Chit Chat ((Sapphire))

[phoebexiong]

Classes were out for the day and Phoebe was getting in a bad mood. She had enough homework from most of her classes and she didn't feel like doing it. She had too much on her mind at the point. Phoebe quickly made her way through the halls. She didn't realize if she stepped on people or knocked them down, but she didn't really care at the moment.

Finally she made it to her destination: the library. It wasn't her ideal place to go but she figured it would be the only place her her to get some peace. After all, in the library you have to be quiet.

She walked in to see very few students.

"Dorks, not students." She thought with a smirk then felt guilty. She had been having an inner war inside herself. Most often then not her evil side won. But hey, she was a Slytherin and she couldn't help it. She had Slytherin in her blood, so to speak.

She walked over to the back and grabbed a random book. She supposed she might as well look busy. She went over and sat down at the table in the back of the room, avioding confrontation and/or outbursts with younger students. She looked at the cover of her book.

"The Beauty of Flobberworms." She read aloud. "Figures I'd get the boringest book to look busy with." She thought with a snort as she let the book fall out of her hands onto the table.

[Sapphire Phoenix R7]

Sapphire was sitting in the library, doing a Mythology essay. You could hardly call it the most interesting subject, but she'd been concentrating hard and had nearly got it done.

Sapphire looked up at a loud thud nearby. It was just a Slytherin letting their book fall onto a table. In fact from here it looked as if it was that girl who had spoken to her briefly in the Astronomy lesson. She smiled, and looked down, scribbling a few sentences to bring her essay to a close.

Sapphire stepped up and walked over to the table where the Slytherin was sitting.

"Bad day?" she enquired. "Can't compare to my yesterday - I reckon I should slip that boy some Shrinking potion in his drink."

She smiled, her concience giving only a slight twinge. She didn't have much of a moral code to live by; she hardly ever spoke to anyone, so it didn't really matter that she lived by one. She had a feeling, though, that maybe her and this girl... what was her name? Phoebe? had she said?... were two of a kind, so to speak.

[phoebexiong]

Phoebe smiled at the girl who sat across from her.

Seems okay enough... not a Slytherin but..." Phoebe began to think when another voive interrupted her thoughts.

"You're doing it again..." It said.

"Doing what... oh... yeah.. sorry..." She thought feeling a little guilty.

"So.. who do you want to give a Shrinking Potion to? Oh yeah and I'm Phoebe by the way, in case you forgot." She said with a small smile.

"Slytherin 4th year, Pureblooded witch." She said grinning fondly. "What about you?"

"What if she isn't a pureblood then what are you going to do?" That same little voice asked Phoebe.

"I will be nice to her and treat her the same as i treat everyone else..." Phoebe answered the voice mentally.

"Sure..." The voice said sarcastically back.

[Sapphire Phoenix R7]

Sapphire watched Phoebe closely, trying to gage whether her less than pure blood would be an issue. She decided not to mention it.

"Oh, the giant in the Astronomy class," she explained quickly, smiling a little as she said it.

"Me, Ravenclaw 4th year, American dad, Russian mum, divorced, and a Russian stepfather and brother. I've spent the large part of my life in Russia; came to Hogwarts last year. Twin sister in Gryffindor. And I don't forget names."

Sapphire gave Phoebe a slight smile.

[phoebexiong]

Phoebe smiled at Sapphire.

"You're russian? Cool. I'm Hmong." She said with a smile. She wondered why she didn't say if she was a pureblood.

She laughed at her comment abotu the giant in Astronomy.

"You have a twin? That's so cool. I had a brother." She said smiling but feeling a pang in her heart when she mentioned her brother. She missed him so much.

[Sapphire Phoenix R7]

Sapphire smiled at Phoebe's comments, unsure where to take the conversation. She'd noticed the use of the past tense when Phoebe had referred to her brother, and wondered what had happened. On the other hand, it might be better not to ask.

"So tell me one thing you like about Hogwarts and one thing you loath," Sapphire said. She didn't particularly dislike Hogwarts but she did miss her friends there. She'd never really felt she fitted in here. At least not in Ravenclaw. She had their qualities, but she tended to spend most of her time talking to people from other houses. Maybe it came with having a twin sister in another house. Although Zara never seemed to struggle.

Sapphire sighed and looked away around the room before looking back to Phoebe, waiting for an answer.

[phoebexiong]

Phoebe eyed Sapphire. She could tell there was something on her mind.

"What's wrong with you? Looks like something's bugging you... I know it can't be the giant from Astronomy."

She smiled reassuringly at the girl forgetting about the difference in their houses and maybe even blood. She wanted to help. And it was sort of a surprise.

[Sapphire Phoenix R7]

Sapphire looked at the girl, slightly incredulous that she wanted to help, although she hid it. 'No, that's not fair', she told herself sternly. 'Besides, how are you supposed to make any friends if you're always so cynical about them?'

"Something bugging me?" she repeated. "Only Life, the Universe. Oh, and Everything." Sapphire grinned at Phoebe.

"Well, OK, my life in particular. Though it isn't too bad at the moment. I think I just spend too much of my time thinking or something. I mean, there I go again."

Sapphire smiled at Phoebe. She hadn't realised her inner gloom was so noticeable, unless it was just that this particular girl actually took the time to notice. If that was the case, they certainly were very alike.

[phoebexiong]

Phoebe nodded, understanding. Thought's of her brother flooded into her mind. She missed him oh so very much. She wanted to tell Sapphire about him, but couldn't... not yet.

"I know how that is.. life sucks." Phoebe said.

"Well, I pretty much love Hogwarts. It's everything i need well except those dirty little mudbloods. Shouldn't even have the priveliage to be called a wizard if you ask me." Phoebe said letting her bad side take over for a second without realizing it. She didn't even realized she had said what she said. She wasn't even thinking it at the time but she said it. It was the old Phoebe talking... the one everyone knew before her brother died.

[Sapphire Phoenix R7]

Sapphire watched as Phoebe nodded. She seemed to understand what she'd just said. Which would be a first.

Sapphire continued to listen to Phoebe. She was talking about what she called mudbloods. Sapphire hated the word. It was so insulting, so unecessary. Was that how Phoebe would think of her? Had her father sullied his blood by combining it with that of her Muggle mother? Was that what Phoebe was suggesting.

Sapphire looked away, so as not to show her anger at Phoebe's words. There were plenty of people about in the library - Sapphire hoped they wouldn't have heard that and now associate her with being someone who hated Muggles and Muggleborns.

Sapphire looked back to Phoebe, even though she was reluctant to do so. She didn't want the girl to think badly of her. 'Why do you care?' she asked herself. The plain answer to that was that she had absolutely no idea. Why should she care? She never had done before today. She'd always managed fine on her own ... hadn't she?

"Well, Hogwarts not really my place," she said to Phoebe, trying to not change the subject entirely but move swiftly away from the dangerous topic. "Neither's Britain, really. I'd much rather be in Russia. But I can't just stay there on my own, so I've ended up here. But still, it's all right here, and it has a good library."

At this point Sapphire noticed the book it was that Phoebe had been looking at. 'The Beauty of Flobberworms'. How extrordinarily fascinating, she thought with amusement.

"Admittedly," she added, smiling, "some books are less good than others."

[phoebexiong]

Phoebe covered her mouth quickly at her words after she realized she had said them.

"Oh my God!! I am so sorry! I didn't mean that. I was just... it was..." She put her head down feeling defeated. She had let her bad side take control of her again. She needed to get a better hold of herself. She put her head back up slowly not wanting to look at Sapphire in case she had hurt her, but she surprisingly Phoebe felt that she needed to explain herself.

"I am so sorry for saying that. See, when I was younger my parents, father mostly, always told me and my brother that purebloods were better than everyone but when my brother came to Hogwarts he had a change of heart and he wanted me to change my ways as well and be nicer to the mudblo- I mean Muggleborns," She said quickly cathcing herself. She continued, "Well a few monthes later, when I started ended my third year, my brother died. So I'm trying to change my ways in memory of my brother and sometimes things like that slip."

Phoebe closed her eyes as she felt hot tears coming to her eyes at the mention of her brother. She missed him so much and she had never talked about this with anyone. She awaited Sapphire's response with agony.

[Sapphire Phoenix R7]

Sapphire watched Phoebe carefully. She believed her. She didn't see how anyone could think up a story like that. To be honest, she'd never met a Slytherin like Phoebe described her brother as. It must be hard for Phoebe to do what she was trying to do, surrounded by people who entirely disagreed with that point of view. That Muggleborns weren't dirt. Sapphire wasn't entirely sure that Phoebe didn't have that point of view herself. She probably did, but it was brave of her to try to change it.

Sapphire wasn't quite sure what to say to Phoebe. She hadn't known her for all that long. 'What would you like to have said to you?' she asked herself, but she couldn't think of a suitable answer. Maybe because she just didn't think like that and hadn't experienced what Phoebe had experienced.

In the end, she began to speak hesitantly. It wasn't a topic she felt qualified to speak about. The fact that she had concealed her heritage from Phoebe deliberately made her feel slightly awkward.

"Well..." she said, "it's not easy to change what you think and how you've been brought up. But it is possible and I think it's a really good thing to do in memory of your brother." Sapphire paused, thinking. "I can cope with what you say, because it's your opinion and everyone's entitled to express theirs. I should think, that if you've decided you would prefer to think differently, you probably will end up doing so if you keep on trying. And I don't take offense from a few slips. I couldn't afford to, otherwise if other people did the same they'd all hate me."

Sapphire looked down. Her throat was hurting. It felt as though her heart was trying to come up into her mouth, but as though her windpipe was too small for it. Sapphire hadn't really considered till now quite how much she actually cared about what people thought of her as regarded her blood. She hadn't realised how insecure she felt about it before.

[phoebexiong]

Phoebe smiled at the Ravenclaw. She felt a bond between them. Sapphire didn't seem to understand quite fully where Phoebe was coming from but she tried to and that is what made Phoebe like the girl even more.

"Thank you. It's good to know that someone understands me." Phoebe said her voice filled with graditude. She would tell that it hurt Sapphire to say the last part.

"I do not think you are dirt nor do I think half bloods or muggle borns are dirt... anymore. I know it will be hard for me to change my beliefs entirly but I think that with the help of a friend I will be able to." Phoebe said smiling softly and reassuringly at the girl.

[Sapphire Phoenix R7]

Sapphire looked down, a little embarassed. Phoebe was obviously watching her closely and could pick up on what she was feeling. It was probably because they were similar, so they were able to understand each other better.

"I'm glad you don't think that," said Sapphire, "otherwise we wouldn't be able to get on very well." She had decided to not attempt to conceal her origins from Phoebe; it must be obvious that she was not a pureblood. "You've obviously got a friend in the memory of your brother, or else you wouldn't be trying to change your beliefs. And I'm always around if I can help. No one else talks to me."

Sapphire smiled at Phoebe and their eyes met before she swiftly glanced down again. Sapphire did feel a little insecure, and she didn't feel that she could make eye contact for long, but she wanted to show Phoebe that she was sincere. She supposed it was natural from the sort of life she had had that she would have a few.

[phoebexiong]

Phoebe could sense the Ravenclaws insecurness. Their eyes locked for a while but Sapphire looked away. Phoebe understood. What business did a Slytherin have trying to make friends with a Ravenclaw who wasn't even pureblood? Phoebe didin't know the answer.

"My father isn't a death eater. He's not that heartless. So my brother would not have been made a death eater." Phoebe said for no reason in particular. She smiled a little but Sapphire didn't met her eyes. Phoebe clsoed her book without realizing it and looked at the cover title and laughed. She forgot she was "reading" The Beauty of Flobberworms. She put the book down and looked up at Sapphire.

"Interesting book that was... I should check it out..." Phoebe said hoping to make the girl laugh.

[Sapphire Phoenix R7]

Sapphire wondered why Phoebe was mentioning Death Eaters, since it seemed irrelevant, but decided not to ask. She could sense that Phoebe had closed up. It would probably be better not to press.

Sapphire laughed slightly at Phoebe's comment, wondering whether she was coming back to Sapphire's attempt to make light conversation now to change the subject away from her beliefs and feelings more subtly.

"Well," she said, "even I couldn't get through that one. Why did you pick it up?" she asked curiously.

[phoebexiong]

Phoebe laughed. Why had she picked up the boringest book there.

"Good question." Phoebe said with a giggle. "Well I came here, to the library, to think... and I just grabbed the first book i saw to make me look busy."

Phoebe looked at the book and held it up as if it was some treasure piece if jewelry.

"And this is the lovely book that i got stuck with." She said. She put the book down and laughed.

[Sapphire Phoenix R7]

Sapphire laughed at what Phoebe had said. It wasn't exactly the best book she could have possibly chosen.

"It's not a very likely book for you to have been reading." she said, smiling. "Do you read much under normal circumstances? Obviously not boring drivel about Flobberworms. Why that's even in the library I don't know."

Ivy smiled, suddenly hit by a wave of self-conciousness. 'Why are you talking to someone, Sapphire? You know that you're no good at it.'