Bruin and Sophia

[Sophia Stark]

"Bruin," Sophia called out sternly as she rushed down the hallway after him. finally catching up she grabbed his arm to stop him and stopped herself, positioning herself so that she was facing him.

"Is something wrong?" she asked plainly, a blank look on her face. The carefree Sophia from the summer seemed to have disappeared.

 

[Bruin Dumbledez]

Bruin slowed when he heard his name called and was just about to turn around when he felt Sophia's hand on his shoulder. He looked at her, but having gotten used to talking to her over the summer knew that something was different. He didn't exactly know what to say because he didn't exactly know the answer to her question.

Bruin looked as Sophia for a moment, wondering what she was thinking and why she was so concerned about him. Unable to figure anything out from Sophia's expressionless face, he simply responded. "Nope, nothing's wrong, I just have some stuff I need to do." Didn't look like the conversation in there was going to be all that great anyways, so I figured I may as well go and do something productive."

 

[Sophia Stark]

Sophia realized how uptight she must seem from the way Bruin looked at her and her expression softened immediately. "Well you left awfully quick for someone who was simply bored. But I suppose it is none of my business."

Slightly embarrassed at her own behavior she looked down at the floor with a sad expression. "I...I just wanted to be sure that you were all right." Sophia slowly moved her golden eyes from the floor back to Bruin, her suntanned cheeks turning pink.

 

[Bruin Dumbledez]

Bruin noticed the change in Sophia's demeanor and was relieved to see the more human Sophia that he had grown to like in recent months. Unfortunately, as he and Sophia became closer the distance between he and Ford seemed to increase ten fold and this had been bothering Bruin all summer, now coming to a breaking point as they returned to school.

Bruin had never experienced difficulty making friends, but over the past two years had only managed to meet two other guys who he would consider to be close friends, Ford and Kale. Now, he and Ford could barely be civil to one another and Bruin figured Kale would certainly stick with Ford if forced to make a choice. On top of all of his other concerns about school, he dreaded not having the Brotherhood, and more specifically the two of them to hang out and joke around with.

Bruin thought about what Sophia had said about his departure from the Prefect's Room and the fact that what she said had a ring of truth to it bothered Bruin. It bothered him so much that he reacted with words that he regretted as soon as they had left his lips.

"I'm fine, it's the rest of you that have a problem!", he snapped.

 

[Sophia Stark]

Bruin's words hit Sophia like a slap in the face and took a step back from him. Sophia had thought Bruin was her friend, and that they had grown close over the summer. I guess it was only the mountains.

"Well, I can see you would rather be alone." She turned around quickly on her heel, her long black hair swinging around as she did so, and took off swiftly down the hallway.

 

[Bruin Dumbledez]

Bruin watched helplessly as Sophia left, completely at a loss for what to say or do, wishing that he could turn back time and take his hurtful words back. His feet felt as though they were entombed in stone and he stood there for several minutes, the Time-Turner in his left pocket slipping between the fingers of his left hand. At long last, Bruin let the time piece tumble from his grasp and turned slowly, turning his back on a friend who needed him and wondering to himself whether there was truth in the words that Sophia had spoken only minutes earlier.

As Bruin reached the end of the corridor, he made a fist and punched a wooden door with surprising intensity, an explosion of pain in his hand only a momentary distraction from the ache he felt deeper inside. Bruin broke into a run and disappeared across the campus, trying to outrun the problems now tormenting him.