Hidden (Open)

[Verity Bromley]

Verity glanced behind her. What was that sound? She had the strange feeling that someone was following her. She could practically feel someone's, or something's, eyes burning a hole through the back of her head and it sent a shiver up her spine. Her hand clutched her wand...just in case.

The main reason she even slid out of the castle and into the forest is that she wanted to be away from the crowd that only grew by the minute inside of the castle doors. She needed to get away from her annoying dorm-mates who were constantly thinking of new questions to throw at her.

Verity finally reached the perfect spot--a clearing deep inside of the forest. It was farther then she suspected most students dared to venture. She heard a twig crack and turned around sharply to see a creature bolting through the trees. She pressed her back against a tree, closed her eyes, and let out a sigh. She was being completely paranoid. They wouldn't find her here would they?

[Jory Addison]

Jory didn't go to the forest much, but then, he hadn't had any reason to go. Now, he was desperate to find anywhere he could hide away, especially since he was all but terrified of going to try the Room of Requirement again. Besides, it was at least decent outside today, with a thin jacket being more than enough to keep out the light wind that made its way across the lawns. He hadn't searched out Lyric, though he knew he needed to, and he hadn't gone to see Markise again. He also refused to hide himself, and so he was wearing his necklace and his rings as he started through the forest.

When he found a clearing that looked just right for doing homework, he didn't even notice that there was someone else hidden behind a tree as he pulled his bookbag from his shoulders to drop on the forest floor. He wasn't quite ready to start his essay yet, and so instead he pulled out his tarot deck and started absently shuffling the cards.

[Verity Bromley]

Verity's eyes bolted open the second she heard the soft thud. The noise came from somewhere behind her. Careful not to make any noise, she peered around the tree. Her eyes narrowed instantly, was is impossible to be alone at this school? Verity groaned, immediately realizing that she gave herself away.

Verity rolled her eyes and stepped out from behind the tree. She folded her arms and said, "Hello." There was no warmth in her voice. The sun shone towards her eyes, blinding her temporarily. She couldn't make out her intruder's face.

[Jory Addison]

Jory jumped and dropped his cards, the smoothly waxed pieces slipping away from each other to scatter on the ground. He turned to the sound of the voice, which didn't sound particularly friendly. "Hi, sorry. I can leave...I didn't think anyone was here." He dropped his eyes and knelt to start picking up his cards and stacking them up again. He hoped none of them got damaged from mud or sticks or something.

[Verity Bromley]

Verity could have helped him pick up the cards, but she must of left her manners at home...wherever that was. I didn't think anyone was here. Well, that made two of them. Any time she tried to get some time to herself, she found it nearly impossible to go anywhere alone. Her eyes glanced at the cards he had. They had strange images on them and the reminded her of the cards one of her father's ex-wives would always try to show off. The name and purpose of them escaped her mind for the moment.

He offered to leave, which satisfied Verity, but she dismissed the offer with a wave of her hand. He was apologetic enough, she supposed. She had only been at Hogwarts for a few days, so it didn't come as a shock to her that she had no clue who he was. "Who are you?" She asked. She nearly winced, did that sound sharper than she intended it to? She realized he was at no fault for her terrible mood, but she couldn't snap out of it.

[Jory Addison]

"Jory," Jory answered, raising his eyes to her for a moment before dropping them immediately down to his cards. He hated who he had become, this kid that was afraid of new people. He hated meeting people now, afraid of what they would do or say to him, afraid that he would just be told he wasn't good enough again. He didn't want to be around someone in a bad mood. "What about you?"

[Verity Bromley]

Verity let out a brief sigh. She was being unfair to the stranger in front of her...what did he say his name was? Oh right, Jory. Caught up in her mood, she nearly missed his answer completely. The muscles around her mouth softened a bit and she closed her eyes trying to compose herself. When she opened them, her eyes grew softer from the piercing stare she had going on earlier. When she spoke, her voice quavered at first. She made an attempt to remove the icyness from her voice.

"I'm Verity. I just transferred to Hogwarts." She said. She had hoped to start off on a new foot. Would he excuse her earlier attitude?

[Jory Addison]

Jory straightened, his cards pointing all different directions in the stack in his hands. His eyes flickered up to the girl for another brief moment before he spoke. "I moved here beginning of last term," he said. He wasn't ready to completely let his guard down just yet, even though Verity's tone was notably different than it was for her question.

[Verity Bromley]

Verity gave a slight nod. His answer was short, but then again it was understandable given the first impression she must of made. She noticed the cards in his hands we a mess. She began to walk forward considering she usually found it difficult to hold a conversation when the two people conversing were standing on opposite sides of the clearing. When was the last time she made the effort to hold a conversation with anyone? "What are they for?" She asked, suddenly curious about the different pictures on the cards.. "Your cards, I mean."

[Jory Addison]

"They're Tarot cards," Jory said, starting to straighten out the cards in his hands. "You can find out stuff with them." He didn't really think he had to explain them too much, since just about everyone he knew knew the basics of the cards, at least. The cards had helped him in the past, they helped him relax and sort his thoughts, even if they never brought a true understanding of anything.

[Verity Bromley]

Tarot cards...right that was what they were called. Her father's ex-wife, whatever her name was, was always messing around with them. The woman hardly saw her temporary husband, but when she did she was always trying to tell him things about his future. Eventually, he grew sick of it, and of her, and kicked her out. A smirk spread across her face as she thought of that glorious day. Verity never liked that woman, but then again she hardly ever approved of her father's newest brides.

Verity hadn't realized how quick her thoughts swept her out. She blinked out of her daze. What were they talking about? She glanced down. Right, the cards. "What kind of stuff do they tell you?" She asked for the sake of conversation. She didn't believe in their power, but she held a strange curiosity for them. It had been many years since she's seen them.

[Jory Addison]

"Um...like...the future, or the past, about love and friends or money," Jory said. "Stuff like that." His cards hadn't been very good lately, though he somehow managed to have at least one good one, just enough to keep his hopes up in the back of his mind. He loved his cards, though, he had had them for years. After another few seconds, the cards were straightened and he started absently shuffling them, a continuation of his nervous way of being unable to keep his hands still. He finally managed to look up at her and not drop his eyes.

((OOC: sorry I disappeared there for a bit))

[Verity Bromley]

Verity listened as he rattled off all of the things tarot cards could tell a person. the way he spoke about them made her want to believe the could really tell the future, the past, and everything else. She noticed that he always kept his hands busy. It was a distraction to her and it made her want to bend down and hold them still. She wondered if he even realized he was doing it. She lifted her gaze from his hands to find him looking at her, or was he staring? Her cheeks turned pink.

"Would you mind showing me?" She asked him. "How they work, I mean."

((OOC: no problem (=))

[Jory Addison]

Jory wasn't staring, but his eyes weren't purposefully darting away from Verity anymore. Now, he was actually able to look at her, curiosity overtaking his previous uncertainty. "If you want," Jory said, then sat on his knees, his ankles crossed beneath him, and gestured for her to sit in front of him. "I'll just do a little one, with three cards."

[Verity Bromley]

Verity nodded sat down across from him. She was mostly excited to see what the cards say, but what if they told her something she didn't want to know? What if they revealed something that she didn't want him to know? They're just cards, she reminded herself. Her shoulders relaxed a little, and so did her nerves. She was making herself worked up over nothing. After all, how is it possible these cards could know so much about her?