Join me and the Hufflepuffs Closed

Most days, Robin adored her house. She loved the emphasis on wisdom and wit and independence and blah, blah, blah. She loved the blue hues that decorated her common room and table banners. Hell, she even loved the endless flight of spiraled stairs leading up to Ravenclaw tower, even if only to strengthen her calves to make her faster. What she most certainly did not love was the incessant need to debate every single stupid topic on planet Earth, and then some! Her housemates always felt the need to come back to rehash certain topics, most often after new information was found. She can't remember how many times she's heard the same hot topics over and over again.

"Emotions are irrational." "Free will doesn't exist."

She's even heard the Ravenclaw table debating if a hotdog was considered a sandwich.

Robin currently sat at the Ravenclaw table where today's topic was blood purity, and having heard it all, she didn't feel the need to stick around. She swore some of her housemates could have easily been placed into Slytherin considering the thin line between wisdom and cunning.

Robin was tired of it- at least for the moment. She felt like having a conversation with someone new, someone who could understand her hatred of boisterous, argumentative tables. Robin stood up and grabbed her things in order to escape the horrible atmosphere and began to head towards the great Mahogony doors at the entrance to the hall. She would find some empty classroom or something to eat in. Maybe she could make a trip to Moaning Myrtles toilet. On her way to leave, she had to walk along the Hufflepuff table. She noticed how interspersed most of the people at the table and felt a bit jealous of the friendly Hufflepuffs. At least their housemates were considerate of the ones who wanted a bit of peace.

As Robin made her way around the edge of the table, someone caught her eye. It was Lemon - a friendly first year Hufflepuff that introduced themself to Robin when they first got to the school. Since Lemon was Wizard born, they knew a lot more about the Wizarding world than Robin and offered their assistance if she ever needed it. Robin was incredibly grateful for the offer and felt bad that she hadn't taken them up on it, being the stubbornly independent girl that she is. Robin made a split-second decision and decided to set her things down at the Hufflepuff table and plopped down in the spot directly to the right of Lemon.

"Hey Lemon. Mind if I sit here?" Robin didn't wait for an answer before settling herself in her seat and gathering a few things onto her plate to eat. She was starving and was very grateful that she wouldn't be spending her lunch break hanging out with dear old Myrtle. Robin noticed the brown paper bag that Lemon had just pulled out of their bag.

"What's that you got there?"

Reducio

Interacting w/ @Lemon Goldfinch | #1821a0 | #b382e3

Time: 12-1pm
Date: Monday, 3rd March, 2025
Interacting with: @Robin Marie

Lemon was someone who was willing to learn anything at any time. They yearned for knowledge and challenges. They often found that they felt incredibly bored when they were doing something that doesn't require them to think and look for creative solutions. They always liked having something challenging and new to do, which was why they enjoyed doing logic riddles and puzzles so much. They'd frequently become hyper focused on activities like these, and find themselves incredibly thirsty and hungry after having sat for hours on end, unaware of their own body and sensations.

Just as Lemon was about to begin unwrapping the brown paper package, a familiar face appeared right in front of them. It was Robin, a bright Ravenclaw student in the first year that Lemon had met when first arriving at Hogwarts. "Hey Lemon. Mind if I sit here?" she said. A soon as she had spoken, she was already collecting some food onto the empty plate that was placed where she had sat down. Lemon liked Robin's confidence: it was a quality that the two of them shared. "What's that you got there?"
Robin asked, eyeing the package that Lemon had retrieved from their bag.

Lemon smiled excitedly at Robin as they opened the package to reveal a stack of newspaper cuttings and a drawing that Seraphina, Lemon's younger sister, had made. It was, like most of her artworks, a detailed sketch of a vase of flowers, and Lemon recognised the vase to be the same one that sat on their kitchen counter at home. Seraphina had clearly picked some of the wildflowers that grew in their garden and arranged them neatly in the vase. She would often do things like that, making sure that every corner of the house was filled with beauty.

Lemon picked up the drawing and placed it safely inside their notebook. "Puzzles!" they answered excitedly. "Mamma sends me them whenever she sees one in the Daily Prophet or her painting magazines. I love doing them!"

Word count: 347

Flashing Robin an enthusiastic grin, Lemon opened the package to reveal an assortment of papers, a drawing of flowers immediately catching Robin's eye. It seemed to be a detailed drawing of flower, clearly drawn by someone younger than them. Robin smiled warmly at the drawing; it reminds her of her own little sister's colorings splayed across their shared bedroom at home.

"Puzzles," They answered her question. Robin shoved a bite of macaroni pie into her mouth and chewed, leaning back to observe Lemon and listen carefully. "Mamma sends me them whenever she sees one in the Daily Prophet or her painting magazines. I love doing them!"

Robin took the time to take in Lemon's appearance. They have long, pretty brown hair with streaks of color, big, beautiful eyes, and the most interesting assortment of accessories Robin has ever seen. They're one of the only people who make the black boring Hogwarts Robes look good. Lemon seemed so genuinely happy to be receiving her package. Robin's family would probably write to her more if she deigned to write them first, considering they were muggles. She almost always made sure to keep in contact with Samantha, her younger sister, but the others wouldn't have a clue how to get an owl to her. She was too used to wanting to do things on her own, advice be damned. Maybe she ought to write them more, though...

Robin really felt akin to Lemon the first time they met, having a single mother and multiple siblings and all. Robin supposed she still had her father, off somewhere in America with whatever girlfriend, but... he was just a dollar sign toward the bills nowadays. So, while hearing about Lemon's close relationship with her mother, Robin did feel a slight tinge of jealousy at their close relationship, but it was mostly overshadowed by the warmth in her heart for seeing Lemon genuinely light up talking about her mother. Robin promised herself that she would write to her own mother soon.

"That’s lush that is," Robin said kindly, the familiar hometown saying slipping out. Robin thought for a moment before saying, "You know, I'm really surprised you aren't in Ravenclaw, Lemon." She meant it as a compliment, having no house biases from growing up in the muggle world, she associated logic and creativity with Ravenclaw, both of which Lemon encapsulated wonderfully.

Robin took a moment to think about what to say before remembering what she originally left her house table for. She suddenly narrowed her eyes at Lemon in suspicion.

"You don't have any strong particular feelings about hot dogs being a sandwich or not, do you?" Robin said, in an inquisitive manner, raising an eyebrow and leaning closer to stare unblinking into their eyes. She had to make sure she didn't just walk right into another faux housemate, ready to overanalyze every philosophical question known to witch or wizard. If that's what this was, she might as well be better off with Myrtle. Okay, maybe Robin was being slightly dramatic, but she was especially curious as to what the Hufflepuff would say. For reasons even she was unsure of, the corner of her mouth lifted in a small smirk. She supposed it was a small test of sorts, but to be completely honest, she liked to try and unnerve people with her look for fun. People have always reacted strangely to it, and it has always amused her. There was no wrong answer- not one Lemon was capable of making, at least.

Reducio

Interacting w/ @Lemon Goldfinch | #1821a0 | c99d0d |

Time: 12-1pm
Date: Monday, 3rd March, 2025
Interacting with: @Robin Marie

Puzzles were Lemon's way of connecting with the world, and finding new solutions and ways of viewing things, but they were also their escape from reality. They'd get lost in crosswords, sudokus, logic puzzles and even this puzzle game called Armada: a sort of reverse battleships game that had sucked Lemon in immediately.

Robin watched Lemon attentively as she chewed on some of the food she'd gathered on her plate. "That's lush that is," Robin said thoughtfully. "You know, I'm really surprised you aren't in Ravenclaw, Lemon." Lemon smiled knowingly. "I am too," they replied, leaning back slightly. "But, the world is a strange place. It's too complicated to want everything to make sense."

Robin narrowed her eyes after pausing for a moment, and leaned forward to stare into Lemon's eyes, as if looking for something she'd lost. "You don't have any strong particular feelings about hot dogs being a sandwich or not, do you?" Lemon laughed at this question. They could see that Robin herself seemed to be smiling ever so subtly. "You know," they began, still laughing. "I've thought about a lot of things, but I don't think I've ever thought to ask myself that. I guess it would depend on what kind of bread is used," Lemon continued in a tone mimicking an overly egotistical university or college professor. "You see, you Cana tell an awful lot about a culture based off of what kind of bread they use in their hotdogs; the taste, the texture, the colour..." Lemon couldn't hold their laughter anymore, and cut their own performance off with a roar of laughter.

OOC note
Sorry it's a little bit shorter than usual.

"You've got that right," Robin agreed with Lemon's statement about the world being a strange place. Robin still was wrapping her mind around magic being real! Let alone the fact that she had classmates who were part siren-like - "Veela" or whatever and could make her swoon with just a look. She was still bitter about discovering that fact for the first time.

When Robin asked Lemon the hot dog question, she was dead serious. She swore to all things holy that if Lemon, her spectacularly kooky Hufflepuff friend, began spewing off about the damned hotdogs, she wouldn't be able to bear it. So, when Lemon started talking about the bread, she received a succinct freeze-frame from Robin and an instant side-eye. Now when she started going on about the hotdog culture, going into specifics!- she was already halfway out of her seat to get the hell out of there when Lemon burst out, full of laughter.

In disbelief, Robin sat back down and reassessed the Hufflepuff. They'd gotten her good - oh, yeah? She thought. Two can play, dear Lemon. Two can play.

Lemon was still laughing when Robin couldn't hold herself together either - their laughter was just a bit too infectious. Any immediate thoughts of payback drifted away - for now. Lemon was just too cute, and too sweet to hold a grudge against.

"You asked for it, Lemon Goldfinch." Robin stated, through the laughter, simply because she liked saying their name. She crossed her arms, a mischievous smile forming on her lips. "You won't even see it coming."

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ooc note // no worries!! xoxo Interacting w/ @Lemon Goldfinch | #1821a0 | c99d0d |

Time: 12-1pm
Date: Monday, 3rd March, 2025
Interacting with: @Robin Marie

Robin watched in disbelief as Lemon pretended to make a passionate speech about the affects of hotdog buns on cultures across the world. She even looked like she was about to run out of the Great Hall when the laughter took over. Robin joined in the laughing as though she had no control over herself. "You asked for it, Lemon Goldfinch." Robin said, crossing her arms with a mischievous look. "You won't even see it coming."

Lemon had no doubt whatsoever that Robin was capable of finding a way to trick them back someway, but this scenario was much too ridiculous for Lemon to think about it any further than that. "Was that the conversation you've just escaped from?" they asked, their laughter dying down slowly. "Gosh, they really have run out of things to talk about, haven't they?" Lemon paused for a moment, looking down the Hufflepuff table and observing the faces of the students sat there. "I mean, all I ever hear them talking about in Hufflepuff are stories of the one time someone's aunt fell into the pool after having had a bit too much to drink at Christmas, or plans for the Easter holidays," they added in a voice slightly quieter than how Lemon usually spoke, meaning that their voice was now at an average conversation volume.

Word count: 233

"Oh, no not this time. They started talking about the 'validity of blood-purity' and to be fair, it wasn't that terrible of a conversation." Robin said, shrugging and thinking back to the other muggle-borns of her house making incredibly good points. "The first time, that is. I just need some new... content. Why don't you show me your puzzles or something?"

Robin leaned forward to hear what Lemon was saying, as they had started speaking in a lower voice than usual, looking towards their fellow Hufflepuffs further down the table. "I mean, all I ever hear them talking about in Hufflepuff are stories of the one time someone's aunt fell into the pool after having had a bit too much to drink at Christmas, or plans for the Easter holidays,"

That made Robin laugh. She guess she was a bit grateful that her fellow Ravenclaw's could have stimulating conversations that would make you think. Granted, hearing about someone's drunk aunt does sound pretty entertaining in comparison to discussing "free will" for the thousandth time.

"We should totally have an inter-house common room or something," Robin noted. "Imagine the conversations we could have with different types of people. Who could imagine? " Robin feigned fainting, wiping her brow. Honestly, it wasn't a terrible idea. It would be nice to have a place all of the houses could interact with each other easily outside of the library, where they had to keep their voices to a minimum or the Great Hall, where overstimulation was to be expected. Robin took a drink of her water, truly giving it some extra thought. She had recently found the room of requirement on the fifth floor after she had stumbled across it looking for a place to hide from a student that she had been stalking very closely following. They were to be her potential friend and as one does when scouting out new friends, she follows them around to learn as much as possible about them before introducing herself. She didn't have to do that with Lemon. Lemon came to her.


Anyway, the Room of Requirement would make a great place for an inter-house common room. She was lost in thought for a moment thinking about it before her attention returned to Lemon.

Reducio

Interacting w/ @Lemon Goldfinch | #1821a0 | c99d0d |