Let's Play

[Viola Marchand]

It was, unfortunately, one of those dreary, cloudy days that made one want to strip themselves of their petticoats and crawl into bed. Viola had never felt so bundled up, most likely onset because she desired very much to be bare. However she was only wearing what she always did. Adorned in a beautiful silk cloak with ruffles around the neck, she looked a picture. That being said, her hair was very oddly put up; messily, if you will. Viola knew that her mother would be beside herself if she saw it.

As a result of the type of day that it was, Viola really didn't seek out any of her friends. She preferred the solace of interpersonal intellectual stimulation, and on that morning headed out of the common room door heaving a large chess set, her cloak swishing behind her. She got a few peculiar looks; given her upper class status, it was odd for her to be doing such work. Viola had gotten used to that over time, for there was no one to clear her plate or do her hair or carry heavy things for her at Hogwarts. What she wanted, she got for herself.

Finally, out of breath, she arrived in the Great Hall. It was truly a lovely place, adorned lavishly in fall colors and fancy decor. This place made her feel like she was back at home, which was a double edged sword. She liked the comfort of familiarity but despised how she felt when she returned to the place she spent her tumultuous childhood in. Pushing those thoughts out of her head, she cleared her throat and pressed on. Viola walked daintily but roughly dropped the set on the centermost table, cringing as the entire table rattled. She wouldn't want to bring too much attention to herself. She busied herself with setting up the board, delicately tucking her expensive cloak and robes under her as she took a seat. With a sigh, she began erecting the chess pieces. What was she going to do without a chess partner? She supposed she would just have to think of a way to play chess with oneself.
@Henry Berkwood

  

[Henry Berkwood]

Henry was bored. Well and truly bored. It felt as though he'd been all over the castle trying to find a way to entertain himself. He'd been to the Common Room, but either the people there didn't want his company, or else were busy with their homework. He'd been to the dungeons, but there was some sort of study group happening there, and he didn't want to disturb them. He was starting to get desperate enough to think about venturing outdoors, but it was cold, and he'd have to find his way back to the dormitory to retrieve his cloak, so he'd have to settle for it only as a last resort.

Eventually, Henry found himself wandering back toward the library. He didn't mind the idea of sitting somewhere with a book, though it hadn't really been what he'd been thinking of when he'd started out. Still, since there seemed to be nothing else to do, the boy thought he ought to get some reading done. If nothing else, he might find something new in a Potions book. It was good to mix things up sometimes.

As he entered the library, Henry started for the stacks but, as was the case just about every time he tried to go with some sort of plan, the Ravenclaw was almost immediately distracted. The fact that he ever got anything important done at all was truly a miracle. This time, though, at least, he was distracted by a person, which wasn't so bad. He'd been looking for company this entire time anyway.

Drifting towards the tables, Henry made his way toward a girl who was setting up a chess board. There wasn't anyone else around as far as he could tell, though she could have been waiting for someone. It didn't hurt to ask. "Excuse me," Henry said as he stopped across the table from the girl. "If you're looking for a partner, would you mind if I joined?"

  

[Viola Marchand]

Viola had even been looking forward to playing chess with herself, at least to some extent. That being said, she'd gotten far too used to solitude, and the chess club wasn't having a meeting until the next week, though Viola's thirst for chess needed to be quenched far before that. Especially the wizarding type! When she'd first learned that she was a witch she began poring over books, one of which was about wizarding chess. She'd had an insatiable need for the game ever since.

"Absolutely!" she exclaimed, a bit too cheerily when a boy asked politely to join her. He looked like he was upper class, which was good. She'd been conversing with far too many middle and lower class people lately. Her mother had been reinforcing in letters to her that she wasn't to talk with those kinds of people. Viola didn't understand her mother's reasoning, but she took her opinion into consideration anyways.

"Okay so it's all set up already," she began, putting the finishing touches on the board. "Isn't this the coolest game?" she almost squealed that out to the boy, her excitement overflowing. It was as if she'd just gotten her Hogwarts letter and was learning about the game all over again. Viola felt like explaining her muggle born background to the boy to give some context to her squealing, but apparently being muggle born wasn't something you advertised. She didn't even know the boy's name, much less his blood status.

@Henry Berkwood

  

[Henry Berkwood]

Henry took the seat across from the girl, smiling brightly. Chess wasn't his favorite game--it took a lot more concentration than he was capable of on any kind of regular basis--but this was wizard's chess. That was, in the boy's mind, anyway, a wholly different thing. If nothing else, you had to pay attention, because you had chess pieces that were coming to life and knocking each other to pieces. Imagine getting your hand caught in the crossfire because you weren't looking where you'd set it?

"I absolutely agree," Henry said once he'd settled into his seat. "Also, I'm Henry, by the way. Henry Berkwood. Should probably introduce myself before we play, shouldn't I?" His smile was sheepish. Looking down at the board, then back up at the girl in front of him, he gestured at the board. "Would you care to make the first move?"