Just the Two of Us PV

Mentioning: @Aston Beckett Location: Hogwarts Library Date: Night of the Spring Ball

Speech: English: #7e1635 | Russian: #3e2169 Thoughts: Italics Outfit: ☆

Everyone has weaknesses. Everyone is scared of something. Some people face their fears and get over them. Luka was not one of those people. No, in fact, he was quite the opposite. He hated people, specifically gatherings of people. During his previous visit to Hogwarts, he learned that large gatherings of people also do not like him, as they tend to send him into a panic. And last time that happened, some kid showed up, which is likely the strangest way he'd ever met someone. During his visit to Hogwarts for the Spring Ball, he hadn't done anything that would result in any unnecessary interactions with people. He hadn't gone to the Astronomy Tower late at night, or to the Quidditch Pitch to read, and he'd even ignored someone he bumped in the corridors to avoid forming any sort of relationship with them. And so came the night of the ball, where we find him debating socialization.

Luka stood in front of his bed where his suit for the ball was laid out. He scowled at it in disdain. He could feel the exhaustion and anxiety radiating off the outfit. He didn't know why he was still debating going to the ball; he knew it would be hell, he knew he would hate it. Yet he still stood there, staring at his suit like it was the most vile thing in existence. Finally, after nearly ten minutes of internal consideration, he sighed, "What if I just..." He picked up all the pieces of the suit, kicked open his trunk, and dropped them in. Much better. He hummed in contentment and shut his trunk, but not before his sketchbook fell out. His moms had given it to him for his birthday the previous December. He picked it up and flipped through the first few pages, which he'd filled with drawings of random things he'd found inspiration from. A small smile flickered across his face, Why not?

His footsteps echoed through the empty halls of Hogwarts. There was a faint buzz of life from the other side of the castle, where the ball was being held, but Luka walked in the opposite direction from the noise towards the library. It was such an odd feeling to walk through the corridors of the castle alone. He took his time, appreciating the lack of people and admiring the paintings on the walls. Some of the portraits were asleep, while others kept to themselves, doing whatever it is living portraits do. I do wonder what it would be like to be confined to the walls of this castle, watching everyone walk by and live their lives, but never being a part of it.

He slipped quietly into the library, the lamps were still lit, but everything was still. The walls blocked out the sounds coming from the ball, the only sound coming from Luka's breath. Perfect silence like this was rare, even for someone who always sought it. He sat down at a random table and flipped open his sketch book to the next blank page. A lone book lay on the table next to him, titled Corvids. He opened it and found a lovely painted diagram of a crow. He took out a pencil and began to sketch it, his hair falling around his face as he leaned over the books in concentration. He was so enveloped by his art that he didn't even register the sound of soft footsteps entering the library.