Welcome to TB, an all levels Harry Potter roleplay with no word count. Our purpose is to go through the books with one exception: the addition of original characters and what changes that makes.
We accept all beings and creatures in the Harry Potter verse including ghosts, veela, muggles and even centaur.
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Post by MAEVE THORNE on Jan 31, 2023 12:35:28 GMT -5
It finally happened - Maeve got a chance to interact with the quiet and elusive Reino Korpiklaani. She had been curious about him for many months now, mostly because of his surname which did not sound British at all. But he seemed intent on avoiding social situations at all costs. Which might simply be part of his Finnish heritage; coming from that frigid country herself, she knew that most Finns tended to speak only when there was something important to say, and small talk was not viewed favourably. However, he might also just be painfully shy - that was a suspicion that grew stronger with time, as the Slytherin observed her withdrawn peer.
She would find out soon enough, though. Whether he was shy or just Finnish, Reino would have to spend the afternoon in the library with her. Professor Da Costa had assigned the class a project, to be done in pairs - prepare a presentation about a dangerous beast and ways to defend against it. To Maeve's delight, he also chose who would be working with whom, and she ended up getting paired with Reino. Their presentation would have to be about Trolls.
Since she showed up some ten minutes early, Maeve used the time to select some extra literature that could help in composing the presentation. She picked half a dozen books that had to do with Trolls, brought them to a desk and laid them out neatly so all the titles would be visible. Once that was done, she drew back a chair and sat down to wait for her study partner.
Post by REINO KORPIKLAANI on Feb 19, 2023 9:40:22 GMT -5
Reino disliked grouped projects. The quiet Gryffindor preferred to work solo. There were several reasons for this. First of all he believed he should be graded for his work and not the work of others. Secondly; he wasn’t very good at interacting with others. Most students at Hogwarts were very energetic and chatty which Reino couldn’t relate to.
However since he was a good student, he wasn’t going to ghost whoever he got paired up with. Even if that person was someone he didn’t quite know. Maeve transferred from the school his father used to go to. He didn’t know why she transferred, perhaps her parents moved or perhaps she was expelled. He hoped it certainly wasn’t the latter. People like that were usually very exhausting to deal with. And Reino didn’t have the best social skills to start with. Worst of all they were going to have to do a presentation. The Gryffindor just hoped he didn’t end up quiet and looking grumpy during it.
He arrived exactly on time like the good wizard he was and gave the Slytherin who was already there a nod. His eyes fell on the books she’d picked. So that’s where those had gone. From his bag he took another bunch of books on the same topic. Some of the books were the same but others just had a single copy in the library. In his compulsion he organized them all in alphabetical order and got rid of the doubles. After that he took a quill and ink and wrote down:
Catchy Opening
Solid Presentation
Conclusive Ending
They had to come up with a good way to go about this. MAEVE THORNE,
Post by MAEVE THORNE on Mar 10, 2023 4:24:43 GMT -5
Judging from the Gryffindor's mute entrance, he was planning on sticking to the habit of only speaking when there was something of substance to say. While this was not ideal, Maeve could respect that. She nodded in response and watched as her study partner rearranged the books she had picked, adding some of his own. Did he have one of those odd disorders that made people overly organize every aspect of their lives? She suspected that he might, seeing as all their literature was now arranged alphabetically. While Maeve herself was neat and organized, she tended to allow for some chaos here and there. As long as she could find the things she needed without any issues, and the general look was orderly, she was fine.
Well, at least Reino knew how to work on an academic project. The redhead read the notes he had just inked, glad they wouldn't have to discuss how the whole presentation should be structured. That could save a lot of time.
"We could start with a quick statistic of how many people trolls kill each year. That would captivate the attention of the class." She picked up one of the books nearest her, hoping her peer wouldn't be shocked that she didn't begin with the one at the start of their alphabetical arrangement. "Should include Muggles and wizards, separately. The Muggle count will likely be bigger, at least it's usually the case with giants... we can say it's because non-magical folk are not aware of trolls and have no means of protecting themselves." The whole presentation was already clicking into places in the Slytherin's head, she could almost, almost imagine the specific lines she could say and the inflections that could be used. After she skimmed through a few of these tomes, the ideas would crystalize. "...and that hopefully, after our presentation, our classmates will have sufficient knowledge to either avoid or deal with trolls. That could be a segue into the main part of the presentation."
Post by REINO KORPIKLAANI on Mar 26, 2023 12:55:40 GMT -5
Reino was pleasantly surprised with the suggestion Maeve put on the table. It came very close to what he wanted to do. At least she had what it took to validate her confidence. If it had just been empty big words, things would have been embarrassing. "Not bad," he nodded approvingly. "People like to be shocked so this is a good way to draw their attention,” he said, almost mumbling monotonically. It certainly helped to have a project partner who had a bright head on their shoulders.
Perhaps she even could be someone his parents would approve of as a friend. Though he was still in the learning process of how to make friends. Lakin had said something of having shared interests and building a bond over time. Did Maeve like studying like he did or was it just for school purposes? Reino couldn’t tell.
“Which parts do you want to do?” They had to come up with a way to present which would be the most effective. Reino was very confident in his knowledge but less so in his presentation skills. He always came across like he didn’t want to be there or very intimidating and intense. It was just helpless. MAEVE THORNE ,
Post by MAEVE THORNE on Apr 14, 2023 7:07:05 GMT -5
Despite his apparent lack of social skills, Reino was insightful enough to grasp the intended effect of a shocking presentation opener. Was he one of those people who were bright enough to understand the more complex aspects of psychology and communication, but were hopeless when it came to applying that knowledge practically? She could work with that. Those types tended to be pretty useful as friends, but also incredibly low-maintenance. And they just seemed to be endlessly grateful that you were patient with their shortcomings. Getting them to relax a little was the tricky part. Almost like with wild animals, one had to approach carefully and gain trust gradually. Chatting too much was likely to scare this Gryffindor off, so she resolved to be all business for now.
When the question of dividing the work came, Maeve frowned slightly in contemplation. Stage fright was never a major factor to her. There was always the fluttery anxious feeling, but she had a way of just interpreting it as excitement. Public speaking was something she was occasionally complimented on. She wasn't sure Reino could perform quite as well, what with his speech always being so laconic and to the point. Which didn't help to make much of an impression on an audience, although it would serve to present bare facts.
"I could do the introduction and the summary of the presentation," the redhead volunteered finally. Both of these parts tended to stick in people's memory the most. She hoped the boy wouldn't take it personally. Maeve did like being at the center of attention at times, but in this case, it wasn't solely about that. Not causing Reino stress about needing to speak in a charismatic and memorable way seemed like a kindness to her. And just as a side benefit, that arrangement would maximize their potential grade. The opening and closing wouldn't be all that lengthy, though. "And perhaps some middle part. There are three types of trolls, so I could talk about one of them..." She paused again, trying to outline the presentation in her mind. "What if I do the introduction, then you speak about river trolls, then I tell them about forest trolls... and you do the bit about mountain trolls. They're the most vicious by far, so keeping them for last would be best. Then I conclude by briefly repeating the most important facts. How does that sound?"
Post by REINO KORPIKLAANI on Apr 23, 2023 5:30:52 GMT -5
Reino bit his lip and wanted to agree with what Maeve suggested. That was when the voice of his father popped up in his mind and the ever speech of what it meant to be a man. Something that clearly confused Gryffindor as it was clear as daylight his mother was truly the one leading the family and having a big career. So was being a man pretending you were leading while letting your wife do all the actual work? That hardly seemed fair.
“I can put in my weight too,” he said, looking determined. “I’ll practice all day to be on your level.” Even if it was just a performance he’d be holding, perhaps if he imagined the crowd to be chicken wings, he could pull it off. He didn’t want Maeve to think she had to carry him through their presentation. That’s right; he wasn’t going to be his father who hid behind his much more powerful wife. Reino was going to be equal to his future partner. That being said…
His future wife… He had until graduation to find one of his own before his parents married him off to some powerful family. He didn’t want to marry a stranger. Well while he didn’t quite know Maeve yet, they at least would be spending time together at Hogwarts and could get to know each other. “Maeve, you’re a pureblood too right?” Besides she checked all the boxes his father tipped to him. “If this presentation is a success; let’s propose an engagement to our parents.” His eyes were sharp, rarely confident compared to what they usually were. This suggestion probably came out of nowhere for her but to Reino it made complete sense. MAEVE THORNE ,
Post by MAEVE THORNE on Apr 24, 2023 12:41:22 GMT -5
Maeve had been prepared to be charitable with the workload distribution, but Reino's determination to take on the more difficult tasks came as a pleasant surprise. Too often her study partners were willing to let her carry presentations simply because she was good at it. And she didn't mind because it only honed her public speaking skills while limiting the others from gaining the same experience. Nonetheless, someone who volunteered to do a task they disliked, if only to get better at it, deserved credit. Reino turned out to be the type of student who wanted to learn at school rather than just 'survive' it. "Alright, which parts of the presentation do you want to do?"
The inquiry about her blood status came out of the blue; the redhead took it in stride, nodding in answer. The next bit was considerably more difficult to digest. It wasn't often that Maeve found herself feeling uncertain - at least not during interactions with people in her age group. She was raised to be confident and react to complex circumstances without showing discomfiture. Sometimes she failed, and in those cases remembered that she was still only fourteen, still a teenager unequipped to deal with more complicated life situations. This was one of those instances.
The Slytherin felt her jaw going slack with surprise and pulled it back into a controlled smile with some effort. Was this a joke or a serious proposition? Whichever was the case, outright refusal would make the situation worse for her. Reino would either laugh about having tricked her or be offended and possibly start resenting her. And it wasn't as though he suggested getting married, only proposing an engagement to their parents. If her father decided the Gryffindor wasn't a good match, he would find a courteous way to refuse. Or, if he approved, he might be impressed she managed to find a suitable match so quickly. And if this was just a trick, agreeing lightly could make it look as though she was just going along for fun. "Sure, why not... as long as we can get through this project without any major difficulties."
Only after saying that did she consider the possibility of Father approving this match, and it later turning out she couldn't stand Reino's personality. He seemed to be just fine now, pleasant company even, but first impressions weren't always correct. People wear masks, those masks slip when they get comfortable... What if he had irritating habits, or didn't want her to establish a Quidditch career before starting a family, or - even worse - snored? It might make all the sense in the world to get married bloodline-wise, but what if they just didn't like each other? That was a terrifying line of thought. She had accepted the idea of marrying when her father deemed it appropriate, to the partner of his choosing, and then just shoved the worries regarding this whole arrangement to the back of her mind. All of that was still so far away... Reino's suggestion dragged all of the suppressed anxiety out into the open, where she couldn't easily ignore it. Keeping her facial features arranged in a positive, mildly amused expression was a struggle.
"Did your parents task you with finding a bride for yourself?" she asked, mostly to divert attention away from her own uneasiness. Some purist parents were extremely strict with match-making, which made sense considering the possibility of marrying someone who was too closely related. Others allowed their offspring to explore the market for themselves and only kept the right to veto the match. Maeve wasn't sure if fourteen was old enough to pick a life partner but then again, she had heard of some betrothals taking place at an even earlier age.
Post by REINO KORPIKLAANI on May 5, 2023 13:53:53 GMT -5
Which parts did he want to do? For a moment he went through their possibilities before deciding on an answer. “So what if one of us starts with the trivia and then the other continues with the intro? I could say the trivia, they won’t expect me to go first,” he suggested, it was going to be terrifying but he was just going to practice until perfection. He couldn’t just keep hiding behind his project partners, that was for sure going to bring shame to the family.
That being said he awaited a more terrifying response. What if she laughed at him? He’d forever be ashamed. At least not many people were here so maybe he could act like it never happened if his offer got declined. What was just a few seconds seemed to be the longest wait ever. Reino could feel cold nervous sweat on the back of his neck while trying not to pass out.
To his surprise the suspense was eventually cut away by what seemed like a positive response. It was probably written on his face but he tried to muster a smile and play it off coolly even if his hands were clearly sweating. “Well it’d be a relationship doomed to fail if we can’t even pull off an assignment.” Sweet Merlin was this their first real relationship test? Now it suddenly felt very serious and he wasn’t sure if he’d rushed into this a little too fast. There was no turning back, he planned to be a man of his worth so he was going to stand by his offer. Besides, perhaps something good could come out of this.
“Huh? Oh they gave me until graduation to find a suitable partner, if not they’ll be choosing someone for me. Which I hope to prevent because it’ll probably cause a war between my father and grandmother,” he sighed. His grandmother probably was set on marrying an Italian girl just so he would move to Italy and she could force herself into his life. It wouldn’t be so bad if she wasn’t so set on calling him by his given name. “How is your situation?” MAEVE THORNE,
Post by MAEVE THORNE on May 17, 2023 5:34:10 GMT -5
By now, Maeve was quite unconcerned about the grade they would get and just curious to see how well Reino would prepare. His refusal to allow her to hoard all the parts that might be considered more difficult was intriguing. People who wanted to learn and improve, even if it meant difficulties and awkwardness, weren't that populous at a school - ironic as that might sound. Or at least that was the impression she got whenever she needed to work with her peers. "Great, the more surprised people are the more attentively they'll listen," she agreed when the Gryffindor suggested an alternative division of labour.
As the boy spoke, she just nodded in agreement to his words, not even considering the possibility that it might have been an attempt at a joke. The term 'relationship' sounded so strange to her. Usually, it was used to refer to couples, which she supposed was suitable for this conversation. But still, being in a relationship... that was something some older students did, but mostly it was for adults - wasn't it? Some of her classmates did have boyfriends or girlfriends or talked about getting together with someone, but she usually just took it as them pretending to be more mature than they were. Who would want a partner at the age of fourteen, fifteen? She never even considered that, had never felt 'butterflies' in her stomach - which actually sounded like it would be an unpleasant, if not repulsive, experience. It was somehow appealing that Reino wanted to test their potential by working together on something, though. A mature approach, if not quite orthodox.
Although only mentioned in passing, the possible tension between Reino's father and grandmother was noted and filed for later inspection. Family drama occurred frequently, especially in pureblood circles, but she had to find out more if she didn't want to end up in the crossfire. "I haven't been told to find someone for myself yet, only that I'll have to marry to continue the line. Oh, and that the first-born son will be able to inherit the Thorne estate, but only if he takes my family name when he reaches adulthood. If not, then the second-born son will be eligible." All that just sounded like words, not real events that would start occurring in a decade or so. Marriage, children, inheritance, none of it was tangible at the moment. "My father wants me to marry a worthy pureblood but I doubt he has started looking into the matter just yet, and until he does I should be allowed to offer... candidates." The marital terminology was all blurry in her mind.
"So different members of your family have different ideas about who your future bride should be?"
Post by REINO KORPIKLAANI on Jun 12, 2023 14:54:00 GMT -5
This definitely was going to be a challenge for him but he knew he had to grow up and become a man some day. He couldn’t always be a little boy hiding behind others because he didn’t like social interaction. School was a nightmare for introverts. It wasn’t even that he disliked people like many thought. He just didn’t like being in the center of attention. He was much more comfortable lurking in the shadows and waiting to make his next move. At least he hoped to be that person one day. Currently he was just observing and studying people because they still confused them.
A subtle smile appeared on his face when Maeve said what he was going for. “Exactly.” And once they had the class’ attention, they were set. The both of them were good students so in terms of providing information they didn’t have to worry. He was for once faithful; he could work in a team. While he usually claimed to work best alone. So who knew if it could work?Now this proposed engagement probably wasn’t a romantic one. But how many purebloods are really married for love? Besides, love could fade. It was best to search for something that could last.
Reino temporarily put down his quill, pausing his research to listen to Maeve’s family situation. He quietly nodded as he took in what she said. “I see, then perhaps we can take it a little slower and give it a thought before we suggest it to our families,” he suggested, wanting to give her a little space. “Do you have any brothers or sisters?” He asked out of curiosity, wondering how her family dynamic went. In his case it was a bit complicated as the Italian side usually passed things down to their daughters and the Finnish and Welsch side to the sons. So his sister would likely get 25%. Thing was his was his Italian grandmother’s favorite grandchild which only made things a little more complicated.
“My father told me I should marry someone like my mother, someone headstrong.” Maeve gave those impressions. “I’ve seen you play Quidditch, you’re fierce. So yeah…” That’s why he thought she’d be a good candidate. Reino himself should probably become a little more fierce but he was likely more suited to be the backbone. Someone stable and not easily faced. “My grandma wants me to marry an Italian girl and move to her country,” he sighed and shook his head. So far he was leaning towards his father’s advice. “You went to Durmstrang before coming here, right? My father went there as well. What is it like?” MAEVE THORNE ,
