Fandom Blood and Water

Rosemary smiled slightly and looked toward the compartment Dakota had exited, seeing a boy with messy brown hair sitting in there. Looking toward the other two whom had decided not to join, she waved to them with a frown, wondering why they would choose to be alone, rather than joining others for the journey. With a shrug, she reasoned that perchance they were nervous and would open up once they arrived at the castle. Seeing Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry for the first time was enough to make anyone animated, or so Brandon told her. Unfortunately, her elder brother would not let on how they would get to the castle once at Hogsmeade station, though she figured it would be quite the spectacle.


She was about to follow Dakota into the compartment when the boy exited and invited the boy sitting on the ground. It was charming really, as he was making an effort to include him. Seeing him raise his wand, Rose stepped back a bit, holding Hera's cage securely and pondering what he was thinking. Yew and more than twelve inches, the wand seemed vaguely similar, though she could not put her finger on it. Perhaps it was simply one she saw in Ollivander's when she got hers. When the boy pointed the wand at Connor's compartment and cast a spell, Rose flinched when the glass cracked and stared in awe. "Perhaps you do need more practice, but that was still kind of brilliant." She responded to his mutter, a light smirk of approval on her face. Though she did not know any magical spells herself, it was nice to see someone exercising their magical abilities.


Rose waited for Connor to exit the compartment before moving closer to the shattered window. She studied it for a few moments, wondering how much practice it would take to produce the same results. Observing that spell only made her more eager to start lessons. For the first time, the brunette mused on what brilliance laid in the many pages of her required texts. Brandon was not allowed to cast spells at home, though she had seen her parents perform magic many times over the years. Deep in the pocket of her Muggle jeans sat her own wand, Ash, ten and three quarter inches with a unicorn hair core. It was something she always found simply magnificent.


Glancing at Connor and the boy on the cold ground, she figured that perhaps their quiet natures would draw them together. Only time would tell, unfortunately. Turning around, Rose followed the others into the opposite compartment, while Jack began repairing the window. She grinned when Dakota introduced her owl, setting Hera near the captivating owl in hoping they could be friends. "She's absolutely adorable." She remarked with a chuckle, looking at Nymeria with a pleasant smile. "How long have you had her?" She inquired curiously, glancing toward her owner. She tittered as the girl spoke rapidly, moving further into the compartment and choosing a seat closest to the window. As Dakota continued to speak, she looked over at her with a smirk, calculating how she would respond for a moment.


"Alright, let me see if I've got everything. I'm from Barnet, Greater London. I have two brothers, both of whom are magical. Odds are I'll probably be sorted into Gryffindor. I mean, Brandon was, and he's the smart one. And blimey, don't even get me started on Quidditch! I bloody love it! I'm a Harpies fan." She smirked, shrugging lightly and playing with a unruly strand of brunette hair near her shoulder. It was nice to see another person whom seemed to be interested in the sport as she did. One of her only regrets wass that she could not bring a broomstick her first year. "Oh, and of course, I'm excited about Hogwarts. It's going to be great!"

Chaos stood watching a person waiving his wand like it was the first miracle of the world. Why does he want to waste it to something so useless as stealing someone's shoes when he has obliviously his own? He thought to himself when a pair of shoes where shoved to the messy haired boy, who really had shoes, too.


Well, of course he knew the reason. Bullies will always be bullies, he shrugged it off not wanting to meddle in. It was not worth it. The boy just didn't look like a bully, more like a cute little neighbor.


"What do you say Rattus, is the wizard world out of bullies?" He said sarcastically to his rat who stated back at him with his pitch black eyes. "Yea, yea, like you care, right?" But no matter how he formed questions Rattus didn't answer.


Of course not, he's a rat. Rats don't speak.





After the pair of shoes were shoved to the messy haired boy the one shoving them stepped in an empty compartment and sat down. No long after him another boy followed saying something to the bully. The friendship had already been bonded, I see, he thought not quite understanding the feeling he got when he thought about the word: friendship. What a weird word.


It meant so many different things. Asking from girls the answer would be different than asking from boys and asking from different ages would all give different answer. It was so personal word, still everyone used it, threw it in the air as if the other one could really understand what you were talking about.


And still Chaos felt the weird heart tightening feeling of longing. But it's just an illusion, he chanted to himself not even knowing what he longed for only knowing that the feeling is an illusion. The pain was illusion, hunger and sadness, too. Feelings were vulnerable, he shouldn't meddle with them. Only be happy, as his uncles said to him before he left. Be happy, Thomas, you deserve it.


Chaos dragged his light suitcase after him and was already in front of a decision. He could sit with people who seemed to be talking, or with two boys who seemed to be not talking. He knew which one he preferred, but he didn't like conflicts. Uncle Peter had made him to promise to behave.


You must act like you want to be treated, Thomas. Without respect, even if it out of professionality, there is no order in this world. And without order there will be people like your parents born.


And Thomas, uncle Peter had said only that once touching clearly the subject of domestic abuse Chaos had gone through, in the end it doesn't matter what you have been through. Only things that you have learned from it does. He was right, of course, and Chaos had locked away those dark days at home but still the wand in his back pocket burned. He still had those spells in his mind, he wouldn't be in danger.


But he knew what those spells could do to a person, especially to a child. With the great power comes the great responsibility.


He didn't actually think that he was too strong, just strong enough. But here being strong enough could easily become too strong. Everyone having their Wands and using them as they please, as this boy a moment ago perfectly demonstrated, is wrongly using situations becoming dangerous possibly high.


As long as they don't touch Rattus we are cool "Right buddy?"


When Chaos realized that he had been wondering on the aisle for too long and it was time to make the decision, there was no decisions to make anymore. He was strong enough, and if not at least he was fast.


But magic I will not use, not now, not tomorrow.


Chaos stepped in the compartment that, indeed, was silent. What a lovely sound to his ears. Quietly, not wanting to ruin and disturb anything he sat down not saying a word nor even nodding to the two boys sitting there. He sat down and put the suitcase on his feet. Rattus wondered to top of his head and curled there to sleep as always.

Having no one greet her, Celena felt herself retreat slightly, suddenly she heard several shouts and looked to see a boy causing a ruckus with his magic. Looking at the other students that had appeared from the sound Celena sighed and felt slightly for the boy. It was nice to be popular but being known for the right reasons was important as well. Well… At least no one got hurt during the process.. Ruffling her brown hair she smiled at the people around her and then noticed another boy kneeling on the floor in front of another interested she watched silently and smiled silently as the boys exchanged greetings as it seemed from where she was.


Then noticing a boy stealing anthers boy's shoes Celena raised an eyebrow to the action, watching silently Celena decided that maybe she should just find a compartment to sit in. Not checking to see if there was anyone else in the compartment she sat down sighing as she removed her bag from her shoulder. What was all that about? People stealing each others shoes? Breaking windows? I feel like it might be hard to get along with the people here… I wish Adrian was here with me… Sighing again Celena closed her eyes still not looking at the other residents in the compartment and remembered Adrian and his smiling face. Ruffling her brown hair Celena sighed again and then chuckled. I am sure that father is looking after Adrian well… Even if he didn't like me he loves Adrian… But what happens if Adrian is only thinking about me… Father will surely punish him for thinking about a non-existent person… Gasping Celena broke out of her trance and took several deep breaths. She wasn't suppose to be such a pessimistic person, she was going to face this opportunity and grab it with both hands. She couldn't rely on her father anymore. The place was suffocating and it was hard to live there. Opening her eyes Celena finally took notice of the people inside the compartment.


"Hello… My name is Celena Dulcine…."


Embarrassed that someone had seen her, her face flushed slightly and she ruffled her hair again. Stop fidgeting Celena!





@Trignome

Jack watched as the boy who had just been the victim of Jack's poorly performed Accio spell stood up and then proceeded to take his shoes off and give shove them into Jack's chest, this made Jack a little mad. He let the shoes fall to the ground, not making any attempt to stop them from doing so, He considered setting them on fire but he was still quite under trained as a wizard and didnt want to set the entire train on fire by accident. Jack developed a cold sweat when Dakota told him to put his wand away, she knew who it had once belonged to so many years ago. Jack searched desperately for a reply in his mind but he couldnt think of something honest to say, so he lied "Hmm? It didnt belong to anyone.. just me.." He said quickly to Dakota before following her back into their compartment, leaving the two boys sitting in silence on the ground.


As Jack entered the compartment he caught the word Bully from someone out of the compartment. This made him feel quite bad, he had never meant to hurt anyone, or make anyone feel bad, He was just really excited to use magic, in all honesty he didnt actually know what the spell Confringo actually did. As Jack went to sit down in the compartment he sensed that he was quite unwanted so he quietly picked up his broomstick and the cage that held his owl Peter, and without saying a word he left the compartment as Dakota started asking them a barage of questions.


He kept his head down, half hoping that no one would notice him, He moved further down the carriage until he came to a glass door, which from what he could see led to another carriage that was almost identical to the one he was in that moment except for the thick layer of dust. Obviously no one had been back there for quite some time. He pushed open the glass sliding door and stepped into the dust compartment, covering his mouth with his sleeve to prevent himself from coughing. He moved over to the first compartment door to his right and opened it. The window was covered in dust making the scenery outside a grey mess. He sat down on one of the seats sending a cloud of dust flying off the seat and floating into the air.

"Hufflepuff, personally." Dakota revealed, brushing a stray strand of straightened, dark hair back behind her ear, accompanied by her ever-present, cheery smile. “I live just outside London, in the suburbs, with two pure-blood parents. My father was in Gryffindor and my mother was a Ravenclaw, but Matthew is rather adamant that I’m going to be wearing yellow for the next seven years. He’s my younger brother, but for some reason he wasn’t born with any magical powers. In the universally known, more vulgar term, he’s a squib.” She carried on as though the last sentence was something not to be pondered on, not to be considered, pitied or analysed.


It was the worst possible event that could happen to the child of a wizarding family. Even as his sister, Dakota could not possibly begin to imagine how incredibly difficult life must be for the young boy. However, if he was able to manage a bright smile almost every day, then she could too. “My parents wouldn’t allow me to get an owl until I was actually accepted into Hogwarts. I suppose that if we both didn’t happen to have any magic, it would be rather unfair for one to have one and the other not to. I got her in Diagon Alley only about a month ago. I think she happens to like me though.” Nymeria nibbled playfully at her owner's finger as the young girl poked it through the bars of the cage and stroked the length of her small head.


Her attention was drawn momentarily to two separate events that happened after she finished talking. The first was the obvious beginnings of friendship between two solitary, introverted boys. Her intentions had been kind when she had first approached them both, asking if they wanted to join her in her carriage. She didn't pity them as people, but she wanted them to both be comfortable and possibly so they could both gain the best chances at meeting new friends. As it would soon prove, happiness wasn't always something that entranced people.


She wasn't annoyed or hurt that the two had formed a friendship that she hadn't been able to form at first. Not everyone hit off straight from the beginning. But there was one thing that was certain. She had the entire year left to properly introduce herself. For the moment alone, Dakota was simply pleased that the two of them had formed a bond, and also discovered somewhere nicer to sit than simply in the hallway. The second was the disappearance of Jack, the first boy who had joined her company. This occurence impacted her more personally as she grew quickly afraid that she had done something to push the boy away.


Another observance however, and it became almost evident that he was leaving for a different reason. Dakota wasn't an expert in emotions and facial reactions and she couldn't possibly try to figure it out. But it was all there. The longing glances back at the seat, the tight grip on his posessions, the look in his eyes, the slow trudge with which he walked out of the room. He felt unwanted, unneeded and entirely worthless around them all. Had she been able to tell why, she would have gone after him in a heartbeat. But she wasn't a mastermind or a psychologist or even properly experienced to realize it. She remained in her seat, waiting to continue her conversation with Rose.

He’d invited one person. So why are there four people in this carriage? Glowering down at his book, Connor couldn’t help but feel extremely irritated. He’d given his new sneakers to Hyper, in the hopes that he’d be left well alone in his quiet compartment. Silence had taken up his offer and joined him in his carriage, silently of course. But before Connor could slide his suitcases back into place, Rats had barged into the carriage as well. And now there was this girl. Clearly, not the brightest of people. Skinny, small, lots of freckles. Blond, curly hair. He turned the page, brows furrowing angrily. Worst of all, she’s…friendly. Determined to chase the two intruders out of the carriage, somehow, Connor began running through a list of things he could say. How do I do this? Should I…


Rats had been attracted to the peaceful atmosphere of the carriage, though, so Connor supposed he'd have to do something drastic. He peered at the boy intruder through his curtain of bangs. The rat, yes. If I target his pet, then maybe he’ll leave. Connor cleared his throat and looked up, staring at Rat’s head. “The ancient Romans considered stuffed vermin a delicacy for special celebrations.” He paused and smiled coldly at the boy. “I can’t imagine why you’d want to keep your snack on your head like that.” Inwardly, Connor cringed at the venom that laced his words. Even as his expression remained contentious, he was apologizing to the rat. I’m sorry. You’re actually quite adorable and fluffy. Can’t say as much for your owner, though. Just at that moment, Hyper slipped out of the compartment across the hall and moved towards the back of the train. He seemed to be in very foul spirits. Raising a brow in mild surprise, Connor wondered why the boy wasn’t staying in the carriage with the other students. They might have kicked him out, for being an ass.


Snorting derisively, he turned to the girl still sitting across from him. “Celena, was it?” He turned and peered through the window at Hyper, who was now seated alone in a small carriage further down the hall. “Hey. You know, that guy over there looks pretty lonely. I wonder if he has anybody to sit with.” Leave. Leave this carriage, all of you! No, except for you, Silence. You’re the only sane person here. Connor continued to mentally scream at all the unnecessary company in his compartment. Isn't there anything else I can do to get you guys out? Sighing in frustration, Connor slid further down in his seat, determined to ignore the other carriage residents until the train arrived at Hogwarts.

Rise of Albion updated Blood and Water with a new update entry:


Update #3

A quick note to all of you: Please stop using so much magic on the train. Remember, you are only first-years and it doesn't matter how many books your character has read, I would appreciate it if the rest of this train ride remains magic and spell free. Let's try to keep this rp as close to reality as possible please.
Also, be careful about what actions your characters commit in attendance to another. Do not assume an action upon another person's character without their permission. For...

Click to expand...

Read the rest of this update entry...

Celena looked at the boy who had suddenly seemed very irritated. I wonder if I did something wrong… Looking at him Celena winced as he made a rude comment on the boy with the rat. That was mean… If he didn't want us here he could have just said so. Slightly angry Celena frowned at the boy and crossed her arms. Then she looked at him as he began to try to get her also to leave the cabin. Sighing she opened her mouth to tell him that she was not interested in talking to the other boy. He doesn't seem like he would want my company either… Gosh… I haven't really made a friend yet… Sighing out loud again she opened her mouth again to reply but then decided that it might be better to not say anything. Sighing she looked at the boys in the cabin all not willing to talk to her. Deciding it would be better to not say anything she took her head phones out of her bag and her cat decided to join them eyeing the rat. Oh… It might not be a good idea to have both of them in the same room… Allowing Luna to go off on her walk to return later Celena pulled her headphones over her ears and listened to the first song in her playlist.


Taking a good look at the boys the one that had asked her to leave was actually pretty cute. They are all pretty good looking though… Sighing she looked from the boy with the mop brown hair and then to the the other boys. Not wanting to be rude she looked out the window past the boy who was sitting next to her. Looking at the scenery that they were passing Celena found hereyes closing to listen to the music that was pumping into her ears. Luna then decided to return and curled hereof around Celena's neck becoming a scarf and it purred softly as it beta to fall asleep. Opening her eyes Celena peeked at the boy with the rat, slipping one side of her headphones, she looked at him with concern.


"Would you like me to take her out? She wouldn't harm him but if you or and your rat feel uncomfortable… I can leave her outside the cabin… I am sure she has found a secret place she can hide in."

Chaos was waken up from his thoughts when the shoeless boy decided to throw useless facts in the air. Is he mentally unstable? Chaos wondered but shook the idea away, maybe not.


"The ancient Romans considered stuffed vermin a delicacy for special celebrations.” What a nice fact, is he trying to get me offended? Chaos wouldn't even been irritated by that. He had been eating a lot of weird stuff after his disappearance. But the shoeless boy just might want to eat Rattus and that Chaos wouldn't have. No one threatened his rat! “I can’t imagine why you’d want to keep your snack on your head like that.”


Chaos didn't quite know how to answer that. He had, after all, promised to his uncle to try his best to behave. All hard work would go down if he now did something he would possibly few years later regret when he gets caught and is delivered to Azkaban. "Yes, indeed but that was also few thousand years ago if I remember right," and just like uncle Peter had instructed him he verified that the boy didn't have any intentions to eat Rattus " But you, do you feel need to celebrate with the flesh of my companion here?"


Sighing Chaos patted Rattus who really didn't care that they were discussing about his flesh. Chaos really wished that the insult was about him and not his rat so he would have just done the same thing as the girl.. Celena.. Had done.


Rattus turned to walk back to the pocket and Chaos soon found the reason when a cat walked to the compartment. The cat was obliviously Celena's when the girl asked him a question: "Would you like me to take her out? She wouldn't harm him but if you or and your rat feel uncomfortable… I can leave her outside the cabin… I am sure she has found a secret place she can hide in."


Chaos looked down to his pocket where Rattus had fallen asleep again. How he wished sometimes to be a rat, they had so easy life. "He doesn't feel uncomfortable,"

Luna made herself comfortable wrapping herself around celena's neck purring even more loudly than before. Celena gave the cat a stern look and placed her dainty fingers up to her mouth telling Luna to be quiet. I hope that boy doesn't kick us out for Luna making a racket… She then heard the other boy with the rat reply to her question about Luna. She smiled softly and let a sigh of relief as she heard the boy say that Luna's presence didn't bother him or the rat.


Celena looked at the boy and smiled at him, he seems nice enough… Although he does seem to be a little somewhat shy… Stroking Luna's soft hair Celena smiled at the boy and took in his features. It seemed as though he gave off a calculative aura, as if he could tell exactly what she was feeling. Shaking the thoughts out of her mind Celena returned to her calm position still looking past the boy and at the outside realising she hadn't asked him his name she pushed herself up and lent against the back of the chair with her shoulder whilst giving him a small smile.


"Sorry… But I didn't catch your name… or your friends either…"


She wanted to pat the rat due to its unbearable cuteness levels but she didn't want to seem intrusive keeping her hands on her lap Celena looked at the boy, still smiling softly.

No response was reciprocated after Caul knocked lightly against the glass door of Connor's compartment, but he was unfazed; he hadn't expected one. He slid into the narrow entrance, eyes gliding slowly across the plush surroundings with an air of slight confusion. The seats were stuffed with copious amounts of cushioning, their thin linings straining to remain compact, and a large window slick with gentle rain made up the entire wall opposite of him. Although the design was comfortably appealing, Caul couldn't help but doubt the technicality behind it all. What if I wanted to block out the sunlight so that I could sleep? There are no curtains... I would be blinded by light. And what if I forgot to finish an essay over the summer and wanted to use my seat as a desk? My quill would sink through the parchment into the cushion. Yes, it was quite obvious that the train's designer was much more interested in the unnecessary addition of comfort rather than practicality, but he supposed he could live with that. It was only for the day, after all. He wondered briefly if people realized how difficult they made their lives when focusing on desire instead of need. Most likely not.


Caul pulled himself from his thoughts as his eyes landed upon Connor, who was leaning heavily against the compartment wall with an expression of complete relief plastered on his pale face. Caul blinked at him for a moment, his mouth twitching up in something that may have resembled a smile, but vanished before one could be sure. He sat down on a seat perpendicular to Connor's, and barely masked a small gasp as he began sinking into the cushioned surface of his chair. No one spoke, but the silence was comfortable... More comfortable, perhaps, than sitting alone in silence was, but Caul was hesitant to admit that observation even to himself. Maybe he could get used to this. Maybe it wasn't so bad after all. A warm feeling of contentedness washed over him, and he closed his eyes, leaning back against the wall and letting the gentle vibrations of the train overcome him. For the first time in months, Caul felt truly happy. He should have known that such thing would not last for very long.


The compartment door slid open, unleashing a tirade of artificial light upon the room's small confines. Caul opened his eyes, squinting comically at the slight figure who quietly made his way to a vacant seat. The boy was terribly thin (perhaps he was even more disgusted by the mundaneness of eating than Caul was) and had stringy, brown hair that hung awkwardly in front of his face. Is long, brown hair that obscures vision the new style? But what drew Caul's attention the most was not the impractical state of the boy's hair, but rather the creature that perched on top of it. He eyed the rat warily. The rat eyed him back, his whiskers twitching ominously. Images of thousands of sharp, little teeth gnawing greedily at raw flesh burst into Caul's mind, causing him to involuntarily flinch before regaining himself. Slowly, with excruciating subtlety, he began to edge away from the door, keeping his eyes focused intently on the creature before him.


It was of extreme fortune (or misfortune, judging by the growing look of agitation on Connor's face) that the compartment door slid open for the second time in a minute, successfully gaining the attention of everyone in the compartment; Caul's attempts to distant himself from the rat remained unnoticed. The new person of interest flushed as she noticed three pairs of eyes fixed upon her, as though she was embarrassed to be caught in the act. She looked like a doll, with her pink cheeks and floating blonde hair, and Caul barely had time to contemplate whether she had gone though effort to do so, or if she was unaware that she bore striking resemblance to a child's play-thing, before she interrupted his train of thoughts.


"Hello… My name is Celena Dulcine…." The girl said with apparent anxiety, ruffling her hair with darting fingers. She even sounded like a doll, or at least what Caul thought a doll would sound like if it could speak. Caul was rather bemused by the whole ordeal.


Caul turned in his seat as Connor cleared his throat dramatically, barely containing the exasperation that was clearly evident in his features. “The ancient Romans considered stuffed vermin a delicacy for special celebrations.” Connor stated coolly, a smile that Caul had not yet witnessed spread across his face, devoid of any warmth or humor. A chill ran down his spine, and he looked away quickly. He had seen that smile before, not on Connor, but with his "friends" when they had discovered a new scrap of juicy information that they would no doubt use to their advantage. Caul tried to tell himself that it was just pure agitation getting to the boy, and that he wasn't like the others. He paused while doing so, confused by the slight desperation in his thoughts. Before he had time to ponder, however, Connor continued, “I can’t imagine why you’d want to keep your snack on your head like that.”


With a venomous snort, Connor tilted his head towards Celena, his eyes sliding over her as though she was a mathematics equation just waiting to be solved. “Celena, was it? “Hey. You know, that guy over there looks pretty lonely. I wonder if he has anybody to sit with.” Caul peered out the compartment, following Connor's gaze until he caught sight of Jack, who was standing out in the middle of the corridor... alone. Alone? ...I thought he was friends with the others. He frowned, feeling an unexpected stab of guilt shoot through his chest. Had he been too harsh with his words? Perhaps the boy was much more sensitive than he had originally believed, as he had treated Connor with little respect for his personal space before...


"Would you like me to take her out? She wouldn't harm him but if you or and your rat feel uncomfortable… I can leave her outside the cabin… I am sure she has found a secret place she can hide in." It was Celena; her eyes were fastened upon the thin boy, ignoring Connor's previous statement. She held a cat in her arms, and was perhaps concerned that its presence may scare the rat. Rats aren't scared of anything... They just want to eat... He resisted the urge to shudder with little to no success.


"Yes, indeed but that was also few thousand years ago if I remember right. But you, do you feel need to celebrate with the flesh of my companion here?" The thin boy seemed oddly offended, as though Connor had been insulting him instead of his... for lack of a better word... pet. Companion. Strange choice of words. The boy looked towards Celena with an indifferent expression, "He doesn't feel uncomfortable." Caul gazed at the boy in surprise. How would he know what the rat was feeling? It wasn't as though the rat was a person, so easily read and examined.


Celena smiled happily at the boy, clearly pleased that there was at least one person in the compartment willing to speak to her. Caul wished they wouldn't. He wanted to go back to the few precious moments where the room was completely devoid of any noise, but he found that desire incredibly unlikely given the current circumstances. He doubted that the pair would move even if there were a dozen of empty compartments... Although, he supposed if that were the case, there would be no need for him to have sat on the floor in the first place, and that he would have had no trouble keeping a compartment to himself. "Sorry… But I didn't catch your name… or your friends' either…" Celena, said, gazing kindly at the group.


Please be quiet... Caul wanted to say. I just want it to be quiet. But he didn't. Perhaps it was because he felt a little bad for the girl; she was just trying to be friendly. So he replied, even though he agitation was swiftly increasing. "Hi Celena, I'm Caul," He said, giving the standard introduction. Caul hated how the words felt on his tongue... So unnatural, so forced. But he said them anyway, and smiled too. After a few seconds, it began to hurt, so he stopped. This was why he stayed away from people; he didn't want to fulfill their expectations, but he couldn't bring himself not to.

Jack sat there with his head against the the large and dusty glass window, watching the greyish rain get heavier and heavier. He noticed that the far off clouds were an extremely dark grey, there would probably be a storm tonight. Jack became bored quite quickly and resulted to first drawing in the dust on the window with his wand, But that got boring extremely quickly. He considered flying his broomstick through the carriages but quickly thought better of it, after all he wasn't even supposed to have a broom with him in the first place. Maybe he could practice some spells? So far all magic has got me is a large base of people who dislike me He thought to himself. He was now truly running out of ideas. He decided to stand up and exit his compartment, wandering around the empty carriage, every now and then tapping his wand on the glass doors, He had just about decided to sleep the rest of the trip off when out of the corner of his eye he spotted a large suitcase tucked into the top of a compartment.


After jumping a few times and failing to gain enough height to grab this suitcase, Jack decided that the only way to discover what was inside this suitcase was to use his broomstick. Jack didnt really worry about who's suitcase it was, it was old and coated with dust like most of the carriage. He quickly walked back into his compartment, grabbed his broomstick and then walked back to the compartment with the suitcase. In a few seconds Jack had thrown his leg over his Firebolt (an outdated model) and was not floating a few feet above the ground, he quickly moved up to the point where his head almost touched the roof. He put one hand on the suitcase and pulled, but it was stuck. He pulled again, harder this time and the suitcase budged a little. Jack then decided to use both his hands now have in no hands on his broom to pull this suitcase out. He gave it a great tug and it came almost flying out pushing him back and causing him to hit the side of his head on the other glass compartment door, it didnt crack but it hurt Jack's head alot. Before Jack could regain his balance he had lost it, He fell off his broom and smacked head first into ground, the sound of his head hitting the hard wooden floor echoed around the carriage.


Jack lay there staring at the ceiling, he felt something wet on his face and reached a hand up to feel it. When he took his hand away he realized that he had blood all over his hand and a nice puddle was forming on the ground next to him. His vision was slightly blurring and the carriage seemed to move alot more then it should of been.

Rosemary raised an eyebrow at the mention of the badger house, thinking that Matthew's assessment made sense given the girl's mannerisms. Dakota seemed very friendly and patient, two of the many traits valued by the legendary Helga Hufflepuff. Rose could tell from the moment of their introductions that they would not be in the same house, considering her counterpart's friendly demeanor and her own shenanigans. The grin on her face was enough to tell the brunette that she was very agreeable, something she greatly appreciated on their journey. "I'm angs Half-Blood. My dad's a Pure-blooded wizard, but my mum's a Muggle-born. The rest of her family are Muggles actually. They have a lot of neat trinkets in their house that wizards don't use... like telephones." She communicated with an animated smile, as she always enjoyed visiting her mother's side of the family.


An expression of astonishment crossed her face when Dakota mentioned that her brother was a squib, noticing that the girl chose not to dwell on the topic for a long time. Figuring that she did not want to discuss it, Rose was left to her own devices, wondering what that must be like for a child in a wizarding family. It was an unfortunate situation, as the child grew up resentful in a world of magic they could not access. Many resorted to the Muggle world, choosing to be around those like themselves, rather than be surrounded by whom they could have been had luck been on their side. These thoughts brought her to thinking of her mother, Sidra, considering Muggle-Borns had a squib ancestor. Of course, there would be many generations in between, though the magical line would prevail. She imagined that many years later, one of Matthew's descendants would find out that they are magical, changing the course of their life forever.


At the mention of the Dakota's owl, Rosemary smiled gently and looked at Nymeria with awe. She nodded at her words, understanding why her parents thought it best to wait to get an owl. It did not make much sense to do so beforehand, especially if both children showed no signs of magical abilities. "I had to beg my parents to let me get an owl. They wanted me to share with my brother, Brandon, but I wanted one of my own. I was lucky enough to get Hera when I did at Eeylops Owl Emporium in the spring." She stated almost sheepishly for the first time that day. Asking her parents for Hera had been an act of independence really, as she wanted to be her own individual, rather than sharing what was owned by her brother. "Oh, and I'm sure she likes you." She added confidently with a smile, as the endearing owl only playfully nibbled, instead of becoming ferocious.


In their silence, Rosemary noticed that a member of their party was no longer present. A young wizard, whose name she had yet to catch, had picked up his broomstick and owl, leaving the compartment without a word. She thought of the broomstick with envy, wishing that she too had defied the rules and brought hers along to Hogwarts. The brunette simply vowed that she would not make the same mistake the next year, as she was excited to get involved with Quidditch. Her thoughts turned back to the boy, wondering why he insisted on leaving the compartment. Perhaps it was because they were of the opposite sex, and he was in search of boys in their year. It would make sense, really, as he would be living in the same dormitory and making friends with these boys.


Fumbling through a small bag she had carried in with her, Rose smirked when her fingers grazed a small deck of cards. Peering into the bag, the realization dawned on her that she had forgotten packing the game hours beforehand. Flipping the wizarding cards over in her hand, she looked at Dakota and simpered, an idea brewing in her mind. It would be hazardous, but that was part of the thrill in the first place. The objective was to simply be efficient and avoid getting singed. She held up the deck of cards, waving them higher for her companion to see. "Any interest in playing Exploding Snap? I've got the classic version." She uttered, mischief lingering in her voice.

The bat bogey hex…The bat bogey hex…the bat bogey hex…Connor scowled down at the page. I can’t focus. He closed his book, taking care to remember his page, before leaning forwards in his seat to look out the window. At least the scenery was beautiful. But even the lush, green fields and sunny skies were damped by the continual sighing of the dolly girl. He supposed he could try to suffer the two intruders' company, so long as they didn’t-


“Would you like me to take her out? She wouldn’t harm him but if you or your rat feel uncomfortable…I can leave her outside the cabin…I am sure she has found a secret place she can hide in.”


Connor turned away from the window and slowly placed his head between his two hands, pressing his palms as hard as he could against his temples. Damn you all. “Headache…” he muttered almost inaudibly to himself, trying his best not to do anything rash. It didn’t help that Rat was responding to Dolly’s question, consequently starting a conversation that tripled Connor’s ire.


“He doesn’t feel uncomfortable,” Rat said to the girl. But I do. Shut up.


Dolly smiled at the boy. “Sorry…But I didn’t catch your name…or your friends either…” Connor began chewing on his bottom lip as he mentally screamed. We’re not friends, and stop talking. Your manner of speech is too slow. Are you doing this on purpose? He glanced over at the two conversationalists, his inner fury darkening his impassive expression. You two are definitely doing this on purpose.


Picking his head up from his hands, Connor turned to fully face the one, quiet person in the carriage, and cast the boy a desperate look. Please, don’t say anything. In horror and utter disbelief, Connor stared at Silence as the boy replied to Dolly’s obnoxious question. “Hi Celena, I’m Caul,” Connor’s former friend said quietly. Through the heavy pounding of blood in his ears, Connor was vaguely aware of the fact that he had made a half-strangled gagging sound. Silence is being corrupted by the others, I gotta save him, Connor thought, as he took a deep breath to speak. Let’s try to be polite… “Shut up.” Nevermind, then. Connor paused, briefly considering what he was about to say next. To hell with propriety. He gestured at Rat and Dolly, then kicked the carriage door open with his foot. “Also, both of you get out. I’m allergic to obnoxiously social people.”

(Sorry for the small post~!)


Celena smiled at the boy who called himself Caul. Happy that someone had replied she smiled happily at him and then turned to face the rude boy from before as he told them to leave. Looks like I have pissed him off… Oh dear… I didn't mean to do that… Celena stood up and smiled at him apologetically.


"Sorry that wasn't my intention. It was nice to meet you all, but it looks like I have stayed here a little bit too long."


Not wanting to anger the boy who had told her to leave she motioned to Luna who jumped onto her neck and curled around Celena's neck acting like a scarf. Grabbing her only bag and giving another small smile at Caul and the boy and his rat. She gave a small bow as in an apology to the boy that had snapped earlier. With that she closed the door and sighed softly. Looks like I had a bad first impression. But Caul and the boy with the rat seemed nice enough… I do hope though that the other boy will become friends with me later…


Sighing, Celena stroked the black cat that was wrapped around her neck and remembered the boy that had been by himself earlier. Taking a deep breath of courage she hoped that this meeting would be better than the last one. Opening the door hesitantly she gave a small smile to the empty compartment that laid in front of her. It might be nice to take a break and just be by myself for a little while.


Sighing she looked down at Luna who had made herself comfortable on the seat opposite to the boy. Sitting down she looked outside and sighed. Adrian would be so excited to come along on this trip but he is not old enough… I hope he gets a chance to come later on… But father would be more hesitant on allowing him to come… The only reason father let me go was because he didn't want to see my face…


Hearing something open and close Celena looked out the door of her compartment and looked at the boy with the rat lean over another boy who was severely injured. Oh No~! Rushing out Luna casually followed behind Celena as she made her way to the boy with the rat.


"What happened!"

Bad listener. Bad listener and even worse talker, that was Chaos' first impression of the boy who was bullied few moments ago. He started to think that the boy was digging his own grave, and to some point it was quite humorous. But Chaos did not like how the boy wanted him to leave. The compartment was just as much his as it was the boy's. Did he own it? No. So Chaos made a decision to stay, he might get some insults because of it, but he was ready for that. The compartment would stay as his.


But the moment of victory didn't last for long as the girl named Celena left the compartment due the bad attitude of the boy who's name Chaos didn't actually even know, not that he was interested. They didn't know his name either. Nor did the girl who had asked it. No one did. What a trivial thing to know, right Rattus, Chaos thought not wanting to speak out loud. He might be stubborn but not a whole idiot.


It wasn't that Chaos had not heard, nor saw that the boy had kicked the door open and said that him and Celena should leave. And Celena did. Well, it was her problem. He was not leaving. Why would he? The boy did not look like he could hit him, no more like just open his mouth and scream of frustration. Or leave himself. It would be surprising if he did hit Chaos. And mildly entertaining. The things I learn.


Chaos turned away from the boy and patted Rattus who had come from the pocket to see what was happening. He really was a fearless rat.


While Chaos was looking through the window to the aisle he saw something he really didn't want to mind with. The bully hit his head on the floor and of course the was blood making a nice little puddle on the floor. Those stains will get ages to clean, Chaos didn't want to go and save the boy. He would have to give up his rather comfortable seat and mildly entertaining company.


One good thing a day is all I ask from you, Thomas. Uncle Peter's voice echoed once again in Chaos' head and he sighed deeply.


Curse my uncles, curse my escape and curse my parents! He muttered and stood up ready to leave the compartment. Before leaving he turned to the boy who had been throwing insults in the air. "I advice you to not to touch my case,"


Chaos left the case and Rattus behind and walked to the bully who was laying unconscious on the floor. "What do we have here," he muttered to himself and carefully bended over to see the wound better.


You could say it was good luck that Chaos was used to patch things up but to him it was awful luck. He would gain nothing by helping the bully. Well, maybe one beat up less, or not.

A smile slid over Celena's smooth, pink lips as easily as water gliding down the cool, stone surface of his mother's fraternity fountain, never betraying any fraud genuineness that she may be feeling. Caul blinked dolefully at her, considering the young girl's bright eyes and happily flushed cheeks with a twinge of bitterness. Or was it jealousy? Is it really that simple? To smile and laugh and make friends? Perhaps for Celena it was. Reflecting back upon the contented faces of Dakota and Jack, and Rosemary and Celena, Caul searched desperately for some sort of answer, a solution describing the reason for their happiness. Maybe there was a gene, like there was for magic, identifying those who found joy easily and those who couldn't. A happiness gene? The thought made Caul scoff at the ridiculousness of the whole idea; how could such thing dictate personal emotions and mood, as well as- He paused, his mind halting to a stop as the reason dawned upon him. It was exactly that... He read too deeply into things, allowing paranoia and mistrust to take its hold. The others were so simple, he could see it in their eyes. Such carelessness and trust. Caul wondered what it would be like, believing that everyone's apparent motivations and actions were exactly as they were shown. He supposed it would be nice, in a vacant sort of way.


A low, guttural noise cut into the air, causing Caul to turn his gaze once more to the resident rat, a look of alarm clouding his thin features. He stared at the creature with mistrust evident in his eyes, and prepared to leap from his seat and evacuate to the nearest exit if it so decided to jump suddenly from its dormant position. It took Caul a total of three and a half seconds to realize that the rat had not uttered such profanities, but Connor, who stood gazing at him with a terrifying mixture of pure disbelief and horror. It took him another half second to realize why. He had spoken to Celena compatibly, which no doubt in Connor's eyes was an act of total betrayal. Caul was torn between scoffing and (to his surprise) bursting out into a fit of laughter. Instead all he managed was a rather constipated look and a twitch of his lip. You were the one offering to eat that boy's rat; all I did was say hello, Caul accused, somewhat half-heartedly, watching Connor turn his attention to Celena and the skinny boy.


"Shut up." Connor said, before pausing, apparently at a loss of what to do next. The horror and confusion had melted into erratic anger almost instantly, and Caul continued to observe as Connor regained his wits and strode purposefully over to the compartment door, kicking it open violently with his foot. For a moment he thought that the boy was going to follow his example and retreat to the uncomfortable recedes of the corridor in a desperate attempt to discover solitude, but that alternative was quickly dashed as Connor began to speak once more. “Also, both of you get out. I’m allergic to obnoxiously social people.” Caul found that the order was likely to be disobeyed, as no one ever seemed to show any interest in heeding Connor's advice. He wondered briefly if the boy would find more success if he asked the students to leave kindly... No, because then they would like him and end up staying anyway out of concern. Caul sighed heavily. Why social interactions so difficult, he would never fully understand.


"Sorry, that wasn't my intention. It was nice to meet you all, but it looks like I have stayed here a little bit too long." Celena said good-naturedly, smiling that easy smile of hers that always seemed to come so naturally, even when faced with a furious eleven year-old boy who had quite frankly stated that he was allergic to her. It was all Caul could do not to start openly gaping at her in surprise when she offered both him and the skinny boy another smile, and bowed shortly to a disgruntled looking Connor. Why did she bow? Bowing is an action of humiliation that states the other is superior to you... Why would she do that? Maybe she likes Connor, because some girls like boys, apparently. She was looking at him oddly before, the same way mum looks at old pictures of dad. How could she like him? He showed no sign of kindness even when she tried to appear friendly. Are girls attracted to people who are mean to them? Or maybe she just thinks he's nice-looking. Can people dislike someone but still think they're attractive? Caul took a moment to stare at Connor, but came up with nothing. Girls are weird.


"I advise you to not to touch my case," The skinny boy stated abruptly, his sharp voice pulling Caul unceremoniously from his ponderings. He stood quickly, shutting the compartment door behind him before any of the two remaining occupants had any time to react. Maybe the skinny boy wants to sit by the girl... But then, why would he leave his case and rat here? No, something had most definitely caught the boy's attention, but Caul was too relieved by the sudden silence that he did not even bother to investigate. If it was anything of importance, the boy would spew out the information as children are wont to do when he came back for his case and rat. Caul glanced at the rat, satisfied when it showed no sign of moving.


After a moment of blissful silence, Caul raised his head slightly from its tilted position, letting his eyes land quietly one Connor. A question formed suddenly at the bottom of his chest, gnawing at his insides with subtle steadiness. Why me? Why let me stay? The other boy, he never said anything at first... but you made him leave. For once, the answer was not buried in his mind, because it was not his to solve. Caul frowned uneasily. He was not used to this. He had become so accustomed to finding an answer after hours, or even days of thinking... but now, he didn't even know where to begin. Caul voiced none of his questions, not because it was the easiest thing to do, but because he was afraid of the answer he may receive... or lack of.

Jack continued to fall in and out of consciousness for a few minutes until his eyes focused on two figures standing above him. "Im- im not a bully" He said weakly, he didnt know why he had chosen these words, possibly because it was the last thing he was thinking of before he fell. His hair was wet, he moved his hand up to his head, when he pulled it back he realized that it was covered with a red liquid, blood. He sat up, ignoring the searing pain at the back of his head. He quickly shoved his hand into his robes, feeling around for his wand. He let out a deep breath when he felt the smooth wooden texture of his wand, thankfully it had not been broken in the fall.


Jack managed to pull himself to his feet, he looked down to see a small puddle of blood that had formed where his head had just been. "So, im Jack" he said holding his hand out to the boy and girl who were standing opposite him. His eyes glanced towards the suitcase on the ground, at least he had managed to get it down he thought to himself.


(sorry, very small post, i have to go)

First to leave was Dolly. No surprise there, she seemed much too considerate of a girl to want to purposely upset others. As soon as he’d opened the door, she’d slipped out with little more than a soft-spoken apology. Then Rat had left too, after advising him “not to touch my case.” He’d placed his pet on his seat as well, and left the carriage after the girl. Now it was just Caul and him, and the other boy was frowning in a mildly perplexed fashion. What? Is he uncomfortable, sitting here in this carriage with me? Does he disapprove of my methods to clear out the intruders? Connor furrowed his brow irritantly. “Yeah? Do I have something on my face, or were you just looking?” Ah, no. You’re merely feeling the after-effects of your outburst. It wasn’t his fault, anyways. Try again. He tried again. “Sorry.” Apology first, and then something nice. I should do something nice. Connor got up and tossed Rat’s luggage out of the compartment, then carefully scooped the rat up and seated it on top of its owner’s suitcase.


He waved goodbye to the furry little rodent, then shut the door and walked back to his seat. That qualifies as nice. It was silent once again in the carriage, and Connor was hard-pressed to say anything. So for the moment, he merely returned the other boy’s oddly uneasy expression with a curious one of his own. A few seconds ticked by. So, what sort of interests do you have, besides this magic stuff? Another minute passed through the carriage. Do you want to have a conversation? Connor frowned as yet more time stumbled through the small compartment. Talk to me. “People are...” Tilting his head to one side, he attempted to defuse the tension that still remained in the air. “annoying.” Before the last word had even left his mouth, Connor smacked his hand over his face in exasperation. Bah. I think I just switched the pliers for the match.





So he attempted to pour water on the fuse. "I mean, because your face looks weird, so I assumed it was something I'd done." The small rope burned even faster. That must have been the lighter fluid. I need water. He sighed and slowly took his hand away from his face. Giving Caul a pointed look, Connor resorted to tossing the bomb at the other boy. YOU made this; YOU have to stop it. "Do you dislike me?"

The Hogwarts Express whistled a final time and a wave of cheers and whoops of excitement rose into the air, as the students and parents celebrating the dawning of a new year at the greatest magical school in the world. Although it wouldn’t truly begin until Headmistress Faulkener announced that the first term had actually begun, many believed that the ability to legally use magic was the start. Dakota, momentarily forgetting about Rosemary’s suggestion, rushed to the window of their compartment with a grand smile, peering out at the last connection they would have with the muggle world.


Other students along the left length of the train were sticking heads and limbs out to wave enthusiastic goodbyes, received final kiss, and any objects that may have deigned to forget had their parents not been gifted with eagle eye-sight. It was not possible for her parents and her young brother to be there, but Dakota would not let that thought bring down her happy mood. This day was to the beginning of the best time of her life, and for once, she needed to determine that she could save most of her attention to herself.


It was evident that this year at the Hogwarts was going to be entirely different from anything she had ever experienced in her entire life. She had, of course, grown up around magic her entire life, but there was absolutely no doubt that her life was about to change. There were muggle-borns on the train who currently had almost no experience at all with it. She couldn't possibly blame them if they spent their first few months watching everything with untampered admiration and shameless awe. For the first week at least, she would be doing exactly the same thing. There were going to be many different kinds of people at the school that year, both starting and having previously attended.


As she had already discovered, polar opposites of character could be forced to mix together and then strong friendships could be born. She had witnessed it already with the two boys who seemed so anti-social and dismissive towards everyone else. She was exactly different from them. Her attempts at friendship and happiness had forced them apart, but had driven two of them together. She and Rosemary had a great possibility to be friends, and if she was correct, then they had hit it off soundly.


Yet no matter what happened, Dakota had a sort of determination that would eventually lead her to form some kind of connection with them. She wasn't easily swayed by obstacles and opposition, although this could easily be described as a naive, ignorant attempt at a happier world. It was a charming fault, although one that severly lacked in any strategic reasoning, or manipulation. It was simply a wish for friendship. A child's dream in the real world that could either shatter, or survive. It was a small chance for the latter, but particular people had the skill to inspire loyalty and fellowship. Harry Potter was one of them, but also his friends Hermione and Ron. They weren't extraordinary in every field - except Hermione who continued to grow close - but almost everyone they met felt a sense of awe and belief around them.


Dakota did not strive to be one of those people. It was impossible to do so. If one did not have charm, they could not inspire it so easily without trying. She could not possibly know if she did, so she tried for the other end. The one where she struggled to just gain the friends. Loyalty and belief was something that she saw as easily broken, but not always so easily gained. Dakota preferred to believe that everyone was perfect in their own seperate ways, but a small part of her always knew that the greatest relationships took the longest times. Going to Hogwarts that year had managed to inspire the hope within her that she could form those kinds of connections with people. As none of them could possibly know at the moment, destiny had planned something rather extraordianry for them all. And only time would prove to tell.


Dakota moved back to her seat as the train lurched forward slightly and began to chug out of the station, quickly leaving the muggle world behind. She felt an over-whelming sense of pride and emotion swell up inside her. This was it. This was the beginning. "Sure." She said to Rosemary, smiling. "I'd love to play it with you."

Chaos was standing in front of the bully who was mumbling something incoherent while swaying from unconsciousness to consciousness. "Im- im not a bully," yeah, like Chaos would believe that. He had seen better.


But Chaos had to give the boy respect when he struggled his way up even with the blood coming from his head. Not everyone could do it. So when the boy introduced himself as Jack Chaos nodded shortly and studied his hand before saying quietly


"Chaos," Chaos didn't take the boy's hand as he had touched his bloody head with his hands. "Putting something to stop the bleeding will ease the pain,".


He turned around to see his suitcase on the floor and Rattus nicely on too of it. Chaos looked slowly to the compartment but didn't say a thing. You could see his facial expression to go from a calm to murderous in a nanosecond. He was no more keeping his calm about the boy who had sat in the compartment. The stupid boy had touched something his, and that wasn't acceptable.


Chaos didn't like meaningless violence and that could be the only reason he didn't storm in the compartment and slice the boy's thoughtless and rather idiotic arms off.


But no, not this time. It would be too fast, too easy to go right now. He could always wait for the moment to strike so the boy would never rise again.


And so did Chaos get his first enemy in Hogwarts even if the enemy himself wasn't even aware of it.

Caul continued to gaze purposefully (without pausing to blink) at Connor, seemingly oblivious to the other boy's discomfort. With a deepening frown, he searched Connor's expression once more for any evidence that may indicate that there was indeed a straight-forward explanation for his question. Crossing his arms tightly across body, Caul vented his frustration silently as the answer remained hidden from sight. He did not like this...state of unknowingness at all. It left him feeling agitated, confused, but mostly helpless, and Caul, despite his quiet and shy exterior, despised helplessness beyond anything else. It was so closely linked pity, that he could barely differentiate their dissimilarities. He could practically see it in Connor's eyes now, berating him for his recently discovered weakness, and-


"Yeah? Do I have something on my face, or were you just looking?" The question startled Caul (a reaction that had become increasingly common in the past ten minutes), causing a disruption in his placid, unblinking stare. What? Why can't he check himself? He shifted uncomfortably in his far too cushioned seat, examining Connor's face for any stray smear of dirt. Nothing. Caul shook his head with unexplainable vigor, shooting the boy a mildly flabbergasted look as he did so. "Sorry." Connor said abruptly, his apologetic tone barely distinguishable from the bout of irritation evident in his previous statement. Caul continued to stare openly at Connor, his stunned mind hardly capable of any form of reasoning. What is he? Normal people didn't jump from one emotion to another on a normal basis... The tended to stay with one chosen mood until offered an opportunity to do otherwise. Was Connor unstable or, Caul flaunted at the improbability of the idea, simply abnormal. Both possibilities were plausible explanations for why he was unable to read the boy's expressions and motives... But that still did not explain why he had chosen to let Caul stay, let alone apologize for a harmless, if not a bit irrational, question. He leaned back farther into the wall, wishing for all the world that he could dissolve into its surface as he had done in his dream. Caul was unsurprised, but still disappointed when his desire remained unanswered.


He watched warily as Connor tossed the (recently departed) skinny boy's trunk unceremoniously into the corridor, before picking up the rat with gentle hands. Caul looked on intently as the boy placed the vicious creature carefully on top of the luggage, half-expecting Connor to fall back in horror as the rat sunk its sharp, needle-like fangs into his soft, unprotected flesh. He was greatly relieved (and slightly disturbed) when Connor offered the rat a small wave and shut the compartment door promptly behind him. With a slight twitch of his lip, Caul eased himself back into his original position, his dark eyes locked tightly on Connor's hazel ones. The next few minutes passed in complete silence, and yet the atmosphere did not feel nearly as comfortable as the few moments before Celena and the skinny boy's arrival had. Caul furrowed his brow in frustrated puzzlement, scrunching his eyes shut in an oddly painful way. When he finally opened them, he found Connor looking at him curiously.


"People are...annoying." The other boy announced with a tilt of his head, before exasperatedly smacking his face with his hand. Why would he do that? Doesn't it hurt? Before Caul had the chance to share his questions (which was an unlikely event on its own) Connor continued to speak, his words slurring together as he attempted to utter them quickly. "I mean, because your face looks weird, I assumed it must been something I'd done." Caul continued to gaze at Connor in confusion as he raised a hand to his face. What does my face have to do with anything? Connor sighed irritably as he removed his hand from his forehead, giving him a pointed look as he opened his mouth to speak. "Do you dislike me?" The question was simple and short and so different from the rambling sentences that Connor had previously spoken...yet it left Caul at a loss for words, or at least a coherent thought. He cares...what I think about him? But... He attempted to complete his thought process once more. Why does he care? The others...the neighborhood boys never cared what others thought about them. The only thing that mattered was who had the bigger house, or the newer car, and who was the best coming up with witty insults... Connor didn't care what Celena or Jack thought... So I assumed he was the same. But...now...not the same. Caul thought carefully of how to phrase his response, searching for the appropriate words with much caution. Several seconds had passed before he managed to find his voice.


".....No..... I think- " Caul paused briefly, scrutinizing Connor carefully. "I think I like you." The words felt foreign, yet not forced as they had with Dakota and Celena. He frowned slightly, his eyes crinkling around the corners. "I just thought- well, I was wondering- why did you come to sit with me? .......Out in the hall? It wasn't quiet or comfortable. You could have stayed in your compartment. But you didn't...why?" Caul braced himself for a sharp retort, retreating far back into his seat as if it would offer him protection from the response he was about to hear. Stupid... Why did I have to say anything? It sounds like I think he was being insincere...

So, he's giving me a weird look again. Connor frowned perplexedly, wondering just what in the world Caul was doing. It was a simple question he had asked, yet for some reason the other boy was having difficulty saying 'no'. Or maybe 'yes'. You don't know if Caul might actually hate you. Though it's highly unlikely, because if he hated you he wouldn't be sitting here, right? Right??? "...No..." Connor blinked in surprise as Caul apparently just disagreed with his thoughts. But as the quiet boy continued, Connor sighed in relief. "...I think-" So he isn't a telepath, after all. "I think I like you." A few moments passed before he was fully aware of what Caul said, and the insinuating words he'd used. Wait, what?


Yet again, Connor began wondering just what it was that made these fledgling wizards want to behave so awkwardly around him. First, the brown-haired girl and her giggly montage. And the obnoxious, owl eating, hairball. Then the wand waving, loud-mouthed, shoe thief, and now this boy, whom he had hoped was normal, was spouting lines that sounded like the scripting for a romantic comedy. Fudge buckets, what is wrong with the lot of you? Connor slowly lowered his face into his hands, deciding that if he wanted to preserve even an ounce of his sanity, it would be best to just ignore everybody. But before he could pick up his book and resume reading, Caul began speaking again.


"I just thought- well, I was wondering-why did you come to sit with me? ......Out in the hall? It wasn't quiet or comfortable. You could have stayed in your compartment. But you didn't...why?" Connor looked up as the boy finished his stammering question. Why did I sit with you? Do I really have to explain it now... Sliding his book back towards himself, he addressed Caul as the boy leaned way back into his seat. "You weren't as bright as the rest of them." Nope, that was bad wording. Now it's like I'm trying to insult him. Glancing down at the page he'd marked, Connor attempted to explain his previous statement. "You know, if a person's disposition shines too strongly, the people around that individual become like moons, refracting that bright light and emulating that person's beliefs, instead of casting their own glow." He bit his lip, furrowing his brow in irritation. Did I forget to secure the vocabulary filter in my brain? I sound like a contentious prick. Clearing his throat, Connor attempted to conclude his reasoning as quickly as possible. "What I meant was...um...you didn't seem like a politician?" ...what a brilliant recovery, Connor. Shut up now, Connor.

Judging by Connor's continued use of his makeshift headrest/blindfold/recovered stability station (hands), Caul was able to conclude quite accurately that he once again stated the wrong thing, even after seconds of carefully plotted reasoning. Quietly cursing himself for his lack of social intuition, Caul searched wildly for his error with growing exasperation... Maybe I didn't seem grateful enough; people generally don't enjoy being ignored. No, but that's not right... Connor wanted to be ignored. Why else would he sacrifice the time and effort to create a barricade with his luggage? The hesitancy in my answer...? I could have sounded dishonest. Again. Wrong. He lied to the skinny boy about wanting to eat his rat. No one would ever want to eat rats. It's the other way around. Then what? The stuttering? The question? My voice? Wrong, wrong, and wrong.


Caul slammed his head back against the wall in growing frustration, yet was unable to reap the satisfaction of listening to the sickening crack of bone against wood, as the surface, like everything else in the damned room, was covered in an obnoxious amount of cushioning. Why couldn't he have just stayed silent? Why did Connor have to ask a question, and why was he idiotic enough to respond? Hadn't he been faced with this same situation more than enough times to know better? There were two separate consequences when one had friends; either they let you down, or you let them down. Books were much more reliable companions.


Caul turned his eyes towards Connor once more, his gaze lacking the original desperation and focus that had previously existed, instead, they adapted the same vacant stare that he had provided the strangers with. This is your fault. Caul thought coolly, never straying from the stilled confines of his current position. You were the one who asked the question. What was I supposed to say? That I hated you? The actors in my mother's soap opera shows always enjoy it when some one claims that they like them. Their eyes get all soft like running syrup, and they smile soft, genuine smiles... And then they lean forward slowly like they're afraid they might tip over, and gently place their lips- ah. Caul gazed at Connor with dawning horror, his eyes widening comically as the twin meaning of his words finally hit him. There was a faint buzzing noise in his ears, but he chose to ignore it, too horrified to care. Wait, he thinks I'm somehow... in love with him? How is that even possible? I don't even know him... But then again, Celena seemed to like (?) him. Does he believe everyone has to either hate or love him to be worth acknowledging? With abrupt enthusiasm, Caul announced quite bluntly, "I don't want to kiss you." No! That just made it worse... It was only after uttering those four words that Caul realized that the faint buzzing noise he had heard before was Connor's voice.


Caul quickly searched his mind for any slight recollection of Connor's response, shuffling through his memories with as much vigor as a card-player who had just noticed that he had misplaced his winning card. Something about shining too brightly, and blocking out everyone else's light? A metaphor? A metaphor about standing out in a crowd? So Connor had invited him into his compartment because he had thought that the boy sitting on the floor with his eyes tightly shut was...normal? And was thrown from his original hypothesis because he believed that Caul had admitted his love? But... I thought boys liked boys all the time... And that girls liked boys too... Wait, then who likes girls? Caul turned his thoughts away from the impossible matter, feeling more bewildered and confused than ever before. And there was something more; Caul wasn't a politician? Of course he wasn't- oh, another metaphor. Somehow Caul doubted that normal eleven year-old children spoke with the vocabulary of a professor and played with countless metaphors... But if that was the way Connor chose, he was not one to argue. Attempting to distract Connor from his previous statement, Caul quickly responded to Connor's originally ignored reply. "I'm not a politician, but I am hardly a doctor either."


XXXX


A/N: Sorry for my poor quality Minnesotan joke. *sighs sadly* I'm probably the only one who gets it.

Upon hearing the roaring whistle of the Hogwarts Express, Rosemary simpered and let her eyes shift toward the large window in the compartment. Peering out at the platform, she caught a slight glimpse of her parents and little brother waving farewell. A genuine smile at this gesture spread across the brunette's lips, causing her to wave back in their general direction. In her trial, it became obvious that they might not be able to see her properly. Their faces soon disappeared in the crowd, as other parents and relatives sped closer to the train to say their last goodbyes. It would seem the platform would always be swarming on September 1st, as the ritual of saying sayonara repeated itself throughout many generations.


After all the time spent at home, Rosemary was excited to experience this journey for the first time. In her youth, she had sleepovers with various friends, both Muggle and magical. Going to Hogwarts would be similar, though the sleepover would be for a much more extended period. Surrounded by magic her entire life, the brunette was accustomed to seeing elder witches and wizards perform magic. Part of her always felt excluded from this group, though that fear would fade, as she was officially joining this community. Instead of watching others perform magic, she would be the one showing off the skills she acquired. Her only begrudge was that she would not be able to perform magic at home until she became of age. It was irritating, as she had looked forward to boasting in front of her younger brother, Damian, whom would not come to the castle for a few years.


Rosemary's thoughts turned to what adventures would lie at Hogwarts. Brandon often talked for prolonged lengths of time about the school, praising it constantly. She only hoped that she would be able to do the same after her First Year, if not in less time than that. Hogwarts was where she would meet very good friends, something that had begun already, as she saw a potential friendship with Dakota. Not only would she attend her various lessons and eat delicious food, but she would also undergo excursions among the many corridors of the castle. Unsure to what reputation she wanted to create for herself, Rose knew it was only a matter of time until her notorious habit of pranking and mischief made themselves known.


Her contemplation was interrupted when she flinched lightly, realizing that it was only the train beginning to lurch forward. The platform began to diminish as the train pulled further out of the station, approaching the corner that would leave Platform Nine and Three Quarters behind entirely. Rosemary leaned back against the plush seat and smirked in satisfaction, seeing as she was finally on her way. At that moment, she decided to look forward to the events ahead of her, rather than dotting on all the time spent in Barnet. Of course, she would remember fondly and initially get homesick, but the thought of learning magical properties and enhancing her magical abilities would surely diminish that ache in due time.


Hearing Dakota's affirmative answer to play Exploding Snap, she smiled and nodded, looking down at the cards in her small palms once more. She got up from her seat, settling into the spot beside Dakota and beginning to set up the cards for a few rounds. "Brilliant. We have to be careful though. I don't know about you, but I'd prefer not to arrive at Hogwarts with singed hair and one eyebrow." She half-joked with a shrug and a smile, pulling out her wand afterwards.