✴ To Leave With Enthusiasm ✴ PV Closed

"It makes sense that you don't know I guess. Being an orphan and all. Sometimes I wish I wouldn't know my blood status, it would mean that my parents didn't care about all that."

She thoughtfully looked out the window. The boy seemed to at least know some about the magical world. Questioning its integrity seemed strange and slightly delusional after everything the boy must have seen already. Who would create a whole world of wonders and make books, and book a train and fool someone with the platform wall spell just to prank someone?

It seemed slightly overbearing that someone would even consider such a thing at this point. Maybe at the beginning yes, but not when you're on the train to Hogwarts. The boy seemed insecure, or maybe he just hadn't been taken good enough care to feel entirely comfortable with everything going on around him.

He hadn't told her anything new with his recollection of everything he'd learned about blood status as she knew how unfair people could be about the particular subject. She didn't care to talk about it often and hoped she hadn't offended the boy with her question. She had just been curious.

And so, focusing back on the boy she began: "Finland is between Sweden and Russia. It's not a very big country, and mostly forests, and snow. It's cold and quite high up north. No, we don't have polar bears, but we do have normal grizzly bears, reindeer, and moose."

She thought of everything she could tell and decided to focus more on the magical world of Finland since the boy hadn't been grown to know of their world that he now belonged to: "In Finland, most wizards and witches live in Taika and we don't marry muggles. Blood type doesn't matter in marriage; muggle-born or squib is deemed as an acceptable partner, but you can't marry someone without magical blood or at least a heritage there. Might seem old fashioned, but honestly, people don't complain about it since the magical world is pretty far from any muggle activity and meeting one is rather rare unless you deliberately enter a muggle area."

She stopped after a moment and added: "By the way, we don't use that word. The one about muggleborns starting with M. You could get into detention for using it in Hogwarts. It's seen as an extreme insult."

He frowned. She always looked... sad? When she referred to her parents. What was it like living with pure blooded parents? He wasn't sure, but he did know he never wanted to find out.

Reindeer? He'd heard of those - who hasn't? - and found them fascinating, if just because of the Christmas myths of this stalker giving out presents to children.

He wouldn't tell anyone this, but he'd been curious enough to stay up on Christmas to see if he really was real; Sen was disappointed when no one came down the chimney.

Sen did think it was old fashioned, but if it worked, it worked. Who was he to judge a country he's never stepped foot in?

"By the way, we don't use that word. The one about muggleborns starting with M. You could get into detention for using it in Hogwarts. It's seen as an extreme insult."

He blinked, before nodding, "I suppose that makes sense; I doubt anyone would appreciate their blood being called mud. I know I wouldn't, it's made of of some iron, red blood vessels, white blood vessels, but certainly not a mixture of dirt and water."

He paused, perhaps he was taking it too literally, "but then, wouldn't, if not everyone's, then most people's blood have even a small amount of muggle blood in it? I doubt the wizarding community would survive if they... Reproduced with only each other."

His face immediately held the expression of regret; deciding to bury his face in his hands, he let out a
long, low groan. He composed himself, taking a few deep breaths and averting his eyes.

He coughed into his hand: "Moving on..." He drew the two words out, "What do you like to do in your free time?"

Airlia chuckled softly when the boy brought up reproduction in the wizarding world. Perhaps he wasn't the smoothest talker, but he was delightful.

"Well, I have a lot of etiquette lessons. And I study a lot of languages when I have time... I like to read muggle books my brother gives me." After that Airlia leaned in and playfully whispered: "But don't tell that to my parents."

She smiled at Sen. He seemed to be actually interested, not just making conversation and that was nice for a change.

"I don't have many hobbies, I just go where life takes me in Hogwarts. You're never bored there." She smiled, thinking of all the times she'd for once thought of going to study in the library but just ended up going on an adventure.

Wait... Maybe that was the reason she was hanging on in potions by a thread. She was so close to getting a troll in that class that just thinking about it made her stress.

She looked at the boy with genuine interest. He seemed like fun company and she really wanted to be his friend: "What about you? What do you like to do?"

@Airlia Winter

He pushed the flush down as he heard her chuckle, and felt relief as she talked.

He crinkled his nose when she said that word, etiquette. He understood the importance of basic courtesy, etiquette and all that stuff in life - after all, he valued his image to remain neutral, if not even slightly positive to the public - but studying it?

He perked up at the mention of muggle books, and nodded, he didn't want her to get into trouble because of him.

"What about you? What do you like to do?"

He frowned, he didn't do much asides catching up on sleep, reading...

"I myself don't have many hobbies. Perhaps sleeping and reading. I don't think ignoring idi- others count however," he stopped himself from cursing other people in time.

He'd met quite a few numbskulls over the past few years, who he doubted could do anything much; they generally just bullied others into giving them money.

He couldn't help the small smirk that crawled up his lips when he remembered how much of a coward they were; they had screamed and run away when one of them tried to grab him, but was sent back flying (at the moment he didn't realise it was magic).

"I do like a nice, quiet walk in a forest. Is the Forbidden Forest really as dangerous as the books say?"

[Font= Times New Roman]"Sleeping is nice." Airlia commented thoughtfully and her mind swirled in the world of pink clouds she visited every night.

When asked about the forest a shiver went down her back. It wasn't a place she ever wanted to visit. It was a dark and gloomy sight even during the day. Like light just couldn't seep in through the treeline. It was somber and dangerous and most students knew not to go near it. They didn't like the outcome when they did.

Airlia herself had walked along the treeline more than a few times. Sometimes even at night, but didn't dare set a foot into the forest.

The sounds that came from it were like a warning to keep some people away... And lure others in.

"I think so. I never went, but it's not really the type of place you'd really want to take walks in once you see it." She looked at the boy and sent him a meaningful look. She leaned in to whisper almost like the mear mention of the forest might curse her soul: "The sight of it repels people and for good reason. We are not wanted there."

She leaned back towards her seat and stayed serious: "I've spent my fair time in forests... Never once have I come across one as dark and twisted as the forbidden forest."

In the blink of an eye, her lips twisted back into a happy smile as her overall happy attitude returned.[/font]

@Airlia Winter

Sen frowned, a sentient forest perhaps? Magical beings that lived in peace with humans so close?

He tried to imagine the forest before him, and he felt a chill run down his back. He wasn't sure if it was due to fear or curiosity, but he now knew he had to see it for himself.

What kind of creatures lay there? Why would the Hogwarts castle be built so close to the forest, or was it the forest that was then infused with magic due to the wizards so close by?

Did the magical beings have a treaty or some kind of Dela with the Founders and Headmasters of the school?

He blinked in surprise at the sudden change of atmosphere as the girl in front of him smiled, contrasting her previous look. But what did she mean by, "we are not wanted there"?

He tilted his head to the side slightly, and he couldn't help the smile that crossed his face, crawling up his lips into a serene smile.

"Interesting," he eyes gleamed with interest, "is the forest itself sentient? By how you describe it, and what the books say, I can only assume the Forbidden Forest has a mind - of sorts - of its own."

Airlia thought about it for a moment. Sure sometimes a forest could have a mind of its own. But she'd never really thought about it that much. Sure this wasn't news to her, but somehow the thought of the forest actually thinking, being one with its creatures seemed to make it feel even more dangerous.

Airlia did not like the idea at all...

"I don't know." She said and left unsaid how she didn't even want to know. "I'm more used to kinder beings. I have my own Granian. They are extremely difficult to train, but each woman of my family has owned one through history. It is a tradition we uphold with pride." She smiled and thought about her gorgeous winged horse.

"I do adore creatures, but I'd rather stick with the kinder kind than the proper beasts." She smiled softly.

"What about you. Do you know enough about creatures to have your favorite picked already?" There were so many creatures out there in the world. Some beautiful, others distractingly ugly. But all of them seemed to have their place in the world. And that had always been a bit of a mystery to Airlia.

Reducio

OOC: Sorry for taking so long : test week. : (

@Airlia Winter

Sen nodded as Airlia spoke,and tilted his head slightly as she said a name. Granian. He'd heard of the word a few times in, Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them, but he didn't know much about the horse like creature asides from what the Hufflepuff had said.

"What about you. Do you know enough about creatures to have your favorite picked already?"

Sen thought for a moment then shook his head, shrugging: "No, not really. I've read a bit of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them of course, but there's so many out there, I can't really say."

His mind wandered to the different animals he's heard of; Thestrals, Dragons, Unicorns, Phoenixes, Basilisk, Hippogriffs, Chimaeras, Centaurs - the list goes on and on.

But he would be lying if he said he wouldn't kill to see any one of them - though luckily he doesn't have to as there's a course just for that, "Care of Magical Creatures". He could tell Airlia was most likely going to continue that course. She would do really good in it, he mused. He then remembered that she said she had a Granian.

"A Granian? Isn't that a horse-like creature? And you're allowed to tame one and keep them already? Do you know how that tradition started? It sounds amazing!" Sen's eyes metaphorically sparkled in glee as a he rambled yet again, driven by curiosity. He was learning so much already, and he'd barely stepped into the magical world.