A Study of...Friendship? PV Graci Laren Finished

Graci just needed a place to study. She wasn't behind in her classes, necessarily, but she needed to double down and actually focus.

In all truth, Graci didn't even know which books she had thrown into her bag earlier, just that they were heavy and made her unbalanced on the smooth marble floor of the Hogwarts halls. Smooth marble and clumsy girls don't mix, so it was a wonder Graci had managed not to slip.

Okay, Graci, slow down, it's not like anyone's chasing you, and slipping won't get you there quicker.

It was true, but Graci wasn't fond of slow walkers so she didn't listen to herself. If I slip, so be it.

She did eventually make it to a random classroom that seemed mostly empty, just dust particles drifting around and catching the sun pretty.

But Graci wasn't alone, another first year girl was sitting near a window, looking so peaceful Graci wished she hadn't interrupted.

"So sorry to interrupt you, you look so peaceful, but can I study here? I'll be quiet... well, for the most part."

Graci was usually loud in some way, whether she was talking, humming, or even just tapping her foot. She usually did so un-apologetically, but she really did make an effort to be quiet when needed. Especially with the abundance of introverts at this new school.

She wasn't the most observant, but that much she had noticed. She'd met a few louder people like herself. Like Bea from Madam Malkin's.

She shrugged at her mental conversation, dismissing the train of thought and sat down a few seats away from the other girl.

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Date: 22/04/25 | Time: 16:45 | Outfit: Robes | CC: #711919
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Phoenix never lifted her gaze as the door creaked open. The noise was minimal, but even so had served to shatter the stillness. Her quill never wavered in her grasp, poised as it was over the parchment, unwavering. She was used to this stillness within this chamber, and interruptions—no matter how small—were never allowed.

When Graci spoke, her voice was too loud for the calm atmosphere Phoenix had carefully cultivated. She could feel the girl’s presence shift in the room, the energy unsettling the stillness. Phoenix’s gaze lifted slowly, but only enough to register that someone had entered the room and was now standing near one of the desks. Graci’s face was apologetic, but Phoenix didn’t need that. She didn’t need anything but the quiet.

"You may stay, I suppose," Phoenix replied softly but the words were abrupt and clipped. It wasn't a question, but a statement. She didn't even raise her eyes while speaking because she was already returning to her book as if nothing was amiss. "Just don't break anything."

She sat beside her, rustling papers and bags ringing through the air. Phoenix tightened her hold on her quill, her fingers going stiff a little as she struggled to focus on her papers. The sound was unsettling to her, but she uttered not a word. There was no need, wasn't there?

In a matter of moments, Phoenix shifted slightly in her seat, gaze scanning the words on the page but not necessarily reading them. She noticed Graci moving, fidgeting. It wasn't very distracting, but it was enough to pull her out of concentration.

"If you're only going to be rude, then you might as well just stop trying to be so quiet," she said, her words rushing out more acridly than she meant. "It's only worse when you pretend not.".

She hadn’t intended for it to sound harsh, but the irritation crept in before she could stop it. She sighed and turned the page, eyes flicking over the next set of lines. The silence was thick now, but still not as solid as it had been before. Graci’s presence hung in the air, and Phoenix didn’t quite know how to get back to her own space, where only the words on the page mattered.

Phoenix transferred her weight again and growled, half-grumbled, "This is not the common room. People come here to be alone."

It was a conclusive tone, as if that would be enough. It was not goodbye, but neither was it welcoming. She did not even glance up to see if Graci had heard it.─────

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| 𝑰𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒂𝒄𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝑾𝒊𝒕𝒉: @Graci Laren | 𝑴𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒊𝒏𝒈: @ |
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Graci was kind of hurt by this girls words. She didn't feel as though she was being rude or loud.

But now she was feeling a small bit petty. Graci started picking up the book she had out and moved to the other side of the room, "There, Now you can hardly hear me and it'll be just like your perfectly quiet study room."

Graci knew it wasn't fair, and she should've just left, but the newly emerged extrovert part of her wanted to make another acquaintance and get this girl out of her shell.

She sat in she seat and just sat for a moment, calming her nervous habits down so they didn't make so much noise.

Okay, charms, you know this Graci. you're good at charms.

Usually when Graci studied she listened to music, or just hummed to herself. But for the sake of quiet she just sang in her head.

~There was a time when I was alone
Nowhere to go and no place to call home
My only friend was the man in the Moon
And even, sometimes, he would go away, too
Then one night, as I closed my eyes
I saw a shadow flying high
He came to me with the sweetest smile
Told me he wanted to talk for a while
He said, "Peter Pan, that's what they call me
I promise that you'll never be lonely"
And ever since that day
I am a Lost Boy from Neverland
Usually hanging out with Peter Pan
And when we're bored, we play in the woods
Always on the run from Captain Hook
"Run, run, Lost Boy", they say to me
"Away from all of reality"
Neverland is home to Lost Boys like me
And Lost Boys like me are free
Neverland is home to Lost Boys like me
And Lost Boys like me are free~

Graci was totally(sarcasm) laser focused.

But in her defense it was a really good song. *Lost Boy, by Ruth B.*

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Date: 22/04/25 | Time: 16:45 | Outfit: Robes | CC: #711919
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Phoenix didn't look up when the other girl moved. But she caught her.

The chair scrape was more than it had to be — deliberate, probably. Then the voice, still close enough to hear although she was quite a ways away.

"There. Now you can barely hear me and it'll be just like your impeccably quiet study room."

Phoenix did not flinch, but the words hung. Not because they were cruel — they weren't — but because she knew that she had begun it. And not cleverly or in control. Just. plain. As always.

She looked down at her parchment, quill hovering half-way through a word. Her symbols looked too tidy now. Too sterile. She let out a slow, quiet breath and kept writing — laboriously, just to be doing something with her hands.

The silence wasn't the same. Not worse, exactly. Just not what she was hoping for, either. She risked a glance in the direction of the other half of the room. Graci stayed. Standing there. So still than Phoenix had expected, actually.

Phoenix set down her quill again. She didn't actually turn around. Just spoke, softly and levelly, the direction of the desk opposite her.

"I wasn't trying to be rude."

She laid it down for a second. Not in expectation of reply, but because she was not comfortable with this bit — the gap between where she had to defend herself.

"I just… need quiet. That's all." Another pause. "Doesn't mean you were being noisy."

The words did not precisely fit in her mouth. As though she had to force them through a tiny doorway.

She fiddled with the edge of her parchment, pressing a crease into the corner.

“I’m… not good at this. Sharing space. Talking.” Her voice had softened, though it was still matter-of-fact.

A beat passed.

Then, quieter still:
“You can stay.”

That was it. No dramatic shift in tone, no apology stretched too far. Just an attempt — awkward and cautious — from a girl who was still learning how not to be alone.
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| 𝑰𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒂𝒄𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝑾𝒊𝒕𝒉: @Graci Laren | 𝑴𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒊𝒏𝒈: @ |
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Graci was shocked. Well, that was one word for it. More like surprised that the girl had spoken to her again.

She said she wasn't trying to be rude. Graci didn't know which surprised her more, the fact she believed it or the fact that Graci thought it wasn't all that rude when she truly thought about it.

She just needs quiet. That's it. But I don't quite believe that I wasn't being noisy. I'm always noisy, whether it's my breathing or fidgeting. Especially in such a quiet room.

This girl reminded her of herself a year or two before Hogwarts. Introverted to the max and just a tad bit socially awkward.

"Thanks for letting me stay, it would've probably been annoying if I stayed here out of pure pettiness." Graci smiled, "I can understand your need for quiet. I used to have that, too. Though, maybe it was just my mind holding me back, thinking I was overly introverted. Anyway, I'll try to be quiet, and sorry about my fidgeting, bad habit. Oh, by the way, I'm Graci." She smiled again, this time apologetically and got back to charms.

Where was I? Ah, I don't know. Screw it, it's not like I was actually going to be able to focus anyhow.

She paused, ...Am I really not introverted anymore? That was such a huge part of my personality, and now...

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Date: 22/04/25 | Time: 16:45 | Outfit: Robes | CC: #711919
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Phoenix didn't lift her head when Graci spoke a second time. She wasn't trying to ignore her—just. thinking. Processed.

The girl's voice wasn't brash this time. It was hesitant, as if she didn't wish to step too heavily on squeaky floorboards. Phoenix admired the effort, though she didn't so state.

She sat quietly, eyes on the same line of her book. The words no longer registered. Her mind was elsewhere—split between a little embarrassed and a little relieved that Graci hadn't walked out in a tantrum. Not that Phoenix would have blamed her. Most people didn't stick around after being hit by Phoenix's blunt honesty.

Graci had.

Phoenix's eyes flashed up just long enough to take in the room, to drink in the girl so far gone from bounds. Still there. Still struggling.

The apology caught her off guard. Not because she didn't feel like she deserved it—so much as because she didn't think she'd get one. People did not apologize for being people. They stormed. Or they walked away.

"It wasn't petty," Phoenix said softly, almost offhandedly. But not cruelly. Just honestly. "I was kind of a jerk. I get that.".

She shut her book, putting her hand on top of it. Her fingers tapped against it hollowly, her eyes falling to the ground. She had no clue what to do with this kind of conversation—where a person was being awkward and kind and honest all at once. It was easier when people were cruel or ignored her.

"I just. don't always know how to say things right," she said, her voice softer now, as if she wasn't certain she wanted to be heard. "Sometimes it comes out wrong."

There was a silence that was almost bound to become silence. And then:

"Phoenix," she supplied at last, finally giving her name in return. Her tone was neutral-guarded. "Nice meeting you, I suppose."

She didn't smile, but her shoulders did relax a little. Maybe she wasn't so good at this. Maybe she never would be. But that wasn't as tight as it had been previously. And Graci hadn't left.

That was something.

Phoenix opened her book again, resuming it but not reading yet. She wasn't used to people who didn't leave.

But maybe, she didn't hate it so much as she did.─────

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| 𝑰𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒂𝒄𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝑾𝒊𝒕𝒉: @Graci Laren | 𝑴𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒊𝒏𝒈: @ |
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Graci was glad it wasn't awkward silence anymore. Now, instead, it was more a silence of camaraderie.

At least I can solve that problem. But I wish I could figure out transfiguration and DADA. That would be a real blessing. Who woulda thought.

Graci decided that before she left this room she WOULD finish both transfig and DADA. Woe is I, having to actually finish homework. Makayli and Lindin would be having a field day with this. Their homework loving friend not wanting to do some of the coolest classes a magic school has to offer. Too bad I'll never be able to tell them.

She was now only half convinced that the Gryffindor common room was a good place to study. She'd gotten more stuff done here than in three hours in there. Just because I can't go five minutes without joining in something interesting!

It was true. Going five minutes without getting distracted by something was a struggle. Not to mention that even here, with an abundance of quiet, she still found it hard to focus. Stupid brain, all I ask is that you focus so I actually pass this year. Getting behind doesn't sound pleasant at all.

Graci thought it odd that she hardly went anywhere without meeting someone new, and apparently studying was no exception. She hoped that her and this Phoenix girl can become better friends.

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Date: 22/04/25 | Time: 16:45 | Outfit: Robes | CC: #711919
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Phoenix's quill lingered for another second, scratching across the parchment before her. But the words on the page were no longer what they had been. Her mind, instead, was elsewhere. The stillness that had settled over the room was no longer safe. Something more was there now, something that had not been when she pushed open the door. It was no longer stillness. It was something deeper, something more intricate.

She lifted her eyes from the page and let her eyes roam out to the window, where the dying light of day washed the room with a pale, golden light. Beyond the panes, the world continued on, but in here, time had not passed. It was frozen. And for a brief moment, Phoenix wondered if maybe she had done this stillness before.

The arrival of Graci, though, was not that way. Not loud, not obtrusive, but. different. She couldn't quite put her finger on this new sensation. There was something about her vibe, one that was a place here, like this peaceful space had room for both of their realities in a way Phoenix hadn't anticipated.

And as the minutes ticked by, Phoenix found herself starting to let herself sink into the quiet between them. Not sound, or motion, or small things had been what annoyed Phoenix at first. It was just. there. And for some reason, she wasn't annoyed that it was. She could feel the difference, but it was slight. She was used to the quiet, to the aloneness, but this was different. Having another human being close to her no longer felt intrusive.

A gentle, nearly silent breath escaped her lips as she let go of her quill and placed it gently on the desk. Her fingers tapped against her book, gently pattering the cover as she changed her attention to the space before her. The tension of the last few moments had seemingly worn off. Something between them had changed, and Phoenix couldn't quite put his finger on it.

She glanced over at the girl in the other room, oblivious to everything that was happening around her. She had stuck around. It was a quiet sort of courage, and Phoenix didn't know how to process it—be grateful, perhaps, or simply amazed that someone would sit through her ugliness and still desire to be in the same room.

It wasn't ideal. She wasn't even certain that it could be. But it wasn't as difficult as she had imagined, either. The silence between them was comfortable, not oppressive. Her own ideas were still hers alone, yet now there was a gentle presence in the space—a reminder that she wasn't quite alone, even if at times she didn't know how to fill it.

She leaned back in her chair and looked at Graci. The girl had said nothing, but the mere presence of her, occupying space, was something Phoenix couldn't put into words. It was something greater than agreeing that she was there. It was an agreement that wasn't spoken.

Phoenix's fingers tapped on the book in her hand, her mind jumping from point to point that she did not know how to stop. It was not the usual choking flood of thoughts, though. It was kept back, mastered.

She did look up once, for an instant, and murmured to herself rather than anyone, "Maybe this is not so bad."

There was silence, but it was different this time. It wasn't strained or unsure. It was just. a space that Phoenix could breathe into. It wasn't maybe the best, but it was good enough for now.
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| 𝑰𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒂𝒄𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝑾𝒊𝒕𝒉: @Graci Laren | 𝑴𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒊𝒏𝒈: @ |
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Graci found this silence enjoyable, and she focused much better, now that she was in the zone.

Transfiguration homework was done, and DADA in the works. By far more homework that she'd done in one go in at least a week. Huh, maybe no distractions isn't as boring, but beneficial? Wacky.

When she thought about it, she really did like this Phoenix girl, even though they just met. She seemed like she would be a really great person once you got to talking with her. Like maybe, once you got her talking, she could be the loudest person in the room. Graci wouldn't mind that, though. As much as she loves being social and talking now, she will always be a listener at heart. Listening was her purpose. Making others feel seen and cared for.

She found comfort in this. Like maybe she could make a difference just by doing that. But she was only twelve, life would have to wait before she could do that. Teen years first, then life purpose.

She scrawled down the last bit for her homework and decided she could get some journalism done.

I met another person today. Her name is Phoenix. I think we could be quite good friends. I've actually met quite a few people here, and at this point I should make a list.
-Phoenix
-Andronica
-Kaitlyn
-Eira
-Rafal
-Emalyn
-Isla
-Kora
-Bea
-Eulalia
And those are just the ones I remember. I wonder how many it actually is.

And my poem for the week.
'Exquisite, exquisite bliss-
Beautiful, beautiful-ness-
Like 666-
It's just so picturesque.'

Graci decided she was done studying,-writing really- for the day, and started gathering her stuff.

"I'm gonna go, it was really nice meeting you, Phoenix, we should study together again sometime. Well, study in the same vicinity again, I suppose. See you around." Graci smiled at her, then, with a flourish, went out the door, robes swishing around her legs.