Closed Meeting Minx PV EmmaLee LeDames

EmmaLee gazed out at the water of the Great Lake from under a tree nearby as she idly flipped the pages of her book. She was supposed to be studying but as always with potions, she couldn't seem to focus on the words on the pages, so she was pretending to study instead and not exactly doing a good job of it.

Minx, her large, white cat who had joined her, was stalking a yellow butterfly that had caught her attention. As the cat leapt for the tiny, fluttering insect, with seemingly no real intention of catching it, the two creatures ambled further and further away from the pale girl by the water. Minx chased her friend? closer and closer to the castle until the little yellow thing fluttered up the castle wall and out of sight, just as a girl came out of the castle and stared at Minx.

Minx tipped her head in curiosity as the girl look to and fro for her owner and called out as Minx approached her. She sniffed as the girl reached out for her and then leapt back away from her grasp before turning around and bounding off towards her EmmaLee.

EmmaLee turned as she heard cat and girl running back across the field and chuckled before standing up and taking a few steps towards the pair, book in hand, but closed now. "What trouble 'ave you gotten into, Minx?" She asked, scolding the cat who responding by twining herself around her owner's pale legs.

"Minx is mine, yes." She said with a nod and a giggle as the girl approached. "'As she been bothering you?"

Minx sat down next to EmmaLee with a look on her face like, "Who, me?" and twitched her tail curiously for a moment before flopping down on EmmaLee's feet and rolling onto her back to bat at EmmaLee's shoelace.

Sarah followed the cat all the way to a girl who was sitting near the Great Lake.

What trouble 'ave you gotten into, Minx?

Sarah noticed a slight french accent in this girl's voice. Sarah had never met a french person. But that was the thing about Hogwarts. There were students from all over the world!

Minx is mine yes. As she been bothering you?

Sarah blinked twice. She was right. This girl did have a french accent. How cool was that! Most of the students at Hogwarts had British accents, since most of the students were from the England area. But there was still the occasional student from America, or Germany, or even France!

Nope, she's not bothering me. She's very cute actually. I love cats.

Sarah shot this girl a small grin. She kneeled down and started petting the cat. Minx was her name. What an adorable name for an adorable cat. Petting this cute cat made Sarah miss her cat at home. Her cat was named "Marty". He was a black cat although he never seemed to give the Sailor family bad luck. He only seemed to give good luck, (and good cuddles too!)

I have a cat named Marty. Although he's not at Hogwarts though. Maybe Marty and Minx could get together and have a playdate or something one day!

Minx proceeded to rub herself under the girl's hand with a happy, trilling purr and EmmaLee giggled with her hand covering her mouth. "Well that's good. I've 'ad Minx since I was a little older than seven and she can get one into quite a bit of trouble." She said, wrinkling her nose down at the animal playfully.

"Last year, one of the older girls 'ad a pet playdate set up for anyone who wanted to come. It was quite a fun time." EmmaLee said, turning her attention back to the girl and clasping her hands behind her back. "Will you be bringing Marty 'ere next year? We could do that again and 'ave a playdate for many." She suggested, looking the girl up and down. If EmmaLee was remembering correctly, she could remember the girl from the sorting feast and the Hufflepuff common room, but hadn't caught her name yet.

"I'm EmmaLee LeDames. You are a first year, yes?" She asked, tipping her head curiously and smiling brightly at the girl.

As the girls talked, Minx continued to twine herself around both girls' legs and happily be pet by Sarah until she flopped down in the middle of the two and rolled in the grass for a little bit.

Well that's good. I've 'ad Minx since I was a little older than seven and she can get one into quite a bit of trouble

Sarah giggled. She knew a thing or two about pets getting in trouble. Her pet Marty always got into trouble at home. One of the main things that Sarah's cat Marty would do at home, was he would jump up on the table and steal food from it. Marty was always hungry.

Will you be bringing Marty 'ere next year? We could do that again and 'ave a playdate for many

Sarah thought for a moment. She would love to bring Marty to Hogwarts next year. He would love it after all. There were many other animals here at Hogwarts that students had brought with them. Maybe if Sarah could convince her parents, she would take Marty next year for sure.

Only if my parents say yes. But I'm sure I can convince them. It would be so amazing if I could take Marty here! Marty and Minx would get along great I bet. Minx seems to be very social, and luckily Marty loves other cats too!

Sarah could just imagine Marty and Minx rolling over and playing on the grounds of Hogwarts. That would be so fun!

I'm EmmaLee LeDames. You are a first year, yes?

Sarah knew EmmaLee was a first year, as she saw her around in classes, at the sorting ceremony, etc.

I'm Sarah Sailor and I'm actually a first year too! It's great to meet you. EmmaLee is such a pretty name. Is it a family name? Like where did it come from?

EmmaLee giggled a little at the girl's excitement to bring her cat. EmmaLee had been just as excited when she learned that they were allowed to bring pets to Hogwarts. She had been so upset at the idea of leaving Minx at home for ten months she could have cried. It was wonderful to have her fluffy friend here and to even see her changed by the magic of Hogwarts.

"Minx is an unusually friendly animal to all to begin with, but there's something about 'Ogwarts that seems to make the pets around here more intelligent and able to get along, I think. Most students just kind of let their animals roam as they will, at the very least around the dorms and common rooms, and I've never 'eard of one pet eating another." She said thoughtfully. "Even animals like rats and cats seem to at the very least ignore each other."

When Sarah returned EmmaLee's introduction and asked about her name, EmmaLee suddenly grew a little awkward. It was far from a family name, at least on her mother's side. In fact, her mother's family refused to use it and called her "Emiline" instead, despite her and her mother's intense insistence. "Ah, well," she started, suddenly stumbling over the explanation. "I don't know 'ow much of a family name it is, but I know that my father picked it. It means, universal shelter."

With her newfound complicated feelings towards her mother's family came new complicated feelings about her father. Their general distain for his very existence laid a new layer to her own confused feelings about his extremely present absence. EmmaLee didn't know what to do with the subject of her deceased father and every time he was accidentally brought up, she didn't know how to feel about him. Should she be proud of the name he gave her? She certainly liked her name, her whole name and found it insulting that the LeDames women refused to use it, but what was she supposed to do with the connection to her father it gave her. She visibly shook her head out of her reverie and turned back to Sarah with a brighter smile. Change the topic away from herself, stuff down the confusion.

"What about your name? Is it a family name?" She asked, barely managing to pull the bright demeanor back up into her voice. "If I am recalling correctly it means, princess, yes?"

Ah well, I don't know 'ow much of a family name it is, but I know that my father picked it. It means, universal shelter.

Universal Shelter. Sarah had to think for a moment about what that meant. It must mean that you can find home anywhere. Yes, that's what it could mean. What a pretty meaning for a pretty name!

That's such a pretty meaning. I love that. "Universal Shelter." Like you can find home anywhere right?

Sarah looked at EmmaLee and gave her a smile. But something was wrong. She looked sad all of a sudden. Like she was thinking deeply about something. Sarah tried to think about what she was saying. Did she say something that may have offended EmmaLee?

Should I ask her what's wrong...?

Sarah opened her mouth, about to ask EmmaLee what was wrong, but she happened to speak first.

What about your name? Is it a family name? If I am recalling correctly it means, princess, yes?

EmmaLee's face still had a small damper in it. But she seemed to want to move on with the conversation, so Sarah continued speaking.

Um... yes actually! My name means princess. It was passed down in my family for years. I think it was my great great great great great great great grandma's or something!

Sarah laughed at her own joke. This was a habit she needed to break. Other people might find it weird that she laughs at her own jokes. Sarah looked over at EmmaLee, who still looked like something was bothering her.

Hey EmmaLee, are you alright? You just seem a little down. You don't have to tell me anything you don't want to of course!

EmmaLee laughed as Sarah laughed at her own joke. Then the girl turned the conversation back to EmmaLee. Erk. She twisted the fingers of one hand with the fingers of her other hand nervously. Should she share her family problems with an almost stranger? Sarah was friendly enough, but she was younger. Should EmmaLee bother her with something that didn't matter to her at all?

Aside from the Stephen part of the problem, which she had more or less resolved for the moment, EmmaLee really just didn't care for her mother's side of the family. Was she allowed to feel that about family? Her mother has certainly had as little contact with them as possible for the past 10 years, why couldn't EmmaLee do the same? She sighed.

"I.... don't have a good relationship with my extended family." She finally admitted. "My mother 'as kept me from them until recently and it seems for good reason and I don't really know 'ow to feel about it." She said, all in a rush as if it would stop in her throat if she didn't get it out. "They are very.... overbearing now." She finished more slowly, trying to still be polite but also tell the truth of her perception of them.

"It is mostly my problem, so you don't 'ave to worry about me." She said with a smile.

Minx gave a deep, almost irritated sounding trill from her position on her back on the ground and EmmaLee wrinkled her nose playfully at the animal before looking back at Sarah. "Are you enjoying 'Ogwarts so far?" EmmaLee said, once more attempting to move the subject off of her and her problems.

It wasn't so much that EmmaLee didn't want to talk about her problems, but she just didn't want to bother people with them. With the exception of Alura, Grace, and Keirnan, her childhood friends, she felt like her problems were a burden to other people and they would rather talk to her about happier or even more mundane things. Admittedly, she felt like this particular thing she couldn't even talk to her parents about, because her mother had already made her decision about her family and was enamored with her birth father, so how could EmmaLee tell her that she wasn't sure how to feel about either of them? Her stepfather Victor was on her mother's side regarding her family, and he probably would have a neutral opinion about her father, so he would also be of not help to talk to.