#3 In search of livelier company (open)

Ryan had spent a while in his dorm, just enjoying some time alone and to recover from his very busy afternoon so far. When he felt calmer, he decided to venture out to the courtyard in case Gerald was finished already. He didn't mind if he wasn't, as Ryan was fine to just sit and read while he waited.

As he entered, he looked around and was a little bit glad Gerald or Grace hadn't shown up yet. He didn't want to run off to more places or do things yet. Ryan contemplated where to sit, and noticed a familiar Hufflepuff by herself. He got the impression she wasn't trying to be alone, like he wanted to be, but rather hoped for company. He could be wrong, but decided to go say hello.

Ryan waved at Ruby as he approached, then sat beside her on the long bench but not too close. He had his book in hand, still hoping to get some reading done, but tried to be friendly and socialise a little bit. He knew what it was like to sit by oneself and not have someone for company when it was wanted.

'Hey, Ruby,' he said. 'You okay?'

Ryan fidgeted. He wasn't sure what to say that would help her feel better. He knew what it was like to feel abandoned and lonely, though also really enjoyed having a lot of time to himself. It was confusing for the eleven-year-old boy. He wanted to try though. He didn't know Ruby very well but she seemed nice and he didn't want her to be sad.

'That's not nice,' he said. That was a lame reply, but Ryan wasn't very experienced in trying to help people feel better. 'Um, maybe everyone was just really busy? I don't think they meant to leave you alone like that. I know I didn't. I'm waiting for Gerald - he's off doing other stuff and is really busy, but he didn't leave me. He just knows I need some time to myself. It can be a good thing too.'

He shrugged, sharing at his book cover. 'Gerald's not here yet though, if you'd like to talk to me? I don't now if I have anything interesting to talk about, but I can try. Would that make you feel better? Sometimes when I feel lonely, I talk to Hopper. That's my toad, by the way. We're still getting to know each other, but he's a good listener.'

Well, apparently he did have lots of words he could say. Ryan felt a bit better about that now, and hoped it helped Ruby a bit too or else he was going to run out of ideas fast.

'We made a friend, Grace - she's in our class, Gryffindor.' Ryan wasn't sure if they were friends, but they acted like it so they must be? 'We were getting some Potions ingredients - so Professor Snape would let us use the student lab.'

He shrugged. 'After that, they went off to do other things and I needed a bit of time to myself.' Ryan blushed, looking at his book again. He flipped it open, but didn't read. 'Gerald's meeting me back here when he's done, just before dinner I think, so we can hang out for a bit. Er, just the two of us - sorry.' He squirmed, feeling bad for turning her down.

Ryan was annoyed at himself for not accepting, but he really didn't like how social he'd been lately. It was fun, but he needed more time to get used to having people around. When it was just him and Gerald, it was easier and he wanted to work up from that. He knew Grace and Dani well enough now to spend time with them sometimes, but was still getting to know Ruby and others from their class.

'Sorry,' he added. 'Maybe another time?'

Ryan helplessly watched Ruby run away. He'd made it worst and she was crying, which he felt horrible for, but didn't know what to do. Should he go after her? No, he didn't know where she'd gone. What if she went to her house common room? Where was that, anyway?

Sighing, shoulders hunched in defeat, Ryan tried to read his book to pass the time. It was hard to focus on the words and care about the story, but what choice did he have? He could draw something, he supposed, but wasn't in the mood to.