Moonlight Sonata((Ariane))

[Julius Lionheart]

OOC: I know this a weird question, but do you like the name of the thread? It's the name of a song I just wrote, and I'm wondering if the name was striking enough.

IC: It was crisp and cool on the Astronomy tower, and the moon was full with a light that shined off the lake, giving the usually dark lake that sparkle that it lacked. A few clouds were in the sky, and thunder could be heard in the distance, but here, it was still calm, the moon's light impossible to banish at this moment. These were the thoughts and feelings that raced through the mind of Julius. He was standing near the edge of the tower, taking in the beauty of the scene around him, unusually calm for one who is usually bursting with haphazard emotions. The smile on his face showed how much the scene really did please his inner angel-demon self. He looked to his left where he had placed the guitar he had brought with him. He had brought it out here to see if his bright muse in the sky could inspire a song to be written and composed.

Thinking in the cool night air, under the moon was what Julius truly considered being at one with the world, for he loved the night. Many people feared the darkness that night brought with it, but not he, the night offered things the day didn't. Not that he didn't like the sunny day as well, for he loved the day as much as the night, basking in the glory that the tremendous ball of fire profoundly named the Sun ungreedily bequeathed unto the Earth. Still, it was night, and therefore easier for Julius to be calm and tranquil for a few hours of the day. The thunder rolled softly in the distance again, a sign of the oncoming storm, perhaps it would be refreshingly drenching, such a grand feeling that would be.

A cool breeze passed over the tower, causing Julius' hair to go with the flow of it's current. Absent-mindedly smiling, his thoughts went over events of the past few weeks. He had met various people, yet as he went over the meetings, he realized that they had all been girls, he had made no guy friends, but then again girls were so much more fun to look at it. First it had been Mikayla, who was a kindred spirit unseen before, then he had met Angela at the dance, an encounter that left his mind alarmingly entranced. But Angela hadn't been the only one who had made an impression, there had been Seana, who had somehow caused his primal urges to take control of his body, which resulted in something that he hadn't thought possible. Next there was Danelle, the pretty sixth year Hufflepuff girl whom had taught him a game of Frisbee that he wouldn't forget. They had all been quite charming meetings, and each of them had left everlasting impressions on his psyche.

Shaking his head to clear out these thoughts, he returned to scene around him, deciding to sit down against the little wall that stopped anyone from walking off the tower. He leaned against the wall and slid down it, allowing his left knee to bend and stay closer to his body for an arm rest. He took out his wand and rested his wand arm on his knee, holding the wand loosely. Pointing to the place where his guitar sat, he summoned it to him. It came slowly for his demeanor was not as hasty as it usually was. Landing to the right of him, the case glowed in the light. It was polished black, with the roaring lion insignia on it that represented his last name. He opened the case and took out the guitar, running his hand his right hand along the fret board as he did so. It was a beautifully made guitar, made of beautiful cherry wood, and painted blood red and black in a checkered pattern. Humming a tune that came to mind, he put the guitar in position, and began to strum along with the tune. Maybe if he hadn't been playing he would have noticed the presence of another person there, but alas his mind was focused on the feeling that scene around him brought out.

[Ariane Chan]

((Yes, I like. It's relevant, certainly! Ariane likes the moon and she likes the Moonlight Sonata by Beethovan. (:))

Ariane couldn't sleep. It was one of those nights when she felt restless and awake, unable to lie in bed and listen to the faint breathing of the girls around her. It wasn't the nightmares that plagued her sleep anymore, thankfully. They had started in her youth but had worsened dramatically over the summer of her mother's death, when she also almost murdered her own father. But they hadn't lasted. They had stopped shortly after she had met Tristan.

Tristan. Ariane couldn't deny she thought about him often. At least once a day. Considering how she used to spend an entire day thinking about him - worrying over him, wondering about him, hating him, resenting him, loving him - once a day wasn't bad. Usually it was at night, when her mind was forced to slow down and think, that Tristan arrived again, bringing his smell, his smile, his everything with him. A part of Ariane despised him for it. If he was going to physically and emotionally leave her, he could at least mentally go away forever too. Instead, she clung onto his last memory and did not let go.

As a prefect - and as one of the eldest prefects at that - Ariane wasn't supposed to break the rules. But she still did. She wondered, often, why the professors had chosen her. Perhaps they didn't know about her secret escapades such as using the Quidditch pitch when she shouldn't be, walking around the grounds at night. Perhaps they had known and had hoped her position as prefect would curb her ways. Well, not really. Ariane didn't particularly care for some of the school rules and felt less than guilty for breaking them. They were pointless rules and although she was normally an obedient student, Ariane was also determined to do things her own way too.

If Ariane ever had children, they would be very stubborn souls indeed. Frankly, they would be ten times worse than Ariane... And that was a disturbing thought.

She stepped out of the Gryffindor Common Room. She was cold but didn't feel it through her dressing gown. Her slippers padded silently as she walked along, wand extended in front of her. She kept her wandlight on the lowest possible beam so as not to disturb the residents in the portraits; they could get grumpy and then report her. Ariane wasn't keen on getting detention, but as a prefect people could assume she was on some odd night patrol. Sometimes her 'job' had its perks, certainly. Her hand rushed through her hair restlessly as she walked, wondering what to do with herself. She needed somewhere to think, breathe... get rid of Tristan from her head so she could sleep. Then again, she dreamed of him often, so she could never quite escape the love of her life even if she tried her hardest.

Maybe she could invest in a dreamless potion? Ariane gave a wry smirk. Her feet found the Astronomy tower's stairs and she began to climb slowly. She liked heights; she liked looking over the school, admiring the historic building. If it was one thing she liked about Hogwarts it was the castle, its majestic structure. When she stood at the top she always wanted to throw herself off, experience that sinking feeling. Her hands brushed the rail and fell off it as she finally reached the top. Just as she was about to enter the main alcove of the tower, music started up and Ariane almost jumped in alarm. Someone else was here. She froze and listened carefully.

Ariane recognised it as guitar music - Aurora often played it so it was easy to distinguish. A male voice was humming softly and Ariane narrowed her eyes. Probably a student. At this hour? She clicked her tongue against the top of her mouth. Tonight was not this kid's night. Ariane wasn't in the mood for docking points (looking at the abysmal amount of points Gryffindor had didn't help) so she planned to send this individual packing from the tower the moment she stepped in. Sighing out loud to herself, Ariane quietly walked forward and caught a glimpse of the musician. She was surprised to see a fellow Seventh Year and Gryffindor sitting there and recognised him as Julius Lionheart. She hadn't ever spoken to him really... Ariane hadn't spoken to most people. She had a few classes with Julius, though, so he was bound to know who she was.

Ariane was patient and polite enough to wait until Julius finished his song. It was nice. Not as good as Aurora, but in Ariane's eyes - or rather, to her ears - Aurora would always be better than anyone else because she was terribly biased. Then, she coughed quietly to attract her classmate's attention. "You know you're not supposed to be here?" Ariane said, levelling her eyes with Julius'. "I won't dock points but had I been anyone else, Gryffindor would have no points left." Her statement was caught between coldly irritated and faintly amused. She would definitely have been annoyed had Julius' silly actions caused Gryffindor to lose the few house points they had, but she was also a little humoured anyway. Ariane had an odd sense of humour. Seeing the look on Julius' face, she then brushed a hand over her eyes and said, "Don't. I know I'm a hypocrite. I'll go back to the Common Room and I expect you'll join me soon... I saw nothing." Tiredly, Ariane turned away to leave.

[Julius Lionheart]

(( Wow, didn't know there was already a Moonlight Sonata....ignorance is bliss))

As he finished, Julius heard a coughing sound and looked up surprised. There was Ariane Chan, his fellow Seventh year Gryffindor....and Prefect. He was prepared for the worst, but her chastising of him was unlike it would usually have been. She was known for being, not exactly cold, well maybe slightly cold......aloof would probably be a better word, possibly. Aloof it was, she was deffinately aloof, but that was nothing new to Julius, who had dealt with many of their kind before, and managed to make some pretty good friends in the process.

He was faintly amused though by the fact that she herself was out as late as he. If anyone caught them, they would deffinately lose all the points Gryffindor had. He smiled lightly as she seemed to have read his mind and suppressed a chuckle. The common room, why should they go there, surely she meant that they would see each other there on the way down from the tower, possibly an hour later from now. How could she not want to be outside on a night like this he questioned himself.

He shook his head and was on the verge of not saying anything when he saw that she was about to leave. Setting his guitar down quickly, he jumped up. Sighing, he spoke aloud, " You know, I think secretly you want to stay up here, only my presence is a hindrance to your plans." She seemed to stop, didn't she? He plowed on with his words, " You could stay up here with me you know. It won't be long until the storm gets here, and I'd love to actually get to know you, seeing as we have never really talked to each other before." Yes she had deffinately paused, but for how long she would do that he didn't know.

He wondered if perhaps the right words would make her stay, so he thought quickly and came up with what seemed to be good to say in a situation such as this one. Smiling, he said, " C'mon Ariane, live al little, we're only in school for a few more months, and then who knows when we'll get the chance to take chances that only take points away instead of other things. Besides, isn't it the point of going to school with peers" he emphasized the word, ", so that you get to know one another?" He could tell she was mulling over her words, that or she thought he was an idiot. " Please?" he added the last bit, hoping to win her over and perhaps get her to talking.

[Ariane Chan]

((Lol! But it's such a famous classical piece of music! And I'm amused Julius describes Ariane as 'aloof' - that's a brilliant word to describe her.))

Ariane paused when Julius began to speak but did not look back. When he had finished, she took several seconds of silence to reply. When she did, her voice was quiet and solemn. "I always thought the point of school was education," she said pointedly. Julius' words had got on her nerves a little; he was much too friendly and forward for her liking. She also didn't like the fact he was right about him hindering her initial plans. "My plans have changed," she informed him loftily as she finally turned round to look at Julius with dark eyes. He was right about the storm though. Ariane could see it building in the distance; she could feel it in her veins, the familiar atmosphere pricking her skin. Ariane loved storms; she liked rain and lightning and thunder. She didn't know if she had ever told Tristan that... She had once told Charlie, but that was several years ago.

"If you'll excuse my rudeness," Ariane continued uncomfortably, "I don't think I will stay. I don't enjoy company. It's nothing personal." She wasn't concerned about offending Julius; he didn't strike her as someone who would easily take offence, but even if she was, she didn't care. Technically she was in a higher position than him; she was not scared. Ariane gave Julius an odd look as she lapsed into silence, before asking in a strange tone of voice, "Seeing as we have been in the same house and year, and shared several classes for almost seven years, you should know I don't enjoy socialising. There's a reason why we haven't talked before." She gave an inaudible, irritated sigh. How many times did Ariane have to act like a complete jackass for her fellow students to understand that she wasn't at all a nice person to get to know? And neither did she want to get to know them. She had Aurora and Harmony, and that was quite enough already.

Ariane wanted to take Julius' comments coldly, especially his exasperating 'please' at the end, but reminded herself that some people were much too forward for their own good and it just could not be helped; she had to tolerate them to some extent. Keeping the frustration out of her voice, she said, "I appreciate the offer, but as a prefect I must set a good example... That wasn't initially my intention, but since you're here I have to make it my intention." Ariane resisted rolling her eyes. She wanted to walk away, just be alone. Loneliness was sometimes so damn hard to get. "Now if you'll excuse me, I must return to bed and 'set a good example'." Ariane's sarcasm shone right through. As she began to officially walk down the steps, turning away from Julius, she added, "And for your information, I don't need to socialise to 'live a little'. I've already broken too many rules for a prefect." Ariane paused for a moment at this more tender tone and concluded, "...The song was good. Goodnight."

((...Ariane is so difficult to work with. It's up to you if you want to continue it, but... I couldn't stop her from doing what is characteristically an Ariane thing to do. She is my worst character in terms of socialising so... it's up to you if anything happens next. There is no way she will stay, though!))

[Julius Lionheart]

(( Ah, after some help from Mandi, I realize that I know the piece, but I didn't know the name of it. However mine has words, so perhaps there is an difference?))

Julius was not exactly surprised when Ariane began to talk. He was expecting her words to be quite a bit more harsh. The point of school was to get an education, but what about the underlying effects of school? You were supposed to be learning from the best magical minds around, as well as making ever-lasting bonds of friendship. That was how it had been with Perseus and Jaquin, and they were two of the best students that Hogwarts had to offer. Ariane was a little different than those two, a little bit more of the loner type than they had been, but in the end, Julius had gotten to them and friendship had blossomed into the ties of that of brotherhood.

Her next bit of speech left him pondering. She had indeed made it a point to not talk to him. This didn't exactly phase him though, it just made him wonder about it. It came to him spectacularly fast; they were in almost every way, polar opposites. Julius was the charismatic jester of the Gryffindor house, always joking and making people smile. Ariane on the other hand was aloof, such an amusing word thought Julius, studious one who preferred to be alone. Why hadn't he tried to befriend her before? Perhaps he hadn't noticed her before. He had always been the hothead who got into fights, so he had only eyes for a few people back then. Yet, he now saw Ariane as she ought to have been seen then. She was very attractive, both physically and mentally. He knew she was actually caring, due to the fact that she was protective of her family members. Yes, she was an very intriguing woman, yes woman, not young woman, although she was young.....his mind was getting sidetracked, he had to focus on Ariane in the present.

He watched animatedly as she prepared to leave. She had intended to stay he had succinctly surmised, and his presence had indeed stopped her from going through with her random act of rule breaking. He smiled at her, mischievously and amusing expressions combined on his face. Her last bit of talk made him almost jump for joy. She had actually liked his music, maybe it was her attempt at an 'it was nice talking to you' kind of thing. However, he did not intend to let her get off that easily. He watched as she walked back down the stairs and wondered what to do.

His eyes lit up when lightning flashed in the sky. and so he quickly threw his guitar into it's case. Slinging the case onto his back, he made his way down the stairs after Ariane. He caught with her at the bottom, and said in an rushed voice, " Okay Ariane, I get it, you want to be alone." He paused as he tried to put his thoughts together into words. " I hate being alone myself, so I don't know how you could possibly want to be alone. Most of my friends graduated last year, and I've kind of had an hole in me ever since." He was pouring his heart out, something he had only done to a few people. His voice was imbued with the anguish that had been present since the beginning of this year.

His eyes were masks of pain as he looked at Ariane to see if she could see where he was coming from in terms of how he felt. " I know that you may not like me as an person, but I don't understand why." his voice quivered slightly at these words. For all his flamboyance and flair, his inner demons were playing with his vocal chords, making his voice weak instead of the strength of confidence that it usually held. He suspected that Ariane didn't really care about his plight, but his heart felt better now that he was openly admitting to it. " I know that loneliness to you might be great, but to others it's a curse, something not needed, something unwanted." he continued, " I'm not looking for you to understand, or maybe I am, I don't really know anymore. That song I just played, the sad tune to it was how I truly feel right now, the words were the chains of my soul." He stopped talking at that. He felt foolish for having broken away from himself to tell her of his troubles. He didn't know what to do, a rare instance for him. He just knew that he had opened his soul to the one person in his own house that would more than likely not give a damn....

((How was that, bet you didn't see that coming! Neither did I for that matter, I guess his anguish is the same as mine as well....))

[Ariane Chan]

Ariane had not gotten far when she heard the sound of footsteps following her. She wondered if Julius had decided to submit to her advice and return to her dorm. When he caught up with her, though, he began to talk. Ariane halted and stared at him indifferently. When he paused, she waited in silence for him to proceed. Her classmate was certainly an odd one. After he had spoken, Ariane wasn't exactly sure how to respond, so she continued to remain quiet and waited. Why exactly Julius was telling her these personal things she didn't know, and in all honesty, she didn't want to know either. It was none of her business and they were not friends - barely acquaintances! But Julius' honesty reminded Ariane of the naive innocence and honesty of Aurora, and she could not bear to tell her classmate to go away and shut up. He was being honest, opening up to her, and although Ariane disliked it and would never copy such a foolish action, she did not wish to hurt his feelings. Ariane acted indifferent to her surroundings, but she did hold enough tact to know when to not be selfish.

After Julius had seemingly quieted, Ariane continued to eye him steadily, expressionlessly and silently. Finally she spoke after assessing him and his words in her mind. "I never said loneliness is 'great'," she started dryly, before trailing off, her voice becoming softer. "Because it's not." Her eyes left Julius' because she couldn't bear to be honest and look a stranger in the eye at the same time. Ariane didn't enjoy loneliness; that wasn't the truth whatsoever. In reality, Ariane couldn't survive alone, for she knew she would be unhappy, sad, weak. Without Aurora, without Harmony, she was nothing. But at the same time, Ariane could never give up her long-time notion of disliking connections, bonds; they hurt, they cut, they made you weak and they made you cry, and Ariane hated it. She could only treasure a few people, she could not love more than that, for she could not give any more, nor could she allow her heart to be split so much. Especially after Tristan, Ariane could not foresee herself giving away her heart again. Aurora and Harmony had helped soften Ariane, but Tristan had only sewed her shut again.

"Look, loneliness is a curse," Ariane began again, her voice slightly harsher. "I would not be strong alone. People make you strong. But people also make you weak, which is why I also need loneliness. It is a necessary curse." She was pressing her point, but Ariane wanted Julius to understand; she needed loneliness to some extent, everyone did, her more than most. "People hurt you, leave you... I don't trust them." Shaking her head suspiciously, Ariane turned to Julius once more. "I never said I didn't like you. I just don't like company in general. I don't like making friends or bonds. I have people in my life who make me very happy, but I can't have any more than that. I could not cope. I'm too used to being alone to be social." Shrugging, Ariane realised she was being much too open and felt herself closing up again. "I don't understand people like you and you don't understand people like me," she put simply. After another long, indifferent look at Julius, Ariane started away again. "It's late," she said expressionlessly with her back to him. "Please make yourself scarce before a professor discovers you."

[Julius Lionheart]

Julius watched Ariane with mounting anticipation, not knowing if she would explode with anger, freeze him with the cold shoulder, or simply just walk away. It was, he realized, tactless to have opened himself up to her. However hi mind countered this thought with the fact that he had never really payed attention to his use of tact; he usually just winged it. Now however he was fretting over what the queen of the cold shouldered would do to punish him. A small part of his mind told him that this was the most unusual situation he had ever found himself in; this brought a sliver of a smile to his face.

It was then that Ariane decided to reply to him. Her words sounded different than her usual biting tone, these words were a bit softer, was she actually softening up for him? This was what he had least expected. Her words however weren't soft for long. It appeared to him that some memory had triggered something inside of her and she began to explain why she needed the loneliness. Well what she said did make sense, to some extent, however, she wasn't looking at the obvious words. People do hurt and leave, but not all of them do. Isn't it a credit to those people if you try to get to know them? He was lost in his own mind when he heard her closing statements.

" Your right, it is late Ariane." he managed to say with a much stronger voice than before. As she was walking away, he said loudly, " You know, not everyone is the same. I'm sorry if you've been hurt badly before, but just know that every now and then someone comes along that won't hurt you that way, as I'm sure you already know." His voice rang with kindness a he poke, and it was truly sincere as he continued, " If you ever need to talk to someone and the ones you need to talk to aren't around, just find me, and thank for listening Ariane." His talking done, he went to the wall to his right and opened the secret passage that led to the landing that the Fat Lady was on. Not wanting Ariane to get caught, he turned back and said, " This way is much quicker to the common room Ariane."