A Little Chat in the Hallways
⋅•⋅⊰∙∘☽༓☾∘∙⊱⋅•⋅
| Date: 16/09/25 | Word count: 349 |
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Frederick had noticed Maisie the moment he walked into the Charms classroom. It had been nearly a week since the Sorting Ceremony, and though he had caught glimpses of her in the Great Hall or across the courtyard, they hadn’t really spoken since that train and boat ride. Today, though, she’d been seated far across the room, quill scratching busily while Professor explained the wand movements. Fred had tried to catch her eye once or twice, but she seemed too focused, or maybe she just hadn’t seen him.
As the lesson ended and the bustle of students spilled into the corridor, Fred shoved his wand into his pocket, shouldered his bag, and scanned the crowd, his mind still buzzing with the faint spark of success from managing a half-decent spell. The corridor smelled faintly of parchment and polish, voices echoing off the stone walls. Then he spotted her dark blonde curls just ahead of him, he grinned and quickened his pace.
“Hi, Maisie!” he called, weaving between a pair of Ravenclaws as he caught up to her. “Finally got you cornered. Thought you’d gone and forgotten me since the train.” His grin widened, bright and boyish, as he fell into step beside her. "Do you remember me?" He asked, half joking, half hiding his insecurity of perhaps not being recognized.
He brushed a strand of hair from his forehead, still slightly flushed from the excitement of class. “You were sitting miles away in there, didn’t even get a chance to say hi. How’ve you been? Settling in all right?” His tone was light and a genuine warmth underpinned every word.
Fred adjusted his bag on his shoulder, eyes glinting with curiosity. “Reckon I spotted you wearing yellow at the table, so Hufflepuff, then? That’s brilliant. I ended up in Gryffindor, like my dad.” He puffed his chest slightly with quiet pride before breaking into another grin. “Shame we’re not in the same house, but, well, least we’re still in the same castle.” He wrapped up the burst of questions with a small joke, something very common to happen in any situation when it came to Frederick.
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| Interacting with: @Maisie Fenwick Rose Williams |
Sta 8 | Eva 8 | Str 6 | Wis 5 | Arc Power 4 | Acc 10
Abilities: Evasive Maneuvers, Keeper's Catch
A Little Chat in the Hallways
Date
Reducio16/09/2024Mentions
Reducio@ Frederick BuckleyLocation:
CorridorsShoving her books in her bag and stepping out into the already crowded corridor after a satisfactory lesson of Charms, she heard her name being called. Turning her head, she spotted someone familiar moving his way towards her. His voice, familiar, rang something in her mind, and she remembered him as Frederick Buckley, one of the few friends she'd made on her ride to the school. Her memory wasn't the best when it came to recalling people. Not that she forgets so easily, she just had some trouble at times putting face and person together.
She waited as he weaved through the crowd and towards her. She had caught sight of him a few times, but only briefly. He wasn't in her house, so chances they had long periods of time for chitchats were slim. But from what he said on the train ride, he hoped he would be a Gryffindor, and she hoped his wish had come true.
"Hi, Frederick!" She returned the grin."Hadn't seen you for a long time, either. Hard to forget you, though, you're one of the first people I met here!" She backed into a wall as to not get trampled by the now crowded and loud corridor filled with a black sea of robed students.
"I'm settling in alright, you? This place is like a maze, though, did you get lost? I got lost like three times!" She had to half shout now though the noise to even hear her own voice.
"Gryffindor? Good for you! Guess your dad's proud?" Something about other people smiling always made her smile, so she grinned widely. Happiness and joy spreads as always.
"Haha, guess there's no way we'll go to different castles.' She laughed at his small joke. 'So, have you heard about the ball?Apparently it's a big occasion!"
A Little Chat in the Hallways
⋅•⋅⊰∙∘☽༓☾∘∙⊱⋅•⋅
| Date: 16/09/25 | Word count: 318 |
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Fred slowed as the current of students pressed around them, glad when Maisie backed against the wall. He leaned one shoulder against the cool stone beside her, adjusting his bag that kept slipping down his arm. The corridor was a chaos of chatter, the clatter of shoes on stone floors, and the occasional squeak of a moving stair somewhere deeper in the castle.
“Lost?” he echoed with a laugh, tilting his head so his voice carried over the din. “Loads of times. I reckon the staircases have a wicked sense of humour, they wait until I’m halfway up before they decide to move. Yesterday I was aiming for the library and somehow ended up outside the Hospital Wing. Still no idea how that happened.” He shook his head, amused, blue eyes bright with the memory.
When Maisie mentioned Gryffindor, Fred puffed up in mock pride. “Yeah, my dad was thrilled. Kept saying he knew it all along. Mum just told me to ‘try not to land in detention straight away’, so far, so good.” His grin widened, boyish and a little cheeky, after doing a poor imitation of his mother talking to him.
At the mention of the ball, he straightened, energy sparking. “I did hear about it! They’re all buzzing in the common room, it sounds massive.” He glanced at her with a grin that softened just a little. “Are you planning to go?”
He shifted, leaning forward slightly, caught up in his own idea. “I was thinking… maybe we should go as a big group of friends. It worked on the train, right? Travelling together, meeting new people, it made everything feel less overwhelming. Could be the same for the ball. We could bring a mix from different houses, get to know more people. What do you think?” The thought made his grin bloom again, his tone light but hopeful.
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| Interacting with: @Maisie Fenwick Rose Williams |
Sta 8 | Eva 8 | Str 6 | Wis 5 | Arc Power 4 | Acc 10
Abilities: Evasive Maneuvers, Keeper's Catch
A Little Chat in the Hallways
Date
Reducio16/09/2024Mentions
Reducio@ Frederick BuckleyLocation:
CorridorsShe never really gave a thought about how many students a floor, or even a corridor could hold, but that was more than everyone in her little private institute where she learnt basic magic.
Maisie laughed at Fred’s story, remembering her own story with a staircase, in which she caught it in the nick of time, just as it was moving, and nearly falling down multiple floors to her death. But didn't mention it, as shivers went down her spine of even thinking of it. Hogwarts was either a dream or a nightmare, with little in between. “I can just picture you standing there, outside the Hospital Wing, wondering how you managed that one.” Her smile was warm, her eyes crinkling with amusement.
"Your mum's got a point, one of my cousins is in Gryffindor, and believe me when I say he gets yelled at by my aunt every holiday when he recounts his stories!" She suppressed a grin with the image of her tall gangly cousin being chased with a broom by her short, plump aunt in the yards, a group of younger kids hooting with laughter in a circle in which the boy has so recently been occupying. Actually, to give it a thought, she hadn't really stopped smiling this whole encounter. Something about meeting someone you knew just brings a smile to your face.
For an instant she wondered what the Gryffindor common room was like. Certainly not as bright or underground like hers, probably warm with a good fire. There's talk in our common room, too, that's how I got the message. Of course I'm going, it's a wonderful occasion to meet more people!"
"A big group seems fine, the more the merrier. And besides, expanding social circles is always a great idea, right? Meet some more first years like us. You have anyone in mind?"
A Little Chat in the Hallways
⋅•⋅⊰∙∘☽༓☾∘∙⊱⋅•⋅
| Date: 16/09/25 | Word count: 311 |
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Fred laughed, the sound bright against the din of the corridor. “Your cousin sounds like quite the troublemaker,” he said, still grinning. “What’s his name? Maybe I’ve seen him around, though, to be fair, I barely know anyone outside my dorm yet.” He gave a small shrug, the corners of his mouth twitching in amusement. “Still getting used to putting faces to names… and not getting lost on the way to class.”
A group of Hufflepuffs brushed past, their laughter echoing down the hall. Fred shifted slightly to let them through, his shoulder grazing the cold stone wall beside Maisie. The corridor was still crowded with students from every house, voices bouncing off the high ceilings. The golden afternoon light streaming through the tall windows caught in the dust motes drifting between them, softening the chaos into something oddly warm.
When he looked back at Maisie, his grin turned more relaxed, touched with genuine excitement. “I’m really glad you’re going to the ball. Would’ve been a shame if you’d missed it, feels like one of those things you can’t skip, doesn’t it?” He hitched his bag higher on his shoulder, glancing down the hall where the tide of students slowly began to thin.
“I was thinking of going with my roommate, Marcus Crawford. We don’t know each other that well yet, but he’s a good guy. I think you’ll like him.” Fred smiled at her, the expression easy and open. “Maybe we can all meet up there.” He hesitated for a second, curiosity flickering across his face. “Do you already have anyone in mind?" He repeated the question Maisie asked him. His eyes brightened a little more as he added, “And what do you think the place will look like? I can’t even picture where they’d hold something like that.”
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| Interacting with: @Maisie Fenwick Rose Williams |
Sta 8 | Eva 8 | Str 6 | Wis 5 | Arc Power 4 | Acc 10
Abilities: Evasive Maneuvers, Keeper's Catch
A Little Chat in the Hallways
Date
Reducio16/09/2024Mentions
Reducio@ Frederick BuckleyLocation:
Corridors"He's uh... Christian Emmanuel Fenwick Williams. He's got a longer name than even mine. But there's a naming pattern, that's why we have these long names." She said, blushing slightly from her cousin's long name. Second had experience was something she always experienced, whether it be her own name, or her relatives'. "Oh, don't worry, you'll know everyone in your house soon. One of my brothers is in Hufflepuff, so I had a boost." She grinned, recalling the first day her brother held her by the shoulders and introduced her to every one of his friends and classmates.
The sun, now filtering through the leaves outside the windows, was strong. And when she looked from the place she stood to the bend of the corridor where a few stray students were now exiting, she could see the strong sun. It looked surreal, like something out of one of those muggle movies. This, she reflected, the sun and all, would one day be a memory she'd cherish along with all these other snippets in Hogwarts.
She nodded her head in agreement, this would be one of the things she wouldn't miss for anything in the world. It would be exciting. Her first proof that she was growing up and not her brothers' little baby sister anymore. "Wouldn't miss it for anything."
Something in her stirred when he mentioned a friend. Marcus, his name was. Maisie had been contemplating whether she'd invite Emily Harris, but had decided against the idea. She didn't know if the girl would agree, though they were close. Emily was in Ravenclaw, not Hufflepuff where she was the most comfortable speaking in.
"Sure! Invite Marcus to come! The more the merrier, right?" She answered his question, before continuing his follow-up. "Er- I don't really know. Do you know Ally Craig from Ravenclaw? I was thinking maybe her? I've got another friend in Ravenclaw but I don't know..."
She didn't really know what the whole event would look like. It just had something to do with the sea. She had written a letter to her mother about the event in détail, and her mother promised to send her a dress for the occasion. For some reason, she received a letter and package from her uncle in Venice, Italy a few days later. When she opened the package, there was a white sailor's dress. No doubt her mother had written to her brother, and he got Maisie a dress. Though Maisie hadn't the patience to read the whole event, her mother must've had. The girl hadn't a clue what it was about until she read the flyer two more times. "It's got something to do with the sea, right?"