When Ashes Settle
From the moment Azzure stepped foot in the high walls of Hogwarts, memories of a year long past flooded her all at once, Every hallway she'd ran through to get to class, evey memory of bumping into strangers only for them to become her closest confidants and best friends, always having her back when things go awry.
Truly, Hogwarts was no longer just a place— standing here, a year older, and just a bit taller— Azzure was sure that Hogwarts was now her home.
And as all flowing things do— her thoughts converged at the place where all memories are preserved.
Azzure stood surrounded by the floor to ceiling display casses that lined the walls of the Trophy room. Each case held memorabillia from generations before, proof of excellence from each and every wizzard that had put their heart and soul into what they do— 'one day.. my name will be on one these awards too.'
Azzure was content to just stand in the middle of the room and look in awe, but a soft glint towards her right caught her eye. In a mahogany case that seemed ordinary enough for one to simply disregard—stood the house cup that gryffindor had won last year, a true symbol of the unity and morale of each and every person that belongs to the house of the brave and detrmined.
Azzure herself, still remembered when she was first sorted into Gryffindor. Back then, she didnt know what the sorting hat saw in her to place her in Gryffindor of all houses.
However from connecting with people in her house and watching how these people who barely even knew her were so willing to help and find the sliver of light in every situation— Azzure realized that her experience in Gryffindor—getting to know all these people who hoped in the name of love...
It changed Azzure. Their values had seeped so deep into her core, to the point that she truly wouldn't be in as good of a place as she is right now without the values she's gained from her first year. And deep down, Azzure knew well that she had much much more to learn.
But in the midst of her rambling thoughts, Azzure spotted the sight of a familiar girl in the reflection of the
"Gray! Its nice to see you again." Azzure called out as she spinned around on her heel to face Avery Gray. Although Azz wasnt sure if Avery still recognized her with longer hair and glasses, she still figured chatching up with an old friend couldn't be too awkward... right?
ReducioWord Count: 443
This is an RP with: @Avery Gray
Last edited by Azzure Solace on 3 Oct 2025, 14:09, edited 1 time in total.
When Ashes Settle
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Interacting with: @Azzure Solace
Mentioning: N/A
Date: SeptemberWord Count: 228
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✽Avery would never forget her first day at Hogwarts. Or even the first time her feet touched the Scottish soil of the school. It was as if the exact feeling was engraved permanently into her memory. Preserved even through the hardest times in life when all she wanted to do was forget everything.
Last year had been hard. Harder than Avery had expected. The one thing that had kept her going was her friends. Her friends had been the only thing pushing her to be better. Being there when the times were hardest. Avery couldn't even express the gratitude she had for them in words.
That's when she saw her. Azzure. Standing and observing the trophy case containing the trophy the Gryffindors had won the past year. Avery smiled at the memory. The day she had found out they'd won had been very exciting and full of festivities as Gryffindor pride showed throughout the corridors.
When Azzure turned around, Avery smiled and stepped closer. "Hi, Azzure. Nice to see you again too. How have you been?" Avery asked the girl. She looked different from the last time Avery had seen her. Her friend was taller, but that wasn't the only thing different. Her hair was longer and she was wearing glasses. Avery was curious as to why, but didn't push the idea. Afraid it was a touchy subject.
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Credit: Mylo Atkins
Be the change you wish to see |
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in the world. |
When Ashes Settle
Azzure spun around on her heel to fully face Avery Gray. It was nice to see a familiar face after so being away so long. Av had always been someone Azzure regarded as a friend, if not a confidant of hers. There was always something about her that drew people in, Azzure included.
Although for her part Avery hadn't changed all that much— calmer maybe, steadier. Most importantly, she still had that distinct kind of softness in her eyes that she regarded all people with equally.
"Hi, this summer sure was some rollercoaster. Y'know, I spent most of the summer in Japan with my cousins, did you know their oceans there are actually quite refreshing? Its the first time I took a dip in water that wasn't freezing cold." Azzure chuckled, although yes–– her life hadn't been all sunshine and rainbows, it still had its merits. Plus, she had gone through hell to stand here now, there's no reason to be reliving the bad.
It was strange— Azzure had spent weeks worrying about coming back, about not fitting in the same way anymore. But standing here, with Avery smiling at her and the House Cup gleaming in the corner, it felt like everything might just fall into place again.
She had hope that this year would be different. She hoped that it would be better.
ReducioWord Count: 225
This is an RP with: @Avery Gray
When Ashes Settle
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Interacting with: @Azzure Solace
Mentioning: N/A
Date: SeptemberWord Count: 201
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✽Avery listened to Azzure talk. She knew immediately just from how she talked and how she held herself that something was wrong. Though Avery couldn't quite place a finger on what exactly was wrong. "I understand. The summer was very enlightening for me. Though Japan? That's so cool! I can't even imagine a warm ocean. The ocean's always freezing here!" Avery laughed lightly. Attempting to lighten the mood in the room.
"Are you okay?" Avery asked. Knowing that she had to ask. She couldn't just stand and watch her friend suffer alone as the world continued around her. It wasn't fair to Azzure to suffer alone. Everyone needed a shoulder to not only cry on, but to stand firmly on when the old foundation fell.
"You know you can tell me if something's wrong. I'm here for you and always will be." Avery said as she laid her hand on Azzure's shoulder. Hoping the girl would understand that now was as good of a time as ever to reveal her pain and suffering if she was ready. If Azzure wasn't, well, Avery would respect that and wait to listen until she was ready. That was what a good friend would do.
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Credit: Mylo Atkins
Be the change you wish to see |
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in the world. |
When Ashes Settle
Out of all the things Avery Gray could have said in those next few moments, asking about her troubles was–– for some reason–– not something she was prepared for. Let's get this straight, Azzure should have expected that question. After all, it was a simple question, one Avery had full right to ask as her friend. But the moment Avery spoke, the petty facade Azzure had tried to pull off... shattered.
Azz remained quiet for a moment, only fidgeting with her leather gloves. The silence stretched between them–– pulsing to the beat of her heart as its backdrop. 'fuck' Azzure internally cursed before letting out a wry laugh. "Merlin on high... I can never hide anything from you, can I, Av?" Azzure chuckled, letting out an exasperated sigh, as she looked into Avery's eyes, searching them for any hint of judgment or a sign telling her this would result in something unpleasant.
But Azzure saw none of that. Stark on Avery's face was the tried and true compassion that never left. The stubbornness Azzure had grown accustomed to seeing in her friend, and most of all, concern.
Azzure breathed deeply through her nose, 'no going back now.'
"I'm going to be honest, this isn't how I thought I'd be telling you this. However, you're one of my closest friends." Azzure pulled her gloves off her hand, revealing an amalgamation of scar tissue and stitches–– white lines that patterned her skin with chaos and pain. It wasn't pretty, and certainly a far cry from what her hands looked like in their first year.
"At the end of our first year, I was called home because of an emergency. 2 days after I came back home, I woke up in the night to the whole mansion burning. And the fire–– it didn't spread. By the time I woke up, there was nowhere left for it to spread to. It only got larger, angrier, hotter. It consumed our house, with me and my family still in it." Azzure confessed, her hands fidgeting with the gloves as she recounted that night. It had been months, yet Azzure could still feel the fire digging into her flesh, burning into her skin; she could still smell the smoke, hear the screams of the servants that had burned with them.
"Avery... Before you say anything, I don't need pity. It's been a hard, long battle of non-ending therapy upon hours of physical therapy, and non-stop surgeries!" Azzure spoke, her voice rising with every passing word until she was almost screaming... but she caught herself. Closing her eyes to steady her breath.
"I just... Mentally, I've been preparing for this for a while... that being said, I've never–– well.. I've never really told anybody till now... I know I'm not the same, but... be nice, please?"
ReducioWord Count: 469
This is an RP with: @Avery Gray
When Ashes Settle
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Interacting with: @Azzure Solace
Mentioning: N/A
Date: SeptemberWord Count: 473
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✽Avery shook her head. "There's nothing you can hide from me, Azzy. I'll always be here for you no matter what." Avery laid a gentle hand on her friend's shoulder. Allowing a quick squeeze before she dropped her hand back to her side. She wanted her close friend to see that Avery really was there and she wasn't planning on leaving unless told otherwise.
Avery didn't know if Azzure would tell her what was going on or not. If the girl did, Avery would listen without judgement and be there for her friend. If her friend didn't want to talk about whatever was bothering her, Avery would back off and respect her. Her friend deserved respect more than anything.
Avery held her breath so as to not disrupt the moment Azzure began to speak. Her voice quiet. Reserved. Avery couldn't believe how different the girl sounded as she confessed what had happened. A fire. A fire had done this to her friend. Avery couldn't even imagine the pain of the burns made by the fire. She couldn't imagine watching her family fall apart as the world burned. It was a nightmare. Something no one deserved to experience. Especially Azzure. A sweet girl that had saved Avery from the flu back in their first year.
She shook her head when her friend told her not to have pity. Avery didn't have pity. She had understanding. An understanding of what had happened to the girl. Trauma and PTSD were real things. Things no twelve year old girl should ever go through at her age.
Avery couldn't believe the scar that was left on her friend's hand. She couldn't imagine the pain it had inflicted upon her friend. Avery closed her eyes at that. Not wanting to think of how horrible it must have been for Azzure.
"I won't give you any pity if you don't want it, and I'm glad you told me. I've learned that it gets easier if you tell others. If anything, I understand now. Trauma is hard to recover from. If anything, no one fully recovers from it. I know that your scar brings back the memories I can't even imagine, but I do know this. You're strong. You can do this. I'll be right here for you through everything if you want me to. You saved me, so now it's my time to return the favor." Avery smiled gently. Her heart was open to her friend. Avery wanted more than anything for her friend to be free from the trauma of what happened, but that wasn't how life worked. No matter what you did and no matter what happened you just had to live with it. That's why Avery wouldn't leave her friend alone. She couldn't bear it if something bad happened to her and Avery could have stopped it.
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Credit: Mylo Atkins
Be the change you wish to see |
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in the world. |
When Ashes Settle
Azzure swallowed, her jaw tightening before she even realized it had. For a moment, it was like the world stopped and went quiet.
"I— I don't know what to say to that."
Azzure tightened her grip on her leather gloves. She thought back to the hours poured into rehab and therapy—how hard she had worked to be standing here in Hogwarts.
It felt... cathartic.
To have Avery here, one of her greatest friends, now be so accepting of the person she had grown to become despite how much of a change it must have been, that gift was greater than anything Azzure dared to wish for till now.
The fact that Avery was so comforting and understanding gave Azzure the hope that maybe, just maybe, Violence would be too. Despite all that she's been through to get here, hearing Av's commitment to be there for her really hit Azzure hard.
Before this she was in fight or flight every single day; the few months she spent recovering in the hospital were the worst months of her life. But today she realized that it was these small moments that she fought so hard for. This one interaction where someone would make her feel that it's over. That she was okay. That's what Avery was— what she always was, a sliver of light after ashes settle.
"Merlin... You continue to floor me with your kindness, Gray. What would I do without you, huh?"
Azzure chuckled, beaming up at Avery like she used to when they were first years. "Thank you, Av. I know I say that a lot, but I really mean it."
ReducioWord Count: 272
This is an RP with: @Avery Gray
Ooc note: I'm so sorry it took me so long to reply, writers block hit me hard with this one
When Ashes Settle
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Interacting with: @Azzure Solace
Mentioning: N/A
Date: SeptemberWord Count: 315
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✽Avery smiled, but it didn't quite reach her eyes. She was worried for her friend. It wasn't easy for Avery to watch her hurting like she was. If anything, it just made it harder for Avery not to pull her into a tight embrace. She didn't want to startle her friend with the embrace. Not when she had just said she wouldn't give her pity. Though the hug wouldn't be about pity. It would be a message too deep to be spoken with mere words. It would relay to Azzure that she had someone that was there for her and wouldn't give up on her. Even when life became too hard to bear.
There was nothing left to say. Words were meaningless when one of your closest friends stood before you and was slowly unraveling. All Avery could do was stand there and be the support that Azzure seemed to need. The stability when the hold world was in turmoil all around them.
"Azzy, I meant what I said. I will always be here for you. I guess we'll never have to find out what you'd do without me." Avery laughed gently. Her smile creeping back onto her face.
So this was what it was like to be there for someone. Someone who more than anything needed a friend. A friend that was not only willing to listen, but also willing to bear the heavy weight crushing down. Avery understood pain. She had felt it time and time again, but this pain was different. This was a pain she had never experienced, but that didn't mean she wouldn't try to be there. Try to help if she could.
"Do you want a hug?" Avery asked softly. Barely audible. She knew from experience that a hug helped her in her darkest moments, but she didn't know if that was what Azzure wanted. What the girl needed.
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Credit: Mylo Atkins
Be the change you wish to see |
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in the world. |