Just another country 'bumpkin pv

[quote] While Jrue smiled, she couldn't help but feel like it was fate she decided to sit with the previously unknown dark haired boy. With such similar backstories and personalities, they had to have been destined to meet. She tilted her head at an angle, watching Zephyr as he explained his cow anecdote. "Cow spit?" She knit her brows together, leaning back in her chair a bit. A small giggle escaped her lips. "I can smell it at the thought-" She let out another fit of laughter, brushing hair behind her ear.

Good old Mr. Binky... Jrue leaned forward again, resting her elbows on the table. "Okay, so let me explain-" She said in a pseudo-serious manner, "little old 9 year old Jrue, wakes up one morning to her father at her bed, nudging her awake. 'Guess who was born last night-' he says, and little 9 year old Jrue leaps up in excitement and sprints outside, pink and yellow jammies still on. Lo and behold, a little white and gray puffball laying on the floor of the barn. 'Dad, can I name him?!' she screams, and he is about to correct her when she responds 'Mr. Binky, Mr. Binky!'... and he's been Mr. Binky ever since. Little me was too stubborn to listen..." She shook her head, gazing into the distance with a light nostalgia in her eye.

Jrue was delighted to hear the boy laugh. She'd cracked his nonchalant exterior! At the response to her question on chores, she nodded, her expression grim. Folding each individual T-Shirt... yuck... "Well, I'm glad my mother had the initiative to pick up a wand before an iron-" She shrugged her shoulders. "Although, it's not like I've never done a chore in my life... I wash the windows sometimes... or, pick up after dinner... and the farm, there's always that," Jrue pointed her finger at nothing in particular, watching Zephyr with a warm, soft smile on her face.

When he mentioned her bringing up the farming topic, she grinned. She was glad to know her bad habit of nervous incessant behaviour finally got put to use. Then he added, "You worry too much,". Little goosies appeared on her neck. Did she worry too much? 100%. Was there something she could do about it? Most likely. The meditation she took a liking to helped a bit. Bit that was mostly for her tempermental management. "Well, I'm glad you feel comfortable..!"

Favorite activity... She thought for a moment, head still resting on her chin. She hummed for a moment, a lightbulb going off inside her head. "I enjoy the first couple classes of Herbology I've gone to. And I hope on joining the Broom Racing team. Although, I've never hopped on a broom before..." She bit her thumbnail without realizing, looking down to see the chipped blue fingernail polish flaking off. She brushed it with her other hand, brushing it onto her seat. "And potions. I like the way they smell-" Her cheeks turned rosey from smiling so much, and she looked down, her lashes fluttering. "And you?" She asked Zeph softly, folding her hands under the table.

Zephyr grinned at Jrue’s giggle as she reacted to the cow's spit. "What, you know it's true." He knew she knew, and she could even imagine what it smells like. "Whatever that is, that's probably right." Not even stopping himself from laughing along with her. Only those people who grew up on a farm will understand how funny that was. The way she described Mr. Binky was entertaining, as it was easy for her to just assume his gender. “I can just picture you as a little whirlwind in your pajamas, running out to the barn like that, and stubborn too. I was like that with the chickens at home, I've tried to name them all, even the ones that didn’t want to be named.” He shrugged like it was a normal thing to do. “Animals just make you do silly things sometimes.”

They discussed chores, and she shared what she typically did at home. “Washing windows and picking up after dinner were easy ones. I do that too. But your family has magic to help; it was easier than what I’m used to.” He was thinking about how he sometimes got frustrated at the endless farm work when he was younger, but also how proud he felt when he finished a big task. “The farm keeps you busy, as you said.”

At her next reaction, his ears felt warm again. “I guess I do, I like to be sure I’m not bothering anyone, or saying the wrong thing. With you, I don’t feel weird.” He smiled, hoping she would understand that he meant it. Her talking a lot was helping him to open up, too, without even realising it.

Their conversation shifted to favourite classes, and he was surprised to hear that it was another topic they had in common. "Herbology and broom racing? Same here. Herbology comes naturally, having been raised on a farm. But broom racing? Why are you interested in that?" he was amazed the first time he was able to ride a broom and hover off the ground. “I like Care of Magical Creatures too, especially if it's about magical creatures. I'm interested in learning how to care for them and understand their habits. Potions are okay too, the smells are weird, but I can live with that.”

He hesitated for a minute before suggesting something fun. “Tell you what, I'm going to teach you a secret handshake I learned from my sister. She said I should do this with the person I'm comfortable with.” He reached out his hand to her from across the table and said, "Follow my lead," then grasped her hand in a normal handshake, twisting it slightly and hooking their fingers together. Then they moved their hands in the little up-and-down flick, while trying not to laugh at how silly it feels. “See, easy right? We can do it whenever we see each other or just to say hi. Makes it fun, right?”

@Jrue Peterson

[quote] "Chickens?" Jrue raised her eyebrows, stifling a laugh with her hand over her mouth. "Those are kind of impossible to tell the difference between-" She crossed her arms, leaning back in the small chair she sat in. "You know, remind me to tell you about my cat sometime." Her eyes scanned over his soft expression. His hair was shaggy, little curls at the nape of his neck, and larger ones over his forehead. It gave off a 50s vibe.

"You know," she said, her voice trailing off as she squinted her eyebrows at him, "you look like Ponyboy Curtis, from the Outsiders..." She smiled with her teeth resting on her bottom lip. "I love that book. It's a classic. Cherry Valance, mmm. It's my goal in life to dress like her. 50s and all cutesy-"

"With you, I don't feel weird." She watched the boy smile, and chuckled softly. "Oh good, I'm glad. I feel like now's when I mention I'm actually a circus clown in my free time." She wrinkled her nose, running her hand through the ends of her hair with a gentle hand.

"I dunno, I think my Grandfather did it when he went to Hogwarts. I saw a couple trophies of his in the display room," she pursed her lips, thinking of another reason. Why did she want to broom race? Was there another reason? "..and, I like the idea of getting to float through the air. No worries, other than trying not to fall..." She laughed, biting her thumbnail softly. She gasped when he mentioned care for magical creatures. "Me too! With all the animals at home, I'm sure you excel in that class. My budgies and cat make me want to go into Care for Magical Creatures. I can't wait to meet a Hippogriff. And a thestral would be cool, even if it's bad to be able to see them.." She nodded thoughtfully.

A secret handshake? Jrue thought, tilting her head a bit. He reached his hand out and she grabbed it softly. His hands were coarse and calloused, probably from farm work. He twisted and hooked their hands together, and she smiled at him. She'd never thought of having a secret handshake with someone, especially at Hogwarts. And yet here she was. "Easy enough, I guess-" She laughed, letting go of his hand and resting her hands in her lap under the table. "I'll only have to do a little Homework..." She teased, looking down at her hands. She smiled a tiny bit.

Zephyr couldn't help laughing, “I know what you mean, they all look the same until they do something dumb or funny, and then you notice.” He smiled at the image of her in her pajamas, running out to see Mr. Binky. Her mention of her cat was met with a raised eyebrow. “Pray tell why I remind you of your cat?" He was hoping it's a good comparison. Her next words suprised him, that he looked like Ponyboy Curtis. He doesn't know the book so imagine how conscious he was for being compared to a character in a book “Ponyboy? Why is that?” She's a got a very curious goal in life, to dress up like Cherry Valance. "You sure do have a weird goal. Why do you want that of all things? What's with Cherry Valance that you really liked?"

He understood why she didn't feel weird in his presence because he felt the same way. The feeling of saying something to her without overthinking it. The circus clown was amusing, "A circus clown? What do you do tricks now?” His curiosity was honest, and he hoped she didn’t think he was weird for asking.

She talked about broom racing and magical creatures, "I know how it feels like, the freedom while up in the air. The cold wind on your face, and the view!" he admitted. “Hippogryff and Thestrals? What are those?” He grew up in the muggle world without enough knowledge of the magical world. There were still a lot of things he didn't know. And if it's about Magical Creatures, you bet he would be interested to know about.

Jrue was game and did the secret handshake with him, even liked it. "Easy, right?” letting go of her hand and grinning at her. “We’ll practice it more, and it’ll feel natural in the long run. I don’t mind teaching you.” It had been a while since he stayed there, it's time to go back to their common room. "Anyway, I gotta go. It's nice talking to you Jrue." He had no doubt they will talk again, after all they were classmates and housemates.


@Jrue Peterson

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mentions. @Zephyr Deakin notes. Byeeeee! song. Not a Lot, Just Forever ~ Adrianne Lenker actions. exiting and closing thread four fourth six p.m. the Small Hall.

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"No, goofball, not you, remind me to tell you about how silly animals can be, one animal being my cat," she knit her eyebrows in a comical manner, laughing at the boy across from her. Zephyr was charming, always saying the most interesting things, whether he meant to or not. He had this nature to him, one where she just wanted to tell him stories and listen to his jokes. It was pleasing, and a nice contrast to the assortment of busy and sometimes rather snarky characters that roamed the halls with them here at Hogwarts.

She shrugged at his questions on the Outsiders. "Couldn't tell you why. You just have... a 50s American vibe, but in the best way possible," she nodded, ", and this warm, whimsical smile!" Jrue assured him, tucking loose hair behind her ears. She watched him talk about the feeling of freedom that flying on a broom gave him, the notion making her glad to have brought it up.

"Oh, gorgeous things. Well, not that I've seen a real thestral, they're only viewable after you've witnessed death," she nodded somberly, "but the drawings I've seen in textbooks and such-" she shrugged her shoulders, this time in a happy manner, her cheeks round an squinched up as she smiled. "Sorry, slipped my mind you weren't um, versed in that kind of thing-" she said sheepishly.

"I don't mind teaching you-" Jrue blinked as he said it, watching him gather his things. He smiled at her one final time before standing up and bidding her adieu, exiting the Small Hall with a polite wave. He was so genuinely kind! It made her glad knowing she had people she could call companions and friends here at Hogwarts, that would talk to her no matter how she dressed or what embarrassing things she said.

Hogwarts needed more Zephyrs, she thought, kicking her legs up onto the chair next to her and unfolding a scroll. Maybe she had ought to write a letter to her parents.

355/200
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