This is why I never liked cats

[arianna]

Arianna had been doing well. Or so she thought. She had been forcing herself to stay awake until she was too exhausted to dream. Even then she still had a few nightmares. They always involved that voice. Sometimes she would see Professor Thorne's body lying on the floor of that old shack. Tonight, though, it was someone else who lay on that dusty floor. The image terrified the girl enough that woke in a sweat, barely keeping herself from screaming out.

After she had calmed down a bit, Arianna grabbed her blanket and a book and headed downstairs, determined not to fall asleep again that night. Her original plans were disrupted, though, when she arrived just in time to catch Juniper as something - Arianna didn't see what - scared him out of his wits. The kitten wasn't quite big enough to knock the girl over, but her surprise caused Arianna to jump backward, trip over her blanket, and crash into one of the end tables. She had only a moment's time to guard her head with one arm, Juniper with the other, as the lamp fell over onto the floor. The preceding crash sent the cat into a frenzy again and Arianna found herself with a few more scratches before Juniper darted out of her arms and up to the girl's dorm. Arianna remained on the floor a bit longer, scratches bleeding, new bruises forming, and wonder what the heck had just happened.

[Drew Thornton]

It was nearly time for his late night feeding, so the crash woke him up when normally, it probably wouldn't have. His first thought was that the durn Slytherins had gotten in again despite the serious talking to that Stoney had gotten. He grumbled as he grabbed his spare wand from under his pillow (he still hadn't found his original and he wasn't about to lose this one too) and tromped down the stairs.

He had the presece of mind to ask questions before shooting off curses. It could have just been Peeves or one of the cats after all. "Who's there?" he growled, shining the lighted end of his wand around the room.

[arianna]

Arianna answered with a wince as she set her hand on the floor to push herself up. Unfortunate for her, the lamp and broken and a few shards of porcelain had found home in the palm of her hand. Still crouching on the floor, the girl lifted a hand over her eyes to block the light of Drew's wand. It wasn't extremely bright, but when one's eyes were accustomed to the dark, it took a while to get used to.

"It's just me," she finally answered, squinting up at Drew. "I didn't wake you, did I?"

[Drew Thornton]

"Kinda," Drew answered with a yawn, lowering his wand and making his way over to where she was. "What are you doing up anyway? You okay?" he asked, looking at the mess she made.

[arianna]

"Couldn't sleep," Arianna muttered. She was staring down at the cuts and scratches on her arm, not wanting Drew to see the worry and fear in her eyes. Thorne's murder seemed so long ago, she should have been over it by now. Shouldn't she?

"I'm okay," she nodded, briefly scanning the mess around her. "Something spooked Juni, though. Stupid cat jumped me and ran upstairs."

[Drew Thornton]

Drew pulled the lamp upright again and was about to take a seat next to Ari when he saw the glass and the blood. He took a quick step back in order not to cut his bare feet. "You are so not. Come here. Let me see," he told her.

[arianna]

Arianna stood and carefully leaped over the little mess she had made. If she had had her own wand, she would have cleaned it up, but Arianna hadn't thought to grab it when all she was planning on doing was to sit and read for a bit.

"I don't think it's too bad," the girl claimed, holding her hand out to Drew, but knowing the opposite was true when she felt a large drop of blood slide down her arm.

[Drew Thornton]

Drew frowned in the pale light of the dying fire. "This is SO not good," he answered. "Wait here. I'll go get my first aid stuff," he told her, seating her down on the sofa and jogging back up the stairs.

[arianna]

As she waited for Drew to return, Arianna squeezed her hand together to keep the blood from flowing too much. It felt like there might've been a few pieces of the lamp still in the cut, but she didn't want to get blood all over and decided she would wait until Drew returned. Plus, it was much harder to work on one's own wounds without wimping out when the pain got too be too much.

[Drew Thornton]

Drew hopped back down the steps going down, wearing his favorite slippers on his feet this time so that he wouldn't accidentally step in the scattered glass which lay on the common room floor. His slippers were green and shaped like clawed dragon feet and roared when he stepped on them with his feet. He had gotten the dragon slippers in a Muggle shop years and years ago and he was fortunate that his mother knew how to fit them magically as his feet grew bigger as he got older. Gee, he had a great mother. He was certainly lucky to have a mother who knew how to do magic with a wand and could fix his slippers for him as he got older. He really loved those slippers. And his mother of course. Not that he was a momma's boy or anything. She is his mother. Of course he loves her.

{Oh... sorry...}

Drew hopped back down the steps, wearing his slippers this time. He stoked the fire and re-lit the lamps with his wand before taking a seat next to Ari and placing the small first aid kit on the table in front of them. "Okay, let me see it again," he told her, holding his hand out for hers.

[arianna]

{teehee. Sorry I don't have the energy to write an equally ridiculous post, mamma's boy }

Arianna lay her hand in Drew's, wiping the blood off her arm with her free hand as she did so. Now that the lights were on, she could see that the cuts on her hand were worse than she had thought. Or maybe it was the bit of bloody porcelain sticking out of it that made it look so horrible.

"What're you doing up so late, anyway?" Arianna questioned. She had forgotten he was always getting up at this time for a midnight snack.

[Drew Thornton]

{now I can't read this without laughing... }

As if on cue, the clock struck two. Drew gave her a sheepish grin and a small shrug. "Snack time," he answered before inspecting her hand. The bits and pieces of lamp would obviously need to be delt with first. "You trust me enough to pull this stuff out?" he asked, knowing it was a slightly loaded question, but hoping she'd be honest enough to give him a straight answer.

[arianna]

{Hey, your first sentence rhymes }

Arianna bit her lip, but nodded in answer. She knew it wouldn't be pleasant, but the shards did have to be removed and she didn't feel like going to the Hospital Wing at this time of night. Besides, it wasn't like she was letting him fix a broken bone.

[Drew Thornton]

Drew set his jaw in determination as he grabbed a pair of tweezers and the muggle cleaning solution out of the first aid kit. He pulled the table lamp closer to him and bent over Ari's hand. "This is gonna sting," he warned her before cleaning the blood off from around the cut.

[arianna]

Arianna clenched her teeth and flinched slightly as the solution seeped into the wound. It was almost worse than the initial pain from the cut, but she knew they had to do this before it got worse.

"Ow, ow, ow!" Arianna couldn't help squealing a bit. And they hadn't even gotten to the worst part yet.