The Necessity of Independence

[Deleted]

Sebastian hoped the fire was still going in the Ravenclaw common room, providing some much needed warmth in the otherwise clammy area. Sebastian had heard tell of the Slytherin common room being worse for the wear in that regard, but hadn't had the reason nor the chance to find out for himself. He'd just have to accept his peers at their word.

He entered his destination after answering a simple riddle, wondering for the nth time if he'd ever come across a situation when he didn't know the answer and would be locked outside. He'd just finished his rounds as a prefect, having left the common room a good few hours ago. Back then, the common room had been bustling with endless activity. Students of all ages bandied about, either going towards class or heading to their respective dorms to pick up supplies. Still more littered the area, bent over books, parchment, and the odd crystal ball or two. Of course there were a few that were merely chatting, but those were few and far between.

What he saw at that moment was a startling difference. The crackle of the fire was the only sound that could be heard, giving rise to an eerie silence that seemed like it could be broken with a simple pin dropping. Though the fire was burning, the place still seemed clammier than normal, which greatly disappointed Seb. He'd hoped to get some time to himself at that moment, to think about his plans. Or lack thereof.

It wasn't long before he realized that the room wasn't entirely empty.

"Riley?" he asked, squinting his eyes in an attempt to get a clearer picture of his only companion in the darkened common room. It was well past midnight, and he wondered what the younger claw was doing still up and about.

---

Tag: @riley

[Deleted]

It wasn't uncommon for Riley Fudge to stay up late into the night, sometimes even without realizing that he had. If he was researching, he could spend hours with his stack of books, none of which were written by wizards and his little black notebook secured with a few charms to ensure that no one else would be allowed entry. It was in that book which he wrote his conversations about every person he encountered, at least every person who interested him or gave him something to want to research or ponder. He kept it with him wherever he went in his bag. He rarely left it in the dorm, but even if he did, he was confident it would be impossible for anyone else to gain access, he had made sure of that. While his interests lied in non-magical research, he was still a gifted wizard.

He heard the door to the common room swing open to give a student entry and it dawned on him that he hadn't heard that sound in a few hours, he actually hadn't heard any sounds except for the fire in a few hours. He had watched the last person go up to bed and told himself he'd go also after he finished that chapter, but a few hours and a few chapters later, here he was still wide awake and short a few hours sleep. He glanced up from where he was sitting by the fire, which was his main source of light, the 7th year perfect had walked in, likely getting off his duties, which meant it was even later than Riley originally thought. He was greeted by the man and he gave a nod. "Oh, hey Seb. I must have lost track of time." he admitted, closing his books.

@snupert

[Deleted]

Riley was a Ravenclaw, same as him, but a year lower. Given that and the fact that he and the younger boy shared more than a little in common, it hadn't taken long for the two to get acquainted. As it was with any descendant of his parents' old clique, Seb was more than a little bit cautious the first time they conversed. He had no idea what this kid's beliefs were, and previous experiences had already taught him the dangers of assuming things without proper proof, specially in these instances. Unfortunately for him, it wasn't going to be easy to read this particular kid. One thing was plenty clear once he'd spent enough time with him though. The kid was observant, and he seemed to have no qualms about using the information he could gather to his advantage. This intrigued Seb enough that he dedicated more time to figuring the younger Ravenclaw out. Eventually he came to a point where he realized that Riley didn't necessarily subscribe to the beliefs their families espoused. Despite all that, the young Fudge was still as much of a mystery to him at the present as he was the first time they met. It was slightly infuriating but also quite interesting.

"That's some focus you got there." Seb commented, raising an eyebrow at his conversation partner. It wasn't necessarily uncommon for Ravenclaws to lose track of time studying, but this was bordering on ridiculous. Still he chose to give Riley leeway, shaking his head as he continued with another statement while looking around to make sure that there was no one else lurking around in the shadows as they talked.

"You'll ruin your eyes reading in this low lighting." he said in a low tone of voice, eyeing the soft crackling of the fire, idly trying to will it to get stronger. He still had only a very rudimentary grasp on non-verbal magic, so he knew wandless magic was still a ways away. It never hurt to try though. Well, except for the time he accidentally caused a young Hufflepuff's cup to explode during dinner that one time. The kid received only a few cuts, but he was still reprimanded harshly for attempting something dangerous without the necessary precautions. Now wasn't necessarily different, but at least he was fairly confident that if anything caught fire, he would be able to put the flames out easily. Plus, only one witness.

---

Tag: @riley

[Deleted]

Family obligations and expectations were something that Riley Fudge knew quite well. He felt he could be the poster child for such ideals. He was, in a lot of ways, the perfect pure blood son. He was respectful and competent, charming and handsome, and willing to at least keep up appearances when he was at home and when his family had to go to gatherings and events. He wasn't quite as perfect as his older brother, who, he was 90% sure bought into the full pure blood expectations and lifestyle, and even took his belief to extremes. But he was maybe a little better than his younger sister, who openly hung out and brought home muggle born friends, which, while Riley was absolutely fine with, he knew his parents made silent quips about and had issue with.

"Yeah, well that's why I'm a Ravenclaw, I guess." he shrugged. He had stayed up all night before without even realizing that the sun had gone down until he watched it rise again when morning came. "Did uh, your rounds go okay? Anyone caught doing something they shouldn't be?" he asked, just making conversation as the guy came closer. He had met the guy lots of times before, their parents ran in the same circles, but he wouldn't have called them friends, exactly. 

@snupert