Homesick on Teppenpaw Commons

Eris Ackart

September 17, 2012 10:06 AM

Homesick by Eris Ackart

It had been a very trying couple of weeks; Eris Ackart had been uprooted from the home she’d known all her life, forced to leave her friends and school behind, and was relocated to a different country, in a location with a drastically different climate. Her mother had been moping about the new house, bursting in to tears each time she met eyes with her daughter, and made a rather grand spectacle of herself as Eris set off for school in Sonora’s covered wagons. Eris was glad for the distance between her mother and herself—she wasn’t sure how many more damp hugs she could handle. Yes, the move had been hard on the entire family, but were it not for her mother insisting, they’d still be in England.

Upon Eris’ arrival to the castle, Hermes was sent off to the owlry, she was sorted into her new house, and she spent the next hour trying to memorize the jig that would let her into the Teppenpaw common room. Clearly, her artistic skills lie not in the art of dance. When she finally made it in, the third year was exhausted. She adjusted her duffle bag on her shoulder and let her chocolate brown eyes take in her new yellow and maroon surroundings.

The castle itself was nice enough, and the common room seemed cozy. Her gaze settled upon a window on the other side of the room, and her heart fluttered at the sight of rolling emerald hills. She ran over to it, momentarily forgetting where she was. It was only when she tried to open it that she realized it was enchanted. She should have known, after all, she was smack dab in the middle of the desert now. Eris pulled a chair up to the window, and sat down, the dull ache of loneliness settling once again in her heart.

She’d only been to Ireland a handful of times on holiday, but she would have gladly settled for it now. It wasn’t England, but it wasn’t Sonora either. She knew she had to get over that at some point; this was her home for now. Soon, she hoped, she’d be in class and learning so much and meeting so many new people that she wouldn’t care where she was. The 13 year old was on the verge of crying when she heard the door to the common room open. Wiping a few rouge tears from her cheeks, Eris turned to face the door.

“H-hello…” She tried, with a friendly smile.

0 Eris Ackart Homesick 0 Eris Ackart 1 5

Michael Grosvenor

September 19, 2012 10:10 AM

I prescribe making friends by Michael Grosvenor

There was a new girl who seemed rather too big to be a first year. There had been transfer students before, and so that was very probably what she was. Maxamillian hadn't exactly set a positive precedent when it came to such people but Michael didn't really think he was representative. The fact that this new girl was in his house meant both that he should try to be nice to her and that she herself was probably quite nice, otherwise she would have been sorted elsewhere.

Michael was returning from a late dinner – he tried to hit the hall at off-peak times in order to get a bit of peace and quiet (sometimes, when he failed to manage this, he resorted to taking his food outside to get away from the racket) when he found the new girl on her own. She turned from her position seated by the window as he came in. He smiled and headed in her direction. Being new was hard. He had found it hard enough when he wasn't alone, amongst his age group, in being new, so he wanted to make life easier on her, if he could. He tried to suss out how old she was. Maybe his year, maybe a little younger. It was hard to figure it out with girls because they were mostly smaller than him even when they were his age, so he couldn't really equate 'smaller than me' with 'younger than me.'

“Hi,” he returned her greeting, doing his best not to look in any way frightening. He was fairly sure that – with his wavy sandy hair and freckled nose – he couldn't look alarming, even if he tried but it was funny the sorts of tricks your brain could play on you when you were feeling unsure about things. Michael wasn't sure how confident the new girl was feeling. If it was him, he would have been feeling pretty terrified, he reckoned. She was giving him a friendly smile but her eyes looked kind of sad. “Are you ok?” he asked. It wasn't exactly the typical order of conversation but he'd come over because he was concerned that she might not be. They could do introductions later.

13 Michael Grosvenor I prescribe making friends 199 Michael Grosvenor 0 5

Eris

September 19, 2012 10:51 PM

That might be just what the doctor ordered by Eris

As the boy drew closer, Eris could feel her pulse quicken. She wasn’t afraid, really, but she half expected to be identified as an imposter and tossed out the door—something she really dreaded thinking about, considering how long it had taken her to get into the common room to begin with. She was wearing the forest green robes of her new school though, so hopefully he’d give her a chance before kicking her out. What Eris wasn’t expecting was the way the boy actually responded.

He genuinely seemed nice.

This wasn’t to say that she’d only experienced rude people. In fact, the staff members she’d encountered so far had all been quite lovely. She was just surprised someone she guessed to be around her age would be concerned about a total stranger. In a way, it was refreshing. Then again, she had said hello first, who knows what he might have done had she not opened the channel for dialog. He could have passed her by without a word--but he didn’t.

“I suppose in time I will be, thanks.” Eris replied in her native English accent. “I suppose that’s not entirely uncommon for new students though, is it?” The third year brushed a few stray strands of long chestnut brown hair back from her face and extended her hand toward her housemate.

“I’m Eris, Eris Ackart. Third year, English transfer, and cry baby.” She said with a smile.

0 Eris That might be just what the doctor ordered 0 Eris 0 5

Michael Grosvenor

September 21, 2012 4:00 PM

Just so we're clear, I'm not a professional by Michael Grosvenor

“Yeah, it really will,” Michael smiled, as the new girl said she'd be ok with time. “I was terrified when I started,” he stated before realising how that might sound, “But I had no reason to be – well, I kind of did but... I mean...” he sighed and tried to start again, “I have a hearing impairment,” everyone else in the school knew and it would make their conversation a lot easier if she did too, plus he'd got used to it being a fact rather than an issue, “And I was worried it'd be really difficult to fit in but then everyone here was really nice and now I think it's great here,” he smiled. He wasn't sure whether he'd made it sound more scary than it was, like there was good reason to be scared. He hoped not but he was a teenage boy – being articulate with his ideas was not exactly something he was programmed to do.

“Erissa?” he confirmed. He really hated names sometimes. The majority of speech was not visible on the lips and so you had to guess from context. Names could be absolutely anything, which made them fairly impossible. Doubly so in the wizarding world, where people seemed to have unusual names. Erissa Card seemed like a plausible name. “I'm Michael. Michael Grosvenor, forth year” he added. He wasn't really sure why she'd need to know his surname. It was a kind of odd school in that he was the only Michael.

“You know, for a cry baby, you don't seem too soggy,” he said, pretending to inspect her cheeks. He guessed she could have been crying and was worried it showed but it really didn't. If she hadn't said anything, he would have been none the wiser. “Is anything in particular bugging you or just...” he waved his hands vaguely at the surrounding room, “all of it,” he summed up.

13 Michael Grosvenor Just so we're clear, I'm not a professional 199 Michael Grosvenor 0 5

Eris Ackart

September 22, 2012 12:21 AM

I promise I won't sue for malpractice by Eris Ackart

The young girl was listening intently as her housemate explained about his experience with being a new kid at Sonora. She really appreciated the fact that he was trying so hard to make her feel comfortable; but the thing that really piqued her interest was when he revealed his hearing impairment. Eris was curious by nature—often to the point of being nosey. She meant well, however, and had all kinds of questions that came to mind. Had he been reading her lips this entire time? How much could he actually hear? Was he born that way, or did something happen to him? Wasn’t there some kind of spell that could restore his hearing? Or maybe, not that it mattered in her eyes, he was muggleborn and his parents didn’t know about mediwizards. Maybe he was content the way he was.

Under normal circumstances, she would have asked him about it. No-- she would have bombarded him with questions. Considering they’d only just met, she decided to lay off on the interrogation. Maybe down the road, when they got to know each other a little better (which she hoped they would), she could ask. Friendship always seemed to soften the blow of the verbal frenzy caused by Eris’ curiosity.
Her attention was drawn away from her inner turmoil for a moment by her housemate introducing himself and repeating her name to her. Before now, she’d never put much thought into how fast she spoke, and her name did seem to flow together rather easily so she couldn’t blame him for the mistake.

“It’s just Eris.” She said with a smile, hoping that the correction wouldn’t offend him. She actually didn’t mind the name Erissa, if that’s what he wanted to call her.
“And if everyone is as kind as you are, Michael, I think I’ll get on just fine.”

Eris couldn’t help but laugh at the older boys comment about her level of sogginess—something she hadn’t done in months. It felt good to laugh, and actually being happy again didn’t feel like it would be too far off now.

“I was just getting started. Who knows what kind of puddle you would have walked in on had you waited fifteen minutes.“ Eris smiled. “ To be completely honest though, I’m homesick. So much has changed so quickly, I literally feel like a fish out of water. I know that everything is going to be fine, but this place is drastically different from home. It’s all a bit overwhelming.” The third year turned back to the window for a moment before rising from her chair, and turning back to face Michael. She felt slightly awkward sitting while he stood, and wasn’t really sure how to offer someone a seat in a room what was more home to him than it was to her.

“Are you from around here?”

0 Eris Ackart I promise I won't sue for malpractice 0 Eris Ackart 0 5

Michael Grosvenor

September 22, 2012 2:12 PM

Is it bad when new friends come with disclaimers? by Michael Grosvenor

“Oh, sorry,” Michael apologised, as the girl corrected him on her name, his cheeks turning slightly red. It wasn't really either person's fault – words tended to run together at a normal speaking speed and, unless the words were all ones that you knew it made it hard to work out where one ended and another began. He hoped he would be able to remember her name and not get it stuck in his head as Erissa. His blush deepened when she complimented him and he stuttered for a moment, not really sure how to take it.

“Thanks,” he managed after a moment. He'd got used to the idea that people here liked him but he still wasn't really used to taking compliments. “Also there's some clubs and stuff. I mean, there's Quidditch too but if you're not into that, there are some clubs – like baking and books, I think – so there are a few ways to try to meet people too.

“Overwhelming is a good word for it,” he nodded sympathetically. “Or for new things in general,” certainly that was how he felt about them. He was glad that he seemed to have cheered Eris up. Laughing rather than crying was definitely a good way to be. He was a little perplexed as she suddenly stood up and half wanted to assure her that she didn't need to stand just because he was. But then, if that hadn't been why she'd stood up, he might look silly and presumptive. “But sometimes it's in a good way... Like, the gardens and the library are really big and at first it seems daunting but it's also really cool and you never run out of places to go. I'm from nearer than you,” he replied to her question, he leant against the window sill to make himself a little more comfortable. “And from a fair few people here... I'm from Oregon, so just up the coast. But the climate here would be pretty different even if it wasn't magically controlled, plus I'm Muggleborn,” - there wasn't much point in keeping secrets that might make the other party hate you; if Eris had a problem, better that they found out now rather than further down the line. He doubted she did, as most people who were that bothered didn't engage in conversation with just anybody, “So it quite often feels like living on a different planet,” he grinned. That feeling had lessened over the years. Had lessened a lot, actually. Now, when he went home, things had started striking him as odd there. He guessed he was acclimatising. He wasn't really sure how to feel about that so had pushed it down and decided not to think about it too much. “So, where were you before and what was it like?” he asked. And why did you leave? he wondered. He guessed it usually took some pretty big upheaval to make someone move countries and that maybe that was a bit more of a personal question, so he refrained from asking. For now. Maybe he'd find out in due course.

13 Michael Grosvenor Is it bad when new friends come with disclaimers? 199 Michael Grosvenor 0 5

Eris Ackart

September 23, 2012 4:21 PM

Only if you're superstitious by Eris Ackart

Eris instantly felt awful when Michael apologized. Her initial response was to apologize for embarrassing him, which she assumed she did considering the new hue on his cheeks. Then she imagined they’d get caught in the never ending cycle of apologies which she often did—apologizing for something that wasn’t anyone’s fault, then apologizing for apologizing to much and so on.

“No, really, it’s alright. It’s a weird name anyway.” She said with a smile, shrugging it off. She noticed Michael’s response to her compliment and couldn’t help but find it endearing, if not slightly adorable. However, it was when he mentioned Quidditch that her heart really jumped. She was well aware of the fact that it was an international sport, but somehow it never occurred to her that her new school would have a Quidditch team. Books and baking were great and all, but there was nothing quite as exciting as Quidditch.

“You lot play Quidditch? Why didn’t that cross my mind…” Eris smiled and shook her head at herself. She’d been so focused on the differences between Sonora and her old school that she hadn’t stopped to consider the similarities. As Michael explained more of the schools amenities, the third year began to feel more excited about her new surroundings. She’d assumed there was a library; as far as she knew, they were pretty much a staple in any educational facility. Gardens, however, were something she thought she’d left behind considering Arizona’s climate.
“Your gardens,” She started, shifting her weight from one foot to another. “They’re not all sagebrush and cacti, are they?”

Eris had a general idea of where Oregon was. It was the east coast of the United States that always confused her a little. After all, there were so many states crammed on that side of the country, you could fly for an hour and pass through three or four. The west, however, was easier to keep track of.

“Oregon, that’s the one with all the trees, right?” She asked. Eris laughed when Michael commented on Sonora feeling like another planet. She could definitely empathize with him on that one. She also had an idea of how things were for Muggleborns—at her old school at least. There were always pureblooded families that felt that muggleborns had no right to attend their schools and practice something that they considered to be their “ancient blood rite” or some nonsense. The Ackarts, however, disagreed with that mindset and were considered blood traitors by some of the more puritanical members of the wizarding community. They raised their children to treat everyone with the same kindness and respect, regardless of bloodlines. Eris, in particular, always found the muggle way of life terribly interesting.

“Just so we get this out of the way, your blood status doesn’t matter to me. Unless you’re a half breed, then I have questions. “Eris said with a smile. “I’m from England, Upper Flagley in Yorkshire, actually.” She started, wondering if Michael had been able to pick up on her accent. She still had so many questions for him bubbling inside of her, threatening to erupt. “It’s a small village in the northern part of the country. The skies are grey, and it’s constantly raining, but I loved it. The rolling green hills of English countryside are truly beautiful and loads of fun to explore. My old school was a grand castle, made of really old stones. It overlooked a massive lake on one side, and a forest on the other. Just a bit different from here.” Eris sighed, looking past Michael and out the enchanted window for a moment before bringing her attention back to her housemate.

“My dad worked for the Ministry, in the department for international magical cooperation. I don’t know all the details, of course, but he got transferred out here, and my lovely mum decided that it would be best to move house altogether, rather than be separated from dad. So, here I am.” She said with a shrug.

0 Eris Ackart Only if you're superstitious 0 Eris Ackart 0 5

Michael Grosvenor

September 25, 2012 5:40 PM

I'm not... Are you? by Michael Grosvenor

“That's one of the things you have to get used to in the wizarding world. Not that Muggles are entirely sane in that regard either,” he smiled, when Eris accepted his apologies over getting her name wrong, “And it's nice name too,” he added.

“It's not a desert... There are big hedges making a maze, with benches and statues and fountains,” he informed her, “But it's not.... not like a garden garden, y'know? It's got kind of dusty paths and lots of stone for decoration. I like it out there,” he added, as he wasn't really sure how else he could describe the gardens in a nice way, and he wanted to make them seem as good as they were but not confuse Eris, who was probably used to quite a different landscape.

“It's pretty good for outdoor stuff,” he replied, when she asked about Oregon, “There's a bit of everything, including mountains, and my family hikes and camps a lot. It sounds like where you're from is really nice.” He vaguely added it to his list of possible places to go exploring with Laurie.

He was quite surprised when Eris came straight out and said she didn't have a problem with him. Normally continued conversation was the best indicator of there not being a problem. He'd thought British people were supposed to be all subtle and only show their emotions by delicately flicking their hair or adjusting their grip on their teacup or somesuch. He hadn't really expected a British person to be so blunt. But he welcomed it. Blunt was good. He hated trying to pick up subtly dropped hints, especially when it relied on picking up tone of voice, which was not one of his strengths.

“Good to know,” he smiled.

It sounded like the move hadn't been a traumatic cause but might have been a bit sudden.

“Had you moved a lot before? It sounds like a job that might involve moving a fair bit,” he ventured. Although he wasn't really sure what any proper grown up jobs entailed. “Is there much going on between English and American wizards that needs...co-operating” he asked, not sure that that was the verb for what a co-operation person did but it seemed to convey the point, “I think it's a pretty good relationship in the Muggle world. Like... their president comes and visits our president a lot... Politics was never my strong point before I stopped being around Muggle news for nine months of the year,” he shrugged apologetically, “Does there tend to be a lot of overlap with Muggle and Magic politics? Like, what goes on in one goes on in the other too?”

13 Michael Grosvenor I'm not... Are you? 199 Michael Grosvenor 0 5

Eris

September 26, 2012 12:09 AM

I make my own luck by Eris

“Thanks,” Eris said with a smile as Michael complimented her name. “I like yours too; Michael is a good, strong name.” She left out the part about it being her best mate’s father’s name, but she liked it none the less.

Her excitement dwindled slightly as Michael described the gardens. She was glad it wasn’t full of tumbleweeds and cacti as she imagined, but it didn’t sound exactly like what she’d been hoping for. However, as a matter of principle, but she’d make a point to visit them.

“York is lovely, but Oregon sounds brilliant!” The third year said excitedly. She loved the outdoors; and while the standard for muggle camping varied slightly from what she was used to, she imagined it would be just as fun. Plus, the Yorkshire Three Peaks weren’t exactly much compared to some of the mountains in the United States. She also couldn’t say that she’d ever been on a proper hike, but the prospect was intriguing.

“D’you have any siblings?” Eris asked, brushing her long dark hair back behind her ears. Her family never really did anything together, so she was interested in Michael’s family dynamic. She had decent relationships with her siblings, now anyway, but her father was always working and her oldest brother had a hard time relating to the girl. They’d spend holidays together, as was tradition, but they hadn’t been on a proper holiday in ages. Plus her mum was a bit of a nutter.

Eris considered sitting down again when the older boy asked about the move. Not because she was tired of standing, but she really didn’t like politics. They were exhausting. At least they were from the prospective of a 13 year old.

“I’d lived in the same house my entire life. Dad commuted, but England is a fair bit smaller than this country. I remember reading somewhere that the entire United Kingdom is about the size of your state, actually. Throw in floo networks, apparition, the loads of other modes of magical transport and you can get from Newcastle to Newquay in no time. “Eris said with a shrug. “Honestly, I don’t know much about the reasons behind the transfer. There must be something, or else we wouldn’t have moved.”

“... their president comes and visits our president a lot...”

Eris smiled as the conversation moved to Muggle politics, and her new friend made a rather American mistake-- England’s “president” was actually called the Prime Minister. She thought about correcting him, but didn’t want to risk embarrassing him again and instead turned her attention to his question.

“I can’t say I’m terribly bothered with politics myself, usually. Dad leaves most of his work at the office, but I know a little just from being around it. Most of the overlap is when something bad happens on the Wizarding side, and we need to let the Muggle leaders know so we can clean it up as quietly as possible. You know, with the whole secrecy thing and all. It’s kind of an “emergency use only” alliance.”

“Any other questions?” She asked with a grin as she reclaimed her chair.

0 Eris I make my own luck 0 Eris 0 5

Michael Grosvenor

September 26, 2012 10:37 AM

Good. We'd only end up arguing about what black cats mean by Michael Grosvenor

Michael wasn't quite sure what to make of being told he had a 'good, strong name.' Those sounded like positive qualities but it was still a little strange to hear it put like that. Maybe Eris meant that it was nice to meet people with normal names, every now and then.

“Thanks,” he smiled, a little more easily this time.

“I have a sister,” he nodded, “She's called Natalie and she's three years older than me. We get on pretty well,” he smiled, a very genuine, warm smile that maybe indicated his feelings about his sister were more than 'she's ok.' Nat was good at giving advice and it didn't seem scary to go to her the same way it might to one of his parents. When he'd been worried about his hearing impairment and getting stressed about hiding it, it was Natalie he'd talked to. He'd known that if he'd talked to his mum, she would have tried to give him advice but she'd also have been disappointed in him for not taking responsibility for himself, like not sitting up the front in class, like he should have done. She'd get all worried and... parenty about it. Nat just listened and helped him figure out what to do. “But she's not magical, so she goes to the reg- the school at home,” he corrected himself. He still sometimes called the stuff at home 'normal' or 'regular.' He didn't mean it in a negative way against wizarding stuff but, being someone who was not 'normal,' he knew how negative it could come across to imply something or someone wasn't. “How about you?” he asked, trying to think whether he'd noticed any other kids who might be transfers. He didn't think he had but maybe Eris had siblings who were much older or was the eldest herself.

He nodded as she talked about England and commuting. He wasn't sure where either Newcastle or Newquay were but he guessed from context that they were quite far apart. He'd often wondered about the whole wizarding travel thing, and whether it meant that life was a lot less restricted, or whether there were charges for travelling around that meant, practically, people didn't do “impossible” journeys. He guessed that explained it a bit. They could easily go further. In England, at least. Or Eris' dad earnt a lot so it didn't matter. His job did sound like it was quite important. He continued to nod along as she talked about the wizarding and Muggle governments only getting together in crises. He had more meant did wizard politics and Muggle politics have similar alliances. Like, in Muggle politics, England and America had a strong alliance, and there was trouble between them and... whichever countries it was they'd gone to war with. He wondered whether it was the same in the wizard world, or did they have completely different alliances and enemies? But Eris didn't seem like she followed too closely and he wasn't really bothered enough to get into it in detail.

“Nah, I reckon it's never going to be my expert subject,” he shook his head. “What about you? What do you like?” he sort of meant school-wise, although politics wasn't really a school subject and they had discussed their mutual (dis)interest in that, so he thought that left Eris open to interpret the question broadly if she chose to.

13 Michael Grosvenor Good. We'd only end up arguing about what black cats mean 199 Michael Grosvenor 0 5

Eris Ackart

September 27, 2012 10:29 AM

Or broken mirrors by Eris Ackart

“I have three older brothers: Alec, Leander, and Darius. They’re all on to University though, and don’t live at home anymore, so they didn’t make the move over with the rest of us. We get on well enough, but we’re not terribly close. Bit hard for them to relate to a 13 year old girl I guess.” Eris said with a shrug. She’d always been considered one of the boys by her brothers when she was younger, but as she grew, so did the distance between them. They were off starting careers and maybe thinking about starting families, and she was worried about midterms and just starting to really notice boys. There wasn’t much common ground these days, save for shared blood and a love of Quidditch.

When Eris started her first year, two of her brothers still attended her school which made it an easy transition for the girl. They’d been helpful with spells and homework, and helped her get through the initial bout of homesickness. She couldn’t imagine how thing would have been without them, so her heart ached a little for Michael. Not only did he go to a different school from his sister, but the content of his education varied drastically.

“That must be hard, not having your sister around. Are you the only wizard in your family then? No cousins, or distant uncles or anything?” She asked. Eris had been around magic her entire life, as far as she knew, everyone in her family had a degree of the ability. Except maybe Mad Cousin Alice. No one could really pinpoint if she was a Squib or not considering how mental that one was.

To be the only wizard in your family had to have been a very lonely position, as far as Eris was concerned.

The small frown that had formed on Eris’ lips changed back in to a smile as he changed the subject away from politics. She was glad he wasn’t planning on going into it professionally; she’d rarely met one of her father’s colleagues that she could stand. They were all so—smarmy. She had a good feeling about Michael though.

“What do I like…” She repeated with a smile, tapping her index finger on the side of her chin as she decided how to answer. She was sure that the list of things she didn’t like would have been much shorter, but narrowed it down to the top few things she loved.

“Flying; and being outside in general, particularly being by large bodies of water-- though I’m not a huge swimmer. Quidditch is also pretty great. Any class where you get to use magic, but mostly charms—Muggle studies is fun too. I’m decent at drawing, but painting is much more fun because you get to make a massive mess and label it ‘art’. I love exploring and finding new places, and things—which I’m sure is a bit of a surprise considering how glum I’ve been. Aaaand Dessert is my favorite meal.” Eris finished, a pink hue playing upon her cheeks as she realized just how long winded and silly she probably sounded. She pulled her legs up into the chair with her and hugged them to her chest, resting her chin atop her knees.

“Your turn.”

0 Eris Ackart Or broken mirrors 0 Eris Ackart 0 5

Michael Grosvenor

September 27, 2012 2:52 PM

Do they mean different things on opposite sides of the Pond? by Michael Grosvenor

Michael nodded as Eris explained about her brothers. It seemed a bit of a shame that she didn't have anyone around her own age but he guessed that was what friends were for. Being close in age was no guarantee siblings would get on anyway and it sounded like they were happy enough.

“I'd never really thought about it. Does that happen a lot?” he asked when Eris asked whether he was really the absolutely only one with magic in his family. He thought there were a couple of Muggleborn sisters in the school so he guessed it could run in families but clearly it could also not. He wasn't really sure which one was more common. He was sort of curious about where his magic had come from but not so much that he'd been motivated to crack a book on the subject. It seemed like it would be a pretty complicated subject plus there was the possibility that a lot of people who had written on it came from old families and would present the world according to them, which he doubted he was keen on reading. “It'd be kind of hard to find out. It's not like you go around telling all your distant cousins you're a wizard. I mean, for starters they probably wouldn't believe you and there's that whole Keep it a Secret Law thing. It's not just something you can put in the family newsletter.”

He slouched against the window frame, listening with a smile as Eris managed to answer his question in astonishing detail and be funny at the same time. When she turned the question back on him, his mind went kind of blank. He was tempted to cop out with a 'I don't know really' but Eris had given him such a good answer that it didn't really seem fair.

“Ok, dessert is good, if I'm allowed to copy,” he grinned, speaking slowly and clearly wracking his brains for an answer. She'd touched on school so he did so too. “I like Potions. Not that I mind the wand stuff but it usually gets a bit chaotic with everyone casting spells at once. Potions is a bit more calm and I like that,” he listed, worrying that made him sound a bit dull, “It's just easier on me – when there's a lot going on at once, or a lot of background noise, it's harder to pick out what one person is saying,” he tried explaining. “I never really tried music or sports a lot at my other school. I guess I just carried that on out of habit when I got here...” he was so far managing to think of things he didn't like or didn't do and thought he might be coming across as a bit dull. But he didn't really do much. Being at Sonora was strange and different enough, and just hanging out and having friends. He'd never really felt like he wasn't packing his life with lots of enriching experiences because both of those were interesting enough to him. Plus he did need time in quiet places to chill out in between things. “But I do like outdoors and hiking,” he said, even though he had covered that already really, “And I watch the Quidditch....” he decided to just come clean and laugh at himself, “I guess you caught me. Apparently I do nothing. I study, I hang out with my friends. That takes up a reasonable amount of time. If you like drawing and stuff you should go to the MARS rooms. They have one for art, one for music, one for dance and one for swimming. Or maybe for staring at lakes, if that's what you prefer to do with them,” he smiled.

13 Michael Grosvenor Do they mean different things on opposite sides of the Pond? 199 Michael Grosvenor 0 5

Eris Ackart

September 28, 2012 9:32 AM

They definitely mean different things to wizards by Eris Ackart

“I guess I’ve never really thought about it either, but I’m sure you’re not the only person in the world to be born into a completely non-magic immediate family. I think it’s almost more exciting your way, I mean, to be randomly selected to be a wizard whereas others are the project of centuries of highly selective breeding. I just asked because you can do so many great things with your ability, it must be a bit lonely to not be able to share it with your family and friends outside of school.” Eris replied with a shrug.

She always felt that secrecy laws were a little silly when they pertained to one’s family; however, in hers, they expected you to be a witch or a wizard. She’d heard horrible stories about what happens to squibs in some of the older pureblooded families, and imagined that Muggleborns that confessed their abilities is some parts of the world would suffer a similar fate. Afterall, with the state of the Muggle world and all of their religious wars, how far were they actually from burning suspected witches at the stake? Eris shook her head to keep her thoughts from wandering too far into politics again—she really needed to stop that or else it might evolve into a genuine interest.

Eris listened intently as Michael began to answer his own question, only crinkling her nose slightly when he mentioned that he liked potions, which was arguable her worst subject. She understood the reasons behind it though—he explained them to her, anyway—and she couldn’t help but wonder if it was his hearing that kept him from participating in sports and music. He had indirectly answered one of her earlier questions, and she was beginning to feel comfortable enough to ask another. Maybe just one though. Or two.

“So you’re not just reading my lips then.” She started with a smile. “I was wondering about how you got on in classes, considering how loud they could get—sometimes I can’t even concentrate so I can’t imagine how it is for you. Is that also why you don’t play Quidditch? With the wind and the crowd it’s hard enough to hear your teammates as it is. How, exactly, do you hear? Is it a spell or something? Have you always had your impairment or did something happen? Can you…” Eris felt the heat of embarrassment rise into her cheeks. She’d finally gone and let the deluge of questions spill out of her mouth.

“Oh bugger…I’m so sorry, I hope I didn’t come off as insensitive. I was just—err—curious.”

0 Eris Ackart They definitely mean different things to wizards 0 Eris Ackart 0 5

Michael Grosvenor

September 28, 2012 6:19 PM

Really? by Michael Grosvenor

“It can be... Sometimes I feel like they're left out of things. It was really cool last year cos we had a school concert but not at the school, so everyone could come and my parents got to see some of school life. They seemed to really like it and I think it made it make a bit more sense to them,” his mum had definitely seemed really happy after his performance. Whether it made her get the whole magic thing, he didn't know, but she'd got the chance to be proud of him.

He was a little taken aback by Eris's slew of questions. None of it was really difficult to answer, they were the practical, day to day considerations of his life. Some of it he'd answered before – whether he was reading people's lips came up a fair bit when he was explaining to people how to help him understand them. Having a spot light shone on his hearing impairment wasn't anything that had really happened to him before but he found he didn't mind. Eris found it interesting. He wasn't sure he'd ever expected that. It was an inherent part of him and it came with lots of technicalities but he'd never thought that anyone might want to know all about it.

“No... I... you're not being insensitive. I don't think anyone's ever really been that interested before,” he smiled. Or, if they had, they hadn't asked. “Ok... No, I'm not just lipreading you but it helps, so no turning your head away or talking with your mouthful,” he grinned. “I have hearing aids. I don't know whether you have them normally in the wizarding world but they're what I was used to. They're electronic Muggle devices and when I found out that I was a wizard I went to see this guy who specialised in magical versions of Muggle technology and he... either made or provided ones that would work here,” he brushed his curly blond hair away from his ears to show Eris one of the little devices, “How I hear... I get everything boosted through my hearing aids. That means that people's voices are made loud enough that they're in the range which I can hear but they're not really good at tuning other things out. So if there's background noise, it can quickly drown other things out. I can read lips a bit, so I use that to help, especially if there is a lot of other noise around. Or I just bluff my way through, though I've got better at just telling people I'm not hearing and to just park it,” he grinned, “Sometimes, if it's really loud, I just switch them off. Class... I get by with a combination of those things. I sit down the front and if you notice that the classrooms echo less than you might expect, that's down to me. There's antireverb charms on the wall cos echoes are a pain in my backside. And yes, I was born with this. I... was that everything?” he asked. He wasn't sure he'd ever spoken so much about himself, and certainly not about his hearing impairment. It felt good to explain it to someone though. There were so many things other people just took for granted or didn't understand, like the fact that his hearing aids didn't just solve everything. It felt nice to educate someone on it. “I'm happy to answer anything you want – it's quite interesting explaining it to someone else,” he grinned, to let her know that it really wasn't bothering him, “Did you say you can't really hear when you play Quidditch?” he asked. When Eris had begun with 'Is that why you don't play Quidditch – with the wind and the crowd it's hard to hear your team mates,' and had assumed that she'd been talking about him. But then he thought she'd said 'as it is.' Which meant her. “When we had flying lessons, I ended up just switching my hearing aids off. All I got was wind noise and it's not nice to listen to and was over-riding everything else. I always figured that would be a problem...”

13 Michael Grosvenor Really? 199 Michael Grosvenor 0 5

Eris Ackart

September 30, 2012 7:19 PM

Black cats are good luck, and we have spells for the mirrors by Eris Ackart

Eris was surprised by how happy it made her that Michael’s parents got to see him perform in the school concert. She’d never done anything like that at her old school, but it seemed fun, and everyone—magical or not—was included.

“That’s really great, Michael. I’m sure it was nice for them to be able to see into this side a bit more. As mental as my own mum is, it’d still be hard if I couldn’t tell her about what was going on at school. I like Sonora already for including non-magic folk in things like that.”

She was also surprised by his reaction to all of her questions—he didn’t seem to mind. The thirteen year old was glad for that, after all, who would want to alienate their only ally in a place they were still unfamiliar with?

She smiled when he explained to her about lip reading and nodded in understanding. Eris hung on Michael’s every word as he answered her questions, letting her feet return to the floor so she could lean forward and get a better view of his hearing aids.

“Brilliant…” She said softly as he told her what they were and how they worked. “This, Muggle technology guy, he couldn’t put a spell on them to make them differentiate sounds a little better?” She asked, not sure if Michael could really answer it. She didn’t know a whole lot about medical magic as it was, let alone the complexities of the human ear and hearing.

“Also, do you sleep with those things in? Are they uncomfortable? “Eris wasn’t sure Michael knew what he was in for when he essentially invited her to ask more questions; which she definitely had. “When you do turn them off, can you hear anything?” Eris secretly thought that would be a nice feature to have in situations where she was getting yelled at, or her roommate was snoring but decided to leave those comments for herself.

“I’m really glad I didn’t upset you.” She added with a smile, shifting in her chair slightly. “I just…you’re really interesting, even if you don’t think so because you ‘don’t do anything.’”

“I guess paying attention and visual cues are a big part of Quidditch, but there are also a lot of verbal cues from your teammates. If a bludger is heading your way, and you have your back turned, someone will give you a shout and you can roll out of the way. There is a lot going on, so picking out which voices I need and which I don’t can be a challenge—particularly if you like to fly fast like I do.” Eris nodded when Michael told her about flying lessons. The sound of the wind wasn’t her favorite, and she didn’t want to imagine what it would be like amplified, so she couldn’t really blame him for switching off.

“Have you ever considered earmuffs?”

0 Eris Ackart Black cats are good luck, and we have spells for the mirrors 0 Eris Ackart 0 5

Michael Grosvenor

October 01, 2012 2:28 PM

Black cats are lucky in Britain too. by Michael Grosvenor

Michael smiled as Eris said she liked Sonora for being inclusive. He'd certainly met a lot of people who practised inclusive behaviour, which was definitely the important thing – after all, people who talked the talk but didn't walk the walk were no good – but he'd never met anyone who seemed to take a very active, outspoken stand on it. Maybe, however much she professed not to be interested, it was just something that came with having a political parent. He was a little concerned, and a little curious, when she called her mum mental but he didn't ask any further. In spite of the slew of questions Eris was throwing at him, he felt uncomfortable asking. And people often said stuff like that without meaning it literally.

“He... well, they do a bit,” he said, realising this meant he was backtracking a little on what he'd previously said. “Things are improving all the time. They differentiate better than they did ten or twenty years ago but they're still nowhere being able to mimic what an actual ear does. I... I kind of get the feeling, sometimes, that magic and Muggle things aren't that far apart.” This was his own private conclusion that he had been coming to over the years. Eris was so open to Muggle things that he didn't think she'd be offended by the suggestion. “Like, when a problem is complicated in the Muggle world, it seems to be complicated in the Magical world too. And people research and make improvements and come up with different solutions but neither of us is really further ahead than the other. Magic stuff's often a bit faster but... like, you can't just wave a wand and cure cancer, or make someone un-disabled.

“I don't sleep with them in. There's not much point. I reckon, if there was an emergency, I wouldn't be very likely to sleep through it. Like, if it was a fire, I'd smell it, or be aware of the general chaos, plus I hope my roommates would give me a shake if I didn't seem to be appreciating what was going on. And yeah, I can hear some things without them, so I'd probably be woken up by the alarm, same as everyone else, to be honest. It's... it's not that everything is quieter to me, which is what people often think. It's that the quietest thing I can hear is much louder. The cut off is different. So, with a really loud sound, it'll be just as loud as uncomfortable for me to listen to it as you. I can hear sounds above 50-something decibels,” Michael only knew this because it had been quoted to so often. He'd been shown the little chart with the different pictures at different volumes so often. It was rote-learnt, “So that's like... vacuum cleaners, dogs barking. Things that don't seem super loud but you wouldn't believe how much is quieter than that. Human speech is around.... less than that,” he shrugged. He couldn't remember the number exactly, just that it was lower than his hearing threshold.

“I'd be great at spotting the visual cues,” he smiled. Michael was pretty good at spotting small details, especially out of the corner of his eye. You just got used to compensating like that, “But I don't think I fancy not knowing a bludger is coming my way....” He hadn't ever seriously wanted to play Quidditch anyway, having always assumed it was something from which he was naturally excluded. He wondered, therefore, why he felt a little bit sad to have someone definitely close the door on it. He guessed, for all he'd assumed that he couldn't do it or wouldn't be welcome, Sonora had broken so many of those usual rules. He, quite often, could, or was welcome to. Doors firmly closing, even doors in which you weren't hugely interested, was never a feel-good moment. “I don't think earmuffs would help. For starters, they'd block a lot out, and second of all, hearing aids don't like things getting too close,” he waved his hand close to his ear to demonstrate the high pitched whine of feedback that occurred. Ordinarily, he hated if that happened. It attracted attention. It had probably got him a few stares from the rest of the common room now. But Eris was interested. That was enough to move him past embarrassment about it.

13 Michael Grosvenor Black cats are lucky in Britain too. 199 Michael Grosvenor 0 5

Eris Ackart

October 01, 2012 11:04 PM

My patronus is a cat by Eris Ackart

“You know, I never thought about it that way.” Eris said, cocking her head to the side slightly as the magnitude of Michael’s comment really hit her.

“I think sometimes we focus so intensely on the differences that we forget that at the end of the day, Muggles and Wizards aren’t really that different. They each have their strengths and weaknesses, but like you said, there are somethings even magic isn’t capable of. Muggles have been to space, Wizards haven’t. Sure we can regrow bones, but Muggles are starting to regrow body parts as well. This is exactly why we should work together—both magic and non. Can you imagine what we could do?”

Her attention shifted back to the topic at hand, Michael’s hearing.

“Yeah, I guess you wouldn’t really need to hear while you sleep. If anything, that probably helps you sleep better.” She said with a smile. While she admittedly knew very little about hearing impairments, Eris was surprised to hear that Michael could hear things of a certain decibel level. Any type of alarm that was set to signal an emergency would most likely to be louder than a dog barking, but Eris made a mental to note to make sure that Michael was present during any type of evacuation—or she’d go wake him. That is, of course, if the dormitories were like those of her old school and could sense your intent.

“I didn’t realize it all worked that way. And you’re right, those things aren’t super loud…but to not be able to hear things quieter than that…You’ve definitely made me realize I’ve been taking my hearing for granted.”

Eris laughed at Michael’s comment about the bludgers, and couldn’t blame him, really. She couldn’t help but think that he might make a good keeper, since they only really have to face on direction, and the flying was minimal.

“That makes sense…do you have super keen vision, and what not to make up for your lack of hearing? I promise I’m almost done with the questions. I’m scraping the barrel now.” She said with a smile.

“Oooh…does it hurt your ears when they do that?” Eris asked, grimacing slightly at the feedback sound Michael elicited from his hearing aids. “It doesn’t bother me, so forgive my face, but in your ear…I can see why the earmuffs are no good.” The third year bit down on her bottom lip as another thought crossed her mind. If a hand that close to his ears made his hearing aids squeal, she could only imagine what it would be like to hug someone.

“Does that mean you’re not much of a hugger then?”

0 Eris Ackart My patronus is a cat 0 Eris Ackart 0 5

Michael Grosvenor

October 02, 2012 2:02 PM

I can't remember what I put for that.... by Michael Grosvenor

Michael was a little worried when Eris said that she'd never thought about things that way. He worried whether that meant it wasn't a very good idea but then Eris seemed to make some positive comments about it.

“You can regrow bones?” he gaped in astonishment. The fact that Muggles could regrow limbs was also news to him. He wondered whether Eris was right about that or whether she had misunderstood something but he decided not to question it. “Wait, why would you need to regrow bones?” he asked, trying to envisage a situation where that would be necessary. A whole limb, sure. Those got lost. But just the bones?

He was a bit surprised when Eris mentioned that he'd opened up her eyes to taking her hearing for granted. He hadn't really meant to do that. Not that it was a bad thing, really, that he'd made her more aware but he'd never really thought that telling someone about his hearing aids would have that profound an impact on them. He couldn't really think of anything to say to that, so he didn't.

“Yeah, vision is my special superpower,” he nodded, when she asked if his other senses were more keen to make up for his hearing impairment. “I... that one hasn't been explained to me in massive detail. I guess I just tend to notice things more easily, especially in my peripheral vision, cos I'm used to trying to pick up on visual cues. So, if I see someone start to talk out of the corner of my eye, I can turn around and make sure I'm paying proper attention. And I got the coach to do sparks at our flying lessons if she needed to get everyone's attention.

“It... well, I wouldn't want to listen to it all day and it startles you a bit. I guess it does kind of hurt but it's a noise that you get used to hearing, so I don't find it a massive issue. I... I know I said I haven't ever been asked much about it but that is an utterly original question,” he said, his slight surprise dissolving into a grin when Eris asked him about being huggy. “I don't know... I mean, my family hugs. I guess they've just got used to making sure they don't go by my ears. Maybe they go for the shoulders more?” he asked, trying to figure out the logistics of what a non-whistly hug would involve. He hadn't really had to think about it before and so couldn't quite picture how it happened. “And it would work with someone shorter than me...” he pondered, “I mean, if someone threw their arms around my neck, it would make it go off, but if someone was that pleased to see me, it'd probably be worth it,” he grinned. He was fairly sure that had happened with Laurie when they'd made up last year. He'd been so bowled over by the gesture that he hadn't really cared. “Are you?” he asked, somewhat reflexively, as it was fairly usual to return the questions you were asked. It was only after he'd said it that he realised it might be a little odd.

13 Michael Grosvenor I can't remember what I put for that.... 199 Michael Grosvenor 0 5

Eris Ackart

October 03, 2012 12:55 AM

Peace, hugs, and skele-gro by Eris Ackart

Eris laughed at how surprised Michael was at her comment about re-growing bones. Not in a demeaning way, she just thought it was—cute. She’d never had to regrow them, and it wasn’t the most pleasant experience, but it was possible. She’d watched her brother Leander break his arm, and remembered the sound of his screams as they administered the skele-gro to mend his appendage.

“Of course we can grow bones! Sometimes magic goes terribly wrong, and bones can vanish. It doesn’t happen often, but there is an absolutely dreadful potion called skele-gro that regrows your bones. It’s an excruciatingly painful process, but in the end you have your bones back.” Eris said, wrinkling her nose a little at the horror of it all. “Plus it’s used for healing breaks and the like rather quickly. Unless something is damaged from the start, or cursed off, it’s usually pretty undoable. Usually being the keyword.”

“I imagine super sight would be one of the better super senses to have. Probably the best, actually. I can’t imagine super taste buds would do you much good outside of dessert.” Eris said with a smile. “And you know, your hawk eyes would likely give you an advantage as a keeper… should you ever feel like giving Quidditch a go.” She added, not wanting to pressure him into trying something he wasn’t really interested in, but simply making an observation.

Eris was relieved to learn that while the feedback wasn’t pleasant, it didn’t bother him terribly—well, he’d gotten used to it at least. She didn’t figure there were many other options; deal with the quirks of hearing aids or live with the volume off.

She laughed a little as Michael so thoroughly answered her hug question. She had mainly been thinking of the mechanics of it all when she asked, and hadn’t considered the different ways that you could hug someone. There was always the squeeze around your middle hug, the one armed side hug, the wimpy one handed pat on the back hug, and so on, but Eris was more the arms around your neck hugger. At least that was what she was thinking about when she asked. She nodded along as Michael worked his way through her question, and couldn’t keep the smile off of her face.

The third year wasn’t expecting him to flip the question back on her, however. She felt her cheeks redden slightly as she thought about how to answer. She hadn’t been thinking of hugging Michael initially, but she definitely was now.

“Of course not, I am British afterall.” She managed in a mostly straight face before cracking into a smile. “Only joking. I have been known to enjoy a good cuddle every now and again."

0 Eris Ackart Peace, hugs, and skele-gro 0 Eris Ackart 0 5

Michael Grosvenor

October 04, 2012 2:00 PM

Can I just opt for the first two? by Michael Grosvenor

“Ew,” was Michael's immediate response to the thought of vanishing and regrowing bones. He then found himself fervently hoping Eris didn't think he was a wuss for reacting like that. He wasn't really particularly squeamish, and had developed a certain level of tolerance for strange and disconcerting things cropping up in the wizarding world, but the thought of bones vanishing was very weird and rather a lot to expect someone to come to terms with and 'ew' seemed to sum that up reasonably well. “So, ok, Muggles can't do everything wizards do but maybe some of the time that's because we don't need to...” He said it with a bit of a smile, so that Eris would know he wasn't trying to disparage wizards. He was sure there were horrible things Muggles did to each other too that wizards didn't. Gunshot wounds. There was probably not a spell for healing gunshot wounds, also out of lack of necessity.

“Maybe...” he nodded, as she said he might do well as a Keeper. He knew his sight would help him with Seeker too but, although they had the advantage of not needing to talk to other players, they were one of the most popular Bludger targets, so he'd ruled that out. Keeper might be ok... He shrugged. “I dunno” No one really knew until they tried and he wouldn't either. But, whilst the idea idly ran around his head sometimes, the thought of actually doing something about it – and potentially having his face laughed in – was a different matter.

“Duly noted,” Michael nodded, as seriously as possible, when Eris mentioned her British reserve, “I shall be sure to greet you, depart from you or express congratulations and the like by a firm shake of the hand.”

13 Michael Grosvenor Can I just opt for the first two? 199 Michael Grosvenor 0 5

Eris Ackart

October 05, 2012 9:33 AM

Of course by Eris Ackart

“You mean to tell me you lot don't have horrible accidents in which your bones just...vanish?” Eris asked in jest. His initial reaction wasn’t surprising; the prospect of a gooey limb made the young girl’s stomach turn as it was, so the entire bone growing process wasn’t exactly appealing either. Michael was right, however. There were definitely things that each had that the other wouldn't need. Wizards didn't need cleaning supplies either and she couldn't imagine that Muggles spent nearly as much on owl pellets or broomstick care kits.

It was still fun to learn about all the differences though, and they had barely started to discuss all of the cultural differences. Eris hoped that she'd have the opportunity to learn more from Michael--especially if that meant getting to spend more time with him.

She decided not to say anything more about the Quidditch. Eris didn't expect to have the exact same interests as her friends, but if he ever decided to give it a go, the third year would be more than happy to practice with him.

Eris wasn't quite sure what to make of Michael's comment about shaking her hand. She wouldn’t exactly mind, given that even though she was getting pretty comfortable with him, they still hadn’t known each other for more than a few hours. She guessed that handshakes were more appropriate in those situations, but she was steadily coming to consider Michael a friend—which were a rare commodity at Sonora as far as Eris was concerned.

“Oh, ok…I mean…if that’s what you’re comfortable with.” She managed, brushing her hair back behind her ears as she studied his face, still trying to deduce whether he was serious or not. She kind of hoped he wasn’t.

0 Eris Ackart Of course 0 Eris Ackart 0 5

Michael Grosvenor

October 07, 2012 5:10 AM

That's a relief by Michael Grosvenor

“Not that I recall. I can remember hearing some pretty baffling statistics – like the number of people who end up in the ER after woolly jumpy related accidents – but never vanishing bones.”

Eris did not pursue the topic of Quidditch. She didn't seem to be super keen and encouraging him to go for it so maybe she had just been trying to be nice before. Except that she had been oddly specific. If people were trying to be generally nice just for the sake of it they usually came up with things like 'Oh, I'm sure you could if you really wanted to...' or 'Well, you never know unless you try. You might surprise yourself.' Keeper.... He had never considered the specific practicalities of it before. Why it would, or would not, be better for him than any other position. He would let that tick over in his mind for a bit.

“No, I was only teasing you!” he exclaimed when Eris seemed to take his comment seriously. Honestly, who would be more comfortable with shaking hands? It was a bit... weird. Grown ups shook hands when they had meetings and stuff. It wasn't what friends did. He felt a little bad that she hadn't picked up that he was joking and she seemed... Was she disappointed? He considered giving her a quick hug to show he really hadn't meant it but she was sitting down and he was also worried that it might seem a bit odd. “I mean, yes, utterly serious,” he backtracked as he realised what her current posture leant itself to better. He didn't mind that he'd rather spoilt it by telling her already that he hadn't meant at, as he wouldn't want her to think that he did. Hamming it up as much as he was comfortable with (which was not a great deal but was still slightly different to his usual manner) to further underline the point, he extended his hand to her. “Miss Ackart, it was a pleasure to meet you,” he intoned.

13 Michael Grosvenor That's a relief 199 Michael Grosvenor 0 5

Eris Ackart

October 07, 2012 9:41 AM

I second that. by Eris Ackart

Eris was relieved when Michael revealed that he was, in fact, joking. She didn’t know why it had mattered to her that much, but she couldn’t help the sigh of relief that escaped her, or the smile that crept upon her face. She tended to be a little gullible around new people, but she was determined to figure out his sense of humor.

She laughed when he tried to repeal his previous statement and shook her head a little as he extended his hand to her. She was, however, impressed that he got her last name right—she wasn’t going to be referred to as Erissa Card after all.

“Well, I guess if we’re going to do this, I ought to do it properly.” She said, rising from her chair. Eris took his hand and shook it firmly. “It was lovely meeting you as well, Michael Grosvenor.” She said with a smile before strategically wrapping her arms around his shoulders, so as not to aggravate his hearing aids, and hugging him.

“Thank you for cheering me up.” Eris added, releasing her grip on Michael and taking a few steps backward. “I really should go; I haven’t even unpacked and I start classes tomorrow, but…I really hope to see you again.” Eris smiled and brushed her hair back before her ears before turning toward the stairway that would take her to the girl’s dormitory.

“Goodnight!” She added, cheerfully, looking over her shoulder at Michael once more before heading to her room. She’d made a friend on her first day. Things were definitely looking up.

0 Eris Ackart I second that. 0 Eris Ackart 0 5