Presents and Polaroid Pictures Finished

Min-seo nodded and smiled. ”No problem!” she said. She was excited. She didn’t really have friends before Hogwarts, and all summer she’d be sitting on the windowsill reading a book in the large mansion that she lived in on a quiet street. Of course she had her brother, but he had friends and he always hung out with them. They would invite her as well for they thought she was adorable being younger than all of them, and she sometimes joined them. Her Godfather Jin was always busy, so it was hard to play with him, although he would if he had the time. Min nodded. ”Yeah I’ll tell you. I trust you,” she said with a smile. She trusted Elena quite a lot. She was one of her best friends from day one on the train to Hogwarts, when they were nervous about which house they were going to get into. It’s been a few months now, and everyone has begun to settle in, making both friends and enemies alike. Min-seo nodded. ”It’s way too dark down there too. I heard from Alex that the Ravenclaw Tower has one of the best views ever. Also my brother is in that house.” she said.

§

The cake did in fact smell amazing, so Elena was happy to see Saffy had remembered a small knife and some paper plates.

"I trust you too." Elena said softly, and a little quietly. It was rare enough that the girl trusted anyone, Min-seo was just too good not to. It made her wonder why exactly trusting people was so hard.

You have to trust family don't you? The voice echoed through her head. Elena turned her head away slightly, so Min couldn't see the panic in her eyes while she calmed down from the sudden harsh reminder as to why trust didn't come easily. Luckily nothing like where she used to live looked anything like Hogwarts. If it happened again in London though, Elena didn't know if she would be able to pull herself out.

"If only we were in Ravenclaw hey? Sadly the headmaster isn't much of a fan of the entire idea of people changing house. I suspect he wouldn't even let us do it on the basis of claustrophobia. What I wouldn't give to be in a beautiful tower." Elena closed the top of the box with the cake then grabbed it. Elena was up and ready to go. She held her free hand out to Min-seo, "Whenever you're ready Lights."

Min-seo smiled as Elena said that she trusted her. But then she looked away. Was she lying? Min-seo looked down slightly. She probably didn’t. Min shouldn’t be trusted. She wasn’t good enough to be that way. And here she went again, putting herself down. She fiddled with her small hands as the terrible thoughts crashed through her head. Once this happened, no one could stop it. At least no one had yet. Min-seo closed her eyes, trying to breathe. She was having a small panic attack. Good lord. She needed to shake out of it. She opened her eyes and felt her face to make sure that she wasn’t crying. She wasn’t, thank god. She took deep breaths and returned her smile so El didn’t notice. She shook her head. ”I’ll admit that it would be nice in Ravenclaw, but at the same time no. I like Slytherin House for there are many nice people. Also, if I was in Ravenclaw, I’d be with my brother. Though I love him to death, he’s... very overprotective. I wouldn’t be able to go anywhere with out him. He doesn’t want me to go anywhere so I don’t get hurt. Too late,”she said with a small chuckle. She nodded and lightly grabbed Elena’s hand.

Elena looked back at Min, concern and a little bit of panic in her eyes, "Are you okay?"

The girl hoped turning away to sort out her brain hadn't had unintended consequences, that was roughly about the opposite of what Elena had been going for. She readjusted her grip on the cake to better go up the slightly narrower stairs.

"Looks like your brother and I have something in common. He sounds great." Elena smiled and started toward the classroom, back up the stairs leading to the kitchen and out into the corridors.

"Slytherin house does have a lot of nice people. If you're ever in trouble though, the Gryffindor professor. Griffith, he's the one to call." Elena shared the information as if it were a secret, although to a point it probably was. One that only the group of sad and scared children that went through the stables like it was a revolving door knew.

"I think Rowan knows him too." Probably an endorsement to Min-seo, maybe, Elena didn't know. It still seemed like a good point in his favour, "I heard a rumour our glorious head of house hates children. So I've been doing the teensiest bit of avoiding when it comes to Jensen."

Min blinked twice before smiling. ”Yeah, I’m fine, don’t worry,” she said. Lies. That’s all Min told. She brushed some of the hair out of her face. Good news she was becoming okay, kind of. Not really. It was getting better though. She turned to Elena and laughed as she said that her brother and her were alike. ”He really is. I kinda miss him although he’s here. Since he’s in a different house, I don’t see him very often, only in passing or if he succeeds in finding me to ask how I’m doing,” she said shrugging her shoulders as she still followed Elena up all those stairs. Min-seo tilted her head slightly at El mentioning Professor Griffith. ”From What I've heard about him, he seems quite kind, and intimidating in ways. And you know Rowan?” she asked about her best friend. She had heard about that Professor, but she hadn’t actually met him before, but he sounded quite nice, so she might meet him in the future. ”Well, if she hates children, then why is she a teacher at a big school filled with them? And I think that she was quite intimidating when I saw her,” she said.

“I get it, Alan’s in Gryffindor so I mostly talk to him using owls.” Elena smiled a little sadly, “But it’s worth it to talk to them when you can, brothers make life a little better. Even if you’re not technically related.”

Alan was basically a brother to Elena, although she still felt bad over not telling him anything about her past, but she hadn’t found the right time, not yet. She didn’t want to hurt him, in a way she hoped he knew that. Then again, she was preparing herself for when he left eventually, so that was probably less healthy than was properly needed to keep Elena from falling off into the abyss, but it was enough to hold onto the edge, for now.

“Not really, I saw him at the last R.O.A.M event, anyone with enough guts to talk to Griffith and smile is usually someone who’s talked to him before or has never heard about his reputation.” Elena smiled, “And I have no idea why anyone that hates children would be a head of house! It makes no sense at all.”

She lead the way along the corridors and stairs up to the classroom, it was only a few levels up, and rather comfy chairs were lurking inside.

Min-seo smiled. ”He seems quite kind. It would be lovely to meet him,” she said. She’d heard about him before, and from what she heard he was nice. She squeezed El’s hand and continued to follow her. She looked at the pictures on the walls as they moved, all waving at her. She loved the paintings. Sometimes she forgot that they moved and was quite surprised when they did, but she still thought they were cool. They were also very kind. She looked ahead again and made sure not to trip. Min smiled. ”Oh, R.O.A.M. I’ve always wanted to join that, but I’m afraid I’ll be to late. They probably closed sign ups by now,” she said with a shrug. She really loved magical creatures, but she was way too shy to join the group. It was too much for the small girl, especially talking to a teacher. Min nodded, thinking. ”Maybe that’s just a rumor, and she actually likes them. I know children can get on people’s nerves sometimes,” she said. She always looked for the best in people. When they got into the room, Min let go of El’s hand and flopped down on the couch. She was quite tired.

§

In the interest of not boring poor Min to death, Elena refrained from over describing how cool her favourite professors were. Also lord knows she’d probably already be disappointed by Griffith’s grouchy behaviour, better not push it any further.

“I think they’re still technically open, I just got in early.” Elena laughed nervously, being anything other than a rebel made her slightly uncomfortable, “True, kids can be hard sometimes, lord knows I am one.”

Rumours were like whispers, often incorrect and usually misheard, but a grain of truth lurked at the centre. A word, an action, something that made it look like it was true, even if it wasn’t. Maybe this could be cleared up, but Elena preferred to lurk under the radar, and far away from anyone who might be dangerous. Even a little bit.

“Looks comfy.” Elena grinned and started to cut up the cake for them, “Saffy’s nice, glad she was there today, I don’t really know any of the others.”

She handed Min-seo a plate of cake and sat down on one of the armchairs across from the couch, spearing a bit of cake on her fork and looking at Min curiously. Part of her wished for tea, that would make any conversation easier.

Min-seo adjusted on the couch to a more comfortable position and looked at El. ”Really? So maybe I have a chance,” she said with a smile. She loved magical creatures. Min-seo nodded at her statement. ”You don’t seem like you’d be a handful,” she said. Min-seo tried not to break the rules at the school. She was what people could call a goody two shoes or whatever it was called, she didn’t know. She just didn’t want to get in detention. Sure, she broke the rules sometimes, but she made sure not to anger the teachers or something. She sort of felt bad for the Head of Slytherin House. It would be really hard for Min to take care of hundreds of students all day. Plus if she didn’t like children, that would be even harder. She frowned a bit, thinking. Min turned to Elena. ”Yep! It’s nice,” she said with a smile on her face again, out of her thoughts. ”Yeah, Ms. Saffy was really nice. I’ve only met one house elf before, and that’s my Godfathers. She took care of me when I was younger. My Godfather tries to pay her for what she does in the house, but she always declines. Oh thank you,” she said, taking the piece of cake. She politely ate it, happy. It was amazing.

§

“You’re clever, he’s certain to let someone as awesome as you in.” Elena wondered for a moment if a reference from her would make getting in easier or harder. There were few things Elena didn’t even have a starting point on finding out, and what Morfran Griffith thought of her was one of those things.

While Min-seo was lost in thoughts, Elena looked around, thinking about almost nothing. Infernal Devices, Mortal Instruments, Dark Artifices. And of course some books as well, she wasn’t all doom and gloom, after all.

“House elves, the idea is still strange. I suppose I’m from a place where people would rather die than serve others with nothing in return.” Elena smiled a little sadly, “I was not born of chaos and yet I believe that in the end chaos is what I like best. Nurture winning in this one.”

“As much as I’d love to recount my beliefs on freedom and morality.” Elena said a little jokingly before looking almost solemn, “I should ask you what happened, before I lose the thread of the conversation.”

Her icy blue eyes were full of concern, not pity because pity wasn’t what the strong needed, understanding, worry, those were the marks that could heal a troubled soul.