Adrian Battye (adrianswall) wrote in carpediem_rp, @ 2015-07-31 15:59:00 |
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Entry tags: | character: adrian battye, character: narissa smith, thread: complete |
Who: Adrian and Narissa
Where: The pond outside their home
When: 31 July (Friday)
Warning: None
Status: Closed, Complete
Narissa was lounging by the pond outside her home, flipping determinedly through one of her schoolbooks. She sighed and went back a few pages, trying to understand what the author was saying, and her finger traced over one of the many diagrams within. It was annoyingly complicated and she wanted to just put it aside and swim for a while. She knew she couldn't though until she finished her work for the day. She reached to the bowl next to her, picking up a bit of fruit from it and nibbling at it absently, her eyes narrowing at the book as though this would help her understand the words before her eyes.
Adrian looked up from his book to see Narissa's face in that adorable scrunch she made when she was particularly puzzled, and looked more carefully at what she was reading so intently. "It might freeze that way," he teased.
"I don't get this. Look." She held the book out to him, showing him a particularly complex transfiguration. There was an explanation but it wasn't making any sense at all to her and she looked at him, hoping he'd be able to explain it to her.
Adrian was generally a better student than his sister; he worked hard for it, but schoolwork also came more easily to him too. Transfigurations too were less challenging to him. Narissa's strength was Charms. "What about it, Sissy?" He asked, looking over the transfiguration. It wasn't the best diagram, but he knew what spell was being diagramed.
"It doesn't make sense. The whole process is bewildering." She tapped the part that had her lost and sighed. "Why do we get so much stupid homework? I'm never going to finish these essays before the year starts again!" A slight pout and she shook her head. She worked hard, but it was seeming more and more futile.
"If they didn't assign anything over the summer, then imagine how hard it would be to start up again in September?" Adrian was being far too logical, he knew. It was the rule-following side of him. "All its saying it to move your wand in this pattern." Adrian demonstrated, "Focusing the power into the pattern shown."
"Yeah, I get that, but it's a lot." She frowned and ran her hand through her hair. "And I should be practicing to keep up with Quidditch too and I haven't had any time between getting done shopping and the poor souls who've needed me to tame their hair. Why can't school be as easy as those charms?"
"I don't think those charms are easy." Adrian pointed out. She was quite gifted with that magic- magic he was hopeless with. "And there aren't as many places to practice flying drills safely." They could swim in their backyard - but flying was a bit riskier. "One project at a time. Study, swim… then we can think about heading down to the flying park."
"They're simple. Just..." She sighed and shrugged. "I swear I'm slow. You get things and so does Kavi and then there is me and I have to study for weeks to pick up something you guys can do in days." A small pout and she looked over at the water, sighing again. "I told myself no swimming until I finish today's work. And it's taking forever."
"They aren't simple." Adrian corrected, his tone taking on the harder edge that pegged him a Slytherin sometimes. He would allow no argument to the statement. "If they were, it wouldn't be NEWT level spells." It was logic she shouldn't be able to argue with. "We all have different strengths and challenges Sissy." She was far better with people than he was, despite the number of friends he seemed to have in the various houses. He didn't tell them about his family or his fears. It was rare even that he let Narissa see that, though she alone knew the effect of his mother's presence and absence in his life had had on him. Adrian followed her gaze to the water. "If you let me help you'll be done faster," he offered.
Narissa shrugged. "I've been doing glamour charms and things like that since second year. Shouldn't be NEWT level if a second year can do them." Though she did get a slightly proud look for all the sulkiness in her voice. It was something she had always been happy to be good at. When he offered to help she looked at him for a moment and nodded. It would mean she could be done with her work, at least for a little while, and she would be grateful for that.
"I do not perform them with the same ease you do." It was an admission Adrian was unlikely to make to anyone other than his sister when he was trying to reassure her. He shifted so he could sit beside her and see her text more easily. "What is your goal today, Sissy? Understanding, casting or just analyzing this?" Clearly they needed to finish this so she could swim and play.
"Understanding. There's an essay on it." Once she understood the concept she could write it but until the concept made sense she couldn't really do anything with it. She smiled at him slightly, grateful for his help and honestly for what he had said as well. It made her feel better to know that he too had some issues in classes sometimes.
"Okay, so why don't you start with trying to explain it to me, from what you understand so far, and we'll just talk about it," Adrian suggested, reaching over to pull the book from her into his own lap. Narissa was good with talking so the more interactive approach was likely to work better. And if she wasn't relying on the book, they could move to water fo finish the discussion.