[Library] Old Friends, Familiar Surroundings

[Roslynn Venice]

The landscape was stunning, even this late in the year. A light mist glided over the surface of the water of the lake; a ghost with a flowing gown, searching endlessly for a lost love. Beyond, the hills that surrounded the Black Lake were blanketed in forests, where the trees ranged from a deep green, to vibrant yellow, to blood red. The thick grass that, in the summer, carpeted the grounds of the school with a thick and lucious green had started to grow old, browning and dying away with the summertime. Autumn had claimed Hogwarts, stating it's presence with a soft but bone-chilling breeze.

Stifling a shudder, Venice pulled her flowing robes tighter about her slender frame. Classes had just ended for the day, and she had slipped carefully and silently through the corridors and the common room, ridding herself of the burden of her thick text books, crinkling parchment, and inky black raven's feather quills. A day full of the chittering and chattering voices of pre-teen girls, the hearty laughter of the brainless jocks and the abrupt, mocking voices of the know-it-all's in the classrooms had driven Roslynn to seek something that was not uncommon for her: solitude.

Lifting her slender, spider-leg like fingers to her red tinted lips, the sixth year blew to produce a long, painfully loud whistle that echoed about the grounds of the school. Even from his height, Venice could see some students cover their ears with their hands, turning to and fro trying to search for the source of the piercing sound. She smirked at the disturbance, enjoying especially a surprised squeal from what looked like a first- or second-year Hufflepuff. But her enjoyment turned to pure happiness as she heard the familiar squeak of her best friend Barney.

The tiny burrowing owl had never been a particularily good flyer, and he teetered and tottered through the air on the way to his master. His yellow eyes were large with excitement, as they always were when he responded to her call. Roslynn held out her arm, and the small brown bird landed clumsily upon it, letting out an uneasy squawk. Venice cradled him with her hand, immediately pressing her nose to his cold little beak.

"Barney! Mummy missed you all day!"[/size]

[Agnija Valore]

Classes were finally over for day, and after changing out of her robes Agnija made her way through the corridors, stopping to talk to a few paintings on the way because it would've been rude to ignore them. Besides, they were complimenting her, and she needed as many she should get just to have a hint of confidence. "Thank you, you're too kind," Agnija beamed as a few ladies complimented her outfit, she absolutely despised wearing her uniform any longer than was necessary. As of the moment, she was wearing a black and white, horizontal striped shirt, a high-waisted jean skirt, a navy cardigan, and a pair of red flats. Agnija's fashion sense was the on thing she absolutely prided herself on.

She tilted her head to them in an acknowledging motion, as she began walked away. Compliments were fine, but she was looking for something a bit more fun. Nija continued walking through the corridors, positively bored. Where was the adventure this year? Why were the halls so empty? And where the heck was that screeching whistle coming from? She shrugged off her thoughts and headed toward where the sound was coming from, the clock tower.

Agnija walked up the winding staircase, somewhat surprised at what she found. There was a familiar Slytherin, a year or two older than herself, talking to an owl. It was almost interesting. "Hello?"

[Roslynn Venice]

Some would have jumped at the sound of the female's voice tearing through the complacent silence, but as ever, Roslynn remained calm and collected. With liquid grace, she turned from the railing along the edge of the clock tower as Barney scuttled his way up her arm and to his usual place on her right shoulder. He was clearly displeased that his master's attention had been moved somewhere besides himself, and experimentally tugged on a strand of Venice's tousled brown hair. This earned him a loving glance and small smile from her, but nothing more. A huff of hair escaped from the two tiny holes above his beak that served as a nose, and he relented, glancing expectantly at the new human.

"Well hello there," the Slytherin immediately responded, cocking her head slightly to the side. The tolerant smile still quirked the corners of her mouth. Venice knew who she was: Gryffindor, fifth year... But for the life of her, she couldn't recall the blonde's name. So, instead of mentally reprimanding herself for not keeping her records straight, she created a small scolding remark: "You know, most people introduce themselves when interrupting a stranger."

A small chuckle lifted her shoulders, as though she hadn't just made a flip remark, and she held out her right hand, causing the burrowing owl to tip and nearly fall. "Roslynn Venice, Slytherin. Year six. You can call me Venice."[/size]

[Agnija Valore]

Very odd, Agnija thought as she watched the way the girl and owl reacted with one another, crossing her arms expectantly. She watched the bird as he played with her hair, obviously seeking attention from the older girl. It nearly made her smile. She smirked at the girls comment, clearly not offended. "Well, to be like most people would be rather boring," she replied, bluntly. Agnija looked down at the hand before her, questioningly before taking it in her own. She was merely surprised by the gesture, that's all. A polite Slytherin? Even more strange, her thoughts were ahead of her.

"I'm Agnija Valore, Gryffindor, Year five. But, you can call me Nija." Agnija had no clue as to why Slytherins always felt the eed to be so formal, maybe it made them feel even more superior. After all, wasn't that what they were all about? Agnija wasn't really into the whole 'supremacy' thing. She believed she was just as good as anyone else, and while others might be entitled to their opinion, she held onto hers. After removing her hand from Venice's, she looked around the room. "What are you doing up here anyway?" she asked.

"I mean, besides speaking to your owl." It wasn't said in a rude way, just a curious one.

[Roslynn Venice]

After the formal introduction was finished and done with, Venice fell into her normal patterns of interaction with others. That is to say, Her silver eyes scanned the length of the skinny fifth-year's form. Blonde hair, brown eyes that held a certain light that gave away that they had been charmed that colour. Curious. Venice couldn't imagine why anyone would charm their eye colour to brown. The thought repulsed her. How ordinary. Her polite smile shifted and faded, not for lack of attention, but to make it clear to the younger woman that she was under speculation. Despite her charmed eyes, Nija had a good look about her, and a clear fashion sense. Roslynn lifted her eyes again to the girl's "brown" ones, flashing a brief but charming grin.

"It may be boring, Nija," Venice drew out her name, like a teacher reprimanding a student. "But it is polite, and the appropriate thing to do. Even a simple muggle would know that." The Slytherin's tone was caught somewhere between condescending and polite, an art she had mastered years ago. It gave most people pause, leaving them unsure of her intentions and of her inner thoughts.

Venice lifted her left hand to her right shoulder, spindly fingers laid vertical, so that Barney may hop up upon them. Ever obedient, he did so without pause, letting out a contented coo. "I usually come here after classes to get some much needed alone time," Roslynn explained, planting a brief kiss on the feathered creature's head. She gave a shrug, glancing up at Nija with a lopsided grin. "I don't really mind that you're here though. I was never one to question the circumstances. Everything happens for a reason. Also, Barney isn't allowed in the classrooms anymore..." The small bird let out a huff, as if understanding his master's words. She giggled. "So I come here to get him before I head back to the dorm room."[/size]

[Agnija Valore]

Agnija allowed herself to take in Venice's appearance, also. Short brunette hair, piercing blue eyes, and a few inches taller than herself. There was something statuesque about the elder Slytherin, not even that she was gorgeous, but that she had the confidence that made her seem so. All in all, she was hardly a sore sight for eyes.

Agnija focused on her tone of voice. Slytherins always have that authoritative voice, she mused. It's probably just a control thing. When Roslynn insulted muggles, it stung Nija like a slap in the face. Even though her mother left when she was young, muggle blood was a part of her. But, unlike the older girl before her, Agnija didn't try to hide behind blood supremacy. "My mother was a muggle," she stated simply.

It wasn't as though she was ashamed of being part muggle, but she was ashamed of the person her mother was. What kind of person could leave behind their children and their husband based on if they were your type of normal? What made Agnija unimportant, unlovable? Because she was different? She hated her mother for leaving, for making her feel like she would never be loved. That was why she charmed her eyes. Without that charm, Nija was the spitting image of her muggle mother, the deceiver.

"I'm sorry for interrupting," she said. Even though Roslynn said she didn't mind, Nija knew that when she wanted to be alone that company was never welcome. Again, she smiled at the way the two, with and owl, interacted with on another. It was amusing. As if they were the very best of friends. "He's a beautiful bird," the younger blonde commented.

[Roslynn Venice]

A sickly sweet smile spread across Roslynn's lips at the Gryffindor's response to her comment on muggles. Instead of creating a bit of a scene, as most Slytherin's would enjoy doing, she changed her tune. It had proven through years of practice to be an excellent strategy in confusing and disarming a verbal opponent. It didn't seem to be particularily necessary in this situation, but Venice enjoyed honing her silver tongue whenever she had the opportunity.

"Is that so?" She responded, giving Barney a soft scratch at the nape of his neck. "Most witches and wizards have muggle blood, these days." Her tone was blank, not betraying her emotion toward the subject. It also did not suggest that she didn't mind the slow but inevitable change, or that she condoned it. "Even my family has ceased to be pureblood, over the years."

Venice watched the girl's body language closely, and listened to her tone with keen ears that had taken years of close study of other people to obtain. Her crossed arms seemed to tighten at the mention of her mother, and the Slytherin logged this away in her mental database. Clearly, that was a sensitive subject. She wouldn't use it now, but it was good to know, and may come in handy in a later situation. Nija's smile at Barney, however, brought the easy-going light back to her eyes.... even if they were charmed.

"Quite alright. Barney may be beautiful, but he's clumsy as an ox," Roslynn commented, using a tone that gently mocked but still showed deep affection. "And of course, he's always keen on meeting new people and making new friends. For instance, he's been waiting for you to come and give him a pat for quite some time now."

Venice tried to give her warmest and friendliest smile, using a gesture of her right hand to invite Nija to come and touch the small owl. It was easy to see that the Slytherin was not like most of the other student's in her house: she wasn't opposed to creating bonds with students from the other houses. When the time came, her friends and allies could help her raise her standing in the wizarding world substantially, and that overpowered her instinctive need to piss off the world around her. She may be a bitch, but showing it all the time never did anyone an ounce of good.[/size]