De-stressing and Re-stressing

[Cyril Tokarev]

Dozens of stars were scattered across the night sky, each shining brightly in its own right, each one special in its own way. As Cyril had missed most of his Astronomy Lessons he didn't know the name of the stars, but at least he knew which constellations were they from. It was 8.17pm, and Cyril Tokarev was sitting on the Great Lawn, right in front of the lake. As there was a slight incline sloping towards the lake, Cyril sat there and hung his legs over the incline. He had brought his guitar along, just in case he felt like listening to some music. As he had listened to Muggle music since young, he wasn't really used to the wizard/witch bands over the Wireless. Furthermore, no electrical items such as his MP3 could be used, due to the disruption of signals and electricity via music - Yes, they just can't coexist that well.

For every free period since he had returned to school, all he did was study, study and study. He knew there were SO much more that he had to study for, but he too knew that he was on the brink of exhaustion and snapping. All these late nights, correction, VERY late nights had taken their toll on him. During his lessons, which were actually time for revision Cyril found himself unable to keep his eyes open, and all the coffee that he had been drinking during his late nights were not very healthy for his body either.

With the exams coming, he couldn't really afford to take a break. For every meal, he was seen holding a book on the table, and he ate as little as possible and as quickly as possible, so as to save time for him to study during the meal breaks. He understood that eating fast wasn't very good for his digestive system, but what does a few weeks of fast eating matter in the long run? What would a few weeks of late night matter, if he passed his exams decently? He sure didn't want to spend another year retaking his first in Hogwarts. He would simply be the odd one out - The older one beneath all the twelve and eleven year olds.

Pulling his guitar from his side, he closed his eyes and thought for the moment. Finally deciding not to use his guitar pick, he placed his fingers on the strings of the guitar and began to play a soft, relaxing tune. His right hand was plucking at the strings, whereas his left hand was moving up and down the strings, pressing a specific string as he plucked at them. Truly, music was a strong form of magic, as he could feel the weeks of stress and hard work vanish from his body, his tensed muscles unwind, his exhausted brain begin to regain some of its vitality.

 

[Artemis Tuuri]

Artemis sat directly in the middle of the lawn, still scanning the skies for what was apparently now a lost owl. The grounds were quite deserted as far as she could tell, and sitting in the middle of a dewy green lawn in the middle of the night had finally made her crack.
Apparently Deirdre had deigned not to answer, and as Artemis sat splay-legged on the lawn, she felt tears well up. Oh, it was all too much. She sniffed softly and wiped her eyes with movements as uncaring as possible.

Her long absence from Hogwarts had left an indelible mark in her school work. Her grades were going downhill, and every last assignment that she had missed would have to be handed in. Notes would have to be borrowed, extra study to pursue, and it was becoming too much. Glancing across the lawn to the greenhouses, she remember that even her mandrake was smaller than all the others. Story of her life.

A tiny tear crept out of her eye as she stubbornly scanned the skies still. A minute had gone past of tears and fighting them back, when a soft sound crept up to her from the incline towards the lake. Distracted, she turned and looked over to the lake and listened. The sound was sweet and hopeful. A guitar, she decided. Artemis crawled her way near the edge, past a tree and onto the boy playing it. Wiping her still wet eyes, she sat down for a good listen.

 

[Cyril Tokarev]

The different notes and folds of the rhythm overwhelmed Cyril, and soon he found himself lost beneath them, nowhere to be found, unable to be awakened. The music had travelled far, due to the stillness of the night, and he found a few small animals - Squirrels, mice and such gathering around him, just sitting there, lost in the music. Then, he had a feeling that made him stop. The tingling feeling in your neck that you always get when someone you don't know is looking at you. Well, it didn't really matter if it was someone you knew or didn't knew - It was always felt the same anyway. The last note faded into the night, and a brown and black squirrel looked at him curiously, before hopping over in front of him and sitting on his thigh.

Stroking the squirrels head, Cyril smiled as he felt himself fresh and without stress. He then remembered that he had the feeling that someone was watching him, so he turned around. There was a short haired girl, perhaps one or two more years older than him sitting under a tree, wiping her eyes of tears. Cyril guessed that something had happened to make her sad, so he decided to go over and ask her what was wrong. Standing up, he casually walked towards the girl and asked, "Hey. Are you okay?"

 

[Artemis Tuuri]

To Artemis, the music was still going. And just the same, someone appeared to be watching her. Actually they may have spoken-
"Eh?"
Artemis looked you, suddenly aware that the boy had stopped playing. Bewildered, she look around at him, and the animals also. She had thought that they would have been sleeping; but they, like her, had been lost for a moment in the rhythm.
She lifted her head and looked at him.
"Oh...thank you for asking, but it's just stress." she patted her eyes delicately. "Blimey, you gave me a bit of a fright."
Wondering who the boy was who played so sweetly, she asked,
"What is your name?"
As Artemis spoke, her cockney English accent was clearly evident. She wondered further in her mind who he was even without his answer. Even the animals came to him, it seemed. Well, that was all right with Arty. She adored animals, plants too. She did not blame him for wandering the grounds at night, like her. Hogwarts was a breeding ground for adventure, but also tranquil in its own way. She lifted her hand to pat the squirrel, and away it scampered. Mildly perturbed, she sat back and looked up at the boy.

 

[Cyril Tokarev]

The girl seemed to be shocked when Cyril spoke to her, and Cyril wondered why. For a moment, the truth finally dawned on him that the girl, like him had been lost in the rhythm of his music. He had wondered if he had actually played loud enough for the girl to hear even from the tree, but the truth seems apparent now. The girl had said that the tears coming from her eyes were a result of stress, but Cyril had a strong feeling that she was lying to him, but he didn't want to press further in case the girl broke down again.

"My name's Cyril, what about you?" Cyril said in a soft, normal tone. Perhaps it was better to talk to her in such a tone for the moment - When people cried they found cheerful people annoying. When she lifted her hand to pat the squirrel and then the squirrel scampered away, Cyril felt sorry for her. He knew what it felt like to be shunned - Even by animals, especially by animals. The squirrel went to him and started to scratch at his shoes, telling him that the squirrel wanted to be picked up. He went on one knee and picked the squirrel up into his hands, putting it into the chest pocket of his jacket, where it poked his head over.

"So, what are you doing up this late?"

 

[Artemis Tuuri]

Artemis grinned as the squirrel made its way over to Cyril and made its home in his pocket. Her bad mood seemed to be lifting now, anyway. She could never be unhappy for any long period of time, a fact she was glad of at this moment. She wouldn't bear the shame of crying in front of another person.
Artemis nodded and firmly decided to remember his name. A boy who could play the guitar in such a lovely way surely deserved to stick in her mind.
"Pleased 'ta meet ye." she replied. "I'm Artemis, but ye can call me Arty if ye want."
Ahh, that was it. Her spirits were well and truly up again and her liveliness was regained. Despite her almost permanent jolly and good nature, she still had barely made a friend all these two years in Hogwarts. Never a loner, this was slightly distressing but not distressing enough to worry over. She answered his next question with an amiable smile but a still-guarded face.
"I've been waiting for an owl. I sent it a week ago, so it's a bit late in comin'. I stay here every minute I can but hey, no luck." Artemis sighed in emphasis.
Distracted again by the cheeky squirrel, she beamed at it in his pocket. "Ye play a fine guitar, Cyril." she added, remembering the soft music.

 

[Cyril Tokarev]

"Likewise, Arty." Cyril said with a smile. He could be much friendlier now, now that Artemis has started to brighten up. He had always mixed the fact that Artemis was a girl's name up. Perhaps he had read the Artemis Fowl series too many times to change now, and nevertheless he was oblivious to Artemis' constant quote to his opponents, "Yes, Artemis is a girl's name, but occasionally a boy runs by and is good enough a hunter to get that name. I am the hunter, I hunted you."

Finally speaking to someone lifted Cyril's spirits up. He had not made a friend in the whole of Hogwarts except for Emma and Imogen, yet he didn't seem them much. He hadn't seen Emma for a long, long time now and he wondered whether Emma still remembered him, and he still wondered if they continue to share the same bond as they had before. Imogen had a boyfriend, so Cyril had to be careful around her. He couldn't be too friendly, lest her boyfriend gets the wrong idea of things and start getting annoyed and jealous. Cyril didn't want to destroy their relationship. Listening to her speak with an amiable smile, Cyril sat down in front of her and tucked his knees under his chin and as he thought about her words, he heard the squirrel in his chest pocket make a sound similar to that of a giggle.

Assuming that the squirrel was laughing at Artemis, Cyril flicked its nose playfully while chiding it, though it sounded more like a coo, "It isn't good to laugh at the plight of others .." Looking back to Artemis, he said to her, "Thanks, Arty, It's never good to stay in one place, Artemis. Perhaps its time to move on slightly, and then it will come?"

 

[Artemis Tuuri]

Artemis sighed at his words.
"Aye, but it really is an important owl. Y'know. On occasion, one finds that ye normal post is a bit less normal than usual. It's a family matter, and ye know how big families get into all sorts of drama."
Artemis recollected her father's face as she spoke, and her voice changed and became slightly sadder. Abruptly perking back up, she spoke again.
"But that's right...ye didn't know I have a big family, did ye?" she laughed. "There you were listenin' to me talk about meself and ye didn't let on!" again, she chuckled.
"I have three sisters 'an two brothers."
She watched the squirrel chitter at her mockingly. In response, she simply shook her head and rolled her eyes. Now even the animals were laughing at her!
In her mind, she weighed up this new fellow. He seemed an alright sort - the kind of person you enjoy saying hi to. Artemis began subconsciously braiding the long grass as she talked to Cyril. Having only wisps of hair from her pixie cut, braiding didn't come naturally to her. Neverless, the clumsy braid was turning into a welsh knot as it circled and spiraled in.

 

[Cyril Tokarev]

Cyril chuckled softly at what Artemis said, and he stopped himself halfway. He hoped that Artemis wouldn't misunderstand and think that he was laughing at her, but rather laughing at the fact that she was the only person he ever met to admit that their families get into all sorts of drama. Cocking his head to the side in curiousity of Artemis' downcast face, before it perked up again he continued to listen to her. Perhaps now it was best to let her speak while he remained silent - Girls tend to break down when they are in the middle of a rant and someone interrupts them. He had a few too many incidents that happened like this in muggle school back home.

"Wow. Thats a big family. Its only me for mine, so I kinda get whatever I want." Smiling wistfully at that thought, he looked ruefully at Artemis attempting to braid her short pixie cut, and in turn the braiding turning into a welsh knot. "Hey! Your hair is turning into a welsh knot there." Cyril said warningly, though still keeping a cheerful note to the voice. Helpfully putting his hands to the girl's soon-to-be welsh knot, he skilfully untied it. It came naturally to him, since his mother always gets into all sorts of trouble while trying to style her hair, and Cyril had grown up trying to help her solve her hair troubles.

 

[Artemis Tuuri]

Artemis chuckled with Cyril. It's was true, the knot was becoming a bit too out of hand. Grinning at him, she replied;
"Well I haven't much hair to braid! It's the very reason it's so short, so that I don't have to do all this fancy to-do."
Artemis looked at his hands and the way they were skillfully untying the mess she'd created.
"Ahh, but you look like you know what you're doing, even if I don't." she gave him what her mother called her 'little pixie face'.
Looking back at Cyril, she remembered what he had said a moment just before. "Oh, but surely you should have a few friends around? It must get a little lonely all by yer lonesome." Artemis blushed as she realised how terribly rude she'd been. Attempting to brush it off, she continued. "Well it's good that ye're in Gryffindor. They're a lively bunch, I've heard, and they get around a lot too. It won't be long before the blues'll go and ye'll be right as rain."
At the same time, though she did not know it, Artemis was referring to herself in that aspect. Likewise, there were a lot of Ravenclaws around, but such was her house that they prided themselves on their intelligence, and sometimes their snobbery. Artemis fit in none too much in this category, and found herself continuously friendless. Also, Artemis felt a bit bad for Cyril. He was such a nice boy, but to get whatever you want all the time is never good for the spirit, she thought. Turning her mind back to the thought of friends, she helped him untie the knot, trying not to brush his fingers and blushing like a beetroot whenever she did.