Watching The World Go By ((open))

[Benjamin Ellis]

With all his homework finished, Ben meandered outside into the sunny weather that had recently come from nowhere. Spring had always used to be his favourite season because it was then that he could finally venture outside again, and hear the birds singing as they came back, and feel the breeze and sun starting to creep out. Since he had gained his sight autumn had definitely sprung its head as a potential rival, with all the golden colours coating the trees, but spring had just about managed to stay on top. There were all the colours of the blossoming flowers that came out as well at this time that made it just lovely... when the sun shone.

Taking a step outside, Ben paused to take in the surroundings. It never ceased to amaze him how much colour and texture he had missed while blind, and every chance he got he looked around and tried to take in another bit of detail. On this occasion he looked at the lake, which was abnormally calm with only a few slight ripples on its surface and the sun shining down to make it far too bright if you stood in the wrong position. His eyes were still overly sensitive to light, but by this point he had gotten used to it.

After his brief pause he entered the courtyard, squinting a little in the sunlight and taking a seat on one of the benches in the shade. He hadn't brought a book or anything with him to do - he was just partaking in his favourite hobby. That being, watching the world go by. With his bright eyes and near-permanent grin, several people he knew who passed by recognised him immediately and said hi, but used to his antics and aware he would probably still be there hours later, didn't stop to chat. If they did he would engage them in conversation that would last for far longer than the time they had meant to stay, because apparently most people didn't come outside just to watch the scenery - they brought a book, or were going to lessons, or were just testing the temperature before heading inside again. Nevertheless, he enjoyed the time to himself but was still as receptive as ever to anyone joining him.

[Niobe Blakes]

(Hope you don't mind if I jump in!)

Niobe wanted her mind to still for a moment. She walked the grounds, oblivious to her surroundings, her mind running at a constant speed.

However, she was not given such mercy. In her mind ran constant questions for subjects she was taking, thoughts about summer vacation, her nightmares, D'rorah Philosophy and her kindness and infinite patience with her. Katas ran through her mind, different styles and different speeds and movements.

At the very top of her thought processes, however, was the story her mother had told her so long ago. She remembered the conversation afterwards for some strange reason.

"Mother, that is a very sad story," the young Niobe had said.

"Yes, it is."

"The man was evil, so he lost the woman he loved."

"....." Niobe remembered the look on her mother's face, the small frown that had emerged. "He did not lose the woman he loved because he was evil." she had said after a moment.

Niobe was confused "But Mama, you said..."

"The person I feel sorry for the most," her mother interrupted "Is the woman. No matter what path the man chose, he still had been able to make a choice. The woman's choice was utterly removed from her, effectively trapping her."

"But the man was evil!" Niobe had exclaimed "The Grandmother was trying to protect her!"

Niobe remembered the look on her mother's face plainly. It looked pained, frustrated "What if the daughter had decided that even if she loved the man she would stay with her family anyway? What if she did choose to leave? Should that not be her choice? If she decides to stray from the path of good, should that not be her choice? Should she be stripped of choice simply because her family doesn't trust her enough to make the right decision? The woman is the victim of the story, for her freedom of choice was effectively stripped from her. We'll never know what the woman would have decided because she was never given a chance."

The conversation had confused Niobe, it still did really. The most confusing thing of all, however, was that she was thinking of it at all.

After a moment, she realized that she was simply standing and staring off into space, locked in her thoughts. With a blink, Niobe began to look around, unsure of where she was exactly.

I'm in the courtyard, she thought. As she turned, she noticed a boy, close to her age, sitting at the bench to her side. Flustered and a bit embarrassed, Niobe shifted uncomfortably.

"H-how long have I been standing here?"

[Benjamin Ellis]

As Ben leaned back into the hedge behind him, he noticed a particularly vibrant group of yellow flowers just blossoming fully near where he was sitting. Standing to go admire them, he considered picking one for a moment before dismissing the thought; not because walking around with flowers in his hand was not generally accepted natural behaviour for a teenage boy, but because he didn't want to prevent them from growing any more vibrant, which they surely would. A smile on his face, he moved so that the sun could reach them fully again and returned to his seat, enjoying the feel of the breeze and returning to watching everyone else pass by.

His eyes were caught by a girl he recognised as another fourth year, but a Ravenclaw, standing nearby, staring into space with a somewhat confused expression on her face. He continued to stare – a bad habit he had been told he possessed, although no one could really blame him for it considering he was never taught not to do such things as a child. She didn't appear to be moving any time soon, and Ben was just considering asking if everything was alright when she suddenly came back down to reality, looking even more perplexed than she had before.

She noticed him soon enough and he gave her a smile just as vibrant as the flowers he had been looking at, finally remembering her name – Niobe. [red]"Quite a while. You looked very lost in thought. And confused. What was confusing you?"[/red] He didn't take his eyes off her as he spoke, shifting a little to the side so that there was space next to him on the bench if she wanted to talk. He didn't actually invite her to sit down verbally in case she didn't want to and had somewhere else to go, but the silent invitation was certainly there.

[Niobe Blakes]

Her eyes widened a bit as she looked at the Gryffindor boy. "I...I'm sorry." she said softly, unsure what she was apologizing for.

He looked familiar, ah, he was another fourth year like her. They had held classes together, but never formally spoken or introduced themselves. He seemed like a boy a peace with himself, something that Niobe had been associated with until this year. She had always been a girl at peace, calm and unmoving like the earth. Now her mind and her feelings were like a hurricane, moving rapidly with no control. Complete chaos.

Her smile was shaky "I suppose I look rather strange..." she found herself unable to meet his gaze. She noticed his slight movement, shifting over to give her space to sit. With a soft smile and a mental sigh, she took the silent offer.

"I...am confused about a lot of things." she said softly "But it's not something I'd wish to burden you with." her eye lids lowered as she looked at the flowers, a soft smile appearing on her face.

"Spring always brings about the brightest beauty..."

[Benjamin Ellis]

Ben blinked in surprise when she apologised, apparently for no reason. [red]"It's okay. I don't even know what you're saying sorry for so there really is no need,"[/red] he grinned at her cheerfully. She seemed slightly uncertain, he noticed as he stared at her from where he was seated, still leaning back lightly onto the bush. [red]"Not really. Just lost in thought,"[/red] he replied, the smile still on his face despite her refusing to look at him.

He turned his head to continue watching her as she took his silent offer and sat down next to him. [red]"I'm Ben. And you're Niobe, right?"[/red] he checked, hoping that he was at least pronouncing her name right. It wasn't really a common name that he had to say regularly, but at least it wasn't too long. He didn't introduce himself as a Gryffindor – his robes told that well enough, and it wasn't really something he associated himself with. He was Benjamin Ellis, not 4th year Gryffindor.

He listened with the permanent smile still fixed in place when she said that she was confused about multiple things, finding it widen slightly as she noticed the flowers he had been admiring only a few minutes ago. Although he didn't want to pick any of them, that didn't mean he couldn't attempt to replicate them. Picking a branch up from the floor, he brought out his wand and murmured a quiet word, concentrating for a moment until it finally changed, transfiguring into a flower that looked very similar, if not quite exactly the same, as the ones Niobe was currently looking at. [red]"It does,"[/red] he agreed, handing the flower replica over to her with a smile. [red]"You wouldn't be burdening me. I'd like to hear if you're willing to tell,"[/red] he reassured her, wanting to help but not wanting to make her feel as though she had to tell him.

[Niobe Blakes]

Looking at Ben and his constant smile, Niobe felt herself slowly beginning to smile as well. It lit up her face, removing the darkness from her features. Looking at her up close, it was clear that she wasn't sleeping well, her eyes were showing the dark circles that came from lack of sleep. Her eyes looked tired and a bit reddish, but not something you could tell from a distance.

"My name is Niobe," she said, suprised that he knew her name. "Ben, yes, you are in my class. I remember you. I think this is our first official meeting."

She was going to say more but she watched with fascination as he took a branch and turned it into a flower. While Niobe understood and knew transfiguration, it had always been her weakness when it came to actual application. When he handed her the flower she took it gingerly, handling it as if it were something precious. The tips of her fingers moved over the petals amazed at how soft they were, how real they felt. Well, they were real, they had been transformed. It was beautiful. He was very good.

Finding her cheeks heating for a reason she didn't understand, she moved to hand the flower back to him, unsure if he had meant to give it to her, or simply show her what he had done. Her smile this time was a bit shy and shaky.

"I was thinking of a story my mother once told me that was very sad." Niobe finally said to him "She told me it a very long time ago, yet for some reason that story keeps popping up in my head, distracting me. It's like I'm missing something and my brain isn't letting me take a break until I figure out what it is." she sighed and leaned back a bit "My mind is constantly thinking of several things at once," she explained "It's very chaotic, so I've forced myself over the years to catergorize my thoughts in manner of importance and proceed from there. However, certain things keep...pushing themselves forward and so I'm constantly in a state of confusion as I try to sort everything out again."

She didn't tell him about her dreams, or about how her lack of sleep and the nightmares were possibly the reason. He didn't need to know that and possibly, he'd think her strange. Ben seemed nice enough, she didn't want to ruin the potential friendship by making him think she was insane.

[Benjamin Ellis]

Ben was particularly happy to see Niobe return his smile, causing his own to widen a little as he watched her. He could see easily enough that she wasn't sleeping well but the smile on her face seemed to fade that a little. She gave no reaction to whether he had pronounced her name right except perhaps a little glimmer of surprise on her face when he said it, so he assumed he had said it right. And yes, when she repeated it he could hear the similarity with what he had said. That was good... it was short already, so shortening it again to something more manageable and less difficult to say could have proven a challenge.

He didn't reply to her words but simply nodded before picking up the branch. Transfiguration had been one subject he had taken to with ease when at Hogwarts, and he relished practicing it. He knew that technically he wasn't supposed to use magic out of class, but really, no one followed that rule. Ben wasn't usually one to flout the rules, but occasionally he couldn't resist.

He shook his head when she tried to hand the flower back to him, not accepting it and giving her a broad smile intended to solidify the smile on her face which he had noticed seemed a little shaky this time. [red]"Keep it."[/red] He had made it for her and had no intention to take it back now. Besides, he could easily transfigure another branch for himself if he wished. He listened intently as she spoke, eyes never moving from her face, forgetting as usual how uneasy that normally made people.

[red]"What was the story?"[/red] he asked curiously, genuinely interested in what she was saying. He had loved having stories read to him when he was younger, although the visual descriptions had been a little annoying because he didn't understand the concept of colours and the like. After a while his parents had changed visual descriptions into things he could understand using his other senses, such as shapes or sounds. [red]"Have you tried writing down your thoughts to try and organise them?"[/red] he suggested. His mind was never as chaotic as hers sounded, but it seemed like a good idea in theory.

[Niobe Blakes]

When he told her to keep the flower, she nodded and smiled a bit shyly, pulling the delicate item to her chest. It had been a simple gesture on his part, but it was appreciated none the less.

Perhaps they could be friends.

"The story," she began "is set in China. There was a man who loved a woman very much, and she loved him. But the man had evil in his heart that he kept to himself. The two were to wed, both families were of noble blood.

"Well, one day, the man revealed his evil and killed an honorable man. He was discovered and the union became a forbidden event. Cast out of his family, he went to retrieve the woman he loved, but her memories of him had been wiped away by her family. He vowed revenge and cast himself into the darkness, never to be seen again."

She shrugged, forcing out a laugh "It's such a simple story, I'm not sure why I keep thinking about it."

A pause. "As for that...I haven't thought about writing down my thoughts or trying to organize them in a different manner. I've always been able to do it without that so thinking about something I never think about is..." she paused again and then began to laugh "I think I just confused myself!"

It showed how tired she was, that something so simple could get her feeling so confused and exhausted. The laughed died and the smile slowly faded.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't be troubling you with my burdens. Maybe I'm just stressed from studying too much." a lie, but the truth would be a bit too far fetched for a complete stranger. She was surprised D'rorah had believed her so far about her dreams.

[Benjamin Ellis]

Ben's smile broadened again when he saw Niobe smile at him, if a little shyly, and keep the flower. He settled back further against the bush, making himself comfortable and still with that permanent smile affixed to his face as she began telling the story that had been confusing her. He kept his eyes on her the whole time, listening intently until she finished. [red]"Did he not come back for revenge?"[/red] he asked eagerly, already captivated by the story, however short it had been. [red]"And why did he kill the man?"[/red] It didn't occur to him that it had just been because the man was evil; that was a totally foreign concept to him and he was sure there must have been a reason behind it. He was aware that evil existed, but was of the opinion that there was always a cause behind such things.

He grinned when she laughed again, enjoying the sound. It always made him feel glad that he had stopped to talk to someone – or they had stopped to talk to him, in this case – when they granted him with a laugh, or even just a smile. Some days he played a game with himself and took a tally of just how many people he could make laugh, although he couldn't remember the last time he'd done such a thing... perhaps he'd have to try again sometime soon. His grin faded a little with her smile, reverting to a more calm smile of his own.

[red]"It's okay, you're not troubling me. I asked, I wanted to know,"[/red] he reassured her, leaning forward a little and keeping eye contact. [red]"Perhaps you should have more of a break from studying. Go out somewhere, do something fun,"[/red] he suggested, not giving any examples since he didn't know what she might enjoy.

[Niobe Blakes]

Niobe found herself blinking at the questions he asked after she finished telling her tale. She had found it intriguing that he seemed so enthuasiastic about it, he seemed like the type of person who couldn't lie or fake anything if he wanted to. It was all too easy to find oneself feeling more positive and less distraught.

However, she found herself a little stuck at his questions. She even stammered a bit, caught off guard.

Had the man come back for revenge? She couldn't remember, or rather, had her mother not told her? She felt it was the latter, her mother had told the story to make a specific point.

"I'm not exactly sure if he ever came back for revenge. You would think he would have, considering. I mean, did he try to take back his fiance anyway or what? He seemed like a determined enough man." a thoughtful frown graced her feautres. "And why did he kill the man? Mother never explained that to me, only that he killed an honorable man because the man was evil." she shrugged "I suppose if one is evil, they would kill someone just because they can, because they have the power to do so."

The Ravenclaw had never really tried to read into the story, mostly because her mother had told it. Xiao Xing was not a woman you questioned too much.

It was intriguing. But perhaps there was no need to read into the story, it was just that afterall. It wasn't as if it had really happened....so why did it keep popping back up in her head?

When he leaned forward, Niobe found herself instinctively leaning back, her eyes blinking in slight confusion. She was sure that Ben meant no harm from it, but she wasn't used to people getting so close. She did feel relieved that he wasn't bothering her and his suggestion to go out and do something fun made her look thoughtful once again.

"Go out..." even though she could, she had never ventured outside of Hogwarts while she was residing at the school. She would go home and come back, that was her life. "I've never really gone out before." of course, it was because she was studying, which he was suggesting she take a break from. "I'd have no idea where I'd even begin."

[Benjamin Ellis]

Niobe appeared a little uncertain at his questions and he waited patiently, either for her to answer or to say she didn't know. If she didn't know then that was fine – she had provided enough details about the story that hopefully he would be able to track it down and find out the answers for himself. Then he could always hunt her out and find her again. Eventually she did answer, and he nodded in agreement when she said she thought he would have. [red]"Exactly... why say he was coming back if he never did? Did something stop him or did he never intend to?"[/red] Ben hypothesised aloud, not expecting any answers to these questions but simply thinking out loud.

A flicker of a frown crossed his face in confusion at her last statement, still not understanding. [red]"But you'd think he'd have realised that it would have taken him away from his fiancée if he killed the man – her family weren't exactly going to approve, were they?"[/red] He thought for a few moments more before returning to the previous point. [red]"Perhaps he didn't come back for revenge because he knew that hurting her family would hurt her? Even if she couldn't remember him and he was... evil... he probably still wouldn't want to hurt her. Where did your mum hear the story from?"[/red] he asked curiously, with every intention to go look it up the first opportunity he got.

At Niobe's apparent confusion at the idea of going out, a grin lit up Ben's face at the opportunity. [red]"Is your Hogsmeade form signed?"[/red] he asked eagerly, fully intending to go down to the town now if she was allowed. Possibly if she wasn't allowed as well... he would have to see what he reaction might be to breaking the rules on that matter. He didn't want to pressure her, and there were plenty of other fun things to do around here if she rejected that.

[Niobe Blakes]

Of course, Niobe was listening and trying to come up with her own answers to his questions, her mind working. She felt like she was missing something in the story, but she wasn't sure what. She had always taken for granted that the man was evil, there didn't need to be a reason for him to kill an honorable man. Yet...

"My mother might know the answer," she began "The story is old, passed down from generation to generation. She might have asked the questions you're asking, I had never thought to ask." which of course was normal when dealing with her mother. As much as she loved the woman, she was good at being tight lipped when she wanted to be. "My mother said it was told to her at her age as well, and to my grandmother and so on."

She had so many questions for her mother, yet she wasn't sure if she could ask any of them.

At the mention of her permission forms, she nodded, a bit blankly "Well, yes actually. My parents signed them, I've just never had the time to go. I've always been studying or training. Why do you ask?"

[Benjamin Ellis]

Ben wondered for a few moments whether the story passed down through Niobe's family would be written down anywhere. Most fairy tales and the like that had survived so long were written down by now, so why not this one? Perhaps D'rorah would know... she seemed to have been to a lot of bookshops. Or maybe Niobe's mother might know the answers to his questions. [red]"Do you think you could ask your mum about it?"[/red] he inquired, [red]"or if it's written down anywhere?"[/red] As was normal, all his questions came from a mix of genuine interest and wanting to engage her in conversation to distract her from what was bothering her before... and it did seem to be working, in fact.

His grin stayed on his face and even increased slightly when she said that he form was signed, although his eyes widened slightly in surprise when she said she'd never gone – even if she did say she never really went out. [red]"You've never been? At all? Come on,"[/red] he smiled at her, moving forward quickly off the bench and bouncing to his feet, turning back to her eagerly. [red]"You can't miss out on Hogsmeade however busy you are. We can go now,"[/red] he suggested, his original plan to go cemented by her words that she'd never visited.

[red]"There's so many places to visit, it's definitely fun."[/red] He waited for her to rise as well, the thought that she might not want to go not in his head at all. He assumed it was busyness that had prevented her from visiting previously, rather than a lack of desire to go. Who could not want to go to Hogsmeade?

[Niobe Blakes]

"I'll certainly try." she said in regards to asking her mother. She wasn't sure if her mother would do or say anything back but it was worth a shot. "I'll let you know if she tells me anything."

Which of course, for Niobe, meant that it was a good assumption to make that she and Ben were now somewhat friends, which was a good feeling. She didn't have many, it was a good feeling, especially since she was sure he wasn't Ravenclaw.

He mentioned leaving for Hogsmeade, right now and Niobe felt her eyes widening. "N-now?" she asked incredulously. "I mean..." he was already standing, so she stood as well, feeling a bit nervous, but also excited.

"Are there really a lot of fun places?" she asked innocently, looking sheepish. She really did want to go.

So what are you waiting for then? she mentally scolded herself.

"Okay." she said "Let's go. But I need to change and grab some things. Can we meet somewhere in about a half an hour?"

[Benjamin Ellis]

[red]"Thanks,"[/red] he replied as she agreed, a charming smile of gratitude appearing on his face. He of course made no assumptions that she would get the answers – that generally led to disappointment, something he was keen to avoid on all levels. [red]"Don't worry about it if she doesn't know or doesn't want to tell you or whatever,"[/red] he reassured her, not wanting Niobe to feel bad if she couldn't get the answers to his questions.

[red]"Yeah, now!"[/red] He grinned down at her, feeling a little sympathetic for how suddenly he had dropped the suggestion on her, still hoping she wouldn't refuse. His grin widened at her question and sheepish expression. She really had never been before... amazing. Even if she didn't want to go now, he would have to make sure that she did get a trip in soon, with him or not. [red]"Of course there are! Haven't you heard people talk about it? There's the joke shop and the sweet shop and the haunted house and butterbeer at The Three Broomsticks and so many other shops and places to go."[/red]

His face lightened considerably – not that there had been any darkness there to start with – when she agreed. He nodded in understanding when she said she needed to change. [red]"Sure, sure, that's fine. Great, in fact! How about next to the school gates? Half an hour, you said? Is that enough time for you?"[/red] he checked, happy to see some sign of excitement on her face even if it was tinged with nerves.