Bragging Rights pv. Matthew Campbell Finished

Date: January 31st

Matthew's nerves were utterly fried like electrical wires cut hazardously threatening everyone in his proximity and he needed a solution fast. With the dreaded S.N.O.G event coming up tomorrow and his fury for one Mr McCoire reaching new heights he could hardly function over the stress and spiralling feelings of his heartache. Thus while it was incredibly dangerous and all the more stupid Matthew had decided that his proficiency in potions had surely led him well enough to attempt a brew meant for the end of the year. However, with overwhelming emotions as a catalyst he had to think smarter, alone he was dangerous, reckless even but together they were immaculate, a powerhouse dream team.

Siobhan was a wonder, had been ever since the first moment they had met and while they hadn't gotten around to really developing their bond last year, their second year had spouted a new wealth of friendship between them. Paired as partners in potions they quickly discovered just how versatile and passionately they both worked together excelling with every lesson and proving themselves to be quite the naturals. While coming first always filled them with great waves of pride given their underprivilege growing up muggleborn it went further than that as he adored sharing the spotlight with his fellow brunette. Sio had a natural charm to her with a wit that could strike you at any moment and she always managed to present herself so honestly never bending to anyone else's will. Her cottage core/academia style paired perfectly with his collection of grandpa jumpers and they often found themselves turning up to class with accidentally co-ordinated ensembles.

Lessons with her had helped make at least one class bearable, one class where he wasn't constantly having to explain his references or beg for answers other students grew up knowing. While occasionally their thick accents caused them bother for one another it was truly the other people in the class that suffered the most, Matthew often wondered if their surrounding classmates had a clue what they were saying for when they got animated their pace raced and accents broadened. To the young snake it was a perfect pairing, a connection to home in a world that wasn't built for them to succeed not to mention he was constantly inspired by her natural acumens in herbology and potions. Both of them were disproving the speculations and odds set against them and it brought him such joy.

Today, however, joy was far from the mind as he sat at breakfast surrounded by a cohort of venomous snakes many of whom would gladly dispose of him in a heartbeat. Last night he had made a rather late trip to the owlery in order to send his missive and he waited impatiently for the girl to receive it, a sigh of relief escaping his lips as the owls fluttered in. Magnificent creatures truly, but wildly ineffective for speed. One might wonder why he hadn't simply asked her in person but his anxiety was quite honestly skyrocketing and he could feel the drowning waves of it thrashing against his mind. This way was easier, this way she wouldn't know how stressed he was and how much he desperately needed them to succeed.

A weight the pressure of a hippogriff was lifted as she pleasantly smiled and nodded in reassurance despite having caught him in his worries he had smiled back as brightly as he could. The rest of the day was a blur, lectures and work blending into a large swirling black cloud that clouded his brain and spoke of an incoming storm. When the moment finally rolled around he ended up sprinting bound for the abandoned toilets after realising that his watch was faulty running five minutes behind, magic constantly messing with its functions. The place was typically a no-go-zone but having read once that thee Hermione Granger had used the place to secretly brew, it was only fitting they should do the same.

Finally arriving he took a moment outside of the door to let his nerves tame. The last thing he needed was Sio getting worried that he was going to have a panic attack, even if he was fairly sure he was bordering one. Taking his ring to his mouth he closed his eyes and pressed a soft kiss on the amber jewel golden specked eyes reflecting in its own whisps of gold. The effect was instantaneous and brought a serene warmth of calm and clarity but also a great deal of pain. This entire month he had been distraught over the loss of his mother's journal and parent's letters and while today wouldn't help him on his path to getting them back, at the very least it would take the edge off of the harrowing burden of their loss.

With one final deep breath he pushed through the door and with a carefully curated smile he took in the sight of his friend sat upon her robe on one of the mirror countertops. She looked entirely more put together than he had despite the state of disarray of the room around her. It wasn't exactly a glamorous location but it was abandoned for good reason and when you were going to get up to trouble that was the very essence of a space one required. Walking over towards her he felt his heart ease in tension, "Hey Sio, I'm really glad you could come. There isn't anyone I'd rather have by my side while doing this!" Placing a hand on her shoulder his face was a picture of deep gratitude revealing a little too much of his necessity, rather than the jovial lightness of his note.

Pointing towards the corridor where the bathroom stalls lay he set off while speaking, "I've got all the necessary ingredients, including the firewhisky!" A devilish glint flaring in those golden speckled eyes, the ingredient would be useful for the brew but he also wondered how S.N.O.G would liven under the influences of the hard stuff, only time would tell. For now he must focus on the current goal, pushing open a door to reveal his cauldron he bowed slightly saying, "Et voila, one toilet laboratory at your service Ms McCarty, shall we get started?"

Interacting with @Siobhan McCarty

Date: January 31st, 2025 Interacting/Mentioning: @Matthew Campbell

Speaking: #9678b6 Thoughts: #66023c

His arrival had startled her enough that she fumbled with her book before it landed on the floor with a loud "thump!" However, it was nice to see that he was so- well, looking at him now she supposed chipper wasn't the right word. Jittery perhaps... A little manic maybe. She could sense it in his aura but she knew better than to ask. She'd noticed during classes that he seemed a little off but her concerns had always been brushed aside by a joke or the request for her to hand him something. She didn't want to seem insensitive by ignoring it but she didn't want to seem like a nosy busybody by consistently asking if he was alright. He would tell her when he was ready perhaps. She would extend the same courtesy by waiting.

She felt his hand grace her shoulder as he smiled in a "cheerful" manner and admonished her for joining in his pursuit of a delicate potion. She smiled as he explained that he had brought all the ingredients before quickly turning her face into a look of bewilderment as he announced he had somehow come into the hands of some Firewhisky.

"Matthew! Where on the mother's green Earth did you get this?! If a prefect finds you with this, you might as well kiss Hogwarts goodbye!" She gently chastised him as she watched him swish towards where he had stashed all his potion-making equipment. She sighed, shook her head, and realized they had already begun this adventure. She wasn't going to be as justified as she usually was. Plus, her intuition told her that this was important to Matthew and he needed her help. How could she brush him off in a time of need? While she stewed about it, the recitative part of her mind reminded her that it was a required ingredient...

Despite the riskiness of this endeavor, a worming in her heart implored her to complete this task with him. Something in her mind told her that if she didn't, it wouldn't satisfy the itch in her brain that she was so desperate to rid her mind of. If there was enough to be split evenly among the two, she wondered if he would mind her dosing a few vials for herself. It had been a long couple of months and she was growing weary of her brashness and attitude towards others, wanting nothing more than to sink back into the crevices of invisibility once again.

She closely followed him, looking at what he had set up for them in this murky, damp restroom. It looked wonderful- just like their station in the dungeon had. He was quite the builder when it came to these. She placed her bag and cloak outside the 'mock laboratory,' opening her book back up to the recipe for the Calming Draught. The gods above knew she needed it and the sooner the better. She was considering asking one of the upperclassmen in the Gryffindor dormitories if there was a spell that would prevent her from wandering. Alas, then there would need to be an explanation as to why- an explanation she couldn't even afford herself an answer to.

Siobhan snickered softly when he used her last name to ask her if she was ready. She nodded and pulled her hair back out of her face with a white ribbon, which she tied into a smart bow at the back of her head. In the back of her mind, she considered looking for someone who was versed in glamour charms and hair care to ask if they could perhaps take about four inches off her overall hair length. It seemed that no matter how often she cut it, it refused to stay short and continued to grow without stopping.

The two of them worked diligently, preparing the ingredients they needed for the recipe. It wasn't a difficult potion- no not at all. For the two of them, it was quite simple, and were this for a grade, once completed, they likely would have been used as the model example for the rest of the second years.

Date: January 31st

Despite the nasty thoughts that had been plaguing his mind and the dire need he had for the potion to have any real sense of peace re-enter his life Matthew couldn't help but wheeze out a laugh at Siobhan's response to the firewhisky. Howling throughout the echoing room he led them towards the makeshift potion station, a brighter smile on his face with the joy of mischief, "Well for starters no prefect is going to find out and secondly, my dad bought it for me for potions so what are they going to do. You see I never told him that we didn't need to provide our own ingredients for potions so I convinced him to buy it for me. We won't need it for today but I have plenty of plans for this."

The devilish glint that filled his gold speckled eyes was frighteningly evil in comparison to his usual rather chipper, friendly aura. Though Siobhan had seen him in the heights of his anger utterly decimating a training dummy so it was unlikely that it really put her off. Either way they had a job to do and as he marked their beginning the Irish lass next to him wasted no time getting herself prepared for the journey ahead of them. There was something bright that shone from within him in the knowledge that the girl was willing to help him with this despite the trouble they could get into. Feelings of insignificance were no stranger to the young boy who constantly wondered if his friendships were really as true as he felt them. So many in his life had left him, or relationships he thought would flourish simply disappeared and so it was sweet to have confirmation.

Passing over the mortar and pestle along with the lavender and chamomile petals he allowed the girl to handle the crushing of the plants in which she was an expert. There was something so natural about everything Siobhan did and her connection to the ground and nature that took his breath away, often in herbology he would lose himself just staring at her acumens in awe. While that was all well and good for her it left him with a most grim task of dicing up the crocodile hat. Taking out a small pocket knife engraved with the words Mhac Cambell Campbell's Son he cut into the disgusting looking heart in front of him closing his eyes slightly with a winced facial expression. As soon as the knife pierced the tissue a large splattering of blood fired from the incision hitting him across the face causing him to scream slightly until met with Siobhan's expression where he burst into laughter.

"Do I have something on my face you can tell me really?" The jest leaving his lips he was surprised to find himself enjoying the moment. A bloodied face was not quite how he envisioned the evening going but nonetheless the company made up for it as he felt at peace in her presence like he didn't have to pretend he was someone else. They understood each other and both wanted to prove themselves to the world in every way possible. Once the heart was finely diced, blood soaking the floor and makeshift countertop below them, Matt watched as Siobhan entered the powder she had created leaving it up to him to add the heart. Then the pair worked in unison as she stirred while he controlled the temperature, they were were a fine tuned instrument. In the midst of the chaos Sio must have handled the sprigs or peppermint as the young witch was ready to add them straight away and picking back up the stirring rod performed her role perfectly while Matthew prepared his wand at the ready to finish stage 1.

With a graceful wave of his cherry wood wand they had masterfully demonstrated their aptitude for the subject and now they simply had to wait. Looking up at the girl he smiled brightly, "Excellent work lab-partner, fancy accompanying me to the sinks so I can wash off this blood, red is definitely more your colour than mine." Shooting her a wink he made his way towards the sink and began cleaning himself up, letting the cool refreshing water lap over his face in a soothing relief causing him to sigh deeply as he looked at himself in the clouded reflection of the mirror. If the girl followed him he would ask her, "So how are you?" Otherwise he would shout projecting his voice down the way to their lab.

Interacting with @Siobhan McCarty

Reducio

Calming Draught Recipe
Colour: Blue

Ingredients: 4 Sprigs of dried Lavender, 3 Chamomile Petals, 1 Crocodile Heart, 3 Sprigs of Peppermint, 2 Measures of Standard Ingredient, 1 Poppy Head

Method: In a large mortar, crush 4 sprigs of lavender and 3 Chamomile Petals into a very fine powder
Add 4 measures of the powder to the cauldron
Dice 1 Crocodile Heart and add to cauldron
Stir once and heat on high heat for 60 seconds
Lower to medium heat
Grind 3 Sprigs of Peppermint into a medium-fine powder
Add to cauldron
Stir 5 times, anti-clockwise
Wave your wand
Leaves to brew for 50 - 85 minutes
Reduce to low heat
Add 2 Measures of Standard Ingredient
Stir 3 times, clockwise
Crush 1 dried poppy head in the mortar, grind to a coarse powder
Add to cauldron
Boil on high heat for 40 seconds, then turn off heat entirely
Stir 3 times, clockwise
Wave your wand to complete the potion

Date: January 31st, 2025 Interacting/Mentioning: @Matthew Campbell

Speaking: #9678b6 Thoughts: #66023c

Despite how bitter her mood had been for the last couple of months or so, Siobhan couldn't suppress the smile that Matthew seemed to bring out of her. However, the peaceful moments of quiet were only broken by the sound of their bubbling cauldron and the occasional strike of an instrument against a cutting board or the mortar by the pestle. They had been exercising their usual precision within the confines of their mock laboratory and she felt a good sense of calm pass through the calamity within her mind. It was a strong rock in the storm that she struggled to find her port in as the long nights got longer and her questions grew in substantiality.

He had seen her in an emotional state of annoyance before when they had first met due to her refusal to cooperate with her wand, and then of course, in class he had seen the smug range of pride that she often exuded whenever they were left to work on their own. But she knew that she could stand to be a little less smug when it came to how her lion pride tended to show through whenever she excelled.

She had also seen his range of emotion. Though his slightly more volatile than hers she had seen how its anger had all but consumed him when he was gravitating towards something that set him off. However, his anger was nothing compared to the smile that he usually had placed on his face when they worked together. It was calming and reminded her always, to take a deep breath and relax even if it wasn't exactly a situation she wanted to reign her annoyance in for.

She heard him make a disgusted noise, causing her to look up from what she had been doing and seeing that something had splattered across his face. She brought her hand to her mouth trying to stop the laugh that was boiling in her throat as Matthew made a comment.

"Do I have something on my face? You can tell me?" He asked as she finally laughed and had to look away because she was laughing way too hard to formulate a response. Which she hoped was enough of a response to lead him to cleaning off whatever it was he had gotten on his face. She could smell it from where she was standing and it was gross. Not to mention it just looked bad.

Go wash your face- I can handle watching our potion for a moment." She collected herself enough to wave him off towards the sink so that he could wash off. Matthew only responded with continuing the step he had started and a request that she join him on his side-quest to the sink to wash the crocodile blood off of his face from the heart he had been dicing. She acquiesced and followed him, leaning against the side of the sink as he washed up. She started to zone out as the sound of running water and grew antsy over the waiting period they needed to pause for. It was between under an hour and over an hour before the potion could be finished and ready for testing, which was always the most difficult part for those with terrible impatience.

Matthew paused in his cleaning and asked her how she was doing. How was she doing? She didn't know how to answer that in a way that wouldn't have her shipped off to the wizarding hospital. She was too muggle for that and knew that nothing she could possibly conceive would get her out of there once she was inside. So she shrugged and looked down the way towards their potion.

"I've been okay... End-of-semester exams were quite a breeze... I had a wonderful winter holiday.... And well. That's all, I suppose. How are you?" She asked in an attempt to maintain the usual lilt in her voice. She figured it hadn't really remained as normal as it was supposed to be but she was trying. She was in the most simple of terms....

Exhausted.

She wanted to crawl into her bed and hide away for at least a few days to sleep dreamlessly. A Dreamless Sleep wasn't what they were brewing but she wished it was. She just wanted to stop dreaming about the stupid hallways, these stupid whisps of smoke and her name over and over and over and over-

She shook herself out of it when she realized he was talking to her. Damnit....

Date: January 31st

Siobhan's shrug told him more than any of the bollocks her mouth conjured. Kin recognised kin and he could see that whatever she was hiding, life was weighing on her just as heavily as it was on him. Water still dripping from his skin he wished that he could fix whatever was wrong, that the world could pause for just one fraction of a second and allow everyone to catch up. Was that really too wild of a wish?

Practically scoffing as the girl asked him the same question in return he splashed his face once more letting the cooling sensation slip deeper than the surface level. It would have been so easy to bury everything, to draw on his calming nature and just pretend like everything was ok. But everything was decidedly not. Clearly the feeling was mutual to some and without warning Matthew found himself suddenly spouting truth ignoring the conventions of polite conversation. His tone taking on the brash tone of a rougher dialect that they often summoned in one another, "You know what Sio, I'm actually pretty shitty. Winter sucked, I spent it entirely alone here. January has only made it worse with the idiocy of my fellow snakes and in general I feel like I'm about a second away from either breaking down or breaking something every second I take a breath. So yeah, I guess that's how I'm doing, now you going to tell me the truth or am I the only one too tired to pretend anymore."

Whether or not Siobhan would begin speaking and however she reacted to his tirade Matthew would simply laugh and join her, sitting up on the sinks and drawing his legs in to his chest. When the laugh ended his face would grow tired once more, letting go of all the polite attempt to school his features his eyes would grow darker. Golden flecks would fade and the brown would seem lifeless impacted by the dark circles beneath them. It was as if his whole body had been holding itself up and now it simply sagged, making him seem smaller than he already was.

From his bag Matthew gently drew the firewhisky bottle and uncorking it drew the bottle into the air, "Slàinte mhath".Cheers/To Good Health Cool glass pressed against his lips as he tipped the bottle lightly letting the liquid fire merge with his throat, stealing away with it the cold that had embedded itself within his bones and skin. It was like a breath of relief and reminded him of the Campbell new year's celebrations. Another tradition lost this year, another sign that he and his father were no longer, and never would be again, of the same world.

The drink was a choice, Matthew was choosing to not let himself spiral and whatever judgement he received from his Irish cohort for that would not stop the necessity. Offering her the bottle he would wait to see her response and regardless of the outcome afterwards he would return it to his bag. Knowing that its purpose was not quite yet, but thankful for his father's naivety.

Interacting with @Siobhan McCarty

Date: January 31st, 2025 Interacting/Mentioning: @Matthew Campbell

Speaking: #9678b6 Thoughts: #66023c Translations: Reducio Níl mé craiceáilte. ceapaim: I’m not crazy- I think

Siobhan listened as Matthew listed how terrible he had been feeling the last couple months and she suddenly felt a crashing wave of guilt for coming up with the vague idea that her life had been great as well. She had been lying to make herself feel better but clearly it hadn't worked for either of them. Matthew was eerily astute and often pointed out when she was lying to him or to someone else on the rare occasion she did. As she processed what he had spoken to her- she felt th overwhelming urge to comfort him, despite how much she didn't enjoy initiating hugs and affection- she just couldn't bear to see one of her closest friends spiral so badly.

She tentatively moved closer to to deliver a hug to him but he then bent down to grab the bottle of Firewhisky out of his bag. She watched with both amazement and genuine concern as he took a large gulp of the liquid and coughed as it seemed to burn him the way that firewhisky tended to do to people. She watched as he offered it to her and shook her head as she fidgeted with her fingers and arms which where still jumpy with a signal to hug him. Though now she wasn't sure if it was appropriate to do so considering he was slinging back the drink. She instead just looked down at her lap and tried to think of a way to explain what had been happening to her without making it a game of "whose had it worse lately."

Taking a slight breath, one that couldn't hide the light quiver in her voice, she looked up at the ceiling and spoke softly.

"Well I- I haven't really been okay either then... I mean physically and mentally I'm fine. Emotionally? I don't even know anymore. I've been having these strange... dreams? I don't know if I can even call them that. But every night I fall asleep and something strange appears in my mind. A whisp of smoke? Mist? Something and it forcibly walks me through the castle in both my mind and my body." She mutters as she rubs her knees anxiously. She hadn't told anyone about what was happening- not even her parents and here she was spilling all of her secrets to him again.

"I keep sleepwalking around the castle. I haven't had a different dream in months... I think I'm going crazy and I don't-" She stopped herself before she could speak more and sound even more like a lunatic. And Matthew didn't need her troubles added on top of his own no matter how close of a friendship they had with each other. She was bordering on crazy and he was bordering on sorrow. What a pair-

Maybe thats why they both hid behind the fact that they were top students. Maybe it was why they got along so well. Misery did love company after all though who was misery in this analogy if not both of them? She was grateful for his company and her head slumped to the side as she tried to prop it up with her hand and avoid resting it on his shoulder. She was just so so tired.

The bathroom was quiet except for the perpetual dripping noises, the sound of their cauldron bubbling, and the sound of Matthew's heartbeat which she could hear. She wasn't sure if her own was beating quiet as emotionally but she could tell that his was and it beat out a song full of sadness. Mourning even but she wasn't sure it would be appropriate to ask.

The word appropriate being the word of the day here. What was appropriate to ask your friend when you weren't even sure if anything was able to be asked? How does one move on from simply asking questions without being able to provide answers when questions are asked of them? It was a struggle and internally- Siobhan felt a strange mushy feeling in her stomach. Maybe she needed to throw up because that's certainly what it felt like and she hadn't even had any of his firewhisky.

She pushed her hair out of her eyes and wiped a stray tear that had fallen from the inner corner of her eye and down her cheek. "Níl mé craiceáilte… ceapaim." she whispered as they continued to sit and wait for their potion to finish up. It couldn't be much longer now. Maybe five minutes at the most.

Date: January 31st

Strangely hearing Siobhan's own troubles helped ease his own. Not from any sadist necessity for others to suffer around him but just in the knowledge that he was not the only one, and knowing she was willing to share that burden with him meant more than he could express. Matthew had always been a good listener and held a great deal of empathy for others but the young boy found little opportunity to express it when so little of his company wished to really know him, or even see him for that matter.

Unfortunately though those feelings were soon dispersed with the anxiety of what was happening to his companion. Dreams were powerful, even in the muggle world they could wake someone screaming or drenched in sweat. It was as if they held a magic of their very own but having no access to divination yet interpretation was not so easily found. Whatever was happening though was not simply a figment of imagination, a mental complication, for these dreams were physically impacting the girl and that sparked worry in the snake. Mind spanning terrible ideas of the Irish witch being controlled by some nefarious force to the simplicity of her hurting herself with the lack of control had his eyes widening in concern.

Voice timid he barely spoke out into the silence of the bathroom so that the words only lingered upon Siobhan, "I'm so sorry Sio, that sounds really scary. I can only imagine how you're feeling. Sorry for being coarse it's just been a crappy time, I guess you can relate." As he spoke his hand slowly reached for the others and when his soft skin met her own a small rush of warmth would envelop her in a wave of subtle calm. Like the soft radiance of a fireplace on a winters night. Then succumbing to his own emotion a solitary tear would fall from his own eye and he would let his head float lazily down to her shoulder. Two warriors fighting battled no one could possibly know and both knackered from the fight. Youth was meant to be a time of expression and carelessness but neither had been afforded such luxuries.

A sharp intake of breath would replace the dripping when Siobhan spoke in her mother tongue. Irish and Scottish Gaelic had many differences but many words shared the same origin and he recognised her sentiments for what they were. They say a burdened shared is a burden halved but Matthew couldn't help but fear in his pressure to make her open up he had forced her into a confrontation that had tainted her very sense of self. The young snake couldn't allow her to feel that way. The world dealt people enough insults and names against their will, he would not allow her to self inflict them.

"Níl craiceáilte" There was no wavering in his tone, plain reassurance as clear as day. They were not crazy, or broken or cursed. Pain just had a way of clouding judgement, of creating fantasy out of reality and blurring the lines. Head still resting on her shoulder he tapped her arm lightly with his arm drawing their eyes together, "We're just doing the best with what we've got. It's funny how in the dark times you find the lights that make it worth it." Siobhan was a light, she didn't judge him like so many others and she allowed him to feel. Last year Matthew could never have imagined sharing a moment like this with her, but like a lighthouse she guided him home and he hoped to do the same. Beacons of light for one another, the cardinal direction to an exit. An escape.

When they stopped speaking the silence lingered once more, hauntingly looming in the air with the stench of their hurt. The dripping would return echoing lightly in its bounding until a louder sound replaced it. At first there was a loud piercing hiss and then the metallic clang of cauldron on stone. The noise immediately drawing their eyes to the bathroom stall in which they had set up their makeshift laboratory. Something was wrong with the potion and there was no time to wait. Leaping off the sink Matthew untangled himself from his position and rushed over to the stall unaware that beneath his feet lay a small reflective pool.

As his legs flew airborne from underneath him he felt the battering thud of his body hit the stone below him causing an egregious groan to rip from his throat. While his robes began to soak with the liquid, he begged to be water, beneath him he turned towards Siobhan and despite his pain and winced facial expression wailed out, "Quick Sio, the potion something's wrong." Seeing the confliction that brewed in her mind on which focus to attend he smiled painfully and added, "I'm fine, just clumsy, get the potion!"

Interacting with @Siobhan McCarty

Calming Prescence Is In Effect

Date: January 31st, 2025 Interacting/Mentioning: @Matthew Campbell

Speaking: #9678b6 Thoughts: #66023c Translations: Reducio

TW: Nausea, Vomiting, Physical Trauma to the Eyes

The hissing and bang of their cauldron falling broke whatever trance that the two had been in when they were wallowing in their shared misery. The confusion and fear of the cauldron crash had pulled her from the guilt of unloading all her problems onto Matt and away from the feeling of vomiting that she thinks she was feeling. Whatever the mushiness in her stomach was at least.

Matt slammed towards the floor as he hopped away from her as though touching her had burned him. She followed his path towards the ground, extremely worried that he had suddenly given himself a cracked skull or worse a concussion. As she knelt down to check on him he pushed her away and frantically told her to check the potion. The air was still filled with a violent hissing and she could see the way that their cauldron had fallen in the crook of the stall, it was almost tipped enough that it would spill out if jostled too much. She knelt down to try and pull it out of the crook. Her eyes widened as she could feel the heat of the cauldron against her hands- it was far to hot to be normal. Something was absolutely wrong-

Siobhan shrieked in simultaneous fear and agony the scalding hot expierence of an explosion of half brewed potion hit her face and knocked her backwards onto the grimy and dingy floor of the bathroom. She writhed on the floor as she tried to wipe the gooey mess from her eyes but it seemed to only make it worse. Despite the fact that her eyes were closed, they hadn't closed fast enough and she screamed as the heat of the potion burned with the fury of a million suns. Nothing could compare to the flame that she could feel boiling beneath her eyelids and this frightened her.

More so than the fact that she couldn't see- and that her screams had never been this loud to her. The pain was unbearable and truthfully, she thought perhaps she was going numb from how bad it was.

Then just as hot as the fire underneath her eyelids, the screeching chill of water splashed over her and caused her to gasp for her breath. Her uniform was soaked, and she could feel the hair that framed the horizon of her face was sticking to her uncomfortably. As she gasped, she accidentally swallowed some of the next cascade of water that hit her face as she rolled to her side, her arm shakily searching for her robe to wipe her face off. The chill of the water did nothing when the fiery pain reared it's head back. She needed to-

"Stop Matt!" she cried out as yet another wave of water hit her again. Aside from her eyes, her body was cold and shaking as she fumbled around blindly looking for anything to wipe her eyes. The pain hadn't subsided at all but she was trying to brave through some of it. Her brain however, was extremely confused- hot was cold, cold was hot- wet was dry- the floor was slippery and yet sturdy underneath her.

She collapsed under the shakiness of her arms and for the second time in four days, her head smacked the stone of the castle. She truly felt like a half-drowned kitten and so scared. What would happen to her eyes? Was she going to lose them? What about matt's potion- Why was her heart rate so fast- Oh good God

She felt the swell of nausea hit her again as she forced herself to turn to the side and embarrassedly, the contents of her stomach expelled themselves due to the pain she could feel in her body. Everything hurt, everything was on fire and her body was desperately trying to figure out a way to remove the pain from her body as she whimpered and moaned in agony to herself. She couldn't believe what was happening to her. How could everything have gone so wrong?

She felt the sidelines of darkness threatening to overcome her. The pain in her head and her body was too great and she barely mumbled something to Matt before her consciousness fell out from under her.

"Help..."

God mod permission from Matthew Campbell

Date: January 31st

What was supposed to be a stimulus of relaxation and a break from the violent beratement of his thoughts had now decidedly thrown them in the opposite direction. Matthew was sure that the piercing scream he heard shriek from the girls mouth wouldn't leave him for an eternity. Like a shrill battle cry or the call of a banshee it completely eradicated any semblance of pain he had endured from his fall as he shot up desperate to do something to help. Anything at all. Though as he got to her and saw the raw red of her eyes Matt's own shot wide in fear.

Grabbing water he had tried desperately to do anything to fight the burns, surely cold had to beat the searing heat that scarred her skin. Clearly, he was entirely mistaken, for Siobhan held up a hand and under her direction he stopped. Shivering like a frozen kitten she looked a state, not something he planned on telling her in the moment given the circumstances but the imagery was not lost on him. The smell of retch had him swallowing his own back down and gripping his stomach until he finally found purchase with his wand and whipped off a quick "Scourgify!". Just when he thought things couldn't possibly get any worse a small squeal of a girl ripped past the evident pain before she fell to the floor.

In one of those stupid movie narratives the moronic narrator, aka Matthew, would probably say something stupid at this point like "Hey, I'm sure you're probably wondering how we ended up like this." Then we wound rewind the scene and suffer alongside our protagonists until they reached the final verdict. Matthew was not one to believe in god but at present he was looking for a miracle to rewind this crap. The unconscious girl beneath him had just been trying to help ease his burdens and now she lay still as death itself with untold damage scarring her skin.

Despite his best efforts Matthew was failing entirely to not blame himself for this. I mean it should have been him; it was his potion, his messed up mind, his curse. Another friend who got hurt because of something he did. It was his endless torture, a story written in the lines of his soul, etched too deep to heal. Staring at her still form panic was rapidly building and his heart raced so fast he had to wrestle with it just to stay standing. This was all his fault. But, what was done was done. The consequences had already wreaked havoc on the moment and it could not be undone, but this wasn't the same as his mother. They had magic, magic that could heal things the world could never.

He couldn't let this end the same way as her, he couldn't be the cause of more pain. No matter what his soul decreed for his life.

Hurling himself down he grabbed at the fabric of her shirt until his hands were hooked under her arms and using a combination of adrenaline and panic began to drag her out. What Matthew lacked in brute strength he made up for in ingenuity. His greatest strength was his mind and it would not fail him. With a swift "Wingardium Leviosa," on shaky broken breath he levitated her shoes while he handled her shoulders. With his mental capacity firmly settled on maintain the spell, he was able to drift away from the self-nihilistic attacks sieging his brain. They could come later, they had to come later for the only mission of importance was Siobhan.

Pulling her now half floating boy into the corridor he made his way towards the infirmary screaming his own howl of fear and desperation as he went. In the haze of the journey he could hardly remember who exactly it was that helped him in the end. When they got to the hospital wing that blankness only grew murkier. In truth his body had gone so thoroughly into the fight or flight response he was but a passenger within his own mind. Numb and shellshocked from his part in this. Devastated and hopeless that he only ever brought pain to those he loved. Powerless to help.

With barely a brief fragment of a memory he recalled the still lifeless form of Siobhan being escorted somewhere by a group of adults. Clearly whatever damage had been sustained was extensive and Matthew couldn't help but devolve into the fear that he would never see her again. Another tally on his list, another victim of his existence.

Interacting with @Siobhan McCarty, godmods permitted by author

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