Closed Quiet Moment

[Aisa Hunter]

The exams were still a little bit away, but Aisa knew she had to get a head start in studying if she didn't want to be driven completely mad in the final week. She had gotten through her exams fairly well the past two years, but things were definitely getting more complex this year. Especially Ancient Runes, which Aisa was regretting picking just a bit. Maybe she would drop it again, but she had the feeling it could be useful later. For now, she was focusing on potions. She had written out the different potion ingredients on a piece of parchment, a list for each of the potions they had brewed this year. She was trying to memorize which ingredients went in what potion, as that was usually something that was asked on the exam. Covering the list with a spare piece of parchment, Aisa quietly mumbled the ingredients for the Shrinking Solution. "Daisies, leech juice, water...." She muttered, but couldn't remember what else was in it. She peeked under the piece of parchment and noticed she had forgotten about the Abyssinian shrivelfigs. With a sigh, she moved to the next potion. She would have to repeat these a while before she could remember everything.

 

[Simon Thorne]

When Simon entered the library he wasn’t surprised to see that it was fairly crowded. Exams were coming up and it seemed he wasn’t the only one who needed cram to make sure they didn’t absolutely fail their classes. He walked through the rows of books looking for a place to claim as his own. He stopped short when he spotted Aisa, the girl from the train, and smirked. He had seen her in most of his classes but hadn’t had the chance to talk to her again. He had also noticed that she mostly kept to herself and it just made him more curious. Simon ducked behind the row of books closest to her and could hear her muttering about potion ingredients. He took a deep breath and put on his most charming smile before rounding the corner and placing his bag on the table and sitting down in front of her. “Studying for potions?” he asked cheerfully. “Perfect! It really isn’t my best subject and I could definitely use the help.” he said. Truthfully no subject was his best subject but he didn’t feel the need to be that honest quite yet.

 

[Aisa Hunter]

Aisa was revising the next potion, trying to think of the final ingredient in the Deflating Draught. She had the feeling she almost remembered it, but then she was interrupted by a voice. Irritated, she looked up, only growing more irritated when she saw who it was, and when she heard what he had to say. Aisa sighed and placed her hand on the page ass he looked at Simon, who seemingly was still as persistent as he had seemed on the train. She had thought he would leave her alone now, but apparently not. "I am studying for potions." She confirmed. "But I don't know what about me studying by myself makes you assume I want to help you." She added with a slight frown.

 

[Simon Thorne]

Simon placed his elbows on the table and rested his head in his hands. “I’m not saying you have to help me.” He began. “I’m only stating the obvious, you have potions to study and so do I. And since we’re both sitting here wouldn’t it be so easy to just help each other out.” he explained as he leaned back with a shrug, trying to emphasis his casual attitude. Before she could reply he started to pull out his books and piles of unorganized notes. “Listen, I’m just trying to be practical here.” he added and opened his book.

 

[Aisa Hunter]

Aisa glanced at Simon with disinterest. "Your tone made it seem like you assumed." She said simply. "But I study better on my own." She said firmly. "So I'm going to study on my own." She turned her attention back to her book, though the frown on her face made it clear that she was unable to completely ignore his presence. She glanced at him from the corner of her eye. "It would not be practical for me." She added, just to explain a little further. As annoying as the guy was, she didn't want to be mean to him without a reason. She just felt like wanting to be left alone was plenty of reason. She hoped he would go away now, but doubted it somehow.

 

[Simon Thorne]

Simon wasn’t surprised that Aisa didn’t want to help him. Why would she? But he still frowned in mock disappointment, and shrugged indifferently. “I’m sorry, I guess I just thought that maybe you’d want to help a fellow student in need,” he said, looking at her with a pleading expression. “But hey we’re all wrong sometimes.” he added with a grin. He knew she was probably just waiting for him to give up and leave, but this had just become his new afternoon activity whether she realized it or not and he wasn’t going anywhere. “It looks like I'm all on my own.” he said with a heavy sigh and picked up his notebook. “You don’t mind if I sit here do you? And study, quietly, of course“ he added, sounding serious. He kicked his feet up onto the table and started flipping through pages. He glanced up after a few seconds to see her reaction.

 

[Aisa Hunter]

Aisa sighed as the boy said he had thought she would help him. She gave him an annoyed look, hoping that would be enough for him to leave. But she knew he wouldn't give up that easily, he had proven that on the train. "Looks like it." He said when he mentioned being all on his own. "Unless you go bother someone else." She added pointedly. She frowned as he asked if he could here, looking at the feet he had kicked onto the table. Aisa put down her book and looked at him. "You can sit wherever you want, I don't care. But that's disgusting." She said, pointing at his feet. "I don't want to see what sort of things you have on the bottom of your shoes. Please put them down." She then grabbed her book again without waiting for him to do as she asked, as if she assumed he would do so without question. If he continued being obnoxious, at least she could always leave, as annoying as that would be.

 

[Simon Thorne]

Simon laughed. "Why would I bother any one else?" he asked sincerely. "When you make it so fun." he said and put his hands behind his head, getting comfortable while Aisa seemed to be trying her best not out right yell at him. "Oh, is this bothering you?" he smirked, enjoying how she still tried to be polite when he suddenly got an idea. "How about this?" he asked seriously, turning his smug grin into a look of contemplation as he put his hands in his lap. "I will take my shoes off the table. I will even leave you alone for the rest of the day." he said generously. "But under one condition." he added, his grin coming back as he held up one finger. "You go do the Yule Ball with me." he said with a smile that didn't feel completely fake.

 

[Aisa Hunter]

Aisa had been assuming Simon was just kind of dense, not malicious. But his next comment made it clear he was bothering her on purpose, knowing full well that she hated it. She glared at him. "If you were this obnoxious at your old school, it's no wonder you had to leave." She said, though her voice was still even and calm. She rolled her eyes when he asked if it was bothering her, trying not to engage too much with him, as it was clear that was the goal. She sighed and listened as he gave her a condition for taking his feet off the table, her annoyance rising to new levels. Aisa closed her book with a snap. "No." She said firmly. "And if you have to blackmail people into being your date, you should probably contemplate about what that says about you."

 

[Simon Thorne]

Simon waited for her response, knowing she would probably say no. But he figured he could eventually convince her to say yes, or at least a tentative maybe. He wouldn’t mind going with her, there were probably more suitable options, but she was pretty and he liked a challenge. But he wasn’t expecting the comment about his old school. Immediately he grin turned into a frown. She had no idea why he had to leave. It had nothing to do with him, it was his stupid father’s fault. He wanted to scream that his transfer had nothing to do with him but he kept his mouth shut tight. She wouldn’t understand and he was starting to think he didn’t want her to. “First of all you know nothing about me.” he spat, dropping his feet to the ground and looking her directly in the eyes. “And I know nothing about you. And now I’m starting to regret even trying.” He started to collect his things, the library suddenly started to feel suffocating. Yet he scoffed when she mentioned blackmail. “Please, don’t flatter yourself. Blackmail?” He said incredulously. “You can’t handle a simple joke. It’s pathetic, no wonder you’re always alone.” he said, his voice raising to a volume a little too loud for a library.

 

[Aisa Hunter]

So far, nothing Aisa had said had seemed to bother Simon at all, but it was clear that her offhand comment had really affected him. She was a bit surprised when he started talking angrily at her, but looked at him evenly. She crossed her arms. "I didn't ask for you to try." She said, watching as he started to collect her things. "In fact, I asked you to leave me alone," she reminded him. She shrugged as she watched him, "which, I suppose, you're doing now. Thank you." She decided to ignore his comment, focusing back on her work even if it stung a little. She hadn't wanted Simon's attention, but she also hadn't wanted him to be so upset. But if he got this angry and nasty this fast, it was probably best that she hadn't given him the time of day. "Bye." Was all she said, quietly under her breath.