Smirk, Smart & Smug PV Neculai & Erik Closed

It was a rather nice dream, Hugh would remember fondly as he'd recall this moment. With him running along what had seemed to resemble Hogwarts' grounds and castle. Except, all was different and the same simultaneously. The grass seemed to phase from a deep dark green into a clear sky-blue that seemed to flow as the wind gushed in a pleasant warmth. The horizon set in a bright red with golden rims caressing the mountaintops. His scruffy hair a bit longer as he remembered, it was waving along with every twist and turn he made in the multi-coloured field. Eventually he reached the old oak on the edge of the forest, one he greeted as an old friend. Though it seemed much larger than the last time he'd been here.

A large smirk grew under the boy's twinkling eyes, how he loved to climb. As his hands reached up they latched on to the first branch and pulled the lad up from the ground. The scene immediately drew Hugh jumping from branch to bough and back again. ‘til at last he found solid footing at the top, his eyes wandering across the distant landscape. His eyes frowned a little as he felt a presence behind him. As the world turned a deep red, he turned. Anastasia meeting him with a smile. He wiggled his nose a bit as he gave a nervous smirk in return. Though he heard some muffled sound. Was she talking? He tried to listen more carefully as he leaned a bit closer. "Would you mind getting down? I heard you... fall out of the tree...for that matter..." Her mouth didn't line up with the voice he heard. The smirk quickly erased itself from his face. "W-what?" He frowned, taking a step back. His foot slipped, and he felt his body falling backwards, his balance non-existent.

Somewhere mid-air, Hugh opened his eyes. The fall was too short for him to regain his senses fully before reaching the ground. Only he hadn't landed on the ground. Instead, he felt an awkward figure crawling from underneath him. "What the bloody..." Some Scottish nonsense seemed to roll of his tongue as he himself rolled up to a clearing where he could safely stand up. He stumbled back up and eyed what it was he fell off and into. His gaze went up to the tree he was sleeping in and down to the ground he landed on. He only then the small boy getting up as well. The blue colours on his coat clearly marking him as a Raven. Oh boy, he's one of them smart folks. What was he doing all the way here at my tree? He noticed the boy holding his wand and couldn't help but silently pulling out his own from his coat. A-am I in danger? He narrowed his eyes at the Ravenclaw figure.

His attention was short-spanned however as the recollection of his dream swooped back in his mind. It was the boy's voice he had heard. Anastasia hadn't been talking to him. What was she doing there in the first place? He shook his head a little in some faint attempt at getting her out of his head. To no avail it seemed, even though he realised this was not the time nor place to really be stuck on thinking about her. He shuffled a bit with his feet as he straightened his stance. He wiggled his nose a bit as he took one step closer to the boy, his fists clenching as a sign to be brave. He was a Gryff, he wasn't afraid of contact. He'd find out what this boy wanted of him.

He quickly snatched his sketchbook and pencils that had been scattered in the grass along the roots of the tree. Hugh took several steps sideways, away from where he'd dropped. The golden rays of sunlight hitting his face once more. It had seemed not too much time had passed since he had climbed to meet his slumber. Leaves cracked under his weight as he circled around the boy. He almost felt like an actual lion stalking his prey. Yet Hugh knew he'd never be a hunter. At most he'd feel a knight, as his father had raised him. "Sir Hugh", his father had laughed. Even as a toddler Hugh had been toying with soldiers. His father telling all kinds of stories from medieval times. Just like the knights of the round table, they had figured out their code. Their own morals they'd promise each other to hold true. It was so he had learned of chivalry & knighthood. How to be brave in the face of the unknown. And so here he stood.

Crack.

His head snapped to the sound, his body quickly following suit and turning in the opposite direction of the Raven. Was there someone else? Had the Raven brought a companion? Now he felt cornered. He was awkward just meeting one person at the time, let alone two. Or had he done something wrong to someone? And was this meant to be a trap? That'd be odd, he thought. Hugh was by no accounts one to get into any kind of trouble. He readied his swor-... wand. "Show yourself!" That sounded quite courageous he thought. The surprise brought a faint smirk on his face again. Was he actually enjoying this? I think I am... He felt his smirk getting larger. Who knew the unknown could feel so... thrilling? Though he still felt his nerves wrecking his knees, his casting hand was firm as a rock. Just like the great Lancelot had skilfully held his blade.

"Come out at once!" He cried out as his aim alternated between the Raven and the mystery sneak nearby. He felt a single drop of sweat sliding down from his brow. He felt his uneasy heart beating down in his chest. Nerves welling up from all the way down his feet up to his hazed mind. Stay strong Hugh. For father. For A... Just stay strong for Merlin's sake.

The part giant did not turn his back towards the sound. He would just assume goggles was alright, considering his tongue had not gone numb in the process. With a quick and snapping "SHH" Hugh lifted one finger, as to signal the boy to hold. His stern and murky green eyes would continue to scan the long patch of bushes to the side. A brief crackling of branches separated from the original place got the giant's attention for a brief second but proved quite unable to distract the tall Gryffindor. (Rolled 16)

"You can either come out of hiding right now you worm! or I will root you out along with the very bush you cower behind!" Hugh cried out with his low voice rolling out in his thick Scottish accent. This time the boy did look back and check up on the other. A smaller lad, Raven. meaning he'd be one of those smarter kids most likely. Upon inspection, it seemed the boy had broken his glasses in the process of Hugh's fall. The part giant lifted his wand at the boy's face and spoke loudly: "reparo" (Rolled 20)

In a split second the Ravenclaw's vision would no longer be obscured by the cracked glass in front of his eye. Hugh slowly looked back over his shoulder to see if the spy had finally decided to come play.

"Get behind me goggles... I'm not sure what this punk is up to." Hugh growled to the Ravenclaw behind him. His ears could pick up movement again as the cowardly dog moved away through the smokescreen they had created. Two steps forward and one heavy tug on the bush's stem uprooted the entire plant from it's soil. There was no one behind it. Of course there wasn't, why else would the smoke have been necessary. The part-giant now hid himself in the smoke, holding on to both wand and bush. He kept the nerd barely within sight, just enough to make out if the boy would get attacked by some smug bully finding new prey.

If anyone would come out of the smoke or cast a spell that would reveal their location, they could be sure as hell they'd get introduced with a brush in their face. Hugh never liked being sneaked on and he wasn't afraid to make that point clear. Pulling his visor down in his mind, the knight stood ready to fight. Nigh was the hour of battle. Did a dog not know to stay away from a bear? Whoever they were, they had already proven themselves fools to Hugh. Now he just had to hope the bloody pigeon wouldn't get any ideas himself...