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 Posted: Sat Oct 27, 2012 8:02 pm
 Since her "talk" with Dorian, a few days had passed. Immediately after she managed to control her emotions, Ursula went straight to Professor Albano and explained what truly had happened with Dorian and the Gryffindor boys. To her confusion, he didn't seem surprised. He just nodded to her and thanked her for being truthful. Beyond that, however, Ursula didn't know what he went on to tell Dorian or do to the other boys. She was trying her best not to care about what went on with Dorian. They didn't make eye contact during class, they didn't talk to each other in the hallways... Ursula liked it like that.
But of course, fate must have been working to punish her. As soon as Ursula heard the word "partnering" her heart dropped in her chest. She wouldn't be so unlucky to be paired with Dorian, would she?
She would.
It was horrid. Ursula didn't know what to do with herself. Feeling oddly numb, she stood up and walked over to where Dorian was sitting with her book and sat down in the empty seat next to him without making eye contact. The other students around them shuffled around towards their partners similarly. Today, they were supposed to be making a Wit-Sharpening Potion.
"I'll gather the ingredients," Ursula spoke and stood up from her seat to go and retrieve all the necessary ingredients. Scarab beetles.... ginger roots... and armadillo bile... How delightful. Just icing on the cake.
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Posted: Sat Oct 27, 2012 8:26 pm
 Dorian had been rather surprised to have been stopped by Professor Albano earlier that week and apologized to for the long detention he had given him. Apparently Ursula had come by his office and told him the truth about what had happened at the lake. Dorian really didn't know what to think of that. He had thought she was done with him, and here she was doing something nice for him. He really couldn't get his head around that.
Perhaps there was still hope to get back on her good side. Dorian knew that it would take a great deal of time and much more finesse to get back in good terms with her. Still he wanted to thank her at least for telling the professor the truth. He wondered if her House Mates were happy with her for doing that.
It would have been hard to approach her, as he had sworn to stay away from her and not bother her. Fate was rather kind to him when Professor Fairfront paired them up in potions the next day.
Dorian nodded, and flipped his potions book to the page about the wit sharpening potion and looked it over. It seemed simple enough to him.
Mix in Ginger Root until lime green.
Mix Armadillo Bile until blue.
Mix Ground Scarab Beetles until red.
Remix Armadillo Bile until red liquid is yellow. (Not dark green)
Remix Ginger Roots until brew is lime green.
Mix Armadillo Bile until the potion is purple.
Allow potion to simmer for 10 minutes.
Add more Ginger Root till dark orange.
Since she had gone after the ingredients, Dorian made sure to grab the pot they'd need and the mortar and pestil. When he came back lugging them he found Ursula already putting the ingredients out on the table.
"Would you mind moving that over so these will fit?" Dorian asked, trying not to drop the cauldron and the other tools on his foot.
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Posted: Sat Oct 27, 2012 8:38 pm
Ursula glanced up when Dorian came back with the coauldron and moved the ingredients as he asked. She didn't say a word, instead, she moved to go look at the book. We're going to have to cut the root... Ursula read, walking over to the supply bin and pulling out a knife. When she came back, she arranged herself as far as she possibly could be from Dorian as she began to cut the roots. She wouldn't want to accidentally touch him and have him accuse her of tempting him or something...
She zoned out a little bit in thought and because she was so intently focused on staying away from Dorian that she didn't notice she cut one of her fingers with the knife until blood was dripping from it. Oh, bloody hell! Ursula gulped. She was hemophobic... but that was a lot of blood. She stuck her finger in her mouth quickly; the taste of iron filled wasn't pleasant... But at least she wasn't causing a scene.
"Here are the ginger roots, do you mind putting them in?" Ursula inquired, sticking her finger in her pocket while she spoke. Of all people, she didn't want to Dorian to see that her carelessness ended up getting her hurt. I already know what he thinks of me... she thought dully, pushing the cut ginger roots towards him before she returned back to her seat in order to rummage through her backpack.
Where are those cursed bandaids? She shifted her book over, Ah ha! There they were! In one quick motion, she opened the bandaid and placed it on her finger. Time to return to the lion's den... Ursula thought. In any other situation and with any other person, this would have been amusing. But since it was with Dorian, it wasn't. Ursula didn't want anything to do with that snot.
Despite not having said anything to him in her own defense when he decided to chastise her, Ursula did have a mouthful of things to say. She wasn't exactly the happiest camper when it came to how Dorian acted towards her, in fact, all she wanted to do right now was be as far away as she could from him. While she thought she could just numb herself from the words he spoke, seeing his face was just getting her upset all over again.
This is going to be a long Potion's class... She thought with a sigh.
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Posted: Sat Oct 27, 2012 8:54 pm
Dorian knew she still wasn't happy with him when she didn't reply but just moved the ingredients over for him as he had asked. Dorian tried not to feel annoyed by this. He pulled out the supplies and was about to hand over the knife he had grabbed when she walked off to get one from the bin. Well..fine then. He thought in annoyance. Apparently she didn't think he had thought that far ahead. Dorian couldn't help but snort as he got the cauldron on top of the burner and then lit it with a wave of his wand.
He glanced down at the instructions and then fed the blaze so it was a little hotter and went on to the next ingredient on the list. Not much one could do with the bile, Dorian thought as he looked over the disgusting stuff. He would have to wait for the ginger roots to be cut.
He looked over to see how Ursula was doing with them and cringed seeing that she had cut into her finger and blood was all over the table. He was about to call the teacher over when she stuck it in her mouth and sucked on it. She moved her finger to her pocket and then asked him to add the ginger root.
Apparently she didn't want anyone knowing she had cut her finger. Dorian nodded, pretending he hadn't seen anything. "Sure." He carefully measured the right amount of the ginger root into the cauldron and turned the heat up slightly, adjusting it like the book told him.
Then he waited for the ginger toot to turn a lime green. Once that had happened he measured in the appropriate amount of armadillo bile into the cauldron and let it the ingredients simmer together.
Before Ursula could come back, Dorian grabbed three scarab beetles and began to grind them down to dust with the mortar and pistel. It didn't take long to reduce them into a very fine dust. He peered over into the cauldron. It was still a greenish color. He grabbed up the stirring spoon and mixed the ingredients in a counter clockwise motion.
"You can add the scarab beetles once this is blue." Dorian told her when she came back over.
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Posted: Sat Oct 27, 2012 9:11 pm
Ursula wasn't sure if it was impressive or not that the two of them were basically able to mix up a potion with little to no communication. Despite normally having found some sort of amusement in this, she couldn't manage to be entertained. She just nodded at Dorian and went to retrieve the beetles from where she set them earlier. From the looks of the potion's color, it still had a few shades to go before it turned blue so... that just left the two of them in silence, didn't it?
Following this... "don't talk to me, don't be near me" thing is annoying, Ursula thought with a soft sigh, glancing about the room for something to distract her. As soon as she cared to talk a look, Ursula wished she hadn't. Over in the corner, one of the gryffindor boys from earlier was glowering her. Great, she thought to herself, crossing her arms and looking away. The boys weren't exactly pleased with her... after all, because of what she did, they all had to serve a weeks worth of detention.
In the corner of her eye, Ursula saw that the potion turned blue and added the scarab beetles, making sure to not touch Dorian when she did.
Perhaps it was because she momentarily relaxed, but when she was moving away, she accidentally caught his eye. Ursula sucked on the bottom of her lip softly before turning away further, trying to find something else to focus on. But of course, memories of what Dorian said to her flooded her brain, leaving her stomach in knots.
She felt guilty for leading him on but she felt resentful of him for what he had said. How doing what she did spoke volumes on her character, how she should work on herself for a while, how she was supposed to "have a nice life" and never come near him again. It all made her head spin and her stomach clench. I really need to stop caring, Ursula swallowed the lump in her throat and covered the side of her face that was exposed to Dorian wit her hand. Letting him see how emotionally drained about this whole thing was the last thing she wanted to do. She wouldn't give him that snug satisfaction.
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Posted: Sat Oct 27, 2012 10:07 pm
Dorian didn't really care for the silence. He could hear the other kids in the room chatting and girls giggling or protesting having to grind up the beetles. At least Ursula wasn't the complaining type, but Dorian wished she'd say something. Even if it was to berate him.
"Ursula," he said softly. "You remember that s**t I said about not talking to me? Well I take it back. I'm really sorry. I was wrong to say all that stuff. If you hate me I don't blame you. Feel free to yell at me at any time in any place. I deserve it."
Dorian meant every word. He could tell that he had hurt her by the way she was acting. She was trying to keep from looking at him and trying not to let him see that she was still hurting from his words. He had spoken carelessly. He should have told her about his family, and what he had grown up with. Perhaps that would have helped her understand him a bit better.
He knew it wasn't smart to start this in class, but he was desperate. He really didn't wan it to continue any further. It was going to be awkward enough with her hating him. He just wished she'd say something or at least tell him how she felt. Hiding one's feelings was never a good idea. He knew that much from what had happened with his own mother.
"Oh and thanks for telling Professor Albano the truth."
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Posted: Sun Oct 28, 2012 7:33 am
Ursula was surprised when Dorian started talking to her, so shocked that she allowed herself to look at him for a little bit. Even more to her surprise, he didn't look angry. He looked desperate and Ursula wasn't sure what to do with that.
She should still be angry about what he said about her, right? But perhaps the main reason why they hurt so much is because she had heard them before. Forgiving him doesn't mean things have to go back to what they were before, she reminded herself, looking down at her hands. She still didn't want that. Merlin's Beard. She was afraid of that. Nothing terrified her more than being in a relationship, not an open one but an exclusive one. Ursula had no example to go off of; she had no idea how people could be happy dealing with another person like that. How did they never get tired of each other? From what she'd seen with her parents and with everyone else, monogamous relationships just didn't work.
Ursula hadn't planned on saying anything back to him but when Dorian thanked her for telling Professor Albano about what truly happened, Ursula couldn't stop herself. She felt like she needed to give him a better explanation than before.
Hesitantly, she touched Dorian's hand lightly and in a hushed voice she spoke. "I'm sorry too... but I just can't be in the sort of relationship that you wanted. I wouldn't know the first thing to do... I can't imagine it lasting... I'm sorry but I don't feel strongly enough about you to just jump into something like that... I wish I had some other answer for you..." Her hand dropped from his side. He was right in a sense; she really did have to work on herself before anything else...
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Posted: Sun Oct 28, 2012 1:35 pm
Dorian really couldn't read what she was thinking, but at least she wasn't glowering or shooting daggers at him with her eyes. So this meant that she wasn't as mad as he had thought. That was a relief.
He was rather sad when she didn't reply right away and turned back to the cauldron, stirring it and watching the color change. He added the extra bit of armadillo bile when the color turned red. All this stirring was making his arm tired. He switched to his other arm and stirred it at the same pace.
Dorian was rather stunned when she reached out and touched his hand in a tentative manner and spoke. Dorian was rather sorry to hear her say those things, but he understood why she was. He nodded his head in agreement. "I know, it just got too intense too fast. Perhaps we could work at being friends? At least that way we wouldn't get all caught up in other things. We'll just have to agree on boundaries first. That way we won't go and cross them."
Dorian glanced back at the potion and saw that it was slowly lightening. Pretty soon it would be yellow. Dorian stopped stirring and held the spoon out to her. "Care to stir for awhile? My arms are killing me."
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Posted: Sun Oct 28, 2012 1:45 pm
Ursula had to hold her sigh of relief when Dorian said that they should start out as friends. "I would like that." She said softly with a nod, feeling a weight lifted off her shoulders. Compared to yesterday, she was surprised that this turned out so well in contrast.
But they'd still need to get past that barrier that was between them if they even wanted to be friends. How was it possible for them to just forget everything that happened? Despite his wish to be friends, Ursula still felt awkward to be around him. No matter how much tension was relieved by the conversation they just had, that discomfort remained. Can I even become friends with him...? Ursula never heard of that working... they'd probably would just drift apart like everyone else... eventually getting to the point where they didn't even talk to each other. There might not be as much malice now, but time had a funny way of reviving these things.
"Sure," Ursula nodded, taking the spoon away from Dorian. I'm too mindful... She made sure she didn't touch his hand when the stirring transferred to her.
Soon enough, she was finding something else to fixate on. The potion was lightening further and Ursula stirred casually until the potion turned a yellow color. At that point, she remixed the ginger roots in the cauldron. Unti lime green... Why did potions always demand for such strange colors? She supposed it was helpful, though, how else would they know they were doing it correctly?
As Ursula stirred, the potion hued increasingly green. "Would you say that's a lime green?" Ursula inquired to Dorian, doing her best to make eye contact normally. She had been staring at the potion for far too long and she could barely make out a definite color change...
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Posted: Sun Oct 28, 2012 2:12 pm
Dorian could sense her relief before she even spoke. He couldn't help but let loose the air he had sucked in. He felt a little better, but he knew being friends was still going to be a hard feat for the both of them.
Also it was going to be difficult to forget everything that had occurred. Dorian figured it would be easier to not forget, that way he would know what NOT to do with her. He wondered if she felt the same way. Time would tell he figured.
No one knew what would happen between them in the next day, or the next month. They could stay friends or they could become enemies. He preferred not to think about that though. He would rather not have her as an enemy though. It just felt wrong to him. As though there was something else in store for them in the future. Dorian felt a little wary of that feeling; his mother had been one to predict things and then she had ended up in a psych ward. He really didn't want the same to happen to him.
Dorian was glad to rest his arm while she stirred the pot. He glanced over the recipe and instructions. He wondered how long it would take for it to change colors. She she asked him he looked over at it.
"Hmm..I don't know, I need a comparison." Dorian replied and then looked up from the cauldron into her lime green eyes for a few moments. "I'd say it's almost the same shade of your eyes, so yeah its ready for the next bit of Armadillo bile."
Dorian measured out the amount the potion called for and slowly distributed it into the cauldron while she continued to mix. He hoped Ursula's arms weren't getting tired already. It wasn't going to take much longer now. Once it got purple they were supposed to reduce the heat and then let it simmer for ten minutes.
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Posted: Sun Oct 28, 2012 2:47 pm
Ursula wasn't sure what to think when he compared her eyes to the color of the potion. So... does that mean he's noticed them before? She wondered but then mentally slapped herself on the hand. I can't look into everything Dorian says... A part of her couldn't help but be embarrassed. She wasn't sure if it was because of the fact that they had to hold eye contact in order for him to see the color of her eyes or... because he noticed something outside of the obvious about her body.
"Sounds good to me," she responded calmly with a nod. Armadillo bile. Wonderful. Thankfully, Dorian decided to do the honors and he began to distribute it in the cauldron as she mixed. Despite her arms being somewhat tired, Ursula didn't feel a need to say anything. It's not like they're about to fall off or anything...
After Dorian added the bile, the potion slowly began to shift colors from lime green to a warm purple. Once it turned a satisfactory color, Ursula worked on lowering the heat from the flame with her wand. "Ten minutes starting now..." She announced, standing up straight and stretching out her arms a little bit. From the looks of things, most of the other students were at the same part Dorian and she were... And most were chatting away happily.
But honestly, what was there to talk about between them? This ten minutes was most likely going to be filled in silence, despite having "made up" to some extent.
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Posted: Sat Dec 01, 2012 11:25 am
Dorian tapped his fingers on the edge of the counter and tried to think of what to say. It seemed as though a very awkward moment. They had to wait ten minutes while the stupid concoction brewed, it was going to take forever.
He glanced around the room and sighed feeling a bit sad that the two of them were still at odds. Time would go by much faster if they had something to talk about.
"So, is there anything you want to know about me or my family?" Dorian found himself asking. He really didn't know where that had come from. He was just tired of standing there without anything to do but wait.
He hoped Ursula would pounce on the opportunity to learn more about him, but it was possible that she would just roll her eyes and turn away.
"You can ask me anything and I'll answer." he added, pushing his hair out of his eyes again.
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Posted: Sat Dec 01, 2012 11:32 am
Ursula was finding her entertainment by glaring at her sleeve. Looking at each and every fiber passed the time--not well--but it did go by. She forced herself to act as if enthralled with what was before her... anything to distract from the awkwardness between the two of them.
When Dorian broke the silence, Ursula glanced up with curiosity. Her brows furrowed. Where had that came from? She shrugged and glanced away. What good would it do to talk about family anyway? Hers wasn't the best conversation starter... but it occurred to her that she didn't know the first thing about Dorian's family life.... Did she even want to?
She decided not to say anything but the earnest feeling in his voice caused her to look up again and frown slightly. I probably shouldn't blow him off... she decided, seeing as he was opening up to her in a way he had never done before. "What do your parents do?" She inquired half-hazardously. Was she supposed to promise him the same? To spill her soul at his beck and call? The thought of someone prying into her past unnerved her and she sure as hell didn't want to talk about it.
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Posted: Sat Dec 01, 2012 12:02 pm
Dorian couldn't help but feel annoyed when she turned away and shrugged her shoulders. He supposed she just didn't want to talk to him unless it was absolutely necessary. Perhaps he should just let her alone.
He couldn't help but brighten up when she turned and asked him a question. He had to carefully think over what to say. His family after all, wasn't really a conventional one.
"My mother is actually on a health sabbatical right now. My father, well he's something of a socialite I think. He's never really had to work for all that I've seen. I've actually been staying with my grandparents at their estate for the past couple of years. I'm hoping though that I see my father for the holidays."
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Posted: Sat Dec 01, 2012 1:54 pm
Ursula glanced at Dorian when he began about his parents. "Is she alright?" She inquired tentatively, wondering if it was a touchy subject with him. For all she knew, a health sabbatical could mean a broken leg or something along those lines... however, for a wizard to have a health sabbatical. "Is she a wizard?" Ursula inquired, not wanting to assume something horrid if it wasn't. For a wizard to be on health sabbatical, that meant that there was nothing in their entire magical universe that could be done for them.
"A socialite?" Ursula echoed, her eyebrows raised. If her mother wasn't such a shut in and so antisocial, that would probably be the best way to describe her role. But of course, her own mother was just a deadbeat... a bitter one, at that.
It surprised her to learn that Dorian didn't live with his parents, but instead, his grandparents. So the socialite can't support a child then... She noted to herself, feeling a wee bit uncomfortable with what he was telling her. This was all very personal, wasn't it? Even if they were only skimming the surface. "Are..." Ursula paused, "Are your grandparents both wizards?" She asked, knowing he wasn't a pureblood. Ursula recognized those kids. She also wanted to get off the topic of parents, especially since it didn't seem like the mood would lighten anytime soon down that route.
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