hubbles]

Dan listened closely to what Grace had to say, it seemed that simply by giving her the cold shoulder Boggleworth was tearing there relationship apart and more importantly hurting Grace. And yet through all of this Dan knew that nothing much could be done. He could sit down with Bog like Grace wanted and try and talk sense into him, but still Dan knew that in the end Grace and Bog would have to talk together.

However Dan was taken a back when Grace seemed to start to get angry about how he was treating her. Her harsh words rang around in his head and it felt like a stone had landed in the pit of his stomach. This problem between tow of his students seemed to be bringing up deep truths in Dans’s own life. He knew that he colour was draining slightly from his face and he dropt his gaze away from Grace.

As he heard her shaky breath sound out around him Dan knew that he needed to say something simply to comfort her, but the main thing was that he knew he could not make a promise that he would break. He could not bear to bring more pain onto one of his Hufflepuff’s particularly one who was as close to Girty as Grace.

“Grace, I will try and talk to Boggleworth. It seems like it his own pride in the way but also I think it may be shock that the one person that he is closest too is going, and leaving him. He does have the chance of following you but it maybe that your dreams and life could get in the way of his. Do you know what his dreams are? What he wants to achieve after leaving Hogwarts?”

[Prof Grace Marks]

Grace had begun chewing on the corner of her lip when she realised what she had said. It was harsh, unlike her, and she didn't like it. She pulled her hand away from Dan and hugged her knees to her chest, as though that would block the hurt. She rested her chin on a knee and looked up at the Professor, at Dan.

"He should know that I would never leave him," she said absently to herself. He should know. She raised her head and looked to the fire. She honestly did not know. The more and more she thought on it, the more and more frustrated she got because she couldn't find an answer to such a simple question. She knew Bog wanted to have a family and a simple life but how they were going to get there was a mystery he kept to himself.

She shook her head, turning back to the professor and said, sadly, "I do not know. But I'm not sure he knows either. He dances around the topic like a ballerina and avoids eye contact when I bring it up. I - I've stopped asking about it now that I've learned but I know it doesn't help." She took another shaky breath before saying, "I know we need to talk but I've reached a stage where I don't see it happening."

[Professor Daniel Hubbles]

He got the answer to the question he was expecting, and it seemed that Grace’s own revelation had shocked her too. With a deep breath Dan continued to listen to what Grace had to say and by the end of it he could not help but feel like he was fighting for a corner that had already lost. But then Grace said something that seemed to almost condemn everything.

"I know we need to talk but I've reached a stage where I don't see it happening."

Dan pushed himself up and walked to the window, with a deep breath he looked at the sun covered ground and tried to think of how to say something that would be of some use. It sounded too much like something that he had heard years ago, something that had happened to him, and he guessed that you were supposed to learn from experiences and try to prevent the same thing happening to other people. Dan turned around and sat down upon the closest chair.

“When I was the same age as you are now I was in a relationship with the most amazing girl, but as our departure from Hogwarts drew closer are relationship fell apart. We stopped talking, and every time she asked me what I was going to do with my life afterwards I would push her off or even walk in the opposite direction. So when she went off to start her career I ran off to Europe. Do not do the same thing as me.”

Dan stood up and walked back towards Grace and sat down beside her once again. He wanted to ask her more questions but he feared causing more pain and problems, Dan did not want to be the cause of another relationship failing. But then he could not sit and watch on as two good people ruined their lives and opportunities. Looking Grace straight in the eye Dan gave her a small smile.

“What do you want Grace? What happens in your dreams, is Boggleworth there?”

[Prof Grace Marks]

Grace looked forlornly at the Professor. She could see that he was as lost at what to do as she was, though perhaps maybe not. She knew she was putting him an a difficult place but he had always been there for her, why should now be any different? He had a good soul and she had come to depend on that, even before she knew he was a teacher at her school.

She watched him quietly from behind her knees as he walked to the window. She wanted to ask why he was helping her but she already knew the answer to that. It was the same as why Jac had helped her, why Girty had always been there for her, why she knew she and Bog had to fix things.

Love.

She listened to Dan's story like an eager child, having long since heard a story. It was sad and she could see something that tinged on regret in his eyes but said nothing of it. The thought of doing the same scared her, she visibly shivered and hugged her knees closer. And what scared her more was the very though of it being possible. She blinked back tears, looking around the room, looking everywhere but at the professor.

Three different questions, she thought, three very different answers. She cleared her throat and looked at the professor. "My dreams have always frightened me," she said, "my father ..." she trailed off. "But Bog's always been there to help me and ... save me. But now he's not there, no one but me and my darkness. I ..." she faltered again, "I want Bog to be with me, to share my victories and to hold me when I need him."

[Professor Daniel Hubbles]

Dan waited. He waited to hear how Grace would answer his questions and he almost dreaded the answers. And as they were slowly revealed it is what he feared, Boggleworth was slipping out of Graces dreams and it seemed that grace knew this as well. Clenching his jaw Dan looked directly at Grace and was ready to comfort her if it was needed. He had learnt both from Girty and experience that Grace’s dreams were dark and full of past horrors and trauma and her knight in shinning armour was not their to save her.

“Well at least you know you want him there. I also imagine that Boggleworth would want to be there for you, he would want to share your victories too, I would have done anything to been with….” Dan broke off knowing that he should not pass his own problems onto Grace, and also bring in the name of another. “Well all I know is no matter how much I cared for her it brought around the realisation that I had nothing planned in my life and I was scared. Scared that I would lose everything and become something I never wanted to be. A failure.”

Dan doubted that Boggleworth would class himself as a failure, Dan had very high standards, not that Boggleworth did not, but Dan hated not knowing something or failing. He would work extra hard to achieve something that might be seen as impossible, that is why he would not give up on Grace and aid her in every way possible. With a soft smile at her Dan took a deep breath.

“I think it would be best if you and Boggleworth talked it out between each other, but if you want me to give him a good talking to. Man to man, Hufflepuff to Hufflepuff, make sure he does not make the same mistake as the same as me.”

[Prof Grace Marks]

Grace was silent. She watched the Professor, saw a shadow fall on his face when his jaw clenched, and she wished she had not brought this on him. She was a big girl, almost out of school and into the big world and she could take care of herself. So then why did she go crying to a teacher? She had seen her mother do the same many times, when her father got too much to handle Grace's mother would leave the house and not come back for hours and sometimes days on end.

He was right, she did know that Bog wanted to be there for her and with her. And that infuriated her all the more because that begged the question why he was acting like he was. She buried her face in her arms crossed across her knees and sighed heavily. "I'm scared too, Professor," Grace said into the darkness she had bad between her legs and arms and chest. She didn't look up. She could feel a tear running down her nose and drip off onto her leg. Carefully moving her hand, she wiped her cheek and nose of the tear. She sniffed and sat up straight, stretching her bad and crossing her legs.

"I would be eternally grateful," she said softly, no trace of happiness on her face, as though a dementor was in the room, "if you would speak to him. I know it puts you in a bit of a bind but I ... I would be eternally grateful." She was looking Prof Hubbles dead in the eyes now, her wet shining ones confident that if he did speak to Bog all would be well.