Dragons are Dumb PV Adelaide Barlowe Finished

"If your father and sister are obsessed with Quidditch, you've never been curious as to why?" Jack wanted to know. "I would think the fact that they're people close to you would make you all the more interested in why they like the sport. Isn't that why you're reading about dragons? To understand why your father likes them and maybe get closer to him that way?"

Jack's blush spread from his cheeks all the way to the tip of his nose and to his ears when the girl repeated his words about being lonely. "Shh! Not so loud," he hissed, keeping his head down and looking around as if afraid someone he knew might overhear. Then he sighed. She was only repeating what he had said, which was the truth, after all. He was just humiliated at both the fact that it was the truth and the fact that he had admitted it aloud.

Surprisingly, though, the girl didn't make fun of him as he might have expected her to. In fact, she confessed that she, too, felt the same way. Furthermore, how ironic it was that he made a habit of being argumentative and she often found herself being argumentative with others. "'Hate each other for the rest of eternity', huh?" he repeated, chuckling softly at that.

Then, with a mischevious smile that Jack found himself amused by, she offered a word of advice. He laughed again, this time more heartily, and tilted his head at her, regarding her more closely. "I'm Jack Burnett," he introduced himself, accepting her offered hand to shake it. "And I'm sorry if I made you want to bang your head against a table, Barlowe. It's just...I try to avoid making friends, so all I can do to interact with people is to make them hate me. If they hate me from the start, then they can't turn on me or backstab me or leave me later like friends do. You know?"

He shook his head. "I don't expect you to understand, but...for me, enemies are easier to make and more preferable than friends. Friends make you worry. They hurt you whether they mean to or not." Jack stared down at the table. "That's why I try to get people like you to hate me. So I have someone to talk to and interact with without the pain of friendship."

@Adelaide Barlowe

Interacting with: @Jack Burnett Mentioning:

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Date: 6th March 2022 Outfit: x

"I suppose you have a point," she conceded, "but I have tried to understand why they like Quidditch so much, and it's just not for me," she shrugged, "but with dragons? It's easy to learn more about them because it's just research, which I love to do, so even though my father and I don't share Quidditch with each other, we can both share our interest in dragons," she explained to him.

"Sorry," she whispered as the boy in front of her started to turn the shade of a bright, red tomato. Even though part of her couldn't help but find this situation funny, she also had to admit that she did feel a tiny bit sorry for him. Just a little. Maybe it was because she related slightly to his words, maybe not, but whatever the reason, that tiny bit of sympathy was there.

The Ravenclaw shrugged halfheartedly, "I don't forgive very easily, so if you argue with me or make me mad, usually I will hate you for the rest of eternity," she explained as the boy chuckled at her comment, putting emphasis on 'usually' because it seemed today would be different. Even though he had pissed her off earlier, part of her just seemed to want to forgive him.

Her lips turned up into a smile, which continued to brighten as the boy continued to laugh, today certainly took a turn for the better. "I won't say nice to meet you, because I don't think you left the best first impression to be completely honest," she chuckled, hoping the glint in her eye would tell him that she was joking, "but I'm... glad, let's say, to make your acquaintance," her smile slipped slightly as the boy continued to speak, and that tiny ball of sympathy inside Adelaide continued to grow. "Well, you may think that, and you sort of do have a point, but friends are great to have, especially if you find the right people. Listen, I'm more of an introvert and like to spend most of my time alone, but there are still times that I need someone to talk to and a support system, if you don't like making friends, who do you go to if you need to talk to someone?" She asked, tilting her head to the side curiously, "Obviously not everyone you meet is going to be a great friend, but if you cut the toxic people off and keep the ones who genuinely care about you, and who you genuinely care for, they're great to have."

Adelaide was fairly certain Jack was older than her by at least a couple years, so it felt slightly weird that she was the one giving him friendship advice. Wasn't it meant to be the other way around? The older year helping the first year? Either way, she wanted to help him because for whatever reason beyond her knowledge, she did feel bad for him.

Her frown continued to deepen, "Enemies hurt you on purpose though, because they're ya know, enemies. I don't think your friends mean to hurt you, granted, maybe they say a joke that upsets you, but you can always talk it out with them and if they're truly your friend, they'll understand. Friendships aren't meant to hurt, so maybe you've just been hanging around with the wrong people."

Jack continued to smile as Adelaide spoke on the subject of friendship, but his smile gradually grew more and more sad as she did so. He knew she was right on some accounts, but others he wasn't so sure.

"I'm...not sure you understand," the teen said slowly as he tried to think about how to explain his mindset. "When I say friends hurt you whether they mean to or not, I don't just mean if they might have said a joke on accident that hurt your feelings. I mean that caring about anyone hurts. The more you care about someone, the more it hurts. When they feel sad and you know about it, you feel sad too. You worry about them if they do something dangerous, even if it's as ordinary as playing something Quidditch, and that worry can eat away at you constantly. Sometimes it might even just be a worry that they'll stop wanting to be your friend." He thought back to his dormmate and the hours they had spent in that magic room together talking and laughing and just generally enjoying each other's company.

He sighed and shook his head. "Maybe it's just me and I'm just not good at making or keeping friends. One time when some friends of mine were fighting with each other at my old muggle school, I was trying to stay friends with both of them, but they both just felt like I was siding with the other person and eventually stopped wanting to be my friend. Friendship just seems like more trouble than it's worth in my opinion," he said sadly.

"I'm glad that's not the case for you, but I just can't do it. I'm not...I'm not strong enough to be constantly worrying like that all the time about people I care about too much. It just seems like it's best not to care at all."

@Adelaide Barlowe

Interacting with: @Jack Burnett Mentioning:

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Date: 6th March 2022 Outfit: x

Her jaw clenched automatically as Jack insinuated she didn't understand, but she unclenched it quickly once she realized what she was doing. Even though she hated being told she didn't understand something, she was trying to give Jack the benefit of the doubt in this situation. It was said with no ill will and he probably didn't actually mean anything by it. There was no reason to get angry with him again when they were starting to simmer down and have a normal conversation. Plus, she was trying to sympathize with him and understand where he was coming from and why he was so hesitant about making friends.

She nodded along as he spoke so he would know she was listening to what he was saying. Once he finished his explanation, she nodded once more and took a deep breath. It was silent for a couple of minutes after Jack had spoken, Adelaide taking time to process his words and trying to formulate a response. He did have a point, she conceded. Adelaide cared for the people she loved deeply, probably too deeply at times. Honestly, she wasn't sure what she would do if one day one of her loved ones turned around and stabbed her in the back. It would destroy her. Completely and utterly destroy her. "You," she started slowly, "you have a point. I do understand where you're coming from, I think," she trailed off more as she continued to think. Jack's points were logical, putting your trust in someone was a dangerous thing. They could break it any moment, snap it in half like a twig. But a life without love wasn't really living, was it? It was merely surviving.

"Yes," she started again, "the more you care about someone, the more it hurts. You have that right. You do worry about your friends and loved ones constantly, but I think that just comes with caring about someone. I don't think you should spend your time worrying over whether people will leave you or not. Sometimes that's just life. People leave, people stay. New people come in to your life too. You can't control that, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't have friends altogether because you can't stand them leaving," she took another deep breath, "I honestly don't really know how to explain it. But what I'm trying to say is that sometimes life happens and friends leave but other friends are always going to come into your life, and true friends will stay with you forever, through thick and thin. I guess if you believe in fate I'm basically saying everything happens for a reason."

Her gaze softened, not entirely sure how to comfort Jack because she didn't know where their boundaries were right now. I mean, they've went from enemies in the making to sort of, kind of, maybe something akin to friends in not even 24 hours. "I don't think you're the problem," she said softly, "as I've said before, sometimes things just aren't meant to be. Getting a bad apple in a bunch doesn't mean you should stop eating apples because there will always be good ones. I'm sorry that happened with your friends, but I personally have to say that friendship definitely isn't more trouble than it's worth. Friends are great to have."

Suddenly she had an idea that would hopefully make Jack a bit happier, "How about this. We can be friends and you won't need to worry about me at all because trust me, I can take care of myself. You don't need to care about me at all, but I can also be someone to go to if you ever need to talk." Once it came out of her mouth, she wasn't sure whether she had crossed a line or not. Was it too much? What if Jack didn't want someone to talk to? He certainly made it seem that way, but all Adelaide could do was leave the words hanging in the air and wait for a response.

Jack knew he talked a lot, but the fact that Adelaide listened the whole time without interrupting once spoke volumes about her patience. He could tell she had been listening, too, when she told him she thought she might have understood where he was coming from. So when it was her turn to speak, he listened just as attentively.

She explained how it was true that the more you cared about someone, the more it hurt, but that she didn't think he should spend his time worrying over whether people would leave him or not. Jack would have liked to say that was easier said than done, but he knew she was right. He worried too much about the wrong things.

Was it really better to have no friends just because you couldn't stand for them to leave? He had debated that so often since having come to Hogwarts. He had told himself he could get by with just having enemies and that they would keep him from getting lonely, but it was tiring to be disliked and hated all the time. Besides, Jack agreed with what Adelaide said about true friends. He also thought he agreed with her that everything happened for a reason.

Looking up when she said she didn't think he was the problem, Jack regarded her seriously, wondering if she meant it. But as someone who had just been a pain in the butt to her a few minutes ago, her belief that he wasn't the problem had to have counted for something, right? Her logic and analogy to apples made perfect sense. Maybe he really was just making too big a deal over the pain that friendship caused. Life was filled with pain, after all, and the point was to overcome it and move forward.

At Adelaide's sudden offer to be friends, Jack was at first too stunned to say anything. He was shocked she was so willing to extend a hand of friendship to someone as purposefully obnoxious as he was and, not only that, but to assure him he didn't need to care or worry about her. It was a remarkably kind gesture for a mere acquaintance, especially when they had been on the verge of becoming enemies not too long ago, and Jack was touched.

The older student went from open-mouthed and wide-eyed to smiling shortly after once he had overcome his surprise. "Alright," he said a little shyly, not really sure how to express his gratitude. "Thank you, Barlowe. But...I like to believe in equalivant exchange, so...if you ever need someone to go to to talk, I'll be here, too. Fair?"

@Adelaide Barlowe

Interacting with: @Jack Burnett Mentioning:

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Date: 6th March 2022 Outfit: x

Whenever Jack had spoken, Adelaide had stayed silent and only nodded along occasionally so he would know that she was actually listening, and Jack had returned the favor whenever she had started to speak. This day had certainly taken a turn she hadn't expected, and she would most definitely be lying in bed tonight wondering why she had gone from hating this boy to having a deep, meaningful conversation with him in the span of minutes, even now she didn't exactly know what had happened and whereabouts in the conversation (seriously, when did it go from dragons to friendships? There was zero correlation between the two) had it changed from insults and arguing to this, but life was strange that way. Sometimes it was best to just not question it.

To her honest surprise, Jack had actually accepted her invitation to be friends. For a split second, she had thought he wasn't going to. He had stayed silent after she had spoken, looking a bit stunned, and she couldn't exactly blame him. This entire situation was confusing to her too. But then when his face had relaxed into a soft smile and he had accepted her invitation, Adelaide's face was also graced with a tiny smile. "No problem, and I do think that's fair," she said, nodding, "so, I agree. How about we shake on it?" She held her hand out to Jack and waited for him to shake it, as if they were doing some sort of business exchange instead of merely becoming friends (that was still weird to think, considering they were on the very cusp of becoming enemies not that long ago), but this exchange couldn't really get any weirder, so a handshake it was.

"Can I ask why you keep referring to me as Barlowe?" She asked in curiosity as she grabbed the book on dragons she had been reading and didn't actually get to finish, intending to bring it back to the common room with her so she could finish it later. She continued, "I do have a first name, or do you just like to call people by their second names? Should I start referring to you as Burnett?" Adelaide raised an eyebrow teasingly as she smirked slightly. The Ravenclaw was aware that some people just liked to refer to others by their surname, for whatever reason. Maybe it was meant to be cool or intimidating, even though it wasn't exactly intimidating when Jack called her Barlowe.

To Adelaide, it seemed the conversation had run its course. They'd already agreed to be friends, and unless Jack had anything else to add, she would likely end up leaving the library soon. Definitely not how she thought a simple trip to the library would go, but since this was Hogwarts, she didn't know why she was surprised. She would just have to finish reading the book in the safety of her common room.

Jack, who adored business-like transactions and behaviors like 'shaking on it', laughed when Adelaide proposed just that and enthusiastically took her hand to do so. The 'deal' was done. They were...friends. How strange.

When she asked why he kept referring to her as Barlowe, he rubbed the back of his neck in embarrassment and smiled bashfully, looking away. "I, uh...I tend to call people by their last names because calling them by their first names seems a little initmate and familiar to me. Something friends might do." He shrugged, trying to seem casual about it as he continued, "But...I guess if we're going to be friends now and you prefer us going by first names, we could do that." He glanced at her shyly, wondering which she would go with. "Would you...prefer to call me Burnett, or...or Jack? And do you want me to call you Adelaide instead of Barlow?"

As he noticed Adelaide grab her book to go, he readjusted his grip on his own, reminding himself what he had come to the library for in the first place. It was getting late and Adelaide probably had somewhere else to be, after all. Still, he wanted to at least know what name to call her by before they parted ways for the day.

@Adelaide Barlowe

Interacting with: @Jack Burnett Mentioning:

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Date: 6th March 2022 Outfit: x

To be completely honest, she still didn't truly understand the way Jack's mind worked. It was slightly strange, but she wasn't going to question it. Everyone was strange in their own way, if you really thought about it. Plus, with the entire conversation they just had about friendships and Jack's opinion on them, she honestly shouldn't even be surprised.

"Interesting reason," she said, "but I'm not exactly surprised," she chuckled good-naturedly, "I honestly don't care whether you call me by my first or last name, so call me Barlowe all you want. I'll call you Burnett from now on if it makes you more comfortable. Don't sweat it," she smiled reassuringly. If calling Jack by his last name would make him more comfortable, then Adelaide would do it. It wasn't that big of a deal to her, but it seemed to be a big deal to him, if his hesitation when he said his own name was any indication. So, if Jack wanted to go by last names, then that's what they'd do.

"Well," she stood up from her seat then, "this was certainly an interesting conversation. I definitely didn't expect this to happen when I went to the library today to read a book on dragons. I'm going to head now, but it was definitely interesting meeting you. Hopefully the next time I see you around, you won't hate dragons that much, Burnett. And maybe you'll even like the idea of friendships." She teased him, smirking. If Jack didn't have anything else to say, Adelaide would say goodbye to him one last time before turning on her heel and exiting the library.

At least she left the library acquiring a friend? Even if they had gotten off on the wrong foot. Maybe offering forgiveness to people wasn't that horrible after all. She definitely won't start doing it more often, though.

Thread left.

Jack's shy smile grew a little more comfortable when Adelaide chuckled, calling his reason interesting. He felt even better when she told him she didn't mind him calling her Barlowe and that she would call him Burnett if it made him feel better. He supposed that was what friends did - made each other feel as comfortable as they could in whatever way they could, even if it was just with little things like this. It made him grateful to her. "Thanks," he said, meaning it. Even if she said they were friends now, it would take time for him to be able to accept it for real, he thought. It was still such a shock.

He watched her stand up and mimicked her action, getting up from his own seat as he prepared to leave. "It certainly was," he agreed when she called theirs an interesting conversation. "And I didn't expect this to happen, either. But you know what? I'm...kind of glad it did." He dipped his head in gratitude and smirked back in response when she said hopefully the next time she saw him, he wouldn't hate dragons that much. And that maybe he would even like the idea of friendships.

Maybe he wouldn't hate dragons, exactly, but friendships still made him wary and afraid. Still, maybe with help from people like Adelaide, he could slowly learn to overcome his fear. Maybe. Only time would tell.

"Hope to see you around, Barlowe," he said as she told him goodbye and left. He proceeded to do the same shortly after.

@Adelaide Barlowe