The bench she was sitting on was under a nice big tree.  It offered shade in the summertime, shelter from the spring storms, and beautiful picturesque scenery in the fall and winter.  Imari was relaxing on the stone bench, laying on her stomach, her feet up in the air and crossed at the ankles, one hand holding her treasured copy of Pride & Prejudice, the other twirling a piece of hair that fell across her face at one point.

She paid no mind to anything going on around her, no one talking or walking past, not worried about the weather around her, just fully immersed in her beloved book.  She was enjoying her free time, something she hadn't done in a while, but she was tired of studying and just wanted to do something that a normal teenager would do. 

Rosie was exhausted. Schrode was possibly the worst idea she'd ever had, but— He was rather endearing when he wasn't, you know... awake. Just the night before he'd decided sleeping was for wusses and investigating Rosie's trunk was a much more adequate activity. Weren't chinchillas supposed to be crepuscular?! Not only that, but she had to keep him on her person at all times, lest she'd return to what looked like the scene of a particularly violent tornado. So it was with great reluctance that the Ravenclaw took a trip to the greenhouses with Schrode tucked in her bag. Frankly, she should've realized that taking him in open space would be a lot more problematic...

"Imari! Lovely day, isn't it? Have you—Austen? Oh, that's a lovely edition you got there! Happened to see a flying chinchilla around?" Rosie said catching her breath, cheeks flushed and thrumming with adrenaline. "About yee high? Light tan fur? Answers to Schrode... Or well, Schrödinger, if we're being technical" she mused, lost in her own thought for a moment only to return to the moment with a violent shake of her head. "I'm really terribly sorry for interrupting your reading, I'm just afraid he'll end up in the forest. As dinner" she bit into her lower lip looking around worriedly.

Imari's focus was so focused on the plight of Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy that she barely heard someone approach her.  She brought herself out of her book slowly and only really caught the last few words. ".... flying chinchilla around."  She swung her legs around and sat up on the bench and looked at the girl, "No, I'm sorry, I haven't seen him, but then I've been a bit off in my own little world for a while now."  She scooted down on the bench so Rosamund could sit down if she wanted to and said, "I've been reading this book for ages, I can't seem to put it down.  This is actually the 45th time I've read it, and each time I fall more in love with Darcy."

Rosie sighed deeply, and immediately took a seat where Imari had scooted over. She certainly knew how getting lost in a book felt like. She tended to do that on a daily basis. If not a book, then certainly her experiments. And while she wasn't particularly enamored with Pride & Prejudice she could see how one might deeply admire Fitzwilliam Darcy. There was something about Romantic heroes that seemed to appeal to most the girls her age. Not Rosie, however. Rosie much preferred other works of Austen.

She smiled at Imari and nodded her acknowledgement but not necessarily her approval. "Mr. Darcy is indeed a rather fascinating character. Although that's only because of Elizabeth's view on him" she mused, eyes still roaming the courtyard in hopes of spotting Schrode. Rosie was of the mind that Henry Tilney of Northanger Abbey was Austen's strongest male character, even if she did not particularly admire him. Oh, well, there were bits that she found rather endearing such as his witty humor and intelligence, not so much his rather flirtatious nature, however.

"I found Sense and Sensibility a more pleasant read. If only for the humor of it" she declared with a little smile. The ridiculousness of most of the characters made for a fun reading. "And it's Colonel Brandon that has always managed to make my heart flutter a little " she said with a growing little blush. Some may call him dull, but Rosie thought he was merely a level-headed character, whom when put next to characters like Marianne and Willoughby could maybe appear a little more boring. But he certainly wasn't.

Imari listened as Rosie stated her favorite Austen book and then looked down at the cherished, well-read book in her hands.  She hadn't read anything else of Austen's after Pride and Prejudice, it was her most favorite book in the world.  "To be completely honest, and I'm ashamed of the fact, but I haven't read Sense and Sensibility so I have no clue who Colonel Brandon is.  Is he a better character than Darcy?" 

Imari was interested, she may have been sorted into Slytherin, but she still loved her books and would read anything she could get her hands on.  Right now, in the back of her mind, she was wording a letter to her father requesting more books - including a new Austen one.  "I am beginning to think I might like to read that one too."

"No character is better than the other, they're merely different and appeal to different people" Rosie said with a smile and a tilt of her head. "He's a bachelor approaching middle age with no family to speak of, he's honorable, level-headed and a sensitive soul. He is most kind and while in this particular line-up of characters he may seem dull, he is a perfectly balanced gentleman" Rosie declared with a little flush spreading from her cheeks. Although she did not agree with his marriage to Marianne, but she wouldn't voice that one out.

"You most definitely should! I think every young woman should, at one point in her life, familiarize herself with the works of Jane Austen. If not for the content - although I understand how this sort of romanticism may not be everyone's cup of tea - then surely for the cultural and historic importance they hold" the Ravenclaw said with a thoughtful expression, lacing her fingers together in her lap and giving one last cursory look to her surroundings in search of Schrode. "I have the complete set of Austen works in my trunk. If you'd like... I could lend them to you" she said, turning to look at Imari with a warm smile.

And just then, she felt little paws land in her hair, making her long, strawberry blonde locks fall over her face. With a little giggle, she looked up into her familiar's big black eyes. "Why hello there, Schrode. Did you have an awfully big adventure on your own?"

_{((sorry it's short, running low on ideas))}

Imari listened to Rosamund's explanation of the character and found herself wanting to read this book.  When she heard that the other girl was willing to lend her the book, she got excited.  "I would love to read the one you mentioned, it sounds like a very good read.  Are you sure that you wouldn't mind lending it to me, I will take very good care of it."

"It would be no problem at all" Rosamund replied with a dopey smile, attempting to extract her familiar from her hair and not quite managing. "Schrode. Let go" she warned a bit more sternly, as the squeaking pet only grabbed tighter. "If you'd accompany me to the tower, I could give them to you when we return to the castle?" she huffed, pulling at the chinchilla that seemed determined to spend his days tangled in her locks.

"As soon as I manage to detach this little miscreant from myself" she added pulling harder at Schrode. "Ow" she whined, abandoning her efforts and letting go of the animal, now dangling upside down from her hair and blinking up at the Ravenclaw. "Schrode, why do you do this to me?" And just like that, the chinchilla let go and glided to Imari's lap, shuffling about for a few seconds before curling around himself. "Oh..." Rosie said with big eyes, moving from her pet to the Slytherin and back to her pet. Well, that was just rude.

As Imari was getting ready to gather her bag and get up to follow the other girl to the tower, she was slightly startled to have the girl's creature land on her lap.  Now Imari was a girl, to the fullest extent and while she loved all animals, she just preferred they would stay within a gazing distance, not up close like this.  So she had a natural reaction, she jumped.

"Get him off please." she whispered, her shyness coming back, "I... I don't really like .." she couldn't finish her sentence, she didn't want to make Rosamund feel bad.  "I like animals, but from a safe distance... please."  She sat there, as still as possible as the furry chinchilla made itself comfortable on her lap.