Tears for the Deceased Open Finished

Ross was not the confrontational type. If someone were to cry, he would normally be a witnessed. Not because he did not care, but more of due to the fact he had no reason to intervene in the first place; however, he had a strong tug to go help this girl.

Ross would not have seen her if she had not been running through the corridors on the second floor, blatantly sobbing her poor little soul out. The boy was heading the class when it happened, but it did not start for quite some time. Though he would have minded his own business, curiosity began to tug at him once more. Not the curiosity you would get when one saw a crime scene and wondered what happened, but one that claimed one had to follow and find the answer. Even if it has nothing related to you and it will give you no benefit, the curiosity is still there.

Detective Ross decided to take this his quest before he could even think through what he was doing, and soon enough he was chasing the girl down the corridor. He hardly realized what was happening as his legs sped up. Soon he was turning corners, speeding in between girls and dodging boys in order to catch up to the Gryffindor.

Finally the girl made one more turn, and Ross was about to follow her until he realized what it was.

The Abandoned Restroom

He heard a door slam, and echoing sobs coming from them. The girl seemed genuinely upset, and it was likely more than just a T on an exam or something of that sorts.Ross had never felt any urge to go near the place. It seemed shady enough, but that was not what was stopping him from going in. Well, he would be lying to say it was not part of it. The other part of it was the fact she was a girl.

Would it be appropriate to go in?

Sure there were stalls, but it simply did not seem right to him at the current moment. If anything it may upset her more. As thoughts ran wild through his head, he put his hands on his knees and bent over as he took in deep breaths. It felt as if he had just run a marathon, though he supposed that was probably the most exercise he had gotten in weeks. His hair was now slightly messier than normal. The Hufflepuff straightened himself out and adjusted his glasses onto his face, and began to listen to the girl sobbing once more.

What was he to do?

He could not just leave and not comfort her. That'd be rude to her and himself!

In a moment of pure desperation, he yelled into the bathroom from the side.

"Are ya alright in there?" he inquired, but mentally facepalmed himself as he realized the obvious answer was no.

Of course she was not. She was bawling her eyes out, but it was not as if he could take back what he said. Concern was written everywhere on his face as he peered into thee side of the bathroom just enough so his voice would echo throughout it.

Interacting with @Wren Caster

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Interacting with @Ross Stephens

[font=Bradley Hand ITC]Much un-noticed by Wren in her current state, a boy had been following her. [/font]

[font=Bradley Hand ITC]He had stuck his brown-haired head into the door, probably a bit wary to come in – seeing as she was crying in the bathroom -- and had asked if she was ok. No, she was not at all ok. For crying out loud. She was sobbing. Sobbing like the world had come to an end. Because in her books, in that moment it had. [/font]

[font=Bradley Hand ITC]“No” she replied and sobbed harder “I am not ok.” She yelled this. Much uncalled for seeing as he was probably trying to help but she, couldn’t help it. [/font]

[font=Bradley Hand ITC]“I’m s-sorry” she apologized, sniffing “My g-g-great a-aunt just d-di—” she cut off abruptly crumbling into another fit of crying. This boy probably thought she was the biggest baby in the world. She couldn’t even get through one sentence without shattering into pieces. Yes, her Elizabeth had just died but that was no excuse to lash out at people or act the way she was acting. [/font]

[font=Bradley Hand ITC]Wren never acted this way. She was the strong one, the one who helped everyone else, never had any problems herself. Her parents liked to say she was their rock. Right now, on the other hand, for once she needed a rock. She needed someone to comfort her. She couldn’t comfort others, but she didn’t really have any friend that would do something like that. Yes, sure she talked a lot, but that didn’t mean she had this huge crowd of people who loved her and would follow her to the ends of the earth. [/font]

[font=Bradley Hand ITC]She had a few loyal friends, but they were currently in class. This boy she had never met in her life. He was as new to her as the news of the death. Though right now if she ran him off she probably wouldn’t have anyone else that could help her, and man did she need a rock. [/font]

[font=Bradley Hand ITC]“I-I’m sorry, you probably t-think I’m a baby.” She sniffed, and a few tears escaped her eyes. “My great aunt just d-di—” she doubled back over crying again. She couldn’t even say the word died, without sobbing. After attempting to say this two times, she assumed this boy would be able to decipher what she was trying to say. She didn’t need to attempt a third time. She sat on the floor of that bathroom just crying for all the missed time with her aunt, while she was here at Hogwarts, and hoped this-this boy would come over and help her, rub her back, talk to her, anything would be good right now. [/font]

[font=Bradley Hand ITC]She wiped her eyes, sniffed up the snot leaking from her nose, and said “You can c-come over here” she patted the spot next to her “come sit” she tried to crack a smile, and succeeded at a small curve of her lips. [/font]

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The Hufflepuff's heart practically broke hearing the ache in the girl's sobbing voice. Though she could not get out the words, Ross could certainly assume enough. The only time he had heard anyone crying that hard was at a recording of a funeral for his grandfather, who he had never got to meet at the time of the death. He was informed he looked just like himself, but Ross was far too young to understand. All in all, he was probably too young to fully wrap his head around it now too.

The lash out was expected, as it was a stupid question. Still, he was slightly taken aback. He was quite fine with it afterwards, but he refused to leave the spot. Ross still could not tell why he was so attached to this situation all the sudden. It was just another girl in the hallways, after all. Still, it pained him to hear her voice and he could not tell why. Though he had never met her before, it felt like being stabbed and to her it likely felt being cut in half with a chainsaw.

The boy listened as she sniffled, and could almost hear her tears hit the floor. She seemed a mess, and it was simply not a surprise. He had not even quite gotten a good luck at her, yet he still knew she must look like much more of a mess than regular.

As she apologized several times, he felt worse and worse. He did not say anything in between these to reassure her it was alright, as he felt it would make it all worse.

As soon as she reassured he could enter, he carefully made his way in. It felt as if any misstep may caused the entire school to blow up. The girl patted the ground, informing him to sit. Ross followed along, sitting directly next to the girl. he left quite some space in between so she could leave room for all of her woes.

He did not speak for a long moment, thinking of what to say. A couple times he would open his mouth to speak, but would just sigh as if losing the words. There was no way to say anything lightly. It seemed like such a poisonous subject. Nobody wanted it to happen to them, and when it did it was devastating. There is no known cure to the devastation, but it somehow goes away eventually. Eventually, he grasped onto the only words he could think to say

"She passed away?" is all he could inquire, his voice echoing throughout the room.

He could not manage to make eye contact with the girl. Instead, he looked at the ground. He did not mumbled, but he was not exactly loud either. He was nervous for him and for her.

Interacting with @Wren Caster

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Interacting with @Ross Stephens

[font=Bradley Hand ITC]After Wren had patted the ground next to her to motion for the boy to come in and sit. He had entered and done as she had motioned. He was around 4’10 and had longer brown hair that fell in front of his face. He seemed at a loss for words as to how to respond to a hysterical girl. Which was expected. Most people really didn’t really understand that when someone was crying you should just sit there besides the person and it was enough. They thought that if you didn’t tell them it was going to be ok or hug them or something of that sort then you were being rude. Often, the person upset had no desire to be tole everything was going to be alright because nothing was going to be alright. [/font]

[font=Bradley Hand ITC]This boy seemed to understand this. He sat in silence by Wren only speaking to ask if she had passed away. Wren nodded, not trusting herself to speak without bursting into tears again. They sat there in silence for a good ten minutes before Wren trusted herself enough to speak without crumbling into another fit of sobbing. [/font]

[font=Bradley Hand ITC]She started telling her story. [/font]

[font=Bradley Hand ITC]“My Great Aunt Elizabeth, she was the light of my world. She took me everywhere, bought me anything and gave me the love my parents couldn’t while they were at work. She took me to get my ears pierced, when I turned ten, she took me to get my hair colored for the first time, she really had a lot of my firsts. My first sleepover was at her house. I remember we stayed up till eleven O’clock, laughing, telling jokes, eating popcorn, she didn’t really care what I did.” She turned to look at the boy “Once, when I was nine, I was so intent on getting my ears pierced that I tried to take a needle and poke a hole through my ear, but before I could do it, my aunt came in, she stopped me, but from that point on she always called me her little needle girl.”[/font]

[font=Bradley Hand ITC]Wren chuckled at the memory. [/font]

[font=Bradley Hand ITC]“I wish I could go back in time and call her one more time. I wish I could sit on her couch, climb into her lap and have her give me a back massage. I wish so many things, but most of all I wish I could be there for her funeral. I know she would love that, but I have to be here attending my classes. Despite the fact that I’m skipping right now.” [/font]

[font=Bradley Hand ITC]Wren started to tear up thinking of all the things she’d never get to do with her aunt, and all the things her aunt wouldn’t be here for. She’d miss the wedding to the fable hot boy she and her aunt had come up with on one of their sleepovers. [/font]

[font=Bradley Hand ITC]Wren didn’t really want to start crying again but she couldn’t help it. She receded to tears. Again. Not the ground shaking tears she had been letting out before, but silent tears that ran down her face in a stream of saltwater.[/font]

[font=Bradley Hand ITC]“I’m sorry” she wiped her face with the sleeve of her robe. [/font]

[font=Bradley Hand ITC]“Thank you.” she whispered to the mysterious boy.[/font]

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Ross was silent for her. Though he lacked the brains in classes and street-smarts, he was rather emotionally in tune. He knew when people were upset, and knew well that a bit of quiet could do one well. Ross had purposely chosen the dorm segment of the Hufflepuff common room that had the least amount of people within it and had individual rooms. The world was a cruel place, and it took away those who were blessed onto the planet and those who had destroyed it. It did not matter how good you were, you would die eventually.

The pain of loss was something Ross could not exactly empathize with. He had never lost someone at a time where he could understand it, but the thought of it hurt his head. It felt like it should not be able to happen, but here it was. It was happening to this poor girl right here. It must be awful, and he only saw how awful it was as she began to explain how close they were.

They seemed to have practically done everything together. As she was explaining, Ross brought his head up to look and make it seem more as if he was listening. Sure he was listening either way, but attempts at eye contact were always somewhat nice.

The room was obviously not lit up entirely well, so everything had this odd feeling to it. It was rather fitting for the situation. Ross was not quite sure what this girl needed, but he decided listening would be his best bet in this case.

As she apologized, he simply shook his head. He was going to interject and inform her it really was whatever, but he was nervous it may do something more. It was such an odd circumstance to be in. he usually overthought, but when he was not overthinking his head was practically empty with reckless decisions.

Right now it was both, and it was a strange feeling. He was not sure if he liked it that way.

But then she thanked him, and Ross put on a very weak smile.

"It's quite alright, really. Promise! Just doin' what felt right and all that junk" the boy responded, which likely broke the mysterious aura that he had originally given off.

Ross knew pushing the conversation farther would likely make her cry more, but he felt bad simply sitting there.

"She sounds like she was a good lady, alright." he added on, though it likely did not match the sad tone she had.

Interacting with @Wren Caster

[font=Bradley Hand ITC]Wren responded to the boy’s comment about her aunt sounding like a good person.[/font]

[font=Bradley Hand ITC]“She was the best, there for me when my parents weren’t there when I had no one. She was the type of person God sent down to you, and it felt like she was an angel in disguise, sorry i-it’s a bit hard to e-explain.”[/font]

[font=Bradley Hand ITC]She teared up again, in remembrance of the amazing lady. She straightened her back, wiped the tears off her face and stood up. She wasn’t really used to showing emotions like this, yes, she was bubbly and outgoing, but that was the surface. She normally kept her real emotions in but lately, she had found that letting them out and not pinning them up was much better. She didn’t feel like she had a weight on her shoulders as much.[/font]

[font=Bradley Hand ITC]“I’m so sorry. I’ve so rude. My name is Wren. Wren Caster. What about you?” [/font]

[font=Bradley Hand ITC]She knew that the state she had been in just a few seconds ago was so different than how she was acting now but she didn’t really care. It was how she was. Different. She chuckled. Menacingly. This boy probably thought she was some psycho with the way she was acting. He probably thought she was a future serial killer. Her reasoning was that she was mistaken. That she hadn’t died. That this had all been a dream. The owl, and everything. [/font]

[font=Bradley Hand ITC]Muttering to herself she said: “This is all a dream. I am totally mistaken.” She took a deep breath and thanked the boy. Even though she was a tad confused as to why this mysterious boy was in her dream.[/font]

Finishing interacting with @Wren Caster