The Courtyard Pause
The courtyard buzzed with the usual mix of chatter, the scrape of benches, and the flurry of owls overhead, but Leon Cardasso lingered near the fountain, letting the noise wash around him. A flick of his hand sent a small pebble skimming across the surface of the water, the ripples distracting him for just a moment.
It wasn’t boredom exactly—Hogwarts never failed to provide enough chaos for that—but rather the itch of restlessness, the nagging feeling that something just out of reach was waiting for him. Leon lived for that kind of tension, the promise of discovery or mischief hidden beneath the surface. He smirked to himself; half the fun was deciding whether to chase it or make it himself.
His dark eyes swept across the lively courtyard, catching faces in fragments. Some were laughing, others bent over books, a pair whispering too closely for it to be about homework. Leon catalogued it all, storing observations away like puzzle pieces. He thrived on patterns, on pulling at loose threads until something unravelled.
Leaning back against the stone edge of the fountain, Leon exhaled slowly. For now, the courtyard was just a pause. But pauses never lasted long—not when he was around.
It wasn’t boredom exactly—Hogwarts never failed to provide enough chaos for that—but rather the itch of restlessness, the nagging feeling that something just out of reach was waiting for him. Leon lived for that kind of tension, the promise of discovery or mischief hidden beneath the surface. He smirked to himself; half the fun was deciding whether to chase it or make it himself.
His dark eyes swept across the lively courtyard, catching faces in fragments. Some were laughing, others bent over books, a pair whispering too closely for it to be about homework. Leon catalogued it all, storing observations away like puzzle pieces. He thrived on patterns, on pulling at loose threads until something unravelled.
Leaning back against the stone edge of the fountain, Leon exhaled slowly. For now, the courtyard was just a pause. But pauses never lasted long—not when he was around.
The Courtyard Pause
Silvy walked slowly into the courtyard, scanning for a quiet spot to sit and write. The noise out here was only slightly dimmer than indoors, since it was a beautiful day outside, but she couldn't stand being completely confined to either her dorm or the silence in the library. Here was best, anyhow. The sky was blue, the trees had just a hint of color as they began to turn towards fall. She smelled fall in the breeze, and she inhaled deeply, feeling immediately more at peace.
Across the stones was a fountain, and by the fountain was a tree. She had seen someone sitting in it the day before, and had been itching to get up there since. It must have been her lucky day, as the tree was abandoned, and only a boy stood in front of the fountain. She ignored him, and walked past, assessing how to climb the tree best. She then scrambled nimbly up the bark, and perched on a strong, low branch. It was perfect.
The boy was still standing there, looking around, and then again staring into the water. She wondered briefly if he was alright. Then she saw the look in his eyes, and recognized the faraway look of a wandering mind. She debated for a moment, and then hopped down out of her tree and walked over to him.
Silvy stood next to the boy, glanced at him, and then stared into the water.
"'Your silence can never be misquoted.'"
She turned her head to look at him, offering no smile. She didn't know how she knew, but somehow, this was a serious moment. She was already glad she chose to partake in it. She looked back to the water. She thought of a delicious rhyme. She made a mental note to write it down later, but she still said it out loud.
"I read that somewhere, once
It's true, but
Sometimes silence gets you nowhere, too."
She let that sink in. She let the air fill with the sounds behind them, let her voice mingle with the fall breeze, and float away across the school grounds. She let the words mean whatever they meant, and she let the boy think whatever he like about them. She looked to the sky, closed her eyes, and was grateful she was there.
@Leon Cardasso
Across the stones was a fountain, and by the fountain was a tree. She had seen someone sitting in it the day before, and had been itching to get up there since. It must have been her lucky day, as the tree was abandoned, and only a boy stood in front of the fountain. She ignored him, and walked past, assessing how to climb the tree best. She then scrambled nimbly up the bark, and perched on a strong, low branch. It was perfect.
The boy was still standing there, looking around, and then again staring into the water. She wondered briefly if he was alright. Then she saw the look in his eyes, and recognized the faraway look of a wandering mind. She debated for a moment, and then hopped down out of her tree and walked over to him.
Silvy stood next to the boy, glanced at him, and then stared into the water.
"'Your silence can never be misquoted.'"
She turned her head to look at him, offering no smile. She didn't know how she knew, but somehow, this was a serious moment. She was already glad she chose to partake in it. She looked back to the water. She thought of a delicious rhyme. She made a mental note to write it down later, but she still said it out loud.
"I read that somewhere, once
It's true, but
Sometimes silence gets you nowhere, too."
She let that sink in. She let the air fill with the sounds behind them, let her voice mingle with the fall breeze, and float away across the school grounds. She let the words mean whatever they meant, and she let the boy think whatever he like about them. She looked to the sky, closed her eyes, and was grateful she was there.
@Leon Cardasso
The edge is a shantytown filled with gold seekers. We are fugitives, and the law is skinny with hunger for us.
The Courtyard Pause
Leon hadn’t noticed Silvy at first. His eyes were fixed on the rippling water of the fountain, watching the way sunlight flickered across its surface, mind wandering along its own peculiar pathways. The crisp autumn air carried the scent of falling leaves and distant smoke from the kitchens, and for once, he allowed himself a moment of stillness, which was rare for him.
Then he heard the soft shuffle of movement nearby. Glancing to the side, he saw her—a girl moving with quiet purpose, assessing the courtyard before scrambling nimbly up the branch of a low tree. Leon’s lips tugged into a faint smirk. Most people weren’t graceful like that; most people didn’t command a space with such calm assurance. He found it curious, slightly impressive, and it made him wonder what she was thinking.
When she hopped down and approached the fountain, he continued to observe, letting her words hang in the air. Her quiet recitation struck him as unusual, thoughtful, and a bit unexpected—but in a good way.
“Not misquoted, huh?” he murmured finally, his voice soft, just enough to be heard without breaking the peaceful atmosphere. “I think… I see what you mean.”
Leaning back slightly against the fountain edge, hands tucked in his pockets, Leon’s dark eyes followed the subtle ripples in the water. He usually craved chaos or mischief, yet here, for a moment, the urge to stir trouble paused. He simply watched, letting her words settle between them, letting the silence of the courtyard speak. And in that fleeting quiet, he felt… intrigued.
@Silvy Emberwood
Then he heard the soft shuffle of movement nearby. Glancing to the side, he saw her—a girl moving with quiet purpose, assessing the courtyard before scrambling nimbly up the branch of a low tree. Leon’s lips tugged into a faint smirk. Most people weren’t graceful like that; most people didn’t command a space with such calm assurance. He found it curious, slightly impressive, and it made him wonder what she was thinking.
When she hopped down and approached the fountain, he continued to observe, letting her words hang in the air. Her quiet recitation struck him as unusual, thoughtful, and a bit unexpected—but in a good way.
“Not misquoted, huh?” he murmured finally, his voice soft, just enough to be heard without breaking the peaceful atmosphere. “I think… I see what you mean.”
Leaning back slightly against the fountain edge, hands tucked in his pockets, Leon’s dark eyes followed the subtle ripples in the water. He usually craved chaos or mischief, yet here, for a moment, the urge to stir trouble paused. He simply watched, letting her words settle between them, letting the silence of the courtyard speak. And in that fleeting quiet, he felt… intrigued.
@Silvy Emberwood
The Courtyard Pause
Silvy felt a wave of emotion from the boy next to her, as he spoke quietly but with intent. She was used to this, feeling and interpreting the energy of those around her. It was something she'd grown up with, and learned from her parents and grandparents. Some sort of muggle trick, that had found it's way into their family somehow. She always forgot the names for whatever it was, but she was easily used to this understanding of the emotion in the air around her. This boy, when she approached, had seemed to her as if he was standing in the eye of a tornado. Rough winds, unseen and unfelt, tormented him. No, was it torment? Chaos did not equal torment, she reminded herself. Maybe it was not unwanted, only unruly.
But when he spoke, the wind quieted. Silvy felt him untense, just slightly. Had he been waiting for something to happen? He seemed almost... relived that nothing did. And yet before, he had still been hopeful. Silvy wondered to herself, who was this boy? For what was he waiting?
She took a deep breath. It didn't seem like he was going to continue. She let the moment pause, in case it was a time for nothing to be said. Instead, a flock of migrating birds flew over them loudly, chirping and singing and the sound of flapping wings filling the air around them. "My name is Silvy. You can call me Silvy, or Silv. I've thought about Ember or Em as a nickname, too. From my last name. But you can call me whatever you'd like, I don't mind."
She paused again.
"And, my question to you is, if you were a bird, what bird would you be?"
Silvy thought to herself, as she awaited an answer, how very much she enjoyed quotes, words, poetry, and using words to craft mysterious and seemingly meaningless questions. She thought then of a quote from her father, one she had been told a long time ago, and many times ever since: "Nothing is ever completely without meaning. And nothing is ever quite as it seems."
@Leon Cardasso
But when he spoke, the wind quieted. Silvy felt him untense, just slightly. Had he been waiting for something to happen? He seemed almost... relived that nothing did. And yet before, he had still been hopeful. Silvy wondered to herself, who was this boy? For what was he waiting?
She took a deep breath. It didn't seem like he was going to continue. She let the moment pause, in case it was a time for nothing to be said. Instead, a flock of migrating birds flew over them loudly, chirping and singing and the sound of flapping wings filling the air around them. "My name is Silvy. You can call me Silvy, or Silv. I've thought about Ember or Em as a nickname, too. From my last name. But you can call me whatever you'd like, I don't mind."
She paused again.
"And, my question to you is, if you were a bird, what bird would you be?"
Silvy thought to herself, as she awaited an answer, how very much she enjoyed quotes, words, poetry, and using words to craft mysterious and seemingly meaningless questions. She thought then of a quote from her father, one she had been told a long time ago, and many times ever since: "Nothing is ever completely without meaning. And nothing is ever quite as it seems."
@Leon Cardasso
The edge is a shantytown filled with gold seekers. We are fugitives, and the law is skinny with hunger for us.
The Courtyard Pause
Leon raised an eyebrow at the question, a crooked smile already tugging at his lips. It felt like a riddle… and he loved riddles. He let his imagination wander, and when he finally spoke, his answer came laced with the mischief of someone who thrived on provocation.
“If I were a bird…” he began, pausing dramatically, as if about to reveal some grand secret. “I’d definitely be a magpie. Not a raven — far too obvious. A magpie’s clever, noisy when it needs to be, but knows how to keep quiet when it suits. And it’s got that delightful habit of stealing shiny things just for the fun of it. Imagine it — a cheeky little bird, pinching buttons, coins, rings… leaving everyone baffled as to where they’d gone.”
He chuckled softly, his eyes gleaming with amusement. “That’s exactly the sort of pastime I’d have if I had wings. I’d only steal to see the confused looks. Might give them back later. Or maybe not.”
Leaning slightly to one side, he shot her a playful look. “And what about you? What bird would you be? Don’t tell me you’d pick an owl just to sound poetic. They may be wise, but I’ve never once seen one having any real fun.”
The wind stirred, and his grin widened, as though even the air itself had joined in on his little provocation.
@Silvy Emberwood
“If I were a bird…” he began, pausing dramatically, as if about to reveal some grand secret. “I’d definitely be a magpie. Not a raven — far too obvious. A magpie’s clever, noisy when it needs to be, but knows how to keep quiet when it suits. And it’s got that delightful habit of stealing shiny things just for the fun of it. Imagine it — a cheeky little bird, pinching buttons, coins, rings… leaving everyone baffled as to where they’d gone.”
He chuckled softly, his eyes gleaming with amusement. “That’s exactly the sort of pastime I’d have if I had wings. I’d only steal to see the confused looks. Might give them back later. Or maybe not.”
Leaning slightly to one side, he shot her a playful look. “And what about you? What bird would you be? Don’t tell me you’d pick an owl just to sound poetic. They may be wise, but I’ve never once seen one having any real fun.”
The wind stirred, and his grin widened, as though even the air itself had joined in on his little provocation.
@Silvy Emberwood