Cat Fight in the Transfiguration Courtyard! PV Willow Blake Finished

"Are you sure you can handle it? Do you have any experience with cats?"

"No!", said Simon and shrugged his shoulders with raised eyebrows. "But I have been bitten by a garden gnome when I was four. I guess that counts for something." He did his best to give her a confident smile (but it probably would not have convinced anyone).

"You know what? Let's worry about that when we're up there, but for now I guess we can worry about being able to get up in the first place."

"You're right." Simon watched as Willow started climbing. She did not lie when she said she was used to climbing trees. She seemed to move so easily up onto the next branch so he just lost himself admiring her athletic performance. Then she turned around and looked at him.

"Come on", said Willow and smiled. "No time to waste, we have a cat to save."

The capeless superheroine was back and he had no intent of letting either her or the cat down. So he got up, found his balance and jumped to the next branch on the other side of the trunk and started climbing. He could see her hands moving upwards on the other side of the trunk, constantly ahead of him.

"I'll try to distract it when I'm up there", said Simon with a determined voice. "Be careful not to slip. It'll be a pretty long drop if you lose your foothold and I'd hate it if you ended up on the Hospital Wing because of me!"

He looked up. There was a good spot on the next branch where he could block the other cat from any more attacks while Willow picked up the hurt cat, which was meowing more and more frequently as they got closer.

Interacting with @Willow Blake

Willow saw as Simon got into motion and start climbing the tree, she averted her gaze back to her own climbing, carefully but quickly picking the branches to step on.

"I'll try to distract it when I'm up there", Simon said before adding, "Be careful not to slip! It'll be a pretty long drop if you lose your foothold, and I'd hate it if you ended up on the Hospital Wing because of me!"

"Well, I'll try~!" Willow said playfully as she smiled at the Ravenclaw, but she was seriously doing so. Her voice suddenly changed its tonality into a more sincere one and her smile faded as she added, "You too be Careful and not only from slipping ... if you know what I mean!" She raised her voice so that Simon could hear her clearly, she really needed him to take care from the vicious cat.

Worry was invading her whole as she stopped for a second and looked at him, concern in her eyes. She bit her lips before focusing back on their initial goal: Saving the hurt cat.
She took a deep breath and continued climbing cautiously a determined expression now on her face.

Willow looked up; she was almost there. She then looked around to check on Simon when the sight of the ground hit her, and she was met up with the reality of how high up in the tree they were: too high for her liking. Her heartbeat quickened and she felt her hands shaking...

She wasn't scared of heights...
She was scared of falls...
One wrong move and you're out.
She then moved her gaze back up and saw the hurt cat... she gave it a sad smile as she looked at his injured eye, and gave it a firm nod... She wasn't going to give up ... "We came here for something and we're not leaving without it" She mumbled mostly to herself, but it was audible for anyone that was close enough... She lead her trembling hand up grabbing the next branch...

@ Simon Tilia

"You too be careful and not only from slipping ... if you know what I mean!"

"Trust me, I'm being as careful as I can, given that we are already climbing a tree ... high up in the air ... and with these bloody shoes", he said with a strained voice as he looked down below his feet. When he saw how small their pile of robes looked from this height he felt dizzy.

"Are you there yet?", asked Simon and took the position on the branch where he thought he would be able to block the cat.

Then he met the cat's gaze, and froze. He knew that you were not supposed to look directly into a cat's eye because that could be regarded a challenge. For that mistake, he was about to pay the prize: the cat hissed it him, showing its sharp canine teeth, claws growing out of its paws and the tail furiously waving behind its back. With a sudden growl, the cat threw itself at him. Simon screamed out of surprise, his back pressed against the trunk while he struggled to keep his foothold on the branch. The cat was all over the place, growling and scratching, constantly ripping its claws free from his shirt and pants before going in for another punch. Then he felt his heel move an inch too far off the branch – and he slipped.

With not much else to hold on to, he squeezed the cat to his chest. Its eyes widened, same as his, before they both went down the tree. Simon was able to dampen the fall by half-jumping and half-slipping from branch to branch before falling and landing with his back on the grass. The air left his lungs with a loud sigh.

"Ooouch", he said with the little air he had left, the cat still tightly pressed to his body and its claws buried in his chest. The cat looked around, its eyes big as green grapes, before it decided to take the opportunity and leave this mayhem. With a last resigned growl, it left his chest, ripping its claws out of his skin. "Ouuch!", Simon exclaimed again. "Ouch, ouch, ouch."

He looked up and met Willow's worried face and gave her a forced smile. "I'm okay", he coughed. "One cat down."

Interacting with @Willow Blake

Willow was so close to the goal it was only some feet away. Still shaking but she didn't stop.
"Are you there yet?" She heard Simon say to her. She didn't want to remove her gaze off the target, but she still responded not looking at him.
"Almost...There!" She climbed closer and finally stood on the same branch as the cat smiling softly at it.
Suddenly she heard The Ravenclaw scream, her eyes widened as she quickly turned her head towards him. She saw the wild cat attack with it claws all over the poor boy. A little high-pitched scream left her lips at the sight of her companion being attacked. And one thing led to another, before she knew it, both him and the cat were falling down the tree getting caught up by all the twigs, branches and leaves.
"NO! SIMON!!!" She yelled her eyes wide flooded with horror. She felt like she was being severely punched countlessly in the guts, her heart was being ripped into shreds.
After all it was her fault, She had the idea of climbing the tree. She was the one who let him go for the savage cat when she could have probably stopped him. It was all her fault.
She was being poured over with guilt.

He then stumbled to the ground laying there, the cat still holding on to him. He let out some grunts and signs of pain plastered on his face. "Ouch, ouch, ouch" Willow flinched at each one of them. He then flashed her a paining smile before stating, "I'm Okay! One cat down!" She knew he was only saying that to let her from worrying; she wasn't buying it...

Willow turned back to the little cat, and quickly held it in one shaking arm the other still trying to keep her stable. Her eyes blurred, she bit hard on the inside of her cheek, trying to keep her breath calm and shivers went up and down her spine. She was fully trembling at this point; her anxiety had gotten the best of her making it harder for her to go back down. Her sweaty palm not holding the steady grip on the trunk. "Simon... I-I'm so sorry...It's all my fault...Sorry" she felt her face heat up. as she looked back at him...She was a mess...Showing her vulnerable side wasn't her thing she hated it ...her first time talking to the boy, and she was already showing him that side of her; the anxious, fragile side of her...

@ Simon Tilia

He watched as Willow got a hold of the cat, who seemed to be willingly rescued. It made no resistance whatsoever in Willows arms, to Simon's relief; that meant Willow could probably get herself down safely.

What had just happened? Simon thought to himself. It had all went so fast. That fall must have scared the hell out of Willow. It was not until now he noticed that she had been screaming, her voice echoing from his memory.

"Don't you worry", he said and slowly raised himself to a sitting position. "Nothing broken. Only some scratches!"

His shirt was dirty and torn and he had indeed a great deal of bleeding scratch marks over his arms, chest and legs, but that was nothing that could not be fixed in the Hospital Wing. At least he did not need to be ashamed of the reason for his accident. Climbing trees to save cats was not against the school rules, after all!

"Simon... I-I'm so sorry...It's all my fault...Sorry." It sounded almost as if Willow was sobbing.

"What? You're talking nonsense!" He looked up into the green foliage and though he could not see much, Willow was clearly very distressed after his sudden fall. "Of course it's not your fault! It was a risk we both took. Rather me than you. And it's really not that bad! Honestly! Although I don't fancy that foul cat, we should be glad that I landed first and not the other way around. And it's gone now, so..."

Simon decided it was best to stand up to convince her. He could indeed stand with no problem. All he could feel was a little pain in his back from the fall, but who would not?

"See?", he said and raised his eyebrows with a lopsided smile, trying to look unbothered.

Willow was now back on the first branch where they started. He could tell from her facial expression that she was not well. Maybe his little accident reminded her of something horrible? From someone who was used of climbing trees, he did find her reaction surprisingly strong.

"Here, I'll grab you as you jump down", said Simon with a calming smile and held out his hands for her.

Interacting with @Willow Blake

He watched as Willow got a hold of the cat, who seemed to be willingly rescued. It made no resistance whatsoever in Willow's arms, to Simon's relief. That meant that both Willow and the cat could probably get down safely.

What had just happened? Simon thought to himself. It had all went so fast. That fall must have scared the hell out of Willow, by the judge of her scream.

"Don't you worry", he said and slowly got up to a sitting position. "Nothing broken. Only some scratches!"

His shirt was dirty and torn and he had indeed a great deal of bleeding scratch marks over his arms, chest and legs, but that was nothing that could not be fixed in the Hospital Wing. At least he did not need to be ashamed of the reason for his accident. Climbing trees to save cats was not against the school rules, after all.

"Simon... I-I'm so sorry...It's all my fault...Sorry." It sounded almost as if Willow was sobbing.

"What? You're talking nonsense!" He looked up into the green foliage and though he could not see much, Willow was clearly very distressed after his fall. "Of course it's not your fault! It was a risk we both took. Rather me than you. And it's really not that bad! Honestly! Although I don't fancy that foul cat, we should be glad that I landed first and not the other way around. And it's gone now, so..."

Simon decided it was best to stand up to convince her. He could indeed stand with no problem. All he could feel was a little pain in his back from the fall, but who would not?

"See?", he said and raised his eyebrows with a lopsided smile, trying to look unbothered.

Willow was now back on the first branch where they had started their rescue operation. He could tell from her facial expression that something was wrong. Maybe his little accident reminded her of something horrible? But from someone who was used to climbing trees, he did find her reaction surprisingly strong.

"Here, I'll grab you as you jump down", said Simon with a calming smile and held out his hands for her.

Interacting with @Willow Blake

"See?" Simon said after standing up giving Willow a smile as he explained how it wasn't her fault. She looked at him the tears threatening to fall from her eyes.
It was so similar...Too similar... Like a DeJa'Vu... Like the nightmares she had for weeks after the incident...like the cause of her sleepless nights...
It was repeating itself in her mind over and over again...as the memories flooded her back...The incident, the hospital, and the goodbye that was never left her lips...

...It's not 'him'... Simon is not- Yeah...Breath... She thought to herself as she rubbed her eyes and her vision started to clear out.

He looked like a terrible mess; his uniform was torn, dirty, and bloody from the scratches and the fall, but he even with all that he was standing and smiling. He really needs to be hospitalized. She then looked at the little cat still in her arms. Both of them. she gave it a small sad smile before she quickly but cautiously went down the branches of the tree one by one holding the cat careful of not disturbing it in any way.

Finally, she was on the last branch as she considered jumping from the high branch, Simon said, "Here, I'll grab you as you jump down." She couldn't help but smile at him. "You sure?" She bit her lips as she asked him before adding, "Let's get you two to the Hospital Wing" her voice had gone back to it's initial tune 'Back to normal...Good...' She held the little cat tightly to ensure its security. Willow smiled down at Simon then jumped hoping he could do as he said even in his current state...

@ Simon Tilia

"You sure? Let's get you two to the Hospital Wing."

Simon was quite impressed by Willow's whole performance. Both how she climbed the tree so skillfully and successfully and was able to bring down the hurt cat safely. He was the one who had messed it up, for which he felt somewhat stupid. As she jumped down with the support of his hand, while holding the little cat in her other arm, he carefully examined her. Willow looked pale and her eyes were shiny.

"Hey. How are you?", Simon said, trying to make eye contact.

Simon had only comforted a girl once, but that girl was 7. A girl with big glasses from his neighborhood that he found crying on her bicycle as a couple of older girls left the scene. Apparently they had been repeatedly calling her a bad word that she did not know what it was but still understood was an insult.

But this time was different. Willow was much older, a maturing girl around his age, whom he also looked up to and admired, both from class and from the performance he had just witnessed. But he had never seen her in this state before. Should he simply ask her what's wrong? Clearly something was going through her mind. Girls were not always easy to read but that much he understood. Or should he just give her a comforting hug? No, that would probably be awkward; and he did not want her to get blood on her shirt too.

"Is everything OK?", he added and petted the cat in her arms on its fluffy cheek. "With you, I mean?" He looked at Willow with a thoughtful smile. The cat seemed to like it in her arms and did no attempt of escaping (perhaps it was exhausted, by the looks of its slow blinking).

Interacting with @Willow Blake

When Willow was finally on the ground with Simon's helping hand, he looked at her and asked, "Hey how are you? Is everything, ok?" He was petting the cat that was still comfortable in her arms. She avoided eye contact with him at first keeping her focus on the hurt cat that was enjoying Simon's little pats. 'Am I?', she thought for a second, 'Yes! Of course, you are! You should be!'

She swallowed before she finally came eye to eye with him, a smile formed on her face as she nodded, "Yeah!" She paused before adding, "But are you? You're the one who fell of the tree and got attacked" She raised an eyebrow at him half smiling, but her expression quickly changed into a little frown and a pout as her gaze met up with the scratches that were mostly covering his arms and chest. "These look pretty bad if you ask me." She mentioned as she checked them out.

Willow then looked at the cat; the fur surrounding one of its eyes was pretty much covered in blood. It had some other less severe minor injuries on its little body.

"Well come on" she said grabbing Simon by the wrist and pulling him leading the way to get out of the Transfiguration Courtyard, "Let's get both of you taken care of." She looked back at him giving him a bright smile. "To the hospital wing!"

@ Simon Tilia

"Yeah! But are you? You're the one who fell off the tree and got attacked." Willow looked at his scratch marks. "These look pretty bad if you ask me."

"I'm alright, really", he said with a final tone. "But yeah, I wouldn't mind the matron to get a look at me and hopefully these scratches can go away pretty quick so I can avoid nosy questions."

"Well come on", said Willow and grabbed his wrist. "Let's get you two taken care of."

"Yeah, let's do that", said Simon with a smile and followed her. "Hey, wait! Our robes." He turned back to get them. "At least the robe looks alright. That's good. Because I'd hate it to stroll around the castle looking like this in front of the whole school. That would certainly give them something to talk about..." He put his robe on and his school bag back on his now slightly aching shoulder, before offering Willow to hold the cat while she got fully dressed too.

Willow seemed to be alright. The cat seemed to be alright (part from its minor injuries). And he was alright. It was all good. Now that they left the courtyard and he replayed the scene in his head, it suddenly seemed quite funny. He could not help but laughing out loud. Before Willow had the chance to ask he quickly explained:

"Sorry, it's just that, it..." (He continued laughing). "It's almost funny when you think of it... I... and the cat...! And we..." When his laughter finally faded, he continued with a sigh: "This was certainly not the spare hour I had imagined. I even lost my cinnamon bun for it. It's true! I threw it at the cat. Well, I guess, what I'm trying to say is... I'm glad that you arrived, Willow."

Interacting with @Willow Blake