Trains, Brooms and Tea cups

[Colette Descoteaux]

Colette managed to secure for herself a whole compartment on the train to Hogwarts. She could felt slightly off or weird about having to go to a different school, even if she had seen glimpses of herself in a Hogwarts uniform. A uniform, which annoyingly had yet to arrive. She sighed, disappointed that the family tailor had through no fault of their own let her down. It unfortunately, left her cursed with the requirement to be in her old school uniform. Which, though Colette did not mind wearing it, this would leave her standing out starkly against the vastly different Hogwarts uniform. She reminded herself that her accent was going to serve as a way to make her stand out regardless. Still, she settled herself into the comfortable seat and busied herself in watching the various students and their families bustling to board the train. Her compartment was one of the last on the train, towards the rear of it. Colette wanted to ensure that she sat facing the direction of travel, she always felt sick if she sat facing in the opposite direction.

Eventually, the young French woman grew bored with observing what were now her fellow students and returned her attention to her book about Divination. It was in French, as were most of her books as she picked them up in her native country. It would not take a detective to tell Colette did not normally go to Hogwarts. The soft blues of the Beauxbaton's uniform made that abundantly clear. She sipped at a cup of tea, purchased on the muggle side of the station much to her father's disapproval. At least with her now on the train, he could disappear quickly no doubt using magic, out of sight of the muggles to get away from them quickly. He was not a fan of muggles, nor did he have many kind words to say about wizards from muggle families.

She licked the tip of her finger before turning the page, she had just become engrossed in her book when the door to her compartment opened. "Bonjour." She greeted reflexively, not looking up from her book. Colette was small and slim, with curly dark brown hair which cascaded down her from her head as if it were a river of molten chocolate, stopping just shy of her shoulders. Her deep dark brown eyes scanned the text, clearly absorbed by the book. Colette was a seer and highly receptive to the potentials of the future. But there was a significant difference between what might happen and what will happen. Finding out what would be took time and practice.

[Seraphina MacGregor]

"Well hello! Ye got an extra pair o' eyes, eh?"

A girl with curly red hair up in buns on her head smiled as she walked into the compartment, putting her hands on her hips. She was wearing the school uniform, decked in Ravenclaw blue. She motioned to the seat across from Colette before continuing, "Ye dinnae mind if I join ye in here, aye? The rest o' the train's proper noisy, and I'm lookin' for a wee spot where I can sit and read." As evidence of the statement, and perhaps a bit of clarification if her accent was too strong, the girl produced a book from the bag she had on her back.

"Oh, a proper introduction wouldnae hurt, eh? I'm Seraphina, pleased to make yer acquaintance," she came a bit closer and offered her other hand to shake with Colette, smiling brightly.

[Colette Descoteaux]

"Non." Colette responded quietly. "I heard the door open." She turned the page in her book, before pausing to mark her page with a midnight blue bookmark which was marked with various different constellations. Colette closed the book, setting it down neatly in her lap as she finally turned her deep brown eyes on Seraphina. Colette's expression was serene and dreamlike, eventually she remembered to smile. At her old school, she may have had many friends who were used to the seer's eccentricities and assorted oddities, no one from Hogwarts would be familiar with her.

She glanced about the compartment for a few seconds, it was still empty apart from herself and her own luggage. Which was good, given how absorbed she may sometimes become, she fully expected that there might be other students who had infiltrated the compartment, without her noticing. "Oui, oui of course." She indicated to some of the empty seats. "It is a rather noisy train. Is it always like this?" Colette inquired, wondering if it ever got annoying, frustrating or boring for some of the students, especially the older ones.

"Oui, je suis Colette." She stared for a moment at the offered hand before accepting it. "How long have you been at Hogwarts?"

[Seraphina MacGregor]

Taking the gesture toward the seat as an invitation, Seraphina sat down, smiling and thanking her. When she introduced herself, Seraphina gave a bit of a laugh, "Ach, sorry, I'm no' the best wi' French, but I reckon that was yer name. Anyhow, it's a pleasure meetin' ye." Hearing the second question, she added, "I've been attendin' Hogwarts since I was 11, which is when ye start there. So it's been 4 years for me now, I reckon. I suppose ye must've gone to the French wizardin' school, then?" She was curious why someone from Beauxbatons was on their train and it was clear on her face- she was always told she had no poker face, "Are ye a bit of a transfer student, then? I've heard the muggles do somethin' like that. Or is this more like a study abroad sort o' thing?" Realizing she might be jumping the gun, she waved her hands, "Ah, sorry 'bout that. I can get a bit carried away at times."

[Colette Descoteaux]

"Oh, that's a shame." Colette pointed out, she found communicating in her native tongue to be a lot more expressive and comfortable for herself. But it was something which she would need to get used to in regards to life at Hogwarts. "It is nice to meet you too." She listened quietly as her new found friend explained how long they had been at Hogwarts for. "That's neat." She eventually replied, after giving it some thought, mentally comparing it to her own experiences at her old school.

"Oui, yes I went there before coming here." Colette furnished her with an answer. "Oui, I... I was meant to be in the Hogwarts uniform but my tailor he has not finished making them so here I am in my old one." She shrugged her shoulders. "It would explain why some of the other Hogwarts students were giving me strange looks though non?" Colette attempted a joke, one she personally found quite humorous. "Muggles have transfer students too? Fascinating." She voiced those words as if what she Seraphina had said were the ultimate secret. "No no, it is how do you say, alright? I can be the same." Colette reassured her. "I am a seer so at times I am different." She looked confused as if that were not the right word but eventually she settled on it regardless.

[Seraphina MacGregor]

Seraphina did laugh at the attempted joke, nodding in understanding. She smiled at Colette's reaction to the information about Muggles then raised her brows hearing her last statement, "Oh, ye're a seer, are ye? Well, that's braw! Though, what house are ye in? I might be able to rustle up some spares for ye in the meantime, if ye need 'em." She knew people in the different houses, though they'd probably have to figure out what size she needed-that was a bridge to cross later, "There's a bit of transfiguration charm that could shift what ye're wearin' to look like the school robes, but alas, I dinnae ken it meself."

She hadn't intended to come in and talk her ear off, but Sera had found herself quite intrigued with this new person and as long as she was willing to speak, she'd keep talking.

[Colette Descoteaux]

To Colette it would have never occurred to her that her odd and quirky behavior might also be a reason as to why she received weird looks, in addition to her different uniform."Yes I am a seer, my great great Grandmother was the last one in my family to be blessed with an inner eye open. My father, he is very proud of my talents." Colette grinned happily at Seraphina. "I am not sure yet." She admitted. "But thank you I appreciate the offer."

Colette shuffled on the seat, adjusting her position ever so slightly in order to feel more comfortable. "So." The young woman began. "What is your opinion of Hogwarts?" She asked, there had only been so much information available as magical schools tended to try and keep their own secrets. "I did pick up a copy of Hogwarts, a history whilst in the alley." She explained quietly. "Though there is only so much that can be learned from reading, information from those who were or are there is often better."

[Seraphina MacGregor]

Seraphina listened to her explain her lineage with great interest, before smiling and nodding at her explanation of why she wanted her opinion.

"Oh aye, I completely understand that. Nae thing beats hearin' it right from the horse's mouth," she said, "Honestly, I'm fair fond of it. There's some grand classes, fantastic professors, and no' to mention all the opportunities it opens up just by bein' there at all."

She thought about it a bit as she finished that thought, "I dinnae ken how cutthroat yer school was aboot Quidditch, but it's a proper madness here. As bonkers as Muggles are aboot fitba. Goin' to the matches is a big to-do. I'm no' on the team meself, no' exactly keen on the sporty side o' things," she held up the book as if to reiterate that point.

[Colette Descoteaux]

"Merci, I see." Colette replied listening with interest. "It was the same at Beauxbatons, should you ever get the chance to visit or better yet attend, you would find it most enjoyable." The young French seer insisted, a slightly wistful gleam to her eyes, she let out a quiet sigh before perking up. "Still, some of the dreams I have had of Hogwarts. The glimpses of the future... The castle looks very beautiful, in the snow." As she finished her sentence a dream like expression formed over her face as she recalled the vision. Far too little to truly see into the great unpredictable ocean of the future, but enough to have a glimmer of it's potential. Castle grounds, snow underfoot, the scent of cinnamon in the air.

For a long moment it seemed as though Colette had completely wandered off in her own mind, before abruptly she snapped back to attention. "It was pretty competitive. I was a chaser there since my second year." Colette spoke happily. "Though I won't be trying for a team here." She chose to not disclose her vision for the moment. Not everyone believed in the omens, death omens or visions. "Footba? That's is the muggle sport where they run around in the shorts oui? It does look like an interesting sport." The sudden animation which came upon her at the mention of muggles, would have surprised many in the magical community. "Are there many muggle students at Hogwarts?" She inquired, though frowned after a moment. "I mean, wizards from the muggle families? I have many questions about the muggles, especially the telelo-visions they seemed to enjoy so much." She explained with a smile.

[Seraphina MacGregor]

Seraphina listened and nodded to the comment about the school in the snow, "Oh aye! Hogwarts durin' winter is like somethin' straight out o' a fairy tale," she smiled. She tilted her head a little at the comment about not joining, but didn't press. When she started asking questions about muggles, she laughed a bit, "I'm no' sure if I'd go so far as to say there's a grand amount, but I'm aware of more than a few students wi' muggle parents. Myself, I'm half-blood, so when I'm at home, I get to experience a fair bit o' muggle things," she nodded, then addressed the specific thing she mentioned, "TVs are braw for passin' the time when ye've run out of books. My da watches fitba on it, and me mum says he gets proper rowdy wi' his pals."

[Colette Descoteaux]

"Oui it certainly looks like it." Colette agreed happily, Hogwarts in winter appeared to be incredibly merry and for want of a better term, magical place. At the mention of her new found friend being a half-blood, the young French woman's eyes lit up with a mixture of excitement and pure delight. "Oh that is magnificent!" She declared eagerly. "What is it like using those com putters?" Colette began the first of many questions. "And is it true there are muggles who pretend they can do magic? What's it like having none magical friends? Oh and what about those electo plugs? How do they work? Where is the electri-city? How do you get this item?" She poured forth a torrent of questions.

After she finished speaking, if only to take a breath Colette's eyes flickered with worry. "Assuming you do not mind me asking some questions about muggles and muggle life... I must apologize, I find them... Er... How do you say, fascinating?" She explained sounding anxious.

[Seraphina MacGregor]

When the questions came out in a flood, Sera just smiled, delighted to finally have someone who cared to know anything about her home life, "I dinnae mind answerin' questions, it's nae often anyone's got any to ask. Either I'm looked down upon for the muggle part o' things, or I'm spendin' time wi' folks who already ken it, 'cause it's their life too," she nodded.

"Let's see if I can answer them in order. Computers are handy for lookin' up information and connectin' with folks around the world, faster than an owl, no doubt about it. As for them folks callin' themselves magicians, it's all tricks of the eye and distractions, nae real magic. I've got a fair share o' muggle friends, but they've nae clue aboot all this; they'd think I was barmy if I tried to explain it. They're a good bunch though, fun to spend time with durin' the holidays. Now, yer last questions are a bit connected. Electricity is a notion a bit above me, but it's what generates power, like how coal does in a fire, and it's what makes the computers and TVs work," She took a deep breath, "Did I get it all?" she asked, looking at her, tilting her head.

She was more than fine with answering any questions she had- Ravenclaws were all about knowledge right? Both gaining and giving!

[Colette Descoteaux]

Colette nodded, relieved to hear that she did not mind her questions. She listened with rapped attention, a rare thing for her as her new found friend told her all about the mysterious world of Muggles. "Oui that is... As you say fascinating, simply fascinating." Her deep brown eyes were wide with delight at the revelations she had received. "Do you have many Muggle friends?" She inquired, wondering what that in itself may be like.

"Oh is it true that the Muggles enjoy watching a box full of trapped people?" Colette asked, having no real understanding as to what a television actually was. "Is it similar to those movie pictures? And what is it like dealing with non moving pictures? As magical photographs move about." She hoped she was not being rude, her father had seen her onto the Hogwarts Express as he knew her tendency to get distracted. A poor Muggle working at the train station was therefore spared the same bombardment of questions. Sadly, the first Muggle born student she encountered suffered that fate instead.

"Lastly, it is more of a personal request than a question, do you think it might be possible for me to contact some of your Muggle friends? It would be nice to have non-Magical friend since... Well... They are different and without magic so it is fascinating." She grinned at her somewhat sheepishly. "I cannot help my curiosity."

[Seraphina MacGregor]

Sera smiled at her attention and found it rather endearing honestly. She nodded to the first question and answered, "I've got loads o' Muggle friends, we were pals back in primary before I got ma Hogwarts letter," though her second question had her giggling a fair bit, "Fowk arenae really trapped in the box, love. It's aboot like our pictures bein' able tae move. It's trickier tae explain, but it's just a continuous movin' picture, efter aw the proper name for a movie is a motion picture. The stuff on TV is just shortened versions for those of us wi' short attention spans, but also so they can hae longer stories spread out o'er time," she explained before adding as she pulled a picture of her parents out of her uniform pocket, "As for havin' non-movin' pictures, it's actually kinda nice. Forces ye tae really think back on a moment, on whit was happenin'."

Then her question about being able to contact her Muggle friends, Sera thought for a moment on it, since it wasn't really her that would be affected by that, "I mean, I dinnae mind, but maybe efter ye settle doon on the questions aboot Muggle world stuff. Might wig them oot a bit if ye started pelting them wi' questions aboot stuff. Also, ye wouldnae be able tae ca' them Muggles or onything like that," She had to consider their safety ontop of everything else. Then an idea came to her, "Maybe ye could come hame wi' me on holiday sometime and I could introduce ye, and ye could get a taste o' the Muggle world yerself."