Closed Things Changing, Things Staying the Same

[Elliot Briar]

Elliot wasn't sure he'd ever quite get used to the season change in New Zealand. It was odd, coming from the waning end of summer to school, where summer instead here was just beginning to chase away the chill in the spring air. It felt a bit odd sometimes, being stuck in some eternal summer for the next 6 years. He was sure his mother would tease him for daring to complain about something like that, though he always felt a bit homesick when she'd talk about the mushy, dirty snow of New York midwinter. Strangeness aside, it was hard to feel like complaining too much when the weather was so pleasant, the afternoon sun casting soft shadows across the courtyard. Elliot was enjoying some of the sunshine before the summer got too intense, kicking his feet idly against where he'd sat on one of the benches.

He'd come to find the courtyard was a good spot when he needed a little quiet, with Hogwart's interiors so often being loud and echoey filled with students and flagstones. It had the added benefit of being right by the arts room, and Elliot was hoping maybe he'd catch Lars on his way in or out. They hadn't had a proper chance to catch up yet outside of class and Elliot found he missed Lars' quiet presence. Tilting his head back, Elliot did his best to keep a weather eye out for his friend while he enjoyed the sunshine.

 

[Lars van Houten]

On days like these, Lars often found himself drifting aimlessly through the school and over the grounds. He liked walking around and just looking at the world around him. No matter how often he walked through a certain place, he always saw new things. At different times of the day, the light made his surroundings look different. The early morning sunrise was his favorite, but he liked many other types of light too. He also enjoyed that it was getting warmer outside, and hoped for many flowers soon. He was planning to go paint a few flowers, as if creating some on canvas would make real ones pop out of the ground sooner. The tall Ravenclaw wandered outside into the courtyard, his hands stuffed in his pockets. He had found a few marbles in one of the pockets of his robe, and was fidgeting with them as he walked. The first thing the boy did as he walked out into the courtyard was quickly look to see if he saw Blake or Tyler, and he felt a sense of relief when neither boy seemed nearby. Instead, he saw his friend Elliot. Or, he thought he was his friend. He wasn't sure what Elliot thought. With a small smile, Lars headed over to him and gave him a shy wave. "Hello. Are you waiting for something or someone?" He asked the boy. He then pulled his hand out of his pocket with three colorful marbles in it and held it out to him. "Do you want one?"

 

[Elliot Briar]

Perking up when he spotted Lars, Elliot returned his wave with a small one of his own. "Hey," He said softly, "Uh, waiting for you actually.. Figured this was the best spot to do it," Elliot hoped that wasn't a weird thing to say, he'd hate to make Lars he was following him or something. Before he could get too caught up worrying though, Lars offered him a marble from his pocket, stopping his line of thought dead. He looked at Lars curiously for a few moments, trying to guess if this was a game or a joke he was supposed to know before taking one with bright swirls of green. "Uh, thank you," He fidgeted with the marble in his lap, suddenly unsure what to do with his hands or his mouth. Elliot did like hanging out with Lars, but sometimes he did or said things that threw him off base and he suddenly couldn't remember how normal people were suppose to act or talk. "Um, how was your break?" He said, shuffling over on the bench, hoping Lars would take the cue to sit with him and chat.

 

[Lars van Houten]

Lars felt a spark of happy surprise when Elliot told him he had been waiting for him. His expression changed into a smile, and he felt happy to know Elliot had been thinking of him. He supposed that meant they really were friends, and that was definitely good. He hadn't been sure if Elliot had still wanted to be his friend after everything that had happened with Blake and Tyler. Or really, just in general. "Oh, well, I'm here now." He said with a nervous smile. "You picked a good spot." He wasn't really sure how he had gotten the marbles, but he was glad Elliot was happy with the gift. Elliot seemed a bit uncertain then, and Lars wasn't sure why. He hesitated. "My break was okay. My sister made me practice a lot of Quidditch." He said, thinking back to the summer. "She told me to try out for the team." Lars was still a bit surprised he had done so, and even more surprised that he had made the team. He cleared his throat. "How was your break?" He then took a seat next to Elliot, glancing at him to make sure that was okay.

 

[Elliot Briar]

Elliot smiled at Lars, shrugging when he commented about his choice of waiting place. To be honest, he knew there were probably on a few spots he'd run into Lars outside of class and he'd worried that someone would think he was weird if he waited outside the Ravenclaw common room for too long.
He listened interestedly as Lars talked about Quidditch over his break. Trying to imagine Lars on a broom was a bit funny, all elbows and long limbs. "Wait, you tried out for Ravenclaw? That's great, how'd it go?" Elliot always loved Quidditch, but the idea of joining one of the school teams seemed so daunting. He didn't know much about Lars' sister, or that he even had one, but she must have been pretty inspiring to convince Lars to try out.
It was a relief when Lars finally sat down, he was beginning to feel a bit weird, craning his head up to talk to Lars, worried he might be keeping the other boy from an art project or something. "My break was nice," he said, fidgeting with the marble slowly in his hands. "I'd missed my family a lot, but now I'm homesick all over again," He said, trying to play it off with a laugh and shrug when he realized how much he meant that.

 

[Lars van Houten]

Lars scratched his neck a little awkwardly as Elliot asked about the tryouts. Perhaps he shouldn't have brought it up, but Elliot would see him sitting on the bench soon enough. He still wasn't sure if he had made the right decision with trying out. "It... went okay, I guess. I mean. I made the team." He mumble a little shyly. "As an alternate, thankfully. I probably don't even have to play." He added in a soft voice. The idea of playing in a match with everyone watching was daunting, and he preferred not to think about that possibility for too long. As Lars sat down, he looked around the courtyard to see who else was around. He felt like lately he was always making sure Tyler and Blake weren't nearby, though they thankfully didn't seem too interested in following him around. He just had to avoid accidentally being in the same place as them. "It's good that your break was nice, but I'm sad for you for being homesick." He said, then paused. "Do you have a garden at home?" He asked, seemingly changing the subject entirely. "What sort of plants are in it? Or any other sort of plants around your house?" He had an idea, but wasn't sure yet if it would work out.

 

[Elliot Briar]

Elliot got excited and a little envious when Lars mentioned being on the team, even if Lars seemed a little wary about it. "That's so cool, congrats," He said, making up his mind that he was going to support Ravenclaw as much as he could as long as Lars was on the team. "Maybe you'll get to play in a later game? I'll come cheer you on," Even if Lars was on the bench, Elliot would still come see his games if he could. He liked Quidditch and it was extra exciting to have a friend on one of the school teams now.
He was thrown a bit when Lars suddenly asked him about a garden at home. Sometimes it felt like he and Lars were always on slightly different pages and Elliot always needed to pause for a moment to recalibrate when Lars would veer off-topic. "Uh, not really? My mom's got a little apartment, but she does keep herbs and some smaller plants for potions in a little window box. Some of them smell amazing," He knew his mom was proud of her little window collection, and loved using fresh herbs whenever she could.

 

[Lars van Houten]

Lars gave Elliot a tiny smile as he congratulated him on the position. He still wasn't entirely sure how he felt about it, but he liked that Elliot was happy for him. "Oh. Maybe." He said as the boy said he might play in a later game. The thought made him visibly anxious, and he bit his lip for a moment. "Probably not this year. Simon is our keeper, and he is very good." He said, though it mostly felt like he was trying to convince himself. Lars was glad Elliot answered his question, and he closed his eyes for a moment as he tried to picture what Elliot was saying. "What sort of herbs and plants?" He asked him, still with his eyes closed. He didn't really stop to think that that might seem odd to the other boy. He had a nice idea, but it wouldn't be good to say it. It was better if it was a surprise.

 

[Elliot Briar]

Elliot could tell Lars still seemed a little nervous about being on the team, even as an alternate, but still couldn't quash his excitement for him. "You'll just have to practice a bunch this year then, I'm sure you'll be awesome too," He said, happily, pulling one of his legs onto the bench as he turned to look properly at Lars. Maybe he and Lars could practice together, the idea giving Elliot and little zing of happiness.
He watched Lars curiously when he closed his eyes and kept asking about the plants back home. The longer Elliot knew the Lars, the more he realized sometimes it was better to not question his weirder lines of thought and just go with it. "Well, there's things like mint, chives, and ginger. And some valerian I think.." Elliot tried to picture his mom's window box and he ticked the plants off on his fingers, closing his eyes to mirror Lars. "Oh, and some belladonna." He said, remembering the purple flowers he was never allowed to touch as a kid. He peaked one eye over at Lars, wondering what the other boy was thinking.

 

[Lars van Houten]

Lars nodded as Elliot told him he should probably practice a lot, and smiled at his friend. He liked how much Elliot supported him and believed in him, even if he didn't exactly believe in himself all the time. It was making him feel warm inside, though he didn't think he could put that into words for Elliot without sounding weird. He wished he had a notebook to write down the plants Elliot was describing, but instead repeated them to himself softly. Then he nodded, his gaze far away. "Alright. Thank you." He said, not really aware of how that sounded when Elliot had no idea why he had asked. Then he turned to his friend with a smile. "I think the semester will go by fast... so don't feel too sad." He said softly.