personal h e l l |jonathon|

[prudence]

Never before had Prudence loathed being in the halls of Hogwarts, though now they were proving to be more than what she could handle. Ever since her pregnancy had become obvious the school had morphed into her own personal hell. It had been tolerable at first when people had simply thought she only put on a little weight, but now that it was obvious that it was caused by a baby... The cruel antics had been nothing short of torture. Girls would outright accuse her of being a slut- said they felt sorry for whomever she had told was the father, because it probably wasn't his. And boys... They had gotten the wrong idea about the type of person she was entirely.

They would call after her in the corridors- yelling about how they could show her a good time, and then laughing with their friends about it. The teasing, Prudence had found, she could put up with like she always had regardless of how much it hurt- it was those looks of blatant judgment she got in the hall, their eyes hurt her more than their words ever could. Prudence had just gotten away from a group of people on the prowl to make her miserable, she had dashed down the corridor and barricaded herself in an empty classroom, tears spilling from her eyes.

Prudence had lacked the courage to confront her tormentors, tell them the real reason why she was going to be a mother at such a young age. Shaking with silent sobs, Prudence cautiously lowered herself to the floor, hands cradling her stomach gingerly. She wasn't really all that far along, but given her petite stature her baby bump really didn't have anywhere to go but out. Her teeny baby moved about, she could feel the fluttering in her belly. Prudence bit her trembling lip as she continued to cry shamelessly as she was alone.

She jumped when someone tried the door, though the desk she had moved in front of it prevented the door from opening even a crack. Prudence sniffed, all she wanted was to be alone... And then came a knock at the door. "G-go away!" Prudence called, failing at keeping her voice steady. But when Prudence heard her name called gently, she flicked her wand at the desk, moving it aside so the door could open to reveal...

[jonathoncampbell]

Johnathon wasn't in a particulary happy mood today. Hadn't been for the past two days in fact when he'd been sent home from practice because he'd injured himself. Walking around with a limp wasn't exactly doing much to help his reputation he felt, he felt stupid but the Healers had told him to rest up till the end of the week then he'd be allowed back to practice. Well he'd accepted that he couldn't practice with the rest of his team, but like hell he was going to sit around his apartment doing nothing. No this time off gave him the space to do something he'd wanted to do for the last month, and go visit a friend.

A friend who had somehow become the most important person in his life thus far. Someone he thought about and worried about constantly. Prudence. They'd kept in touch since her spell in the hospital wing, via Owl's but it wasn't the same for Johnathon, he missed her immensley and knew despite her insistance she was okay in her letters, that things were far from being that. So that was where he was headed today, to see her, find out how she was really doing, how the baby was doing.

With a slightly limp in his step he entered Hogwarts, having already got express permission from the Headmistress to be here. Things had tightened up around the school since the murder of the Slytherin student. Another reason Johnathon felt the need to see Prue, he needed to know she was safe, he really wished he could protect her properly, this long distance friendship...or whatever the hell this was, was killing him. He hated feeling helpless.

It took a while but he finally spotted her and a slow smile began to spread over his face till he realised she was crying. Before he had chance to catch up with her, Prudence had gone and locked herself in a classroom, and he knew why immediatley. He shot a menacing glare at the Slytherin boys who were cackling after Prudence, watching with little delight when they all ran away from him. Smart move on their part he thought.

Sighing quietly Johnathon knocked against the classroom door and attempted to open it, only to find it locked, Prudence?" he said her name softly and listened as a few long seconds passed, before whatever it was that had blocked the door was moved. Smiling ever so slightly he tried the door again and found it opened, allowing him to step inside, his eyes immediatley landing on the petite girl, "Hey..."

[prudence]

Prudence really wasn't sure how to handle this on her own anymore, she could only tolerate so much, she felt that she was on the verge of snapping. She had entertained the idea of hexing those Slytherin boys that had said those things, hexing them until their own mothers wouldn't recognize them, and the thoughts had alarmed her. Prudence had never been violent before, never taken her wand out on a person. But she was beginning to feel that now it wasn't just her they were tormenting, it was her baby- and that made her startlingly angry. She needed to protect her child.

She had found out the other day that she was going to have a little girl, a daughter that she would have to care for and shelter on her own. It was scary, though Prudence found herself slightly relieved she would be having a daughter, that way she might have some idea what she was doing. And she didn't think she would ever have the energy to keep up with a little boy. She removed her hands from her abdomen and instead placed them on her knees after wiping away her tears. She didn't want to be crying every time Jonathon saw her.

Though she was going through a very hard time indeed. She had sent an owl to her father just recently, telling him that come April he was going to be a grandfather, though she had received no reply. That in and of itself made Prudence nervous she didn't know how he was going to react, whether or not he was going to be supportive. But she was sixteen, and still strongly craved her father's approval and guidance. He was one of the few things separating her from being completely alone.

"Hi," Prudence said softly, glad that it had been Jonathon of all people to happen across her. She tended to feel safer when he was around, and she supposed with good reason. He had been the one to essentially save her that summer. Prudence had no idea what might have happened had he not seen her on that Diagon Alley bench. She probably wouldn't have left until her father had found her, and who knew how long that might have taken. In a way, Jonathon was her hero. Though she did feel guilty, he was continually picking up the pieces for her, though honestly she couldn't do it herself.

Prudence took in a deep, steadying breath. Lately she had learned how to stop crying on a dime, it was a necessity. She was already viewed as weak by her peers, she didn't need to give them another reason. She patted the floor beside her, a gesture for Jonathon to sit down, though she hoped he wouldn't sit too close, even if those strong arms of his looked so inviting, so safe. Needless to say, Prudence had developed an instinctive mistrust of men, though Jonathon... He was different.

[jonathoncampbell]

Again Johnathon saw her wipe away the tears she'd ended up shedding over them idiots outside and again he was overcome with the urge to hunt them down and make them pay for upsetting her. He'd already been in touch with someone, someone he wouldn't normally be caught talking to about finding the men responsible for hurting Prudence. A bounty hunter of sorts, by the name of Hayden...what Johnathon was going to do when he found the men was not yet clear, but at least he could at least feel like he'd helped her in some way.

Johnathon smiled softly at Prudence when she greeted him quietly, though nothing much else came after that. It stung that after all this time they still weren't passed the slight awkwardness. Now Johnathon more than understood her standoffish attitude, not wanting to get to close, after being through what she had it was more than understandable and he could be patient. Of course he wasn't looking for anything more than friendship, he wouldn't put that kind of pressure on her, he just hoped she understood he was here for the long haul.

The tears she'd shed had ceased to fall and he watched her cautiously as she steadied her emotions. "You okay?" he asked, sitting down in the spot she'd patted, though was careful to maintain the appropriate distance. He knew how tense she still got, even after all this time...and deep down he knew it wasn't him, it wasn't his fault she maintained the distance, it'd take a while to overcome the trauma she'd suffered. Still it hurt, but he'd vowed to be whatever she needed, in whatever capacity.

Sitting down, he propped himself up against the wall, his knees bent allowing him to rest his arms on top of them, "Thought I'd pay you a visit...glad I did now...who were them idiots outside?" he asked, his tone cold when he referred to the boys.

[prudence]

Prudence allowed herself another deep breath, now suddenly feeling much calmer. Truth be told, she had been wanting to see Jonathon for a long time, to her letters did not seem quite so genuine as actual face-to-face contact. Another part as to why she was so nervous about her father's pending response. It might not have been the best thing to simply send in a letter, maybe she should have told him herself. But now that her pregnancy was obvious, she didn't have to tell anyone that she was with child- they could see that for themselves. Which was part of where her troubles originated from.

She bit her lip lightly as her baby, her developing little girl, resumed fluttering about some more. At least in this stage of pregnancy it seemed she was going to have an active little baby. Prudence just hoped that she would be able to keep up- she was most definitely not lazy, but she had never been anywhere near what one might be able to call high energy. She liked having a quiet life, pursuing peaceful activities like painting, music, and photography. Perhaps it was only because of her fragile upbringing, though she did recognize that she was a delicate person.

Her health had always been a finicky thing, it had gotten better with age, though she was still more likely to catch whatever bug was going around than her peers. Yet another reason why she wanted to leave school, Prudence would feel awful if she commuted any sickness, no matter how minor, to her daughter. She nodded, she was fine presently, the words had stung like hell, though she assumed she ought to not be so upset by it. Her peers had only been teasing her nonstop for the past five years, but it was different now, more difficult to let bounce off her.

"Only that, just idiots," sighed Prudence in a would-be-offhand sort of tone, but it was clearly heard in her voice that what they had said still bothered her. She allowed a pause to lapse, seriously contemplating inching a little closer to Jonathon, though eventually decided she still wanted her space. "You'd think I might be used to that," said Prudence, absently playing with a loose thread at the hem of her skirt, "I suppose I'm just hormonal." That much was true, there were more changes going on in Prudence's body lately than what she cared to count.

[jonathoncampbell]

"You shouldn't have to get used to it..." Jonathon said forcefully, hating that Prudence was getting so much grief from her peers. Would they act so callously if they knew the truth, knew of how the baby had come to be? He doubted it...then again they were teenagers, it often didn't matter to them how something came to be, if they could get a laugh out of it, then they would. Jonathon only wished he could be around some more to keep an eye of Prudence, shield her from them...deep down he knew he couldn't, not 24/7 but he made a point to remember to talk to the Headmistress...maybe ask her to make an exception for him, allow him to come and go when he could.

"Aside from the bunch of...." Jonathon stopped himself from swearing, biting his tongue for a moment before he looked back to Prudence, "Aside from all of them out there...how are you feeling? Hows the little one?" he asked, nodding to her rounded stomach. To be honest he wasn't sure how he should feel, normally a person would be happy for someone carrying a new baby but knowing how Prudence had become pregnant, put him at a loss of how he should act. He would admit to looking forward to meeting her, Prudence had told him it was to be a little girl in one of the many letters she'd sent him.

Unbeknown to Prudence, Jonathon had been slowly gathering a collection of baby things for her. For some reason unable to help himself, he knew she didn't have a lot of people, only her Father, and he knew from her last letter that she still had yet to hear from him. "Has your Father been in touch since you sent me your last letter?" he asked, clasping his fingers together as he looked over at her cautiously, hoping his question wouldn't upset her but they'd grown closer over the last few months and he liked to think she knew she could confide in him. He'd already proven he wasn't going to run out on her like she'd expected when she'd told him she was pregnant and the truth of what had happened to her.

He meant it when he said he was in her life for good, in any way she wanted him. Jonathon cared for her in ways that scared him somewhat, he'd never felt this strongly for anyone before.

[prudence]

Prudence was alarmed by Jonathon's response, not what he had said, but the way that he had said it. She frowned slightly while biting her lip in response. She had always been one of the favoured targets around Hogwarts for bullying because of her inability to stand up for herself, and the fact that she was small and sickly. But now that there was an actual reason for people to pick on her... It had become relentless. Enough so to the point where Prudence didn't really feel sad about her inevitable dropping out. She was planning on leaving on her seventeenth birthday in February.

Unceremoniously, of course. She might stop to say good bye to a friend or two, but she didn't want to make a big deal of it. Her head of house had tried to persuade her otherwise, though Prudence's mind was made up. She thought a moment, unsure of how to answer how she really was. She wasn't as miserable as she had been, it was still hard to get through the day, but not a constant struggle like it used to be. Though she was still a far cry from what she would consider being happy, or even just normal. "I'm managing," said Prudence, figuring it was the only reply appropriate.

At the mention of the baby her hands went to her stomach again, to her precious unborn daughter. "She's developing normally," said Prudence, "sometimes when I'm still I can feel her fluttering about in there." She experienced a flurry of mixed emotions whenever she put any thought into her baby. Fear, pain, anxiety, depression, but on the other hand there was excitement, and the faintest little amount of happiness. That was usually trumped by everything else. She was scared, mostly, though all the same there was something magical when she could feel her tiny baby move inside of her.

Prudence lightly shook her head as her hands went down to her lap once again. She was still anxiously awaiting her father's reply, she could only hope that he would support her in her decision. It was too late to go back now, and although the circumstances weren't what she had ever pictured, she loved her daughter. They way she was beginning to see it was that the child was more hers than anyone else's, there was such an intimate bond there.

"I've still no idea how he feels," Prudence said nervously, she just hoped that he would understand. It wasn't in her father's nature to be compassionate. Not that he was cruel, she was just under the impression that he had lost the gentle side to him with his wife nearly ten years ago.

[jonathoncampbell]

"I'm sorry...I should watch my mouth I just hate feeling like I can't help you...you shouldn't have to be suffering here of all places...kids can be cruel but damn, there's no need, no excuse...they shouldn't be judging you..." he sighed, realising his tone of voice and how he'd answered her would've sounded bad. He hadn't meant to sound like that he just hated feeling helpless, absolutely hated it, after all she'd suffered and what had he done to help? Nothing, he couldn't help her at all.

He looked back at Prue, and smiled ever so slightly when she spoke, "That's good...I'm glad your both doing okay...have to admit I'm looking forward to meeting her..." he said, faltering ever so slightly at the end of that sentence. Who was to say Prudence would want him around when she left here, when the baby was born. It was probably foolish, naive hope that she'd still want him around, he hoped she would, he wanted to take care of her, take care of both of them, "You know if your okay with that I mean?"

He looked at his clasped hands, his brow furrowed as a million different thoughts raced through his head. "Can you not get out of here for the weekend...go see him? I mean if you want to know how he feels, may be best finding out face to face..." he suggested, turning to look at her again, it really went without saying as well that he'd be there with her if she didn't wish to do it alone. There was no mistaking how worried she was in regards to her Father's feelings on this matter.

[prudence]

Prudence only then realized that she still playing with the thread at the hem of her skirt, still lightly biting her lip. She had played out every possible scenario regarding her father's reaction- the best case being a healthy amount of support and his understanding that she couldn't go into the career he wanted her to. The worst... Well, if that came to that Prudence would not only be alone, but having to word whatever job she could find so she could have somewhere to live. She shoved the thoughts out of her head, she didn't want to think about that. "It's what people do," sighed Prudence, though halfway smiled.

She really was flattered about how much Jonathon wanted to protect and help her, she appreciated it more than he would ever know. Branching out of her comfort zone, she reached over and took Jonathon's much larger hand in both her own. When he admitted he was looking forward to seeing the baby, however, she almost wanted to start crying all over again- though she smiled instead. A real, genuine smile. Prudence was scared, but she had finally recognized that he wasn't going to let her be alone. "Of course I am," said Prudence gently.

Her smile faded when he pondered if perhaps she might be able to get away from school. She didn't see it likely, security had been tightened considerably following the murder of Ascella Malfoy. The Slytherin had been a nasty girl, one who has tormented Prudence most, though she did not rejoice in her death. No one, no matter how cruel, deserved that. "I don't think it's an option," said Prudence, "not with the way... things are right now." She bit her lip again, she didn't like thinking on what may or may not be out there.