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Post by Prof Grace Marks on Sept 2, 2006 22:35:38 GMT
Grace had been on patrol for hours, it felt, and it was now nearing three o'clock. She was aimlessly wondering the corridors not really looking for anyone in particular but just walking. How can Bog stand this! she thought in frustration. "Night after night he sees less of his bed and more of these staring walls. It has to drive a man to frustration and aggression! No wonder he's been so funny lately!" Grace had taken to talking to herself to keep herself awake. But little did she know she was not the only one listening.
((Pretty random but yeah ...))
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Post by Thom Moen on Sept 2, 2006 22:46:12 GMT
'And whats got you muttering under your breath outside of your dorm at this time of night, Ms Marks?' Thom stepped away from the wall just ahead of her, having been hidden by shadow, a friendly smirk on his face. He wagged his finger at her. 'I wouldn't want to have to give you detention for irritating the portraits, you know...'
He ran a hand through his hair as he walked up to her, wondering why had had broken the promise to himself not to ever do prefect duty. It was boring and he had not yet even had the chance to deduct points from Slytherin! Stopping before Grace, he said, 'so where's Bog these days? Don't see him about much.'
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Post by Prof Grace Marks on Sept 2, 2006 22:54:20 GMT
Grace jumped as Thom emerged from the shadows and stopped dead in her tracks. She shot Thom a disgusted frown. "You should know better then to sneak up on people who are cranky coz they haven't had any sleep!" She was too tired to be too angry at Thom. "Bog?" she repeated, shifting her weight from the one foot to the other, "well I haven't seen him much either. Always busy doing other thing, other more important things." She spoke with such angry in her voice she hardly sounded like herself.
During Grace's patrolling she had been thinking about Bog. She had been pondering what would be so important that he would neglect to send an owl, to pop in once in a while to say hi, to do anything that would show he was still alive. All these thoughts culminated in a colossal bad mood.
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Post by Thom Moen on Sept 2, 2006 22:59:10 GMT
Thom raised his eyebrows in mild surprise. 'Trouble in paradise?' he said mockingly, giving a lopsided grin a moment later. 'And what ales you? Novella and I seem to be the only couple in Hogwarts who isn't arguing or cheating...' he immediately thought of Girty, a snake withering in his stomach threateningly. He had fought hard not to feel guilty about rejecting her - what choice had he had?
He squinted into the darkness, looking at Grace, then pulled his wand from his robes and lit it silently. 'What is it about this castle and darkness? We're wizards, not cave fish...' he said irritatedly.
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Post by Prof Grace Marks on Sept 2, 2006 23:08:10 GMT
Grace cringed at the mention of cheating. She did not know if he knew but she certainly knew ... "riddles! Riddles in the dark!" she quoted. Grace felt like being mean so retorted, "but from what I hear Novella has some competition! Personally, I would not have pictured the two of you together. Not happily at any rate." Grace had adopted a firm stance and crossed her arms across her chest. Her mood was not forth coming and that was the way she liked it.
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Post by Thom Moen on Sept 2, 2006 23:16:01 GMT
Thom huffed a laugh, more in surprise than insolence. Grace was not usually so abrupt towards him. 'Don't let me get your knickers in a twist, Marks,' he said mildly, raising his arms in surrender. 'I didn't kiss Mondedgo for you.' he chose not to reply to the comment about Novella. He was still feeling sore on the topic of their unlikely pairing.
He walked away from her slowly in the direction that she had been heading, not in disinterest, but mainly to avoid her somewhat savage looking gaze that was burrowing into his back.
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Post by Prof Grace Marks on Sept 2, 2006 23:27:46 GMT
Grace scowled at Thom. He does know! "AGH!" she raged, "does anyone not know!" She couldn't believe herself but she ran after Thom and grabbed his arm, pulling him to a halt. "Well, you should choose better who's heart you tear out before you start louring them in with your coy eyes and lob sided smile, Moen." Her heart was pounding in her head, her rage and frustration was just boiling under the surface.
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Post by Thom Moen on Sept 2, 2006 23:39:24 GMT
Thom's cheeks burned hotly. He knew she was talking about Girty. 'I didn't rip anyone's heart out, Grace.' he said churlishly as he turned to her full on, towering her over angrily. 'And if it comes down to it - Novella got there first, alright? It's not my fault Girty dawdled! Don't have a go at me like I did it to get at her!' He realised his fingers were trembling, and he quickly stuffed his hands in his pockets, looking at Grace with narrowed eyes.
'And anyway, I didn't lure her anywhere. I don't have any feelings for Girty, she's just a friend - was a - oooh...' Thom dropped his head onto his chest, thoroughly fed up. He had not expected this tonight.
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Post by Prof Grace Marks on Sept 2, 2006 23:48:51 GMT
Grace had hit the button. She was happy about being somewhat sadistic now. She took a stance to match Thom's and though she was nowhere near his height she matched it with her glare. "Are you that ignorant that you can't even see a fawning girl in front of you face? I can't believe that Novella would actually agree to be seen in the same building, with an idiot as huge as you are, let alone go out with you!"
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Post by Thom Moen on Sept 3, 2006 0:00:31 GMT
Thom barked a laugh, a nasty smile crossing his face. 'A fawning girl? If it was so bloody obvious then why didn't you notice it either? What am I suppose to do - drop down on my knees and beg for forgiveness when I didn't even fancy her? If I confessed my undying love to you right now, Marks, would you fall head over heals for me just because?' Thom was shaking all over now, his voice quaking violently. He had been dying to get all this off his chest.
'And Novella and me have a connection, Grace! Do you know what that is? Or was yours and Bog's severed by you're little jaunt with Mondego?' Thom's eyes flashed cruelly.
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Post by Prof Grace Marks on Sept 3, 2006 0:09:01 GMT
Grace's angry expression drained and she stood transfixed and froze. Thom's outburst had had so much sense. What was Girty expecting in any case? she though. She didn't hear what Thom said after that ... she was lifeless and inert. Her heart was beating slowly, her breathing was shallow and her lake blue eyes were misted over. If she had been herself she probably would have slapped Thom but she hardly moved.
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Post by Thom Moen on Sept 3, 2006 0:21:13 GMT
When Grace didn't interrupt with a retort, he opened his mouth to start shouting again. But he then noticed her forlorn face, her eyes cast to the floor in contained defeat. The snake in his storm moved again, guilt making him feel sick.
He had not realised how loud the two of them had been shouting in the corridor. Silence was settling back down on their shoulders as if it were dust that had been disturbed by a sudden gust and was now falling back down again. The silence felt much heavier than dust, of course.
'Grace...' he said softly, a worn pleading in his voice.
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Post by Prof Grace Marks on Sept 3, 2006 0:34:29 GMT
(Good luck with this one!)
... How could you be so stupid! she thought, why are you shouting at Thom? He didn't do anything to you? He isn't the one ignoring you? He isn't the one who's forgotten you! She stared blankly at the floor. She couldn't bring herself to move, otherwise she might start biting Thom's head off again.
'Grace...' a far away voice called her name. Grace! it was a woman's voice, singing her name. Gra-ace! It was her mother. Grace lifted her misty eyes and stared passed Thom's head into the darkness ahead. She began to run ... Grace! "She's calling me, Thom," she called, "calling me home!" She ran down the darkened corridor, into a wall. It didn't matter, she followed it ... Gra-ace! "She's come back!"
Around a corner, and another and another ... Gra-ace ... "Nearly there," she called, and smashed into a balcony. Her momentum carried her over but she did not fall ...
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Post by Thom Moen on Sept 3, 2006 0:52:40 GMT
Thom gave Grace a bizarre look as she suddenly shot past him, her gaze trained upon something ahead in the darkness. 'Oy - wait, where are you going?' Thom called, bewildered.
He paused for a moment before jogging after her, wondering why he was doing so. 'Who the hell are you talking to?' Thom snapped suspiciously, becoming slightly angry as he had to pick up his pace to keep up with her. She seemed to be bouncing off the walls ahead of him, still looking off up the corridor, calling almost happily to someone who Thom could not see.
It was then that they turned a corner that led out onto one of the main balconies that hung over the courtyard five floors below them. Thom's legs nearly gave out in horror as Grace's stomach hit the balcony ledge, her torso and arms suddenly dangling forward dangerously.
'No, Grace!' Thom cried desperately as her feet left the ground, He wrapped his arms around her waist as tightly as he could, dragging her back with difficulty as she seemed to make no effort to help herself. 'Are you blind? What are you doing?!' he roared, his heart pumping with anger and fear. 'Look at that drop! You would've DIED!'
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Post by Prof Grace Marks on Sept 3, 2006 1:05:22 GMT
Grace wanted to escape Thom's grip and fly out over the balcony and towards the image of her mother. "Let me go!" she yelled, "I have to go to her, I have to!" She was struggling against Thom, fighting to get away.
She never took her eyes off the wide open sky. The stars were shining and twinkling, calling to her, taunting her to join them in their Star Dance. She needed to get away. She planted her heal hard into Thom's foot and ran again for the balcony. She tried to climb onto ledge, bits of plaster were brushed off.
"I need to be with her Thom." She was calm. She stood still on the ledge, balancing gracefully. She didn't move. Grace just looked up at the sky, at a group of stars that looked like her mother. "She is free!" she said, then looked down at Thom, "and now-" she looked back at the sky "-so am I!"
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