Pas Comme Moi ((Bambi))

[tempestgrey]

'This castle has what, fifteen thousand rooms, and not ONE provides a little peace and quiet?! Not even the library is quiet for more than five minutes. Stupid, noise pictures, annoying, unpredictable ghosts, the damn loud-mouth students! Isn't there a spell we could learn that stops time?!'

Estelle sat on a staircase she had just come across today. It was on the edge of the castle and had no paintings and was nearly devoid of the footprints that littered the heavily used staircases. It was as quiet as any place in the castle could be. The common room was full, as it was on a normal Friday night, and the noise could be heard up in the girls' dorms. She couldn't concentrate on her homework there, in the library, or even in the Great Hall. Usually, she was afraid to go wandering about the castle, but she was desperate to finish her work, so she went looking for a quiet place and came across this remote staircase.

She was entirely focused on her homework, her quill flying across the lengthy piece of parchment at an incredible speed, leaving a trail of neat and pretty cursive handwriting. This was automatic to her. She barely even thought of the words as she wrote them. What a simple essay; she already knew all about this stuff. Most students would be ecstatic about not having to learn--and write about--something new, but Estelle's natural thirst for knowledge was left unquenched because of this fact.

Estelle's mind slipped away into the future. All this thinking about classes and learning reminded her of her possible career choices. She was seriously considering being an Auror lately, but how could she ever overcome her pathetically massive list of fears that barred her from that career path? She was also terrified of dragons, so being a dragonologist was probably out of the question, too.
As she thought about all of the careers she wanted to pursue, Estelle became very morose. Her own personality was preventing her from doing the things she really wanted to do. The irrational fears, the lack of confidence, the self-hatred... She would just end up working in her family's shop like generations before her. She tossed her homework off her lap in frustration. Her binder fell open, scattering papers and quills on the stairs. That pushed her over the edge. She turned, set her arms on the stairs, and buried her head in them. Sobs broke her previously even breaths and tears soaked the sleeves of her white button-down.
Thank goodness she was alone.

[melophilia]

The bite in the autumn air didn't really bother Bambi that much. The rural area in which he grew up was rather cold most of the year, so his body was quite used to nippy air. All he needed was his robes and a scarf. No gloves, for they were a hindrance when he was using his camera, which he was almost 100 percent of the time. This is exactly why he was weighing his options tonight -- he could be a good boy and relax in the Common Room, or he could take a risk and have an adventure in the Forbidden Forest, the purpose of which would be to photograph some eerie trees and wildlife.

Bambi had almost gotten caught last time he snuck out of the castle at night, hence the debate whether or not to do it again. He was extremely sneaky, so he was surprised he had such a close call. It didn't diminish his confidence, though; he was simply taking precautions. His internal conflict was cut short as he heard quiet cries from somewhere near.

As he continued down the corridor, the noise seemed to be increasing in volume ever so slightly. A break appeared in the wall to his right -- it was a short hallway, maybe ten feet long, leading to a somewhat narrow staircase. It couldn't be used often, which was what lead him to believe that this was where the little cries were coming from. He turned into the hall and, as quietly as he could, crept up the curving staircase. When he rounded a bend, he came across a piece of parchment with notes scrawled across it in tiny, fancy letters. He picked it up and stood still, listening hard. The noise was definitely closer, no doubt the source, which was clearly female, was just up the stairs.

He continued on quietly, snatching up more parchment along the way. He finally came around another bend to find a girl. She was tiny, obviously a first year. Her long, dark hair blocked out her face completely, which was also buried in her arms. Her top half was laid across one step and was shaking with weak sobs. Papers and quills were scattered around her. What an odd scene.
Watching her, Bambi gathered up her spilled materials and set them on a step below her. He spoke as he did this. "You know, most people would just pick up what they dropped and keep walking. You must be having a rough night." He stood straight again and smiled sheepishly at her. "What's a little girl like you doing so far off the beaten path, anyway?"

[tempestgrey]

Great, so much for having alone time. Estelle hurried to wipe away her tears and watched warily as a boy picked up her fallen materials. His eyes were friendly and curious. By the way he moved and from the expression on his face, she could tell that he was in no hurry and he was there without a purpose. Maybe he was wandering? She noticed he was a Slytherin, too, which made her wonder why he wasn't chatting with friends in the Common Room. That seemed to be the most popular activity for Fridays after classes.

The boy set her belongings on the step below her, and she automatically lifted herself onto the next step up to avoid being too close. Why had he called her a little girl? Oh, fabulous...he must have mistaken her for someone younger, like many often did. Her eyes hardened as she looked at him. She knew she probably shouldn't blame him for the misunderstanding, but she really couldn't help being annoyed by it after hearing it so many times.

Wasn't it obvious what she was doing there? The notes, the quills, the books... It seemed pretty clear. And did he have to make conversation? It wasn't that difficult to see that she wanted to be alone. She wanted that even more, now that he had made a pretty bad first impression. Well, she would make sure he knew his mistake, as long as he was here.
"Little girl? I'm a sixth year. And I was tryingto do homework in a quiet place."

[melophilia]

Despite the girl's red-rimmed eyes and tear-stained cheeks, she was quite beautiful. Her cautious expression gave a good amount away about her personality. She was obviously ashamed that she had been interrupted during a more intimate moment with herself, and the way her head was tilted downward told Bambi that she was shy. How shy, he had yet to find out...and he fully intended to do so.

He lowered himself onto the step next to the girl, not too close, but close enough. He could feel her body heat in contrast with the rather cool air of the castle. So, she wasn't a first year, but a sixth year. She was just...small. She seemed offended by his assumption, which he couldn't blame her for. It was a bother to be mistaken for someone of a younger age, especially when the mistake was that drastic! He hadn't guessed just a year or two younger...

Wait...she was a sixth year. Like him. She was around his age. Great. His throat suddenly seemed very tight, his head rather light and empty. A thousand lines ran through his mind, but which would he say?! Of course, anything he said would be wonderfully charming, but what if he decided to say something halfway through a different something, and the two somethings ran together only to become a horrible, un-charming something?!
How pathetic...it was just a girl!

"Oh, I apologize," he said, not able to keep his voice from shaking a bit. "I just...assumed. Um, w-why would you pick such a place for your homework?"