Reunited

[October Alcott]

One of the things October was the most excited for upon returning to school was getting to reconnect with her friends. She felt like things had been slightly awkward with Jessica at the Valentines ball, and was keen to see the girl again and get back to a comfortable normal. The first few days of school she kept an eye out for the younger girl, relieved when she saw familiar blonde hair heading out of the library on one of her own trips looking for books.

Beaming enthusiastically, October bounced down the corridor, more enthusiastic than was altogether usual for her. She had missed school more than she expected. "Jessica! Hi!" She beamed, surprising her friend with a hug. "How were your holidays?" October wasn't usually one for such an enthusiastic greeting, but a whole holiday spent at home with April was something of an influence.

 

[Jessica Matthews]

While usually Jessica returned to Hogwarts with a sense of frustration and simmering annoyance hanging around her, as she walked from place to place this year - the beginning of her third year - all she really felt was the apathetic sense of inevitability. It had always been made clear to her that she was stuck with her magic for the long haul, and yet she had foolishly continued to try and find ways out of that predicament. In the previous two years she'd been here, Jessica had switched between wanting nothing to do with her magical classes, to trying desperately to learn a semester's worth of knowledge in the last weeks before exams, back to attempting to sabotage her grades on purpose. None of it had ended up satisfying her, and she didn't even really know what she wanted anymore, which was an aggravating thought. Nothing that she could actually have, anyway, that was certain. Her twin's first year of high school was going to almost be over soon - an entire experience that Jessica hadn't been able to have a part of. It made her return to this school even more unsettled, and she seemed to be stuck drifting back and forth out of different castle rooms as she tried to search for... something.

Perhaps to make up for the rough time her life had otherwise been giving her, the 'something' rather quickly found her, and Jessica wasn't at all surprised to see that the solution to all her unnecessary melancholy was actually a 'someone.' The hug was sudden but definitely welcome, and Jessica relaxed into it instinctively, returning its tightness only once her brain caught up with the realisation of who this was. "October," she said, genuine warmth filling her voice. "How have you been?" She smiled over the other girl's shoulder, even though her friend wouldn't be able to see it from the position of their current embrace. Pulling back, Jessica pulled at the ends of her hair slightly, fluffing and flattening them in equal measure. "They were good. My sister had to go to school a lot of the time, but I made her tell me everything when she got home each day. I even worked on some of her science homework with her." It was perhaps a silly thing to admit if she had been talking to anyone else, but Jessica knew October would likely find some common ground with the urge. "How about yours? Hopefully they were more exciting than mine." It was nice talking to someone like this again, Jessica realised. Lately she'd been feeling a distance between herself and some of her old friends, for all sorts of reasons. Mostly ones she had created herself, she recalled, pursing her lips at the thought of certain events last year.

 

[October Alcott]

October was relieved when Jessica returned her hug, realising just how badly she had needed a friend at home with Dad's constant prodding, and Matt and April's continued presence. It felt good at last to be around someone who just liked October, for who she was and as she was, and wasn't trying to steal a place in her life. "I've been good!" October beamed, despite her melancholy holiday. Pushing away thoughts of her own break October listened to Jessica describe hers, smiling as she listened. "Oh, that sounds so fun!" She beamed, sighing softly. "I know it sounds silly what with magic and all, but I would just love some regular science homework after some of my classes last year." She sighed, thinking back to the entirely un-mathematical disappointment that was Arithmancy. October sighed a little, trying to think of how to summarise her own holidays when Jessica asked. "Well, the holidays weren't great. You have no idea what awkward's like until you go home from school and one of your teachers is there." She rolled her eyes, trying to make light of the family situation that was looking more and more to be a permanent one. "But it was fine. Dad hires a ballet tutor for me over the holidays so I can keep up my technique and I've finally got new pointe shoes so I can practice properly at school. So that was nice."

 

[Jessica Matthews]

Jessica smiled in relief at hearing October agree that science homework actually sounded fun, it was always good to have the other girl's approval even when she wasn't explicitly aiming for it. "It's not silly at all though, is it? I solved a few equations from her maths book too, and it was... calming. Learning magic has never been like that for me." It felt weird to say it out loud, this thing Jessica had been thinking for years now, and she almost felt a little scared about it. It was perhaps the most honest thing she had ever told someone in this new world - but October didn't feel like she was some flashy witch who took magic for granted and ignored everything about the muggle world Jessica had grew up in. Even though the admission made her slightly panicky, Jessica was also glad that she had said it. She... trusted October.

Smiling now, she contentedly listened to her friend describe her own holidays, pulling her lips into a frown and nodding in all the right places. She knew that October wasn't over the moon about the ramifications of her dad's love life, of course, it was easy to see any of the few times the other girl brought it up and Jessica felt it important to support her whenever she did. She liked to refrain from commenting if she could help it though, and was pleased October moved the subject to a more neutral territory that she felt was suitable to voice an opinion on. "Oh, that's so exciting! Pointe shoes look so beautiful... have you practiced in them much already?" Not for the first time, Jessica wished ballet was something she had been interested in when she was younger, if only to be able to contribute more to this conversation with October. "The only thing I got mildly better at this winter was being able to sew a dress without relying on my mother to fix up all the little details." It wasn't a dress she felt comfortable wearing where anyone could see it, of course, but she still felt proud enough of the accomplishment to want to share it in conversation.

 

[October Alcott]

October smiled warmly as Jessica talked. She had missed this dearly about her friend. It was a relief to talk to someone who agreed that sometimes studying magic just felt too unreal, and there was something comforting about studying muggle science. "Oh, that sounds so nice! I took Arithmancy hoping it would be like maths, but it's sort of more like... well, it always reminds me of astrology. Lots of numbers with magical secrets about your personality. It's... not what I hoped. I suppose I should really just stop expecting these classes to feel like what I liked about muggle school. History of Magic and Astronomy are nice though." She sighed softly nodding. "I... know what you mean about learning magic feeling different. I enjoy it most of the time, but I still miss my old school subjects. It feels like a shame to have worked so hard to learn all of that and then have it just... not matter at all." She sighed. "It'll be fine though. One day once we're finished here we'll be able to go to muggle universities." She smiled. "That'll be nice." Although the thought seemed nice just to herself, October couldn't imagine how controlling dad would get when she was in university, especially if she went to the one in Dunedin. Having lived away from dad for a few years now, getting to do things on her own, October was beginning to realise just how much stress she had been under living at home with him all the time. She couldn't do that again.

October was pleased when Jessica asked about her pointe shoes, nodding excitedly. "Heaps! I had a lot of tuition over the holidays, so I can practice safely on my own. I can't wait to get back to the arts room. I wish I had more free time, but fourth year is so much work." She listened to Jessica talking about her own holidays, eyes widening. "Oh, but that sounds so fun! I don't know anything about sewing, it must be so exciting to be able to just make clothes exactly how you like them! That's such a cool skill!" She smiled, genuinely impressed.

 

[Jessica Matthews]

Listening to October explain her own troubles with muggle versus magical schooling, Jessica felt herself relaxing even further into the conversation. It was so nice to be able to discuss these things with her friend, to feel like she was in a safe space where she didn't have to act like this world was vastly superior to her own. There was... good and bad in both, Jessica had to admit. And talking with October was definitely one of the good things in the wizarding one. "Oh no, and you were so excited about taking Arithmancy too." The corners of her mouth turned down in genuine sympathy. Not to mention the fact that she had decided to take the subject for the exact same reason, but she was actually feeling more disappointed for October right now than herself. "That's so true," she said, nodding about the fact that it felt like their muggle educations were going to waste - were still going to waste. "When I first got told that I... had magic, I asked if I could just stay at my normal school and not come here at all. But they wouldn't let me because both my mothers are Muggles, and wouldn't be able to help me learn how to control it." She smiled softly, understanding better now why there hadn't been an option... but still slightly resentful of it all the same. If only Laura had been magical too...

Thankfully, October's enthusiasm about her pointe shoes stopped Jessica from dwelling on that thought too much, and she listened to her friend contentedly, nodding along every so often. "That's great! I'd ask to come and watch, but I wouldn't want to distract you," she said with a smile. "They say it's good to take breaks every now and then to refresh your mind and body, so I'm sure you could dance for an hour or so and call it good for your studying." She knew October worked very hard on her studies, and though she didn't quite see or feel the need to do so herself, Jessica thought that supporting her friend was an important, good thing to do. She was surprised, however, to find that October seemed interested in her dress-making and for a moment she was genuinely taken aback in pleased silence. "Oh, it... yes, I suppose it is," she said, a smile growing. "I don't get as much practice in anymore as I'd like - I can't bring the mannequin, or even the sewing machine to school. But I always try to think of designs I might want to make when I get back home." She had a few sketches tucked away, but she thought she was horrible at drawing - she hoped October wouldn't ask to see them or she might die of embarrassment.