The real world (Everyone)

[Arywiel Coone G3]

Arywiel swang through fat lady's entrance, scowling. She stormed past the usual bustle of Gryffindor students standing around in the common room.
It was when she smacked into somebody and her bag split, sending books cascading along the floor at the students' feet that she stopped. She crouched down immediately, blushing as she scrabbled about picking her books and parchment off the ground. She heard some laughter from the older students and some girls offered to help her, but Ary muttered a "no, thanks!" and bowed her reddened head over her books.
She grabbed everything in a small pile and scrambled off, up to the girls' dorm.
She just wanted to be back in the normal world. She had never felt like it before, but she wanted to go back to the real world. Leave the Utopia of broomsticks and magic behind and see her family again.
She dropped her books on her bed and plonked herself down, head in her hands.
Beyond all this there exists a world of hate and love and divorce...
she thought bitterly. The letter was still scrunched up in her fist.
She wanted to cry. All she wished for was a friend to be there. Like all her muggle friends. Yes, they thought she was a little odd but they were fond of her nonetheless.

Arywiel heard footsteps on the stairs and a knock on the door. "Hello?" called a girl's voice. She screwed up the letter and opened a book, pretending to read it.

[Ryann Taylor G6]

Ryann just wanted to disappear. Yes, disappearing would be preferred at that moment. How had she let Drake play her just like she should have known the whole time. And, to top it off, in the process of thinking that Drake actually cared, she hurt Noah who really did care. How could she have been so foolish? Still, part of her couldn't get past the idea that Drake was just not having a good day. Inside, she didn't know what she wanted, and it only made it all worse. She had been crying, after having been practically brushed off by Drake in the middle of the courtyard. Who would have known that he would almost seem to be like Noah in that neither one of them seemed to be able to get a hint. When she made her way into the castle, Ryann didn't get much farther than past the portrait that led into the Gryffindor common room. Once inside, she had found a wall in the somewhat empty aside from the flow of students passing in and out. Nobody saw her there, and Ryann was glad. She sat with her knees clutched to her chest and tried to dry the tears as she worked on composing her emotions. Men were so complicated. It was always the girls that got that reputation, but between Noah and Drake, Ryann couldn't see how it could get much more confusing.

A fluster of commotion caught her attention, and Ryann looked up to see a younger girl with her belongings scattered on the floor. Some of the passing students laughed while others tried to help. The girl didn't want their help though, and she seemed equally distraught as Ryann felt. Once the mess was cleaned, Ryann watched the girl disappear to the girls' dormitories. However, she had missed one of the loose pieces of paper that fell from her bag. Gathering her own stuff and wiping the last of her tears, Ryann grabbed the paper from the floor and made her was to the stairs.

It had been a few years back that Ryann had been in the room that housed the third years, but she was pretty certain that this girl was in the third year. Rapping on the wooden frame of the door, Ryann peeked her head in. "Hello?" The only person in the room was reading, but it looked to be the same girl. "Umm... I think you dropped this out in the common room," Ryann said in a soft voice.

[Arywiel Coone G3]

Arywiel's lower lip trembled. "Um, yes... come in..." she muttered. The older girl looked at her kindly. Suddenly Ary found herself thumping her pillow and sobbing. "Why can't I just go home?" She cried.
Ary felt so lost and empty inside. After three years at the school, she had tried her best to survive, to hold her head up.
She took her regular humiliation from the Slytherins without so much as a fluttered eyelash.
She struggled hopelessly in History of Magic.
She wasn't good at anything except for writing stories and playing the violin, but all that was useless in the Wizarding world.
And then Divorce!
Ugh! How she hated her life...

[Ryann Taylor G6]

When the younger girl agreed to let Ryann in, she slipped past the threshold of the room, approaching the bed where the girl had been reading. Just as Ryann laid the paper down, the girl's sudden thumping and sobbing caught Ryann off guard, and she jumped back a bit in fear. Then, seeing that the girl was simply distraught, Ryann bit her lip and stood there watching. Crying was not something Ryann was good at dealing with. She cried too much herself to be able to calm others. But, there she was, and the girl was crying. Ryann couldn't just up and leave. Well, she could, but that would've been rather rude and inconsiderate.

"Umm..." she began. Ryann didn't even really know the girl. She seemed so helpless though, and quite upset. Something terrible must have been bothering her. It made Ryann feel guilty for having been so upset about the whole Drake and Noah issue. That was selfish, but surely this girl had a true reason to be upset. "I'm sure you'll get to go home eventually," Ryann offered, taking a seat on the edge of the bed beside the sobbing girl. She took her hand and patted the girl's back, not quite sure what else to do. "If you don't mind my asking, what has got you so upset?" Ryann didn't know if asking was the right or wrong thing to do, but otherwise she didn't know what to say. "Everything will be fine, I'm sure," she offered in a hopeful voice.

Seeing a box of tissues across the room, Ryann got up from the bed and walked to get one for the girl. Returning, she handed it to her and gave a small smile. "Here, dry your tears and we can talk about this if you really want. Or, I can leave you to cry if you'd prefer." Ryann would have chose to cry alone, especially if it were some older girl that she didn't know who was trying to console her. But everyone had their preferences and Ryann's would have been to have Amber there if it were her in the situation. Standing there, Ryann waited for the girl to stop crying long enough to give an answer.

[Arywiel Coone G3]

Ary sniffled hopelessly, drying her eyes on the back of her sleeve. "Mmbl." she mumbled, her voice still choked with sobs. She took a deep breath. It was silly to blubber and wail in front of some sixth year girl she didn't know, so she took a deep breath. "M-my dad left home!" She brandished the scrunched up letter. "Because he couldn't handle... handle my Mum being a witch!" Her face glowed as she snuffled bitterly. Ary wiped her eyes with her sleeve again, ignoring the tissue entirely.

[Ryann Taylor G6]

Family drama- that was another thing Ryann was not too good with. Her family was just herself, her mother, and her father. The biggest drama that they had was deciding who would clean up after dinner. Her parents seemed to close enough, and Ryann tended to stick to herself in her tree-house full of vintage music. They may not have been the happiest and most perfect of families, but they were free of drama. "Awwww, that's terrible. I'm so sorry," Ryann said, trying to be as sympathetic as she could. It wasn't that she was brash or uncaring. She simply had a hard time sympathizing with others- especially those who she didn't really know that well like this particular girl.

Ryann took a set beside her on the bed and stuffed the tissue in her pocket, as the girl didn't seem to want it. "My name's Ryann," she finally offered, figuring that at the least, she might be able to introduce herself if she were going to be any help. "If there's anything I can do for you, just let me know." Normally, Ryann wasn't overly active in helping others around her. She liked to stick to herself, but something about the girl's very sad state of emotion and somewhat hopeless aura made Ryann feel obligated to at least try to help. "A glass of water, perhaps? Or maybe you'd just prefer to be alone," Ryann grabbed her wand from her pocket, in case a spell might be handy to conjure something. "Or, if you just want to talk, I suppose I can lend an ear. By the way, what's your name?" She tilted her head a bit, turning to get a good look at the grief-struck girl.