Looking for Assistance
Who: Cora, Gideon
Where: Rear Courtyard, Hogwarts
When: 1 October 2008
Synopsis: Gideon asks for help in buying a broom, and some extra
Quidditch/flying coaching.
Logger: Cora "Going-Pro?" Petit
-=-=-=-=-
Hogwarts Castle - Rear Courtyard

     The smallish, squarish courtyard is surrounded by stone walls on three and
a half sides. One is the bulk of the castle, more stone, broken only by the
wooden door leading back inside. Another, lower wall, contains a gate which
connects it to the rolling meadow beyond. The last one of stone is just covered
in ivy with no visible breaks. The fourth is made up partially by the glass
sides of the greenhouses. The courtyard itself is paved with blue-grey
flagstone. In the center a fountain bubbles, surrounded by a rough marble bench.
Rippling out from this dominating centerpiece are hedges and flowerbeds arranged
in an almost maze-like fashion. As might be expected at a wizarding school,
fresh blossoms can be found here year round, regardless of what season muggles
have assigned a particular flower.

Obvious Exits:
Main Castle    Greenhouses    Meadow   


Upon the blue-gray flagstone of the coutyard, Gideon stands alone. One of those
odd times, stuck between daytime and dusk, where the Sun is hid behind the trees
to the West and the stars are beginning to make their appearance, faintly
visible in both the partly-cloudy sky above, and in the depths of the fountain
at the center of this expanse. Gideon sits upon one of the benches which
surrounds that faountain, black, silken hair hanging about his pale face as he
considers, perhaps, the reflection of those stars. Or perhaps his eyes do not
see them, for he appears to be lost in thought.

From the meadow's entrace, Cora strides in, a much-loved and well cared for
Nimbus 3000 in one hand, and an old ebony colored Beater's Bat in the other. Her
long raven tresses are pulled up into a large bun, and her forehead has a bit of
a sheen to it, a hint of the workout she just completed. She's out of school
robes, and dressed in snug pair of maroon drawstring sweatpants, and a long
sleeved maroon t-shirt with a golden lion plastered across the front. She too
seems a bit preoccupied and does not even notice Gideon by the fountain, at
least, not yet.

The arrival of another from the direction of the meadow brings Gideon's head up,
as if on a string, and eyes of stark, ice blue fall upon Cora as she makes her
way towards the castle. An eye alights upon the broom, and then the Slytherin
prefect's gaze lifts, momentarily, to the moon. It pauses there for a pregnant
heartbeat before, as Cora has just passed him by, he looks down again, elbows on
knees and long, thin fingertips lacing together as he says, "You know... I
should really buy a broom one of these days."

Cora glances back towards the voice that was speaking at least near her. There
is a slight tugging corners of her mouth into the shape of what might've been a
frown, or perhaps just a mashing of the lips, like she disagrees with something.
She arches an eyebrow as she finally notices who was speaking, "I didn't think
you played Quidditch. What do you care what broom you use?"

"Dunno," says the whip, framed young man, as he stands before the pool, and then
he looks back at Cora, a pale, almost-friendly smile barely dusting his lips,
"I'm an alternate, actually. I've got the longest streak going of not appearing
in a game. But I've been giving some thought to trying to become better. Not
many people to practice with these days." Ah, but there are plenty of
Slytherins, aren't there? "I'm not too fond of most of the people on our team."

Cora snorts a bit, "Well, remind me to throw you a pity party," she quips
sarcastically. She pauses then, leaning her broom up against the edge of the
fountain carefully. She places her Beater's Bat on the ground next to it. Then
with a free hands she reaches into a pocket on her sweats, and pulls out a small
hand towel. The towel is promptly dunked in the fountain's water, wrings the
excess from it, then mops her face.

"I'm not too fond of parties, either," deadpans Gideon, before turning back
around and sitting down, to face the fountain. He's been holding a few loose
stones on one hand, and tosses one into the water.

Cora moves the towel now to the back of her neck. "Well if you want to go pro,
invest in a better broom," she finally offers, after some periods of silence.
She seems as though she wants to add something there, but with a small shake of
her head she changes her mind, and falls back to being quiet again.

"Well, even -owning- a broom would be a step up at this point," says Gideon.
He's not being at all maudlin about the fact that he doesn't own one, "I can
always buy one. Which one would you recommend?"

Cora looks straight at the lad, studying his frame as she asks the next
question, "That depends. You said you were an alternate ... an alternate for
what position?"

"Seeker," says Gideon, though he is quick to note, "I used to play for South
England Junior, but it was only because my father wanted me to. I'd never
actually been very interested in it until lately. Maybe this is all part of
puberty or something." A wry, nearly invisible smile, more in his blue eyes than
anything.

Cora snorts, "Well anytime you want to substitute for Richard Jepson, you won't
hear me complain," is all she says, "And Seekers are all about speed. You want
something fast. Since you're in Slytherin I would assume money's no object,
right? A Windrider would do you just fine... I would think."

"Windrider," says Gideon, as if adding that word to a mental checklist, "Right.
Okay, thanks." He looks at Cora now, his pale, angular face contamplative,
"You're a werewolf?" Absent -- perhaps surprisingly, given what this young man
is -- is any kind of venom or distaste.

Cora snorts, "Were you hiding under a rock that year?" she says, not quite
sarcastic, just surprised, "Yes, I was one of the three that got attacked. The
youngest of us actually." Then she smirks, "No fears about the moon tonight.
I've got until the fifteenth before I report to lockup."

At the hiding under a rock bit, Gideon simply averts his eyes for a heartbeat,
"Yes," he says, that baseline ghost of a smile still there, "My father would
have a conn... well, that's him then, isn't it?" He shakes his head, "What would
you say if I asked you to help me buy a broom, and to show me the basics? I can
even pay you, if there's tutoring for that kind of thing."

Cora mulls that over. Everyone knows Cora's always looking to hustle money from
other students. That's no big secret. She nods after a while, "I suppose I can
help you with those things. Though I don't think you should try to buy a broom
until break. There aren't really any good dealers in Hogsmeade, and unless you
want to Floo to London and risk getting caught ... I don't see you getting a
broom before then. I think Cleansweeps are custom built, so you might not have
it when you come back from break, but at least you'd have it by summer."

"Thanks," Gideon intones now, standing up once more and straightening his robes
broefly before looking at Cora, "No hurry. But appreciated." He bends down to
pick up a bookbag, which has been leaning against one of the inner legs of the
stone bench, "I hope dinner is soon. I'm starving."
Cora also collects her broom and bat, "You should suck up to a house elf.
They'll get you anything you want, if you treat them nicely," she shares,
turning to head back into the castle, "I should go get cleaned up," she says,
frowning at the mud on her shoes a bit.



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