Toujours Pur (dot) Net

The fat armchairs and blue hangings aren't at all the focal point of the Ravenclaw common room. Maybe it's the luminous star ceiling, or perhaps the beautiful view of the mountains from the windows. Or perhaps it's the statue of Rowena herself wearing her diadem. Whichever you prefer, you'll find that both studying and socializing goes on in the common room. Watch out: don't trip on the books.

Professor Murdoch wasted no time in assigning homework to her students. Bridge's Potions book and 3 pieces of parchment were laid out on the small coffee table in front of the fireplace. Hovering over the fourth, she scribbled hastily, hurrying to get her words onto the parchment before they left her head. Finishing her last sentence with a period, Bridge gathered her parchments together and beamed proudly at finished essay.

Chloe wasn't sleeping very well at the moment. The Ravenclaw student spent as much time in the library as she dared, before rushing to the Great Hall for food and then writing her assignments under wand light, referencing her various books in the process. She was definitely very thorough when it came to her homework and the Sixth year took it very seriously in the hope she might come top of the year and pass all her classes with flying colours. The harder she worked this year the less of a chore next years NEWTS would prove to be, and therefore the brunette refused to contemplate doing anything but awesomely. Channelling her focus into her lessons was what prevented the brunette from pondering too much on the fears that plagued her concerning her father. Not to mention that she was a quintessential Ravenclaw who loved any excuse to sit down with a book and spend hours poring over it - because she hadn't spent the entire summer doing just that, also!

At the same time, the lack of sleep was bound to catch up with her at some point and feeling shattered and in need of somewhere to crash, Chloe entered the Common Room, unable to actually climb the staircase, instead finding a chair close to the fire and settling herself wearily within it. Closing her eyes for a moment, the Sixth year lazily rested against the royal blue armchair and allowed tiredness to overpower her. There was something comforting about the azure nuances on her weary body that seemed to embrace her within their inviting offerings. It was really all her Professors fault for their workload snowballing from the previous year leaving no-one in any doubt about the hefty task they faced next year was not only a crucial one but a damn tough one. As someone who embraced her studies, if she was feeling the strain, what hope did others have?! As mentioned to Tallie, the library was fast becoming her home and the Sixth year wondered how the Seventh years managed. More and more of her classmates were spending lunchbreaks and any possible free time occupying the library making it less of a haven than it had been in previous years. If they were quiet, it wouldn't be so much of an issue, but loudly discussing the essay question and the concents of their respective homeworks also seemed to be the name of the game.

It might have been an hour later or it might have been 10 minutes, Chloe didn't know, but she was jolted awake by the sound of the portrait hole. Rubbing her eyes of the telltale signs of sleep and glancing around for the source of the noise, the brunette instead noticed a familiar figure and ambled over, hoping to not disturb anything. From the looks of things, the other Ravenclaw had finished her assignment, though so she wasn't too worried. Not to mention the fact that she hadn't seen much of the older female over the summer and it was always great to catch up. "Displaying reactions to inanimate objects...some people might say that's a sign of madness!" she smirked teasingly, taking to a chair opposite where Bridgette was positioned. "Please don't tell me I'll be grinning away at the finish of each piece of work by next year...you might as well just call me the Cheshire Cat!" she exclaimed with a laugh, her dad's various references to muggle literature not going awry amidst her magical knowledge.

Bridge smoothed out the edges of her parchments, looking up at her housemate Chloe and then laughing lightly at her comment. "It's just I've been working on this essay for a while and to finally finish it is, satisfying," she said, sighing deeply as she placed her essay on the table. "And yes," she continued, shifting in her seat. "You will be grinning away because it'll only get a bit more challenging in your next year," Bridge said briskly.

It was easy to focus on her studies when Chloe didn't have much else going on in her life. She wasn't swamped by Prefect duties, she wasn't on the Quidditch squad and she didn't go out to many parties which gave her the perfect opportunity to invest in her books. The brunette knew that once she got her head stuck in her books it was fairly impossible to rouse her and she was often known for spending days at a time virtually living in the library. Most people hated it, but the Sixth year found a sense of comfortable familiarity in it. At the same time, she was already finding herself totally overwhelmed with work that the thought of her exams next year proved to be a stressful one. With her sleep pattern already screwed up, the Ravenclaw felt the desire to just close her eyes and sleep off her stresses. But then if she once more succumbed to the desire, Chloe wasn't sure how long she'd remain sleeping for and that in and of itself could prove problematic. Not that she had been sleeping well over the summer anyway, but she had hoped to have resolved that with her heavy workload and catching up with the precious few friends she held dear to her.

Listening to Bridge discuss her assignment, Chloe nodded understandingly, all too aware of the accomplished feeling she got when she finished an assignment. The hours of studying, researching and cross-referencing suddenly coming together. It would only be a fellow Ravenclaw who appreciated the satisfaction of finishing an essay and being able to grin and not to groan at the efforts put into it. "I think I already have enough assignments to last me from now until June!" the Sixth year exclaimed, her fondness for her books not extending to doing nothing but live in the library whatever she had jokingly said to Tallie. "I mean I love the library, but it's bad when I see more of Madam Pince than I do some of my dormmates, right?" she posed, curious as to how the Seventh year managed it all. "So tell me, Miss Devereux..how in Merlin's name do you balance studies with a social life and with being a Prefect? I'm struggling with just my homework never mind any other distractions!" Although her tone was light and easy, there was a very real question involved and a very real curiosity. Bridgette juggled far more things than she did and yet her Housemate appeared to be semi-normal at the moment; madness had yet to claim her as a victim at any rate.

"I don't see how it can possibly get more challenging! I swear the professors don't want us to sleep. I've had 10 essays to write this past week alone. That's insane, even for a Ravenclaw!" she decreed, shaking her head in disapproval and a slight disbelief. "Maybe a certain Hufflepuff can help you prepare for your exams this year?" Chloe enquired with a wry grin, not sure what the relationship was between Bridge and Albus, but having seen them hanging out together a fair amount, it was fair to say that the brunette was angling for facts as opposed to gossiping unnecessarily about something that never was rather than something that is. The silence of the Common Room was unnerving her and for once she longed for other bodies and other sounds in conjunction with their two voices. "How does it feel to know this is your last year? Will you be sad to wave goodbye to Hogwarts?"

"I think I already have enough assignments to last me from now until June!" the Sixth year exclaimed, her fondness for her books not extending to doing nothing but live in the library whatever she had jokingly said to Tallie. "I mean I love the library, but it's bad when I see more of Madam Pince than I do some of my dormmates, right?" she posed, curious as to how the Seventh year managed it all. "So tell me, Miss Devereux..how in Merlin's name do you balance studies with a social life and with being a Prefect? I'm struggling with just my homework never mind any other distractions!"

Bridge covered her mouth when she chuckled as she listened to Chloe. "Thats so true of Madam Pince. I think I can honestly tell you the only pair of shoes she owns," she said, sighing and shaking her head in amusement. She titled her chin up as Chloe addressed her with her last name, exaggeratingly letting her know that she had all of her attention. "It's for me to know and for you to find out," she said dramatically but then let out a light giggle. She shrugged shyly, "I dunno really. I just....do things one by one and somehow it all works out just fine."

"I don't see how it can possibly get more challenging! I swear the professors don't want us to sleep. I've had 10 essays to write this past week alone. That's insane, even for a Ravenclaw!" she decreed, shaking her head in disapproval and a slight disbelief. "Maybe a certain Hufflepuff can help you prepare for your exams this year?"

Bridge closed her eyes, nodding sympathetically. The amount of homework that was piled on the students was completely outrageous. Her eyes opened again as Chloe mentioned Albus. Bridge brought her elbows to rest on the table and then rested her chin on her hands that were clasped together. "I think it'll have to be me to help him for the exams -- n-not that he isn't excellent in his studies, I'm sure he is," she babbled, but then covered her smile again realizing that she was talking to much.

"How does it feel to know this is your last year? Will you be sad to wave goodbye to Hogwarts?"

Bridge sighed sadly, looking at Chloe while tugging on the sleeves of her shirt. "I really don't want to leave, I mean Hogwarts is like home to me and I know I'm going to miss it terribly." She was quiet for a moment before she spoke again. "I-I think I'd like to come back here and p-possibly teach Potions or something," she confessed, realizing that she hasn't shared this with Rose yet.

She waved her hand, scoffing at herself. "Me, a professor. That sounds ridiculous, right?"

It was impossible to remain too dejected about her homework when she was around Bridge who had it so much harder than she did and so much more to contend with than just her homework. Chloe couldn't help but feel envious of the way her fellow Ravenclaw handled everything without seeming to even break a sweat. "I think we should take her shoe shopping sometime." the Sixth year laughed, knowing that she would never venture on a shopping spree considering she loathed being the centre of attention for any period of time, and especially not with the stiff prudish librarian. "Oh really..." she broke off, bemused at Bridgette's words. "...well I'm very good at finding things out, believe me!" the brunette smirked, needing to convey her amusement at the situation. "But fine. Be all mysterious. I don't care!" she retorted with a giggle, the sound alien to the Ravenclaw who spent most of her life striving for the perfect grades or the perfect solution to keep her father safe in this uncertain period in their lives. The light friendly sound enabled her to appreciate that despite the hysteria of the previous term and the depressive nature of her summer, there were some things worth enjoying and being able to laugh at.

A knowing telltale smirk flitted upon Chloe's rosebud lips at Bridgette's reasoning of Albus. Her expression almost dreamlike and ethereal as she spoke about him, leaving the brunette in no doubt that there was something going on between the two even if Bridge hadn't confirmed it. "Private study sessions are these? In his dorm, perhaps? When nobody else is around?" the Sixth year snorted, as the other female then went on to describe him as 'excellent in his studies' which was code for 'someone-I-really-like-that-I-don't-mind-making-myself-act-like-a-dork-for. She had been around gossiping giggly girls long enough to be able to decipher the giveaway signs of a girl in lust. "I'm sure he's excellent at Quidditch too, being the Quidditch Captain and everything. Anything else he's excellent at?" Chloe asked, a grin flirting with settling on her lips. The romantic within her longed to see her friend happily coupled up with someone like Albus who was....well to use the elder student's word, 'excellent'! Meeting someone special, herself, always seemed like such a distant concept; something reserved for others. Which was perhaps why she was so intent on seeing her friends happy. Tallie was coupled up with Wes, Bridge seemed happy with Albus, Hayden...well she was a law unto herself, but she had Hugo's friendship to keep her occupied.

"No. That doesn't sound ridiculous at all." she replied vehemently to Bridgette's proposed future career. "I mean it's perfectly understandable to want to become a part of the history of the school that taught us everything we know." Chloe stated with a nod, considering once more what she might like to do in years to come. "Are you sure you wouldn't prefer History of Magic? You could always take over from Binns and get people loving the subject again!" the Sixth year joked, wondering if they would ever luck out and find a teacher with real enthusiasm for the subject teaching it. "You'd be the cool professor...the one all the kids aspire to be like!" the Ravenclaw grinned, excitedly pondering what Bridge would be like as a professor. "If you apply over the summer, you might even get to be my professor!"

Bridge merely chuckled. Whenever people playfully argue, she never really responds, she just likes to laugh or giggle along with them and enjoy the moment.

She blushed madly as Chloe questioned if their study sessions were in his dorm. "No, not like that!" she said hastily, smiling shyly while waving her hand back and forth. "And yes, he's an excellent player and captain and -- wha?" she had interrupted herself when Chloe asked whatever else Albus was good at. What did she possibly mean? "W-well, Albus is excellent with many things like Potions, if I say so myself, and Transfiguration and Herbology," she recited confidently and then lightly nodding.

Bridge looked down shyly, glad that Chloe didn't think it was ridiculous at all that she wanted to become a professor. She let out a laugh at her housemate's suggestion about taking History of Magic instead. She looked up again, listening to Chloe's words and bit by bit feeling more confident about her possible future goal.

She widened her eyes in surprise. "Oh, imagine if I was able to teach next year? But I don't think that would happen that easily, I mean I'm sure there'll have to be certain preparations and such like that." Bridge sighed, deciding to take a break from herself. "So, what about you then huh?"

The Common Room was the typical amalgamation of old and new joining together in a cosy harmonious amalgamation of different styles. There was definitely something warm and inviting about the array of different armchairs on display combined with the roaring fire and the enchanted ceiling bedecked with stars. The Sixth year loved coming down here from her dorm after a mad study session and just curling up in a chair with a familiar book, the location an easy one to indulge in her favourite activity of all: escapism. A means of forgetting the unsettling things, of pretending her workload wasn't already starting to panic her and of not concentrating on what was happening at home. There was no way that her mum would ever just surrender her father without fighting hard to protect him and to offer every possible means of protection to him in their bid to thwart the snatchers. And yet sitting here in the Common Room, laughing away with Bridgette, a sense of guilt pervaded her veins; guilt that she was able to leave it all behind whilst they battled on a continual basis; guilt that she was able to laugh whilst he was fearing for his life; guilt that she couldn't do anything when she had vowed to do something.

Discussing Albus, Chloe smiled as her friend tried not to seem overenthusiastic on the topic, yet her switch of topic had evidently been a popular one. All the Ravenclaw wanted was to see her friends, happy. It just so happened that one friend's happiness marred another friend's. But listening to Bridge talk, it was hard to hold against her the clear happiness that radiated from her. How could she begrudge anyone from discovering something so amazing. It was the feeling she coveted and yet feared in similar fashion. Giving herself to someone completely and hoping they didn't stab her in the back. The romantic dreamer was already envisioning their wedding and how many kids they might have, as if she was living her romantic desires vicariously through Bridgette as opposed to risking herself. "Mmmm I'm sure he is. Is he also statuesque an model-like? A perfect gentleman and generous too?" she teased, wondering just how complimentary she could get about the Hufflepuff before her fellow Ravenclaw admit they were dating. "I heard he's seeing someone. Apparently she's this snob who has poor manners and who doesn't like anyone...except Albus." she chided, a telling smirk lifting the contours of her lips, an obvious sign of her joking, though she hoped the brunette didn't overlook it and take offence.

It wasn't strange at all to hear Bridge say she wanted to teach. Hogwarts had been their home for so long now that it was a comfort blanket for many of them. Provided they were able, she was sure they'd all choose to stay at the school forever and ever, never graduating. If anything, wanting to join the teaching staff seemed like natural progression as far as Chloe was concerned. Pondering her own future, she shook her head as if dismissing something. "I don't know. I used to dream of being a mediwizard years ago, but that changed to wanting to work in the Ministry. I don't want to work in the Ministry anymore. I kinda want to work recording things. Not like Madam Pince, who literally lives in the Hogwarts library, but with access to all the data in the wizarding world. Like an archivist." Confiding in anyone about her future dreams felt strange as if she was bearing her soul and trusting someone else with her future, which until now had been her secret hopes. Though she wasn't ashamed of her ambitions, it now meant if she didn't achieve them, she would feel devastated. "You'll be an amazing teacher, Bridge. And no I'm not biased. If McGonagall doesn't leap at the chance, she's crazy! I'm rather glad to not have to face leaving Hogwarts behind at the end of this year. I think I'd feel lost."