11 Nov 2023, 01:56
Birthday Breakfast
Harmony settled into her seat at the Hufflepuff table with a buzz through her body. It was Halloween! This meant the castle had a spookier but wonderfully dramatic look going, but more importantly, that it was Harmony’s birthday! She felt very internally confused as she was upset she didn’t have her family here with her, but she was celebrating her first birthday at a magical castle and who could be sad about that? Besides, her parents were sending a letter with a gift, and writing letters was unexpectedly fun.31 October 2023
As she pondered over her breakfast, there was a squawky screech and her family’s more dramatic owl, Lord Byron, came hurtling through the air with a chunky letter clutched in his beak. He landed with a thud before Harmony and flicked his head as if he had hair, tossing the letter from his beak to the table.
“Thanks, Lordy,” Harmony grinned, reaching to scritch his feathered head. Lord Byron stood and accepted the attention for a while before opening his relaxed eyes to inspect the food in Harmony’s bowl, glancing meaningfully up at her.
“Yes, go take some,” she rolled her eyes good-naturedly. “Just not too much, or it might hurt to fly”. He didn’t listen, of course.
While Lord Byron pecked carefully at the best bits of Harmony’s breakfast, she opened her envelope and found the chunkiness was due to a book that came with the letter. She put the book aside for the moment to read the letter, laughing a little at the casual nature with which her parents referred to the notable poets, and glanced at the folded sheet of paper that had fallen from between the book and letter: the annotated poem. Her eyes widened as she reached the end of the letter. A director’s handbook! A flick through the pages of the book only grew her excitement. This was going to be fun.
Interacting with: @Alyssea Brown
Last edited by Harmony Hollins on 20 Nov 2023, 08:59, edited 3 times in total.
| STA • 6|EVA • 5|STR • 4 Keen Eye WIS • 8|ARC • 5|ACC • 7 |
Harmony Hollins Ency #b8884e |
And lo, he did reach into his bag of talent, and verily, it was found to be barren |
11 Nov 2023, 03:33
Birthday Breakfast
Now that she'd taken Monday off to rest and recover from the thrill of broom sports over the weekend, Alyssea was determined to make Tuesday productive. She had a duel to win next week and she was going to make Hufflepuff proud. Of course, growing children also need food for both the body and the brain.october 31st 2023; interacting with @Harmony Hollins
Alyssea headed into the Great Hall and towards the Hufflepuff table. She noted a few familiar faces here and there across the four tables, but she had things to do, people to meet, and places to be today, so socialisation wasn't on the cards.
Just before sitting at her normal spot (close to the professors but not directly at the end), she caught sight of a letter in a girl's hands. Seeing the letter reminded Alyssea she hadn't owled nor received an owl from her parents recently. Maybe it was time for a recount of the month of October since so many things happened. First, the ball and whatever tragedy occurred, becoming a racing captain, and doing all sorts of sports.
Back to the letter, Alyssea's eyes found the words 'happy birthday' and her eyes widened. Then she found the addressee's name just above the greeting.
Alyssea gasped. "Harmony! Happy birthday!" It was also Halloween, too! "Did your parents get you a lot of candy for your birthday?"
The brunette took a look at the table and saw a bunch of papers. Hmm, they didn't. But it was Halloween and, from the few years spent in Muggle neighbourhoods before coming to Hogwarts, Halloween was the only time in the year her parents didn't make her control her sugar intake. For the three days after Halloween, she was allowed to eat as much chocolate and candy as she collected.
Was Harmony not into Halloween? That was impossible! Halloween was an awesome time. Alyssea leaned in so only Harmony could hear. "Hey, wanna sneak into Hogsmeade and get some candy? You can buy chocolate frogs at Honeydukes, there. Or! We can go for some nice tea at Madam Puddifoot's. I haven't tried her stuff yet, but I heard she's nice."
Alyssea hoped Harmony would take the trip to Honeydukes in the spirit of Halloween. But of course, options were a thing and she was quite excited to have a reason to try Puddifoot's, too.
(She totally forgot today was supposed to be dedicated to duelling. Oh, well.)
“I hope she'll be a fool — that's the best thing a girl can be in this world, a beautiful little fool.”
― F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby
11 Nov 2023, 06:40
Birthday Breakfast
Harmony looked up from her papers at the sound of an excited voice to see Alyssea, who’d just wished her a happy birthday.31 October 2023
“Thank you! No, but that’s ok, I got this poem and this book and we’re going to do something in the holidays!” Harmony wasn’t a big fan of suddenly having unlimited access to candy as she would somehow manage to think too hard about the best way to eat them and end up either just not or planning her consumption to the last minute. Some candy was good, though, and she was just considering this thought as Alyssea leaned in and suggested sneaking into Hogsmeade.
“Would we be allowed?” Harmony asked, wide-eyed. Well, of course not. That was the whole point of sneaking in. “I mean, what if we get caught? Do you know the way?” The First Year was quite terrified of the chances of getting in trouble, on her birthday as well, but she couldn’t help but trust Alyssea, and if she knew her way around…
Going to get some candy did sound good, and a tea shop sounded like a really cute place to hang out. If the two weren’t likely to get caught, maybe the adrenaline rush would be a good bonding experience and a chance to stray from the Road.
Interacting with: @Alyssea Brown
| STA • 6|EVA • 5|STR • 4 Keen Eye WIS • 8|ARC • 5|ACC • 7 |
Harmony Hollins Ency #b8884e |
And lo, he did reach into his bag of talent, and verily, it was found to be barren |
19 Nov 2023, 23:36
Birthday Breakfast
Books and poems. Had Alyssea been more of a bookworm for literature, she might've been genuinely interested in Harmony's presents. But no, reading for pleasure had been thrown out the window since she started sports. The last book she ever read for pleasure was way back in First Year. What was it again? Something by Bathilda Bagshot, probably.october 31st 2023; interacting with @Harmony Hollins
Still, she decided to feign interest. "Nice! Well, I hope you enjoy those."
Sneaking out must've been new in Harmony's vocabulary as she asked about Hogsmeade. Alyssea had to pause. Would they be allowed to go to Hogsmeade on weekdays? Everyone tended to go on weekends, so perhaps it was only then you could go without looking suspicious. Alyssea shrugged. "I know the way. I've been a few times already. And if we get caught, well, let's hope we don't."
She chuckled. Offering to bring the girl to sneak out was probably the strangest birthday party. Still, it was part of the Hogwarts life. Speaking of...
"Oh! By the way..." Alyssea took a small note out of her pocket and handed it to Harmony. "Read the contents carefully and make sure to burn it so no one knows. As for Hogsmeade, meet me here this Saturday. If you're still wanting to, of course. Sounds good?"
Reducio
p.s check your owls love 
“I hope she'll be a fool — that's the best thing a girl can be in this world, a beautiful little fool.”
― F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby
20 Nov 2023, 08:30
Birthday Breakfast
A few times already? There really was something in Hogwarts air that made everyone way more willing to do crazy things. Or maybe endless rule-breaking and sneaking out was just what you got when you stuck a bunch of magical adolescents in the same castle. Either way, Harmony’s parents were always telling her that while it was good to want to follow rules, it was also good to lightly break a few and allow herself to have fun. She’d always been too scared to do so, but maybe now was a good time to start. She’d have a good guide, too.31 October 2023
“We can keep on the lookout for people in charge,” Harmony agreed to Alyssea’s hope of not getting caught. “I’ll tell them it’s my birthday or something, I dunno.”
Maybe she could owl her dad and ask him for advice. It was an odd thing to do, owl a parent and tell them all about plans to break rules, but Harmony’s father had been a theatre kid forever, and everyone knew theatre kids were wild. He wouldn’t get upset as long as she wasn’t hurting or being hurt.
Alyssea handed Harmony a small note, and, still speaking in the quiet hush of a conspiracy, gave some very suspicious instructions.
“Woah, ominous.” Harmony slowly took the note and inspected its outside, holding it low so it was shielded mostly from view by the two students’ bodies while Alyssea confirmed a plan for Hogsmeade. Harmony took a breath before looking back up at Alyssea. Her next words would solidify her status as a good student or set her on the course of rebellion…
“Yes, see you then”
Interacting with:@Alyssea Brown
| STA • 6|EVA • 5|STR • 4 Keen Eye WIS • 8|ARC • 5|ACC • 7 |
Harmony Hollins Ency #b8884e |
And lo, he did reach into his bag of talent, and verily, it was found to be barren |