alice:
Even if Frank Longbottom was sometimes a thorn in her side, Alice never wanted to see him upset. Seeing him blow up, just practically lose it, she couldn’t help but be immediately concerned. “Frank,” Alice started softly, moving over to where he’d been sitting, a hand hovering over his own before she decide to just place it on top of his – a COMFORTING notion. “I think you might be scaring the little ones more than they’re already scared. D’you want to take a walk? Slamming things, though momentarily helpful, isn’t helpful in the long run. If you’d really like to punch some things I’m sure we could find some pillows or dummies for you to punch but c’mon, I think you might need some air.” Though, she couldn’t blame him for his outburst, not in the slightest, she couldn’t blame him for being scared, angry, confused & then angry again. Especially when the Ministry didn’t have a grip on the situation. “It’s going to be alright.” Though, she said those words, she wasn’t sure she believed them – not completely.
“—al?” the nickname slipped so easily off his lips, as though he were speaking his own name. it was a comforting notion, to find someone he knew, someone he was able to refer to by nickname because they weren’t a STRANGER ( like two-thirds of the damned school ). his fingers immediately wrapped around the hand that was placed on his, squeezing her small fingers in his own as if to comfort her ( though he knew, at this point, it was him who needed comforting ). it was funny: not a thought had passed through his mind of their close proximity, of the way her soft voice might reveal something much more personal, of the way their hands held each other so tightly despite a usual lack of contact; not a thought, because all he could feel was relief in knowing that she was safe and there was someone he knew to provide him comfort. ❝ okay. sorry for yelling. ❞ his gaze slowly turned to meet hers, his eyes full of sorrow and confusion. ❝ i’m just... not used to having such little c o n t r o l, y’know? but i guess that’s just another thing you’ve gotta shake outta me — a selfish thirst for control. ❞ he chuckled, though the noise was BITTER, as though his relentless chase of alice fortescue had lost all humour and been resorted to something childish and meaningless — because maybe, in the grand scheme of things, it was.
