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.
Insu hurried into the Great Hall half-way through breakfast, hurriedly shoving a book into his backpack as he went. He had risen early, as was his usual routine - he preferred it that way, so that he could prepare for the day ahead and feel productive before breakfast had even begun.
However, he had gotten entirely caught up working on the days agenda... As Pierce had called it. His classmate had graciously explained to him how that worked and how to structure it the night before and Insu had taken it very seriously. It seemed like a pretty good tool to help him structure his day.
It was unfortunate that he'd gotten so into the task that the time had gotten completely away from him and now he was... What he considered late.
Insu took a moment to scan the hall for any sign of his cousins and relief flooded his features when he saw Siwoo sitting alone at the Ravenclaw table and hurried over, smiling by way of an apology for his tardiness as he sat opposite his younger cousin.
"No Dalmi?" he asked, noting the absence of his other cousin - it was a shame, they usually walked to class together in the mornings whenever they were both free... And not occupied with their friends.
Peering at Siwoo's plate, Insu helped himself to some of the same and began to eat as quickly as possible without making a mess. He needed to make up for lost time and he didn't want the food to disappear before he had a chance to eat his fill, not when classes demanded his focus.
The arrival of the morning post had Insu turn his head briefly upwards to watch the owls swoop in, smiling at how majestic most of them looked. One of the less fortunate individuals crash landed not far from where he sat and he hurriedly snatched up his breakfast to avoid it becoming a casualty.
"Oh!" he gasped when a letter was dropped in front of it, snatching it up and ripping it open. His brown eyes lapping up the information that was written out in his Appa's familiar handwriting.
He hadn't been expecting a letter at all, not today... But any word from his father was welcome and filled him with a warm sensation deep in his bones. He made a mental note to add 'writing home' to todays agenda - he simply had to write back as soon as possible.
"Hey... Look what Appa sent me" he mumbled in Siwoos general direction, picking up the jar after he had unwrapped it and gave it a gentle shake, gasping when it lit up...
It was so beautiful... What kind of magic was that? He had to find out more...
Post by Kamari Sagemore on Nov 15, 2024 13:20:33 GMT 10
At first the arms that slipped around her took her by surprise. Kamari startled only a little - displayed by her slight stiffening and glance backward.
Alora’s voice calmed her and almost immediately her posture relaxed. She didn’t know who else would hug her but she was just glad it was her sister and not some random would-be friend.
”All healed up, did you get much rest?” she asked, trying to examine her sister’s face for any sign of sleepiness.
Nibbling at her food she glanced up when the owls were heralded in.
They flew beautifully (save for the one that slammed into a bowl of eggs over at the Ravenclaw table) and she always found herself admiring them.
The Daily Prophet that landed in front of her, however, quickly turned her mood. Her smile faltered slightly as she read it over and felt the eyes at her back - because of course it was just more to be talked about.
Ugh.
If it had been acceptable she’d have knocked her forehead into the table.
Shooting a grateful look toward the older students that probably weren’t paying attention, Kamari folded her paper and glanced up at Alora, hand reaching out to take hold of the letter that had come for her.
She read it once, then again. Mama had kept a copy? She felt a warm flush of happiness at that.
She had hopes for the game, for sure! She knew that it wouldn’t be easy but she was down to play and hoped that she would have something fun to report to Papa later. He wished her luck so she’d have the best of luck! She was certain.
She could hear the others around her gasping at the broom but didn’t pay them heed as she opened it, running her fingers along the fine handle and beaming up at her sister.
”You ready for the game?” she asked, finishing up her breakfast and putting the daily prophet into her bag and pulling the broom with her.
”I love you, Alora. I have to get to class. I’ll see you in a little while?” She made sure everything was where it should have been and nodded to herself. She wanted to get away from the stares and the whispers - and dedicate time to classes and Quidditch.
First game. They had this. She'd have to put her broom away then go to class. Might as well get it out of the way.
Post by Jaxen Ashworth on Nov 15, 2024 14:21:55 GMT 10
Jax was quite focused on his breakfast when he was distracted by the arrival of his little brother. Ezra seemed in good spirits for it being so early and that brought a smile to his face.
"Hey Ezzie" he greeted, continuing to eat his breakfast as the twelve year old made himself comfortable across from him. Jax watched the second year, waiting for him to pick something for breakfast... But he didn't.
"You okay?" he pried, his brow furrowing as he tried to figure out why Ezra might be reluctant to eat. His brothers never shied away from a meal, he would know - he'd spent the majority of his childhood ensuring that they ate every day. Something was off, he just wasn't sure what.
Was it still his place to figure it out? He wanted to ask... But maybe that wasn't his job anymore?
"I've got Transfiguration this morning, then going to look for some ingredients" Jax took another bite of his breakfast, reviewing his class schedule with a pleased hum. Then he'd have charms in the afternoon, at least today was looking to be a good one.
"You have any good classes today? You'll have to let me know how they go" second year classes would be a breeze compared to the NEWT level stuff he and his friends were dealing with. If he could go back to second year... Well, he'd already be there.
Jaxen grinned when Martha suddenly appeared, occupying the seat next to Ezra. Her words made it seem as though she'd been looking for him, but... He couldn't remember making plans to meet her that morning. Had he forgotten?
"You were looking for me?" he asked, sitting up a little straighter in his seat and forgetting about his food for the time being. Whatever her reason, it had to be important for her to seek him out and abandoning her friends during breakfast.
Waiting for her to grab her food, he then leaned forward so that he could better hear her over the noise of the hall. His grin only growing wider when he heard the topic in question.
"Oh yeah? Go on..." he invited the conversation, pushing his plate away to show that she had his full attention. Internships were useful, he'd found his to be super intriguing... Maybe she'd done something similar? Or completely different.
Whatever it was, she seemed to think he'd find something useful in the information she'd gained.
As he was waiting, the teltale screeching of owls signified the arrival of the morning post and at first Jax paid it no attention, he wasn't expecting any post... But then a rather disgruntled looking owl swooped down to land beside him.
Jax looked at the owl and the owl looked back at him. He tried really hard to ignore the darn thing, turning back to pay attention to Martha - until the bird squawked (do owls squawk?) and bit him.
"Ow!" he shook out his hand, glaring at his aggressor before tentatively reaching for the letter that it had been trying to give to him. Apparently return to sender was not an option.
Jax tossed some bacon at the owl (though he wasn't sure it was deserved) and then tore open the letter, scowling at the writing within, he clicked his tongue in displeasure and pocketed it without comment. He'd reply to that eventually... Maybe after class.
Post by Amber Lloyd on Nov 15, 2024 16:59:04 GMT 10
Amber had been pleasantly surprised and confused with the whole greetings from Zack, but what stumped her even more was the fact that none of her friends said anything about it. Joshua didn’t answer any of her questions, he didn’t even look at her while she at least tried to give him a bit of an explanation in turn.
Caine wasn’t better, just looking between them both without a comment. Why?
Both was unusual for her friends. And it left Amber pouting. Why had Joshua even asked her when he wasn’t interested in the topic after all? Now she felt as if she had said too much unnecessarily, though she had felt the urge to explain it earlier...
Not really knowing what to do with it other than pouting, she was glad that at least William waved back at her. Well, attempted at least, it looked a bit reluctant... or awkward? But at least he had tried, points for effort!
Her smile widened when she saw it, though turned into a surprised gasp when she watched how his hat ‘melting’. What an awesome effect! Perhaps she should do the HoM extra-C as well...
Amber was still sulking from their previous conversation when the owls arrived. Flipping open her own copy of the Daily Prophet, Kamari Sagemore waved back at her from the front page. Oh crap. She instantly skimmed through the article and found what she had suspected: Joshua being mentioned again. At least, it didn’t sound as bad as she had feared...
But her sulking was forgotten for a moment, and she glanced up to Joshua – but he took everything in stride. And then leaving them behind. Amber only nodded at his words to meet him outside, wondering if he already left because of other students already looking at him with interest again. Hm...
But as she still had some time – and her breakfast to finish – Amber at the rest of her bacon while reading through the Prophet. Oh, dragon sightings again! She immediately flipped to that page, everything else was forgotten, until Caine pulled her out of his thoughts. Right, they had to go to class! Though there probably wouldn’t be a dragon... “Sure,” Amber answered, packed the prophet into her bag and was considering the offered arm for second, before just ignoring it.
The whole Zack talk had come back to her, and she decided she was still irritated about. Masking the refusal with being occupied with her bag, Amber followed Caine out of the Great Hall.
Post by Alora Sagemore on Nov 15, 2024 18:40:55 GMT 10
Alora was glad to hear Kamari had healed up as well. She nodded at her question.
“Yeah, that’s why I’m late!” she let out a refined giggle while swinging with her legs a bit.
However, the good mood from her soon turned into annoyance upon the arrival of the owls. One glance at the Daily Prophet revealed why everyone around them looked at Kamari and her, whispers spreading to them from other tables.
Alora immediately stopped her bouncing legs and sat up straighter. Normally, she would have given the Prophet a read-through, but not today. Instead, she turned to the letter – and of course her broom!
With a smile on her face, ignoring the rest of the Gryffindors around them, Alora peeked inside the package, discovering that it was in fact an Icebolt, just like she had wanted! And bought with her own money. What of course no one else knew, nor was it something they had to know. Still, Alora wondered if then the jealous gazes would be less.
Probably not, they would find another way regardless. “Yes, I am!” she beamed up at her sister in turn and waved Kamari a goodbye. “See you!”
Alora stayed a bit longer at the table as she still needed to finish her bowl and read her letter. Although, she wasn’t hungry anymore... But the nurse had said to eat properly! Grumbling, she first ate the food, then read her letter.
She kept up her smile throughout reading the letter, though it soon turned into a masked one. Apparently, her Papa believed that MJ and Thorne did want to take advantage of her. Alora couldn’t really believe it, not how MJ had seen in front of her, not knowing anything about Sagemore’s in particular, but... what if she just hadn’t seen it because she had hid it so well?
Her Papa advised her to be cautious, and Alora would heed his advice. Still... it didn’t mean she shouldn’t interact with them, right? She just needed to find out their true interest in her: Alora or Sagemore?
And if anyone else caught her interest? Alora pondered a bit over the question. Hm, she still wanted to get to know Toby a bit better, he seemed fun! But she also had fun letting the apple together with Kahn!
Apparently, a letter was in order later again, but for now she had to go to class.
Alora packed away her letter, then grabbed her satchel and broom. Right, she had to bring that one back first. Too bad it couldn’t have been delivered right to their dorms instead of breakfast, would have saved her the way plus the gazes she got... With a quiet sigh, Alora left the Gryffindor table behind. She was not looking forward to all the whispers today...
Post by Oscar Tinkle on Nov 15, 2024 18:55:01 GMT 10
Oscar paused, his spoon halfway to his mouth, when his roommate explained his hat some. A Hoomit hat? Momentarily forgetting about food, he eyed the hat as it disappeared and reappeared.
“Neat,” he said as he noticed the resemblance. He smiled at the design of it, impressed by Joshua’s creativity, before he finally remembered that he was eating and shoved his poor hovering spoon in his mouth.
His focus back on his food, Oscar let the noise of the hall simply wash over him as he slowly emptied his bowl. With Care first thing, he wanted to make sure that he was fit to go and do his best, that meant eating all of his breakfast like a good little student.
And like a good little student, he had just finished scraping his bowl and poured himself a cup of tea, when the post arrived.
With one hand absently stirring sugar into his tea, he collected his paper from where it had been dropped by an owl that didn’t want to stop. He unfolded it one-handed and then sat back to read the headlines.
Only to immediately frown as the front page was taken up by an interview by the Sagemore kids. There was something uncomfortable about kids younger than him being the focus of the newspaper.
Still stirring sugar into his tea with one hand, Oscar scanned over the words on the page, before he finally flicked the paper over to page 25. Dragon sightings, they were much more his cup of tea.
Speaking of - he lifted his tea to actually take a drink, only to wrinkle his nose at the first taste. How much sugar had he put in there?
He frowned into his cup, trying to remember how much he had added, before giving up with a quiet sigh and choking the tea down anyway. He wanted a bit of warmth in him, even if it apparently came with enough sugar to stand his spoon up in.
Once he had drunk as much of his ‘tea’ as he could stomach, Oscar tucked his newspaper away in his bag and then stood up to begin the trek down to his first class of the day.
As he left the Great Hall, he couldn’t help but hope the sun was still as warm as he vaguely recalled his patch of sunlight had been that morning. He loved Care as a class, but it would definitely be made a hundred times better without battling the snow and cold to get there. [exit]
Post by Martha Twiggs on Nov 15, 2024 19:47:09 GMT 10
Oops, Martha had interrupted a cute brotherly moment, hadn't she? She gave the younger Ravenclaw an apologetic smile, "I promise I won't hog your brother for too long."
Besides, Sophia might be a bit miffed if Martha didn't show her face at the Hufflepuff table as well.
"Okay, well... I got placed with the Special Investigations Department -- which was incredible. I don't know how to really put into words how amazing it was? Like, there was just this air about the place that made it seem so important and intense. But in a good way." She knew she wasn't doing a good job explaining herself but hopefully Jax could forgive her for that.
She took a bite of her breakfast before she continued, "Anyway, the person overseeing my internship was a Curse-Breaker called Mr. Hyo Kahn and he's definitely a big deal. I can't help but feel like I've heard that name somewhere before..."
Martha was about to get to the good bit when the owls arrived. She hadn't expected a parcel and letter to drop on her lap and yelped a little from the surprise.
Of course, she instantly recognised her mum's handwriting and then remembered she had sent a letter recently. So much had happened since then...
She opened the letter first and laughed at the opening statement, "Uhoh... Pierce has bamboozled my dad with something."
Continuing to read, Martha blushed a little when she saw what her mum had written about Caleb and Jaxen. The bit about a big magical incident did worry Martha and she wondered if...
Shaking her head, she set down her letter when she was done and sighed, "No chance your family goes to the Quidditch World Cup during the summer...?"
This was directed at Jaxen while she opened the parcel and revealed her mum's homemade chocolate fudge. She grinned and offered it to Jaxen's little brother first, "Would you like some? My mum makes the best fudge."
While she waited for him to decide if he wanted a piece, Martha turned back to Jaxen, "Listen, Curse-Breaker Kahn said something very interesting to me when I asked him about Academy stuff. He said that we need something extraordinary on our applications to stand out. Nothing run of the mill, like being Prefect or playing Quidditch or being in a club."
She let that sit with Jaxen and wondered how he would react to that titbit of info.
Post by Luckett Langford on Nov 16, 2024 2:43:26 GMT 10
Lucky couldn't help but chuckle to himself as Sophia made her little remark about textbooks. She always had that same reaction to anything remotely academic. He could practically visualize her fainting from boredom every time someone mentioned studying, and somehow, that made it even more entertaining. Not that he was much of a bookworm himself. But with Sophia? It was like she had this knack for turning the most mundane tasks into full-on battles worth winning.
When she said Martha had brought her snacks, though, Lucky felt a little pang of something -- maybe guilt, maybe a bit of self-deprecating humor. He was pretty sure if he tried to bring her food, they would've ended up goofing around -- which, then, would defeat the whole purpose of her hibernation. And it wasn't like he wasn't capable of being thoughtful, he just thought it wiser someone else do it. Martha, with her efficiency and motherly aura, had that role covered, right?
As for the whole "rescuing" thing? Lucky couldn't help but snort quietly to himself. Rescue her from a library? The only thing Sophia needed rescuing from was the mountain of snack wrappers that seemed to follow her everywhere (especially when studying). There was something about her that made him laugh without trying, and sometimes, he found himself just watching her, simply amused by the mixture of stubbornness and vulnerability she seemed to haul around.
But then, she just had to go and give him that laugh. The one that made his whole stomach flip and sent a thrill up his spine. Maybe it was the way her eyes lit up, like she'd found a new way to enjoy a joke no one else got. Maybe it was that she thought his attempt at humor was funny. Either way, it made all the back-and-forth worth it. Everyone else was probably looking at them, silently judging, or worse -- not getting the joke. But Sophia? She got it. She always did.
Having just about finished demolishing his plate (because, of course, food waits for no one), caught sight of the Daily Prophet flying overhead, a tawny owl dropping it off with a precise and dramatic plop onto the table. He could already feel the collective shift in the hall, the whispers picking up. Some Gryffindors were already gossiping about the latest headlines, no doubt. But he wasn't looking for drama; he was looking for something practical, like more eggs.
But also—did someone say something about new brooms?
Sophia, in her I-can-do-this-all-by-myself-but-wait-actually-I-can't manner, started stretching across the table for the Prophet, like a fish trying to jump out of water -- except it was breakfast (with sausages) and she hated water. He couldn't understand her mumbling with that forkful of eggs in her mouth, yet knew what she wanted from those hard kicks of hers under the table.
But ah, one of Sophia's multitasking methods: eat, reach, whine, kick.
Lucky couldn't help but smirk. With a casual stretch of his long limbs, muscles flexing in a way that was almost a little too satisfying for his own good, he grabbed the paper with the kind of ease that made him look like he was born for it. Or maybe it was the fact that his arms were longer than half the table? Either way, he handed it to her with a kind of satisfied smugness.
'Here you go, princess,' he teased, using his best, most charming voice. 'But if you're lookin' for Quidditch gossip, don't get your hopes up. It's all about that Sagemore lot today. Real fascinating stuff, if you wanna know about toys or—' he gave a dramatic pause, flicking through the pages with a flourish, '—how famous people have feelings.'
He shot her a sly grin before continuing, 'But if you're just lookin' for something to get your blood pumping, there's the Dragon sighting in—' Lucky waved the paper a little too enthusiastically, nearly spilling more juice. 'Oi, these goblets really are faulty, eh?'
'But I swear,' he said, casually flipping the pages as he cut into a pancake, 'if I hear one more person talk about how rich and spoiled the Sagemores are, I'm going to pull a Mardling and start charging for earplugs. Who cares if they've got lots of money and fame? Good on em. Anyway, pass the syrup? This stuff's only bearable with it.'
He flipped the Prophet closed with one hand while his other grabbed some bacon, already anticipating her reaction. He wondered if Sophia would find any interest in the Sagemore gossip. As far as he could tell, she'd always been much more of a 'let's just get on with it' kind of girl.
'So, seriously,' he said, effortlessly shifting gears, 'got any plans today? I was thinking of signing up for Archery. Seems like a fun time, and it'll look solid on my applications.'
Post by Sophia Rhynhart on Nov 16, 2024 4:15:21 GMT 10
Despite her reaching and yearning for the Daily Prophet, Sophia withdrew her hand the second it was in reach -- hearing Lucky's overview of the news. She also pulled a face at him calling her princess, as she would much rather be the dragon or the knight or something else. Princesses wore dresses and got stuck in towers.
That didn't explain why his charming tone made her stomach feel weird, in a nice way, when he said it like that. Still hated the word, though. He needed a better nickname. To further reject it, she swatted the newspaper away -- no longer interested.
'None of that sounds worth reading, ugh.' Sophia sulked, still trying to eat through a mountain of food while doing so. 'Maybe the dragon, but there's been so many of those lately it's not even as exciting anymore. Who cares about rich kids and toys and stuff?'
She was so disappointed, as if somehow he had caused the news to be boring, that she didn't pass him the syrup. Let him eat that without it. Sophia wasn't sure why she was so annoyed today, but it surely had something to do with having missed Lucky for so long and nothing was really going the way she wanted once they reunited.
Not that she really knew what exactly she'd expected? To leap in his arms, him swinging her round, or something cheesy like that? He had done that before, but... Sophia sighed. Where was her mind even at these days? She missed him, that's all that mattered. Who cared about the details? And yet, she sulked.
Sophia tried to pretend she wasn't utterly relieved for once when Breakfast ended, vanishing what was left on her plate. She gave Lucky an overly dramatic sad expression, hand over her heart, as if she was disappointed by it all. Of course, he'd see through it, but she didn't care. She was full, and it wasn't even dessert.
'Why waste time with a club... oh, right. Sure.' Sophia sighed, slumping in her seat. She rested her cheek against her hand, elbow propped on the table, to better look at his handsome face while he talked. 'I'm not. I barely have time to eat between studying, bleh, and Quidditch, yay.'
And Lucky joining a club meant more of his time allocated to something else. Sophia frown-pouted at him, not caring how childish it was. She'd survived textbook hibernation for this? What a ripoff.
'Fine. Go do boring school stuff. Don't you have class now?' Sophia huffed, snatching a timetable to check. 'Ouch. Good luck with that one. I guess I'll meet you by the club signup thing when you're done? You better not be late.'
Grumpy now, with no real understanding as to why, Sophia stormed up from her seat and marched out of the Great Hall. What in Merlin's name was she supposed to do until Lucky was done with Transfiguration? That was AGES away!
Post by Luckett Langford on Nov 16, 2024 5:27:01 GMT 10
Lucky leaned back in his seat, muscular arms stretched above his head as he watched Sophia sulk. Her usual dramatic flair was dialed up to eleven, but he knew her well enough by now to recognize that it wasn't about the food, or the club sign-up, or even Transfiguration. It was her way of doing.. whatever it was she did when she didn't get exactly what she wanted. What that was right now, he wasn't exactly sure -- deciding to just chalk it up to Sophia being Sophia.
The table around them was thinning out now, the last few students finishing up their meals and heading to their first class. Ugh, class -- and he had multiple today too. Lucky was about to say something smart when Sophia sighed dramatically, tossing her timetable in front of her.
He couldn't help the small chuckle that slipped out, but it wasn't because she'd said anything funny -- it was more because of the way she said it. Like she was a toddler throwing a little tantrum, only far more sophisticated and way better at masking it. It was honestly cute.
'Yeah, yeah,' he muttered with a knowing grin, nodding. 'I'll be counting down the seconds until it's over, trust me. I'll race to find you the first second I get out of class.'
He could see her frown already, but believed there was a spark of amusement hiding behind it. She wasn't really upset, he knew that. She never seemed to stay fussy long enough to make it stick, and deep down, he felt he could count on that. She was never too serious for too long either, and if that didn't make her more fun to be around, he didn't know what did.
As she huffed and gathered her things, he flicked his eyes back to the front page photo that moved in front of him -- and didn't give it a second thought. Honestly, the Prophet's news had about as much intrigue as a pile of stale toast today. He wasn't about to get dragged into the Sagemores' fame circus just to pass the time. He'd heard enough from all the whispering.
Still, he let his fingers idly flick through the pages again, catching only bits of the articles that screamed for attention. "Spring Clean to a Clear Mind" -- not exactly interesting stuff. He rolled his eyes. Who cared about spring cleaning? The real question was why people still read some of these pointless articles like they were life-changing. Honestly, if a tidy dorm cleared your mind, then he'd be living proof that chaos was the key to brilliance. He thought so, at least.
Lucky glanced over at Sophia, already standing and making her way out of the hall with a half-grumble, half-dramatic sigh. He shook his head. Not that she was doing anything wrong, but he always found it a bit funny how she found a way to work herself up over something.
'Right then,' he mumbled to no one, picking up his copy of the Prophet and tossing it aside with no plans of taking it. He pushed himself up from the table, stretching his limbs as he moved towards the door. 'Transfiguration awaits. Best to get it over with, I suppose.'
Not that he minded it too much -- he didn't. But let's be real here. Transfiguration was never going to be as exciting as playing Quidditch, or hanging out with his friends, and considering the way his mornings went, it was more of a necessary evil than anything to look forward to.
With one final glance toward the door where Sophia had just disappeared, Lucky sighed. He'd catch up with her after class, no problem. Transfiguration would be fine.. but right now, all Lucky could think about was getting to the good stuff -- the part of his day that involved some fun.
Last Edit: Nov 16, 2024 5:30:38 GMT 10 by Luckett Langford: Lucky is outtie!
Post by Tobias Twiggs on Nov 16, 2024 5:29:05 GMT 10
Toby shuffled over a little when Ryan joined them, allowing him to squeeze in beside them and giving him the same one-armed hug that he'd offered Joe previously.
"Morning, Ryan" he mumbled around a mouthful of food, smiling as he chewed though that quickly disappeared when he realized his best friend didn't share his sluggish mood for the day. How could he say that it had been morning for ages? Some of them were newly awake.
"Morning is morning, all mornings suck" he grumbled after swallowing his mouthful. He wasn't sure he liked Ryan as a morning person, had he always been this way or was it a new development?
Toby flinched when Ryan clapped - why was he clapping?
"Have I been studying? Why do you think I'm so tired?" exams always seemed to sneak up on him, and admittedly he was struggling trying to juggle it in his schedule. So late nights poring over textbooks had become the new normal since returning from Christmas.
That didn't mean he was taking anything in during those study sessions, but he was trying his best and that was all that he could do.
Turning back to his breakfast and continuing to shovel food into his mouth as if he wouldn't be eating again in weeks. If there was one thing he could be counted on, it was clearing his plate before classes started - even if he got a stomach ache later.
"Huh?" he peered over at the paper that Ryan was reading, squinting at the article that had taken his interest and raising a hand to deter a swooping owl from landing in front of him in search of scraps from a nearby plate. The article was about the Sagemore's and Toby was immediately more interested than usual in the daily prophet.
"I don't know... But maybe they're used to it by now?" he shrugged, taking a bite of some eggs. The Sagemore's were kinda famous, right? He didn't know how he'd feel about being in the papers like that, but he wasn't used to that kind of attention.
"I have spent some time with Alora, I like her... She's pretty cool, not as cool as you guys though" he added that part onto the end in a rush of words, sweating at the idea that his friends might think less of him for wanting to hang out with anyone but the two of them.
He had his priorities straight.
Toby wrinkled his nose at the quick jibe from Ryan, gently nudging him with his shoulder as he got up and slung his backpack over his shoulder. History of magic wasn't his favourite class in the world... But at least it wasn't potions.
"Let's go, before we fall asleep" that last part was for Joe's benefit. He waited for both friends to join him before heading towards the doors.
[exit]
Last Edit: Nov 16, 2024 5:32:46 GMT 10 by Tobias Twiggs
Breakfast was slow going, it seemed. While others around him chatted back and forth he sat staring at the schedule. History of Magic would be nice, he figured- it wasn’t as fun as tossing an apple back and forth with Alora Sagemore but it was… something.
And he had class with her too! He was looking forward to it! Hopefully she’d have a seat next to her and he’d be able to attend the class with her… if he was lucky.
He was about halfway done with his breakfast when Insu appeared - all smiles and asking about Dalmi. Siwoo shrugged his shoulders absently, looking around as if he were about to speak some massive secret.
”She said she was busy,” he told his cousin, a playful pout on his face, ”But said to eat healthy. If you were going for snacks… now would be the time.” That way she couldn’t get onto them! Loophole!
He’d already made it a point to stuff some food into his bag for later but there weren’t particularly cakes or cookies so… apples would have to do.
At the first call of owls, Siwoo straightened, reaching up to tug his hood over his head - just in case. He knew better - owls were lovely, sure, but they liked to dive on him or land wrong or send things flying…
LIKE HIS BREAKFAST!
One crash landed in front of him sending eggs flying all over his face. He sat still, staring at the bird.
”Really? Jokes on you, I wanted more anyway.” he motioned toward the eggs that had fallen into the almost empty bowl as if proving a point. But, it seemed, the little owl had a letter for him, too!
He thanked the bird and held out some bacon from a nearby plate for it to take before opening the letter and reading it… then reading it again with an increasingly excited grin on his face.
Insu caught his attention and he paused himself, glancing at the Slytherin as he shook a jar of something.
”Ohhh…” he gasped, leaning nearer to it with wide-eyed wonder, head falling to the side as he tried to figure out what kind of magic it was.
”Maybe ask Appa when he visits on Valentine’s day?” the shift from English to their first language was abrupt, yet still he whispered, sliding his letter over for Insu to see. He didn’t mind his cousin seeing that he wanted to be friends with Sagemore (who was in the paper this morning) or that he’d asked for a pet - no, that was all normal stuff.
He wanted him to see the plan.
While the letter was left near Insu he snagged up a Daily Prophet and tucked it into his bag to read later.
”Do you think he’ll know?” He didn’t know if Insu was aware of what was in the jar but he sure as heck didn’t know, either. And that was fine. Some things were for older students and adults to know - but that didn’t change it from looking cool.
Leaning back into his seat, the Ravenclaw picked up his bowl again and began to eat the eggs on top.
There was no harm in enjoying the rest of them - no, at least the owl hadn’t sat on them. That was a plus. Once he’d finished his meal he began the process of wiping egg off of his face with a napkin before glancing at his cousin again.
”Did I get it all? Am I good enough to go to class?” At least it wasn’t milk or something. Eggs were easy to clean up for the most part… he couldn’t wait to learn the cleaning charm.
Post by Ezra Ashworth on Nov 16, 2024 6:28:28 GMT 10
“Mhmm!” Ezra hummed his reply as he laid his hands one over the other on the table and then dropped his head to rest his chin on top of them. There! That would keep them trapped better, sitting on them had started to get uncomfortable.
“Fun!” he said, having a staring contest with a tray of toast even as he spoke to his brother. “I hope Professor ‘Gonagall shows up for you.” He offered no explanation for that comment, as if teachers not showing up for their lessons was now a common thing that everyone should just know about
“I've got History first.” If he didn't sound too enthused about that, then it was because he was not. He liked the class well enough, and the Professor was super nice, but it wasn't exactly the adventurous class that he had hoped for that morning.
Oh! Maybe they would learn about something fun though.. like a big quest that someone went on in the past! With dragons and pirates and treasure! That sounded like a fun possibility at least. Hopefully the class would live up to that level of excitement.
Ezra perked up at the sound of Jaxen's non-class plans, his head rising slightly off of his hands. Ingredient hunting? That meant exploring the grounds.. Maybe that was the way he would get his exploration of the new green world in!
He needed some ingredients for reasons, anyway, so it was perfect!
“Ingredients?” he checked, beginning to wiggle with excitement at the thought of the places he could end up hunting ingredients. Maybe today would be the day that he would finally get to poke his head into the forest properly.
“Me too!” he said, the decision made. He opted not to mention just where he was eyeing up for his hunt though, sensible enough to recognise that blurting it out in the middle of the Great Hall was maybe not the best idea.
He didn't see what the big deal was - why would ingredients be there to collect if they weren't allowed - but people were a bit weird about the forest. Maybe it was just there for people to work on their sneaking skills? He could be sneaky! Super sneaky!
“There’s loooads to collect and it’s really fun, right?” Well, when a monster didn’t try to eat him while he was trying to be brave anyway, but he preferred to ignore that ever having happened. If he didn’t think about monsters in the water then it was no longer scary.
Before he could get too excited in telling just what ingredients there were to hunt, and probably accidentally blurted out about the forest too, an older student joined them and started talking to Jaxen.
Ezra blinked and looked between the Hufflepuff and his brother. Did.. did Jax have a friend?
A big smile slowly formed on his face. Jax had a friend!
Thrilled by this development, he lifted his hands to not-so discreetly give his oldest brother a double thumbs up. That meant he didn’t have to worry about trying to push him into older students anymore! Which was great, because he had yet to actually find a time to put that plan into action.
Oh! Jax’s Friend (was that Toby’s sister?) was talking to him.
Ezra blinked up at her innocently, as if he had not just been giving his brother a thumbs up for having a friend. There was nothing to see there, nothing at all.
“It’s okay!” he reassured her. “You can keep him!”
He didn’t want to be the one to chase Jaxen’s friend off after all, so it was best if he was good and let her know she could have all the time she wanted. In the meantime he could go back to his staring contest with a platter of toast.
A staring contest that he lost when the owl post announced its arrival with numerous screeches and made him blink. Silently admitting defeat, Ezra tilted his head back instead to watch the birds do their job.
“They seem super happy to be here today.” he commented, only to turn his attention back to the sixth years in time to see Jaxen get bit by a decidedly unhappy owl.
He was about to ask if Jax and the bird were okay, when maybe-a-Twiggs distracted him with fudge. Super yummy looking fudge.
Forgetting all about his brother, and his decision that eating breakfast in the Great Hall was dangerous, Ezra all but pounced on the offer.
“Yes please!” he said, offering who he decided was now one of his favourite sixth years (y’know, good ol’ whatshername) a bright smile as he took a piece. “Thank you!”
“It’s really, really yummy.” he gave his praise as he savoured his first bite, doing a happy little wiggle on the seat. Jaxen may have just one-upped Reena on awesome friends.
Ezra continued to nibble at his piece as the Hufflepuff’s attention was turned back to Jaxen to talk about.. something. He wasn’t actually listening, too busy enjoying what was apparently his breakfast. Ha! Take that toast!
Oh.. the toast had disappeared. That was sad.
With his chance of toast gone, Ezra found that he maybe slightly regretted deciding that eating breakfast in the hall was too risky. The fudge was delicious, there was no doubt about that, but he missed his toast.
With that little bit of sadness to dampen his morning, he decided that he should probably start to head to class. If he left early enough then he could take the long way, and maybe then he could get over the pain of no toast. Believing that was a better plan than a mad run because he was late, Ezra scooped his bag up and climbed off of the bench.
“Bye, Jax!” he chirped as he shrugged his backpack on. “Bye, Jax’s friend!”
With his goodbyes said, and with the knowledge that he did not know the name of the nice-girl-with-the-fudge out there, Ezra turned and disappeared out of the hall. [exit]
Post by Victoria Vargas on Nov 16, 2024 11:09:24 GMT 10
Vicky watched Reena closely, her lips curling into a playful smirk as the younger girl responded. Her question hung in the air for a second, and Vicky could barely suppress a laugh. Her days? She wanted to respond, something snarky, but it wasn't necessary. Reena was already squirming a bit. Her attempt at brushing off the teasing, while adorably admirable, wasn't fooling anyone.
As Amara added word with her usual bluntness, Vicky couldn't help but think how refreshing it was. Always to the point, no matter what was said — and Vicky respected it. And, now that Amara had thrown that bombshell of honesty, Vicky couldn't resist the urge to probe a little more. Reena wasn't going to be able to hide behind her short-answers for much longer.
'So, you two really are just spending time together?' she asked, but not loud enough for just anyone to hear. She wasn't expecting Reena to admit to anything, but it didn't matter. Vicky was fully aware that people would believe what they wanted to believe — that there was something blooming for Reena and her beau, even if they hadn't "talked about it" yet.
Vicky shifted, crossing her arms after she forked her last bite of scrambled eggs.
'And, you know, not talking about it only makes it more obvious, right?' she added, amusement playing on her features. It wasn't even fun to tease Reena about it anymore, but what Vicky really wanted to know was what was going on in Tae-Sang's head. Was he just as nonchalant about this as Reena seemed to be? Maybe she'd ask him about it later herself.
The owls had already swooped in with their precision, dropping off copies of the Daily Prophet to every table, but Vicky barely spared today's edition a look. All of the headlines looked dull and uninteresting — the Sagemore children, a Weird Sisters tour. Fluff that was easily dismissed. No, what had her attention was a subject far more interesting: Reena and her rumoured love life.
And boy was she curious about it — about her and Tae-Sang, about what would happen. Would they stay all mysterious and unsure, or would they break under the weight of the rumour mill? In some ways, Vicky kind of wanted them to figure it out. Reena was a smart girl, but Vicky could tell she wasn't quite sure how to handle this new thing with the popular sixth year.
And then Reena admitted to that exact thought, leaving Vicky to nod in return.
'Well, I can tell that much,' Victoria quipped dryly, her tone a mix of amusement and mild disbelief. 'But if it's all "new to you," that's fair. First crush, first big thing that's not just a passing fancy. But don't go around pretending you're not all about it, girl,' she said, emphasizing with playful mockery. 'Like Amara said, you shouldn't take this lightly.'
Reena had never said it was a crush, or a thing, but Vicky chose to believe that.
Glancing around the hall, she noticed how the students were trickling out to start their day, the conversations growing quieter as the hall emptied. It was always strange to watch on days like this, the way everyone seemed to know exactly where they were supposed to be and when, while Vicky sat there, unsure of whether to head to the dungeons or be productive.
After all, her day was still wide open, aside from her mild obligation to look over her club options. She hadn't really figured out which club would actually be worth her time, but that didn't mean she wasn't going to sign up for something just for the sake of it. She needed to bulk up her Academy applications, and it was something to do while Amara was in Transfiguration.
Glancing at Amara, Vicky raised an eyebrow, asking her wordlessly if she was coming along.
'See you later, Reena,' she said with a smile, reaching for her bag and stuffing the last of her things inside. Grabbing for her wand, she gave it a small flick, sending her copy of the Prophet to nestle inside. A quick look around the hall showed that, no surprise, the majority of students had cleared out. They all had things to do, places to be this morning — and now, so did Vicky.
Last Edit: Nov 16, 2024 11:11:51 GMT 10 by Victoria Vargas: Exit.
Insu didn't understand the concept of being too busy for breakfast, surely it was the most important meal of the day? That's what they said, right? If Dalmi was missing it then whatever she had planned must've been very important... Or maybe she just didn't know how important breakfast was to start your day.
Unfortunately, Siwoo had not been fast enough to avoid an owl crash landing into his breakfast and Insu could barely contain an eye roll at his cousin's plight. Had he not learned by now to snatch up anything he valued at the first screech of an owl incoming?
Rookie mistake. Especially with his track record.
He leaned forward to read the letter that Siwoo had received, a smile appearing on his face when he saw his uncle would be visiting - though, he probably wouldn't have much time to say hi, his visit was obviously business and not a social call.
"I think so, Uncle Hyo checked it to make sure everything is safe..." surely he must know what magic caused it, didn't his Appa and uncles know everything? It certainly seemed that way at times.
Insu pocketed a copy of the daily prophet to read later and turned back to his breakfast with the intention of finishing... Until he saw Siwoo dig back into his bowl of eggs, the same bowl of eggs that an owl had just landed on top of.
"I cannot believe you just did that..." he muttered, pushing his own bowl away as his face wrinkled in a level of disgust that he simply could not keep to himself. He packed up his things into his backpack and then turned and made a speedy escape, maybe class would help settle his stomach...
[exit]
Last Edit: Nov 17, 2024 7:09:56 GMT 10 by Insu Kahn
02 | 
19 | 
20
February
