freedom || bean

[Morgan Barlowe]

_{19 november 1973
breakfast
great hall}

“BENJI!” Morgan shrieked from the doors of the Great Hall. It had been weeks since she had been allowed to step foot in the large room where literally all the other students took all of their meals. Her eyes settled on her friend, who had just situated himself at the Hufflepuff table. None of his other friends were around yet, so instead of going for food right away, she made her way straight towards him.

“I’m FREE!” Morgan exclaimed, so relieved that she was no longer stuck having her meals brought to her by the elves in her father’s quarters. She plopped down across from him and grinned. “I can’t wait to go out tonight. I was thinking that we could go to the Hedge Maze!”

Morgan had been going insane being locked down in her dad’s living space. He had magical barriers set up and she could only leave for classes. Even Quidditch practice had to be forgotten about. She was still sour about that, being benched for the rest of term.

It wasn’t her fault that Ephraim was a lame loser-face.

“Wanna go?” she asked, still grinning at him.

[Benji Cuddrun]

As if Benji wasn't a morning person before, they had become increasingly worse for him with the headaches that plagued him the moment he woke up.

Eyes screwed shut and hands clasped tightly around his goblet of orange juice, Benji breathed through the throbbing, willing it to lessen long enough for him to be able to get through breakfast. He had been taking the potions Nurse Bellestorm had given him and going to bed at the time Nabih had instructed him (without complaint), and yet the pain wasn't getting better yet. At least not in the mornings.

A pity too. Breakfast was his favorite meal of the day.

“BENJI!”

The excited shout that echoed across the Great Hall caused him to tentatively open one eye, and he felt a small grin at the corner of his mouth as Morgan came flying down the aisle toward his table. As she sat down he forced his other eye open and tried to ignore the sudden increase of pulsing at the decibels of her voice. It wasn't her fault after all. She had no way of knowing.

Besides she had been locked up with her dad because of him and his stupid need to get in Prothero's face. It was his fault, really. "Hey Sneaks," he smiled at her, his voice quiet, but easy and casual.

“I can’t wait to go out tonight. I was thinking that we could go to the Hedge Maze!”

Benji dropped his gaze from her and reached into his pocket to pull out the tiny vial of pain potion. He uncorked it and poured its clear contents into the orange juice before giving the goblet a little swirl. He knew where this was going already and he hated to let her down, but he still wasn't well.

“Wanna go?”

"Nah," he said softly and brought the juice to his mouth, drinking quickly. He set the goblet down again and pushed the plate of muffins towards her. "I can't do anything like that. I'm still not all the way good, you know? Professor Al-Azma put me on half-days for school and I'm really not supposed to go anywhere other than classes and meals. And I have to go to bed early and all that."

He didn't meet her eyes, but he reached for a piece of toast and the butter. "You should ask Charly if she wants to go. You know she's always up for fun stuff."

[Morgan Barlowe]

"Nah. I can't do anything like that. I'm still not all the way good, you know? Professor Al-Azma put me on half-days for school and I'm really not supposed to go anywhere other than classes and meals. And I have to go to bed early and all that."

Morgan looked down at the muffins as Benji explained the situation, turning her down for what she had planned. She frowned, picking a chunk of muffin off and popping it in her mouth. She was disappointed. She wanted to go out with him specifically. She’d been locked up because of him, afterall, and while they’d seen each other in classes last week, she was now free.

"You should ask Charly if she wants to go. You know she's always up for fun stuff."

Morgan frowned. She loved Charly, the girl was insane. (Morgan’s first memory of the girl was her saying she was a bunny… and getting Morgan to hop along with her.)

“I’m supposed to go to bed at a normal time too, but I don’t. Please? It’ll be so fun,” Morgan asked, pouting at the boy across the table with her big green eyes. “You’ve gotta be bored. You just don’t remember what you’re missing,” she said, thinking that maybe he’d gotten hit a lot harder than she thought.

“Your Not-Dad doesn't have to know,” she added, the frown still on her face.

[Benji Cuddrun]

Benji smirked and a little puff of air exited his nose as he gave a little laugh. "I'm so bored actually," he agreed and tapping the ends of his fingers on the table.

"But it's not Professor Al-Azma," he said and he cocked his head slightly, wondering why she called him that. Was it that obvious that he and the professor were close? He knew Nabih came and visited and stayed with him in the Hospital Wing sometimes, but surely people had better things to talk about than that.

"I don't feel well enough for anything, really." It was the truth, his damn head hurt so badly the majority of the time he could barely think, much less do anything else. "Sorry Sneaks," he offered and picked at his plate quietly.

He didn't know what else to say.

[Morgan Barlowe]

Morgan felt completely deflated. She’d woken up so excited to make plans with her partner in crime, that she hadn’t even thought of him possibly not feeling up to it. He had died, after all. She was being insensitive.

“Promise later?” Morgan asked, watching him as he picked at his plate. She tore off another piece of muffin and sat quietly for a moment.

“Do you…” she began, looking back up at him. She swallowed the bite in her mouth. “Do brains sound good to you? ‘Cus I still think you’re undead, especially since you’re not actin’ like yourself. Do I smell good? Please don’t eat me, ‘k? I’ll help you find brains to eat, but don’t eat mine. I like mine.”

Morgan was trying to rectify the situation and make him feel better. It was clear that he didn’t feel that good, and maybe her pushing had just made him feel even worse.