Begin Again
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ooc notes- this is an open thread for one person to join, afterwards, this will be a private thread between that person and i.A halfhearted goodbye was just around the corner. Itching closer and closer like a mosquito bite you couldn’t ignore. For the first time, it wasn’t just her going off on her own, Kora was going with her. Now Cassie was watching two daughters walk onto a train to go miles away. Who knew if next time they came back it would be to go home with her?
The announcement of the divorce had been confirmed by Christopher back when they were in London. Even Cassie faced the news with a cold expression. They’d filled out the forms, that was the only easy part about it. Cassie had done her best to explain what would happen to both girls, it didn’t make it any easier. Christopher or Cassie. One or the other.
Either way, nothing would ever be the same again.
She had to pick one.
Had her trunk just suddenly gotten heavier? Sage felt like her arm was being dragged down by an anchor, staring into the eyes of a woman who she might decide to leave. Could she do that to Cassie, the one who’d be the closest she’d get to a mum? No, it was a betrayal.
“Sage? You alright, love?” asked her step-mum.
“Just fine,” she said quickly. “I’m fine.”
Could she see right through the lie, right through her? Apparently not, she brushed it off.
“We should probably board…,” Kora started, hands shaking. Had Sage been the same way when she’d started Hogwarts? So nervous, so frantic?
“Oh, you’re going to have such a grand time, my loves. Third year brings so much excitement, first year is quite casual. Remember to listen to Sage, Kora! She’ll help you around, our very own prefect!”
Sage did the usual, faked a smile. “Yeah. I’ll help her out, Mum, don’t worry. Kora, why don’t you go on ahead through the wall? I’ll meet you on the platform.”
She watched Kora hurry through the wall, she heard her gasp when she passed right through. Sage swallowed and turned to Cassie.
“I’ll keep an eye on her. You’ll… you’ll update me on the divorce?” Where we’re ending up?
Cassie nodded, almost too enthusiastic. “Oh, Sage, of course I will. Have fun. Everything will work out, I’ll fight to make sure you don’t get stuck with him again. You’ll be safe.”
Safe. It wasn’t like she’d ever been unsafe with Christopher, just… suffocated. But who were you supposed to choose when the timer rang? The endless, monotonous ticking had been waiting for years, ever since she first heard the word “divorce”. How much longer would she have anyway?
“Bye, Mum. I’ll owl you after the sorting ceremony to tell you about her house.”
Sage turned, following behind Kora. Running as far off as she could from all the bad things that chased her. Meeting a confused looking Kora on the platform, she took her by the shoulders and guided her onto the train.
“Here, this one’s empty.”
Sage and her sister settled inside the compartment, their trunks put away and Sage’s cat comfortable next to her. Exhaling, she struggled to wrap her mind around how it was already time to go back to school.
She didn’t feel ready to begin yet again.
Begin Again
Interacting with @Sage Willows
Vera rolled her suitcases beside her, almost regretting the amount she would have to carry through the train without her nanny or her mother. As her mother fussed over her appearance, Alethea held Cassius in her arms, trying to keep him from wailing in the middle of the station.
Once her mother finished patting her down, she looked into Vera's eyes and smiled. "Are you excited?" She asked, voice now soft compared to just seconds before as she grumbled about the fabric.
Vera blinked. Was she excited? In the days leading up to this, she had been buzzing with the idea of practicing magic, using a wand, and casting spells among other things. But now that the big day was here, she wasn't so sure anymore. Packing her life into a few suitcases was only the start.
Vera shook her head. "I don't know what I'm going to do."
Her mother tucked a stray strand behind her ear. "You'll do well, love," she whispered. They stood like that, just staring, looking at one another. It was only when the train's whistle blew that her mother looked away and stood up straight. "Don't forget to write."
Vera nodded. "Of course." Then, she waved at her nanny and her little brother. "Bye-bye, love you."
As she turned, she heard their replies of 'love you' and 'take care'. Vera had a little feeling that these next few months were going to suck.
She pulled her luggage behind her as she walked down the narrow aisles. By the time she had got on, most of the carriages were occupied, which ruined her chances of getting a space to herself. Surely the living arrangements at Hogwarts were personal so she could have a mental breakdown without any witnesses.
Choosing who to sit with was another nightmare. After all, you would have to sit with them for the rest of the ride, which was several hours from memory. She scanned every carriage, studying, studying, studying—
A cat! She almost said out loud. They could have pets at school? Somehow, the idea wasn't too bad. Vera could have a furry companion. But then, you'd have to hope everyone else in your living quarters would clean up after their pets. Did Hogwarts have cleaning staff? Surely they did, for a school as old and as big as it was.
Realizing Vera had been standing for way longer than was considered normal, she cleared her throat, straightened her posture, and opened the door. She gave the occupants a slight nod of acknowledgement. "Good morning. Is it alright if I sit in this carriage?"
Begin Again
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ooc notes-Staring out the window became Sage’s sole resort to keep from crying. The last time she’d been on a train had been to deliver the news to Cassie that her dad was going to divorce her. She was just the messenger in a game much bigger than her. It didn’t stop the pain though.
Sage was so lost in her own head, countless ideas fluttering around making her sick to her stomach. Casting a discreet glance at Kora, she could hardly fathom the idea that Kora was really no longer a child. The girl sitting next to her had enough heartbreak to last her double the rest of her life.
Was that even fair? To enter such a sacred space such as Hogwarts with that heavy weight on your heart? Well. It wasn’t fair to Sage nor was it fair to her sister. Not to anyone. But there sat, forever altered by the events in London.
Kora pulled Sage from her own little world inside her head by tapping her on her wrist. She nodded in the direction of a girl who appeared to be around Kora’s age with blonde hair.
“Hi, sorry, I was spacing out. Of course you can join us.” She waved the younger girl inside the compartment, rubbing her cat’s head to assure him it was okay. “I’m Sage, this is my little sister Kora. Are you a first year? I don’t remember seeing you around before.”
Sage put on her welcoming expression. Couldn’t look as distraught as she really was and scare off a stranger. Maybe it made her a bad person to keep up a facade, but god it was easier. She refused to throw her pain back on another person who deserved better.
Begin Again
Interacting with @Sage Willows
Vera smiled and began pushing her suitcases into the carriage. "Thank you," she said.
As she settled into the space, she did her best to respond to the questions that came. Vera was thankful for them, lest she move around awkwardly, not knowing how to break the ice and make the ride less nerve-wracking. That was normally her mother's job.
She sat on the opposite side of the two sisters. "Verity," she answered. "Pleasure to meet you both, Sage and Kora."
Now that Vera was sitting down, she took a moment to judge the girls' appearances. There wasn't anything striking about them; one could say they were normal teenage(?) school girls, which was a good sign. That meant the school was at least decent in their care of kids.
"I am, yes. What year are you both?" She asked. Though, considering Sage mentioned never having seen her before, Vera assumed she had been at the school for at least a year already.
Good, she thought. Someone she could finally talk about when it came to this whole... witch and wizard and magic thing. Now that Vera had been to Diagon Alley, gotten a wand and all the supplies, and come through Platform 9¾, there was no doubt about the existence of magic. But the school still felt... suspicious. There were no records she could find on the school's existence, nor any news from previous years.
"Is there anything I should know about Hogwarts before we arrive? I'm afraid I don't know much, as I'm the first in my family to head here."
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ooc notes-Well, Sage thought, at least she looks nice. The girl, whose name she would soon come to know as Verity, appeared warm and welcoming, albeit perhaps a bit nervous. That was to be expected though; Sage had been just as awkward and nervous about starting Hogwarts, too. She could at least do her best to push past the storm in her head and welcome Verity to Hogwarts.
“Verity,” she repeated. “That’s a pretty name, may I ask where it comes from?”
Sage glanced over at her sister, trying to gauge whether or not she was worrying about the train leaving. Hopefully once they arrived, everyone’s fears would evaporate.
“In that case, welcome to Hogwarts! I’m sure you’ll have a grand time, Hogwarts is a bit chaotic, but fun. Just watch out for some of the Slytherins, they can be quite rambunctious.” She paused to laugh. “I’m starting my third year which is still crazy to think about. Kora will be a first year!”
The train lurched and began to steadily move on the tracks. Sage exhaled heavily, the closer she got to school, the more she could forget about what happened that summer. Her right leg bounced up and down with nerves.
“First year goes by pretty quickly, try and get involved in sports or activities if you can. Some of the professors are tough, but older students are always around to help you out if you’re struggling to make good marks.” Sage stopped for a second to admire the landscapes the train passed as they left. “Oh! And ask for help from the prefects or school staff or honestly anyone if you need it, they’re all very kind and will always be willing to help.”
She smiled widely, just thinking about all the fun possibilities at Hogwarts. The school was her safe haven, just being there calmed her nerves immensely. “Don’t worry about a thing, Verity. You’ll do great,” she assured the younger girl.
Begin Again
Interacting with @Sage Willows
Vera gave an awkward smile, as she did with compliments she didn't quite know how to respond to. "I believe it is Latin. It means truth," she said.
(She briefly thought of her brothers' names. They had all been named with the same pattern: a Latin first name and a Greek second name. On the surface, they were all fancy, old names. When someone ever asked for the meanings, the responses varied depending on which sibling you asked. Vera liked her own enough to not complain, though she hardly introduced herself in full unless it was a legal document.)
So, she was right. Sage had already been at the school for a while—two years and counting, to be exact, now on her third year. Vera gave a silent clap. "Congrats on your third year!" She then turned to Kora and gave a nod. "And I guess I'll be seeing you in classes, then, Kora." It was nice to know someone else coming into classes.
"Just watch out for some of the Slytherins, they can be quite rambunctious." Sage said.
Vera raised an eyebrow. "Slytherins... Is there some sort of grouping system at the school?"
The mention of it awoke a memory she had already forgotten. The salesperson at Madam Malkin's had mentioned something about their robes getting a crest or something based on where they were sorted. Vera hadn't thought to ask what that meant, just smiled and nodded along as she purchased what was asked on their supply list.
Slytherins, she thought. Will have to figure out who they are as soon as I arrive.
The rest of Sage's advice was straightforward and things she'd heard at prep school. Get involved, talk to your teachers, get to know the people you're with. Standard.
Vera nodded. "That all sounds nice, then. I'm not very sporty, but I guess I'll look around at other things. Does the school have a dance studio or an orchestra I could perhaps check out?" The only sport she did do was equestrian, but she had doubts that Hogwarts would accommodate for that sort of thing. Indoor activities would be easier to assimilate into.
(She thought of the horse she'd left behind. Hopefully, they wouldn't miss her too much.)
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ooc notes- I’m so sorry this took so longSage nodded, impressed that people still gave their children Latin names. The definition of “trust” seemed to match Verity. While she’d only just met her, Verity did indeed seem very honest.
“Thank you!” Sage replied after Verity’s congratulations. “Time flies when you’re weighed down by homework.”
Sage smiled kindly at the younger girl’s questions. Sage hadn’t had many magical role models, besides her step-mum, to look up to when she was younger. Honestly, she probably would have had even more questions than Verity did.
“Yep! There’s four houses: Slytherin, Ravenclaw, Gryffindor, and Hufflepuff. Slytherin is usually where the ambitious pure-bloods end up. A troublesome lot. Ravenclaw’s got the book smart kids, the ones you might call “nerds” or whatever. Gryffindor’s for the brave ones that throw themselves in danger or something. Hufflepuff, the best house in my opinion, is for the kind, honest, and overall good people. I wouldn’t be surprised if you were a Hufflepuff,” Sage explained, using her hands to animate the process. “I’m in Hufflepuff, my mum was a Gryffindor, but my step-mum– Kora’s mum– was a Slytherin. I’m guessing you’re a muggle-born? Is there a particular house you were hoping you’d end up in?”
Sage had started her train ride to Hogwarts hoping she’d follow in her mum’s footsteps and settle in as a Gryffindor. That hadn’t happened. She knew that it didn’t work out well to try and force the hat to put you in one house, but that didn’t stop half the students from hoping for one outcome.
“I may have overlooked it while I’ve been there, but I don’t think we have an official dance team or band. I bet there’s some side clubs for those things though! We have a rehearsal room and a ballroom, you’re always welcome to check those out.” Sage paused, taking a moment to look at the passing hills of the scene outside. “I take it you’re a dancer and musician?”
She waited for Verity’s reply, smiling. Sage hadn’t thought herself to be the sporty type when she started Hogwarts either, but there she was as a beater for Hufflepuff’s Quidditch team.