A cold night, a warm fire. (Open)

[hakhuraziel]

The flames burst upwards, with a continuous gentle roar giving life to the room. Shadows were bearing over Vlad as his arched back lurched him above the parchment he was frantically scribbling upon. Old scrolls and thick books peppered his desk, all painted a warm orange by the fire.

He stopped for a moment, knowing these things cannot be rushed, and it had to be perfect.. just perfect. Dipping his quill back into his pot of ink, he held the scroll up against the radiant light of the fire. The ink was just about dry, and he shook the crumpled scroll much like a businessman straightens out a newspaper to read it. After staring for a few moments, eyes scanning from left to right, with a critique only finesse could withstand... much like all the others, the scroll was scrunched up and thrown into the waste paper basket.

The way he had discarded this latest attempt to perfect his piano piece was more than evidential for how he was feeling... pretty damn lousy. He gathered his books and equipment in one heap and rose from his chair, not really aware of anyone else in the room, not really bothered at all. His hair veiled his face for the most part, unless you were looking directly at him from the front, you'd struggle to make out his face. He threw on his jacket, a smart black silk jacket fit for a pianist which came down just past his waist. He picked up his books and prepared to leave.

[Rayne Hamilton R3]

Rayne Hamilton had been sitting in the Student Lounge for hours although she had her journal sitting open on her lap and a quill in her hand the pages were all blank. She'd come to the lounge to try and get some creative writting done but her writers block continued on. She could write 5 pages on trolls for History of Magic however when it came to coming up with a plot or a character for her own amusement she drew a complete blank.

Instead of dwelling on the sad fact that she couldn't write anymore she decided to people watch. Now that was something she was good at she was so quiet and such a small girl that she was only noticed when she wanted to be.

Sadly there weren't many interesting people to watch in the lounge. There was the little first year who seemed to be about to burst into tears as she poured over her potions book. The older boy sitting next to the fire stroking what she presumed to be his cat and nose buried in a muggle book. No there wasn't much to watch the only remotely interesting person in the room with her was the boy sitting at a desk frantically scribbling on a piece of parchment. She didn't know what it was exactly that peaked her interest in this boy but there was something about him that made her think they'd have a lot in common. This thought was strengthened when she watched him throw the piece of parchment he'd been working on away. It seemed like he, like herself, was suffering writers block as well.

"You shouldn't just give up like that love." She said to the boy as he got up and gathered his stuff. She closed her own journal and stood up as well. "You won't achieve anything if you just scrap everything."

[hakhuraziel]

Vlad's attention shifted to Rayne. He stopped walking and gazed at her for a few moments, he'd heard her 'advice' and had yet to show a reaction. Being called 'love' reminded him of the way the female faculty would often treat him, knowing he had no mother seemed to bring out a certain motherly instinct in them which could be almost embarrasing to him at times, he just wanted to be left alone.

He felt it was much more casual when Rayne said it, but when people were too close and friendly like that, it could unsettle him even more. He had trust issues.

He stared straight at her, it was a warm room.. and he didn't feel anything negative about the atmosphere, there was no real malice here, so through better judgement he lowered his head in her direction with a slight nod of acknowledgement, rather than giving her any kind of grief. It wasn't specifically her he was mad at, just the fruitless outcome of his evenings labour had left him rather stale and ready to lash out at anyone.

'I have yet to admit defeat, but perfection is something i strive for, and i'm not willing to settle for less than perfect... call me picky.' A slight hint of lightheartedness in his words, he awaited her reaction. The night was still fairly young and he was in no rush, he was still trying to work out where he had seen her before, but he was not good with faces, nor names.

[Rayne Hamilton R3]

At first Rayne thought Vlad would just ignore her. After she gave her two cents on the matter Vlad paused for a moment but didn't respond. Looking at him closer however she realized he didn't seem to know how to respond. Rayne figured he was probably more like her then she originally thought he didn't seem to like to socialize much.

After a few minutes of much awkward silence he finally responded. Rayne choked back a laugh what he said wasn't really funny it just fit his entire image at that moment too perfectly.

"Picky isn't the word I'd use. I'd say you're more of a perfectionist then picky." Rayne said sitting back down if he wanted to continue their conversation standing so be it as for her she preferred to be seated. Rayne took her eyes off the boy and re-opened her blank journal. "What are you trying to perfect anyway? From the looks of your jacket I'd guess music but I could be wrong."

[hakhuraziel]

Vlad's feelings were still very much, 'do i know you?' with the questions from a random stranger, but he figured she was just trying to be either polite or social. Maybe she needed someone to talk to, he was curious as ever.. he took a seat opposite her close to the fire, he could feel it slowly toasting his back as it crackled and snapped.

Vlad looked around, there wasn't really anyone paying attention to them, he saw the branches of the tree outside the window beating on the glass, bending in the storm forced winds.. it made him all the more grateful to be inside. He rested his books by his side and slumped casually in his seat, an old leather chair with rusted metal patterns along the arm rests. They seemed to be carved knights and dragons battling, sculpted to perfection... just for a piece of furniture, Vlad ran his hands slowly along the bumps and cracks of the upholstery with admiration, for a few moments almost forgetting he had company. He looked up again quickly remembering Rayne, she seemed to still just be looking at him.. she had asked him a question, he rummaged his mind to recall what he was going to say...

'erm... erm... yeah yeah it's a piano piece, i play the piano, or try to heh'.

[Rayne Hamilton R3]

Rayne began to wonder about Vlad. He sat down near her yes but he took forever to respond. First he looked outside then he was running his hands along the upholstrey like he was trying to learn everything there was to learn about that particular chair. His entire mannerisms screamed that he was a loaner and someone who enjoyed pen and paper to real life. If she was correct about him, and she was almost positive she was, then he was like her in a bunch of ways. There were some key differences of course she at least talked to the people she found interesting even though they were few and far between.

After about a minute Vlad seemed to remember that he wasn't alone and looked at Rayne giving her his response. Rayne smiled when he said he played piano.

"Thought so, your jacket screams pianist you might want to pick clothing a little more subtle if you don't want others to know unless you do in which case you're all set love." She rummaged through her bag and pulled out her wand. "Accio parchment" she said pointing her wand at the waste paper basket where Vlad had thrown his piece away.

The paper zoomed towards her and she caught it with ease. Not caring if he wanted her to see it or not she smoothed the paper out and examined it. He didn't know it but she was very musically inclined, her parents made sure of that. Looking at the complicated notes on the page she realized Vlad was positively insane and said so. "You are unbelievably stupid my friend..." She looked down at the name on the page. "Vlad. You are striving for something that you have already achieved. You can't perfect something that is already perfect." She handed the paper back to him. "If I were in your position I'd keep this."

[hakhuraziel]

Vlad was not sure how to react, Rayne was really unsettling him in ways he'd never experienced before. Everything was either right or wrong for him, it was either good or bad, worthy or unworthy. Should he be outraged that she had read his notations without his permission? Was he flattered by her compliments that his music in her words was 'perfect'? Did this make him think she did not understand him and the way he was?

He really didn't know, but if she was commenting on his work then she must have had a good understanding of music and notation. This was the latest of a string of similarities Vlad had been noticing between them, and it was quite reassuring that maybe he was making a friend.. maybe. But still, he'd had weak friends before, they stretched and tired him with their constant whining and cynicism of everything life had to offer, and Vlad was a very open person, aware of the simple and often missed beauties in the world.

He decided to inquire to find out more about this girl, 'So what's your name then?' the question broke the silence, and the atmosphere of the room stirred with a less awkward aura, and it felt like an acquainting conversation was about to take place.. well, as close to conversation as Vlad could get, most of the time his head was pure blank with things to stay, he felt like he was staring at the person he was speaking to like a confused otter and thought they must think he was stupid. But he was very comfortable for some reason, and before she had chance to answer this first question, he threw in a couple more, 'Have we met before?' 'Are you making fun of me?'. He now felt like he'd made himself out to look stupid, his questions were real though he did want to know the answers.

[Rayne Hamilton R3]

Rayne laughed a full blown laugh not many people got to hear. It wasn't the fake laugh that she generally gave when she was trying to get people to shut up and they were cracking really unfunny jokes it was a true laugh that she only gave when something truely made her happy or something was truely funny. In this case it wasn't something funny or something that made her happy it was just how awkward Vlad seemed to be at making conversations. For someone as smart as he undoubtedly was he didn't seem to be much of a people person and his questions to her just strengthened that thought. He seemed to be as unsure of himself as he was of her.

Quieting her laughing she tucked her journal away so she could fully focus on Vlad a possible new aquaintance "Well Vlad to answer your first question my name is Rayne and don't make the comment that I must like thunderstorms that joke is older than my grandmum." She said rolling her eyes in disgust. People making that joke was one of her biggest pet peeves and if it weren't for the fact that she liked her name she'd have demanded it changed years ago. "Lets see your second question was have we met. I don't believe we have at least not formally. Maybe in classes if we've had a class at the same time we've seen each other or something but this is the first time I've had an actual conversation with you. And for your third question no I am not making fun of you. I rarely make fun of people unless they deserve it and seeing as how I just met you, you hardly deserve my scorn."

[hakhuraziel]

He gave another subtle nod, collecting the responses to his questions in his head and using it to work out what to say next, like there was some kind of pressure and finding the words did not come naturally. He sat back and rocked the chair, it creaked with an age old moan like the floorboards of an antique house. His eyes covered Rayne and he was smiling because of what she had said, about her name, and the terrible joke. He was tempted to respond with something weather related to test out her sense of humour.. and it probably would have been funny, but nothing came to mind at the time. Atleast she was a little clearer to him now, and it seemed she was being nice. Maybe she thought he was cute, should he ask her to be his girlfriend? He stopped himself from thinking that, partly because they'd only just met and what a stupid conclusion to jump to, it was either some kind of desparation or just because he was a young guy growing up, secondly because if normal conversation was difficult... something with any kind of integrity like romance was out of the question. He chose to stick to the small talk and thanked her for complimenting his music.

'Thanks, noone's ever complimented my writing before..' he paused for an uneasy amount of time, 'my dad would try, but i never felt like he knew what he was complimenting' now he was talking about his dad and stopped again, not wanting to bore her and didn't really want it to lead to more questions about his home life, and definitely not his mother, so he shifted conversation again towards Rayne.. 'you are a musician?'

[Rayne Hamilton R3]

Rayne smiled at Vlad. He was very cute she loved his hair and he was definately attractive. It was also adorable how awkward he was not just around her but in general. It seemed to her like he didn't know how to deal with real life things such as making small talk or conversations in general. He seemed to be a nice boy which was odd to Rayne that she thought of him as a boy. In all actuality he was probably older then her most of the third years were. The way he acted she felt like she was much older then him. She was a loner because she just didn't like many people. Vlad seemed to not know how to socialize. She felt kind of sorry for him in a way but at the same time she was glad she met him. Maybe they would become freinds eventually and he wouldn't be so awkward around others.

Rayne realized that while she had been lost in her own thoughts Vlad had been talking. She tried to recall what he'd been saying and found it. "Oh well people are dumb if they don't appreciate what you've created. As for your Dad at least he tried love. Beats not complimenting at all even if he doesn't understand it." She smiled when he shifted his conversation off him and back onto her. It was so cute how people tried to learn everything about her. Three questions hardly qualified as learning everything but if he turned out like all the rest more questions would follow. Luckily she had become a master at deflecting questions from herself. Although she would oblidge this one because it was a harmless question and one she didn't mind answering. "Yes I am a musician. My parents made damn sure of that you name an instrument and I can almost guarantee I can play it. Although the piano is not my baby and I envy anyone who has the patience to keep at it."