All we need is a lion PV Willow Anderson ReOpen

Interacting with @Mars T'ien

Willow had taken to going on morning walks as soon as curfew broke almost immediately after she came to Hogwarts. It was a comfort that reminded her of home. Watching the daybreak and the world wake up as she did. Generally she had a different flavor of tea every morning with her to aid her in continuing to wake up. It gave her a routine to hold onto, some sort of normalcy where she could pretend that she was just a muggle. Something that she had been clinging onto desperately as the swirling thoughts and confusion continued to pile up around who she was as a wizard.

There were a couple people that were familiar, fellow morning walkers. Some were frequent, nearly every day like her. Some more infrequent. Occasional walkers when their thoughts plagued them and they needed to breath in some fresh air before starting the day. The fresh air always seemed to be a pure fuel for Willow. Filling her up like the most delightful hot air balloon. However much air she got this morning would drift her through the day until she landed in her hammock for the night.

This morning, her mug firmly grasped between her hands to keep them warm from the chilly nip of November she spotted someone that was one of the infrequent walkers. Willow felt particularly talkative this morning, and this person always seemed particularly lonely. But, weren't they all? Wandering as if they were lost and the morning fog would guide them to where they needed to be? She bounced over to the person, unfamiliar. An excitement filled her at the thought of making a new friend. Her right hand already fishing out some friendship bracelets to offer to the person.

"Hi there! I'm Willow. Would you like a friendship bracelet?" A bright, genuine smile was settled onto her face. Her smile always seemed like it belonged there, without it there was just something off about Willow.

@Willow Anderson
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It took Mars a couple of moments to process what was going on. A girl—a Hufflepuff—with a smile bright enough to kill was offering them a friendship bracelet at 6:15 in the morning. They needed to go back to sleep. They obviously were hallucinating.

But even after a few moments and more than one rapid set of blinks, the witch was still there. Mars shifted on the rock beneath them. Okay, so this wasn't a dream. Or a joke by the looks of her. There was already something infectious about her smile, some quality in the pearly whites that just screamed integrity. Or maybe naivety. One or the other.

Mars raised an eyebrow at her, bending their knee into their chest so they could rest their hands on top of it.

"Willow, hmm?" they mused, "And do you usually go around at 6 AM offering strangers bracelets?" The tone was light and joking, with a jagged edge of exhaustion. It was something they hadn't used in a long time, not since—that wave of homesickness drenched over their skin again and they shivered. Not since they'd last seen their brothers.

Taking a good look at Willow again, they could start to see the gentle similarities. That smile, the friendly attitude, the innocent look on her face, everything about her seemed to scream at Mars to protect. Protect her like they would one of their own. But they ignored it. The Hufflepuff really didn't need them doting on her. Mars really didn't need another person to dote on. It was dangerous, valuing people.

They sighed. Forget about it. It's always better to forget about it, those events in life you wish had never happened. Pretend for long enough and you might start to believe it.

Mars leveled a smile in her direction. "Mars," they mentioned, "Nice to meet you." The wix glanced at the Badger's right hand where a pile of bracelets lay. It—couldn't hurt, right? "Sure, I'll take one."

Interacting with @Mars T'ien

With their reaction, someone might've thought that Mars might've seen a ghost or just something peculiar in general. Their rapid blinks and blatant confusion didn't seem to through Willow off, her bright smile still pasted onto her face. "I mean, I do usually go around offering strangers bracelets in general. At lunch, in the library, in the halls, in my common room. They're a great way to make friends! But, I can confirm that you are the first person to get one so early in the morning. So, congratulations I suppose!" She was as bright and cheery as the early rising sun was that was slowly making its way up into the bright blue sky. Some may call it blinding, she simply saw it as her way of existing through this complicated world of Wizardry. Wear a bright smile, and they'll never catch onto your struggling.

Willow tucked away the bracelets once they had chosen one. "Mars, it is a delight to meet you~ I actually have been waiting for someone to take that one. So you've made a good choice." She moved to sit next to them on the rock, not waiting for an invitation. "So Mars, I don't usually see you around in the morning. I do walks like every day, and you start to get familiar with who is a normal early bird like me. You don't seem like the type though. What's got you out of your dorm today? Not that you have to talk about it if you don't want to, I just know that sometimes it makes things better when you have a friend to talk to. And now that you have a friendship bracelet, that makes us friends." Her eyes had a small hint of concern, genuine at least, albeit a bit intrusive right away.

@Willow Anderson
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Hmm. Mars let out a tired laugh, thumbing at the bracelet Willow had just given them. Shades of red mixed with hints of black and gray colored the soft threads, all arranged in an intricate pattern. Honestly, Mars had neither the time nor the patience to do something like this, so it was impressive in its own right. They eyed the string for a moment and then extended it to Willow once again.

"Mind helping me tie this on?" They displayed their right wrist, robed hiking up on clear skin. Hoping she'd say yes, they wondered whether or not to answer her question truthfully. It didn't seem like she'd had much of an experience with insomnia or maybe even hardship in general (at surface level). They'd hate to spoil such a light.

"Ah, just couldn't sleep is all. Besides, it's kinda nice out here in the morning," they said. Not a lie, certainly. Just not quite the whole truth. After all, the best lies had some element of truth to them. They sighed, sitting back as much as they could while balancing on a rock. They glanced back at Willow, the sight of her face already pulling at the corners of their lips. Finally, they succumbed, flashing a soft smile at the girl.

"Couldn't imagine making this a daily thing though. You're quite impressive, hmm?"

When was the last time they'd felt such an automatic pull towards someone? It was the likeness to their brothers, the innocence, and overwhelming positivity that clashed so heavily with their own probably. Who knew, they'd only just met. Ah, but there was the one time, no?

Mars let out a half-chuckle. Kinda funny that it was the exact same situation now, sitting on this rock in the Courtyard to meet some random Hufflepuff. It seemed like they attracted badgers like moths to a flame. Or maybe it was just the nature of the house. If only they'd brought their guitar, then this would have been perfect.

What was it again that they and @Phoenix Lyre had found? They couldn't quite remember. Humming slightly at the memory, they made to turn back to Willow. A small rustle of the grass beside them startled them instead.

Interacting with @Mars T'ien

A small surprised "Oh" escaped her lips when they asked for help tying it on. Normally people quickly tucked it away for her to never see them again. But Mars wanted it on right away. She happily obliged and tied the bracelet on comfortably, nimble fingers making quick work of it. Willow sat back on the rock they were both comfortably perched on watching the morning haze slowly lift up from the ground and dissipate into the early morning air.

Her head nodded slightly in response to not being able to sleep. "I get that. I have never slept away from my parents before Hogwarts. When I first came here I couldn't sleep really at all. It's hard to sleep when you already feel like you're dreaming. Luckily it's gotten better so I'm not tired all the time." She looked over at them with a smile that almost looked sad, it didn't quite reach her eyes. But she quickly flustered when Mars called her impressive.

Her hands came up to wave off the statement. "Oh no, no. I wouldn't call it that. I just used to do it with my family before school every morning. We'd wake up, take a little walk and meditate. So when I walk in the mornings it kind of feels like I'm still doing it with them, because I know they're doing it at home too. I'm more just... trying to keep routine I guess. I'm afraid of forgetting home or something. Even though I know that it's kind of impossible." She shrugged, a small sigh leaving her lips. She opened her mouth to talk again but heard something behind them. Her head lazily turned to see if it was someone else joining them, but came up short. "Did you hear something or am I crazy?"

@Willow Anderson
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It's hard to sleep when you already feel like you're dreaming. Mars blinked. Huh, that was a good way to put this, wasn't it? The wizarding world really did feel like a dream, sometimes a nightmare, but still a dream nonetheless. They smiled at her, glad for the little grain of insight. But looking... there was something in her eyes, or rather a lack of something, a smile that didn't seem really.

It was shocking how much they hated it, every part of their being telling them it wasn't right. They'd just met the girl and yet, they were struck with an uncanny need to get rid of whatever it was causing her pain.

Luckily though, before they could get too lost down that train of thought, Willow continued on, talking about her family. They were struck with how deeply she seemed to love them. It was akin to the way they loved their brothers, strong and fast and furiously. The bit of respect they already had for her only grew.

"Mediate, hmm?" they teased a bit, before their eyes softened gently, "For what it's worth, you don't seem like someone who'd forget."

At the sound of the rustle, they followed Willow's head turn. Frowning, they peered into the distance, trying to see if it was someone playing a practical joke. Maybe the wind?

"Not unless we both are," they replied, furrow in their brow growing a bit. Finding nothing though, they turned back to Willow, smoothing out their features. "It was probably nothing. Just the wind or some small creatur—"

A snake slithered up the rock and bumped into them. Mars stifled their gasp of delight.

Interacting with @Mars T'ien

Willow's nose crinkled up at their slight teasing tone, sticking out her tongue. "I guess you're right. A few months away is an awfully short time to make me forget my family, especially when they're my favorite people in the whole world." She stretched her arms out wide for emphasis that she really did mean the whole world. Talking with Mars felt oddly easy, it didn't feel like they had just met. Rather they were two long time friends that were having an early morning chat. Maybe that was just Willow's easygoing nature sticking out a bit, but she sensed something different in them. A small smile couldn't be wiped off her face as she settled into feeling like she had a new friend.

The young badger couldn't help but jump up slightly at the sight of a snake, not that she was afraid, but rather delightfully surprised. "Oh! Its a little friend!" She fully sat up, crossing her legs and leaning down to get a better look at the cute little snoot. All kinds of animal handling safety out of the window. "Hiya little guy! What 'cha up to?" She looked up at Mars, her grin brighter than before. "What house are you? Because we're either missing an eagle or a lion to make this meeting fully representative of all house." She giggled, more to herself at her own joke, quietly before looking back at the snake.

"Do you think this is a magical snake? Or just like... a muggle type snake?" Since they didn't have Care of Magical Creatures as an option until 3rd year, Willow truly was lost on how to classify animals as muggles or wizards. "Can snakes do magic? That would be pretty cool, but they don't have arms to hold a wand." Her eyebrows furrowed together at this very real, serious conundrum that she was facing.