Between Candles and Crushed Hopes PV Dylan Astor

Interacting with: @Isabella Bernard Mentioning: N/A Date: 10/01/25

Word Count: 332

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Dylan walked through the corridors of Hogwarts. Head down eyes low as he replayed the events of just a few days before. The day he arrived at Hogwarts with his fellow Ilvermony students. It had started out great, really, but things took a turn for the worst when he found Avery searching for him. She had a letter in her hand. That alone should have been a red flag for him, but he had thought nothing of it. Well, not until they read it together. The news crashed over them like a suffocation wave. That had been four days ago now, and yet somehow he couldn't stop thinking about it. How? How could it have happened? After everything? Why? He wanted to do something, but there was nothing to be done. He was at Hogwarts while the rest of his family was in Wales. A whole other country away. He hadn't even heard the other person in the corridor. The only thing breaking him from stupor was the crash. He stumbled back a couple steps before he caught himself and was shocked to find who he had stumbled into. A girl with light blonde hair and strikingly bright eyes met his. He had never seen the girl before, not even at the last ball he attended. Then again, there had been a lot of people at that ball, and the only people he had been around were Avery and her friends. "Sy'n hawdd Whoah easy. Sorry. It's not your fault. I wasn't watching where I was going either." Dylan said. His Welsh slipping in which surprised him. He rarely ever spoke Welsh besides poking fun at Avery when he didn't want anyone else to know what he was saying. So why did he use it then? There was no time to dwell on that. He had to at least be courteous after running into the girl. "You okay?" He asked. Satisfied with his answer and his attempt to regain his bearings.

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Isabella blinked up at the boy, her heart still thudding a little too fast from the collision. For a second, they just stared at each other, both clearly startled. Then he spoke. Something soft, unfamiliar. Welsh, maybe? Her eyes widened slightly in surprise, but when he switched to English, she relaxed a bit. “I’m alright!” she repeated, her voice gentler this time. “Really.” She offered a small, sheepish smile and adjusted the books in her arms. “Looks like we were both pretty deep in our own heads.”

He looked... not just distracted, but heavy, like he was carrying something far heavier than just school stress. His shoulders were tense, and there was a faraway look in his eyes that made her want to say something more. But she didn’t want to push. “I’m Isabella!” she said instead, softening her voice. “Isabella Bernard. A first year from Gryffindor.” She paused, then added with a small chuckle, “And apparently, professional hallway crasher.”

There was an awkward beat, then she tilted her head slightly. “Do you want to walk with me for a bit? I was just heading back, but… I don’t mind company.” Something told her he might not want to be alone. And truthfully? She wasn’t so sure she did either.

OOC Info: Outfit
Pings: @Dylan Astor

Interacting with: @Isabella Bernard Mentioning: N/A Date: 10/01/25

Word Count: 200

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"Yeah." Dylan said with a nervous laugh, "I guess we were." He rubbed the back of his head with his hand. Making his already disheveled hair even messier. Though he didn't really mind. His hair never lay flat anyway, so why try to make it lie flat now? "Nice to meet you, Isabella. I'm Dylan Astor. Second year Thunderbird from Ilvermony. Though you probably noticed I'm not American. Or if you didn't, well, I guess American ways have gotten to me. I'm actually from Wales, but I moved to America when I was eight. Hence the reason I accidentally spoke in Welsh." Dylan smiled. Glad he wasn't the only clumsy one. "Don't worry about bumping in to me. I have a tendency to do the same thing whenever I'm deep in thought. The same's with my cousin." Dylan nodded when Isabella asked if he wanted to walk with her. "Sure. Walking sounds nice. It's a good head clearer." He wasn't sure what else to say after that. Honestly? He had never been great at keeping up conversations with people he didn't know. Probably because he had spent most of his time in America alone without very many friends around him.

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Isabella smiled, a little embarrassed but also kind of relieved that Dylan didn’t seem upset. Her eyes were drawn to his hair as he rubbed the back of his head with his hand. It was a bit wild, but it suited him in a way. Not everyone could pull off messy hair like that, but somehow Dylan did.

"That’s cool." she said as they started walking down the path, her shoes crunching lightly on the gravel. "I’ve never met anyone from Wales before. I’ve read about it, though. It sounds really pretty. Lots of green hills and castles, right?" She looked at him curiously, hoping she wasn’t being weird or asking too many questions. She just liked talking and making new friends.

"And Ilvermorny sounds awesome too. You mentioned Thunderbird. What's that? Is it like your house? I mean, I’ve only ever been to...here. Hogwarts. It’s huge and kind of cold all the time, but I like it. I guess I’m still getting used to the idea that there are other wizarding schools out there. It’s funny thinking about kids like us learning spells in other parts of the world but probably in different languages or through different teachers. I never REALLY understood how other schools work given the fact I barely understand how mine does.." She paused for a second, then added with a little grin. "Though I’ve never accidentally spoken another language or accent. That was kind of cool."

She walked a little slower so they didn’t rush the moment, her hands tucked into the sleeves of her blazer. "I bump into people all the time." she admitted with a small shrug. "Sometimes it’s because I’m thinking too much, but other times I’m just clumsy. My mum says my head’s always in the clouds." She looked over at him again, tilting her head slightly. "Do you miss Wales? Or is America more like home now?" she asked, her voice soft and kind.

Even though they had just met, she felt like maybe Dylan wasn’t that different from her. A little awkward. A little lost. And maybe, just maybe, someone who understood what it was like to feel a little out of place. "I’m glad we bumped into each other." she said after a short pause, smiling shyly. "This is nicer than walking alone. All brooding and upset. What had you lost in thought, anyways?"

OOC Info: Outfit
Pings: @Dylan Astor

Interacting with: @Isabella Bernard Mentioning: N/A Date: 10/01/25

Word Count: 299

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Dylan nodded, "Yeah. I guess you could say we're known for our green hills and castles, but I prefer the forests and mountains more. They hit closer to home for me." That alone reminded Dylan of how dearly he missed his grandparents' house where the beautiful forest and the mountains in the distance made it surreal. Like it came straight from a painting. "Ilvermony is actually quite similar to Hogwarts. We have four houses and we do learn about spells and potions as well. Though it's far from the exact same. I would much prefer to go here than Ilvermony." Dylan explained to Isabella. Hoping what he said had made sense. "Yeah. Speaking in Welsh was something my cousin, Avery, and I used to do all the time, but I rarely get to speak it anymore since few actually speak it." Dylan laughed a nervous laugh. Dylan thought about what he was going to say and nearly stopped when she asked him if he missed Wales. He didn't know at first the proper way to explain how he felt. Should he tell her the truth about how he really felt, or try to act cool and not say the full truth? The decision was easy in the end. "Honestly? I miss Wales more than anything. It's my home. America is great, but I always feel like an outcast. Like I don't belong if you know what I mean." Dylan guessed she had no idea what he meant, but he still said it. Still holding on to the very small possibility that she didn't understand. Dylan tensed at her question about what was bothering him. Avery was the only person that knew. That understood. He didn't know what to say. "Well, nothing too bad. Just family stuff." He settled on.

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