(Forest) Around

[Max Hennerdale]

Maxi was walking around the grounds and had been for the past hour or two, it was starting to become tedious and he wanted a change of scenery. Though the lake was out of the question so he found his feet guiding him to the place that he knew was out of bounds. Maxi swallowed his pride as his feet guided him through the trees, he had no intention of punishing anyone tonight, even though it was supposed to be his rounds.

He eventually found himself leant against a tall tree, the sounds of the forest reaching his ears and he no longer cared for his safety. He had heard rumour that Mark was thinking of going to Durmstrang for his last year and Max half hoped he would, though he knew now he wouldnt, he wouldnt want to leave Ashton when Mark was the only one he knew properly what was going on...

Snap...

A twig... Maxi spinned around whipping out his wand and holding it at arms lengths, however, it wasnt to something. His wand was held to another guys neck.

[Bradyn Reed]

There were days that Bradyn loved his animagus form, even if it was the source of many teasing towards him. One thing it did help with was sneaking out of the castle, especially when he was supposed to be in bed. Bradyn didn't even bring his robes, he didn't think he needed them. That was, he didn't think he needed them before he wandered into the forest, one place that was usually strictly off limits to him. But his curiosity had gotten the best of him, and he went in anyway.

With his wand in his lit in his hand, Bray didn't really have a clue where he was going. Snap! He could've swore at the noise he had made, leave it to him to wake up what ever could be living in the forest. Speaking of forest creatures, he spun around quickly when he heard someone or something behind him, and found himself at the mercy of someone's wand. "Oh dear." He said, unable to control himself from the shock, and lifted his own wand to see who was there, hoping it'd be a face from Hogwarts. "Maxi? What the hell, put that thing down!"

[Max Hennerdale]

Maxi looked into the face of Bray, though still a bit shocked he didnt lower his wand. "Bray! What in the devils name are you doing in here?" he demanded, "You know its off limits" the prefect inside him seethed at seeing a student in the forest so late. "Oh, sorry" He lowered his wand and looked at Bray, "Cant be too careful in here can you?"

Maxi looked around where they were, that snap could have awoken anything. Maxi felt suddenly nervous. "Lets hope that snap didnt awaken anything shall we?" he said, "But just to be safe i think we should get away from this part of the forest"

[Bradyn Reed]

Bradyn scoffed, but relaxed a little more when Maxi finally put down his wand. "What am I doing here, shouldn't I be asking you that, Prefect? And ohh, caught me breaking too many rules to count, what'cha gonna do?" He teased, but dropped it quickly before he decided to actually take points or give him a detention. But then again, if he did Bray'd probably tie him to a tree 'till he took it back.

"That's true.. and I think that'd be smart. Leave it to me to do something stupid." He laughed, and smiled in spite of himself. "Even though the scariest things out here are probably just rogues." At least, that's what he convinced himself before even coming into the forest, but in reality there was everything from dragons and centaurs to hags and veela.

[Max Hennerdale]

"Dont push me Reed" Max warned, he was not in the mood to have people teasing him. He shook his head, he didnt know why he was being like this with Bray, apart from breaking about a hundred school rules what had he done wrong? "Believe me, push me too far and i will take points from your house"

Maxi laughed, for the first time in a long time he found himself laughing. "Yeah, trust you Bray." Maxi began to walk, assuming Bray would follow him. "Theres scarier things hidden in these trees than rogues mate believe me"

((Sorry having issues on msn lol))

[Bradyn Reed]

Bradyn put his hands up in defense. "Alright, alright, alright! Aren't you testy?" He said and flashed him a smile, even within the forest when he'd been busted by a Prefect of all people. "I'll leave you be, though. Since I don't want to be skinned by.." He broke off his sentence there, deciding he wouldn't even mention Ash right now. Bray was too involved already.

Bray shoved his hands into his pants pockets, missing the gesture from always wearing his school robes, and followed after Maxi.. as if he had a choice. "Thanks, man. You made me feel loads better, maybe I was going for a blissfully unaware thing?" He said, a little irritated that Maxi would correct him on something like that.

[Max Hennerdale]

Maxi looked at Bray, whose hands were held up as if trying to claim his innocence on the matter of things. "I have become testy" he spoke truthfully. Maxi wasnt in the mood either to play responsible prefect and he knew he should tell Bray to scarper, but he knew Bray wouldnt so there really was no point. Max looked at him with a raised eyebrow, knowing full well who he meant, "Skinned by who?"

"Well you know, if we run into a hungry werewolf or something i dont want you to be shaking at the knees goin, 'I though the scariest things in here were rogues'" Maxi smiled at Bray, "Well bliss is ignorance, and ignorance can get you killed. And i dont want to have to explain the death of a student really"

[Bradyn Reed]

Bradyn blinked at Maxi, maybe Ashton was right about him being too involved in his prefect duties. Oh well, Bray'd see him loosen up tonight, even if just for a moment. He quickly looked away from Maxi, wishing he hadn't even started to mention him. "Erm.. n-no one you'd know, my cranky friend." That was a decent cover-up, though he doubted that it was even close to being true.

Bray gasped a little, and tried to look insulted. "Yeah, if we meet a werewolf, I'll stand there like a complete wimp. Maybe I'll even cry a little?" He rolled his eyes and tried to not let the comments bother him. "I'm sorry that I'm such a stupid Claw that I'll get myself killed." He snapped, pouting a bit in his frustration. Who said he was ignorant, Bradyn was just selective about what he chose to believe about the forest.

[Max Hennerdale]

Maxi knew Bray and Ash were close and knew that since Ash really didnt like Maxi much, he knew that if he saw the two of them speaking it would probably drive a wedge between the Ash and Bray, and that was the last thing he wanted. "Is this cranky friends name Ashton McLane?" He asked, no emotion in his voice at all. He knew he was tense, anyone with half a brain could see that, if they couldnt feel it.

"If crying is what you want to do when faced with danger, please be my guest" Maxi was only joking with Bray, even though it didnt sound like it. He turned to look at Bray, his wand held a little higher so he could see his face, "Now who's being touchy?" he asked, "I was joking with you, i know you wouldnt stand like a wimp, or get yourself killed and i know your not stupid either" Maxi sighed and turned back around, this was more effort than what he had imagined.

[Bradyn Reed]

Bradyn shrugged, he knew that Maxi had seen through that anyhow. "Perhaps it is." He said, laughing a bit awkwardly. He was just asking for trouble being wedged between him, but Bray wasn't about to give up some of his friends just because they weren't a couple anymore.

"Pfft, It'd probably depend on what we saw." Now he was slightly annoyed that he even mentioned crying, but smiled brightly. Bray squinted a little at the sudden brightness and put on a stupid face when he realized Maxi had put his wand in his face. "Hey, I knew you were joking." He said, excluding the part about the jokes still being hurtful, "and I like being over dramatic like that."

Now it was Bray's turn to be the one to cheer up Maxi, who seemed more sensitive than he remembered. He laughed and lightly jabbed Maxi in the back with his own wand. "So don't get upset, you baby, alright?" Bradyn was highly amused by poking him, considering the height difference and that he had to stretch to reach.

[Max Hennerdale]

Maxi smiled, but he knew Bradyn couldnt see it for which he was happy about. At least he knew Ash still had people, he knew he had Mark now. "Perhaps?" He asked, though couldnt keep the smile out of his voice, "Im happy you still look after him" this came about before he meant to say it, and instead he shrugged thinking it was too late now to take it back.

Maxi smiled when he saw Bray smiled, "If i offended you just say and i'll apologize" he said, getting a suspicion he had upset Bray or something. He smiled though, "I didnt mean anything by it, Bray" Maxi carried on walking, treading lightly and trying not to stand on any twigs.

Maxi jumped at the feel of something jab into his back, he looked at Bray who began to say something, "Im not upset!" he said, he had jumped almost out of his skin he couldnt help it, he had taken him by surprise. "And im not a baby, unless babys are 6'1 of course" he smiled, Bray was so small compared to Max, then again Ash was, he only came to his chest when Max stood up. "Dont strain yourself tryna poke me will you?" he said, turning around and picking Bray up, "How does the world look, from a taller point of view?" He laughed.

[Bradyn Reed]

Bradyn sighed in relief. That went a lot better than he expected, and he guessed that was to be expected since Ash was the one to get hurt. "Nah, he's my buddy even when he's angsty.." He said, shrugging it off. What, did he expect their friendship to break up just like that? Yeah, Bray wasn't fickle enough to let that happen.

"I'm fine, I won't let something like that rile me up."He said, insisting that he was fine and that Maxi got off his case. Bray burst out laughing when he scared Maxi, highly amused by this. "Of course, you're just afraidy-cat instead, right?" And scowled to himself at the cat metaphor that people usually set on him and thought it was a funny pun, yet he said one himself.

But Before Bray could continue to mock Maxi, the tables had turned on him. And what was the main focus, his minuscule height no doubt. "Yeah, wouldn't want me to throw out my shoulder trying to poke the living skyscraper.." He laughed, until Maxi picked him up. 'That was uncalled for.' Bray thought, staring at him in surprise before he grinned smugly. "Well, the weather's not different, if that's what you're hinting at."

[Max Hennerdale]

"Well thats good" Maxi said. He was unphased by anything to do with Ash now, after all Ash was no longer a part of his life. Besides, Ash had Bray and Mark to look after him now, and he was sure he would move on eventually but Maxi couldnt stay in a relationship with someone he didnt love anymore, it wasnt fair on either of them.

"Well thats always good to hear, it wouldnt be a good thing if we did encounter something and i didnt have you for backup you know" Maxi tried to make this sound light and complementary like, but it sounded heavy and offensive, "I didnt mean it like that Bray, I'm sorry. Just a little uptight at the minute" He ignored the cat comment as he knew the form Brays Animagus shape took and knew he was usually the centre of jokes because of it.

"Well im sorry im taller than you" He laughed, "I'll ask to be born shorter in the next life shall I?" Though Maxi had to crane his neck to look up at Bray as he was holding him above his head. "Well yeah it wouldnt be would it?" he smiled, letting Bray find his feet back on solid, but mushy, ground.

[Bradyn Reed]

[ sorry for the super, super late post. haven't been up to posting lately.. ]

Bray decided to let teh Maxi thing drop, since he didn't really want to talk about it anymore. Maxi seemed so indifferent to it that it was almost a bit eerie. And it's not like he really wanted to hear his side of it, he'd butted in with Ash and him far too much already. Bray wasn't some girlie love coach. It was a relief that they could just be friends, wish Ash or without him.

"Oh, hush, you!" He said, laughing. "Before I tie you to a tree and let whatever is out there eat you.. while I run of screaming like a girl, of course." He smiled at Maxi, silently thanking him for not saying anything about cats. Puns were just not funny to him. "I would tell you to loosen up, but this isn't really the place... and it's not because of me, right?"

Bray then frowned a bit, "Alright, then I'll be 6 foot 3 and show you! Hah!" He said, breaking his serious face. He really had no problems with his height, maybe he couldn't always reach the cookie jar but it wasn't bad. At least he was finally on the ground again, as soft and muddy as it was. It took a bit of effort to keep himself from sinking in, and he wondered if Maxi dropped him there on purpose.

Bradyn brushed himself off and smoothed the wrinkles in his clothes, still chuckling quietly about his short height. Once he felt alright on the ground again, he looked back up- as far as that was - at Maxi. "But seriously, something bothering you? You look... tense."