Mixed Musings

[This is open for anyone who would like to bond with dear Penelope.]

If one were to have an aerial view of the Ravenclaw Common Room, they might wonder about the sight in front of their eyes. They might question what a young girl was doing inside, when the sun shone so brightly through the windows. They might inquire why the curly haired brunette lay in the blue rug of the floor – her feet crossed at the ankles, her hands rested leisurely across her stomach – rather than on one of the comfortable looking couches. One might even ask the girl about the obviously mixed look on her face; her countenance was one of contentedness, yet her eyebrows crinkled in confusion.

Penelope herself had her own set of wonderings buzzing about in her mind. She wondered about her family – did they miss her? Did she miss them? She wasn’t sure. Of course she missed her mother’s musings, her father’s flour-covered hugs. But she didn’t want to leave. She always enjoyed being alone; often times she would sneak out of the house while her mother was busy just to get some time by herself. Being alone was something that Penelope was not only comfortable with, but also fond of.

But here, at Hogwarts, she felt different. All around her, people were going through the same things as she, all the first years were united in a common newness. And her fellow eagles were all like her, in most ways. But while she had made passing acquaintances in the Ravenclaw house and some of her first year classes, she was essentially, alone. But this lonesomeness was unsettling – uneasy somehow.

And although Penelope wasn’t sure if anyone was coming, she waited.

Auden walked into the Ravenclaw Common room. She was just finishing some homework in the library. Auden then spotted a brown haired girl. Hmm, she must be a first year, Auden thought. She looked at the girl. She seemed full of emotion or something like that. Maybe she was homesick? Auden began walking over to her.

"Hi there. I'm Auden. What's your name?" Auden asked.

The only sounds in the Ravenclaw Common Room were the slow breathes of the curly haired girl on the floor and the soft creak of the door. Penelope’s green eyes widened at the sound – she expected everyone to be outside in the warmth of the day. But she remained in the floor with her thoughts. Maybe she would go unnoticed; yet the sound of footsteps told her otherwise. Craning her head to the left and right, the eagle had an urge to roll under the couch and flee from whoever came her way. She didn’t want people thinking she was weird, lying on the floor like a dying mandrake, but before she could hide under the nearest table, a girl was standing over her.

She was familiar – Penelope had seen her around the common room - but still a stranger. She seemed nice enough, though, as she introduced herself to the first year. Penelope merely stared up at the girl, her eyes alert and caught off guard. Before she could force herself to speak, another voice greeted them. Penelope must have been so preoccupied with wanted to sink into the ground that she hadn’t heard the door to the common room open a second time.

Sitting up on her elbows, Penelope looked dumbly at the two girls. She was slowly coming out of the deep thinking trench of her mind, and the presence of people seemed fanciful. Alright - this was what she wanted right? A chance to make friends. Growing up homeschooled, she was never any good at making friends, but now was her chance to give it a go. What was the worst that could happen, anyway? She cleared her throat gingerly.

“Um, hello. I’m Penelope. I thought I’d be the only one inside today . . . but I guess not.”

Not wanting to give way to an awkward pause, Penelope did the only thing that made sense at a time like this. She reached clumsily into her pocket and pulled out the rest of her candy quills – she knew she had some left from a few days before. Sitting up, she held out her hand and exposed the broken remains of the crummy sweets to the two girls standing over her.

“Um,” Penelope offered awkwardly, “Sugar quill?”

Auden listened to the girl. Her name was Penelope. "Hi. Um sure I'd love one." Auden took the sugar quill.