May I Pick Your Mind? Finished

Katrina had her sketchbook open on the table. It was a brief sketch of a house elf she had spotted once. It was super vague and one of her worse drawings. She had a collection of pencils in her satchel and she was adding detail to the apron on it. Once again, the Gryffindor wasn't hungry. Instead she focused on the doodle.

"Magic really is amazing, isn't it?" A boy beside her spoke out. No one was looking at him but it seemed like he was looking for a conversation. "What do you think about enchantments? Are you interested in them?"

Katrina looked up at him. "Ya, The lion looked up at the roof. If only she could produce that level of expertise. They are cool," Once again she focused on her soon-to-be-masterpiece.

Only a few months ago you wouldn't see Katrina. She was a quiet girl. No one would have given her a second glance. After the horrors of the Masked Ball, she realized that there was an opportunity for her to speak out like she had in elementary muggle school. Over the Christmas Break, Katrina had changed completely. She delivered presents, initiated conversations, and eliminated her stutter. A lot had changed. People began to recognize the teal streak in her hair. Katrina was the girl who's parents had perished in a fire last March. Practically the entire school knew about her now, as gossip about that spread quickly.

Katrina looked at the boy again. "I hope at some point I could do things like that." She paused before introducing herself, fully aware that he would most likely know the story that went with her name, 'The girl who's parents died in a fire'. "I'm Walker. Katrina Walker. And you are?"

Flash smiled broadly, glad to have tasted success so swiftly. He was bemused that he caught the attention of a Gryffindor nearby, seated as far away from the Gryffindor table as possible. He momentarily shifted his attention away from the young Slytherin, but the situation had actually tipped in his favor. Easing someone into a conversation was easier with a group. One could feel less pressured to think of what to say next when they knew someone else could take up the mantle if they lost their train of thought. He saw the girl noticed his question, but must have assumed he was talking to the lion with a sketchbook.

She was older than him, even stranger that she sat in the wrong area, but there weren't many people around, so it was unlikely that she would be told to change seats. Perhaps there was a reason she was avoiding her cohorts. Regardless, he knew the first year Slytherins, at least mostly, through both exposure to them in the common room as well as keeping track of their names as the were read out by the sorting hat. He wouldn't admit it, but he knew he was currently sitting across from Opeila Selun. The other houses and other years were still a complete mystery to him.

"I'm Flash Holmwood, it's a pleasure Miss Walker." Flash resisted the urge to put his hand out to shake. This wasn't a business transaction. "What do you think its use is? Do you think it's merely aesthetic, or does it create some effect on the students?"

Flash looked over to Opeila, long enough to catch her eye and see that she was listening. He had to keep the topic open, invite more discussion. He had a thought and tapped his finger on the table pointed towards Katrina's sketchbook. "Perhaps it's meant to be inspiring?"

@Katrina Walker @Opeila Selun

Opeila hadn't been very hungry when she finished her Defense against the Dark Arts lesson, but she still felt like she should go to the Great Hall and at least socialize a little.
She had been very broody the last few weeks, often impolite, and definitely not the best company. She still thought about the Valentine's tea. Did Ruka and her really look like two people who could be a couple? She had never thought of that Gryffindor boy in this way, she admired his strength and the way he had gone through the many traumatizing things he had to go through in life, but that was all. He was good company and a good friend to her. No need to waste another thought on the suggestion of the Flying teacher.
In the end she sat at the Slytherin table alone and just ate a few grapes, looking at the enchanted ceiling of the great hall. Currently it was just a cloudy, grey sky, fitting her rather grey mood. She didn't feel sad, but she didn't feel happy either. Right now, Opeila just wanted to go back to her dorm and hide under her blanket.
She wanted this day to end.

The Slytherin almost didn't realize, that a boy sat down oppsite her. He glanced up as well. Opeila looked at the boy, sure that she had never met him before. He now said that magic was amazing, and asked Opeila if she was interested in enchantments.
"Magic is amazing. Sometimes.", she said, not really sure what she should think of those questions. "And enchantments can be very useful, I guess, but I don't trust them. I think, there is always a bad side to them. People, who abuse them."

Then a Gryffindor girl answered the boy's questions as well and introduced herself as Katrina Walker. Opeila remembered her from the rehearsal room, where they played christmas songs together. Where did she come from? Opeila was confused. Why would the girl sit down at the Slytherin table? Was she fed up with her housemates?
Her looke fell on the lion's sketchbook. She was drawing something that looked like a houself.
The Slytherin boy introduced himself as Flash Holmwood. Opeila remembered that she had heard this name at the sorting before. "Opeila Seilun", she just said.
Holmwood now asked, what the use of the enchanted ceiling might be. If it was meant to inspire.
Opeila shrugged. "I sometimes find it rather annoying. When it rains, for example."

Flash was able to engage both of the girls in conversation, which was half of the battle. Neither of them had turned out the be the wistful, dreamy type of introvert he had expected. He had to remember that he was in a wizarding school that housed all kinds of people, not a stuffy private school populated by entitled rich kids.

Rather than that, they both sounded a bit downtrodden and worn out. Opiela talked like she was ready to find the downside of anything that came her way, which wasn’t helped by the gloomy atmosphere. Flash would have to brighten up the conversation without being too whimsical or patronizing.

“I can see what you mean. Enchantments seem so permanent, it is a bit intimidating.” Flash tried to watch their faces carefully to gauge their reaction without making too much eye contact. “But there’s good ones, like the one that keeps girls out of the boy’s dormitory.”

Flash leaned in. He hadn’t attended himself, but he was able to glean some information about the Valentine’s Day party from Jack Burnett. If he was right, it was sure to illicit a much more amusing response.

“But you girls aren’t interested in any boys, right?”

Katrina looked up as another girl chimed into the conversation. She was another Slytherin. The girl seemed a little down and Katrina wondered why. Then something unbelievably embarressing happened.

Katrina looked down the table and noticed that she was sitting at the wrong table! Some people mingled between tables, but they all stood, not sit at the table. She almost smacked her head. She had come in from a different side than normal and gotten all mixed up. Her face reddened and she quickly packed up her things. Then the girl spoke again.

Opeila Seilun, Katrina thought they had met at the impromtu christmas rehersal a few weeks back. But she wasn't perfectly certain. Again, the lioness debated returning to her table, but they were chatting quite nicely. And no one seemed to notice her. Katrina promised herself that when food came, she would sneak to the Gryffindor table. For now, she sat there.

The conversation about enchantments continued and Katrina began debating. It had been a while back when she and Bridget had found the mirror of Erised. When the images of her deceased parents appeared on it's surface, she realized just how hurtful enchantments could be. Even now, her thoughts would occasionally circle to it and she had to force herself to think of other things.

"Yes, some enchantments are definately dangerous," Katrina couldn't help but shiver slightly at the memories that had resurfaced once more.

The boy, Flash? Continued to ask if she was interested in boys. The question wasn't at her, but she still quirked her head. What an odd question to randomly ask to a practical stranger. She began wondering about it. No, she defiantly wasn't one to sneak into the boy's dormitory. But a small part of her had to admit that she did have somepuppy-love feelings for one boy. Katrina mentally shook that from her mind.

She let out a small scoff, "No, I would never go into a boys dormitory," Katrina paused for a second then added, "Besides, the stink coming out of the Gryffindor boys dormitory is enough to keep any person with a functional nose away," she grinned slightly, remembering a conversation she had, had about the same topic a few days ago.

Opeila chuckeled, when Flash said, that there were good enchantments, like the one, that kept the girls out of the boys dorms.
"Actually, I think that one is only so it seems like there are the same rights for everyone. I know, that in times of Harry Potter here, the girls could enter the boys dorms, because they were seen as more trustable. But yeah, I guess those enchantments make sense."

Flash then asked if the girls were interested in any boys. Opeila tilted her head a little, still not sure what to think about her housemate. "I am actually. But not in a romantic way. One of my dormmate is though." Opeila smirked a little when she remembered Amy Hayes, blushing when she talked about a certain Gryffindor, Lycan Grey. "Are you boys interested in any girls?"

A little amused she watched the Gryffindor, who now seemed to realize, that this wasn't the right table. The girl turned red and quickly packed her stuff. Opeila reached over the table and turned the sketch around, before the girl could pack it. "That is really good. Have you seen one here? It seems to me like they are hiding."
The Slytherin grinned, when the Gryffindor talked about the stink coming from the boys dorms. "Uh, I agree. I feel like most boys forgot their deodorant."

@Flash Holmwood @Katrina Walker

Both the the girls were lightening up, engaging in the conversation, but it seemed they weren’t the type to think about boys or relationships much either. It wasn’t too much of a surprise, given their age. Flash had always been told by his mother that love as a preteen was fleeting and silly. He agreed with his mother, having witnessed the absolute terror of his brother Darius’ love life first hand. All kinds of girls, each one being ‘the one’, and each being unable to reconcile with his bratty, stubborn behavior. Once he even dated a girl just like him, and the hurricane of bickering they left in their wake was a pain in everyone’s side. All of it had been for nothing, as at 27-years-old he was still a hopeless bachelor.

”Are any of you boys interested in girls?” Opeila said back.

”Absolutely not…” Flash said a little too quickly, ”Well, there are plenty who are, but it’s a bit silly.” There was a word he read in a book recently that he wanted to use-- frivolous-- but he wasn’t sure yet if he understood it right. Love is frivolous He thought, thinking it sounded rather smart. He would have to look up the meaning later.

The two of the girls swapped a good laugh at the expense of badly smelling boys. It wasn’t a blow unearned, Flash had always lamented that the boy’s lavatory smelled extremely foul despite it being cleaned often. He would gladly become a prefect just to use their facilities instead. At the private school he attended before Hogwarts as well, the boys had managed to foul it up a great deal, but the Slytherin dormitory, at least the one he was in, was thankfully saved from this cursed fate. It did make Flash chuckle to himself to think that the Gryffindor boys had a stench beyond saving.

Flash himself had hit puberty the year before, and was taught by his sister Marius, of all people, to always keep clean and wear deodorant and a small droplet of perfume, unless he wanted his presence to offend. He knew there were quite a few young wizards who were still awaiting that hurdle, talking about it like it was some kind of magical enchantment itself. Besides a few minor growing pains, Flash couldn’t tell what all the commotion about it was.

”As an ambassador for boys everywhere, I humbly apologize.” Flash joked, knowing their accusations were mostly in the spirit of playful ribbing. Having just showered using the products that Marius had picked out for him, he knew he must have smelled perfectly adequate. ”Though I don’t want to speak for my older brother. He’s a lost cause. Not like my sister, who has a saint’s patience.”

Before being able to catch himself, he started reminiscing about his family. He underestimated how much he was going to miss them.

@Katrina Walker

Katrina realized that the conversation had continued without her and she looked back over to the sea of red clothes. She looked down at the sketchbook and stuffed it in her bag. People had almost completely filed into the room and she felt like she stood out all too much.
“Sorry to interrupt the conversation… but I’d better get back to my people. Besides, I do not want to be known as ‘the girl who sat at the wrong table’. It was nice to meet both of you. Enjoy dinner!”
Katrina smiled and made her way quietly over to the table of lions. She slipped on the end of the bench and looked down. She was still quite red from the embarrassment of sneaking across the room. She looked back at the two Slytherins still talking.
She hoped it wasn’t rude to just leave like that. In her heart, she still intended on meeting them again. They seemed like pleasant people to be around. It had been too long since anyone had just started a conversation. It even seemed longer since she had enjoyed the conversation.
Katrina tucked her notebook deeper into her bag and closed the top. There would be time to finish the sketch later.

Katrina Walker Leaves Thread

Opeila grinned amused when Flash answered a little too quickly and then added, that plenty others were but it was silly.
She nodded slowly, still grinning. "Okay..."

Katrina got up and apologized for interrupting. It seemed to really embarass her that she sat at the wrong table. It was no big deal though, was it? Opeila had seen Jack Burnett sitting at the Gryffindor table multiple times, probably because of Ruka.
She smiled at the girl. "Alright then, see you around!", she said.

Flash apologized for bad smelling boys and then said, that his brother, other than his sister, was a lost cause. Opeila chuckled.
"I think my sister-" The Slytherin froze for a second. What did she just do? Why was she thinking about Maybell now, who she hadn't seen in years? "I-if I had one, would probably be just as bad." She smiled. Wow. This was a very poorly overplayed. "So you've got a brother and a sister? That must be a full house you live in. Or are they here in Hogwarts as well?", she asked her housemate.
She didn't only want to distract him from her little mistake there, she was also really interested to hear something of his family.

@Flash Holmwood