Drawn Together PV Pericles Dralt

Pericles' path from Herbology class cut across the courtyard. Though a scattered crowd surged along the same path, he drifted on his own, mechanically following the flow of traffic while his thoughts remained behind in the greenhouse. A distinctly smoky smell clung to his black robes, the result of an incendiary spell used on a number of Bouncing Bulbs. The boy was busy mentally mulling over the new charm when the silver of a cat's coat lured his eye. Instantly, the daydreaming expression was tinted with wistfulness. There were many a charming pet trailing behind witches and wizards on school grounds. Pericles craved a cat of his own in particular, but remained both broke and torn over whether or not to nab a cat or an owl as soon as he saved up his galleons. Given his eccentric tendencies, it was liable to end up being a rat or toad instead, once the moment arrived.

Lost in admiring the feline and pondering the future, Pericles had neglected to note that he had simply stopped (and was now staring). The young wizard glanced about to ensure no one noticed or mistook his space-cadet absence for Michael Myers grade lurking. A last leery look flicked back at the cat keeper's head, but she was turned from him. It was then that his focus fell on the canvas in her hands. From back here, his less than perfect eyesight could make out a vague impression of the subject, but a couple cautious steps closer made the matter clearer. The boy's eyes brightened with intrigue before- forgetting social graces and anxieties- he simply strode the distance and asked from a few paces away, "Excuse me...?" He would wait til she turned before flashing his teeth with a smile, the expression replacing a proper verbal greeting. "I hope you don't mind my asking, but what sort of dragon are you drawing?"

~ * ~

A soft, polite voice made her pause and turn around. A boy stood near her, inquiring about the subject of her drawing. Most did not notice her drawings or even knew that she drew, and it was rare for someone to approach her about it. The boy seemed youthful and curious, with a certain peculiar charm about him and a gleam in his eyes. She was hardly aware of the fact that she was offering him a warm smile in return.

“Of course it's not a problem, I'm glad to find a fellow inquisitive mind. The dragon that I'm drawing is loosely based on a Swedish Short-Snout, which I've read about before. Are dragons a special topic of interest to you, or were you merely curious?” She answered his question and watched for a reaction, waiting for something to analyse, any behaviour that could tell her more about the boy. She was surprised to find that she was interested in what he would say next.

He had her full attention, which she would offer to most if they had spoken to her. She could not easily forget the courtesies and manners that had been taught to her as a member of a wealthy pure-blood family. Her posture and the air of sophistication and grace that she carried with every precise movement would likely hint at her own upbringing. She always had to look her best around her family, with everything neatly in its place. Habits like that would not leave her any time soon, and the least she could do for her parents was to obey a few of the rules that they had set her from a young age.

~ * ~

Pericles was pleased, on average, to be treated with tolerance at the least. To be welcomed as a fellow inquisitive mind took him aback, but not at all in a negative notion. A startled smile tugged thin lips from pearly teeth, followed by the gleam of an unvoiced laugh in his odd silver eyes. There resonated something familiar in her poise and presentation. The girl spoke with a certain brand of politeness he had not seen much of since leaving home, and there was in it a cordial comfort. "I've read about Short-Snouts too." He added as if to verify this fact, or perhaps because he found the tidbit especially interesting, "They breathe a blue flame. Unique creatures, those."

The ghost of a grin wavered when he was questioned, replaced by a more pensive expression while the boy mulled the matter over, eventually deciding aloud "Both, I suppose. I haven't seen one, not in person, but I did see a Ukrainian Ironbelly- briefly- when I was very young. I wanted to know everything I could about them after that." Some muggle children became obsessed with dinosaurs. Pericles had gone through a perfectly standard dragon phase. As she was searching for something, Ruby may catch the nostalgic way in which the eleven-year-old admitted to this, speaking as though his childhood seemed so far behind him. It may have been an effect of being far from home, the glimmer of homesickness shining through a well-trained composure that bespoke noble upbringings.

He kept a cordial distance from her rather than crowding in to get a better look at the sketch, refrained from speaking too swiftly or loudly, did not gesture erratically with his hands. His mannerisms were slow and steady, bearings belonging to one whose household was certainly not without warmth and happiness, but still enforced a behavioral standard. While still marked by bits of dirt and plant, fresh from Herbology, Peri plainly made a decent effort at maintaining a presentable appearance. He had an ineloquent penchant for distraction however, staring off into the far distance when lost in thought, which surfaced more often than not.

For the moment, he seemed quite grounded by fascination. Gesturing towards the sketch, Peri pried gently, "Are you planning to become a Dragonologist, or do you just like drawing them...?"

~ * ~

Ruby wondered if the boy had had a similar family background. Interacting with him was just like with children at the pure-blood gatherings that her parents had dragged her off to, except this time she was more interested in him. He had the air of an upper-class upbringing, but Ruby didn't feel like she was being judged as harshly, nor did she feel that she had to be on edge the entire time, looking for any weaknesses or strengths while trying to hide her own.

It was awfully familiar and welcoming, in a way, to interact with someone who possessed a similar air but wasn't patronising. Near-perfect appearance, perfect etiquette, careful positioning, acting and moving in just the right way, the particular patterns of speech. She was used to the behaviours, and she didn't feel that the boy would think her strange or necessarily aloof for acting the way she did. That was certainly a start to feeling comfortable. A smile pulled at the corners of her mouth as he provided a bit of information that they had both apparently read about relating to this type of dragon. “Yes! Isn't it fascinating?” she replied, acknowledging his words.

Eyes like shards of ice would meet stormy yet smooth grey ones as the boy spoke. “Wow,” she murmured, in awe of even her imagination's rendition of what the opportunity must have been like. “That sounds like quite the amazing experience. Was it recent enough for you to remember it well?” She attempted to subtly search those eyes of calm, molten silver for a glimmer of telling emotion. She would just about catch onto the hint of nostalgia in his tone. Ruby could understand that feeling, even if she wasn't aware of his particular causes. Was it longing for an age when things were still easier and more simple? Was it missing parents, other family, or home? Did some sort of friend share the memory? Was there another experience that he linked it with in his mind?

She would not know, nor did she plan to proceed any further with these questions. They were merely speculations, her standard inquiries that always accompanied something that she didn't fully understand, or that she spent a moment thinking about. She was constantly questioning things so that she could reach a higher level of understanding of as many topics as she could. She seemed to take interest even in things that would appear mundane or even superfluous to others, simply for the reasons that she wanted to learn and understand as much as possible. There was, of course, the chance that it could end up being useful, but—if not—she was perfectly fine to have that knowledge purely for the sake of it. Some inherent aspect of it was just appealing to her.

He had asked another question. That was fine, that was good, it showed that his mind was sharp and that he was present and paying attention, interested enough to find out more about the subject. “No, I don't particularly have firm plans for the future. I simply enjoy learning what I can—and yes, I like drawing in general. If you like, you can flip through a few of those or get a better look.” She would offer him the sketchbook to hold. If he chose to take it from her and turn the pages, he would find an assortment of things. Abstract doodles and designs would occupy only a few pages here and there. Animals, both magical and non-magical and of many different species, would fill many of the nearby sheets. Humans of a multitude of types as well as structures would be split with animals in sharing out the pages. The boy might even recognise some here and there—sketches of the places and people of Hogwarts. The drawings ranged from detailed and almost lifelike to half-finished or plain. Colour brought many a page to life, while some could do almost as well remaining in simple black and white. It was true that the book possessed character and many an untold story, and there were successes, failures, and practices. No stage was omitted.

If he chose not to accept it, for whatever reason, she would remain holding it for a moment in case he wanted to look and possibly critique the dragon, and then she would close it so as not to provide another means of unnecessary distraction. In the brief moment of waiting in between, she glanced down at Apollo to confirm that he was still settled, even with a stranger so close by.

~ * ~

While Ruby wondered over Pericles' background, the boy did the same of her. Many misinterpreted that formal nature as something impersonal, or haughty, or greater-than-thou. This couple of kids wore it like a comfortable pair of wintry gloves: practical and easy to slip on. No matter the correlating bloodline, a presence of politeness and absence of competition was a satisfying state to find one's self in. Her smile sent his spreading, a short nod offered in shared enthusiasm.

"Well..." he hesitated while racking his memory, hoping to dredge up what details he had retained from the encounter. "I was five. It was very brief, but I had the chance when my father worked in the Ministry as an Auror. Sometimes mother and I would travel with him when he was sent out of the country." This was explained with no modicum of resentment. Pericles had enjoyed the uncertainty of his family's lifestyle, where one could be whisked away to a place peculiar and new at any time. He even spoke with a subtle edge of bravado, a hushed excitement, the tune of a natural storyteller. "Father's office had been called to collaborate with the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures to track down a dragon poacher, one who meant to- ah... to, auction it for potion parts." His sleepy smile wavered, briefly apologetic in the wake of sharing this morbid detail. Yet he carried on without missing another beat.

"After the culprit was apprehended by the Aurors, the Beast Division had to subdue and sedate the dragon for transport. I'm not so sure that he was supposed to, but father brought us to the edge of the operation just in time to see its cage collected. So..." a wistful frown, here, "...it was asleep, and I didn't see it up close, and it was only for a moment. Yet it was really wondrous in a way. Sad, seeing it like that, but inspirational too. Knowing that the poor thing would be taken to a reserve where it could stretch its wings and see the sun. I think I know what I want to do for the future. I'd like to work in the Ministry too, so I can stop things like that from happening." And there it was: in his own weird winded way, Pericles had told a tale that tied back around to her answer on whether or not the girl was an aspiring dragonologist. He had been quite quiet before that question, and all it took was a story to spark his sociability. Now he was silent again, though his smile was renewed, and when offered the sketchbook he took it without hesitation, uttering a mild "Yes, please. D'you mind if I...?" A gesture was made towards the bench on which she perched.

Whether or not Pericles was sitting or standing in the next moment, he would take to ever so gently turning the pages. He did so slowly, treating the illustrations like fragile sheets, hand occasionally hovering over a sketch or colored composition. The contents were never touched, yet he clearly wondered over the textures. He didn't make comments, in fact, he hardly spoke at all. Instead the boy took his time drinking in the contents of the book before at long last looking up. "I really like your drawings," he said simply, the softness of his volume marked with respect as though they stood in a gallery proper. "You're good at noticing details. Maybe you'll be an artist. Or, if you like learning, you could find a subject that's especially interesting, then write a book." He paused, sleepy eyes wrinkling at the corners, mouth tugging up at one corner. "With lots of illustrations."

~ * ~

The boy began to tell the story of his encounter with a dragon. He mentioned that his father was—or had been—an Auror, which was a detail that she quickly noted. Before he even got to the bit about the dragon, Ruby found herself being sucked in. There was no denying it, the boy seemed to have an aptitude for storytelling. His words were fairly ordinary, but something about his tone and the way he said it was gripping. Ruby was hanging on every word as he explained the unfortunate situation that the dragon had been in.

She could imagine that the dragon itself must have been stunning. Said to be the largest dragon species in the world, it must have been completely breathtaking. Ruby's eyes were filled with wonder as she pictured it using every detail she could from books she had read. Dragons were noble and majestic creatures, and the opportunity to catch even a glimpse of one was something that she would have loved to have. “That's amazing,” she whispered. “And that's a very noble goal too.” It must have been a truly inspiring moment for the boy, especially if it helped fuel his desire to work for the Ministry. She hadn't even been there, but the story itself was enough to make her consider that too. She was glad that he had opened up enough to tell her about it; she always enjoyed a good story.

He gestured at the bench, asking for permission to join her. “Of course I don't mind, go ahead.” She patted the spot next to her. Curiously, she watched the way he treated the pages. It was like they were some valuable item… a historic artefact, maybe. It almost made her laugh. To her, they were just drawings. Sure, they told stories and some of them had helped her observe scenes and people, but they were still things that seemed unimpressive to her. Nevertheless, she greatly appreciated the respect. He mentioned liking her drawings and she replied softly, “I'm glad to hear that. If you ever wanted… I could perhaps have a try at drawing something for you.” A slight chuckle escaped her lips as he made the comment on her attention to detail. “I have a habit of observing people. It helps me to learn more about them and about what's going on in the world or at Hogwarts specifically, and it helps me to figure out who I'd like to stay away from versus who could be a potential friend.” It was useful for other reasons, too, but there was no need to go rambling on about a topic that was relatively unrelated to the rest of their discussion.

He had suggested that she could be an artist or an author. She smiled but shook her head. “Drawing's more of a hobby for me. If I had the opportunity to include it in whatever line of work I go into, then sure, but I'm fine with it being another pastime to fill a spare moment with. I'm… more interested in the idea of adventure. Exploring the unknown, experiencing new things, and learning from all of it. The idea of that type of thrill really intrigues me.” She was speaking a lot, but she hoped that by doing so, he would feel encouraged to add some input of his own.

~ * ~

As his Auror aim was defined as "noble", Peri's soft stare veered off, mouth lilting into a lopsided line. He seemed to puzzle over the prospect for a moment's time before his smile sprang back. "I suppose so," the lad agreed as if this thought had just occurred to him, then he added on a more solidified note "Yes- I think you're right." The reason for his perplexity would surface later on in conversation, though that notion had certainly given him something to chew on. After the purebloods exchanged their all too formal back and forth- his request to join, her allowance- the Ravenclaw settled onto the other end of the bench. This brought him successfully closer to that cat, whom he sent an especially warm smile towards. His parents had encouraged he make friends with other students, but making friends with the pets of students was an even more attractive objective. That wasn't to say present company had failed to catch equal interest.

Her talent with a pencil was plain to see. The faces she captured, the stories they told through expression and composition, introduced Hogwarts to Pericles in an all new light. His neutral smile faded for a lidded look, nigh drowsy as he turned from page to page. Not only did he feel as though he were learning more about the subjects, but about the artist as well, from the way some figures were more speedily sketched and others were afforded greater effort. What she favored, what she took the time to sketch in detail, the subjects she seemed most interested, all shone through her works. The offer to draw for him as well had the boy blinking back to the reality off of parchment. "You would?" Nothing came to mind in that moment, but once more, Peri was looking off and away as if to glean muse from elsewhere. He looked back to the original canvas- her dragon- and gestured with the point of a finger. "Would you be willing to part with this? Or you meant to keep it, a different dragon, when you've got the time?"

This was fuel all the more to recommend she take up artistry as an occupation. While Ruby deduced why this wouldn't suit her tastes, Pericles watched and wondered, listening carefully. Those peculiar silver eyes were like a small set of scales: weighing her words and the reasoning behind them with fascination. Her logic inspired his own introspection. "I understand!" the first-year enthused, stare sparking to talk of adventure. "As important as it is to have Aurors out there confronting dark wizards, I'm... well, I'm not in it t'be a 'hero', or something of the sort." He grinned a fleeting sheepish expression, seeming to suppose this sounded unpatriotic of him. "Students need top grades to even be considered for the Auror office. It's not a job that just requires strength- there is so very much we need to know in order to face the things they do, go the places they go, learn what they learn. Aurors are on the front lines for finding secrets." Carefully returning the sketchbook, Peri opened his hands with a shrug. "I want t'know what they know, to see what's really out there...."

The passion of discussing a life-goal faded as it occurred to the young Dralt that he was perhaps over-expressing himself. With a crinkle of nose and hint of satire to his dreamy tone, the boy posed, "Maybe you should join the Ministry, too. You could sketch out the descriptions of dark wizards, obscure artifacts, and missing magical creatures. Then you could help t'go find them! Or you could be a teacher, but I worry it would be uninspiring to lecture on the same subjects all the time."

~ * ~

Ruby almost raised an eyebrow at his rather tentative response to her suggestion that his goal was noble. She did not know the full reason why he had chosen that for his aspiration, but she thought it was noble to help other people and creatures and to have been inspired by his father helping that dragon. She wondered if she had perhaps overstepped in some way that she was unaware of by insinuating that, but his response had been affirmative overall. She watched his expression a little more carefully, but this just led to her catching his smile at Apollo. The cat chose this very moment to stir, stretching before leaping up to join the two. When he had settled himself on the bench, now closer to Pericles, he looked up and seemed surprised to see the boy there. Ruby chuckled. “His name's Apollo. You can pet him if you like—he's shy but I doubt he'd hurt you.”

She smiled at the way he regarded her drawings. It was nice to feel appreciated for something that she practiced so frequently. “Yes,” she said with a nod, “I would.” Very carefully, she tore the piece out and held it out to hand it to him. It would give him a memory of her, a little keepsake that she could leave behind in the unlikely event that they did not meet again. She doubted that would be the case, however. She had a feeling that after Pericles had made the first step to start an interaction, the two had been drawn together. It was fairly surface-level at the moment, they were mere acquaintances and possibly friends, and perhaps it was just on her end, but she felt like the two had found a kindred spirit in each other—at least to some extent. Perhaps she was just interested in pursuing a friendship with the polite, peculiar boy, but she would have liked to think that he might feel the same way.

She grinned at him when they reached the topic of adventure. It would seem that he was interested in it, too, even if he didn't necessarily want to be a hero. “I respect that! It seems that you long to see the world and gain knowledge, too? I hadn't considered the high grades aspect of it, but I'm sure that's the case now that you mention it. Perhaps I'd be interested in being an Auror as well… you paint quite the nice picture of it.” It was nice to see the boy get excited; she always loved to see the way people's eyes lit up or how they became more animated while they were talking about something they were truly interested in. “Ah, that doesn't sound too bad, either,” she responded, mulling over his suggestion that she join the Ministry and sketch things out before finding them.

Some of the more active Ministry jobs did sound like fun. The promise of adventure, new experiences, and learning was definitely something she would find hard to ever turn down. Perhaps something like that would also make her parents proud of her… While it was not a topic she wanted to dwell on when she was having such a nice time, she had never been able to live up to her parents' expectations. They wanted her to be in Gryffindor (or at the very least, a house that wasn't Slytherin), yet she ended up a Slytherin. She became a prefect, but to her parents, it was of the wrong house. She was on the Quidditch team but they hadn't acknowledged that—perhaps she wasn't doing well enough there yet. She got a position on the school's newspaper but they had dismissed that too. She let out a small sigh that was hardly noticeable. She did not feel like she would ever be good enough for them, but she was grateful that she had friends who would accept her for who she was, rather than what anyone wanted her to be.

~ * ~

@Ruby Cazares

The moment Pericles had awaited with anticipation arrived at last: the opportunity to pet a cat. When the feline settled between them and was introduced by Ruby, the boy brightened again, eyebrows arched high and gaze gleaming with innocent admiration. His smile stretched as he muttered a word of gratitude before reaching out. "Hullo, Apollo," came the warm murmur, hand hesitating while waiting to gauge the cat's opinion of him before chancing a pet. The satisfaction on his face was clear, eyes crinkling at the corners when his request for the art was obliged, yet after several seconds of admiring it his face fell with a thoughtful frown. The paper was delicately set to the side before he began fishing through his bag. From it, the lad produced a leather wallet, though it contained no coins. Instead, there were around twenty or so chocolate frog cards. One was plucked from the stack before offered out as payment: Wilfred Elphick, first wizard to be gored by an African Erumpent. "I'm afraid I don't have any unopened boxes on me today," Peri admitted apologetically. "I hope a card will do."

It was a formal transaction, trading art for a card. But Pericles carried himself with candor, lacking any ulterior motive, his bearing simply that of a boy simply seeking company. The kids conversed in a casual, comfortable way which oozed earnesty. It wasn't wrong of Ruby to sense they may be friends: the Ravenclaw had a shortage of friendships and an admiration for kindness and talent. Little did he know, they would soon see one another again in the Headliner's office, and if all went accordingly, they may cross paths on the Quidditch field someday (even if it was on opposing sides). Their paths and personalities aligned well. It was easy for the young to look towards the future without seeing the nuances of their obstacles, the depth of difficulties they may face or the malleability of aspirations. Thus Peri, seeming set in his plans, took Ruby's consideration of the Ministry as highly probable. "You know," he was saying in that soft sleepy way, "I have a notebook full of facts on aurors, with a list of some missions the Ministry has tasked them to! I'm a first-year, but we could study some time if you'd like to learn more."

Presuming Apollo allowed that first pet, Peri would continue quietly fawning over the feline, internally adding him to a list of cats he was collecting around campus. With a hint of gratitude to his mellow voice, he added to its owner: "It was a pleasure meeting you...." It struck him, then, that he didn't know her name. They'd discussed are and adventure and aspirations, he knew her pet's name, but not hers! Embarrassed he'd forgotten formalities, the lad lightly tacked on, "I'm Pericles Dralt, by the way, but please feel free to call me Peri."