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 Posted: Thu Feb 26, 2015 3:17 pm
 Nahuel sat in silence in a corner not far from the tunnel entrance to the Hufflepuff common room. He had been in there earlier but it had gotten so noisy and loud that he had retreated from the crowd to find a spot more to his liking.
He was surprised no one else had found this spot or made use if it before now. It was well light from the small windows near the top of the wall and dry and warm as well. If the weather had been nicer he would have gone outside, it was actually a rather nippy windy day.
So he sat behind a barrel of pumpkin juice nibbling on a piece of dried fruit and read through his Herbology textbook and took notes. There was some sort of hands on test that was going to happen on Thursday and he really wanted to be prepared for it. If he hadn't found this lovely corner for studying he probably would have gone mad from the noise in the common room. Not to mention he would have probably never been able to concentrate at all.
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Posted: Thu Feb 26, 2015 4:33 pm
 Nahuel wasn't the only one who had to be selective over their spots due to the weather outside. Basil had already been out, hoping to study some of his own Herbology notes (riddled with his infamous couplets of course), but the wind had been in a playful mood and was more than happy to tear the pages from his hands and scatter them to all four corners of the castle grounds. Even now he wasn't sure if he had gotten them all, which caused him to be seized by a raw panic thinking that a vital page might be missing, it's shreds lining the nest of a bird or serving as gnawing practice for some student's rat.
Papers now clutched to his chest in the haphazard way he had gathered them, Basil was now making all speed to his common room area, thinking perhaps he could reorganize his notes in the non-breezy comfort of his own sleeping quarters. He could already imagine being settled in, the noise from the common area a faint hum in the distance and the mischievous breeze knocking irritably against the castle's time-worn walls. Before he realized what had happened, he found himself suddenly tripping and falling forward. He put out a hand to catch himself, and the impact of his body on the stone floor sent his notes flying outward in an explosion of leafy drawings and meticulous poems. More startled than hurt, Basil looked around at the disastrous mess he had made, then looked around to see if anyone else had seen.
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Posted: Thu Feb 26, 2015 4:43 pm
Nahuel's concentration was interrupted by a loud thud and then there were pages falling down all around him. He picked up one of the pages and was surprised to see a rather intricate drawing of a leaf. He laid his book down, putting a marker in it so not to lose his spot, and then stood up glanced around to see who might have dropped the pages.
He spotted a dark headed boy glancing around to see if anyone had seen his disastrous fall. Nahuel almost didn't want to reveal himself to the other boy, but figured he would want his papers back. From the look of it there were a lot of more pages that would need to be gathered up as well.
"You lost this I believe," Nahuel spoke softly. "Would you like some help gathering the others up?"
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Posted: Thu Feb 26, 2015 4:56 pm
Startled by the sudden voice, Basil looked around, not seeing the other right away. Of course, he WOULD fall in view of someone; such was the luck of someone who just wanted to be overlooked by everyone. He almost wondered if it might be a ghost; he hadn't seen very many, but he knew that there were some that wandered about the school as though they were still in attendance, or like the infamous Slytherin house ghost, were there for what he perceived to be no good reason than just make the place that much more exciting and dangerous.
Hoisting himself up to a kneeling position, he gave up trying to find the speaker and instead focused on gathering up his papers, looking down at the strewn floor and muttering. "I'm s-so sorry; I d-didn't mean......I just t-tripped. If it's n-not too much trouble, c-can you....?" In spite of his panicked brain churning out his usual stammering replies, he had sense enough to thank his lucky stars that it was merely his incomprehensible herbology notes scattered around the hallway, and not one of his stories.
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Posted: Thu Feb 26, 2015 5:08 pm
Nahuel could see the other looked rather puzzled where the voice had come from and realized that he was only an inch taller than the barrel he had been sitting behind. Which meant only his hair was showing. With a small chuckle He stepped from behind the barrel and picked up a few papers as he made his way over to the other boy.
He almost didn't even hear the words the other boy muttered as he was picking up his papers it was so low. All he really heard was the last bit.
"Oh it's no trouble, I did offer if you recall." Nahuel replied with a slight smile. "I'm Nahuel by the way, what's your name?"
Nahuel gathered up the pages, smoothing them out and handing them over. He had no idea what sort of order they might go in so he decide to let the other boy figure that out.
"So you like to write and draw then?"
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Posted: Thu Feb 26, 2015 5:25 pm
Basil watched as the other emerged from behind the barrel; so it was a real person after all and no ghost. He felt a measure of relief, even though it crossed his mind that he didn't know who this person was. He looked vaguely familiar, but he wouldn't know if it came from seeing him in his own common room, or at the dining hall at another table, or even in class..... The last one struck a chord, and he found himself nodding an affirmative; he had a few classes with him, including Herbology.
Returning his attention to picking up the papers, he winced at the inevitable question; how he hated his name! Why couldn't he have a nice name, like Nahuel...it sounded almost musical. He could easily imagine using it in one of his stories. "My n-name is.......Basil. Th-thanks for your help." At least now that his original startle was gone, he could feel his stutter start to recede, even if it didn't sound it to someone else. He took the offered papers and looked at them, noting his meticulously drawn illustrations and the strings of poems marching across the pages, aids in remembering properties, names, and side effects. "More writing than d-drawing. I take.....odd n-notes."
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Posted: Thu Feb 26, 2015 6:03 pm
Nahuel saw the other boy wince at his question which made him wonder if he might not like his name all that much. He could hear a sort of stutter in how he was speaking and felt kind of bad about startling him. He remembered now that he had seen Basil in the Hufflepuff common room scribbling away furiously a few weeks earlier. He wondered what he had been working on then.
"You are welcome Basil. I'm glad I could be of some help." Nahuel replied, and glanced closer at the next page he picked up. He was surprised to see that it was notes on herbology, but in poem form. What an interesting way to try and remember the information.
"These are really cool, not odd. I wish I was more creative when it comes to taking notes. Maybe I wouldn't day dream as much." Nahuel admitted.
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Posted: Thu Feb 26, 2015 6:10 pm
If only Nahuel knew...... every time Basil heard his name uttered, it reminded him of his mother; the one who had wronged his family so, his father more than anyone. He could only imagine how different it would have been if his mother had been a lady of honor, who saw his dad for who he really was, and not what he could do......he might have worn his name with pride, and to the deepest pits of Sheol with her being a muggle. But it hadn't turned out that way, and his name in all it's oddness shamed him.
"I'm usually not so c-clumsy," he said with an apologetic smile. "I just r-remember them better this way." He tilted his head at the last remark, venturing a shy opinion. "Perhaps......you j-just need a different way of studying too?" He of all people knew that the standard ways of taking notes and studying didn't work for everyone; maybe he just needed something that would help him memorize things the way his couplets did for him.
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Posted: Thu Feb 26, 2015 6:39 pm
Nahuel still didn't understand why Basil was apologizing for his tripping. "Everyone has off days, even graceful people." Nahuel replied with a smile. "I probably would remember it easier if i could come up with cunning sayings like these." Nahuel told him glancing over another couplet of Basil's.
It was about a passage that he had been trying to memorize from the herbology book and it hadn't stuck until now. He was really needed to figure out a way to convince Basil to let him use his notes for studying for the test. Perhaps there was a way he could trade something for it.
"I am wondering what would you say to letting me study off your notes? I could offer a trade of sorts. I like to whittle animals, are there any animals you'd like a wood carving of?"
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Posted: Thu Feb 26, 2015 6:49 pm
"I suppose they do." Basil said offhandedly, not even noticing that it was the first sentence he had said in this conversation without stuttering. He was genuinely surprised that the other found his notes remotely useful; most people had a hard time wrapping their minds around the couplets and thought it would be easier to just memorize basic facts. Of course they thought otherwise when their grades returned and their marks were not as impressive as their professed knowledge on studying. It wasn't as though Basil used magic or any method of cheating; he just found this easier and more liable to stick in his mind, which was already swirling with rolls of poems, scripts and story-lines.
Then he was downright shocked at the other's proposal; not only did he understand the method, but he wanted to use it for himself. That didn't happen very often, and seldom enough for him to be genuinely surprised when they asked at all. "S-sure! You can use them. I d-do still need them for class, but you're w-welcome to copy them down for yourself." He had no hesitation about what he would want in return when the other asked about wood carvings. "C-can you carve a swan? A nice one w-with it's wings all spread out?"
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Posted: Thu Feb 26, 2015 7:24 pm
Nahuel was glad when he heard that Basil's stutter had disappeared. It meant he was relaxing and getting comfortable around him. Which was what he had hoped for. Perhaps they could even be chums as the brits in the school would say.
There were a lot of odd sayings that he still didn't understand; he had been raised in South America with his Mapuche Indian relatives and his Bulgarian Romanian born mother. That's probably why people looked at him so oddly when he muttered in his father's tongue. They didn't know he wasn't doing some sort of spell but just talking in general.
He could see his proposal actually shocked Basil. He was relieved when Basil responded eagerly to his trade idea. "Thanks so much, I do so appreciate it. I could definitely do a swan, those aren't too hard. I will have to find a good piece of wood though. Do you have any preference on wood type?"
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Posted: Thu Feb 26, 2015 7:41 pm
Slowly but surely, Basil was starting to grow more at ease as he collected the last paper and carefully shuffled them into a less messy pile. Now that he realized that Nahuel was in his class, he also remembered that he was part of his house. At least he could be more sure than usual about the other's sincerity. Still, better his Herbology notes than one of his stories.
He pondered a little, then shook his head. "I don't really m-mind what sort of wood you use. I just want a swan." He could already picture it in his head; a nice swan figure to look at and inspire him when he was writing his stories. He could keep it in his trunk with the stories, standing silent vigil over them until he was ready to take them out and show them to the world....IF he ever did.
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Posted: Thu Feb 26, 2015 7:54 pm
Nahuel was glad to see the pile of papers were all gathered up. "Well at least your papers are all gathered up, now you just have to get them in order. "
Nahuel watched Basil as he pondered his question. he was surprised that he wasn't sure what type of wood he used. Most times people had ideas of what type of wood he should use. At least this way he could take his time to figure it out. "All right, it may take some time to find a big enough piece to make a swan with it's wings out like that. Which may take a week or more. I wonder if a piece of drift wood would work. I'll have to check around the Black Lake there may be something usable there." He mused more to himself.
"Would you let me look over your notes after dinner? From the smells wafting from the kitchen I'd say it's not too far off now." Nahuel commented sniffing the luscious smell of baking rolls and roasted meat.
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Posted: Thu Feb 26, 2015 8:12 pm
Basil nodded and looked down at his papers, all relatively safe and sound as long as none of them were missing. He would double check when he got back up to his room, and even if he didn't find it, one missing page wouldn't guarantee a failing grade. Of course now it would have to be reorganized in order for his new friend to make his own copy of the notes. Who knows, perhaps they could study together sometime, since they at least had the same slot in Herbology.
His eyes lit up at the mention of driftwood. "That would be wonderful; all of the holes w-would look good on the wings, like real feathers overlapping!" He tried to remember if he ever saw any such wood near the Black Lake, but all he could think of was pebbles and the occasional strand of water weed. He had heard stories about what was down there, and he had heard a story from his sister Abigail about a treasure she had been made to secure at the bottom of a grotto inhabited by sea creatures that looked like women, but with long, pointy teeth. He thought she might have been pulling his leg, especially since he could find no record of such creatures in his Care of Magical Creatures book, but the thought gave him enough hesitation to venture too far into the deep water.
He nodded and smiled, only now noticing the wonderful smell drifting through the halls like smoke. "Okay; I'll just go and try t-to organize them, and I'll see you after dinner."
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Posted: Thu Feb 26, 2015 8:24 pm
Nahuel nodded agreeing with Basil's thoughts on how the driftwood would work for the swan carving. "It would. If I can't find any there I can always ask my father send some from the beach in South America where he lives. There are all kinds of amazing driftwood there."
"Great, I will see you then. Maybe if you don't mind I'll find a seat near you at the dinner table. I always seem to end up near the noisiest bunch. They can be so loud and annoying." he sighed and combed his fingers through his long hair.
Nahuel walked back behind the barrel and grabbed his text book. He absentmindedly ran his finger up and down the spine and tried to think of what other wood he could use. Maybe some wood from the Forbidden Forest? No, he'd end up getting caught and then he'd be in trouble. Maybe the Care Taker would have some wood he wouldn't mind parting with.
Now that he was thinking of whittling again, he had the sudden thought of doing a dragon. Maybe out of some sort of dark looking wood, like mahogany or black maple.
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