20 Mar 2022, 20:45
Alone in the Courtyard
Grace walked out into the courtyard on a sunny Friday between her last class and dinner alone. She was hoping to maybe meet some new people, especially people from other houses or even from the other schools visiting Hogwarts for the Hexwizard Tournament.
She stood in a patch of sunshine, watching the other students for a moment, wondering if maybe she should approach someone and introduce herself. She quickly discarded the idea, not feeling brave enough for that right now. Instead, she chose a bench in a quiet corner and set her school bag down by her feet.
She watched for a moment longer, then pulled out a blank roll of parchment, her favorite deep purple quill and a bottle of black ink, and The Standard Book of Spells, Grade 1.
She settled in, bending over her textbook, her wavy blond hair creating a curtain on either side of her face. Without thinking, she tucked the loose hair on the right side behind her ear and mouthed the words she was reading just a little, a sign she was focusing hard. With her left hand, she wiggled her deep purple quill back and forth between her thumb and index finger.
She stood in a patch of sunshine, watching the other students for a moment, wondering if maybe she should approach someone and introduce herself. She quickly discarded the idea, not feeling brave enough for that right now. Instead, she chose a bench in a quiet corner and set her school bag down by her feet.
She watched for a moment longer, then pulled out a blank roll of parchment, her favorite deep purple quill and a bottle of black ink, and The Standard Book of Spells, Grade 1.
She settled in, bending over her textbook, her wavy blond hair creating a curtain on either side of her face. Without thinking, she tucked the loose hair on the right side behind her ear and mouthed the words she was reading just a little, a sign she was focusing hard. With her left hand, she wiggled her deep purple quill back and forth between her thumb and index finger.
Last edited by Grace Asteria on 21 Mar 2022, 17:46, edited 1 time in total.
✧ Shine bright ✧
✧ Sta 5✧ Eva 6✧ Str 3 ✧ Wis 7 ✧ ArcP 7 ✧ Acc 7 ✧
✧ Sta 5✧ Eva 6✧ Str 3 ✧ Wis 7 ✧ ArcP 7 ✧ Acc 7 ✧
21 Mar 2022, 08:46
Alone in the Courtyard
Sophia was walking through the courtyard lazily after a particularly long day of classes. She was exhausted, and dinner in the Great Hall was calling her name.
She was whistling an old tune from a movie she watched before coming to Hogwarts as she walked, occasionally singing the lyrics in place of a whistle. All in all, it was a nice day. She was finished with class, her grades were fine - some better than others - and she even had a letter from her grandma upstairs, just waiting to be read.
She rounded a corner on the outskirts of the courtyard and stopped at the sight of another student studying alone on a bench.
It shouldn’t have been a big deal, but Sophia remembered her days as a student before learning she was a witch. She remembered the lonely days at school and the equally lonely evenings at home alone. Something about the girl’s body language made Sophia want to reach out to her.
So she did. Well, she tried to. She was still essentially a potato in regard to her social skills. She didn’t know how to approach strangers. Most of her friends she’d made at Hogwarts had approached her. She had no experience being the approacher. Regardless, she had to try.
She timidly walked to the side of the girl, thankful that her robes covered her dirty pants. She’d just left Herbology after all, and she didn’t want a poor first impression.
She reached the girl’s side and noticed that she was taking notes from the Book of Spells. That could be a good starting point for conversation, if she could see what spell the girl was researching.
She peeked over the girl’s shoulder to her notes and tried to formulate a good ice-breaker. She cursed her own lack of social skills, but this could work.
The only danger was if the girl noticed her before she said anything. That would be awkward.
As Sophia finally began to recognize some of the writing on the parchment, however, her school robes betrayed her, tripping her up and causing her to faceplant just in front of the Hufflepuff with an inelegant yelp.
She sat up and shook her head to reorient herself.
Smooth Sophia, smooth, she thought with a grimace. She looked up at the other girl and smiled awkwardly.
“Hey, how’s it going?” she asked in her American accent, “I’m Sophia.”
She was whistling an old tune from a movie she watched before coming to Hogwarts as she walked, occasionally singing the lyrics in place of a whistle. All in all, it was a nice day. She was finished with class, her grades were fine - some better than others - and she even had a letter from her grandma upstairs, just waiting to be read.
She rounded a corner on the outskirts of the courtyard and stopped at the sight of another student studying alone on a bench.
It shouldn’t have been a big deal, but Sophia remembered her days as a student before learning she was a witch. She remembered the lonely days at school and the equally lonely evenings at home alone. Something about the girl’s body language made Sophia want to reach out to her.
So she did. Well, she tried to. She was still essentially a potato in regard to her social skills. She didn’t know how to approach strangers. Most of her friends she’d made at Hogwarts had approached her. She had no experience being the approacher. Regardless, she had to try.
She timidly walked to the side of the girl, thankful that her robes covered her dirty pants. She’d just left Herbology after all, and she didn’t want a poor first impression.
She reached the girl’s side and noticed that she was taking notes from the Book of Spells. That could be a good starting point for conversation, if she could see what spell the girl was researching.
She peeked over the girl’s shoulder to her notes and tried to formulate a good ice-breaker. She cursed her own lack of social skills, but this could work.
The only danger was if the girl noticed her before she said anything. That would be awkward.
As Sophia finally began to recognize some of the writing on the parchment, however, her school robes betrayed her, tripping her up and causing her to faceplant just in front of the Hufflepuff with an inelegant yelp.
She sat up and shook her head to reorient herself.
Smooth Sophia, smooth, she thought with a grimace. She looked up at the other girl and smiled awkwardly.
“Hey, how’s it going?” she asked in her American accent, “I’m Sophia.”
21 Mar 2022, 17:46
Alone in the Courtyard
Grace internally cringed in sympathy for the girl. That's one way to break the ice, I guess she thought.
She set the textbook aside, putting her quill on top of the open page, careful to keep the inky tip away from the page, and stood up.
"Are you okay?" she asked the girl, Sophia, offering a hand to help her up, and returning Sophia's awkward smile wih a shy one of her own.
The parchment she'd been writing on blew from the bench and onto the ground, landing face down and probably smudging the ink, but Grace didn't appear to notice, or maybe she did and just didn't care. Either way, she gave Sophia her full attention, and tried to appear as friendly as possible.
She also did what her mom did in an awkward situation, she made it a bit of a joke. "You definitely picked an interesting way to get my attention," she said, smile growing a little bigger and slightly lopsided in a way she didn't realize it did when she was joking or teasing. "All you really needed to do was just say hello."
She hoped Sophia could tell she was joking and didn't think she was trying to be mean.
She set the textbook aside, putting her quill on top of the open page, careful to keep the inky tip away from the page, and stood up.
"Are you okay?" she asked the girl, Sophia, offering a hand to help her up, and returning Sophia's awkward smile wih a shy one of her own.
The parchment she'd been writing on blew from the bench and onto the ground, landing face down and probably smudging the ink, but Grace didn't appear to notice, or maybe she did and just didn't care. Either way, she gave Sophia her full attention, and tried to appear as friendly as possible.
She also did what her mom did in an awkward situation, she made it a bit of a joke. "You definitely picked an interesting way to get my attention," she said, smile growing a little bigger and slightly lopsided in a way she didn't realize it did when she was joking or teasing. "All you really needed to do was just say hello."
She hoped Sophia could tell she was joking and didn't think she was trying to be mean.
✧ Shine bright ✧
✧ Sta 5✧ Eva 6✧ Str 3 ✧ Wis 7 ✧ ArcP 7 ✧ Acc 7 ✧
✧ Sta 5✧ Eva 6✧ Str 3 ✧ Wis 7 ✧ ArcP 7 ✧ Acc 7 ✧
22 Mar 2022, 01:18
Alone in the Courtyard
Sophia smiled ruefully.
"Yeah, I figured that'd be easier," she said with a self-deprecating chuckle, before taking the blond girl's hand and pulling herself up. Above her, the lighting of the sun in the courtyard was blinding as it reflected off of the blonde's hair. It was an interesting visual effect, but it made her facial expression difficult to read. Based on the tone of her voice, she assumed the other girl was joking, though, so that was good.
When she got back on her feet she noticed the parchment on the ground near where she had fallen, so she crouched and grabbed it, placing it gently on top of the bench with the book and quill.
"So maybe we can try this again?" she suggested, clearing her throat and starting over, "Hello. My name is Sophia, I'm a Ravenclaw. It's nice to meet you."
She held her hand out for a handshake and met the other girl's eyes with an earnest smile that was filled with far less embarrassment than her earlier rueful expression. She had to force herself to hold it, since she still wasn't very good at eye contact, but she could do it. She had become far more social since coming to Hogwarts.
Besides, this girl seemed nice enough. There was no reason to be shy, as far as Sophia could tell.
"Yeah, I figured that'd be easier," she said with a self-deprecating chuckle, before taking the blond girl's hand and pulling herself up. Above her, the lighting of the sun in the courtyard was blinding as it reflected off of the blonde's hair. It was an interesting visual effect, but it made her facial expression difficult to read. Based on the tone of her voice, she assumed the other girl was joking, though, so that was good.
When she got back on her feet she noticed the parchment on the ground near where she had fallen, so she crouched and grabbed it, placing it gently on top of the bench with the book and quill.
"So maybe we can try this again?" she suggested, clearing her throat and starting over, "Hello. My name is Sophia, I'm a Ravenclaw. It's nice to meet you."
She held her hand out for a handshake and met the other girl's eyes with an earnest smile that was filled with far less embarrassment than her earlier rueful expression. She had to force herself to hold it, since she still wasn't very good at eye contact, but she could do it. She had become far more social since coming to Hogwarts.
Besides, this girl seemed nice enough. There was no reason to be shy, as far as Sophia could tell.