Closed Decisions, Decisions

[Millicent Abernathy]

It seemed like a long time ago Millicent had sat on the floor of the library, ensconced in cushions and blankets, reading books she didn't understand to take her mind away from home. She still missed her parents, of course, but the homesickness no longer consumed her; she would stop mid-class and realise with a guilty sort of jolt that she was actually enjoying herself. And she almost felt like a grown-up. A year ago, the thought of navigating such a huge castle all by herself had paralysed her. She'd expected to cling to Hortensia all day, afraid to get lost. Now she regularly took long walks that led her to every corner of the castle. It made her wonder quite what she had ever been so scared of.

Still, she always returned to the library. She had to return to the library, because upon every visit she checked out another half-dozen books. She told herself she'd only take two or three this time, knowing full well she'd take as many as she could possibly jam into her rucksack. After dropping last weeks books off at the desk, she made her way toward the fiction corner. In this section alone there were more books than she could have read in her lifetime, so she knew she had to choose carefully. The trouble was, almost every title she pulled off the shelf had an exciting premise. Within minutes she had a stack of ten books and not the heart to put any of them back. With great difficulty she carried them over to the nearest table and set them down, hardly noticing Ivy nearby until she stood back to brush the dust from her robes. "Oh. Hi," she said. "I'm not taking all of these. I can't choose."

 

[Ivy Ashworth]

Ivy enjoyed spending time in the Gryffindor common room and outside on the grounds, but she most often returned to the library. It was the space within the school she had been most excited about, being able to learn and get information she had been craving all her life. Ivy had finished her homework now, and was looking to learn more interesting things about magic that could give her an edge. She had been a bit disappointed so far by her classes. With the tutoring beforehand, Ivy had expected to be a clear shining star in their year. But she never seemed to get the chance to show off everything she knew. With so many students in the class, she often wasn't picked to answer questions and no one seemed to really notice when she managed her spells in only one or two tries. It was frankly, disappointing.

But at least Ivy could impress her dad by telling him about all she had learned in her letters home. She always made sure to add her own research, tidbits she hadn't learned in class. So she was taking notes now as she sat at a table, scribbling interesting bit of information onto a piece of parchment as she pored over different books, all scattered around her. She looked up as someone joined her, annoyed for a moment until she realized it was one of the girls in her year. Ivy hadn't made any real close friends in her dorm yet, and she knew she had to take this opportunity. "Hi." She said, quickly making space for her next to her. "That's okay, I know the feeling. I want to read everything here." She said, gesturing around her with one of her hands. "What kind of books are those? Spells? History?" She asked, curious to know what Millicent wanted to learn about.