3 Apr 2022, 15:23
Two burning h̶e̶a̶r̶t̶s̶ faces
@Simon KincaidIt went black, silence fell and Haley was suddenly no longer in the Potions classroom. The pain had passed, her skin was no longer burning and her screams had also stopped. Carefully she opened her eyes, she had to blink a few times but still didn't know what had happened. "Where am I?" she whispered, her voice echoing as if in a large empty room. Suddenly the ground beneath her began to shake, her surroundings began to take shape, walls stretching up, huge picture frames on either side. She was suddenly standing in a large and long corridor, to her left the wall was bright, soft pastel tones and flowers and rose vines adorned the walls. On the right, the wall was decorated in dark colours, scrollwork went along the wall, framing the many huge picture frames.
Haley looked to the left and then to the right. She didn't know where she was, so she stepped up to one of the frames on the left. It looked like a mirror, but it was empty. She couldn't see any image or reflection until she got even closer and it started to move. Her eyes formed into slits and she tried to make out what was happening there. Haley walked until she was right in front of the frame and suddenly the image became very clear, it was her parents. They were both holding each other, laughing heartily together and waving at Haley. "Mom! Dad!" Haley cried happily, waving at them.
Haley walked down the corridor slowly, looking at the other frames, in one she could see her family from Dublin, in one Ian and his brothers, in the next her grandmother and to a surprise there was Aiden. Haley's heart was filled with love, she felt pure happiness and a warm feeling flowed through her body. By now she had almost reached the end of the corridor when she suddenly felt a cold breath on the back of her neck. Completely startled, she turned around and now for the first time looked straight ahead into one of the frames on the right. She had been so fascinated and captivated by the left side that she had completely forgotten that this side still existed. Cautiously, with an uneasy feeling, she walked towards the dark frame opposite her. Step by step, breath by breath, until an image also began to develop. Cautiously, she stepped closer until she finally stood in front of it. She looked at it from top to bottom, it was not yet visible, a thick mist obscured her view.
Out of nowhere came a strong gust of wind, the fog disappeared and her grandfather came running towards her. Haley let out a loud scream and stumbled backwards, eventually falling to the ground. Full of fear, she froze and looked at the picture of her grandfather, who was now standing in the frame, looking down at her and laughing at her. Full of panic, she jumped up and ran, the end of the corridor not far away. She ran, her grandfather's laughter still in her ears. She looked at the mirror at the end of the corridor, she saw her reflection, her red curly hair bouncing back and forth. In the corner of her eye she saw one of the last frames on the left, puzzled she looked to her left and it was hard to make out the face in the race but it looked like Simon was there. "You are save Hales!" he called to her "Simon?" she called to the image and when she turned her gaze forward she was inches from the mirror and instead of banging into it she snapped her eyes open.
"Simon?" Haley startled in her bed, her eyes wide as she breathed in and out frantically, light beads of sweat had formed on her forehead. She hadn't realised that her call for Simon had fought its way with her into reality and all she could think about was that dream. What did it mean? Was it really Simon who was there with her on the left in one of the frames? What was in the frames besides her grandfather on the right?
Confused, she grabbed her hair until she realised that her hands were bandaged. Carefully she reached to her face and there too she could feel large plasters and gauze. Haley looked around disoriented, she wasn't in her bed at all, she was in the Hospital Wing.
The only one who fear death are those with regrets
8 Apr 2022, 13:47
Two burning h̶e̶a̶r̶t̶s̶ faces
In the very next bed beside @Haley Rose
Back in the Potions classroom after the cauldron explosion, Simon had heard her call out to him. He was blinded by whatever acidic liquid they had created and couldn't see her, but he was determined through it all to make it over to her and when he had, he brought himself as close as he could to where she was laying, crawling slowly inch by inch across the Potions Classroom flooring until he got to her side. There, he wanted so badly to take her hand or caress her gently and whisper that it was okay he was there, but he couldn't - not so much due to their relationship status but because he too was covered with the acid and it would maybe only create a point of contact that wasn't there yet.
He too was feeling the pain and it seemed he was able to handle a pretty high tolerance and he wondered what this felt like for Haley. "I'm here," he whispered to her, knowing that wasn't enough. He was there, but he still wasn't there in full sense.
The two were transported to the Hospital Wing where they were tended to. Luckily the school nurse all felt this was within his capability and the two of them could remain in that Hospital Wing during their treatment and healing and didn't need transported to St. Mungo's or anything like that. This was a good thing, for both Haley and Simon, but also the school that probably didn't want to be seen negatively at all with the visiting schools there.
He had awoken before her and hoped that she was okay. He saw the bandages and figured he looked pretty similar but that he didn't care about, he only worried about her. Was she okay? Was she in pain? Could he do anything to help her?
As she began to stir in her nightmare, he saw the movements and thought she was starting to awaken. He whispered her name softly. Nothing.
He whispered it again. Her eyes opened and she reached up to rest her hands on each side of her beautiful red hair. "I'm here," he said to her again as she looked around, probably trying to figure out her bearings. He had been in the same position in that Hospital Wing not too long before. At first, it was sort of reassuring that she was asking for him, but now he was beginning to wonder if she wasn't upset with him.
Simon began to reach out toward her, but the pain was too much and he stopped. Besides, it would also hurt for her as well to do the reach and he had hurt her enough already.
Be kind to one another. (*iNPC is Miles Thatcher)
21 Apr 2022, 19:06
Two burning h̶e̶a̶r̶t̶s̶ faces
@Simon KincaidIt lasted a few seconds, maybe even a few minutes, but over time she came more and more back to reality. The dream blurred and, still a little confused, she looked around her. She was lying in a hospital bed, she looked on, Hospital Wing. Hospital Wing, Hogwarts. She blinked a few times and kept looking. She glanced at the bed next to her. Simon. Yes of course, Simon. At first she smiled in relief, the memories slowly coming back but for now she was glad to see Simon beside her, at her side so to speak.
"What happened?" she murmured to herself, asking herself the question and looking down at herself. The memories were coming back more and more. She remembered the lessons, remembered having to brew a potion with Simon and it had gone hugely wrong. There was an explosion, pain and now they were both here. They were here together, that was good, right? No, dear Haley. The memories continued to build. She remembered that she was not at all happy about having to do partner work with Simon. Why? Because he had broken her heart.
It was as if an invisible pane was shattering and now she could see it clearly. She shouldn't be happy to see him, she shouldn't feel safe, she should be angry. She looked back at Simon now, there was pain in her gaze. But the pain was not from the injuries, the pain was from her heart. She wanted to scream at him. Accuse him of being to blame for everything. That he had made mistakes that could not be undone, just as she did, and while she told herself that she was referring solely to the potion, that was not the full truth. For all these words could be applied to their relationship, the last few months and the night of 14.02.2022.
She didn't know what to do, she wanted to scream, blame him, insult him and at the same time she wanted to lie next to him and feel safe. It was chaos and she sighed loudly. She didn't have the strength to argue. All this was too exhausting and so she decided not to even try. She just kept silent, it seemed like that was the best solution. Just keep quiet and suffer in silence.
But Haley couldn't do that either. She couldn't lie here and let herself think. Finally, she pulled herself together, looked at Simon and whispered softly, "Are you okay?"
The only one who fear death are those with regrets
23 Apr 2022, 12:10
Two burning h̶e̶a̶r̶t̶s̶ faces
@Next to @Haley Rose
"I don't think we got our potion right," he stated the obvious when she asked what had happened. Honestly, he wasn't sure. He remembered the cauldron sort of spewing out it's contents in a violent manner just as the two looked over it's rim but he didn't remember the actual action of getting to the Hospital Wing. He didn't know if the professor had acted quickly and gotten them there or if the school nurse came to get them, or whatever else might have happened.
All he knew is he woke up there just as she had but about twenty minutes before. It gave him time to really see how toxic he had become to her - not just in his actions but now with his lack of focus. He had hurt someone he cared about in so many ways.
"I think I'm okay," he said and turned his head to see her a little more. She was so close and yet so terribly far away all at the same time.
The slight turn revealed the the other side of his face had a bandage clear across it, as did his right arm which he had noticed wasn't moving. Not even the slightest bit. That was a little concerning but he tried not to show any worry. He wanted to be strong.
"Are you in any pain? What about you? Are you alright?"
If only he had paid more attention to what he was doing, the two of them wouldn't be there. SHE wouldn't be there - broken hearted and in pain from all his wrongdoings. "I'm sorry, Haley," he whispered.
And he was. For everything.
Be kind to one another. (*iNPC is Miles Thatcher)
25 May 2022, 10:32
Two burning h̶e̶a̶r̶t̶s̶ faces
@Simon KincaidHaley's brain slowly started working again. She thought, remembering the dream, the lessons, the partner work and the accident. She remembered the pain and slightly distorted her face. She nodded when Simon said what had happened. She could remember, but after the pain it was black in her mind, either she fainted or maybe the professor had made sure they were relieved of their agony or at least made sure they didn't notice any further. But she didn't have the trip to the Hospital Wing as a memory, the treatment and everything else was non-existent in her mind.
Her head ached from all the thinking, from the memories that spilled through her head piece by piece like a wave. Or maybe it was just from the injuries. She held her head, burying her fingers in her red hair, trying to get rid of the pain.
"That's good." she said through strained teeth, having forgotten for a moment that Simon was lying in bed next to her. She took a few deep breaths in and out and raised her head again to look at him now. She tried to relax her face, but the pain was strong and made it almost impossible for her. But she looked at him and he didn't look any better than she did. "But it doesn't look like it." she joked softly and a small smirk could be seen before her face contorted again in pain. "What about your arm? Your head?" she inquired, looking at him with concern.
Even after everything that had happened, after the breakup, after the heartbreak, after the knife in her back when she found out about him and AF. After all that, she was still worried about him and it seemed like that would never change. As much as she hated him and was pissed and would love to punch him, she cared about him. She hated herself for it, but deep down he would always have a place in her heart, the young Gryffindor couldn't deny that.
"Don't be sorry." she whispered softly, but with the silence, he could hear it. She fell silent, the silence growing even louder and more than uncomfortable at first. She felt as if she had to say something. As if they had to talk it out. Talk about what had happened and she didn't mean the accident in Potions. But she couldn't, no matter what she put together in her head, she couldn't manage to say the words and so she remained silent.
A few more minutes passed, she closed her eyes, but sleep was out of the question. She hoped very much that she would soon get something against the pain. So her thoughts kept circling around what she could say until she finally found a beginning.
"You know, you really hurt me a lot." she said honestly and calmly. It was the truth, he had hurt her. But she had also hurt him in a way. She was partly to blame for this breakup. "You really did." she said, looking to him. "But I can't blame you." she continued and probably these words were a surprise for him.
"I can't blame you but I can't forgive you." She fell silent again. "Not now and I don't know if I ever really can. I have to put it behind me, I have to move forward, and I have to forget about you. Do you understand?" She looked deep into his eyes now, the eyes she had lost herself in so many times. The ones she loved to lose herself in.
"I have to live my life and you have to live yours." Me without you you with AngelFyre, she didn't pronounce that part. "And to be able to do that, I have to free myself from you. I can't pretend nothing happened, I can't be friends with you while my heart aches for you and anger explodes inside me as soon as I see you with her." It had been a long time since Haley had been so honest with her feelings, but it felt right at that moment.
"What I'm saying is we-" she paused, no more we there, "you and I, we need to go our separate ways. We need to become strangers who don't even say hello to each other in the hallway. I need you to be the past and I need that so I can have closure. So there's no us, no Haley and Simon, no friendship, no hello in the hallway, no how are you. Do you understand?"
She waited for an answer and now remained silent as she took her eyes off him and looked down at her hospital bedspread.
The only one who fear death are those with regrets
26 May 2022, 14:22
Two burning h̶e̶a̶r̶t̶s̶ faces
Doesn't want to be ignored again by @Haley Rose
There was too much silence between the two individuals in the Hospital Wing of Hogwarts that afternoon but he knew it was from the damage he caused and that pained him; as did knowing Haley was hurting - both physically and emotionally.
Words. They had such power. More than most people gave them credit for. The power of a word can awaken one to ourselves and each other. They can heal, they can bridge a gap between heaven and earth, friend to foe. Simon looked over to Haley as she began to talk but her words would not be of healing and they would hurt him deeply. Can't forgive you. Don't know if I ever really can. Put it behind you. Forget about you.
Words could hurt. Words could reduce a person's self worth in an instant and inflict emotional pain. He listened as she said she had to free herself from him, distance herself. Go separate ways. Be strangers.
Simon shook his head, at least, as much as he could from his injury. "Don't say that," he said to her in a low voice. "Don't say that, Haley. Please. Don't say that. It can't happen," and he looked over to her, already feeling the heat from the warm blood that was gathering in his eyes. Damn it, there it was coming again. The tears of blood. ...One of the joys of being a dhampir.
"I can count on one hand the people that are most important to me and you're one of them. I can't just act like I'm not happy to see you when we cross paths or look the other way and pretend that I don't care about you. I can't ignore you like you're some stranger. So, no, Haley, I don't understand. I won't understand. I refuse."
He didn't want to hurt her and he looked away when he felt the warmness move down his cheek and he lifted his hand quite quickly to try and brush it away. No one needed to see him being a freak, especially at a time like this.
"Maybe in time you can be more comfortable around me again and we can talk and even spend time together. I don't want to lose you. I can't lose you. I understand if some distance is what you need but you and distance, Haley, you've just...you've got to stop that. You've got to stop removing yourself when things get hard because, because, ..." and he paused, realizing how selfish he had been. He was selfish when she removed herself the first time and he was being selfish now. Didn't he understand? She didn't want him in her life anymore.
Simon placed hands on the edge of the bed and used them to help sit up a little more. "I haven't been respectful to you in wanting distance in the past and you know, truthfully, I don't see me being able to respect it now. I'll say hello to you in passing in the corridors or when I'm close by. If our gaze ever connects across the Great Hall I'll smile and wave. You're too important to me to ignore and act like you either don't exist or that you're a stranger to me. You don't have to return the gestures. And I'm going to carry hope that one day we can be close again."
She was one of the few people that he felt non-judgement from and despite what it may had seen from the outside, he needed others surrounding him to lift him up. Simon Kincaid didn't do so well alone. Perhaps that's why her ignoring him over the Summer months and into this school year had affected him so greatly.
Be kind to one another. (*iNPC is Miles Thatcher)
27 May 2022, 10:16
Two burning h̶e̶a̶r̶t̶s̶ faces
@Simon KincaidHaley couldn't believe Simon's reaction, she would have expected many things but not this. How could it be that he had such a problem with it? He had decided to end the relationship, he had jumped into the next relationship a few days and had obviously fallen in love with someone else during their relationship. Haley didn't want to judge him for that, she was partly to blame, she had closed herself off. But could anyone really blame her after what she had been through? But now she lay there and for his reaction she judged him. He doesn't have the right to say no, he has to take it like that.
She tried to avoid his gaze, but she couldn't stand it and finally she looked at him. She recognised it immediately. The red tears in his eyes and immediately she felt bad. But she didn't want to feel bad, she didn't want to feel guilty. She needed to be able to detach herself from him and in this way she never would be able to. But at that moment, when she saw him there, she only had the desire to apologise, to lie down with him and take him in her arms. But that was something she would never do. She had to stay strong.
Simon's words triggered a rage in Haley. She wanted to scream at him for what had happened. She wanted to tell him that he was dead to her, right then. She wanted to explode, but she couldn't. Deep down, she knew it was an act of passion. So she tried to calm herself. She breathed loudly and annoyed. She did it until her breathing calmed down again, until she could think clearly and find the right words. She took one last deep breath before she began to speak.
"Simon, I didn't ask for your consent. And honestly, you can't ask all this of me. Just because you're done with it after a few days and moved forwards doesn't mean I am. Just because it's easy for you to see me, it's not for me. YOU say you don't want to lose me, but you have already taken that step. You have already lost me and you have to realise that now. Simon I don't want to hurt you, just as much as you don't want to hurt me, but there's no way around it. I don't want to hear your hello, I don't want to hear that you care about me. I want to, like you, move forward."
Haley paused for a moment, the situation was frustrating. She didn't expect him to be more understanding now but she had to show the boundaries. "Maybe someday it will be. Maybe in two months I will say hello to you, talk to you and tell you everything that has happened in my life. Maybe it will be in a year and we will spend time together like friends. Or maybe it will never be."
She loved Simon, she wanted him in her life, he was one of the most important people for her, but she had to take this step for herself.
The only one who fear death are those with regrets
28 May 2022, 00:51
Two burning h̶e̶a̶r̶t̶s̶ faces
Determination with @Haley Rose
He didn't particularly like the words she was saying to him. No, she didn't ask for his consent but this right here was a two way street and he already had four months of her ignoring him. It was those four months that opened the door to the whole entire slew of problems that the two faced. No, he was quite sure that ignoring was definitely not the solution here.
Simon shook his head, feeling angry at her for even suggesting that she wanted to 'move forward' as she put it. She most certainly did not want to move forward but rather move on and forget his entire existence. Simon had no choice but to listen to her words because it was the only thing breaking the silence in the Hospital Wing but when she was done, he lifted himself more on that bed until he brought his legs over to the side. Yes, he was still hurt and in pain but he wasn't going to stay there by her side any longer when she was proclaiming such hurtful statements.
"I'll find a way around it," he said in contradiction to her statement. "And maybe it'll be sooner than you think. But for now, I'm going back to my dormitory. I'll see you soon."
Simon has left the hospital wing and thread.
Be kind to one another. (*iNPC is Miles Thatcher)