Open running hot

[Victoria de Lacey]

Tori didn't feel very well, though she couldn't pin point exactly what was wrong. It wasn't even really a proper feeling, she just felt sort of strange, not quite right. Her joints didn't feel like they were where they were supposed to be, they weren't jointing properly. Her skin felt slightly itchy and she was clammy, but she didn't feel sick, really. Her stomach felt a little weird, but nothing more than usual. Her back though, that seemed to be where the real issue was. When she'd gotten up this morning, she'd felt like someone had taken a sledge hammer to her lower back, and it had, quite frankly, completely ruined her morning. She'd been trying to be excited about the days ahead, since she was now into her second year, but apparently the universe had other plans for her, because she cautiously walked to the Great Hall and sat on the harder-than-she-remembered-it-being wooden bench. As she looked at the food, absolutely nothing appealed and she honestly just wanted to crawl back into bed and sleep whatever this was off. She slumped at the table and dropped her head against it. She didn't have a headache, but her head did feel strangely heavy. It was too bad her brother wasn't here, he'd know exactly what to do.​

 

[Lilith Ilves]

It was one of her first mornings back at the castle and Lilith had a hard time actually wrapping her head around the fact she was now a second year. She had moved into the second year girls dormitory and slept the same she did in the first years, the time difference was still pressing heavily on her body. Lilith was feeling a bit out of sorts as she walked into the Great Hall, just barely little more than a zombie. Her eyes scanned the big room and landed on the Gryffindor table and on a very poorly looking Tori. Now she might be tired but it didn't stop the worry clawing up her throat as she made her way to the table all flying hair and robes.

"Tori, are you quite well? You don't look too good. Do you have a fever, let me try." She said with an urgency placing her hand on the other girls forehead, she wasn't warmer than usual but her skin was somewhat clammy. Worry etched its way all over Lili's face as she looked at the girl from head to toe. "Should you go see a nurse? You look very unwell, try eating something. Maybe your sugar is low, here." She began taking food onto the girls plate, wanting to help her somehow. She was no longer focused on the way her eyelids and every other part of her body was weighing more than they were supposed to, no she was solely focused on taking care of her friend.

 

[Eurydice Nightray]

Eurydice had decided to be hopeful about the year ahead. Her first year had gone quite well despite the disastrous encounter with the older Slytherin girls. She was quite determined that those hags not bother her this year as she tried to make the most of it. It was weird, to feel excited about being back at the castle when she was also sad to leave home; it was going to be weird being away for months at a time, especially with her new baby brother and baby sister back at home. While she was glad to skip away from their crying months, it also felt weird and maybe a little sad to be missing a lot of their firsts. Especially when she wanted to try and get them to say her name first before any of the others, which would still be months away. At this rate, Nik would definitely win. With a sigh, she decided that she should probably check on her friends today, or at least the ones not in Hufflepuff - not that there were many. There were exactly two. She should probably say hi to William first before inviting him to come with her to see Mr. Dak. She made her way to the Gryffindor Table looking around only to find Tori and Lilith sitting together. Well, more Lilith trying to feed Tori which was weird but who was Eury to judge? "Hey, either of you seen William today?"​

 

[Eoghan Blyth]

With his first year at Hogwarts already behind him, Eoghan was more keen than ever to make sure he stayed on top of his plans. He'd found himself more than a little distracted over the last few months, something he told himself was never going to happen, but he'd let himself get carried away and it was something he would need to put a stop to this year. He'd been sat at the Gryffindor table for the last hour, reading over his second year textbooks for the fourth time since he'd bought them, over a small bowl of porridge, when his attention was tugged to the student opposite as the sound of her head hitting the table shook him from his thoughts. Despite their differences, Eoghan actually found Tori to be one of the best people to study with, if not only to study around. Ever since he'd known her, the Gryffindor seemed to be on a similar wavelength to him, seemed to want to know reasons for their world, and would push if that information wasn't immediately available. It was easier to sit with Tori to read than it was with other Ravenclaws at times, and given Eoghan's purposeful decision not to get too distracted this year, it made sense that he'd gravitated to this table in the morning.

Eoghan's eyes lingered on his friend only for a moment, as suddenly Lilith was at her side. It didn't surprise him in the slightest, Lilith had a sensitivity for the wellbeing of others after all. She was like a mother hen that flocked to the disaster zones, although it was only upon seeing Lilith that Eoghan wondered whether something was wrong with Tori and he'd simply overlooked it. Sure, she looked a little pale, but that could have been down to the fact she'd neither eaten anything yet or was contemplating the challenge of her own semester to come. He said nothing as his eyes lingered over the words in from of him, listening to see how this would play out. A third voice was quick to join the group too as Eury requested assistance finding William. Much to Eoghan's attempt at staying out of social circles, he found himself unwillingly aware of most of the students in his year and as such, knew exactly who she was, and who she was referring to. That didn't make him any more likely to help out, however. "Why don't you ask your cousin?" he mumbled, not looking back up from his book. Jonah probably had an idea where the Gryffindor boy was, and while Eoghan had no intention of making life easier for Eury, he did however want to make life easier for Tori and Lilith, who if there was indeed a problem that the Ravenclaw had overlooked, would likely want their own privacy without making a scene of things. ​

 

[Victoria de Lacey]

"Huh?" Tori barely lifted her head up when she heard Lilith's voice from off to the side. She wasn't entirely sure if she considered Lilith a friend, but they'd certainly spent time around each other. She seemed almost a permanent fixture on Eoghan's side after all, and whenever she felt the need to speak to him about something that confused her, she was oft there as well, though she was more often than not less engaged in whatever debate she was having with Yew at the time. "Oh, I don't know really," she said, dropping her head back on the table again because lifting it felt like she was picking up a bowling ball, well, maybe not quite, but it was definitely heavy. She didn't want to go and see a nurse though, they'd probably just stuff a potion in her hands and call it a day, and besides, nothing was wrong really, she just didn't feel right, but she didn't have the right words to explain it. She didn't even think she really had the right feeling just off. Whatever that meant. "I'm not really hungry honestly, I feel kind of funny in the stomach," she said, pressing her hands into the tenderness there that was slowly creeping up. Then when Eury approached, she sat up slightly and shook her head. "No, I haven't seen him this morning, he might have slept in," she offered, trying to be helpful despite not really liking the Hufflepuff too much since the incident last year.​

 

[Lilith Ilves]

Lilith stared at Tori with worry, barely noticing the commotion around her. Though she did however feel a set of eyes on them, a set she knew well even without looking up. The eyes that resembled stars and belonged to her favourite, Antares. She shook her head at the question presented to them by whom she guessed was Eurydice, Meissa's cousin. Hearing Eoghan's voice was nothing new to her but it instantly set her rigid muscles at more ease, although his voice was dismissive at best. "Oh, ohh.." She said silently, taking note to the symptoms very clear to her now. Suddenly the dots connecting. "I have a hot water bottle in my dorm, you could try heating it up and putting on your stomach. It does wonders for me when I need it." She spoke with a low tone, trying to keep it discreet. Lilith doubted much of the others never mind Eoghan would understand, but she still wanted to offer that bit of privacy to the discussion. "How about drinking something? It could help, even if it's just a little bit." She tried to offer a cup of tea and a glass of juice in either hand, giving her option on both warm and cold drink.

 

[Susie Lagowski]

Susie was on her way to breakfast when she spotted several of her friends hanging around the Gryffindor table. In the centre of it all, Tori, looking a bit under the weather. Pinching a croissant from a platter, Susie headed over to see what all the fuss was. "What's wrong with her?" she asked, the question directed at nobody in particular. "Tori! Are you sick?" Maybe Susie shouldn't get too close after all. Still, her concern for her friend outweighed the risks of contracting whatever disease Tori had brought to breakfast.

 

[Esme Styx-Cade]

There had been something off about Tori that morning so Esme was hoping she would find her dormmate in the great hall still enjoying breakfast. She did find her, but she was surrounded as usually seemed to be the case as Tori proved to be increasingly popular, it made spending time with her quite intimidating sometimes but she was concerned about her and she didn’t want it to get in her way. She made her way over to the Gryffindor table and smiled at some of the familiar faces that surrounded her friend. “Hi Tori, you rushed out of the dorm before I could see if you were okay, how are you?” It seemed she wasn’t the only one who was concerned so she slipped into the benches at the table and hoped there had been a dramatic improvement in whatever was wrong with Tori.

 

[Eurydice Nightray]

The number of people coming up to the table was growing faster and faster than Eurydice was actually strictly comfortable with. Mostly because the people here weren't people she actually got along with. Most of the interactions she's had with them after initially meeting them felt stilted, so she hasn't really tried to talk to any of them outside of classes or with just passing questions like this one. However, with the number of people here who were so obviously friends and her the outsider, it was easy to feel that she was overstaying the very tentative welcome she had. She frowned a little at Eoghan as she looked over the Gryffindor Table, "I would, but Rose hasn't shown up yet either." It wasn't like she would ask them if she had other people she could ask. She then turned her attention to Tori, who was apparently sick, which was why Lilith had been feeding her, "Should probably go to the Hospital Wing to make sure you're not contagious." It was weird to her that none of them had started to bring the other girl to the nurse yet if they were so worried. They had a school nurse for a reason.​

 

[Felix Layton-King]

Felix had been in the Great Hall for a whole total of twelve minutes before he laid eyes on Eury. He'd been sat at the table ready to enjoy his breakfast when he looked up to see the brunette loitering over Tori. "Oi," he still didn't like the girl after the events of last year, and hated her even more now that she kept trying to dangle herself in front of William like a golden carrot. "Bugger off Eury, if William wants to see you he'll find you himself," he glared at her, oblivious to the conversation some of his other friends were having. He didn't particularly like the idea of Eury hunting down Jonah for information either, but he wasn't sure where the Hufflepuff was. At least when he'd left the second-year dormitories a few minutes ago, William had been sleeping safe and sound, far away from whatever this girl had up her sleeve. Felix shuffled further up the bench towards Eoghan, eyes never leaving the brunette's as she mentioned Rose. Apparently, she was unaware that one of William's best friends would have a better idea as to where he was rather than another random Gryffindor girl. Maybe Eury really was as dumb as she looked. Felix was about to make another retort at the Hufflepuff when he spotted his girlfriend, glad to see that the prettiest girl in the school had now joined them. He couldn't help flash her half a smile, even if the anger at Eury's presence was still bubbling under the surface.

(OOC: Eury I'm SO sorry for Felix <3)​

 

[Victoria de Lacey]

Tori shifted uncomfortably in her seat, feeling both touched and overwhelmed by the sheer number of people suddenly surrounding her. She'd gone from feeling pretty sorry for herself to feeling like she needed some air in less than five minutes. She pressed her palms flat on the table, hoping it might take some of the pressure off of her lower back for even just a moment. "Thanks Lilith," she said quietly, managing a small, appreciative smile at the suggestion got a hot water bottle. She wasn't quite sure how she'd sneak away to her dorm and back without making a scene, but the thought was comforting when it was presented. "Tea please," she added, reaching for the wam cup Lilith was offering her. She felt like something cold was just going to make her feel queasy. Her gaze flicked up as Susie approached, croissant in hand, which only made her have to hold back a sudden sickness in her throat. "I'm fine, really," she assured them, though she certainly lacked her usual energy. "It's nothing contagious, I haven't been near anyone contagious, promise." She winced inwardly, realising that between Susie's concern and Eurydice's suggestion, she might have given off the wrong impression. Esme's arrival though, managed to soften the tension a little bit, and she added a slight sense of calm to the otherwise burgeoning chaos. Eoghan had just been here moments ago, but she'd lost sight of him in the crowd.

"Hey Es," she said, with a bot more warmth, though her voice was still liquid. "I'm okay, just a bit of a rough start to the morning," she said, even though the comments made her stomach churn. She hated the idea of drawing even more attention to herself by going there, especially when she was sure this would pass soon. "I don’t think it’s anything worth bothering the nurse about," she replied, attempting to sound more sure of herself. And then Felix's voice rang out, his sharp tone directed at Eurydice. Tori's cheeks burned as the tension at the table seemed to skyrocket. "Felix!" she said quickly, trying to cut through the brewing conflict. "It’s fine. Eurydice was just being practical." She exhaled slowly, brushing a stray lock of hair from her face. "Really, everyone, I'm okay. Just a little off this morning." Tori looked around at her friends, grateful for their concern but desperate to not make a bigger deal of this than it already was. "I'll bounce back. Promise."​

 

[Lilith Ilves]

Lilith was glad when Victoria took the tea she had offered her. Good at least she’d get something in her system. Lilith suddenly grew aware of the amount of people around them and the a raising tension within the group. She hated conflicts truly so she just pretended not to exist. Lilith took some napkins and wrapped a croissant in them carefully. Before slipping the small packet in her pocket she also took a banana adding it to the to-go breakfast she took with her for Tori if she later needed fuel.

“Okay Tori, how about we go get that bottle now? Oh and I wanted to talk to you about a few spells we are supposed to learn this year. I thought you might have some thoughts?” Lilith hoped the last bit would be enough of a cover for them to leave under as both of them were known to be studious. She had noticed the signs of discomfort on Tori and didn’t blame her. Lili herself felt like her skin was crawling and she wanted an out, plus it would be good to get the water bottle to ease Tori’s stomach and back muscles. Lilith got up from the table giving a smile at everyone gathered around, but honestly she had only enough energy to focus on getting Victoria into comfortable place to relax.

 

[Eurydice Nightray]

Eurydice had to remind herself that these were William's and Nox's and Jonah's friends because it was exhausting to deal with Felix. She knew that she was the first one to dislike him when he'd just started becoming friends with Jonah. It had been weird when Jonah started making friends because, for the first few weeks of term, it was just her and him adjusting to - not being Hufflepuffs because Jonah hadn't taken that well - but as Hogwarts students. They went to classes together and hated all the same classes and were excited for the same ones. And then he started having friends and leaving her behind. When she started to have her own friends, she understood a little better, but she and Felix already had quite the animosity between them, she didn't even know why he disliked her this much - she didn't think she had done anything to him apart for the glaring in Charms class. "Very well. I would ask you not to call me so familiarly if you're going to be so hostile. Eury is what my friends call me and you are obviously not my friend," she told Felix pointedly before turning to Tori because she was obviously being stupid by ignoring the problem and giving empty assurance. "And you should still go see the nurse. It's stupid to promise that you haven't been near anyone contagious since you can't always tell when someone is. If you aren't then congratulations. If you are and you didn't go, then everyone on this table could get sick," she pointed out before walking away where she was clearly unwanted. She'd had no idea what the hell was wrong with Tori but if she wasn't willing to take care of herself then Eury didn't see a need to worry about them especially when they weren't even friends.​

 

[Susie Lagowski]

"That's rude," Susie shot at Felix, through a mouthful of croissant. But then Eurydice was being pretty rude as well, calling Tori stupid like that. Maybe they should date each other - they were obviously a perfect match. "Hey, quit it, guys. Can't you see she's suffering?" With her free hand, Susie rubbed the back of Tori's shoulder. The Gryffindor claimed to be all right, but she certainly didn't look all right. "Are you sure? You don't feel like you're gonna throw up? We can take you to the bathroom." Lili and Esme probably had this covered between them, but Susie wasn't leaving Tori alone until someone specifically told her to bugger off... and possibly not even then, depending on who it came from. It was so unlike Tori to be... well, sick. Something must have been seriously wrong, and Susie wasn't abandoning her in a time of need.

 

[Eoghan Blyth]

Very quickly, there were more people surrounding the table than Eoghan was specifically comfortable with. He would have offered to take Tori to the hospital wing himself if not just to get out of there, although knowing he'd done the exact same thing a year ago on the Quidditch pitch, he didn't want to start getting a reputation for it. As Susie joined the clan to stir the metaphorical pot, Eoghan took her presence as his cue to leave. Nothing was ever simple around Susie who often seemed to get the wrong end of the stick before the stick had even been summoned, so closing his book Eoghan made to rise from his seat at the bench.

It was easy to slip out unnoticed by the gaggle of students, and while Eoghan heard the commotion behind him as he walked away from the table, he grew more confident that he'd make the right decision by making haste and heading out. This was precisely the type of situation he was doing his best to avoid this year.​

 

[Felix Layton-King]

Felix did little to cover the roll of his eyes as Eury Eurydice told him not to use her nickname, although if that was the only thing she had for him then he'd gotten away with his comment with ease. "So is talking with your mouth full, but you don't see me complaining," he shot back at Susie, brushing the invisible crumbs off his shoulder. It wasn't long before Eury and Eoghan had disappeared, and Lilith looked as though she was about to pull Tori out of the hall herself if she didn't accept the invitation to check some spells soon. "I wouldn't stand too close Soos, she might throw up on your shoes," he grinned, teasing the Hufflepuff. It was easy to get a rise out of her and most of the Hufflepuff's apparently, and teasing his friends was high on the list of things Felix had started to enjoy doing. If someone had asked him properly, he was just glad he had friends in the first place, but if he'd learned anything from his older sister it was that teasing was one of the best ways to show love.​