Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry discussion
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Hogwarts Express
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Carriage 4: Compartment D
[Enter Aura Takata from Platform 9¾, message 16]Aura walked into the empty compartment and put in a pair of her stronger earplugs, happy with the silence. She put Mittens, her cat, on the table and leaned against the wall, closing her eyes and putting her feet up on the bench.
[Enter Brendan O'Brien and Casey Diamant from Platform 9 3/4, message 19.]As the two seventh years maneuvered their way through the corridor, they finally settled on a compartment that looked empty. Storming in loudly, Casey walked through first and because she had turned to look over her shoulder at her friend, she hadn't noticed the body curled up on the couch nor the small cat and she asked Brendan loudly, "Did you have bacon this morning? I smell bacon on you."
"What a silly question," Brendan retorted. "I have bacon every morning." Casually, he pushed his way past her and was about to settle Chase's cage on the table when he saw the cat. "Oh, hello," he greeted, "and who do you belong to?"
"Shit, Bren, there's someone already in here," Casey grimaced, realizing the poor girl was trying to sleep even as they yacked. She was holding Beowulf's cage as well, unsure if they should stay or try to find another cart.
Aura cracked an eye open, looking at the two people, wondering whether she should leave or if it simply wasn't worth it, every other compartment was sure to have people as well.She opened both eyes. "You can stay, it's fine." She said quietly, pulling her earplugs out of her ears and moving Mittens.
Glancing at Casey, Brendan gave her a shrug that seemed to say, Guess that settles it as he proceeded to place Chase's cage down on the table. Flashing the redhead a roguish grin, he replied, "Thank you, sorry if we woke you." He then sat his wiry frame down on the opposite bench and stretching his legs out in front of him, he clasped his hands behind his head.Nodding in affirmation, Casey followed suit and placed her cage down next to Chase's as she took a seat beside Brendan, absentmindedly playing with her hair.
"What's your name, Luv?" Brendan asked. "I'm Brendan. This is Casey," he introduced, nodding to his friend, Captain and House mate.
"I wasn't asleep yet." She said, again quiet. "And I'm Aurelia. Aura. Sixth year Hufflepuff." She added, in response to the second question. It wasn't a surprise that they didn't know her.
"Nice to meet you, Aura," Brendan said, giving her a friendly wink. "We're both seventh year Gryffindors. This here is the Captain of our Quidditch team," he added with a wicked grin in Casey's direction. Casey rolled her eyes. "Jesus, Brendan, lay it on thick, why don'tcha?" Shaking her head then at him she said to Aura, "Nice to meet you, Aura." She gave the girl a small smile, unsure if she just wanted to be left alone.
"I know." She nodded, "I recognize you both." She said simply, it was quite common. She knew most of the people in the school, but very few of the knew her, due to her shy and introverted state of personality.
"Ah, grand," Brendan replied as he tugged on his duffel bag to pull out a bag of chips. Opening the barbeque flavored snack, he popped one into his mouth and held the bag open for Casey. "Didn't you just eat?" she laughed as she shook her head. "No, thanks."
Shrugging, Brendan held the bag out to Aura, reaching across the table with his wiry arm. "Take one," he instructed in a friendly manner.
"Um..okay?" She normally didn't have people talking to her, much less offering her food, so she wasn't certain as for what to do. She took a few chips out of the bag and nibbled on them, feeling awkward in the silence but not having anything to say.
Brendan gave Aura another wink as he grinned. "Good stuff, aye?" He took a few more and chewed in the silence, the crunching of the chips loud in the compartment. Casey's eye caught Aura's and she gave the redhead an awkward smile, not quite sure what to say. She pulled her hair straightener out of her large backpack and looked around for a socket to plug it into. Seeing none, she should up and walked into the washroom to see if there was one there.
Once his friend disappeared, Brendan ate another couple of chips and then plopped the bag down on the table. "Feel free," he told Aura as he wiped his hands down on his jeans. "Don't be shy," he said with a warm grin.
She smiled, feeling awkward still. "thanks," she said quietly. "And they are good. A little late to tell me not to be shy though." She said, more conversation than what she would normally do, but if Brendan was so insistent to talk, she figured it had to be better than simply sitting awkwardly.
"Oh?" Brendan queried curiously, leaning forward and resting his elbows on his thighs. "Why's that, Luv?" he asked, not realizing that putting her on the spot might not be the best thing for the Hufflepuff at the moment.
She looked down, not knowing what to say. Why does he keep calling me Luv? She thought suddenly, and then managed to look up again, somewhat having an answer, although she felt very uncomfortable altogether. "Just not really my personality, I prefer to observe." She said simply.
"Ah," Brendan nodded, leaning back again. "That's good I suppose," he said to her with a roguish grin. "Sometimes it helps justa listen. You learn more." Having finished her hair, Casey walked back out and plopped herself down next to Brendan just as she heard him ask Aura, "So how dya like Hogwarts, then?"
"Well, I've been six years at it and I haven't quit or complained for hours on end, so that must say something, right?" She smiled, easing up a little more as the conversation went on. "No, I like it. Better than muggle school, that's for sure."
"Yeah? That's good that you like it. Personally, I don't see any difference between Hogwarts and any other school," Brendan told her. "Here we go," Casey groaned with a roll of her eyes.
"Well, it's true," Brendan insisted, narrowing his gaze at his friend. "I mean, yes, there's magic and flying brooms and whatnot but it's still a school."
"Ignore him," Casey told Aura, still shaking her head.
"You've never been to muggle school, so you don't know," Brendan pointed out, like he'd done many times before.
"Maybe not, but Hogwarts is pretty damn awesome," Casey insisted with a firm nod of her chin. "And Aura agrees and she has been to muggle school as well," Casey said triumphantly, grinning at the girl.
"Well you're both right," she said, not wanting to fight or disagree with either. "It's still school, but I prefer the things that we learn at Hogwarts."
Brendan chuckled then as he clasped his hands behind his head, leaning back in his seat. "You're right about that, Luv. Can't disagree that the subjects are more interesting." "Just admit that you lost," Casey taunted as she slugged him in the shoulder.
Catching her hand, Brendan gave her a shove and laughed as she fell back on the bench, squealing about her hair. "Never." Turning back to face Aura, he reached for another chip and then asked, "So, what's your favorite subject, then?"
"Potions." She answered immediately, but didn't explain why. "And what's yours?" She was feeling more awkward now that the other girl- Casey- was back, she almost felt as if she was intruding or something.
"I enjoy... probably Appartion. Or Defence Against the Dark Arts. Flying... Quidditch... dueling," Brendan went on, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "And, yes, I know some of those aren't classes," he added quickly before Casey could pipe in with a sarcastic remark. "But it's what I enjoy at Hogwarts." Casey held up her hands in surrender, her eyes wide and innocent. "What? What did I say?"
Chuckling, Brendan grabbed her ankle that was now close to his own leg since she had decided to sit sideways with her feet up and simply gave it a playful squeeze. "It's whatchu don't say, Luv," he remarked cryptically. Turning then to Aura he asked, "So potions, aye? You must be a real whiz-kid," he said to her, giving her a roguish grin.
"Not really. I kind of suck at everything else." She said dismally, finally reaching into her purse to drop her earplugs. She was basically forced into conversation now, she couldn't do anything about it without being rude, either.
"Aw, Luv, that can't possibly be true," Brendan said with an encouraging smile and shake of his head. He leaned forward again and reached for some more chips. Chase hooted and ruffled his feathers a bit and so the Gryffindor sighed and slipped a chip through the bird's cage to which Chase eagerly pecked at. Grinning then, he turned to Casey and asked, "Does Beowulf want one?" Casey shook her head, "No, please don't, he'll want to go hunting after that." There was no way she could let a hawk loose on the Hogwarts Express.
Grimacing at the truth of that, Brendan then turned to Aura and asked, "Does your cat eat chips?"
"She would, but it's bad for her health, so no." Aura said simply. "More for you, anyways." She added, reaching into the bag to get another handful of chips.
"Works for me," Brendan replied with a good natured grin. "So, do you like Quidditch, Luv? Dya enjoy watching it, I mean." He knew she didn't play or else either he or Casey would have recognized her. At the sound of Quidditch, Casey sat up straighter, more alert to the conversation now. "We're practicing first thing tomorrow morning," she said to Brendan sternly.
"Aye, aye, Captain," he teased.
"It's interesting enough." She shrugged. "Not my favorite thing at all, but it's not like I hate it." She shrugged, "I guess you could simply say no opinion."
Brendan laughed. "Tough but fair." Casey's eyes widened slightly at Aura's comment. How could anyone not like Quidditch? "What's not to like?" she asked in a joking manner that held just the slightest unintended aggression.
"It's just another sport. Same as basketball or football. That's my opinion, anyways. I cheer for Hufflepuff because that's my house, but otherwise I simply don't care." She explained.
Brendan and Casey shared a look. Whoa. They never really hung around people who weren't into sports and that came as quite a shock for both of the athletically inclined teenagers. "So, what do you like, then, Luv?" Brendan asked, steering the conversation away from Quidditch. He popped a chip into his mouth as he waited for her reply. Casey leaned over Brendan's shoulder to grab some from the bag.
"I like reading. And breathing, and living." She pointed out, especially to her, sports were not life, they weren't even important. She didn't really understand why they were important to some people.
Brendan burst out into a boyish laughter then at her reply. "Living and breathing," he repeated as his laughter died down to a chuckle. "You're cute, Luv," he told her with a roguish wink, still shaking his head.
She flushed and looked down. "Eating is fun too." She added quietly. eating a few more chips in an attempt to block conversation.
Noticing the red hue of her cheeks, Brendan glanced over at Casey to waggle his eyebrows, to which she simply rolled her eyes although a small smirk was creeping up her lips. "I must say, eating is my all time favorite pastime," the Gryffindor concurred with a satisfied sigh. "What about your bikes?" Casey piped in.
"Ah, aye, of course," Brendan nodded in agreement with a reminiscent look on his all American face. Shrugging then he said, "Guess I can't be having favorites."
"Your bikes?" Aura inquired. Not only was she curious, the question left her not having to talk for the duration of his explanation- less chances to embarrass herself. Thinking on it, she was suddenly aware that her hair was still up in it's god-awful bun and she wasn't wearing any makeup. Not that she usually wore a lot, but she wasn't even wearing concealer over her freckles!
"Yeah, he's super into motorcycles," Casey spoke for Brendan, nudging him slightly with her foot. "How's that one going that you were working on this summer?" "Oh, it's finished," Brendan confirmed with a wide grin. "She's a real beauty too, thinking of naming her Elsa."
"Elsa?" Casey repeated, wrinkling her nose.
"Yeah, Elsa. What's your problem with that?" Brendan asked, swiping at her foot as it kicked him in the thigh.
Casey chuckled. "I dunno, guess I have to see the bike first to tell you."
"It's too bad I couldn't bring it to Hogwarts," he sighed wistfully. He glanced over at Aura then and noticed that she was even redder than before. "What's the matter, Luv?" he queried, putting her on the spot.
"Nothing, nothing, it's just um, hot in here." She said quickly, pulling off her hoodie as if to prove her point. "Motorcycles are cool though, I've always wanted to drive one." She said.
"Shall I open the window?" Brendan asked as he scooted down to do just that. A huge gust of wind along with a shower of rain poured in, causing the cat to screech as it dove off the table and onto its owner's lap. Brendan quickly slammed it back down. "Hmmm, perhaps not." Resting back in his seat, he then added, "Oh, bikes are simply grand. You really should ride one when you get the chance," he told Aura with a grin.
"yeah, the window probably wasn't the best idea." Aura grimaced and moved mittens off of her lap. "And I guess I will give a bike a try then." She smiled a little.
"Well, it wasn't raining a moment ago," Brendan argued in defense of his actions. "Yeah, we made it inside just in time," Casey agreed, subconsciously patting her hair.
"In any event, you're old enough now to ride a bike, aren't you, Luv?" Brendan asked Aura, always willing to discuss his passion.
"I'm sixteen. So yeah, I guess, but I need to get a license still." She explained briefly. She moved her cat back onto the table as she had started trying to sit on Aura and it was bothering her at the moment.
"Those are a pain in the arse to get," Brendan warned with a chuckle. "But well worth it in the end," he told her with a roguish wink. Seeing Aura was annoyed with her cat, Casey held out her arms from her sitting position and offered, "I can take her for you. If she doesn't mind? Is she a she?" the Gryffindor Captain laughed.
"Yes, she's a she. Mittens." Aura said, handing Casey the cat. "Depends on what you want to do, really." Aura replied to Bradley.
Accepting Mittens with a smile, Casey brought the cat up to her face and whispered, "Hey there, little girl." She placed the cat on her chest and scratched her on the head as she began to purr. "Aww, whata cutie," Casey cooed, sometimes wishing she had a cat despite how much she loved Beowulf.Brendan chuckled at his friend's reaction to the cat, wondering when on earth she'd become so... feminine. Shaking his head, he commented, "I almost bought a cat instead of Chase. But owls are pretty grand even if they're harder to take care of."
"Still, cats are...cats. They're like a traditional pet." Aura shrugged. She hadn't really wanted an owl, she much preferred having a cat. She watched Casey with Mittens, making sure the cat was okay.
Mittens closed her eyes and seemed to still against Casey's chest, enjoying the warmth from the girl's body as she continued to purr. "Yeah, they're a pretty standard pet," she agreed with the Hufflepuff. "My hawk was such a pain to find and even harder to train," she added with a roll of her eyes, nodding to the red shouldered hawk watching the room with intensely alert eyes.
"Sounds like a lot of effort. How long did it take?" She asked, a little curious about the Hawk, and still trying to turn the conversation away from herself.
"Oh, a good year, I'd say," Casey replied. "But he's such a diva," she laughed, rolling her eyes again. "He is loved by many female owls at the Owlry," she joked. "He's a playa," Brendan grinned, winking at the girls, clasping his hands behind his head.
"That's lovely." Aura said flatly, the words were the opposite of what she thought. She didn't really care for birds of any nature, really.
"Yeah, they're pretty grand," Brendan agreed, not picking up on her tone. "In any event, they can be quite useful too, which is always a plus."
"Aren't they a pain to take care of though? And you must get thousands of weird looks." She pointed out, half stating a fact, half asking a question.
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The fourth compartment of Carriage 4. It can seat eight, but for comfort's sake, usually seats no more than six.