[September 8, 2016: Thursday, Week 1. LATER THAT SAME EVENING. You know. That Thursday. THAT Thursday. Pretty much everyone is back in the Gryffindor commons room after dinner, maybe doing homework or maybe just goofing off. James still hasn't returned from the infirmary, but the rest of the first years are all there. Let's see what they're up to!] [Start when you feel like it!] #06* Simmie is sitting at a table off to the side, working on her homework. a few extra pieces of straw-turned-needles sit next to her notes. [Fabian and Gideon are playing some kind of game that appears to involve much yelling and playful shoving. They're periodically distracted by glancing at the entrance to the commons room, though - and whenever one does it, the other does as well. Their game is therefore progressing rather unevenly. Rommy is sitting nearby, offering occasional mock-sarcastic commentary, but he, too, gives the door frequent worried glances.] #01 [Maggie's practicing transmutation some more, it seems, and now *she's* instructing Zoe a little bit. "See, we need to do it like this," she says, then swish and flicks her wand, the straw needle sharpening and turning metal. There's no needle hole as of yet, but Maggie is clearly improving.] #06* Simmie listens to Maggie and smiles quietly to herself. [Zoe frowns in concentration and tries again. She's been pretty distracted for most of the day, but she seems to be settling down and this time she gets it closer. "...oh, okay!" she says as her straw turns just a little bit more greyish.] #06* James steps into the common room just as Zoe finally manages to transform her needle a little bit. He looks physically fine outside of a bandage over his nose and a little discoloring around one eye. "Hi guys," he calls to his friends with a wave. [Gideon and Fabian abandon their game instantly and jump up to greet their friend. "James! You're alive! We thought we'd never see you again!"] [Rommy doesn't even roll his eyes at them. He hops up too and doesn't-quite- run to James to see how he's doing. It's not like James has never been injured in some of their other escapades, but...this time someone else did it to him.] [Zoe looks around at the commotion and spots James, and her eyes widen. She stands up so quickly that she nearly oversets her chair. Her practice straws are scattered. "Oh! He's back! I hope he's okay..." She wrings her hands but doesn't actually approach the group clumping around him.] #06* James rubs at the back of his head as the twins crowd him. "Yeah... Madame Pomfrey fixed me up. Mostly." He points out the bandage, and if one listens, he *is* speaking a bit nasally. "She said I'll heal okay." #01 Professor Sykes gave me detention, though. #06* Simmie looks up at Zoe, then follows her gaze to James and Company and nods. "i'm sure he will be fine" #01 [Maggie cranes her neck to see, but she doesn't say anything.] [Fabian and Gideon pull James back to where they were sitting in a cluster of comfortable armchairs around a low table. They saved a seat for him. Rommy follows along quietly, at least until he hears that, and then James is looking at three identically outraged faces. For once, Rommy's the first one to get a word out. "What! But she attacked you!" Then the Weasley twins chime in with "Yeah!" and "How is that fair?"] [Zoe bites her lip, as she can't quite hear what's going on - and from the ruckus, something is clearly going on. She edges closer.] #06* Simmie watches Zoe for a bit then looks at Maggie and shrugs. #06* James is pushed willingly into the chair, and when they ask, he waves his hands. "I don't know! I tried to tell him - she punched me, and I didn't even really do anything!" #01 We were just joking around! I bet she bribed Professor Sykes or something. Or blackmailed him. That'd be a Slytherin thing to do. [Rommy looks as if he's tasted something unpleasant and is trying to decide whether or not to spit it out. "Well, I dunno...I mean, she's a muggle-born, and a first-year too...I doubt she'd know anything to blackmail him with, or be able to bribe him..."] [Fabian and Gideon look rather shocked at this poor showing of support. "Well, there has to be *some* reason, it wasn't James's fault and he got detention anyway!"] #06* James rolls his eyes. "Yeah, but she's a *Slytherin*, and you know how they stick together." He grumps. "I just don't get it." #01 I thought Hufflepuffs were supposed to be nice. And fair. [Rommy thinks about it. "Maybe he didn't believe you? I mean, everyone was standing up in the way - maybe he didn't really see what happened. I dunno why he'd think you did anything, though."] [Zoe has edged her way up to a foot or two away from James' chair. She opens her mouth to ask something, and then gets flustered and stops, hovering anxiously and listening.] #06* James folds his arms, thinking. He doesn't seem to notice Zoe's hovering. "Yeah... he said he talked to her first. If she lied about it, I guess..." [Fabian and Gideon are suitably outraged. "He shouldn't take some Slytherin's word over yours!"] #01 I don't know! It's the only thing that makes any sense! #01 I didn't *do* anything, but I got detention anyway! #01 AND ten points off of Gryffindor. #06* James groans, flopping back in the chair. [Zoe pipes up, "That's okay, James. I'm sure you'll earn them back really fast!" And then she eeps as the entire group's eyes turn to her. But Gideon says enthusiastically, "Yeah! You'll get loads of points for Gryffindor, I bet. Just forget that girl, she's probably crazy anyway, attacking you like that in the middle of class."] #06* Simmie stops, hearing Zoe's voice and looks back up from her notes. she glances at Maggie to see if Maggie heard it, too. #06* James looks at Zoe with the rest of them, and then at Gideon's words, he looks to him and grins cockily. "Yeah, probably. She *was* pretty nuts." #01 [Maggie's found a good way to look around the guys crowding James. She hasn't really been working on her homework since they came in.] [Rommy nods agreement. "I can't believe she just jumped on you. I mean, just because you're better at transfiguration than she is..."] #01 Right? And then *I* get detention! [Zoe has apparently used up all of her temerity for the evening, because she's back to hovering. Now she's even blushing, though it's fading slowly as James turns away from her again.] [Rommy shrugs and says decidedly, "She's probably just jealous or something. Can't stand to see you doing better than her. Anyway, when've you got to do your detention?"] #06* Simmie leans over to Maggie, tapping softly on Maggie's book to get her attention. #06* James mutters, "Tomorrow." #01 [Maggie jumps a little, turning to look at Simmie. "Yeah?"] [This time Fabian is the one expressing group outrage. "Tomorrow?! Friday? Your first Friday at Hogwarts? That *really* isn't fair."] #01 Yeah. I have to report to Professor Sykes right after lunch, and then I'm stuck with him until *dinner*! #06* Simmie whispers softly. "is it just me, or is he overreacting just a bit?" #01 [Maggie looks at the boys, then turns to Simmie, and she responds just as quietly. "Maybe a little bit. Both kids almost always got detention at my old school if there was a fight. And they got letters to their parents."] really? #01 [Maggie nods.] i've... ive never seen a fight. not like that is there always blood? [James' friends commiserate with him for a bit, and then their conversation turns to other topics - like the latest broomsticks and the school Quidditch teams.] #01 [Maggie makes a face. "No. I never saw one with blood before."] #06* Simmie nods. #06* Maggie plays with one of the half-needle-half-straws a little bit. "It was pretty scary," she says, looking at it. #06* Simmie nods, remembering the scene. and the blood. she bites her lip nervously. #06* Maggie just pokes at the needle. Fortunately, it's not a full needle, so it doesn't hurt her; instead, it's rather springy. have you ever been in a fight? #06* Maggie nearly drops her needle. "No!" She pauses, looking around, but nobody reacted. Then she turns to Simmie. "Um, no. But my big brother got into some fights." #06* Simmie looks a bit surprised at Maggie's reaction. "oh... um... i'm sorry. i didn't mean to..." she looks worried. #01 It's okay. I just... I don't want anyone to think that *I* got into fights, too. no no... i... i was just curious. #06* Maggie nodnods. "I'd never. Even if... even if I did get sorted into Gryffindor, somehow." #06* Simmie looks at Maggie, still biting her lip. "somehow?" were you not expecting to be sorted Gryffindor? #06* Maggie shakes her head. "I didn't know what to expect." #01 But the hat said I could be brave. #06* Simmie nods. "i'm sure you can be! you didn't even scream when there was blood!" #01 Yeah, I guess. #06* Simmie looks down and blushes a bit. "unlike me." #06* Maggie smiles at Simmie. "It's okay. What's really important is doing things even when you're scared." #06* Simmie nods thoughtfully. "mummy and daddy always told me that" #01 That's what mine told me, too. #06* Simmie nods and smiles, trying not to tear up. #06* Simmie blinks a few times. #06* Maggie blinks at Simmie. #01 Are you okay? oh... um... sorry i miss them #06* Simmie absentmindedly touches her locket. "a lot" #06* Maggie looks confused, and then comprehension dawns. "Are they, um..." #01 Dead? #06* Simmie nods slowly, and then finally loses the fight to hold back her tears. #06* Simmie sits back in her chair and begins to cry. she tries to wipe her eyes as best she can so as not to make too much of a scene in the common room. #06* Maggie leans over, wrapping both arms around Simmie and giving her a big hug. #06* Simmie hugs Maggie and cries on her shoulder. "im sorry... i... *sob* miss..." the rest of the sentences gets muffled into Maggie's robe. #06* Maggie keeps hugging. "It's okay." #06* Simmie pulls back a bit, wipes her eyes and sniffles a bit before opening her locket and showing Maggie the pictures of her mummy and daddy smiling warmly and waving. they were cursebreakers. *sniff* and they... they always said that when i... #06* Maggie looks down at the locket, then back up while Simmie's talking. #06* Simmie begins to cry again, her voice quivvering a bit. "when i asked if they were scared" #06* Maggie nods, and she gives Simmie another hug. "I bet they were really brave." #06* Simmie nods, trying again to dry her eyes on her robe. "yeah... more than i am" #06* Maggie pulls back and smiles at Simmie. "Well, that's 'cause they had a lot more time to practice!" #06* Simmie blushes a bit and smiles. "i have to not scream at blood just because someone yells 'i do not' and hits someone in the face." she wipes away a few more tears from her warming cheeks #01 I dunno, nobody minded that you screamed. no? #01 No! Nobody said anything. well... no, i guess not #06* Maggie smiles again. you and i were with Zoe... James was mad and fumbling around with things on his desk i screamed... Rommy yelled... Gideon and Fabian... moving... #06* Maggie nods. #01 Yeah, and Zoe fell over. #06* Simmie sniffles a bit and bites her thumb as she thinks. "yeah, that's true. but a bit before... when Eliana ran over to hit James and yelled at him that she didn't" #06* Maggie blinks. #01 Didn't what? cheat #06* Simmie looks at Maggie, taking her thumb out of her mouth and looking rather stunned. #06* Maggie 's eyes widen, and she just says, "Oh." he said she cheated that's why she was mad #01 Wow. Well, she... still shouldn't have punched him. #06* Maggie glances at James and Co., the twins now roughhousing. #06* Simmie nods and looks over at James and the boys. "no... but it would explain why he got detention." #01 Yeah. i thought he was overreacting a bit #06* Simmie looks back at Maggie. "makes sense now" #06* Maggie nods. "Plus, almost everyone gets mad when they have to go to detention." #01 Like it's not supposed to be *fun*. really? did... did your brother get detention a lot for fighting? #06* Maggie looks down and fiddles with a needle-straw before. "He didn't get into a *lot* of fights, but yeah... he got detention every time." #06* Simmie turns her head slightly and looks at Maggie. "i... i didn't mean to imply he fought a lot. i just... i don't really know what it is" #01 What what is? detention #06* Simmie blushes slightly. #06* Maggie blinks. "Oh." #01 I don't know what it's like here? #01 But um, my brother said he just has to sit in a room with a teacher. Sometimes he has to write stuff. #06* Simmie nods. "oh. what kind of stuff?" like homework? #01 Yeah. #01 Or an apology. #06* Simmie bites her lip nervously again. "wow... um..." she starts looking a bit more worried. i... i think i've been in detention a lot, but i don't know what i did #01 Uh... did they *say* you were in detention? no... but i had to sit in a room with my Auntie doing homework... and she's a teacher #06* Maggie blinks, confused, then says, "If she didn't say you were in detention, I'm pretty sure she was just making sure you did your homework." #06* Simmie nods. but... hmm... okay... #06* Maggie smiles. "So don't worry about it!" #06* Simmie smiles. okay #01 So, um... here. #06* Maggie points out a paragraph in their book. "Do you know what they mean by this?" #01 Because I really don't get it. #06* Simmie looks at the passage in the book. "oh... yeah. its not too bad. here, let me show you" #01 [End!]