Maybe someday… Closed

Slacking off was, in Delaney's opinion, just an uptight way of saying needed alone time. There were a million things she could have been doing, all of which ran risk on her mental sanity. Kids these days.. never wanting to work. History of magic was a bore and a half, while potions had left her with enough burns to warrant an infirmary visit. The only remotely interesting course taken so far was flying— yet even those ghastly school brooms liked to have their off days. When was the last time they funded them? 1985?

All that to say, going back to her dorm after class was out of the question. With homework piling up and a not-so riveting essay on trolls due, Del couldn't be any less bothered. Instead, the redhead wandered the grounds just long enough to end up on the training pitch. She had no real business being there— not part of any team, and certainly not qualified to join one. The sight of players loomed overhead, while a small brunette haired girl stood out on one of the benches.

Hands placed casually in her pockets, one of which held a snack, Del approached with a grin. "Ey." She spoke between a mouthful, swallowing properly in efforts of not spitting it everywhere. "You play? Told my dad I'd try out, bet him ten galleons on it." She kicked at a patch of dirt beneath them, visibly weathered from the years of benched players. "Though, shoulda' pushed for a Starsweeper."

A voice snapped Wren from her solitary reverie. Before her stood a redheaded girl in Slytherin robes, commenting rather loudly on Quidditch. Wren was slightly amused by her accent, though she should’ve been used to it by now; she moved to England over a year ago. In reality, she was the odd one out, not this girl.

A silence of at least a second had passed. Wren collected her thoughts and spoke before the moment became too awkward. The girl had asked if she played Quidditch. That was something to respond to.

“Well… I don’t really play. That is… I know how, but I’ve never actually… played Quidditch. I’d like to though!”

A Starsweeper… that was a type of broom… right? The broom brands were different back in Florida. Still, it sounded like a broom. And judging by the way this girl spoke of it, it must be a pretty good one.

“I don’t actually have a broom yet,” Wren admitted. “My parents want me to save up for one. They said it’d be an exercise in budgeting responsibly or something.”

Then, realizing she still hadn’t introduced herself, she blurted, “Sorry, I’m Wren.” Hoping that she hadn’t missed the other girl’s introduction, she added “What’s your name?”

@Delaney Collins

Her head titled to the side, auburn strands falling slightly with it. "Never played but you know how? Must be a wicked visual learner." Del was only being smart, surely the girl had to of played a little bit. Or maybe she hadn't? It wasn't that hard a game to grasp, but boy was it fun. At least they agreed on that much.

She listened the admission of not having a broom, talk of responsibility thrown in. Delaney herself had a stick at home, and by merlin had she been disappointed when the welcoming letter told her bringing it along was against school rules. Should she of gotten her way, the broom would've been packed discretely with everything else in her trunk. Poorly executed, clothes didn't take the shape of long rods.

Delaney's brows then raised slightly in awareness of her lack of manners, and even further lack of introduction. What was she sorry for? "I'm Delaney." Her lips tugged into an upward smile, paired with a playful glance. "Unless you see me sneaking into the kitchens, in which case I definitely am not." She hadn't actually done something like that, not yet anyway. To put it past her would be a fools move, though. A prefects dream or nightmare, either one a force to be reckoned with. For a moment, curiosity hovered between them. Unable to resist, she bit. "Your accent. You're not from here, are you?" 'Here' was a broad statement, though it was clear enough she meant any of the neighboring british areas.

Hearing the girl’s reply, Wren realized she hadn’t been clear. With an embarrassed laugh, she clarified. “Oh… well, I have played- as in flying and practicing with the balls- but I’ve never actually played a full game of Quidditch.”

The girl introduced herself as Delaney, along with a joke about sneaking into the kitchens. Wren laughed. She liked her sense of humor. It reminded her of her best friend Lola back in Florida. She and Wren were always getting into scrapes together.

“Delaney… that’s a beautiful name!” Wren said. The name made her think of a cool spring breeze, a bit mystical, a bit mischievous. It definitely fit this girl.

The seconds of silence that followed were nearly painful to Wren. Thankfully, she didn’t have to be the one to break it this time. Delaney followed with a question about her accent. Wren grinned. Apparently she’d been correct- she was the odd one out when it came to that.

“No, I’m not from around here… I grew up in Florida. We moved to England last year.”

Wren had accepted the fact of the move, but the mention of Florida still left a twinge a homesickness in her heart. Her cousins, her grandmother… she’d have to wait a whole year before she could see them again.

@Delaney Collins

Had Del been a cat, her ears would have visibly perked up at the mention of Florida. She'd never been, but it sounded like a place her mother might've. Western seas and rolling hills, that travelling southern bell had seen it all. Delaney, on the other hand, had only gotten to experience the muted grays of Massachusetts. Not that you could tell, of course. Equipped with a foolproof accent, enough years in Manchester would do that to a gal.

"Really? I'm from Mass." She corrected herself out of habit. "Er, Massachusetts. At least, I was. Moved with my dad a while ago." It wasn't that big a deal, really. They still visited, mainly for family gatherings she could've frankly done without. One more sloppy cheek kiss from an aunt, though, and that whole passport was going up in flames the minute she learned incendio.

"Warm there, isn't it? Sounds cool, I hate the weather here." Rambling was an art form at this point. In any case, her statement was true. Hated it most of the time. The winters were still nice, especially when Audrey and Aaron were around to help play when it snowed. As much as they'd grown, those two still never failed to make room for her.

Glancing back up at the sky, not a single beat passed. "Ya like it here, though? Hogwarts? 'S only my first year." Should proper social cues been in place, maybe Delaney would have taken the hint not to press. Moves were hard, though– she knew that much. Little could be remembered from her own time in the states, just rainy days and public school. Not a bad life. Quaint, but not bad. Boring in contrast to a magical boarding school, anyway.

Wren was delighted to finally meet another American. Or at least someone who'd been to America. Between the two of them, Wren was definitely the most "American," but at this point anyone who even knew where Florida was would do. Of course, Massachusetts was nearly as far as you could get from Florida in terms of weather. It was still nice to feel less like an outsider.

"Really? That's awesome! How long did you live there?" asked Wren, the curiosity seeping into her voice. How much did they really have in common?

Following a question about Florida's weather, Wren responded enthusiastically. "The weather is great there! It's nice and warm- although the downside is we only get dry season and rainy season. I love autumn and winter. It's always so cold here; even the summers are chillier than it ever got back where I used to live." Wren pulled her cloak tighter around her shoulders as a breeze blew past them. "I don't mind it too much though."

The conversation turned to Hogwarts. Wren stopped to think. She had mixed feelings about Hogwarts. Learning magic was exciting, of course, but if she had gone to Ilvermorny she'd be with her cousins, learning in the same classrooms as her mother and grandmother had long ago. Yet for some reason, this was where the Lord had placed her. And it wasn't all bad so far.

She smiled. "I do like it here. I'm a first year too. What's your favorite class? I'm not quite sure what mine is yet, although I think it may turn out to be charms. The Professor seems fun."

@Delaney Collins