Solitary

[Vivian Brackenstall]

Vivian was beginning to discover that the higher up in the castle you went, often the more peaceful it got, as long as you stayed away from hallways with heavy Gryffindor use. It was a relief to find somewhere so quiet and peaceful while the weather was still too chilly to spend as much time by the lake as he wanted. Vivian had found himself a favourite alcove recently - a little window seat, with a nice view, and plenty of comfy, cushioned space to curl up and read, or write, or work on his homework. Today was a bit of the latter, tapping away idly at a slightly overdue essay.

Vivian's mind kept wandering though... it felt impossible to focus on anything these days. His whole world felt like it had been shaken upside down, and it was hard to think about anything but Tristan. Everything felt new and fresh and changed and exciting. Like kissing Tristan had scrubbed the whole world shiny and clean. It was impossible to focus though, and Vivian's quill just tapped slowly against his parchment, his essay trailing off halfway through.

 

[Estelle Warland]

Everything about people tend to annoy Estelle Pashmina. Being back at Hogwarts New Zealand was not exactly what she wanted, but her father felt it was best to get to know Noah. After all, they were soon to be wed once she graduated. So far, her crushes on boys were few and far between, all of which burned out so that she was just on her own instead. Rory was just because she met him first, and then Zared but he was off limits because of Elysia and Lestat. Needless to say, Estelle no longer looked at others in the romantic way, saving herself some time. After all, there was no point to having crushes when the future was pretty bleak for them. Estelle saw this while her time at Durmstrang during the previous year. With her books and parchment resting within her bag, Estelle sought a place to study without a lot of students in it. So far, nothing was coming to mind. The dungeons was a little too dark for her to see well, so that was why she was looking a little higher. Scurrying from the Gryffindors, and their mass, she continued her search with no avail.

Eventually, the sounds soon vanished as she located an area free from burden, except for one person there. She recognized him from her year, but was not aware of his name. Estelle realized that she did not know many from her year anyway. It wasn't like she branched out and socialized. A lot of clubs annoyed her. Sighing, her silvery green eyes noticed that he seemed to be having some trouble writing. Unless tapping was just a habit. The Slytherin shrugged her shoulders and decided to sit down near, pulling out a book to start studying. A part of her hoped that he would not mind, though another part assured her not to care about such things.​

 

[Vivian Brackenstall]

((I'm so sorry this is so late ;_; my absence wound up far longer than I was planning on))

Vivian didn't realise at first that he wasn't alone, thoughts of Tristan completely consuming his focus. He wondered if Tristan was thinking of him this much, the beginning itchings of a poem cropping up in the back of his mind. It was only when he pulled his idly drumming quill away from his essay that he realised he was no longer alone, startled to see the girl sitting with a book. How long had she been there?! She was familiar, Vivian realised, he had definitely seen her in classes somewhere, but couldn't place her name at all. Embarrassed and not wanting to seem like he was staring Vivian looked away quickly, folding up his essay and getting out his notebook, suddenly embarrassed about wanting to work on his poem. The girl had obviously sat down because she was looking for peace and quiet too, and Vivian didn't mind sharing it with her, but it embarrassed him a little to realise how long it had taken him to realise he wasn't alone.

 

[Estelle Warland]

Estelle didn't feel guilty at all about invading the privacy of some boy. Instead, she focused on her studies, and paid no mind. Although, the least she could do was offer something in return. Afer a few moments of studying, that thought bugged her enough to consider. Estelle opened her bookbag without taking her eyes off of her book, and reaching into it. She pulled out a couple of wrapped pastries, before holding one out for him to take. Almost like payment for allowing her to hide in here. Estelle didn't want to ruin the silence, but she might have to. "Chocolate might help." If nothing at all, it might help him stop drumming away. Food always helped her mind focused on what was ahead. After all, an empty stomach was distracting, especially when it growled and whatnot. Estelle flipped the page of her textbook, and her silvery gree eyes continued to read and take in the words. She might not remember and study as much as her older sister, but this was just worth it. "Estelle Styx." Estelle introduced herself in her quiet, monotone voice. If anything, the boy deserved to know the name of the girl that intruded on his quiet time.
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[Vivian Brackenstall]

Doodling awkwardly in the margins of his notebook, Vivian tried to calm his mind down and focus on the stanza he had had in mind earlier today. The quiet was relaxing, but he still felt strange writing something creative around anyone other than Tristan. His thoughts were interrupted when he realised the girl was holding out a pastry to him. Surprised, but grateful for the gesture, Vivian set down his quill and took the offered snack. "Thank you." He said courteously, trying a bite. It was delicious, as all the food here seemed to be, and he relaxed a little more. When the girl introduced herself he looked over again, giving her a small, shy smile. "Vivian Brackenstall. Nice to meet you." He said politely, his soft voice much quieter than most would assume from his tall frame.

 

[Estelle Warland]

Estelle was hardly paying attention since she kept her silvery green eyes in front of her. After all, she was looking over her own work, which seemed to be right in her standards. Then again, she did not have much going for her as is. Upon hearing his name, Estelle gave a curt nod, recognizing it from the classes, but never actually pinning it with a face. Or a mess of hair in this case. Estelle took the pastry she had for herself, and nibbled on it as she continued to write. "Solitary can be enjoyed by more than one, correct?" This was Estelle's way of asking if he was comfortable with her being there. Estelle could definitely enjoy it if he allowed her to. She had no where else to go right now, and didn't want to go through the dungeons, since she was sure Noah would want to speak to her. She wanted some quality, quiet time.
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