Closed Homecoming

[Shale Night]

Returning to New Zealand felt like stepping through a mirror, where everything was the same and different all at once. The castle was just close enough to the one in Scotland that she kept getting turned around, expecting things to be the way she had grown familiar with, only to see the corridors laid out slightly differently, or a painting in pride of place where she had expected a door to be. She was learning this castle all over again, a castle she had last seen with eyes too full of rage and pain to really take it all in. She had been a different version of herself at this Hogwarts, a child driven by pain and hatred for the entire world around her. Now... it wasn't like that pain had faded, or like her temper was entirely gone, but age had dulled her reactions, she had learned and grown and gotten counselling, and things... things felt different.

The people were familiar and unfamiliar all at once, even after being reminded of a few of her classmates at Sully's birthday recently. She still didn't know why he had invited her, but it had been driving force enough to help convince her she was welcome at Hogwarts NZ again, even after so long. But other than those she had met or reunited with at the party, this school felt full of strangers. Or it did, at first. Looking across the hall and spotting a very familiar face, Shale thought for a heart-stopping moment that she was back in Scotland. But that wasn't true. So what was one of her classmates doing here? She had never been close with Padme, didn't think she had spoken with the girl once, but they had shared enough classes that she was sure that was the same person. How had she wound up in New Zealand, at the same time as Shale? She couldn't help staring as she pondered the problem, trying to figure out what had happened. Had they just... transferred together without knowing it?

 

[Padme Hume]

It was odd to be back at Hogwarts, she'd only been gone a year but it had felt longer than that. It didn't help that the two schools were similar in a way that she'd have never realised until she'd gone to both, it was half why she'd decided to go there rather than go elsewhere. Sure she might've gotten more out of going to beauxbatons or the American school, but she had wanted to see the original Hogwarts, and it was just similar to what she was used to, in a way that she had and hadn't expected. It just made being back a little odd. She had toyed with staying but thought it might be nicer to graduated with the people she'd been sorted with. She did intend to probably go back to London for a bit once she graduated but for now she could spend the year in New Zealand and it would be good to be able to see Ava's babies when they were born. And not when they were almost six months old or something.

But Padme was in the great hall, looking around, spotting her sister and a few other people she knew, it seemed that she also didn't know a good number of faces too, but it was in her looking that she locked gazes with a girl, who she remembered from Hogwarts Scotland. She hadn't expected to see her at all, they hadn't known each other well at Hogwarts but had at least known off each other. padme gave a little frown and then a smile. She wasn't sure she should, but since she was sitting along and this girl was too and she was a little curious about it she deicded to at least go say hi. Padme stood up, crossing the hall and stopped in front of this girl's table. "I didn't expect to see you here," there was a lightness and friendliness to her tone. "I thought you'd still be at Hogwarts Scotland," ​

 

[Shale Night]

Shale knew she was staring, but she still hadn't been expecting Padme to notice until she saw the Hufflepuff getting up and coming over, sitting up a bit straighter instinctively. She shrugged a little awkwardly at the other girl's comments, hands fidgeting on the table in front of herself. "I... yeah, I... went to this school originally. Decided to come back for graduation." She hesitated, gesturing to Padme in return. "I didn't expect to see you here either, did you just transfer?"

 

[Padme Hume]

Padme had always thought she'd known Shale before Hogwarts Scotland and it seemed she might've just recognised her from when she'd been at this school. "I was only at Hogwarts Scotland for a year, an exchange trip," she replied, "I was sorted at this Hogwarts and back in time to graduate here too," Padme told her with a little smile. it was funny that they'd both come back from different lengths away for similar reasons. "It's eeriely similar, but still different enough,"​

 

[Shale Night]

((Sorry it's been a while, between being sick and travelling I've gotten behind on everything @_@ ))

Shale nodded in understanding when Padme explained it had been an exchange. "Oh, that sounds cool." She smiled slightly. "What made you pick Scotland for an exchange?" She couldn't help being curious about how exchanges worked, since when she had changed schools the original plan had been for it to be permanent. She nodded in agreement when Padme commented about the similarity. "Well, it's cool to see you here at least."

 

[Padme Hume]

Padme gave a little smile, "Well, partly because I'm not very good at languages, and then because I guess I was curious," Padme said, she'd been raised in New Zealand, and being from a muggle family there was so much of the magical world that she knew nothing about, that she was curious about. "I was raised in a muggle household, so I think the old magic and history of a school that this one was based off interested me," she was honest about it, it might not be what most people saught out when looking for an exchange but it was likely as good a reason as any. "What made you leave this school originally?"​

 

[Shale Night]

Shale chuckled lightly at Padme's reason, nodding. "That's fair, other languages are awful." Shale often felt her strong West Country accent made her stand out at HNZ, and she could only imagine how bad it would be in another language entirely. She nodded when Padme explained further. "That makes sense. It's definitely pretty cool seeing a school that's so much older. Kinda wild thinking of all the stuff that happened there back in the day." She shrugged when Padme asked for her reasons, reminding herself of the things she had learned in counselling in Scotland. "I, uh... had issues with the family I was staying with here." She said slowly. "My parents are dead, so it's kind of... you know, a lot of bouncing between aunts and uncles and cousins and whoever. So when stuff got bad here I just... went back to stay with family in England for a bit." She hesitated, trying not to think about what she was actually talking about. The more people she actually talked to the easier it got, but that was still easier said than done. "I had unfinished stuff here though, and now I'm an adult, don't have to stay with crappy family, so..." She shrugged quietly. "Came back."

 

[Padme Hume]

Padme was a little relieved that Shale didn't think less of her for not seaking out other languages and she nodded in agreement. "Exactly," she replied. Padme listened as Shale explained why she'd been there, and Padme felt a little bad for bringing it up, but it was a fair reason to have gone to the school and to now come back in this last year of it. "Fair," she didn't want to make Shale linger on the subject but thought it wrong to completely ignore it. "Do you think you'll stay in New Zealand after you graduate?" she asked. ​

 

[Shale Night]

Shale tried hard not to tense when Padme asked a question she had been dreading, giving instead what she hoped was a casual shrug. "I... have no idea, really. No plans." She said shortly, hoping that would be the end of the subject when it came to herself. "How about you?" She asked, quickly directing back on to Padme. "Any big globetrotting plans, or are you settling here?"

 

[Padme Hume]

Padme nodded, she wasn't sure she'd met many people in their year that knew what they were doing next, everything was very vague and to be decided at a later date that likely was never going to come. She gave a little shrug, "I want to go back to London at least...seems like a place where a lot happens," She was sure, it was the magic or the muggle that drew her back to London. "I think I do want to travel a little, New Zealand is great but there is a lot more out there I'd like to see." she wasn't sure she'd go for long, or how her travelling might look. She didn't imagine she'd leave for months at a time, because that would be expensive, but maybe a little at each time. ​

 

[Shale Night]

Shale nodded when Padme talked about her plans, considering it. "London's definitely... fast paced, you know? There was always something or other going on there when we took trips. If you want excitement, it'll probably suit you well." Shale had always hated visiting London, but she wasn't going to mention that and drag the conversation down. She nodded when Padme talked about travelling. "That's true, kind of scary thinking about how many countries there are out there we've just never seen."

 

[Padme Hume]

Padme nodded, it was half why she wanted to go back, the atmosphere had been one she was keen to feel again. She didn't know if other cities were like that one, but if she did travel further it would be after spending time at that one. "There are endless places to visit," she agreed. She doubted she would go to every country, see every place but Padme still wanted to travel and see what she could.​