In the Silence { open }

[aubracex]

Castor had come to the library to read, which he supposed was a valid reason for being there, after all. But at this point, he had leaned back in his chair, ankles crossed and heels resting on the table in front of him. He was just looking up at the ceiling, his previous reading material resting on his chest, open, though he knew the librarian could come to scold him for potentially breaking the spine.

At some point in his reading he had simply lost interest, and had tilted his head back, used to seeing the stars decorating the ceiling of the Ravenclaw common room, though here in the library were just ancient wooden rafters beyond tall bookshelves. Castor's eyes were tracing over the shapes slowly. He seemed more interested in this activity than he had been in his book.

There weren't many students in the library at this time of day. It was beautiful outside, a rare occurrence, and only a few classes had scheduled tests or essays for the next day. Castor rarely needed to study, but he knew that most students there at Hogwarts tended to leave all the cramming to the last minute. On those days he would see entire classes of students in the library all at once, fretting over what they were supposed to remember for the following morning. It was a nightmare trying to get any pleasure reading done in the library then.

He finally moved to look back at the book he had nearly forgotten in his thoughts and tracings of the rafters above. As he read the first few lines of the page he had marked, he realized that he didn't even remember reading that much, and ended up having to flip back a few pages to find a place that he could start from. How he had managed to read three pages without internalizing a word of it was a mystery to him. Perhaps, he thought, this book wasn't worth his time.

[/blockquote]

[grizzlehhhh]

like stars burning holes
flicking fire like saltwater

---

Unfortunately, Autumn had been wandering around the many hall of Hogwarts that late afternoon. She couldn’t help herself, she was just, bored to death. There was nothing to see, nothing interesting. Her homework had been finished hours ago. Now all she needed was to waste her time. Perhaps a trip to the library was to be in order. However, she did get lost. A wrong turn at one corridor, she found herself at the entrance of oh dear, a wall. She took a few steps back to where she came and found the library.

It was fairly quiet in there however, three people at the most. No one was really studying, just, reading. Autumn began to search the shelves. Most were fictional books about someone’s adventures through dragon caves and swamps. She wasn’t really in the mood for fairy tales, only light reading, perhaps things about nargles or gargoyles. She wandered around and glanced at spines of books until she saw a ravenclaw boy. He looked familiar, where had she seen him? Clearly not Arithmancy, the only ravenclaws in her class were girls, know-it-alls. Perhaps it was charms? Her class was filled with ravenclaws, they wouldn’t really shut their traps so she could listen. Whoever he was, he seemed like the type.

She peeked around the corner and whispered “Pssssst.” Perhaps the ravenclaw boy couldn’t hear her. “Heeeeeey,” she whispered a little louder. Hopefully the librarian couldn’t hear, she wouldn’t want to be kicked out of the library. She had to get his attention somehow. She looked for something to throw. Books were out of the question, serving detention for something like that wouldn’t really make any sence. Autumn Knox, throwing books? She loved to read, but not wizard books, so perhaps it wouldn’t be as bad. She looked down. Perhaps her own shoe will do it? It was soft and rubbery, so maybe it wouldn’t make such a noise, and maybe it will.

Her fingers pulled at the laces of her left shoe. The air was a bit cool in the library, even through her stockings it was cold. Autumn checked for anyone else that would notice and tossed her shoe at the ravenclaw boy. “Pssssssst.” She whispered again. For some reason, she had absolutely forgotten the reason why she was trying to get his attention like this. Couldn’t she have just walked up behind him and ask politely? Well, yes, but that isn’t usually the Autumn way to do anything.

words! 412
lyrics! Sleepyhead by passion pit
tagged! castor prewett
notes! shoe throwinggg

[aubracex]

Despite his earlier thoughts on the book possibly being a waste of his time, Castor had once more fallen into the novel, thoroughly enthralled in the story and language that had originally drawn him in. He didn't even hear the activity around him, though a pair of Gryffindors burst into laughter and had to be scolded by the librarian for being too loud.. Castor simply shut it all out, including the girl who was apparently attempting to get his attention.

Still, the dropping of a shoe in front of him caught his attention.

It thunked quietly on the desk in front of him and plopped into his lap. He just looked at it for a moment or two, surprised and perplexed about its meaning and origin. It was a girl's shoe, a uniform shoe. He rested his book back down on the desk, open with the spine still subject to breakage if he wasn't careful -- which he always was -- and picked up the shoe, dangling it between thumb and forefinger by the lace.

His attention now on the shoe, it took him another few moments to realize that someone was making noises behind him. He perked up, lowering his feet from the desk as he turned to find the source of the noise. His eyes met hers and he stood, stepping over. He held the shoe like it was a precious glass slipper or the like, the sole of it resting in both his hands as he reached her.

"Is this yours?" Of course, the answer was quite plain, judging by the fact that she had only one shoe on at the time. Still, it was always rude to assume. Perhaps she only wore one shoe for religious reasons or to make a statement.

[/blockquote]

[grizzlehhhh]

like stars burning holes
flicking fire like saltwater

---

“No,” she replied. “It was a Cornish pixie.” Autumn couldn’t hold her serious face. She made a laugh. “I’m only joking, yeah it’s my shoe.” She took the shoe from his hands and slipped it back on. “You’re in my charms class right?” She tilted her head. Honestly, she wasn’t quite sure, most of the ravenclaw boys looked the same to her. That and hufflepuff boys, only the colors weren’t the same. Charms had always been Autumn’s favorite class. It was probably her easiest class, all because her father has showed her a few spells before and well, since then she’s kind of enjoyed how it makes things easier for a lazy person. It not that she has practiced magic outside of school, she was used like a reference.

Autumn took a seat on the floor and crossed her legs, Indian style how they call it. She spun the laces around her finger as she gave an introduction, “I’m Autumn by the way.” She made a bright smile and looked down to her shoes. She didn’t mean to be rude, she just kind of liked to ask first to make sure she made no mistakes in who she thought a person was. Even if she was wrong, she’d still talk to them. What good would a conversation be when the other person leaves? It would become a very awkward conversation.

Having a short attention span bothered Autumn. She would think one thing then end up talking about another. It wasn’t bad, but she had always perceived this as kind of annoying, particularly if she started changing subjects randomly out of nowhere. Her legs shifted as she brought her knees up to her chest and wrapped her arms around them. She had always been comfortable like this, she never understood why.

words! 300
lyrics! Sleepyhead by passion pit
tagged! castor prewett
notes! nonee

[aubracex]

"A Cornish pixie," Castor repeated, as if he thought she was completely serious, though he did smile as she laughed. "Did you throw your shoe at me?" he asked. He very much doubted that she had kicked it off accidentally or some equally accidental. He cocked his head to the side at her question, thinking over the mental roster of his Charms class. It was his favorite subject as well. There was just something about the wandwork that made it enjoyable.

"I...believe so, yes," he said. "Tuesdays and Thursdays in the mornings?" He didn't know what house she was, all he knew was that he had Charms with Gryffindors some days. Sometimes it was just Ravenclaws in there. She obviously wasn't a Ravenclaw. For the most part, Ravenclaws didn't throw shoes. Or sit on the ground when there were perfectly food chairs only a couple feet away.

He looked down at her as she did sit, somewhat confused. "Autumn," he repeated. He tugged his pant legs up a bit and crouched to be closer to her level. "It's nice to meet you. I'm Castor." He held his hand out for a shake, as he felt was polite. Perhaps, he thought, she was trying to get a rise out of him, first by throwing her shoe at him and next by sitting on the floor. He wondered why she came to the library at all.

"Would you like to sit in the chairs?" he asked, gesturing lightly behind him. His schoolbag and book where still at the desk and he, at least, was more comfortable in a proper seat than on the ground, though Autumn looked perfectly happy curled up with her knees to her chest. Castor wondered if she had forgotten that she was wearing a skirt or if she simply didn't care. He couldn't see anything but she was risking flashing everyone with this position.

[/blockquote]

[grizzlehhhh]

like stars burning holes
flicking fire like saltwater

---

She shook her head and made a laugh as she watched him “I can honestly tell you, I’m much more comfortable down here.” Autumn gestured to the amount of chairs and low visibility. “If someone were to look for me, in this case some sort of a creep, he would have to try very hard, and I’m fairly sure someone would notice a person on all fours gazing underneath a table.” She giggled. It was logic to her, simple logic. Autumn only sat on the floor in certain areas of the school. In the library and Gryffindor common room, she liked to sit on the floor. One reason is because there was always low visibility, and another reason is that, in the common room, lashing out at members of the opposite gender was quite normal.

“Would you like to join me on the floor?” She asked. “It’s quite comfortable and not as cold as the chairs.” Autumn was telling the truth. The cool air of the library made the seats an undesirable temperature, especially to one that wears a skirt. She patted the floor next to her gently and leaned against the side of a bookshelf a few inches from her. Autumn couldn’t tell the difference and leaned backwards until she flinched. Another near death experience within the first few weeks of school. She laughed to herself as if to celebrate her failure and returned to her original position.

“Excuse my silly antics hehe, whatcha reading over there?” Autumn stretched her neck to get at least a view of the cover. She bit her lip around the end of the sentence. She might have disturbed him from reading, being awfully bored and all. Worry began unfolding in her mind. Was he studying? Is he only talking to her because he was too polite to tell her to leave? She began to feel a sense of panic creeping into her mind.

words! 319
lyrics! Sleepyhead by passion pit
tagged! castor prewett
notes! nonee

[aubracex]

Castor was, to say the least, extremely confused about this girl and her so-called antics. He could understand her aversion to cold chairs, seeing as her bare legs would touch the surface of them when she sat down, but that only made him wonder what she did in class when she had to sit still for nearly an hour in said cold chairs. He supposed she just took her comfort whenever she could, and there wasn't exactly a written rule that students must sit in library chairs at all times.

He realized after a moment that he was staring at her, lost in thought, and shook his head. He moved to sit beside her, where she had indicated.

"My question, though, is," Castor said, letting his arms rest comfortably around his knees, hands lightly gripping each other to keep them up, "why would anyone, such as a creep, be looking for you? Do you have a history I should know about?" He was teasing, but there was some degree of truthful curiosity there. She was a strange girl, he wouldn't put some kind of tragic or insane history past her. Still, he thought he rather liked her. She was a conundrum.

Castor actually nearly reached out to stop her as she looked as though she would fall backwards, but she righted herself in time, with a laugh. Yes, she was very curious. "I was just reading a novel," he said, cocking his head to the side as she seemed to catch herself, biting back further words. "Something akin to a fairy tale, really. A prince, a princess, an evil-doer." He leaned back against the bookshelf, himself, careful not to put too much weight on it lest it tip and sent all the books flying. "I just came down here because I was bored. I don't have class this afternoon and needed some way to pass the time. The book wasn't very exciting, though. Despite its subject."