Reopened Out of Her Shell PV Brookline Quinn

ℬrookline yawned, and stretched her arms as she rolled out off bed. Even though she wasn’t safe and sound in her dorm room at Hogwarts, she still felt decently safe at a cabin in Beauxbâtons. She went to the lavatory, with a change of clothes. Once she splashed her face with fresh cold water, she made sure that the red splotchy in her blue eyes was gone. She put on a cream knitted cover over a white top, and her bottoms were black Jean shorts.

It was the day after they arrived and the young Quinn didn’t know what to do today. Last night she had assumed she would have some fun with some friends, but those friends was sleeping. True, it was early in the morning, but she was softly crying last night, and she worked hard to keep her sobs as quiet as she could. She was pretty sure no-one heard her.

Brookline bounced out to the gardens, skipping breakfast to see the gorgeous flowers. If she was Peter, then she’d definitely stay our in the garden all day. Cartwheeling through the garden, her messy braids fell out of their loosely tied hair bubbles, and a full bird’s nest came into view. She landed in a bed of flowers, and took a deep inhale. This garden made Brookline feel better. The Welsh girl could have stayed in the meadows and gardens of Beauxbâtons forever and ever!

She produced a content sigh, as she traced the clouds above. All was well. Everything was great, until Brookline felt a strange presence around her. Was someone watching her or was it just a random thought? She jumped up, and her neck spun around, looking for someone or something. A hand went to her forehead to block out the watery-white February sun. Her eyes stung as she cleared her surroundings.

Then she saw a figure! A girl staring off in the distance. The girl looked young and a first year. Just which school? Brookline first thought the girl was appreciative with the pretty plants around her, because who wouldn’t anything of this? Then she noticed the sad, blank look in the small firstie’s eyes because she’d seen that look before. In her own dark blue eyes.

Brookline ventured closer because like the empathic (but sometimes empty) soul she had, she wanted to help this young poor girl. She wanted to help because she was sad to sometimes and sometimes even though she felt like she didn’t want any help, she would realize she actually did need help. Assistance, assurance and a wise word could always help sometimes. And it certainly could never hurt.

Once Brookline got closer, she stopped. She didn’t want to frighten this newfound (perhaps) friend. At first she didn’t know what she to do. Usally whoever helped hee had a warm lit smile. Today that probably wouldn’t happen. She gave the girl a tiny wave before stating gently, “Hi. You okay?”

If the girl would even do much as acknowledge Brookline by nodding her head or at least looking up, the Ravenclaw would start speaking again. “I’m Brookline. One of Hogwarts’ very own second years.”

“And you are?”

occ note: i am so so so sorry that i forgot about this thread and took forever to response that staff had to lock it!!!

Interacting with: @Brookline Quinn Mentioning: N/A Date: 02/13/25

Word Count: 230

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Avery jumped out of her stupor and sadness as she heard the voice of a girl asking if she was okay. "Yeah. I'm not exactly great, but okay is a pretty good word for how I feel." Avery said as she wiped the tears out of her eyes and stood up. The girl she now knew was named Brookline said she was a second year from Hogwarts. Avery was surprised. She had never seen the girl before, but, then again, she didn't really know very many people outside of her first year class. "That's so cool that you're a second year. I'm Avery. I'm a first year at Hogwarts." She responded as she stretched a little in order to wake up her stiff muscles. It was still early in the morning and she hadn't fully awakened yet. "What brings you out here on this beautiful yet early morning?" Avery asked her. As Avery waited for the older girl to respond, she tried to throw the bad news that had been haunting her towards the back of her mind. She didn't want to be all brooding and be unable to have a good conversation with Brookline. The girl also seemed tired and like something was bothering her, but Avery didn't push the topic. She knew how hard it was to talk and come to terms with the bad things in life.

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ℬrookline watched as the young girl jumped, startled, and wiping her tears. She felt a little bad, but the girl started talking so the Ravenclaw probably hadn’t scared her too much.

“Hey, it’s okay to feel a little down. It’s okay to just be okay. For a while, I wasn’t feeling exactly great either.” The Welsh second year said, as memories flashed in her mind. She remembered when she was the one upset and not the other way around. She unconsciously glanced up, and all she saw was her messy hair. She looked a little sheepish as she tried to fix her hair. It didn’t work.

The girl stated her name, year, and school, and then she started stretching a bit. “You haven’t woken up yet, have you? Try a cartwheel or basically lie down on the ground. It helps a lot. Trust me,” Brookline gave the little firstie a encouraging look.

Avery asked, “What brings you out here on this beautiful yet early morning?” Brookline took in this question, and she froze a bit. She wasn’t expecting this question, and the light she had recently gathered by just being content disappeared from her blue eyes.

“Uhhhh.... Well, er...” She was at a lost for words. Brookline only came outside because she was afraid she would awake her tent mates with her tears and they would all know that she had not been feeling right and her father left her and everything she was afraid of.

She took a deep breath. “Um. I came outside because I thought I would feel better. Apparently, you did too. Now, I don’t know what troubling you, but don’t tell me that everything’s fine. I know what it looks like because I lie about ‘being fine’ a lot more than you ever will.”

occ note:

Interacting with: @Brookline Quinn Mentioning: N/A Date: 02/13/25

Word Count: 217

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Avery nodded in understanding. Words unable to form. Neither of them knew what the other was going through, yet they both felt something was off with the other. Avery knew a person like that was a good person, and someone to trust. Maybe she could tell Brookline what was troubling her, but not quite yet. Avery nodded her head again and did another quick stretch. She was absolutely was going to remember that. Doing those things would really help her whenever she had an early morning wake up. "Thanks. I'll keep that in mind. I think it will really help." She gave Brookline a half smile that didn't fully meet her eyes. She wasn't in the mood to be as upbeat as she usually was. She hoped the older girl didn't mind. Avery nodded in understanding when Brookline said she came outside just to feel better. Avery was the same way. All she wanted was to be at peace instead of being in a place full of people that probably had no clue what it was like to go through what she was facing. Though, Brookline was different. It was as if she understood the pain and suffering that hard times bring. That alone made Avery feel even less alone than she had been feeling for awhile.

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𝒜very would nod her head as Brookline spoke, and this young girl made Brookline see bits of herself, and feel a quite strong desire to protect her. The Ravenclaw remembered when all she would do is nod to her friends, or stubbornly kept her mouth shut, due to fears in her head.

Brookline took a step back to let her new friend stretch and catch her breath. Avery spoke, her words soft, and she gave Brookline a smile that didn't reach her hazel eyes. Brookline felt a little smile reach her lips because, that was her. Right there in that little, but, who was forced to grown up, girl. The Welsh girl remembered when she would people a forced smile, just to tell them she was all right when she definitely was not all right.

But instead of nagging, Brookline opened her lips and agreed, "It does! I'm usually in such a slump, and then I remember, I don't have to be so down. I can use my resources to help me have a better time in the moment, even if nothing helps. Doing a cartwheel will up your happiness even if what you want is not presented to you or if your family issues aren't fixed, say, your mum and dad are fighting their hearts out and you think it's your fault or your grandparent's health isn't as good as it used to be, or whatever it is, it's okay." She hoped. And she just used common things that might have made someone's life go heading down in depression and make them wanna die in a rotting hole.

Nodding. The girl nodded again. Brookline nodded back, and she practically flopped on the ground, sitting down. She motioned the spot beside her if Avery wanted to sit down in the grass. And out her lips, probably came the most wisest words she'd ever said.

"I know most girls hate sitting in itchy grass, but bear with me for a second. Sometimes we need to be reminded that there is a ground, and there is gravity and that's grounding us. Sometimes we need reminded that there is something else we turn to besides humans and their help. Nature. Everything happens for a reason, I belive. But, we need to be grounded sometimes, to remind us that not everything is horrible."

Not everything is horrible.

Was she telling the truth? She definitely was.

She has her wonderful friends, she has her amazing siblings, and mother, she has her books.

There was beautiful nature, and Beauxbâtons' lovely grounds.

Not everything is horrible.

But, for some reason, everything happened for a reason. Even the horrible, nasty things.

For what reason? Brookline struggled to understand. She sighed, and laid back in the grass, hoping the universe would literally right itself.

Everything happened for a reason.

occ note: again so sorry for another late reply!!

Interacting with: @Brookline Quinn Mentioning: N/A Date: 02/13/25

Word Count: 208

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Avery was shocked at how close the older girl Brookline had hit the mark of her problems. It was almost as if Avery was seeing the older girl again for the first time, but in a different light. Brookline seemed so much like Avery. Though older. Whatever she had gone through had caused her pain. Avery could see it in her eyes even though she tried to hide it. Avery sat down in the grass next to Brookline. Though the grass was still damp from the early morning dew, she didn't even notice. It was soothing to her. A reminder of her real home in Wales that she dearly missed and couldn't wait to return to. "You're right. Though I don't know why some girls don't like sitting in the grass. For me, it's a reminder of all the times I spent in the woods at my grandparents house with my cousin when I used to visit my homeland of Wales. Though, the last time I did that was when I was eight, so the memories are fuzzier now." Avery sighed. Already feeling better after listening to Brookline. She needed to do this more often. Listening to the advice of people that she felt understood made everything better.

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ℰverything twisted as she responded. She froze as her insides turned to ice. Brookline flinched as she heard voices. Again.

Today was supposed to okay! It wasn't supposed to be riddled with voices and sadness!!

She took a deep breath and she flopped into the deep grass. Then glanced over at Avery as she started her sane, wise words. She wondered if Avery would sit down.

Avery did indeed take a spot down in the dewy grass as well. Brookline shot her a shaky, I-don't-know-what-to-do smile, her blue irises slightly dulling. In the middle of her wise speech, she let herself crumple and collapse, her head flopping back on dark green sward. Her eyes squeezed tight.

Hair tumbled back in brunette waves, her tresses all around her skull, as she had one hand under her head, and the other strung over her abdomen. Her eyes moved to Avery as she agreed with her.

Brookline rapidly and suddenly rolled over her stomach when she heard Avery utter the city Wales. Her locks in her face as she gasped.

"You're Welsh, too!? You used to live in Wales?? That's like so cool! I live in Ferndale, we go shopping and do, like, loads of stuff in Wales but still I've always wanted to live there. And Cardiff! Oh, Wales is so pretty!!" Brookline took in a sharp intake of air. "The next time you visit your grandparents, you should totally shoot me an owl, and we can meet up!! We can take a girl's day, and you can bring a friend!"

Brookline didn't even realize the sigh or emotion in Avery's voice til she finished. Shit.

There was only one good thing out of that. Old Brookline was still here.

She slowed her fratic, excited breathing down, yet still kept a happy, teeth-showing smile. "Sorry. You go. I can be such a windbag."

occ note:

Interacting with: @Brookline Quinn Mentioning: N/A Date: 02/13/25

Word Count: 231

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Avery was shocked to realize the girl was also Welsh. It was rare that Avery met someone who also was from where she had grown up. "You're from Ferndale? Amazing! I'm from Swansea! I love going to Cardiff! It's beautiful there. I would be up for hanging out the next time I'm in Wales! That would be amazing!" Avery smiled. Glad that she had finally met someone that was like her and enjoyed similar things. It made the day easier to process. "It's fine. I can be quite talkative myself if I get going. Especially when it comes to Wales." Avery smiled and laughed a little bit. Her spirits lightened as she got to know Brookline better. Though she had the feeling the older girl was also going through a rough time, there was something about her that reminded Avery of herself. They were both not only going through a hard time and were from the same country, but they also both had a feeling of resilience. Like no matter what happened nothing would stand in either of their ways. "What do you like most about Wales?" Avery asked. Unsure of whether or not her question would be awkward. Something inside of her had shifted when she found out Brookline was from Wales. She felt like she finally had someone that understood where she came from instead of trying to understand.

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ℬrookline frowned when she realized there was her delight and stirring blurt. Uttered so happily, that if someone, even anyone would have had happen to walk by, and hear what Brookline was saying, they would think Brookline and Avery were a pair of gal pals, yapping it up over here, and they weren’t just offering advice to each other. Both was sad, and fed-up with the universe shoved at them.

Now, the brunette was quiet, listening, and slightly nodding to Avery Gray, another Welsh girl, announcing where she lived, and that she would be happy to hang out the next time she was in Wales. Brookline shifted from her stomach, since shooting pains ordered her to rotate to her side, saying, “That’s great, I would love to hang out with a Welsh friend from Hogwarts. My best friend could even meet you! Swansea? That’s a gorgeous, coastal city.”

“Do you have other family than your grandparents in Wales?” Asking another question, the Ravenclaw broom racer’s stormy irises searched Avery’s hazel ones, to make sure she wasn’t making the younger one uncomfortable with all these family questions. She knew how cramped and self-conscious whenever someone would ask about her father.

Entertaining questions. Small and big words. Many sentences. That was how you have a little, polite, and nice conversation with a new friend. Something told her that she had a new friend who could understand how it was like being Welsh and having familial complications.

Brookline grinned back at Avery, yet she was still slightly a bit upset that she let herself get so worked up over a single thing. I guess it’s okay, I should be happy that I let myself be excited again. Fresh air is nice, she thought, and her messy hair flung in her face. Two inpatient fingers brushed the brunette locks away, and she glanced back up to Avery. The Gryffindor had just asked her what she liked most about Wales. Brookline had to think about it. There wasn’t much left in Wales that she liked about it.

“That’s really hard...” The Ravenclaw hummed softly as she thought democratically. “I would say what I liked most about Wales would be that I have my best friend there, and that it gives me a breath of fresh air. I absolutely adore how I live near a wide open space, near the countryside and everything free. I would also say that I definitely like that fact that Wales is near the ocean.”

Brookline smiled at the thought of the grass, brooks, and streams near Ferndale and Wales. Water could possibly be one of her favorite things, close to the moon’s reflection and books.

occ note: