|
12:22am Aug 17 2014
|
Normal User
Posts: 6,296
|
((Will write up my post in the morning <3 Hope the ti
tle is okay?))
|
|
12:13pm Aug 17 2014
|
Normal User
Posts: 911
|
ooc; I love the ti
tle! I'll start working on my post soon.
|
|
4:37pm Aug 18 2014 (last edited on 4:38pm Aug 18 2014)
|
Normal User
Posts: 911
|
The first year is always the hardest. Lily shook her head, her siblings had been telling her stories about their first year all summer and she couldn't help but be a little nervous. She wanted to start at Hogwarts, but at the same time she was scared of what was going to come. "I need to find platform 9 3/4," she told herself quietly, she had just entered the station. Lillian's parents dropped her off and left, assuming that she could find the platform on her own. She walked up to a young woman and her son, "Excuse me, I'm sorry, but do you know where platform 9 3/4 is?" Lily was unaware that muggles didn't know about the platform. The woman gave her a confused look and quickly ushered her young child away from Lily. "Hey, wait!" Lily called after them, but the woman kept walking. The young girl sighed, if her siblings were here to help her it would've been easier for her to find the platform but they were off somewhere meeting up with their friends. She looked down at Apollo, who was quietly sitting in his cage, "This is hopeless, we're never going to find it."
Grayson had been waiting for this day for a long time. He had just arrived at King's Cross station and was excited to finally being one step closer to Hogwarts. He'd been looking forward to this day for months, ever since he received his acceptance letter. "Bye mum, I'll be sure to write," he gave his mother a soft kiss on her cheek before making his way towards the platform. She waved and watched her son walked through the station.
Lily looked up, she saw a boy about her age with shaggy brown hair pushing just about the same amount of luggage that she was pushing. She didn't think twice about going to ask for help, it was already 10:15 and she knew she was going to be unable to get to Hogwarts if she missed the train. "Hey, hey you!" she called out, Grayson turned around. He eyed Lily, "Can I help you?" he asked, cautiously. "Um, I hope you don't think I'm crazy," Lily hesitated, she pictured the woman running off with her son, "do you know where platform 9 3/4 is?" she decided, even after what happened with the woman, that it couldn't hurt to ask. Grayson smiled, "Yeah, I think I can help you out, follow me." Lily gave a sigh of relief and returned to her luggage cart, pushing it towards Grayson. "Lead the way!" she smiled. The pair continued walking through the station, passing all of the different platforms. "Grayson," Grayson mumbled, quietly. "Excuse me?" Lily couldn't quite make out what he had said. "My name's Grayson," he spoke, more loudly and clearly. "Oh, I'm Lillian, but everyone just calls me Lily," Lily said, smiling at Grayson.
Moments later, they arrived between platforms nine and ten. "Here we are, Lily!" Grayson exclaimed, looking at the brick wall. "Wait so platform 9 3/4 is a... wall?" Lily's eyes widened, she had certainly not been expecting this. "Yep, I think we're just supposed to run through," he instructed, a little taken aback by the wall himself, "ladies first?" Grayson shot Lily a crooked smile. Lily rolled her eyes, "You're just scared," she took a deep breath, "here goes nothing!" Lily dashed toward the wall, half of her expecting just to crash, but she didn't, she went straight through. Moments later, Grayson followed, and the pair were officially on their way to the Hogwarts express.
Lily had never seen anything like it, "This is so cool!" she exclaimed, looking around. The station was full of all different students of all different ages. "Let's go drop off our luggage and get on the train!" Grayson suggested, making his way towards the luggage taker. Lily followed, grabbing Apollo's cage off of the trolley, she definitely wanted to take him aboard. They both dropped their luggage off and made their way aboard the train. "Want to sit together?" Grayson asked, hoping Lily would say yes. "Yes please!" she agreed, grinning. They both made their way into a cabin that just happened to be empty. "Perfect," Lily stated, filing into the cabin. She put Apollo's cage on the seat and sat down to the left of it, next to the window. Grayson followed her in, placing Leo's cage on the seat and sitting on the opposite side of Lily, away from the window. The pair patiently awaited for the train to leave the station, eager to start their Hogwarts career.
|
|
7:17pm Aug 18 2014 (last edited on 8:30pm Aug 18 2014)
|
Normal User
Posts: 6,296
|
(Edited by Staff: Hopefully this reformatting works. :p)
8:35 PM , August 31st, 0000 : Westgard estate
Gull reread the Hogwarts packing list for the eighth time that day, sitting on her wooden framed bed and fingering the blackthorn wand that had recently claimed her. "I'm sure I have everything," she muttered, Scandinavian roots showing through her light accent. Gazing at her trunk, which was positively bursting with items of all sorts, she counted off the list, ending with 'an owl OR a cat OR a toad.' She turned to look at the cage which held her newly purchased eagle owl, Kirkland and grinned. She'd always wanted an owl, but never saved up enough money, being an impulsive buyer. However, since she was going to Hogwarts, her mother thought it prudent for her to have her own pet. Gull scratched Kirk underneath the chin, making him hoot in pleasure and rub up against her hand. Three knocking sounds came from the door of her her room. Owner and pets' heads turned in unison, one hooting, the other shouting, "come in!"
Her mother appeared, popping her head around the door and smiling before walking fully into the room, holding something behind her back. Gull immediately caught on, standing up, eyes shining with curiosity. "Gull, dear," her mother said, stepping closer, "tomorrow you go to Hogwarts for your very first year. I remember my first year; awfully exciting, isn't it? I remember when I got Sorted, into the Ravenclaw house, of all things! The-""What's behind your back?" Gull asked abruptly, not one for beating around the bush.Her mother smiled. "I knew you'd be like that. You've always been an awfully impatient girl!"
"Not impatient, just time-managing," Gull retorted, "now what is it?"
Her mother slowly took her hands from behind her back, holding a lumpy, plaid pile of fabric. "Take it," her mother encouraged, "I hope it fits."Gull unfolded the package carefully, soft fabric unraveling to reveal a red and green plaid wizard's dress robes, with the Westgard coat-of-arms on the breast pocket."It's been handed down the line of women in our family for generations," her mother explained, eyes glimmering, "I thought it was time to give it to you. You don't have to pack it in your things, I expect you'd be wearing the uniform most of the time anyway."
"Thank you, mom!" Gull exclaimed, giving her mother a strong hug. Pulling away slightly, she asked, "though why didn't you give it to Merin for her first year?"
The mention of her eldest sister made her mother smile before replying."Well, I was going to give it to her as a graduation present, but in those 7 years, a few more children came into play, and I thought I'd give it to the youngest instead."
Gull grinned, hugging her again. "Thank you. Now I'm going to bed, got an early start tomorrow!"
00:00 AM, September 1st, 0000 : Platform 9 3/4
Gull walked quickly through the Platform 9 3/4 entrance, not phased by the magic at all. Her family, all 46 of them, had waved her off at the Muggle station, not wanting to cause a bother on what would already be a busy platform. They weren't kidding. Parents and teens were everywhere, shoving luggage into compartments, yelling goodbyes, getting on and off the train. Gull straightened, tightening her grip on the owl cage underneath her arm. Pushing through the crowd, she managed to get her luggage onto the train, keeping her owl for company.
Once she was on the train, Gull relaxed, no longer being jostled around by people. Sitting in the closest compartment, Gull began counting the pocket money her mother had given her before noticing there were already two people in the compartment. she stared at them for a moment before speaking.
"Hello," she said, before going back to her counting. I'm not moving if they ask me to, Gull thought, it's rude to judge someone they've just met.
Kirkland hooted, jumping out of his cage and into Gull's lap. Gull let out an annoyed shout, dropping her coins, startled. Pushing Kirkland back into his cage, she set about collecting all of her money, crawling on the floor and peering under the seats. Once she had collected all of them, she let out a huff and glared at her pet, who gazed back with innocent, doleful eyes. Gull let out a sigh before smiling and tickling the clumsy owl underneath the chin."I'm Gull," she said, crossing her legs and smiling, "it's really pronounced Gull, but Gull sounds a bit better, doesn't it?" the first 'Gull' she pronounced 'Gool' and the second 'Guhl'. Out of habit, she ran her fingers through her short dark hair, shaping her bangs.
Before either of them replied (it seemed like a one-sided conversation anyway) another person entered the compartment, dropping a heavy ob
ject on the seat next to Gull, almost crushing her hand. "Watch it!" she said, glaring at the boy. Her dislike for him increased as she scanned his appearance. He was lazily dressed in the school robes, tie loose around his next. Although he was Asian, Japanese, Gull guessed, he had orange hair. Isn't that a weird street-kid fashion thing in Asia? She thought, ready to punch him as he didn't speak. It was better if he hadn't.
"Watch what?" the boy asked, looking genuinely confused as he sat down. Gull closed her eyes for a moment, maybe he has brain damage or something, she thought, I shouldn't punch him just yet.
"Don't be a smart-ass," Gull warned, fighting to keep her voice calm, hands balling into fists. What the boy said next would have caused her to strangle him, if she hadn't seen a curious glint from the cage that had almost crippled her.
------
00:00 AM, September 1st, 0000 : Platform 9 3/4
"Bye, darling!" Will's mother cried from the platform as he got on the train, "be safe!"
Will nodded, straight faced, before turning around and walking into the train, rolling his eyes. She was a brilliant woman when it came to potion-making, but had next to no parenting skills, treating him like a baby and fawning over him and such, even when he told her not to. It wasn't that he didn't love his mother, far from it, but he looked forward to Hogwarts for the reason that he would be away from his family for a while.
Blowing his orange hair out of his face, he entered the closest compartment, mostly because Perin weighed a ton. Perin was a jeweled tortoise after all, at least 2 and a half feet long, gold with jewels (as the name suggests) protruding out of his shell. The thing had been insanely expensive, but as soon as Will had soon it in the shop in Diagon Alley, he had been in love, stopping in front of Magical Menagerie to gaze at him every time they passed it. He had finally decided to use his saved up allowance to buy it.
The cage thudded down on the seat, almost crushing a girl's hand. "Watch it," the girl threatened, glaring at him.
Will looked curiously around the room. "Watch what?" he asked, sitting down with a confused look on his face, as if he were missing something.
The girl's eyes widened. "Don't be a smart-ass," she warned, hands tightening into fists.
"I've never been called smart before, thanks." Will pushed a treat through the bars of Perin's cage, smiling as the tortoise took it gently and chewed.
The girl looked about to smash Will's face in the ground, but paused a moment to peer into Perin's cage. "What's that?" she asked, poking a finger at the cage.
"He's a tortoise, and his name is Perin," Will explained, opening the cage door. Perin looked around before slowly crawling on to Will's lap. Will fed him another treat before looking up at the other two people in the compartment. The boy looked boring, and was evidently a liar from what Will could tell. The girl seemed interesting. He leaned forward, looking at her long straight locks. "Can I touch your hair?" He asked suddenly, curiously straight faced but for his dark eyes, which seemed to convey many emotions at once.
 |
|
9:26pm Aug 18 2014
|
Normal User
Posts: 911
|
"Excuse me? No, you can't touch my hair," Lily retorted, narrowing her large blue eyes, "I don't even know your name, let alone where your hands have been, bud," she added, a sharp tone in her voice. She flipped her long, blonde hair and ran her delicate fingers through it. If there's one thing she was most proud of, it was her hair. For years, her mother begged her to cut her hair, but every time Lily refused. She looked at Will, eyes still narrowed, Hmph, Asian and orange hair, you don't see that everyday... Lily thought to herself, shrugging ever so slightly. She usually kept up with fashion trends, but had never seen this "trend" before. He seems annoying, she thought again, but I may as well be nice.
She turned her attention to the girl in the cabin, Gull. The girl looked tough and sure of herself, two qualities Lily liked in people. Lily looked at Gull's owl, "you've got a beautiful bird," she pointed out, pulling out a treat and offering it to Kirkland, "there you go," she cooed, smiling at the bird. "Oh, pardon me! Where are my manners? My name is Lily," Lily stuck out her hand, giving Gull a quick smile. She was relieved that she would have people to talk to on the train ride to Hogwarts, Lily always liked the presence of others.
Grayson was fixated on the turtle in the cage, "Man," Grayson looked at Will, studying his appearance, "are you even allowed to have these things at Hogwarts?" he pondered, from what Grayson knew he was only allowed a cat, owl, or toad. "I would have gotten one if I knew they were permitted! My mum made me get this cat instead," he frowned, looking down at the large Maine Coon in the cage next to him. Grayson liked cats, but if there's one thing he loved it was turtles, lizards, almost any reptile except toads, which weren't even considered reptiles anyway. "I'm Grayson, by the way, what's your name?" he didn't both sticking his hand out, Grayson was never really big on handshakes.
|
|
1:03am Aug 19 2014 (last edited on 8:22pm Aug 19 2014)
|
Normal User
Posts: 6,296
|
"I'm sorry, was it rude to ask?" Will asked, leaning back into his seat, looking not in the least off-put. He lifted his hands to his face, examining them, just in case they were dirty. They seemed pretty clean, or at least their wasn't any visible dirt on them. Although his clothes said otherwise, Will was serious about personal hygiene, taking showers every day, especially washing his hair. His hands were often called girly because of the delicate, long-fingered look of them. Did I offend her? He thought suddenly as the long-haired girl began talking to the other girl, dropping his hands down to pet his tortoise's head, I was polite, was I not? Her voice was so sharp. "Will, by the way, it's Will," he said, feeling the need to introduce himself even though Lily, as Will had heard, was talking. He looked down and traced his fingers around the edges of a large ruby on Perin's shell.
"Man," Will looked up suddenly, blowing the hair out of his face. The guy was talking to him. About his tortoise! Will's face lit up, his posture changed. When the topic of conversation was about anything he liked, he turned into a very animated, energetic person, unlike his usual pensive self.
"Will, it's Will," Will said for the second time, speech rapid, "and they're not exactly allowed. But, I really really wanted to bring him, he's my best friend you see, so my aunt- well she's not my aunt but I call her my aunt- whipped up this really cool potion that turns him into a toad! His name's Perin, by the way. And I have another potion that turns him back, want to see?" He whipped out the potions from Perin's cage before Grayson could speak, one bright green, the other blue, and set them down before picking up the blue one again and letting one drop land on Perin's head. A noise rose from Perin like a steaming kettle before he shrank, turning into an ordinary Arroyo toad. Will poured a drop of the green onto Perin's head, the creature this time emitting a sound akin to a foghorn before expanding, turning back into a tortoise.
"Cats are fine though, and that one's very beautiful. Please don't tell, Grayson," Will said, stuffing the potions back into the cage and putting one hand on Perin protectively, the spark of energy in his eyes abruptly replaced with the strange intelligent sheen that was in them before his sudden burst of enthusiasm.
------
"Hello," Gull grinned, immediately liking Lily. Any person that liked animals and animals liked them back were okay in her books. Taking the offered hand and giving it one firm shake, "I think he thinks he's beautiful too, the way he behaves." Kirkland let out a demure hoot in reply, preening his breast regally. Giving him a treat, Gull turned back to Lily. "Do you watch Quidditch?" she asked excitedly, being very passionate about sports, "I always cheer for Scandinavia in the QWC, though their players are miserable, especially Scannfjord. I'd love to play professional quidditch, though I'm honestly rubbish at it. Horrible at steering. Once I crashed my brother's broom right into a tree and I couldn't get down. I was stuck there for an hour before they found me. My mum was more worried about the broom than me, can you believe it!" Gull grinned, tapping her wand against the seat.
|
|
2:37am Aug 19 2014
|
Normal User
Posts: 911
|
"That's awesome, you can count on me to keep your secret!" Grayson exclaimed, grinning at Will. He gave the turtle a pat, "You're really cool," he mumbled, very quietly. "Are you sure you have enough potions to last the whole year?" Grayson inquired, wondering what would happen if the school found out about Will's "magic trick." He didn't think the consequences would be too bad, after all, Perin seemed harmless. "Your aunt seems like a swell lady for whipping up those potions, I wish I could do that," Grayson confessed, feeling slightly jealous of the skilled potion maker. His father had been a powerful wizard and his mother expected him to become the same, but Grayson was truly interested in potions, all types of potions. When his mother was away, he would read all about different potions and how to create them.
"Yeah," Grayson stated, "Leo's a good cat, but he's no turtle," the large Maine Coon meowed at the mention of his name. "He's very smart, he just doesn't compare, " Grayson admitted, looking down at his cat. "Did your aunt teach you how to make those potions?" he asked, his eyes lighting up at the idea of actually being able to craft a real potion.
-
"England, I always cheer for England," Lily's eyes lit up, not only did she have company, but she had company that loved Quidditch as much as she did! "My family is from England, so I've got a bit of an obligation," she admitted. One of Lily's favorite things to do with her family is attend Quidditch matches, it was something they are all passionate about. "They haven't been doing too well, unfortunately, but I do always hope they'll get better."
"As for playing, don't even get me started," Lily smiled, her eyes still lit up, "it's sort of a family tradition to attend Hogwarts and play Quidditch, my family has been doing it for decades," she explained, her voice very passionate, "My sister is one of the keepers and my brother used to play as a chaser before well," Lily hesitated, she had only just met this girl, after all, "before the accident, he messed up his shoulder," she concluded, not wanting to go into full detail. If Gull asked, she might shed a little bit of light on the incident, but not too much. The accident was a day she hated remembering, she was only a little girl, but she still remembers the day vividly. "As for me, I'm pretty good at steering, I haven't ended up in any trees... yet," Lily laughed, she was beginning to warm up to Gull, the girls had a lot in common.
"Are you going to try out for whichever house you get selected for?" Lily questioned, curious to hear Gull's answer, "it could be fun!" she exclaimed, grinning. She couldn't wait to try out, her sister had taught her a lot about Hogwarts Quidditch and she was confident she could make the team if she worked hard enough.
|
|
8:20pm Aug 19 2014 (last edited on 8:22pm Aug 19 2014)
|
Normal User
Posts: 6,296
|
"England's got a good keeper though," Gull pointed out, leaning forward and grinning, "she's been keeping them on their legs with some spectacular saves!" From what Gull could tell, she'd hit the right topic; they were becoming friends quite quickly.
Gull started when she heard mention of Lily's brother. She thought she vaguely knew the person she was talking about, if it was the same person. Her sister had been on the same team as a chaser that had injured himself badly, though Gull couldn't recall the details.
Gull laughed as Lily mentioned trying out for her house. "No way," she said, shaking her head, "I told you, I'm terrible. Plus, first years are rarely ever chosen! It's been decades since any house had a first year player." Suddenly worrying Lily would feel discouraged, she countered her words, "not that I won't cheer you on when you try! And anyway, you come from a quidditch family, yeah? You're probably better than you're letting on."
The door of the compartment opened suddenly, revealing a portly lady with a cart full of treats. "Anything from the trolley?" she asked kindly, smiling.
I wonder how people get a job as the Hogwarts candy seller, Gull mused as she forked out several sickles in exchange for Chocolate Frogs and a bottle of Peachtree Fizzing Tea. She turned to everyone in the compartment, holding out a handful of change. "Want anything?" she asked, "I don't mind; I'll pay."
------
"Those two bottles are plenty, it just takes a drop," Will explained, blinking, "and my aunt could send me more, it's technically not a contraband substance. She says it's easy to make, but I've read the recipe and it's ridiculously hard. My mom says I just don't have the talent for potions the rest of my family has." There was tiny bit of disappointment in his voice; he felt very average compared to the rest of his family, with no visible talent.
Will turned as the trolley lady opened the compartment door. "Bertie Bott's Beans, please," he said mildly, handing over the money before Gull could speak. Taking the Beans, he gazed curiously into the bag before picking out a blue one. Placing it in his mouth, he sighed as he tasted soap, but didn't grimace or spit it out.
"Are you going to get anything?" Will asked Grayson after swallowing the bean, taking another out of the package and inspecting it closely.
"Want anything?" The girl across from Lily asked, causing Will to look up, "I don't mind; I'll pay."
She had an accent. Will liked people with accents, it gave character to their voice, though to him it seemed that it was harder to tell if they were lying for some reason. He found his eyes slide over to Lily again, before he looked away.
|
|
11:40pm Aug 19 2014
|
Normal User
Posts: 911
|
"Yeah, it's kind of a weird family tradition," Lily explained, laughing slightly at the thought of her family, "I'll see about the team," she muttered, quietly. The truth was, none of her siblings had made the team as first years, but she was determined to. She'd been practicing for years, she dreamed of becoming a seeker, like her mother, and the first of her siblings to make the team first year.
Lily looked over at the woman with the cart and gave her a small smile, "I'd like a Caldron Cake, please." For years, her siblings had been bringing her Cauldron Cakes after a completed year at Hogwarts, Lily had grown to love them and was now excited she could finally get one on her own. "Thanks, Gull, I'll get you next time," she said, Lily was beginning to warm up to Gull and was considering her the first friend she's made so far at Hogwarts.
She looked over at Will, feeling guilty for how she had treated him earlier. She smiled at him, "I'm sorry for how I acted earlier, no one has ever asked to touch my hair before, it was a strange question to ask," she admitted, her British accent very apparent. Lily did feel bad for how she treated will, she knew she shouldn't be so quick to snap on people, her parents had taught her better than that.
-
"Well, Will, now's the time to learn!" Grayson exclaimed, "you can prove to your mum that you do have the talent," he gave his new friend a smile.
He looked at the woman selling the treats, She seems like a sweet lady, he thought to himself. "I'd like some Bertie Bott's beans, some pumpkin pastries, some jelly slugs, and some chocolate frogs, please." He looked over at Gull, "Thanks for the offer, but I'll pay for myself," Grayson didn't want to have someone he just met pay for this many things or else he would feel a bit guilty. He quickly handed the woman the money. The saleswoman smiled and handed him his many treats.
"I heard these beans are crazy!" Grayson did not have a lot of experience in the wizarding world, his mother tried to protect him from it after his father passed away. He looked over at Will, who was inspecting his bean closely, "What flavor was the first one?" he asked, curiously, "you didn't sound too thrilled about it."
Grayson tore open his jelly slugs, eager to try the popular treat. As he put one into his mouth he realized what all the fuss was about, these were delicious! He gobbled down the rest of them quickly, not caring if he came off looking like a slob or not, this was the best candy he's ever had!
He looked at Gull, I guess I should introduce myself, she did offer to pay for my things, after all. He told himself. After swallowing the rest of his jelly slugs, he smiled at her, "Hi, I don't think we've been properly introduced, I'm Grayson."
|
|
12:15am Aug 20 2014
|
Normal User
Posts: 6,296
|
"Maybe," Will said, though he knew that his biggest fault was his general dislike of learning. His mother had tried to teach him how to brew potions, but the knowledge didn't quite stick. It was too boring, in Will's mind, to even bother trying to memorize.
"What flavour was the first one?" The topic of conversation moved on to the recently purchased candy.
"Soap," Will explained, putting the red bean he had been inspecting into his mouth. Cherry. A normal flavour, though not one of Will's favourites. He looked over at Grayson who was thoroughly enjoying his jelly slugs. One was halfway out the boy's mouth, dangling down his chin. The sight made Will grin, then laugh. He laughed very loudly, wiping tears from his eyes. He let out a cough before quietly returning to his inspection of the beans. "Sorry," he mumbled, face deadpan once again, "sometimes I do that."
He picked up another bean, this time green with lighter flecks in it, ready to put it into his mouth, before Lily said his name. He looked up and gazed at her openly, evaluating every word. "I understand," Will said, though he really didn't, "I apologize as well. It just looked very pretty." Will put the bean into his mouth, chewing slowly. Was it grass? Will couldn't quite place the somewhat unpleasant flavour. He offered the box to Lily. "Want one?" he asked, shaking the box lightly.
------
Gull payed for Lily's candy, grinning. "It's no problem," she said before looking at Grayson, silently asking if he would take her up on her offer.
"Thanks for the offer, but I'll pay for myself," he said before quickly handing the money over to the trolley lady. Gull was slightly dejected. He would probably feel guilty if he hadn't paid, she reason, we have just met. She bit the head off of her chocolate frog, careful not to bite the card inside.
Harry Potter, it read, listing several facts about the wizard's remarkable and heroic life. She gazed down at the photograph of a thin, bespectacled man with unruly black hair. He was a Gryffindor, huh, Gull thought, taking a bite out of the frog's still twitching leg, I wouldn't mind being in that house. The house of the brave, they call it...
She looked up at Grayson as he spoke to her, introducing himself. "Hello," she smiled brightly, "what house do you hope to be put in, if you don't mind my asking?" It was a rather generic first-year question; everyone was giddy about the Sorting, wondering if they were brave, like a Gryffindor, or smart, like a Ravenclaw, or ambitious, like a Slytherin, or loyal, like a Hufflepuff. Gull considered the last house. No one ever seems to want to be a Hufflepuff, she mused, they seem like a rather plain bunch. My cousin's in Hufflepuff, and she's a very boring person. But maybe that's just a stereotype.
|
|
12:36am Aug 20 2014
|
Normal User
Posts: 911
|
Grayson thought about the question Gull had just asked him. He had no idea what house he wanted to be in, he only knew a small amount about each one. He was very unfamiliar with Hogwarts as a whole, it took a lot of convincing to get his mother to even let him attend. "I think Gryffindor would be a pretty cool house to be apart of, what about you?" he asked, wondering what she would say. He knew he wasn't the brave type, but Grayson's father had been apart of Gryffindor, so he wondered if he would be sorted the same way.
"Do you have family at Hogwarts?" Sorry for all of the questions..." he added, wondering if his questions would annoy her. Grayson had family at Hogwarts, but he was not close with any of them. His mother did her best to keep him as far away from his father's family as possible. Grayson knew she was just trying to protect him, but he couldn't help but resent her a little bit. He did his best to learn about the school, but was still very unprepared for the upcoming school year.
-
Lily ran her fingers through her hair, "Thanks, Will, maybe one day I will let you touch it," she laughed, it had only been a simple misunderstanding. She took one of Will's jellybeans and examined it, Yellow, seems harmless enough. Lily didn't think twice about putting the jellybean in her mouth, but immediately regretted her decision once she bit into the candy. She gagged, quickly spitting out the foul tasting candy. "I think I got rotten egg," she whined, a disgusted look on her face, "I think I'll have to stay away from those things for awhile."
Why would any candy be rotten egg flavored? she asked herself, digging into her cake, hoping to get the flavor of the jellybean out of her mouth quickly. The taste of chocolate quickly cancelled out the taste of the candy, Lily gave a small sigh of relief. "Now that that's over with, tell me a little about yourself, Will," she gave him a smile, hoping to get off on a different foot than she initially did at the beginning of the train ride, "what house do you want to be placed in?"
|
|
1:00am Aug 20 2014
|
Normal User
Posts: 6,296
|
Gull nodded. "I would like to be in Gryffindor too. Maybe we'll be in the same house." Gull hoped they would be; then she would have a friend right away. She shook her head as Grayson apologized for so many questions. "I don't mind," she said, grinning, "I like talking." Inside, Gull winced. I sounded pretty full of myself there, she thought, regretful. She quickly launched herself into his next question.
"Oh yeah, I have tons," Gull said, perking up, "all older than me. I have a cousin and a brother in Ravenclaw, a niece in Slytherin, a cousin in Hufflepuff, an aunt in Gryffindor, and the Muggle Studies teacher is my brother-in-law, though I've only ever met him once at my sister's wedding, so I don't expect any special treatment." Gull looked at Grayson's face and laughed. "Yeah, I have a big family," she said, "sometimes it's hard to keep track! Almost all of us live in the same house, except my great-uncle Rupert, he's a Squib and doesn't much like wizards..." She sobered for a moment, playing with her wand. "What about you?" she asked, looking back up at Grayson.
------
Will watched Lily gag before looking into the box and frowning, as if berating it for giving her such a horrible flavour. He set the box down, not wanting to take his chances again.
"Houses.... I never really thought. Most of my family are Ravenclaws, though I'm sure that won't happen." He looked out the window, silent for a moment. "We're almost there," he said, pointing at a strange rock formation, "my mom said that that's a sign we should be at Hogwarts in five or ten minutes."
((Sorry for the short post, my mom is telling me to go to bed and I wanted to get one last post in :c ))
|
|
3:38am Aug 20 2014
|
Normal User
Posts: 911
|
Lily saw Will's facial ex pression change as he set the box down. "Hey, you know the whole rotten egg thing wasn't your fault, right? It could've happened to anyone, don't blame yourself," she assured, looking him in the eyes. This kid seems pretty sensitive, she thought, her gaze still focused on Will. "Better me than you, right?" she joked, trying to lighten the mood.
"Ravenclaw is a cool house, my sister has friends that were sorted there and they're all so... intelligent," she stated, curious about how she would get sorted. Lily didn't really know where she fit in terms of sorting, was she brave? Cunning? Patient? She knew she was smart, but she never considered it one of her defining characteristics. "I don't know where I'll sort," Lily admitted, an unsure tone in her voice, "but I'll have to see once we arrive!" she added, excited to finally arrive.
-
"Wow, that's amazing," Grayson said, surprised by how large Gull's family was. "I think I have family there," Grayson paused for a moment, thinking, "but I don't know them and I'm definitely not close with them," he added, a hint of sadness in his voice. He was slightly jealous of Gull, she had a large family that she knew and grew up with and he only had his mother.
"It's been my mum and I for awhile and she tends to be a bit overprotective," he shook his head. Overprotective is putting it lightly, he thought to himself, continuing to shake his head. He was ready to get away from all of it and finally be able to start fresh.
Grayson caught a glance out the window, seeing the rock formation that he overheard Will mention. "Look, we're almost there!"
|
|
4:51pm Aug 23 2014
|
Normal User
Posts: 6,296
|
Will gazed at Lily before nodding. Rotten eggs aren't a good start to a friendship, though, he thought, listening to her talk about the Ravenclaw house. "We won't be in the same house," he decided, studying her for a moment before shoving a handful of beans into his mouth. A mixture of nice and gross tastes invaded his mouth: pepper, pine tree, pizza, apple, a few others. It wasn't overly unpleasant. Will found it easier to eat a few at a time than just one, because if he had just one good flavour in a handful, he could focus on that taste.
They talked for a few minutes longer before Will looked out the window, hearing the squeal of brakes. People were already hopping off the train, heading towards the carriages that pulled themselves. The first-years milled in confusion on the platform.
"Let's go," Will said, standing up and heading out the door to join the throng of people. The others followed suit, standing on the platform in a group.
"Where do we go?" Gull asked curiously, gazing around for some sign of a teacher or a sign or anything.
"We head down to the boats," Will explained simply, adjusting the sleeves of his robes.
"Well I know that," Gull said, rolling her eyes, "but where are the boats?"
"By the lake." Will blinked, confused by Gull's lack of the grasp of the obvious.
"I will seriously kill you, idiot, if you say another word," Gull said menacingly, clenching her hands into fists.
Will turned away, slouching and shoving his hands in his pockets. He was good at seeing if people were telling the truth; this girl was dead serious.
"First years . . . way, please, . . . years,"
"Do you hear that?" Gull asked, looking above the heads of the others. Several first-year students did the same, murmuring and looking about.
"Her," Will pointed through the crowd towards a short, smart-looking student, possibly a seventh year, carrying a lantern in the slight gloom.
They elbowed through the crowd towards her. The rest of the first years followed them until they were in a semi-circle around the girl.
"Hello," the girl said in a quiet but firm voice, "I'm Harley, the groundskeeper here at Hogwarts." Everything about her seemed small, though the intensity emanating through her made up for her lack of voice and stature.
Gull stifled a laugh; the woman looked hardly about to lift a wand, let alone care for the grounds.
Harley turned to look at Gull. "Problem?" she asked politely, throwing daggers with her eyes.
"No ma'am," Gull managed, taking calming breaths.
Giving Gull one last side glance, Harley continued. "As you might know," she said, looking around at them all, "it's tradition at Hogwarts for the first years to travel across the lake in boats, instead of using the carriages. Please follow me down to the docks and organize yourselves into pairs of two before getting into a boat."
Will clenched his fists nervously. He knew he would have to go across the lake. It was just one boat ride, her would be fine. Probably. As they headed down, he poked Lily to get her attention. "Want to be in a boat together?" he asked slowly, saying the word boat with slight nervousness in his voice.
------
Gull turned to Lily, about to ask her to be partners for the lake ride, but noticed that Will was already asking her. She turned to Grayson instead, giving a little grin. "I think you and I are in the same boat," she said, wondering if Grayson would notice the play with ex
pression.
They walked down a gravel lined road to the lake, where two dozen boats were moored, each with a little lantern hanging on a hook in the front of them. Gull clambered into a boat quickly, claiming it as her own and poking the were-flame with her wand. "It's magic," she explained, gazing at it, "doesn't give off heat or smoke, it just gives off light. It's an interesting spell." She had enjoyed reading the first few chapters of the school textbooks, though most of it didn't stick in her head.
|
|
1:02am Aug 27 2014 (last edited on 1:02am Aug 27 2014)
|
Normal User
Posts: 911
|
"That groundskeeper, she seems a little, shy, don't you think? Not the person you'd expect," Grayson pointed out, following Gull onto the boat. He had no problem sharing a boat with her, he had come to like her on the short train ride. "That's a cool spell, I must agree," he added, observing Gull as she poked the lantern with her wand. I know all about this spell... he thought to himself. Without his mother's knowledge, Grayson had been reading all about Hogwarts for months, he couldn't wait to finally be there.
However, Grayson was nervous, he didn't want to come off as too smart, he had to play it cool and then people wouldn't think he's some sort of nerd. He sighed, gazing at the lake, wondering what was going to come. "I hope I'm Gryffindor," he admitted, quietly. He decided that he wanted to be in Gryffindor, like his father, but something in the back of his head told him he wouldn't be so fortunate. -
"Let's go, Will!" Lily exclaimed, eager to get on the short boat ride and then finally be able to see Hogwarts. She walked quickly down to the boats, brushing right past the groundskeeper. "Oh, excuse me, I'm sorry!" Lily said, apologetically. She quickly turned around and continued making her way to the boats, her blonde hair bouncing behind her.
As she boarded the boat, she looked over to where the carriages were and managed to spot her sister, boarding a small carriage with a few of her friends. "I wonder why it's such a tradition to have us first years aboard boats," she pondered, curious if Will knew the answer or not.
((next post will be longer, sorry!!))
|
|
10:22pm Sep 9 2014 (last edited on 10:23pm Sep 9 2014)
|
Normal User
Posts: 6,296
|
(Oh dear, I'm so sorry for the time gap! @.@ )
"It's in honour of the fifteenth Headmaster who drowned in the lake," Will said, clambering into the boat awkwardly. He closed his eyes firmly as he hit the seat, grabbing either side of the boat with clenched hands.
Will started as the boat began moving, seemingly of his own accord. Keeping his eyes closed, he focused on breathing, slowly unclenching his hands from the sides. It wasn't that he was afraid of water, it was that he was afraid of being in water, as he wasn't the greatest swimmer. Drowning wasn't on his list of favourite activities.
The boat tilted to the left, and Will's hands shot out to the sides once again. The lapping of the water against the edge of the smooth wooden vessel made his skin crawl. The water was hungry, licking the boat, hoping to pull it beneath its glimmering surface.
"Hey Will, open your eyes or you'll miss it!" Will recognized the other girl from the compartment's voice, carrying in the air from several boats over. Slowly and reluctantly opening his eyes, he looked over to Gull, the was pointing to the edge of the lake.
Glittering forms launched themselves out of the water, corkscrewing in the air and silhouetting against the almost-full moon. "Mer-people," Will muttered, forgetting his fear for a moment and gazing at the jumping creatures, "they don't come up often."
The boat stopped against the shore, and Will clambered out slowly, still gazing at the mer-people. He looked down at Lily and offered her a hand. "Won't be long until we're sorted," he said, gazing at her.
----
"Gryffindor, eh?" Gull grinned, tucking her wand into her robes, "House of the brave. I wouldn't mind being in any house really, except Slytherin. Though I might be biased, my niece is a right git, and she's in Slytherin. Totally hopped up about being Pure-blood and all that."
The boats set off with a flick of Harley's wand. Gull leaned against the prow, hair blowing in the wind, and gazed at the reflecting surface of the lake in the dim light. She squinted as glimmering objects seemed to start rising from the lake, before one fully broke the surface and jumped, spinning and fanning its elabourate fins. "Mer-people!" she shouted excitedly, looking over to Grayson with shining eyes. The other students began clamouring as well. Turning to look at Lily and Will's boat, she noted Will had his eyes closed. "Hey Will," she shouted over the other students, "open your eyes or you'll miss it!" she pointed over at the mer-people, grinning.
She continued to watch them jump until the hit the shore, where she quickly got out of the boat, running her fingers through her wind-swept hair. "That was fun, wasn't it?" She asked Grayson, eyes shining, "now we wait for a teacher to escort us to the Sorting, yes?"
|
|
