A Solemn Vow

[Baralyth de Ashula]

His breath fogged the glass as he stared through the wand shop's window. A slender black wand sat on display in the shop, and he felt compelled to break through the glass and run off with it. It drew him in, and he stared wide eyed at it, not realizing he was in such a trance. A small icicle broke off the shingle above him, and promptly smacked against the top of his head. He snapped out of the trance and keeled over grasping the top of his head. He gritted his teeth and let out a loud grunt.

How he found a way to get to the Harbour was beyond him, and mainly just a series of quick wit decisions. He wanted to see the place so badly, having heard of it from the elf who gave him his invitation before he departed. Snatching some of his mother’s money, he hitched a ride via wagon all the way there, and dismissed the driver, who in effect looked slightly confused as the bustling place was invisible to his eyes. The driver shrugged, and rode off. Baralyth had felt horrible for betraying his mother’s trust, especially when it was only months away before he would be attending Hogwarts and seeing the place unhindered.

He didn’t regret it though, and before that moment went through almost every shop, looking through every magical shopping hot spot he could, and learned about the world he was never able to be a part of until that day. He rubbed his head a bit and looked up again at the wand one last time, his brown and gold eyes shimmering, and then began walking down the street and towards the quill shop. “You’ll be mine someday. You ‘are’ mine.”

 

[Jasmine Smith]

(OOC: Thats a really good starting post Sorry for the weird and lame post, low muse )

For Jasmine, the wizarding world was general. The sights of the shopping, the magical hum that seemed to vibrate and echo around, it was all what made magic, magic. Smiling at the first bit of freedom she had felt all day, she gently slipped into the bustling crowds of Obsidian Harbour. Her parents had been at home all day, and kept her there as well, to finish some work before they finally found a second to tell her she could go out. Her brothers would probably have pushed and pushed until they let them go earlier, but this wasn't in Jasmine's nature and so she decided to make up every last second she had lost earlier. Slipping through the crowds was natural for Jasmine, and she never made a scene of herself, preferring to blend in and just enjoy some happy hours in the sunshine and the harbour before it was time to return to the tedious place she had to call home. The harbour was busy and this left space to dart in and out, going unseen as she weaved her way to the shop windows and look in, marvelling at all the things to buy when she had the money. It seemed that ever since she had gotten her letter of invitation to Hogwarts, she could now break free and accept that she was going. For her, it had always been 'maybe you won't get in' or the blunter version from her brothers: 'you dirty squib, you'll never get to go to magic school'. Shaking the haunting thoughts away from her memory, she paused momentarily, telling herself that it was fine, she was going and there was nothing they could do about it. The more she thought, the more she realised their motifs behind the teasing and taunting. They had been expelled and therefore didn't go to magic school any more, finding her generally bad because she had done what they couldn't do - succeed at finding a school to take her. Grinning with delight at the thought, she suddenly realised her mistake in stopping. All around her, there were currents of the shoppers sweeping her in whichever direction they were going.

A cold fear swept of Jaz, and she found herself frozen to the spot even more. Her small frame, which usually came into handy when needing to slip in and out of places, was now being crushed between people. Shoving blindly, she found she didn't make any effect on the pushing crowd. Looking around wildly, she gently slid past the last person and found herself colliding with a boy around her age who was heading to the quill shop. He was talking to someone she realised, and pausing again to momentarily right herself, she looked at the floor, her face burning a bright red as she attempted to stumble an apology. Finishing the long sentence that was inaudible, she began to leave. However, being disorientated, she paused again, looked up and turned around, finding herself blushing furiously as she headed past the boy again. Trying to do what she did best - vanishing - seemed to be proving hard, so slipping into the crowds again, she tried to leave but instead finding herself pushed out again by some shoppers who needed to go. Looking sheepishly to her left, she found herself looking at the boy again and turning redder than she thought possible, she brought a hand up to her face, shielding her eyes from the blaring sun and trying to locate the quickest exit possible in the situation.

 

[Baralyth de Ashula]

As he vowed to himself, he walked on, his view blinded by his train of thoughts, and paying attention to little else. Always a mess his mind often dulled his senses, and he hardly felt the girl bump into him. “Hardly” was the word, and he looked down at her with an eyebrow raised, and smiled as she shyly looked towards the ground. His ears perked up a bit as he tried to make out the words coming from her mouth through all the banter and commotion. He only assumed it was an apology as she then tried to find her way through the crowd. A small smile crossed his lips as he began trying to find his path again.

Only seconds later she came crashing back, and all he could do was let forth a hearty chuckle. He then noted her blush, and she lifted her hand to shield the sun. He looked around as well for some kind of escape from the mob surrounding them. His left shirt was folded up to his elbow and wrapped in place as he didn’t have his lower arm ‘attached’ that day. It would only be a slight problem anyways. He swiftly took hold of her other hand and began easily weaving and smashing through the crowd, pulling her along safely.

They finally reached his targeted destination, an alleyway between the Quill shop and some other building, and he let her hand go, and bowed his head to her, and waved his hand as it fell in a gesture that said ‘you’re welcome’ silently.

“Well, miss; you’re safe now, and y’have a little room to breathe as well. You looked a little uncomfortable back there.” He smiled brightly, hoping that she wouldn’t fear the stranger before her, and trying to be as gentlemanly as possible after just grabbing her hand and yanking her along like that.

 

[Jasmine Smith]

Jasmine turned her attention to the boy as he began to laugh and her face turned another bright shade of red. Looking down and trying to ignore him, she found herself suddenly being pulled along through the crowds. She struggled momentarily before realising that he was only there to help, and sighing as a sign of gratitude, she put her head down and just concentrated on keeping up with him. She noticed he only had half his left arm and suppressing a shiver at the thought of what might have happened, she followed him through the crowd, wishing she had a wand and could do powerful spells to get herself home. The imagination of this overtook her as she began to walk and before she knew it, she was in an alleyway that she recognised. Looking around her quickly, she found herself recognising the quill shop and another nearby building. She knew where she was and knew a small passageway the right size for a small 11 year old where she could run if she needed to. Glancing around wildly, she crossed her arms self-consiously in front of her, finding the shade of the alleyway provoking a shiver in the young girl. Looking up at him with wide and fearful eyes, she nodded at his comment and continued to look around, trying her very best to locate the nearest exit and the best way to reach it. She could try and run for it, however fast she was for a small girl though, she feared he might be slightly faster.

The boy was smiling brightly and it was only once she had decided where to run, did she turn her attention back to him. Taking the boy in for a second, her dark eyes scanned around before returning to look at the ground. "Thank you." She whispered, her voice barely audible and vanishing quickly in the growing wind. Shivering slightly, she rubbed her arm before turning to walk away. Her hand raised to her face to cool down the redness of it, and with the help of the wind, it soon returned to its normal colour. Turning around a final time now, happy that her face wasn't going to become a new muggle traffic light, she smiled again, faintly yes, but it was at least still a smile. Wondering where she was going to go, she paused again, looking into the quill shop at the fancy and plain feathers that littered the window. Wondering what it would be like to actually use one in the new school she was going to be going to, she closed her eyes and found herself lost in her own imagination again. When she opened her eyes a few seconds later, she used the reflection of the glass to watch the kind boy who had helped her. She was uncertain of who he actually was, but she found that the more she looked in the reflection, the harder it was to look away. To a passer-by, she would just be looking in the window, and it was relieving to know she was the only person who knew exactly where she was looking and at who it was directed to.

 

[Baralyth de Ashula]

It got a bit darker as night began to creep in, but he wanted to see the quill shop before he went home. He made it a goal to see all the main shops, so he stepped out of the alleyway, and walked past the girl. As he passed her, he slowed for a moment and whispered to her, "Be safe." He continued on, and through the door to the shop. As he walked through the store he looked at her through the window and smiled again.

The number of items in the simple 'quill' shop astounded him, and the smile remained as he looked through parchment, ink, and the likes. He like simple colors, simple parchments, but had an eye for artistic items as well. As somebody who had a slight interest in drawing, he was curious to how a drawing with a quill would come out. He crept over to the quill section, and looked them over. Surely such a rough point would make drawing uncomfortable if not difficult. Suddenly he stopped in place as he spotted the pheasant quill section, taking an immediate interest in the simple yet wonderful supply.

He sighed as he looked at it, just as he had looked at a wand he held interest in at the wand shop. He didn't have the kind of currency needed to purchase from the shop, and looking on just made the experience depressing. Oh well, in a few months he would have some galleons, and he could purchase to his hearts content. He smiled at the thought, and picked up a pheasant quill, and ran his hand along it. His mind quickly went back to the girl he just met, and he looked up at her.

Gently, he placed the quill back down, and walked out to the pane, and looked through it for a moment as he stood next to her, "So... Do you like Quills?" He almost chuckled at himself, and smiled at her.

 

[Jasmine Smith]

Jasmine watched in the reflection as the boy entered the quill shop. Turning around to face the main street as he did so, she waited until he had left before she continued to look in the window, so as to not make it seem like she was watching him. Trying to convince herself of this fact however, took more energy. Finally settling on the fact that she was watching him, because he had been kind to her, she smiled and closed her eyes, losing herself in thoughts of her new school to be. She was standing on the Hogwarts grounds, looking out across the trees and grassland that supposedly existed in her imagination. Watching children play on the ground, she breathed a sigh of relief as her thoughts engulfed her very being. However, before she had completely managed to sink into the unreachable depths of her imagination, she found someone talking to her. Slightly irked by this fact for a moment, she squeezed her eyes closed harder to savour the last dying section of her own creation of hogwarts. Realising that she had to open her eyes some time soon, she opened them a crack and saw the same boy standing next to her. It must have been him who asked the question that disrupted her thoughts, but because of who it was, she smiled politely and scanned her memory back to what the question had actually been. She had been lost in the sight of the trees, and something about quills.... Opening her eyes brightly, she smiled and nodded. "Yes, they are lovely. You were choosing one?" She enquired, feeling a gradual growing confidence appearing inside of herself as she engaged in good conversation with the boy. She wouldn't push it too far as to begin to introduce herself, because that would tip her off and probably make her lose her balance on the tight-rope of confidence for her. For anyone else, yes it was silly really, but for Jasmine, she found that she struggled to talk to people and make good confident chatter around them unless they were generally nice people who took their time to get to know her. Deciding on the latter of this boy, she looked up at him and smiled, slightly sheepishly.

 

[Baralyth de Ashula]

He looked at her with a tilted smile, and a raised brow as she was off in her own little world. She responded a moment later, however, and asked him if he was choosing a quill. He looked down for a moment, and back up to view the peasant's quill through the window. He let out a small sigh, and put his right hand on his left shoulder still looking through the window of the shop. His thoughts at the moment revolved around money.

"Choosing... Yeah, but purchasing... No. I have no money to spend in places like these." He looked at her and kind of half-smile. He had heard that you get somewhat of an allowance from attending Hogwarts, and he prayed it was true, or he'd be at a loss for supplies. "I'm attending a school soon though, and I may get some of these.. "Galleons" to use to buy things. Then I can get one. I especially like the pheasants quill. It's simple, yet at the same time I love the details in the feather. That's the one I want."

He nodded, and looked towards her, thinking for a moment if she would be attending the same school. Maybe she would be buying the same supplies as well. "Assuming you'll be going to school soon as you look to be around my age... Will you be getting a quill? Which would you choose?"

 

[Jasmine Smith]

Jasmine smiled again as the boy watched her. He answered her politely and she pondered on his statement for a little before finding a reply she thought suitable enough. "Can't you ask your parents for some money for it? I think they do give you money, or at least, that is what i have heard..." She started, trailing off as she contemplated the disaster of getting his hopes up over something that she couldn't promise or even confirm. Feeling hopeless at the idea of mentioning money when perhaps his parents were poor or he didn't have parents, she sighed again but barely audibly. Looking in the window at the quills on offer, she scanned up and down the racks for a few minutes, before finally pointing to one. It was a medium length, purple quill that had a small breeze through it, resulting in the swaying of the feathers. The movement was smooth and relaxed and altogether heavenly. Smiling to herself as she watched, she found herself entranced before finding the words to tell him. "That one. Its so delicate, don't you think?" She began, finding her sentences nearly all cut off for now as they trailed into other subjects. Impressed however with herself for finding the courage to talk to him comfortably, she smiled again, a little more boldly this time.

(OOC: Sorry, lame post )

 

[Baralyth de Ashula]

Confidence suddenly flowed from her it seemed, and Baralyth appreciated the sudden change. He listened to her, and contemplated what she was asking. It pained him that he wanted to keep the world of magic apart from his parents, for he knew they would not understand it all. He looked down at his feet somberly for a moment before looking up at her flatly.

"My parents are Muggles, and have no knowledge of this side of the world, so they don't have the kind of money I need." He the smiled hesitantly, and tried to shrug it off. He did want his parents to know about it, but they were purely scientific people, and no matter how hard he tried they would not accept all this. It made him depressed at times, but finally being involved with the world of magic, it lifted his spirits even if he couldn't do magic with them.

The girl went on about the quill of her taste. He smiled at her choosing, and nodded at the statement about it. However, his mind was veering off a little bit as he spoke with her, and as she started to get used to him. He never got too involved with the social world, this kind of thing just came naturally to him, but he was hopeless really, as he always forgot to introduce himself.

"Delicate it is, but before we continue on, how about introductions? I be Baralyth, but just call me Bara. I'm rather embarrassed by my name, yah see? My parents had weird taste." As he spoke his last sentence he did a exaggerated bow and stood straight again smiling wholly.

 

[Jasmine Smith]

Jasmine looked down at the ground as the boy did, concerned that she had upset his feelings. Sensing the tips of her ears go red with embarrassment, she looked into the shop window and then turned back around to face him when he began to speak. Feeling a surge of stupidity come over her when he explained, she stood there, feeling completely awkward and out of place around him as he told her the short story that summed up her question. "Oh, im sorry." Were the only words that she could find the strength to utter. Looking down at the ground still, she found an awkward silence that arose between the pair of them, and in that moment she took the opportunity to debate her own family. She had a large family, and it would be wrong of her to say they weren't well off. Her dad worked hard, and had inherited a fortune from her grandmother who was a pureblood and they had never been badly off ever. Her mother didn't need to work, and although they had their own house-elf, she stayed at home to watch over the management and care for the family. Having a huge amount of siblings, and only her elder sister actually going to school, her mother was in charge of doing the educating of the children. The majority of them all being older than her, Jasmine had to resort to learning by herself so that she wasn't bossed around by the elder ones. Therefore, the opportunity of going to Hogwarts was a miracle, a revelation and something that she was eternally grateful for. Tuning her attention back to the situation at hand, Jasmine found the boy asking about introductions. Dipping her head at the playful bow, she smiled and laughed quietly, the sound of the small chiming of bells erupting from her mouth quietly. Calming herself within seconds, she smiled and paused before responding. "Im Jasmine." She greeted, using her full name rather than the name she preferred and called herself, Jaz. The name given by her parents was used by teachers, new people and her family in general, but she in her own mind called herself Jaz and wished that one day she would find the friends to share this with, but for now, she was Jasmine. Especially to a stranger whom she had just met.