Closed Silently Patrolling

[Vader Hume]

Vader had known his awful luck would come back to bite him again. A prefect badge, but he was paired up with Ava who hated him. It didn’t help that he was stressing out bad about the first patrol even before he knew he’d have to spend the time with Ava but even more so. It only added to the stress he’d been feeling since he got back to school. Since before school. He just felt so exhausted and no amount of coffee was helping. He was at the second floor with a coffee gripped tightly in his hands, he just knew that if he took them off it, it would be obvious that his hands were shaking and he didn’t want her to see that, though now that she hated him, maybe it wouldn’t be something that bothered her. Why would she care about how he was doing if they were no longer friends. Vader sighed heavily as he waited, he’d just barely managed to pull himself away from what he’d been doing in the accio room, he’d missed dinner, which was just finishing up, but after this, after the patrol, and after the one piece of work he still had to do, he’d go get something from the kitchen. Vader just had to get through this patrol first. ​

 

[Avaria Lockwood]

Ava was both dreading her first patrol and absolutely loving the idea of being able to have an excuse to be near him. She was careful about everything. What she wore, how she did her hair. Did she dare speak to him? She didnt know. She started to leave the dorm but at the last minute she turned and darted back to her trunk, taking out one of her father's hoodies and slipping into it. It fell to her knees but that was alright. She pulled the hood up, pleased to obscure her face, and hurried down to where she was going to meet Vader

She almost died when she saw him. She reached into her bag, taking out the water and the banana nut muffin. She didnt say a word as she approached him, terrified that both her voice would tremble and that she would ruin all her plans. So instead she just snatched his coffee from his hands- that stupid coffee- and pressed the water bottle and the muffin into his hands instead. She turned before he could react and started walking off down their route. She sipped his coffee and grimaced. Ew, how did he drink this so much?

 

[Vader Hume]

Vader saw her approaching as a noise sounded, and he looked down at the ground, keen to not meet here gaze as she approached, he couldn’t help the slight whole body flinch as the coffee cup was grabbed from his hands, and his hands began trembling again without the solid object. They didn’t appear to stop when the water bottle was pressed to his hands. ”Av--” he half said, almost half reaching for the coffee, but she was already walking away. He felt his body sigh heavily at it, the deep desire to get the coffee back and just keep himself going with it. But she'd taken it and he didn't have the courage to ask for it back, what if she yelled at him again? He opened the water and took a long sip, remembering then that he should probably attempt to drink more water, if ever he could remember. He followed down the hallway with her, a step behind with his gaze focused near entirely at the ground. He was so nervous about being this close to her, he wanted to say something, apologise to her, beg for forgiveness for all the lies, but he couldn’t even look at her. She had to look after him, even when she hated him. What a hopeless friend he was. No wondered they hadn’t spoken since the fight. He didn’t even have his camera with him to hide behind. He couldn’t help but miss her, miss when they’d sit together and she’d play the piano softly and he’d just sit next to her taking in the music. He was such a bad friend...why couldn’t he just have been honest with her. Vader just let his mind linger on the happier thoughts with Ava as he followed just a step behind her. ​

 

[Avaria Lockwood]

Ava was doing her best to ignore that full body flinch she'd seen Vader make when she had taken his coffee. She held onto the cup with both hands, gripping it so hard her knuckles were turning right. She took another shaky sip. It tasted horrible but the strong scent of the coffee comforted her. Vader always smelled like coffee. And paper. She sighed softly, glad he was behind her. She spent several minutes trying to make herself talk to him, but every time she tried her own words just played themselves in a loop in her head. She bit her lip again. She was sure he hated her. How could he not? She sighed and slowed a little, moving so that she was walking next to Vader instead of behind him. It wasnt much, really, but it was comforting to have him at her side again.

 

[Vader Hume]

Vader wasn’t sure if he wanted really to continue with this patrol, but he had to, he had to do it. Professor Kingsley had seen in him something that made him a good candidate for prefect and she couldn’t let him down, even if he was exhausted. Even if this was awkward and difficult. Ava too, she might hate him, but she didn’t deserve him talking away from her because he was being supposedly difficult. Vader brought the water to his lips and sip it gratefully. He knew it wouldn’t do much overall, but it was nice. If he didn’t need coffee so much he might drink water more often. The boy kept his gaze on the ground in front of him, only briefly glancing up. He wasn’t even aware when she slowed to match his pace, until he looked up briefly and saw she wasn’t a step ahead. It was nice to have her there again, just like old times, he could pretend they were friends again, that she didn’t hate him. Vader rubbed his eyes tiredly, he yawned and stopped for a moment to let the yawn finish befoe continuing. He didn’t say anything, but now continue again along side Ava. He couldn’t help but think of when they’d built their first lego together at school, when he’d been so nervous to interrupt, that she wouldn’t actually want to share it with him. How wrong he had been about that. How pleased he had been when she’d wanted to share it. How fun it had been to build lego together. ​

 

[Avaria Lockwood]

Ava kept alternating between relaxing and tending up again. She was really kinda glad she had been assigned this patrol with Vader. It was hard to keep quiet about his party, hard not to just reach out and hold his hand. But it was so nice to be close to him again. She paused when he stopped, glancing up at him as he yawned. Unthinkingly she took a sip of his coffee. "Bleh," she stuck out her tongue a bit, scrunching up her nose. She hated the taste of coffee. She let go of it with one hand and pulled some red licorice ropes from her pocket. She bit one, holding it between her teeth and silently offering the other one to Vader out of habit.

 

[Vader Hume]

Vader was little surprised when he noticed Ava took a sip of the coffee, he knew she didn’t drink coffee had always scorned him for it. He felt somewhat bad for wishing that if she wasn’t going to enjoy it that he should get it back, get it back to be able to use it. He needed it. Noticed that she was holding out a sweet in her hand, and despite how he was beginning to realise how hungry he was but he didn’t want to take one from her. He wouldn’t have even thought about it when they were friends, but that was probably why she was offering it to him, if he took one then she’d realise that he’d taken one, remember that she hated him and snatch it back. He didn’t want that to happen. Not at all. The teen just kept his gaze on the ground between them and just pushed forward. He continued to push forward putting the water bottle away and letting his hands swing at his side for a moment, though they were shaking. He then just stuffed them into his pocket and continued to push forward. ​

 

[Avaria Lockwood]

Ava stopped as Vader moved on, looking uncertainly at the snack in her hand. She bit her lip, shoving everything back in her pockets, including the licorice and the coffee. She bit her lip to keep herself from crying and shuffled after him. She hated this, she hated fighting and she hated knowing she deserved it. They were supposed to be a team, he had been her rock for so long. She wrapped her arms around her torso and stared at the ground as she followed him. She didnt know you could miss someone this much. She missed building legos, she missed going through his photos and painting his favorites, she missed being able to run her fingers through his hair when he curled up against her to nap. She sniffled softly and swiped her eyes.

 

[Vader Hume]

Vader sighed a little, his hands were stuffed into his pockets and he was just focusing on taking one step at a time. He knew that if he didn’t manage this, then he would be letting his house down, he’d let his head of house down, but it was just so hard. He felt so worn out and tired of things, and he didn’t know how he could walk in silence with someone he was sure still hated him. He heard her sniff softly and he had to know what that meant, he almost near instinctively put his arm around her, but he didn’t. He stopped himself, he stopped walking and he glanced at her. ”I have to go,” he lied, he couldn’t cope with it. He couldn’t do it right now. He needed to sleep, he needed to eat, he needed to just be able to calm down. It would maybe get easier to be around her when time moved on, but it was all to fresh. Vader didn’t look up at her as he spoke, but he turned and walked away, heading in the other direction and back towards the accio room. He knew he was just so disappointed in himself. He couldn’t do it. Of course he was letting just about everyone down. ​

 

[Avaria Lockwood]

Ava stopped as Vader stopped, eyes brimming with tears as he lied to her again. She sighed softly as he turned and started to leave, stuffing her hands in her pockets and trying to walk away as well. But then her fingers brushed against his coffee. She gasped and spun around. "Timmy, wait!" She hurried after him, jumping in his way. She bit her lip, not looking at him as she pulled his coffee from her pocket and pressing it and the licorice into his hands. This time, though, her hands lingered a moment against his. She looked up through her hair and hesitantly reached up, brushing his hair from his eyes. He looked so worn out. Poor boy. She took a breath, opening her mouth to say something. But as soon as she tried, she felt all of it trying to push its way forward. What was going on at home, the party, practicing every day to make it as special as she could. She stepped back, clamping her hands over her mouth. She couldn't ruin the surprise, not now. She skirted around him and bolted away.