Re: Cabin No. 17

[Guest]

Alys blinked up at the boy who had just entered the cabin, taken aback by his confidence and courage. He was tall so he must be older than they were. But why would an older student come to sit with mere first years?

"H-Hello," the blonde offered hesitantly. "I'm Alys." By then the boy had already made himself comfortable. "A first year," she felt compelled to add in case there was a mix up.

[Guest]

He leans over offering his hand. Feeling the slight awkwardness he decides to talk it out of the room.

"It's nice to meet you Alys. This is my first year as well."

He smiles over to her, trying to make amends for his apparent lack of self control.

"So you are looking forward to this year? I take it your parents have told you all about their time here, right?"

[Guest]

Alys took the boy's hand, shaking it politely. So he was a first year. She wondered where he got his confidence from. She herself wasn't too bad in the area but she would never just walk into a room like that. Deciding to put that aside, she smiled at the boy trying to make amends. After all, didn't Mama always say everyone deserved a second chance.

"Rather," she replied. "Though my parents didn't tell me anything. They said I had to experience it for myself. Right before Mama gave me a huge photo album to fill with pictures of my time at school."

[Guest]

He smiled once more as he watched once again as Alys looked him up and down. Although the last comment was slightly weird to him.

"You mean to say you know nothing about any of this? Man that's strange. Never mind, I won't spoil it for you."

He sits back into the chair, waiting for someone to break the silence after his entry seeming rather abrupt after all.

[Guest]

"Well, I know some things," Alys amended. "I know there are four houses. And the flying teacher said the highmaster was like our headmaster." She was going to continue when she realized she had nothing else to say. Great, she had already managed to look stupid two minutes into the conversation.

"I'm looking forwards to flying though. I've only ever ridden a bicycle before so that should be fun."

[Guest]

Tarragon turned his head to the side slightly, debating as to whether the girl in front of him was serious, and when no smile crept across her face he felt awkward.

"You mean one of those things Muggles ride? With two wheels?" He laughs to himself, "You'll enjoy flying, it's the best feeling in the world. Personally, I am hoping that I can join the school's Quidditch team. I mean I've never played, but I love flying and sports."

A grin plays on his lips, feeling satisfied with his input.

[Guest]

The boy dind't just look older, Alys realized. He seemed to know a lot more stuff too. At least, a lot more than she did. Alys could barely think of learning to fly let alone have hopes for the Quidditch team or any other game. She wondered which house this boy would end up in and wondered what would happen if they were sorted in the same one. His confidence made him unique but it also intimidated her a little.

"Well, a bike is fun too. Mine was green, with shiny handles and a basket to put the stuff from the shops. My chore was to do Sunday shopping for Mama and it was always fun."

Trying to steer the topic into more common territory, she asked politely "how about you, what kind of chores did you have to do at home?"

[Guest]

He looked slightly awkward at the question. Did he go with the truth, or tell a little lie to the girl he had only just met. For some unknown reason, he really wanted her to like him as a friend.

"I... I did bits around the house. Bit of cooking, cleaning, etc etc."

He tried to smile convincingly, he hoped at least it would look this way.

"Do you think that possibly, you... erm... Would you like to accompany me to the Ball later, what with us getting to know one another now, at least then we would have someone to talk to? And dance with, of course. You can dance, right?"

[Guest]

Alys could see the boy was uncomfortable talking of chores. Maybe he didn't like them all that much. But his slight uneasiness warmed him up to her quite a bit. So he was just a normal kid like her, only able to hide his nerves better with his level of confidence.

"Do you think that possibly, you... erm... Would you like to accompany me to the Ball later, what with us getting to know one another now, at least then we would have someone to talk to? And dance with, of course. You can dance, right?"

Well, the truth of the matter was that Alys in fact, could not dance. The only time she had ever danced was when she and Annika had taken part in a summer festival and even then she had managed to trip her friend up. But lying to this boy was not an option as he would see for himself at the ball. So Alys simply looked at the ground and said "I would love to go, but I think you should ask someone who can dance. I might make you look bad..."

[Guest]

He wouldn't lie to himself, he had hoped she had been a little bit more happy over the fact he had asked her to go to the ball with him, but alas he would persist. The girl sat across from him was special, and he wanted so much to know her more.

"If truth be told, I can't dance either. So we'll make a fool of ourselves together. Besides, you seem to think me shallow enough to care as to what everyone else thinks. Believe me, that is not true. So would you do me the honours?"

He did feel his cheeks go a little hot. He had of course, just asked this girl to the dance in front of two others, one he was not sure as to whether they were a student or a teacher.

[Guest]

Alys felt her pale cheeks going pink as heat spread through her skin not only at the boy's intended compliment but also at his honesty. So he wasn't afraid to say she thought him a prick at first - which she hadn't but still - and was still asking her to accompany him. Alys had not seen many strange things in her life but she could tell this was one of them.

"Well," she began, a small smile creeping across her features. "In that case i would love to. As long as we just drink a lot of fruit punch and don't dance." She was smiling full out now.

[Guest]

Thinking twice about punching the air in triumph like he normally would, Tarragon smiled softly back at her. Today had been an all together good day, where nothing had gone wrong in his mind.

"So, I shall meet you in the Entrance Hall then, just before we go in for the dance?"

[Guest]

"Of course," Alys repined cheerily. "I think we might be sorted after the ball so who knows, we might even leave together," she joked, catching his eye. Though if he really did end up in the same house as her... No, Alys would think of that later. So far, the boy had acted cocky, then nice, then sincere, and she hoped he wouldn't slipped into cocky again. He might even be a good friend some day.

"Oh, but if you laugh at my dress, I swear I will somehow get my hands on a bicycle at school and run you over," she added with a laugh.

[Guest]

He laughed along with her.

"If there is one thing I shall promise, it will be that I shall not laugh at your dress."

[Avangeline King]

Ava sat back quietly watching the two other children talk. She was a bit nervous about interrupting, it seemed like the boy was determined to get Alys to go to the ball with him.

She couldn't help the quiet chuckle that escaped her at Alys threat to run him over with a bicycle, covering her mouth quickly so that she could hear his response. He was quite the smooth talker.

[Guest]

Alys caught Ava chuckling, not by her voice but because she knew the statement would make the girl laugh. So far, all the people she had met only had a vague idea of what a bicycle was and Alys was certainly not going to clear up any misunderstandings. Let them think it was more dangerous than it actually was and things would be fine.

"Tarragon, it is my great pleasure to introduce Avangeline King, my friend and our fellow first year," she said in mock showy tones, going over to sit with Ava. "And that adorably precious kitten is Kai, though Ava says it can get into more than its fair share of trouble."

[Guest]

"Hello Avangeline." He leans over to shake the over girls hand, "And how about you, do you know much about this experience, or do your parents like to keep the surprise from you as well?"

He eyes the kitten suspiciously, not knowing whether or not to stroke it or stay well away from it. He decided on the latter with Alys' warning that he could be dangerous at times.

"Do you fly? Or does it just seem to be me?"

He smiles at her reassuringly.

[Avangeline King]

Ava smiled softly and shook the offered hand. "Hello Tarragon, I know a little about the school, but not much. Father is way too fond of surprises in my opinion."

She saw him eying up Kai, looking like he wanted to pet her, but not sure if he should. "You can go ahead and pet her, she doesn't bite, just prefers to cause as much mischief as she can."

"I have flown a little bit, Father let me up on his Firebolt a few times, but I am not that good yet. I hope the instructor is good!"

Facing Alys Ava told her softly, "Thank you for introducing me, I was a little nervous."

[Guest]

He touches the cats fur cautiously, but it is more interested in staying with her owner than anything else.

"Ah the Firebolt, I have one of those in my trunk" He taps his trunk with his foot for good measure. "One of the best brooms I have ever flown, though I can imagine the ones at school will be awful, even if our... parents do pay through the nose for us to be here!"

He watches the girls suspiciously as they go off in their own little talks, unsure of whether to listen or pick out a book.

[Guest]

"No problem," Alys whispered back, squeezing the girl's hand softly. "What are friends for? Just promise to catch me when I fall off my broom," she added under her breath.

To Tarragon she assured "yes, you can pet her. She's very well behaved. In fact, I've only taken Ava's word on the poor kitten getting in trouble. She's been good as gold in front of me."

She saw the boy hesitantly patting Kai's head and then he started talking about a Firebolt. And even Alys who had never flown one before knew what that kind of broom meant. It meant a lot of money. Just her luck to run into two people who were extremely well off on the same day.

[Avangeline King]

"I promise," Ava agreed when she heard Alys ask her to catch her when she fell, "Though I don't think I will need to."

Smiling as Alys told Tarragon Kai had been good as gold, she couldn't help herself, "That kitten is pure evil, but she is the cuddly, fluffy, kind of evil. The sneaky kind that you don't know about until it is too late. She fits right in with me." Ava finished with a little smirk.

She knew something was bothering Alys, but didn't know how to bring it up without putting her on the spot. She hoped Alys would be alright though.

[Guest]

After Ava's last comment Tarragon quickly pulled away from the kitten, highly unsure as to whether the girls were being serious, or merely winding him up. His attention now back on the girls in front of him, he could tell that there was something wrong with something he had said in earlier conversation, but could not put his finger onto what it may be.

"I suppose we'll eat when we get to the castle, right? I mean, they can't make us wait until tonight, surely? Or do you think there will be someone coming round on our travels with some kind of snacks? You did both visit Gringotts before coming here, right?"

He surveyed the two girls, hoping that they had remembered to bring some money.

[Guest]

"Actually, Ava and I shared a sandwich earlier that Lehrer Vikki was kind enough to conjure up for us. And I don't know about Ava but I'm full," Alys admitted looking at the boy. "I could use something to drink though," she added thoughtfully. "How about you, Ava? And does Kai want anything?"

The girl looked around the cabin, as if instructions to how to get a glass of juice might be written in plain sight. And that was when she saw the snow for the first time.

"Oh my, look guys! It's snow! I have no idea how the time flew by but we must be close to the school and above water if we can see snow!"

[Guest]

He leans forward to look out the small hole, only to see the snow.

"Snowball fight when we reach dry land anyone? And they must have something up there for us!"

Tarragon reaches into his trunk, you do realise ladies, that we are supposed to be changed into our furs and everything else before we get there?"

He sees the worried look on their faces as to what they have misunderstood his phrasing.

"What I meant is... I'm going to grab my stuff, and go find the toilets, leave you here. I'll catch up with you two up at the castle."

He hastily leaves the room, his cheeks slightly glowing from his apparent lack of ability to form a decent sentance.

[Avangeline King]

Ava chuckled at his blushing retreat, "I have to go get my stuff out of my trunk too, bye Alys, I'll see you at school!"

Ava had really enjoyed spending time with those two, and she walked out of the cabin with a smile on her face.

[Sponsored content]