(Untitled)

[williamsparrow]

Week Name/Date/Time: 'A Moment's Peace' / Wednesday, 5 October / 1:00 p.m.
Location: Third Floor Hallway, near Staircase
Open To: Anyone and Everyone
Currently Involving: Will, Emilia, Liesl

Comments

[liesl_jacobs]

Liesl had a feeling she knew just what was responsible for that dreamy expression

[emiliahawthorn]

Emilia inspected each of his charms without actually touching them - uncertain exactly how the magic worked, she wasn't about to risk it. After all, she knew some protective charms would react rather badly to being handled by anyone but their intended wearer

[williamsparrow]

Will laughed aloud, letting the chains fall back under his shirt and scratching his head, ruffling his hair in the process. "Nah, you know me. I'm good as gold," he answered with a wink, before laughing again.

"Well, you're more than able at charms, and that's where a lot of the focus is...that, Ancient Runes, and History of Magic. Those are the courses Gran was most insistant I take, and luckily, I'm fair to decent at all three. Who knows? You could master it for yourself, if you had a mind to."

[emiliahawthorn]

A small frown ghosted across Emilia's face as Will told her Ancient Runes and History of Magic were required. Still, her tone was light as she spoke, giving away none of her regret. "Oh, I'm not taking Ancient Runes this year," she told him. "And I don't think I'll carry on with History of Magic after this year, really." It was quite a shame it required a subject she'd dropped and her single worst subject, really. She'd been quite excited about this new branch of magic

[williamsparrow]

"Easily managed," he replied with an agreeable sort of nod, grinning at her interest in the craft, and pleased he could offer a girl with such a high-priced reputation something she could actually enjoy and find use in. Not everyday he got to be that useful, after all, and it was rather encouraging.

Then she mentioned McFinn, and his brow furrowed in puzzlement. "Ah...I suppose...if you say so." He blinked at her, his confusion rather obvious, and there it was...her shining opportunity to venture back into that area of conversation, while Will was still off-guard and a little more open to talking.

After all, how often these days did anyone pin him long enough to inquire about such things? Slippery devil, that Sparrow.

[emiliahawthorn]

Emilia was well aware such an opportunity might not present itself again, and it was for precisely that reason that, much as she would have liked to continue talking about warming charms and this strange, new magic, she pressed the matter.

Her eyes never leaving his face for fear she might miss some revealing flush or flicker, she said casually. "Mind, I suppose it's the Claw in him. Good house that, wouldn't you say?"

Subtlety never her strong point, she wasn't entirely certain if she'd said enough or too little. Deciding to push just a little more, she added, twisting her hair as she did so in order to play up the image of blithe unconcern, "So, word has it you've your eye on a particular member of that house?"

She'd not mention Liesl by name, no. Emilia refused to allow that the girl might have actually proved useful or interesting in any way, even if it was only in so trivial a manner as a source for gossip.

[williamsparrow]

...yeah. Way to go, Emilia. That was about as subtle as a sledgehammer to the temple.

And Will's expression amounted to about the same. He got that same deer-in-the-headlights look in his eyes momentarily, before forcing a grin and laughing lightly. "Ah, what makes you say that? You know better than anyone that the gossip chains aren't always right...more often than not, they're completely off the mark!"

Yes! Mislead! Alter course of conversation, captain! Danger! Danger Will Robi...yeah, okay. Wrong Will, but that was the general gist of it.

[emiliahawthorn]

She may have missed it last time, but this time Emilia couldn't mistake the look that flashed across his face. Quickly as he'd covered it up, she knew instantly there was something there and so she refused to be thrown off course so easily.

Her eyes still fixed on his face, she continued. "So it's not true then?" she asked, disappointment evident in her tone. "Shame, that. I've always thought rather highly of Ravenclaw-Slytherin pairings. With our looks and their brains... well, anything's possible, isn't it?"

Always though highly of them? Well that wasn't quite true. Until rather recently, Emilia had been characteristically outspoken about her preference for Snakes to stick together. Still, nothing in her face suggested her comment was a lie and indeed, it wasn't intended as one. Emilia Hawthorn was the Queen of reinventing history to suit her and she'd quite forgotten ever having championed House Segregation.

[williamsparrow]

"I'm sure it could be seen as a smart match...they're not Gryffindors, after all." He chuckled softly, shaking his head and lifting his arms to fold behind him as he leaned against the stone wall, pillowing his head as he attempted an expression of carelessnesse. What? Worried? Not us.

"...some of the Ravenclaws, though, have been running afoul of a few Slytherins, as of late, though, so it's a compromising situation to be in, if one isn't careful. And besides, who could I possibly be interested in?" A lopsided smile crossed his face at that. And it was true. If Emilia tried to determine who he was interested in based on his 'type'...well, she'd be at it for ages.

No one quite knew what exactly his type was, did they?

[emiliahawthorn]

Even if she had known what his type was, she wouldn't have known which Ravenclaw to pick. Emilia tended to socialise purely with Slytherins and so, unless they'd irritated her in some way or been involved in particularly interesting gossip, she knew little of the other members of the school other than their bloodline and house

[williamsparrow]

"Of course...and by the same token, those who'd aspire to be as clever as you, on the gossip chains, know to take rumors of such with a grain of salt." Will appeared cheerful enough by her conclusion, unbothered by her statement...therefore, having nothing to fear from such an announcement, perhaps

[emiliahawthorn]

I'm careful enough with who I associate with

And that was enough to satisfy Emilia's concerns. Oh, she still wondered who the Ravenclaw was, but she was no longer worried about it. As for his comments about his actions, well, they seemed reasonable enough. He was a Slytherin, after all.

Thoroughly relieved that Will wasn't about to annouce his engagement to some Dumbledore loving muggleborn, Emilia's expression was friendly once more. As he complimented her on her understanding of gossip and her duelling skills, she smiled, naturally making no effort to counter them. Well - why should she? As far as she was concerned, he was stating facts.

As conversation turned to the reasons for his behaviour, she felt quite sorry for him. How awful to have to befriend those people, to have to pretend to like them. She shuddered involuntarily at the thought.

"Yes, I suppose that makes sense," she said sympathetically. "You can always work on your duelling skills though - did you sign up for the club?"

[williamsparrow]

It was dissapointing, almost, how easily those in his own house could be manipulated. Oh well. It wasn't as though he were doing it out of malice; he was simply trying to make it through the year in one piece.

At the mention of the dueling club, he shook his head quickly. Someone else had mentioned that earlier this week, and he had the same answer. "You're kidding. I'd just make a royal fool of myself...you know I'm no good at hexes and that. Might come by and watch, now and then, but I'd just as soon stick to my own methods of escaping such situations."

I.e, running like Hell.

[emiliahawthorn]

Well, really. That was not the attitude she had hoped for. Where Will expected his housemates to be less easy to manipulate, Emilia expected them to take as much of an interest in offensive magic as she did. As far as she was concerned, hexes and the like were the best thing about magic. To her, the ability to attack or defend without having to resort to something so tiresome as talking with one's enemy was priceless.

Shaking her head, she tutted before chiding him (and sounding rather like her mother in the process), "You're never going to learn if you don't practice, you know. One day you'll find yourself in a situation you can't get out of and you'll regret not making more of an effort." It never occurred to Emilia that the same might happen to her - that she'd land herself in a situation in which she couldn't rely on either her wand or her friends. No, as far as Emilia was concerned, she had the balance just right.

[williamsparrow]

Will, for his part, looked properly abashed, very much looking the part of the scolded child, merely nodding to everything she said and turning those large dark eyes up at her rather sullenly.

"Yeah...I suppose if I had help with it, I could probably manage," he murmured, hunching his shoulders and leaning further back against the wall, arms dropping to fold behind his back. "But like I said, I've been rubbish at it since I started..."

[emiliahawthorn]

((Oh, he's lovely. Even if he is being sullen!))

"That's no excuse," she told him, a sharp shake of her head emphasising her point. "I can help you if you need it. Consider it repayment for the loan of that marvellous coat of yours."

Taking in the change in his eyes and posture, she added, "and it's no use sulking. Sulking never got a body anywhere." She was about to add 'I'm only doing this for your own good,' when she realised just how much like her mother she sounded. Stopping sharply, she added more kindly, "but the offer stands. If you want to practice, I'm more than willing to let you hex me." She smirked before adding, "And it's not often I say that".