The perfect quiet
I don’t go to the courtyard when it’s full. Most people seem to prefer it loud, scattered with groups, with laughter carrying across the stone like it belongs there. I wait until that fades because I am not one to hang in groups. I usually wait until classes are in session, or just after, when the space empties out enough that the noise doesn’t settle into my head and stay there.
It’s quieter then.
The moment I step out from the corridor, the difference is immediate. The air feels more open and less confined than the halls and staircases that never seem to stay still. Even the light is different here. It is less filtered, and falls clean across the stone in a way that makes everything feel… steadier.
I usually stop near the edge first, just long enough to take it in.
The courtyard always looks the same with worn stone marked by years of footsteps, moss is creeping into the cracks like it’s been there longer than anyone remembers. But, the pattern beneath it is still visible if you look closely, the circular design pulling everything toward the fountain at the center. Most people don’t notice it, they just pass through.
I don’t.
I move toward the fountain slowly. The griffins carved along its edges face outward, silent sentinels unmoving, like they’re watching everything without needing to react. I sit on one of the low benches nearby, angled just enough that I can see the open archways and the path beyond without being directly in the middle of it.
I open my book, and begin to read.
Last edited by Kaitlyn Connor on 3 Apr 2026, 23:57, edited 1 time in total.
Reason: Topic type changed to RP. :)
The perfect quiet
꒰ᐢ. .ᐢ꒱ ☾☼☽ +:｡.｡ ༺❀༻ ｡.｡:+☾☼☽ ꒰ᐢ. .ᐢ꒱
Mentions: @Eric Phillips WC: 259 xxx Hex code: #0050b4 ꒰ᐢ. .ᐢ꒱ ☾☼☽ +:｡.｡ ༺❀༻ ｡.｡:+☾☼☽ ꒰ᐢ. .ᐢ꒱
✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧ ✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧
Skylar hums to herself quietly as she sketches her surroundings. She carefully outlines the details of the fountain and shades in the gray, dirtied cobblestones. She had been here for quite a while now, ever since the lunch rush of students. She truly does not mind whether the courtyard is bustling with people, or silent with nothing but the fountain. Either way, she enjoys herself in her own creative bubble: sketching, reading, and doing some work ahead. It is nice to have some quiet to herself, she thinks. Skylar is usually a sociable person and is very talkative, but even then her enthusiasm needs recharging. The peaceful atmosphere of the courtyard allows her to reflect and relax for bit, no longer having to maintain her bright, cheery voice.
Just as Skylar is about to finish up her sketch. She catches a flash of red. Curious, she turns and notices a boy with red-golden hair sitting near her. He has light freckles dusting his face and a serious demeanor around him. His gaze is intense as he seems absorbed in his book. Skylar debates whether she should approach the student, as he appears occupied, but eventually her curiosity won out. She has not seen many people with such vibrant red hair, though she can hardly say anything given that she literally has bright blue hair. No one sees that often either.
Skylar waits for the boy to look up and locks eyes with him. Giving him a small wave, she smiles. "Hello there! I'm Skylar. What book are you reading?"
✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧ ✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧
sta • 5 | eva • 6 | str • 4 wis • 7 | arc • 7 | acc • 6 |
Shop | ENCYCLOPEDIA | Gallery I like nonsense, it wakes up the brain cells. |
Prodigal Flying Learner| Y2 | Y3 Y4 | Y5 | Y6 | Y7 |
The perfect quiet
@Skylar Blue
I noticed her before she spoke, not because she was loud, but because she wasn’t.
Most people who came through the courtyard either filled the space or passed through it. She stayed like she belonged there without needing to prove it. The sketchbook helped. The way her hand moved, steady and focused. She wasn’t just looking at the courtyard, she was studying it, learning it.
When I looked up, our eyes met for a second, and I caught the small wave, the easy smile that followed. It was… direct and open in a way most people weren’t.
I closed the book without thinking too much about it and slipping a finger between the pages. When she asked, I lifted it slightly, angling it so she could see the cover.
“The Fountain of Fair Fortune,” I said, “from The Tales of Beedle the Bard.”
There was the faintest shift in my expression, not quite a smile, but something close enough to soften it. “Fitting, I thought for here.”
My gaze flicked briefly toward the fountain behind us, then back to her. I studied her for a moment, the blue hair and the sketchbook. “Might I assume you are looking for some solace as well in the constant hum of the school?”
The perfect quiet
꒰ᐢ. .ᐢ꒱ ☾☼☽ +:｡.｡ ༺❀༻ ｡.｡:+☾☼☽ ꒰ᐢ. .ᐢ꒱
Mentions: @Eric Phillips WC: 294 xxx Hex code: #0050b4 ꒰ᐢ. .ᐢ꒱ ☾☼☽ +:｡.｡ ༺❀༻ ｡.｡:+☾☼☽ ꒰ᐢ. .ᐢ꒱
✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧ ✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧
Skylar smiles as the boy tells her about his book. Fitting, indeed. It seems that fountains are quite the attraction today.
“Might I assume you are looking for some solace as well in the constant hum of the school?”
Skylar gives the boy a knowing grin and shrugs. "Perhaps. However, I feel I may be one of those responsible for the 'constant hum of the school.' I am not as quiet as I appear to be, fellow Gryffindor."
Closing her sketchbook, Skylar turns to face the boy fully. "Say, I never got your name. Unless you prefer to remain nameless and leave me in suspense?" She questions, a playful tilt in her tone. Her eyes sparkle with mirth and curiosity at her new company.
Skylar has seen the boy around the castle and in the Common Room. After all, you really cannot miss someone who is in the same house as you. However, he is always seems to be quietly reading or intensely focused on something. She did notice how he stands up for others though. It was at the Great Hall, she believes, when that wicked Howler came and traumatized a poor girl. It was just down right cruel and Skylar had been horrified when the Howler began screaming. But, the boy remained quite calm. He attempted to comfort the girl, Persephone, even though she eventually left. He is a nice person, Skylar thinks to herself. Quiet, but kind.
Tilting her head, she wonders whether they have a class together. She has no classes for the afternoon, hence her presence here in the courtyard. She does, however, have Astronomy later tonight.
"Do you have Astronomy later, per chance? I swear I have seen you in my classes before, but I cannot remember where."
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sta • 5 | eva • 6 | str • 4 wis • 7 | arc • 7 | acc • 6 |
Shop | ENCYCLOPEDIA | Gallery I like nonsense, it wakes up the brain cells. |
Prodigal Flying Learner| Y2 | Y3 Y4 | Y5 | Y6 | Y7 |
The perfect quiet
@Skylar Blue
Her comment about being part of the noise made me glance at her again, a little more carefully this time. There was something easy about the way she spoke, like she didn’t have to think twice about it.
“I don’t think that’s a bad thing,” I added, a bit softer. “The school would be… a lot quieter without people like that.”
When she asked for my name, I straightened slightly, like I hadn’t quite expected the question even though it was obvious. Even here, people tended to be busy doing their own thing or only notice those in their circles.
“Eric,” I said, giving a small nod. “Eric Phillips. I’m from just outside Dublin.”
I held onto the book a little more loosely now, resting it against my knee instead of keeping it half-raised like a shield. Her next question made me think for a second, searching through my memory.
“I do have Astronomy,” I said. “Later tonight.”
Another small pause.
“I think I’ve seen you there too,” I added, a little more certain now. “You sit… closer to the front, right?”
I glanced down briefly, then back up at her, a bit more hesitant this time.
“You always seem like you know the answers already.”
The perfect quiet
꒰ᐢ. .ᐢ꒱ ☾☼☽ +:｡.｡ ༺❀༻ ｡.｡:+☾☼☽ ꒰ᐢ. .ᐢ꒱
Mentions: @Eric Phillips WC: 280 xxx Hex code: #0050b4 OOC note: Sorry for the wait. I am on spring break now so the replies should come faster ꒰ᐢ. .ᐢ꒱ ☾☼☽ +:｡.｡ ༺❀༻ ｡.｡:+☾☼☽ ꒰ᐢ. .ᐢ꒱
✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧ ✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧
“You always seem like you know the answers already.” Eric says hesitantly.
Skylar shrugs a bit. "Well, I do enjoy reading quite a bit, so I usually read ahead in some lessons. I think my enthusiasm is what makes me more noticeable though. After all, ten o'clock at night is not really a chipper time for many."
Digging through her satchel, Skylar brings out a few worn, leather books. "My parents went to Hogwarts, and they saved some of their notes and textbooks. And by my parents I mean my mom. My dad was the typical Gryffindor, caring more about Quidditch than his actual homework. My mom on the other hand, like the studious Ravenclaw she is, kept all her notes and assignments." Skylar says as she shows Eric some of her mom's notes.
The papers were slightly yellowed and worn, but her mom's neat handwriting was still clearly legible across the page. Several diagrams and bullet points fill the page, some of them looking incredibly familiar to the Astronomy lesson they had last time.
"You can see that some of these notes are just like the ones we took last lesson. They are a little outdated, but the main idea is basically the same. I like to read them as well as some extra books to prepare me for the lesson." She explains as she pulls out more of her mother's notes. Charms, Transfiguration, History of Magic, she has it all. She gives Eric a grin as she sets down her whole stack of generational knowledge.
"You can borrow some, if you want. I already read through them quite a few times. I find them quite helpful for studying."
✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧ ✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧
sta • 5 | eva • 6 | str • 4 wis • 7 | arc • 7 | acc • 6 |
Shop | ENCYCLOPEDIA | Gallery I like nonsense, it wakes up the brain cells. |
Prodigal Flying Learner| Y2 | Y3 Y4 | Y5 | Y6 | Y7 |
The perfect quiet
@Skylar Blue
OOC: I am sorry, I can't continue this roleplaying session because everything I am writing is being flagged as AI written, which it is not. I am requesting my account be deleted and it is sad because I was really starting to enjoy the site and my roleplaying sessions with those few I have interacted with. I did not just want to vanish though, I felt you deserved to know why. Thank you for interacting with my posts and gaming with me.
-E