Weather The Storm: OPEN for BADGERS

Hufflepuff Common Room
12:30am
18 October 1920

It was late, too late to be honest. All the kids should be tucked in their beds, dreams playing on repeat in their heads. Even without the ability to see the future, Gideon had a feeling kids would be waking up soon. The storm raging outside was one for the ages. High winds, breaking limbs in the forbidden forest. The loud cracking sound was heard all over the castle. The whistling of the wind as it found tiny holes in the masonry and windows of the old building. The rain, pounding against windows and walls, and then the thunder and lightning started.

The flashes of light lit up the room, casting eerie shadows that were accompanied by loud, wall shaking booms. The wind and rain had been steady for a couple hours, the thunder and lightning was a newer development. As he was sitting in his leather arm chair, listening to the thunder rumble in the distance, he had known what was coming.

He could play this two ways. One, go to bed and sleep soundly, storms having never been an issue for him. Two, prepare for the inevitable and help ease the fears of his students.

With a sigh, he put down the glass holding his scotch, and called clearly, “Toodles!” With a snap, the house elf came into view, ready and willing to help in any way necessary.

“Yes Master Deputy, how may I be of service?” Gideon got up from his seat, putting the papers down on his desk.

“Can you please gather a tray for me. A carafe of warm milk, and two of your hot cocoa please? Marshmallows and whipped cream as well. And when ready, deliver it to the Hufflepuff Common Room, I will be waiting.”

With a nod and a snap, the elf was gone. Rolling his neck to loosen up the muscles and tendons that were bunched up and tense after a long day. Changing into a sweater and warm flannel pants, and putting on his glasses, for his tired eyes, he went to the common room to assess the situation.

When he arrived it was dark, except for the fire in the large stone fireplace and the occasional bolt of lightning that lit up the room. There was one person in particular that Gideon knew would be out any minute, likely scared out of his mind and upset at being away from home. Gareth, his nephew and first year Hufflepuff.

Gideon found a spot in front of the fire, staring into the bright yellow, orange and red flames. Within minutes, Toodles was back with his requested drink choices and just as fast, back in the kitchens. Sitting still, listening to the wind rage, the rain pelting the window, the crackle of the fire and the rumble of the thunder, it was peaceful in it’s loud silence. Drinking his cocoa a new sound greeted him. The slapping of bare feet on stone, a sound he had heard before and brought a small smile to his face.

Little Gareth, a few inches smaller than all the other kids his age, came running into the common room with a look of terror in his eyes. The man who usually wore a stoic expression, filled with disdain and annoyance, smiled wide at this site of his nephew.

“Uncle Gids!” he said, with a relieved sigh. “Come here Gary, sit with me. All will be fine.” Gareth came to sit next to his uncle, giving him a quick hug, something he never did when other students were around. “The storm, it woke me.”

Running his hand over Gareth’s head, ruffling the hair there then kissing him on the temple. “I know Gary, not your favorite weather. Shall we sit and have a drink? Wait and see who else might not like the storm?”

With a nod and a yawn, Gareth took up a spot next to Gideon, mug of hot cocoa in hand. And just like that, the stress of the magic and the castle and all his responsibilities went away. It was all worth it to be there for his niece and nephew, he would do anything for them.

Alice looked over at the window and shuddered. Another crash of thunder, bright lightning making the dorm room look as if it was daylight outside. She bit her lip and looked at the door, wondering exactly how childish it would be for her to make her way to the common room. At least then she could maybe get a snack or something.

After hesitating until yet another extremely loud clap of thunder, Alice jumped out of bed, grabbed her yellow and black Hufflepuff blanket and ran out of her room, wrapping it around her as she made her way to the common room.

Hearing voices, familiar voices, Alice immediately calmed down and slowed down to a regular pace. She wasn’t going to be alone; her Head of House was going to be there. That was better than nothing, if she were totally honest.

Alice felt even more relief when she saw that she was not the only – or first – student to decide to find comfort in the warm glow of the common room. The tiny firstie that everyone knew was Deputy Blackwood’s nephew was there too.

“Is that hot cocoa?” Alice asked, dropping to the ground near them and helping herself to a warm cup. “Are you scared?” she asked the little boy, grabbing a pillow off a couch and settling back down again.

Would more show up? Probably. Benji, probably.

Benji would indeed show up. All it took was the scent of chocolate hitting his nostrils as he wandered out of his dormitory. He wasn't scared of storms, but he also couldn't sleep through them, and had decided his prefect badge had earned him a stroll. Instead, the sweet drink called to him, pulling him quickly down the stairs and to the common room, to see who exactly had decided to lure him from his 'prefect duties'.

Alice, it seemed...and Deputy Blackwood with his nephew. Benji's shoulders slumped as his feet hit the ground floor, trudging heavily over to the group. He would have been fine to hang out with just Alice, drink hot cocoa and annoy her a little. She was his favorite person to annoy, after all. The way she rolled her eyes at him and sighed heavily while the smallest hint of a smile would play on her lips always succeeded in making his day. His friend was a wet blanket, but she was his wet blanket.

"Ali-Girl," Benji said, his voice a light sing-song, casting a side glance at the deputy who enjoyed detention-ing him more than anyone else it seemed. "Don't tell me you're a little scaredy cat," he grinned, taking a mug for himself and settling in beside her. "How serious you are, that storm should be scared of you." He nudged her playfully, taking a sip of his chocolate, and munching on a marshmallow that snuck its way between his lips.

He nodded slightly at Blackwood and his nephew. "You're scared of storms too, Professor?"

The soft thud of more footsteps came from the girls side this time. The face that came through the doorway was that of Alice, one of his Prefects. Taking a sip of his hot cocoa, Gideon waited to see how she would react to the situation. Hanging with your House Head and Deputy wasn’t on most peoples list of a good time.

Coming in and making herself right at home on the floor, Alice didn’t seem as scared as Gareth, but there was indeed a reason for her to be out of bed. “Is that hot cocoa?” Gideon nodded, holding his mug up in a silent, ‘it is indeed.’ “Are you scared?”

Gareth, realizing that he was huddled into the side of his uncle, straightened up, clearing his throat, “scared? Me? Of course n…” his words were cut off by an exceptionally loud crack of thunder and the immediate bolt of lightning, the sound of which made Gideon pretty sure that a tree in the forest had been struck. “Ok, maybe a little.” Gideon smiled, a rare sight indeed, rubbing Gareth’s back to sooth his nerves.

"Ali-Girl," the familiar voice had caught him off guard, the thunder covering his footsteps. "Don't tell me you're a little scaredy cat," Benji joked, taking a seat next to Alice on the floor by the fire. Gideon’s eyes narrowed on the boy. There was just something about him that sang MISCHIEF at the top of its lungs.

"How serious you are, that storm should be scared of you." Watching the two interact was interesting. It was almost like siblings, but at the very least, it was friendly.

"You're scared of storms too, Professor?" Gideon brought the mug to his lips, taking a pull of the warm liquid, relishing the rich chocolate flavor as it coated his tongue. “On the contrary Mr. Laurence, I love a good storm. The way the wind whips the trees and the way the thunder shakes the castle. That being said, I know there are many that don’t feel the same way.” Looking down at Gareth, who had resumed huddling in next to his uncle. “Just in case, I thought I would come and check in on you lot. And honestly, hot cocoa never hurts.”

Pausing for another round of thunder and lightning, Gideon looked at the two older students, “would you like to play a game? Maybe hear a story? I’d say a ghost story, but with present company in mind, it might not be the best idea.”

“scared? Me? Of course n…”

Alice smirked slightly when the boy practically jumped out of his skin at the sound of the thunder and the bright lightning. He then admitted that he was, in fact, scared and her smirk softened into a smile. Deputy Blackwood, who she knew to be the boy’s uncle, was comforting him which made the man who was always so serious seem a bit more human.

Heavy footsteps came from the boys’ side and before Alice turned to see who it was, the voice told her all that she needed to know. She smiled, wondering if Benji was truly being chill, or if he was even just a smidge scared.

"Don't tell me you're a little scaredy cat. How serious you are, that storm should be scared of you."

Alice shook her head and rolled her eyes, knowing it wouldn’t be the first time she had that reaction to him tonight, and sipped on her hot cocoa.

She listened to Gideon speak about his love of storms, but that he wanted to share in hot chocolate with those who might be scared, like the little boy cowering next to him.

The girl yawned, because it was really late and she was really sleepy.

“Would you like to play a game? Maybe hear a story? I’d say a ghost story, but with present company in mind, it might not be the best idea.”

Alice took another sip of her drink, the warmth spreading down to her stomach. She loved that feeling. She pulled her blanket a bit tighter around her shoulders and scooted a little closer to Benji. Even though he annoyed her, he was still one of her closest friends and she did appreciate his presence.

“Do you know any stories that aren’t scary, but just maybe a bit spooky?” she asked the Deputy, hoping that he did. A story would be great fun, something scarier would be even better, but with Gareth burrowing his way into his uncle’s side, she knew that wouldn’t happen.

She popped a marshmallow in her mouth and then drank more hot chocolate.

As usual, he was met with one of Alice's famous eyerolls. They truly were becoming his favorite of all the eyerolls he received throughout the school, and they were numerous. Sometimes, like now, he even got a smile out of her with it. As much as his friend tried to be annoyed with him, he knew better.

She adored him. How could she not? Just look at him.

“On the contrary Mr. Laurence, I love a good storm. The way the wind whips the trees and the way the thunder shakes the castle. That being said, I know there are many that don’t feel the same way.”

"Yeah, pansies," Benji said easily with a slight shrug of his shoulder, and then remembering the little boy in company, cleared his throat, "Which are very nice flowers. If you've ever seen one." He smiled at Gareth as he took another swig of his hot chocolate, letting the richness melt onto his tongue.

This was fine for now. After he finished his drink, he'd fuck off and go find something else to do until he felt tired enough for sleep. Maybe he could find Matilda at this hour. Limpy as she was, she was always down for a good time.

“Would you like to play a game? Maybe hear a story? I’d say a ghost story, but with present company in mind, it might not be the best idea.”

Benji was about to interject and explain that a ghost story was perfect and would only serve to steel up the younger kid's backbone a bit when Alice, the resident mum, decided against it.

“Do you know any stories that aren’t scary, but just maybe a bit spooky?”

Benji visibly deflated, his shoulders slumping as he fished out another marshmallow from his drink with his index and thumb. A bit spooky? What did that mean? Something was either scary or it wasn't. He sighed and looked at Alice out of the corner of his eye. "Spit it out. Bit spooky for you, or for the kiddo here?"

Gareth yawned again. The boy was so tired, Gideon could see the exhaustion in his eyes. It seemed whenever his eyes fluttered shut for more than a few seconds, the storm would rage again and wake him up with a shudder.

"Yeah, pansies," Benji said, earning a glare from the deputy. "Which are very nice flowers. If you've ever seen one." With a quick flash of his hand, Gideon playfully flung a toss pillow at the boys face. He didn’t say anything, just raised an eyebrow and huffed a breath out of his flared nostrils. As if to say, shut the fuck up cuddrin.

It seemed the older two in attendance wanted a spooky story, but Gideon knew that Gary wouldn’t tolerate such things in his current state. Or really, anytime. The boy was soft hearted to his core. With his nephew snuggled up against him, Gideon ran his hand up and down his back, soothing him into a calm state, while telling a silly story about three kids in the magical world getting into loads of mischief.

“The three friends, alone in Hogsmeade, went on with their day shopping and pranking the local shopkeepers.” it was about at this point in his story that he felt Gareth’s breaths even out his body go limp next to him. Finally asleep. Gideon didn’t change the story, or the characters, hoping the older two would still think it was silly.

“It seemed the three friends had pranked the wrong person though. As they walked the cobbled streets of Hogsmeade, laughing, joking. ‘What was that!’ the Hufflepuff suddenly asked. Hearing something behind them. Following them.”

As the story began to change, taking on a sinister edge. So did Gideon’s voice. It was lower. Slower. Darker.

“The sound was louder this time. A scraping sound, metal on stone. All three heard it.” The wind picked up outside, sending a whistling sound through the cracks in the masonry, adding to the mysterious edge. The branches closer to the windows, hitting the glass, didn’t make the atmosphere any better.

“The sky turned darker, as the three stopped walking. In their haste to get away from the shops they had pranked, they hadn’t noticed just how far outside of town they had travelled. Just over the hill, the shrieking shack could be seen. Standing there, swaying in the wind, a wonder how it stayed up over the years.” Another clap of thunder shuddered the castle, thankfully Gary stayed asleep.

“The deep rumble of laughter met their ears. This was not the sound of happiness, or levity. No, this was the sound of psychosis and danger.”

Looking at both Benji and Alice, a threat in his eyes to add to the tale, he let out a sinister chuckle. Maybe the scary story was the way to go.