Rough Edges PV Everly

@Elena Jangleton
September 2020.
#b76e79
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sta 6 | eva 7 | str 0 | wis 7 | arc 4 | acc 6
seer

Everly was lost.

Granted, that being said, Everly got lost every other day. She’d tried memorizing every step of Hogwarts but her memory banks had failed her, resulting in falling through a trick step on the moving staircases quite a few times. Determined not to harm herself in the process, Everly stuck to other groups of students, hoping they could help her navigate the castle. And it had worked, for a while, until she’d been heading to the Girl’s Lavatory and ended up in the Library.

Everly stopped abruptly midstep, causing herself to trip over her own feet, grabbing onto the edge of a table to stabilize herself. Bewildered, the girl looked up and gazed around, trying to get a hold on where she was now and what was going on. How did she wind up here? The group of girls she’d been trailing behind were giggling in a corner, and there was another Gryffindor whom Everly didn’t recognize who seemed to have sunken deep into study mode. Other than that, the library had been deserted.

The Gryffindor was muttering furiously under her breath, something about... Brankestein? Everly couldn’t hear her well from this far away, and she weighed her options in her head. She could 1) keep following the giggling girls and end up who knows where, 2) go and try to navigate her way by herself, or 3) ask someone else for directions. The giggling girls seemed in no place of moving or walking somewhere else, and they didn’t seem to be heading in the direction Everly was going. So... option number one was out. Everly very well knew from experience how option number two would go - she’d end up somewhere completely different than her intended place, and then probably be late for class. Option number two was out. And option number three... well, it couldn’t hurt to ask someone, could it?

Her eyes scoured the area, and she began walking towards the older Gryffindor girl, who was surrounded by books and papers. Everly’s eyes squinted, words forming on her mouth.

”Um... so do you think you could help direct me somewhere? I’m... kinda lost.” Mentally she regretted the words but there was no going back now, was there?

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Yes, attempt numer two was going far much better than at first. She didn't know what it was but a few page flips in and she had found a whole wealth of information on the prescribed person this god awful essay was supposed to be about. Dipping her quill in ink, she would press it to the parchment tracing out the letters very carefully droning out the exterior sounds of the library intently focused on her parchment watching as it began to go from looking very bare to something that she had actually put effort into. She didn't know where it came from but a voice suddenly broke into her little bubble of peace, her little inner sanctuary and for a moment, her expression registered annoyance. Quickly jotting down the last few sentences and without sparing them a second look, she turned to look at the person who had approached her.

"Direct..you?" Elena asked remotely confused. The question was vague at best as she blinked at her without a clue in the world where this girl was trying to get to. Eyes scanned the red-trimmed robes, another Gryffindor though she hadn't seen her around before. A part of her was mildly irritated that her writing had been interuppted but it would only take a minute. Hogwarts was a big place, the girl would have to emphaize where on Earth she was trying to get to. "Suppose I can, where you trying to get to?" Elena asked gently, her features composed in a question while her fingers drummed against the table impatiently.

She wanted to get back to this stupid essay, the quicker it was done, the faster she could be back in the dorms tucked away without having a professor breathing down her neck. She had already been in that situation once and that had not been a fun experience as far as she was concerned. She cast a fleeting glance back down at her essay to see how much more she had left and that was when she came to the horrible realization. Elena realized the terrible mistake she had made scanning the last few lines of the essay. The conclusion was all wrong, all jumbled up, she had went onto a ramble about dementors for some odd reason and it made no sense at all for an assignment related to Quidditch.

The mistakes were all over as her finger prodded at each hastily written word and mistake. In that moment, the Gryffindor realized she would have to start back from square one. The only problem? There was no more fresh parchment and that coupled with her already brewing irritation made her suddenly not want to be in the helpful mood anymore. Usually, Elena was nice, friendly even but if this girl hadn't broken into her safe space asking for the most vague directions ever, perhaps her attention wouldn't be as split and she would be well on her way to a complete essay but no, not all good things in life came easy.

"It couldn't have waited, could it?" She muttered under her breath eyeing the girl as the smile faded from her lips as she began to fold the parchment up and stuff it into her bag. It didn't even matter anymore, she would get the T for the assignment, she lacked all the effort to start that horrendous thing from scratch. Slamming the book shut with a considerable amount of force, she picked it and also stuffed it into her bag glowering at the ground as she picked it up slinging it around her shoulder as the girl stood up, one hand resting on the strap of the book bag.

"On second thought, I can't help you. Just realized I have somewhere to be. Maybe you should ask someone else." Elena said rather gruffly, any evidence of the nice and warm tone from before gone. The girl was throughly annoyed and while in hindsight, it wasn't technically her house-mates fault, after, the castle could be a maze at times, she could have had the common courtesy to wait until the girl was finished. Maybe next time, she could have hung up a Do Not Disturb sign or something, maybe that would work.

"Is there anything else you need or are you done disrupting people?" She realized after the words came out what she said. Whoops. Well, it was out there now and no amount of apology or remorse could bring back the essay she had toiled so much on.

@Elena Jangleton
September 2020.
#b76e79
──────
sta 6 | eva 7 | str 0 | wis 7 | arc 4 | acc 6
seer

The older Gryffindor girl seemed momentarily confused at Everly's question, and the girl wondered what could've caught her attention for so long. "My name's Everly!" she said brightly, looking up. "Yes, could you help show me the way to-" Everly began, but fell silent upon noticing that the girl had more to say, and had not finished yet. Everly's eyes flitted downward and scanned the piece of parchment, squinting, wondering what the heck it was about. There were scribbles all over the piece of parchment, and the older girl seemed to have been deep in concentration before Everly came and -

Uh -

Oh.

Oops.

Everly's head lifted and she was about to spit out an apology, when the other girl seemed to have come up with an answer and started talking. Her friendly smile faded and she seemed to have a change of heart, because it stung and Everly bit her lip, unsure if this was just a joke or if it was real. Her tone had completely changed, and though Everly could probably forgive her afterwards, words began flying out of her mouth with no apology in sight.

"I just need directions to go somewhere! Seriously, why are you so upset over an innocent question, none of the extra meany stuff was needed," she said, full on rapid-fire talking by now. "If you're bothered, sure, just say so, but do I really need the snide remarks?" She leveled her gaze, glaring at the third year, arms folded.

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@Elena Jangleton
September 2020.
#b76e79
──────
sta 6 | eva 7 | str 0 | wis 7 | arc 4 | acc 6
seer

Everly had never participated in a glaring contest, so perhaps this could be a learning experience.

Wait. Were you allowed to blink, or not?

Either way, Everly should've at least gotten a heads up that third year Gryffindors at Hogwarts that were in deep concentration could be very mean. The girl composed her own, very threatening glare, and Everly made a tiny noise of dislike as she jutted her chin out. And then, she couldn't help it, but she had to blink, because her eyes were watering.

But nope, she hadn't lost yet, had she?

The ink-blotted paper thrown at her caused her to take a step back, looking down at the parchment by her feet. She wasn't shocked, more just a bit surprised. Really, did anyone have manners around here?

Everly wrinkled her nose, trying to discern sarcasm from the rest of the words in the third year's speech. "Technically, it's your paper," Everly pointed out helpfully. "And one bad grade doesn't ruin all of your..." she didn't finish that sentence, presumably because it couldn't help the girl's temper now.

She blinked slightly when the other girl didn't say anything, and it took a moment to register that she'd finished her speech. Getting the memo that it was her turn to start some crazy-fired speech of her own to counter it, she squinted, deep in thought.

"You're completely overreacting about this one paper," Everly said, with a hint of accusation in her tone, but just enough. "If I was bothering you, you could've just asked me to wait a bit for you to finish. And anyways, I didn't know that this one essay was so important to your highly prestigious grades. Doesn't look like you made too much progress, anyways," she mused, studying the paper. Everly was completely aware that the third-year had much more power over this argument than she did, but she kept her face neutral.

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Her words were going to be the end of her. Elena didn't know if her house-mate was just naturally dense or sought entertainment by getting a rise out of others. "Doesn't ruin what, exactly?" Elena said raising an eyebrow as if daring the other to finish her sentence. Was she about to have the audacity to suggest it would not have a domino effect on her grades and while that might have been true to an extent, it certainy hit a sore spot with her given that she had toiled endlessly in this library only to have it wasted away by some first-year mucking about the castle like a lost soul. "I would watch what you say to people. what might seem like a small deal to you might be a huge thing to others." The Gryffindor said steadily still trying to come to grips with the sitatution that yes, she would have to yet again rewrite her essay but not before she let the girl have it.

Yes, Elena cared about her grades. Perhaps not as upstanding or prestigous as Everly put it but the third-year was certainly trying. Trying, only to have all those efforts wasted away by the very person standing in front of her. "Doesn't look like you're any closer to finding where you need to go as well. The fact that you're willing to stand there and just run your mouth shows your arrogance." If she wanted to be all snide and rude, Elena had no probelm laying it on thick because she could. She had lived in a house full of Slytherins and that was all they knew so this sort of thing was nothing new to her not even sparing a glance to the- could you even it call an essay anymore? Probably not.

A hot mess, a trainwreck, she just didn't want to see it again.

The brunette absolutely refused to let this Gryffindor have the last word of this debacle. She studied Everly for a second letting a brief moment of silence pass between them before coming to a conclusion shaking her head at her. "You're all the same." Elena muttered stooping down to pick up her crumpled parchment stowing it into her cloak pocket, her eyebrows coming togther in a cross expression. "Why don't you run off now and poke someone else's nerves or do you just enjoy being the most hated person in Hogwarts?" Okay, perhaps that was an overeaction on her part but she just really wanted to drive the message home. Elena was surprised the librarian or someone had not come running by now, their somewhat raised voices should have been an indication.

What a complete dunce.

@Elena Jangleton
September 2020.
#b76e79
──────
sta 6 | eva 7 | str 0 | wis 7 | arc 4 | acc 6
seer

Her face made a pout, one that you could probably find on every bratty kid and the ones that wanted a cookie before dinner all around the world. Everly wasn't sure what she thought she was going to get as a result. Honestly, she did feel sorry for the third year, but Everly also believed that she was being completely unreasonable and rude, and that Everly had done no wrong, as far as she was concerned.

"Well," Everly said, cutting into the other girl's long and tragic speech, "It's one essay. And besides, if it means that much to you, you can always rewrite it. What's the point in squabbling over..." she cast a look at the mess of ink "... that thing when you could be writing a new, perfect, and better essay?" She said, putting emphasis on the last part. Hopefully that could knock some common sense into her so the third year could realize how stupid she was being.

"And you wonder why I'm still here?" Everly said, standing up on her toes to match the third year's height, though that was a bit of a stretch. "Same as you are," she said, gesturing to Elena's splattered essay, "And maybe, also to show how unreasonable you're being."

Everly's eyebrows shot up, but she wasn't willing to let too much of her reaction show. "I'm the most hated person of all Hogwarts? I find that surprising, especially since I've only been here.. hm, about a month, and there are a whole seven years worth of students here. Hmm... are you sure you aren't the most hated person in Hogwarts?"

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Her brow furrowed at Everly's response, the mere fact that instead of exchanging words back and forth with her, Elena Jangleton could be doing a re-write. The only issue with that particular fact was that the Gryffindor had toiled over that piece of parchment for far too long and for Everly to suggest that she could simply have at it again was a personal affront to her. "It's not as easy as it looks."She said through gritted teeth doing her best not to let her frustration boil over. Merlin, this girl was really going to get the best of her and it didn't help she continued to grace Elena with her annoying words and her logic which apparently in her world, made perfect sense. "I dont't know where you come from but here, it takes actual work and effort for assignments, you can't just snap your fingers and a brand new one pops up." This one was really slow, wasn't she?

The Gryffindor was giving Everly two chances. She had exhausted both of those chances by first calling her unreasonable and then to have the audacity to suggest that perhaps the brunette was number one on the list of people disliked at the wizarding school. Her hand tightened into a fist as the third year drew herself up to her full height taking one step forward. "You don't know anything about me so don't throw around those words like you know what you're saying because clearly you don't." Elena did her best to be friendly, be forthcoming to everyone she ran across but you couldn't please everyone. That was fine with her but you crossed the line when you started throwing around personal remarks like referring to her being the most loathed was simply not going to fly. Unreasonable and most hated, clearly, this girl wasn't getting the message and even went as far as to make such scandalous claims.

When Elena next spoke, her tone was low but harsh and cold taking another step forward slowly closing the gap between them. "You should leave before something happens." The girl said throwing the vague threat out there. Of course, the Gryffindor would never resort to something that violent but the more this girl spoke, the more likely it was that sooner or later, Elena was going to lose her temper and she wasn't sure how much longer she could keep a handle on it. "And to answer your question, I get along rather well with everyone here." Elena had yet to run into someone who had prodded her buttons in the way this girl had but there was always a first time for everything, she supposed. "I just despise people who think their little problems are the only thing in the world that demands attention." Elena had been busy but no, this blasted girl had decided to forego the clearly very obvious signs that someone did not need to be disturbed and barged in on her inner serenity.

"I actually think you're enjoying this. I thought you had somewhere to be but apparently, you have nothing better to do." Okay, she needed to calm down. Her heart was pounding going a hundred miles a hour. Why? It wasn't even about the essay anymore, it was the comments that were being thrown around. One thing was for certain however, it would be far more prudent for the both of them if they never set sights on each other again. That however would be considered an impossibility given they were in the same house. What an annoyance. She was the worst type of person you could hope to run into, the type that thought their matters took precedence and when you objected otherwise, they tried to justify it. "Any more pearls of wisdom you want to share? Maybe you should pick up a book or two on mannerisms while you're here."

Maybe that would teach her a thing or two.

Maybe.

@Elena Jangleton
September 2020.
#b76e79
──────
sta 6 | eva 7 | str 0 | wis 7 | arc 4 | acc 6
seer

Everly wasn't sure what Elena was even trying to do by now. Was she arguing with Everly just because she liked to argue? Because what she was saying made no sense to the little girl. Was there something behind the scenes? Maybe Elena had a bad day or was in a bad mood or something, but Everly didn't really care by this point.

"That's why there's something called restarting and erasing!" Everly said brightly, trying to use her innocence as a defense. "In fact, don't you think, logically, if you started now, you could have even more time to make it better? You can take whatever you had before and... what's the word.. revise it! That's it."

At Elena's next words, Everly squinted at her, trying to figure out what she was even talking about. "Yeah... and... you don't know anything about me either," Everly said slowly, pointing towards herself, "and you called me the most hated person of all. You know, if I actually were, that would be quite an accomplishment within two weeks of being here," she mused.

Everly wanted to laugh when Elena's tone darkened. She couldn't really think Everly would take that seriously. If she were, then what good would it do Elena at all? Becoming a murderer at age thirteen? Sounds like a great tale for the grandchildren.

"Am I supposed to take that seriously? But, to be honest, you're good at threatening people. It might knock your reputation down a few notches, but you could get some minions. In fact, I can picture it now..." Everly said light-heartedly. It wasn't her fault if Elena took it to heart. "I get along well with people too, you know! Except for maybe an uptight third year student who wouldn't let a blob of ink get away. Besides, isn't it rather too early for you to make assumptions?"

Elena's reply about her assumed amusement was rather far-stretched. "Maybe I am, because you're being completely unreasonable and stupid about this." Everly's tone only got more emphasized, but her voice was still far from yelling. "Actually, for the moment, no, but I'm sure I could give you more advice if you need it," Everly said lightly. "In fact, no, I'm not looking for such a beautiful book, I'm trying to find my way. But I could come back later if I needed a copy of How To Be Nice For Dummies. Perhaps you'd like a copy too?"

sorry for all the insults ahaha love you elena

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