Open The ultimate story time

[Leda Layton]

Leda was not usually one to be found in the library unless it was in an attempt to help the school be rid of its books that she thought were disgusting, but as it happened she actually needed a place she could sit a write for a few hours, uninterrupted. This year, the Slytherin had found herself more alone than ever. After the death of her father and her sister leaving the school to help take care of their mother, Leda barely spoke to any of her classmates. With the exception of a few Quidditch practices, and brief acknowledgements to Mervyn in class, there were very few people the youngest Layton was interacting with. ​

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At first, she hadn't been sure how to handle the situation, but as the months had passed, the fourth year found herself putting her efforts into her own projects rather than her lessons or social life. Pages upon pages of her brown notebook were filled with scrawlings from the red head, where most days she found something to talk about. Whether it had been something she had seen in the school, a rumour she'd heard, or just something plucked from her imagination, she was doing her very best to form a larger plan to each and every one. Blowing the smallest of things out of proportion, she had no doubt that if anyone came across her fiction, there would be some words to say. As it happened, she often kept it hidden away, and with her head bend low as she wrote, she wanted to get her latest tale down on parchment while it was still fresh.​

 

[Jessica Cade]

Jess was having a quiet year so far and that was helping her with her OWLs, or at least it meant she had time for the library when she wasn't at Quidditch practice, her inability to concentrate in the classroom however had been detrimental to her ability to take in any new information let alone study any old content, then there was still the third year size hole in all her subject knowledge. She prayed that lost year wouldn't come back to bite her.

Knowledge wasn't the only hole in her life lately, there was a big Leila size hole in her life that became more noticeable with every passing day. They hadn't been the same since the summer, despite sharing a dorm with her best friend they barely saw each other. Jess knew her fellow Gryffindor was spending most of her time with her boyfriend. Jess's feelings on him had been made clear, she knew at the time that would hurt her long term and she was seeing the fruits of that. With no quidditch practice, no classes and no Leila Jess made her way to the library. While looking for a table she spotted a slightly familiar face who looked like she scribbling in a notebook. Jess decided to throw caution to the wind and walked over to the girl. "Hey, can I join you?" She said shyly. Jess wasn't sure if Leda would remember her, or worse she did remember her and still didn't want to talk to her.

 

[Professor Geovanna Adler-Cade]

For the Hufflepuff, it was a hard year with her Owls, but feeling as though she finally had everything under control, with a good balance ahead of her, the fifth year was happier than ever. Entering the library with a book tucked under her arm and some tips for her favourite study buddy, Geo hoped to get some work done so she could let her hair down that evening. As she passed a table, she couldn't help but stop a familiar blonde sat at the table with a girl she only recognised from the incident with professor Pendleton. Jess has no business inferring with a girl like that, but who was she to talk? Geo hadnt spoken to her ex girlfriend in years and Jess had made it quite clear where her loyalties lay. As far as the prefect was concerned, she couldn't have cared less what the Gryffindor was up to these days, and passed by to a free seat as quietly as she could. ​

 

[Leda Layton]

Mid paragraph, mid sentence, even. Leda heard a voice that made her want to squeeze the pen so hard it would pop when she was interrupted from her thoughts. She managed to finish her sentence though before she looked up to spot a girl she'd spoken to briefly before. "If you want to." Why she thought she would be interesting enough to join her, she wasn't sure, but maybe the girl like her, had no better place to be. "You got anything interesting to tell me?" She asked. The least Jess could do was bring her a good bit of gossip to write about. She was in a different year afterall, full of exams and a brand new set of students that Leda didn't have access to. "Tell me your company isn't wasted." she added blankly, staring at the girl. Leda didn't mean to be so rude, but her time was worth a lot and she'd had little practise with her social cues in a long while. ​

 

[Jessica Cade]

Jess felt very much on the spot. Leda had given her permission to join but it seemed that it would come at a price. Be interesting. Jess was afraid that was a price she wasn't able to pay. The Gryffindor was a shadow of her former self lately and it showed in the way she carried herself. Now finally, someone might actually voice what Jess had been suspecting for some time, that she wasn't worth anyone's time, that she wasn't worthy to hang out with anyone, she was worthless. "I..." Jess felt her lip trembling and tears stinging her eyes. Jess took a step back from the Slytherin, she couldn't bring herself to join her after all. "I have nothing interesting to say ever, I'm not worth your time or anyone else's, I'm sorry,"

 

[Leda Layton]

Leda's eyes were still fixed on Jess as she noticed the Gryffindor was actually about to cry. Was she kidding right now? Like the Slytherin had the time to deal with her problems as well as her own. It wasn't exactly common knowledge that the Layton had lost her father, and it would have been easier to announce it to the school so she didn't have to tell anyone. Rolling her eyes, it was obvious that the fifth year had issues of her own. "You have nothing to say ever, yet you look as though you're about to break at the thought of it." she said out loud, turning her attention back to her parchment. Clearly it wasn't nothing, and something like that obviously had a good story behind it. "Who hurt you?" she asked, her attention never leaving the page.​

 

[Jessica Cade]

Wordlessly Jess took a seat in the chair opposite Leda. She didn't know if the Slytherin was being genuine with what she said but she didn't care. Jess had kept so much bottled up inside her that it was all on the verge of exploding. She needed to get her feelings out about everything and she didn't care who to, besides she felt like she had no one in her life who actually cared.

"My best friend," She said quietly so only Leda could hear. Though if she was honest with herself the situation with Leila barely scratched the surface of what she was feeling. "She's been pulling away from me all year, she spends all her time with her stupid boyfriend," Jess scoffed. The very idea of Ulrich Snyder made her want to punch a wall. "I gave up my other best friend for her, and lately I'm not sure it was worth it, I love her, I can't imagine my life without her and its a decision I'd make a thousand times again but...I feel like my decision cost me two friends," Jess missed Geo more than her words could express, if she was honest with herself the decision hadn't been difficult, she'd make it again but it broke her heart all the same. She knew she probably lost Geo forever, but she'd done it to keep Leila only that wasn't the reality of it,

"My dad died," Jess said after a few moments of silence. That had been where everything started. The loss of her father had sent Jess into a downward spiral she still hadn't really climbed out of, her actions the year after had put such a strain on all her relationships it was no wonder she was so alone now. "It was a couple of years ago, but then just before this school year my mum died too, my brother is away all the time, my sort of sister in law is travelling the world, I only really have one friend left and she prefers her boyfriend, I have no one, since my dad died I feel like I'm spiraling and I don't know what to do, Leila is supposed to ground me, keep me sane, losing my parents broke me but Leila Walden was supposed to put me back together, she didn't, she's the only one who can and she's left me in pieces," Jess buried her head in her folded arms and sobbed. She was sorry for letting loose on Leda but it had been a long time coming, she had just been the sorry soul who asked.

 

[Leda Layton]

A small part of Leda thought Jess was just going to run away crying like most girls would, so it surprised her when she took a seat, and words continuously tumbled out of her mouth. The slytherin paused her writing, with her eyes still fixed to the page as she listened to whoever this Leila was. To Leda it was obvious what Jess needed to do, but maybe the Gryffindor was just too blind in love with the girl to see it. The grip on her quill tensed however when Jess mentioned a death in her family, the fourth year glancing up slowly to try and meet her gaze as her own emotions risked bubbling to the surface. Leda hadn't been particularly close to her father at all, at least not like Olive was, and she could only imagine how Jess was feeling as she recalled her sisters hardships. ​

Once Jess was finished talking, Leda watched the blonde sob into her arms for a moment before replying. "Leila Leila Leila." she started, the name had popped up way too much in the last few minutes to ignore it, and focusing on her issues with that person seemed better than talking about a family death. "It's stupid to lose a friend over another one. Just go and talk to the other one. If she's your friend she'll get it. And if you think your happiness is dependent on someone else doing that for you, you're gonna have a hard time." Leda had never been in a position to help someone out beyond Mervyn and his women troubles, but tough love seemed to be the best approach without the Slytherin breaking down herself. "If you want, we can make Leila pay for what she's doing for you. But at the end of the day, you need to find something that makes you happy that isn't her. Friends leave you. It happens." A fatal mistake for the red head would have been to share her own difficulties. This wasn't the time for that, and besides, maybe she had someone she could use in her next piece.​