| Details for Wood, Ebony, and Ivory |
| Summary: | Morgana and Silas talk Transfigurations, Love, Experimentation, and Friendship, cementing the latter. |
| Date: | December 02, 1938 |
| Location: | Workshop, Hogwarts |
| Related: | — |
| Characters |
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Long, heavily shielded windows lining one side of the workshop are designed to guard against even the more forceful projectiles that often spiral out of control from heavy tables that serve as work surfaces. The walls are scarred with burn-marks of many a project gone awry, and even the ceiling is scorched here and there by past misfires. Those familiar with the history of this room might even know that some of those "accidents" were anything but a mishap, and were even sometimes carefully planned. Shelves line the far wall from the entryway, stacked with models and manuals of wizarding innovations, as well as the students' current attempts-in-progress to duplicate those innovations.
Rumors. There are so many rumors floating around lately. People dueling other people, who is in the Magijugend and who isn't. It has the Head Girl feeling anti-social, which is why she's sitting around in the Workshop. Most of her other hiding places are either occupied or easy to find, so she decides that hiding in plain sight is best. Settled in at one of the burn marked tables, she seems to be working on some sort of complicated rune sequence. A piece of parchment is unrolled and she looks to be filling every inch of it with inked runes. There are a few smudges on her face from the ink she's using and and a few stray hairs have fallen out of her pony tail into her face.
Rumors do indeed appear to be the currency of the day, although such seems to be more and more the case since this last Weekend. Leave it to Silas, however, to seem to be completely immune to it all, or at least to give off an air as if he were.
With a slow creak, the woodshop door opens, Morgana's solitude rudely shattered as the young man comes in, pack over his shoulder. He pauses as he sees the head girl in her current state of disarray, and after an almost apologetic cough, asks, "Oh… wasn't expecting anyone at this hour. Is there room for another perchance, or should I find myself another roost?"
Morgana looks up as the door opens, not sure who she is going to see, but the fact that she doesn't snarl or glare at Silas is an improvement from earlier in the day. "No, there is plenty of room in here." Morgana responds, turning back to her parchment, picking up a second quill to make her work go just a bit faster. "What brings you to this hiding spot? I figured you for more of a hide out on the roof sort of boy."
"And deal with the stench of that rancid burnt leaf the boys think no one knows about up there? I think not. Typically it's at a window or in the gardens, but alas tonight it's just not working out." Silas offers a bit of a smile as he heads over to another table, near enough to talk, but with enough distance to respect privacy. He pulls a pair of books out of his satchel, following by a bit of parchment and quill, and finally a set of two chess pieces one wood, one ebony.. "Transfigurations… this exercise always gets the best of me."
"I think they know better than to do that when I am around. Maybe." Morgana says dryly setting down her quills and pushing some hair out of her face. "Transfiguations? You're on your own there, that was not my best class. I was better with conjuration honestly." Pausing for a moment, she recalls something she heard earlier today and there is a very faint smirk on her lips. "So, how is your experiment in love going?"
Silas sets the two chess pieces directly at the top of his table, the center of his focus. He chuckles a bit, and answers first about Transfigurations, "Same… although sadly enough the two go hand in hand with the NEWTS, so I can't just ignore one over the other. Changing both to ivory just… vexes me." He opens both texts, looking at both for a moment before writing a bit down on the parchment.
Then comes the question about love, "You'll have to forgive me. I wasn't aware I had started it. Which aspect of the experiment might you be referring to?" He can play coy.
"Indeed they do, however for me I can just focus on the few conjuration tricks I do know." Morgana says with a shrug as she looks over to the chess pieces that he has. "Maybe you just need to visualize it more? If that's any sort of help." At his coy words she'll shake her head. "Oh just a rumor I heard, that is all. Honestly keep them coming. If people are more concerned about who you're dating than they'll leave the rest of us alone."
"So much of it is abstract there's not enough concrete enough for me to latch on to. A failing of my own, I expect," Silas sighs, taking another set of notes as he looks at both. "Ah… so you heard about my walk with Genevieve. Far less to it than any might think… but let them. It's amusing."
"I gained another friend, is all. As I continue trying to do. It's been too long that I've stayed on the sidelines. I'm finding that the search for allies has awakened in me another need."
"I think that might have been a problem I had as well, getting something to change into what it isn't." Morgana says. "Failures can be easily exploited, or they can be turned into strengths." Morgana says thoughtfully before she shrugs. "I did hear about it. Like I said, anything but the rumors I am involved in are music to my ears." His last comment causes her to raise a brow. "And just what need would that be?"
"Friends, actually," Silas notes on his parchment again, saying the words as if there were little more than an ingredient in potion-making. "I've spent so much time working on my appearance, on the perceptions others have of me. It has felt rather nice just having people… enjoy my company."
Without looking at Morgana, he lifts one of the pieces, turning it over in his fingers, "At my parent's place in France, I was raised by a nanny. I was left to my own devices. I was taught that friendships were little more than part of this chess game we call life. As I've forayed of late into making more palpable connections, I've discovered this isn't… real."
Morgana is silently relieved that Silas didn't say snogging. "Ah." Morgana says, turning her chair toward Silas' table and propping her head up on her arm. "I am in the same boat myself, I spent too long wallowing in my own problems that by the time I pulled myself out of it, everyone had already formed their friendships. It took me seven years to find friendship that I think will last outside of Hogwarts. It's a bit pathetic." Nodding her head she'll shrug. "I was raised by my grandparents while my mother was traveling."
Silas sets the piece back down, looking back over at Morgana, "You know, I have to say I actually appreciate these conversations with you… as oddly and randomly interspersed as they are. A shame I have to avoid letting rumors include the both of us just to avoid the inconvenience for you!" Another sly grin is pointed her way. "But you're head girl! How could you possibly have any problems? Isn't it all personal bog rolls and the occasional appearance to the common folk?"
"I agree, our conversations are rather nice, and you're not a complete idiot, so that helps." Shaking her head at him, Morgana will gesture to her bag. "Well I could always smear some lipstick on your collar if you really want to get the rumor mills going." Shaking her head she'll sigh. "Ah yes, being Head Girl is all champagne and roses. Honestly, it makes it slightly more difficult since everyone's afraid I'll tattle on them."
"Not a complete…" Silas laughs and shakes his head slightly, "I'll prove myself a complete idiot soon enough, that I can promise you." Grunting, and also letting out a little curse at his work, he starts tossing the lot of them back into the satchel. "No rumors… but how about this? I have nothing to hide. No worries about being 'tattled' on, since I don't do anything worth it. It may just be half a school year left… but I could offer my friendship?"
Morgana smirks. "Just make sure that you prove your stupidity in amusing ways I am sure I can forgive it." When he offers his friendship, she makes an effort as if to actually think it over. "Friendship hmm? Very well I suppose we could be friends." Getting up from her table she'll offer the Slytherin her hand to shake. "And it is probably best that I don't start more rumors."
Silas nods at that, closing up his satchel, and putting it over his shoulder. When the hand is offered, he takes it, his hands actually quite soft, yet calloused on the tips of each finger. "I suppose we could, Morgana. We all need more friends in this life — this much I've come to know in the past few weeks."
Morgana will gently shake his hand, and thankfully it is the one that isn't covered in ink. Her hands are also soft, but her grip is firm. "We do. People that will not stab you in the back, and will be there to pull you out of whatever mess you might end up in. I look forward to building our friendship in the future." Morgana says lightly. "I'll let you get back to your studies, see you around Silas."