Musty Books, Snogging, and Crusty Librarians

[Benjamin Penrose]

i drown my boredom

in the melomania

Benjamin Royden Penrose once again found himself loitering in the library - possibly the tenth time this week already. There was no doubt he'd be back once more before the week is done. Ironic, considering the Slytherin detested reading (unless it was an adorable romantic novel,) and would rather engage in something more proactive. Perhaps the smell of musty old books had grown attractive to the boy's senses. Nonetheless, it was a merrily greeted change of pace from the typical buzz that bounced off of the corridor walls. Dully aware he had been standing in the center of the library, slack-jawed as usual when he took a brief gander at the countless shelves, he crept forward, careful to tread lightly. After continuously spending hours in the library, he began to value the silence it upheld. Any student who spoke louder than a whisper received an icy glare from Benjamin.

Licking his peach lips, the teen moved in utter silence, making a point not to disturb anyone who may have came to the library as a place to soak in information. A beeline was made for the nearest monumental shelf. Time passed steadily as Benjamin weaved between rows of shelves, only skimming across the titles of the books that swept past him. Being a Slytherin seemed to give the librarian just cause to suspect Benjamin of any potential wrongdoings, as they made sure to stay glued to his tail. Every turn, they were skulking behind him. Starting to ruffle the boy's feathers. he spun on his heels and hissed at the librarian, words laced with venom, "Problem?"

With a curt hmph! the librarian twirled around, receding. The hostile remarks he yearned to voice bouncing around in his mind made Benjamin himself wince. Drawing in a sharp breath, he went on, accompanied only by the light click of his shoes on the cobblestone floor.  Coming to a halt in mid-stride, he plucked a book randomly from its resting place on the shelf. Thumbing through the pages, it took no Ravenclaw to deduce the age of the tome. The pages discolored with years passed,  a putrid mold-esque smell wafting  into the air. Gagging as his face contorted into that of sheer repulsion., he made a show of slamming the book shut. Earning himself a Shh! from within the library. Shaking his head, he made sure to neatly place the book back in its correct spot before taking long strides away from the scene. No doubt the librarian looking for someone to crack down upon. It was only until he was deeper within the library that Benjamin's ears perked at the sound of lips smacking. Classy.. The Slytherin's nose wrinkled up, a frown etched onto his face. Eyes narrowed, they were ready to shoot daggers at the next figure to come into view. 

I would be lying if I said I wasn't a tad curious.. His mind chimed as the sound of lips locking only seemed to intensify. Before he could take one measly step around to the opposite side of the bookshelf, a loud thud erupted from towards what sounded like the front of the library.

TAG: @open | WORDS: 517 | NOTES: Thought I'd have an open thread out there for anyone and everyone to participate in! I've left holes for people to fill as well, if you'd like. Perhaps your character happened to be the cause of the commotion, maybe they were one of the ones having a good time at the rear of the library? Feel free to make your own reasons as to your character being in there.

MEL @ ADOXOGRAPHY

[Emmalia Malfoy]

I Wasn't Always Like This

You Should See Me Without My Mask

It started with the library. She was studying for her Transifguration class, well, not like she needed studying, but every little bit helped. It was when she heard the librarian shushing someone from the sound of it. She looked around, and walked around just for a bit before she found the librarian standing behind what looked like a Slytherin. She didn't specifically like Slytherins, most of them were snobby, self-absorbed, morons that cared only about themselves, but Emma decided to give him the benefit of the doubt, and besides, no one deserved to be prosecuted for their name or title. She walked up to the librarian and tapped her on the shoulder. She was on fairly good terms with the librarian. "Umm," Emma started. "He's with me." She told the librarian. She had hoped that the librarian would have left the boy alone, but a little while later, Emma noticed the librarian still was lurking over his shoulder. She sighed and shook her head before going to take out a book on Year 8 Transfiguration. Sure it was above her level, but she liked to excel in her subjects. As Emma grabbed the book and held it to her chest, a particularly nasty seventh year Slytherin shoved into her on purpose, but shoved her lightly into the book case, making her drop all of her stuff, which landed on the floor with a loud 'thud!' "Watch it, Malfoy! Maybe you should try sitting down before you stick your nose in your book, nerd." He said. She nodded quickly and the Slytherin let her be, meanwhile Emma got down on her knees and began to pick all the stuff that Slytherin had made her drop.

TAG: Benjamin Penrose ╳ WORDS: 284 ╳ NOTES:  Excited!

ⒶⓀⒾ of Adoxography, Transit, and GS.

[Benjamin Penrose]

i drown my boredom

in the melomania

Curiosity trumped all other present emotion as Benjamin leisurely made way towards the disturbance. A dull thunk that still hung in the air, resonating yet in the sixth year's mind. Quite frankly, he was thrilled at the aspect of having something to occupy at least a few meager moments of his time. Days grew dreary and unbelievably lengthy without Krem by his side. He wasn't one who could entertain themselves with ease. That had been his best friend's duty but now, he had been left to fend for himself. Ennui clung to Benjamin like the plague, a feeling he was fighting to shake off. It had, however, made the teen realize just how much he needed a companion to function. The proposition made him quiver. Too much pride had been poured into his independence, and even beginning to fathom the concept of relying on someone for anything left him feeling pissed off at the world. Independence was the one trait of his he held in the highest regard.

Rubbing the nape of his neck, Benjamin had finally located the source of the noise, and as a plus, was able to momentarily forget his unfortunate light-bulb moment. His eyes focused in on a dainty Gryffindor, picking up scattered materials. Kneeling down on one knee to support himself, he proceeded to gingerly aid in recovering her strewn items. Avoiding eye contact, he wondered if he should ask if she was okay? It would be a formality, yes, as no physical damage was visible to the extent of what Benjamin could see and he saw no signs of her catering to a cut or bruise. But what about emotionally..? Benjamin strayed away from the vast majority and was given equal treatment. He had never truly experienced the wrath of a consistent bully so the weight it had on someone was foreign. Had that been what happened there? A case of a shallow bully searching for some sadistic fulfillment? As far as first impressions were, Benjamin presumed she lacked a vital backbone - making her a large target. Of course, the girl could also just have been a major klutz, causing the scene laid out before him. 

The snickering Slytherin that had passed Benjamin mere seconds before he had arrived in the Gryffindor's presence led him to believe in the former. Words of comfort appeared to be the adequate response. His throat felt dry as he cleared it abruptly. Abstaining from conversation didn't seem beneficial at this point. Shooting up to his feet, he presented her a pile of miscellaneous objects he'd plucked up from the ground, the contents none other than hers.

"..Ok?" Benjamin grimaced at his sorry attempt to console. Clearing his throat once more for extra measure, "You.. I meant, are you alright?" His words came out soft, simultaneously hoping it would make the girl know he came in peace, and to also ward off another unwanted visit from the librarian.  

TAG: Emmalia Malfoy | WORDS: 490 | NOTES:  Sorry! For a medium-sized post I feel like I gave you little to work with here. Poor Em! 

MEL @ ADOXOGRAPHY

[Emmalia Malfoy]

I Wasn't Always Like This

You Should See Me Without My Mask

For a split second, panic shot through Emmalia when she saw robes in front of her. She thought for a moment that that nasty Slytherin had come back. But when she looked up, it wasn't the Slytherin, well, it was a Slytherin, but not the nasty one. He was helping her pick up her books. She hurried to pick up the rest of her things before she stood up. The boy handed her the things he had gathered, and she arched one of her brunette brows curiously. It was the boy from earlier, she had realized that now, but why?

"Um... y-you do know that I-I'm in Gryffindor... ri-right?" Emmalia stammered. But then he asked if she was alright. She was slightly taken aback. A Slytherin, was asking, and helping a Gryffindor, Emma, of all people? That's something you don't see every day. She hadn't realized earlier that the boy was a Slytherin, but she knew it now. But why was he helping her? Emmalia Malfoy, the disappointment of the Malfoy family, her being one of the only Malfoys in Gryffindor, other than her twin sister, Kaitlyn, who had died during the Battle of Hogwarts. "Y-Yeah. I-I guess. Why are you helping m-me?" Emma stuttered curiously.

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TAG: Benjamin Penrose ╳ WORDS: 206 ╳ NOTES:  Excited!

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ⒶⓀⒾ of Adoxography, Transit, and GS.

[Benjamin Penrose]

i drown my boredom

in the melomania

Benjamin observed with a steadfast gaze at the delicate Gryffindor's rapid change of facial expression with minor interest. What was going on in that head of hers? Utter surprise? It was a natural reaction to be shocked. Slytherin's were depicted as heartless, merciless, cutthroats. While Benjamin wouldn't sugarcoat it - they had their fair share of antagonists in the house, he often loathed how the villainous portrayal was shouldered upon every living Slytherin. He wasn't angry at anyone other than the Slytherin's, however. It was actions of some that effected the remainder. 

The curve of her brow suggested suspicion, or curiosity. A mix of both, perhaps. Pursing his lips, the boy followed suite, shooting back the same facial expression. The words that flew from her lips, made the boy snicker before nodding slowly - he knew her house. Gesturing with a dip of his head towards her uniform, he made it clear that the color of her robes had been what notified him. He had to admit, he was thoroughly enjoying this moment. Here he was, going against what was considered the "norm." Instead of provoking the Gryffindor like the common Slytherin, he was aiding her. Did it really have to be like this, however? In the end, they were all here for the same reasons. To delve deeper into the mystical world they'd been introduced to. Uncovering the rich wizardry history that has been feasibly laid before them through classes. 

Benjamin was coaxed back out of his piling thoughts as the girl spoke up. Only now had he noticed the occasional stutter in her speech. He sighed heavily, was he frightening this poor girl? Was he being burdensome by hanging around? Would it have been better to lend a helping hand and then dash off? The thought of him inflicting sheer fear on another human being left him uncomfortable, a massive reason he loathed his current house - it seemed to already give him an intimidation factor. Only now did it hit him she claimed to be feeling alright, putting his troubled mind at ease for the time being. 

How many times had she been pushed around? "Because that's the civilized thing to do..?" He frowned at his choice of words, as they came out layered in frost, coming across as a cold statement. And this is why you don't have any friends..! Rolling his eyes subtly in regards to his inner dialogue. "Let me-" He groaned, running a hand hazardously through his hair, messing it up entirely. Why did voicing his mind have to be so difficult? "...I didn't mean it like that.." He added quietly, a pout playing loosely on Benjamin's features. 

"It was just.. the right thing to do.." Defeated, the Slytherin knew that was the best explanation he could muster for his actions. His frustration, however, remained. It truly fueled the kid to he couldn't even put his thoughts into a coherent sentence, and he fumbled with the idea he might accidentally snap at her. This was the longest he'd held a conversation in awhile. Out of the corner of his eye, the sixteen year old could have sworn he saw the swoop of a Slytherin cloak. Brushing it off as nothing to worry about, he rubbed the nape of his neck, not looking forward to the potential awkwardness that befall the two.

Craning his neck to the side, his eyes narrowed as he looked the girl up and down. Why did she appear familiar? The only Gryffindor he associated himself with was Krem, and even that relationship was strained lately. "Do-" he paused, wracking his brain, trying to put a name to her doppelganger, "Are you sure we've never.. uh.. met before?" He was getting really exhausted referring to her as "Mouse," in his head and made a note to ask her for her name. Deciding to wait, he didn't want to bombard her with questions. 

TAG: Emmalia Malfoy | WORDS:  652  | NOTES:  Ah, Benji. You awkward little butt.

MEL @ ADOXOGRAPHY

[Emmalia Malfoy]

I Wasn't Always Like This

You Should See Me Without My Mask

Okay. Emma knew one thing for sure, this Slytherin was actually being kind to Emma. "You... you s-seem nothing like a Sly-Slytherin. I mean, k-kind? Ca-Caring?" She said with a soft laugh. In all, the boy seemed a lot like Emma, shy, or at least antisocial. The right thing to do. It was. The Slytherin seemed at loss of words, and so was Emma. "I-I know." Emma said. Hopefully what she said soothed his nerves, It would take a i]lot

[/i], and I mean a lot to soothe Emma's nerves. Emma thought about how alike the two were. Emma smiled.

Although it was a slight smile, it was still a smile. She began thinking about her Transfiguration book, when she heard him speak again. He thought he knew her from some where. He was mistaking her from someone else. Great. "No. W-We haven't met. But you might be mistaking me for m-my twin, Kai-Kaitlyn? But she's gone, n-now. Battle of Ho-Hogwarts. Either h-her, or Lauren, or Al-Alex-Alexandra." Emma said, sighing. For once she thought that someone was being nice to her because she was her, but now she discovers that it was because he thought she was Kaitlyn, or Lauren, or Alexandra.[/span][/font][/div][/div][/div][/div][/span][/font]
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TAG: Benjamin Penrose ╳ WORDS: 202 ╳ NOTES: Noney none none

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ⒶⓀⒾ of Adoxography, Transit, and GS.

[Benjamin Penrose]

i drown my boredom

in the melomania

Blinking, he shifted his weight back and forth. It was making him feel out of place as she called him kind. One of the last words he would have used to describe himself. Most people received nothing but a glance if pursuing conversation with Benjamin. She just happened to catch him in his more helpful mindset - nothing wrong with wanting to be a good Samaritan occasionally. Albeit he felt some fulfillment from the claim. Perhaps his actions could aide in turning the tides towards how the mousy Gryffindor felt towards the Slytherin populous. He shook his head dully at himself. It was wishful thinking. She seemed to be the target of cruel jokes. One measly Slytherin could not change her opposition - it was a ridiculous notion in the first place.

Face twisted in confusion, he was given a shock when she claimed to have never met him in her life. However, his ears buzzed with familiarity at the mention of Kaitlyn. He'd heard that name roll off Krem's tongue countless times. Hadn't he even been introduced to the female before? His mind recalled Kaitlyn's face right then and there. No doubt that they were twins. It was like peering into a picture of Kaitlyn. Twins. Looking hard at the ground, he wore an immense frown. He too had a sister, a twin, pass on years earlier. Instead of drowning in sadness when he recalled his sibling, he only felt a numbing guilt. Benjamin strongly held the belief that his sister should be the one attending Hogwarts, the one who was alive and kicking. She'd planned her life out, she knew what she wanted. Benjamin, on the other hand, lacked a vital ambition. Fate was a cruel mistress.

"Sorry," Came his downcast reply, feeling overall uncomfortable. "I was.. uh.. thinking of Kaitlyn.." Kaitlyn was barely audible as Benjamin looked away. He felt one hundred percent putrid. Bringing up a sister who passed not long ago was unsavory. Rubbing the nape of his neck, he hoped he wouldn't regret his next choice of words,

"She was great.." Was it unwise to pursue this topic further?

TAG: Emmalia Malfoy | WORDS:  355 | NOTES:  -

MEL @ ADOXOGRAPHY

[Emmalia Malfoy]

Emma watched as the boy blinked, and she studied him as he shifted his weight back and forth. Was he nervous? Was Emma making him uncomfortable? She didn't know. Did she make him uncomfortable with her choice of words? They were complements, or at least they were supposed to be. Maybe to a Slytherin, they weren't? She just didn't know. "I-I'm sorry. Did... did I make you uncomfortable?" She asked. The more comfortable she got with talking to someone, the more she talked, she lost her stutter, as if it was magic, pun not intended. Emma watched as he thought.

Oh, how she wished she could see what the boy was thinking. Emma watched as he shook his head, and she tilted her own, and especially was curious when the Slytherin's face twisted with confusion, or perhaps twisted with shock. Emma then felt his eyes boring into Emma, as if studying her, hard, like Emma when it came to studying for Divination. "Wh-Why are you looking at me l-like that?" She asked him with a small stutter. She noticed as he looked at the ground, frowning. "What?" She asked. 'Sorry,' is what he said to Emma. She was curious why.

"Wh-Why?" She asked the boy. Then came the next words, that made her heart sink in remembrance of her fallen twin during the great Battle of Hogwarts. It was her turn to frown, look at the ground. 'He was just thinking of Kaitlyn.' Emma thought, a singular tear trickling down her cheek. Another one followed, then another. Then she wiped her cheeks, drying her eyes before any more could fall. Her mother always said to her, that tears made people weak, and that if you showed other people that you were weak, that they could control you. She believed it.

Emma watched as the boy looked away, and his next words made her breath audibly hitch in her throat. "She was great." The boy had said. He was right, though, she was great. She was a great sister, her best friend. Kaitlyn and Emmalia were joint at the hip, and she never got to say goodbye because of the damned Death Eater that took Emma's twin sister away from her. Kaitlyn had many friends, a Gryffindor boy named Krem was Kaitlyn's best friend, and Emma only got to meet him at Kaitlyn's funeral. He was nice. And so was Kaitlyn.

"Yeah." She said. "Katie was the best." She said, her voice breaking at the end. "She died trying to save my life. A D-Death Eater killed her. She was trying to curse the o-one that was using the Cruciatus C-Curse on me when she died. That day, I felt the worst pain i-im-imaginable." She stuttered. beginning to hiccup softly, tears silently pouring down her face. "I'm sorry. I-I-I need to g-go." She stammered, running off with all her things in her hands. She retreated to a quiet corner in the library, a table that faced the Quidditch Pitch. It was then that Emma put her head down, and cried in remembrance of her fallen twin. Her best friend.

Benjamin Penrose

[Benjamin Penrose]

i drown my boredom

in the melomania

The Slytherin took no notice to the female analyzing his movements. The loss of her stutter caused his a brow to arch in mere surprise. What had once been so heavily inflicting her speech dissipated without a trace. Finding it almost uplifting. Perhaps this indicated a sense of ease when around Benjamin. His euphoric feeling was short lived as she reacted to his words. Any progress they made was demolished before his eyes as she looked away from him, her eyes glued to the ground after Benjamin ignored all of her inquiries and blurted out an apology. Still, it was a reaction to be expected. Benjamin had carelessly prodded at a healing wound - aggravating it immensely when he mentioned her deceased twin following the quick apology.

The urge to take a step forward and place a knowing hand on her shoulder was immeasurable when he caught a glimpse of glistening tear drops. He knew all too well the pain that came with losing a sibling. It was insane how similar their loss was. A twin loosing their other half. Could Benjamin really even be labeled as a twin now? Misleading is what it was. He found himself taking a step backward as a few students passed them, giving them looks of curiosity. This would only inflame Benjamin's negative image. The situation at hand could easily appear to be him picking on a sweet Gryffindor student.

Swallowing hard, Benjamin focused on a nearby bookshelf, attentively listening as she recalled the tale audibly. It made him call to mind his own battle experience. He had been fighting alongside a fellow Slytherin. The two hadn't faced the brute force of the battle until the very end. Back to back they struggled to fight off four opponents. The couple were able to fend off their attackers yet one of their opponents, with their final breath sent a killing blow, the student passed on moments later in Benjamin's arms. 

 Benjamin was snapped from his daze at the sound of retreating footfalls. The Gryffindor had run to seek out some much needed alone time, leaving a crestfallen Benjamin in her wake. He hadn't even had the opportunity to ask for her name. Inhaling and exhaling heavily, he ran a hand through his hair, shutting his eyes. He stood there for a few minutes, before twirling around and exiting the library. 

TAG: Emmalia Malfoy | WORDS: 395  | NOTES:  Seems like a good enough spot as any to wrap it  up. Nice length for a introductory thread!  Sorry this reply pales in comparison! I struggled writing this and cringe at its quality.

MEL @ ADOXOGRAPHY