Dear Quill Pal, solo Closed

Ava would walk into the library with an arm full of parchment, fists full quills and head full of thoughts. She had many classes homework to complete, but the cogs in her mind wouldn’t stop turning, and she just had to write them down on paper before they were forgotten. She set everything down at a desk and took one of the rolls of parchment. “Dear Quill Pal,” she would write across the top, as you should always do when starting a letter to your quill pal. “I’m glad the weather is warm,” she would pause to consider what to write next. There had been many new sights throughout the last month, but she decided to show off her joking behavior. “it has allowed me to explore the grounds better. The Great Lake looks so inviting, don’t you think?” She would smile as she write, imagining jumping into the lake and breaking the layer off algae on the top. She shook her head and quickly scratched a few extra words. “Only kidding, of course.” But maybe she wasn’t so kidding, becuase her brain got whirring again, chugging along like a steady train with Ava hanging on for dear life at the back.

Ava would turn the words from Cynthia’s letter around in her head before carefully writing, “I’m glad you think so, because most people have been giving me stares,” and not able to leave it at that she would add, “most in my own house. I wish they’d see me as an equal among them.” That was true. She hadn’t even said anything about her blood, but people were stilling giving her looks by the questions she asked like ‘what’s quidditch’ and ‘how does the portrait move’. Ava had learned to keep her questions stored in her mind until she could come here to research them. After all, weren’t slytherin’s supposed to be cunning?

Ava was ready to move on, so she wrote a question among her previous sentences. “What is homeschooling like? I’ve always gone to public school.” She headn’t enjoyed public school very much people were always avoiding her becuase of the unexplainable things that happened around her. And if she was being honest, she found most of the lessons rather boring. Perhaps with homeschooling you were allowed a little more freedom.

Ava approached the next topic slowly, unsure how to approach it. She could be upfront and just tell Cynthia about her home, she could lie, or she could ignore the questions. She couldn’t help but wonder if ignoring it was the best option. Remembering how she had felt lighter last time she had written her secrets, she decided to tell the truth. “My home was never the greatest place for me. My mum died when I was just a little baby, and so it’s always been me and my dad, until he married my step-mum. My step-mum has favorites in the house, including my step-brother and half brother, and since my dad has always been head over heels for my step-mum, he doesn’t object much. I truly don’t know what he sees in my step-mum, she’s usually grumpy and moody. I suppose she somehow passed her moodiness down to me, I will admit.” I barely paused to take a breath as I rushed to finish writing the stream of thoughts that had followed the first word. I did feel a little better writing it down, but not as much as before. I was really just feeling ready to move on.

After reading Cynthia’s description of herself, I decided to write mine as similar to hers as possible. “I am Ava Winchect, a first year slytherin as you can guess. I don’t really have many passions, other than reading, I do have a soft spot for books.” Ava loved books. She was always going to the library at book and getting stacks to get home. Books provided a safe haven away from the hustle and bustle of daily life. Ava reflected on her classes and realized she had been dong well in transfiguration so far. “I’ve taken on a knack for transfiguration I suppose, but I always find the homework a little confusing.” Atoms, neutrons, protons, call them what you’d like, I always got them mixed up. “I would love to be on my house quidditch team, but I’d like to learn more about the sport before.” Given that the only thing she knew about the sport was its name, she probably wouldn’t be the best on the team. Or maybe she would be a natural.

She decided she would end the letter like she had ended the last one. “I hope this letter finds you well.

- Ava Winchect” She signed it with a flourish. She had her doubts about sending it, but before she could tear it up she shoved it aside and tried to focus on her more important homework.

Ava walked into the library, surprised to see it was completely deserted, left for the favorable weather. Ava would get straight to business, having already thought through her response to Cynthia's owl during the time it had taken her to get ready that day. "Dear Quill Pal," she wrote at a quick pace, knowing that if she wanted to have any free time she would have to write fast. "I’m so glad it’s the weekend, I have felt so weighed down during the weekdays that I had no free time. I hope I can catch up on some of my homework." That was very true. in some classes they had been given extra work to make up for the days spent meandering through the halls when they could be learning, and other teachers would be found giving out little to none, instead telling the students to enjoy the warm weather outside while it last.

Ava was coming upon her favorite part in the entire letter. "I will ask, how much damage can a lake have? I cannot even imagine anything lurking under the surface, it looks so calm. Wouldn’t it be nice to just go float around in the lake for awhile. Not a pool party, but a lake party?" She could clearly envision it in her head, students and staff alike afloat apon the calm waters of the great lake, where it seemed nothing could possibly murk beneath.

"So you were always a little cut off from life, always hanging out with people your parents deemed acceptable? Did that make you feel any different coming into hogwarts?" I did respect personal space, but my restraints only stretched so far. I chose to write the two least daunting of my questions down, and did my best to ignore the ones still buzzing like a hize of bee's in the back of my brain. "I’m sure I’m going to regret asking this, because the answer might be glaringly obvious, but what’s a house elf? My brain only wanders to the elves in the North Pole who make our toys and ████████████████." I would write, 'Keeper of the Lost Cities then cross it out, thinking it stupid to bring a muggle book series into a wizarding conversation.

I felt a little jealous knowing she had a head start on me. and I couldn't help asking more questions. "Do you feel you are at advantage with your homeschool knowledge prior? I do truly wish I had gotten some magical books to read earlier on, so I could understand a little better." The books she had gotten on the supply list were all dogearred with things she thought were important to remember. "I feel so behind whenever I have class with my fellow slytherins or when a ravenclaw answers a question and I’m still working through what the question means. " She would continue sadly, wishing the words weren't true and she was still top of her grade in markings.

"What are the other schools like? Is there reasons some would be better than others? I’ve heard talks of students receiving letters from students of other schools, and I’ll admit I still don’t know a single name from them." Unless hogwarts counted, of course.

"I’ve gotten behind on my reading, and between me doing homework and trying to figure out this magical world and keeping up with my own series, it’s exhausting. I’ve more than once fallen asleep with my book still in my lap. I think a few people in the common room have started calling it my room with how often I fall asleep there, but I wouldn’t know." She felt a little naked sharing all this information outfront with someone she barely knew, and had never met in real life.

"I know I should be sad for my mothers death, but it’s hard to be sad for someone you know nothing about. My father can tell me whatever he likes about her, but those will always be his memories and not mine. If I’m being truthful, the only thing I remember that’s truly mine is her lullabies and stories. Every night, before I fell asleep she would sing lullabies and read me nursery books to help me fall asleep. I don’t really remember any of the songs or stories, just a slow lilting voice, both when she was singing and reading." She would write quickly, knowing thoughts like these slipped through invisible cracks in my brain, like water through a cupped hand.

"Do you ever miss your friends from home? Like Madame mystère your old friend who doesn’t write. I can’t help but wonder why. Could it be your fault? Hers? Or someone else?" Ava had never had many friends back home, and everything about this new concept felt intriguing to her. she did worry that she might be pushing boundaries, though.

"I barely understand the transfiguration lessons, they are a complete mash of jargon and magical words, but I can preform the spells almost effortlessly. I have no idea why, but I intend to find out." It was to go on her list of magical things I need to look into. A very long list, that list was turning out to be.

"Coming into the school, I had heard much from other students on the train about the houses. I remember thinking 'not slytherin, not slytherin' yet here I still am. It must serve some purpose, or I would be in a different house writing a different letter." She realized that this quick letter was turning to take an hour. She closed the letter with her usual, "I hope this letter finds you well." Before raising her quill above the paper and making a fancy looking signature at the bottom. With that she would stand up abruptely and make her way towards the owlery so the letter could be mailed.