⊷ clocktower courtyard

@－ ❛ ɢ ❜：leo silverthorn。⁰³ he looked around briefly. yes, it was not that snowy, and definitely not that cold. but even the slightest temperature drop would make him think they entered some game of thrones type of winter. his lips curled into a smile, but his mind wandered elsewhere. he remembered how ridiculous his (boy)friends looked in the same jacket – it was enough to drown all four at once. maybe he should have brought a less fluffy one – but alas, it was too late. maybe the fact that leo was a close friend of one of them led him to take this very seriously. “to be honest, I expected to find you in a pile of snow,” he shrugged a bit, then shook his head. leo really looked like a penguin, but he tried his best not to burst out laughing, spilling weird scenarios. “I will gladly join. but I must warn, things rarely stay quiet around me. I am quite vocal, as you can tell,” he grinned, then hooked one arm round leo’s, barely feeling his body through the thick layer. “it is best to say safe. also, I am sure cass would find a reason to bicker with me. I think you are safe,” he said it endearingly, they stopped having terrible arguments. mal liked it better that way.

[ no worries! as you can see, I am pretty slow myself ♥ ]

@－ ❛ s ❜：eleanora hwang。⁰³ "But I don't want to be exceptionally terrible at everything! Oh, it is quite embarrassing knowing that I am behind even those in primary school! Have you seen how smart some of them are! Oh, how annoying. But I guess you're right, the tree does take some strength. But I always climbed the trees in my yard." For once, Emilia spoke slowly, enough so that her words were properly pronounced. It was as though she were thoroughly thinking about what she said instead of spewing whatever just came to mind like she usually did.

Once they were inside, the girl happily undid her coat, taking in the wonderful heat that seemed to spread through castle. She wondered just how they were able to be so warm if hogwarts did not have gaslines. At least, that's what her father had told her. Maybe things changed since he was here last. "Of course! If she gets stuck in a tree again you can always contact me! You could also contact me whenever you'd like, it would be nice to be friends!" Emilia said it far too enthusiastically, whipping her phone it of her coat pocket. "Can I have your number, Eleanora, so we can stay in touch?"

@－ ❛ ɢ ❜：emilia seong。⁰¹ [] i ,,, am sorry for the late reply. been busy with school! hope this will suffice :)

Eleanora could almost laugh at the naïve young girl's statement, but she doesn't, because she knows that Emilia had only shared such gullible sentiments in hopes of cheering her up. Her father was dead, her mother lived vicariously through her by forcing her into things she now hated as an adult, and she has more fingers than friends. She was cynical of all kindness and perhaps blunt enough to be considered rude, but she would not make a fool of a young girl.

"Maybe," is all she says in response. Fleetingly she wonders if she was ever so optimistic, full of light and the ability to think for even a second that a bright future laid before her. After a quiet moment of silence, she finds that she can't remember. "It takes strength to scour up a tree. And I suppose you can say you excel at being terrible at everything."

As the pair make their way into the hallways of Hogwarts, Eleanora places her cat down on the floor, and Clotho quickly scrambles away. She knows she will find her way back to the dungeons eventually, she just didn't want the stress of her pet being caught in a tree. "Thank you again."

@－ ❛ ʀ ❜：maël clair。⁰² ( I ammm sooo sorry at how late this is ;; )

Leo looked down at the jacket that Mal had just dropped down onto his shoulders and shook his head slightly, holding back a chuckle that was building up in his chest. “ wow you really came here to dress up a snowman! How much did you think it’d snowed?” He looked back up at the mention of his best friend’s name only to wince, thinking of the earful that he would have to hear if the Hufflepuff knew what he’d been up to. “ oh! please tell me he doesn’t know!” he pleaded with the taller boy as he finished zipping up the jacket and dropped his head in defeat. “Don’t worry, I’m pretty sure I’m the one that’s gonna hear that this time .” he needed to come up with a plan to escape the hufflepuff but for now he was safe out here in the courtyard. Leo raised his head and put on his best smile, he didn’t need to bring anyone else down with his mood .“ Oh please, join me~ it’s far too quiet alone. and thanks again for the jacket” he smiled genuinely at the silver haired boy and turned to start walking again. only to stop short when Mal started chuckling again. He looked down at the jacket once more, noting that it was almost down to his knees and let out a deep sigh. “Tall people…”

@－ ❛ ʜ ❜：cassian faye。⁰³ Mint should have seen it coming. Cassian’s expression had been harder then before and even though Mint had been mesmerized by the other’s eyes, he should have seen how less gentle they were at the moment. Immediately when the other talked to him he stopped leaning on the wall for support, taking a deep breath in. And then the tirade of words hit him out of the blue. Like a tsunami, crashing over him and drowning him, dragging him deep into the sea. And he could not swim. Funny how real-life related skills Mint did not have were actually pretty fitting in this situation right now. Not sounding condescending was definitely something Cassian had not managed to do and if at all, he did sound like he knew everything, Maël, Mint, the situation, their situation, better than Mint did. That he knew how Mint tried his best to take care of Maël and keep the bad things away and make him feel good, the way his sleep was a lot less as he woke up from all the nightmares Maël had – those were now so much more often then before yet it did not surprise Mint. After all it had been a pretty bad experience and Mint still felt so damn guilty for not being there when it happened – trying to make Maël’s sleep better so he would not feel too destroyed when he woke up in the morning, or that Mint had not told one single soul that he had had his own, nasty encounter with a dementor. Even though he had managed to protect himself mostly, it still was deep in his bones. It had ripped open almost healed wounds he had not even known they were still there. And there was so much more he was trying because Maël only deserved the best and it did help Mint too when he could take care of the other, so here he was, trying his best just to be told he ing . He in the only thing he wanted to excel and especially today, when he had woken up and had just known it was a bad day, hearing that from Cassian who knew barely anything about him felt like a punch in the face.

“Shut up,” Mint said, looking at Cassian with distance and coldness. Mint was no one who liked to show his emotions, or those that were considered weak. Maybe sometimes with Maël and also from time to time with Eleazar as he had a soft spot for him, but even with Henri who he let close more often than not, barely saw many emotions from Mint. So of course even though Cassian belonged to their little group and Mint often felt comfortable with him, he was not seeing him emotionally weak. However there was this tight feeling in his throat and he knew that he needed to go. Text Maël he forgot his gloves or something and run inside, have a breakdown and just let it out. But he could not. He could not as Cassian had just told him that he did not even have the decency to keep Maël company without being told too. Of course he could tell Cassian it had just been a phone call with what he had thought for ages was his only alive living family member he had, his mother who he loved dearly and was next to Maël the closest person in his life. But did Cassian ever ask for that information? Did he even ask why Mint had gone to take a phone call when he had managed to pull himself out of bed and go out with them even though it felt like it had taken most of is energy already? No, because clearly Cassian did not care about what was up with Mint. And Mint knew it was partly his fault as he was just not very good with showing his emotions but it hurt. It burned itself through his protective layer of skin, right into his chest and into his heart. He was not enough. Cassian saw him as not enough for Maël, he was not good enough. The only good thing Cassian spat at him were the fact that Maël might really have feelings for him – because Mint had never thought that way. That Maël might love him back. Surely as a close friend, as friends with benefits, but anything else? Mint never dared to believe in that. But maybe Cassian just wanted to get at him, hurt him. Who knew? Right now Mint was not sure about that. “Just shut your ing mouth. Unless you are in the same room as Maël and I whenever we are alone you don’t get to ing judge.”

Mint was angry. Instead of falling apart and breaking out into tears it just turned into anger. He had never had the best temper when someone hurt him and he was already on the verge of breaking. “What I feel for him is none of your business,” he heard himself say, pushing Cassian away. He knew his rage was too much to be just from Cassian’s words, but right now he could not keep it inside anymore. “If you see yourself as so much better than me, why don’t you try and be there for him instead?” He knew it was mean. He was lashing out now even though he knew Cassian was a good friend, that Cassian was a good one and doing his best but he was hurt and he could feel his eyes get glossy. One thing he hated the most was no matter if he was sad, hurt or angry: he would cry. Sooner or later he would cry. So he needed to just get out, excuse himself somehow, get away from Cassian. Did Maël really see him as a burden? Did he really feel like he was getting more baggage? Was it because every time Maël asked, Mint was not really speaking about why he was not feeling too good himself, brushing it off and changing the topic. Mint did not think Maël would talk to Cassian about it, he was sure if there was something that really bothered him he would come to talk to Mint first, but right now all Mint could do was think of the worst situation and he tried his best to not spell it out in his mind.

“I’m offering him my shoulder whenever I can and it is none of your ing business.” His words were harsh and he could feel how tense his body was.

@－ ❛ ʀ ❜：mint ainsworth。⁰² It was a sunny winter day, cold and pale but with an exquisite beauty that took his breath away. As the snow melted and droplets of water dripped from the bare branches, from leaves that clung onto them with the will to survive, he huddled closer to his companions. Mal and Mint. He was wearing a warm jacket and a headband that kept his forehead warm but he had forgotten his gloves in his room. A shame or else he would have been scooping the snow into snowballs and throwing them at the other two. Maybe he’d form the snowballs with magic, that was also an option. He loved hearing the snow make a soft crunching noise with every step he took. The snow was there to stay for the coming months, he hoped that the slowly growing frost inside him would melt soon before its cold hands enveloped his heart..maybe all of their hearts. His mood has been down for days and perhaps having this day out with Mal and Mint was an excuse to get some fresh air and feel less lonely. Nature made him happy and so did Mal, as he had realised lately his elevated state whenever he spent time with him.

He did not know Mint well enough but he had to admit that Mint was a beauty. He did not have to be animated or dress up much to catch Cassian’s attention, he found the boy effortlessly attractive. If Cassian had felt like himself, he would have appreciated his presence more. The hot chocolate he had prepared them made him happy, he had thanked him with a smile. The nice gesture made him forget for a second about his depressive thought. However, it did not last long until he remembered the sad look on Mal’s face after the quidditch match days ago. Despite having won the match for Hufflepuff, Cassian could not truly enjoy the victory when he remembered the ghostly terrifying creatures. The images were still fresh in his mind, having been able to defend himself and Henri had made it feel less like a total disaster until he had heard of what happened to Mal in the stands. He had felt the rage take over him in a matter of seconds and the strong urge to destroy what had hurt his friend had stressed him out. If only he were there to protect him..but he hadn’t been, and it had ended up not so been pretty. Eleazar had approached him and let him know they should be more attentive to Mal since he had almost collapsed then, stricken with overwhelming fear and sadness. Things had felt off with him, his kisses had been a little too desperate, his eyes sad and his touches lingering a little too long. Cassian could only hope Mal’s roommates were there for him, specially the one sitting across him.

Besides, he knew his place in their "relationship" he assumed he would be the one to give Mal physical support and to temporarily replace the painful thoughts with pleasure. Mint, he was supposed to be the one. He did not want to be bitter but today he felt sensitive to even the smallest things. As Mint excused himself to answer a phone call, he had to look away to hide his frown. After a few minutes, he excused himself, pecking Mal’s cheek and telling him he will be back soon, before getting up to approach Mint. His smile did not reach his eyes when the other noticed him standing there. It was hard to pretend that all he felt was not worry and restlessness. “hey,” he trailed off and looked down, pressing his lips together while crushing the snow under his boot, he liked the sound it made. “how am I going to say this? without it sounding condescending,” he had to inhale deeply, looking to the side and staring at nothing until he could gather his thoughts and form proper sentences “listen! I’m not sure what’s going on with you but can you please have the decency to keep his company without being told to.” he huffed and looked up, suddenly feeling more irritated for no reason and strangely convinced that Mint did not care as much as he should. “he looks at you like you hung up the stars in the night sky. He clearly loves you and you love him too, right? but see the thing is, he must have come to you about emotional matters and I wish you were there for him! to me as an outsider, it seems like you’re adding to things he needs to worry about, instead of maybe showing him your strong side! are you going to offer the shoulder he’d cry on or what?!”

He was scolding Mint by the end of it and a voice in his head kept screaming at him to shut up, you have no right to talk.. but the overprotective side of him ignored the voice. It was not about him or his feelings, all that mattered was that their shared friend would recover from the traumatic experience he had with the bloody dementor. The thought that he might give the impression that he was jealous of Mint crossed his mind. But he shook his head visibly to get rid of it, in reality, he was not jealous oh not as much as he craved to be included. He knew already of what Mint and Mal had if how Mal stared at the boy was any indication to go by. Perhaps he was more jealous of Mal, wondering how it would feel to love someone who would love you back.

@－ ❛ ʜ ❜：cassian faye。⁰³ They hadn’t been doing well. Ever since the dementor attack during the quidditch game none of them were too well off and even though Mint had not been there when Maël had had his encounter with the demetor, Mint had had his own not so friendly get together with one. As watching Quidditch was something he did not mind too much, he had gone to grab them some butterbear as it had been damn cold on that day just to run into a dementor on his way back. He had not really told anyone as all his worries had been with Maël and the others, however it had taken a toll on Mint. While to the outside he just seemed a little more quite and a little more observing than usually, he was sure Maël had noticed at least, however Mint kept making sure to read the other’s every wish from his lips whenever they were alone, trying his best to just give him attention and letting Maël rest. Even Henri had brought them Cassiopeia from time to time so Maël could cuddle with her – cute little Cassi who Maël’s entire face clean.

Right now they were out with Cassian and Mint had only joined because he knew it would do Maël some good to go out, get fresh air and maybe he could get him to create some snowpeople and snow angels. And create a snowheart instead of a snowball, maybe. Goof around a bit. If it was only for Mint however he would not have left the house. He was on edge and he could feel how bad his temper had gotten, how he could physically feel the thin line between ‘I’ll be fine’ and ‘it’s mental break down time’. It had been a while since his last break down and Mint had been proud that he had been managing rather okay, though he was a master in bottling up his own feelings so there was that. Even Maël, his best friend and definitely love of his life – no he would never let him know as he knew Maël would bail, no matter what he felt and Mint knew. He could keep his feelings for himself, he did not need to let anyone know, as long as Maël was with him. He was fine then. However he feared he was not the only person. Cassian had been really close to Maël, just like Henri and Eleazar and while Mint had never been big on feelings, he did feel a little jealous if he was honest. That was not exactly helping with his current situation, but it did Maël well and eventually that was all Mint was asking for. People that treasured Maël as much as he did, people that would be good to him.

Quietly Mint was walking next to Maël and Cassian, the two conversing some while Mint sometimes added some from time to time. He had gotten each of them a thermos cup with hot chocolate, after all it was cold outside, still, however it was a beautiful view and the sun had come out just an hour ago. It looked beautiful on the both of them, Cassian too. The other was one handsome male, Mint had to admit that. Handsome and funny even though they were not exactly close. Mint had to admit that he would not mind getting closer to him, both emotionally and physically. As long as Maël did not mind though. He was about to say something when his phone buzzed, a message from his mother. She was asking if they could have a short phone call, something they usually did when there was an important topic to be talked about. “Hey, I’ll be right back, my mom.” He lifted his phone up and waited for an okay from his friends before he walked over, bringing some distance for a private call between them.

The call was probably the final straw. It was about one of their cats, Soonie, the oldest of his three cats. He was now okay, his mother had taken him to the vet and he was now getting antibiotics and staying over the night to monitor him even though they had high hopes he would do fine. But Mint’s mother loved the cats as much as he did and if it meant making extra sure that the cat was okay, Soonie would do that. “Call me if there is a change, okay?” Mint said gently. “Or text me. Whatever fits.” His mother agreed, probably hearing that Mint was agitated even though no one else would probably realize it. “Thank you, mom. Please take good care of yourself too, okay?” He was trying his best to keep his voice calm and gentle, not wanting to make her worry even more. “I love you,” he added before hanging up eventually, taking a deep breath. He needed a few seconds to calm down, leaning onto the wall of the courtyard. He had not even realised that he had wandered off a little bit, pacing around. Deep breaths and he would be okay. Everything would be fine. Everything had to be fine, eventually. He looked up when he realised he was, surprisingly, not alone. Mint expected Maël’s beautiful face but instead he looked right into Cassian’s mesmerizing eyes.

@－ ❛ s ❜：eleanora hwang。⁰³ Emilia’s cheeks tinged a nice pink. The girl absolutely loved receiving compliments, though it was not very often she received them in person. "Thank you very much." It was quite nice being called cute by an elder girl, especially one as pretty as Eleanora. Those were the best ones and thus it the ever so present smile on Emilia’s visage grow even wider.

"Well, maybe you're the shining light in the life of your parents? Or maybe in the life of your friends. You can't think that you're not one when you don't know exactly how others feel about you!" Emilia had was quite the hypocrite with that, as she did often assume that if a person spoke to her, they didn't mind her presence. More often than not, they found her quite annoying.

"Emilia means strength. It can also mean excel...but I am terrible at nearly everything I do! At least when magic is involved. I guess if should mean something if I was placed in Gryffindor. But, oh well. The way it sounds feels like it is for me." Emilia shivered once as they found themselves drawing closer to the school. She was quite excited to get into the warmth of the building.

@－ ❛ ɢ ❜：emilia seong。⁰¹ Contrary to the younger girl's words, Eleanora thinks it requires quite a strong-willed personality to scour the side of a tree then promptly fling oneself from the said tree all to save the cat of a complete stranger. Her red-stained lips purse at this thought, her hands calmly rubbing the obsidian fur of her pet whilst she considers her words. Her eyebrows furrow ever the slightest at the speed of which words leave Emilia's mouth, nearly incomprehensible but still, she manages to discern the main ideas. She was all the things Eleanora typically found annoying—talkative, overzealous, innocent. But for some reason this Gryffindor isn't quite as grating.

She replies to what she finds necessary. The student had called her pretty. "Thank you," she says. "You're quite cute, also." It's matter-of-factly, Eleanora keeping her eyes on the road and the castle which grows closer as they walk. "I was named by my father. It means 'shining light' in Italian," she tells her. "I don't think another name fits me better, but I don't think my name suits me either. What does Emilia mean?"

@－ ❛ s ❜：colby rangvaldr。⁰² ( H ) “One day,” Henri pointed out what Cole had said, humming softly. “One day you might rebel but today is not the day.” And with that a bright smile was seen on his pretty lips, shining and excited. He was happy to be out, alone or not, but having Cole with him always filled him with more joy. He was his closest friend, his best friend and probably one of the few people he would trust his life with. He was his family and Henri tried to remind the other from time to time even though sometimes Cole looked everything but happy about it. He knew he was, however.

His step was a little bouncy as he held tightly onto the other’s cold hand, slightly squeezing it in his own way off showing affection. He did not need Cole to reciprocate, he knew they were utterly different when it came to their characteristics and personality and yet they were still close. There were many little secrets only Cole knew about him. He hummed as he kept moving, a song he did not know the name about anymore but remembered the lyrics. “We should come out here more often,” he said and specifically meant together, not alone. He liked being in Cole’s presence even though he knew Cole preferred being alone a lot too.

“Oh, there,” Henri said, suddenly stopping in his step and his voice turning surprisingly quiet. His body stilled as he held onto Cole, not making another step and pointing towards the snow-covered forest where a few creatures were lounging, sipping from the not-yet-frozen water stream. They made a perfectly still picture, no human footsteps around to break the illusion of only those fantastic beasts existing in this world. “Aren’t they beautiful?” Henri mumbled and his expression was soft and warm while he still held tightly onto Cole’s hand, not letting go. As if he would go lost in the snow if he did otherwise. And sometimes it felt like he did.

@－ ❛ ɢ ❜：leo silverthorn。⁰³ he considered the boy for a while, sometimes it took him a while to understand gryffindor impulsiveness. it was shocking given he had plenty of that emotion himself. perhaps, his was a little more controlled. he fixed the jacket around the boy’s shoulders, he was not surprised he was standing taller than him. the jacket looked comically oversized on leo, it was even too big for mal. he had to let out a chuckle, maybe in his mind he compared him to a penguin or some other cute animal. “please, if you catch a cold, cass will never let it die,” he added, then smiled at leo after he finished zipping the jacket up. “and he will call me the irresponsible one for not keeping my promise. anyways, do you want to take that walk together? or do you prefer to be alone?” he asked sincerely, the last thing he wanted was to intrude. after all, he completed his mission – dressing leo up like a snowman. mal let out another short chuckle, it was too amusing. “I am sorry, but you look way too cute sinking in this big jacket.”

@－ ❛ s ❜：eleanora hwang。⁰³ If Emilia had heard the thoughts of the other, she would have quickly disagreed with her. The girl was never the type to just look over someone due to their supposed usually personality. Besides, she made a very close friend over someone that was very much a bully to her when she was a child. Although, with her obliviousness and naivety she had not realized that the person was trying everything they could to get rid of the annoying leech that was the Gryffindor. In the end, she made a great friend out of him, possibly it would be the same with Eleanora.

"Hm...Well I cannot see myself with any other name. I don't think I am a very strong person, yet the name Emilia is rather fitting to me! It is a very pretty name and the nicknames that come with it are so cute! I don't think I would want any other name for myself, other than the nicknames that I could be called." Once more, she spoke far too quickly, her accent possibly making it near hard for Eleanora to understand. "Did you have a name you had preferred growing up then? I think Eleanora is a very pretty name, and you're very pretty too! It fits you, I think. I don't think I can see you as another name either. But if you have a name you think fits you better, then may I hear it?"

@－ ❛ ɢ ❜：emilia seong。⁰¹ She does not say anything more to the young girl's words, simply because Eleanora does not plan on ever encountering this bright Gryffindor again; and it's nothing against her. Just that normally upon a first meeting with her, people do not typically race to return and face Eleanora's sunny personality. Wordlessly the dark-haired demoiselle listens to Emilia chatter, not a single muscle on her face showing her exasperation. She had been trained to hide her emotions behind a stone-wall face, after all.

Contrary to what one might believe, Eleanora was indeed listening. And she disagreed. Her name, in its Italian phonetics, carried a meaning somewhat akin to a "shining light." It was clear she was anything but—she is not a bright beacon, she is the sliver of darkness in the corner of a room, so cowardly that it vanishes in the sudden presence of light. But they—both the darkness and her—cannot help it. It's only in their nature. For a moment she chooses to entertain the overzealous student's chattering. "So, you wouldn't choose another name for yourself if you could?"

@－ ❛ ʜ ❜：henri knight。⁰⁴ that comment did not sit well with him. he wanted to say ‘I do not need your charity’, but he held his tongue for once. sometimes, it was better not to voice out those nasty thoughts. he did not feel comfortable knowing he was struggling, and definitely did not feel comfortable being offered things. he knew henri did not mean it out of malice, so he let it slide. the boy could be very childish, he wondered how he managed to stay safe all this time (given he was ‘punching’ material at times). but if he were to get in a fight ever, cole would be the one to punch whoever hit henri to death.

it was hard to understand his mind sometimes. it did not seem to have any logic, or any reality – henri was, in short, unpredictable. and cole liked to have everything planned and precise, every single second of his life needed meaning – some would argue it was exhausting, but for him, it was a force of habit. and it was comforting to know everything at all times. when henri dropped in the snow to draw, cole felt as though he was taking care of a small child. which, in parts, was not a wrong statement. henri could be a five year old. he found it oddly endearing, still, he did not show it. he shook his head, and gave henri a frown at his words. he knew henri knew who would win that fight – cole will hold him upside down in the snow if he has to.

the cute snowman henri put down reminded him of a book he had as a child. it was a book he was not really allowed to read, but he would read every time his grandfather was not around. it almost made him smile, but the thought of his ‘illegal’ childhood act soon robbed him of the flicker of joy. he wished he were as free as henri – he would much like to play in the snow without thinking about how others would perceive his odd gesture. he was mature, needed to act mature, needed to have everything in order. maybe it was tiring. the cold hand made him roll his eyes, but he knew there was no protesting – henri will glue his hand to his if he had to. so he let henri hold his equally cold hand, and followed him. “you give me little freedom, henri. I might have to rebel against you one day.”

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@－ ❛ ʀ ❜：maël clair。⁰² After putting his phone away into his pocket, Leo continued to walk his laps around the courtyard, kicking the snow around with each step. To say that he had needed to cool off would have been an understatement. When he had first stepped out into the snowy courtyard his skin had felt feverish and the urge to just lie down in the snow to cool off had been very strong, hence why his jacket was left behind in his dorm room. He’d taken out his phone to distract himself from everything that was going on in his head. The back and forth with Mal on Instagram had been a very welcome distraction, Leo had heard alot about Mal from Cassian on several occasions. but he himself hadn’t interacted with the ravenclaw until recently, but he was curious to find out who Mal was from an unbiased perspective. Cassian was infatuated with the boy, no matter how much he tried to deny it, it was very easy to see and it warmed Leo’s heart tremendously. So he had expected Mal to be nice but he certainly hadn't expected the boy to actually show up at the courtyard and scold him for walking around jacketless. “I- no! “ He stuttered out, looking at the ravenclaw utterly bewildered. “I was just taking a walk- thanks! for the jacket! you didn’t have to come all this way!” He felt guilty for having dragged the boy out of the warmth of the castle.

@－ ❛ s ❜：eleanora hwang。⁰³ Despite the seriousness in the elder girl's voice, Emilia did not take it to heart. She was always the type to not exactly understand when she was annoying others or not, thus with the very abrupt way that Eleanora responded to her, regarding her name, Emilia merely smiled with an almost sunny look on her face. "That's fine too! Maybe you'll decide you want to call me something else later!" Emilia assumed that the two may become close friends, even if the other had other plans.

From having climbed the tree and then immediately walking towards the castle, Emilia had broken out into a sweat. She fumbled with her mittens, removing them once more, so that she could her winter coat to get some cool air into the warm space. "Nora is a really cute nickname! But...I will call you just Eleanora for now! Then, when we get to know each other better I can find a nickname for you! Or maybe I'll just prefer calling you by your name? Names are funny aren't they? I've never met a person that didn't fit their given name. Have you? It is almost as though our parents just know how we will be when we grow up!" There she goes again just talking endlessly. One may wonder if the girl ever tired herself out. The simple answer is no. Emilia would talk all day if she could.

@－ ❛ ɢ ❜：leo silverthorn。⁰³ there was not one opportunity he wanted to miss – maybe he should pass on some, but for him, it was better to cease the moment. he liked flirting, and the back and forth leo offered him on social media certainly enticed him. he knew from cassian that the two were close, mal did not know how close – he never asked. but given cassian was one of his closest friends, he wanted to make an effort to meet his other friends. maybe because he cared, or maybe because he was curious – a bit of both. he grabbed a thick jacket after dressing himself up, and prepared to go to the clocktower court. silver hair in a ponytail, and a ravenclaw scarf around his neck. he made sure he had enough layers on, it was getting colder lately. he ran outside, and tried to get there as quickly as possible. when he spotted leo in the court, he nearly scolded him – he either did not feel the cold, or he really wanted to take this flirting to another level. “merlin’s beard, are you mental?” mal did not waste any time, he threw the big jacket over leo’s shoulders and looked at him a little concerned. “why are you outside dressed like that? were you waiting for someone else?”

@－ ❛ ɢ ❜：emilia seong。⁰¹ Eleanora does not dislike this girl; contrary to popular belief, there are more complex feelings than disdain that the Slytherin holds in her heart. After all, she could never detest a first year who came so openly to help her. In a way she was like the sun, bright and overwhelming. Many like the sun. Eleanora on the other hand, prefers rain. “Emilia,” she repeats after the girl, feeling the movement of it on her tongue before nodding. At the plethora of nicknames she throws at her, however, she deadpans, “I think I’ll stick with Emilia.”

“People call me Eleanora,” she says, offering a small rub to her cat’s ears as they walk, the fallen leaves and snow crunching beneath the soles of her shoes. “You can call me Elle if you’d like, but most people just go with Eleanora. But feel free to make up anything you’d like, as long as I won’t take offense to it. I’m not easily offended, so you can take that as a challenge. I did hear someone call me Nora once.”

@－ ❛ s ❜：colby rangvaldr。⁰² “You know I will get you stuff anyways,” Henri said, looking at Cole. His smile was bright and he did not let the other know that he knew. He knew how the other was struggling financially sometimes even though he never said it. Despite the fact that Henri usually had his head up in the clouds and mind full of colourful stories and eyes full of stars, he did notice many more things than most people thought. Cole was his best friend and he did not need to tell Henri everything. Henri was quite empathic and easily noticed if something was not quite right. He would not know what it was right away but he would make sure to keep his eyes open while everyone was thinking he was caught up in his head. “Oh and maybe you can take pictures? It has quite a few interesting spots so, who knows!” He clapped his hands in joy, excited to be going out with Cole. He liked being around the other, he was one of his favourite people after all.

A small laugh left Henri’s lips as he looked at Cole, chuckling. “Well, I am not wrong though. Also a onesie is just cute!” He chuckled as he looked around before he knelt down, drawing into the snow. He loved snow so much. It was cold to his fingers but it felt so nice. And whenever it was snowing it felt like he was surrounded by a soft layer of silence. A warm kind of silence that filled Henri with so many things. “I got a new onesie! It’s a frog!” He chuckled and tilted his head up to look at the other. He loved owning different clothes and he even owned a few skirts and such – it was comfortable and whenever he was alone he liked to just wear it. Also it made him feel cute. Just like he felt cute whenever he wore Cole’s hoodies or sweaters.

“Now I really have the urge to put snow in /your/ shirt,” Henri said, weighing some snow in his palm but instead forming it to a teeny tiny snowman. Satisfied he put it down next to the drawing of a cat he had done just earlier and smiled. “Now you have company,” he hummed to the drawings before he got up, no snow in his hands. “Also you know I never waste your time!” He huffed and nudged his friend slightly. “And yeah, you know you have no choice,” he hummed and grabbed Cole’s hand with his own, cold one. It was a little red from the snow but he did not really care. He loved being out here and even if it was freezing cold, it made him happy. And Cole's grumpy company only made him even happier.

@－ ❛ s ❜：eleanora hwang。⁰³ Emilia was excited and giddy that the older girl stated that she would keep it in mind. Oh, it was quite exciting to think that she had possibly made a friend out of saving the cat. As per usual, she had failed to notice that the other would much rather avoid her presence than spend time with her again. The eighteen year old had always been oblivious to another person’s distaste for her, unless they had stated it in a blunt manner. If Eleanora were honest with her about how she truly felt, the Gryffindor wouldn’t have been all too hurt anyways. She had grown rather used to others not being to handle her personality.

“My name?” Emilia thought she had said it, but she supposed not. The girl had been rather excited, enough so to not take note of the cat’s name either. Besides, she had seen the Slytherin before, had even caught her name a few times, thus she had made herself believe that she’d previously introduced herself. “It’s Emilia! I am a first year! You may have known the second part, but who knows. “You can call me whatever you like. I have a few nicknames.” She began to count on her hidden fingers. “Emi, Millie, Lia, Lily, Em…I think that there are more, but honestly I cannot remember.” The speed at which she spoke made her near unintelligible. "What can I call you? Or is it just Eleanora?"

@－ ❛ ɢ ❜：emilia seong。⁰¹ A mess was a bit of an overstatement, but it wasn’t enough to say that the younger girl looked a little shaken. She certainly did not look pristine, but that was a given, seeing as she had just climbed up a tree then proceeded to throw herself out of it. “I’ll keep that in mind,” she says in response to Emilia’s offer to do it again, though she doesn’t think she will contact her again (even this time, the Gryffindor had thrown herself in Eleanora’s direction). Her stress had risen dramatically from the dauntless behavior of the younger, and she doesn’t favor feeling that once again.

“Yes… let’s walk,” she says after a quiet moment of contemplation. She would be sure to give Clotho a strict scolding upon her return to the dungeons. Holding the cat in her arms pressed to her chest, much resembling the way mother cradle their children though her mangly stubborn cat is far from an innocuous infant, she begins to drag her feet in the direction of the castle. “What was your name, again?”

@－ ❛ s ❜：eleanora hwang。⁰³ "I must look like a mess," she said with a sigh when the girl pulled a twig out of her hair. If Emilia was good at anything, it was making herself look and seem presentable. Of she didn't speak, she'd almost look as though she were someone with smarts or someone worth knowing. "Ah, I should go fix myself up in the bathroom." She picked up her thrown mittens on the ground and placed them back onto her chilled hands.

An 'o' shape was formed with her lips. Reckless. Yes, that sounded more like what she often was, going into many things without thinking. Sometimes, she succeeded when it came to whatever she had gotten herself into, like with rescuing the black cat, while most of the time she failed. Emilia was quite the optimist, hence why she still tried to do things that seemed to be nearly impossible. "Well, if it happens again, I'm only a message away!" That and she had hoped she made a friend out of Eleanora from today. Emilia loved making friends but she was not always very successful, as many would get sick of her enthusiasm. "Do you want to walk back to the castle with me?"

@－ ❛ ɢ ❜：emilia seong。⁰¹ “I am fine,” she deadpans, choosing to take in the appearance of the younger girl in front of her instead. Her hair has gone awry from the wind, and… there’s a small twig stuck in her brown tresses. Eleanora sighs gently. Though she cups her cat in one hand, she reaches an arm up to pluck the said branch from Emilia’s hair. Though she wouldn’t admit it, the sight of the disheveled Gryffindor is somewhat amusing.

Tossing the branch onto the ground, Eleanora looks back to Emilia, her eyebrows furrowed just the slightest. In her ear, Clotho meows, which only causes her annoyance at the darned animal to grow—if only the thing could control its temper better. Imagine if the student had been harmed because of her enthusiasm to save her? She supposes in a way, her cat’s temper makes her even more similar to Eleanora herself. “They say Gryffindors are brave, but I think it’s synonymous to reckless,” she muses. Still, despite her scolding tone, her voice dips into one of solemn gratitude. “Thank you. Hopefully it won’t happen again.”

@－ ❛ s ❜：eleanora hwang。⁰³ The Slytherin had a point. She /did/ just fling herself out of a tree. However, Emilia did not feel any pain nor did she hear anything odd snap, thus she was not at all worried about herself. "But I know I am not hurt! That's why I'm asking you!!" She was a bit too enthusiastic in responding to the elder girl, not even catching the tone that was given. Emilia was never good at reading a room nor was she good at taking a hint to being scolded.

"What do you mean by that?" The girl's coat was ped in order to allow the rightful owner of the cat to take custody once more. She wondered what the other meant, as she never did feel that she was brave. She often wondered why she wasn't placed into Hufflepuff as she felt she didn't show any redeeming qualities of a Gryffindor. Of course, she never did take her mindlessly getting into dangerous situations as brave. "I hope she doesn't try to run away again, but now I know what treats to bring if she does!"

@－ ❛ ɢ ❜：emilia seong。⁰¹ In this moment, Eleanora wishes she had the time and luxury to even facepalm or consider the situation any deeper—but she doesn't. As Emilia rises to her feet upon the tall (and thankfully broad) branch, Eleanora's adrenaline spikes despite being the one on solid ground, and she spreads her arms wide open awaiting the Gryffindor. When she lands into her arms, Eleanora stumbles back just slightly. Thankfully, years of etiquette and debutante training allows her to remain planted solely on her feet, albeit with a gentle grunt that leaves at the weight of the girl. Before she can even acknowledge that Emilia has landed with her cat as well, the former is already shouting into her ears.

"Oh, Merlin," she curses just the slightest, tilting her arms to allow the Gryffindor back onto her feet. "I did see it, though I was trying not to let you break your spine." A hand runs through her hair, and she sighs, looking back at the younger student. "Am /I/ hurt? I should be asking you that, you just fell out of a tree!" Her voice teeters on the edge of chastising, but she stops—the girl had saved her cat after all. She reaches forward to grab the cat from the inside of Emilia's coat. "You really are a Gryffindor," she muses.

@－ ❛ s ❜：eleanora hwang。⁰³ "Yes. I will need to jump!" Honestly, the girl had considered climbing down as much as she could, however, that would mean falling without notice if she were to fall. And with how it was hard enough to climb up the tall tree, she knew that climbing down would be even more dangerous. Oh how she wished she had the ability of a squirrel which had the ability to do as she needed. Carefully, she planted her feet flat onto the branch, positioned so that if she were to fall wrong, she wouldn't potentially crush the cat. "I'm gonna count to three then! So you're ready for me!" Her yelling rewarded her with an angry meow from the black creature tucked into her coat.

"One...," her eyes squeezed shut, "two...THREE!" At the call of the last number she tipped herself back, falling quickly and falling into the Slytherin with an "oof". When she gathered that her limbs did not break and her back did not snap into two, Emilia's face bloomed into a brilliant smile. "Did you see that!? Oh my! I've never purposely jumped out of a tree before! Are you hurt? I hope you're not hurt." The cat's eyes were wide as though it could not believe it were now on the ground.

@－ ❛ ɢ ❜：emilia seong。⁰¹ Darn Gryffindors, Eleanora curses in her mind. They always have a way of inserting themselves into situations, expecting to emerge a hero—though, in Eleanora's case this time around, it would be a boon in her benefit's sake, if it gets her her cat back. Crimson stained tiers purse together as worry makes itself present upon the Slytherin's visage. At this point in time, Eleanora's greatest stressor is not whether or not her cat will return safety to her—the poor thing is a stubborn one who always manages to disappear and reappear after days of causing her owner worry—but if Emilia will return without a broken bone. Thankfully, the Cushioning Charm she managed to cast eases her nerves just the slightest.

"Jump?" Eleanora exclaims, losing her snake-like cool. A palm finds her forehead, which she shakes her head into. Though the young girl is located a few meters in the air, surely the jump will leave her with a sprained ankle, at least. That is, if she doesn't lose her balance and fall on her head, though that would be dramatic. For a moment she considers casting a Levitation Charm on the girl, until she remembers Wingardium Leviosa's single fatal flaw: it does not work on humans. Surely... the young girl looks to be rather petite and given her height as well as the cushioning effect of the charm she had casted, Eleanora could (hopefully) catch her easily. "Here," calls the woman. "I'll catch you."

This will be a horrible idea.

@－ ❛ ʜ ❜：henri knight。⁰⁴ he did not like owing anything to anyone, it was a reality too harsh to accept. he had to get by with the bare minimum, because his family was not nice enough to support him. and even if they did, he would likely not accept their help – they never did anything for him anyways. it was always for their own gain, and imagining himself asking for support was absurd. he sometimes got upset when henri waltzed his privilege around, even if he did not do it on purpose. there were things he did not tell henri, despite being the closest to him. like, how he was forced to steal from his father, or other sources when things got tough. he instinctively placed a hand over his camera, it costed him a fortune and if it would ever break, he would not be able to replace it quick enough. he never wanted to look or sound like a leech, especially not right now – he could not take henri’s offer.

“I will come, but I do not need anything,” he added, he was quite serious. he had nothing to do during the break, so accompanying his friend was a task he was willing to fulfil free of charge. there was no way he will return to his home anyways, so he might as well waste his time away in a somewhat pleasant way. his mind was stolen from that sad realisation when it picked up on henri’s analogy. he raised an eyebrow, and hummed a little to supress a chuckle. “onesie, really? I have heard of blanket, or dress. but never onesie, that is quite unique,” he added, but then his friend was quite unique too. henri’s mind was fascinating, sometimes he would ignore the weird things he said, but sometimes he thought about them for a long time. only to come back to henri two days later with an answer, and watch him blink in confusion – he assumed henri forgot most of the things he said right after saying them. it did not stop cole from thinking about them, unlike henri, he liked brooding over things that truly impressed or interested him.

his friend was an advocate of little things, those that only existed in moments. like photographs – cole could understand that too. but unlike henri, despite capturing those moments, cole could not live in them for just one second. he needed to be in them for long, to understand them, to decode them. he sighed, and looked at henri, he knew he was quite excited. “do I even have a choice when you make such a convincing argument? you will write a paper on it if I do not come with you. with a note at the end: p. s. cole, you are an arsehole. so sure, but expect me to put some snow in your shirt if you are wasting my time.”

@－ ❛ s ❜：eleanora hwang。⁰³ Oh if only she had figured that the feline would have a preference for fish. Her mam always did say that their cat back home was an odd one, not enjoying a fishy snack when given it. "I should've know Sir Puffy was a weird cat," she grumbled as she shoved the treats back into her pocket. "I think I can still get her!" Even if the Slytherin protested against Emilia's continuing on, the first year was as stubborn as can be, ignoring whatever was said to her as she laid on her belly.

Milli truly did look like an idiot, inching up the branch in a koala-style hug. But soon she was able to meet the black fur of Clotho with her fingertips. "Hello pretty girl!" She reached so that her nails could properly scratch beneath the cats head. "We're gunna get you down now." With one hand, she took up the cat, who seemed to just struggling and meow in protest. But no matter, Emilia carefully made her way backwards until her bottom hit the tree trunk. Quickly, she ped her coat a bit to make the cat go inside, its claws stabbing into her skin due to its distaste of its position. "I might have to jump!" She called down once more, her heart racing when she realized there was absolutely no way to get down.