Closed Bookworms

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Lottie liked the library this time of year. It was one of the few rooms in all of the school that wasn't filled to the brim with buzzing groups of ecstatic students ready for their first break from the confines of the school and mischievous pranksters trying to pull their last tricks before the new year. She liked the quiet mumbling of students overwhelmed by the sharp crackling of a warm fire. And that was just another thing that she adored about the library: it's warmth. Her brother used to tell her that she needed to grow thicker skin.

She had just barely managed to drag herself out of bed that morning to her first class, Charm, and past that point she was a zombie of a girl sulking from one class to the next until, finally, the day had come to its end and she could skip on down to the library for some much needed quiet time. In a small detour, she had managed to swing by her dormitory and grab her copy of the Iliad. She had been meaning to re-read it for weeks, and now she had time.

As she breached the barrier between the rest of the school and the otherworldly library, she was immediately overcome by the thick scent of must and firewood. A few small holiday decorations were strung over the bookshelves, emitting their own smell of pine. She inhaled slowly, before exhaling with relief. She was at peace. Slowly, she made her way over to one of the desks and slid into the cold seat, laying her book out flat in front of her.

She hadn't noticed it in her blissful state, but sat across from her was another girl around her same age with frosty white hair and fair skin. Catching a glimpse of this new face, Lottie thought absently that she looked very similar to her younger sister. The second thing she noticed was the book laying in front of her, sharing the author of Lottie's own.

"Homer?" Lottie asked quietly, not really realizing she had said it until the word slipped past her mouth. She flushed slightly, and pointed at the cover. "I mean- that's what you're reading, right? The Odyssey?"

@Lexi Medford

She had barely noticed the girl who had taken a seat across from her, eyes glued to the pages of the hefty read in front of her. Despite being a lover of literature, it was sometimes difficult for her to slip into a story-- especially in such a large, cold surrounding space. It was a far cry from her remarkably warm bed, where, with Lumos in hand, she could lay down to read under her covers comfortably.

"Homer?"

The name barely registered at first, but Lexi eventually blinked herself back to reality and looked up to meet the eyes of the voice's source. It was another girl who looked to be about the same age as herself, though much... warmer. Gently, she pulled her scarf down to speak with a welcoming and genuine smile spreading across her face. She always found library conversations oddly comforting and rather intriguing to sit through. Besides, something about finding another person who possibly shared her passion for literature made the vastness of the library seem just a little less daunting.

"Ah-- yeah! You know of him?" Lexi asked in a soft whisper, though some excitement lingered in her tone. "This is actually my first time reading something of his. My dad recommended this story in particular 'cause he said that Homer was a big influence in Greece. I'm a huge fan of history, so any stories seeped in it can easily hook me in." Her gaze switched to the book Charlotte held, which brandished a now familiar name. Homer again? Could this girl be a fan of him? Sure, she had heard his name before, but never had she actually picked up any of his work. What were the odds that these two would bump into each other on this particular day? They must have been destined to meet!

“…Wait, he wrote The Iliad too? That’s so cool!” she gasped excitedly, a bit louder than intended, before hastily lowering her voice. She leaned forward with a sheepish grin, her hair falling forward onto her shoulders. “I-I’ve heard of that one-- heck, I have a copy back home-- but I’ve never had the chance actually to sit down and read it. Is it similar to this one? About mythology and adventuring and stuff?"

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Lottie couldn't help the steady rush of excitement that flowed through her at the opportunity to discuss the old philosopher, someone she had taken quite the interest in. She leaned forward, folding her hands on the table in front of her. "He's only been properly credited to the two books, though I've meant to read some of his hymns. He writes suspense like no other."

She struggled to keep her voice low in the quiet library, refocusing her energy on the shameless smile that cracked down her face. Though Lottie liked to pretend that she wasn't so childish as to obsess over anything, the writing of the Greeks was her guilty pleasure. Anything to do with muggle history was shunned by her parents, but here that didn't matter. Sometimes she still had to remind herself of that fact.

"It's fantastic," Lottie said with a thoughtful sigh, carefully pushing the book closer to the other girl. "The morals are nearly as complex as the characters themselves. Though ancient, it certainly shines through to modern day. I couldn't recommend it enough."

Lottie had once attempted to get her eldest sister to read muggle literature, but Anadil had wanted nothing to do with it. She had nearly gotten her attention with the old tragedies, but not even plays could wrangle her sister's delicate attention span. To actually be able to speak with someone who cared for literature as much as Lottie did was simply exhilarating.

@Lexi Medford

I'm so so sorry for how long this took me!!