| Details for Club Creation |
| Summary: | Esther tells Andromena if her idea to create a club that pursues knowledge. They are joined by Variel. |
| Date: | 1939-01-07 |
| Location: | Hogwarts Library |
| Related: | — |
| Characters |
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Esther is sitting in the Library, with a table dominated by books. She's got used to being a little bit messy of late. Three different books on charms, two rolls of parchment covered in her neat handwriting, one book on pure wizarding bloodlines - A copy of the Prophet to the side, and Ancient Runes for Beginners is spread open directly infront of her. Some would call it chaotic. She calls it 'active studying'. Plus, without the assistance of anyone else, studying Runes is like pulling teeth. She needs to distract herself from time to time.
Andromena enters the library. Ah, the familiar smell of the place assails her immediately. It is hardly surprising that she should make a trip here on the very first day back to class after the holidays. A few students are given friendly enough greetings as she ventures further in; those she hadn't seen much of, if at all, since school let out. One such person in particular catches Andromena's eye, Esther Lowe. That she's surrounded by books and parchment doesn't phase the Ravenclaw, for she often studies in a similar manner. With a bold step, Andromena approaches Esther and elegantly slides herself into a nearby seat.
"You skipped lunch, too?" Was her chosen manner of greeting. There's something of a lopsided smirk upon her features, and from her posture to her tone there is naught but friendliness. "Ah, runes! Don't let me forget that I borrowed a really good primer from my uncle to lend to you - it's back in the tower." Where the members of her House dwelt. There's no talk of the attack; the one emblazoned across the front of the Prophet, the black and white image of the burning Sykes estate flickering as though it was aflame still.
Esther hears a familiar voice - The girl has missed social interaction, surely, but the last twenty four hours has left her craving a lack of a crowding. "Hello there. Yeah… I've tried some self-directed study on the subject, but I'm not patient enough…" Esther forces herself to smile, "Thank you, though. I've been thinking about what we discussed more than a little - Made me really curious. And gave me an excellent idea, that I thought might appeal to you." The slender young woman pats the seat beside her. "Wanna hear it?"
"Certainly," Andromena says, head tilting ever so slightly to indicate both curiosity as well as a subtle note that Esther continue. She herself cared little for big crowds, and endured enough of them during break. There's nothing to say she doesn't recall what Esther's talking about, and perhaps that the Slytherin does not elaborate is for the better. They aren't, after all, truly alone. However, the closest student to the pair of them was some distance away, and Madam Patil appeared to be engrossed in a discussion between two seventh years. Lunch time usually did see the library reasonably cleared out! For all of that, however, Andromena did slip two pears from inside her robes (how had she hidden them!?) and push one towards Esther.
"The best way to eat fruit," she tells the younger girl. "Is to slice with Diffindo and then just…" Subtle movements of her wand had seen her own pear get cut into edible bits. "Leviosa it." Up, up and to her mouth it went. "No messy fingers, and no chance of accidentally slicing yourself as with a knife!"
Esther nods enthusiastically. "I generally use Diffindo in place of a knife… I find it's /far/ more exact, if I can picture exactly how and what I want cut." The girl blushes faintly, as she carves the pair, with a quiet. "Thank you." Before she begins to cut it into segments, leaving it on the table and then levitating a bite sized morsel to her mouth. "… So, I was thinking that maybe we could start a study group. Y'know, for students who wanted to learn more. Ask questions that they might be afraid to ask in public. Learn things that are bit beyond them if they so desired…" The basic idea is pitched.
Andromena also preferred this method because she found just biting into certain fruits just a messy affair one ought not to indulge in publicly. After swallowing a bite, her lips pursed thoughtfully at Esther's proposal. A study group was a harmless enough idea, in and of itself. Indeed, Andromena immediately saw the merit of what Esther was saying: no one should feel ashamed or embarrassed to pursue knowledge.
"Is it something you intend to put before the faculty- the headmaster?" Asked mostly because Andromena had never been involved in the creation of a new club. It was only very recently that she was even getting involved in clubs. Of course, the chess club and Domestics hardly looked all that stellar, which was also why Andromena now spent some of her free time in the infirmary, and was striving to be 'collected' by Slughorn.
"I… I don't think that they should be informed. We're just a study group. Besides, the whole point would be that we direct ourselves…" Esther tries to explain. Another bite, and a smile for Andromena. "I kinda wanted to make it anonymous too. So that no-one would need to know that Esther Lowe and Andromena Rowle are looking into weird runes." A faint blush, "It's student controlled. We control our own study. We're free to act without generations of adult influence and wizarding fears controlling us." The Slug Club is excluded by the last one. It's why she's never wanted to join. "I thought we could make ourselves so much better than we are now. Maybe do some real good."
"Oh," Andromena chimed, eyes brightening. "With a few simple charms, one can disguise their voice - so even if we all know, say, there are four boys and three girls in the group, we can never really be sure who the other is. Well, obviously aside from the pair of us." Another idea blossomed to life, and Andromena was suddenly grinning. "Send out the invites anonymously as well. That way no one is put off with the notion of: oh, well I don't associate with Slytherins if I can help it and blah blah blah." Her hand flaps loosely at the end of her wrist as she speaks.
"Merely instruct them to keep their identity secret and arrive in place X at Y's given time. Those who are interested for the sake of knowledge alone will arrive." The Ravenclaw looks very pleased with the entire affair. "Who knows what we might get out of it, but it's worth a try."
"Or, I don't like this person, or that person. I was thinking that masks could be fun. And kinda cute too." Esther admits, doodling a little with her quill, while her other hand directs (Via wand) a piece of fruit to her mouth, so she can chew on it thoughtfully. "Plus there is the whole blood purity and magijugend thing that I want no part of, and definitely don't want in my study… I thought that might be good becausethen I don't know everyone, and you don't, if people can invite others anonymously as well… I thought maybe leave a piece of parchment somewhere, that we could use to arrange meetings with eachother. Maybe secret names?" It's bringing back a little bit of girlish excitement, too.
"Masks, and false names would work, certainly." However, there's a suddenly leeriness to Andromena's voice that hadn't been there a moment before. She can…understand Esther's desire to remain free of politics, but no longer does Andromena share such a view. Of course, it had always been there: the stance that blood purity was a thing to uphold, and that the Magijugend was needed, Andromena just hadn't made a habit of being a loud-mouth about it.
"Those who are there just to learn won't be offended if such questions regarding blood come up, I should think," said with only slightly less ambivalence. Andromena does not want to cause Esther to think she's abandoning ship before it ever sets sail.
"I'm here to learn, Andromena…" Esther smiles sweetly. "That's what really matters to me. Becoming stronger, better, able to do more. If that means that I've got to sit down beside someone who might be a half-blood, or even a mudblood," She uses the derogatory term so easily. To her, it's not even that offensive - It's just the term she uses. "Then I guess I'm willing to do that - For wizardkind." Andromena might remember, from her times here, that not too long ago Esther and the half-blood Julian were well known for their study groups in the library, the shy smiles she'd give him. All that ended after the bonfire. The petition. "Knowledge first. Not Esther Lowe, not old grudges."
Andromena had been friendly with Julian before, as well. She had never seen him in anything resembling a romantic light, of course, but she wouldn't have hesitated to call him a friend. Now she wanted little and less to do with him. Mostly due to what she liked to call 'conflict avoidance.'
"Yes, you are right. Such things shouldn't stop anyone from learning what they may." Andromena was not against half-bloods, that much should be obvious. What she was against were those that couldn't seem to let go of their muggle history. They were wizards. What they ought to be doing was embracing their heritage and doing all that they could to protect it!
"I'm behind you on this, Esther, and I will help however I can. Besides, how often do study groups come up that also sound fun?" Because its clandestine nature made it immediately intriguing.
Magic belongs to any who call themselves Wizard; That's all Esther cares about. The line is that simple, that rigid, that /drawn/ in the sand. "Good." She smiles. "I'm looking forward to seeing you there. Discussing ideas, and seeing what we can do. I'm… I'm really excited about the runes." Excited. Afraid. The same thing. "Leviosa." Another morsel of pear.
Andromena finishes off her own pear, and nods to Esther. The Slytherin's enthusiasm is greater than her own, though that's no surprise! It's Esther's idea, and so there's every reason for her to be excited. Andromena is merely glad to one, be of help and two, have a study group that hopefully won't fall apart after the first couple of meetings.
"So when do you think you'll want to send out the first…invite? Oh, I think we should each make our own masks, don't you?" Or else the attempt to remain anonymous would fall somewhat by the way side.
"Good point." Esther notes, "And no house colors. We're supposed to be incognito, after all." The girl seems happy though. "I mean, I don't mind if you know who I am… 'm kinda hard to miss anyway. I'm… Glad you're back, Andromena. It's been a long winter break. How did Alphard's party go?" She finally bites teh bullet and asks.
"Wear a hooded cloak," Andromena suggests before getting around to the question of Alphard's party. "That way, the hood and mask will keep you utterly concealed. I'll do the same. As for the party…" Andromena allows a grin. No matter that the two cousins may not get along, she saw no reason to conceal that she had had a good time and it happened to be with Black. "I had a lot of fun. Drank a bit more than I wanted to, but over all it was a blast. Hm…" She tapped a finger to her lips. "But I'm content to not return to another party again until summer or something. I think it will take me that long just to recover!" Andromena is plainly teasing, but there's still some truth to it all. Her features grow sombre of a sudden, and she gestures to the Prophet.
"Would that I could say the same for the Sykes," her lip curled, and she shook her head. Not much more she wanted to say regarding that just then.
Esther frowns obviously. "… It's pretty damn disgusting. I don't care for the Magijugend, or the purists… But these activists, they're /just/ as bad. Fighting wars might not even exist now." A pause. "I read that some people were subjected to Cruciatus." A pause. A slight indent on her lower lip, from her teeth. "… I… Sometimes I worry what the hell the world is turning to. But it's why we need to learn. Become stronger. Better. Y'know?"
Open, close. Open. Close. Open. Close. The first set was the door, admitting Variel. The rest was his left hand, though whether he noticed or not was up for debate. He moves into the library proper and pauses at the sound of voices. He'd rather expected the library to be mostly empty. So much for that plan. He moves further into the room and stops at the edge of the conversational range of the two girls, looking over the books in front of them.
Andromena's fingers claw inward until her nails dig into her palms as she admits, "My cousin Anthony was one. There were several other classmates, as I'm sure you know, even Cassius Malfoy was a victim." Of all the potential targets, they'd chosen to level an Unforgivable Curse on that guy. Passion colors Andromena's voice, but only slightly. She refuses to let it run away with her, as there were more than enough people screaming about it all.
"Ria was hurt, and others- " A pause. Not for Variel, but for the sake of those she was about to name, and chose instead not to. "Others who lost family members." Her eyes became distant, then. Cold. Very cold. "The world is as it was and ever will be. That does not mean, however, that we should not strive to do our part." Whatever that might mean.
"Variel Weasley, good to see you. Join us?" Came the invite from Andromena.
Anthony? The one she was supposed to speak to? Esther bites her lower lip, looking like she wants to wrap her arms around the older girl for a hug, but she doesn't. Not yet. "I guess so. I just guess I never wanted to see it like this… I'm sorry you had to go through that, though…"
"Oh! Variel!" Esther is glad to see the Weasley. "I wanted to speak to you! Someone is hosting a study group — An incognito one. Masks'n'all - For students who want to put knowledge first and fear second. Andromena and I were definitely going. Wanna come along?" Not right now, of course,
"Tony's doing alright. So's the Sykes fellow. Didn't see Malfoy after, but Rashley's…" Variel takes a breath and lets it out slowly. His tone is a touch flat; if the girls hadn't known him as long as they have, they might not even notice. "… Rashley's crusading." His lips turn up a touch, an expression with which his eyes have no part. He looks between them at the questions and answers Rowle's by moving to pull a seat out and reverse it, flopping down in it backwards. He listens to the invitation, and his expression wakes up. His eyes widen, then dart a little, just a touch, side to side, then up to the girls, meeting their eyes. He nods. "Yes. I'll attend."
"You needn't feel that way for me," Andromena demurs. What happened to the night where she sat across from Dillorous Diderot; the one she wanted to tell her friends about? Oh, that's right. It was burned to nothing in a fire. In an act that might be considered surprisingly compassionate, Andromena laid her hand atop Esther's own and gave it a slight squeeze. "I was not a victim. I'm glad, actually, that I was there to help my cousin." Andromena had no room for self-pity, even if she had been terribly afraid - and after, terribly numb.
"But yes, Tony's doing fine." A slight look is thrown toward Variel. "Just don't go around saying we three are attending, hey?" The serious subject is dropped in favor of the lighter. Andromena even manages a smile. "Or else the aura of mystery is ruined! Oh, maybe wear a hood if you don't want to be spotted by your hair."
"Or mine." Esther blushes faintly, taking her wand out and flicking it over her work, muttering the appropriate spells to close it all up. Sliding her own books into her bookbag, she smiles to the pair and sends her other books back to their respective shelves. "Mhmn. I'm gonna go work on my mas a little bit, too. I look forward to seeing you both again though. Welcome back to Hogwarts." The girl murmurs.
"I've no interest in compromising a gathering of minds," Variel responds. His expression has remained surprisingly flat during the conversations, compared to his usual energy. "I'll keep quiet about those I know will be attending." He gives Esther a nod on her welcome back.
"See you around, Esther," Andromena tells the girl as she moves to depart. Noting the time, Andromena gets to her feet as well. "I have class to get to soon. I'd say to join me, Variel, but…" A faint smile. "I've not forgotten that you've only really just come into the library yourself!" She sees no reason to question Variel on his distinct lack of effect. Perhaps time alone was really all he had been after.
The redhead ponders for a moment, then stands. "I'll walk you there. If you're amenable?"
"Sure," Andromena tells Variel. "I wouldn't have made mention otherwise. I just need to check out a book." Which had been Andromena's sole reason for coming to the library in the first place! The said book is found with relative ease, as she had known what she was looking for and where to find it before ever arriving. After its released into her possession, she returns to Variel. "Ready when you are."
Variel follows quietly on the quest for the book, plucking a couple of books- advanced Charms and Dark Defense manuals from the look of it- as they go, and checks them out as well. "Now works." He adjusts the books under his right arm, his left empty at his side and occasionally closing, opening lazily.
And so Variel and Andromena depart, with Andromena offering her the Gryffindor a bit of a curious look before more or less leading the way.