12 Jan 2025, 02:04
Change is constant
by Elena Clark
Friday, October 25, 2024
Early Afternoon
Lately, his violin practice had been fruitless and peppered with uncharacteristic flaws. His bow arm felt tight and applied too much pressure to the strings, or slipped with uneven wavers. His intonation suffered as his fingers landed off-pitch, notes fumbled by distraction. Something was not quite right this semester, over the past two months. It was the feeling that something was missing, or rather, someone.
His rational and uptight friend had provided such a grounding counter-balance to Avery's whims. Now, it seemed that Avery had lost his rock in the winds of his hectic school life. No one asked him if he had yet started on the outline of his History paper, or reminded him that he would be late to quidditch practice when he was dallying. He no longer had Ming's unsolicited tips on how to organize his bag in the most efficient tetris pattern, or reminders to tuck in his shirt before walking into the classroom of a particularly strict professor. Most of all, he had lost his first friend at Hogwarts -- the boy who actually understood him, even as the two of them looked as if they couldn't possibly have anything in common.
The dark-haired boy was making his way back to his dorm with his violin case strapped to his back, after a frustrating hour in the Rehearsal Room of distracted thoughts and emotions. Heavy clouds in the early afternoon mirrored his sullen mood. With a sigh, he stopped by the fountain in the courtyard to watch the rivulets of water in their steady, predictable flow. It was comforting, like Ming had often been. Ming was the pillar of stability in his life that made all other unpredictable forces easier to endure. How could Avery have known that his friend would move to the other side of the world and ditch him with hardly any notice? People came in and out of his life; students at Hogwarts often seemed to disappear every now and then, but Avery did not think that Fang Hui-Ming would be one of them.
With an exasperated snort, he slapped a stream of water with his hand, disrupting its steady flow, scattering the water droplets so they splashed the surface haphazardly, or even outside the fountain itself. "There is no such thing as continuity," he said to himself, venom in his words as he spoke to the fountain. No, real life was not like this fountain, gurgling happily with its constant streams, built to spray its rivulets in the same, mechanically calculated directions for the entirety of its life. He glared at the cheery structure with newfound disdain, as if it were propagating a lie. But with a sigh, the glare softened into melancholy, and he leaned on the edge with an elbow.
@Maisie Gemmell
Last edited by Avery Chen on 14 Jan 2025, 02:02, edited 1 time in total.
13 Jan 2025, 20:45
Change is constant
The books rocked slightly inside her leather satchel as she passed between classes, and a gentle breeze ran through the stray hairs that hung outside of the plait at the side of her face. It was a perfectly fine October day. And by now, Maisie had a decent routine and felt more comfortable in these corridors and courtyards.
It was as she came across the courtyard that she noticed a boy who'd saved their team back in the unofficial Quidditch match. He was older and more skilled than any of them had been. Now, however, he seemed a shadow of the boy who swooped in to replace Delaney. He was seated by the fountain, pensieve. She wouldn't have stopped—he likely came here to seek solace—except for the whisper she heard. It was soft and desperate—a longing for continuity. What a curious thing to say.
Looking up at the clock tower, she realized she had some time—certainly enough to offer a little lightness. "Chocolate?" she offered him, taking out an unopened chocolate frog from her satchel before taking a seat next to him. She didn't know very much about him, but she could see the feeling. And unlike some other Slytherins she'd met, she was keen to stop and help, if only in a small way.
So, she did not ask him what was wrong—though it was nearly on the tip of her tongue. Instead, not unlike her initial meeting with Lucian, she'd let him speak if he wanted to. And if he didn't, that was okay. People dealt with emotions in different ways. But a little part of her hoped he'd be more open than his contemporaries.
@Avery Chen
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14 Jan 2025, 03:25
Change is constant
by Elena Clark
A hand, holding something, appeared in front of his glassy eyes. "Chocolate?" someone asked, and he realized it was an unopened chocolate frog. He blinked and glanced up from his trance to find Maisie, his impromptu quidditch game teammate and perceptive Whispers player. "Umm, yeah... thanks, Maisie," he responded, not as brightly as he normally would've done, under his usual cheery mood, but he was inwardly grateful for the considerate gesture. He took the small package into his hands, and gazed at it thoughtfully as Maisie sat beside him.
How amazed he had been, opening his first chocolate frog. Not only was the chocolate in the wizarding world tasty, but it had cheekiness and life. Just like almost everything else did, in this world. The singing paintings, the wailing ghosts. The moving stairs, the snapping books, the howling envelopes. No, nothing here stayed stagnant, did it? Everything seemed to live, breathe, have tumultuous emotions. It awed him -- finally, a world that didn't always make sense, just as he himself didn't, sometimes, in his parents' eyes.
"Isn't it strange," he mused aloud, "that so much can change in such a short amount of time? I mean, just over three years ago, I learned that chocolate could jump out of a box on its own," he chuckled lightly. His musings made apparent his blood status, but somehow, after witnessing Maisie's kind gesture, he wasn't afraid of the girl responding negatively to this insight about him. "It was wonderful learning about a world that I didn't even know existed, making new friends, living in a new school. At the same time, it was really hard making the adjustment -- feeling like I had to leave my family and abandon my previous life, in a way. But I had a friend who I met on the train, who was going through the same thing as I was, and I felt like we had each others' backs. That we would figure it out together and graduate." He paused here and turned the chocolate frog over in his hands, a bit of anxiety seeping through in anticipation for the next part of his story. "But," he smiled ruefully, "the world changes yet again. Plans change. He moved to a different school over the summer. And he's not the first of my good friends to leave, either," he said, thinking of Henry, who was his first roommate and mentor, and who was like a brother to him, too.
"Sometimes, I almost wish life were a little less exciting, if you know what I mean? Like, I could use a break from all this constant change," he chuckled a bit to himself. But then he paused, and glanced sideways at Maisie, remembering that she was a first-year he had hardly spoken with. "Sorry, I'm rambling a lot, and you probably didn't need to hear a fourth-year spout all his woes on your break," he said, a bit sheepishly. "Like, 'what a downer'. I don't want you to think life gets depressing the more you stay at Hogwarts, or something." Even though it seemed that way for Avery, just a little bit.
"How have you been enjoying Hogwarts so far?" he asked, hoping that he wasn't just going to spend the entire time talking about himself, as he was prone to jabbering. One of his many faults.
@Maisie Gemmell
14 Jan 2025, 20:59
Change is constant
"You're welcome," she said as he took the unopened frog in hand. And as he took apart the wrappings, he eventually started speaking: "Isn't it strange...?" From there came an outpouring of reflection and that of a muggle-born at that. It was different from her childhood, which she had always known was destined to end up here, even if it had spent a fair share of time in the muggle world. But this seemed only like the very first thread. As she listened, he wove a tapestry much deeper—that of friendship and loss. She took out another chocolate frog and started to crack it open.
As he apologized, she met his sideways glance. "You're not a downer," she told him, trying to take in everything he'd said—it had been a lot. She turned the wrapper in hand. "You just," she said, "you lost a friend." Somehow putting it out into the air was tougher than she thought. For a brief moment, she put a reassuring hand on his shoulder.
"I had to leave behind friends too," she explained, trying to make conversation, "I had both magical and muggle friends at home. Obviously, the muggle ones didn't follow and I couldn't tell them anything about this place. It's weird sometimes. I don't like lying." She blinked. The choice was white lies or not interacting with them at all considering the statute. Either seemed a great option. Somehow magic made things more complicated, even the simple things like transferring schools.
"How have you been enjoying Hogwarts so far?"
"I like it mostly," she answered, "though it's not like what my parents told me. In their version, there are a lot more staircases, ha." Other things too. But even the rougher parts didn't matter so much as long as she had a best friend like Avis to share it with—that was what Avery was missing now. She felt for him as his loss. "Does your house not give you some sense of stability?" she asked, thinking that was what houses were for. And yet the few members of Slytherin house she had met hadn't exactly been friendly. Maybe it was different there. Maybe all the good ones had left, if there were any to begin with.
"Greta Catchlove," she read her card, "I gave away an extra copy of her I had, and here we are again. Who'd you get?" She wanted to make things seem normal; maybe that might pick him up a little bit.
@Avery Chen
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15 Jan 2025, 02:49
Change is constant
by Elena Clark
Maybe something about the white-noise splashing of the fountain, the comfort of the chocolate, and the silently considerate first-year sitting next to him made it easier for him to muse his thoughts out loud. And our boy was very much an open book -- not many words that crossed his mind went unsaid. He appreciated the way that Maisie simply let him air out what was bothering him, and only felt a bit of an anxious realization about his ramblings toward the end. She probably wouldn't laugh at him or make fun of him -- it simply didn't seem like what she would do, but what if? He had a small moment of self-doubt as his cheeks tinged a bit in color.
"You're not a downer," she affirmed, however. "You just, you lost a friend." He couldn't help but appreciate her kind acknowledgement, and sighed inwardly in relief, letting out the bit of air that he didn't know he was holding. "Thank you for understanding..." he said, gratefully.
It seemed that she really did understand, in a way, having had some muggle friends of her own. It really was difficult sometimes, trying to explain where he went or what he was up to while he was away. Every time they got back together for orchestra camp, they seemed to have gotten closer without him.
He wondered what it would be like having parents who told you stories about Hogwarts growing up, and chuckled while imagining how many staircases there would've been in her bedtime stories. "Did you think classes at Hogwarts would be difficult?" he wondered. Did children of wizarding families ever wonder if they'd be any good at magicking? "But probably not? You're in the smartest house, anyhow," he observed. "What were some things that were different?" he asked, curious to learn more about her.
Did Slytherin give him any sense of stability? Hmm, he'd have to think about that. "I guess I've had all types of experiences with my housemates. I have quite a few friends my year in Slytherin. Some upperclassmen are great mentors on the quidditch team and very supportive, like Koko, Cash, and Flash, but Flash is gone now. Then, there are the types who are a bit more of a headache, if you know what I mean." Quite an understatement: getting your violin smashed, tripped in the Great Hall, dungbomb'd in your dorm room, and blinded on the train. "But I guess it's just Slytherin for you. You have just as many friends as you have frenemies and enemies, I guess. If anything, we're lively, and always have an opinion about each other." No, you really wouldn't look at another Slytherin and just be, 'oh well' or 'they're just whatever'. There was always something to say about them. "Have you met any Slytherins who I should meet, lately?" Perhaps Maisie had some recommendations, or discouragements.
At Maisie's question, he looked down at his own frog card. "Archibald Alderton," he read, "a guy who blew up a village trying to magically mix a birthday cake, hmmm." That was something. "Sounds like something I do on the daily in Potions class. It's my first one, so not too bad."
@Maisie Gemmell
28 Jan 2025, 13:13
Change is constant
With a nod they seemed to have acquired an understanding. And with that, Maisie was content to just let the moment pass. Sometimes that was more comforting than words.
"I thought they would be different," she explained, "But I didn't expect it to be so physical. I suppose it's because we learn combat spells, which is different than anything we would have used in the house." Because there had never been a need for that, thankfully. On the flip side, she wasn't sure she was in the 'smartest house,' but maybe there just hadn't been enough time to determine that. Time would tell.
Avery seemed to have had a myriad of experiences when it came to Slytherins—some good, some bad. While logically that made sense, she found herself nodding slightly at the comment that some were a headache. And then came a curious question: "Have you met any Slytherins who I should meet, lately?"
"I don't think I would recommend him," she said as a pit grew in her stomach, "but I know one." Though she hesitated to mentioning him by name, her expression shifted into something of concern and frustration. Even now, his inaction and blow up remained a disappointment. The few others she'd encountered in passing had been neutral at best, but Saunders was a consistent thorn at her side.
"Do you want this one?" she offered him her duplicate chocolate frog card, "I'm not that excited to have the cheese lady again."
@Avery Chen
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6 Feb 2025, 15:23
Change is constant
by Elena Clark
Somehow, it seemed so natural talking to Maisie, even though they had only met twice before. He could feel himself relaxing, and little by little, his woes slipped away as he concentrated on their easy conversation.
It was true that things were quite physical even in classes at Hogwarts. Typically, he was used to simply sitting in a muggle classroom, the only movement being his hand across the lines of his notebooks or squirming impatiently in his seat. But here, the casting of spells, mixing of potions, and re-potting in herbology was all quite physical. "I guess the physicality of the classes is kind of what's keeping me awake," he chuckled. The excitement and movement gave him an outlet for his energy. "I really got to move during the day. I can't imagine just reading books, sitting and listening, or writing papers all day long at a desk." Which is exactly what he'd be doing if he were back in muggle schools.
He raised his eyebrows in curiosity as Maisie said she'd met a Slytherin she wouldn't recommend. "So, one of the headache types," he mused. "Let me guess, is he in the same year as you?" It was usually when they were in your first-year events and classes every day that you could develop such an opinion so quickly. "I haven't gotten to know many first-years recently. It's like I never see people several years below me anymore." Was he losing that youthful spark in his life?? "Are you involved in any sports, by the way? I feel like you could try out for quidditch, since you're not bad at flying." He was always a seller of his favorite sport. No bias, of course.
He looked at the cheese lady card and took at from Maisie gratefully. "I don't think I have her yet, so thanks," he said, tucking both cards into a pocket.
@Maisie Gemmell
14 Mar 2025, 20:10
Change is constant
She let out a little laugh as Avery explained that he couldn't just have a normal class. "I think we have a good balance. Magic is physical like a sport," she said. It wasn't really something she had anticipated, even watching her parents use magic for something as simple as household chores. Still, she enjoyed school here so far.
Except for him. "Yes, to both," she explained, "a headache in my year. He's..." She paused for a second to look over at Avery. It was the first time she'd told anyone about this besides Avis, but somehow there was a trusting quality to Avery's face. Maybe it was from the way he's swooped in during that Quidditch match. "His name is Saunders. He was in my boat coming up to the school. The boats got attacked by grindylows and we turned over. And he didn't do anything. He just let it happen," she explained, "I tried to steer the boat, which was probably stupid, but it was something." Because that's the way she always was: trying to do something. Maybe Avery thought similarly.
Biting into the chocolate, she tentatively added, "Do you know him?" Avery had said he didn't know many first years, but it didn't hurt to check.
"Are you involved in any sports, by the way? I feel like you could try out for quidditch, since you're not bad at flying."
"Thanks," she replied, "I do enjoy flying. We had a good team. Though that bludger coming right at me when I was trying to do the starfish and stick was not fun. I would like do something. I signed up for every list I could find in the common room." Maybe this too was stupid. Other people probably had a focus or a passion like Avis clearly did for Quidditch. But for Maisie, she just wanted to try everything and she desperately wanted to be part of a team. That'd be a great way to make friends, after all.
And hopefully, to Avery's earlier point, they wouldn't all just leave. With a nod, she acknowledged his thanks. For now, she was just happy to have someone to talk to between classes.
@Avery Chen
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