No Retreat, No Surrender

A

Andromeda Fiorelli

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OOC First Name
Linda
Wand
Cherry/Maple Wand 13 1/4" Essence of a Dragon's Heartstring; 10 1/2" 4wood mix - unicorn hair core
Andy walked down through the dungeons until she came to the duelling chamber. Pushing open the door she was a bit peeved to say the least that no one else was there. How was she supposed to duel and blast the living daylights out of stuff if there was no one here to practise with. No, she was beyond practising she wanted a proper duel. Needed to test her skills and vent some serious frustration.

She jumped onto the platform and walked up and down it twirling her wand on the tips of her fingers. Surely someone was going to show up, she had booked the room for this very purpose and the professor in charge had said that someone else would definitely be there to duel with. Hoping it was not a second or third year, Andy continued almost prowling up and down the platform waiting for the professor and the other student to show.
 
Tom was reading the Daily Prophet's sport section when he heard someone enter. Craning his neck, Tom saw a familiar face. "Evening Ms. Fiorelli" Tom said smiling. "I presume your opponent will be here soon" Tom said. "I'll watch over the duel making sure no one gets hurt" Tom said before returning to the Daily Prophet catching up on the weekly Quidditch League games and scores.
 
Bruin had been keeping a relatively low profile since the Halloween Feast, trying to spend some time alone and sorting out his thoughts. He was so confused about girls and the future that he certainly had lots to think about and hadn't minded the quiet solitude of his dorm room. However, a combination of having been bested by Masquerade on Mishief Day and his natural competitive spirit emerging when he saw the "Duel Champion of Hogwarts" posters go up around the school prompted him to take a trip down to the Dueling Chamber.

Bruin had checked to see that there was a supervisor on the schedule and figured that Professor Fletcher would be great for the role. The only thing that Bruin was concerned about was that this competition might bring out a bunch of younger students and the Head Boy wanted no part of dueling some snot-nosed kid. It was a no-win situation, if you lost then everyone would know it and if you won, well, people would just think you were picking on a less experienced wizard. Bruin hoped for at least one suitable opponent and pushed the door to the chamber open.

Bruin nodded respectfully to Professor Fletcher and then stopped in his tracks, feeling as if the Jelly Legs Jinx had already been slapped on him. Andy was pacing back and forth upon the raised platform, looking both spectacular and dangerous. "Oh...." Bruin uttered, a little louder than he had intended, as he stood there considering his options.
 
Andromeda turned to see Professor Fletcher sitting in the far corner, had she been so distracted that she hadn't even seen him? She barely registered his presence as she continued pacing back and forth, psyching herself up for her duel. Just as she was getting beyond impatient the doors swung open. Andy turned to see her sparring partner only to have her mouth hang open.
"You've got to be kidding me" she said in syche with his 'oh'.

Andy spun on her heels and walked to the far end of the platform, her deep red hair billowing our behind her. Holding her wand inbetween her teeth while she tied her hair back, she soon removed it again twirled it in her fingers once more and then stared down the long platform. Obviously waiting for Bruin to step up. She didn't know what to feel at that moment. Could she hurt him? Could she blast any jinx or hex his way? The reassuring thought that she had done so before helped her get through the next few minutes.

She turned to look at him, knowing the last thing that had been said between them was that she didn't want to go back to just being friends. That she would see him on the pitch. Well this wasn't the pitch but at least she got to see him.
"Are you duelling today?" she asked him almost daring him to chicken out.
 
Bruin watched as Andy turned away from him and readied herself for a duel. She certainly looked as though she meant business and he thought back to the last time that she had leveled her wand at him. She had been furious at him then and he almost wished that they could go back to that time, at least then he knew what she was thinking and why she was upset. Now, well now, he was just stunned. He had to admit that she looked awfully good at the moment and he wondered whether he would have the heart to actually inflict any injury to her. Apparently, he didn't need a wand to do that anyways.

He considered her question for a moment. Is she mocking me? "Apparently I am, just not sure for how long though!" he said with a cocky grin as he hopped up onto the platform and assumed his ready position, waiting for Professor Fletcher to commence the duel. Bruin didn't dare take his eyes off of Andy, although at this point...he really didn't want to anyways.
 
Andy heard his arrogant quip and all but laughed as a result of it. She watched him hop on the platform before taking a deep breath. Feeling the adrenaline coursing through her, today was her full moon. In exactly five hours she would have to leave the school to head down to the cavern. Usually she was sick as all hell at this time but the prolonged use of the wolfsbane was helping there too. Now she just felt the heady rush flow through her body, almost like a fever taking hold.

"Don't count your chickens quite so fast there Bear" she retorted, "I don't know who you're used to duelling with but bring it on".
The fact that he had three years more magic on her never daunted her for a moment, that he knew more advanced techniques than she did, simply didn't phase her. So Bruin Dumbledez was superior to her on almost every level. An animagus and not a cursed beast, more wand experience, more theory, more skill in quidditch though she knew she out flew him hands down. So maybe he wasn't all that superior, maybe she did stand a chance. Luck and skill had a lot to answer for.

"Whenever you're read there sir" she called out, lifting her wand to her face in a salute. Her heart thumped wildly and she knew that it had nothing to do with the approaching full moon and everything to do with the boy she was staring directly at.
 
Bruin barely managed to offer his retort of "You know what? You talk too much!", when he heard Professor Fletcher give the signal for them to begin. Bruin figured that he'd keep things fairly basic and immediately called out "Expelliarmus!", flourishing his wand as a jet of light shot towards Andy. The only other time that the two of them had "dueled", Bruin had been without a wand and Andy had felt no reservations about blasting him with a series of jinxes and hexes. Perhaps he would return the favour?

Starting points: 150
Points lost: - 5 (casting spell)
Points gained: 0
New Total: 145
 
Andromeda was ready, she did nothing but smile at his witty comeback which had been predicatable. The professor gave the starting signal and raising her wand instantly called out 'Expelliarmus'.
It would seem as if Bruin had the same plan in mind though, disarming him had seemed the easier option. As much as she wanted to duel him, her heart really wasn't in it. His own spell flew directly at her and hit home, sending her wand flying out of her hand. Andy could only glare at him before jumping down to retrieve it and getting back up once more.
"Lucky shot" she muttered under her breath, readying herself for the next attack.

Starting points: 150
Points lost: - 5 (casting spell)
Points gained: + 5 (hit by spell)
New Total: 150
 
Bruin noticed that Andy had gone for a quick disarming spell as well and watched as the two jets of light sailed by each other, speeding in opposite directions. He quickly crouched and rolled towards the edge of the platform, Andy's spell sailing by him harmlessly and striking the wall behind him. Bruin watched as Andy scrambled to retrieve her wand and stood back up with a cheeky grin on his face. "Lucky? You're the one who's lucky! Would have been a short duel if I had sent anything else at you!"

Bruin held his left hand out in front of him and adopted a pseudo martial arts pose and then pulled his fingers upwards once, leaving them pointed towards the ceiling. It was an obvious gesture, but Bruin felt obliged to punctuate it with a little trash talk. "Just bring it, Wolf Girl!"

Starting points: 145
Points lost: - 10 (dodge), - 20 (for hitting Andy with Expelliarmus)
Points gained: 0
New Total: 115
 
Feeling as if he was well and truly rattling her chain to simply goad her, Andy watched as he struck such a comical pose. She had seen it often enough on martial art movies but seeing Bruin do it now only made her feel distracted and that was not how she wanted this to go. Her fighting spirit was back in full swing when a moment later he taunted her by calling her wolf-girl. She bristled, the hairs on the back of her neck rising. Her amber eyes were practically on fire. Just who did he think he was. Sure she had called him bear but everyone knew that he was an animagus!

Andy kept her eyes focused on him, let him waffle himself to death if he wanted to she was so in this now. No retreat, no surrender. Her heart would simply have to wait outside until she was finished. She had no qualms about using any type of spell that came to mind but blamed her herbology classes and bubotubers in particular for her next spell. She flung out her wand hand as quick as lightening, "Furnunculus" she called out preparing herself for whatever he threw at her.

Starting points: 150
Points lost: - 5 (casting spell)
Points gained: 0
New Total: 145
 
Bruin realized that he had crossed a line when he saw her physical reaction to his ill-advised comment. He hadn't intended to upset her and was already regretting having accepted her challenge. Furnunculus? She wants me to break out in boils??? Bruin quickly cast Protego! and her Jinx was deflected out of harms way. Bruin was beginning to get the impression that Andy was no longer concerned as much about winning this duel quickly as she was about inflicting some hurt and embarrassment his way.

Bruin was still unsure as to how to proceed and decided that he would remain on the defensive, perhaps to see if Andy would reveal a weakness. "Whoa there.... nasty jinxes now? What's your problem anyways?", he replied in a confused tone, evidently still clueless about the whole werewolf-bear thing being at the root of a lot of their problems.

Starting points: 115
Points lost: - 10 (blocking jinx)
Points gained: 0
New Total: 105
 
"My problem?" she fumed disgusted he had deflected her hex, "I don't have a problem. Oh wait actually I do don't I? I'm a bloody werewolf aren't I? while you're an animagus, want to morph for us again incase someone else didn't get the crystal clear message you gave everyone in the great hall?"
She was fed up with this now, the only reason she had sent the boils his way was to stop herself from being distracted by him. If he wasn't so damned goodlooking, she might stand a better chance at concentrating but now he was going to waffle her into submission instead of firing a spell at her. Well she wasn't going to be so nice, she flicked her wand once more in his direction. Right now lets see how well he does with his big mouth... mouth, oh! Andy nearly stopped the spell when her eyes automatically went to his mouth.
"Oh" she gulped wishing to Merlin that the boil spell had worked, "Silencio" she called out.

Starting points: 145
Points lost: - 5 (casting spell)
Points gained: 0
New Total: 140
 
Bruin should have known better than to start yapping. He was perfectly adept at wand work, but it was the words that he kept firing off these last few weeks that proved so unreliable. Andy's rant about her problem being a werewolf struck him harder than any spell she may have conjured. Hadn't he made it abundantly clear already that it didn't matter to him in the slightest? And what crystal clear message had he delivered anyways?

Before Bruin had a chance to process these questions he found himself being struck by a silencing spell and he knew immediately that it was futile for him to speak. His mouth flapped open and closed a few times, but not a sound spilled forth and he panicked for a brief moment. However, an eerie calm fell over him as he realized that all of his long hours of practice with non-verbal spells would now come into play.

Bruin concentrated hard and gave his Ebony Wand a brief swish and flick, sending a stunning spell down the platform at the fiery tempered girl that had managed to infiltrate every aspect of his life in recent weeks. It wasn't the most powerful spell he had ever cast, but the fact that he had cast it without uttering a word was still worthy of the simple smile that creeped across his face.

Starting points: 105
Points lost: + 5 (hit by Silencio), - 5 (cast Stupefy, non-verbal)
Points gained: 0
New Total: 105
 
Andy couldn't help but smile, well that shut him up for a bit any how. Maybe now she could concentrate on sending some decent spells his way, not any to do serious damage in any context but ones that would probably make her want to laugh. She watched as he realised the silencing spell had hit but her eyes caught the movement of his wand. It was a classic swish and flick movement but he couldn't speak. Something made her react anyway, her own wand coming up and saying 'protego' clear enough to be heard.

The shield obviously blocked something he had thrown at her and Andy looked at him in awe and amazement. So he had another one up on her, he could do non-verbal spells as well. She sighed, was she completely out of her depth here. In will, determination and stubborness she matched him no worries but he was so obviously superior to her spell wise. She was daunted only for a moment, knowing that she would have to be on her toes for sure now. It wasn't fair that he could use non verbals on her.
With another swish and flick of her wand, she directed it at his feet. "Engorgio".

Starting points: 140
Points lost: - 5 (casting spell) - 10 (dodge) -20 (for Bruin being hit by Silencio)
Points gained: 0
New Total: 105
 
Bruin watched with admiration as Andy deftly blocked his stunning spell and returned fire. He attempted to cast a shield charm non-verbally, but either missed it or simply didn't generate a strong enough spell to repel her enlargement charm. A curious sensation tore through Bruin's feet and they started growing rapidly, although not as rapidly as his shoes. Bruin looked down and noticed that his feet looked rather like those of a duck and that they were nestled loosely in a pair of shoes that a muggle basketball player would easily get lost in.

Bruin stumbled a little and attempted to kick the shoes off before regaining his balance and glaring down the platform at Andy who appeared to be enjoying herself. Bruin concentrated hard at Finite Incantatem and was pleased to see that his feet began to return to normal. However, his attention had been diverted for far too long on his predicament and he knew that Andy would not continue to wait for him to sort himself out. Not if she wanted to win this duel.

Starting points: 105
Points lost: + 5 (hit by Engorgio), - 5 (cast Finite, non-verbal)
Points gained: 0
New Total: 105
 
Andy tried her best not to laugh as Bruins shoes grew beyond proportion, it was quite comical really to watch him kick them off only to manage to reduce the size of his feet. She wondered if he would come at her with something decent as she rattled her own brain. For some reason the marking charm popped into her head.
'oh yeah mark him up as mine so no other girl can get her claws into him, not bad but not effective here. Accio? summon him? oh sure and what do I do when he is right infront of me being all devastating and silent?' ... she knew what she would like to do but cursed herself again for allowing him to distract her. This was crazy.

She would keep her eye on his wand for any sudden movements and then she thought of it. If he couldn't flick his wand, he couldn't very well cast any more spells her way. With a flourish of her wand she sent the jelly fingers jinx at him. Her eyes looked into his hazel ones and she seriously couldn't resist a wink.

Starting points: 105
Points lost: - 5 (casting spell) 120 (Bruin getting hit with engorgio)
Points gained: 0
New Total: 80
 
Bruin's gaze locked with Andy's. It was the first time that he had dared to look her directly in the eyes for quite some time and he felt like a moth being drawn to a flame, completely incapable of resisting and pulling away from the powerful draw that threatened to burn him so completely. He was just about to attempt raising his wand and seeing if the Finite spell had also ended the silencing spell that she had cast upon him when it happened. Did she just wink at me? Bruin's wand lowered as his heart rate rose, but his excitement was short lived as suddenly he was struck by the Jelly-Fingers Jinx and he began fumbling his wand pathetically, utimately dropping it at his feet.

"Aw crap!" Bruin exclaimed as his fingers betrayed him, just as his brain and mouth had so many times over the past few weeks. "Can't seem to defend myself against you properly.", he added matter-of-factly. Bruin attempted to perform Finite wandlessly, a skill that they had recently begun practicing in Defense Against the Dark Arts, but his words hung in the air and his fingers continued to twitch uncontrollably. Wandless magic required clarity of thought and complete concentration, neither of which Bruin could summon at the moment, just as he has struggled so thoroughly with summoning the paper in class. He knew it was pointless to continue to try given the current circumstances.

Bruin found himself standing in front of Andy completely defenseless for the second time. He had dropped his guard and she now had him dead to rights, exposed and powerless to resist whatever she might throw at him. The strange thing was that Bruin actually liked the feeling and he knew that this was so much more than a simple duel. The only question now was whether Andy would strike him down, again.

Starting points: 105
Points lost: + 5 (hit by Jelly Fingers Jinx), - 5 (cast Finite wandlessly, ineffective)
Points gained: 0
New Total: 105
 
Andy's mouth opened as Bruin regained use of his mouth. His words sent the sweetest thrill through her. He couldn't defend himself against her, she didn't know why this was only that it sounded about the sweetest thing he had said to her in ages. Her shoulders lowered and her duelling stance relaxed as she watched him fumble about. This wasn't fair, how could she duel him while he was so helpless.

She didn't like thinking of him in that state and she certainly didn't want to be the one who left him in it. Her proud Gryffindor heart swelled as she raised her wand and did possibly the stupidest thing yet. She cast 'finite incantatum' on him, releasing him of the jinx.
"If we're going to do this, I want you to at least stand a chance" if her releasing him didn't show him how much she cared about him, she didn't think anything would. She might just have blown her chances of winning the duel but it didn't really bother her. Her heart told her it was the right thing to do, just as it had told her he was the right one for her. Was she going to get it all wrong?

Starting points: 80
Points lost: - 5 (casting spell) -20 (Bruin getting hit with Jelly fingers Jinx)
Points gained: 0
New Total: 55
 
As unpredicatable as Andy could be, nothing could have prepared him for her next action. He had resigned himself to attempting to dodge her next spell and hoping that the Jelly Fingers Spell would wear off, but simply stood there as she released him. It had been a nice gesture, but her assumption that she had already beaten him and that she wanted him to "stand a chance" tore into his foolish school boy pride.

Bruin refocused all his energies on his wand and it sprang into his hand. He had just performed wandless, non-verbal magic for the first time and he had no idea how he had done it, but he didn't even blink as he leveled the wand at her. "You think you had me beat?", he stated accusingly. "You really don't understand me at all, do you?" Bruin decided to give Andy a moment to consider whether she would defend herself properly or not because Bruin was now playing to win.


Starting points: 105
Points lost: - 5 (cast Accio)
Points gained: 0
New Total: 100
 
Andy watched as he was able to summon his wand without saying anything or the use of anything but sheer will. So he had learnt wandless and non-verbal, how in the name of everything magical was she supposed to know that. She would have stood a better chance if she had left the jinx on him. It didn't really bother her though, she still considered it the 'sporting' thing to do until he completely levelled her with his words. Understand him? She thought she used to but since the Borely she knew she didn't anymore.

His tone and how he levelled his wand at her told her everything she needed to know. There was no hope, there would never be the two of them. Her moment of trying to show him how much she cared had blown up in her face. Maybe it wasn't that she didn't understand him but he didn't understand her. Her eyes glistened, in the moment he had uttered those words to her she had lost. Not the duel but everything else. She readied herself with whatever he was now going to throw at her.
"You're right Bruin" her voice was filled with the hurt she was trying desperately to hide, "I don't understand you. I ..." she looked down at the wand in her hand wanting nothing more than to simply put it away and walk away from him once and for all. She couldn't keep doing this to herself. She blinked back the tears that threatened before looking up at him again.
"Just get on with it" if he was going to annihilate her completely she wanted it over and done with. Andromeda raised her wand as he had.

Starting points: 50
Points lost: -20 (Bruin getting hit with Finite Incantatum)
Points gained: 0
New Total: 35
 
Bruin sensed complete resignation and defeat in Andy's words and he realized that this lack of understanding between them was now total and absolute. He cared about her so much and what had it got him? Buin had shown Andy friendship and compassion in the Great Hall when her uncle died and she walked away from him. He had attempted to show her that he cared about her on a deeper level at the Borely and she had pushed him away. He had tried to do something noble to protect her when the Gossip Magazine was released and she appeared to resent him for it. When he realized that all of these had failed to show her how much he cared, he had offered to put his own feelings aside and go back to simpler times and she had simply told him that she couldn't do that. And today, she had goaded him into dueling her, taunted him when she had him in a weakened position, and now appeared almost disappointed in him when he tried to show his true strength. Perhaps it was time to simply get on with it, to get on with his life?

"Serpensortia!"

A large snake burst from Bruin's wand and began slithering towards Andy. Apparently, he had become skilled with things like deceit and distraction lately and what better way to represent these then to have a serpent do his bidding.

Starting points: 100
Points lost: - 5 (cast Serpensortia)
Points gained: 0
New Total: 95
 
Andy watched in horror as a snake materialised before her, heading directly for her. What in the world was this about? For all his talk this was what he was going to throw at her, a snake? Andy looked up with confusion written all over her face then flicked her wand as quickly as she could at the disgusting and vile thing coming towards her, she knew finite wouldn't work as she simply didn't know the spell he had used.
She looked at Bruin once more before turning her attention back to the snake would stupefying it work? Why was he doing this to her? The snake raised itself up and hissed loudly at her, she recoiled taking a step backwards wracking her brains for a way to get rid of it.

Starting points: 35
Points lost: 0
Points gained: 0
New Total: 35
 
Bruin hadn't anticipated that Andy, the fearless and fearsome girl he had grown to admire so, would be so distracted by a snake, but knew now was his opportunity to end this. He was full of a mixture of sadness and regret as he pointed his wand at her and with a simple swish and flick uttered "Petrificus Totalus!". A bolt of light tore down the platform at chest level and Bruin watched as it sped towards its target.

Starting points: 95
Points lost: - 5 (cast Petrificus Totalus)
Points gained: 0
New Total: 90
 
Andromeda finally considered which spell was best when she heard Bruin release the petrification spell. She stared, could do nothing more. As quick as her reflexes were the bolt she knew would surely hit her. In the few milli-seconds it took for her brain to register this fact and that she was not going to shield herself from it, it also registered why. If he hit her, with the anger that he had put behind it she knew for certain that this above all else would help her get over him. Would help her move on. Her eyes looked down the platform to Bruin, she lowered her wand.
"I'll get over you" she said in the instant the bolt hit her dead on, she hadn't meant to say it out loud but couldn't very well detract it now. She felt every muscle tighten, every bone lock into place. It was as if she were being turned to stone, her body went rigid and she fell backwards. Her head smacked hard on the platform and stung like hell but she couldn't even lift a hand to rub it. She lay there completely helpless, the only movement was a tear that inched its way out and trickled down the side of her face.

Let him gloat now, he had his victory. It was what he wanted, now she could take the physical pain he had unleashed on her and use it to remind herself daily why she should not care for him. She knew that time would be her healer now, she would get over him. Now if only Fletcher or Bruin would release her she could leave.

Starting points: 35
Points lost: 0
Points gained: +5 (hit with spell)
New Total: 40
 
Bruin had broken into a run as soon as he saw Andy lower her wand, staggering slightly when she fired off her prophetic words, but continuing on as she crumpled to the floor, his concern for her well-being greater than the empty feeling that was ravaging him on the inside as her words took hold of him. Bruin cast the snake away without a second thought and then knelt down beside Andy, noting the single tear on her cheek.

This wasn't the way it was supposed to be, this wasn't what he wanted, but he had no idea how to fix the situation now. Despite the best of intentions, Bruin simply made things worse between them with every word, every action, every gesture. He was convinced that he was destined to be like the bear, a solitary figure that lived on the periphery of society, not meant to interact with others because he didn't possess the characteristics that brought anything but pain.

Bruin leaned forward and brushed her cheek softly with the back of his hand. She couldn't push him away this time, his spell had seen to that, and he pressed his lips softly against her cheek and whispered. "I'm sorry. This isn't how I wanted it to be..." A small box that had been in Bruin's pocket almost continuously since the beginning of school fell as he rose and nestled itself between Andy's arm and body, completely unnoticed by Bruin.

Bruin stood for a moment, released the spell that he had placed on Andy and retreated, leaving the Dueling Chamber without another word. He had never felt less like a Gryffindor in all of his life, retreating from something worth fighting for and surrendering to the curse of the Bear. The only piece of him remaining, nestled in the box with a short, cryptic note that he had written weeks earlier.
NM0011.jpg

Happy Birthday Andy!
I know that you are more of a wolf person, but I hope that this reminds you of the Bear who will always be there for you.
There is a little secret behind it, but you'll have to figure it out for yourself to make it truly special, and although it isn't one of a kind... I hope that when you wear it that you will realize that you are.

Bruin
 
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