Biting a Lion (Mattias)

[JERRY BECKENHAM]

Jerry grunted when another punch landed on his face. This is going to show, he thought when he faced the Slytherin student. The boy was his year, but Jerry didn't know him outside of classes, but he didn't recognize the burning hatred in the Slytherin's eyes. Jerry saw it in his father's eyes right after the Gryffindor told him that he was attracted to both genders. You're not my son anymore... The words cut through Jerry's heart like Diffindo spell. That small trip into his memories cost Jerry the chance to duck when a punch to his stomach sent him on his knees. He heard the Slytherin cackle, but the seventh year didn't retaliate back. Oh, Jerry usually would, but the other guy was way too big for Jerry to take him on alone and he learned through the years that when it comes to this particular kind of phobia, it was best not to do anything at all. "Your kind isn't welcomed here," the Slytherin spat and with a slight kick in Jerry's ribs, he promptly disappeared.

"You kind isn't welcomed here," Jerry parroted when he was sure that he was alone and stood up with a wince. The last kick didn't do him any good, that was obvious. Luckily, Jerry knew how to deal with this sort of pain from Quidditch and decided to just suck it up. A trip to the Hospital Wing was hardly necessary in his opinion. Jerry would just have to be careful how he would sleep in the next few days. Feeling something warm trickling down his face, the Gryffindor felt his nose and saw blood, his blood on his hands. "That's not good," he murmured and carefully felt his nose, looking for any peculiar pain, next to the headache that he was sporting from that laceration.

He had every intention to return back to the Gryffindor common room, just in case the Slytherin came back with a friend. However, first, Jerry needed to clean up. He really wasn't up to any questions or people finding out that he failed to defend himself from a Slytherin. He, Jerry Beckenham! The Gryffindor tore a strip of cloth from his shirt (he had too many anyway) and stated cleaning the blood from his face.

[MATTIAS JACKSON]

The sound of a struggle outside in the hallway pulled Mattias Jackson from his papers he had been working so intently to correct. His hand writing was scrawled neatly across the tops of many, stating how he liked their papers and even on a few chastizing how they should have worked harder on them. The twenty-eight year old crossed his arms and leaned back in his chair for several moments, waiting to see if it was merely an accident or if a true fight was going on. After several minutes though the sounds intensified, and he knew he had to do something. He rose, gathering his wand up from his desk and crossing the room. A scowl on his face as grew as he opened the door, just in time to see the Slytherin boy dash around the corner.

The Transfigurations professor surveyed the other boy who sat on the ground with blood dripping from his nostrils. He waited a moment, watching as he ripped a piece of cloth from his own shirt and began cleaning away his blood. Mattias shook his head before walking out, his wand limp in his hand. "Mr. Beckenham." He greeted. The young Gryffindor had been a pleasure in his class, though there were times where he was certain the boy would rather be somewhere else. As he stood above him, he extended his free hand to help him up. "I assume I will have to find out what happened from you, seeing as I missed the other boy." He added. Mattias waited until the boy either accepted his help or ignored it before he continued.

"Can you step into my office? I would like to find out what happened between you and this other student." His eyes bore into the younger man. While he knew that Jerry had the choice to either deny his invitation or simply walk away, he wouldn't push. He knew after things like this, it usually went best if they were given time to cool of. But at the same time he wanted to get to the bottom of this. It didn't seem like a good idea to have this happen too many more times, especially right outside his office.

[JERRY BECKENHAM]

Jerry tensed when he heard an all too familiar voice beside him. He sighed and lifted his gaze, smirking when his assumptions were proven correct. The person who joined Jerry was Mattias Jackson, the Tranfiguration professor. "Professor Jackson," the Gryffindor murmured, his cheeks colouring bright red, when he was caught in a moment of weakness. Jerry tried to dry his hands as best as possible, before he accepted professor's hand and hauled himself up. The seventh year contemplated what to answer. Jerry didn't want to lie to his favourite professor, but it wasn't like he wanted to tell the truth either. He knew that his pride was not capable of taking another blow. Literal or metaphorical. So, the Gryffindor smartly chose a middle path. "There was a slight disagreement between myself and another boy," Jerry smoothly answered and tried not to wince when his ribs protested the sudden movements.

"Your office, sir?" Jerry hesitated, looking around like a wounded animal. The weighed the pros and cons of the next decision. If he accepted, he might get the Slytherin boy in trouble and the house would potentially lose points. But if the word got around that Jerry was seen walking into the professor's office shortly after the attack, if Slytherins found out, the future bullying might be worse. "Alright, sir, let's go then," Jerry nodded against his better judgment and followed the professor back to the room. Just because he was there, that didn't mean that Jerry would, willingly at least, offer any information. "It's nothing, though, really," the Gryffindor murmured, aware that Professor Jackson wasn't that stupid, especially since he saw him moping up the blood from his nose. "Friendly house rivalry, is all," Jerry winced at the obvious lie, but he would do anything in his power to play down the incident. He hated pity, which was the reaction of most people after they heard just exactly why was it that Jerry had been bullied.

[/blockquote]

[MATTIAS JACKSON]

When he was greeted, he offered a smile, though it was a tight one. He was not angry with Jerry, or angry with anyone really. Jackson just knew he had to get to the bottom of it. And soon. The last thing he needed was a rivalry from two students to be passed off as a little scuffle and have them continue to go at it. Mattias viewed his job as a teacher to be not only to teach students, but to protect students. From any danger, whether it be other teachers, outside forces, each other, or even themselves. And that wasn't about to change because one student didn't want to admit he had been in a fight. Though, Jackson felt a little better when Jerry accepted his hand and he helped to pull the student to his feet.

The professor looked him over again as Jerry told his excuse for the bloody nose. He nodded slowly. "Yes, I can see that." He stated, and a looser smile tugged at the corners of his lips. The thought that the student didn't feel like he could tell him what actually happened crossed his mind, and he let it sit in the depths, but didn't let it hold too tightly. After all, maybe once they were in the safety of his office, Beckenham would decide to tell what happened. Or at least, that was what he hoped.

"Yes, Mr. Beckenham, my office. " He confirmed, attempting to seem a little firmer on the idea. But he wouldn't make him come if he decided against it. After all, if Jerry needed time to think about what would happen, then Jackson would definitely give him the time he needed, regardless of what his colleagues would have told him. The professor seemed relieved when he accepted the invitation though, and walked into his office. Mattias followed behind him and pulled the door shut, before waving his wand toward a few candles, which helped to brighten his usually dimmed room. Mattias found he worked better in dimmed light, it didn't hurt his head, and created a relaxing atmosphere.

The next thing he set his wand to was a glass that was on his table. The glass transfigured into a bowl and then he did the same with a discarded towel that folded itself and laid neatly beside the bowl. "Aguamenti." He said, pointing his wand toward the bowl where it filled with water. He waved his hand toward the chair, signalling for Jerry to take a seat. "Go ahead and clean yourself up a little bit more, water will work better than your shirt will, I promise." He said with a soft smile. Mattias didn't want him to feel uncomfortable. He simply wanted to help. In any way he could. If any one would have asked him, he would have said that he wasn't here to judge his students, only to help them through their struggles, strife, and in their time of need.

"Friendly house rivalry, huh? I must admit, in my day, when we had a "house rivalry" along this nature, the headmaster was usually involved."

[JERRY BECKENHAM]

Jerry had half a mind to wince when the door slammed shut behind him. He felt like a trapped animal in an instant. His head moved back and forth, trying to work out a means of escaped and wondered if accepting the invitation really had been a good idea. The room suddenly brightened, which only made the feelings worse. Jerry felt even more exposed and fleeting thoughts were running through his mind, and numerous excuses that he wanted to use to quickly run away. But one had to give Jerry credit, because no matter how panicked his thoughts were at the moment, his body and face didn't reveal a single strand of it. Now, if a person was a legillimens or just a good micro body language reader, once would get a basic idea of Jerry's state at the moment.

The Gryffindor silently observed Professor Jackson as he prepared a bowl of water and a towel on the table. He then proceeded to tell Jerry that he should clean himself up. The boy blushed, wondering if he really looked like a mess, so even professor had to tell him to do a better job. "Thank you," Jerry murmured as he took a seat and picked up the towel his slight hesitation. He then started the humiliating (in his eyes) work of cleaning the blood from his face after that nasty bout with a Slytherin. In a minute or two Jerry was squeaky clean, if one didn't count a few bruises on his face that were getting a light purple color. "Such a heart breaker, I am," Jerry said to himself and barked with laughter, when he spied his image on the water's surface.
After that task was done, Jerry grabbed his shirt to pull it off, when he realized two things half way through. One, he wasn't alone in the room, a male professor keeping him company. And two, he was a wizard. That meant magic. Blushing again, Jerry took the wand out from his pocket and with a quick 'Reparo', the shirt was as good as new.

"I don't think the authority really cares for people like myself," Jerry sharply answered, almost growling when he thought about some of the new staff. He realized that he was in the presence of a professor and the Gryffindor muttered a quiet apology, staring stubbornly into the table's edge, wondering what else Professor Jackson wished to know or wished to make a comment about.

[MATTIAS JACKSON]

Mattias leaned against the door, watching the student in silence. In his gut he felt like he had done something wrong with shutting the door, but managed to dismiss it before it struck any inclination to change it. Jackson walked away from the door, glancing toward the man as he scrubbed his face clean. "I'm sorry, Beckenham, I didn't think you wanted to walk back to your common room with blood smeared across your face." He admitted. After he had cleaned his face off entirely, Mattias flicked his wand and the towel wrung itself out over the bowl before hanging itself over the arm of the empty chair beside the one Jerry sat in. Next, the bowl hovered and floated over the students head, a great deal of water sloshing out though. The professor cursed under his breath, the bowl falling and hitting the floor behind the chair, the remainder of the water running out onto the floor.

Instantly, he stooped, picking the bowl up where it transformed in his hand to a glass yet again and he set it on the table. With his wand, he flicked his hand toward the towel so it grew to a larger size and dried itself. He then picked it up from the chair and offered it to Jerry. "For Merlin's sake, I'm sorry. I'm really sorry." His face read all over that he was sorry. The teacher couldn't even begin to describe how sorry he truly was. He had no intention for the water to slosh all over him. He looked down for a moment before directing his gaze out the window. He cleared his throat before pointing his wand toward the small fireplace that was a standard in all the offices. It sparked to life and the flame helped to light the office even more. It also offered warmth.

"I'm authority, am I not? If I didn't care, you wouldn't be sitting here right now." He pointed out, walking back toward his desk and sitting on the corner of it. This time he looked at Jerry again. "I'm not here to judge you. I'm here to keep you safe and make sure this..." Mattias jestered toward the bruises. "... doesn't happen again.

[JERRY BECKENHAM]

"I would've visited a bathroom or cleaned it off properly," Jerry had a need to protect himself now, jumping to his defenses rather quickly. Truth was, he probably wouldn't done it, because he would be way to jumpy to remember something like that. So, Jerry guessed he kind of owed another thank you to Professor Jackson. Kind of. Not that he would say it or anything, as one more expression of gratitude that close to another would be seen as weird. At least in Jerry's eyes.

Jerry succumbed back into the horrible silence and observed the Transfiguration professor at levitating the bowl with pale red liquid. It seemed a bit wobbly to the Gryffindor and before he even had time to blink, Jerry was wet yet again. He paid no attention to the crash of the bowl nor Professor Jackson's fervent and sincere apologies. Jerry Beckenham was wet with his own diluted blood! Which a Hufflepuff spilled on him. "I thought you said you didn't want me to go to the Gryffindor common room splattered with blood," Jerry could not help himself but to bit at Jackson as he nearly tore the towel from the older man's grip. Getting beat up by a Slytherin for being bisexual, suffering multiple wounds, being confronted by a professor, almost getting water-boarded by the same professor...Why, Jerry's day just kept getting better and better. What was next? Getting a detention from McNabb?

"I guess you are the authority, but I've been thinking more about the main one, if you know what I mean," Jerry pointed to the ceiling, trying to tell that it was the headmaster he was thinking of. "Judge me?" Jerry scoffed, and started to dry himself off, a bit with the towel and some with the Hot Air spell he learned in his sixth year. "Ever since I was fifteen, all people do is judge me," he murmured, loudly enough for Jackson to hear, yet quiet enough for the professor to pretend not to hear Jerry's remark.
"With all due respect sir," the Gryffindor started, nearly biting the last word out, still peeved at his poor, wet state. "You can't prevent this. No one can, it's a part of the education if you will. You wouldn't even know it happened if I didn't get into a scuffle right in front of your office," Jerry pointed out and started to dry off his hair.

[/blockquote][/blockquote]

[MATTIAS JACKSON]

Mattias nodded. Indeed he could have. But the way it seemed, Jerry was just plain upset. It seemed like his judgement would be blurred. The way the professor knew his often did. When Jackson got angry, it was like a switch in his mind turned off and all reason left his brain. He had been know to have a terrible temper and usually ended up angry with the world. Today had been a good day. He had managed to lock himself within his room and grade papers, but the sound of a fight had distracted him and drawn his brain away from the assignments. Now there sat an angry, wet student, who was taking to his own methods of drying himself off. Again, Mattias offered an apology. "Really, I had no intention for that to happen. I am truly sorry." He repeated.

He heard the student snap and had to bite his lip not to snap back. He was usually the one who made snide remarks when things started going down hill. But he wanted this student to trust him. How could he do that? Mattias stood up again, walking around his desk and sitting in his chair. He opened the drawer and pulled out a chocolate frog and pushed it his way. He knew it wasn't much, but he hoped it would at least take the edge off his remarks. "No, I didn't. You're right. I'm sorry, I say again, I didn't mean for that to happen." It would be the last time he apologized. He didn't need this student to hold this particular incident over him. He leaned forward, placing his arms on the desk.

"Jerry, I'm not here to make my assumptions about students. I'm here to help them. I don't care what made him do it, and I don't care if you tell me why he did it or not, but you and I both know what he did was wrong and he shouldn't have done it. Nothing is going to get better unless you tell me who did it. After that, you can go if you like, but I need to know who did it. It's my job to protect you here. Even though the other teachers tend to forget that part of the job description, I haven't. Professor McGonagall was my mentor, and I would fail her if I did my job any other way."

[JERRY BECKENHAM]

"It's okay professor, I know you just wanted to help," Jerry mumbled, embarrassed at his childish behavior when Jackson only wanted the best for his student. The Gryffindor was satisfied with his semi-dry state for now, so he put the towel and everything else back on the table. He snorted when professor said that he wanted to help him. While it wasn't that which he doubted, Jerry knew that there was little chance of success. Bullies just kept on doing it. If they heard you squealed information to school's staff, they got even more vicious.

"Reaves doesn't really need a reason to do anything," Jerry darkly murmured and leaned back in the chair, his back aching from the previous harsh treatment. Alexander and himself clashed many times in the past, either over Quidditch, houses, blood, sexuality and more recently, it kept happening over Katherine. He cracked his fingers together to relive some of the tension in them, listening to Professor Jackson's speech. While Jerry knew that the older wizard only wished to help, it made the Gryffindor keeper even angrier than he had been.
"It's your job to protect me?" Jerry laughed, but the tone was incredulous and rather hysterical. "You're doing a pretty good job there professor," he growled sarcastically, balling his hands into fists. "Is that why I'm getting picked on almost every week? It seems that everyone is against me for one reason or another," Jerry yelled, and he just snapped under all the pressure from previous bullying. Before he knew it, the words started to pour out like an angry river over a broken dam. "I'm getting hexed, beaten, punched, kicked, pushed into the lake, threatened every single week, always by different people, and no matter what I do, it doesn't stop! It's ridiculous, I'm seventeen years old! But no, the bullies are getting smart. If they know that I could easily take them on, they come on groups," he growled in frustration, his face getting hotter under the extreme feelings. "I told professor McGonagall that, before she left, since she was my head of house and all. Guess what happened? NOTHING!" Jerry bellowed the last word, taking something from the table that was in front of him and chucked it at the wall. Jerry knew that he would probably lose points, but he couldn't care less. "Bullies lost points and lay low for a while then again. I get trouble for being a halfbreed, just because my mother is a Muggle, I get trouble for being in Gryffindor, being a keeper or not caring what's between people's legs!" he yelled out.
The angry tirade stopped, with Jerry being suddenly exhausted. This outburst, though unconventional and could be phrased with better and less crude words, was sorely needed for him. Jerry didn't want to bother Katherine with it, or any other friend of his, so he kept it bottled up inside. He was pushing it all down, but it finally reached a point where he couldn't keep it in any longer, so it just exploded. Jerry didn't know what to say anymore, so he wiped a few angry tears from his face and stared at the ground, still shaking a little.

[/blockquote][/blockquote]

[MATTIAS JACKSON]

Mattias stared at his student in disbelief as he blew up. It was like all the emotions that had been welling up inside of Jerry were suddenly coming forward. And it hurt. Not that he was angry with what Jackson had said, but because he now sat behind his desk helpless. He couldn't help him. He knew that now. What could he possibly do that any other teacher hadn't done all ready? What could he do that hadn't been tried? He bit his lip, letting Jerry throw his tantrum and let him say what he felt necessary. It wasn't until after he leaned back in his chair and started shaking that he finally spoke. His voice was soft and his eyes filled with regret. "I understand, Jerry. I really do." He paused for a moment. "I was a Hufflepuff. I wasn't liked all that much in school. I was good in my classes and was bullied practically every day because I wanted to do good in school and get it over with so I could become a teacher." He rose to his feet and walked away from his desk, his hands clasped behind his back.

As he walked toward the window he glanced up toward the sky. The clouds had taken over the sun. "I wanted to be a teacher because I wanted to help students who went through a lot of the same things I did. I know how hard it is now. How hopeless it seems. There really is so much we can do. I can't follow you around the school and make sure nothing happens. I can stop it when I'm around and when you come to me I can be someone to listen to, but I can't make it all stop." He glanced back toward Jerry and turned away from the window and approached the young man sitting before his desk. He sat on the edge of the desk and crossed his arms over his chest. He slowly nodded. "Raves has always had a tendency to cause trouble during his years." He commented.

"But if you want to talk to me, at any point, please don't hesitate. I know how hard it is to go it alone. I went crazy when I was younger. It didn't get better when Professor McGonagall reached out for me, but it helped having someone to talk to." He said softly. He used to be alone, and while now the majority of his days were still spent alone, they were better because he was doing what he loved.