Compartment Compadres PV! Closed

"Uh... sure!" the Ravenclaw exclaimed in response to Rosie. Someone actually wanted to talk to her? A muggle-born at that? Hadn't she heard of her family? Phaedra didn't know how to further respond besides a wide-eyed stare and found herself regretting her initial words instantly. Don't promise her anything - Phaedra thought - now she'll expect to be friends. As far as Phaedra was concerned, she still had a ruse to keep up and gave a weak cough into a balled-up fist. Thankfully, any additional awkwardness was avoided when Max walked into the cabin.

Phaedra sat up in her seat, relieved. "Max!" she said, happy that he would be sitting close to her. He was the one person in the compartment that she had grown closest to. "As good as a first year could be, I suppose," she said with a shrug. "I made good marks, so I have that going for me." Not a lot of close friends though; she was still as lonely as ever. "How about you?"

Well, if this wasn't a myriad of different conversations occurring in one cabin. Phaedra didn't know what to focus on or how to jump in without interrupting - Max's arrival, the school year, Eris' brief mention of Norse mythology, the brown-haired Hufflepuff boy unwrapping an actual hammer (was it some kind of inside joke?)... it was all a lot to take in after a long year and the train cabin was beginning to get a bit cramped. Would anyone else be joining? "Is it your birthday?" Phaedra questioned, moving her torso to the edge of the seat so she could peer past the heads of her pupils and properly congratulate Reid, face to face. "Happy birthday." She had her own coming up in the next few weeks and was quite excited.

Suddenly, Phaedra was starting to remember why she had spent so much time in the Hogwarts library or her common room alone. It wasn't that she disliked people (far from it, in fact - she wanted friends just like everyone else), but rather, it took time for Phaedra to feel comfortable. Everyone was sharing their experiences and feelings with one another as if it were nothing. Under the Stavrou household, children just weren't raised that way and it was expected that they did as they were told without any mouthing off. To an outsider, she had to appear as stoic and without fault as possible. Very rarely was Phaedra given a trustworthy individual to pour her heart out to.

Her thoughts were interrupted by a kind gesture from Serena. Clearly taken aback by the Hufflepuff's offering, she raised an eyebrow and eyed the bag. Phaedra loved candy, especially anything caramel, and had planned on buying some from the trolley on the way back, but then she'd have to explain why she hadn't taken any from Serena. The details of her falling out with Serena was solely their business and at the price of not ruining the train ride for everyone else, she'd just have to suck it up and play nice with the other girl. You just didn't take gifts from someone you were giving the cold shoulder to.

"I'll pass, Serena," she mumbled, clasping her hands daintily in her lap. "...But thank you," she added on as politely as she could muster. She doubted the girl would really mind anyway.

Beside her, her fellow prefect, Adam, had turned to ask her of her summer plans. They were pretty much the same as every other year. "Yes, actually. I'll be in Greece," she responded, a growing smile on her face as she answered him. "We go every year to see family." Phaedra crossed her legs at the ankle. "I won't return until..." A pause to think. "The very last week of August, I think."

"What plans do you all have?" Phaedra asked, turning to the rest of the cabin.

"I'm good too, thank you. It's feels a little strange leaving school after so long though..." Serena replied to Rosie, glad to see her friend was in good spirits. She had gotten to know her a bit better over the summer camp and really enjoyed it. Nodding in response to Reid's question about getting him a present, she watched him open it whilst listening to Eris speak about Thor and someone named Loki. She had absolutely no idea who Loki was now but the birthday present she had chosen was a hammer because of Thor. Whilst she did not really know much about Thor, she knew that he had a hammer. So, in an effort to get a last minute gift together for her fellow hufflepuff, Serena had managed to sneak out to Hogsmeade, where she came across a hammer for sale. It seemed like an odd object but apparently Reid liked Thor and hammers! She was pleased that this was confirmed by Eris, who claimed that Reid was obsessed with the Norse God. "Wait, Loki? Which one's that?" She sort of recognised the name from Norse mythology too but she could not quite remember who he was - or what he was the god of.

Smiling at Rosie, she nodded as the girl politely declined - not really noticing her multiple thank yous. If anything, it was just a sign of politeness, which was never a bad thing. Good manners cost nothing, after all. Serena was about to toss the candy bag over to Eris but the excited girl beat her to it. She pulled it out of her hands quickly. Serena could only chuckle lightly and shake her head playfully at the sight, "Take whatever you want though," She offered, happy to share her candy with everyone. Well... with most people. She was not happy to share it with Phaedra but she would do it because that was the polite and civil thing to do.

Serena glanced back to the door as she heard a familiar voice greet them. "Max..." She automatically muttered as her eyes fell onto him. Max Avery, one of the few pureblood children that her family had forced her to meet that she actually liked. He was her friend. They had known each other before either of them had stepped foot into Hogwarts... At least... she thought she had known him. During summer camp, she had learned something new about him. Something that surprised her - and partially horrified her. Her eyes immediately went to Rosie Parker. It had not been long since Rosie and Serena had met in the playground, where she found that that someone had bullied Rosie for a while. The ever optimistic Rosie seemed to say it was fine but was it? Being bullied was not nice, it was not 'fine' and it was not necessary.

Nerves surged through her. She could not imagine how Rosie must have felt right now - being face to face with someone who bullied her. Hell, Serena had no idea how to respond to Max now that she knew. Was he still her friend? They had never had any issues but... She had never pictured him to be a bully. "Hey..." She replied to his greeting after a few moments. Her voice held less enthusiasm than it usually did but it was civil and polite. She could never feign excitement but she had mastered being civil and polite, after attending many parties. For now, she would do nothing. Her actions would be entirely based on how Rosie reacted. But Serena would keep an eye out on Max, to make sure nothing happened. 

Rosie acknowledged and replied to Max, which put Serena at a bit of ease. Though the other girl seemed a little nervous too. Phaedra politely declined the offer of sweets, which Serena did not mind in the slightest. Well that was not true. A part of her heart stung a little as Serena declined. Her former childhood friend loved candy, from what she remembered. Passing up on it could easily have been because she had already eaten - like Rosie - or had too much candy earlier. But it was more likely because they no longer got along in the same way. Serena would act as though she did not care. She would tell herself that she did not care. Phaedra could do whatever she wanted, it should not - and did not - bother Serena, right? Wrong. A part of her heart told her otherwise. It stung a little but she was not surprised. Their friendship was but a distinct memory now. She put on a small smile on her face and politely nodded, as though there was no pain in her heart.

"Oh, of course, we were oh so scholarly," Serena teased playfully as Eris replied to Max's question, breaking the invisible tension that was mostly in Serena's heart. She, for one, definitely did not study enough. She had packed away most of her books with the intention of studying during the summer holidays, in fact. Serena knew she needed to start catching up. What happened at the Hufflepuff camp out ought to never happen again. But this was a nicer time. She shook the dark thoughts out of her mind, trying to stay positive in front of her friends, "Studied very hard, got into absolutely zero trouble, of course," Serena continued in a tone that implied she was being sarcastic and playful. She had received a couple of detentions this year, getting caught out in Hogsmeade - whoops. Her tone of voice towards Max started to become a lot more normal now, after she had managed to suppress some of the original tension and awkwardness, opening up a bit.

"I believe my family are planning to visit my grandparents for a while," Serena replied to Phaedra's question, in the nicest tone she could muster up. She had no idea if her entire family intended on coming on the trip - or if her grandparents were coming. But she planned to visit her grandparents for a while, at the very least. At least for a week. Her grandmother made the best food. Serena was not missing out on that and her grandparents also had the cutest cat, who she used to think was named 'Tabby' after hearing that word associated with him.