Research Projects ( Rayvne / Jari )

[shava4444]

Fredrik was in the Library near the front tables. Six very old and rather huge tomes lay on the table in front of him, four of them open to different sections. While most thought he might have been sentenced to some horribly long report, he was actually trying to research some obscure spells that he had not had access to during his full lifetime. Shame that, but still this was his chance. The notes beside him were written in Finnish, a language that Jari might have had access to, but not likely to be literate in. However it did prevent anyone else from seeing and figuring out what he was working on which was actually some pretty complex components in a spell needed for a potion, both of them very obscure.

If it worked however it would be quite interesting.

One of the tomes he was looking through mentioned a particular book reference in a footnote and he copied down the reference and took it to the Librarian. She agreed they had the book and gave him the reference, a raised eyebrow at the fact he needed it to begin with. he was after a ll a sixth year and the book itself was very high magic and fairly obscure in this part of the world. It was not checked out. Fredrik went to the shelves with the location and spent several minutes proving to himself it was not here nor was it misfiled nearby. Either it was lost enough he would not find it today or someone had it at this moment.

That meant it was in someone's hands and probably an older student. The books, The Study of Thaumaturgy as Based on Culture, was a four volume set and all four were gone. Fredrik, suspicious someone didn't need the section he wanted (which was on the voodoo of the Americas) started walking through the Library looking at the older students books to see what they had. He was able to see most, but nothing that looked like multiple volumes till he got to the back of the stacks where a few desks were set along the back wall. It was near the restricted section which was why it was not heavily populated often except by older students and those wishing to sneak in.

The Librarian (rightly in his mind) kept that section under a careful eye.

The person who had it was clearly a Slytherin lass and he judged her for a moment before he returned to the front. Using his wand he collected his things in the air cause the tomes were heavy to move, and took them to the back, sliding them onto a table right behind her. it was often a tricky spell to do multiple items with, but he seemed to have little trouble with it, getting a few admiring glances from some younger years. With his stuff settled, he walked over sliding his wand back in his sleeve (he had an arm sheath which held it easily) and while twisting it back into place spoke to her.

"Excuse me, but I believe you have volume three of the Thaumaturgy set. may I borrow that for a few minutes so I can continue my work?"

[rayvne]

Studious as ever, Rayvne was seated straight backed in the seat in the library and pouring over the second tome in The Study of Thaumaturgy as Based on Culture series. There was a lot within the yellowing pages and dated texts that added to her interest on the subject and a neat set of notes were being transcribed with one left hand as her right slid slowly along a specific passage within the lines of small printed text. It was the vague increase in buzzing whispers that made her eyes move reluctantly from the pages to the notes, all of which were in a fluent French as if the girl was raised there all of her life, which was not far from the truth.

The cause of the whispers was a Ravenclaw boy, sixth year if she saw correctly, moving his things through the air toward her. For a moment, she did not change the features upon her face and simply watched in wait, tucking brilliant red locks into the black length near her ears. Those blasted things were always escaping from her elegant knots, meant to keep the carmine strands from her face. As the boy spoke, she found a vague arching of a perfectly manicured brow following.

"Of course, I haven't made it to that one yet and the second is proving to be an interesting read so far. Though I'm needing something on Americanized voodoo and the process of creating the magical bond between the doll and the target. Is that in that volume?" The voice that came from formerly pressed lips was one that was velvety, hypnotic with the blood of her veela mother and wrapped in a French accented silk that she never cared to notice. Gold green eyes flickered back to the pages for a moment, before she found that brow arching again.

"This is a bit beyond your year level, is it not?" Her hand seemed to keep writing, only because that Seer's eye was focused upon the volume at hand and all the information was still seeping into her mind through that connection. "What are you studying with it?"

[shava4444]

While Jari was young looking for his age, Fredrik was much much older in his thinking and tended to sound much older when he forgot to be careful. In this case the young girl seemed so literate and straight forward he forgot to conceal his intelligence to a large degree. He very much appreciated intelligence and reasonable people. Add in the fact that her veela influence came out in her voice didn't make it easier to think straight while noticing her features for the first time. He was male and despite the older mind which would recognize very quickly what was happening, he was her target audience for her biology.

"Yes I suspect so, but I will only need it for a length of time for copying two or three pages out of it." Her voice made a little shiver run down his spine and he found himself entranced by her eye color till she turned back to her book. Shaking his head he frowned, and after a second recognized what she must be. The frown deepened as that was not something he wanted in his system while puberty had him in such a grip still. he did note she spoke and continued writing at the same time, clearly a multi-tasker which he admired as always.

"Regardless of my year, the books I am working out of mention a section in that one I need for a reference. And by the books I already have" he motioned at the six large tomes "the Librarian clearly believes I can handle it." She spoke again in a reasonable tone asking for what he was looking for in it and he told her, seeing no point in holding said information in. "There is a plant used in the zombie drug which the properties of I need more information on. Since the footnote references this particular section, I need it to be able to follow the usage in another recipe."

He wondered why she was reading the other volume actually. "The plant is one Jimson Weed, or datura stramonium as it's more properly called. In exchange, will you tell me why you find the other so interesting? Is this something for a class or individual project?" He made a point of not meeting her eyes, knowing that would be the main source for the fascination magic she had naturally. Even so, he felt another slight shiver in his bones when she spoke and certainly hoped he could get the book and retreat soon.

[rayvne]

The page was finished and she looked up again, "Forgive my presumptions. Soon the book was closed and the third volume slid across the table toward him. "Jimson Weed...it is a quite dangerous herb. It has the qualities of a hallucinogenic drug." It was quite the nasty plant if consumed in large quantities. Her fingers ran along the spine of the volume on the table slightly and then quickly went to the quill again, scrawling down a selection of words. "History of magic requires an extensive look into other cultures of magic. And I use the term loosely. Most American magic is spiritual or drug induced. It fascinates me, really."

The girl had an air of elegance in not only speaking and writing, but even gesturing. It was seen as her hand moved to the fourth volume and opened it to a chapter that eclipsed early potion making in the early Wiccan religion. "Our potion making has come a long way from our predecessors. It's interesting how knowledge expands." She brought out a fresh piece of parchment and began to script another set of notes, this one not in the previous language, but a mountainous Swiss dialect. She was always careful that her research didn't fall into the wrong hands. Those Beauxbatons girls in the school had an advantage over the others to reading her French.

A swift lift of golden green hues would fleetingly capture the other's eyes. "Rayvne, by the way, pleased to meet a fellow academic." The free hand not holding the quill would lift in greeting, "May I inquire a name? Lest I am reduced to calling you Jimson Weed." The corners of her lips twitched slightly into a smile, a gesture that was obviously one that not often graced her face yet managed to warm her features greatly, taking the austere edge from her eyes and cheeks.

[shava4444]

She was cool and calm, quite well in control of herself and Fredrik liked that. More people should control their teenage anxieties and she did in the way he thought it should be done. Some might think her cold, but he found her quite interesting. Her apology for questions was perfectly acceptable. "That's quite all right, I understand your concerns." And further, she added not a warning (as some would have taken it), but an observation. "Very true, but it has what I believe I need for another potion as well. That is what I am studying up on while I have access to this place of knowledge."

He nodded at her comments as well. She clearly went out of her way to use this place while she had access to it as well. "I had not studied them in detail before, but I understand many of the magics practiced there have ties into what the early European magics could have been at the beginning, such as the early Celts. I can understand why you would find it fascinating. I am more--" he broke off before he caught himself going into the old ways "I mean I hope to be a Hedge wizard of sorts. My uncle was well known for his potion experiments and I hope to take those farther in his honor." Half truths were a mess, but they worked.

Fredrik picked up the volume and held it as they spoke, but made no move to leave yet. For a young child she was very with it, very collected. For the first time he thought he might have someone he could enjoy talking to here. "I agree. My uncle, who was really a cousin, but he liked being called uncle, told me that the early potions he had first worked with were so simplistic and had clumsy effects compared to today's more finicky ones. I have his notes on several projects and find them really fascinating in their own way." he saw the language change in her writing and though he had not meant to try and read what she did he found himself intrigued.

"I don't mean to pry, but I find myself curious. How many languages can you read and write? I so often find most st-- people rarely no more then one or two." She caught him with her eyes again and he again noticed how deeply green they looked like pools. Poleaxed, he closed his eyes a second, took in a deep breath and then said "My name is Jari. Jari Aalto. It is a pleasure to meet someone I can speak to about learning as well." He turned his eyes away from her face firmly, struck by the difficulty of wanting to speak with someone who he also needed to avoid meeting eyes with. He felt rude, but he didn't have much of a choice!

His features turned pursed lips as a humorous thought crossed his mind. "Yes, that would be a very misleading name. I certainly am not an addiction nor do I take root in those minerals. Thank you, Rayvne, for loaning me the book. It will not take me long to make a copy of what I need then I will bring it promptly back." He started to turn away and then stopped, looking back at her for a moment while her eyes were down. "I do not mean to be impertinent, but I think you should know you are easily the most intelligent person I have spoken to since I arrived here. Thank you for being the way you are, it is like a breath of fresh air." With a slight smile he bowed his head slightly then stepped over to his table to copy the notes promptly.

[rayvne]

Before he stepped away, she did manage to answer his question, "Three languages fluently. French, Swiss, and obviously English." She also knew conversational German. One of her father's rules was that a lady was to be one of breeding, with a well rounded education. People said she must have a dying social life with all of her focus upon her work. Where that might have been true, she also didn't see any true issue with not socializing with her peers.

All of them, focused on things that would not better their lives in any way. Relationships, gossip, not a bloody thing useful there.

Back to her book she went, writing away still when he returned, "Jari, you are rather a breath of fresh air as well. And your uncle sounds as if he were a great man, keeping his work alive is very noble of you. The magical community could benefit more from others as determined as yourself." No sugar coat, pure unbiased truth. "I am fascinated with potions, I admit...I'm intrigued with this potion you are researching. Perhaps you may let me observe?"

[shava4444]

Swiss was not a language he would have expected since only about 700 people to maybe a thousand still spoke it. Fredrik knew they used four languages in Switzerland, but only one was actually considered Swiss and that one was rare. His impression of her smarts went up as few would be able to read what she wrote. Fredrik's notes were similarly coded, in spelled out mathematical figures and then into Finnish backwards (leaving off the pronunciation hints which gave away the language of course; he knew what they were!), something which boggled most people at just looking at it, but having done it for more then fifty years he could read it easily.

He did however have an advantage to his work that no other student at Hogwarts would have and that was a non-European spell from the Russian territories. It was a simple enough spell and not particularly hard, but since he did it non-verbally and without his wand, it was easy for something like this. He copied ten pages, not just his reference but the entire zombie drug recipe description and put the pages in his bag, rolled together. It took about a half minute and then he shut the book quietly and stood to return it. While he had been doing it, he pondered the difficulty of speaking with this particular student.

Veela were dangerous indeed, determined, and often had unpredictable emotions. This one, being an assumed descendant of one, presented an unknown quality for him as he did not know what traits she had inherited beyond the charmed voice and eyes which were obvious. Besides avoiding her eyes, it was difficult to say what would work best, her voice was tricky enough on it's own. thankfully she did not seem the type to be trying to catch anyone so he was probably best to place his trust in that alone. Walking back to the table he came around her side to add it to her stack instead of having to push it across the table to her. "Here, Rayvne, thank you very much."

A moment later Fredrik was annoyed to find Jari's cheeks and ears warm which meant the fool child's embarrassment was visible in his face. Being complimented was something he took in stride in his body, but the teenager had not received it often he could tell! "Thank you, Rayvne, I hope someday to be as wise and as talented as my uncle, but it will take a long time I am sure." Damned child making him look unseasoned in front of one who had her emotions well under control. he glanced up briefly to see her face and right back down to keep from seeing her eyes to judge her reaction to the full blush.

Although he could not see it, he knew it was visible easily from a distance.

Her comment about potions made him both wary and interested in her opinions. "I would pleased to have your opinion indeed! However since I am still working on the formula it will be some time yet. If you are familiar with the preparations for felix felicis you will understand when I saw the combination need meticulous care in combination." He sounded more intelligent then he was supposed to be and the corners of his lips turned down very slightly at himself, but he said nothing else. 'Damn it Fredrik! Watch yourself!'

[rayvne]

At the sight of the blush upon his features, something of a smile flickered across her lips, not of satisfation, but a vague form of amusement. That was often not one of the reactions she got from people. Most of the boys affected by the Veela side of her would start trying to out brag each other to try to gain her attention and acceptance. They would rubberneck to follow her down the hallway, tripping over their closest friends to catch a glimpse of her eyes. It was a damnedable inconvience to say the least. Thank goodness for men that preferred men, they could talk to her without any form of issue. She wondered what, inside the bloodstream, caused these reactions.

"Meticulous care in combination, most potions with toxic plants are like that, I'm afraid. One must be extremely careful in their planning in order to prevent the potion taking on a venomus base. It would bode ill for drinker and creator alike in that case." She scribbled down something about apples and cloves before drawing her gaze upward to him. "Do you draw your eyes away because of a reaction to me?"

[shava4444]

Fredrik had an advantage over most teens in that he had already been through this all before and that experience let him know how to watch out for certain things, resist the traps even as his testosterone attempted to send him right into them. He was not interested in falling for a girl and dealing with all the emotional things when he had such an opportunity of education as he had at this time. Thus the idea of being attracted to any girl was something he was resisting from the get-go. This might explain his anger at himself for letting a Veela affect him, since their power really was an aggressive one.

Her checks to look down at what she was doing made him feel she knew her effect and was trying to lessen it on others. Thank goodness! A Veela out to snag every boy would be a real horror to deal with; this was at least doable. "Yes, I am aware, especially with the ones I am working with. The effect alone of the extreme end of this creates a very much zombie effect on humans in particular and thus must be countered for my final results. I do not know who I will find to volunteer to try it eventually, but first I have to feel satisfied with my results before I would get close to testing phase."

She looked up and he as quickly looked down, carefully to avoid her eyes and she apparently noticed that and queried him about it. Of course she would probably be pleased with the control she had naturally over men, but he wasn't an average boy either; he was a man with a mind. "Yes. Your Veela-ness is too distracting to my hormones for me to want to be under your influence so I prefer to keep my mind on track. Admittedly, your voice has some of the same effect, but your eyes are the most direct cause." He paused and pursed his lips, amused by the conversation's turn actually.

"I must admit I like your mind quite a bit. The way you speak leads me to believe we could be very good friends over the long term so I prefer to avoid the physical effects. Do you think sunglasses would help or is there a known method you might share?" How much would she be willing to help? She did seem to like his conversation so surely she would want to extend him any protection she knew about on agreement he would not tell many others. Although capturing a teenager and making the effect rather long term would work best for Fredrik after graduation, there was alas no way to 'borrow' such an effect and thus he would have to wait till much later to make his attempt at possible mating.

Which he didn't mind at all. Someone with a much older mind would be far preferable to teenage angst.