sam/wise

“Mhm…” Xanthe looked out onto the field for a tall boy with dark hair, she scanned groups of kids standing close together and looked at the stragglers on the edges of the playing area and then pointed, “Oh! Is that him?” She watched and observed the boy as he interacted with others and decided that, to her, he did look half asleep. “Why does he often look so sleepy?” She giggled

Sam looked from the corner of his eye where she pointed, and recognized Wil’s gangly form. “Yeah, that’s him. I dunno, I think he’s just naturally half asleep---like a flamingo or whatever? It’d explain a lot, if half his brain’s off at any given time... nah, I’m kidding.” He was trying to be more charitable to his friends lately, but it was hard when they were responsible for the state he was in.

Marco raised an invisible glass towards the still frozen Gryffindor boy. “Cheers, Ms. Samwise. I’d help you thaw out, but I think everyone deserves to relish in how adorable you look. And who am I to deprive them of that?” Marco scurried off, laughing to himself and calling attention to his Gryffindor friend.

Well, at least he was sort of hydrated, now, Sam thought gloomily as Marco ran off. He hadn’t really expected much else---this was actually quite nice of Marco, given the easy target he made right now. Sam made a mental note to thank him, or at least not steal the last platter of toaster strudel from the Ravenclaw table at breakfast for like, a week or two.

“I try not to make a habit of carrying around bowls,” Lizzie tried joking lightly, though the mess in front of them was still putting a damper on her mood. It wasn’t often that she tried to do anything for the better of anyone other than herself, so naturally, she’d botch her first attempt at an actual act of selflessness. Glancing around the room, she squinted in attempt to find recourse for the situation at hand. Frankly, she was more grateful than anything that Sam had stumbled upon her–there was little doubt in her mind that she wouldn’t be able to fix this without help from someone. 

“Oh, yeah, that’ll work,” he agreed. But she did have a point with the plant. “Uh... I guess I can take it to the Greenhouses? Or even just outside, it won’t die anymore since the frost’s done...” He squinted at it, and, not quite thinking it through, upended the pot into his hand, gently tilting so the flowers and root system came out in a more-or-less sturdy clump. Realizing that maybe he’d skipped a step in the logic process, he straightened, cradling the plant in his hands. “Um. Well. Pot’s free now, I guess,” he supplied lamely.

“That’s true,” Lia agreed without any hesitation before laughing. “One day, this hole of mine will be a standard in elite training programs– Just you watch, Wise.”

Sam listened in silence while Lia explained about her father. He had no idea what he was supposed to say, to something like that. “I’m sorry, ‘bout your dad. That must... really suck.” His sympathy was genuine, despite not really being able to imagine what it must be like for her. But she seemed to deal with it okay, and turned the question back on him---so he figured he should really find something to say, to at least offer some distraction.

“You’re welcome?” Quinn shouldn’t have been caught by surprise.

He summoned a bottle of water from a nearby makeshift ice-chest, impressed with himself that he needn’t even utter the incantation. “Open up, little one,” he said pouring the water into the boy’s mouth. Although he figured it to be cheating, he Spongified the ground near where two boys had been running, causing them to bounce into the air, fall back down, and be tagged soon after. “Does that help?”

Sam could only swallow very poorly, so he mostly squinted grumpily at Marco while a bit of water ran down his chin. It was also very cold. Watching the other guys get stuck and frozen in super awkward prone positions was pretty satisfying, though, and it brought him a few steps closer to being free, as the It Slytherin sprinted off. “It does, actually, a bit. Cheers.”

Her eyebrow instinctively cocked at Sam. Falling back into their old dance transpired with far more ease than she could have ever anticipate. Typically once Evie’s had an argument or confrontation with someone, they avoided one another all together—or simply just scream at each other some more as they crossed paths. This was much better. “I mean your casual nerdy look is perfect. Your drag look, however, needs a little more pizazz.” She even added the jazz hands for effect. She’d figured Sam would want to discuss this eventually. “Y-yeah… let’s head to the Prefect bathroom, shall we? Pretty sure there aren’t any pre-pubescent make-up fanatics there to strike again.”

Sam wrinkled his nose at her little hand waves, and gave a worn out sigh of resignation. “Would it satisfy you if I just did formal nerdy once in a while, rather than full drag? I don’t like getting make-up in my eyes, I don’t know how girls stand it.” They reached the castle quick enough, and wandered their way up to the Prefect bathroom, Sam trying his best to ignore the staring of people they passed along the way. “You’d think they’ve never seen a bloke in abject humiliation before,” he complained lightly, before glancing at her. “So, um. What’s new with you?” He didn’t generally like having to say he was sorry, so regular conversation would probably make an apology come easier.

“You didn’t hear this from me, but I hear the fifth year Hufflepuffs are all in it to win this time. Be careful of that.” Calla smiled kindly, getting to work on removing his make up. “I must admit, it looks very nice and I shall have to ask the girls where they practised so nicely.” The water was soon coloured with whites and pinks, as his face began to clear up.

He smiled slightly. “Right, didn’t hear a thing.” He was glad he didn’t really have the option to move right now, as getting his face cleaned by someone was a bit uncomfortable, especially when he didn’t know them that well. “I can save you the trouble, they practiced on me, repeatedly. And like, stuff like this has happened before. I don’t nap in the Common Room anymore for a good reason.”

Xanthe looked out at the crowd playing the game. “Alright, I’ll bite. Which one is your room mate?” Xanthe asked, “They’ve all got smirks on their faces.” Xanthe wrapped her hands in a cone and pretended to use them as a spyglass. “Sam,” she began, “What’s your thing? Like, I love to read, or Shreya loves to make music… What do you enjoy? I normally like to make little guesses about people’s likes and interests, but I can’t quite pin one to you.”

“See the guy across the field---tall, dark hair, looks like he’s half asleep but somehow keeps catching people?” He gave the description he knew would likely apply, even though he couldn’t actually see Will at that moment. At her question, he became a little uncomfortable, but then decided she was nice enough that even if she did think he was a dork, she probably wouldn’t tease him too much. “I like fantasy stuff, largely, and like, gaming. Play D&D with some people on Mondays---you should come by if you’re bored, it’s fun,” he offered. “But I like to read too, and draw, and garden.”

Lia laughed loudly. “I hadn’t realized!” She put her hand to her face, shoulders shaking before she calmed enough. “I can’t show you anymore– That’d be revealing my disguise! You’d just have to wait and find out when it hits you, mate. Thanks for the heads up– You’d almost caught me.” She wagged a finger at him, playfully narrowing her eyes at him. “You’re a clever one, Sam Wise. Clever.”

“Clearly not that clever, since I just gave away why I wanted to see it,” he pointed out. “I don’t think this is what anyone thinks training is supposed to be like, Villace.” He shook his head, and picked up a handful of dirt, letting it sift through his fingers. He brushed his hands together a minute later.

Lia laughed loudly at both the memory and the expression on Sam’s face. “I could easily be the poster child for troublemaker– Everyone in this castle and their mothers know my face. So,” Lia lifted her shoulders, smiling innocently, “I thought changing it up a bit would be quite effective in messing around. And I’ll admit, I was rather fit as a bloke. Do you wanna see?” She asked before reaching to her side. “Oh, wait, shit, the photos in my bag.” Lia looked up the hole, head thumping against the wall.

He gave her an incredulous look. “’Course I want to see that---if you do it again, I want to be in on this,” he said emphatically. “I try not to be a target more than I have to be, if you’re sneaking around looking like a guy, least you can do for dropping me down here is give me a heads up.”

Calla’s eyebrows furrowed as her brain worked to find a solution. Really, the make up would start to melt (it wasn’t even the good kind) in the sunlight, and Merlin knew what it was made of. “How about we work on your little…make up first? I’m sure water and soap will get that off. I don’t want something happening to your skin…” The Head Girl was already busy, using Accio to summon the stray bucket of water from a game.

“Soap and water’s actually worked every time so far,” he assured her. As the bucket flew its way towards her, he added tiredly, “I think part of the game is convincing me to play another round. We have a bet against the fifth year Slytherin guys for most wins in the day, but right now I’m about ready to throw in the towel.”

Assuming that Sam was still frozen, Zoe merely aimed her wand at his face and began to mutter the charms to clean him up, though whatever eye shadow they had used seemed to be resistant. Thinning her lips she considered him carefully, not wanting to try again and potentially hurt him. 

“I’m fine!” he said quickly, his voice slightly too high. Shit. Okay, not talking was better, because at least then he didn’t sound like a small child. He didn’t want her to worry, though, and she looked a bit worried... “Just, you know. Today. Is, uh. Tag. So I startle, uh. Easily.” True, his brain informed him. That was accurate. Sam blinked at her, but a second later--- right before he was going to try talking and saying things again, because he was a Gryffindor dammit, and he could do this, and he also didn’t want her to think he was a total idiot---he felt his arms loosen. The spell had lifted.