Talking it Out (Ranger)

[Deleted]

It was a few weeks after school began before Anna realized that she hadn't talked with Ranger yet. Together, they were the leaders of Phoenix Rising, yet they hadn't gotten together to discuss anything about the year. Even more than that, Ranger was Anna's friend. She heard about what happened to his parents and she could tell by watching him that he was struggling. She just didn't know how to help. Anna herself never experienced loss like that and she didn't know what to say or what not to say. She was worried about hurting him, but that didn't meant she should avoid him forever. Not that she was avoiding him at all, she was just distracted by school and the tournament and everything.

Now, however, she had a break in her classes and she knew he did too. It was the middle of the day and she really wasn't in the mood to study so she decided to go looking for her friend. She tried the common room, the library, the kitchens (just in case he went down there for a snack) but she couldn't seem to find him anywhere. Then she remembered that Ranger, like many students, liked the Black Lake. She went outside and started walking there. When she got close, she saw a figure and assumed it was him.

"Hey Ranger. Fancy seeing you here," she said with a small smile as she moved to sit down next to him. Hopefully he wouldn't mind her interrupting his solitude. Either way, she decided she was going to treat him like she would have last year. "How's school been for you so far?" 

@ranger

[Deleted]

@annelise

"Hey Ranger. Fancy seeing you here," he looked up from the water as anna came over to him seemingly out of nowhere. well that's what he got for not paying attention to his surroundings. he rubbed his fingers into his eyes and sat up from the tree he was sitting against. "such a strange coincidence" he tried to joke but it fell a little flat. "How's school been for you so far?" school hadn't been the hard part. it was getting his mind to shut up and focus on school work. he'd been trying since school started to convince everyone that he was fine but he knew people were starting to wonder, question and judge him. he wondered berifely if anna had heard the rumors and untruths that cecelia was telling people about him but he didn't dwell on it long, he was trying to forget the whole thing had either happened, be the bigger person in all this. "not as bad as i thought for our seventh year. you?"

[Deleted]

His answer kind of sounded like a joke, but Anna couldn't tell if he was annoyed or just tired. Sometimes when she was tired things came out harsher than she intended, or her inflections weren't right or something. Still, she knew he was going through a hard time too, so that might have some impact on it. Anna decided to act like he was just kidding. She was going to think the best of Ranger; she had no reason not to.

Anna gave a small laugh, "Right?" She decided to tease him a little, "I mean, here of all places? Outside in the sunshine? I thought Gryffindors were supposed to be bravely rampaging through the forest." So she might have gone a little overboard there, but she didn't think he would mind. Unless he really just wanted to be alone. Oh well. If he wanted her to leave, he could tell her and she'd be on her way. Besides, he shouldn't be offended by that. She was a Gryffindor too, after all.

She shrugged with a smile when he turned the question back on her. "A little overwhelming, but not in the way I expected. I mean, the classwork is no surprise, but the Triwizard Tournament? I really did not see that coming at all. What do you think about it? Did you enter?" 

@ranger

[Deleted]

@annelise

"A little overwhelming, but not in the way I expected. I mean, the classwork is no surprise, but the Triwizard Tournament? I really did not see that coming at all. What do you think about it? Did you enter?" he thought it was pretty good. it was going to stir things up that was for sure. he had put his name in, he was pretty sure most of the seventh year gryffindors had put their name into the cup. it was going to be bittersweet if he was called champion. his parents wouldn't be around to watch but his brothers would when they could. he ran his hand through his hair and nodded slightly. "yeah i entered, did you?" he asked as he looked at her. "we should hold a meeting soon. get everyone on the same page and tell them what's going to be happening and gather thoughts on what we should do. brainstorm idea's to send to abby and james" he said as he picked at a blade of grass.

[Deleted]

Anna smiled when he asked if she entered. "Of course I did! It's a once in a lifetime opportunity; I had to." She nodded as he said that they should have a meeting. "We should get everyone together. When do you want to do it? And is there anything specific you want me to do?" Anna asked curiously. She was excited to be working with Ranger and help lead Phoenix Rising, but she also wasn't exactly sure what she was supposed to do. That didn't really matter though, since she'd do whatever they asked her to. 

@ranger

[Deleted]

@annelise

"We should get everyone together. When do you want to do it? And is there anything specific you want me to do?" he shook his head slightly. there wasn't anything specific to do. they just needed to see that everyone was on the same page and have something to send back to abby and james. "i don't think so? i mean it's going to be a simple meeting. nothing elaborate this time" he said as he looked at her. he was glad he had someone like anna to work with. he thought abby and james had made a good choice with her. "how about this saturday? give us a few days to get the word out?"

[Deleted]

Anna nodded when Ranger said that it should be a simple meeting. "That sounds good to me. See where we're standing, how many people we have now. I mean, you never know if some of the people from last year decided they didn't want to be with us anymore after the kidnappings," she added somberly. She hated the idea of people changing their minds, but she could understand it. The school was pretty torn up at the end of last year. "I think this saturday is a good idea. You want to talk to the Gryffindors and Hufflepuffs and I can talk with the others?" She wasn't sure exactly how they should contact everyone, but figured that talking to one person from each house and asking them to talk to their house-mates was a good way to start it.

@ranger