To Everything There Is A Season (Bryony)

[Deleted]

Silvia had been through a lot in her life, a lot more than many who were around her knew. They didn't know because there were things that even the very open Silvia didn't talk about. To most, Silvia was the sweet, optimistic, eccentric girl who talked about odd and random subjects and did odd and random things.

One of those things she did was come up on occasion to talk to and feed the owls. Granted that wasn't all that weird, but the fact that she spoke to the owls as if they could perfectly understand her was. Silvia was a bright girl, and knew good and well that the owls couldn't understand her. Did that stopped her from talking away with them? Certainly not.

"Good evening, Nibbs," she said to the owl she was visited at the moment. She feed the owl some meat and then stroked his feathers. "Did you go on a flight today? I imagine you get to see a lot on your trips. I've always wondered what it's like to be able to fly without a broom or a spell. Just to be able to fly. It must be wonderful. Do you enjoy it?" She spoke to the owl a bit more, then walked to the next one.

"Hello Toodles," she said.

BRYONY CATE MOONBERRY

[BRYONY CATE MOONBERRY]

Sometimes Bryony felt as if she was living a double life. There was the front she had built up for everyone and then there was her life with Silvia, she often wondered why which was her real life these days. She'd watched as her cousin had been called up as a Champion for the tournament, it'd be a lie to say that Bryony had not beamed with pride in that moment and of course envy. She had put her name in as well but, Silvia was the clever one.

She hadn't had the chance to congratulate Silvia properly yet, so when the opportunity presented itself she excused herself from her housemates and set off to seek the company of the person she cared the most about. Not everyone understood Bryony's relationship with Silvia, sometimes even Bryony herself didn't. Were Silvia just another girl at school it was likely that Bryony wouldn't have given her another look. But she wasn't, she was her Silvia. She checked the usual places for Silvia and soon found her with the owls.

She just watched the other girl for a moment, it was hard not to be envious of her carefree nature. But whose fault was it that she had started to harden? Not Silvia's. "Hi-ya, not going to forget Brodwin, right?" She said as she approached the other girl. Her lips had parted into a smile after she spoke. She took a moment to call down her barn owl before giving it a scratch on the head. "How's the family champion?" She looked back to her cousin, pride shining bright in her eyes.

@moonberry

[Deleted]

Silvia finished speaking to Toodles when she was visited by Bryony. Silvia knew good and well that time had brought a change in the deep friendship the two had. She knew Bryony's mother wanted something "better" for her daughter than a bond with Silvia. She knew how much it hurt to be away from her cousin and best friend for so long... her "twin."

But was Silvia bitter? Angry? Did she have any ill feelings toward Bryony at all? Never. She loved the girl just as much as she did years ago. And she smiled just as brightly as ever when she saw Bryony.

"Hello," she said sweetly. Instead of the traditional hug, Silvia stepped up and kissed Bryony on both cheeks and then her nose. It was the way she had always greeted the girl. "And of course I would never forget Brodwin. Brodwin always love to hear about the sculptures I do. I promised I would do one of him some day." Silvia fed Brodwin some meant and then pet him.

Silvia was extremely humble about being a Champion for Ravenclaw. So really she felt no different than usua.

"I'm fine," she said. "I hope you are well, Bryony. Is it colder down in your Common Room than it is up here in the towers? I hope it isn't, but I'm just curious. It's getting a bit cold in Ravenclaw Tower and I'm worried we might get Frost-mites soon. But I did buy repellent just in case. It doesn't harm the mites, but it does keep them out of the beds in the dorms."

BRYONY CATE MOONBERRY

[BRYONY CATE MOONBERRY]

Bryony never shied away from Silvia's affections, she let her owl leap from her arm to a nearby roost before wrapping her arms around the other girl and giving her a quick peck on the cheek before rubbing her nose against the other girls with squinted eyes. It was these greetings that renewed that feeling of sisterhood with Bryony, they reminded her that Silvia was so much more than just a cousin to her. She let the other girl go before giving her owl a long hard look, "He would make quite the majestic saute." Bryony looked fondly at her cousin when she spoke.

She placed a hand lightly on Silvia's shoulder and smiled softly, "I'm proud of you, you know that, right?" Bryony often felt as if she did not express this enough to her, but she was and not just for being selected as a champion. "And you know I'm going to be cheering for you right? I bet you could win this, you are brilliant after all." Its not that Bryony actually thought Silvia needed a pep talk, but she felt inclined to give one.

"I'm not sure, it is getting colder though. I find its harder to get out of bed in the mornings because I'm not ready to say good by to my warm blankets." She laughed a little seeing as she'd never been much of a morning person to begin with. "You always think ahead." She spoke her words with fondness, leave it to Silvia to worry about not harming mites. "I should get some myself."

@moonberry

[Deleted]

Silvia loved the little greetings she and Bryony exchanged. While many who did not have siblings longed for them, Silvia didn't. She had her cousin. And at Hogwarts, the two could see one another as often as they pleased. Silvia smiled and nodded at Bodwin when Bryony spoke of how majestic he would be as a statue.

"I'll sculpt it and give it to both of you as a gift," she said.

Silvia did not have an ego, but it meant the world to her that her cousin was proud of her.

"I'm going to try my best," she said. "All the champions are deserving. Whatever happens I'm just happy to be a part of it all." She then smiled Bryony. "I'm proud of you too, Bryony. You've done so well here. I know when you graduate, you're going to go on to do great things. You're the one that is brilliant."

Silvia was sad to hear it was cold down in the Sub-Levels as well. But she always knew once winter arrived, the heating spells would help things.

"You can have some of my repellent," she said as she visited the next owl. "I always buy more than I need." She smiled at the owl. "Hello Pockets."

BRYONY CATE MOONBERRY

[BRYONY CATE MOONBERRY]

Bryony had never wanted a sibling growing up, not because she enjoyed being an only child; on the contrary it had been her closeness with Silvia that made her feel as if she did have a sister already. That was until her mother had limited her time with her cousin. It hurt sometimes to think about the time apart from Silvia, left with letters to convey everything. School changed that though, time was still limited but her mother was not here to stop her from spending what free time she did have with her cousin.

She reached up and placed her hand softly on Silvia's cheek. Her cousin was too sweet for this world, it was partly why she felt it was her job to protect her. But Silvia wasn't a burden, she was just someone worth keeping safe. "You're too sweet Silvia." Of course she loved all the gifts Silvia had created for her, no matter how silly, to Bryony it meant the world.

A part of Bryony wanted Silvia to win if only for the fact people might take her a bit more seriously as a witch and understand the brilliant mind she had. But mostly Bryony just wanted to see her win because she felt she deserved it, maybe all the other champions did too, but Bryony was bias. She took her hand from her cousin's cheek and moved to pet one of the owls. "Well, even if you don't win it you've come closer than most everyone else in sixth and seventh year." Of course she had a feeling her cousin would have been happy no matter if she had been chosen or not, it was Bryony who was hung up on the matter.

Still she smiled to herself at Silvia's praise glancing over to make eye contact with a coy smile. They could go on like this for hours and end at an impasse all because Silvia thought more about others than herself. If only she had been more like her..."When we graduate, we both will. Maybe we'll do great things together...we could travel the world, get away from everything...." Bryony stopped and bit her lip. Everything. But it wasn't everything, it was just expectations. She looked to Silvia again, wishing in that moment they truly were twins, wishing that with out a word Silvia would know just what was going on in her mind. "It'd be fun, don't you think?" She managed a small smile.

@moonberry

[Deleted]

Silvia appreciated the support her cousin was giving her, but the she gave Bryony a confused look.

"I'm very happy that you're supporting me," she said. "But I think you should support your own House as well. I think they picked two good Champions to represent Slytherin. I hope they do your House proud."

It never bothered Silvia whatsoever that her cousin was sorted into Slytherin. Silvia didn't believe in a House making someone good or bad. She believed in each person being a positive or negative representation of their House. All Houses had good and bad people in them. Of course she saw her best friend as one of the good ones.

Silvia liked the idea of traveling the world with her cousin.

"That's a beautiful idea, and yes it would be very fun," she said. "Though I may not like the big cities. Since I'm Half-Werewolf, the loud noises bother me and the bad smells irritate my nose." Silvia was fortunate not to have to worry about actually turning into a wolf like her mother, but she did inherit the enhanced hearing and smell. In the big cities like London, such abilities were more of a curse than a blessing.

BRYONY CATE MOONBERRY

[BRYONY CATE MOONBERRY]

"Sure, I'll support my house, but you're family - so I'll support you more." Maybe Silvia wouldn't under, or maybe she would, she had so much respect for her fellow students. There was a lot that Bryony could learn from her cousin. "But if it will make you guilty I will show my housemates just as much support as I show you." It wasn't entirely true, but she was aiming to pacify Silvia on the matter.

"Don't worry, we wouldn't have to visit cities too often. We could go the Amazon forest, hike the mountains and Peru, sleep under the stars in the southern hemisphere. It would be like when we were kids." There was a deep fondness in her voice. Maybe it was just a dream that would never happen. Or maybe it would.

"Silvia....." She wanted to ask if she thought things between their families would get better. Tensions had been high for a number of years now between her parents, understandable of course with the words her mother had said so freely about Lotus and Silvia. But instead Bryony smiled "So has some lucky boy asked to take you to the ball yet? It was easier to ask about such a thing, a thing that didn't weigh so heavy on the soul.

@moonberry

[Deleted]

Silvia was good with Bryony showing support for both her and Slytherin. It made perfect sense after all. Slytherin was her symbolic family, or so the staff said, and she was of course the girl's real family- cousin who was more like a sister.

"I hope they appreciate your support as much as I do, but that's probably impossible because your support will mean the world to me," smiled Silvia.

Silvia loved that Bryony didn't seem like a city person either. A love for nature was part of their connection, and of course Silvia always felt that she was very connected to nature as well.

"We'll do all sorts of wonderful things," she said. "Maybe even travel to Romania and see the dragons there. I've decided that's what I want to do when I graduate- train dragons. I do hope Buttercup doesn't get jealous though." Buttercup was of course her gentle-hearted Rottweiler.

Bryony seemed like she was about to say something that was deeply on her mind, but then changed the subject to the Eve of Lights Dance.

"A lovely Gryffindor boy named Sam is going with me, but just as friends of course," she said. "I'm not quite ready to date. What about you? I'm sure guys are lined up to take a pretty girl like you to the dance."

BRYONY CATE MOONBERRY

[BRYONY CATE MOONBERRY]

Bryony of course had no doubt that Silvia was going to appreciate her support more than anyone else. She doubted anyone would mind the fact she planned to cheer her cousin on, well...maybe some would mind. Some people didn't understand why she still associated with her cousin, though to be honest she hardly understood it herself. Not that she wanted to disassociate, more the bond between them was puzzling. How had it managed to remain so strong when there had been so much strain placed upon it? She never liked to question though, it was better just to accept it and hope to never know the day it was no longer there. "I don't think anyone will ever appreciate me like you do." Bryony wasn't about support though.

Her mother had to discourage her from nature, proper pureblood ladies did not go frolicking around in the wood barefooted after all. Some things could be changed, but others could not. Something Bryony refused to let go of. She listened to her cousin's additional ideas and nodded along. It was of little surprise that Silvia wanted to go off and train dragons - well maybe a bit only because of the dangerous nature of dragons. "My fearless Silvia, the world renown dragon trainer!" Bryony was extra dramatic and made swooping arm motions before laughing. A near by owl flew away from his perch and Bryony had gotten a little too close, "Oops, sorry Ace."

"I'm sure you'll make a brilliant trainer though, and Buttercup will understand - might take a few meaty bones..." She bit her lip as she tried to hold back her grin. She was so relaxed around Silvia, how could she not be? At Silvia's comments about boys though Bryony waved her hand in the air and shook her head. "Oh come off it! They're not lining up, I wouldn't let them." Bryony had been on a few 'dates', but they were awkward and she wasn't sure about any of it really. "No ones asked me actually, I must look too scary. A gryffindor though, how brave and noble he must be, he'd best treat you right though otherwise he'll have to deal with me." She winked at her cousin before laughing, it was a wonder she had managed to make it through all of that with out breaking into a fit of giggles. Bryony didn't care she was going to the dance alone, plenty of others were and it meant there wouldn't be anything awkward about dancing with anyone she wanted to. Why she had been joking about Sam having to deal with her she was a little serious too, it was that protective nature she had for Silvia after all.

@moonberry

[Deleted]

When Bryony told Silvia that she didn't think anyone would ever appreciate her like Silvia did, Silvia took her cousin's hands and smiled.

"You're my best friend," she said softly. "And my sister. I know that no matter what happens, I always have you... even if you're away. Because you're always in my heart and mind."

Silvia wouldn't call herself fearless. In fact, while she loved dragons and was fascinated by them, she was utterly terrified by them as well. After all, they were dragons. But that was one of the cool things about getting to train them was overcoming that fear and helping a dragon to overcome its distrust of a human.

"I hope I get to ride a dragon," she said. "I know few people who have got to do it. But we'll see how it all goes."

Silvia then smiled and nodded about Buttercup.

"He'll know I still love him when we're cuddling together," she said. "That always assure him when I come home for holidays. Mum and dad say he doesn't do much when I'm gone, except for the basic things dogs do. I feel bad that I can't be there for him, but I'm sure I make up for it when I am."

Silvia still believed Bryony was the most beautiful girl she knew, and felt she was being just as modest as Silvia was.

"There's someone special for you out there, but he won't be your soul mate. That was reserved for me," she said. "And Sam's very nice. I'm sure I'll be fine for one night."

BRYONY CATE MOONBERRY

[BRYONY CATE MOONBERRY]

Bryony squeezed Silvia's hands affectionately. A smiled formed on her lips when Silvia called her, her sister. It was something they both felt, cousins by blood, sisters by choice. Silvia brought out the best of Bryony, and no doubt she always would. "You will always have me, no matter what." Bryony truly believed this because she knew even if she died Silvia would believe they would meet in a new life, or that she was watching and waiting to greet her when her time came so they could start life over together again. Maybe they were not one soul, but even Bryony felt as if they were bond together by something much bigger than themselves.

She gave her cousin's hands a small tug so they would be closer together and she bonked her forehead against Silvia's lightly. "I bet you will, you're amazing with creatures - its in our blood after all." She believed her cousin would accomplish anything she set her mind to - except maybe becoming a tree. Even if Silvia had fears Bryony knew she had the power to overcome them and that was what made her so fearless in her mind.

She pulled away from her cousin after a moment and took her hands and tucked Silvia's soft brown curls behind her ears before holding her cheeks in her hands. She gazed fondly upon her cousin's face. "No one will ever mean as much to me as you do, how could they? We are twins after all." She let her cousin go as she grinned. They'd never share parents, only the same birth sky. But that was enough. "I'm not really looking for anything though...if something happens I guess it will happen, I should focus on my studies anyways, right? I'm glad you have someone taking you though, its going to be a magical night - I just hope Sam knows he is required to share you for at least one dance." She gave Silvia a playful poke in the side. Yes, Silvia really did bring out the best side of Bryony.

@moonberry

[Deleted]

Silvia just stood a moment and smiled at Bryony, not saying a word. There was no need to say anything. The two could sit and smile at each other like that and it would have more meaning in a mere moment than some hour-long conversations would.

Silvia agreed that it was in their blood to be good around creatures. Silvia was the one who trained her full-grown Rottweiler to be as gentle as a puppy. She had trained other animals as well. Why would a dragon be all that different?

"I very much look forward to it," she said. "When I train a dragon, you'll be the first to meet it."

Silvia knew Bryony was humble about her looks, but Silvia still thought she was the most beautiful girl who ever existed, inside and out. And any guy would be a fool to not see what a wonderful girlfriend she would make, and then some day a wonderful wife and mother.

"Studies are important, but never ignore a good person if you meet him while here," she said. "I want you to always be happy, and I would be hurt if you lost the chance to be happy with some special person." She then smiled at Bryony again. "And yes, we'll dance, and take a boat ride too. Sam can come along if he wants as well."

BRYONY CATE MOONBERRY

[BRYONY CATE MOONBERRY]

"I will paint a majestic portrait of you and your dragon after you've trained it. Maybe by then I will have managed to get the knack of magical painting down." Bryony of course took after her father and had an artistic side. Though she felt Silvia was far more talented with it came to the arts, perhaps it was her free spirit. "And I can make one for myself too, so you can hang on my hearth." Talking about the future with Silvia made it easy to forget what was going on in the present. Maybe they had different ideas of what would happen after seventh year, maybe their promises would be broken, or maybe they wouldn't. Bryony tried not to think about it like that.

Siliva was right though, Bryony was modest. It was hard for her to see her self as someone desirable. All those years of mummers about how she was of 'lesser blood' even though she was of pureblood. Of course blood shouldn't have mattered to her. For the longest time it didn't. But these days it was more on her mind than she liked to admit. "I am happy." At times. "I can't rely on someone else to make me happy though, that's just asking to get hurt..." Much like how caring so deeply for Silvia was likely to hurt her one day, but she could never turn her back on the other girl. Never. "But - if someone comes along it would be wrong to give it a chance, so don't worry, I will. I'm just not going to hold my breath, we're young after all and there is a whole world out there just waiting for you and I to explore it." She smiled at her cousin almost is if she was trying to reassure her that she wasn't going to let life pass her by, any of it.

"That'll be nice, if Sam comes along, I wouldn't want to kidnap you from your date for too long." She teased her cousin with a little wink. Even if they were just going as friends this was the rare opportunity to give Silvia a tiny bit of a hard time about a boy. It was just in good fun. "Maybe we can get ready together, I've gotten pretty good with putting up hair, I'd be happy to do yours for the ball." Bryony had short hair herself so there wasn't much she could do with it, but she did enjoy helping others with theirs.

ooc: you want to wrap this up soon and do something for the ball? I'd be happy to start something

@moonberry

[Deleted]

Silvia beamed when Bryony said she was make a painting of her and her dragon. Silvia was not one who wanted to be immortalized or anything, but if Bryony wanted to do that for her, she thought that would be wonderful.

"That sounds lovely," she said. "And something I would cherish forever, especially because of who it was from." Every gift Bryony ever gave Silvia was something the girl cherished as if it were solid gold or precious gems.

Silvia certainly didn't want Bryony to be with the wrong person, so she agreed with her cousin's position on it. She only wanted the right person to be with her best friend, and no one else.

"I think you will know when the right wizard comes along," she said. "You're extremely wise and clever after all."

Silvia shook her head about Bryony worrying about keeping her from Sam.

"He's just a friend, and you're a friend," she said. "So we can all do things together like friends do... except dance of course. I can take turns with him and you for that."

BRYONY CATE MOONBERRY