Does the study work ever end? (Nikolai)

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One subject down (sort of), two to go! She still wasn't quite up to date in Potions, but now that she'd learned that the dungeons were much better for brewing, and that she had had the wrong book, her Potions work was much, much easier. Having the right recipe and the right setting seemed to help tremendously and she felt lucky to have had both facts corrected.

Now there was just Ancient Runes and Care of Magical Creatures to catch up on. And considering what had happened the last time she'd tried to check out all the books she'd needed to study, she had opted to stay in the library this time. Besides, at least here Professor Hughes could watch. Since he'd helped her she'd found herself spending more and more time in the library. She felt safe around him, and besides, this was one place she could get some quiet, alone time.

Not that she didn't love all her friends here, but too much time around anyone drained her, and she found herself crazing the time she got in the library. The atmosphere was pretty great too, the tall rows of shelves and the smell of old books, even the faint sound of whispers every once in a while. She had discovered it to be a perfect place to study.

So, she'd once more gotten a tower of books, but this time she didn't take them out of the library, rather setting them on an empty table, sliding her bag out her chair so she could sit. She'd decided that she'd had enough stress lately, and that she had earned the right to study something fun. Besides, she'd studied Ancient Runes much more than she had studied Care of Magical Creatures anyways, so she had focused on the latter for that day, picking out the books that seemed the most interesting.

Of course, one could say she wasn't actually studying if the books weren't for the class, but she counted it. They were still magical creatures after all, and besides. She had earned some time for doing what she wanted to. So she spread a book out in front of her and grabs a notebook and pen from her bag, reading and taking notes as she goes along.

Subject: Re: Does the study work ever end? (Nikolai) Sat Mar 09, 2019 3:38 pm

Whenever something wasn't supposed to be known around Hogwarts, it inevitably ended up being known. If you took the time to listen. The rumours had been underlying to begin with. Professor Hughes was a number of different names under the sun because he broke up fun games around the castle for no good reason. When that rumour seemed to die away, it was, instead, reinvented to be that Gryffindor boys liked to bully little girls. And from there, it only took a keen eye with a little bit of interest in working out the puzzle to finally work out what was going on.

Lyra, the stupid, American transfer student, had been caught out by a few older Gryffindor boys and Professor Hughes had caught the boys in the act, thrown them in detention, and Gryffindor had lost a tonne of points in the process. The latter, obviously, made the Slytherin male much more happy as his house pulled further and further away from the Lions in the House Cup.

Of course, he would much rather win the Quidditch Cup as well... but that remained to be seen.

Nikolai had taken a moment to ponder the fact his dad hadn't made something of a public note about the attack, truthfully, but he was also rather glad the whole school wasn't getting lectured on the wrong doings of only a few students, too. The Slytherin boy hadn't sought the witch out, though. They weren't friends. He'd helped her with some potions the night in the Potions Classroom whilst she bored him senseless with her constant chatter about Mimosa Harrington-Clement, and past seeing the witch in classes, he'd kept his distance.

However, as the boy moved around the library, looking for the latest copy of Quidditch Weekly -- a boy could window shop for a new broom, couldn't he? Especially after seeing Ji Hyun getting to ride Mimosa's broom around the Quidditch Pitch just before Christmas, and being taunted for not owning one that could compete -- as if anybody in this castle could ever compete with that broom! Nikolai had found himself in the same aisle as one Lyra Fletcher without meaning to.

Must have taken a wrong aisl- no, there was the copy of Quidditch Weekly.

"Hi," Nikolai greeted gently as he took the magazine in hand, and turned to the back of the book where the latest Nimbus range was shown whizzing around the page, a picture of Nero Whitehorn in the corner beaming with much too much satisfaction up from the page. That man was just as bad as Mimosa, really, with all his fortune from one of the biggest brands of brooms in the world. Did he ask Lyra how she was? Did he avoid asking that question? Did he really care? Not really, but his mum had always brought him up to be polite, even if he wasn't feeling considerate.

With an internal sigh, Nikolai turned to the table, and sat down across from the witch. She'd interrupted his study once before, now he had permission to do the same. "I heard some of the Gryffindor boys ended up in big trouble for something they did around here. Absolute idiots, of course, thinking with their fists rather than their heads." He started, not wanting to sound too chummy before he asked the right question. "Are you alright?"

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Lyra had nodded and given the boy a small smile with a soft, "Hey," in return the first time she'd seen him before going on her way. He hadn't seemed over eager at the time to make conversation, and Lyra knew she'd already bothered him quite enough already. But then 'Squid Boy' later sat at her table across from her?

She had thought for sure that he hadn't wanted to - as the boy spoke it became clear why he'd sat down. She stiffened at the mention of the Gryffindor boys, but watched him, listening carefully as he spoke. Thank Merlin the bruises on her face had mostly healed, and what still showed had been covered. An older Hufflepuff girl had taken pity on her and lent her some makeup, as well as showed her how to use it so that she could cover the ugly things.

"Yeah, I'm okay." She commented as lightly as she could, pinning on a smile. "They haven't bothered me again. Not yet at least... Besides, they got what they deserved." She shrugged, referring to the punishment the professor/librarian had doled out to each boy. It was certainly severe enough, the question was whether or not it would actually make the boys regret it or just piss them off more. That had been the one thing in the back of Lyra's mind... what if they decided to try again? To get revenge? She wouldn't always be down the hall from a professor.

She pushed the thoughts back to the back of he mind, turning her attention to him. Her eyes landed on the magazine in his hand and she nodded to it. "Any new models out yet? I don't think that one includes the American models, but I've always wondered how different some of the ones we've had are from some of the ones in there."

Subject: Re: Does the study work ever end? (Nikolai) Sat Mar 09, 2019 4:14 pm

Lyra's answer wasn't exactly convincing, but Nikolai wasn't here to be convinced of the witch's well being. He'd simply asked because he found himself in her presence, and it was the right thing to do. One day, he hoped, he would grow out of that, and be able to just walk past, but that day was not today, so he had to take the fate he'd been dealt.

"I don't think a few points and a detention truly covers what they deserved when they decided to physically assault someone, but, of course, I'm not trained in the technicalities of the playground 'tit for tat' ratios." Nikolai replied, a quirk of a smile touching at his lips because he was trying to make something of a joke of the matter, not come down too hard. "Personally, I wouldn't have settled for something as mediocre as a detention and points being docked, but if that makes you happy..." The boy gave a shrug to show that it was up to her.

At the comment on the brooms, Nikolai looked down to the magazine as he let out a soft laugh. "You won't find any of the American models in here. Not only are the Firebolt and Nimbus ranges far superior than the American brooms can ever be -- I've had in depth discussions with the owner of Quality Quidditch Supplies, before you jump to the defensive and suggest otherwise -- but the American ranges don't meet the right specifications to be sold in the European markets, at present. And, what with the recent changes in American policy and them shutting their borders, I think we can safely say that their brooms will not live up to the specifications needed here for the foreseeable future, and they'll fall even further behind the competition here."

Pausing, Nikolai considered the actual question, before turning the magazine around for Lyra to be able to see. "The Nimbus Vanquish is set to come out just before the World Cup -- I mean, the pros are already using it, of course -- to give a boost to Mr Whitehorn's business. It'll probably be taking on the Firebolt's new model, but in my opinion the Nimbus is the better model. Fully customiseable, too, actually. Though, of course, the Nimbus range is truly expensive, so it's just a bit of window shopping for me." The boy finalised, turning the magazine back to himself to awe over the Nimbus regardless. How couldn't you, the specs on the broom were out of this world, and the finish... Nero Whitehorn really was a genius...

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She considers the boy's words for a second before looking down. "I... could have gone to the Headmaster I suppose. But in my mind they're already being punished and if I were to get them even further punishment... Well, I don't see them being very happy about it. I'd really rather not have another encounter with them, and having them not be even more pissed probably works more in my favor than them being punished more." She looks back to him and shrugs again. "I'd rather be safe than sorry I guess?"

She listened as he went on about how the brooms here were faster and better and everything and nodded. "Actually I quite agree with you on that in most cases. A lot of the brooms that are manufactured in America are shit. I wouldn't say all though. In fact, the Skyscraper models could arguably rival both the firebolts and the nimbuses. Or, are getting there at least. They're pretty new still so a lot of the models are cheaper and less well-known, but they really are bomb brooms. As for Quality Quidditch Supplies, well it's a European store, is it not? It would make sense for them and their employees to favor European brooms."

She thought for a moment, considering the discussion. "The border shutdown does throw a wrench in things though. Still, my Skyscraper is amazing. I'll need a new broom eventually though of course, but this one's brand new, so it'll last me a while." She grinned at the thought of her broom. "You should see it sometime! It really is unlike other American brooms."

"Buuuut," she mused, eyes wide as she took in then broom before her, "I'll need a new one eventually. I think the Nimbuses are better too, but I know plenty of people who'd disagree." At the mention that it was expensive her eyes flicked to the price and she frowned. "Oh... yeah, mine too. But I don't need a new one right away, so probably by the time I do the price will have gone down." She nodded and leaned back in her seat as he turned the magazine away from her, having barely realized she'd leaned forward to see the picture at all. "Though then again, maybe the border shutdown will have lifted by then. If the skyscrapers are still being made by then I'd definitely prefer them I think. But for all I know they won't have enough sales to last long enough, America is nowhere near as crazy about Quidditch as people here are, and with them not participating in the World Cup, even if they landed some of the higher profile clients it won't really matter much."

Subject: Re: Does the study work ever end? (Nikolai) Sun Mar 10, 2019 6:33 pm

Lyra's explanation of how she could have gone to the Headmaster, his dad, but didn't because she was too scared of the bullies was... unimpressive to Nikolai. If that was what you wanted to do... why not just do it? The boy did not understand that notion for a moment, and as the witch looked back up at him, he simply settled for a "Right..." in reply, not elaborating on that conversation.

But, as the girl tried to talk about brooms -- especially American ones that were inferior to the Firebolt and the Nimbus ranges -- Nikolai simply rolled his eyes at her. Not even trying to hide how fed up he was of her stupidity in that moment. Of course, she didn't know he worked at Quality Quidditch Supplies, or that he, like most boys his age, had done his homework on brooms before buying the one he'd chosen over the summer. The American brooms like to think they were as good as the European ones, but they simply weren't, and Lyra was too stupid to know fact from fiction.

"No thanks," Nikolai replied to the offer of seeing her broom. He'd had enough of people showing off to him to last a life time, he did not need to introduce yet another person to the mix of people who could out do him.

The girl continued on about the American brooms that he'd already denoted as inferior, and Nikolai tuned her out carefully as he took in the details of the Vanquish that was on display in that moment, marvelling at the information that had been supplied until Lyra stopped talking. She wasn't quite so easy to block out as Mimosa, but he hadn't had as much practice. Seeing that she was done, though, Nikolai looked up from the magazine and gave her a small smile.

"That's great. I should probably be on my way. Just came to pick this up." The boy explained, motioning to the magazine before moving to get up and leave her in peace. She was, after all, studying, and she'd once again proved to be lacking in interesting conversation to the boy, so he was going to simply accept that she wasn't going to be much use to him in the long run. "See you around." He added, before heading off to find Professor Hughes and check out the magazine.

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The lack of responses from the boy was disappointing and she sighed softly as the boy left, waving with a small smile. "Okay... bye." She watched him leave for a moment before shaking her head at herself and looking back down. This would be the second time she'd rambled in the boy's presence. She returned to her work with another sigh, focusing back in.

The time passed quickly as she read and studied, pushing 'Squid Boy' from her mind as she worked. By the time she needed to head back to her Common rooms she'd gone through several of the books. She gathered the rest of them up and took them up to Professor Hughes, talking with him for a little bit before taking the few books with her and hurrying to the Hufflepuff dorms, and staying up to study for a long time after she should have been in bed.

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