Closed lost in the pages

The library was Eli's sanctuary, a place where the constant noise of the common room didn't bother him. It was quieter in the Ravenclaw dorms than it was at home and so he imagined that it was probably quieter than some of the other dorms, but it was still sometimes overwhelming and he tried to fade into the background as much as possible. Here, surrounded by the towering shelves, and the faint scent of parchment, he could finally think properly. he had claimed a table near the back, away from the more frequented study spots. A stack of books stood to his left - wand lore, history and a few on magical theory that he wasn't sure eh'd have time to crack open. His notes were spread across the table, precise and methodical, though the occasional doodle of a wand or tree crept into the margins.

He sighed softly, leaning back in his chair and absently twisting his quill between his fingers. The topic he was researching - how core materials influenced a wands connection to its user - was fascinating, but it was also dense. He glanced at the nearest book, and flipped it open, skimming through page for a quote he'd forgotten to write down. The library was quieter than usual, a few students murmuring in hushed tones nearby. Eli didn't mind. he preferred it this way - peaceful, with just enough background noise to remind him he wasn't completely alone. He glanced around briefly, wondering if anyone he knew might wander in. It wasn't like he was seeking company, but... well, it wouldn't hurt to have someone to bounce ideas off of, would it?​

Perhaps the library was not the most common place one could find Imogen Styx-Cade, but today, she was there to find something that she wanted to do. As a second year, she needed to think of what electives to take. There were several that might have potential, but Imogen did not know how much until she asked, and her pride would not allow her to ask something so simple. She grabbed a few magazines that had more to do with designing and fashion. She had many, so she carried them to a table, and dropped them onto the wood. "Hmm?" Imogen gazed over to see one of her peers at the table. Was she so focused on herself that she did not notice him? Imogen could easily look over people unless there was something about them that just struck her eye, and he didn't seem to. However, at least he was not ugly. "Sorry, am I going to be bothering you too much if I sit here?"​

Eli was often so engrossed in whatever he was working on that he didn’t pay attention to what was happening around him. So he didn’t really notice Imogen approach until she was calling attention to herself. He glanced up from his book, momentarily startled out of the whipping thoughts of wand cores and wood. She certainly wasn’t unwelcome. He didn’t know her well but they’d had several classes together by now, he knew she at least liked to get down to work, like he did. He looked over at the stack of - was that magazines? - not exactly his area of expertise.

“Nah, you’re okay,” he said, adjusting his space if she wanted more. “As long as you don’t mind me muttering about wand wood and wand cores every now and then,” he added, smiling politely at her before turning a page in his book. “Are you looking for something specific in all of those?”​

Wand wood and wand cores? Imogen scooted her magazines to the side so that she could peek at what he was looking at. That was a topic she never heard of outside of Ollivander's. So, did this boy want to make wands? Or maybe he wanted to know more about trees. It was hard to say. But she was curious. "What is it about wand cores and woods that is so interesting then? Do you want to be the next Mr. Ollivander?" Imogen asked, since she was sure that one existed. He had two stores, even after he was dead - assuming he was dead. He asked about her magazines, and she shrugged her shoulders. "Just looking for the latest trends in clothing. Maybe some jewelry. I need a list of what to ask mom to get me."​

Eli looked over at the girl as she peeked at his book and he leaned away so she could see it properly, incase she was interested in it. He didn’t know much about Imogen, he hadn’t spent a lot of time with many people outside of those in Ravenclaw, and even then. He definitely thought he needed to branch out a little more than he had been. He arched a brow at her question though, wondering how best to answer it. “Not exactly,” he said, absentmindedly running his fingers along the side of the page, flipping it to the next page that talked about the combinations of wood and core. “I don’t necessarily care about making wands for more than just myself, I don’t want to make wands as you put it, but I am fascinated by how they work. Each one, as you know, is unique, and they all operate differently, I guess,” he told her, pulling out his own wand and sitting it on the desk. “Mine is Mahogany with Hippogriff feather, it’s more than just a tool, each witch or wizard who wields one does so differently, is it because of he combination of the core and the wood, or is it the wizard themselves? There’s a connection between us.” He wasn’t sure how else to explain it. “These books don’t tell me what I don’t already know, but I keep looking anyway. Maybe I’ll find soemthing more interesting.” And sometimes he wondered just how much influence a wand had on their wielder.

He glanced down at the magazines she had pushed aside. “Do you like to follow common fashion trends or do you go through and pick what you like and mix and match?” Eury was sometimes into fashion, he didn’t know how much though because he’d never asked her.​