[Dueling Club] Lesson One: Disarming

[Loren Hayes]

Loren smiled at Professor Black thankfully. Amanda was so small Loren would have never have forgiven herself for aiming spells at her, and Dax was also too sweet to try and attack. She moved so that she was in her own space and standing directly ahead of Professor Black. She had practised the spell in theory many times, but had never come across a situation where she had been able to use it without getting into trouble. Professor Black looked very calm, and it unnerved her slightly.

Loren raised her wand and shouted, 'Expelliarmus!'

[Caleb Black]

Immediately Caleb felt his wand shoot out of his hand, and watched Loren catch it. Caleb smiled. "Great job. Try it a couple more times." said Caleb wanting his wand back.

[Loren Hayes]

Loren had been half-expecting Professor Black to deflect it and disarm her in reprimand, but was relieved when he did not attempt to throw her off guard. 'I didn't think that would be a very easy spell to administer,' Loren mused, gently tossing the professor's wand back to him. 'I always thought I'd have trouble with it or something.'

She was feeling rather accomplished now, and a wave of confidence over took her. With a silly jiggle of her wrist she called 'Expelliarmus!' once more, this time aiming for Professor Black's chest.

[pixie]

Amanda watched Loren and Professor Black with rapt interest, then turned to Dax. "Shall we give it a go partner?" she asked raising her wand, to disarm him. With a flick of her wrist, she shouted "Expelliarmus!"

[Dax Simmons]

Caught total of guard Dax felt his wad fly out of his hands and a sudden shock run through his hand. Blinking at were his wand once was he looked up at Amanda with a bemused look.

“Blooming hell your good.”
He managed a small laugh and looked to see if Amanda did have his wand.
"I will have to be more carefull next time"

[pixie]

Amanda laughed and swept into a mock curtsey. "Why thank you for the compliment good sir!" She tossed Dax's wand back to him, and raised hers once more. "Okay, now you try to disarm me."

[Dax Simmons]

Dax tipped his head sideways and looked at Amanda
"Are...are you sure. I mean I'm a 7th year and have done this before and well only a 1st year..."

Dax stuttered his way through his sentence as he positioned his wand in his hand before rising it up into the air. Almost with a slight grimace Dax cast the spell.
"Expelliarmus!"

He watched the magic shoot out the wand towards Amanda. Closing his eyes Dax did not want to see what happened. When he was in his 3rd year he was practising this spell with his father and he sent him flying across a room….and he was a fully qualified wizard not a pupil.

[Caleb Black]

Caleb let out a slight moan as he was thrown against the far wall. "That was good. Too good." he said as he stood and wiped himself off. " Now the real lesson. Loren you go with Dax and Amanda stay with me for a moment. You two." he said gesturing to Dax and Amanda, "Will have a duel. The first one to disarm the other one wins and gets 15 points to his or her house. Take your positions!" and Caleb stepped off to the sighed and watched.

[Dax Simmons]

Dax stood still listening to what the Professor had said. With a confused face he spun his wand around in his hand and looked at Amanda and then Loren. Raising his hand in the air like a small five year old he sheepishly asked his question.

“Who I’m I meant to be with professor? I do not want to try to disarm the wrong person.”

A small lopsided smile filled his face as he looked at the other two girls in the class letting an even wider grin appear as his eyes fell on Loren.

[Loren Hayes]

Loren winced apologetically at Professor Black. 'Sorry, sir,' She mumbled quietly. Although the spell had been strong, she knew that Professor Black could have repelled it without even raising his wand and that he had obviously let her give him her full power, but she still felt dreadfully guilty. Her feelings did not improve when the teacher announced that she would now be pairing up with Dax. With anyone else she would have enjoyed a chance to prove herself, but she did not really want to fight Dax, even if it was light hearted.

To Loren's surprise Dax seemed rather thrilled to be paired up with her. She was unsure whether he was just excited or if he planned on actually hitting her full on. 'Ready?' She asked, gripping her wand a little tighter than usual.

The two of them faced each other for a while, and Loren wondered who would make the first move. She really did not want this to happen...

[Dax Simmons]

As Loren asked if Dax was ready he looked at her and panicked. He could not even fire a single spell at Lorne let alone one that would possibly hurt her. He looked at her with pleading eyes and tired to smile. He raised his wand with a sigh and focused hard on Loren.
His breathing rate doubled as he stood silently looking at Loren. 15 house points was not worth it. He could no hurt her…he would not hurt her.

With a look over toward the Professor he could tell that he was waiting for something to happen. Grudgingly Dax opened his mouth and uttered the words
“Expelliarmus!"

Trying to control the spell he only put half effort into it in hope that either Loren would reflect it or it would not hurt her if it did hit.

[Loren Hayes]

Loren could see the obvious restraint in Dax's face and posture as he aimed a half-hearted disarmament spell at her. She was incredibly relieved that he had made the first move, but as the spell rocketed into her stomach, snatching her wand from her fingers so that it could be whisked away to Dax, Loren could not help but feel a little annoyed. Even though she detested anyone seeing her as a fragile girl, she had at least hoped Dax would purposefully miss - or perhaps refuse to attack her altogether. Although her limps tingled with painful magical residue, she could not help but muse over how sweet it would have been of him to be a gentleman and refuse...

She snapped back to reality to see Dax's face ridden with guilt and worry. She gave a large smile. 'That was really good! You'd make a great dueler, Dax...' She said appraisingly, walking toward him to retrieve her wand, her fingers slightly trembling.

[Dax Simmons]

As Loren walked closer Dax could see past her smile. His heart felt like pins and needles were digging into them, his stomach turned. He knew he had done wrong. When Loren reached for her wand Dax moved it slowly forward not moving his gaze from her blue eyes. When her soft figures touched his he took hold of them and held them tightly.

Hers were soft and he could feel them tremble, his were cold and a light sweat came from them. Hs he held her in front of him Dax bend down so he could be face to face with her. Slowly he whispered to her just enough for her to hear.
“I’m sorry I never wanted to hurt you.”

Suddenly Dax became aware where he was and that the Professor was standing only a few meters away form them. Realising her grip Dax brushed his hair out of his face and looked over at the far wall. His heart rate slowly returning to normal.

[pixie]

Amanda watched Dax and Loren to see if she could learn anything from them, then turned towards Professor Black."Ready when you are sir..." then before he could answer she raised her wand, pointed it at his and focusing all her willpower and strength into the spell shouted, Expelliarmus!"

[Loren Hayes]

Loren was taken aback by the intensity of Dax's sorrowful gaze, the moment when their eyes met completely heart stopping. Her fingers continued to tremble and she could feel his rough fingers wandering purposefully over hers, silently speaking to her. When he really did speak she gave a fake smile of ignorance. 'You didn't. Really.' Her smile improved as the words alone made her feel better.

The moment was suddenly broken by Amanda's voice, and a bright light shot across the room on course to the professor. Loren stepped away from Dax awkwardly, leaving his wand hanging limply in his fingers. 'I'll try now, shall I?' She asked as if nothing had happened.