Square One

[Meera Gupta]

Meera Gupta had once thought that all her time at Beauxbatons was definitely going to be better than her first year when she had been fat and friendless. Even then Meera had not given in. But now in the beginning of her fifth year she felt like she was back to square one. No she was not fat. She was slim, tall and pretty but her best friend and roommate had left. There were no explanations, no owls and she had tried to contact her sending her owl again and again but the owl had simply returned. Meera did not know what this meant. She tried to keep a brave face and concentrate on her classes and her training but she could not focus. During the holidays Meera had learned a lot more on archery and fighting with swords thanks to her mentor Arjun and she had been practicing archery in her secret spot in the forest by the school but her all her arrows did not meet their target. Finally giving up after an hour she walked back to the commons hoping she could find some of her other friends or classmates to talk to and clear her head.

She had neatly hidden away her bow and arrows in her bag, just the way she had been doing since her third year when she had first begun her training.During school days she was not trained but simply practiced what she knew and the thought of being so bad today made her think about how her mentor would feel if he knew that she could not control her emotions. She was a Princess and if she had to fight to get what was hers she needed to be stronger than this.Sipping on some water, Sonam took a seat in the common room and scanned the crowd. She noticed a few familiar faces and her eyes then moved to a group of boys who usually tried to upset her by giving her dirty comments as she had refused to date a few boys from the group. She knew most of the girls in Beauxbatons would have said yes to those boys but she was not one of them. Ignoring them as they gave her smiles, Meera noticed a new face but one that she had seen in her class recently. "Hi Alice" she said greeting the new girl in English. Meera had a powerful memory something that she would need in future and had easily remembered the girl when she had been introduced to the class.

 

[Alice Hills]

Alice was curled up in a chair in the Beaux common room. She had been at the school for about half a year now, and was beginning to become familiar with the system of things. Being made to repeat her 5th year was a set-back, but she decided to take it as an opportunity to learn more, and be better. It was time to move on, she knew that, she told herself that, she tried to believe that... Her heart was stuck between the transition, a year behind her body. She still hated the blue robes, and would do all she could to wear them as little as possible, and she still felt out of place with few friends. Her curly brown hair didn't fit in with the sleek, mostly blonde hair of the other students. There was a lot of veela blood in the school it seemed, and many students had managed to fit themselves into the cliche suit that was the acceptable manners, looks and behaviour of the students. But Alice didn't fit. Her hair didn't fit. Her intelligence almost didn't fit. The rest of the year were clever, but being a year older, and having been taught at Hogwarts New Zealand where OWLs were sat a year earlier, she didn't fit. Alice was exceptionally concious of this fact, but refused to mould herself to what the flow wanted her to be. She missed the homeliness of the Ravenclaw common room, how people would be working, or chatting, but mostly working in front of the warm, roaring fire. Here, people were wandering around the room, no, floating around the room, as the girls were taught to, talking to various people. Alice had found these lessons exceptionally strange; to be taught how to walk 'properly', talk 'properly' and even flirt 'properly'. Goodness, she had laughed at the sight of the lesson on her timetable: Ettiquette. Having worried that she would be moved back to the first years class, she had read as much as she could on the topic and tried to keep up with the levels of grace that these girls all had.

Her musings interupted, Alice darted her eyes to the speaker. It was a girl from one of her lessons, someone who she recognised by sight but didn't know her name. "Um hi..." She scrambled, hoping the girl would reintroduce herself. Alice hadn't bothered with friends early on in the transfer, and was only now beginning to feel the pangs of loneliness set in. Shuffling over on the small seat, she offered the other side of the sofa to the girl. Assessing the girl, she noticed how beautiful she was. Everyone here seemed to have an exceptional individual beauty, that shone through in different features. Whether the eyes, the hair, the facial shape, the posture.... They all had a unique beauty. Alice sat there, trying to pinpoint this girl's beauty. Wondering whether there was any veela blood in the family, she smiled and waited for the girl to say something or leave. She didn't want to be hostile, but she couldn't bear the silence, so she began to ramble. "Did we have any ettiquette homework for tomorrow? I forgot to write any down."

 

[Meera Gupta]

In previous years Meera would not have talked to new people so easily as she had big trust issues and never let her guard down but seeing how things were changing in her life she thought that talking to new people would not harm her much. Transfer student was the perfect opportunity to make friends with because everyone else at Beauxbatons seemed to have made up their minds about Meera. Only a few actually liked her and most of the others pretended to like her but truly were just jealous and the last batch showed her pure hatred. She had just been an average girl in her first two years at the school but during her third year she was all of a sudden the talk of the school. Meera was not sure what was the reason behind this but she had a strong feeling that it was the result of a dare where one of the senior boys had been dared to kiss her. The memory brought nothing but anger and she knew better than to allow her emotions get out of control once again so she cast away the thoughts and tried to think about the positive effects if she would be friends with the Alice.

She smiled as she studied Alice's face especially her dark brown eyes that were foggy like she was blocking away her emotions. Meera guessed that Alice probably did not know her name and therefore she introduced herself "I'm Meera Gupta.". Shifting to the seat beside Alice Meera smiled and extended her hand for a formal handshake. Meera had never been transferred to a school in the middle of the term but she knew that the feeling must not be a very nice one. She would hate leaving Beauxbatons no matter how people treated her sometimes. This place was her home when she was not with her family and she loved it. She heard Alice ask about any ettiquette homework. Nodding her head she continued talking in English which had a strong French accent "Yes. We have to write an essay on which kind of flowers are suited for which occasions in Europe." The subject wasn't one amongst her favorites but she did not dislike it either. It taught the students manners and how to behave and act in front of people. Meera had such lessons of her own back at home but of course no one knew about that. It was just a shame that despite being taught time and again how to act like gentleman most of the boys at Beauxbatons could not implement any of that in their daily life.

 

[Alice Hills]

Meera Gupta The name sounded familiar. Alice designated a second to considering where this recognition had come from, before deciding she had heard some students talking about this girl. Smiling at the evident French accent, she wondered where this girl had come from. Her name didn't seem French, and she didn't look European. Would it be rude to ask? Was this girl here to be friendly? Or to ask for help? Yet, it was Alice asking the question related to studies first. Confused at the way the situation had begun to pan out, Alice haulted, waiting for Meera to speak again. When she did, it was in response to Alice's question. Cursing silently under her breath, she sighed. "Well I haven't done that yet!" Laughing quietly, she sighed again, making her mind up to write it when the girl left. "What did you write about?" She asked, trying to make sure the question didn't come across as a method of wanting to copy, but instead as a mere inquiry to either help or chat about. Hoping the girl would understand her tone, she waited, waiting for a reply, for some form of approval that she hadn't failed entirely at trying to talk to someone.

 

[Meera Gupta]

Meera heard Alice's laughter. It was nice, soft and natural. Not super controlled or anything the way other girls at her school laughed. She could not blame Alice for not being on top of all her work. After a while Alice would know which of the Professors always gave them homework and which ones were happy to see them relax sometimes. "Gerberas represent happiness and Lilies, simplicity, Orchids are for beauty so I'd put all of them in a bouquet for birthdays or any other happy occasions like a simple congratulation or a graduation" she said recalling some parts of her essay. They had been taught about flowers and what they represented in their third year and therefore it was easier to just group them up and fit them into the occasions they could pass for. "Then of course we have roses as the ultimate romantic flower. White roses for love, red for passion, yellow roses are for friendship. For happiness, give pink roses" she continued telling Alice a bit more. "For funeral we have Chrysanthemums or carnations and weddings well it depends what season and country you are choosing and what you like to smell" she said with a smile. She could have continued for another fifteen minutes but she did not want to sound like a know it all. She was not sure but she was guessing that Hogwarts did not teach etiquette as a subject and she did not want throw all this flower knowledge on Alice like a load. "I think the teacher wants to do a review on this since we learned some things on flowers in third year" she said giving Alice a hint on what she thought might appear in their exams.

Meera hoped Alice wanted to chat and would find sometime later to write the essay. However if Alice said she needed to leave Meera would understand. She would even understand if Alice was hating her right now. All things were new here and if Meera had been in Alice's shoes she would have certainly not liked a new atmosphere. "Do you know any French?"she asked Alice curiously. Maybe if she knew their language she would adjust faster. The grandfather clock in the common room made the usual dong and Meera's attention was caught by it. It was six in the evening and this made her realize how hungry she was. She grinned as the some of the kitchen staff made their way into the common room to place some refreshments over the table. She loved this system. She watched the common room which was glowing in an yellow orange light cast by the sun that was now setting behind the mountains. It was beautiful and made the fire dancing in the fireplace look dim in comparison. "Do you want something to eat?"she asked Alice trying to be polite and friendly.

 

[Alice Hills]

Alice listened attentively to the list Meera reeled off. It was either a topic she knew a lot about or loved, because her description was brilliant, and very thorough. She grabbed a quill and noted down a few of the flowers and their meanings. Brushing the parchment aside with her book, she hoped Meera didn't mind. She had told her all of those things, and so she couldn't complain. Alice would make a compromise, because Meera had helped, Alice would be polite and friendly and continue with the conversation. Meera was intelligent, that much was evident, and beautiful, and friendly. Well, even if Alice was picky with friends, she would have no reason to turn down this girl. Laughing softly at the question posed, Alice hesitated. "Well, I guess I should be, honestly. Being here for just over half a year now. But no, not very well. I mean, I speak it, and I'm getting there with the writing, but I still think and work in English, and I know that isn't the true sign of someone who speaks good French. So I guess the answer is kind of." Alice finished, surprised at her length of speech and her openness. "I didn't really want to be here, so I guess I didn't try." She concluded, blushing a pale shade of pink. Her honestly spoke freely and she seemed to have no control over its direction. Watching as the food entered the room, she smiled and shook her head. "No, I'm ok thank you." Alice normally loved food and enjoyed all the different tastes that the school offered, but she wasn't in the mood for making a fool of herself in the way she ate. She suppressed the desire to eat with this fact and smiled, signalling that Meera was welcome to eat if she wanted.

 

[Meera Gupta]

Meera waited for Alice to reply. She hoped she hadn't scared the girl with all the things she knew about flowers. She watched her as she noted down a few point and finally Meera managed to smile knowing that she wouldn't be totally useless to talk to. Alice would do good with some help and Meera was all ready to help her with anything she needed. She knew that most of the people would include these flowers in their essay and the only real way to distinguish the essay would be the style of writing so she was fine with giving away the information she just had. She listened to Alice, not expecting such detailed reply but was glad to know that Alice was opening up and talking to her. "I understand. Learning a new language comes easily when you are younger and being burdened with the task of learning something always makes it harder" Meera said to Alice thoughtfully. She would not tell the girl it was easy. People who knew things already always thought they were easy, it was the ones who learned them who knew how hard they could be and she did not want Alice to start comparing English and French because it was obvious that the girl would have her own opinion and consider English to be easier. Meera was always good at conversations and mature for her age and therefore hardly brought up topics that would be a subject of argument or different views. What they needed right now were similarities and not differences.

Meera stood up and walked to the refreshment table. After grabbing herself some orange juice and a vegetable sandwich she returned to her spot and took a small bite of her sandwich. She could manage eating without a table and make it look good too. It was just something she had learned as part of being a royal. She watched Alice blush as she admitted that she had not tried working on her French."It must be difficult. Did your family shift to France too?"she asked Alice wondering the reason behind the girl switching her school. She hoped it was not anything personal. She hoped giving some information about herself would cover up in case she had gone out of line. "My heritage is Indian but my family is living in Paris for a very long time. I was born in France too" she told Alice with a smile as she took another small bite of her sandwich and chewed it properly. She knew most of the people who met her were curious about her accent which did not match the tan she had. She was not pale and fair skinned but she had a reason to believe that many people wanted something different and that was why they thought she was pretty with her tan.

 

[Alice Hills]

Alice smiled and nodded. "My family moved to France. My dad's job as a doctor meant that he was transferred. I don't understand it, and I don't want to, but that's what happened. Apparently, what with leaving our old home in Oxford, my parents just couldn't bear for me to keep living in New Zealand, even though they know how much it mean to me. Oh wow, India! I guess most people find it easier to learn the language when being surrounded by the culture, and well, well this school is very much focussed around French culture..." She trailed off. The girl seemed to like Beauxbatons. But who wouldn't? It was a beautiful school and had well trained students, it was a professional environment and for anyone who wasn't tied to another school and another culture, it was a dream. She hoped she didn't insult Meera, she didn't want to turn away a possible friend, but she didn't want to base the friendship on a falsity. She hated the country for what it represented, not for being France. Watching the girl get herself some food, she amazed at how she ate. It was like royalty. It must have been an art they taught the students in a younger year, because she seemed the only person incapable of completing such an art. Maybe it would have been better to start her etiquette lessons with the first years. It was the subject she knew she was failing in the most, and until now, she had decided it was hopeless. Being a blunt person when she needed to, Alice decided to ask Meera. If she was a friendly person, as Alice highly suspected, she would probably agree. If not, then it was better to find out now. Taking a deep breath, she asked. "Um, can I ask you a favour? You have probably noticed that I don't do very well in our etiquette classes... due to the small fact that I have missed the first 4 years worth of lessons. Would you be able to give me some catch up lessons. I mean as like, friends. I mean, you are so elegant and perfect at the lessons. I don't mind if you say no, but I thought it would be nice. But it's up to you...." She trailed off, rambling being a quality she wished to refine. "You aren't like the other girls... In a good way, I mean it in a good way. You don't seem to be the typical clone of what France says should be the 'perfect lady' but you have your own refined way of being... well... refined." Quickly retaking control of herself, Alice stopped the rambling. She had said way too much, and now it was time for Meera to speak. Whether to leave or stay, that was in her hands.

 

[Meera Gupta]

Meera continued eating her sandwich, bite after bite. Sipping some of her juice she heard Alice tell her all about how her family had shifted due to her father's work. She wondered if Alice's mother was a witch or if she was a muggle born. Meera's mother was the one who had brought magic into their family and her father was a muggle. Meera was not amongst those who had any prejudice about the blood status, that was for the people who were too proud and tried to make others look small. She laughed as Alice trailed off when the topic of this school being rich in France culture came. "Sorry" she said apologizing instantly and hoping Alice would not mind. "It's just that...I know you don't love the school or France"she said stating what she knew would be true. It was obvious and she did not want Alice to have to agree to liking what she did just because she was here, in this school and place. "You can say anything you like. You don't have to hesitate because of me"she continued explaining Alice that she did not have to hide how she felt.

Finishing her sandwich with a last bite she put the plate aside in the pile of other neatly stocked plates and took one more sip of her juice. She watched the common room once again, the sun was almost down now and the oil lamps were lit magically. She suddenly had a memory of how she and her best friend had once put a bet on who could fly down the cliffs without being scared. Both of them had ended up being afraid of the immense height and Meera had later realized how reckless the behavior was especially on her part. She felt her heart sinking and wished she could have those times back. Alice's voice made her come back to present and she heard the new girl asking her for a favour. Nodding her head, hoping she could do whatever the girl needed and make her a good friend Meera heard the request. "Of course, I will teach you" she said with a friendly smile. She felt warm and happy when Alice said she wasn't like the other typical girls at the school. Suddenly a thought came in her head. "Are you currently sharing a room with someone?" she asked hoping that Alice would say no and agree to be her roommate. That would help her get over missing her friend and become closer to Alice and also teach her things better. "You could come and share my room, its huge and I don't have a roommate" she explained, waiting eagerly for Alice's answer.

 

[Alice Hills]

Alice smiled at Meera's statement. "It's not that I hate France, I used to love it for holidays. I just wasn't ready to move here and away from New Zealand. And I'm sure it really is a lovely school after all." Smiling again at Meera's friendliness and openess, she wondered whether she was smiling too much. It seemed that it was her response to friendliness and people being nice. That was rare for Alice in this strange school. She had a friend or two, but not many and it sometimes felt a very lonely place. The agreement meant a lot to Alice and she felt a bubble of happiness rise up inside. The next offer came along swiftly after, and overwhelmed by Meera's kindness, she paused and thought about it. She already shared a room with Cavani and a few various other people who she didn't get along with as well as she thought. Cavani was lovely, her first friend at Beauxbatons. The first person to be friendly and caring and gentle and actually take notice of her. Reminisicing back to their first meeting, Alice found herself in the grounds of Beaux, watching the sunrise climb into the sky. It had been a lovely time. To share a room with Meera would be amazing, and a brilliant step of friendship, but could she leave Ava? That was her decision. It was too much to ask for Ava to move in as well, and she was unsure whether Cavani would want to. She had friends in the other room who Alice didn't know. Maybe it was time for a move, for a fresh start. Making a decision, she beamed at Meera. "That's exceptionally generous of you, thank you! I would be honoured! I don't have many friends in my dorm, and you seem so lovely. Where is your room? And are you sure?" Thinking that Meera must be very rich to have her own room, Alice wondered whether she was allowed to move or not. She must be, or else Meera wouldn't have offered. She seemed to know the rules! Leaning over for a quick hug, she smiled and sat back, unsure if she had pushed it too far.

 

[Meera Gupta]

Meera kind of knew what Alice meant. A few years back once someone had come very close to identifying them and her father had suggested to move to America instead and attend Salem Institute. It had taken every possible argument to convince him that it would be no big deal. Meera had been to some parts in America for holidays but she could not imagine moving there. The people there were just so different than in Europe. She had not been to New Zealand so she couldn't exactly relate with moving to New Zealand but she knew it would not be very pleasant.

She waited patiently hoping that she had not asked too much of Alice. It was her who wanted a roommate and a new best friends but that did not mean Alice did too. She had not been turned down anytime in her life. Somehow she had that natural charm and charisma and people always gave her things before she asked and usually being smart her ideas were accepted whenever she made suggestions. This would be a first and she prepared herself for her first rejection. It didn't come. She grinned, a little surprised but happy more on hearing Alice's reply. She was about to hug Alice and hesitated for just a second because this was very different from how usually her first conversations went. As Alice hugged her, Meera hugged back feeling happy and light once again forgetting about her friend for a while. This was different but good. She was not going to be friends with the whole school. She was still guarded and chose people who she could open up to but now she was older and she did not have to wait a long time to see if she could trust people. As Alice asked her about her, sorry, their room, Meera answered with a big smile."Its the last room in the dormitory on the right. Its bigger as it is the last one. It has an extra bed as I used to have a roommate until very recently. She just moved to Brazil" Meera filled Alice with information. Meera was excited and was ready to help Alice move her things right away but reminding herself that she did behave and keep her emotions in control, she composed herself and took a deep breath in such a way that no one could notice what a flood of emotions were running through her."Yes! I am very sure"she said with a wide grin.

 

[Alice Hills]

Meera's generosity was exceptional. She was acting as if they had known each other for years and years, rather than having just been properly introduced minutes ago! It was so refreshing and lovely for Alice, that she left all thoughts of doubt and suspicion behind her in the hug. When she sat back again, all seemed clear and brighter. Although she was unaware of it, Alice's eyes brightened at the prospect of true friendship. The smile on her face reached a little higher, and she felt lighter in her being. Meera seemed keen on gaining a new friend, and Alice welcomed this now with open arms. The change that had taken place in a matter of minutes remained, reminding Alice of times in New Zealand with her friends. It was said that these moments were treasured deeply, and Alice, recalling memories and making them, finally understood this meaning. Listening intently to Meera's story, she began to pick up smaller details that she had been closed to. Meera's room mate had moved to Brazil. To be honoured to share a room must have meant they were close, and therefore Meera could have taken this move badly. Alice's perceptive nature told her this was a topic to tread carefully, wisely and caringly around. Smiling further at the return of her extra senses, she began to realise how much she had missed them. That had always been a reason she had assumed she was placed in Ravenclaw. She had had intelligent friends from Hufflepuff - a house known for its hardwork and loyalty - and she had discovered that the majority of Ravenclaws, despite being intelligent, also were wise and perceptive. This went unmentioned in the Sorting Hat's song year after year, and Alice believed that it was a trait to be noticed and treasured, rather than boasted around. Feeling her mind get sidetracked in memories, Alice focussed back to the conversation. Taking her memory down the dormitory hallway, she recalled seeing a door at the end. Having never had reason to travel that far, she had assumed it was a vacant room or a cleaning closet, and was suprised to find it was a large room. Laughing softly at Meera's continued assurance, she added, "When shall I move?!" Her teasing tone set another bubble of warmth in Alice, the feeling of being happy, care-free and bouncy renewed. This was turning out to be a brilliant evening.

 

[Meera Gupta]

Some people might have thought it was too early for Meera to move own and ask another girl to be her roommate but her best friend had not written her for two weeks now and Meera could not take the loneliness that currently was in her life. The Brazil part was something the school authorities and it had taken a lot of convincing to get that out of them. There was only one thing she could do for her best friend and it was to hope for her good health and to pray she was safe. Having Alice agreeing to be her roommate was very exciting and she was glad that she had not shied away or kept her guard up today. "Whenever you're free. Who are your current roommates? " she asked Alice hoping that the girl had some decent roommates who would not be super pissed at this change. "You can take your time, talk to them and when you're comfortable I can help you move" Meera said thoughtfully. She did not want to put any pressure on the new girl. Just the idea of having some company was great, for now.

Meera thought of all the fun things they could do together like go shopping during the breaks, get dressed together for the school dance, learn about each other's culture. "What are your hobbies?"she asked Alice curiously. She wanted to know what kind of things they would share. Meera liked a lot of things, some she could not share with Alice as they were to be kept but others were more normal and she would be happy if Alice had anything common with her. "I'm into reading novels, painting and swimming" she told Alice continuing with the conversation. Meera was also into music but it was Hindi and she played the sitar which was a Indian musical instrument. "And of course Qudditch. I play seeker and sometimes keeper" she added with a grin. She wondered if Alice played Qudditch back at Hogwarts. It would obviously be more fun there since they had four teams and everything but Beauxbatons was average as well.

 

[Alice Hills]

Whenever you're free The words hung in Alice's mind like decorations. "I'm free all the time! How about this Saturday?" That would give her the time to speak to Ava, her only friend in her room, and section off her belongings into her area. Somehow the room had become a shared space, she would find other's books in her drawers, and her sunglasses on Ava's bed. It would take about an hour to collect her items and she could do that on Saturday morning before she moved in. "I share with Ava, and a few others. I don't really know them very well. Ava is really my only friend, and she gets on with the others fairly well so I don't think it will be too much of a big deal." Her thoughts erupted before she thought about them in detail, but reflecting on her words she felt she hadn't said anything too devastatingly rude or arrogant. Meera's next question remained poised in the air whilst Alice pondered on it. Since moving to Beaux, her hobbies had diminished to the bare minimum. "I love to read, to explore different places through the author's words. And to read non-fiction as well. To learn is an honour and one that should be accepted to the best of one's ability. I like drawing, but haven't done that in a very long time." She smiled politely at Meera's love of quidditch. "It never seemed to agree with me. I struggled to fly, let alone to fully play and work out game tactics." She laughed, finding it an easy topic to mock herself on. She had always failed at sports, even in muggle sports, and nothing had changed now. Quidditch was in the air and this just increased Alice's fear of hurting herself further. "I know magic can heal, but I always panic that the pain will be too much at the time. My friends always said I needed a good dose of pain sometime to get over the fear, but that time never happened." Her soft laugh escaped again, remembering Oliver's insistence that she needed to brave the world further than a book and an armchair.

 

[Meera Gupta]

Meera smiled and nodded as Alice said she could move her stuff in on Saturday. Meera listened carefully as Alice told her about her roommates in Beauxbatons. Meera knew a girl who was in their class and she had heard people call her Ava although that was not her real name. Meera did not have a nickname and she did not like to call others by their nick names because she believed proper names were assigned for a reason. Meera's current surname was made up and this made her have a very strong opinion when it came to names of people. She did not mention all this to Alice and simply listened to her. "Maybe we could all hang out sometime" she suggested. Meera was a little surprised to hear this but it was her voice and her words and this kind of behavior was not normal for her. She had not made any efforts in the past five years to be friendly with her classmates. She was polite and even helped sometimes with studies but she never 'hung out' with them. Something had changed. Meera had not decided if this change would be good or bad but she was simply going with the flow. Maybe some girls would not like her if she went to hang out with them now but she could try to socialize. Not that she needed to. She could make friends with people whom she actually liked, like Alice but sometimes being on good term with your classmates helped and it was about time she opened up to them. After all Ava, as Alice called her, should be nice since Alice was friends with her. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad, she thought to herself.

Meera tried to shove away her thoughts and focus on the conversation that Alice was making. Meera had to do a lot of reading besides fiction. Most was for school and some was history and politics of India and she did it with her heart. It was not something she would do in her free time, so she wouldn't like reading non-fiction as a hobby but she did it on a regular basis nevertheless. "You must be a pretty smart Ravenclaw. Finally we'll have someone worth competing in class" she said with a grin. She knew Alice would take a while but once she was used to French she would be on a roll. Meera could feel the warmth of the fire in the common room now as it was fully burning in the fire place. She removed her jacket and tied her hair in a messy but yet elegant bun. She laughed along with Alice as the girl said she had fear of falling. Many people were afraid of brooms and flying. She did not expect Alice to be all the way same like herself and some differences were always nice. "You'll enjoy watching. Of course we don't have major tournaments like Hogwarts as we don't have houses and all but it's still pretty intense" Meera briefed Alice about Qudditch at Beauxbatons.

 

[Alice Hills]

Alice watched Meera closely. The girl seemed to be pure friendliness, with no other motives other than making friends. This judgement pleased Alice, and she hoped that she was right about her. Unsure of what would happen to her if she made bad friends, or allowed herself to get in with the wrong crowd, Alice began to think of putting her barriers up around people she didn't know. But, if she did that, then she wouldn't have talked back to Meera and gotten a conversation going. Finding the confusion flying around in her mind, she tried to control the ever-changing thoughts. Nodding at Meera's suggestion, she tried to play out the situation in her mind. If they met under the right circumstances, Alice was sure that they would get along. "Yes, that would be nice." She agreed, wondering why Meera hadn't met a lot of her year already. Laughing softly at Meera's suggestion of being smart and some competition, she shrugged. Unsure of what to reply, she decided to neither accept the compliment or agree. Alice watched in amazement as Meera flipped her hair up into a bun. It was almost like a dance move, elegant and seamless with a perfect result. Laughing in surprise at quite how elegant and sophisticated her new friend was, Alice goggled. "Wow. If only my hair was so lovely and easy to sort out! For some reason, the Beaux robes don't suit brown curls. Well, my hair anyway." The pale blue robes made Alice feel out of place, pale and contrasting to the stunning features of the blondes and the brunettes with sleek, smooth and amazing hair. They all seemed to have mastered how to flip their hair perfectly, to get that smooth and elegant look. Maybe they had been taught that earlier in the school. Maybe Meera could teach her. Maybe Meera could try and fix Alice's hair. But Alice assumed that even with Meera's elegance, Alice's hair would still be hopeless. Laughing hopelessly to herself, she looked around the room. Some boys were sitting there, also goggling at Meera. Frowning, Alice turned to Meera. "What are they looking at?" Her paranoid nature made her worry they were looking at her, and feeling uncomfortable, she shifted in her chair. Leaving the topic of quidditch, Alice decided to move on. She wasn't a fan of the sport, and didn't want to ruin the moment with Meera by disagreeing on the subject.


Sorry, it's rubbish

 

[Meera Gupta]

Sitting and letting her body and blood cool down after the practice had been working until now. The heat was not helping and she realized how badly she needed a shower or maybe a bath. She loved baths and the hot water that relaxed her tensed muscles which was usually the case of practicing or Qudditch. She lost herself deciding what scents and soaps she would use in her bath today. She had a variety of them but liked all of them as she had handpicked them herself. Bringing herself back to the room Meera realized Alice was complimenting her hair. "Thanks. You have nice hair too but we can work on it" Meera said with a grin. The first lesson that she would be teaching Alice was to love herself and if she constantly thought other people were better than she would just have to change that, it would take a while but nothing was impossible. She didn't mention her plans to Alice. She knew when she would be done with helping Alice, Alice would be the center of attention. "We can always use colors but then again I like my hair just the way they are" she said thoughtfully. It was true the color of the robes went more with blonde hair that many French girls had. "Not to worry. Keeping your hair at its best and other things can keep us way above what blondes can achieve with the matching their hair to the robes" Meera said with a small laugh. Meera was looking forward to having Alice as her roommate but for now she needed to bath and then head down to dinner. The sandwich was not going to help her much and she needed her energy for all the physical work she did around the clock. She heard Alice ask and looked up to notice the same bunch of senior guys who had once tried to corner her in the library. "They are looking at what they can't have" she said narrowing her eyes down at them. This had little effect on them because they were so used to having negative behavior from Meera. "Listen, I need to go and get changed before dinner" she told Alice with a smile ignoring the boys. Alice would learn soon that despite the good looks and words the guys had to offer they were nutcases. "I'll see you later okay" she said before standing up, grabbing her bag and leaving the common room.

 

[Alice Hills]

Alice laughed softly at Meera's bluntness. It was nice to hear someone agreeing with her, because most of the time people challenged her opinion and just made Alice believe they were lying to try and be nice. She knew from this one comment that her and Meera would get on brilliantly. Meera had so much to teach her, and the only one who would get bored of the friendship would be Meera. She listened attentively to the small tips Meera was throwing out there, and beginning to feel like a small dog, she decided she wouldn't live off every word, but would absorb and adapt them to create her own style. It wouldn't do to be a hyprocrite and become a copy of Meera and her etiquette. Alice laughed to herself at this thought. 'Become a copy of Meera.' As if. Alice would never achieve that but she would only end up being a bad imitation. She had to find her own style, find her own way. Meera made her excuses to leave and Alice smiled. The beautiful brunette had something Alice didn't - class. Alice would never be out doing sports or anything that would require her to change before dinner. Also, Meera flicked boys away as if they were irritating flies, not the opposite gender who could one day be the father of their children. Alice smiled to herself, wondering what experiences Meera must have had with boys to be so aloft to them. One thing Alice had learnt at Hogwarts was how to hold boys as dear and close friends, ones who usually proved to be better friends than guys. Maybe this was something Alice could teach to Meera. Maybe this could even out the ground a little. Maybe. "Sure, see you later. And thanks for the offer of the room." A gentle smile slipped out as Meera left, and Alice picked up her book, determined to finish her section before she had to get on with the homework.