(no subject)

[architekt]

When Annabeth enters the bar this afternoon, there's a letter waiting for her.

It comes to her as a surprise because she hadn't been expecting mail or anything. Not unless Thalia needed to drop her a note.

(The writing isn't hers, though.)

It's unfamiliar at first, but the scrawl is really neat, written on old-fashioned parchment paper (which, she guesses, is what wizards use on his world).

It doesn't even take her half as long to get through because of the penmanship.

And, confirming her guess, it's signed 'Scorpius Malfoy'.


"Hey, Bar? Could I get some paper and a pen?"

She doesn't know just how much time has passed between this visit and her last, and there's no date on the letter to indicate anything either. But she hopes it hasn't been long. It would really be awful if he'd been waiting for a reply for ages.

Though, with any luck, he might be here right now ...

Comments

[alsoagreengrass]

(With luck, he is! Though, maybe more her luck than his...)

"Bar," begins a sleepy Scorpius as he shuffles toward the counter, "It's four in the morning in my world. I have Qudditch practice in an hour because the captain is a mad tyrant. What am I doing here?"

He's bundled up in footed pyjamas with an old Montrose Magpies Quidditch jumper pulled on and a blanket wrapped around his shoulders on top of that. (What? It's comfortable and warm for drafty old castles!) He rests his head in his arms once he grabs a seat and is ready to doze off right then.




Which is when he spots Annabeth.

(Sleepy-eyed, hungover, a head of bed hair, and Footed. Pyjamas. Growing up is prickly and unfair and so is the universe. Scorpius has to remind himself of what Parker told him last night: The only way out is through.)

Shoving the blanket off his shoulders, he tries, at the very least, to fix his hair as best he can before Annabeth spots him. Bar helpfully provides him with a mint.

[architekt]

She catches sight of him in the middle of fixing his hair, and raises a hand in greeting.

(And really, really tries not to laugh.

It's just -

He looks so -

It's the footed pyjamas.)

"Hey, Scorpius," she says with a grin, making her way over towards him. "Came in from a nap?"

[alsoagreengrass]

"Something like that. Hi," Scorpius greets, now with minty-fresh breath, as he runs his fingers through his hair one last time.

(He's trying to hide his feet and pretend he's wearing something far more appropriate. Or maybe he should embraced it? Maybe embracing would be better.

If such was possible.)

"How are you?"

[architekt]

Embrace it, Scorpius.

They look really, really cute on you.


"Pretty good," she replies, before she plucks his letter from the bartop. "I just got your note, actually. And I was going to reply back in case I didn't get to see you but I guess that's no longer necessary, right?

"Unless you have something you have to do."

[alsoagreengrass]

"Right. My note."

He worries briefly on his bottom lip before cracking a smile. He can't even remember what it is he wrote.

"I, uhm - I haven't got anywhere I need to be, no."

(Even if time refused to stand still, he'd completely forget about going to Quidditch practice now.)

[architekt]

Well, he hadn't written anything embarrassing. No poems or sappy declarations describing her flaxen hair or anything. So there's no need to worry!

(And Annabeth's reply would have been boring and to-the-fact, anyway.)

"Cool. I'm guessing you'll be wanting breakfast," she says, eying the blanket and (again) his pjs with something like fond amusement. "We could grab a table and get some food if you want. And then, I don't know ... plan things."

[alsoagreengrass]

Scorpius follows her gaze to his pyajams and fights an embarrassed blush with a grin. He's going to try the whole embracing thing, giving his toes a wiggle in the booties.

"I think breakfast sounds brilliant, actually. So, uhm. Table. Right."

He stands, tucking his blanket under his arm.

"They're a gift from my grandmother," he adds in a stage-whisper of sorts as they start moving toward a booth. "The pyjamas. Hogwarts can be drafty and cold."

[architekt]

"They're cute," she remarks, turning her head to glance in his direction. "I haven't seen anyone wear footed pj's for years."

Maybe since she was a little kid.

"Anyway, the Cabins at camp can be pretty chilly in the winter, too. So I totally sympathize."

At the empty booth, she slides into the seat closest to her and sets her bag down beside her.

[alsoagreengrass]

"Maybe," Scorpius says, as he slides into the seat across from her, "You ought to invest in a pair."

He tucks his blanket in a corner, fighting with it for a moment in his nervousness.

"We can start with making them popular again."

[architekt]

She laughs.

"Yeah, maybe that's not a bad idea," she allows. "Though they're kind of impractical if there's a night-time emergency and you have to get your armour and boots on asap."

[alsoagreengrass]

"Hm. There is that to consider. We don't normally have night-time emergencies at Hogwarts, but, maybe, you can slip the boots on easily enough. I'm not sure about the armor."

He rests his elbows on the table, hoping he doesn't look too exhausted from his drinking last night and being up so early.

"Do you have a lot of them? Emergencies, I mean."

[architekt]

Well, he does look a little tired, but maybe some food will perk him up.

"These days, definitely, what with the whole Titan war," she says, letting out a breath as she leans back in her seat. "Things like: a camper coming back from their quest, someone noticing something suspicious in the forests, stuff like that.

"I mean, we're up pretty early anyway for training, but lately there've been some nights where campers won't get any sleep."

[alsoagreengrass]

"Titan war?" Scorpius repeats, his tired eyes slightly more wider and alert than before. "I don't think you mentioned a war before."

He winces, sympathetically. He may never have been involved in one himself, but he's seen the effect it can have on people. His own family, in particular.

"Is that what was happening when your friend went missing then?"

[makesthings]

(OOC: I have to pack and sleep and things but tag. :-))

Sam is sketching, he's not sure what it will turn into but it will be something.

If he's working then he won't feel stuck and aware of how soon his birthday is, hopefully.

[architekt]

[ooc: Yay! And no worries - slowtime is more than okay!]


After Annabeth's conversation with Scorpius, she decides to stick around for a little longer.

It has been a while, after all.

(She may also be filled with a kind of happy glow she isn't ready to let go of yet, which will undoubtedly happen once she heads back into her Titan-war-filled world.)

Sipping on her second glass of orange juice, she happens to spot Sam at a table.

"- hey, Sameth?" she greets, approaching him with a certain amount of caution - just in case he didn't want to be bothered.

He does look a little busy.

[makesthings]

He looks up and his smile is tight and he looks tired,

"Hey Annabeth. When did you get here?"

[architekt]

"Uuuum ... not too long ago," she says, sobering slightly for Sam's sake.

Time and space are weird here.

She gathers maybe an hour? Or so?

"Are you okay? You seriously look stressed."

[makesthings]

"Just been a long while. My birthday's coming up and I thought I'd be home before I had another one. It was Spring when I was Bound, "

Also he was sick and got hurt in another world, just one thing on top of another.

[architekt]

"Gods, you're Bound?"

She shakes her head.

"Okay, it's really been a while since we last saw each other."

She gestures to the empty seat across from him.

"Mind if I sit?"

[makesthings]

"Oh, yes, please do. I've been Bound for months now,"

Depending on the day sometimes he's grateful when he dreams of the necromancer but other times, he isn't. Lately he's aware that its almost his birthday and it is just feels wrong to be here.

[architekt]

She settles herself in and offers him a sympathetic look.

"Months?" she repeats, letting out a low breath. "Wow, I'm really sorry, Sameth. But you've been okay in the meantime, right? I mean, there are worse places to be trapped in."

... even if the thought of being imprisoned against her will makes her angry.

Not that voicing that opinion would be helpful right now.

[makesthings]

"Its alright. I've had lots of commissions and keep myself busy. I ended up in another world by accident and was sick for a while,"

He's not sure if he could do anything useful at home.

[architekt]

"Sounds like you've been having your share of adventures here," she muses.

"So you mentioned your birthday's coming up soon. When, exactly?"

[makesthings]

"Soon. Its always been right after the Winter Festival but dates work differently here."

[architekt]

"Hmm." Annabeth frowns. "You said it was Spring when you were Bound? Doesn't that technically mean once you're unBound, it'll still be Spring?"