The library ((Kody))

[Arywiel Coone G3]

Once Ary and Kody had settled down at an empty table in the library, Arywiel opened A History of Magic and turned to the chapter about Sir Edmund Klump and the discovery of Knargwuffles. Eurgh, she thought, a long, tedious lecture on dates and important people. What is a Knargwuffle? She put her head in her hands and started to read...

The Importance of Conan Brombeer is very much... 1375 the Government... Ministry of Magic set up the following law under... 1411 all witches and wizards part of Sir Klump's order... Minister Friedrich Ogden passed this law...

Absent-mindedly Arywiel had been doodling on the corner of her book with her long black quill. The quill was an old one that had belonged to her Grandmother. It never needed any ink, as it magically refilled after each word.
Ary pointed her wand at the scribbles on her book and muttered. They disappeared, and she was left with figures and names. She tried to put her mind into it, but she kept on reading the same sentences five times. She rapped her fingers on the table and tried, but her mind wandered and she hardly took in a word of what she was reading. She only saw dates and words floating about her, so she dropped her quill and snapped the book shut. She dug about in her bag and retrieved her notes on transfiguration. Lets try it with this, she thought. They were a little dog-eared and smudged, but she ironed them out with a flick of her wand.
She read over her collection of papers, tracing each line with her finger. Ary saw Kody watching her read. "Habit." she grunted. Kody looked at her enquiringly. "I always trace each word while I read. Always have done..." she explained."
Arywiel returned to her work.

[Kody Leuchten G3]

Kody sat down across the table from Arywiel, opening the book he borrowed from her, and began to study and read through the parts he had been assigned. Arywiel began reading her History of Magic book. She started tracing her words again, which wasn't weird at all. He had seen people do that all the time, so it didn't bother him at all. He went back to reading, but couldn't help noticing her doodling with her quill. She seemed upset about it, because she made it disappear right away.

He noticed as well that she was having a hard time concentrating. He wanted to ask if she needed to talk or what was wrong, but they barely knew each other. She likely wouldn't open up to him. As she grabbed her Transfiguration notes, she continued to seem like she was having a hard time. She noticed his gaze, and explained that it was something she always did. He nodded, wondering how to open up to her.

Kody finally got enough courage to ask her. "Arywiel, is everything okay? I can tell you're having a hard time concentrating, even here in the deadness of the library. Is there something on your mind? If you don't want to talk about it, that's totally fine. I just wanted to, like..put it out there." He hoped she would either understand or something...

[Arywiel Coone G3]

Ary had been fidgeting quite a lot, and Kody had noticed. As he asked her what was wrong, she bit her lip. She hardly knew him, but she couldn't keep her feelings all bottled up inside. She wanted to tell him, as he seemed nice enough... Ary took a deep breath. "My parents have just divorced." She muttered, looking at the table. She felt her gaze on him, so she became interested in a spot in the wood of the table surface. Tracing it with her finger, her mind raced. She hadn't told anyone. Pehaps he would think her silly to get all worked up about such a petty thing... after all, Every third couple in Britain split. But not because one person finds out their spouse is a witch, she thought. She was ten when her father was told that his wife Scarlet was a witch. It had taken three years of an up and down marriage, before he finally told his wife that he couldn't handle it, and that he was leaving.
Ary stared at the table bitterly. Perhaps she should have kept it all in...

[Kody Leuchten G3]

As Kody heard the news, he was taken aback. Yes he knew what divorce was, and how hard it could be on children and other parts of the family. But he didn't know it personally. His parents had been happy together, and his mom was living her dream of being a professional Quidditch player, and then, just like that, she was gone. It wasn't like there was bad blood or a disagreement that made her go away, it was death. He felt bad for asking and prodding her, if he had. "Arywiel, I'm sorry for asking. I didn't realize...I just could sense something was on your mind. If you don't want to talk about it, that's fine. I understand." He wanted to console her, but they barely knew each other. Should he open up about his mother this quickly? Maybe it wouldn't even help.

He wasn't sure what to do. She didn't answer right away. A thought of panic flew through his mind, a thought that maybe she'd get upset with him for asking. She stared at the table for what seemed like forever. He assumed she didn't want to talk about it, so he went back to the magical beasts book, trying to find the right pages to read through.

[Arywiel Coone G3]

Ary felt better at once after having told him. The felt a draining sensation within her as some of the weight within her was flushed away. When he had replied how sorry he was, her cheeks burned bright red. It felt good to have somebody. He looked at her, as she studied the table deep in thought. Kody waited, before he turned to his book. "My father left, because he was a muggle and she is a witch." She mumbled. "Are your parents together?" she asked, her face glowing.
She kept on tracing the spirally twists and turns in the wood, not daring to look him in the face. There was a pause, before she looked up. Kody looked distantly pensive, then he spoke.

[Kody Leuchten G3]

Ary seemed to be having a really rough time, and Kody wanted so badly to be able to help, yet knew he had no idea what should could be going through. He normally didn't open up about his mother with new people, but what had happened with Bryce the week before? He wasn't sure if he should tell Ary about her, but the fact was that she was hurting. If she knew that he had gone through some hardships and heartache as well, she might feel better. She explained how her parents were mixed, and he understood, to a point. Some of his friends were the same way, but none had gone so far as to have become divorced. He knew then, in his heart, that telling her about his past would likely help a bit.

"Ary," he began. "I don't know if this will help much at all, but I know partially of what you're going through. My parents aren't together. In fact," he took a deep breath. "My mom is gone. She died when I was younger. She was a professional Quidditch player, and in her second to last game before retiring, she was hit hard in the side of the head with a bludger, and she fell from the sky down to the ground below. To her death. It was really rough on me, and my dad too. I've been able to get through things, especially with his help and just dealing with it on my own, but I think one of the most important things that helped me through it all was friends I found here. As I was able to open up about it, with only a few people, I found it easier to deal with and, maybe not get over, but work through. I guess all I can say is that I understand, to a point. Hope that helps." He searched her eyes for some kind of reassurance, but couldn't see any yet. He hoped he hadn't hit a nerve or anything. He knew she was in Gryffindor, so based on that, he was hoping she wouldn't, for some reason, just up and leave, or get upset with him. Usually only Slytherins did that, but it was usually their tendency to do things like that. Gryffindor was a humble and peace-loving house, but they also knew, as Gryffindors, how to protect themselves.

She seemed to be searching for answers. Kody wanted to give her the answers, but as it was, he didn't have the answers she would need. All he could do was offer condolences and his advice, what good it might do. He just wanted to be there for her. He hoped she would understand that.

[Arywiel Coone G3]

Ary's eyes widened and her mouth formed the letter 'O' as Kody told her about his mother. She pictured the black ball whacking into the face of a young witch. The woman toppled off her broom, plummetting down like a rag-doll, her cloak billowing out over her. Ary shuddered. Kody studied her face, looking for a sign or a response. Understanding, pathos or offense even? Arywiel felt a pang of guilt, so her hand shot out instinctively and gripped the back of his. "Kody, I'm so sorry." She whispered.
There was a shuffle and Irma Pince, the librarian, sprang from behind the nearest bookshelf. "Aha!" she hissed and narrowed her eyes at the duo. Ary jumped and her hands snapped to her sides. She blushed, but she felt annoyed. "Aha, what?" she snapped, confronting the librarian. "Out." said Pince softly. Ary snorted indignantly. "Out. Now." Spat Pince with venom.
"It looks like she's chucking us out." fumed Arywiel as she gathered all her books and shoved them into her bag. She shouldered the school bag and got up.