For the most part, Guinevere's fourth year had been uneventful. She had stepped down from her spot on the dueling team after last year's absolutely dreadful results, otherwise known as losing every match she was in, despite even her extra efforts to learn more spells and practice them on her own. She had lost some of her previous enthusiasm for the sport as well, and decided that maybe a year off wouldn't do any harm.
Without a sport to take up her hours outside of class, she had instead spent half the school year settling into a routine that mainly consisted of eating, studying, and sleeping. There was something about the rhythm of it all that made boring a little less boring. In addition, the curfew for fourth years had been pushed back one hour from last year, so Guinevere often utilized this time to take herself out for a walk, either on the grounds or in Hogsmeade. Especially with just half a year and one summer break left before fifth year and OWLs, (Wow, she thought, I really am getting old!" the Slytherin figured she would use the free time before it was gone.
In no time, December 23 had rolled around and she had opted to visit home for winter break instead of staying at Hogwarts as she did last year. She had packed daily necessities, warm clothes, and her skates, with the help of a certain handy charm which she was glad to finally utilize. She also brought a handbag that contained various snacks, her book, and her wand.
It came time to leave the castle and board the Hogwarts Express to King's Cross, and at once the large group of students started to shove and squeeze their way into the train's very finite amount of cabins. Dragging her trunk behind her, Guinevere rushed to the end of the train, searching for and finding an empty compartment to sit in, levitating the trunk to an overhead shelf. While waiting for the commotion to die down and the train to start moving, Guinevere ate a slightly smushed marshmallow biscuit from Honeydukes.

@Stace Halston
ooc note: xx

Date: Dec 23, 2024

Interacting with: @Guinevere Russetwood

Stace: #ff794d Thought

Outfit

OOC note:

The freezing winter breeze disheveled Stace’s hair. She tucked her sweater tighter on the platform of Hogsmeade station, regretting packing all her thick jackets into her luggage and leaving none for this day. But the ruthless wind didn’t blow away Stace’s mood. She is rejoiced about the fact that she is going home for the first time after residing in Hogwarts and is going to enjoy her first winter holiday, mainly Christmas with her family.

Stace never enjoyed squeezing into withering seas of humanity, so she is often left at the end of each line. When Stace boarded the train, it was already fairly peaceful, indicating most people had found their place to sit. She doesn't mind sitting with someone she has never met before, but definitely not with a group of clattering friends. Her sweater rubbed against the train windowsill as she scanned the cabins one by one, observing each of them filled with scenes she didn't quite want to see.

Stace is already planning to join one of the bustling carriages to enjoy a good talk as her shoulder bag bumped onto the train wall for probably the millionth time when she paused herself in front of a cabin. She is already at the very end of the train, and this cabin appears to have only one passenger inside. Stace glanced at the girl sitting for a second. She is older than her, probably a fourth or fifth year. A biscuit wrapper is lying on the tray table, which seems like the girl has just finished. She seemed to be enjoying her solitude, Stace thought, hesitating in putting her hand on the cabin door. But finally she made the move.

"Excuse me, all the other cabins are full. Do you mind if I join you?" Stace asked the girl politely, clinging to the sliding door.

wc: 307

Guinevere finished eating the biscuit and discarded the wrapper on her table, momentarily forgetting that there was still a chance someone would find their way into her compartment. She looked out the window and saw distant mountains that were already beginning to show spots of pale snow on their peaks, and grew excited about the possibility that some bodies of water in Scotland would be frozen over when she arrived. Lost in thought, she almost jumped when a voice asked about joining Guinevere.
“Oh!” she said abruptly, trying to clear her teeth of any crumbs before she opened her mouth to talk. “Sure, of course, come in.” She grabbed the wrapper from the table and shoved it in her bag hastily.
Guinevere took a closer look at the newcomer. The first thing she noticed was her bright orange hair, and somewhat remembered seeing her during the school year, though she couldn’t be sure. This year, the Slytherin barely paid any attention to the Sorting Ceremony, but nonetheless aware of the ever-growing list of first-years. It was kind of brain-numbing how that list just kept on going and going, and how that tattered hat kept shouting out house names one after another… how she wished it would just shut up and let them eat already.
She figured she should maybe start a conversation, after a moment too long of silence. “I love your hair,” she said at last. “Is it natural or did you use the Hair Color-Changing Charm, uh…” She tried to remember the incantation for the spell, since Transfiguration wasn’t her best subject. “I think it’s called Crinus Muto, right?”

@Stace Halston
ooc note: xx

Date: Dec 23, 2024

Interacting with: @Guinevere Russetwood

Stace: #ff794d Thought

Outfit

OOC note:

Hearing the girl's consent, Stace grinned and entered the cabin, dragging her luggage behind her. She observed the girl quietly, watching her promptly shove the wrapper out of Stace's sight. She seems a bit dispirited, Sace thought as she struggled lifting her luggage onto the train rack.

She sat down opposite the girl after finally settling her trunk. The girl looked deep in thought, and she even seemed to be going back to her entire fall term in her head. Stace decided that being the first one to break the silence is rude in this case, as she will certainly not interrupt others' thoughts. She pretended to be tidying her shoulder bag when she heard the girl begin to speak.

“I love your hair.” She's so sweet! Stace has always held a neutral perspective on her hair, believing it's rather unique but a bit too showy.

"Thank you!!!" She tried to sound thrilled, as if being grateful for the compliment, which she really is. "Well, it's natural," wow, indeed too garish. "I inherited it from my father; his is even less bright." She gave a soft chuckle.

"Hmm, honestly, I don't know, I think it's a second or third year charm. But I heard it once, and I think you are right." She recalled her mother once mentioning it. Thinking it would be best to know the girl a bit more, Stace started, "By the way, I'm Stace, Stace Halston. Call me Stacy if you want. I'm a first-year Ravenclaw. Glad to meet you!"

wc: 254

She realized a second late that this girl may have received the words more backhandedly than she intended. It was true that some people weren't fully on board with their natural hair, that was the whole point of hair dyes and spells to change one's hair, right? She was going to clarify herself when the girl in front of her responded already.
"Oh, interesting! Where are you from?" Guinevere followed up after the girl's first response. "Well, it's not really overly bright, but it's cool how it looks like fire in this lighting. Hmm. Second or third? Maybe. I'm not the best with Transfiguration." She didn't like all the visualization that was required at first to learn spells, but when certain one started to cast easier, they were definitely useful things to have. "Anyways. It's cool that you have such unique hair. I've just got plain brown, as you can see. Maybe I should try to dye it." She lifted a strand of her hair from her back to demonstrate.
At the girl's (now identified as Stace Halston) introduction, Guinevere also realized that she hadn't given her own name yet.
"Huh. Is Stace your full name? I always thought it was a nickname," she wondered. "Either way, hi, Stace! I'm Guinevere Russetwood. Kind of long, I know, so you can call me Gwen, and I'm a fourth year Slytherin, ex-Duelist. Good to meet you too." She extended her hand to shake, not in a diplomatic way but instead simply as a greeting. It was funny how greetings changed through the years. She thought back to her first train ride to Hogwarts and cringed at how awkward she was, all that rambling and yapping definitely did not do her any good in making friends. Whatever. "How's Hogwarts been for you so far?"

@Stace Halston
ooc note: xx

Date: Dec 23, 2024 Interacting with: @Guinevere Russetwood

Outfit OOC note:

"I'm from Inverness. Not too far from Hogwarts!" Stace responded to the girl's question about where she's from, thinking it's a bit abrupt straight after the topic of hair.

She turned faintly red at the girl's figurative praise. “Thanks! Anyways, me neither." She recalled the transfiguration classes. The animals are pretty fun to observe, but she is just not the best at casting the spells. She watched the girl twirl a wisp of her hair for her to see, only amazed by the smoothness of it. Stace secretly compares it to her own which gets frizzy frequently like a cat with its fur standing on end.

"Well, I think plain browns are cool too! They are seriously underrated. Besides, your hair is so smooth, which makes the color less important. You can dye it, but I think either way is good." Stace expressed genuinely.

She chuckled inside, sensing the girl was pretty frank with her words, like her, when she wondered out loud about her name sounding like a nickname. "It's indeed my full name. I know it's a nickname originally, but I dunno why my parents got it the other way around." She grinned after she finished, listened to the girl introducing herself, and put forth her hand in return for a shake.

"I guess it's alright, overall I enjoyed it here, except sometimes the curfew and moving stairs can be annoying. The classes are generally pleasing, despite a few that ..." She tries to think of a joke to amuse Gwen. "Could even cure insomnia."

"So where are you from? How about your life at Hogwarts?" Stace sat there silent for a second, and added, "And is there a reason you are not on the duelling team right now? Hope I'm not too intrusive." She is only curious about why she stops duelling now.

---------------------------------------------------Stace: #ff794d---- | -----Thought

wc: 306

"Inverness? We're going the same way then, both to Scotland? Hmm, I guess Inverness is still a bit from Stirling. That's where I'm headed." Guinevere racked her brain to ponder where redheads usually were from. Not to say they could only come from one place, but where was it most likely? She abandoned that train of thought quickly. It could probably be the result of a combination of alleles or genetics or whatever. She then realized it was probably a bit strange that all this time they were just discussing this innocent girl's hair. She coughed awkwardly.
"Thanks! I should, perchance, haven't gotten an use for that spell yet," she responded. During the school year she had heard a classmate use 'perchance' in speech often and decided that she would jump on that bandwagon.
"That's still cool, though. Makes you stand out from all the other Stacys and stuff." Not that Guinevere knew any Stacys personally, but maybe Stace did. She cracked a smile at her next words. "Well, you'll be glad to know that curfew gets pushed back an hour when you're my age, and I'm not even that old. As for the classes, maybe look into drinking some coffee!" In her opinion, though, the Great Hall's breakfast coffee was not her taste at all, and she instead preferred to run off to Madam Puddifoot's during the break between classes.
"I was born in Stirling, but my mom's Korean. I have a brother who's a sixth year right now. I dunno where he is. Oh, and I'm a half blood, if that makes a difference. Hogwarts is pretty good, I'd say. Like you said, I think some of the classes were really boring when I started out, but trust me, it gets way better when they start teaching the more interesting spells." Guinevere considered casting a spell, but didn't know if there was any type of force limiting spellcasting on the train and didn't want to embarrass herself. "No, you're good, it was pretty simple, really. I was kind of doing trashy anyways, and with OWLs next year I just didn't want dueling to get in the way. What about you? How are you liking Hogwarts and do you do a sport?"

@Stace Halston
ooc note: xx