A new chapter

At some point of him sitting there, a young girl started reaching for a book far up a shelf she was clearly too small to reach. Just as Juah thought about getting up to offer some help, she managed to grab it and drag it down into her arms. Some problems simply dissolved on their own if a person had enough commitment to push through. His attention got lost somewhere after that and he started to dissociate, staring off at nothing in particular, vaguely still in her direction.

His eyes were only drawn back to her as she moved again, looking around the library, obviously a little nervous, and then looking at him again before checking her clothes and face with rushed movements. It took him a few seconds to understand what was likely happening inside her head. Oh dear. That had not been his intention. Looking at it from an outside perspective, it all made unfortunate sense. It must've appeared like he had been watching her, which, honestly, wasn't exactly wrong, and staring directly at her for several minutes, not through her. He hadn't even noticed. Well, this is awkward, he thought. Seeing how uncomfortable he had made her, he couldn't just simply avert his gaze and pretend it had never happened. The poor girl already looked like she was having a crisis, and not clarifying the situation might result in her feeling judged, or, worse, insecure because of him and a misunderstanding.

Making his mind up, he checked the page he was on, made a mental note on it, closed the book entirely and placed it on a table before him. Then, he took a step forward and meeting her eyes again with a warm and slightly apologetic smile, clearing his throat before speaking as quietly as he could manage to not disturb the peace in the library, yet loud enough for her to hear and understand his words properly. "Hi, sorry. If you're worried that something's wrong with your appearance, you're fine," he said, hinting at her self-conscious behaviour. The situation was a little bit strange, and he had to admit that his staring had already caused more problems in his life than it had any right to. It was such a simple, insignificant habit, but when people feel perceived, they tend to get quite defensive and sometimes even aggressive. "I wasn't really watching anyone in particular. But I probably looked at you long enough to make it seem like I was deliberately watching you, so I'm sorry if that was uncanny and made you feel scrutinized and uncomfortable."

He let his eyes fall to the book in her hands to give her a break from being perceived, his mouth settling into a neutral line as he thought about how to continue this conversation without making it weird for her. A proper introduction would likely make the most sense. "I'm Juah, by the way. Are you looking for a place to sit, or do you plan on taking the book with you?"

@Marigold Wesley

He hadn't what? Stared in a terrible way? Did people usually stare at her that way? Oh gods, this was, well, awkward. Juah scratched the back of his head, listening to her rambling while fighting an inner battle against the situation. On one hand, this was somehow a tiny bit amusing, but then again, the girl looked way too lost and nervous to be laughed at. His gaze was soft and the smile he offered gentle. "No, no, it's fine, you can talk as much as you want. If you want, that is." When she continued speaking to introduce herself, it was so quiet that he almost didn't catch it properly. "Marigold?" He repeated, a little unsure. If he got it wrong, he wasn't so sure whether she would correct him or not, but he still wanted to give her the option to check. Or the abbreviation 'Mari' would have to do. "Like the flower? I think I can remember that."

Sometimes, new people could be intimidating enough to make evry interaction feel unbearable, especially in such a new place. In some ways, she reminded him of his own younger self, hiding in his father's library, waiting for the guests to leave the house again. What he would've given for a familiar, kind face showing up consistently as a source of comfort. The same went for his first year at Hogwarts. Well, he certainly wasn't going to make this any worse for her, so he nodded and glanced at the book she had picked and pointed towards the table he had chosen, with an empty armchair near his own. "Potions? You like that subject?" He asked before adding, "if you want, you can come sit with me over here. It's a pretty quiet corner, so you shouldn't be bothered by anything or anyone. And I make a pretty decent distraction, person to talk to or to stay entirely quiet if you don't feel like making conversation."

To be honest, he was rather curious about what was going on inside Mari's head, but he swallowed down the questions to not make her even more uncomfortable. Had she said she didn't want to go back yet? Back where? Was she okay? Well, hardly, the girl was clearly all nerves. "That's fine," he answered instead, "you can technically stay here until the libary closes and curfew starts. That's when you likely want to be back in your common room to avoid detention in your first weeks. Doesn't make the best impression." With a subtle wink, he thought about the statement. As if a girl like her would break the rules that early, he mused in his head, hiding a smile behind a hand and a clearing of his throat to focus again. "But for now, feel free to take all the time you need, yes? There are many pages and potions waiting to be discovered by you in peace. Come on, then. Plenty of room for you."

He didn't glance over his shoulder while walking back to his own armchair, sitting down with crossed ankles and picking the book back up. With that, he wanted to give Marigold as much space as she needed as he wanted her to feel less like a specimen in a petri dish. Still, he hoped that he had estimated the situation correctly and had come across as calming and safe enough to sit with rather than her pulling away. Problems always seemed much smaller when there was someone to share them with after all.

@Marigold Wesley