One For All [Leah Past]

[LEAH SILVIAS]

Rawiri's question, prying her if she was alright, fell upon her back because that's all she had the confidence to let face him. Chocolate brown eyes hidden from his view stared at the dark tile of the floor willing tears to remain in their ducts. She could feel her hands and muscles threaten to shake and it wasn't just adrenalin from the fight. Oh no. Emotions. She knew that she shouldn't have them, if she was upset about something a boy would just call her a crazy girl (because how dare she feel other than what they wanted her to feel and express as much) so she couldn't let herself go there. Boys could be mad, boys could be hurt and say as much while slinging... Girls... They just couldn't. Girls in the public eye even less so.

Respond to him you idiot or he'll know something is up. Even the nagging in the back of her mind couldn't get her to make words. "Uh huh." She shifted, rolling one of her shoulders and hidden by the gesture wiped at her face quickly pretending she was simply tending to a mild bit of sweat. Say something more. You have to. Your pride depends on it.

"Why wouldn't I be?" The Gryffindor girl played dumb taking a short inhale bracing herself before turning to face her older classmate with a forced smile. It didn't even feel right on her own mug she could only imagine how it looked to someone else. "Oh. Cause of what he said? Who the fuck cares." She feigned a laugh. Because she cared... a lot. No use in letting Rawiri in on that, he would just use it against her later. "People say that sort of crap all of the time. I just ignore it. Least that's what folks tell me to do." High school was hard enough but put on top of it being a sports prodigy in the public eye? You were essentially an ant beneath a magnifying glass and everyone else was relishing aiming the sun at you.

"It's just a word. Who cares about a word?" She went on, reaching out to pat Rawiri's arm with her hand only to have her gaze lock on his for a second longer than it should have. She froze then, once she had her wits back about her, pulled her hand away with a weak, half smile. "Sorry uh..." Perhaps not looking at him was the best bet. "Thanks for sticking up for me... You didn't have to do that. Heck, I know you didn't want to do that so... yeah." Had the situation been different she would have amused herself, perhaps them both, marveling that Rawiri Tibble of all people had come to her aid. That they had given those Slytherin bullies a real whats for so enraged that they actually ended up working together instead of the two Gryffindors biting each other's heads off.

"I told you I shouldn't have come." Looking down at her appearance again she frowned, shoulders slumping. "I don't belong here at this school, Raw... I mean Tibble." Last names. Last names only. Last names always. "I'm not meant to wear shit like this and to hang with people like that at a place like this..." It was then she looked up at him, the only time she ever looked defeated since having met him. "This is your arena. Not mine."

[RAWIRI TIBBLE]

Well, the moment of silence was quite an answer for Rawiri. Darting her eyes from him shaking and seeing Leah hold back her tear told all he needed to know. Rawiri awkwardly looked down at the floor. After all, Rawiri was the party, fun, loving guy, not the tell-your-problems-to guy. Serious matters had always made Rawiri feel uncomfortable.

What an answer, he thought as he rubbed above his brow. Even if Leah didn't believe it was a big deal, it was. Rawiri hated the idea of people like Heather thinking they were better because of their blood. Why did it matter so much to them?

Rawiri stepped inched his way closer to her as she went on. The events that had unfolded weren't the night he wanted for either of them, and they were supposed to be inside drinking, eating, and partying for the great game they had. "Leah..." he started to speak, but she went on. He pressed his lips together. How was he supposed to help her? Rawirir was sure he wasn't the person to do so. How could she take a word from a pureblood like himself?

Rawiri placed his head down and looked back up at her. "Don't be sorry; anytime after all, you're one of us." As much as she didn't feel it, Rawiri did not want her to feel like she wasn't part of the team and an important one at that.

A soft smile came to his face as she almost called him by his first name. Maybe Leah was warming up to him more than she liked to. "Don't Belong here?" Rawiri shook his head and gently placed his hand on her shoulder. There were going to be no sad puppy faces here today. Also, Rawirir wasn't going to let some trash ruin her night. "I'll tell you again, and I know you for the rest of the time. You belong here. You are part of the team, and hell, I can't believe this is coming out of my mouth, but you're a vital part of the team and school. Don't let weak little Slytherin boys make you feel this way." His hand fell by his side, and he took a step back. "After all, we Gryffidors don't let any Slytherins take anything from us." He winked at her trying to cheer her up and make her realize that she was vital whether she liked it or not.

LEAH SILVIAS // Notes:

[LEAH SILVIAS]

"What?" She found that she couldn't look at her classmate right away. The usually bold and outspoken American now opting to look at the floor as if searching for something she had lost (perhaps her confidence?) and doing her best not to cry despite how lost and lonely she felt. A bravado could only do so much and she had worn it so long it was only natural that eventually a crack might form and some pitiful light would shine through. And of all people it *had* to be in front of Rawiri Tibble. Damnit.

As it turned out, Rawiri seemed equally as uncomfortable (as much as he tried to play it off), and both teammates mirrored each other's gazes and movements (or lack thereof) as they cumbrously tried to figure out how to explore this newfound territory between them - or avoid it all completely. Avoiding would be good but once tears showed in one's eyes was there even a way to do that? It was pretty much inescapable at this point. It was a good thing they both were looking everywhere other than right in front of them or Leah would have seen the redness in the tips of Rawiri's tanned ears and he would spotted the blush in her cheeks that practically matched her messy, shaggy bob cut red hair.

"But I'm not one of you am I?" It was then that she looked up at him. A tad startled that he was now directly in front of her. When had he gotten so close? When had he gotten so... not sweet. No. Rawiri Tibble was anything but. But looking at him, in this moment, seeing how upset he was by what had happened, how protective he was (even mildly), well... she thought maybe... just maybe... he was alright. Still, she had a hard time thinking the same about herself. "I just don't fit in here, like, at all. I'm loud, and I work too hard, and say things, the wrong things, all of the time..." It was then that she stopped her rambling, becoming stuck on what he had said... or was it how he said it? The reassuring squeeze of her shoulder was certainly new.

After a moment she wiped at her face briskly with the top of her arm, less caring about her appearance like the other girls at school. "You're only saying that cause I'm a hundred times better than you." She teased with a little smirk, feeling her old zest returning. "But thanks, Tibble." She reached out and gave him a light shove. "I guess that you're... kind of ok."

TAG: RAWIRI TIBBLE

[RAWIRI TIBBLE]

"You know, modesty doesn't get you far, Sivlias." The captain teased her when she said she didn't belong. " I think the Gryffidors would say differently. Hell, I'll even throw in the Hufflepuffs in there as well." Rawiri looked on at the melancholy redhead. If Rawiri didn't like something, it was seeing his teammates upset, even if it was Sivlias.

Rawiri placed his hands in his pockets, lifting his shoulder. "Oh man, you caught me." For once, Rawiri gave Leah a genuine smile, not something he thought would ever happen after all. The two were known for fighting each other like an old married couple. Ha, it's funny to think if he was married to Leah.

It was nice to see her mood had lightened as she nudged him. "What that? The great Sivlias said I was OK. Tell the daily prophet! Leah Sivlias says Tibble is OK!" He gestured his one hand as if it was big news. Of course, he had to tease her for admitting that to him. This was Rawiri, after all. "Alright, Alright, now that this is over, I'm heading back to get some food. You are welcome to join if you like?"

LEAH SILVIAS // Notes: Time to Wrap this? 

[LEAH SILVIAS]

"What do you know about modesty?" She countered though words that were usually accompanied by venom and sarcasm now lacked a lot of the bite they normally held when they were bickering on the pitch. Something had changed, at least for this evening, and she couldn't say what. Maybe she could say but she just didn't want to. She didn't want to like Rawiri Tibble, even as a friend. He was everything she wasn't and didn't want to be: showy, egotistical, loud... but like all of the time... funny... assertive... goofy... and a loyal teammate HEY WAIT A SECOND. Nope. Nope. No way. She decided to add a rolling of her eyes for good measure as though it would fix it all, catapulting them back to the way things were. It of course wouldn't and didn't.

"Like I said... People only like me because I can catch a quaffle." She shrugged her shoulders somehow managing to be modest but also defiant as well. Typical her. "And while it does take a bit of skill, and even I can admit that, it's not really a thing people can like you for. Maybe the idea of you but actual me? Nah. Nobody likes me. Nobody knows me and if they did they probably still wouldn't." Words that most teenage girls probably uttered while listening to emo pop punk music but there was a heavier weight when she uttered them. At sixteen she had grown up in the public eye (sort of) and been under pressures other kids her age could only dream of. Hell, she had went through puberty in front of thousands of witches and wizards. Every move she made was dissected to an obnoxious degree. People either wanted to raise her up so high to watch her come tumbling down or raise her so high that the standards were unattainable and she was more god than human. It was exhausting. All she wanted to do was play Quidditch. At least that's what she told herself.

"I'd say don't let it go to your head but clearly..." She poked his head playfully, silently chuckling to herself as she reached out to squeeze his arm. "Night, Tibble." She began to walk away and then paused, then glanced over her shoulder at him. "I'm actually jealous of you, ya know." She admitted, eyes landing on his smiling face in a brief fleeting moment of vulnerability. "You don't care what people think. And even though I act like I don't... That's all I care about." A frown deepened and she took in an inhale of breath. "They pay me to." And with that she turned around and walked off. She didn't want to make a habit out of being out of bed after curfew when she wasn't on the pitch practicing. She was shit at magic as is and the teachers would only give her a pass due to her professional Quidditch status for so long.

NOTES: We can if you like! You know me. I can thread with you forever. *maniacal laughter*