Gemima didn't even register the compartment door opening for the umpteenth time. But then somebody started to speak, and lo and behold, there stood a boy. She straightened in her seat and peered at him suspiciously over Junhee's shoulder.

He was taller than most eleven-year olds she'd seen, at least from this angle. His dark hair was neatly parted on one side, and he had the beginnings of a strong jawline, as well as a perfectly angular face. Actually, everything about this guy was neat. He was even already dressed in his Hogwarts uniform, ready to go. Her fingers unconsciously traced the hem of her dress. Maybe she wasn't overdressed after all. Gem had to admit that he was handsome, but he was almost too perfect. He reminded her of the uppity, serious aristocrat wizards who would often appear at the parties her mother dragged her to.
"I"m Aurelius, a pleasure to meet you all." he said, his ice blue eyes sweeping over them. He promptly heaved his luggage into the compartment, slid it under the seat, then sat down.
Even his voice is perfect. His tone was practiced and polite, although his words were clipped with a familiar accent Gemima couldn't quite place. Consider her intrigued.
"Uh, hi," she said, voice shaky yet again. Shyness settled back over her body. However, she felt a bit more confident than before, now that she had Winter and Junhee with her. She cleared her throat and gave the boy a small smile.
"I'm Gemima Sable. It's nice to meet you too." Nailed it!

Gem glanced nervously at her friends, wondering what they thought of Aurelius. His name was definitely a mouthful. She was tempted to ask if he had a nickname or anything of the sort, but she bit back the question. That would be rude...

@Winter Wolfhartz @Junhee Kim @Aurelius Leeds
306 words

• ᴄᴀʟᴍ ʙᴇꜰᴏʀᴇ ᴛʜᴇ ꜱᴛᴏʀᴍ •
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The Hogwarts Express - 1st September 2021

The atmosphere in the compartment was comfortable. Aurelius didn't feel like an intruder at all, which was nice, as the other young students-to-be were very welcoming. It was nice to meet nice people, especially since a few had already been very standoffish; those ones were probably caught up with Houses and who their rivals would be, which didn't even make sense until the sorting ceremony.

Why waste time drawing lines in the sand, when there's no side to stand on yet?

Still, Aurelius didn't plan to let Houses matter too much, not when it came to who he knew. Unlike some, the Irish boy was able to see that having acquaintances and friends from a variety of groups was helpful; it would offer different perspectives, different personalities, and would be a mutual benefit for everyone involved.

The first of the girls to speak up had long, straight hair and kind eyes. Aurelius smiled at her, as he swallowed and little bit, and listened as she spoke and introduced herself. Gemima, it was a pretty name. And then the next student-to-be did the same, Junhee who had a nice smile, and the Irish boy grinned and nodded - both of them seemed really friendly.

"Gemima and Junhee, ay?" Aurelius asked rhetorically, as he repeated their names, the smile still on his face. "It's good to meet you both. Thank you for being so inviting, I know someone appearing suddenly can be a little... disrupting."

Aurelius returned the smile to Gemima and Junhee, and glanced to the older student from Hufflepuff, unsure if she was nervous or just momentarily caught in her own thoughts. The Irish boy was still very interested in whether she had found secrets or not, since he was naturally curious. When Junhee spoke, Aurelius looked to her.

"Oh, snacks?" Aurelius asked, as he nodded, then looked to see what items were being offered. "What kinds of snacks do we have? And do you all have favorites? I'm partial to jelly beans, myself."

It was a pleasant compartment, with some decent students-to-be. Aurelius wondered how they were going to be sorted once the ceremony started, and whether that might effect future interactions. He hoped not, they all seemed nice, but it was hard to say until it all happened...

@Gemima Sable | @Winter Wolfhartz | @Junhee Kim

"Oh, no, it's not disruptive or anything," said Gemima. "People have been coming in here all day. I was the first one in here, actually."
She puffed out her chest rather proudly at that. Not to say she wanted everyone gone. Sure, she still felt a little uneasy, but she supposed it was to be expected. She was going out of her comfort zone, something that she hadn't done in a long time. It felt exhilarating, but scary all the same. Gem just wished she could avoid the more uncomfortable and anxious feelings that always seemed to pop up.
Still Gem felt proud of herself for taking that first step. She took a deep breath and looked back up at her newfound friends. Oh! Aurelius was looking for snacks...

"Sorry, the trolley witch's already gone by. But you can have some of mine if you'd like." she said softly, and extended one of her candy bags across the seats. "I hope you don't mind ice mice. I don't think we've got any beans with us, sorry."
Gemima sighed and flopped back into the plush red cushions. It probably hadn't been that long since they had left King's Cross, but it felt like forever. The anticipation was killing her.

Well, there was no way to speed things up. Her father always said that if she put her mind to something else, time might pass faster. Gem turned to Aurelius again. She was curious, since he seemed different than Junhee and Winter. He had a sort of mysterious air about him.
"So, uh, what are you most excited for at Hogwarts?" Gemima asked. She'd gathered that school was an easy enough topic to start with.

• ᴄᴀʟᴍ ʙᴇꜰᴏʀᴇ ᴛʜᴇ ꜱᴛᴏʀᴍ •
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The Hogwarts Express - 1st September 2021

Aurelius was glad it wasn't an inconvenience, especially since the idea of looking for yet another compartment sounded exhausting. It had been entirely possible to use family money to secure a more private compartment, but that meant a lack of first day interaction and relationship building. Aurelius wanted to meet some people, get to know them, and see what happened from there.

"Sounds like you moved quick to claim your spot," Aurelius nodded to Gemima, who seemed the most talkative so far. "I can respect that."

And when the snacks were offered, ice mice by Gemima's statement, Aurelius looked down into the candy bag that the long-haired girl offered and reached in. He pulled a single one out, and was actually quite unsure of what he was about to eat. So, for now, Aurelius held the candy in his hand and continued to listen as Gemima spoke.

"Oh, no problem, I'm sure I can find some beans later," The Irish boy shrugged, it wasn't that big a deal. He wasn't prone to eating sweets, truth be told, but indulging every so often was nice. "Maybe next time, when I have some beans, we can share. See what weird flavors we get?"

The other two students-to-be seemed quiet, so Aurelius focused on Gemima. He sat forward and rested his elbows on his knees, as he wondered at her question about what he was most excited for at Hogwarts. It took several moments, but the Irish boy smirked as he spoke.

"Duelling, I think," He nodded slowly. "Ay, duelling. I want to get onto a school team, get some experience, then work my way to becoming one of the best in the world. To do that, I need to study hard and learn spells, so... I have my work cut out for me, I guess."

Aurelius raised an eyebrow, as he inclined his head at Gemima.

"And what about you? Thing your most excited for, at Hogwarts?"

@Gemima Sable | @Winter Wolfhartz | @Junhee Kim

Gemima leaned forward and gave Aurelius her full attention as he spoke. She noticed pensively that he hadn't eaten any candy. He was just holding it in his hand. Her brow creased slightly.
Does he not like ice mice? Did I do something wrong?
"I have sugar quills too, if those aren't your thing--" She started to say.
But then he met her gaze and gave her a sly smirk. The words dropped off her tongue, and she blushed in embarrassment. Oh! He said that he'd like to join one of the dueling teams.
"I want to get onto a school team, get some experience, then work my way to becoming one of the best in the world." he said, a wry glint in his eyes. "To do that, I need to study hard and learn spells, so... I have my work cut out for me, I guess."

Gemima nodded. "Me too! Learning new spells and honing my abilities like that sounds amazing." She rested her chin on closed fists and thought for a moment. "Not in my first year, since I can't imagine we'd learn too many combat-style spells, but it's on my list."
Images of daring wizards dueling together filled her head. Magic filled the air as they dodged and weaved as if in a deadly dance. Gem came back to earth with a sigh and looked Aurelius right in the eye. To her surprise, she gave him a smirk of her own.
"Maybe we'll even be pitted against each other one day," she said slowly. "Then perhaps we'll see who gets that title."

Her tone was playful, but she knew that the challenge came from a place of truth. She cleared her throat, still surprised, but also quite proud of herself. Maybe she had more confidence than she thought.
"...I'm looking forward to the classes, and exploring the castle," she continued warily. "I mean, I've already read all about it in Hogwarts: A History, so I'm excited to actually set foot inside it."
"Of course, there'll probably be restrictions for first years, but I'll work with what I've got."
Gemima smiled. She was definitely feeling comfortable speaking again.

• ᴄᴀʟᴍ ʙᴇꜰᴏʀᴇ ᴛʜᴇ ꜱᴛᴏʀᴍ •
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The Hogwarts Express - 1st September 2021

With a blink, Aurelius looked down to the candy in his hand.

"Oh. No, it's nothing like that," The Irish boy smiled sheepishly, then held the thing up and looked at it closer. He pulled a bit of a face. "It's more... I don't know what it will do, ay? It's magic candy, and magic candy can do anything. And since we're talking, I didn't want to randomly start floating down the train hallway - or something."

So, for the moment, Aurelius lowered his hand with the candy and held it on top of his palm.

"I'll plop it in a little later, and see what it does. I'm guessing you know what it does?"

Aurelius smirked, wondering if Gemima was keeping the effects of the sweet from him. That would have been pretty cunning and amusing, not to mention something he might have done also. There was nothing wrong with a little lighthearted prank every now and again, and wizard candy rarely did anything too dangerous or untoward.

Oh? She's interested in duelling, too!

Aurelius nodded as Gemima spoke about her thoughts on duelling. He could understand that, the want to be more knowledgeable in spells before actively pursuing the sport, though the Irish boy didn't necessarily agree. He was comfortable diving into the deep end, to learn through doing, but that wasn't the way for everyone.

"Maybe we will," Aurelius' smile turned into a smirk as he looked at Gemima with his blue gaze, seeming to size her up as a potential opponent. "I've no doubt it would be a good duel, ay..."

When the long-haired girl spoke about classes and exploring Hogwarts, Aurelius could only agree. The prospect of learning from experienced professors in a range of classes sounded very appealing; but also wandering the magical school, and finding all its secrets and maybe even discovering a thing or two no one else had, sounded even more enticing.

"Ay, definitely, both of those sound very good," Aurelius grinned, and paused, as he raised his eyebrows. "Maybe we can do some of that together? Explore and see what can be found?"

Aurelius glanced to the older student in the compartment, who had been quiet doing her own thing. The Irish boy lowered his voice and leaned toward Gemima as he motioned toward the older girl with his head.

"I had been hoping to learn a few secrets to look for, from her. But she seems occupied... have you heard any rumors or anything about the school?"

@Gemima Sable | @Winter Wolfhartz | @Junhee Kim

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interacting-@Aurelius Leeds @Winter Wolfhartz @Junhee Kim
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"Hm?" Gemima said. She followed Aurelius's gaze to the candy still in his hand. "Oh, the ice mice are just a bit cold, and they make your teeth chatter and squeak." She smiled slightly. "They're one of my favorite sweets."
She didn't want him to think that she was trying to poison him, or anything. He was right, one had to be careful with confections of the magical variety. You didn't quite get such effects with muggle candy. She'd seen Cath burn a big hole in her tongue with an Acid Pop once. That was something that had imprinted itself firmly in her brain.

She shuddered inwardly at the memory, but perked up when Aurelius said he'd like to explore the castle as well. Together even! A burst of excitement went through her body, and she grinned widely at him. "I'd love to! I think we'd be quite the team; when I'm not beating you in dueling, of course." she exclaimed.
"I had been hoping to learn a few secrets to look for, from her,” Aurelius said, gesturing towards Winter. "But she seems occupied... have you heard any rumors or anything about the school?"

Gemima thought for a moment. "Well," she started, crossing her legs. "My sister Cath, is a fourth year already, you see. She's a Gryffindor. She's told me about the adventures she's had so far--she's even snuck around the castle after curfew! That was last year." Her brow furrowed as she spoke. "But that's the problem, she won't actually tell me much about what exactly she's found. Said I'd have to 'figure it out for myself.' " Good old Cath! Damn her...
"Other than the fact that a lot of our fellow students are half-something else, no, I haven't heard much about the castle itself." Gem leaned back in her seat, and beamed at Aurelius again. This time, her voice was warm and hopeful. "I guess we'll have to figure that part out together. If you're..up for it."

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