New Experiences with Old Faces PV Alina R. Fin.

When the train started moving, Søren was surprised that he was still alone. He was sure that someone would come along to steal the silence from him but his estimate of the number of people on the train was wrong, it seemed. A little bit into the journey, the traffic outside the sliding door slowed and the buzzing conversation was faint. He kicked his feet up on the seat across from him and placed his elbow on the window, peering out to the morphing landscape. His eyelids began to feel heavy as the time passed by without anything to keep him occupied.

A sharp tap on the door of the cabin forced the energy back into his body and his legs whipped off the seat. He would not let anyone of authority seeing him be so… ungentlemanly. Thankfully, he met the familiar hazel eyes of a Rosier. His bored face shifted to a mirror of her smile and his quest for alone time was abandoned. Beckoning her to come in, he leaned forward in his seat and placed his palms on his knees.

"Well, well, well, what do we have here... Søren Silverwood. To what does Hogwarts owe the pleasure?" she piped after opening the door. Without the pane of glass between them, Søren could make out the unmistakable face of Alina Rosier. The time he spent with the twins was just enough to be able to tell them apart.

“Alina! Ah, I was looking out for you on the platform,” he began, in a gentle tone. It was a lie, of course. He only remembered that Alina was the same age as him when her face appeared in the doorway. “Please, sit,” he smiled, motioning towards the seat opposite him and pulling himself back to make room for her if she chose to sit by the window, directly across from him. “Is Bella with you?” he inquired, remembering that the twins were usually together.

@Alina Rosier

Søren brought his hands to his mouth and disguised his chuckle as a cough. “Oh, I wasn’t worried. I knew you’d be here. Just tried to spot you on the platform, is all,” he spoke after calming down. He smiled as Alina took a seat, glad for the company. A familiar face was just what he needed at this time. Jumping into making new friends this soon while his tummy was still doing backflips would only lead to trouble. He never thought of himself as a standoffish or mean person, but he was scared that he was going to turn into someone like that if he was pushed too far. Thankfully, Alina’s personality always served to cheer him up. Her previous words were dipped in her teasing nature that plastered a grin on his face.

At the mention of Bella’s whereabouts, Søren let out a hearty laugh. “Yeah, that sounds like Bella, alright. I don’t think I blame her, though. Seven years away from our parents? Chasing after relationships is only the start, don’t you think?” he inquired. Of course, he was not truly free from his parents. They would always have an iron hand on him wherever he went and he supposed the same was true for Alina and Bella. Though, the children were no longer under watch from strict eyes and could afford to let loose just a bit.

“Can I be honest with you? I’m terrified and I’m not sure why. Just yesterday I was doing cartwheels around my room because I was so excited, but when I woke up this morning, I was nervous…,” Søren let the words trail off as he became lost in his emotions again. Catching himself quickly, though, he shook off the feeling and returned to his sunny disposition. “What about you? Excited, I presume? Do you think we’ll be in Slytherin together?” he speculated, remembering that the Rosiers were prominent Slytherins. They would obviously expect the twins to continue that tradition, he guessed. His own family were probably more forgiving of the other houses as his older brother had been a Gryffindor. He was practically disowned, sure, but not because of his Hogwarts house.

@Alina Rosier

“Aw, but I love your house,” Søren said with a smile, remembering his time at the Rosiers’ manor. He, the twins and their other socialite acquaintances always had fun at the place, exploring the expansive grounds and admiring the build of the massive structure while their parents sipped tea and other drinks. “It’s so different from my place. I love how isolated it is. But I guess that’s why you’re excited to leave, huh?” he chuckled. The Silverwoods’ penthouse in London was great for hosting modern balls and the like, but there wasn’t much in the way of a play area. Hide and seek was quite boring and the kids were usually forced to sit down and interact with the older partygoers.

He nodded feverishly at Alina’s assurance. It was provided some relief to his nerves, he supposed. The thought of having a familiar face in Slytherin was music to his ears, especially a face he got along well with. They weren’t close enough for Søren to say with certainty that Alina belonged in Slytherin, but he couldn’t see why she would not be. Hell, he wasn’t even sure the hat would put him in Slytherin, but he didn’t mind. All the houses had their merits and his parents, while they preferred the house of snakes, did not care. He was sure Alina would have a different expectation placed on her though, being a Rosier and all.

“Ah, but the dungeons are cool! My parents told me you could see under the Great Lake. Imagine the awesome creatures we could see through the windows! Have you heard about the giant squid?” his voice was giddy, memories full of amazing stories of Hogwarts imparted onto him by his parents. He wished he could hear more recent stories from his brothers, but they really enjoyed staying away from home and away from him. The only faces he saw on the regular were his parents and sister. Alina echoed his thoughts, voicing her own goals of being around new people. He sighed in agreement.

“Yeah, I’m not looking forward to classes. Learning magic sounds exciting, but being marked for it sounds terrible,” he divulged, rubbing his chin in thought. “I’m so excited for Quidditch, though. Do you think I could make the team?”

@Alina Rosier

Søren smiled at Alina’s words. “I think you mean our team. I’ll make sure to call you out if I see you in the stands,” he chuckled, imagining himself on the house team, catching the quaffle and passing it through the hoops. To be honest, it was the thing he was most excited for here at Hogwarts. There would be no one to tell him getting on a broom was too dangerous and no one to call his dream of being a Quidditch player pointless or immature.

As the train began to lurch to a stop, Søren stared out into the night for a chance to spot his home for the next year. He could only see darkness though, any dim lighting courtesy of Hogsmeade village that he’d been told about by his older brother before they stopped talking as much. He pressed down on his black robes that he had bought just days before at Madame Malkin’s. Looking across to Alina, he couldn't tell whether she was nervous or excited as their sorting and days at Hogwarts drew closer. To be honest, he couldn't tell that about himself either.

“I’m sure, with a school full of kids away from their parents, everyone’s going to have their turn at doing something stupid. But don’t worry. I’ve got your back,” he said as he got up, and opened the door, allowing Alina to exit before him. Students were already crowding the aisle, pushing their way towards the exit. He tried to keep an eye on Alina, but the massive crowd prevented him from doing so and as they exited the train, he lost track of her altogether. After the first years were separated and ushered to their boats, he tried to find her once more, but became distracted as the looming castle came into view. It looked scary, somehow, in the dark of the night, but the bustling group around him, no doubt just as amazed, kept him grounded.

Stepping onto the boat he was directed to, Søren found it hard to take his eyes off the structure and the great waters that surrounded it. He was no longer afraid, only excited for the new adventures and memories to come.

Leaving the thread unless stopped.

@Alina Rosier