[Forest] Sunburn (Bronwyn)

[Kieran Davies]

It had been a while since Kieran had been on any form of adventure. Ollie was off trying to catch Rie, he hadnt got the whole story but apparently the two were together now. As well as Rie being with Blake at the same time. Kieran personally didnt know how Ollie could do it, be the other man. It was out of character for him, he could only figure he liked her more than he had let on and he didnt blame him really. Rie was definatly easy on the eyes and someone you wouldnt mind turning up with to a party and Lucas, well Lucas was off being Lucas. Probably chasing down more females only to get nowhere with, this made Kieran chuckle a little bit. Ali and Fay on the other hand, well he hadnt seen Ali since Bryn told him not to get any ideas, not that he would afterall Ali was a lot younger than Kieran, at least thats what he told Bryn, and the last time he saw Fay was in Hogsmeade.

So rather out of things to do while his closest friends were off doing whatever it was they did, Kieran decided to take a trip into the forest. Probably not the smartest idea, but then again Kieran wasnt the smartest person. The word fun right now seemed to be off in Hogwarts, the last time Kieran had fun was at the party, or when he got stupidly drunk at his cousin Nick's club. Other than that he had been working a lot when he wasnt studying, helping Nick at the club and watching him try to get that silly kid off his back. Eugh, it made Kieran shudder. How could a guy like another guy. He didnt mind it of course, unless they shoved it in his face.

Standing at the opening of the trees, he took a quick look around him to make sure nobody was in watching distance before he slipped into the darkness. Squelch, came the sounds of the muddy floor. He was careful, he had heard Ollie's recount about the killer tree and hoped no tree tried to kill him either. Still, he could just run right? Besides, it was still daylight, so maybe he wouldnt have to worry about werewolves.

His hand glazed lightly over a branch as he wandered through the forest. He didnt know why this place seemed to be so inviting. It was dangerous and students were forbidden to be in here. Of course that made it all the more fun, going somewhere where you werent allowed. Simply amazing how idiotic people were when you thought about it really. Kieran was no exception, he liked to break rules and do things he shouldnt do. He seemed to make it his business to do exactly that.

He got to a rather dense part of the forest and stopped to lean on a tree. He let off a little sigh. Adventuring was fun, but not alone. It seemed to be just as dull sitting in the common room doing your homework. Still, what could he do. Ollie had a girlfriend, Lucas was flirting with girls. It seemed to him now that Kieran may have lost his edge, he didnt seem interested in flirting anymore. Which was saying something considering Kieran used to live off it. Saying that though, he had been feeling strange for a few weeks. Like he was losing himself a little bit.

"Okay Kieran get it together." He commanded himself and pushed himself off the tree. He would have to get back on the horse, he was only losing himself because he was letting himself do it. Everyone seemed to be slipping into states of different things. He had began to notice small changes in people. Turning around he almost walked headlong into someone else, but managed to stop himself before he did, holding his hands out infront of him to make sure he hadnt walked into her. "Bronwyn? What are you doing in here?" Shock was in his voice a little bit, he hadnt really spoken to this girl much in his years here, but he knew her. "Not that I'm complaining or anything of course." He added quickly.

(sorry dude... bad post)

[Bronwyn Klark]

[[ not at all. i think it’s wonderful ]]

Ron had been having quite the day. Things seemed to be going a little more crazy then usual. Not that Bronwyn minded, crazy was what she did best … but when it was from people she’d call ‘normal’ it definitely made her think twice, three times and three times more. She wasn’t used to all this brain activity as it was, so she was a little disorientated to be completely honest. She’d taken to simply walking. Walking around the castle. Walking around the grounds. Walking by the lake.

It was there that she saw something that brought stinging tears to her eyes. Her friends had told her not to be attached to this boy but this bubble couldn’t help it. Joshua was just so gorgeous and he seemed really thoughtful, for a Slytherin. But then she saw him sitting by the lake, kissing some girl that Ron didn’t even know. She didn’t know why it had affected her like it did but it had brought tears to her eyes. The next thing she knew she was running and there were trees all around her. Her jeans were muddied around her feet as she ran, her jumper covered in whip-like lines from the branches she’d run past.

The she stopped. Panting slightly, Bron looked around her. She was in the Forest. “Who knew?” she mumbled to herself, looking up and around her. Why her feet had brought her into the forest she’d probably never know. The stupid boy forgotten, Bron began wondering, simply looking around, as though she’d never been in the forest before and it wasn’t that she came often, it was just that every time she did she saw loads of new things that she hadn’t seen before and they always intrigued her. Her feet carried her and she trusted that they knew better the she did where to go.

Something made a branch snap behind her and Ron spun around, her loose red hair flying behind her and coming to rest on her shoulder. “Who’s there?” she whispered. Her over-active imagination showed her packs of drooling werewolves hiding in the shadows waiting for her to turn around so they could pounce. She started walking backwards so she wouldn’t have to turn around. Something cooed above her head and she spun around again. The next thing she was walking very quickly in some direction, looking up and behind her.

Suddenly she was running, not very fast because the flora was getting thick but as quick as she could considering she had to jump things, skirt around things. And then there was someone in front of her. Slowing down, Bron was helped to come to a stop by his outstretched hands that she practically flew into. She hadn’t expected him and squeaked her indignation at being snuck up on. Her horrible memory for names was winning as she looked up at the tall boy. She knew he was in her house, a seventh year … but what was his name? She wracked her brain as she stared up at him, her red hair falling into her face.

Bronwyn flung her hair out of her face with a twitch of her neck and then shrugged her shoulders. “I’m-I’m not sure,” she admitted. “I … I was just walking and the next thing – BAM! – I’m here.” Her thick Welsh accent was reduced to croaks as her throat was dry from the fright and the running. “I’m glad you’re not complaining,” Bron teased, “I’d have been forced to leave you here had you complained.” Bron scrunched up her nose and stuck out her tongue to show she was teasing. “And what are you doing? Aren’t you usually with … that other boy and that girl with the – the hair?” Bron waved her hand un and down by her hair as she spoke of it. It never was her forte to explain people. She could see them in her head but there was no way they’d be able to come out her mouth.

[Kieran Davies]

As Bronwyn flew into his outstretched hands, a look of sheer puzzlement upon the Gryffindor's face, a slight pain in his shoulder due to the fact she had caused his arms to lock at his elbows and shoulders as she had ran into him, and they didnt like being forced backwards when they had been locked. His eyes blinked fast for a moment as the two seemed in a very unlikely situation. He knew Bronwyn was, well she didnt hang around the same people he did, and as far as he knew they had nothing in common either. In a way you could, and it had been stated before, say Kieran was one of the 'jocks' of the Gryffindor house.

"You're not sure?" He repeated, in the same unsure tone the welsh girl had used. His more southern accent falling through ever so slightly as he listened to the girl stammer away. "R-really?" His tone still unsure and slightly uneasy as she recounted what had happened. Kieran wasnt really used to girls sneaking up on him the way she had snuck up on him. He was usually the one to go to a girl, but not in this situation. Once she seemed steady enough, Kieran dropped his hands and blinked again, trying to get his head back down to earth, rather than up in the clouds.

Running a hand through his hair and furrowing his brow, the Gryffindor boy still unsure of the whole situation. This would certainly give Ollie some laughs and he could almost see his reaction now when he recounted this to him later. That is, of course, if Kieran got a word in edgeways between his ramblings of Rie. Sometimes he wondered if Ollie had a deathwish, really... Running after a girl who is in a relationship. Like you can talk, didnt you do the same thing? Though he shoved those thoughts aside. It wouldnt do to think of Rie in that way, not now Ollie had got his chance. Kieran kind of liked his head on his shoulders, not twenty feet from his body.

"And we all know how boring wandering through the forest is alone." He tried sarcasm back, but it came out more of a pained whisper. He gave a mocking shocked face though, when she stuck her tongue out at him. "Do you want someone to bite that off one day?" He laughed, thankfully the day was quite nice, so apart from the mud around the bottom of his pants he was quite presentable. Though he didnt look like he'd be going to a meal anytime soon of course. Not that anybody with half a brain would even let him go to one. He had such bad table manners.

His eyes raised as she began to spout of about his friends. Not really giving him much to work with. He was with two other boys usually, and as far as he was aware, all his girl friends had hair. Unless they all wore wigs, if they did he would retract that statement. "Im... uh..." What was he doing here? "You know thats a good question. I'll get back to you on it." He answered, scratching his head as he did. "The... boy? And the girl with the hair?" He asked. How vague. "Do you mean the two blondes? Rieko and Ollie? Or Lucas and Fay? Or Dante?" He scrolled off the people he usually hung around with, hoping one would ring a bell in that firery little red head of hers.

"I take it names.... not your strong area?" He half laughed, "Well for that sake, though I'd be quite offended if you didnt know my name. Kieran Davies." Of course he wouldnt be offended, but it wasnt hard to remember his name. Well, maybe it wasnt as easy as remembering Bryn's you know, being four letters and all, but even so...

[Bronwyn Klark]

It wasn’t uncommon for Bronwyn to just start talking to people, older or younger, about anything. When she thought about it that was probably how he knew this seventh year and how she knew that he was a seventh year. When you’re having a conversation about the scarcity of peaches in the autumn that don’t look like beaten up disembodied heads. Or was that the other boy she often saw this one with? Bron couldn’t remember. How she kept her shoes on her feet was a subject of much musing to her sister, Nea.

Bron giggled a high pitched and girly giggle and nodded her head. “I’m sure … or unsure, depending how you look at it.” She just walked. Her feet would take her to classes if she needed to go and if she didn’t she didn’t and she didn’t worry about that. Her mother often worried that it was her fanciful nature that was the cause of this and that one day it would land her in trouble. Bronwyn didn’t doubt it but she tried not to think about it. What would happen would happen and that was the last of it. “I just walk and go where my feet take me. Today it was to you … here. Strange, isn’t it?” She cocked her head to the side and smiled, looking around, remembering how freaked out she’d been three minutes ago.

Then he dropped his hands and Bron looked down at herself, her bushy hair falling around her head. “Hmm?” she mumbled. She looked as though she’d been rolling around on the ground. She looked up at the Gryffindor as she brushed off her jumper. The dirt came off simply but the mud soaked hem of her trousers, well, it seemed foolish to even try and clean them. Bronwyn didn’t mind the being dirty bit, in fact it added to the atmosphere. “I agree,” Bron said suddenly, “having someone around always makes things more exciting.” She began bouncing on her feet. A song had suddenly jumped into her mind and started playing itself very loudly there. She couldn’t stop herself.

He seemed as confused by her words as Bron thought he’d be. Laughing, Bron shrugged. Though he gave her names none of them sounded familiar. It was possible that it was any of them, who was she to say which was which. Still more names and Bron shrugged again and again and again, to the beat of the music playing in her head. “I don’t know,” Bron said … and then the secret was out. The embarrassment caused her to cringe, like something had just bitten her big toe. But he gave her his name: Kieran! Yes, that was it! “I knew that,” Ron groaned, dismissively, giving him a wide smile. She rolled her eyes dramatically as if the mere idea being idiotic to her. She was too proud to admit that she’d had no idea before and that she was likely to forget again very soon.

“Wanna walk?” Ron asked suddenly. She had began tapping her heals down on one spot and then another as she bounced on her feet. She struggled to remain still at any time so she needed to move around and walking seemed to be the best option. There was a creak behind her and Bron whirled around. “What was that?” she whispered harshly. She really didn’t like the Forbidden Forest and she’d been in it long enough to realise she was. She took a step back, staring into the foliage, and bumped gently into Kieran. “I really don’t like this place,” she admitted in a small voice.

“Come on,” she demanded, determination in her blue eyes. Grabbing Keiran’s hand, Bron chose a direction and began walking, pulling Kieran along.

[Kieran Davies]

Kieran, unlike Bronwyn, usually stayed to his own year and crowd. If someone younger happened to come into their crowd, Like Dante, Rieko and Bryn, then so be it. Though usually, he never went out of his way to talk to the younger years unless, like now, he was forced into a situation with them. He must admit, him being seventeen, it was rather a weird feeling to be around a fourteen year old. Ollie and Lucas never minded, but Kieran found it slightly disorientating sometimes. He tended to watch what he said more, and how he acted around younger years. Truely a strange notion for normally this boy never cared what he did. Yet somehow, he found it difficult to be himself around younger people.

"I..." Kieran sighed and just shook his head. This situation was far too, well strange for him. Usually when with a younger person he had people his own age around him too so it wasnt too strange for him to talk to them, but never one on one. Afterall, he heard tales of these younger girls and didnt want to plant any ideas into that head of hers. Though, when she spoke again, Kieran found himself with an uneasy laugh, and stepped back a bit. "Y-yeah. Strange how your feet led you to.. well me. I guess." It was sort of like saying fate was attacking again. It was the way she worded it which made the word fate pop into his head. I just happened to find myself walking to you... fate. What a bitch. It was, to him, like saying something like that. She obviously hadnt meant it like that, but her word choice made him think like that.

"Yeah..." It was obvious Kieran was at least a little uncomfy with this sudden arrangement. Though he tried to be positive he didnt want to be over enthusiastic incase she did get the wrong idea. He couldnt imagine anywhere he could hide from her if he did. Afterall, she was a Gryffindor too. When she started bouncing, Kieran stepped back again. The dark haired boy looking at her with confusion on his face. He didnt know anybody who just... bounced. For no apparent reason. "More.. exciting. Right."

He gave a nervous cough-laugh. He was stood a bit away from her now, not too close to her anymore so he felt slightly better. His bubble was still intact, though his pride may be damaged by the feeling of unease around a girl no less. "Well... I'm sure you'd know... If you, you know... saw them." He ran another hand through his hair a gave a small smile when she confessed she knew his name. Though he had a feeling she actually had no idea what his name was but either way. "Yeah.. sure you did." He managed to tease without the unease creeping into his voice for once. Was he... scared of her? Scared of a small female? Well truth was girls terrified Kieran, especially the younger ones. They were the most unpredictable.

"Uh..." Kieran was taken aback by the sudden question she had asked, but before he had a chance to reply to it she had whirled around, obviously reacting to something she may have heard, but whatever it was Kieran hadnt heard it. "What.. was what?" He asked, looking behind her but seeing nothing. She was inching backwards and he hadnt noticed until she bumped into him, he looked down at her when she admitted her fear of this place and he gave her shoulder a small squeeze before letting his hand fall again to his side. "Its okay. Everything will be fine." He assured her.

Whoa demand. "Wh-what?" He asked just before she grabbed his hand and he found himself being pulled along side her. She was walking in a direction, but Kieran couldnt tell you which one. She had hold of his hand and he didnt have the heart to pull his back from hers so he let her cling onto it. "Where are we going?" He asked, funny how he should let a girl take control of him, least of all a younger one.

[Bronwyn Klark]

Bronwyn was increasingly of the impression that she made Kieran nervous. She couldn’t understand why this was because she wasn’t being mean or threatening or doing anything that she knew of that would make him nervous. Perhaps he was nervous she would find something out that she wasn’t supposed to? Perhaps he was hiding a secret that he was just dying to share with someone? If that was the case, which Ron most ardently hoped it was, she would have to extract every juice ounce of the delicious secret, no matter what!

But Kieran was being most uncooperative. He stammered and just generally didn’t say much. Bron sighed heavily, a curled lock flying up then dropping again. Why was he being so weird about this? If he had something to say he should just say it. It would be much easier on them both that way. Obviously the seventh year didn’t feel the same way and the forth year knew she’d have to dig a bit to get whatever it was out of him. It would be hard work but Bron actually enjoyed it and found she was rather good at it in fact.

“Yeah,” Bron snapped her fingers, her bright blue eyes wide with excitement, “that’s exactly it. Exactly that. If I saw them I’d know ‘em and I’ll be sure to point ‘em out to you.” Bron giggled again, glad that someone for once understood what she had been jabbering on about. It wasn’t anything new, she knew that, people often understood what her words that actually made little sense to her meant. It was a much comforting thought that there were actually people out there who understood her.

It was a well known fact with her friends that the place Bron liked to be almost as little as she liked being in Herbology was the Forbidden Forest. There were some who thought that it was called that for no reason and they used it as an invitation but it was for exactly that reason that Bron didn’t like coming in here. Even when she was with a professor, like Prof O’Donnell, she felt uneasy and on edge, more so then usual to be sure. Kieran didn’t seem to share her worry about being in a forest that was inhabited by dangerous and wild creatures that would scratch your face off soon as look at you.

He seemed not to hear what Bron had heard but he let her pull him along for a time. Bronwyn wasn’t sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing but in comforted her to know that she wasn’t alone. Clearly it didn’t take much to comfort this Gryffindor. “I heard something,” Bron informed the older boy in a matter-of-fact tone. “And I just want to walk.” She was walking rather faster then she needed to but this action, too, made her feel better about the situation she had found herself in. A shiver ran down her spine, prickly and cold, and all the small little ginger hairs on the back of her neck stood on end.

“I don’t know where we’re goin’,” Bronwyn said blasé, not looking over her shoulder at Kieran as she walked quickly down a muddy slop covered in roots. Her foot slipped and she lost her footing, slipping and falling onto her back, her hand slipping from Kieran’s. She tried to sit up but she carried on slipping down the moss-covered roots that covered the floor. Soon, Bron came to a halt in a heap on the muddy ground. She groaned as she pushed herself into a sitting position, her ginger red hair falling over her face. “Ow,” she groan, “I think I’ve bruised something.” She rubbed her hip as she sat on the ground, her jeans now covered in mud.

“I just knew something like this would happen,” she groaned, pushing her hair out of her face. She’d completely forgotten she wasn’t alone; such was the attention span of Ms Klark.

[Kieran Davies]

It wasnt that Bronwyn was intimidating or that she made him nervous, it was just the fact she was so much younger than he was and he felt a little on edge. Not to mention the wackyness that had been going around the castle of late, Kieran had become a very stressed out kind of person lately, and usually to end this stress, himself, Lucas and Ollie would visit his cousin Nick at Club Motion and get plastered. Though you could guarentee they would regret their actions almost as soon as they woke up. Kieran especially, hangovers he did not like all that much.

He knew Bronwyn was a very curious person. She liked to know stuff and when she didnt know stuff she liked to find out. Obviously, because it was only Kieran and Bronwyn here, and Bronwyn knew nothing about Kieran, she would try to find things out about him. It only made sense, and made him just that touch more uneasy. He furrowed his brows and looked around them, it didnt seem they were in any immediate danger at least. Which was always a good thing.

"Uh..." Kieran was taken aback slightly by the sudden clicking and talking, blinking a couple of times he let what she said register in his mind. "Well, I can make that easy." He said, pulling a picture of himself, Rieko, Ollie, Lucas and Fay from his pocket and giving it to her. He pointed out each one and then let his hand drop from the photo and once again stepped back to give them both, well himself, more space. He wouldnt say he understood her persay, but he had known people who bamble a bit so he was used to it.

If he was honest, the Forest didnt bother him all that much. It would if something tried to eat him but so far nothing had tried and so he had no reason to fear the place. He never feared anything unless he had a damn good reason to. He was scared of Rie, but that was only because she had gone crazy pms chick on him and tried to scratch his eyes out when he had been joking with her. Thankfully, Blake was there to pull her off him. Come to think of it, that was one of the final times he saw Rie and Blake together.

The two were walking, her hand clasping his as the two of them walked. Kieran was more occupied about how to make this situation more comfortable on him than listening for dangers around the forest. Not the smartest move ever, but if he had been known for his brains he'd have been a Ravenclaw. He took a quick look around when she spoke, raising his wand slightly so he could see from the light. "There's nothing there." He told her and began to pull on his hand, once he realised she wanted to move he began to walk, but found himself walking much quicker than last time. She had some force on her, he'd give her that much.

"So... We're walking to who knows where land?" He asked, not liking the sound of his own question much as he followed her, not that he had much choice since she was attatched to his hand, down a rather muddy slope that Kieran was sure would be easier and safer if they just skated down it. Though a tug on his hand made Kieran look at Bronwyn, she released his hand and fell on her back, he tried to catch her but it was too late as he, himself nearly went sliding on the mud. "Are you alright?" He asked, skidding next to her, taking hold of her arm and slowly helping her to her feet. "Do you need to go back? I could take you to see Archi Nish if you need to?"

He gave a small laugh, "If you knew this would happen why did you insist on walking this way?" He kept hold of her as the two of them stood on the muddy slope. "Are you sure you're okay?"

[Bronwyn Klark]

There were many things that Bronwyn wanted to ask Kieran, questions that had begun mulling around in her head since she’d bumped into him a few minutes before. It was unclear to her as of yet why she hadn’t instantly barraged him with questions but it seemed unimportant for some reason. All her mind was focused on was the discussion at hand, the supposed friends that Bron had seen with Kieran at one time or another. The seventh year seemed fixated on it at any rate and it wasn’t like Ronnie to be rude and toss his fixations aside.

Bron looked down at the photo that Kieran handed to her and she smiled as she looked at it. The four seemed to be very happy, laughing as friends tended to do together. A frown creased her soft forehead again. A slender forefinger tapped the image of the blond boy she recognized. “That’s the guy …” Bron said distractedly “… but I’m not sure about the girls. I usually see this girl –” indicating Rieko “– with a … different boy but not for a while I suppose.” Bron shrugged her shoulders noncommittally and pushed the photo back into Kieran’s hand, once again inadvertently closing the distance between them.

Kieran hadn’t seen anything, hadn’t heard anything but Bronwyn had. She’d heard whatever it was that had been watching from deep within the brush. “Doesn’t matter,” Bron said, her shoulders rising and falling again, “we’re going away from it so it doesn’t need to feel threatened or anything.” She could imagine a million and one things that could have been there, watching the two Gryffindors, licking its chops with a grumbling stomach. Of course, this did not encourage any sort of confidence in the Forbidden Forest so she marched on regardless.

Bronwyn choose to ignore Kieran’s question about where they were going. She’d already said she didn’t know. How many times would she have to say she didn’t know before he got the picture. The boy didn’t seem to notice much as he was focusing more on where he was walking then whatever Bron might say. It wasn’t anything new for her, Bronwyn often got that from who weren’t sure how to hand her exactly. There were few who knew and for that Bron was happy; it meant that she could have as much fun as she wanted.

Then blam! Slip! Slide! Bump! Creak! Groan!

It wasn’t a very proud moment for the ginger haired girl. She allowed herself to be helped up onto her feet by Kieran who seemed concerned about her. Brushing off clumps of moss and dirt that she’d picked up, Bron shook her head, her long red hair flying around her face as she looked over this shoulder then that one. “I’ll be alright,” she wheezed. She wasn’t putting her weight onto her right foot and she could feel that it felt tender. She was sure she couldn’t have broken it from just that little show … could she?

The prospect of visiting the short healer worried Bronwyn. She didn’t like being rude, it just sort of happened some times, and she knew that if she were to visit the healer all sorts of embarrassing questions would come out of her mouth, not embarrassing for her thought and in her current mood she wouldn’t enjoy the discomfort at all. She’d never admit this but felt certain that seeing the healer wasn’t the right thing to do.

Holding onto Kieran’s arms with both of her hands, Bronwyn lifted her right foot off the ground, all her weight on her left, and rolled her ankle around a few times. Definitely bruised she decided though what that mean the fourth year had no idea. “I’d …” Bronwyn began but she wasn’t sure what she’d like to do, where she’d like to go or how she’d like to proceed. Putting her foot gently onto the uneven ground, Bronwyn looked up at Kieran – as he was taller then she – and gave a weak smile. “I’m sure. Thanks.”

Her face flushed with hot angry colour and she abruptly pulled her arms away from Kieran. “I didn’t know exactly what would happen, obviously,” she drowned. “If I’d know this! would happen … I just knew something like this would happen. It always does. What are you doing here anyway? Why’d you come with me? I didn’t ask for help, did I? No! So …” She stomped her foot, her right foot, and it buckled under her. She fell onto a heap on the ground. What was she doing? Shouting at a very cute boy? Was she really going made? If she weren’t so proud she might have apologised but somethings just don’t change. She stayed on the ground this time, crossing her arms across her chest, refusing to be moved. “Where are your friends, anyway?” she asked more calmly.