A Girl and The Letter PV Henry Reed Closed

Ruby smiled. "Yeah, I love animals and come here pretty much just for the owls. I like them a lot. Animals can bring many other benefits too, not just that. Take cats as an example. To name a few, some health benefits of them are a 30-40% lower risk of cardiovascular disease, a reduced risk of getting a heart attack or stroke, improvements to your immune system, a decreased chance of developing allergies, reduced blood pressure, lower triglycerides, lower cholesterol, a longer life, and other things, as well as many emotional benefits too… it's nice that you're interested in that, and I'd love to hear more about your theories at some point if you'd like to talk about them."

Ruby was not bothered by his "regurgitating", after all, she just did a bit of her own. She liked cats and so she had done some research on them a while back. A couple of the health benefits of having one around still stuck in her head. Although the Ravenclaw house was known for its brains, Slytherins could be just as smart. Some of their traits even included cleverness, cunning, and shrewd, and Ruby disliked the fact that some people seemed to think that Slytherins weren't as clever. People sometimes forgot about some of their house traits…

Back to Henry's next comment. "I'm glad you and your siblings get along well; I like the sound of Marley, she seems nice. It's good that you guys can all work together and have some systems of organization – I know that really helps sometimes. You seem to have made some good, fun memories together and be pretty self-sufficient from your dad and Fern going away. Did/do they go away quite often, then? I totally agree about bouncing from subject to subject, and please don't worry about what you call rambling. I find it quite interesting."

Henry'd let out a little yelp as the owl suddenly nipped at his finger, bringing it to his mouth to suck on the tiny wound. The owl in question would then tuck its head into its feathers and seemingly fall asleep.

Henry chuckled at the animal, shaking his head as he wiped his finger on his clothes. "Little bugger, could've just moved."

Taking his attention away from the sleeping owl, he'd nod to Ruby. "It's great to meet someone who has facts like me. Some people get really annoyed when I say stuff like that, so thanks for making it normal."

Fiddling with his fingers, he'd nod again but taking more time to respond to her question. "They do..Usually every month or so, even if it's just for a weekend or something. My dad's a lawyer so sometimes has to go on business trips so he takes Fern with him and they make it into a holiday. Good for them though, my dads a workaholic so he deserves the little break."

Deciding to not bite around the bush, Henry'd finally ask what had been on his mind the whole time.

"So Ruby.. you're slytherin, what's that like? I've heard all the rumours and stuff, which I find incredibly stupid, but I'd love to hear some actual knowledge from someone in the house itself. Not that I know much about it, only found out about the houses when I got into the hall and asked someone about them. Cons of being the only wizard in like your entire family history, right?"

Ruby shook her head teasingly and smiled. “Owls, such feisty creatures. It's good to be careful around them. One second they'll love you, the next they'll peck you.” She laughed softly.

“Oh, no problem! I'm not annoyed by it at all, and as you just saw, I do that sometimes too.” She grinned. Facts and new information were good, especially when you could share them with others.

Ruby noticed the pause before he answered her question. “I understand, more than most people. My parents are hardly around, which is why I practically grew up with my three closest cousins… If your dad has that many people to support, I'm not surprised he has to work that much.”

Ruby grinned at the mention of her house. “It's good, I like it. I see what people mean when they say that some wouldn't survive in Slytherin. If you're not the right type of person, it could easily be hell for you, although I don't see much that's wrong with it. I've made good friends there and everyone I've met has been pretty accepting of me, which is nice. If you have more specific questions about it, I'd be pleased to try and answer them. I bet it's a bit difficult for you, coming into this magical world that you had no clue existed, and into the school, with its houses, stereotypes, and age-old rivalry.”

Henry'd move to sit on a stool nearby the wall, obviously for when a pupil was in need of somewhere to sit whilst reading or writing a letter.

"See, I knew it wasn't going to be bad. Everyone else makes it out like you're all terrifying, constantly-glaring mean and brooding people. Don't tell them you're muggle-born, they said, they'll tear you apart. Surely there'll have to be a muggle born in Slytherin, right? And yes! It's so confusing! I don't understand why there's houses anyways. It's what you value most so why not just put everyone in years rather than houses for common rooms and dorms, since they're going to focus on that value anyways? It's like saying all Ravenclaws are going to go into jobs at the Ministry because they're known for being book-smart whilst Slytherins are all going to be bad guys because they're cunning, or whatever. It's so silly, my family actually laughed when I wrote to them about it apparently."

He'd huff, rolling his eyes. Clearly, Henry felt strongly about this despite only having been in Hogwarts for a around two months. He'd had so many warnings off other students and watched as houses stick together in lessons or in the courtyard.

Ruby was still perched in the window. Her left leg was pretty much flat, and the foot on the other one was flat on the stone, so the knee was brought up. Her left arm dangled over the side, and her right elbow rested on her right knee, with her head on her right hand. It was undoubtedly a casual position.

She rolled her eyes and laughed. “Ah, the stereotypes the other houses give us… no, some people are definitely like that, but we're not all bad. We're mostly sarcastic kids who need more sleep. I definitely know Muggle-borns and half-bloods in the house, and they aren't very different from the others. Slytherins are just different types of people from those in the other houses, that's all. I think that's partially why the rest of them won't accept us. We're different, we're not who they want us to be, and we're the people who will change the world someday.” Ruby chuckled. “I sound so dramatic. Enough of that. I'm a Slytherin pureblood, and you're a Muggle-born, and all that means to me is that you might need some help adjusting to the magical world.”

“Yeah, it's really stupid, especially when someone's put into a house they don't feel like they belong in. That can destroy a person emotionally, especially when they're only 11. We're only kids and we can still be influenced, yet they're teaching us about segregation. They're teaching us that we should be friends with people who are like us. They're teaching us that different people are bad. They're putting us all under so much stress, and we're only eleven when we start here. My parents might hate me just because of the house I was sorted into. This isn't fair, and I don't understand why the adults are doing this when it teaches us all the wrong things.”

Her parents had taught her that Gryffindor purebloods were who she should mainly be friends with. She grew up with them drilling into her head that Slytherins were the bad guys and not to be friends with them. Well, in some ways, she wished they could see her now – friends with Slytherins, in Slytherin house, and defending Slytherins. Some people in her house said that purebloods were superior and that Gryffindors were bad, but there weren't a huge amount of people like that now, despite what had happened in the past. This was all so stupid, but Ruby still loved her house and was beginning to thrive there.

"I don't feel like I don't fit into my house.. I just feel like maybe I don't fit in any of them at all so it doesn't matter where I go. It just happened to be Ravenclaw. I probably could've just as easily been put in any of the others. The hat didn't think so, though. It's lovely that you're so positive about your house, loving yourself is the most important thing, as my mum says."

He'd grin again at the thought of his mum, knowing a letter is on the way to her also. They'd finally allowed him to start writing to her after she'd adjusted to the fact that Henry, who was the child most like her and visited often, had moved away to a 'boarding school for the highly gifted'. Henry'd kept his mother mainly a secret whilst at Hogwarts, figuring some people may not understand the situation fully. Plus he didn't want the sympathy.

"Your parents don't like your house? Surely they can't hate you just because some hat put you in a group..you're still you, Ruby. Your house wouldn't change anything about you- your personality and beliefs would stay the same and you'd still have the same capacity to love them like they should love you- that's unfair! How dare they? A child is for life, not just to suddenly decide to hate over something that's not under their control."

“Yeah, I understand that… I could have really been any house except Hufflepuff. I think it's important to love my house partially because if I don't, the next seven years of my life could easily be awful. How are you doing in Ravenclaw? Is it nice there? I think that if I was in any one other house, it would probably be Ravenclaw.”

When Henry started talking about parents and then Ruby's, she sighed. Why didn't her parents seem to love her? She tried not to mention them much here at Hogwarts because she didn't particularly want to think about them. They cared a lot about things Ruby thought were stupid, and never paid much attention to their only child. Ruby had been fine enough with it when she was little – after all, she got to learn new things by herself and see her cousins – but now that she was getting older, she realized how oblivious she had been regarding her parents. She was starting to get more fed up with them as she realized quickly that even kids like her – magical purebloods – didn't seem to grow up this way.

Ruby's face had fallen long before she started to reply. “I just don't get it… I understand that they're busy, but I basically grew up without them. I hardly actually know them, and they've been trying to fill my head with their ideals for years, never believing that I was someone completely different. This isn't sudden. They're not abandoning me all of a sudden. They've been away from me for years. No, Henry, they're just waking up. They're facing the reality of who I am, and that I'm not the perfect little daughter they wanted. To some parents, I would be the ideal daughter. But not to mine – they think I'm far from it, in fact. I wonder what they're going to do… Yes, it's unfair, yes, it's not right, but it's reality, and I think that's something that can be said about the world.”

Henry'd have a frown on his face as she spoke, before standing up and moving over. Without warning, which was just another example of Henry's mind set as he wasn't the best at social cues, he'd wrap his arms around Ruby. Of course, he had to make sure she didn't fall through the window. That would surely be terrible.

The hug was tight as Henry has never known what it was like to not be loved, or to not feel loved, by his family as he'd always had his siblings and mother. His father may not have been the affectionate type and he definetly wasn't around enough to get to know his children but he willingly took in all nine of them four years after he'd left them when the youngest was still in Henry's mother's stomach. Their dad was freshly married by the time they got there, after them spending a few weeks in foster care by the time they'd managed to place, round up and file all nine kids and locate their father. That certainly was a rough time, almost every kid was separated and sent miles apart to foster homes or group homes, wherever was free. It was an unspoken rule that none of them ever mentioned that time to each other, nor had they ever opened up about their experiences there, good or bad.

Finally letting go, Henry'd step back quickly, fidgeting with his hands.
"You uh, you're valid whether your parents think so or not. And you're always welcome at mine..I'm sure my dad wouldn't notice another kid running about. We have sibling's friends round all the time- my older brother's friend even stayed with us for about four months before he could find a place himself and dad didn't catch on. Fern took some pursuasion, like convincing dad to take her on another holiday. But we can totally do that for you."
He'd nod eagerly, Henry just wanted her to know that she didn't have to stay there if she didn't want to. He really was a nice lad, wanting everyone to be loved and cared for. As a note, he answered her questions about his house.

"Ravenclaws alright...a lot of snobs. Can hardly say anything without being corrected. I'd like them more if there weren't the odd one who thinks they're better than other houses. I like the fact that there's books everywhere, though."

After a moment of shock, Ruby hugged Henry back just as tightly. A single tear rolled down her cheek and she quickly raised a hand to furiously brush it away before it made much progress on its path down her face. Ruby was so glad she had someone who would hold her when she needed it, and that in itself almost made her cry. She felt a sudden surge of affection for this kind boy she had just met and smiled softly. Many feelings were flying around inside of the Slytherin, but she was very thankful for Henry.

“Thank you, Henry. I think–” She sniffed. “I think I needed that," she whispered. When the Ravenclaw let go, Ruby attempted a smile. I'm not religious, but thank the gods for people like this boy…

Ruby was a little surprised when Henry offered to have her over at his house if she needed it. What possibly surprised her even more was that she had no clue what she'd do if her parents were actually that mad at her. Surely this was something they could get over… What if they disown me? she thought, and then felt fear spread through her as if she had just been stabbed. What happens then? Please, don't let that happen… Ruby eventually nodded. “Thank you for the offer. I'll keep that in mind.”

She laughed a little at his comment about Ravenclaws. “I feel like Ravenclaw house would be great because it would be fun to be around other smart people and have so many books around, but getting constantly corrected would be really annoying. There's lots of smart people in Slytherin as well, anyway, and books in the library. That's enough for me to be satisfied. Besides, I can always be friends with people like you!”

Ruby glanced of the window and saw that the light was changing. Maybe they had been talking for longer than it seemed, or maybe it was because it was nearing winter and the days were shorter, but some time had definitely passed. She pulled part of her sleeve away to reveal… nothing. She wasn't wearing her watch and couldn't see the sun from here. “Hey, do you know what the time is? As much as I hate it, I might have to get back to the common room soon… but maybe we could arrange to meet each other somewhere soon?”

Henry'd grin at her, pretending he didn't see her wipe a tear away before he could fully see it. At least he assumed it was a tear, it very well could have been an itch on her face.

Nodding along to her explaining about Slytherin, he then shook his head at the time question, before moving to fully look out the window. Noting that he could see the horizon between the fastly disappearing sun and darkening sky, he'd hold out one hand, the palm facing him with his thumb tucked in. This would be between the ground and the sun. He wouldn't have to use his other hand as his fingers were already touching the bottom of the sun.
"Each finger represents 15 minutes until sunset, so as my ring finger is the one touching the bottom of the sun that means only that and my pinkie count, so 30 minutes until full sunset. Give or take, and since it's October and Scotland..I'm going to estimate that it's around 5:45, since class let out at 3."
He'd nod, tucking his hands back into his cloak pockets. "And of course, I'd love to meet up again. Would your house be okay with that, though? I don't have enough friends in mine for anyone to properly react, but you do so.."