Dropped your beanie?

[Chante Harvelle-Ateara]

First couple days back in school were a bit overwhelming. There was so much to be done, like picking a bed, then having to sort all the items in their proper places. Then one had to make sure their side of the room is good and all, then after that's done there were meetings to attend to. House meetings and then classes reintroduction. It was madness everywhere, Chante wanted to be out and to actually breath a little. As stressing as it was, she was relieved to have Willow around school, even though it was hard keeping track of her. Chante figured maybe if she went outside every day she would find the red head running around somewhere. Regardless, the break away from the stuffy castle was much welcomed. One afternoon, Chante wander around the great lawn. The spring weather found it's way all around Hogwarts, you can actually smell the flowers blooming. The fresh cut lawn and the morning mist that lingered sliding off it's grass leafs, she breathe it all in. It was comforting. It put her at ease, until she fell over a knitted beanie that got caught on her shoe. Chante stood up from falling, besides the grass stains on her jeans the beanie was still tangle over the top half of her shoe. Chante patted the dirt away whilst she took the beanie off her shoe. It didn't have any of the house color associated to it, but there were initial written on the tag. "L.H. Now I wonder who could that be?"
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[Lenore Harvelle-Ateara]

Spring had finally shown its face and Len was ready to observe the plants in the Great Lawn. A beanie on her head which covered her extra features. Features Lenore hated and it was luck that after a year no one had found out her mixed blood. People just thought she was small and Len was happy to keep it that way. Len walked outside and looked around for a specific flower she was after. Len kept on walking and finally found the flower she desired. She opened her sketchpad and started to make an entry to her journal.

The wind was creeping up on her and her beanie was soon of her head. ''ARGH I forgot to bobby pin it down today.'' Len felt like an idiot and tried to put her hair over her ears. She didn't have a headband and with the wind there was today her hair wouldn't stay down. ''What to do now..?'' Len muttered to no one in particular. Len decided that going back to the castle would risk her secret even more so she opted to go and find her beanie. Len her coat had a hat on it so she decided to wear that for now.

Len started to walk to where the wind was blowing. Suddenly she spotted her beanie. It was currently in the hands of another girl. One whom she did not know the name of. Len walked slowly up to the girl and looked at her. ''Hello, can I please have my beanie back?'' Len paused ''I really need it.'' Len almost plead.

 

[Chante Harvelle-Ateara]

Soon, a voice interrupted her thinking out loud. Chante froze, she didn't see her right away. The girl who that voice belonged too was small in height. Chante had to somewhat look down at her. That's been happening a lot lately, not on extreme level. Chante stilled held the normal height of a human girl her age. Just about. "Oh, sorry!" Chante gave up the beanie, the handcraft material falling from her fingers to the others. "You must be L.H., then? I found it on the ground. Actually I tripped and it found me." Chante explained.

She blushed a little, though she was happy to have found it's rightful owner. She wasn't sure if this school had it's own lost and found section. It should, with as big as this place was, she didn't see why it shouldn't have one. Chante shoved her hands in to her pockets, nodding a greeting. "I'm Chante, L.H."
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[Lenore Harvelle-Ateara]

Len didn't know what to do if this girl didn't return her beanie. It wasn't like she could fight her for it, she barely reached this girls torso. Another fun perk of being a hybrid. Coexisting with herself was hard the last year and it was only getting worse. She just wished she was fully human and not some human goblin hybrid. Not that she looked like goblin, she only had the length and ears from her dad's side. With all the negative thoughts in her mind, Len almost didn't hear the girl saying sorry. That wasn't what she had expected, she hadn't done nothing wrong so why was the appologing. ''Yes, Lenore Harvelle.'' Len squaked and smiled broadly. ''Normally I bobby pin the life out of my beanies, but I kind of forgot to do it today.'' This would never have happened if she hadn't rushed herself this morning. Len punished herself for almost letting people know she was a freak.

Len shrugged the feeling of and looked at the girl. She seemed normal and happy, why couldn't she be both of those things. Although she was happy sometimes, normal wasn't in it for her. ''Well, nice to meet you Chante.'' Len put the beanie back on her hand and tried to hide her ears under it. It took more effort than she thought and she wasn't sure if she had done a good job. She only hoped that the girl hadn't seen a thing. And if she did, she would dump it on odd cosplayer.

 

[Chante Harvelle-Ateara]

"Ah, so that's what those initials means." Chante witness the girl struggle with the beanie. Well, actually secure in the same way she probably wore it all the time. With Chante having crazy and wild hair, she never saw the point in wearing a hat. Her hair would just spring out of their holds and bounce back to it's wild famously known ways. Once in a while her mom would braid her hair, but that's as tame as she would go. "You probably could go without the hat. It doesn't seem like you have crazy hair like me!" Chante chuckle, she made a point to laugh and hopefully calm the small girl rushing to set that hat in place.

Then she noticed the ear. It would've gone unnoticed if her eyes weren't roaming over the girl's head. Tucking all those strains of hair and rearranging the beanie, then she saw one ear. Well, it all made sense to Chante if she was right about her gutsy feeling at the moment. "Oh! Oh, wait, are you?!" Chante voice escalated out of nowhere. As not to startle her anymore than she may have done already, Chante lowered her voice above a whispers leaning closely. "You're part....your ears they're pointy and you're small. Are you, is it safe to assume you're hiding something about your identity?" There was no other way she could have worded that better. She was struggling to ask, and poof, that jumble of mess came out of her mouth like first leaning how to put sentences together. She had hope to come across as decent and trustworthy for the girl to confirm her suspicion.
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[Lenore Harvelle-Ateara]

Len nodded when the girl asked if the initiatials stood for her name. When the girl said she could go without the hat Lenore felt the stress and nerves growing. She could definitely not go without the hat, what was this girl saying.
Len thought of leaving the girl and walking away, but she couldn't. That wouldn't be polite of her. The beanie was finally on its place and Len was actually enjoying the company.

Until she heard, what she definitely didn't want to hear. Len was afraid and scared.
This was her secret and it didn't need to be out. Len turned beet red and looked for way she could escape this way. She sweared about not putting the bobby pins in to pin the hat down. ''It is cosplay gone wrong.'' Len smiled, she had made alibis for this kind of situation. If her dad could do it, she could right. ''It is permanently glued on, my parents are these crazy cosplay lovers.'' Lenore lied and it didn't even sound believable. Who was she fooling, the answer was herself. What Lenore said, it wasn't needed the girl had guessed the right answer already. Not everyone knew goblins existed so it was odd that she knew. ''Please keep it quiet.'' Lenore plead tears in her eyes. ''Yes and yes.'' Len paused ''You seem to have it figured it out already'' Len wasn't the one that would cry often, but this seemed like an appropriate moment. She had kept it quiet for so long, where did it go wrong.

 

[Chante Harvelle-Ateara]

Chante bit down her big mouth, big LOUD mouth. She wasn't trying in anyway to upset the girl, except it DOES feel like the total opposite. If someone were to randomly bump into the pair right now, it would be portray as if Chante was bullying the smaller girl. And that's not exactly what she wanted anyone to think!!

"Oh, hey! Please don't cry." Chante pulled her lip to her mouth, sshing the younger girl in any possible way. "It's okay, it's alright. Hey now..." Chante patted the small girl's shoulders. She really did feel for her. That's the type of thinking that run into her dad's head all day, and he worries so much about Chante growing. "I won't say anything. Promise." she gestured with her small pinky in the air and kissing the circle she formed with her thumb and index finger. "It's not obvious, you do a pretty good job at hiding with that beanie." Chante mused. "Actually, because I am one myself, my parents are. They're the total opposite from you. So I get it, yeah?" Chante console the girl while opening up about her parents. "Also, can you explain cosplay? Don't think I've heard of such a strange word."

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[Lenore Harvelle-Ateara]

The fact that her secret was out scared her. Not because Chante knew it, but how easily it could spread now. She believed Chante wouldn't tell anyone, but the fear crept over her. At first she thought her disguises were safe, but now she was questioning everything.

Len looked out and Chante seemed to try to calm her down. It did work, but her mind was still racing. Len tried to fight the tears, but they kept coming. It was hard to stay calm knowing some found out her dark and deepest secret. When the girl said it wasn't that obvious Len let out a sigh of relief. Maybe all this trying to hide her true identity wasn't that useless. She got away with it for over a year, so something was going as planned.

''Thanks'' Len muttered shyly, still fighting some of the tears. Being different wasn't easy and she did try her best to appear normal. But who was she fooling she wouldn't grow past 50 inches. For an adult she would still appear like a child. It was hard, but she had no other options. ''So they are giants?" Lenore almost whispered. The total opposite of goblins were giants. They scared her a bit, but she only knew them from stories. And there is one thing that she had learned, to never trust a story. ''Well my genes come from my dad and he works at a muggle school'' Len smiled, she would love to see the faces of the students he taught at the school for theatre and drama. ''So he wears this costume from like a play'' Len paused ''You do know what a play is right'' Len forgot what was magic and what was muggle. She had heard so much of both from her parents. ''And he dresses like this elf, so cosplaying is like dressing up like a character from a book or film'' Len giggled, talking about this made her smile. It sounded so stupid now she was telling this girl everything. ''Well, his students think he doesn't go out of his role and the height part is shoved on dwarfism.'' When Len visited her dad at work she always said she suffered from dwarfism as well. It was heritable, so it was a failsafe alibi.

 

[Chante Harvelle-Ateara]

Chante lean closer, balling up her long sleeve shirt and wiping the tears away from Lenore's small face. Besides trying to save her own skin, Chante did something her parents would do when she was this upset and crying. "Yup!" Chante pulled back grinning. The girl's expression didn't escape her. Giants were nuisance in the wizarding world. Not many can tolerate their existences. It would've bother another if they had giant blood in them, not Chante. Not with the parents she was blessed with. "Their bloods in me too. Don't worry, were nothing like what you think in all those stories. It's all nonsense and opinions and made up lies." Someone else would've said that with utmost disdain in their voice. Not Chante. She thought of them as silly, tales that were told to children growing up.

Chante was pleased to see the girl had stopped crying, instead excitedly explain her connection in having goblin blood in her genes. "I do! Wow! Your dad, that's pretty risky of him to live that way." So, dressing up in costume was like cosplay, or something like that. From what she could gather, the girl got a long with her dad, and what he did sounded pretty amazing. Chante just find it strange someone like them would spend life in doing something so mundane. Eh, she shouldn't speak! Her parents spend most of their hours harvesting crops and playing keeper of some creatures for some ministry officials. "And the muggels they're okay with your father teaching them? Weird, and here you are worry about anyone finding out your secret." Chante spoke out loud. "I get it though. You won't have to worry about me saying a thing!"
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[Lenore Harvelle-Ateara]

When Chante seemed to wipe her tears away Len felt safe. It was a small gesture, but it was enough to make her feel comfortable. Of course she was still scared and afraid, but a lot less. When Chante answered her assumption with yes, Len started to think. She wasn't that giant to her, she was normal. Like everyone else at this school really. How come she got the ears and height, but Chante seemed to get nothing from her parents. What if she was lying to her, to make her feel better. Len just didn't know anymore, but why would people lie about being part giant. Being part anything was already horrible enough. ''How come you aren't giant then?'' Len asked questionly, she didn't really intended it to be a pun.

When Chante said that the stories were made out of lies, Len smiled. ''I know the stories, but I never believed them'' Some stated that giants loved to eat small children and Len couldn't believe that was true. ''I know it sounds risky, but they don't know he is magical.'' Len paused ''Nor do they believe in goblins, so it is easier to let them believe a made up truth.'' Most theatre students were a bit odd themselves. So they believed they had a professor with dwarfism that was in costume all day. ''Well in the muggle world there is no prejudice and in some ways my dad is hiding there too.'' Although muggle's could be horrible creatures, wizards were some of the worst. Muggles didn't know any better, but Wizards did and they did it with full knowledge of the goblin community. ''Aren't you afraid of prejudice against giants then?'' Len looked up, most people didn't even know about giants. Everyone knew goblins from the wizarding banks, which made it harder to blend in.

 

[Chante Harvelle-Ateara]

Len's question further pushed the smile across her face as she chuckles. "I don't know that, neither do my parents." Her grandmother thought of her as unique, like her mother. "It may catch up to me later on, because I'm telling you they're tall. Both of them are in the lean side, thought. Not like your typical heavy set giants, with enormous bellies." Chante giggles. Deep, really deep down inside she hope she doesn't grow that tall. She felt, like she felt like her parents protectors against those who held prejudice views. When they're on the attack, she snaps back and quickly reminds them that she was walking proof that giants, half or not, are capable of doing pretty much anything. Think she could name three incidents when her mother's grumpiness came out of her.

"So, he made it work for him? That's great. You should try to make it work for yourself." Chante advice. Though the prejudice part did get her. "That word, I hate it. Ugh!" Chante made a face, sticking her tongue out. "Well my parents can't obviously hide, and they did come to this school when they were younger. I guessed it help to built up your reputation in some sort of way. When they know who you are, who you really are they can't hurt you, unless you let them. That's what my grandmother told my mother, and then she told me." Chante nodded. "But there will always be someone or something to try it. Make you feel like you don't matter. Try to ignore them."
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[Lenore Harvelle-Ateara]

When the girl said she didn't know how it could be that she didn't have the length of the giants Len was envious. She hoped she would have gotten the same deal out of her geneship. The brains and logics of the goblins, but not the ears and height. That seemed like the ultimate deal she could have received, but no she was blessed with freaky ears. When Chante explained her parents weren't like the fat bellied, club holding scary giants, Len smiled. She had figured out something like that already, well-behaved giants in a house with their no so giant daughter. The thought seemed funny and Len was glad she was so open about her giant problem.

''Well, I can't made it work.'' Len muttered ''I hate myself and everything that comes with the goblin side of things.'' It was easy talking from someone who got only the best out of the deal. She would never have to worry about prejudice and getting bullied because you looked like Santa's Elf. When Chante said that she hated the word prejudice she was one the same page as Len was. Len not only hated the word, she loathed it for existing. ''Ignoring is hard when you obviously look like an elf.'' Len had confidence in her brains and in her grades, but not in herself. How could someone like her ears, maybe she should find a part goblin boyfriend later. Would make this a lot easier.

 

[Chante Harvelle-Ateara]

Chante frown. She felt bad, no matter what she said Len wouldn't cheer up. Guess it's something the girl would have to work out on her own. Chante can only say so much before she felt as cynical as Len. "Okay, since I can't convince you that it's not all bad, I'll keep your secret. I won't say anything." Chante reassured her that her ears, well her secret was safe with her. "And I can stand here and tell you if I had to choose between height or the elf ears, I'd probably take the ears." Chante laughs. Her parents would probably call her a brat and laugh along with Chante. "It's not easy being neither of those things, I can tell." She won't claim to know what it's like if she hasn't personally dealt with it in her own skin. She was an ally to her parents, to anyone like Len. Not someone personally living the same way they were.

"What about your mother?" Chante tried to hide her ever growing curiosity over Len. This is probably the only time she's been this close to a goblin, except for the ones that worked at the bank. And that happen once or twice when the ministry were paying her parents in galleons. "You said so much about your dad and nothing of your mom. Is she still around? Are you an only child me? I'm an only child. I wanted to have siblings like my mom, but she says she can't have anymore." Chante blather on. Her tongue almost fleeing from her lip. Chante slapped her mouth and laughs. "I talk too much, sorry!"
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[Lenore Harvelle-Ateara]

The fact that Chante would keep her secret meant a lot for Lenore. Although she had a negative self image, Chante her words made her happy.
It eased her mind and her problems didn't seem as severe anymore. ''Thanks, that does mean a lot to me.'' Len smiled broadly and looked at Chante. She did seem honest and free something Len could only dream of. When the girl said she would pick the ears, Len giggled. For Chante the height would be horrible, she couldn't even reach the knees of her parents with Len her height. The image made Len smile.

''My mom is as normal as they get, she is a witch'' It was true, she had a regular mother and a goblin dad. While her dad wasn't full goblin, he was a half goblin. ''She is still around and no I don't have any siblings'' Len giggled and looked at Chante. Len enjoyed the talkative nature of the girl. It made her have to speak up as well. ''No, I love the talking, go on'' Len was curious about Chante as well, but didn't really know what to ask. ''Do your parents live in a giant house? Len asked, since she herself lived in a house adapted for goblin needs. So they had tiny kitchen for her dad and a standard size kitchen for her mother.

 

[Chante Harvelle-Ateara]

"That's nice. I think it's really wonderful when someone different.." Chante paused to think of a better word fitting to finish her thought,"...unlike each other to give each other a chance to basically love." She almost sings in the way she spoke. She can't help it, she gets carried away. And there no stopping the young badger. Chante finds that she may have a lot in common with Len. Maybe, in the near future she could introduce her to Willow. Or they might already know each other, Willow had been sorted into Gryffindor after all. "It's more like a big cave that's attached to a house. My granddad built it for my mom for when she got older." Chante explained the details of the only home she ever known. "He used to teach here, way before I was born. Wished he was still around, you could've met and everything! He would say the same thing about your ears and protect you as if you were his own." Chante shared about her grandpa and the kinda half giant he was. He was a tender soul and she wished she had gotten the chance to meet him as well.
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[Lenore Harvelle-Ateara]

Although Chante said it was wonderful to be different, she still hated it. Being normal made life a lot easier it seemed. Chante seemed to believe in what she was saying. At least that meant something, it sounded like a paradise how she was telling it. Something that only happened in fantasies.

It was funny to hear that they had a cave at home. Len couldn't stifle her laugh any longer and it burst out. ''Sorry, my mind is making it probably a lot funnier then it is.'' Len said while still laughing. When she said here granddad was a professor here she was curious. So Professors could be mixed races. She knew that already, but this was the acknowledgement she needed. ''That is awesome, what did he teach'' Len said curiously. When Chante said he had passed away Len felt bad for asking questions about it. ''I am sorry to hear that'' Len muttered honestly.

 

[Chante Harvelle-Ateara]

Chante brows scrunched, she gave Lenore a weird look. It probably was funny in her prospective. She guessed. "You should see it for yourself, it's not all bad." Chante shrugged. "It's like if you were living down in the dungeons with a big opening somewhere?" Chante described in the way it would make sense. It didn't. They sounded like bears at this point. "He taught Astronomy, then Care of Magical Creatures." Chante head cast lowly. "Thanks. Anyways, besides hiding the ears, how's it like being a Gryffindor? You like it here?"
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[Lenore Harvelle-Ateara]

When Chante said their house wasn't that different Len smiled. She did explain it and it made more sense. They did need a large space otherwise they would have bend down all the time. That wouldn't be very nice and also not for your neck. Astronomy wasn't her favourite subject, but she was definitely picking care of the magical creatures. ''Gryffindor is nice'' Lenore didn't really know what the difference was between the houses. ''There are a lot of nice people there'' Len paused ''Yes, Hogwarts is nice so far.'' The prejudice wasn't that nice, but the lessons were a lot fun. ''How is Hufflepuff and the school for you?'' Len smiled broadly and looked at Chante.

 

[Chante Harvelle-Ateara]

Chante grins. "Just nice? I thought you were being targeted." Chante looked over at Lenore. "You are small, so they will eventually know what's up." Chante warns her. Not everyone would be understanding of her situation. As they mention, the prejudice were bound to get on the attack when they take notice. Chante would have to make sure to be there for her. It's the least she could do. "That's good! I kinda wanted to be Gryffindor because of my mom, my dad was in Hufflepuff. I'm okay with it, and the house is cozy. And it's near the kitchen." Chante brightly went about Hufflepuff and it's unique location in the castle.
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[Lenore Harvelle-Ateara]

School was going well and her grades were good so she supposed that it meant that it was good right. ''Well if they don't know you can't be targeted.'' Len paused '' So I guess it is nice.'' Len muttered shyly. She had put much thought into it and being more of an lone ranger made it easier to not be targeted. ''I will tell them I suffer from dwarfism, I don't know everything's better than being a goblin'' People seemed to like handicapped people and help them. Who would yell at the poor girl with a disease.

Len laughed when the girl said Hufflepuff being next to a kitchen was a plus. ''I don't think the elves like you guys ransacking their precious kitchen'' Len said mid giggle.

 

[Chante Harvelle-Ateara]

Chante wished she hadn't said that. It only made someone like Len to worry more, but a fair warning didn't hurt? "Okay, how about this? An even that someone starts to bother you or pick on you, you can come to me. I will not let anybody bully you!" Chante offered. It's the least she could do. Having an ally around was better than being alone. "What you think?" It's something her mom would do. Madlyn would be very proud of Chante for sticking up those defenseless to help themselves.

"Hey!" Chante laughs, cupping her mouth. "Some of us are actually capable making stuff for ourselves!" She shot back, sticking her tongue out. "Ever had frybread? It's delicious!"
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