Moment of Truth

[Indianna Lee]

The chances of silence ever befalling the fifth year Potions class were slim to none. They came selectively and at certain times of the year when the professor decided herself cruel enough to spring a spontaneous quiz on them. Because once the groans and the protests had subsided into scowls upon the students faces, they buried their faces into that paper and scrawled their frantic hearts out. At least, that was what Indianna did. Books, academics, classes, papers; she excelled at it all, had a way with words sophisticated enough to twirl even the most rigid of professors, but it had never exactly tickled her fancy. Why their education could not be more entwined with self-expression and a creative flair had Indianna beat. She had heard often enough about muggle schools and the students that got to splash colours on a canvas all day long so they could count it towards their future and in all honesty was jealous to the bone. So this was where her wandering mind ventured to as she scripted her last answer well before the rest of the class. Well that and the boy she had met in Brightstone village last weekend. Sam, she smiled ever softly to herself as dainty fingers twisted in the tumbling tresses of her side ponytail. Even now she was yet to understand their instant friendship amongst those that seemed too busy to stop for so much as a breath and how he had so easily peeled back her shy exterior and opened those smiles right up. Where she had grown the nerve to ask him to teach her how to fly a broom was so far beyond Indianna that even scrunching her button nose up and squinting into the distance of her mind would not return her with an answer. But she already loved every minute she had spent with him and was so desperate for more in their quickly forming friendship. But, of course, he was half the world away, someplace warmer and probably dressed down in a t-shirt while she struggled to draw her trench coat tighter around her waist. And then, like the muggles with the future in their palette, Indi began to grow green with an affectionate envy at the sheer thought of him.

The trill of the bell burst through the silent classroom and it startled Indianna harder from her daydreaming then it probably did the others from their papers. With a soft blush reserved for herself at the inches she must have jumped from her seat, Indianna gathered together the parchment with one hand while the other bottled her quill and ink and tossed them into her woven shoulder bag. Glancing sideways at the table beside her, eyes of green and shimmering gold found Falcon and she grinned something beautiful at him; happy that school was over for the day, happy that a roaring fire would be waiting to greet them in minutes from now. Bundling her many books into her arms, only to struggle a little with the weight out them all, Indianna handed her quiz into the professor and spoke a soft thankyou before stepping out of the classroom. The hallway, all stone and cement, was not the least bit warmer and the raven-haired girl felt a lingering shudder course through her spine. Leaning herself up against the wall opposing the door, she watched her classmates pour out of the room, cursing in French, made an awkward rearrangement of her books and waited in the cold for Falcon to join her.

 

[Falcon Thomas]

As hard as Falcon tried to concentrate, he still felt his mind slipping into blankness, as his head drooped, and eyes began to shut. School work had never been his top priority, and so he wasn't as well trained at staying awake as most others. He often let his thoughts drift when he was sitting in class, which had landed him in various bad situations. Teachers had picked on him often, wanting to know the answer to their questions, which of course he usually couldn't give. If it wouldn't destroy any chance of a future he had, Falcon would love to leave the confines of this castle and travel somewhere remote where he knew no one, and nothing was expected of him.

In an attempt to wake himself up slightly, Falcon glanced sideways at the table next to him. Indianna was hard at work, of course. Falcon had realised that her attitude to academics was the opposite of his. She studied hard, wrote extensive answers to questions he found extremely tedious, and just tried so much harder. He sighed inwardly, shaking his hair out of his face as he waited for the bell to sound. It couldn't be too much farther off? Surely they had already spent enough time in this freezing potions classroom. Almost as if on cue the bells sounded, signalling the entire class to erupt in motion and voices as people handed in their quizzes and packed themselves away for the day. Falcon stayed seated for several seconds, looking down at his piece of parchment that held a couple of reluctant answers. Pushing down the self-disappointment that was beginning to well up inside of him once more, he scribbled his name at the top of the page and got up to take the quiz up to the Professor. After carelessly chucking the items on his desk into his bag, he swung it over one shoulder and left the classroom with the throng of other students.

Falcon's eyes immediatly found Indianna leaning against the wall opposite the door, struggling with a pile of books, as usual. Falcon made his way towards her, dodging people moving quickly down the corridor. Reaching the wall, Falcon's stomach lurched a little as he remembered what he had told himself that he would ask his friend. The Ball wasn't far off, and considering Indianna was the only friend he had made at this foreign school, it made sense to ask her. They would only be going as friends, and that what he wanted, Falcon told himself. However the niggling feeling that he might like her as more than a friend re-appeared. Ignoring it, Falcon smiled at Indi, holding out his arms. "Do you need a hand there?" he asked, his eyes landing on the ridiculous pile of books in her arms. He almost blurted out his question right then, but stopped himself, deciding it would be better to wait.

 

[Indianna Lee]

The gazes of the flock of pretty, made-up girls and boys alike were a variety of two as they pierced Indianna Grace to her uncomfortable stance against the wall. One was scrutinising; judgemental of that one that struggled to speak a minute in French, the strange one that would much rather lose herself in that daggy old sketchbook than engage in any sort of socialising with them. The other was barely there and in a different means, more offensive than the first. A look that went straight through her, as if she was invisible, as if she was no more than a brick in the wall that she had propped herself up against. Submissive and insecure as always before them, Indianna dropped her line of sight and shuffled her shoes along the stone floor, wishing feverishly all the while that Falcon would hurry up and hand his paper into the professor so she'd feel just a little more confident in the confines of her own skin. Why she couldn't have just gone to Hogwarts Scotland was something that stirred great frustruation in Indi each and every time the school was roused in her mind. There had been many an argument with her mother about the issue in question with never any progression on the matter. It was all her grandmother's fault, Indianna knew it. She wasn't even a witch and as of a month ago, she didn't even live in the country anymore! The situation was lost all over the fifteen year old and she saw no point in staying anymore. Well none except for the single friendship she had made with a boy that, although in many ways different to her, she shared enough in common with.

Bravely, her eyes darted upwards like that of a young doe's; fearful, flighty, and noticed in delight that her friend was finally making his way towards her. The smile on his familiar face was echoed back sweetly by the raven-haired girl, the expression filled her with a sense of gratitude and comfort that tingled warmly all the way to the tips of her fingers. If there was one thing she was most sure of in all of her time at this godforsaken school, it was that she had not turned him away that night he had come across her beneath the willow tree. At his offer a worn blush came to caress her cheeks but she nodded eagerly regardless and struggled to halve the stack of textbooks, novels and workbooks in her arms. "Thanks Falcon," She smiled impishly, awkwardly passing him a few books as she did so and yet it was in such a way that would let him know how grateful she really was. Finding now that concentrating on anything else but the weight was so much easier, Indianna reached up to pull the elastic band from her hair and allowed the loose ebony curls to spill effortlessly over her shoulders and down the length of her back before asking, "So how'd you go in the quiz?" The friendliness in her voice was instilled in her actions too as she smilingly bumped her shoulder against Falcon's, the feet now moving together in the direction out of the frozen hallway.

 

[Falcon Thomas]

Falcon let a small smile show, as he observed the blush that spread across Indianna's face. That blush seemed to appear whenever anybody offered her anything, or complimented her. As Falcon normally did both around her, he was quite used to it. It was an endearing quality in his eyes, as it showed the humility that he admired in her. He took the books she gave him, and balanced them easily in his arms as they began to walk. "Why on earth do you carry all these around with you?" he replied, shaking his head, the small smile still on his lips. His tone wasn't annoyed or impatient, just curious and slightly amused. Surely she did not need them all? Falcon's eyes followed Indi as she undid her hair. He averted his eyes, trying as usual not to stare. It was one of the only unfortunate things about being friends with Indianna. As a teenage boy, he couldn't help but find her extremely attractive. Resisting the urge to reach his free hand up to check his own hair, he walked a couple of steps in front of her as they approached the doors. Instead of heading towards their usual winter spot inside, he began to lead her outside, where hardly anybody was. If Falcon was going to ask her to the Ball, then he most certainly didn't want to do it in front of a whole lot of people.

Shaking his head a little at her question, he gave her a look that plainly echoed his sarcastic words "Aced it" he replied, letting a grin cover his features. He had of course done the opposite. "I'm sure you did, though" he said, his tone completely serious this time. A hint of resignation was also perceivable in Falcon words, as he knew that her quiz answers would have been amazing, unlike his. He made jealous easily, it was just in his nature, however he would try as hard as he could not to let that affect his behaviour. Too many times he had let his own frustration with himself and envy of others get in the way of friendship. That would not happen here, he told himself. Worn converse scuffing through the snow, Falcon gazed down at the ground as he tried to gather his thoughts. He wanted to take Indi to the place where they had first met, under the willow tree. He hoped it would be the perfect place to ask her.

 

[Indianna Lee]

The graceful curve of Indianna's eyebrows crept high up upon her forehead as she was questioned on the necessity off the books that now both her and Falcon had bundled in their arms. The peculiar mix in her eyes buried disbelievingly into those of her friend's, an amused "you're kidding me right" kind of look. Her delicate fingers traced the aged and wearied spine of one of the thicker books he was carrying, only to continue down the pile, as she spoke, "Well, that's a little light reading for DADA. They're both for Potions study, there's a biography for History of Magic, my Charms textbook..." With a tiny shake of her head and a press of her dimpled smile in his direction, the fifteen year old glanced down at the pile in her own arms, her beloved sketchbook at the very top. A breezy laugh worked its way up from her chest. "I don't have to keep going, do I?" It came as no surprise to Indi that Falcon didn't even feel the need to lug around half of what she did. The pair of them were different like that. If her time wasn't being better spent with him or falling into the realms of her creativity, Indianna knew not what else to do but bury herself neck deep in textbooks and study her little behind off. Falcon, as she had figured not long after they'd met, had no such academic motivation but she loved that, the opposites in their personalities that played not a hand in attempting to defeat their friendship. He was a different kind of boy, how did not strike her as obvious, but he was and purely because Indianna had grown to be friends with him.

The instant she realised that Falcon had other plans for them in place of snuggling up as close as they could to a warm fire, her feet hesitated at the doorway. Outside? It was cold, freezing, snowing. The corner of her mouth twitched in curiosity as her gaze fell over his turned back and his feet as they hit each step away from the school. "Falcon?" Came her questioning voice, barely above a whisper in the breath-takingly bitter air. Perhaps he had to get something and Indi had no clue what that might be but she followed him regardless. By hastily half skipping her way down the stairs she managed to catch up to her friend with time enough to hear his answer to her question. His humored approach to the clear blunder he seemed to think he had made grazed her lips with a laughing smile but often enough, because it had happened before, the fifteen year old wondered if it was an attempt to muzzle his dissapointment. "Well, yeah... I don't know..." She blushed, humbled by Falcon's comment and suddenly awfully aware of the distance that stretched between them in class. Getting too far ahead of herself and those around her always rendered Indianna a little wary, like most anything that regarded her social status did.

Like light amongst the snow, the raven-haired girl's eyes lit up beautifully with an idea as she glanced up at her friend just as he cast his eyes down. "You know, I really wouldn't mind helping you out Falcon, in whatever subject you wanted. We could have study dates and..." A cold draft suddenly sliced between the friend's catching Indianna unaware as it sneaked beneath her sleeves and danced up the length of her arms. A shudder coursed through her body and she gasped at the sensation before grasping onto Falcon's shoulder to stop him from walking any further ahead. "Where are we going? You do know there's a warm fire back that way, don't you?" A laugh escaped Indianna as she nodded her head back towards the school and waited for an answer so she could hopefully start defrosting her icy fingers and hands.

(phone wont let me pm back but its totally fine)

 

[Falcon Thomas]

Falcon almost laughed when Indianna immediatly began to explain the neccessities of each of the books he was carrying. Why the thick Defence Against the Dark Arts volume would be for light reading was beyond him. How could she read it voluntarily? Even if he was et the book for homework, Falcon was still struggle to keep at it. It looking incredibly boring to him. He shifted the stack slightly in his arms, hoping that she wouldn't go on to explain the usefullness of every book they carried. He flashed her a slightly relieved smile when she spoke. It was almost as if she had read his thoughts. "No, you most certainly don't have to" he assured her. He thought of something witty to say, to make her laugh or admire him more, though his confidence was quite low at that moment and the words faded from his mind. He had always envied people who effortlessly thought up funny lines or did comical things that made their friends double over in laughter. Falcon had always been a background person, chuckling at the antics of others, but never choosing to entertain them himself. He had known that Indi was the same from the minute he had started talking to her that day under the willow tree. It was a change from his old friends, who had always being vying for the center of attention.

Falcon shivered slightly, wondering whether this was actually a good idea. Maybe Indianna would be more likely to accept if she was warm? Her voice made him look around, but he smiled reassuringly and gestured vaguely towards the white grounds "Come with me" he said simply, his smile turning a little mysterious as he walked backwards, still looking at her. Glad when she caught up and didn't question him further, Falcon turned to face forwards again, as he matched his stride to her shorter one. Falcon rolled his eyes "Of course you did" he said, his tone supportive. Glad that he hadn't felt any animosity at all towards her good grades, Falcon looked over at her as he tried to figure out how he would ask her. He hated feeling this awkward, though unfortunately it was common for him. He ducked his head, embarrassed "Uh, thanks. You don't have to though, I'm really not bothered about school..." he replied. Though spending even more time with Indi sounded attractive, the idea of it being school orientated put him off quite a bit.

The icy wind that bit at Falcon's exposed fingers again made him question his motives for coming outside. Indi also seemed cold, which he felt a little guilty about. "I know" he said, stopping and coming to face her, noticing that they had covered a reasonable distance from the school. "Well it's just... I have something to ask you" he said slowly, looking her in the eyes. The expression of nervousness was very clear on his face. He shifted a little in the snow, feeling his frozen shoes press painfully against his toes.