February 14th

The Valentine's Day Dance was approaching all too rapidly.  Newly formed couples were snuggling and snogging as far as the eye could see.  Pink and red...cards and chocolates...hearts and arrows...winged babies with diapers...It was all enough to make Chance Ryker sick.

The normally chipper Irish Gryffindor had never before been so put off about Valentine's Day and all that it entails, but this was a very different Chance.  His heart had been conflicted for months now and it seemed that his feelings toward Fauna Blake would be unrequited while she remained head over heels for that loathsome oaf Devlin Matthews. 

There were not too many people who had seen the cracks in Chance's armor.  He'd gone "lone wolf" for quite some time now and only opened up to a choice few.  To the rest, he'd remained closed off and secluded...isolated from the rest of Hogwart's to the best of his ability.

Sophie Flickwick was one of those choice few people.  She was one who had known Chance the best.  In fact, she'd been able to talk to Chance even more than Kimberly "Kim Kim" Chan had managed to.  Aside from Grace Eddy and a random encounter here or there with random students...there had been no actual interactions for Chance to partake in.

Sophie had asked Chance to meet her in the Gryffindor Tower...and since it was Sophie, Chance obliged.  As he waited on her, he strummed quietly on his guitar.  A tune was in his somewhat longer haired head  One rather catchy muggle tune...Chance muttered quietly under his breath:

"Should ah stay'r should ah go...?"

Sophie, per-usual, was running late. She had almost gotten better about this bad habit at one point. She never could quite stick to the resolution though that she needed to be where she said she was going to be in a timely manner. And besides, this time she was late because she was in her room wrapping one last Valentine. It was for a certain house mate who had been feeling blue and not at all acting like himself. It worried Sophie, actually it kind of scared her. She didn't want him to know she was scared for him - but she was. So in typical Sophie fashion she was going to love on him and shower him with affection and then make rediculous demands of his time so he's stop sulking alone in his room.

As she tied a big bow atop the silver box she glanced at the wall above her bed. There were lot of pictures of Fauna, Fergie, Jordy, and Neely; but the ones that stood out to her were of she and Chance being silly. There was one in particular that pulled a little on her heart strings and without thinking she reached up and plucked it from the wall, slipping it under the ribbon. They both looked so happy, sitting in the Solarium, Chance was playing his guitar and Sophie was climbing on him like she always did. She needed him to remember good things, to hold onto good things. She needed him to be ok because...she was worried. What if she couldn't save him from himself? She'd done everything she knew how short of crying and begging him to stop shutting everyone out.

Taking a deep breath she squared her shoulder, threw on an over sized jumper and headed down the stairs with the box. It would be good. It would be fine. He'd be in a better mood today. She hoped. At the base of the stairs she heard a familiar plucking of strings and felt her lips twitch with a smile. He was playing guitar at least. That had to be a good sign. Tromping the rest of the way down, she jumped onto his sitting back, flung her arms around his neck and sang back, "If you say that you are mine I'll be here till the end of TIME!" giggling before waving the brightly shimmering package in front of his face. "Guess who has a Valentiiiiiiine". She really was annoyingly chipper sometimes.

Sophie certainly knew how to make an entrance!  Today was no exception as she made like a koala bear and clung to his back and neck with her greeting.  Even as solemn and somber as Chance had been, he couldn't help but crack a smile when the energetic Flickwick girl was around.

Chance tried to focus on the box being waved around a few inches in front of his eyes, leaning back in the process.  He crinkled his face in a flattered, but somewhat dismissive manner.

"Are y'goin' overboard again', Sophers?"

Still...who wasn't excited and honored when someone gave them a present?  Chance shot her a sideways smirk and shook his head, wagging a finger.

"If y'did, yer in trouble, lit'l lass!"

Chance lingered a moment before untying the ribbon...and letting it fall to the side, before opening the box top and peering inside.  He looked over the items and shook his head before looking back to Sophie with a playful scolding.  She certainly seemed to have lightened the Irish Gryffindor's mood.

"Yer in trouble...Y'spent wayyyy t'much!"

Sophie stayed with her arms around his neck as he chided her, chin pressing into his shoulder. She watched as the picture fluttered to the ground unnoticed but decided to let it go. She laughed a little when he claimed she spent way too much money on him, "It is only spending too much if every item in that box isn't fully neccisary - and since I packed it I do not believe I put any unnecessary things in there. Do not try to argue. You cannot win against Sophie Logic; because it's magic". She gave him a loud smacking kiss on the cheek then and unwound herself from around his neck to come around and sit beside him.

"See, each thing means something. This is really a combination Valetnine-Chase Away Chance's Blues present. It's really like medicine. It's important," she looked at him in all seriousness as she reached into the box and first pulled out a small cluster of bracelets and slid them onto the 7th year's wrist, "These are to remind you, when you forget during the day that someone is thinking about you - and wants you to smile". She turned her brown eyes on him then and pressed her finger to the spot just over her heart, "in other words me". She smiled a little and reached in the box again to pull out a fuzzy blanket, which she then draped over his shoulders.

"This is a matter of house pride, which we all should have. It is warm and soft and probably smells like my room because it was actually supposed to be your Christmas present," she wrinkled her nose and bumped the side of his head with hers. Next she retrieved the little stuffed lion, which was adorably snuggly and much better suited to one of her girlfriends than for a boy like Chance. Sophie, however, believed that ALL boys needed at least one stuffy to keep them company. "This, is Rosco. I guess you could change his name, but I like Rosco. He looks like a Rosco. He is very snuggly and good at keeping secrets. You need him on account of how I can't get into the boys dorm late at night when you might need snuggles. I have given him honorary Sophie-snuggling abilities. Try it, it works".

She held the animal out to him as she reached for the final item in the box, the large oversized sweater with a lion face half sketched on the front, "And this is for when you'd feel like a jackass carting around a stuffy and a fuzzy blanket. I'm pretty sure it smells like my perfume because Gabby doesn't understand what 'a little spritz' means. But eventually it will smell like you". She reached down then scooping up the picture from the floor and looking at it for a long moment before holding it out to Chance, "And this... this is to remind you that better things, better times are possible. No matter how awful everything seems now," holding the picture out to him.

Everything seemed more meaningful around Sophie.  Chance listened attentively as she explained each gift...and the thought and care she'd put into each one warmed his heart all the more.  Being doted on this way embarrassed him, even if he enjoyed it.  Chance simply didn't know how to respond to such affection, because of his raising perhaps?  He lowered his head somewhat with a somewhat sheepish smile.

"True true...yer magic alright.  Jes' don' y'go pullin' any disappearin' acts on me."

It was ironic and Chance realized just how ironic his request was after he'd spoken it.  After all...it was he who had disappeared.  Chance fingered over the bracelets with a smile...and though he often wore such items, these would be special because they came from Sophie.  She knew him so well.  It meant a lot to have someone care so much when the whole world seemed to have turned its back on him and he'd returned the favor.

Sophie's explanations made Chance chuckle, simply because of her phrasing and enthusiasm.

"Yer ruddy adorable...y'know that, lass?"

Chance smiled and ran a hand over the blanket around his shoulders and then petted Rosco the stuffed lion.

"Rosco suits 'im.  Ah wouldn't want 'im t'go gettin' an identity crisis by changin' 'is name.  But no offense Mr.Rosco...but nobody's got Sophie-snuggling abilities."

Still...Chance gave Rosco a squeeze and reached around to attempt to reverse hug Sophie who was still behind him.  Chance then  petted the lion sweatshirt and smirked somewhat.

"Y'certainly know 'ow t'run with a theme, doncha?"

In reflecting upon "house pride"...Chance recalled his duties as a Prefect...and how terribly he'd been neglecting them as of late.  He'd remembered the warm feelings and pride he'd held for Gryffindor and how his name was almost synonymous with the house at one time.  He was a 7th year Prefect...and he wasn't doing anything but hiding.  He brushed this series of thought aside for the time being though as the picture was introduced.  He took the photo gently and peered down at it.  Sophie's smile was always a source of comfort...and it made his own lips twitch a bit to the side as he looked down.  Why did she seem so happy with him?  What did he really have to offer?  His mother's words haunted and berated him, even though he hadn't heard from her in months.  He had years of memories to pull from.

"Yer th' best...y'know that right?"

Chance weaseled Sophie around into a real hug and snuggled up with her, shaking his head.  He was really awed by her.

Sophie looked at him with a fully stoic face, managing for once to hide her smile, "Being adorable is what Sophies do best. Well, that and fitting into really tiny spaces because we're not much bigger than a minute". She cracked a grin then - happy that he seemed so pleased, if a little overwhelmed at the package. She had put so much time and care into it because it was like the time and care she put into their relationship. Loving Chance wasn't hard, lots of people loved Chance. Sophie wasn't silly enough to think she loved him more or better than other people... she just knew things. She knew what it was like to need to be reminded there was someone there to catch you when it all fell apart, no matter how much you wanted to be able to say you did it all on your own. No man was an Island.

Chance had been trying to live like an Island and it obviously was not working for him. He only seemed to really crack the surface of his grief when he as with someone but he was shunning all human contact. She was going to make sure that changed today. She squealed as he all but pulled her into his lap. It did not dawn on her that this could be perceived as anything other than Chance and Sophie being Chance and Sophie. She wasn't even sure Chance knew that Fig had asked her to be his girlfriend. She knew she certainly hadn't told him the line Fig used. The last thing Chance Ryker would stand for would be someone using a pickup line about what was "under her sweater" on her. He'd strangle Fig on the spot even if he liked the kid.

She still just wasn't aware, after four days, what the rules were. As a naturally affectionate person she hugged and snuggled a lot of people. Only Fig had seemed kind of upset that she had hugged Erin. It didn't make much sense to her really. It wasn't like she let Erin or Chance or anyone but Fig try and stick their tongue down her throat. She really had to work with Fig on that - but it'd only been four days. Hugging Chance's neck tightly she shook her head, "I'm just Sophie - and I figure even if today is a commercial wash created by candy companies if you have a chance to tell people you love them you should really take it". If Chance didn't know how to be lavished with adoration and presents... Sophie didn't quite know how to let people tell her she was special to them.

"Now that we've got all the mushy stuff out of the way, Dr. Sophie has decided that your self imposed exile is ending today," she spoke in her most authoritarian voice (which was hilarious for the most part more so than some of the bossy know it all first years), "I realize that for the last month and a half I have let you skirt by and hide in your room because you thought it would be easiest and I was worried that if I pushed you would push me away," she frowned a little and took both his large hands in her much smaller ones, "But if I let you keep doing that I'm not being a good friend. Right now - whether you want to believe it or not, whether the monsters that live under your bed will let you hear it or not; you are loved  Chance Ryker. Not just by me, not just by Kim; there are so many people who care about you...even if it isn't in the way you want them to..." her voice trailed off as she reached up to touch his hair lightly, "Which is why you're helping with the dance set up and going tonight. Don't argue with me because you will LOSE SO HARD," she punctuated the statement by pinching his cheek with a grin.

Somehow Chance was reminded of a story his father used to read him.  A muggle story about "what tiggers do best" and Sophie's line about "Being adorable is what Sophies do best" just made him smile. 

"Well yer a pretty great minute, if ah do say so m'self!"

Chance hadn't been doing well.  That was true and obvious.  One of the largest parts of the problem is that he wasn't really relying on himself, but in all actuality he was secluding himself because he felt so down on himself.  He felt every bit the waste the loser, the worthless one that his mother proclaimed him to be for so many years.  Chance may have forgotten Gryffindor pride, but moreso he'd forgotten about self worth.

Fig did WHAT?!?  This could spell trouble for sure...when such information became known to Chance of course.

Chance was amused, however...by Sophie's attack against the candy/card company commercialism around V-Day.

"Dr.Sophie, eh?  Well, if th' muggles 'ave that Phil fella...we wizards're a lot better off!"

Dr.Sophie's kind words were not lost on him...Chance was just trying to absorb them like the medicine that he so desperately needed.  And then came the prescription of forced socialization!  Ack!  That was going to be a horse pill to swallow!  Chance attempted to speak and cut her off several times with no success...before he groaned and shook his head.

"Yer a knucklehead, but I luv ya Sophers!"

Chance grabbed Sophie and popped a kiss to her forehead.

"Now c'mon kiddo...'Nuff o' this loafin' around.  Ah've gotta go Soph-Shoppin' after all!"

Sophie grinned at him - but she hoped that she was getting through. She might have been small but she was pretty sure that she could convince Dax and Dion, if need be, to come carry Chance to the dance set up. Of course she sort of had a feeling just telling him she wanted him there might do the trick. Chance humored her a lot - actually he humored her a lot alot. In this case it would just be more for his own good than making her happy, though it really was a two for one deal because doing something good for himself would make her happy.

She giggled as he kissed her forehead and gave his middle a tight squeeze. "I don't need anything back Chance. Just promise me that you'll come help this afternoon and stop avoiding your friends... and also I am cashing in the dance promise that I didn't make you keep at the Mixer because we don't know how to go anywhere without causing a scene". She gave him a tight hug with her head buried in is chest for a moment. Things would get better; she needed them to get better. In part it was because she was worried about him, but the other part of her; the selfish part, just missed her friend.

Seeing Sophie happy was good for him.  It had been awful to see little Sophie crushed like she had been at the Mixer.  Actually the Mixer had not been a great night for many people involved.  It was sad to see such a tangled web had caught so many of them all in one brief instant.

Sophie was always trying to include Chance and motivate him into doing things that...mostly he didn't want to do.  But he cared for his fellow Gryffindor a great deal and had cast a watchful eye over her for years now.  Sadly, he'd been neglecting his self imposed "duties" for quite some time now, but things would soon return to normal it seemed.

"Awright, awright...Ah'll try.  S'a wee bit odd steppin' back inta th' limelight, so jes' gimme some time, wouldja?"

Chance felt Sophie bury her head in his chest and he stroked through her thick head of hair.  The Irish Gryff couldn't help but smirk at Sophie's reference to them always causing "scenes."

"Bah!  We're not that bad!  Least...Ah'm not anyway."

Chance playfully teased Sophie with a grin as he peered down at her.

Sophie looked at him very seriously, something she rarely did unless it were to be followed by a joke; "You have had plenty of time Mr. Ryker. And if I don't push you now I am very worried you are going to turn into a hermit with a twenty foot long beard!" So perhaps the last bit was an exaggeration. She was genuinely worried about him and also genuinely sad that he'd missed out on so much the last month. She gave him another tight squeeze before crawling off his lap and offering him a hand.

"Come on then, I give you this morning to go totter around Hogsmeade but come this afternoon you best be front and center in the big Tent to help me set up. There will be lots of heavy lifting and things that need to be put in high places that I won't be able to reach," trying to tug the much bigger Gryffindor to his feet she made a small grunting noise. "Come on, I might even let you lecture Fig on the importance of being a good boyfriend on the way to the village - but only if you promise not to break him. He is much smaller than you".

Sophie's serious face included rather cartoonishly large eyes and a "stiff upper lip."  Still, it was hard to ignore little Ms.Flickwick when she had set her mind to something.  Chance stroked his chin a bit, realizing he had actually accumulated the faintest bit of scruff since he hadn't been shaving his typically baby smooth face for quite some time now.  YES!  Of course, Chance tried to keep this joy hidden inside...because it seemed so insignificant a matter to tell anyone else...

"20 feet long might be a wee bit outta control..."

Chance took Sophie's hand and eased up to his feet to stand before her.

"What big tent?  Where izzit yer talkin' 'boot anyway?"

Sophie say whaaaat?  Chance's eyes widened.  Had he really been out of the loop to THAT extent?  Sophie was dating...Figaro?!?  No!  Say she was making a Disney's Pinocchio reference!

"Wait jes' a second 'ere...Figaro...an' yer...?"

Sophie looked at Chance and blinked. How out of touch had he been? "The Valentine's Day tent Chance. Haven't you listened to anything at all lately? The owner of Spellpunk is setting up an enchanted tent because we ran out of room to house things in the Castle!" she started bouncing on the balls of her feet then as she started to rattle off facts; "See we needed a place big enough to house a stage and dance floor because Dad's opening the show, and then Professor Bins Was A Ghost is playing, then we're sending the night off with Three Owl Standard taking the stage. Plus there are all the student run booths - like WAC is running the photography and SAWS is settling t-shirts and flowers; the Hogwarts Players and Choir and Orchestra are going to be performing too and recording the whole night's performances to sell later and," she finally stopped for a breath because her head was feeling woozy.

She gave herself a moment to breathe then started twisting the ring around her thumb chewing on her bottom lip; "So I need your help this afternoon with setting things up. It's really kind of important and I think everyone really misses you a lot - cause I know I miss you a lot and these kinds of things used to be really important to you - and if you don't want to go to the dance alone you could always ask Ruby on account of she doesn't have a date. And Fig asked me out um three days ago. I said yes cause, you know he's kind of cute and I do really like him even if he's dumb sometimes and don't be mad I didn't tell you sooner you just seemed so sad and I didn't want to make you more sad or feel like you had to beat him up just because he asked me out in a stupid way after making a joke about what was under my sweater and I don't think I'm too young for a boyfriend, I mean it's not like I think we're going to get married and have babies. I don't even let him touch what's under my sweater".

Chance shrugged faintly.

"Y'know there's lots ah don't keep up with, even when things're pretty much normal.  An' lately's been anythin', but normal!"

When Sophie got on a roll, there was no stopping her whatsoever!  This was one of those occasions where Chance had to simply hope to catch up to the dizzying speed of information that Sophie was gushing forth like a broken fire hydrant.  Chance remained there, listening...all the while somewhat stunned and speechless as he felt unable to catch up to Sophie's latter verbal spree.  After Sophie finished, Chance tried to collect and organize his thoughts somewhat...though a stunned expression lingered on his features for a few moments.

"Well...sounds busy, but fun too."

Wait...what was all this about Fig and sweaters and touching?!?

"Wait a sec-wha?  What's all this rot 'boot Fig an' sweaters an' touchin'?!?"

Chance's brow furrowed quizzically and defensively.  Yes...protective mode had been activated!

"But SAWS used to be important to you; being a good Prefect used to be important to you..." she let her voice trail off as she sighed. Arguing with him about what he used to care about seemed like a moot point at this juncture. He hadn't been himself since coming home from break. Of course he wouldn't have known about the dance and Gordic only knew when the last time he'd been to a SAWS meeting was. She did have it on good authority that people missed him though - mostly because she considered herself more than one person; and then there was Fauna (even if things WERE weird between them); she knew Fauna still cared about him.

Her cheeks flushed a faint crimson as she tilted her head to look at the older Gryffindor, "There has been no sweater touching at all. I just think..." she trailed off giving a lame shrug; "I think he didn't know what to say to me so he opened with him liking my sweater and then on account of him being a dumb boy it turned into a joke about boobs. Which really, you know had to be a joke because mine are not really very big or impressive - especially not compared to ...you know other girls". She was floundering she didn't want him to get mad at Figaro. She didn't want anyone to fight; and really mostly she thought the way Fig asked her out was funny if a bit crass. "You don't need to break anyone's bones. You just need to help set up this afternoon and go to the party tonight and be your usual charming self. It'll be fun...as long as you don't kill anyone".

Chance knew that Sophie was right...and her leading comments made him consider how he'd neglected the things and people he did care about.  This grieved him a good deal...and he nodded his acknowledgment of her words.  Sophie might have been a bit scattered, but she was rarely off base.  When Sophie said something she felt was important, it rang true. 

And as for Fauna's feelings for Chance...they had become quite a mystery to the Irish Gryff.

At least there was sufficient explanation from Sophie regarding Figaro's pickup lines.  Nevertheless, Chance's green eyes narrowed somewhat.  He might let this one slide...but he would be watching Fig now with a bit of doubt in his attentive glare.  Chance was by no means a bully or a brute, but he was very defensive of the underdog, the innocent, and those he truly cared about.  For better or worse, Sophie was one of the people Chance Ryker was most protective of.

"Well, 'e'd best treat y'like a lady an' watch 'is ruddy mouth...an' 'is 'ands...an' there won't be any problems."

Chance was a bit stern with Sophie in matters like these.  It was funny, because Chance so rarely took an authoritative stance on anything...but when he did he certainly meant business!  After that moment had passed however...Chance took a breath and nodded...conceding to Sophie's request.

"Ah'll be 'ere, lass...Y'don' 'aveta worry."