little talks

[Anandani Aeknov]

so though the truth may vary
this ship will carry our
bodies safe to shore

She was not particularly in the mood for homework, especially not essay writing, and especially not for Ancient Runes. It wasn't that she didn't like the class itself. Ana was absolutely fascinated by it, and she valued its importance, and she enjoyed it. It was just that it was one of the few classes that actually challenged her - which made her love it all the more - but she couldn’t help but feel inconvenienced by the necessary, legitimate effort she had to put into it when she’d rather be doing something else. Most of the time, she could do homework and still hang out with her friends in the common room or library, chatting away while still managing to get her work done. Ancient Runes, however, required concentration and quiet. She’d tried multi-tasking before on certain assignments but she was always checking and double-checking, getting distracted too easily by Pippin or Benji, and grumping about it immediately afterwards. This was just a class she needed to deal with alone, isolated from other people or activities. Thus, she had gotten into the habit of going to the library and sitting in a table in one of the more empty parts, and getting all her work done with as little chance for procrastination as she could manage.

Ana was mainly displeased about having to complete this assignment today, of all days, because it was the day of the Ravenclaw versus Slytherin Quididtch match. Which Ravenclaw had won, thank you very much. So, you know, although she had spent a better part of the afternoon and even into the evening celebrating with her teammates and fellow Ravenclaws in the common room, it was time to get down to business. This essay was due on Monday. So. Yes. It was time to get it done. She had already gathered her things and left for the library, much to Pippin’s dismay, and was already getting into the essay writing mindset, thinking about how exactly she might word her thesis…

The library was, not at all to her surprise, nearly deserted. It was already about 730 in the evening, and most of the students were probably off trying to enjoy their weekends. The emptier, the better, she figured. That meant less chances of someone she knew finding her and starting a pointless conversation with too much small talk which she, quite frankly, didn’t care much for. Ana walked through the library she didn’t see anyone she knew, at least not yet, so she was hoping her writing session would be entirely uninterrupted. The faster she got it done, the better. She was still high, giddy even from beating Slytherin in the morning, and she had a bad feeling if she got even a little distracted this essay would never get done. Turning the corner to her favorite part of the library, her eyes found her table which was… occupied. By Fehlandt Zabini who appeared to be… reading the dictionary... upside down? And since when did he need glasses…

She walked right over to him, all of her determination to get her essay done wiped away. Okay not entirely wiped away, but it was still relatively early in the night and she’d basically written it in her head on the way there, save for some fact-checking she’d need to do and actual writing and filling in some space to make it long enough, but, um, she figured she was ahead of the game! Even just a little conversation with him wouldn’t hurt and he was just so good looking and things. She crossed to the other side of the table and stood behind him. ”You might be able to read it if you held it the right side up,” she mumbled, leaning over his shoulder and turning it the right side up. ”There. You probably won’t even need those glasses anymore,” Ana added playfully, holding on to her long brown hair that was dangling next to his face and straightening up, taking the few steps to the opposite side of the table to sit across from him. ”Sooo, what brings you to the library?” she glanced up at him, braiding her hair over her shoulder.

So much for writing that essay.

fehlandt!