Brewing (open)

[Amira Belle Matthews]

Amira had a problem. She wouldn't consider it a problem herself, but her friends definitely didn't agree. Her problem was potions, more specifically the amount of time and energy she put into studying the subject. She was at her happiest when surrounded by the scent of a heated cauldron. It was to her what the smell of fresh baked cookies were to most people.

That's why she sat in the potions classroom, on her free time and all by herself, brewing a potion designed to sooth aching muscles. It was a potion she'd brewed quite a lot because of her brothers taste for rough housing and for her father who taught Quidditch. She was sending him a carepackage filled with that and a flower plant she'd been growing that when bloomed looked like bells. It was her mother's favorite and her namesake.

Amira was blissfully humming to herself, relaxed on her favorite stool, while her cauldron boiled. She was so transfixed with the yellow liquid, which should be turning green any minute, that she didn't hear the footsteps outside the door.

[Ivan Kresimir]

Somehow, the dungeon seemed like the appropriate place for Ivan. Ever since Sophia's death, Ivan, never the most upbeat person to begin with, had become positively bleak. Even the few people he called friends didn't seem to know what to do with him anymore. They were trying to be sympathetic, of course, but even he had to admit that he was pretty poor company these days.

At least he had Anya. If not for his little sister, Ivan might have drowned in his own sorrow. But he had to take care of her, to make sure she was OK. He couldn't leave her alone with just Arachne to take care of her.

Today he had come to the dungeons with the intentions of of trying to lose himself in his work. There was a big potions test coming up, and since potions had never been his strong point, he thought it a good idea to do a little extra practice.

He certainly didn't expect to find anyone else in the spare potions classroom as he turned the handle for the door. But as he stepped in, he saw the figure of a girl standing there, and he was so startled that he dropped his cauldron on the floor with a loud metallic CLANG.

"Oh, sorry... my apologies," he said, quickly bending to pick it up. With any luck, he could pick up his cauldron and hurry out of the room before she got a chance to say anything at all.

[Amira Belle Matthews]

Amira jumped, nearly burning herself on her scalding cauldron. She hadn't expected anyone to be joining her in the classroom. Usually she could find her peace and alone time when she snuck into the quiet room. She turned around at the sound of the clang and was greeted with the sight of a guy she'd never met before. He was obviously older and...was that a russian accent? She flushed as she realized the first impression she must have been making. Her hair was pulled into a messy bun and it was falling in her face, her shirt was only half tucked, and to top it off she was sweating. She quickly tried to fix her shirt as she shook her head at him.

"Oh, no need to apologize." She watched as he picked up his cauldron. "You can join me if you want. I don't mind. I'm almost done anyways." She explained, gesturing to the liquid brewing on the table.

[Ivan Kresimir]

Ivan hesitated for a moment. Really, he had hoped to be alone. He just wasn't the best company right now, and if this girl wanted to talk, even just a casual sort of conversation, Ivan wasn't sure he was up for it. Even under the best of circumstances, he wasn't the best at making "small talk."

On the other hand, he didn't want to appear impolite. Anya often warned him about seeming rude by ignoring other people. She was always the more friendly out of the two of them, despite her own unique situation.

"I... I guess so," he replied, his thick voice sounding little more than an unintelligible mumble.

He moved the rest of the way into the room and began to set up his cauldron and supplies on a table moderately close to hers.