Hogwarts School - Summer

Freestyle => Freestyle Roleplaying => Freestyle Archives => Topic started by: Marina Lamont on 12/26/2017 at 05:01

Title: The River Flows Boldly On || Sylvia
Post by: Marina Lamont on 12/26/2017 at 05:01
Hogwarts, Entrance Hall
Second day of exams before lunch, 1952

The effervescent excitement of the last week of class hit Marina like it hit almost every other student at Hogwarts, yet it left a bitter aftertaste. The end of term would mark more than just the end of classes, with several of her friends now days away from graduating. Insides knotted at the thought. Sadness clouded the sunny joy of summer.

Though her stomach growled, Marina’s feet lead her not to the Great Hall at her right, its tables loaded with everything she could dream of munching on for lunch, but to the exit to the grounds at her left. She needed to clear her mind, to breathe in the wild scents of the lake and the forest and all their furry, scaly and leafy inhabitants. Stepping outside, she took in a deep breath when brown eyes caught sight of a familiar flick of blonde hair.

“Sylvia!” Marina called, happiness the gut instinct that followed recognition of her friend. The joy, however, was soon followed by hesitation. Her smile remained but transformed from a full fledged grin to a warm simper that dug dimples into her cheeks.

Another person she would miss. Another person whose company she hadn’t shared quite enough over the past four years. Another person she might never see again - because people always said they would stay in touch, but after three or four letters, sometimes, those promises expired.

Too many melancholy thoughts swirled in her mind. Before she even realised what she was doing, Marina was crossing the gap between Sylvia and herself, arms flung wide open, racing to pull the older girl into a big, friendly, if wistful hug.
Title: Re: The River Flows Boldly On || Sylvia
Post by: Sylvia Renn on 04/05/2018 at 16:05
In past years, Sylvia felt elation upon finishing her exams. A freedom that lifted her lips into a grin that smeared some sort of childish energy across her face, with a bounce in her light step making it almost a skip. She looked forward to the challenge of completing questions confidently, running through her brain to find the answer she knew she poured over for hours beforehand. It was an accomplishment. It was a celebration. It was a successful part of her journey to graduation.

Now, though, Sylvia felt nothing but distress. It was a crawling fear that had started somewhere in her fingers, the ones that gripped her feather quill almost too tight to use, shaking ink across the margins in the last page of her notes. It housed itself deep in her chest, as though it realized she had gotten comfortable with the distant longing for something she'd never have, forcing everything anew.

She took a breath and found it insufficient, taking another as she stared at the sheets of paper with streaks of black blurring the letters. She wasn't sure if it was her writing or just her brain that was scrambled at this point, stretching her aching fingers with a long exhale. Before she could change her mind, Sylvia scooped the mess of parchment into her bag to the join the others, rising from her blanket spread on the lawn.

“Sylvia!”

Turning, Sylvia watched Marina Lamont bound towards her. "Mar-" her polite greeting was cut short as the girl threw her arms around her. Startled, Sylvia quickly looked the Ravenclaw over, worried she might be upset, but Marina wore the same dimpled smile that she always did. Pressing her cheek to the girl's dark hair, Sylvia felt the knot in her chest release the tighter she held Marina close.
Title: Re: The River Flows Boldly On || Sylvia
Post by: Marina Lamont on 04/08/2018 at 22:28
A few things in life could be counted upon as absolute certainties. First, was that exams would always be a drag. Second, was that birds always seemed to sing loudest when the afternoon sun reigned high. Third, was that Sylvia Renn always seemed to smell so nice.

Rina did feel a little bit weird as she drew in a long breath, its purpose to calm a rising tide of emotions swelling within her throat, realising that she was also breathing in the Head Girl's sent, as if some part of her wanted to remember every last detail before the term ended and everything changed. The Ravenclaw made a mental note, also, to make sure she didn't inadvertently do the same with Icarus when the time came to say farewell to him. What a horror it would be if they remembered her as the girl who sniffed goodbye.

This was part of why she hated goodbyes. Emotions made her a directionless mess. She never quite knew how to act, what to say, what to do. If only they didn't need to happen at all, life would be so much simpler.

Her smile faded somewhat as Marina finally pulled away from the hug. It lingered somewhere between a frown and what it had once been for a moment as her eyes studied Sylvia's features. This moment felt so damn final, and that thought, in itself, was paralyzing. Marina wanted nothing more than to shake it off, to make this moment, like those she'd lived with the Hufflepuff, scurrying through the ducts or flying across the Quidditch pitch, easy.

"Any chance you'll fail all your classes and have to come again next year?" She asked with a shrug, features settling now on a sheepish grin.
Title: Re: The River Flows Boldly On || Sylvia
Post by: Sylvia Renn on 04/15/2018 at 05:54
As Marina pulled away, Sylvia almost didn’t want to let go. Like it would be one more thing she would lose. One more thing she would forget. One more thing that she couldn’t have and by Merlin it was unfair there were so many and time was running out. Sylvia released her hold but moved her hands down to the girl’s hands, holding them tightly.

For all the world’s magic, this was the best expression of it, the understanding in both of them as they stood there. A wordless knowledge that they were both worried about the future and saying goodbye. The need to be there and be with each other and just … take it all in.

"Any chance you'll fail all your classes and have to come again next year?"

Sylvia laughed, her face lighting with the simple joy that Marina brought with her. The concern that creased her brow (seemingly perpetually these days) faded with her company, because how could one be upset with Marina grinning at them. Even if it held the same tinge of anxiety that Sylvia had. The finality of it.

The press of time that seemed so infinite years ago now down to large red numbers slowly counting towards zero.

Except, Marina made it seem to slow for a moment. A pause to breathe and appreciate, to move her sharp gaze from Marina’s crown of dark hair to the shape of her lips when she laughed. Sylvia reached up to run her fingers affectionately through the younger girl’s hair, pushing back the mop of it, pressing a light kiss on her brow. “I would,” she admitted, “- if my parents would not ship me off to some private school in Iceland if I did so.”

A smirk. “Any chance you will drop out and have to come with me?”
Title: Re: The River Flows Boldly On || Sylvia
Post by: Marina Lamont on 04/21/2018 at 01:44
Marina had once considered herself immensely lucky to have surrounded herself with so many older friends. Whether it was adrian, pushing her harder on the pitch, or Icarus providing sound insight on why something as ghastly as a slug should ever be ingested through a potion, or Sylvia helping her choose the perfect owl or showing her how to find her way through the castle's ductworks. They had all given her unique perspectives which she'd never be able to properly repay. She'd never get to, once they were all gone.

Now, she wasn't so sure whether her fortune could count as luck. She was doomed to watch them all leave one by one. Adrian had already vanished without saying goodbye. Sylvia, Icarus and Ryan would be leaving in a matter of days. Next would be Felicia's turn to graduate, and then Dorian. Sure, she'd still have Mia and Calvin, but that was such a small amount of best friends compared to what she'd grown used to.

She knew the apprehension, the melancholy rising from the thought that she'd be left behind, lingered just behind her smile. She could feel the same worry in the pressure of Sylvia's fingers holding hers, too, and suddenly Marina found herself picturing her own graduation. Walking out of the castle, knowing she'd never go back, not knowing what came next… It was a terrifying thought that made her fingers squeeze back just before they released, with Sylvia's hands moving to softly push the hair from Marina's face long enough to plant a kiss there.

It was tempting to spread her arms again and pull the Head Girl into yet another hug, but Marina held back. For now.

“Any chance you will drop out and have to come with me?”

"Oh, yes, I like that plan!" She laughed. The words weren't entirely true, given that she'd need to leave everyone else behind, and that didn't seem like a fair compromise. Though it was probably still better than letting Sylvia be shipped off to Iceland.

She could feel her emotions rising, swelling at the back of her throat, and she had to look away for a moment to regain her composure. A fidgety foot gave the ground a soft kick, grounding herself, reminding her nerves that she was in control. The tide passed and Marina was able to once again lift her eyes toward Sylvia's.

"I'll take care of Dorian while you're gone?" She could feel her voice hiking towards a new octave, and tried to save face by giving the sentence a questioning lilt.