Closed An Unexpected Friend PV Lillian McMason

^{@ Ellie Randensmith}
@Dylan Astor
Lillian wasn't too great with strangers, and there were a lot of them right now. It was always a struggle to speak with someone new, even if they were nice. Students were coming from all the major schools for a ball that Hogwarts was throwing. She didn't want to be questioned by them, about where things were, who was who, etc.
So, Lillian was pretending to read a notebook to have less foreign students talk to her. A person would be more likely to approach a smiling, alert girl, then a busy girl who didn't even see the person.
But, she neglected to think that she would be an easy target for bumps. An unfamiliar boy, from Ilervmony, by his uniform, bumped into her. She put away her yellow notebook, and smiled as she said,"I'm okay, what's the big hurry?" to the boy's apology. Then, to make conversation she added, "I'm Lillian. What's your name?"
She immediately gave a small wince. What if it was too many questions? She knew she was no good at meeting new people. It was easier over time, but the first leap was always hard to take, sometimes too hard. Lillian had no way of knowing if someone would like her or not.

Interacting with: @Lillian McMason Mentioning: N/A Date: 03/31/25

Word Count: 204

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Dylan gave the girl a smile before saying, "Nice to meet you Lillian, I'm Dylan. Are you from Hogwarts?" He asked. From the looks of her uniform, she was most likely a Gryffindor. Just like Avery. What a coincidence that he would run into someone from his cousin's house. Dylan didn't ask the girl if she knew her cousin. He knew all too well that Hogwarts was huge and that Avery obviously didn't know everybody. No matter how hard she would try. He smiled to himself. Her spunk and willingness to make friends had always fascinated him. "Do you want to get out of this crowd? It looks like over there is clearer." Dylan pointed to a part of the grounds that only had a few people milling around. It would be a lot nicer and easier to breathe. After all the traveling, Dylan was ready for a break from crowds. They were exhausting and always going. Dylan took in a breath of fresh air. He was finally closer to home than he had been in a long time and it was a great feeling. Now he could finally be himself without worrying about messing up. America was a lot more different than Europe.

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^{@ Ellie Randensmith}
@Dylan Astor
Lillian nodded and followed Dylan out of the crowd to the area with few people. He seems friendly enough. she thought, of what little she knew, so far. She wasn't having a very good couple weeks, of strangers left and right. Mabie if she made a friend, it would help her feel better. She didn't know why really but she never liked big groups of people that she barely knows. It made her feel insecure.
But one person at a time was okay. And Dylan took the trouble to walk with her to a private spot. So he must at least want a conversation with her.
Leaning against a tree, she said,"So, umm, how do you like Hogwarts so far? Lillian was trying to strike up a conversation. She wasn't too good at the first few words with someone new. "On my first couple weeks here, I was constantly rushing places, barely remembering where they were, trying to be on time," she shared, as an afterthought, with a wistful, remembering something smile.
She knew that to have a good conversation you have to share something to get the other person interested. She also knew to smile to reassure someone that you are friendly.

Interacting with: @Lillian McMason Mentioning: N/A Date: 03/31/25

Word Count: 248

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Dylan smiled before saying, "It's just how I always dreamed it would be. Long rolling hills and beautiful scenery all around. Too bad I still live in America and not my hometown in Wales. This place sounds amazing according to my cousin. How do you like it here?" Dylan smiled a little more at Lillian's comment about always rushing and trying to be on time to classes. He had been the same way when he had first started at Ilvermony. Though he had lived in America for a few years before, he still wasn't used to the American way. He was still stuck in the mindset he had always had before he moved. In America, everyone talked different, had different styles, ate very different foods, and overall acted completely different than what he was used to. That's why he was glad to finally be home again in a place where he wouldn't have to worry about saying the wrong thing. He could also finally speak his language. Welsh. A thing he had rarely used in America since everyone either spoke Spanish or English. That thought alone excited him. He had missed the jokes shared in both Welsh and English with his cousin, Avery. Back then, he was happy and carefree. More open than he had ever been. But, of course, things had changed and left him more closed. Maybe now was finally the time to come out of the shell he had enclosed himself in for so long.

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^{@ Ellie Randensmith}
@Dylan Astor
Lillian took a couple seconds before answering Dylan's question. She was listening/watching two cardinals twitter and fly, back and fourth with each other.
Once the cardinals had flown away, she turned to Dylan and answered him. "It's been an amazing adventure, so far. Nothing like back home," she ended softer, remembering her bad times before Hogwarts. No one had really liked her at the muggle public school. She hadn't had any friends. Mabie that was why she was so introverted now. Here, at Hogwarts, most everyone that she had interacted with, liked her, or at least didn't hate her.
She didn't know why she told him that last sentence. Mabie, because something about him seemed trustworthy. Here she was overthinking things like usual. Why couldn't she ever have a normal conversation, and not second-guess everything that she said?
She imagined all the thoughts she didn't want to think about turning into a tornado, and leaving her head. The mind tornado would go pester someone else. She sent the mind tornado at two students in the crowd going inside.
Lillian got back, focusing on their conversation, again. "And I'm close to home, so I can Owl my family, and go home quicker for vacations. It must be harder for you, having to go to school all the way in America," she added on to her previous statement.
Having her family nearby, helped her get adjusted, not that their was much to get adjusted to. It really was easier for her, knowing that her family was only a handful of miles away.

Interacting with: @Lillian McMason Mentioning: N/A Date: 03/31/25

Word Count: 207

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Dylan nodded in understanding. From how she had said nothing like back home he guessed something bad had happened. He knew that feeling. Every day he was haunted by the day that he lost everything. The day his aunt uprooted all of their lives. "It can be hard. I always dreamed of coming here since I was actually born and raised in Wales. Due to some. . . unfortunate events. . . I was forced to move to America. It wasn't an easy adjustment and honestly, it isn't easy being a non-American in an American school, but you get used to it." Dylan admitted. Surprising himself at how much he had said. He rarely ever spoke that much. "Where did you grow up?" Dylan asked. He was always curious to see where other people were from since he had only met a few people from other countries, so why not meet a few more? As Dylan waited for Lillian to respond, he took a deep breath of the fresh air and looked around. It was so beautiful out with the sun shining brightly overhead. He let its warm rays caress his face like a gentle touch. The warmth seeping into ever inch of him. Wow. It felt good to be back.

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^{@ Ellie Randensmith}
@Dylan Astor
Lillian did a small nod in sympathy, as Dylan shared that his life was hard. It seemed like he was getting along okay. She felt lucky that her life was easy compared to that. Just being shunned seemed better than that.
"I'm the average, boring kid," she said, responding to Dylan's question of where she grew up. "Born and raised in England. I've never even left the country."
Then as an afterthought she added, because it got her thinking of her family, "My parents hid magic from me until I was ten and did accidental magic. It is really a miracle I can do magic, at all. You see I am One-Fourth Blood. Half-Blood, I mean," she quickly corrected herself, with a guilty smile.
Lillian thought of herself as One-Fourth blood, because only her grandfather was Pure-Blood. She didn't know why she even said that. She just about always remembered to say Half-Blood. And when was the last time she said that much to someone she didn't know? Some reason, Lillian thought, boys were just easier to talk to than girls. Most people, she knew, didn't feel that way. Lillian was one of the few people that she knew that did.
It was just like her to get off the point entirely. So, she shook her head slightly, to get rid of unwanted thoughts, so she could listen to Dylan's response.

Interacting with: @Lillian McMason Mentioning: N/A Date: 03/31/25

Word Count: 214

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Dylan nodded. He knew that everyone's life wasn't just boring and normal. He knew that from experience and surviving through a crazy life. Of course he didn't push the subject of whatever had happened to her. He understood completely what it was like to hide your past and bury the hurt and pain that came from it. He had done it plenty recently. "Really? You've never left Europe? Of course I've been to America, but I've only been here and Wales otherwise. Of course Wales is obviously my favorite place I've visited, but America has a lot to offer too. Such as an interesting muggle treat called s'mores." He nearly licked his lips at the thought of the treat, but didn't since that would make things a bit awkward. Dylan smiled at the though of s'mores. They were a delicious treat that he had become obsessed with during his time spent in America. They were delicious with a burt marshmallow smashed together with chocolate and graham crackers. Basically making a chocolate and burnt marshmallow sandwich. Dylan smiled again when she mentioned being a one-fourth blood. He didn't know too many people that said Half-blood that way. "Don't feel bad about saying one-fourth blood. It actually sounds a lot better and cooler than Half-blood anyway."

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^{@ Ellie Randensmith}
@Dylan Astor
Lillian was glad that Dylan didn't mind her slip-up of saying One-Fourth Blood. Since she thought of it that way, it was hard to say it correctly. She was also the only person she knew that said 'One-Fourth Blood'. Or mabie she was the only person to slip-up, and many people like her thought of it that way.
She looked at the crowd thinning and knew that they had to wrap things up, although she didn't want to. Lillian was having such a good conversation that she didn't want it to end. But, she equally knew that she also didn't want to be late getting inside.
"You're very lucky to travel so much," she said. "Not many people our age has traveled that much, and some adults haven't either," Lillian added, thinking now about the advantages of being well-traveled.
It must be nice having something to compare things to, because how would someone know if something in their country was good or bad if they didn't know what to compare it to? she thought. Lillian almost said that to him, but she didn't want to make a big deal over him being well-traveled and she not, so she kept quiet.