Quote:
Originally Posted by
Amira With a C 
Parke listened as she spoke, nodding every so often. "New Hampshire. I've been there. It's beautiful in the winter time", he recalled. He shifted slightly as he stretched his legs out. They'd always had a nasty habit of falling asleep.
He blinked at her, confused, taking her teasing literally. "No, it doesn't hurt at all." Was it supposed to? Was smiling actually physically painful to some people? "And I most certainly didn't get cursed. Even if I had been, I'm quite sure I would have been able to remove it." Where did these crazy ideas of hers come from? Perhaps she went around cursing people out of their smiles...
"It's not that I can't. I just... I went to a smaller school in the rural area of upstate New York. They took study very seriously. No smiling, no laughing, no frivolity. My father has raised me in much of the same manner", he explained, staring intently at Trina. He hoped to be able to gauge her reaction. "I thought it to be normal. At least until I came here..." He shrugged a little and pretended to examine his robes.
He perked up a bit as the conversation shifted back towards school. This, at least, was a topic he was comfortable with. "Yes, I know what you mean. I'm still getting used to the differences. I must say, I'm utterly perplexed by this...house type system they have. I was greeted with quite a bit of hostility by a boy who disliked the house I'm in the other day. Had quite a time with him", he said lightly.
Ah, a fourth year. Just one year below him then. "Brilliant. Do you have a favorite class?" It was early in the term, but maybe she had one from old school.
Trina nodded as she continued to inspect the grime on her shoes. For the most part, they just seemed wet, although the coloring of parts of her shoes hinted at more. She looked up at his comment. "I love the fall- with the leaves changing and the smell in the air," she sighed and looked back down at her shoes. She would have to do the spell in two parts. She would dry them out first and then clean them. She did so, first on one foot, and then the other. Then, she turned to Parke. "Would you like me to take care of your shoe?" she asked him, indicating his swampy foot. She normally would have done it without permission- but this time it felt more appropriate to ask.
She raised her eyebrows at his reply, fighting a smile. "Parke... I was only joking," she told him. "I was hoping to get another smile or a laugh at least," she said with a giggle of her own. She became quiet as she listened to his explanation. She frowned as he continued. "Well, that doesn't sound like any fun," she said, shaking her head. "Did you get to do anything for fun?" she pressed. However, as he continued, she decided not to ask any more questions. It looked like he was uncomfortable. So, swallowing them, she moved on to the next topic.
"Yes, the houses are strange," she said, nodding as she smoothed her hand over her badge. "I mean, they are fun in some ways, but from what I hear about the rivalries, it seems brutal in others," she replied. As he continued, she raised her eyebrows. "Had quite a time?" she pressed gently. "What house was he from?"
She smiled mysteriously. "Transfiguration. I've always had a knack for it- I would love to do the animagus spell one day," she said with a smile. "How about yourself?"