The soup incident

The first week of classes had gone swimmingly. Especially potions. Frankly, Maria hadn’t considered that she would enjoy it as much as she did. She liked the aroma of the brews and the atmosphere of the dingy classroom. Perhaps she was meant for Slytherin after all.

She’d brought her potions textbook with her to her meal and had it laid beside her plate. She wasn’t really listening to the speech, instead running her finger down the lines in her book. She had her homework out next to it and scribbled down whatever she could as she found it.

The food appeared and Maria got herself a piece of bread and whatever the soup was in front of her. She’d told herself she would try all the food she could. That was her way of being adventurous, she supposed.

With a content sigh, she ate her food slowly, so to savor it, and continued her reading. That was, until a clank and a steaming, burning sensation sizzled over her right leg.

She cried out and flung her cloak away from her body, patting at the soup globs ruining her stocking thanks to the girl seated next to her.

Maria was glaring, she could feel it. The girl was stammering her apology and Maria forced herself to take a deep breath. She put her potions homework into her book so she could keep her spot and closed her textbook. The girl next to her was crying now.

“There’s no use crying over spilt … soup,” Maria said in an awkward attempt to raise the girl’s spirits. This was the second time in a week she’d had to cheer someone up and she figured by the end of the school year she would be an expert.

She took a napkin from the table and handed it to the girl so she could wipe up the mess. Maria took a napkin of her own and rubbed at the soup on her leg.

Maria laughed to herself, “Besides, making friends by spilling soup on them is so much more memorable than any other way of doing it.” She offered the girl a smile.

The girl next to her took a deep breath, taking in her apology, which seemed to be a mess of words. Usually Beatrice isn't like this at all. She never shows emotions like this in front of other people and something like knocking over soup would have never ever happened to her, especially not with anyone watching. She heard a snicker from someone, realizing the tears hadn't stoped.

“There's no use crying over spilt ... soup,” the other girl said, the attempt sounding a bit awkward. She was right. Beatrice should not be crying right now. She felt awfully embarrassed.

»You're right,« that was almost the only thing Beatrice managed while stopping herself from crying as she heard her scolding mother in her Head. Alice and Konstantin Dupont are going to be disappointed. Hopefully they don't find out. »I normally do not behave like this. My apologies, .... again.« she said.

The girl handed her a napkin without saying much and took one of her own. They started to wipe the soup away. She glanced at her and saw that she didn't look as mad anymore. Beatrice was glad. They had actually learned a spell for wiping things up but she wouldn't dare to try it out and make more of a fool of herself, than she already had.

The girl laughed quite suddenly. “Besides, making friends by spilling soup is so much more memorable than any other way of doing it.” She offered Beatrice a smile. Beatrice smiled back.

»Well, I didn't necessarily intended to spill soup over someone today. It's honestly been quite a shitty day. A friend would be nice tho.« She said whispering the last part, more to herself than the poor girl who had been way to nice after Beatrice almost ruined her Potion textbook and homework, that laid next to the girls plate.

They finished wiping up the soup and Beatrice thought about using that charm, her mother taught her, to get stains out of clothes. Beatrice had to use that one a lot with her younger Siblings. The napkins and fallen over bowl magically disappeared, leaving a plate for dessert.

»I'm Beatrice by the way.« She told the other girl, offering her another smile. The floating pot of tea poured them both a cup.