EYES ON FIRE (OPEN)

[JARROD CHAIM BADDOCK]

Jarrod wasn't really sure what to do. The last big Hogwarts event was the ball to celebrate the Hogwarts champions in the opening of the tournament. Jarrod had asked Arya to be his date and they went together, but Arya left him standing there alone. She promised she would always be there for him and she lied, leaving him behind. It really hurt Jarrod but it also toughened him; he still loved Arya a lot, too much to admit even, but he wasn't going to get himself disappointed. Instead of asking her to the New Years Party, he simply told her that he would be there without a date if she wanted to meet him at the party. And that was that.

Getting ready in the Slytherin common room, Jarrod secretly hoped he would catch Arya as she was leaving so they could go to the party together like he wanted, but he tried to keep his hopes under wraps. He was excited and longed to spend the night with the girl he treasured most, but at the same time he wouldn't be played. Jarrod had a reputation for being a bad boy, a girlchaser at times. That wasn't the whole truth about him, but it was part of it; but it changed when he met Arya. She made him into a better person, made him simply dislike authority instead of trying to knock it down all the time. He still had a bit of an attitude and whatnot, but he definitely had improved in his demeanor because of her. But now it seemed like she was leaving him in the dust, and it meant for a really bad heartache.

He decided, after five minutes of sitting in the common room, that he should head off to the great hall for the party. Jarrod walked slowly through the dungeons and stalked up the steps toward the ground floor, listening to gossip of girls that walked behind him. He rolled his eyes, thinking how foolish some girls could be. Why couldn't they just say what they wanted? Why did every girl have to be so...so secretive about everything? He hated it. He just wanted honesty. Jarrod sighed as he entered the party; he was pretty surprised at how awesome it looked. A small smile crossed his features but quickly disappeared as he realized he would be there by himself. He sighed once more, got himself a drink, then found an empty table and slumped into one of its chairs. As his eyes crossed the room, he hoped for a bit of company to keep him from his taunting thoughts inside his head.

[Deleted]

During the eve of the New Year's Party, Rena was still busying herself. As always. Whenever she had some time on her hands; she would dig or track for potion ingredients somewhere within the school grounds, intending to sell them and earn some Sickles. It was only yesterday when she gathered some surprisingly striking Jobberknoll feathers. The poor old birds were dying when she heard their long screams. Rena almost leapt at the rare sound, which meant that she could earn more than what she ordinarily could; growing up without a family had its own curses. While everyone was buzzing merrily about the upcoming Party, she had to work hard to prepare for the life after Hogwarts–which was coming pretty soon. While everyone was talking about what to wear or whose hand to ask for, she had to wander restlessly in solitude. Nevertheless, she enjoyed being at ease with nature; and this is the life which was given to her, the life which she chose.

As she returned to the Common Room for the evening, her thoughts drifted towards the celebration. Everyone seemed so hyped about it, unlike with the usual balls and festivities; there were some high expectations this time around. At night, she wondered if she should at least linger during the Party–it was her last year in Hogwarts, anyway. What was there to lose? She still had the dress which she painstakingly bought with her own Galleon, the dress which she had not gotten the chance to wear; and she still had a few accessories to pair it with. Unfortunately, being a Metamorphmagus did not bring you all those glitters and beautiful dresses. Touching the hem of her violet dress; she let out a sigh, as she realised that nobody would be there for her. She was too independent. She was far too quiet, even for a Slytherin; and there was nothing special which others saw in her–except her beauty; or the fact that when she did speak, she spoke her mind. But she was peculiar in her own ways, unlike some of the popular girls in her year, who were far more blessed than herself. Having done several tosses-and-turns on her four-poster bed, she resolved to give the party a shot–her last crack at being normal for girls her age.

The next evening, she spent donning and readying herself for the big night; her heart lacking in anticipation of what lies ahead. She was simply doing this for the sake of experience, not for the excitement. Every year had brought her nothing less than a new quandary to ponder about. What could be so exciting about that? Anyhow, she put on her best demeanor and made her way out of her room; towards the party.

The entire place was already teeming with smiles and laughter, all from different directions. They gave her a subtle sense of forcefulness; but deep down, she knew she did not belong to this place. Placidly, she stepped towards the bar and got herself a Party Punch to begin with. Darting glances across the hall, she noticed something unusual: the womanis the charming but slightly notorious Jarrod Baddock, looking all moody and lonely during a fancy party. Curiously, she walked towards the chair he was sitting at; they had talked a few times during classes, anyway. And Rena knew that worried look all too well–a relationship gone, shattered into dust–perhaps she could offer him some company tonight. It was not like she would refuse some, either.

Pulling a seat beside Jarrod, she gave him a good-hearted once-over and finally chimed, "This is not the Jarrod Baddock I have seen before," while casting a concerned look his way. Getting straight to the heart of the matter, she continued softly, "Where is your company?"

JARROD CHAIM BADDOCK

[JARROD CHAIM BADDOCK]

It wasn't as though Jarrod was seriously bummed or anything, he was just...not really looking forward to the party. The drinking was cool and all, and he was sure someone would approach him with decent conversation, but it meant nothing compared to the company he could share with Arya. He sighed as he took a swig of his drink, his eyes searching the room for the familar dark-haired girl he had come to know. He knew she had to be attending the party - why wouldn't she? He wondered what was taking her so long...was it her hair? dress? He didn't know. He didn't know anything about all that girly stuff, just that it seemed to make girls a bit more attractive than their otherwise plain school robes. He wasn't complaining, of course, just wondering why it all had to take up so much time. There was such little time to party and hangout and he wanted to do both, with Arya at his side. It seemed like that wasn't going to happen.

Another swig.

He wasn't sure why Arya made him feel so pathetic, or why he even let her. Wasn't he stronger than love? Stupid, stupid love. What good did it do anyway? It made Jarrod inferior to others by being weak-minded and crazed with something intangible. Love wasn't something you could touch, only something you felt so it made it more...risky, he supposed, because what were feelings but mere desires and expressions of the heart. Hell, even hatred came from the heart. The only thing that didn't was indifference; being indifferent meant not caring at all and that comes from the brain because you choose not to care. That's an active thought, really. But love...love wasn't a thought you could control, it wasn't a spell you could cast. Love potions were different than real love because they could be conjured. You can't just conjure love, can't make yourself feel a certain way. As much as in that moment Jarrod wanted to make himself feel indifferent to Arya so he could move on, be with someone else, someone who wouldn't leave him astray...well, he couldn't. Love just isn't that simple.

The dragging of a chair caught Jarrod's attention. As he looked up, he noticed the familiar face of Renanthe taking a seat beside him. He chuckled. The attractive redhead was someone he'd known for years given their shared house, but not someone who he talked to on a regular basis. Shame, really, though now that he thought of it, there were few girls he talked to on a regular basis. That was mostly because if he remembered your name, you'd either done something horrible to him or been a real, true friend. There were few people that did either to Jarrod, given his reputation. "Well that's just it - I haven't any," he shrugged. Jarrod met her gaze and smirked. "Not really surprising though, is it? It's more surprising that you're here, talking to me, instead of with some other, more decent guy."

[Deleted]

"Yes, Jarrod, how the popular and swoon-inducing Jarrod Baddock could be alone on this merry occasion, is hardly a surprise," Rena said facetiously, almost rolling her eyes upon hearing his remarks. She straightened up; poising her head on her slim shoulders, weaving her auburn hair to the back of her ear.

Indeed, Jarrod was neither the most decorous nor trustworthy gentleman in the room; remembering that she saw a certain Sherwood a few moments ago. She glanced around the room for him. He seemed rather uptight at times, but at least he was much less notorious than the guy she sat next to. Nonetheless, it was the subtle, indubitable sadness among such noisy crowd which emanated from his disposition, pulling Rena in.

Turning to face Jarrod, she watched him  as she mused, "I came without a companion, even without any expectation, and mostly everyone here is occupied with their partner." Brazenly, she said, "And the most decent fellow I know had ditched me, ages ago. I've got nothing to lose now." She took a sip from her glass, and continued with a hint of surliness, "What good does love do, anyway? Stitch your broken heart and sorry memories for a fleeting second, and then disentangle itself to leave you in the darkness, bleary-eyed and confused?"

Realising that she might have revealed a little too much, Rena again raised up her Party Punch and sipped a little.

"I'm better off alone," she concluded, swallowing the weight of her words down her tightened throat.

Setting down the glass, she turned to Jarrod. Her shadow-blue eyes met his, as she made an attempt at reading him, "There is someone, isn't there?" She took her shot. "You don't arrive at this kind of gathering and sink in a chair, Jarrod. I have not been around the gossiping bunch much, but I'd know that miserable look anywhere. That very look on your face just now, before I came."

Rena was sure of the fact that Jarrod was awaiting someone, and the said girl could barge into the party anytime; sending him into a joyous reunion, leaving her all alone once again. But she could not help getting intrigued. She knew that bad boys did not wait at a party, she knew that they linger around like an enticing spring reverie; they thoughtlessly drag you back, even without doing anything.

She looked on at him, considering him for a moment; but the realisation that he might still be holding his heart out for someone, dismissed the unlikeliest of possibility.

[JARROD CHAIM BADDOCK]

Jarrod smirked. "Swoon-inducing? Oh Rena, I'm so glad you think so highly of me," he teased, his gaze drifting to another area of the room. In fact, if Jarrod's heart wasn't so tangled up in Arya, no matter how much she broke her promises, he might have actually hit on the girl before him. She was gorgeous and easy to talk with, and although Jarrod had never really got the chance to get close to her before, he respected Rena. That wasn't true with a lot of girls, but then again, Rena wasn't a lot of girls. She was different...like Arya was. Or, at least, how he thought she was.

He shook his head, wondering how a guy could 'ditch' the girl before him. Well, if it was him (at least how he used to be) then he probably would have done the same. Still, maybe it would have been different...well, no that probably wasn't true either, if he was being honest. The Jarrod that people knew for his reputation wasn't the same Jarrod he was now, but the only reason he'd changed was because of Arya, and it wasn't willingly, either. He could have been perfectly happy going on, having girls throw themselves at him and just enjoying life without a care in the world. Arya was his care, now, as stupid as it sounded in his head to think such a thing. He actually gave a damn about people which was unfortunate, really, because it meant getting hurt and being confronted by confusing emotions. It was horrible, Jarrod though, but if it meant he could also experience a deep love with someone, it might have been worth it. At that moment, he didn't feel like it was so worth it. At any rate, as he looked at the girl across from him, he pondered if he'd been in the same situation with her, if she would have changed him as Arya had. He supposed there was no telling, really, since what's done was done, but as he admired the outfit that Rena sported, he wished badly he hadn't promised his heart away. Still, as tempting as the girl before him was, and as single as Jarrod still was, his heart and head were in the right place. Damn.

Jarrod raised an eyebrow at Rena's input about love and then witnessed her brush it off, smirking and shaking his head. "Well just so you know, that dude's a bloody pick," he said a tad defensively. He never came to the aid of strangers before, so his sudden expulsion of this very loose apology was unfamiliar, but it felt right regardless. "And I think it's not whether or not you're better off alone, but whether or not you want to be...'cause if you don't, then it's sort of a big deal...I dunno the situation, but I'm just saying you might say you're better off but, well....you're not completely alone," he said, then picked up his own drink and drowned in it.

"Yea, there's someone," he sighed, setting his drink down and meeting her gaze again. "Complicated, though," Jarrod said quickly, wondering if Rena would press forward. Jarrod wasn't one to spill his guts about his private life, considering mostly the fact he'd never really had one before, but he supposed if she asked, he'd tell. Jarrod was a very blunt, expressive, and honest individual; being private wasn't his style, and most girls would attest to that from their experiences of walking in on him and various females in the corridors. Maybe he'd changed, perhaps completely, but his open and honest policy still remained. He didn't like being lied to, wouldn't tolerate it even, and so he gave his company that same respect, expecting it return and always wondering if it was.

[Deleted]

"You know what I think of you, Jarrod?" Rena replied, noticing his distracted gaze ever since the beginning of the conversation. "That you should fight for what's left of your heart." She hesitated before continuing, "I shut mine off a long while back, when I was left with nothing from people I really cared for. My grandma, the only person I knew growing up, cared for me so much, she wouldn't talk to me, not even a farewell before I left for Hogwarts. And the bloody prick was so decent, that after he was attacked by a werewolf, he simply left for good... He shut off. Wouldn't listen, no matter how hard I tried to search for those warm, smiling hazel eyes..." She trailed.

"Have you ever known rejection, Jarrod? That it becomes your friend, whispering to you how much people don't care about you? What's left of mine is none. And I feel weightless. Carefree. As if this life is a mirage and I'm never really... A part of it. I'm simply drifting through time."

She waved her words away, not expecting Jarrod to comprehend her melancholic thoughts; let alone to entertain them. Rena knew she was an eccentric, a conspicuously unusual individual given her age; but she had learned to embrace her differences and not challenge others to see things as she did.

"But yours, Jarrod," Rena carried on, "Is a quivering glimmer of hope. Your heart quivers in pain, in the face of rejection. Yet the fact remains. You are still here, waiting for her, hoping to see the person who means the most to you. Even when you're sulking in a corner, I understand that there's someone you care about. You still try, even though she still hasn't listened." She drew in a deep breath. "Remember, that the darkest always comes before dawn."

Smiling softly, she added, raising her glass closer to her lips, "And you deserve her. Act like it, Baddock. Go, find her, will you?"

Rena was brazen, brutally honest. As much as she had been hurt, she did not had a pluck of evil in her intentions. Even if her words had come off rash and dominating, it was her truest self.

JARROD CHAIM BADDOCK

[DAENERYS AVERY GREYBACK]

The last half hour seemed to be in the distant past, nothing more than a blur, now Daenerys needed to recover from such company that was a waste of time. Growing bored with a Slytherin student who was unimportant to her and a bumbling Hufflepuff girl whose name Daenerys had already forgotten, she simply walked away while one of them were speaking. Daenerys was unaware what they had all been talking about, most likely small talk that truly did not matter. With a cup slightly less full of alcohol than when she arrived at the dance Daenerys began to survey the room for the next group of people she could mingle with. Perhaps this group would be far more entertaining than the previous company that decided to approach her. Honestly, it had been her fault for entering the dance so early on people felt the need to occupy their time with idle chit-chat. Daenerys really could care less and would have rather waited in silence until those more her cup of whiskey entered the Great Hall.

Daenerys eventually found someone she wanted to talk to. A slightly old friend of hers, Jarrod Baddock. In Daenerys's mind he was only considered an old friend due to their lack of communication lately. The two were usually rather inseparable before Jarrod decided to get tangled up in the mess of the girl named Arya who she completed disliked to the fullest.Taking one of her close friends away from her, when Daenerys hardly had anyone she trusted, granted Arya an automatic enemy in Daenerys. Especially when the girl felt the need to change her friend who was perfectly fine being her partner in crime.

As Daenerys began to walk in his direction, she noticed Renanthe was sitting with him. Another girl that Daenerys did not really care for but lets face it, Daenerys rarely enjoyed anyones presence.Hearing that Jarrod and Arya were not doing that well Daenerys decided tonight was the best time to reclaim her friend. Approaching the table, she sat down without an invitation and began talking directly toward Jarrod. "You would not believe the company I've had to put up with. Thankfully you are here without your distraction to put it nicely." Daenerys was always a bit abrasive but it was just part of her charm. Only certain people could really understand her in such a way. "Jarrod you can not spend tonight just sitting her wallowing about some girl that is not worth your time. What do you say to drinking those troubles away and seeing what mischief we can get into?" Daenerys said with a wink as she pushed her half empty cup of fire whiskey toward Jarrod. "Drink up." She smirked.

tagged: JARROD CHAIM BADDOCK @renanthegaea

[Deleted]

Familiarity was only beginning to enter her mind as she began to open her thoughts toward Jarrod, before she noticed him shifting a little uncomfortably in his seat, looking as if he wished to be someplace else. Rena was apathetic towards many others, yet she had approached Jarrod first, and she had actually willed herself to think in his position, assuming her role as a friend. Had it been someone other than him, Rena doubted if she could muster such rare will. In his distant gaze, she saw that his slight discomfort was not because of herself, but of his unfulfilled longing toward his special one; the girl whom Rena was yet to know.

Thinking she could find an easy solution to his uneasiness, Rena at last leaned a little closer to Jarrod and told him that she needed to be someplace else, leaving him free to be wherever he needed to be. If she left, nothing would be holding him back from reaching out to his dreams. Rena took her half-emptied glass of Punch, smiled at Jarrod and nearly stood up to her full height when she saw Daenerys strolling casually towards the table she was leaving. Her she knew; though they were far from friendship, or even acquaintances. At best, they were a reluctant pair of strangers, seemed to repel one another whenever they sense each other's presence. Rena stood tall, as she hastily thought of leaving before unbecoming scenes had any chance of unravelling. Public attention was one of her loathsome things. Quiet indifference, that she could hug tight.

Before Rena took her leave for tonight, she gave Jarrod her reassuring smile, and a brief, worried glance that she hoped he would understand, for she could somehow sense trouble beginning to brew: "Be careful."

000 WORDS

DAENERYS AVERY GREYBACK JARROD CHAIM BADDOCK

i'm gone ^^

THANK YOU MALIA TATE FROM ADOXOGRAPHY

[JARROD CHAIM BADDOCK]

Jarrod couldn't muster a response to Rena. He sat, shifting in his seat, reluctant on responding at all. He just didn't know what to do. Arya drowned his senses and made him feel like a new person, but also like a person who had no control over himself. Jarrod used to be able to waltz into a room with such confidence and exuding the Slytherin reputation he upheld. Now, he simply sulked in his chair. He wasn't the same person he used to be, but he wished he was. At least it'd be better to cope with the heartache that was loving Arya Goyle. He closed his eyes momentarily, feeling Rena shift closer to him. She was what he needed - a good friend that understood and show empathy. She wasn't being sympathetic, but was trying to understand where he was coming from and his perspective on the entire situation. He sighed, lifted his head and noted that Rena was leaving him to his thoughts. "Thank you...for everything," he mumbled. And while his tone probably didn't seem like it, he was very appreciative.

He looked up and watched the exchange of indifference from Daenerys, and the complete disregard of Rena. Jarrod half-wished Rena would stay at that point. He knew that he and Daenerys were rocky on their friendship due to her not liking Arya so much, but that wasn't just his problem. It was also hers. It was a shame that Daenerys had such disdain toward Arya, even though at the moment he did too, because it meant that their friendship suffered. True, he probably pushed her away a bit, but at the end of the day a friendship was still there, and so Jarrod welcomed Daenerys as she sat down. Her attitude only made him chuckle, but he took heed of Rena's warning glance.

He listened to Daenerys and chuckled once more. "For tonight," Jarrod answered, a hint of warning to his words. He picked up the firewhiskey she tossed at him and swirled it slightly in its cup before finally taking a swallow. "So nice of you to show up," he mused, meeting her gaze and raising an eyebrow. "What company did you have before you found my magnificent presence?"

[DAENERYS AVERY GREYBACK]

A slight pain hit Daenerys in the pit of her stomach as she watched Jarrod thank Renanthe for whatever she might have done for him. Was that jealousy? Certain emotions were foreign to Daenerys seeing as she was emotionally detached from most people. Although Jarrod and herself have not been talking lately, wasn't it her place to make her friend feel better? Or had their friendship evaporated so far that she was unable to do just that? Daenerys did not know what to think besides that it was not a pleasant feeling. Especially over a girl that she knew for a fact Jarrod hardly had spoken to in all the years they shared a common room with. Perhaps, Daenerys was just a bit put of touch. She had been taught to drown her emotions and alcohol had always made that process easier. Was it wrong for her suggest the same solution to Jarrod, one they had done some many times before. Daenerys was not as cold as others perceived her to be or even how she portrayed herself. Those very select few that slithered into the small spaces of her heart she honestly did care about. The problem was if she attempted to talk to people about their feelings and issues then it would come time for her to open up which just was not who Daenerys was. The rare times it did come out was after a good amount of drinking and the waterfall of emotions that poured out then could not be held back. It was possible that Daenerys might get to that point tonight, she had been holding a lot in lately and if she could have her friend back it would come out easier.

Checking back into reality Daenerys looked over at Jarrod who looked unlike himself. Love. Honestly, what good was it. It either destroyed a person or changed them either way someone could never truly be the person they were before the thief of love stole them. It was evident in his words, "For tonight.", it held such a warning that Daenerys knew this would not be normal for him anymore as it was for her. He had changed however, Daenerys did not want to change. She was fine the way she was or well she thought. Either way, she would not be letting someone else influence her decisions besides her father. Her father was a touchy subject that she needed her mind to stay away from so with a slight shake of her head the image floated away.

Daenerys smirked when Jarrod took the cup and began to drank. The duo might be back together even if it was just for a night. "I'll take the one night." Daenerys said. He then asked about the company she was trapped by before she stumbled upon him. "They were a couple of nightmarish girls. One who is in our house and another Hufflepuff who kept stumbling over her words either from intimidation or just plain stupidity." Daenerys said sort of laughing. "I had to escape, they just kept talking about such trivial things as if they really cared to get to know each other." She continued. "I simply walked away fighting the urge to do something probably illegal to one of them." Daenerys looked over at Jarrod happy to see her friend sitting across from her. "What have you been up to lately and how come you were talking to Renanthe, someone who you've hardly spoken to?" Daenerys asked, not harshly, but curiously. She honestly wanted to know what was going on since she had not been around to be clued in.

tagged: JARROD CHAIM BADDOCK
notes: Sorry it is not written so well, sort of rushing to get caught up on my posts. But I'm excited to get their friendship back on track, Daenerys needs friends.