Open Escape the Doldrums

[Salem Lee]

Open after Sam posts with River

Salem was getting bored. Everyone kept talking about exams and homework like it was some big, scary/exciting event coming up, but Salem just found it all terribly dull. If you've written one essay, you'd written them all, and Salem was getting tired of walking to the same places, sitting in the same seat, and listening to the same professors all semester. She was itching for a change of pace, and had immediately set out to find one after dinner that evening. There was still time before curfew and she was determined to find something cool around the castle, or just somewhere she hadn't been before.

After poking around the old bathroom up here, she'd eventually given up on that spot, deciding that it was in fact just an old grody bathroom, before moving back into the corridor to mess with an old suit of armor. At first it had just been out of curiosity to see how much she'd need to grow to fit in one, but now Salem was having a blast fussing with one of the arms, trying to get it to wave. She'd given the elbow a good yank, trying to twist the arm at a good angle so she could make it salute, when the entire left gauntlet came away from the suit, clattering to the ground with a clang that echoed about the hallway.

 

[River Hopkins-Vance]

River was starting to feel the stress of the upcoming exams. After talking to her mother (over owl of course) and her older sister, the young Slytherin girl knew just how much she had to focus to meet the expectations that were being placed on her. It was certainly difficult to live up to standards that seemed like nothing but perfection. No one was perfect afterall, but her mother and sister could not be shown that. In her dormitory, the young girl read book after book taking notes until her hand felt like it was going to fall off.

River had had enough of all this. Her brain almost felt like it was melting and most her textbooks had been read through cover to back. She needed a break. Just hopefully I don't run into Emmaline. I'll stay away from the library She thought with a slight laugh knowing quite well the library would be exactly where the young Slytherin girl could find her sister.

River left her dormitory, wanting to go to the lake, but it was getting dark. She did not want to break curfew and risk losing housepoints. That was simply unacceptable. Instead maybe she would wander through the castle for a little bit, to clear her head. There was so much of the castle she had not seen. As long as I don't get lost before dark She thought to herself as she walked up flights and flights of stairs, her long purple hand swinging back and forth as she walked.

When the young girl reached the fifth floor, she needed a little break. It was fair enough from her common room, an area that had not been discovered much. River was walking down the corridor when she heard a loud crashing noise. Without a second thought, River set off running towards the noise. She could not help but wonder if someone was hurt. When she reached the source of the commotion, she noticed a suit of armour fallen to the ground and a student standing next to it. "Are you okay?" River asked, almosting hoping the suit of armour would magically pick itself back up again. That would be a sight to see.

 

[Salem Lee]

Salem looked at the suit on the ground, before looking down slowly at the gauntlet still clutched in her hand blinking owlishly. At the of a voice, she spun around quickly, trying to hide the gauntlet behind her back even as it clacked audibly with the movement. "Oh uh hi. Yep. Everything's good here," She said brightly, taking a moment to register it was just one of her classmates and thankfully not a prefect or professor. "Oh, your hair's purple today," She added as an afterthought. Salem could have sworn the girl had red hair when she'd seen her in class last week.

There was another beat when Salem considered trying to subtly scoot the suit of armor back into its alcove and hope that somehow River just hadn't noticed it, though even she could tell that was a terrible idea. "I was just.. poking around?" She offered eventually, making to scratch at her face and nearly hitting herself with the gauntlet, having forgotten she was holding it already.

 

[River Hopkins-Vance]

River looked at the student, who was only vaguely familiar. Of course they had probably had classes together, but River had been too focused on the work at hand to actually get to know some of the other fellow students in her year. It was a mistake. One she was trying to fix, when things calmed down in the academic setting. The young slytherin could tell that she had startled Salem. River never pictured herself as scary, but it had been possible she could have been anyone, not just another fellow student, coming to the commotion of medal armour hitting the ground. She smiled at the thought. "Sorry" She said honestly. "I didn't mean to scare you. Just wanted to make sure you were okay." She added not sure if an apology was needed, but always helpful. First impressions were very important.

Though as the other student spoke, mentioning her hair colour, River knew the first impression had already been made. Apparently she was standing out in classes a bit more than she had given herself credit for. "Oh yeah. It felt like a purple day." She said offhandedly. River was constantly changing; it was just how she was. A new day, a new way to express herself.

River watched as Salem attempted to push the armour back in its place, hitting her own face with a piece in her hand. River was not trying to be mean, but she let out a little laugh at the whole situation. "I'm not sure that's going to work." She added, another laugh escaping her lips. This whole scene could have been from a movie. Although it was surprising she had been the only one to hear the crash. Maybe this was just normal in Hogwarts.

 

[Salem Lee]

Salem nodded a few times when River apologized, still glancing awkward at the suit of armor on the floor. "I wasn't scared, I was just worried you were a teacher for a moment there," She admitted. "Not that I did anything, I found it like this," She added quickly, smiling sheepishly. "I like the purple," She said. Salem had never dyed her own hair, but it was pretty cool that River seemed to just do it whenever she wanted. Salem figured her mums probably wouldn't care if she did, so maybe she could ask River what she used on hers later.

River laughed at her attempts to shove the armor out of place, and Salem had to admit it was pretty hopeless as it was. "Probably not," She said, enjoying the clack of the gauntlet in her hand again when she shrugged. "Can you help me pick it up? Before a teacher actually comes?" She asked, moving to step over the armor before getting distracted when she glanced at the alcove it'd fallen from. "Wait, is there something behind it?" She said, peering closer.