"I think she only didn't hate me because she couldn't remember hating me. But she wasn't very fond of me after the first time she forgot me. And I did almost kill her. Almost, I know... I know she's alive and fine... but what if I hadn't known what to do? What if I'd just let it go?"

He was probably right, though. She kept controlled environments for brewing potions... maybe she needed one to test them too. So they couldn't get hurt again or something. But where could she do something like that? And how could she do it without scaring someone off? She put her coffee aside and buried her face in her arms, curled up tight.

"Th-there…" Jake stalled. Realised he was saying all the wrong things. "Luhh-last thhhing I remember whuhh-when?" he asked, stalling for time. The longer he didn't have to talk, the better.

At the question about the pie, Jake shrugged. "M'not hhhhungry," he mumbled, just as his stomach practically ROARED. Saying 'FEED MEH!' no doubt.

His body could be an idiot sometimes.

Sooooo, Jake hurriedly punched himself in the stomach.

Hard.

And doubled over in pain… and staggered to the bench.

"Ow."

And now she was hiding her face. Raiden twitched visibly at that; on one hand, it was a welcome relief from the sad expression and the tears, but... well on the other, he still knew there were tears and sad expressions going on in there.

"You don' think the Healer would've immediately paid attention had something happened?" he asked quietly, sliding off the seat and taking a step closer to his friend. "Everything was definitely going to turn out fine, Lina. You made a mistake, but everything was okay in the end. You're punishing yourself right now by dwelling on it, don't do that."

He was going to hug her. Yes. He was. If she didn't like hugs, well... then at least she'd have to stop being all sad to tell him so. Slipping one arm around her, he gave her a tug to get her all untensed and to stop hiding her face. One could not hug a ball of steel.

"Just calm down, okay? It's far too early in the morning to be so upset."

She peeked up a pair of bright green eyes, rather unsure. The lack of confidence was unusual for her, but she doubted he knew that. She nodded a little, wiped her eyes, and uncurled a little. "I's not morning yet," she pouted slightly. "I haven't slept so it's not allowed to be tomorrow."

"Well unfortunately, even if it's not morning for you, it is for the rest of the world," Raiden mumbled, giving another tug. "Believe me, if it weren't, I wouldn't be here right now."

Nope. He would be in BED. Sleeping. And never waking up. Because it was ridiculous to be this tired.

"Only thing you can do is... either take some of that stuff you gave that girl, but a LOT LESS... or tough it out and go to sleep early."

AND HUG HIM. HUG. RAIDEN. NOW.

"I guess so." She uncurled the rest of the way, feeling a little better. She offered him a small smile then tumbled forward a little and hugged him, careful not to knock him over this time. "Thanks, Raiden. I'm sorry to have... Well, I'm not normally like this... Breaking down like this, I mean." She pulled back a little, looking somewhat embarrassed. "I have some of the old study potion on me. You know, the stuff that actually works. Want a little? You look like you could use it."

Finally.

Raiden held in a sigh of relief when she finally uncurled herself and loosened up; she seemed like she was kinda... a bit better. Hugs ALWAYS helped!

Unless you were an old man, then they were just a reason to take points. Meh.

"Well... when you're tired, your emotions get all messed up," Raiden said with a shrug, letting go of her when she pulled away from him. "It's a lot easier to get annoyed or upset or even really happy."

He'd managed two of the three in the last few days. Not something he was proud of, either.

"You've enough for both of us? I didn't get much sleep at all... between mouse hunting and homework, there's just no time." He reached for his coffee, holding the cup between his hands to allow warmth to flood them. "I'm so beat right now, I dunno that I'll make it through the day."

"Yeah. I figure it's always better to have too much than too little. And it doesn't need cooling to extend its shelf life or anything." She pulled two small vials from her robes, much smaller than the ones she used for most of the other potions. They looked more like single-doses, rather than just taking a drink out of one of the larger ones. And, heaven forbid, these ones were actually labeled very neatly and clearly: Study Potion. Talk about an improvement.

She handed one to Raiden before opening her own. She held it up with a bit of a strained smile. "To stressful nights, and better days."

"Before you ended up in the hospital wing" Marcus said not taking his eyes off the bench where he was cutting up a carrot. "What were you doing before that?" he asked, now dicing a potato with expert precision.

When all the vegetables had been chopped, Marcus turned to Jake with a raised eyebrow. "I think your stomach is telling you otherwise." He turned back to the task at hand and placed all the vegetables into a pie dish. He paused momentarily as he looked at Jake out of the corner of his eye and he merely shook his head.

The boy would do just about anything for attention.

"Bbbefore the hhhhospital wing?" Jake repeated, rubbing his stomach and looking a little perplexed. "I was in bbbed. Wuhh-woke up in mmmy uniform. It wwwas filthy... Wwwent to ccclean up in a buhh-bathroom, sssaw Tibi; thuhh-then Ashford found us."

Catching the head shake Lawson did, seeing the sideways glance, Jake felt a surge of anger. "What?!" he demanded.

Blowing out a puff of air in frustration, Marcus turned towards Jake while in the middle of making some pastry and held a rolling pin in his hand. "And what were you doing before you woke up in a filthy uniform in your bed. Merlin Jake, you know exactly what I am asking you. Why do you have to make it so damn difficult all the time."

Marcus slammed the rolling pin down onto the pastry and began to roll it out. So much for feeling therapeutic.

Turning to face Jake head on, Marcus frowned at the boy's short temper, "Why would you hit yourself like that?"

Oh Merlin thank you. Raiden set down his coffee and took the vial from Lina. The vague memory of his reaction to this potion swam to the surface of his mind, and he felt ever-so-slightly better already.

"Thanks," he said softly, inclining it toward her before raising it to his lips. "To morning pick-me-ups as well, maybe."

It was easy enough to down the entire vial in a quick go. How long had it been since he'd had to do that? Hmmm.

She drank down her share of the potion as well, her smile easing a little. It was true, wasn't it? This day was going to be better. She capped the vial again and pocketed it away. Should never throw away a good vial, right? "I kinda wonder if we can stay in here for breakfast. I'd rather not go out to the Great Hall just yet."

"Sleeping," Jake replied hotly. Lawson apparently didn't believe him; that just made him sooooooooo happy. Not.

Then the slamming noise and Jake flinched violently and bit his lip. "I dddon't rrrremember. I ruhh-remember going to sssleep in my uniffform on pppurpose. Thhhen I wuhh-woke up fffilthy."

At the other question, Jake shrugged. "'Cccause I ddddon't lllike to bbbe hungry, bbbut I am. I was hhhhitting mmmy stomach so I wuhh-wouldn't be." It made sense. "Ddddidn't wuh-work."

Then, Jake heaved a sigh and sat facing the actual table. He felt really really bad for making Lawson angry, but if he apologised the man would think he was being insincere.

Yep this was going well.

Marcus halted in his actions and took another couple of deep breaths, he was tempted, very tempted to bop the kid on the head with the rolling pin but that wouldn't get him any answers either.

So he decided to try again, "Let's try going back to earlier in the day shall we? What were you doing before you went to sleep in your uniform and then woke up to find it filthy?" He couldn't make it anymore simpler than that could he?

Well that made sense. NOT!! "Right well I have enough here for two." He held out the rolling pin to Jake, "Can you roll the pastry out while I cook the vegetables?"

For a moment, Jake just looked confused. Real confused. He just stared at Lawson for a while and then, when the man turned to him and held the rolling pin out, Jake flinched and kinda spazzed his way backwards a bit. Then he took the rolling pin.

"I dddon't rrremember," he replied quietly. And that was all he was going to say on the subject.

"Rrroll the p-p-pastry out?" Jake then repeated, looking utterly nonplussed. Saywhatdowhattowhat?

"You can't remember? Or you just don't want to tell me?" Marcus frowned at Jake as he cooked the vegetables on the stove, adding a few herbs and spices while he was at it.

"I don't get it Jake. After what happened last year, I would have thought that you would go to someone for help or at least tell them that something not right is happening." He stirred the vegetables while he spoke and the smell was making his stomach rumble rather loudly.

Marcus looked at Jake and rolled his eyes heavenward. "Yes Jake, roll the pastry out. Run the rolling pin back and forth over the lump of pastry in front of you until it is nice and thin." Geez, kids today had absolutely no idea.

Capping the vial after finishing it off, Raiden held it out to Lina; what was he going to do with it, after all? He wasn't a potions person, really. Plus, his father had more than enough vials lying about the house at home. Heh.

"I'm sure the elves wouldn't mind if we stayed for a bit." Raiden reached for his coffee again, the warmth of the potion starting through him already. Energyyyyy oh goodness it felt good to not be sleepy. "Madiison and I ate in here one night. I didn't want to go to the Great Hall then either."

That hadn't been a good week or two for him. Hmm.

Kay walked into the kitchen and looked around. 'Damn' She thought when she saw Lawson in there with Jake. Moving over to the other side of the room Kay sat down to wait for the other two girls. She hoped that Rex would show up too. She wonder to herself if Lawson was still mad at her about the whole kissing thing. 'not going to ask.' she thought. 'no way' Sitting as still as she could, Kay waited

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ameh

Capping the vial after finishing it off, Raiden held it out to Lina; what was he going to do with it, after all? He wasn't a potions person, really. Plus, his father had more than enough vials lying about the house at home. Heh.

"I'm sure the elves wouldn't mind if we stayed for a bit." Raiden reached for his coffee again, the warmth of the potion starting through him already. Energyyyyy oh goodness it felt good to not be sleepy. "Madiison and I ate in here one night. I didn't want to go to the Great Hall then either."

That hadn't been a good week or two for him. Hmm.

She couldn't help but giggle. She tucked the vial away and looked around, trying not to listen in on the conversation between the professor and the student. "Well, let's try to get a peaceful meal as we wake up a little more, shall we? What should we have? Can we ask for anything?" She stopped herself, looking a little embarrassed. "I've never really..." Wow, she really was missing out on stuff here.

"Of course you can," Raiden said, slightly surprised. "Anything that you could get up at the table, you can get down here too."

He shrugged his shoulders as he sank back onto the chair. Merlin, he felt better already. If he kept up drinking coffee on top of that potion, he'd probably end up hyper, even.

"I'm not really that hungry... I think I'll just have a muffin or something." He'd be hungry later though, he was sure. His stomach had been going through weird stages.

"Okay." She herself decided on some fruit and waffles... mostly fruit. "Maybe you should keep something with you if you're not going to eat much. Several smaller meals are better for you anyway. I bet that whatever muffin you get will have three or four hundred calories, which is good for a first small meal of the day. Because it's early, your first two should be either carbohydrate-rich or fruit or vegetables. So, you should probably get an apple or orange or banana to take with you to have before lunch."

"I sssssaid I ccccan't rrremember," Jake replied, speaking as though making a statement about the weather. He ignored what the man said; if he didn't remember, he didn't remember.

He wrinkled his nose again and eyed the rolling pin, before stepping forward. Moving cautiously, Jake began to really gently start rollllllling the rolling pin geeeeeently over the pastry. Like super lightly.

Staaaaaaaaaaaaare.

"I shouldn't be surprised that you know all that stuff, should I," he said with a chuckle, taking a muffin from the basket a house elf had appeared with. Leaning down to the creature, he held it out and asked, "It doesn't have pumpkin in it right?"

The little creature shook her head no, then scampered off when he gave her a smile and a murmur of gratitude.

"I just eat... whenever I get hungry. Usually I have something in my bag. I can guarantee it's not fruit though." More like concentrated sugar with various other flavours thrown in. Heh. "I like apples though. If I were sure I'd eat it, I'd carry one around in my bag most all the time."

"Granola or trail mix is good for that." She received a bowl of assorted sliced fruit from a house elf and didn't even bother looking for a fork. Fruit was meant to be eaten with hands. Anything else was unnatural! "And of course I know all of this. It's hard growing up with healers and not knowing. You know? I hear most parents can be pretty bad about their kids eating healthy, but my guardians know almost everything about nutrition."