The Opposite of Friendly Finished

James had drawn blood. Well, somewhat... it looked like Max had bit his own tongue or maybe bit the inside of his cheek when he came crashing down to the ground, which cause some blood to come forth from his mouth and stain on his fingers. A surprised and raged look swept over Max's face, and James' danger alert went off in his head. Before James really knew it, Max was on top of him.
"I told you - " Max grasped the front of the James' shirt, lifting him slightly off the ground before punching him in the face. James' head hit the ground underneath him, causing another streak of angry pain to flare through his head, " - that you don't - " Another punch. " - know - " Yet another... " -what you're - " Smack. " - doing - " Smack. " - you - " Smack. " - idiot."
Blood was dripping on the floor, and James' face felt like heck! Whatever that felt like…
James was so dizzy. His head and vision were spinning way out of control.
Max stood up and got off of James.
"Get out of here." He said, his voice sounding very dangerous and WAY past irritated, "Go."
James don’t know how he did it, but after a minute of recollecting what little of himself he could still pick up in consciousness, he stood up, staggering to his feet, swaying dangerously. Standing up, his head felt slightly clearer, and Max no longer looked like a blob of color.
“No.” James said. “You go!”
And with that, James charged forward, slamming Max into the opposite wall, punching Max wherever James could reach. Mostly in the gut or side, but James had his head ducked low, ramming into Max’s chest, dealing blows to his middle section. James’ knuckles were hurting, and he would probably faint soon, but he wasn’t going to down without more of a fight.

This... wasn't... a good situation. Max knew the second he saw the boy stand up and sway that things were about to go too far. Already had, in fact. He let himself fall limp as he was slammed into the wall, the looseness in his body helping him absorb the impact. Didn't mean it didn't hurt like a mother, but at least he hadn't broken anything. Not yet, anyway, though it could happen with the blows being dealt to his midsection.

He took the punches as they came, more concerned about his head and hands than anything. If he couldn't think, it would be bad. If he couldn't cast spells, it would be bad. Internal damage was painful and potentially life-threatening, but there were enough skilled wizards around to help him that his main concern was passing out. The thoughts flitted through his head, clear as day, while he curled his arms around his head protectively. It didn't even occur to him to try protecting the rest of himself or to grab the Hufflepuff's hands to stop the hitting. Something else was dawning on him, though.

"No," he croaked under his breath through gasps of pain, though he wasn't really talking to the other boy. He'd spent a long time being angry and had lashed out because of that, but the quality of what he was feeling now was different. He didn't want to lash out because of anger. He just really, genuinely wanted to hurt someone. He dropped one hand to the pocket in his robes as blood trickled through his clenched teeth, every movement slow and precise. He'd never wanted to hurt someone so bad. Drawing out his wand was an exercise in pain, but it would be worth it for the end result. He tipped his wand down at the person causing him pain, eyes slightly unfocused. If this naive, idiotic child wanted suffering, Max would teach him just what suffering meant.

Michelle had gotten lost, once again, She didn't know how, maybe she had taken a left when she was supposed to take a right. It didn't matter how she got there, she was sure glad she did. The scene before her was freighting, there were two boys bloodied and angered in the middle of the hall beating the crap out of each other. She walked towards them and finally got a glimpse of their faces, there was a Gryffindor boy and a Hufflepuff boy, actually, it was James! He seemed so sweet and kind, why was he getting into fights? She shook her head, she must've misjudged his character. She paused for a brief moment, maybe she should get a professor. She decided against it, that would come after she needed to diffuse the situation, just like she did with her brothers back home when things went to far. 

Michelle watched as James crashed into the other boy and she gasped and began running if she didn't diffuse this situation soon those boys were going to kill each other. She watched as the Gryffindor boy slowly and painfully pulled out his wand with a look of pure anger.  She stopped in her tracks and pulled out her wand and began the only spell she knew, the only one she had practiced. She took a quick breath focusing her mind, began the proper movements and shouted "Expelliarmus!" A scarlet light shot out of her wand and went straight for the Gryffindor boy. 

For once, the bold Gryffindor had a set destination. It was that time, as the week flew by faster and faster, that he had to settle on his last room for the friendly competition. He was determined to win, determined to show the blonde Ravenclaw who was the best room-finder, if that word even existed. But anyways, yes. Anatole could find the best rooms.

His little feet walked through the dusty corridors illuminated by the blazing torchlight, his head held high. Today was to be a good day, Anatole decided. Yes, he would come off with his first victory.

Apparently, Anatole had jinxed the whole notion of having a good day. In front of him, there lied a Hufflepuff, on the cold stone, another Gryffindor hovering above him like a satellite. His eyes were trained, focusing on the boy's every move. The boy's wand was synchronized, honed on the Hufflepuff like a dangerous laserbeam, about to burn a hole through his skull. [Anatole didn't notice the girl.]

For an elongated moment, Anatole stood there, wide-eyed, unsure of what to do. Of course, his first instinct was to jump in and cease their physical bickering, but he didn't want a wand shoved down his throat. That would be awfully funny, but it was a silly thought. Would he just spit spells out of his two lips, all muffled and such? Anatole burst out in laughter at the idea, not even thinking about what the boys would do about the snickering.

If the two boys looked in his direction, Anatole shut his trap. This was a serious situation, no time for lollygagging. He nodded, approaching the two and keeping his head down. Play it classy.

"Excuse me, but do either of you mind if I ask what's going on?" He raised an eyebrow, pensive as to why there was blood all over the two, especially on the Gryffindor's shaky knuckles.

This is what made the situation dangerous: the fact that James was so enraged at Max that he didn't notice him pulling out his wand and pointing it straight at James. James was getting tired of punching Max, and he felt that he had gotten quite enough in, but something told him that if he stopped, Max would take that as an opportunity to strike at James. This made James realize that this fight wouldn't go anywhere... anywhere good, at least, because the two would just keep throwing blows at each other. 
James hated this. He honestly, genuinely hated this. He hated himself for fighting, but he also hated Max for being so mean to him. James felt so gross inside, that he was only stopped by two voices behind him that seemed to sound at the same time.
"Excuse me, but do either of you mind if I ask what's going on?"
"Expelliarmus!"
James was about to push away from Max, shoving him against the wall one more time, and also backing away from him at the same time, but he was also aided by whoever had cast the spell, because the magical force surrounding it also seemed to push James outwards and away from Max a little.
So, James staggered backwards and saw his new surroundings, which included a boy he only really recognized from the snowball fight earlier and still didn't really know his name, another Hufflepuff who James recognized as Michelle and he instantly felt embarrassed, and Max who was still there... but who had had his wand pointed at James!

Adam was drawn to the spot by a shout. Multiple shouts, really. He'd been surprised to recognize the voices of two of his friends, especially sounding so distressed. He didn't even think that Anatole and Michelle knew each other. Picking up his pace and jogging around the corner, he skidded to a stop and marveled at whatever was happening in front of him.

There were Anatole and Michelle, as he had suspected. Michelle had her wand out, apparently having just cast a spell, looking frightened for whoever had been attacked. Anatole wore a curious expression, staring forward in question, looking like he'd just stumbled on a particularly confusing conversation. But it was no conversation -- that much was clear. Two boys were standing apart from each other, each breathing hard and covered with bruises, not to mention blood. From Adam's uninformed perspective, it seemed like they had both been part of the fight; this wasn't an unfair battle, which is probably why it had lasted long enough to give both boys their injuries. One of them, a Hufflepuff, judging from his stained scarf, was standing in the middle of the hallway. He looked unbalanced, fresh from the melee. The other boy was a Gryffindor that Adam had never seen before. The Gryffindor boy was just as battered as the Hufflepuff had been, but he looked particularly angrier, and a crazier glint shone in his eye. The Gryffindor had his arm outstretched, properly poised to use a wand, but Adam couldn't tell if Michelle's spell had disarmed him or not.

It reminded him too much of the other fights he'd seen at the school. Adam knew he had to at least try to stop this before it reached an irreversible point. Only half-thinking, Adam summoned up all the authority and power that he had within him, and in a voice frighteningly similar to his own older brother's, shouted, "What the hell is going on?"

Everything seemed to happen at once. Before he really know what was going on, one person had disarmed him, another had laughed, the Hufflepuff had backed off, and a different boy had demanded an explanation. Too many things all at once, and it took Max a second to put everything together through a haze of pain. By the time he realized just how close he'd come to doing something irreversible, he had to bend over to vomit. He spent a second staring at the amount of blood that had just come out of his mouth; that wasn't good. But he didn't have time to worry with all eyes on him and the boy he'd been fighting.

"We argued. We got angry. We fought." Each word was forced out through gritted teeth as he slowly made his way over to his wand, one hand pressed against his abdomen. It seemed to take a painstakingly long time for him to bend over to pick his wand up off the floor, tucking it into his robes to make it clear he wasn't planning on using it. Stupid, stupid, stupid. Whether or not he'd done more damage, he'd lost this fight. The second he'd swung his fist, he'd lost. Resorting to physical violence was the utmost sign of weakness.

"Thanks for stopping it, but you'd better get him to the Hospital Wing. Head injuries are no joke." He straightened up, dropping his hand away as he spun back to face the newcomers, affecting a casual expression with no trace of his earlier anger. He didn't want questions, not when he couldn't think straight enough to come up with the politically correct answer.

"I'm sorry about that, mate," he added to the boy, trying for an expression of genuine regret. He didn't want to be known as the local psychopath; that wouldn't win him any favours in the long run. "But I was having a bad day, and I lost it when you said that stuff about my family. Calling my mother that word so soon after she got over her sickness... it hurt."

Michelle sighed in relief as she realized that her spell had worked, she tucked her wand into her robes and approached the boys, to her surprise Adam and another Gryffindor boy was there as well. She looked between them, they both looked in extremely rough shape. She started to walk over to James to see if he was okay when the boy vomited all over the floor, she gasped and jumped back. What had James done to him to hurt him so badly he vomited, she stepped away from James and turned to face the other boy.

The boy picked his wand up, once again moving slow and painfully and she got tense but calmed as he put it back in his robe. He explained the situation, she opened her mouth in surprise as the boy seemed to only be concerned with James' health, despite the fact he had just vomited. Then he told them all what James had said to him and what had started the situation, she was in shock, she thought she had James' character all figured out but it seemed that he was capable of more cruelty and violence than she thought.

Michelle went to the other boy's side handing a small handkerchief to wipe his mouth. "You should get to the Hospital wing, you just vomited! Here let me help you..." she placed a soft hand on his shoulder looking at him with sympathy. She glared at James from beside him, how could he have done this to someone he really disgraced the Hufflepuff name.

Anatole finally noticed the girl, the whole thing occurring in a frantic blur of colors and sighs. For a good two minutes, Anatole didn't even know Adam had followed him here, until he heard the shout behind him. And to make matters even better, Adam basically repeated what Anatole had said. God, it would be terrible to be associated with this Ravenclaw. They were supposed to be enemies, they had even said it themselves! "Oh, let me be the villain!" "Yes, I'd love that!" The entirety seemed to be void if Anatole pondered upon it enough.

But as for the real villain...

He was on the floor, cringing in pain, grinding his teeth so much they could have shaved themselves off. Luckily, Anatole was able to withstand laughing again. The boy's icy eyes almost seemed to mock Anatole and Adam; their repetition only fueling his fire.

Keep the image up. Adam's here. "Hey, thanks Captain Obvious. Didn't expect you both to get all bloodied by punching a stone wall." Somehow, Anatole felt confident in this, even though it clearly wasn't him. Normal Anatole would have rushed over toward the one hurting, the kind Hufflepuff, and assisted him to stable condition, all while jeering insults at the other Gryffindor. "Now I'm expecting you to get up, like a man." Anatole outstretched a hand toward the fellow lion, considering helping him to standing.

What the heck was his brain letting him do? Help the bully? God, Rosie wouldn't be happy if she saw this, but it was all for the impression, wasn't it?

And now, to make matters more absurd, the young lion began to apologize. Anatole cringed inside, that was another thing he couldn't do. Anatole couldn't be strong, but he couldn't apologize either.

He had obviously stepped down the wrong hallway.