The fire burned warm in the hearth, casting long shadows over the room, and Sophia sat in front of it as if she owned the very stone it warmed. The day faded with the night at hand and she did her best to try and forget the happenings from dinner. Sophia had changed into her night clothes a long while ago, and wrapped her robe around her in anticipation of no one coming in to the common room. It was quiet here, and reminded her of home. Every time a log crackled in the fireplace she broke her thoughts from home and wondered if her parents were missing her. She missed her mother, especially right now--with Lucas being so distant. But most of all, today when the boy was shouting at her, Sophia wanted nothing more than her father to appear and cast the boy down.

This little girl was far more hurt by his words than she should be and she knew it. Sophia knew that it wasn't her place to feel so upset at him, but still she couldn't help how hard the whole ordeal became. What was he so mad about? Were those really tears she saw in his eyes? Lucas was normally so strong, and just so happy...how could he be that upset? This whole school thing was rather tough, but now adding in this confusion made it nearly unbearable.

With her ankles tucked beneath her she read from a book about defense spells while she brushed out her hair. Her slippers were seated beside her, and the hand mirror that matched the silver handled brush wasn't too far either. Her journal was there as well, and as she balanced her time between the textbook and her poetry she found herself wanting to simply get lost in the lyrics.


Sophia had to laugh even at herself, though the sound was quiet as she quelled it behind the back of her little pale hand, and quickly started to scratch through the ink on the page. With a single black line she marked the pages like a treasure map and started over again.

This could take all night.

It had been a day for sure. Lucas was laying in bed staring at the ceiling trying to force himself to go to sleep, with no avail. The past few days getting adjusted to school had been horrible. He couldn't focus on anything at all and barely even knew what he was doing. It almost felt like he was on auto pilot and he was just going through the motions. He would wake up in a daze, glide through classes, eat even though he wasn't hungry, and couldn't sleep at night at all.

He kept thinking about the events of earlier that day. Dinner had been such a disaster. He hadn't been having the best of days and Sophia had made things so much worse! Treating him like that when he had so much going on was just overwhelming. The more he thought about it, the more he started to feel bad. If she knew what was going on... maybe she wouldn't talk to him the way she was. Maybe she would be more understanding. It was probably his fault. He hadn't told her what was happening and why he was acting the way he was. He wasn't sure she would understand. Then again... friends are there to talk to right? That was something he was looking forward to with school. His friends. He couldn't expect them to treat him the same when he was acting different.

He sighed and sat up. There was no way he was going to get any sleep with all this going on. Too much was on his mind tonight. He ran his fingers through his hair and hung his head for a moment. He got up and pulled a robe on over his t-shirt and pajama pants and decided to go to the common room. When he walked in, he saw Sophia sitting there and he looked at her for a moment. Even without all her fancy clothes and every hair in its place, she was really pretty. She was one of his best friends. She deserved to know. He went over to one of the chairs in front of the fire and sat down in it.

"Can't sleep tonight either?"

Lucas' voice startled her, and she snapped from her thoughtful daze as a poem drifted from her fingers and onto the page. It wasn't like her to be up this late, but she couldn't help it. She couldn't sleep, but kept quiet about it a moment as she just studied her friend. Inwardly she cursed herself for not seeing it sooner--he looked a mess. The dark circles her his eyes, the pale nature of his skin (even for him), and the stress lines that deepened were all signs of his discomfort.

"No, I couldn't," She said, but not overly formal, "I'm a little worried you see." Sophia closed her journal and placed it on top of her other Defense text book, and held her place with the quill Kesali gave them last term during mid-terms.

"I have this friend, who is a darling dear friend of mine, and he's really not been himself at all," Sophia said as she put her back against the hearth's seat and enjoyed the way the warm fire warmed her back. She could see him better this way, and the firelight gave him some sort of life--at least it made him look alive, and not the ghost of her friend.

"And I'm trying really hard to not be hurt by the way he keeps pushing me away, even though I know he doesn't mean to," She said with a small smile, "And I rather fail at conveying my concern. It's a family trait I would say. But..." Sophia chewed on her lip a moment, "It's also a family trait to make sure that no matter what happens, I care greatly about him." With that she gave a little pat to the carpet beside her, indicating she would wish he would join her in the floor. 

As Sophia spoke, Lucas studied her face and any movement she made. He was actually beginning to feel a little uncomfortable talking to her about anything for fear of the judgement that was always passed. Was she talking down to him like he was a little kid? No. She was being serious. She was truly worried about him. He felt his eyes burn as moisture began to settle in them. Had he really been pushing her away? Yes, he had been distant, but he didn't think he was pushing her away. It certainly wasn't his intention to do so.

He hung his head in shame at her words, feeling horrible for the way he had been treating her. When she patted the floor, he looked up at her with a tear rolling down his cheek. He got up and went to her side but instead of sitting beside her, he knelt next to her and pulled her into a hug.

"I'm sorry, Sophia. I truly am. I didn't mean to hurt you or push you away or anything like that."

He held onto her for a moment before pulling away. He didn't really want to let go, but he knew it was inappropriate. She would have a fit if they were like that for too long. They were both in their pajamas and it was the middle of the night and they were alone. He sat down beside of her and hung his head again and wiped his eyes with a sniffle.

"There's been... a lot going on lately."

No, she wasn't ready to let him go, and even when he pulled away Sophia stayed close.

"This isn't about me, Lucas, it's about you. You can push me away all you want to, and I know my approach isn't the best. Please don't apologize." She said in a whisper next to him, and closed the distance between them. She didn't care what people thought or how inappropriate it was, and when it came to being a good friend she didn't figure her mother would care. Father would, but that's just because she was a daughter.

'There's been... a lot going on lately.'

"Has there? I wouldn't know." Though the words had the potential to come off as cross, Sophia said them very softly and did her best to sound tender, and all the while pressed her head to his shoulder as they were seated there.

"If you want to talk about it, you know I'll listen right?" She asked him while taking up his hand in hers, and lacing her fingers with his. They were cold, and it concerned her. He really wasn't eating well was he? "But if you don't want to talk, I understand that too, but I hate seeing you like this." She sat back and used the tie of her robe to dab at his eyes.

"I really want to help you fix it."

Lucas looked a little surprised when she put her head to his shoulder. He wasn't expecting her to do that. He remembered her barely wanting to touch his hand when they were at the dance. Now she had her head on him. He looked over her face and laid his head against hers and closed his eyes. When she took his hand, he looked down at their laced fingers. His face flushed and his fingers twitched a bit. He closed his hand around hers and lightly rubbed her hand with his thumb. He closed his eyes again and a few more tears fell from his eyes.

"I really want to help you fix it."

"This can't be fixed. There's nothing that can be done and no one who can do anything." He took a deep breath and let it out slowly. Talking to a couple people had made it a little easier to say, but the situation itself wasn't getting any better. "My ma... she... she got sent to Azkaban. She's going to be there for ten years. I'm... not going to be able to talk to her... or hear from her... or see her... or anything the whole time I'm going to be at school. I won't have any contact with her at all... until I'm twenty one."

The more Lucas spoke, more tears fell and he squeezed her hand tighter. He was trying his best to keep his composure and not completely break down. He had done enough breaking, but the tears were still falling like waterfalls from his eyes. He was beginning to tremble, but he kept his grip on her hand as if her being close was the only thing keeping him stable.

"I can't tell her how I'm doing. I can't tell her I love her. I can't even tell her I miss her. There aren't gong to be anymore gifts. No more letters. Nothing until ten years from now. And my stepdad. He's busy taking care of my little sisters... so there won't be anything from him either." He sniffled and nuzzled against her head, happy to have her next to him.

When the confession came, it fell from his lips like the tears from his eyes, and Sophia's whole body went stiff.

Azkaban. Of all places. She swore she was going to be sick, and did her best to keep it together. What in the world had his mother done to deserve this? Surely it wasn't...no, it couldn't be.

The whole event unfolded from him and Sophia simply incased the trembling boy as best she could, and wrapped her arms around him tightly. "Oh Lucas, I'm so sorry." Was all she could manage to say, and she did so against his hair as she pulled him into her. Her eyes glazed over a little as her thoughts drifted selfishly into her own past, and she bit her lip from the confession.

"It must be so hard on your family," She ran one hand over his wet cheek and soothed away his tears at best she could, "I'm surprised you are here at all. You are holding together better than most." Better than I ever would.

Sophia, would never admit this, not in a millions years, but there was a time when her mother too was sent away to that horrid place. She wasn't old enough to remember, but the impact that it still leaves on the family is deep enough that even now she could hardly breathe. She couldn't wait to write home to her mother. It was all she could think about! Even holding Lucas as she did her eyes were focused on the wall as she thought of her family.

"What are you going to do? What are the Professors saying?" She wasn't going to let him go.

When Sophia wrapped her arms around him, he did the same to her and took comfort in her being by his side. He had been wrong. Maybe she didn't fully understand, but she was there for him. More tears fell as he felt worse for pushing one of his very best, very dear friends away without even realizing it. She was here for him. She wanted to help him feel better. She wanted to comfort and console him. This was not the reaction he expected at all.

"The professors really haven't said much. I don't know if they know. If they do, they haven't really done anything or said anything to me. Professor Kesali knows all about it. I talked to him a lot over the holiday. I don't know if he's told the others though."

He sniffled again and wiped his eyes. He took a deep breath to try and regain himself, but refused to let go of her again. He was vulnerable and felt helpless and having her there was helping him hold onto what  sanity he had for the time being. He just wanted her close.

"I don't know what I'm going to do really. I have to keep coming to school. I can't just quit. I have to make something of myself and do the best I can. She may be gone... but she would want me to do well. I need to do well for her so when she gets out, she'll still be proud of me and see what I was able to accomplish. I know I'm slacking... but I'm still passing so far. I won't let things slip too bad. I promise. I'll have bad days... and I'll have some that aren't too bad. You'll be there for me through the really bad ones... right? Even though I've been a jerk?"

Lucas pulled back a moment and looked over her face. In his eyes, at this very moment, she was like the one ray of light shining through the forest canopy or the first flower popping up through the snow at the beginning of spring. The one sign of hope that he wasn't going to go insane and would be able to make it through school.

"Please?"

Sophia listened very carefully everything that he told her, and already started to work around ways to make this easier on him. The Professors should know, they should understand they need to take it easy on him, so that would be her first stop. (After she wrote home of course) If there was anything her Father could do, she would beg of him.


"You'll be there for me through the really bad ones... right? Even though I've been a jerk?"

"Of course I will, Lucas. I've been here, just waiting for you to tell me." She said with a soft smile and pulled the boy's head down to her lap, "I'm worried about you, greatly. You are not sleeping well nor eating properly. I don't want you to have a 'good enough' term. I want the best for you, and I want you to do your best." All the while Sophia ran her hands through his hair and over his cheeks to dry them, just like her mother did to her when she got her bad grade.

"First thing first, is that you need to sleep properly, and then go tomorrow and talk to the counselor.  After a big breakfast of course. Maybe...maybe we can talk to Professor Kesali and see if he has told anyone. It might not be so bad if he has, though he is so strange...maybe we better go to Professor Trishna instead. He is our Head of House after all." Bending at best she could she kissed his temple gently, and ran her fingers through his hair.

With his head now on her lap, Lucas closed his eyes after wiping them again. He wrapped his arms around her legs and nuzzled into her, careful to not disturb her robe. He thought of his own mother consoling him in this manner and trembled a bit. He gripped her leg and tried his best to keep his emotions under control.

"Thank you for being here for me. I can't tell you how much it means. I'll... try to do better. It's just hard. I know i need to eat, but I don't get hunger. I know I need sleep, but all I do is think at night and it keeps me up. I'm not trying to do badly or mess anything up. I'm just trying to make it through the days the best I can right now. I know I have my siblings... but I feel so alone most of the time."

"I don't want to talk to Maiko. There were some things that happened with her and my brother Garret and I'm just not comfortable being around her. Especially with this stuff. And I guess we could go to Professor Trishna . He is our head of house and needs to know what's going on. I trust Professor Kesali though. He was really there for me when I needed someone over holiday."

Lucas nuzzled into her lap again and sniffed. "Thank you, Sophia. It means a lot that you're here right now. I... really like you... and I like having you in my life." He was happy his head was in her lap so she didn't see his flushed face.

Sophia was enjoying running her hands through Lucas' hair, and concentrated mostly on the underside of his skull where she liked to have her mother rub when she couldn't sleep or was in pain. She did everything in her power to make sure that he knew he was wanted and loved, especially at school.

"I wouldn't be anywhere else," She said in reply to his thankful words, and brushed her thumb over his cheek. "You've got to do better, Lucas. It may sound harsh, but it looks like an education is all that you can truly depend on. We can get through this together. I'll help you, and I'm sure my family will to." She bent to press her cheek to his shoulder, "I'm glad I have you too. I missed you and all the others so much over the holiday it was hard to enjoy being home. I guess I worried, and now for good reason." With that she gave a heavy sigh and sat back up when the topic came to their Charms Professor.

"I know you trust him. I'm just worried that he won't be here that long, he has such a reputation I won't be surprised if they fire him.  I've heard he's very crazy, and not in a good way. I also know that the affection he gives to Professor Reid is inappropriate. She's too good for him, and frankly he gives me the creeps." 

Lucas trembled a bit when he felt Sophia's cheek on his shoulder. He gripped her leg again and nuzzled into her again. She was so close. He wasn't use to it, but was enjoying it. Her being so close was helping him relax and feel a lot better. Who would have thought that just having some company and someone to be close to would make him feel a world of difference.

"I really don't think your family like me too much. I don't fit their standards as to the kind of person you should really associate with. I'm not good enough for you," he said with a sniffle and closed his eyes tight. Her father had made it quite clear he didn't approve of them associating much with each other. She came from a prestigious family. He didn't. He was just a Trumble. "I missed you too, Sophia. I missed you all. I just had a lot going on all at once." He sighed when she sat back up.

"I know he's odd. I like it though. He doesn't judge me and doesn't look down on me. He accepts me how I am and he understands what I'm going through and has really helped me. He was there for me... and was the first person I told about everything. He may not be here long... and he may get fired... but he would still be there for me if he did. I know he would."

"Oh come now, don't say that. My father and mother hardly dislike anyone. So long as we only ever stay friends you will be just fine. I bet you'll even get to come over and visit during the summer." She continued to stroke his hair, admiring how much it felt like silk. Enjoying the warmth of Lucas being so close, Sophia smiled and did so with her fingers running down his back.

"It's been a rough holiday for you, but it's a new year now. Sounds like you are in good hands. I promise I will take it easy on you for a little while, but I can't see you fail. I just can't." She let out a small sigh as she continued to run her fingers through his hair, "Because if you have a proper education then it won't matter what sort of upbringing you have or where your mother is. You will be a strong independent young man." Sophia touched his ear gently and ran her thumb under his eyes to clean away the tears.

"But you know what else?" She asked in a breathless whisper, "The most important part is that you smile and laugh the entire way through it right? I can't stand to not see you smiling."

Sophia let the topic of Kesali die there, but it did concern her. Greatly. The man seemed off his rocker, and would probably end up in Azkaban eventually.

Only ever friends. Her words almost cut him like a knife. He felt a lump come up in his throat and his eyes started to burn again. He wanted to curl up into a ball and hold himself until the pain went away. He knew she was right though. That's all they would ever be. He knew he wasn't good enough for her. He knew they would never be anything, but the words hurt more than he thought they ever would.

"I... may do that. We... we -are- only friends." Even he had a hard time getting the words to come out. He had to swallow again to push back the feeling that he was going to be sick. He gripped her robe and sniffled again, trying to keep the tears at bay. He was enjoying her petting him though. He wasn't use to so much affection. It felt nice, especially coming from her.

"I know school is important. I know I'll be a better person when I'm done and when I'm older. As long as I have people there to support me and help me through it, I think I'll be okay and can get through it without too much trouble."

When Sophia touched his face, he closed his eyes tighter and leaned into her touch. He didn't even think about it. His movement was almost involuntary. He just wanted to be closer. He rolled to his back and looked up at her, finally. The way the fire was lighting her face and how supportive she was being, she had the appearance of an angel. He half smiled at her words.

"I'll try to smile more. I'll find reasons to. I don't want to let you down."

"The best of friends," She corrected him, and touched his hair again until he rolled over to look up at her. She took his hand again and  rest them both over his chest, "And the only way that you could let me down is if you didn't try your hardest. We really are not that much different Lucas, I just don't wear my heart on my sleeve like you do. Not that it's a bad thing, but...well, it's just not something I'm used to." She smiled back at him,

"Let's do something fun tomorrow. Maybe see if Thales and my sister want to go for a hike? I know it's cold, but maybe being outside would be a good idea. We could play down by the lake? Skip stones and see if the mermaids surface? Maybe they will bring us up some kelp to put in Professor Gunderson's tea." Oh she was a devious little one huh? NOT green stuff in tea...oh my.

"But first thing is first, we talk to Professor Trishna. He can help you. I'll go with you, we'll do this together." She held up her pinky curled for him to take. Nothing was stronger than a promise made this way.