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Blair stepped into the library, and the noises from the corridor faded behind her, like a door closing on the rest of the world. Tall shelves stretched out in neat rows, packed tightly with books that smelled of dust, ink, and old parchment. Light filtered in through the high windows, soft and pale, settling gently on tables. Tables were scattered between the shelves, and chairs stood slightly uneven.
A handful of students were already scattered around, heads bent, pages turning softly, quills scratching softly against the parchments. The sounds felt comforting. Blair adjusted the strap of her bag and walked deeper inside, aiming for her usual corner. As she drew closer to her space, her steps slowed...
Someone was already sitting at her spot. They were reading something, leaning slightly forward, elbows resting on the table, too focused to even notice her. She sat in the seat in the next row opposite that person. From here, she could see them clearly. She absent mindedly took out her books and parchments, her gaze lingering on them. Their brown-black wavy hair fell messily on their forehead, catching the light when they turned a page.
Blair settled, pretending to read, while her attention lingered just a second too long
A handful of students were already scattered around, heads bent, pages turning softly, quills scratching softly against the parchments. The sounds felt comforting. Blair adjusted the strap of her bag and walked deeper inside, aiming for her usual corner. As she drew closer to her space, her steps slowed...
Someone was already sitting at her spot. They were reading something, leaning slightly forward, elbows resting on the table, too focused to even notice her. She sat in the seat in the next row opposite that person. From here, she could see them clearly. She absent mindedly took out her books and parchments, her gaze lingering on them. Their brown-black wavy hair fell messily on their forehead, catching the light when they turned a page.
Blair settled, pretending to read, while her attention lingered just a second too long
Last edited by Blair Lockwood on 4 Jan 2026, 04:48, edited 2 times in total.
Becoming the version of me that feels like home.
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Denise entered the library for the first time, and it was huge. In her small village of Comrie in the southern highlands of Scotland, Hogwarts had more books than her entire village and likely all other local villages nearby. Denise marveled and stared; it is… beautiful. Now, Denise was the type who cared about her grades but usually did not go above and beyond. She is intelligent but not exactly very high-achieving, at least in a bigger pool of smart students like Hogwarts, and with a “smart” house like Ravenclaw, and being a clueless Muggle-born, Denise might be the average one here.
She looked around for a spot to sit, her arms now aching from holding her books, parchments, quill, and ink as she stared around. Her eyes looked around and she saw it; there it was. It is the perfect social distance from others, but the view is amazing with the right amount of sunlight from the windows and discretion from others. The chair also looked rather comfortable. Denise sat down and set everything aside carefully, especially the ink, which could stain her books, and she couldn’t afford to pay for the books back.
Back in the Muggle world, using paper, pen, pencil, heck, even a computer and a phone, which was accessible even in her small village, especially after a former global pandemic. Now, she had to write with a quill and ink, which was difficult to write with, often smudged, and took forever compared to typing on her computer at home. Denise didn’t want to write for now; her spot was rather comfortable. So, Denise started to flip through a Charms book, an easy subject to start off with to research for her assignment. Denise was in deep concentration, but somehow, she felt like she was being watched.
In the corner of her eyes, she saw a girl, about her age, maybe, looking at her discreetly, but she was not doing a good job of trying to be discreet. The girl had long black hair and tanned skin. Her brown eyes kept glazing from Denise and back to whatever she was doing. Denise felt awkward and felt that the attention ruined her focus for a bit; did she do anything wrong? But Denise was too shy to ask what was wrong. And Denise wasn’t doing a good job of acting discreetly either, shooting a glance at the girl from time to time. Denise was locked in, so she ignored the fervent glances from the girl and continued flipping through her book, thinking maybe it might just end today.
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Mentions: @Blair Lockwood
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The next day, Blair arrived at the library earlier than usual, her steps quicker than normal as she hoped she might reclaim her familiar seat. The room was quieter at this hour.Dust motes floated lazily in the light streaming through the tall windows. As she rounded the shelves, her pace slowed; the seat was already taken.
It was the same girl from the day before.
Disappointment flickered through her before she caught herself. Why am i making it a big deal? she thought it's just a seat...nothing more... But she picked a seat that gave her a clear view of the girl, even if she pretended not to care.
She unpacked her books slowly, smoothing the parchment with her palm while she tried to breathe normally. Her attention drifted no matter how hard she tried to focus.
The girl suddenly looked up as if she'd noticed someone staring. panic rushed in, hot and immediate. She offered a small smile, immediately looking away.
Her eyes dropped back to the page as if she had been caught doing something forbidden. She tightened her grip on the quill and pretended to write, her pulse still racing. She wondered if the girl would notice her looking again, and panicked at the thought.
It was the same girl from the day before.
Disappointment flickered through her before she caught herself. Why am i making it a big deal? she thought it's just a seat...nothing more... But she picked a seat that gave her a clear view of the girl, even if she pretended not to care.
She unpacked her books slowly, smoothing the parchment with her palm while she tried to breathe normally. Her attention drifted no matter how hard she tried to focus.
The girl suddenly looked up as if she'd noticed someone staring. panic rushed in, hot and immediate. She offered a small smile, immediately looking away.
Her eyes dropped back to the page as if she had been caught doing something forbidden. She tightened her grip on the quill and pretended to write, her pulse still racing. She wondered if the girl would notice her looking again, and panicked at the thought.
@Denise Yarbrough
Becoming the version of me that feels like home.
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Yeah, it didn’t end. Denise sat in the library and started to notice that there was always this same girl on her third day. She appears to be a Hufflepuff, which made Denise curious on why she is always at the library in the same spot (well, she sat in the same spot too) and was watching her like a hawk, trying to be unnoticed. Yesterday, Denise caught the girl staring at her and exchanged a polite smile, which made the dynamics between both a little extra awkward and added more tension.
Denise flipped through her Defense Against the Dark Arts homework, watching the girl in the corner of her eye. Writing rapidly without making her already hideous handwriting even more ugly, Denise started to eventually space out and stare into the library clean and calm walls. She started to think about her grandmother, how she was doing and imagining visiting her, visualizing the green lush Scottish Highlands, with the tall mountains cascading with the bright blue sky. The green and lush grass spread out in the distance, still green despite being autumn with the trees shedding yellows, oranges, and reds. The local cattle grazes in the distance, with the clear streams of water spilling through…
Clink! As Denise was daydreaming, she spilled her bottle of ink all over the pristine library floor. Luckily, it wasn’t much but Denise felt embarrassed, watching the girls’ reaction carefully. To Denise’s horror, some of the ink also spilled on her homework, leaving Denise frustrated, humiliated and visibly upset.
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Mentions: @Blair Lockwood
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Blair flinched at the sharp clink, her attention snapping away from the parchment. Sound echoed louder than it should have in the quiet library. She looked up just in time to see a small pool of dark ink spreading across the floor, near the girl's feet.
For a brief moment, Blair hesitated. The instinct to stay in her seat tugged at her, a familiar and tempting one. But seeing the girl freeze, her attention fixed on the spill, forced Blair to act.
She stood and moved over, slowly, then crouched beside the mess, pulling a handkerchief from her pocket. Blair gently dabbed at the ink on the floor, focused on keeping it from spreading further.
"It's okay.."she said quietly, looking up as she talked and meeting the girl's eyes for a moment."It doesn't look like much..."
Once the floor was mostly cleaned, Blair straightened up, and her gaze shifted to the ink-stained homework. something sympathetic flickered across her face. She reached into her bag and pulled out a few clean sheets of parchment.
"I have extra" she said, holding them out."If you want to rewrite it."
She stayed where she was waiting for the girl's response. The usual library sounds returned around them, but the moment felt different now, less awkward than before.
For a brief moment, Blair hesitated. The instinct to stay in her seat tugged at her, a familiar and tempting one. But seeing the girl freeze, her attention fixed on the spill, forced Blair to act.
She stood and moved over, slowly, then crouched beside the mess, pulling a handkerchief from her pocket. Blair gently dabbed at the ink on the floor, focused on keeping it from spreading further.
"It's okay.."she said quietly, looking up as she talked and meeting the girl's eyes for a moment."It doesn't look like much..."
Once the floor was mostly cleaned, Blair straightened up, and her gaze shifted to the ink-stained homework. something sympathetic flickered across her face. She reached into her bag and pulled out a few clean sheets of parchment.
"I have extra" she said, holding them out."If you want to rewrite it."
She stayed where she was waiting for the girl's response. The usual library sounds returned around them, but the moment felt different now, less awkward than before.
Mentions:@Denise Yarbrough
Becoming the version of me that feels like home.
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Denise watched the deep black and blue colored ink spread through the floor, faster and faster as she watched in horror. She froze, unable to move and react to the situation, due to her newly found embarrassment, feeling a flush of red on her face and ears. Denise looked at the corner of her eyes and saw the girl moving slowly to help her clean up. Denise crouched on the floor along with her, using her own worn handkerchief and tissue paper wadded away deep inside her pockets, unused and appropriate for this situation..
Denise appreciated the words of comfort from the girl, nodding in relief. With the girls' and Denise's best efforts, the stain was still there but the floor was mostly clean. Denise would still have to report to the Librarian what happened but interestingly... it doesn't feel as humiliating as before. Denise looked at her now ink-stained homework, feeling sad that she has to re-do it.
To her surprise, the girl offered her some spare sheets of parchment. Denise now felt a bit bad for judging the girl a bit too early for looking at her. She seemed nice. Did she do something wrong to get those glances? But instead of questioning, Denise accepted gratefully the extra sheets of parchment, saving her a trip from the Hufflepuff dorms and back. "Thank you so much." Denise responded.
Cleaning up her things, Denise walked up to the Librarian, expecting a small lecture and a magic spell to clean everything up, leaving her things behind in the same spot. And later, after everything was settled, Denise continued on to her homework, this time more confused than ever before. Denise continued to settle in, but she still had to wonder on the reason of the frequent and fervent glances given by the girl. But Denise, who was still grateful for the help, slipped a note into the girl's bag before she left.
Hello,
Thank you for helping me today by helping me clean up and giving me some spare sheets of parchment. I really appreciated it and it did brighted my day.
Sincerely,
Denise Yarbrough
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Mentions: @Blair Lockwood
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Blair finished all her work from the library and noticed the other girl had already left. As she opened her bag to put her belongings back, she spotted a small folded parchment inside. She had no idea how it had gotten there. Curious, she opened it and realised from the unfamiliar handwriting that it was from the girl whom she had helped earlier. A small smile broke out on her face.
"So her name is Denise Yarbrough?" Blair thought.
She folded the parchment and slipped it carefully into her bag before leaving the library.
That night in her dorm, Blair sat at her desk with a blank piece of parchment in front of her.
She wrote a few words, paused, then struck them out. tried again, struck that out too. Everything sounded wrong, too stiff, too casual.
Scraps of parchment slowly began to litter the floor around her desk. One of her roommates glances over, raising an eyebrow at the mess, gave Blair a confused look, then quietly turned away.
Blair sighed, nipping the end of her quill as she stared at the new parchment in front of her. Finally, she wrote again and folded the paper carefully, deciding it would have to do.
The next day, Blair returned to the library, the folded parchment held tightly in her hands. She spotted Denise sitting in her usual place. Blair slowly walked to her own seat and sat there, trying not to look at Denise. She was waiting for the right moment to slip the note into Denise's bag without her noticing. Finally, when she thought it was the perfect time, she reached for Denise's bag.
"So her name is Denise Yarbrough?" Blair thought.
She folded the parchment and slipped it carefully into her bag before leaving the library.
That night in her dorm, Blair sat at her desk with a blank piece of parchment in front of her.
She wrote a few words, paused, then struck them out. tried again, struck that out too. Everything sounded wrong, too stiff, too casual.
Scraps of parchment slowly began to litter the floor around her desk. One of her roommates glances over, raising an eyebrow at the mess, gave Blair a confused look, then quietly turned away.
Blair sighed, nipping the end of her quill as she stared at the new parchment in front of her. Finally, she wrote again and folded the paper carefully, deciding it would have to do.
The next day, Blair returned to the library, the folded parchment held tightly in her hands. She spotted Denise sitting in her usual place. Blair slowly walked to her own seat and sat there, trying not to look at Denise. She was waiting for the right moment to slip the note into Denise's bag without her noticing. Finally, when she thought it was the perfect time, she reached for Denise's bag.
Mentions:
@Denise Yarbrough
Becoming the version of me that feels like home.
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Now, Denise didn’t have many friends, even before Hogwarts… except the hospital children. Well… formerly friends, technically speaking. In a local hospital in Comrie, Scotland, she remembered being there for a field trip… well, how long was it… at this point, she doesn’t remember. Her school had a field trip to the hospital, which sounds chaotic to hear, but it only had about 100 students, hosted by her favorite teacher, Mrs. Higgins.
All the students were assigned to make get-well cards for ill children, and Denise, who didn’t have any friends, stood there, with her card in her hands, just standing.
“Hey!” said a boy, later finding out that his name is Danny. “Are you from Comrie Primary School? I really like your bag!” pointing at her crocheted bag from her grandmother with Scottish Bluebells. That led to a conversation about plants and flowers in the southern Highlands, and Denise left elated. Later, after Mrs. Higgins spoke about volunteering with playing with the little kids so they don’t feel so lonely while they were ill, and Denise did so, and ended up doing so after the incident where she set a girl’s clothes on fire through accidental magic…
Denise snapped out of it, now thinking deeply about the girl. She struggled with trusting and making friends after that incident, and wasn’t exactly very sociable either. But she still can’t stop thinking about the girl, while those in her home village will not understand magic, clearly she’s now at a magical institution where she can control her magic and put all that behind her. Maybe… but Denise was still guarded and reserved.
Denise noticed the girl slipping a note into her bag, but she noticed but acted like she didn’t. Maybe talking through notes… they might bond... maybe. After leaving the library for her dorm, she opened her bag and read…
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Mentions: @Blair Lockwood
OOC Note: Sorry for taking so long! Exam season has been swamping me but after this week, I'll be more fast in my responses!
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Blair went back to her seat, trying to act normally, focusing on her potion homework. But once again, the note came back to her mind. Was she too blunt in it? she had written,
Your note absolutely made my day. I'm so glad I could help out.
Anytime you need spare parchment or a little help, I've got you
take care,
Blair Lockwood
It couldnt be bad,right?
She kept on thinking it until she noticed her potion essay wasn't progressing at all. She had to write 12 inches of parchment on the ingredients for the cure for boils and their magical properties. Even though she wrote a few lines, she knew she was missing an ingredient, and for that she needed to look in her potion book.
She opened her bag, and something fell onto her lap. It was her old notebook, the one where she used to keep cutouts from newspaper advertisements and even some dried leaves and flowers. A smile appeared on her lips. She must have been really bored in her house. if only her parents had allowed her to go out and play with the other children, she might have found it easier here too, she might have made a lot of friends by now.instead, she acted shy and awkward, because she didnt know what it felt like to truly be friends with someone. All she knew was her lonely house and every corner of it. She had spent her childhood in those large empty halls, eating alone, playing alone and sometimes just staring out of windows listening to other children playing outside.
She snapped out of her thoughts again, trying to remember why she had even opened the bag in the first place.
Your note absolutely made my day. I'm so glad I could help out.
Anytime you need spare parchment or a little help, I've got you
take care,
Blair Lockwood
It couldnt be bad,right?
She kept on thinking it until she noticed her potion essay wasn't progressing at all. She had to write 12 inches of parchment on the ingredients for the cure for boils and their magical properties. Even though she wrote a few lines, she knew she was missing an ingredient, and for that she needed to look in her potion book.
She opened her bag, and something fell onto her lap. It was her old notebook, the one where she used to keep cutouts from newspaper advertisements and even some dried leaves and flowers. A smile appeared on her lips. She must have been really bored in her house. if only her parents had allowed her to go out and play with the other children, she might have found it easier here too, she might have made a lot of friends by now.instead, she acted shy and awkward, because she didnt know what it felt like to truly be friends with someone. All she knew was her lonely house and every corner of it. She had spent her childhood in those large empty halls, eating alone, playing alone and sometimes just staring out of windows listening to other children playing outside.
She snapped out of her thoughts again, trying to remember why she had even opened the bag in the first place.
mentions:
Sorry for the letter thing,ik i kinda ruined it@Denise yarbrough
Becoming the version of me that feels like home.
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TThe library somehow felt different after she walked in. Denise remembered that night, slowly opening that note, feeling the worn-out parchment under her fingers, reading it slowly, and feeling relieved and appreciative.
Denise sighed; she didn't know what to do. At least, she knew that girl's name, Blair Lockwood. Should she write another note? Or maybe, have a proper conversation, greet and introduce herself properly, then just sign her name on a piece of parchment.
Denise couldn’t focus. She had friends but lost them in an instant after a big mistake: accidentally setting a girl’s clothes on fire through magic. This made her feel sad and depressed at the simple thought of having friends, not using someone to interact with, but someone who understood you and stood by your side. Well, she tried not to think about the incident, but she couldn't help thinking about it. Olivia Campbell, a rich primary school kid, had made fun of her worn-out clothes, since Denise had grown up poor.
She worked through her Charms homework. And at the end, she decided to walk up. Denise lingered and stood up for a while and sat back down. She couldn't do it. Not today.
She waited and thought and fiddled in her seat, clearly not doing her homework anymore. Finally, she had the courage. She stood up, a little too swiftly, accidentally almost knocking over her chair. She quickly readjusted her chair and tried to casually walk out. Well, she tried to be casual about it, and finally, she snapped, gaining the courage to at least have a simple conversation.
"Hey... thank you for the note..."
She didn't know how the girl, well, she can't call her girl anymore, Blair, would react. Inside, Denise was nervous. Did she do the wrong thing? Was this too impulsive and rash? She fiddled a bit as she waited for Blair's response.
STA [7] | EVA [5] | STR [5] | WIS [7] | ARC [5] | ACC [6]Mentions & OOC Notes:Reducio@Blair Lockwood
Don't worry, it didn't ruin the mood at all.
Again, sorry for responding extremely.