>> Questions from here, someone ask me some more <<
Johann
2: Describe or illustrate their childhood room
A single bed beneath a window overlooking the street, best to observe all the comings and the goings of the neighbours and the traffic. The windowsill just wide enough to accommodate a lanky frame in grey robes. A bare foot trails down to rest on his pillow below.
Bookcases, constantly rearranged, line one wall and piles of more books sit on the floor. Not just his own, but collected from about the house, from his parents, or books leant by friends that vanished from sitting room tables. Invariably library books are overdue once found.
The bare floorboards are covered by a great navy blue rug interwoven with runes, fading beneath the sunlight. A great oversized puzzle book lays open, on the floor beside the bed to the right of the potential occupant. Quills and ink are scattered beside it, drawings and workings litter the floor, a problem as yet unsolved, deposited beside the bed to be resumed by candlelight instead of sleep.
On the wall opposite the foot of the bed, reflecting sunshine and the silhouette of the pale boy a year away from Durmstrang is a tall mirror with simple frame beside a wardrobe kept tidy by the house elf, filled with robes and wizard tunics, far too stuffy for the average nine year old. He wishes it might contain something simpler, something along the lines that the Muggle boys wear, but Father does not approve.
The room is on the corner of the house and to the left of the bed, opposite to the side the puzzles sprawl, facing the bookcases is another smaller window, not suited for sitting at all for how high it is set in the wall and for only being a foot or so in height. Swirling tree leaves fill the view through the glass, and an owl sleeps quietly in the branches taking a rest between parcel deliveries. It is ajar, cool Spring air seeping into the room.
The walls around the window are covered without gaps with maps - mostly a large map of the world with pins and string, and postcards all around the edges. The other maps that overlap each other are of city streets and labyrinth buildings. Places he’s been or places he wants to go. Plans that form the basis of travels a decade away. A calendar hangs haphazardly within reach of the desk. Three sets of handwriting label the dates, birthdays, gatherings, visits to museums, family anniversaries, significant historical dates cram the month.
Beneath it all is a desk, buried in three layers. Yet more books, three new maps rolled and bound ready to be pinned as soon as he has space. On the corner perch a stack of journals each dated on the spine in fading quill ink, the handwriting steadily improving. Beneath, at the foot of the desk an open box waits patiently for their return and the door of the wardrobe hangs open ready to receive the box in turn, memories of a little boy stowed away to be rediscovered one merry evening as an adult. At the back of the desk, submerged so only the top inch or so can be seen is a wireless set, visible enough to turn the dials. It lovingly tuned late at night to try and reach the faint signals from France, or those from Scandinavia.
The door hangs half open, the back of it filled with winter cloaks. Out the bottom beneath the hems can just be spied a family tree in his father’s hand, the edges of the parchment adhered to the door are tatty from the traffic over it. Then up the doorframe are notches, every birthday since he was two, made by his father to record his height. He disbelieves the notion he will ever grow to reach nearly the top despite how his parents both tower over him.
Faintly in the house below, there is the sound of the fireplace floo. With a sigh, he retreats swiftly and as nimbly as he can down from the windowsill to sit cross-legged on the pale blue sheets of the bed. At the foot, mathematics problems are folded away into a text book, left there for him to do that afternoon, but discarded in the quiet house for the far more interesting scenes of the street.
6: Tell you their favourite bedtime story
Camille would read Grimm’s Fairytales at length to Johann in different languages to help him learn. From there to poetry and even in desperation, stories from her own childhood about the family. He has reflected back on Godfather Death once for costume.
But a story that he remembers from his youngest days that was retold often, is The Cat That Walked By Himself for the clever cat and for the magic.
Elixa
8: Provide an insight into their first crush or romantic interaction
Elixa’s first crush that she recalls in any detail was shortly after arriving at Durmstrang. Assigned to the Dregs, her first few months at school are never fondly remembered. Thrust into a world of older teenagers, and tough professors, she took a shine to the arboriculture teacher who smiled at her and complimented her for her knowledge of the Norway Spruce.
He had a lovely smile, great strong arms and broad shoulders. She would linger at the end of lessons, try and steal a moment alone with him. Stole his scarf in deepest winter. Broke her heart to find he liked the boys in their final year, and for that reason was let go from the teaching staff. She kept the scarf either way.
( CC: castnuri, bergamotpan, tacetlupus )