+- Knockturn Bound (https://staging.knockturnbound.net)
+-- Forum: Portkeys (https://staging.knockturnbound.net/forumdisplay.php?fid=14)
+--- Forum: The Wizarding World (https://staging.knockturnbound.net/forumdisplay.php?fid=71)
+---- Forum: Archive (https://staging.knockturnbound.net/forumdisplay.php?fid=246)
+----- Forum: Hogwarts Archives (https://staging.knockturnbound.net/forumdisplay.php?fid=247)
+------ Forum: 1920 - 1921 (https://staging.knockturnbound.net/forumdisplay.php?fid=248)
+------- Forum: In Character (https://staging.knockturnbound.net/forumdisplay.php?fid=249)
+------- Thread: Caught in the act :: Evan (/showthread.php?tid=663)
Caught in the act :: Evan - Matilda Nordstrom - 11-23-2025
Late may
Saturday
Nothing was making sense anymore. She needed more information, but no one knew anything about her scar or why it still throbbed on occasion. Tilly had a small journal in her satchel with a list of times and dates for when her scar came to life. Throbbing, strange zings, the color looking brighter and she swore it had gotten minutely bigger.
Things had been strange before, but since their Dark Arts lesson where they worked with plants in the forest near the ley lines, things had gotten progressively more interesting. She first noticed it when her blood had been dripped on the soil and the next day the plant had grown, sprouted flowers and looked healthier than any other plant in the class. They next happened in the hospital wing greenhouse. It was hard to explain, but while working with some plants, she just knew they were suffering. The plant itself looked fine, but she could feel it in her bones that the plant was suffering from root rot. Sure enough, when she brushed away all the soil, the plant's roots were at the beginning stages. There was no way, just by looking, that she should have known that, but she did.
There was only one thing to do, since none of the Professors knew anything about magical scars, investigate herself. And to do that, she needed to go to a spot she knew was magical. It was early in the afternoon, the sun was high in the sky, a slight breeze rustled the leaves and branches as she crossed the boundary into the forbidden forest. She could feel the switch as she entered an area on the grounds no one was allowed. Not that this would stop her.
As she ventured in deeper, trying to find the clearing, she got turned around. It was easy to do when every tree looked like the last. A strange stump caught her eye, one that looked a lot like a three legged bear. Smiling, Tilly walked towards the stump, just beyond it was the clearing she was looking for. Then, out of nowhere, a crack sounded behind her. The unmistakable sound of a twig being stepped on. Heart pounding in her chest, Slowly, Tilly turned around to see who… or what, was waiting for her.
RE: Caught in the act :: Evan - Evander Whistler - 11-23-2025
"You know," he started, frozen in step as the twig snapped beneath his boot, "It's not called the Sneaky Forest or Inviting Forest for a reason."
Evan stood in place, his smirk stretched by embarrassment and amusement at the look of initial surprise on Tilly's face turning into something else entirely. Relief? Annoyance? Somewhere in the middle? He couldn't be bothered to wonder as he unfroze himself and approached her, hands in his pockets where one hand took hold of his wand for good measure.
"But then again, who wouldn't be curious by the word Forbidden." He surely couldn't. Evan had crossed that boundary into the dark forest countless times. He held secret meetings here. He hid stashes of all sorts of bootlegger-y things in spots only he knew. Sometimes he'd just come with Benji just to waste a day otherwise spent inside a classroom, exactly where he should be right now.
Tilly wasn't that sort of person though. She was a bloody prefect, after all, and should know better. Watching her march through the line of trees into the shadows had piqued his interest. Whatever had motivated her to do so must have been important or at least worth the effort of following. It wasn't like he was doing anything important besides basking in the limited amount of sun they received this far north.
(Again, there was definitely a seat in potions with his name on it he probably should have been attending.)
Her face told only part of the story. The rest he wanted to hear from her own words because the implication hung heavy if she didn't. Evan getting in trouble was just another Tuesday. Tilly getting in trouble, well, that was entirely different, which again begged the question.
"The 'ell are you doing out here, Ruby?"
RE: Caught in the act :: Evan - Matilda Nordstrom - 11-23-2025
She wasn’t sure what she expected when she turned around, but her ex-boyfriend was not even on the list. "You know, It's not called the Sneaky Forest or Inviting Forest for a reason."
“For the love of peppermint Ev, you scared the bezeegious out of me.”
Seeing Evander was a pleasant surprise considering the alternatives were much more dangerous. As he mentioned, this wasn’t the inviting forest, more than a few beasts were probably watching them at this very minute. Even being happy it was him and not an Acromantula, she wasn’t sure if she wanted to share her intentions.
"The 'ell are you doing out here, Ruby?" The nickname only he was allowed to call her, made her smile. With so many nicknames used on the daily, him settling on Ruby, a completely unique name, was rare. At least it wasn’t Dirt Girl, she honestly hated that one. And Leaf Licker… Ugh.
“I could ask you the same thing Ev, but I can only imagine what your answer would be.” Was she deflecting, sure. The problem was, there was no getting rid of him at this point. She could lie and say it was a class project, or something for the hospital wing, but he would see right through it. She was honestly a horrible liar. She blamed her ginger hair and pale skin. Her neck and face flushed red when she tried to lie on the spot. It wasn’t worth the embarrassment.
The other option was to turn around and go back to the castle. Unfortunately there was very little time left of term and she really wanted answers. “Ugh, why did it have to be you to find me, I could talk my way out of this with most other people.” Annoyed but resigned, she decided to let him in on her personal investigation. “Can you keep a secret? I’m trying to figure some things out, but I’d rather keep it close to the vest until I know more.”
RE: Caught in the act :: Evan - Evander Whistler - 11-23-2025
"Scared the what?"
Was that even a word? Evan couldn't help but laugh. It did feel good to share some space with her. It felt like most of his friends were fighting about one thing or another and he was left wondering where he stood or how one faction would pull him to one side or the other. Out here, with too much immediate danger to think about anything but what was around them, it almost felt safe in a roundabout way.
His smile stretched even more when she admitted she wouldn't be able to lie to him. For all of his many faults, Evan had a good bullshit detector. If she was willing to try, she would likely be left to his probing questions until she dizzied herself into a deeper hole. Ripping that bandage off made him more comfortable, like there was still some ground where they understood one another.
“Can you keep a secret? I’m trying to figure some things out, but I’d rather keep it close to the vest until I know more.”
"Me?" He asked, almost incredulously. He laughed again, shaking his head. She should know him better than to ask him something like that. Evan was way too self-serving to be bound to such a promise. But, considering he was curious as to what she was doing, he could try to meet her in the middle.
"I can promise not to tell anyone unless it'll get me out of trouble," he offered. That was the best he could offer her. And, hopefully, that would be enough.
"If I get caught and have to explain why I'm out here. Sound fair? Now come on, spit it out. Why are you out here breaking one of the only big rules we are supposed to follow? And please, don't let it be something school-related. I'll bloody bang my head on that tree trunk if you're only out here to find flubworms for some potion you want to brew."
For the love of all that was good, she had to be out here for a better reason than school.
RE: Caught in the act :: Evan - Matilda Nordstrom - 11-23-2025
"Scared the what?"
She couldn’t remember what she said, but Tilly was well known for her colorful alternatives to swearing. Not that she had any problem with swearing, but at home her grandfather wasn’t a fan, so interesting words usually came out without her knowledge.
"I can promise not to tell anyone unless it'll get me out of trouble.”
Tilly closed her eyes, tilted her head back and sighed. Gods he was infuriating. He was like this when they were dating as well, but back then it was endearing. Blinded by… well, not love, but he was really good looking. "If I get caught and have to explain why I'm out here. Sound fair? Now come on, spit it out. Why are you out here breaking one of the only big rules we are supposed to follow? And please, don't let it be something school-related. I'll bloody bang my head on that tree trunk if you're only out here to find flubworms for some potion you want to brew."
It was in this moment that she had a decision to make. Did she trust him? In his own words the answer was no, but there was no shaking him at this point.
“Aww, fuck it.” See… she could swear. "Come on, I’ll explain as I set up."
Tilly found the location of the Dark Arts class and sat on a log in the clearing. Opening her bag, she began to get out her materials, hoping she brought everything she needed. Tilly was wearing the normal uniform that most of the girls wore, skirt to the knees (thank you shortening charm), white button up shirt, sleeves folded to her elbows and the cardigan wrapped around her waist. The one different thing that was pretty normal for Tilly was the knee high Gryffindor Red socks. Most saw it as a fashion choice, when in actuality it was to hide her scar.
Arranging the tools on the soil in front of her, Tilly stopped to look at Evan, deciding that there was no time like the present to get the story out of the way.
“I know I’ve mentioned the accident I had over the summer, but I don’t typically go around giving the details.” Tilly pushed down the sock to show her scar, in all its green viney glory.
“This is the scar I got from the plant. Right after the accident it throbbed and almost pulsed. It hurt like hell and would shoot pain up my leg. Over the last few months it’s calmed way down. I can walk with no issues and it doesn’t cause me pain. Until the last DA lesson. We were here in the clearing, which is apparently on a magical ley line. Ever since it’s been more painful, throbbing and tingly. That… well, I’ve had some strange things going on with my hands. So, as you can imagine, I would like to figure out what in the hell is going on. Which is why, as you put it, I am breaking the one major rule they have for us.”
RE: Caught in the act :: Evan - Evander Whistler - 11-25-2025
He couldn't remember the last time he heard her swear.
That completely sucked him in. He nodded, following along, and managed to stand still for most of her set-up before he started to believe that he'd been set up. Evan hadn't clocked in the location, that they'd been out here before, until it all started very much to resemble class. Before he could lash out, Tilly leveled her gaze at him and then bent down to adjust her sock and reveal the scar.
If you could call it that.
The green was jarring. The fact that it looked like a plant had taken root of her calf and was now spreading was even more startling. Evan took a step back and swore aloud, making a face at it. It wasn't everyday you got to see such a thing.
He heard through Tilly's explanation only begged for more questions. What was the connection to her hands? Why had it stricken her body? Was it contagious? Why hadn't anyone asked earlier in the term when she'd been in such pain, stumbling about? Even he'd noticed that but figured someone else, someone closer to her, had to have known and was making sure she was okay. That more than anything else pissed him off.
"And you think you can figure all of that, whatever the fuck that is, on your own?" He sighed, shaking his head. Then, because he didn't know what else to do, he reached out to touch her shoulder and try to give it a tight squeeze. Most people believed him to lack empathy, but he could see how scary this all was and what a burden it must have been to keep it to herself when vines were literally growing on her.
"What can I do to help?"
RE: Caught in the act :: Evan - Matilda Nordstrom - 11-25-2025
"And you think you can figure all of that, whatever the fuck that is, on your own?" Tilly looked at Evander with a look of exhaustion and uncertainty. Her normal spicy attitude and quick witted comebacks were gone. It was a vulnerability she didn’t show to many.
“What else am I supposed to do? The few people I have told look at me like I’m crazy. It’s not everyday that a girl with a green vine scar asks for help because her scar is throbbing and she can feel the plants around her.”
Evan placed his hand on her shoulder and squeezed. "What can I do to help?" That one simple friendly gesture meant more to her than he would ever know. “I don’t know. Just believing me would be nice.”
Looking around the clearing she sees a selection of flowers growing in a small patch. The delicate white flowers were pretty in their simplicity. Tilly got up from her spot, one sock still pulled up to her knee while the other hung around her ankle highlighting her green scar snaking around her calf.
Kneeling down in the dirt next to the flowers she found a spot open in the middle and dug her fingers down a few inches into the soil. She shut her eyes and focused. It was like a low hum in her fingers, a tingling feeling under the skin. It was instant, she just knew it. Opening her eyes, Tilly pointed. “That one. Something is wrong with it. The rest feel fine, healthy, but that one has this aura running through the soil. I can literally feel it.”
Pulling the plant out of the ground, she stood and took the plant towards Evan. Her leg pulsed. There wasn’t pain, just a throbbing ache that made it impossible not to limp as she came closer. “Do you see? Right there, little pesky bastards that eat the plant from the root up. I don’t know how I know, I just do. Am I nuts?”
Tilly sat on the log in the clearing, rubbing the skin of her calf, trying to soothe the ache in her calf. “I just don’t get it. I thought it was just here, because of the ley lines, but I felt something like this in the Hospital Wing as well.”
RE: Caught in the act :: Evan - Evander Whistler - 11-30-2025
"I believe you."
Three little words, so easily shared, carried their weight in labored gold. He smiled, a rare genuine one, as he nodded at the appreciative expression she offered him. If you would have told him this years ago, hot off the ending of their relationship (she'd called him insensitive, he'd proven her right), it would have come as a shock to prove he could, in the right setting, show empathy. Some called it growth, maturity.
Evan, as with most things, didn't want to put a label on it.
"How could I not? The proof is quite literally growing out of you," he added cheekily, the familiar upturn of his trademark smirk flashing through. The snake student took a step back, following like a shadow, as she put her gifts/curse to good use. Watching her squat down and dig her fingers into the soil, Evan crossed his arms defensively as if expecting a tree to sprout out of the ground.
Nothing like that occurred thankfully. It was a lot tamer, as she announced that one of the flower roots were being assaulted and she could feel the assault. It wasn't crazy, he thought. It had, if he started to put his mind to it, a lot of possibilities.
"So, you can feel the bad things. Have you actually tried to feel for the good things? Like, if a plant is being properly taken care of it. If its feeling, I don't know, happy? For lack of a better word?" He looked around, hoping to find an example to use.
"If I started chipping away at the built-up moss on that tree trunk, would the tree be thankful? Appreciative?" Now that he was saying it out loud, it did sound crazy. But he didn't show any of it, for her sake.
RE: Caught in the act :: Evan - Matilda Nordstrom - 11-30-2025
"I believe you."
For some reason, those three little words meant more than she would have ever thought. Evan wasn’t one of her best friends who was required by Friend Code to believe her, nope, this was her Ex Boyfriend. They hadn’t seen eye to eye on anything for quite some time. "How could I not? The proof is quite literally growing out of you.”
Tilly rolled her eyes. Annnnnnnd there he was. He could be such a sarcastic asshole sometimes, but she wouldn’t trade him for anything. While they weren’t nearly as close as they once were, he was still here with her. Listening to her crazy tales and trying to help.
"So, you can feel the bad things. Have you actually tried to feel for the good things? Like, if a plant is being properly taken care of. If it's feeling, I don't know, happy? For lack of a better word?" Huh… That was actually a really good question.
“I… well…. I have no idea. I’ve only noticed when one of the plants needs help. I guess I could try.” She looked around the clearing to find something to test it on. Wiping her hands down her skirt, dirt staining the once clean fabric, Tilly walked over to a section of flowers that looked healthy. Once again, sticking her hands in the dirt, she shut her eyes and waited. There wasn’t the telltale tingle of energy. Nothing that sent shivers down her spine or that feeling of sickness or ick.
“Nope, I don’t feel anything.” Her hands were covered in the dark soil again. At this rate, her skirt would be a dark shade of brown before the day was through.
"If I started chipping away at the built-up moss on that tree trunk, would the tree be thankful? Appreciative?"
Interesting thought. Walking over to the base of the tree Tilly looked up into the depths of the branches. There was no light getting through, the leaves too dense to let light in.
Kneeling in the dirt at the base of the trunk, Tilly found a spot around where the roots would be and dug her hands in. The dirt was more compact here, making it difficult for her hands to dig below the surface. Once her hands were submerged a strong feeling washed over her suddenly, making her sway on the spot. The feeling this time didn’t zing. It squeezed. Her skin felt tighter, her lungs constricted, her vision went blurry. Maybe it was the moss squeezing the life out of the tree, or maybe it was the exhaustion from her experiment, but if the tree hadn’t been right next to her, Tilly would be eating dirt.
“Woah,” she said, removing one hand from the dirt to steady herself. Squeezing her eyes shut and hanging her head, Tilly took in deep breaths. It was a few seconds before the dizziness started to fade. “Not sure if it was the moss sucking the life out of the tree, or if I over did it, but that wasn’t a fun feeling.”