Unfortunate Luck

[Rama Mowry]

Rama Mowry was enjoying her free time. She had a book and a bucket purse full of snacks. Ever since her run in with that Gryffindor, who she had later found out was named Zenia, people in her year steered clear of her. Her Head of House was not pleased with her violent behavior, but Rama stood her ground in front of anyone. She put a chocolate covered almond in her mouth as she finished a page. She closed her book and sighed. She was so bored. Rama could not just continue to stuff her face like a beggar. She felt like she had gained a few pounds despite having to walk around the castle to get everywhere she needed to go. She wanted to feel like it was all in her head. Rama shook the thoughts out of her head and stood up while swinging her purse over her shoulder. "You're not fat, Jaslinn. You're just right." she assured herself.

 

[Monty Pendleton]

Appropriating such a large portion of time to sitting in the Hogwarts dungeons was enough to dispose anybody to the outdoors; but Monty needed not this extra incentive to take frequent walks in the fresh air. There was nothing like the feeling of infinite space above one's head, and on the clearer days as this one, Monty was much more likely to be found in the courtyard or the gardens than in his own office. Sometimes, when the nights stretched on more perpetually than space, he would sit in the courtyard and while away the hours beneath the stars, undisturbed but for the occasional hoot of a mail owl. It was from this very seat that Rama Mowry, a Ravenclaw whose name had become a somewhat tender subject after she'd attacked Zenia over a packet of biscuits, was rising. Professor Pendleton might just have ignored her and continued on his way, had it not been for the sudden bout of dizziness that required him to sit quickly on the nearest bench - which just so happened to be the one beside Rama's. He lifted a hand to his forehead, trying not to panic: though the vertigo was already beginning to subside, the thought of how embarrassing it would be to faint before several students was enough to set his heart racing.

 

[Rama Mowry]

Rama was going to sit back in her spot, but someone had taken the her seat, Professor Pendleton. Instantly, the small girl became enraged. She was not angry about her seat being stolen because she could always find another one. Just the sight of the professor riled her up. She crossed her arms over her chest and shifted her weight to one foot. "Hey, fatty! Find somewhere else to sit! No disgusting creatures are allowed here." she barked angrily. The man did not look so good, so she was going to take advantage of her blessing.

 

[Monty Pendleton]

No sooner had Monty sat down than an angry voice accosted him - well, he assumed he was the 'fatty' to whom Rama was referring, because there wasn't anybody else particularly close by. He looked up, the sudden motion of his doing so causing the courtyard to spin once more, and said in complete disbelief, "What?" This was probably unwise, as it presented Rama with the opportunity to repeat herself, but in his half panicked, half unwell state, it was all he could do to utter that single word.

 

[Rama Mowry]

It was very surprising and odd that Rama wanted to be an Healer, when it came time for a career, because she was being very disrespectful to Professor Pendleton. It was clear that he was not feeling well. Her father was a werewolf, so she kew when there was something wrong with a person. However, her kindness and generosity did not go to authority figures who were clearly unfit for their duty. She gave the man a light push in the shoulder."Leave! I know you aren't capable of much, but I know you can hear you dunce!" she yelled. Now, Rama was just entertaining herself. She wanted to see a reaction from the professor. And, she would keep going until she got one that pleased her.

 

[Monty Pendleton]

Normally, Monty would have found Rama's attempts at insults hilarious, and given her an immediate detention for her discourtesy; but at present he couldn't think straight enough to exercise this usual punishment. Then Rama pushed his shoulder, and he by no exaggeration sprang up from the bench and staggered a pace backwards, trying not to hyperventilate. What in Merlin's name was going on?! An eleven year old had him completely stunned into silence. Of course, his anxiety was more responsible for it than Rama, but this was how it appeared, and that was terrible. What if someone was watching? They'd think him incapable... Merlin, Merlin... "R-Rama, that's enough," he stammered weakly, grasping at any sense of authority and feeling it slip straight through his fingers. He didn't even care how humiliating it might have been, now; he just wanted someone to help him. Preferably before he cried. Or fainted. Or died of sheer helplessness.

 

[Rama Mowry]

Rama was a tad surprised at Professor Pendleton's sudden movement, but she did not let it show. She simply took a cautious step back to keep distance between herself and the professor. The side of her that actually cared about the wellbeing of others worried about his condition. He seemed dizzy and a bit disoriented, and this was not the first time he got like this. She wondered ailment the man could have that would make him like this. Rama shook her head out of such thoughts. She proceeded to stomp on the professor's foot to further agitate the man. Her insults weren't enough, so she was going to have to look up some more later.

 

[Wren Louise]

Professor Louise was having a nice afternoon snooze when something woke him from his slumber. Eight floors above the goings-on in the courtyard and over the other side of the castle at that, he had no reason to rise and march out of his office in his lanky, long-legged way, but that was precisely what he did. The Divination Professor had a sudden urge to go have a cup of tea with the Potions Master (and he was even willing to forgo coffee to try some of the oolong he'd gifted to Monty for his last birthday- gifts were made to be shared).

Granted, it took him quite some time to navigate the castle and the Frenchman became lost several times, but he'd left before Monty had even encountered Rama, so he was just on time to watch the first year girl stamp on his friend's foot.
Wren rarely had the urge to get up and do anything of note, so when he felt like a bit of a walk, he listened to the impulse. He'd wandered far off course, and had to ask a few ghosts and a second year student if they'd seen Professor Pendleton, but eventually he was pointed in the right direction. When he saw the back of his friend's head, he called his name jovially, but the Frenchman was soon silent with shock. Well. That first year had two big brass bollocks to harass a teacher in a communal area- and Professor Pendleton had yet to respond.

The Divination Professor was not dressed like a teacher nor a student, and as he taught the upper grades, Rama had no cause to recognise him. Nevertheless, he recognised her, though no one else could say how, and his puppy-brown eyes grew clear and sharp as he stepped beside the taller figure to provide a united front.
"Twenty points from Ravenclaw," said Wren quietly, his usually whimsical facial expression inscrutable as he gazed down at the girl. His voice held barely any inflection. "We do not call names or react with violence towards one another, especially not to a Professeur. Please," he continued, "If you want to make it fifty points and a month of detention, continue. If not, pack up your things and go back to your common room. I will pass this incident on to Professor Spenser."
Wren glanced back at Monty, and his face stayed impassive momentarily before lighting up into a warm and calming smile. "Professeur. I have been looking for you. Will you sit with me?"​

 

[Monty Pendleton]

That was the final straw. The final straw of what, exactly, Monty couldn't say; had it not been for Professor Louise's incredibly timely arrival, he likely would have chosen this moment to turn and walk away. It would not have been ideal, but he could always return to address Rama's behaviour at a later time, once he had recovered from whatever it was he was feeling. But as he began to turn, he was joined at the side by Wren, who Monty, though always fond of the Frenchman, had never been so pleased to see in his life. He allowed the younger man to decide the punishment, keeping his gaze fixed pensively somewhere on the far off ground; and then, silently willing the Ravenclaw to do as she was told, nodded without looking up.

 

[Rama Mowry]

Rama rolled her eyes when a professor came to her victim's defense. Professor Pendleton was truly pathetic. She had no idea who the other professor was, but his identity did not matter to her. Rama had turned around to leave, but she heard the unknown professor ask Professor Pendleton. The Ravenclaw had never turned around so fast. She was livid. "If you just want me to leave because you want to have a conversation with your handicap friend here, then you have another thing coming!" she yelled and proceeded to sit back on her bench. She was not going to let them boot her because they wanted to have a private conversation. She opened her book and crossed one leg over the other. "You can go somewhere else if what you two need to talk about is so important." she spat angrily.

 

[Wren Louise]

If Wren had less self-control, he would have grinned. 'Go on, make my day,' just exuded from his every pore, and the Frenchman gazed at the Ravenclaw girl as though behind a pane of glass.
"Ten more points, and a week of detention. It would be very unbecoming of me to silence you, but I fear at this point, it would be for your own sake. I'd rather not bankrupt Ravenclaw House of points. This is not a good start to your schooling, mademoiselle."

His was no idle threat. Wren's patience was legendary, and he would happily stand there all day and take every last point Ravenclaw had if he needed to, turning Rama into a pariah to her peers. In the dim recesses of his mind, he considered that the eleven year old was so young that she didn't know when to quit, so perhaps he should show mercy before she could say something she really, truly regretted. On the other hand, Rama had displayed some truly appalling attitudes for a student of Hogwarts New Zealand, and she needed to pull her head in if she was going to succeed in her education.

Wren looked back at Monty saw only his retreating back. His friend was not in a good state, and it was just his luck to come upon a callous and belligerent student when he was feeling so low. His heart ached, and he was not looking forward to another trip through the maze of a castle to find where his friend had gone. If he was lucky, it would be straight to Arvo's.​

 

[Monty Pendleton]

Handicap... Handicap? Was that really what Monty was? If he hadn't been so stressed, he might not have taken the young Ravenclaw's insult straight to heart; but he was ashamed of his anxiety, and her comment slapped him straight across the face. He was vaguely aware of Wren stepping in once more to take further action against the girl, but turned at some point before end of the Frenchman's speech and began walking swiftly back up to the castle.