Exhausted but getting Enthusiastic again on Cascade Hall

Headmaster Brockert

January 15, 2016 6:22 PM

Returning Feast by Headmaster Brockert

Another midterm had passed with dull parties and inane chatter and his own house, his sanctuary , filled to the brim with the irritating sound of children. He now had nine grandchildren, eight of them girls, ranging in ages from Amethyst, the baby at about a month old to her nine year old sister Emerald. In between them were their sisters Ruby, Topaz and Sapphire and their brother Jasper. Then there were Ben and Shannon's three girls, Allegra, Esme and Isla. Not to mention Mortimer's three other sons and their wives.

Okay, he'd admit to himself that he felt something that he assumed was love for his grandchildren but that didn't mean the noise level didn't get rather annoying. Especially when one was only capable of communicating by screaming and crying. Sometimes he envied his older brother Zachariah with only two grandchildren, one whom was thirteen and one whom was twelve. Owen and Angelique were way past the screaming and crying stage.

Anyway, now everyone was back at Sonora for the second half the year and he couldn't be happier to have an end to all the holiday crap. He stood to give his few remarks. "Welcome back to Sonora. Hopefully you all had a nice holiday." Yup, one more meaningless platitude after a season of them. At least he knew that was the case, some actually thought people meant things like that when it was really just politeness. A thing that was said automatically. Even shopkeepers said it to customers and everyone knew they certainly weren't thinking of the customer once the transaction was complete. Or vice versa. And Mortimer was doing the same thing, just saying it because it was customary.

"I'd also like to congratulate Teams Five and Fifteen on their first place tie on the Challenges after our first event." He might as well congratulate them. Even though he didn't really care who won these silly games any more than he did about who won Quidditch."The rest of the results are posted by the door"

Mortimer sat down, and food appeared. The students were free to eat and converse. He personally preferred the former.

Subthreads:

Time to make it count. (Tag Eleanor) by Leo Princeton with Eleanor Vandenberg, Nellie Vandenberg

Exhausted but getting Enthusiastic again by Natalie Varth, Tepp with Gabe Valenti

All good things must come to an end. by Alistair Johnson with Artemis Leithan

11 Headmaster Brockert Returning Feast 6 Headmaster Brockert 1 5

Leo Princeton

January 19, 2016 12:13 AM

Time to make it count. (Tag Eleanor) by Leo Princeton

The midterm had been deliciously wonderful this year. Leo had visited Rupert in Dorset again for the week of New Year’s Eve. The witch he’d been romancing was still there as well and Leo had rekindled their casual relationship during that week. It was nice to have the affections of someone when he’d hardly received any here or at home. He’d dreaded returning to Sonora, but it was his last term and he thought he could suffer through one more term and his RATS.

Returning to Sonora, however, meant that he was going to see a certain witch again. The thought brought about the most uncomfortable feelings in his body and Leo didn’t know how to understand them. His stomach hurt and his chest hurt and he couldn’t control his body temperature when he knew she was around. Leo grit his teeth as the wagon pulled into the entrance. As he stepped out, the brooding expression returned to his face. No matter how immaculate his clothing and his hair, his the frown dampened the aura around him.

As he approached the Crotalus table for his last returning feast, Leo didn’t bother sitting on his own or attempting to make idle conversation with an acquaintance. He sat right across from Eleanor Vandenberg and his brooding expression suddenly disappeared. “How be, Nellie?” he said casually in greeting though he felt like he was going to faint. Everything the Headmaster said went through one ear and out the other as Leo snuck surreptitious glances at her. Had she always been this attractive? His mouth felt dry and he knew sitting directly across from her had been a terrible idea. His ravenous appetite had suddenly dwindled considerably and he could hardly pick at a piece of a roll. He didn’t care about the teams Headmaster Brockert was talking about. Being a leader of a team had never appealed to him and whether his team was first or last hardly mattered.

“I’ve hardly seen you over the holidays since you moved to London,” said Leo conversationally, making eye contact briefly before meticulously picking apart his bread. “It’s been a while since we’ve caught up. How do you like London?”

It wasn’t a big deal sitting with her like this, really it wasn’t. He just hadn’t spoken with Eleanor in a long while, that’s why he was nervous. Obviously. It had nothing to do with his fervent staring at her in class or avoiding eye contact whenever they passed by each other in the corridor. However, if she were angry with him he would understand. After all, he’d practically avoided her since fourth year and even more so after she’d decided dating Tristan was a good idea. He just hoped she wouldn’t stay too angry with him for too long and would be her usual chatty self.

40 Leo Princeton Time to make it count. (Tag Eleanor) 263 Leo Princeton 0 5

Eleanor Vandenberg

January 22, 2016 4:11 PM

Suspicious by Eleanor Vandenberg

The challenges were a lot more distracting than Nellie had hoped. She had her classes to study hard for and RATS coming up. Prefect duties were also on her plate and she was very glad now that she hadn’t signed up for any clubs. She barely had time to socialize and see people especially this term with all of her responsibilities, university applications to send out, studying to do, and boys to woo. Eleanor was determined to leave Sonora this year with Tristan interested in her. If she were accepted to a university, then maybe she would ease up a little (there were a lot more wizards in university), but not until then. Even though things were so uncertain, she wouldn’t let the future scare her.

Eleanor enjoyed life in London and living in the same big city as her roommate. Making friends wasn't that easy since she didn't go to school in England like most of her peers there, but she was determined to keep up with the acquaintances she'd made over the break. In the pureblood circle, being ambitious was necessary especially in Nellie's shoes as an only child who came from not-so-rich parents.

She was expecting the usual feast to commence before she returned to her room stuffed and ready to make conversation with Charlotte. Instead she was surprised by Leo who sat down in front of her in the dining hall. He greeted her and the initial shock wore off as he continued to talk. After avoiding her for so long, why was he bothering to talk to her at all now?

Leo didn't seem to be someone who simply made conversation for conversation sake. He probably wanted help studying for his RATS or something. She was annoyed that her hopes came crashing down. It wasn’t like she wanted him to want her anymore, but of course, if he did things would be different. But he didn’t. Nellie didn’t want to believe that Leo had any feelings towards her except friendship. She didn’t want to get her hopes up and go chasing after him like some stupid lovesick girl again. Eleanor was a proper woman now, not a little kid.

There was a big part of her who wanted to ignore him and eat her food in peace. Nellie was mad at him for always just talking to her when he wanted something. She slopped mashed potatoes onto her plate stabbed her asparagus. "I like London," she said shortly. "It's a big city and there's always lots of things going on." Nellie contemplated for a second before coming out and saying it. "Why are you talking to me all of a sudden, Leo?" she asked. "If you need help with studying, I'm not going to help you."

19 Eleanor Vandenberg Suspicious 266 Eleanor Vandenberg 0 5

Natalie Varth, Tepp

January 22, 2016 7:13 PM

Exhausted but getting Enthusiastic again by Natalie Varth, Tepp

Natalie felt like putting her head down on the long table, curling her legs up to her on the bench, and retreating into herself as much as was physically possible. Magic was draining. In a few days she’d return to her usual, chipper self, full of vigor and competitive energy if not competence and she’d be able to simply get along with her classmates and fellow Teppenpaws. Well, she thought, I would be able to if t weren’t for these games. Nat wasn’t opposed to the games per se, she liked games and even more so if they were competitive in nature and involved teams, but she didn’t like feeling like an imbecile. When it came to magic she was falling behind very, very quickly.

She’d fallen sick the week they learned about werewolves in DADA which resulted in her being lost when it came to the next week’s assignment; she had no interest in being with the creatures in COMC and failed miserably with the interaction with them; she was of no help during the challenge to bring all the presents across in a sleigh, her teammates having had to prompt her to get the spell they supplied correctly. She was simply a terrible student right now. Nat promised herself it would only be at the beginning, that what she lacked in natural aptitude she’d make up for in hard work. She’d get through it.

So even though she felt like huddling up into a ball in the great hall she didn’t. Even without Medic Eir thoroughly cementing her decision to miss classes no further, she was going to study like no other muggle born witch had before. Sonora was an impressive place and she’d do it proud just as she would do her family proud. With renewed determination she turned to the person beside her and said, smiling “Hey there!”

7 Natalie Varth, Tepp Exhausted but getting Enthusiastic again 331 Natalie Varth, Tepp 0 5

Gabe Valenti

January 24, 2016 2:03 PM

Excited for new beginnings by Gabe Valenti

A funny thing happened on the way back to Sonora. Gabe had been home, packing the last of his things. Mattie was at his PSAT class, but his parents and his older sister Emma were home, along with his little cousins, Ari and Ellie. Dad was cooking dinner and packing some snacks for Gabe’s journey to school, Mom and the girls were watching some movie while Gabe finished packing.

But then Ellie had wanted to play hide-and-go-seek, and Gabe had been recruited, and soon all the children were scattered about the house. He’d chosen to hide in a hallway closet, until he’d heard giggling coming from his bedroom. Thinking the game was over, he’d opened the door, and his jaw dropped.

“Cool toy,” Ari exclaimed, a big smile spreading across the ten year-old’s face, “I want one. Where do you get it?”

The toy in question was a Snitch, now flying around the bedroom. His cousin, Arianna Valenti, had managed to turn it on. He was pretty sure only people with magic could do that. Did that mean-?

“In the boy’s section of the toy store, hun,” Mom smoothed over it easily, suddenly standing behind him, before turning to her younger son, “Gabriel, I thought you were packed by now.”

They said nothing of it, there was no more time. Dad gave him a box of treats, and it was time to go. The New Yorker had no idea how his Mom would handle this, what she would say to his Uncle Anthony and Aunt Trish, if anything. But the idea that he was not alone, that there was someone else in the family like him - even if it was girly, nerdy Arianna - that meant everything.

He was excited to share this information - and some of the treats - with his friends in Teppenpaw. While everyone he had met at school had been friendly, and learning about monsters and flying was way more interesting than Math and English, there was something about having a connection with home, with his family, that made it even better. It wasn’t fair that most kids from normal families were robbed of that, were made to feel alone. He wanted to do something about that, for the new kids next year, maybe even Arianna. So the kids handling magic for the very first time, without family to support them, knew that they weren’t alone. He wondered if his friends at school would be interested in that sort of thing, too.

“Hey Nat!” he exclaimed excitedly, happy to see his friend, “How was your break?” He grabbed some buffalo wings and tater tots to fill his plate. There was so much to talk about.

0 Gabe Valenti Excited for new beginnings 330 Gabe Valenti 0 5

Leo Princeton

January 28, 2016 3:58 PM

Why so serious? by Leo Princeton

When she looked at him Leo thought she looked upset. Nellie would go far in life, he thought. She was beautiful and intelligent and ambitious, would go to university and meet some idiotic pure-blood wizard to marry if blooming Tristan didn’t come through. Leo felt his insides twist at the thought of there being someone else and he didn’t know why. At least, he didn’t want to know why. The words, she’s only my friend, kept repeating in his head like a mantra.

When she spoke, Leo wasn’t really listening. Something about London, but she had the loveliest eyes and having her attention on him for once was lovely as well. There was loads going on in London, sure, but Leo didn’t really care. If she went on a tirade about how much she loved London he wouldn’t care. He had never really seen her in this light before. Their past conversations seemed to be a blur now with her here. Really, had she always been this lovely? Puberty must have done wonders for her.

But there was silence between them, silence that had run too long, and Leo blinked at her stupidly. Her words were slowly registering in his head. ”Why are you talking to me all of a sudden, Leo?” Very direct and he was taken off guard. ”If you need help with studying I’m not going to help you.”

“No, it’s not that,” said Leo quickly, shaking his head to emphasise his point. “I just wanted to have a chat, that’s all. No ulterior motives here.” Unless finding some alcove to snog her counted as an ulterior motive. “I wouldn’t expect you to study with me; I know we’ve hardly spoken these past several years, but I want to make amends before we graduate and go who knows where. In any case, I think I’ll do all right on my RATS. My exams fifth year were rather decent, but I’m not planning to attend university anyhow. If I have to make a living I know my father’s got plenty of connections.” Hard work had never been his forte and Leo couldn’t understand those who actually enjoyed working hard to learn tedious subjects and theories for no apparent reason. “If worse comes to worst, I suppose I could be a translator. That’d be easy work.” His love for languages wasn’t a secret or that he could speak four now rather well: English, French, Italian and Spanish.

“What are your plans for the future?” asked Leo. “You’re a brilliant witch; I’m sure you’ve got your sights on university. Do you?” His bread roll was in pieces now and he hadn’t the stomach to eat it. Leo instead poured himself a cup of tea and wrapped his fingers around it. He wouldn’t be sleeping much tonight.

40 Leo Princeton Why so serious? 263 Leo Princeton 0 5

Nat

January 29, 2016 1:12 AM

And continuing where we left off by Nat

“Hey, Gabe! Welcome back!” a grinning Natalie said. “Break was great- going home was great! Just when I had gotten homesick, apart from first coming here I mean, break came and POOF! Done with that!” Being physically sick had brought on memories of Marigold taking care of her, bringing her tea and soup, tucking her in bed, and reading Nat tales of adventure. The medic could relieve her symptoms but her help was far from close to being treated at home.

Once Nat had started thinking of home she’d missed everyone sorely. The fever had been both a blessing and a curse, for she was often too boggled to think of anything but when the fever broke enough to let her think she missed home and everyone there ten times more than she might’ve otherwise. “I’d missed them all so much but when I was there I missed everyone here. Weird, huh?

“Anyway, it was impossible to get any flying practice in at home but I’m proud to report that next year I’m confident I’ll make the team!” Nat cracked a larger grin than usual “We’ll be fully prepared, the sky will be our oyster! Who needs the world when there’s Quidditch? Jerry thought it sounded pretty cool but no one else was all that interested. Course they couldn’t be shown an example either, so they’ll come ‘round. Mom wasn’t originally thrilled with the idea of me playing a sport high off the ground but she’s also come ‘round.

“Other than it just being really nice being back home, seeing everyone, then missing everyone here there isn’t much to report. But what about you? How was your break? Any nice presents for Christmas?”

7 Nat And continuing where we left off 331 Nat 0 5

Alistair Johnson

February 03, 2016 1:18 PM

All good things must come to an end. by Alistair Johnson

Alistair had not been looking forward to the return to Sonora but his mother was right; it would do him good to have his mind taken off things. The midterm break had started out full of cheery, sociable festivities but ended on a very different note. In the days leading up to going back to school, Ali had been somewhat sulky and short-tempered and remained distant from the rest of his family. It hadn’t taken a genius to figure out the reason for his change of mood.

Following recent events Alistair had discovered a wider range of emotions inside of him than he’d previously believed existed, not that he would share such information with anyone. However, it was one particularly emotion that stood out more than any others. Anger. He knew that he’d put his reputation on the line by dating at such a young age, especially since the girl in question played Quidditch and didn’t seem to conform to a number of society’s expectations, but he had made the decision that she was worth it. But now anyone who had doubted his relationship had just been proved right. Alistair was never wrong… Only current evidence clearly suggested the contrary. Besides this angry position of his, the thirteen year old couldn’t deny a feeling of loss. Not only had he broken up with his girlfriend but he’d also fallen out with one of his oldest and best friends and that was perhaps the saddest thing about the whole affair.

Although he was still feeling gloomy, the last thing Alistair wanted was for people to think he actually cared about someone else that much. At least he had his pride intact, thanks to his quick acting. He hated to think about the situation he could have been in if he had let things lie for a while. He made sure not to look about the room when he took his seat at the Crotalus table. It wasn’t as though the young Quidditch Captain ever paid much attention to the rest of the school (aside from a select few people) but he was conscious of the possibilities of seeing Joella and that was certainly not what he needed right now.

Alistair was used to having a good head on him but there were so many burning questions running through his mind, mostly relating to the crumpled messy letter in his pocket. He didn’t want to think about the whole drama anymore but there seemed to be a constant battle going on in his brain that wouldn’t let up. He seemed to be mostly over the irrational melodramatic feelings and was unfortunately beginning to consider her side of the argument as actually possibly conceivable, much to his surprise.

“Sorry, did you say something?” The fact that the headmaster had finished speaking was only brought to Ali’s attention when his neighbour began to direct conversation at him. “Forgive me, I have a lot on my mind,” he added apologetically, ashamed of his uncharacteristically vacant behaviour. “Did you want something passing?”

8 Alistair Johnson All good things must come to an end. 306 Alistair Johnson 0 5

Gabe

February 04, 2016 3:47 AM

But making some changes by Gabe

Gabe didn’t mind all of Nat’s chatter, because it gave him time to devour his buffalo wings, and he was hungry. He was always hungry. Ma said not to worry about this, because he was very active, and still a growing boy after all. As for the first year himself, he saw no issues with his eating habits. Food was delicious. Why wouldn’t he want to eat all the time?

A small, knowing smile reluctantly spread across his face behind drips of barbeque sauce around his mouth. The boy reached for a nearby napkin, a casual defense. Her words resonated - too much - and filled his stomach with a sort of unpleasantness that was definitely not related to dinner. He didn’t like to talk about his feelings, particularly the not-happy ones. Oh, he’d make people laugh, he’d work hard to support a team, he’d even listen to his loved one’s own fears and frustrations, when the situation presented itself. But to say anything about himself, to place his own frustrations on somebody he cared about? That had to be the worst thing he could do.

Soon enough the conversation turned to Quidditch, as it often did with his friend, and Gabe was off the hook from sharing time, “Yeah? Well good,” he grinned genuinely, “‘Cause my plan is for both of us to make the team next year.” It was good to have a friend with the same goals as him, with the same (lack of) magical background as him. Somebody who enjoyed sports like him, but couldn’t explain a thing about it to his family at home, like him. It felt like being on a team, but for life stuff.

Maybe now wasn’t the time to tell Nat about the crazy awesome Starsweeper he’d gotten for Christmas. They had all semester to try it out.

“Well,” he observed, as he diligently but calmly attempted to turn his tater tots to mashed potatoes with his fork, “After this break, I’m pretty sure my little cousin Ari is gonna be a witch,” saying it out loud, making it real, was a lot more exciting than he thought it would be, and it showed in his voice, “And - she’s kinda a nerd - but it’ll be cool to have someone else that’s non-normal in the family,” he looked up from his potatoes, the Teppenpaw in him shining through, “And I wanna help her get used to all this stuff, look out for her, you know?” the words almost surprised him as he spoke, he’d never been a big idea guy, but this felt important, “All the new kids from normal families deserve to feel like they have a team.”

0 Gabe But making some changes 330 Gabe 0 5

Nat

February 04, 2016 5:21 PM

Pleasant ones allowed only by Nat

Having only foster siblings Nat wasn’t holding out hope for any of them to be witches or wizards. She didn’t feel superior because she was, but she did feel that it would make her able to protect them better, especially without their knowing. She certainly would have liked if they all came here, though Marigold would be lonely, but if they couldn’t all be here it was probably for the best that they all stayed together at home. They’d look out for each other. Gabe brought up the same point about his cousin Ari. Technically it didn’t have to do with her but she burst out grinning when Gabe announced his suspicions. Gabe continued to talk about the possibilities, Natalie nodding in agreement.

“Absolutely. Sonora is great but it’s big, even Teppenpaw is big. We’re pretty lucky to have made a friend in pretty much the same circumstances” Nat said, thinking how lucky she was to have Gabe on her team. “Figuring stuff out for yourself can be fun but it has been kind of hard and teams and friends always make things better. I’m sure Ari’ll have an easier time with you helping her.” The possibility that Ari might not be a witch in the end didn’t cross her mind. “And of course I’ll look out for her too!” If Ari was a Teppenpaw they could even have sleepovers. Everyone liked sleepovers.

“How much younger is your cousin?” Nat had made friends with most of her fellow first year Tepps, hadn’t yet met Artemis but planned to, and was planning to make more friends with other students now that she’d be more active in classes. Making friends came naturally, being cheerful was her default mood, but looking out for someone younger was even more so in her nature.

Natalie was finished with her entrée and moving onto dessert early. Pudding would have been considered an excellent substitute for dinner had it been up to Nat so she was more than ready to dig into the creamy vanilla substance.

7 Nat Pleasant ones allowed only 331 Nat 0 5

Gabe

February 09, 2016 1:26 AM

Think happy thoughts by Gabe

Gabe cleared his worries as he cleared his plate. You know, maybe there wasn’t so much to worry about, being a new kid in the magic world. First semester, he’d learned to fly. He was in the coolest, friendliest house, and on top of that he’d gotten along with just about everybody he met. And of course there was Nat, who was always on the same page as him. Maybe he’d gotten himself all worked up over nothing before. The world was a wonderful place on a full stomach. He really ought to grab some dessert, too.

“Well, actually, she’s ten, she’ll turn eleven a few weeks from now,” he admitted, his cheeks turning slightly red. Everybody in the Valenti family knew Arianna and Elisa as the Little Cousins. So what if Gabe was barely six months older than Ari? He had five older cousins on just his dad's side, not to mention two older siblings to think about. It was important to identify himself as Not the Baby of the Family. There was a hierarchy to think about.

It would be good, Gabe thought, for Ari to be friends with a girl like Nat. Of course he loved Ari, she was his cousin, but, she didn’t really like many of the same things that Gabe did. And she could be kind of a know-it-all, and bossy. On the other hand, Gabe did not envy the kid who even thought about messing with her little sister, Elisa. That was something you had to respect. She might not turn out to be a Teppenpaw, like Nat, but it would be cool if the girls became friends. If Nat could get her to chill out and relax a bit, Ari could possibly become his closest cousin.

“You know, kids from wizard families have their own parties and stuff,” he added, dark eyes scanning the table carefully for his next plate, “It would be cool if there were things for other kids, too.” Not that he wanted to make anybody feel left out. That didn’t seem fair. It was more that he wished that there were more events to make people feel included. The Challenges were meant to do that, and maybe they would feel more inclusive to him, if he wasn’t a first year and brand new to magic. What a project like this would take, Gabe wasn’t really sure. Planning was more up Ari’s alley. Or maybe Nat would know.

His eyes lit up when he discovered a platter of cookies, and he reached over to his left to grab them up. Chocolate chip, snickerdoodle, sugar cookies - there were so many options. Best to get to these before somebody else did.

“Cookies?” he offered his friend.

0 Gabe Think happy thoughts 330 Gabe 0 5

Nat

February 09, 2016 6:56 PM

Like we don't even need pixiedust to fly by Nat

“Well, actually, she’s ten, she’ll turn eleven a few weeks from now,” Gabe said, catching Nat off guard. She was practically their age! None of her siblings were that close in age to her and she didn’t have any cousins. How lucky he was to have such a close relative so close in age be similarly gifted with magic! Nat was surprised but delighted to hear it- hopefully Gabe didn’t feel homesick often but if he did having Ari around might be a nice counter measure. Having Gabe around as well as other friends helped Nat but having a cousin around but make it even easier. Not that she’d ever know.

Just tucking into her pudding, Gabe proffered a tray of cookies. Cookies. Cookies went so well with pudding. “Thanks!” she exclaimed, reaching for one with chocolate drizzled on top. It looked like the fanciest snickerdoodle she’d ever seen but, just like many of the things on the buffet table she couldn’t actually be sure of the flavor until she tried it. It was often a mystery but it was always delicious!

“Million dollar question-“Nat started to ask around a bite of cookie-pudding, “does she like Quidditch?” Nat was not thrilled that Quidditch had been cancelled this year but, as she’d thought to herself before, it had given her more time to practice the new hobby of flying. She had been flying on the pitch in most of her off time, occasionally using the MARS room to practice her throwing and aim. It definitely wasn’t the same as when she was on a broom in the beginning but it was definitely well worth doing. Her aim had definitely improved since using the MARS room. Now when she threw a quaffle when on a broom, it almost always went where she expected and when it didn’t she’d either been fairly close or had simply slipped. By now, as soon as the misshapen ball left her hand she pretty much knew if it was a good throw or not.

Playing with a bludger was trickier alone, though. You could be sure that bludgers would fly back, of course, but hitting them nearly continuously was tiring. She’d nearly been knocked off her borrowed broom every other time she hit it, and she’d only tried playing with them after she was confident flying. She shared her predicament with Gabe, tentatively asking if he’d help her beat it back and forth. If the bludger didn’t continuously fly back to her after she’d hit it but instead flew towards Gabe it might be more catch like than before. Then when he’d beat it back to her he could take a moment, and so forth. Realizing she’d never actually asked she turned to Gabe and said “Which position have you been practicing most? Do you know already which position you want to play next year?”

Nat hadn’t yet decided where she wanted to be. She supposed it would depend on which positions were actually available. Probably not keeper, they’d probably want a more seasoned player protecting the scoring area; beating was kind of fun but as of yet she wasn’t the best at it; surely they’d want a speedier player to be the seeker; that left being a chaser. Honestly that was where the most fun was for her, flying fast and more interaction. Being a seeker might be fun but she hadn’t even practiced with a snitch- despite having practiced alone thus far she didn’t think she’d really want the position that was most independent from the game and so hadn’t brought the most elusive of all the balls out of the case. If Gabe agreed to practice with her they could maybe take turns practicing keeping, though, that could be fun. Beating was also fun, just sort of tricky. Those balls were so strong and took a lot of power to hit. Still! Beating and Chasing were fun, keeping would surely be the same- the only position she didn’t want was the coveted position of seeker. It worked out perfectly. For now, while she was undecided, she’d practice those three positions.

7 Nat Like we don't even need pixiedust to fly 331 Nat 0 5

Nellie Vandenberg

February 12, 2016 9:00 PM

I wonder why... by Nellie Vandenberg

There were times when Nellie wondered if Leo Princeton was slow. He was staring at her with those eyes, eyes that flustered her when they looked like that. She had never seen him with this kind of expression before and it was really unnerving. It made her cheeks flush a little pink and she hoped she could pull it off as anger instead of...it was too embarrassing to say.

But it was her turn to blink at him when he told her that he had no ulterior motives. None whatsoever? That sounded too good to be true. Nellie was sure it wasn't, but she didn't know how else to react except to help herself to some food. Pasta was too fattening, bread had too many calories, fruits weren't good to eat in the evening...all that seemed good enough was the soup and salad. She served herself some chicken and rice soup and made herself a small side salad for now with lots of croutons.

Nellie could see Leo as a translator if he ever did any work, but she didn't say anything. She knew that he liked languages and that he knew a few. Of course, "easy" was always the important part for him.

"Yes, I'm applying to a few universities," she said, trying not to feel too flattered by his remark. "A couple in England, one in America, and three in Australia and New Zealand." Not that you would care, Nellie thought with a toss of her head. "I want to study either International Magical Relations or business management." She'd had dreams of being on the Wizengamot, but it was something she'd like to do when she was much older. For now, traveling and meeting new people was the most appealing future career. Of course, not nearly as appealing as living at home doing whatever she wanted with a rich, pure husband.

"Aren't you going to eat anything?" she asked, a little less angry now. "You ripped that bread into pieces." Nellie knew how long the wagon ride from England was and by the end she was usually starving.

0 Nellie Vandenberg I wonder why... 0 Nellie Vandenberg 0 5

Leo Princeton

February 13, 2016 3:27 AM

Being 'inciteful.' by Leo Princeton

Typical. It was typical that Eleanor was applying to loads of universities. However, he hadn’t expected her to want to study International Magical Relations or business. He’d always thought she’d go the way her parents did, studying healing or medicine or something of the sort. That only showed how distant they were these days. “I hope you get into one in England,” he said. “That way you’d be close to home—” and close to me. Leo stopped his sentence abruptly before he spewed out something that cheesy. “Not hungry,” he said, glad he’d left his bread alone for the time being. “I’ll just have some tea and go on to bed.”

Nellie was going to be successful and he was going to be some miserable, grumpy wizard. Leo hated comparing himself, but he knew the truth. She had her eyes set on brains and brawn, neither of which Leo possessed. That is, he had enough brains, but not the sort that one could bring home to mother. “You’ll do well, I’m sure. In university, that is, wherever you go.”

It would be a lie as well to say he wasn’t at least a little jealous, and he’d never been jealous of any one before, really. Leo had never wanted to be Cepheus, his eldest brother destined to take on their grandfather’s occupation and position as patriarch of the family. It was too much responsibility for someone like Leo to handle. Likewise he had never envied Rupert either. Rup was always on the edge of bringing the family to shame, but it was like he cared, really. Rupert had always wanted to leave home and now he finally had.

But sitting in front of Eleanor, a brilliant and lovely witch, he wished to be at least a bit successful in some way. He wanted others, someone like her, to look at him and commend him for his strengths. But what could he possibly show off to others and gain their praise? Speaking different languages and using charming phrases earned him a snog or two, but that didn’t really matter. Didn’t equal attending university, finding some beautiful brilliant partner and curing the world of mumblemumps or something of the like.

Leo let his eyes wander and as he looked down the Crotalus table, Spaulding came to mind and his anger flared. “You never asked me how my holiday was,” he said, resorting back to his cool, distant demeanour. If she could fool around publicly with Tristan, then he certainly wasn’t going to hide his romances. Leo was not going to be known as some poor, lonely wizard pining after a witch who fancied someone else. “During the summer I met a witch; two, actually, one in Dorset and another in Tuscany. I think I’m better-liked in Europe than here in America.” He scoffed. “Particularly at this school. I think I’m going to see the English witch once I go back home after graduation. But how are things going with Tristan? Plans to tie the knot yet?”

40 Leo Princeton Being 'inciteful.' 263 Leo Princeton 0 5

Gabe

February 15, 2016 12:36 AM

Oh yeah! That's convenient by Gabe

Natalie Varth was truly an innovator, and Gabe was impressed. Cookies plus pudding was an excellent idea, and the first year was surprised he hadn’t thought of it himself. He hoped his friend took imitation as a compliment, as he helped himself to some pudding as well. Crumbling up a chocolate chip cookie on top, he decided that he looked forward to another semester at Sonora.

“Dunno,” he admitted, as he appraised his dessert, “Ari doesn’t play a lot of sports, but she is competitive about stuff. She plays volleyball,” he added, remembering how she had demanded he practice with her during break. Uncle Anthony was an assistant principal at a fancy prep school in Manhattan, which meant the Little Cousins got to attend. This also meant that they were required to participate on school teams, and Arianna had chosen volleyball. Gabe was uncertain how dedicated she’d actually be to the sport, if it hadn’t been mandatory. Maybe if Gabe could show her how amazing it was to fly, how different it was from anything they knew growing up in the normal world, she’d have a change of heart. It would be cool to have a flying buddy over the summer.

“Not Beater, I don’t think,” he reasoned, adding, “I don’t think I could hit bludgers at people.” Not that he couldn’t physically, it was more the idea of it. Gabe sometimes wondered how Teppenpaw ever fielded enough people who wanted to play Beater, what with them being so friendly and all. What friendly person wanted to spend the whole game hitting stuff at others?

“I think Chaser would be fun, or Seeker,” he blushed slightly, knowing he didn’t meet the conventional physical attributes of being a Seeker, “I really like the speed, you know?” And hey, maybe his size could work out for him, it would be harder to knock a sturdier Seeker off of his broom. He loved flying for speed, and he loved practicing on the obstacle courses around the Pitch. Sometimes he would get charmed hoops out of the broom closet and practice maneuvering through and around them. Practice would be even better now, what with his new broom. His eyes lit up - how had he not told Nat about it yet?

“I got a Starsweeper twenty-one for Christmas!” he blurted out, dark eyes filled with excitement, “It is so cool! You need to try it!”

0 Gabe Oh yeah! That's convenient 330 Gabe 0 5

Nat

February 16, 2016 4:50 PM

And so, so, SO exciting. Go brooms! by Nat

As Nat and Gabe ate their cookies and pudding, conversing all the while, Nat grew aware of the fact that her mood had drastically improved since she had first sat down at the long table. Maybe good food and good company was the key to happiness. For her, anyway, it was possible.

Nat agreed that beating was less up her alley than other positions. She was surprised, though, by what followed. It wasn’t Gabe’s interest in possibly being seeker that surprised her but the blush that came over his face. How cute is that? she thought to herself, withholding comment in order not to embarrass her friend. “I think you’d make a great seeker” Nat encouraged her friend, “and I’m not just saying that, I honestly think you’d be great!” Though Gabe blushing was utterly charming she didn’t think it was warranted at all. “It wouldn’t be my cup of tea personally but I understand the appeal, especially the part about going fast, you’re absolutely right.”

Natalie could have gone on but she was interrupted by a very enthusiastic Gabe with great news. “A what!?” Usually she wasn’t at a loss for words but this took them right out of her. “Gabe, that’s amazing! And it’d be great for seeking!” Which was stronger, the excitement for him or for her, having permission to ride it and all, she couldn’t say. She wanted to ride it now. Right now. She had finished the last of the cookies and pudding a good two and a quarter minutes ago, she was ready. Or were you supposed to wait a half hour after eating before flying? “Thanks so much, Gabe!” she gushed, hugging him with uncharacteristic strength. “I’m looking forward to it!”

7 Nat And so, so, SO exciting. Go brooms! 331 Nat 0 5

Gabe

February 17, 2016 11:10 PM

Candy is good too by Gabe

It was an absolute relief that Nat didn’t laugh at him. Even Mattie - his big brother - might have questioned Gabe’s desire to be a Seeker, once Gabe explained to him what a Seeker did. Ems might be more forgiving. His big sister liked to play sports with the boys, who often argued that her body type wasn’t right for their games, either. Well, once you saw Emma Valenti pitch, it was hard to argue against her. You were most likely still trying to wrap your mind around that curveball.

“Thanks,” he grinned, feeling great as he used a chocolate chip cookie to spoon his pudding. Gabe felt no small amount of pride when Nat got all excited about his Christmas broom - he knew she would understand. Gabe had been so thankful when his parents had given him the gift, but it wasn’t the same. It had been at home, after Christmas with the cousins, where none of his normal family could see. His parents, being normal, didn’t truly understand flying themselves. But they did understand sports. And since Gabe couldn’t play the normal ones anymore, and had dedicated himself to flying, they wanted to show him their support the same way they supported Emma playing baseball, and Mattie in all his sports. Knowing that they had his back, even if they didn’t fully understand, meant the world to him. But it was also fun to share the news with someone who really got it, too.

He grinned again when she thanked him, he barely had time to put down his half-eaten cookie, “Of course! We’re teammates.” Maybe not on the Teppenpaw Quidditch team yet, but at school in general. It was the highest form of praise, in Gabe’s opinion.

“So,” he asked, as he finished off the cookie,”What position are you gonna go out for?” It was lame that there was no Quidditch this year, he had never even seen a Quidditch game in person. But if they wanted to make the team next year, they would have to really push themselves this semester. Depending on what Nat wanted to practice, maybe they could work together. Who knows, maybe even next year, they could win the championship!

0 Gabe Candy is good too 330 Gabe 0 5

Eleanor Vandenberg

February 22, 2016 9:34 PM

Don't bother. by Eleanor Vandenberg

Leo was acting really strange and Nellie wanted to know what was on his mind. Did he finally…maybe he wanted to be close to her. She knew without a doubt that Leo wasn’t going to stay here in the United States, and she almost wanted him to tell her that he wanted her to stay. Was he not hungry because he was nervous? It was almost too good to be true. But maybe…finally…

“You really think so?” she asked, her previous anger suddenly dissipating. “I hope so. I’ve always liked studying, as you know, and I think maybe studying in England might be good for me. I mean, the only studying I ever did there were those basic lessons as a child. New Zealand is kind of appealing to me too. It’s a beautiful place from what I’ve heard and the people there are a lot more relaxed than here or London. I’d like to get some traveling done and return back home anyway. England is and forever will be my home. Not like the awful state of California. Staying with my aunt and cousins in Los Angeles were the worst summers of my life.”

There wasn’t much else to say and Eleanor let the silence drift as she wondered what he was thinking. Leo really didn’t have any motives this time? She still found it hard to believe, but she wanted to think something along the romantic side. Maybe he really had turned a new leaf and was a totally different person. Maybe he had finally realized his feelings for her. If that were true, they would be in a very interesting situation. Nellie tried not to bet her hopes on it, but it was really hard not to when he was acting so…coy.

But then everything crashed around her and she felt like her ears were burning. Stop. Stop. So this was the reason why Leo wanted to talk to her; it was all to throw his conquests into her face. He was taunting her, saying he could have any witch he wanted as long as it wasn’t her. Nellie could feel her face burning in rage and embarrassment. She should’ve known. Her fingers curled into fists and she scoffed. “I knew you had an ulterior motive. You’re one of a kind, Leo Princeton. You knew I fancied you and still you have to throw all of your girls into my face. Don’t you dare ask me how things are going between Tristan and I. He’s far better than you.”

Fuming, Nellie stood up, ready to storm off.

19 Eleanor Vandenberg Don't bother. 266 Eleanor Vandenberg 0 5

Leo Princeton

February 23, 2016 1:19 PM

Making amends. by Leo Princeton

As children Leo had always known that Eleanor had fancied him, or at least had fantasies of a partnership in the far future, but he'd never invested in it. Back then, a foolish Leo had been more annoyed at her clingy ways and more interested in his self-development, or getting through life the easiest way possible. He had wanted to make his own friends without her and find others who would actually give him the attention he wanted. He had wanted friends like Cepheus’s, but clearly that hadn’t worked out.

But things had changed since childhood, most notably his feelings and the distance between Eleanor and he. Leo hated it, seeing her with Tristan, and as her face contorted into anger in the moment now the truth hit him like a train. He was jealous. He was so damn jealous he hadn’t realised it until now and it was ugly. Jealousy was ugly and now he’d mucked it all up. Leo hadn't imagined her holding onto those feelings, especially when Tristan came into the picture. He’d thought she’d moved on and forgotten about him, and Leo wanted to hurt her. He wanted to hurt her just like he thought she’d hurt him. But he was jealous.

Leo panicked when she stood up, ready to storm off in a snit, and he reached across the table and grabbed her hand before she could leave completely.

“Wait, wait,” he said. “I’m sorry.” The words were rushed, words he was unfamiliar with saying and hearing. “Let me explain myself, Nellie. I didn’t mean to do that.”

If she sat down, he would explain himself. “I didn’t know you fancied me. I mean, I did before, when we were children, but that was a long time ago and Tristan and you… what did you expect me to think? Damn it, I guess all of this happened because I was—” Leo didn’t want to admit it, he didn’t want to be vulnerable, but as the other witches had taught him, relationships were about feelings and vulnerability. Else he would lose her. He squeezed his eyes shut and sighed. “It’s because I was jealous, alright? I was jealous of Tristan. I didn’t realise it, that I liked you, and I didn’t know what else to do. We’re graduating soon and you’re going off to uni and I’ll be in England somewhere. You’ve got Tristan and I’ve got nobody, really.”

Leo had no clue where his words were going so he cut himself off prematurely. He already looked like a fool and his heart was racing in his chest. “I’m not asking you to be my girlfriend or anything,” he said quickly, “because I don’t know what you and Tristan are doing. But… I don’t know what I’m saying. I just don’t want to... for you to disappear from my life, that’s all.” Leo knew his usually pale cheeks were flushed red and he hated it. He hated looking like a fool and making mistakes that he had to clean up himself. “If I could be any more inarticulate I’d even let you slap me.” He knew, and she probably knew, that would never happen, him allowing another person to slap him, but it felt nice to say when he felt so idiotic.

40 Leo Princeton Making amends. 263 Leo Princeton 0 5

Nat

February 23, 2016 3:09 PM

I'm an enthusiastic connoisseur of confectioneries by Nat

“I think I’d like to be a chaser. I haven’t practiced keeping, though, and I think that’d be a lot of fun too.” Nat explained her thoughts on the positions, how everything but seeker appealed in some way to her, how beating was third, and she couldn’t make a decision between the other two because she’d never tried keeping.

Nat was beaming, elated at the prospect of practicing on Gabe’s speedy broom. In a few years she could get a job and save up to buy her own. Maybe she could sell something, nothing magical because she wouldn’t be allowed to use magic outside of Sonora but something like. . . muffins. Or cupcakes. Cookies. Nat eyed the cookies again. “One more won’t hurt. . .” she thought to herself as her hand tentatively reached forward. She and Gabe weren’t going to practice right now. . .

“So what are your plans for the rest of the day?” She assumed Gabe would be practicing at some point but even she found some other things to do in between practice sessions. She was tempted to look at the various clubs on campus but her interest in it was only mild. “After all, what could be better than Quidditch?” Thought the girl who had never actually played a game before. Still, Quidditch practice took up only so much of her time. She wanted to try other things out too, things she’d never gotten to try in the city.

7 Nat I'm an enthusiastic connoisseur of confectioneries 331 Nat 0 5

Artemis Leithan

February 23, 2016 11:03 PM

time for a fresh start by Artemis Leithan

Artemis listened politely to the Headmaster's speech. She hoped to make more friends this term. Last term, she had barely gotten used to being separated from her twin, who seemed much more amenable to this change in their circumstances than she was. She needed to prove her independence from Arthur, at least to herself. He seemed so much more self-assured than she was, and she was painfully aware that their worlds had begun their inevitable divergence. Someday, he would be a great diplomat, and she would be the wife of whomever she was betrothed to. Of course, he would be betrothed, too, but he would have a life, a career, apart from his spouse, while Artemis would have only her marriage to sustain her through life.

She had found a seat at the Crotalus table while Arthur seemed intent on getting to know his own housemates. The Headmaster's remarks were brief, and Artemis was soon distracted by the entrancing dishes on the fully-stocked table. Somehow, Maryland-style crab imperial always appeared near Artemis at the table, probably due to some helpful house elf recognizing her favorite food always eased her homesickness. It was smooth and delicious, just the way it was served in her family's home. She silently breathed a thank-you to whatever house elf was responsible and helped herself to some other delicacies as well.

Artemis was seated next to one of the older boys. He was the quidditch captain of her house, she understood, although there had been no quidditch games this year. That must be unpleasant for the players, she thought. Not that she minded doing challenges, but first-year students knew so little magic that they were of little benefit to their teams. And certainly, her parents would never allow her to play quidditch! It was too unladylike for her, despite her natural affinity for flying. Arthur would be allowed to play, but never Artemis, and she grudgingly accepted their restrictions.

The boy beside her seemed lost in his own thoughts. Perhaps he wasn't interested in conversation, at least with a first-year student. On the other hand, Artemis was brought up to be a proper pureblood lady, and proper pureblood ladies made it their business to engage others in conversations, ideally about their companions. She was honor-bound to make some attempt at drawing him out, successful or not. Gracious ladies did not appear overnight, it took years of developing casual conversations to launch a career as a socialite witch, and it was her responsibility to learn this, at least as much as anything she was explicitly being taught at school. Someday, her future husband would appreciate her for her excellent social skills or be mortified at a socially awkward wife. She had been far too shy her first term to develop her social abilities, and it was time to begin working at them.

She leaned towards the young wizard next to her and inquired, “How are quidditch practices going? Will we have enough players for a team next year?” He didn't pick up on her comments at first so she repeated them. “No, I was just asking about whether we'll have enough players for a quidditch team of our own next year.” She added, “I'm sure it would be nice to have our own team.”

0 Artemis Leithan time for a fresh start 334 Artemis Leithan 0 5

Alistair Johnson

February 24, 2016 5:00 PM

Half wishing I could do the same. by Alistair Johnson

On any other day, Alistair would have loved to spend a feast talking to someone like Artemis Leithan, and perhaps the best thing for him to do right now would be to try and pretend it was one of those days. That probably wouldn’t have been a difficult thing to do, considering how faking a lack of feelings was pretty much what he’d been attempting to achieve ever since the issue with Joella had begun, only Miss Leithan chose to bring up one thing that could easily add to Ali’s already fairly foul mood.

In all fairness, Quidditch was what he was known for at Sonora and what he loved more than anything so he really shouldn’t blame Artemis for thinking it was a good conversation topic to take up with him, but the whole lack of players situation was just so depressing, that and the fact matches were cancelled for the whole year. Quidditch practice continued as normal, at least as normally as it could now that they didn’t have the numbers of Teppalus and had no matches to work for. Turn out at practice was just so poor and Ali didn’t like to be reminded of failure. Well, technically nothing was his fault. If it weren’t for him they probably wouldn’t even have had Teppalus for the past few years. It was more like Crotalus had failed him, and themselves. Did they really all lack house pride that badly?

Alistair knew he shouldn’t take any of his problems out on Artemis and he certainly didn’t want to make a negative first impression but there was a part of him that just… couldn’t be bothered right now. What was the point in taking a remote interest in a girl when girls were evil? Okay, girls weren’t evil. Crotalus girls were the best creation ever made (minus Uzume Shinohara of course) and there was no reason to believe that Artemis wouldn’t be as pleasant to talk to as Caelia and Kelsey, although admittedly her being two years younger might make things a little different.

The third year bought himself some time by serving himself from a nearby pasta dish, not wanting to appear rude for not responding instantly but needing a little moment to draw on what positivity he could find in him at this point. “Unfortunately, practice isn’t great,” he admitted slowly before expanded further, “Teppalus splitting up has left Crotalus very short on players and not having matches can take away a lot of the motivation for training. Ideally I want to be working the team extra hard but it is difficult when players aren’t fully committed.” The first year probably didn’t even care to know this much but Ali was currently of the disposition that if that was the case she shouldn’t have asked in the first place. “As for next year, who’s to say? I’ve been hoping each year that we’ll get an influx of Quidditch-playing first years but it never turns out too well for us. There’s still a chance, I suppose.”

Alistair paused and forked some food into his mouth. That had been an awful lot of talking for someone who had spent the past few days given everyone around him the silent treatment (well, almost) but of course his mother was right; it was good for him to take his mind off things. As dismal as the Crotalus Quidditch team’s prospects were, it was still a sport that Ali thoroughly enjoyed to play and conversing with a good sort of people like the Leithans was something that could also entertain him so it was probably a good idea to continue.

“I’m sorry, I don’t think we’ve been properly introduced,” he realised suddenly, aware that he hadn’t spoken with this particular housemate before but seen her around. “I’m Alistair Johnson of the Arizona Johnsons. I don’t suppose you are at all keen on Quidditch?” It might seem a farfetched question to ask as she had probably brought the subject up more for his benefit than hers but recently it had been brought to Ali’s attention that girls could surprise you.

8 Alistair Johnson Half wishing I could do the same. 306 Alistair Johnson 0 5

Gabe

February 24, 2016 8:52 PM

Break me off a piece of that Kit Kat bar by Gabe

It was probably a very good thing that he and Nat wouldn’t be competing directly against each other. If they both went for Chaser, there were more than enough positions for the both of them, and Nat had no interest in competing with Gabe for Seeker. Sure, a little bit of friendly competition could be fun now and then, but he also liked that they could help each other out without any hesitation.

“Well, if you wanna practice Keeping, I could use the shooting practice,” Gabe offered, “I usually fly for a couple hours after classes everyday, if you wanna join.” Now was the time, after all, to really buckle down and practice their flying. Gabe took practice seriously, like any little league he had plaed in growing up. He was sure his friend felt the same way. Besides that, Nat was from a normal family, like him. With all those rules about secrecy, who knows how much opportunity either of them would get to practice flying over the summer. Soon enough, it would be second year and time for Quidditch tryouts. They had to make the most of the time that they had.

“I dunno,” he shrugged, “Get settled in, catch up on some Potions homework. Ma didn’t want me blowing anything up at home,” he added sheepishly. Nat was in all his classes, she was sure he had seen his wand’s explosive reactions to Gabe’s attempts to do magic. It was such a finicky wand, he sometimes wondered why it had picked him in the first place. He was barely passing his classes, save for Care of Magical Creatures, where he was actually doing pretty well. The hope that one day they would finally get to study dragons kept him focused there.Scratch that, the everyday encounters with monsters kept him focused there. All magical monsters were pretty cool.

“What were you thinking, though? I’d much rather do… well, anything other than homework.”

0 Gabe Break me off a piece of that Kit Kat bar 330 Gabe 0 5

Eleanor Vandenberg

March 08, 2016 6:38 PM

The last straw by Eleanor Vandenberg

Eleanor felt his hand grab hers, stopping her as she’d hoped he would. But in her anger she was incredibly and uncharacteristically clear-headed. She knew what she was feeling and what she’d been hoping for. She wanted Leo to be a wizard she could continue to love and admire, but he was sneaky and conniving and not really her type. Not the kind of wizard she wanted to marry, anyway, and that was hard to accept. Nellie slipped her hand out of his smoothly, trying not to feel flattered by his words, trying not to be swayed by his eyes or his handsome face that was turning red. She hated that she wanted to believe him, but she couldn’t trust him. Nell could trust Tristan. Tristan was nice and liked her and didn’t make her want to tear her hair out trying to figure him out. Leo was…well, he was a Princeton.

“How could you not know that I liked you? Are you really that thick?” Eleanor sat back down and smoothed down her dress. “I’m pretty sure everyone at this school knew I liked you.” It was clear to her what Leo was really feeling. He just wanted her now because he felt lonely, she was sure of it. He was jealous that she had found somebody and he hadn’t. This was just like all of those other times he had taken advantage of her and she had fallen for it, blinded by affection and her insecurities. Well, Nellie wasn’t going to feel sorry for him. Not anymore.

“Even if you were asking me to be your girlfriend, I don’t think I would say yes now,” she said slowly, her previous anger dissipating. “Saying all that isn’t going to make everything okay, it just isn’t. I can’t trust you, Leo. You’ve lied to me and used me and I can’t handle that. You don’t know where you’re going in life and I do. I know what I want.” Nellie finally looked him in the eyes, feeling like she was ripping a part of herself as she spoke. For so long she had dreamed of getting married to Leo and living a life together. She had never imagined a future without him, but now, suddenly, she could. He no longer fit and Eleanor was okay with that. She would have to be okay with that.

Despite her resolve, Nellie could feel the tears welling up. Goodbye, first love. Or first crush, whatever he was to her past self. “I’m going to go, Leo. I’m…” She didn’t finish her sentence because, in reality, she wasn’t sorry. She was sorry her younger self would never live out her dream of being married to a Princeton, but there were so many other wizards in the sea, better ones. Eleanor stood up, wishing that they could have had some more closure, at least some mutually happy goodbye! But instead she walked quickly out of Cascade Hall, catching the tears that fell onto her cheeks. For maybe the first time in her life she wanted to be left alone.

19 Eleanor Vandenberg The last straw 266 Eleanor Vandenberg 0 5