Open When The Plan Falls Apart

[Sybil St. James]

Sybil sat in the library surrounded books but couldn't help but already feel defeated. This year had not gone how she expected and when she thought about it too much her bottom lip started to quiver. Her grades where no where near where she wanted them to be, quidditch had ended terribly, not to mention her responsibility at the paper falling to the side. Losing the dueling tournament had just been the icing on the cake. It felt like an impossible hole to climb out of as the semester was coming to a quick end. There was always next year and OWL's were still a couple years away, but it felt like she was loosing out on precious time. She had been too ashamed to even write her father much and she knew she'd have to face him eventually. She knew he'd always love her, but her studies was always something they could bond over and now? Sybil wiped at her eyes and tried to focus on the astronomy notes in front of her.

 

[Kanako Kurosawa]

Kanako honestly had had a bad year. Well, probably not as bad as the girl sitting in the library by herself crying was but bad nonetheless. At least Kanako never cried. That was for losers. In saying that, Kanako knew the girl there - Sybil. As much as she wanted to make fun of her and bully her (no one ever said Kanako was kind or considerate), Kanako had a feeling in her stomach that it would be wrong to do so. She had been trying to get some study done herself and had been making little progress in that regard. She'd fallen to people-watching, and noticing Sybil, Kanako approached and took a seat opposite her. She heaved a sigh. "Schoolwork is the worst, right?" she said. She peered closer to get an idea of what Sybil was working on exactly. "Astronomy bores me to tears too," she added.

 

[Sybil St. James]

Sybil blinked and continued to wipe at her eyes as Kanako suddenly appeared and joined her. There were few people she didn't want to be caught crying by and that list consisted mostly of her roommates. She liked the other girl but didn't expect much comfort from her. She tried to hide she had been crying and forced out a shaky laugh when she joked about Astronomy being boring. "Yeah." she agreed without meaning it. She usually loved learning and even the most tedious assignment didn't phase her. But she had taken ever class offered this year and it felt like she was drowning. "Really boring." she added with a nod, even if it was a bit of a lie again. She liked Astronomy even if she hated climbing all those stairs, it was just so much to remember. "Are you studying for it too?" she asked politely.

 

[Kanako Kurosawa]

Kanako wondered how one went about comforting others. It wasn't in Kanako's specialty, but since Sybil wasn't bawling her eyes out right now she figured she wasn't doing the opposite and exacerbating the situation. A small win. Kanako gave a weak smile at being asked about astronomy. Her uncle taught the upper years so there was a certain pressure to take it - and yet she hadn't. "No, I dropped astronomy. I'm supposed to be studying for arithmancy but it is dull." Kanako made to get her things out of the bag she'd brought along then hesitated. Politeness, she realised, might not be a bad thing to exercise. "You don't mind me joining you, do you? We are dorm mates after all."

 

[Sybil St. James]

"Oh." Sybil said in surprise and felt a bit foolish. Of course if Kanako had been taking the class she would have seen her during lessons. Was she so far gone she didn't notice basic things in her surroundings? Another wave of despair washed over her but she didn't cry anymore. "Right of course." she added to try and hide what she had been thinking. Sybil just nodded along when her roommate criticized arithmancy next. Was there any class she liked? She would have liked to know but she kept that to herself for now not wanting to seem rude. "No of course not." Sybil said quickly and smiled warmly. "I'm always happy to have some company, and you're completely right!" she began. "We are dorm mates, and I think we should all get to know each other better you know? We live together after all and have to spend the next few years together still. But it can be so hard when we're all so busy. Especially you, me, and Sayuri all on the quidditch team together. I think we can all understand each other extra well with so much in common!" she gushed. "Maybe we can have a special study sessions to fit around practice. I'm sure Ruth would join too." she went on, wheels in her head were already turning. She made sure to mention Ruth too so she wouldn't be left out.

 

[Kanako Kurosawa]

Kanako blinked, a little taken aback at the amount of words thrown her way. She honestly couldn't remember exchanging this many with Sybil before, and it felt strange given that yes, as she'd said, they were dorm mates, and yes, as Sybil had said, they were on the same quidditch team. Kanako gave a smile that didn't quite meet her eyes. "I'm sure you're right," she said in a pleasant enough tone, then seemingly gave up on appearances with a sigh. "I'm meant to do better than I'm doing," she admitted. "With study, I mean. I'm impeccable otherwise." Kanako paused. "Perhaps a study group with all of us wouldn't be such a bad idea." She wasn't keen on it - she didn't like to study or try hard, but she remembered her father and his disappointment clearly in her head. Her smile almost crumpled.

 

[Sybil St. James]

Sybil wasn't entirely sure how to respond to Kanako. Her words civil but unenthusiastic in a way that felt like a wet fish in her hands. So she decided to push forward and be bright enough for the both of them. She laughed. "Of course I'm right." she said with a self satisfied shrug. "You have an older brother right? The prefect?" she asked in the vein of getting to know each other better. "I'm an only child." she said and didn't explain that it was mostly due to the fact her mother had died when she was a baby. She pushed through the awkward feeling that thought brought up and continued. "It must be nice to have someone to look up to and ask for help. Oh! Maybe he could eve tutor us some time." It only made sense to use what resources they had. Sybil smiled when Kanako said she was impeccable besides her grades. She liked that attitude. "I think so too. Just imagine how much more we could get done together!"

 

[Kanako Kurosawa]

Kanako kind of like Sybil's attitude in that moment. Her smile grew a smidgen. But then it became a little bit quirked when Sybil brought up Kanako's brother. "Yes, he's something of a teacher's pet - or at least, he's obviously trying to be." She said this with a touch of scorn. "My brother would probably help if I asked. He usually does." Kyousuke was many things to Kanako, and reliable was definitely one of them. "You're an only child?" Kanako repeated. She didn't know where to go from there. She wanted to express how hard that must be - Kanako had plenty of pressure just as the second born. Instead, she approached the subject with curiosity. "What's that like?" she asked.