Tent Cold Air, Dark Nights, Friendship Alight Cl

Tent Residents: @Elspeth Blaine, @Alan Noble, @Leah Holmes, @Griseldis Edelhardt & @Kian Grìmsson
Pet Residents: Crystal (Gris' owl) & Malitia (Alan's owl)

Staying in London over the summer was quite the decision for young Elspeth Blaine. The year at Hogwarts had been difficult enough, away from the city that she loved, her cat, Justice, and most importantly, her father. As much as magical might seem powerful, it did not have the power to bring back loved ones, to change the situation she desperately found herself in every day.. She'd wake up and wonder, "Again...?" Because the wounds would ever be there, and some days she couldn't help but wonder, "What on earth was the point of magic if it couldn't fix real problems?"

The bright light that magic had provided for the twelve year old was friendship with people her age. At her muggle school, she'd quickly been branded as the-girl-with-the-dead-mother. And it was rather freeing to be in a place where she could be more than that and forge her own path. At first, it had been difficult to make friends, but eventually, she had found a few close people she would trust dearly. Kian and Leah she knew from breakfast early in the year. Kian was just about the only fellow Slytherin she could tolerate while Leah had a wonderful appetite for adventure. Rounding out their group was Alan, a quiet but bright Ravenclaw who always seemed to have pastries nearby, and famed Gryffindor Prefect Griseldis Edelhardt. But Elspeth knew there was more to Gris than just her prefect badge; the girl seemed exceptionally friendly and kind. Rumor had it that she was even a hero.

It was the idea of this group that made Elspeth more comfortable with the idea of leaving home. At least she would be in the company of friends, something she really hadn't experienced since her mother had passed away.

And so, she was whisked away on the train from Edinburgh down to London to meet them. On her bag she brought a small rucksack while a navy blue duffle bag hung off her shoulder. The duffle bag held mostly snacks and the decorations for the group while her rucksack had her clothes and other personal items, including a copy of muggle author John Banville's The Sea, which she was hoping to read during down times. Elspeth never brought much of anything anywhere. Such was life on a single teacher's salary. But perhaps unlike some of her housemates, Elspeth didn't care very much for the formalities of a certain lifestyle. Instead, she preferred to think that everyone had the opportunity to make something of themselves, regardless of background.

Their tent was obvious by the sign that hung outside, rattling off their surnames: Edelhardt/Noble/Blaine/Grimsson/Holmes. From the outside it didn't look small, but it didn't look large either. The simple white canvas seemed to peak through the night skies, which were brighter than anything she had ever experienced in the city. Peaking her head inside, she slung her things over a nearby bed with a mint & ivory duvet. Slowly, she took a turn around the tent. The inside was anything but small. There were five beds, each separated by a partition to give the students some space. The beds each came with a dresser and a night stand, not unlike their dormitories at school. To the far right was a kitchen, and just beyond that a two bathrooms, considering this was a mixed-gendered tent. And in the center was a kind of common area with a large table for meals, a book shelf, as well as a sofa and several arm chairs. In the corner, Elspeth spied some bean bags too. The light in the tent was mostly subject to daylight save a few lanterns inside. But looking at the faerie lights on the bookshelf, Elspeth got an idea.

Grabbing them off the shelf, she returned outside, where she began to spin the faerie lights across the almost chuppah like wooden gate that stood as the entry way to their tent. As the others arrived they would see the brunette placing the lights, clad in a pair of black skinny jeans, white button down, and some blue boating shoes. This was the closest Elspeth got to "outdoor" wear. She was, and had always been, a city girl after all.

Only now, on the outskirts of muggle London, she was a city girl with friends.

Image Credit: Cindy Chen/Unsplash