An active, character-driven Hogwarts experience set in the early 2000s. Unique items, plots, and features. Non-canon; this isn't Harry Potter's story, it's ours.
Post by Caine Hawke on Nov 14, 2024 0:00:54 GMT 10
The banter back and forth was so worth it. Joshua’s offering to teach him how to spit a sausage was not on his list of skills to acquire so he waved his hand dismissively.
”That’s a you skill, Joshiepoo. You’re on your own with that one.” His smile, at least, brightened a bit at the ease that came with being near his best friend.
Then again… he went and started talking about Snape and Caine shivered a little.
”You’ll be lucky if he’s forgotten. If nothing else… hide.” Sage advice, if he did say so himself.
All of a sudden there was a flurry of movement and Joshua was donning a hat from somewhere - putting it on his head and looking… quite confident.
Wand tapping the thing he watched it glow with wide eyed curiosity before it vanished, reappeared and fell again.
”Dude! That’s so cool!” He wanted to make one, too! He’d just… have to find the time for it. He was sure he could but it would involve a lot of work, no doubt.
”Oh! Morning Amber and OF COURSE!” fluttering with energy was Caine’s permanent state. He wasn’t as bad as usual because of the run that morning but still, it was always good to show that he was excited to see his friends.
”Plans? Hm. Not that I can think. I figure I’ll probably work on some of the extra credit stuff. I got a few to finish.” He gave a thoughtful look then shrugged. ”I think you two should hang out some today.” Because he was sure Josh missed her.
Heck, he missed both of them a lot so he could only imagine how they felt about missing one another. It was fine. They’d do great. ”Oh, hey, I was thinking about playing some gobstones or something later. Would you be down for that? Maybe after lunch?”
He glanced at each of them curiously. He’d have the first half of the day to do school work and such then, when he was finished with that, he could go play with them! See? He was being responsible.
Last Edit: Nov 14, 2024 0:05:32 GMT 10 by Lena: Readability
Post by Jaxen Ashworth on Nov 14, 2024 1:07:47 GMT 10
Jaxen had pulled the duvet over his head when the first rays of morning light came streaming through the window. A low groan escaping him when he heard his dormmates beginning to leave their beds and start their days. He didn't understand how he could get up at the same time each day, and yet sometimes it felt way too early and others he was fine.
Rolling to the side, he shivered as his bare feet hit the cold floorboards and Jaxen hurried to the wardrobe to retrieve his clean uniform.
The cold air - though definitely warmer with the sun shining through into the dormitory, seemed to rouse him from his sleepy haze and the sixth year got changed in record speed, desperate to welcome the warmth of new clothes and limit the time his bare skin was exposed to the morning chill.
Rubbing the remaining sleep from his eyes, Jax ran a hairbrush through his hair, scowling when it wouldn't sit the way he wanted it to. He could never understand how some boys in his class never seemed to have a hair out of place, they made it look so effortless, and all the while his hair refused to cooperate.
In the end, he gave up on the hopeless task and moved to unceremoniously shove his required textbooks for the day into his backpack alongside his ruined sketchbook - which had remained in place since it had been ruined.
Jax didn't even know why he was still carrying it around, maybe because on some level he hoped that the damage wasn't as permanent as it appeared.
He still needed visit the owlery before he could venture down to breakfast and satiate the ache in his belly, but the trek seemed more daunting than it would most days. Jax let out a sigh as he left his cozy dormitory behind and headed out to start his day.
The owlery was warm when he arrived, and Jax smiled at the owls that were perched nearby, watching him through half-closed eyes. They were sleepy, just settling down for the morning after a long night of hunting no doubt - unlike the owls that would be shortly swooping through the Great Hall on a mission to deliver letters and packages.
"Hello, sorry to wake you" he mumbled to a nearby Tawny owl, whose beak parted in a lazy yawn when he drew near. "I hoped you might deliver a letter for me?" he said, reaching into his pocket.
His fingers closed around nothing and his heart lept as he fished around in his other pocket to find the letter in question missing. Oh... Oh no... He remembered now, the crisp white envelope sitting on his bedside table - and he definitely had not picked it up before leaving the dormitory on the way there.
"Sorry, nevermind" Jaxen turned away, unable to believe that he'd done something so stupid. Thats what happened when he was half asleep, he wasn't thinking clearly. Now he'd had a complete wasted journey and-
His gaze drifted to an empty nest, where he could see something fluttering around each time a strong breeze whipped through the building. Curiosity getting the better of him, he walked over to discovered a loose piece of parchment sitting in the nest, completely abandoned... But folded in two, without an envelope in sight.
Jaxen picked it up, wondering if perhaps an owl had left it behind - but there was no address present that he could see. It felt wrong, but cautiously he took a peek inside to see if he might be able to determine who had written the letter, as his eyes scanned the page, Jax's features softened and he carefully slipped the parchment into his pocket.
This was an unexpected development... And one he'd deal with later, but now he had to head to breakfast before the food disappeared and he went hungry again.
--
Arriving at the Great Hall, Jaxen wasn't the slightest bit relieved to find that he was probably among the last to arrive. The hall was loud and rowdy and he had to dodge a couple of first years who practically sprinted past him to go and meet their friends. Had breakfast always been so chaotic? Or were people just in high spirits because of the warmer weather?
He looked around, shrugging his backpack higher onto his back as he searched for a place to sit. His first instinct was to look for the vibrant red of Martha's hair among the crowd, but with a sinking feeling in his gut, he realized that he couldn't see her in the crowd. Maybe she was also late rising, or had potentially left early on her quest for productivity? NEWT year really was taking a toll.
Reluctantly heading over to the Ravenclaw table, he sat in his usual spot and reached for the scrambled eggs, ladelling them onto his plate alongside some toast. As he ate, he would occasionally look around for somebody to talk to, but he didn't see any of his siblings either... Odd.
Last Edit: Nov 14, 2024 9:02:44 GMT 10 by Jaxen Ashworth
Post by Oscar Tinkle on Nov 14, 2024 2:18:07 GMT 10
As was the best way to sleep while the chill of the castle was trying to end him, Oscar had become one with his bedding during the course of the night. By the time morning hit, there was not a visible teenage boy on his bed, it was simply a big lumpy pile of blankets.
Well, at least until a yell echoed from another room. Then a head full of chaotic hair appeared, its owner blinking in dazed confusion at what had disturbed his slumber.
What had woken him? He was too sleepy to figure it out, so instead he dropped his head back to his mattress with an annoyed little sigh. It was sleepy time, not thinking time.
Oscar was ready to drift off back to sleep, where pleasant dreams of lazy summer days rested, all thoughts of it being morning deleted from his mind. He was just snuggling back in, getting ready to finally close his eyes again, when something caught his attention instead.
Something was different. Something had changed from the miserable mornings of winter.
He let out a confused little hum and wiggled about in his blankets until his head reached a beam of sunlight coming from his window and warming one patch of his mattress.
Warm? The sun was warm? “‘’S’nice,” came a slurred little mumble as he rubbed his head against the spot, soaking up all of the warmth that was offered.
The sun was warm! Warm and pretty and shining through his window!
Oh! Spring had finally arrived!
Very happy with that bit of good news, Oscar relaxed once more. He was going to stay there for a little bit longer, in that nice bit of sun, soaking it in until he had to get up.
Just.. a bit.. longer.
Several sleepy blinks later, and Oscar was once again in dreamland.
–
Fortunately (or not) he was disturbed once more by the sounds of someone getting ready.
More awake after this disturbance though, Oscar finally realised that it was the morning and that getting up for breakfast and classes would be a good idea.
With some regret still, he untangled himself from his blankets and left his beam of sunlight behind to head to the bathroom. Late to wake he may be, but a quick shower was still on the cards, especially since it seemed the only hope he had of sorting the disaster that called itself his hair.
Sleeping under blankets may be the best way to sleep, but it really did no favours for the hope of ever taming his curls.
—
A nice hot shower later, his hair slightly less chaotic than what he had woken up with, Oscar dressed in a clean uniform. Then, with his bag packed for the day and his precious beanie tucked in a pocket just in case, he finally made his way to the Great Hall.
Only to be immediately targeted by Zack Mercer. That’s what it felt like anyway.
“Right, clubs,” he winced, that had maybe slipped his mind the other day. Whoops? “Will be signing up today. Um, thanks?”
Not wanting to stick around in case he was going to be told what a disappointment and bad example he was, Oscar slipped around Zack and disappeared to a different bit of Hufflepuff table where he could see his yearmates.
“Morning,” he greeted, hoping he was not interrupting anything.
He quickly went about sorting his usual breakfast out (yoghurt, fruit and nuts), keeping his head low as he worked in an attempt to avoid any other stern reminders. His breakfast fixed, he glanced over his timetable to double check what his day looked like (both the good and the awful, a real mixed bag), only to drop it in surprise as he noticed Joshua’s hat disappearing and reappearing.
What-? It was far too early to try to figure out what was going on there.
“Nice hat.” he offered instead, deciding to simply go along with the latest shenanigans rather than comment on them.
Post by William Doren on Nov 14, 2024 2:35:47 GMT 10
Quietly, William attempted to enter the Great Hall and take a seat at the Slytherin table without drawing too much attention to himself. Which would probably have been more successful without the hat on his head.
It was a boater hat he had decorated while inspired by the Norchen so it was gold, black and green.
At least it had matched his house robes a little. William glanced at the teacher table as he sat down. He knew he had to tap his hat with his wand to show off the effect it could do but he couldn't bring himself to do it immediately.
Instead he started to add food to his plate. He was vaguely aware of the girls opposite him staring in his direction but he focused on his scrambled eggs instead.
Post by Reena Ashworth on Nov 14, 2024 4:32:20 GMT 10
Reena paused mid-bite, her spoon hovering near her face as Amara's question landed. The clink of the silverware against her bowl was the first sound that followed from her side.
Tae-Sang Lee. His name alone carried weight for her. And here she had been trying to tell herself she wasn't going to spend her valuable time thinking about him.
Well, guess again.
"Why, what did you hear?" Reena tried to sound casual, but the heat she felt at the mere mention of his name betrayed her.
As her ears started to turn pink, she flicked a gaze towards Victoria, wondering if she was greedily waiting to feed the gossip-mill.
She briefly paused as she caught sight of someone sporting an outrageously decorated hat a little way down the table. Reena creased her brows in confusion when she recognised that someone as her classmate William Doren.
Anyway... Back to Amara's inquiry. Which Reena wasn't entirely certain how to take.
At least her tone had been neutral, which Reena appreciated. She wasn't sure what she'd found worse: Had Amara sounded intruiged or disgusted?
"There's not much to tell," she started a little evasively. "He was my date to the Founders' Ball and we've hung out a few times."
It sounded weird, saying it like that. But that was what people did, wasn't it? Hanging out?
"He's interesting." Reena tried very hard not to think about the way he had cupped his hands around hers to keep them from freezing. Or how that had made her heart speed up.
She blew on her tea, acting (though probably failing) indifferently.
Post by Joshua Twiggs on Nov 14, 2024 5:05:40 GMT 10
"Yeah!" Joshua grinned when Caine agreed about his hat. And Amber too! (When had she arrived?)
"It's part of the History of Magic extra credit. Isn’t it just lovely? The only class that gets you a fashionable accessory. Truly the best." Definitely superior to Potions...
Joshua tipped his hat to Oscar at his compliment -- before it disappeared again, only to drop back onto his head.
"Thanks! It's modelled after a Hoomit, also known as a cannonball bird."
He gave Oscar a warm smile. Not everybody was a morning person, neither was he to be honest, but Joshua was quite certain his friend would appreciate the bird facts.
He tuned back into the conversation with his best friends, nodding when Caine said he'd have class stuff to do. Didn't they all?
O.W.L.s were approaching fast, he could feel it in his gut.
Joshua glanced sharply at Caine when he suggested he hang out with Amber today. Why, he...
"Yeah, that be great," Joshua smiled at Amber. "Though I also have some class work to finish."
Why did work always get in the way of fun lately?
"Ahh, before I forget: Mercer asked me to say 'hi' to you. What's that all about, then?" He chuckled, teasing. An attempt to cover up how much that had rubbed him the wrong way.
Hopefully Amber could offer a simple and much needed resolution.
He suddenly dared not look at her, in fear of... something. Instead he let his gaze wander lazily towards the next table, nodding to Caine's suggestion of playing gobstones later.
"Actually, I might need your help with something later," he said to Caine, though did not stop his gaze wandering the rows on the Slytherin table.
Ah! There he was with his boater hat: One William Doren. Though the hat sat still atop hus head.
"Doren!" Joshua whisper-yelled, trying to get his attention.
He was trying to wave him over at first, but then resorted to pointing at his own glowing, disappearing, and falling hat. He gave his classmate a thumbs-up, which he hoped was encouraging, and mouthed: Tap. The. Hat.
Post by Jonathan King on Nov 14, 2024 5:25:51 GMT 10
Joe stumbled into the Great Hall, barely awake despite the climb from Ravenclaw Tower. His eyes were still small, heavy with the remnants of a restless night, and the usual chaotic mess of his auburn curls looked even worse than usual -- a cowlick sticking up stubbornly like it had a mind of its own.
He scratched at the back of his neck, yawning as he shuffled toward the Ravenclaw table.
The seat next to him was empty, so he casually tossed his bag onto it -- just in case Ryan or Toby showed up soon.
It was their thing, the three of them together, sharing breakfast.
He yawned again, trying to shake the grogginess from his body as he reached for a plate.
He didn't even process what he was grabbing as his hand moved on autopilot -- some random assortment of food: a slice of toast, a couple sausages, a load of scrambled eggs, and what might’ve been a piece of fruit or... a roll?
Whatever, it would do. He wasn’t awake enough to care.
Joe slumped in his seat and, with a sigh, glanced over at his class schedule, which appeared right next to his plate with a quiet puff of magic. His eyes flicked over the parchment, still squinting through the fog of sleep. HoM, DADA... and no Herbology.
Joe huffed and poked the sausages on his plate. He didn't even like sausages. His fingers brushed over the half-eaten roll, and he frowned. Herbology was the class he looked most forward to. But it apparently wasn't in store for him today.
He groaned softly, wishing he could just crawl back into bed for a few more hours.
Post by Alora Sagemore on Nov 14, 2024 5:46:43 GMT 10
Right after leaving the Hospital Wing, feeling now better than ever, Alora had made her way to the Great Hall, making a beeline straight towards the Gryffindor table. She was a bit late already, so she fully expected her sister to already be there, and she was right. The two buns of curly hair were unmistakably her sister’s.
With a bright smile on her face, chest up, Alora walked over and gave Kamari a hug in greeting.
“Kamari, I’m back!” she tightened the hug a bit before settling down next to her sister, looking up to her with concern. “Howzit your arm, Kamari?”
Yeah, her injuries weren’t important, despite her having had to spend the night at the Hospital Wing. But they were healed now, she was fine, so who cared. But what about her sister? This was way more important!
Feeling famished, she filled a bowl with some yoghurt, cereal and fruits and began to eat, carefully to not let anything slip past her, though she didn’t really need to keep attention on such a thing as those manners were by now ingrained into her. But while she grabbed some grapes for her bowl, she spotted an apple as well. Hm, might not be such a bad idea to gather more of those, especially as they were ideal to practise spells with, as she had just learned yesterday.
Swiftly, she gathered one before casting a glance at her schedule. Hm History of Magic, and then DADA? It wasn't Herbology, but it at least wasn't again Potions or Transfiguration. The day before had been horrible...
[OOC: hug mentioned with permission]
Last Edit: Nov 14, 2024 15:35:36 GMT 10 by Alora Sagemore
Post by Amber Lloyd on Nov 14, 2024 6:41:06 GMT 10
“Morning!” Amber greeted Oscar back with a smile, though then turned back to Joshua and his hat.
“That’s true! And looks good one you,” she grinned, then lightened up as he explained the meaning behind it. That was why the hat had reminded her about a bird!
She chuckled at Caine’s enthusiasm about COMC, though then blinked about his suggestion of Joshua and her hanging out today, as if he wasn’t going to join. Due to classwork? It was still an odd suggestion, normally he would propose something they all could do together. Or at least Amber had expected it – and maybe she had hoped to hang out with the two of them again. Ever since Josh came back, they hadn’t spent much time together. What a bummer...
However, the confusion was gone the instance Josh accepted the idea with open arms, and Amber basically beamed at him, even though he did mention class work.
“Yeah, I would love to! And no worries, I also wanted to do some class work! But we can meet up afterwards? No other plans yet!”
Well, no firm plans, she definitely had to take William on again for a round of Gobstones. And this time, she would win... And at the perfect timing, Caine mentioned the game as well, letting Amber feel even more exciting.
“I’m always down for Gobstones, you should know that! Count me in!” she laughed, then turned to Joshua. “You also wanna play a round or hang out somewhere differently after we did our school work? But I have to admit, I’m proud of you two to actual do some school work.”
She was only teasing them, but it was true. She knew her two best friends, they weren’t a fan of school work and had to get a reminder the one or the other time, so them doing stuff on their own? Awesome! They might even deserve some cookies – ok, they always deserved those, still...
What Amber hadn’t expected was for Joshua to pass on greetings from Zack. She blinked, but then her face lit up.
“He did?! When? Where?” she asked delighted and her gaze automatically searched the Great Hall for the Head Hog, but Josh’s follow-up question pulled her attention back to him before she could find him.
Good question. Why had he? How did Zack know they were friends? Although, when she thought back to his nature and knowledge he had depicted during their meeting, plus knowing that he was a Head Hog and got around at the castle, Amber didn’t need to wonder anymore. Of course he knew...
However, she had the feeling Joshua wasn’t asking about that kind of why, but why at all. Why getting greetings from Zack, as he probably hadn’t seen her interact with the guy before. But... what was up with that teasing tone? Was it that weird for it to happen? Did she need to explain how she knew him now? Hm... Only how...
“Oh, ehm, well, we met up when he showed me the Prefect Room. You know, Quidditch Captains are allowed to use them as well...” Amber let the sentence trail off, though uncomfortably looked aside, knowing fully well that there was more to the story.
But how the heck should she explain everything that had happened? The whole adventure of her searching for him, plus the portrait – and Zack’s admittance of playing a prank with the minstrel. Hardly a conversation for all those ears around her which weren’t her closest friends, plus a Prefect nearby. So, just in case she refrained from mentioning it for now.
However, remembering her brief conversation with Zack, a smirk played around Amber’s lips and she barely refrained from chuckling. Damn, she really should have visited the painting during Christmas, just to get the satisfaction of seeing the minstrel draped with the not so easily removable curtain.
Her attention turned back to her friends when Joshua asked Caine for help. Amber raised a brow at that. He didn’t need her help? ...What was he up to know? She sighed, though then noticed Joshua’s glance towards the Slytherin table.
She followed his gaze and turned slightly around, just to spot William at the table – with a decorated hat on top, same as Joshua. Well, not the same, they were clearly made differently, but chance was high the Slytherin wore it for the same reason as Joshua. Amber bit on her lip to refrain from grinning too much at the sight of him, but it was kind of funny to see William wearing such an accessory, as he normally was so... serious or reserved?
Although, recently he hadn’t felt as distant anymore, especially after their match of Gobstones. Maybe he did began to warm up to her...
Therefore, Amber followed Joshua’s example and smiled in William’s direction, trying to give him an encouraging wave.
Last Edit: Nov 14, 2024 6:44:03 GMT 10 by Amber Lloyd
Post by William Doren on Nov 14, 2024 9:01:01 GMT 10
William was doing his best to enjoy his eggs and toast. The girls opposite were whispering and giggling so he averted his gaze.
Sadly it landed on Joshua Twiggs.
Joshua had remembered to wear his hat as well and William watched as it did its thing. Twiggs seemed to be mouthing something at him as well.
Not that William was practised in the art of lip-reading. He didn't give a visible reaction as he tried to decipher Joshua's words.
Top. Wee. Hat?
Odd.
His gaze shifted to notice Amber sat with Joshua. She was giving him a smile which he could only hope was friendly. William raised his hand in a feeble attempt at a wave before he noticed the girls were staring at him.
They probably thought he was trying to wave at them... And they definitely didn't seem impressed.
William cleared his throat, "This hat is for my History Extra-C task... It is enchanted."
He pulled his wand from his robes and tapped the hat on his head. It melted upwards in slow drips and globs. It seemingly disappeared for a few seconds and then reappeared in the air above William'a head.
The hat dropped back onto his head perfectly and he waited for a reaction.
"He's wile weird..." One of the girls commented and, as if it was rehearsed, they rose together and left the table.
William watched after them for a second and then his hat started to drip again. He went back to his eggs.
Post by Luckett Langford on Nov 14, 2024 9:15:34 GMT 10
Lucky nearly choked on his sausage, mid-bite, when he heard Sophia's yell behind him. He grinned, half-chewed toast on display, before swallowing quickly and attempting to look as suave as possible -- which, admittedly, wasn't easy when you were about three seconds away from being tackled by your best friend. But he barely had time to react before her arms draped around him, her chin resting on his shoulder, and suddenly the Great Hall felt a lot warmer.
'Oi, Soph!' he chuckled, reaching up to pat her arm as she slumped against him. 'I was startin' to think you'd decided to marry those textbooks or somethin' mad.'
She just huffed dramatically, and Lucky felt her whole body sink a little, her weight relaxed and easy against him. He tried to ignore the fact that her hair tickled his neck or that she smelled like lavender mixed with ink from too many hours spent in the library. For Merlin's sake, he'd missed her -- and as she slid into the seat beside him, he couldn't help the grin on his face.
'You know, Soph, if you ever go missin' that long again, I might start puttin' up posters,' he teased, piling a piece of pancake onto her plate in a way that was as much a command as it was an invitation. 'Last seen with her nose in a dusty book. Approach with food and caution. Not responsible for any books thrown in frustration.' He chuckled.
Without thinking, Lucky grabbed the pumpkin juice jug and poured it for her, his hands moving on autopilot. He slid the goblet closer, making sure it was full, before quickly moving on to add another sausage link to her plate. Her pile of food was growing by the second, but Lucky wasn't paying much attention to the portions -- just making sure she had enough after her parent-imposed "study hibernation." How could anyone survive on just textbooks and tea, anyway?
Then he noticed Caine Hawke further down the table and gave him a casual wave in return, excitement spilling over. His hand jerked a little too enthusiastically, and before he could stop himself, a splash of juice spilled out of the jug, dangerously close to Sophia's full plate.
'Oops,' Lucky muttered, sheepishly wiping at the spill with his sleeve. 'Don't worry, it missed,' he added, trying to save face. He refocused on Sophia, making sure her goblet was settled properly and nudged at her ridiculously full plate. 'You're gonna eat all that, right? I dunno, thought you'd be starvin' after your romantic getaway with all those books. You sure you haven't developed an emotional attachment to 'em by now?'
Post by Victoria Vargas on Nov 14, 2024 11:47:38 GMT 10
As Reena slid into a seat across from them, the conversation between Amara and Victoria came to a sudden halt. It wasn't that the interruption was unwelcome, but there was something about Reena's quiet presence that immediately changed the setting. Amara hadn't been saying anything too scandalous (yet), but it seemed the moment Reena joined the table, the air shifted — less casual chatter between friends and more the calm-before-the-storm kind of quiet.
'Morning, Reena,' Vicky said with a genuine smile, though it was wrapped in the sort of sweetness that didn't fully mask her curiosity. She wasn't bothered by Reena's arrival, truthfully — just a little.. distracted by some of the things she'd recently heard about the fifth year girl.
Then, in the smoothest way possible, Amara casually dropped the bomb about the rumours directly in Reena's lap. Vicky couldn't help but twirl the fork between her fingers, thoroughly intrigued. It didn’t feel like Amara was just asking either. It almost felt like a test of sorts.
Vicky made a face at Amara's command, the words dripping with an unspoken reminder that she'd been the one to turn every conversation about boys into a full-on event. She'd been accused of being a bit boy-crazy before, though she preferred to call it being exceptionally discerning. The truth was, Vicky didn't mind the teasing from her bestie, even if Amara's tone usually had a bit of a "you can't be serious" edge. It was the beauty of their friendship.
She narrowed her eyes at Amara in mock defiance, but she knew the game. Amara could read her like an open book. And that was fine. After all, what was a little mystery without someone who knew how to unravel it? Besides, keeping things to herself was never Vicky's strong suit.
Her thoughts immediately drifted back to the name Amara mentioned — Tae-Sang Lee. She couldn't help but agree with the masses. He was attractive, with his hair and easygoing smile that always seemed to make his eyes sparkle in that annoyingly perfect way. She had to admit — he definitely had the look that made most students weak at the knees as if they were under some sort of spell. She easily understood why. That boy was dangerous in the best way.
Vicky tilted her head, eyes narrowing slightly as she watched Reena's reaction to Amara's question. She was good at reading people — and right now, Reena's flushed cheeks, fidgeting spoon and evasive language screamed nervous. Did this mean that the rumours were true?
'Oh, it's all coming together now,' Vicky blurted, smirking to herself as she lifted her goblet, watching Reena with amusement. 'Really? You just hung out a few times?' she repeated, almost incredulously. 'Is that what you fifth years are calling it these days, Reena?'
She snickered softly, took a pause, and then leaned in a touch.
'I don't know about Amara, but I've heard some interesting things,' she said, her voice dripping with drama as she took another sip of her cider. Of course, Vicky may or may not have been exaggerating, but it was the perfect bait to get Reena to defend herself and spill truths.
'I mean, maybe it's just me, but when you're always seen with an older boy, one who makes half of Hogwarts swoon, "hanging out" seems a bit.. tame, don't you think?'
Vicky noticed Reena's gaze dart toward the end of the table, as though she were plotting some sort of future escape — and whether that was true or not, Vicky wasn't about to let her slip away that easily, especially when she had more investigative probing to do. She casually placed her goblet down, then, as if she'd just had an epiphany, continued with a wicked little grin.
'But, I'm sure there's nothing to tell,' she added with exaggerated sweetness, her tone dripping with mock sympathy. 'You know, because when you're just hanging out, I imagine there's just so much.. casual, no-strings-attached fun to be had.' She mimed a casual air with her hands. 'Nothing too exciting, right? Just friendly conversation?'
Post by Ezra Ashworth on Nov 14, 2024 14:01:37 GMT 10
Faced with the never-ending staircase down from the Ravenclaw tower, Ezra decided to take a break halfway down. And by decided, that really meant that he had lost count on his thousandth attempt to count the stairs and paused to gaze out of a window overlooking the grounds instead.
The grounds were green though! The snow was all gone and that meant that it was a whole new world out there. A whole new world that he needed to explore!
Ezra bounced in excitement at the thought before he pressed closer to the window for a better look. He needed a plan! And for that he needed to be able to see.
It was questionable if having his nose pressed to the window actually helped with that, but it was too late to think that over properly. He was busy squinting at the blobs of colour that dotted various shades of green, trying to decide which blob he wanted to explore first.
It wasn’t until his stomach rumbled that Ezra realised that his first stop on any adventure should probably be breakfast. Breakfast, then class, and then freedom!
Full of excited energy just at the thought of that, Ezra skipped his way down the rest of the stairs, his backpack bouncing about on his back without a care.
He skirted around an older pair of students as he reached the hall, but paid them no further attention than a curious glance before he moved on, eager to reach the Ravenclaw table.
The Ravenclaw table where he spotted Jaxen sat by himself. A sight that managed to take some of the wind from his sails.
He paused in the middle of the walkway, hesitating rather than running straight to sit by Jax like he would have in the past. He couldn’t help the little voice that niggled at him though, asking if Jax would really want him there.
Ezra nibbled at his bottom lip, shifting from one foot to the other as he fought with himself.
Finally though, he hiked his backpack up, stuck his smile back on his face, and skipped the rest of the way to where Jaxen was sat. That was his brother, whether Jax liked it or not! And Ezra would not leave him looking lonely!
“Good morning!” He greeted the older Ashworth, claiming the seat opposite him and getting comfortable. If he was comfortable then he couldn’t be made to leave, that was the rule!
Pleased with that logic, Ezra turned to the plates and dishes of breakfast food, only to quickly find his next problem.
Eating breakfast in the Great Hall was dangerous! How was he supposed to eat when food liked to disappear and find its way fired at other students?
Ezra sat on his hands as he considered the various food items with a furrowed brow. He didn’t want to upset anyone again. And he definitely didn’t want to have to wash his hair before class again! So how could he eat while being sure that his food would remain on his plate?
Unable to come up with a solution, especially when he still wasn’t sure how his food had disappeared the first time, he sent a last longing look at the yummy looking toast and then focused back on Jaxen.
“What’re you doing today?” he asked as he snuck some nuts and an apple into his bag for later. Maybe that was the trick - he just had to eat outside the hall!
Sat on his hands once more when he was finished squirrelling food away, Ezra really hoped that was the solution after all. He didn’t want to be banned from breakfast for the rest of his Hogwarts stay.
Post by Tobias Twiggs on Nov 14, 2024 14:17:14 GMT 10
Toby was trying. He really was, but the soft confines of his bed made it so hard for him to be an early riser. The twelve year old had managed to drag himself from beneath his duvet mere minutes before his dormmates that morning and he was counting that as a win - however small.
If he wanted to make it big as a Quidditch player, he knew he had to put in some serious work - it was an entire lifestyle change, but lifestyles couldn't change overnight. At least, his couldn't. He needed to allow for an adjustment period, so that his brain could catch up.
Wandering into the Great Hall, dragging his feet a little as he walked, he made a beeline for Ravenclaw's table. It had kind of become his routine, spending breakfast with his best friends... They always sat together with the other birbs, Toby just figured that Gryffindor got too loud for Ryan most days.
It was easy to locate Joe, he was sitting around the same spot they always sat in and Toby was convinced that even if he wasn't, then he would be able to find him. He had a sixth sense for the location of his friends, if they were nearby then he would find them.
"Morning, Joe" he mumbled a greeting, rubbing sleep from his eye as he settled down on the bench beside his best friend, leaning into him in an effort to give him a lazy one armed hug.
"Are you gonna eat that?" he was reaching for the sausage on Joe's plate before he'd even finished speaking. Plucking it up and nibbling at it, his eyes brightening the moment that first bite passed his lips. If there was one thing he loved almost as much as Quidditch and his besties... It was food.
Sitting up straight, Tobias began to heap a plate full of breakfast items - bacon, pancakes, a few hash browns... It was the breakfast of champions.
"What do we have first? Ugh... History of Magic?" he whined upon seeing the timetable, that was one of the most boring classes he could ever hope to sit through. But maybe it would give him the opportunity to rest his eyes... A boy could live in hope.
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February
