Night-time in an Empty Classroom

Cole slipped into an empty classroom on the fifth floor desperate for a breath of privacy. Unfortunately, privacy in a school - a magical one no less - was rather hard to find. Cole enjoyed people's company, but she just wanted some time alone. With Quidditch Practice and Classes now in full swing, her mind was happily preoccupied. But that was during the day, night-time was slightly more problematic. At night her mind was free to wander, to think, to remember what had happened. She honestly tried to keep it together. She honestly tried to forgot. But no matter how hard she tried, her mind persisted in reminding her.

Her dad was gone.

Cole was the type of girl who did not like to outwardly show her emotions. That's why she found the emptiness of the classroom comforting. She sat down on a desk, buried herself in her arms and finally allowed the tears to overwhelm her. Her eyes were already blurred when she came in so she didn't really notice that she had left the door not quite closed.

Lainey had been late getting back from using the Prefect's bathroom -- a privilege bestowed upon her now that she was captain of the Ravenclaw team. She'd taken recently to indulging in nice long baths in the large stone tub, thinking over her woes while soaking in the scented suds, and found herself cutting curfew rather fine. Therefore she was surprised to catch a glimpse of familiar blonde hair turning the corner away from Ravenclaw tower, and for a moment she thought by the hurried pace that perhaps Cole was sneaking off. Probably going to see her little boyfriend, Rico.

"Stupid nickname," she muttered to herself, racing along the corridors now. "Stupid boy. Stupid broom. Stupid bet that's going to ruin the quidditch team, ugh!" As she thought about the quidditch team, she realised that if Cole was caught out of bounds after curfew, she was going to get in trouble and that almost certainly would interfere with practice. With a sigh, Lainey made an abrupt about-face and started sprinting all-out back to the corridor she'd spotted Cole turning into, preparing a little speech about being responsible all the while. But when she finally found the classroom Cole had ducked into, all those angry thoughts flew right out the window: Cole was completely alone, and crying like her heart had broken.

Lainey instantly was overwhelmed with pity and guilt; she'd been riding her co-captain too hard, she was certain. She'd never meant to reduce Cole to tears. Clearing her throat awkwardly to announce her presence, Lainey pushed the door open and stepped inside, closing it properly behind her.

"Cole?" she asked softly, looking appropriately remorseful. Although the Ravenclaw girl could be stubborn and demanding, she also knew when it was time to give in and apologise. The stupid bet with Rico was not going to come between their friendship if she could help it.

Cole looked sharply up at the sound of Lainey's voice. A mixture of surprise, embarrassment and woe fought for dominance. Embarrassment won out. She hastily wiped her eyes on her sleeves. It really was rather futile, she knew Lainey had obviously seen her crying and she knew that Lainey knew. There was no way she could talk her way out of it. But, she had to hold out on some sort of hope that Lainey hadn't. Out of all of the people who could catch her sobbing like a baby, she had not wanted Lainey. Well no, she supposed she could think of several other people who she didn't want to see her in her current state, but Lainey was definitely on the list.

Actually to be perfectly honest, Cole would have preferred a random Hufflepuff. A stranger. Someone who she could easily attribute her tears to something silly and mundane. But Lainey Harper was her Captain. The last thing Cole wanted was for Lainey to feel sorry for her. Cole did not want Lainey to act differently around her. Quidditch was a haven. Quidditch allowed her to forget her woes. She had fought to be strong just so she could give herself the illusion that everything was fine. Business as usual. She could not bare to see that look of pity that she had come to hate since her father had past away on Lainey's eyes. It would only serve has a reminder.

Cole was not one of those girls who used tears to get her way or to get people to go easy on her. When she wanted something, she wanted to get it through good old hard work and determination, she wanted to deserve it. She did not want to get it simply because she had shed a few crocodile tears.

These were not crocodile tears. These were the tears of a child who deeply missed her father. Cole did not want anyone to find her in her current condition. She just wanted to let it all out and be done with it. Just one good night's cry and that would have been it. Unfortunately fate seemed to have other plans for her.

"L-lainey." Cole's voice has uneven and the biggest tell to her state. She was angry at herself for being so weak. She adjusted her voice so it was as close as normal as she could get it. "I was just..." She tried to find a veritable excuse. But as the moments past she knew she had to say something. She panicked and said the first thing that popped into her head knowing it was weak. "Practicing my Patronus." Great her wonderful Ravenclaw mind couldn't think of a proper excuse. First years had better excuses than that. She felt her brain do a sort of face-palm. But she couldn't change it now, she had to stand by it. "I'm having trouble with it see..." So I started to cry. Oh Merlin, she couldn't even say it. Anyone who knew her would know it would take a lot more than that to make Cole Mars cry.