Common Room (Open)

by **Keiba Namid** Sat Feb 18, 2012 11:12 pm

Keiba sat in front of the fire just before curfew, reading another book. She flipped the pages as more students filed in, even though it was only just after sunset. The chair she was sitting in was very squishy and comfortable and the heat from the flames was welcoming. She lost herself in the story and didn't realise she still had a mountain of homework back in the dorm.

Sighing for a second, she half-closed the book and stared out the tower windows, into the brilliant young night sky. Stars twinkled everywhere in a massive blanket. Outside the grass shivered a bit, hinting that winter was drawing ever closer. it was really pretty. The view from in the tower was magnificent and she stared for a moment longer before deciding to finish her chapter.

by **Mace Balfour** Sun Feb 19, 2012 12:04 am

Mace walked into the common room, eager to have some quiet time before bed. He decided to head over to the fire. It was a little chilly, so the warmth would be nice. Mace sat down and smiled when he saw Keiba curled up in a chair, reading a book.
"Hey Keib."

by **Keiba Namid** Sun Feb 19, 2012 12:08 am

Keiba glanced up and smiled as Mace sat down in an armchair next to her. "Hello! It's really brisk tonight, don't you think? And I'm being lame by talking about the weather. Typical." She giggled. She couldn't help herself, it was cold enough tonight that she was wearing a cardigan over her t-shirt.

Keiba marked her page and set her booked down on the low-set coffee table, turning in her chair to face Mace. "So. I didn't see you in any classes this week. Were you skipping? Or did you forget to sign up again?"

by **Mace Balfour** Sun Feb 19, 2012 12:16 am

"You are the queen of lame". At Keiba's question on classes, Mace blushed a little.
"Uhm, well, I may have forgotten to sign up." He said sheepishly.

by **Keiba Namid** Sun Feb 19, 2012 12:19 am

She shook her head, eyebrow raised with a "tsk" look plastered on her face. "Mace! How many times did I remind you? Have you done it now?" Keiba sincerely hoped he'd signed up lately, otherwise, he was going through school not learning anything!

by **Mace Balfour** Sun Feb 19, 2012 12:28 am

"Erm, well I was going to, but it just seemed to slip my mind...again" Mace lowered his head and groaned. this reminded him so much of when his mother used to rip into him. "I promise to do it in the morning, though."

by **Keiba Namid** Sun Feb 19, 2012 12:29 am

"Okay. If you say so. I'll come with you, if you like?" Keiba offered, knowing it would be next Thursday by the time he got round to doing it.

by **Mace Balfour** Sun Feb 19, 2012 12:37 am

Mace sighed in relief. That had been exactly what he had been hoping for. "Merlin's beard, that would be good."

by **Keiba Namid** Sun Feb 19, 2012 11:02 am

Keiba grinned. "You were hoping I'd say that." She could tell, his sigh was far too animated.

She leaned back in her chair and watched the fire dance. "I'm going to ask the Headmistress if I can sign up for a wandlore apprenticeship. I saw a sign up in Ollivander's when we were shopping before school started. I think it would be really fun." And she did; Keiba was looking forward to learning wandlore. It was something that interested her to the ends of the earth!

"Oh! Mace! Have you gone to the Quidditch try outs yet? I know you said you wanted to... we can go put your name down along with your classes tomorrow if you like."

by **Mace Balfour** Sun Feb 19, 2012 2:50 pm

"Hey, good for you. I know you've always been interested in wands," Mace said. "It's great that you can get an apprenticeship." Mace shivered a little and moved closer to the fire. "I haven't signed up yet, but it would be fantastic if we could do it tommorow."

by **Keiba Namid** Sun Feb 19, 2012 3:04 pm

"Yeah, 'specially seeing as tomorrow is Sunday. We'll have to do it in the afternoon or right before school starts and during lunch. I have a spare then, but there still are some classes on Sunday so I don't think it'd be a good time to sign up for stuff." Keiba explained.

by Guest Sun Feb 19, 2012 5:31 pm

Salina had been rather bored of doing work in her dorm room. Books were piled around her, open on various pages. Ink had spilt all of her desk, and parchment was splayed all over the desk as well. She sighed and scribbled one last piece of writing down on the parchment, before shutting each book, stacking them and placed the quill into its ink. She left the parchment to dry and made her way over to the door and down the spiral staircase to the dorm room.

Once she was in the dorm room, she looked around with a frown. She wished she had someone to talk to, but then she also didn't. She hadn't spoken to Leshia much, for she feared that she would be a downer on Lesh's mood. At the moment, Salina was rather depressed and snappish. Tonight, however, she felt more talkative. She wanted to have fun, something she had not done in a while.

Spying Keiba and a Ravenclaw boy by the fireplace, she wrapped her arms around herself in a protective manner and walked over to the duo with her eyes fixed on the floor beneath her feet. She raised one arm from her middle and twirled a lock of her hair around her finger. The warmth from the fire filled her being, and she smiled weakly at the two before her. "Salut, Keiba. Pardon, but I do not know your name?"

by **Mace Balfour** Sun Feb 19, 2012 7:11 pm

Mace studied the girl, noticing that she looked very self concious and shy. Have to change that, now wont we, Mace thought to himself.
Putting on his best smile, Mace stood up and offered her his hand
"I'm Mace Balfour. Me and Keiba are buddies from when we were little in Australia. How about you, what's your name?"

by **Keiba Namid** Sun Feb 19, 2012 10:53 pm

Keiba looked up and smiled as Salina came over. "Hey Salina. How are you? I haven't seen you around lately. Feeling a little better than usual? I noticed you've become really reserved. Nothing too bad happen over your summer break, I hope?" Keiba asked, already knowing that something terrible had happened to her dorm friend, but she wanted to hear it from the lady herself, in case other things were rumours.

by Guest Mon Feb 20, 2012 9:48 pm

Salina studied Mace carefully. He had nice hair, nice eyes, and a nice aura. She took his hand, shook it once and let it drop. Her eyes trailed down to the floor as she shuffled her feet. Her arms were still wrapped around her protectively. "Nice to meet you, Mace." Salina finally said after a moment of silence, and she looked back up.

"I am Salina, Salina Girard. I 'ail from France, zough you can probably tell zat." Salina laughed quietly.

Salina looked to Keiba as the Ravenclaw began to speak, and she smiled softly. Before she responded, Salina pulled a chair over to the fireplace and sat down, her back warmed by the fire. She sighed in contentment. "I am not too good, to be 'onest," began Salina. She hesitated, but decided she needed someone to vent too. Keiba and Mace seemed nice, so she decided she could talk to them.

"Ma sœur - sister, I mean, she ees my twin. Last year, at ze ball, Corinne was 'it by a spell zat sent 'er into a coma. She may not wake for 25 years." Salina buried her face in her hands and sighed. "And, I 'ave been disowned by my family. I live with my adopted family, but I 'ave not spoken much to zem. I cannot wait for ze 'olidays, when I can get to know zem."

by **Keiba Namid** Mon Feb 20, 2012 10:06 pm

Keiba listened to Salina's story with tears in her eyes. She'd heard that Corinne had been sent into a coma, but had no idea when or how. Hearing that she wouldn't wake up for 25 years pricked at her heart. And also being disowned? She was barely twelve for heaven's sake! "That's so not fair. You're such a nice, good person. This stuff shouldn't happen to you, Salina! It's just not fair." The only thing Keiba could do was lean forward and give a ginormous hug to her dorm member.

"I can't do anything for you, but wish you all the better from now on. I don't think anything worse could happen." Keiba wondered why the war instated so much loss and devastation into people's lives - first Haley, now Salina... it was just plain cruel.

by **Mace Balfour** Tue Feb 21, 2012 7:03 pm

Mace listened wide eyed as Salina told her story. He knew that there had been losses in the attack, but untill now, it had hit him how truly sad it was. It also made him realise how lucky he was. Sure, his family was a little boring, and they didn't always get along, but it was still his family. To be disowned and sent away to live with strangers would have torn him into pieces. And to have a sister in a coma as well. Things really couldn't get any worse for this girl.
"Oh Salina, I'm really sorry. It must be heart breaking. But hey, there are some really clever people out there. Maybe they'll find a way to bring your sister out of the coma sooner."

The other thing that occurred to Mace was how terrified he was. What if the Germans attacked again. Who would be lost this time? What if it was himself, or even worse, Keiba? Mace couldnt bear the thought of losing her. Apart from being his best friend, she was actually one his ONLY friends. Mace cast a worried glance at Keiba, thinking about what might be.

by Guest Tue Feb 21, 2012 8:38 pm

Salina smiled at Mace and Keiba. There obvious care at her pain made her feel better about it all. It was nice to know that people truly cared about her, for she had been feeling lonely and un-loved ever since being disowned for denying her parents way of life. Her eyes darkened as she thought about her parents, but she quickly pushed those thoughts from her mind and focused on making new friends.

"Maybe, Mace. I can only 'ope. Thank you, Keiba, and you, Mace. Eet means a lot zat you care. But lets talk about 'appier topics. What classes are you taking?" Salina could see the worry in Mace eyes and it became apparent on his face slightly, and she frowned that she had worried him.

She knew that what she had said would've made it dawn on the both of them how easy it is to loose the ones you love in war, and though she had not really lost Corinne, it was as if she had. She had visited her in the Hospital Wing, and her sister just laying there, cold and un-moving had really made it appear that she was dead.

by **Mace Balfour** Tue Feb 21, 2012 9:00 pm

"Um, I haven't signed up for any classes yet." Mace replied a little absent mindedly. "Keib and I were gonna go tommorow," he smiled sheepishly, "I have a habit of forgetting stuff like that."

by **Keiba Namid** Sat Feb 25, 2012 5:46 pm

"Yes, Mace is really a shocker for that sort of stuff," Keiba said, shaking her head at her best friend. "I'm taking Care of Magical Creatures, Defence Against the Dark Arts, Charms, Transfiguration, Potions, umm... Occlumency and Astronomy... oh! And Infiltration. What about you, Salina?" Keiba smiled warmly at her roommate. She was glad to see her a little bit more talkative after not talking to practically anyone since they got here.

by **MelodyLovegood** Sun Jun 17, 2012 7:06 pm

Melody sat on the couch read in the common room.The she petted her cat Jinxy as she read and she hoped that no one would disturb her.
The book she was reading was titled Disappear.