[Forest] Gallivanting

[Theodora Holmes]

Theodora had chosen not to tell Quinn or Gregory about her confrontation with Gobien. It was humiliating enough that he had tricked her into saving him by playing dead, but the fact that she had been so close to beating him was even worse – all she had to have done was hold him under water for a few more moments! But no, now he was out there somewhere, gallivanting about the forest, giggling smugly…

Since that abysmally disappointing night Theodora had been sulking in the Auror Office, avoiding Hogwarts at all costs by pretending to be ill, coming up with bizarre symptoms and excuses from made up healers. She was so put off by the idea of showing her sorry face around Hogwarts that she even toyed with the idea of claiming she was pregnant – but she knew she would rather kiss Gregory than get fat. Of course, Quinn and Cromwell were beginning to scrutinize Theodora more each day, clearly beginning to suspect she wasn’t as poorly as she was claiming.

And so here she was once more – pushing her way into the tangled labyrinth that was the Forbidden Forest, swearing under her breath.

Quinn, in her secret understanding that Theodora had been telling a few fibs to get out of pulling her weight, had thought it very funny to order her to take the night watch in the forest for the next week and a half. Theodora hated the forest enough as it was but Quinn had also given her instructions to pick up from where several other officials had given up: finding the Rogue’s encampment.

Hate you so much, Gobien, she thought vehemently as she mounted a fallen tree trunk, having no idea where she was going. But I hate Locksley even more! What does she expect me to do if I find them? They're not exactly going to throw their hands up in surrender!

[Simon Ellison]

Simon was convinced that Gobien took pleasure in assigning the new pup of the group with all the night watches. It was not as if he actually had anything to do with his time seeing as he lived in the forest with a bunch of other rouge wizards and the biggest joy in their life was when Gloria gave the shout that food was ready.
So with that in mind Simon guessed that walking around the forest was something to keep his mind occupied and his body moving. It gave him time to think on things that he would not really want other to pry into and that is just what Simon was doing that day.

His causal relationship with Girty had come to a end, although it was not messy, neither of them shed a tear, in fact they ended up getting drunk and at one point Girt even tried to hook Simon up with a witch that he knew was out of his league, but from some reason Girty had faith in him. The problem was that the witch thought Girt was hitting on her and threw her drink in the Hufflepuff’s face. Simon had not laugh that hard in years and he treasured the friendship he had with Girty.

The problem was that he was focusing far too much on treasuring his friendship with her that he failed to hear the snapping of tree branches and the occasional swear word to float around the forest. It was not until he was about to jump over a fallen tree that he noticed he was not alone, sitting on the tree truck of a fallen tree was a rather beautiful looking girl.
See stood out like a beautiful would in a room full of moths, she did not belong in a forest like this and for the life of him Simon did not know why someone like her would be this deep into the forest unless she was lost or a ministry official…

“Excuse me miss…” Simon gave a cough almost in an attempt to get her attention and spoke a bit louder.
“Excuse me miss, but can I offer my assistance you seem….you seem slightly lost.”

[Theodora Holmes]

I should’ve been a hairdresser like mum! When was the last time I got my hair cut anyway? I’m going to have so many split ends by the end of this! Theodora felt the beginnings of a tantrum coming on and whimpered as she ragged at a clump of yellow curls that were knotted around twig. A few hairs ripped out painfully and she growled, throwing them to the ground. ‘Where the hell am I?!’ She shouted, her fists slamming on the tree trunk furiously.

Theodora nearly screamed as she turned to see a tall man standing only a few feet away from her, apparently having materialised out of nowhere. ‘What?’ She said distractedly, trying to lift her leg over the trunk. The laces of her boot snagged a bramble, resulting in her landing on one foot with her other leg still looped over the tree.

Very clever, Holmes. A proud example of an auror in her natural environment! Theodora’s face burned pink as she realised her foot was stuck, the bramble fighting back. ‘I’m not lost, thank you,’ She finally replied rather churlishly, trying to adopt an air of indifference as if she wasn’t hoping on one foot, tied to a fallen tree. Of course, she looked like a complete idiot. ‘Just a bit stuck…’ She admitted reluctantly.

The man, who was very young and had quite a thin frame, was staring at her in bewilderment. Theodora turned her head away to grimace in private before grabbing hold of an overhead branch, bracing herself. ‘I’m usually quite capable, just so you know,’ She explained, beginning to pull. ‘I’m just having a bad –‘ The bramble let unexpectedly, Theodora pulling her foot all too eagerly. With a squeal she lost her balance, the brittle branch snapping with her weight and sending her toppling to the forest floor. ‘—day!’

[Simon Ellison]

It took a lot for Simon not to burst out into fits of laughter as she watched the girl struggle with her caught boot. Although he could see the funny side of it all he also did actually feel the need to go and help but as soon as Simon took a step forward towards the fall tree and the snagged shoe the girl gave her leg a rather sharp tug and the brambles snapped but she seemingly had not noticed and Simon did not have to time to react in time as she gave her leg another tug with the lack of force fighting back she fell backwards to the forest floor. Sniggering to himself Simon put his hands into his pockets and walked over to where the witch was lying and looked down upon her with a smirk.

“A bad day huh…I would never have been able to tell.”

He looked down at her for a few seconds longer taking in her beauty at a closer range, she was something special and even as she lay sprawled across the forest floor she still managed to do it with some elegance. This just made him wonder even more why I person like her was in the forest, she was not your normal ministry official, cold hearted and unless, this witch was full of youth and innocence, she had to be around the same age as him. Feeling slightly guilty that he was still laughing at the poor woman’s distress Simon crouched down next to her and offered her his hand.

“Now are you going to make yours comfy and stay like that all day or would you like me to help you up?”

Without even waiting for her to answer Simon took hold of her arm and gently pulled her up into a sitting position and then putting her arm his neck he scoped her up, supporting her bum and his other hand underneath her legs and slowly he stood up. With Theodora in his arms they looked more like a newly married couple about to step over the threshold into their new house then a couple of complete strangers.

[Theodora Holmes]

The man was smiling down at her, barely trying to conceal his amusement at her clumsiness. She could tell he meant no harm but in her humiliation it infuriated her, and she felt as though she had fallen in the middle of a busy high street, not a deserted stretch of night time forest.

He offered to help her up but did not wait for her reply – which would have been quite repellent – before simultaneously pulling her arm and sliding a hand under her leg, hoisting her up. ‘Oy!’ She said involuntarily as his hand brushed her bum quite cheekily, throwing her completely off guard. She went rigid and stared at him with a very bizarre expression, her hand clutching his shoulder rather awkwardly. His face was a mask of oblivious innocence but Theodora could see, from what the measley light of her wand was offering, the slightest hint of being somewhat pleased with himself. He was being rather daring in the dark.

‘Thank you,’ she squeaked meekly as he finally set her down, allowing her to stand on her own. She was ashamed enough as it was that her reaction to a strange man in the dark was to try and make him think she had trapped her foot on purpose, but she was even more ashamed by the fact that, for a moment, the half-light pressing against the side of his face had made him look like Daniel Hubbles. She had got a distinct leap in her stomach when he had unexpectedly picked her up – the same kind of leap she had got when Daniel had first touched her, his fingers against hers. For Merlin’s sake! She suddenly thought dismally. Is there anyone I don’t instantly fancy?!

The bubble around her air-head burst and she was suddenly back in reality, covered in dirty leaves and standing in front of a stranger who still hadn’t stated his business. He looked very young, but by the angle of his jaw and the mature stubble Theodora discerned he was about the same age as her.

So what was he doing anywhere near Hogwarts?

Theodora’s pulse picked up it’s pace and she locked eyes with him, her muscles tensing. He must be a Rogue, she realised, shocked she hadn’t understood this sooner. ‘So… what brings you here?’ She said all too casually, the change in her manner a dead give away.

Without taking her eyes off him she suddenly crouched, reaching for her wand…

[Simon Ellison]

Simon knew he could not hold Theodora hostage for long in his arms so after barely ten second had passed and she had squeaked a small thank you that Simon placed her back down on her own two feet. Stuffing his hands back into his trouser pockets Simon looked through the darkness of the forest at the witch. Gobien had always told him to never light his wand unless in the most perilous of danger and for some reason Simon could not help but feel that this clumsy witch who seemed to have a far of, glazed over expression would be no harm to him at all, although she did have her own wand lit.
It was when this dreamy look passed from her fair features that Simon got a small surprise, she shone her wand light right into her eyes winching trying to shield his eyes slightly he tried to think of an answer to her question feeling that she might have a hunch that he was a rouge.

“I have been staying in the village above the Hogshead. I…er do you mind if you lower your wand I can not see this feels like an interrogation.”

Simon gave a soft laugh while reaching out and pushed the witch’s wand down ever so slightly so it was no longer shinning straight into his eyes. Black blobs were obscuring his vision and after a giving his eyes a quick rub and blinking a few times the worst of the blobs had gone and he was able to get a better look at Theodora.

“I want to join the ministry, become a world famous Arour but I never got the grades…but when I heard that the ministry were recruiting and that a lot of there officials were biased back up here at Hogwarts. I hoped that by being where the action is I might be able to prove my worth.”

He shot her a small smile as he racked his brains as to whether he should say anything else but for now he thought he would be silent she just asked what brought him here and only guilty person would start to stutter about how they ’accidentally ended up in the forest, instead Simon would play dumb and just say he had business in town and if she persuade deeper into the reason he could come up with some form of excuse.