[jasper] who you really are

[ARYA GILLYWEED SPORE]

Arya was in the library, of course, double checking reference material for one of her papers. At one of the grand wooden tables, Arya sat with one leg tucked underneath the other and leaning over a particular massive book. It was entirely in an ancient language, but Arya, taking Ancient Runes, was slowly deciphering through it. While she read, she twirled her wand between her fingers - a habit of hers.

It was, as always, peaceful in the library. Quiet and filled with the scent of parchment and learning. The long arched windows were letting in the colors of twilight, bathing everything in soft pink, purple, and orange light. Soon the torches would magically light, and then not long after, the library will close. Books flew high over head, being summoned back to their respective positions. The sound of wings made of paper echoed gently.

It was a large table she was sitting at, but Arya had it all to herself in the depths between book stacks. Her notes were scattered all over it - mostly translations. She sighed. Someone must've told her the sixth year was brutal. It wasn't so difficult to her as it may've been for some others, but there was still a lot of writing, researching, and practicing advanced magic.

"Right." she mumbled to herself, sitting up straight. "That's enough for tonight." With extreme effort on her non-muscular part, she lifted the one side and let it drop closed. Unfortunately - and she really should've expected this - the book made a loud slam, and caused a sudden gust of air. Her notes were scattered off the desk. Arya watched them tumble for a moment, exasperated, before getting up to pick them off the floor.

ooc- not very subtle, but maybe he'd recognize the handwriting on her notes?

[JASPER MICHEAL COLEBANK]

Jasper was sat at one of the smaller tables in the library - he never chose one of the big tables, in case someone tried to join him - reading through one of the larger tomes in the library. He mumbled something to himself about the book, and turned the page. He was about to start reading the new page, when another book was slammed shut, breaking him out of his thoughts on wizarding history. It wasn't a book he would have chosen to read generally, but it had seemed interesting in that day.

He stood up, and walked over to the large table in which Arya was situated. He hadn't walked over to help, but he soon found himself, kneeling down and picking up one of the notes, he mused afterwards that he hadn't really wanted to help, no he'd been feeling nosy, he'd been close enough to see a slight glimpse of the handwriting. Looking closer at the note, he realised that the handwriting did look familiar, he had never had time to memorize others handwritings, except maybe the teachers who marked his work. But this wasn't a teachers handwriting, he knew of her, and she was far to young looking to be a teacher - although, there were a few rather young professors at Hogwarts. It wasn't till he handed the note to her, that he realised just who she was.

It wasn't only the handwriting that gave it away, he was close enough to be able to smell that same floral scent that had clung faintly to one of the letters. His face must have become quite comical as recognition dawned on him. He went from being stoic, then confused, and finally downright shocked. He'd met her before, and he'd probably seemed incredibly rude, but now she was someone that he'd talked with, gotten to know. "Gillyweed?" he questioned. Jace now wished he'd brought down the letters with him. He had planned to, but had forgotten, he hadn't needed them for that day. It wasn't as if Jace always looked at the letters.

[ARYA GILLYWEED SPORE]

Arya blushed when Jasper came over to help her, muttering a thank you - she tried not to ever think about him because their last incident made her feel like a nosy, silly girl. Ironically, for that same reason, she never considered him a possible candidate as the recipient of her letters. It simply never occurred to her, and there were hundreds of other guys in Hogwarts. Arya picked up her papers silently, trying not to blush too much.

And then he said her middle name, and Arya, so surprised he had said anything to her, replied, "Pardon?" But then a split second later, what he said registered and Arya made the connections. She looked at him - his face comically surprised - and her face made an expression to match. "You're Anon." she stated, not quite believing it. Then she stood up, as it felt silly continuing any conversation kneeling on the floor.

Arya was trying to process the fact that the most incredible person she knew (via letter, granted) was actually indeed someone she had met before. Eyes still wide, Arya blabbed as she was prone to do under pressure. "Sorry I haven't written back yet ... you ... " A smile crept onto her face and her eyes softened. "You wrote that I had a "lyrical soul" and that's the most beautiful thing anyone's ever written to me."

[JASPER MICHEAL COLEBANK]

If Jace hadn't been so shocked as well, he would have laughed at the expression on her face. He nodded mutely. He was indeed Anon, he wished he had come up with a better name than anon, it seemed a little silly now he was talking to her. He pushed his hands against his knees forcing himself up. He tried to process this. He'd toyed with the idea that he knew Gillyweed, but had tossed the idea aside. Turns out he'd been wrong to do so. Jace smiled, "That is okay" Jace wasn't one to blush, but he did. He had written that hadn't he. "Really? The most beautiful thing?" he asked, Jace wasn't one to talk to people, but he would have thought someone would have said something much... prettier... to her than that, and he hadn't even known it was her at the time.

"Well it was true" he said with a small shrug. He wished he wasn't blushing. Messing up his hair, he pondered over what to say. He'd never really thought that they would find each other identity, but they had, and all because Jace had to be nosy. He wondered what she'd think of him now she knew who he was. Would she still think him all of those adjectives - wise, poignant and eloquent? or would knowing who he was change her opinion of him. For once he'd be lying to say he wasn't worried about what she thought. He tried to persuade himself that it was simply because he'd offered to tell her one of his deepest secrets.

[ARYA GILLYWEED SPORE]

Once he stood up, Arya found herself again marveling at how tall he was. Before it made her feel infantile, but now instead, she was thinking about how that made him look so mature and capable. And had he always been as handsome as he seemed now? It felt as though Arya was seeing him for the first time - not as a reclusive classmate, or as someone who may or may not have thought she was silly - but as a really interesting and beautiful person, inside and out.

Arya nodded, her eyes twinkling; being told you have a "lyrical soul" beat every other compliment any day. It was actually meaningful and unique, and said something about her as a person. How could You're cute or even You're beautiful even being to compare? And when he added that it was true, Arya had to look down, blushing as well. "Thanks." she mumbled, having difficulty making eye contact. "Your soul is pretty beautiful, too." To anyone else, that might've constituted an odd compliment, but it seemed fitting between them. When she glanced up, she saw a hint of blush on his face, too. It was adorable - she had half a mind to just hug him right then.

Feeling warm and giddy inside, Arya struggled to figure out what to say next. What did you say to the person who probably knew you better than your own parents? Then Arya remembered something she had promised. "Oh, right!" she exclaimed, looking back at him straight on. She stood a bit straighter, as if she was about to say something important. "I officially invite you to spend Christmas with me." That was a promise she had made, wasn't it? But then she realized the wording of her proposition. "Well, with my family, not just with me ..." she corrected herself, a blush once again coloring her cheeks.

[JASPER MICHEAL COLEBANK]

Looking down at her, he smiled to himself. He decided that he liked being taller than her. Having talked with her before, he knew she was pretty, but she wasn't that sort of beautiful you could pick out right away, she was the better kind, the one that as you looked at her, she seemed to be more beautiful, and now he knew just who she was, and she hadn't seemed immature or silly - especially not in her letters - but like a true ravenclaw.

He hadn't really thought about what he was writing, it had seemed easy to reply to her, like the words simply flooded the page. "Its not a problem" he said with a genuine smile. The compliment did indeed suit them. They had come to know each other before knowing who each other was... if that made sense. "Thank you, Arya" he was only half concentrating though, the other half of his brain was berating himself for blushing.

He remembered her writing something along those lines in one of her letters, and he also remembered himself saying yes, that if they had found out who the other was then he would spend christmas with her. "If that is okay with your family, then yes." he smiled, and added "I would like to try those christmas cookies" he thought he had recalled the letter right, he was sure she had written about christmas cookies. She would correct him if he were wrong.

[ARYA GILLYWEED SPORE]

It was very pleasant to hear him actually say her name. It was as though her name was safe. So long as he was saying her name, it could only mean good things. She tried her hand at saying his name, "You are welcome Jasper." Unsure of whether or not her saying his name achieved the same effect, she found that she liked saying it none the less. Had she ever appreciated before how rare but lovely his name was? And the poor, beautiful boy was still blushing. He was so sweet when he looked embarrassed - Arya felt her heart swell out of adoration.

Arya waved her hand reassuringly, "Oh, absolutely. It'd be great to have you. Arya, mostly by virtue of being her father's little girl, had long learned all forms of manipulation and persuasion derived from endearment. Arya was sweet and had a bright smile - she knew how to get her way when needed. "And you won't be disappointed, I promise. The cookies I make have caramel baked right into them so that they have this gooey center. Everyone loves them."

Then it occurred to Arya that Jasper could've been busy. And although she didn't want to remind him of whatever he was doing in order to drive him away, she couldn't help but ask, slightly apologetically, "Were you in the middle of studying?"

[JASPER MICHEAL COLEBANK]

Jace smiled. He'd never really thought about his penpal ever saying his own name, and it was nice. Like actually having a friend... She was someone who he had pushed aside before accidentally getting to know her, and now he saw just how special she was. She was willing to try and get to know him, for him, even if he'd probably been incredibly rude beforehand.

"Thats good, because I'd be glad to spend time with you" he replied, he wasn't sure what her family would think about her bringing a boy home for christmas, and he was worried he might intrude in their christmas. Jace had never been around his family at christmas, and he had never really thought about how special the time is. "Sounds delightful." he said smiling, Jace had never smiled so much in a short amount of time. He'd never really had anything to smile about except his intelligence. Anyway, he did love caramel, he couldn't think of a reason why anyone wouldn't.

Jace shook his head. "No, I was just reading" he hadn't been doing anything too productive, so for once he was enjoying talking with someone. "I finished studying a while ago" he added. He'd gotten the studying out of the way and hadn't wanted to go back to the common room so had stayed reading. That had turned out to be a good decision.

[ARYA GILLYWEED SPORE]

Arya was flattered when he said he'd like to spend time with her. "Me, too." It was a surprise to see that he had it in him to be so amiable. Then again, today a was day full of surprises. Good surprises - as though Arya had uncovered a number of wrapped presents, and upon unwrapping them, found she got everything she needed for her world to be a better place. The sun was shining through the far window again - having escaped the cover of some clouds - and flooded the library with the sunset colors. Romantic colors. The colors of magic. Colored by pinks, purples, and bold orange, Jasper looked extra handsome, but also not entirely real.

She nodded. Reading was a perfectly enjoyable way to spend time - especially for a Ravenclaw. "I've just finished studying for tonight. Would you like to hang out and talk, maybe?" Arya wished she had a more interesting suggestion at the ready. All she new was that she wanted to keep talking to Jasper.

ooc- sorry for all the stylistic changes. i'm sortof experimenting at the moment =)

[JASPER MICHEAL COLEBANK]

It was surprising for Jace that he even felt like being talkative, let alone agreeing to stay with her for christmas. He figured he'd just made a friend. It wasn't like he didn't have friends he just didn't have many. He smiled down at her, he was really happy that she enjoyed speaking with him. It wasn't very often he liked a person enough to talk to them, and it was nice to them that person talk with you. Jace looked at Arya. "Sure, that sounds brilliant. I have nothing better to do" he smiled, he seriously had nothing else to do, so what was the harm in hanging out with her. Arya was pretty, he loved her eyes, they were enticing, but she was also such a sweet person. They were different people, but it was good to have difference because too much similarity was incredibly dull. "Where to then Arya?" he asked, with a smile. He decided to let her choose the place, as he wanted to try and be nice.