First Meeting

@Bella Light


It was early evening and the Courtyard of Hogwarts Castle was full of students.

The sun had just started to dip, casting a soft orange-pink glow over everybody. Owls flew overhead, their silhouettes visible and shrill cries audible if you listened beyond the laughter and voices.

The temperature was starting to dip, although it was not yet cold. There was just the evening breeze that tangled hair and made the leaves flutter. Nancy loosened the ribbons in her hair and let it fall free, relaxing.

She sat watching the fountain, humming quietly under her breath. It was majestic. The griffin sculptures were gorgeous and grand. She was reminded of the muggle castles she had visited with her parents when she was a little girl. She wondered if witches and wizards had ever been there, and the thought made her smile. The more she thought about magic, the more she realised she could have bumped into other witches in London without ever realising it.

A robin flew down over the courtyard, small and delicate among the much larger birds that were there. Nancy watched the little bird, smiling. The robin perched nearby, letting out a cheerful song. Nancy could see why the courtyard was such a popular stop; she could not think of anything more relaxing at the moment.

She stood slowly and began to wander, admiring the view. When it became a little colder, she started to head inside. As she rounded the corner into the hallway, she bumped into somebody.

Nancy Grey
"Rain will make the flowers grow" <3

First Meeting
WC: 270
Mentions: @Nancy Grey
OPEN TO INTERACTIONS

It was truly a beautiful evening, the type shown in photographs and paintings. Bella rushed through the hallways, with her notebook and paint set in hand. She has always wanted to do this back home in London, before she came to Hogwarts, but there was always something going on or blocking the view during these remarkable sunsets.

She planned to sit outside for a good thirty minutes or so and just relax, enjoying the colors of the sun fade into dark blue and black. The owls hooting and crickets chirping was a nice background music, and Bella was planning to take advantage of the perfect temperatures of the night (not too cold or too hot) to get some stretches in before painting.

As she turned the corner, she collided midstride with someone else, losing her balance for a fraction of a second before steading herself.

"Why does this always happen to me?" she asked herself, shaking her head as she reached down to pick up her paint set. "This is what, the third time now?"

Bella then turned to the other student who she bumped into. It was a girl around her age, with light brown eyes and hair that falls just past the shoulders. "Oh!" she exclaimed. "I'm sorry, I should have been more careful. I'm Bella! First-year Slytherin! What's your name? What are you out here for? Isn't the sunset beautiful? I was planning to paint it today! Do you like art? Oh, that's a lot of questions, isn't it?" she laughed, grinning. After all, these encounters are a great way to meet someone new and make friends!

OOC Notes: Hi, Nancy! This is really awesome! :)

"The sun rises and the sun sets. Then, it repeats."

First Meeting
Mentions: @Bella Light
Reducio
WC:290


Nancy had not seen the other student before they had collided. She only lost her balance for a moment but quickly corrected herself, blushing slightly with embarrassment. She looked around briefly, hoping that nobody else around had noticed the collision. Then she turned back to the other student and realised they had dropped what they were carrying.

She quickly leant down to help the other student pick up her things, apologising at exactly the same time as her.

“Oh! I’m so sorry. I wasn’t looking where I was going, totally my fault.”

She laughed a little as they apologised in sync, immediately put at ease, and she let the other girl continue talking, relieved that she did not seem to be annoyed about the accident. She was around her height, with dark brown hair and brown eyes. Nancy thought that she recognised her. When the girl introduced herself, it made sense; she was a fellow First-year.

“You paint? That’s so cool..” Nancy replied, wondering how they hadn’t met until now. Bella seemed kind and approachable, with a warm smile. “I was enjoying the view. It’s so calm out here. I’m Nancy, by the way. First-year Hufflepuff. I think I might have seen you around a little.”

She smiled, glancing at the notepad Bella was holding. “I don’t paint much. I tend to get it all over myself,” she admitted, remembering previous attempts. “I love art though. I’ve been to so many museums. Maybe one day I’ll learn to paint.” She paused to glance back out at the courtyard. She could understand why Bella would want to paint there. It was absolutely beautiful, with a welcoming and fun atmosphere. “Do you paint often? What sort of things do you draw?”

Nancy Grey
"Rain will make the flowers grow" <3

First Meeting
WC: 224
Mentions: @Nancy Grey
OPEN TO INTERACTIONS

Bella smiled, liking the other girl instantly, for she seemed really friendly. The girl's name was Nancy, and she was a first-year Hufflepuff. And Nancy was right! After being able to look at the other girl, Bella realized that in fact, she recognized her! It wasn't strange, because they probably had classes together already. But she was just surprised they never really introduced themselves to each other.

"Oh, I love painting! I mostly paint landscapes, though I also sketch them too. I enjoy sketching faces, but I am terrible at it," she laughed, grinning. "It's still fun, though! And ohhh, yes. Painting can be messy! That's why I use tempera paint. It's water-based and can wash off clothing easily!"

She paused, glancing out at the courtyard. The sun was starting to set, and she knew that in a couple of minutes, the sun will completely fall beyond the horizon. Bella hadn't been planning to paint out into the night, but now that she thought about it, it might be an interesting experience!

"Oh, Nancy! I have an idea! Would you like to come paint with me?" she offered, then quickly added. "Of course, you don't have to do yes if you don't want to! I just thought it might be fun!"

Bella turned to look at her new friend, eagerly waiting for Nancy's response.

"The sun rises and the sun sets. Then, it repeats."

First Meeting
WC:250
Mentions: @Bella Light

The more Bella spoke, the more Nancy found herself wondering how she had not met the Slytherin properly before. Then again, days at Hogwarts went by like whirlwinds. Ever since she had arrived, every moment seemed to be occupied with classes, meals in the Great Hall, and activities. Moments of relaxation like this evening were the only occasions when time seemed to slow down a little,

Bella’s description of painting made her smile.

“I know, faces are so difficult,” she agreed. “I prefer landscapes too.”

Her eyes lit up a little as Bella mentioned the tempera paint. Paint that washes off clothes easily was ideal. She’d be sure to mention it to her parents next time she had the opportunity to write a letter to them.

“Oh, are you sure?” Nancy asked, smiling brightly and almost overwhelmed by the kind offer. She nodded quickly, immediately drawn to the idea. This seemed like the perfect opportunity to make a new friend, and Bella seemed like she would be a great friend. “If you don’t mind, I’d love to!”

It had been a while since she had painted and the idea was exciting. She hesitated a moment, then laughed a little. “I can’t promise you it won’t be messy though,” she admitted. “The last time I painted I’m pretty sure more paint ended up on me than on the paper!”

She began to walk back outside, looking around for a comfortable spot to sit. “The sunset is so pretty…should we paint it?”

Nancy Grey
"Rain will make the flowers grow" <3

First Meeting
WC: 202
Mentions: @Nancy Grey
OPEN TO INTERACTIONS

Bella brightened at Nancy's agreement, a smile immediately lighting up her face.

"Art can be messy! In fact, that's part of the reason why I love it! It's a great way to show your way of looking at the world! Also, it's a good way to calm down and be an outlet for emotions!" Bella exclaimed, nodding.

She walked with the other girl outside. As she stepped out, a breeze caught in her hair and blew in her face.

"Oof! The wind! Anyways, yes! I was originally thinking of coming to paint the sunset, actually!" Bella grinned. Looking around, she spotted a table with next to the fountain that has a clear view of the sunset, with nothing blocking the sky.

"How about there?" she asked, walking over to set down her paint station. Bella ripped two pieces of watercolor paper from her notebook (technically art book) for Nancy and then unlocked her paint set. Taking out her water bottle to pour water into two small cups, she grabbed some tissues, applied water to the brushes, and revealed the collection of colors she had.

"Here, Nancy! Take your pick!" she said as she handed Nancy a palette. "Let your inner artist explore!"


The paint set
The paint set

"The sun rises and the sun sets. Then, it repeats."

First Meeting
WC: 245

Mentions: @Bella Light

“Yes, that looks like a good spot!” Nancy exclaimed, nodding in agreement. She walked with Bella and sat next to her, watching with gentle curiosity as the Slytherin girl set up their little art station. It was instantly cosy and reminded her of home. On many occasion Nancy had taken over the dining room table of her family home to complete some sort of arts and crafts project, whether it be a Christmas Gingerbread House or beaded jewellery.

Her eyes widened in admiration of the paint set.

“Oh wow...so many colours. If only there was a rainbow to paint!”
She smiled, looking through. “I think I’ll start with orange,” she decided, picking up the tube of paint. “Thanks so much for the paper!”

She set the sheet of paper in front of her and picked up a couple of pebbles to weigh the corners down; she wouldn’t want the wind to blow away her work while she was painting! That would most definitely be a recipe for mess.

“You’re definitely right. Art is such a good way to relax,” she mused as she began to paint. Instantly she subconsciously relaxed into the art. She let herself paint freely, not worrying about the realism or the accuracy of what she was working on. “How are you finding Hogwarts? Do you have a favourite class?” she asked, hoping to get to know Bella better. The girl was unbelievably kind, and Nancy definitely wanted to be her friend.

Nancy Grey
"Rain will make the flowers grow" <3

First Meeting
WC: 232
Mentions: @Nancy Grey
OPEN TO INTERACTIONS

Bella grinned. "Hogwarts is so amazing! We should definitely go exploring together sometime -- there's so many things to find, like mysteries and memories! How about you?"

She dipped her brush into the red, then swiped across the paper. Humming to herself, she dipped a corner of it into the orange and mixed the colors on the paper, creating a beautiful gradient.

"Hmm...what do you think is missing, Nancy?"
Bella said, gently removing the rocks holding the paper in place as she peered over her new acquaintance's (and maybe friend's) shoulder. "Wait, that looks so good! I love the way you painted that! And--woahh!"

In her excitement, she had forgotten to hold the paper down in place, and it flew UP and AWAY towards the fountain.

"Get back here!" Bella yelled, running after her paper. When she finally got the paper, the painting had already been "ruined", in the sense that the colors were all mixed in the wrong places and leaves were stuck to the wet paint.

"Oh, come on, why did I forget to put the rocks back on?" Bella asked herself before turning to the other girl. "Well, Nancy, I guess this is an example of the interesting things that happen in art! It's fine, I can make another later. Besides, this is art in its truest form!" Bella laughed, trying to look on the bright side of things.

"The sun rises and the sun sets. Then, it repeats."

First Meeting
Mentions: @Bella Light
WC: 346

“I’d love to explore with you!” Nancy agreed. Frankly, the idea sounded perfect. Hogwarts was vats and lots of corridors looked similar, so exploring with a friend would be a fantastic way to get to know the Castle a little better. “Maybe we could do a painting of the inside too. It looks so magical.” She paused, realising how silly it sounded given that Hogwarts was, in fact, very magical. She laughed. “You know what I mean. Mythical? Fantastical?”

She relaxed, swapping colours to paint one of the large trees that stood watch over them. No matter the location, nature like this soothed her. The spent a moment just looking at the beautiful plant. She admired the gentle curve of the large roots at the base and the fine edges of all of the leaves. “It’s so lovely to slow down and just watch the world..” she said, as much to herself as to Bella. She used a small brush to add some detail to her painting, losing herself in the moment.

When Bella spoke next, she looked over to see her painting too. Bella had a talent for art. Nancy could tell from the way that the colours blended, the border between them seamless.

“Oh wow..it looks just like real life. Hey, wait!” She leapt up as the paper flew into the air, chasing after it. “Oh no!”

In the flurry of the moment, she had stood up too quickly, knocking over some of the water onto her own painting. The water made the colours run into one another. She quickly picked up the notepad so that the rest of the pages stayed dry.

When Bella returned, she held up her messy artwork next to the Slytherin’s and started to laugh.

“I think it’s cool like this, actually,” she decided. “Like scrapbooking.” She thought for a moment before picking up a couple of small leaves and sticking them on her painting. “Hey, that’s an idea. We could make a scrap book of the castle, and when we explore, we can add the new places we find!”

Nancy Grey
"Rain will make the flowers grow" <3

First Meeting
WC: 234
Mentions: @Nancy Grey
OPEN TO INTERACTIONS

Bella started laughing, realizing that both her and Nancy's artwork were messed up by the wind. However, just like Nancy said, it's scrapbooking!

"Wait, that's such a good idea! We should paint different places, like the corridors and library and grand hall! And then we can staple them together into a book! AND we can explore and draw at the same time!" Bella exclaimed, nodding excitedly. "Hmm...I have some markers that I brought with me. I'm not sure if I placed it in my bag or maybe I left it in my dorm..."

She turned around, rummaging through her bag. It wasn't messy, but it was pretty full. She made it a habit to always bring a thin jacket, a water bottle, as well as a first-aid kit. There was also a couple of books that she had forgotten to take out after her last class.

"Yes! Here it is!" Bella said, cheerfully, as she held her marker set up in the air like it was a trophy. "Personally, I feel like sometimes, painting in the Hogwarts halls might be a bit...chaotic. If you know what I mean? Like its good and everything, but sometimes setting it up is..oof!" She shook her head at the thought of it. "Anyways, what do you want to do with your painting? Should I rip out mine and put it with yours, and we can collect them somehow?"

"The sun rises and the sun sets. Then, it repeats."