Bulletin Board

[Desiree Trask]

Christmas vacation was just days away, and Desiree could hardly wait for it. The fifth year was proving to be considerably busier than the fourth year had been, and she was ready to see her family.. especially after the still-recent events of late November. She wasn't sure how soon she'd want to return to Hogsmeade, after what had happened. She still got nervous whenever a large crowd of people moved down the corridors or the Great Hall, recalling what it had felt like to be trampled. She quickly shook the thought out of her mind, taking another bite of her breakfast. It was a clear morning, displayed by the ceiling of the Great Hall, and her friends were nearby. Timur sat only a few seats away, even though he usually made a habit to sit right next to her. He'd been awfully broody lately, but she didn't blame him.

Her attention was drawn upward at the sudden surge of owls that came flying into the Great Hall, as they did every morning. Her focus became even more concentrated upward when she noticed one of her family's owls soaring through the crowded air of the hall. It landed, none too gracefully, atop her napkin and toast, before dropping an envelope into her ready hands. Desiree had gotten good at catching the letters, after losing so many to her breakfast plates or the floor.

"Thank you Rikki," she said happily, though the owl paid little attention to her when it noticed the toast it stood upon, and pecked at it. She always liked letters from home, and judging from how close to Christmas it was, she gave a good bet that this one was going to explain who her family would have over this year. She quickly tore open the envelope and unfolded the letter... only this didn't appear to be the usual. There was only one page, and the only writing on it was from her mother. No extra sections from her brothers, or anything.

She set to reading the letter with curiosity and vague worry, but her brows had risen considerably higher on her forehead after only a few moments. It had mentioned that they would be hosting the Aaksters this Christmas- and she knew them only by Owen -until the letter actually got to mentioning him. And her eyes widened at the following words. Memory seemed to strike her as she read on, of her sister being betrothed to some boy of another family in her fifth year, who had now long since been her husband. She remembered the mixed excitement and nervousness of her sister, most of which she hardly understood because she was so young- but now...

She was betrothed, too? To... Owen? She looked stunned, or perhaps bemused, as she drew the letter closer to her face and read it a second, third, and fourth time. She didn't remember her mother ever mentioning this before, and...

And it was impossible. Right? It had to be.

[Owen Aakster]

Busy fluttering of wings and businesslike hoots filled the pseudo-sky, interrupting the clink clink clinks of utensils to plates to mouths briefly. Owen looked up, eyes bright. He loved when the owls came! He nearly always got a letter from his beloved Mother, sometimes Father, and even rarer sometimes, Uncle Warren. Perhaps today, he might get news about their Christmas plans? Oh, he always loved them! So very festive, and the presents. The presents were his favorite part.

So it was with great cheer that Owen greeted one of his family's owls with an enthusiastic "Rupert!" and accepted the newspaper and letter. From Father! Oh, now this was exciting. Father rarely spared the time for letters, leaving it all up to his Darling Mother.

With an absentminded air, the Slytherin boy fed Rupert pieces of toast while he opened the letter. Veteran owl that he was, he needed his sustenance, even if he had a bit of a belly now.

As he read, Owen's rather surprised forehead drew its eyebrows up and up. Oh, really?

Really now? Interesting. He was to be married?

Owen let the sheet in his hands drift down to the table for a moment, lost in thought. It wasn't all that unexpected, really, he decided. It was a Christmas present to remember, after a fashion.

He returned his eyes to the paper, re-reading the name of the girl he was to wed, and the note at the bottom. It was from Mother, telling him to be at his best, most charming behavior for the girl, as they liked that sort of thing.

Well, if Mother said so.

Grey eyes looked up again, scanning the Ravenclaw table curiously. Had she already finished breakfast?

[Desiree Trask]

Desiree had given up in finding something different in the letter than what was really there, proving to herself that she was, in fact, not blind, or seeing things. It was then that it came to her, as if she didn't know it until now or it was a surprise, that Owen was very possibly in the Great Hall himself right now. Had he gotten a letter similar to this, telling him he was going to be married to her? The thought made her cheeks turn a little pink, and she decided to dare taking a look over at the Slytherin table. She had her back to it, so she was forced to shift around and semi-stand to see over many heads of the other students, since she wasn't all that tall. It probably made her a lot easier to pick out, as well, were he already looking around for her.

And there it was- Owen's curious face among all of the other Slytherins. She hesitated to try and get his attention at first glance, wondering again if he really had received the same news. If he hadn't yet, or this was- impossibly -a mistake, then getting his attention over it would be mortifying, wouldn't it? Ack- but he was already looking around, as if trying to find someone at her table.

[Owen Aakster]

Ah! There she was!

Putting a bright smile on his face- that was charming, right?- Owen shot an arm straight into the air and waved to Desiree, earning quite the annoyed look from Rupert who promptly left, and curious ones from the Slytherins around him.

Oh, no doubting that Trask had gotten a letter about it! She looked so uncertain from here! It was quite cute, actually. Whatever cute was. It was a positive descriptive, right? Or was that only for little kids? He rather thought it wasn't, because a Slytherin boy just over there had been calling a girl cute yesterday.

Oh well.

This was going to be such fun, he decided. He was going to spend Christmas with Desiree's family, according to Father. He wondered if they would like him.

Was that required?

[Desiree Trask]

Yes, Owen had caught sight of her before she could duck back down and pretend she didn't exist. Of course, it was hardly like she wanted to get away from him, or anything, but... but she couldn't absorb this, yet. Her cheeks positively flushed at this point, and she had no choice but to wave back at Owen, much to the curiosity of a few fellow Ravenclaws. Namely, Timur, who had glanced up from his plate when he noticed Desiree start to get up without having eaten much, and she was clutching that letter rather nervously. She didn't notice him crane his neck in an attempt to see who she could possibly be waving to at the Slytherin table.

Desiree, wondering if Owen had by any chance just received the same information she just did, held said letter up hesitantly so that it was visible as well. She made an inquiring face, as if asking if he had the same bit of information or not yet. He was always cheerful and very friendly, so she had no knowing if his grin and wave was coincidence, or because it had been her he sought.

[Owen Aakster]

Briefly, Owen's arm came down again, but only for a moment. Soon the appendage was waving about in the air once more, this time holding the very letter he had just been reading. This must have been what Tra- Desiree, he must think of her as Desiree now, they were betrothed. Anyway, it must have been what she wanted, holding her own letter up like that.

Or maybe she wanted to show off that she had a letter at all.

Well, he had one too. But he rather thought it was a question instead. It was the only choice, really. She'd never shown off a letter before.

Maybe this meant that she didn't mind being betrothed to him. He hoped so!

[Desiree Trask]

Desiree's eyes followed the letter Owen waved around in his hand in response to her inquiry. She had absolutely no idea what to do- no logical thought process was left at this point. They were betrothed. Getting married. Promised to one-another. Fearing she may break from redundancy whirling around in her own head, she turned around and ducked back down to the table. She had to talk to him, but Merlin, not in the Great Hall, with all of these students around.

She picked her brain for someplace close they could be guaranteed at least a few minutes of privacy to talk, or rather, she could at least ask a question or two. Had Owen known about this, or had it been just as much of a surprise? And... what did he think? She could feel her face burning again, and tucked the letter into her bag while grabbing out a spare bit of paper and a quill.

'Could you meet me in the first empty classroom on the first floor?' she scribbled down, pausing for a moment when she wondered if that sounded a bit too... suggestive? No, no, she was just asking for a moment alone. That wasn't bad. She pulled out her wand, waving it at the paper with a simple incantation. The paper folded itself into a bird-like shape, and fluttered up above the heads of the students toward Owen at the Slytherin table. With that, she tossed her things back into her bag and got up from her seat, hurriedly walking toward the way out of the Great Hall, cheeks still flushed.

[Owen Aakster]

Note passing? So soon? Well that was absolutely charming.

Still smiling broadly, Owen caught the doomed paper bird and swiftly unfolded it. His eyebrows rose a little as he read the note- quite familiar. Still, they were betrothed now. She was allowed to be.

Of course, it could be innocent. Either way.

Owen shovelled a few more forkfuls of egg into his mouth, and grabbed one or two slices of bacon before leaving, himself.

Now to find that empty classroom.

[Timur Vankov]

Timur's attention had been focused on Desiree ever since she shifted from her seat the first time. The expression on her face had seemed very lost, confused, and even embarrassed. Why was she so suddenly uncomfortable, and why-- she was waving at Owen? What business would she possibly have with the Aakster boy? Better yet, what business would he have with her? When she held the letter up, he briefly wondered if it had been from Owen. He was too far away to tell, which he regretted. He'd been in a somber mood after the events at Hogsmeade and the note from Mister Arrington about his plans for Christmas.

When Desiree stooped back down to write another note, the Ravenclaw boy continued to look baffled at her expression. Her cheeks were completely red, and he'd never seen such an unsure look on the girl's face before. He had nearly gotten up to ask her if something was the matter, when she sent the little note, now folded into the shape of a bird, flying in Aakster's direction.

.. Why? What was going on?

He had to return his attention to Desiree again when he heard her things drop into her bag, and she got up and left the table to leave the hall. She had hardly even touched her breakfast. What was more, and to his horror, Timur noticed Owen rise from the Slytherin table just moments later and follow Desiree's path out of the Hall as well. There was certainly something going on, and it ignited concern and paranoia within the sixth year. Ignoring the rest of his own breakfast, which he had by now completely forgotten, he also abandoned his seat and followed Owen at a distance.

Was he doing something to Desiree? Had he written that letter that made her so uncomfortable? What had been said in it?