A Quiet Place

[Nephrolepis Undersee]

All that Nephrolerpis could here in the tower was the occational flap or wings or hoot from an owl. It was peaceful, which was what she needed. It had become apparent that her recently encountered 'enemy' knew where she liked to spend her evenings, but this was almost as good. Almost. She was sitting under the windowsill, watching dust particles float down in front of her, illuminated by the evening sun. How she wished she could go home, back to Rue, back to her Mother and everything she knew so well. Nobody hated her there. She fitted in, like the last piece of a jigsaw puzzle. But she couldn't. Not for a while, anyway, until school ended and then everything would be normal, just for a little while. It was all she needed - a quick break from the hectic life she was leading here, back to the normal world she had at home.
Sighing, Nephy stroked her finger along the windowsil above her, to find it caked in dust. She rolled a little ball of it around in her fingers until she remembered how dust was made, and brushed it off sharpish, disgusted. Inside, Nephy wanted to scream. But it would be heard from the owlery. She was sure her voice would echo down the stairs and into whoevers office might be in the tower, or even to the ground outside and someone would think she was going to jump out. Instead, she closed her eyes and banged her head gently against the wall behind her. If she didn't get away from Hogwarts soon, she was going to go mad.

 

[Rohan Kearsley]

Rohan had actually planned to visit the owlery that day to send a letter to his parents back home. They would be wondering why he hadn't written yet. When he'd left, it was a promise he'd made that he'd let them know at least once a week how he was getting on with his lessons. But since his lessons hadn't been going very well, he hadn't bothered. He just couldn't understand anything half the time, and so joked around and handed in his work half completed, covered in doodles. He didn't fit in with this working life, he thought with a smile. As he took the steps to the owlery two at a time, he decided he'd tell his parents a feeble lie about how he was doing well in lessons, and that he had plently of friends. Both were completely untrue. It wasn't that nobody wanted to hang around with him, but that he didn't want to hang around with everyone else. They always let him down, or ended up whispering about him behind his back. And if the only friends he could get were like that, then what was the point?
Rohan reached the door to the owlery and found it ajar. He pushed it open with a creak, his eyes adjusting to the dim light as he saw a mass of curly blonde hair under the windowsill. He smiled instantly at the girl, who was surely a part goblin. That or a very small first year - or both. He entered carefully, not wanting to disturb her. She looked deep in thought and he hadn't planned to say anything at all. Pulling up a chair to a desk, he began to write out his letter to his parents, and quickly forgot she was even there at all.

 

[Nephrolepis Undersee]

The small girl woke up from her daydream when the owlery door creaked open. She jumped in fear that it might be Jen or her friends, but it was just a boy. A young one, about her age. She didn't recognize him from Gryffindor, and assumed that he must be a Hufflepuff or Ravenclaw if he was coming up to the owlery to write. But her heart almost split in two when the boy didn't speak to her. Instead, he started to write, ignoring her completely. She sunk back down into the floor. It didn't really matter - nobody spoke to her. Everyone tried to ignore someone as small and 'freaky' as herself. But this time, it hurt. She lowered her head, tears welling in her eyes and cascading down her cheeks. She had planned not to let the boy know she was crying, but after a couple of minutes, she accidentally let out a small choked sound and a sniff.
Nephy held her breath, keeping her head down and staying absolutely still. Please go away, please go away, please go away, she chanted in her head, squeezing her eyes shut and keeping her face covered by her hair. Then she made a big mistake. She risked taking a glance to see if he was looking, then cursed herself for it. If she hadn't, she would have had a much bigger chance of him just walking away instead of asking her what was wrong. But she had most certainly blown that chance now.

 

[Rohan Kearsley]

Rohan was still scribbling frantically, unaware that the girl was crying. He had almost finished his letter, and thought it was pretty decent too, when he heard a strange noise coming from the girl. He hadn't cried very often himself, and it took a moments hesitation to realize what the sound had actually been. She was crying. Being a softie, it broke his heart that a girl as tiny as her would be crying about something. He had to help her, if he could. It was in his slightly cheeky, but also extremely kind nature. Besides, if he'd just walked away, he would have spent the rest of the day in shame that he didn't help. He turned his chair around to face her, just as she looked up. Her cheeks were sodden with tears, but his expression didn't change since he already knew what she'd look like. His eyes were soft and comforting, but he was slightly lost for words. 'Are you okay?' would have been a silly question to ask. She was obviously upset about something.
'What's the matter, are you hurt?' Rohan asked softly, scanning the girl for any signs that she might be in pain, though she just looked plain upset. The girl looked so small, so helpless, and it was completely unfair on her. He wanted to sit beside her, but in fear of accidentally squashing her, he stayed where he was for the time being, just watching her fall to pieces.

 

[Nephrolepis Undersee]

Nephy's eyes shot up the moment the boy spoke, and she groaned inwardly. How could she always find herself in trouble like this? It was the worst thing about being her, she was sure, other than being so small that people often mistook her for being five years old. The muggle world was pretty difficult in that sense, especially when she spoke so well. She shook her head, drying her eyes with her sleeves and hugging herself with damp arms. 'No, I'm fine... Thank you,' she said through her tears, though it was plainly obvious she wasn't. This alone made the tears fall faster. Merlin help me, she thought, willing him to leave her alone, to stop prying. He wasn't, but it felt this way to the poor girl, who was tired of people asking questions all the time. Why couldn't they just leave her alone? She would have been perfectly alright, thank you very much, if the boy had just left her alone in the first place. Or was that what had caused her to cry? Nephy took that thought back as she realised she was due to say something to stop the conversation from becoming awkward.
'Honest, I.. I just.. Had an argument,' she got out, once again cursing herself inwardly for being such an idiot. Why hadn't she kept quiet, or insisted she was fine? When Nephy moved to have an itch on her arm, it was suddenly clearly visible that her wrist was in a sling. She stuffed it back behind her knees and under her other arm quickly, annoying with herself for being so stupid. It had got around school about what had happened. She was suprised if the boy didn't know already. Maybe he was just being thoughtful.

 

[Rohan Kearsley]

Rohan was just considering how the girl had lied about the fact she was fine when she moved, revealed her arm to be in a sling. He resisted the temptation to gasp. What had happened to her? She was so small. He was going to comment on the fact she wasn't alright when she said she'd been in an argument. This sent fear through Rohan. A wave of doubt rushed through him as his eyes flickered to each of hers in turn, scanning her of her thoughts. He looked a little like an alarmed deer. He got up and crouched in front of her, hoping he wasn't making her feel trapped but wanting to be there, instead of keeping his distance. He had to ask this firmly, even if it would embarass her. 'Are you being bullied?' He asked, his voice stern but also soft. It wasn't going to be an easy question to answer, but her first reaction would probably tell him everything he needed to know.
'Because if you are, there are people who can help you. Professors, staff, friends, anyone. You don't have to put up with it,' Rohan tried to reassure the girl, but he couldn't help feeling he was just making things worse by intervening like this. If someone else had caused the injury to her arm, surely she would already have told someone about it? He didn't think someone could be stupid enough to keep that quiet, although he took back his thought immediately. This girl wasn't stupid. She was scared.

 

[Nephrolepis Undersee]

A mixture of emotions raced across Nephy's face. Shock, anger, and fear, all at once. 'No!' she replied, though there was a hint of doubt in her voice, even in only that one word. She had to explain properly, so he didn't get the wrong idea. The last thing she wanted was for the professors to find out about her encounter with Jen. 'It was just one time, bullying is when it's repeated, right?' she asked, fear in her voice now instead of doubt. She wasn't bullied. She'd never been bullied. Had she? Nephy tried to think back to her old school, where the other girls had teased her about her height. Definitely teased, not bullied. And in the second primary school she'd moved to, some of the boys stole her dinner money and spread rumours about her. But it had never occured to her to call it bullying. 'No, I'm not,' she added to confirm that she most definitely wasn't, when it was now clear to anyone within earshot that she most definitely was. 'Please, you can't tell anyone anything. I swear, it was just one time, and it's no big deal anyway. It wont happen again, I know it wont. Please, if I have to tell someone, I'll do it myself. Just don't say anything!' she started to sob, resting her head on her knees and wishing he'd stayed in his seat. It felt like he was too close to her, as though she couldn't escape. And she just wanted it to stop.

 

[Rohan Kearsley]

Rohan had no idea what to say as he listened to the girl. His heart skipped a beat when he found out that something had happened to her. His face softened at once and he put a reassuring hand on her shoulder. 'Don't worry, I won't tell anyone. But I think you should,' he said, wondering whether he was doing the right thing as he spoke. 'Who was it?' he asked gently, thinking that if it was a first year, maybe he could give them a good seeing to. Even a firstie was a giant compared to this little girl. It was unfortunate that she was so defenceless against anybody who challeneged her. In fact, it was probably why the girl had been picked on in the first place. Because she couldn't fight back. 'I'm sorry, I don't know your name. I'm Rohan,' he added, smiling softly and sitting down next to the girl under the window. 'I hope I haven't been prying. It's not my right to know. But I do care that's all. Unfortunate really, isn't it?' Rohan grinned, rested his head on the wall with his legs outstretched in front of him. The room was warm, and he could see why the girl had chosen this place to sit. Then he changed his mind, working out the obvious. She was hiding here, not enjoying the warmth. She really needed help, but it was up to her to get it, not a stranger.

 

[Nephrolepis Undersee]

Nephrolepis breathed out a huge sigh of relief when the boy told her he wouldn't tell anyone. It wasn't really worth telling about, especially not if it didn't happen again. Then she might have to tell someone. But for now, it could remain between the two of them. 'Thank you,' she said, obviously extremely happy that she wasn't going to have to explain to a professor what had happened. When he asked who it was, she wondered why. 'A girl in fourth year. Gryffindor,' she wasn't going to go into any more detail than that, in case he tried to find her. Or maybe that had been his plan all along. 'Nephy. Short for Nephrolepis,' Nephy was always embarassed by her name and how annoying it was to remember. No wonder nobody bothered to be her friend, they couldn't remember her name. She became shocked when he thought he'd been prying. 'No, no not at all. I know you're just trying to help,' she rushed, and then giggled, a real smile spreading across her face. The first one in days. It took a while for her to compose herself again, though she was still smiling. 'Which house are you in?' she asked, suddenly curious. It was obvious, since she was in her baggy Gryffindor robes, which house she was in, so she didn't bother to introduce herself first.

 

[Rohan Kearsley]

Rohan was extremely please to see Nephy smile. It was a beautiful one, too, one which made the whole room light up. He grinned back, very happy with himself. 'You have a lovely smile, Nephy,' he said softly, hoping it didn't make her feel too awkward. He was just stating the truth. He sighed when he found out that it was a fourth year who had picked on Nephy. It was unfair, that a girl so much older and bigger than poor Nephy would hurt her, possibly even just for fun. Rohan couldn't see a reason why you would bully this girl. She was charming, sweet, and very pretty for a girl of eleven. She asked him which house he was in, and he remembered he'd got his ordinary clothes on. 'Oh, Slytherin. But It's not all bad, honest,' he said quickly, smiling. The was a cheeky glimmer in his eye, which always appeared for some reason when he told people he was in Slytherin. Truthfully, there was no other house for him, since he was always getting into trouble and was very ambitious. But people seemed to steer clear of him in case he was unkind, which was the exact opposite of his nature. 'I see you're a lion. My second choice,' Rohan added quietly, hoping that Nephy wouldn't change her mind about being his friend after he found out that he was a Slytherin, and thinking that he might be able to stop her from doing so if he pointed out that he would have liked to be in Gryffindor.

 

[Nephrolepis Undersee]

Rohan's comment shocked Nephy. A pink tinge crept onto her cheeks and she looked at her lap to cover it. She realised that she hated comments like that. They weren't true. And it felt bad that he had to lie to her. But two could play that game. She looked up again, now purposely hoping the blush was still there. 'Thank you,' she replied, her eyes looking into his as she smiled. Then she poked him in the stomach. 'Ye big softie. I don't care which house you're in,' Nephy giggled and stretched out her legs like his, though her feet barely made it past his knees. 'It's a shame you're not in Gryffindor too, though. I mean, just because.. You know, it would be cool,' she tried to erase her mistake of becoming too friendly, and started to blush again. She hated her cheeks at this moment. She smiled, in the awkwardness of it all, and brushed her hair behind her ears. It was something she never did, and all these things were confusing her. She shook her head again to get her hair to fall back over her face, how she liked it. She felt too vunerable with it behind her ears. Too open to everyone.

 

[Rohan Kearsley]

A light laugh left Rohan's lips. He was truly enjoying the company of this girl, especially since she'd perked up a bit since he'd come in. He wondered if it was because of him that she was smiling, happy and playful, like a girl like her should be. Chuckling, he poked Nephy back, though very gently as not to hurt her. 'Yeah, you're right, it would be really cool,' he said softly to make her feel more comfortable. And it was true, too. He would much rather have been in Gryffindor with her than in Slytherin with no friends. 'Well, at least we can still hang out, right? That's if you want to be friends of course,' he mumbled quickly, hoping he hadn't made a huge mistake. When Nephy tucked her hair behind her ears, he smiled again, but it faded quickly when she undid her move. 'Aw, I liked it like that,' Rohan lifted his hand and carefully brushed her hair back again. He started to blush, regretting doing it straight away. It had been a stupid gesture, but he couldn't take it back now.

 

[Nephrolepis Undersee]

Nephy relaxed when Rohan managed to make her feel calmer. It was strange that he had the ability to do so, when nobody else did. Well, maybe except Rue, but she wasn't here, was she? She gasped suddenly. 'Of course I want to be your friend! I mean, uh, if you do and everything,' she mumbled, realizing she sounded a little over enthusiastic about them becoming friends. She was smiling like crazy though, until he lifted his hand. And in that tiny movement, it shattered her happiness. Because she flinched. Nephy lowered her head, letting him pull her hair behind her ears again and not saying anything from embarassment. 'I.. I think I should go,' she said in a pained voice, attempting to stand up using only one hand. It took a moment, but she managed it and brushed herself off. 'I'm sorry,' she added, her eyes welling up again. She couldn't explain to him why. She couldn't explain to anyone why she had been so afraid when he lifted his hand. It was even hard to work it out for herself. But it had shattered her happiness, and possibly his too. In that one, stupid movement. Nephy could have kicked herself. And possibly Rohan, too.

 

[Rohan Kearsley]

Rohan also jumped when Nephy flinched. He shocked himself, and apparently her too. 'Nephy, I'm sorry..' he began, but she was already on her feet. He jumped up, and watched her brush herself down. What was the matter? Why had she flinched? She knew he wouldn't hurt her. Something had scared her, and deep down in his heart he knew it was something bad. 'Please, don't go. I wont do anything stupid, please,' his voice was almost a whisper as his pleading eyes looked into hers. They were big, brown and beautiful, he couldn't help but notice. After what had just happened, however, he banished the thought from his mind, and there was no way he was going to tell her. He was afraid, afraid that he had done something wrong, that someone was hurting her. But mainly he was heartbroken that he couldn't do anything about it. He needed her to know that he would be there for her, if she ever needed to talk. But they had just met, and it seemed innapropriate. So instead, he stood and waited for her to make a descision.

 

[Nephrolepis Undersee]

Nephy shook her head, hanging her head low and gazing toward the floor. She couldn't stay. She was too embarassed, and he probably didn't actually want her to anyway. She'd heard it before, someone asking for her to stay, when she later found out that they actually hadn't wanted her to afterall. They'd in fact hated her. So who could she trust? 'No, it's not your fault, it's fine,' Nephy said truthfully, trying to look away from his feet. She squeezed her eyes shut and headed for the door quickly. Her heart was racing. She had to get away from him, from the room, from everything. But there was nowhere she could go. Her mind was threatening to break her down into sobs again, or worse, scream. She was afraid he'd follow her, grab onto her, not allow her to leave. All these thoughts raced through Nephy's mind as she pulled open the very heavy door. 'Just leave me alone!' she cried, and took off down the stairs, feeling bad about leaving Rohan wondering what it had all been about, but not daring for a second to turn back.