Closed A stinger, but not from the Billywig.

[Isaac Kain]

Isaac was so used to having company, or at least knowing that he'd have company to return to, that being outside by himself felt oddly unfamiliar. He knew that now his OWLs were upon him, he would have to concentrate even harder in his lessons and as a result, found himself on the verge of the forest looking for Potion ingredients, but that didn't stop his mind wandering to places he didn't need to visit. At least he was still on the Quidditch team. He would make more of an effect to reach out to his teammates as Merlin knew he needed to, but stuck trying to work out whether he should push himself into more social situations or work on being by himself, was causing the fifth year more anxiety than he cared to admit.​

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The holidays had been tense for the Ravenclaw. After helping Lillith out with the shop he'd been allowed to stay in New Zealand over the summer, grateful that he didn't have to make the trip back to America for a change. It didn't mean he got on particularly well with her though, and with her increasing pressure about what stock to update Dervish and Banges with, Isaac had been pleased to leave come September.​

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The evening was growing cooler but dressed in just a simple shirt and jeans, Isaac still felt like he had a little time before he had to head back to the castle. He didn't want to be sat in the common room, or the library, or anywhere where he felt closed in. No he wanted the air where he could relax as he considered the options for his future, carefully snipping at a few plants here and there as he walked through the tree line.​

 

[Sophie Wilson]

Breaking up with Isaac hadn't been easy, but they had both known it was the right thing to do. It had put a damper on Sophie's holidays, but now that she was back at Hogwarts she was determined to simply ignore anything unpleasant and keep going. She was happy with her new position in Hogwarts Monthly, and vowed to make that her main focus this year. Though she also knew she had to study for the OWLs, as Amber was often reminding her. Sophie's relationship with her sister had improved, but she still didn't want to hear that.

Tonight, she had decided to take a walk. As big as the castle was, it sometimes felt too full of people. She was now officially one of the older students, but she still passed third years that were taller than her sometimes which was definitely depressing. She wandered aimlessly over the lawn, wondering what her friends would be doing. She wasn't exactly jealous of Geo or Elly for getting prefect badges, but it did feel once more like they were in some sort of elite club she simply wasn't a part of. Sophie just wasn't as special as them, and she had to learn to accept that. She hadn't realized she had wandered close to the forest until the shadows of the trees fell over her. She had no intention of going in, as only stupid people would do that. But she did notice someone close to the treeline and squinted. It didn't take her long to recognize her ex boyfriend, and she couldn't help herself from commenting. "Did you turn to a life of adventure these days? I didn't think you the type to go in there."

 

[Isaac Kain]

It wasn't as though Isaac enjoyed being out here near the forest by himself so much as it was good for him. The air sent chills down him spine as he continued to work, collecting anything that might be useful for him as he contemplated how much he'd changed over the years. He no doubt had Sophie to thank for a large portion of that and no matter how the pair ended, he was never going to regret things that had past between him. For a moment he considered whether he possessed summing abilities though as the blonde peered up through the hazey atmosphere. It wasn't easy to see but at this point the boy didn't require his sight to know who it was.

"Wilson," he said with immediate regret. Even just saying the term aloud felt as though it was bringing fresh memories. He'd not called her that for many years, back from when they were just friends, but alas that it what they'd returned to now wasn't it? "Ill have you know my life was always an adventure thank you," he replied without fully glancing up. Of course this was untrue and it was rare to find him outside the castle except for Quidditch and he was quite sure she'd take it as the joke he intended. "I didn't take myself for the type to work either, but here we are." He shot up a wide grin at the girl eventually, pausing to pack the items in a small bag that hung across his shoulder. "Besides I could say the same. Haven't you got the paper to be contending with? Well done, by the way." He added sincerely, secretly pleased she had something like that to work on herself.

 

[Sophie Wilson]

Hearing Isaac call her by her last name again was unsettling, and Sophie pursed her lips slightly. She wasn't sure what she had expected, of course things would be different now. She wasn't even entirely sure if they could be friends like they were before. Why had she even gone up to him? She didn't want to get in trouble if it risked the paper, though she was still clearly not within the confines of the forest. "I must have missed the adventurous bits." She said, realizing after she said it that it sounded more mean and bitter than she had intended. Somehow, her brand of humor never seemed to hit the right mark lately. "What kind of work are you doing?" She asked, frowning. "And I'm not heading into the forest." She said, shaking her head and taking another step back. "Only stupid people do that." She added, frowning. It wasn't like she usually cared too much about the rules, but a forest full of dangers that was forbidden from students was just something she couldn't see the point of entering. It was just asking to be eaten by something. "You're not going in, are you?" She asked, even though she knew it was no longer her business what Isaac got up to. Maybe she wasn't his girlfriend anymore, but that didn't mean she wanted him to be some creature's dinner.

 

[Isaac Kain]

It was at times like these that Isaac realised he needed more friends. Torn between wanting to be in the company of someone familiar, and allowing that person to be the Ravenclaw in front of him. Despite their mutual agreements it didn't make it any easier to move on. His smile faltered just a little at her comment. He'd known her long enough to understand most of what she said wasn't intended to hurt, but given his lack of experience with emotions recently it hit a little closer to home than usual. He listened as she asked him about his work, but the atmosphere was uneasy and he became more aware that she may have only been asking to be polite. "It doesn't matter." He muttered, closing up his bag and stuffing his hands back into his pockets, a trait he only realised in the last few months he did when he was uncomfortable. As Sophie continued to mention how stupid it was for him to go in, his head had lowered and the fifth year resorted to a simple nod of the head. He had made a mass of progress in developing his self esteem but it could have been reversed and crushed quite as easily. Staying silent out of fear he was bring judged by one of only people he spoke - Used to speak - to, he only looked up once more at her final query. "Course not." He said flatly. If she hadn't turned up though maybe he would have. There was more to see in there and he was a fifth year now, more than capable of looking after himself. It was dumb that she had this, control over him and he hated it. No, it was better they didn't talk about themselves if Isaac didn't want to feel too much at once. "How's Amber?" The shallow turn of topic would have been easily recognisable, but it was safer to talk about the new Head Girl than either of them, besides this was how it was meant to be now.

 

[Sophie Wilson]

Sophie wished she had a timeturner so she could rewind the last few minutes. She shouldn't have approached Isaac, at least not with her usual sarcastic comments. They were all wrong now, only making the divide between them more obvious. There was a time when he would have understood her perfectly, but that time seemed to be over. "Sorry. It's not my business." She said with a shrug, sensing his unease. She realized she had assumed he wasn't actually planning on going into the forest, which is why she had been comfortable calling it stupid. But she actually wasn't sure about that now, and wondered if she had insulted him. His flat voice when he said he wasn't going in seemed to hint at annoyance, and Sophie adjusted the strap of her bag awkwardly. She wasn't sure what to say now, but apparently Isaac wasn't either. His question about Amber made Sophie's eyebrows rise as she looked at him skeptically. "Since when are you interested in Amber?" She asked him, a little frustrated that of all conversation topics to talk about he had chosen her sister. She was less annoyed with Amber lately, but that didn't mean she enjoyed that everyone now knew her as the new head girl. The spotlight was always on her sister, and she had thought Isaac understood that frustration.

 

[Isaac Kain]

Was it her business? Even as friends Isaac didn't mind that she was interested since it only felt natural, only it would have been easier in other circumstances. Perhaps she was feeling just on edge as he, but their usual conversation wasn't flowing as well as it once did, even if the content was similar. "No, it's fine." He forced out, not wanting her to feel like she couldn't talk to him. The last thing he wanted was for her to disappear from his life completely. It felt wrong now to answer her previous question, and the Ravenclaw was left hanging in the air for a moment, unsure how to progress. They never had been the most tactful couple, but Isaac hoped the imbalance between them would fade sooner rather than later. He frowned a little though when she broke the silence, taking a second to wonder why that had come as a surprise. He'd asked about Amber before hadn't he? During Halloween, during the Yule Ball. She was the sister of his girlfriend at the time, and the sister of his friend now, so how could he not be interested? "I.." he stumbled over his words for a moment, the question catching him off guard as he felt like he'd done yet another thing wrong on the list of her criticism. "I've always been interested." he said quietly, nervous he was about to say something else that would be misunderstood.It was taking all of his strength not to bounce her off with a sarcastic comment of his own. It would have been so much simpler but he couldn't lose what little they had left, unaware that it could have broken the tension in the air rather than hindered it further. There had never been this distance, this divide between them before, and the fifth year wondered if there was more to it that he didn't know. Next came words that hadn't left the boys lips for a number of years, he hadn't felt it necessary until now, "I'm sorry."

 

[Sophie Wilson]

Sophie glanced around her, hoping for anyone to come interrupt them, even if it was a professor telling them off for being so near te forest. She grimaced when she realized Isaac had misinterpreted her tone and her question, and she wished she hadn't said anything at all. Not long ago, it seemed like Isaac understood her perfectly. Was it really their breakup that had caused a big difference? Or had Sophie been mistaken about how well Isaac could read her? "That's not what I meant. I never wanted you to be interested in her." She said with a shrug. "Everyone always is. She's fine, but I'm not sure why you're asking about her. That's all." She sighed softly. "Look, I'll leave you to... this." She gestured at him and his surroundings. "Whatever you're doing." There was a small pause. "Sorry to bother you."