The Inevitable PV Monica Evans Complete

Deciphering Monica Evans was quite amusing. This "private club" for swimming was intriguing, that there were enough people to justify teams, and enough teams to justify championships. June hadn't experienced anything like that in her life so far.

Ah. That was why.

June always found it fascinating when she interacted with those who were raised outside of the wizarding world. June couldn't imagine not knowing about magic. Or even to not know about a whole population of the world. Sure, June had no experience with the muggle world, but she knew it existed at the very least. To discover that your very perception of the world is wrong, is so wholly incomplete... Just the thought of it frightened June. She was happy to be a pure-blood, to know about the wonders of magic her whole life. Life without it seemed, well, impossible.

As Monica went on, June felt her smile growing. Leaving everything behind, June could relate to that. Perhaps not on the same level as Monica, but still. "Leaving my parents was hard, too. I know they're not that far away, but still. Not seeing them but for Easter and Christmas holiday is... Well, it was a lot more difficult that I'd like to admit. Although I guess I just did," June chuckled softly. "So you're a muggle-born, are you? Fascinating stuff. How'd your parents take it when they found out? Merlin, I can't even fathom what it would be like to not have magic in your family. Did you go to school before this, then? Is it much different?"

Oh, no. The question June was trying to avoid. She was hoping Monica wouldn't return the question, but here she was. "My first year has been..." Disastrous? Boring? Lonely? "Underwhelming." That was an acceptable word to describe it, she figured. "Everything here so far has been quite surface level. The classes, though I have enjoyed most of them, the people, the... I don't know, the magic of it all has been, well, underwhelming."

Tears tried fighting their way out of June's eyes. Keep it together, Selwyn. June gulped, taking a deep breath as she continued walking with Monica, following the shoreline of the lake.

─────Underwhelming... what a good word to describe the year, this experience so far. Though, it wasn't a word that Monica would necessarily use, having no expectations, or knowledge of the magical world, one wouldn't be able to set up enough expectations for something to be "underwhelming"
"Jarring is more the word I would use." It was a strange thought, being so used to magic, that it could become underwhelming for a person. Flying on brooms, making something appear and disappear, that being so apart of your life that it becomes as common as breathing? What a concept, one that was hard to fully understand, and yet here she was, June Selwyn, underwhelmed by a magical school.
It was comforting to know that she wasn't the only one that found it hard being away from her family. This entire time, Monica had buried down her emotions about being sent away, assuming she was the only one who felt that way.
twinging a bit at the mention of "Muggle-born" Monica still didn't know how she felt about it. Not that it had been used towards her in any negative way, but from what she knew about Muggle-born, it seemed that they were a mixed breed. Like those mutts from the dog pound that no one wanted because they preferred the pure-breds.
June started laying out question after question, it nearly became to much to process, but it felt good feel like someone was that interested in you. Odd that the muggle world was just as much a mystery to June as the wizard one was to Monica.
"Ah, well I mean, classes are classes, you put a teacher in front of a group of students, even when teaching something as sorrel as magic and spells, it becomes monotonous. I didn't much like my school back home, I mean I did, just not the class parts. I have a tough time sitting still for long stretches at a time." Straining herself to think back to the other question June asked," Well my father didn't seem all that surprised actually, apparently it comes from his side of the family. He had stories told to him by his grandfather about magic, and wizards and witches. Some of them he told us as kids, but we all assumed they were just that, stories. My mom was very shocked, and at first didn't want me to come here."
Monica though back to that day, when the professor came to her home, delivering her letter to Hogwarts, sitting down with her parents and her to explain things. She remembered sitting like a deer in the head lights on the couch. At that moment, all the oddities she had experienced growing up made sense, she wasn't crazy, she was a witch.
"I guess to someone well versed in the world of magic, it's pretty obvious who is from the com-- Muggle world. Have you not ever been before? is there a law against it, or is it like traveling overseas? You could do it, but it cost money and time, and your parents would have to take time off their work..." Come to think about it, was any of that stuff relevant for June? Did her parents work? Did it cost money to travel? As far as Monica knew magic had the capability to do anything, so would things as complicated as traveling around the world, be as simple as sneezing?
"I'm sorry, all of that might not even be relative to you, I really don't know much about life in the magical realm, though I am learning it is much different than stories I have been told growing up."
The castle was growing ever closer, though at this point Monica had almost completely forgotten about her hunger, she was delightfully lost in conversations and questions.

No, I've never been to the Muggle world, really. No need to. My dad has a few times when he was younger, but he said it was nothing to write home about." June thought a moment about all the stories her father had told her about his time traveling Europe after graduating Hogwarts. The trips where he met her mother. Whenever he told the stories, he made it seem like he was so young, but as June had spent time at Hogwarts, all of the upperclassmen seemed anything but young. Would June be ready to marry so shortly after she graduated? Never mind, that wasn't important right now.

"There's not a law against it, unless you'd count the International Statute of Wizarding Secrecy... But that's solely about magic and culture, not travel." Overseas travel... Money and time? "Is it difficult to travel overseas in the muggle world? I've never been out of Europe, but when we go to France we just go by floo network or portkey... Blimey, how do you all travel such great distances?"

"It wouldn't be too difficult, I suppose. My dad is an author, so he doesn't really need to 'take off' work. My mum stays at home for the time being, but she's hoping to find a job in something soon." June smiled. "Don't worry, I don't mind. I think this is the longest conversation I've had about the muggle world before, it's... interesting. A foreign topic."

June took a deep breath. Her friends from the muggle world certainly were interesting. She wondered how her parents would react. She imagined they'd be alright with it, they weren't ones to uphold the traditional pure-blood worldview. But still, having an opinion and then putting it into practice were two completely separate things.

The Hogwarts castle was now in front of June, the staircase leading inside off to her left. How on earth did she end up back here so quickly? So much for her escape from her troubles...

"Right then, shall we make our way to find you something to eat?" June smiled at Monica. She supposed she was glad she met Monica, even though she wanted nothing more to be alone right now. But Monica provided a good distraction, however temporary. Perhaps that was all the reprieve June would ever get, temporary distractions between the valleys of her Hogwarts life. Perhaps June not having the chance she needed to let go was inevitable.

─────Ouch, it stun a bit, being told that your whole world, everything you grew up knowing, and loving was "nothing to write home about." But Monica allowed it to slide. She would probably feel the same way if she grew up so accustomed to magic, and spells as June so clearly has been.
"Well it depends on the family I suppose, if traveling is difficult or not. My mum owns her own pastry shop, and father is a professor at a collage, so they never had time off for us to be able to travel much as a family. Mostly we camped, or took day trips into London." Those were her favourite trips, sitting in the back seat next to her sister. Playing road-trip games, like counting licence plates, or I spy. Would June have never played travel games like that before? What a sad way to travel. The best part of traveling is in the journey...right?
It was rather interesting to learn about the way June was raised. The things that were fascinating to her, were mundane for Monica, and vice versa.
Monica could feel herself smiling, walking to the castle, arms entwined, and sharing in pleasant conversation.
Even though being a witch was not what Monica had envisioned for her life, she was glad to be here, and to be able to learn about the wizarding world. How often are the fairytales your father tells you at bedtime, turn out to be real? And when it came down to it, Monica was making friends here, and learning so much! What had started out as a day in need of an escape, morphed into a day to remember.
As they entered the castle, Monica could smell the aroma of food oozing out of the kitchen. Instantly her hunger returned, with a vengeance, and she quicken her steps to the Great hall, practically dragging June with her.
A perfect end to a perfect inevitable meeting.