Closed Sunny Days and Dalliences

[Brooke Townsend]

Brooke stretched out her legs, trying to enjoy the sun while the weather was still warm and not think about just how many bugs and spiders were probably in this garden instead. It was easy for her to fall into a sour mood these days and she was doing her level best to hold onto any spark of levity she could considering both her personal and academic life seemed to be in shambles.

Ivy and Delilah's prefect badges glinting in the early February sunlight certainly didn't help her sour mood and Brooke pointedly turned a page in her book, keen for a better distract. She would be the first to admit she'd gotten distant from her two closest friends over the past year, the combination of bitterness about their prefect status while simultaneously feeling like she was drowning in classwork leaving little time for socializing, but she was doing her best to remedy that now.

"So, Ivy, you'll be going to the Valentine's Dance with Flynn I take it? Things are going well for you two?" She asked idly, turning another page after only skimming its contents. Brooke had been dubious of Ivy dating someone like Flynn North when it had first happened and frankly the feeling hadn't left even if they'd been together for awhile. She just knew Ivy could do better.

 

[Ivy Ashworth]

It was nice to hang out with Brooke and Delilah again, as it felt like they hadn't really spent much time together lately. All of them were very busy, of course, but Ivy knew the prefect badges had a lot to do with it as well. It had to be tough for Brooke, and Ivy appreciated the fact that her friend barely brought it up anymore. Even if she did wonder sometimes if her friend was avoiding her a bit. Ivy was trying to study, but it was difficult to focus. Her mind kept wandering. So when Brooke spoke to her, it jolted her out of her own thoughts. "Uh, yes of course." She said as Brooke asked about Flynn. "And things are going great." She said pointedly.

 

[Delilah Thorne]

Delilah chewed on her lip as she tried to read a few pages of her Defense Against the Dark Arts textbook she had brought out to the garden with her. She had grown used to Ivy and Brooke’s company over the years and she still considered them to be some of her closest friends. But she could feel that there was a distance forming between them over the years. She knew it had started before fifth year when prefects were announced but it had only gotten worse from there. They had never been close in the way she saw other friends were with each other, but she still cared for them, even if they might not feel the same for her. But when Brooke turned to Ivy to ask about her and Flynn, Delilah’s eyes left the page she was reading and glanced back and forth between them. “That’s good.” she said with a smile. She didn’t care for Flynn very much but Ivy seemed to like him for some reason she couldn't explain. She thought Ivy could do so much better than the moody boy she was currently settling for, not that she would say any of that out loud.

 

[Brooke Townsend]

Brooke hummed in response as Ivy said things with her and Flynn would good, not missing what she figured must be a small spark of defensiveness in Ivy's tone. She did raise an eyebrow as Delilah chimed in, wondering if Delilah ever really said what she was actually thinking. She spent so long sitting there quietly watching, though she had definitely gotten more of an edge after her father had died.

"Good, that's good," Brooke said simply, turning a page idly to double-check something. "I would have figured his prickly personality would have gotten to you by now but as long as he's nice to you in private," she said, glancing over at Ivy. "He is nice to you, right?" Brooke hoped it was clear her reservations came from a place of concern for Ivy. She wasn't about to say who she could and couldn't date, but she could definitely think it. "I'm thinking I might go with Natalia Novak again. She's a fifth year, but she's good company," she said, keeping her voice light despite the way her heart skipped a beat at the thought of asking Natalia again. "What about you Delilah? Anyone on the horizon for you?" She asked, keen to let the conversation brush over Natalia in case she came across a little over eager to talk about the fifth year.

 

[Ivy Ashworth]

Ivy watched Delilah carefully for her reaction, she had always felt like neither of her friends really approved of her boyfriend. Ivy was pretty defensive of him, though, and she knew they both knew that. Of course, it was Brooke who actually commented on it. Ivy shot her a look. "Well, I've put up with your prickly personality so far." She shot at her. "Flynn is wonderful, you barely even know him." She said with a sigh. "Yes, he's nice to me." She added, frustration clear in her voice. "If he wasn't, I wouldn't be dating him." She knew Brooke was probably just concerned about her, but it was strating to feel frustrating. Ivy paused at Brooke's comment about a girl she was taking again. "Taking her to the ball for the second time? Are you interested in her?" Ivy asked curiously. "She hardly seems less grumpy than Flynn." She couldn't resist adding.

 

[Delilah Thorne]

Delilah braced herself as Brooke started to speak her mind, which had a habit of disrupting the tentative peace that lived between them. She kept her eyes on the both of them in case she needed to try and distract or diffuse any tension. Ivy unsurprisingly could stand up for herself and Delilah had to fight as the corner of her mouth threatened to turn into a grin at the other girl’s comment. She also knew she couldn’t stay away from Brooke’s critical eye for long and she sighed when her love life, or lack of it, came up in conversation. “My horizon is tragically empty.” she said sarcastically. Was it really tragic? Maybe a little. Both of her friends apparently had dates lined up and while she would like to not be the only one dateless, the thought of a relationship or even a date made her palms sweat. She wasn’t sure if she wanted anyone getting that close to her. Thankfully Ivy came to the rescue again and asked about Natalia, which Delilah was also curious about. When had those two become so friendly? “She is rather serious. And a fifth year.” she chimed in, even if she could hardly talk. She knew she wasn’t exactly a ball of sunshine.

 

[Brooke Townsend]

Brooke clicked her tongue at Ivy's defensively, shuffling some parchment with a sniff. "Someone's touchy," she said haughtily, though she gave Ivy a critical look as she clarified at least that Flynn was good to her. She wasn't sure she was completely satisfied with the answer, but it was something. "Good," she said, more gently this time, glancing over when Delilah lamented her own lack of love life, unsurprised that she wasn't seeing anyone either.

"Maybe you could try putting yourself out there more?" She offered to Delilah, setting her parchment back down. Delilah had come out of her shell some as they'd gotten older but she was still quiet, sometimes sullen as of late, and Brooke was certain it probably wasn't helping her chances.

She resisted the urge to fidget again as the conversation moved back to Natalia, considering Brooke had brought her up in the first place. "I like serious," she said lightly. "At least she's polite," she added pointedy at Ivy's comment about Flynn. "Her family's a good one to know... And I like spending time with her anyway," she said after a moment. There was no doubt the Novaks were a good family to have connections to, but lately Brooke had to admit she probably wouldn't mind spending time with Natalia even if they weren't.

 

[Ivy Ashworth]

Ivy let out a sharp sigh. "I've been dating Flynn for ages now, it's about time you stop treating him like some sort of criminal." She told Brooke. "I'm not touchy, I just care about him too much to let you talk about him like that." She said with a shrug. Ivy glanced at Delilah and tried to smile reassuringly. "It'll happen when it happens Delilah, you're fine." She said, mostly to counter Brooke's suggestion. Delilah was great the way she was, surely someone was going to see that sooner or later? Ivy then turned to Brooke when she spoke about Natalia, she snorted. "Polite and from a good family, you sound like someone from the eighteenth century. Are you trying to date or just find someone that will please your parents?" She asked, raising her eyebrows.

 

[Delilah Thorne]

Delilah tried to hide behind her hair as she looked down and rolled her eyes when Brooke called Ivy touchy. As if the Slytherin hadn’t known exactly what she was doing by calling Flynn prickly, even though she was right, and asking if he was nice to her. As if Ivy would put up with anything less. She could admit she didn't understand their relationship and still see that he made her friend happy. She looked up and smiled tightly when Brooke offered her very original advice. Delilah knew she could hardly expect someone to pop into her life but the suggestion irritated her all the same. She was comforted slightly when Ivy chimed in but it didn’t exactly improve her mood. With her lucky she’d be an old crone by the time anyone looked her way. “You’re probably right.” she said to Brooke. “But I think I’ve seen what this school has to offer and so far I’m not impressed.” she said with a shrug. “And I’m not in a rush either.” she continued. “I just don’t feel the need to settle for the first person to show me attention.” she finished and let her gaze land on Brooke for just a second. Delilah had felt rather bold with that but nearly choked as Ivy chimed in. She wouldn’t have used those words exactly but she had to agree. But Brooke had never been subtle about her desire to make connections so she wasn’t sure why Ivy seemed surprised by Brooke’s reasoning for liking Natalia.