But It's the Only Thing That I Know

[Matthew Harper]

Matthew had photographed many things at Hogwarts since arriving here two years ago at the start of his fifth year. It was a beautiful school, with a lot of different areas around it. Even though he wasn't the most happy he had ever been, he was glad to be at this school. A part of him just wished Leah could be there with him, as he missed her terribly. But as usual he decided most of his photos would go to her, though he wondered what she did with them. He imagined she had some sort of album she put them in, though it was also possible she just threw them away.

He couldn't shake his feelings for her, and had decided to go to the gardens to take his mind of things. They were honestly beautiful gardens in any time of the year, but spring was the best time in his opinion. It was so colorful, and he was glad he had brought his camera. Kneeling in front of some yellow flowers, he grabbed his camera and started adjusting the settings. He wondered if it would be too sappy to send Leah pictures of flowers, and if she would appreciate them. He would rather send her real flowers, but that was impossible for many reasons. He snapped a few shots and smiled, already feeling more at ease then he had before. There was nothing like photography to make him feel like his troubles were far away. Not even flying did the trick.

 

[Caro Taylor]

Caro knew she really should be getting a start on photographing people for her upcoming piece in Hogwarts Monthly, but there was something freeing about just going out with her camera to see what she could see. Call it a warmup for the dozens of people she would have to pester for a picture for the upcoming issue of the paper. At least you didn't have to nag a flower or a mountain to stand still so you could take a picture.

She was wandering the grounds with her camera, looking for something decent to capture, when she spotted an older boy also involved with a camera. At first she assumed he must be someone from the yearbook, since he wasn't anyone she recognised from the paper, but he was just... taking pictures of flowers, not any people or anything that was happening. "What are you taking those for?" Caro asked, curious. She wondered if he was just a guy who had gotten a camera for fun and was trying it out, or if he felt the same way about photography that she did.

 

[Matthew Harper]

Matthew was so focused on his work, that he hadn't heard anyone approach. So when a girl spoke up and asked him a question, he jumped and nearly dropped his camera in the flowerbed. With wide eyes, he turned to look at her, relaxing when he just saw a young girl standing there. His heart-rate hadn't quite caught up with that yet, though, and he could feel his heart pound in his chest as if he was being chased by vampires. "You startled me." He exhaled with a small, awkward, laugh. Though he was sure that much had been obvious. He got ready to answer her question when he noticed she had a camera too. Perhaps she was here for a similar reason as he was? "Just because I wanted to." He said with a small shrug. "There's something relaxing about taking nature photos, and the flowers are really vibrant in the garden at this time of the year. I'm sending some photos to a friend."

 

[Caro Taylor]

Caro was surprised to see the boy jump. She didn't think she had been that stealthy, but maybe he was just jumpy. She sighed softly, folding her arms as she listened to him explain what he was doing. She nodded in response to his remark about nature photos, relaxing a little. "That sounds nice." She said a little awkwardly, wondering what kind of friend you sent pictures of flowers. "Do you take photos often? I'm a photographer for the paper." She paused. "I'm not taking pictures for that right now though. I'm here for the same reason."

 

[Matthew Harper]

Matthew was a little embarrassed at how jumpy he had seemed, but he had been so focused on the photograph he was taking that he hadn't expected to be approached. Sometimes he even forgot about his surroundings altogether. He smiled at her when she said it sounded nice. It wasn't the first time he had bonded with someone over photography, as his friendship with Cairo was based on the same thing. But it was a little awkward to talk to a girl so much younger than him. He couldn't help but notice she looked to be around Odette's age, he couldn't help but wonder if she knew her. He decided not to ask. "I do, though not for anything official like the paper or yearbook." He said with a small shrug. "I only transferred here two years ago, and pretty much figured they would have photographers there already." He also just liked taking photos for himself, but a part of it had also been his insecurity and shyness at a new school. "Is it fun to be a photographer for the paper?" He asked her, wondering what sort of things she took photos of.

 

[Caro Taylor]

Caro nodded, listening to the boy. She wasn't surprised when he said he was a transfer - his accent certainly set him apart, and that piqued Caro's interest at once. "Oh, where did you transfer from? America? What's it like there?" She asked. Caro had heard plenty of stories from American travellers passing through the lodge, but she was always interested to hear about other places, and she had heard sadly few stories of that type since arriving at Hogwarts. She shrugged awkwardly when he asked what it was like photographing for the paper. "It's pretty fun. I mostly take pictures of people who're being interviewed for something or other. Like, opinion polls and stuff. It's nice." She smiled, fidgeting with her camera awkwardly. "I prefer doing landscapes and stuff though."

 

[Matthew Harper]

Matthew smiled at her interest, and he nodded. His accent wasn't as strong as it had once been, but it still set him apart. "I mean, it's a big country." He said with a small shrug. "There are many different areas that are very different. Texas where I'm from is mostly very hot." He laughed, shaking his head. "And Ilvermorny, the school I transferred from is at the top of a mountain. It's really different from here, though it's easier to find different things to take photos of here." The landscape here was definitely more varied, something he appreciated. Though he couldn't help missing his old school sometimes. It was a strange idea that he would never see it again. "I think I've seen those polls in the paper, actually." He paused when she said she preferred landscapes, and before he thought about it he asked her, "do you happen to have any photos on you? I'd love to see them."