Slow Progress.

[Sky Eriksen]

It was a sunny late summer afternoon and Niamh was back at school. She had enjoyed the break. it had been good to see her grandparents again and it was nice that she had been able to drop them back at the airport for their days worth of flights before she had to come back to school. She was now lying on the grass under a tree her bair feet in the air behind her. She had the latest Emily Blythe book on the floor in front of her. molly had given it to her for Christmas and she could see why her friend thought she would like it. it sounded interesting but she had never been a big reader. she had always preferred audiobooks. it was far easier to get lost in the story when you were listening to it and could see the world forming around you instead of having to look at the words. she hummed as she read making slow progress down the pages hoping Molly wasn't going to ask her what she thought of the book or be disappointed she wasn't further through yet.

 

[Leonardo Orr]

Leonardo was always grateful to be back at school, his life at home was always dull, always filled with very few actually interesting things. He'd run into Jordie and that had been the highlight. As he'd expected his dad hadn't shown up, but he was no longer disappointed when that happened. But the break was over, he was back at school, and he was looking forward to things getting back to normal, like quidditch, and being around his few friends, and the classes which would also give him something to do. It helped that it was sunny, and he decided to go outside for a change. Do some more reading and everything outside where it was nice and warm. He had grabbed a book and headed out to the lawn. In doing so, spotting Harmony. Their time at the yuleball had been nice, she was a very good friend, and he knew he was lucky to have her in his life. part of him didn't want to approached, didn't want to ruin her alone time, but the other part of him approached, keen to just have a conversation with someone. So he did. "Hey Harmony," he greeted with a warm while still a little awkward tone. "Can I join you?" ​

 

[Sky Eriksen]

Harmony had just finished a page. and turned over landing her back on the lawn not in the world of the book when she heard a familiar voice. she looked up and saw Leo. not that it was a surprise he was the only person who she allowed to call her harmony. "Hello Leo" she said putting the bookmark in annoyingly near the front before rolling over and sitting up. while Leo was her friend she was never sure if he liked her as he never usually initiated conversations with her he never initiated conversations with anyone. "Yes, please do, how was your holiday? she said glad that she had talking to her friend as a reason why she wasn't reading the book.

 

[Leonardo Orr]

Leonardo gave a little nod and then sat himself down next to her, not getting too close in where he was sitting, but sitting down next to her. Leo gave a little smile and a nod. "it was fine...a little boring," Leonardo said with a bit of a shrug. He then made a gesture with his hands, "What about you? How did your family find the summer Yule?" He asked her, remembering back to the yuleball where she had talked about her family coming to celebrate it with them. Leonardo wasn't sure who exactly had come, given that Harmony had not used the english words for the family members. ​

 

[Sky Eriksen]

Harmony was glad of the company and it seemed like Leo was settling in for a proper talk as he sat down. it seemed like his holiday was not what he had been hoping it to be. "Oh" she said. not sure what else to say about it. "It was good. It wasn't the same as jul i Norway. but I got to make Christmas biscuits with my bestemor and play games with my Bestefar." she said. it had been nice. she remembered that her "how was Christmas with your dad?" she asked.

 

[Leonardo Orr]

Leonardo didn't know who a bestemor or bestefar would be, but he imagined it was either an aunt and uncle or grandparents. "What kind of biscuits did you make?" Leonardo wasn't sure what sort of biscuits would make for christmas, his grandfather wasn't the type of person to make biscuits. He glanced away from Harmony at the question and shrugged lightly, "Oh, he didn't turn up," he replied, there was no hint in his tone that he minded, just that it was expected. "He was working," Leonardo decided to say, thinking it best to qualify it somewhat. "Are you looking forward to this semester?" ​

 

[Sky Eriksen]

Leo's question got sky thinking about the food they had eaten over the break. "we made Pepperkakker, and nøttekaker, Smultringer, Vepsebol, and Risboller" she said. they hadnt quite got to the traditional seven biscuits but the five had been a good effort.
As leo said that his dad hadn't shown up she frowned. "Oh, I'm sorry" she said. "What does your dad do for work" she asked. it would have to be somethign very important to keep him away from his family at christmas. obviously there were some people who had to work. the whole world didnt stop for christmas hospitals still had to run, as did some restaurants but mostof the world stopped so people could spend it with their family even if they could only spend new years eve with them. shops were closed and businesses often shut for the whole week.
she was brought back from thoughts and memories of christmas' past by the next question. "I guess so. school is school" she said. it wasnt that she disliked schoool. but she had no real passion for classes she scraped by with P's even in her electives she was not really passionate about them. though she had enjoyed learning about norse mythology in runes. even if it was only the tip of the legends her far and bestes had told her stories of the gods when they had put her to sleep when she had been younger.

Bestemor: Grandma
farmor: grandma on dads side
Bestefar: Grandad
farfar: grandad on dads side.
Pepperkakker: a gingerbread
nøttekaker: a hazelnut biscuit
Smultringer: a norwegian doughnut
Vepsebol: a almond mirangue based biscuit
Risboller: cocopop biscuits

 

[Leonardo Orr]

Leonardo nodded at the different biscuits that Harmony had made, it was a lot of biscuits and he couldn't help the pang of jealouysy he felt over the fact that she had been able to make so many and likely been able to with her family and he couldn't even get his dad to show his face. Leonardo pushed that aside, "They seem nice," his tone was awkward, he didn't know what they were, so he had nothing else to say about them. Leonardo gave a little shrug and glanced away. "He's a private investigator, works for himself," he explained, which he was sure that was what she was looking to know, what his father to keep him away from a yuletide with his only son. Leonardo frowned slightly at her statement about school. "Do you not like school?" he asked, with a genuine curiousity, he knew that lots of people didn't like school, but he had never imagined that Harmony might be one of them. Though she'd recently said that his EEs were impressive, being bad at classes didn't equate to disliking school. ​

 

[Sky Eriksen]

Harmony smiled as leonardo said that they sounded nice. "they were delicious. we did only make five kinds when there should have been at least seven but we wanted to show my grandparents around too." she said explaining the unusually low quantity of biscuits "you should come over some time. and we can make more. or hang out if you are not into baking" she said. leo often seemed lonely and sad and he was her friend and she didn't like people being lonely and sad. "that must be a krevende... um, a, demanding job." she said. wondering what must be so important to investigate it meant missing jul.
when he asked if she liked school she shrugged. "I don't dislike it, the classes are okay. but I wouldn't do them if I wasn't meant to. But I like being here at Hogwarts. I get to see my friends, and use the arts room, and enjoy the grounds" she said. thinking of the things she enjoyed about the school more than the actual school.

 

[Leonardo Orr]

Leonardo gave a half smile at her offer which faded quickly, "Thanks, I'll ask my grandfather," he knew the answer was likely to be a no, but he would say it to her, and he would ask, at the very least because it sounded like it could be fun and Harmony was his friend and he wanted to do right by her and actually ask when someone like her wanted him to. He gave a little shrug deciding to not continue on the path about his dad. Instead Leonardo listened as she talked about school. "That's fair," he told her, he knew not everyone was book smart or had to enjoy school, any part of it. "Classes are classes," his education had been sparodic before school and he liked the structure of it, liked being able to spend time with his friends and on the pitch. "Is there something you want to study?" he asked, perhaps it was also that the school didn't offer what she was interested in. ​

 

[Sky Eriksen]

Sky nodded as leo said he would ask his grandfather about coming over. "he sounds like he likes tradition. so tell him it is a very traditional Norwegian thing to do" she said. she didn't know much about leo's personal life outside of school but she always got the impression that his grandfather was strict and liked his traditions so maybe traditions were the key. "nothing really. i just want to play music and be free like the clouds. that is why I picked the name sky." she said. "what do you like about school?" she asked realising that this may be the perfect time to learn more about him.

 

[Leonardo Orr]

Leonardo wasn't sure that telling his grandfather would have the effect that she seemed to think it might, but he just nodded. It was something he could agree to, but not necessarily have to do. It was interesting that Harmony just wasn't interested in school, at all. That she was here and doing it, but would rather just be playing music. "Sky's a good name," he told her. He hoped that she would be able to one day when they didn't have classes, do exactly what she wanted. "I like..," his voice trailed off, "I like learning..I like the structure too, it's more consistent and stable..," he knew that wasn't really an expected answer, he didn't have much more to say on it. He liked classes enough, but he liked that his days were normal, structure and liked what they learnt. ​

 

[Sky Eriksen]

Sky often wondered what Leonardo was thinking. He always seemed to be so serious andhave things on his mind. She smiled as Leo said sky was a good name. thank you. So is Leonardo. It suits you. It sounds regal.” he said
She nodded when Leo said that he liked learning and the structure of school. It wasn’t that she disliked learning. It was more that she didn’t particularly learn well with lectures and essays. They felt like lead weights on her feet. ”It is t that o don’t like learning new things. I like when we get to go on trips. But I don’t like lectures and essays. she said. [/b] she said. did you go to school before here she asked to her the idea of classes and time tables was not an overly new idea. But maybe people from fully wizarding families didn’t go to school before hogwarts.

 

[Leonardo Orr]

Leonardo gave a tight expression, nodding lightly. "I'm named after my father," Leonardo didn't think it took away from it, Leonardo was his name and there was no changing that, at least he didn't think he would. He knew that people did change their names but he didn't think he could ever. He didn't even know why. But he wasn't going to say much more, his name could be nice and suit him while also being one he'd gotten from his dad.

Leonardo could admit he liked the trip that they could take, he liked being able to see new places, but he also didn't mind lecture and essays. "Trips are fun," he said in agreement. Before giving a little half shrug. "Kind of," Leonardo said, "My grandfather taught me most of the time, and he'd occasionally get bored or tired and I'd go to the local muggle school for a couple of days or weeks before he pulled me out," Leonardo told her with a little shrug. The implicitness behind his words that he believed his grandfather had gotten bored of him, tired of him. "What about you?" ​

 

[Sky Eriksen]

niamh smiled when leonardo said that he was named after his dad. "that is a If i did that i would be called henrika eriksen or maybe harmony Melodysdatter depending how you want to do it" she said thinking neither names sounded right.
She listeend as Leo talked about hs childhood. it was alost weird he never usually talked this much, especially about himself. but she was glad to get to know him some more. "that sounds so, um lonely" she said. she wondered what it would be like in his houehold. it all sounded very grey and opressing. being on your own with a strict grandad. he had never heard any mention of a grandma. or any other aunts and uncles. "I went to the local Barneskole. the muggle school. sometimes i would sit in my dads lectures at the university while i was on school holiday. but that wasnt really my education. and my mum taught me music." she said.

 

[Leonardo Orr]

Leonardo almost gave a smile to what she said, not quite managing but it was a little funny that that would be how she was called, he knew it was perhaps a little silly or something that was closer to what would happen where she was from. Leonardo did get the impression he'd perhaps overshared with Harmony about his schooling and life, but he'd had so little stability in it, and it was painfully lonely at times, that with one friend he could admit to parts of it, and it wasn't surprising that she said it sounded lonely. leo wasn't sure what to say and just quite said, "Yeah," there was no sense in lying about it. Especially as harmony talked about her upbringing going to school, sitting in on her dad's lectures, her mother teaching her music, and he was jealous. It just sounded so nice especially in comparison to what he'd just said. "That sounds nice," he said. "What does you dad teach?" ​

 

[Sky Eriksen]

Harmony could tell that Leonardo was not overly comfortable but she did appreciate that he was talking to her about his home. ”well you have friends here. And we can write or talk if you feel want to” she said she hadn’t had many close friends in Norway. She got along with people. And hadn’t been picked on like renata. But she had always been different. She had learned to to talk about all the differences but she had usually kept to herself. Where here she had made proper friends.
she nodded when Leonardo said that it was nice. yes. I suppose it was though it was always normal to me she said shrugging. When asked what her dad taught she answered and then though maybe a bit of an explanation would be useful as an engender was not really a magical career he teaches environmental engineering. Which is engineering like designing and making things but things that help the environment” she said wondering where a wizards knowlage of muggle technology and science sat.

 

[Leonardo Orr]

Leonardo gave a little shrug, he would consider it. "My grandfather's owl hates me, but I can try," he could try and that was all he would promise. The boy listened as Harmony explained what her father taught, but he had no idea what any of that was. "Seems interesting," he told her with a little nod. "Do you think it's something they would teach some of it in muggle studies?" he had picked muggle studies despite his grandfather saying it was a waste of time, He liked it, it was nice to learn about muggle things. He was pretty sure that Harmony didn't take muggle studies but she clearly knew about muggles, so would perhaps know. ​

 

[Sky Eriksen]

sky thought for a moment when leo said that his grandads owl didn't like her. "I could see if i could borrow mum's. if he hangs around until you write back, you will have to reply." she said. though she wasn't sure if her mum would let her borrow an owl as she didn't use it much for letters as it wasn't a native species and would likely draw attention to it because of this.
She nodded as leo said that it sounded interesting. it had seemed it. but it always went over her head when he tried to talk about it, though it seemed interesting when he pointed things it out. Leos next question she had to think for a second. "Probably not. It is a very specialised area. though we should all help to look after the environment." she said.

 

[Leonardo Orr]

Leonardo gave a little nod to the statement, if she sent the letter first, he wouldn't have to get his grandfather's owl. Truly would be happy to no longer have that to deal with. The boy had been pretty sure that they wouldn't end up being able to cover what Harmony's dad did, but he ended up still visibly a little disappointed. He agreed with the sentiment though. "We should." he voiced his agreement. But didn't know what else to say, he had no idea how magical people were to. ​