Eyebrows raising at her confession of being a paper tyrant, Cornelius gave yet another smile as Aspen explained herself in complete seriousness. Though her problem wasn't very smile-worthy, Cornelius couldn't help it. She was just so...Aspen about everything. Paper tyrant... A mountain of crumpled papers for one letter!

"Maybe you should just keep it simple, Aspen," he suggested with a warm smile, folding his hands over the table as he rose his eyebrows at her. "Just tell him what you want him to know, ask him what you want him to answer, and send it," he said gently, though he knew that this wasn't as easy as he was making it sound. From what Aspen had to him, he was the first guy to express interest in her, and it couldn't have been the simplest thing to word all of that in a letter.

But still, Cornelius had a warm smile on his expression, unable to really help it when he glanced over at her from across the table. "Would it help if I wrote one to my mum while you wrote one to your dad?"

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Originally Posted by emmafan123

Eyebrows raising at her confession of being a paper tyrant, Cornelius gave yet another smile as Aspen explained herself in complete seriousness. Though her problem wasn't very smile-worthy, Cornelius couldn't help it. She was just so...Aspen about everything. Paper tyrant... A mountain of crumpled papers for one letter!

"Maybe you should just keep it simple, Aspen," he suggested with a warm smile, folding his hands over the table as he rose his eyebrows at her. "Just tell him what you want him to know, ask him what you want him to answer, and send it," he said gently, though he knew that this wasn't as easy as he was making it sound. From what Aspen had to him, he was the first guy to express interest in her, and it couldn't have been the simplest thing to word all of that in a letter.

But still, Cornelius had a warm smile on his expression, unable to really help it when he glanced over at her from across the table. "Would it help if I wrote one to my mum while you wrote one to your dad?"

"I think there in lies the problem," Aspen made air quotes with her hands to finish her thought, "'Tell him what you want him to know' -- see, the problem with that is that I, first, would have to know what I know and I don't always know, you know? It's the knowing."


She passed him a sheet of parchment, then readied herself another, too. Maybe their combined writing powers could get this done. Maybe he had a point? Keep it simple.


"Dear Pops," she started out loud as she looped the word out in gobbledygook. After a pause, she added, "That's what I call him. Pops." She couldn't remember why, just that she always had. "Miss you." Scribble scribble. This was the longest Aspen could remember ever gone without seeing him. Maybe when she was younger when there still someone to look after her around, he spent more time away, but to Aspen's memory - this was it. "Happy Valentine's Day...?"

Aspen looked to Cornelius for his thoughts on this letter thus far. She was a few ticks away from heightening Discarded Paper Mountain.

Cornelius couldn't help but let out a bit of a chuckle as Aspen explained that knowing what she wanted to talk about was the actual problem, but he knew that she would figure it out sooner or later. He listened vaguely as Aspen began to speak aloud as she wrote on her fresh piece of parchment, a little preoccupied with his own letter beginning before him.

"You'll figure it out," he assured her with a soft laugh, knowing that she'd find the words eventually.

He took a spare quill and dipped it in the ink, beginning to write slowly as he listened to Aspen write a bit of an introduction to her letter, greeting her father, saying that she missed him, before wishing him a happy Valentine's Day. His quill paused on the paper. What?! Eyes widening, he slowly brought his light brown eyes up to Aspen's expression, searching her eyes for any sign of disappointment. It was around Valentine's Day?! He hadn't gotten her a thing! And sure, they weren't officially going out or anything, but...still! Any girl he had ever gone out with had not only wanted something for Valentine's Day, but expected it.

"When's Valentine's Day?" he spoke, ignoring her questioning tone accidently as his mind wandered to this topic, his light brown eyes stuck to her expression with vague worry shining through.

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Originally Posted by emmafan123

Cornelius couldn't help but let out a bit of a chuckle as Aspen explained that knowing what she wanted to talk about was the actual problem, but he knew that she would figure it out sooner or later. He listened vaguely as Aspen began to speak aloud as she wrote on her fresh piece of parchment, a little preoccupied with his own letter beginning before him.

"You'll figure it out," he assured her with a soft laugh, knowing that she'd find the words eventually.

He took a spare quill and dipped it in the ink, beginning to write slowly as he listened to Aspen write a bit of an introduction to her letter, greeting her father, saying that she missed him, before wishing him a happy Valentine's Day. His quill paused on the paper. What?! Eyes widening, he slowly brought his light brown eyes up to Aspen's expression, searching her eyes for any sign of disappointment. It was around Valentine's Day?! He hadn't gotten her a thing! And sure, they weren't officially going out or anything, but...still! Any girl he had ever gone out with had not only wanted something for Valentine's Day, but expected it.

"When's Valentine's Day?" he spoke, ignoring her questioning tone accidently as his mind wandered to this topic, his light brown eyes stuck to her expression with vague worry shining through.

Cornelius's presence alone was reassuring enough, but his voice added a new layer of calm. She wasn't convinced this specific letter was possible yet, but at least she felt... better. Cornelius was here now. Automatically better.

She looked up when he asked about Valentine's Day. Aspen watched him just a tick, then nodded like she agreed. "You're right. There's no guarantee he'll get it in time." Aspen scratched out that part of her letter, then spent the next few seconds frowning at her letter. It was now 2 words... only.

"I don't have to ask how he is; he'll let me know." Leon, Aspen's father, was well aware of her worrying issues. He'd not let her worry.

Aspen put her quill to her lip thoughtfully and again lifted her eyes to Cornelius. To her surprise, he seemed a little troubled. "....What?"

Cornelius examined Aspen's expression with vague curiosity as she seemed to have no real response to his question, continuing to speak about her letter. He gave brief nods to each of her comments, before Aspen finally looked up at him and wondered what he was talking about.

"When... When is Valentine's Day?" he repeated his question, eyebrows raising just slightly as he wondered if it had already past or had yet to come. He honestly didn't know what to expect from Aspen on such matters like Valentine's Day. She certainly wasn't like any other girl he'd been around; she always kept him guessing about everything. Why would this be any different?

He sincerely hoped that he hadn't missed it though. Partly because he wasn't sure if she would be upset like any of the other girls he'd ever dated would've been, but also because part of him wanted to do something for Aspen on such a day. It only seemed right to him. But he really hoped he hadn't offended her or something by being so utterly clueless about things. "Did I...miss it?" he asked, hesitance and slight worry flooding through his gaze though he didn't realize it.

Quote:

Originally Posted by emmafan123

Cornelius examined Aspen's expression with vague curiosity as she seemed to have no real response to his question, continuing to speak about her letter. He gave brief nods to each of her comments, before Aspen finally looked up at him and wondered what he was talking about.

"When... When is Valentine's Day?" he repeated his question, eyebrows raising just slightly as he wondered if it had already past or had yet to come. He honestly didn't know what to expect from Aspen on such matters like Valentine's Day. She certainly wasn't like any other girl he'd been around; she always kept him guessing about everything. Why would this be any different?

He sincerely hoped that he hadn't missed it though. Partly because he wasn't sure if she would be upset like any of the other girls he'd ever dated would've been, but also because part of him wanted to do something for Aspen on such a day. It only seemed right to him. But he really hoped he hadn't offended her or something by being so utterly clueless about things. "Did I...miss it?" he asked, hesitance and slight worry flooding through his gaze though he didn't realize it.

Aspen tapped her quill along her cheek thoughtfully. Before her sat a Cornelius in distress. CID. Her heart went out to him, though she couldn't exactly say why he was in distress. A smaller part of her found his distress entirely ... new. A new feature on the face of the increasingly familiar Cornelius Rune. She probably studied it longer than was conventional, but...

..she did finally reach for her day planner. Apsen turned it to February then pointed the feathery part of her quill to the 14th of February, a few days in the future still.

"You should get a day planner," Hmm. Or, maybe, Aspen would get him one. Maybe she'd make one. "I'm curious about this face your making." She didn't ask any specifics, knowing he'd tell her as much as he wanted. She put her chin in her hand and watched him.

"Yeah, I probably should," he muttered absentmindedly as she suggested he get a day planner, his mind still focused on figuring out the date. He didn't realize that he was acting strangely at all. Well, maybe he did, but it was for good reason if Aspen was going to be upset about him missing the holiday, as other girls would've been. "What face?" he asked obliviously before she opened up her day planner to show him the calendar.

Cornelius's gaze followed her calendar over to see that the 14th of February was still a few days away, and immediately fell into a relaxed, almost over-exaggerated sigh as he sunk back into his seat. There was still time! "Asp, you scared me!" he complained, letting out a soft chuckle as he ran a hand through his short hair, glancing up at the ceiling of the Common Room. "I thought I'd missed it," he explained himself as though this was going to answer any question she had. He sat up a bit more, flashing her another warm smile before he brought up the quill to his hand and began to scrawl: Valentine's Day. Something for Aspen.

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Originally Posted by emmafan123

"Yeah, I probably should," he muttered absentmindedly as she suggested he get a day planner, his mind still focused on figuring out the date. He didn't realize that he was acting strangely at all. Well, maybe he did, but it was for good reason if Aspen was going to be upset about him missing the holiday, as other girls would've been. "What face?" he asked obliviously before she opened up her day planner to show him the calendar.

Cornelius's gaze followed her calendar over to see that the 14th of February was still a few days away, and immediately fell into a relaxed, almost over-exaggerated sigh as he sunk back into his seat. There was still time! "Asp, you scared me!" he complained, letting out a soft chuckle as he ran a hand through his short hair, glancing up at the ceiling of the Common Room. "I thought I'd missed it," he explained himself as though this was going to answer any question she had. He sat up a bit more, flashing her another warm smile before he brought up the quill to his hand and began to scrawl: Valentine's Day. Something for Aspen.

Aspen switched her chin to her other hand. She couldn't help the smile on her features, in spite of it being entirely out of place. "I should be clearer. I'm curious about all your faces." And all his reactions, too, and everything he thought... Her eyes trailed him and all his little relief actions with great interest.

"Oh... That was your scared face." Aspen shouldn't have laughed, but there it was, a little giggle at his expense. She still didn't know what exactly was scary, other than the precariously stacked ball of paper at his elbow.

He thought he missed Valentine's? "You'll know when it's Valentine's, Cornelius. Trust me. You can't miss it at this school." Aspen sat up from her seat and leaned to nosily look at what he was scrawling over there. She squinted at him curiously. What was he UP to over there??

As Aspen peaked over towards his hand as though to try and read what he'd written, he immediately dropped the quill and pulled his hand back, flashing her a teasing grin as amusement filled his gaze. "What, do you guys decorate or something?" he asked naively, not quite knowing what she meant when she told him that he wouldn't be able to miss Valentine's Day at Hogwarts.

He was glad that he hadn't missed it yet though, honestly. He wouldn't say that he was a big romantic or anything, but he wanted to do something for her, even though he knew it probably wouldn't be spectacular or anything. And as he watched Aspen watching him, her chin resting on her palm and her light eyes trying to see what was on his hand, he had a rather amazing revelation. Though just moments before he had been internally freaking out over whether or not Aspen would be upset with him for forgetting Valentine's Day, thinking that the day had already passed and Aspen, like any other girl he'd ever had feelings for in the past, would be angered, suddenly he wasn't that worried anymore.

Because very suddenly, as he realized the holiday hadn't passed entirely, he also came about the realization that he sort of wanted to do something for Aspen? It was strange and a bit foreign to the boy whose past Valentine's Days (when he'd had a girlfriend) had been filled with rather foolish gifts that he had only purchased and given because the girl in the picture would've been dramatically upset if the expected roses weren't there.

"Are you into Valentine's Day?" he couldn't help but ask, curiosity on his face. Either way, he knew he would try to do something for her, but he was curious.

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Originally Posted by emmafan123

As Aspen peaked over towards his hand as though to try and read what he'd written, he immediately dropped the quill and pulled his hand back, flashing her a teasing grin as amusement filled his gaze. "What, do you guys decorate or something?" he asked naively, not quite knowing what she meant when she told him that he wouldn't be able to miss Valentine's Day at Hogwarts.

He was glad that he hadn't missed it yet though, honestly. He wouldn't say that he was a big romantic or anything, but he wanted to do something for her, even though he knew it probably wouldn't be spectacular or anything. And as he watched Aspen watching him, her chin resting on her palm and her light eyes trying to see what was on his hand, he had a rather amazing revelation. Though just moments before he had been internally freaking out over whether or not Aspen would be upset with him for forgetting Valentine's Day, thinking that the day had already passed and Aspen, like any other girl he'd ever had feelings for in the past, would be angered, suddenly he wasn't that worried anymore.

Because very suddenly, as he realized the holiday hadn't passed entirely, he also came about the realization that he sort of wanted to do something for Aspen? It was strange and a bit foreign to the boy whose past Valentine's Days (when he'd had a girlfriend) had been filled with rather foolish gifts that he had only purchased and given because the girl in the picture would've been dramatically upset if the expected roses weren't there.

"Are you into Valentine's Day?" he couldn't help but ask, curiosity on his face. Either way, he knew he would try to do something for her, but he was curious.

Aspen wouldn't ever get her letter finished now. She'd be much too busy theorizing about what he thought worthy enough to actually write on his hand. Not on parchment, not on a bit of scrap paper (there was a MOUNTAIN of it at his elbow at his disposal), but on his hand. And then, to add to the mystery, he wouldn't let her see.

Color this Ravenclaw intrigued.

".... well...," Aspen squinted at him curiously, "not me. I don't personally decorate, but there will be signs. For example, there will be flower deliveries at breakfast, and there will candy and lots of pink. You're observant; you'll notice." She was confident to that.

He was thinking hard over there. As she often did, Aspen tried to pick this thoughts out of his head. It never worked. But maybe one day...? Maybe....

She brought her other hand up so that both elbows were on the table and her palms were a resting place for her chin. "In to it?" In to it. In to it. She closed one eye, then opened it and closed the other. She liked watching the subtle changes in her views of Cornelius from each eye.

Aspen being Aspen.

"I guess I could be. I have no major issues with pink or chocolate." That was the typical way to celebrate the holiday and stuff and it didn't hurt anyone...

"He was a wizard, I think..."

Cornelius gave a brief nod as Aspen explained that he would notice as the school decorated for the holiday, that he was observant enough to see the flower deliveries and pink everywhere. Flower deliveries? He glanced over at Aspen with new contemplation on his expression, wondering if that was something she would want. A flower delivery? Nah, it didn't seem Aspen enough.

He watched as she watched him, closing one eye at a time as though to look at him from different points of view, before deciding to answer his question. She guessed she could be. No major issues with pink or chocolate. At these words, Cornelius couldn't help but let out a soft chuckle, amusement filling his expression as he quickly realized Aspen wasn't really the demand-for-Valentine's-stuff kind of girl. How interesting that he wanted to get her something all the more because of that idea.

"Who?" he asked as she mentioned that someone was a wizard, seemingly a comment from out of the blue. He wasn't sure at all who she was talking about, and his smile fell just slightly with her random words.

Quote:

Originally Posted by emmafan123

Cornelius gave a brief nod as Aspen explained that he would notice as the school decorated for the holiday, that he was observant enough to see the flower deliveries and pink everywhere. Flower deliveries? He glanced over at Aspen with new contemplation on his expression, wondering if that was something she would want. A flower delivery? Nah, it didn't seem Aspen enough.

He watched as she watched him, closing one eye at a time as though to look at him from different points of view, before deciding to answer his question. She guessed she could be. No major issues with pink or chocolate. At these words, Cornelius couldn't help but let out a soft chuckle, amusement filling his expression as he quickly realized Aspen wasn't really the demand-for-Valentine's-stuff kind of girl. How interesting that he wanted to get her something all the more because of that idea.

"Who?" he asked as she mentioned that someone was a wizard, seemingly a comment from out of the blue. He wasn't sure at all who she was talking about, and his smile fell just slightly with her random words.

Aspen had come a long way from hiding behind books when Cornelius Rune decided to look at her. She wasn't exactly super comfortable with his silent wondering eyes, but he was certainly not to be hidden from anymore. Most of the time she just watched him back, trying to read his mind through his little chuckles and expression changes.

Sigh. Happy, happy sigh.

"St. Valentine. Or maybe it was St. Patrick? One of them," and of course Aspen would have to look it up now. "Maybe both. Do you know?"

Cornelius's smile only widened as Aspen explained who she was talking about, merely shaking his head as she asked if he knew which of the two was actually a wizard. "I have no idea," he admitted, though he didn't seem to be all that focused on his own lack of knowledge on the matter, his eyes placed entirely on Aspen. That was, until he spotted the paper mountain next to her again. Oh right. She had things to do.

"You should probably get back to those, huh?" he suggested with a small, slightly amused smile. "I'm distracting you." He flashed her yet another signature Cornelius-smile, his light brown eyes examining her expression for a moment before he started to get up. "I've gotta go anyway, I need figure something out," he glanced to his hand for a moment before returning his gaze to Aspen. "But send that letter. I wanna see what he says about me," he grinned, raising his eyebrows playfully as he tucked his chair back beneath the table and started to make his way over towards the Common Room door. "I'll see you soon!" he promised before ducking out of their conversation early.

Cradling his newly transfigured vases in his arms, Vickers made his way into the Ravenclaw study area. He always thought the place could use something fresh and pleasing for the tired eyes. He lay six vases down ever so carefully, lining them in pairs across the length of a long desk. Drawing out his wand, he uttered “Aguamenti” as he carefully filled each vase with water. Alright now for the flowers-- he drew out a set of long stemmed, star shaped flowers and gently fitted each stalk into the vase…

Hendrix inched her way from the hood of the robes up onto the Ravenclaw’s shoulders and peered down. Ohhhhh! Look at them green bowling-pins all lined up. Yup yup she knows this game. She done it when she met tricksies Wizard!

Hendrix leaped from Vickers’ shoulder and rolled down down down the length of the table aiming straight for the first green pair…

CRASH!!!!

Vickers spun his head at the most dreadful sound. His vases! They broke!

Hendrix could feel the bowling pins break all around her. Was that supposed to happen? That didn’t happen last time. And and…. why is she wet again?

SQUEEEAKKKK!!!

“Hendrix!!!” the Ravenclaw growled as he aimed his wand and whisked her up, but not before the furry troublemaker tipped the topmost part of the 3rd vase and sent the 4th one crashing along with it. “Oh no look what you did!” he glared at the purple creature. “How did you even get here? I left you up at the dorms.” It took all his restraint to keep him from shaving off all the creature’s fur as punishment right there and then. But as he looked around the disaster before him he just shoved the pygmy puff into his pocket as he hurriedly evanescoed the mess. The last thing he needed was to have his Head of House walk into the broken glass and water amidst all the precious books.

When he was done he realized there was just two pairs from his project that survived. And he knew he was out of thimbles to replace the ones broken by Hendrix. With a deep sigh he gently he fitted the other flowers from the now non-existent vases into the two remaining ones and set them at the center of the table. Well it still brightened up the room a bit, but not as much as they did earlier.

And now he had to cage a certain purple troublemaker.

After they had left the common room, Violet headed to the study tables to wait for her friend Lily. She already had all of her cook books laid out on the tables and also her parchment and quills set nicely in neat piles. Lily said that she had to get some textbooks from the dorm so Violet waited a few minutes for her. It was taking quite some time, so she opened her cookbook and read what dishes she could write about for the muggle studies assignment.

Lily rushed down the stairs from the dorms, skipping every other stair. Once she got down she headed over to the tables. In her hands was a bag full of candy from the last trip to honeydukes. Walking over to the table, she pulled out a chair and took a seat. "Sorry about that. I couldn't find my stuff very easily..." It didn't seem that it really mattered, Violet seemed like she had at least something to due while waiting. "So where do you want to start?"

Max had been in the common room ever since the match finished and the healer let him go. He was perched over at the study tables. He... didn't really want to be around everyone else. While his performance in the match couldn't have helped Ellie catch the final snitch, he still felt that his pregame mishap and absence from the game had been a hindrance on the team as a whole. He felt especially awful that Vashti had to take his place for her last match at Hogwarts. She shouldn't have had to do that. Max knew she was the best Chaser in the school. She should have been able to thrive where she felt most comfortable.

A folded piece of parchment and a History of Magic textbook were on the table in front of him. The book was to keep him busy; the parchment... well... he wasn't quite sure what was going to happen with that. He turned his head upward, looking across the room at the common room door. Where was she? He hoped she was okay.

It just might have been after curfew by the time Ellie decided to brave the common room. Thank Merlin she just wasn't held up or anything by a professor. The last thing she needed was to be scolded for something she honestly couldn't care less about, like making curfew.

The Captain's head was hung, her hair was unusually disheveled, and her eyes were still rather red and puffy, even though she stopped by the Prefect's bathroom to wash her face. She thought that was supposed to help, the cold water. It didn't, for future reference.

She wanted to make a point of heading straight for the dorms as she crossed the room, but her legs just wouldn't carry her very fast. Someone could easily intercept her.

Max heard the door close and he lifted his head again. Finally. But she... was heading straight for the staircase to the dorms. No. He wasn't going to let her go so fast. Not when he'd been waiting for her. Though, he couldn't tell - was he going to upset her? Would she rather not talk to anyone, even her best friend?

Though Max feared the latter, he leaped from his chair and darted across the common room, slowing down as he approached Ellie. He stopped next to her, instinctively moved to hug her but resisted, unsure of the kind of state she was in, and stumbled on his words a bit before saying, "Ellie, I have something for you." He rubbed the back of his neck with his hand, his face contorting. Though he had been waiting for her, he had forgotten to plan what he was going to say. "It's... over there," he said, pointing and leaning in the direction of the table where he was previously seated. "Do... you have time, or would you like to go to bed? It can wait till the morning if you just want to go..."

However, he would be disappointed if she denied his gift after he had been waiting. But, he would understand, ultimately.

Wow. She very much wanted to quicken her pace, because she could FEEL someone approaching. And...yes, she just wanted to hide and sleep and.... Then the someone was there and spoke and she knew who it was and it was, perhaps, the most welcome person she's come in contact with after the match.

Ellie sniffed and picked her head up to see her best friend. At first, she just blinked at him, not really able to show any other kind of emotion, then nodded. As in 'yes, I do have time'. For him, she did.

She cleared her throat, as if she was going to speak, but instead wrapped her arms around him. More likely than not, she cried herself dry, so he needn't worry about tears on his clothes. Or snot, for that matter. But it definitely felt better hugging him.

Max smiled as she agreed to giving him some of her time. Very good. Just as he began to move toward the table, Ellie was wrapped around his middle. He sighed softly, his heart breaking. Of course she was still going to be upset. He anticipated that. He just didn't like the fact that there was nothing he could do to help. Nothing really at least. He couldn't go back and knock out the Hufflepuff Seeker to allow her the final snatch.

He held her tightly in a comforting bear hug, though, and hoped he held some magical power to cure her of her unhappiness with his embrace. When he felt as though the hug had gone on too long by Treyen's standards, he released her, gave her an encouraging smile, took her hand softly, and led her to the table. He sat down, gesturing her to do the same.

"When I was in the hospital wing," he began, clearing his throat, "the healer said I shouldn't leave. I mean, I was fine once I was there - I ate and drank some and felt better after about twenty minutes. I wanted to come running, but she insisted I stay until after the game. She thought I might fall out of the sky or collapse in the stands or something from getting too anxious or excited." It made sense, he supposed. But he still had wanted to be there. "So, uh, since... I didn't really know what was going on with you guys... I decided, no matter the outcome of the game, you were going to be in a much different state of mind from normal." Either beyond thrilled or beyond depressed.

"Being pent up in the hospital wing was probably as nerve-wracking as being in the stands would've been. At least then I would've known what was going on. But, she just told me to calm my thoughts and not think about Quidditch or studying or anything like that. So I... asked her for some parchment and a quill. And I... well, I came up with this." He passed the folded parchment across the table to her.

Before he let her open it, he said, "I didn't know what was going to happen with the match, but I figured whether we won or lost, additional encouragement from me was always welcome, right?" He forced a smile, running a hand nervously through his hair. He wasn't an artist, nor was he a poet of any sort, but he had wanted to make sure she would have more encouragement from her than just a hug and a 'congratulations!' or an 'I'm sorry we lost, but you're still the winner in my eyes' kind of conversation.

The hug was sooooo nice, and she didn't want to let go. Probably why she originally just wanted to go to bed, where she could hug herself or her pillow, and wrap herself in her blankets, fall asleep and just forget about how ruined her life was, given that her subconscious would let her.

Her face was vacant from expression, and would remain that way, until the numbness of her day wore off. But her eyes thanked him - for the hug AND the smile.

She sat on the given seat, and her gaze drifted to the History of Magic book. Not in the fearful way they normally would, but just because it was the most interesting thing to look at, other than Max. Though, she started to feel too guilty to look at her best friend. She hadn't even thought of paying him a visit once the match was over.

When the parchment passed her line of vision, she re-focused her eyes on that. Additional encouragement? Was that what that was? Ellie didn't want encouragement. If anything, she wanted people to give up on her. To realize that she was right in thinking how awful she was. But it was from Max, so, slowly, she reached for it, unfolded it, and read it.

After a few moments of reading, re-reading, staring, and fighting all negative thoughts that rushed to her she read the word 'talent', Ellie hung her head. It was true that she didn't have enough strength or tears to cry anymore, but she felt like doing so. Crying. Instead, her raspy voice said, "I'm sorry." For not visiting him the hospital wing. For not winning for him. For not living up to the words he wrote about her.

For everything.

Her reaction... was not one he anticipated.

"'Scuse me?" he replied, raising his eyebrows. As he realized what must have been going through her mind, he frowned. No. He reached his hand over to her and lifted her chin lightly with two fingers. He leaned against the table and took one of her hands in his, his elbows on the table in front of him. "Ellie," he shook his head, "there is nothing for you to be sorry about. Are you aware that it was the Championship match? The best of the best? Hey, guess what!" He shook his hands as he spoke for emphasis, "YOU.... are... the best of the best. By just being there.

"You don't give yourself enough credit," he sighed, letting go of her hand. "The funny thing about Quidditch is that there's always going to be a Seeker that doesn't catch the snitch." He paused, letting her reflect on that. "Even in the professional leagues. Even in the World Cup, where both Seekers are arguably the best, most experienced Seekers in the world. One of them has to miss it at some point, right? It... doesn't mean they're not talented players. It's just that... only one can get it."

He sighed now and leaned back in his chair. "I know my opinion doesn't really matter so much," he said, though he realized that wasn't quite what he meant. Ah, well. "For this, I mean, because you probably think I'm biased... but I think you're unbelievably talented, Ellie. There's a unique fire and ferocity in your eyes when you're out there on the pitch, I can see it all the way from my goalposts. You're dynamite. We wouldn't have even gotten anywhere near as far in the season if it wasn't for you. And to be honest? It doesn't matter that we didn't win the match. I don't care that we didn't win, because, y'know what?" A smile was forming on his face again, and his face was red. He looked as though he might have even been on the verge of crying.

"As a team, we won just because we had you as a captain. We grew as a family because of you. I... can't imagine the team without you, honestly." He did his best to push those tear-inducing feelings away as he stared down at his hands on the table in front of him. He just wished she viewed herself even a bit as highly as he saw her. "To me, you are the heart and soul of Ravenclaw house, and you've never let me down."

...Did he not hear her? Because Ellie wasn't saying it again. She couldn't even if she tried. Max probably only got away with lifting her head because she was so drained from energy and had no will power to fight against it.

And then she thought he was just being MEAN. YES, she knew it was the Championship. She LOST the Championship. She didn't need reminding every two seconds. She did that enough for herself, thank you.

But he wasn't being mean. He was just being Max. Which was also pretty unwelcome at this time. She bit her lip as she listened, turning her head back to the parchment she'd left on the table in front of her.

It was true, she supposed. Not every Seeker could catch the Snitch every time. Not even the professionals. Yet, they were probably the best Seekers throughout their Hogwarts or schooling careers. Whereas Ellie was NOT. Because she'd lost. TO A FIRST YEAR, mind you.

Yes, Max was right about that. She thought him biased. And pretty much tuned him out from there. It was probably just more of the same. 'You're a star' and 'you're excellent' and 'second best isn't too shabby'. Also, he was wrong again. Because they got along perfectly fine without her last match, didn't they? In fact, they WON. So...

She's never let him down? "You expect too little of me, then." She ALWAYS let herself down. Always.

Max just looked at Ellie. He looked at her long and hard. Clearly, his spiel of heartfelt emotion was not what she wanted right now. Though he thought it was what she needed, he obliged. He looked down at the parchment in front of her and scrunched up his nose.

"Y'know, Ellie, I am disappointed," he said, suddenly looking hurt. "You didn't even compliment my flowers a little." He stuck his lower lip out and tried to look extremely offended. She wanted him to be hard on her? There. There was his disappointment. "I worked for a long time on those for you." Obviously. "Do you see that attention to detail?" It was atrocious, he knew that. He didn't mind poking fun at himself.

Even though it was clear that he was kidding with his disappointment, he still felt bad. He wished he could do something more to help, but... if nothing had worked so far, was she just going to be unhappy no matter what anyone ever said? Was she beyond any further help he could give her?

"Would... you like a chocolate frog?" He pulled his last one from his robe pocket and offered it to her. He always heard chocolate made girls feel better. "Or a hug? Or... sleep?" Or all three?