Fairly Local

[Ignacio Morales]

Chile would always be Ignacio's home and he would always refer his to home town of Santiago affectionately but more often than not his line of work pulled him elsewhere. His life revolved around making money to keep his family safe, happy and healthy and as a consequence he rarely had a spare moment to travel home and spend time with family so he made the moments he did have with them worth it. That day Ignacio had time to spare before the nightlife of New Zealand pulled him back to work and his top priority was taking Flavio on an outing to Brightstone village. His younger brother had never left Chile before and until that year had barely spoke a word of English and the entire family had made it their mission to prepare him for the school year ahead and when that did not involve Pia teaching him English it involved him traveling alongside Ignacio around the wizarding areas of New Zealand. Ignacio took the responsibility upon himself because he was most familiar with Brightstone and by extension most of the magical parts of New Zealand. He regularly used the floo network to travel around for his work and New Zealand was one of his more frequent destinations, second only to Australia because of it's convenient location and larger wizarding population so the decision to let his brother tag along on his travels when he wasn't working was almost second nature to him as much as navigating the cobblestone streets of Brightstone village had grown to be since he first ventured into his unsavory profession.

Ignacio eventually halted his steps when he reached Tākarokaro Park and turned to his ten year old brother with an affectionate expression he reserved solely for his family. "You can play here for a while, alright?" He said, smiling as Flavio shrugged and walked towards the playground on his lonesome. The park was empty and Ignacio knew how bored Flavio would be without a duck pond that he could sit by as he fed the birds but a playground was surely less boring than visiting a bookstore and window shopping for the school supplies their family couldn't yet afford. He chose to watch his brother from afar as he pulled a cigarette from the pack in his pocket and lit it. "Don't go too far." Ignacio called out as as he put the cigarette in his mouth and took a long, lethargic drag, inhaling the smoke into his lungs and suddenly feeling more relaxed at the environment around him and the fact he was spending time around his family for a change.​

 

[Bonnie Fergusson]

Bonnie shifted Rory's light weight in her arms, though the boy was nearing his eleventh birthday in the coming July, he still liked being carried in anyone's arms who was willing to and given that Bonnie was the member of the family tasked with looking after him during the transition stage and the way her mother pitched it for at least the next few years she was going to be staying out in New Zealand with him. It hindered her job which she'd been almost finished with her training for and had to put on hold until then, but she was happy to, being family orientated and after the loss of her younger sister Bonnie felt it was the right thing to do. The young woman was speaking in rapid almost un-understandable accented english with her younger brother, she'd not managed to find a job yet but the money from their father she knew would be enough for a little while longer. Today she had paused her search, noting that in the last few days her brother had been getting increasingly annoyed an angst over being kept in one place, so the park she'd past many times seemed like the opportune place to take him.

Bonnie moved her bright red hair from her face and Rory's as it blew in the light wind and eventually she noticed the park, it was a pretty good park from what it seemed and Bonnie could already see a few other children playing. Bonnie was far more outgoing that her brother, she had no qualms about going up to people and speaking to them, she had always thoroughly enjoyed play parks when she'd been young, he she knew didn't enjoy it as much, but he would be happier to do that than sit around where she'd told him to. Eventually Bonnie reached the park and she placed down her brother on the ground in front of her, informing him to have fun, but to stay where she could see him, since she didn't want him to get hurt and not be able to reach her. Bonnie moved away watching as he went to play with another kid who was also in the park, and Bonnie took the time to fix her clothes and hair before looking around and noticing the smoking man who appeared to be watching the boy Rory was playing with and so, Bonnie decided to go over to him, "Is that your brother?" her thick accent dulled as she attempted to speak to people who would used to it, "I'm Bonnie, that's my brother playing with yours, will he be attending Hogwarts in September?" she held out her hand to him, and flashed him a confident smile.
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[Ignacio Morales]

Ignacio alternated between taking drags from his cigarette and puffing out smoke as he watched his younger brother play on the playground. He noticed a flash of fiery red hair in the corner of his eye and turned to see a young woman and what he assumed was her younger brother but he paid no further mind to the other pair and turned his attention back to Flavio. The younger Chilean boy was hesitant to climb to the top of the small jungle gym but after another boy showed up he immediately gained more confidence. That sight caused Ignacio to smile as much as he could with the cigarette between his lips. He did not of course connect the dots and realize the boy playing with Flavio was the boy the red haired girl brought with her to the park until the girl's unusual sounding accent was suddenly directed at him and he turned to face her again. This time Ignacio nodded in response to her and intentionally kept the smile on his face to seem polite which was contrasted to his usual staunch, stone cold demeanor but being around his brother or any of his family members brought out the best in Ignacio and he wouldn't dare to change that now when his brother was a mere few feet away.

"Ignacio." He introduced himself in return, his own unusual accent heavily affecting the sound of his words as held his hand out towards the red haired girl. She seemed nice enough, clearly not one of the people he would usually cross paths with on one of his trips around New Zealand so he was much less conservative about his identity and did not mind keeping up a conversation with her if it meant Flavio could have more time to play and possibly make a new friend. "He will go to Hogwarts in September." He confirmed as he pulled the cigarette from his mouth and kept his gaze in the general direction of the playground where Flavio and Bonnie's brother were playing. He then moved his hand holding the cigarette towards Bonnie, offering her a puff because he wasn't sure what else he could do to seem polite or welcoming. Small talk was not Ignacio's forte. In fact most of his conversations were either with his family where they could assume what the other was thinking, or they were simple demands, questions or answers from people he worked with so the sort of conversation he was now having with the red head was a far cry from what he was used to. "Your brother must be going to Hogwarts too, no?" He said as he continued to hold the cigarette towards the girl and waited to see if she would accept or decline his offer.​

 

[Bonnie Fergusson]

Bonnie wasn't sure what to expect of the man that she was suddenly faced with, she didn't know who this person was of course, and aside from him having a little brother who was currently playing with her little brother which in her mind was usually a good indication of what a person was like, she judged a lot of people by how they treated their family members, and she held family in high regard, despite not having the same father biologically as her brothers, they were family through and through and she'd been adopted into the family without a second thought when her mother had married her adoptive father. The woman had always been glad of this fact, she had never been made to feel like an outsider in her family, losing her half sister a few months before had been difficult and it didn't matter that they were only half related, to Bonnie they had been family, so she was hopeful that this man was as interested in family as she imagined him being having brought his brother to the park like she'd done. The woman wondered if like her he was looking for a job of some kind to help care more for the sibling, but of course she would never ask such a thing, since it wasn't like she knew his life story or really was interested in knowing it, the man, Ignacio hardly seemed like the type to share it.

Much like Bonnie, as the man introduced himself and she took his hand with a small friendly smile, it seemed that he wasn't exactly from these parts, he didn't seem to be from New Zealand, the heavy accent made her think of Spain but of course she couldn't sure, what she could be certain of was that his brother like her own would be going to the school in the area in the autumn, and Bonnie kept her gaze on her brother as he played with the other boy, clearly having some kind of game that she couldn't understand from this far away. The woman nodded at him, "He will be," the woman returned with a nod, "He's pretty nervous about it," she admitted, almost thanking the man for having brought his brother also to the area, the more people Rory met before school the better he might be for the actual school itself. The woman shook her head at the offer of the cigarettes, "Thanks, but I'm alright," the continued heavy accent on her words was clearly showing attempts by Bonnie to become more neutral, though it was very hard for her to do so, "Did you go to school here?" she asked conversationally.
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[Ignacio Morales]

Ignacio nodded along as politely as he could to Bonnie's words. Flavio was also nervous to begin school. It would be the first time the ten year old boy would be away from Chile for an extended amount of time without a family member constantly by his side. The very thought of putting his brother in such a situation even caused Ignacio to feel nervous and caused a shiver to run down his spine though before he grew too nervous and wanted to change his mind about letting Flavio attend school in New Zealand he reminded himself that Pia would be there to help him. Even if she couldn't be around Flavio constantly she would be around enough to keep him safe and comfortable in an entirely new environment. Or so Ignacio hoped whenever he thought about his beloved brother starting school that coming semester.

He shrugged when Bonnie declined a puff of his cigarette and brought it back to his lips so he could continue his rhythm of inhaling and exhaling the smoke from his lungs. Like most smokers, Ignacio was aware that it was a filthy expensive habit, and also like most smokers he was too far gone to care. Everyone had a vice and unsafe career aside, smoking was Ignacio's vice. He wondered momentarily what Bonnie's vice was because she seemed too mature and put together to have any but he refrained from asking. He had only just met the woman after all and although their brothers seemed to get along swimmingly Bonnie's life was none of his business. He shook his head and chuckled when Bonnie asked what school he went to. "Castelobruxo. What school did you go to?" He queried in return out of sheer politeness. Small talk was evidently not Ignacio's strong suit as he was letting Bonnie call the shots in the conversation but he wasn't bothered by it one bit. The more questions she asked, the less he would need to fish for subjects to talk about and risk exposing his career.
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[Bonnie Fergusson]

Bonnie was satisfied at this distance, since she had been given the task of looking after him she stayed a little closer than she would've if their sister had lived but she was incredibly protective over him, and it somewhat showed in how she was in New Zealand, so far from home, and looking after him. The look of protectiveness clear in her eyes as she glanced between the man she'd struck up a conversation with and the boy who was playing in the park with this man's younger sibling. It was obvious he seemed only a little older than she was, and perhaps like her a little more flexible in the work which he did, which allowed him, like her to be there with the siblings over parents who were likely better equipped to deal with young children. Bonnie thought it was nice of him to do such a thing with his younger brother, and honestly made the scottish girl realise that she respected him a lot, even though he did smoke which was something she herself would never dream of doing, but who was she to judge him on that when he very obviously to her had other redeeming qualities.

At the reply to her question, it became obvious whereabouts his accent was from, though not necessary from the area around Castelobruxo it was certainly narrowing the scope a little, hers was a little more obvious, "I went to Hogwarts in Scotland," she replied with an easy smile, "If Hogwarts New Zealand is anything like that school, I'm sure they'll both be fine," Bonnie assured him, not knowing how much he knew of the far more recent school, perhaps he had another sibling that attended which was why the youngest was attending or perhaps like her something in the family had gone wrong and therefore for protection they were attending, "The only thing my brother talks about right now is which house he'll be in," Bonnie continued just making light conversation with the man, "Do they have houses at castelobruxo?"
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[Ignacio Morales]

In between puffing his cigarette, Ignacio shifted his glance from Bonnie and to their brothers playing together on the playground. It was good to see Flavio getting along with someone so well. It brought a small smile to Ignacio's face and a further sense of relief that his younger brother, though burdened by the stress of being in a different country, having to speak his second language and being expected to achieve good grades simultaneously was somehow able to handle it. There seemed to be a light at the end of the tunnel for Flavio and it was embodied in the interactions he was having with Bonnie's younger brother. Ignacio was happy to see such a promising change in the levels stress he was feeling on Flavio's behalf. The wizard looked back to Bonnie, listening to her speak about her school. It was interesting to learn that the red head went to the united kingdom equivalent of the school their brothers were due to attend, and furthermore comforting to Ignacio's ever worried mind. He had heard nothing but good things about Hogwarts Scotland and the same could be said in Pia's letters about Hogwarts New Zealand but despite constant reassurance that Flavio was going to attend an amazing school and seeing Flavio hopefully make a friend with someone who was going to be in his year and possibly the same house, the Chilean still could not bury his worrying.

Ignacio chuckled quietly when Bonnie mentioned her younger brother talking non stop about the house he wanted to be in. Flavio was the same in a sense because he knew Pia was in Ravenclaw and wanted to be sorted with her both for the safety of being close to his sister and to experience some of the fun her letters were laced with. "My brother is the same." Ignacio said simply. He did hope that Flavio would be sorted into Ravenclaw but he knew how the sorting at the school worked after hearing from Pia. By the sounds of it, Flavio was equally as likely to be sorted into any other house as he was to be sorted into Ravenclaw. It was such a stark contrast from the way things were organized at Castelobruxo. Ignacio was about to comment on that but Bonnie beat him to the punch. He chuckled again and answered a simple "No" To Bonnie's question before elaborating slightly. "It doesn't have houses, the students are organized by year and that's it." He said.
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[Bonnie Fergusson]

Bonnie couldn't really stray her eyes away from her young brother the boy whom she was to protect, to help in his transition towards life in New Zealand but she honestly at times wondered what she could possibly do, aside from help him with his books, a few bits and pieces if needed it but she was very unsure about how else she could help him, at the very least this would, meeting someone his own age who seemed to be going to the same school, they might not become firm friends but there was be at least one familiar face at the school and it was better than nothing. Bonnie couldn't help but note that when she had started school being the oldest of the family she had begun alone but Bonnie had known some of the kids and shed managed to make a number of friends quickly and unlike her younger brother it wasn't in a new country far from her own and she hadn't just lost a sibling at the time. So perhaps it would be more difficult for him and meeting this man and his younger sibling would be a great benefit to both parties.

The young woman couldn't help the smile which graced her lips as she looked up at the man that she was speaking with. He wasn't the sort of person that she would usually speak to, but then again this was a different country and it never hurt to get to know someone and she definitely found it interesting that the man had gone to the school in South America, she had heard bits and pieces about the school but nothing concrete and she was naturally curious about something that she knew very little about. She was hardly surprised about the fact that the man's young brother could also only talk about the houses, "Any bets on where he'll end up?" she asked in a friendly manner, before focusing on what he said following, no houses it felt almost odd to her to not have houses, but there again it really was purely to be able to have class sizes fixed. But then again it was still an odd concept, "I wonder which is better," she mused out loud to him,"Maybe it would reduce the amount of fights, and more unity amongst students, but I think houses help sports teams," since prior to coming to New Zealand she had been training as a physiotherapist, sports would've been a big part of her job. It was perhaps an odd conversation to have with a man she had just met, but what was the harm in it.
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[Ignacio Morales]

Ignacio matched the smile on the girl's face with one of his own. It was such a relaxing change of pace for the Chilean to watch his brother play on the playground from afar and make conversation with a seemingly nice woman. In that moment it was almost as if his life were normal and he did not have a care in the world or any sense of duty to keep his family afloat and that on top of the knowledge that Flavio was possibly already making a school friend was like a breath of fresh air and a huge weight lifted from his shoulders. He puffed from his cigarette again before answering Bonnie's question. "His older sister is in Ravenclaw so he wants to be sorted with her. I don't know if that will happen but I hope it does, for his sake." His words were entirely honest because he would worry all over again if Flavio wasn't sorted alongside Pia. "What house do you think your brother will be in?" Ignacio asked in return out of politeness, wondering if the other boy also had a chance of being sorted into Ravenclaw.

He nodded as Bonnie spoke about houses and sports to show he was listening. The pros and cons of students being organized by years or into houses was not something Ignacio often thought about as now that he was out of school, any memories he made were buried as deep as they could go in his mind. One thing he did recall about his time at Castelobruxo was the problems with bullying, how it was a bully or be bullied situation and showing any sort of weakness was a one way ticket to being the latter, at least in his opinion. Some thought that bullying built character but Ignacio certainly did not. Hogwarts was clearly less harsh in that respect and Ignacio was glad that now Pia and Flavio were able to avoid Castelobruxo like it was a plague. "I think it depends on the sports teams." He politely replied though he did not entirely believe what he was saying. "Is Hogwarts in Scotland centered around sports?" He asked out of curiosity. So far Hogwarts and Castelobruxo seemed to be on the opposite sides of the spectrum with only the fact they were magical schools being what they had in common.
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[Bonnie Fergusson]

Bonnie was pretty surprised to hear that this man had a sister already at the school, and how like that might've been for Rory had things gone better for her family, she would've been with Rory in Hogwarts Scotland, visited London with him and the rest of the family, waved both Rory and Mary off on the train as they headed from London to Hogwarts, but instead she was in New Zealand, and would wave goodbye to him alone. It made Bonnie feel bittersweet and for a moment after he spoke the woman seemed almost lost in her own thoughts, trying her best to pull herself back to this moment where she was being asked the same question she had asked him. The young woman looked back at her brother and then to Ignacio,"Well, he wants Hufflepuff, but I don't think he'll get it," she replied with a careful tone, "My family are all strong Hufflepuffs, a long line of them, but my brother, as sweet as he is, he is not hard working," she added with a lightness in her tone, a small laugh escaping her lips, she loved her little brother, but he was hardly studious, she had on many occasions tried to help him with his homework and some how ended up doing it.

Bonnie then at the second question, of sports, she just grinned easily, it was true that Hogwarts was very sports focused, she had loved watching the games while in school, although she herself had never actually played the sport, not in the way that the house teams did, she played for fun, and she had just got swept up in the sports as she had watched others play, but had never actually wanted to play herself, not like that, "Very much so," the woman said with a nod, smiling as she did so, "It was the social calendar event, it was great fun to watch," she said to him, but barely held excitement at it, "Is it not duelling or something for your school?" Bonnie asked him, since she knew next to little about his school, and was actually a little curious about it, learning about the schools that were further afield than the ones closer to home, which had all started from the moment that her father had decided the other Hogwarts would be the best place for his oldest son.
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