Heave. Heave.

Shaking, Mallory tugged her school trunk inch by inch into the carriage. Once inside, she paused to look around and see just what she'd gotten herself into.

This seemed like a nice place - pretty, at least - but where was she supposed to go? She swallowed a nervous lump in her throat and heaved her trunk in a little further. Was she supposed to report to someone? Were all the kids her age supposed to gather somewhere? She'd reread her letter still clutched in her hand so many times it was damp from the sweat of her palms, and was certain she didn't miss anything. Yet there was still so much uncertainty.

There she stood, barely out of the way of incoming traffic, trembling and scanning the room for answers.

Only for the carriages, Dorian would have switched schools in a heartbeat. Unlike the Hogwarts Express which, although practical, wasn't very nice looking. The Beauxbaton carriages had a kind of class that made him feel like he was richer than he actually was.

While he entered the lounge, the seventh year was struggling with pinning his Head Boy badge on his robe. Yes, he had already changed. He muttered something under his breath about the badge nearly pricking his finger before he clicked it in place. He looked up with a rather proud expression on his face when he realised that a young girl was struggling with her trunk and looking positively lost.

Same. This was new for him as well.

"I can make that trunk lighter for you, if you want" he said as he pointed at it.

Clinging to the last threads of Summer like a limpet, Holly Tamesis strode onto the carriage in a pale green sundress, one strap covered by the handle of her satchel bag.

Looking around, an eyebrow raised slightly as she took in the elegance and decadence of the carriage. It was nothing like the long, over occupied train that took them to Hogwarts. Which made her happy - but also made her ponder, yet again, about the fate of their school... Maybe they would make it back there at some point. Who knew? She certainly didn't.

Moving through the corridors, the Slytherin stashed her luggage before moving into the main lounge to pass the time on their trip to France. France. She'd never been there, and as such the most French she knew was "Bonjour". Maybe she'd be able to pick some up this term? Maybe. If she wasn't too busy with her studies, friends, -- hopefully, Quidditch??? -- and Avery.

Hmmm. This would be an interesting term, that was for definite.

Quote:

Originally Posted by DuckyLinJi

Only for the carriages, Dorian would have switched schools in a heartbeat. Unlike the Hogwarts Express which, although practical, wasn't very nice looking. The Beauxbaton carriages had a kind of class that made him feel like he was richer than he actually was.

While he entered the lounge, the seventh year was struggling with pinning his Head Boy badge on his robe. Yes, he had already changed. He muttered something under his breath about the badge nearly pricking his finger before he clicked it in place. He looked up with a rather proud expression on his face when he realised that a young girl was struggling with her trunk and looking positively lost.

Same. This was new for him as well.

"I can make that trunk lighter for you, if you want" he said as he pointed at it.

Her eyes were drawn to any and every movement. So, yes, Mallory saw the older boy come in and watched his struggle but she was too worried about herself to judge. What was that some kind of pin? Was she supposed to get one as well? Did she miss some check-in desk? When he noticed her, she quickly averted her gaze.

She was very aware and growing ever more nervous as he seemed to approach, but still didn't want to stare. After several inconspicuous glances, she finally read what was on the pin. Head Boy? What did that mean?

Then, he spoke to her. ...He could? Her mouth quivered as she tried to be brave enough to reply verbally, but in the end all she could manage was a nod.

She swallowed another lump.

Spotting one of the Slytherin's entering the lounge, Dorian would have greeted her but his focus was mainly on the kid. Judging by the nervous glances and that she was avoiding eye contact, Dorian knew that she was a first year.

While she did not say a word, the nod she had given was more than enough approval for him and he reached inside of his robe to take out his acacia wand. "It's called the featherlight charm" he said as he approached the trunk. He gave it a flourish and tapped it. "it minimises the weight of an object making it easier to carry" if he was going to help out he might as well educate them. He pocketed his wand back inside of his robe and looked at her again. "try picking it up"

Quote:

Originally Posted by DuckyLinJi

Spotting one of the Slytherin's entering the lounge, Dorian would have greeted her but his focus was mainly on the kid. Judging by the nervous glances and that she was avoiding eye contact, Dorian knew that she was a first year.

While she did not say a word, the nod she had given was more than enough approval for him and he reached inside of his robe to take out his acacia wand. "It's called the featherlight charm" he said as he approached the trunk. He gave it a flourish and tapped it. "it minimises the weight of an object making it easier to carry" if he was going to help out he might as well educate them. He pocketed his wand back inside of his robe and looked at her again. "try picking it up"

Mallory's eyes were fixed on the older boy, now. No hiding it. She watched intently as he pulled out his wand. It was amazing that something so simple looking was actually capable of magic. Thing's she only read about. Things she was taught over and over again weren't real. And all he did was tap her trunk with it. No sparks, no glitter, no magical sounds. A tap. And she was supposed to believe that changed the weight of this massive box?

She had to believe. She tried picking it up as instructed and...she could. With such ease. Something that was easily three times her weight wasn't any more difficult to carry than her old school backpack. She had to believe!

She smiled up at him. "Thank you"

This opened the door to so much! What else could be real?! Unicorns??!! Mermaids?! Fairies??!

While he waited for the girl to pick up her feather light trunk, Dorian looked around the lounge again. Why couldn't the Hogwarts Express look like this? It was classy and he liked it. Perhaps he liked it because he was as poor as could be. "No problem" he said and waved his hand a little. "I suggest learning that charm because it will come in handy while walking to classes in Hogwa---" he stopped and frowned. "I mean Beauxbaton...Merlin it is weird saying that" he added in a mutter.

oh! where were his manners?! "My name is Dorian Katharos" he said as he extended his hand for her to shake."You're new aren't you?" she had to be. No second year was this shy and nervous.

Octavia Stark hadn't had much time to be excited for school all summer. Most of it she spent worrying over her parents, and the other part she was enjoying what little time left she had in England. So it was a BIG surprise to the little girl when she finally said all of her goodbyes and boarded the carriage, that she was in fact, VERY excited and VERY nervous about starting school. She didn't know what to expect! Had it been Hogwarts, things might have been different. But it was Beauxbatons, and even with all of her reading Octavia didn't know everything about the school like she did Hogwarts.

She most certainly did NOT know about the lounge. Peeking around to make sure she was allowed to be in this room, the twelve year old put on her bravest face and walked into the room the same way her parents walked into any room, like she owned it. Except not so close to any older students she didn't know. And she wanted a big table by the windows.

Settling in to a comfy chair with a big table by the window, she kicked her feet a little and waited, looking around and counting in her head. Tavie had told her friends that she would find them all seats so that they could ride together and not be alone on their first ride to school.

She just hoped they all showed up.

Of all the places on the train, the lounge was the one that seemed the least likely to house Stark school kids. It was pin neat and full of breakable things... and there was harp music. Phoebe James struck a pose just inside the entrance, something dramatic that really required a fan to complete the look, and then she twirled and leapt over to the table where Tavie sat. A beeeeeautiful ballerina, even if a few other tables were knocked over in the meantime.

"Tea, m'lady? Crumpets? Oh, lala croissants with butter?" Because they were fancy and French. Not that Phoebe didn't know how to have manners, but since her mum and grandmum weren't here... who was gonna make her?

This whole place was so...excessive. And no, he wasn't even being salty about the relocation when he decided this. It just....was.

Which meant he was sure his little sister was off having a field day somewhere else. Likely wherever the pastries were at.

Even the harp music was irritating, but the fifth year tried his best to ignore it. Once he had found Phoebe, he fully intended on finding himself a spot to sit over by those bookcases and reading the rest of the trip. Unless Missa found him, but he imagined that she was enjoying all this new and his reluctance with all this would only bring down her experience.

Phoebe was easy enough to spot, he'd only known her since he was three, and made his way over to her and her little group. Was he surprised by the damage left in her wake? Not in the least. He had experienced some things first hand when diapers were still a thing and mum and Auntie Vivian had had everyone over for play dates.

"Phoebe. Hey. Mum wanted to make sure I gave you these," he signed as he pulled a back of cookies from his satchel bag and handed them to her. As for the girl she was with...he made his attempt at a pleasant smile for her and a tiny obligatory wave.

Following closely behind his twin, Theodore James nearly bumped straight into Phoebe, who had stopped to make a spectacle of herself in the doorway. He giggled. It was relieving, really, to have his sister not mind being the center of attention. It meant he could exist comfortably, relatively unnoticed, while she basked in the admiration everyone always had for her. She was charming that way.

Sorry, Teddy mouthed to anyone looking at them and made quick work of straightening up anything that had felt the effects of Fi's outburst, the smile never leaving his face.

Before he could join his girls, a familiar face addressed them: EIJI! "You're HERE," Teddy rushed to meet him, sighing in relief and hugging the older boy with every bit of enthusiasm his 4'10" frame could muster. AND Aunt Kurumi had sent cookies? "I love her." He knew.

Tavie couldn't help but giggle at the public display that Fifi was making. It would be embarrassing if she didn't absolutely love it and adore her. The wreckage behind her went completely unnoticed (they cleaned up well enough here, right?) but she DID spot a Teddy and wiggled her fingers at him. "Actually, I'd love a cup, m'dear. Shall I set the table, and you get the tea?"

Oh, a boy. Tavie looked up at him curiously. For a moment she wasn't sure if she should speak to him, then remembered that she was going to school now, and her parent's rules didn't apply, so the boy got a kind smile. "Hello."

He had not been counting on this and, honestly, he should have. Whenever he had calculated how this fifth year may go, he had factored in how his more personal life risked being exposed to others. In some cases, this was no big deal. In most cases, he simply did not want people to know. Some of this exposure had already come when Rebecca had joined him at Hogwarts, his softer side that is. He knew even more of that would be brought to light once Jade met people she had, until now, only heard about in letters...and who he needed to speak with as soon as possible to remind her NOT to share certain pictures with ANYONE.

....he had not factored in the James twins and that was incredibly foolish of him.

"Hey...Theodore," he managed to get out in a pleasant enough tone before hugging the first year back. He couldn't NOT do it...that was literally denying eleven years of family ties. But his arms were like limp noodles in their embrace, but it was there. "Yeah...mum did. Bag for you too." In their favorite shapes and with some decorations by Rebecca. Eiji was simply the messenger.

"....hey," he smiled somewhat awkwardly over at the other girl while he placed his hands on the blonde boy's shoulders and pat them away gently.

Yolanda Uma Luna was going to explode. Everything was so pretty. ev-ver-ry-th-ing. The carriages were opulent, and magical inside and out. There was music, and elegant carvings, and comfortable plush furniture- Yoyo felt like she was on the way to Beast’s castle, and in a way- she was. An enchanted castle in france, where she’d learn magic and be with her friends and maybe fall in love! and get married! Yoyo’s chest was so full of warmth and light she might very well have been floating through the carriages rather than walking.

She sighed dreamily, her large dark eyes unfocused as she gracefully took a seat with her once-and-forever classmates. “isn’t it wonderful? isn’t it romantic? if the castle is as beautiful as the carriages I might just die of happiness.” Yoyo said, cupping her face in her manicured hands. She hadn’t even noticed Eiji’s presence (he was not easy to miss by any means Yoyo was preoccupied to say the least).

The cookies caught her attention, however. “Your auntie made these? I wish my auntie made me cookies.” Yoyo asked twins smiling from Phoebe to Teddy. She hoped they would share for her Auntie Justine had was not the baking type but she had given Yoyo a very cool book bag.. which Yoyo loved to bits and pieces and everything, but fresh baked cookies were fresh baked cookies. “Bonjour.” Yoyo greeted, finally having noticed the older boy’s presence. He looked a bit like he’d smelled something nasty, was he okay? Yoyo had the good manners not to ask.

“I’ll have some tea too.” the young girl added, blinking her dreams away to properly assert herself into whatever her dearest friends were up to.

Nettie had grown antsy wandering the halls of the carriage. It was just making her more and more anxious for their arrival. For some reason she couldn't help but feel very out of place the closer they got to Beauxbatons. She'd initially been excited - but now, she felt like she was intruding on something. It didn't help that she kept thinking about that term she did U-17, and none of the Beaux kids had really made an effort to talk to her outside of practice. It was like being the new kid all over again - although at least she spoke the language, and had a whole SCHOOL of new kids with her.

The lounge was apparently the place to be, judging from the loud noises making their way in to the corridor. She decided to head in there and check it out, and see if she saw any familiar faces in there. She entered the lounge and her eye was immediately drawn to a gaggle of young kids gathered near the back. Oh Merlin, first years. She didn't have anything against them, other than the fact that they were super loud. That wasn't the most shocking thing in the lounge, though. It was who was accompanying them that shocked her.

Was that...Eiji? And...was he HUGGING a child?

She was pretty sure that she herself had only ever gotten a single hug from him, and it was after he had thought she had died. Who was this child and what had he done to get a hug so quickly from him? She knew his younger siblings weren't due to start school yet so...hmmmmm. This was intriguing. And also an opportunity to push some buttons. She had to take those whenever they presented themselves - because Merlin knew he was ALWAYS finding ways to push hers the necklace ahem ahem.

"Hello Eiji!" she called out with a grin, noting that he was trying to nudge away one of the little blonde ones as she approached. "Who are your friends?" she asked, looking at the younger kids with a grin. She also straightened her robes JUST a tad so her badge was all shiny and visible. You know. Just because.

Phoebe added her arms to Teddy's embrace around Eiji's middle, although she was quick to end it so she could turn her attention to the cookies from Auntie K. "Hey, E, thanks for the cookies and whatever. We're gonna have tea, and you can join us if you want. And your friend, if she wants." Eyebrows at the one with the shiny badge who looked like she'd been shining it since last July.

Phoebe broke open her bag and gave a cookie to Tavie and to Yoyo before retrieving the tea set. "You can't die, Yoyo. Your body would be way too heavy to carry around all year. And we'd miss you."

Delightfully oblivious to the discomfort of one of his earliest role models, Teddy’s smile grew when Fi joined the hug, too. He was unfazed by Eiji pulling away because his attention was now on the presentation of Aunt Kurumi cookies. Cookies for HIM, his OWN bag, and Eiji was lucky Teddy didn’t embrace him again with enthusiastic gratefulness— no, instead, he made quick work of opening it and, without a second thought, started distributing them among their gathered group (Tavie, Yoyo, Nettie) to anyone who would accept one, regardless of whether or not they were accepting one from Fi, too. “She makes the BEST cookies, you’ve gotta try one!” Even though Fi had her own bag and Eiji’s mum probably sent a bag with HIM, too, they got offered a cookie as well.

“I’m Theodore— Theodore James. Most people call me Teddy,” he told the older girl as he moved to sit beside Yoyo, whose presence got a proper acknowledgement now with a renewed toothy grin. “Yeah. We’d miss you too much,” he echoed Fi’s sentiment.