Room for One More? PV Aida Closed

Another day, another meal. Aida was quite tired of it, really, having to labor so hard for her everyday subsistence. Yet, once the House Elf incident had struck, she and her best friend Alexander would never be the same again. Despite her troubled upbringing, Aida was at least grateful that she had learned to live off the land in the Scottish backwoods. Yet, living off the Hogwarts landscape was at once harder and easier. Aida didn’t have access to horses, nor flocks of sheep at her disposal, but with her income here it was easy to buy any kind of food she wanted to supplement what she was able to procure.

Today’s dish was an uninspired grilled fish over wild onion, carrot, and turnip. Stale bread with butter sat on a kerchief perched on a rock with an open knife. Aida’s cast iron frypan snapped and sizzled over a bed of hot coals, sending its smell and that of burnt wood wafting down along the lakeside.

Aida was paranoid these days and preferred to have the woods at her back with the wide open lakefront visible before her. She had picked up this quirk from interacting with a Durmstrang boy by the name of Valentin Schnell, famed first-string seeker and fellow white phantom. Though they had recently had their first fight, Aida would carry vestiges of their interactions for the rest of her days.

Like Valentin, Aida liked a long sight-line-- they both liked to see things coming from far away. As a lovely redheaded Ravenclaw approached Aida watched calmly. Her only movement was stirring the pan as the girl approached.

"Hello… Are you... Cooking? I mean... Sorry, I didn’t know we were allowed to cook over campfires," said the newcomer.

If there was any good time and place to approach Aida, this was it. Outside, Aida was at her most relaxed from not having to struggle against claustrophobia. Surrounded by well-understood natural surroundings put her at her calmest, and nothing in particular was going on that day. Whatever ruminations Aida might have otherwise had, she became more interested in the unusual opportunity to interact with someone other than her usual friends and beyond the social dictates of class group work. For a moment, Aida’s nose crinkled in curiosity, but an audible rumble from the girl’s stomach immediately twisted up Aida’s heartstrings. It was hard enough for Aida to get food outside the Great Hall despite being well-trained. Could this girl be a refugee from the memory thieves, too?

"S-sorry... I skipped lunch."

Aida had gotten accustomed to people concealing the full truth behind such explanations. It could have been that the redhead had everyday reasons for having gone hungry, and in Aida’s current mood even that would be interesting. What demanded Aida’s inquiry, however, was whether or not the other Ravenclaw was a potential ally and if that was the reason for her sudden approach.



“Hello. Yes, it’s just about ready,” replied Aida, automatically moving to her leather satchel to bring out another wooden bowl and steel utensil set she usually kept on hand for Alexander’s use. It never crossed her mind that the other girl would in any way not take a share. Was it her backcountry upbringing, or was it that Aida's gut feeling knew the other girl would want some? Either way, it was only natural for her to put all of her supplies at the other Ravenclaw's disposal. “As for if it's allowed," began Aida, breaking into a laugh. “I don't know the regulations." From her silky tone it was clear that she didn't plan to ask about the rules, either. With a sizzle the white-haired, blue-violet-eyed girl flipped over the fried fish, inspected it, and ladled it with vegetables into the bowls. The fragrance of browned butter added particular warmth to the campfire’s atmosphere and Aida smiled at the other girl as she handed her precisely one half of the cooked food.

”What brings you here today?” asked Aida with all of the courtly elegance she had learned from interacting with Eden Gardener. If Winnie accepted the food, Aida would next hand her a fresh waterskin filled with cold, pre-boiled water.

@Winnie Harper

───Winnie watched with great curiosity as her fellow Ravenclaw brought of a wooden bowl. Oh, how lovely... It reminded her of the dish set her mother had back on the farm. She usually brought it out for lighter foods, however, such as tossed salads, a staple during the warm summer days. As was fish, sometimes freshly caught by her father and brought home to be prepared. It was then that Winnie realized the beautiful wooden bowl was an extra bowl. Aida had set out two bowls. Had she expected her to want some of the food? She flushed and offered the pale girl a small smile. The scent of the fire had already put her at ease, but knowing she wasn’t entirely unwelcome was nice. Anyone who would share their food with a complete stranger must have been an angel. "Are you certain there’s enough for me? I wouldn’t want to take food away from you. It looks like you worked so hard on preparing it too. I’m okay at cooking but I have no idea how you manage over an open flame!" It was impressive, really.

"Well, I won’t tell anyone." The redhead’s blue eyes almost sparkled at that promise, and she gave the girl a playful wink. The fire wasn’t hurting anyone, and it was next to the lake, so it wouldn’t get out of hand. Surely it was fine? Either way, she would not risk sharing the information with anyone else. If anything, it should be refreshing to see the girl connect with nature and prepare food outdoors. It was definitely a practical skill and perhaps she could use it this year with camp just around the corner.

"Oh, I should have asked before; why are you eating outside? Is it just a hobby of yours or are you practicing for the campfire this year?" She asked the older girl with a curious tilt of her head. She could feel the saliva in her mouth as she was offered the delicious-looking meal. She looked at the food, then up at Aida, then back at the food again, and released a happy sigh. She reached forward to accept the offering, almost eagerly diving in with the provided utensils, before she paused. She had to be considerate of her new acquaintance. She would wait for her to take the first bite. Sometimes people prayed, sometimes people thanked the spirits. Winnie didn’t want to interrupt Aida any more than she already had. "This looks incredible... Thank you so much!"

If the girl wanted a story, she would tell her anything she wanted to hear! What brought her out to the lake? Why had she come outside again...? Oh, right! "I just wanted to spend time by the lake, but then I smelled burning wood... I’ve always loved that scent. It reminds me of the woodstove we have at the farm back home. Scents are so interesting, aren’t they? They can cause forgotten memories to resurface... And every single person has their own unique scent, like a fingerprint. I think it’s very special."

“Oh there’s plenty. I am accustomed to cooking for two, so I made too much out of habit,” soothed Aida, smiling at the other girl. “I would rather someone enjoy the other half while it’s still fresh rather than eat it myself for leftovers.” A fresh breeze whisked by, carrying the scent of field and flowers from the grounds beyond the lake. The afternoon was warming up enough for the earthy fragrance of their surroundings to fill the air. The sweet pitch of freshly-broken logs nearby occasionally also caught the wind. Aida had worked hard for the food, but it was nothing she didn’t already have to do every day anyway.

“As for the flame… it teaches you how it wants to be treated. You just need to spend the time to get to know it.

Aida casually examined the other girl’s sun dress and a pained smile passed over the white witch’s face, briefly as if a cloud had veiled the sun only to scoot along across an otherwise wide open blue.

"Well, I won’t tell anyone," said the redhead, and Aida smiled broadly. The girl with pearl-white hair gazed off at the lake’s edge as if remembering something, or somebody.

“Thank you.” With a single breath, Winnie had won much rapport with the young albino mage.

"Oh, I should have asked before; why are you eating outside?”

Aida shook her head, her eyes lazily shutting halfway. She wasn’t cut out for deception and she wouldn’t even try.

“I learned that at least some amount of food prepared by the house elves here, as served in the dining hall, is tainted. At least some of what they make deprives people of their memories. I saw them wipe one girl’s memories and will away with a single cup of tea. One minute, she knew our names, and the next… she had forgotten and was drugged, compliant. We also lost some memories...” Aida trailed off, not wanting to specify Alexander by name on accident. She was no good at manipulating information, but she wanted the boy to have control over his own secrets.

“Now I don’t eat the food here anymore. I have to cook for myself, but I’m used to it. I grew up on a ranch where I learned how to live off the land and otherwise take care of myself.”

The other girl had paused before taking a first bite, but Aida was just a wild child. It was only in hunting that Aida had rituals of giving thanks.

“Please, don’t wait for me,” said Aida, moving the cast iron pan onto a bed of ash to make room on the coals for a kettle of chamomile tea. “Would you like some herbal tea with wild honey?” offered Aida, suddenly wincing as she remembered what had happened with the house elves. After what Aida had said, it wouldn’t have surprised her if she had put off any thirst Winnie might have had for the substance.

The pot would begin warming up anyway and Aida sat down on a flat stone, taking her first bite from her bowl. The fish crunched lightly, crisped in browned butter together with the vegetables.

“I also love the smell of burning wood. It’s somehow both exciting and calming at the same time. It reminds me of the freedom of the wide-open backwoods. A lot of smells stir emotions for me. Apparently I have a strong sense of smell... and you’re right, they can bring back forgotten memories.” Aida’s head cocked to the side. This girl seemed friendly and Aida hadn’t scared her off yet. Maybe the fellow Ravenclaw would endure Aida’s ever-bubbling curiosity.

“What memories has fragrance brought back to you?” Then, a light flared in Aida's violet eyes. What if she could figure out a way to bring back Alexander’s memories with the primordial power of smell? Aida’s face brightened and flushed pink. This girl had a point, and the conversation had just turned from peaceful to exciting.

“Tell me everything!! Tell me about the wood stove and the farm and all the memories you were able to get back!” Aida put down her half-eaten bowl of food and began to wave her hands as she spoke.

“And you’re right! Everyone has their own smell. It tells so much, and it becomes emotional once you know the person. I wonder if I will ever remember the smell of my mother, or father? I wonder if I have some memories of them buried somewhere…” Aida then knew she was talking quickly and at risk of changing the topic too fast to get answers. As if the redhead had been summoned by the campfire, the day began surging with intrigue after she came along.

Interacting with: @Winnie Harper
Mentioning: @Alexander Varellion