Violet noticed how Claudine's gaze initially strayed over to Bernadette Grantham--who was actually partnering up with Nemesis Upstead, for Merlin's sake!!! Had she been Claudine's friend or something? If so, that would explain the look of disappointment--or was it disapproval--Violet thought she saw for a minute in the other girl's eyes.

And then she was talking, thankfully--Violet had been afraid for a minute that her overtures had been rejected. Violet jotted down notes as Claudine talked, as much for the pleasure of having quill, ink, and parchment to write with as anything else. Animals, that was interesting, Violet wouldn't have thought of that. And she had helped Williamson--so she knew the professor pretty well, then. And wasn't scared of creatures, apparently. The being alone part Violet had already figured out.

And suddenly--quicker than she'd anticipated--it was Violet's turn to answer. Her routine? Did she even have one anymore? She could hardly remember what real life had been like. "Um...well, I guess I like to be alone a lot, too. Or rather, I'm used to it--I don't have brothers or sisters and I live alone with my grandfather and three uncles, and my governess--well, I don't have her anymore. I think I'd like to have more friends, but I don't really know how to be around people very well." And this was supposed to be the year Violet was going to really try to make friends and be a normal person. Didn't look like that was going to happen any time soon, though.

"Likes--well, I love to write. Just sketches and descriptions and observations now, but I want to try writing stories eventually. I keep---er, I mean, I used to keep, a journal where I wrote down what I saw and what I thought about everything. But I don't have it anymore." Because you burned it, because you were afraid of getting into trouble. And you got in trouble anyway, for nothing, so you might as well have kept it, Violet. "So I also love reading, all kinds of things. I really like brewing potions--my governess showed me how to do a lot of potions before I even came to school." Violet thought for a moment, wondering how much to reveal. "I kind of like having a routine, keeping things orderly and under control. Not rigid, you know, but it's just--the fewer minor things you have to worry about, the more you can concentrate on what's really important to you." Violet took a deep breath--she hadn't talked so much all year, and had never talked that much about herself. ".And I hate getting up early in the morning!" she finished with a bit of a laugh.