Cuts and Bruises PV Sebastian Leeds Closed

The fight had ended in a bloodied draw of sorts, with both sides suffering injuries that didn't really result in a definitive winner. Still, the old nurse had been kind enough when Sebastian had arrived at the door, if alarmed, at the state of the boy; no doubt being covered in cuts, slashes and blood would cause any member of staff to immediately enter a controlled panic. There had been medical assistance provided, enough to stop the blood and patch wounds, and basically stabilize Sebastian, but the cuts and scars remained - which annoyed him, despite how they made him appear tougher.

Still, over the following days while recovering, Sebastian had been mostly in and out of consciousness. He recalled some Professors trying to ask questions, clearly concerned with some version of the event provided by Erin, but having been in the state he had, the boy wasn't much for conversation initially. Now, however, Sebastian had recovered enough to speak, even if his voice was coarse and his neck still ached from the deep cuts... and so, the arrival of Katya was a welcome surprise, which caused Sebastian to sit up more on his pillows.

"Hi. And I was involved in a fight with a girl named Erin Ryan," Sebastian said as he looked to Katya. The boy was half covered in a white blanket, propped up on several pillows. He had bandages across most of his torso and neck and shoulders, where all the glass had stabbed through his clothing. Without the school uniform and coat, it was easy to see how thin Sebastian actually was, the rib bones visible beneath the skin where the bandages weren't. "She was responsible for getting me in trouble with the Professors a few weeks ago, where she claimed I touched her inappropriately... which I didn't, and this was revenge."

"The nurse says the words are Nolī Oblīviscī, which means 'never forget' in Latin," Sebastian mused, his lessons in the dead language fresh in his young mind. "Erin carved it into my neck, with glass. She's clearly not sane, and I can't wait to speak with the Professors about the incident... I'm sure she has her false sob story ready, too. But I have my own plans in motion, to out her as a liar."

Despite the fact he was cut badly, and in the hospital wing recovering, Sebastian's eyes gleamed with a sense of victory. That despite the seemingly questionable position he was in, the boy had something planned that would take care of Erin once and for all. Still, the fight had taken a heavy toll, and Sebastian had barely made it to the hospital wing on his feet; in fact, from what he had overheard, there had been concern about his having lost a worrying amount of blood...

"I'm surprised to see you, Katya," Sebastian said, looking her way and smiling faintly. He looked to the bottle of liquid, noting the name scrawled on the label, before deciding it was likely from her father. "But I appreciate it. And the potion. Is it from your father?"

Sebastian blinked, realizing something.

"Actually, I'm not familiar with Murtlap Essence, what does it do?"

TO[font=times new roman] see someone so battered up was foreign to Katya. She was slightly intrigued by it, although she didn't try to make that too obvious. Her subtle movement that was the singular sign of intrigue was simply a glance to his neck, her dark eyebrows furrowing slightly as she eyed the bandages specifically. To have so many bandages covering him, it must have been something relevant to painful. The Murtlap Essence would help the scarring, but there was nothing more she could do to help the healing process - that was the matron's part.

 She picked up - or at least tried to - on every word he spoke to her, pursing her lips as let her eyes go back to his neck, picturing it to be as marred as a certain professor's face. She wondered if it would scar - even if it were just a little bit. What she brought couldn't guarantee to make the area completely scar-free, but she was sure it would at least keep it from being divets in the skin. 

 The lithe girl scanned the area around them, seeking out a chair, her eyes finally resting upon a wooden one with a tall back, just across the room. She waited until he paused in speech to go retrieve it, her thin fingers wrapping around either side of the back, carrying it next to Sebastian's bed for the time being. When she placed it down, she circled around to the front, using her hands to properly tuck her skirt underneath her, not quite willing to give up her propriety, even in cases such as this. 

 "Surely, they can't believe her. Not once they see your own condition." She mentioned, her hands moving to be in her lap, one of her palms resting over top of the back of her other hand. Her ankles tucked in behind the front legs of the chair as she pushed her frame back slightly, moulding it to the back of the chair in order to both become comfortable, and maintain the right posture. "But why never forget? Never forget the fact that she beat you up, or...?" She trailed off, quirking up an eyebrow at him. Her words could be taken in any way, though she simply meant it to be slightly teasing - if anything. After all, it was just a question.

 "Surprised?" Katya tilted her head to the side slightly, licking her lips slightly as to moisten them, "We are friends, aren't we?" She asked, lightly rubbing her thumb over the back of her hand in order to keep herself occupied. She couldn't quite keep still in any given moment, a habit that developed at a younger age and stuck with her still. Remaining idle just wasn't for her. 

 "Yes, my father made this," She picked up the bottle that the potion was in, turning in her seat to hold it up to the light in the center of the ceiling, eyeing the colour of the liquid inside. The light shone through the yellow as though it were part of the ocean and you were looking at it from a shallow point underneath. It wasn't the most beautiful thing in the world, but it was something she could appreciate. She placed it back down on the end table, making sure it wasn't near the edges for the sake of keeping it from toppling over.

 "In his letter, it said it was supposed to help to heal the cuts you have. I may have told him of my slight worry for your... state," It took her a few moments to think of the right word to use, and a slight tremor of anxiety picked at her nerves, wondering it it were not the right word - was there a better way to say it? Did she sound uneducated? Pushing the thoughts away, she looked from the Murtlap Essence back to Sebastian's face, pushing a smile up onto her lips, "I'd say it'll probably help with your scarring too. You just have to wet a cloth with it, then let your cut soak in it. Definitely make it faster."

 There was a sense of pride that came with knowing a bit on potions from her father. Sure, he may have actually said all of those things in the letter he sent her, though the white lie of knowing it off of the top of her head wouldn't be so bad for him to believe. It was all the act of appealing. Perhaps if she appeared as though she knew more, she would be able to befriend this boy easily.

 "Does it hurt?" She inquired, "The cuts - you have so many of them..."[/font]

Sebastian listened to Katya's reasoning, knowing she could see the sense of it. Still, the boy couldn't fault the Professors, since they had to take into account numerous factors. But, Sebastian couldn't help but feel as though he had been treated unfairly, if only due to past events that had resulted in his presumed guilt; at least until he had given acceptable reasons to prove his side, which had resulted in his assignment of Prefect being followed through... but he suspected it had been done so reluctantly.

"I assume that was the intention, but it's hard to tell with her sort," Sebastian said to Katya's question, regarding the words carved into his neck. The pain throbbed where the deep slices were still. "But all it's done is reinforced that I'll destroy her, and make sure the Ryan family isn't worth mud in the Wizarding community. Even if it takes me years, all she's done is reminded me that she will always be an enemy."

Sebastian chuckled, before wincing as the cuts on his back began aching again. Like small paper cuts that were considerably deeper...

"I tried to point out that it might have been hard for me to assault her, with my neck having been cut into," The boy couldn't help but smirk, despite the seriousness of the allegations and investigation taking place. "And asked at what time during the attack I might have done it to myself... I don't think anyone has any answers, but the whole thing has become troublesome."

Emphasizing his point, Sebastian pointed to his coat that was hanging nearby. Where the collar usually had a proud Slytherin Prefect pin, there was now nothing but material in its place, a coat without the badge.

"I've been removed from Prefect, because I guess they think I'm guilty for now... but that should change, since I've offered to have my mind read about the incident, as they call it."

Still, whether the staff took him up on the offer remained to be seen. And honestly, after being insulted by the presumption of guilt, and the fact Erin's sob story had led the direction of the investigation, Sebastian wasn't feeling particularly open to assisting the staff at Hogwarts.

"And yes, I suppose we are friends," Sebastian said, his eyes shifting to Katya, observing her subtle movements of the hands. She had trouble keeping still, he knew that, even in the study session it had been the same. "I've never really said that about anyone before... it's different. Nice, I think, but different."

As Katya explained about the potion, and how she had written her father concerning his state, Sebastian continued to watch her. His eyes were half-closed, pain still ebbing at his body, but the attention of the boy was there. He was taking everything in, putting it to memory, despite the hurt and the discomfort of laying on his back.

"Please thank your father for me," Sebastian said, nodding. The instructions sounded very clinical, which made him wonder if Katya was relaying information or knew it. It didn't matter at the moment, considering. "I can't wait to be rid of these scars."

Then Katya asked about the pain, ignoring the question about Charms.

"It's been a few days, but it still hurts, yes," Sebastian said after a long pause. He didn't like feeling vulnerable, not in front of someone similar to him, someone who was always taking in details and the mental cogs that kept turning. But, with the discomfort and nurse's treatments, Sebastian's mind was a little foggy, and he wasn't his usual self. "The nurse has helped with most of it, but there are a heap of cuts and they're not shallow. The neck ones hurt most, because I can't really turn my head yet, without it feeling like the skin is tearing again."

Sebastian raised an eyebrow.

"I don't suppose you want to put some potion on my neck?" He asked, glancing as best he could to the bottle on the table beside him. "I can wait for the nurse, but if you're here and willing... maybe I can start healing even sooner...?"

BOTH [font=times new roman]of Katya's eyebrows rose in response to his first statement. Destroy her? Obviously, it might be a little too intimidating to get onto this boy's bad side. For a moment, she was glad that she wasn't. She almost felt sorry for Erin, but after seeing Sebastian, she was sure that she would be able to hold her own. It would, more or less, be a rivalry like the one between her mother and her aunt, to Katya's best guess. Sabotage and whatnot seemed the most probably outcome from an eleven year old's rivalry.

 His chuckle made a small smirk play on her lips, and she intertwined her hands together in her lap after slightly moving the chair closer to the edge of his bed. She had no real comment on that piece of information - well, not any that she favoured sharing, anyways. Since her eyes were trained on him for the time being, she caught sight of his wince, and her face contorted into an expression of slight worry, edging herself closer to the edge of her seat just in case she needed to go run for the nurse or something.

 She was surprised he still seemed to be in a good mood though, for she knew that if it were herself in these circumstances, she would have long-since become miserable, and began lashing out at anyone who even tried to help her. She didn't have a doubt that healing spells and magic hurt any less than alcohol on an open wound. That was as far as she was educated on health matters, despite learning even more whilst her family was assisting the Bishops with a healing potion of sorts. During that time, she mainly sat on the sidelines though, not wanting to interfere.

 Her eyes followed his finger as he pointed towards his jacket, which was on a coat hanger not too far away. Her lips tugged down into a frown, and she shook her head with a sign, "That's not fair." She muttered, drawing her gaze back to him, "They do not have evidence against you. They should not be punishing you yet." And to her, that was the only thing that made sense. They shouldn't punish anyone until they get the whole story. And Katya highly doubted that Sebastian was guilty for any of this. She didn't see Erin in the hospital wing.

 "You haven't?" She asked curiously, crossing one of her legs over the other, giving up on maintaining her posture even just a few minutes into the conversation. She leaned forward, resting her elbow that was covered by the Slytherin blazer she wore on her bare knee, which was slightly bruised from adventures on the previous full moon. She had a long scrape on the back of her calf to go along with it, but for now that was concealed by her socks. Her chin found itself in her palm, and overall she seemed to look intrigued by their conversation more than anything.

 "Well, I am glad to be your friend, Sebastian." She stated, suddenly realizing how much she needed a nickname for him. His name was much longer than the one that she went by, and it was quite a mouthful. And if people needed a nickname for Katya, then surely she would need one for Sebastian. "Do you mind if I call you Seb, or Sebas? Your name is very long - hard to say every time." She admitted, for once not too ashamed of the language barrier. Even English-speakers had a hard time saying some peoples' names.

 A small smile took the place of her previous frown, and she sat back up, looking down at the floor sheepishly, "I will be sure to do so. He will be happy that it helps." She replied, nodding her head in response to not wanting to wait to have the scars gone. She could only imagine what it may be like if she were scarred for life. Thankfully, without a Wolfsbane Potion, she seemed to be rather tranquil during transformations, not hurting herself too badly. Since she's been back at the school though, she's been herself in those states, allowing herself to just sleep it off.

 For the most part she was listening to him speak, though words seemed to flow through one ear and out the other for the most part. If she was asked to repeat what he was saying, she would fail miserably - without a doubt. She did start listening when he asked her if she would be willing to help him with the potion, in response nodding her head with the same small, shy smile she wore beforehand. "Of course."

 She got up from her seat, going to look for the nurse first, not wanting to be getting in trouble for anything. She doubted either of them really needed any more trouble than they already had. Letting out a breath, she walked back to the end table beside his bed, looking through the medical supplies until she came across a piece of linen. It was probably enough to do the job for now - the nurse could use a proper cloth later on. 

 "Just... sit forward, then."[/font]

The fact of the matter was that Sebastian agreed with Katya, mostly concerning the investigation and removal of his Prefect status. Though he supposed it all came down to the reputation of the position, as well; it wouldn't do to have a Prefect continually implicated in fights or disagreements against a student, for fear of being seen as staff favoritism. Still, it had been an accomplishment to earn the placement in First Year, one that even Sebastian's father hadn't achieved... and now it was gone.

And that was why Erin would be ruined; she had inadvertently led to the boy losing the first achievement his father hadn't gained.

"Likewise," Sebastian said, when Katya mentioned being glad to be his friend. He also noted the bruises on her knee, and would make sure to ask about it later, when the conversation allowed. But for the moment, she continued, asking about a possible nickname for him - which Sebastian understood, given she was Russian, and her accent remained. "I suppose you could call me Leeds. Some do. I don't mind, either way, and it's shorter than Sebastian."

While the pair spoke, the boy was aware of Katya's increasing concern and displays of worry. Part of him liked that she cared, but another part of him wondered if she was simply playing the part. After all, to be a good friend, you had to show that you had some emotional connection, and perhaps it was easy for Katya to do. Still, with his mind roiling between clarity and fogginess, the importance of the meaning behind her actions didn't matter as much, at least not presently, and Sebastian simply accepted the kindness.

"Thank you," He said, smiling. "I'll lower the bandages, give me a moment..."

As Sebastian sat forward, his thin body hunched, the boy looked every bit the eleven year old he was. Some might have mistaken his intelligence and manner of speaking as advanced for his age, but in that moment, he was certainly a child who was in pain and needed caring for. The boy appreciated that Katya was willing to assist, since doing it himself would likely be very difficult given the location of the neck wounds, and considering how many scars there were to cover, Sebastian didn't fancy wasting the potion.

I'd probably spill half of it, Sebastian thought. Especially with my bandaged hand.

With a grimace, Sebastian reached up and gently pulled down the bandage. The sliced words in his neck were clearly visible, the skin puffy and red, with scabbed blood covering some of it. Without the potion, there would definitely be scars, and Sebastian hoped the liquid would result in significantly less or none to be seen...

"Ready."

Sebastian hadn't seen the scars directly, he hoped they didn't look too bad, but judging by how they felt...

"LEEDS," [font=times new roman]Katya repeated, pursing her lips as it ran off her tongue. She played with the piece of linen between her hands as she stood in place, feeling the fringed edges of the fabric, "I can call you by this, yes." She nodded her head, watching as he moved to sit up in the bed. She almost winced herself, not wanting him to make it hurt any more than it did. But she also assumed he was bright enough to not inflict any more pain on himself than was needed. 

 When he took off his bandage that covered the wounds on his neck, she leaned in slightly, looking closely at the marks. She wanted to reach out and run her fingertips over the bumps - but that would mean causing more pain for him, and that wasn't something that she was looking forward to. Clearing her throat slightly, and without thinking, she climbed onto the bed herself, which was exactly the reason why she asked him to sit forward. Being short for her age, it was definitely easier to do this at the same level. She sat up on her knees behind him, spreading out the linen on one hand to prepare to douse it in the potion.

 She reached over to the end table to grab ahold of the flask once more, twisting off the cork that acted as the lid and putting it down on the blankets beside her. Katya let out a shaky breath, slowly tilting the bottle until it poured out liquid, right onto the linen. Thankfully she was being careful enough to not spill it anywhere else. When the linen was wet enough, she put the cork back in the flask, folding the linen over itself so that it would be just big enough to cover the marks. Or most of them, anyways.

 "I do not know how much this will sting." She informed him, chewing on her bottom lip nervously. She agreed to this because she assumed it was better than allowing him to wait longer for it, but she really didn't know much when it came to medicinal magic. Without another hesitation, she eased the linen onto the back of his neck, letting it rest lightly for a few moments before she dropped the ends, allowing them to sit against his shoulders in the front. She brought her hands back to press down the fabric the slightest bit, furrowing her eyebrows slightly.

 "Is that good? It will have to soak like this for a while, so you may not be able to move much..." She trailed off, taking one hand off of the cloth to push up one of her sleeves, doing the same for the other arm as well before she leaned over his right shoulder, still keeping her distance - what little of it there was - while holding on to the linen that was draped over his neck. "It doesn't hurt, does it?"

It was an odd feeling, relying on someone like he was. Sebastian had been taught to be self-reliant from a young age, made to formulate his own way out of situations or through obstacles. So it was weird for the boy to be trusting Katya to help, though admittedly there hadn't been any instance of getting the injuries he had currently in the past, so nothing could have prepared him for now. Still, it was... nice, especially considering how withdrawn and strict his family were at home, rarely displaying affection or feelings for one another.

Katya resting on the mattress behind caused the soft bed to shift, with Sebastian steadying himself easily enough. He waited, unsure of what had to happen specifically, as the girl used the potion on the linen cloth and prepared to apply it to the scars on Sebastian's neck, back and shoulders. Truth be told, there was already some pain, as the boy's back shifted positions, so he figured a little more wouldn't be too bad... and with Katya's warning, the cloth was put against his skin.

And Sebastian shuddered, his jaw clenching, as the cold liquid began to burn.

Whatever Katya said next wasn't heard, as the boy scrunched his eyes closed and gripped the blanket with fists, the knuckles white. He could feel his eyes watering, as he gritted his teeth, but Sebastian refused to cry out or show Katya he was tearing up. In the past, Sebastian had always guarded his emotions closely, perhaps too closely according to some, and as he continued to get older, hiding those feelings from some people became more important; and right now, not showing Katya his weakness seemed to matter to Sebastian, though he didn't really understand why.

"I-it's okay," Sebastian muttered as he kept a grip on the blanket, his shoulders hunching more. He heard Katya in his right ear, close, and angled his head down to avoid showing her his facial discomfort. "I'll wait as long as it takes. Keep going."

And while the potion was beginning to work, the burning lessening somewhat, there was still a very painful sting on the boy's skin. He supposed knitting scars back together would hurt, since it involved rapidly speeding up the natural process. Still, focusing on the pain made it worse, so he let out a slow exhale and spoke in a quiet - if somewhat strained - voice...

"Can you take my mind off the stinging? Tell me about something," Sebastian said, controlling his breathing. "How did you get the bruises on your knees? I-I saw them before..."

Did I just admit to looking at her legs?

"I mean, I noticed them when you had the potion in front of you... not that I was l-looking at your legs, exactly. Just. Yeah."

Sebastian cursed himself. The nurse remedies, pain and potion on his skin was throwing him for a loop, and he was sounding like some stupid kid...

 WITH [font=times new roman]basic observational skills, Katya was able to watch part of his hand go down to grip onto the sheets once she placed the linen over the cuts on his neck. A smile wasn't on her face for much longer now - instead, she focused on not moving her hands too much, not wanting to make it worse. She reached up to push a strand of her raven black hair behind her ear, but not much more after that. Moving seemed to always make things worse when she was hurt - whether it was her moving, or the person cleaning up her wounds.

 She leaned herself back from over his shoulder once she received a reply, and she pursed her lips slightly, "If you say so.." She trailed off, not-too-convinced that it was okay. She did give him props, though, for being tough through it. She would be crying like a baby at this point, and have her mother snapping at her father to shut her up - Natalina couldn't handle the sound of a crying child. She was glad that their roles weren't reversed, it allowed her to pretend that she was calm and serene in the midst of situations like these.

 Just as she was wondering what to talk about, he spoke up again, causing her to tilt her head slightly. She probably should take his mind off of the potion and the linen, but she wasn't quite the conversationalist right now. She'd never done something like this before, and she wanted to make sure that she was handling it properly. When he asked about the bruises on her knees, she parted her lips to make up some white lie as to what really happened, when he continued on.

 The next part made her blush, especially considering she wasn't even thinking of the fact that he had to have been looking at her legs in order to figure out that she did, in fact, have bruises on them. With him saying this, it made it seem as though he was looking, and it made her embarrassed. Whether or not that was good, she was yet to be sure of. All she knew was that he needed something to talk about, and she could most definitely find a way to talk about this subject. She'd just need to make up a little story in order for it to work.

 Ignoring his final comment, she began to speak.

 "Well, I was on the grounds, with that Fawley girl," She mentioned, just taking the words that first came to her mind. She cleared her throat then, slightly shifting the linen. "She was being rough, as she is usually, when I accidentally tripped on the root of a tree. We were by the forest, after all, but I fell onto my knee. I get these marks easily, they don't like to go away either." She explained, almost patting herself on the back for making up something that sounded somewhat convincing.

 "In the meantime, I happened to scratch my leg on a rock as well, and now I have a scratch as well. Clearly, nothing as bad as what you have." She smiled a little bit as she looked up at the wall across from them, where a vintage clock was hanging. It had been a good few minutes, so she assumed that it was enough to move the linen. "I will move this now." She informed him, before lifting the linen and moving it slightly to the left, making sure she didn't miss a spot on his neck. It would rest there for a few more minutes, her hands gently pressing down as though it would make it more effective.[/font]

Sebastian listened as Katya explained about the bruise and injury to her legs, his eyes narrowing at the mention of the Fawley girl. He assumed she spoke of Eris, who Sebastian had heard numerous rumors about, most of them bad, but had never personally met. For whatever reason, Eris seemed to be traced back to all kinds of mischievous deeds, usually associated with a partner or two in crime. Before, as a Prefect, Sebastian hadn't had the opportunity to look into seeing what the deal was with the small redhead, and now that he wasn't in the position at all, the chance disappeared completely.

"Well, make sure she doesn't get away with it," Sebastian muttered, leaning forward as he placed his hands into his lap. The fingers weren't as clenched as they had been, which was good. "I might be able to help, if you wanted to get her back. Especially since I'm not being monitored by Professors like I was as a Prefect..."

In fact, now that he thought back to it, Sebastian had to admit being a Prefect had been more a chore than anything. Always answering to staff, always kept busy, never really given a chance to enjoy spare time because he was always patrolling, attending class or studying. Now, though, without the pin on his chest, perhaps the boy could have some time to himself, and finally learn to just embrace having little to do as a young student? Hopefully.

"I can feel the potion working," The boy said, as he looked down at his hands in his lap. "The pain is lessening. Feels like it was a good mix."

Sebastian let out a long sigh, the relief from the potion easing a lot of the pain...

"Has anything else happened while I've been cooped up in here?"