Don't Do Sadness

[Karah Love]

Karah truly hated herself and Hogwarts but more than anything, she hated Jai Dionysus and his hurtful words towards her. This hatred led to her deep in the Forbidden Forest crying by herself, just wishing some creature would come and eat her so she did not have to face him another time or listen to the venomous words that fell from his Slytherin tongue. The way she was being treated was worse than anyone else she knew was being treated and it was all because of her father and his infidelity to the woman that should have been her mother. The girl knew that he had been ‘tempted’ by her Veela Mother but now as she sat on a rock in the middle of the Forbidden Forest she couldn’t help but hate him for saying this because it was his ideals that helped her get bullied by this horrible boy. Karah knew that if her father had taken responsibility for his actions and not blamed her mother for his cheating that she would not be as hurt but he had not and now she was going through the same thing her mother had gone through just because people could not realize that their actions were their own fault, that Veela’s did not necessarily charm everyone into being attracted to them and Karah certainly did not do this to Jai.

Looking through red, puffy eyes Karah looked into the greenery of the Forbidden Forest and knew that if anyone else happened to be walking through the Forest she would look insane but this was such a big piece of land that she doubted anyone would come across her in her fragile state and she did not want to be seen as broken because it would only give leave for more people to torment her like Jai did. Karah wished that she could be invisible like her best friend, Michael, seemed to be sometimes. He was such a quiet person and he never got bullied for anything, he just did not have many friends because of his shy personality and she'd much rather be like him than be a beast that everybody knew she was. Karah had not known for most of her life that she was a veela but now everyone she encountered knew, it was not plausible but still it happened and she was bullied for it too. As the red-headed girl wiped away her tears with the sleeve of her sweater she knew that this must be punishment for something she did in the past or in a past life, it made no sense because she had never done anything to Jai before. She hadn't even known his name until a few hours ago. It all made it so much worse so she continued to cry into her eyes in the middle of the Forbidden Forest.
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lame, i'm so sorry. i had to rush through it so i could get ready for work.

 

[Michael Harper]

Somehow, by some miracle force of nature, Michael had managed to settle into Hogwarts just fine. The quiet, mouse like boy had an advantage you see. The kind of advantage that somehow helped him slip through the cracks at Hogwarts, and get by without being noticed by the kinds of bullies that usually tended to pick on his kind. Michael Alexandra was a placid young boy, he was happy with his studies, and now, being in his second year, he felt as though he had some sort of a place in the school, maybe even a future, fulfilling his dream of becoming a prefect didn't seem all that far out of reach. Though the peculiar boy hadn't managed to make many friends, it was the good ones that always counted, and from the moment he had met Karah, he knew she was one of them. They hadn't exactly gotten off on the right foot, her being petrified of his pet rat, but Michael knew she only had the best of intentions, and though she could come off a little brash, the twelve year old saw right through all of that. And yes, he was no liar, he had often thought of how pretty Karah was, or how he loved the way her green eyes sparkled, and her red hair fell around her face, but the boy certainly didn't have only romantic feelings for her, afterall he was only in his second year and he was naiive, he hardly knew if he even understood what a crush was, let alone a relationship other than that of a mother and father.

Michael pondered these various pearls of the universe, as he wandered along the grounds of Hogwarts New Zealand, searching for a quiet place to read his book, one that he had been getting quite into, despite it being beyond his usual reading level. As he wandered he noted each of the places he passed, though as he neared the forbidden forest he paused and a twitch went down his spine. There was one place he had never been before. Sure, Michael was no Gryffindor, but he wasn't scared either, suppose he did venture in there, for curious' sake? Surely it couldn't go too wrong. As he wandered further, he began to hear the rather unfamilar sound of a girl sobbing, he had never heard such a sound, how peculiar! He thought to himself. He really had no idea how to comfort a crying girl, but he could hardly just leave her high and dry. So with one foot in front of the other, Michael stumbled once, twice, and landed in front of none other than Karah Green Love. "Karah, are ye' crying?" he asked sheepishly, sitting down next to her and putting his hand on her shoulder, awkwardly patting it, the kind of affection he had only learnt from books. "Ye' know what me mam always says?" he asked, though not giving her time to answer, "Don't do sadness."​

 

[Karah Love]

Karah flinched as she heard her own name uttered because she was so scared that she was going to be made fun of for her weakness as well as her own stupidity and blood status but when she recognized the accent was that of her friend, Michael, she turned to him. She almost wished that Jai could see her like this, puffy eyed and horrible but she just found comfort in her best friend's touch despite how awkward he might be. As he told her not to 'do sadness' Karah tried to force a smile but she couldn't keep it up as more tears spilled out. “I’m sorry you have to see me like this,” she sniffled as she looked at her friend. “I just can’t stop crying,” the red headed girl added as she looked away from her friend, hoping that maybe he would understand enough to not ask her why because as much as she enjoyed his company she did not want him to know that she was being bullied. Karah Sapphire Green Love had always taken pride in her ability to shrug off hurtful words and keep a brave face through pain but it was becoming too much for her to handle on her own.

This was why Karah had thought that she would have a cathartic feeling by crying but no such feeling came and instead she continued to feel sorry for herself and cry into the palms of her shaky hands. The part veela girl knew that she would look like a fool so she added, “I… I didn’t think anyone else would come. Never mind, you.” She looked to her Ravenclaw best friend and smiled anxiously to him through the tears that continued to spill. Since Michael and Karah had met they had become quick friends despite the fear that had been in her eyes and voice when she had seen him with a rat and even if she had been a snide little brat to him shortly afterwards. Despite all this, Karah now rested her head on her best friend’s shoulder and wondered how he had come up with the bravery to enter to Forbidden Forest. Michael Alexandra was not exactly that type of person, with his sweet, mousy personality that she enjoyed being around. But still she quirked an eyebrow as she looked at into his brown orbs. “Michael, I would have thought that you would hate being in a place like this,” Karah said, trying to lighten the subject slightly and distract him from asking why she seemed to be in so much emotional turmoil because it was embarrassing for her to admit this to anyone.​

 

[Michael Harper]

Michael noticed that Karah was attempting to force a smile for him, but she really didn't need to, he didn't mind her crying, though he wasn't used to it. He was sure he would have to find a way to become used to weeping females, because he could very well imagine that this would only become a more regular occurance during his time at Hogwarts. "No, really tis' fine" he said sheepishly, hintings of pink upon his cheeks as he said it. All he wanted to do was wipe the tears from her sapphire eyes and comfort her in some way, though his social skills seemed to hinder that somewhat. Moving his hands from her shoulders he shifted in his place and smiled awkwardly, desperately wanting her to try and lift the mood. "Please don't ye' cry" he added, he hated to see her like that, it somehow made him feel a little sad, he seemed to be able to feel her pain, yet another thing he was not familiar with. In a spontanious gesture, Michael did all he knew about comfoting, in wrapping his thin arms around Karah's small frame and squeezing her as tightly as he could.

It was an odd sensation, a hug, he had never really hugged anyone besides his mother but, it felt like the right thing to do, and he really did want his friend to stop crying. It was a nice sensation, he had to admit. He didn't even think of asking her just why she was weeping so terribly. Mainly because he wasn't good with these problems that the children around him seemed to have. Another advantage to blending into the crowds of Hogwarts. Releasing Karah from his somewhat awkward and uncomfortable grasp, Michael had another smile on his face. That kind of human contact had to be a milestone for him. He tilted his head as Karah began to speak through the tears and spill to him. As Karah rested her reddish locks upon his shoulder, his mouth fell open, he had never really been so close to someone before, let alone somebody so pretty and kind. Despite the way Karah had treated him when they had first met, Michael Alexandra had come to know her, and the real Karah Love was somebody much kinder than the Karah that was displayed to most of the other students at Hogwarts. Blushing a little as the red headed beauty accused him, Michael replied sheepishly. "I couldn't very well be a Hogwarts student and not know me surroundings could I, besides, I heard somebody crying..." he trailed off, looking towards her with her head still upon his sturdy shoulder, hoping that she might open up a little to him. ​

 

[Karah Love]

Karah was ‘glad’ that Michael did not seem upset by her tears because she did want to stop but every time she tried she thought of how worthless she was or how disgusting she was because of the charm. Never mind the bit about turning into a bird and attacking people when she was angry. As his hands moved from her shoulders, Karah looked into the eyes of the Ravenclaw boy and watched as he asked her not to cry. She was sure it was making him uncomfortable so she blinked her eyes so she could try.

Karah was almost shocked that Michael gave her a hug. The poor boy was terribly shy and it would likely not happen very often so she returned the hug and all but curled into her friend’s body to protect herself from the pain of being bullied. Michael was not the strongest boy and he probably couldn’t protect her in a fight against Jai but that did not matter as she held him tight. And just as she suspected, the hug was over quickly so she returned her arms to herself and sniffled as she wiped the tears away as they slowly began to stop spilling down her freckled face. She could not help but laugh despite herself as she saw the ecstatic grin on his face and wondered what he’d be like after he had his first kiss. The mousy Ravenclaw was a person she certainly enjoyed being around, all his nuances amused her and always, always made her happy because he was possibly the most genuine person she had ever met. Everybody else she could not trust completely but Michael Alexandra was a different story. In fact, if she had ever felt more for him that what she did now she was certain that it would be like a fairy tale because he was such a nice person but Karah was twelve and not attracted to Michael romantically… Or anyone else for that matter because she was having doubts that cooties were actually not real. “Yeah…” she whispered softly as she sat back up and looked into Michael’s eyes. “It’s… it’s embarrassing,” she started shakily. She hated being the picture of weakness, she didn’t let people in. It just was not Karah Sapphire Love. It was not the way she operated and it would never be this way. You had to earn her trust to get it and even then she was skeptical of you at all times. Some might call her paranoid but she believed it was smart… In this facet, at least. “I’m Half Veela and I’m being bullied by this Slytherin boy because of it. He says I’m worthless and disgusting and he threatened me,” she said quickly, hoping that if she said it fast enough he would not understand her but this was not the case. It never was the case. She looked back down on the forest floor and added shamefully, “I’m starting to believe it.”​

 

[Michael Harper]

A sense of accomplishment washed over Michael as Karah looked him in the eyes and willed herself to stop crying. Perhaps the mousy Ravenclaw wasn't so bad at this whole social thing after all. Luckily it seemed she had worked out on her own that it was making him uncomfortable, because the twelve year old was sure that spelling it out to her would only make the situation even more uncomfortable. The smile and the confidence he had gained in holding Karah as tightly as he could seemed to be lost and overcome by fear as she began to open up to him, it wasn't that he was scared, he was nervous to tell the truth, nobody had ever trusted him with a secret before, he only hoped he could keep it. Not that he would have any trouble, he didn't have any other friends to tell it to, so it wouldn't be much of a problem. The Gryffindor girl spoke so fast that Michael had to twitch his ears to gather every word that she was saying to him, and once he did comprehend it, he was outraged. Upset, because he couldn't believe that somebody could be so horrible, he was beginning to believe what he had heard about those Slytherin folk.

"Don't listen to him." Michael said sternly, because truthfully he didn't know what else he could say. He had only ever heard rumors of Veela's and had not much of an idea about what they were all about. He only knew how beautiful they were said to be, which was no surprise because the twelve year old certainly knew that his best friend was pretty, it was part of the reason that he couldn't understand why she would have ever been interested in having him for company. Looking around, the Ravenclaw was a little scared, the Forbidden Forest was quiet and eery, but he wanted to make Karah smile before he made his escape. "If I ever see this guy I'm going to get so mad for ye'" he said, straightening his back, though knowing he probably couldn't keep the promise, he was weedy and shy, he couldn't imagine standing up to a Slytherin, but he would do anything to keep Karah safe. "You are with so much more than hem" he added, hoping to see a smile upon his best friend's face. ​

 

[Karah Love]

Michael and Karah were a strange pair, they had been since the day they met and would continue to be so until they're differences caused a riff between them, but this did not mean that Karah Love did not appreciate everything Michael did for her. The way he tried to go past his discomfort in this situation and tried to make her feel better was all that she needed from him now. A weak smile broke through the tears when Michael seemed so adamant that he could protect her from Jai. As nice as the idea was and as much she she would love to believe that, her best friend probably would not be able to protect her from anyone. He was just not that person and in truth, Karah did not want him to be.

Karah appreciated the Ravenclaw for all that he was and he felt the same way about her. When he said that she was worth so much more than being treated the way she was, it touched her to her very core and she felt something wash over her. It was strange and not something she had ever felt before but she handled it the way she had seen in movies... Karah kissed Michael on the lips. Their lips were only touching for a second before the red head had found her senses and her skin changed to the same colour as her hair from embarrassment. The veela girl didn't know what to do, so she cringed and looked away from the person she was still sitting so close to. This wasn't at all what she had expected from her first kiss... it was so uncomfortable and shocking that she really didn't even know what to think of the way she felt when her lips touched Michael's. All she knew was that now she would catch cooties and was already starting to feel it come on - she was sure that was what the knots in her stomach were from and why her palms were so sweaty. It had to be cooties because kissing did not feel as good as it looked like it would feel from movies.​

 

[Michael Harper]

Michael seemed to sense that his offer to confront Karah's bully wasn't entirely accepted. Though he knew deep down it was the thought that truly counted, and he had only the best intentions when offering. But as he looked down at his awkward and scrawny limbs, he somehow knew he wasn't going to be able to cash the check he had written with his mouth, so that part of him hoped he didn't run into this boy, as he was most likely a great deal larger than Michael was. But the bigger part of him would do anything for Karah, and wanted to stand up to the person who had made her feel like this. Either way, he would do right by the pretty young thing sitting next to him, he never wanted to see her cry again. Karah and Michael were a funny pair, in fact probably nobody would have placed them together or thought they were as good of friends as they were. Not even the Ravenclaw could explain it, his Gryffindor companion had been so frightened of his pet rat, that he thought he had completely blown his chances, but Karah was very forgiving and he was grateful for the second chance that had seen him becoming one of her very best friends, and certainly one she could count on.

In saying that though, Karah's next move was a complete and utter shock to the twelve year old, he hadn't seen it coming, he hadn't had time to. Before he knew it, the red head's lips pecked his, only for a second, but it was long enough for his cheeks to turn a startling shade of crimson. What was that, he thought to himself, sure he had seen adults kiss before, but he had never imagined it like that before. It was something he had never entered into with a girl. It was scary and new, and he wasn't sure whether he liked it or not. Though the tingling sensation all around his skinny body would suggest otherwise. Many a boy would have been honored to kiss Karah Love, but Michael was ignorant to the fact that the beautiful girl would want anything to do with him. In fact his young mind instantly went to cooties, this was exactly how you got them! His friends had told him horrible things about such an illness, and as his head began to hurt and his cheeks flush, he shook his head. This was surely the first stage. He had to get to the nurse, no time could be wasted. So with haste, Michael Alexandra shot off through the Forbidden Forest and back to Hogwarts. he sure hoped the nurse would have the ante-dote. ​

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Out of Character:

Continued in A Bad Case of the Cooties

 

[Karah Love]

Karah did not know where Michael was going when he stood up and ran off but she didn't care because the only thing she could think of was what she would do to make sure that she didn't have any cooties. Kissing was how one got them, they were a nasty disease that you couldn't get rid of if they were left long enough and now as she sat in the Forbidden Forest with sweaty palms, flushed cheeks and a stomach full of knots she was sure that this was exactly what one felt right before they got really sick. The Gryffindor cared for Michael Alexandra but as she looked around and wiped her tears away she knew that she had to think about herself and get rid of something that could kill her. Even if her life was very difficult right now she did not want to die so she stood up straight.

Shaking off every emotion that she had entered the forest with and that had been stirred up inside of her since seeing her best friend as Karah had brushed off her clothes and began to walk out of the forest in the path that she had entered so she could go to the hospital wing to make sure that she would be fine. She only hoped that they had this cure because she was sure it was a muggle disease mostly.​

FIN​