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last online May 7, 2024 19:57:52 GMT -7
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Apr 22, 2017 21:02:28 GMT -7
Post by Deleted on Apr 22, 2017 21:02:28 GMT -7
Jamie nodded when Anna said that they were all too worried about the future, and needed to relax. “I think it’s just easier to worry about the future than worry about the now.” Especially with all the bad things that had been happening lately. Worrying about one’s safety wasn’t as easy as worrying about one’s career, because at least the latter could be easily influenced. When Anna said that she didn’t have any idea about the second task at the moment, Jamie gave a short, firm nod, glad that Anna had realized that the Hufflepuff was fully in her corner. “Good. And even if I can’t help, I might know someone who can.” Anna seemed to be connected mostly to Gryffindors, and honestly, Jamie was too, but she also had Hufflepuff friends, and could ask Max for recommendations from the Slytherin house, if it really came down to that. Realizing that she had been soaking for quite some time, Jamie shifted in the tub. “Can you grab me the other robe?” Jamie asked Anna, gesturing to where the second, identical robe was hanging.
@annelise
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last online May 7, 2024 19:57:52 GMT -7
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Apr 28, 2017 20:57:13 GMT -7
Post by Deleted on Apr 28, 2017 20:57:13 GMT -7
Jamie was right about that. "Okay, now that you put it that way, I agree. We need to relax always, no matter what we're worrying about." Of course she did. What, with everything that happened last year and the fact that she was involved in the Triwizard Tournament. She definitely had things to worry about now, as well as in the future. "Thank you Jamie. I'll keep that in mind." It was nice to have people volunteering to help her. After how difficult the First Task was, Anna was entirely willing to take all the help she could get. Anna nodded and stood to get the robe, going over to Jamie to hand it to her and turning away to give the Hufflepuff her privacy. "So what now?" She asked with a small smile. She was excited to see whatever else Jamie had planned.
@jamie
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last online May 7, 2024 19:57:52 GMT -7
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Apr 28, 2017 21:03:05 GMT -7
Post by Deleted on Apr 28, 2017 21:03:05 GMT -7
When Anna came over to her with the robe, Jamie tied it around herself tightly, feeling a bit swallowed by all of the fabric. She needed to eat more, Jamie thought idly, before she worried herself away to a skeleton. Anna asked what was happening now, and Jamie clapped her hands a little. “Well, I was thinking that we could comb each other’s hair, since it’s wet now and everything. And apparently combing hair leaves a lot of time to gossip.” And for Jamie’s hair to try into anything other than a rat’s nest, she was going to need to comb it quite thoroughly. “After that, face masks while our skin is still nice and fresh and clean, and then mani-pedis!” Jamie was beginning to realize that doing the whole spa day had been rather ambitious of her, but she didn’t really care. They could cut out the pedicure, and the manicure, too, if they really needed to save time.
@annelise
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last online May 7, 2024 19:57:52 GMT -7
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Apr 28, 2017 21:13:14 GMT -7
Post by Deleted on Apr 28, 2017 21:13:14 GMT -7
Anna laughed at Jamie's talk about combing hair, and then her enthusiasm. It was nice to be spending some time relaxing with someone who obviously didn't want to do anything except have fun. "That sounds like a blast! Ok, I'll comb your hair first," Anna suggested, looking around herself for a comb. "Did you bring a comb?" She asked curiously after a minute. Saying she would start was all fine and good, but she didn't know where anything was in this bathroom, and was really just hoping that Jamie brought something with her.
@jamie
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last online May 7, 2024 19:57:52 GMT -7
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Apr 28, 2017 21:16:42 GMT -7
Post by Deleted on Apr 28, 2017 21:16:42 GMT -7
Anna was once again enthusiastic about her suggestion, and Jamie was glad that she had chosen the most agreeable person in the world to be her partner in this weird adventure that she was partaking in. At Anna’s question, though, Jamie froze. She knew there was something that she had forgotten! “No.” Jamie admitted sheepishly. “But we’re witches, aren’t we? We can Transfigure something!” Jamie just had to find something in the room that they weren’t going to be using at a later time, in case their spells went wrong or they broke the comb or something along those lines. She began to putter around the bathroom, searching for some object that she – or Anna, if the other girl was better at Transfiguration, which was likely – could use in making a comb.
@annelise
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last online May 7, 2024 19:57:52 GMT -7
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May 3, 2017 12:58:32 GMT -7
Post by Deleted on May 3, 2017 12:58:32 GMT -7
Jamie froze when Anna asked about a comb and she couldn't help but laugh. Obviously there was no comb, but Jamie was resourceful and said that they could transfigure something. "That sounds like a great idea," Anna agreed with a giggle. She should have known this was going to be a fun experience. Walking around in a different direction than Jamie, Anna started looking for something they could use as well. Then, in the corner of the room she found that one of the tiles on the floor was broken. Anna bent down and picked up the broken piece, turning to face Jamie. "What do you think of this?" She asked curiously, though she was sure Jamie would be up for it.
@jamie
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last online May 7, 2024 19:57:52 GMT -7
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May 3, 2017 13:02:34 GMT -7
Post by Deleted on May 3, 2017 13:02:34 GMT -7
Anna had a lot more success in finding something to make into a comb than Jamie had, and soon the Gryffindor was approaching the Hufflepuff with a broken piece of what looked like the marble flooring. Jamie took it from Anna, examining it carefully. It would be a little difficult to Transfigure because it was so old (assuming that it was the same marble that had been laid when the school had been founded) but it was roughly the right shape, and it was stiff the way a comb needed to be, so Jamie was hopeful that it would work out. “Looks fine to me.” Jamie said, walking over to where her discarded robes were so she could use her wand. Jamie murmured a few spells to change the marble into the wood and then change the shape, and when she was done, she had a comb that looked like any other. “Who did we say was going first?” Jamie asked, giggling a little. She had been so focused that she had forgotten on what she and Anna had agreed on!
@annelise
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last online May 7, 2024 19:57:52 GMT -7
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May 3, 2017 13:09:41 GMT -7
Post by Deleted on May 3, 2017 13:09:41 GMT -7
Jamie took the piece of marble and Anna watched as she started changing it until it became a comb. Then she smiled, reaching for the comb. "We said I get to comb yours first," she said, not really sure if that's what they deciding, but making a decision now. She was in the mood to play with someone's hair. It wasn't really something Anna got to do a lot in her life, since her sister wasn't really a fan of touching. Even as children they'd generally kept a little bit of distance with one another. "So what do you want to talk about now?" She asked as she started combing through Jamie's hair lightly, not wanting to pull to hard if the comb got caught on a knot somewhere.
@jamie
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last online May 7, 2024 19:57:52 GMT -7
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May 3, 2017 13:21:19 GMT -7
Post by Deleted on May 3, 2017 13:21:19 GMT -7
Anna, thankfully, was not as spacey as Jamie, and the Gryffindor said that she had volunteered to comb first. Jamie was more than happy to oblige, handing the comb to Anna and then sitting so it would be easier for both of them to be still for an extended period of time. It was probably better that Jamie was going first, since she had less hair than Anna, at least length-wise. When the Gryffindor asked what she wanted to talk about now, Jamie had to resist the urge to cock her head. “Well, we’ve already talked about the Tournament and your boyfriend… We could talk about what we’re doing after graduation?” Jamie suggested. She normally didn’t like talking about post-graduation plans because people insisted that she would get on the Quidditch team of her choice without really listening to her fear to the contrary, but maybe Anna would have something interesting to say about what she was doing after school, especially since the Tournament opened a lot of doors for her, and would open even more if she did well.
@annelise
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last online May 7, 2024 19:57:52 GMT -7
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May 3, 2017 13:37:16 GMT -7
Post by Deleted on May 3, 2017 13:37:16 GMT -7
Anna was having way too much fun combine Jamie's hair. It was shorter than hers, so the process wasn't going to take long, but she loved the feel of Jamie's hair running smoothly through the comb and liked playing with it with her free hand. She nodded, even though Jamie couldn't see that. "Sure, we can talk about that. I don't know what I want to do anymore," she told Jamie abruptly. "I wanted to be an Auror, but I don't really want to do that anymore so now I'm trying to figure out what I want to do. What about you?" Anna tried to change the subject. She didn't really want to explain why she didn't want to be an auror anymore.
@jamie
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last online May 7, 2024 19:57:52 GMT -7
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May 3, 2017 13:41:55 GMT -7
Post by Deleted on May 3, 2017 13:41:55 GMT -7
Jamie had to admit that letting someone else comb her hair was fun. Even though there wasn’t much to comb, it was still a chore, and having someone else do it for once was kind of nice. Jamie wondered if Max would enjoy that sort of thing – she hadn’t expected her sister to enjoy nail polish, but she had, so maybe the little Slytherin had some other surprises up her sleeve. Anna agreed to talk about the future, and once again, Jamie had to resist the urge to move her head. “Why don’t you want to be an Auror anymore?” Jamie asked. She knew that more than one student was looking to go down that track, which was good when the Ministry was in desperate need of Aurors in the fight against Elaine Dupree, but she was curious as to what had changed Anna’s mind. “I want to play Quidditch professionally.” Jamie answered, smiling though Anna couldn’t see it. “I’m a little worried about it, though. It’s a hard career to make, you know? One injury and you can be done forever.”
@annelise
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last online May 7, 2024 19:57:52 GMT -7
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May 3, 2017 15:18:31 GMT -7
Post by Deleted on May 3, 2017 15:18:31 GMT -7
Jamie asked the question. Really, Anna wasn't all too surprised by that, but she was a little disappointed. Still, she would answer it. "Well, there are a few reasons. One of the smaller reasons is that Oscar really doesn't want me to. But ..." she paused, wondering if Jamie would think she was ridiculous for her reasons. "But the real reason is because I don't know if I can handle it. Aurors have to deal with really hard things and I almost lost it in the stupid Triwizard Maze. If I can't handle that, how would I be able to deal with all the pressures of being an Auror." Anna's voice was soft as she got somewhat emotional explaining her reasons. She wasn't crying, but her throat was tight and it wasn't easy to talk. Hopefully what she said made sense and Jamie wouldn't judge her too harshly for being a wimp. She smiled at Jamie's answer. "I think you would make a great Quidditch player, but I can understand those worries. Still ... don't some professions get injured and then come back? I mean, there isn't much that can't be healed entirely so you could return if you want." She paused and thought a moment. "Also, don't most Quidditch players retire because they're ready to move on? Or is it because they're injured?"
@jamie
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last online May 7, 2024 19:57:52 GMT -7
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May 3, 2017 15:28:11 GMT -7
Post by Deleted on May 3, 2017 15:28:11 GMT -7
Jamie bit her lip when Anna said that Oscar didn’t want her to become an Auror. She thought that Anna and Oscar were cute together, but she wasn’t sure how she felt about him not being the reason that she pursued her career of choice. As the Gryffindor explained further, though, the Hufflepuff realized it wasn’t just because Oscar said no – it was because Anna had some serious doubts. “The Triwizard Tournament is designed with the intent of being difficult. And you didn’t know how to prepare for it.” Jamie said, trying to be rational. “The real world is difficult, but not by design. And you’ll have a lot of training, and other Aurors to help you too, if you needed it.” Jamie continued, trying to ignore the tightness in Anna’s voice so she didn’t start crying. “I’m not saying that you definitely should or shouldn’t do it. But I don’t think that you should scrap your career plan because of one Triwizard Task.” The Hufflepuff finished. When it came to talk about her own career path, Jamie sighed a little, her shoulders slumping. “I don’t know, to be honest. And…you know I’m a werewolf.” Jamie said. The fact that Anna had sounded close to crying earlier wasn’t really helping Jamie keep from crying herself now that her own emotional moment was upon her. “We…age faster, you know, because of the stress that changing puts on our body. It’s not as bad now, because I’m still young, but I’m worried that in five or ten years, this body that I have, and this disease that my father gave me…I’m worried it’s going to ruin my life more than it already has.” Jamie reached her hand up to her eyes to wipe away her tears, not answering Anna’s second question. She hadn’t come close to admitting that fear to anyone before, and now that she finally got it out, Jamie just wanted to cry.
@annelise
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last online May 7, 2024 19:57:52 GMT -7
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May 3, 2017 15:38:50 GMT -7
Post by Deleted on May 3, 2017 15:38:50 GMT -7
Anna shook her head, "Just because life isn't designed to be hard doesn't mean it won't be," she countered, knowing full well that she was right. Her voice got softer as she tried to explain in a way that Jamie could understand. "I'm struggling to put that Task behind me. I keep having nightmares about it and about dying and I just don't know if I want to go into a career where every day will be a battle. Maybe not always against Elaine, but against someone and I don't know if I can cope." She took a deep breath. "I haven't made up my mind. In fact, I haven't even told Oscar that I'm considering changing careers, but I don't know if I'm strong enough to be an Auror." Emotionally. Anna had a fear that the Triwizard Tournament was going to take everything out of her, though she hadn't told anyone else that. She listened as Jamie expressed her worries and about how being a werewolf would affect her ability to play. "Well ... I think you should do what you love, Jamie. Even if you can't do it a few years down the road, wouldn't it be better to start out doing it and then move on. If not, you might always wonder what it would have been like had you done it." She paused, "Not that I'm telling you what to do either." Anna was done combing out her hair, but paused for a second before telling her, enjoying the feeling of running the comb through her hair. "I finished," she told Jamie.
@jamie
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last online May 7, 2024 19:57:52 GMT -7
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May 3, 2017 15:48:31 GMT -7
Post by Deleted on May 3, 2017 15:48:31 GMT -7
Jamie couldn’t argue that life wouldn’t be hard. Life was hard. She and Anna were only seventeen, and they both knew people who had been killed. That wasn’t normal. Their lives were hard, and they weren’t going to get any easier. “I’m sorry. About the nightmares.” And about the uncertainty of not knowing what career she wanted, but Jamie had a feeling Anna wanted empathy, and not pity. Jamie knew a thing or two about nightmares surrounding a traumatic event, but she didn’t want Anna to feel like Jamie was trying to trump her emotions. “Anna…I think you’re strong enough to do anything, as long as you believe you are.” From what the other girl had said, Jamie had a feeling this was a purely mental thing, all based around confidence, or lack thereof. “Wait until the second task to make up your mind?” Jamie suggested. If that went well, then maybe Anna would gain some of her confidence back and being an Auror would seem like more of a feasible option. When the other girl began to give advice to her in turn, Jamie listened intently. Anna was right, of course. “I think to the future too much sometimes.” Jamie said with another sigh. “Sometimes I wish I could stop so I could just enjoy the present.” That was what she liked about Lily – the Gryffindor girl lived only for that moment, and she had a habit of taking other people with her. “Look at us, trying not to ruin the other’s life.” Jamie teased, trying to lighten the mood a little. She took the comb from Anna when the redhead said she was done, picking a few blonde hairs out of it before moving behind Anna and beginning the ritual again, making long, smooth strokes through the red tresses and letting everything that had just been said soak in.
@annelise
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