And You Are? PV Dymphna Teague Finished

Though the Ravenclaw was truly never alone, Dymphna felt more alone than ever before during her time at Hogwarts. Her dorm mates were always around, chatting groggily over breakfast in the Great Hall and making up stories to tell each other before they fell asleep. There was no doubt that she had any lack of friends spread out between all of the houses but it was easier to fall into place with her fellow Ravenclaw. Still, she didn't know why she was feeling alone when she was constantly surrounded by friends. Maybe it was because she hadn't gotten the chance to see anyone outside of her house in a long while. There had been no adventures for her, only studying and looking forward to the upcoming ball where she would likely go along with a group of single friends. As an eleven year old, dating was much too weird for her. She hadn't even thought of asking anyone, not even when the others giggled and gushed about a ballroom romance.

There were more important things to do. Studying for one. There was a promise she had made to herself after her fainting spell - take breaks, learn to relax. She needed a new hobby. The orchestra was fun but it felt too predictable. Of course she would join after having taken piano lessons back home. Her ballet shoes were hanging up where she had left them in her bedroom. She refused to sing in front of others. Reading for enjoyment was becoming difficult - she couldn't focus. Magic was kind of taking over her life. As a Pureblood, maybe that wasn't such a bad thing to some but she hadn't been raised to think that way. She had gone to a muggle school before, cleaned the house without the use of spells and lived a fairly normal life for a witch up until the arrival of her letter.

Dueling club! Why hadn't she thought of it before? Dymphna had attended one practice duel and it had been the most invigorating experience. Even more so than trying out for Quidditch! Maybe it wasn't that she was lonely, just bored of feeling too normal in a magical society. Yes, she decided, that must be it. There were loud footfalls and noises, something that she went out of her way to avoid as classes let out but she had been too focused on them, literally running into another student. Or he had run into her, either way ow. 

Dymphna rubbed her sore shoulder, adjusting her messenger bag and finally looked to see she had run into. "Sorry, I wasn't paying attention," he wasn't familiar to her at all. With a school so big, it wasn't uncommon to see a new face around but she did pride herself on knowing people. She was involved in a handful of extracurricular activities afterall. "I'm Dymphna." Then she corrected, "Dymph actually." Curse her family for giving her a super traditional name. At least the nickname seemed to stick. "I don't think we've met." Making good first impressions were important to her, if only to be known as a friendly face around school.

The bump caused Sebastian to stumble backward several steps, as he frowned. He managed to hold onto his books, before looking up at the student opposite. She was blonde with blue eyes, dressed in the blue trim of Ravenclaw, and was in the process of rubbing her shoulder - which, Sebastian noted by the dull ache of his chest, was where she had impacted against him. The Irish boy rubbed at the middle of his chest, frown increasing, as he listened to the girl - Dymphna - apologize and introduce herself.

"Apology accepted," Sebastian said simply, his Irish accent obvious, as he brushed the front of his robe as he continued to look at the girl. "Your name is Dymphna? I am Sebastian Leeds, and it's good to run into another from back home. Literally."

Given both students were Irish, it was likely Dymphna would pick up on the correct pronunciation of her name quite readily, considering most other students tended to be British and likely mashed it. That could also have been the reason for shortening it, perhaps. Maybe even a dislike of such a traditional name, resulting in a nickname of sorts, however Sebastian would eat gizzards before being called by one.

"You look like you were perturbed," Sebastian continued, one eyebrow raised, as he noted the messenger bag. "You're attending Hogwarts, surrounded by all of this knowledge and magic... what could possibly be wrong?"

As soon as Sebastian had asked, the boy realized he wished he hadn't. By inquiring he was now opening the door for hearing any problems or issues Dymphna was comfortable discussing, though given they had just met, perhaps she would brush it off. Sebastian had to make sure.

"Actually, it's fine, I don't care," He added quickly, silver-blue eyes glancing toward the nearby intersecting hallway. The crowd was still bustling, which meant he didn't want to venture out there just yet - he had to buy some time. "What do you do? Here, in Hogwarts, I mean."

At his words, Dymphna gave a wide toothy grin. There seemed to be many Irish folk around the castle but she hadn't gotten very close to them which was a shame. No wonder he could pronounce her name correctly. "It is," she agreed, "It's nice to meet you, Sebastian." It was only polite to go in for a handshake. It always made her feel very adult and important to do so.

"Just a lot on my mind, I guess." She shrugged as if it wasn't such a big deal. There was always a lot on her mind, her downfall really. "You obviously haven't met the Whomping Willow." Her friends seemed to get into a lot of trouble, being attacked by various magical creatures on the grounds. Thankfully, she hadn't come face to face with anything of the sort. Why would she want to? Still, it all felt too normal, a little boring. Everyone else had exciting adventures so why hadn't she? Dueling and Quidditch were all she had going for her, though she was only a substitute and hadn't been involved in a match. Maybe she should challenge her rival in Ravenclaw to a duel, that would liven things up a bit.

"Right." He was a stranger afterall. Dymphna didn't expect the boy in green to worry himself over her. Stereotypes but if she shoe fits... "Study, obviously." She wasn't meaning to be so short or crabby with him. Maybe it was because he had been dismissive. "I write for the newspaper," she stood a little taller, proud of her work there. Cooking wasn't one of her skills at all but somehow she had landed the recipes section and interviewed a different Ravenclaw every month. "I'm also on the Quidditch team, a Beater." Substitute, she didn't add. "A few clubs - orchestra, astronomy, dueling, book club." The Ravenclaw liked to keep busy. "What about you? Clubs? Favorite classes?" Why hadn't she seen him around?

Sebastian noted the change in tone, smirking to himself. It was always interesting to see what others were up to in Hogwarts, it allowed him a chance to determine if he was missing out on opportunities to improve. As it was, he hadn't met the Whomping Willow, and decided he would do so at a later point. The mention of clubs piqued Sebastian's interest, especially Dymphna's mention of the dueling group - that was obviously of great interest to the Irish boy, and he immediately wanted to know more.

"I've never much liked Quidditch," Sebastian said, his tone even. "It's always felt like several different games mashed into one, which results in chaos and a hodgepodge of rules... though even I admit I haven't gone out of my way to investigate more, so I might be judging it too harshly. But my first impressions are usually accurate."

He gave a shrug, before he continued.

"My pastimes aren't very exciting," Sebastian scratched at his ear, thinking for a moment. "I study, I seek magical knowledge and improvement, and I practice. My family didn't allow for hobbies, there was too much to learn before attending Hogwarts. Perhaps I can look into some options now that I'm here..."

Inclining his head, Sebastian raised an eyebrow.

"You mentioned the dueling club? Can you tell me more about that?" He asked, his eyes brightening, clearly very interested in learning more...

Stupid Whomping Willow, Dymphna thought. Though she hadn't been there and didn't get a chance to visit her Prefect in the hospital wing, she knew that the damage it had caused had hurt her friends a great deal. Physically and probably mentally as well. They seemed more withdrawn so she hadn't actually been hanging out with them lately. Not even the friends she had made within her own house. Partly her fault too but at least she was studying in public spaces to give them a chance to confront her if they wanted. They hadn't.

"Me either," Honestly Dymphna had never considered herself an athlete. She hadn't been any good at muggle sports at her last school. Swimming was her favorite but she only wanted to do it for fun rather than competition. "It's surprisingly fun. Though I'll agree, a bit chaotic." At least no one had taken a bludger to the head the last match. Who's idea was it to make the balls out of iron anyway? Her eyebrows shot up at that, "Oh really? Go on then, what's your first impression of me?" She missed the chance to do an impressive hair flip, instead standing there with her grip on her messenger bag strap, not feeling at all as confident as she seemed on the outside.

How had this boy not been sorted into Ravenclaw? Wait... "Didn't allow for hobbies," she repeated with a frown. Must be a Pureblood, there had been a surprising amount of Purebloods that seemed to have the world's strictest parents. It made Dymphna more grateful for her own. They were supportive and loving, though strict in their own ways but nothing like some others had described to her. She had gone to a muggle school for Merlin's sake! "Dueling club could be a good hobby to start with," she replied with a smile, noticing his interest. "I haven't participated yet but we get to practice what we learn in classes. On each other." Which was kind of terrifying but of course, they were supervised. "There's also training dummies to start off with."  

The blonde had only been practicing on training dummies but soon she hoped to move on to dueling with an actual person. She didn't want to hurt anyone but the experience was needed. Hands on was just as important as book smarts, so she had learned. As someone who had a wide range of hobbies, Dymphna wanted to help him have a little fun while at Hogwarts. "Is there anything else you're interested in? Something you've always wanted to do but couldn't while at home?" There must've been an awful lot. 

Sebastian inclined his head, as Dymphna asked for his impression of her. There was a moment of pause, as he gave the young girl a glance over, taking in details. He noted the small things, before his silver-blue eyes raised and looked at her own.

"You're intelligent, obviously," Not really a revelation, considering Ravenclaw, but simply a start. Sebastian continued. "You're an academic, primarily, if your studying, newspaper and bag have anything to say about it, but you're also interested in being athletic. Why? Maybe to fit in, maybe to be accepted by both types of students, so you can flow between each group as you require."

He inclined his head, hair falling over his forehead.

"You want to be liked, you want close friends, but you also like solitude and sometimes that means you walk lonely corridors," Sebastian shrugged, eyebrows raised. "I'd guess it's because of the stress you put on yourself with all of your extracurricular activities, so you need that down time. In some ways you're an overachiever, maybe trying to prove something to your peers or to yourself? Either way, judging by the concerned expression you had when we bumped into each other, you're not coping with the balancing act as well as you'd like... and your position on the Quidditch team as a beater probably gives you a good excuse to vent some frustration, otherwise someone as smart as you would be in a more appropriate leadership or tactical spot."

Sebastian stopped, face passive, as he wondered if he should continue... he decided against it. He was bored now, and wanted to talk about the other topics Dymphna had mentioned, which were far more exciting.

"I would really like to see the dueling club," Sebastian said, eyes lighting up. "I have reasons for wanting to excel in dueling, and the sooner I begin the better I'll be. But unfortunately I have pending homework, so perhaps a visit at a later time?"

And thinking on the other prospects for hobbies or activities, Sebastian had to admit that his limited pastime as a child had left him quite clueless about what was on offer. The notion of using time not pursuing improvement was foreign, but he couldn't deny there was a certain draw to get involved in something...

"I... saw my mother knitting once...," Sebastian said slowly, eyes narrowing as he waited for insult. "That looked calming. Maybe even practical. I've also heard students mention gobstones, though I'm not sure what those are, they spoke of the game in a similar manner to chess?"

A blotchy red made it's way onto her face. Perks of being fair skinned. Dymphna felt a little hot at his description, embarrassed but she chose to ignore it. What does he know anyway? Surprisingly a decent amount for only having met her a few minutes ago. However, he had called her intelligent so it was almost like a compliment too. It was true too, that her friends made up a few different social circles and positions of power that she longed to be in but she was busy enough as is.

"Well, that's... quite the assessment." It would likely be obvious to him that she was embarrassed, feeling somewhat awkward that he had figured her out so quickly. Then he continued on and it only frustrated her but she tried to remember that due to his strict upbringing, he probably hadn't socialized much before school. Unless it was with other children that his family deemed worthy? It was only an assumption but one that she would cling to as long as she felt insulted. "I'm not trying to prove anything to anyone," she lied through her teeth, softening her features to try and stop the glare making it's way onto her face. It was her own fault in asking.

He looked blank, Dymphna observed, as though it was so easy for him to read others, like an everyday occurrence. Weird, she thought and let out a breath, calming down in a matter of seconds. It was a good thing that she wasn't like her granny Eithne who would sprout feathers and a beak, spitting fireballs when mad. She had only seen it a few times and it wasn't something she wanted to be on the receiving end of, that's for sure. "Maybe I'll see you there. In Dueling club, I mean."

At the mention of knitting, her face lit up. "Knitting needles," she said to herself, unclasping her bag to shuffle through the various books that she had pressed foliage into, a vial of rose oil, a blue quill and various other trinkets at the very bottom of her bag. She really needed to clean it out and organize more. Her bag had nothing on her untidy desk in Sybil Trelawney dorm however. "Ah," she pulled out a powder blue ball of yarn with knitting needles stuck in. The ball was threatening to unfurl but otherwise it looked exactly as it had the day her nana Caoilfhoinn shoved it into her hands in hopes that she would create something out of it. It turned out that she wasn't exactly the arts and crafts type but maybe Sebastian would find it helpful.

"Here," and just as her nana had done to her, Dymphna shoved it into his hands without waiting for his reply. No thanks necessary. It was one less thing to carry around. "Let me know how you get on." She spared him the horror stories of being gifted yarn for years, the attempts she had made that only ended in a tangled mess each time. It was one failure that didn't actually bother her, having no interest in the art. "Chess is better," she replied easily, enjoying chess much more than the one round of Gobstones she had played. "When you lose, it sprays you with something that smells like a skunk." It might very well be a skunk. Gross. "Do you play chess?" She wondered if he was any good.

Sebastian felt quite proud of himself, arms crossing as he smiled at Dymphna. Judging by her reaction most of what he had said had been somewhat accurate, and his observant gaze caught the reddening of her face. Still, despite only speaking for a number of minutes, Sebastian couldn't deny that he was beginning to like the Ravenclaw girl; she had a pleasant manner, was smart enough to hold an interesting conversation, and seemed to know quite a bit about Hogwarts and what it had to offer.

She was also Irish, which was good to hear again.

Following some less than convincing statements about her social life, Dymphna surprised Sebastian by opening her bag and producing a ball of yarn complete with knitting needles. Before the boy could speak, the items were thrust into his arms, which he unfolded just in time, blinking.

"Uh," Sebastian looked down, cupping the yarn so it didn't unfurl. "Thanks? I... I'll make something. Something practical. And I'll show you."

For another moment Sebastian was confused; no one had given him a gift before, not even his parents had offered things for less than some display of effort. It was... different. Nice different. Still, the boy couldn't accept something without offering another thing in return, wanting to avoid owing anyone anything.

I know just the thing...

Reaching into his own bag, Sebastian rummaged around briefly, before producing a finely crafted, well-maintained quill. He offered the item, nodding solemnly, wiggling the feather to make Dymphna take it.

"Here, a self-inking quill," Sebastian said. "Useful for someone writing articles, I'd imagine."

The discussion changed to gobstones, which sounded horrid after Dymphna mentioned what happened to losers. Then she asked about chess, which caused Sebastian to shrug.

"I know how to win in chess," He said, putting the yarn held in one arm into the bag at his side. "My father ensured I never played, so much as systematically disabled my opponents to secure victory... his words, obviously."

Sebastian raised an eyebrow.

"Would you like to play sometime?"

Dymphna was certainly growing on him. Sebastian wanted to know a little more.

"So, Dymphna, who are your family and what do they do?"

So now it was his turn to be surprised. Dymphna smirked at him, glad to have caught him off guard. "You're welcome," she replied politely, "Please do. I'm not sure what you'll be able to make with that little amount. I was never any good at it." If he found that he enjoyed it, she would have to write home to let her parents know so they could send more - she had an entire desk drawer full of yarn just wasting away because her nana didn't know when to give up.

Once again, the Ravenclaw found herself to be speechless, though earlier she had somehow found her voice through her anger and frustration. However, now she found herself staring at the quill in his hand a little too long. "This is - are you certain?" When he wiggled the feather, she reached out to take it gently, a smile making it's way to her lips. "I didn't give you a gift so you'd have to give me one in return, you know." Then realizing that she hadn't even thanked him yet in her surprise, she quickly added, "Thank you. It'll definitely come in handy." Instead of shoving it into her bag for it to get caught in whatever mess she had made there, she placed it snugly behind her ear. Probably not her best look but she didn't want to risk ruining the first gift she had received at Hogwarts. 

"Ah, I see," Dymphna replied as if she understood anything about his home life. "I thought my dad was joking when he said you could win in only a few moves." It didn't surprise her at all that he knew how to win, probably without even breaking a sweat. She pretended to think for a moment at his question. Would she like to play? Pfft, of course! "As long as you promise to explain to me exactly how you win while you're kicking my butt."

Oh, that question! That was the one that everyone seemed to ask, students or adults alike. She didn't quite get why it mattered so much, though her mother's job was impressive and to be respected in her eyes. Something that she hoped to go into when she was older. "Kind of a loaded question. My families a big one - dad works in a museum and mom works at St. Mungo's." She had dropped the mommy, not wanting Sebastian to think that she was a child. "What about your parents?" Realizing that he might not want to talk about them, she added, "You don't have to tell me if you don't want to."