Sitting quietly Finished

Jennifer saw Bella give her an apologetic look, and pulled her wand out and turn toward something. She immediately pulled her wand out too and stood up. Jennifer got a better look at what was alerting Bella. It was a boy, a Slytherin by the looks of it. Jennifer wasn't against making friends in different houses, but had she had a bad feeling about this boy. She felt good that her friend would protect her, just as she would do the same. Jennifer was pretty sure that the boy was going to prank them. Although she couldn't read minds, she was almost sure that the boy was going to either prank them, or try to torment the Gryffindors'.  Jennifer rose her eyebrows at the boy and gave him a You-don't-want-to-mess-with-me look. She heard Bella say "Yeah, and what's it to you?" and immediately knew that this boy was trouble.

Jennifer stared hard at the boy, and said, "You don't want to mess with us. If you get any ideas, you'll regret it." She gave a I'm-sorry look at Bella, and promised herself to explain later. Jennifer wasn't a weak, or helpless, Gryffindor, and if someone tries to hurt her or Bella, they were going to pay.

"Yeah, and what's it to you?"The girl asks coldly.

Ugh, here we go again. Another person ready to fight.Josh sighed as he lowered his eyes on her.

"Oh for heaven's sake, I'm not looking for a fight!" Josh answered with exasperation. "I had enough of that earlier today with a certain someone!"

Josh leaned back against the table feeling utterly exhausted after the fight he had. Meanwhile, his siblings looked over at Josh and sighed.

"Hey Josh, do you mind going somewhere else?"Michael Altman asked. "You already caused enough grief for the family by being sorted into Slytherin!"

Josh ignored him and continued listening to the conversation. I swear Mike is getting on my nerves! Why can't he allow me to make friends in peace? They were already talking about their family origins and now they were on their way talking about their favorite classes. Seemed pretty interesting. I guess I'll wait until they're done. However, something happened to where he felt that he should talk to them anyway.

"I swear it's nothing but hostility after hostility!"Josh sneered. "Why can't someone be nice for a change? I'm not that terrible!" Josh groaned as he put his head down. Yeah, I'm not that terrible as long as you're not in the wrong sort that is.

Bella listened to the boy complain about not wanting a fight. He seemed genuine and some of Bella's immediate hostility faded away. She relaxed back in her seat, gesturing for Jennifer to sit back down as well. The boy, Josh, Bella learned from the shout of another boy a few tables away, sank with his head to his hands and complained about the lack of people being nice and him not being so terrible. Bella turned back to him, still a little defensive from his tone.

"Well normally when someone approaches someone else with 'well, well,well' they usually aren't there to be friends. And as for 'innocent Gryffindors'? You might want to look a little further for that" She said, less harshly than before, a slight air of understanding in her tone. Josh looked exhausted and Bella, in an effort to perhaps seem less aggressive, pushed the bowl of delicious chicken wings towards him.

"You look exhausted. You should try these they're amazing, right Jennifer? MIght give you some energy," Bella said with a small chuckle. He truly looked like he hadn't slept for a week. If he was serious about not wanting hostility then Bella was willing to give him a chance, but he didn't exactly come over here screaming an air of 'friendly do-gooder'.

Jennifer stopped glaring at the boy, but still had her wand out. She looked back at Bella and saw that she gestured for her to sit down. Hesitating, she sighed and sat down, still unsure of the situation. Jennifer heard that some kids were yelling at him, she immediately  recognized him from the sorting, he was the person who got sorted before her, "I know you. You were the boy who was sorted before me. The one who got put in Slytherin, when your siblings were in Gryffindor." She looked at Bella unsurely, agreeing with her that people don't normally try to approach someone else with a 'well, well, well' to try to be friends. Jennifer listen to Bella and was thankful that she was the one speaking to him. If she was the one speaking, she would be on fire already. 

 Jennifer heard Bella say, "You look exhausted. You should try these they're amazing, right Jennifer? Might give you some energy," Jennifer nodded at the boy, and softened the look on her face. Honestly, he looked terrible. What type of fight did he get into? A physical fist fight? Or a duel? Jennifer thought. She really wanted to know that. 

"Well normally when someone approaches someone else with 'well, well,well' they usually aren't there to be friends. And as for 'innocent Gryffindors'? You might want to look a little further for that" the girl replied. At least the hostility was disappearing.

About time someone was nice to me. Seems like I'll always be misunderstood wherever I go. I'll have my family to thank for that! Josh raised his head up and saw the bow of chicken and ate thankfully.

"Hey first-year over there! Your name's Bella right?" Michael asked. If I were you, I would stay away from that traitor!"He continued.

Josh quickly turned around and glared at Michael. "Oh shut up Mike!" Josh roared. "Not everyone in the family feels the same way about a certain type of people you know!"

Michael rolled his eyes and turned around. "Thanks for the chicken. You're right, they're pretty good." Josh stated. "Sorry if I seemed rude. I'm sure you would understand growing up in a family who is the direct opposite of what you are. Now everyone seems to hate me for being in Slytherin."

Mike can go piss off! Blood Traitors like him are the reason why my life had been so miserable. Bella didn't seem so bad after all. Perhaps her friend over there would not be so bad either. Let's hope that both of them are not Mudblood, but by the look of them, I doubt they are.

Bella watched as Josh ate some of the chicken. Before she could speak, another boy, the one who had spoken from before, came over to them. "If I were you I'd stay away from that traitor," Bella didn't respond, not getting a chance to, but she gave the boy a glare. She was quite capable of deciding who she would and would not be friends with for herself and she sure didn't need someone who knew nothing about her deciding that for her. The other boy, michael rolled his eyes after Josh had responded and walked away. Bella turned back to Josh and replied to his statement.

"My parents are definitely ... opposite of me. My siblings and I are all very close though. We've been put into all the houses, except Hufflepuff, and it just shows really that your house isn't always what defines you as a person." She looked at Jennifer, referring to their earlier conversation. "Everyone's personalities are different, I suppose, but that's ok. I don't see my parents, thank god, but I'm sure if they had been in my life more I too may have turned out just like them. Narrow - minded, selfish, muggle hating cowards, the pair of them" Bella spat. The sincere hatred for her parents that ran deep through Bella showed more and more with each word she spoke about them.

Despite being less hostile towards Josh now there was still something about him that made her feel on edge, although she couldn't quite place it.

"That was your brother I take it" She changed the subject, nodding her head towards the boy who had now stalked off towards the door of the great hall.

Jennifer watched Josh eat some chicken and heard another boy, a boy who had spoken earlier, came over. Jennifer heard him say, "If I were you I'd stay away from that traitor," She rose her eyebrows and game him a questioning look. I can't believe I'm in the same house as that jerk. Jennifer remined herself to never talk to that kid. She badly wanted to say, I think I can decide who I can hang out with or not, but she knew that it would make her unpopular with her house. So, she kept quiet, but gave him a glare. The other boy, Michael,  Jennifer guessed, rolled his eyes, when Josh yelled back. Jennifer looked back at Bella and Josh. 


"My parents are definitely ... opposite of me. My siblings and I are all very close though. We've been put into all the houses, except Hufflepuff, and it just shows really that your house isn't always what defines you as a person. Everyone's personalities are different, I suppose, but that's ok. I don't see my parents, thank god, but I'm sure if they had been in my life more I too may have turned out just like them. Narrow - minded, selfish, muggle hating cowards, the pair of them" Jennifer heard Bella say. 

Jennifer kept quiet. She knew she would draw unwanted attention by telling him that she was Half-Blood. Not everyone believed in equality for half-bloods or muggle-born. Jennifer looked at Josh still unsure, he was hiding something that she was unaware of.

"That was your brother I take it" Bella asked. Josh could see the look of suspicion on her face. I bet she still doesn't trust me yet. How can she especially when our views are different.

"Yeah, that's him! Saint Mike Altman!" Josh spat coldly. "He and the rest of my family are all a bunch of Muggle lovers. I'm the only one who despise them. They're so primitive and can't really do anything advanced like us magic people. They like to go on 'field trips' to the Muggle world a lot and I would kill to stay home and mind my own business. Nope, they would rather me go with them as well. So humiliating! I feel so ashamed for those wizards and witches who got married with those animals. They're the reasons why Squibs and Muggle-Borns.... exist. Now they discriminate me just because I hate Muggles. Funny how they just figured it out once I got sorted into Slytherin. I guess I was a genius at hiding my feelings. I bet I deeply offended the both of you, but that's just how I feel and there's nothing really that could make me change my mind. Sorry."

Yep, they're gonna hate me. Especially after what I said just now. But how can I help it? It's how I truly feel. Since most Houses have a huge prejudice against Slytherin, it was no surprise that those two would change their mind about Josh. It may be only a matter of time until they see who Josh really is. Or will they?

Bella was unsure how to react. She couldn't decide which emotion to act on first; the anger at just how similar to her parents Josh is behaving or the confusion of how and why somebody would think like that. Why they would want to think like that. Bella resorted to hiding back behind her walls. Defensive and seemingly uncaring Bella says

"Muggle hating is a little old fashioned don't you think? And where did it ever get anyone? They live blissfully unaware of our kind and for that we are grateful ..." The world would become all kinds of messed up if they knew "But they have never done anything to us. They couldn't. So why should we not allow them to remain ignorant in peace." Bella was starting to get a little angry now and stood up before continuing "Magical blood is magical blood. It comes from a gene, you look intelligent enough you should know that, meaning that someone who is muggle-born would have to have a witch or wizard at some point in their family line! It doesn't make them any less powerful or any less worthy to be here or use magic as you and I. Amd that's coming from a pure-blood, FYI,"

Bella was shaking a little with her barely contained rage by the time she was finished ranting. Multiple heads in the room had turned to their direction including that of her 7th year brother Ozzy, a Slytherin, who had entered the room a few moments before.

Jennifer was shocked. I thought his brothers were jerks, but he's even worse! How is he like this? She knew that she shouldn't be hanging out with kid. Jennifer was half-blood, and knew that this kid was going to do something to her or to any other half-bloods and muggle-borns, unless they left, or he leaves the school and will never see him again. Not likely though, kind of difficult to avoid someone when you go to the same school, and can't afford to leave,  she thought to herself. Jennifer looked at Bella with a worried look, Jennifer knew that Josh was dangerous. She looked back at Josh and asked, her voice on the edge of yelling, "Is that really what you think? I'm sure that there is something inside of you that thinks otherwise." Jennifer looked deep into his eyes trying to pry the truth out of him. Very unlikely though. She knew it was hard to change someone's mind when they would do anything to make sure their voice is heard. Jennifer sighed, and behind her back, she pulled her wand out for safety, and held it in her hands very tightly. She looked at Bella supportingly, to let her know that Jennifer agreed with her.