BOOM CLAP! - March {Arnie/Open to Ravenclaws}

[Arnie Peasegood]

Arnie grinned widely as Sylvia dissolved into laughter at his remarks - he was ever grateful for a good audience, and his friend never disappointed in that respect. And if she thought he was funny, he really was, wasn't he? She was too bright to laugh at moronic jokes, eh? "Solidarity?" he asked, giving her a set of raised eyebrows. "Just because I'm a bloke I'm always supposed to side with them? When they do stupid things? Not that I don't do my fair share of stupid things," he fairly assented, "but running from you? Won't see me doing that. I'll figure it out, don't worry."

His house-of-exploding-cards nearly stuck - but wasn't the point of using the cards the fun of failure? It was a good lesson for his House, surely, Arnie mused as he coughed out the smoke resulting from the most recent set of explosions. He looked up to check on his friend as he laid the cards out to air out, glad to see that it didn't look like she'd been hit by any of them. "Didn't get you, did I?" he asked to make sure. "But yeah - mums are great at that stuff, I'm sure you'll get to the bottom of it."

He nodded in understanding as Sylvia stood and related her woes - Hogwarts was fantastic in many respects, but proper dreadful when it came to keeping up with people outside of it. He hardly had any clue what his parents or older sister were up to - letters just didn't cut it, although it did mean that any time he and his brother were home there was no lapse in conversation as everyone caught up. Look at you, complaining about your magical boarding school. He grinned up at her as Sylvie extended a hand and an offer, taking her hand quickly and jumping to his feet. "A weighty task, but one I do believe I am up for," he said, giving her hand a squeeze before he let go and headed around a few other housemates until he got to the expanse of books, craning his neck back to try and read the tiny font on the spines of the highest titles. Because it wasn't enough to have one of the most phenomenal academic libraries of all wizardkind within the school - Ravenclaw Tower required its own private store.

The titles were as endless as the digits of pi, and it all came down for what one was in the mood for. And, of course, everything was properly catalogued.

"What've you been reading lately?" he asked, looking over at her and giving his neck a break. "We've really got to find a solid one for you, I just don't know if we have enough options."

[Deleted]

Sylvia thought she was a pretty independent, self-sufficient person; but it was still nice to not have to figure everything out on her own. Especially the mystery of boys and why they do the things they do. It was both a fruitless task and just bore-some. There were simply better things to learn about. Though she would have sniffed out the conundrum of Benjamin Fenwick sooner or later, she was glad she didn’t have to. She gave Arnie a grateful smile. “I am a lucky girl to be friends with a traitor amongst the opposite sex.” She joked. Well mostly, she was lucky to have Arnie after all.

Even if he was currently a fire hazard to her hair, he was still a good friend to have, just maybe not so close to exploding things. She assured him there was no damage and agreed that she would indeed find out what her big brother was getting up to in the wide wide world. Resolutely she stomped on the feeling of uselessness and began to make a plan of action. She would need to write her mother, tonight, and enlist her help. She had time though, and right now she was spending time with Arnie. Besides her routine dictated that she needed to pick a book for the week. What would she do between classes or meals when she needed a break from studying?

“Not very weighty Peasegood.” She scuffed. “It’s just for pleasure.” She assured him, wandering over to the History section. It was a favorite of hers but lately she had been taken with fantasy and romance. Completely nonsensical books of love and magic. Not real magic of course. She was due for a bit of History. “I’ve been reading completely uninformative books on false worlds and faulty logic. I think I need…” Sylvia plucked a dark blue bond book from one of the lower selves and examined it before holding it up for her friend to see. “How about it? A Guide to Medieval Sorcery sounds pretty fun.”

[Arnie Peasegood]

"Traitor?" Arnie said, laughing at the title she'd given him. "Just don't spread it around, can't have them learn of my fickleness." He really would have to get on figuring out what was going on with Benji - was his crush getting stronger? Forcing him to shut down around her? Making him just want to avoid her to try and avoid embarrassment? That's the opposite of how you get the girl, Benj...

And so he followed his friend's lead along the towering shelves, idly trailing his fingers along the spines of the books they passed. While it was silly in some ways for them to have this enormous library separate from the school's, he couldn't deny its convenience. When he wanted a new book, regardless of the hour, he could grab one here without running any risk of trouble - whereas if he tried to switch a book out in the dead of night at the school library? There were prefects who didn't understand he actually wasn't getting up to any mischief - he just wasn't tired and wanted the next volume.

But here? This was one of the perks of being a Ravenclaw.

Thus, Arnie was quite surprised at Sylvie's admission. "'False words and faulty logic'?" he quoted curiously. "Like what? Doesn't sound like your usual type." But he had to chuckle appreciatively at her first pick. "So long as you don't come out of it trying anything of Morgana's," Arnie cautioned unnecessarily. "If you're in the mood for a biography," he continued, the section sparking his memory as he reached up for a dull red tome, "this was an interesting one. All about Agrippa, he did basically everything - I think we have his books on "occult" philosophies here somewhere too, interesting to see how things have and haven't changed..."

[Deleted]

“Of course, I won’t say a word. Wouldn’t want to be the reason for your mutiny, and loose my alli? I would never risk the travesty.” Sylvia may have made everything a little more theatrical than she normally did but the thought of the boys in their year faulting Arnie for his prowess with females was almost laughable. Especially Benji. Sylvie could never imagine the two friends ever being at odds. Though she had thought that she and Benji would never be on the outs but it seemed they were.

Sylvia sighed and then promised herself not to get worked up about it. Arnie would get to the bottom of it. Just like he was helping her now to find a book, she knew he would figure the Benji thing out in no time. “Yes, faulty logic, also known as Jane Austen and the like.” Sylvia rolled her eyes at her own poor reading choices. Which is why she needed her friend this go round; to keep her from fantasy novels and apparently some pretty heavy books on DARK magic. She smiled as Arnie laughed but she placed the book back on its shelf. No, she did not want to go trying any spells invented by Morgana. She was known as the most powerful dark witch for a reason.



“Always in the mood for a biography.” Sylvie informed her friend as she took the book he was offering. She flipped to the back cover as he spoke and did a quick read through. Completely opposite to everything she had been reading lately. Perfect. “Well if you read it and say it’s worth it then it is. I’ll read this one, and later I’ll catch up on my occult studys.” She assured him, hugging the volume to her chest.

Again Sylvia was immensely happy that Arnie had joined their little game of snap, spending Sunday with him was preferable to –well not spending Sunday with him. Fleetingly Sylvie wished she could like Arnie Peasegood, like like like him, as more than friends. She sighed again before perking up and heading for the stairs. “I think I’ll read in the kitchens, I’m in the mood for a sweet treat. Do you need a book before I go?”

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[Arnie Peasegood]

"So glad I can count on your discretion," Arnie replied in dramatic kind with his banter partner, always eager to get her jesting like this. But his friend was falling back and forth between jests and melancholy, and he hoped Benji wasn't the bane of the girl's day. Sylvie didn't deserve that! But he chuckled at her admission of her reads as of late, brushing his long fringe out of his line of sight. "My sister reads that stuff, wouldn't have pegged you for someone who'd enjoy those - let's find you something else," he promised, and was more than happy at her response to the book he did find for her. While Sylvie was, of course, perfectly capable of finding something herself (despite her recent "lapses in logic"), it was good for him to be found useful. And to be thought of so highly by a girl like Sylvia Davies, who would take his word as truth! "I am honored, Sylvie," he said, jest covering his honest warming of heart at the sentiment from her. Something odd flickered in the girl's bright eyes as she vacillated internally, or so it seemed, on what was to come next. And while the way she was going to spend the rest of her afternoon sounded swell...

"Nah, I'll be all right - gonna finish up some work, why I came back to the Tower in the first place. Been so productive on that front," he remarked with a laugh. While he hadn't done any of the schoolwork he'd planned to, Arnie wouldn't say this had been a waste of time. The opposite, in fact! It was never a bad way to spend time, catching up with a friend. "Thanks though, keep me informed!" he called after her. Knowing Sylvie, she'd have a succinct but thorough account of the biography for him within the next few days - and he'd be ready to debate it with her.