Vee drags her trunk with her as she climbs on board the Hogwarts Express. She looks back, hoping to see her mother there, but only sees her walking out of the platform. ‘She must be hurrying for father.’ She says to herself. Her father insisted on waiting outside King’s Cross station. She was curious to know if he couldn’t or wouldn’t attempt to cross the platform for her. It was a tingling sensation, she recalls, how if felt as she crossed. She’s not familiar with any of this and can feel her mind buzzing from everything she has had to understand.

One, she was a witch. She only found out what that meant when she got her letter. There was no discussion about magic, its world, and how to deal with it. Two, she was alone, abandoned, isolated - exaggeration, but it’s what it felt like to her. Her mother was a witch - but she no longer shows it. She talks to Vee as if she knows everything she needs to. ‘Walking into a wall is not a normal thing, mother.’ She sighs. It was when someone bumps against her trunk that she realizes she’s in the way. She into the first empty compartment she could find. Around her she watches the other students chatting with each other, others hugging, and she’s never felt so alone.

She sighs to herself and sat closer to the window, staring at the wall outside the window. Perhaps when they move she can focus on the scenery.

Finally she was there to take the train. The last two years she only came to say goodbye to her older brother but she too had a trunk to carry and will get to Hogwarts. She was so impatient all summer, barely stoppable regarding all the question she had about the castle, lessons, professors, houses… She kissed her mom and hugged her father before following her bother into the train. Even if they were close, she didn’t want to spend the journey with him. He had his own friend he was impatient to see and the girl wanted to new some people and maybe already make friends – at least that’s what she hoped.

The dark haired girl started to look for a compartment that would not be full and will people her own age. She found one with a girl that seemed a bit lost so she decided to enter. She put her trunk into the luggage rack and sat in front of the other girl by the window, she loved to watch the landscape while traveling. She wanted to be polite but not pushy so tried not to be too talkative
“Hi, I’m Mary, nice to meet you. Are you a first year?”

A wall. This is all she’s staring at. She sighs to herself, thinking of how pathetic that might seem - to stare at a wall for who knows how long. She jumps when the door to her compartment opens. A girl with dark hair steps in and sits in front of her. It wasn’t as though she didn’t expect company, it was the first empty compartment she found and she was there pretty early, she’s easily surprised. Vee doesn’t know if the atmosphere was awkward or if that was just her - but it’s usually just her.

“Hi, I’m Mary, nice to meet you. Are you a first year?” She hears the girl say. She turns to face her as to not be impolite. She manages a small smile and answers, “M-my name’s Venice. It is a pleasure. It is my first y-year here, yes.” She feels her ears turn red slightly due to embarrassing herself because of stuttering, she doesn’t really have a stutter, but she loses most of her coherence when she’s shy. She darts her eyes away, but in hopes to shift the awkwardness she feels, she attempts to keep the conversation going. “Is this your first year as well?”

Mary was happy to have reply from the other girl even she seemed very shy. She sometimes was too but mainly with adults if they were complete strangers. Most of the time she was really looking to make everyone comfortable, she didn't like it when others where bullied or laughed at. She was relieved to learn that she will be traveling with another new student. She had introduced herself as Venice.
"Yes, it's my first year too. I'm so excited, I barely slept last night. I also tried to figured in which house I will be sorted but couldn't decide..."

She was about to continue her monologue when something stroke her: maybe the brunette was a Muggle and had no idea what she was talking about. That would be kind of embarrassing, but on the other hand she was more than willing to teach her what she know about the magical world, even if that was not much. She decided for an open question, maybe that was best, and this way if Venice didn't wanted to talk with her she could say so or at least make the conversation shorter.
"But what about you... How do you feel about going to Hogwarts?"
That was definitely and awkward question but it's the best she could do. 

"Yes, it's my first year too. I'm so excited, I barely slept last night. I also tried to figured in which house I will be sorted but couldn't decide..." She hears Mary say. Immediately, relief flooded her. There was ease knowing they were in the same year - and probably the same age as well. She gave her a small smile as the girl kept talking and was a bit confused when she stopped abruptly. Before she could ask why, Mary speaks again, "But what about you... How do you feel about going to Hogwarts?"

Vee pauses for a moment before answering, she wasn’t quite sure about how feels about it. “I don’t really know what to expect. I’ve read only a little bit about Hogwarts and everything feels so new - and definitely overwhelming.” She gives Mary an apologetic smile, “It must not be easy to talk when you don’t necessarily know what you can say, I apologize.”

Hoping to make up for it, she thinks of what can be a common ground but has found nothing. She didn’t know if Mary knew of Matilda or other non-magical stories and activities. She figured, maybe she can allow Mary to do the talking, “Do you think Slytherin really a bad house? What do you think of the other houses?” She asks trying not to sound ignorant, but merely curious.

Mary was glad Venice answered her and didn't seem against having a bit of a conversation, even though she might not be as enthusiastic as she was, but she knew she was always above the others in that topic. She still couldn't decide whether the other girl was very shy or just a stranger to all of that. She asked her:
“Do you think Slytherin really a bad house? What do you think of the other houses?” 

With that question Venice gave her enough material to do the talking till Hogwarts, so she would have to be careful not to talk too much.
"I don't think it's a bad house, my father was in Slytherin. But I don't think I would fit in, I'm way too expressive for them. And even if most of the student are pure-bloods, actually some are half-blood, so what they may say about not mixes with the Muggles, I don't think every one believes that and has that behavior. For instance I'm living in a village where Muggles live too and he has no problem speaking with them. Though I don't want to be sorted in the Green house, they are too calm and cold for me. I think I would be perfect for Ravenclaw like my mother and brother. Or maybe Hufflepuff. I don't think I would make a good Gryffindor, I'm not brave enough."
She started thinking about all she had said. She wanted to be sent to Ravenclaw so that she could be with her brother, but in the end, any house would do it she supposed. 

She puts her fingers to her lips and gives a soft chuckle. It was fascinating how enthusiastic how Mary seems to be, talking about Hogwarts. When Mary mentions that her father was from Slytherin, she feels a pang of guilt. ‘Muggles,’ she repeats to herself. ‘There’s that word again.’ It’s a word that pertains to non-magical folk. She worries if this would be a problem for her in fitting in - not that she really fit in anywhere. But this was different, at home she had Alexander - here there’s no one she can rely on but herself. She thinks about what house she feels like she would belong to, but nothing really seems to fit. Colours to a house, traits to a house. Everything that ties everything else together. There’s too much to understand.

“What does your magic feel like for you?” She asks mindlessly, then her eyes widening, worried she asked an uncommon question. It wasn’t really like her to think so much of how or what everyone else thought but she couldn’t help but be cautious. ‘Suck it up, breathe,’ she tells herself, ‘at least survive the year.'

“I’m curious, is all.” She quickly adds, “Mine feels like firecrackers for me.”

Mary was still lost in her thoughts when the brunette started to talk.

"What does your magic feel like for you?"
She asked and Mary thought she saw her blush but before she could say anything she followed, opening a little bit.
"I'm curious, is all. Mime feels like firecrackers for me."

That was not a question she expected. In fact she had never really thought about it, it was kind of natural so she never focused on her feelings. 
"Well I would say it all depends. I remember once I was so mad at my brother because he had stolen chocolate frogs from me that I felt I was like on fire, literally. I felt a warn down my feet spreading to my whole body and then the sweets were in my hands. But there was this other time I went to the garden and found a little bird lying in the grass. I was so sad for him and feeling of sadness mixed with hope overran me from my heart and daises started to pup from the ground. I guess it all depends on the charm and what we are experiencing. "

She hoped she didn't lose the other girl with all her talking, but it was so hard not to speak about magic with her Muggle friends, and for once she didn't have to pay attention about what she was talking and to whom that she couldn't help it.

She felt the girl shift and turned away, resting her chin on her palm. ‘Was that too much?’ She wondered. It was hard to keep the facade that she knows these things, embarrassed for herself that she doesn’t. She knew she wasn’t to blame for it as mother never taught her anything, nor explained anything when the time came. When the other girl finally spoke, she looked back at her and listened.

“Well I would say it all depends.” The girl starts, “I remember once I was so mad at my brother because he had stolen chocolate frogs...”

‘What are chocolate frogs?’ She thought to herself, ‘Are they actual frogs?’ But she knew she would solidify being the odd one out if she didn’t know what it was so she just nodded along.

“I felt I was like on fire, literally.” She heard her say, nodding more eagerly now. Thankful that they share a similarity on this front. She was thinking that maybe they weren’t so different.

“I understand what you mean.” She responds. “With the fire.”

“...I was so sad for him and feeling of sadness mixed with hope overran me from my heart and daisies started to pup from the ground.” The girl continues.

She was leaning forward, not noticing how much more eager in intently she was listening now. “Daisies!” She exclaimed in surprised, but immediately puts her hands over her mouth. 

“That must have been pretty.” She said, but immediately recalling the context of what the girl said. Vee gave her a sad smile and added, “Not the best of circumstances, I suppose…”

“I guess it all depends on the charm and what we are experiencing.” Mary said.

She nods again, agreeing with her. Most of her successful magic attempts were accidental and was sparked by any intense emotion she was feeling at the time.

Mary was relieved that Venice was intervening while she was explain her feelings when doing magic. She didn't wanted to look like a girl only talking about herself and not being able to listen to other people. When she exclaimed about the Daises it made her smile, it had been kind of strange back then. 

"Yes I know it's a bit crazy but as daises are my favorite flowers I guess that's why the popped up. But what about you? When did your magic appeared?" She was about to continue with her questions when something stroke her. Maybe she was a muggle-born and had no idea what she was talking about. Her mouth opened wildly, and began to feel really embarrassed. Her faced started to turn from very pale to red. "I'm so sorry, I just realized that maybe you have no idea what I'm talking about. I feel so embarrassed. Well just to let you know I really don't care about blood lines and all that stuff."

She was really feeling stupid. She had asked her about Slytherin so she assumed that she was coming from a wizard family, but maybe on the other hand she had just read some stories about them and as a muggle-born she was afraid of them?