First Year Entrance Open

The disdain with which Willow spoke her surname was palpable, almost sitting in the air like a dense fog. Soléne didn’t recognize the surname, but that wasn’t unusual; it just meant her family wasn’t in the up-and-ups of French society. That would be most people here. However, before Sol could respond to Willow, another girl burst into the scene.

Some say dynamite comes in small packages, and that seemed to be the case for the girl who had just joined them. It all happened so quickly Soléne barely had time to prepare herself for the onslaught. After she helped disengage Edith’s cloak from herself, she backed away slightly while fixing her hair. Like an animal approached too quickly. Casimir and Willow were clearly not impressed and attempting to take back as much space as they could. While uncomfortable with too much energy in her space too quickly, she decided to bite the bullet.

Soléne moved from her spot next to Casimir at the front of the boat, leaving it open for either him to scoot over to take it, or for Willow to occupy it, giving them the extra room they probably wanted. This would leave her now sitting next to Edith. Her brows would raise as the girl continued to explain that she was super invested in the French and French culture. Soléne wasn’t sure what the girl meant by that, but she exhibited pristine manners by listening quietly and patiently. Now that she shifted her placement and the boat had settled, Soléne seemed to watch the girl as if mentally noting all of her mannerisms, like a magizoologist studying a creature in the wild. It was something Soléne did when she wasn’t as absorbed by the conversation as she had been originally with Casimir.

However, that same look settled onto him and Willow now that he had time to introduce himself and answer the girl’s question. Willow followed with the same lack of enthusiasm. “I am sure it is a pleasure to meet you, Edith.” Calculated, proper, precise. Most importantly she spoke in English not wanting to exclude their boatmates from what she said. Soléne was raised never to drop her manners if she could help it, always remembering that what she did would reflect on her family’s name and reputation. “Quite thankfully, not everyone can be French. We would have a lot more intermingling problems.” Inbreeding never truly ended well, and it was already surprising that the purebloods managed to stay as pretty as they were. She was sure the acceptable distance calculations were a full-scale science of their own by now.

“I am excited for school.” Her eyes drifted from the faces of her boatmates back up to the castle across the lake. “There are just so many things to uncover, to learn, to make myself better with.” By better, she insinuated, more powerful, as her voice retook the slightly dreamy tone she had with her and Casimir’s conversation.