Closed Collision Course

[Corn Seymour VII]

Today couldn't be worse if it tried. Cornelius had had a letter from home just reminding him, as if an entire holiday of disdain and tutors hadn't been enough, that if his grades weren't flawless this year he would be in real trouble. He knew all too well the expectations, the requirements that sat on his shoulders, and being scolded as if he just hadn't noticed the pressure from his parents hardly made a difference. Of course he bloody understood the legacy on his shoulders, that didn't stop him wanting to spew if he so much as thought about exams.

The problem with this awful castle was that somehow despite being so big it managed to always be too full, and Cornelius couldn't even go to his own room to get away from people. He had been forced to get creative, finding places he could get away from others. He was heading to one of his favourite hidden nooks to "study" - more realistically, stare blankly at pages for hours as none of it made its way from his eyes to his brain - when he stumbled on an uneven section of floor and slammed right into another boy he recognised from classes. "Watch it!" Corn spat, despite having definitely been the one who bumped into the other boy. He hated himself a little bit for snapping so quickly, but it was too late to go back on now. "You're not the only one who has to use these corridors, you know?"

 

[Gregory Friend]

Gregory was trying to keep out of the way, trying to not be the one bumping into folk. For the most part, this had been working. But as with most good things in Gregory's life, it did not last. He was knocked down from someone else suddenly bumping into him. Thankfully for once, Gregory hadn't lost his glasses in it and was able to get back up on to his feet in absolutely no time at all. He glanced at the boy, and nodded in agreement. ”I know, I'm sorry,” he immediately apologised. Not wanting to make matters worse and knowing that the way he could do that was just by agreeing and even if this boy had bumped into him, Gregory knew it was still his fault. He had still been in the way.

 

[Corn Seymour VII]

Cornelius was pleasantly surprised when the older boy backed down immediately. Some people at this school knew their place, at least. "Be more careful next time, other people have places to be! I have very important studying to do, and you've held me up now! It's a lucky thing we only bumped into each other, I could have fallen right down and sprained my wrist, and then I wouldn't be able to take notes at all!" Cornelius also wasn't able to agonise over his horrible, horrible notes while he was busy dressing down an obnoxious Hufflepuff, so he elected to continue. "It's horribly rude, you know, people like you keeping all of the rest of us from important things we need to be doing."

 

[Gregory Friend]

Gregory was cowering away from the boy he'd walked into. He nodded along, agreeing with the points made in a hope that it would ensure that this boy's anger and frustration would move on. that he would move on. "I'm sorry," he said again, ducking his head a little and seeming very apologetic, and he was. He knew that he was a bother, that he was always in the way, that he was slowing everyone down with how he acted. "I'm sorry," he repeated.