Horologium Tower

Horologium Tower
hogwarts tower

The Horologium Tower is better known as the Clock Tower, especially by those who don't want to have to endure the mouthful that is its true name. Within the tower, lies the mechanisms that run the antique clock. There is an old courtyard at its base, and at the top is the clear glass dial of the clock. There is space between the clock's movement and the dial for a person to either repair the clock or to stand and look out over the courtyard. There are five bells in the clock tower of various sizes; these bells appear to be made of copper as the bells are rather oxidized. The Clock Tower chimes every half hour and strikes a small bell at the beginning and conclusion of class sessions.

Darshini of Bhārat

caulerpa, seventh year § princess of india
ateleia

A series of mildly unfortunate events have unfolded since Halloween, which have accumulated into a divine plot to have the only solution that her subconscious desires. Her decision to choose Winter was one she arrived to rationally after more than enough time and thought. If she were to come to the conclusion that this decision was filled with more emotion, she would be terribly embarrassed. While she waits, her gaze wanders down through the foggy glass, staring at the students below and wondering how they might react to this easy solution. Her hands are held together at her waist, more poised than she has been since adjusting to Hogwarts roughly a month ago. Noticing this, she breathes in and out with an apparent nervousness that she wishes to wash over before Winter arrives, closing her eyes and deciding to envision what will occur during this secret meeting. Her script is there, and she worries then that she is treating him too much as a colleague— someone she will sit with when she is Maharani. Her mind wanders then, picturing them in that position and letting her hands fall as she admires the image. Darshini has never had someone to picture sitting with, always barred from meeting the men and women that her father would sit with. To have someone, and someone so perfectly suited for it how Winter is, is pleasant and she is reminded that that means this facade is the perfect choice. Daydreaming has become much easier now that she has seen what Earth has to offer, and she's caught in it until he arrives. Her eyes open slowly, not bothered by this interruption. "Hello," she says, bowing her head before facing him again.

Winter Knox

caulerpa, seventh year
paintedred

Winter enters the clock tower and ascends the staircase to get to the top where he presumes that Darshini is waiting. On his way there, he sees the pendulum swinging back and forth and remembers their first encounter, a soft expression of fondness appearing on his face. Very quickly, his expression reverts to something neutral which is typical of him. Unlike Darshini, he is nowhere near nervous. Winter simply does not believe it is practical to worry over a conversation that could be completely harmless. Knowing Darshini, too, it is very likely that is the case. Rationally, he knows he has done nothing to offend her and that she would never consciously do something to offend him so there is nothing to be anxious about. Perhaps she just wanted to spend time with him. That would be nice. He enjoys spending time with Darshini too. Winter doesn't bother with greeting her in return, only nodding his head in acknowledgement as he positions himself opposite to her. Before the conversation starts, he glances sideways to admire the view from the tower then trains his attention back onto her face not that it's very hard considering the view outside could have ever rivaled this. "You needed to speak with me." he says, stating the obvious. "About what?"

Darshini of Bhārat

caulerpa, seventh year § princess of india
ateleia

His failure to acknowledge her greeting not only serves to irritate her, but creates this festering sense of doubt that she is not choosing the correct person. Her only opportunity for this proposition is this one because should he reject it— at least he would know that whatever she would find as a replacement would be a sham. "Winter, that is not how you greet others. While your desire to address the situation immediately is appreciated, the polite action is to greet someone first. Your voice is beautiful; I would prefer to hear it." Darshini smiles slightly as practiced in her mirror a hundred thousand times to show she isn't trying to be aggressive. Her mouth would have betrayed her had she not practiced the art of holding her tongue, wanting to tell him that just nodding at her is no way to greet a *princess*. If he is meant to date said princess, then he should greet her and anyone else accordingly. It's a disastrous move for her to chance the idea of him merely nodding at her mother. Oh, how Darshini's seventeen years of existence would flash before her eyes in a moment such as that... Even if he agrees to this arrangement, however, Winter will likely never arrive face-to-face with Uditi. After correcting him, she noticeably shifts to be more comfortable as the irritation leaves her, yet she seems as focused and serious as ever. "Before continuing this conversation, it is important to me that we resolve one matter first. You are not interested in or dating anyone at this time. Is that still correct?" Her eyebrows don't raise, but something about her eyes still says that that she's curious. It's as if the entirety of their future interactions are contingent upon whatever his answer to this question might be, and in some ways, they are.

Winter Knox

caulerpa, seventh year
paintedred

Winter has unsurprisingly been called out on his lack of greetings in the past, by Imogen most notably and by Kitt most recently. For some reason, he is more compelled to work on kicking this habit now that Darshini has expressed that she does not like it very much. He's surprised with himself for responding so well to flattery. That must be it, of course, because he felt himself get shy when she commented on how she believes he has a beautiful voice and would want to hear it. It does not occur to him that perhaps that is not an effect of the compliment but instead the person giving the compliment. "I'm sorry. I'll greet you properly next time." he tells her. She seemed so bothered by it that he's certain he will not forget. There isn't anything much else to say on that matter, but then she proceeds to ask him if he is interested in dating anybody. For some reason, he feels an odd feeling akin to... hope, maybe? He doesn't know why, but he feels he should choose his next words very carefully. When does he not, though? First, he considers why she would be asking this... Is it because she is interested in him? Does she want to know if he is interested in someone, and if that someone might be her? In that case, then is it the wrong answer to say that he is not interested in dating anyone? It does not occur to Winter either why he is so concerned about providing the "correct" answer, or what being "correct" even means. She wouldn't phrase it like that if that were the case, though, and Darshini does not seem interested in him (his mind is working too fast to dwell further on why this matters), and he realizes that he's been quiet longer than necessary so he finally replies with, "Yes, that's still correct." Winter raises an eyebrow. "Why is that important?"

Darshini of Bhārat

caulerpa, seventh year § princess of india
ateleia

With this confirmation, she breathes in and withdraws her wand from seemingly thin air (her pocket), summoning some parchment from her leather satchel. "Since Halloween, a handful of students have confessed their feelings for me. It has been overwhelming to hear of such affectionate feelings coming from my presence," she begins, flipping her fingers along the corners of the sheets of parchment to ensure that they're in the correct order before folding them over to hide them from him. Her eyes stare into his, eyes narrowed before her face fills with an affection that she does not often adorn. It's most often brought out by Fionn, but he has that familiar charm to him that she appreciates. Something shared between them is left undiscovered, and she's certain of that. Still it is not totally infrequent that Winter will see this from her. Her face is prideful, pushing her hair over her shoulder. "It had not occurred to me that I might attract such interest, or that so many boys thought they were fit to be my Maharaja." Similarly, it has not yet occurred to Darshini that they might not believe they are totally fit for Maharaja, but instead might just want to 'score' with the future Maharani. Sex is a foreign issue to her, and she still hasn't fully comprehended the lengths some will go for a little taste of it. "It's really quite presumptuous of them..." As she lets her words float off, she is visibly amused in her own modest way. Uditi was most comfortable sending her to Hogwarts knowing that she understood she could never lay with a British man nor would she ever desire it. Any thoughts of this are discarded though in favor of the more serious issue. "I have heard that a sixth has mentioned his intentions to do the same. It is reassuring, then, that you do not harbor similar feelings."

Winter Knox

caulerpa, seventh year
paintedred

Winter had already been well-aware that many other students in their year (and most likely, Hogwarts as a whole) found Darshini very attractive. Objectively – and it is important to him that these thoughts are considered wholly objective – it makes sense considering that Darshini is quite beautiful. It is unfortunate, though, that she seems to have to put up with all that. He cannot imagine how exhausting it must be to reject so many people, especially if these are her friends. Winter cannot fathom what it must be like to put up with these suitors afterwards. He remembers how much Joffrey moped after Morp Hop because his date had curved him. He's pretty sure that Joffrey mentioned eventually that he had *cried* to her in a closet too, afterwards. Whoever she is, poor girl. Hopefully Darshini hasn't had to put up with any of that. "Yes, it's quite ridiculous imagining any of our classmates as the future ruler of an entire country." he says. That is apart from Darshini, who he is confident will grow into a wonderful maharani one day. "Apart from you, of course." It's important to him that he clarifies that. He's not doing it to just be polite, otherwise he would have included Feriha in that clarification. "And I assure you I don't have any plan to confess feelings for you." Winter really doesn't, so he's being truthful. He wonders if that's all she wanted to discuss. It would be nice of her to have called him here just to express her appreciation, but it's sad and unnecessary because she should not have to be thankful that he is not bothering her like he imagines others might be. Actually... "Are any of these people bothering you?"

Darshini of Bhārat

caulerpa, seventh year § princess of india
ateleia

His clarification was unnecessary. Her confidence in herself is much higher than the average teenager's, and having spent every minute of her existence until August 2047 shaping herself into the perfect person for India, she knows she will be well-suited for her title. Therefore, her assumption was that she was excluded from his original statement. Still, she smiles slightly at the recognition. "Some have been," she confirms with a nod. "Informing them of my interest in someone else did not suffice. It is not embarrassing to admit that romance is not an option for me given my title, but the leverage that not disclosing this has given me is immense and potentially worth the failure to be totally transparent." If someone recognizes that total transparency is not a positive, it's her. Secrets are important, and calculating what information you give and what secrets you refuse to disclose is what exercises her strategic mind. "I will not have my issues resolved at the hand's of a boy though. Hopefully, you understand how that could be perceived, and the last image I want for myself is to be the woman demanding the protection of a man." Her words sound rehearsed, but she has repeated them to her mentors time and time again. Relying on men was never an option. It was never something she was conditioned for and she has no concept of damsel in distress. It was not until watching a Muggle movie that she recognized that women are for whatever reason meant to be saved. "However, while your protection might not be necessary, there has been thought put into a solution to this issue— one which this nondisclosure will benefit me." Her shoulders shift as if she is shutting down from her more structured state, but not completely as she breathes in and it becomes apparent that she has decided against it. Her shoulders stiffen again, chin tilting forward slightly as she eyes him. "Winter, this solution involves us courting each other or at least pretending to. All terms have been written here for your reading and future reference unless you reject this suggestion. In that instance, these will be returned to my possession and promptly destroyed." Her hands pass over the parchment. "I have more to tell you, but I would prefer to wait for your interest. How would you feel about this?"

Winter Knox

caulerpa, seventh year
paintedred

Winter listens to her, not wanting to interrupt, of course, but as she continues talking he grows more and more curious about what his role in helping her will be. He had assumed that she wanted him to talk to some of these people who are giving her a hard time. While he does not think that Darshini needs him to speak to anyone on her behalf or 'defend' her in such a manner, that was the most obvious request she could have made and truthfully hearing her proposal, Winter has no clue how he could have guessed that she would come up with such a solution. He takes the parchment from her and skims it, flipping through the pages quickly and upon noting that it's three pages long (and in fine print too), he smiles and feels something in his chest flutter. It should be very obvious what organ is responding to this in such a way but he refuses to acknowledge it, instead focusing on the first few words on the parchment. He considers her proposal. Firstly, he would have no problem with people believing that he is dating Darshini, so that is definitely not an issue. At present, there is nobody that who he would want to be under the impression that he is *not* dating Darshini seeing as he isn't interested in dating anybody else. He could certainly benefit from it as well; perhaps his friends will stop trying to set him up with other students in their year. His friends would like Darshini, Winter is very sure of that. Kitt already adores her. His other friends are a bit more intense and harder to impress, but Darshini is *very* impressive anyway. Doing this would be a service to a friend he has grown to care about, and it is obvious that she has thought this through and that there will be boundaries established as per the agreement he is holding. "I would be willing to." he says finally. He doesn't think that Darshini needs to hear all his reasoning behind this. That would only waste time, which is counterproductive. "I'll have to go over the rest of this – " He holds up the parchment. " – later, but at the moment I can't foresee any reason not to." If she would let him, he would read it on the spot so that he can give her a final answer, but that may take too long and he wants to be able to go over it carefully. "What else is there that you would like to tell me?"

Darshini of Bhārat

caulerpa, seventh year § princess of india
ateleia

Her gaze lingers on him carefully, telling herself that she is assessing his reaction as his own eyes float across the contract except she's stuck on admiring his expression. He's *smiling*, which only serves to highlight how beautiful of a person he is. Silently, she comments to herself on how coincidentally the most intelligent choice for this agreement would be the person she found most attractive. "My suggestion is that you thoroughly review the terms now. Waiting is not a bore to me. Answering your questions is a priority." Answering his questions ensures coming to a precise conclusion on how this arrangement between them will function, or at least that is always the dream. Winter is not someone she believes she would have to babysit this matter with though, fortunately. "However, it is my intention to reassure you that this decision was not made lightly. My coming to you was not exclusively out of convenience, but was based on a multitude of factors. My choice affects the reputation that was carefully crafted by eighty-seven generations before me. So, Winter, it must be known that choosing you implies you are the pinnacle of my expectations for my partner, who will perform as my companion throughout my future reign. Fully consider the implications of this decision, but do not feel pressured to obey because of them." Her admiration for Winter is immense. Finding him was one of the reasons transferring to Hogwarts was such a stellar (as Kitt puts it) idea, but she had never comprehended just how stellar this truly is. "For clarification, there will be no such expectation of you to become Maharaja, but that will be the picture seen of you until the agreement's termination on June 28th, 2048. As stated per the agreement, a premature termination may occur upon your request, but it will decidedly cease in June following graduation and my return home." Darshini recognizes then that allowing him the opportunity to thoroughly inspect the contract would be best, so she glances down at it. "Go ahead! I will wait."

Winter Knox

caulerpa, seventh year
paintedred

He listens to this, fully focusing on her and not attempting to read the contract ahead of time. It would be best to be able to pay full attention when both listening to her and reading the agreement, seeing as she's put so much thought into this and he wouldn't want her to believe that he is not recognizing that effort. It flatters him to know that he is apparently the 'pinnacle' of what she has expected in a partner. It's ironic considering the only person anyone could ask would make the argument that he was not a very good boyfriend to her, but similarly Winter would argue that's an unfair judgment clouded by her competitiveness. The idea that he might soon be thrust into the spotlight as a princess' boyfriend is actually quite daunting, but it would be for Darshini and there really is nothing wrong with it apart from increased attention from others. He researched on the Indian magical monarchy after the Halloween Party and found nothing especially problematic that he would have wanted to distance himself from. Should he discover anything of that sort, he is certain he will be able to discuss it with Darshini and should their views clash too harshly, then she did say that they could always terminate the agreement upon his request. He had no plans on dating in their final year at Hogwarts, preferring to instead focus on NEWTs and debate team, so this would be a nice way to get out of being forced by his friends to consider anything romantic. He realizes this means that Darshini would likely be his date to the Boo Ball, which is fine considering he was likely going to ask her anyway to avoid having to third wheel Sterling and Imogen, but of course also because he doesn't know anybody else whose company would be as pleasant. "I'll read it now then, thank you." he says. It's awkward just standing here, so he paces slowly as he scans through the pages carefully. "How frequently would I need to accompany you to royal events?" he asks as he reaches a section about being her date to events when necessary. "My understanding is that you don't typically attend these kinds of functions. Or would you be doing that more often this year?"

Darshini of Bhārat

caulerpa, seventh year § princess of india
ateleia

His pacing is enough to tell her that she shouldn't monitor his behavior too closely, turning around to stare through the foggy glass once more. While watching an onslaught of students running inside, she recites the contract to herself and tries to imagine which section he is on, but is then interrupted by his questioning and turns to face him again. "My father has passed and is no longer limiting my activities." Saying that her activities were *limited* is a stretch considering how much she was expected to do. If anything, she has rationalized that she would not have completed her duties without these restrictions. "His responsibilities are now mine, and my ability to fulfill these duties will not be restricted by the basis of my sex as they were for seventeen years. However, since the nature of these functions are foreign to me, it would be of some comfort to have a friend in attendance." As equally a teenager as her peers, she has often imagined the most overwhelming scenario while she is standing in the middle of an expansive room, isolated from the princes and princesses around her who have been friends forever. "Expectations are not that you abandon your own responsibilities to accompany me, but that you do so as you are available to. My first event is in Windsor before Christmas, which we can discuss more at a later date. If you must return to St. Vincent, that would be understandable." Pausing, she merely captures her breath before continuing. "Prince Romanov has offered to accompany me on that particular occasion, so you should not feel pressured to." Knowing how terrible the Russian empresses are, she has trouble contemplating an association to the House of Romanov. If only she could find Sadbhb more tolerable...

Winter Knox

caulerpa, seventh year
paintedred

Reaching a section about handholding, Winter's face turns warm though it does elicit a small smile from him that Darshini would think to include even this in the contract. He wonders, then, what other 'couple activities' will be outlined; he still has a page to go, but he doesn't think he'd be able to survive reading about anything more than handholding especially in front of Darshini. "I don't need to return to St. Vincent immediately, though. My father stays in the UK and doesn't normally come home until the 23rd. I could always stay with him, but you're right that this is better discussed at a later date." Autumn will be fine with him staying behind. They have friends in Kingstown and are old enough to be on their own. They would only really complain if Winter missed Christmas, which he has no plans on doing even Darshini does have some sort of agenda for Christmas Day. He doubts it though. "Unless you would prefer to take Kesha, then that's fine too. I wasn't aware the two of you were friends." Kesha *is* very friendly though, Winter supposes, just... a bit of an airhead, maybe, but he's kind. "I'd like to be able to be there for you, though. As a friend." The distinction seems important for some reason. "The mandatory date mentioned here is apart from our usual hangouts? Or do those not seem romantic enough? I don't mind either way." he clarifies. Realizing he doesn't know what Darshini's bar for romance is, he continues with, "Have you ever been in a relationship before, by the way?"

Darshini of Bhārat

caulerpa, seventh year § princess of india
ateleia

Darshini is pleased to hear that he could potentially attend the gala with her. The Windsors are not necessarily her favorite family, but she was invited and she is attempting to bridge the space between the two families. Her father was very anti-British, and she understands why completely. Just thinking about it for long enough will garner the question of whether or not she would be disappointing him or if he would understand that this is for the best and would be proud of her for pushing through the previous conflicts. This is all the more reason for why she would want a friend to be in attendance with her in combination with the fact that it will be the first non-Indian event she has attended. So, she smiles slightly at the confirmation that he might come and gives a little nod to recognize that they will indeed discuss it more later. "You would technically be there for me as a date, but I understand your point and appreciate it. Thank you," she says softly. Darshini considers correcting him, replaying through her head whether or not Valya insisted that his royal status was a secret. She remembers quickly that Valya himself admitted it would be easy to come to the conclusion independently. He insisted there was no attempt at hiding it, but instead didn't see a point in creating a fuss over it how others do. Darshini remembers thinking about whether or not she is making a fuss over it, and then she quickly remembers why they're here and gets embarrassed. "I'm not, but I would consider Valya a friend certainly. I would still prefer to be with the one I'm closest to, which would have to be you." Admitting that one of them is a second choice does not bother her because it's the truth and she knows that the other would just laugh it off anyways. Especially following the revelation that she's dating Winter, choosing him would be the most obvious decision and could not possibly be misconstrued as offensive in nature; she's very certain. "I thought that those were wholly platonic activities, or else we would certainly have fallen into a situation by now where our feelings are more romantic. To answer your question, there was a short period of time in which my parents had be write to the son of one of the smaller yet prestigious families in India. It was many years ago, and we could never meet considering the law dictated I could not leave nor be seen." It's not depressing for her to discuss this, and she has no desire to erase this part of history and do it over again with more freedom. Darshini would not be the person she is today, who she loves plenty and enough, without that time spent by herself or surrounded by the oldest wizards possible. "My fear is that returning to India will mean returning to a more structured form of courtship, and that I will not have the opportunity to date in the way most do. I thought experiencing going on dates with someone would be interesting– to do activities teenagers do." She pauses, tilting her chin forward instead of letting her head roll down in shame. "If you are uncomfortable with this, then we can alter the contract to properly reflect what we will both be comfortable with."

Winter Knox

caulerpa, seventh year
paintedred

Somehow, having the revelation that Valya is apparently Russian royalty does not faze him but then again most things do not. A lot of the other members of the Russian royal family seem to be in the UK for whatever reason, so it's not surprising. "I see." he says. Having been able to spend a lot of time with Darshini since they became Charms partners and hearing more and more details of her life, Winter is becoming increasingly more grateful that she was given the opportunity to attend Hogwarts because he cannot imagine having to spend the entirety of teenage life in such a structured and rigid way. She does not seem to have angst over this, which is good, and she is actually far more well-adjusted than a number of their classmates who had what would be considered more standard upbringings, but it's still a bit unfortunate that she seemingly has just this one year to experience everything before going back to the way things were. "And yes, the time we've spent together so far *has* been wholly platonic." He feels the urge to clarify this because he does not want her to get the wrong idea. For starters, Winter enjoys spending time with Darshini as a friend and definitely does not believe he has any ulterior motive in hanging out with her. Secondly, the fact he does not possess any romantic feelings for her seems to have been something that brought her great relief – he would not want to ruin that. "I just clarified because actual dates don't differ by much, I think, especially if you remove the more... romantic aspects of it. Since it'd be *fake* dating." Winter has been in one relationship and two of his best friends have been in a relationship for quite some time. If you take away all the affectionate, romantic parts (which obviously he and Darshini will not be doing... right?) then it's truly just like having a best friend, he thinks. "But I'd be glad to take you on a date." he clarifies, already trying to think of something. They should probably start with something small and typical especially since he understands now that this is in part because she wants to experience the 'activities other teenagers do'. "It would be fun. I enjoy spending time with you and this is more time with you."

Darshini of Bhārat

caulerpa, seventh year § princess of india
ateleia

Quite frankly, she wouldn't know how to adequately define *angst*, and she would have an issue with herself if she really expressed any sort of turmoil over her predicament anyways. With her immense privilege, she believes she shouldn't have much to fret over though she can recognize quite realistically that that doesn't necessarily waive the isolation or the lost childhood. Still, the overwhelming urge to not blame her parents has forced her to move on from any sort of 'angst' rather quickly. Her feelings on the matter aren't pressing enough to be unearthed. "It would be," she affirms with a modest nod. Obviously, the feelings will be fictional, and she doesn't see the point in continuing to acknowledge that. Hopefully, it wouldn't continue much after this conversation. After all, Darshini has started to love Winter in a platonic sense, so the feelings are not entirely empty and baseless. It would be a little disappointing to be continuously reminded that this love is entirely fictional. "I didn't know that dates were not very different from what we have done in the past. My expectations might be too high then, but alas you always have the right to correct me." It's important she clarifies that. It's her belief that she doesn't need to be corrected often, but she should allow room for correction if needed. At worst, any meaningless corrections can be dismissed fairly easily. "Spending time with you has always been pleasant. It was certainly an element that attracted me to you— among others." A small smile forms on her face, and she doesn't recognize how flirtatious her expression might come across. "If it would be of any interest to you, we can have a more intimate, in-depth discussion regarding my reasons for coming to you. Someday." Her eyes flicker down to the contract agreement before facing Winter again. "Do you have anymore questions?"

Winter Knox

caulerpa, seventh year
paintedred

"Similarly, if you feel that I'm not meeting your expectations than you can tell me and I can do better." Winter is well-aware that there are many people out there who tend to take their signifcant others on the most extravagant of dates, but to make such a spectacle every single time is unrealistic especially when you don't have the resources to do so. Nonetheless, he will try, definitely, to make this enjoyable for Darshini. At her question, he scans the agreement one last time from the first page to the last before shaking his head. He gets a pen out of his pocket and holds the contract up against a wall to use it as a flat surface before affixing his signature. Everything sounds perfectly reasonable anyway, and he would be happy to do this for a friend and especially one that he has grown to care for as much as he has Darshini. He hands the paper back to her, and smiles slightly so that she can be reassured that she did not pressure him into this. After she takes it from him and places it back inside her satchel, he holds out his hand to her for her to take. There are so many gossips in Hogwarts, surely someone will see them and then it'll catch like wildfire especially given the number of students interested in Darshini. "Shall we, then?" he asks, walking towards the door. Glancing once more towards Darshini, he smiles a little bit but that's mostly in a successful attempt to stifle a chuckle from imagining the reaction of his family and friends when he tells them that he's dating a *princess*. Definitely, they'll all have a field day when they find out.