These blue robes

Alice Hills

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Kate v.1 [Main]
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Lignum Vitae Wand 16" Essence of Dragon's Whisker
Looking in the mirror, Alice saw a small young lady, long curly brunette hair hanging loosely over her shoulders. Her hair looked quite pretty today, Alice thought, and it seemed to frame her face. Smiling at herself, she adjusted a curl and turned to her bed beside her. There lay the pale blue, swishy robes that she hated so much. Pulling them on, she turned back to the mirror. The pale blue clashed with her air and her well-loved curls looked out of place. Turning to a fellow dorm-mate, Alice saw that this girl's blonde, straight hair flowed perfectly. The uniform was discriminating towards curly-haired brunettes, Alice felt. It was time to find a spell to die and sort her hair out. Maybe she could do it soon, or maybe she would have to wait until she turned 17 to have the legal rights to do it to herself. Her parents would flip, but she didn't care about their opinions any longer. It was her life, and they would have no say in how she ran it now, they had messed it up enough already. Sighing, she plastered a smile on her face, before grabbing her hat or whatever they liked to call it. Plonking it on the top of her curls, she attempted to control her curls before giving up and scraped a book off her bed. It was in English, and she knew she should be working on her French, but she couldn't be bothered. Opening the door, she left the cheerful chatter of welcoming returns in the dorm and wandered down the stairs. It was a strange school, nothing like the halls at Hogwarts, where they were filled with people, bubbling with friendship, it was colder, more ordered. She disliked it greatly and was wandering down the corridors absentmindedly. Bumping in to someone, she apologised and carried on, unaware of anything but where she was going. She stuck out at Beauxbatons, she knew that, her hair was different to the majority of the French students' and she acted differently, because she was used to New Zealand.

Entering the Great Hall (or as she felt it should be called) she scanned her eyes around for an empty area. There was one in the closest corner, and grateful for this, Alice slipped into a seat. Pulling a croissant onto her plate, she nibbled as she read. She knew that the other French students had better tastes when it came to food, and she tried to ignore the odd stares and she smeared butter and jam on the croissant. It was how she liked to eat it, and so it was how she would eat it. Pulling out her book, she continued to read. Keeping up with her studies was important to Alice - far more important than making friends or trying to collect a hobby. She had a rough life plan, and she was pleased with it. Having completed half a year of her OWLs last year, at HNZ, she was irritated that she was having to resit the year, but apparently the heads of Beauxbatons felt that it was a vital year to resit, even though their exams weren't until the 6th year. Sighing at this madness, she skimmed over the sections that she knew off by heart and had learnt the previous year. She was quick at remembering things and prided herself in having something similar to photographic memory, but she refused to tell anyone incase they used it as a weapon against her. Sighing, she closed the book and looked around the hall. There were students eating, chatting in rapid French. Trying to pick up small snippets of the conversations, she began to translate. They were saying nothing of large interest, but Alice was annoyed how slowly her French was developing. She had thought that having been submerged into a fluent french environment, she would be picking it up quickly. But due to her resistance, she had been learning little, and was still thinking, translating and working in English. This resulted in it taking twice as long to complete any essay because she would write it in English and then have to translate it to French. It was stress, but stress that was manageable and saved time from being alone. That was what Alice needed at the moment, distractions.
 
As his father would always say, Felix had the smallest problems of staying put. Everything was exciting, everything was great. He had a smile on his face, always. It didn't matter to him if a person really wanted to hear all about his adventures or not, or if they wanted to be a part of it, Felix was the kind of guy who just put himself out there. He didn't try to hold it back, if he did, he made a fairly poor job of it. He was fairly known around his school. The kind of boy who did crazy things for no reason. He was seen as a little bit naive, and little on the thick side, what better reason to use when Felix hit his head off something and acted like nothing had happened. He was of course both of those things. He wasn't too knowledgeable about the world around him. He could happily ignore current events for days on end. Being the last to know about issues that may just indirectly affect him. He was of course happy in his own little world. He didn't try to be someone else. He was himself, always. Never attempting to be someone he wasn't. The boy wasn't the smartest, but he knew enough to realise the silliness of not being oneself. The beau boy smiled happily everyday, he did things that made him happy. If he upset someone, he tried to make it better, but he wouldn't usually apologise, since, what did it matter? He didn't regret doing it, unless he hurt someone else, and he would always do it over. Going through the same motions to get the same amount of fun of it. He was not often unhappy. He made sure he wasn't. Taking each day as a new and fun challenge. It wasn't hard for him to have fun, it came fairly naturally. He could wake up in the morning and just know. School, wasn't a huge issue of his either, people were more likely to give him a hand than kick him out. He passed, not really that well, but well enough. It wasn't hard for him to ask for help with school work. He had large brown eyes, and a smile to match, generally he flashed what he called his puppy eyes, and people melted. He had a happy smile, like it was really happy. Not a glimpse of the usual worries a person his age might have. It came so naturally, that he just found it easy. Felix knew that eventually he would have to some what settle down, but, like the One Direction song said, Live While We're Young. He did that, he did that in all the spare moments in his life. There was however, one fairly large issue in Felix's life. He had many friends, but no one he count as a close, or even best friend. He'd never had a girlfriend, or met a girl he thought he could like that much. Or met a guy he could like that much. Felix just hadn't had the chance yet.

Felix woke up that very morning with the usual smile on his face, it was the start of a new day, early on in the morning. He was awoken by someone else closing the door, while for some this was a rude awakening, as the other boys of his dorm knew, it was never for Felix. He just jumped out of bed and headed straight for the shower. Singing a simple song and skipping slightly. He was the kind of guy who wore the uniform to a certain extent, enough to not get into trouble, but not too much to be uncomfortable. He generally left the blazer behind, finding that the Beauxbaton's uniform was smart enough with the blazer. His trousers were stain resistant. While he might've gone into fifth year, the boy was anything but mature and he had a odd habit of playing with his food. His father had thought ahead and he had bought Felix trousers that even he had trouble staining. That and magic meant they stayed as clean as they needed to. After finishing getting dressed, and feeling in a pretty fantastic mood he made his way down to the main dining area. On his way, he hummed a very old, yet classic song about Dancing. He had a skip in his step and was just enjoying himself. He reached the dining hall. He noticed a good friend of his, a girl he'd known for years. He wrapped his arms around her, and spun her. She was his closest friend, because she was always more likely to respond to what he did. Which today was dance with him. He was singing pretty loudly, letting her join in every so often. They did a pretty excited waltz through out the hall. Felix let her go, and grabbed some other girl in his year, or the year below him, Ava, or Cavani, or something, he didn't knew her that well, but thankfully, she seemed happy to dance with him as well. After a few seconds, the boy noticed a new girl sitting in the corner. He finished dancing with the current girl and kissed her hand in a gentlemanly fashion. He wandered over, leaned on the table and looked directly at the girl. "Can I interest you in a dance?" The boy asked in his lightly Spanish accented French, his eyes telling him that she was new, and also not french. She did seem nice, but, he was probably interrupting her. He didn't care "I'm a fantastic dancer" He added extending his hand to her. He wasn't necessarily fantastic, but he wasn't bad. He did alright. Which was good. Which was all he needed to be.
 
The hall was filling up quickly, full of students desperate to be eating and then off to lessons. Alice had etiquette classes first, her least favourite of the lot. She wasn't interested in being taught how to act, how to flirt and how to be like a perfect French lady. They boys took their classes separately and Alice wondered what they had studied. Last lesson she had handed in a hurried essay on the uses of flowers in the home and Alice had been reprimanded on her untidy scrawl that was her handwriting. Apparently, the perfect French lady should use calligraphy in all things, especially work to be entered. Having rolled her eyes at this nonsense, Alice pined for home, for New Zealand, for Hogwarts. She needed some form of reassurance that she wasn't going mental in this castle. She hated this French culture, she hated this school and she hated these students. No. No, she didn't. She loved the French culture, she was beginning to love the school, and well the students, they were becoming less of aliens and more of acquaintances. They were nearly at the point of friends. But not yet. Not yet. It was too soon to move on.

Looking around the room, Alice saw a boy enter. Making a guess that he was in her yeargroup, she tried to recall seeing him in any of her lessons. A faint flicker of recognition told her that he was in her Potions class. She couldn't remember him being one of the top, and had no idea of any name, but continued to watch him with a growing interest. He began to dance around with a few girls, not uncommon in the halls of Beaux, but something that was attracting interest from elsewhere around the room. She smiled to herself and instantly labeled him as a player. She made no mistake in assuming he would be interested in her, and turned back to her croissant. Seeing Cavani get up and dance with him out of the corner of her eye, Alice smiled across at the girl. She liked Cavani, and her friendliness, and wondered if there was a larger friendship to persue there. Whilst considering these things, Alice found the boy dancing over to her. Before she knew it, he had kissed her hand. This was the common and accepted greeting in France, but Alice still found it odd and uncomfortable, and it raised the faint flush on her throat. Hearing his request or offer - Alice couldn't define what it was - she hesitated. To dance with this boy may give him the impression she was willing to talk and be friendly, but to not dance with him would make him leave. Split between these equally attractive goals, she sighed inwardly. Motioning to her book and her croissant she shook her head. Swallowing the small bite she had taken, she decided to speak a little. "I'm sure you are an excellent dancer, but alas, the same cannot be said for myself." Congratulating herself on the perfect excuse, she turned back to her book, chiding herself on her nosiness on the doings of the rest of the hall. She would have to restrain her interest and find amusement and distraction elsewhere. Opening the book, she located the line she was on and continued to read. Her eyes weren't focussed on the book, but the act was enough to give the impression she was concentrating. The faint flush was dying along her throat, and she willed the boy to leave, for fear that a blush would emerge if he stayed and continued the attention.
 
The boy was from a fairly large family. He had more siblings than anything. He always had to compete to get the attention of his father. Which was probably why he always acted a little crazily while at Beauxbatons. He had nothing else to lose at the school, and he very usual stopped before he did something that could get him kicked out of the school. Which was good, considering some of the stuff was probably verging on it. He had never really been the kind of kid who was okay with sitting down and being quiet, he had to always be doing something. No matter how silly it might sound, just keeping his mind occupied was the best way to avoid complete chaos, which could follow if he did get bored and had nothing to do. He would sit and think up bigger and more reckless ideas. His own mind became fairly powerless against him. They could do nothing to stop him from finding that one thing to keep him occupied. With the mornings they were simple, he never had any reason to be upset in the morning. After all, he was waking up to a day new day with endless possiblities and opportunities. It was a new dawn, pretty literally and Felix was not the kind of Beauxbatons boy who just worried about things. He let them go once the day was gone. Things in his mind didn't stick, it didn't bother him in the slightest. This morning felt like a great morning and he knew that no one would be able to bring it down. He knew in his heart that no matter the girl's reaction he would still be happy.The girl was fairly knew. He knew her from a distance. He had to admit she had caught his eye, in the sense that he felt sorry for her joining a school so late in the years. Clearly still missing whatever place she had come from. A part of him wanted to make it better for her, but he had no idea how. He was good at the usual things, he treated everyone the same, with the same sort of distance that most people wouldn't expect from someone so friendly. But that was the point, he was friendly to everyone, and equally distant to them as well. Just because he didn't have the time to really get to know people. This girl would be no different. Though he was sure she expected more. Maybe.

The way she turned him, got him curious. It was polite. More polite than others could've been. He was at least thankful for that, and he didn't feel like pushing her on it. It didn't matter to him if she did or didn't, he would just leave and go back to his friends and eat something. He did smile at her, despite it. "I'm sure you are an excellent dancer." Felix said to her, leaning away slightly. "In any case, if you change your mind, I'm Felix." He gave her a small smirk, winked at her, before turning on his heel and going back to his friends. Doing a small dance, to which his friends laughed. Finally he sat back down on the table they were gathered at. Where he sat next to his oldest friend, and the other side was that other girl he'd danced with. He laughed loudly as his friend said something revolving around Felix's rejection, It turned out there weren't enough seat for everyone, so being the kind gentleman that he was, he motioned for the girl, Ava, or Cavani to sit on his lap. He talked animatedly with his friends. Just as he took a bite of his breakfast, he glanced back over to Alice and smiled at her. His goal, his new goal was to get her to dance with him. He would managed it. After all, few really turned down Felix's offers to dance.

Sorry if it's awful. I caught a cold. So, I feel a little out of it.
 
Alice wasn't use to such attention from boys like this. She had her group at Hogwarts, the Ravenclaws who all got along brilliantly. She would have danced with any of them any day, and they all did regularly. Remembering them all gathered around the piano in the common room, Alice smiled to herself. They would have small festive dances, whirling each other around and laughing, laughing like there was no care in the world. Those had been the best memories of her life, the best times, the special times. Lost in a dream of it, Alice found herself smiling away and realized that Felix was looking at her smiling as well. Turning away quickly, she felt a small blush rise up again and looked down at her book. She had rejected his offer, and had been split. It could have been a laugh, and she didn't want to make anything of the rejection, but she didn't want to try and fit with the Beaux route. It wasn't her, and she didn't want to try and fit a suit that was the wrong shape. She didn't fit in much at all, and that was fine with her. She had fitted in with Hogwarts and with Ravenclaw, and this school was only temporary until she could graduate and return to New Zealand. That was the plan anyway. She would go into being a professor or working for the ministry. She wanted to remain in the magic world, either teaching or working for the law. That was where she belonged, and she didn't want to let her magic go to waste. It was important, and a huge part of her. It was who she was. She had never known about it before, but when she had come to discover this hidden world, it was as if she had been given perfect glasses to her. Her wand had filled an unknown empty space and she felt lost when it wasn't around. Tapping her wand in her pocket subconsiously to check it was there, Alice looked around. Ava was sat on Felix's lap due to the lack of room and they all seemed to be laughing together and having fun. Feeling a small pang of pain at being on the outside of a situation she wished she was part of, Alice turned away. Her book lay open still, and replacing the bookmark, she finished the remaining bite of her croissant and scooped her things up. She had to leave, to get the sight of people being friendly out of her mind, it was too painful for her. Way too painful.

Wandering the corridors, Alice found herself outside an empty classroom. Wiping away a stray tear that had escaped, she wandered in. There were a few chairs and tables in the room and a stack of books. Pulling out her wand, she muttered the incantation and got the books flying around the room. The spinning sight entertained her mind, and flicking her wand she shut the door. Landing the books in a neat stack on a table in the corner she paused. She had learnt some more magic, a little beyond what her yeargroup were being taught, as she had learnt most of that last year at Hogwarts. That was a benefit of doing a repeated year, she was able to advance her skills and prove to herself that she was capable of advanced magic. She would have been taught these spells at Hogwarts in her 6th year, which she would be in now. But, magic was taught in different orders to at Hogwarts, and she had no idea when they would be taught such spells at Beaux. Maybe never. Sitting down on some steps in the corner, Alice pointed her wand in the air. "Avis." she commanded, conjuring up a small flock of birds. They tweeted around the room, giving her much needed company. Watching the twittering birds fly around, she let her thoughts soar with them, unaware of the door opening. A stray tear escaped again, and hanging her head down, she let her brown curls curtain her face.
 
It hadn't ever occured to Felix that he might upset the girl. It was only when he looked back towards her and noticed she was running off that it occurred to him that maybe he hadn't been too kind. The boy half considered not doing anything about it. Asking Ava if she would go deal with it, since she was the new girl of the group, and seemed like the kind of person who would do what he asked of her. However he noticed how much his friends enjoyed her around, so he didn't want to get in the middle of that. He knew that this was something that he had to do. He knew that he had to be the one to do something. As much as he was a happy guy, who acted out a lot he wasn't awful at making people feel better. He had a twin sister, and many girl siblings who he noticed were all fairly temperamental, so he had enough practice. He didn't always say the right thing. He wasn't the smartest. He was just Felix, he dealt with things in his own little way. It didn't matter how it didn't suit the situation, he was just that kind of a guy. The phrase, it's just Felix used more often than ever he knew it should. So instead of this becoming another one of those things, Felix kissed Ava lightly on the cheek and stood up giving a bow as he gave her the seat they'd been sharing. He grabbed a few bits of food on the table and walked away. Stuffing the food into his pockets. He didn't know what he was going to say to her. He wasn't sure how to deal with this particular situation, he wasn't sure entirely what he had done. It made him think that maybe he should've invited her over, but he didn't think things through. And it probably wasn't something he did. He kept his eyes on her, she walked faster than he, he could barely keep up. He lost sight of her, she had gone. Felix looked around himself and noticed a door, a classroom. That had to be it. But, as he thought that he should go over, he wondered even more if this was a good idea. Was it? It didn't feel like it. He knew that this might just ruin the part of his morning he was enjoying. He knew he might be at fault, but Felix was a kid at heart, he hated taking responsibility for anything. This wouldn't be fun, but he owed it to her he figured, and for all he knew this was just a huge ploy to get him alone, something Felix would not have minded.

Taking a few steps closer to the door, he noticed that there was an odd sound coming from the room. Tweeting, like birds. He wondered what else was going on. He knocked lightly, before letting himself in. He wasn't going to be turned down, just because she decided to be stubborn. "Look, I'm sorry" Felix muttered looking over to her, noticing the way she was, noticing the birds. He knew he had to tread carefully, but the girl looked upset. Much more than he had imagined. "It's alright," He walked over to her, and bent down. "I didn't mean to upset you, I'm like that with everyone." He said, before realising that might be the wrong thing to say. "That's not going to make it better, look, I'm friendly, I act friendly. Girls here love it. I don't really think if it's too forward, or something." He remembered that it might not be him she was upset because of. "Sorry, this might have nothing to do with me, let's start over. You can just tell me what's up?" He knew that it might just be that she didn't want to talk about it, but he was in this for the long haul, there was little backing out now. He had little choice now. Which in part annoyed him, but this girl was new, a challenge. He loved a good challenge.
 
Alice jumped as she heard someone begin to speak. She hadn't known that anyone had followed her, and she felt a twinge of annoyance that someone was interrupting her moment and had seen her at her weakest point. Looking up, she saw the boy Felix, the one who had asked her to dance, standing there. He was saying something friendly, but Alice wasn't taking it in, and she wasn't focussed. Trying to clear her thoughts from her windscreen, she smiled at him. "No no no, you didn't upset me. I'm perfectly fine. No, honestly, I am just a terrible dancer." The words flew out seamlessly, surprising Alice at their consistency. She wasn't a brilliant dancer, and she hated the spotlight being on her when she was dancing. But the lie worked and again it worked as an excuse. Twirling her foot on the floor absentmindedly, she looked down. "It's just, seeing you all there, seeing the whole school, surrounded by friends and joy, just makes me miss Hogwarts and my real life. I thought I'd gotten over it, but," At this point she looked up at him, "But I guess everyone has weak moments." Her honesty towards this unknown boy surprised her. Maybe it was because Ava knew him and seemed friendly with him, or maybe it was because he had approached her in a friendly manner, or maybe it was because he had followed her, or maybe, maybe it was because he didn't seem like the rest. But, as Alice began to meet more and more people, she realised that only a handful of them fitted into the title of 'the rest'. Everyone at Beaux had a story to tell, everyone had a secret, a reason to break away from the norm of the school. So why should this boy be any different? Why should Alice make him suffer as she was when he had a perfectly good circle of friends back in the food hall? Why did he care? Was he just a nice person? Was he really someone caring? Questions formed in Alice's mind and danced around, creating a whirlwind of thoughts, emotions and concerns. Feeling it was too much for her, she pointed her wand at the birds in the room and muttered the counterspell, to get rid of them. Without anything spinning in her room, her thoughts also began to slow and calm down. Now what she had to do was focus of Felix's response.
 
The young teen hadn't expected too much in return. He knew that he was putting himself out there, in front of her so that she could tell him what was bothering her, but he very well knew, in his experiences of working with girls that every so often, the thing the girl wanted most was space. He didn't really want it to be one of those times. But, he had to prepare himself for something like that. Something that he might now actually enjoy. Not that he really enjoyed having to deal with people upset. It was just easier to deal with that than it was to deal with anything else. He wasn't sure how upset the girl was, he had only just met her, and he generally waited a couple of months before being this person for them. He just felt partly responsible, and he had been in such a good mood, that part of that good mood was wanting others to be in a good mood too. Since this girl was not in a good mood, he wanted to make her into a good mood. Even if it took all morning. He was willing to do such a thing, to make amends for everything that he had done in causing this. Now, Felix didn't get too much closer, he was fairly close, but he knew that he also had to give her space. Let her be annoyed, or angry. Close enough in reach for a small punch but not too close where she could very well actually hurt him. He smiled slightly when she said she was okay, that she was just a terrible dancer. Felix refused to believe that any person was a terrible dancer. That they just hadn't yet learned to dance, and that made them bad at dancing. "That wouldn't bother me, I'm a gentleman, I take the lead" He said in a encouraging manner, smiling at the girl. But he did realise that this probably wasn't it. He could tell that she was clearly upset, he was just waiting for her to say something, rather than it be him push her into doing it. He could tell that she was going to. She looked down in the same way his little sister did when she had something to admit to him. Felix just gave a small encouraging smile. And he was right enough, after a few seconds she spoke.

Felix had no idea how to deal with it. She missed her old school, her real life. This was his real life. He was silly to think that this would be something silly. She missed everything she knew. She missed the people she had spent years with. He reached out and took her hand. Once again, just being friendly. Being Felix. He didn't know what to say, he didn't think that anything he did say would actually help her. She missed home, and well, he couldn't exactly take her there. It was crazy. Silly and crazy. It wasn't good that she was upset, but there was little any person could do to fix it. He also realised that it was in part his fault. He knew if only he had thought to invite her to sit with them. If only he had thought to be a little bit kinder, and more considerate. "Well, I've been at this school five years, and those people are just friends. We're not close. Not in the sense that you might recognise." Felix said, he took his hand away and sat down on the ground. "Apart from Clemence, I wouldn't count any of them as close. And Clemence and I are close because we, you know." Clemence was the first girl he'd danced with. A friend of his twin and they'd quickly become friends following that. He didn't know what to say to her, what would really work to make her feel better. "I come from a huge family, so the only way I don't miss home is to surround myself with people who I can barely count as friends. I do lots of stunts, folks don't like that. So, I don't actually have that many friends. You'll find the right people here. And if not, what's two or three years against the rest of your life where you want to be?" Felix knew he wasn't very good at this. Generally he could manage, but this was different. He'd never really had to deal with homesickness. His friends wouldn't admit weaknesses if they could avoid it. Beauxbatons was a simply amazing school, but his friends lacked honesty in the way his family did. It was different and he always missed his family, but this was his education, and he was happy to be there. "What's your name?" He asked, knowing it sounded a little odd to not even know her name, but he had to start somewhere in this friendship.
 
Alice laughed quietly at Felix's insistence that they must dance. He didn't pester, but she heard the underlying tone. He seemed encouraging, and that made Alice feel confident. But she still wouldn't dance. In the few minutes they had been talking, Alice had relaxed, almost forgetting why she had been upset. Felix was close, close enough for a hug, but very close. She wondered what his motives for coming here were. Was he truly a generally nice guy or was he preying on weakness? Tensing up, she shuffled back almost unnoticeably while he was talking. Listening to his words, she waited for him to tell her she was being silly. But it didn't come. He generally seemed to be comforting her. Snorting inside, she waited for the act to end and him to leave, or one of his group to find him. Maybe it was all a joke, maybe it was the thing to do here - make a mockery of the new girl. She wasn't that new, in all fairness, but she was still newer. He began to talk about the group and actually how the chemistry between them was mostly just the act. Alice frowned. It had never been like that at Hogwarts. But the houses helped with that, they created almost stereotypes that few varied from. The houses mainly stayed with their own and that was the way it worked. Also, with few in each year, everyone found out soon who the friends were and who to stay away from. Listening with amusement as he began to talk about his relationship with a girl she didn't know, Alice waited to see if there was any requirement for her to speak. He mentioned the few years, and although she agreed with him, it still ached inside to think that she wouldn't see her friends for years. It could be longer, if they all went their separate ways or if the unthinkable was true; maybe they had forgotten about her. Gulping to try and dilute the pain, she tried to refocus her mind on what he was saying. "I'm Alice. Alice Hills. But some people call my Lissy." And that was it. She had no idea where the last sentence had come from. No one called her Lissy any more. It had been a childhood nickname and one that she had loved. Close friends at Hogwarts had called her by the name, but she told few and kept it as a secret. Blushing as her mouth splurted it out, she looked Felix in the eye, daring him to challenge it. She saw only concern and friendship there, and that melted her. Maybe this would work out, maybe it wasn't. That was for the remains of the conversation and fate to decide.
 
The girl seemed a little more at ease. A little more. He wasn't sure if it was really going how he wanted it to. But, at least it looked as though the girl had stopped crying. He had at least done part of what he needed to do. lt was true, he had done what he had in part set out to do once he had noticed that she had been upset by his words. He wasn't however going to keep the focus on that part of it. It was why he had then decided to shift the topic. The girl was new, and he barely knew her. It was his chance to get to know her, which was exactly what she really needed someone to call a friend, someone to hang out with. Spend time with. And he was her ticket to their table. It was an odd friendship but then at least she would have a couple of friends. Within the group were the perfect amount of people. Just enough where you could have a close friend, and just be friendly with the rest, it was really how he prefered it. It was simple. Easy. He didn't think there was that much time for too many close friends. He saw it as an obligation he had to fulfil every month or so. The fewer the better. But, he could see that all the girl really wanted. What would make her feel better was just a friend. Felix was happy to be that person. She seemed nice, she fairly beautiful and she was different from the usual Beauxbatons girls that he was used to. He wondered if she really cared about it. Why she would bother that much with friends, when he figured that she didn't like it at the school. Beauxbatons in his eyes was the easiest place to make friends. Everyone was friendly. Everyone was open. But, for someone new, coming so late in the years. It must be hard. He figured that was why she'd no been so interested in giving the place much of a chance.

He gave her a warm smile as she introduced herself. Grinning a little more at the nickname. He liked it. It suited her in his mind. Lissy. He would say it horribly with his Spanish, but he could try and give it the best short he could. He nodded at her, "It's nice to meet you Lissy." He added a smile, "I'm Felix. It's just Felix though." He shrugged, the boy hadn't had a nickname, he didn't need one. "I've been called Felicis in my life before, but never unless they mean it in the sense of luck." Felix had been called it twice, by friends who said that he was a good luck charm. Barely anything went wrong with Felix around. Felix just said it was because he was so happy and joyful all the time. "I'm not as lucky as people think, I just seem it because I have fun." He spoke of himself, mostly so she'd be thinking of him, and not what she was missing. "You're a Hogwarts transfer right?" He smiled at her. "I like them. Whether from New Zealand or Scotland, guaranteed an accent. And better than those Durmstrang ones, they always remind me of a dinosaur." He laughed and stood. "Hogwarts transfers are like this," He said before pretending to act normally as if talking to someone. "Whereas Durmstrang are like this," He proceeded to do his best impression of a dinosaur, with his arms at his sides, just the lower arm moving around. Fake dinosaur noises. The whole lot. "And don't get me started on the ones from Salem. You can't even joke with them." Felix sat back down and just smiled at the girl, Lissy. "You'll see it. Next year I promise you Lissy, you'll notice the differences between the transfers."

His Dinosaur would look like this
 
Felix was someone who thrived from others laughing with or at him, Alice assumed. Analysing his conversation and acting carefully, she came to this conclusion. But he was allowed this, because he was funny. Some people, decided that they thought they were hilarious, and so this gave them the right to be stupid and try and make people laugh, but in reality, it only made the people they were around feel uncomfortable and awkward. B ut Alice didn't see this trait with Felix, and instead laughed openly at his dinosaur impression. It was very good, and very brave of him. She herself had ever enjoyed drama or anything like it, and was happy to be on the receiving end of the acting. She hadn't met many Durmstrang students yet, and wondered whether Beauxbatons was a school where the other institues mixed. It had people from all over, different races, cultures and lifestyles all in the same castle. It was diverse, and always showed new people, but Alice felt that everyone was moulded into the same shape, the same 'ideal' person. It was as America was called... 'A Melting Pot'. Alice had struggled going to Hogwarts at first, knowing that she would only be trained in subjects like Maths, English and Science as far as primary school taught. So, making the most of having a primary school teacher for a mother, she insisted that she was taught secondary school history, art, science, maths, english, religious studies and all the other subjects that she had aspired to learn as an 11 year old leaving primary. Her mother had dutifully collected books, studies and webpages that would help Alice learn in her spare time, and over the while, she had learnt all she wanted. She excelled in maths, coupled with the fact that she had studied Arithmancy at Hogwarts, and she loved to be creative in music, art and writing. These were her fortes in the muggle world, and she didn't want to lose that brilliance and freedom. The term suited Beauxbatons in Alice's opinion. It seemed that people moved there to change, to learn and to start again. For all of these reasons though, Alice hadn't wanted to move. She loved where she was, she loved how she was, and she didn't want that to change. The conversation was dipping, and so Alice found some words to add to the mix. "I haven't met any Durmstrang students yet, but if they're like that then I'm sure I'll recognise them." She smiled gently at Felix, feeling more comfortable and happy now. She liked the way he called her Lissy, the way the word came easily from his tongue. It made her wonder why she hadn't offered it to other people much before. But it seemed to be their thing now, just like this growing friendship seemed to be happening in this short space of time. Something seemed to be happening.
 
Felix often did the dinosaur impression. It worked well and came a lot easier to him than anything else. He found it was a good way to break the ice. People just found it silly and funny. He didn't care if people were laughing at him or the impression that he was doing. Either way, he was happy. As long as others were happy so was he. His impression wasn't really too real, but in his experience he had found that the Durmstrang students was rainfall on an otherwise fine day. Never seeing the funny side of anything. Which for a guy like Felix was just a waste of time. They had no idea what they were missing. From what he could tell, this girl, Lissy like his impression, she no longer looked upset, or like she felt like crying. He had to say he'd done a fairly good job. It was a good feeling, and he just smiled even more. He shrugged when she spoke. It was still early days. "You'll know them now." He grinned at her. She was nice, he wondered what he had taken this long to speak to her. He was the type of guy who went up to people he maybe hadn't seen before. He was the kind of person okay with being knocked back. It was why her initial reaction hadn't bothered him. There would always be other girls, other people who would be happy to be around him. He was just glad that Alice had seemingly seen the light and was happy to be around him. Felix wrapped an arm around her and gave her a small hug. "Really though, Beauxbatons is a good school. I should introduce you to my twin, she loves meeting new people!" Felix said as he thought out loud. "It's different from what you're probably used to, but" He paused, "It really can be good fun. Just always look for me" He glanced down and wondered if this was a good time to leave. He knew he shouldn't. It wasn't really that nice. "Do you want to come sit with me and my friends, or stay here a bit longer?" Felix asked, he wasn't sure how to say to her that he had plans for the day. With all the folks back in the Great Hall, and well, he'd invited Ava, so why not her too. Although, he promised himself that even if she didn't want to go, if she wanted to stay there, then he too would stay. For all, and for all the ways in which he hadn't been too welcoming before.
 
Alice watched and waited. The conversation was coming to an end, and Alice didn't want to try and string it out. She had stolen too much of Felix's time already, and the boy was evidently split between the decision of returning to his own friends and day, and making sure Alice was fine. Part of her wanted him to stay with her. He had the air of someone she could talk to for ages. Someone she would just be able to be with and feel good about herself. But that was selfish, and she had only known him for minutes. Maybe fate would have it that they would meet again, maybe not, but now she had someone she could smile at in the corridors. She welcomed his hug in her soul and although she would have tensed minutes ago, she relaxed and let it pass. He seemed to be a tactile person and maybe she would learn that for next time. It used to be her, the tactile person. The one who loved people playing with her hair and hugging her. But now, all had changed and she had begun to flinch at someone coming near her. Even her mum couldn't give her a needed hug anymore without Alice pulling away, and this was something that they both suffered in. But it was her mother's fault, and she had to pay the price of damaging Alice. Turning to Felix, she realised her thoughts had gotten her sidetracked. "No, it's fine. I need to go to the library and then write an essay." The reasoning came easily to Alice. She didn't need to write the essay yet, her and Meera were going to do it together. But it gave them both the excuse to part ways for now. Pulling herself up, she wiped her eyes and turned to face him. "How do I look?" The question posed was merely to inquire about the state of her eyes after shedding a few tears. Backing towards the door, she tucked her wand back in her robes from where she had left it out. Standing in the doorway, she turned to Felix and smiled. "Thanks for coming. It meant a lot to have someone with me. Someone to care. You're a laugh, and I hope I see you around." Her voice was soft, with no remaining trace of the tears or sadness. Smiling for the final time, she turned and left, heading for her dormitory, not the library. It had been a lovely time, and she hoped to meet him again.
 
He was glad when she said that she had something to do. Though, when she asked how she looked, he just smiled. "Beautiful" He said simply. It came easy to say such compliments. Especially since he meant it. Very much so. He smiled at her, as she walked away. "I'll definitely see you around Lissy" He said as she just left. he smiled to himself, before heading off.</SIZE>


A couple of weeks later
Felix was in a brilliant mood. It was the first of many Beauxbatons weekends. His friends had a good idea of what to do during this time. They were going to hang out by themselves just outside the school. But he had other plans. He had been to the local village, but he knew that some hadn't been that way. He had a huge elaborate plan. He was going to invite Alice to come with him. He wasn't necessarily asking her out, but just as a friend. Saying that it would be fun to hang out for the day, and Felix knew the best spots. He knew where the best places were. He knew where to get the best ice cream and just the best everything. It was still warm enough he was ready to make her truly enjoy Beauxbatons and France. Just one issue with it, was that while he had seen her many times over the past week during none of that had be actually been able to ask her. His friends had the most annoying habit of just getting in his way. Which he really didn't enjoy. They would drag him to do something else that was more him. They needed him so they could get lucky. Felix felt bad, since their first chat they'd shared nothing more than short words passing by each other. This was a new day however. A new weekend. It was going to be amazing. He just had to convince her to come with him. He had to persuade her that it was the best idea ever. Just hanging out with him in a non-dating capacity. Though it felt very like it should be a date. While Felix had gotten more and more curious about the Hogwarts transfer, he knew that she probably didn't like him that much at all. Nothing more than a friend. That guy who helped out when she was upset, because of something that he had done. Something that was his fault. Smiling to himself he finished getting ready, sending his friends away. Telling them, that if they didn't get lost, there would be hell to pay. Felix was a happy guy, but he had a small temper. It took lot, but it existed. His friends knew better than to frustrate him in such a way. He just wanted to hang out with her, as friends. And he knew she would enjoy it. Smiling to himself, he put on his New York snapback hat, and then slipped on his usual shoes. He was dressed for the hot summers day that it was outside. It was southern France after all, it didn't really get that cold until November. They had plenty of time.

Unfortunately for him, he didn't really know where abouts the girl was currently living. There were a lot of dorms for the girls of this school. He had no way of being able to find her, without needing to send an owl. He didn't have time for that. So, instead he asked around. Asked some girls if they knew where she was staying. Until finally he ran into Ava. A girl who had fitted perfectly into their group. Easily like she'd always been there. Thougha little bit younger than most he had to admit, he liked having her around. He asked her and could've jumped for joy when she said she could tell him. He ended up wondering to the right dorm room, and going up to the dorm. Here goes nothing he was thinking. She could turn him down, say she didn't want to. Anything could happen, but he was willing to risk it. He just wanted to hang out as friends. Nothing more. He wanted to get to know her and show her that it wasn't all bad. That it wasn't where her friends were, but it worked. It was a good place, with good people willing to help one another out if they needed to. Simple. That was all he had to say about the matter. He chapped lightly on the door, and then spoke, "Lissy?" He waited. Hopefully she would answer the door, or one of the friends could answer the door, so he could find out where she was. "Lissy?" He repeated, speaking ever so slightly louder. She would hear him. Someone would.





<SIZE size="50">This is also awful. Clearly today, I can't start topics!
 
Alice was in her room, wandering around trying to find something to do. Meera had gone out somewhere, but Alice, not knowing the area had decided to stay in. She was wearing skinny jeans and a loose warm jumper over a slender t-shirt. She had a mug of hot chocolate that she had managed to sneak upstairs out of the hall and was sipping the hot drink. She loved it and it reminded her of home, of Hogwarts. Although these days, Beauxbatons was becoming her home more and more. It was where people she liked were, and having not heard from anyone from Hogwarts yet, she felt that she had been forgotten at Hogwarts. Sighing, she curled up on her bed and tucked her small feet underneath her. She pulled a book off her bedside table and began to read. But she couldn't concentrate. It was an old English novel that was good, but not gripping. Moaning at her lack of concentration towards anything, she rolled onto her tummy and lay there, looking at her room. It was pretty, and fitted the three of them in sweetly. Meera was teaching her how to be a better 'French' lady, and her French was improving drastically. She loved the environment she was in and felt a lot at home. The room had become her sanctuary and it was where she felt safe.
A knock at the door pulled her attention from her room and made her sit up. She waited again, listening attentively before hearing her name called out. But it wasn't her real name, it was her special name. The name that she used to go by, but the name that no one knew at Beauxbatons. Except Felix. Frowning as her mind played over the events of their last meeting, she climbed off the bed. They had met under exceptional circumstances where Alice was weakened at the sight of friends meeting, and she had left. However Felix had followed her and had made her laugh, made her feel special. He had been someone she had thought about for the next week, hoping to meet him again. She turned the door handle and opened it a fraction, half expecting there to be a group of his friends there to mock her. But it wasn't. It was Felix, and the Felix she recognised. "Hey..." She started, smiling at the randomness of the meeting. How had he found her? Had he been asking? Trying to keep her thoughts from becoming unreasonable, she waited there, the door open to see what he had to say. Sipping a little bit more of her hot chocolate, she motioned that he was welcome to come in if he wanted to. She didn't mind, and there were people about, but she wondered whether Charlotte or Meera would like it.
 
Felix wasn't sure how well this would go down.It would be funny to find out. He wasn't expecting much from her. He wanted this to be a day of two friends just having a bit of fun. It wouldn't mean anything more than friends having a good time. Which he was looking forward to. School was a drag, and Felix had found out he was failing a couple of his classes, but he didn't care. He was dealing with it how he knew best. Ignoring it. This was the perfect way to do it. He knew that she would be happy to have fun with him. He was however nervous, this was shown by the fact, he kept running a hand along his head and moving his hat around. Sure he didn't mind being rejected, but it sort of meant all of his plans went completely out the window. He would have nothing else to do. He had told his friends to get lost and so he had no idea what he would do with this day if she turned him down. Which he really, really hoped wouldn't happen. He liked hanging out with her. The little time they'd spent together was easy, and the young male was determined to make her see that it wasn't so bad to be outside the comfort zone of normality. He was just hoping that she would answer the door. He knew better than to just walk in. She would hate that. All girls hated that. It wouldn't help him at all. So, he would give her ten minutes to answer the door. If she didn't he'd leave. He'd do the much smart thing of sending her owl rather than just turning up. But, Felix was just sort of like that. He had no idea about how weird it would be for him to just turn up at her door. Or how much trouble he could be in for searching high and low for this one person. He was however greet with the sight of Alice, as she opened the door a little fraction. A smile erupted onto his face.

"Hey" Felix greeted with a smile. The door was opened a little more, and Felix, just stood there smiling at her. "You are spending the day with me. So, get dressed, and get some shoes on." He said to her, before taking a step away and waiting for her to show that she was ready. He knew that it was a little weird, but he was sure that she'd want to go. She seemed to be looking for adventure in the most indirect way. He would be able to show her how to fun without really trying the French towns were going to be good fun. The local magical town wasn't, but not ten minutes away was a miniature muggle town. One that Felix loved visiting. He had the plan that they'd cycle to the town, where since it was the weekend there would be a huge market, with foods from all parts of France, clothes, plenty of other things. He liked the local muggle town. "Make sure it's casual." He added as an after thought. He didn't even say that this wasn't a date, just two friends hanging out. It would be fun, she'd love it. He just waited. "Trust me, you'll have fun" He knew that probably wouldn't help her, but, it didn't bother him. He was sure that she would trust him, and it had to be more fun than whatever she was currently doing in her room alone. So, surely she'd want to go with him. Felix was fairly confident, if she'd answered the door, he was halfway there. And it wouldn't all be for nothing. It would all work in his favour. This was his way of being nice and inviting to expand her group of friends. And he knew that it would be all it would take before she feel in love with France. Felix was very confident that it would work. If he knew anything, he could show people how to have the most ridiculous fun.
 
Alice raised her eyebrows at Felix. She paused, as if debating his instruction. There was no issue for her to go out with Felix, but she didn't want to look too desperate for company. She had planned a day of relaxing, both Meera and Charlotte had gone somewhere for a while, and she was going to read and write a few letters. But both these jobs could wait, and the offer of a day trip was exciting for Alice. A split second was devoted to wondering Felix's motives for the offer, but she swiftly decided that it was just a friendly offer. He hadn't implied that there would be anyone else going, but Alice didn't mind. She knew how to deal with boys, and she really wanted to have some male friends. They proved to be better friends than girls in some cases. Smiling at the boy in front of her, she opened the door wider to show she was dressed. Leaving the door open, she turned back into the room and went over to her closet. Pulling open the second drawer, she picked out a large woolly scarf and a bobble hat. Pulling them on, she slipped on some black pumps near the door along with a handbag and stepped outside the door. Pulling it shut behind her, she turned to Felix. "So, where're we going then?" An instinct in her told her to trust him, and just go along with it. It would most probably be fun, and if not, she would learn not to spend another day with him. But, she had nothing to do, and it was worth a try. "Is this good enough?" She asked, pointing at her clothes. Wondering what he had in mind for the day, she weighed up the effect of teasing him. From what she had seen of him so far, she was sure he would laugh and probably banter back, but she needed to tread carefully until she was certain. "Where are your group then? How'd you get rid of them?" She poked, wondering as she said it whether it was a sensitive subject. She began to wander down the corridor, feeling a little silly just standing outside her room.

This is shocking. I'm sorry!
 
He stood a little awkwardly at the door as he waited for her to be ready. He didn't think it would take that long, but it was something that filed his mind as he waited. Sure, he was nervous, he thought she might hate him for doing all this, after all she might just have plans with her friends. The other ones that she had. His own friends were pretty much gone, he knew it would be hard to find them now, but it didn't bother him. Alice had agreed to his plan and they were going to have a fantastic time. That much he knew. He knew they were going to have an amazing time. He smiled as she stepped out, dressed and ready to go. He just smiled at her, not about to give the secret away. Instead he just continued to smile and then began walking in the direction of where the exit to the school was. "It's perfect!" He replied as he lead her through the palace. Down all the stairs and to the front door. "Oh, I told them there was a sale on at the sweet shop." That was a lie, but, he smiled and laughed, showing it was a lie, but also that they didn't matter right now. "It's just you and me" He took her hand, well, her arm, just above her wrist and lead her to where his bike sat outside the gate. It was a short walk, Felix knew all the little secrets. He was good at that sort of thing. "Trust me" He smiled at her, leading her a short way through the forest, and then smiling as the gate took shape in front of him. He let go and ran over to his bike. Which was just a general bike, with the ability to have someone standing at the back. "Hopefully your balance is good, or we're going to have a problem." He gave a small laugh as he got on the bike. He looked back round at her, and smiled.

"Don't worry, it's enchanted. You can't fall off. Though I'd still hold on to me pretty tightly." Felix grinned and waited. He knew she would have to just trust him. This whole trip was based upon any trust she could find for him. "This is the only time you have to back out of this trip. Now, are you in or are you out?" He had a plan to take her to the muggle town and experience France in the best possible way. The people, the laid back culture, the mixtures of food, the heat. The town was full of little kids running around. "I promise you Lissy, you won't regret coming." It was a gorgeous day, the sun was getting quite high in the sky, the light was incredibly bright, Felix was glad he had though to have a bag already attached to his bike, with all the essentials for the day. Even if she did come, he'd go himself. There was no harm in him still enjoying the day if she didn't want to.

Apologies for the slight god-mod
 
Don't worry about it. Feel free to go ahead with it whenever you need to. I trust your judgement. Otherwise the roleplay will take ages to go anywhere! This is the worst reply but I think it will be better when they are actually out.

Alice followed Felix once he took control and direction. She laughed softly at his refusal to tell where they were going or why his friends weren't around. "That easily amused, eh? You should find better company!" But Alice was pleased they weren't around, pleased that she would have a day with a friend, just the two of them. Her smile dropped though when she saw the bike. She didn't have good balance and she would be petrified. Folding her arms, she stood there. "Well Felix. You know I can't dance, so how did you assume I can balance?" Her tone was light and teasing, but with a slight edge of panic evident. "Enchanted eh? And what does that actually mean? I won't fall off?" She didn't want to turn back, she didn't want to be seen as scared, and she didn't want to ruin Felix's day plans, but honestly, the thought off riding on the back of a bike wasn't that appealing to the brunette. "Ok." She decided, having weighed up the two sides of going with him. She smiled, if a little weakly and nodded. "I trust you." Standing on the back of the scooter, she waited, waited to see what would happen next, what Felix had planned. He seemed to be prepared, judging by the bag on the bike, and Alice smiled to herself, impressed with his planning, but amused that he had assumed she would go with him.
 
Glad when the girl got on the back of his bike. It was enchanted so, it would cushion any fall, and it would stay upright. If it wasn't safe, then he would've never suggested it. It was why he was glad when she decided that she would trust him. Which was a good sign. He was happy for such a thing to be occurring. With a smile, he sat down. He put her arms around his waist. While he knew it would be fine. He wanted her to feel as safe as he could make her feel. He looked round and asked if she ready, when she nodded back to him, he kicked off and pushed the bike forward. He was good at cycling, as soon as they were clear of the school, and the path lead off towards the magical village, he gave the bike a sharp turn and headed in seemingly the opposite direction. Cycling through the thick forest that seemed to have no end. Cycling around all the many trees, careful of all the bumps in the pathway, it looked nothing like a pathway he should be following, eventually the tree broke and Felix was cycling a little slower on the main road. It wasn't really a main road, just the muggle road which lead around the school. The school well hidden but the trees, and the magic. He liked this road, there was a huge verge on the side, but it was deserted. Apart from the odd, very traditional very looking french house, it was completely empty. He just pushed on. Every so often, pointing out something to Lissy. The forest, which was in part burned. The small, tiny town that cropped out of nowhere after a sharp turn. He took the slip off road, and cycled through it, they headed down for a bit, then the road went back to being straight, He spent the time telling her all about the little shops and the people he knew. He slowed down as they passed a sunflower field, quickly followed by about three lavender fields. France had a lot to offer at this time of year. it was very simply beautiful. It was something that he enjoyed, Felix glanced back at Alice, "Don't worry if you want, we can stop on the way back" He said speaking loudly, turning the attention back to the main road. He had to pay attention to the road, he had to remember the right road to slip off to. It wasn't long till this happened. A sharp turn and a steep hill, and then, they were faced with a small muggle town. A few cars driving down the roads. He smiled. He slowed the bike and came to a complete stop at the almost full bike rack. He got off and stretched. "Welcome to the small town of Bouilladisse." He said throwing his arms up and motioning to the small town. The entire journey had taken a little over 15 minutes.

The town itself had banners up, from building to building. In the main road, was clearly a large market. Full of food stalls and various other things. All the houses were very traditional, a beige sort of colour, with multicolored shutters. A fountain in the square, just beside them. A small, old looking church not five feet away. He smiled at Alice. Locking up the bike up and pulling his bag on to his back, readjusting the hat slightly. "Now, we have two options, either we can do the market, or go through the small park." He shook his head, and then just took her hand, and lead her in the direction of the market, "It's too late, I've made the choice." He said laughing slightly. Leading her towards the market, knowing that was the best place to start. Keeping close to her, he pointed out the different stalls, the traditional flower stall, and fruit and vegetable stand, the hat stand, and the very lovely patisserie stand, and that was just the start. Felix greeted a number of the stall owners in the usual french way, a kiss on both cheeks. Speaking to them like he knew them incredibly well. They spoke in rapid french, he looked to Alice, as they stood in front of the largest fruit and vegetable stand. That had the richest colours and smells "Right, Lissy, what's your favourite fruit, or vegetable? Tell Marion here and she's giving us 500g of it free." He said, "And I'll be right back," he smiled at her, before heading in the opposite direction, towards the flower stand where he bought a bouquet of lavender and one small sunflower. He ran back over to her, covering her eyes with one hand, as he pulled off her hat, and in her placed the small sunflower in her hair. "Merci, Marion!" He yelled over to her and waved, before walking in front of Alice and removing his hand. "Perfect!" He gave a small laugh. "Wait, hold it," He brought his bag in front of him, before giving the flowers to Alice to hold, he rummaged in the bag for a while, before pulling out, a mobile phone. An old looking iPhone, "It's muggle," He said with a smile, before swinging the bag back on to his back. He held the phone and took a picture, "Look" He showed her the picture before taking back the flowers she was holding for him. "Good, right? So much better without the hat!" He smiled at her, "Right, your turn to lead the way, and don't be scared by all the yelling, it's normal." He said encouragingly, waiting for her to decide which way to head.

Hope this is alright! The town exists, But, it is nothing like I'm describing.
 
Alice squealed a little as they rode on the bike. It was fun, but scary. Holding on ever tighter as the journey increased, she only just reminded herself to look at the scenery. The thick forest around them looked powerful and intimidating, but Alice only laughed to herself as she reminded herself that she was with Felix and they both had magic if necessary. It was a relief, having magic, but also a burden. She worried that as an adult, she would feel the need to protect muggles in certain situations. She would always have that decision to make, to protect someone or to keep the well-preserved secret. This was a stuggle she wondered if wizard families went through. Alice would go to any length to protect her younger sister, Grace, and would even be willing to expose her magic to the wider community if it became necessary. She would face the consequences later, whatever they may be, but gladly knowing she had protected her sister. Felix pointed out various sights which Alice took in, eating up their beauty and memorising it for days when she felt miserable and low. The sunflower and lavender fields passed quickly and Alice looked back longingly, reassured when Felix promised they would return on the way back. She laughed at how evidently obvious her feelings were. Nothing was going to spoil today, Alice promised herself that. A short while later, they pulled up into a village and the bike stopped. Alice climbed off quickly, grateful to shake out her legs and be helpful as Felix locked the bike up. She smiled as he introduced the town and repeated the name. "Bouilladisse" Her tone, thoughtful as she tried the sound out. She loved the way the French names and words rolled off the tongue, floating out into the atmosphere. Her voice was quiet, but she smiled at the effect and turned to see where Felix was leading her. A market greeted her eyes and she smiled again. Wondering whether today would be a day she couldn't stop smiling, she laughed as he made the decisions. She didn't mind. It was nice that someone had gone to the effort to plan a day for her, and she had made up her mind to enjoy every aspect of it.
The market greeted the young English girl with smells of food and flowers. The combination worked well Alice noted and watched as stall owners competed for customers. It was the sort of place where Alice could stay forever, enjoying the feeling and the atmosphere, getting to know the stall owners and regulars. Felix seemed at ease with the stall owners, greeting them in the typical French way, and Alice had to remind herself that this was common in this country, unlike the formal handshake in England. She smiled shyly at the lady introduced as Marion and looked down at her stall. Felix ran off somewhere and Alice laughed as he left, like a child in a sweetshop. Turning to the lady, she pointed down and some of the fruits. "Some strawberries please, and grapes. Oh, and some oranges." The fruits twinkled up at her, tempting her in all directions and she smiled at Marion, pleased that her improving French had gotten the message across. They were her favourite fruits and she rummaged in her bag for some muggle money. Marion shook her head and smiled, before handing over the bag and pointing at Felix. Taking the bag and thanking the stall owner, Alice suddenly felt a hand over her eyes. She froze momentarily, before realising it was only Felix. Waiting patiently she felt her hat taken off and wondered whether her hair was looking ok or messy. It was a trivial worry, and Alice laughed as she waited, full of amusement and joy. Felix removed his hand and she smiled, turning to see him and question what he had done. He pulled out an iPhone, an old make of phone that had since been remodelled and styled. She recognised it though and smiled. "You forget my parents are muggles and I grew up in England!" She laughed, recalling that she hadn't ever told him that. There was little they knew about each other, and yet, they were still here, enjoying themselves and not worrying about blood statuses or history. She smiled for the photo, wondering how bad it looked but smiled when he showed her the image. The sunflower looked pretty, and complimented her dark hair. This had been a sight she hadn't seen in a while, a colour complimenting her hair. At least, the Beaux robes still didn't sit right with her hair, but Alice pushed that feeling to the side to smile at Felix. "It's lovely. Thank you." Accepting his command to choose somewhere to go, she looked around. "Um... Ooh, I don't know! It's all too lovely! I can't decide. You choose!" She laughed at herself, surprised by her indecisiveness. It wasn't aligned to the rest of her characteristics but yet, she wanted Felix to choose. He had planned this day, and Alice wanted to enjoy it for all it was, rather than worry about choosing something and missing out on another. "You seem to know the area, so please, take me anywhere, just make sure I enjoy myself!" She smiled and waited, putting her hat into her bag.
 
Felix came to this little town often. Mostly when he was bored of school. Bored of his friends and desperate for something a little more. Something that wasn't surrounded by magic. It was when he'd gone for a cycle and stumbled upon this small town. He was always thankful that he had. After all, it was a very traditionally french town. It was in the hills, and the people were, well they were incredibly friendly. He'd made many friends. He'd helped out many of them when they needed it. The first he'd come being almost 4 years ago. he'd been young at the time, but he had made quite an impression on the local people. And there was the summer he'd worked with Marion, lived in the town, running errands for her. He'd helped out countless people, just doing little silly jobs that they needed done. Mostly for free. Felix was just the sort of guy who helped out others, he was friendly and kind. He easily made friends, and was always happy to help those friends. Which was why he'd brought Alice to it. Show her that France wasn't so bad. That she just hadn't given it enough of a chance. He liked this town because he knew people. He knew Marion, he knew the flower stand guy. The clothes stand. The book stand. The local bar, that served soft drinks for the minors. He smiled as he noticed the fruits that Alice had picked out, as she told him of her parents. "Good to know Lissy" He smiled at her. "Both my parents are of magical blood, but I was raised like a muggle. Went to primary school and everything." He smiled at her, as she liked the picture, that was a good sign. That's for sure. She was having a much better time that before. Which made him smile. And she looked pretty with it in. It suited her. He took back the phone and quickly stuffed it into his jean pocket. He laughed lightly as she was unable to decide where to go next. The first time he'd gone to the market he'd been the same, however, times had changed and he was well known in this market. He knew it well. He put his arm around her shoulders and directed her further down the street. "if you're sure Lissy"

Every so often the order of the stalls would change, today was not one of those days. Once he had taken back the flowers, and had directed them past the stalls, he noticed the book stand, something he was sure that Alice would love. She'd been a Raveclaw, hadn't she? So books would be something that interested her. He directed her over. And smiled when his friend was the one running the stall. He took his arm back from around her and smiled at his muggle friend. "SEBASTIAN!" He yelled, as the guy noticed him. He was created in the usual fashion. Felix motioned for her to follow as he made his way round the stall to create his old friend with a large hug. "How longs it been man?" He asked his friend in rapid french. As they broke the hug. He was met with a shrug, and a point towards Alice. Once again, Felix motioned for her to come join him, "Your girlfriend?" Felix's friend asked. "No, You know you're the only one for me" He said making kissy faces at his friend. He was met with a small shove. To which both broke out into laughter. "Lissy, this is my good friend, Sebastian. He doesn't really speak english" He shrugged, "Sebastian, this is Alice, she's from England" His friend smiled at the girl, before putting his arm around Felix. "I did some work for his mother," Felix explained. "Yes, and my mother is forever tankful. So, he gets free book from 'er. I'll get 'er. She'll be glad your here." Felix just nodded as his friend went away. Leaving, him and Alice to mind the stall. Felix offered a shrug to Alice as an explanation. "I'm a friendly guy." He added. Moments later, an old woman stepped outside, arms laden with books. She made her way to Felix, and greeted him in the usual French manner, before handing his the books she'd been carrying. Felix offered to pay, but she refused. Instead she pushed him away. Felix, said goodbye to his friend and then turned back to Alice. "Come on, before she tries to give me more. I'm not much of a reader." He put the books in his bag, before putting his arm back around the girl.

Felix wasn't sure where to lead her next, he wasn't sure how to explain everything in this town. It was when, he had an idea. He was feeling pretty tired, after cycling all that way, it had tired him. So, he directed them, towards the right side of the market and down a small street. he turned a few corners, then stopped at the cafe at the end of the street. It was overlooking the french hills. "A little break" He said, pointing to a table in the corner, right on the edge. he sat down, and then smiled at the girl. "Order whatever you like! It's on me"
 
Alice smiled to herself as he put his arm around her shoulders. She didn't mind, and knew it was just his way of being friendly. If it got any further, she'd put a stop to it, but she could manage this. It made her laugh, just thinking that some of her friends would have freaked out by now and run a mile. Boys were something she could handle. She had grown up with some of her best friends being boys, and she enjoyed their company, sometimes more than other girls. At Hogwarts, most of her close friends had been male, and their relationships in the group were easy and only friendly. Alice glanced across at the boy next to her, taking in his appearance. He was fairly good-looking, and would be popular with the ladies, Alice saw that. His character went with his appearance, not too arrogant, but enjoying company and flirty and friendly. Alice liked this characteristic, and decided to try and encourage it in him. Not to be flirty necessarily, but to just be as friendly as possible. He said he had been raised like a muggle, and Alice realised that this fitted. It fitted with his calmness around muggles and his preferance towards a muggle village. She smiled, pleased that she hadn't made friends with a person passionate about blood status. Looking around as they walked, she followed his lead, allowing his arm to guide her. He seemed to know the stalls and the owners well and Alice thought it was sweet of him to have gone to the effort to get to know them. They arrived at a bookstall and Alice's eyes lit up. She was amazed, and delighted. Felix had known that she had been a Ravenclaw, and she was pleased he had remembered. She watched the greeting with amusement playing on her face. Raising her eyebrows at Felix's friend's comment about them being together, she laughed at Felix's calm response. "It's lovely to meet you Sebastian." She said politely, feeling the need to add to the conversation. The new boy disappeared, and Alice looked down at the books in front of her. Stroking her fingers along their binders, she let out a small sigh of bliss. Picking one up at random, she opened it and began to scan read the first chapter. It wasn't a book she had come across before, and she smiled, feeling herself sink back into the lives of the characters. It was the place she belonged, inside a book. Her attention was swayed as an old woman arrived, carrying lots of books. Alice beamed at the sight, unable to stop herself. The sight of the books made her feel so happy - she had waded through a good section of the Beaux library already, and was desperate for some new reading other than about ancient wizards who thought they were amazing. Alice laughed at Felix's attempt to leave. She turned and caught the old ladies eye, thanking her silently for the books. The lady nodded and smiled, and Alice felt a small friendship secure. "Come on Felix, with a bookstall like this at such close range, you have to be a reader!" She laughed again, determined to make him a reader whether he wanted it or not. She followed him to a table and sat down. It was a beautiful view and she looked out, smiling at the hills. "Ok. Parts of France are beautiful." She admitted, turning her attention to the menu in front of her. "Are you sure? I have some muggle money." She asked, pulling her handbag onto her lap. The waitress arrived and Alice left the conversation of money for a while, to decide on a drink. "I'll have a latte please." She ordered, smiling at the waitress before turning to see what Felix would order.
 
The reaction that lissy had given for the book stand, was enough, in his mind to fuel him for about a month. He could help but smile at how happy she looked. It was odd to see someone get that excited over books. He didn't know that many. He also knew that he would do as much as possible to help out his friend's mother so that he could help Alice read more books. It wouldn't be that hard. He could work almost allthe weekends if he needed to. Work the holidays. he never really went home anyway. It was crowded, and well, now that his brother lived in France, well Monaco, he had no real reason to leave. It was just easier for him to stay in France rather than else where, his family didn't have the kind of money to fly him back and forth. Since he was not quite of age to just apparate back and forth. He was just happy right now, that she was happy. "Oh no, I'm really not a reader." He just said with a shrug. "I get tired and fall asleep." He gave a light laugh. But, it was annoying. He just couldn't concentrate on anything. He ended up falling asleep and just not being able to do anything. Which was why he was currently having a pretty awful term classes wise. He couldn't concentrate, so he wasn't passing. He was failing a few classes, but he wasn't so worried about it. He smiled as she offered to pay. Giving a small laugh. "Nah, it's alright. Plus what sort of gentleman would I be if I made the lady pay for part. This might not be a date, but, I'm still a man." He knew it was a slightly old way of thinking of it, but he was always taught that a man should pay. That and this was entirely his idea, so, he wasn't exactly going to make her pay for anything. He just smiled as the waitress came over, he flashed her a smile and proceed to ask what her favourite drink at the cafe was. "Hm, a straight coffee sounds nice, but I was hoping for something to beat the heat." He said with a smile at the woman. "You know what, it all looks great, surprise me, with your best cold drink. Oh and two of your croissants. Thank you" He watched as the waitress left. She was new, he didn't remember her from the summer, that he had mostly spent in this small town. He turned to smile at Alice.

"Oh, the south is simply stunning. With the sea, the mountains, the castles. Everything. I'm from Spain, but, I think I could very easily live in France." He said, as he looked out. "I think I'll probably move to this town. I know the people, and the people simply love me." He said with a laugh. She had probably been worried that he had been taking her somewhere crazy. "You can have the books Sebastian's mother gave me. She gives me any that aren't sellable, like written in, or torn and worn. She once gave a first edition copy of the Lord of the Rings in English, because the hardback spin had completely fallen off. Crazy french woman."
 
Alice watched Felix as he ordered his drink and some croissants. He flirted merrily with the waitress and Alice laughed, wondering whether she got customers like this all the time. Alice thought it was lovely, how Felix was so friendly towards everyone, but she was pleased when he reiterated that it wasn't a date. It wasn't anything against Felix, just that she wasn't ready to date... yet. Alice sighed and shook her head in mock despair at Felix's lack of interest in books. "But those books are the best, the ones that have been written in, and look read. A book's purpose is to be read, to convey a story or facts to the reader, and to keep them on a shelf, or to keep them in pristine condition robs them of this purpose. It makes them an accessory, an ornament. When really they are there to be read. You just have to find the right book for the right time, and then there is nothing but enjoyment to be felt." She laughed softly at herself, feeling her passion rising up and bubbling out. Alice hoped Felix didn't feel lectured, but she wanted to convey her feeliongs to him. "Merci!" She smiled, delighted at the offer of the books from Sebastian's mother. That was an honour and Alice couldn't wait to dig into reading them. She took control of herself to stop her reaching down and reading one now. Today was a day with a friend, she could read at any other point. Felix mentioned moving to this town, and she laughed at his insistence that the people loved him. "You're from Spain? So you speak French, English and Spanish?!" She asked incredulously. It seemed the boy before her was a natural linguist. To speak 3 languages at the age of 15, that was impressive. She wondered where he learnt his English from. Beauxbatons taught only in French and had no English classes on offer, something Alice had originally struggled with. "My parents are living in the South at the moment. It's fairly pretty... I saw that in summer. I spent most of my time avoiding home, so I wandered the beaches, finding pretty shops. It was nice." She ended, realising she had started to go into the topic of her family, and her home. That was a topic she wanted to stay clear of today.
 

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