| Details for Snip |
| Summary: | Artemis and Elspeth are looking up the meaning of a rune scribbled on the wall of Hogwarts when two older Slytherins decide that Muggleborn girls should have a new style. |
| Date: | 15 June, 1938 |
| Location: | Library |
| Related: | — |
| Characters |
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The library is its usual semi-hush, whispered consultations among students at their tables keeping it from being completely quiet. Among those rows walks a fourth year Ravenclaw with red hair, she flips her long braid over her shoulder to sway across her back as she returns to a table with a book cradled in her arms. "Emi, I have the book we are needing. It is the last one left," she says quietly to another red headed fourth year, this one from Hufflepuff. She sets the last copy of Runes of Ancient Sumeria on the book next to Artemis and slides into the chair next to her. "Emi? Are you awake?"
Artemis is really wearing herself out with everything: Cleaning around the castle, keeping the peace, still researching despite the end of exams, et cetera. So when she passes out at the table, well, it can hardly be of any surprise. She’s been very pale with a constant redness underneath her eyes. But she is a light sleeper, so she’s awake as her friend starts speaking to her, even if she lifts her head up in a bit of confusion. Whoa, too fast – her hand is held against her head at the sudden dizzy spell as she blinks over at Elspeth. “Oh!” she exclaims in an excited whisper. “Great.” Her hand lowers away from her head as the dizziness fades, looking wondrously at the book.
Elspeth gives her friend a concerned look. "Are you sure we are needing to find this now?" she asks. "You should be resting, you are not looking well at all." It's probably the one hundred and twenty-third she's said that in the past couple of days, but she still tries. Her head swivels around as she hears some snickering on the other side of the book shelves, but the sound quiets, and so she turns to her friend, her braid falling straight down her back.
Artemis gives Elspeth a bright smile that flashes in her eyes, even if she can’t exactly hide the fatigue that’s there. “We won’t have time if I had stop and rest all the time,” she informs. She can practically feel the mental kick from Lan as she says that, and winces. Her thoughts bring out a giggle at that. Giving her friend a look, she explains, “I think I just heard Noalan remark from his lounging spot.”
Elspeth smiles at her friend's explanation and nods. "I am thinking I heard him, as well." With a sigh, she gives in to Artemis's need to push herself over much, and opens the book. She kneels in the chair so that she can get a little more height to look at the book. As she turns the page, there's a whisper from behind the bookshelves, but this time she pays it no mind. "Here, we were looking for that symbol we were seeing on the wall… this is looking like it might -" she pauses to tuck her hair behind her ear as it falls forward. "Bother, they are taking the bow out of my braid again," she mutter, turning to look for it so she can fix her hair, and she freezes. Her eyes widen as she sees the braid of red hair on the floor, and then her hands go to her head, reaching back.
Another giggle escapes her about Noalan. “A great wizard indeed if he can communicate telepathically so well.” Her eyes sparkle as she laughs, despite her obvious tired-ness. Then she’s nodding her head, looking down to the book and leaning over the table as she reaches to slide the book a little closer to her. She’s focused on studying the symbol when she hums questionably and lifts her eyes to her friend. “Your bow?” Then she frowns and sighs, “Maybe we should-“ But she doesn’t finish because as her eyes lift to Elspeth, they open wide and her mouth drops as she gasps. “See, that’s why we have rules not to practice magic just anywhere.” Her chair slides back as she stands, looking around the library for someone with their wand out. “Excuse me,” she says in a raised voice to the general population of the room, “you just accidentally snipped my friend’s hair. Show some responsibility.”
There's a few immediate automatic sounding 'shush'es as Artemis raises her voice. This is followed by the appearance of two sixth year Slytherin girls who walk out from behind the bookcases where Elspeth had heard the giggling moments before. "I don't know Pursamine, I think it's quite fetching, don't you?" she snickers, looking at the fourth year who's pulling her unevenly chopped red hair around her shoulders and breathing very deeply to not cry at the ragged ends she can see.
"Quite, Helmsley," her companion agrees. "I'm sure short, raggedy hair will be all the rage with mudbloods, don't you?" The two snicker and turn their backs derisively on the two girls at the table, leaving the one to pick up her braid from the floor while she bites her lips hard. The hazel eyes pool with tears, despite her best attempts to stop them.
Artemis purses her lips and gives a cross look around at the tables, and to the two girls. “Well that was just rude,” she says huffily. “That’s very hurtful.” Speaking above library voice, with the quiet of the library it may as well be yelling even if it really isn’t. But her voice is quieter when she turns to her friend. “Elspeth,” she says softly, moving closer to her to drape an arm over her shoulder. “Don’t worry, we can fix it. Don’t listen to them, they aren’t being very polite.”
Elspeth's shoulders round as she look at the braid cradled in her hands. The sympathy and naivete of her friend makes it harder for her to keep herself in control, and some of the tears spill out and down her face. "They are never being polite," she says quietly. "They are always being mean to other muggleborns, ones that are being smaller and younger than they are." She pulls her satchel across the table towards her, and opens it to lay the cut hair gently inside, then pulls the strap over head. She gives her friend a hug before she stands up. "I think I am going to go find some scissors so I can be fixing my hair."
“I’ll help,” Artemis offers. She turns to the table to pick up her notebook and quickly stuff it into her bag before she places her arm back over Elspeth’s shoulders. “That’s cause they don’t understand how they’re making people feel. It’s okay, Elspeth,” she tries to comfort. “Come on, let’s go.”
Elspeth is happy enough to leave the library, and waits for Artemis to come with her. However, the newly short hair has her enough on edge that her friend trying to make excuses for the Slytherins who torment her grates on her last nerve. "Emi, you they are knowing exactly how they are making me feel. They are doing it on purpose because they are not liking muggle born witches." She sniffles finally, and reaches a hand to brush at her nose. "You cannot be making excuses for them if you are wanting people to be getting along instead of fighting."
Walking along with Elspeth, Artemis will keep her arm over her shoulder even as she frowns down at the ground. She lets out a breath before she lifts her head back up and offers Elspeth a sympathetic smile. “You know all the great hairstyles you can have with short hair? Oh, and it’s easier to brush. Your hand can reach all the way in back.” She’s trying to cheer her up. “Or Professor Slughorn can help you make a hair growth potion.”
"If I am taking the hair potion, they will just be cutting it again," Elspeth says quietly. "I can- write to Ima, and be asking her for some Alice bands. I am- I just need to cut it in a more straight line." She does lean her head on Artemis's shoulder as they walk. "I am sorry, Emi," she adds guiltily after a few steps. "I wish I could be…" she shrugs as she can't decide how to finish the sentence.
Artemis shakes her head, giving Elspeth’s shoulders a little squeeze. “I’ll talk to my brother,” she says, smiling. “I’ll ask him to look out for you too. Everyone respects him.” She nods her head. “It’ll be fine. Everyone’s just upset because of what happened, afraid. I’m trying to help those people find a better way to deal with it.”