The Search PV Rose Moon finished

The library was one of Rose's favorite places to be. In her almost five years staying at the castle, Rose had found it to be a place of quiet, solitude, and rest. It was calming to sit down at a table, find a nook somewhere, just sit and look out the window, or walk through the small maze of bookshelves that Hogwarts castle flaunted, which was what she was doing now. Sometimes she would see books she thought looked interesting, and scribble them down. Sometimes she would pick a book or two and check them out from the library. Sometimes she just let the serenity of the library surround her, and that was enough to calm her down a little.

This morning, her mind felt like she was moving through mud. She could barely stand the feeling- she wanted to pay attention in her classes, but for some reason, her mind just wouldn't clear. It was like a hundred voices speaking to her at once, and it didn't help that the boys behind her in History of Magic kept snickering about something.

But finally, among the parchment, among the quills, and the words of authors all around her, Rose could finally breathe. She had homework to do later, but she knew there was no way she was going to get it done if she couldn't focus. The library seemed to clear out all the clutter in her brain, and as she walked through the shelves, she relaxed.

Chaska was at her side, her fluffy tail up. She seemed to like the library, too. It wasn't exciting or special, of course, but it was quiet, which was something Chaska seemed to enjoy, too.

Then, she saw someone familiar as she passed a bookcase. She stopped, taking a couple steps backwards. Chaska stopped, looking at Rose over her shoulder. "Mahlioz!" she said, her voice staying quiet though she was excited to see the kid. She remembered their conversation at the books errand. That must have been almost a year ago, wasn't it? They looked older, and a little... lost, maybe? That was kind of weird, because Rose always thought she was a bookworm, like her. But even Rose had to admit she still got turned around in the library, so she supposed it wasn't all that strange.

Chaska poked her head around the corner, and recognizing Mahlioz, either by her appearance or her scent, rushed towards them and rubbed against their legs.

"Are you okay?" she asked. She didn't want to say it out loud, but she was pretty sure she heard Mahlioz grumbling when she passed a moment ago.

Date: 22 Febuary 2024 Time: 17:19

Interacting with: @Rose Moon Mentions: X

English | French Thoughts

Mahlioz was so lost in thought in trying to find her book that she jumped when she heard her name, looking up with a start. An older student stood there, between a couple of bookcases, with a smile on their face. A name resurfaced in Mahlioz's memory. "Rose?" They were about to go on when they were cut off by the surprise of having a cat rub against their legs. "Chaska!" The silver furball was irresistible, and Mahlioz could not help kneeling down to pet her.

In a way, it was rather unsurprising that they meet here. Mahlioz had only talked to Rose once before, but that had been during a book event, and they'd both been obvious book lovers. Still, the Slytherin had to admit they were taken aback by the fact that they were seeing each other again. Hogwarts was gargantuan, and unless she actively sought people out, a lot of the time she rarely saw acquaintances more than once. (Though keeping her nose in her books 24/7 probably didn't help with noticing them if ever they did come by).

And Chaska! Just as magnificent as ever. Mahlioz had missed her. Rose had been the first person Mahlioz had talked to about getting a pet. And now they had Don Eusèbio. They wondered how well Chaska would get along with him.

Coming back to the present, she realized Rose had asked her a question. "Oh - uh - yeah. I was just... I lost a book." She laughed lightly, knowing how silly such a phrase would sound in a library full of them. "I already checked it out and then I was going to read it, but I put it down somewhere and I can't find it anymore." Kneeling down with Chaska made conversing slightly awkward, so they stood up again. "It's okay, I just... well, I'm looking for it now. I stupidly cannot remember for life of me what it was called, but it had a witch-looking person and a purple dragon on the front?" It was worth giving it a shot. "Do you happen to have seen it?"

Keen Eye / Lovely Creature / Healing Sage / Calming Presence / Animagus

Interacting With | @Mahlioz Evethisawe Speech | Feline form

Feb 22nd Outfit

Rose was relieved at the younger students' excitement to see her. She would have felt bad interrupting Mahlioz if they were doing something important, or if they didn't want to talk to her, or worse, if they didn't even remember her. But Mahlioz clearly did- even remembering her name, and her cat's name. Mahlioz knelt down to pet the Silver Siberian, which Chaska was clearly pleased about, from her purring and closed eyes. Chaska had the memory of an elephant, and Rose wondered if all cats were like that, or if she just happened to have one that remembered everything. Every person she had met, Chaska greeted them excitedly. That one orange cat that stole her sausage, she would probably hate him forever for that. Rose had to scoop her up a couple of times to stop the cat from chasing after the ginger cat in the halls. Yes- Chaska remembered everything, and certainly was the type to hold a grudge.

Mahlioz began to explain their conundrum- a lost book. Rose gasped quietly. "I've done that before!" she admitted. Her voice was usually softer than most, so she didn't have to worry too much about being quiet in the library, but she always thought about it in the back of her mind. Mahlioz stood back up, and Chaska, momentarily offended at her lack of attention, sat down and started to groom her paws.

The redhead shook her head. "I'm sorry, I haven't. But I can help you look. Or at least keep you company, if that's okay. Do you remember which way you came from?" she asked. She remembered when she had done something similar, except it was years ago, in her first year. She often got lost wandering through the shelves then, and that day, distracted by all the interesting books, she lost the one that she actually intended to read. That was an embarrassing conversation with a random seventh-year with huge glasses and judging eyes, as she asked how to get out of the library. She had ended up just leaving the book, not being able to find it before she had to rush to class that afternoon.

As the two started their search, Rose decided to bring up a little conversation- it had been a while since she had seen Mahlioz. "So how have you been? This is your... second year, right?"

Date: 22 Febuary 2024 Time: 17:21

Interacting with: @Rose Moon Mentions: X

English | French Thoughts

Rather comforted by the fact that she was not the only one to have lost a book in the friggin library, Mahlioz could not help but grin when Rose offered her help and her company. "I would love that, thank you!" Most of the older students Mahlioz knew or had bumped into were rather scary (or at least, Mahlioz's scaredy-cat brain saw them that way), but Rose just had a vibe about her that made them trust her and enjoy being around her right away. It was part of the reason why they'd approached her that day last year.

"I think it was back this way," she replied to the query about from which way she'd come, gesturing behind some bookshelves. She grimaced. "Though I'm not completely sure..." It was really bothering her that she couldn't remember the name of the dang book. Witches and dragons... as much as they searched and searched their mind, they could not figure it out. All that was left was to resign themselves to their fate and search outside of said mind.

Mahlioz was not exactly one to think about sparking conversation. As the pair began to make their way through the bookshelves, she really did not mind the silence - especially when it was in company of a person like Rose, which made it much less self-conscious. Nevertheless, she was grateful the redhead decided to talk, because she didn't want her to feel awkward. "Yeah, my second." They frowned, realizing they actually had no idea what year Rose was in. They were not sure whether they'd spoken about it at the book event, but if they had, it had evaded Mahlioz's memory. "Wait, what year are you in? I don't think I know."

The question about how they had been was a little more complicated. "I've been... okay, I think. There's been a lot of stuff. I uh... I'm a duellist now, which is cool! And I've been doing some research on animagi, I think I want to be one someday." She stopped to look through some books on a table. None of them were the one she was looking for, unfortunately. "Oh, and we talked about pets last time too - I have one now! He's a bunny, his name is Don Eusèbio - uh, Eusèbe. Named after a character from a book, actually." She grinned. It was nice to focus on the positives of her past year rather than the negatives, for once.

"What about you? How have you been doing?"

Keen Eye / Lovely Creature / Healing Sage / Calming Presence / Animagus

Interacting With | @Mahlioz Evethisawe Speech | Feline form

Feb 22nd Outfit

Rose was glad that Mahlioz accepted her help, and quite enthusiastically. She was glad the younger student wasn't intimidated by her- Merlin knows that in her second year, Rose would probably have rather gotten a question wrong in class than talk to a fifth year. But Rose had found that lately, there was something about her that made people relax a little bit, and she appreciated that. Perhaps it was just a skill she possessed.

As the talk shifted to schooling years, Mahlioz confirmed that they were a second year. Rose nodded, secretly patting herself on the back in her mind for remembering that. But she had been impressed with Mahlioz the year before, when they met- Rose couldn't remember being as intelligent or friendly as Mahlioz was, when she was in her first year. "Oh, I'm a fifth year," she said. "It's kind of bittersweet- I don't really like that my time at Hogwarts is shortening by the day, but at the same time, I kind of wish that I was graduating already, just to get over all the exams." No, her Hogwarts career was nowhere near over, but it certainly felt like it was fast approaching, and the last three years of Hogwarts were easily the hardest. Between OWLs, NEWTs, extra classes, the pressures of finding a career, and not to mention the drama (which was way worse once people actually started dating and stuff), Rose was feeling the stress a little bit. But at the same time, she wished that this school year wouldn't end, because then that would mean only two more years until she had to leave here and never come back.

It was so strange.

Rose noted what Mahlioz was saying, updating her about their life- dueling, animagi, and her bunny named after a book character. "I'm a duelist, too!" Rose said, perhaps a little too loud, but after a quick look around, she thankfully realized there was really nobody around to hear. Making sure her voice was library-level, Rose continued, "Well, I didn't duel this past round because..." she paused for a moment.

Because of what happened over the break. It haunted her, in these moments. Because sometimes, selfishly, she could forget. Not that she wanted to, but being lost in a nice conversation with another student of a similar mind, Rose didn't think about it. But it always came back.

She was searching for a way to put it lightly without lying to Mahlioz, because the younger student didn't deserve her lies. Chaska pawed Rose's leg and looked up at her with big eyes, and the redhead picked up the Silver Siberian, cradling her in her arms. "I wasn't really feeling up to it," she finished. Before Mahlioz could ask her more about it, Rose added, "But I'm going to rejoin this next duel. Maybe I can meet your bunny sometime. I haven't met too many people with bunnies, and I'm not sure how Chaska would react," she said, giggling. "I'd think she'd be pretty friendly, though. And animagi are pretty cool. I did a whole bunch of research on them earlier this semester." Rose looked around. "Can I tell you a secret?" she asked, her voice even more hushed than library-level. If Mahlioz agreed, Rose would admit, "I'm an animagus."

And how was she?

Ah, Rose had backed herself into a corner asking Mahlioz this question. "I've been okay. Stuff with my family, and exams, and... life. You probably know how it is." Rose hoped that Mahlioz wouldn't question her too much about this kinda stuff, because if she was being honest, she didn't want to talk about it. It was easier to shove it down and deal with it herself than start being dramatic in the middle of the library in front of someone she had only met twice.

Rose spied a dragon on a book through their conquest through the library, and picked it up, examining it. "No, this dragon's kinda blue. And no witchy-looking person. But maybe this means we're close?"

Date: 22 Febuary 2024 Time: 17:21

Interacting with: @Rose Moon Mentions: X

English | French Thoughts

"Oh, that makes sense," Mahlioz noted. To be honest, they had a hard time imagining the end of their Hogwarts years. It had only been a year and a half but it felt like they had been here their entire life, and another five and a half years sounded like an eternity. Would she ever be a seventh year? There was no way.
As for exams, she was torn between curiosity to see what the OWLs and NEWTs would look like and dread at what the stress and studying would be like. They thankfully had a few more years than Rose did to prepare themselves.

As it turned out, Mahlioz was not the only duellist between the two. She couldn't help the grin that came out when Rose told her she was too. "That's so cool! We should so duel each other sometime!" Okay, yeah, she'd get destroyed, but it'd be fun. And it would be with a friend, for once. Though the Gryffindor did add that she hadn't dueled in the last patch, before pausing. Mahlioz could practically hear the gears grinding in the older year's brain, and wondered what it was that was affecting her. She ended up choosing that she wasn't 'feeling up to it'.

Mahlioz did not pry - not that they really had time to, because Rose immediately changed the subject. Everyone had something going on; they of all people knew that. But they stored the information away for later, just in case. Rose was not the kind of person who deserved to suffer, she was way too kind.
At the suggestion of a secret, the thirteen-year old nodded enthusiastically. But an animagus was not at all what she'd been expecting, and her eyes widened. "Wait, seriously? That's so cool!! What kind of animal? If you don't mind me asking, of course." This was now the second fifth year they'd met who was an animagus and a duellist. Was this common??

When Mahlioz returned the question of how she was doing, it almost seemed like Rose wanted to answer it even less than she had. In fact, her answer was nearly exactly the same - okay. If it was the same kind of okay as Mahlioz, it was probably a half-lie. And yes, of course the second year was curious, and of course she wanted to ask to try and help. But they knew firsthand what it was like not to want to share, and if Rose wasn't doing so, well... it wasn't fair of them to ask.

They were brought out from their thoughts by Rose's voice again, pointing out a book with a dragon on it. Mahlioz had basically forgotten why they were here in the first place, what with all the conversation. "Right - yes. At least we're in the dragon section. Thank you," she added, beginning to look around again for her book. "So uh... what were you up to, in the library this evening? Before you came across me, I mean."

Reducio

I am so sorry it took this long for me to get back to you! It's been especially busy recently but it should calm down soon, so I'll be back to regular posting speed. Sorry again

Keen Eye / Lovely Creature / Healing Sage / Calming Presence / Animagus

Interacting With | @Mahlioz Evethisawe Speech | Feline form

Feb 22nd Outfit

Mahlioz mentioned that they should duel each other sometime, and Rose smiled. "That would be fun," she said. Rose's extra three years of spells and experience would probably give her the upper hand on Mahlioz, but something in Rose told her that the dark-haired kid was not to be underestimated. Mahlioz seemed the type to be incredible, and Rose wouldn't be surprised if they gave the redhead a run for her money.

Thankfully, the second year didn't ask anything else about Rose's hesitation, though Rose hadn't been as discreet as she wanted in hiding that something was wrong. She was glad that Mahlioz didn't push the matter, because, honestly, she was having such a good conversation with the younger student and hated the thought of ruining it. It was good to have a little escape, to forget that she was sad for a moment or two. Mahlioz didn't know how thankful Rose was for their conversation.

Rose giggled a little at her reaction, half amused, and half bashful. She didn't talk to a lot of people about being an animagus for a few reasons. She didn't want to look like a show-off, and there was something so calming about being unrecognized in her feline form. "Of course I don't mind," she said. "I can turn into a cat- kinda calico, with long fur and- you know what? It might just be easier if I show you." She took a quick look around the library, ensuring that there was nobody around, and put Chaska down on the floor, since she had been previously in Rose's arms.

The redhead shifted into her cat form, features turning feline. The effect of shrinking down to the floor, and her vision changing, was still a little dizzying, but Rose was getting more and more used to it. Now a calico cat with a mixture of white, black, and reddish patches, Rose turned in a circle, as if showing Mahlioz. Chaska jumped, still not entirely used to Rose turning into a cat either, but was indifferent a moment after. Rose's eyes, as Mahlioz might notice, were still the same, striking green, and the shades of red were the same that grew on her head as a human.

Then, the cat shifted back into Rose, who tucked her hands behind her back, still hoping Mahlioz didn't think she was showing off. "See?"

Mahlioz didn't seem to entirely believe Rose when she said how she was, but again, the younger student didn't pry. Rose felt a twist in her stomach as she realized that Mahlioz's answer earlier hadn't really been convincing if they were doing well, either. So maybe the two of them were just lying to each other for the other's benefit. Maybe both of them even knew that both of them were lying to each other. Rose didn't know why, but it was a little heartbreaking that she saw so much of herself in Mahlioz. Dueling, loving animals and animagi, and apparently also telling white little lies in order to not burden anybody else they cared about. Not just the happy parts, but the lonely parts, too.

Rose shook it away. It didn't matter and shouldn't matter, but deep down, it still bothered her. Mahlioz asked her what she had been up to in the library, and Rose turned her head on its side. "Well..." It was a split-second decision. Mahlioz had asked, and she was tired of lying to them. Mahlioz, of all people, deserved the truth. "I'm just going to be honest with you- I was having a really bad day, and just needed to clear my head. I feel like I can always count on the library to help me feel better after a hard day, and..." she smiled. "I was right. I was just going to walk through the bookcases and then maybe do some homework that's due in a few days, but I found a friend instead. So... thanks, for helping me," she said, offering a smile to the younger student. "Were you just looking for a dragon book or was there something else on your mind, too?" she asked, and then shrugged. "We don't have to talk about anything you don't want to, but-" she shook her head, her thought stopping there.

Reducio

It's absolutely no problem. Life happens

Date: 22 Febuary 2024 Time: 17:23

Interacting with: @Rose Moon Mentions: X

English | French Thoughts

Mahlioz had already been grinning at the fact that Rose was an animagus, because that was so insanely cool, but they were only made happier when she decided to show them instead of describe the cat. They didn't actually know what a calico cat looked like - cats weren't exactly their expertise. But that would soon be remedied. Because suddenly, Rose was no longer a human, and had shrunk down to join Chaska.

As it turned out, a calico cat was a white, black and red patched cat, and this one happened to have green eyes, just like its human form. Mahlioz had seen Pericles transform before, and thought she'd be ready, but there was just nothing like it, and she was mesmerized. A few moments passed, in which cat Rose turned in a circle so as to show Mahlioz fully the magnificence of this magic, and then she transformed back into a human as though nothing had happened. "That was so awesome," the second year said, eyes sparkling. Would they be able to do that one day?

The almost awkward but also somehow understanding silence ensued, in which both knew the other had more to say but didn't want to pry. Though nothing was happening but their searching from an outsider's viewpoint, it was a little overwhelming to Mahlioz. After breaking the silence with a different dragon book and a question, she had been expecting it to continue - not the silence, per se, but the gap they had both left in their explanations, the reason they weren't anything more than "okay". But it seemed that wasn't to be.

Though the two continued walking, Mahlioz's mind was far from searching for her book now. They listened quietly, nodding when Rose mentioned the library helping her feel better - wasn't that the reason they were here too? - and smiling timidly when she called Mahlioz her friend. "Your professors might be annoyed I'm distracting you from your homework," they teased. So perhaps Rose had not told her exactly everything that was on her mind, but Mahlioz was not expecting her to at all. It was good enough that she'd admitted things weren't going great.

But then the question was turned back on her - of course it was. They hadn't been any more discreet than Rose had, and she'd had more experience with people than they had. They were suddenly very invested in the observation of a nearby bookshelf. But that didn't mean she wanted to keep lying. "I... yeah." She sighed. "It's not the end of the world or anything, I just... well, I wasn't having a great day either, and, like you, I thought the library could distract me. I don't know. My brain has just been... overwhelming, lately." It calmed down when they were around people like Rose, they noticed.

"Though that's kind of obvious, considering I managed to lose my book in a library." She laughed. "But, uh- I guess that makes for a good distraction too. Especially if I get to look for it with a friend." She was even debating purposefully not looking for the book, just so their conversation could continue. That was certainly proof Rose was a friend, was it not? "And her awesome cat."

Keen Eye / Lovely Creature / Healing Sage / Calming Presence / Animagus

Interacting With | @Mahlioz Evethisawe Speech | Feline form

Feb 22nd Outfit

Rose smiled, clearly a little bashful at her unique talent. "Thank you," she said in response to Mahlioz, the younger kid clearly impressed at her shifting back in forth between forms. It was pretty cool, and she knew that it would frequently come in handy as she got more used to it.

And now that she had completed the feat, she was able to enjoy the fruits of her labor, but she also... had more time to think. Hyperfixating on animagi for the past month and a half had been a kind of coping mechanism for the redhead after all that happened over the break, and she suddenly was forced to face her feelings rather than pushing them down and ignoring them like she would when she was researching or searching for the potion ingredients.

So yes, it was awesome. But it was also a result of a likely unhealthy way of avoiding reality.

And facing it at the same time, as she was also doing it to help her brother.

Mahlioz teased her a little about how the Slytherin could get in trouble for distracting Rose. The redhead laughed. "Oh, yeah, you're going to be in big trouble for distracting me." She smiled, continuing, "No, I couldn't do another charms essay right now if I tried."

The kid went on to share that in all seriousness, she wasn't doing amazingly either. Rose's heart warmed as they echoed the redhead's word. Friend. It showed on her face- not in the teasing, joking smile of a second ago, but now with a smile that reached under the surface. Chaska looked up at Mahlioz at the last part, almost as if she understood her.

"So are you interested in dragons?" Rose asked. The pair seemed to be getting close if Mahlioz did put the book down in a dragon section, which was Rose's best bet. "I've always liked creatures, especially dragons, but I don't think I could specialize in them." Taking care of fire-breathing, larger-than-life creatures seemed like an incredibly difficult job, not to mention dangerous. It was nothing like what a magizoologist would do- looking after Puffskiens and Mooncalves and learning about them. But dragons had always intrigued her- her very wand was made with dragon heartstring, after all. She wondered if Mahlioz was the same, or if it had simply been a book about magic or something else. In that case, they would be in the wrong section for finding the book.