22 Sep 2020, 12:44
An Off Day
Today was an off day for Rose. She was less like herself, and very tired- she was more like a ghost than an actual person. She kept spacing out and couldn't think straight. She was achy and sore all over her body for no good reason except that she was a girl. Though Rose was usually so put together, today her hair was in a messy ponytail, which was much more rare than it should be, and her shirt wasn't tucked in. If you stopped and gave Rose a look over, you could tell something was... off.
She couldn't stop thinking about the howler she had gotten from her mother the night before. She hadn't been around anyone when she opened it, but it was still infuriating- the contents. It had, very angrily, stated that she didn't need any help from Rose and she definitely didn't need any help from their Aunt Colette, either. Rose had asked her aunt Coco to go check up on Jessica every once in a while because their mother was neglecting her. And now her aunt was banished from their house. Her mom had also said that she would have a serious talk with Jessica about over-exaggerating and that Rose wouldn't be getting any more owls from her. Sure, Jess had school, but once she got home, it was just her and sometimes Doofus (their family owl).
So today was an off day for Rose.
She had gotten through her other classes okay, with nothing too embarrassing happening, though she had zoned out and missed part of one class- it had been relatively easy to catch up on, though.
By the time she had gotten to potions, her stamina for the day was dwindling.
And apparently they were working with partners. Oh, Rose's poor partner would have to put up with her all period. They would either have to do all the work if they wanted it done right.
Rose had nothing against Henry Knight. The first time they had spoken was when Cash Ironwoods was stressed about a howler and they had both gone to help. Rose had honestly thought Henry was a little obnoxious then. But then she had met him later, on the Quidditch Pitch, and they had gotten along really well. An incident with cauldrons blowing up and a detention or two later, here she was, partnered up with him.
Poor Henry.
But it could be worse for Rose. Henry was really kind and he would probably be nice to her as she wasn't too great today. She would force herself to focus, though, for his sake.
Rose offered him a smile- the first real smile of the day!- as she started to get out her stuff from her bag- her glass phials, her textbook, her scales. "How are you?" Yes, even though her day sucked, she was asking him how his was because she cared. She flipped open her book to the right page for the assignment. "Should we get started?"
22 Sep 2020, 16:25
An Off Day
Most days were the same for the twelve year old kid who had so much on his mind with his hidden life and family that anything else would cause him to have a total meltdown something that he usually never had since he always keeps his emotions hidden. However that day was different since Henry recieved that letter from his father a few days ago addressing his behavior and that day he got a odd letter from his twin sister that stated their father was away more than usual and when he came back he would be smiling. Both things he hardly did which definitely gave Henry and Annabeth some interest of this but being at Hogwarts there was little he could do.
One look at Henry you could say he was in a bad moon or was having a rough day, his tie was loosey hanging around his neck, his robes were unbuckled, his shirt was untucked, and his belt was no where in sight as he had his message type bag on his shoulder when he walked into potions. Henry was odd and he normally liked his classes but that day was like most days where he spaced off and thought of other things, he would normally go to classes late but he actually came on time that day as he made his way to a desk at the back where he placed his bag on the ground besides him and waited for a partner to join him.
Rose Moon, fellow second year but in gryffindor who was nice but was also rumored to be dating Eyre. Henry met Rose a few times before some good and some bad, he took note of her state to and just smiled as he watched her take out her stuff. Henry left his own supplies in his bag as he answer " hello Rose, fine I guess. What about you," Henry then remembered how to brew most potions but he wasn't paying attention last class and so he spoke " uh sure, would you mind telling me what potion were brewing? I might have forgotten," Henry however begun to set up their cauldron and heat it a bit as he did what it help Rose.
@Rose Moon
"There's no such thing as strange creatures, only blinked people" - Newt Scamander
22 Sep 2020, 20:52
An Off Day
Henry obviously wasn't having too good of a day either. It only took Rose one once-over to see that he wasn't feeling amazing- he looked even a little disheveled, his uniform holding on by a string.
But, seriously- What was Rose's mother even doing? Jess had reported that she had seemed smiley before she started coming home late at night and leaving early in the morning. Like, unnaturally smiley. If she was just having more work to do, why was she even happier than normal?
Rose really wasn't paying attention to Henry when he asked her how she was, but she realized he had told her something. After a couple seconds of hesitation in which her brain repeated to her what she had heard but not quite processed, Rose sat back up from being bent over her bag, and answered, "I'm okay, thanks." Okay meant that she wasn't quite good but she was... well, she was quite bad, wasn't she?
And then he asked what potion they were brewing. Rose had been paying attention to him that time, as well as class (kind of), but the name slipped her mind right as she was about to say it. "That's okay. We're brewing... Uhh..." she wracked her brain for the answer, blushing a red that was almost as red as her hair. "I'm sorry, I'm not usually so..." Incompetent? Horrible at everyday things? Forgetful? "Like this." The answer then came to her like a lightbulb turning on. "The um, the Drowsiness Draught, I think." Yeah, that sounded right. Even though it hadn't taken her long to remember the answer, Rose still hated that she had forgotten, and she fed the fire that was burning against herself- why was she like this? She was usually so put together, and now Henry would have to suffer from her being so horrible at things she was usually so good at.
She opened her book to page twenty-seven, which had the instructions to the Drowsiness Draught on it. The last thing Rose needed right now was more drowsiness, but hey- here they were.
She scanned down the page, seeing that the first steps were with the mortar and pestle. The redhead brushed some baby hairs that had escaped from her messy ponytail out of her eyes and pulled her mortar and pestle right in front of her, preparing herself to start on the day, and read the first instructions. "Do you want to start... grinding the Bdellium into a 'sticky measure' with your mortar and pestle and I'll grind the Chamomile with mine?" Rose usually took charge in these kinds of things, finding ways they could cut corners and work at the same time. Today may have been different, and Rose may have not been feeling as well as normal, but she still suggested a way for them to start out.
Just because she wasn't feeling like herself didn't mean she wasn't herself.
Little did Rose know, that in this very room, Henry and her boyfriend, Eyre, whom she was very close with, had told each other that their problems weren't valid. She didn't think badly of either of them and probably wouldn't know how to react if she found out they weren't on good terms.
22 Sep 2020, 21:15
An Off Day
When Rose replied, Henry just smiled and he continued to set up the cauldron but his mind was far from the cauldron, in fact his mind was on his hidden life and family and his father, the twelve year old still couldn't wrap his mind around where his father could be going that would make him happy. He knew his father worked long days but that wouldn't be it and Henry wasn't as certain but he was pretty certain that his father was seeing his family then where else would the man could that he would be happy about going? So wrapped up in his thoughts, Henry almost missed his next part as the boy replied to Rose " no worries, everyone has a off day but thanks for the potion."
The potion they were brewing, luckily for this geek and know it all he already the potion memorized so he started to put the cauldron at the proper heat before beginning to crush up the bdellium before adding them in with the third substance, with his mind on other things he didn't noticed that Rose spoke so Henry stopped as he spoke " sorry, uh sure and sorry again," Henry looked at the potion and now saw how others could call the boy a know it all or geek so he spoke again " I'm a geek but others like to call me a know it all since I uh how do I say- already know a lot of our classes, sorry again but let's do your way now," Henry smiled at Rose as he begun to site the two ingredients together that he added before he spoke " I been in you shoes too many times and I hope your alright."
Henry pointed at her own untidy clothes and couldn't help but laugh at how similar they were to his before he spoke " bad day to? Clothes are probably the best way to tell how someone's day is," Henry then looked back at the potion as he spoke again this time more quietly " we don't need to discuss our problems, just thought I would ask since, you know?" He again gestured to their clothes before thinking back to their past experiences.
@Rose Moon
"There's no such thing as strange creatures, only blinked people" - Newt Scamander
22 Sep 2020, 23:15
An Off Day
An off-day. That really was the best way to describe it. It wasn't a bad day because there wasn't anything wrong with the day, except that it wasn't a weekend day and she couldn't just curl up and read or process or cry alone all day. It was more of Rose that was the bad part of the day. Rose was off. And so her day had been off.
"No, that's okay." Rose really didn't want to just leave him with all the work- she was usually a good partner but today was very different. Her eyebrows raised. He already knew the potion? "Um, if you already know it I'll just follow your lead then." her voice was harmless, it held no venom. She just sounded physically tired.
Her face flushed as she realized how scattered she looked. She brushed the rebel curls out of her eyes again, even though they fell right back in, and tucked her shirt in, only starting to make herself look more put together. She offered him a weak smile. "Thanks. Uh, no, that's fine. I just..." She sighed. He didn't need to know everything about the situation, and if she told him too much she would start rambling and then she would start crying and then her day would be worse than it already was.
Rose forced herself to not over-exgagerate ("I thought you, of all people, would see through Jessica's exaggerations!") and to not start rambling- she hated it when she rambled. Nobody wanted to listen to a little rehead drone on and on about everything she had opinions on. She could talk for hours on a plethora of subjects, if anyone bothered to listen to her. But, really, she just kept it all swirling around in her head. Sometimes she wrote it in her journal, something she was planning on doing today, but it really wasn't the same as telling someone else. "My little sister is really lonely at home, alone. And my mom isn't helping. I'm just... frustrated." There. That was good enough. It felt good, to some degree to tell someone.
Rose busied her hands, trying to hyperfocus on the potion while also focusing on Henry. "And you?" she smirked a little, though it faded quicker than it should have. "You're not too put together, either." They continued to work, Rose checking the textbook and secretly envying Henry for knowing it already.
22 Sep 2020, 23:31
An Off Day
Henry continued to brew the potion like clock work or like he done it before, well his older brother did force him to study and memorize the materials so be would be advanced in his year like his brother has been and Henry isn't complaining because sometimes he enjoyed it while other times, well that was a different story. When he heard Rose speak he couldn't help but let out a smile before speaking " I'll still follow your lead and your jealous that I know the potion right? I only know it because when I was younger my older brother use to have me memorize the maternal and classes so I could be advanced like him, it has it's benefits sometimes but other times- uh," Henry stopped talking he sometimes spoke too much but when he heard Rose speak again then later address her problems he smiled at her as he continued to brew their potion.
"I'm sorry to hear that about your mum and little sister but it sounds like you really care for her, I bet your a great sister," Henry offered her a smile as he stopped brewing for a few minutes as he spoke to Rose " if alone then the best thing you can do is write to her and have her remember that she isn't forgotten," Henry then went back to brewing the potion when he heard Rose speak and now he was at a lost for words, yes he was doing the potion but at the same time he was shrugging with what to say and how to say it.
Eventually and after a few steps Henry ran a hand through his hair before going back to the potion and saying "I'm not, I'm also having a uh off day," Henry offered her a smiled as he looked into her eyes before focusing back on the potion and continuing " I been having some problems with uh-" Henry lowered his voice to a whisper so only Rose could hear " my father's family," Henry felt weird saying that before resuming his work on the potion and speaking in a normal voice again " my twin recently sent me a owl that she been alone, more than usual at home and my brother is away for his auror training. While my father well let's just say that he isn't helping her either," Henry chose not to say more as he begun to stair their potion now.
@Rose Moon
"There's no such thing as strange creatures, only blinked people" - Newt Scamander
23 Sep 2020, 18:54
An Off Day
Why was Henry so good at this? It was almost infuriating for Rose, though her face didn't show a hint of it.
Oh- that's why. He was forced to learn it from his brother. Maybe Henry didn't want to know all this stuff that nobody else knew, maybe he didn't want to be so different.
"No, really, it's okay. I'll just follow your lead. I'd rather get an O by following your lead than get... something less for taking charge," Yes, Rose trusted Henry more with these things than she trusted herself. Rose would get really mad at herself if she ever got an E, and an A was failing the class in her eyes.
Rose blushed again when he pointed it out that she was jealous. Was it really that obvious? Rose didn't mean to confirm or deny his hypothesis, but the way she blushed and ducked her head when he pointed it out drew a big red circle around the answer. And it didn't help her case when she blurted, "It's just that I get mad at myself when people are better than me." Why did she have to say that? "I'm sorry, I didn't mean- you are allowed to be good at-" She forced herself to shut up, snapping her mouth shut before any more words could escape.
A great sister? Huh, yeah right. In Rose's mind, she was the one who left Jess at home- she was the one who had made it so she couldn't send any owls by writing to Aunt Coco. Rose had tried to help, and yet she had made it worse. How could she be anything but a bad sister in this instance?
Rose was wrong, of course. But it didn't occur to Rose that it could be anyone else's fault but Rose's mother and Rose. It didn't occur to her that she was a good sister just because she had tried to help.
This was her fault. That was what Rose believed with all her heart.
Jessica wasn't even allowed to write back anymore- maybe her mother would not let her even get letters from Rose. Maybe she would strengthen the Jessica embargo so that the only place she went except for home was school- the only people that she got to talk to were at school. Oh, how could this be happening? How could Rose do this to her little sister?
One of the more recent times Rose had talked to Henry, it had been obvious that he was a little mad at his dad. Okay, had been definitely infuriated at his father for whatever reason.
The two second years were more alike than they realized in that moment.
"I'm sorry, that's..." Not being able to find a word that fit well enough, Rose trailed off, adding, "I'm sure you're an amazing twin brother to her." Yeah, it was different with Henry. How could Henry be to blame? It's not his fault his sister was born a squib. He wasn't writing to his aunt to try to help, just causing everything to become doubly worse. It was so much different with Henry.
Rose continued to help Henry, though it was obviously less than it should have been- it wasn't even. Rose hated it, but she guessed she was lucky to get Henry as a partner- she couldn't mess anything up too much.
"Do you like potions?" she asked him. People usually liked the things they were good at. Henry had told her that he already liked Care of Magical Creatures more than any other class, even though he hadn't taken it yet. But she still didn't know if he liked potions.
24 Sep 2020, 18:45
An Off Day
When Henry heard Rose speak again, he couldn't help but turn his face to her and smile as he spoke " no matter who takes charge, I'm sure we'll get an O since were both smart," Henry lightly bumped his shoulder with hers in a playful manner before turning back to his work and saying " plus it did help that my brother and I are so alike, especially when it comes to academics probably why were so close," Henry thought about his relationship with his brother, it was special and different definitely not like most. The two were closer beyond compare, if their was one person that Henry could trust with anything then it would be his brother.
However Henry laughed a bit when Rose spoke again and quickly looked over at her before continuing his work and saying " there's nothing wrong with wanting to be better, trust me I show know I am a geek and know it all you know," Henry then laughed as that was intended to be a joke before adding " so I remember you saying you have 4 siblings, your the middle child right? It explains your competitive nature which is always a good thing especially on someone has kind as you," Henry gave her another smile before going back to brewing their potion as he finished crushing the ingredient he was crushing and dropped it into their cauldron.
When Henry heard Rose speak again, he stopped working as the thought filled his mind. He really wasn't a good twin brother, they were barely around each other and rarely shared their thoughts with each other, if anyone was a good brother that would be Arthur. Henry shook his head a bit as he went back to working on their potion as he spoke " I'm not sure about that, Author is probably the better brother than me. Uh, but I bet your a amazing older and younger sister."
Henry then went back to brewing as his mind filled, but with Rose's question he chuckled a bit before speaking " I'm a geek and some even said I'm a know it all so I like almost every class," Henry quickly looked at Rose and smiled before going back to their potion and saying " my favorite classes at the moment are potions, astronomy, charms, and transfiguration. Next year it will also be care of magical creatures and
ancient ruins," Henry laughed a bit before looking at Rose and saying " what about you? Do you like potions?"
@Rose Moon
Last edited by Henry Knight on 25 Sep 2020, 21:19, edited 1 time in total.
"There's no such thing as strange creatures, only blinked people" - Newt Scamander
25 Sep 2020, 21:12
An Off Day
Made by the amazing Scarlett Aden!
Rose appreciated his compliment, even though she never thought of herself as smart. She would always tell everyone that she wasn't smart, that she just worked hard. She told everyone that. Maybe she was smart. But Rose didn't believe it. She swayed back when he nudged her, nudging him back a little bit with a smirk on her face.
Henry's entire next replies to their conversation made it so much warmer, to be honest. He laughed off her comment that she got mad at herself when people were better than her, which gave her a sense of relief. He mentioned there was nothing wrong with wanting to be better, and Rose knew he might have had a little experience with that, the way he said it. She blinked in surprise when he complimented her, calling her kind, and saying a little bit of competitiveness was good for someone as kind as her. It brightened up her day by just a shade thinking it- she was kind. "Thank you." Rose couldn't think up a compliment to return to him from that, feeling very selfish that she hadn't complimented him back. But the looming compliment told her she wasn't selfish- she was kind.
"Just because Arthur is better than you doesn't mean you aren't a good brother," she reassured him. It was ironic how she said that- that just because someone was better didn't mean he wasn't good. Rose needed to hear that, but in her tired state, she wasn't really listening to her own words. He continued to compliment her, saying that he bet that she was an amazing younger and older sister. "Thank you again." A smirk grew on her face, a teasing smirk that was very very serious. "Look who's being kind, though. You're complimenting me, putting up with me..." distracting me from thoughts I needed to be distracted from... Really, Henry was her saving grace today.
Rose picked up her wand right after Henry added the Standard Ingredient, waving it over the potion, marking the start of its brewing time. Rose leaned back as they had now finished the first part of the lesson. The potion now had to brew for sixty minutes. Rose took out her notebook that she used to keep her notes together, as well as a pencil. She was used to using a pencil and a pen and a highlighter or two to make her notes easy to follow and understand, as well as really pretty. But today the notes were all monotone, written with only a pencil. Rose started to take notes from the textbook, adding to her notes from the lesson. This was something that didn't require as much thought and precision as the brewing of the potion did, and she could still talk to Henry while it brewed and she took notes.
"Not on days like today," Rose confessed. She realized that he could have taken it wrong- that she didn't like potions on days she had a partner or on days she was partnered with Henry. Then, to clarify, very anxiously and awkwardly, she said, "I mean, like, a day where I'm... off, I guess. I wish there weren't any classes at all today, really." Internally face-palming, Rose continued, remembering where she was originally going with that. "But usually, yeah, I like potions, mostly because it's fun for me to work with my hands." On a regular day that she was actually put together, Rose would be immersed in her potions work, her hands working and her mind thinking. But today, it felt like both her thoughts and her movements were trudging through mud, struggling to cope and to do everyday, normal things.
Henry had listed a few of his favorite classes. There was that feeling of pushing through mud, it sucking at her feet as she was trying to think. Rose knew her top two favorite classes, but couldn't think up her top four at this moment. She gave up thinking about it after a couple seconds, commenting, "My favorites would be Charms and Transfiguration, too." They really were. Rose loved the spell classes, particularly charms, and Transfiguration? Rose was downright fascinated by Transfiguration. Her classes in Transfiguration were always better than any other class. Though Rose sometimes didn't write out Transfiguration, and just wrote transfig., or transf.. It was the coolest thing in the world to Rose that you could take one object and turn it into another. And she really looked up to Professor Lian- she thought that she was so amazing not only with Transfiguration, but that she was blind and teaching. She really was Rose's role model.
He liked astronomy? Rose tried in astronomy, but she really didn't like staying up late. In that area, at least, she was a tween through and through. She needed sleep and lots of it.
As was apparent.
She laughed a little when he laughed. "What about your least favorite class?" Rose already predicted he was going to mention that he was "a geek and a know-it-all" in his answer. He had said it at least three times in their conversation already. It had kind of slipped her mind at the time, but if he said it too many more times she just might explode at him and she really didn't want to do that to sweet Henry Knight.
28 Sep 2020, 20:09
An Off Day
Watching the potion he heard Rose say thanks, in which Henry smiled at her lightly and nodded his head a bit before adding in another ingredient in which he heard Rose speak about being a good brother also. Henry then felt like he should reply as he spoke " thanks," except even if I don't compare myself to Arthur, I still haven't been a good brother to Anna, adding that last part in his head as he stirred the potion before hearing Rose speak again and laughing a bit at her answer as he then spoke " thanks and I guess that we're both kind then," Henry smiled at her before turning back to the potion and heating it up for a few minutes before bringing it back down as he continued to stir it.
Henry then stopped as he watched Rose start to take notes, the potion had to brew for sixty minutes and at the moment he didn't know what to do as he started to fiddle with the friendship bracelet on his left wrist that he shared with Logan, Henry always did have a problem with keeping still. Before reaching in his bag and taking out a box of Berties botts every flavor beans that his brother got him during the summer. Henry opened the top slightly before taking out a bean and popping it into his mouth, peppermint not that bad.
Henry heard Rose speak again and this time looked at her since the potion had to sit for a hour, when she was done he smiled before speaking " I know how you feel don't worry, having a uh off day can be the worst. I also wish that we didn't have any classes today," after a bit Henry then held out the box of beans to Rose as he spoke " do you want some?" Henry smiled at her as she mentioned that charms and transfiguration were her favorite subjects as well, how odd almost.
Rose then spoke about least favorite subjects and Henry knew it instantly only because he was terrible at it as he spoke " I'm not taking it but I might next year, but definitely divination," Henry just never got it and is really terrible at it as he spoke again " what about you? What is your least favorite subject Rose?" Henry smiled at her as he popped another bean into his mouth, blueberry wicked no bad ones yet, Henry continued to smile at Rose as he waited.
@Rose Moon sorry for the wait
"There's no such thing as strange creatures, only blinked people" - Newt Scamander