Never Easy-Come-Easy-Go PV T.L.&S.N. Closed

--@Ruthie Greer & @Saskia Nicholson--

The Masquerade Ball had ruined everything for Thora. Sure, most of the immediate problems, injuries and countless visits to both the Hospital Wing and St. Mungo's among them, had been resolved in the mere days that followed, but the girl knew that some things would haunt her forever.

Sleep had evaded her for weeks, and she had yet to catch more than ten-minute naps at a time. Most nights, though, Thora remained awake and alone. She had basically no one to talk to, save a few. And those few people were, unfortunately, people she was only able to make eye contact with occasionally, in passing. Exhaustion and paranoia seemed almost an aura about the Slytherin, and although the dark shadows under her eyes were clear evidence of this, nobody seemed to notice. Nobody seemed to care about the little girl with nowhere to go.

Worse was the trauma. Blood, knives, flickers of fire, and a certain pair of high heels seemed unable to leave her memory, plaguing the girl through the day and night. Thora inwardly knew she wasn't experiencing the worst flashbacks--no, not at all. She was one of the lucky ones who had emerged from the ball doors almost physically unscathed. On the other hand, though, she had seen everything. Absolutely none of the events at the ball, no matter how quick or how long, had escaped her sharp green eyes.

Thora almost cursed her observant nature, as while it was quite helpful, many of the events and the trauma that had followed could've been avoided, had she been a bit more ignorant. But alas, she knew. Every heart-stopping stab, every heartbroken face, every unlikely hero. Thora knew about them all. This was by no means a good thing. When the poor girl tried to sleep, nightmares awaited. When she awoke in a cold sweat, she could hear the screams and the crackling of hungry fires feeding on the ballroom's wooden floor. Even in broad daylight, a shadow moving in the slightest terrified the girl. In Thora's eyes, nowhere was safe.

But the worst feeling of all was the guilt. Guilt about just about ruining her friendship with Bridget, guilt about what she hadn't been able to do at the Masquerade Ball, guilt about the people she had avoided but really should've talked to. While most would recognize Thora as one of the heroines of the ball, as she had quite possibly saved two people's lives with a spell she shouldn't have known, the brunette saw the other side of things.

Having outlasted most of the people attending and seen a fatally hurt boy to the exit, Thora had finally escaped from the ballroom with Saskia, hot on the heels of a very suspicious Headmaster. But she had forgotten about Dymphna. Last the snek had seen, she had been being taken care of by a boy she didn't know. But did she trust him? He had failed to catch her once, so another instance of this wasn't out of the question. Despite having seen Dymphna in the Hospital Wing later, Thora hadn't had a chance to check on her. However, she had looked fine during the Quidditch game, so maybe her guilt had warped into just another irrational paranoia of Thora's. Anyhow, if Dymphna, or anyone, for that matter, wasn't physically fine by now following the ball, Thora would never forgive herself.

But did she have anyone to talk to? No, Thora didn't think so. The only person she was comfortable talking to, even if just to reveal a little of her pain, had been Bridget. But Thora wasn't sure where their relationship lay anymore. Well, actually, the brunette had made a couple more friends, which just made her feel even worse for being so unwilling to share her thoughts with Bridget. But as the girl thought about it, there was someone. Or, there were someones that Thora was willing to talk to. People whom had been at the Masquerade Ball alongside her, who would understand why she was struggling. 

She needed to be alone. After all, when she was feeling like this, Thora knew that she wouldn't be able to get anything done. At first, she had contemplated going to the owlery. Although physically separated from her family, the Larkstons still accepted owls. Well, more like Thora's younger sister took the messages near the barn, for fear that her parents would become fearful of the flying fowl and thus shut off Thora's only remaining connection to them. But times had changed. Just the last time Thora had received an owl, her sister had warned her to not send those weekly owls, and that perhaps one a month was better.

So, the brunette had turned, heavy-hearted, and trudged towards the lake. Maybe she could just climb a tree and hide there. She couldn't find anyone to talk to--not even her family, her own people for Merlin's sake, seemed available. But as Thora made her way towards the Great Lake, a Ravenclaw scarf and a flash of blonde hair peeking out caught her eye. Was that Ruthie? Unlike most people in the castle, Thora was more than willing to talk to the first year, and wasn't at all scared of her like she was many of the students her own age. 

Hopefully, it was Ruthie and not someone random... As the snek neared the lone figure, she saw an owl. Ruthie didn't have an owl, did she? As far as Thora knew, the Ravenclaw didn't own an owl, for she had never seen her with one. But then, she saw Ruthie but once a week, and those times, they weren't able to talk, so it was highly possible. The smile was wiped from her face as Thora realized that it could very well not be Ruthie, that it could be some random Ravenclaw who might or might not be threatening. But Thora was here, and she had might as well take the chance. "Ruthie?" she said, walking up to the girl. 

@Ruthie Greer | @Thora Larkston

For a winter day, it sure wasn't very cold out. Sure, Saskia still needed to dress appropriately for winter, considering that it wasn't exactly warm out there, but the chill in the air was rather tame. There was no bite to it at all. But it was only the start of winter. It was possible it could have gotten colder over the next few months, although judging from this month alone, it didn't seem cold so far. Maybe she'd be proven wrong.

Even if winter did bring its worse, it wouldn't have stopped Saskia from going out. What could she say? Snow was pretty. It would have been nice to play in the snow, if there happened to be enough snowfall this year. And even if that didn't happen, she could have still visited the Lake. Maybe if the weather was extreme, the Lake would have frozen itself over. It was unlikely, considering the vastness of the Lake and the possibility of creatures lurking beneath it. Who even knew what would have happened if the Lake actually did manage to freeze? That would have been a sight to see, that was for sure.

What was there to do on a day like this? Walk around? Slowly freeze to death while thinking of something? Okay, maybe not that last part. She could have also done her usual Quidditch practices. She had won her two last games, but that didn't give her an excuse to slack off. Training was important. It was what got her to improve on her skills and what made her a more important asset to the team. There were more to victories than just waiting and hoping that the Seekers caught the Snitch, after all. It took effort.

But she didn't feel like it at the moment. She already stepped foot outside, and she didn't feel like going back inside just to grab her broom and supplies when she could have just enjoyed a nice, quiet day outside. Nothing to pressure her, just the cool drafts of air that continued to linger around her. Some company would have been nice, though. It's been a while since she had a proper conversation with someone without feeling entirely stressed. Now that the memories of the Masquerade Ball were getting easier to move at the back of her head and with her recent win against Gryffindor, Saskia could have rested easier.

Sure enough, she would find people. Was that even a surprise? There were always people around this place. It wasn't cold enough for people to be driven back inside, after all. But what caught her eye were two girls, both of which she could recognize were Quidditch players- one from Ravenclaw and the other from Slytherin. But they also got her attention for another reason. She happened to see them both at the Masquerade Ball. In the Ravenclaw's case, it was more of a glimpse, and she wasn't entirely acquainted with her either. But she definitely recognized Thora. She encountered her multiple times, actually. One at summer camp, Quidditch in another, and then the Masquerade Ball. Despite that, they weren't exactly friends, although the Slytherin still helped her out when she was injured. Even now, she still appreciated it.

Saskia took a step towards them. It would have been pretty awkward to see them again especially after what happened, but she still wanted to talk to them. Maybe it would have helped if she got to know them better so she didn't have to solely associate them with the Masquerade Ball and Quidditch. And so, she walked. It didn't take long before she reached the other two girls.

"Hello." She waved towards them, a smile on her face. "That's a cute owl you have there," she said to the Ravenclaw, her smile still remaining on her face before turning to Thora. "Hey again." This time, her voice slightly softened. She wasn't sure how to act towards the other girl. Their last encounter had been awkward, with the Hufflepuff leaning on the Slytherin as they walked down the corridors together. She just hoped the girl wasn't too uncomfortable with her.

It was quiet out by the lake, except for the lapping of the waves at her feet. In some ways, it was a curious place for a certain 'random screaming girl' to find herself, but she was done screaming. The bloodcurdling screams she had made at the Masquerade Ball were enough to last her the rest of the year. Now that she had returned from the holiday break early, the castle had a kind of serenity about it and she was keen to take advantage. Raising a hand, she stroked the bird gently, admiring the white and brown colors that ran through her feathers.

It wasn't long before, she heard a voice, however, sort of quiet and unassuming, calling her name. "Thora!" Ruthie replied, "Fancy seeing you here. I assumed you'd still be at home." With her free hand she waved to encourage her to come over. As she did so, she looked down and noticed Darby's head turn sharply and eyes widen slightly. "It's just Thora," she explained to the owl, "She's my friend." And somehow the owl fluttered slightly, but seemed to calm, still with an eye on the Slytherin as though curious to meet her.

But as she and Darby had settled into Thora's presence, there came another voice. Just nearby, she saw another girl around their age smiling and waving. She looked friendly, kind even. "Thank you. She's very friendly if you want to say 'hi,'" Ruthie explained, figuring the other girl wanted to pet Darby. If the situation were reversed, Ru would certain want to impose herself on anyone with a pet. She'd done as much when she'd first encountered Gris with her owl, Crystal, in the owlery in October. As she waited for the girl to approach, Ruthie looked over her face. She didn't know her, but she felt like she had seen it somewhere in passing. She didn't want to say it, or even think it, but the reality was it was probably the ball. Everyone or nearly everyone had been there. And even if she hadn't, surely, she had heard of Jorah's stabbing and how a frail flaxen first year had cried and screamed like a baby. It was not Ruthie's finest moment, but she didn't want to penalize anyone for it.

By her greeting, it seemed this new girl knew Thora. On the one hand, that wasn't surprising. Thora was older and probably knew more people. But on the other hand, Thora struck Ruthie as being pretty quiet--like creeping-up-like-a-ghost-next-to-your-hospital-bed quiet--as that might not go over so well with people. As loud as she was, at least Ruthie's volume allowed her to meet people. "You two know each other?" the Ravenclaw asked for clarity. The new girl looked kind and any friend of Thora's was bound to be a good person, but information was always helpful. It would be nice to have these girls here, Ruthie thought. Some company, her owl and the water--what else could she want?

Tag: @Thora Larkston & @Saskia Nicholson

~@Ruthie Greer | @Saskia Nicholson~

Okay, good. At least the young blonde dangling her bare feet into the icy cold water was indeed Ruthie, not some random student she was most likely scared of. Merlin, Thora was scared of practically 90% of the people in the entire castle. At the same time, though, she was fully aware of her cowardice and while she hated showing it to others, she wasn't about to deny herself simple facts. She was a coward. She was cautious. Pathetic. No wonder she had been expecting to wander alone.

But then, Ruthie brought up home. Home meant Ireland. Home meant green fields covered with tiny white puffs of sheep. Home meant loving family, traditions, the animals she was so familiar with, and respite from the craziness of Hogwarts. Or, at least, it used to. No longer was it the place she so loved, no longer was she proud to call it home. She hadn't even bothered to go home, after making sure it was alright with her family, of course. They didn't care about her. They didn't care where she was, as long as she was "with the magical people". It was a pretty sore subject for the brunette and hated it whenever someone brought it up, but she couldn't blame Ruthie for doing so. She couldn't have known. Besides, they were friends. Friends didn't get mad at friends--well, not over something was Thora's problem and her problem alone. 

"Um, I didn't go home this break," Thora said, biting her lip. It wasn't that she didn't trust Ruthie, but the little girl had boundaries. Boundaries that were much higher than those of other people. She hated shutting other people out, but she wasn't sure how much to share. After all, she had remained rather closed with Bridget, so what was she supposed to say. "My family, they didn't really care if I went home or not, so I just stayed here." The words escaped her mouth, however hard she tried to seal her lips closed. She couldn't keep it in anymore. Someone had to know. And if that was all she was able to reveal, so be it. She could talk more later. Letting the cold winter wind clear her mind, Thora focused back on her friend and her owl. 

"Ooh, you've got an owl? I was wondering since I've never seen it before. It's cute! What's it's name?" Thora asked, reaching out to stroke its feathers. Animals were one thing that the girl loved and was completely comfortable with, having lived on a farm. Still, she couldn't help but feel a little twinge of jealousy. She wanted an owl badly and had eyed them in the Magical Menagerie more than once, but she was poor. She didn't have money to spare. So, an owl would have to wait.

"Hi, Saskia," Thora's smile widened as the Hufflepuff walked up. Though she didn't know Saskia very well, they had seen each other a few times before, first at Summer Camp, then at the ball, and then at an errand she had been completing. "Yeah, we do," Thora answered Ruthie's question, "We were in a Summer Camp cabin together and then I helped her at the Masquerade Ball," the girl bit her lip once more, hoping she wasn't bringing up a sore subject. Even if it was something all three girls had in common, that couldn't possibly be the only thing bringing them together, could it?

And now she was the middle person. She had said both of their names in a relatively short span of time, so hopefully they could do their own introductions. Honestly, introductions were a strange business. Stating people's names here and there, and you've got the equivalent of one. Hopefully the other girls would be comfortable with each other, but if not, well, Thora could jump in, while she preferred not to.

"So, how have you two been doing?"  It was the best Thora could come up with for otherwise, their only common ground was the Masquerade Ball. As Thora knew she would rather not relive the night straight out of a horror movie, she was positive the other girls wouldn't either. So, they could just see where this conversation led.

@Ruthie Greer | @Thora Larkston

So far, they both seemed friendly. The Ravenclaw addressed the girl and even invited her to say hi to her owl. She assumed she meant that she was allowed to pet her, rather than simply greet the owl with a hello. That was what she meant, right? Merlin, social cues were difficult to read sometimes. One wrong move and people would be offended by the smallest slights. It wasn't that she thought the girl was rude- on the contrary, she seemed like a genuinely decent person, but she could never know with people sometimes. It wasn't rare for people to act nice and suddenly reveal that they weren't as nice as they appeared. Perhaps it wasn't out of pure malice, but the fact still remained. And now she had to be more cautious, especially now that she was about to interact with someone's pet owl. People could be especially protective of their pets, not that she blamed them for it.

Saskia approached the owl, careful not to alarm her. Holding out her arm, she stroked the owl's head, running her hand through her feathers. It was her first time handling an actual owl from up close, and so, she did her best to be as gentle as possible. The last thing she wanted was an owl assault. "She's very soft," she commented, her smile widening as she pet the owl for the last time.

It was moments like these that made her consider getting an owl for herself. Of course, there were many responsibilities behind it, but it would have been nice to have a small companion by her side. She felt that she was mature enough to have taken care of a pet of her own, anyhow. She just had to make sure she had enough money afterwards so she could afford supplies for them. And time. She needed to set time aside for her pet. She was already busy as it is, and she didn't want to neglect them. Maybe she'd be able to get one once the third Quidditch game was over.

She turned her focus towards Thora. Saskia was relieved that the Slytherin had been receptive enough of her being here. Perhaps even glad to see her judging from how she reacted.It meant that they could actually move on from the awkwardness of their first few meetings. It would also have been a good opportunity to get to know her better too, something that she hadn't been able to do properly, at least until now.

"She's right. We've met a couple of times before," she affirmed to the other girl. She didn't want to elaborate any further, especially at the mention of the Masquerade Ball. It was still a touchy event for many people, and she imagined that Thora might have been shaken up by what happened. And if it was true that the Ravenclaw was at the event as well, she didn't want to bring up anything that would have made her uncomfortable either.

Then it occurred to her that she probably needed to give a proper introduction to the stranger. Well, she might have already known her from Quidditch, considering she was the Quidditch Captain, but it couldn't have hurt to introduce herself in case she didn't know. With a grin, she turned towards the girl. "Thora already mentioned it, but I'm Saskia. It's nice to meet you." She hadn't exactly gotten the girl's name yet, and even as she listened to her conversation with Thora, she couldn't have seemed to catch her name in the middle of it. Maybe she could get her name afterwards.

Then Thora asked them a question. How has she been doing? The Masquerade Ball definitely put the Hufflepuff in a state of uneasiness for the next few months. During the initial weeks, she had thrown herself in her schoolwork and Quidditch practices and distanced herself from everyone else in the meantime. But as time passed by, the girl eventually got herself to reconnect with people once the memories of the event weighed down on her less. The incident may not have truly faded away from her mind, but she could at least move on with life rather than dwell on the past. At least now she was somewhat back to her normal self. "I'd say I'm doing okay. My Christmas break was good. I spent time with my family and it was nice to go back home for a bit before going back to school. What about you guys?"

That seemed like a good response. She didn't want to go into too much detail about what happened, mostly because it felt weird unloading a lot on people she didn't know too well. Besides, she wanted everyone else to get a turn at talking. It would have felt wrong otherwise.

She was reaching inside the lining of her robes for the bag with the owl pellets when something Thora said struck her attention. She didn't go home. She didn't go home? Was that even possible? Ruthie eyed her friend with both curiosity and concern as the Slytherin continued. And it got worse: her family didn't care. Was that even possible? Weren't families supposed to care about each other? Her eyebrow arched, perplexed, but rather than delve for further details--she'd come to know Thora as a closeted person in some ways--she offered a cheerful alternative: "Why didn't you tell me? You could have come to stay with me! No one should be spending Christmas alone." If it came off somewhat scoldingly, that wasn't intentional. The remarks came from a place of care. Besides, she was sure her parents wouldn't mind. They'd probably be glad Ru even had a close enough friend who'd want to visit, concerning all the school turmoil of recent months.

"Darby," she introduced the bird, "I never thought I'd have one. I think mum felt sorry for me after the Ball." It was a sad truth that the only reason she had even gotten an owl was pity. Pity that was costing her fewer chocolate frogs in her care packages. But when you were working class, every pound and galleon counted. Normally, she hated even hinting at the financial situation at home, but somehow with Thora, it was alright. The Slytherin had seen her drench in other people's blood and still hung around so something like money wasn't likely to make a dent in their friendship. At least, Ru hoped as much. "Did you bring a pet with you?" she queried her friend. Normally, she'd assume the answer was yes, but considering Thora's earlier statements that her family didn't care about her, Ruthie wasn't sure.

Thora did know the other girl, Saskia. Apparently, she'd helped her at the ball too. "You're just a saint," Ruthie said, genuinely glad for Thora's help and continued presence. Just then, she noticed Saskia's approach and how she laid a gentle hand on the bird's feathers. Darby turned her head to face the girl as she finished her pet. "I think she appreciates your compliment," Ruthie commented, "And probably wants to know who you are." The owl, she had noticed, was both friendly and curious, not unlike herself. Hopefully, this was a friendship in the making. Finally pulling out that bag of owl pellet, she held it out to the two of them. "You can give her a treat, if you'd like," she offered, "You too, Thora."

Ruthie returned Saska's smile and introduction. "Nice to meet you. I'm Ruthie." And then she waited for the niceties to ensue. And they did, right on schedule, as Saskia recounted her Christmas holiday. "Me too. Home as well," Ruthie replied, "I was actually glad to have some more quiet. It's been a bit much at the castle. Plus, I got to work on my flying a bit." She imagined Thora might have done the same as she was now a Reserve Keeper for Slytherin. The pitch would have been empty she expected. As for Saskia, Ruthie kept trying to recall if she knew her from somewhere. She looked vaguely familiar, but not enough to place. It was probably the Ball. Everyone had been there. Everyone likely wished they hadn't. But that was he beauty of the outdoors--things like could simply fly away.

Interacting with @Thora Larkston & @Saskia Nicholson

~ @Ruthie Greer | @Saskia Nicholson ~

Family. It was a concept that Thora had lived without for about six months now. Sure, the Larkston family was well in her capability to contact, having the owl system and all, but the truth was, they simply didn't want her anymore. Being so detached from the people she used to trust with her life was incredibly hard. But it having been so long since she had received a letter in return at breakfast, the snek wasn't even sure how far she was willing to go anymore. Her family had no idea that she was a Quidditch reserve--flying on a Muggle household object--let alone about the horrors of the Masquerade Ball. Heck, they didn't even know there had been a ball.

But while she and her biological family were drifting farther apart than ever, the awkward girl had finally, finally found support. The small Thora who had arrived at Hogwarts without a soul to talk to, the girl who had somehow blundered her way through her first year confused about the meaning of a friend despite her extensive vocabulary, had discovered something she now knew was invaluable.

They were the people who always brought a smile to her face. They were the people that she could lean on, the people she could trust, and most importantly, the people who cared. They were friends. Ruthie and Saskia were two such people, and while Thora couldn't help but feel a twinge of jealousy at their family's acceptance over break, she was more happy for them.

Thora considered both of the girls friends, or going-on-to friends, and she simply couldn't begrudge them a little holiday happiness. Of course, it would've been nice if she could have done the same rather than wandering the school alone, but alas, somethings were simply as they were. Staring into the dark depths of the lake and twirling a length of chestnut hair on a finger, the girl listened as the others answered her questions.

Naturally, she was taken by surprise when Ruthie suggested going home with her. It actually hadn't been the first time someone had suggested that--in fact, Bridget, a Slytherin she knew a little better had offered a couple days at her place in Edinburgh just a few weeks prior. Thora allowed herself to fantasize a little bit about being somewhere other than home with her cold family but felt the gripping reality take over. Going to a stranger's house definitely wouldn't please her parents. But really, would they--especially Ainslie Larkston, the wariest of the wary--be pleased with anything she did?

"I-I guess a lot was happening," Thora muttered as she reached out to stroke the owl's--Darby's--feathers. Glossy and smooth, even a touch had a satisfying, almost calming effect. She was lost in the world, often left to her own emotions and devices. It wasn't healthy for a girl, but what were the alternatives?

And that was when it dawned on her. Friends were for talking to, weren't they? So as Thora reached for an owl pellet and watched Darby nip it off her small hand, she got thinking. Talking really was an art. It took practice to know what to say, how to say it, and when to say it. Having lived a rather isolated childhood and avoided people throughout her first year, Thora lacked all of the social know-how. People didn't seem to mind, though, and she was grateful for that.

At the mention of Quidditch, Thora found her smile widening. The sneks had played both Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw, and though she knew that both of the other girls were first strings compared to her reserve status, it was fine with her. You couldn't be good at everything, after all. Besides, the Slytherins'd had an impressive turnout for tryouts, and the second year was honestly surprised that she was even part of the team even if she was just a bench-warmer. Her flying skills were certainly lacking compared to most, but while she typically didn't admit it, Thora could fly quite well.

"Oh yeah, Quidditch. I did take my broom out a few times over break and flew around the pitch here," Thora left it vague while still smiling. The truth was that she had done it out of boredom and loneliness. Sometimes, the wind on her face seemed a presence. At least it was more welcoming than the empty, somehow eerie corridors of the castle. But before she dismissed the topic, she realized. It was the perfect way to get started. After all, other than the ball, Quidditch was the most obvious thing they all shared.

"So, how are you guys liking Quidditch? I'm kind of new to it, I guess, so maybe that's why I'm a second string. Second string, keeper by the way," Thora trailed off. It wasn't like her to be so open. She'd practically just made her Muggle background quite obvious. Wizarding kids might not have been exposed to the sport for fear of danger or something, but only Muggleborns would've arrived at Hogwarts clueless.