#thread: pressure

Evan was home for just one week after his final N.E.W.T. and he already wished he was anywhere else in the world. Though Christine had just arrived, the boy found himself looking for apartments, flats, anything else anywhere else than under their father's roof. As he found himself scrolling through the Daily Prophet one morning, he found the paper being ripped from his hands by Mr. Rosier himself. Looking up at the elder, he tilted his head, brow furrowed in confusion. "What's wrong wit-"

The man snapped his wand out and flicked a piece of paper up into his face. "And just what is this, Evan?" Evan's eyes carefully scanned the paper before they rolled. "It's an application." The oldest Rosier sneered in disdain at the boys answer. "To where, precisely?" Sighing, Evan's arms folded, pissed off and tired of these displays of aggrivation at everything he did. "To St. Mungo's to become a healer." A hand came down, backhanding him across the cheek and leaving it a brilliant shade of red. "You're going to be a Death Eater. You're going to find a place in the ministry. Is that understood?"

@epxgray

Theo had a book cracked open as he waited for class to start. He wasn’t truly paying attention. Attention mostly on just taking basic notes about every keyword he could find. He hadn’t been getting much sleep that past few days, but that’s how it is when you’ve got tests and papers breathing down your neck. He had bags under his eyes, his smile wasn’t as bright as it was, his movements sluggish. Just two more weeks he told himself. He could power through it, he always did. His hands were moving on their own, pen writing down words but with no comprehension. He rubbed his eyes and yawned a little. How were his fellow classmates dealing with the stress? He wondered, turning his head around with a few creaks and strains due to lack of sleep.

His eyes wandered over to his friend Gray, who normally was much like Theo. Gray was soft smiles, friendliness, always being kind to others. He embodied the spirit of being a Huffelpuff. He was looking and acting less like a true Huffelpuff at the moment. He seemed, off. He seemed jumpy. Theo noticed he had blueish eye bags that matched his own. Gray had a slight tremor in his hands. It made Theo furrow his brow with concern. He kept an eye on his friend all during class; noticed when his head would tip back slightly from lack of sleep before the boy would realize he was drifting and fight his way back to being awake. When the class was over Theo tried to smoothly make his way over to his friend. As they both walked into the hallway Theo stopped him. Grabbing onto his hand he pulled the slightly grumpy, sleep-addled Gray into the Ravenclaw common room with little complaint. Once there he stood in front of his friend,

“Hey man, are you ok?”