Toby didn't need to go very far before he found someone. And Sophie Brown, no less. He was a little surprised to find her so close to the Arithmancy classroom when he'd not seen her, y'know, inside of it. He'd thought maybe she was ill or something, but that didn't explain why she was here, and not in either the Hospital Wing or her own dormitory.

Perplexed, the Hufflepuff stopped beside Soph and stood blinking at her.

"What are you...?" he began, and let the trailed off question speak for itself. More blinking. Was she ill? She didn't look well, which made Toby instinctively want to give up on the activity and... do something to help instead.

She heard the footsteps coming and promptly played dead when she did, hoping she would become invisible and the person approaching would just politely ignore her body lying in the middle of the corridor and just leave her be -

But it was Tobes. But... why was it Tobes? Sophie stopped dying to flip her wrist in front of her face and peer at her watch. It was still Arithmancy time. WHY WASN'T HE IN CLASS?

"The better question is what are youuuuuu..." oh, dramatics made the head hurt, "...doing. Shouldn't you be in class? Shouldn't be over yet, should it? Did someone die?" Wouldn't have been a surprise in this school.

"I've been to class. Technically I'm still there. We're doing a class activity, and we need to go ask people things." Hence being found out and about in the castle. But really, that was hardly a better question. Out of the two of them, who was more likely to be found not in the appropriate classroom? "So what're you doing?"

Seeing as, y'know, he'd asked first.

... Well, seeing as though they were both here and Soph fit Tanner's criteria...

"And can I use you for this activity thing?"

Oh? An outside-of-class class activity that required bugging people outside of class that took up actual class time and wasn't homework?

That sounded dumb. And frankly, Soph found herself pretty relieved that she hadn't attended the class because the task sounded daunting. Though... if she could've just gone around and found the same people that Tobes was finding, she figured it wouldn't be too miserable.

"Good thing you found me 'cause I love being asked questions." She was aware that she wasn't making a whole lot of sense, but the more she talked the more her head hurt and the more she was unable to think as clearly, so she figured she didn't really have to make a whole lot of sense right now. It was just good that she was still alive.

So dramatic.

"M'a little... sick. Head." She pointed to it. "Hurts. But I'm fine. Laying here like this? I feel fine. S'good. Ask away. Hit me with it. Bring it. C'mon. I can take it." What kind of survey was this anyway?

To an outsider, this might have been a weird situation to look upon. Sophie, laying on the floor, and Toby, stood there squinting down at her.

Because that was what was happening. A lot of squinting. He was concerned, and also mentally side-eyeing his best friend for just laying out in a random corridor rather than going to get some sort of potion to get better. "Okay, well... after we're done you need to go get a headache draught from... someone." Probably not the healer, though she WAS closest and therefore most convenient. Likely it would be Culloden, if he wasn't teaching a class.

"Okay," Toby said, automatically and subconsciously softening his voice a little but also giving Soph another lingering look. He bent half-double and used his own leg as a writing surface, and scribbled 'Sophie Mae Brown' on his parchment. "Pretend for a sec like I don't already know your birth date, and... tell me your birth date. Then I'll work out your Major Cycle numbers. And then we'll be done."

Sophie wanted to reach up to him and bring him down to cuddle with her till she felt better or carry her off to Culloden for his medical expertise, but she knew it wasn't the time or place for that - he was still technically running on class time, so he could only stay for a few minutes, then he would have to leave. Laaaame.

Then, just as she thought it, he was suggesting it. Which was perfect. Though... she still didn't know if she could walk there on her own, or if she could even get there by herself before class was over for him, considering how many stops she might need to take. But... she wouldn't bring that up to him, no. She just smiled at him in reply and nodded once. Not agreeing, just humoring him.

She watched him and wanted to sit up to watch him work, but she resisted, and instead just closed her eyes and focused on the sound of his voice. "October 22nd of '69." Heh. "Y'should tell me all about myself based on my birthdate." Even though she already knew most of it. "Could that get you extra credit?" She wanted to help him earn full credit and BEYOND.

"I don't need your birth date to tell you about yourself," Toby mumbled as he worked away on his parchment, reducing the dates down to get the right numbers for the cycle. He had his attention half on the calculations and half on the conversation, and as such it was taking longer than it probably should have done to finish things off. "We're not meant to interpret anything, just find the numbers." Tanner had said that, right? Toby paused a moment and tried to remember. "... I think."

...

...

... He shrugged. In the practice they'd done on their own birthdays, there was no interpreting, so this was probably the same. In any case, he'd not brought his textbook with him.

"Okay, done. Just FYI, your first cycle number is one, your second is four, and your third is eight." Just in case she was curious.

Toby straightened again and looked back down at Sophie, who was... still lying on the floor. He'd be an awful person if he just left her there. "Now you need to go get a potion."

Pfffffft. "What's the fun in doing calculations if you're not gonna get to interpret from them?" Double laaaaaaaaaame. Sophie wanted to interpret from calculations right away all the time. That was the only fun part about it and the only reason it was really interesting at all. "Sounds like m'not missing much." Though... if she needed to know anything about her major cycle numbers, she was LEARNING THEM RIGHT NOW. Merlin bless Tobes.

"Thanks. M'sure those are valuable things for us to know. I'll keep them in my heart forever." She was joking, but her tone was dry because adding proper inflections to her voice was draining and made her head throb again, so she probably sounded a little rude, but she smiled in an attempt to let Tobes know that she wasn't getting snarky with him. No, she was just a little miserable, okay? That's all.

...Oh. Potion. "Yeah, I'll go. Just... gimme a sec. You go on. Get back to class. Make me proud. Tell Tanner I love her. I believe in you." She waved her hand dismissively at him and closed her eyes again, pondering the likelihood that Culloden would just randomly come walking along and have a potion for her. Guh. If only she could produce a patronus.

If Toby could do that one-quirked eyebrow thing (and he absolutely couldn't, despite years of practice), he would have done so right then. Instead he settled for standing there with his arms folded, brow furrowed as he considered what to do. A couple of months ago, Toby might have lifted and carried her off to get a potion, but today he wasn't really in the mood to be giving piggy backs. Well, that and apparently he'd lost a good deal of strength somehow in the last month or two. Piggy back rides were off the agenda until he had the stamina to resume working out again.

"Right," was all Toby said, eventually, after a lot of standing and looking. But he didn't leave. Nope, he got his wand out instead, and one hover charm later, Soph was floating in the air in front of him. "C'mon then." Though really, she had no choice.

Without another word, Toby headed off down the corridor levitating Sophie Brown. Really, there was no way he was just going to walk off. No, he'd deliver the sarcastic, stubborn Ravenclaw to the Potions Master and then go badger a staff member he was pretty sure would be in his office at this time of day. Even if that office was all the way up at the top of a tower.

Yeah. Toby would probably be late getting back.

Kate nodded along as Professor Cassie responded to her first reading. "I'm glad you liked your first reading then," she said to both of them. Liked it. Accepted it. Same thing. "Okay, so now I'll need the day you were born for the second part. Let's see, that would be a 10 for you, Professor Cassie, and a 23 for you, Professor Quigley." It was kind of awkward doing calculation in the middle of the corridor while two professors just stood around waiting, but Kate was making this work.



"Okay, so this is what I've come up with for the middle of your lives. Professor Cassie," she said, looking first to the Divination professor. "You have a number one, and that means that you learn how to deal with loneliness in a positive way. I don't even know if you've been lonely, but if you are...or were, just stay positive. I think you'll be able to work it all out."

Awkward.

"Professor Quigley," she continued, "you've got that number five again. Which means..." Uhhh... "Oh! It means you've still got uncertain finances, but you're okay with that, because you're still just living with it. It also means that you're still free from responsibility." All of the above just sounded really good to a twelve-year-old Kate. She had no idea what adult responsibilities meant.

"Okay, can you both give me the year you were born again, please?" she asked.

Cassie listened as Kate did Maddox first cycle, it was so interesting to listen to, but she turned her attention back to her own cycles as Kate asked about the second part, “Yes it is the tenth.” She snapped happily. Her first cycle was so good and worked so well she couldn’t wait to hear the rest of it. Listening to her talk about the second life cycle she thought for a moment, “Oh you don’t need to worry about me. Life is what you make it and making it positive is something I’ve always done.” She knew what that cycle meant and she knew why it was meaning that, but look at her now. Shew as happily dating, she had her best friend, and her pets. All the wonderful students around her made her not lonely anymore!

She snapped again for Maddox’s cycle, it was so so interesting!

Getting so caught up in the cycle thoughts she almost didn’t hear Kate ask about the year. hmm?” Oh focus Cassie, whoops! “I was born in 2051” Very good year if she could say so herself. “Now this next cycle is the end of our lives?” This was just so interesting. She really did need to study Arithmancy again. It was so exciting!

Kate smiled at Professor Cassie. "I really love your attitude," she said. As for Professor Quigley, she couldn't tell how he felt about the whole thing. He was pretty silent right now, so Kate was a little unsure. No telling what he was thinking. She turned back to Professor Cassie with a nod. "The last part of your lives, yes" she confirmed. "So that's done by adding together the parts of the year you were born. Let me just...calculate those..." She trailed off as she began her work.



"Okay, Professor Quigley," she began. She decided to give him his reading first. She didn't know if he was really happy with that second reading or not. "You have a seven this time. It means to...expect quiet time and...reserved time of inner analysis and gaining knowledge to be prominent." ... "What does that mean?" she asked either one of them. "Professor Cassie, you have an eight. This means you're going to get a lot of money, but you're not going to quit your job. You're going to keep working hard, and I guess trying to achieve your goals."

"I've always lived by when life throws you lemon make lemonade, but I should really learn how to actually make that before saying it." She giggled and snapped. Yes it wasn't a secret that she really didn't know how to do much, though her and Nessa had been practicing and were now doing many boxed dinners. Nessa seemed to be better at it then Cassie, but she was trying.

She was going to calculate the last part, EEEEP! How exciting, what would it say about her? She could hardly wait. Kate was a smart girl so she wasn't surprised when it was done quickly and she was reading what each mean. Maddox she found interesting. Listening to what they both had to say.

When it came to hers Cassie thought a few moments. Gaining money and not quitting her job. That was very interesting, "Well there is no way I'm quitting my job right now. I enjoy having all my students around the castle." She beamed at the ones in the cold just for her. [b] "Well this was just enlightening, thank you sooooo much Kate for asking me.

It was almost NEWT season and Bambi was not ready.

Having undergone three miniature freak outs and one major one, she'd decided that the common room was no longer a viable option for studying. She could never actually get any work done there, there were too many people she liked - and one person she quite specifically liked - always milling around and providing distractions.

She'd taken the library off her list as well, because she'd found herself reading the book titles on the shelves instead of learning the shapes of the constellations she needed to memorise. And outside just wasn't even an option, because she'd get jealous of all the little kids running around and being free.

This was why Bambi could now be found at random spots throughout the castle, sometimes on a bench but mostly on the floor, with her notes arranged around her and her quill between her teeth. Today it was the second floor corridor and she'd been here for hours. Her books and parchments were long forgotten as the blonde stared at the opposite wall, having already reached crack number 37 and avidly searching for the next one.

Quote:

Originally Posted by fire_faerie

It was almost NEWT season and Bambi was not ready.

Having undergone three miniature freak outs and one major one, she'd decided that the common room was no longer a viable option for studying. She could never actually get any work done there, there were too many people she liked - and one person she quite specifically liked - always milling around and providing distractions.

She'd taken the library off her list as well, because she'd found herself reading the book titles on the shelves instead of learning the shapes of the constellations she needed to memorise. And outside just wasn't even an option, because she'd get jealous of all the little kids running around and being free.

This was why Bambi could now be found at random spots throughout the castle, sometimes on a bench but mostly on the floor, with her notes arranged around her and her quill between her teeth. Today it was the second floor corridor and she'd been here for hours. Her books and parchments were long forgotten as the blonde stared at the opposite wall, having already reached crack number 37 and avidly searching for the next one.

Taking a small break from studying wasn't bad, right? At least Bianca thought that it wasn't. Now she wished that the NEWTs would come very soon. Not because she was ready but she really wanted this moment would end very soon, then she graduated, came back to Vancouver and had a nice summer time before college. She wondered around the castle to refresh her body and soul. Studying really made her suffering a mental breakdown and stress eating. Absentmindedly, the brunette girl found herself at the second floor. What in the world she was doing here, huh?

Her brown eyes spotted a Ravenclaw girl was sitting on the floor at the corner of the corridor with books and parchments. Geez, she was away from the study and now she found a girl who was currently studying here? Was studying everywhere every time was one of Ravenclaw's trait? She didn't think Bryan was very studious that he had to bring his book everywhere. Well, she might be a fifth or seventh year since the OWLs and NEWTs were coming.

"Too much study wasn't good for your health, slowly it could give you a hear attack and brain injury" She commented as she walked closer to that girl. Of course it wasn't true. She just wanted to lighten up the situation. Then she grabbed a lunchbox from her bag that was filled with delicious fudge from the Sugarplums. "You want some?" She offered.