One Summer Afternoon
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Reducio@Sia Rose
ReducioCuriosity always leads somewhere.
Reducio☆☆☆☆☆☆☆
Diana couldn't help smiling at the excitement in Sia's voice when she mentioned her mother being a librarian. "It really was," she replied warmly. "Whenever I visited the library, it felt like there was always another story waiting to be discovered." She laughed softly. "I think that's probably why I enjoy reading so much. I spent a lot of my childhood surrounded by books."
When Sia mentioned Hogwarts sometimes felt lonely Diana tilted her head thoughtfully. "I know what you mean," Diana admitted. "Even though there are hundreds of students, it's easy to feel like everyone is rushing somewhere." Her expression softened. "I think that's why I like quieter conversations like this. You get to know someone instead of just passing them in the corridor."
When Sia mentioned her bunny Diana's smile returned almost immediately. "Lotus," Diana repeated. "That's such a pretty name." Diana then couldn't help but imagine a impossibly tiny rabbit hopping around the garden. "And it suits a little bunny perfectly."
Diana brightened when Sia asked if she had pets. Now it's her turn to be a proud parent. "I do," she replied. "I have a snowy owl called Khione." In her voice there was unmistakable affection. She loves her snowy owl so much. "I've had her since before my first year, and she's been with me ever since." She smiled fondly. "She's very calm, although she definitely lets me know when she thinks I'm taking too long to give her treats." A quiet laugh escaped her before she added "It's comforting knowing she's at Hogwarts too. Sometimes, if I've had a long day, I'll stop by the Owlery just to see her for a few minutes." Diana smiled at the thought of Khione and Lotus together. "I don't know if an owl and a rabbit would become friends," she admitted with an amused grin. "Khione is very gentle, but I think Lotus might decide she's much too big."
Diana lightly rested one hand against her drink before asking "How long have you had Lotus?" In her voice there was genuine curiosity. "Has she settled in with your family already?" Diana paused before adding with another warm smile, "She sounds very loved." Just like a bunny should be because all pets should be loved no matter what.
☆☆☆☆☆☆☆Word Count: 380/200
One Summer Afternoon
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Sia listened intently to Diana as she spoke of her pet. A snowy owl. That sounded so majestic, and adorable too. She giggled at the mental image of Khione and Lotus together. She had no way of knowing how big Khione was, but even if she was an average sized owl, Lotus would probably look tiny next to her.
“I’ve had Lotus for only a week.” Sia confessed, a bit sheepish. “But I love her so much already. She seems to have settled in fine. I made her a little area in my room, so she has her own space. And because I worry she’ll get stuck behind furniture or something.”
Sia took a long sip of her frappe, and quickly stopped drinking when she got a brain freeze. Of course. That just had to happen. But it wasn’t her fault. The frappe was just that good. She pressed her lips together, and rubbed her forehead. She chuckled quietly at herself.
“Khione’s a pretty name.” She said as she tried to subdue the freezing sensation. “How’d you come up with it?” It was certainly more creative than “Lotus,” which told Sia that Diana really cared about her pet, enough to give her a proper name. As if that hadn’t been obvious enough.
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@Diana Roberts
memento mori, memento vivere
One Summer Afternoon
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Reducio@Sia Rose
ReducioCuriosity always leads somewhere.
Reducio☆☆☆☆☆☆☆
As Sia spoke about Lotus Diana smiled. "Only a week?" she repeated gently. "It already sounds like she's found the right home." She could picture the little area Sia had made in her room and couldn't help thinking it was exactly the sort of thing someone who cared deeply for animals would do. "I'm sure she appreciates having a place that's just hers."
Diana blinked before a quiet laugh escaped her as Sia stopped drinking and rubbed her forehead. "Brain freeze?" she asked with an amused smile. She reached for her iced lavender tea and took a careful sip this time. "I suppose I should learn from your mistake," she said with a quiet laugh. "I'd rather not end up with a brain freeze too." Brain freezes weren't fun. Diana tended to get a headache afterwards.
Diana glanced down for a moment before smiling fondly when Sia complimented Khione's name. "Thank you," she said. "Khione is named after the Greek goddess of snow." Her expression brightened slightly as she continued. "I like reading mythology, and since she's a snowy owl, the name just seemed to fit." She chuckled softly. "I remember trying to think of all sorts of names before that one, but once I thought of Khione, nothing else felt quite right." Diana pictured Khione perched patiently in the Hogwarts Owlery and waited expectantly for treats whenever she visited. "I think she grew into it," she said warmly. "She's very graceful at least most of the time." A playful smile appeared. "Although she can be surprisingly demanding if she thinks I've forgotten her treats."
Diana looked back at Sia with a thoughtful smile. "I like the name Lotus too, though. It's simple, but it suits a little bunny." She tilted her head slightly. "Did you choose it because of the flower, or did the name just feel right when you met her?"
☆☆☆☆☆☆☆Word Count: 313/200
One Summer Afternoon
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A soft, carefree chuckle left Sia’s lips, and she smiled sheepishly. At least she’d spared Diana from suffering the same fate of a brain freeze. She rubbed her forehead one last time in favor of listening to what Diana was saying.
Her eyes sparkled. “You like Greek mythology? What a coincidence! My mum loves it. My middle name’s Artemis because of it. Not sure what she meant it to mean for me, but it did get me interested in the myths.” She laughed. “Naming a snowy owl after a snow goddess is clever. Kudos to you for that.”
Sia tapped her nails against the table in thought. “I suppose I chose it because of the flower, but I guess it was a bit of both, really. When I first held Lotus, I could only think of how tiny she was. It was like holding a lotus. And I realized that her name would be Lotus Rose, and I thought it was cute that she was named after two flowers.” She giggled.
After taking another bite of her cookie, and briefly lamenting that it would be all gone soon, Sia smirked at Diana. “Khione sounds like a classy little lady. Think I could meet her when we return to Hogwarts?”
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@Diana Roberts
memento mori, memento vivere
One Summer Afternoon
♡
♡
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Reducio@Sia Rose
ReducioCuriosity always leads somewhere.
Reducio☆☆☆☆☆☆☆
Diana's eyes lit up with genuine interest as Sia mentioned her middle name. "Your middle name is Artemis?" she repeated with a smile. "That's beautiful." She rested one hand lightly against her glass. "She was the goddess of the moon and the hunt." Diana paused before adding with a quiet laugh, "Your mum has good taste in mythology." She smiled thoughtfully before adding "I've always liked reading myths because they explain the world in such interesting ways. Even when you know they're stories, they still feel timeless somehow." She gave a small shrug. "I suppose that's part of why I ended up choosing Khione's name."
Diana couldn't help but smile as Sia explained how Lotus got her name. "Lotus Rose," she repeated softly. "That really is adorable." She laughed quietly. "It suits such a tiny bunny." She imagined the little rabbit nestled comfortably in Sia's hands and thought the image fit perfectly. "I think names that come naturally usually end up being the right ones."
Diana's smile immediately brightened when Sia asked if she could meet Khione. "Of course you can," she answered without hesitation. "I'd be happy to introduce you." As she spoke about her owl there was unmistakable affection in her voice. "Khione lives in the Owlery during the school year, so I visit her whenever I have some free time." At the thought she smiled fondly. "She's usually very calm around people. As long as you aren't trying to steal her treats, she'll probably be perfectly happy to meet you." A quiet laugh escaped her before she added "Although I should warn you once she realizes I have treats with me, I become much less interesting than the food." Which Diana was fine with because she knows that Khione still loves her but is just more focused on the yummy treats that Diana tends to bring with her. But then again Diana only wants the very best for her baby and so Khione gets the very best.
With a warm smile she looked back at Sia. "And I'd love to meet Lotus someday too," she said sincerely. "She sounds absolutely precious." Diana paused before adding with a hint of amusement "We'll just have to make sure Khione admires her from a respectful distance. I don't think I'd want to test whether rabbits enjoy being introduced to owls." She chuckled softly. "Even if Khione wouldn't dream of hurting her, I imagine Lotus might have a very different opinion."
With how things are going there's no doubt that she and Sia aren't becoming friends. They get along perfectly as if they're two peas in a pod. Diana was glad Sia had approached her and asked to sit with her or else this friendship wouldn't have blossomed between the two of them. Perhaps maybe at Hogwarts they'd be able to meet or maybe not. But Diana is glad fate had brought them together today.
☆☆☆☆☆☆☆Word Count: 484/200
One Summer Afternoon
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Sia blushed softly when Diana complimented her middle name. “Thank you. I think it has a nice aesthetic to it.” She smiled. “You’re so right about the stories. I really admire the Ancient Greeks for their intelligence and creativity. We don’t have stories like that anymore.” It was half a joke, half serious.
She beamed when Diana said she could meet her Khione. “Really? Aw, I’m so excited! I promise I won’t steal her treats.” Sia chuckled, and then cupped a hand over her mouth, as if she were sharing a secret. “Don’t tell anyone, but I checked, and Lotus fits in the pocket of my uniform, so I’ll probably carry her around all the time. You won’t have to wait much to meet her!”
Sia took a sip from her frappe. Slowly. She’d learnt from her mistake. She imagined herself and Diana back at Hogwarts, meeting each other’s pets. She really hoped they’d see each other again. She really liked Diana, and wanted to share more of life with her. It had been a lovely afternoon with her.
And it seemed that the afternoon was coming to an end. “Oh!” Sia gasped as she gazed out the window. “My parents are here.”
She stood from her seat, and went to stand by Diana. She leaned down to give her a brief hug around her neck. Hopefully Diana wouldn’t mind that Sia liked hugs. “I’ll look for you at school when we get back, okay, Dee?”
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@Diana Roberts
memento mori, memento vivere
One Summer Afternoon
♡
♡
♡
♡
Reducio@Sia Rose
ReducioCuriosity always leads somewhere.
Reducio☆☆☆☆☆☆☆
Diana nodded in agreement and smiled when Sia spoke about Ancient Greeks. "I know what you mean," she said. "There are plenty of wonderful stories today, but myths have a way of lasting for thousands of years. I think that's part of what makes them so special." She laughed softly. "People are still reading them after all this time."
At the thought of Lotus fitting inside a uniform pocket her expression brightened. "A pocket?" Diana repeated and was unable to hide her amusement. "She really is tiny." With a fond smile she shook her head. "Just promise she'll stay safe in there. I imagine she'll become quite popular once everyone discovers how adorable she is." Diana laughed quietly at the image of Sia carrying the little rabbit around Hogwarts. She wasn't laughing because it was funny but because it was an adorable sight to see. She could also already picture curious students stopping to admire the tiny bunny.
Diana turned toward the cafe window when Sia suddenly noticed her parents outside. Sure enough two-familiar looking figures were waiting nearby. "It looks like they're right on time," she said with a gentle smile.
Sia stepped forward and wrapped her arms briefly around Diana's neck before she could say anything else. Diana blinked in surprise for a heartbeat but then almost immediately returned the hug with an easy warmth. She wasn't always the first person to initiate hugs but she certainly didn't mind them from friends. "I'll be looking for you too," she replied and smiled as Sia stepped back. The nickname made her smile widen just a little. "And yes you can call me Dee if you'd like."
She picked up her tote bag and stood from her chair before smoothing her shirt and looked at Sia. "I hope the rest of your summer is wonderful," she said sincerely. "Give Lotus a gentle pat from me." A fond smile lingered on her face. "And when we're back at Hogwarts, we'll introduce you to Khione."
Diana watched Sia make her way over to her parents with one final wave. She couldn't help but think that the afternoon had turned out far better than she'd expected it to as she gathered her things and prepared to leave the cafe. She'd arrived planning for a quiet drink and a little writing and yet she was leaving with a new friend. That felt exactly like the sort of quiet magic which made summer memorable.
☆☆☆☆☆☆☆Word Count: 409/200