Toby had managed to accidentally claim half of one of the couches over the course of the entire term. At first he always sat in the same place, just out of habit, but eventually he started to realise that other people seemed to intentionally leave that seat free. He didn't know if it was because they thought he'd decided it was his, or if it was just a sort of... unspoken thing... a Hufflepuff tendency to notice other people's habits and preferences and subconsciously cater to them. He knew HE did that for other people, when he stopped to think about it. Either way, point was, he had a usual seat at the study cushions in the common room, and that was where he was sat now.
Generally speaking, History of Magic was one of the two subjects that Toby did less well in (three if you counted Defence Against the Dark Arts, because he'd definitely fluked that OWL), though he still managed to scrape an E in it, and that was absolutely fine with him. It was usually just... difficult, remembering all those facts and dates and names and everything, though his NEWT study this year had sort of focused on that a little bit and was much better. In any case, this homework wasn't about all that, thank Merlin, but was more about HIM and HIS history, which was... well. It was easier to remember, that was the bright side.
Toby settled back on the couch and opened his personal and as yet blank (other than the illustrations) illuminated manuscript on his knees, regarding the homework assignment that he'd copied down from the noticeboard across the room, chewing his lip thoughtfully. Some of the prompts he was going to steer well clear from, but that first one looked doable enough. The Hufflepuff fidgeted again in his seat to get comfortable, loaded up his quill with ink from the pot which balanced precariously on the arm of the couch, and got to writing.
SPOILER!!: Book; Prompt #1
10th February 2087
My full name is Tobias Nestor Fuller-Thompson. That wasn't what I was called when I was born, though, because I had a different last name then. When I was born I was Tobias Nestor Tempus. I think my grandfather liked the name Tobias, so technically he named me. And then I think maybe a great grandparent on my mother's side was called Nestor, so that became my middle name. Some people tell me that Nestor is really unique to have as a middle name, and I guess they're right. I never actually met anyone else called Nestor in my life. I looked it up once, though, and apparently it means 'homecoming', which I think is pretty weird seeing as the people who gave me the name were never part of my real home.
But my name is Fuller-Thompson instead of Tempus now, seeing as how I was adopted and got to change my name and everything. I prefer it like this, because I'm more connected to my dads now, but when I was a Tempus, I was connected to my grandma. But when I told her I was sad because it felt like abandoning her, she told me that she would never see something like that as me abandoning her because she knew how important it was for me to put my birth parents behind me, and I'm really glad she told me that, 'cause I worried about it for ages. Also, I'm still Tobias, and that was what my grandfather chose, after all, and I bet she feels an extra connection to him through my name, even though he's gone now. I like that I still have that. Anyway, sometimes people try to call me just one of my surnames, but I always go by both of them. Fuller-Thompson. I'll never just pick one.
A lot of people call me Toby, which I like, and some people call me Tobes (my best friend gave me that nickname first), which I also like, and some people call me Tobias, which I like too. Some people used to call me Badger Boom, which is an old Quidditch nickname. I like that too. I think I like any name I get, now, except Tempus, of course. Sometimes it feels weird when some people call me Tobes if they usually call me Toby, but other than that I don't mind. When I'm at home, it's Toby, unless I'm in trouble or something, then I'm Tobias. Or I get sighed at. That happens a lot, so maybe I should add a sigh to my name somewhere. Right before 'Tobias'.
BUT THE POINT IS... I like my name. And all my nicknames, too.
He'd managed to get a little carried away with it, but what was new, right? Wouldn't be homework without Toby writing twice as much as he needed to, purely because he'd got sidetracked. He left the ink to dry for a moment, and piled up his books and other assignments. A break, that's what he needed. To maybe go get a drink or a snack. Toby closed the book thing again and stood up, stretching out his back. First, he needed to go put this somewhere safe in his dorm before he lost it, then... food.
Good plan.