Sunsets & Small Talk PV Lucette Brielle Closed

*Why am I even here?* Her boots sloshed on the damp grass, occasionally slightly slipping and Lucette doing her best to tumble over. She wasn't wondering why she was heading to the lake, of course: Luce planned on being alone and munching on her sad excuse for a lunch there. She just didn't understand why she was at Hogwarts. It was still so alien to her that she had magical abilities. It was so alien to be away from Pete for so long. Her heart hurt just thinking about him: all alone in the attic, having to dote on mother like she was the Queen of England herself. Luce's blood boiled, her thoughts shifting to her mother. Her boots hit the ground harder. She was doing everything Liliana had done when she came to Hogwarts: studied, practiced, and did everything in her power to make sure she climbed the ranks. But she still fell short. Her average was barely under a perfect, and she still had yet to master all the spells her sister had when she first came here. She gritted her teeth. She was a Prefect! A first-year Slytherin Prefect! That had to mean something! Her sister only managed to become a prefect in her third year... because she was busy training... She swore silently to herself, trying to relax as she slowed her walk. She had to stop comparing herself to Liliana. She swore to herself her sister wouldn't get under her skin, but she was without even having to talk to her. 

She was nearing the lake, her face still flaming by thinking of the two wenches that had governed her existence. She let out an unsteady sigh, grateful. At least here she was free to think this way. At least here she could pave a path that she and Pete could take together. She would get him out of there. She would shield him from ending up like her. Lucette grated her teeth. That was an awful lot of responsibility for an eleven-year-old. 

Her feet froze: just by the water's edge sat a girl she knew all too well. *What was Adalacia doing here?* She was certain that Ada was constantly busy with prefect duties, but took the time to recognize that she too was a prefect and was taking her unoccupied time to show up here. She admired Ada for her work ethic, and she constantly seemed to be on her toes doing something. Catching her alone and experiencing time to herself practically seemed like Lucette was... invading. Lucette was nonessential, but she lingered on, making her footsteps audible so she wouldn't ambush Ada. What was she doing? What would she even say? Who was she to even talk to someone who evidently preferred to be alone? Thoughts engulfed her brain until they grew into a low, droning hum, but Lucette, for once in her life, overlooked them. Remaining a few feet from Ada, her heart pounded. The modest girl delivered the first phrases that entered her mind. "The lake's nice this time of year, isn't it?" 

If there was one thing Adalacia was bad it, it was socializing. Her whole childhood had one similar theme; isolation. She spent summers playing with her toys alone in her bedroom, pushing her little brother Judd on the tree swing outside, and tending to the Magical Creatures her father would bring home every so often. People weren't her specialty, the only sense of tact she possessed came from her mother's strict ruling and sharp tongue. It was where she gained her ability to say things that may seem rude and out of place to other's, but to her it was just the plain and simple truth. Sugar coating her personality, and words for other people did nothing but give a false representation of who she was... so when Lucette, Prefect of Slytherin and a girl who Adalacia had only talked to a handful of times, showed up at the Great Lake and complimented it's beauty the young Gryffindor just shrugged a shoulder in response, coming out with a blunt - "No, not really." 

Her hate for water extended past any niceties she could offer her fellow Prefect, green eyes narrowing at the slow tide. When Adalacia was young she had a run in with the creek by her house, and since that natural bodies of water spooked her. It had taken her weeks of inching towards the lake's shore to feel even remotely comfortable by it, and the idea of it's depths harboring a giant squid just gave her goosebumps. "It looks a little bit like a swamp, if I'm being totally honest." She laughed lightly, lifting her head and casting Lucette a small glance. Adalacia wasn't sure why she had made her way down to the lake, knowing how difficult being a first year Prefect was - the responsibilities almost always had you on your toes. Rules were rules in her mind, but sometimes she just needed to get away despite her list of to-do's; which is why she herself had picked her way down to watch the sunset. Maybe Lucette had the same idea. 

Which, in retrospect meant she could probably get along well with Lucette. Contemplating that matter Adalacia offered her a polite smile, cocking her head slightly and patting the soft ground beside her. "But if you like the look of it come and sit, it was getting a little too quiet anyway." Which was a total lie, considering quietude was all she had ever craved since starting at Hogwarts. It seemed every corner she took there was someone new asking her for a favor, something else going wrong, another student not listening. The responsibility was exhausting to say the least, and it was the one and only thing she missed about her little ranch home. The only responsibilities she had there were tending to the animals, and taking Judd out to play - now he, like her at one point in her life, was probably tucked away in his room with his toys by their mother who never had any time for them; wondering why his big sister had left him all alone. The thought hurt her beyond belief. 

"No, not really."

Lucette didn't recognize why, but Adalacia's brief and candid reply threw her. Her conversation starter had fallen flat. Her teeth gritted, holding back her frown. Of course Ada wouldn't want to speak to her. She plainly preferred to be alone. Lucette prepared to tread backward, her heart pounding out of her chest. What was she even thinking? That just because they collaborated once that she could wander up to her and assume they were companions? That was not how the world functioned. Biting her lower lip, she formulated words to excuse herself from the situation. 

"Ah... I'-"

"It looks a little bit like a swamp if I'm being totally honest."

Lucette's eyes darted back upwards and met Ada's, her words interrupted by her sudden remark. The redhead's eyes seemed to sparkle with her minor laugh, and the action eased Lucette to no end. Maybe she thought wrong? She tried to recollect her thoughts about Ada: She was a hard-working prefect, no doubt about that, and an idol for many of the prefects, regardless of the house. After holding it in for a bit, she let out a soft sigh. Even if Ada was being pleasant to her that doesn't mean she wanted her company right now. She had to deal with people left and right; Lucette dealt with that first-hand.  Even with her free time, she tried to find a place to be alone. She wouldn't force Ada to deal with Luce and all of her problems. Before she could speak again, however, her words stayed stuck in her head by her fellow prefect's words.

"But if you like the look of it come and sit, it was getting a little too quiet, anyway."

Her eyes widened slightly before Lucette broke out into a toothy, lopsided grin. Someone actually wanted to be around her? That was new. Was this normal? She hoped it was. Even though she was invited, Lucette scratched the back of her head, still a bit unsure.

"I do hope you don't mind me interrupting your free time, Adalacia..."

Her dark boots sloshed through the damp grass as she moved closer to Ada, her heart thumping. She was alone for the first time with somebody, and in an isolated place at that, so unsurprisingly she was nervous. She slowly lowered herself down to the ground, sitting in a criss-crossed position. Taking out her carrots from her lunch bag, and munched on one. She still felt a cold wall being held up by Ada, despite her friendly invite. She frowned. If she was at home with Peter, she wouldn't be feeling so... cast aside. But she couldn't give up. Not now. She stopped munching, before offering Adalacia a carrot. 

"I-If I'm being honest, there's something reassuring about the quiet. Helps one relax and collect their thoughts, you know?" 

She could tell how nervous Lucette was, and Ada's tone probably didn't help in the least. She knew her curtness deterred people, and that is why she did her best to offer Lucette a spot with her, not feeling comfortable pushing another away from a public area as though she owned it; but despite this offer Lucette still queried as to whether she was truly welcome. "You're not interrupting anything, I was just sitting here and thinking about things." She reassured the young Slytherin girl with another well meaning smile. Those small little kind gestures barely ever surfaced from Adalacia, but there were those few people who could pull her best self out, and it was usually the most genuine of people too. 

She turned her gaze back to the water, cocking her head to the side lightly and listening to the gentle trickle of water on shore, admiring its serenity despite her aforementioned comment about not finding it nice. Now that Lucette had put the idea in her head she couldn't deny the rhythmic beauty, how it would be so easy to allow herself to be lulled to sleep by the sound of the water, wind and gently chirping crickets. Alas, it wasn't something she'd ever allow herself to do. Falling asleep in public places was not only highly embarrassing, but it made you seem vulnerable. That's something she couldn't afford to seem, not at this school, and certainly not as a respectable Prefect who, at times, has had to demand respect from her peers. She knew she was young and small, but her voice carried far when she needed it to.

Ada watched from her peripheral vision as Lucette finally decided to take a seat beside her, crossing her legs daintily and surfing through her lunch bag for something. When she pulled out carrots and offered her one, she took it with gentle fingers and a matching smile. "Thanks, I actually haven't had a raw carrot in a while." Which was an odd statement, but true. It seemed the Elves in the Kitchen much preferred stewing or frying the carrots, rather than leaving them as they are. She took a bite, nodding her head in agreement as she listened to Lucette's comment. "It does, that's why I come down here a lot." She offered, looking straight at Lucette now, as if to prove to her that she was interested in conversation and didn't just invite her to stay in favor of being polite. 

"I'm actually terrified of water, its taken me a bit to get even this close. But I like the quiet. When I said I didn't think it was nice I mostly meant it looks ugly to me." If water could look ugly her comment might not be so entertaining to hear, alas she knew she probably sounded ridiculous to Lucette and her thoughtless ramblings brought a blush to her cheeks. Judd used to talk just as much as her, about the oddest things just like her; she truly just wished he was by her side right now, reassuring her that she wasn't being silly, and that the water really was ugly. 

Lucette bit her lip, still wondering if she had disturbed her thoughts. Even she required time alone to ponder. Thoughts were always something ephemeral, and Lucette tried to grip onto them as much as she could, be it laying in bed for ages doing nothing or just ramble-writing onto a scrap of parchment. Lucette's eyes flickered, reflecting like the surface of the water did for the sunlight. She felt her heart swell as Ada took a carrot from her, munching on it. It was a minor gesture, but Lucette could help but over-think it. Lucette didn't identify what about Adalacia made her so... comforted. There was just something about this juncture that made the Gryffindor Prefect resemble something of a friend. She watched Adalacia speak tenderly and serenely as if miming the water with just her approach and expressions. Was it odd she admired a student her age? Although they were both first-year prefects, Lucette looked at Adalacia as a superior, someone who demanded reverence and would be presented it without equivocation. With such a social shell around her, there was so much intrigue to who the real Adalacia was. This wasn't indicating that the outer shell was a facade, but there was a distinction between the secret and communal life. Lucette wondered what they were for Ada.

Lucette's heart bounded as Ada made eye contact. Sure, it was a traditional thing to do when you were conversing with somebody, but just drowning in her colored irises made Lucette... entranced. There was something so earnest about the girl sitting beside her, but she couldn't quite put her finger on it. It was like she was baring her soul to her, admitting something she wouldn't if she wasn't comfortable. That in itself made Lucette feel like she was needed.

She broke the trance by casually looking out onto the lake, a hefty sigh slipping through her lips. The synthesis of colors that seemed to dissolve into the horizon was a sight to behold. Every hue seemed to ignite with a passion, as if someone had placed it there on purpose just so the mortal eye to seize something so vivid. As she listened to Adalacia, she did her best to ponder over her words, trying to draft them in a fashion that didn't snub her fellow pupil.

"All that we fear, we see as ugly. The dark is undesirable just because of the possibilities behind it all." She thought for a moment before grinning. The thought of Pete crossed her mind, and she spoke gently as if soothing her baby brother, and not communicating with an individual her age. "It takes the best of ourselves and the best of the surrounding people to find value in it all. If there was no darkness, how could one ever truly appreciate the light?"