Missing PV Ruby Cazares Closed

Ruby loved nature. The outdoors was her distraction, her escape, her happy place. She relaxed there, played there, made friends there, and was happy because of it. It was, in general, one of her favorite places, and she had spent a lot of time outside over the years. That hadn't changed when she came to Hogwarts. She went outside after classes ended most days, and she loved it. It was also how she had met at least 5 people so far.

Ruby was a girl of roughly average height with brown hair in a plait down her back, pretty blue eyes, and a skin tone that was a variation of white. She was straight-backed and carried herself with a natural air of sharp intelligence, confidence, sophistication, and something else – something strong. Maybe it was passion, maybe power, maybe ambition or determination, or maybe even all four, but it would be hard to tell with a single look. As well as that, her movements were graceful and smooth. Ruby wasn't very aware of the way she appeared to others, although people had made comments on her "air" before. She hadn't practiced any of it, but it came to her naturally and felt normal. It had been this way for most of Ruby's life, and it didn't tell other people anything in particular that she wouldn't want them to know, so she kept it.

Ruby was also analytical, observant, and calculating. She analyzed everyone and everything she saw and then remembered it to write down later. She had already almost filled a notebook with sketches and information about people. Some people would say it was creepy, but Ruby knew the value of information. It was precious, and those who owned it held power, even if no one else knew about it.

As she was walking, she spotted Eilis. After she analyzed her, she deduced that the girl was clearly looking for something and may have lost an item. Ruby closed most of the distance between them and then spoke. “What did you lose?” she asked, making sure her voice seemed soft and gentle. Portrayal... how someone portrayed themselves was vital, and Ruby knew that first impressions were key. People tended to give away more information to someone who seemed friendly, so Ruby would be just that.

God, how could she have been so careless? She was really in for it now. However, it wasn’t a scolding Eilis was worried about. Her casual, easy going father was never quick to discipline any of his daughters, especially not in a way that would inspire true fear, and regardless, he didn’t care about the ring in the slightest. What was it to him if Eilis treasured it or tossed it away? Honestly, Eilis wasn’t even sure if he’d noticed her wearing it these past five years.

No, what Eilis feared was how she herself would handle the loss of the ring. It had always been such a sure thing, a steady weight on her finger, a very important, vital connection. It was what kept her grounded, even when she was so wound up and frustrated that she felt as though she could shoot off into the atmosphere. She needed it.

“What did you lose?”

Eilis glanced up at the unfamiliar voice, taking in the young girl who had joined here. Deep brown, braided hair, cerulean eyes, fair skin. A Slytherin, if the emblem on her robe and the colors of her tie were anything to go by. Strange, how close they had been to being housemates, before the hat had decided there was a better place for Eilis.

“My—My ring,” Eilis responded with a tone of urgency, turning her gaze back to the ground as she continued her search, “It must have fallen off, I don’t know where—it’s—it’s silver, with a sapphire in it—”

Ruby regarded the girl curiously. She understood how important a ring could be to a person, especially if it had meaning behind it and a history, but that wasn't why she was a bit confused. Why was the girl bothering to search on her hands and knees when she could just do magic or get someone more advanced to do it for her? All it needed was a simple summoning charm.

That told Ruby more about the Gryffindor. Either she was extremely forgetful and not very bright, or she was raised with Muggles – almost certainly making her a Muggle-born.

Ruby tilted her head slightly to the right. Combined with the expression she let show on her face, she had crafted a look of mild puzzlement and curiosity. “Why are you on your hands and knees, searching fruitlessly in the grass, then?” she asked. “What I'm saying is why aren't you using a summoning charm or something to that effect? If you don't know how to cast one, you could always ask an older student or a professor,” she said, gesturing widely at the nearby students. “What's your name, by the way? I'm assuming you're a first year, but please do correct me if I'm wrong…” Ruby trailed off and waited for the girl to respond.

At the question, Eilis's head snapped back up, a look of mild irritation spreading across her features. Hadn't she just explained why she was doing it? Her ring had fallen off, what further reason could she possibly need to be searching?

"What do you mean?" she asked sharply, brows furrowed. The explanation that followed earned a few dumbfounded blinks, and then, suddenly, Eilis turned scarlet. Oh...oh, good lord. She was quick to get to her feet, burning red as she dusted off her skirt. How had she managed to forget something so major as the existence of magic, even for a moment?

That wasn't quite accurate, though. It wasn't that she had forgotten that magic existed, but just that she could use it. It hadn't been the first thing to come to her mind, and why should it have been? She'd spent her entire life doing things the muggle way, so it made sense that she hadn't been quick to consider using a simple summoning charm.

"Embarrassingly enough, I, uh, I hadn't thought of it," she admitted, clearly flustered as she pulled her wand out of her robes, "I guess that's one of the downside to growing up muggle, isn't it? Not used to having such simple solutions to everything..."

Ruby looked at the annoyed expression on the other girl's face and waited patiently for the comment to sink in and for her to pay attention to the explanation. She then watched the Gryffindor start to blush and seem embarrassed. Ruby wasn't too bothered and didn't judge the girl too harshly. After all, it was hard to stop someone from doing something they had been doing for all their life before now.

When the girl spoke again and admitted that she hadn't thought about it, along with the fact that she had grown up as a Muggle, Ruby nodded. “Yes, although magic can't solve all your problems, it can definitely make certain things a lot easier. To be honest, I'm surprised no one else pointed it out to you earlier,” Ruby said, a little distantly and absent-mindedly, not really focused on the other girl. Her eyes snapped back to the Gryffindor as she asked, “So, what's your name, anyway?"

One thing that Ruby didn't mind about Gryffindors was that some of them didn't try to play things off and just got straight to the point. This girl seemed to be one of them, and Ruby was privately glad for that. Now, she wouldn't have to deal with some stuttering, lying mess who cared too much about other's opinions on them. Of course, this girl definitely did care to some degree, as she was still blushing a lot and very clearly embarrassed – or at least uncomfortable – and she did say "uh" a few times, but that was to be expected. At least she seemed to tell the truth and not try and avoid talking about what she had so clearly been doing.