Library

[Vanessa]

"Those are particularly a pain when you drop them," he chuckled. Someone in the common room had finally shut the darn thing up, and then dropped it. The book had screamed like a mad banshee. "Sensitive things, they are. What's your name?" he added, realizing he still had yet to introduce himself to the girl.

[Iviana (The Sign Painter)]

"I can imagine. I'm sure you speak from experience," she replied. Esther could hardly stand the incessant shouts from the book she had accidentally brushed passed. It was quiet sensitive, which might have been cute, had the book not screamed. "Esther Park. And yourself?

[Vanessa]

"Bruce Ackerman." He was sure that she had heard of him at least once, not because he was the most popular thing around but because his spot on the Gryffindor Quidditch team. He was notorious for his Bludger-whacking skills.

[Iviana (The Sign Painter)]

"It's a pleasure." Indeed she did know of him. There were complaints from the Quidditch team in the common room about him. The Gryffindor beater's skill did not go unnoticed.

[Vanessa]

"I'd say likewise, but Gryffindor is playing you brainy lot next week and I shouldn't be fraternizing with the enemy," he said. Bruce's dramatized shrug and exhale was followed by a lazy smile. Esther Park was alright, for a Ravenclaw.

[Iviana (The Sign Painter)]

"You're not fraternizing. We're having a conversation," Esther protested lightly. "Besides, it's not exactly polite to ignore the person who just did you a favor." She didn't care much for Quidditch in general—the entire atmosphere was overwhelming.

[Vanessa]

"True, but then I'm being impossibly generous today, gracing this dusty old place with my presence." He swept his arms about him in a grand gesture, earning a couple of laughs from his housemates, some of which book-browsed close by.

[Iviana (The Sign Painter)]

"Oh, I didn't realise I was in the presence of a god." He earned a slightly larger smile than the previous one. "But I'd tone it down. The actual god of this 'dusty, old place' is currently staring at you."

[Vanessa]

Bruce sighed, another charmingly melodramatic move, and lowered his arms. He could feel Madame Bott's eyes on his back. What is she, a vulture?

"Maaaadge," he said, drawing the word out to the librarian as if they were old friends. "Looking wonderful as always - is it your hair?" Bruce's grin widened when she pointed at the door.

"Sorry, Park, that's my cue to leave." He shrugged his pack over his shoulder, standing up.

[Iviana (The Sign Painter)]

"The book's due back here in a week, Ackerman. Don't make me hunt you done." It was not an empty threat. She assumed he wasn't too great of a student. Esther only hoped that he didn't miraculously excel in DADA.

"I expect it back here before then."

[Vanessa]

"Wow, you do a great impression of Madame Bott. I approve." And with that Bruce sauntered out of the room in that effortless grace he had, waving by to Esther the moment before he turned the corner.

[Jo]

"And I thought Potions was hard."

How Marcelina had qualified for Ancient Runes she would never know. She had suspected either merciful judges or a real miracle when she had reached an Exceeds Expectations for Ancient Runes. And now she was up to her teeth in all those worthless scribbles because she had been determined to do the NEWT for every subject she passed in the OWLs.

She curled her now disastrous hair with one finger unconsciously as she turned the pages with the other one not telling the difference between one rune and the other.

[Iviana (The Sign Painter)]

"But the library is boring," sighed a rather antsy Cecil to his friend as he made his way into the library. He didn't care if he had to study for an upcoming quiz. Procrastination was what he was good at, and besides, it wasn't like the quiz was tomorrow. Homework could wait that long.

[Jo]

Well if it isn't the King of the-- though Marcelina, voluntarily interrupting the thought as she made a face behind her textbook and grabbed her quill a little tighter. Cecil Graham, the Gryffindor douche by excellence.

[Vanessa]

"We're not going to actually read," Bruce said, laughing. The only reasons Bruce was seen at the library were rare, important assignments, and to chat up some of the brainy Ravenclaw girls. After all, Esther hasn't been that bad. "C'mon, Kelly could be here," he added jokingly, referring to the Slytherin witch Cecil had found a new rival in.

[Iviana (The Sign Painter)]

Cecil laughed. It'd be a good opportunity to take a bit of revenge for the incident at Hogsmeade. He followed into the library, hands in his pockets. Madame Bott eyed the pair as they stepped inside, Cecil giving her a cheeky smile before making his way further inside.

[Jo]

And his merry man, she added in her mind as she attempted to keep her glare on the book, which was easy enough. Getting angry at Ancient Runes was easier than anyone could think of in her House. Then her eye caught a little scrap of parchment she had brought in case she needed to do any notes. Holding her quill masterfully, she suppressed the smile as she began to make a cartoon of the two stuck-up Gryffindors with the most insulting featues she could find.

[Vanessa]

Bruce gave the old witch an equally charming and roguish smile, walking inside. "I'm on the inside now," he told Cecil with a proud nod. Ever since he'd returned the book for Esther, the librarian had seemed to be less on his case than before.

[Iviana (The Sign Painter)]

"What, did you buy her a book for her birthday?" Cecil questioned as he passed by a few shelves. He saw, out of the corner of his eye, a Ravenclaw who seemed a bit too intent on her note taking. He attempted to peek into the contents of the text book, though there were only incoherent shapes.

[Jo]

Marcelina realized of Cecil's attention of her notes and desperately attempted to hide the scrap of parchment into her book and then close it, but it only made it more visible until she closed the book with a loud thud. She starightened her face as she tried to forget the slight embarrasment of this episode.

[Vanessa]

"I returned a book for a friend. Ravenclaw named Esther Park. She digs me," Bruce said with jaunty confidence and a wide grin, although it was clear that he was only joking. Sure, Park was nice and not bad-looking, but Bruce was, for the most part, a solo-flying bat wizard.

[Iviana (The Sign Painter)]

((giggled so hard))

"Oh how sweet of you." Once she scrambled to conceal whatever it was she was doing, it was quite obvious (even to the daftest of people) she was doing something involving him, and he wanted to what it was. Cecil turned away from the desk and walked out of earshot. In a lower tone, he said to Bruce, "Did you see that?"

[Jo]

Marcelina relazed a bit when Cecil's eyes were away from her for a moment but still kept her sour face away from them. Then she turned her eyes away from the immature blonde as she kept her eyes on the book, which she opened again at her convenience.

[Iviana (The Sign Painter)]

((He was talking to Bruce the entire time))

[Jo]

[Oops. Edit.]

[Vanessa]

((right right right))

"How could you not?" Bruce replied in an equally quiet tone. "What do you think she was doing?" She clearly hadn't been studying. Something she didn't want someone to see, judging by the quickness with which she stowed it away.

[Iviana (The Sign Painter)]

"No idea. Probably something to do with us. Or me. Probably me, I mean, let's be honest here," Cecil added with a grin. He cast a glance back at the Ravenclaw, who seemed to be retrieving whatever it was that she was working on.

[Jo]

Marcelina, after a glance at the two boys, looked satisfied of her work. She particularly liked Cecil sour mouth and Bruce's enormous potato nose; it suited them somehow. She was unconscious of their glances now, in a way.

[Vanessa]

"You can have her, mate," he said with shrug, his hands up in a gesture of playful surrender. "She's ranks a mere five and a half. A six at best," Bruce murmured in a low tone. He'd learned from many slaptastic adventures not to let girls know how high (or low) they ranked on his scale.

[Iviana (The Sign Painter)]

"You're going to give her a six? Wow. Someone's lenient. Anyways, only one way to find out what she was doing." With that, Cecil sauntered back over, being sure to stay quiet, of course. It was a library, after all. "Hello, sweetheart."

[Vanessa]

Bruce had to bite his tongue until it hurt to stop from bursting out into laughter. Hello, sweetheart, he thought with a shake of his head, exhaling with a soft chuckle. This would be entertaining.

[Jo]

Marcelina turned over with homicidal calm but a fake smile. Sweetheart? Typical of stuck-up Gryffindors--but then she openly showed the drawing to the boys. "Oh hello. Some artist I am, no?"

[Iviana (The Sign Painter)]

"It looks like you took that Slytherin prefect--oh, what was his name...? Summers, I think--and gave him a companion," Cecil replied. "Good thing, too. He needs someone to brighten him up."

[Jo]

"If you say so," replied Marcelina frostily, although thrown a bit off course. "Even thought that was you. Is you," he added, for further reference, staring daggers at him. She hated to be outwitted.

[Iviana (The Sign Painter)]

"Oh, is that the best you can come up with? I thought Ravenclaws were supposed to be clever." Cecil eyed the picture, his smugness never wavering. "What do you think, Bruce? Who does that lovely thing look like?"

[Vanessa]

"I'll be honest, Cecil," Bruce said, inspecting the drawing with a critic's eye. A practised look he had from countless visits to posh art galleries with his mother and father. "I thought it was a pretty accurate self-portrait. It should be in the Louvre, it's so damn good."

[Jo]

"Oh, how very hilarious. You two should have a comdey club, you know," she said sardonically with a face like ice, lifting an eyebrow as she crossed her legs and arms in annoyance.

[Iviana (The Sign Painter)]

"Well, sweetheart, you should have seen that one coming," Cecil replied. "After all, you're the one who asked for our opinions."

[Jo]

"Because all those absolutely laugh-out-loud amusing puns were for me to clap. Congratulations," she answered even more sardonic, arching her eyebrows like she always did when displeased, like now.

[Iviana (The Sign Painter)]

Daniel sat at one of the desks, text book open with homework next to him, quill moving quickly as he rushed to finish. There really wasn't much of a point to the rush, but he'd be happy to be rid of Potions homework. Even as much as Nyx loved him, he still hated the class. He couldn't wait to be done with it. Only a few more months and he'd be out of the bloody school.

[Iviana (The Sign Painter)]

"Watch it," Daniel muttered as she bumped into his table, mouth twitching into a scowl. She'd caused him to smug a rather important part of his paper. It seemed no matter where he went, there were always clueless idiots around to bother him.

[Iviana (The Sign Painter)]

Well it happened anyways, he thought with a roll of his eyes. Clearly she had bothered him. And to say that she pitied him wasn't helping her image. No one pitied him, and he didn't want empty sympathy. Daniel let out a quiet sigh. "Yes, now of you would kindly shut up, it would be much obliged."

[Iviana (The Sign Painter)]

"It wouldn't do any harm to be less annoying," he replied, shaking his head. Politeness wasn't something Daniel was known for, especially when he was annoyed. Surely recognized his face. There were certainly enough rumours circling around him that it was hard not to.

[Iviana (The Sign Painter)]

Resisting the urge to roll her eyes, Daniel continued with his homework, scribbling away with a faint scowl on his face. Only a few more months and he wouldn't have to deal with sharing a space with younger, incompetent witches and wizards.

[Iviana (The Sign Painter)]

Cecil in the library wasn't too much of a strange sight. It wasn't uncommon to find the Gryffindor causing some sort of trouble. However, Cecil actually studying was a completely different story.

He sat at one of the desks near the back of the library, just out of sight of Madam Bott, though it wasn't as if he needed to be. He was hunched over a text book with his head in hand, quill moving ever-so-slowly as he took notes. His expression was sober, a rare sight. Thankfully, there was hardly anyone there at that hour, either all still at dinner or making their ways to their respective common rooms.

He still felt horrible after talking with Bruce. What was he supposed to do? It wasn't like he could have just kept talking like nothing had happened. Maybe someone else would cheer him up.

[Vanessa]

As she had expected, the library was close to empty. However, there was an atypical somberness to the usual quiet. That same feeling permeated the entire school since the night the rogue dark wizards had come. The pleasant sound of conversation did little to ease the troublesome feeling, and so Rosaline bade Madame Bott a good evening after returning her books.

"Oh, and Miss Kelly," Madame Bott started before she could leave. "I believe that fifth volume of transfiguration you've been looking for has been returned." The librarian pointed at the bookshelves in the back.

Might as well, Rosaline decided. It would save her another trip back. She navigated her way through the rows of books, tracing the spines of each one until her finger fell upon some familiar gold lettering.

She opened it, flipping through to make sure it was the right one. The dim lighting forced her to step out from behind the bookcase, where Rosaline's eyes fell on Cecil Graham. Studying, no less.

"Hi," Rosaline said, for he had no doubt heard her coming from around the corner and it was only courtesy.

[Iviana (The Sign Painter)]

He'd heard footsteps, though they didn't match the clicks of Madame Bott's heels, and dismissed them without a second thought. However, once he heard the familiar voice, he looked up with an easy smile.

"Hello, sweetheart," Cecil drawled out, leaning back in his seat. It felt as if they hadn't had a real conversation in ages. The closest thing had been passing notes in class, and then hardly anything since. Besides, Kelly was a good distraction from both homework and Bruce.

[Vanessa]

Eyes drifted lazily from that disarming smile into the printed pages and back, settling there with mild interest. Graham looked no different, save for the actual work in front of him. It was almost as if those moments of intimacy between them hadn't existed, nor the almost jarring aloofness that followed so soon after. She supposed she didn't look any different either with her quiet expression.

Rosaline closed the book.

"Studying?" she asked, the coolness of her demeanor dissolving into a mixture of feigned sympathy, amusement, and a touch of surprise.

[Iviana (The Sign Painter)]

((nor*?))

"Unfortunately," he replied with a dramatic sigh. His quill dropped into the inkwell with a quiet plop. He took care to look normal. It wouldn't do to have rumours going about that he was also falling into the solemnity that everyone else seemed to be in. Cecil gestured for her to join him.

"Please tell me you've come to save me from this boredom. I don't know how much more I can take."

[Vanessa]

((*edit* danke))

Rosaline lowered herself into the chair next to Cecil. "I'm tempted to read this to you very, painfully slowly - " Slender fingers flipped through the book in slow, deliberate motions, as though each heavily inked page weighed as many kilos as it had letters. An averagely sized volume, although the script was small and plentiful on every page.

"But it seems you've been tormented enough," Rosaline's eyes flickered to the notes on the desk, and she released a sigh that echoed his, setting the book down on her lap.

A sudden curiosity spurred her to spare a discreet glance at Cecil. She was pleased to find the gold band there. However, Rosaline's neck was still bare.

"I will spare you," she said, mouth lifting into a gracious little smile.