Closed New Life. Who dis?

It was true that Nellie suffered from social anxiety. Beginning interactions was very nearly terrifying for her, but she was also very observant about people as she'd spent so much time in the background of social situations. She could have sworn she picked up on some anxiety in Joseph regarding houses. His words were true and Nellie imagined the house had no real input on a wizard's potential. So sure, was she, about his anxiety, that she very nearly asked. However, he provided an answer before she even had to. "Ah. That makes sense. Well, which house has the best company." Her lips pursed for a moment in thought. "Let me rephrase that. I'm sure there's lovely people in all the houses. Which traits do you most want in your mates?"

Her sketch book was currently entirely forgotten in light of this interesting conversation she was having with Joseph. The young boy had her attention entirely and she no longer seemed nervous at all. "Maybe once you know that, you have a decent idea of the house you want." She shrugged. What did she know?

Nellie knew something about how the wizarding world could be. Afterall, her own parents were disowned for simply not being born with magic. While she currently had no idea about how much pressure wizard families could place on their kids regarding their house, it wouldn't have surprised her in the least. The girl was becoming increasingly aware of how lucky she was when it came to her own parents. "There's also the fact that you could be in any house but only really sleep there, right? You're not forced to spend all your time within your house, are you?" Now this was becoming a genuine question. Was this something Nellie would have to deal with? What if she was forced into a house and everyone hated her? Oh God.


@

Joseph pondered over Nellie's question. To be frank, he had absolutely no idea. Joseph had never bothered to ask his parents or his older sibling what life at Hogwarts was like. They didn't care about his life in the first place. Why should their's matter to him?

"I remember there were different dormitories for each house's members... so I suppose you'll have to sleep with people in your allocated house. Oh, but of course there will be pockets of free time between lessons for students from different houses to interact," Or at least I hope there is, Joseph bit his lip, lost in his forest of thoughts. He had to be right. That would be what seemed most logical.

"Don't worry," Joseph added, hoping Nellie hadn't detected the look of doubt on his face. "Whatever the case, Hogwarts will do its best to keep their students happy and comfortable. If they don't... I suppose won't be too late to make an escape," Joseph joked, a smile spread across his face. He had read about students escaping school before, in Hogwarts, a History, but knew the chances of first years with hardly any experience in magic making a quick get-away was unlikely. Joseph remained silent for a brief moment, giving himself time to think.

"I really wonder what Hogwarts would be like," Joseph said dreamily, gazing out of the window again in hope of seeing the grandeur of a majestic castle rising out of the abandoned fields, marking the end of their long train ride and the start of the new adventure. Of course, no such luck. Judging by the speed of the train, they couldn't be more than halfway on the road to Hogwarts.

Social anxiety had made Nellie a pro at observing people. It was easy if you paid enough attention. A furrowed brow here, a momentary pursed lip there usually spelled nerves. Despite his words, Joseph didn't strike her as entirely confident. She also knew that if it were her, she would most definitely not want to be called out on it, so she practiced the Golden Rule and didn't say anything. However, it did nothing to soothe her own nerves.

One brow arched as she allowed her own doubt to show through. "If Hogwarts is anything like muggle school, I'm not sure the happiness of their students is very high on the list of priorities. If the students seem to be learning something, then all is well." Clearly she'd had something of a varied experience in school. If anyone asked, she would never make the claim her schooling up till now had been positive.

When the boy's attention shifted to the window to watch the scenery, she took the moment to watch him before glancing out the window herself. What would it be like? For a moment, her mind wandered, picturing all the things her parents had told her. After a moment, her attention once more returned to Joseph. "Are you from a wizarding family?" Han and Alice were wonderful, but she couldn't help but wonder what it would have been like if they'd been able to practice magic.

@Joseph Sims

Joseph leaned back into his cushioned chair, raising his head thoughtfully. Was what Nellie had said true? Surely it couldn't be. Did all schools neglect their student's happiness simply as long as they gain knowledge? Joseph would never know. He had never been to a school before, after all. Perhaps that was why every kid in his neighbourhood seemed to dread this "prison" where the teachers droning on for consecutive hours was the only form of torture.

"Are you from a wizarding family?" Nellie enquired, casting her gaze back on Joseph. Something between a groan and a sigh escaped Joseph's lips. Family. A short word, consisting of just six letters, but the meaning, its true meaning went far deeper, in fact, too far deep to be grasped. Did Joseph love his family? He'd been treated no better than a cockroach during his years of growing suffering. Could he even forgive them?

"Yes," Joseph responded, suddenly finding interest in his shoelaces. "Although I might as well not have been in one; I always pretended magic did not exist at all, because... 'cause..." Joseph's voice broke. How could he explain the pain he'd been through, the utter refusal to associate himself with anything that made him a part of the Sims family? "My family was nasty," Joseph managed, wandering what punishments his father would be considering for him if he was here by his side, listening to his words. "I... didn't want to be like them." Joseph said this with a tone of finality in his voice, indicating he did not wish to go on about this topic.

"How about you?" Joseph asked, regaining his composure. "Did your parents teach you about thus world?" Had Nellie mentioned that they were squibs? If they were, surely she couldn't be a stranger to the world of wizardry.

Being the child of teachers sometimes gave her a unique view of schools. Sure the teachers usually cared, but the school system itself? Less so. Added to that were her own experiences with bullies and her opinion was not a favorable one. However, she didn't expand on it. Maybe she would someday, but not now when Joseph seemed to have his own things to worry about, that much became clear when she asked about his family. Her heart went out to him when his voice broke. She made no attempt to call his eyes back to her, feeling sorry for even asking. "I'm sorry." Even she wasn't sure if she was apologzing for asking or for the family he'd been given. Perhaps it was both. "If it helps, I think not wanting to be like them means that you're not like them. If that makes sense." If she'd been nervous, any remaining trace of that left when in the presence of the boy's vulnerability.

The question earned a dry laugh from her. "I'm beginning to think that wizarding families are worse than muggle ones." She pushed a stray lock of hair that had fallen free of her braid behind her ear. "I guess my parent's families were friends. When they both turned out to be squibs, their families both disowned them. I mean... they provided for their most basic needs until they were adults, but after that?" She shrugged. "They cut them off. So, my mum and dad figured that since it was unlikely they were going to have a little witch or wizard, they'd raise us like muggles. I... didn't even know magic was real till a few months ago. But since I got my letter, they've been trying to catch me up. I'm sure there's quite a bit they missed, though." She let the brief version of her family's story hang between them for a moment before clearing her throat. "Come here. Why don't start teaching you to draw now?"

@Joseph Sims

Joseph clicked his tongue thoughtfully. So Nellie did have magical parents after all. Okay, perhaps not magical, but... from his side of the world, the wizarding world. While Joseph had refused to admit the existence of magic, Nellie had simply been robbed of the right to the truth. Perhaps they weren't as different as Joseph had thought.

Nellie's words echoed through Joseph's mind. "I'm sure there's quite a bit they missed, though." Had that been an invitation for Joseph to explain more to her? Was she perhaps hoping Joseph could tell her what her parents had hidden from her? Joseph had never been much of an expert at uncovering implied messages? Why couldn't everyone in the world just be straightforward?

"Come here," Nellie offered "Why don't start teaching you to draw now?"

Joseph nodded obligingly, craning his neck for a better view. He'd never been much of an artistic person, really, but acquiring a new skill was something he decisively did not want to miss out on. "Go on," Joseph urged, an encouraging smile plastered on his face. Joseph briefly wondered whether muggle tools for drawing were covered during muggle study lessons for third years. Maybe when Nellie got older she could hold a crash course on muggle art for wizards. Joseph chuckled at the thought. It was hard to imagine this young, shy girl in professor's robes, lecturing a group of students clustered around her.

And I'm the first lucky student, Joseph thought. Perhaps his little guess about Nellie's future wouldn't be too far off, after all.

Much in the next few weeks would lead Nellie to believe that she might one day be a teacher. Things just kind of fell into place that way. She would often find herself teaching the other kids things the didn't come quite as easily for all wizards, like history of magic, for one. But Joseph was correct, he would be her first student. Lucky, though? Time would tell.

As he craned his neck, Nellie angled the paper in his direction for a better view. "So most people mess up by trying to draw what they see right off." She shook her head. "That's too much all at once. So the best thing to do is start with shapes." For a moment, she studied his face in a way that was purely academic, though she quickly looked down and blushed when she realized he was actually pretty cute. Clearing her throat, she continued, forcing herself to ignore her own embarrassment. "So you have a bit more of an oval face." She drew said oval in light lines that could be easily ignored once the picture was complete. "And then you kind of..." she began to draw, once more keeping her lines light until she was happy with the shape. "fill in the detail." She began at the boy's jawline, giving him a softly square jawline with a strong chin. Glancing up at him a moment, she was now focused on her work. When she returned to the drawing, she would draw his lips- two litle triangles together for his top lip and a sideways half oval for his lower. Next would be the sublte dimple, shaded for some depth. However, feeling that was likely enough to get him started, she stopped and looked up at him with a smile. "See?" The girl slid both paper and pen his direction. "You should try."