Closed When magic turns personal

[Eoghan Blyth]

Eoghan had challenged Felix to a duel.

Or at least, he'd invited him down to the duelling chamber, to duel for the first time since he'd participated in the duelling tournament. There was something that Eoghan needed closure on, and perhaps things would have more luck being successful if the prefects were hovering over their textbooks for a change. He'd requested a professor to join them, although hadn't exactly told her why he wanted to practise except that he wanted to brush up on his spell work.

The Ravenclaw was pacing around the chamber, trying not to feel awkward at the woman with him and quietly hoping she wouldn't try to get involved.

 

[Felix Layton]

Something was very suspicious about the way Eoghan had asked Felix to join him in the duelling chamber. An invitation like that didn't bode well, did it? He debated whether to ask Lilith if this was a trap he was walking into, but he hadn't been able to find her. As the Gryffindor approached the chamber, he was a little relieved to see Professor Adler already in there too. Surely she wouldn't let anything really bad happen to him? With his sister dating her step daughter they were basically family!

"You wanted to have a.. duel?" Felix peered at Eoghan, wondering if there was more to it or if he was going to make sure once and for all that the Gryffindor left him and his girlfriend alone.

 

[Eoghan Blyth]

Eoghan turned to face Felix when he arrived, giving him a small nod before glancing in the professors direction. "I thought it would make for a change of scene," Eoghan also didn't particularly feel like being in the library at the moment. "And, we needed to talk, away from them." Eoghan knew he didn't need to specify. After the events at the yule ball, the prefect had been doing some thinking and he was tired of whatever this was, as well as his own behaviour. They were coming up on their OWLs very soon, and the Ravenclaw hated whatever it was that had been lingering, and it wasn't fair on Lilith to continue being so angry at her friend.

 

[Professor Geovanna Adler-Cade]

Professor Adler wasn't surprised when she'd been asked to supervise a duel between two of her former students. It was part of the perk of being the Defence professor. "Welcome in Felix," she smiled as the second student joined them, before offering them both the floor. "Don't forget the bow to each other before you begin," Eoghan had mentioned something about chatting while they duelled, but Geo doubted they'd have time for that.

 

[Felix Layton]

Felix raised his eyebrows at Eoghan's choice of words. Sure, he knew who he was referring to, but did he have to talk as though they didn't have names? Dropping his bag to the side of the room, and taking note from the professor who seemed to be monitoring their.. conversation, Felix stood opposite his opponent, withdrawing his wand from his pocket. He'd never paid a huge amount of attention in classes until this year, so he doubted he knew more spells than Eoghan, but at least he'd joined in the tournament when it had run. "About what?" he asked, bowing.

 

[Eoghan Blyth]

Eoghan bowed too, trying to word things carefully in the presence of their former professor. "What I said at the ball," Eoghan explained, standing upright and holding his wand up in front of him. Being here felt a little unnatural. Last item he'd duelled, Eoghan had found himself resorting to methods he'd used in his childhood to manipulate his opponent and get what he wanted. Was that something he was still doing now, perhaps just in a different way? He'd told Nia about Felix's habits in an attempt, admittedly, to stop her getting so close to him, which at the heart of it, Eoghan felt bitter about Felix's happiness when he'd almost cost him his own. "Everte Statum."

 

[Felix Layton]

Neither Nia nor Lilith had told Felix any more about what was said that night, and frankly Felix had thought it had been more or less swept under the carpet, Eoghan had gotten away with whatever had upset his dance partner. He was going to ask another question, when Eoghan suddenly flung the first spell in his direction, causing him to immediately be propelled off his feet, soaring in the air like a seeker with no broom. He landed a few seconds later in a heap on the floor, cursing himself for not expecting it.

 

[Professor Geovanna Adler-Cade]

Eoghan didn't beat around the bush. Geo didn't know whatever tension was between them but it was clear this was more than about just practising their spells. As Felix flew away, the professor took a few steps in his direction, making sure he was okay before turning back to the Ravenclaw. "This is not a session for you to take your anger out on another student," she told him firmly, feeling as though he'd tried to use their good intentions of practise against them.

 

[Eoghan Blyth]

Eoghan was confused why this professor was suddenly frustrated with him. He wasn't used to an adult raising their voice to him, these days even his grandmother didn't talk to him properly. "I'm not angry," at least he wasn't frustrated, just annoyed at himself. "Are you alright?" this time directed to Felix, genuinely hoping he hadn't hurt him.

 

[Felix Layton]

Felix climbed to his feet, dusting off his trousers and turning back to the others, "It's fine, I'm fine," he did his best to reassuring them both that there was no harm done, "Eoghan, what did you want to tell me?" Felix hoped he'd just spit it out and save himself the embarrassment of being judged by the professor. Felix stood his position once more, raising his wand and feeling more on the defensive this time.

 

[Eoghan Blyth]

Grateful that Felix seemed to be backing him up in front of the professor, Eoghan tried again. "I still hate that you went for her," that was, at the core, the issue that lead to all the moments of competition between them. "She trusted you, and you.. you broke that," that was at least half of the problem, "you did that and it showed me that no one else matters to you when it comes to you getting whatever you want. And now she may have forgiven you, but you still act as though you can have anything." Eoghan tried to ignore the professor as he spoke. "I won't deny what I told Nia was wrong," he wasn't sure whether Felix had found out, "and I know you're trying to do better. But, it doesn't work like that."

 

[Felix Layton]

Oh. Felix had worked out for himself that Eoghan had a problem with him, but he was surprised to hear why. "I.." the prefect was speechless for a moment, convinced that Eoghan was wrong. Felix didn't think he could have anything he wanted, he hadn't tried to ignore Eoghan when he was talking to Lilith, it had just sort of happened. "Look it's not like I don't care about anyone," the corner of Felix's mouth lifted in a smile at the absurdity of the situation. "I'm just here to have fun man," he shrugged, "well, I was. Now I'm here to enjoy myself and get the grades so I can leave you know," surely Eoghan could see where he was coming from.

 

[Professor Geovanna Adler-Cade]

Geo was eyeing up the two boys who seemed more interested in putting their differences asides instead of actually duelling. "Put your wands away, both of you," she told them, crossing her arms over her chest. "If you want to practise properly, let me know, but I don't want either of you casting another spell if you're doing it from an emotional standpoint." The professor didn't want either of them to get hurt because they weren't concentrating, and went to check on the other dummies in the room while they talked to give them some space.

 

[Eoghan Blyth]

Eoghan felt a little bad when the professor broke up the duel, but he supposed at least this way he didn't have to worry about Felix sending a hex his way. "Yeah you're having fun and you don't care who you hurt in the process," how was Eoghan meant to see it any other way?

 

[Felix Layton]

Felix's jaw tightened as he took a few steps closer to the Ravenclaw. "What do you mean I don't care?" He'd never been spoken to before like this, at least not by anyone other than Eoghan. "Who am I hurting, huh? Because it's not Lilith, I trust her to tell me if I was. Nia? She chooses to hang out with me. Ten? Susie? Will? Go on, who am I hurting Eoghan, by my actions? Oh wait, it's you. Just you. You don't want to see me happy, and I am sorry about what happened with Lilith. I already told you I didn't mean it, that I wasn't thinking, and if I could take it back then I would but I can't." Felix didn't really know what else to tell him. "I don't have anything against you, but you are smart and oh so stupid."

 

[Eoghan Blyth]

Felix had a point. Eoghan hadn't actually heard anyone else complaining about Felix to him, in fact Felix seemed to be on friendly terms with everyone except him, and even then he didn't push him away. Was Eoghan just being unfair? How was he coming out as the bad guy in this situation when it was Felix who'd been the one to hit on his girlfriend? How did Felix deserve to be popular with their friends if it meant that Eoghan was the one that paid the price for it? Eoghan ran both hands through his hair, feeling conflicted and confused.

 

[Professor Geovanna Adler-Cade]

Geo wasn't actively listening but it wasn't as though she could close her ears. She was even more glad she'd cut their duel short when Felix started to get a little heated, perhaps rightfully so, at Eoghan's previous remarks. She stole a glance in their direction, clearly the Ravenclaw was struggling, taking it out on Felix. Whatever beef was between them, they were obviously at an impasse that was debatably leading to physical conflict.

There was something else going on, something that Geo didn't think Felix would be able to fix. "Eoghan," the blonde called out, as she debated whether or not to approach again. "Felix has apologised to you," multiple times by the sounds of it, "and while it's up to you to accept that, it's not fair to keep a grudge that hurts people around you," Geo didn't know the full extent of it, but hearing that Nia was also involved made the professor believe this was bigger than she knew. "Is this something you can let go?"

 

[Felix Layton]

Eoghan didn't seem to have an answer for him, but Felix was surprised to hear the professor step in again. The Gryffindor stayed silent, awkwardly glancing between them to see whether she could beat this out of him.

 

[Eoghan Blyth]

Chills went down Eoghan's spine when Professor Adler started talking to him again, just wishing the ground would swallow him up. Once again, he was the problem. He was the one that should have let it go when it was Felix that had made the mistake! "But what about me?" Eoghan didn't often raise his voice, but at this point he angry, angry at everyone who tried to use him and treat him as though he was expendable. "Why should I let it go? Why do I have to accommodate his bad behaviour and pretend it's not happening? No one seems to care that whatever they do affects me too! People want me to do their bidding or they want me to do something for them, or they want my bl**dy girlfriend and I'm just supposed to be okay with that. I can't do that anymore. I won't." Eoghan hadn't realised he was shaking.

 

[Professor Geovanna Adler-Cade]

Whatever Eoghan was going through it was certainly bigger than just Felix. The professor stepped a little closer, knowing from her experience that students around his age usually went through something or another that helped them grow into the adults they were meant to be, and sometimes that meant they needed some outside perspectives to do so. "You don't need to accommodate yourself for anybody," she told him, glad that they had the room to themselves. "And as far as needing to be okay with that, you choose where your boundaries lie, the same way that it's up to you whether to accept an apology," Geo hoped that neither of the boys felt uncomfortable that the other was witness, "Eoghan, if someone is telling you what you do, you don't have to do it," she didn't know how deep it ran or the specifics of the situation but there was clearly something bugging the Ravenclaw.

 

[Eoghan Blyth]

Professor Adler had no idea. She didn't know that Eoghan couldn't just say no, that wasn't how it worked. "Forget it," no one understood what Eoghan was up against, and now they thought they were in a position to be able to advise him?

 

[Felix Layton]

Felix had been awkwardly silent while Professor Adler was talking to Eoghan but now he seemed to want out. Nothing was going to change with him if he just left. Maybe Felix needed to talk to Lilith, maybe she knew what else was happening in his life. However what Felix could resonate with, was Eoghan feeling as though he had no voice, no way to stand up for the things going on around him. He'd told Felix he had everything, but what if it was that Eoghan just believed he couldn't have what he wanted. If he wasn't feeling as though people were taking notice of him, that he had to do what they asked of him, he probably felt similarly to how Felix had in first year, there in person but somewhat transparent to those around him.

Suddenly Felix felt guilty for calling him stupid.