Looking in a mirror PV Cash Closed

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𝐻𝑒𝓍 𝒞𝑜𝒹𝑒 #006400 English #000080 French #C71585 Latin #000000 Parsel #4B0082 Spanish	𝐼𝓃𝓉𝑒𝓇𝒶𝒸𝓉 𝒲𝒾𝓉𝒽 @Duvessa Ember	𝑀𝑒𝓃𝓉𝒾𝑜𝓃(𝓈) Kara Capricorn, Henry Knight, Starlee Kennedy	𝒯𝒽𝑒 𝒪𝓊𝓉𝒻𝒾𝓉𝓈 Reducio Angel Wings Necklace + Silver Rimmed Glasses + Prefect badge upper left side of their chest, above their heart + Slytherin Uniform + Slytherin Robes + Black and Dark Brown Oxford Shoes + Enchanted Satchel	𝒲𝑒𝒹𝓃𝑒𝓈𝒹𝒶𝓎, 𝒜𝓅𝓇𝒾𝓁 𝟧 𝓉𝒽, 𝟤𝟢𝟤𝟥

It had been a few months later after they moderated the unofficial Duelling which Cash very bored of. Not they blamed the youngsters. They are still green and need a lot of experience. A lot had changed and yet some still the same. For example, Cash now had been named as one of Slytherin Duelling Co-Captain which reminded them of Henry.

Cash and Henry once had a discussion about. They felt bad that they got the position when and if Henry was still around, Cash could bet that Henry will be one of the nominees for the spot. Another thing that was still the same as Cash still missed their ex-girlfriend who just like Henry suddenly went from Hogwarts and their life.

Not that Cash blamed them. With a lot of danger and ominous things happening around the Scottish Highland of school, one might break one way or another or choose not to return to school. Still Cash hoping that Henry was still around. Henry was Cash's rock and a lot of other things that Cash depended on the blue-eyed boy.

With both Henry and Kara gone, Cash had no one besides themselves to turn too. Sure they still had Starlee but nowadays the third and fourth years rarely met which is a shame. And so, Cash threw themselves into their study and to whatever that keeps them sane. Become Duelling C0-Captain albeit not a Duellist themselves kept them occupied.

Quidditch matches and seasons also help them stay afloat despite the loneliness that they felt from time to time. Cash prefers to be alone or if they had some company, Cash prefers the person or people that they knew rather than some stranger that Cash did not know anything about. The previous class of the day had ended and while waiting for the next period of class, Cash seated at one of those wooden benches that were placed around the corridor.

They hunched down while their Study of Ancient Runes textbook and notes scattered around them. It was not an ideal place to catch up with their school work but Cash rather do it in a somewhat busy corridor rather than take up their work and work on it in the library. After for so long hunching down, their neck become stiff.

Cash looked up while messaging their stiff neck while looking around the corridor. Cash did not know how long they had been in the position until they looked up and not many people still milling around the corridors. Their green eyes scanned the room until landed on a familiar person. "You,"Cash said as they put away their half-bake Runes assignment.

"Come talk to me I'm bored,"They said. The niceness that Cash showed was a rare sight to see but how lonely Cash was these days - even if they did not want to admit it - started to take a toll on them and they had promised to themselves that Cash will broaden their circle of people as the new year rolled in.

★☆★☆ Star's can't shine without darkness ★☆★☆
@Cassandra Ironwoods

She whipped her head around, having heard a voice address her - or someone, at the least anyway. She spotted the Prefect that she was thinking of at the moment, putting away a couple of sheets of parchment into her bag.
"You," They said, "Come talk to me I'm bored." Duvessa looked around for a minute, wondering if she was talking to someone else, maybe another fellow Prefect or a Fourth Year student. She certainly did not expect that the person who they were talking to was her.

Slowly, and rather hesitantly, she walked towards the Slytherin.
"Hello," Duvessa said briskly, eyes sparkling at the prospect of talking to the Dueling Co-Captain, "I'm Duvessa Ember, I think we met at the 1V1 Dueling club, you moderated my match?" She recalled, attempting to sound vague but the memory came crystal clear to her. She had a memory of a computer and mind of, much as she hated to admit it, a Ravenclaw.

She was rarely a social person, prefering to souround herself by those she trusted. Mostly snakes only, though. Hmm, she seemed to only get into arguments with Gryffindors but got along mostly well with her classmates. Although, as she remembered, she was lonely when she first came; memories came floating back as quickly as light. Crying in the Astronomy tower, alone, only embarresed to be noticed by a Gryffindor, the painful lessons to have no one to sit with, and the night....the night in the Common Room where she had to admit it. She was scared.

The night was dark and stormy, making her vulnerable and alone. That was how she met her best friends, both girls found in the dark; but reached out to each other. But those days were not to be remembered, Duvessa reminded herself forcefully. She had to look forward.

OOC Notes Reducio I though I responded, my bad My tab must have closed and I forgot, sorry. I promise to reply faster!	Inventory Reducio - Wand - A grim expression
Actions, Stats and Other Reducio Action: Talking to Cash Abilities: Perfectionist Stats: Wis: 6 Acc: 7 Sta: 5 Eva: 7 Arc: 5 Str: 5	Outfit Reducio - Slytherin tie - Slytherin robes - Black skirt - Black tights

Banner made by the magical Sarah Night

𝐻𝑒𝓍 𝒞𝑜𝒹𝑒 #006400 English #000080 French #C71585 Latin #000000 Parsel #4B0082 Spanish	𝐼𝓃𝓉𝑒𝓇𝒶𝒸𝓉 𝒲𝒾𝓉𝒽 @Duvessa Ember	𝑀𝑒𝓃𝓉𝒾𝑜𝓃(𝓈) Henry Knight	𝒯𝒽𝑒 𝒪𝓊𝓉𝒻𝒾𝓉𝓈 Reducio Angel Wings Necklace + Silver Rimmed Glasses + Prefect badge upper left side of their chest, above their heart + Slytherin Uniform + Slytherin Robes + Black and Dark Brown Oxford Shoes + Enchanted Satchel	𝒲𝑒𝒹𝓃𝑒𝓈𝒹𝒶𝓎, 𝒜𝓅𝓇𝒾𝓁 𝟧 𝓉𝒽, 𝟤𝟢𝟤𝟥

Cash should have been made more clear about who they addressing when they talking to someone. But then again, there are not many people still lingering around the Corridors. As Cash pushed aside their enchanted satchel to make room for the new year, the green eyes observed how the young baby snake approached the Quidditch player.

The first year said a brisk hello as she looked at Cash. The fourth-year scanned the young girl from her head to toe. The girl then introduced her name as Duvessa Ember. In Cash's own opinion, her name sounds regal, and if Cash dare to assume Ember could be one of their own. Meaning Ember could come from a wizard-born family or at least pureblood.

The young Ironwoods throw a small smile toward the girl. "Ahh yes,"They quipped. "I remember you and your 1v1 Duelling Club partner,"They added some more. Cash wanted to ask whether Ember is a pureblood or not but with this count as their second encounter, it seems impolite to do so.

Then Cash remembered that the girl had introduced herself. And with how Cash was raised when one introduced themselves, the counterpart must do the same. "The name is Ironwoods,"Cash stated. "Cash,"They added. Nowadays it is much easier to introduce themselves with Cash rather goes by Cassandra.

Cash then looked up from their position. "Come sit. I do not bite,"They grin. Four years already attending the school it did not help being better at their social cue. Cash was awkward at best. The Duelling Co-Captain then turned around after Ember either stood a bit close or sat down next to Cash. They opened and closed their mouth like a fish out of water.

Small talk was not Cash's strong suit but as they promised to themselves, they will learn how to be more approachable and friendly towards one another. The Cuban descendant took a deep breath and let out a small awkward chuckle. "How do you like the school so far?"They inquired. The question is so cliché they wanted to facepalm themselves.

At a time like this Cash needs Henry more than ever. At least with Henry around, Cash feels a bit less incompetent. The Cloud Cobras' Beater then remembered something. "I saw that you put your name under the waitlist for our house Duelling team. Any particular reason why you want to try out?"They asked.

Well, if being socially awkward is what Cash does best might as well ask a question that could spark the other girl's attention. Cash rummages their satchel as they look for their chocolate bars. "Want some?"They asked once they found it and offered it to the girl as Cash waited for Ember to respond to their inquiries.

She could sense that the Prefect was judging her. She was soon going to meet a fifth year for tutoring; tomorrow precisely but she had a feeling she was going to mess up. Least she wanted was to make yet another bad impression on an elder student.

They remembered that Duvessa had been the one that was part of the Dueling club too and she nodded to confirm so. Then, they introduced themselves as Cash, Cash Ironwoods. It was familiar, but she had perhaps heard the name. She wondered if Ironwoods was from a wizard family, the name sounded rather imposing.

Since she had attended Hogwarts, Duvessa had struggled to put her feelings into words. Not that she had ever confinded into anyone - so being social was not a strong point of hers. It was easier to give someone a tired look and sweep pass than stand and say hi, say a joke and give a fake laugh. Then move on. It was tiring, and annoying and the dark haired Slytherin fervently hoped that Cash wasn't the one that would ask the "how are you" and "the weather is nice, isn't it" parts.

As Cash gestured to sit, Duvessa gave a small smile. She edged towards a seat next to they. Meanwhile, her coal eyes targeted Cash once more. They seemed to be nice, but she found it surprising that the Slytherin was not with any friends. Most by that age would have a confident friend group - but that meant that this was yet another thing that they had in common.

"How do you like school so far?" They asked and Duvessa lapsed into a short silence. How was it? Sure, friends were good to have and she had made one...but if getting into arguments left and right seemed to be suitable, she hardly needed to answer. She tilted her hair from side to side as she thought.
"Depends on how you look at it. Classes are interesting, most of my classmates... well, they have their own friends. Guess I don't interact much with most of them." She responded awkwardly.

But her anti-social personality was put to ease as they asked about the Dueling team. The reply came quicker to her head.
"I love Dueling. My cousins were duelists when they came to Hogwarts and all of them recommended it. And it seems fun to support Slytherin and...well, use magic and wits to fight." She said, growing slightly wistful at the thought of her family.

They rummaged in their school bag, and she saw Cash bring out some chocolate bars. After they kindly offered one, Duvessa accepted.
"Thank you." She said, before beggining to slowly rip of the wrapper. "What's it like being dueling Co-Captain?" She asked between mouthfuls before she could stop herself.

Banner made by the magical Sarah Night

𝐻𝑒𝓍 𝒞𝑜𝒹𝑒 #006400 English #000080 French #C71585 Latin #000000 Parsel #4B0082 Spanish	𝐼𝓃𝓉𝑒𝓇𝒶𝒸𝓉 𝒲𝒾𝓉𝒽 @Duvessa Ember	𝑀𝑒𝓃𝓉𝒾𝑜𝓃(𝓈) N / A	𝒯𝒽𝑒 𝒪𝓊𝓉𝒻𝒾𝓉𝓈 Reducio Angel Wings Necklace + Silver Rimmed Glasses + Prefect badge upper left side of their chest, above their heart + Slytherin Uniform + Slytherin Robes + Black and Dark Brown Oxford Shoes + Enchanted Satchel	𝒲𝑒𝒹𝓃𝑒𝓈𝒹𝒶𝓎, 𝒜𝓅𝓇𝒾𝓁 𝟧 𝓉𝒽, 𝟤𝟢𝟤𝟥

It feels like ages while waiting for Ember to take a seat near them when in reality it was not that long. Way back when someone took so long to make up their mind, Cash usually snapped at them to either make up their mind quickly or just get out of their face. But perhaps being a year older make them wiser. Cash can only hope so.

The Prefect then asked the new girl how she liked the school so far. Ember then launched into a mini monolog. "Classes are interesting, most of my classmates... well, they have their own friends. Guess I don't interact much with most of them." The baby snake responds awkwardly. Cash nodded their head.

Even the Quidditch player had been studying at the Scottish Highland castle for four years, the only people that Cash could call as their friends, Cash could count with one hand. "I feel you," They stated. The older girl did not know why it was easy to open up to the new girl.

Cash is the type of person who like to keep their business to themselves unless they could trust that person. Or perhaps Cash could see a glimpse of themselves in Ember. "It will get better," They added some more. In Cash's case, it was not. Not because people mean to them, quite the contrary. It is because of the lack of trying on Cash's part.

"And if it did not get better, at least you still have yourself to count on," The Viridian Vipers Co-Captain chipped in. Cash then averted their eyes to look at Ember and then glance back to the empty wall of the Corridors. "Trust me, I learn it the hard way"There was a little sadness in their tone but Cash shake their head to get out of the somber mood.

The next topic of the pair which is Duelling whom Cash asked and brought out in the first place sparks the young girl's curious and eager mind. Cash listens attentively to the reason why Ember chose Duelling rather than other sports that the school provides. The main reason why the other girl choose Duelling was based on what her family had done in the past.

The more Cash talked with Ember, they felt like looking in a mirror. "I get where are you coming from," They replied. "Father was a Beater for our house and mother was a Chaser for the house of Ravenclaw when they attended Hogwarts"Cash added some more. The older girl then turned to the younger one.

Talking about their parents made them miss what they used to have with their parents before all went to hell in the Ironwoods household. "You just want to make them proud and continue their legacy," Cash continued. It was the exact reason why Cash tryout for Quidditch in the first place. Once Ember took one of the chocolate bars that Cash had offered to her, the younger girl said her thanks.

"No worries, really," Cash replied. It was a part of the care package that their mother assemble through one of the helpers that work at the Manor and their mother kept forgetting that Cash was not that fond of anything related to chocolate. "What's it like being dueling Co-Captain?" Ember asked between her mouthful of chocolate.

For a moment, Cash got quiet. No one ever asked that question to them before. And truthfully, Cash did not know how to answer the young girl's inquiry. "It was.... fun," They stated and trailed a bit. "Though I am not an official Duellist, I am glad that I could get a first-hand experience on both of the sports, you know"They added.

"Being a Duelling Co-Captain and a Quidditch player at the same time"The green eyes continued. "I love to help out the team even though I am not up there on the Duelling piste," They uttered. "The one in the background was equally important as the one in the front line, you get me?" They said.

Cash then rummages their satchel again to find their chilled thermos filled with their favorite kind of tea which is Chamomile. The Cubans then pour some of the tea into the cup once they found what they were looking for. "What else do you want to know?"They question the other girl as they took a little sip of the tea from the cup.