Just Outside The Hospital Wing Closed

For once, Clifton was having a rather humdrum morning. He hadn't slept in. He'd had a decent breakfast. He'd done a little homework with his friends at the Hufflepuff table. He hadn't gotten lost. And he was even on time for class.

Maybe there was such things as magic.

But, of course, he should've known it wouldn't last long. The universe needed to balance itself out again. So, mid-conversation with some fellow classmates headed in the same direction Clifton walked slap-bang into someone.

It took only a second for him to realize it was Alec.

"Oh," the boy mumbled. "Hey."

"Hey, Alec," Clifton greeted cheerfully. The other students moved on, but Clifton suddenly stopped and frowned in concern, realizing the direction Alec had been coming from. "Everything...okay?"

It was hard to tell if anything had happened with how quickly they could cure things at the Hospital Wing, but there was really no other reason for the Gryffindor to be here this early in the day.

Besides that, even the Hospital Wing couldn't have cured the slumped shoulders and weary expression. It reminded Clifton of how he'd looked back in the small hall. When he'd been worried about his family and angry howlers.

And then he saw the very slight, still-healing bruising along the kid's face and Clifton felt a sinking feeling in his gut. Bullying. Muggles or magicians, it was all the same.

Clifton tried his best to mask the flare of anger in his gut, as the last thing his new friend probably wanted was a big reaction. Still. What kind of maniac would want to hurt a nice kid like Alec?

He didn't know, but whoever they didn't need any more reasons to torment their victim. Like a short Hufflepuff trying to play body gaurd to a Gryffindor, for example. So Clifton adjusted his bag and changed tactics.

"Hey, I had this great idea for one the pranks. Let's head to the grounds and I'll show you."

@Alec Mason

"I-I don't know.. Maybe it's not such a good idea" Alec admitted. He didn't need to get himself into anymore trouble. Even if it was anonymous. Alec swallowed, taking a deep breath before looking back at Clifton."C-can I ask you something?" Alec asked. Alec wasn't exactly sure if it was such a great idea to ask what he was going to ask. In fact, he probably shouldn't even bring it up. But Alec wanted to make sure.

"A-am I a psychopath?" Alec asked. Maybe Alec was. It would explain why he'd even had the audacity to apologize after the incident. And why he talks to himself, isn't that what psychopaths do? Was Alec just as crazy as one? Was it even important to be asking this type of question?

No, it wasn't. W-well, not to anybody at least. Alec cared about what people thought of him. Even some mean slytherin boy's opinion. It was a bit tragic considering everything. And how all the people in the portraits watched it go down, rooting for the slytherin boy till the very last second.

Who by the way just walked up to Alec wanting to start things. It would've been nice if he could've just been left alone. But no. It seems talking to himself in the small hall attracted quite a lot of attention. Seeing as the last three times he's done it. He had people walk up to him. This was a mess..

@Clifton Troublefield

Clifton had really only suggested the grounds as a place to escape, but the earnest worry in the boy's expression told him that this couldn't wait.

"A-am I a psychopath?"

"A what?" Clifton's brows furrowed. The question completely threw him. "No, of course not, Alec. Why would you think that?"

Because that's what they'd told him, probably. But why would they say that? What would make anyone think Alec was anything other than a normal kid? He did have a slight stutter and...Clifton suddenly wondered if they'd caught the boy talking to himself.

Well. Talking to himself wasn't even the right way to say it. More like thinking out loud. Clifton had only seen it once. Very briefly after him, Alec, and Leonard had parted ways the last time he'd been to the hospital wing. And, admittedly, even he thought it was a little different, but it was definitely no reason to go knocking the living daylights out of someone.

"You're not," he nearly growled. "Whoever told you that needs to go find a dictionary. Even the fact that your worried about it is a good sign that you're not." Not that he was any sort of expert, but it made sense to him.

Then he paused and looked up at Alec. "Who did tell you, Alec? What happened?"

@Alec Mason

Alec bit at his lip more. He wasn't supposed to be talking about it. Especially after that long explanation and cover story Alec had to make up. He couldn't tell Clifton that. He'd know it was a lie. Anyone who'd known Alec longer than an hour would. Alec wasn't exactly the best at lying or cover stories. And he was actually a bit surprised when the nurse took what he said as something that actually happened.

"Wyatt something" Alec mumbled. "He's a slytherin. Not like that really matters of course" Alec said. Just because Wyatt was slytherin didn't make him mean. No, that was just a whole thing in itself. Although Alec couldn't help but stereotype the boy.

Alec shrugged as he began to speak again. "I was talking to myself ranting my problems the main one being that hufflepuff girl Alina threatening me.. Long story. And he made fun of me for talking to myself and asked how I even got a hufflepuff to threaten me. And things got escalated from there.." Alec admitted not exactly wanting to go into detail.

Since both he and Wyatt ended up crying at least once embarrassingly enough. Well Wyatt almost cried. He didn't actually cry. Alec was the only one who actually cried. And it was very, very embarrassing that he was crying so he'd rather not bring it up.

The whole incident in itself he could remember word for word, of course. Why was it like that, anyway? The things you wanted to forget you remember but then the things you want to remember your forget? Whatever, now wasn't the time for slightly mind boggling questions. Just bring yourself to reality and stay there for a bit.

@Clifton Troublefield, Alina as in Alina Rosier Clifton's girlfriend

The Hufflepuff girl Alina threatening him. Clifton rubbed the back of his neck with a small sort of laugh.

"Alina Rosier? She...does have a temper. I walked in once at the end of one of her tutor sessions and thought I might become witness to a murder scene," he joked. "I don't think that poor Ravenclaw knew what almost hit him. She's even yelled at me a couple times when I thought I was being nice. But don't worry. There's definitely a reason she's in Hufflepuff."

Several, actually. But Alec probably wasn't in the mood to hear Clifton go all goofy and lovesick. Still. The thought of her made smile widened just a little and he was curious what had made her angry, but decided he'd probably better stay on topic. Alec was really hurting.

"I don't know anyone named Wyatt though. The only Slytherins I've really met are Meredith and Leo." He thought for a moment. Then gave it up and threw a friendly arm around Alec as they began heading down the corridor in the direction of Gryffindor common room. "But whoever he is, don't listen to him, Alec. My dad always says that you never know what sort of battles others are dealing with, even if it sucks to be in the crossfire."

"Besides," he let his arm drop back to his side and smiled. "I'm pretty sure the professors could call me a psychopath too because I probably break more rules than quills. Which, believe me, is saying something."

Speaking of, he had to get to class. But he supposed one more late entry couldn't hurt much more than the others.

"Come on," he said nodding toward the staircase. He'd already gathered that Alec wanted nothing more than to hide in his dorm. It's what Clifton would've wanted if it had been him. "Psychopaths don't let psychopaths wander Hogwarts by themselves. Besides. Then I can return the favor for when you helped me with my stupid jaw."

@Alec Mason I had no idea Alec knew Alina too. That's fun =)

"I'm pretty sure the professors could call me a psychopath too because I probably break more rules than quills. Which, believe me, is saying something."

This was Clifton of course he broke a lot of rules. But Alec wasn't exactly sure the professors would dare to call their students a psychopath, even if they were an annoyance. The word was just more than that to Alec, though. But it was hard to explain that sort of thing to Clifton.

The word was a bit too personal.. Alec remembered back at home where he lived in a muggle neighborhood, for some odd reason. His mom said they were just being 'modest' not the point. He remembered when he'd used accidental magic on the way to the petrol station. There were some teenagers walking around when Alec was sneaking out, again. And they tried to beat the poor boy up for no reason. Of course there's a reason. Just one Alec doesn't know. The accidental magic was a sort of spark that lifted the boys into the air then dropped them they ran and called him a 'psychopath' Alec knew the meaning of the word and he wasn't one which was what made him so upset. This was also something he was trying to forget.

How do you explain that to someone who looks so happy all the time? It's like purposely bringing them down. Alec would rather not upset Clifton anymore, anyway.

"Come on," Clifton then said using a nod to point to the stairs. "Psychopaths don't let psychopaths wander Hogwarts by themselves. Besides. Then I can return the favor for when you helped me with my stupid jaw."

Alec was a bit shaken up mainly on the fact that Clifton decided it was such a great idea to call Alec a psychopath at this moment in time. Those teenagers were probably more than right. "I-uh Y-yeah okay. Thanks.." Alec said offering Clifton a forced smile that looked more or less real.

@Clifton Troublefield, Alec met both Alina and Meredith at the same time. Meredith had this whole crush at first site thing when she saw Alec which Alec was very weirded out by. And she kept talking about animal facts the whole time.

Alec's hesitancy made Clifton stop mid-starting up the stairs and look back at his friend. Even with boy's smile, his voice seemed even more quiet and withdrawn than it had when he'd been leaving the hospital wing.

Great. He'd done it again. That whole "too much energy can burn out a fuse" thing. Guess it came from having such a good morning, but he had to keep reminding himself that Alec was an entirely different kid than himself. The sort of stuff that would cheer him up had only ever seemed to have opposite effect on his more quiet, deep-thinking friend.

Clifton knocked his enthusiasm down a couple notches and walked back down to his friend.

"I'm sorry, Alec. I know how that sounded, but it's not what I meant. I guess that's just how I normally deal with things. I try to laugh at it. Doesn't always work, but... Anyway, what that kid said. It's serious stuff, especially if...well, if you think there might be a reason for it. Something like that could haunt someone for weeks. Years, even if it was bad enough."

He scowled, hating that someone had even got Alec thinking in that direction. "But there isn't a reason for it. I promise. You're a normal kid, just like the rest of us. We all have little things we do that probably seem weird to other people. I know I do. I bet even that Wyatt kid does."

Clifton bit his lower lip. He was never any good at this stuff. Not even with Alina. "I know it doesn't help that you guys got in an actual fight over it. It's hard to try to deny something when someone's tried to pound it in to you. But does he even know you?" He looked back up at Alec. "Because those who know you would never believe something like that. And I would trust them first."

@Alec Mason

Alec smiled slightly, giving Clifton a playful nudge."Now look at you. You've gone all soft" He said teasing the boy slightly. Alec did feel a bit better about this, but he really didn't completely understand Clifton's little speech. Nobody really knew Alec. The funny thing was the only person who really knew Alec was himself. Well, maybe Atticus and Jackie too. But Jackie was just a little five-year-old with a tea set. And Atticus was just Alec's cool older cousin who didn't exactly have much time for Alec since he started Hogwarts.

Alec then turned his attention back to Clifton. Were they 'friends'..? Probably not. He'd only met Clifton a few times now. He was more closer to being friends with that Cassandra from the Hogwarts Express. And he thought they were quite odd. He'd even inquired about their 'backpack' as they called it. Alec was only used to having a satchel, but apparently the so-called backpack was muggle. And apparently they are a pure-blood. And the whole reason they always brought it with them to Hogwarts was because it always upset their parents.

One first look at this so called 'backpack' and Alec wasn't very fond of it. It looked as if it put pressure on your shoulders, making them ache throughout the day. He couldn't imagine being muggle and using something like that every day.

And that's when Alec got the 'bright' idea to ask Clifton about it. Tilting his head, Alec then asked. "Do you know what a 'backpack' is?"

@Clifton Troublefield

"Now look at you, you've gone all soft," Alec teased, nudging him. Clifton laughed with a shrug.

"I'm a Hufflepuff, remember?" he grinned. "I think we're supposed melt faster than ice cream."

They walked a little further before Alec suddenly turned to him and asked: "Do you know what a 'backpack' is?"

Clifton's brows furrowed, confused at the entirely random change of topic. And at the fact that so many magic-born kids were so genuinely unfamiliar with details of the "normal" world.

"What?" he laughed. "Alec, how do you go from serious mental disorders to backpacks?"

Then, in answer to the question, he added. "Sure I do. I used to wear them all the time at my muggle school. It's like a satchel. You carry stuff in it, except it has two straps instead of one. So you can wear it on your back instead of on your shoulder. I personally think they're a little more comfortable, especially if you have a lot of books. Then all the weight isn't on one shoulder. Plus, they aren't just for school. People use them for work or hiking or all sorts of stuff. But, I mean, satchels are cool too. More professional-looking, I guess...Why?"

@Alec Mason