Quote:
Originally Posted by
NiallNIP 
Maddox's eyes were fixed on the Whomping Willow, examining how it reacted, so he didn't notice when Alaric sidled up next to him. When he spoke Maddox flicked his eyes away towards his housemate. He didn't have many thoughts on him—hadn't really interacted with him much before they started living in the same room. He and Calliope seemed to be getting friendly, though. So maybe they would be seeing more of each other.
He gave Alaric a quick once over with his eyes before looking back to the tree. "Neither am I," Maddox responded. He didn't think he was known for many things, but forgiveness and niceties were definitely not among them. The way Alaric described the Willow, it made Maddox think that he and the tree were kindred spirits, in a way. He wouldn't lash out against everyone who came close, but, you know. Details.
Shrugging in response to his question, Maddox just said, "Curious." He tended to act on anything that interested him, really. And yes, you could say he was adjusting to the excitement. Not to his own, really, just other people's. He didn't get excited about much, and entering a new different place with more people than usual wasn't something he thought of as exciting. Dreadful, really. But there were certain things about the school he was excited about, like Divination class, or all the weird beings and places in and around the castle. Such as the Whomping Willow. But he wasn't going to detail all that aloud. So he just said, "In a way." He looked back to Alaric. "You?"
Alaric noticed Maddox’s quick glance before his eyes returned to the Willow, the other boy’s expression as unreadable as the tree’s gnarled bark. Maddox’s short responses didn’t bother him—if anything, they intrigued him. Some people opened up like books; others were puzzles missing half their pieces. Maddox, it seemed, was the latter.
“
Fair enough,” Alaric said with a small nod, the corners of his mouth twitching in a faint smile. “
Curiosity does tend to lead us to interesting places.” His gaze shifted to the Willow, watching the way its branches settled back into a slow, ominous sway.
At Maddox’s question, Alaric’s grin widened just a fraction, more thoughtful than mischievous. “
Me? I think I’ve been adjusting in stages,” he admitted, his tone casual. “
First to the castle itself—it’s like stepping into one of those storybooks my grandmother used to read. Then to the people.” He paused for a moment, weighing his words. “
It’s exciting. But it can also feel... a bit overwhelming sometimes.” He gave a small shrug, as if brushing the thought away.
His gray eyes returned to Maddox. “
But places like this? They remind me why I wanted to come here in the first place.” He motioned vaguely toward the Willow, though he stayed firmly out of range. “
A school with a giant tree that tries to knock your head off? That’s got to be worth sticking around for, don’t you think?”
He gave Maddox a curious look. “
Is this the kind of place you imagined when you thought about Hogwarts?”