Ford's Rock IV:

[Ford Harkonnen]

Ford strode blithely down the lawn towards the lake. He was beginning to pull himself out of a rather deep bout of depression, such things happened every so often, but Ford had not yet pieced together a good way to deal with them. The afternoon sun was just coming down from local noon as he reached his personal rock that cast itself over the lake by five feet. He sat down on the edge, feet dangling uselessly. He ran his hand up and down the rock, as if measuring up a long missed friend.

He sighed loudly, even though there was nobody there to hear. He hoped Sophia would come, he had put the letter in her books this morning, before breakfast. Things had been distant and icy between the two of them ever since their adventures during winter break. Ford missed her, and wanted to set things to rights. He laid back on the long flat rock and watched the clouds roll on lazily, waiting in hope that Sophia would come.

 

[Sophia Stark]

Having received a note from Ford, Sophia strode down to the lake with her bag slung over her left shoulder. She had not talked much to Ford all term and was a bit worried by the note. Putting all ill thoughts out of her mind she approached the rock, stopping to stand before it.

"Ford?" she asked quizzically, trying her best to keep her expression blank.

 

[Ford Harkonnen]

Ford looked back when he heard Sophia say his name. He sat up and cleared a spot next to him for her to sit. "Take a seat," he said in a jovial tone, being that he wasn't completely derisive.

 

[Sophia Stark]

Despite being a bit taken aback at being told to sit rather than asked Sophia sat down beside Ford, setting her bag down on the rock on the other side of her. She turned to look at him with a rather vague expression on her face.

"You wanted to see me?" she asked in a rather formal fashion.

 

[Ford Harkonnen]

Ford looked at Sophia when she sat down, a warm breeze blew over the lake and brought the feeling of impending thunderstorms with it. "I just wanted to see how the semester went for you," Ford said quietly, looking out over the lake, "We've been pretty distant since...this past winter, and I," Ford paused, thinking, "I just wanted to talk."

 

[Sophia Stark]

Sophia let out a small sigh and smiled softly at Ford. "I seem to be unable to focus, but I have been making it through. What about you?"

 

[Ford Harkonnen]

Ford shrugged lazily, "I've been going one day at a time." He said and looked up into the sky. Unlike people, who were loud and boisterous, this day was calm, cool, and relaxing; things that Ford did not get enough of in his life. Ford's face was haggard and pale. His eyes looked sunken into his face, and surrounded by black bags from lack of sleep. His usual intensity was present, just to a smaller degree. "Anything you want to talk about?" He asked.

 

[Sophia Stark]

Sophia was both confused and concerned as she stared at Ford, her emotions showing quite plainly on her face.

"I heard from my Mother," she said after a good amount of silence. "She is well and in hiding. For some reason she thought it better to stay away from my father."

 

[Ford Harkonnen]

Ford saw Sophia wrestling with all sorts of emotions insider herself, "Is everything okay with your father and you? I don't know much about him." Ford decided that that statement was a good one. He didn't want to upset Sophia, as he knew this was a highly sensitive area.

 

[Sophia Stark]

"I truly do not know. He has some story about my mother using polyjuice potion to pose as him. I do not know whether to believe him or not. My mother said nothing about it, although her letter was vague and I did not ask." Sophia frowned, not having thought of this confusion for a bit now. She wished profusely that she did not have to think about it.

 

[Ford Harkonnen]

Ford listened quietly, he did not know what to say or do to help the two of them. Sophia seemed really confused, he thought for a minute, trying to come up with something to say, "What are you doing this summer?" He asked.

 

[Sophia Stark]

Sophia let her golden eyes roam as she considered her answer. "I do not entirely know myself. I did not ask my mother, and will not now that I know she is in hiding. I could go with my father, I am sure it will not be completely terrible.

"Bruin had invited me to stay with him. I was actually considering taking him up on it. You will be staying with your aunt I presume?"

 

[Ford Harkonnen]

Ford's face hardened as Sophia finished her explanation, "Yes."

 

[Sophia Stark]

Sophia was quite confused as Ford suddenly looked mad. "Is something the matter?"

 

[Ford Harkonnen]

Ford looked up at Sophia, "Bruin's?" He said incredulously, his emotions actually coming to the fore, "I mean, Bruin's awesome and all, but you've barely spoken to me all semester, and now you're not even attempting to see me over summer? What's going on?" His voice cracked few times, as a result of his emotions becoming public. He had held in his frustrations with Sophia all semester, attributing the issues to the events of break, but it all came loose now.

 

[Sophia Stark]

Sophia stared with her mouth open at Ford, quite taken aback by his sudden outburst. "I helped Bruin in the Apothecary and we talked. He invited me to stay with him as my situation with my parents is a bit complicated. Nothing is going on, I have just been reclusive lately." She began to get a bit upset and her tone became defensive throughout.

 

[Ford Harkonnen]

"For almost two months?" Ford said sarcastically. "Even after my mom died, I started talking to people before that. You just holed yourself up to wallow in sorrow. I would have helped in any way I can. I don't get it."

 

[Sophia Stark]

Sophia turned away from Ford, her expression turning to one of anger. His words were like a slap in the face, how could he say such things?

"No, you obviously do not get it. And you are great at helping, let me tell you." She grabbed her bag and slung it over her left shoulder as she stood. Sophia stared at Ford, letting the angry expression on her face mask the hurt she was feeling.

 

[Ford Harkonnen]

Ford stood up behind her, "This is what I'm talking about," he said angrily, "You're leaving. Why because you don't talk about things. You run and hide. I-I- what's going on with you? I don't get it."

 

[Sophia Stark]

"I guess I am just not as strong as you Ford. Well I am sorry, but this is who I am, and if you cannot deal with that then I will just leave and you will not have to deal with me anymore."

In a fit of anger Sophia took a hold of the Slytherin Pin that was on the handle of her bag, ripped it off, and threw it at Ford; then doing the same with the patch on the front of her bag. With that she turned around, her long black hair whipping around behind her, and began to walk swiftly toward the castle.

 

[Ford Harkonnen]

Ford stared blankly after Sophia, his mind shifting between despair and anger thirty times a second. As she stalked off, Ford wanted to shout something, but he had no idea what. He just paced angrily over the rock, muttering to himself. After a few moments, Ford looked up. Sophia was gone. One part of his life had disappeared. The only living person who had taken up some form of importance since his mother's death was gone; out of his life.

His arms went limp at his sides. he had no idea what to do, think, or say. He looked over the lake. At the top of his lungs, he let out a curse. It echoed from somewhere, and out over the lake, there was a ripple as a merperson's head poked aboce the water to investigate the noise; quickly it disappeared. He turned and grabbed his pack. He looked at the pin and patch on the rock, and picked them up. He stared at them blankly for moments, then shoved them deep into his pack. He walked off towards the castle, then broke into a run. He didn't know where he was going, but he wanted to get there fast.