Astronomy? Nonsense. finished

Interacting with @Zykeal Lane

With a flourish, Dealla finished the last sentence in her Potions essay.
It was late, after dinner, and usually she'd be out and about with her friends somewhere - but something had been bugging her about the essay she had written yesterday, so she'd gone to fix it. It hadn't been bad, of course, Dee was not sure she was even capable of handing in bad work, but especially in Potions, good wasn't good enough. It had to be ab-so-lute-ly perfect.
With a dramatic gesture, she dropped her quill on the table and stretched languidly.
So what if she was a bit of a perfectionist in this particular subject? She knew what she was capable of, that was all.

A bit absentmindedly, Dealla took in the other students in the room, while running her fingers through her hair, smoothing out knots. It had been a windy day, but warm, which was why she had procrastinated on Potions in favour of spending some time in the sun, and quite enjoyed the way the wind had whipped her hair here and there. Since coming to Hogwarts, she had been spending much more time inside than she had back home in Whitehaven.
There were small groups, talking in hushed voices, some students in pairs, working one homework assignments together, and a few other lone students like herself, one of which seemed to be sleeping.
Dee didn't frequent the study room often, usually preferring to work in the library with direct access to additional sources if she wanted them, but it had been uncharacteristically crowded tonight, so she had decided to change it up a bit.

Suddenly, a cold feeling twitched through her chest, like she had forgotten something, something important. With slight panic, she glanced back down at the Potions essay, searching for something she might have missed. There - that wording was a bit off, it sounded strange.
Finally satisfied, she leaned back again.
In most classes, it wasn't that she cared about her grades all that much, she mostly cared about being better than the other students. Potions, however, was different. Potions reminded her of her mother, of home, of interesting and strange scents filling the house. Plus, she genuinely enjoyed it, too. There was something fascinating about it that she couldn't quite place, yet.

Lost in thought while staring at her essay, Dee barely registered the student calling out to her, and she certainly didn't recognize it as being directed at her. She only raised her head very slowly, glancing around for the Hufflepuff the boy was talking to. Not that she would react to being addressed as badger if it were her. She wouldn't like someone calling her eagle, either. It just sounded rude.
Only after she had tried to locate the Hufflepuff to no avail, and the red-headed boy was still looking her way, did the thought occur to her that yes, in fact, it was her he was talking to.
A quick glance at his robes told her that he was a Gryffindor. Of course he was a Gryffindor - what else would he be?
Straightening up indignantly, Dee threw back her hair and raised her chin. "Are you talking to me, Snake?"

[font=times new roman]Deliberately staring towards the girl, he had obviously misjudged the girl's house in which she retorted in kind by calling him a snake. This caused a bit of a smirk of his own as he let an elbow come to rest on top of the table he was sitting at. A hand let his chin rest upon it and he gazed upon the individual for a moment longer before retorting, "Ah, little birdy eh? No difference." he said offhandedly as he dismissed the comment with a slight roll of his hues. "Don't suppose you're a stargazer?" he pushed further.

Instead of just waiting for her to respond, it took only a moment to collect his star chart and book within his hands as he quickly stood from his previous position. "Sickle for a sesh'?" he once again stated. "This bollocks is absolute a bore'," he continued as he shifted around the table he had previously been occupying and continuing on towards where the girl was hard at work with whatever she was working upon at the time. Noticing that she seemed to be nearly concluded with the work that she had been deliberating on beforehand, "This nonsense is just, baffling to such a small-minded "snake" as myself," was concluded with a devilish grin upon his features.

It was a moment before he spoke again, a sly smile forming, "I don't suppose you can spare a bit," he offered. Without even letting her answer, he'd sit himself down adjacent to where she was and throw his book down in front of him and point vigorously upon the page he had in question, "The bloody hell does the distance of the planets matter to us wizzies to begin with?" he said, "I have no idea what this class is even about." he finished. An exhausting sigh was exasperated as he leaned back in the seat he now burdened. A shift of his arms and he'd throw them up in a questioning manner as if blaming the Gods themselves for the subject matter.

A nod was given them "So, a sickle, you," he hesitated for a moment as he narrowed his lids as he sized the girl up in a quick moment, "yeah mate, can't guess your name," he said, "maybe a Rachel," he deduced, thinking of the most basic name he could think of for the muggle students he encountered with the best average in schools compared to himself as he had previously grown up in. A nod was given before he gandered back down towards the papers and book in front of him in complete confusion, "So, whatcha say?" he concluded once more as he looked back up to the girl with his dark golden hues peering towards the girl. It was true that he was talking a bit too much, maybe even too fast at the moment, but he was kind of annoyed with his current state of responsibility to the subject matter.

@Dealla Prince

Well, this was interesting. And unusual.
Before Dee had been able to get a word in edge-wise, the Gryffindor had apparently decided that she was going to help him with his Astronomy struggles, taken up the space next to her, made himself right at home there, and borderline insulted her. Rachel? Please.
However, Dealla couldn't find it in herself to be mad at him - it was just that usually, she was the one walking up to people and deciding that they were going to have a conversation now, whether they wanted to or not. She couldn't really blame him for doing the same thing, right? She was just the tiniest bit impressed that he managed to out-talk her, though. She really wasn't used to that. Typically, Dee was the one with the mouth running a mile a minute while the other person still tried to figure out what was happening.
Well. If this rude Gryffindor wasn't going to introduce himself, she wouldn't either. "You can call me Rachel, sure," Dee quipped right back, a grin tugging at the corner of her mouth, "but in that case, I'll call you Kevin. You look like a Kevin to me."

Even while she was speaking, her eyes shifted down to the star chart he had laid out on her table - half across her wonderful Potions essay, too. Astronomy wasn't her favourite - by far - but she held her own well enough. It should certainly be enough to help out some Gryffindor kid who hadn't even been able to assess her house correctly.
"Astronomy influences huge parts of our lives, you know," Dealla said absentmindedly, before looking back up and grinning. "But yeah, I can't say that I care that much for it, either. I just have to know the phases of the moon for brewing potions, the rest is just," she waved her hands dismissively, "numbers and nonsense mostly, if you ask me. I thought we would talk about astrology in Divination, not in Astronomy."

Deciding that, sure, why not help that poor kid out, she didn't have anything better to do anyway, Dealla gingerly pulled her essay out from under the star chart, rolled it up carefully, and then straightened the chart out on the table. Critically, she looked at the work he'd done so far, while tugging at one of her brown locks in a habitual gesture. "You can keep your sickle," she continued, just a trace of sarcasm in her voice. "I'm not above doing a bit of charity from time to time."
Raising an eyebrow, she met his gaze, blue eyes twinkling with amusement. "So, Kevin, what exactly is your problem? This stuff really isn't that hard, you know."

@Zykeal Lane

[font=times new roman]Sometimes things went over his head, the fact that she was joking with him when she had called him "Kevin". Zykeal just stared blankly at her for a few moments with his head cocked to the side and an eyebrow raised, after a moment though, he shook his head to her with a little laugh and offered, "I'm not Kevin, silly one. I'm Zykeal. You can just call me Zyk though." he straightened up and nodded as he let a hand come up and gave her a two-finger salute against his brow, "Nice to meet you Rachel."

He listened as she continued to tell him a little about some nonsense about how Astronomy influenced huge parts of their lives, he sighed and waited for her to explain a little more before he let his shoulders fall against the back of his chair and he'd cross his arms over each other in annoyance as he looked to her and then the star chart that she was then gazing upon. Zyk perked up a little though when she offered not to charge him, he really didn't have that much money to spare and thought that it was a good sign that she'd offer to help for free.

It seemed a little effort from him would need to be exerted then, so he sat up in his chair and rested his elbows upon the table in front of him as they looked at the star chart. "Well, you see. I got an "E" in my last homework and I found that quite disappointing," a light shrug coming off his shoulders as he looked up towards the ceiling of the room before continuing, "It's just... The element thing, along with the Zodiac stuff. It's just not clicking for me," he finished with a slight huff. Looking back to her when she said the name "Kevin" once more.

Then it finally clicked then, his mind must have been in such a blur of homework recently to have not seen the obvious sign, "I'm taking it that your name is not Rachel," a sideways smile was offered as a hand raised up to ruffle to the top of his hair. Looking around the room, noticing that there were plenty of others in the room still as well, he'd settle into his chair and look over the star chart before pointing at Jupiter, "Like... how am I suppose to know the elements for a moon? Bloody nonsense if you ask me," he concluded as he nodded a few times to himself. Still, he forgot to ask her name, Zyk was just a little too scatterbrained at the moment.

@Dealla Prince

Dee's eyebrows shot up in something akin to disbelief when the Gryffindor not only really assumed her name to be Rachel, but also took her naming him Kevin at complete face value. Did the boy have no concept of sarcasm? No sense for the subtle intricacies of cynicism? Her father had taught her well in those. She supposed she would simply keep calling him Kevin until something clicked. He would learn, sooner or later.
At least he had introduced himself at this point, that was progress. He probably was less purposefully rude than just oblivious - which might be a trait she shared herself, but she was not going to admit that, out loud or otherwise.

Dealla also noted his obvious boredom and annoyance at her talking about the importance of Astronomy, and while she could somewhat understand that if it was about astrology, she was completely serious about the parts that related to potion-making and herbology. Dee narrowed her eyes at him - just slightly - but chose to ignore it, for now. It was most likely not his fault that he could not see the beauty of brewing potions, and the details one needed to pay attention to for it to work out exactly right. He could still learn, right? Zykeal was, however, apparently doing his very best to confirm a lot of the prejudices Dee held about Gryffindors.

Only his next words gave her a slight pause. An E was disappointing to him? In a subject that he held no interest in? That was... surprising. Granted, Dee had been slightly miffed at getting back anything less than the best grade in any subject - Defense Against the Dark Arts was proving to be her nemesis - but she had not expected some oblivious Gryffindor to be the same in that regard.
"Well," she said, a hint of surprise still ringing in her voice, "there's really no reason for you to not get an O in Astronomy, I suppose. I think there might be one simple solution to your problems - just read the textbooks. They tell you all you need to know, including the elements and Zodiacs for all planets of our Solar System and the Moon. Has that ever occurred to you?" Okay, maybe she had been laying the sarcasm a bit thick in those words, touching the line of condescension, but you had to start obvious with beginners.

At least, her repeated use of the name Kevin showed some effect, although it apparently was not enough to get him to ask about her name. "No," she sighed in a suffering voice. "My name is not Rachel."

@Zykeal Lane

[font=times new roman]"Bollocks," he blurted out when she indeed confirmed that her name was not the one that he had assumed it to be. A soft shrug of his shoulders was offered with a slightly apologetic look playing across his facial features. "Sorry love', no offense, this stuff is just throwing a bloody potato at my forehead, it is," he remarked with no sense of hostility in his voice, trying to ease her mind to know that he wasn't trying to intentionally insult her. A slap of his hand was given towards his star chart at that point as she had explained the Zodiac nonsense, pushing the chart away from them.

Leaning back against his chair then, Zykeal would shift his frame a bit so that he could stare up towards the ceiling of the study room. A fidgeting hand would withdraw his wand from his between his trousers lining, like a bad habit, he flicked the wand between his fingers as he spun it around like a muggle drum stick. Those dark golden hues flicked over towards her after a moment though, "Well, correct me then, whatcha name?" he asked, a little smile playing across his features as he canted his head over a little to look at the girl.

Of course he knew he had to get back to his studies soon, focus upon them and finish this homework that was causing him such a bother. That'd have to wait though, he forced the distraction of the girl and was fully engulfed in a back and forth conversation with her. Although she was instructive on the subject that he needed help with, he figured he could use her as an out to get out of doing his homework for the evening. "Cha' want me to guess again?" he said, the smile turning more into a wicked little grin that played across his face.

Letting himself right his position once more, he'd settle the ivory-colored aspen wand in front of him on the table and keep his gaze upon the girl. "Gotta know your name ya now, gotta. It's just the way of things," he said, a nod of finality was asserted as he waited for her to give an answer. It was quite rude of him to just assume her name before, so he figured he'd try and get her talking a bit more to try and gloss over their shaky introduction.

@Dealla Prince

Dee rolled her eyes at the boy, but there was a small smile tugging on the corner of her mouth.
Like it wasn't obvious that he was trying to distract from doing actual work - which was particularly ironic considering he was the one who had just flopped down in the chair next to her with all the grace of a fish out of water and demanded she help him with his homework. But - fine. It wasn't like she was particularly busy at the moment.

"Dealla Prince," she said with a theatrical sigh. "That's my name, you genius. And no, please, don't guess again. I don't even want to know what you'd come up with next - you would probably call me Karen or something." She paused, then narrowed her eyes at him. "But also, don't call me Dealla. Call me Dee, or I will reconsider my offer to help you free of charge."
After she had cleared this very important fact up, her face relaxed into a bright smile that showed that she wasn't all that serious about the issue - or was she? - and that she hadn't really taken offense with anything that the Gryffindor had done so far.
There really wasn't much in it that she wouldn't have done herself, so she wasn't in any position to judge, anyway.

"Sooo," she said, leaning back and drawing the word out, and eyed Zykeal from the corner of her eyes. "Why are you so obsessed with getting a perfect grade in Astronomy, anyway? Do you only get top marks in every other class?" He didn't look it, and certainly, if he were that good, she would remember him? They were both first-years, after all - at least she assumed that based on the fact that his Astronomy materials looked to be exactly the same as hers - so he should have stood out in class at some point, right?
Although - she wasn't the most attentive person about things that didn't concern her directly. Maybe he was just... quiet in class, and handed in good work, that was entirely possible. She didn't believe that to be the case, however, since he hadn't seemed shy so far, and also, he was a Gryffindor for Merlin's sake. They weren't supposed to be shy and quiet and studious, were they?

@Zykeal Lane

Zykeal would listen to her for a moment before responding, he registered her full name and a little sly smirk played across his features for the time being, "Prince? You look more like a princess if you ask me," he deduced. A quick peek over with those golden hues of his was made towards the girl as he shifted his possessions around in front of him once more. For whatever reason, Zyk wasn't nervous around this girl, not like he was with others, but she was obviously pretty and he didn't seem to think she noticed herself.

A hint of a laugh came from him then as he tried to shift his attention back on the pressing subject of his homework. "Genius? Maybe," he offered, "Talk to me about charms and I'll school even the best of your house," he shrugged, "most of the other subjects though I agree have some uses," he paused to consider his next few words carefully, "are not my favorite." A freehand shifted out once more to grasp his wand that was settled in front of him and he leaned back once more to twist the ivory-colored wand between his fingers.

Classes were a bit of trouble for him to concentrate in, to be honest, he much preferred to study on his own with the company of books. Hell, he honestly wished they had what the muggles called "YouTube tutorials" for some extra help in the subjects he wished to pursue. "The thing is, I don't tend to like most of my housemates, they're all too much... bravado," he said, thinking about the annoying quidditch players that always seemed to run their mouth a little too much for his liking. In the muggle world, that would be handled differently, but here, he was on strict terms from his mother not to treat these kids like the ones back home. "Suppose' I just don't fit in and you seemed to have a nice face," he said, another shrug coming from him as he looked up towards the ceiling, lifting his spinning wand above his head and staring upon it.

@Dealla Prince

Dealla first blinked, then snorted in amusement at Zykeal's rather corny statement. "Wow. So I look like a girl. Fantastic observational skills, 10 points to Gryffindor," she said dryly. She considered commenting on how he should maybe use that astonishing wit on Astronomy instead, but shrugged instead and let it drop. It wasn't her homework that was being left undone, after all.
This was... unexpectedly fun, really. Dee hadn't expected much of their conversation when he had first addressed her, but she liked the loose banter they had going.

Her interest was definitely piqued, however, when the red-headed Gryffindor mentioned his interest in Charms. Dee was more than decent at Charms herself, and although her interests mostly lay elsewhere, she could freely admit the importance of the subject. It would be very hard to deny the use of the spells they had learned this year alone. She wasn't sure whether his statement that he could "school even the best of her house" was more cocky or just confident, but she decided to just go with it.
"My favourite is Potions," she said, a small smile on her lips, "But I bet I could rival you in Charms if I tried."

Dealla leaned forward, resting her chin on her hand as she watched him spin his wand.
Hmm - maybe, just maybe, she had misjudged him a bit. With the way he had come up to her, all confidence and demands, she had written him off as the stereotypical Gryffindor, and it didn't help that she had her own set of prejudices against the House on top of it.
She didn't quite know what to make of him now, but there was no denying that she was starting to soften towards him.
"What House did you want to be in?" she asked thoughtfully, following his spinning wand with her aquamarine-coloured eyes before she looked back at his face. He had interesting eyes, too. "You know, before you came here? I thought I was going to be in Slytherin for sure." She grinned, bright and mischievous. "I was actually pretty upset when the Hat put me in Ravenclaw, but I learned to love it. Maybe the Hat does know what it's doing."

@Zykeal Lane