The Tale Begins finished

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As Rebecca spoke to try and calm Helena down the young honey blonde girl could not shake the feeling how wrong Rebecca was. The Rose family had a name to uphold and it was up to Helena to uphold that name.

Helena gulped as the fear swelled inside her after all everyone in the Rose family was a Slytherin even though her cousin would most likely be a Slytherin it would not surprise her if he was a Slytherin after all.

As Rebecca continued to speak Helena grew intrigued at the mention of her muggle mother. Helena could already hear her fathers voice sneering at the mention of muggles or even muggleborn a attending Hogwarts. Tilting her head ever so slightly to the left Helena’s ocean blue eyes sparkled like sapphires in curiosity.

“Your mums a Muggle? That is interesting indeed. Then you must have grown up in the muggle world. Is that correct? I have heard they do many things differently than the wizarding world. Is that correct? I mean I am quite sorry that is rather rude of me to ask.”

Helena blushed ever so darkly in embarrassment, her pale ivory skin turning a nice shade of strawberry red. Clasping her hands together tightly she seemed rather embarrassed, shrinking back slightly.

Helena, being a big oblivious, ignored the fact that the young brunette in front of her offered her some biscuits. Helena thought for a moment the young girl knew her family would be highly disappointed if they found out that Helena was associating with a half-blood girl or Muggle-born? Helena always seemed confused about what made Half-bloods half and what made Muggle-borns muggle-born.

Snapping out of her thoughts, Helena smiled shyly over at Rebecca holding her hand out shakily more because of nerves she felt like she had already embarrassed herself enough in front of this girl. After all, what else could go wrong? Basically anything really.

“Um sure I do not mind, a biscuit sounds very lovely actually. If it makes you feel better my family does not cook either, that is what house elves are for honestly.”

Helena spoke in her ever so light posh tone though Helena May sounded rather snobby she meant well it was just the way her tone was after all being raised by a very high prestigious family it is know wonder she is not overly stuck up like some of her peers that she knows. Some rather rude like their parents but alas that is how the pureblood children are raised to despise the muggleborns and half-bloods.

Bex got up and managed to pry her suitcase out of the luggage storage. She knelt down to unzip it as she answered Helena's question.

"Yeah, my mum's a muggle. My step-dad is, too. I think it's mostly like, tech stuff that's different in the Muggle world. My dad's Muggleborn so he has a phone and one of those cool smart-home things that controls the lights and temperature, but some of his coworkers and friends from school don't even have TVs. That's nuts. Does your family have TV?"

All of her dad's friends kids were younger than her, and when the less Muggle-integrated of them would come to visit she got to introduce them to tons of things like football and fortnite, the latter of which she wasn't particularly fond of on her own time but enjoyed being able to show off to kids who hadn't played video games before. In exchange they'd play games with her like exploding snap (which she didn't enjoy very much) and broom racing (which she enjoyed much, much more.) Most of the time it felt like babysitting, but it was fun in the sense that it was her only real interaction with other magical children.

Bex sighed in relief as she finally managed to locate the biscuits in her bag. Since they weren't that far out from the school now, she simply zipped it back up and made no effort to return her comically full suitcase back to storage. Her dad could have used the levitation charm on it, or maybe a shrinking charm, either of which would have made this process a lot easier. She hoped they would learn one of those in her classes soon, because she was not looking forward to having to lug these back home with her at Christmas.

As she got re-situated in her seat, she pulled the lid off of the biscuits and held out to box the Helena before fully processing the second part of her statement.

"Also, what's a house elf?" She asked.

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Helena gently took a biscuit from the metal tin glancing at Rebecca ever so curiously. A TV? What In Merlin’s beard was a TV? Sounded strange to the girl. Not only that the other girl had no clue about house elves either?!

Though Helena expected much from the girl by the sounds of each she must have mainly grew up in the muggle world after all her mother was a muggle and her father muggleborn makes plenty of sense to the honey blonde girl.

Helena pondered for a second as she took a bite of the biscuit thinking of a response. Her ocean blue eyes stared over at the brunette quietly as the train kept charging forwards towards its destination.

“What in Merlin’s beard is a Tv? I mean I have never heard of such a thing? Is it a muggle contraption?”

Helena questioned the brunette softly. Her elegant tone sounded rather surprised, her eyebrows arched upwards as Helena’s pale skin seemed to glow with sunlight emitting from the cart's windows.

“A house elf? They do our laundry, and chores around the Rose manor. Many pureblood families have some honestly. Hogwarts has house elves as well according to father.”

Helena answered Bexs question about house elves the best she could do after all. The young blonde had no idea how to explain house elves. Helena honestly felt bad for the house elves at her home, but alas she could not really do anything to help even if she wished to.

Bex grabbed a biscuit of her own, nibbling around the edges and working her way towards the middle. How exactly do you describe a TV to someone who's never seen one? If she had brought her phone, she could have just shown Helena some youtube videos or netflix to convey the general idea. Exactly shat you're looking at, but on a bigger screen.

Instead, Bex resorted to sort of waving her hands about, gesturing in a vague rectangular shape as she described the device to Helena.

"So you know how Wizarding pictures move right? Most Muggle pictures don't move, but sometimes we have video, which is like a painting but with sound. It's a real thing that was recorded, so it's not like how paintings are almost their own people. Videos are more like a memory. And people act out stories or play sports, and we watch it on the TV, which is really just a big screen we use to watch the videos. Does that make sense at all?"

She resolved to do some actual research later into how the TV worked, since she'd honestly never questioned it before, and she can't imagine that the descriptions she was giving Helena were helpful. She thought about drawing Helena a picture of it, but the flat screen in her mum's den really did just look like a big black square, so she wasn't sure how helpful that would really be.

"Maybe I can try to sneak my phone with me when we come back from winter hols and show you what I'm talking about. It's like a little TV that fits in your pocket. Or you could just come to visit over the summer or something, and I can just show you then."

House elves though. She wondered if Helena really meant elves as in a creature, or if that was just a job title. She couldn't imagine any magical creature wanting to spend their time doing chores. If Bex was a magical creature instead of an 11 year old girl who had to go to school, she probably spend all her time outside in the sun, and not inside cleaning house, but maybe even elves needed to make money.

She tucked another loose strand of hair behind her ear. "Are they like, actual elves? I don't think my dad hires any house elves, but he has a lady named Ethel who he pays to come over and clean every Thursday. Is it like that?"

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Helena listened carefully to Rebecca. The young honey blonde girl was rather curious as she seemed to explain what this so-called tv was. Though the young girl did seem to still feel a tad confused. But then again the muggle world itself confused Helena.

Afterall her parents definitely tried to avoid introducing the young girl to the muggle world. They felt like it was not up to their standards unlike the wizarding world. Even still Helena was always curious about muggles.

Helena listened to Rebecca a bit as she went on explaining. Then the young girl seemed to offer for Helena to visit during the holidays. Confusing the young girl greatly. After all the girls had just met. Helene was a bit confused why she would want to spend holiday with a practical stranger. But at the same time the young girl felt a bit relieved. Did she actually make a friend?

Helena thought if a response she knew how her parents would react with her befriending a half-blood at least Helena assumed according to what Rebecca had explained about her family's history. She would be considered a half-blood.

Helena smiled a sad smile towards Rebecca honestly the girl really wished she could spend the holidays with her new found friend, but Helena also knew how her father was.

“Spending the holiday with your family sounds pleasant, but unfortunately I know my father and he would not go for the idea at all. He is ummm a tad strict I suppose would be the proper words.”

Helena spoke a bit sadly in her elegant tone. If the girl knew exactly how to convince her father or mother to join her new found friend for the holidays she would in a heartbeat, but she highly doubts it. The young girl did not see anyone she knew of to help her out. Maybe her cousin would but the young girl would need to coax her aunt to go along with it and even then she highly doubt would even allow Helena to associate with a non-pureblood.

Staying quiet for a second Helena listened as Rebecca asked about house elves. The young girl knew her family never paid the eleves nor did they pay anyone to do things for them. It is more of a given honestly. Helena thought for a second on how to respond to this question.

“Well we do not pay the elves honestly. They just do all the chores like cleaning and cooking everything really. One time I gave our old house elf her name, Nymphy a scarf. It was rather cold that day and mind you I was about four she was delighted. Because I gave her clothes away so she was free. Father was furious at me for doing so, but mother was kind and calmed him down. She explained what I did was wrong. Though I really do not think it was wrong honestly, but according to my father it was wrong. So I suppose it was. But the house elves do a lot and they help keep our manor nice and tidy and the food is delectable.”

Helena spoke with her soft poise and elegant tone she waved her left hand mindlessly Afterall the whole ordeal with Nympy was just that an ordeal , an accident really. Gazing over at Rebecca Helena thought for a moment, biting her lower lip nervously.

“Did that explain it at all? If not I know Hogwarts has house elves but I believe they get paid? Strange though to pay a house elf. Seems fair though.”

Helena, feeling slightly more comfortable around the other girl, smiled softly. She was a tad confused on how to interact properly and did not wish to come off rude or snobby, but the honey blonde girl could not really tell if she seemed that way or not, suppose it is just the way she was raised after all.

Helena awaited for the brunette to respond back to her as she leaned back gently in the seat she was sitting in.

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It was too bad that Helena wouldn't be able to come visit over the summer, but Bex's own parents could be rather protective of her, especially around strangers, so even though she it was definitely disappointing she understood. Bex's cousin Maggie had gotten to go to a Taylor Swift concert in the states, but Bex's own mum hadn't even allowed her to go to her school team's football tournament in Bristol. So really, she couldn't judge Helena's dad for not wanting to let his daughter go to a strangers home before at least meeting her parents.

"Is your dad really strict?" Bex asked, beginning to slowly undo the braids that her mother had painstakingly done only a few hours earlier. She hated sitting still. At least when she'd had her phone, she'd had something to do with her hands. But the train should be reaching it's destination soon, so she could finally get off and stretch her legs.

As Bex listened to Helena's explanation of house elves, and the role they played in Helena's home, Bex's previously relaxed posture and attitude began to shift, slowly making it's way from confused and uncomfortable to genuinely upset. The story about Helena accidentally "freeing" one of the elves was especially upsetting to Bex. It sounded a lot like the elves at Helena's house were being held against their will, if they could be freed, and the very matter-of-fact way Helena talked about this was distressing to say the least. And they were keeping elves at Hogwarts, too? Did Bex's dad know about this?

"Are you saying that the house elves are slaves, Helena? That isn't okay. How could you think that's okay?" Bex asked, voice wavering. She wanted to believe the best of this girl that she'd spent her day with, and that she hoped could be her first friend here, but this was not something that Bex wanted to overlook. She was having trouble reconciling the soft, sweet girl that she'd been sharing biscuits with the girl who's family was apparently keeping slaves.

Never mind that you, apparently, freed a house elf by giving them clothes. Were they not wearing clothes to begin with? That was a whole 'nother can of worms that 11 year old Bex was no way equipped to handle in this moment. She didn't have the words yet to explain to Helena what she was thinking and feeling, all she had was the gut-deep certainty that what Helena was telling her was wrong.

She wanted to go home. She hadn't wanted to come to Hogwarts in the first place, and now look what had happened. Her mum had been right about magic all along and Bex's stomach felt like it was going to fall out of her body. She pulled her knees up to her chest, gripping her jeans tightly. She was willing to give her new friend the benefit of the doubt, but she wasn't sure if she was willing to extend the same courtesy to the Wizarding world at large. She resolved to owl her dad as soon as she was sorted, determined to squeeze the truth out of him.

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Helena gazed softly at the other girl tilting her slightly listening to her responses humming Helena gazed softly at the other girl.

“Well I am not sure they seem to be happy living at our home suppose it is in their nature. Honestly I wish we did not have house elves but they are very kind and helpful. I mean I suppose they maybe considered slaves as you called it, but they do live a nice life and they are happy. They are not completely naked either they have like tunic type outfits to wear.”

Helena softly spoke staring at the other girl calmly hearing her voice waver. Helena did not wish to put the girl off or make her uncomfortable. The young blonde girl shyer away a bit. A wave of guilt sinking inside the pit of her stomach. Gazing upwards towards Bex Helena smiled shyly.

“My apologies I should have not spoken to much. The wizarding world must strange to someone who did not grow up in it. At least around purebloods. Purebloods are rather nasty honestly well some not all honestly. It varies. For example my family is rather nasty though I ummmm more of a disappointment because I refuse their beliefs honestly. It’s all about purity. Sorry if I unsettle you. Really hoped we could have been friends. Honestly I do not have friends never really have…”

Helena spoke softly her tone wavered slightly the young blonde stared downwards twiddling with her thumbs out of her nervous habit. The young girl was not sure how to respond or if she figured the best thing to do was stare at the ground and avoid eye contact at all.

The young blonde girl hummed quietly awaiting for the brunette to respond. Helena felt slightly guilting least to say After All she must have looked really awful to Rebecca. The young blonde figured she must have blown it greatly by trying to make friends with the other girl. Feeling rather down Helena figured she was destined to most likely be rather lonely then destined to have friends.

Bex took a moment to gather her thoughts. How could she make the blonde girl in front of her understand? She knew from talking with the Helena all day that she was kind, so her mindset that, while it sounded awful, this was just the way things were in the Wizarding world was out of step with what Bex had learned so far of Helena, but seemed very in step with what Bex was coming to understand about Helena's family. Was it true what Helena was saying, that all purebloods were like this? Bex hadn't met any other purebloods, that she knew of, so she couldn't be sure.

Her every urge was to shut down and stop talking about this. She could probably just let it go and move on, and keep the pressure off their new friendship, but Bex knew she was right on this, and unfortunately concessions weren't in her nature.

She hoped convincing was. "Helena, I'm not upset that you've spoken too much."

Bex tugged on the ends of her hair anxiously, a sore substitute for the soothing feelings she associated with her mum doing her hair. "Would you be happy if you were trapped, Helena? Even if you were taken care of?"

She didn't really know what Helena meant by purity. Was keeping house elves in this way considered pure to them? It didn't feel like it to her. But Bex was sorry to hear that Helena hadn't had many friends growing up. She couldn't imagine what it would have been like for her if she had been homeschooled like some of her dads friends kids, instead of getting to go to muggle school and make friends there. Lonelier, she thought sadly.

While the day continued to be a relentlessly sunny as it had started, the box of biscuits had been haphazardly pushed to the side, and Bex desperately wanted to return to the easy peace that the two of them had started with.

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As the sun outside seemed to lower itself and the first light of the night's stars started to break through the vast darkening sky. Helena gazed softly over Rebecca as the golden haired girl hummed for a second. The young golden haired girl was thinking softly to herself wondering how to answer Rebecca’s question.

Helena was uncertain how to answer. The girl herself felt trapped in her own home, but what eleven year old did not? Sea blue eyes gazing over towards the brunette haired girl.

“I mean in a way I guess I understand. I don’t really enjoy having the house elves, but my parents are very strict. I wish they were more in the modern times, not stuck in the past. But being trapped in the image your parents expect must feel similar to the elves. If I could I would release them, but father would have my head and I rather not anger him…”

Helena spoke softly her tone wavered slightly as the golden hair girl felt uncertainty swell inside her stomach.Twiddling with her thumb and index finger Helena thought for a few moments wondering what to say next.

“Not all purebloods are the same…But some have ideals and purist views. It is hard to explain. I know a few families who have children our age and they can rather be stuck up in a way. Honestly I would rather not be in my family's footsteps but it could cause problems and I would like a roof over my head.”

Helena whispered softly turning her head towards the window watching as the sky slowly grew darker and the twinkling of stars illuminated the sky.

“It is terrifying to be somewhere you are not used to and especially around things that you do not understand, but it is better to do something new with a companion.”

As Helena spoke softly she gazed over towards Rebecca, smiling shyly over at the brunette haired girl holding her hand out. The golden haired girl was prepared for rejection, but she figured she might as well try at least.

“I am terrified and I grew up around magic, but maybe you and I can embark on this journey together. I would love to learn more about the muggle world and I umm I umm could be an ear that listens. Also to answer any questions you may have. But that is only if you wished to possibly be friends…”

Helena spoke softly, her tone wavered slightly she was uncertain of what else to do. The young golden haired girl felt like it was best to await for the other girl to respond to her. The worst that happens is Helena’s proposal is rejected after all.

As the car began to grow darker, Bex realized that they must be getting close. She gazed out the window, watching as the last of the sun's light faded away. The train ride felt like a transitional scene, the barrier between the mostly Muggle life she'd had growing up to the stark reality of what it really meant to be a witch going forward. It was something she'd done her best to ignore whenever she could, but now that time would come to an end. And she didn't want to embark into that new world alone.

She was starting to understand that, despite her father being a wizard and having a passing familiarity with everyday spells and magical objects, she truly knew almost nothing about magical culture. Going to Hogwarts was starting to feel like going to a foreign country whose language she hadn't even the basic knowledge of. Partially this was her own fault. She'd never really shown much interest in much in the magical world beyond brooms, and had done her best to close her eyes and pretend she could stay in the Muggle world forever (but an untrained witch was a ticking time bomb, so off she went). She was starting to suspect, though, that her dad had purposely sheltered her from some of the less-than-magical aspects of the wizarding world, and thusly left her ill-prepared for living in it.

And Helena, clearly, understood it so intrinsically it was practically in her bones, in a way that Bex wasn't sure she ever would.

She clearly didn't agree with Helena on everything, but her heart was good. And really, Bex couldn't fault her for putting her own safety and stability first. She wouldn't compromise her morals for Helena, but she was willing to meet in the middle, for now.

Bex stuck out her hand in turn, grasping Helena's softly and shaking on it.

"Okay." She replied. "Friends."