A Happenstance in Silver PV Sophia <3 Closed

Sophia was a little shaky as she walked back to the castle from what was easily her least favorite class: Flying. She was only about a week or so into even being a student at Hogwarts and she was quickly getting a handle on which classes she liked and which classes she didn't like. Which classes she was good at, and which classes she was abysmal at. Strangely, the answer to those questions typically suggested that she was abysmal at most classes.

She was squeezing an 'A' in Charms, Transfiguration, and Defense Against the Dark Arts, but only barely. It was embarrassing how terribly she was at actually casting spells, but her wand movements were clumsy, her pronunciation heavily butchered by her American accent.

She had an 'E' in History of Magic and Astronomy, because they weren't entirely different than her muggle education.

Potions and Herbology were her only 'O' classes, and she took a lot of pride in that. The classes were simple, she didn't have to worry about complex wand movements or incantations, and she could simply follow a recipe or follow plant care instructions.

Yet despite all of her effort, her Flying grade seemed to be gravitating toward what the wizards called a 'P' for 'poor.' It wasn't her fault she couldn't even mount her broom without crying. Heights were horrible. Heights, or more specifically, falls from heights were a leading cause of death for people! Why should she have to fly a broom way up into the air? It was an unreasonable expectation when she could just use her bicycle back home.

Needless to say, Sophia was in a foul mood as she crossed the courtyard. She was already pondering ways to tell her grandma she was a magical school dropout. There was no way she'd make it through seven years of this crippling blow to her self esteem.

As she bundled into her robes for an extra bit of warmth - Jeez, Scotland was so cold - she saw a familiar figure in the corner of her vision. It was a familiar silhouette that she recognized only vaguely, and couldn't even put a name to it right away, but her every instinct told her to hide, so she ducked behind a pillar, peeking around the corner at the figure.

It was a girl. A familiar girl. The girl from the owlery! What was her name? Gemini? No, that wasn't it. Gem, Gem, Gem, Gemima! That was it! Definitely! Sophia vaguely wondered if the girl remembered her, but that wasn't important right now. What was important was that Sophia was standing here staring at the girl from behind a corner like a total creep. She needed to go up to her and say something, right?

Maybe give her another hug? No, that was a horrible idea. Her other hug had made the girl uncomfortable, clearly, so that was not what she was going to do. She was going to walk up to the girl and have a normal conversation - maybe even properly become friends - without an owl kerfuffle and an embarrassingly awkward hug. Yes. That was what she'd do.

But what could she talk about? She didn't actually know much about the girl. What did she know about Gemima? Well, she was a Ravenclaw, like Sophia. She liked to write letters home to her family. She got along with the owls, which made Sophia's heart flutter with joy. Admittedly, Sophia didn't know much of anything about the girl. This was going to be hard.

She peeked around the corner once again, hoping no other students were watching her and her creepiness, and noted that Gemima was reading a book. That could be a good in for a conversation. But what was the book about? Sophia didn't actually read that much outside of schoolwork, despite being a Ravenclaw. She preferred movies and comic books. She certainly had a few books she loved, but she wasn't very well-read by any means.

Well, it was better than nothing. She just needed to learn what it was about, but she couldn't even make out the color of the book from here, let alone any of the writing or the title.

Giving up, Sophia decided it would be best to just ask. That could spark a conversation, right?

Sophia took a deep breath and walked over to Gemima's spot in the courtyard. She stood in front of the girl, peeking down at the book, hoping for some glimpse of the title or at least some hint of the genre. She couldn't think of anything to say, and her pulse was racing. She was so bad at talking to people. What if she messed this up? Maybe she should just leave and go to the Common Room.

Before she could even take a step back, however, Gemima looked up and Sophia found herself staring into a pair of dark eyes that were absolutely mesmerizing. Normally she didn't have the courage to make eye contact with people, so to accidentally do so was overwhelming. She found that she couldn't look away, no matter how hard she tried. They were like dark portals into the void, and they were completely immobilizing her.

Gemima spoke, breaking the spell she had inadvertently cast on Sophia.

"Hello again," she said, seemingly unaware of the effect she'd just had on Sophia, "Uh, f-fancy seeing you here?"

Sophia finally managed to look away from the girl's eyes, suddenly remembering that eye contact was something to be avoided at all costs. She was better off looking people in the nose, or even looking at her own shoes. It was much less awkward for a social potato such as herself.

Surprisingly, Gemima's cheeks were just as red as they'd been at the Owlery a few days prior. Did she have a condition, perhaps, or had Sophia just utterly failed at yet another social interaction?

"S-sorry," she mumbled, "I d-didn't mean to make things awkward. I was just, uh, wondering what b-book you were reading."

She took a moment to breathe and congratulate herself on getting a complete sentence out without completely butchering it, before realizing she hadn't even returned the greeting!

I'm so stupid! she thought with an internal facepalm, but she tried to avoid showing her frustration on her face.

"I'm S-Sophia, but you already knew that, I think. From when I told you. In the Owlery," she paused, realizing what she'd just done, "Why did I say that? You remember the Owlery, why would I need to tell you about something when you were there? Jeez, Sophia, get it together."

She stood awkwardly, grabbing her left arm with her right hand and looking down at her shoes. She offered a nervous chuckle to try to break the tension, but her rambling had likely ruined any chance she had of having a normal conversation, unless Gemima was a master conversationist. And she had been stupid enough to mention the Owlery! Why on Earth did she mention the Owlery? That was awkward for both of them. Mentioning it didn't do either of them any favors! She needed to try to salvage what she could of her end of the potential conversation.

"Um, hi, by the way!" she added quickly.

Good work, Sophia.

Notes:

Reducio

Sorry about the long post! I just kind of lost myself in my writing and it turned out pretty long >.<

Interacting:

@Gemima Sable

WC: 269 Hex: #433867

Date: September 9, 2021 Outfit: X

【☆】★【☆】★【☆】★【☆】★【☆】

Sophia seemed to be just as taken aback as Gemima felt. The latter watched pensively as the former fumbled with her limbs and stumbled over her words. Gem swallowed thickly, as her own thoughts began traipsing feverishly around her head. But then the next few words out of Sophia's mouth finally caught her attention.

"I was just, uh, wondering what b-book you were reading." Sophia breathed.
Gemima followed her eyes to the cover of the book in her lap. She snapped it closed and shifted it so that Sophia could have a closer look.
"It's The Night Circus, by Erin Morgernstern," she said slowly, still averting her eyes from Sophia's pretty green ones. Her tone was concentrated and careful, and she held onto the familiar topic like a lifeline. Socializing may not have been her strong suit, but books? Now that was her bread and butter.

"She's a muggle author. This is the first of her books that I've actually read, but I really love the story so far." Gemima continued. She might as well entertain a conversation. She didn't have many friends at Hogwarts yet, much less in her own House. And she had to admit that she was quite curious about Sophia. Maybe this was a a good opportunity to learn what made the redhead tick.

Gem puffed a strand of hair out of her face, and tucked a few more locks behind her ear.
"It's about a strange, magical circus, and all the people who frequent it. I'm not that far into the plot yet, but the rivalry between the two magicians is really invigorating. The whole writing style is very intricate, which makes for a great experience." She trailed off at that. Had she been rambling? Oh Merlin, that was even more embarrassing!

Gemima cleared her throat and decided to deflect the attention off of herself for the time being.
"Do you like to read too?" she asked. She hoped that the coloring in her cheeks would go down soon. It was likely that her tomato-appearance wasn't adding much to her efforts.

【☆】★【☆】★【☆】★【☆】★【☆】

@Sophia Nelson

Sophia sighed in relief at Gem's rambling about books. So she hadn't managed to mess up their whole interaction just yet. Great!

"I actually saw that book on the shelves in the library of my old muggle school, but I was too young to read it," Sophia said with a smile, plopping down and inelegantly taking a seat beside Gemima. She scooched closer, looking at the cover of the book with her friend(?).

Gemima started telling her about the basics of the book, and Sophia was enraptured. Wow. She could listen to her talk about books for hours. Her voice was hypnotic, but the passion was so strong. It was amazing! The redhead watched her dreamily, drinking in her every word. Sophia had never much cared for The Night Circus before, but this excited rambling had sold her on it. She suddenly wanted to read it for herself!

Then, much to Sophia's displeasure, Gemima stopped talking. Sophia frowned. Listening to Gem talk was so, so pleasant. Her passion was strong, and her accent was adorable! Why couldn't she keep talking? Sophia was far more relaxed than she had been all week, and her bad mood from her previous Flying class was long gone.

"Do you like to read too?" Gem asked, cheeks still red. Yeah, Sophia was sure she had a condition, but she knew enough about social interactions to know that asking about it would just be rude, so she didn't.

Oh, right, she thought to herself, Conversations are two-way.

She had a stray thought of Gemima narrating audiobooks, and it made her smile, but this wasn't the time for such thoughts. Gem had asked her a question, and she had to formulate an answer. Did she like to read? That was, well, complicated.

"I, uh, I prefer comic books. My Daddy loved them, and there are some really cool ones. I like tragic stories the most. Like, I like watching superheroes being beaten to the brink of death, only to not give up! To sacrifice everything to save the people they love, or even people they don't know!"

Then her face reddened in embarrassment.

"They were also a bit easier to read. I couldn't read all that well as a kid, at least not out loud, so I never spent much time doing it. It was so frustrating. Like, I had this awful stutter. I had to do speech therapy with one of my teachers, and it helped, but for a while I couldn't even finish sentences. So, like, when the teachers asked me to read to the class it was so embarrassing."

She hated those days, and she was a bit embarrassed to admit to her lack of ability to read well as a kid, but she always owned up to it. It was a good testament to her improvement since then. Her self-esteem still wasn't exactly high, but she knew she could talk, and she knew she could read. That was enough for her.

"What other books do you like?" she asked, hoping to lighten the mood from her stupid, dark turn she'd led the conversation down, "I'd love to hear about them!"

@Gemima Sable

WC: 407 Hex: #433867

Date: September 9, 2021 Outfit: X

【☆】★【☆】★【☆】★【☆】★【☆】

"I, uh, I prefer comic books. My Daddy loved them, and there are some really cool ones." Sophia started.

Gemima listened and nodded intently as Sophia described her literary tastes. But mostly, she was glad that she wasn't the one speaking. For now, anyway. Having all the attention on her made her all nervous and dizzy. Even just one set of eyes had her feeling jittery.

Gem perked up a bit at the mention of comic books. She knew a little about the rich, lore-dense world of costumed heroes and scheming villains, but there were just so many of them. So far, the only real exposure she'd had to the genre were all the huge superhero blockbusters Cath was a fan of.

But as she watched Sophia describe her love for comics, she felt a strange urge to go find the nearest comic emporium and just start reading. The other girl looked so excited, and her voice was very passionate. Gemima couldn't help but let a small smile play upon her lips.

"They were also a bit easier to read," Sophia was saying, "I couldn't read all that well as a kid, at least not out loud, so I never spent much time doing it" Her face fell. Gem's brow furrowed, and she unconsciously leaned forward to offer reassurance.
"I had this awful stutter." Sophia admitted. Then she looked back up at Gem.
"What other books do you like? I'd love to hear about them!" Her voice snapped back into its usual cheerful curiosity.

Gemima exhaled in amusement. "Well, I think that all forms of stories are great to read! Regardless if you can read splendidly, or not." she mused, "It's the effort that counts, and, uh, I'm glad you got through that challenge. It shows that you've got strength."

Gem paused to catch her breath. She still wasn't totally used to speaking so much. Thankfully, her embarrassment seemed to have died down for the time being.
"I haven't read much comics myself, but I think you've convinced me!" She chirped. "And as for my favorite things to read; I adore fantasy, thrillers, and even poetry."

"I even read some of the old stodgy books, like Charles Dickens' stuff." Gem flushed lightly at this. She'd been teased by her peers and family alike for her tastes. After all, what sort of eleven year old was reading Nicholas Nicklesby or Pride and Prejudice? It was almost unheard of.

【☆】★【☆】★【☆】★【☆】★【☆】

@Sophia Nelson

Sophia didn't know why she'd opened up so much with this girl she'd only just met. She hadn't even told her old muggle friends about the speech therapy and her reading issues growing up, so why this girl? They'd literally met less than a week prior, so wasn't Sophia rushing things in their blossoming friendship?

She certainly didn't feel like she was. Talking with Gem felt right, even though this was only their second conversation. It helped that Gem's voice was just so, so adorable. It made her drop her guard almost immediately, feeling like she was talking to an old friend.

"Well, I think that all forms of stories are great to read! Regardless if you can read splendidly, or not. It's the effort that counts, and, uh, I'm glad you got through that challenge. It shows that you've got strength."

Sophia felt terribly uncomfortable at Gem's praise, but she felt even more uncomfortable with the fact that she loved being on the receiving end of it. She couldn't even manage a response. All she could do was blush and look at her own feet. It made the conversation easier when she looked away from Gem, though, so that was fine.

"I haven't read much comics myself, but I think you've convinced me! And as for my favorite things to read; I adore fantasy, thrillers, and even poetry. I even read some of the old stodgy books, like Charles Dickens' stuff."

"You sound so smart," Sophia gushed, "I've only read A Christmas Carol and Oliver Twist. I have read a few fantasy books, though. I like the ones with dragons the most. I must have read Eragon over a dozen times since I came to Ireland."

Who would have thought that the flustered mess Sophia had met in the Owlery was hiding a bookworm under all that blushing? It was amazing to have the chance to get to know who this girl really was, but this was just the start. There was more to this girl than her impeccable fashion sense, adorable accent, and love of books, and Sophia was determined to unearth everything she could.

"M-maybe we could meet up in the Library or Common Room and swap comics and books some time?" she suggested carefully, not wanting to sound desperate, "I have a few comics in the dorm, and my grandma can mail me more. I'm assuming you have tons of books, too?"

There! She had an in. If Gem agreed, they could meet up and read together, maybe even get to know one another even more. Besides, these accidental meetings were too stressful. Maybe it would be easier on them both if they planned them out instead? If Gem wanted to meet again after today, that is.

Before Sophia could fall down that rabbit-hole of a thought process, a cool breeze hit her square in the face, causing her to shiver. She hated the cold. She'd been in Ireland for almost three years so far, but she couldn't for the life of her get used to the horribly chilly weather of the U.K. She longed for the warm and sunny Autumns of her hometown in the United States.

"Oof," she giggled, "I don't know how you guys handle the cold here."

She bundled up in her robes once more, thankful for the Hogwarts school uniform's relative warmth.

@Gemima Sable

WC: 383 Hex: #433867

Date: September 9, 2021 Outfit: X

【☆】★【☆】★【☆】★【☆】★【☆】

The conversation was flowing smoothly! Gemima was surprised at how easy it was to talk with Sophia. It was as if they'd known each other all their lives. The incident in the owlery was turning out to just be a passing memory, a misrepresentation of how the two could really interact.

Gem flushed again at Sophia's praises. "Thank you." was all she could say. She wasn't used to getting so many compliments, but it wasn't a bad feeling at all.
"Ooh, I've heard of the Eragon books," she remarked. "Haven't read them yet, though. Would you say they're a good read?"

Her eyes lit up at Sophia's proposal of a book swap. "I would love that!" she exclaimed, grinning. Then she shrunk back, slightly embarrassed for getting so excited. "Uh, I mean, I'd certainly be up for it."
"I have two whole stacks of books in my trunk. I wouldn't have been able to fit the rest of my things in there, if mum hadn't cast a charm on it," she recalled, giggling. "We'll definitely have to do a swap soon! I love getting to read new books."

Today was taking an unexpected, yet welcome turn. Normally, Gemima would be getting ready for the next day's classes, or organizing her school supplies. But now she possibly had a new friend to spend time with! How amazing was that? Admittedly, Gem wasn't too sure what they would do, exactly, but she supposed she would figure it out as she went along.

A chilly gust of wind whistled by the stone pillars. Gemima was strangely unaffected, given the fact that she was wearing a pretty light dress. Maybe it was all the coastal rain she had back home. Sophia, on the other hand, shivered and pulled her robes tighter around herself.
"I don't know how you guys handle the cold here." she said.

"Oh, here!" Gem reached for her school bag. She rummaged around in it, then pulled out her newly issued Ravenclaw scarf. She carefully leaned over (not too close this time!) and wound it snugly around Sophia's neck and shoulders.
Gemima sat back and inspected her handiwork. She nodded approvingly, and smiled. "There. It's all I've got on me at the moment, but the scarf should tide you over until you get back inside."

【☆】★【☆】★【☆】★【☆】★【☆】

@Sophia Nelson

"Eragon is a bit nerdy," Sophia said with a blush, "But I've always loved fantasy books, especially when they have dragons. It's nothing fancy, and you're probably used to more refined books, but I had fun reading it."

Who would have thought magic and dragons were actually real, though? Sophia had to admit that the kind of fantasy books she'd once preferred didn't have the charm they used to. Before, they were an escape from boring reality. Now, though? Well, magic was real, and she could actually learn to do it.

Gem's excitement at the idea of a book swap startled Sophia at first, but she found it absolutely adorable. Not a lot of things could make her smile too widely - especially after her parents' death - but Gem was quickly becoming the exception to that. These little things like Gem getting excited about a book swap, or Gem being concerned over her cut hands - which were mostly healed and scabbed over at this point! - or even just Gem speaking passionately about the things she cared about were so, so wonderful in Sophia's eyes, and she wanted to do anything in her power to keep the momentum in their friendship.

"I-if it's not too forward," she said, forcing herself to look into Gem's eyes, "T-there's a, uh, c-comfy reading area in t-the C-Common Room."

Smooth, Sophia. To be fair, Sophia was horrible at eye contact, so that probably why she got so nervous when talking to Gem like that. It definitely wasn't that she was trying to make plans with the girl. After all, she'd made plans with friends before, right? Though, none of her friends before were this adorable, admittedly. It wasn't often that Sophia could even consider someone adorable. Most people towered over her. Gem was still a bit taller, but it was close.

As for her complaint about the cold, Sophia had just been trying to make conversation. As lame as it was, she just wanted an excuse to keep talking to Gem. She hadn't expected Gem to take it upon herself to offer up a scarf. Sophia squeaked and looked away as Gem pulled a scarf from her bag.

She tried her best to resist the urge to lean away as Gem leaned in her direction, and after a very awkward moment - for Sophia, at least - the scarf was comfortably wrapped around her neck. It was so, so warm, but a stray thought wormed its way into Sophia's head. A thought she probably should have ignored, but she couldn't. She hated being doted on. It made her feel like a burden.

"Um, aren't you cold too?" she asked, surprised at the high pitch of her voice, "Hold on."

She carefully unwrapped the scarf and scooted closer to Gem, wrapping it around both of their necks. If she had a right to be warm in a comfy scarf, so too did Gem.

"There, much better," she said with a smile, "Thank you, by the way. It's been a pretty rough day, but seeing you cheered me right up. I really think I needed this."

@Gemima Sable

WC: 456 Hex: #433867

Date: September 9, 2021 Outfit: X

【☆】★【☆】★【☆】★【☆】★【☆】

"Nerdy is good," Gemima mused. "That means that it's going to be a very thorough and detailed story. I don't suppose you've got any copies?"
She had glanced at the scarf as she said that, making sure it was secure. When she looked back up, she was met with Sophia's captivating green eyes. Gem worried her lip between her teeth. Eye contact! How interesting it was that one tiny action could make you feel as if you were paralyzed where you stood. Or rather, sat, in this situation.

"I-if it's not too forward," Sophia stuttered, "T-there's a, uh, c-comfy reading area in t-the C-Common Room." She looked just as unsettled as Gemima felt.

The latter released a breath she'd been holding. Was that all?
"Oh! Yes, that would be ideal. Maybe you could show me later?" That was a bit forward, too. It implied that they'd be meeting up again.

Gem blinked, contemplating this venture. She found that she was actually looking forward to spending more time with Sophia. She'd never really made plans with anyone before. Everyone back home was off doing their own thing, and it was plenty easier to just read alone in the beach shade than ask if she could join them.

Gemima twiddled her fingers in her lap, as another smile played upon her lips. Then suddenly, a fuzzy woolen warmth encircled her neck.

She looked to see Sophia carefully wrapping the scarf around her. They were much closer than before! Gem went pink as their shoulders and knees brushed against each other. Her mind had gone blank yet again, and she just sat there, motionless as Sophia tucked the last bit of scarf behind her hair.

"There, much better," she murmured.
Gemima gave a muffled meep! in reply. She stared at Sophia, brown eyes wide and shining.
"Thank you, by the way," The redhead sighed. "It's been a pretty rough day, but seeing you cheered me right up. I really think I needed this."

Gem simply blinked back at her, at a loss for words. Really? She had cheered someone up?
The children back home had hardly given her a second glance, let alone actually talk to her. And now, here was this funny, sweet, equally awkward girl, someone who was happy to be in her presence. She considered how dull the remaining hours of the day would have truly been if this conversation had never happened. The dark haired girl sighed contentedly and swiveled back to catch Sophia's gaze.

"Y-you're welcome. I'm...happy I could be of help," she uttered softly. Gem cautiously bumped her shoulder against the other's. The smile returned to her face, and she was beaming gently.

"If I must say, you've made my day, too."

【☆】★【☆】★【☆】★【☆】★【☆】

@Sophia Nelson
i hope i made your heart explode with this one! see komi-san for quiet, flustered gem visuals...

Sophia had to think for a moment. Did she have any copies of Eragon? She hadn't read it in a couple years, but she was sure she'd brought at least the first three with her to Ireland when she moved. Yeah, she was certain of it!

"I think, I have a copy at my grandma's house, I could finally get around to writing her and maybe she'll send it? Can owls handle a heavy package like that?" she asked as she began to plan what she was going to say to her grandma in the letter.

Sorry I haven't written grandma, I thought you would hate me because I can do magic now. Oh, by the way, can you send a copy of one of my books with the owl that brought you this letter? Thanks, you're wonderful.

That definitely wouldn't work, but she'd have to face her grandma eventually, and if Gem wanted to check the book out, she could manage to write a letter home, surely.

To her surprise, and slight embarrassment, Gem agreed readily to meeting up in the Common Room for their little book swap, so at least she had something to look forward to. Something to quell her anxiety after she made contact with her grandma. This girl was certainly good at that, and Sophia found herself silently thanking God for bringing them together, even if they'd only known each other briefly. Now she just had to do her best to not mess things up with Gem. She had a tendency to speak without thinking, and that could drive a wedge in the best of friendships.

"I would love to," she said slowly, trying to avoid tripping over her words, "M-maybe next Monday? At six o'clock?

Sophia shook her head to dispel the anxiety that came with the thought of friend-making and looked away from Gem's eyes, lest she find herself a stuttering fool again. She would have to work her way up to eye contact, that much was apparent, and what better way to work up to eye contact than close proximity, right?

At least, Sophia hoped it would help, because she hadn't even thought of the closeness they would share when she wrapped the scarf around them both. She'd just thought it was unfair that she could be warm, but not Gem. As an unforeseen - to her - side effect, however, now she was sitting closer than she'd sat with anyone in years. Her leg and arm were burning from the contact, but she could swallow her own social anxiety if it meant sharing warmth with a friend.

After a moment, her head began to droop, exhausted from the day's classes. She'd cried her eyes out in Flying class, and not just because of the bad grade she'd received, and the fatigue was catching up to her. Surely Gem wouldn't mind, right? After all, they'd hugged before, and that was far more personal than this, right? Surely.

Sophia rested her head on Gem's shoulder, closing her eyes in utter relaxation.

"You have a comfy shoulder, by the way," she said with a chuckle. Yes, this was the most relaxed she'd felt all week. She could almost drift off to sleep, but she wasn't socially awkward enough to believe that was acceptable. Still, the calm of the very silver day was getting to her, so she let herself cut loose and sighed as she drifted off to a hybrid wake-sleep state. She wasn't fully asleep, but she was halfway there.

Then, without thinking, she muttered, "I was actually thinking of going home. These classes are so hard, and I can't even cast a basic Repairo. And don't get me started on Flying class. I don't understand how the other students can make it all seem so easy. I can't even mount the broom without crying, and I got my first grade today for last week's performance: it was a 'D', which is just as bad as in the muggle world."

She didn't realize she was opening up so much, but she just felt like she could confide in Gem. That gem was one of the people she could tell anything to without judgement. Was she rushing their friendship a bit? Probably, but Sophia was always quick to warm up to people and hard to shake off when she did. If she had even the slightest thought that she was meant to be friends with someone, she dove in head first.

Hopefully, she wouldn't drive Gem away with her over-affectionate behavior.

Notes:

Reducio

I made Soph mispronounce Reparo on purpose! she's useless at Charms!

@Gemima Sable