under pressure

[Briar Rowan-Cullen]

Briar was feeling the impact of her seventh year at hogwarts. It asnt the class work as much. that was not too much harder than the previous years. It was more everything else that went with it. when she had started the school she had been as careless as anyone. spending nights out asleep in the grounds or watching the stars. exploring the forest and not caring about being caught by th proffesors. however the years in the castle had changed her. she had started fitng in with the expectations of her. n her fifth year she had been awarded the title of prefect and she had activly gone to professor weasley (as she was then called) and had to check if the badge had gone to the right person. however since then her life had changed, and she had changed. she now cared about her marks in class. she waned a job that wasnt just plaing quidditch and she had arrived in school this year hoping to be made head girl, which she had. now as she paced her way around her usua ruite through the grounds she wished to go back to being a first year again when the pressures of being a food roll model and stress of knowing classes would either get you a job or not were so far away they hardly needed thinking about. now instead of late night adventures she had late night patrols, and although she was still training quidditch as hard as ever it was not for her enjoyment (though she did still love it) it was to perfect and fine tune skills that would enable her to get into a team when she graduated. and like now she was still running but that came second to homework. pluss there was the added factor of being a werewolf, and havigthe emotional changes that were often stronger (thugh more pradictable) than the most hormonal girls. and as f to put the icing on the cake she couldn't let any of this show as she knew half, well a quarter, of the school hated her, even if they never said anything to her, the way they looked at her and whispered as she walked past was enough proof.
she stopped somewhere on the edge of the lake, and sat down the weather was just starting to show signs of warming up but was still cold even though she didn't feel it. she sighed as she took a mouthful of water from her bottle and started peeling an orange.

 

[Madlyn Ateara]

Today was an alright day for a walk outside, Madlyn thought before she made it out here. It was better then being inside waiting for any letters to arrive for her, but she realized none for her were coming. She wasn't sure really why was waiting, hoping her status would soon change with someone was taking a toll out of her. That's when Madlyn didn't care, she left the common room and went outside for an afternoon walk. She had ditched her new clothes for her old style again, it was great to be back in the way she use to be. For a second she had totally lost the way she was, it wasn't till yesterday she realized she didn't like the person she was becoming. And not only that, she felt a great big distant from Briar. If there was something she was willing to change for, it was her sister. Madlyn wanted to go back to the way they use to be, she had to find her and make it right again.

It must've been destine for her to do today, for she saw Briar leaning down over the lake. From the looks of it Briar looked like she needed some company too. Madlyn muster up a smile and walked to stand besides Briar. "There you are, I've been looking for you. I wanted to talk to you" she sat down on the ground besides Briar, looking down at their mirrored reflection in the teal water. "Are you feeling okay? Something wrong?" she asked Briar.

 

[Briar Rowan-Cullen]

Briar had been sitting there for a few minutes when she heard someone coming up behind her. she hoped that it wasn't someone who would make fun of her and judge her for her weakness. however just as she was trying to put up her normal barriers that got her though the day and the snide remarks when she recognised the footsteps. she turned around and her thoughts were confirmed., it was Madlyn. her sister was the person she most wanted to see right now. the one person she knew she could rely on, someone she looked up to. she smiled as best as she could. Madlyn looked different, she seemed to have gone back to her older style, it suited her. "Hello Maddy. It looks like you've found me. do you want some orange?" she asked, remembering what her sister introduced herself as all those years ago. before looking at her sisters face and realising that she too wasn't feeling the best. she was just about to ask what was wrong when Madlyn beat her to it. "I'm Okay. It's just everything is so full on. I feel like I am loosing who i am" she said honestly. looking out over the lake. "How about you are you feeling okay?" she asked. leaning back on her hands slightly.

 

[Madlyn Ateara]

Madlyn shook her head and frown. She wasn't in the mood to eat, and oranges would be the last thing she wanted decomposing down her belly. She looked ahead, her eyes met the water again. With study hand, she reached over Bria's shoulder and squeezed her into a hug. "I'm sorry, I should've told you it was going to get hard. I should know being part-giant is never easy" it's not like she was told before hand about Briar, if she was she would've told her sister to think wisely about exposure. People will always remain to be ignorance towards us creatures, that's one thing she saw her sister was struggling with to understand. "What you need to do is go on despite the negative talk around here, plus it's just a damn school. Not everyone going to like you all the time, werewolf or not" Madlyn didn't help the situation by yelling at her last time, that's not fair to her, she has to remember her sister was just learning about life just as she was learning about muggels studies.

"Nothing wrong we me, I'm just a grumpy giant" she shrug, Madlyn getting back to that point where she didn't care about anyone opinion anymore, where it was just her and Briar including Minoas. Everyone else didn't matter to her much, she sighed heavily keeping her arm around Briar. "Is there anything I can do to help you?" she asked her little red head sturdy sister.

 

[Briar Rowan-Cullen]

briar felt madlyn reach over and give her a hug. she hadn't known, and would admit but a giants hug was exactly what she needed right now. she smiled at her sister, "thanks, I am slowly learning that. but I doubt many people liked me before anyway, I hope they didn't, as if everyone likes you i means that you have never stood up for anything" she said trying to make light of it something she had a habit of doing before becoming serious again. "It is more that i feel like i cant do the things I love doing any more. like I've been too stuck in the system to be myself. I know that sounds odd but you get what I mean?" she said. hoping that madlyn understood where she was coming from.
when her sister said that there was nothing wrong with her she wasn't convinced but she would ask again later. "I don't believe that you are a grumpy giant. you're not that grumpy. and you certainly aren't Just one you're much more sister" she said patting her sister on the back. she shook her head when Madlyn offered to do anything for her. "no, theres not much that can be done unless you know of a way i can get a couple more hours in my day where i can go cliff jumping, and exploring and what have you without being seen as a bad influence to younger students and getting in trouble." she said.

 

[Madlyn Ateara]

Madlyn listen, she had to agree with briar in some point. "I don't think everyone really likes me too, they just don't have the guts to say to my face" she snorted shaking her head. She understand what she meant and where she was coming from. Madlyn use to do quite a few things that were consider dangerous, that was before she went to this school too. She sucked in a heap of air, and let it out slowly. "That's why mom asked if I really wanted to go to school, and at first I said no, that I much rather go through home schooling. But I bet if you had done the same, not gone to Hogwarts you would've went on with your life regretting not going. Not to mention meeting me.." she said tugging her sister close. Yeah it's a great loss of freedom, but whether it was this school or some other school, it would all be the same. You would have to go on by the rules and such, it's no different from everyday society, Madlyn learn that personally in muggel class. "Don't worry you have but a year to go through it and then you be off without me" the way she meant to say she meant to say in a happy tone, but it came all wrong and sad. It was hitting her soon, she would be left alone and Briar will be without her. How will they live a year apart? This hurt a little inside, her heart skip a beat as she let out a cough. She's been loving the fact that she had Briar here, but still a year without, a year without means she will be all alone.


"I wanted to talk to you anyways about Minoas, Minoas been doing something and I know he still doing it. I don't think he's told you but I caught him last year in the forest and he's been asking all about dad's death. Just wanted to tell you know, it kinda bugs me" she didn't say much, she didn't want to go on to tell Briar about him crossing path of the trip nearby, that she would have to keep to herself. Plus there just somethings you don't tell a head girl, she was curious to know how far Minoas has gone on with his finding. If it becomes to dangerous she'll tell a professor, she will not be responsible for a students death. That was her warning to him.

 

[Briar Rowan-Cullen]

Briar was glad that Madlyn understood where she was coming from. "I think together we are the two students who people have most right to be scared of. but we are I would like to think that we are pretty nice people" she said truthfully. she knew she was a little boisterous at times, well most of the time. but she liked to think that she would help anyone who needed it. then madlyn said that she was almost home schooled briar though about her situation before starting the school "I am glad that you came. you certainly made the right choice. I didn't have much option. as soon as I started attracting wizards to the forest most of the heard wanted to get rid of me so I would have been on my own, and an eleven your old wont last long alone. and I have met some of the most amazing people here. like, Jremey, Kate moon, Minoas. and most importantly, what was their name again, mary-lynn, thats not it. umm, Madlyn" she said smiling. she remembered how she had gone back to he forest for a few nights and the familiar paths had felt foreign to her. when her sister said that in a year she will be off without her she wasn't sure what to say. as briar hadn't thought about it like that, and didn't know madlyn did. "don't look at it like that, at least you will be free of drama for a year, I swear drama follows me" she said looking behind her as if expecting to see some shadowy figure called drama there. and we will stay in touch. you're my sister remember. Sister as in family, and family means no one gets left behind.we will still keep in touch. I promise" she said.
when conversation turned to her brother she shook her head What has he been up to this time? she asked as Madlyn explained. "I spoke to him at the end of last year too. he seemed to ave his head full with a collection of wild ideas. inventing potions, finding a cure for Lycanthropy, I told him I wouldn't take it if it was found." she rolled her eyes. she knew madlyn wouldn't agree with her on that but it was her decision at the end of the day. "I will have a word with i'm and try and get him to drop it. if not, I don't know what i will do. I guess i will see how far he has managed to sink himself. turning my brother in wont be a good thing, but saving his life is sort of something i should do." she said. she hoped she wouldn't have to make that decision, she hoped that she would be able to convince him that once the dust had settled siring it up again would impair your vision and hurt those who were trying to heal from it.

 

[Madlyn Ateara]

Madlyn went through a wave of emotions in just several seconds. It's all true some parts were and some she was still thinking about it. Though she said nothing about Minoas, just sort of shrugged him off, she couldn't say what was really happening because he asked that she didn't. "It's nothing really, you know boys his age and all. I don't blame him for being so damn curious about everything" She gazed down, her dark brown eyes met her reflection yet again. She stayed muted, silence for a while. Briar didn't have to say anything, Madlyn didn't have to ask, her company was all that Madlyn needed. "Sorry I'm just thinking about something" she bit down her lips, she wanted to ask about something, but she stop and just let it go. Madlyn lowered her head a little, leaning over a little to the refreshing teal waters. She brushed a long arm across the surface, it was cool to the touch. She did it again, circling the lakes lack of activities, her arm pushed the motion of the waves in and out, they were small so very little effected. "How are you feeling besides all that other stuff, least a little relief your almost done with school?"

Out of Character:

Don't know if you wanted to mention the article here?

 

[Briar Rowan-Cullen]

Briar thought as they sat there in quiet. it had been nearly a week since she had broken up with Dederick and she still hadn't told her sister. it wasn't that she had been avoiding her, (though she had taken extra patrols in the evenings to make sure that her mind didn't wander) it was more that she hadn't thought that it was the right time. now however was when her sister spoke she smiled "I don't know what boys his age are like. I don't know what boys any age are like apparently" she said watching her giant sister stir up the water. there was a few minutes of quiet again before she spoke again in reply to Madlnys statement. "so am I. It just sucks that that the stupid gossip magazine thinks it okay to broadcast everything i do to the world. it was like they were waiting for a moment to pounce" she said annoyance showing in her voice. the peace that the moment had been shattered by her words. "to be honest Hogwarts is like my home, it will be odd not being here any more." she said, in reply to the next question she hadn't thought of the school that way before but it was where she had spent the last seven years of her life. and it was as much her home as anywhere else. she guessed when she left she would have to make her own home somewhere.

 

[Madlyn Ateara]

Maldlyn clap her long arms together and folded both her hands in front of her. Honestly she had nothing to say To Briar, she was old enough to make her own decision. Madlyn was sure she could handle herself, but ultimately that hasn't been the case for her recently. She was crumbling each time she did something, it made her more gracious about her own life. How it was less complicated and more reserved at the moment. Yeah she didn't have a clue how things with Aiden would work out and Minoas was just a curious boy wondering about her father death. But it all seem minor mellow drama comparing to ones of her sister. "Maybe he wasn't ready for something? I mean under the circumstances that you both met, you can't blame him for breaking up with you?" she so badly wanted to say, there told you so. It was dragging on for her to say, she dismissed eventually and decided to let it go. Possibly help her sort her issues. "I think you need to relax a little more and take it easy. Your like a acid rabid weasel, if you lay low for a while you should be okay" she said jokingly but serious about her relaxing. Honestly that's all she needed to do.

 

[Briar Rowan-Cullen]

Briar could see madlyn wasn't surprised by her news. she knew her sister wasn't particularly keen on Dederick, and now she understood why. she felt angry at him, for betraying her and leading her on for so long, and everything they had done, and been through together. she shook her head, at her sisters question. "I guess you are right, not the most romantic meeting, him trying to bite my foot off. as for blaming him, I am mad at him for breaking up with me. I am more annoyed at him for making me fall for him, for convincing me he felt the same." she said. letting her sister know the truth, even her weakest parts, the parts that she kept hidden from everyone else, beneath the busy facade of head girl, student and quidditch player. the only other time she let this side of her show. was when she was secure in the cavern, though she wasn't sue she wanted to face one of them at the moment, a night alone when she couldn't sleep, and was just on her own with her thoughts would not be a good night for her. at least she had a couple of weeks before she had to think about that. "I know you are right more than me, but I think that relaxing is the opposite of what I need to do. I think that It would be better if I kept busy and kept my mind on other things" she said she had never been good at relaxing, she felt most relaxed when she was doing something. which was exactly why she was doing what she was currently doing, taking extra patrols most nights, training twice as hard at quidditch than before, and throwing herself into classes, maybe if she worked hard this year she would be able to become an auror, a job that she could see suiting her more than werewolf support services.