24 Jan 2019, 00:52
Great Hall Meets
Her eyes, roaming the Great Hall, she could feel eyes roaming looking at her. Was he staring at her? Bloom was unable to stare back at him. Instead, she looked at the middle of the table to the left of them where there was fruit just like on her Ravenclaw table. She reached over and grabbed a grape, popping it into her mouth.
"There's a lot to discover here. Just think... This castle was created during the medieval times where it was known for secret passageways!" she said, a little too excitingly. She wondered if she was looked at as a history nerd after saying something like that. Realistically, Bloom had no idea what she was-- she was still finding herself.
Bloom, grabbing another grape was about to pop it into her mouth but stopped when she heard Dravere's question. Moments before, he did not want to talk to her and now it sounded as though he was asking her on a date. Was it a date? Bloom, a thirteen year old, had no idea how to read the situation. Her heart pounded for a few moments. What should she say? Yes?
Her mind immediately went to Ben Eckenrode. She was still in love with him. Was she ready to move on to someone else? Let alone a first year? Was it okay to go on a date with a first year? So many questions were exploding in Bloom's mind. "Sure," she said fairly too quickly.
Heart pounding faster, Bloom took a deep breath and stared at the grapes on the table. She obviously was not over Ben, but maybe Ben would notice her again if she was with someone else. Could that be possible? Would that even work? Most likely, she would never tell Dravere of this plan, but it sounds like it could work.
"Let's meet in the second floor abandoned bathrooms. Professors and Prefects hardly check there for straggling explorers. What classes do you have left today?" she asked with a smile, keeping the conversation going.
Stamina - 10| Evasion - 11| Strength - 10| Wisdom - 11| ArcPower - 10 | Accuracy - 11
24 Jan 2019, 08:59
Great Hall Meets
Thankfully, she didn’t seem to take it as a date. She must have just been hoping for someone to go exploring with. What a relief. His heart was pounding, though, from the worry about her response. Anxiety made his chest tight, but he let his shoulders slump once she responded: relief.
“History of Magic and Transfiguration.” Abandoned bathrooms? That wasn’t surprising. Half the castle had to be abandoned. It was too large for the population in here. And of course, once she spoke, she smiled. It just seemed to fit her demeanor, really. She seemed the chipper sort.
“I’m sure there’s plenty of abandoned places here. It seems like every few years some ancient, secret room full of danger gets discovered.” And somehow the students were the ones fixing the issue. Maybe they were a test? Expose a new room every few years, see who rises to the challenge?
Frankly, he wouldn’t put it past Hogwarts. The school was either professionally educational or absolutely batty. It often seemed to lack a necessary middle ground.
He frowned at the thought, scratching a cheek as he thought. “How often have you gone exploring? From what I hear there’s as many abandoned places as there are secret rooms and forgotten stairwells.”
Perfect for wayward students, really.
“History of Magic and Transfiguration.” Abandoned bathrooms? That wasn’t surprising. Half the castle had to be abandoned. It was too large for the population in here. And of course, once she spoke, she smiled. It just seemed to fit her demeanor, really. She seemed the chipper sort.
“I’m sure there’s plenty of abandoned places here. It seems like every few years some ancient, secret room full of danger gets discovered.” And somehow the students were the ones fixing the issue. Maybe they were a test? Expose a new room every few years, see who rises to the challenge?
Frankly, he wouldn’t put it past Hogwarts. The school was either professionally educational or absolutely batty. It often seemed to lack a necessary middle ground.
He frowned at the thought, scratching a cheek as he thought. “How often have you gone exploring? From what I hear there’s as many abandoned places as there are secret rooms and forgotten stairwells.”
Perfect for wayward students, really.
24 Jan 2019, 09:46
Great Hall Meets
"Oh, if you haven't figured it out yet, you want to sit in the front during History of Magic. Professor Risa loves to call on those who sit in the back because she thinks they are the ones not paying too much attention," she said, giving the first year some advice. Over the course of a year there were a lot of different tips and tricks that one learns through their own experiences as well as through the experiences of others.
She nodded at his comment about how rooms opened up every few years. It was a true theory. Though it was more that there were always dangerous events happening on school grounds. After the Battle of Hogwarts,however, things slowed down just slightly. It wasn't until last and this year that the outbreak of a student in a mask had been unleashed. It was a dangerous and yet, confusing time for all the students in Hogwarts-- especially for Bloom.
Bloom shrugged to the side and smiled, her head tilted ever so slightly. "Just a couple of times. Not many of those I meet like to get into trouble. I've swam in the lake plenty of times but got caught once, found the Room of Requirement but it was horrendous and filled with lots of soot and ash, and also checked out the abandoned bathrooms," Bloom said quickly, excited to share with him what she had already gone. "I've also roamed around the Herbology Greenhouse, but found an acromantula out of its habitat and ran," she added, remembering that night with Reid Kovacs and how terrifying it was. She was nearly mauled by the overgrown spider, and was taken to the Hospital Wing thereafter because of her wounds.
"Maybe we'll find more today... or tonight!" she thought, wondering what else they could be able to find. As she was thinking of different places, more people began to trickle into the Great Hall. It seemed to be lunch time and benches were filling up. Bloom looked behind her and saw that her binders filled with papers were taking up room. She could go back and sit with her fellow housemates, but she was having fun getting to know the Slytherin and she did not want to ruin her plan.
Quickly, Bloom got up, grabbed her things and brought them to the Slytherin table where she sat back down where she sat. She placed the binders on the floor under the table near her feet. When she looked up, magically, there was more food on the table. There were sandwiches that filled the middle like a table runner and chips. It was definitely a light lunch in comparison, but it was because it was a weekday and the elves knew that the students needed to eat and run to their next class.
Grabbing a turkey sandwich, Bloom placed it on her plate in front of her and a handful of chips. She took a bite of a chip and felt a Slytherin sit next to her. "Oy...," he said, looking at Bloom up and down. "Get back to your own table, Ravvie." Bloom didn't budge. She's dealt with worse from Slytherins such as last year on the first day of school a Slytherin jinxed her hair and made her go bald for a week. It was excrutiatingly embarrassing. This, however, was nothing.
Bloom looked at the Slytherin, his teeth crooked. "What decade are you from? Separation of houses was so twenty years ago. Why don't you take a look around," she said, looking around herself to help him find his gaze. It was true: everyone was sitting with everyone. Yes, there were four houses and yes, there were four elongated tables, but after the Battle of Hogwarts, the concept of houses sitting by only their table had shifted. There were moments where they would sit with their housemates, but that was during important meetings such as the Sorting Ceremony and the Farewell Feast at the beginning and end of the year.
"Now, if you mind, I'd like to eat my sandwich in peace with Dravere here," she said, and looked back at the first year in front of her. The Slytherin had then ignored her and moved on to talk to the people around him. "If you were to explore, where would you go?" she asked Dravere, wondering what ideas he had in mind.
Stamina - 10| Evasion - 11| Strength - 10| Wisdom - 11| ArcPower - 10 | Accuracy - 11
24 Jan 2019, 12:29
Great Hall Meets
“Thank you.” He says, rather earnest. Her clear experience with the professors worth listening to. A year head start was still more than he had, and while he had noticed the trend it hadn’t fully registered to him yet. After all, his sample size was one class, rather than all of them. Still, he wasn’t surprised to hear how much of the castle she saw.
She very clearly got around more than he did. It wasn’t saying much, given he was not just a first year, but one that hadn’t gone exploring in the slightest. The closest he got was taking a different route to class from time to time. Hopefully he wouldn’t bore her later - no one liked being around boring people.
But... an acromantula? That was definitely up his alley. Part of him wanted to raise one of his own. Yet, he was profoundly aware that any he found outside of it’s smallest state was going to eat him without a second thought. Nasty beasts. His parents had told him of them as a boy.
But the hall was filling up, and it was time for her to go. He was moments away from bidding her farewell when she inevitably returned to her table before she rejoined him with her things. Was that allowed? She’d probably know better than him. Frankly he wasn’t bothered, but that didn’t mean much - he was hardly the one in charge of seating arrangements.
And then, his fears were reinforced. A housemate sat next to her, all crooked teeth and beady eyes. Sometimes, just sometimes, it was clear to see where the House stereotypes came from. The kid screamed Slytherin in his mannerisms. Bloom, to her credit, stuck up for herself. Despite that, he interjected.
“She’s with me. Mind your own business.” Without realizing it, he’d straightened up, his height now more obvious. The Slytherin left, muttering about Corvus sticking up for his girlfriend, but he simply shook his head. “Just my friend.” He corrects to the back of the housemate, and then he settled in, helping himself to a sandwich so he wouldn’t spend his last two classes hungry. And yet, he found himself wondering why he was defending her. She’d chosen to mock him at first, but now here he was, helping shoo off a fellow a Slytherin in favor of continuing to talk to her.
It hit him a moment later. She was being nice to him, and so, by extension, he had to be nice to her. His parents had long ago taught him that you get what you give, but they’d never explained it. He knew it annoyed them that he had taken it to mean ‘return what you’re given.’ If you were mean to him, he was mean back. Kindness created kindness in kind, but only if he received it first. Otherwise, he kept to himself and did his best to not bother anyone.
So, despite their rocky start, she had been friendly to him. It was only natural then that he’d stick up for her. His brows were furrowed, eyes narrowed, and he drew in a deep breath to steady himself before biting into his sandwich. She was talking, and he made sure to chew and swallow before even considering an answer. No one wanted food crumbs spit at them.
“I don’t know.” He admits. It was easy enough to do; there was no reason to lie about it. “I hadn’t much considered it. I’d always wanted to go swimming in the lake, if only because I always see it from below, not above.” His shoulders hefted into a shrug. “I spend my time in the dungeons - I really don’t get out much.”
She very clearly got around more than he did. It wasn’t saying much, given he was not just a first year, but one that hadn’t gone exploring in the slightest. The closest he got was taking a different route to class from time to time. Hopefully he wouldn’t bore her later - no one liked being around boring people.
But... an acromantula? That was definitely up his alley. Part of him wanted to raise one of his own. Yet, he was profoundly aware that any he found outside of it’s smallest state was going to eat him without a second thought. Nasty beasts. His parents had told him of them as a boy.
But the hall was filling up, and it was time for her to go. He was moments away from bidding her farewell when she inevitably returned to her table before she rejoined him with her things. Was that allowed? She’d probably know better than him. Frankly he wasn’t bothered, but that didn’t mean much - he was hardly the one in charge of seating arrangements.
And then, his fears were reinforced. A housemate sat next to her, all crooked teeth and beady eyes. Sometimes, just sometimes, it was clear to see where the House stereotypes came from. The kid screamed Slytherin in his mannerisms. Bloom, to her credit, stuck up for herself. Despite that, he interjected.
“She’s with me. Mind your own business.” Without realizing it, he’d straightened up, his height now more obvious. The Slytherin left, muttering about Corvus sticking up for his girlfriend, but he simply shook his head. “Just my friend.” He corrects to the back of the housemate, and then he settled in, helping himself to a sandwich so he wouldn’t spend his last two classes hungry. And yet, he found himself wondering why he was defending her. She’d chosen to mock him at first, but now here he was, helping shoo off a fellow a Slytherin in favor of continuing to talk to her.
It hit him a moment later. She was being nice to him, and so, by extension, he had to be nice to her. His parents had long ago taught him that you get what you give, but they’d never explained it. He knew it annoyed them that he had taken it to mean ‘return what you’re given.’ If you were mean to him, he was mean back. Kindness created kindness in kind, but only if he received it first. Otherwise, he kept to himself and did his best to not bother anyone.
So, despite their rocky start, she had been friendly to him. It was only natural then that he’d stick up for her. His brows were furrowed, eyes narrowed, and he drew in a deep breath to steady himself before biting into his sandwich. She was talking, and he made sure to chew and swallow before even considering an answer. No one wanted food crumbs spit at them.
“I don’t know.” He admits. It was easy enough to do; there was no reason to lie about it. “I hadn’t much considered it. I’d always wanted to go swimming in the lake, if only because I always see it from below, not above.” His shoulders hefted into a shrug. “I spend my time in the dungeons - I really don’t get out much.”
24 Jan 2019, 15:43
Great Hall Meets
For the first time in a long time, Bloom felt a bit powerful to put someone in their place. If it were last year, she would have listened to the person and left without a trace of backlash. But now... There was something different about her and it was a part of her that she couldn't put her finger on. It seemed as though the Slytherin next to her, however, was not finished. He made a remark to his fellow housemates which made Corvus Dravere open his mouth to stick up to for her. In a way, she figured that he needed to say the last word if she assumed that he liked her.
"Well since it's winter now, the lake is too cold to swim in," she said, knocking that adventure down. For one, she had done that one many times. But secondly, Bloom did not have much in her closet and that means she had no bathing suit. When she went, it would be either by herself or with girl friends who she'd sneak out with as she would be using her undergarments as her choice to dip into the water with.
Bloom had made sure that not many people know of her socioeconomic status in the Wizarding society. Although her father worked in the Ministry, they were considered in the lower class standing in society. Bloom had two uniforms, one pair of pajamas and two non-uniform outfits and that was it. Most of her clothing, however, were hand-me-downs from her older sister, Claire.
Knowing that she turned down Dravere's dream of swimming in the lake, she still gave him a small smile and went to eating her sandwich and chips.
For a moment, it was silent. Chomping away eating her sandwich, Bloom couldn't help but to hear her name echo from the table. It wasn't coming from the Slytherin and his close housemates near them, but rather from the second years further up on the elongated table. She paused from eating and tried to listen in on what she could.
Look, it's Bloom. I heard she controls the masked student. Bloom rolled her eyes. Wrong, she thought to herself.
Are you serious? So she could be responsible for the death of those students?
Oh yeah, most likely. How on earth is she still at this school? Bloom took in a deep breath and tried to close her ears from the gossip that roamed the table. She needed to get used to it by now. In a way, it was her fault with what she said with Aurelia during the Oktoberfest. She did threaten her life by using Ben to get her, but she was angry... She would never have done that nor was she even able to do something like that.
"Have you ever been in the Room of Requirement?" she asked, wondering if he was able to get into the room. Not all students were able to get in. It was definitely a fluke that she was able to find the door during her first year. It typically took students a couple years to figure out how it all worked.
Stamina - 10| Evasion - 11| Strength - 10| Wisdom - 11| ArcPower - 10 | Accuracy - 11
24 Jan 2019, 16:38
Great Hall Meets
It took him a few moments to process her question hadn’t been literal - she hadn’t been asking where he thought about going, she’d been asking where they could go later today. Why didn’t she just ask that? He supposed it must have made sense in her head. It was really the only explanation. He felt a bit dumb, but he forgave himself. You can’t give the right answer to the wrong question, after all. Still, he knew that hidden shame would torment his thoughts at night, as past embarrassment often did.
While they ate, she seemed momentarily preoccupied. Unfortunately, he couldn’t figure out what it was that drew her attention. A rather loud person across the table was filling his ear and he found crowds hard to differentiate sound in anyway. Silence? He knew silence. But this was something different.
Being in the Great Hall felt like someone had strapped a weight to his neck and was blasting music into his ears. He would inevitably leave with a headache and a desire to be somewhere quiet, which would, inevitably, lead him back to the Slytherin common room.
Her next question was a bit of a surprise, but he simply shook his head. “No, no I haven’t.” He frowned, wondering what it was like inside. She’d mentioned ash, but would it be that way for him, too?
“I suppose I haven’t needed it enough yet.”
While they ate, she seemed momentarily preoccupied. Unfortunately, he couldn’t figure out what it was that drew her attention. A rather loud person across the table was filling his ear and he found crowds hard to differentiate sound in anyway. Silence? He knew silence. But this was something different.
Being in the Great Hall felt like someone had strapped a weight to his neck and was blasting music into his ears. He would inevitably leave with a headache and a desire to be somewhere quiet, which would, inevitably, lead him back to the Slytherin common room.
Her next question was a bit of a surprise, but he simply shook his head. “No, no I haven’t.” He frowned, wondering what it was like inside. She’d mentioned ash, but would it be that way for him, too?
“I suppose I haven’t needed it enough yet.”
24 Jan 2019, 16:51
Great Hall Meets
Finishing her sandwich and chips, she grabbed another handful of the salty delight. Chips she could never get enough of. While it may be a simple food, it had made her moment during lunch. Crunching into another chip, she began to think about where else they could go. She then had the best idea.
"You know, the one place I have yet to visit is the Restricted Area in the Library...," she said, biting into another chip with a devilish smile on her face. "Let's go there tonight." Bloom thought it was perhaps the best idea she had in awhile. It was something new, quiet and if they got in, that would be the main highlight as it was sometimes always guarded by the 'sleeping' book that screams the minute someone hangs around the area.
Realistically, she was in hopes that this adventure would take away the last eventful memory of when she was in the library. It was when she saw Ben after so long and finally had the ability to confront him about his disappearance. She also regretted that night because she broke up with him-- she couldn't handle his masked self although she loved him. She was too young to support herself and him at the same time.
"What do you think?" she asked, wondering if he was up for such a rebellious, but fun adventure.
Stamina - 10| Evasion - 11| Strength - 10| Wisdom - 11| ArcPower - 10 | Accuracy - 11
24 Jan 2019, 17:13
Great Hall Meets
Restricted area of the library? That was right up his alley. It was so in line with what he liked, in fact, that his own grin swiftly mirrored her own. Was he adventurous? Not particularly. But any fish could bite given the right bait.
He knew better than to think they could actually read the books. While it was roped off, he highly doubted there wasn’t some kind of jinx placed on... well, just about anything in that section. Would it be the books? The tables? He could just feel an alarm tripping off if he grabbed the wrong thing.
Of course, that worried him. But the prospect of potentially getting his hands, even momentarily, on a book he otherwise couldn’t... well, it was simply too good to pass up. Why she wanted to go there, he couldn’t fathom. Maybe she wanted a new book like he did.
Ultimately, it wasn’t the ‘why’ that mattered. It would come down to ‘how.’ And from there, that they didn’t get caught. It would be hard, given his size, but from a distance he could pass off as a higher year student that didn’t need permission. And Bloom herself could just hide... maybe it would work.
“Sure. I can meet you there.”
He knew better than to think they could actually read the books. While it was roped off, he highly doubted there wasn’t some kind of jinx placed on... well, just about anything in that section. Would it be the books? The tables? He could just feel an alarm tripping off if he grabbed the wrong thing.
Of course, that worried him. But the prospect of potentially getting his hands, even momentarily, on a book he otherwise couldn’t... well, it was simply too good to pass up. Why she wanted to go there, he couldn’t fathom. Maybe she wanted a new book like he did.
Ultimately, it wasn’t the ‘why’ that mattered. It would come down to ‘how.’ And from there, that they didn’t get caught. It would be hard, given his size, but from a distance he could pass off as a higher year student that didn’t need permission. And Bloom herself could just hide... maybe it would work.
“Sure. I can meet you there.”
24 Jan 2019, 17:36
Great Hall Meets
Excitement was ringing through her mind. Bloom had been aching for another adventure and what better than to go into an area that was highly patrolled. They would most likely get detention from this outing, but in a way, for Bloom, it was worth it. She had always wanted to go into the Restricted Section of the library and whatever she couldn't get into now, she can learn from and get into later.
Eating the last of her chips, Bloom looked at the Slytherin first year with another smile. "Perfect. Let's meet in the library after curfew. Around ten?" Bloom's eyes lit up at the prospect that this was happening. Bloom got out from on the bench and bent over to pick up her binders filled with papers that was located under the table by where her feet rested. When she got back up, she waved to Dravere and walked towards the exit of the Great Hall.
Although she was going to attend Potions and Charms today, she knew she would not be listening. She would instead, be planning her adventure in the library with a new friend who she did not even consider on meeting. A thought had then crossed her mind. Was he only a friend or was he more? Her heart still belonged to Ben, but maybe she could have an intermission, right? Perhaps that would make Ben go wild seeing that she's 'moved on'. Only time will tell.
[BLOOM LEAVES THE ROOM]
Stamina - 10| Evasion - 11| Strength - 10| Wisdom - 11| ArcPower - 10 | Accuracy - 11