pure imagination.

Luke turned to the fellow fifth year, tilting his painting up to display it to her. “See the strokes on it,” he started to explain, tracing the dried paint with his finger. “It’s purposely contrasting the light with the dark, which I thought would go well with a night sky. But I think that while, yeah, the technique makes darkness the dominating feature, it may not be the right choice for a scenery that is truly dark? I don’t think it provides the contrast that I thought it would since there’s nothing to juxtapose it.”

Jane was not an artist, which became increasingly more apparent when he explained his technique to her, when he explained everything he had done, it almost flew over head. Still, she tried to understand as she stayed silent for a few moments before responding, “you see, LOGICALLY to me that made sense, but artistically ...-” the Hufflepuff made a motion with her hand as if something was flying over her head, “I really appreciate how this is your craft though, it’s quite interesting. -- What do you think a neutral background would do?”

His smile was fleeting but she seemed to always bring out the more genuine side of him. “Glad you thought to stop by then?” He shook his head, digging a second bottle out of his bag though not sure if he should open it.

“Why wouldn’t I be safe? And why are you out here all alone? Besides its after curfew, Janie. You’re gonna get caught, have detention and then you’ll have to explain to dad that you were out chasing me and, nah, we can’t have that. Go back to your dorm, okay?”

It was there, even it disappeared quickly, his smile that she had grown to love over the years. Taking a deep breath, she had to calm herself again, seeing Rhys like this, seeing him MISERABLE, there wasn’t anything more she wanted to do but to take away his pain. But she couldn’t, she couldn’t do anything it seemed. 

“Because you’re also out alone with two bottles of ALCOHOL that I see so far. I’m a Prefect, I can be out, so that argument of yours doesn’t work now. You could try to think of a new one, and you know dad would want to know.”

“Oh, she wasn’t. She had that proper lady smug look all over her face. I swear it’d make Salazar proud.” There she was. His anger was never long in her presence. Jane had that effect over him. “You got me a gift?” The tiny box in his hands proved his talent for ridiculously obvious questions. “I’m so sorry, Janey, I’ve been so caught up in my latest mess that I didn’t even think about buying gifts.” Ryder apologised, but had an idea. He pulled his wand out and concentrated. Nonverbal magic was a martial training for the upcoming war, but it didn’t mean he couldn’t use it for love. Orchideous. A huge bouquet of wildflowers conjured itself from his magic, his wand levitating it in her direction. “Happy Valentine’s Day, Jane.”

Jane could only laugh at Ryder’s latest foray into trouble and angering professors, because he didn’t cross the line and even a ‘goody two shoes’ could laugh at that. “Oh please, Ry, don’t worry yourself about it alright? I just wanted to get you something, help take a moment for yourself because you’ve been busy.” At the flowers, her smile widened tenfold, “that was brilliant,” was all she managed as she held them in her hands, GRINNING over at him. “Happy Valentines Day, Ryder. Now, open it and we should really get these beautiful flowers in water somewhere. We can go to dad’s office soon.”

“Well to be fair, most of my non-Rhys knowledge is secondhand, from movies or books or magazines or something. Give me a weekend with you, my Cosmo collection and Netflix and I’ll have you all caught up.”

“Ah, I see,” It was truly a shame to Jane that Rhys and Annie had broken up, something that she really didn’t accept as truth. “Really? I mean, still, I just don’t think it’s ... well,” Jane stopped short, feeling the SINKING feeling in her chest again, “I’m just really busy you know?”

“Depends.” He was noncommittal, coy even but he was mostly bored and just wished for this all to be over. There were moments he was proud to be Head Boy and moments where the title was nothing more than a nuisance. “I’m not going to shoo you away love, if you want to believe you’re doing a good deed I won’t disillusion you.”

It was a CRYPTIC answer and really Jane was having trouble decoding it. There was a hint of the same sort of annoyance most people held with her, and at the word disillusion she realized that he must’ve have thought her to be someone not in touch with the world. With how things were. Jane usually just wanted to see the better part of it all, the brighter, the gold filling in the cracks -- otherwise she’d crumble under all the HORROR the world had provided. “I’m not disillusioned,” she began, her tone still as soft as it was before though it was more solid, “if you want me gone, just tell me, no hard feelings. I just don’t like seeing people alone is all.”

Ryder couldn’t believe his poor luck. It was bad enough that he missed the ball because of the little number on the quidditch pitch, but now McGonagall promised she was keeping a trained eye on him. His bad mood was increasing with every minute and, early as it was, he already felt like punching a wall. “Bloody rats. Happy Valentine’s Day, she says. How dare she?”

After a disastrous dance and the stress that came with it, Jane was quite exhausted though she tried her best not to show any of it -- there was still so much work to be done. There were the after effects of AMORTENTIA and just the mere fact that someone would do this? Jane was appalled. When she heard Ryder’s voice, she was calmed and happy to see him though, “maybe she’s genuinely wishing you a Happy Valentine’s Day?” Jane shrugged before taking out a present from her robes, “here, I’ve got something for you, Ryder. I would’ve given it to you at the dance but you weren’t there and that was a nightmare.”

“Don’t be such a downer! It’s really killing my whole vibe, y’know? You look like you need a drink,” Aspen giggled, grabbing another glass and handing it over to the other person. “Cheers,” she hummed, holding her drink out the clumsily knock it against the other’s. 

Usually the upperclassmen wasn’t so nice to her but this time she seemed to be, and while Jane wasn’t going to go ANYWHERE near those drinks, there was a part of her that wished she could just celebrate with the other. Still, it wouldn’t really be celebrating with Aspen would it? There was amortentia and alcohol in the drinks, what else was in them? “:Thank you, Aspen, but I don’t drink. But how about this, would you like to dance with me? ONE dance and then I’ve got to go find my dad, okay?”

“I’d use the whole, I’m not a good dancer line but, I am highly skilled in every area so that would be a lie. The truth is I just don’t want to dance with you, or anyone, ever.”

“At least I suppose it’s not personal then, right? You just looked rather lonely over here -- I’ll keep you company for as long as I can but only if that’s ALRIGHT with you. If I’m bothering you, I can go.”

“Oh, well, I would… But I’m really not very good and I’m not nearly drunk enough to think I am.” Hugo knew he wouldn’t be able to get away with not dancing at a ball, but he had hoped he’d be at least several drinks further in before being faced with performing the dreaded social ritual.

“Please, Hugo” Jane pleaded, asking before clapping her hands together and continuing, “HUGO WEASLEY, you’re my only hope!” Quoting a line from Star Wars, she felt rather proud of herself ( especially because she had just recently seen the films ). “We could get Rose to dance with us as well, but you can’t not dance at a ball, you realize?”

          &&.   “oh, jeeze,” amos somehow managed not to swear, awkwardly patting the girl’s back at another bout of tears. he couldn’t exactly remember WHY she was crying, he’d mostly tuned that out. but, guessing she was likely drunk, he’d also feel guilty in leaving her alone. having finally caught someone’s eye over her shoulder, he mouthed a desperate ‘ h e l p ’ at them.

          Jane had come into the bathroom, overwhelmed and just needing a few moments to herself. After COLLECTING  her thoughts, on her way back to the dance she saw Amos Cattermole, an upperclassmen comforting a girl who looked to be severely upset. It was quite the sight seeing as she knew the other guy not to be so touchy feely and the minute he asked for her help, Jane came over, a comforting hand gently resting upon the girls free shoulder. “Hey, hey,” she started in soft tones, “it’s going to be alright, okay? We’re going to get EVERYTHING sorted but you have to tell us what’s going on. That’s the only way we can properly help. Do you think there’s any way you can tell us what’s wrong?”

“–Are you sure this is just plain punch?”

“Harmony! No, it’s not. I wouldn’t recommend drinking ANYTHING, alright?”

“ —– Do you smell that?” Adelie sniffed the air, frowning in confusion before determining that the strangely familiar scent was coming from the cup she was holding. Vanilla, soil, — and was that a hint of peanut butter cookie? “Is this….laced with amortentia? For Merlin’s sake, can no one in this school stop to think for a second about the consequences of their actions? Like the fact that they’re drugging other students?”

“I .......... smell it.” For the first time in a while, Jane had the urge to use language that was considered profanity. Not only did this anger her but this concerned her -- who would do this? This wasn’t right. While she had ideas, admitting them aloud made them real & that would be too scary. “I NEED to tell my father about this, I just, I can’t bloody believe this, you know? I’m, -- I’m severely disappointed in the student body, Adelie. But it’s much more important we get this situation fixed I M M E D I A T E L Y. Thank you for alerting me.”

Rhys had always had a talent for drinking and never getting drunk enough. It made him warm, gave a buzz that only satisfied him for an hour tops but always killed by a thought or person. Guilt was sobering – suffocating – and even at the bottom of a bottle or end of a joint he would never escape it. Rhys had just worked his way through a fifth of firewhiskey when someone approached him. 

A half smile slid onto his lips, lackluster and the only sort of kindness he wanted to offer at the moment. “There’s a reason I came out here to drink and it wasn’t so I’d have company.”

“Oh, really? I thought when you wandered off to drink you wanted to be with company. Apologies.” There was a lilt of sarcasm in her voice, one that Jane didn’t usually use. The fact that she’d even practiced it then was a bit of a shock, but it was mostly for her brother’s benefit. 

“I can leave though, I’m just happy you’re safe.” For now. Jane didn’t want to suffocate Rhys with her undivided attention like she really wanted to at the moment.

❝I’m a wanderess.❞ @janelongarse

“Hmm, I see it, it’s in the hair. You have very beautiful, wanderess like hair.”