The Shattering of Peace PV Willow Reopened

Willow had been scouring the library for a specific book that she had in her mind. She had started reading off of the curriculum assigned to her through her classes. The comfortability within book pages always made her feel safe and taken care of. She had a growing stack within her room of books that she had been reading from the library. She was hoping someone hadn't checked out the book she was looking for though, because she was looking forward to reading it before bed tonight.

As she was rounding another corner of the halls, something caught her eye. She could barely see the cover of a book laying in front of a Slytherin Prefect. It was literally the book she had been looking for, maybe the girl would let her borrow it once she was done with it, or knew where another copy is. Prefects were always supposed to be helpful, and she came with an offering for the assistance.

She sauntered up to the prefect, and spoke in a voice that was just barely okay for a library. "Hi, I'm Willow. You just so happen to be reading a book that I have been looking all over for! I was wondering if I could read it once you're done, or maybe you have another copy or something..." She reached out a bracelet that was the Slytherin colors, "Also, as a thank you for helping have a friendship bracelet!" Her smile was beaming at the girl in front of her, hoping she could lead her to this book.

~ * ~

Did someone really have to talk to her every time she was settled down or peaceful? Was it that hard to know that when someone's reading, you don't interrupt them? Some other student had really got on her nerves back in January by doing something similar, and he had been as obnoxiously cheerful as she seemed. Were people really that happy, even around strangers, or were they just oblivious or trying to annoy people?

She resisted the urge to sneer at the girl or mock her for it, instead taking a second to listen to what she was actually saying. She wanted one of the books that Ruby had? The Slytherin was a prefect and should give it over, but this was her reading time. Her research. The book that she was reading. And what was that about having more copies? Why would she have them with her? This was a library, couldn't this girl just ask the librarian? A very quiet, unnoticeable sigh escaped her lips. She was a prefect. This girl meant well; she was even offering Ruby something in exchange.

If she was in a better mood, she would have handed the book over either before or after she finished it. Right now? She was not in the mood for being interrupted and given friendship bracelets. “Have you asked the librarian for a copy?” she questioned, but her face was blank. There wasn't friendliness in her tone—while it wasn't particularly unfriendly either, it was neutral in an almost unsettling way. “I'm in the middle of it right now.” Obviously. Maybe the girl would go away? Ruby was clearly closed off. That was a sign to leave, was it not? She was not interested in friendship.

~ * ~

Interacting with @Ruby Cazares

Since the girl in front of her didn't really make a move to take the bracelet, Willow gently set it down in front of her. Her hands folded anxiously in front of her, this friendship bracelet thing was still new in actually giving them out and having people take them. But she still wasn't used to the straight up ignoring of them. At least the kids back home would just tease her about it. Silence was almost worse. She didn't make a move to sit down across from the Slytherin either. Could a prefect give someone detention for disturbing them? She didn't know and she wasn't willing to find out.

For being in a house of finders, you would think that she would ask the librarian first. She casted a glance over her shoulder in the direction of where they would normally be. "Um... I-I have been asking. They always say it's checked out or not available or something. There's also a wait list I guess... and I'm on it. I was just hoping to maybe... just borrow it after you're done so I don't have to wait?" The more she talked, the worse it sounded coming out of her mouth, but she couldn't back down now. "And of course, I don't want the book now if you're reading it obviously that would be silly!" There was something deep down that was hoping the prefect would happily give it, but that was quickly squashed. Of course she wouldn't just give over a book she was reading. Willow had the smallest of smiles on her face to try and keep herself from getting in trouble by this prefect.

~ * ~

Thank goodness that the girl had actually asked the librarian, it would have been ridiculous if she hadn't, but Ruby still didn't understand why she had been asked for more copies of the book. She was reading this in the school library, why would she have another copy of the book that she didn't even own? And then there was the rest of the girl's response... surely she knew how a library worked? “If you're on the wait list then what's the problem? You're clearly eager, but the book will get to you in time. Letting you read it as soon as I'm done wouldn't be fair to the others who have been on the wait list longer, would it? It wouldn't be good for keeping track of the books either, since right now I have a copy and other people have whatever other copies there are and the librarian knows that we have them because we checked it out. If I gave it to you and let you skip the wait list, I won't know where the book is and neither will the librarian, and I'm not about to sit here and just watch you read it.”

She didn't realise it at first, but her tone was more than a little patronising. While she was just stating what she viewed as fact, just plain truths, it might have come across like she was indirectly insulting the girl's intelligence. Ruby certainly didn't think that the girl was being that considerate of others since she was interrupting someone who was quietly reading and then asking to bypass the wait list, affecting others who had been waiting as well. “Trust this system, it works fine and everyone gets a turn. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm trying to read, and delaying me further will only make the book take longer to get to you,” she commented coolly, looking down at the book and pointedly continuing to read. This girl had to learn how things worked, and Ruby was happy to help speed that up.

~ * ~